Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.
The U.S. showers Iran with bombsThe U.S. military, which has battered Iran with thousands of strikes over the last week and a half, is still ramping up its attacks. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that today’s assault would be the “most intense” of the war so far, and he promised that the U.S. would keep hitting Iran until it “is totally and decisively defeated.” Already, Iranians have described the bombing campaign as devastating. “If they keep hitting Tehran like this for another 10 days, nothing will remain,” one resident said. President Trump and his aides have offered frequently shifting assessments of how long the war will last. My colleague Eric Schmitt, who has covered the military for decades, said the war had become something of a race between Iran’s ability “to inflict as much pain as possible” and the U.S.’s effort “to knock out that ability.” American officials point to Iran’s reduced missile and drone attacks as evidence that they are ahead. “We are winning,” Hegseth declared today. The conflict has killed more than 1,800 people and disrupted global energy markets. The Pentagon said that 140 U.S. service members had been injured in the war, eight of them severely. For more on the war:
Americans largely oppose the Iran warU.S. foreign wars typically begin with the backing of most Americans. That is not the case with the 11-day-old war in Iran. Early support varies widely — suggesting a public still deciding its views — but even the highest levels are far lower than those at the start of other major conflicts. Some Americans are frustrated that the war has caused higher costs at the pumps. Gasoline prices rose again today, to an average of $3.54 a gallon. My colleague Emmett Lindner explained why America’s role as an oil exporter doesn’t insulate us completely. In other energy news: The U.S. has started to loosen restrictions on Russian oil exports in an effort to temper rising gas prices.
Alabama spares a man on death row who didn’t pull the triggerIn a rare move, Alabama’s governor, Kay Ivey, commuted the death sentence of Charles Burton, a 75-year-old man who was scheduled to be executed by nitrogen gas in two days. His sentence was reduced to life without parole. Burton had been convicted in a 1991 killing in which his accomplice in a robbery fatally shot a man. In Alabama and many other states, people who participate in a felony that ends in a death can still be convicted of murder, even if they did not kill anyone. The gunman’s sentence was commuted in 2014. Ivey’s decision came after the daughter of the victim called for Burton to be spared.
The screen-time debate is playing out in kindergartensThere is mounting evidence that excessive screen time can harm the development of young children, and many parents have made sure that their kids cut back at home. But many school districts are sticking by their pandemic-era shift to using more technology. Beginning in kindergarten, kids often receive devices, which some use to watch videos or play games. Parents across the country are demanding stricter limits.
A NASA satellite is expected to fall to the Earth tonightSometime over the next several hours, a 1,323-pound satellite that has been orbiting Earth for nearly 14 years is expected to re-enter the atmosphere. NASA says there is no reason to panic. Most of the Van Allen Probe A should be incinerated as it hurtles through the atmosphere, though NASA said that some components will probably survive. That presents a very slight — roughly 1 in 4,200 — chance that someone could be hurt by one of the falling pieces. More top news
“Tranche”— The Epstein files have brought this 16th-century word back into circulation. It just means “slice,” but as one linguist put it: Tranche is the kind of word someone might use to feign sophistication. “It sounds,” the linguist said, “like you know what you’re talking about.”
American theater is offshoring“Broadway is everybody’s dream,” the producer Paula Wagner said, “but Broadway is expensive.” She is one of several American producers who have recently decided to stage their productions in London, where shows are much more affordable to put on. Such theatrical offshoring has become common as the costs of U.S. shows have skyrocketed. If all goes well, shows can be refined overseas and build a word-of-mouth reputation before heading to Broadway.
What makes Liza Minnelli an iconLiza Minnelli, America’s sequined sweetheart, turns 80 this week. She has been performing in one form or another for at least seven-eighths of her life, ever since she had a cameo on a variety show starring her mother, Judy Garland. That’s a lot of material — and a lot of Lizas. So my colleagues looked back at her remarkable career to identify the style choices that made her an icon. Also: Minnelli is out today with a memoir, called “Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!” Read our review.
Dinner table topics
Cook: This classic Southern buttermilk chess pie is bright and lemony. Read: Helen Garner’s new collection of short fiction displays her brilliance. Try on: Clothes you can’t afford. |
