National News at a Glance

Top Economic Aide to Resign After Tariff Dispute

Gary D. Cohn, President Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, said on Tuesday that he would resign, becoming the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the Trump administration. White House officials insisted that there was no single factor behind the departure of Cohn, who heads the National Economic Council. But his decision to leave came after he seemed poised to lose an internal struggle over Trump’s plan to impose large tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Cohn had warned last week that he might resign if Trump followed through with the tariffs, which he had lobbied against internally.

In Wake of Affair, Mayor Pleads Guilty to Theft and Steps Down

On Tuesday, Mayor Megan Barry, 54, brought her 2-1/2-year run as the first female chief executive of Nashville, Tennessee, to a dramatic close, pleading guilty to a felony charge of theft of property and announcing her resignation. The move capped a turbulent five weeks in which she acknowledged having an affair with the head of her security detail, and faced persistent questions about whether she misspent taxpayer money on business trips. Sgt. Robert Forrest Jr. of the Metro Nashville Police Department, who retired in January, also pleaded guilty on Tuesday to the same charge as Barry’s.

Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Indian Immigrant’s Murder

A Kansas man pleaded guilty Tuesday to the murder of an Indian-born engineer whom he had angrily confronted about his immigration status at a bar in Olathe, Kansas, last year, then fatally shot in an attack that drew international scorn. Witnesses said the suspect, Adam Purinton, yelled, “Get out of my country” before firing the shots that killed Srinivas Kuchibhotla and wounded two others. Purinton’s guilty plea was for state charges of first-degree murder and attempted first-degree murder for the two men he wounded. Purinton, 52, is expected to be sentenced to life in prison.

A Second Winter Storm Is Coming

Forecasters warned that a nor’easter Wednesday could drop a foot or more of snow on parts of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Connecticut in what would be the second severe winter storm in less than a week. The forecast Tuesday remained uncertain, with meteorologists unable to pin down where exactly rain would turn into snow. But the Northeast region began to brace for impact all the same. The severe weather was expected to begin as early as Tuesday evening in the mid-Atlantic, and to grow in strength Wednesday as it moved up into New England.

Cynthia Nixon Explores Possible Run Against Andrew Cuomo

Actress Cynthia Nixon, who for months has teased her interest in challenging Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, has engaged in talks with a pair of veteran Democratic political operatives, a sign she may be moving closer to a decision on whether to run this year, according to people familiar with the situation. A longtime education activist, Nixon has also been studying up on other policy areas, in particular transportation policy, according to two people familiar with Nixon’s activities. The ongoing woes of New York City’s subway system are widely seen as one of Cuomo’s greatest political vulnerabilities.

Trump Administration Sues California Over Immigration Laws

The Trump administration escalated what had been a war of words over California’s immigration agenda, filing a lawsuit late Tuesday that amounted to a pre-emptive strike against the liberal state’s sanctuary laws. The Justice Department sued California; Gov. Jerry Brown; and the state’s attorney general, Xavier Becerra, over three state laws passed in recent months, saying they make it impossible for federal immigration officials to do their jobs and deport criminals who were born outside the United States. The Justice Department called the laws unconstitutional and asked a judge to block them.

Adviser to Emirates With Ties to Trump Aides Is Cooperating With Special Counsel

An adviser to the United Arab Emirates with ties to current and former aides to President Donald Trump is cooperating with the special counsel, Robert Mueller, and gave testimony last week to a grand jury, according to two people familiar with the matter. Mueller appears to be examining the influence of foreign money on Trump’s political activities and has asked witnesses about the possibility that the adviser, George Nader, funneled money from the Emirates to the president’s political efforts. It is illegal for foreign entities to contribute to campaigns or for Americans to knowingly accept foreign money for political races.

Fighting Poverty, Drugs and Even Violence, All on a Teacher’s Salary

Raucous cheers echoed off the high marble ceilings of the West Virginia Capitol on Tuesday as state leaders announced they had met striking teachers’ demands for a 5 percent pay raise. Karla Hilliard, a high school English teacher in Martinsburg, said, “In West Virginia we deal with high levels of poverty and the opioid epidemic,” she said. Teachers in the state last year earned an average of $46,000, $13,000 less than the national average. In only three states do teachers earn less: Mississippi, South Dakota and Oklahoma.