Today's Headlines: Congressional Republicans Begin to Look Beyond Trump
The A.I. Boom Has Found Another Gear. Why Can’t People Shake Their Worries?
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The New York Times
Today's Headlines

November 21, 2025, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time

Top News

Congressional Republicans Begin to Look Beyond Trump

Election defeats earlier this month and the approach of 2026 have G.O.P. lawmakers cautiously asserting themselves.

The A.I. Boom Has Found Another Gear. Why Can’t People Shake Their Worries?

It is a time of superlatives in the tech industry, with historic profits, stock prices and deal prices. It’s enough to make some people very nervous.

Zelensky Says Ukraine Ready to ‘Honestly’ Engage With U.S. Peace Plan

The proposal, which the White House confirmed on Thursday without providing details, echoes many long-held Russian demands.

World

Desperate Search for Missing Syrians Leads to Mass Graves

More than 100,000 people disappeared during the 13-year civil war. To bring closure to some of their families, the new government faces the challenging task of exhuming remains from scores of burial sites.

U.S. Ran a War Game on Ousting Maduro. Venezuela Fell Into Chaos.

An official U.S. government exercise during President Trump’s first term forecast turmoil and potential violence in a post-Maduro Venezuela.

Survivors Describe Deadly Snowstorm in Chilean Patagonia

Five tourists, from Mexico, Britain and Germany, died Monday on a popular hiking trail in the Torres del Paine National Park.

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U.S.

Before Fatal UPS Plane Crash, Engine Brace Had Cracked, Safety Agency Says

The cargo plane was taking off from Louisville earlier this month when it crashed moments after becoming airborne, killing the three crew members and 11 people on the ground.

Appeals Court Blocks Release of Hundreds of Chicago-Area Immigration Detainees

The order temporarily halts a federal judge’s call to release several hundred people arrested during the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown in Illinois.

Students Accused a Teacher of Sexual Abuse. Prosecutors Say They Can’t Charge Him.

Despite evidence of sexual abuse by a Massachusetts teacher, prosecutors said no criminal conduct occurred. Now survivors are trying to change consent laws they say “offered cover” to their abuser.

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Politics

Cheney Remembered for Transforming National Security and Standing Against Trump

As the former vice president was honored at Washington National Cathedral on Thursday, many eyes were focused on who came — and who did not.

A Former Trump Impeachment Manager Will Run for California Governor

Representative Eric Swalwell, a Democrat, is likely to emphasize his history of fighting President Trump, an approach that many Democratic voters say they want their elected officials to take.

In Red Tennessee, Democrats Dream of the Unlikeliest of Upsets

Still the favorites, Republicans have grown nervous about a House special election that could show whether the political environment continues to shift leftward.

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Arts

Frida Kahlo Portrait Sells for $55 Million, Setting Her Auction Record

The surrealistic self-portrait was made in 1940, a turbulent year in the Mexican artist’s life as her health and marriage deteriorated.

A Film About Unidentified Phenomena Gets a Congressional Audience

“The Age of Disclosure,” a documentary featuring government and military officials, was screened for a bipartisan group of members of the House of Representatives.

After 167 Years in New York, a Priceless Coin Collection Heads to Toledo

The doubloons, dollars and denarii of the American Numismatic Society will leave their overlooked home in Manhattan for a more welcoming headquarters on the campus of the Toledo Museum of Art.

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Food

Special Alert: The Pies Are Here!

We put Sue Li in charge of the pies this year, and she delivered six stunners.

A Hype Restaurant Worth the Hype, Book Club Dining and More Reader Questions

Becky Hughes, our resident restaurant advice columnist, answers three queries in this week’s Where to Eat.

Manhattans in Brooklyn, and 25 Must-Try Cocktails in New York City

Classics from the cocktail canon, dive bar favorites and no fewer than five martinis.

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Science

Researcher’s Smuggling Arrest Casts Light on Dispute Over Chinese Students

As some lawmakers press U.S. universities to curtail ties with China, a postdoctoral student’s prosecution raises questions about how big the danger actually is.

Anonymous Bidder Pays Nearly $1 Million for Secret to Decode C.I.A. Sculpture

The creator of the Kryptos panels, Jim Sanborn, sought to unburden himself of the puzzle, and then discovered before an auction he had archived its solution in the Smithsonian.

A Trump Overhaul of the Energy Dept. Breaks Up Clean Energy Offices

The reorganization reflects the ongoing shift in the federal government’s energy priorities: less renewable energy, more fossil fuels.

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Well

How Healthy Is Thanksgiving?

We have some good news about your holiday spread.

My Friend Is Having an Affair. Should I Confront Her?

We all reside in senior living, and she is carrying on with a man under his disabled wife’s nose.