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Top stories
U.S. forces said they shot down incoming drones and missiles and sank six Iranian small boats yesterday while launching an operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The clash strained a fragile, month-old ceasefire. Iran also struck the United Arab Emirates — an American partner — triggering a large fire at the UAE’s biggest oil storage facility. It was the first attack on the Emirates since the truce began.
Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads U.S. Central Command in the region, said the military established a “defensive umbrella across the Strait of Hormuz” to escort ships. He described a layered protection plan that includes ships, helicopters, aircraft, airborne units, early warning systems and electronic warfare. NPR’s Greg Myre reports the escort worked to protect two commercial vessels yesterday, but officials will need to scale up operations if many ships try to transit. Key questions now: how many vessels will attempt to pass the Strait, and whether the U.S. can keep them safe while avoiding further escalation.
It is primary day in Ohio and Indiana, where very different redistricting stories are on view. In Indiana, President Trump is backing efforts to unseat Republican state senators who opposed a recent redistricting plan. Ohio lawmakers, by contrast, have been forced to redraw maps multiple times since 2021 after court challenges; the current Ohio map makes only modest boundary tweaks and does not uniformly favor Republicans.
State senate primaries usually focus on local issues, but this cycle has drawn heavy spending. AdImpact data show nearly $7 million has been spent on TV ads in these Indiana contests. Indiana state Sen. Jim Buck called the spending unprecedented, noting past races once decided with $150,000 now look modest. More than $1 million has gone to ads branding incumbents “Republican In Name Only.” Marty Obst, a longtime Republican consultant active in the effort to remove those senators, told NPR that the president is the party leader and that Republicans must follow his lead or face consequences.
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito temporarily blocked major changes to how the abortion medication mifepristone can be prescribed, pausing enforcement of an appeals court order that would have required in-person prescriptions. The stay restores nationwide telehealth access to the drug while the legal process continues.
Medication abortion accounts for about 60% of U.S. abortions, and mifepristone is also used to manage miscarriage. NPR’s Julie Rovner noted the appeals court decision was unexpected in part because the prior administration had asked the lower court to pause the case until the FDA completed a safety review of mifepristone.
Living Better
Living Better is a special series about health and aging in America.
The number of centenarians is expected to quadruple by 2054. Joe Coughlin, director of MIT’s AgeLab, says preparing for longer lives requires more than retirement savings. His team created the Longevity Preparedness Index, a free online tool that walks users through eight life domains — from relationships and community to health and daily activities — in about 15 minutes.
The quiz starts with awareness: it asks tough but necessary questions, like who you’d turn to as a care provider. Answering specific scenarios can surface gaps in plans. Savings remain important: those who want to age in place with support may face high costs — nonmedical caregiving such as meal prep and housekeeping can average roughly $80,000 a year. Planning ahead helps people reframe aging as a chance for quality of life, not only added years.
Picture show
Celebrities turned out last night for the Met Gala, showcasing bold looks on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art as the Costume Institute fundraiser celebrated its “Fashion is Art” theme. Co-chairs included Beyoncé, Nicole Kidman, Venus Williams and Anna Wintour. Stars such as Bad Bunny, Rihanna and Anne Hathaway drew attention with creative and extravagant outfits.
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 Angel Down and staffers at The Washington Post, Reuters and The Associated Press.
3) A 12-year-old dog is set to make its opera debut this weekend at Lyric Opera of Kansas City in a new production of Of Mice and Men — part of an unusual round of auditions that included several four-legged contenders.
This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.