A Surge of U.S. Spy Planes Over Cuba, and Retailers’ $20 Billion Bet on Physical Stores

0:00This podcast is supported by Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Here's a story that's not getting nearly enough attention. Defunding Planned Parenthood has already caused chaos and harm, and access to essential reproductive care is plummeting. Right now, the Trump administration's backers in Congress want to permanently defund Planned Parenthood, forcing even more health centers to close, and millions at risk of losing access to care. It takes less than a minute to help. Go to plannedparenthood.org slash defend and make a gift of any size.

0:34From The New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Friday, May 15th. Here's what we're covering.

0:45The Trump administration's pressure campaign on Cuba has pushed the energy crisis there to a breaking point. They've been struggling with blackouts for years due to crumbling infrastructure and other factors. Then, a few months ago, the U.S. effectively cut off all oil shipments to the island. Now, the Cuban government says it's run down its reserves completely. The country's energy minister said that electricity in the capital city is out for 20 to 22 hours a day. Even the delivery trucks that would carry fuel are out of fuel to run on. People are sleeping on rooftops to escape the heat and buying charcoal or firewood to cook food.

1:24At the same time, in the skies above Cuba, there's been a growing number of U.S. military aircraft. U.S. officials told The Times that drones and surveillance planes have increased their reconnaissance flights as part of what's expected to be a larger U.S. military buildup in the region in the coming weeks. Experts say the aircraft could be used to eavesdrop on Cuban officials and that the flights seem to be intended to intimidate the government there. Yesterday, the CIA director traveled to the island to deliver a warning in person. According to American officials, he told Cuba it needs to stop letting Russia and China operate intelligence posts there, and that Cuba's communist government needs to make economic changes.

2:09The administration, though, hasn't specified what exactly those would be. Behind the scenes, Havana and Washington have been in secret negotiations for weeks, with Cuba hoping the U.S. will end the energy blockade, which Cuba's president has called genocidal. President Trump, meanwhile, has said the country needs a regime change. And in a recent speech, he threatened that when it comes to Cuba, the U.S. will be, quote, taking over almost immediately.

2:46I just want to thank President Xi and all of his representatives. We've become friendly with all of them. Great people. President Trump wrapped up his trip to China today and is flying back to the U.S. In all, the visit was heavy on public praise and pleasantries. Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping has become really a friend. And Xi called on the two countries to be partners rather than adversaries. But the U.S. delegation is leaving Beijing without announcing any clear resolutions on some of the major points of contention between them. We did discuss Iran. We feel very similar to Iran. We want that to end.

3:25According to the White House, the two sides talked about Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, but there's no indication if China will help pressure Iran, its ally, to reopen the waterway. There were examples of possible cooperation on trade, though. Trump said China was going to order 200 airplanes from Boeing, and the Chinese government cleared the way to import American beef. Also, a U.S. trade official said there was a, quote, willingness on both sides to not lapse back into the tit-for-tat trade war from last year, with sky-high tariffs and the Chinese chokehold on rare earth minerals. Trump said he plans to host President Xi back in Washington in late September for more talks.

4:15Now, two other quick updates on the war in Iran. First, So how do you explain the publicly available information that 22 schools have been hit and multiple hospitals? There's no way that we can corroborate that. No indication of that whatsoever, Senator. There's no way you can corroborate or no indication of it? Which one? No indication. During a Senate hearing yesterday, the U.S. military commander overseeing the war repeatedly dismissed reports of civilian deaths in Iran. How many schools have we bombed? There is one active civilian casualty investigation from the 13 ,629 munitions. Admiral Brad Cooper said the only civilian casualty event that he knew of was a strike on a school, which Iranian officials say killed 175 people.

4:59Cooper's comments came in sharp contrast to reports from human rights groups and news organizations, including The Times, that there have been many other strikes that have hit civilian targets or killed and injured civilians. In the second update... The concurrent resolution is not adopted without objection to motion reconsider. It's laid on the table. Yesterday, the House blocked another effort by Democrats to force an end to the war. It was the 10th time Republicans have shot down that kind of move. The resolution would have required President Trump to get congressional approval to keep the conflict going.

5:35Despite the slim chance of getting this kind of measure through, Democrats have vowed to keep trying, essentially forcing Republicans to weigh in repeatedly on what public polling shows is an unpopular war.

5:55Our Walmart just got a huge remodel, and here's what they did. They now have displays set up in the furniture section and the clothing section. Around the country, some of the biggest retail chains have been doing a lot of renovation. Have y 'all heard about this$4 million renovation that is coming to the local Target? Walmart, Target, Dollar General and others are remodeling thousands of their existing stores to try and streamline operations and lure customers in. Since when is Walmart doing stuff like this? Let me show you. Okay. Essentially, they're making an expensive bet that people still want to physically come to a store and shop.

6:32Retail executives say the payoff will be worth the investment. Online shopping is increasing, obviously, but that still only accounts for less than 20 % of all retail sales, according to the Commerce Department. And one retail analyst told The Times that having a pleasant in-store experience can encourage people to shop that brand online, too. There are also financial benefits for retailers doing the renovations, thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that Congress passed last year. That included tax incentives for businesses making capital investments, and many are moving to take advantage of the window for that.

7:08In total, America's largest retailers are expected to spend at least$20 billion on remodels in the coming years.

7:22And finally, the Musée d 'Orsay in Paris has opened a new exhibit showing off works by Renoir, Degas, Rodin. But the big goal of the display is not strictly to show off the pieces. It's to help find their rightful owners. All of the art featured in this new show is thought to have been taken out of France, potentially stolen, during the Nazi occupation in World War II. Over the course of the war, tens of thousands of art objects were looted by the Nazis, or sold under duress. Many of them were recovered by Allied units known as Monuments Men, and brought back to France. Over the years, most have been reclaimed, but about 2 ,000 are still in the care of French museums until their provenance can be established, and France has actually gotten some heat for not doing more on that front.

8:10At the Musée d 'Orsay, notably, several of the paintings have been hung so you will be able to see the front and the back. That's where they're hoping people might identify markings or stamps that could lead to the paintings getting back where they belong.

8:27Those are the headlines. If you'd like to play the Friday News Quiz, stick around. It's just after these credits. This show is made by Will Jarvis, Margaret Kadifa, Jake Lucas, Jan Stewart, and me, Tracy Mumford. Original theme by Dan Powell. Special thanks to Isabella Anderson, Larissa Anderson, Sam Dolnick, Miles McKinley, and Zoe Murphy.

8:48Now, time for the quiz. Every week, we ask you a few questions about stories The Times has been covering. Can you get them all? First up. We're glad that you're here, and we're going to ensure that you have the best world-class care possible. On Monday, more than a dozen Americans who'd potentially been exposed to the deadly Hantavirus on a cruise ship were flown back to the U.S. They arrived at a specialized quarantine center, which is the only federal facility of its kind in the entire country. Your question, what state are they now being monitored in?

9:31The answer? Good morning, everyone. It is my second day here in Omaha, Nebraska, and I just wanted to give you a little tour. They're in Nebraska. One of the passengers being monitored there is Jake Rosemarin, a travel influencer who has been posting updates. I have a stationary bike for exercise, a recliner. The room is very spacious and comfortable. He's expected to stay in his 300-square-foot airtight room for another six weeks while medical staff monitor him for signs of infection. The center in Omaha was first in the news for a similar situation back in 2020 when a group of people who'd been exposed to the coronavirus in the early days of the pandemic were flown there after being evacuated from another cruise ship.

10:21And next question. Good evening, UCF Knights. How's everybody doing out there? It is graduation season, and recently one commencement speech went a bit off the rails. A real estate executive who was addressing grads at the University of Central Florida's School of Communication and Media got a rough reception after she brought up a specific topic. OK, I struck a chord. May I finish? She was hyping it as an exciting change, but the crowd kept interrupting her, booing repeatedly. Your question, what were the grads decidedly not jazzed about?

11:07The answer? Artificial intelligence. Now, AI capabilities are in the palm of our hands.

11:20Oh, I love it. Passion. Let's go. Okay. It proved to be a rough topic for the room full of humanities majors. And they are not alone. According to a recent Gallup survey, members of Gen Z and younger generations are growing more skeptical toward AI. They are concerned about how it will affect their creativity, their critical thinking skills, and their job prospects. Nearly a third of the young respondents said the technology made them feel angry. And last question. I've been completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings from countless individuals of all ages. Recently, David Attenborough, famous for redefining the nature documentary, turned 100 years old.

12:08In the great island of New Guinea, there are 42 different species of birds of paradise. Attenborough's calm, soothing voice has introduced generations of people to some of the world's most beautiful and fascinating creatures, like on his shows Planet Earth and Life on Earth. A polar bear stirs. But way back in the 1960s, when he was working at the BBC, he also had a hand in launching an iconic project that had nothing to do with nature. It was a comedy show. Do you know what that show was? So think 60s British comedy.

12:45I will give you a hint. I have a silly walk, and I'd like to obtain a government grant to help me develop it. The answer? Monty Python's Flying Circus. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, but I'm afraid my walk has become rather silly recently, and so it takes me rather long. Attenborough commissioned the show when he was one of the people in charge of programming at the BBC. And now here is your bonus fact, because he seems to have truly done everything. Attenborough is also partly responsible for the color of tennis balls. They used to be white. But when he helped the BBC start broadcasting Wimbledon in color, he pointed out that the balls were too hard to see.

13:28And he suggested a change to something more visible. Enter that fluorescent yellowy green.

13:37That's it for this week's news quiz. If you want to tell us how you did, our email is theheadlines at nytimes.com. I'm Tracy Mumford. The show will be back Monday with my colleague Will Jarvis. I will see you after Memorial Day.

13:54This podcast is supported by Helen Keller International. This is a moment of growing urgency. Families around the world are facing widening gaps in healthcare and nutrition, but solutions are within reach. Just 75 cents can provide treatment for neglected tropical diseases, and$2 can help protect a child's sight and health. For a limited time, donations are being matched, helping expand that impact. Learn more at HelenKellerINTL.org slash the headlines.