A New Threat to Global Shipping, and a Huge Drop-Off in Food Stamps
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Hi, my name is Dana. I am a subscriber to the New York Times, but my husband isn't. And it would be really nice to be able to share a recipe or an article or compete with him in Wordle or Connections. Thank you.
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From The New York Times, it's The Headlines. I'm Traci Mumford. Today's Tuesday, July 21st. Here's what we're covering. In the Middle East, there are fears that a new front in the war could be opening. Yesterday, one of Iran's key proxy forces, the Houthi militia in Yemen, declared that it will choke off a key waterway in the region. It said it would stop all ships from Saudi Arabia, a major U.S. ally, from passing through a portion of the Red Sea, which has become a critical alternate path for oil shipments as the Strait of Hormuz has been under fire. The Houthis, which are part of the so-called Axis of Resistance led by Iran, have been fighting the Saudi-backed government in Yemen for years. They've largely stayed out of the U.S.-Iran war so far, but the new threat could bring them fully into the broader conflict in the region.
It could also put more strain on global energy supplies. There is some precedent for what that could look like. During the height of the war in Gaza, the Houthis attacked and hijacked ships in the Red Sea in solidarity with Hamas. That forced shipping companies to divert their cargo thousands of miles south, around the tip of Africa, sending shipping costs soaring. Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the president's top military advisor, General Dan Kaine, will appear before lawmakers to try and make the case for why Congress should approve tens of billions of dollars in new funding for the war.
The greatest fighting force on the planet, the last great superpower, must be fully equipped, and that's the job of Congress to make sure it's done.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson has already signaled he intends to try and push that request through, even though many other lawmakers, including a handful of Republicans, have raised concerns that President Trump is waging war without congressional authorization. Trump ignored recent votes by the House and Senate directing him to get their approval for the war. Democrats, for their part, are refusing to back the funding request, saying the administration needs to share more details about its strategy in the conflict, which has now stretched for almost five months and is deeply unpopular with the American public.
Now, two other quick updates on the Trump administration. Yesterday, the president signed an order that will slap 50% tariffs on a wide range of goods from Canada starting next month, likely reigniting a clash with one of the country's largest trading partners. Canada has been in the administration's crosshairs ever since it retaliated against Trump's first round of tariffs last year with tariffs of its own. And it's expected to be one of several countries to now face a new wave of surcharges from the White House. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court struck down Trump's sweeping use of tariffs, but the administration has been finding workarounds by turning to more obscure legal provisions.
Also, as I understand it, in about a month or so, they're going to send it to have it be maxed out.
President Trump says the new Air Force One jet will be temporarily taken out of service this fall for what the White House is calling upgrades and enhancements. It's not clear exactly what those changes will be, but The Times has reported that the Secret Service raised security concerns about the Qatari-donated jet, which multiple officials say lacks the same anti-missile capabilities as the old Air Force One models. Trump, who was eager to get the luxury jet into service, has been furious about coverage of the plane's security issues, and the administration has been trying to unmask the confidential sources who spoke with The Times.
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