12 May 2026, Tue

Today, In Short – The New York Times

Punch was once a lonely young monkey who clung to an orangutan toy after his mother abandoned him at birth. He quickly went viral, and many still flock to the small Japanese zoo where he lives. Punch, now 9 months old, ignores all of the attention. Talk about an unbothered king, am I right?

Read more.


  • China: Xi Jinping and President Trump are set to meet this week in China. Taiwan is expected to be at the top of the agenda.

  • British politics: After big losses in local elections, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Britain has defied calls for him to resign.

  • Middle East: Trump rejected an Iranian proposal to end the war, calling it “garbage.” Read the latest news.

  • Inflation: The war has driven up energy costs, and consumer prices in the U.S. are skyrocketing. Inflation was up nearly 4 percent in April, a huge jump.

  • Supreme Court: Virginia Democrats asked the justices to allow the state to use a congressional map, which the state’s top court had struck down.

  • Data security: The maker of Canvas, a software used by thousands of schools and universities, said it had reached a deal with the hackers that breached its systems to return stolen data.


Two things you didn’t really need to know but now do:

  • Care for a dirty soda? No, no, the beverage isn’t actually dirty. It’s a customizable blend of soda, flavored syrup, creamer and, sometimes, fruit. Pebble ice is also a must. The drink blew up, thanks to “The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.”

  • Ernesto Soriano is really good at cutting ham — like really good. He’s the top-ranked cutter for one of Spain’s oldest producers of jamón ibérico, cured ham from a special breed of pigs. People line up to get a taste of it. Hopefully, I can too someday.


The New York Liberty is at the top of The Athletic’s W.N.B.A. power rankings, and the season is just getting started.

See the full list.


I’ve complained a lot in this newsletter about my screen time. It’s finally time to do something about it. Next month, the Well desk has a monthlong series of exercises to help you stop scrolling. It’s called the “Touch Grass” challenge. Join me?

By Mukesh

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *