You're reading The Evening newsletter. Catch up on the biggest news, and wind down to end your day. Get it sent to your inbox.
In deep-red Indiana, voters went to the polls today to cast ballots in the state's primary elections. Such races rarely receive attention outside the Midwest. But this year, President Trump changed that.
The president is seeking to oust seven Republican state senators whom he deems insufficiently loyal. They had helped defeat a redistricting effort that could have boosted the party's chances of maintaining control of the U.S. House, so Trump found seven challengers to endorse instead. Many of the candidates in the president's cross hairs are staunch conservatives with long track records.
Tonight's results, which we are tracking here, will serve as a test of Trump's ability to bend the Republican Party's rank-and-file to his will. In the coming weeks, the president also hopes to oust more well-known Republicans in Louisiana and Kentucky.
The U.S. and Iran both claim control of the Strait of Hormuz
Trump and other top U.S. officials said today that the cease-fire with Iran remained intact, despite the U.A.E. accusing Iranian forces of attacking it for the second day in a row. The president dismissed those assaults, and others directed at American ships, as minor.
Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, said that the U.S. had concluded Epic Fury, the combat operations that started the war. His comments expanded an argument Trump made to explain why he had avoided seeking Congressional approval, even after the war hit the 60-day legal limit. Rubio said that U.S. efforts to protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz were a wholly new operation, called Project Freedom.
The strait remains at a standstill. Only two ships were known to have passed through the waterway yesterday, and none appeared to make the trip today. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. was still controlling the strait and working to free trapped vessels. Iran maintained that it was in control there. Some 1,600 ships with 20,000 seafarers remain stranded.
For more:
- The U.S. is using relatively cheap laser-guided rockets against Iranian drones.
- Our chief diplomatic correspondent explains why Iran is unlikely to make a deal without a big, face-saving compromise.
The F.D.A. blocked studies that had found vaccines to be safe
The Food and Drug Administration recently halted the publication of several studies supporting the safety of widely used vaccines against Covid-19 and shingles. The studies, which cost millions of dollars in public funds, found serious side effects to be very rare.
A spokesman for the Health department said "the studies were withdrawn because the authors drew broad conclusions that were not supported by the underlying data." Experts who reviewed some of the studies said they were generally well done.
In other Trump administration news:
- The Education Department is investigating whether Smith College, a women's school in Massachusetts, violated anti-discrimination laws by enrolling transgender students.
- Senate Republicans proposed $1 billion for security measures around Trump's ballroom project in an immigration bill.
- East Wing debris was dumped on a public golf course in Washington. Now, soil there has tested positive for toxic metals.
About 150 people are stuck on a cruise ship with an outbreak
A cruise ship that was struck by a deadly outbreak of hantavirus is expected to sail to the Canary Islands, the World Health Organization said today. So far, its passengers have not been allowed to disembark. Spanish officials said that disease experts would inspect the vessel before it was given permission to dock.
The W.H.O. said that some of those who had fallen ill might have been infected through human-to-human transmission, though hantavirus is primarily transmitted by inhaling particles of mouse feces or urine.
More top news
- A.I.: Five major publishers and the best-selling novelist Scott Turow filed a class-action copyright infringement lawsuit against Meta and its chief executive, Mark Zuckerberg.
- Media: James Murdoch's company, Lupa Systems, is in talks to acquire major parts of Vox Media, the parent company of New York magazine and a podcast network.
- Education: The University of Southern California said it would use a venture capitalist's $200 million donation to apply artificial intelligence across academic disciplines.
- Weather: After a warm, dry winter that all but eliminated the snowpack, parts of Colorado are expected to receive more than two feet of snow.
- Venezuela: After the overthrow of President Nicolas Maduro, U.S. and Venezuelan officials promised greater transparency in the lucrative oil industry. It's still a black hole.
- South Korea: The widow and daughter of LG's former chairman say an illegal ownership structure reduced their inheritance. A secret recording is at the heart of their claim.
- France: At a closed marine park, two orcas swim circles in an aging tank that may soon fail. No one is sure what to do with them.
WHERE STEAK IS MEDICINE
Most doctors encourage people to eat vegetables and avoid consuming too much red meat. That perspective is of little interest at Meatstock, a three-day convention in Gatlinburg, Tenn.
There, devotees of the carnivore diet bond over butter-dipped brisket and cups of raw milk. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said he follows the diet.
TIME TO UNWIND
'Schmigadoon!' and 'Lost Boys' lead this year's Tony nominees
In an unusual Broadway season, thin on new musicals, "Schmigadoon!" and "The Lost Boys" had 12 Tony Award nominations apiece, more than any other show. The full list of nominees revealed this morning also reflects Broadway's embrace of star actors who drive ticket sales: John Lithgow, Daniel Radcliffe and Rose Byrne each earned a nomination.
Our critics noticed several snubs. Bleak shows were largely shut out. And did the Tony voters forget about Lea Michele and Kristin Chenoweth?
Find your next great read
I'm quite fond of Tuesdays -- the day when new books are published and bookshops can finally put them on shelves. My colleagues at the Book Review have built a tool to help you sort through what is worth reading based on your tastes.
Here's a sprinkling of what's new today:
- The best-selling thriller writer Patricia Cornwell takes a scalpel to her own life story in "True Crime."
- In "Ghost Stories," Siri Hustvedt recalls her life with the writer Paul Auster.
- Kathryn Stockett, whose debut "The Help" sold 15 million copies, is back after 17 years with "The Calamity Club."
Dinner table topics
- Admire the best looks from last night's Met Gala and see which outfits were most admired by Times readers.
- Crowds are descending on Venice, where the art world's most prestigious event is about to begin.
- Hunting for the rare thrills of northern Vietnamese food? Try Portland.
WHAT TO DO TONIGHT
- Cook: These sweet and salty bars are a high-reward treat.
- Watch a great international movie, such as "Pavane."
- Focus on this huge piece of art for 10 minutes and see what it makes you think about.
- Dry your hair before going to bed.
- Take our quiz to see how well you know unfinished novels that were later published.
- Play: Here are today's Connections, Wordle and Mini Crossword.
ONE LAST THING
A glowing blue-green comet is zooming past the Earth right now, lighting up the night skies above New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. It is believed to have originated in an icy region at the edge of the solar system called the Oort cloud. And this is the last we'll see of it for some 170,000 years.
Here in the U.S., we are also in for a cosmic show. The Eta Aquarids -- a meteor shower made of debris from Halley's comet -- will reach its peak tonight. For the best view, look up at the eastern horizon in the hours before dawn.
Have a wondrous evening.
Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow -- Matthew
Eli Cohen was our photo editor.