For Trump, Military Strike in Iran Could Serve Symbolic Purpose

Some officials in the Trump administration hope an attack would force Iran to give up its nuclear enrichment program. Others have doubts.American fighter jets on the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford off the coast of Greece. The U.S. military is amassing firepower in the region near Iran.

J Julian E. Barnes and Helene Cooper

How Israelis Feel About Another Potential War With Iran

The national mood is somewhere between anxiety, resignation and anticipation as President Trump considers whether to attack Iran.Near a bomb shelter in June during an Iranian missile attack in Rishpon, Israel. Israelis have been glued to the news recently as President Trump deliberates over whether

A Aaron Boxerman

Trump’s Push for Election Power Raises Fears He Will ‘Subvert’ Midterms

The president appears to be undermining Americans’ faith in the outcome, at a moment when Republicans face an uphill climb to keep control of Congress.During his State of the Union address on Tuesday, President Trump suggested that “it should be my third term” and falsely declared that the “only way

S Shane Goldmacher and Nick Corasaniti

New A.C.A. Plans Could Increase Family Deductibles to $31,000

The Trump administration is proposing Obamacare plans that it says will lower health insurance premiums. But critics warn they would make care unaffordable.Dr. Mehmet Oz, who oversees Medicare and Medicaid, promoted new proposals that he said would lower costs. Critics fear the options will increase

R Reed Abelson

Patel Fires F.B.I. Personnel Tied to Inquiry Into Trump and Classified Records

The firings are part of a rolling barrage of retribution aimed at those who worked on the two federal prosecutions of President Trump.The F.B.I. building in Washington, D.C. The firings came hours after Kash Patel, the F.B.I. director, said that as part of the documents inquiry, the bureau had subpo

G Glenn Thrush, Alan Feuer and Devlin Barrett

China Wants Germany in Its Corner. It’s Not That Easy.

China’s play for U.S. allies has a problem: As Germany’s leader showed, Europe’s grievances with Beijing may run deeper than its frustration with Trump.Chancellor Friedrich Merz of Germany at the Forbidden City in Beijing on Thursday, the second day of a trip during which he promoted ties while airi

D David Pierson

What We Know About the Gun Battle Off the Coast of Cuba

Four armed Cubans aboard a Florida-based speedboat died in a gunfight with Cuban border troops on Wednesday, officials said.Cuban Coast Guard ships docked at the port of Havana on Wednesday.

P Patricia Mazzei, Frances Robles, Jack Nicas, Eric Schmitt and Yan Zhuang

Epstein Files Are Missing Records About Woman Who Made Claim Against Trump

Documents released by the Justice Department briefly mention a woman’s unverified accusation that Donald J. Trump assaulted her in the 1980s, when she was a minor. But several memos related to her account are not in the files.When the Justice Department made files public late last month, officials s

M Mike Baker and Michael Gold

World Economic Forum Chief Resigns Over Epstein Ties

Borge Brende, a former foreign minister of Norway, had maintained contact with the convicted sex offender.Borge Brende led the World Economic Forum, which runs an annual summit in Davos, Switzerland, for more than eight years.

A Amelia Nierenberg

The Secret of How Ukraine’s Lifesaving Air-Raid Alarms Work

Many in Ukraine assume that the alerts are automated. A rare look inside an emergency-response center reveals the specialists who do the pressure-packed job.Alina Ustiuhova, a supervisor, left, with colleagues in a secret air-defense facility below ground in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

C Cassandra Vinograd and Oleksandr Chubko

When Chatbots Are Used to Plan Violence, Is There a Duty to Warn?

People are revealing sensitive personal information to A.I. chatbots — including plans to commit violent acts.Matthew Livelsberger detonated explosive material in a Tesla Cybertruck in front of the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas in January 2025. He had consulted about the plan with ChatGPT.

K Kashmir Hill

Why Are So Many Teen Girls Still Tearing Their A.C.L.s?

For years, ligament tears have been a crisis among young athletes — even though a few simple exercises can prevent them.[PHOTO ONLY:] The LA Breakers U13 soccer team who regularly does the “FIFA 11+,” a series of exercises designed to prevent ACL tears and other injuries.

C Craig Welch

Man Arrested in New York Snowball Fight That Police Said Injured Officers

The incident, which began as a playful event, shifted in tone when the police appeared. Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said it did not appear to be a crime, while other officials called for arrests.During an organized snowball fight on Monday in Washington Square Park, some people began throwing snowballs

M Maia Coleman

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’s Plan to Build a Prison in Arkansas Divides GOP

Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders wants to build a huge, pricey prison to hold the inmates incarcerated under her tough-on-crime agenda, and she hopes to oust fellow Republicans on Tuesday to do it.A nondescript gate marks the entrance to land purchased for a 3,000-bed prison in Arkansas that has divided

D David W. Chen and Terra Fondriest

Bright Horizons Let Some Staff Work Without Full Vetting, Records Show

Inspectors found several instances in which child care staff members were working in classrooms even though they had not completed all of the required background checks.The New York City Department of Education has already spent more than $11 million with Bright Horizons this year for pre-K and 3-K

E Ed Shanahan

The Latest New Zealander to Move to Australia Is an Ex-Prime Minister

Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s former leader, is basing her family in Australia “for the moment,” a spokesman said. She is part of a wave of Kiwis relocating to their larger neighbor.Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand. Her family “has been traveling for a few years now,” and wou

I Isabella Kwai