Your morning briefing. All the news you need to start your day.

On today's podcast:

(1) President Donald Trump said he would pause an effort to help stranded ships exit the Strait of Hormuz to see if the US can reach an agreement with Iran to end the war.

(2) Anthropic unveiled a set of new artificial intelligence agents designed to handle a broader mix of financial services tasks, part of the company’s push to win over Wall Street.

(3) UK long-term borrowing costs jumped to a 28-year high as worries intensified over local government elections and the impact of soaring energy prices on the economy.

(4) Friedrich Merz took to the podium at the Chancellery in Berlin last week to announce the first installment of a comprehensive overhaul of Germany’s social system that he hopes will demonstrate his vision to move the country forward.

(5) French President Emmanuel Macron nominated Emmanuel Moulin, one of his closest advisers, to run the Bank of France.

(6) The European Union wants the main parts of a US trade deal adopted by July, as it pushed Washington to respect previous commitments made under the pact.

Podcast Conversation: Why the Best Public Art Keeps Disappearing