Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Tuesday.
The I.R.S. will drop its audits of Trump and his familyThe Justice Department revealed today that President Trump, his family and his businesses will be shielded from being investigated or prosecuted over their taxes. The provision was signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and quietly posted on the department’s website. It’s part of an extraordinary new agreement the president struck with his own administration to settle his lawsuit against the I.R.S., where officials had mapped out a plan to fight Trump’s claims. Protection from audit could be quite beneficial for Trump. In 2024, my colleagues found that a loss in an I.R.S. audit could cost him more than $100 million. Also part of the deal is a $1.8 billion compensation fund for people who claim to have been the target of politically motivated prosecutions. That fund has been loudly criticized by Democrats as a way to funnel taxpayer money to Trump’s allies. Some Republicans in Congress also voiced concerns. John Thune, the Senate majority leader, rarely publicly criticizes Trump but said he “was not a big fan” of the fund.
The president aims to reshape his party through primariesTrump announced today that he was endorsing Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general, a week before his Senate primary against the state’s longtime Republican senator, John Cornyn. Many Republicans in Washington see Paxton as the weaker candidate in a general election, given his history of indictment, impeachment and accusations of marital infidelity. But the president praised Paxton for being “extremely loyal” to him, indicating yet again that he was seeking to oust Republican dissenters. That effort is perhaps best exemplified by a big House primary today in Kentucky. There, Thomas Massie, a House Republican who has proved more willing to break with the president than any of his colleagues, is being challenged by Trump’s handpicked candidate. It’s become the most expensive House primary in years. Trump’s influence will also be tested today in Georgia’s governor’s race, where his preferred candidate is going up against a billionaire health care executive. Check here for all of today’s election results.
Ebola cases rise sharply in central AfricaHealth officials warned today that an Ebola outbreak in central Africa could last for months. More than 130 people are suspected to have died so far, though experts worry that contact-tracing challenges have led to an undercounting of cases. “I’m deeply concerned about the scale and speed of the epidemic,” one W.H.O. official said. The outbreak is centered in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where an ongoing conflict has slowed the public health response. American officials said this week that the U.S. was restricting entry into the country for some travelers. Here’s what to know.
Supreme Court justices hint at strainsEach year around this time, when the Supreme Court’s oral arguments conclude for the term, the justices often travel around the country to give speeches and appear at public events. Their comments can offer a window into their typically shielded personal views. At recent events, the justices seemed intensely aware of the criticism against them, sometimes acknowledging the frayed relationships between them. Justice Clarence Thomas, for example, reminisced about an earlier time when he was much closer with his colleagues, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has been the most willing to criticize the court. More top news
The president has entrusted the oversight of America’s hosting duties for the World Cup next month to Andrew Giuliani, Rudy’s son. It’s his biggest job so far, and Trump has made his expectations clear: “You better do well, Andrew,” he said. Read about what he’s done so far.
At Cannes, no one seems to agree on the top filmMy colleague Kyle Buchanan has spent the past week on the French Riviera at the Cannes Film Festival, looking for next year’s award contenders. So far, there have been no real front-runners for the festival’s top prize, and every film is getting mixed reviews. “Every after-party I attend has been the site of a heated debate,” Kyle writes. No movie has been more divisive than the sci-fi action film “Hope.” Kyle described it as “stultifying slop,” but some critics really love it. For more: These were the most memorable moments from Cannes, so far.
This is what $181 million can buy youHigh-end art dealers are feeling good after a pair of auctions last night sold a combined $1.1 billion of art and shattered a few auction records. The headlining piece, pictured above, was an 11-foot-long “drip” painting that Jackson Pollock created in 1948 by flinging, drizzling and pouring paint and enamel across a canvas. It sold for $181.2 million, nearly triple the previous auction record for a Pollock. Buyers also picked up an abstract 1964 Mark Rothko painting for $98.4 million, and — my favorite of the bunch — a bronze head sculpture by Constantin Brancusi for $107.6 million.
Dinner table topics
Cook: This blood orange buttermilk pie makes a great end to any day. Read “Taiwan Travelogue,” which just won the International Booker Prize. Listen to Pablo Torre’s latest podcast, on the ethical questions around a celebrity mentalist. Try these exercises to improve your coordination. |
