Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Wednesday.
The Fed lowered borrowing costs for the first time this yearThe Federal Reserve lowered interest rates today by a quarter of a percentage point. The central bank’s chair, Jerome Powell, described the decision as a “risk management” move to preemptively shore up the economy, rather than wait for a downturn. The rate cut was something of a turning point for the Fed, which for months has been debating when to provide relief for borrowers. Policymakers there are tasked with keeping prices stable and the labor market healthy. By cutting rates and signaling that two more reductions could follow this year, Fed officials indicated that they were now more worried about jobs than inflation. For the second straight meeting, the rate decision was not unanimously supported — which for the past few decades was incredibly unusual. Today’s dissent came from Stephen Miran, President Trump’s pick to join the Fed, who was sworn in this week. He voted in favor of a larger, half-point reduction. Powell described the disagreement as healthy at a point when economic signals are so mixed: “There are no risk-free paths now,” he said. “It’s not incredibly obvious what to do.” As consequential is whether the Fed will continue to maintain its long-held independence under Trump’s relentless pressure. The president, who has threatened to oust Powell, tried last month to fire Lisa Cook, a Fed governor. She participated in this week’s vote after a panel of judges ruled in her favor. For more: Today’s rate reduction could have a modest effect on your finances.
Fired C.D.C. leader: Kennedy was risking public healthThe former head of the C.D.C., Susan Monarez, told a Senate committee today that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had fired her for “holding the line on scientific integrity.” She also accused him of attacking the agency and undermining public health. Monarez said she was dismissed after refusing Kennedy’s demands to fire vaccine officials and to agree to approve vaccine recommendations without seeing the science behind them. She described a private meeting during which a “very, very upset and very animated” Kennedy hurled insults at the C.D.C. and claimed that “during the Covid outbreak, C.D.C. told hospitals to turn away sick Covid patients until they had blue lips.” During the same hearing, the C.D.C.’s former chief medical officer, who resigned over Monarez’s firing, told the panel that she believed Kennedy should resign. In related news, California, Oregon, Washington and Hawaii made their own vaccine recommendations to counter expected changes to federal policies.
Trump received a royal welcome in BritainThe president and the first lady were greeted by Britain’s full pomp and pageantry as they arrived today at Windsor Castle for a two-day state visit. The day’s events — complete with a carriage ride through the royal family’s estate and a white-tie banquet in the 900-year-old castle — showed how eager Britain was to appeal to an American leader who has seemed intent on upending the post-World War II order. See photos of their visit, and check out what was on the menu for this evening’s dinner. Miles away, thousands of demonstrators gathered in central London to protest the visit by Trump, who is unpopular in Britain. For more: Try our quiz on British state visit etiquette to see if you’re ready to meet the king. More top news
A peek into the life of David BowieWhen David Bowie died in 2016, he left behind an archive of around 90,000 carefully boxed and cataloged items. Now, it’s on display to fans at the newly opened David Bowie Center in London. The objects get to the heart of who Bowie was, and of his work ethic. There are the legendary androgynous costumes; cherished childhood belongings, including a framed portrait of Little Richard; and a 1968 rejection letter from Apple, the Beatles’ record company, that reads, “We don’t feel he is what we’re looking for.” Take a look.
You probably couldn’t guess where hands evolved fromAbout 360 million years ago, our fishy ancestors moved from water to land. Along the way, their fins evolved into feet. And eventually, hundreds of millions of years later, our ancestors developed hands. For decades, scientists have been studying that amazing evolutionary transformation. Now, DNA-editing technology, called CRISPR, has allowed them to reconstruct the change. In a study released today, researchers used that tool to show that the blueprint for our hands was borrowed in part from a genetic plan for the anus. “It caught us off guard,” one author said.
Dinner table topics
Cook: This classic French gratin is sophisticated yet comforting. Read: Looking for a sports romance novel? Here’s where to start. Listen: Our critic recommends eight songs to catch up on this year’s music. Plan: Consider these seven beach getaways that are still great during hurricane season. Clean: Here’s how to care for silk so it lasts a lifetime. Test yourself: Take our quiz to see if you know where popular novels are set. Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.
|
