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In the news today: A draft proposal to end the Iran war; how the conflict could affect the 2026 election; and America’s shortage of tailors. Also, a musical tradition that’s under threat.
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Israeli rescue teams search for missing people amid the rubble of a residential building a day after it was struck by an Iranian missile in Haifa, Israel, Monday. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)
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Iran and US receive draft proposal for war ceasefire
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Israel and the United States carried out a wave of attacks on Iran on Monday, killing more than 25 people, and Iran responded with missile fire on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbors. President Donald Trump’s deadline for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz loomed as mediators circulated a new ceasefire proposal. Read more.
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- In an effort to stop the fighting, Egyptian, Pakistani and Turkish mediators have sent Iran and the U.S. a proposal that calls for a 45-day ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to give time to try to find a way to end the war, two Mideast officials have told The Associated Press. Iran and the U.S. have not responded to the proposal, sent late Sunday night to both Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff, the officials said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private negotiations.
Among those killed in one of the attacks was the head of intelligence for Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, Maj. Gen. Majid Khademi, according to Iranian state media and Israel’s defense minister.
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Trump’s Iran war leaves Republicans adrift ahead of midterms
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This is not the run-up to the midterm elections that Republicans wanted. A year and a half after winning the White House by promising to lower costs and end wars, Donald Trump is a wartime president overseeing surging energy costs and an escalating overseas conflict. Read more.
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Voters will cast ballots in elections that will decide control of Congress and key governorships for Trump’s final two years in office. For now, Republicans, who control all branches of government in Washington, are bracing for a painful political backlash. “You’re looking at an ugly November,” warned veteran Republican pollster Neil Newhouse. “At a point in time when we need every break possible to hold the House and Senate, our edge is being chipped away.” At this time last year, many Republican leaders believed there was a path to preserve their narrow House majority and easily hold the Senate. Now they privately concede that the House is all but lost and Democrats have a realistic shot at taking the Senate too.
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Skilled sewers in demand as tailors and dressmakers retire
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Creating and fitting garments to individual specifications hasn’t attracted enough entry-level workers over the years to replace the professionals retiring their pincushions after decades of performing their craft. Read more.
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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated almost two years ago there were fewer than 17,000 tailors, custom sewers and dressmakers working in business establishments nationwide, a 30% decline from a decade earlier. But there is still healthy demand for their services. Shoppers who grew up on disposable fast fashion are enlisting tailors and seamstresses to give off-the-rack purchases a custom fit or personal flair, to revive secondhand finds or to extend the lives of their wardrobes, according to fashion industry experts. Weight-loss drugs like Zepbound and Wegovy mean more Americans are seeking adjusted waistbands, tapered sleeves and other types of resizing, one tailor said.
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Britain Choral Music Choristers sing during Evensong at Rochester Cathedral in Rochester, England, March 27. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
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English choirs seek to protect a musical tradition little changed since Queen Elizabeth I
I heard an excellent performance of Handel’s “Messiah” on Good Friday at the Royal Albert Hall in London. So it was interesting to learn that some enthusiasts worry about the future of English choral services, as declining church attendance and tight funding make it harder to find and train the next generation of choristers. There’s now a campaign urging the U.K. government to recognize English choral services as an important part of Britain’s culture under a U.N. program that seeks to protect “intangible cultural heritage,” as well as historic buildings and natural wonders.
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