Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Thursday.
War or a deal? U.S. and Iran discuss what’s nextPresident Trump’s top envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, met in Geneva today for high-stakes nuclear talks with Iranian officials. The negotiations are expected to continue next week and could determine whether the U.S. goes to war with Iran. Leaders in both countries say they want to avoid a conflict, and Iran’s foreign minister said the two sides made “good progress” today. But the talks ended this afternoon without a breakthrough. Two U.S. aircraft carrier groups and dozens of military aircraft are massed within striking distance of Iran, and Trump is considering ordering targeted strikes. Tehran officials are operating on the assumption that such strikes are inevitable and imminent. Farnaz Fassihi, who has covered Iran for many years, explained its diplomatic strategy: They are trying to design a proposal that could give Trump a win and persuade him to pull back U.S. troops while preserving some of its nuclear enrichment. Iran is expected to offer to suspend its nuclear activity for three to five years. U.S. officials have demanded more. Meanwhile, Israelis are preparing for a war.
Hillary Clinton denies knowing EpsteinMembers of the House Oversight Committee traveled to Chappaqua, N.Y., today to question Hillary Clinton as part of its investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender. The former first lady and Secretary of State arrived angry after being compelled to appear and denied ever meeting Epstein or knowing anything about his crimes. The deposition devolved into chaos after a Republican lawmaker leaked a photograph of the closed-door proceedings to a right-wing blogger. Clinton abruptly halted the session, and her lawyers called for the session be made public, as she had requested originally. The episode is — as you probably recall — hardly the first time that Clinton has been under pressure to answer for the actions of her husband, who did have ties to Epstein. He is set to testify tomorrow. In related news:
Mortgage rates fall below 6%For the first time in nearly three and a half years, the average 30-year mortgage rate in the U.S. dipped below 6 percent. It’s a glimmer of hope for a housing market that has become so expensive that many Americans say buying a home feels out of reach. It is not yet clear whether the lower rates will lead more people to put their homes on the market. But some analysts are optimistic that it will. In other housing news: Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York had an unannounced meeting with Trump at the White House. He said they found common ground on building more housing.
The U.S. is burying a time capsule for the next 250 yearsIt’s hard to fathom life in 2276. But if everything goes to plan, that’s when some future Americans will dig up a time capsule that is scheduled to be lowered into the ground this Fourth of July, when the U.S. turns 250 years old. The capsule will be three feet tall and made of a special type of stainless steel to avoid the decomposition that eroded similar efforts from centuries ago. We want to hear from you: The group overseeing this operation announced today that the capsule will be filled with objects from each of the country’s 56 states and territories. If you could put something in the time capsule, what would it be? More top news
The Times reviewed more than 1,000 videos that are recommended to young children on YouTube. They found that the algorithm pushes often nonsensical, A.I.-generated slop from channels that claim to be educational. In the video above, my colleague Arijeta Lajka explains why experts warn that these A.I. videos could be disrupting the kids’ cognitive development.
Can he make Gucci cool again?After years of falling revenue and waning cultural relevance, Gucci hired Demna — the mononymic designer who turned Balenciaga into a sensation — to help save the brand. Now, some 14 hours after this newsletter hits your inbox, Demna will debut his new vision for Gucci at Milan Fashion Week. “What I want to bring to Gucci is cultural relevance,” he told our fashion critic Vanessa Friedman. The new job is also a reset for Demna, who was once best known for streetwear. A Gucci hoodie? “I wouldn’t do,” he said. “Obviously.” For the latest from Milan: Sign up for our Fashion Week newsletter.
Maybe ‘Grease 2’ is worth a second lookThe highly anticipated 1982 sequel was a flop. Its plotlines skew toward cringe and our reviewer at the time called it “dizzy and slight.” It arrived in theaters alongside “E.T.” and struggled to sell tickets. But “Grease 2” has become a campy cult classic because some people, including my colleague Maya Salam, find its ridiculousness enjoyable. The film is overflowing with energetic song-and-dance numbers. And, perhaps more important, it introduced the world to Michelle Pfeiffer — whose gum-smacking charm alone is worth the price of admission. (It’s available to stream on Paramount+ or for purchase on other networks.)
Dinner table topicsEach day in this section, I will share a few stories that are ripe for discussion. We removed the paywall so you can read them all for free.
This question comes from a recent edition of the newsletter. Click an answer to see if you’re right. (The link is free.) Which country is widely regarded as the birthplace of research into the northern lights?
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