Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.
Texans head to the polls, againTexas Republicans right now are casting votes in a runoff between the incumbent Senator John Cornyn and Ken Paxton, the MAGA-aligned state attorney general. Follow our live coverage and the results, as they come in. Tonight’s election, the most expensive primary runoff in recent history, could decide whether Republicans keep control of the Senate. Some Republicans worry that a victory by the hard-line Paxton, who has led in recent polls, could become a liability in the general election. The winner will face the Democratic nominee, James Talarico. Cornyn is fighting for his political life against Paxton, who has been impeached and indicted on securities fraud charges but was nonetheless endorsed last week by President Trump. (Read more about Paxton.) Trump has used his endorsements to oust Republicans he saw as insufficiently loyal, including Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. Meanwhile, Texas Democrats have House primaries to watch. In a redrawn Houston-area district, Representative Al Green, a 78-year old, 11-term incumbent, is running against Representative Christian Menefee, 38, who won his seat in a special election this year. In the San Antonio area, a sheriff’s deputy is up against a progressive sex therapist who has been accused of antisemitism. In other elections news:
U.S. and Iran resume hostilities despite peace talksTrump over the weekend announced that a deal to end the war with Iran was nigh. But in the days since, fighting has continued. Iran deployed mine-laying boats in the Strait of Hormuz and flew attack drones near U.S. ships, American officials said. Then the U.S. military attacked Iranian boats and missile-launch sites in what it called “self-defense strikes.” Here’s the latest. The Trump administration has given mixed signals on the state of play. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today that talks to end the war were ongoing, and that a deal could take “a few days.” The president has focused on a preliminary deal to reopen the strait — yet other issues, like what to do with Iran’s uranium, remain largely unresolved. More on the war:
Trump goes to the doctorTrump, the oldest person ever to become president, had a physical exam today at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “Everything checked out PERFECTLY,” he wrote on social media, though the White House has not released details to support his claim. The president’s health has come under significant scrutiny. Trump has appeared with bruises on his hands, swelling in his legs and a rash on his neck, and has sometimes seemed to doze off during official events. He turns 80 next month. In other administration news:
European heat wave breaks recordsIt’s not even summer yet, but Western Europe is baking. Kew Gardens in London reached 95 degrees Fahrenheit, the highest temperature ever recorded there in the month of May. In France, seven people died in circumstances linked to the heat wave, officials said. Europe is getting hotter, faster, and scientists have repeatedly found that climate change is to blame. See where forecast temperatures are abnormally hot. Related: While global warming is still a threat, researchers backed away from a worst-case outlook, saying it was now implausible. More top news
Gnomes at the Chelsea Flower ShowThe traditional English garden is too dignified for gnomes. Or so the reasoning went, for nearly a century. But this year, the world’s most prestigious garden show temporarily lifted its longstanding gnome ban. Celebrities decorated them for charity, and the likes of King Charles III and David Beckham were joined by the long-disinvited, pointy-hatted figurines. The change has set off fervid debate about the role of kitsch in the garden. “I don’t think they belong here,” one plant enthusiast said. “They’re a bit over the top.”
Ferrari goes electricCar lovers are divided. Investors seem wary. Would you spend more than half a million dollars on a Ferrari E.V.? The carmaker unveiled its first fully electric car, called Luce (pronounced LOO-chay, or “light” in Italian). The five-seater, designed in collaboration with the agency founded by the former Apple design chief Jony Ive, is one of Ferrari’s biggest gambles ever. It won’t have that distinctive V-12 roar — but devices on the axles will amplify the whir of the car’s moving parts as it accelerates. Dinner table topics
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