President Trump announced today that he would remove his national security adviser, Michael Waltz, from his White House role and nominate him as ambassador to the United Nations. Trump tapped Secretary of State Marco Rubio as Waltz’s interim replacement; he will remain as the nation’s top diplomat.
It was the first significant overhaul of Trump’s West Wing staff since he returned to office — the kind of change he had sought to avoid in an effort to minimize the headlines about chaos that engulfed his first term. Rubio will now be the first person since Henry Kissinger to lead both the State Department and the National Security Council.
My colleagues Maggie Haberman, David Sanger and Jonathan Swan explained what led to Waltz’s ouster. His position had become especially precarious after it became public that he organized a Signal group chat to discuss a sensitive military operation.
But before that, he had been on thin ice for months. Most of Trump’s advisers viewed Waltz as too hawkish to work for the president, who campaigned as a skeptic of American intervention and as eager to reach a nuclear deal with Iran and normalize relations with Russia. Waltz’s deputy, Alex Wong, who is considered a more moderate Republican and who has substantial national security experience, is also expected to be removed.
A judge struck down Trump’s use of the Alien Enemies Act
A federal judge ruled today that the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans it deemed to be criminals was illegal. The judge, Fernando Rodriguez Jr., permanently barred the administration from invoking the 18th-century wartime law in his Texas district.
The decision by Judge Rodriguez, a Trump appointee, was the most expansive ruling yet on Trump’s use of the act. The judge said that the White House had improperly stretched the meaning of the law, which was designed for use during a military invasion.
In related news, a six-day immigration sweep in Florida in April resulted in the arrests of more than 1,100 people.
Scientists are investigating metformin’s anti-aging abilities
Some doctors have prescribed the drug metformin, which is known to lower blood sugar, as a longevity solution. The idea, advanced by anti-aging influencers, is that the drug can head off a number of chronic diseases before they develop.
So far, there is no strong evidence that metformin can slow the aging process. But some scientists have found potential indications that it could delay conditions like cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia.
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Broadway is celebrating an unusually starry season
The Tony Award nominations are here. And even if you’re not a regular theatergoer, you will probably recognize many of the names: George Clooney, Mia Farrow, Sarah Snook, Bob Odenkirk and Sadie Sink all received nominations. (Other famous faces, like Denzel Washington and Jake Gyllenhaal, did not.)
In a particularly robust season for musicals, three tied for the most nominations, with 10 each: “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Death Becomes Her” and “Maybe Happy Ending.” Audra McDonald, who has already won a record six Tony Awards, picked up her 11th nomination for her role in “Gypsy,” making her the most-nominated performer ever.
How John Singer Sargent found his footing
The painter John Singer Sargent is often identified as an American, but he belonged to no single country. His expat parents moved around Europe with the seasons, and he spent a particularly formative decade in Paris, where his portraits and travel-inspired works helped solidify his reputation.
His paintings from that era are featured in a new exhibition at the Met. The show culminates with the famously controversial, undoubtedly arresting portrait “Madame X.”
They’ve got stars in their eyes. And much more.
Christina Leitzel makes prosthetic eyes, and, like every other ocularist, she learned to make them look natural. She perfected the glossy sheen, the illusion of dilation and even the faint signs of irritation. But she gained a following when she started doing the opposite: Working with patients who weren’t trying to blend in. They wanted to stand out.
Leitzel makes what she calls “fun eyes.” They can be gold and shimmering, pierced or even painted like a sunflower. Some of Leitzel’s patients change their eye to match their outfit. One wore an eye with Swarovski crystals for her wedding.
Have a striking evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew
Sean Kawasaki-Culligan was our photo editor.
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