Today's Headlines: Russia Pummels Kyiv, Prompting Rare Rebuke From Trump

What Elon Musk Didn't Budget For: Firing Workers Costs Money, Too

View in browser April 25, 2025, 4:10 a.m. Eastern time Top News Russia Pummels Kyiv, Prompting Rare Rebuke From Trump The attack, which killed at least 12 people, was the deadliest on Ukraine's capital in nearly a year. President Trump called on President Vladimir V. Putin to "STOP!" in a post on social media. What Elon Musk Didn't Budget For: Firing Workers Costs Money, Too An expert on the federal work force estimates that the speed and chaos of Mr. Musk's cuts to the bureaucracy will cost taxpayers $135 billion this fiscal year. Trump Takes a Major Step Toward Seabed Mining in International Waters A new executive order pits the United States against the rest of the world over the question of who can exploit mineral resources in shared waters. Editors' Picks They Stole a Quarter-Billion in Crypto and Got Caught Within a Month How luxury cars, $500,000 bar tabs and a mysterious kidnapping attempt helped investigators unravel the heist of a lifetime. Opinion | How Four Democrats Who Saved the Party Before Would Do It Again How Democrats found their way out of the political wilderness once before, and how they could do it again now. World If America Walks Away From Ukraine, What Will Europe Do? Europeans see Ukraine's security as vital to their own and want to defend the principle of no border changes by force, even if President Trump does not. Crisis Deepens for India and Pakistan Over Kashmir Attack The Pakistani government said that if India followed through on a threat to block rivers it would take it as "an act of war." Israel Acknowledges Second Deadly Attack on Aid Workers in Gaza In a rare apology to the United Nations, Israel said its forces had struck a U.N. compound in Gaza with tank fire. A Bulgarian aid worker was killed. See more world news U.S. Courts Block Trump From Withholding School Funds Over D.E.I., for Now In three cases, federal judges paused the administration's effort to cut off money from public schools with diversity and equity programs. Why Did a Charity Tied to Casey DeSantis Suddenly Get a $10 Million Boost? The Hope Florida Foundation quietly gave the money to two nonprofit political committees that helped Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies defeat a ballot measure. 'This Moment Is Critical.' Whither Progressive Christians After Pope Francis? Catholics and Protestants who saw Pope Francis as a guiding moral figure are losing their voice. See more U.S. news Politics Trump Asks Supreme Court to Revive Ban on Transgender Troops Lower courts had blocked the policy, saying it was not supported by evidence and violated equal protection principles. D.N.C. Leader Moves to Rein In Deputy Who Went Rogue on Primary Challenges Ken Martin, the chair of the Democratic National Committee, criticized a vice chair of the party, David Hogg, over his controversial plan to challenge Democratic incumbents. Hegseth Set Up Signal on a Computer in His Pentagon Office The app facilitated communications in a building where cell service is poor and personal phones are not allowed in some areas. See more political news Business Stocks Extend Gains as Investors Weigh Fed Rates and Tariff Talk After an early wobble, markets resumed rising after Chinese officials contradicted suggestions from President Trump and others about tariff negotiations. For China's Trolls, 'Chairman Trump' and 'Eyeliner Man' Are Easy Targets Online mockery of President Trump is fodder for the Communist Party's propagandists. For liberal-minded Chinese, it is a creative expression of shock at his policies. Trump's Tariffs Expected to Grind Germany's Growth to a Halt The German government scaled back its prediction for 2025 to zero economic growth, citing the turbulence caused by U.S. tariffs, as well as stubborn bureaucracy and high energy prices. See more business news Technology Chinese Manufacturers Make Appeals to Americans: Buy Direct Videos on the social media app, filmed at factories in China, urge viewers to buy luxury goods directly, as tariffs drive up prices. Americans are receptive. Saying 'Thank You' to ChatGPT Is Costly. But Maybe It's Worth the Price. Adding words to our chatbot can apparently cost tens of millions of dollars. But some fear the cost of not saying please or thank you could be higher. If A.I. Systems Become Conscious, Should They Have Rights? As artificial intelligence systems become smarter, one A.I. company is trying to figure out what to do if they become conscious. See more technology news Arts Penn Station's Not-So-Secret Other Life: The People's Dance Studio Smooth floors. Public restrooms. A built-in audience: The lower level of Moynihan Hall doubles as a rehearsal space for a variety of dance groups, including K-pop, salsa and Brazilian Zouk. Jimmy Kimmel Skewers Elon Musk's Plan to 'Get Out of DOGE' "Musk says that he will dial back his work with the government so that he can spend more time with all 10 of his families," Kimmel said. Juilliard Plans $550 Million Drive to Go Tuition Free The goal is to make the school's programs more accessible and to ease the burden on graduates pursuing careers in the arts. See more arts news New York U.S. Sidelines Lawyers Who Doubted Their Own Case on Congestion Pricing The Trump administration replaced lawyers who had exposed flaws in its legal battle over New York City's congestion pricing program. 21 Years Later, Deported Back to a 'Home' He Barely Knew Two decades had passed since Nascimento Blair was last in Jamaica, his homeland. Much had changed, including Mr. Blair himself. George Santos, Facing a Possible 87 Months in Prison, Is Out of Jokes On Friday, a federal judge will sentence the disgraced former congressman to a minimum of two years in prison, but Mr. Santos expects a harsher sentence. See more New York news Travel 36 Hours in Marfa, Texas Marfa, Texas, offers a siren song to travelers intrigued by its dusty cowboy culture, high-brow art and wide-open horizon. Help! I Gave Up My Seat for $800, but Frontier Forgot to Pay Me. When the low-cost airline asked for 20 volunteers to take a later flight, one of them never received the promised voucher. Was a handwritten list to blame? The Latest Battleground for Luxury Tourism: Albania's Adriatic Coast Two major proposals led by Jared Kushner and a new airport championed by the Albanian government focus on an area prized for its biodiversity. Are they a sign of things to come? See more travel news Fashion & Style Another Gates Gets Wired In Phoebe Gates, the youngest and most stylish of Bill and Melinda Gates's children, steps into the spotlight as a founder of a new online shopping tool. Bad Bunny (the College Course) Heads to the Ivy League With a new fall offering, Yale becomes the latest university to offer a course on the cultural impact of the Puerto Rican star. Jason Kelce Takes 'Made in the U.S.' Very Seriously For his new Underdog line of sweatshirts and T-shirts, the retired football star had specific thoughts on fit, materials and where the garments were made. See more fashion news Obituaries Andrea Nevins, Who Turned Offbeat Subjects Into Moving Films, Dies at 63 Her documentaries, one of which received an Oscar nomination, explored subjects like punk-rock dads and Barbie dolls. Leonard Zeskind, Who Foresaw the Rise of White Nationalism, Dies at 75 With "Blood and Politics," he predicted that anti-immigrant ideologies would become part of mainstream American politics, and warned about downplaying the threat. Masahiro Shinoda, Leading Light of Japan's New Wave Cinema, Dies at 94 His films tapped into the fantasies of disgruntled youth by embracing brazen sexuality and countercultural politics. But unlike his peers, he did not shun tradition. See more Obituaries Opinion David Brooks Trump's Single Stroke of Brilliance His initiative has been the key to much of his success, but lacking any sense of prudence, he does not understand the difference between a risk and a gamble. Interesting Times With Ross Douthat Can the Catholic Church Quit the Culture Wars? The challenges for Catholicism in the modern world. 57 MIN LISTEN Michelle Goldberg The Trump Victim I Can't Stop Thinking About It's a moral imperative to try to rescue people like Andry Hernández Romero. W.J. Hennigan A Beleaguered Hegseth Wanders Into His Forever War The operation in Yemen has sent the Trump administration into an exorbitant, potentially escalatory spiral. The Opinions Lydia Polgreen on Why Trump's 'Deportation Regime' Is Actually Not Going Well And what happens when your country becomes a place people no longer want to come to. 29 MIN LISTEN Guest Essay The Left Keeps Getting It Wrong on Crime As more vigorous law enforcement has reduced crime, progressives are still trying to eliminate tools that have made the police more effective. See more Opinion Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Today's Headlines from The New York Times. To stop receiving Today's Headlines, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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