Good morning. Senate Republicans rammed through their $70 billion bill to fund President Trump’s immigration crackdown this morning, after defeating efforts by Democrats and some Republicans to block Trump’s $1.8 billion payout fund. (The bill still needs to go to the House, which is expected to pass it.) And multiple women who dated Graham Platner, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Maine, told The Times he was a volatile boyfriend. There’s more news below. But first, let’s go to the theater.
News from the rialtoNew York’s theater district is in The Times’s physical backyard, stretching north along Eighth Avenue from our newsroom on 41st Street to 54th Street, and east to Sixth Avenue. It’s thrilling to walk through it, past the dozens of theaters that make up Broadway’s ecosystem, and to consider how closely related the business of live theater is to the one of publishing newspapers: both centuries-old activities, still performed daily by people on stages, by people with keyboards, right in the heart of New York City. That’s neat. Michael Paulson, our theater reporter, bridges the two worlds. Broadway’s his beat and he covers it as if it were a small city — or a polytheistic religion. And he’ll definitely see it in thrall to the theater gods this weekend, with the 79th Annual Tony Awards on Sunday night. (The ceremony will air on CBS at 8 p.m. Eastern and stream on Paramount+. We’ll be covering it, too.) The new musicals “The Lost Boys” and “Schmigadoon!” are at the top of the leaderboard with 12 nominations apiece, and a revival of the musical “Ragtime” is close behind with 11. It’s going to be cool to see numbers from the musicals performed during the ceremony. “Death of a Salesman,” with nine, is the most nominated play. Who will win? Tony voters have been taking in the performances for months. (Here’s how you can see contenders yourself, if you’re in New York or planning to visit.) And as he’s done for years, Michael has talked to a huge number of them about how they’re planning to vote. His predictions of winners in past years have been eerily accurate for just that reason. Of course, past performance offers no guarantee on future return, he reminded me yesterday. But here’s Michael’s ballot for 2026, based on emails and phone calls he traded with about 175 of the roughly 850 Tony voters. Helen Shaw, our chief theater critic, saw these shows herself, and has decided opinions about who should win and informed notions about who will win as well. Her picks are here, and she spoke about them with Wesley Morris on his “Cannonball” podcast.
On the boardsMichael and Helen’s colleagues on the theater desk have put together an impressive collection of pieces that’ll help prepare you for the ceremony, introducing you to a season’s worth of people, moments and performances. Among them, you can:
It’s supposed to be funMaybe you don’t follow Broadway, though. Perhaps musicals or plays are not your thing. Yesterday afternoon, I asked Michael why you should care about the Tony Awards anyway. Here’s what he told me: The Tony Awards matter in part for the obvious reason — they’re a chance to celebrate the best work staged on Broadway over the previous year. But they matter for other reasons, too. First, and most important, the awards broadcast, despite declining viewership, remains the biggest audience Broadway draws at any one moment, and is an enormous marketing opportunity for the industry and the art form. The song-and-dance numbers performed on the show, when they’re good, lead directly to ticket sales. The broadcast helps remind people of what theater has to offer, and can inspire viewers to go see plays and musicals — in New York, on tour, in their local communities. Second, the show offers inspiration to aspiring theater artists. Over and over again I meet actors and other theater makers who tell me that watching the Tony Awards when they were young helped clarify for them that they wanted to pursue this art form when they grew up. See you onstage!
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At the bottom of the Pacific Ocean lies a vast expanse of critical minerals like nickel, cobalt and manganese, in the form of fist-size nodules. These metals are used in electric vehicles, weapons and lots of other tech. That makes them extremely valuable. But harvesting them is a challenge. One company has tested a solution: sending a rover two miles below the surface to, essentially, suck nodules up through a very long straw. A new story from our Climate desk explains how the process works — and the potential damage it could do to deep-sea creatures still undiscovered by humanity.
Young people are right to boo A.I. at graduation ceremonies, Molly Jong-Fast writes. They should also organize to rein it in. The effort to destroy Black political power in the South is among the greatest betrayals of Black Americans by the federal government in living memory, Mara Gay writes. Morning readers: Save on the complete Times experience. Experience all of The Times, all in one subscription — all with this introductory offer. You’ll gain unlimited access to news and analysis, plus games, recipes, product reviews and more.
Costume party: This weekend, fans get a chance to shop the Paris Opera’s closet (it has ballet costumes, too). Prayer and care: Black churches are helping educate the African American community on how to recognize and treat dementia. Going retro: ChatGPT’s new ad campaign emphasizes humans and downplays tech. Will it make A.I. less frightening? Your pick: The most-clicked link in The Morning yesterday was an Opinion discussion about mourning the American dream. A pioneering novelist: Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel series “Persepolis,” which followed a girl through the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War, helped millions around the world understand the plight of ordinary Iranians. Satrapi has died at 56.
$225— That is what it will cost to park for the day at the American Dream mall in East Rutherford, N.J., when Brazil and Morocco meet in the World Cup on June 13. The lot is roughly a mile from MetLife Stadium, where the game will be played. You can take NJ Transit instead. A ticket is $98. Big numbers.
Stanley Cup: The Carolina Hurricanes overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights in overtime, bringing the finals to 1-1 so far. French Open: It is men’s semifinals day. First, Alexander Zverev (the favorite) faces Jakub Menšík. Follow live. College softball: Texas won its second straight Women’s College World Series, defeating Texas Tech. N.B.A. finals: Game 2 between the Knicks and Spurs is tonight. A Times reporter watched Game 1 with the Knicks legend (and former U.S. senator) Bill Bradley.
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