Today's Headlines: Oil Prices Rise as Iran Vows Retaliation for Cargo Ship Attack
Syrian Billionaires Needed a Favor in Washington. They Invoked the Trump Name.
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The New York Times
Today's Headlines

April 20, 2026, 4:30 a.m. Eastern time

Top News

Iran War Live Updates: Oil Prices Rise as Iran Vows Retaliation for Cargo Ship Attack

Oil prices rose to $96 a barrel after the U.S. attacked and seized an Iranian cargo ship. President Trump said American negotiators were heading to Pakistan for more peace talks.

Syrian Billionaires Needed a Favor in Washington. They Invoked the Trump Name.

The attempt by the Khayyats to influence foreign policy while discussions are underway about potential Trump family deals is an increasingly common feature of the president’s second term.

Democrats Eye a Broader Battlefield to Capture Congress in November

Weighed down by President Trump’s approval ratings, some Republican incumbents are struggling to raise money while Democrats look for targets like a Tennessee seat south of Nashville.

World

The Forces of Scarcity Hitting Asia May Soon Spread Across the World

The Asia-Pacific was hit hard and quick by the war in Iran and its energy bottlenecks. Scenes of crisis there indicate that problems are multiplying and spreading.

Bulgarian Voters, Worn Down by Corruption, Back New Coalition

With its citizens yearning for the kind of prosperous life enjoyed by other Europeans, Bulgaria held its eighth election in five years.

4 Drug Lab Investigators Die in Car Crash in Mexico

Two of the victims were American and two were Mexican, the authorities in Chihuahua said. The accident took place on a treacherous mountain road.

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U.S.

From Pulpits to Pews, Trump and the Pope Are on the Minds of Catholics

At churches with connections to Pope Leo and the Trump administration, pastors and parishioners speak out on the feud between the president and the pontiff.

Haunted by ‘Dark Thoughts,’ Louisiana Father Kills 8 Children

Seven of the eight children killed were the shooter’s own. Two other people were gravely wounded. The gunman, who was struggling with mental health problems, died in a confrontation with police.

Michigan Gas Clerk Helps Save Kidnapped Teen Girl Who Mouthed ‘Help’

A fellow student who had witnessed the kidnapping called the police, and other students helped track the girl to a gas station.

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Politics

Are Democrats Becoming a Party of Tax Cuts?

As Democrats try to find a way back to power in Washington, some see tax cuts as a quick and easy way to address affordability. The wonks are freaking out.

Trump Administration Demand for Ballot Info Rebuffed by Michigan

The Department of Justice is seeking ballots and other materials from the 2024 election. Michigan officials call it election interference.

They’re Young. They’re Conservative. And They’re Split Over the War.

On college campuses from the Northeast to the Southwest, the conflict in Iran is testing the fealty of young Republicans during the second Trump administration.

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Business

Oil Prices Jumped and Stock Futures Fell on Renewed Iran Conflict

Traders, hopeful on Friday that a peace deal was near, were digesting the developments over the weekend.

They Went Abroad to Save Money. Moving Back Seems Unaffordable.

Americans have enjoyed lifestyles that would normally be out of reach to them by working remotely in countries with lower living costs.

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New York

New Yorkers Warm to Mamdani’s Redesign Plan for Iconic Brooklyn Plaza

The new proposal would make Grand Army Plaza more friendly to pedestrians. It was all the talk at the local farmers’ market on Saturday.

‘I Was a Young Suburbanite and Scared of Big Cities at the Time’

A reluctant move to Manhattan, an inside joke at a Bronx coffee cart and more reader tales of New York City in this week’s Metropolitan Diary.

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Arts

The Poetry Challenge Day 1: Let’s learn one poem together this week.

It’s about love, the cosmos and everything in between. And all week we’ll have games and readings by poets laureate, beloved authors and an Oscar winner to help you memorize it.

With Trump Novices, Can the U.S. Win the ‘Art Olympics’?

After the State Department overhauled the process for choosing an artist for the Venice Biennale, it gave control to a woman who previously owned a pet food store.

Review: They May Be ‘Fallen Angels,’ but This Comic Duo Is Heavenly

Lust is the comic engine driving the action of a riotous revival of one of Noël Coward’s early plays, with Rose Byrne and Kelli O’Hara, at Todd Haimes Theater.

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Food

Salsa macha pork noodles to transport you to spring in Los Angeles

You don’t have to live in Southern California to recreate the way cuisines come together. Start with these 30-minute spicy pork noodles.

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Science

It Was No Sweat: A Humanoid Robot Races to a Record Finish

The android won a half-marathon for robots (and humans) on Sunday in Beijing, achieving a technological milestone while finishing faster than any person in history.

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Fashion & Style

When a Friend Dates the One You Loved First

From reality