U.S. Intelligence Undercuts Trump’s War Claims, and the Cost of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
5/13/20268 min
Plus, the controversy engulfing Eurovision.
Here’s what we’re covering:
U.S. Intelligence Shows Iran Retains Substantial Missile Capabilities, by Adam Entous, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan
Inflation Accelerates After Weeks of War in Iran, by Lydia DePillis
Florida Plans to Close ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ Vendors Are Reportedly Told, by Patricia Mazzei and Hamed Aleaziz
Wildfires Strike Florida, Georgia and America’s ‘Wood Basket,’ by Sachi Kitajima Mulkey
How Israel Turned Eurovision’s Stage Into a Soft Power Tool, by Mara Hvistendahl and Alex Marshall
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsBen Frumin0:00
Hey, it's Ben Frumin, editor-in-chief of Wirecutter. We put together the ultimate moving guide, and I wanted to find out a few of our writers' favorite tips.
Speaker 10:08
When you're first moving into your home, make sure that you change the batteries in your smoke detector.
Ben Frumin0:12
Buy a mattress bag. You can carry a mattress more easily because the handles are built in, and it's going to protect your mattress from the truck and the street.
Speaker 10:18
Make sure you have towels on hand. You don't wanna end up taking a shower and using a dirty sock to dry off. [laughs] Yeah.
Ben Frumin0:24
If you're getting ready to move, let Wirecutter help you make a plan at nytimes.com/moving.
Will Jarvis· Host0:30
[Instrumental music] From The New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Will Jarvis in for Tracy Mumford. Today's Wednesday, May 13th. Here's what we're covering. The Times has learned that secret US intelligence assessments show Iran's military remains much stronger than the Trump administration has claimed.
Pete Hegseth· Soundbite0:52
By any measure, Epic Fury decimated Iran's military and rendered it combat ineffective for years to come.
Will Jarvis· Host1:00
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said that the joint US-Israeli campaign obliterated Iran's military capabilities, and President Trump has claimed that Iran has, quote, "Nothing left in a military sense." But the classified intelligence sharply undercuts that. It shows Iran still has roughly 70% of its pre-war missile stockpile. The country has also restored access to almost all of its missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran has access to roughly 90%