Front Page: Most Popular Stories from The New York Times

Transgender Students and New Rules in Public Schools
The Obama administration issued the directives to public schools across the United States.

U.S. Transgender Bathroom Directive Intensifies Debate
The Obama administration told school districts students must be allowed to use the facilities that match the sex they identify. The backlash was fast.

G.O.P. Is Coming Around in Its Embrace of Donald Trump
The recent outreach toward Donald J. Trump from many Republicans, both former rivals and members of the party’s establishment, has been swift and striking.

Review: In ‘Love & Friendship,’ Austen Meets Whit Stillman
This adaptation, starring Kate Beckinsale, is enlivened by Mr. Stillman’s keen eye for character and Austen’s sense of fun.

Judge Delays Release of List of Officials Tied to George Washington Bridge Scandal
A lawyer filed a motion to block the release late on Thursday, a day after a federal judge ruled that the list of unindicted co-conspirators in the scheme to close traffic lanes should be made public.

Alan Rusbridger, Ex-Guardian Editor, Won’t Become Chairman of Its Owner
Mr. Rusbridger had been set to take over in the fall as head of the Scott Trust, the nonprofit body that owns the left-leaning news group.

Murder Rates Jump in Many Major U.S. Cities, New Data Shows
The rise murders in cities like Chicago and Dallas has been linked by the F.B.I. director to less aggressive policing stemming from a “viral video effect.”

Confined to Nursing Homes, but Longing (and Ready) for Home
Some states are falling short in increasing the share of Medicaid dollars spent on providing support that would allow disabled people to live at home.

Seven Places in Europe We Call Home
From Madrid to Istanbul, our contributors reveal the hidden delights of their European homes: jewel-box gardens, neighborhood cafes and secret coves.

First Draft: Donald Trump on His Tax Rate: ‘It’s None of Your Business’
Insisting that “people will learn nothing” from the release of his tax returns, Donald J. Trump continued to try to answer questions about his change in explanations over the last year about why he won’t make them public sooner rather than later.

The Lost Gardens of Emily Dickinson
Archaeologists are excavating the grounds of the home where the poet lived in hopes of restoring her botanical treasures.

Apple Raises Bet on China as It Faces Scrutiny From Beijing
A $1 billion investment in the Didi Chuxing ride-hailing app enlarges the American giant’s Asian footprint.

States Move Toward Treating 17-Year-Old Offenders as Juveniles, Not Adults
Louisiana is among a dwindling number of states where 17-year-olds are automatically treated as adults, and among a growing number that are looking at revising those laws.

Mustafa Badreddine, Hezbollah Military Commander, Is Killed in Syria
Mr. Badreddine, 55, had been accused in the 2005 assassination of a former prime minister of Lebanon, and many other attacks.

Priced Out of My Childhood Home
When a New York neighborhood becomes gentrified, young people who grew up there may be displaced.

France’s Socialist Government Survives a Vote, but Remains Fractured
President François Hollande’s government survived a vote of no confidence, but with his re-election chances appearing slim, a goal has become resolving the deep ideological split in his party.

Bernie Sanders Supporters Propose ‘Mobilizing Voters’ to Beat Donald Trump
Former campaign workers and volunteers envision building an independent organization aimed at defeating Donald Trump before focusing on other goals.

Five Ways the Republican Convention Could Still Be Contentious
From hostile delegates to last-minute rule changes, here are some of the wild cards that could roil the event in Cleveland.

New York Today: New York Today: Guitars in the City
Friday: A guitar festival, a vintage guitar shop and the weekend-long break dancing tournament.

Your Friday Briefing: Dilma Rousseff, Oklahoma City Thunder, ‘Money Monster’
Here’s what you need to know to start your day.

Britain Plans to Tighten Oversight of the BBC in New Charter
The government, presenting its plans for the BBC’s future, pulled back from radical changes but urged the publicly funded broadcaster to be more “distinctive” in its programming.

Minnesota Law School, Facing Waning Interest, Cuts Admissions
By shrinking enrollment, and taking in less tuition income, the University of Minnesota hopes to preserve its national standing as a top law school.

W.H.O.’s Zika Guidelines Don’t Include Delaying Olympics
The World Health Organization urged athletes and travelers visiting Brazil to take precautions, but has resisted calls to reschedule the Games.

Hungry City: A Meal (and History) in a Box at Taiwan Bear House
A Chinatown restaurant serves the bento-style meals sold on railways in Taiwan.

Top Hezbollah Military Commander Is Killed in Syria
Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group said Friday its top military commander Mustafa Badreddine was killed in Syria.

Impressionist and Modern Works at Christie’s Stir Little Excitement
The auction house raised $141.5 million, including fees, from the sale of works by Monet, Modigliani and other artists from the 19th and 20th centuries.

Apple Puts $1 Billion in Didi, a Rival to Uber in China
The investment gives the tech giant a big stake in the top ride-hailing service in China, where the iPhone maker has otherwise struggled.

Sports of The Times: Revelations of State-Backed Doping Should Bar Russia From Rio Olympics
The stunningly complex doping scheme at the Sochi Olympics shows that long-whispered worries about Russian athletes cannot be ignored.

U.S. Directs Public Schools to Allow Transgender Access to Restrooms
The letter to school districts does not have the force of law. But it contains an implicit threat of possible lawsuits or a loss of federal aid.

Pop Warner Bans Kickoffs in Hopes of Protecting Its Youngest Players
Players ages 5 to 10 will start each drive with the ball at the 35-yard line, instead of sprinting at each other at full speed.

Woman Claiming to Have Bomb Forces Lockdown at Andrews Air Force Base
A bomb disposal team determined that she did not have an explosive device, the Air Force said.

Cubs Raise Echoes of a Century Ago
A modern team looks a lot like the record-setters of 1906, and maybe the World Series winners of 1908.

Critic’s Notebook: Even on Alert, It’s Still Cannes
Security concerns aside, the film festival maintains its traditions of silliness and controversy.

Michel Temer, Brazil’s Interim President, May Herald Shift to the Right
Mr. Temer’s first pick for science minister was a creationist, and he is the first Brazilian leader in decades to have no women in his cabinet.

Donald Trump’s Chief Fund-Raiser Heads Straight for Las Vegas
Steven Mnuchin, a hedge fund veteran himself, starts calling on big-money donors at a hedge fund conference gilded with Trump supporters.

New Attack Reported by Swift Global Bank Network
Investigators are still trying to solve the $81 million cyberheist from the central bank of Bangladesh in February.

Facebook, Facing Bias Claims, Shows How Editors and Algorithms Guide News
The company offered details on how editors and algorithms choose what appears — or doesn’t appear — in “Trending Topics.”

Settlement Reached in Joan Rivers Malpractice Case
Lawyers for the comedian’s family said the settlement with the doctors and the Manhattan clinic where Ms. Rivers, 81, died was “substantial,” but didn’t reveal a dollar amount.

Judge Backs House Challenge to a Key Part of Health Law
A federal judge ruled that Congress never provided explicit authority for a program to help lower-income people pay expenses, but suspended the ruling pending an appeal.

Donald Trump’s Former Butler Calls for Obama’s Death; Secret Service to Investigate
Anthony Senecal admitted writing vulgar, racially tinged Facebook posts attacking the president, Hillary Clinton and others.

Your Evening Briefing
Here’s what you need to know at the end of the day.

Review: In ‘Money Monster,’ a Broke Investor Holds a Grudge and a Gun
George Clooney plays a financial news talk-show host, and Julia Roberts is his producer in this self-assured hostage drama.

Antitrust in the Age of Amazon
The Federal Trade Commission’s blocking of the Staples-Office Depot union illustrates the complications the age of Amazon has created in the retail industry.

ISIS Kills Dozens in Iraq in New Round of Bombings
A day after the Islamic State staged a deadly wave of bombings in Baghdad, its forces struck Ramadi and the capital again.

Congress’s List of Gripes With T.S.A. Is Long, Like an Airport Security Line
Members of a House committee on Thursday asked the head of the agency to explain long security lines and claims of retaliation against whistle-blowers.

100 Metro Areas Where the Middle Class Is Shrinking
The percentage of families earning middle-class incomes fell in nearly nine out of 10 major metro areas across the country between 2000 and 2014, according to new research by the Pew Research Center.

Pope Francis Says He’s Open to Studying Whether Women Can Serve as Deacons
The off-the-cuff remark was far from a change in doctrine, but opened a conversation on a pressing issue.

E.P.A. Methane Leak Rules Take Aim at Global Warming
The regulations require oil and gas companies to plug and capture leaks of methane from new and modified drilling wells and storage tanks.

Matter: Climate Change and the Case of the Shrinking Red Knots
A ripple effect of weather, insects and other food supplies, from the Arctic to the tropics, may be driving down the population of the red knot, a study finds.

Brazil Workers’ Party, Leaders ‘Intoxicated by Power,’ Falls From Grace
A vote to impeach President Dilma Rousseff has dealt a crippling blow to a party that came to power vowing to represent the masses but became ensnared in corruption scandals.