“To Do. Buy Japanese Yen (JPY) $5-10 bil,” read a note written by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent during a Cabinet meeting last week. By Monday, he had confirmed on X that the U.S. had participated in “coordinated foreign exchange actions” with the Japanese government to counter “disorderly yen movements.” President Donald Trump claimed the joint move would be “good for the world economy.” But some analysts believe the intervention will best serve America’s interests.

What’s in it for Trump?
The president called the move a “signal of friendship” between the two nations. The U.S. is “always there for Japan,” a country that has been “very good to us, with the exception, of course, of Pearl Harbor.”

The U.S. also stands to benefit. The Japanese government has been buying up yen, thereby “raising the value of their currency,” said The Guardian. But to pay for this, Japan has been selling off U.S. government bonds, which are kept by many countries as a “store of national wealth.” If, however, these bonds are sold quickly and in large quantities, it can lead to a rise in the interest rate the U.S. pays on its debt, thus making it more expensive for the U.S. to borrow money.

Is this a sign of things to come?
Both Bessent and Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama have announced they would not hesitate to participate in further joint interventions. In April, the Bank of Japan took action to boost the yen, said CNN, but it proved to be only a “temporary success.” Analysts are “less optimistic” that this latest intervention could “fundamentally alter the broader course of the yen’s weakening.”

Within Japan, there is concern that Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s spending plans will put further pressure on the currency. A two-year cut in sales tax on food and soft drinks from 8% to 1% is an attempt to ease cost-of-living pressures, and the PM has promised to invest hundreds of billions as part of a pro-growth agenda that led to her election. However, the policies could instead “strain public finances and rattle markets,” said the Financial Times.

While promoting his latest blockbuster, filmmaker Christopher Nolan listed scholar Emily Wilson’s translation of Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey” as one of his influences. After Wilson’s scathing critique of Nolan’s adaptation went viral, her remarks sparked additional backlash from critics and academics alike. 

Why Wilson trashed Nolan’s adaptation 
Wilson’s expertise in the classics is undeniable. In 2017, she became the first woman to translate “The Odyssey” from ancient Greek into English with an interpretation “widely celebrated in academia and the literary world,” said The New York Times. Her translation departs from the “masculine framing used by her male predecessors,” which subjected her to “online harassment and misogyny.”

After seeing Nolan’s rendition of the tale, Wilson said she would be “ashamed to have written any part of this script” at The London Review of Books. The film lacked “psychological, emotional, political and ethical depth,” she added, and is merely a “family-friendly audiovisual spectacle” comparable to an “elaborate Fourth of July fireworks display.”

A debate reminiscent of the golden era of critics
One of the most prominent figures to come to Nolan’s defense was prolific novelist Joyce Carol Oates, a retired professor herself. Wilson’s “tone of dismissal & haughty superiority strike a sour note,” Oates said on X. Instead of “disagreeing with interpretations of Homer in a collegial manner,” Wilson, who has “benefited enormously from Nolan’s film,” speaks in the “crude language of MAGA folks attacking someone with ideas that differ from hers.” 

Wilson used “baffling arguments” to “flay” Nolan’s adaptation of Homer’s poem, classicist Theo Nash said at Slate. She criticizes Nolan for deviating from the text, “as if the filmmaker’s choices were not also an act of interpretation.”

Whether or not you agree with Wilson’s perspective, it’s “always exciting to read a particularly full-throated pan,” said critic Kathryn VanArendonk at Vulture. Since Wilson has “academic authority” and is “writing with such vigor,” it is “easy to forget that she has less power” than Nolan. That is also “part of the pleasure of the conversation.” Wilson is not interested in “softening any of it.” Of all the topics we could watch people fight about online, “how someone adapted ‘The Odyssey’ is such a good one.”

More than 90,000 rubber ducks race down the Chicago River during the 21st annual Chicago Ducky Derby. The charity event raised more than $700,000 for Special Olympics Illinois athletes.
Jacek Boczarski / Anadolu / Getty Images

A great vacation doesn’t have to break the bank. Stretch your vacation dollars at these budget-friendly destinations where affordable food, attractions and accommodations can be found around every corner.

Albania
The European country’s coastline is its “main event,” with Sarande, Vlore and Himare all known for “stunning seaside scenery,” said Time Out. Hikers can hit several trails in the Albanian Alps, like the popular Blue Eye Trail through rugged terrain, while those seeking a more cosmopolitan experience make the trek to the “lively” capital, Tirana, a “vibrant whirl of traffic, consumerism and unfettered fun,” Lonely Planet said. 

Kenya
The “geographic diversity” of Kenya (pictured above) means visitors could be “admiring rhinos one day and lounging on an Indian Ocean beach the next,” said Travel and Leisure. It also means your “safari dreams can come true” because visitors can book trips inside Nairobi National Park, an affordable alternative to visiting remote reserves for multiple days. For the best prices, go during the off-season November through March, when the weather is dry and warm.

Malaysia
You’ll want to see all the sights in Malaysia, but the hands-down best way to “dive into the culture and history” is to eat your way around the country, said Lonely Planet. Malaysia is at the “crossroads of China, India and dozens of Southeast Asian maritime kingdoms.” The melting pot cuisine is “budget-friendly, plentiful and delicious.” By visiting local establishments and hawker stalls, steering clear of tourist traps and skipping alcohol, you could eat for under $20 a day.