Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.
Ukraine’s top general is oustedVolodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, removed his top general today after protesters called for his firing. The public frustration had threatened to upend the national unity that had helped the country survive nearly five years of war with Russia. The dismissal of the general, Oleksandr Syrskyi, was a major reversal for Zelensky, who just days ago sided with Syrskyi and fired his defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov. Major street protests — a national tradition and a check on power, with the country forgoing wartime elections — backed Fedorov. Many young people see Federov, and his embrace of a high-tech military dominated by drones and robots, as a symbol of hope. Syrskyi, on the other hand, had been trained in the Soviet military system, in which personal loyalty was frequently valued over tactical innovation. Critics described him as rigid and out of touch, and he never won widespread public admiration.
Hegseth estimates Iran war has cost $37.5 billionDefense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, appeared on Capitol Hill this afternoon to defend President Trump’s strategy in Iran and to ask for more money to fund the war effort. Hegseth said the latest estimate of the conflict’s cost was $37.5 billion, up from $29 billion in early May. He requested about $70 billion more for the war, as well as to replenish depleted weapons stocks. In the Middle East, two oil tankers made U-turns in the Red Sea after the Houthis, an Iran-backed militant group in Yemen, threatened another blockade of a vital shipping route. In other Trump administration news:
Hundreds of noncitizens voted in New Jersey, governor saysBetween June 2023 and June 2024, New Jersey improperly placed about 6,600 noncitizens on the state’s voter rolls because of a software error, Gov. Mikie Sherrill said today. As a result, roughly 400 noncitizens were allowed to vote. Sherrill said there was no evidence that any elections had been swayed, but the mistake could still fuel efforts by Trump and his allies to implement stricter voter ID laws. Some Republicans have used Olive Garden’s unlimited pasta pass to try to make their point. For more on politics:
French children are barred from social mediaFrance voted today to became the first European country to restrict access to social media for anyone under 15. The new law also bans the use of cellphones in high schools. The country joins a wave of governments around the world promising to protect young people from online harm. In Australia, enforcement of their ban has largely failed. For France, success may rely on intervention from the European Union, which can penalize internet platforms.
Fake influencers are trying to sell you supplementsThe Times has uncovered hundreds of A.I.-generated videos designed to sell supplements on social media. The videos often feature fake doctors, healers and wellness influencers making claims about the supposed health benefits of particular wellness regimens. Many of the claims are misleading and unfounded, and they often target older women. Watch this video to see why the A.I. influencers are so prevalent, and how to tell when content has been generated by A.I. More top news
From TV soccer star to a professional pitchCristo Fernandez was one of the breakout stars of AppleTV’s feel-good soccer comedy “Ted Lasso.” His character, Dani Rojas, was an endlessly dedicated player partly based on Fernandez, who played professional soccer as a teenager before a knee injury rerouted him to acting. Now 35, Fernandez is once again returning to real soccer. He recently made his debut for El Paso Locomotive FC, a team in the second tier of U.S. men’s professional soccer. Training to pretend to be a soccer star “started to bring this passion on me,” he told us in an interview.
The power of an exquisite jacketMy colleague Sam Anderson does not consider himself a fashionable man. He was a bit baffled by aficionados who spend their time and money obsessing over the intricate details of luxury menswear — the fabrics, the cuts, the buttons. So Sam spent a day in their shoes, just to see what it was like. He went to a fancy shop, felt the beautiful fabrics and was drawn to a $160 hat and a $770 jacket. The prices were obscene, but when he stepped outside, he began to feel like a new man. Sam explains why.
Dinner table topics
Cook: This tomato-lentil salad is sweet, spicy and rich in fiber. Read a great science fiction book, like “Exiles,” recommended by our Book Review. Get inspired by our fashion photographer’s denim looks of the week. Walk around with support. Wirecutter tested 44 insoles to find the best options. Take our quiz to see how well you know these literary landmarks. Play today’s Connections, Spelling Bee and Mini Crossword. Find |
