VOL. CLXVII . . . No. 57,943 © 2018 The New York Times Company NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 2018

C M Y K Nxxx,2018-04-25,A,001,Bs-4C,E2

U(D54G1D)y+#!_!%!#!{

Alek Minassian, 25, posted a hostilemessage toward women on Facebookbefore his attack, police said. PAGE A6

INTERNATIONAL A4-13

Toronto Suspect Is Charged

The state’s Mormons, with long-held tiesto Polynesia, are flocking to a restaurantchain serving Hawaiian food. PAGE D1

In Utah, a Taste of Oahu

WASHINGTON — PresidentTrump acknowledged Tuesdaythat Dr. Ronny L. Jackson, his no-minee to lead the Veterans AffairsDepartment, is in serious troubleamid accusations that as theWhite House doctor he oversaw ahostile work environment, im-properly dispensed prescriptiondrugs and possibly drank on thejob.

Speaking at a midday news con-ference with the president ofFrance, Mr. Trump strongly de-fended Dr. Jackson, the WhiteHouse physician, as “one of thefinest people that I have met,” buthe hinted that Dr. Jackson mightsoon withdraw from considera-tion, blaming Democrats formounting an unfair attack on hisnominee’s record.

“I don’t want to put a manthrough a process like this,” Mr.Trump said. “The fact is, I would-n’t do it. What does he need it for?”

By Tuesday evening, however,Mr. Trump and Dr. Jackson metface-to-face, and the White House

moved aggressively to defend thedoctor against what the presidenthad called “ugly” abuse by poli-ticians. A White House statementsaid that Dr. Jackson’s record was“impeccable” and insisted that hewould not be “railroaded” by falseaccusations.

The concern over Dr. Jackson’snomination is bipartisan andemerged after Senate Veterans’Affairs Committee interviewswith more than 20 people, includ-ing current and former militarypersonnel who had worked withhim. The committee began an in-vestigation last week into Dr.Jackson’s White House workrecord, and its Republican and

NOMINEE TO LEADVETERANS AFFAIRSCOMES UNDER FIRE

CONCERN IS BIPARTISAN

Trump Defends Doctor— Claims of Drinking

and Offering Pills

By NICHOLAS FANDOSand MICHAEL D. SHEAR

Dr. Ronny L. JacksonMICHAEL REYNOLDS/EPA, VIA SHUTTERSTOCK

Continued on Page A19

WASHINGTON — PresidentTrump signaled on Tuesday thathe was open to a new arrange-ment with European allies thatwould preserve the Iran nuclearagreement by expanding and ex-tending its terms to constrainTehran’s development of missilesand other destabilizing activitiesin the Middle East.

Hosting President EmmanuelMacron of France at the WhiteHouse, Mr. Trump again assailedthe agreement made by theObama administration as “in-sane” and “ridiculous,” but said hecould agree to “a new deal” negoti-ated by American and Europeanofficials if it was strong enough.He made no commitment, howev-er, leaving it unclear whether hewill pull out of the agreement by aMay 12 deadline he has set to ei-ther “fix” the Iran agreement orwalk away from it.

At the same time, Mr. Trumpsignaled more optimism aboutbrokering a nuclear accord withNorth Korea as he prepares for asummit meeting with its leader,Kim Jong-un, in May or earlyJune. Dispensing with harsh criti-cism of the past, Mr. Trump evenpraised Mr. Kim in strikingly pos-itive terms, calling the head of oneof the world’s most authoritariangovernments “very open and veryhonorable.”

The discussion with Mr. Macronillustrated how the separate nu-clear standoffs with Iran andNorth Korea have increasingly in-tersected, with far-reaching con-sequences for American foreignpolicy in the Middle East, Asia andEurope. Mr. Trump’s decision nextmonth to keep or dump the Irannuclear agreement will inevitablyinfluence the anticipated talkswith North Korea just days orweeks later as Mr. Kim weighswhether he can reach a deal withthe American president.

Mr. Macron came to Washing-ton as the emissary from Euro-pean allies anxious to persuadeMr. Trump to preserve the Iranagreement while American andEuropean negotiators seek to cre-ate side deals intended to furtherrestrain Tehran. Iran presumablywould not be part of these agree-

Trump Is OpenTo NegotiatingNew Iran Deal

May 12 Deadline Nearson Nuclear Accord

By PETER BAKERand JULIE HIRSCHFELD DAVIS

President Trump and Melania Trump welcomed President Emmanuel Macron of France and his wife, Brigitte, on Tuesday.DOUG MILLS/THE NEW YORK TIMES

Continued on Page A10

BEIJING — China’s vibranttechnology scene is searching forpeople like Shen Yue. Qualifica-tions: Must be attractive, knowhow to charm socially awkwardprogrammers and give relaxingmassages.

Ms. Shen is a “programmer mo-tivator,” as they are known inChina. Part psychologist, partcheerleader, the women are hiredto chat up and calm stressed-outcoders. The jobs are proliferatingin a society that largely adheres togender stereotypes and believesthat male programmers are“zhai,” or nerds who have no so-cial lives.

“They really need someone totalk to them from time to time and

to organize activities for them toease some of the pressure,” saidMs. Shen, a 25-year-old who has adegree in civil engineering from auniversity in Beijing.

Chinese women have madegreat strides in the workplace.The country has the world’s larg-est number of self-made femalebillionaires, while many start-upshave women in senior roles. But ata time when the United States andother countries are confrontingthe #MeToo movement, the in-equalities and biases in China arerarely discussed openly and re-main firmly entrenched.

The country’s laws against gen-

Perk for Some Chinese Coders:Women to Relieve Their Stress

By SUI-LEE WEE

Continued on Page A9

LONDON — Renford McIntyrewas just a child when he left Ja-maica to join his parents in Brit-ain.

He spent the next 50 years here,working various jobs and payingtaxes. Like tens of thousands ofpeople from families encouragedto come from British colonies inthe Caribbean to help rebuild post-war Britain, he had always as-sumed that he was a full-fledgedBritish citizen.

Until, that is, the governmentdecided he wasn’t. At the age of 60,he was declared an illegal immi-grant. He lost his job. He could nolonger apply for benefits. He be-came homeless.

“I’ve lost out on everything,”said Mr. McIntyre, who is now 64.

The issue has simmered in Brit-ain since Theresa May was homesecretary and set out to create a“really hostile environment” for il-legal immigrants, imposing toughnew requirements in 2012 for peo-ple to prove their legal status. Butthat was not easy for thousands ofpeople like Mr. McIntyre, many ofwhom did not have British docu-ments and whose parents came toBritain before the Caribbean colo-nies gained independence.

Just this month, as leaders of

former British colonies gatheredin London for a Commonwealthmeeting, Mrs. May, now primeminister, found herself forced toapologize for the harsh treatmentmany Caribbean immigrantswere experiencing and pledged to

grant citizenship to all thosecaught up in the bureaucratic tan-gle.

“We are genuinely sorry,” shesaid.

Friction within the Common-wealth was not what Mrs. May

needed. Britain is already at oddswith its neighbors as its leadersstruggle through the difficult ne-gotiations over leaving the Euro-pean Union.

Great strides have been made

In Britain, an Immigration Crackdown Breaks a Postwar PromiseBy KIMIKO de FREYTAS-TAMURA

Renford McIntyre, 64, lost his home and his job in Britain after working there all of his adult life.ANDREW TESTA FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES

Continued on Page A12

Recognizing what it called “thetroubling reality” that electroniccigarettes have become “wildlypopular with kids,” the Food andDrug Administration on Tuesdayannounced a major crackdown onthe vaping industry, particularlyon the trendy Juul devices, aimedat curbing sales to young people.

The agency said it had startedan undercover sting operationthis month targeting retailers ofJuuls, including gas stations, con-venience stores and online retail-ers like eBay. So far, the F.D.A. hasissued warning letters to 40 that itsays violated the law preventingsales of vaping devices to anyoneunder 21.

The agency also demanded thatJuul Labs turn over company doc-uments about the marketing andresearch behind its products, in-cluding reports on focus groupsand toxicology, to determinewhether Juul is intentionally ap-pealing to the youth market de-spite its statements to the con-trary and despite knowing its ad-dictive potential. It said it plannedto issue similar letters to othermanufacturers of popular vapingproducts as well.

Vaping DeviceGets AttentionOf Regulators

By KATE ZERNIKE and SHEILA KAPLAN

Continued on Page A18

LAS CRUCES, N.M. — On anoven-hot day this month, AttorneyGeneral Jeff Sessions strode into ahotel ballroom to preach Trump-era immigration gospel to cow-boy-hatted sheriffs from 31 coun-ties near the United States’ borderwith Mexico.

“It is only reasonable that agood and decent people, as theAmericans are, to want to end theillegality, to create a rational im-migration flow and protect the na-tion from criminals,” he said, ris-ing a bit on his toes behind thelectern as about 100 attendeesstood to applaud at a joint meetingof the Texas Border Sheriff’s Co-alition and the Southwestern Bor-der Sheriffs’ Coalition. He added,“A great nation cannot allow thislawless disgrace to continue.”

Javier Guerra, the police chiefin Sunland Park, N.M., wantedmore specifics from Mr. Sessions.

“I think everybody felt he had towatch what he was saying so hedidn’t make the president look

bad,” Mr. Guerra said in a laterphone interview, reflecting on Mr.Sessions’s speech. “When you’rewalking around with an ax in backof your neck, you have to be care-ful.”

Mr. Sessions has taken moreabuse from President Trump thanany other member of his high-churn cabinet because he recusedhimself from the Justice Depart-ment’s investigation of Russianmeddling in the 2016 election.Over 14 months in office, Mr. Ses-sions has gone from, in Mr.Trump’s words, “a great protectorof the people” to “weak,” “dis-graceful” and an “idiot.”

But Mr. Sessions is in manyways the best attorney generalMr. Trump might have hoped for.While the president rails against

him in Washington, Mr. Sessionstravels the country diligentlypushing the conservative Trumpagenda. As a former federal pros-ecutor who has a firm grasp of thetools of his office and the letter ofthe law, Mr. Sessions, 71, is the cre-ator and chief enforcer of thetough immigration and criminaljustice goals that helped propelMr. Trump into office.

And unlike several other mem-bers of the Trump cabinet, Mr.Sessions has not sullied the ad-ministration with headlines overfirst-class jet travel, exorbitant of-fice furnishings, lobbyist-fur-nished housing — or all of theabove. When he is in Washington,Mr. Sessions has a turkey sand-wich from the Justice Departmentcafeteria (base price: $5.29) forlunch, which he eats at his desk.When his team works late, he

Sessions Returns Trump’s Punches With a SaluteBy ELIZABETH WILLIAMSON Soldier for the President

Praises, and Tries toIgnore, His Boss

Continued on Page A19

STALWARTS Christian conserva-tives troop behind the president,despite his scandals. PAGE A17

Gun owners who favor tightening fire-arms laws can be an overlooked group.Some have grown more vocal, marchingand calling for gun limits. PAGE A14

NATIONAL A14-19

Having a Gun, Wanting LimitsThe top court in New Jersey has barredhouses of worship from receiving preser-vation grants to make repairs. PAGE A20

NEW YORK A20-23

A New Church-State Dispute

Late Edition

Pete Wells visits the new home of therules-defying Copenhagen restaurant.Above, its shellfish offerings. PAGE D1

FOOD D1-8

Noma 2.0: A User’s ManualA judge told the government it muststart accepting new DACA applications,breathing new life into a program thepresident has tried to end. PAGE A14

Legal Win for ‘Dreamers’

The agency will require that data for allstudies it uses for rule making be pub-licly available. The move could limit itsability to regulate pollution. PAGE A15

E.P.A. Shuts Out Some Studies

The Dow Jones industrial average shedmore than 424 points as stocks slumpedfor the fourth straight day. PAGE B6

BUSINESS DAY B1-7

Market Tailwinds Weaken

As the Hulu series moves past MargaretAtwood’s novel, it feels, as it should, likethe end of the world. PAGE C1

ARTS C1-8

‘The Handmaid’s’ Dark PathThe outlines of an accord between theNorth and the South are well known,but what’s on the table now? PAGE A8

Details on Korea Peace Talks

With the No. 2 pick in the N.F.L. draft,the Giants can reshape their team, andpossibly the fortunes of the Jets. PAGE B9

High Stakes for Giants and Jets

Thomas L. Friedman PAGE A24

EDITORIAL, OP-ED A24-25

Two ex-cheerleaders are willing tosettle their discrimination claims if theleague will discuss solutions. PAGE B9

SPORTSWEDNESDAY B9-13

N.F.L. Gets $1 Offer to Settle

Today, overcast, periodic rain anddrizzle, high 58. Tonight, cloudy,evening showers, low 50. Tomorrow,clouds, then sunshine, milder, high66. Weather map is on Page B8.

$3.00