Author: NY TIMES

A multi-agency coalition of law enforcement agents will begin tackling the unruly market of illegal e-cigarettes, under pressure from antismoking groups, lawmakers and the tobacco industry urging federal authorities to stop the flood of vaping devices favored by adolescents.The Justice Department announced the new effort, which is expected to target fruit- and candy-flavored vapes containing high levels of addictive nicotine.The new coalition would include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the U.S. Marshals Service; the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Postal Service, tapping into federal laws that could include significant fines and jail terms. “Unauthorized e-cigarettes and…

She once called the song, a No. 1 hit in 1975, “catchy, corny and commercial,” but loved the way it united the Black, gay, disco and funk audiences Labelle was drawing, with its glam look and far-reaching lyrics. “It really did bring people together,” she told me, “because it’s very difficult for you to hate when you’re dancing.”The group knew “Marmalade” — written by the songwriter-producers Bob Crewe and Kenny Nolan — was a winner during its recording, with Allen Toussaint in his New Orleans studio, LaBelle said, even though she had no idea what its now-famous chorus “Voulez-vous coucher…

The Israeli politician Benny Gantz, a key member of the country’s war cabinet, quit the government on Sunday over Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the war in Gaza.The resignation dealt a blow to the appearance of unity that Mr. Netanyahu was able to marshal at the start of the conflict and exposed the divisions at the top of the Israeli leadership over the future of the war and its aftermath.Mr. Gantz, a centrist figure who last month threatened to resign unless Mr. Netanyahu addressed his concerns about how the war would end and what would follow it, said his…

President Emmanuel Macron threw French politics into disarray on Sunday when he unexpectedly called for snap elections.The surprise move came after his party was battered by the far right in European Parliament elections. Mr. Macron dissolved the lower house of France’s Parliament and said the first round of legislative elections would be held on June 30.France now finds itself in unpredictable territory, with the future of Mr. Macron’s second term potentially at stake. With less than a month to go before the poll, parties are now scrambling to field candidates, hone their messaging and, in some cases, forge alliances.Here is…

What is going on with breast pockets on shirts? Where did they go on men’s shirts? And why do they still exist on women’s? How does any of this make any sense? — Kristine, BostonPockets are one of those seemingly small details that provoke an outsize amount of opinions and unexpectedly strong feelings — whether about the fact that women’s clothing doesn’t have more of them or the incredible disappearing breast pocket.Because, yes, the breast pocket has been falling out of favor for a while now, at least when it comes to the case of dress shirts, where it has…

Apple tries to close the A.I. gap Heading into Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference on Monday, big questions are hanging over the tech giant, from muted sales for its Vision Pro headset to growing competition in China and regulatory scrutiny on both sides of the Atlantic.Those aren’t going away, but the focus at the event will be on what Tim Cook, Apple’s C.E.O., reveals about artificial intelligence — and whether the company can catch up to competitors.Apple has lagged behind its rivals. The share prices of companies that are seen as A.I. leaders, like Nvidia and Microsoft, have soared since OpenAI…

At an assisted living facility in New York State, a small crowd had gathered at the dining room entrance at lunchtime, waiting for the doors to open. As a researcher observed, one woman, growing tired and frustrated, asked the man in front of her to move; he didn’t appear to hear.“Come on, let’s get going!” she shouted — and pushed her walker into him.In Salisbury, Md., a woman awoke in the darkness to find another resident in her bedroom in an assisted living complex. Her daughter, Rebecca Addy-Twaits, suspected that her 87-year-old mother, who had dementia and could become confused,…

From the start, his interests veered far from the professional middle-class ideal. In his teens he read Rimbaud’s verse and the famous jazz hipster Mezz Mezzrow’s memoir. He listened to Bessie Smith, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin; dressed in North African shawls; and once famously exclaimed at the family dinner table, head in hands, “I’ll never work!”Though fiercely intelligent, he was booted from one high school and dropped out of another, then started picking up part-time jobs. (During a stint as an ambulance driver at Charles de Gaulle Airport, he pushed the wheelchairs of Jean-Paul Sartre and Charles Mingus.) When…

Still fighting Israel’s outside enemies on multiple fronts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu woke up on Monday to a new political battlefield at home.The departure this weekend of Benny Gantz and his centrist National Unity party from Israel’s emergency wartime government is unlikely to immediately sever Mr. Netanyahu’s grip on power. The prime minister’s governing coalition still commands a narrow majority of 64 seats in the 120-seat Parliament.But Mr. Gantz’s move means that Mr. Netanyahu is now totally dependent on his far right and ultra-Orthodox coalition partners as he prosecutes the war in Gaza in the face of mounting international opprobrium,…

“The voice has become bigger,” Mr. Fortunato said. Previous campaigns to have the plaque removed have failed. Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, about 12,000 people signed an online petition to have it taken down, but were rebuffed. Part of the problem is that it is not clear even to some local officials who is responsible for making that decision, although the basilica’s rector, Giovanni Distante, said the piazza where the plaque is mounted “falls under the direct responsibility” of the city government.Bari’s mayor, Antonio Decaro, did not respond to multiple requests for comment. In 2022, he defended the plaque, saying,…