Today's Headlines: Outsourcer in Chief: Is Trump Trading Away America’s Tech Future?
Trump’s Military Buildup at the Border Expands
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The New York Times
Today's Headlines

May 16, 2025, 4:10 a.m. Eastern time

Top News

Outsourcer in Chief: Is Trump Trading Away America’s Tech Future?

Big deals to sell chips to the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia have divided the U.S. government over whether they could be remembered for shipping cutting-edge A.I. overseas.

Trump’s Military Buildup at the Border Expands

The Pentagon has sent thousands of troops, spy planes and even two warships to surveil the land and coasts.

Baby Is Healed With World’s First Personalized Gene-Editing Treatment

The technique used on a 9½-month-old boy with a rare condition has the potential to help people with thousands of other uncommon genetic diseases.

Editors’ Picks

Stephen A. Smith Is Running. To Be Joe Rogan.

America’s best-known sports-talker is hosting boldface Democrats and MAGA luminaries and teasing a 2028 run. But what he really wants is ubiquitous political influence, and things of that nature.

Opinion | What Worries 11 Democratic Voters Most About Trump — and What They Want From Democrats

The participants discuss what Democrats should do in the face of a second Trump presidency.

World

Vengeful at Home, Trump Takes His Forgiving Side on Tour

During the first major foreign trip of his second term, President Trump has told audiences in the Middle East that he’s willing to set the past aside in the interests of peace and profit.

No Peace Talks (Yet) After Ukrainians and Russians Arrive in Turkey

The first peace talks in three years were supposed to begin on Thursday but amid posturing and accusations, they were pushed back at least until Friday.

Israeli Strikes Kill Dozens in Gaza, Health Ministry Says

Israel intensified its military campaign against Hamas, despite a U.S.-backed push for the two sides to agree a new cease-fire.

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U.S.

Judge Dismisses ‘Trespassing’ Charges Promoted by Trump in Border ‘Defense Area’

A newly designated “military installation” that stretches the length of the frontier in New Mexico has made trespassing a novel criminal charge at the border, bringing turmoil to the state. A judge says migrants couldn’t know they were trespassing.

An Iranian Student in U.S. Detention Makes a Hard Choice: Stay or Go Home

Few rallied around Alireza Doroudi, who spent weeks detained on murky charges. With hope he might win, but facing extended detention, he had to decide whether to keep fighting his case.

Florida Just Banned Fluoride From Public Water. Here’s What to Know.

Medical experts have warned that ending fluoridation will have negative consequences for oral health.

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Politics

Supreme Court Wrestles With Limiting Judges’ Power in Birthright Citizenship Case

The justices heard arguments on whether a federal judge in a single district can block Trump administration policy across the country.

Here’s What’s in the Big Domestic Policy Bill to Deliver Trump’s Agenda

A large tax cut, as well as more money for defense and immigration enforcement, would be financed by slashing health, nutrition, education and clean energy programs.

Law Firms Fighting Back Against Trump Report Security Clearance Suspensions

WilmerHale and Jenner & Block pleaded with the courts to intervene as the Justice Department moved to implement President Trump’s orders targeting their business.

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Business

Walmart Warns About Ability to ‘Absorb’ Tariff Costs Without Raising Prices

The retailer reported sales growth, especially in its e-commerce division, but also cautioned about economic uncertainty in the quarters ahead.

No, You Don’t Actually Have a Right to a Bank Account

There is a degree of political agreement over so-called debanking, but no easy answers to the hot topic in Washington.

The Booming Business of Returned Products

As retailers slow down orders for foreign goods because of tariffs, companies that recirculate overstocked or returned items may help fill the gap.

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Technology

U.S. Unveils Sweeping A.I. Project in Abu Dhabi

President Trump signed deals to create a 10-mile campus that would transform the United Arab Emirates into an A.I. powerhouse

What the Changes in Apple’s App Store Mean for iPhone Users

A federal judge created a path for app makers like Spotify and Patreon to avoid paying Apple hefty commissions. Is this a win for consumers? It’s complicated.

S.E.C. Investigating Whether Coinbase Misstated Its User Numbers

The inquiry continued even after the commission dropped a lawsuit accusing Coinbase of illegally marketing digital currencies to the public.

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Arts

In Her Botanical Paintings, Hilma af Klint Hurtles Back to Earth

At the Museum of Modern Art, a watercolor herbarium from 1919 and 1920 flaunts the literal side, and even the preachiness, of abstraction’s superheroine.

Alarmed by Trump, Kennedy Center Workers Push to Unionize

Employees say they are concerned by the Trump administration’s efforts to “dismantle mission-essential departments and reshape our arts programming.”

‘Doctor Odyssey’ Wraps Up Its Sexy, Shameless First Season

The ABC series is only sort of a doctor show. It is better understood as a fantasy.