Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.
Israel launched an attack in Qatar, targeting Hamas leadersIn a significant escalation of the war in the Middle East, Israel targeted leaders of Hamas in a strike today in Qatar’s capital, Doha. Hamas said the attack had failed to kill its senior officials, but confirmed that the son of its chief negotiator, his office manager and three other people affiliated with Hamas were killed. By directly striking in Qatar, a close U.S. ally and a primary mediator in talks to end the fighting in Gaza, Israel risked destabilizing the push for a cease-fire. Qatari officials condemned the attack, which they said had targeted a residential headquarters where senior Hamas politicians lived. President Trump said the U.S. was told in advance about the strike. He added that it was unfortunate that the attack was in Qatar, but described the destruction of Hamas as a “worthy” goal. In related news:
Here’s what’s in R.F.K. Jr.’s report on childhood healthA new White House report articulated how the Trump administration plans to carry out many aims of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” movement. You can read the full report here and check out our biggest takeaways. The report focuses on childhood chronic disease, using several of Kennedy’s regular talking points: that American children are sick, stressed and screen addicted because of corporate interests and prescription medications. It contains a few bold ideas, but not always a clear path to implementing them, and is very likely to disappoint some of Kennedy’s coalition because it stops short of calling for restrictions on pesticides and ultraprocessed foods. In other Trump administration news:
Nepali troops move in to tamp down violent protestsNepal’s military began deploying troops this evening in Kathmandu, the capital, after a day in which rampaging protesters set fire to government buildings and forced the resignations of the prime minister and other top officials. It is unclear who, if anyone, is in charge of the country. Here’s the latest. Twenty-two people have been killed in the protests, which began yesterday after a government ban on major social media platforms and continued even after the government rolled back the move. The ban was viewed both as a crackdown on free speech and a severing of communications between Nepalese residents and their family members who work abroad.
High school reading skills hit a three-decade lowThe reading skills of American high school seniors are the worst they have been since 1992, according to the nation’s gold-standard exam. About a third of the 12th-graders who were tested last year did not have basic reading skills. In math, nearly half of the test takers scored below the basic level, the worst performance since 2005. The disruptions of the pandemic are very likely part of the cause, but learning declines, especially among struggling students, had begun several years before. Some experts have also linked worsening academic performances to increases in screen time. More top news
50 of the best restaurants in AmericaEvery year, my colleagues who cover food and dining scour the country in search of the best places to go out to eat. Each year’s list is entirely different, so we keep a close eye on exciting new places. Check out The Restaurant List 2025 and see if any of this year’s picks are near you. For more: More than a dozen of our reporters and editors weighed in on their restaurant of the year pick, as well as trends they love (and don’t). At home: You can make these great restaurant recipes in your own kitchen.
What comes after smartphones?Apple unveiled its newest collection of iPhones this afternoon, including an ultrathin version they are calling the iPhone Air, plus new Apple Watches and Airpods. Here are our takeaways. But many of the world’s biggest tech companies believe that A.I. assistants will eventually make the smartphone obsolete. Our tech reporters Brian Chen and Tripp Mickle explained the latest ideas about what comes next, whether it’s smart glasses, ambient computers or other ascendant tech.
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Cook: These cocoa Krispies treats are a gooey delight any time of year. Watch: Here are 40 TV shows we're looking forward to this fall. Wear: Take inspiration from our fashion photographer’s look of the week. Clean: You might be surprised what is dishwasher safe, and what isn’t. |
