Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Wednesday.
The U.S. strikes Iran againU.S. forces launched a new wave of airstrikes on Iran just before this newsletter arrived in your inbox. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said the attacks were intended to persuade Tehran to make peace on terms agreeable to Trump, who criticized Iranian leaders today for taking “too long to negotiate.” Here’s the latest. The U.S. military said the strikes began at 5:15 p.m. Eastern. Explosions were heard near the Strait of Hormuz, and air defenses sounded alarms in the capital of Tehran, according to Iranian state news outlets. For more: Oman, a U.S. ally, has found itself at odds with the Trump administration.
Inflation rises to its fastest pace in three yearsAs the conflict in the Middle East drags on, U.S. goods and services are becoming more and more expensive. A new government report released today showed that consumer prices were up 4.2 percent in May from a year earlier, a significant jump from the 2.4 percent rate before the war. The increase has been driven largely by spiking energy prices, which have been inflated in part by the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Those costs have spilled into other categories that require significant energy, like travel and food. Polls show that many Americans are frustrated with the rising prices, which are now outpacing wage growth. But President Trump shrugged off the concerns today as a blip and proof his agenda was working. “The numbers were great,” he said. “I love the inflation.”
Hope dims for renewing a powerful spy toolTrump called on Congress today to extend a warrantless surveillance law, known as FISA Section 702, before it expires this weekend. The powerful tool has been credited with generating intelligence that thwarts terror plots. Lawmakers were close to a deal last week to extend its authority despite longstanding privacy objections. Now, Democrats are holding up its extension in protest of Trump’s appointment of Bill Pulte as the acting director of national intelligence. Some Republicans have also pushed back against the selection of Pulte, a Trump loyalist with no national security experience. The president stuck by his decision today but said Pulte would serve in the role only “for a short while.” In other Trump administration news:
More countries seek to bar children from social mediaCanada’s government introduced new legislation today that would bar children under 16 from some social media platforms. Britain is weighing a similar step. But in Australia, the first country to try to enforce such restrictions, surveys have found that most children still have accounts on at least one of the banned platforms. Teenagers in Australia described easy workarounds, including drawing a mustache on their face for an age estimation scan. Still, some parents hope that the ban could be more effective for the coming cohort of kids who are not yet on social media. More top news
Madison Square Garden will be buzzing again tonight as the Knicks try to avenge their Game 3 loss to the Spurs. My colleague Jessica Testa, a Knicks fan, shares what’s on her mind in her latest postcard from New York City: I have burned this week with a singular thought: I hate Victor Wembanyama. I loathe, despise, abhor this 7-foot-something zoomer with a preternatural ability to block baskets. His gameplay once inspired awe. Now it just seems unfair. Knicks fans, already a rambunctious bunch, saw red when Wemby shoved top boy Jalen Brunson during Monday’s game. The cover of today’s New York Post was a “wanted” poster calling for his arrest. As The Athletic wrote, “Gotham always needs a villain.” But … I’m checking myself. Commuting through midtown with my blood boiling (more so than usual) is not productive. I asked Melissa Kirsch of The Good List for something to soothe me. She suggested looking at art and eating baklava. Pretty great advice.
‘Widow’s Bay’ may be the most delightful show of the seasonApple TV’s “Widow’s Bay,” which is about to wrap up its first season, is a rare horror-comedy that excels at both genres equally and simultaneously. It features an impeccable cast — Matthew Rhys, Stephen Root, Kate O’Flynn, among others — and is set in a New England island community plagued by a curse. “What elevates it to the best new show,” our critic James Poniewozik wrote, “is how it reinvents a well-worn TV trope — the cozy backwater full of adorable kooks — and how it turns the town’s history into its biggest monster.”
How soccer’s biggest announcer trains for every “GOOOOOAL!”The Argentine broadcaster Andrés Cantor is a legend in the Spanish-speaking sports world. The last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup, in 1994, Cantor became a global sensation for his iconic declaration of a “gooooooooooooal.” Watch this video to see how he’s preparing his voice ahead of this year’s tournament.
Dinner table topics
Cook: These tasty pancakes use up a full container of cottage cheese and some oats. Read one of these chilling thrillers. Ge |
