Members phkrause Posted July 29, 2025 Author Members Posted July 29, 2025 July 28, 2025 Good morning. President Trump is in Scotland. He agreed to a European trade deal yesterday and he’s meeting with Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, today. Trade deal: The E.U. and the U.S. reached a preliminary agreement that sets a 15 percent tariff on most E.U. goods. Energy: Trump said Europe had promised to buy $750 billion of American energy. Officials said the spending would be spread over three years. Starmer: Trump will host the British prime minister at his two Scottish golf courses. They’re expected to discuss trade and Gaza. Follow updates here. More news is below. But first, we explain why leaders are talking about sovereignty. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil. Jean Carniel/Reuters Hands off By Jack Nicas I’m the correspondent in Brazil. The people who run the largest nations in the Western Hemisphere are insisting on something strangely mundane. They have found it necessary — and popular — to point out that they govern sovereign nations. That was not previously a detail that required much clarification. Then President Trump arrived. He has made repeated demands of Mexico, Canada, Brazil and other nations, including about whom they can trade with, whom they can investigate and how they secure themselves. He has tried to use tariffs, trade investigations and threats of force to make them obey. As a result, sovereignty is having a moment. Pushing back Trump made his name bossing others around. It was the entire concept of “The Apprentice.” His governing style takes the same shape: He expects deference. In his second term, he has proved even more willing to push America’s neighbors — and those nations have not taken it well. Mexico: Trump has flayed its handling of immigration, drugs and trade. President Claudia Sheinbaum has in turn stressed that Mexico is a sovereign nation at least 30 times during her daily news conferences this year. “Mexico is not subordinate to anyone,” she said last month. Canada: After Trump said his northern neighbor should become the 51st state, Mark Carney won Canada’s election for prime minister in a landslide by promising to defend his nation from Trump’s “threats to our sovereignty.” Panama: Trump promised to “take back” the Panama Canal. President José Raúl Mulino responded that “the sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable.” Colombia: Trump threatened to place 50 percent tariffs on Colombian imports after President Gustavo Petro refused to accept deportation flights. In a rebuke, Petro responded: “I don’t shake hands with white enslavers.” Brazil: This month, Trump threatened to impose 50 percent tariffs on Brazilian imports to try to get Brazil to drop the criminal case against its right-wing former president, Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally. He is charged with attempting a coup after he lost the 2022 election. Trump calls the case a “witch hunt.” Since the feud began this month, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil has covered his social media accounts in references to sovereignty, given fiery speeches across Brazil promising that his nation won’t be pushed around and taken to wearing a hat that says “Brazil belongs to Brazilians.” “He was elected to take care of the American people,” Lula said of Trump this month. “The Brazilian people know how to take care of themselves.” The consequences Yet Trump’s demands have yielded some results. To try to avoid tariffs, Mexico and Canada have promised to crack down on drugs and illegal immigration at their borders. They’re trying to import less from China. And Mexico sent 29 cartel leaders wanted by American authorities to the United States. Colombia quickly capitulated and accepted deportation flights. Panama let the United States expand its military presence at the canal, reduced its business with China and allowed BlackRock, an American investment company, to buy two critical ports near the canal. Brazil, however, appears less likely to budge. Its government views the criminal case that Trump wants to kill as central to the nation’s democracy. Brazil’s Supreme Court responded to Trump’s threats by putting Bolsonaro in an ankle monitor. And Lula has promised retaliatory tariffs. That could make Brazil the test case on what happens when Trump meets a sovereign nation that doesn’t follow orders. THE LATEST NEWS Trade The port of Rotterdam, in the Netherlands. Robin Van Lonkhuijsen/ANP, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The U.S. trade deal with the E.U. isn’t likely to do much for economic growth on either side. But it avoids other diplomatic disagreements, like on foreign policy, Jim Tankersley writes. After a lot of big talk on trade, the Trump administration needed a big win. It appears to have gotten one. Chinese and American officials are meeting to try to reach a trade deal. Gaza Aid over Gaza City. Saher Alghorra for The New York Times Israel said it had paused some military operations in parts of Gaza to allow more aid in. It was unclear whether that would relieve the hunger crisis: Health officials in the enclave have reported dozens of deaths from starvation this month. International news organizations, including The New York Times, are urging Israel to allow more aid and journalists into Gaza. The Israeli navy intercepted a ship carrying activists and aid to Gaza. Germany As Germany’s far-right party, the AfD, rises in popularity, some lawmakers are pushing to ban it. Other opponents of the party fear that would backfire. The AfD is trying to soften its image to win power. A train derailed in southern Germany, killing at least three passengers. More International News A wildfire on Kythera, a popular Greek island. Stamatina Tamvaki/Reuters Wildfires are blazing across Greece and Turkey during a heat wave. Thailand and Cambodia agreed to a cease-fire after deadly border clashes. At least 34 people died and tens of thousands fled their homes. Other Big Stories Chief Justice John Roberts is also chancellor of the Smithsonian. He’s found himself in the middle of a dispute between Trump and the museums. The suspect in the stabbing of 11 people at a Michigan Walmart faces terrorism charges. An American Airlines plane had a small fire in its brake system before takeoff, prompting an emergency evacuation. The airline blamed a tire problem. A Denver pastor and his wife have been indicted on charges of defrauding their followers by selling them a worthless cryptocurrency. A small plane crashed off the California coast, killing three people. OPINIONS America needs to take better care of its military members, Dan Caldwell and Darin Selnick write. TikTok and A.I. are like junk food for our brains. We should limit young people’s consumption, Mary Harrington argues. Here are columns by David French on “The Bear” and Tressie McMillan Cottom on liberal attacks against Zohran Mamdani. Everything The Times offers. All in one subscription. Morning readers: Save on unlimited access to The Times with this introductory offer. MORNING READS In Paris. Joann Pai for The New York Times Bakery mystery: Is the bread in Europe better for you? Relationship help: Eight therapists share the lessons they find themselves repeating. “Mankeeping”: As men's social circles shrink, female partners say they have to meet more social and emotional needs. Hair loss: Experts say these are the at-home and in-office treatments that actually work. Work friend: “Can my boss bring his situationship to the office?” Your pick: The most-clicked story in The Morning yesterday was a calculator that helps you know if you’re getting enough protein. Metropolitan Diary: Crushing on the drummer girl. Lives Lived: Ziad Rahbani was a composer, playwright and musician whose songs and plays shaped Lebanese culture. He died at 69. SPORTS Trending: People were searching online for news about the Baseball Hall of Fame inducting five new players, including Ichiro Suzuki and Billy Wagner. Women’s golf: Lottie Woad, 21, won the Scottish Open by three shots. NASCAR: Bubba Wallace snapped his 100-race winless streak at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis. ARTS AND IDEAS The Guennol Grasshopper Apollo Art Auctions Did this intricately carved grasshopper come from King Tut’s tomb? Experts have long said it’s likely that the British archaeologist Howard Carter stole it for himself, along with other items, when he discovered the tomb. A small London auction house put it on sale yesterday, saying there was “no documented evidence” that it came from the pharoah’s tomb; it did not appear on official excavation records. The house said it was “confident that the sale complies fully with all applicable laws.” The grasshopper sold for about $450,000. Read more about the controversy here. More on culture Eve Jobs, the daughter of Steve Jobs, married a British Olympic show jumper in the Costwolds, The Cut reports. It was lavish and full of celebrities, unsurprisingly. (Kamala Harris and Kourtney Kardashian attended.) Western luxury brands are facing a downturn in China. People are buying Chinese brands instead, The Wall Street Journal reports. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Testani for The New York Times Bring this no-bake Midwestern éclair cake to your next party. Glaze eggplant in gochujang. Consider the canned cocktail. Get a better pepper mill. Your arms will thank you. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were activating, inactivating, vacating and vaccinating. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted July 29, 2025 Author Members Posted July 29, 2025 July 29, 2025 Good morning. A gunman with an assault rifle killed four people, and then himself, in a Manhattan office building last night. What happened? The man drove from Nevada and double parked in front of the skyscraper. In the lobby, he shot and killed a police officer, a woman trying to hide behind a pillar and a security guard behind a desk. He let a woman leaving an elevator go unharmed, then he rode it to the offices of a real-estate firm on the 33rd floor. There, he fatally shot a final victim and killed himself. Why did he do it? The motive isn’t clear. The skyscraper was near the site of another high-profile Midtown attack: the killing of a health insurance executive. More details: The police officer killed was an immigrant from Bangladesh, with two children. His wife is pregnant with their third. Read about Officer Didarul Islam here. Employees at Blackstone, an investment company in the building, barricaded the doors using office furniture, The New York Post reports. We have more news below. But first, our reporters answer questions about education. Robert Neubecker Your questions about education By the staff of The Morning In a recent newsletter, we asked for your questions about education. You wondered about student loans, the Columbia settlement and international students, among other topics. Today, The Times’s expert beat reporters answer. (Got a question for us? Submit it here.) Student debt More than anything else, readers wondered about how they’d pay for college. Tara Siegel Bernard, who covers personal finance, fields these questions: How will the passage of the federal policy bill change Pell Grants and access to higher education for students from low-income families? Karen Stanish, Keene, N.H. Many people may find that pursuing higher education is more difficult or more expensive. Students who rely on their parents to take out loans will face new borrowing limits, as will graduate students. And new work requirements for Medicaid could make it harder to balance school with a job. On the other hand, students will be able to use Pell Grants for nondegree programs, like job training. But if students get other types of grants that fully cover the cost of attendance — from the school, from a state government, from a local scholarship — they can no longer get a Pell. Not enough has been said about the federal loan cap on graduate education (medical school, law school, etc.) from the policy bill. What is the change, and how will schools adjust? Matt Kleinman, Washington, D.C. Loans for professional schools will have a cap of $50,000 per year, with a $200,000 total limit, starting in July 2026. That is far less than the cost of training to be, say, a dentist or a doctor, as my colleague Roni Caryn Rabin reported. Some students might turn to private lenders. Source: College Board | Data is in-state tuition and cost of room and board in 2024 dollars. | By The New York Times Government action The Trump administration has accused several universities of fostering antisemitism and practicing discrimination through diversity programs; it has held back billions in government grants. Readers have watched these battles, sometimes with confusion. Michael C. Bender, who covers the president’s domestic policy agenda, answers queries about them. Does the president have the power to demand concessions from our research universities and colleges, and, if so, why? Ruth D. Sundberg President Trump may make any demands he likes, but he cannot simply compel colleges to implement them. He’s bound by federal law and the government’s own rules. A lawsuit from Harvard, for instance, hinges largely on an argument that the government skipped specific fact-finding procedures before it imposed penalties. Still, the executive branch holds immense power, and receiving government contracts has always required some willingness to comply with an administration’s priorities. Columbia University will pay $200 million to settle government investigations. Where does that money go? Ina Fried, Schenectady, N.Y. That money will go to the U.S. Treasury. But one senior White House official told reporters that Trump hoped Congress (which wields the constitutional power of the purse) would spend it on trade schools, apprenticeships or other work force training programs. My daughter is transferring to an H.B.C.U. in the fall. Has the Trump administration indicated any intent to go after historically Black colleges and universities in any way? Curtis Morgan, Strasburg, Va. No, not in the same broad way that the administration has targeted Ivy League schools. But historically Black colleges have not been immune from changes, either. Howard University lost some funding. Under the Trump administration, Tennessee State University lost a significant portion of its research budget and grants to cover tuition and housing for agricultural students. Funding Many of you sent questions about how the schools bear up in these conflicts. Alan Blinder, who has written about how universities spend their money, answers. Are public and private universities equally susceptible to challenges from the Trump administration? Charles Wain-Nye, Florida The government’s pressure tactics may vary from school to school, but it doesn’t seem to discriminate between public and private universities. Harvard is a major target, but so is the University of Virginia for its diversity policies. Three of the 10 schools that a government antisemitism task force identified for scrutiny are public institutions. These are all in places that voted for Kamala Harris, but the red-blue binary isn’t absolute, either. In March, for example, the Education Department announced an investigation into the University of Alabama at Birmingham for “race-based scholarships and race-based segregation.” Big universities have used their vast financial resources to absorb the impact of disputes with the administration. How are Trump’s policies affecting smaller colleges? Chris Watson, Fenwick Island, Del. Researchers at schools of all sizes, even community colleges, have seen grants evaporate. And it’s not just about research money. The administration wants schools to end D.E.I. programs, and the policy bill included changes for some financial aid programs. Many administrators, given the political climate, are thinking hard about which courses to offer and how to describe them. Some colleges are exploring ways to reduce their reliance on federal funding. Can they realistically sustain themselves without it? Anna Westbrook, Rochester, N.Y. Big research institutions depend on federal research funding: About 11 percent of Harvard’s revenue is from federally sponsored research, though that kind of money also flows to much smaller schools. Private philanthropy and corporate giving could plug some of the gaps, but it’s hard to imagine how American universities can find a combined $60 billion in recurring annual revenue. Say you were able to assemble a bunch of companies and individuals to create a privately run research endowment. If you doled out 5 percent each year — a common standard to ensure an endowment’s long-term endurance — you’d need a fund with about $1.2 trillion. International students Many universities depend on students who need a special visa to attend. Anemona Hartocollis, who covers higher education, answers your questions about them. Should international students applying to U.S. universities be worried? How will the new developments affect them? Susie Cochin de Billy, Britain Nine out of 10 institutions still consider international recruitment a priority because it brings in a lot of money and talent. But the administration has tried to deport some students for their activism. In late March and early April, the government revoked visas or terminated legal status for more than 1,000 international students. A trade group has sued Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, over “ideological deportation.” Admitted students, too, seem to be having a harder time getting visas, said a lawyer behind the suit. Government officials appear to be reviewing the social media feeds of applicants in search of pro-Palestinian sentiment or criticism of Trump. If fewer international students come here, will that lift the acceptance rate for U.S. citizens? Stef Morgan, Boulder, Colo. In theory, that could open up seats. But international students often pay full tuition, which subsidizes financial aid for American applicants. Losing these paying students would mean a financial blow, and universities could react by admitting fewer students overall. Source: National Center for Education Statistics, Carnegie Classification | Based on fall enrollment at schools that offer bachelor’s degrees and above, with at least 1,000 students. | By The New York Times More on higher ed: Harvard is said to be open to spending as much as $500 million to end its dispute with Trump. THE LATEST NEWS War in Gaza In Gaza City. Saher Alghorra for The New York Times Trump said that children in Gaza “look very hungry” and spoke of “real starvation” in the enclave, breaking from Israeli officials who have denied that people are starving there. Britain may recognize a Palestinian state, two senior government officials said, joining France and alienating Israel. Two of Israel’s best-known human rights groups said Israel was committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Most Israelis still support the war in Gaza, but dissent is growing louder. In March, Israel ended a truce with Hamas, hoping for a final victory. It didn’t work, Patrick Kingsley writes. War in Ukraine In Kharkiv, Ukraine. David Guttenfelder/The New York Times Trump said he would give Russia 10 to 12 days to end the war in Ukraine or else face further sanctions. He previously spoke of a 50-day deadline. Russia has countered Ukrainian drones by imposing unpredictable internet blackouts on Russian cellphone networks. More International News Colombia convicted a former president, Álvaro Uribe, of bribery. Heavy rains in and around Beijing left at least 38 people dead. Flooding and landslides trapped villagers. After a five-year drought and decades of mismanagement, Iran risks running out of water within weeks. Finland’s summers are short, precious and plagued by geese. They poop all over beaches. Economy Tariffs on Europe could make drugs like Ozempic more expensive. The French government opposes the E.U.’s trade deal with the United States, calling instead for tariff retaliation. A “monster week” of economic news could help clarify how the U.S. is performing. Politics Jens Mortensen for The New York Times Instant Pot wanted to produce Trump-themed appliances. But it didn’t have permission, and the Trump Organization’s lawyers stopped it. Senate Democrats demanded all recordings and transcripts from last week’s Justice Department interviews with Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime partner, who is in prison for sex trafficking. (Late night hosts covered Epstein last night.) Other Big Stories Sending monthly checks to poor parents did not improve their children’s well-being, new research shows. Most liver cancer is preventable, researchers found. The disease is linked to alcohol consumption. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF Exercise, eat well, challenge your brain and spend time with people. You’ve heard this advice from doctors for years. But a large new study published yesterday is a reminder that these habits really do work. People at risk for dementia — those with sedentary lifestyles and suboptimal diets — were urged to eat healthy, socialize, work out and train their minds with computer games. Cognitive scores shot up. Read more about the results here. — Pam Belluck, who covers neuroscience and brain health OPINIONS Zohran Mamdani won New York City’s Democratic primary for mayor in part by listening to small businesses. Mainstream Democrats should follow his example, writes Lina Khan, a former chair of the Federal Trade Commission. Here’s a column by Thomas Edsall on Trump and crypto. Everything The Times offers. All in one subscription. Morning readers: Save on unlimited access to The Times with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Victor Blue for The New York Times The 36 who fought back: Read about women in Guatemala who sought justice, years after they were raped in war. Claw grip: Women are showing off how much they can hold without a purse. Your pick: The most-clicked story in The Morning yesterday was about whether bread in Europe is healthier. Trending: People were searching online for Ryne Sandberg, a Hall of Fame second baseman whose Chicago Cubs career earned him a statue outside Wrigley Field. He died at 65 of prostate cancer. SPORTS M.L.B.: The Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase was placed on paid leave as the league investigates sports betting. W.N.B.A.: A Texas man received a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for harassing and stalking Caitlin Clark. ARTS AND IDEAS Gwyneth Paltrow Sebastien Nogier/EPA, via Shutterstock Astronomer — the tech company whose executives featured in the Coldplay camera debacle — got creative with its crisis management. It hired Gwyneth Paltrow, the ex-wife of the band’s frontman Chris Martin, to answer questions on video as a “temporary spokesperson.” The first question onscreen: “OMG! What the actual f” See the video here. More on culture: An American Eagle ad featuring Sydney Sweeney and claiming she has “great jeans” is facing accusations about eugenics, The Washington Post reports. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Simpson for The New York Times Toss cucumber and avocado to make a delicious salad. Get more out of your appliances, including your dryer and garbage disposal, with these tricks. Become a D.J. Even reality stars are doing it as a side hustle. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were workman and workwoman. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted July 30, 2025 Author Members Posted July 30, 2025 July 30, 2025 Good morning. Tsunami waves are radiating across the Pacific after a major earthquake (8.8 magnitude) struck off Russia’s coast. Below, we explain what is happening. Then, we’re covering the latest on the shooting in Manhattan, the war in Gaza and trade deals. The epicenter. US Geological Survey/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Damage: The waves have reached Alaska, California, Hawaii and Washington. So far most have been small, causing minor flooding. Forecasters had warned that waves could reach up to 10 feet in some places; they were about 6 feet above normal in Hawaii. Evacuations: Millions of people along the Pacific Coast evacuated. In Japan, officials shut an airport and told about two million people to move to higher ground. In Hawaii, the governor declared an emergency and traffic filled mountain roads as people fled the sea, but officials there said the threat of widespread destruction had passed. Beaches are closed in parts of California. The science: Tsunamis can travel more than 500 miles per hour in deep water, crossing an ocean in less than a day. Despite their portrayals in Hollywood films, tsunamis are not a single tall, curling wave. They’re actually a series of long waves that look more like sudden floods, crashing ashore in and building up in height. They can also cause powerful currents that last for hours or days. These waves could reach as far as South America. The earthquake: It was one of the largest on record (tied for the sixth biggest, if scientists don’t revise its scale). Near the quake’s epicenter in Russia, cliffs collapsed into the sea, sending plumes of dust into the sky. Buildings shook and coastal areas flooded. Follow the latest updates on the tsunami here. In Manhattan. Hiroko Masuike/The New York Times Dark matter By Tom Wright-Piersanti I’m an editor of The Morning newsletter. The gunman who opened fire in a Manhattan office building had a note in his wallet claiming that years of playing football had left him with a brain disease known as C.T.E. He inveighed against the N.F.L., which has an office in the building, though none of the four people he killed worked there. In the end, the gunman, Shane Tamura, shot himself in the chest. “Study my brain please,” the note said. “I’m sorry.” We won’t know until experts examine his brain whether Tamura had C.T.E. But we know he played football, the sport most associated with the disease, through high school. Today’s newsletter explores what we know about C.T.E. and its connections to football and violence. What causes C.T.E.? C.T.E., or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is caused by an accumulation of blows to the head. There have been cases linked to hockey, rugby, wrestling and soccer. The blows needn’t be violent collisions that cause concussions. Rather, the disease seems to progress with both the number of hits and the cumulative impact of all those hits, as the chart below shows: Source: Daneshvar, D.H., Nair, E.S., Baucom, Z.H. et al. (2023) | By The New York Times In a 2017 study, a neuropathologist examined the brains of 111 dead N.F.L. players. All but one had C.T.E. Tamura never made it to the N.F.L. But studies have also found C.T.E. in people who played contact sports in their youth. A 2023 study of 152 athletes who died before age 30 showed that more than 40 percent had C.T.E. What about the N.F.L.? Tamura’s note accused the N.F.L. of concealing the danger of football in favor of profits. Indeed, the league spent years denying the link between football and brain trauma, and it presented flawed research to bolster its claims, a Times investigation found in 2016. Some former players compared the N.F.L. to Big Tobacco, which had for years used bad science to cover up the harm cigarettes cause. Over the past decade, the N.F.L. has changed its stance and added rules to reduce the risk of severe head injuries. Last season, concussions were at a record low. Still, the disease may be the unavoidable result of a game in which players slam into one another on every snap. C.T.E. and violence Doctors can diagnose C.T.E. in someone only after they have died. Because of that, identifying symptoms is difficult. But athletes who were later found to have the disease had displayed similar traits, including impulsive behavior, depression, cognitive impairment and suicidal thoughts. My colleague Ken Belson, who has covered the disease for years, wrote about notable instances of violence by former football players with C.T.E. For instance, Aaron Hernandez, a former New England Patriots tight end, shot and killed an acquaintance and later killed himself in prison. Like Tamura, the former N.F.L. players Dave Duerson and Junior Seau shot themselves in the chest, which allowed researchers to study their brains. Experts said it would take several weeks or months to determine whether Tamura had C.T.E. They said that, while Tamura’s death fits a pattern, they were hesitant to attribute his attack solely to C.T.E., because violence is a complicated matter that resists simple explanations. “Mental health issues come from a lot of different places, not just from brain injuries or C.T.E.,” said Chris Nowinski, co-founder of a nonprofit that supports athletes affected by the disease. “But I also know the history of this issue, and it’s something that keeps me up at night.” More on the shooting Friends and family spoke about the four victims: a police officer devoted to his children and his mosque; a gregarious security guard known for his warm smile; a financial executive who mentored women in her workplace and her synagogue; and a former athlete with a “heart of gold.” An N.F.L. employee was seriously injured in the shooting and was in stable condition, the league’s commissioner, Roger Goodell, said. The shooting was the deadliest in New York City in 25 years. Tamura bought a gun legally in his home state of Nevada last month, despite twice being held involuntarily after mental health crises, according to law enforcement officials. THE LATEST NEWS War in Gaza Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene Kenny Holston/The New York Times Marjorie Taylor Greene said a “genocide” was underway in Gaza: She’s the first Republican in Congress to use that term about the crisis there. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that Britain would recognize the state of Palestine in September if Israel did not agree to a cease-fire with Hamas. Read what it would mean if Britain and France both recognize a Palestinian state. A Palestinian activist whose work featured in the Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land” was shot and killed in the West Bank by an Israeli settler, witnesses said. Israel’s far-right finance minister said the country was “closer than ever” to rebuilding Jewish settlements in Gaza that were evacuated 20 years ago. The desperation in Gaza is visible from orbit. A satellite captured an image of hundreds of Palestinians converging on an aid convoy. Epstein Files Lawyers for Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s convicted co-conspirator, said she would be unwilling to testify before Congress without immunity or clemency. President Trump acknowledged that Epstein recruited one victim, Virginia Giuffre, from Mar-a-Lago. He distanced himself from Epstein and from the allegations, saying, “By the way, she had no complaints about us.” Politics The Trump administration fired a top lawyer at the National Security Agency after conservative activists criticized her. The Justice Department filed a misconduct complaint against a federal judge who ruled against Trump’s deportation plans. European leaders have coaxed Trump toward their position on issues like Gaza and Ukraine. They’re using a careful playbook of deference and praise, writes Luke Broadwater. Climate The Environmental Protection Agency said it would revoke the scientific determination that lets it fight climate change. The Trump administration exempted 15 coal plants from some pollution rules, according to documents reviewed by The Times. All they had to do was email the E.P.A. and ask. Economy Trade talks between the U.S. and China didn’t yield a deal. They agreed to keep talking about extending their trade truce. Trump is getting what he wants on tariffs, but experts aren’t sure yet how that will affect the U.S. economy. A merger would create America’s first coast-to-coast railroad network, reaching across 43 states. An economics Ph.D. used to be a reliable path to affluence and prestige. Not anymore. Other Big Stories In Eldoret, Kenya. Brian Otieno for The New York Times Some Kenyan runners use doping not only to beat the competition, but also to escape from poverty. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a plan to restrict access to some kratom products, drugs sold as stimulants and pain relievers, over concerns that they may be addictive. The Interborough Express would connect Brooklyn and Queens, New York City’s most populous boroughs, without entering Manhattan. Here’s what the future rail line could look like. Hand, foot and mouth disease is spreading again this summer. Spot the symptoms. OPINIONS Trump’s attacks on medical institutions like the N.I.H. and the C.D.C. make it harder for medical professionals to trust the government’s guidance, Danielle Ofri writes. The need for more donor organs is urgent. Broadening the definition of death beyond the end of brain function can help us procure more, Sandeep Jauhar, Snehal Patel and Deane Smith write. Everything The Times offers. All in one subscription. Morning readers: Save on unlimited access to The Times with this introductory offer. MORNING READS The Timeless Torches. Dina Litovsky for The New York Times Seasoned moves: The New York Liberty’s dance troupe is only for performers 40 and over. Christmas in July: Some people are doing their holiday shopping early this year. Cola war: In 1985, NASA and seven astronauts got caught in a face-off over the first soda in orbit. Ask NYT Climate: Are dogs and cats bad for the environment? Your pick: The most-clicked article in The Morning yesterday was about women’s superpower of holding many things at once. Lives Lived: Dwight Muhammad Qawi joined a boxing program in prison in the 1970s. In the 1980s, he won world titles in two weight classes. He died at 72. SPORTS Tennis: Coco Gauff ended a two-month dry spell with a win at the Canadian Open, despite 23 double faults. Hockey: Meet the man who inspired Adam Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore 2.” ON “SESAME STREET” Click the video to watch. The New York Times When “Sesame Street” first aired in 1969, New York City wasn’t a natural setting for a children’s show. At the time, the media portrayed the city as frightening — full of crime, riots and filthy streets. The show portrayed a vision of how urban life could be: diverse, harmonious and full of local businesses. A Times reporter went to the set to explain the aesthetics — and the promise — of “Sesame Street.” More on culture The Booker Prize announced its nominations. The list of 13 includes novels by Kiran Desai, Katie Kitamura and Susan Choi. Katy Perry, who is newly single, and Justin Trudeau, the former prime minister of Canada, went to a high-end restaurant in Montreal. People are speculating about why. Stephen Colbert joked about the Trump administration’s support for proselytizing at the office. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Rachel Vanni for The New York Times Put corn chips in a black bean and fresh corn salad. Build your own disaster prep kit. Try a visual timer to help you get things done. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was unlatch. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted July 31, 2025 Author Members Posted July 31, 2025 July 31, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: Higher education: Brown University struck a $50 million deal with the government to restore research funding. The school promised to comply with President Trump’s position on transgender athletes. Hunger: A sack of flour costs $300 in Gaza. Read the latest on the food crisis. Ukraine: Russian missiles and drones struck Kyiv, killing at least seven people. Trade: Trump announced a trade deal with South Korea, putting a 15 percent tariff on South Korean goods. We have more on trade below. In Scotland. Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times Deal clock By Evan Gorelick I’m a writer for The Morning. President Trump has a big deadline this week. He announced tariffs in April, suspended them, and plans to reimpose them tomorrow. In the meantime, he has been trying to bend trade partners to his will with sweeteners, threats and the occasional ultimatum. After months of chaos and hype, he notched much-needed victories this week when he announced trade deals with the European Union and South Korea. But the saga isn’t over yet. Today, I’ll walk through where Trump’s trade agenda has succeeded, where it hasn’t and what we still don’t know. The wins Trump has already delivered on some of his central trade promises. Raising tariffs: The president loves tariffs and has made them a totem of his second term. He has earned a reputation for bluffing, but overall duties have increased. America spent generations building — and benefiting from — a global free-trade consensus. Now, Trump has coaxed major players, including the European Union, South Korea and Japan, to accept 15 percent tariffs, the highest in decades. This piece by Ana Swanson, who covers trade, explains the shift. Boosting businesses: Trump has pushed several nations to buy more from American companies as part of their trade deals. The European Union and South Korea agreed to purchase hundreds of billions in U.S. fossil fuels before the end of Trump’s term. Deals with half a dozen countries include orders for hundreds of Boeing jets. (This week, Boeing reported its strongest revenue in six years.) The losses Trump’s tariff war has also meant some pain. Shuffling trade alliances: Nations have started seeking trade partners that are more reliable than the United States, writes Jeanna Smialek, who covers Europe. The E.U. is pulling closer to Britain, Canada, India and South Africa. Canada is courting Southeast Asia. Brazil and Mexico are building a rapport. They’re redrawing the global trade map — minus the U.S. Roiling industries: Carmakers including Volkswagen and General Motors said import duties erased billions from their profits in the first half of the year. American farmers may have to splurge on fertilizers imported from Russia. Trump’s E.U. tariffs may cost pharmaceutical companies billions, making drugs more expensive for Americans. Sydney Ember, who covers the U.S. economy, wrote about a Maine coffee company that raised prices after tariffs eroded its profits. The TBDs Workers assembling school buses in High Point, N.C. Travis Dove for The New York Times As my colleague Ben Casselman explained, economic growth has wobbled this year as tariff uncertainty upended business plans and scrambled consumer spending. With nations racing to negotiate new trade deals, there’s still so much up in the air. Finalizing deals: Trump wants to win concessions, but trade talks aren’t finished yet. Canada and Mexico remain empty-handed; as does China, which got a later deadline. Trump said yesterday that he would hit India with tariffs partly because it imports oil from Russia. He also punished Brazil with a tariff for prosecuting its former leader, his ally. (Here’s a map tracking tariffs for every country.) And any new pact will likely be just a blueprint, since Trump’s trade deals don’t get into the nitty-gritty details that usually make up formal trade agreements. Lowering prices: Trump hopes that tariffs will boost the economy with lower prices and more jobs. But it’s unclear whether that will work, Ana explains in a new story. Tariffs have a cost — borne by the businesses exporting goods or the consumers buying them. Although some businesses choose to absorb costs for a while, research shows that Americans eventually bear the brunt. Last month, inflation inched up as tariffs started to bite. More on the economy Trump ended a rule that exempted imports worth under $800 from tariffs. Small imports have ballooned in recent years because of online shopping. The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady, despite Trump’s demand to cut them. Two Fed governors voted against the decision. That’s very unusual, as this chart shows: Source: Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis | Includes dissenting votes on federal funds rate decisions. | By The New York Times HELLO, PALESTINE? In Ottawa. Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press, via Associated Press Canada’s prime minister said yesterday that his country would recognize Palestine as a state this fall. The move echoed similar ones by Britain and France over the past week. These are the first close allies of Israel and the United States to take such a step. So while this recognition is symbolic, it’s a sign of a shift in global sentiment. Timeline: The Palestine Liberation Organization officially declared a Palestinian state in 1988, but the U.S. has consistently blocked the U.N. from granting it full member status. In 2012 Palestine got “nonmember observer state status,” which allowed it to join various U.N. bodies and the International Criminal Court. Today, most nations recognize Palestine. Two states: Canada, Britain and France, like the United States, have long supported a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But they had resisted recognition while the two sides continued to disagree on some basics, such as security, borders and the status of Jerusalem. What changed? Leaders are outraged by the mass starvation gripping Gaza. Instead of seeing recognition as a carrot to encourage Palestinians to participate in a peace deal, the three nations will try to use it as a stick to pressure Israel to end the war. Related: Gaza’s looming famine is a familiar challenge for a U.S. president. Crises in the Balkans, Rwanda, Darfur and Syria, to name a few, haunted presidents’ consciences — sometimes moving them to act, but often leading to excuses, Michael Crowley writes. THE LATEST NEWS Trump Administration Senate Democrats have slowed the confirmation process for presidential appointments to a trickle, creating a bottleneck by insisting that every vote be recorded. While running for president, Trump promised oil executives a windfall. Six months into his presidency, they’re getting one. Senate Democrats invoked an obscure law to try to force the release of the Epstein files. More on Politics John McQueeney, a Republican member of the Texas House. Jordan Vonderhaar for The New York Times Texas Republicans unveiled a new gerrymandered map for the state’s House districts. They’re proposing to carve up five Democratic seats so that Republicans would be likely to win them in 2026. Former Vice President Kamala Harris will not run for California governor next year. A Senate committee advanced legislation that would bar members of Congress, the president and the vice president from trading stocks. House Democrats sued ICE for barring them from entering detention centers. Brazil The U.S. imposed sanctions on the Brazilian Supreme Court justice presiding over the prosecution of Jair Bolsonaro, the former Brazilian president. Bolsonaro is accused of orchestrating a coup attempt; Trump has called the case a “witch hunt.” Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, spoke with The Times about his outrage over what he says is Trump’s meddling in his country’s politics. Click the video below to watch. The New York Times Public Health Measles cases in Canada have far surpassed those in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration’s top vaccine and gene therapy official resigned after a public campaign against him led by the right-wing influencer Laura Loomer. Other Big Stories An instrument issue may have misled the pilots of a Black Hawk helicopter about their altitude before it collided with a passenger jet near Washington in January. The gunman who killed four people in a Manhattan office building bought his assault rifle from his boss at a Las Vegas casino. Why did the big undersea earthquake yesterday produce a relatively small tsunami? “There’s big,” said one expert. “And then there’s really, really big.” OPINIONS Israel bears the greatest responsibility for starvation in Gaza. It needs to let Palestinians eat, the Editorial Board writes. Here’s a column by Michelle Cottle on redistricting. Everything The Times offers. All in one subscription. Morning readers: Save on unlimited access to The Times with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Simbarashe Cha/The New York Times Summer streets: New Yorkers are looking cool despite the heat. Our photographer captured their style. Always late? It may be a part of your personality, scientists say. Ultrarich Pac-Man: Palm Beach billionaires keep demolishing perfectly good beachfront mansions. Your pick: The most-clicked story in The Morning yesterday was about the spread of hand, foot and mouth disease. Taboo breaker: Rose Leiman Goldemberg wrote the screenplay for “The Burning Bed,” which starred Farrah Fawcett as a wife exonerated for killing her husband. The TV movie helped start a national conversation around domestic abuse. Goldemberg has died at 97. SPORTS Trending: People online were searching for the former N.B.A. star Gilbert Arenas after he and five others were arrested in Los Angeles, accused of illegally hosting high-stakes poker games at his home. He denies the charge. N.C.A.A.: Troy Taylor, Stanford’s former head football coach, filed a defamation lawsuit against ESPN and one of its reporters over an investigative story that alleged Taylor “bullied and belittled female athletic staffers.” Swimming: Ryan Lochte’s record in the 200-meter individual medley fell after 14 years. Léon Marchand of France beat Lochte’s time by 1.31 seconds. MORE THAN A BEEFCAKE Jason Momoa Magdalena Wosinska for The New York Times Jason Momoa knows what he looks like. But he prefers to think of himself as a “sensitive alpha male” — not a hunky bruiser. No matter how you spin it, he’s a bona fide action star, having played a warlord in “Game of Thrones,” a sword master in “Dune” and an amphibious superhero in “Aquaman.” Momoa recently returned to Hawaii for a different kind of project, the Apple TV+ series “Chief of War.” Alexis Soloski, a Times culture reporter, went to the beach with him in Honolulu to learn why he pushed so hard to make a serious-minded period drama about his home. More on culture A procession fit for the prince of darkness: Birmingham sent off Ozzy Osbourne with a brass band and a regal hearse. Here are some of the most anticipated books coming in August, including new novels by R.F. Kuang and Louis Sachar. Late night hosts are still joking about Trump and Epstein. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Make your own pesto with five ingredients. Perfect your plank. Prepare for a natural disaster with these items that survivors said were crucial for them. Read this profile of Liam Neeson, who is on a mission to make you laugh. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were cognate and cotangent. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 1, 2025 Author Members Posted August 1, 2025 August 1, 2025 Good morning. Trump announced new tariffs on much of the world. We’re covering that first. Then, we’re covering masking, Hamas and Versailles. The trade war expands Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times President Trump said he would upend the global trade system. He’s doing it. Last night, just hours before his sweeping tariffs were set to take effect, he announced new, steep rates for more than five dozen countries. And he delayed the deadline again; most of the tariffs are now set to take effect next week. Today, countries around the world are wrestling with how to respond. Many now have weaker currencies, and stock markets opened sharply lower in Europe and Asia. What are the rates? The highest tariffs appear to be on goods from Syria, Laos and Myanmar, at around 40 percent, as well as Brazil at 50 percent. Tariffs that high could cripple those country’s exports. See a map of the countries affected. Trump raised the tariff rate on Canadian goods to 35 percent from 25 percent. But he exempted goods covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which economists say includes most Canadian exports to the U.S. What else is happening? Trump agreed to extend trade talks with Mexico — America’s biggest trading partner — for another 90 days. The Justice Department defended the legality of Trump’s tariffs in federal court. An ICE officer in New York City. Victor J. Blue for The New York Times What masks mean By Vanessa Friedman I’m the chief fashion critic. Six years ago, the face mask was a totem of mystery, reserved for hospitals, costumes and superheroes. Then Covid made medical masks ubiquitous. Now, once again, masks are everywhere — but for very different reasons. Government agents wear them while searching for undocumented immigrants. Protesters shield their identity from doxxing or prosecution. In can be a discomfiting image, especially as law enforcement agents obscure their faces. Neck gaiters or scarves cover the mouth and the nose. Baseball caps or helmets hide the crown of the head, and shades shroud the eyes. Once they are anonymous, officers round up their immigration targets. Lawmakers in Congress and in several blue states have introduced bills to prohibit the agents from hiding their faces while doing their jobs. In other words, masks can put accountability and privacy on a collision course. Today’s newsletter is about the role masks play in our culture. Power A mask is the rare accessory that is both functional and fantastical. It is a multilayered repository of meaning that stretches across centuries and cultures. Masks were beloved in ancient Greek theater and medieval Japanese dance. Outlaws and revelers (on Halloween, Guy Fawkes Night) use them. So do the rappers Ayleo and Mateo Bowles. Recently, Glenn Martens put every model in his couture show for Maison Margiela in a mask. A couture collection for Maison Margiela. Maison Margiela Masks turn people into archetypes, said Darren Fisher, a senior lecturer in comic and concept art at the University for the Creative Arts in Britain. And those archetypes are rooted in history, religion, art, politics and Hollywood. In almost every case, the masks serve a dual purpose: They protect or disguise a “real” identity and transform the person wearing one into something else. Masks are the means by which a character moves beyond the real world and toward something larger. In this way, though a mask is nominally a disguise, it is also a means to reveal the “true self,” said Nicola Formichetti, a stylist who has often explored the use of masks in his work with Lady Gaga. It can allow a repudiation of an identity that conforms to expectations and society. That’s liberating and terrifying because it takes away not just identity but also accountability. In becoming something else, you suddenly have license to act in a different way. This was the function of the mask during Venetian masked balls, where debauchery replaced proper behavior for a night. It was also the basis of “The Mask,” the 1994 film starring Jim Carrey as a nerdy guy whose id essentially takes over when he discovers an ancient mask. Protection Perhaps that is what has worried many people about ICE agents. It is not just because the masks tap into age-old horror movie motifs, but also because they seem to convey permission to act in ways that would otherwise be constrained. They represent a place beyond the norms. It is also why others may see the masked men as saviors — agents willing to do what their predecessors would not, or could not, to right what they believe is wrong. The idea that a covering could enable a taboo but laudable behavior came up often in the dark online chatter about Luigi Mangione, who is accused of being the masked gunman who fatally shot a health care executive. Some cast him as a social bandit, a Robin Hood figure of sorts, fighting for the victims of the insurance industry. Faces are how we recognize one another as well as how we read the meaning and the emotions behind words. By your face, others do know you. Thus to cover the face is to protect yourself — not just from germs or smog but from other people’s prejudices or government overreach. This theory of masks posits them as a beneficial shield from the ills of the world, its judgment and retribution. See, for example, the phantom in “The Phantom of the Opera,” who wears a mask to conceal his disfigurement, and the superheroes who hide their faces to safeguard their private identities. That quest for privacy is also evident in the student protests over Gaza and the Hong Kong democracy demonstrations. The difference when it comes to ICE is that, in the protests, the opposition was between the rights of individuals to state their beliefs without fear of reprisal versus the right of the state to maintain order. With ICE, the individuals arguing that they need cover to carry out orders from the state. All of this is going to become only more confusing with the widespread use of plastic surgery, artificial intelligence and filters, along with other digital tools that have popularized the ability to transform the theoretically unmasked face into — yes — its own kind of mask. Read more about the symbolism of masks in a piece I published this morning. THE LATEST NEWS War in Gaza Arab states called for new leadership in Gaza. “Hamas must end its rule,” reads a declaration endorsed by the 22 member nations of the Arab League. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s Middle East envoy, is visiting an aid distribution site in Gaza to see the hunger crisis firsthand. Mounting anger over starvation in Gaza is isolating Israel from some of its most important allies, Steven Erlanger writes. France, Britain and Canada recently announced plans to recognize the state of Palestine. Most countries already do so, as this map shows. Trump Administration A legal watchdog accused three Justice Department lawyers of lying to a federal judge to defend the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. The Trump administration plans to add a $200 million ballroom to the White House, which officials said would be paid for by Trump and other donors. The family of Virginia Giuffre, a woman who accused Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, expressed outrage about Trump’s claim that Epstein “stole” her from Mar-a-Lago. The Energy Department published a report by climate skeptics that rejects the scientific consensus on climate change. More on Politics Zach Levitt and Albert Sun Louisiana is the deportation capital of America. Here’s how it became Trump’s model for expanding ICE. The governor of Massachusetts proposed hundreds of millions for the state’s colleges, an apparent response to Trump’s funding cuts. Health The F.D.A. approved a medical device that offers new hope for people with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic condition that is often hard to treat. Vaccination rates among American children entering kindergarten fell again last year, extending a downward trend that began during the pandemic. Trump says he will reintroduce the Presidential Fitness Test, which for decades assessed students’ abilities in skills like pull-ups, sit-ups and the mile run. War in Ukraine An apartment building in Kyiv. Efrem Lukatsky/Associated Press Russia bombarded Kyiv with missiles and drones yesterday, killing at least 16 people. The attack came soon after Trump threatened Moscow with new sanctions if the violence persisted. A bipartisan pair of senators introduced legislation to provide billions in aid to Ukraine over the next two years Ukraine’s Parliament voted to restore the power of the country’s anticorruption agencies, one week after Volodymyr Zelensky moved to undermine their independence. Other Big Stories The emergency management coordinator of Kerr County, which had deadly flooding in Texas last month, testified that he was sick and asleep when the floodwaters hit. The Trump administration wants to build a new border wall in Arizona. It would block one of the largest and most important wildlife corridors in the area. Sebije Nelovic cleans the Manhattan office building where a gunman shot and killed four people this week. She came face to face with him and survived. GETTING THE GREEN Want to make $250 million? Become an elite A.I. researcher. Matt Deitke is one. He’s a 24-year-old A.I. researcher working at Meta who makes more than Stephen Curry, the highest-paid player in the N.B.A. And he’s not the only fresh-faced techie making bank. Companies are shoveling money at twentysomethings to lure them onto their A.I. teams. The software for this new tech doesn’t work like older code, and only a few people have the technical chops or the experience to work on advanced artificial intelligence systems. So tech executives are recruiting them like sports stars, with nine-figure compensation packages and huge signing bosses. Read more about the cash that A.I. hotshots are raking in. OPINIONS The greatest violator of Supreme Court decisions isn’t Trump — it’s the lower courts, Adrian Vermeule argues. The Jeffrey Epstein story has divided Trump’s coalition because it represents everything his supporters hate about elites and institutions, Kristen Soltis Anderson writes. Everything The Times offers. All in one subscription. Morning readers: Save on unlimited access to The Times with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Noah’s story: Trisomy 18 is normally fatal within weeks of birth. But some parents are getting more time with an extraordinary amount of effort. Really? Luxury bean bags for adults are having a moment. Your pick: The most-clicked story in the newsletter yesterday was about items that helped people survive a disaster. Modern Love: Read about a seven-week marriage compatibility test. A provocative playwright: Robert Wilson upended theatrical norms with stunningly visualized works and collaborations with artists like Philip Glass and Lady Gaga. He died at 83. SPORTS M.L.B.: A flood of deals made for a wild trade deadline as contenders jockeyed to improve their playoff hopes. See the winners and losers. N.F.L.: Commissioner Roger Goodell began the league’s Hall of Fame game and festivities by addressing Monday’s New York City office shooting. He also attended the funeral of an police officer who was one of four victims killed. N.B.A.: The New York Knicks and wing Mikal Bridges have agreed to a four-year, $150 million contract extension. TALKING HEADS The gardens at Versailles. James Hill for The New York Times Outside the Palace of Versailles, a giant lies in a pile of rubble, his golden mouth agape. Is he trying to say something? From visitors’ phones, he speaks: “I am the giant Enceladus, a figure of rebellion from the ancient war between gods and giants.” Versailles has a new attraction: a chatbot powered by OpenAI to let visitors commune with the art. The god Neptune explains that the area around him was once a pine grove. An Ancient Greek wrestler speaks admiringly of Pierre Puget, the artist who chiseled him from white marble. The Times visited the gardens and listened as some visitors asked a statue about soccer: “Which team will win the Champions League?” A Sphinx said it didn’t know. More on culture Trending: People online were searching for Lyme disease after Justin Timberlake revealed he had it, the BBC reports. On late night, Stephen Colbert spoke with Kamala Harris. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Simpson for The New York Times Top these fluffy, soufflé-like pancakes in honey-maple butter, like at the famous Golden Diner in Chinatown. Prepare your pantry for an emergency. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were blaring and garbling. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 3, 2025 Author Members Posted August 3, 2025 August 2, 2025 Good morning. Writing a letter to your future self is a good way to identify the things in your life that matter — as well as those things that you can let go. María Jesús Contreras Paper trail By Melissa Kirsch A few weeks ago, a reader of The Morning told me about a project she runs wherein people write letters to their future selves and send them to her. Five years later, she mails the letters back to them. She recently opened her own letter from 2020, written during lockdown, and was struck by how much she and the world had changed. A transmission across the years from younger you to older you: What would you say? What feels essential to report from this moment in time, about your life and the world? There’s this scene in the 1992 Nora Ephron movie “This Is My Life,” in which Julie Kavner, playing a mother, says goodbye to her young daughters before going on a trip. She gives them journals, encouraging them to take notes instead of writing letters. “Letter writing is ridiculous,” she says. “Nothing ever arrives within a week, and someone else ends up with what you should have: a record of your life.” I wondered, as I considered writing a letter to future me, why not just keep a journal and look back on what I’ve written five years from now? A letter is different from a journal entry, I reasoned. In a letter, you address another person. You’re making sure your thoughts are legible to them, explaining things that you wouldn’t need to explain to your journal. And a journal — or at least my journal — tends to be an exercise in immediacy, a way of getting down what happened today, what’s on my mind in this instant. In a letter that attempted to capture my experience of being alive right now, I’d pull back, take a wide view and present the situation as more of an offering than a regurgitation. I’d try to convey something essential about who I am, what I believe and hold dear. I recall an assignment in sixth grade in which we were directed to make a list of 100 things we hoped to accomplish before we graduated high school. Our teacher promised to send them to us when we turned 18. I never received mine and have often wondered what I wrote. (I can only recollect that I put down that I wanted to dance with Patrick Swayze, and I believe I copied that lofty aspiration from my friend Tracy. Neither of us accomplished this.) I know that I would have feared that me at 18 would find me at 11 babyish. There’s that same type of fear in writing to me five years from now: I want me in 2030 to look back and think my priorities and preoccupations worthwhile. I’m an adult now, and I want to believe that the gist of who I am is to some extent indelible, not so different from who I will be in the future, but there’s a small part of me that hopes that future me is going to be wiser and more evolved, and it makes me almost embarrassed to be me today. My friend Sara writes a letter to herself every year on her birthday, but she doesn’t open them. I asked her for advice. “I tend to kind of graze over various areas of my life, internal and external,” she said. “Who did I hang out with? Who did I wish I spent more time with? What was my favorite beverage? What smell couldn’t I get enough of? What made me really sad? What lit me up?” I plan to write my letter this weekend. So far, I’ve written “Dear Melissa,” which already feels momentous. I can imagine my letter to myself being read in voice-over in the movie of my future life, as I go about my day, as my goings-on intersect with my life now (I’m still riding the subway to work at The Times) and diverge from it (I’ve stopped eating so much cheese and crackers; there’s probably a shot of me getting my cholesterol checked, a doctor shaking her head). Even the silly desire to impress my older self feels like a fun challenge to step back and look at the things I’m doing that aren’t serving me, the habits or worries I’m engaging in that I’ll think were a waste of time. You can set up your own letter project with friends, one of you the keeper of the missives, setting a calendar alert to mail them out in August of 2030. I suppose you could just put the letter in a drawer, to be opened then, but there’s something about receiving it in the mail from someone else that makes it special. Use nice stationery if you wish, a favorite pen. Choose a Forever stamp that you like for the envelope — there’s a “Goodnight Moon” series available now. READER MAILBAG After my newsletter last week about celebrating small occasions, I received this email from a reader, Mark Everson, about the importance of honoring milestone moments on the way to the finish line: I could not agree more with your piece this morning. When I served in the Bush administration as deputy director for management at the O.M.B., I was part of the five-person team charged with assessing the organization of government after 9/11. Our work was conducted in secret (to avoid resistance to change from certain stakeholders) and we met periodically after hours with senior administration officials to review progress and discuss options. After a number of weeks, at the end of one meeting, the White House chief of staff, Andy Card, said our proposal to create D.H.S. was taking shape and he would bring it to the president. I told my fellow team members that we had to go to my office in the Eisenhower Building and crack open a bottle of champagne I had left over from a recent reception. One colleague said, “Why? Nothing is done yet.” I replied, “This may be as far as we get!” In some things, especially when the end result is far from certain, you need to celebrate as you go. As always, if you want to reach me, I’m at saturdaymorning@nytimes.com. THE LATEST NEWS Labor Report By The New York Times The government reported a slowdown in job growth, a sign of the serious and accelerating impacts of President Trump’s tariffs. (Stocks tumbled on the news.) The report also showed that U.S. employers hired far fewer people in May and June than the government initially reported. Big downward revisions like that sometimes mean the economy is in, or headed for, a recession. Trump claimed without evidence that the report was manipulated and said he was firing the official responsible for pulling together the numbers. A weaker labor market means the Fed is more likely to cut interest rates in September. Trump Administration Ghislaine Maxwell has been relocated to a minimum-security prison just a week after the Justice Department interviewed her about the Jeffrey Epstein case. A federal appeals court upheld a decision that temporarily halted agents from arresting and detaining L.A. immigrants without probable cause. The federal government is freezing more than $300 million in research funding for U.C.L.A. over claims of antisemitism. Other Big Stories The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports local public media across the U.S., plans to shut down next year after Congress revoked much of its funding. Trump said he ordered two nuclear submarines to be repositioned in response to a Russian official’s social media threats, a rare warning of nuclear escalation. Mexico’s president has battled U.S. accusations that cartels have gripped her government. A new, poorly timed scandal makes matters worse. THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV Liam Neeson Geordie Wood for The New York Times Liam Neeson, 73, has rebranded from intense action hero to slapstick funny man for the reboot of “The Naked Gun.” He gamely steps into his character’s big, beautiful clown shoes, our critic writes. “Don’t let the vampires in”: The Times critic Wesley Morris explores what Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” has in common with Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show. Christopher McDonald, the actor who played Shooter McGavin, throws real-life finger guns in full embrace of his “Happy Gilmore” alter ego. Visual and Fine Art Museums resisted strengthening a law meant to help Holocaust victims and their heirs retrieve works stolen by the Nazis. In Cleveland — the true birthplace of Superman — a new plaza honors the superhero’s creators. Robert Wilson, the provocative playwright who died this week at 83, expanded our sense of what could happen on a stage by starkly limiting the action, writes critic Zachary Woolfe. More Culture An ex-Rolling Stone says the Metropolitan Museum of Art has his stolen guitar. The Met says he never owned it. A day after wrapping up a two-year tour, Justin Timberlake announced that he had been battling Lyme disease and had considered stopping performances. The Times’s former restaurant critic, Pete Wells, explores how a Maine lobster roll shack feeds its mobs of hungry customers. Las Culturistas, the popular podcast hosted by the comedians Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, has created its own low-stakes awards show. Categories include the Creatine Award for Straight Male Excellence and the Eva Longoria Award for Tiny Woman, Huge Impact. Sydney Sweeney seems to be in every ad these days: for ice cream, phones, fuzzy loafers and bath water. But her ad for jeans became a beacon for thorny public discourse. Everything The Times offers. All in one subscription. Morning readers: Save on unlimited access to The Times with this introductory offer. CULTURE CALENDAR By Tom Wright-Piersanti ? ? “Hard Knocks” (Tuesday): This HBO documentary series, which takes viewers inside an N.F.L. team’s training camp each season, has turned its cameras on the Buffalo Bills. “Hard Knocks” is responsible for a slew of iconic football moments — such as in 2010, when it showed the New York Jets coach Rex Ryan rousing his team by shouting, “Let’s go eat a (expletive) snack!” Of course, most teams would probably prefer not to become a meme, and The Athletic reports that the Bills resisted being on the show as long as they could. But they couldn’t say no forever, and their loss is our gain; this is the first time in years that fans will go behind the scenes of a Super Bowl contender. Related: The N.F.L. and ESPN reached a blockbuster deal that will give ESPN control of RedZone, a weekly broadcast that shows all the league’s games at once, sources told The Athletic. RECIPE OF THE WEEK David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. By Mia Leimkuhler Corn Risotto Corn risotto is one of those simple but elegant dishes I’d be delighted to find on the menu of the darling wine bar in the neighborhood. Thanks to Jessica Battilana and Emily Weinstein — and all the crisp, sweet corn that’s in season — I can make it at home (and have seconds). A little whipped cream stirred in to finish gives the dish a creamy lightness, but it’s just as rich and delicious without. REAL ESTATE Gagan Vaseer George Etheredge for The New York Times The Hunt: Tired of paying rent increases and hearing the “sirens and screams” in Hell’s Kitchen, a first-time buyer sought a studio on the East Side of Manhattan. Which did he choose? Play our game. OK to dream: Home prices are too high for many Americans. That hasn’t stopped them from scrolling on Zillow. What you get for $880,000 in Romania: Five wood cottages in the countryside; a converted farmhouse and stable; or a four-house complex with a gazebo in a traditional village. LIVING Kevin Merrill leads snorkeling tours. Will Crooks for The New York Times Hellbenders: These rare salamanders lurk in the rivers of Appalachia. To spot one, you’ll need a snorkel, and some luck. Taste test: Does soda made without corn syrup actually taste better? Hydrotherapy: Soak, steam and plunge in these six restorative water getaways. Look of the week: Crisp linen, perfectly suited for summer. 36 hours: Nantucket merges natural beauty, historic charm and upscale appeal. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER Prep your pantry for an emergency In my 13 years of covering extreme weather events across the U.S., I’ve heard incredible stories from survivors of storms, wildfires and roof-ripping winds. Disasters are unpredictable by nature, and it’s difficult to anticipate exactly what you’ll need in the chaos that follows. But food and water are two essentials you should keep on hand. The right approach to stocking your pantry involves maintaining supplies based on your household’s needs: Shelf-stable canned and dry goods that you routinely eat will be less likely to have expired when an emergency hits, since you’ve been eating and replacing them regularly. Emergency food kits with easy-to-prepare meals can give you additional peace of mind. — Colleen Hagerty For more expert emergency prep advice — including recommendations for things you actually need — sign up for our four-part newsletter course, Emergency Kit. GAME OF THE WEEK Katie Ledecky, center. Adam Pretty/Getty Images World Aquatics Championships: This is one of the marquee competitions in swimming, featuring many of the stars from last year’s Olympics. And this morning, you can watch its most anticipated event: Katie Ledecky vs. Summer McIntosh in the women’s 800-meter freestyle. Ledecky, the American swimming legend, long dominated this event — until February, when McIntosh, a rising Canadian star, beat her. It was Ledecky’s first defeat in the event since 2010, Zack Pierce of The Athletic noted. Ledecky responded a few months later by setting a world record. “The women’s 800 is the race of the meet,” Rowdy Gaines, the swimming broadcaster and former gold medalist, told The Athletic, adding, “and, for that matter, at least from a world championships standpoint, the race of the century.” Today and tomorrow at 7 a.m. Eastern on Peacock; the 800-meter freestyle is set to begin around 8:20 a.m. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was namecheck. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week’s headlines. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 3, 2025 Author Members Posted August 3, 2025 August 3, 2025 Good morning. Christianity has a branding problem — but influencers are helping, one vertical video at a time. Pope Leo with influencers. Gregorio Borgia/Associated Press ‘Digital missionaries’ By Lauren Jackson I spent the past year reporting on how we believe now. The Catholic Church is trying to get influencers — women with fashion accounts and “hot priests” — to serve as its digital missionaries. In a first, the Vatican gathered more than 1,000 content creators last week in an auditorium near St. Peter’s Basilica. They danced, took selfies and filmed the stage, which flashed in neon pink and blue. Pope Leo made an appearance, sparking a photo frenzy. “I’m high off this experience,” said Mackenzie Hunter, a 26-year-old from St. Paul, Minn. Her Instagram account, “acaffeinatedcatholic,” has about 25,000 followers. Christianity has a branding problem. Over the past 25 years, tens of millions of Americans left the faith. While that has stalled recently, no one wants to go to a party that seems to be winding down. So churches are turning to influencers to build hype. The summit is an example of a broader trend: Religious institutions and leaders are increasingly relying on digital evangelism, leveraging social media to spread their message to new generations. Influencers say it’s working, and it may be part of why churches in the United States have seen some people return to the pews after decades of declining attendance. What’s happening? Churches are turning to the internet to reach new audiences. Evangelical pastors are bringing their famously high-production sermons into vertical video. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is presenting a diverse, younger image to its 1.4 million Instagram followers. Some Christian influencers see their mission as inspiring people — especially young people — to attend church services and Bible studies. Others say they simply aim to help religion seem less cloistered and more accessible. “Making Catholicism feel normal is really important to me,” explained Eliza Monts, who is 26, lives in Charleston, S.C., and mostly posts videos of her life with her husband. One study found that among Gen Z in the U.S., men are more likely to be religious than women. Perhaps that explains the celebrity of Father Rafael Capo, 57, a bodybuilding priest in Miami who fuses fitness with faith for his 112,000 Instagram followers. He often posts photos of himself lifting weights and consecrating communion. “I have so many beautiful stories of conversions,” he told me. Capo said the number of young people in his congregation is double what it was before the pandemic. Attending the Vatican’s influencer summit, he felt his own reach in a new way. “I’ve had young people from all over the world stopping me here in the streets of Rome,” he said. Why does this matter? Creating content. Gregorio Borgia/Associated Press Digital evangelism isn’t new. But the Vatican’s conference was significant for a few reasons. First, it signaled institutional approval. While many clergy members have turned to social media to profess their faith personally, the Vatican is now formally training young people to be missionaries online. Second, it shows Leo’s commitment to modernizing the church. And because he is the most famous Christian on earth, that can reverberate beyond Catholicism. “Instead of just saying, ‘Oh my gosh, social media is trash, A.I. is a danger,’” noted Raúl Zegarra, a professor of Catholicism at Harvard, “the attitude is: ‘This is real, this is happening, this is a new transformation of culture. Let’s face it as a church.’” The summit comes after a big year of viral news for Catholicism. There was the death of a pope and the surprise election of the first American to fill the role. “Conclave,” a film about the church’s inner workings, was nominated for eight Oscars and won one (best adapted screenplay). Viral memes turned cardinals into celebrities, and fashion houses glamorized Catholic aesthetics. (Dolce & Gabbana recently put bishops on its runway.) By inviting influencers to Rome, the church is trying to capitalize on the momentum. Interested in how we live religion and spirituality now? We’re launching a new newsletter next month. Sign up for Believing A weekly newsletter with Lauren Jackson. Get it in your inbox THE LATEST NEWS Tariffs President Trump’s tariffs are making a lot of money for the federal government. That may make them hard to quit. There are signs that companies are running out of ways to keep consumer prices stable. Economists say consumers will feel the pinch of tariffs more sharply. More on the Trump Administration The head of the agency that collects employment statistics had bipartisan support. Trump fired her after a weak jobs report. That move underscored Trump’s tendency to suppress facts he considers unfavorable and promote his own version of reality, Peter Baker writes. Republican cuts to the federal food stamp program could mean the loss of grocery stores in rural areas that already have few food retailers. The E.P.A. said that it would revoke its own ability to fight climate change, one of a series of actions to weaken or eliminate climate change protections. Middle East David Lammy, Britain’s foreign secretary. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters Britain and France recently said they would recognize a Palestinian state. Over a century ago, the two nations signed a secret treaty that is considered by many to have seeded a legacy of strife in the Middle East. A video circulated by Hamas showed an emaciated Israeli hostage in what appeared to be an underground tunnel. It prompted horror in Israel. Doctors in Gaza are reporting spiraling rates of malnutrition. Here’s how hunger there got so much worse. More International News Russia is building an ecosystem of easily monitored alternatives to Western tech products, including a state-approved messaging app that will be preinstalled on new smartphones. India said it would continue to buy cheap oil from Russia despite threats from Trump. Other Big Stories Democrats are recruiting and promoting veterans in some top battleground districts to try to flip the House next year. When a gunman recently opened fire inside a Manhattan office building, a mundane workday descended into bloodshed and chaos. Here’s how the shooting unfolded. Trending: People online were looking up the 3.0-magnitude earthquake that jolted parts of New Jersey and New York City. IN ONE CHART Source: Gaza Governorate Chamber of Commerce and Industry | By The New York Times The chaos and violence that surround the distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza have led some Palestinians to give up trying to get it. Instead, they purchase food from markets, where the cost of basic goods has skyrocketed. “The prices are insane, totally insane,” said Mohammad Fares, a 24-year-old resident of Gaza City who said he had lost more than 50 pounds since the start of the war. THE SUNDAY DEBATE Are Trump’s attacks on Jerome Powell, the Federal Reserve chair, risking the politicization of an independent organization? Yes. Trump and his allies set a dangerous precedent by going after the Fed chair over a policy disagreement. “Doing so is the road to the hyper-politicized monetary policy you’d expect in Argentina,” The Wall Street Journal’s editorial board writes. No. The Federal Reserve lost its independence a long time ago. That was most evident during the pandemic. “Americans are already paying the price for a compromised Fed,” Kate Andrews writes for The Washington Post. FROM OPINION Some people believe A.I. will bring on an intellectual revolution like the Enlightenment. But the Enlightenment did something chatbots can’t: challenge your beliefs, David Bell writes. Roger Rosenblatt is old, he writes, but swimming lets him feel ageless. Here are columns by Ross Douthat on conspiracies and Maureen Dowd on literary men. Everything The Times offers. All in one subscription. Morning readers: Save on unlimited access to The Times with this introductory offer. MORNING READS In Norway. Michał Siarek for The New York Times Beacons: More than 2,000 lighthouses large and small watch over Norway’s coast. These technicians are giving them an upgrade. “A little restraint”: A seaside town in France is imploring beach-going tourists to please keep their clothes on. Your pick: The most-clicked article in The Morning yesterday followed a first-time buyer’s hunt for a home on Manhattan’s East Side. Vows: Their first date was delayed. Their future wasn’t. Lives Lived: David Rendall was a British tenor who gained starring roles in Mozart, Verdi and Donizetti on both sides of the Atlantic thanks to a light, clear voice, but who found life uncomfortably imitating art in a pair of career-altering stage mishaps. Rendall died at 76. SPORTS N.B.A.: Luka Dončić signed a three-year contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. W.N.B.A.: A fan who threw a green sex toy onto the court during a game between the Valkyries and the Dream has been arrested, the league said. N.F.L.: The Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones said fans shouldn’t “lose any sleep” over a request for a trade by the star edge rusher Micah Parsons. BOOK OF THE WEEK Hatchette Book Group By Elisabeth Egan “The Idaho Four,” by James Patterson and Vicky Ward: True crime can be a tricky genre to navigate, but Patterson and Ward steer clear of rubbernecking in this thorough examination of the murders of four University of Idaho students in 2022. The case has been covered widely, especially last month when a former Ph.D student at Washington State University was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to the crimes. Here, the focus is on the victims — their families, their friendships, their snuffed-out potential. Patterson, a veteran novelist, and Ward, an investigative journalist, draw from 300 interviews to create a vivid portrait of the residents of 1122 Kings Road. The result is a sensitive tribute that, while devastating to read, functions as a paean to youth, community and the tenacity of local law enforcement. More on books Want to know what’s coming out in August? Start here. Looking for the best road trip books? Our critics have you covered. THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE Read this week’s magazine. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Pick a good tomato. Read a “Pride and Prejudice” for the chronically online. Buy the best olive oil. Here’s how. MEAL PLAN Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. In this week’s Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter, Emily Weinstein makes the case that peaches and mangoes should feature prominently in your midsummer meals. She highlights recipes including roasted chicken thighs with peaches, basil and ginger as well as a chile-garlic salmon with mango and cucumber salad. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were lapidary and rapidly. Can you put eight historical events — including the origins of gerrymandering, one of the first recorded meteor showers and the debut of New Coke — in chronological order? Take this week’s Flashback quiz. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. P.S.: The Interview is off this week. It will return next week. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 4, 2025 Author Members Posted August 4, 2025 August 4, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: Texas: Democratic members of the Texas House left the state in an effort to stop Republicans from adopting an aggressively redrawn congressional map. Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to remove the lawmakers if they did not return by today. Migration: More than 60 people died when their boat capsized as they tried to cross the sea between the Horn of Africa and Yemen. Russia: A long-dormant volcano in the country’s Far East erupted for the first time in hundreds of years. See a video. More news is below. But first, we have a Silicon Valley vibe check. A Twitter sign being removed in San Francisco in 2023. Jim Wilson/The New York Times System upgrade By Adam B. Kushner I’m the editor of this newsletter. Silicon Valley has transformed. No surprise there — change is its business, after all. But just as artificial intelligence will upend the economy, it has already upended the culture of the place that makes it. America’s tech corridor holds immense influence over our future. So it’s worth understanding life there — and the people who power it. Today’s newsletter is about the new vibe in Silicon Valley. That’s the focus of several stories our tech journalists have recently reported from the world’s tech capital. ‘Shut up and grind’ Silicon Valley behemoths like Google, Apple and Facebook became famous a generation ago for pitching great lifestyle jobs: Forget the cubicles and neckties of the old economy. Come enjoy free sushi and workout classes; take breaks for Ping-Pong. Let’s change the world! Then, around 2022, they decided they had become bloated. Meta eliminated a third of its work force. Elon Musk bought Twitter and fired three-quarters of its staff. New focus. The job cuts weren’t just about economics. They were also about priorities. Over the years, leaders felt progressive politics had overtaken the workplace. Now companies began to nix “moderators, marketers, media handlers and all things associated with diversity and inclusion,” writes my colleague Mike Isaac, who chronicles this seismic realignment. “Heaven help those with a humanities degree.” Masters of war. The new priorities include something that tech’s early do-gooders had forsworn: digital armaments. As Sheera Frenkel reports, Meta, Google and OpenAI once banned the use of artificial intelligence in weapons. Today, OpenAI makes anti-drone tech, and Meta makes virtual reality glasses to train soldiers. One start-up sells drones fitted with A.I.-guided cruise missiles. Fervid toil. Corporate dogma has changed. Now executives want hard skills, not soft ones. They’re not focused on consumer payment and photo-sharing apps; they’re building neural networks, ordering people back to the office and censoring employee debate. “It’s the shut up and grind era,” writes Kate Conger, who has a great dispatch about life inside the big companies. As one recent Google alumna told her, “the level of fear has gone way up” even as offices still offer free food and high salaries. “I suppose it’s better to have lunch and be scared to death than to not have lunch and be scared to death.” Young energy. On the other hand, the tech sector is roaring back. Hiring has surged around A.I. And a flock of entrepreneurs in their 20s has arrived to launch A.I. companies, Natallie Rocha reports. Keeping to local tradition, many are college dropouts. Meet them here. In San Francisco. Loren Elliott for The New York Times Vibe shift Alongside — or perhaps because of — these changes, life outside work changed in Silicon Valley, too. Center of gravity. Artificial intelligence companies are different from their forebears in a key way: Most of them are in San Francisco, not the valley. They’ve brought new money and energy into the city and have remade some neighborhoods. Here is a cheat sheet to where the new moguls live, work and play. The utilitarians. At Lighthaven, a Berkeley compound, a group of people who call themselves the Rationalists gather to discuss A.I., which they say will improve our lives — if it doesn’t destroy humanity. “The Rationalists believe it is up to the people building A.I. to ensure that it is a force for the greater good,” Cade Metz writes in a fascinating profile. They have acolytes inside all the leading A.I. firms, some of whom briefly got the head of OpenAI fired. Speaking in code. Like any subculture, Silicon Valley has its own vernacular. To the rest of us, it is often impenetrable. Have a look at these local billboards (such as one that says “You can just do things”) and take this quiz to see if you can guess what they mean. THE LATEST NEWS The Democratic Party Gene Wu, chair of the Democratic caucus in the Texas House. Jim Vondruska for The New York Times The Texas Democrats who left the state yesterday did so to block a map that was redrawn to flip five Democratic congressional districts to favor Republicans. An arm of the national Democratic Party has called on blue states to start their own redistricting efforts. In the New York City mayoral primary, Zohran Mamdani won over Jewish voters who were energized by his economic agenda and unbothered by — or sympathetic to — his views on Israel. A group of moderate Democrats wants the party to embrace private-school vouchers. This has created yet another internal fight. Trump Administration President Trump fired the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics for producing jobs numbers he didn’t like. When leaders meddle in government data, it rarely ends well, Ben Casselman writes. The Trump administration’s measures to punish elite universities, like D.E.I. bans and grant freezes, are also hurting America’s community colleges. Middle East Though Hezbollah has lost much of its power since the recent war with Israel, it is resisting demands to surrender what is left of its arsenal. With Gaza cease-fire talks at an impasse, U.S. and Israeli officials have floated the idea of a comprehensive end to the war rather than a phased one. Other Big Stories A protest in Kyiv, Ukraine, last week against the weakening of anticorruption agencies. Tetiana Dzhafarova/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The Ukrainian authorities arrested a number of officials on suspicion of corruption. The arrests came days after Volodymyr Zelensky reversed an effort to weaken anticorruption agencies. Over 3,000 workers who build Boeing fighter jets in the St. Louis area went on strike today. IN ONE IMAGE Todd Heisler/The New York Times This photograph, taken by the Times photographer Todd Heisler, captures the recent arrest of a Paraguayan asylum seeker at a New York City immigration court. Masked agents regularly patrol hallways at immigration courthouses. Relatives wail in anguish as loved ones are whisked away. Read more about the image and the man who was detained. Courthouse arrests have increased overall detentions in New York. Federal authorities have arrested more than 2,300 people in the city and several in nearby suburbs since Jan. 20, a 200 percent jump from the five months before Trump took office. More than half of those arrested in the country’s largest city had no criminal record, according to a new investigation by Luis Ferré-Sadurní and Ashley Cai that was published today. OPINIONS Premature babies in Gaza have no incubators or baby formula. It’s up to the world, whether through cease-fire talks or arms embargoes, to save them, Mushon Zer-Aviv writes. Here are columns by David French on the Israeli government and Margaret Renkl on the magic of a pop-up concert. Everything The Times offers. All in one subscription. Morning readers: Save on unlimited access to The Times with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Hieronymus Bosch/Museo Nacional del Prado Focus challenge: Spend 10 uninterrupted minutes with Bosch’s “Garden of Earthly Delights.” Flip Gordon: In Mexico, a former American soldier has found a home as a lucha libre wrestler. Pop quiz: Does soda made without high-fructose corn syrup actually taste better? The Times conducted a taste test. Metropolitan Diary: Lugging a prized find off the street. Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was about a French beach town’s plea for tourists to keep their clothes on. Lives Lived: Loni Anderson was trending online yesterday. She played the platinum blond receptionist on the TV sitcom “WKRP in Cincinnati” in the late 1970s and early ’80s and later became a tabloid mainstay during her contentious divorce from the actor Burt Reynolds. Anderson died at 79. SPORTS Tennis: The upsets at the Canadian Open continue after Clara Tauson beat the Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek. A day earlier, Coco Gauff fell to Victoria Mboko, a wild card from Canada. Soccer: Lionel Messi suffered a “minor muscle injury” during Miami’s win over Necaxa in the Leagues Cup, the club said. It’s unclear how long he will be out. Swimming: The U.S. women clinched gold over Australia in the medley relay — and set a world record in the process — at World Aquatics Championships in Singapore. AWARDS WITH LOW STAKES Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. Ariel Fisher for The New York Times Tomorrow, Bravo will air an awards show that is anything but traditional: The Las Culturistas Culture Awards, hosted by actor-comedians Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. The show’s prize categories include Best Word to Whisper, the Creatine Award for Straight Male Excellence and the Eva Longoria Award for Tiny Woman, Huge Impact. The awards are an outgrowth of a popular podcast Yang and Rogers have hosted since 2016. In a recent Times interview, the pair shared their favorite categories: ROGERS Worst Sticky Feeling. I love Worst Sticky Feeling. I think it speaks to everyone in the world. YANG Mine might be the Circus Award for Stop Being Weird. Read more about the awards here. More on culture The inescapable Sydney Sweeney. It’s not just you. Sydney Sweeney seems to be everywhere right now. “The Naked Gun,” the Liam Neeson-fronted sequel to the 1980-90s franchise, earned neither blockbuster nor belly-flop box office results over the weekend but has received strong reviews. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Armando Rafael for The New York Times Make a three-ingredient basil pasta. Exercise in the heat. Visit a Great Lake this summer. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was genealogy. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 5, 2025 Author Members Posted August 5, 2025 August 5, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: Washington: The Trump administration said it would reinstall a Confederate statue that was toppled and set on fire during the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Brazil: The country’s Supreme Court placed former President Jair Bolsonaro under house arrest as he awaited trial. He is accused of overseeing a plot to stay in power after losing the 2022 election. Montana: A manhunt is still going for an Army veteran accused of killing four people in a bar on Friday. He appears to have disappeared into the wilderness. More news is below. But first, we look at the conflict over a redrawn map in Texas. In Austin, Texas. Ilana Panich-Linsman for The New York Times Texas tussle By the staff of The Morning It’s an old trick: If you can’t win a vote, make sure it doesn’t happen. That’s what Texas Democrats had in mind when they fled Austin on Sunday. If they’re elsewhere, their state’s Legislature won’t have enough members present to vote on a measure they revile: a new gerrymandered congressional map that would probably flip five blue districts to red. Those extra seats would give the G.O.P. a much more comfortable majority in Washington — and answer a fervent demand from President Trump. So Democrats high-tailed it out of town. Some went to Chicago or Boston. Others to Albany, N.Y. They are giving press conferences to vent their outrage. Now, what started as a redistricting clash has turned into a nationwide game of hide-and-seek. Greg Abbott, the Texas governor, says he’ll oust Democratic lawmakers who don’t return for the vote. Our reporters have been on the ground in Texas, Illinois and New York. Today, we’ll explain the situation. The Texas plan What does the state’s redistricting proposal look like? J. David Goodman, who reported from Austin, explains. Republican lawmakers here hope to pick up five more seats in the U.S. House. (They currently hold 25 of the state’s 38 congressional seats.) So they want to either dramatically reshape, or completely relocate, five districts now held by Democrats. Three are in urban areas — in Houston and Dallas, and around Austin and San Antonio. The other two are along the Mexican border, where the majority Hispanic population has trended Republican in recent elections. The map could also force veteran Democratic legislators to fight primary campaigns against young and promising members of the party. The new Austin seat, for instance, might pit Lloyd Doggett, a veteran congressman, against a rising progressive. Al Green, a vocal Trump opponent, has been drawn into a vacant district around Houston where several young candidates are already running. This chart shows the effect by looking at the electorate in districts last year, in the presidential election between Trump and Kamala Harris, and in the hypothetical ones Texas may create: By Ashley Cai The runaways This is hardly the first time that lawmakers have fled a vote, explains Evan Gorelick, a writer for this newsletter. In 1787, the Pennsylvania sergeant-at-arms tracked down two Assembly members who tried stop the state from ratifying the Constitution. Some recent examples: Texas Democrats. They last bolted just four years ago — to block new voting restrictions that they said would disproportionately affect minority voters. That walkout lasted around five weeks. Oregon Republicans. They walked out several times to stall legislation limiting greenhouse-gas emissions. Then voters passed a ballot measure barring lawmakers from re-election if they accumulated 10 or more unexcused absences. The Texan Democrats struck a defiant tone yesterday in response to Abbott’s threats. Several representatives fled to Albany, where they sat alongside New York’s governor in a press conference. “My grandmother says this: ‘If you allow yourself to be a rug, people will step on you,’” one lawmaker there, Jolanda Jones of Houston, told reporters. “We ain’t fleeing. We’re fighting.” What’s next Here’s J. David Goodman again to explain what might happen after Texas passes its plan. Trump wants other red states to copy Texas before the 2026 elections. One person close to him recently told my colleague Shane Goldmacher that the strategy is “maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.” So lawmakers in Missouri are looking at how to add another Republican district at the expense of a Democratic one. The G.O.P. is also looking at possible changes in Florida, Indiana, New Hampshire and Ohio. Democrats are cooking up a response. For years, they argued that politics had no place in political mapmaking, and they backed independent, nonpartisan panels to decide the boundaries. Now they may simply retaliate. In New York yesterday, the governor, Kathy Hochul, said that Texas had left Democrats no choice: “We must do the same.” She said they could amend the state’s Constitution to kill its independent redistricting commission. California’s governor wants to redraw the state’s political map — and have voters approve it. In Illinois, where Democrats dominate state politics, the process would be simpler, but the boundaries are already quite gerrymandered. Still, the governor says, “all bets are off.” In Texas, the runaway Democrats can stop Republicans from adopting the new maps for a time. But past walkouts failed after Democrats eventually went home. So the fight is likely to find a more conventional venue: the courthouse. INSIDE EPSTEIN’S HOME Photos from inside Jeffrey Epstein’s home in Manhattan. Jeffrey Epstein’s palatial townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan was a place where he could flaunt, and deepen, his connections to the rich and powerful. The Times has reviewed photos and documents that offer a look inside the mansion. Among their revelations: Several prominent people wrote birthday messages for Epstein in 2016. They include Woody Allen, the linguist Noam Chomsky and the former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak. A media mogul, in his message, suggested ingredients that “would enhance Jeffrey’s sexual performance.” There were also signed items: A chalkboard was preserved with a drawn map of Israel signed by Barak, and a framed dollar bill bore Bill Gates’s autograph and the words, “I was wrong!” A credenza was crowded with photos of Epstein alongside powerful people, including Pope John Paul II, Mick Jagger, Elon Musk, Richard Branson, Fidel Castro and two presidents — Bill Clinton and Trump. Dozens of prosthetic eyeballs lined the entryway. A sculpture of a woman in a bridal gown, clutching a rope, hung in a central atrium. And in his office, Epstein kept a taxidermied tiger and a first edition of the 1955 novel “Lolita.” See photos, and read more about Epstein’s Manhattan residence. THE LATEST NEWS Immigration In Florida. Marco Bello/Reuters Immigrants at the “Alligator Alcatraz” detention camp in Florida have bigger things to worry about than reptiles: The area is vulnerable to hurricanes and wildfires. The Trump administration is separating migrant children from their parents in what appears to be more targeted version of the mass family separation from Trump’s first term. The U.S. will make some foreign visitors pay cash deposits of up to $15,000 to help ensure they do not overstay their visas. Trade Trump said he would apply additional tariffs to India because it continued to purchase oil from Russia. New Delhi called the move unreasonable. To get trading partners to make multibillion-dollar investments in the U.S., Trump is taking a page from a familiar playbook: “The Art of the Deal.” More on the Trump Administration NASA’s acting administrator issued a directive to fast-track efforts to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. Harvard seemed ready pay $500 million to settle its battle with the government. The White House’s far cheaper, $50 million deal with Brown has complicated negotiations. Trump’s decision to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics has forced his allies into the awkward spot of criticizing an agency whose work they freely cited in the past, Luke Broadwater writes. More on Politics Elizabeth Warren with Zohran Mamdani. Dave Sanders for The New York Times Elizabeth Warren went all out yesterday for Zohran Mamdani, who is running to be mayor of New York City. She scorned his opponents, defended his tax plans and joined him on the campaign trail. Representative Nancy Mace, a once moderate Republican who has become a Trump loyalist, will run for governor of South Carolina. Marjorie Taylor Greene asked the Justice Department’s pardon attorney to commute the more than seven-year sentence of George Santos, the disgraced former congressman. International Seven months ago, a Jeju Air flight crashed in South Korea, killing 179 people. A Times investigation identified a series of missteps that made the crash much more deadly. Lawmakers in El Salvador recently granted the president, Nayib Bukele, power to run for re-election indefinitely. Some Salvadorans backed the move — his gang crackdown has made him very popular. After scoring a victory in Iran, Benjamin Netanyahu had the political capital to push for a truce in Gaza. But he squandered that opportunity, Patrick Kingsley writes. Other Big Stories Tesla’s board gave Elon Musk $29 billion in company stock, saying it was intended to help retain him after a judge struck down his previous multibillion-dollar pay package. Shady companies are pumping out a flood of fake research papers. Scientists are alarmed. A minimum-wage proposal for hotel and airport workers in Los Angeles could strain employers already reeling from declining tourism. OPINIONS Why do young people smoke cigarettes, despite knowing the risks? Because smoking facilitates real-life interactions in an otherwise online world, Christine Emba argues. Here are columns by Thomas Friedman on the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner and Thomas Edsall on Trump and the Supreme Court. Everything The Times offers. All in one subscription. Morning readers: Save on unlimited access to The Times with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Matija Medved Break free: You probably want to look at your phone less often. Here is practical advice from experts. An Obama-era treat: A decade ago, fro-yo was everywhere. A young C.E.O. is trying to usher in another boom time. Feed the lions: A Danish zoo is asking people to donate pets — like guinea pigs, rabbits and chickens — that are nearing life’s end to become dinner for predators. Ask Well: “Why do I get so many headaches during the summer?” Your pick: The most clicked article in The Morning yesterday tested readers’ fluency in the lingo of the tech industry by showing them billboards in San Francisco. Take the quiz here. An educator: Razia Jan was a dynamic Afghan-born U.S. citizen and entrepreneur who, in the wake of Sept. 11, founded a school for girls outside Kabul that remains open despite the Taliban’s return to power. Jan died at 81. SPORTS Trending: The Yankees are 0-4 since last Thursday’s trade deadline: Closer Devin Williams blew the game against the Rangers in the ninth inning, and then Texas walked off in the 10th. College basketball: After months of debate, the NCAA Tournament is staying at 68 teams for the 2026 season. The governing body said it would continue discussing expansion options for 2027. Tennis: Novak Djokovic withdrew from the Cincinnati Open for the second consecutive year, meaning he will arrive at the U.S. Open having not played since Wimbledon. A MEME-BASED MUSICAL Video by Robert Ormerod Remember Raygun, the Australian break dancer who went viral for her unconventional routines at the Paris Olympics last summer? Well, the makers of “Breaking: The Musical,” a hit play at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, want you to know that their show is not about Raygun. Rather, it’s about a “completely fictional” breaker from Australia named Spraygun. Or, at least, that’s what a disclaimer before the show says, after the real Raygun tried to get the production shut down. Read more about the show here. More on culture A federal judge denied Sean Combs bail. He will remain in jail until he is sentenced for two prostitution-related convictions. “Now there’s one less job! Don’t you see? You fell into her trap”: Stephen Colbert joked about Trump’s firing of the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Rachel Vanni for The New York Times Turn chicken thighs into Mississippi Chicken, a lighter take on a slow-cooker classic. Adopt a heart-healthy Nordic diet. Book that last-minute summer trip — flights are cheaper than usual. Buy some useful accessories for your laptop. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was guilted. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 6, 2025 Author Members Posted August 6, 2025 August 6, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: Health: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled nearly $500 million in grants and contracts to develop mRNA vaccines, which were first used during Covid. Washington: President Trump renewed his threat of a federal takeover of the city after a prominent member of DOGE was assaulted in an attempted carjacking there. Hiroshima: Today is 80 years since the United States dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city. See harrowing photos from the aftermath. We have more stories below. But first, a look at the political dangers of the town hall. A meeting in Lincoln, Neb. Scott Morgan/Reuters Audience reception By Annie Karni I cover Congress. Pour one out for the town hall, that venerated vehicle of retail politics in America. With Republicans loath to face angry voters, especially as they try to sell President Trump’s unpopular domestic policy law, many of them are simply choosing not to. Representative Mike Flood of Nebraska got a reminder of why this week. He stood in front of more than 700 voters for over an hour on Monday and answered questions over a constant hum of jeers and chants. It was his third recent town hall, so he knew what he was in for. But these kinds of exchanges can still produce damaging images and sound bites, even when lawmakers anticipate them and try to keep their cool. When Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia held a town hall in her district in April, protesters were subdued with stun guns. When an audience member in Iowa yelled that government cuts would endanger Americans, Senator Joni Ernst, growing frustrated, responded: “Well, we all are going to die.” (Raygun, a clothing store in Des Moines, began selling T-shirts with the gaffe hours later.) And when someone asked Flood on Monday why he voted for cuts to food assistance and health care research, his answer — “We do not have unlimited money in the United States” — drew boos. The recent sessions have been especially difficult for Republican lawmakers because they are being asked to explain a vote for legislation that significantly cuts Medicaid, the health insurance system that working families and poor Americans increasingly rely on; food benefits; and other programs. Trump is providing them little air cover after demanding that they muscle his unpopular plans through Congress. He hasn’t toured the country to sell his own domestic agenda. Member beware At the meeting in Lincoln on Monday. Terry Ratzlaff for The New York Times Republican leaders understand the danger. They’ve advised members to write op-eds explaining their positions and find other ways to connect with voters that do not involve in-person town halls. One reason is that these sessions have brought forth a raft of aggrieved Democratic voters. If G.O.P. politicians must face their constituents, the National Republican Campaign Committee has counseled them to conduct telephone town halls so questions can be screened. Many House Republicans have taken that advice. Of the 35 House Republicans who hold seats that Democrats are targeting in 2026, only one, Representative Bryan Steil of Wisconsin, has held an in-person town hall this year. (He, too, was booed and jeered.) The reception that Flood and other Republicans have received is a sign of their uphill battle ahead of next year’s midterm elections. There are no easy answers to the questions they are fielding. And it points to a potentially deep commitment among Democrats who want to vote out G.O.P. lawmakers who do not stand up to Trump. The polarized mood is reminiscent of the one in 2009, when Republican voters angry over the Affordable Care Act flayed their Democratic lawmakers. In this case, it doesn’t help Republican officeholders that they feel the need to defend every one of Trump’s actions for fear of seeming disloyal. The president has threatened primary challenges to lawmakers who too often step out of line. That means Republicans are scared to show any daylight between themselves and Trump. When an audience member asked Flood on Monday about Trump’s decision to fire the commissioner of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, he gave the president the benefit of the doubt. “There’s always two sides to every story,” Flood said. “If all the person did was get the data out there, I would not have fired them. But I don’t know; things are complicated.” Flood told reporters afterward that being in the “town square” is a key part of the job, even if it’s unpleasant. And he’s not wrong: The format is centuries old. Lawmakers use it to hear what their constituents want and how passionate they are about those things — in a way that doesn’t translate in sterile polling data. “If you feel strongly about what you’re doing in Congress,” Flood said after his raucous event, “then stand in the town square, tell them why you voted that way.” THE LATEST NEWS Immigration President Trump with Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe of Rwanda in the Oval Office in June. Pete Marovich for The New York Times Rwanda agreed to help Trump’s deportation efforts by accepting 250 migrants from the U.S. ICE offered cash bonuses to agents for deporting people quickly. Less than four hours later, and after an inquiry by The Times, the agency canceled the program. Trade What happens when the Trump administration starts enforcing tariffs on goods that pass through third countries? Ask Malaysia. Trump’s punishing tariffs on Brazil are set to go into effect this week. A court decision to place Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, under house arrest could complicate trade talks. More on the Trump Administration Attorney General Pam Bondi authorized a grand jury investigation into what Trump calls the “Russia hoax.” As part of recent settlements, Columbia and Brown will give the Trump administration information about the race of applicants, as well as their test scores and grades. Judges are losing faith in Justice Department lawyers, who have repeatedly misled courts and violated orders. “Mr. President, what are you doing up there?” Trump strolled the roof of the White House to review construction plans and briefly took questions from reporters below. (See a video.) Trump said that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent did not want to be Federal Reserve chair, taking him off the list of contenders to replace Jerome Powell. More on Politics Andrew Cuomo appeared to criticize Israel over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. He later distanced himself from his comments. To flip five Texas House seats, Republicans are gambling that they can retain Trump’s 2024 gains with Latino voters. Democrats in California are discussing a new political map that could win their party as many as five new seats, in an effort to offset any Republican gains in Texas. Epstein Investigation Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime associate, asked a federal judge to deny the government’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts. The House Oversight Committee subpoenaed the Justice Department for its files related to Epstein. International In Kyiv, Ukraine. Thousands of Ukrainians are struggling with the trauma of severe facial injuries. The Times spent two years visiting those whose lives have been shattered. Israel will allow some private businesses to restart importing goods into Gaza amid mounting criticism about starvation in the enclave. Chinese officials are using drones, fish and insecticide to combat chikungunya, a painful, mosquito-borne viral disease. Wildfires Tackling a wildfire in Los Angeles in January. Loren Elliott for The New York Times A single company, Perimeter Solutions, controls the entire U.S. supply of fire retardant, the reddish liquid that planes drop to slow the spread of wildfires. It has lobbied extensively to maintain that monopoly, a Times investigation found. The largest wildfire in the U.S., at Grand Canyon National Park, has been burning for more than a month. Other Big Stories Uber has tested tools to make rides safer, court records show. However, measures to prevent sexual assault have been set aside in favor of protecting the company’s business. The gunman who killed four people in a Manhattan office building last week had a history of mental health problems, including at least one instance when the police had him committed. REMEMBERING THE BOMB Kikuji Kawada Hiroshima is a handsome Japanese city of about 1.2 million, fanning around a bay of the Inland Sea. A long boulevard leads from the bay to Peace Memorial Park, a serene expanse built upon the ruins of a bustling commercial district. It was there that, 80 years ago today, a new kind of bomb detonated overhead. Jason Farago, a Times critic at large, writes about his recent visit to the city. Even before I came to Hiroshima, I knew the park and its museum and memorials from films such as Alain Resnais’s “Hiroshima Mon Amour” and books like Kenzaburo Oe’s “Hiroshima Notes.” It wasn’t so long ago that musicians and writers and artists stood at the forefront of campaigns for nuclear disarmament. Hollywood movies like “Dr. Strangelove” and “WarGames” dramatized the folly of mutually assured destruction. Today, though, we seem to be facing new nuclear perils with remarkably little outcry in our culture. The last remaining U.S.-Russian arms treaty expires in six months; China under Xi Jinping is nearly doubling its nuclear arsenal; politicians from countries such as South Korea and Turkey are voicing ambitions to join the nuclear club. Geopolitically, the bomb is back. Culturally, it remains a Cold War antique. I visited Hiroshima to consider the duty of memory we owe to the past, and what we can learn from previous generations about our own atomic precariousness. I surveyed eight decades of Japanese and American artistic responses to Aug. 6, 1945 — and to the continued threat that nuclear weapons pose to our survival. What Hiroshima convinced me of is this: As we blunder into a new nuclear age, we need our painters and poets, once again, to make the bomb imaginable. Related: Eight decades on, Japan’s commitment to peace is wavering as a new generation confronts the nuclear powers around them. OPINIONS Nuclear deterrence is an intimidation strategy, not a defense strategy. Only the abolition of nuclear weapons will keep us safe, Terumi Tanaka, a survivor of the Nagasaki bombing, writes. Here’s a column by Bret Stephens on Israel’s interest in aid for Gaza. Everything The Times offers. All in one subscription. Morning readers: Save on unlimited access to The Times with this introductory offer. MORNING READS Anika Craney’s foot was bitten by a shark in the Great Barrier Reef. Mridula Amin for The New York Times Bite club: Few people know what it’s like to recover, physically and emotionally, from a shark attack. But some of the ones who do are ready to help. Your pick: The most clicked article in The Morning yesterday offered an inside look at Jeffrey Epstein’s palatial Manhattan townhouse. See the photos. Trending: People online are, perhaps, feeling nostalgic. Many are searching for information about a new McDonald’s adult Happy Meal. Axios has a report. “M” in real life: Stella Rimington battled a fiercely protective old boy’s network to become the first woman to lead MI5, Britain’s domestic intelligence service. Her tenure as the country’s spymaster was widely seen as an inspiration for James Bond’s first female boss in the movie franchise. Rimington died at 90. SPORTS N.F.L.: Under a new deal, the league will get a 10 percent equity stake in ESPN. In exchange, ESPN gets rights to certain N.F.L. properties, including NFL Network and RedZone. Soccer: L.A.F.C. finalized the transfer of Son Heung-min from Tottenham for an M.L.S.-record fee of around $26.5 million. The South Korean star will join Lionel Messi as one of the highest-profile players in the league. DINING OUT, TESLA-STYLE The Tesla Diner in Hollywood, Calif. Zach Callahan for The New York Times Stop by the Tesla Diner, a retro-futuristic eatery that opened in Los Angeles last month, and you’re certain to find people with strong opinions on Elon Musk — protesters denouncing him alongside superfans livestreaming their meals. In addition to the crowds, and the many electric cars parked outside, there’s food, including waffles embossed with Tesla’s lightning bolt logo and burgers in Cybertruck-shaped boxes. The Times restaurant critic Tejal Rao was less than impressed, describing the venture as “a distraction for a brand in crisis.” Read about her visit to the diner. More on culture Stock in American Eagle rose by more than 20 percent yesterday after Trump called the company’s divisive ad featuring Sydney Sweeney “the ‘HOTTEST’ ad out there.” The late-night hosts joked about Trump’s trip to the White House roof. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Ryan Liebe for The New York Times Roast artichoke hearts to put on top of lemony spaghetti. Splurge on a slushy maker. Recover from a workout with a massage gun. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was bumpkin. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 7, 2025 Author Members Posted August 7, 2025 August 7, 2025 Good morning. Just after midnight, President Trump’s new tariffs on more than 90 countries took effect. Rates: They start at 15 percent for countries including Bolivia and Nigeria. Brazil is subject to one of the highest tariffs, 50 percent. (See a map of the rate for every country.) Negotiations: Some U.S. trading partners — including the European Union, Japan and South Korea — had brokered deals for lower rates. The president of Switzerland, which has the highest tariff of any developed nation, left Washington yesterday without an agreement. What’s next: Trump said he would double tariffs on India, to 50 percent, as punishment for the country’s continued purchase of Russian oil. He has also threatened to impose a 100 percent tariff on foreign semiconductors. We have more news below. But first: The most clicked article in The Morning yesterday was about the government halting support for mRNA vaccines. Below, we take a closer look at that decision. Administering the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine in 2021. John Locher/Associated Press Shot in the dark By Adam B. Kushner I’m the editor of this newsletter. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, isn’t just a vaccine skeptic. He especially dislikes one type of vaccine: those that use mRNA technology, such as the first Covid shots. He has canceled nearly $500 million to make mRNA immunizations and a bird-flu vaccine that Moderna was developing. This is a relatively new technology, and it’s worth remembering the moment the shots debuted for widespread use in late 2020. Three hundred thousand Americans had died from Covid. (The number eventually exceeded a million, the most of any country.) Most schools were still closed. White-collar workers were still mostly remote. Americans were in a mental health crisis. When I got my jab, I hadn’t eaten in a restaurant for a year. The vaccines ended all that. Kennedy says they’re no good, and he’s halting government support for them. For today’s newsletter, I asked Apoorva Mandavilli, who covers vaccines for The Times, to explain what’s happening. What is an mRNA vaccine? Some vaccines use a weakened version of a bacterium or virus to provoke an immune response and train your body’s defenses. Others use a piece of the virus that the body can easily recognize as foreign. MRNA has the instructions for making only one small part of a virus. It directs the body’s cells to make that fragment, which then sets off an immune response. What is Kennedy’s argument about mRNA? Kennedy echoes many people’s discomfort with the speed at which the vaccines were developed. But mRNA vaccines had been studied for more than 20 years before Covid struck. His criticisms also go further than most. He has said the vaccines are ineffective because they don’t prevent infection. He has also said they’re dangerous, at one point referring to them as the “deadliest” vaccines ever made. And what does the evidence show? Like all vaccines, the Covid mRNA shots have some side effects. Anecdotally, thousands of people reported problems. But extensive studies in the U.S. and elsewhere found only a few serious ones. For example, the vaccines can cause heart problems in a small fraction of young men, and one study said there were seven severe cases of shingles for every million shots administered. This is comparable to the safety record of most other vaccines. It’s not surprising that we’ve heard more about Covid vaccines, because they were given to billions of people worldwide. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Tierney L. Cross/The New York Times Kennedy prefers “whole-cell” vaccines to mRNA shots. What does that mean? Whole-cell vaccines are based on a crude technology developed more than 100 years ago. Those vaccines use the entire pathogen, so they may expose the body to hundreds of antigens — the part of the bacterium or virus that provokes an immune response — at once. Not surprisingly, they also cause very strong reactions, including seizures and fevers in young children. Over the decades, we have developed much cleaner, sleeker vaccines that contain only the few antigens they need. There is a trade-off: The newer vaccines sometimes are less protective than the cruder versions. If more people getting shots have ugly side effects, as they would from those whole-cell vaccines, it may give even more fuel to the antivax movement. It may. In the case of Covid vaccines, it may not even be mRNA tech causing the side effects. The coronavirus is a powerful adversary, and any vaccine designed to counter it may shock the immune system. There is no perfectly safe vaccine or drug. One thing I don’t get: President Trump built Operation Warp Speed, the government effort to develop these Covid vaccines. And he spent years urging people to get them. What’s your best understanding of why mRNA is now out of favor with his administration? The Covid mandates turned many against the vaccines as employers and schools required people to get inoculated. Kennedy brought his own political constituency, which includes many people opposed to vaccines, and Trump has given him a lot of autonomy to make decisions about public health. CAN HE DO THAT? Washington, D.C. Daniel Slim/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Once again, Trump has threatened to take over Washington, D.C. This time, it came after a violent assault on a former DOGE staff member. But the president has said repeatedly that the federal government needs to take over the city, which he has called “a filthy and crime-ridden embarrassment to our nation.” Campbell Robertson, who covers the Mid-Atlantic region for The Times, explains what’s possible. The law. A federal takeover would be difficult. Before 1973, Congress and presidential appointees ran the city. The Home Rule Act enacted that year let D.C. elect its mayor and City Council. Reasserting full federal control would require Congress to repeal the law. While some Republicans like the idea, the party’s lack of a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate makes it unlikely. Some control. Still, there are ways the federal government can intervene. In 2023, Congress blocked a crime bill passed by the D.C. Council. It regularly attaches “riders” to federal spending bills that restrict what the district can do — such as a rule in 2023 barring legal marijuana sales. A narrow takeover. Under the Home Rule Act, the federal government could take control of the D.C. police for up to 30 days under “special conditions of an emergency nature.” But while Trump mused about doing so during the protests of 2020, he hasn’t mentioned it in this term. THE LATEST NEWS Trade The Port of Baltimore. Alyssa Schukar for The New York Times Trump’s new tariffs will bring about his longtime goal of overturning a global trade system. Economists are skeptical that they will work in the way he intends. Despite a trade deal that cut U.S. tariffs on Japanese cars to 15 percent, Japan’s auto giants like Toyota and Nissan are braced for big hits to their profits. China’s exports surged in July as companies raced to ship goods to Southeast Asia and other regions, often to be re-exported to the U.S., before Trump could raise tariffs. Trump Administration Trump intends to meet in person with Vladimir Putin as soon as next week and plans to follow up shortly after with a meeting of Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky and himself. The Veterans Affairs Department has begun terminating union contracts, part of the administration’s plan to end union protections for federal workers. The president has privately discussed whether to intervene in New York’s mayoral race to try to stop Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic nominee. The administration’s travel ban has complicated planning for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles: Athletes are exempt from the restrictions, but fans are not. Trump said Vice President JD Vance was “most likely” to succeed him as the leader of the MAGA movement. Redistricting Republicans are wielding political and legal threats to pressure Texas Democrats, who left the state to protest a redrawn political map, to end their walkout. Trump’s pressure campaign on Republican-led states to redraw congressional maps is testing his power over governors and state legislators, Tyler Pager writes. Business Tim Cook in the Oval Office. Doug Mills/The New York Times Trump and Tim Cook, the chief executive of Apple, announced at the White House that the company would invest $100 billion in manufacturing in the U.S. Consumers are flocking to Aldi, the low-cost supermarket. It plans to open 200 stores across the U.S. this year — more than any other grocer. Trump said the Bureau of Labor Statistics “rigged” its jobs report with a downward revision. But the agency regularly revises jobs data. Other Big Stories The protest group Palestine Action does not promote violence against people, but after it damaged military property, the British government banned it as a terrorist organization, Lizzie Dearden writes. A sergeant is accused of shooting five soldiers at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia. The suspect’s father said he had complained of racism at the base. A medication could have reduced the opioid epidemic’s toll. But political red tape and a quest for profit prevented many patients from getting it. OPINIONS A peace deal between Ukraine and Russia that does not return Ukrainian children or hold Russian torturers accountable will be a temporary one, Alice Edwards writes. NASA’s partnerships with private companies make the American space program cheaper and faster than China’s. Cutting funding to NASA may threaten its advantage, Senator Mark Kelly of Arizona, a former astronaut, writes. Here are columns by Jamelle Bouie on Trump and Justice John Roberts and Carlos Lozada on summer reading. Everything The Times offers. All in one subscription. Morning readers: Save on unlimited access to The Times with this introductory offer. MORNING READS The paleontologist Barry James in his fossil preparation room. Caroline Gutman for The New York Times Dino whisperer: When his wife died, a paleontologist poured his grief into the reconstruction of a triceratops skeleton that they had started together. No more training wheels: Experts say the balance bike method is a more intuitive and empowering way for kids to learn to ride. Tripped up: After an emergency landing on a tiny island, airline passengers said, Delta left them to fend for themselves. Trending: Season 2 of Netflix’s “Wednesday” dropped yesterday, and people online were looking up information about it. Haven’t watched the show yet? Here’s what to know. A media pioneer: As an openly gay producer, Joseph Lovett was a rarity in the television news world of the 1970s and ’80s. He pursued segments aimed at destigmatizing gay life and drawing attention to the AIDS crisis when others were overlooking it. Lovett died at 80. SPORTS Victoria Mboko Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images Tennis: Naomi Osaka advanced to the Canadian Open final, her first WTA 1000 final appearance since 2022. Her opponent: Victoria Mboko, an up-and-coming star in the sport. M.L.B.: Jen Pawol is set to become the first female umpire in Major League Baseball this weekend. Read more about her. Red Sox: The team agreed to an eight-year, $130 million contract with the young star Roman Anthony, who has played fewer than 50 games for the franchise. It’s still a bet Boston had to make, our columnist writes. ARTS AND IDEAS Lin-Manuel Miranda, center, as Alexander Hamilton. Sara Krulwich/The New York Times Ten years ago this week, “Hamilton” opened on Broadway. It has since sold more than four million tickets and earned more than $1 billion — and that’s not counting all the money it made from tours, international productions and the 2020 movie. Times journalists looked at the show’s impact on race-conscious casting, theater ticket prices, fan outreach and more. More on culture Feel as if your wardrobe is stuck in the past? Our fashion critic has advice. Late night hosts had even more jokes about Trump’s visit to the White House roof. “He can’t answer your questions if he can’t hear them,” Seth Meyers said. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Julia Gartland for The New York Times Bake a delicious zucchini bread with olive oil, lemon zest and Greek yogurt. Cut these jeans into the perfect jorts. Build an emergency kit. Here’s how. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was enjambment. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 8, 2025 Author Members Posted August 8, 2025 August 8, 2025 Good morning. Israeli leaders approved Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to take control of Gaza City. Here’s what we know: Israel stopped short of saying it would take full control of Gaza. Speaking to Fox News, Netanyahu said, “We don’t want to govern it.” Read about what that means. The cabinet also approved five principles for ending the war, including the disarming of Hamas and the return of all 50 hostages. This military strategy has failed for Netanyahu repeatedly. He’s ignoring that fact, writes Patrick Kingsley, The Times Jerusalem bureau chief. We have more news below. But first, a visit to a unique retirement community for women, by women. Hanging out in the area residents call “the kitchen.” Shelby Tauber for The New York Times Making a home By Lisa Miller I ate homemade zucchini bread at The Bird’s Nest. When I drove through the electric gate and into The Bird’s Nest, a retirement community in East Texas, I felt as if I had entered a fairy village. One of the tiny homes was pink with white polka dots. Another was surrounded by towering sunflowers. Nine dogs roamed freely. Eleven women, most of them single, live there. They tend the grounds themselves, planting gardens and laying pipe. They’re trying to create what so many people seem to want in their later years: privacy and autonomy, caring and mutual support, friendship and laughs. I recently visited the Bird’s Nest to learn about the community these women have made and the solutions it offers for the problems of loneliness and affordability so many of us wish we could creatively avoid. Here’s what I found. An uncluttered life Robyn Yerian, founder of The Bird’s Nest. Shelby Tauber for The New York Times When Robyn Yerian founded The Bird’s Nest back in 2022, affordability was her main concern. Yerian — divorced, mother of two, now 70 years old — was “out of options,” she told me. She lived and worked in Dallas and couldn’t retire comfortably on what she had. Her problem was a common one. According to the AARP, 64 percent of single, working American women ages 50 to 64 have less than $50,000 in retirement savings. (That’s true for around 50 percent of men.) So Yerian cashed out her 401(k) and bought a cheap plot of land on a remote stretch of prairie. She charges others just $450 a month in rent. The women of The Bird’s Nest told me they were drawn there in part by that affordability. They were at the end of their working lives and didn’t want to live with family. The tiny-house lifestyle also appealed: A 300-square-foot home has a small footprint, it’s easy to clean and it can be customized. But what the women really liked about The Bird’s Nest, they said, was Yerian. Cheerful, generous and energetic, she is an excellent baker, skilled with power tools and concerned about every member’s day-to-day happiness. Her vision, which has evolved over time, is now one of “women empowering women.” She sees it as a retirement destination where women can relax with uninhibited ease. As one of the members joked, she has “unintentionally created an intentional community.” Fast friends Working on mosaics to use as address numbers. Shelby Tauber for The New York Times The women of The Bird’s Nest moved from Illinois, Tennessee and Arizona, among other places. They are straight and gay. Republican, Democrat and independent. Religious and agnostic. They disagree, sometimes passionately, over politics. But long lives have given them a similar perspective. “There’s no sense in arguing over what you can’t change,” one member told me. The first rule of the community — unofficially, because Yerian doesn’t like rules — is “no drama.” My visit there made me think about friendship. I have long had the fantasy of retiring together with my friends from college, buying a big house and chipping in for accessibility ramps as needed. And I know many other people with a similar dream. But the truth is that friends in established groups don’t get ready to retire at the same time. They are differently tied down to careers, partners, neighborhoods, kids. They have different levels of financial need. It’s far better to think about how you want to live in your last chapter, and how much you can afford. And then, as Yerian did, recruit other people to join you. Just as we made friends in earlier chapters of our lives — high school, college, the workplace, parenthood — we can make new ones for this stage. All the women at The Bird’s Nest would agree. Yerian now says she has “instant friends, best friends at 65. I never saw these people before in my life, and now I can’t imagine them not being here every day.” Read more about the community. ICE BY THE NUMBERS ICE agents near Camarillo, Calif. Mario Tama/Getty Images To deliver on his campaign pledge to deport illegal immigrants, President Trump is relying on Immigration and Customs Enforcement. So his new domestic policy law gives it $75 billion over the next four years, which will make it the best-funded law enforcement agency in the country. Evan Gorelick and Lyna Bentahar break down some stats behind ICE’s expansion plan. $45 billion to expand the detention system. That money could allow ICE to hold more than 125,000 migrants at a time, the nonpartisan American Immigration Council estimates, more than doubling the agency’s current capacity. 14,050 more employees. To recruit them, ICE wants to use social media and digital advertising, according to contracting records. 18-year-old enforcers. The agency lowered the age requirement for all roles, including agents. It previously required most candidates to be 21. $50,000 signing bonuses. That’s what you can get if you take a job at ICE. The agency is also offering student-loan repayment assistance and other benefits to attract recruits. $30 billion for deportations. That money will help hire officers, pay bonuses and buy new vehicles. Trump’s goal is to deport one million immigrants per year. One TV star: Dean Cain, who played Superman in the 1990s TV series “Lois & Clark,” said this week that he was signing up to become an ICE officer. More on immigration Trump said that he had ordered a new U.S. census that would exclude undocumented immigrants. The government deported a man to Bhutan, a country that didn’t want him. Officials there physically pushed him across the border to Nepal. He’s now stateless. THE LATEST NEWS Education Linda McMahon, the education secretary. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times Trump ordered the Education Department to collect data on the race, gender, test scores and G.P.A.s of college applicants in an effort to scrutinize whether universities are giving minority groups preference in admissions. Universities have debated this topic for years. Trump’s deals with top universities, including agreements on the public release of data on test scores and race, could give rich applicants even more of an edge. More on Politics The Trump administration plans to burn birth control pills and other contraceptives worth millions of dollars. They had been intended for developing countries before the government defunded U.S.A.I.D. The F.B.I. forced out at least two agents, including one who played a key role in responding to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. A health company scored a major Medicare policy win. All it took was a $5 million donation to Trump and a little face time at Mar-a-Lago. Most scientists were aghast when Robert F. Kennedy Jr. canceled nearly $500 million for mRNA vaccines. His assault on Covid vaccines, in particular, may have riled even the president. After speaking with Trump about the New York City mayoral race, Andrew Cuomo told a room of business leaders that his relationship with the president was like a “dysfunctional marriage.” The National Weather Service is hiring hundreds after sweeping layoffs earlier this year. Economy Trump selected Stephen Miran, his economic adviser who is a vocal critic of the Fed chair, Jerome Powell, to temporarily fill a seat on the Federal Reserve Board. Swiss businesses fear they will be “annihilated” by Trump’s 39 percent tariff, one of the highest rates in the world. Trump’s quickly executed tariff deals are causing confusion and creating mistakes, including one in Japan. Other Big Stories OpenAI unveiled a new flagship model, GPT-5. The company says it is more accurate and less likely to “hallucinate.” (“ChatGPT 5” was trending on Google yesterday.) Criticism of Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad campaign was not a wave of progressive outrage, a Times analysis found. Instead, it came almost entirely from a smattering of accounts with relatively few followers. OPINIONS Cameron Stracher helped Trump bury news that might hurt his campaign. He regrets it. Here’s a column by David Brooks on well-being around the world. The Games Sale. Our best offer won’t last. Let the fun begin. Subscribe to New York Times Games for up to 75% off your first year. As a subscriber you can strengthen your strategy with Wordle Bot, reach Genius on Spelling Bee, play the Crossword and more. MORNING READS In the Congolese city of Goma. Arlette Bashizi for The New York Times Congo: In the city of Goma, these teenagers brave bombs and abduction to shoot some hoops. Ozempic: The drug is shrinking appetites. So restaurants are shrinking the food. “Fawning”: Excessive people pleasing can trap you in a cycle of insecurity. Here’s how to break the habit. Social Q’s: “Why is my family avoiding me after I cut off contact with my father?” Cuteness, corrupted: A popular online creator is being sued over social media posts that put twee toys in scandalous situations. Your pick: The most-clicked story in The Morning yesterday was about a Delta flight that made an emergency landing in the Azores. “A real-life Indiana Jones”: Nicholas Clapp was a documentary filmmaker and adventurer whose life was consumed by an inconclusive quest to find a lost city of ancient Arabia known as Atlantis of the Sands. He died at 89. SPORTS Tennis: Victoria Mboko was ranked about 350th in the world at the end of 2024. She beat Naomi Osaka in the Canadian Open final. N.F.L.: Joe Burrow, the Bengals quarterback, had a nearly flawless preseason opener. Golf: Temper tantrums have long been a part of the sport. We’re just recording them now. ARTS AND IDEAS In Berlin. Gordon Welters for The New York Times The audience for English-language comedy is growing in Europe as more clubs open in big cities (like Berlin and Amsterdam) and small ones (like Krakow, Poland). In the crowds, you’ll find a mix of foreigners who use English as a lingua franca and locals who spent the pandemic at home watching stand-up specials on Netflix. “It’s so much fun to go in front of an audience of 17 different nationalities, and you have no idea where anyone’s from,” said Joel Bryant, an American comedian who was performing in Germany. “You have no idea what you’re getting into until you jump onstage in Belgrade, Sarajevo or Lisbon and figure out the common thread that makes everyone laugh.” More on culture “Game, Set, Matchmaker”: The U.S. Open plans to host a reality-TV dating show. On late night, Stephen Colbert joked about tariffs. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Testani for The New York Times Braise chicken in sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine to make this Taiwanese dish. Avoid a poison ivy rash. Try one of the Well desk’s favorite workouts of the year (so far). Get into fantasy sports. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were chocking, choking and hocking. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 10, 2025 Author Members Posted August 10, 2025 August 9, 2025 Good morning. How can we balance getting things done while allowing for serendipity? The answer may be in tinkering with our “time personalities.” María Jesús Contreras Timely manner By Melissa Kirsch A recent story in The Times, by Emily Laber-Warren, describes the ways we relate to time, dividing us into two groups. Monochronic people “tend to live by the clock and are primed, at least during work hours, to prioritize obligations over relationships.” Polychronic people, on the other hand, “tend to give primacy to experiences and relationships that don’t always fit neatly into prearranged schedules.” If you prefer to work on one thing at a time, emphasizing deadlines and seeing interruptions as irritating, you’re monochronic. Those who are good at multitasking, who comfortably allow shifts in their schedules if, for example, a friend comes to town and wants to go for a hike — those people are probably polychronic. The article insists there are downsides with each time personality. Monochronic people can be rigid, missing out on serendipity. Polychronic people can be easily distracted and can have difficulty finishing what they start. But I found myself thinking, as I often do when I read about socially scientific binaries — Type A vs. Type B, maximizers vs. satisficers — that it’s secretly better to be the more laid-back type, that life is richer and more fulfilling if you’re less rigid and don’t, say, view a deadline the way a beast of burden does a plowman’s whip. Despite my efforts to be loose and breezy with time, I’m pretty regimented. Calling myself “monochronic” allows me to justify what I have always characterized as an undesirable uptightness. While I want to be productive, I want so much more to prioritize relationships over industry, to say “this can wait” when I’m fast at work and someone calls with last-minute theater tickets. We’re obsessed with our attention these days, how it’s been captured by our screens, attenuated by too-busy schedules and the impossible pace of modern life. Monotasking is seen as an advantageous skill, deep work and flow states the antidotes to cognitive fatigue. But as we try to marshal our attention, it seems possible we will be tempted to overcorrect. My monochronic preference for uninterrupted stretches of time in which to work — oh, the exquisite relief of turning on “Do Not Disturb” on my laptop and knowing that it will also silence my phone, my iPad, the text alerts and weather alerts and news alerts and calendar alerts! — often keeps me from engaging with things that would bring me pleasure. I’ve missed perfect 75-degree days because I need to finish chores before I relax. I tell myself that nothing will feel as good as getting things done, but then I think of the cliché about people on their deathbeds never saying they wish they’d spent more time working. There’s hope: Time personalities are preferences, not traits, so we can shift them. The aim, as in all things, is balance, being nimble enough to shift from one style to another as the situation prescribes. “Is your goal here relationship building? Then go polychronic,” one expert in the article advised. “If your goal is to complete a task, then we need to be monochronic for a window of time and shut out all distractions.” While switching gears may feel uncomfortable for those of us conditioned to do the thing until the thing is done, this framing highlights the stakes. Completing the task feels good, but — here comes the deathbed again — the accomplishment is hollow without some flexibility, without letting in the possibility for surprise, serendipity and delight. THE LATEST NEWS AMERICA AND THE WORLD President Trump will meet with Vladimir Putin in Alaska next week to talk about ending the war in Ukraine. Putin hasn’t been face-to-face with an American president since 2021. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine rejected President Trump’s proposal of a peace deal that could mean ceding land to Russia. At the White House yesterday, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan said they would end their long and bloody conflict. Trump directed the military to target Latin American drug cartels, a role previously carried out by law enforcement. But Mexico’s president said U.S. forces are unwelcome in her country. “We cooperate, we collaborate, but there is not going to be an invasion,” she said. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION Trump is removing the head of the I.R.S., two months after he was confirmed. For now, the Treasury secretary will run the agency, which has seen six different leaders this year. An appeals court said Judge James Boasberg could not investigate Trump officials for criminal contempt after they sent migrants abroad despite his order not to. Trump doesn’t seem to mind that his health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., is undoing his vaccine legacy. Trump wants U.C.L.A. to pay $1 billion to restore its research funding, far more than other universities have agreed to. REDISTRICTING The Texas attorney general moved to oust 13 Democrats from the Legislature. They left the state to block a new map of congressional districts that favors Republicans. Is that allowed? “It’s never been done before,” the attorney general conceded. Our reporters explain the law. INTERNATIONAL Colombia and Peru are fighting a war of words over who owns a tiny island in the Amazon River that is home to 3,000 people. Israel says it is preparing to take control of Gaza City. What does that mean? How do Times journalists report on the aid crisis in Gaza? Using interviews, data, witness footage, satellite imagery, photography and more. They explain here. OTHER BIG STORIES An Army veteran wanted for the killing of four people at a Montana bar was captured after an eight-day manhunt. James A. Lovell Jr., commander of the near-catastrophic Apollo 13 mission, died at 97. He was etched in cinema history when Tom Hanks, playing him in a 1995 movie, uttered the line, “Houston, we have a problem.” A gunman fired at the headquarters of the C.D.C. in Atlanta, killing one police officer before being fatally shot. An official said the man was fixated on the Covid vaccine, which he believed had made him ill. THE WEEK IN CULTURE Film and TV Lindsay Lohan, left, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Ryan Pfluger for The New York Times For some millennials, Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis’s return in “Freakier Friday,” a sequel to the 2003 movie, will provide a surge of nostalgia. Our critic says the movie works best “if you’re there for the memories.” Curtis, Lohan and their two new co-stars sat down with The Times to discuss the sequel — and what’s changed in the 22 years since the first. Read the interview here. Speaking of 2000s nostalgia: Photos of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” being filmed on the streets of New York are everywhere. Esther Zuckerman explores what that means in an era of anti-spoiler culture. Zach Cregger, director of the 2022 horror movie “Barbarian,” is back with “Weapons.” Both films show his skill at melding laughs and screams, our critic writes. Music Fleetwood Mac in 1975. Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images “Fleetwood Mac,” the 1975 album that turned the band into superstars, is getting a 50th anniversary rerelease. After half a century, the music still gleams, Jon Pareles writes. A new book, “The Gods of New York,” traces four transformative years in the city, 1986 to 1990. Jonathan Mahler, the book’s author and a Times reporter, offers a playlist of early rap that captures the turmoil of that era. More Culture The newly renovated Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Sara Krulwich/The New York Times For the last two years, the Delacorte Theater — home of Free Shakespeare in the Park — has been closed for an update. Here’s a look at the $85 million renovation. London is a global capital for Indian restaurants. Some of the city’s most beloved eateries, including the chain Dishoom, are making their way to the U.S. The teen jewelry chain Claire’s has filed for bankruptcy for a second time. The Games Sale. Our best offer won’t last. Let the fun begin. Subscribe to New York Times Games for up to 75% off your first year. As a subscriber you can strengthen your strategy with Wordle Bot, reach Genius on Spelling Bee, play the Crossword and more. CULTURE CALENDAR By Desiree Ibekwe ? Ethel Cain, “Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You” (Out now): On a summer’s day about two years ago, standing in a field in West London, I fell in love with the music of Ethel Cain, the southern gothic persona of the singer Hayden Anhedönia. It happened during her performance of “A House in Nebraska,” a cinematic, nearly eight-minute track about regret and lost love. There was more where that came from — much of the rest of her 2022 debut album, “Preacher’s Daughter,” was just as rich and just as evocative. This new album is supposed to be second in a trilogy of albums from Ethel’s perspective — I’m looking forward to entering her cinematic universe once more. RECIPE OF THE WEEK Gentl and Hyers for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Pamela Duncan Silver. By Melissa Clark Chapli burgers By this point in the summer, you’ve probably had your fair share of the usual burgers and hot dogs. So why not give Samin Nosrat’s chapli burgers a go? Inspired by the patty-shaped Pakistani chapli kebabs, Samin seasons ground beef with an assertive mix of garam masala, cumin, coriander and ginger, and she adds pounded pomegranate seeds (fresh or dried) for a sweet-tangy pop. Served with herbed yogurt and tamarind ketchup, these are a punchy, aromatic alternative to the standard cookout fare. REAL ESTATE Jamie Petersen with her son Wolfgang. Will Crooks for The New York Times The Hunt: A mother and her son searched near Asheville, N.C., for a quiet place with nice views and an easy commute. Which home did they choose? Play our game. What you get for $1.3 million: A one-story house in Prescott, Ariz.; a Colonial-style brick house in Centreville, Md.; or a 19th-century farmhouse in Hillsdale, N.Y. LIVING Elizabeth Renstrom for The New York Times Beauty trends: Society has opened up to acne and body hair. Why not bitten nails? Five favorite places: Seth Rogen has spent nearly three decades in Los Angeles. He told us his favorite places in the city. #Notox: More people are shunning Botox and turning to cosmetic acupuncture as a way of achieving youthful-looking skin. The mini: Brides, including Charli XCX, are once again embracing the little white dress, first popularized in the 1960s. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER Make the perfect jorts Not to brag, but I recently made the perfect A-line jorts — and it only took 30 minutes and a little sewing machine know-how (thanks, Mum!). Here’s how you do it: First, put on your jeans, decide the ideal length and mark that spot with a pin. Cut the leg off about two inches below the pin, and snip the second leg to the same length. Next, turn the shorts inside out and, using the pin as a marker, iron a fold around each leg opening. (Press it under again for a “double-fold hem.”) Finally, run the hems through a sewing machine with a straight stitch. This method will help you make jorts out of just about any jeans (these are Wirecutter’s favorites), but I’m partial to this stretchy, comfortable and five-pocketed pair — which, jort-ified, is now one of my favorite items in my closet. — Rory Evans STAR-GAZE OF THE WEEK Watching the Perseids in North Macedonia in August 2024. Georgi Licovski/EPA, via Shutterstock It’s a quiet weekend for sports, so you’ll have to settle instead for cosmic batting practice, as the universe hits fireballs through our night sky. Meteor showers happen when Earth passes through the rubble that trails a comet or asteroid as it swoops around the sun. The Perseids, the summer’s most active shower, come from Comet Swift-Tuttle, its debris turning into brilliant, colorful streaks of light as it burns in our atmosphere. The shower’s season spans mid-July through late August, but its peak activity occurs early next week. To watch, find a dark, clear sky away from bright lights, and give your eyes ample time to adjust to the night. Then sit back and enjoy the show. — Katrina Miller, science reporter For more: Here’s a more extensive guide, with resources for finding the best spots to watch. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was dependently. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week’s headlines. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 10, 2025 Author Members Posted August 10, 2025 August 10, 2025 Good morning. Jurors in trials for the most disturbing crimes can spend weeks immersed in gruesome details. Some experience mental health effects years after a trial ends. Christian Hansen for The New York Times Crime watch By Adam B. Kushner I’m the editor of this newsletter. Every few years, I get a little thrill when I receive my jury summons. Most people hate this hassle, but I like the idea of making my small civic contribution. I pack a book, call out of work and head to the courthouse. Yet I’ve never been selected. I guess it’s nice to get my day back, but it leaves me a little forlorn. (Trial lawyers tell me they often avoid seating journalists because we’re more likely to know things about high-profile cases. Also, when you’re trained to seek more information, it’s tough to consider only what you’re told in court.) But I felt less wistful about my exclusion after I read a story The Times published today. It’s about what happens to jurors in trials for the most disturbing crimes. They might spend weeks contemplating gruesome acts and examining spine-chilling evidence. But they’re forbidden to discuss any of it. Carrying around these dark thoughts, the science says, may lead to years of trauma. I asked Liz Krieger, the freelance reporter who wrote the piece, about the issue. Did you get the idea for this story from your own jury service? What happened? I was selected for a child sexual abuse case in Brooklyn last November. For seven days, I examined graphic photographic evidence and listened to testimony about abuse of a baby. The judge’s instructions were clear: We couldn’t talk about the trial with anyone — not our spouses, friends or even fellow jurors. I found myself replaying these horrific images with no outlet to process them. I’d go home to make dinner for my own kids, haunted by what I’d seen. It felt like being forced to swallow poison and then being told not to seek an antidote. And you realized you couldn’t be the only person struggling in this way. Exactly. More than a million Americans serve on juries each year, and half of those cases involve violent crimes. What about all those people looking at crime scene photos and autopsy images? Are they all just supposed to go home and pretend it never happened? What did you find out when you started reporting? In one study, about 50 percent of jurors who served on difficult cases showed trauma-related symptoms like sleeplessness, intrusive thoughts or anxiety. Another recent study found that even participants in a mock murder trial experienced a fourfold increase in PTSD symptoms after viewing skeletal remains. Mental health experts have a name for this: “vicarious trauma” or “secondary traumatic stress.” Yet historically, courts have provided jurors with virtually no support. What kinds of cases are we talking about? Any case involving disturbing, graphic evidence — murders, sexual assaults, child abuse, violent crimes. Chloe Beck, whom I interviewed, served on the trial of a nanny accused of stabbing two children to death. She told me she still sees those crime scene images years later: “The little orange toothbrush hanging on the wall — covered in blood.” She hasn’t had kids yet, partly because the thought of needing child care terrifies her. One judge brought in a therapy dog to help jurors. Jill Karofsky, the chief justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, has been a pioneer in recognizing this problem. During one trial involving child pornography, jurors were so physically sick from the evidence that she had to keep wastebaskets nearby. She started small — bringing in a therapy dog during lunch breaks, writing a personal letter to jurors with information about trauma reactions. She arranged free counseling with a therapist friend. Do people try to beg off jury duty if they’re squeamish? Do judges let them? People definitely try. During jury selection for my case, a mother of four daughters said she couldn’t be impartial. But the judge, understandably, didn’t excuse everyone who felt shaken. If you exclude everyone who might be affected, then we’d have no juries. Our justice system requires ordinary people to grapple with others’ crimes, no matter how difficult it may be. People in government are starting to recognize the problem. Yes, slowly. Philadelphia just launched a program offering the same type of counseling that first responders use. North Dakota and Massachusetts have programs, too. But most jurisdictions offer nothing beyond a thank-you and a small payment. DRUG DISGUISE Weed gummies. Tony Cenicola/The New York Times The recent boom in edible marijuana products is hurting kids, according to a new investigation by The Times. Danielle Ivory, who reported the article with Julie Tate and Megan Twohey, explains the findings. Fourth graders unwittingly ate a parent’s weed gummies. A toddler consumed a mislabeled THC cake pop. Another child mistook a cannabis cookie for a regular baked good. All were rushed to the hospital with alarming symptoms. Millions of Americans use cannabis without issues. But as legal access to marijuana has expanded, the number of poisonings related to the drug has sharply increased, especially among kids. Last year, more than 22,000 cannabis exposures were reported to poison centers in the United States, up from about 930 in 2009. Most involved children or teens and were deemed accidents. Most cases aren’t severe. But a growing number have led to life-threatening consequences like breathing problems. Last year, more than 100 required ventilators. Our reporting identified dozens of children across the country who had consumed cannabis products from stashes belonging to relatives or friends and were hospitalized with symptoms of poisoning. At least 38 cannabis-related poisoning cases have led to charges filed against parents and other caregivers. Read more about the damage here. THE LATEST NEWS War in Ukraine In Kharkiv, Ukraine. David Guttenfelder/The New York Times Ukraine may not be present when President Trump and Vladimir Putin meet on Friday. Many Ukrainians worry that a peace accord will be struck without them. Putin was close to losing Trump, but by slightly shifting tack, he was able to secure something he’s wanted for months: a one-on-one meeting to make his case and cut a deal. This quiet technocrat has handled the political aspects of the invasion by helping Putin crack down on domestic opposition and shape propaganda. War in Gaza Images of starving children and a planned expansion of West Bank settlements prompted Britain, France and Germany to take a tougher stance on Israel. Benjamin Netanyahu was undeterred. Netanyahu said Israel wanted to hand over control of Gaza to unnamed “Arab forces.” It is unclear whether he has any takers, Aaron Boxerman writes. Politics Union leaders find themselves trying to strike a delicate balance, maintaining support for Democratic candidates while not alienating members who voted for Trump. Zohran Mamdani won the Democratic primary for New York mayor without winning the Black vote. That represented a shift in the city’s political landscape. The Supreme Court, having effectively blessed partisan gerrymandering, may be poised to eliminate the remaining pillar of the Voting Rights Act, Adam Liptak writes. Other Big Stories In Italy. Camilla Ferrari for The New York Times For a second year, Libya — which has two governments and two soccer leagues — held its soccer championship in Italy. Volatile politics and fans follow. Computer science graduates say they’re struggling to land tech jobs amid the spread of A.I. programming tools and layoffs at companies like Amazon and Microsoft. For some C.D.C. workers, Friday’s shooting at the agency headquarters in Atlanta was part of a pattern of threats and assaults on health workers. ZUCKERBERG’S COMPOUND Things have changed in the idyllic Crescent Park neighborhood of Palo Alto, Calif., since Mark Zuckerberg arrived 14 years ago. He spent more than $110 million to scoop up at least 11 houses on two streets: Sources: Redfin and Realtor.com; City of Palo Alto | By The New York Times Zuckerberg turned five of the houses into a compound with a main house for him and his family, guest homes, lush gardens, a pickleball court and a pool. But most of his properties sit empty. And neighbors are bitter about the years of construction, loud parties and increased surveillance. Read more about the compound, which neighbors say includes a seven-foot statue of Zuckerberg’s wife and 7,000 square feet of underground space they call a “billionaire’s bat cave.” THE SUNDAY DEBATE Should Democratic lawmakers gerrymander their own states to counter Texas’ map? Yes. Using Republican tactics — and beyond — will prevent them from taking unilateral control over the whole country. “Democrats understand that deterrence is not optional. It is the only alternative to collapse,” Arkadi Gerney and Sarah Knight write for The Washington Post. No. Democrats started the gerrymander war between states long ago, leaving Republicans no choice but to press their advantage. “Democrats gave the G.O.P. an excuse to go nuclear in a war in which the left lacks fissile material,” The Wall Street Journal’s Kimberley Strassel writes. FROM OPINION If Hollywood decides that its liberal orthodoxy is bad for business, the industry will abandon it, Sharon Waxman writes. Here’s a column by Ross Douthat on the Make America Healthy Again movement. The Games Sale. Our best offer won’t last. Let the fun begin. Subscribe to New York Times Games for up to 75% off your first year. As a subscriber you can strengthen your strategy with Wordle Bot, reach Genius on Spelling Bee, play the Crossword and more. MORNING READS Allan Brooks, a corporate recruiter in Canada, went down a rabbit hole with ChatGPT. Chloe Ellingson for The New York Times Delusional spiral: Over 21 days of talking with ChatGPT, an otherwise perfectly sane man became convinced that he was a real-life superhero. The Times analyzed the conversation. Love Bad Bunny? Here are six things to do in Puerto Rico to bring his music to life. Vows: She made a list. The ancestors confirmed. Your pick: The most-clicked article in The Morning yesterday followed a woman’s search for a home in North Carolina. A heavyweight raconteur: Don Elbaum was a swashbuckling boxing figure who promoted Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali, along with less notable pugilists who fought for their dreams in smoky Holiday Inn ballrooms and dingy American Legion halls. Elbaum died at 94. SPORTS M.L.B.: Jen Pawol became the first female umpire to work a regular-season M.L.B. game, making her debut in a Miami Marlins-Atlanta Braves doubleheader. Trending: Travis Hunter, the No. 2 draft pick, played offense and defense in his N.F.L. debut, starting the Jacksonville Jaguars’ preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. People online were interested in the kicker Cam Little’s 70-yard field goal during the game. BOOK OF THE WEEK By Elisabeth Egan “People Like Us,” by Jason Mott: In Mott’s worthy follow-up to his National Book Award-winning “Hell of a Book,” a Black writer on a plane introduces himself to his seatmate as Ta-Nehisi Coates. “Turns out I can be anyone you want me to be if I’m just willing to say the words,” he tells the reader. The novel unfolds in this spirit, following two writers down very different paths through a world rived by racism, gun violence and their own personal crises. Because Mott is at the wheel, the tour is wickedly witty, full of snide asides about the publishing industry, and so timely and close to home you won’t know whether to close your window or stick your head out for a better view. Either way, you won’t forget what you see, even when it’s difficult. More on books: Two authors offer hope that there’s more to being terminally online than sore thumbs and brain rot. Learn more here. THE INTERVIEW Philip Montgomery for The New York Times By Lulu Garcia-Navarro This week’s subject for The Interview is Jonathan Greenblatt, chief executive of the Anti-Defamation League. Under Greenblatt’s decade-long tenure, the A.D.L. has tracked and reported on a precipitous increase in antisemitism on the right and, in more recent years, on the left. The organization is often seen as the arbiter of what is and isn’t antisemitic. I talked to Greenblatt about how he defines antisemitism, where the lines are for him between criticism of Israel and anti-Jewish hate, and about some of the criticisms the A.D.L. has faced in recent years. You have equated anti-Zionism with antisemitism. It is. In preparation for this conversation, I talked to a lot of different people, and one of the things I heard is that anti-Zionism for them is a desire to have the rights of Palestinians equal to the rights of Jews in Israel and the Palestinian territories, which would ultimately mean that the country is not majority Jewish — the idea of the one-state solution. Is that definition of anti-Zionism antisemitic to you? If you believe that only Jewish people don’t have the right to self-determination, that’s antisemitic because it’s holding out Jews to a double standard you don’t accord to other people. So if you believe my definition of Zionism — which is really not my definition, it’s widely accepted — it’s peculiar to me how anti-Zionism isn’t the opposite of that. How people choose to interpret it, to embellish it, dress it up as something other than what it is — but the reality is, if you believe how I laid out Zionism, then anti-Zionism is pretty simple. I think the challenge is if someone defines their view of anti-Zionism in a way that allows for Jews to exist in a state of Israel but that grants Palestinians rights, but you’re seeing that as antisemitic, people don’t feel like they have the space to have a different view without being tagged with something that is pretty serious. I can appreciate that for some people, this idea is an abstraction. Oh, anti-Zionism, it means such and such to me. I get that. But let me tell you what anti-Zionism doesn’t mean to me but what it results in: It’s a lunatic trying to burn down the governor’s mansion with his family sleeping in it because of his position on Palestine. It is, again, firebombing elderly people because you want to “end all Zionists.” Read more of the interview here, or watch a longer version on YouTube. THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE Photograph by Victor J. Blue for The New York Times Read this week’s magazine. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Bake a “clever” white chocolate raspberry cookie. Watch these Off Broadway shows this month. Revive an old computer. MEAL PLAN Mark Weinberg for The New York Times Summer is Emily Weinstein’s favorite time of the year to cook, and in this week’s Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter she offers up some salty, sweet and juicy summery recipes to add to your meal rotation. Emily recommends making spicy citrus-marinated fish, dumpling and smashed cucumber salad with peanut sauce and shrimp scampi with tomatoes and corn. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was taxability. Can you put eight historical events — including Charles Dickens’s “Oliver Twist,” the building of the transcontinental railroad and Buzz Aldrin’s moon landing — in chronological order? Take a special second anniversary Flashback quiz. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 11, 2025 Author Members Posted August 11, 2025 August 11, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: Trade: The tech companies Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices are expected to pay the U.S. government 15 percent of the money they make selling A.I. chips to China. Gaza: An Israeli strike near a hospital in Gaza City killed four Al Jazeera journalists, the network said. Israel said it targeted one of the men killed and claimed he was a Hamas fighter. He and Al Jazeera had denied that accusation. Ukraine: Vice President JD Vance said the government is working to secure a meeting with President Trump, Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky. More news is below. But first, we look at succession in North Korea. Korean Central News Agency, via Reuters Dear daughter by Pablo Robles and Choe Sang-Hun We analyzed hundreds of images and videos of North Korea’s first family. Kim Jong-un introduced his daughter to the world in November 2022 with a show of affection and menace, holding her hand in front of an intercontinental ballistic missile. Since then, state media has shown Kim Ju-ae more and more prominently next to her father, the leader of North Korea. Now she is being hailed as a “great person of guidance” — a sign, experts say, that she is perhaps being groomed to take the reins of the isolated, nuclear-armed regime one day. She holds no known official title in North Korea. The outside world has never heard her voice. The North’s state media has not even named her, referring to her only as the “most beloved,” “respected” or “dear” daughter of its leader. But intelligence officials and analysts consider her to be her father’s most likely successor. She is believed to be just 12. We studied Ju-ae’s public appearances since her debut three years ago to trace her transformation from a shy girl by her father’s side to a poised public figure who shares center stage with him. A new face She is showing up in domestic photo ops and some diplomatic receptions with her father. But most telling may be her presence in military settings — the first area where Kim consolidated his power after his father died. Senior military officers have made demonstrations of loyalty to Ju-ae, analysts said. At one military parade in 2023, a top general was seen kneeling before her, a gesture of deference that had once been reserved for her father: Korean Central Television A needed heir South Korean intelligence officials believe that Kim likely has two children. There are also unconfirmed reports that he might have a third child. But only Ju-ae has made public appearances. If she is her father’s designated successor, she would be in line to become the first woman to rule North Korea’s deeply patriarchal and highly militarized society and the world’s newest nuclear power. Kim is just 41, but preparing a successor makes sense: He has a family history of heart trouble; he’s about 5-foot-7 and weighs about 310 pounds, according to South Korean intelligence officials. They added that he had unhealthy habits, including chain-smoking, heavy wining and dining, and frequently staying up until early mornings to surf the internet, where he likes to browse weapons websites. Source: Korean Central News Agency We combed through many images to spotlight the ones that suggest Ju-ae’s importance here. THE LATEST NEWS Trade Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices’s deal with the government is unusual: There are few precedents for the U.S. agreeing to grant export licenses in exchange for a share of revenue. AriZona Iced Teas still cost 99 cents, despite inflation. Trump’s aluminum tariffs may change that. Chinese car-carrier ships are taking a dangerous shortcut through the Suez Canal to beat competitors to European markets. (Many automakers avoid it because of Houthi attacks.) Trump Administration The government plans to temporarily reassign 120 F.B.I. agents in Washington to nighttime patrol duties as part of Trump’s crackdown on street crime there. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to make it easier for people to claim compensation for vaccine injuries. Experts worry that could lead to more lawsuits and, ultimately, reduced vaccine access. A Harvard-trained lawyer is worked with the government to stop her alma mater from enrolling international students. Read about her influence. International News Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, right, and Penny Wong, the country’s foreign minister. Mick Tsikas/Australian Associated Press, via Reuters Australia said it would recognize Palestinian statehood at the U.N. General Assembly next month. In Damascus, Syria’s capital, many worry that their rights may change under a new Islamist government. Other Big Stories Heavy rains in southeastern Wisconsin brought flash floods that prompted rescues and damaged homes. In Texas, some undocumented victims of the recent floods may not be seeking assistance because they are afraid of deportation, immigrant aid groups say. New Hampshire is backing away from a promise to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to people who were sexually abused in state care. Other states are also rethinking payouts. AOL said it would discontinue its dial-up internet service, a service synonymous with the early days of the internet. OPINIONS Spain is a relatively pro-immigrant country because it knows what happens to an economy when you force millions to leave, Omar Encarnación writes. Most people who medically transition and later reverse it don’t do so out of regret. Read about Kinnon MacKinnon’s research on “detransitioning.” Here is a column by Michelle Goldberg on the Republican Party’s corruption. The Games Sale. Our best offer won’t last. Let the fun begin. Subscribe to New York Times Games for up to 75% off your first year. As a subscriber you can strengthen your strategy with Wordle Bot, reach Genius on Spelling Bee, play the Crossword and more. MORNING READS In Quebec City. Nasuna Stuart-Ulin for The New York Times Quebec: A library is a sanctuary for English speakers. Myths: Here are six misconceptions about running that could be slowing you down. “Sharenting”: With the rise of A.I., parents should rethink posting photos of their children online, our columnist explains. Work Friend: What to do when your manager doesn’t work. Like, at all. Metropolitan Diary: When we were fangirls. Your pick: The most clicked article in The Morning yesterday was about Mark Zuckerberg’s Palo Alto compound. Lives Lived: Terry Reid was a British vocal alchemist and songwriter whose powerful voice earned him the nickname Superlungs. Despite turning down the chance to become the lead singer of Led Zeppelin, he came to be celebrated by luminaries like Aretha Franklin. Reid died at 75. SPORTS A’ja Wilson Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun, via Associated Press W.N.B.A.: The Las Vegas Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun, 94-86. During the game, Aces star A’ja Wilson became the first player in the league to score at least 30 points and grab at least 20 rebounds. Gymnastics: Hezly Rivera won the U.S. Gymnastics Championships. A.I. AND ITS USES Kiichiro Sato/Associated Press The Times spoke with 21 people about how they are using A.I. in their work. A restaurant owner uses ChatGPT to pick wines for his menus; a psychotherapist harnesses the technology to write up therapy plans; and a music teacher turns to an A.I. chatbot to (more politely) let students know that they didn’t make the cut for a competitive high school jazz program. Read about more uses here. More on culture In Queens, New York. Mila De La Torre for The New York Times At a cinema in Queens, the theater is tiny, the popcorn in fresh and the crowd is devoted. See inside. Trending: Season 3 of HBO’s “The Gilded Age” came to an end yesterday. Craving more? Read these books next. An executive at the website Food52 used a corporate credit card to fund her lavish life, The Cut reports. The horror movie “Weapons” gifted Warner Bros. its sixth breakout hit in a row. The studio has had a remarkable turnaround. Real-life siblings Lupita and Junior Nyong’o are playing twins in Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” at the newly reopened Delacorte Theater in Central Park. How to craft a dumb joke that’s actually funny? The makers of the new “Naked Gun” movie break down four crucial steps. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Jim Wilson/The New York Times Make Pierre Franey’s zucchini with shallots, which is ready in 15 minutes. Relax with a puzzle. Visit a European castle with kids. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were magneto, megaton and montage. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 12, 2025 Author Members Posted August 12, 2025 August 12, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: Data: President Trump said he would nominate an economist from the conservative Heritage Foundation to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics. He fired the agency’s previous head after a report of weak jobs growth. Trade: Trump extended a trade truce between the U.S. and China for another three months. Gaza: Palestinians held a funeral procession for the five Al Jazeera journalists killed in an Israeli airstrike. Read about them here. More news is below. But first, we take a look at Trump’s takeover of Washington, D.C. In Washington, D.C. Eric Lee/The New York Times Crime bust By Adam B. Kushner I’ve lived in and around Washington, D.C., for nearly two decades. To President Trump, the city where he lives is a hellscape. It is so beset by crime, he said yesterday, that the government must take over policing. He’s also sending the F.B.I. to patrol the streets at night. There is no crime surge in Washington; last year, violent crime hit a 30-year low. But Trump has fretted for decades about urban blight, and he carried that fixation back to the White House. “If our capital is dirty, our whole country is dirty,” he said. Today’s newsletter is about crime in the nation’s capital, Trump’s legal authority to intervene and why the president of a country is so focused on the governance of a city. Horror on the Potomac? Trump began talking about a takeover last week, after a prominent member of the Department of Government Efficiency was beaten in an attempted carjacking. The president spent the weekend posting online about Washington’s dangers. “Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people,” he said yesterday. Context. Violent crime, especially murder, surged after the pandemic, cresting in 2023. I worked at The Washington Post at the time and sat near reporters on the local crime beat; they had a frantic year. I could also feel a sense of unease among my neighbors. In recent years, people tried to break into my family’s home and car. How bad is it? Trump says the murder rate is out of control, my colleague Katie Rogers reports. That’s not true, at least not anymore, as the chart below shows. Homicide and carjackings fell in 2024, and D.C. police say the city is on track to record even fewer violent crimes this year. The mayor said yesterday that she had explained this to the president several times. Source: Metropolitan Police Department | Includes homicides, assaults with a weapon, sexual abuse and robberies. | By The New York Times Juvenile justice. One persistent problem is youth crime. The number of people under 18 arrested in Washington rose each year from 2020 to 2024, according to the White House, although it has dipped so far this year. Trump warned yesterday about “caravans of mass youth” rampaging through the city. In an unusual arrangement, federal lawyers prosecute adults in D.C. courts, but the local attorney general deals with cases against minors. D.C. judges often sentence offenders under the age of 24 to something other than prison, which has frustrated the Trump administration. “We’re seeing far too much crime being committed by young people — 14, 15, 16, 17 years old — that I can’t get my hands on,” Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney in Washington, said yesterday. Bail. Washington is among a number of cities and states led by Democrats that let most people await trial out of jail without having to post bail. Here’s a helpful explainer about how it works. Conservatives say this policy worsens crime by letting lawbreakers roam free. Trump, for example, said that a murderer could be “out on no-cash bail.” That’s false — homicide suspects are not eligible for the program. And researchers have found that it doesn’t lead to more crime. Homelessness. Trump says he hopes to clear out the city’s homeless population. “We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital,” he wrote online. Trump’s power As we wrote in this newsletter last week, the Home Rule Act of 1973 lets city residents elect their mayor and City Council. But the federal government still has some control. Congress can block local laws, as it did in 2023 to reverse a city crime bill. And it can attach riders to federal spending bills that restrict how the Washington operates — such as a 2023 rule barring legal marijuana sales. Police power. The same law lets the president take control of the D.C. police for up to 30 days under “special conditions of an emergency nature.” Trump invoked it yesterday. He said that the head of the U.S. Marshals Service will help run the department. “If you’re soft, weak and pathetic,” Trump warned him at that lectern during the press conference, “I will fire you so fast.” Other federal forces. Trump says F.B.I. agents will monitor the streets at night; many will be reassigned from their duties in the Washington field office, my colleague Devlin Barrett reports. The president has also mobilized 800 National Guard troops to help. The soldiers will be focused on logistics and transportation, the Pentagon reporters Eric Schmitt and Helene Cooper write, so Washington residents may not see them. (A trial began in California yesterday about Trump’s use of the National Guard to quell immigration protests in Los Angeles this summer. Here’s the status of that case.) The urbanite Trump often says that big cities are poorly governed. He spent decades lamenting the fate of his hometown, New York; argued frequently for tougher law enforcement; and eventually left for Florida. He has called Washington a “filthy and crime-ridden embarrassment” and “a rat-infested, graffiti-infested shithole,” reports Campbell Robertson, who covers the region for The Times. Then came the string of fresh insults yesterday. Is D.C. a standout? Not really. This chart by my colleague Ashley Wu shows how it stacks up against other cities: Source: F.B.I. | Includes homicides, aggravated assaults, rapes and robberies. Data collection methods differ among cities. | By The New York Times Perhaps, my colleague Jess Bidgood surmises, Trump secretly wants another job: mayor. “We’re going to replace the medians that are falling down all over the road; we’re going to replace the potholes,” the president (of the country) said from a White House podium, just after urging tourists to “keep coming.” He seemed to recognize the disjunction. “It’s embarrassing for me to be up here,” Trump said. But when reporters tried to ask about his upcoming meeting with Vladimir Putin, Jess writes, he grew annoyed, demanding that everyone stay focused on Washington. For more: Trump sees the world through the lens of real estate. To him, cities like Washington are properties in need of fixing up, Zolan Kanno-Youngs writes. THE LATEST NEWS Trade Trump hopes tariffs will persuade Russia to agree to a cease-fire in Ukraine. Tariffs don’t usually work like that. The order extending the U.S. trade truce with China sets the stage for a potential summit with Xi Jinping this year. Trump’s tariffs on Brazil have not freed his ally Jair Bolsonaro, the former president awaiting trial on coup plot charges. But they could help soften the country’s stance against big American tech companies. More on Politics E.J. Antoni, Trump’s nominee to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, has previously criticized the agency and questioned its methods and reports. More than 60,000 people are in U.S. immigration detention today, ICE records show. That breaks a modern record set during the first Trump administration. A wealthy corner of Ohio has become a stronghold of “MAHA moms,” with a homestead lifestyle that has profound political reverberations. Katie Glueck, a Times politics reporter, spoke with working-class voters who until recently voted Democrat. In a video, she explains what she learned — and we hear from some of those voters. Click below. War in Ukraine Trump, who is set to meet with Putin in Alaska on Friday, said he was willing to walk away from the talks and let the two sides continue to fight if no deal was forthcoming. From the sidelines, Ukraine fears that Putin will convince Trump that Ukraine, not Russia, is the obstacle to peace. A Russian missile killed at least a dozen foreign recruits at a military training camp in Ukraine last month, soldiers who knew about it said. The strike hit a mess hall at lunchtime. Late night hosts joked about Putin’s invitation to Alaska. Middle East Al Jazeera staff members gathered in Doha, Qatar. Ibraheem Abu Mustafa/Reuters The Israeli airstrike that deliberately killed Al Jazeera journalists has aggravated tensions between Israel and Qatar, which funds the network and also helps mediate the Gaza cease-fire talks. Israelis from across the political spectrum have criticized Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to capture Gaza City, Patrick Kingsley writes. Other Big Stories A federal judge denied the government’s request to unseal grand jury transcripts from its investigation into Ghislaine Maxwell, Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime associate. An explosion at a U.S. Steel plant in Pennsylvania killed two people and injured at least 10 more, the authorities said. WHAT A TRIP Rick Perry Meridith Kohut for The New York Times Rick Perry, the former Texas governor and U.S. energy secretary, is now an unlikely champion of psychedelics. After a mind-bending ibogaine trip in Mexico, Perry, a 75-year-old social conservative, has dedicated himself to promoting the powerful drug as a treatment for brain trauma, addiction and cognitive decline. He’s not the only famous fan. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. supports the therapeutic use of psychedelics. Elon Musk has taken magic mushrooms at parties. Steve Jobs said dropping acid was a turning point in his life. We want to hear your questions about psychedelics — how they’re used, what they do and why they’ve become so popular. You can ask us here, and our reporters will answer in a future edition of The Morning. OPINIONS The New York Times Matt Nadel brings his camera to a New York prison every few weeks in hopes of getting someone freed. This is how. Michelle Goldberg writes about an anti-feminist influencer who tried to become a tradwife — and regretted it. New in the Games app: Daily hints and more. Need a nudge for Wordle, Connections or Strands? Tap the lightbulb to strategize in the forums. Open the app MORNING READS In Edinburgh. Robert Ormerod for The New York Times Bubble boom: Performers at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe are delighting crowds with a mixture of dish soap, water, lube and occasional acrobatics. 152 Last Suppers: An artist announced that he wanted to die, and that he wanted to eat dinners with strangers first. The invitations rolled in. Your pick: The most clicked link in The Morning yesterday was an Opinion article from Kinnon MacKinnon, a professor who studies transgender care, about detransitioning. A chance taker: Without achieving the fame of Billie Holiday or Sarah Vaughan, Sheila Jordan was recognized as one of the great singers in jazz. She was a daredevil improviser. Jordan died at 96. SPORTS Bonds beats the Babe! A new ranking methodology places Barry Bonds over Babe Ruth as baseball’s best ever. The sport’s purists may object but statisticians, at least, are cheering. U.F.C.: Fans will be able to watch U.S. fights for the first time without pay-per-view costs next year, under a $7.7 billion exclusive deal with Paramount. ART MIMICS LIFE? Kristina Dittmar, Bryan Derballa, Sabrina Santiago, and Thea Traff for The New York Times Fifteen years ago, Darren Aronofsky released “Black Swan,” about a tormented ballerina who descends into madness. While film critics largely loved the Natalie Portman-fronted body horror, actual ballet dancers were less enthusiastic. Many thought it portrayed their devotion to the art form as a kind of pathology. The Times spoke with four dancers about the influence of the movie. “We’re definitely a little crazy,” one said. “But we’re not that crazy. Nobody is growing feathers out of their backs.” More on culture Trending: Taylor Swift, who has been quiet since her Eras tour ended in December, revealed the name of her 12th original studio album, “The Life of a Showgirl.” Three rabbits used in a photo shoot featuring the fake heiress Anna Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorokin, were found abandoned in Prospect Park in Brooklyn. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Julia Gartland for The New York Times Toss grapes in sugar, salt, lemon zest and chile flakes, then freeze them for a refreshing treat. Optimize a morning routine for kids. Screen visitors with a smart doorbell camera. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was holiday. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 14, 2025 Author Members Posted August 14, 2025 August 13, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: National Guard: Troops began to deploy in Washington, D.C., as part of President Trump’s plan to crack down on crime there. Museums: The White House said it would review exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institution. It said the museums would have 120 days to replace “divisive or ideologically driven language.” Economy: A key inflation measure rose in July as businesses grappled with tariffs. More news is below. But first, a look at how the Trump administration deals with unfavorable data. In the Oval Office. Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times Truth hurts By Evan Gorelick I’m a writer for The Morning. The Bureau of Labor Statistics, an obscure economic arm of the federal government, is getting a new leader. Trump has nominated an economist from the conservative Heritage Foundation to replace the bureau’s chief, whom he fired after a less-than-stellar jobs report. It’s hard to get bad news — so the administration is trying not to. When the Bureau of Labor Statistics said that hiring this year was more sluggish than it had previously reported (revisions like that are normal), the president said without evidence that the new figures were “rigged” to make him look bad. Economists across the political spectrum worry that his nominee will proffer friendlier data. Trump has previously canned scientists, closed databases and otherwise fettered the delivery of inconvenient facts. Today’s newsletter is about the administration’s efforts, across the government, to throw out troublesome data and silence the people who gather it. No thanks Expertise and data can pose problems for any president’s agenda, but Trump has done more than his predecessors to erase the inconvenient facts. Climate science. In the name of deregulation, the Trump administration rejected the scientific consensus that greenhouse gases threaten public health. Trump’s budget eliminates funding for a Hawaii lab that has collected climate data for 70 years. The administration is shuttering the E.P.A.’s scientific research arm. It also retired an extreme-weather project that tracked the costs of natural disasters and said it would stop updating a database that companies use to calculate their emissions. The census. Trump has ordered a new population count that excludes illegal immigrants; his allies hope it will lift their allotment of seats in Congress. It may not have that result — and Trump may not have the authority to call a mid-decade recount — but the census affects federal funding and tells us who we are as a nation. The administration also ended several Census Bureau surveys, disbanded expert advisory committees and pushed out 1,300 employees. Gender and D.E.I. The government scrubbed more than 8,000 web pages after Trump signed executive orders targeting diversity initiatives and what he calls “gender ideology.” In one instance, the administration tried to delete a federal database that included information on whether teens identified as transgender. When a court required that the government keep it online, the C.D.C. added a note: “This page does not reflect biological reality and therefore the Administration and this Department rejects it.” Be quiet The president also seems not to like the bearers of bad news. He has intimidated some officials and sacked others. In addition to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Trump administration has targeted: Inspectors general. The president has fired or demoted more than 20 people in independent offices responsible for making sure the government works properly. The remaining employees told Luke Broadwater, one of our White House correspondents, that they are now reluctant to pursue investigations that could elicit political blowback. The Fed. Trump has repeatedly threatened to oust Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve, for refusing to lower interest rates. The independence of central bankers is protected by law, and White House meddling can boost inflation and hurt growth in the long run, writes Colby Smith, who covers the Fed. Health officials. Trump’s health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., fired all 17 experts from the C.D.C.’s vaccine advisory committee. They held that vaccines, including Covid shots, were safe and effective. Kennedy disagrees. Courts. Judges are supposed to interpret laws impartially, away from political pressures. But Trump has attacked judges who have scuttled his agenda. Last month, the Justice Department filed a misconduct complaint against one who ruled against Trump’s deportation plans. The payoff Now there are fewer people in a position to challenge the White House. Trump has fired Justice Department lawyers whom he found too deferential to court orders. He has also axed Democratic members of independent bodies like the Federal Trade Commission and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. He filled top posts in the F.B.I. and the Pentagon with MAGA stalwarts who screen for loyalty within their agencies. Trump’s allies say the president is doing what every leader does: surrounding himself with people he trusts to implement his vision. But as government records and independent officials vanish, it is becoming more difficult to track key data points in American life — H.I.V. infections, school performance and more. That leaves politicians to find their own data. It’s easy to do when a cherry-picked statistic can prove virtually any point. At a press conference last week, Trump furnished new jobs numbers from a right-wing economist. He said that they proved his economy was better than Joe Biden’s. Trump finally found the data he wanted. THE LATEST NEWS D.C. Takeover At the Washington Monument. Kenny Holston/The New York Times About a dozen Trump-deployed National Guard troops appeared near the Washington Monument yesterday evening. They took photos of themselves with visitors, and they left after roughly two hours. To justify his takeover of Washington, Trump cited several false and misleading claims about homicides and youth crime. Here’s a fact check. Trump said he needed to send in troops to secure the capital. He had a different reaction on Jan. 6, Luke Broadwater writes. Trump-Putin Summit Trump will meet Vladimir Putin at a military base in Anchorage on Friday, a White House official said. The German chancellor will convene a video call tomorrow with Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky and several European allies. They have been imploring Trump not to cut a peace deal with Putin behind their backs. At a 1945 meeting, the world’s superpowers redrew the European map without input from the affected countries. Some fear a repeat in Alaska, Steven Erlanger writes. Russian forces advanced in Ukraine, seeking an edge on the battlefield before the summit. More on the Trump Administration An annual collection of U.S. human rights reports cut or blunted previous references to abuses by close partners of the Trump administration including El Salvador and Israel. A federal appeals court gave teams affiliated with DOGE access to potentially sensitive data on millions of Americans, overruling a lower court. The head of the U.F.C. said Trump was moving ahead with plans to host a fight at the White House next July 4. Mexico has sent 26 people accused of being cartel operatives to the U.S., seemingly to alleviate pressure from Trump to combat the flow of fentanyl across the border. International In Kabul, Afghanistan. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital, has become so dry that its six million people could be without water by 2030. The government is scrambling for solutions but lacks cash. Investigators have found evidence that Russia is at least partially responsible for hacking a U.S. federal court system that contains sensitive records on national security crimes. Zakaria Zubeidi, a Palestinian, was recently freed from Israeli prison. In a Times interview, he questions what his time as a militant, a theater leader and a prisoner achieved. Other Big Stories New video shows the Uvalde school police chief trying to negotiate with a gunman barricaded in a room with dozens of children in 2022. The commander faces trial on charges of abandoning or endangering the children. A federal judge ordered ICE to improve the conditions inside migrant holding cells in New York City. The A.I. start-up Perplexity made an unsolicited offer worth about $35 billion to buy Google’s Chrome web browser. STAY COOL, FRANCE Source: Copernicus ERA5 data, processed into E.U. subregions by Ronnkvist, Haskell-Craig, et al. | By The New York Times Politicians are in the business of promises. And in the midst of a European heat wave, Marine Le Pen, a far-right leader in France, made a particularly controversial one: to deploy air-conditioners across the country if her party came to power. Now air-conditioning is political. The head of France’s Green Party said the country should instead build greener cities and more energy-efficient buildings. A conservative newspaper defended the technology: “Making our fellow citizens sweat limits learning, reduces working hours and clogs up hospitals.” “Is air-conditioning a far-right thing?” one French talk show mused. Read our dispatch on how a common appliance in the U.S. has inflected debates in France. THE MORNING QUIZ This question comes from a recent edition of the newsletter. Click an answer to see if you’re right. (The link will be free.) The most-clicked story in The Morning yesterday was about a community in Ohio where women are focused on pesticide-free farming and avoiding ultraprocessed foods. What are they known as? MAHA moms Ballerina farmers Crunchy Trumpers Down with dye-ers OPINIONS Mamdani’s emergence as a progressive leader signals the end of America’s embrace of unfettered capitalism, Jonathan Mahler writes. Here are columns by M. Gessen and Bret Stephens on Trump and Putin’s summit. New in the Games app: Daily hints and more. Need a nudge for Wordle, Connections or Strands? Tap the lightbulb to strategize in the forums. Open the app MORNING READS In Seville, Spain. Ilvy Njiokiktjien for The New York Times Glow-up: Restorers in Seville, Spain, gave a figure of the Virgin Mary longer lashes and a smokier gaze. People weren’t happy. Great bedrooms: Take a look at T Magazine’s favorites, which include an airy sanctuary in Bali and a maximalist experiment in Belgium. Trending: People online were looking up information about Danielle Spencer, who died at 60. In the 1970s, she played the lovably bratty and witty Dee on the hit sitcom “What’s Happening!!” — one of the first American television shows to center the experiences of Black teenagers. She spent much of her adult life as a veterinarian. SPORTS Soccer: Cristiano Ronaldo is engaged to Georgina Rodríguez. They have been living together in Saudi Arabia, testing the boundaries of social change in an Islamic kingdom. (Her huge ring went viral.) Sports’ stalking problem: As more athletes use social media to chronicle their lives, some strangers have become dangerously obsessed. A QUIRKY LENS Damien Maloney for The New York Times Tristan Duke — a polymath, tinkerer and experimental photographer — captures the world in mysterious ways. The Times paid him a visit at his Los Angeles lab for a peek at his work. It includes: A camera made of ice. Duke developed a method to carve ice into camera lenses. On a trip to the Arctic, he hauled up diamond-pure glacier chunks from the sea, shaped them and used them to photograph the glaciers themselves. Rainbow images. Duke recreated a long-lost technique for producing color photographs without pigments. The effect is based on the physics principles that make rainbows appear on the surface of soap bubbles. Photos taken a trillion frames per second. Duke used a so-called Femto camera, first developed by researchers in 2010. He built it from scratch with his students, then used the device to take ultra-slow-motion videos of lasers. Read the full story here. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Simpson for The New York Times Use a single skillet to cook Dijon chicken with tomatoes and scallions. Watch late night hosts joke about Taylor Swift’s album announcement. Embrace the bidet. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were coauthor and cutthroat. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Correction: A chart in yesterday’s newsletter comparing violent crime rates in Washington, D.C., with those in other areas described incorrectly the first set of places represented. It listed major cities and metropolitan areas in the U.S., not the largest cities. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 16, 2025 Author Members Posted August 16, 2025 August 14, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: Funding: A federal appeals court allowed the Trump administration to continue withholding billions of dollars in foreign aid. Extreme heat: Wildfires are burning in several southern European countries, including Greece and Spain. Kennedy Center honorees: Trump picked Sylvester Stallone and Kiss, among others, for this year’s awards. He also said that he’d host the ceremony. (The late night hosts had thoughts.) More news is below. But first: banks are getting into crypto. Ari Liloan Your crypto future By Rob Copeland I cover Wall Street. I’ve always thought of crypto as an unlikely addition to mainstream finance, like mustard on spaghetti. That’s because the financial world has been positively withering toward crypto. Jamie Dimon, chief executive of JPMorgan Chase, promised in 2017 to fire any trader who dabbled in Bitcoin, and other major banks took a similarly dim view. So I perked up over the past few weeks when some of the biggest names in banking suddenly began to compliment crypto. I initially assumed they were just genuflecting to Washington: The Trump family loves crypto; the president has made about $7 billion from a coin that bears his name; his sons run a crypto company. But my reporting shows something more complicated. Wall Street’s crypto plans aren’t just about politics. They offer a new way to profit — one in which banks can make more money by exposing their clients to more risk while facing less oversight. Some changes may threaten the very backbone of the banking system: your personal checking account. Crypto crash course Cryptocurrencies are digital money not issued by any particular government. Unlike paper currencies, whose value can be at least partly controlled by central bank interventions (think: printing more money), the price of crypto is set by supply and demand. Usually, the more people who want it, the more the price goes up, and vice versa. That might be ideal for speculators who want to bet on crypto price swings, but it’s a huge drag for anyone who wants to use cryptocurrency to buy stuff. It creates uncertainty about whether a transaction today will cost the same tomorrow. As a result, more people have turned in recent years to a form of cryptocurrency called a stablecoin. Unlike Bitcoin, stablecoins have a fixed value and a price that doesn’t swing up or down. Those being developed now are pegged to the U.S. dollar. What is happening? Now the biggest banks in the country — Chase, Bank of America and Citi, among them — are planning to launch their own stablecoins. Retailers like Amazon and Walmart are also studying coins of their own. This is all newly permissible under the GENIUS Act, a bipartisan law passed this summer with encouragement from the banks. The law is significant for a couple of reasons: Eliminating cash: It created a way for banks to offer customers stablecoins instead of handing back their money in cash. The stablecoins have to be exchangeable for U.S. dollars. Keeping the interest: Unlike the interest accrued in your checking and savings accounts, the law tells banks to keep the interest earned on stablecoins. If you have $25,000 in a high-yield savings account that pays 4 percent annually, you amass $1,000 every year. You’d forego that with stablecoins. Your accounts Bank executives told me they foresaw a not-too-distant future in which banks direct people with checking accounts to exchange their money for stablecoins. You could then use those stablecoins to buy things instead of using cash or credit cards. Banks’ stablecoins could be available as early as next year. The benefits? For you, this could potentially mean low fees and fast speeds for tricky transactions like overseas transfers. The drawbacks? Beyond losing interest on accounts, you would also forgo the federal insurance that pays back depositors in the event of a bank failure. That’s because the regulators treat stablecoin accounts as “investments,” not ordinary deposits. In short, your accounts would have fewer protections than they do now. Almost every banker I spoke to brought up a historical parallel: The so-called Wildcat banking era of the 1800s, in which small state banks issued competing currencies with little oversight from Washington. Mini financial crises ensued as tiny currencies crashed — and the federal government had to intervene. Read more here about why banks now love crypto. ALASKAN DESTINY A view from the Bird Ridge Trail, outside Anchorage. Joshua Corbett for The New York Times Former Gov. Sarah Palin famously said she could “see Russia” from Alaska. “Saturday Night Live” mocked her, but Palin wasn’t wrong: Russia and Alaska are only 2.4 miles apart. You could walk that far in less than an hour. Maybe that’s why Trump and Vladimir Putin chose the state for their confab tomorrow. Alaska has often figured into relations between Washington and Moscow. In 1867, the U.S. bought the land from Russia for the equivalent of $160 million in today’s dollars. After World War II, Americans made it a state, constructed bases and used the last frontier to surveil its Cold War rival. Even today, many Native Alaskans have Russian surnames. Now Alaska may help write the next chapter in Russian-American affairs. Trump will press Putin for peace in Ukraine. Putin will try to keep as much Ukrainian territory as he can. But anything can happen when these two meet, as reporters remember from Trump’s first term. Peter Baker, our chief White House correspondent, breaks down their relationship, and the relationship between their countries. Read his piece here. More on Russia and Ukraine European leaders said they had worked out a strategy with Trump for his meeting with Putin: Any peace plan must start with a cease-fire and include Ukraine. For the past week, a worried Volodymyr Zelensky has rallied allies and scrambled to avoid being sidelined. Russia’s military was once on the brink of collapse in Ukraine. Now, Putin thinks he has the upper hand. Russia wants all of the eastern Ukrainian region known as the Donbas. For military and political reasons, Ukraine would find that extremely difficult. As Russian forces push forward in Ukraine, residents are evacuating in vans or on battered bicycles in wilting heat. See photos here. THE LATEST NEWS Trump Administration Trump has made himself the chip industry’s leading decision maker by restricting billions in sales, slapping fees on exports and even briefly demanding a C.E.O.’s firing. Trump’s unveiling of this year’s Kennedy Center honorees highlighted that he is at heart a pop culture obsessive, Shawn McCreesh writes. The U.S. government’s ethics watchdog said that the Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, hadn’t fully complied with an agreement to divest his financial assets. Trump wants to “take back” Washington, but the federal government already controls much of the city. (The Morning’s most-clicked story yesterday was about the National Guard’s deployment there.) In its campaign against “woke” science, the N.I.H. has ended research on the gaps between racial and socioeconomic groups. Food companies are tweaking their products and ads to appeal to the Make America Healthy Again movement. Middle East At Kibbutz Be’eri, which was a target during the Oct. 7 attack. Avishag Shaar-Yashuv for The New York Times Israel is believed to be holding at least 200 Palestinians suspected of involvement in the Oct. 7 attack. None have been charged or put on trial. Extremist Israeli settlers are carrying out one of the most violent campaigns against Palestinian villages in the West Bank since the U.N. began keeping records. Israel’s chief military commander has cast doubt on Benjamin Netanyahu’s plan to capture Gaza City, officials say. One minister suggested the general could be fired. Starvation has spread in Gaza as the prices of basic goods have skyrocketed. Click the video below to watch Ashley Wu, a reporter who works with data, explain how costs have risen, at times around 7,000 percent. Britain During a family vacation in Britain, Vice President JD Vance met Nigel Farage, a right-wing populist whose party is leading in British opinion polls. Vance and Britain’s foreign secretary also went carp fishing without a license, which caused a very British scandal. Read about it in The Guardian. Other Big Stories Sudan, which is engulfed in civil war, is experiencing its worst cholera outbreak in years, a medical charity said. Companies are pouring money into artificial intelligence in the hope of improving workers’ efficiency. It has yet to pay off. Americans are drinking less alcohol than ever, a new poll finds. IN ONE CHART Source: European Patent Office | Data is through 2022, and includes patents filed in two or more countries for batteries, biofuels, hydrogen, photovoltaics, and supercapacitors. | By The New York Times In 2000, Chinese applicants filed just 18 clean energy patents that analysts said were internationally competitive. In 2022, they filed more than 5,000, leading the world in clean energy innovations. How did China race so far ahead? Beijing decided clean energy was a priority, and it spent lavishly on academic research. “The sheer volume of Chinese investment has been so much larger than in the West,” an analyst said. Read about how China became a clean-tech juggernaut. OPINIONS Chief Justice John Roberts, more than anyone else, is responsible for the gerrymandering wars between Texas and Democratic-led states, David Daley argues. Some Democrats panicked over Zohran Mamdani. Barack Obama called him instead, Mara Gay writes. New in the Games app: Daily hints and more. Need a nudge for Wordle, Connections or Strands? Tap the lightbulb to strategize in the forums. Open the app MORNING READS Bodega ramps. Tom Wilson Strange beauty: New York City’s bodega ramps, sometimes resembling glaciers or clamshells, are overlooked pieces of homegrown architecture. Play our game: See how good you are at gerrymandering political districts. Gen Z slang: What does it mean to be chopped? (Hint: It’s not a nice thing.) End-of-summer sales: Wirecutter curated 17 exclusive, actually-worth-it deals on some of our most beloved recommendations. Dolls as art: The designers Mario Paglino and Gianni Grossi died in a car crash. Paglino was 52; Grossi was 54. They were spouses who turned Barbie dolls into one-of-a-kind works of art that sold for thousands of dollars. One fetched more than $15,000 at a charity auction. SPORTS U.S. Open: Venus Williams headlines the tournament’s singles wild cards. At 45, she will be making her 25th main-draw appearance. N.F.L.: The Dallas Cowboys’ owner and general manager, Jerry Jones, revealed he was diagnosed with cancer in 2010 and underwent treatment over the following decade. HANDS OFF MY SNACK In New Delhi. Anindito Mukherjee/The New York Times Indians eat an array of street food, but the king — and one of India’s most famous culinary exports — is the samosa. This deep-fried, plump, potato-filled snack is usually served with tangy and sweet condiments and can cost as little as 15 cents. When a government advisory recently put the samosa on a list of things that should be eaten in moderation, social media erupted with memes, and the Indian media treated the list as an attack. Read about the uproar. More on culture Trending: Taylor Swift appeared on her boyfriend Travis Kelce’s podcast, where she revealed that her album, “Life of a Showgirl,” will be released Oct. 3. Read more takeaways. Beyoncé won her first Emmy for “Beyoncé Bowl,” her N.F.L. halftime show that streamed live on Netflix on Christmas Day. Meat is back at Eleven Madison Park, the acclaimed Manhattan restaurant that once made headlines for its switch to a climate-minded vegan menu. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Julia Gartland for The New York Times Bake Marian Burros’s plum torte, the most requested recipe in the history of The Times. Play one of the best video games of the year (so far). Make a small bathroom feel bigger. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were conveyed and convoyed. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 17, 2025 Author Members Posted August 17, 2025 August 15, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: D.C. takeover: The attorney general, Pam Bondi, rescinded policies that restricted the city’s police from aiding immigration enforcement. She also named an “emergency police commissioner.” California: Gov. Gavin Newsom launched a campaign for a proposition that would ask the state’s voters to approve a new congressional map. More than a dozen border patrol agents showed up outside. SpaceX: Elon Musk’s rocket company has received billions in federal contracts. But years of losses have most likely allowed it to pay little to no federal income taxes since its founding, according to internal documents. More news is below. But first, we have a primer on today’s summit between President Trump and Vladimir Putin. In Helsinki, Finland, in 2018. Doug Mills/The New York Times Ukraine’s fate By Adam Pasick I’m a deputy international editor. Trump and Putin meet today in Alaska to discuss the future of the Ukraine war. Not present: anyone from Ukraine. The facts are not in flux. The battle lines have barely shifted over the last few years. The objectives of Russia and Ukraine haven’t changed, either. And yet anything could happen — because nobody knows what Trump will do. In the last seven months, his positions on the war have swung wildly. He humiliated the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in the Oval Office. Then he questioned Putin’s honesty and threatened to place harsher sanctions on Moscow; he seemed to have changed his tune. Then last week, Trump abruptly gave the Russian president his long-desired one-on-one meeting — and left Zelensky off the guest list. Ukraine and its European allies fear that Trump will cut a deal with Putin. What should we expect from today’s meeting? David Sanger, a White House and national security reporter, explains some possibilities: A cease-fire. Ukraine and Europe say this must precede negotiations. Putin has resisted. Land swaps. Trump and Putin may try to redraw Ukraine’s borders, solidifying some of Russia’s battlefield gains. Ukraine strongly opposes this idea. Security guarantees. A deal could include a promise that Western nations will protect Ukraine from future Russian aggression. NATO repudiation. The alliance says Ukraine can join eventually. Putin would prefer never, and Trump appears sympathetic to his view. A grand bargain. Putin is bringing a business delegation, possibly to talk about access to minerals. He also mentioned a possible replacement for the New START nuclear treaty. What to know It’s hard to remember the important milestones on the road to Alaska. Here are some ways to understand the war: Who’s winning? It’s not quite a stalemate. Russia has captured large tracts of Ukraine — but not nearly as much as Putin wants. After Ukraine decimated Russia’s underequipped forces in 2022, the Russian president re-engineered his country to serve the war. Russia has paid huge sums to recruit new soldiers and invested heavily in Iranian-designed drones. Putin has been willing to sacrifice his own soldiers, incurring about twice as many casualties as Ukraine. This multimedia story by Times journalists in Europe shows how the grinding war of attrition favors Russia. Source: Institute for the Study of War with American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project (extent of Russia-controlled areas). As of Aug. 13. | By The New York Times Ukraine can still hurt Russia. It has shown how drone warfare can make up for having less money and fewer soldiers. Consider Operation Spider’s Web, Ukraine’s sneak attack that caused billions of dollars in damage deep inside Russia. The drones it used cost as little as $600 each. Listen to this fascinating episode of “The Daily” about the operation. The Trump-Putin relationship. Trump seems to hold Russia’s president in high esteem, reflecting his general admiration for strongmen. He’s still annoyed about accusations that Russian interference in 2016 helped him get elected. As Mark Mazzetti, an investigative reporter in Washington, D.C., put it, “Mr. Trump’s anger about what he calls the ‘Russia hoax’ has festered for years, a grievance so deep he now sees Mr. Putin as his ally in victimhood.” The war that changed war. Thousands of drones have turned the skies over Ukraine (and sometimes Russia) into a lethal laboratory. It has spurred a Darwinian contest to see who can dominate the conflict — and perhaps every conflict thereafter. Read this mind-blowing story by C.J. Chivers, a former Marine who documented the drone arms race. David Guttenfelder and Tyler Hicks/The New York Times Don’t forget what this is actually about. The war may have reshaped global politics, but it’s being fought by real people. Civilians have suffered grievously. Spend some time with the work of my photojournalist colleagues who have recently covered the evacuees fleeing a Russian advance, severely wounded Ukrainian soldiers who returned to the fight and the human cost of Russia’s intensified attacks. THE LATEST NEWS D.C. Takeover At Union Station in Washington. Kent Nishimura for The New York Times All 800 National Guard troops whom Trump ordered into the streets of Washington have mobilized for duty, the Pentagon said. Federal authorities attempted to clear homeless encampments in the city’s northwest. The chief and other leaders at the D.C. police department now need approval from the “emergency” commissioner to issue any directives, Bondi said. City leaders say Trump is trying to solve a crime problem that he made worse. Redistricting Gov. Gavin Newsom Mike Blake/Reuters Newsom’s redistricting plan aims to help Democrats win more seats, to balance Trump’s push for more Republican seats in Texas and elsewhere. Other Democratic governors are pursuing different strategies. The fight could help Newsom, who is contemplating a presidential run in 2028, position himself as a national leader taking on Trump. More on Politics A draft White House report suggests that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. won’t push for direct restrictions on ultraprocessed foods and pesticides as some had expected. The Treasury secretary, Scott Bessent, wanted to control the I.R.S. Read how he orchestrated the ouster of its commissioner. PBS cut its budget by about 20 percent to deal with its loss of federal funding. Andrew Cuomo is attacking Zohran Mamdani — who earns $142,000 — for his wealth. It has revived an old debate: What counts as rich in New York City? For years, American drug companies have used factories in Ireland to help lower their tax bills. Tariffs are undercutting that strategy. War in Gaza In Gaza City. Saher Alghorra for The New York Times Over the past two years, tens of thousands of children in Gaza have been killed, wounded or orphaned. It’s now a place where childhood hardly exists. Israel says more aid is entering Gaza. But humanitarian groups say that bottlenecks stop it reaching the most vulnerable people. Other Big Stories New York greenlit 9,500 more homes in Midtown Manhattan. To help patients who lose the ability to speak, scientists are trying to translate brain activity into spoken words. OPINIONS More than a century ago, America responded to a “boy problem” by creating groups like the Boy Scouts. That’s still the solution to loneliness and aggression, Robert Putnam and Richard Reeves write. A definition of antisemitism that includes political speech does not protect Jews. It is the prelude to wider crackdowns against minorities, Lily Greenberg Call writes. Here are columns by David Brooks on universities and Trump and Michelle Goldberg on a Polish World War II museum. Save up to 75% on Games. Our best offer won’t last. Add some play to your day with Wordle, Spelling Bee, Connections, the Crossword and more. Subscribe to New York Times Games and save up to 75% on your first year — get full access to our puzzle archives, play ad free in the app, use tools to help you improve and more. MORNING READS In Lakeview, Oregon. Mason Trinca for The New York Times Thunder Ranch: One of America’s best-known gun schools offers firearms as a way to change your life when all else fails. Ask the Therapist: “I hate how my sister’s husband treats her. Can I intervene?” Your pick: In The Morning’s most clicked article yesterday, the late night hosts had things to say about Trump hosting the Kennedy Center Honors. Machine thinker: The British philosopher and cognitive scientist Margaret Boden, who has died at 88, used the language of computers to explore human thought. She had prescient insights about A.I. SPORTS N.F.L.: A court ruled that the Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores and other Black coaches can proceed with a lawsuit accusing the league of discrimination. Business: The state of sports streaming remains in flux, as M.L.B. negotiates with Netflix, ESPN, NBC and Apple. Here’s what you should know. BOOMING BUSINESS Kendrick Lamar Graham Dickie/The New York Times The last few years were a boom time for live music. While Taylor Swift’s Eras tour grabbed headlines for soaring ticket prices, another genre has gained steam: hip-hop. This summer, artists including Kendrick Lamar, Drake and Tyler, the Creator, have packed venues across the world. YoungBoy Never Broke Again, fresh from a Trump pardon, plans an arena tour this fall. It’s selling well for an artist who built a following with little radio success. Read more about rap’s growing share of the live music business. More on culture Trending: “And Just Like That …,” the “Sex and the City” revival, ended last night on a bittersweet note. Read a recap. The late night hosts joked about today’s Trump-Putin summit. KILLER STYLE From left: courtesy of Saint Laurent; Alexander Simonelli; Tony Cenicola for The New York Times; © Lions Gate/Everett Collection; courtesy of 19-69 Patrick Bateman had a skin care routine before it was cool. Now he has his own fragrance and a Manhattan cocktail bar. And his signature look (double-breasted jacket, slicked-back hair) has become a sartorial inspiration. Bateman, the serial-killing Wall Street banker played by Christian Bale in “American Psycho,” was a piece of satire. He frequents trendy nightclubs, flaunts his credit cards and, only occasionally, murders people with a chain saw. Yet his style has gone mainstream. Is it possible, Jameson Montgomery asks, that we’re missing the joke? THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Rachel Vanni for The New York Times Simmer chicken breasts in a summery, tomatoey, piccata-esque sauce. Organize your closet. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was birdbath. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 17, 2025 Author Members Posted August 17, 2025 August 16, 2025 Good morning. Presidents Trump and Putin met for three hours in Alaska yesterday but emerged with no progress to share on the war in Ukraine. “There is no deal until there’s a deal,” Trump said at a news conference afterward. It was Putin’s first face-to-face meeting with an American president since he started the war in 2022. Here’s what you need to know. Presidents Trump and Vladimir Putin at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage. Doug Mills/The New York Times A deal? Both men referred to an agreement without detailing what it might be. Trump said he would call NATO officials to update them on the talks, which lasted about half as long as officials had planned. “Many points were agreed to, and there are just a very few that are left,” Trump said. The word “cease-fire” was not mentioned. Following the talks, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he would meet with President Trump in Washington on Monday. Mutual admiration. Putin referred to Trump as his “dear neighbor” and, in a public relations gift, confirmed something Trump often claims: that he would not have attacked Ukraine if Trump had still been in the White House. Trump, in turn, spoke warmly of his friend “Vladimir.” Breaking protocol. As the summit began, the two presidents rode alone, without aides or interpreters, in Trump’s limousine, a rarity. At the news conference later, Putin spoke first, unusual for a visiting head of state on American soil. No questions. The presidents exited the stage after shaking hands, ignoring the raised hands of dozens of journalists from both their countries and around the world. That was unusual for Trump, who gave an interview shortly afterward to Fox News in which he put the onus for a cease-fire on Ukraine: “Now it is really up to President Zelensky to get it done.” We have more news below. But first: a word from one of our weather journalists. (Melissa Kirsch’s column will be back next week.) Andrew Testa for the New York Times; NOAA Hurricane Erin By Erin McCann I’m watching this storm a little more closely than usual. I like to think I’m not a destructive person. A little clumsy, maybe. Not terribly tidy. But not a menace. Yet a storm bearing my name is the year’s first Atlantic hurricane; it may even become a Category 4. Storms get names, so this isn’t that odd — except that my job is to assign and edit stories about coming storms. My colleagues have started referring to Human Erin and Storm Erin to keep things straight. “Erin’s raging,” one joked yesterday. “I’m updating Erin,” said another. Wait — the story or the editor? We Erins have been here before. We got added to the list of names used for tropical cyclones in 1989. Ours comes up every six years. So the fifth storm this year, for E, means I’m in the news again. No Erin has been destructive enough to make officials retire the name. That’s good: I don’t want my name to strike fear. (Except when reporters miss deadline!) This time, Hurricane Erin is likely to turn away from land by next week, so even if it musters some menace, it will do so at sea. More sound than fury. (Also, same.) THE LATEST NEWS Kenny Holston/The New York Times D.C. Takeover Under pressure from a federal judge, the Justice Department agreed that Washington’s police chief would retain control of the city’s police force. House and Senate Democrats also introduced legislation that would end the Trump administration’s police department takeover. The White House has highlighted youth crime in the city as a problem. While there have been spikes and troughs, juvenile arrests have generally fallen over the past 15 years. More Politics A federal court let the Trump administration proceed with plans to gut the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. A Pennsylvania congressman traded stocks, then appeared to boost them with his votes on the House floor. It’s drawing scrutiny ahead of next year’s midterm elections. New York’s governor pardoned an immigrant from Laos convicted of manslaughter to stop his deportation. The mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell, was indicted in federal court following a yearslong corruption probe. For decades, Democrats were the party of procedure. But in their tit-for-tat redistricting war with Republicans, they may be done with decorum. Other Big Stories Air Canada’s 10,000 flight attendants went on strike, seeking pay for work they currently do without compensation when planes are on the ground. Here’s what travelers need to know. The stock market keeps climbing past bad news. This is why. A colony of bats parked itself in the rustic hotel where economic policymakers from around the world will convene next week. THE WEEK IN CULTURE And Just Like That … Sarah Jessica Parker plays Carrie Bradshaw. Craig Blankenhorn/HBO Max “And Just Like That …,” the “Sex and the City” revival, ended this week. Sarah Jessica Parker spoke to The Times about how Carrie changed. On “Cannonball,” a Times podcast you can watch, Wesley Morris and Taffy Brodesser-Akner celebrate the show and blame you for its untimely end. More on Film and TV Spike Lee is back with “Highest 2 Lowest,” which stars Denzel Washington as a big-time record exec whose son is targeted in a kidnapping plot. Also out this week: “Americana,” a neo-western starring Sydney Sweeney and Halsey. Our critic called it slick and skillful. Read the review. Steve Buscemi has played an enviable roster of affable malcontents. He adds to that list as a principal in Season 2 of Netflix’s “Wednesday.” After 35 years, there’s a new “Peanuts” musical. Music To promote their upcoming albums, Taylor Swift and Drake — two of the biggest pop stars of the 21st century — gave (very) long interviews this week, Jon Caramanica notes. There’s a growing wave of new music videos for years-old songs. Some are tied to reissues, while others capitalize on viral moments. More Culture Jungle (“Back on 74”); Universal Pictures (“Sweet Charity”); FKA twigs (“Childlike Things"); NYCB (Kay Mazzo in “Duo Concertante”) It can feel overwhelming to watch a dance. If you follow the hands, they can unlock the mysteries of a moving body, our dance critic Gia Kourlas writes. A new Ralph Lauren collection and HBO’s “The Gilded Age” show the complexities of portraying the Black elite, Yola Mzizi writes. Save up to 75% on Games. Our best offer won’t last. Add some play to your day with Wordle, Spelling Bee, Connections, the Crossword and more. Subscribe to New York Times Games and save up to 75% on your first year — get full access to our puzzle archives, play ad free in the app, use tools to help you improve and more. CULTURE CALENDAR By Alexis Soloski ? “Long Story Short” (Friday): Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s previous animated comedy “Bojack Horseman” was an unusually profound show about depression and fame, centered on an anthropomorphic horse. This one hits a little closer to home. Bob-Waksberg, who grew up in a Jewish family in Northern California, has written a show about a Jewish family in Northern California, the Schwoopers. Is that funny? Maybe! While this new show doesn’t match the daunting gags-per-minute ratio of “Bojack,” it includes an inventive time-pogoing structure and plenty of pathos among the jokes. The actors Lisa Edelstein, Paul Reiser and Abbi Jacobson raise their voices. RECIPE OF THE WEEK David Malosh for The New York Times By Melissa Clark Raspberry-Nectarine Icebox Cake David Tanis’s raspberry-nectarine icebox cake is a no-cook sweet that brings cool comfort amid the heat. This fruit-filled confection is a bit like tiramisù with its lady fingers and billowing cream, but David gives it pops of color and juicy acidity by folding in ripe berries and stone fruit for a brilliant, mellow summer treat. REAL ESTATE Katherine Marks for The New York Times The Hunt: A maple syrup farmer and “empty-nest bachelor” looked for a place to reinvent himself as a writer on the Upper East Side. Which home did he choose? Play our game. What you get for $525,000: A condo in a 1910 building in Stonington, Maine; a Colonial Revival house in Warrenton, Ga.; or a 1929 ranch house in Durham, N.C. LIVING Taryn Baxter Who’ll stop the rain? At some weddings, the answer is a shaman. Ask Well: “Does drinking milk actually make your bones stronger?” Look of the Week: A city girl allergic to wearing black. ADVICE FROM WIRECUTTER A.C. not cutting it? Get a dehumidifier. If you’ll forgive the groan-inducing dad cliché, sometimes it really is the humidity, not the heat, that gets to you. You can crank your A.C., but it won’t cool you down if your sweat can’t evaporate. Enter the dehumidifier. We reach for these to dry out our basements, but it’s closer to an air-conditioner than you might think. That’s because wet air retains more heat. So on the worst summer days, I’ll drag one of Wirecutter’s top dehumidifiers (our favorite is on sale right now!) up out of the cellar. — Thom Dunn GAME OF THE WEEK Cal Raleigh of the Mariners watches as Francisco Lindor of the Mets hits a homer yesterday. Jim Mcisaac/Getty Images Mets vs. Mariners, M.L.B.’s Little League Classic: The annual Little League World Series got underway this week in Williamsport, Pa., and the big leaguers are stopping by. The Mets and the Mariners will watch 10-, 11- and 12-year-olds from around the world compete before their own matchup, in a place whether neither team gets home-field advantage. It should be an entertaining contest for anyone who likes the long ball: Each team has two of the top 10 home run hitters. One of them, Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh — happily known as Big Dumper for his hefty caboose — has been one of the sport’s most exciting players this year. Tomorrow at 7:10 p.m. Eastern on ESPN NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was opulent. Take the news quiz to see how well you followed this week’s headlines. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. — Melissa Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 18, 2025 Author Members Posted August 18, 2025 August 17, 2025 Good morning. Should you look at your phone before bed? Scientists offer some surprising answers. Grace J Kim Light it up By Caroline Hopkins Legaspi I cover sleep. Don’t look at your phone before bed if you want a decent night’s sleep, we’ve been told. In fact, put it in another room! The blue light from screens will make it harder for you to conk out and leave you feeling less rested tomorrow, research says. Right? Actually, no. The link between blue light and sleep is murkier than originally thought, scientists now say. In some cases, screen use can even help you sleep. This doesn’t mean you should turn on every device in your bedroom before you hit the sack. But there’s already enough anxiety about how to sleep well; maybe don’t stress about this. In a story published this morning, I explain what we know. The research After blue light hits your eyes, the brain suppresses the production of the hormone melatonin, which normally makes you feel drowsy. As a result, you feel more alert. Not all screen use seems to cause this dip. It may depend on how bright your device is, how long you use it for and how close it is to your eyes. One small study found that watching television from nine feet away had no effect on melatonin levels. And it’s not even clear whether screen exposure impairs sleep in the first place. Most studies on the topic were performed in controlled laboratories with a small number of subjects, so it’s hard to say if their results translate to regular life. What caused your restless night? Maybe it was an afternoon cup of coffee or a snoring bed partner, not blue light. In 2024, the National Sleep Foundation concluded that there wasn’t enough evidence to blame blue light for sleeplessness. What you’re watching Some research suggests that what you do with your device may matter more than whether you use it. Interactive activities like video games, social media, shopping and gambling are among the worst things you can do. They engage the brain’s reward system, which can keep you awake and glued to your device well into the night. You can put down the iPad, but “you can’t turn your brain off,” one researcher told me. There’s less consensus about other types of screen use. It may depend on what you’re watching on your phone or reading on your Kindle. A suspenseful drama might mess with your sleep more than a comforting old series. If you already know the outcome, you’ll have an easier time turning off your phone — and your brain. The good screens For people who struggle with dark, obsessive thoughts just before bed, watching or reading something relaxing may actually help. It should be engaging enough to distract from your negative thoughts yet boring enough not to keep you up. The “sweet spot” seems to be something light and familiar like a scripted comedy, said one psychologist who specializes in insomnia. His patients love “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.” Whatever you decide to read or watch, try to avoid doing it in bed. That helps your brain associate your bed with one thing — sleep. Read about how researchers changed their tune. UP IN SMOKE In rural San Luis Obispo County, Calif. Loren Elliott for The New York Times The smoke from the wildfires that burned through Los Angeles in January smelled like plastic and was so thick that it hid the ocean. Firefighters who responded developed instant migraines, coughed up black goo and dropped to their knees, vomiting and dizzy. Seven months later, some are still jolted awake by wheezing fits in the middle of the night. One damaged his vocal cords so badly that his young son says he sounds like a supervillain. Another used to run a six-minute mile and now struggles to run at all. It would be unthinkable for urban firefighters to enter a burning building without a mask. But across the country, tens of thousands of people who fight wildfires spend weeks working in toxic smoke and ash wearing only a cloth bandanna, or nothing at all. Wildfire crews were once seasonal laborers who fit in deployments between other jobs. They might have experienced only a few bad smoke days a year and had the winter and spring to recover. Now, as the United States sees more drought and extreme heat, forest fires are starting earlier in the year, burning longer and expanding farther. These firefighters often work almost year-round. And many of them are getting very sick. Read Hannah Dreier’s report about what’s happening to them. THE LATEST NEWS Trump-Putin Summit Leaving Anchorage. Doug Mills/The New York Times After the meeting, President Trump backed off calls for a cease-fire in Ukraine. He instead sided with President Vladimir Putin’s preference to pursue a broad peace agreement based on Ukraine’s ceding unconquered territory to Russia. Putin implied the war was about lost glory and Russia’s diminished status since the fall of the Soviet Union. The proposed lunch menu included a local dish that surprised Alaskans — halibut Olympia, fish baked with a mayonnaise-based sauce and cracker crumbs. (The lunch was canceled.) War in Gaza Fadi Alzant, 6, arrived from Gaza for emergency medical treatment in New York in May. Anna Watts for The New York Times The U.S. government paused approvals of visitor visas for people from Gaza, a key pathway for those seeking medical care in the U.S. Israelis joined rallies and a nationwide strike today calling for an agreement to release the hostages in Gaza. National Guard The governors of Ohio, West Virginia and South Carolina said that they would send members of their states’ National Guard to expand the troops’ presence in Washington. Hundreds of protesters marched through the capital to protest the National Guard deployment. Other Big Stories As Hurricane Erin approached in Luquillo, P.R. Ricardo Arduengo/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Hurricane Erin brought heavy rain and wind to the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Americans were searching online for its path; it is forecast to miss the eastern U.S. An Air Canada strike ended, but it is likely to take days for flights to return to normal. A hiker in Tennessee died after picking up a rattlesnake that then bit him. THE SUNDAY DEBATE Zohran Mamdani lives in a rent-stabilized apartment even though he makes $142,000. Does it matter? Yes. Mamdani benefits from a housing provision meant for low-income New Yorkers. “Seems like Mamdani has a very personal interest in batting down proposals for means testing,” The New York Post’s Rikki Schlott writes. (Means testing is when your income determines your eligibility for a government benefit.) No. Almost half of all New York City apartments are rent-stabilized. “Is Cuomo really proposing that middle class and upper middle class New Yorkers should be barred from 50% of all apartments?” City & State New York’s Peter Sterne writes. FROM OPINION Unlike some Americans, Jacob Dreyer doesn’t see China’s rising biotech sector as a threat. Its cheap drugs could compete with Big Pharma and incentivize the development of new medicines, he argues. Gen X-ers feel professionally disappointed, but they shouldn’t blame younger generations for their problems, Elizabeth Spiers writes. Here’s a column by Nicholas Kristof on his pro-Israel critics. Save up to 75% on Games. Our best offer won’t last. Add some play to your day with Wordle, Spelling Bee, Connections, the Crossword and more. Subscribe to New York Times Games and save up to 75% on your first year — get full access to our puzzle archives, play ad free in the app, use tools to help you improve and more. MORNING READS Laila Stevens for The New York Times TikTok Live: People are watching strawberry picking online. They’re interested in the hidden work behind American abundance. Spain: The tradition of the siesta is no accident. It’s how people have stayed cool in extreme heat for years. Attention span: Being in nature is great for your brain. Experts are trying to figure out why. Vows: How do you win a professor’s heart? Play the long game. Your pick: The Morning’s most-clicked link yesterday was about climbing stocks. “General Hospital”: Tristan Rogers, a soap opera star, died at 79. He became a fixture of daytime television by playing a mysterious spy who became a police commissioner on the soap opera. SPORTS Track and field: Kishane Thompson of Jamaica beat the American Noah Lyles by fractions of a second at the Diamond League meet in Silesia, Poland. M.L.S.: Lionel Messi is back. After going out with a hamstring injury on Aug. 2, Messi scored and had an impressive assist in Inter Miami’s 3-1 win over the LA Galaxy. M.L.B.: In a dramatic, 11th-inning win, the Milwaukee Brewers extended their winning streak to 14 games, setting a new franchise record. College: Five former Wisconsin women’s basketball players have filed a lawsuit against the former coach Marisa Moseley, claiming psychological abuse. BOOK OF THE WEEK By Gilbert Cruz I’m the editor of the Times’s Book Review. “Tonight in Jungleland: The Making of Born to Run,” by Peter Ames Carlin: Fifty years ago this month, Bruce Springsteen released his third album, which still remains one of the great “musician to rock star” level-ups. Carlin, a rock biographer, has written about Paul McCartney, R.E.M., Brian Wilson and Springsteen himself in a previous book. Now he goes deep on the making of “Born to Run,” a collection of tunes on which, as our reviewer writes, Springsteen poured “all his literary and commercial aspirations into songs that unabashedly reach for sweaty glory.” THE INTERVIEW Devin Oktar Yalkin for The New York Times By David Marchese This week’s subject for The Interview is Chris Voss, a former F.B.I. lead hostage negotiator and a co-author of “Never Split the Difference,” the perennial best seller on negotiation skills. I talked with Voss about his belief that empathy is what drives effective negotiation as well as his assessment of Trump’s deal making. Earlier this year, Elon Musk said that empathy is “the fundamental weakness of Western civilization.” He called it a “bug” that can be manipulated. Do you give any credence to that thinking? What’s your definition of empathy? If it’s being able to articulate the other side’s point of view without agreeing with it or disagreeing with it, it’s not a weakness. Now, is it manipulation? Similar to a knife, in one person’s hand it’s a murder weapon, and in another person’s hand it’s a scalpel and saves the life. It’s an incredibly powerful tool that relies upon the user. Does the Trump administration demonstrate empathy? I think he has a highly evolved understanding of how other people see things. What makes you say that? The thing with Iran recently, when we decided to add to the ordnance being dropped on the nuclear sites. The reporting was that Israel was thinking about trying to take out the Iranian leader and that Trump was against that. My view is that’s smart for a number of reasons. First of all, if you agree to take out the head of a country, you’re declaring there’s open season and fair is fair, which means they’re free to come after you. To me, there’s a sense of empathy there. Not necessarily agreeing, not being on their side, but if empathy is understanding how somebody sees it, I think he has a highly evolved sense of it. Do you think he has a highly evolved sense of empathy when it comes to understanding how other people “see it” on immigration? I don’t think he is oblivious to how people see things, and to lack empathy is to be oblivious. Now, what decisions that causes you to make is a whole separate issue. Read more of the interview here, or watch a longer version on YouTube. THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE Photograph by Erin Brethauer Read this week’s magazine. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Try a trainer-recommended fitness test. Buy a kitchen appliance that won’t take up too much room. Get your sheets really clean. MEAL PLAN Rachel Vanni for The New York Times In this week’s Five Weeknight Dishes newsletter, Emily Weinstein suggests making tomato basil chicken breasts, coconut-dill salmon with green beans and corn, and a one-pot zucchini-basil pasta. Emily also recommends firing up the grill and preparing something simple, like a salt-and-pepper-and-cook-it salmon or baked tofu. NOW TIME TO PLAY Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were accruing and uncaring. Can you put eight historical events — including Julius Caesar, the first known Chinese writing and the recording of the “You’ve got mail” greeting at AOL — in chronological order? Take this week’s Flashback quiz. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your weekend with The Times. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 18, 2025 Author Members Posted August 18, 2025 August 18, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: Ukraine: Volodymyr Zelensky is set to meet with President Trump at the White House today. In a show of solidarity, several European leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, plan to attend. Read what to know. Texas: The Democratic lawmakers who fled the state to halt an aggressive redistricting are expected to return today after a two-week absence. The Republican-proposed map could be passed quickly. Bolivia: A centrist senator won the first round of the country’s presidential election, signaling the end of two decades of socialist party dominance. More news is below. But first, we go inside a story about Syria’s missing children. Laila and Layan Ghbees. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times The lost children By Adam B. Kushner I’m the editor of this newsletter. The collapse of a dictatorship is when its subjects can finally confront the past. It’s a time for finding the disappeared, for bringing up the bodies, for holding bosses accountable, for making victims whole. It’s also a time for journalism. The public has benefited from incredible reportage after the fall of despots in Argentina, Egypt, the Soviet Union and many other places. That sort of work, exposing atrocities, is what first made me want to be a journalist. I felt similarly galvanized by Shane Bauer’s shocking Times Magazine story about Syria, which published this morning. During the 13-year revolt against Bashar al-Assad, the regime disappeared around 100,000 people, more than any government since the Nazis. “Among the missing,” Shane writes, “are thousands of children.” Syrian families were desperate for answers, so Shane — a freelance journalist who was in Damascus to write about the new government for the Times — started investigating. I spoke to him for today’s newsletter about what he found. How did you get onto this story? I visited abandoned prisons of the former regime’s secret police and kept seeing signs of children — tiny sandals, clothes with cartoon characters, a doll made from cloth scraps. Then I got ahold of some documents showing that kids were being taken from these prisons and hidden away in orphanages. In broad strokes, what happened to them? The secret police abducted many of them with their parents and brought them to interrogation sites. Then they were placed in orphanages. The regime changed some children’s names and let them be adopted. Many were so young that they forgot who their parents were. The boys in these places were often conscripted when they came of age. Why did the government do this? Sometimes to punish their fathers or other male relatives, or to pressure those men to turn themselves in. The children might be released if the men surrendered. Other kids were intended never to see their families again. Some Syrians speculated that the regime changed children’s identities to disconnect them from families who were associated with the opposition, or to prevent them from looking for parents who were killed under torture. Where were the parents all this time? Most were either in prison or killed. Missing-persons fliers in Damascus, Syria. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times Tell us the story of Laila and Layan Ghbees. Laila was 8 and Layan was 4 when agents of the mukhabarat, the Syrian secret police, arrested them with their parents. Their uncle was a humanitarian worker in their hometown, which was under rebel control, so the government considered him a terrorist. It eventually became clear that they’d disappeared the family to punish him. This was a common tactic. The girls spent a week in an underground prison cell with their mother, then years in orphanages run by SOS Children’s Villages, an international nonprofit. Their mother didn’t know where they were. SOS staff helped hide the children of political prisoners. Documents I obtained showed that the government placed them in SOS facilities under orders to conceal their identities. Relatives typically had no idea where they went. Among the few who discovered the truth, some told me that when they showed up at SOS care centers to ask for the children, staff wouldn’t even admit to having them. They were cooperating with the government? I found several cases in which SOS wouldn’t hand kids over — even to their parents — without explicit permission from the mukhabarat. SOS told me that it “did not intentionally contribute to the disappearance of any child.” But an internal review concluded that Syrian security services placed at least 139 children into its custody “without proper documentation.” Were families reunified after the war? The morning after Assad fled the country, dozens of children of political prisoners were found by their relatives in orphanages in and around Damascus. The new government has formed a committee to investigate the abductions and locate the missing kids. It’s still not clear how many are still unaccounted-for. The head of the inquiry told me “it could be hundreds.” You have an unusual relationship to political prisons. You spent two years in one. I was living in Damascus in 2009 when two friends and I decided to visit Iraqi Kurdistan. We went on a hike from a local tourist site and unknowingly approached the Iranian border, where officials detained us. They brought us to Evin Prison in Tehran and placed us in a ward for Iranian political prisoners. That experience motivated me to spend years reporting on prisons afterward. I even worked as a prison guard in Louisiana. I didn’t intend to write about forced disappearance when I went to Syria after the regime fell. But when my reporting brought me to these prisons, I felt oddly fortunate. Only Assad’s dungeons could make Iranian prison seem bearable. Read Shane’s story here. THE LATEST NEWS Ukraine Talks At the White House in February. Eric Lee/The New York Times At the Alaska meeting, Vladimir Putin proposed that Ukraine hand over territory to stop the fighting. That proposal could lead Trump to, once again, view Zelensky as an obstacle to peace. European leaders are joining Zelensky at the White House to ensure that Trump hasn’t pivoted too close to the Russian side and doesn’t try to force an unfavorable deal, David Sanger writes. More on the Trump Administration In Washington, the authorities are clearing homeless people from the streets as part of Trump’s crackdown. That has made some people’s already strained lives more unstable. Democrats believe Trump is stoking fear about crime for political gain. However they are treading carefully in response: Issues of public safety resonate with their own supporters, too. Louisville’s Democratic mayor allowed federal agents to detain immigrants for longer. His decision shielded the city from the administration’s ire but has prompted blowback from his party. International In Paris. Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times Parts of France recently experienced record-high heat. Officials in Paris are preparing for the day when temperatures there could possibly reach 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Israel said dozens of its citizens were lured through the internet to work for Iran, carrying out acts of sabotage and plotting assassinations. Trump’s high tariffs on India threaten livelihoods across several industries, including carpetmaking. The government doesn’t seem to have a plan. Air Canada’s flight attendants said they would defy the government’s back-to-work order and continue a strike that has disrupted travel throughout the country. Other Big Stories Don Arias’s brother died on Sept. 11. Micah Green for The New York Times The man accused of masterminding 9/11 has been in custody for more than two decades. The families of the victims are losing hope of justice. Andrew Cuomo has become more visible and more acid-tongued since overhauling his New York mayoral campaign. OPINIONS The I.R.S. is right to allow churches to engage in political speech. But that should not include funding political campaigns, which could turn churches into PACs, Benjamin Leff writes. “Many such cases”: Trump’s style of speaking has become average everyday speech. It could mean we start to think like him, too, Adam Aleksic writes. Here are columns by David French on the National Guard and Margaret Renkl on Nashville storms. Save up to 75% on Games. Our best offer won’t last. Add some play to your day with Wordle, Spelling Bee, Connections, the Crossword and more. Subscribe to New York Times Games and save up to 75% on your first year — get full access to our puzzle archives, play ad free in the app, use tools to help you improve and more. MORNING READS Exchanging puzzles. Brandon Thibodeaux for The New York Times Puzzlers assemble: In 1978, Jerry Slocum assembled the first International Puzzle Party in his living room. Now it’s a global event. Artificial intelligence: An actor sold his likeness. Now his avatar is shilling supplements on TikTok. Routine: See how Nina Garcia, the editor in chief of Elle, spends a day. Dating: To meet strangers in real life, some people are putting away their phones and looking up. Metropolitan Diary: Oyster detour. Your pick: The most clicked article in The Morning yesterday was about a hiker in a Tennessee state park who died after picking up a rattlesnake that then bit him. Trending: Terence Stamp, a British actor, died at 87. His film roles included a violent 19th-century swordsman in “Far From the Madding Crowd” and a tyrant from another planet in “Superman.” SPORTS N.F.L.: Spike Lee’s Colin Kaepernick docuseries for ESPN Films is no longer proceeding with the company. An ESPN representative cited “creative differences.” Golf: Scottie Scheffler continued his run of dominance, chasing down Robert MacIntyre at the BMW Championship to claim his 18th PGA Tour win. NO MORE PERKS At LaGuardia Airport. Vincent Alban/The New York Times It’s getting harder to be a travel hacker. For years, savvy consumers found ways to squeeze every last drop of value out of travel credit cards and loyalty programs run by banks and airlines. But the companies have become increasingly sophisticated about closing loopholes and limiting certain perks. Now, experts say its becoming difficult to score really big deals. More on culture The cover of “Wish You Were Here.” Rahman Hassani/SOPA Images/LightRocket, via Getty Images Ronnie Rondell, a stuntman who was set alight for Pink Floyd’s 1975 album, “Wish You Were Here,” died at 88. A weekly pickup basketball game in Manhattan is populated almost entirely by comics, including up-and-coming acts, stand-ups past their prime and even industry A-listers. “And Just Like That…” has come to an end. Follow Carrie Bradshaw through her life in New York City’s real estate. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Ryan Liebe for The New York Times Bake salmon with harissa and cherry tomatoes for an easy weeknight dinner. Improve your posture with these Pilates moves. Use a sunrise alarm clock that actually works. Take our news quiz. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were abdicate, abdicated and diabetic. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 19, 2025 Author Members Posted August 19, 2025 August 19, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: Canada: Air Canada reached a tentative deal to end its flight attendants’ strike. The airline says the walkout has affected 500,000 passengers. Gaza: Hamas accepted a new cease-fire proposal put forward by Qatar and Egypt, diplomats said. It was unclear whether Israel would accept it. Epstein files: A top House Republican said that the Justice Department would begin to share documents related to its Jeffrey Epstein investigation this week. More news is below. But first, a look at yesterday’s Ukraine talks. At the White House. Doug Mills/The New York Times A united front? By Jodi Rudoren I’m The Times’s director of newsletters. President Trump has been known to parrot the positions of the last person he’s heard. Which might explain why European leaders rushed to the White House yesterday. They were loath to let Vladimir Putin’s message during Friday’s Alaska summit with Trump go unanswered. So presidents and prime ministers disrupted summer holidays and scrambled to Washington on less than 24 hours’ notice from, among other places, an island off the French Riviera. Our London bureau chief, Mark Landler, called it “diplomatic FOMO.” They came to support Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky. One by one, they lavished Trump with the praise and gratitude that moves him. (They’ve learned by now, that’s what works.) And they repeated their priorities: security guarantees and cease-fire, cease-fire and security guarantees. Trump was a gracious host, complimenting the German chancellor’s tan and the Finnish president’s youthful looks. He demurred on a cease-fire, saying several times that he’d ended six wars around the world this year without one. He seemed to commit to security guarantees, though it’s not clear what they would look like. He all but promised a “trilat” — a three-way meeting — among himself, Putin and Zelensky within a week or two. Here’s a look at yesterday’s talks, the prospects for a peace deal and what’s at stake. Presidential pivots. The tone of Trump’s appearance with Zelensky was a 180-degree shift from their disastrous Oval Office session six months ago. Having been accused of disrespect last time, the Ukrainian leader traded his fatigues for a black jacket, a button-down and slacks. Having been chastised for ingratitude, Zelensky publicly thanked Trump at least 10 times. Trump, in turn, was downright friendly. Land concessions? Putin says he won’t withdraw from Ukraine unless Russia gets the Donbas, an industrial region he has claimed since 2014. It’s the focus of Russia’s summer offensive. But at least 200,000 civilians live in the fraction still under Ukrainian control. And the Ukrainian Constitution bars Zelensky from giving up territory without a public referendum. Still, it’s clear the men discussed the idea, writes David Sanger, a White House correspondent who covered the Alaska summit. “Thank you for the map, by the way,” Zelensky said in front of the cameras. Not said was who had drawn the map or what, exactly, it showed. (This piece helpfully explains Putin’s fascination with the Donbas.) Source: Institute for the Study of War with American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project (extent of Russia-controlled areas as of Aug. 17) | By The New York Times Protection from Russia. What does Ukraine need to feel safe? “Everything,” Zelensky said. He ticked off weapons, troops, training and intelligence. Trump ducked questions about whether American troops might join a peacekeeping force. But after months of berating his predecessor for spending billions to help Ukraine defend itself, Trump now suggests that the U.S. would indeed help protect the country from future invasions. Read more about how security guarantees could work. Seated around a table with cameras whirring, several of the European leaders invoked as a model NATO’s Article 5 — which says that an attack on any member is considered an attack on all members. Trump agreed that the provision for Ukraine could be “NATO-like.” The NATO chief, a Trump fan and one of his eight guests yesterday, called this seeming change of heart “a really big deal.” Fighting continues. Even as Zelensky arrived in Washington, Russia was still firing on Ukraine. Its strikes yesterday killed at least 14 people, including two children. But Trump was noncommittal as several of his European counterparts said that hostilities must stop immediately. “I don’t think you need a cease-fire,” Trump said, noting that his negotiations to end the decades-long conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, among others, had taken place without one. “I know that it might be good to have. But I can also understand, strategically, why one country or the other wouldn’t want it.” Later, he said that “all of us would obviously prefer an immediate cease-fire,” but that Putin and Zelensky would have to work it out themselves. “As of this moment, it’s not happening.” Next steps. Trump says he’ll soon bring the Ukrainian and Russian presidents together. “If you like, I’ll go to that meeting,” Trump told Zelensky. (“Ukraine will be happy if you participate,” Zelensky responded.) It would be the first face-to-face for the adversaries since 2019, three years before Putin invaded Ukraine. “If we have a trilat,” Trump said, “there’s a good chance of maybe ending it.” While Zelensky and the Europeans were still at the White House, Trump called Putin to fill him in on the day’s talks. He said they’d talk again after the European leaders left. If he did, the Russian leader would again be the last person he heard on the subject. For more The most clicked article in The Morning yesterday was about what to expect from the talks. Read about what actually happened: Here are five takeaways. After the Alaska summit, some feared that Trump was about to forge a peace around Russian demands. Yesterday’s talks seem to have forestalled that outcome. Trump gave vague assurances of security guarantees if Zelensky agreed to a deal with Putin. A lot is riding on whether Zelensky can trust Trump, Zolan Kanno-Youngs writes. Trump published a personal letter that Melania Trump sent to Putin, asking him to protect children. It did not directly mention the war in Ukraine. THE LATEST NEWS Voting Trump said that he would push to eliminate voting by mail shortly after he discussed the issue with Putin. Trump claims, without evidence, that mail-in voting is rife with fraud. Texas Democrats ended their two-week walkout, allowing Republicans to pass a gerrymandered congressional map backed by Trump. Newsmax, a right-wing cable channel, will pay $67 million to settle a libel lawsuit over its false claims that Dominion Voting Systems rigged votes. More on the Trump Administration The Air Force’s top general will retire early, about halfway through his term. Trump purged much of the Pentagon’s top brass soon after returning to office. The governors of Mississippi and Louisiana said they would deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington. The administration has discussed taking a 10 percent stake in Intel, the troubled American chipmaker, as part of a revival effort. European Heat Wave In the Galicia region of Spain this past weekend. Mikel Konate/Reuters Thousands of soldiers and firefighters are battling wildfires in Spain as southern Europe swelters under life-threatening heat. Spain’s afternoon napping tradition has helped people cope with extreme heat for centuries. Here’s a map tracking Europe’s heat wave. Middle East Israel is in talks to send Gazans to South Sudan. Critics say a mass relocation could violate international law. Protests in Tel Aviv show that many Israelis believe that the government needs to come to terms with Hamas in order to free hostages, writes Isabel Kershner. Media Shari Redstone spent a lifetime trying to win control of her family’s media empire. Why did she then sell Paramount Global so quickly? She spoke to The Times about her decision. A group of philanthropists are giving $27 million to the PBS and NPR stations most at risk from government funding cuts. Trending: People were searching online for why MSNBC is changing its name to MS NOW. (A corporate spinoff is splitting it from NBC News.) Other Big Stories Hurricane Erin is getting bigger: Its powerful winds and heavy rain could cause dangerous conditions along parts of the East Coast. North Carolina ordered some coastal evacuations. Do you have questions about the new school year? Ask them here, and we will pick some to answer in an upcoming newsletter. CLANKER OLYMPICS The New York Times The Humanoid Robot Games sounds like something out of a science-fiction movie. But the event is real. Over three days in Beijing, robots from 16 countries competed in running, kickboxing and soccer. Some landed back flips and navigated obstacle courses. Others fell over — a lot. Alan Fern, a robotics professor, said the games highlighted the progress of the industry, but also how far it had to go. “The robots are still dumb,” he said. OPINIONS Anuj Shrestha Vaccines don’t cause autism, but this visual analysis shows how a father and son manipulated data to say it does, Jessica Steier writes. Tech companies should stop obsessing over the prospect of making A.I. superhuman and focus on its benefits for everyday life, Eric Schmidt and Selina Xu write. Here’s a column by Thomas Edsall on Trump’s wartime style. A new listening experience, now in The Times app. Make sense of the news. Gain new perspective. All in the Listen tab. Download app MORNING READS A nighttime stroll. David Lei Romeo and Juliet: The Times spent an evening in Central Park following two shy and graceful coyotes. “Roommate Court”: In a video series, a comedian passes judgment on New Yorkers’ household disagreements. Can you eat that? Food expiration dates are often not based on science, experts say. A Hollywood staple: Dan Tana, who has died at 90, was a former soccer player who opened the buzziest and most beloved Italian restaurant in Los Angeles. On a scale of 1 to 10, The Los Angeles Times wrote in 1989, “the people-watching at Tana’s rates 10.” SPORTS Cincinnati Open: Iga Świątek won the Cincinnati Open, a message to the U.S. Open field that she’s back in top form. Carlos Alcaraz won the men’s title in just over 20 minutes after Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1, retired through illness down 5-0. (Sinner fought back tears.) M.L.B.: The M.L.B. commissioner, Rob Manfred, says potential league expansion would provide an opportunity to geographically realign, which would “save a lot of wear and tear on our players in terms of travel.” THE FEMALE GAZE “Performative male” starter pack. April Alexander for The New York Times; Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell; Ye Fan for The New York Times; Hector Retamal/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images A new masculine archetype has arrived. Social media is obsessing over “performative males”; TikTokers are posting stealth videos of them in the wild. But what is a performative male? He is the opposite of macho — the antithesis of toxic masculinity. His vibe is designed to attract progressive women. He carries a tote bag (perhaps with a Labubu attached). He sips an iced matcha latte. He reads — or pretends to read — Sally Rooney or Joan Didion. He wears wired headphones and baggy pants. He listens to Clairo and wants to tell you about his vinyl collection. Street contests in Seattle and New York have sought to crown the best example. See photos and read about how we got here. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food stylist: Simon Andrews. Make creamy tomato lentil soup in the slow cooker. Achieve the perfect smoky eye with these expert tips. Keep cool with a neck fan. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was inflexible. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 20, 2025 Author Members Posted August 20, 2025 August 20, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: Clearances: President Trump revoked the security clearances of 37 current and former national security officials, many of whom analyzed foreign threats to U.S. elections. Smithsonian: Trump accused the Smithsonian Institution of focusing too much on “how bad slavery was.” His administration is reviewing the institution’s museum exhibits. Texas: Republicans in the State House are preparing to approve an aggressively redrawn congressional map today, overcoming Democratic protests. More news is below. But first, a look at how Trump is trying to change the way we vote. Kristian Thacker for The New York Times Register this By Nick Corasaniti I’ve covered the way we vote for seven years. President Trump may have won the presidency twice, but he still thinks the electoral system is rigged. In his view, the safest way to run a democracy is to vote at your local precinct, and only on Election Day. He believes without evidence that two popular methods are rife with fraud: mailed ballots and voting machines. This week, he said he would aim to eliminate them. He’s planning an executive order. This effort is years old — and based largely on conspiracy theories that emerged during the pandemic. (I covered them, alongside voting tech, extensively at the time.) But a change to how we vote could have a huge impact on elections, discarding decades of settled election law. Today’s newsletter gives you the basics. Can he do this? Probably not. The Constitution gives authority over elections to the states. They set the “times, places and manner” of elections; they decide the rules; they oversee voting and try to prevent fraud. Congress can also pass election laws or override state legislation, as it did with the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which helped enfranchise minority groups. But the president’s authority is limited. Last month, a federal judge blocked his executive order requiring documentary proof of citizenship to vote. “The Constitution does not grant the president any specific powers over elections,” the judge wrote. How many people vote by mail? You could vote absentee for decades, but many more people began casting their ballots this way during the 2020 election. It was a way to pick your leaders while avoiding Covid. It remains popular, presumably for convenience: You don’t have to call out of work or brave bad weather to exercise your civic right. In the 2024 election, nearly 40 million people voted by mail, according to the Election Lab at the University of Florida. How many use voting machines? Nearly every voter in the country. Some states use a wholly digital interface, like a large iPad. These tabulate the results and create a paper receipt for backup. Other states use machines to scan paper ballots, including those sent by mail. Some states use machines to sort incoming mail ballots. In Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Hannah Beier for The New York Times Are they safe? Or prone to fraud? Voter fraud in the United States is extremely rare across all forms of voting. Countless studies on the topic have found cases of voter fraud to be well below a fraction of a percent. Across six swing states in 2020, there were about 475 potential cases of fraud out of 25.5 million votes cast, according to a study by The Associated Press. Mail: There have been isolated instances of fraud in mail voting, including recently in a mayoral election in Connecticut and two elections in New Jersey. But neither instance involved large numbers of ballots. They were contained to small geographic areas. Trump says bogus mail ballots flood elections. There is no evidence for this. Machines: Despite claims by Trump and his allies that machines have been hacked, or results altered, there has never been any evidence. Does mail-in voting give either party an advantage? It used to be dominated by Republicans, who saw it as an efficient way to turn out rural voters. But since the pandemic, Democrats have embraced the method more widely. In part that’s because Trump disparaged voting by mail ahead of the 2020 election. In that race, 58 percent of Democrats voted by mail, compared with 29 percent of Republicans, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In the 2024 race, Trump changed his tune. He encouraged his supporters to vote by mail, and they listened: Republicans made large gains, though they still trailed Democrats in many states. If Trump can’t mandate a change, will Republican-led states do it themselves? Mail: They’ve been adding new restrictions to voting by mail ever since the 2020 election. Several eliminated the ability to submit mail ballots in drop boxes, while others have added identification requirements and shortened the window when you can send ballots in. Still, plenty of Republican-led states (Florida, Ohio, Utah and others) use mail voting, and it remains popular with older and rural voters. Machines: No state has looked to outlaw voting machines, but some Republican-led counties attempted hand counts of paper ballots in recent elections. It didn’t go well. Some efforts were abandoned when they took too long — or officials used machines to double-check their work. More on elections The Democrats are hemorrhaging voter registrations. In all 30 states that track registration by party, they lost ground to Republicans between 2020 and 2024 — often by a lot. A Texas lawmaker slept in the State Capitol to avoid the police surveillance that Republicans imposed after the Democratic walkout over redistricting. California Republicans filed a lawsuit to block Gov. Gavin Newsom’s redistricting plan. THE LATEST NEWS War in Ukraine Trump suggested that Vladimir Putin would be fine with European troops in Ukraine as part of a security guarantee. Russian officials have repeatedly rejected that idea. Trump also said that Putin had agreed to meet with Volodymyr Zelensky. Russia’s foreign minister downplayed the prospect. (Analysts say Putin would probably only meet to accept a capitulation.) After the recent meetings, diplomats are scrambling to prepare detailed proposals. Work like that usually happens before a summit, Zolan Kanno-Youngs writes. Where the border goes is central to a peace deal. Here’s a look at Russia’s advances into Ukrainian territory since it invaded Crimea in 2014. Maggie Haberman, who has covered Trump for years, explains how the president has struggled to convince Putin to go along with his plans. Click the video below to watch. D.C. Takeover The U.S. attorney’s office in Washington is investigating whether city police officials falsified crime data, widening the feud between federal and local authorities. More National Guard troops are in the city — mostly in tourist areas. The U.S. attorney there, Jeanine Pirro, has instructed prosecutors to maximize charges against anyone arrested in the administration’s crackdown. Education Trump has used negotiations with elite universities to extract money and power for his administration. Critics call it extortion. The administration’s policies mean many international students won’t make it to campus this fall: Some can’t get visa appointments; others are simply scared. Ask The Morning: Do you have questions about the start of the new school year? Send them here. We’ll answer some in a future newsletter. International The New York Times It’s hard to know how much damage U.S. bombs inflicted at Fordo, the Iranian nuclear facility buried in a mountain. The Times examined some clues. People in Pakistan used to look forward to monsoon rains as a source of renewal. This year, floods devastated large parts of the country, killing more than 700 people. Other Big Stories Eric Adams, New York’s mayor, demanded that the federal government stop arresting people at the city’s immigration courts, a rare break with Trump on immigration. Inflation is up and job creation is down, but the U.S. economy could still pull through without too much pain. New York City beaches will close to swimmers today and tomorrow as Hurricane Erin brings deadly currents. REORIENTATION The New York Times The Mercator map of the globe is what many of us were taught in school. It was created by a 16th-century German cartographer to help European explorers to navigate the seas. But the map distorts reality. It makes Europe and Africa appear to be roughly the same size; in fact, Africa is three times as big. Now African leaders are pushing to replace the Mercator map with a more accurately proportioned alternative, called Equal Earth: The New York Times “It is more than geography, it’s really about dignity and pride,” an African civic society leader told The Times. “Maps shape how we see the world, and also how power is perceived. So by correcting the map, we also correct the global narrative about Africa.” THE MORNING QUIZ This question comes from a recent edition of the newsletter. Click an answer to see if you’re right. (The link will be free.) Ronnie Rondell, a stuntman, died last week at 88. He appeared in a burning suit on an album cover for which band? Kiss Queen Pink Floyd Earth, Wind and Fire OPINIONS The warming planet is dividing American workers into two classes: the cooled who work inside and the cooked who work outside, Jeff Goodell writes. Here are columns by Thomas Friedman on Trump’s diplomatic style and M. Gessen on the real meaning of the Ukraine talks. A new listening experience, now in The Times app. Make sense of the news. Gain new perspective. All in the Listen tab. Download app MORNING READS In Carlingford, Ireland. Paulo Nunes dos Santos for The New York Times Leprechaun whisperer: Kevin Woods, who lives in rural Ireland, says he talks to magical creatures. Your pick: The most clicked article in The Morning yesterday was about the end of the Air Canada strike. Here’s what travelers need to know. Trending: The actress Aubrey Plaza spoke about her husband’s suicide for the first time publicly on Amy Poehler’s podcast, Variety reports. Pot proselytizer: Richard Lee, who has died at 62, turned to marijuana to control his pain after a paralyzing accident — and found his life’s mission in promoting its medical use and legalization. He helped kick-start the movement that has changed cannabis laws in 40 states. SPORTS Boxing: The boxer Julio César Chávez Jr., whose father was a world champion in multiple weight divisions, is being held in Mexico after the Department of Homeland Security deported him from the U.S. Chávez Jr. was wanted in Mexico on a variety of charges, the department said. M.L.B.: Aaron Judge is unlikely to throw normally again in 2025, the Yankees’ manager said. Judge is recovering from a flexor strain in his right arm. INTERNET SPEAK Advertisers are increasingly turning to generative A.I., creating visuals and voice-overs for commercials for a fraction of what they once cost. Some companies are embracing the change: In Britain, a TV network has helped create A.I.-generated spots for small businesses that had never made commercials before. But there are risks: Marketers warn that some customers bristle at the sight of A.I. imagery and question the ethics of replacing human writers and artists with machines. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Susie Theodorou. Bake mustardy sheet-pan salmon with greens. Travel with a great duffel bag. Make soda at home. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangrams were mezzotint, monetize and timezone. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Members phkrause Posted August 21, 2025 Author Members Posted August 21, 2025 August 21, 2025 Good morning. Here’s the latest: Middle East: Israel approved new settlements in the occupied West Bank and announced that it was advancing plans to take over Gaza City, raising questions about the viability of a new cease-fire proposal. Redistricting: Lawmakers in Texas and California will vote today on clashing, aggressively redrawn U.S. House maps. Epstein: A Manhattan judge denied a Justice Department request to unseal grand jury transcripts from the Jeffrey Epstein case. More news is below. But first: what you wanted to know about psychedelics. Smoking bufo, a dried secretion from a desert toad. Meridith Kohut for The New York Times A dose of something new Psychedelic drugs have won over some surprising converts. Scientists say they can treat a range of psychological ailments. Tech titans swear by them. Hollywood stars praise microdosing. Rick Perry — a onetime Texas governor and Trump official — is now an unlikely champion. In a recent newsletter, we asked for your questions about psychedelic drugs. You wondered about ailments they can treat, the dangers of using them and where you can get some. Today, The Times’s expert beat reporters answer. (Got a question for us? Submit it here.) Science and health Andrew Jacobs, who covers psychedelic medicine for the Science desk, answers these questions. I’ve read about so many compounds — psilocybin, LSD, ayahuasca, ketamine, MDMA, ibogaine. Which ones are used in psychedelic therapy, and why? Laura Wilcox, Arlington, Mass. Many mind-altering drugs have shown promise for conditions like depression, anorexia and post-traumatic stress disorder. Some, like the anesthetic ketamine, are not considered classic psychedelics but are often lumped together with other drugs that shape perceptions of reality. Here’s a quick primer: Psilocybin, LSD and ayahuasca are classic psychedelics, or serotonergic hallucinogens, because they act via serotonin receptors to produce vivid perceptual changes and mystical-type experiences. MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy or Molly, is an empathogen — a drug that fosters feelings of empathy, openness and connection to others. It increases the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Ibogaine, which induces a dreamlike state, is harder to classify and is best used under strict supervision. It has been associated with fatal heart arrhythmias. Are psychedelics a possible cure for dementia or cognitive decline? Ginger Gillison Schlather, Washington, D.C. The research is in its infancy. Investigators are especially interested in the drugs’ effects on neuroplasticity, mood and neuroinflammation — a key driver of Alzheimer’s disease. One study is looking at whether psilocybin can reduce depression and improve the quality of life for people with early-stage Alzheimer’s. What can these drugs treat? Do they have a different effect on people with mental health disorders? Vee Crichton-Hill, St. Paul, Minn. There are scores of psychedelic studies underway on end-of-life anxiety, depression, traumatic brain injury, obsessive compulsive disorder and others. Only ketamine can be legally used “off label” for treatment-resistant depression. MDMA may win approval to treat PTSD, and a psilocybin-like compound may win approval for severe depression. People with personality disorders have generally been excluded from trials because researchers worry they could react badly. Psilocybin mushrooms on an altar. Meridith Kohut for The New York Times What are the risks? Jay Cantwell, Providence, Utah Most psychedelics have a low risk profile when taken at standard doses in supervised settings. But there are short-term psychological risks, including anxiety, paranoia and confusion, that can be brought on by an especially intense experience. (Read below for more on “bad trips.”) There is less data on the long-term risks, but there have been rare cases of long-lasting paranoia, mood disturbances and hallucinations — symptoms that mirror schizophrenia. To what extent are large pharmaceutical companies investing in this treatment? Emily Miller, Traverse City, Mich. Today, most compounds are made by start-ups and small, independent players. As the government signs off on more uses, though, the big drugmakers will likely muscle in; a $3 billion marketplace now is expected to be worth $8 billion by 2032. But there are limitations: Many drugs can’t be patented because, like psilocybin mushrooms, they occur naturally. Others, like LSD, are old and have exceeded patent protection. Pharmaceutical companies may try to qualify for new patents by tweaking an existing drug’s molecular makeup or delivery method. Law and culture Ernesto Londoño covers drug use and policy for The Times and wrote “Trippy: The Peril and Promise of Medicinal Psychedelics,” which came out last year. He answers these questions. Do we know how many Americans use psychedelics and what age groups they belong to? Helen Young, Massachusetts It’s rising, especially among young adults. Last year, nearly 10 percent of people between the ages of 19 and 30 reported having used psychedelics in the past year, an all-time high. (Pun kind of intended.) More than 5 percent of older people said the same, a fivefold increase from 2019. I recall hearing stories in my youth about people who became “stuck” on trips, sometimes taking a single dose and winding up committed to an institution. Does this actually happen, and how often? Jeff Feiler, Florence, N.J. “Bad trips” take many forms. On rare occasions, people can experience distorted perception and struggle to perform certain tasks for days or even months. This phenomenon is called hallucinogen persisting perception disorder, and scientists don’t understand what causes it. (One example: An off-duty Alaska Airlines pilot had a breakdown during a flight in 2023 after taking mushrooms and is accused of trying to crash the plane.) More common bad trips involve revisiting traumatic memories, feeling deep grief or experiencing fear similar to a nightmare. Is there a way to avoid a bad trip? Laura Knispel, Des Moines There are steps people can take to make these experiences safer and less likely to induce panic. For starters, having someone sit with you — an experienced, ethical guide — can make a huge difference. Unfortunately, hucksters abound. Also, be mindful about dosing: Start small, particularly if you’re prone to anxiety. You can buy testing kits online to ensure you haven’t been sold a counterfeit. But there’s no guarantee of avoiding a bad trip, I’m afraid. Where are psychedelics legal for mental health treatment, and how are the different states regulating them? Jane Tippet, Manhattan, Kan. Ketamine psychotherapy is the most accessible. Clinicians in the United States offer it aboveboard, but there are risks for addiction and bladder damage. Oregon and Colorado allow the use of psilocybin mushrooms in a controlled setting, under the care of a licensed sitter. New Mexico is launching a similar program soon, and lawmakers elsewhere are watching. But under federal law, producing, selling or using compounds like psychoactive mushrooms, ayahuasca, LSD and peyote remains a serious crime. How do you gain access to these spiritual/medical interventions without leaving the country or running afoul of the law? Alex Carswell, Pasadena, Calif. The Drug Enforcement Administration grants a handful of groups permission to import and administer psychedelics under religious freedom laws. The Native American Church got special dispensation in the 1980s for its religious use of peyote. Eventually, the Drug Enforcement Administration granted exemptions to churches in Oregon, Arizona and Washington state that consider ayahuasca — a potent Amazonian brew that contains DMT — a sacrament. In recent years, many psychedelic enthusiasts who had operated underground have begun offering retreats and ceremonies after registering as churches. The legality of these groups is murky. THE LATEST NEWS Middle East Israeli troops have already reached the outskirts of Gaza City. Palestinians there are considering whether to uproot themselves once again. Israel’s newly approved settlement project is in one of the most sensitive areas of the occupied West Bank, just east of Jerusalem. It’s been discussed and delayed for decades. With these new settlements, Israel’s hard-line finance minister said that the idea of a Palestinian state was “being erased from the table.” Trump Administration President Trump demanded that a Federal Reserve governor resign immediately, citing unconfirmed allegations of mortgage fraud. Trump’s recent words and actions have revealed what he sees as an ideal picture of America, in which diversity is taboo and people of color must set their grievances aside, Zolan Kanno-Youngs writes. Uganda has reached a deal with the administration to accept migrants deported from the U.S. Almost as soon as Michael Boulos proposed to Trump’s daughter Tiffany in 2021, he and his family started benefiting financially, a Times investigation found. More on Politics New York City’s mayor, Eric Adams, suspended a close adviser from his re-election campaign after she gave a journalist cash tucked inside a potato chip bag. A federal judge blocked a Texas law that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in every public school classroom. War in Ukraine In southern Ukraine. David Guttenfelder/The New York Times Under a deal with Russia, the bodies of thousands of fallen Ukrainian soldiers are arriving at a railway station in southern Ukraine. Forensic teams are working to identify them. Trump assigned Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, the especially tricky job of negotiating Ukrainian security guarantees with Europe. Rubio will meet with European officials today. Russia’s top diplomat said it would insist on being part of any guarantees. Europeans and Ukrainians say that’s absurd. Your pick: In the most clicked link in The Morning yesterday, Maggie Haberman explains how Trump has been engaging with Russia and Ukraine. Watch the video here. More International News In Korhogo, Ivory Coast. Arlette Bashizi for The New York Times Unregulated sexual stimulants for men are flooding into West Africa. Officials say they’re a growing health risk. Jair Bolsonaro, the former Brazilian president accused of plotting a coup, made plans last year to seek political asylum in Argentina, Brazil’s police said. Other Big Stories Two class-action lawsuits accuse Delta Air Lines and United Airlines of charging passengers extra for window seats while knowing the seats weren’t next to a window. Trending: People online were searching for information about the troubled retailer Target, which named a new C.E.O. Hurricane Erin is brought tropical storm conditions to North Carolina’s Outer Bank and Virginia is next in line. The hurricane’s core probably won’t hit land. IN ONE CHART Source: Deportation Data Project, ICE | Chart shows a seven-day rolling average of arrests. | By The New York Times In late May, Stephen Miller, Trump’s immigration policy adviser, ordered ICE leaders to increase arrests. They did so largely by broadening their focus beyond immigrants with a criminal record, a Times analysis found. See more charts that show how the summer surge in arrests led to a new high in deportations. OPINIONS People deserve the right to force tech companies to take down deepfakes of themselves, Senator Amy Klobuchar writes. Here’s a column by Lydia Polgreen on an assassinated Palestinian journalist. A new listening experience, now in The Times app. Make sense of the news. Gain new perspective. All in the Listen tab. Download app MORNING READS Brigham Young University Origami: Beautiful new folding patterns could help build structures in space. Stranded: An American hiker survived a week in the Norwegian wilderness with no food, no water and a broken leg. He told The Times how. Tech visionary: Warren Brodey, who has died at 101, helped lay the groundwork for A.I. with his ideas about the liberating possibilities of technology. His life’s many unexpected turns included work on C.I.A.-funded studies on extrasensory perception. SPORTS M.L.B.: The Yankees drafted a college shortstop, Core Jackson, who admitted that he had drawn a swastika on a Jewish student’s door while drunk. Jackson called his action a “really stupid mistake.” W.N.B.A.: Paige Bueckers tied the rookie single-game scoring record with 44 points during the Dallas Wings’ narrow loss to the Los Angeles Sparks. A WHITE-ONLY ENCLAVE Whitten Sabbatini for The New York Times When Debra Kamin, a Times real estate reporter, first reached out to Eric Orwoll, a founder of an Arkansas housing development that admits only white, heterosexual people, he asked a question we hear from a lot of sources: Why should I talk to you? “I responded with the truth,” Debra told me. Orwoll is part of a growing movement in America, she said to him. Her goal was to help readers understand a phenomenon that may be unfamiliar to them. “I treated him like a human,” she said. “He invited me in.” Readers look to The Times to take them into worlds they don’t know or may not even want to think about. That kind of reporting requires talking to people — all kinds of people — and getting them to open up. The easy thing for Debra would have been to focus on the shock value of a racist all-white community. But the more urgent issue for readers, she concluded, was what this community could mean for the fair-housing laws that have defined real estate for more than half a century. “There was no need to sensationalize or dilute anything,” she told me. “The community members I met all spoke openly about their views on white people and their plans for their segregated community.” Her story is one of our most-read articles this week, and more than 1,000 readers posted comments on it — including Orwoll, who jumped in to share more of his thinking. Many readers sharply disagreed with his views, but, as Debra hoped, they also engaged in a compelling conversation about the law, race and American society. — Patrick Healy, a Times assistant managing editor for trust More on culture Faced with a maze of apps, payments and passwords, people are increasingly signing up for their streaming services through a single provider. Can you match popular novels to the vacation spots where they’re set? Take a quiz. THE MORNING RECOMMENDS … Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks. Cook Pierre Franey’s turkey chili, which has over 20,000 ratings. Snack on a kiwi. (They’re loaded with nutrients.) Organize your jumbled pot lids. GAMES Here is today’s Spelling Bee. Yesterday’s pangram was walkout. And here are today’s Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections, Sports Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. P.S. Have you ever spotted someone in a film or a TV show reading The New York Times? Here’s how our real newspaper makes its way into fictional worlds. Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com. Editor: Adam B. Kushner News Editor: Tom Wright-Piersanti Associate Editor: Lauren Jackson News Staff: Evan Gorelick, Desiree Ibekwe, Brent Lewis, Ashley Wu News Assistant: Lyna Bentahar Saturday Writer: Melissa Kirsch Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
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