By Izin Akhabau

Listen to this briefing

Good morning. It’s Wednesday, September 9 and seniors are talking about their sex lives online, despite the haters. Now, let’s get to the news.

	Iran sent a wave of missiles to a U.S. base in Jordan.

• What to know: Iran’s leaders have signaled an increasingly aggressive posture in the face of U.S. pressure. Yesterday, the U.S. launched strikes on five Iranian oil tankers.

• At home: Drivers are in for more pain as oil prices rocket back toward $100 a barrel amid the escalating conflict. The U.S.-Iran war has lasted more than six months.

	President Donald Trump gave $45,000 cash gifts to his executive assistant and two other close aides.

• Zooming in: Financial disclosures reveal that the sums were equivalent to nearly one-third of the recipients’ salaries. The payments were described as “Cash Gift for Holidays.”

• More from Trump: The GOP will hold a two-day pep rally at the president’s insistence. Given Trump’s low approval ratings, our chief political correspondent questions the choice.

The U.S. announced that it would ban the import of certain Canadian goods.

• Beginning Sept. 29: Some Canadian products including alcohol, motorcycles, molasses and others will be affected by the ban. The move takes trade tensions between the two countries to new heights.

• In Kansas: Two Republicans raised concerns about Trump’s threat to ban the sale of Canadian Bombardier jets that aren’t built in the U.S. The Canadian company behind the jets is a U.S. employer.

Voters in both New Hampshire parties embraced establishment figures in Senate primaries.

• The results: Trump-backed candidate John E. Sununu defeated Scott Brown, and Chris Pappas beat progressive challenger Karishma Manzur. Read our takeaways from the races here.

• And in the governor’s race: New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) defeated two primary challengers. She’s hoping to beat Cinde Warmington (D), who ran unopposed.

The Smithsonian chief announced his retirement.

• Who? Lonnie G. Bunch III, the first Black man to lead the institution. Read his resignation letter in full here.

• A fraught time: President Trump has threatened the Smithsonian’s federal funding. Bunch says Trump’s actions played no role in his decision to retire. Here’s our columnist’s take.

• Also in Washington: As Trump remakes the White House, the group founded to protect it is keeping quiet.

Three minutes of exercise may be better than 90 minutes, according to a new study.

• It’s about intensity: After three minutes of all-out exercise, the (all-male) participants’ blood was full of molecules linked to better health. See how those results compare with 90 minutes of exercise here.

• Another way to keep fit: Walking this many extra steps each day could protect your heart, according to a recent study.

• One more health story: A largely hidden force is helping drive America’s craze for weight-loss drugs.