National News at a Glance

Trump Stuns Lawmakers With Seeming Embrace of Gun Control Measures

President Donald Trump stunned Republicans on live television Wednesday by embracing gun control and urging a group of lawmakers at the White House to resurrect gun safety legislation opposed for years by the National Rifle Association and the vast majority of his party. In a remarkable meeting, the president veered wildly from the NRA playbook in front of giddy Democrats and stone-faced Republicans. The declarations prompted frantic calls from NRA lobbyists to their allies on Capitol Hill and a statement from the group calling the ideas Trump expressed “bad policy.” Republican lawmakers insisted they remained opposed to gun control measures.

Hicks to Leave Post as White House Communications Director

Hope Hicks, President Donald Trump’s communications director and one of his longest-serving advisers, said Wednesday that she planned to leave the White House in the next few weeks. Hicks, 29, who joined Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign without any experience in politics, became known as one of the few aides who understood Trump’s personality and style and could challenge the president to change his views. Her office, which she inherited after the departure of another Trump confidant, was just next door. For Trump, a politician who relies so heavily on what is familiar to him, Hicks’ absence could be jarring.

Immigration Agency Rails Against Oakland Mayor’s Warning of Raids

A top federal official likened Mayor Libby Schaaf of Oakland to a “gang lookout” on Wednesday, saying her warning of an impending, large-scale arrest operation had given immigrants in the United States illegally the opportunity to flee. Schaaf had announced Saturday that she had learned through “unofficial channels” that the federal Immigrations and Customs Enforcement agency, or ICE, was planning arrests in the area. The mayor’s warnings proved correct: Since Sunday night, ICE officers have arrested more than 150 people in Northern California. But ICE officials said that the mayor’s warning jeopardized officers’ safety.

Trump Tears Into Sessions Over Russia Investigation

The long-simmering friction between President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions erupted into an extraordinary public faceoff Wednesday as the investigation into Russia’s election interference roiled the administration and raised new questions about the independence of law enforcement agencies. Trump excoriated Sessions for not ordering his own investigation into the handling of the Russia inquiry during its early months, calling his attorney general “DISGRACEFUL” in a lacerating Twitter post. Sessions responded with a rare statement defending his “integrity and honor.” Sessions’ response was all the more striking because he had largely kept quiet after previous attacks by the president.

Rev. Billy Graham Lies in Honor at U.S. Capitol for Day of Remembrance

President Donald Trump hailed the Rev. Billy Graham as “an ambassador for Christ” who helped lift up the American spirit, speaking during a memorial service in the Capitol Rotunda to honor the pastor following his death at 99 last week. Politicians and other well-wishers began gathering at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday morning to pay tribute to Graham, whose body arrived for a daylong memorial before his funeral in North Carolina on Friday. His legacy includes an outsize influence on the life of America by encouraging millions of evangelical Christians to be engaged in social and political activism.

Miami Superintendent Chosen to Lead New York City Schools

Mayor Bill de Blasio has chosen Alberto M. Carvalho, the superintendent of Miami-Dade County Public Schools, the nation’s fourth-largest district, as New York City’s next schools chancellor. Carvalho, who came to the United States as an unauthorized immigrant from Portugal at age 17, is considered to belong to the top tier of superintendents in the country. His choice signals a possible change of direction for the New York City school system. Carvalho has significantly expanded the number of charter and magnet schools in his district, an approach more in line with that of de Blasio’s predecessor, Michael R. Bloomberg.

Justices Weigh Political Apparel at Polls

Minnesota prohibits people at polling places from wearing T-shirts, hats and buttons that express political views. In a First Amendment challenge to the state’s law on Wednesday, the Supreme Court explored what kinds of apparel the law bars as the justices considered how to balance free speech rights with civility at the voting booth. The case presented the court with unusually difficult line-drawing challenges. But several of the more liberal justices, joined at times by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, said that maintaining the decorum of polling places could justify restrictions on free speech.