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Good evening. Here’s the latest.
1. The Pentagon is without a permanent leader.
President Trump pulled the nomination of the acting defense secretary, Patrick Shanahan, who resigned as a routine F.B.I. background investigation continued because of Mr. Shanahan’s divorce. His ex-wife had accused him of punching her.
Mr. Trump named Mark Esper, secretary of the Army, as acting secretary.
The change in personnel comes amid escalating U.S.-Iran tensions, which have left European leaders caught in the middle: They desperately want to preserve the nuclear deal with Iran that Mr. Trump rejected, but they are powerless to stop the U.S. sanctions that threaten it.
2. President Trump officially kicks off his re-election campaign tonight in Orlando, above, making a special presentation of his signature “Make America Great Again” rallies.
Giant television screens, food trucks and a band known as the Guzzlers are planned, and Mr. Trump’s entire family will be there. His speech is scheduled for 8 p.m. Eastern. We’ll continue to have updates here.
Less than 24 hours before the event, Mr. Trump had tweeted that “millions of illegal aliens” would be deported starting next week. But many at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has been preparing to conduct raids targeting thousands of migrant families, were blindsided by the president’s tweet and timeline.
3. Global economic growth is already slowing. The U.S. trade war is making it worse, according to economists, statistics and central bankers.
Foreign leaders and business executives say President Trump’s trade war is stirring uncertainty, weighing on manufacturing and disrupting increasingly delicate global gains. In Europe, the central bank’s president said that “additional stimulus will be required” if the economy does not improve.
The U.S. stock market rose after Mr. Trump said he will meet with President Xi Jinping of China at the Group of 20 meeting next week in hopes of restarting trade talks. Above, containers in Lianyungang, China.
But the president also said he was watching to see what action the U.S. central bank takes on interest rates on Wednesday.
The plan, expected to be passed on Wednesday, calls for eliminating the state’s net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, sourcing 70 percent of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030, and shifting entirely to carbon-free power a decade later. Above, a Con Edison plant in Queens.
The agreement between legislative leaders and Gov. Andrew Cuomo would strive to create a so-called “net zero” economy, the Holy Grail of those seeking to halt climate change.
Separately, Canada’s government approved a divisive plan to extend a pipeline. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has taken the longstanding position that Canada needs to maintain a strong energy industry in order to mitigate climate change.
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5. The house with a yard may be an American ideal of the past.
Rising concerns about housing affordability, racial inequality and climate change are causing cities nationwide to re-examine their attachment to the single-family house, with several scaling back zoning for the detached homes.
Separately, Google pledged $1 billion to help build affordable housing in the San Francisco Bay Area. The tech company estimates it could spur the building of at least 20,000 homes in the region, where housing costs have become prohibitive.
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6. More Americans are saying they need emotional support animals for their mental health. But states are cracking down.
Several are passing legislation that makes it harder for people to claim that their animal is needed for therapy and is not just a pet. Above, Vayne Myers with his emotional support duck named Primadonna.
In 2011, the National Service Animal Registry, a for-profit company, had 2,400 service and emotional support animals in its registry. Now it has nearly 200,000, including not just dogs, but ducks, insects and more.
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7. Billions of doses of vaccines have been given to hundreds of millions of Americans over the past three decades. A little-known federal program shows just how rare it is for someone to claim that vaccines cause harm.
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program has compensated about 6,600 people over those 30 years. In most of those cases, program officials did not find sufficient evidence that vaccines were at fault. Above, a child with measles.
Our reporters broke down the numbers.
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8. Taylor Swift’s new video is populated with L.G.B.T.Q. celebrities. But not everyone is seeing it as a celebration.
In the Technicolor fantasia depicted in “You Need to Calm Down,” Ms. Swift argues against hate. The reaction is mixed: Was Ms. Swift’s intense embrace a matter of principle or of expediency? Our music and culture critics weigh in.
We also spoke to L.G.B.T.Q. elders about the process of aging within their community and passing on their legacy to the next generation.
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9. It’s a girl! It’s a boy! It’s a cake!
A decade on, the food phenomenon known as a gender-reveal cake, in which parents announce the sex of their baby through a sweet slice of color-coordinated dessert, has spawned videos, bakeries — and now, some resistance, as gender issues grow more complicated.
For a food tradition of a different color: If it’s Sunday in southeastern Indiana, order the fried chicken. Doused in pepper, salt and history, the region’s signature dish is a staple of after-church dinners and a fine reason for a road trip, our writer found.
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10. And finally, the magic of soapy bubbles.
Scientists have seen the unique freezing dynamics of bubbles in nature, but they never understood the physics behind it — until now. The freeze front creates an unusual liquid flow on the surface of soap bubbles, creating a snow-globe effect, new research suggests. You can watch the transformation here, and even try it at home.
The study could have applications for antifreeze materials, frozen food or even tastier ice cream.
Have an effervescent night.
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