On the Ground in Beirut

Our Beirut bureau chief, Christina Goldbaum, reports on the escalating conflict between Israel and the Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah, as Israel’s military seizes areas of southern Lebanon and carries out bombings.

C Christina Goldbaum, Christina Thornell, Jon Miller, James Surdam and Diego Ibarra Sánchez for The New York Times

Pro-American Kurdish Forces Are Preparing Possible Iran Incursion

The C.I.A. has given small weapons to Iranian Kurdish forces in Iraq in a covert program that began before the current war.A member of the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran inspects the damage sustained at the party’s Azadi Camp after an Iranian cross-border attack in the Kurdish region of northern

E Erika Solomon, Julian E. Barnes, Christiaan Triebert, Parin Behrooz and Farnaz Fassihi

Primaries Offer Warning Signs to Incumbents in Both Parties

Even as some top targets held on, lawmakers in both parties were pushed into runoffs by challengers in Texas, while some in the North Carolina state legislature lost.Jessica King-Garcia and Ricco Garcia followed primary election updates at a Democratic watch party in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday night.

K Kellen Browning

Can Anthropic Make Peace With the Pentagon?

The artificial intelligence start-up has reportedly resumed talks with the Defense Department over use of its tools, with high stakes for both.Dario Amodei, the C.E.O. of Anthropic, may have a new chance to patch up ties with the Pentagon.

A Andrew Ross Sorkin, Bernhard Warner, Sarah Kessler, Michael J. de la Merced, Niko Gallogly, Brian O’Keefe and Ian Mount

House Panel Votes to Subpoena Pam Bondi Over Epstein Files

The Oversight Committee took the action over the objections of its Republican chairman, after several G.O.P. members sided with Democrats to insist on it.Attorney General Pam Bondi testifying in front of the House Judiciary Committee this month.

M Michael Gold

F.D.A. Faces Upset Over Denials of New Drugs

Agency officials promise fast reviews of new treatments while vowing they will not be a “rubber stamp” for the industry. But patients with rare diseases view recent decisions as signs that the doors are closing on their options.

C Christina Jewett

In a Riskier Era, China Bets on Technology to Resist U.S. Pressure

China announced a 7 percent increase in military spending and a five-year plan to try to reduce its military and industry’s reliance on Western technology.Xi Jinping, China’s leader, at the annual meeting of the national legislature in Beijing on Thursday.

C Chris Buckley and Lily Kuo

Why Ecuador Invited the U.S. Military to Help With Its Drug Gangs

Drug gangs have turned the South American country into one of the most dangerous in the region and the world’s leading exporter of cocaine.The Ecuadorean Coast Guard patrolling in 2025. The U.S. military is now helping Ecuador plan a series of raids targeting the South American country’s violent dru

L Luis Ferré-Sadurní, Eric Schmitt and José María León Cabrera

James Luckey-Lange Recounts Being Detained, Starved and Beaten in Venezuela

James Luckey-Lange, 28, wrote about kindness and shared humanity as he traveled. But he said he had been shackled, starved and beaten in Venezuela after being detained.James Luckey-Lange was held by Venezuelan authorities for more than a month and was released after then President Nicolás Maduro was

A Annie Correal and Anatoly Kurmanaev

They Helped Her Open a Weed Shop. Now They’re Suing for $2.5 Million.

A dispute between the nonprofit Housing Works and the owner of a cannabis dispensary shows the risks for businesses in an industry that is locked out of traditional financing and resources.Leeann Mata says that Housing Works has not delivered on the agreement to help develop her cannabis dispensary,

A Ashley Southall

A Dog-Sledding Adventure in Northern Minnesota

On the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, a novice learns to drive her own team on an adventure in the heart of winter.A dog team pulls guests on a day trip from Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge, on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in Ely, Minn.

E Elaine Glusac and Ben Brewer