The Evening: U.S. carries out strikes in Iraq and Syria

Also, the job market started 2024 with remarkable strength.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story February 2, 2024 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday. U.S. retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria A surprisingly strong job market Plus, what to expect at the Grammys The strikes hit more than 85 targets at different locations, U.S. officials said. Kent Nishimura for The New York Times The U.S. conducted retaliatory strikes in Iraq and Syria American forces today carried out a series of military strikes against Iranian forces and the militias that they back in half a dozen sites in Syria and Iraq. The assaults, targeting command centers, weapons facilities and bunkers used by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force and affiliated militia groups, made good on President Biden's promise to respond to a drone attack in Jordan on Sunday that killed three American soldiers and injured at least 40 more service members. We have live updates. The U.S. military is seeking to use the strikes to send a message to Iran and its allied militias that continued attacks on U.S. troops in the region, and international ships in the Red Sea, will draw a response. Still, the Biden administration says it does not want the proxy war underway with Iran to become more significant than it already is. The New York Times The job market started 2024 with remarkable strength U.S. employers added a substantial 353,000 jobs last month, according to government data released today. The total was far more than experts had expected, a sign that economic growth remains vigorous after three years of expansion. The report also put extra shine on job growth for 2023, including revisions that added more than 100,000 to the figure previously tallied for December. In all, employers added 3.1 million jobs last year, defying predictions of a major slowdown. My colleague Ben Casselman, who covers the economy, told me that in some ways today's numbers were just a continuation of recent trends: The labor market again proved to be resilient, unemployment remained near historic lows and wage growth continued to outpace inflation. "But at a certain point, it's fair to ask whether the long-predicted slowdown might not just be delayed but rather not coming at all," Ben said. "It's not that nothing can go wrong — something can always go wrong — but right now, everything seems to be going right." The allegations have thrown the high-stakes case against Donald Trump off balance. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Fani Willis said she shouldn't be taken off the Trump case Fani Willis, the district attorney prosecuting the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump, publicly acknowledged for the first time today that she had a "personal relationship" with the prosecutor she hired to manage the case. However, she argued that it did not merit her disqualification. The admission, in a court filing, came almost a month after one of Trump's co-defendants sought to bar Willis and the lead prosecutor, Nathan Wade, for an "improper, clandestine personal relationship." The original motion accused Willis of hiring her "boyfriend" and granting him lucrative contracts even though he was underqualified. Willis's filing asserted that the personal relationship started only after Wade had been hired. An artist's rendering of the space-bound sunshade. Technion Israel Institute of Technology and Asher Space Research Institute Could a giant space parasol help solve global warming? Earth is at its hottest point on record, and experts say humans are not doing enough to stop its overheating. Now, a small but growing number of scientists are proposing a potential solution that could have leaped from the pages of science fiction: The equivalent of a giant beach umbrella, floating in outer space. The idea is to create a huge sunshade between the Earth and the sun to block a small but crucial amount of solar radiation — just enough, the scientists say, to keep Earth within manageable climate boundaries. More top news Trump: A judge scrapped the planned March 4 date for the former president's federal trial on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election. Gaza: Israel's defense minister has signaled that Israeli ground forces could advance on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Court: The man whose attacks on the police were widely seen as the tipping point in the Jan. 6 storming of the Capitol was found guilty of assault. Ukraine: The top U.N. court said it would rule whether Ukraine committed genocide in its Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Cars: Tesla is recalling about 2.2 million vehicles because the font size on a warning lights panel was too small. Science: The U.S. is selling its helium reserves, despite calls to hold off. Politics: In an interview with The Times, Alejandro Mayorkas, the homeland security secretary, declined to call the surge in immigration a "crisis." Health: Ozempic, Wegovy and other popular weight-loss drugs have become difficult to obtain. Here's why. El Salvador: The country's strongman president has been accused of violating the constitution by running for re-election. He is expected to win by a landslide in Sunday's elections. Lives lived: Carl Weathers, the N.F.L. linebacker turned actor known for playing Apollo Creed in the first four "Rocky" movies, died at 76. TIME TO UNWIND SZA's "Kill Bill" is up for song of the year. Nina Westervelt for The New York Times Who will have the biggest night at the Grammys? At the 66th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, young women will be in the spotlight. SZA is the top nominee, with nine nods for her album "SOS." She is competing against Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo in three of the major all-genre categories. But the biggest winner of the night could actually turn out to be the musicians behind "Barbie." Here's how you can watch the awards show, which will include a performance by Joni Mitchell. But if you're more interested in the up-and-coming artists and their hits, our critic picked out a few to highlight. Larry David's character was simultaneously one of the world's most comfortable and uncomfortable men. John Johnson/HBO 'Curb Your Enthusiasm' made something out of nothing The comedian Larry David ended his 1999 HBO special by telling his audience that he had no more material — he had "run out of nothing." It was a joke about how his 1990s hit "Seinfeld" was supposedly a show about nothing. But the comedy of ill manners that emerged from the 1999 stand-up special, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," proved that he was fibbing. Sure, the series — which begins its 12th and final season on Sunday — never aimed at grand statements. But, our television critic James Poniewozik writes, its reflection of modern grievances was pretty, pretty good. This is Flaco. David Lei Dinner table topics Flaco's year of freedom: An owl named Flaco, who escaped from the Central Park Zoo last year, has made the rest of Manhattan his home. Here's what he's been up to. Live like a queen: An auction house is selling hundreds of props from "The Crown," including a horse-drawn carriage. Hub of scholarship: The origins of Black History Month can be traced back a century ago to an unassuming, three-story brick rowhouse in Washington. Cooper Flagg: The N.B.A. hasn't drafted a Maine native in 40 years. This high schooler could be the 2025 No. 1 pick. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT WHAT TO DO THIS WEEKEND Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. Cook: This stir-fried lettuce is a simple meal with comforting flavors and textures. Watch: Here are three great documentaries to stream right now. Read: Our books editors recommend Emily Cockayne's new book about anonymous letters. Listen: Inon Barnatan is performing Rachmaninoff's "Symphonic Dances" on a single piano. Mend: Experts offered tips for people who think they might have a yeast infection. Resolve: February is the perfect time to reflect on what you want and how to get there. Compete: Take this week's news quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all our games here. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT ONE LAST THING Bruce Springsteen and his mother, Adele, in 2010. Diane Bondareff/MCT and Tribune News Service, via Getty Images Where Springsteen got his rock 'n' roll spirit Joy and despair, vitality and darkness course through Bruce Springsteen's songs. The joy, the rock star said, came from his mother, Adele Springsteen, who died this week at 98. Adele constantly listened to Top 40 radio when Springsteen was young, getting her son on his feet to dance with her. She scrimped to buy him his first electric guitar, encouraged him to be a musician and kept detailed scrapbooks of every small milestone. Anyone who has ever shouted along to a Springsteen chorus — which often break through the darker thoughts in the verses — owes Adele Springsteen some thanks. Have an inspiring evening. Thanks for reading. Jonathan Wolfe will write this newsletter on Monday. I'll be back on Tuesday. — Matthew We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Continue reading the main story Writer: Matthew Cullen Editorial Director: Adam Pasick Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Photo Editor: Brent Lewis Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. 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