Upshot: Star painting for 10-minute challenge

May 5, 2025

Vincent van Gogh

10-Minute Challenge: ‘The Starry Night’ by van Gogh

We’d like you to look at one piece of art for 10 minutes, uninterrupted.

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WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS

Karsten Moran for The New York Times

When Taxpayers Fund Shows Like ‘Blue Bloods’ and ‘S.N.L.,’ Does It Pay Off?

Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York has proposed an increase in the film tax credit to stay competitive with New Jersey and other states.

By Ben Blatt

The New York Times

Flashback: Your Weekly History Quiz, May 3, 2025

Can you sort 8 historical events?

One of the Weather World’s Biggest Buzzwords Expands Its Reach

To many, atmospheric rivers are a West Coast phenomenon. But they’re also responsible for the devastating flooding that hit the Central United States in early April.

By Amy Graff

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

A table of federal work force reductions so far by agency. The list includes U.S.A.I.D. and Voice of America with reductions of more than 99 percent; AmeriCorps with a 93 percent cut; the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with an 85 percent cut; the Education Department with a 46 percent cut; and the Department of Health and Human Services with a 16 percent cut.

The New York Times

The Federal Work Force Cuts So Far, Agency by Agency

Here are the layoffs, buyouts taken and planned reductions, by agency, that The New York Times has confirmed.

By Elena Shao and Ashley Wu

Trump Proposes $163 Billion in Cuts Across Government in New Budget

Many of the suggested cuts, which would require congressional approval, target federal programs that benefit the poor.

By Tony Romm

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