The U.S. and Iran have effectively reverted to the state of open conflict that existed before they reached a truce last month. Both sides have escalated their rhetoric and repeatedly attacked each other in recent days. President Trump declared today that American forces were reinstating a naval blockade of Iranian ports, and U.S. Central Command said that it had begun a third consecutive night of strikes ordered by Trump.

Trump also said that the U.S. would begin charging a 20 percent fee on goods passing through the Strait of Hormuz, contradicting weeks of declarations by his top aides. “We are going to guard it, and we’re going to get paid for guarding it,” the president said.

Traffic in the strait, which normally carries a fifth of the world’s crude oil, has plummeted. Just 14 ships passed through the waterway yesterday, the fewest in a month, and today oil prices spiked.

Lindsey Graham’s sister is appointed to finish his term

South Carolina’s governor, Henry McMaster, said today that he would appoint Darline Graham Nordone, the younger sister of Senator Lindsey Graham, to finish his Senate term. Hours earlier, Trump had called for the move, saying that it “would be a fabulous tribute to Lindsey.” Republicans are lining up to run for his seat in an August special primary election.

Graham, 71, who died Saturday night of an aortic dissection, was a force on Capitol Hill for decades. He always insisted on being part of the Senate conversation, even when the conversation wasn’t necessarily about him. Once a harsh critic, he forged an especially close relationship with Trump — and was unapologetic about the reasons why.

A judge denounces Trump’s I.R.S. lawsuit

A federal judge in Florida ruled today that Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service was an improper exercise in self-dealing. The scathing ruling did not explicitly kill the settlement that Trump worked out with his own government, but it did bar him from claiming that the tax protections he received had arisen from a legitimate legal process. Read the ruling.

The judge also recommended disciplinary action against the lawyers involved, including the acting attorney general, Todd Blanche.

In other Trump administration news:

Scientists found sugar deep in our galaxy

A team of researchers announced today that they had found sugar in the interstellar space near the center of the Milky Way. In that medium of dust and gas, they spotted erythrulose, which is found on Earth in raspberries.

The finding provided an important clue about the origins of sugar on Earth and possibly the rise of life as well. “It’s just incredibly exciting,” one scientist said.

More top news

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Back, back, back … gone!

In Philadelphia tonight, Major League Baseball is holding its Home Run Derby — the contest where some of the sport’s top sluggers gather to see who can smash the ball out of the ballpark most often. The new rules are likely to reward the hitters with the most raw power, like Junior Caminero of the Rays. You can watch it at 8 p.m. Eastern on Netflix.

For more:

• Pro sports are in the middle of an injury epidemic and a recovery revolution. They are intertwined.

• A second-grade teacher revived Backyard Baseball, a favorite video game of ’90s kids. Here’s how.

Jay-Z (re)caps his career at Yankee Stadium

Over the weekend, Jay-Z played three sold-out concerts at Yankee Stadium, each show centered on a different segment of his career as a rapper. The residency, Jon Caramanica writes, displayed his commitment to art that survived decades of commercialism and commercialism that survived decades of art.

The shows were timed to celebrate the 30th anniversary of “Reasonable Doubt” and the 25th anniversary of “The Blueprint.” On “Popcast,” Jon and Joe Coscarelli debated which is his definitive album.

For more: Last night’s show didn’t begin until after midnight because of crowd safety issues.

In the Hamptons, chicken nuggets are thriving

Every so often, my colleague Dionne Searcey travels out to the Hamptons to report on the billionaires who spend their summers out there. On recent trips, she noticed that chicken nuggets — the fast-food icon and kids-menu staple — were everywhere.

The well-heeled locals often clear out the grocery stores of tenders and request homemade nuggets from their private chefs. They also serve crispy fingers topped with caviar, or even mixed into a martini.

Have a fancy 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.