Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.
Artemis II astronauts prepare for a risky step: arriving homeOn their 10-day trip around the moon, the astronauts on NASA’s Artemis II mission made history: They traveled deeper into space than anyone before. They saw parts of the moon never viewed by human eyes. Even President Trump asked for their autographs. Now comes the most dangerous part of the entire journey. A couple of hours after this newsletter arrives in your inbox, around 8 p.m. Eastern time, the crew is set to splash down in the Pacific Ocean off San Diego. You can watch it live here. The crew will enter the atmosphere at roughly 24,000 miles per hour and encounter temperatures hot enough to melt parts of the spacecraft’s metallic structure. The capsule has a heat shield, but the Artemis I mission revealed that it is flawed — and there is no backup. A former NASA astronaut and a former NASA engineer told my colleague that the shield’s potential for failure, while probably still small, was significant enough that the mission should have been postponed. However, NASA officials say they are confident that the crew will safely return home. For more: See photos from throughout the Artemis II mission, and take a look inside NASA mission control.
Iran adds a new condition as Vance heads to peace talksSoon after Air Force Two took off today, carrying Vice President JD Vance to Pakistan for peace talks, a senior Iranian official demanded that Iran’s blocked assets be released before negotiations begin. He also repeated Iran’s demand that Israel stop striking Lebanon before the talks, which are scheduled to begin tomorrow. If the talks do go ahead as planned, one priority for Vance will be the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, where marine traffic remained at a trickle even after the cease-fire was announced. Iran’s military suggested today that it planned to maintain control of the vital passageway. In the U.S.: The war’s energy shock caused inflation to jump to 3.3 percent in March. “Core” inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy prices, increased more modestly. For more:
The F.A.A. is looking to hire gamersIn an effort to fill a national shortage of air traffic controllers, the Federal Aviation Administration is recruiting avid players of video games, promising six-figure salaries. Other government agencies have also sought to hire gamers, who are welcomed for their hand-eye coordination, quick decision-making and ability to focus on screens for hours on end. In other Trump administration news:
A look at Mamdani’s first 100 days as New York’s mayorAs of today, Zohran Mamdani has led America’s largest city for 100 days. The 34-year-old democratic socialist swept into office with a lofty set of goals, and New Yorkers are divided on his performance. He has hustled up several accomplishments, including reigniting projects to improve bus speeds and building a rest stop for delivery workers. Mamdani has also retreated from some campaign plans, like his promise to give up control of public schools. For more: Here’s where seven of Mamdani’s biggest campaign promises stand and a timeline of his tenure. More top news
‘Euphoria’ is back, and its stars are now A-listersIt has been more than four years since the last episode of the dystopian high school fantasia “Euphoria.” But the HBO hit is coming back on Sunday for its third, and possibly final, season. Since the show began in 2019, its young stars — Zendaya, Sydney Sweeney and Jacob Elordi — have used “Euphoria” as a launchpad to become some of the leading archetypes of modern celebrity. We traced their trajectories. For more: The show’s creator talked to us about his plans, his reputation and the overdose death of a cast member.
A coma wasn’t going to stop him from going to concertsMatt Pinfield spent five decades spreading the word about great music — from his radio debut at 10 years old to his mega-popular shows on MTV. That streak ended in January 2025, when he suffered a stroke and fell into a coma for more than a month. “When doctors told us he may never speak again, I said, ‘Have you met my dad?’” his daughter told us. Now he’s on the air again highlighting the songs he loves, and he’s back to attending concerts. “I’ve had so many near-death experiences,” he said. “People are always like, ‘You’ve got nine lives.’” Read more about his recovery.
Dinner table topics
Cook: Croissants make a rich foundation for this buttery breakfast casserole. Watch: Ian McKellen and Michaela Coel are terrific in Steven Soderbergh’s new film, “The Christophers,” our critic says. Plan a trip to London. Our critic shared his favorite places for art in the city. |
