Pete Hegseth / J.D. Vance / Trump Supporter (2:35)

farmers are struggling with high fertilizer prices. I'm aware of that.

Tracy Mumford (2:39)

Vice President J.D. vance yesterday attempted to soothe the nerves of potential voters feeling the economic toll of the war.

Pete Hegseth / J.D. Vance / Trump Supporter (2:46)

As the president United States has said, we got a little a little blip in the Middle East. We've got to take care of some business on the foreign policy side, but you know what we're doing.

Tracy Mumford (2:54)

It was not an easy environment for that, as many farmers in the state have also been affected by Trump's tariff policies. But Iowa will be critical for Republicans in the midterms, with a few potential competitive races. Vance also had a recent stop in Oklahoma, and overall, this trip may be a blueprint for his next few months of trying to boost GOP candidates across the country who are facing the headwinds of high gas prices and an unpopular war in Iran. Also in Indiana, President Trump got payback last night against several Republican state lawmakers who had defied him. The state senators had refused to go along with his push last year for Indiana to redraw its election maps, and Trump promised to primary them. That made voting in the state yesterday something of a test of the president's sway over Republican voters, and with the results now in, he pretty much got what he wanted. At least five of the seven senators lost to GOP competitors that Trump backed instead. And in Washington, Senate Republicans have inserted $1 billion for Trump's ballroom project into a funding bill they're hoping to rush through Congress this month. It was a surprise addition, and the measure doesn't mention the ballroom. It calls for funds to cover East Wing security enhancements. Trump has insisted the main reason for the ballroom is security. While the president previously said the renovation would be funded through private donations, some congressional Republicans started pushing for federal funding after the recent attack at the White House correspondents dinner. The $1 billion measure is tucked into an immigration enforcement funding bill, which the Republicans plan to push through in a way that will skirt any potential Democratic filibuster.

Podcast Guest 1 (4:45)

Foreign.

Tracy Mumford (4:51)

Yesterday, another tech company announced wide scale layoffs, saying in part it's optimizing for AI. Coinbase, a cryptocurrency exchange, said it's cutting 14% of its workforce. It's around 700 employees. The company's CEO said the changes will lead to smaller teams who with humans managing the work of AI agents. This follows other big job cuts or buyouts at companies like Microsoft and Meta, which again have attributed the moves in part to AI and the need to embrace the new technology. It's meant not just people losing their jobs, but also fewer job openings. Meta, for example, chose not to fill 6,000 open roles.

Ben Castleman (5:35)

I've been talking to economists and labor market experts, and the one thing that they all seem to agree on is that our safety net is not ready for an age of AI driven job disruption.

Tracy Mumford (5:51)

Ben Castleman is the Times chief economics correspondent.

Ben Castleman (5:54)

They really point to two major shortcomings. The first is our unemployment insurance system, which is sort of meant to be the first line of defense for people who lose their jobs. That system potentially won't cover a lot of the workers who could be affected by AI. If you are a new graduate just entering into the labor market, and this is the group that economists think may be hit hardest by AI disruptions, you generally don't qualify for unemployment benefits. The other problem is that our sort of last line of defense against real hardship, food stamps, Medicaid, which provides health insurance to the poor. Those programs have been pulled back so that they really only cover people who are working. And so that means that if you lose your job as a result of AI or for any other reason, you no longer have access to that piece of the safety net. Economists are pretty divided about the impact that AI is going to have on the labor market. They're pretty skeptical of the idea that this is going to lead to mass unemployment. But they do say that there are almost certainly going to be disruptions, that people are going to lose their jobs. And if that's going to happen, they say this is the time to start aligning our safety net with that coming wave of disruption. And so far, that really has not happened.

Tracy Mumford (7:31)

You've been to the World cup before?

Soccer Fan (7:32)

Yes, I've been in Russia. Old Sinkadar.

Tracy Mumford (7:36)

Yeah. And how were those experiences for you?

Soccer Fan (7:38)

Fantastic. It was amazing.

Tracy Mumford (7:40)

The FIFA World cup is a little more than one month out and the Times has been looking at how this year's tournament is pushing some soccer fans to extremes.

Soccer Fan (7:49)

They have to spend $3,000 just for three tickets. It's crazy.

Tracy Mumford (7:54)

For the first time ever, FIFA is using dynamic pricing for tickets, meaning more popular teams will cost more to see. For fans in Argentina, that's been crushing. Soccer is a national obsession. The country won the last World cup and that's left people facing eye popping prices this time. And when you add in the cost of getting to the matches, which will be hosted in the U.S. mexico and Canada, it's a lot. The Times talked with superfans who'd been to previous World Cups and said they paid under a hundred bucks for tickets. Now many single game prices exceed the average monthly salary in Argentina and some fans have gone into debt, maxed out credit cards, picked up second or third jobs just to attend. FIFA has repeatedly defended the high prices, but in the eyes of some Argentinian fans, it's just a Cash Grab the Fan, who said he'd have to spend $3,000 on tickets, said he was leaning towards not going at all. He added, quote, it makes you angry that they take something that should be for everyone and turn it into something that is just for the few. And finally, whoa.

Pete Hegseth / J.D. Vance / Trump Supporter (9:08)

When the wind shifts, it gets really hot.

Tracy Mumford (9:10)

An update on what may be one of the world's most baffling tourist attractions.

Pete Hegseth / J.D. Vance / Trump Supporter (9:16)

It's way bigger than I expected. Way bigger than I think it looks on pictures.

Tracy Mumford (9:21)

Way out in the middle of the desert in Turkmenistan in Central Asia, there is a giant pit of fire. It's the size of a soccer field, and it's been burning for decades. Officially, it's called the Darvaza Crater, but it's known as the Gates to Hell. And its origins are a bit mysterious. Local lore goes that 60 odd years ago, Soviet geologists were drilling for oil when they hit a gas deposit. The ground collapsed, creating a pit, and scientists decided the best thing to do about the toxic fumes leaking out of it was to light them on fire. They figured it would burn out in a few weeks, but it has kept going. Over the years, it's become a puzzle for researchers and a draw for adventurous tourists. Recently, though, it's become clear that the flames in the Gates to Hell are not eternal. A company that monitors natural gas flares says the intensity of heat from the pit is down 75% over the last three years based on infrared imaging data. It's not totally clear why. Turkmenistan had been doing some drilling to try and tamp down the flames, but data suggests they were dimming even before that. It's also unclear whether the flames going out is a positive thing or not. Right now, they are burning off methane that's leaking from the pit and keeping that greenhouse gas from entering the atmosphere. So in theory, if less fire, then more methane. Now, if all of this has inspired you to consider a trip to the Gates of Hell and you're concerned about the fire going out before you can get there, don't worry. A tour guide told the Times that on a recent trip it was still hot enough that his group roasted marshmallows over it. Those are the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.

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Podcast Guest 1 (11:33)

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Podcast Guest 1 (11:36)

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Tracy Mumford (11:38)

Sweet.

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Podcast Guest 1 (11:40)

And that it's one of those good saunas with the hot rock thing. Ugh. Love a good hot rock thing. Fancy.

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