Tuesday Briefing

France faces complicated months

French voters may have rejected the far right in Sunday’s general election, but they now face a divided parliament and an unclear path to a workable government, with a rebellious left in the lead but still far from holding on to power. These maps show how France voted.

It will take difficult negotiations to finally form a viable government, writes my colleague Roger Cohen. France does not have a culture of such compromises and it could take months to sort out the mess. President Emmanuel Macron asked his prime minister yesterday to stay in office “for the time being” to “ensure the stability of the country.”

The New Popular Front, a left-wing alliance, has demanded that Macron ask it to form a government, and said it would soon present its choice for prime minister. Still, it is 100 seats short of a workable majority, and Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the pugnacious left-wing leader, has said he would not negotiate with potential coalition partners or modify the alliance’s program.

Possible scenarios: Macron could appoint a prime minister from outside his party and share power, but he has called far-left and far-right parties too “extreme” and other political groups have shown little interest in working with him. Here’s more on what could come next.

Biden opposed withdrawing from the race

President Biden launched an aggressive effort yesterday to assuage concerns that a broad swath of Democrats have raised about his reelection campaign. In the afternoon, he called a widely watched morning news program, sent a defiant letter to Democratic members of Congress and, in a call with fundraisers, previewed his plan to attack Donald Trump.

“If any of these guys think I shouldn’t run, run,” he said, hitting back at his critics. “Go ahead, announce yourself for president. Challenge me at the convention.”

Biden, facing waning support from Democratic lawmakers and growing fears of a November defeat by Donald Trump, is expected to hold a news conference, likely on Thursday, after he finishes hosting a NATO summit in Washington.

Health issues: An expert on Parkinson’s disease visited the White House eight times from last summer to this spring, according to official visitor logs. The White House did not specify whether the expert was there to consult on Biden, but said the president was not being treated for Parkinson’s.

Republicans: Trump supported a draft Republican platform that softened the party’s position on abortion but was more nationalistic and protectionist.

A children’s hospital was bombed in Ukraine

Moscow fired missiles over Ukraine yesterday, destroying the country’s largest children’s hospital. Hundreds of people rushed to the scene to help in a desperate search for survivors. A doctor and another adult were killed and at least 10 others were injured, including seven children, local officials said. At least three children were pulled from the rubble, Ukraine’s emergency services said.

At least 38 people were killed in the bombings across the country, including 27 in Kiev, and more than 100 were wounded, officials said. Ukraine’s air force said it shot down 30 of the 38 missiles fired in the attack. The U.N. Security Council is holding an emergency meeting today to discuss the strikes.

Strikes in healthcare: The attacks highlighted a growing number of deadly attacks by Russia on Ukrainian medical facilities, vehicles and workers.

In one image: The story behind a photo of a bloodied surgeon helping search through the rubble.

MORE TOP NEWS

Doreen Brodhead checked into a motel room in Kingston, NY, last November. With her was Stephen Miller, a former doctor who had served time in prison and whom she had met online. The next morning, her body was found on the bed, next to a note. A gas can was found nearby, and Miller was gone.

Brodhead had lived with chronic pain for decades, and Miller had helped her die. But was he, as he claimed, an angel of mercy or, as prosecutors called him, an angel of death?

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ART AND IDEAS

The best books of the 21st century

The New York Times Book Review asked hundreds of literary greats to name the 10 best books published since January 1, 2000. The definition of “best” was left open—for some, it simply meant “favorite.” For others, it meant books that would endure for generations.

Stephen King participated in our poll. So did Claudia Rankine, James Patterson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Karl Ove Knausgaard, Elin Hilderbrand, Roxane Gay, Marlon James, Sarah MacLean, Min Jin Lee, and Jonathan Lethem. (See their ballots.)

We will publish the list during the course of this week, starting with positions 81 to 100.