Homeland Security Paid $464 Million for Airplanes. Then It Parked Them.

The agency used a no-bid contract to buy 10 used jets, saying they were urgently needed for deportation flights. But the fleet has largely sat idle for months.A Boeing 737 passenger jet purchased by the Department of Homeland Security parked last month at Chennault International Airport in Lake Char

D David A. Fahrenthold, Andrea Fuller, Julie Tate, Nicholas Nehamas and Hamed Aleaziz

Hegseth Is Pressed to Clarify Lawyer’s Role in Promotion Decisions

Representative Jason Crow asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to explain statements about his special adviser’s influence following a New York Times report.Representative Jason Crow, Democrat of Colorado, has asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to provide a written response clarifying his testimon

G Greg Jaffe

New Yorkers Who Lost Insurance After Trump Cuts Face Hard Choices

New York State’s generous health plan for working-class people was hit hard by federal funding cuts. More than 400,000 people are now looking for new coverage or living without it.Health experts have warned that the number of uninsured New Yorkers will rise as people struggle to afford private plans

E Emma G. Fitzsimmons

Putin Visits Islands Seized From Japan in World War II, Angering Tokyo

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan has been a public critic of Mr. Putin, who has denounced her country’s sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine war.A Russian state media photo released on Thursday showed President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia visiting a contested island.

J Javier C. Hernández and Paul Sonne

Hong’s Defeat in Wisconsin Sparks New Disagreements Within Democratic Party

Some Democrats said the outcome showed that the moderate wing of the party carried more electoral weight, while Ms. Hong’s strong showing gave some progressives hope.Francesca Hong speaking after losing the Wisconsin primary election. While democratic socialists planned to study Ms. Hong’s loss to i

E Emily Davies and Kellen Browning

How China Remembers Zhu Rongji, the Premier Who Spoke His Mind

Tributes to the former premier recalled his spirited style and his efforts to integrate China into global commerce, in contrast with the rigidity of the Xi era.The official obituary of Zhu Rongji, at a newsstand in Beijing on Thursday.

C Chris Buckley

So You Want to Build an A.I. Star?

Designers at a new crop of creative studios create fake personas they hope real people will love. Are they distorting culture or mirroring it?

R Reggie Ugwu

‘An English Summer Is Not the Same Anymore’

With forecasters issuing a warning for very high temperatures, this summer is on track to be one of the hottest yet.Sunrise in London on an amber warning day last week. More extreme heat is forecast.

L Lynsey Chutel

Photos Show England Turning Brown in Drought

Beset by historically dry weather, much of the nation is losing its signature hue.A parched park on the south bank of the River Thames in central London on Thursday, with Tower Bridge in the background.

K Kieran Corcoran

Effects of Record-Breaking El Niño Are Happening on 3 Continents

The recurring climate phenomenon is expected to peak later this year, but it is already causing dry spells and crop failures on three continents.Collecting water from a well in a drought-afflicted village in Gujarat, India, in May.

R Raymond Zhong and Chico Harlan

A Fight Over Abortion and Surrogacy Ends With a Baby Born in Texas

The baby, who was born Wednesday with a severe heart defect, drew the attention of anti-abortion activists and the Texas attorney general after the intended parents wanted the surrogate mother to have an abortion.A pregnant McKenna West, who has been the face of a surrogate dispute spanning three st

J J. David Goodman

Settler Siege of Palestinian Homes Highlights Growing West Bank Chaos

Two families have been trapped by settlers for days, casting a spotlight on the army’s struggle to curtail settler violence and protect Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank.Israeli soldiers gathered near Israeli settlers, forefront, near Palestinian houses in the village of Qusra in the occ

D David M. Halbfinger, Fatima AbdulKarim and Natan Odenheimer