The Sunday Read: ‘What Alice Munro Knew’

The Trump administration’s decision to open a criminal investigation into the Federal Reserve chairman, Jerome H. Powell, has stunned the worlds of business and politics. Colby Smith and Glenn Thrush, who have been covering the news, discuss how the investigation came about, the panic it unleashed and why it might have made the Fed chair stronger than ever.

Iran is experiencing expansive protests after economic grievances snowballed over the past two weeks into a broader challenge to the country’s authoritarian clerical rulers. In recent days, a full picture of the government’s crackdown on demonstrators has emerged, garnering global condemnation and threats of action from President Trump. Farnaz Fassihi, who has been covering the story, explains what is driving the protesters and why the regime may be facing one of its gravest challenges in decades.

In the days since deposing Nicolás Maduro, President Trump has given several justifications for his dramatic actions in Venezuela. But perhaps most central to his ambitions is opening Venezuela’s oil fields to American companies. Anatoly Kurmanaev, who covers Venezuela, explains the history behind Mr. Trump’s claims of ownership and what it would really take to get the oil back.

Warning: This episode contains strong language. Just hours before a federal immigration officer killed Renee Good in her car, Brian O’Hara, the Minneapolis police chief, warned that a tragedy involving ICE seemed inevitable. In an interview, Chief O’Hara discusses his experience with ICE in Minneapolis and why, in his mind, President Trump’s campaign of mass deportation is undermining faith in police departments.

In a special series from "The Wirecutter Show," we share what two Wirecutter writers learned recovering from the L.A. wildfires—and the vital lessons they can teach you. Listen to the first episode.