During a heated congressional hearing today, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that President Trump was right to send thousands of troops to quell immigration protests in Los Angeles because “we ought to be able to enforce immigration law in this country.” Hegseth also suggested that the Trump administration would more often use the National Guard for homeland defense.
The president has described the protests as “violent, insurrectionist mobs.” On the ground, the situation has appeared less intense. While the protests have resulted in some injuries and damaged property, they grew calmer through last night. My colleague Jesus Jiménez, who has been reporting on the ground in L.A., told me their scope has been limited: “They aren’t happening across all of L.A. They aren’t even happening across all of downtown L.A. They’re happening in a pocket of downtown, mostly around federal buildings.”
My colleague Livia Albeck-Ripka was hit by a crowd-control munition round while covering the protests. Watch her video describing the experience.
This afternoon, Trump took credit for the easing tensions. “I stopped the violence in L.A.,” he told reporters in the Oval Office. But California officials called the deployments unnecessary and provocative, and they asked a federal court for an emergency order to restrict the use of troops in Los Angeles.
Some legal experts have questioned Trump’s authority to use troops to contain the protests: Active duty forces are barred from engaging in domestic law enforcement, unless the president invokes the Insurrection Act. “It is hard to see how the Los Angeles protests, which are scattered and not really affecting life in the city in a widespread way, can be seen as an insurrection,” our Pentagon correspondent, Helene Cooper, said.
A school shooting in Austria was among Europe’s worst
A former student at a high school in Austria opened fire on the campus today, killing 10 people before apparently killing himself. The attack was the among the worst European school shootings in years, and the Austrian chancellor declared three days of national mourning.
State police said that the shooter was a 21-year-old who was carrying a pistol and a long gun that he had purchased legally.
A retired U.S. teacher was located in Russian prison
After months without contact, Stephen Hubbard, a 73-year-old retired American teacher, was recently located in a penal colony in a region of Russia commonly referred to as “prison land.” He had been taken from his home in Ukraine by Russian soldiers in February 2022 and accused of being a mercenary. Hubbard’s family knew nothing of his whereabouts in the months since he was convicted last fall.
He is the only American remaining in Russia who has been designated by the U.S. as “wrongfully detained,” an indication that American officials believe the charges against him are fabricated.
Can anyone replace Elon Musk?
After Elon Musk’s dramatic departure from the Trump administration, White House officials have been discussing who should take over the Department of Government Efficiency.
The current plan is for a small council of advisers to oversee DOGE. That group could include two of the more visible members of Musk’s team: Joe Gebbia, a founder of Airbnb and a close friend of Musk, and the investment banker Anthony Armstrong, who worked on Musk’s deal to buy Twitter.
In other Trump administration news:
Trump said that protesters who countered the military parade he has planned for Saturday would be met with “very big force.”
Democrats grilled the National Institutes of Health leader about who is calling the shots at his agency.
More top news
Economics: The economy is projected to slow sharply this year as Trump’s trade policy disrupts international commerce, the World Bank said.
New Jersey: Voters headed to the polls in the primary elections for governor today. You can track the results here as they come in.
Media: ABC News, which suspended the correspondent Terry Moran for a social media post about the deputy White House chief Stephen Miller, said that he would not return.
New York City: Michael Bloomberg is backing Andrew Cuomo for mayor.
Gaza: Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority, called for Hamas to lay down its weapons, free the remaining hostages and cease its rule of the territory.
Education: Amid uncertainty about its federal funding, Yale’s endowment has been trying to offload one of the largest portfolios of private equity investments ever in a single sale.
Tech: Meta is preparing to unveil an A.I. lab dedicated to a hypothetical system that exceeds the powers of the human brain.
Immigration: Khaby Lame, the world’s most popular TikToker, was detained and forced out of the U.S. after ICE claimed he overstayed his visa.
Magazines: Mark Guiducci, the creative editorial director at Vogue, was hired to be the new editor of Vanity Fair.
TIME TO UNWIND
Music lovers went to Ojai to be challenged
Last weekend, in an idyllic valley in Southern California, the annual Ojai Music Festival provided a space for musicians to experiment with the kinds of songs you wouldn’t hear on the radio. In one song, the flutist Claire Chase, one of the most important creators in contemporary music, performed as percussionists tapped on plant leaves.
Our classical music critic Zachary Woolfe was among the hundreds of audience members who showed up for the performances, which began at 8 a.m. He shared the standout songs from the event.
What do you know about fiber?
Fiber is linked to a variety of health benefits, including lower blood pressure, a healthier gut, a longer life and more. But a high percentage of Americans don’t get enough.
Want to work more of the nutrient into your diet? My colleague Alice Callahan, who has a Ph.D. in nutrition, made a fiber quiz to help readers test their knowledge and learn more about it along the way.
Dinner table topics
Practical effects: Ana de Armas used a real flamethrower in the new “John Wick” film.
Behind the scenes: Stephen DeMaria has overseen the scenery on “Saturday Night Live” since the show began. At 87, he is finally hanging up his hammer.
Danya Taymor: Meet Broadway’s teen whisperer.
A writer’s dilemma: In today’s overtouristed world, should a professional traveler broadcast his discoveries or hide them away?
WHAT TO DO TONIGHT
Cook: These matcha-black sesame shortbreads will surprise and delight.
Watch: These are the films that chefs say always make them hungry.
Listen: Our critics picked the best songs of 2025, so far.
Explore: Here’s how to find some of the world’s most alluring hidden bars.
Wear: Take inspiration from our fashion photographer’s look of the week.
Prepare: Wirecutter writers tested 48 umbrellas. This one is their favorite.
Compete: Take our quiz to see if you can match literary quotes to their sources.
Play: Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here.
ONE LAST THING
How long would it take to draw every pub in London?
That’s not the setup for a joke about the drinking habits of the British — it’s a real project that the artist Lydia Wood has taken on. Two or three times a week, Wood strolls across London, picks a pub at random, sets up her easel and spends a full day drawing it.
So far, Wood has drawn about 300 of the city’s 2,800 or so pubs. But she’s in no rush to complete what she now views as her life’s work: “I’m at the beginning of essentially a 30-year project,” Wood said. Check out her drawings.
Have an artistic evening.
Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew
Laurence Tan was our photo editor.
We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.