Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.
Primary voters go to the pollsAs you receive this newsletter, voters in six states are casting ballots in primary elections poised to reshape both parties heading into the November midterms. Follow our live coverage, and see the results as they come in. The Democratic Party’s ascendant left flank, looking to build on its success last week in Michigan, faces fresh tests in the Midwest. A progressive is facing off against a moderate in an expensive Senate race in Minnesota. And a democratic socialist, Francesca Hong, has gained a solid edge in the Wisconsin governor’s race. (Explore where Hong stands on the issues.) On the Republican side, President Trump has endorsed the younger sister of the late Senator Lindsey Graham to succeed him in South Carolina. She’s running in a special primary election against four more experienced rivals. A runoff is likely in the crowded race. Polls will close over the next few hours. Here’s more on what we’re watching. In other politics news:
Iran exploits dwindling U.S. munitionsAs Trump’s war with Iran has unfurled across the Middle East, American forces have had to block Iranian rockets using costly interceptors, depleting stockpiles to dangerously low levels. Iran is now honing its strategy to take advantage of that. During five intense days of fighting last month, Iran launched waves of drones and missiles at three bases in Jordan, hoping to pierce American air defenses. On the fifth day, the Iranians broke through, killing three U.S. soldiers and wounding more than 100 — demonstrating how Iran has become a more adept adversary and how the U.S. is relying on an increasingly precious supply of interceptors. Related: On “The Daily,” a Times national security correspondent explains why Washington is running out of munitions so fast. Listen to it here.
Trump’s Air Force One caperIn July, Trump announced a last-minute decision to fly back from Turkey on an older version of Air Force One rather than on a new jet donated by Qatar. He told reporters the switch was for “old time’s sake.” But The Times reported that the decision was driven in part by concerns about the security of the new plane, which lacked some defensive capabilities. Last night, we found out that the announced switcheroo was part of an even more elaborate ruse, spurred by a credible Iranian threat against Trump. In fact, the president had been whisked off the older plane via a catering container and shuttled to a third plane. Many reporters and White House staff members — unaware that Trump had not flown with them — were left as unwitting decoys. It’s not the first time a president has obscured risky travel plans, but it may be the most dramatic.
Evidence bolsters ICE racial-profiling claimsAs immigration agents fanned out across American cities last year, civil rights groups argued that their big, aggressive sweeps were rife with racial profiling. Now, body-camera footage and text messages show agents using slurs and targeting Latinos while bypassing white bystanders during raids in Chicago and Los Angeles. They referred to targets as “tonks,” a derogatory term typically used to refer to Mexican immigrants. They described migrants they believed were undocumented as “wet,” shorthand for the slur wetback. An agent who led an operation in Southern California described the appearance of people he considered suspicious simply as “older Hispanic males.” In other immigration news:
More top news
A concierge for living largeWhat should you do after closing a $150 million deal? For one ultrawealthy entrepreneur, the obvious answer was to celebrate. So he enlisted the luxury-travel specialist Olivia Ferney, who then found herself at the Encore Beach Club in Las Vegas, counting out dozens of bottles of vintage Dom Pérignon. (The cost of all of the evening’s alcohol surpassed $226,000.) To eternize the shindig, she got a Guinness World Records adjudicator to certify the rather obscure record for “largest champagne presentation.” Ferney’s job is to make the impossible possible for people with an ungodly amount of money. Go inside her world of champagne-soaked revels and $25,000-a-day cabanas.
Don’t move! Or actually …The Bayeux Tapestry sat in France for over 900 years. Art experts wouldn’t let the 220-foot masterpiece travel. Previous rough treatment had given it 24,204 stains, 16,445 wrinkles and 9,646 holes, and they said it was too fragile to move. And yet it is now in London. On July 9, a bright yellow truck took the tapestry — sealed within a climate- and vibration-controlled case — from France in a secretive overnight mission. What the heck happened? Dinner table topics
Cook our one-pot tomato-lentil rice. It can be a side dish or the main event. Put down that book you’re not liking so much. It’s not a faux pas anymore. Decorate your playroom with colorful cabinets, collages and couches. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
