Top Trump administration officials attempted today to soften crucial elements of President Trump’s proposal that the U.S. should take over Gaza and drive out the Palestinian population there. The plan, which the president laid out last night, was sharply criticized by allies and adversaries alike.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio twice suggested today that Trump was proposing only to clear out and rebuild Gaza, not to take it over. The president’s envoy to the Middle East said at a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill that Trump “doesn’t want to put any U.S. troops on the ground, and he doesn’t want to spend any U.S. dollars at all” on Gaza, according to a senator.

Those comments were a notable departure from the plans that Trump detailed last night at a news conference with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. The president said that he intended to “take over” Gaza, using American troops if necessary, and that he would turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” He also described the Palestinian relocation as permanent.

Trump’s Gaza plans were met with swift opposition around the world. Leaders of Egypt and Jordan, where the president said Palestinians should be moved, dismissed the plan. So did representatives of France and Russia. Gazans expressed condemnation and confusion. Experts called Trump’s proposal a breach of international law.

What the Army pilots could see, just before the crash

It is not yet clear what caused a deadly crash last week between an Army Black Hawk helicopter and an American Airlines passenger jet near Washington. Critical in the investigation is what the helicopter pilots saw, or did not see.

The Times built a 3-D model to recreate the pilots’ field of view minutes before the collision. Take a look.

Bird flu has caused egg shortages and concerns

It has become hard to avoid the effects of the avian influenza that has infected or killed millions of birds across the country. Egg prices are sky high at many grocery stores and Waffle House announced yesterday that it planned to charge customers an extra 50 cents for each egg.

The spread has caused people to ask if eggs are still safe to eat, so we asked several experts. They said it’s unlikely for bird flu to get into your eggs, and cooking the eggs kills the virus.

It’s a first this century: A new daytime soap opera

For the first time in over 25 years, a major television network will debut a new daytime soap opera this month. The show, “Beyond the Gates,” centers on the fictional, affluent and very messy Dupree dynasty — a Black family in suburban Maryland.

Its creators believe they can rekindle viewers’ love for soaps, which offer an hour with the same dramatic characters every weekday. One of the executive producers said she’d been thinking about the show for 30 years.

Joan Didion’s diary will soon become public

Beginning in 1999, Joan Didion started writing a journal after sessions with her psychiatrist. She kept notes for the next year about their conversations, which covered her struggles with anxiety, guilt and depression; her sometimes fraught relationship with her daughter; and her thoughts about her work and legacy.

Her literary agents found the 46 entries soon after her death in 2021. Together, they seemed more intimate and unfiltered than anything she had published. In April, the diary will be made public as a 208-page book called “Notes to John.” Here’s what we know about it.

Looking for the heart of Britain? Stay in a pub.

For hundreds of years, Britain’s pubs have been community gathering places to wind down with a drink — as well as affordable places to stay. Our Frugal Traveler columnist decided to try one out for herself.

She found that camaraderie came almost immediately. Just steps below her room, locals were eager to banter and offer their recommendations. If you’re lucky, you might even hear about an in-house ghost.

Have a gregarious evening.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew

Sean Kawasaki-Culligan was our photo editor today.

We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.