Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Thursday.
Gaetz dropped his bid to be attorney generalMatt Gaetz, the former Florida congressman who Donald Trump tapped last week as his choice for attorney general, announced today that he would withdraw from consideration. Gaetz has faced a torrent of scrutiny over allegations of sex trafficking and drug use, which he has denied. After meetings on Capitol Hill yesterday, Gaetz told people close to him that at least four Republican senators opposed his nomination — enough to block his confirmation. Susan Collins of Maine, one of those senators, said that it was “the best decision that Mr. Gaetz could have made.” The collapse of Gaetz’s bid underscored Trump’s haphazard approach to his cabinet selection process. He picked Gaetz almost on a whim without extensive vetting. The storm surrounding Gaetz, personally disliked by lawmakers in both parties, has drawn some attention away from Trump’s other contested picks. Pete Hegseth, his choice for defense secretary, has also been accused of sexual assault. The office of the city attorney of Monterey, Calif., released a redacted police file yesterday containing the accusation of a woman who said that Hegseth raped her in 2017. Hegseth met with senators today in an effort to secure their support. Many Republicans defended him. In interviews, several veterans who served with Hegseth told us they were thrilled he was chosen; his peers described him as a skillful soldier who became embittered by military dysfunction.
Putin said Russia struck Ukraine with a new missileVladimir Putin announced today that Russian forces had struck a Ukrainian military facility with a new intermediate-range ballistic missile that is mainly intended as nuclear deterrence. He said the attack was in response to Ukraine’s recent use of American and British weapons to strike deeper into Russia. Putin’s comments, made in a rare address to the nation, appeared to be an ominous threat against Ukraine’s western allies, including the U.S. “We consider ourselves entitled to use our weapons against the military facilities of those countries that allow their weapons to be used against our facilities.” An analysis: Trump’s vow to quickly end the war could leave Ukraine with few options. U.S. and European officials are discussing deterrence as a possible security guarantee.
The I.C.C. issued an arrest warrant for NetanyahuThe International Criminal Court today accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, of war crimes related to Israel’s conduct in Gaza. The court issued arrest warrants for both men, accusing them of using starvation as a weapon and intentionally attacking civilians. Netanyahu’s office rejected what it called “absurd and false accusations.” He now faces the risk of arrest in any of the court’s 124 member nations, including most European countries. The U.S., which is not a member of the court, said it “rejects” the decision. The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of Muhammad Deif, Hamas’s military chief, accusing him of crimes against humanity. Israel has said that it killed him in an airstrike, but the court said it could not determine if he was alive.
Automakers want Trump to keep E.V. regulations in placeAmerica’s largest car manufacturers are strategizing on ways to convince the Trump administration not to scrap federal regulations that essentially force them to sell electric vehicles. The main reason: They have invested billions in the transition to electric, and are worried about being undercut by competitors who didn’t. More top news
Percival Everett won the National Book AwardThis year’s National Book Award for fiction, one of America’s most prestigious literary prizes, was given to Percival Everett for his novel “James.” The book, published in March to rave reviews, is a retelling of Mark Twain’s “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” from the perspective of Huck’s companion, an enslaved man named James. The nonfiction award was given to the anthropologist Jason De León for “Soldiers and Kings,” an immersive account of the nearly seven years he spent embedded with human smugglers on the U.S.-Mexico border.
How good is your mobility?As our bodies age, our soft tissues, especially the joints, become more rigid. It can make ordinary tasks, like taking out the garbage or picking things off the ground, unbearable. Luckily, mobility can be trained and improved by incorporating a handful of easy exercises into your routine. But first, it helps to know which joints to focus on. Use these tests to gauge your range of movement.
Dinner table topics
Cook: This Dutch apple pie is sweet, creamy and rich. |
