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Today’s top stories
The U.S. military said it shot down incoming drones and missiles and sank six Iranian small boats yesterday as it launched an operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The incident threatened the fragile, month-old ceasefire between the two countries. Iran also fired on the United Arab Emirates, an American ally, and set off a major fire at the country’s largest oil storage facility. The attack marks the first time Iran has attacked the Emirates since the ceasefire began.
Adm. Brad Cooper, head of Central Command in the Middle East, says the military has set up a “defensive umbrella across the Strait of Hormuz” to escort ships through the waterway. Cooper said the U.S. forces’ defensive package has multiple layers, including ships, helicopters, aircraft, airborne units, early warning and electronic warfare. NPR’s Greg Myre says the approach worked yesterday for two commercial ships, but it will need to scale up to support a steady stream of traffic. Key things to watch are whether many ships try to pass through the Strait and whether the U.S. can keep them safe.
It is primary day in Ohio and Indiana, and two very different decisions that Republicans made on gerrymandering will be on display. In Indiana, President Trump is seeking to oust incumbent Republican state senators whose votes helped defeat a redistricting plan. Ohio lawmakers had to create new maps after multiple earlier versions were rejected by courts or adopted without bipartisan support since 2021. The current Ohio map features some minor boundary adjustments, and not all changes favor Republicans.
State senate primaries are typically sleepy, focused on local issues. But AdImpact data show nearly $7 million has been spent on TV ads in these Indiana primaries. Indiana state Sen. Jim Buck says the money spent this cycle is unprecedented; past races that spent $150,000 would now seem modest. More than a million dollars has been spent on ads labeling incumbents “Republican in Name Only.” Marty Obst, a longtime Republican consultant in Indiana involved in the effort to oust incumbents, tells NPR the president is the party leader and Republicans must fall in line or face consequences.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito imposed a one-week pause on significant changes to how the abortion pill mifepristone can be prescribed. An appeals court last week ordered the Food and Drug Administration to revert to rules requiring in-person prescriptions. The Supreme Court’s temporary stay restores nationwide telehealth access to the medication.
Medication abortion accounts for about 60% of all abortions in the U.S., most using mifepristone, and the drug is also used to treat miscarriage. Journalist Julie Rovner says the appeals court ruling came as a surprise in part because the Trump administration had asked the lower court to put the case on hold until the FDA finished its safety review of mifepristone. Here’s what to know about how medication abortions work, how safe they are and how patients can access them.
Living better
Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.
The number of centenarians is expected to quadruple by 2054. MIT AgeLab director Joe Coughlin says planning for aging requires more than saving for retirement. He and collaborators developed the Longevity Preparedness Index, a free online tool that helps people assess life decisions across eight domains — relationships with family, friends and community, health and daily activities among them. The quiz takes about 15 minutes.
Awareness is the first step. The survey asks uncomfortable but important questions, such as who you’d want as your care provider if needed. Answering questions about life transitions can reveal challenges you might face.
Savings are still important. One of the hardest decisions people face is whether they can afford their cost of living. For those who want to age in place with caregiving support, nonmedical caregiving like meal preparation and housekeeping can cost, on average, about $80,000 a year.
Planning ahead can help reframe aging. By anticipating and adapting to physical changes, people can envision possibilities for quality of life, not just longevity.
Picture show
The stars were out last night at the Met Gala, donning striking and extravagant outfits as they ascended the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s staircase to mark fashion’s biggest night. The event raises funds for the Met’s Costume Institute. This year’s co-chairs were Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour. The 2026 Gala dress code was “Fashion is Art.” Stars like Bad Bunny, Rihanna and Anne Hathaway showcased creative looks.
3 things to know before you go
1) Actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni settled their nearly two-year legal dispute yesterday.
2) The 2026 Pulitzer Prizes were announced, honoring 24 winners across journalism and the arts, including author Daniel Kraus for his book Angel Down and staffers at The Washington Post, Reuters and AP.
3) Kansas City’s next big opera star is a 12-year-old dog making its debut this weekend at Lyric Opera of Kansas City in a new production of “Of Mice and Men.” Meet some of the four-legged actors that auditioned for the role.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.