Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Monday.
Israel attacked Iran with increasing confidenceThe Israeli military escalated its bombings across Iran today, striking the country’s elite military force and targeting the state broadcaster while anchors were broadcasting live on air. Television cameras captured footage of the studio filling with smoke and debris. Watch the video here. The attacks sent thousands fleeing from Tehran, and continued the fiercest and deadliest confrontation in the history of the Israeli-Iranian conflict. Israeli strikes have killed at least 224 people in Iran, according to its Health Ministry; in Israel, its government said, at least 24 people have been killed. We’re covering the latest updates. In Tehran, residents weighed whether to take shelter or evacuate as gas stations ran short of fuel and the internet and phone services were disrupted. In Israel, Iran’s ballistic missiles continued to pose a serious threat. The war now seems likely to last weeks, not days.
Suspect in Minnesota killings could face death penaltyThe man accused of assassinating a Minnesota state lawmaker and her husband, as well as of shooting another lawmaker and his wife, was charged with murder. Authorities said he also visited the houses of two other lawmakers the same morning, in what they called a campaign to inflict fear. “This was a political assassination, which is not a word we use very often in the United States,” a federal prosecutor said. He added that the suspect had been planning the attacks for “at least months,” and that all of the targeted officials were Democrats. Colleagues remembered Melissa Hortman, the lawmaker who was killed, as a pragmatic problem solver. The charges against the suspect, Vance Boelter, 57, would carry a mandatory sentence of life without parole, as well as the possibility of the death penalty. He was captured late Sunday in a rural area southwest of Minneapolis. Here’s what we know about him, and about how the authorities managed to track him down.
A look at DOGE’s chaotic takeover of Social SecurityDuring the first months of President Trump’s second term, Elon Musk and his allies built a false narrative of widespread fraud at the Social Security Administration, based on misinterpreted data. They used their claims to gain access to personal information on millions of Americans, while thousands of the agency’s employees departed. My colleagues talked with more than 70 current and former employees to reconstruct what was really happening at the agency. In other politics news:
The tick situation is getting worseAs winters get warmer, ticks of several kinds are flourishing. Deer ticks, known for transmitting Lyme disease, are moving farther north; the longhorned tick has gained a foothold on the East Coast; and the lone star tick, which can make people allergic to red meat, is fanning out from the South. My colleague Maggie Astor talked with experts to find out why it is happening and how you can protect yourself. More top news
A live-action skeptic took on ‘How to Train Your Dragon’Not everyone in Hollywood is fond of the trend of remaking animated classics with real human actors. A few years ago, the director Dean DeBlois publicly blasted the approach as “lazy.” But when Universal reached out to ask if he wanted to lead a live-action remake of his 2010 film “How to Train Your Dragon,” he said yes. We talked with him about how and why he made it. During its opening weekend, the film outperformed expectations, bringing in about $83 million at North American theaters. For more: The movie’s 17-year-old star, Mason Thames, said that the live-action remake was like living out his childhood fantasy.
Can this not-particularly-cute elf make China cool?China’s latest effort to win over hearts and minds worldwide is an arguably quite ugly plushie. Labubu, the grinning fuzzy toy, has become a global craze, has set off brawls among shoppers in England and has been toted by celebrities like Rihanna and David Beckham. Enthusiasm for it may pass like many other viral trends — but the toy could be a soft-power victory in China’s struggle for cultural cachet.
Dinner table topics
Cook: Mix things up with this hojicha tiramisù. Watch: “The Survivors” is a polished and potent murder mystery. Read: Our critic recommended two novels with glimpses into the male psyche. Prepare: Answer a few questions to find the perfect swimsuit for you. Exercise: Try this gentle routine designed to ease low back pain. |
