Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Monday.
Trump orders a 50 percent tariff on many Canadian goodsPresident Trump signed an order today imposing a 50 percent tariff on a wide range of Canadian goods, including wine, hockey sticks, furniture and cement. U.S. officials described the tariffs, which would go into effect in 30 days, as punishment for Canadian discrimination against American companies in three industries: motor vehicles, dairy and alcohol. The new fees appear likely to reignite a trade clash between the U.S. and its northern neighbor, which is also America’s second-largest trading partner. The tariffs will not apply to energy imports or products that are already subject to national security tariffs, like steel and auto parts. In other Trump administration news: Trump said his new Air Force One jet would be taken out of service to be “maxed out.” His administration sought phone records of Times journalists and their relatives after articles on the plane were published.
Britain has a new leaderAndy Burnham officially became the new prime minister of Britain today, after “kissing the hand” of King Charles III and passing through the famous front door of No. 10 Downing Street. The power transition no longer actually includes any kissing, but it does represent another major change for a country on its seventh prime minister in a decade. Burnham, who styles himself as a stand-up-for-the-little-guy politician, is replacing Keir Starmer, who had become one of the most unpopular leaders in modern British history. Burnham began today with a pledge to end homelessness. By day’s end, he had fired much of Starmer’s cabinet and — in a surprise move — named John Healey, the former defense secretary, as the top official overseeing the nation’s finances. For more: Burnham is the first lifelong Roman Catholic to become prime minister of Britain. Once, that would have been a big deal.
Iran-backed militia declares a new blockadeThe Houthis — an armed faction in Yemen allied with Iran — said today that they would impose a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally. The group did not offer specifics, but it controls territory along the Bab al-Mandab Strait, where ships go in and out of the Red Sea. The move threatened to open a new front as U.S. forces carried out strikes in Iran for a 10th consecutive night. That conflict had already squeezed energy supplies by halting much of the traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. If the Houthis block the Red Sea, the fuel shortage could grow worse. For more:
Lindsey Graham’s sister is running to succeed himDarline Graham was sworn in as South Carolina’s newest senator last week as a temporarily replacement for her brother, Lindsey Graham, after he died at 71. Today, she announced plans to run for a full term, after Trump urged her to do so. Darline Graham, 62, will probably have to compete against other Republican candidates in the state’s special primary election next month. She has spent her career primarily in state government, including in South Carolina’s employment and vocational departments and as leader of its Commission for the Blind. In other politics news: Maine Democrats have coalesced around a front-runner to replace Graham Platner as the party’s Senate nominee. That candidate is Troy Jackson, a 58-year-old fifth-generation logger who morphed from Republican to progressive. Here’s what to know about him.
F.D.A. still focusing on lettuce supplier, despite ‘false positive’The Food and Drug Administration said today that there was still strong evidence tying Taylor Farms, the major leafy greens producer, to the recent cyclospora outbreak. The agency’s assessment has not changed despite announcing yesterday that its only positive test linking a lettuce sample and the parasite was actually a false positive. For more: We talked to people who have recently struggled through cyclospora symptoms. One described it as feeling like “a baseball bat to your abdomen.” More top news
After a fire tore through seven Hong Kong apartment towers last year, it was closed to former residents for months. This spring, they were allowed back in. They told us their stories, and showed us what they found when they returned. (We made this link free for all Evening readers.)
A heavyweight New York novel from Colson WhiteheadThe Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Colson Whitehead is wrapping up his Harlem crime trilogy this week with the release of “Cool Machine,” a book full of heists and nostalgia for 1980s New York. The best reason to pick up a copy, our critic Dwight Garner writes, “is to drink in Whitehead’s intellectual breadth, his ambivalent irony, his moral seriousness and pinball verbal play.” Read Dwight’s review.
Oh, what a World Cup it wasRevelers celebrated in the streets of Madrid after Spain’s men’s national soccer team hoisted this year’s World Cup trophy. Their victory over Argentina — a composed display of control-first soccer — was a thrilling end to a tournament that brought the world to its feet time and time again. We captured how it played out in 219 reaction videos. The World Cup, if only briefly, overshadowed America’s complications. It offered joy and heartbreak and everything in between. I’m already looking forward to 2030. For more:
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