Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.
U.S. inflation jumps as the Iran war drives up energy costsDaily life in America is getting more expensive, according to the latest inflation report from the Labor Department. Consumer prices rose 3.8 percent last month from a year earlier, their fastest rate in nearly three years, outpacing U.S. wage growth. Productivity is rising at a brisk pace, but the share of national income that goes to workers has sunk to its lowest point on record. The price increases were driven largely by energy costs, which have shot up sharply since the U.S. went to war with Iran. Airline fares are also up significantly. And the price of tomatoes surged nearly 40 percent over the last year because of bad weather, high tariffs and climbing transportation costs. President Trump said today that he does not worry about the economic hardship Americans feel as a result of the war, and it did not factor “even a little bit" into his negotiations with Iran. “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation,” Trump said. “I think about one thing: We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon.” For more:
The F.D.A. commissioner resigns under pressureMarty Makary, the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, resigned today after the president signed off on a plan to fire him. “He’s a great doctor, and he was having some difficulty,” Trump said. Makary ultimately resigned over the administration’s decision to authorize fruit-flavored e-cigarettes, telling people close to him that he could not in good conscience approve flavored vapes. In other health news:
Russia keeps attacking U.S. companies in UkraineThe eerie whine of a drone, then the overwhelming blast of an explosion: A truck driver recorded a strike on warehouses in Ukraine owned by the U.S. farming giant Cargill. It was the latest in a series of recent Russian attacks on major American companies, including Coca-Cola, Boeing, the snacks maker Mondelez and the tobacco giant Philip Morris. My colleague Constant Méheut was the first to report on some of the strikes, which the companies have largely avoided publicizing. The reason for the attacks isn’t clear; some see it as an effort to deter U.S. investment. So far, the White House has been muted in its response.
Nebraskans vote in a very, very strange primary electionOne Nebraska Democrat running in today’s Senate primary race is accused of being a Republican in disguise. Another Democrat plans to eventually drop out to boost an independent who Republicans argue is really just a Democrat. It’s all a bit bizarre, but my colleague Kellen Browning explains why it matters. The Senate primary is one of two in the state that we’ll be closely watching tonight. The other, over a battleground district, is a key target for Democrats hoping to flip the House. Follow along with the results here. In other politics news:
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Our favorite moments from this year’s Tony-nominated showsThe best Broadway shows do more than just entertain you. They leave theatergoers with memories of excellent performances or design choices — the kinds of things you tell your friends about. This year’s Tony-nominated shows are full of such scene-stealing features: Nicholas Christopher’s powerful baritone in “Chess”; the feathered mullet wigs in “The Lost Boys”; Lesley Manville’s spellbinding monologue in “Oedipus”; and the bank set in “Dog Day Afternoon.” Here’s the full list of moments that our theater writers can’t forget.
Visiting the mecca of distance runningKenya’s Great Rift Valley produces most of the world’s greatest long-distance runners. It’s in the air: The region’s 2,400-meter altitude is a sweet spot where the oxygen is thin enough to help your lungs without breaking down your body. My colleague John Eligon, who is a recreational marathoner, went to the Rift Valley to train and try to better understand what makes it so special. He found a running community unlike any other, where the sport was embedded in the fabric of everyday life. Watch his video.
Dinner table topics
Cook: You really can’t go wrong with this crispy tomato-oregano chicken. Read “Look What You Made Me Do.” It’s a well-knit dark domestic fiction, |
