Congress, Espionage, China Economy: Your Thursday Evening Briefing

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Good evening. Here’s the latest.

1. Democrats took control of the House of Representatives and elected Nancy Pelosi as speaker, returning divided government to Washington.

The power shift came amid a partial government shutdown, with President Trump’s insistence on a wall on the Mexican border running headlong into newly energized Democratic opposition. House Democrats are voting on two new bills to reopen the federal government this evening, but their prospects in the Senate seemed dim.

Hours before her election, Ms. Pelosi, center, suggested in an interview that a sitting president could be indicted and left open the option of impeachment, kicking off what could shape up to be a memorable term.

The incoming class of freshman lawmakers is best described in superlatives — it is the most racially diverse group ever elected to the House, and it includes a historic number of women.

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2. An American citizen has been charged with spying in Russia, his lawyer said.

Paul Whelan, 48, above, is the head of security for a Michigan auto parts maker and a Marine Corps veteran. A Russian news agency reported that he was accused of trying to recruit a Russian citizen to obtain classified information.

Mr. Whelan’s family said he was in Russia to attend the wedding of a friend. His lawyer said his client was upbeat despite being held in solitary confinement.

There has been widespread speculation that Russia seized Mr. Whelan to exchange him for Maria Butina, a Russian citizen who pleaded guilty to conspiring to act as a foreign agent and influence N.R.A. officials and prominent Republicans.

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3. A spending slowdown in China has investors concerned, leading U.S. markets to close down about 2.5 percent.

News that Apple was cutting its revenue forecast for the first time in 16 years because of poor iPhone sales in China sparked fears. And reams of other data suggest Chinese consumers are tightening their belts over worries about the trade war, personal debt and their country’s own economy. Above, in Beijing.

Shrinking Chinese demand would have a big impact on a world looking for engines of growth, on companies that counted on China’s continuing expansion and on global investors who have long viewed the country as a steady source of profits.

So what should you do about the falling stock market? Take a nap, writes our senior economics correspondent.

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4. In Turkey, “the brain drain is real.”

After a failed coup attempt in 2016, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan set out on a sweeping crackdown, consolidating his power and steering the country toward authoritarianism.

Since then, hundreds of thousands of Turks — including entrepreneurs and wealthy individuals — have left the country. They have emigrated because of fear of political persecution, distrust of the judiciary, mismanagement of the economy and a deteriorating business climate. Above, in Istanbul.

The exodus has resulted in an alarming loss of talent and capital in Turkey, at a time when its economy is teetering — a development that some experts believe looks like a more permanent reordering of society, threatening to set the country back decades.

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5. Saudi Arabia’s public prosecutor requested the death penalty for five suspects in the killing of the Saudi dissident Jamal Khashoggi.

The announcement came after the first court session in the case. It provided no new information about the murder, the investigation or why the prosecutor sought the death penalty against only five of the 11 suspects charged in Mr. Khashoggi’s death.

The killing inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul has badly tarnished the international reputation of the kingdom and of its crown prince and day-to-day ruler, Mohammed bin Salman. Above, at a vigil in Istanbul.

The Trump administration has stood by the prince, an important ally in the Middle East. But U.S. intelligence agencies and members of Congress believe he ordered the killing.

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6. One woman, 12 months, 74,900 miles.

Here are seven lessons our 52 Places Traveler, above, learned in a year of almost nonstop travel to some of the most alluring places around the globe.

“A year is short,” she writes, “and a year is not enough.”

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7. Two Australian artists have paid for and installed a bronze menagerie of kitschy statues — anthropomorphic dogs and rabbits, topsy-turvy rhinos — across New York City.

In August, their “Statues for Equality,” 10 likenesses of women including Angelina Jolie and Michelle Obama, will line the property facing Radio City Music Hall. Above, “The Table of Love” at 237 Park Ave.

They’ve quickly become the most prolific creators of public art in New York City history — to the dismay of leading art historians. Awarding city space to wealthy artists who can afford to bankroll their own work saves taxpayer dollars at the expense of diversity, experts told us.

The couple “would not be considered serious artists with a capital ‘A’ and yet they have eight commissions?” one said. “That’s a severe imbalance.”

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8. New York City’s subway service got a reprieve.

In an unexpected announcement, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said technology imported from Europe would be used to fix a tunnel without having to close it entirely.

The new plan would avert an expected 15-month shutdown of a major subway tunnel between Manhattan and Brooklyn on the L line, above.

The closure would have affected 250,000 riders daily, making it one of the biggest transportation disruptions in New York City’s recent history.

Separately, a plan intended to help low-income New Yorkers by offering them discount MetroCards for the subway and buses has stalled. Seattle started a program in 2015 that has served as a model for other cities. Toronto is implementing a similar plan.

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9. Thinking about making some changes?

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After a month, you’ll have completed science-based tasks that move your body, refresh your mind, nourish your cells and connect you with your loved ones.

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10. Finally, what’s in that carry-on?

Snakes concealed in computer hard drives, scythes in backpacks, bricks of weed festooned in Christmas wrapping, replica rifle umbrellas and sword canes — these are just a few of the confiscated items pictured on @tsa, the Transportation Security Administration’s astonishing Instagram account (now dormant because of the partial government shutdown). Above, recovered in Atlanta.

“Common sense is not evenly distributed,” a T.S.A. spokesman told us.

Have a snug evening.

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