Why Middle-Class Americans Say Life Is Unaffordable

Economists say that a typical middle-class family today is richer than one in the 1960s. Americans in their 20s and 30s don’t believe it.Alicia Wrigley and her husband, Richard Gailey, both musicians and teachers, live in Salt Lake City with their 2-year-old.

S Sabrina Tavernise

Koch Political Operation Spent Nearly $550 Million During 2024 Cycle

The huge sum shows that while the Koch network may not hold significant power at high levels of the Republican Party, it remains a financial juggernaut.Charles Koch in 2019. The Koch family network now downplays its commitment to campaigns and elections, but it has continued to spend money on politi

T Theodore Schleifer and Ashley Cai

Cynthia Lummis, a One-Term G.O.P. Senator, Will Not Seek Re-election

A conservative who has served in the Senate since 2021, Ms. Lummis attributed the decision to the “difficult, exhausting session” this fall on Capitol Hill.In a statement, Senator Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming said that “I’ve come to accept that I do not have six more years in me.”

C Catie Edmondson

U.S. Coast Guard Boards Tanker Carrying Venezuelan Oil

The vessel, which was flying a Panamanian flag, was not on a list of tankers under U.S. sanctions.The Coast Guard has been more active in the waters off Venezuela as President Trump has increased his pressure on the country.

N Nicholas Nehamas and Anatoly Kurmanaev

How Venezuela Went From U.S. Ally to Trump Target

Closely tied to Washington during much of the Cold War, Venezuela has gone through political upheavals over the years that now make it a major enemy in the eyes of the Trump administration.Venezuelans surrounding Vice President Richard M. Nixon’s motorcade in Caracas in 1958.

M Michael Crowley

U.S. Strikes on Syria Underscore Scale of Challenge for Its President

The Syrian government did not comment directly on the extensive American strikes targeting the Islamic State on Friday, but said it was intensifying its own efforts to fight the group.Syrian government forces at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Damascus in April. The U.S. launched airstrikes targeti

A Abdi Latif Dahir and Eric Schmitt

6 Takeaways From the First Batch of the Epstein Files

Many of the Justice Department documents were heavily redacted, and President Trump’s name was rarely mentioned. The White House also sought to make political hay of the release of photos of Bill Clinton.

A Alan Feuer

Lawmakers Criticize Justice Dept. For Not Releasing All Epstein Files

Republicans and Democrats who had been pressing for the disclosure accused officials of failing to comply with a law that requires all material to be released.Senator Chuck Schumer, the minority leader, said, “Simply releasing a mountain of blacked out pages violates the spirit of transparency and t

M Michael Gold

Nuno Loureiro, Slain MIT Professor, Was a ‘Brilliant Scientist’

Nuno Loureiro, 47, was killed by an old classmate who was on the run from a shooting at Brown University, the authorities said.Nuno Loureiro, a theoretical physicist and fusion scientist, achieved early breakthroughs in his career and was renowned in his field.

S Sarah Mervosh, Alexander Nazaryan and Azam Ahmed

With Attacks on Oil Tankers, Ukraine Takes Aim at Russia’s War Financing

Strikes on four vessels signal that Kyiv is willing to expand the maritime theater of the conflict in an effort to crimp Moscow’s military funding.Satellite-controlled speedboat drones designed and operated by Ukraine’s military intelligence service. Called Sea Babies, they are packed with explosive

K Kim Barker, Ephrat Livni and Valerie Hopkins

Danika Troy’s Killing Rattles the Florida Panhandle

A body in the woods. A girl who had a crush on a boy. And a confession that led to the arrest of two teenagers on murder charges.A memorial to Danika Troy near the wooded trail where her body was found.

N Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs

How to Stop Supporting Your Adult Kids When You’re Retired

In trying to help grown children, parents can hurt their own retirement security. Here’s how to stop the flow of money.“I get deputized” to break the news to adult children that clients are ending financial support, said Malik Lee, a financial adviser.

M Martha C. White