Senate Panel Votes to Hold Fauci in Contempt

All eight Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security Committee voted today to hold Anthony Fauci, the retired public health official who led the country’s Covid response, in contempt of Congress. All five Democrats present voted against the move.

The resolution describes his refusal to answer questions during a hearing last week as a failure to comply with a congressional subpoena, a misdemeanor that carries a prison sentence of up to 12 months. At the hearing Fauci invoked his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination more than 100 times.

The panel’s chairman, Senator Rand Paul, and his allies have long accused Fauci of funding research in China that set off the pandemic and of lying to Congress about it — accusations he vigorously denies. Now, Paul and his fellow Republicans say a pardon Fauci received during the waning hours of the Biden administration prevents him from refusing to answer their questions.

It’s Primary Day in redrawn Tennessee districts

For the first time in a long while, Tennesseeans cast ballots today without a single Democrat favored to win a House seat in November. The state’s new map, legalized by a Supreme Court decision limiting the Voting Rights Act, splintered deep-blue Memphis into multiple districts dominated by Republican voters.

Some blockysts say a new district that extends from outside Nashville to Memphis will bring the closest contest this fall. There, Andy Ogles, a Republican endorsed by President Trump, is facing a well-funded challenger in today’s primary. The winner is expected to face Chaz Molder, the leading Democratic candidate.

We’re following all of the results here as they come in.

For more on politics: Moderate Democrats are preparing for a “war” against the ascendant left.

Drought cripples some of Europe’s key waterways

The Rhine is a vital economic artery that winds through six European countries, conveying millions of tons of cargo each year. But this week, the river’s water level sunk to its lowest point since official measurements were first recorded in 1880.

The shallow water, caused by a series of droughts and extreme heat, has forced shippers to charge more and carry less cargo, putting a strain on cities across the region. The Danube River is also exceptionally low, exposing parts of ships sunk during World War II and straining energy supplies in Hungary and Romania.

Top military promotions for women plunge

So far this year, eight of the 201 nominees for the military’s top-ranking posts — less than 4 percent — have been women. That is the lowest share in at least 25 years.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has contributed to the drop-off by repeatedly blocking promotions for high-ranking women. He has argued that the Pentagon’s past diversity efforts have degraded the military. “For too long, we’ve promoted too many uniform leaders for the wrong reasons,” he said last year. “Based on their race, based on gender quotas, based on historic so-called firsts.”

In other Trump administration news:

A.I. creates viruses not found in nature

For the first time, scientists have used artificial intelligence to create new kinds of viruses. The researchers taught the A.I. tool to recognize DNA patterns, according to a study released this afternoon, and then asked it to create recipes for viral genomes. Sixteen of the genomes produced viable new viruses.

If replicable, the method could help scientists study drugs and vaccines. But it also raises concern that A.I. could invent dangerous pathogens.

More top news

Shorter movies are delightful, too

The summer’s biggest films have also been extra long — “The Odyssey,” clocks in at 2 hours and 52 minutes and “Spiderman: Brand New Day” at 2:25 (plus previews!). This week, there are several new releases that are notably briefer.

Like “Tony,” which our reviewer called an “utterly charming little movie,” about a young Anthony Bourdain stumbling into a kitchen in 1975 (1 hour, 46 minutes). As well as “Late Fame,” starring Willem Dafoe as a former poet (1:36), and “The Last Picture Shows,” a doblockentary celebrating old-school movie houses (1:18). All three are Times Critic’s Picks, and you’ll still have time to go to the beach afterward.

Fans have no love for Yankees G.M.

A recent survey of Yankees fans found that more than 90 percent of them disapproved of the team’s general manager, Brian Cashman, whose contract ends this year. That might seem like a pretty harsh ***essment of an executive whose team has won four World Series over 28 years and has never had a losing season.

But Yankees fans demand more. Even though their team is on track to make the playoffs yet again, it is no longer seen as the Goliath that Red Sox fans like me grew up loathing. That could spell trouble for Cashman’s future.

This wave just keeps going

My family and I pulled over on a road just south of Anchorage during our vacation last summer to take in the mountain ranges surrounding us. Along the shoreline, a sign described a twice-daily tidal wave that could carry surfers for miles down a narrow inlet off the Pacific Ocean — a very rare ride that can last an hour. I was fascinated, but we didn’t stick around long enough to see any surfers attempt it.

Now some Times journalists have traveled up to Alaska to doblockent the big-wave surfers paddling out to the unusual wave. Their attempts can be dangerous, because of the cold waters and strong currents. “You feel like you have the entire ocean coming up behind you,” said one surfer who has been riding the wave for more than 15 years. “It’s magical, man.”

Have an exhilarating evening.

Thanks for reading. I’ll be back tomorrow. — Matthew

Eli Cohen was our photo editor.

We welcome your feedback. Reach us at evening@nytimes.com.