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Why this matters:

• It was their first exchange of fire since an April 8 ceasefire was reached. Iran warned that the United States would be responsible for any escalation. Two regional officials said concerted diplomatic efforts were underway Monday to salvage the ceasefire between Iran and the United States.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Live updates on the escalation 
  
  
• A timeline of tensions between Iran and Israel over Lebanon 
  
  
• WATCH: Iranian missiles aimed at Israel seen over Middle Eastern sky 

POLITICS

Trump abruptly ends interview with NBC’s ‘Meet the Press’

During the conversation President Donald Trump dismissed the idea that launching the war with Iran this year betrayed his campaign message of “No new wars.” At the end, Kristen Welker pressed Trump on the settlement fund and his claims about the California election. Read more.

What to know:

• Trump raised his voice and began calling Welker and the media “crooked,” attacking her credibility and complaining about what he called “the fake, dirty press.” As Welker tried to switch subjects, Trump continued on and there was cross talk between the two before Trump ended the interview.
  
  

• The interview, taped Friday in Wisconsin, was repeatedly interrupted as waves of heavy rain fell on the metal roof of the barn where the taping took place, making it difficult at times to hear. Welker later said that she spoke to Trump after and he agreed that heavy rain had caused complications during taping and said he would do another interview in the future.

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• As America 250 approaches, fewer Americans see their country as exceptional, AP-NORC poll finds
  
  
• Nithya Raman and Spencer Pratt locked in tight race to make runoff for Los Angeles mayor 
  
  
• Rob Sand rallies with Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear as Democrats aim to flip Iowa governor seat 
  
  
• Graham Platner gets a lift from friendly Maine crowd after week of damage control in Senate campaign
  
  
• Former Sen. Bob Packwood, who resigned after sexual harassment scandal, dies 

US NEWS

Consumers alter spending habits as gas prices strain their budgets

U.S. consumers haven’t stopped spending money since the Iran war drove up fuel prices, but many shoppers are reassessing what they buy and where, according to company executives and retail analysts. Read more.

Why this matters:

• Location intelligence company Placer.ai saw reduced foot traffic at clothing, electronics and home furnishing stores, and more trips to grocery stores and dollar stores. Executives from American mainstays like Walmart, McDonald's and Dollar General cited overall shopper resilience as well as noticeable cutbacks by lower-income customers.
  
  

• The U.S. Commerce Department reported last week that higher prices, not more purchases, accounted for most of the growth in Americans’ spending in April.