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| Jimmy Patronis, a Republican, won the race to replace Matt Gaetz in the First Congressional District in Florida. Rebecca Blackwell/Associated Press |
Trump is tested in Florida and Wisconsin
In the first major election night of 2025, two Trump-backed Republicans won special congressional elections in Florida, shoring up their party’s slim House majority at a crucial moment for President Trump’s domestic agenda. Both victories had been expected.
In Wisconsin, where a race for a State Supreme Court seat morphed into a referendum on Elon Musk’s role in politics, Susan Crawford, the liberal candidate, overcame $25 million in spending by Musk to handily defeat a conservative. The race could have implications for Wisconsin’s delegation to Congress.
“Most statewide races here are very close,” said my colleague Reid Epstein, who covered the vote there. “What it has never had before is a single political benefactor” — specifically, Musk and groups tied to him — “having so much skin in the game behind one candidate.”
Taken together, the elections give some indication of how Americans feel about Trump 10 weeks into his second term. Here are some takeaways for Democrats.
Trade war: An aide to Trump said he had finalized his plan for sweeping “reciprocal” tariffs, which are expected to take effect today. “The imposition of the tariffs may well kick out the last of the three pillars of the trans-Atlantic, trans-Pacific and Canadian alliances,” my colleague David Sanger writes in this analysis.
| More on the Trump administrationA united conservative front on Trump’s immigration purge is beginning to crack over the administration’s aggressive, sometimes slapdash tactics. (The administration admitted it had made an “administrative error” in deporting a man who was in the U.S. legally to El Salvador, where he was imprisoned.)Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, ordered diplomats to scrutinize the social media accounts of some visa applicants for content critical of the U.S. or Israel.The administration has demanded deep cuts at the National Endowment for the Humanities.Senator Cory Booker condemned Trump’s policies in the longest Senate speech on record: more than 25 hours.Trump plans to meet with White House officials today to discuss a proposal to secure TikTok’s future in the U.S.Track Trump’s actions since he took office. |
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| A funeral on Monday for rescue workers killed in Gaza last week. Eyad Baba/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
The U.N. said Israel killed rescue workers in Gaza
A week after 15 rescue workers died during an evacuation mission in Gaza, the U.N. said on Sunday that Israel had killed them and dumped most of the bodies in a mass grave — a rare accusation from the U.N., which is typically cautious about definitively assigning blame.
An Israeli military spokesman said on Monday that nine of those killed were Palestinian militants, and that their vehicles had not received permission to be in the area. But the U.N. and other aid groups said the dead were humanitarian workers, with clearly marked vehicles. Israeli forces bulldozed and crushed the ambulances, a fire truck and a U.N. vehicle, U.N. officials said.
Politics: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel dropped Eli Sharvit, his nominee to lead the domestic intelligence service, yesterday amid a backlash from conservatives.
Related: The mysterious group Canary Mission compiles public dossiers of those critical of Israel. Civil rights advocates say the group is doxxing them.
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| Fewer people of Italian descent are now eligible for citizenship. Alessandro Grassani for The New York Times |
Italy has made it harder to become Italian
As of last Friday, people of Italian descent face greater hurdles in applying for Italian citizenship. So many had tried to claim the benefit that their applications congested the nation’s courts, consulates and municipal offices. Many had few ties to Italy and only wanted a passport, according to the foreign minister.
Eligibility has now been narrowed to those with Italian parents or grandparents, as opposed to any Italian ancestor who was alive after the country was formed in 1861.
Quotable: “Being an Italian citizen is a serious thing,” said the foreign minister, Antonio Tajani. “It’s not a game to get a passport in your pocket to go shopping in Miami.”
| MORE TOP NEWS |
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| Jefferson Siegel for The New York Times |
| U.S.: The authorities are seeking the death penalty for Luigi Mangione, who has been charged with murdering a health care executive in Manhattan in December. Taiwan: China launched military exercises that Beijing described as “firm punishment” for the “pro-independence provocations” of the island’s president. Bangladesh: As the nation tries to rebuild its democracy after the ouster of an authoritarian leader, Islamic extremists are seeking a shift toward fundamentalism. Syria: The militias of the Druse religious minority stand to play an essential role in the country’s future. Right now, they’re skeptical of the president and won’t join the military. |
| Tech: OpenAI said it had completed a fund-raising deal that nearly doubles the high-profile company’s valuation, to $300 billion. |
| Travel: More than 230 passengers and crew members have been sickened with norovirus during a luxury cruise trip from England to the Eastern Caribbean. |
| Entertainment: The director Sam Mendes announced the stars of his four-film series on the Beatles. |
From Europe
| Britain: Amid growing evidence of harm to young people from extreme content online, a “Smartphone Free Childhood” campaign is going viral. Iceland: A volcano eruption endangered the town of Grindavik and prompted the closure of the Blue Lagoon spa. |
| Russia: The owner of a travel agency offering tours aimed solely at men was arrested and found dead in his prison cell, highlighting the government’s L.G.B.T.Q. crackdown. Vatican: Pope Francis’ health has improved in the week since he left the hospital. France: The lower house of Parliament passed a bill that expands the definition of rape to include nonconsensual penetration. |
| SPORTS NEWS |
| Soccer: Tottenham and Arsenal are fierce London rivals. So why are they traveling 6,000 miles to face off in Hong Kong? Tennis: Daria Kasatkina opens up on her move from Russia to Australia: “Being openly gay, if I want to be myself, I have to make this step.” F1: The demotion of Liam Lawson from Red Bull two races into the season joins the list of the most cutthroat and ruthless decisions in sport. N.F.L.: Sports broadcasters amplified a false rumor. It “destroyed” a teenager’s life. |
| MORNING READ |
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| Mischa Christen for The New York Times |
Martha Argerich, 83, is one of the world’s most astonishing pianists. She has the finger strength to shatter chestnuts, can make a Steinway sing and performs dizzying acrobatics across the keys. But, no, she doesn’t want to talk about it.
It took all of our reporter’s powers of persuasion to earn her trust. Read the profile and listen to her play.
| ARTS AND IDEAS |
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| Brandon Bell/Getty Images |
Tips for travelers to the U.S.
Feeling concerned about stateside travels? Stories of snarls and detainments at airports and land borders across the U.S. have led some visitors to rethink their trips altogether to avoid being caught up in the Trump administration’s “enhanced vetting.” Even legal immigrants and U.S. citizens have been pulled aside for additional questioning and searches.
The rules haven’t changed, one lawyer said, but border agents are employing a “zero-tolerance policy.” Check your visa, shut off your phone and be aware of what’s on your social media. Read our guide to visiting or returning to the U.S.
| RECOMMENDATIONS |
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| Kerri Brewer for The New York Times |
Cook: No-fuss garlicky Alfredo beans are easy to whip together and great on toast. Check out our other five-ingredient recipes.
