Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Friday.
The White House will release $5.5 billion for schoolsThe Trump administration announced today that it would release $5.5 billion in frozen education funds, after an unexpected delay sent school districts around the country scrounging for the lost dollars before the new school year begins. President Trump faced growing pressure over the delay from within his own party, including from 10 Senate Republicans who signed a public letter urging him to release the funds. The money was part of nearly $7 billion in education funding that had been approved by Congress and was set to be released on July 1. It included funds to help train and recruit teachers, particularly in low-income areas. It also included money for arts and music education in low-income districts, help for children learning English and support for children of migrant farmworkers. In other Trump administration news:
Israel will allow aid to parachute into GazaThe Israeli military said today that it would allow foreign nations to fly over Gaza and drop humanitarian aid into the enclave, where a growing number of residents are starving. Jordan and the United Arab Emirates were expected to begin parachuting in aid over the next few days. Experts warned, however, that airdrops alone would not be enough to solve the hunger issues. The announcement followed rising international condemnation of the dire state of Gaza. Israel says it is doing everything it can to allow aid into the enclave. But several countries, including traditional allies of Israel like Canada, Australia and Britain, are holding the Israeli government responsible for the situation.
Meet the Trump administration’s loudest Fed criticLast week, Trump was handed a draft of a letter firing Jerome Powell, chair of the Federal Reserve. It wasn’t written by one of the president’s core economic advisers. Instead, it was drafted by Bill Pulte, the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, who has made it his personal mission to oust Powell from his role. For weeks, Pulte — who has three million followers and is an heir of one of America’s largest home-building families — has attacked Powell for declining to lower interest rates and demanded that he resign. His onslaught has earned him praise from the Oval Office. “WILLIAM, DON’T LET THE RADICAL LEFT WEAKLINGS STOP YOU!” Trump wrote on social media.
Trying to save the Great Barrier Reef with man-made cloudsOff the northeastern coast of Australia, a team of scientists is using machine-generated fog and artificially brightened clouds to cast shade on the water. They are investigating whether it is possible to reduce coral bleaching in the Great Barrier Reef by cooling the surrounding water. The project is essentially a highly localized version of geoengineering, which has been largely taboo in the scientific community until recently. But as the world continues to heat up, some researchers have begun to consider the necessity of the interventions. More top news
A chase for GOAT status at the Tour de FranceThe Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar is looking unstoppable. As the race approaches its finish line in Paris, He is on track to win his fourth Tour de France this weekend. Even his longtime rival, Jonas Vingegaard, has been unable to mount a meaningful challenge from second place. Victory would cement Pogacar’s status as the best rider of his generation, and reignite debate over whether he, at 26, deserves to be called the greatest of all time. Here’s how to watch the final stages.
The first ‘Fantastic Four’ finally appears onscreen, brieflyIn 1992, the B-movie legend Roger Corman set out to make the first “Fantastic Four” film with a budget of just $1 million. He put together a cast and crew, and the movie was on track for a 1994 premiere. But it never saw the light of day. Before postproduction was finished, those working on the project had been told to halt, and burn the footage. More than 30 years later, the original cast can finally be seen on the big screen in “The Fantastic Four: First Steps,” a $200 million production by Marvel that arrived in theaters today. The cameo appearances throughout the film are a recognition of the significant role that the unreleased film — something of a hit in the bootleg underground — still holds in the story’s cinematic legacy. Here’s our review of the new movie.
Dinner table topics
Cook: This tomato sorbet is the ideal summer treat. Watch: The Netflix murder mystery “The Hunting Wives” is soapy, sultry fun. Read: “Girl, 1983” is one of the six new books we recommend this week. Admire: Check out these eight art shows before they close. Prevent: Here’s how to treat hair loss. Consider: Experts explain how worried you should be about ticks. Test yourself: Take this week’s news quiz. Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Midi crossword. Find all our games here. |
