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| Good morning. It’s Tuesday, May 5, and we want to congratulate our colleagues on winning two Pulitzer Prizes yesterday. You can find their work here. Now let’s catch up. | |
 | A sharp escalation in attacks is threatening the U.S.-Iran ceasefire. | - The latest: Two U.S. destroyers and two merchant vessels came under fire yesterday in the Strait of Hormuz. The United Arab Emirates and Oman also reported attacks.
- President Donald Trump keeps contradicting himself on the war: See how he has repeatedly flip-flopped about when the conflict will end with this visual timeline.
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 |  | White House lawyers are preparing staff for dealing with a Democratic Congress. | - In private briefings: The lawyers are reminding staff how congressional oversight works. They have encouraged political appointees to be careful about what they put in writing.
- Zooming out: The prep work is a sign that officials are bracing for Democratic victories in November’s midterms. Disapproval of Trump has reached a new high, a recent poll found.
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 | The White House was briefly locked down after nearby gunfire. | | | Secret Service Deputy Director Matthew C. Quinn spoke to the media after the shooting near the White House. (Maxine Wallace/The Washington Post) | - What happened? A Secret Service officer exchanged fire with an armed person near the Washington Monument shortly after Vice President JD Vance passed by in a motorcade.
- According to the Secret Service: An agent shot the person, who was taken to a hospital, and a bystander was also injured. It’s not clear whom the person may have been targeting.
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 | The Supreme Court restored access to an abortion pill by mail, for now. | | |
 | Microplastics are probably helping heat up the planet. | | | A new study indicates that minuscule pieces of plastic — particularly those that are black, yellow, blue and red — are contributing to heating the atmosphere. (iStock) | |
 | School cellphone bans don’t appear to affect test scores or attendance. | - Most states have attempted to curb cellphone use in schools: Parents and teachers hoped decreased usage would improve test scores and boost children’s mental health.
- But, according to a new study: The average effect on test scores is “consistently close to zero,” and there is also not much impact on attendance or in-class engagement.
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Jamie Ross and 
