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Relief International medics among dead as paramilitaries step up violence against region's displaced people
Paramilitaries in Sudan have murdered more than 200 civilians in a wave of attacks in displacement camps and around the city of El Fasher, the last big city still in the hands of the Sudanese army in the Darfur region.
The deaths include at least 56 civilians killed by the Rapid Support Forces over two days of attacks in Um Kadadah, a town they seized on the road to El Fasher.
The violence is some of the worst in the Darfur region since the civil war between the army and the paramilitary forces began almost exactly two years ago.
The UN said killings were continuing at two large displacement camps, including of the entire medical staff of Relief International, which was operating the only remaining clinic inside Zamzam camp. RSF forces were said to be burning buildings throughout Zamzam on Sunday, claiming they were seeking Sudanese government fighters hiding in the camps.
The US has condemned both sides in the war, saying the RSF has committed genocide in Darfur and that the army has attacked civilians.
The conflict has essentially divided Sudan in two, with the army holding sway in the north and east while the RSF controls most of Darfur and parts of the south.
The war has killed tens of thousands, uprooted more than 12 million and created what the International Rescue Committee described as “the biggest humanitarian crisis ever recorded”.
The deaths at the weekend put extra pressure on the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, to deliver a decisive response on the issue of civilian protection when he convenes a ministerial conference on Sudan in London on Tuesday. The conference of 20 countries and organisations will inevitably shine a spotlight on the United Arab Emirates, past backers of the RSF, to issue an unambiguous statement of condemnation.
The attacks on Um Kadadah, about 180km (112 miles) east of El Fasher, came one day after RSF fighters said they had taken the town from army forces. The victims appeared to be targeted because of their ethnicity.
Lammy tweeted: “Shocking reports are emerging from El Fasher, Darfur, where indiscriminate RSF attacks have killed civilians, including aid workers. This gives added urgency to Tuesday's Sudan conference in London with international partners. All sides must commit to protection of civilians.”
The UN's resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, said she was “appalled and gravely alarmed by reports emerging from Zamzam and Abu Shouk displacement camps as well as El Fasher town in North Darfur”. The two camps protect as many as 700,000 civilians displaced by previous violence and famine.
The Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab said it had observed that “arson attacks have burned multiple structures and significant areas of the Zamzam camp in the centre, south and south-east portions of the camp”.
The UN reported that the RSF had launched coordinated ground and air attacks on the camps and El Fasher from multiple directions on 11 April, triggering intense clashes and resulting in catastrophic consequences for civilians.
The UN said more than 100 people, including more than 20 children, were feared dead, including nine Relief International personnel. The Sudanese army said more than 70 people had been killed in El Fasher alone. The precise death toll was unverifiable due to deliberate internet shutdowns implemented by the RSF.
Last month the army recaptured the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, about 1,000km (600 miles) to the east.
Adam Regal, a spokesperson for the General Coordination for Refugees and Displaced in Darfur, said Zamzam and Abou Shouk remained under artillery shelling and an assault by RSF armed vehicles on Sunday.
Relief International said of the loss of its staff: “We understand this was a targeted attack on all health infrastructure in the region to prevent access to healthcare for internally displaced people. We are horrified that one of our clinics was also part of this attack – along with other health facilities in El Fasher.”
Both the Biden and Trump administrations in the US have said the RSF has committed genocide in Darfur, and that the army has attacked civilians. The Sudanese government last week took the UAE to the international court of justice, the UN's top court, claiming the UAE was complicit in genocide.
Kate Ferguson, a co-director of Protection Approaches, said: “It appears that the RSF is attacking Zamzam, Abu Shouk and El Fasher simultaneously for the first time, including a ground assault on Zamzam. This is a significant escalation in violence against civilians in the North Darfur region and requires immediate diplomatic response.”
She said she feared such “a coordinated military effort by the RSF would represent the beginning of the assault we have all so long feared – including further acts of genocide and crimes against humanity – and should trigger all emergency diplomatic and other responses.”
She added: “In hosting the conference on Tuesday, Lammy holds the heavy responsibility of securing a collective response to the appalling atrocities committed yesterday and this weekend. It is a tough but rare opportunity to bring international commitment to protect civilians in Sudan from strong words to resolute action.
“This means sincerely confronting those backing and enabling atrocity crimes, and establishing a serious senior coalition willing to advance at pace the political and technical solutions necessary to halt genocide, crimes against humanity, war and famine.”
Relief International medics among dead as paramilitaries step up violence against region's displaced people
Paramilitaries in Sudan have murdered more than 200 civilians in a wave of attacks in displacement camps and around the city of El Fasher, the last big city still in the hands of the Sudanese army in the Darfur region.
The deaths include at least 56 civilians killed by the Rapid Support Forces over two days of attacks in Um Kadadah, a town they seized on the road to El Fasher.
The violence is some of the worst in the Darfur region since the civil war between the army and the paramilitary forces began almost exactly two years ago.
The UN said killings were continuing at two large displacement camps, including of the entire medical staff of Relief International, which was operating the only remaining clinic inside Zamzam camp. RSF forces were said to be burning buildings throughout Zamzam on Sunday, claiming they were seeking Sudanese government fighters hiding in the camps.
The US has condemned both sides in the war, saying the RSF has committed genocide in Darfur and that the army has attacked civilians.
The conflict has essentially divided Sudan in two, with the army holding sway in the north and east while the RSF controls most of Darfur and parts of the south.
The war has killed tens of thousands, uprooted more than 12 million and created what the International Rescue Committee described as “the biggest humanitarian crisis ever recorded”.
The deaths at the weekend put extra pressure on the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, to deliver a decisive response on the issue of civilian protection when he convenes a ministerial conference on Sudan in London on Tuesday. The conference of 20 countries and organisations will inevitably shine a spotlight on the United Arab Emirates, past backers of the RSF, to issue an unambiguous statement of condemnation.
The attacks on Um Kadadah, about 180km (112 miles) east of El Fasher, came one day after RSF fighters said they had taken the town from army forces. The victims appeared to be targeted because of their ethnicity.
Lammy tweeted: “Shocking reports are emerging from El Fasher, Darfur, where indiscriminate RSF attacks have killed civilians, including aid workers. This gives added urgency to Tuesday's Sudan conference in London with international partners. All sides must commit to protection of civilians.”
The UN's resident and humanitarian coordinator in Sudan, Clementine Nkweta-Salami, said she was “appalled and gravely alarmed by reports emerging from Zamzam and Abu Shouk displacement camps as well as El Fasher town in North Darfur”. The two camps protect as many as 700,000 civilians displaced by previous violence and famine.
The Yale School of Public Health's Humanitarian Research Lab said it had observed that “arson attacks have burned multiple structures and significant areas of the Zamzam camp in the centre, south and south-east portions of the camp”.
The UN reported that the RSF had launched coordinated ground and air attacks on the camps and El Fasher from multiple directions on 11 April, triggering intense clashes and resulting in catastrophic consequences for civilians.
The UN said more than 100 people, including more than 20 children, were feared dead, including nine Relief International personnel. The Sudanese army said more than 70 people had been killed in El Fasher alone. The precise death toll was unverifiable due to deliberate internet shutdowns implemented by the RSF.
Last month the army recaptured the Sudanese capital, Khartoum, about 1,000km (600 miles) to the east.
Adam Regal, a spokesperson for the General Coordination for Refugees and Displaced in Darfur, said Zamzam and Abou Shouk remained under artillery shelling and an assault by RSF armed vehicles on Sunday.
Relief International said of the loss of its staff: “We understand this was a targeted attack on all health infrastructure in the region to prevent access to healthcare for internally displaced people. We are horrified that one of our clinics was also part of this attack – along with other health facilities in El Fasher.”
Both the Biden and Trump administrations in the US have said the RSF has committed genocide in Darfur, and that the army has attacked civilians. The Sudanese government last week took the UAE to the international court of justice, the UN's top court, claiming the UAE was complicit in genocide.
Kate Ferguson, a co-director of Protection Approaches, said: “It appears that the RSF is attacking Zamzam, Abu Shouk and El Fasher simultaneously for the first time, including a ground assault on Zamzam. This is a significant escalation in violence against civilians in the North Darfur region and requires immediate diplomatic response.”
She said she feared such “a coordinated military effort by the RSF would represent the beginning of the assault we have all so long feared – including further acts of genocide and crimes against humanity – and should trigger all emergency diplomatic and other responses.”
She added: “In hosting the conference on Tuesday, Lammy holds the heavy responsibility of securing a collective response to the appalling atrocities committed yesterday and this weekend. It is a tough but rare opportunity to bring international commitment to protect civilians in Sudan from strong words to resolute action.
“This means sincerely confronting those backing and enabling atrocity crimes, and establishing a serious senior coalition willing to advance at pace the political and technical solutions necessary to halt genocide, crimes against humanity, war and famine.”
Senior Kyiv economist describes latest position of Trump administration in talks as ‘colonial-type' bullying
The US has demanded control of a crucial pipeline in Ukraine used to send Russian gas to Europe, according to reports, in a move described as a colonial shakedown.
US and Ukrainian officials met on Friday to discuss White House proposals for a minerals deal. Donald Trump wants Kyiv to hand over its natural resources as “payback” in return for weapons delivered by the previous Biden administration.
Talks have become increasingly acrimonious, Reuters said. The latest US draft is more “maximalist” than the original version from February, which proposed giving Washington $500bn worth of rare metals, as well as oil and gas.
Citing a source close to the talks, the news agency said the most recent document includes a demand that the US government's International Development Finance Corporation take control of the natural gas pipeline.
It runs from the town of Sudzha in western Russia to the Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod, about 750 miles (1,200km) away, on the border with the EU and Slovakia. Built in Soviet times, the pipeline is a key piece of national infrastructure and a major energy route.
On 1 January, Ukraine cut off the supply of gas when its five-year contract with the Russian state energy company Gazprom expired. Both countries had previously earned hundreds of millions of euros in transit fees, including during the first three years of full-scale war.
Volodymyr Landa, a senior economist with the Centre for Economic Strategy, a Kyiv thinktank, said the Americans were out for “all they can get”. Their bullying “colonial-type” demands had little chance of being accepted by Kyiv, he predicted.
Last autumn, Volodymyr Zelenskyy proposed giving the US access to Ukraine's underdeveloped mineral sector. He envisaged a deal that would see the incoming Trump administration supply Ukraine with weapons, in return for future profits from joint investments.
Instead, Trump has refused to give security commitments or military support but wants the minerals anyway. Last week he complained Zelenskyy was trying to “back out of an agreement” and said Ukraine's president would have “big problems” if he failed to sign.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday, Zelenskyy said he was ready to do a deal to modernise his country but that Ukraine could only agree if there was “parity” between the two sides, with revenues split “50-50”.
“I am just defending what belongs to Ukraine. It should be beneficial for both the United States and Ukraine. This is the right thing to do,” Zelenskyy said. The US Treasury confirmed “technical” talks were ongoing.
Meanwhile, the US special envoy to Ukraine, Keith Kellogg, said his remarks over a possible partition of Ukraine had been misinterpreted. In an interview with the Times, Kellogg said the country could be divided “almost like the Berlin after world war two” as part of a peace deal.
Writing on X, Kellogg said he was referring to “a post-cease fire resiliency force in support of Ukraine's sovereignty”. Under this plan, Russian troops would remain in territory already seized by Moscow, with British and French forces stationed in Kyiv and in other parts of the country.
On Friday, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff held talks with Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg. Witkoff's reported solution to the conflict was to give Russia the four Ukrainian provinces it is demanding – including territory that Ukraine controls, and which is home to 1 million people.
Meanwhile, at a meeting of the Ukraine defence contact group on Friday, Kyiv's allies announced a record €21bn (£18.2bn) in additional military help. They accused Putin of dragging his feet over a 30-day ceasefire deal which Ukraine has accepted.
Early on Saturday, Russia carried out further air attacks against Ukrainian civilian targets. Three warehouses were destroyed in Kyiv, with two people injured. The Kremlin has fired 70 missiles and 2,200 drones at Ukraine since the 11 March US ceasefire proposal, Ukrainian officials said.
Zelenskyy paid tribute on Saturday to a 26-year-old pilot, captain Pavlo Ivanov, who was killed during an F-16 combat mission. Ukraine's small air force “heroically” defends the country from Russian missiles and drones, and supported ground operations, he said.
Senator Elizabeth Warren urged the SEC to do a “sweeping review of all securities trades” by Fed officials to determine if they violated insider trading laws. The senator told CNN's Jake Tapper why she feels it's "entirely appropriate" to also investigate the Trump administration in any reviews.
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Blue Origin is taking a star-studded crew of six female passengers to the edge of space on Monday in one of the most closely watched suborbital space tourism missions in years.
The flight will last about 10 minutes — carrying the group more than 100 kilometers (62 miles) into the sky and offering a few minutes of weightlessness before they descend.
But at what point during the flight will singer Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King and their fellow passengers reach “space”?
Is it when they look outside their window and the blue glow of the sky fades to black? Is it when they reach an altitude at which satellites can orbit? Or is it when the atmosphere grows so thin that it no longer plays a defining role in the flight physics?
In the spaceflight community, there is no hard-and-fast definition.
Space can be defined in several ways, and the usefulness of the criteria for determining where it starts can depend on the scenario. That's why various organizations around the world use different altitudes to mark that invisible threshold for recordkeeping purposes.
And for suborbital space tourism, quibbling over definitions can take on a life of its own.
Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic, for example, have been known to spar publicly over the matter — mostly because of one, specific means of defining space: the Kármán line.
Perhaps the most well-known and controversial demarcation of space, the Kármán line lies at 100 kilometers (62 miles) above sea level.
Blue Origin's suborbital New Shepard flights travel just past that altitude.
But the company's chief competitor, Virgin Galactic, does not. Its flights so far have reached up to about 88.5 kilometers (55 miles), which is still beyond the 81-kilometer (50-mile) mark that the US government has long used to define space.
Still, Blue Origin has pointed to the Kármán line to assert its rides as a more legitimate path to earning “astronaut” status, saying in one 2021 social media post that “none of our astronauts have an asterisk next to their name” — a subtle dig at Virgin Galactic.
Defining an astronaut, however, is almost a different matter entirely. In the early days of spaceflight, the US government established the 81-kilometer (50-mile) definition as a basis for awarding astronaut badges to military and NASA pilots.
The Federal Aviation Administration has also given out commercial astronaut wings to private-sector adventurers who reached higher than 81 kilometers (50 miles). But the agency mostly did away with that program in 2021, opting to list participants on its website rather than award physical badges to private-sector fliers.
SpaceX has also awarded its own set of silver wings to nongovernment passengers who fly on its orbital Crew Dragon capsule.
So, in practice, deciding who is and isn't an astronaut is up to the recordkeeper.
Former NASA astronaut Terry Virts told National Geographic in 2018 that he was not too concerned with gatekeeping the “astronaut” designation.
“If you're strapping your butt to a rocket, I think that's worth something,” Virts told National Geographic in 2018 when asked about the issue. “When I was an F-16 pilot, I didn't feel jealous about Cessna pilots being called pilots. I think everybody's going to know if you paid to be a passenger on a five-minute suborbital flight or if you're the commander of an interplanetary space vehicle. Those are two different things.”
In the public imagination, however, the idea of an astronaut often conjures images of a person floating in weightlessness, surrounded by the black cosmic expanse.
But experiencing weightlessness has little to do with altitude — at least, not at the relatively low ones that Blue Origin and Virgin Galactic fly.
Earth's gravitational pull will still be tugging on the Blue Origin capsule when it reaches weightlessness at apogee, the term in spaceflight for very top of a flight path.
But the astronauts will be weightless because the energy the rocket and capsule drummed up after liftoff will be canceled out by Earth's gravity, giving them a minutes-long version of the sensation people experience when they reach the peak of a big roller-coaster hill.
In contrast, astronauts on the International Space Station remain weightless for months at a time because they are in orbit around Earth — which requires far faster speeds than New Shepard's suborbital flights travel.
Recordkeepers, however, have not stipulated that a person must travel to orbit to be deemed an astronaut.
Civil and military pilots who commanded X-15 aircraft to altitudes above 81 kilometers (50 miles) during a test campaign in the 1960s, for example, were given astronaut wings.
The US government uses the 81-kilometer (50-mile) mark to define space for many of the same reasons that other organizations use the Kármán line. The latter may just calculate the phenomenon differently.
Theodore von Kármán, a Hungarian American engineer and physicist and cofounder of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, was among the first to attempt to describe the altitude at which aeronautics becomes astronautics.
But even Kármán's initial attempts in the 1950s were inexact.
“The atmosphere is indeed dynamic and fluctuates in density which makes any delimitation imprecise,” according to one 2014 study on the definition of space. So, “the Kármán line fluctuates between” 84 kilometers (52 miles) and 100 kilometers (62 miles).
Notably, 100 kilometers is how the Swiss-based Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, or the World Air Sports Federation, defines the Kármán line.
“It's been that way since the ‘60s,” Scott Neumann, president of the federation's Astronautic Records Commission, ICARE, told CNN.
The federation suggested in 2018 that it might lower its definitional altitude in response to new research about the Kármán line — but the organization ultimately didn't take such a step after crunching the numbers.
“You have this nice maximum point, which we call the ‘maximum equilibrium velocity altitude,' and you can point to that on a graph and say, ‘This is where you're starting to become more like a spacecraft and less like an aircraft,'” Neumann said.
The “maximum equilibrium velocity altitude” refers to the altitude at which the atmosphere becomes so thin that a vessel can no longer rely on the flight dynamics of airplanes.
Instead, the vehicle will need the type of speed that rocket engines provide.
While the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale decided to stick with its 100-kilometer definition, other researchers and institutions in the space industry don't share the same view.
Spence Wise, senior vice president of space missions at aerospace manufacturing company Redwire Space, told CNN that he believes a more accurate altitude is closer to 88 kilometers (55 miles).
Wise said that definition derives from the behavior of vehicles — mostly discarded rocket boosters — that have returned from space after being dragged out of orbit by atmospheric friction. For context, the “vacuum” of space isn't always a vacuum. Earth's atmosphere actually thins out over thousands of miles.
“But what you can consistently see is that somewhere between 90 kilometers and 88 kilometers, these rocket bodies, as they're reentering (the atmosphere), stop acting like they're mostly drifting in space — being driven by Keplerian orbit kind of behavior,” Wise said, referring to the principles of planetary motion described by Johannes Kepler in the 17th century. “And they start just falling out of the sky.”
Satellites and spacecraft can also briefly travel even closer to Earth during their orbits — as near as 80 to 90 kilometers high (50 to 56 miles) — without being immediately dragged down. In aerospace parlance, such low-flying spacecraft are referred to as Very-low Earth Orbit, or VLEO, satellites.
Atmospheric drag grows more prominent at lower orbital altitudes, and that's a key consideration when designing a vehicle.
“You can really drive orbits down, maybe down as far as 150 kilometers (93 miles) — but there's a cost you pay for that. … You're probably designing something that spends all of its time trying to stay in orbit,” Wise said.
Put simply: When it comes to defining space, calculations and considerations change depending on the spaceborne object in question.
“Some experts have noted that function and purpose might lead to more appropriate distinctions between aircraft and spacecraft than altitude,” the 2014 paper reads.
And the distinctions can grow ever blurrier as technology evolves and new types of vehicles can achieve different types of flight.
So, do these definitions really matter at all?
“It's funny to think of it,” Wise said. “Is it still worthwhile to climb Everest? We need these agreed-to norms or definitions of this hard and epic thing to do. So particularly in the context of commercial travel to space, I think the Kármán line is a totally fine thing.”
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‘Don't poke the beast' remains the watchword at Number 10 even as the beast rampages around chewing the legs off the global economy
What fresh hell will Donald Trump unleash next? The question quivers on the world's lips, but Sir Keir Starmer thinks it a fool's errand trying to guess the answer. The prime minister has told colleagues not to waste any time on feverish speculation about the intentions of the US president.
This is sensible counsel after 10 days in which Typhoon Orange has wreaked havoc in global markets. His tariffs were so sweeping and so breathtakingly dumb that the hit list included a cluster of barren islands near Antarctica. Was his notoriously thin skin once pricked by an insolent penguin? Were the highest US tariffs in more than a century an ego-gratifying instrument to get other leaders to beg for mercy by “kissing my ass”? Are tariffs designed to be a revenue-raiser cunningly disguised as an economy-wrecker? If the aim, as some claim, is to reindustralise America, creating the conditions for an inflationary slump is a strange way to go about it.
Members of the Trump regime have offered no consistent explanation for such wantonly ruinous and self-destructive acts. After days of insisting that there would be no retreat from any of it, he did back off, at least temporarily, from a lot of it. Sir Keir is correct. Trying to attribute logic to the US president's reckless impulses or to make predictions about what he will do next is a waste of nervous energy. It is safer, if scarier, to proceed from the assumption that the only certainty about Trump's world is instability.
Faced with a craziness so alien to his own nature, what's a prime minister who prides himself on his rationality to do? Sir Keir has elected to be the calm voice urging cool heads in the raging storm. That is a product of his temperament and what he takes to be good politics. When the seas are so alarmingly choppy, the last thing the passengers on HMS Britannia want to see is their captain with a sweaty brow and panicky eyes.
The prime minister has mildly suggested that trade wars are not a terribly good idea, but you should not expect a word of explicit criticism of the US president to escape from the lips of Britain's leader. This is in marked contrast with others in his peer group who share the same fears that the Trump regime has placed global security and the global economy in simultaneous peril. Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, has been highly belligerent towards the White House, and not just because it appears to be enhancing his chances of winning his country's imminent election. Friedrich Merz, the new chancellor of Germany and previously a staunch Atlanticist, has baldly declared that “independence from the USA” has become imperative and suggested that Nato may soon be dead.
Those who yearn to hear similar sentiments coming from Sir Keir will be disappointed. Allies say he regards it as “a duty” to try to “get on with Trump”. There will be no Love Actually moment. Even if he had the acting chops to replicate the scene in which Hugh Grant plays a decent British PM who rebukes a bullying US president, Sir Keir wouldn't do it. In contrast with the German chancellor, he will continue to insist that the US remains the essential ally. He will carry on calling Uncle Sam a friend however little it behaves like one.
The prime minister is keen to deepen European cooperation on defence and is lobbying for British access to the new EU re-armament fund. But Sir Keir is worried by Merz-like talk about finding a European replacement for Nato. He thinks that notion dangerous because it could make a self-fulfilling prophecy of American withdrawal from the security guarantees which Europe has relied upon since 1945.
“Don't poke the beast” remains the watchword at Number 10, even as the beast rampages around chewing the legs off the global economy. One takeaway from recent turmoil is that Trump can be compelled to blink when the pressure is sufficiently intense. It was the threat of a meltdown in the US Treasury market, accompanied by warnings from some of his own supporters that the American economy faced a “nuclear winter”, that ultimately forced him to announce the “90-day pause” to the majority of his most severe tariffs bar those on China. But it would be wrong to conclude from this retreat that Britain only has to take Sir Ed Davey's advice to “stand up” to the White House to make Trump back down. Sir Keir likes the Lib Dem leader, but scorns his demands for retaliation as juvenile. “Slagging off Trump, calling for retaliation. If we'd done what Davey is advocating, we'd be looking at 125% tariffs,” says one government official, possibly exaggerating for effect. The UK does not wield the clout of the bond market. Should he ever forget this, Rachel Reeves is there to remind Sir Keir of the fragility of their own fiscal position. He will carry on maintaining that counter-measures would be counter-productive.
Ministers appear increasingly pessimistic about negotiating away the 10% “baseline” tariff that has been imposed on Britain as it has been on most countries. “Tariffs are here for good,” remarks an official. The current focus is on trying to contain the damage threatened by elevated 25% tariffs on cars, steel and aluminium. Sir Keir hopes to attract credit for throwing lifelines to vulnerable industries, as the government did yesterday by recalling MPs from their Easter break to pass emergency legislation to take protective control of the endangered steel plant in Scunthorpe, Britain's last blast furnace facility. That's a popular government move with Labour people, and you haven't been able to name one of those for a while. “This is not back to the 1970s,” insists one cabinet minister. “It is assertive pragmatism to protect a key industry.” Ministers say there will also be assistance for pharmaceutical companies, big exporters to the US and a big employer in the UK, if punitive tariffs materialise. If you are in a sector that government regards as “strategic”, there'll be help. If not, good luck. The Treasury won't be riding to the rescue of every exposed industry.
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The mood in government was somewhat lifted by the latest figures for GDP, which suggest the economy expanded by a faster-than-expected 0.5% in February. But that was before Trump triggered carnage. The retaliatory tariff levels that the US and China are whacking on each other are so eye-wateringly extreme that they will suffocate trade between the world's two largest economies. If this is truly the “end of globalisation as we know it”, the Starmer government will need a plan for the “changed world” its leading figures bang on about. The current plan appears to be to do what they are already doing, but with more oomph. “Our plans don't so much change as turbocharge,” says Sir Keir. Same set of wheels, but with go-faster stripes. In truth, much of what the government has unveiled since Trump brandished his tariffs card in the Rose Garden would have been announced anyway. The easing of electric vehicle targets was in the pipeline already. As was the go-ahead for a giant Universal studios theme park in Bedfordshire.
Crisis can be an excuse to cower or it can be a spur to grasp opportunity. A growing number of Labour voices see an opening for the Starmer government to pivot towards Europe. The prime minister tells friends that the UK is being taken seriously by the rest of its continent in a way that it has not been for a decade. Trump, Ukraine and not treating the EU as an enemy have played roles in the rebuilding of bridges. But the fabled “reset” in relations with our closest neighbours has thus far produced more warm words than it has concrete agreements that could lift growth. To sense how the wind is shifting, keep a weather eye on the chancellor. In the run-up to next month's important EU/UK summit, Ms Reeves has started using much sharper and more ambitious language about removing trade barriers with the union. “We're getting more confident about how we talk about it in public,” says one cabinet member. Number 10 is wary of any move that might be depicted as “undoing Brexit”, but polling tells us that a chunky majority of Britons now devoutly wish that it could be undone. The perils posed to prosperity by Donald Trump make it more imperative to relieve the impediments to growth that Britain has inflicted upon itself.
“Keep calm and carry on” has served Sir Keir well in the opening phases of this crisis. Bigger, bolder moves will be demanded of him before it is over.
Andrew Rawnsley is the Chief Political Commentator of the Observer
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Amid a series of sadistic expulsions, the White House says Trump has reflected kicking Americans out of the country
They're rounding people up, and you could be next. The Trump administration has largely dispensed with due process rights in deporting immigrants, who are now being targeted for their protected speech, having their visas or green cards summarily cancelled without process and sometimes without notice, and getting kidnapped off the streets and hustled into vans so that they can be shipped to “detention centers” too far away for their loved ones, or their lawyers, to visit them.
Some immigrants are being targeted for disappearance because they oppose Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, an opinion that it is now physically dangerous, instead of merely unpopular, to hold. But others the government seems to be seizing almost at random. More than 200 Venezuelan nationals have been seized and deported to a mega-prison in El Salvador, rendered outside of US jurisdiction in defiance of judges' orders demanding that their deportation flights be stopped. Of those Venezuelans, most had no criminal record. Other deportees, like the Maryland father and sheet metal worker Kilmar Abrego García, seem to have been deported by mistake; the Trump administration says that Abrego García, who they admit they did not mean to deport, will not be brought back to his family in the United States. Conveniently, the fact that they have deported him to a foreign prison is supposed, in the Trump administration's logic, to absolve them of responsibility for putting him there. “We suggest the judge contact [Salvadoran] President Bukele because we are unaware of the judge having jurisdiction or authority over the country of El Salvador,” the White House said, obnoxiously, after a judge ordered them to bring Abrego García back.
Meanwhile, the sadism of the deportations, and the cruelty of the Salvadoran prison where the men are being kept, seem to hold a kind of aesthetic appeal for the Trump camp. The homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, recently flew to the El Salvador prison for a photoshoot with the captives there, where she stood in front of a crowd of men packed into a cell behind bars with her hair coiffed in long beachy waves.
Now, the Trump administration may be seeking to extend the lawlessness and cruelty of its deportation regime to the next logical target: American citizens. The White House spokesperson, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed on Tuesday that the Trump administration is considering pathways to deport citizens as well. “The president has discussed this idea quite a few times publicly. He's also discussed it privately. You're referring to the president's idea for American citizens to potentially be deported,” she said. “The president has said, if it's legal, if there is a legal pathway to do that, he's not sure.”
This would be illegal. But so is so much of what the Trump administration is doing with its deportation policies. It is illegal to cancel visas and green cards without due process, as the Trump administration has done and continues to do as part of a widening dragnet in its anti-immigrant purges. It is illegal to target immigrants for their speech, as the Trump administration has done to pro-Palestinian and anti-genocide activists, from Rümeysa Öztürk to Mahmoud Khalil. It is illegal to deport people to a foreign prison where they have no recourse to enforce their rights and no path to pursue their freedom – it is illegal to do this, as the Trump administration has done, specifically to prevent its victims from seeking to enforce their own rights in American courts. And it is illegal to ignore the binding orders of federal judges to stop all of this conduct in order to ensure that the deportations can continue, punishing innocent people, silencing protected speech, and scaring whole populations out of work, travel, political participation or any of the other daily dignities that they are supposed to be entitled to in this country.
But the law, increasingly, is whatever the Trump administration decides it is. And there is no force that seems prepared to make them obey the law when their will does not incline them to do so.
That is because the supreme court has been no help, and if anything has acted, so far, as all but an accomplice to Trump's dismantling of the rule of law in his pursuit of anti-immigrant vengeance. Lower court judges have attempted to intervene on behalf of the disappeared immigrants, issuing orders commanding the Trump administration to stop deportations under a long-dormant 1798 wartime measure known as the Alien Enemies Act, and to return Abrego García to the US immediately. But the supreme court has stepped in to pause these orders, allowing the Trump administration's deportation agenda to continue. In the Abrego García case, the court weakened a district court order to “effectuate” the innocent man's freedom and return to a mere command that they “facilitate” it, and only in ways that don't interfere with the executive branch's foreign policy prerogatives – in practice, a weakening of the demand to bring Abrego García back home to a request that the Trump administration provide more plausible deniability when they refuse to do so. And while Brett Kavanaugh weighed in with a concurrence to make a pious declaration of the need for due process in deportation proceedings, the court's actions speak louder than its words: they are allowing the kidnapping and deportation of US residents to continue without due process.
The legal precedents being established in these immigration disappearance cases have no limiting principles: if visa holders, asylum seekers and legal permanent residents can be snatched and deported with effectively no practicable recourse to due process protections, then there is no reason why citizens can't be. It is in the interest of every American citizen to take an active stand in defense of our immigrant neighbors. Because once the Trump administration decides that they have no rights, then neither do we.
US President Donald Trump has imposed an additional 145% tariffs on all Chinese imports despite pausing his “reciprocal” levies on all other countries in a stunning reversal last week.
But China is not backing down, saying it will “fight to the end” if Trump continues to escalate what is already becoming a full-blown trade war. On Friday, China also significantly ramped up its own duties on US imports into the country.
To analyze which nation might blink first, CNN examined China's largest imports from the United States — soybeans — to see if and how that demand could be met elsewhere, what US farmers stand to lose and more.
Both countries are deeply intertwined with each other on trade, though China sells about three times more to the US than it buys. The result is a significant trade deficit amounting to almost $300 billion in China's favor, a gap that Trump wants to close with tariffs.
China buys mainly agricultural products from the US, including soybeans, oilseeds and grains. Soybean imports, mostly used for animal feed, already took a hit during Trump's first term when the two countries sparred in an earlier trade war.
At the time, China sought to diversify the source of its imports and looked to other countries for agricultural products. It's set to do that again after imposing 125% tariff on all US imports – a move analysts expect could send China's imports of American agricultural commodities like soybeans close to zero.
US soybean exports to China are now subject to a total tariff of 135%, resulting from 10% tariff imposed on certain agricultural products in March plus the 125% levy announced on Friday.
During the first US-China trade war, Brazil — the world's leading soybean exporter — emerged as a winner, with China's imports of the legume surging over the years. Brazilian soybean exports to China have grown by more than 280% since 2010 while US exports have remained flat.
Last November, Xi went on a state visit to Brazil, which was meant to strengthen ties between the two countries. In 2024, China was the main destination for Brazilian soybeans, accounting for more than 73% of the country's total soybean exports.
With production expected to rise — the Brazilian soybean crop is projected to reach record levels this year — China could increase its imports from Brazil and other South American countries like Argentina, which is currently the world's third-largest soybean producer after Brazil and the US.
The US agricultural sector lost around $27 billion during the 2018 trade war, with 71% of the losses being soybean-related, according to the American Soybean Association.
And farmers, many of whom live in states that went for Trump in the 2024 election, are still struggling with the fallout. Only Illinois, the top soybean producer, and Minnesota, the third-largest soybean producing state, went for former Vice President Kamala Harris last November.
China is looking for more allies beyond Brazil to counter US tariffs and expand trade cooperation. On Thursday, China announced that it was willing to work with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations countries to strengthen communication and coordination. Earlier this week China's Commerce Minister discussed with EU officials restarting talks on trade relief and negotiations on electric vehicles.
CNN's Simone McCarthy contributed to this report.
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Jonathan Reynolds says allowing British Steel to collapse would have cost £1bn as public ownership looks increasingly likely
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds is being questioned by the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on her Sunday politics programme.
He said the intervention yesterday was “dramatic” but was needed to secure Britain's “economic security” . He said if nothing was done the blast furnaces and steel production in the UK “would have gone”. His officials are on site right now, the business secretary added.
Kuenssberg pressed the minister, asking him if he was sure if he would have the supplies he needed to keep the furnaces at the plant burning. Reynolds refused to be drawn on the commercial specifics.
“Without the decisive action by the government yesterday all was lost,” Reynolds insisted.
The business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, declined to guarantee that British Steel will be able to secure enough raw materials in time to keep the Scunthorpe blast furnaces going.
Reynolds also declined to directly accuse the British Steel owner Jingye of sabotaging the plant but it is understood ministers do not expect the company to return to any negotiations.
It came a day after emergency legislation was passed that allows the government to instruct companies to keep loss-making steel operations in England open, or face criminal penalties for their executives.
Reynolds said the government had decided to take emergency action when it learned that Chinese steel making firm Jingye had not only stopped ordering more raw materials, but begun selling off the supplies it already had.
The company had also rejected an offer of support in the region of £500m, instead demanding more than twice that figure with few guarantees the blast furnaces would stay open.
Reynolds said the government expects to lose money running British Steel, but allowing it to collapse would have cost £1bn.
A government source confirmed to the PA agency that Reynolds had given directions to Jingye after the emergency sitting yesterday, but did not specify what those directions were.
There is broad consensus among the opposition parties in support of the government's actions, with the Conservatives backing full nationalisation of the plant.
There still has been no confirmation of plans to fully nationalise the plant in Scunthorpe but public ownership is looking increasingly likely.
Thanks for joining us. We are closing this blog now but you can find all our latest coverage of the British Steel negotiations here.
British Steel's financial difficulties have been made worse by 25% tariffs imposed by Donald Trump on steel and aluminium sales to the US (the UK was hit with 10 percent US tariffs across the board on 2 April, on top of the 25 percent duties on aluminum and steel).
Though Keir Starmer has expressed disappointment at the tariffs, he has not retaliated and is seeking to negotiate them away.
In 2024, the steel industry contributed £1.7bn to the UK economy in terms of gross value added (GVA), which is equivalent to 0.1% of total UK economic output and 0.8% of manufacturing output, according to research published by the House of Commons library.
There are 1,145 businesses in the UK steel industry, supporting 37,000 jobs, but it is under increasing pressure due to a global over-production of steel pushing steel prices down, while British manufacturers face higher costs, particularly on electricity, than many other countries.
The sector has been demanding help from the government on spiralling energy costs and wants the domestic market to be better protected from imported steel from countries with lower environmental production standards. The government said in September it would introduce a new steel strategy this spring, as it aims “to ramp up investment, strengthen our supply chains and create more well-paid jobs in the places where they're most needed”.
Britain's remaining steelmakers are under pressure to reduce carbon emissions amid the impacts of global warming. Most have shifted to electric arc furnaces that make steel from recycled material. That has left Scunthorpe as the only factory with blast furnaces capable of turning iron ore into virgin steel.
The UK's prime minister, Keir Starmer, said yesterday that his government had stepped into “save” British Steel through passing emergency legislation to prevent Jingye shutting down its two blast furnaces in Scunthorpe.
Here is a Starmer's full statement released by Downing Steet on Saturday:
Today, my government has stepped in to save British Steel. We are acting to protect the jobs of thousands of workers, and all options are on the table to secure the future of the industry. Delivering security and renewal for working people is at the heart of my plan for change.
This government is turning the page on a decade of decline, where our manufacturing heartlands were hollowed out by the previous government.
In recent weeks alone, we have announced the expansion of Heathrow airport and the building of the biggest theme park in Europe in Bedford. We are reforming our planning rules to build 1.5 million homes, and the infrastructure the nation desperately needs. New roads, railways, schools, hospitals, grids and reservoirs. British steel will be the backbone as we get Britain building once more.
This is a government of industry. That's why we've secured a better deal for the workers of Port Talbot. It's why we fought to secure the future of Harland & Wolff. It's why we've pledged £200 million to Grangemouth. Our industry is the pride of our history – and I want it to be our future too.
A secure future. A Britain rebuilt with British steel, in the national interest.
The GMB trade union general secretary, Gary Smith, confirmed workers had acted to stop officials from the Chinese company Jingye, which bought British Steel in 2019, from entering the site in Scunthorpe.
“We were worried about industrial vandalism and there was a worry about sabotage on the site, quite frankly,” he told the BBC earlier today. “And yesterday, workers did prevent executives from the Chinese owners from going on site.”
“I'm sure that people are still very worried about that, but these people performed heroics yesterday to ensure that we've got a fighting chance for the steel industry in this country... They were legitimately concerned about industrial sabotage at the plant,” Smith added.
"Workers did prevent executives from the Chinese owners [of British Steel] from going on site" GMB Union boss Gary Smith says steel workers "performed heroics" in blocking owners from site as they were "legitimately concerned about sabotage" #BBCLauraK https://t.co/CXpI5I9h8H pic.twitter.com/1sybhUpNMf
Jasper Jolly, a financial reporter at the Guardian, has written some analysis on the multiple crises British Steel faces as the supplies needed to keep the blast furnaces operating at the Scunthorpe plant are running low. Here is an extract from his piece:
Union leaders representing steelworkers said they were relieved that the government appeared to be moving towards public ownership. Charlotte Brumpton-Childs, a former Scunthorpe steelworker and national officer for the GMB union, said nationalisation was “the only way to save the UK steel industry”, and that the ability to direct the company's actions was “the first step in that process”.
Yet even nationalisation will not deliver Scunthorpe's workers from the bigger questions over its long-term future. Jingye had rejected a £500m offer of support to switch to electric arc furnaces – to match aid given to Tata Steel at Port Talbot, south Wales – but Scunthorpe will need to make the switch if it is to have a future in a world of net zero carbon emissions.
As we have been reporting, the Conservatives and Reform have voiced broad support for the government's move to take control of British Steel. But what have other opposition parties said?
The Green party says it supports nationalisation of the steel industry as it could prove to be a “key driver of a green industrial revolution”. The party's co-leader, Adrian Ramsay, told Sky News' Trevor Phillips this morning: “Steel is essential for the transition to a green economy. The Greens have been arguing for decades that we need to have the ability to produce more of the manufactured goods... within our country. And with what we're seeing now with the international political climate and the bullying behaviour of President Trump, it only underlines our point that we need to be able to produce these things more locally.”
Plaid Cymru has accused the UK government for acting to save the Scunthorpe plant but not taking the same action when the Tata Steel works in Port Talbot were threatened with closure. Tata ended primary steelmaking at Port Talbot last September with the closure of its last blast furnace, a decision that was projected to lead to 2,500 job losses. As part of a deal the government committed £500m to help the company move to greener forms of steelmaking. Addressing the Commons at the emergency session yesterday, Liz Saville-Roberts, Plaid's Westminster leader, said yesterday: “Scunthorpe gets security, Port Talbot gets a pittance.”
The Lib Dems' deputy leader Daisy Cooper said recalling parliament yesterday was “absolutely the right thing to do” but the party has also criticised the UK government for not intervening to protect the Port Talbot steelworks in the same way.
The SNP's Stephen Flynn questioned why the legislation only applies to England. He said yesterday: “Why is this not being extended to Scotland? Why is Grangemouth (refinery in Scotland) not being included? Why is the smelter up at Lochaber not being included? Why the DL steelworks not being included? The answer why they are not being included is because westminster is only interested in westminster.”
The shadow business secretary, Andrew Griffith, was the chief business secretary to the then prime minister Boris Johnson during the months in 2019 when British Steel went into administration.
He has defended the move to sell British Steel to Jingye, claiming it was “the only deal at the time”.
Griffith told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky News:
From my recollection, those conversations had been ongoing for some time. It was led by the secretary of state.
You have got to remember that Jingye was the only bidder at the time. It was a deal that was welcomed by the GMB union, by the community union, and by UK steel. ..
Many people, including the British Steel workers, the unions on the ground, local MPs, all wanted that deal to happen, and it did indeed go on and get investment into Scunthorpe and keep the business going so that there's clearly been a breakdown.
The Reform UK leader Nigel Farage backs the nationalisation of the plant. Here are some of the main takeaways of what he said to Laura Kuenssberg this morning:
He believes nationalisation of the Scunthorpe plant is the right move because he claims the plant's Chinese owner, Jingye, is a “bad actor”.
Farage accused the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) of deliberately sabotaging British Steel, but provided no evidence for his claim. “This is a big strategic decision by the CCP,” he said. Asked for his evidence to support that claim, Farage said: “You can call it intuition if you like.”
Farage said, again without evidence, that he was “100% certain they bought British Steel to close British Steel”.
Farage says it is hard to estimate how much it would cost the taxpayer to nationalise British Steel “because we can't trust Jingye's figures” and that the company “artificially inflated” its losses and has not opened its accounts up to proper auditing.
Farage said we are living through an “industrial massacre” and a “complete rethink” about British industry is necessary to protect domestic production and interests.
Reynolds has also been speaking to Sky News' Sunday Morning programme with Trevor Phillips. He has been asked how much it may cost the taxpayer if the government takes ownership and control of British Steel.
Reynolds said the government expects to lose money running British Steel, but allowing it to collapse would have cost £1bn. There still has been no confirmation of plans to nationalise the plant in Scunthorpe but public ownership is looking increasingly likely.
Speaking to Sky News, Reynolds said:
The losses, the annual losses, net losses, in the last set of accounts were £233m. Actually, that can be improved upon, but I am accepting your point that we would expect to lose money on this.
I would ask the public to compare that to the option of spending a lot more money to reach a deal that would have seen a lot of job losses and Jingye remain as a partner.
Or the cost of the complete collapse of British Steel, easily over £1bn in terms of the need to respond from government, to remediate the land, to look after the workforce.
The business secretary said that, as money had already been set aside for the steel industry at the budget, the government would not need to borrow more as a result of the takeover.
He added: “To be absolutely frank, I think supporting British Steel at this time, in that way, is better than spending a greater deal of money on the complete loss of the business or in a transition deal.”
Jingye still owns the site in Scunthorpe, but the steel industry bill published on Saturday gives the government the power to instruct steel companies in England to keep facilities open, with criminal penalties for executives if they fail to comply.
Laura Kuenssberg asks Jonathan Reynolds why the government was so slow in passing the emergency laws to save British Steel (when weeks ago – on 25 March – British Steel said it might have to close the furnaces).
Q:“Why did you let it get to this Thursday when the coal is about to run out that you actually made this decision?”
A:
Because I don't think in any job, in any role in government, you take emergency powers of the scale that happened yesterday until you have that emergency situation.
We have been negotiating in good faith. We have been expecting, as I think is reasonable, an economically rational partner on the other side.
When that became evident that that was not possible that required the kind of significant, dramatic emergency action which was taken yesterday.
For some context: Reynolds has accused British Steel's Chinese owners, Jingye, of failing to negotiate “in good faith” after it decided to stop buying enough raw materials to keep the blast furnaces at Scunthorpe going.
Opening Saturday's debate, Reynolds said Labour had been engaged in negotiations with Jingye since the party came to power last July, and had offered “substantial” support.
The government recently said it offered to buy the necessary raw materials for the blast furnaces but this had been met with a counter-offer from Jingye demanding “an excessive amount” of support.
Reynolds said yesterday:
Over the last few days, it became clear that the intention of Jingye was to refuse to purchase sufficient raw material to keep the blast furnaces running – in fact, their intention was to cancel and refuse to pay for existing orders.
The company would therefore have irrevocably and unilaterally closed down primary steel-making at British Steel.
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds is being questioned by the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg on her Sunday politics programme.
He said the intervention yesterday was “dramatic” but was needed to secure Britain's “economic security” . He said if nothing was done the blast furnaces and steel production in the UK “would have gone”. His officials are on site right now, the business secretary added.
Kuenssberg pressed the minister, asking him if he was sure if he would have the supplies he needed to keep the furnaces at the plant burning. Reynolds refused to be drawn on the commercial specifics.
“Without the decisive action by the government yesterday all was lost,” Reynolds insisted.
My colleague Philip Inman has written a useful explainer on why British Steel – a major supplier to construction firms and Network Rail – needed to be rescued by the government and explores what the next steps may be, with nationalisation looking increasingly likely. Here is an extract from his piece:
Ministers wanted to develop an industrial strategy – that includes domestically produced steel – before allocating any cash to individual sectors. But the crisis at British Steel's Scunthorpe plant brought forward a decision about what kind of steel industry the UK needs.
The plant, which is the last remaining maker of mass-produced virgin steel in England and makes a range of products, from girders for the building sector to train tracks, needs raw materials within the next fortnight, including iron pellets and coking coal, or else it faces the prospect of the furnaces cooling to a point where it is neither easy nor cost-effective to bring them back.
The new legislation, approved by parliament on Saturday, will prevent mass redundancies and manage a transition from blast-furnace-produced steel to electric arc furnaces, which can run on renewable energy.
Good morning and welcome back to our rolling coverage of UK politics.
An emergency bill aimed at saving British Steel's Scunthorpe plant became law yesterday after MPs and peers were recalled from recess to participate in a Saturday sitting for the first time in decades.
They had approved the emergency legislation without opposition, giving the business secretary, Jonathan Reynolds, the power to require British Steel to keep the Scunthorpe plant going after talks with its Chinese owner, Jingye, broke down.
It has, for now, prevented the imminent collapse of the steelworks and the loss of thousands of jobs.
A government source confirmed to the PA agency that Reynolds had given directions to Jingye after the sitting yesterday, but did not specify what those directions were.
Jingye had said the plant was “no longer financially sustainable” and was losing about £700,000 a day.
While there is general cross party consensus over the government's move to take control of British Steel, the Conservatives said ministers should have acted sooner, with the shadow leader of the house Alex Burghart accusing the government of making “a total pig's breakfast of this whole arrangement”.
Saturday's legislation stopped short of fully nationalising British Steel, instead allowing Reynolds to instruct the company to maintain the blast furnaces, keep staff employed and continue to buy the raw materials needed to make steel, with criminal penalties for executives if they refuse.
Although ministers still hope to secure private sector investment to save the plant, there are no companies offering to take it on and the business secretary conceded to MPs that public ownership was “the likely option”.
It is Yohannes Lowe here with you today. Please do email me on yohannes.lowe@theguardian.com if you spot any typos or omissions.
Early reports have led experts to believe there could be a surge in the deadly invader, threatening native species
They have bright yellow legs, are about 25mm (almost 1in) long, and a single colony, if left unchecked, can “butcher” 90,000 pollinating insects in just one season.
Since the first UK sighting in 2016 of Vespa velutina – the Asian or yellow-legged hornet – beekeepers and scientists have waged a vigorous campaign to minimise the damage this invasive species can do to Britain's biodiversity and bee colonies.
Last year, a wet spring and washout summer appeared to have hindered the insect's population growth as the number of nests spotted in the UK dropped from 72 in 2023 to 24 in 2024. But it was also the first year that the National Bee Unit received confirmation, via DNA, that the hornets had successfully bred and over-wintered in the UK.
Now experts fear the dry, sunny start to spring this year and the rapid spread of the species in Europe will lead to a surge in this year's numbers.
“Unprecedented” early sightings of Asian hornets have been recorded in Jersey, leading experts to suspect that record numbers could try to establish nests in the UK this year.
“The first queens were more than two weeks early this year,” said John De Carteret, a founding member of the Jersey Asian Hornet Group, which has about 550 traps in place this year. “We're obviously concerned.”
There were 262 queen Asian hornets recorded on Jersey by 11 April, a year-on-year increase of 1,090%.
“When we reach 266 queens, we will equal the total from 2024 – and that figure wasn't reached until 25 June,” said De Carteret.
Ian Campbell, of the British Beekeepers Association, said: “There's a strong risk of this year's numbers being at least as high as in 2023 and the potential to be even higher. It would be a surprise if numbers were not above the 2024 level.”
The species is carnivorous, and a typical nest of between 2,000 and 3,000 Asian hornets can devour more than 11kg (about 24lb) of insects a season, according to Campbell – about the weight of 90,000 bees.
The public is being urged to “be vigilant everywhere” and learn how to identify and report Asian hornets, which have yellow legs and a distinctive orange band on the fourth segment of their abdomens – alongside entirely black velvety thoraxes, which distinguish them from the native European hornet.
Like bees, their stings can cause painful and potentially deadly allergic reactions. Any “sightings of concern” should be reported to the government's National Bee Unit via the Asian Hornet Watch app or online, using the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (UKCEH) reporting tool.
“Yellow-legged hornets cause significant damage to native pollinators, including our much-loved honeybees,” said Kate Wilson, head of the National Bee Unit. “Thanks to increasing reports to the app and online, it is not unexpected that sightings may occur earlier in the year. We encourage the public to remain vigilant and continue to report any potential sightings to us.”
Such sightings can help people working to combat the spread of Asian hornets to understand the national picture. “I collected one from a lady in her 80s after she captured it in a yogurt tub, while the youngest person who reported one was eight,” De Carteret said.
Ecology professor Helen Roy of UKCEH and Exeter University said the hornets pose “a major threat” to wildlife and biodiversity: “There isn't a natural enemy that we're aware of that could control the Asian hornet.”
It is thought that successive generations of the offspring of a single mated queen, which was accidentally introduced to France in a container of Chinese crockery in 2004, have now reached 15 European countries, including the UK. “In some countries like Spain and Belgium, we've seen numbers increase from a handful of nests to 10,000 nests in four years,” said Campbell.
France is believed to have more than a half a million nests, which researchers believe could be costing the French economy an estimated €30.8m a year in lost bee colonies and honey revenue, while the invaders have reduced honey production by 35% in Portugal and 50% in Liguria, Italy, in recent years.
In March, the first large-scale study of the Asian hornet's diet, run by researchers at Exeter University, found 1,400 different species in their guts. Of the top 50 invertebrate prey species identified, 43 were known to visit flowers. These included Europe's three main crop pollinators: the European honeybee, the buff-tailed bumblebee and the red-tailed bumblebee.
De Carteret, a retired police forensic officer, said hornets will typically “butcher” this prey by biting off their heads, wings, legs and abdomens so that their thoraxes – a source of protein – can be fed to the queen's larvae.
So far this year, there have been only two confirmed sightings of yellow-legged hornets in the UK, but “now is the time for people to be on the lookout”, Roy said.
If the government had not destroyed the nests the public has been reporting since 2016, modelling by Exeter University suggests that the hornets would already be established in large areas of England and Wales, and entering Scotland.
Campbell said it was important to try to take photos of suspected Asian hornets and their nests: last year, from more than 29,000 reports, only about 70 were deemed accurate enough to be confirmed sightings. “To be successful with eradication, the National Bee Unit needs to get every single nest,” he said.
New hornet queens are constantly buzzing into the UK from Europe to replace those that have been eradicated. “The Asian hornet can arrive in a lot of different ways. It can come in on fresh produce or within someone's car, across any Channel crossing,” Roy said. “Everyone needs to be vigilant, everywhere.”
Critics of policy say residents should be ‘very angry' they will not be able to veto generators in their towns despite promise to consult them
There is a “growing backlash” to the Coalition's nuclear plan, with community groups furious at the lack of consultation and angered that the policy would not give local communities the power of veto and that nuclear plants would be built regardless of local opposition.
Opponents say the pro-nuclear lobby group Nuclear for Australia has been hosting information sessions but that it makes it overly difficult for people to attend and ask questions, and is not able to answer those questions that are posed.
Wendy Farmer, who has formed an alliance of the seven regions affected by the Coalition's pledge to build nuclear reactors on the site of coal-fired power stations, says Australians should be “very angry” that they will not be able to veto any planned nuclear generators in their towns despite the Coalition's promise to carry out a two-and-a-half-year consultation.
She refuses to call the policy a “plan” because of that lack of consultation. “They haven't even looked at these sites,” she said.
Dave Sweeney, the Australian Conservation Foundation's nuclear free campaigner, says it is “more con than consultation”. And he says in his many years in nuclear-free campaigns he has never seen so many sectors – including unions, state leaders, energy producers, businesses and protest groups – aligned against nuclear.
The Coalition has pinpointed Tarong and Callide in Queensland, Liddell and Mount Piper in New South Wales, Loy Yang in Victoria, and small modular reactors (SMRs) in Port Augusta in South Australia and Muja, near Collie in Western Australia.
It says the $331bn nuclear plan will make electricity cheaper, while critics have called its costings a “fantasy”.
The Liberal party did not respond to questions about the lack of consultation and lack of veto power.
The alliance said there “has been no consultation or free prior and informed consent from traditional custodians”.
“You never asked locals if they want nuclear reactors in their back yards, instead you threaten compulsory acquisition and federal overrides with no right to veto,” it said in a petition to the Coalition.
It said the plan was a “distraction” designed to “create false debate” when communities are already transitioning away from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
Jayla Parkin, a Collie resident and community organiser for Climate Justice Union, said pro-nuclear information sessions had not provided any answers and had tried to stop First Nations people from entering.
Nuclear for Australia has held two information sessions with “expert speakers” in the town.
One elder was “devastated” after initially being refused entrance to a meeting last year, Parkin said. “She wanted to get the information,” Parkin said. “Not everyone is simply for nuclear or against. We are for being informed on what's going to happen.”
At a January meeting, elders were told they couldn't go in because of something wrong with their registrations, which Parkin then sorted out. Once inside, she said questions had to be submitted via an app.
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“Not a single question could be answered … like ‘Where is the water coming from?', ‘How will this benefit Collie?', and ‘Where are you going to store the radioactive waste?'” she said.
Since then, the community had heard nothing, she said.
Nuclear for Australia, founded by Will Shackel and boasting the entrepreneur Dick Smith as a patron, describes itself as a grassroots organisation with no political affiliation.
Information sessions have featured Grace Stanke, a nuclear fuels engineer and former Miss America who says being called “Barbenheimer” is one of her favourite compliments.
Shackel told SBS that Nuclear for Australia Google people when they try to register for the sessions.
“If we believe that someone is a known protester … someone who could cause a physical threat to people in there, we will not allow them in,” he said.
Farmer, also the president of Voices of the Valley, said Nuclear for Australia was “silencing people” by only allowing questions through an app and filtering them.
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Nuclear for Australia has also taken out ads in local newspapers claiming 77% of coal jobs are transferable to nuclear plants and that nuclear workers are paid 50% more than other power generation-related jobs.
The fine print shows those claims come from a US nuclear industry lobby organisation and refer to the situation in the US.
Farmer said that, “adding insult to injury”, the advertisements misspell Latrobe Valley as La Trobe Valley and, in one case, an ad aimed at Latrobe was put in an SA newspaper.
“Regional communities are desperate for jobs now,” Farmer said. “Nuclear is not the answer.”
Protesters heckled the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, for not meeting with the community when he visited Collie in October last year.
“Collie doesn't like it when people like that come to our town and hide,” Parkin said. “People have questions … at least openly answer them.”
In Perth last week Dutton was asked about criticism from Collie residents that he hadn't heard their concerns about nuclear power and whether he would commit to visiting the town during the election campaign.
“I've been to Collie before,” he said. “There are seven locations around the country, and I won't be able to get to all of them.”
Those communities knew the Coalition was offering them “the ability to transform”, he said.
Greg Bannon is from the Flinders Local Action Group, which was formed to oppose plans to build a nuclear waste dump in SA.
He said the community had not heard much apart from a February information session held by Nuclear for Australia. He said there were concerns about the safety of any power plant and the impact on the local environment. “Port Augusta … is probably the most stupid place to put a nuclear power station in the world,” he said, pointing to the unique nature of Spencer Gulf and its flat “dodge” tides.
“Any leakage … the water would end up in the top end of the gulf, with only one place to go, through Port Lincoln, the fish nurseries, the mangroves … only 50km further south is Point Lowly near Whyalla, where the annual migration of the southern giant cuttlefish occurs, which is a unique event in the world,” he said.
The other point, Bannon said, was that the region had already transitioned away from baseload power to renewables.
Guardian Australia has approached the Coalition and Nuclear for Australia for a response.
Tom Venning was preselected to replace retiring MP Rowan Ramsey in Grey, the federal electorate that Port Augusta sits within. He said he supported the policy as part of a “credible path to net zero” and that if the Coalition formed government there would be a two-and-a-half-year community consultation and an independent feasibility study.
“I'm committed to keeping my community fully informed and involved,” he said, adding that he would take any concerns seriously and would work with local leaders and the energy minister to address them.
Sweeney said the Coalition already appeared to be backing away from its commitment to nuclear and appeared reluctant to bring it up.
On Friday Dutton said people would flock to nuclear if they subsidised it but that they could “subsidise all sorts of energies”.
“I don't carry a candle for nuclear or any other technology,” he said.
Farmer said: “There is a growing backlash.
“We are keeping it as a hot topic – because the Coalition doesn't want to talk about nuclear, we will.”
The 10% US levy imposed on Australian imports remains but with whom are we to negotiate? Here are our potential interlocutors and those going in to bat for us
Australia, like countries all over the world, now faces the invidious task of negotiating a way around the US's new tariff wall, finding a way into the good graces of an administration that has proven itself capricious, especially with allies.
The 10% tariff rate imposed on all Australian imports has not been paused and Australia's negotiating position is complicated by a federal election: the government is in caretaker mode, and those seeking to “make a deal” may not have that responsibility next month.
But beyond Australia's own uncertainty, in dealing with the US there is the question of with whom to negotiate.
Trade officials and diplomats agree Australia needs to bring discipline and unity to negotiations with a US administration that is its opposite.
Multiple sources on both sides of the Pacific say the president is most swayed by the “last voice in the room”, underscoring the imperative for Australia to present a consistent message to the key figures who might have the president's ear.
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If it needed further demonstration, the week has showcased the unvarnished reality of an erratic global superpower. In an administration so unpredictable, where does the first phone call go and who has the final say?
President of the United States
The extraordinary “liberation day” announcement was just the beginning: a comprehensive global tariff regime (with some notable exceptions) triggered a stock market crash, followed by the announcement of a 90-day pause on (almost) all tariffs, which saw the stock market soaring and then sinking again, followed by an escalation with China.
China has been hit with an increased tariff of 145%, while other tariffs will be “paused” – reduced to the 10% “baseline” rate imposed on Australia, the UK and others.
Despite Australia having a free-trade agreement (ratified in 2005) and running a trade deficit with the US (a surplus from the American position), Trump's position is Australia deserves to be hit with tariffs because of trade barriers he regards as protectionist.
“Australia bans – and they're wonderful people and wonderful everything – but they ban American beef. And, you know, I don't blame them, but we're doing the same thing right now, starting at midnight tonight,” he said on 3 April.
Despite extraordinary financial tumult in the days since, Trump told a fundraising dinner this week the tariffs were working as a negotiating tool to bend other countries to his will. He said in the wake of the tariff announcement – but before they'd come into effect and crashed the stock market – that he'd been flooded with entreaties from foreign leaders.
“These countries are calling me up, kissing my ass, [saying] ‘Make a deal, please, please, sir, make a deal, I'll do anything, I'll do anything, sir.'”
US secretary of commerce
The famously combative Lutnick (the New Republic ran a piece this week headlined Everybody Hates Howard Lutnick), has been a key spear-carrier for Trump's tariff regime, though his own views on their effectiveness are said to be “more nuanced” than his regular television appearances would suggest.
Lutnick has singled out Australia for criticism over its trading relationship with the US.
“Our farmers are blocked from selling almost anywhere. Europe won't let us sell beef, Australia won't let us sell beef,” Lutnick told a television interview. He dismissed Australian arguments the beef restriction was made for biosecurity reasons.
“This is nonsense. This is all nonsense. What happens is they block our markets.”
Lutnick told Fox News he was in the room week when Trump offered an olive branch of potential “bespoke” negotiations – country by country – to dismantle the tariff walls.
“They started calling and making real offers, finally, finally really digging in and understanding how they treat the US unfairly and really offering us a clear path to where we could do really good deals with these countries.”
Trump has put a 90-day pause on the imposition of tariffs above 10%, except on China. Beijing's refusal to countenance negotiation, Lutnick said, meant it was treated with the opposite to a pause on tariffs: further tariff hikes – to 145% – a rate so high it is, in practice, effectively a trade embargo.
“Donald Trump is the best negotiator that there is.”
Director of the office of trade and manufacturing policy
The man who went to jail rather than give evidence to Congress about the January 6 insurrection is also a fierce advocate for the president's tariff regime and an equally vociferous critic of Australia.
He singled out aluminium imports from Australia as being exploitative.
“The era of unchecked imports undermining American industry is over,” he wrote in USA Today. “The United States will no longer be a dumping ground for heavily subsidised and unfairly traded aluminum.”
Navarro compared Australia to “strategic competitors” China and Russia.
“Nations considered US allies also have been a big part of the problem. Consider Australia. Its heavily subsidised smelters operate below cost, giving them an unfair dumping advantage, while Australia's close ties to China further distort global aluminum trade.”
Navarro has argued Trump's tariff regime would end the unfair exploitation of the US.
“Australia is just killing our aluminum market,” he told CNN. “President Trump says, ‘No, no we're not doing that any more.'”
He accused Australia of “flooding” the US market, “killing” it and leaving the American domestic industry “on its back”.
In 2024 Australian aluminium accounted for less than 2% of US aluminium imports.
Navarro has previously quoted a fictional character, Ron Vara – an anagram of his own surname – as a source of economic wisdom. Elon Musk this week said Navarro was “dumber than a sack of bricks”.
US trade representative
His office produces an annual barriers to trade report, which for 2025 singled out Australian biosecurity laws, the pharmaceutical benefits scheme and social media regulation as unfair Australian trade practices.
Greer has been, along with Lutnick and Navarro, a spear-carrier for the tariff regime.
Under questioning before the Senate finance committee, Greer said that, despite a free-trade agreement, Australia harmed US through non-tariff trade barriers.
“We're addressing the $1.2tn deficit – the largest in human history – that President [Joe] Biden left us with. We should be running up the score against Australia.
“Despite the agreement, they ban our beef, they ban our pork. They're getting ready to impose measures on our digital companies.”
Greer also told the committee: “Australia has the lowest rate available under the new program.”
This is not correct.
Russia, Belarus, North Korea and Cuba were all exempted from the tariff regime.
Administration insistence that Russia was exempted because it does no “meaningful trade” with the US are also not correct.
According to statistics from Greer's own office, Russia did $3.5bn worth of trade in 2024.
Senator for Virginia
The Democratic senator was the man questioning Greer in the Senate finance committee.
“On Australia, we have a trade surplus with Australia, we have a free-trade agreement, they are an incredibly important national security partner – why were they whacked with a tariff?”
When Greer responded that Australia imposed biosecurity bans on some US meats and plans to regulate American tech giants, Warner was livid in riposte.
“Sir, you're a much smarter person than that answer: the idea that we are going to whack friend and foe alike, and particularly friends with this level, is both, I think, insulting the Australians, undermines our national security and, frankly, makes us not a good partner going forward.”
Co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus
A longtime advocate for Australia and its alliance with the US (rewarded with an Order of Australia for his services, no less), Courtney has described the tariffs imposed on Australia as an “insult”.
“Australia is a key strategic ally for our country. They are positioned in the Indo-Pacific at a place where, again, tensions are sky high,” Courtney said.
“Instead, what we're seeing is a completely needless, almost insult to the people of Australia by raising tariffs on Australian products coming into this country.”
Australian former golfer
The two-time major winner, who dined with Anthony Albanese on “liberation day” eve, has said he is willing to once again act as a diplomatic conduit between Australia and Trump personally. The US president, a lover of golf, has played regular rounds with the former world No 1.
In 2016 Norman reportedly passed on Trump's personal phone number to the then Australian prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, after Trump unexpectedly won the US presidential election but couldn't be contacted by the Australian government.
“If I can give one tiny bit of help that can help going forward between our two nations, I would do it,” he said last month. “I've done it in the past; I would do it again.”
Norman said Trump was aware of the significance of the US-Australia relationship.
“He understands the extremely tight connection between Australia and the US, [which] I call big brother-little brother, that's how I worded it with him. And I said the importance of that has been decades and decades old, and it's not going to go anywhere.”
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A sightseeing helicopter plunged into the Hudson River on Thursday, turning a family outing above Manhattan's misty skyline into a tragedy.
The helicopter carried six people, including three children and their parents – who have both worked for Siemens, a German multinational technology conglomerate. It lifted off from a Manhattan heliport and followed a familiar route: circling the Statue of Liberty, gliding north along the Hudson toward the George Washington Bridge and then turning south. About 16 minutes after takeoff, the aircraft crashed into the water, according to analysis by CNN and FlightRadar24.
Witnesses described the helicopter flipping and spiraling before crashing near the New Jersey shoreline upside down, scattering debris across the river.
“The helicopter was a little bit like nose down, slightly, and I saw the propeller separating from the helicopter. It kept spinning in the air alone. Nothing was attached to it,” Sarah Jane Raymond Ryer, who saw the crash unfold, told CNN affiliate WCBS.
A video obtained by CNN shows the rotor blades detached from the helicopter and flying through the air. “The videotape in this case is very dramatic and very important to the investigation,” former National Transportation Safety Board managing director Peter Goelz told CNN on Friday.
Eyewitness Avi Rakesh told CNN's Jessica Dean that what was left of the helicopter appeared to be so out of control, he didn't feel safe in his own building.
“Debris was flying everywhere. I was concerned that something might come and hit the window,” Rakesh said.
The helicopter was not equipped with any flight data recorders, including video or camera recorders, and none of its avionics onboard recorded information that could be used for the investigation, the NTSB said Saturday. The helicopter's last major inspection was on March 1, and it had completed seven tour flights before the accident, according to the NTSB.
Here's what we know about the crash that killed everyone on board:
The victims include Agustín Escobar, 49, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, and their three children - two sons, ages 4 and 11, along with a daughter who was to turn 9 on Friday. New York City Mayor Eric Adams said the family was visiting from Spain, and Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said in a social media post that the family was in New York to celebrate Camprubí's 40th birthday.
“I want to (say) that they left together,” Joan Camprubí, whose sister was killed in the crash, said at a news conference on Saturday. “They left without suffering, and they left with a smile on their faces. And that's important for us as a family. We want to remind and honor their happiness and their smiles forever.”
“We want to move the bodies as soon as possible, home, back home … with all the family to rest in peace together in our place,” Camprubí added.
Escobar served as CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility, the transportation solutions division of Siemens AG.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic helicopter crash in which Agustin Escobar and his family lost their lives. Our heartfelt condolences go out to all their loved ones,” a Siemens Mobility spokesperson said in a statement to CNN.
Spain's Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, expressed his condolences, calling the incident “an unimaginable tragedy.”
Mercè Camprubí Montal was the global commercialization manager for Siemens Energy, according to her LinkedIn page. Siemens Energy is an independent company that was spun off from Siemens AG in 2020.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked by the loss of a colleague due to a tragic accident during vacation,” said a statement from Siemens Energy. “Our thoughts and heartfelt condolences go out to the family, friends and colleagues of the victims.”
In addition to her international corporate career, Camprubí is known in Spain as a member of a prominent sports family. Camprubí's grandfather and great-grandfather both served as presidents of FC Barcelona, one of the most popular soccer clubs in the world.
The pilot was identified as 36-year-old Seankese Johnson, according to city officials. He was certified to fly commercial helicopters since August 2023, according to FAA records, and the NTSB noted he had completed 788 hours in the air.
A friend of Johnson, helicopter pilot Matt Klier, told CNN affiliate WABC he was “an amazing pilot.”
“He was just a super good dude,” Klier said, holding back tears. “I'm a helicopter pilot, we started at the same time. The man was an amazing pilot.”
Mayor Adams spoke about Johnson at the news conference on Saturday after dropping off flowers in the water in honor of those who were killed.
“He was a Navy SEAL. He fought to defend this country,” Adams said, acknowledging Johnson's wife for her loss. “Our prayers are with all of the family members involved, and no words can fill the void, the loss,” he said.
“Their sorrow is our sorrow,” Adams said. “New York City is a family, and we consider this (as) a loss of our family members with unexpected pain and suffering.”
The cause of the crash remains unclear, but its sudden descent stunned witnesses as first responders raced to rescue the victims.
The helicopter took off at 2:59 p.m. from Manhattan's downtown heliport following a popular sightseeing route, New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. After circling the Statue of Liberty, it flew north along the Hudson River, reaching the George Washington Bridge by 3:08 p.m. It then turned south along the New Jersey shoreline, where it lost control shortly after, Tisch said.
Related article
A Siemens exec, his family and their pilot are dead after helicopter crashes into the Hudson River
Visibility at the time was 10 miles, though the region was cloudy with winds of 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph. A weather system was expected to bring light rain later in the afternoon.
At 3:17 p.m., multiple 911 calls reported a crash near Pier A Park in Hoboken, New Jersey. Witnesses said the helicopter appeared to stop midair before pieces broke off, consistent with preliminary emergency reports, Tisch said.
Ipsitaa Banigrhi, a Jersey City resident, said the crash sounded “like thunder,” she told WCBS.
“Then I saw black particles flying. Again, I thought maybe it's just dust or birds, and then we heard all the emergency vehicles and sirens go by. I think that's when it was like, ‘OK, what's happening,'” Banigrhi told WCBS.
With the helicopter's catastrophic failure in midair, there was no way to guide the aircraft to safety, a former combat pilot told CNN's Kate Bolduan.
“There's nothing that pilot could have done in that situation to recover the aircraft,” Brandt Anderson said.
First responders from NYPD and New York City Fire Department teams pulled six people from the water. Four victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and two others succumbed to injuries shortly after, Tisch said. Two children were taken to Jersey City Medical Center, where they were later pronounced dead, Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop said on X.
The aircraft's main fuselage was retrieved from the river on Thursday evening, and dive operations continued Friday and Saturday, and will continue on Sunday, according to the NTSB. The recovered parts will be sent to NTSB labs in Washington D.C. for closer inspection, the agency said.
The search continues for the main rotor, transmission, roof and tail of the aircraft, according to NTSB.
The company operating the helicopter was previously involved in two safety incidents investigated by federal aviation authorities.
In 2015, a pilot for the New York Helicopter Charter company was forced to land in New Jersey after hovering 20 feet in the air for a short time. An initial inspection showed there “may have been corrosion removed” from sections of the helicopter and that some of the helicopter's component parts may have been deformed to an extent to be “considered unairworthy,” according to an FAA inspector at the time. The same helicopter was previously involved in a crash in Chile in 2010.
In 2013, a pilot for the company was forced to land a helicopter carrying four passengers on the water near Manhattan after hearing a “bang” that was followed by the “Engine Out warning horn.” The pilot inflated the helicopter's floats and got the passengers to safety on a boat.
“The only thing I can tell you is that we are devastated,” Michael Roth, the CEO of the company operating the flight, told CNN of Thursday's crash. “I'm a father, a grandfather and my wife hasn't stopped crying since this afternoon.”
When asked about the helicopter's maintenance, he said, “That's something my director of maintenance handles.” The director of maintenance declined to comment.
Maintenance records are not publicly accessible, and the NTSB restricts what companies can disclose during an ongoing investigation.
“(The pilot) called in that he was landing and that he needed fuel, and it should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn't arrive,” Roth told The Telegraph Thursday.
Concern about the safety of low-altitude helicopter flights in the New York City area has a long history.
“Helicopter operations in the Hudson River have been under criticism for many, many years,” former Department of Transportation inspector general Mary Schiavo told CNN.
At least 32 people died in helicopter accidents in New York City from 1977 to 2019, according to the Associated Press. That included a 2018 crash that killed five passengers in a “doors-off” aerial tour, which subsequently became more tightly regulated by the FAA. The victims in that case drowned after being unable to free themselves from their safety harnesses after plunging into the water, an NTSB investigation found.
“I am calling for a serious reevaluation of current policies and am urging the city to consider an immediate moratorium on non-essential helicopter flights from city-owned heliports while investigations are ongoing,” New York City Councilwoman Amanda Farías, chair of the council's Committee on Economic Development, said Friday.
The Eastern Region Helicopter Council, a trade group that represents helicopter operators, says a ban would not be the right solution.
“The helicopter community is in shock and mourning after the tragic and horrific events of yesterday,” chairman Jeff Smith said in a statement. “Unfortunately, some well-meaning but misguided leaders are using this tragedy to exploit and push their decades-old agenda to ban all helicopters. Before taking legislative action, we need to learn more from the investigation.”
The helicopter, a Bell 206L-4 LongRanger IV, was built in 2004 and held an airworthiness certificate issued in 2016 that was valid through 2029, according to Federal Aviation Administration records.
Maintenance records are not public, and during investigations, NTSB rules prohibit companies from releasing certain information relating to the accident.
The investigation into the cause of the crash will pore over documentation on all the work that was done on the aircraft. That would include the company's compliance with two recent FAA-issued airworthiness directives.
One directive from May 2023, required the testing and possible replacement of tail rotor drive shafts on eight different Bell 206L models, including the 206L-4. That directive was prompted by an incident in which a Bell 206L helicopter experienced the loss of a tail-rotor drive due to a joint failure.
The FAA also issued a December 2022 airworthiness directive on Bell 206L models with specific parts requiring inspection and possible replacement of the helicopters' main rotor blades because of “delamination.” That refers to layers within the blade separating due to material fatigue, damage (from bird strikes, for example), or manufacturing errors, potentially leading the rotor blade to fail.
It remains unclear whether any of these issues played a role in Thursday's crash.
Both the FAA and the NTSB are investigating the crash. The NTSB has dispatched a “go-team” to the site to examine the wreckage and review maintenance records, it said on social media, and is asking the public to submit any additional video or photos they may have.
The helicopter was flying within New York's Special Flight Rules Area in New York, where air traffic control support is limited, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said in a post on X. Duffy added that the helicopter had received air traffic assistance from LaGuardia Airport shortly before entering the uncontrolled zone.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN's Mark Morales, Alexandra Skores, Andy Rose, Tim Lister, Matt Stiles, Audrey Ash and Alaa Elassar contributed to this report.
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Stephen A. Smith said Sunday that he had no choice but to consider a presidential run during ABC News' "This Week."
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith was pressed by ABC News' Jon Karl on Sunday about whether he was really considering a run for the presidency — prompting the ESPN host to say that he had no choice but to consider a potential run.
"I have no choice, because I've had elected officials — and I'm not going to give their names — coming up to me. I've had folks who are pundits come up to me. I've had folks that got a lot of money, billionaires and others, that have talked to me about exploratory committees and things of that nature. I'm not a politician. I've never had a desire to be a politician," Smith said, noting his contract with ESPN.
Smith posted on X that he was leaving the doors open for a run earlier this month.
"People have walked up to me, including my own pastor, for crying out loud, who has said to me, ‘you don't know what God has planned for you, at least show the respect to the people who believe in you, who respect you, who believe that you can make a difference in this country to leave the door open for any possibilities two to three years down the line.' And that's what I've decided to do," the ESPN host said. "So, I would hope somebody else would step up that's more qualified than me, but if it has to come down to me, it is something I would consider. Yes, I would. Because I don't mind tussling with these folks at all on the left or the right. All of them disgust me, to be quite honest with you."
STEPHEN A. SMITH REGRETS BACKING VP HARRIS, 'OPEN' TO VOTING GOP: 'NOT INTERESTED' IN THE 'FEAR MONGERING'
ESPN host Stephen A. Smith joined ABC's "This Week" on Sunday to discuss potentially running for president. (Screenshot/ABC)
Smith also took aim at the Democratic Party during the interview and said that the party's failures were the reason why he, a sports analyst, was even being polled as a potential 2028 Democratic contender.
"The bigger picture here is Elizabeth Warren was just on with you. You're going to have a multitude of Democratic representatives on with you. They talk, and they talk, and they talk, but what can they do? They position themselves to do absolutely nothing. I didn't hear anything about tariffs from Democrats before the election. Trump had been preaching about this for the longest time," he added.
He argued that Democrats focused on woke culture, cancel culture and abortion rights, and that its focus was not going to win an election.
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Stephen A. Smith looks on during the 2024 NBA Draft - Round One on June 26, 2024, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. (Kostas Lymperopoulos/NBAE via Getty Images)
"It's an indictment against the Democratic Party that doesn't have leadership and doesn't have a vision, and it's sad," he said.
"Time to stop messing around. Life is great. Especially at ESPN/Disney. Hate the thought of being a politician. But sick of this mess. So I'm officially leaving all doors open," Smith posted on April 7, including an article noting his thoughts on the matter.
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Speaking of the future at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas, Smith suggested, "If it comes in late 2026, 2027, where I look at this country and think it's an absolute mess and there's legitimate reason to believe — whether it's via exploratory committees or anything else — that I indeed have a legitimate shot to win the presidency of the United States, I am not going to rule it out, and I'm not playing."
Fox News' Alexander Hall contributed to this report.
Hanna Panreck is an associate editor at Fox News.
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Democratic candidate for Oakland mayor laid out his plans to tackle homelessness, crime and the city's massive budget deficit in an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital ahead of the special election against former California Rep. Barbara Lee.
EXCLUSIVE: Former Oakland City Council member Loren Taylor said former Rep. Barbara Lee's ties to the political establishment could help him to win over Oaklanders who are "fed up" with the status quo ahead of the April 15 special election.
A self-described political outsider who only served one term as a city council member after unseating a 16-year incumbent, Taylor shared his plans to bring change to the "struggling" Bay Area city in an interview with Fox News Digital.
"I am running as a political outsider who has just enough experience inside of City Hall to understand what's going on, but not so much that I'm entrenched in the political establishment. That is what Oaklanders are looking for," Taylor said.
While Lee – a former member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and 2024 Senate primary candidate – has name recognition and national experience, Taylor has made waves in Oakland's special election as campaign finance reports reveal he has outraised the career California politician.
CALIFORNIA CITY'S MASSIVE $130M DEFICIT THREATENS DANGEROUS CUTS TO ITS FIREFIGHTING CAPACITY
Former Oakland City Council member Loren Taylor, left, and former Rep. Barbara Lee, right, will face off on April 15 for Oakland's special election.
"We have raised more money than other candidates in this race from local residents," Taylor said. "Over 80% of our contributions come directly from people who live right here in Oakland, compared to less than 50% for my primary component. That speaks volumes about who this campaign is. We are powered by Oaklanders, locals who are impacted by the decisions that are being made. The campaign is surging. Huge momentum these final days fueled by that overwhelming grassroots support."
DEM MAYOR UNLEASHES TASK FORCE IN ATTEMPT TO RESCUE CRIME-RIDDEN CITY: 'RESTORE ORDER TO OUR STREETS'
Oakland's staggering $129.8 budget deficit for Fiscal Year 2024-25 forced some Oakland firehouses to close their doors earlier this year. The City Council passed a resolution to reopen those firehouses, preventing tragedy from financial mismanagement.
The liberal-run city has had four different mayors in a four-month period after former Mayor Sheng Thao was recalled this November and subsequently indicted on eight counts of bribery. Oakland has been without a clear leader this year as the city continues to grapple with a homelessness crisis.
Alameda County Health's January 2024 Point-in-Time (PIT) report found there were 5,490 homeless individuals in Oakland in 2024, a 9% increase since 2022.
"Oaklanders are frustrated," Taylor explained. "We are upset that we have not been getting what we deserve, what we should be getting from our local government. The status quo continues to fail us when we see crime rates rising out of control, we see homelessness still growing when it's shrinking in neighboring cities, we see our city facing the largest fiscal budget deficit in our history – a number of failures that show that what we have is not working."
Homeless encampments line the streets in Oakland on March 15, 2024. (DWS for Fox News Digital)
While the Oakland Police Department reported a decrease in violent crime in 2024, 2025 began with a crime surge plagued by five recorded homicides within a 48-hour period. By Jan. 3, The San Francisco Chronicle reported Oakland's third homicide of the year and seventh since Dec. 30, 2024.
Taylor has called for equipping more police officers on the ground with technology to prevent violence and lawlessness.
"We are struggling as a city, and that is what this campaign is speaking to. I am ready to make the hard and necessary decisions in order to fix the mismanagement, in order to address the corruption head on, restore trust in City Hall, make sure that we're delivering as Oaklanders want," he said.
Mayor Daniel Lurie speaks on the steps of City Hall in San Francisco on Jan. 28, 2025. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Just across the Bay, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has hit the ground running since assuming office in January. He launched the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Hospitality Task Force and passed the Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance as he works to clean up San Francisco's streets and restore what he describes as commonsense policies to the city.
"I'm absolutely watching what's going on in San Francisco right across the Bay and even in the South Bay, in San Jose, with Mayor Matt Mahan, whom I am proud to have his endorsement," Taylor said. "I think both of those mayors are political outsiders, just like me. They didn't grow up within the ranks of government. They had careers, were making a significant impact outside and saw the gaps that existed with local government. I think that we share a bond in that in terms of bringing a data, results-driven approach to moving things forward."
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Lee did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment by deadline.
Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.
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Lt. General John Caine faces questioning by Democratic senators during his confirmation hearing about the Signal war chat leak.
"Our standards will be high, uncompromising and clear." --Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's Message to the Force, January 25, 2025
President Donald Trump's pick for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, retired Lt. Gen. Dan Caine (retired), possesses an extraordinary record of service—in Iraq, in special access programs and in the National Guard. There is no question of his capacity to lead, devotion to our country, character, courage or competence.
But those aren't the qualifications required by law to be the senior-most military officer in our Armed Forces. Federal law requires the chairman to be active duty and have served in any of three senior roles: vice chairman, service chief (except the Coast Guard) or commander of a combatant command. Caine fails to meet one of these.
The president can waive most of the qualifications if he determines it is in our "national interest." But the only justification that President Trump has stated for waiving these legal standards in this instance is that he remembers Caine stating he "loved" Trump, would "kill" for Trump and that Caine proudly donned a MAGA hat which—as Trump gushed—would be a violation of federal law.
GENERAL WHO HELPED TRUMP DECIMATE ISIS TERRORISTS IN FIRST TERM CONFIRMED AS JOINT CHIEFS CHAIRMAN
Strangely, Caine has categorically denied that he ever did any of those things, which means either Caine lied—under oath—or that he told the truth and Trump has no justification.
To President Trump, the "national interest" appears to mean personal loyalty.
The nomination of Caine is just the latest example in a dangerous pattern of President Trump purging—in multiple reckless and sudden bursts—the military of its highest-performing general officers from mission-critical roles. Why? Because they promised loyalty to the Constitution instead of to him? These firings have nothing to do with upholding high standards at all—they are about prioritizing fealty over qualifications and putting our national security at risk in the process.
The only reason this chairmanship vacancy exists in the first place is because President Trump unceremoniously fired, without cause, Gen. CQ Brown Jr., who was serving—and excelling—in the role.
Gen. Brown didn't just meet the legal qualifications to be chairman—he embodied them. He brought his 40 years of honorable service in the Air Force to overseeing U.S. military operations in at least six active war zones and advised the defense secretary on responses to three tense international crises. Prior to being chairman, Gen. Brown served as chief of staff of the Air Force, commanded Pacific Air Forces and flew more than 3,100 hours with over 130 in combat.
By firing such an exemplary officer and replacing him with someone who President Trump—rightly or wrongly—believes declared fealty to him, our commander-in-chief is sending a dangerous message to the force that loyalty, not expertise or even a commitment to upholding the law, will be rewarded.
The disgraceful treatment of Gen. Brown was not an isolated incident.
President Trump has fired at least 10 expert senior military officers, most of whom were women or people of color, and several of whom—unlike Caine—met the legal qualifications to be chairman.
These were warriors at the top of their game: Adm. Lisa Franchetti, the Navy's first woman to serve as chief of naval operations, who had more than two decades of experience that included commanding carrier strike groups and destroyers. Adm. Linda Fagan, the first female Coast Guard commandant, who led on all seven continents. Lt. Gen. Jennifer Short, a command pilot who completed more than 1,800 flight hours during her 30-year career. Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, who was pushed out from the Defense Health Agency after her 32-year career, which included serving as the deputy for all medical operations.
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And just this month, Trump fired Vice Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, who had a storied 36-year career, including serving as the first female president of the Naval War College, as well as Gen. Tim Haugh, the high-performing commander of U.S. Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency.
These were all extraordinarily qualified military leaders summarily fired, with Trump choosing to replace them by nominating deeply unqualified appointees—while at the same time shouting that he only hires the "best, most qualified" people.
Trump's hiring decisions make a mockery of meritocracy, disrespect our service members' sacrifices and do nothing to strengthen our force or our national security. Even five previous secretaries of defense agreed that "none of this is about warfighting."
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Installing loyalists at the top of the military is the kind of thing autocrats do when they are trying to seize control of government. Trump is aiming to ingrain a culture of fear that makes it harder for our service members to speak truth to power and uphold their oath to support and defend the Constitution.
What we saw happen with the nomination of Caine is not an aberration. It is part of a deliberate purge of expertise from our military that is eroding the very institution the American people rely on to keep them safe. My Republican colleagues need to stop enabling Trump's dictatorial tendencies and start doing more to protect the service members who've sacrificed so much for the rest of us.
Democrat Tammy Duckworth represents Illinois in the United States Senate.
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Boxes of ginger from China are stacked at a grocery market in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Wu Liying who runs the Xinyue Stockings Co. reacts at the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu, eastern China's Zhejiang province on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
A handwritten price tag for sausage imported from China is seen at a grocery market in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles, Friday, April 11, 2025. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
When the first two rounds of 10% tariffs hit, Zou Guoqing, a Chinese exporter, groaned but didn't find the barriers insurmountable. He gave up some of his profits and offered his client, a snow-bike factory in Nebraska, price cuts ranging from 5% to 10%. It seemed to work: The factory agreed to a new order of molds and parts.
But when President Donald Trump announced an additional 34% universal tariff on Chinese goods on April 2, Zou, who has been exporting to the United States for more than a decade, was incredulous.
“There's not a thread of feasibility,” said Zou, who does business in the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo. “It looks like I would have no choice but give up trading with the U.S.”
Then came 50% more from Trump, followed by another increase that pushed the universal tariff on Chinese goods to 145%, and Zou said he now could only hope that Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping can communicate. “We are pausing the shipments,” he said, “until the leaders talk.”
That U.S. tariff and the retaliatory 125% tariff from China are putting businesses that trade between the U.S. and China on edge. They are fretting not only about their next orders but also their viability if there is no quick relief. Experts are worried the decades-long trade ties that have underpinned the relationship between the world's two largest economies could be unraveling.
If the high tariff is sustained for the next six months or longer, “that would actually lead to a real effective decoupling between the American and Chinese economies,” said Chen Zhiwu, professor of finance at Hong Kong University Business School.
Josh Lipsky, senior director of the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center, said the tariff, if kept in place, amounts to “almost a trade embargo,” making it impossible for China to export low-value items such as apparel to the U.S. It also would force U.S. businesses to source elsewhere, away from China, if there should be alternatives, he said.
The Trump administration late Friday said it would exclude electronics such as smartphones and laptops from the reciprocal tariffs, which means they won't be subject to the 145% tariffs levied on China. The exemption seemed to reflect Trump's realization that his China tariffs are unlikely to shift more manufacturing of smartphones, computers and other gadgets to the U.S. any time soon.
In China, the central tariff office declared there was “no possibility for market acceptance” of U.S. goods exported to China at the current tariff level.
“Everyone's pretty worried,” said Hu Jianlong, founder of Brands Factory, a consultancy that works with Chinese companies trying to break into overseas markets. “At this point in time, there's no good way forward. This situation has not resolved ... there's no final number. And so everyone's still waiting to see how this will develop.”
The tariff war has come more than 20 years after China, with the help of the United States, joined the World Trade Organization and began to see its economy soar on luring foreign investments and exporting to the U.S. and other Western markets. By last year, China-U.S. trade was $582 billion, but tensions have flared over China's widening trade imbalance with the U.S. That led to the first tariff skirmish during the first Trump term.
The trade deficit has since narrowed but stayed stubbornly high, at a time when the U.S. and other Western markets have also grown concerned about another onslaught of Chinese products such as electric vehicles.
During his term, Democratic President Joe Biden stressed that the U.S. was not trying to decouple from China but to “de-risk.” He took the “small-yard, high-fence” approach, under which his administration put up barriers in targeted sectors such as advanced chips, artificial intelligence and quantum computing that have national security implications.
Now, Trump is declaring universal tariffs on Chinese goods but has said he's also willing to talk with Beijing. It remains unclear what the Republican president's goals might be.
“What are they looking for in those negotiations? How much is it possible to reduce these tariffs? What are the other demands apart from China removing its retaliatory tariffs that the United States wants to put forward. We don't know what that would be,” said Greta Peisch, who served as the general counsel for the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative in 2021-2024.
The message from China's leadership is loud and clear. It will talk only when the U.S. stops “maximum pressure and capricious and destructive behavior,” said Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson.
Li Cheng, professor of political science at the University of Hong Kong, said the Chinese leadership is upset over being singled out by Trump when the U.S. president paused reciprocal tariffs for 90 days for all other countries. Beijing wants to make sure that “Donald Trump not state one thing in the morning and say other things in the evening,” Li said, and that Trump's policies on China are not hijacked by his anti-China, hawkish advisers.
With no leadership-level negotiations in the immediate future, businesses are exploring their options.
Lisa Li, who works in sales for an athletic wear manufacturer in the northern Chinese province of Hebei, said her business was negotiating with clients over whether they could split the increased costs. It's too early to say if her company is to give up on the U.S. market, she said, but it will “definitely expand other avenues for sales,” such as in Australia or Europe.
In the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou, a manufacturing hub, a holiday lights maker was less optimistic. Bo, who shared only his surname out of concern for retaliation, said he could “only give up” if the tariff hikes were here to stay because other markets might not work.
“In the past few years, the European market has been in a slump,” Bo said. “So we had wanted to try and develop our business in the United States.”
In Hong Kong, Danny Lau, who runs an aluminum-coating factory in the nearby southern Chinese city of Dongguan, said one of his U.S clients would keep buying from him for an ongoing project but was unsure about the next project. Another client told Lau that the chances are slim to strike a deal when tariffs are so high. Lau has been exploring other markets, but he says it's not easy because some may find his high-quality products too expensive.
At a port in the Chinese city of Shanghai, ships heading to the U.S. had almost vanished by Thursday, the day after Trump's tariff on China took effect, according to a report by the financial news site Caixin. Major shipping lines were drastically cutting back on trans-Pacific routes, the report said.
For the longer term, the tariff war is likely to prompt Chinese businesses to diversify their supply chains and move part of their manufacturing capacity outside of China, and even to the United States, said Hu, the consultant.
Some might follow in the footsteps of the Tianjin steelmaking business, which gave up trading with the U.S. after both Trump and Biden raised tariffs on Chinese steel. “The best plan is to not come into contact,” said David Yu, who works in the company's foreign sales department.
However, not everyone is ready to give up on the U.S. market. Zou, the exporter in Ningbo, describes the U.S. market as “reliable and without finicky demands.”
“It's the best market on Earth,” he said. “I am waiting for the rainbow after the storm.”
___
Wu reported from Bangkok and Tang from Washington. Associated Press researcher Shihuan Chen in Beijing and writer Kanis Leung in Hong Kong contributed to this report.
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The American Culture Quiz is a weekly test of our unique national traits, trends, history and people, including current events and the sights and sounds of the United States.
This week's quiz highlights screen stars, garden greatness, our Founding Fathers — and more.
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Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports on the Pentagon releasing details on UFO sightings on ‘Special Report.'
A declassified document posted to the CIA's website is raising eyebrows with claims of an alleged UFO attack on Soviet forces.
The viral report summarizes an article published by Canadian Weekly World News and the Ukrainian paper Holos Ukrayiny and was initially released to the public in May 2000.
The firsthand report describes a retaliatory alien attack after Soviet soldiers reportedly shot down a UFO flying over a military base.
The aliens reportedly emerged from the wreckage, fusing together into one object and bursting into a bright light and turning all but two of the soldiers to stone.
FORMER DEFENSE OFFICIAL MAKES EARTH-SHATTERING UFO REVELATION AS UNEXPLAINED DRONES LEAVE MILLIONS ON EDGE
Read the report. Mobile users click here
"If the KGB file corresponds to reality, this is an extremely menacing case," an unnamed CIA representative was quoted as saying in the report. "The aliens possess such weapons and technology that go beyond all our assumptions. They can stand up for themselves if attacked."
Canadian Weekly World News estimates the supposed incident occurred between 1989 and 1990 and was initially published in 1993.
According to the document, information acquired by U.S. intelligence revealed reports of a "low-flying spaceship in the shape of a saucer" over a Soviet unit participating in training exercises.
PENTAGON SOLVES ONE OF ITS HIGHEST-PROFILE UFO MYSTERIES
The U.S. government is compelled to investigate reports of UFOs to identify any issues regarding threats to national security. (iStock)
Officials wrote that "for unknown reasons" the soldiers launched a surface-to-air missile at the unknown aircraft, causing it to crash near the military base.
The report describes how "five short humanoids with ‘large heads and large black eyes' emerged" from the downed spaceship and fused together to create one "single object" while emitting a loud buzzing noise.
The spherical object reportedly then burst into a blinding bright light.
Eyewitness testimonials claim 23 soldiers suddenly "turned into stone poles." Two men reportedly survived the encounter because they were standing in a shaded area and were not completely exposed to the blast of light.
UFO HEARING: EX-PENTAGON OFFICIAL SAYS GOVERNMENT 'CABAL' IS HIDING 'THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE'
A Soviet-era document published on the CIA's website details an alleged alien attack against soldiers, supposedly turning them to stone. (iStock)
Officials wrote that the remains of the "petrified soldiers" and the spaceship were transported to a secret scientific research base near Moscow, where it was discovered the soldiers' molecular structure matched that of limestone. The document claims scientists believe the cause was a "source of energy" not yet known to humans.
The CIA did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
While the initial context of the document remains unknown, it likely originated from a telegram or another form of open-source information.
RUSSIAN UFO ENGAGEMENTS, SECRET ‘TIC TAC' REPORT AND 3 KEY FIGURES SLIP UNDER RADAR AT CONGRESSIONAL HEARING
However, former CIA agent Mike Baker is skeptical of the extraordinary claims detailed in the report.
"If there was an incident, regardless of the nature of the incident, I suspect that the actual report doesn't look much like what has now come out from five or six or seven iterations of what originally was [written]," Baker told Fox News Digital.
In 2020, the Department of Defense announced the creation of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF) with the goal to "detect, analyze and catalog" unknown objects that could pose a threat to national security.
‘UFO REVOLUTION' DOCUSERIES SHOWS UAP FLYING OVER MILITARY BASE, ‘BLOWS UP DECADES OF CONSPIRACIES': EXPERT
The document, published on the CIA's website, details how Soviet soldiers shot down an alleged alien spacecraft. (iStock)
The creation of the program comes after years of government efforts to investigate questionable aircraft. While UFOs are typically associated with aliens, Baker insists officials are required to look into unidentified objects in the interest of national security.
"The Pentagon was saying if aviators are flying, and they identify something that they can't readily say what this is, then [officials] should, as a matter of national security, make sure that they catalog it and figure out what it was," Baker told Fox News Digital. "There's a reason why you have a method of investigating these things. It doesn't mean you're investigating alien spacecraft, but that's where people's minds go when they hear about these sorts of things."
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
UFO EXPERT SAYS TRUMP'S DECLASSIFICATION COULD EXPOSE POSSIBLE ‘COVER-UP' SPANNING DECADES
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump signed an order to declassify decades-old government files pertaining to UFOs, possibly revealing federal secrets while pulling back the curtain on any potential "cover-up."
"A lot of people believe that there is a smoking gun somewhere in the files," former U.K. Defense Ministry official and UFO expert Nick Pope told Fox News Digital. "It is a very widely held belief that elements in the U.S. intelligence community know that some of this is extraterrestrial and have documents and files relating to this. And that, of course, is what everyone really wants to know. That's the $64,000 question."
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As for the extraordinary claims of a Soviet-era alien invasion and retaliatory attack, Baker does not buy it.
"I'm sure there's something out there," Baker said. "I just don't think that they landed decades ago, turned Soviet soldiers into limestone and we're just now hearing about it. I don't think that's the case."
Fox News Digital's Stepheny Price and Ashley Papa contributed to this report.
Julia Bonavita is a U.S. Writer for Fox News Digital and a Fox Flight Team drone pilot. You can follow her at @juliabonavita13 on all platforms and send story tips to julia.bonavita@fox.com.
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• Trump's tariffs: President Donald Trump's trade war with China is deepening, while the clock ticks on a 90-day pause to negotiate trade deals with dozens of other countries he's threatened with steep tariffs. A new exemption for imported electronics could provide major relief for US tech giants like Apple.
• Iran talks: US and Iranian officials said high-stakes nuclear talks that began Saturday in Oman were “constructive.” The two sides have agreed to meet again next weekend.
• Fight night: The president — along with his ally Elon Musk — attended UFC 314 in Miami, underscoring the way his ties to combat sports and the surrounding culture helped him appeal to young men in the 2024 election.
• Immigration crackdown: Legal battles continue surrounding the case of a mistakenly deported Maryland man, revoked visas for international students, and others swept up in the Trump administration's widespread immigration crackdown.
Our live coverage of Donald Trump's presidency has moved here.
President Donald Trump arrived to raucous applause at the Kaseya Center in Miami tonight, participating in the “walkout” traditionally reserved for athletes as he became the first sitting president to attend a UFC event.
He was joined by close ally Elon Musk, along with top administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and FBI Director Kash Patel. Trump's granddaughter Kai Trump and grandsons Donald Trump III and Spencer Trump also accompanied the president.
The president was spotted embracing UFC CEO Dana White, as well as podcast host Joe Rogan and basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal on the arena floor.
Some context: Trump's attendance at the late-night fight underscores his reemergence in the American pop cultural mainstream as he deploys the trappings of office to attend some of the nation's premier sporting events. It also highlights his loyal ties to the UFC organization and the alignment between the mixed martial arts brand and the young men who propelled Trump back to the White House.
President Donald Trump on Saturday stopped short of endorsing a candidate in the Republican Senate primary in Texas, as state Attorney General Ken Paxton is set to challenge incumbent Sen. John Cornyn next year.
“They're both good friends of mine, and … we don't know who else is running. But these two, Ken, John, they're both friends of mine, so I'll make a determination at the right time,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he traveled to Miami for a UFC fight.
CNN previously reported that Senate Republicans, who think a Trump endorsement can help clear the field, have personally asked the president to back Cornyn.
Paxton, a hardline conservative and close Trump ally, announced his run Tuesday.
Cornyn, who has announced he's running for a fifth term, told CNN last week that he is “prepared” for a primary fight.
The GOP field could get larger as Texas Rep. Wesley Hunt has privately signaled that he is considering joining the race.
CNN's Kaanita Iyer contributed to this post.
President Donald Trump declined to weigh in substantively on high-stakes talks in Oman to reach a new nuclear deal with Iran, telling reporters aboard Air Force One that discussions are “going OK.”
“I think they're going OK,” Trump said Saturday while en route to a UFC fight in Miami. “Nothing matters until you get it done. So, I don't like talking about it. But it's going OK. The Iran situation is going pretty good, I think.”
US special presidential envoy Steve Witkoff “conducted talks today in Muscat with Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Abbas Araghchi, which were hosted by Omani Foreign Minister Said Badr,” the White House said in a statement earlier Saturday, describing the discussions as “direct communication” and “very positive and constructive.”
Trump has warned that failure to reach a deal could lead to potential military strikes on Iran. Tehran, in turn, has warned that any attack on it would drag the US into a broader Middle Eastern conflict.
Sources involved in the talks have told CNN that the Trump administration wants to move fast — and the two parties are expected to meet again for further discussion next Saturday, according to the White House.
Trump also weighed in on ongoing talks with Russia and Ukraine, one day after Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for more than four hours.
“I think Ukraine-Russia might be going OK. And you're going to be finding out pretty soon. You know, there's a point at which you have to either put up or shut up. We'll see what happens, but I think it's going fine,” he said.
President Donald Trump said he is “looking forward” to his Monday meeting with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele at the White House and praised the leader for housing “the most violent alien enemies of the world” in his nation's mega-prison.
“Looking forward to seeing President Bukele, of El Salvador, on Monday! Our Nations are working closely together to eradicate terrorist organizations, and build a future of Prosperity. President Bukele has graciously accepted into his Nation's custody some of the most violent alien enemies of the World and, in particular, the United States. These barbarians are now in the sole custody of El Salvador, a proud and sovereign Nation, and their future is up to President B and his Government. They will never threaten or menace our Citizens again!” Trump posted on Truth Social.
The president's post comes after the Supreme Court ruled this week that the Trump administration must “facilitate” the return of the Maryland man and El Salvadoran national who was mistakenly deported to CECOT, the country's mega-prison. However, the high court stopped short of requiring his return to the United States.
Earlier today, the Department of Justice said in a filing that Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia “is alive and secure” at the mega-prison after days of saying it doesn't have information about his exact location.
Trump did not mention Abrego Garcia in his post.
The Trump administration said in a filing today that Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Maryland father who was mistakenly deported, is alive and remains in an El Salvador mega-prison.
“It is my understanding based on official reporting from our Embassy in San Salvador that Abrego Garcia is currently being held in the Terrorism Confinement Center in El Salvador,” a senior State Department official wrote in the filing. “He is alive and secure in that facility.”
Earlier this week, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration must “facilitate” the return of Abrego Garcia to the United States but stopped short of requiring it.
On Friday, US District Judge Paula Xinis ordered the Justice Department to provide daily updates on what the administration is doing to facilitate Abrego Garcia's return, after a DOJ attorney could not provide details on exactly where he is.
Saturday's filing did not include details on the administration's efforts to bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States.
Correction: This post has been updated to reflect that a State Department official wrote the filing.
President Donald Trump is set to attend UFC 314 in Miami, where Australian Alexander Volkanovski is set to take on Diego Lopes of Brazil in tonight's featherweight title bout.
His attendance at the late-night fight underscores his reemergence in the American pop cultural mainstream as he deploys the trappings of office to attend some of the nation's premier sporting events.
It also highlights his long and loyal ties to the UFC organization and its CEO, Dana White, and the alignment between the mixed martial arts brand and the young men who propelled Trump back to the White House.
With the exception of nearly weekly trips to his Mar-a-Lago property in South Florida, the president's domestic travel has been rare during his second term. But since taking office, he has flown aboard Air Force One to attend the Super Bowl in New Orleans, the Daytona 500 in Daytona Beach, and the NCAA men's wrestling championships in Philadelphia.
Trump, who has long styled himself a “fighter,” successfully tapped into the male-oriented podcast sphere during his 2024 campaign, boosting his turnout among low-propensity voters as he and top surrogates leaned into interviews with host Joe Rogan, Barstool Sports' “Bussin' With The Boys,” and Andrew Schulz's “Flagrant,” among others, offering listeners long-form, unfiltered and un-fact-checked conversations.
Many male-oriented podcasters discuss physical fitness, promote traditional traits of masculinity and share an appreciation for mixed martial arts, specifically UFC.
White emerged as a key surrogate for Trump in 2024 as his campaign sought to bolster its appeal to young men.
Today's talks between US envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took place in the home of Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi, known as Bait Al Hail, according to a source familiar with the meeting.
The residence is located less than 10 minutes from the Muscat airport and has been viewed as an attractive gathering place for senior level government officials from the West and the Middle East.
The grandiose entryway at the home has reception rooms on each side. To the right is the Western-style reception room where Witkoff and his team were based during the indirect talks; to the left is the Oriental-style reception room where Araghchi and the Iranian team were located, the source explained.
In total 13 people took part in the talks: 5 Americans, 5 Iranians and 3 Omanis, the source said. The Omanis shuttled messages in English between the two sides.
After the talks ended, the two delegations spoke for just a few minutes in the marble hallway on the way out, the source said.
Based on the readout from the White House sources involved in the talks, there is a belief the Trump administration wants to move fast and that Witkoff wants to make a political decision to green-light a deal without diving into highly technical details which could slow things down, the source said.
The US-Iran meeting set for next week is likely to take place in Europe, the source said.
The Trump administration is the target of a new federal lawsuit seeking to stop the revocation of visas issued to international students.
The lawsuit, filed by Kuck Baxter, an Atlanta-based legal firm specializing in immigration, is seeking to stop federal officials from deporting the students.
Attorney Dustin Baxter told CNN his firm filed the lawsuit on behalf of about 20 international students, but the case may grow to include around 200. The students currently included are mainly studying at Georgia colleges and universities.
The lawsuit specifically names three Trump administration officials as defendants: US Attorney General Pam Bondi, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Acting Director Todd Lyons.
CNN has reached out to the White House and DHS for comment.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly said that some behavior, including participating in protests, will not be tolerated by students on visas. “They're here to go to class. They're not here to lead activist movements that are disruptive and undermine our universities. I think it's lunacy to continue to allow that,” Rubio said.
But Baxter said the Trump administration is going well beyond targeting activists — who, he adds, also shouldn't be targeted unless they commit a crime, given the right for citizens and noncitizens to peacefully protest.
The lawyer claims the Trump administration is going through logs of student visas and finding anyone with “any kind of encounter with a police officer.”
“Even if there was no conviction, if there was just an arrest — and sometimes there wasn't even an arrest, there was just an encounter and maybe a ticket — they would revoke the student visa,” Baxter told CNN.
The Trump administration this week imposed a minimum tariff rate of 145% on Chinese goods imported to the United States.
Dan Mitchell, the founder of a Tennessee home building company who voted for Trump and said he supports the administration's ultimate goal, joined CNN's Jake Tapper to discuss how the tariffs might affect his business and the housing industry nationwide.
Watch Mitchell's comments below:
Eagle CDI founder Dan Mitchell joins CNN's Jake Tapper to discuss how President Trump's tariffs could impact the home building industry. Higher costs of lumber imports could also affect other products, such as furniture and even toilet paper. #cnn #cnnnews
The White House is characterizing today's nuclear talks between a top Trump adviser and Iran's foreign minister as a step in the right direction and has confirmed plans for follow-up talks next week.
The “direct communication” between President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff and Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was “very positive and constructive,” the White House said in a statement.
Witkoff “underscored to Dr. Araghchi that he had instructions from President Trump to resolve our two nations' differences through dialogue and diplomacy, if that is possible,” the statement said, calling the talks a “step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome.”
The US statement thanked Oman for its mediating role in the talks, and noted that the US ambassador to Oman, Ana Escrogima, was also present.
The White House said the two sides plan meet again next Saturday.
In comments reported by Iranian media earlier today, Tehran similarly described the talks as “constructive” and shared the plans for more discussions next week.
Remember: The high-stakes talks come after Trump threatened military strikes against Iran if it did not agree to a new deal, which prompted a warning from Tehran that any attack would drag the US into a broader Middle Eastern conflict.
Trump has given Tehran a two-month deadline to accept a deal that would lead to Iran shrinking its nuclear footprint or eliminating its program altogether.
After exempting several high-tech products from steep new tariffs, the White House says President Donald Trump continues to urge firms to move production to the United States.
“President Trump has made it clear America cannot rely on China to manufacture critical technologies such as semiconductors, chips, smartphones, and laptops. That's why the President has secured trillions of dollars in U.S. investments from the largest tech companies in the world, including Apple, TSMC, and Nvidia. At the direction of the President, these companies are hustling to onshore their manufacturing in the United States as soon as possible,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
US Customs and Border Protection posted a notice last night saying smartphones, computer monitors and various electronic parts are among the exempted products. That could be huge news for US tech giants like Apple, which bases an estimated 90% of its iPhone production and assembly in China.
“The President has stated that autos, steel, pharmaceuticals, chips and other specific materials will be included in specific tariffs to ensure tariffs are applied fairly and effectively,” a White House official said.
The official said Trump would soon order up a study on the national security effects on semiconductor imports.
The Department of Homeland Security has administered lie detector tests to about 50 staffers in recent weeks, including FEMA's acting administrator and roughly a dozen officials at the disaster relief agency, as part of an intensifying effort to root out what the department alleges are leaks of national security information.
At least one FEMA official has been placed on administrative leave and was escorted out of the agency's office this week after being administered a polygraph test, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.
“We are agnostic about your standing, tenure, political appointment, or status as a career civil servant — we will track down leakers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in an email to CNN.
The investigations at DHS have raised concerns that the lie detector tests may be used on federal workers accused of leaking non-classified information to the media, particularly at FEMA, where sources say classified information is handled in very limited circumstances.
Whistleblower support organizations tell CNN it would be unusual, alarming and potentially illegal for the tests to be used in such cases.
Read more on the use of polygraphs at DHS here.
The second round of nuclear talks between Iranian and American negotiators will be held next Saturday in Oman, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told state media, adding that today's meeting “got very close” to reaching a framework for negotiations.
“The atmosphere in today's meeting was such that it ensured continuity and progress,” Araghchi told state broadcaster IRIB. “If we can finalize the basis (of talks) in the next session, I believe we will have made significant progress.”
He added that both sides said they are seeking an agreement in the shortest time possible.
Araghchi was asked about his brief meeting with US President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, which was the first direct contact between US and Iranian officials during Trump's second term.
“When both parties were leaving, we spent a few minutes conversing,” the foreign minister said. “This is an accepted norm. We always adhere to diplomatic norms when dealing with US diplomats and this time we also exchanged the same level of pleasantries.”
CNN has reached out to the US State Department for comment.
Richard Grenell, the controversial interim president of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, says President Donald Trump will attend the opening of “Les Misérables” in June and host a fundraiser at the venue.
Grenell is touting Trump's overhaul of the center, saying in an interview this morning that the president's purge of the cultural institution's board and targeting of programming the administration deems unsuitable is saving money.
“We've done a hiring freeze, we've fired a lot of the bloat, and we've saved about $6.2 million in eight weeks already,” Grenell claimed during a “Fox & Friends” appearance. “Donald Trump is coming to the opening of ‘Les Mis' on June 11. He's doing a fundraiser for the Kennedy Center. We expect to raise millions for that. So, he personally is turning this around.”
Grennell added that Trump has tasked him with going to Capitol Hill to speak with senators about how to “turn around” the Kennedy Center.
“First of all, we got to get more donors. We got to get — everyone needs to be included. We don't need to be booing Republicans, like if the vice president shows up,” he said, referring to a recent visit from Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha in which attendees could be heard booing them.
Delegations from Iran and the United States will meet again next week after wrapping up “constructive” nuclear talks that included the first direct contact between Trump administration and Iranian officials, according to Iran's state news agency.
The two sides shared their views on Iran's nuclear program and the potential lifting of sanctions against the Islamic Republic through Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi, “in a constructive atmosphere based on mutual respect,” according to the report from state-run IRNA.
“After more than two and a half hours of indirect negotiations, the heads of the Iranian and American delegations spoke for a few minutes in the presence of the Omani foreign minister as they left the talks,” IRNA added.
CNN has reached out to the US State Department for comment.
Oman's foreign minister said on X that he was proud to facilitate the talks between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, which were aimed at reaching a “fair and binding” agreement.
Remember: Today's high-stakes talks are aimed at securing a potential new nuclear deal between the two countries and easing tensions in the region.
The talks came in the wake of President Donald Trump's threat of military strikes if Iran fails to agree to a pact — and Tehran's warning that any attack would drag the US into a broader Middle Eastern conflict.
Trump has given Tehran a two-month deadline to accept a deal that would lead to Iran shrinking its nuclear footprint or eliminating its program altogether.
CNN's Alex Marquardt and Kylie Atwood contributed to this report.
Electronics including phones and computers imported to the United States will be exempt from President Donald Trump's “reciprocal” tariffs, according to a US Customs and Border Protection notice posted yesterday.
Smartphones, computer monitors and various electronic parts are among the exempted products. The exemption applies to products entering the US or removed from warehouses as early as April 5, according to the notice.
The move comes after the Trump administration imposed a minimum tariff rate of 145% on Chinese goods. The tariffs would have a major impact on tech giants like Apple, which make iPhones and other products in China.
Roughly 90% of Apple's iPhone production and assembly is based in China, according to Wedbush Securities' estimates.
Trump had told reporters yesterday on Air Force One that there could be possible exclusions to his sweeping tariffs.
The White House has not responded to a CNN request for comment.
This post has been updated with additional details on the exemptions.
Several universities in Florida have signed agreements to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement as part of an ongoing push by state leaders to aid the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.
The University of Florida confirmed yesterday it has signed an agreement that allows local law enforcement to act as immigration officers.
The arrangements, known as 287(g) agreements, allow local officers to question those they suspect of being in the country illegally and to execute arrest warrants for immigration violations, according to a statement from Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in February.
The University of Central Florida and the University of South Florida have also signed the pacts with ICE, according to CNN affiliate WFTV.
CNN reached out to Florida International University and Florida Atlantic University about news reports that their campus police have done the same.
The prospect of increased immigration enforcement could cause additional friction on the University of Florida campus. On Wednesday, crowds gathered there to protest the deportation of a Colombian student, according to CNN affiliate WCJB.
The big picture: By CNN's count, more than 500 students, faculty and researchers across the US have had their visas revoked this year, including at least four University of Florida students.
An increasing number of student deportation threats involve the revocation of visas based on relatively minor offenses like years-old misdemeanors.
China warned yesterday that the United States' tariffs could spark a “humanitarian crisis,” as the world's two largest economies continue their tit-for-tat in US President Donald Trump's trade war.
“The United States' ‘reciprocal tariffs' will inflict great harm on developing countries, especially the least developed countries, and even trigger a humanitarian crisis,” Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao said during a Friday video call with the director-general of the World Trade Organization.
In a statement by the ministry today, Wang said Trump's tariffs have “brought great uncertainty and instability to the world.”
The statement said Wang stressed to WTO members that they should stand firm against “unilateralism, protectionism and bullying.”
Another US rival weighs in on trade: Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said today that the WTO has been “paralyzed” by successive American administrations and that tariff deals must now be struck fairly.
“The tariff war which we witness now is going to change many things. We hear that many countries would like to sit down with the United States and negotiate,” Lavrov said during an address at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in Turkey.
“We would only be happy if people reach some deals peacefully and to their mutual satisfaction,” he said.
Welcome to today's live coverage of President Donald Trump's administration.
We'll be tracking developments on the president's trade war and the high-stakes US-Iran talks taking place in Oman.
Click on the links below for more of CNN's latest reporting on other key topics:
• Daughter challenges ICE arrest of her mom: To Karen Cruz Berrios, her mother is a hard-working, devoted single parent. But the Department of Homeland Security has alleged, without providing evidence, she is “an associate of the vicious MS-13 gang.”
• Anti-DEI push at Pentagon-run schools: Recent Pentagon policies are having direct impacts on students at Defense Department-run schools around the globe, with kids and their parents telling CNN they fear they're now at a disadvantage.
• Tariffs clobber the toy industry: Toys made in China are no longer exempt from US tariffs. For American families, this means relatively inexpensive toys could become luxuries.
• Shrinking consumer protection agency: A federal appeals court will allow the Trump administration to further shrink the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau — but not dismantle it entirely.
• RFK Jr. and the measles vaccine: Trump's health and human services secretary made his strongest endorsement yet of the measles vaccine this week amid an ongoing outbreak. But that stands in stark contrast to years of his work against the vaccine.
• US military at the southern border: Trump instructed the heads of four federal agencies last night to let the military “take a more direct role” in efforts to secure the border.
• Gaming console caught up in the trade war: Nintendo just announced its highly anticipated Switch 2 — but US preorders are on hold due to Trump's tariff plans, and gaming experts fear prices could spike depending on how the next few months go. Watch our report below:
Iran and the United States begin high-stakes talks to reach a new nuclear deal today.
This comes in the wake of President Donald Trump's threat of military strikes if Iran fails to agree to a pact — and Tehran's warning that any attack would drag the US into a broader Middle Eastern conflict.
The meeting, being held in the Gulf Arab nation of Oman, could be the first direct talks between Iranian and American officials in a decade, though Iran insists they will be indirect, with mediators acting as go-betweens for the two nations.
Trump has given Tehran a two-month deadline to accept a deal that would lead to Iran shrinking its nuclear footprint or eliminating its program altogether.
“I want them not to have a nuclear weapon. I want Iran to be a wonderful, great, happy country, but they can't have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said aboard Air Force One on his way to Florida last night.
What we've heard so far today: Iran is seeking an “initial understanding” with the US that could lead to a negotiations process, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is leading the Iranian delegation to the talks, said upon arriving in the Omani capital Muscat.
It's “too early” to speak about a timetable for the discussions, which depends on “sufficient will on both sides,” he said.
An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said indirect talks are underway, with plans for the parties to be seated in separate rooms and convey their views to each other through the Omani foreign minister.
The atmosphere in the talks is positive, Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency reported, citing a member of the negotiating team. It added that negotiations are unlikely to be extended into Sunday.
CNN has reached out to the US State Department for comment.
This post has been updated with additional comments from Iran.
President Donald Trump and his advisers claim this was the plan all along: Announce astronomically high tariffs, get countries to come to the negotiating table, and — with the exception of China — then back off in order to work out new trade agreements.
But Trump's 90-day pause on his “reciprocal” tariffs gives the administration just three months to strike enormously complex trade deals with dozens of countries.
Financial markets aren't buying it. Stocks have whipsawed as volatility has spiked. And other markets are sending a clear message of deep skepticism that Trump will be able to pull this one off.
Where things left off Friday: Following another steep sell-off Thursday, stocks appeared calmer — for now — and posted strong gains Friday.
The Dow ended the day higher by 619 points, or 1.56%. The S&P 500 rose 1.81% and the Nasdaq was 2.06% higher.
But warning signs continued flashing from other markets, including oil, bonds and the dollar. And investors have been trading on a knife's edge, with any announcement from Trump liable to send stocks surging or tumbling.
What comes next: The Trump administration is voicing optimism, saying dozens of countries have reached out to strike a deal. The administration is providing few details on any ongoing talks, but has said it will favor allies like South Korea and Japan first.
But trade deals are incredibly complex arrangements usually negotiated over the course of years, not months.
China looms: Even if Trump struck deals with all those countries over a short period, China — the world's biggest exporter — remains the elephant in the room.
Beijing is locked in a tit-for-tat battle with Washington, with Trump not only excluding China from his tariff pause but also raising tariffs on the country to at least 145%.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping said he is “not afraid” in his first public comments on the escalating trade war, and has raised tariffs on US goods to 125%.
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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Iran and the United States will meet in Oman for the first talks in President Donald Trump's second term over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Iranians eye upcoming talks with US with deep skepticism
Omani security personnel watch a convoy believed to be carrying U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff in Muscat, Oman, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
In this photo released by Iranian Foreign Ministry, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, left, meets his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi prior to negotiations with U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff in Muscat, Oman, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (Iranian Foreign Ministry via AP)
Tourists take photos at the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/ Fatima Shbair)
Tourists walk through the courtyard of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/ Fatima Shbair)
A tourist walks through the courtyard of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/ Fatima Shbair)
A couple walks through the courtyard of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/ Fatima Shbair)
Tourists walk through the courtyard of the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/ Fatima Shbair)
Tourists take photos at the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/ Fatima Shbair)
MUSCAT, Oman (AP) — Iran and the United States will hold more negotiations next week over Tehran's rapidly advancing nuclear program, Iranian state television reported Saturday at the end of the first round of talks between the two countries since President Donald Trump returned to the White House.
Iran's state-run broadcaster revealed that U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi “briefly spoke” together — the first time the two nations have done that since the Obama administration.
Tehran's declaration that the two sides spoke face-to-face — even if briefly — suggests the negotiations went well even to Iranian state TV, which long has been controlled by hard-liners.
In a statement released Saturday afternoon, the White House described the discussions as “very positive and constructive,” while conceding the issues that need to be resolved “are very complicated.”
“Special Envoy Witkoff's direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome,” the White House said.
Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Saturday while flying to Miami for a UFC event that the talks are “going okay.”
“I can't tell you because nothing matters until you get it done so I don't like talking about it but it's going ok. The Iran situation is going pretty good, I think,” he said.
The next round of talks will take place Saturday, April 19, according to the Iranian and American statements.
This first round of talks began at around 3:30 p.m. local. The two sides spoke for over two hours at a location in the outskirts of Muscat, Oman's capital, ending the talks around 5:50 p.m. local time. The convoy believed to be carrying Witkoff returned to Muscat before disappearing into traffic around a neighborhood that is home to the U.S. Embassy.
The stakes of the negotiations couldn't be higher for the two nations closing in on half a century of enmity. Trump repeatedly has threatened to unleash airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear program if a deal isn't reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn that they could pursue a nuclear weapon with their stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels.
Associated Press journalists saw a convoy believed to be carrying Witkoff leave the Omani Foreign Ministry on Saturday afternoon and then speed off into the outskirts of Muscat. The convoy went into a compound and a few minutes later, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei wrote on the social platform X that the “indirect talks” had begun.
Afterward, Araghchi described the meeting as constructive to Iranian state TV, with four rounds of messages exchanged during the indirect portion.
“Neither we nor the other side are interested in fruitless negotiations — so-called ‘talks for the sake of talks,' wasting time, or drawn-out, exhausting negotiations,” he said. “Both sides, including the Americans, have said that their goal is also to reach an agreement in the shortest possible time. However, that will certainly not be an easy task.”
That the two men spoke face-to-face satisfied a demand of the Americans. Trump and Witkoff both had described the talks as being “direct.”
“I think our position begins with dismantlement of your program. That is our position today,” Witkoff told The Wall Street Journal before his trip. “That doesn't mean, by the way, that at the margin we're not going to find other ways to find compromise between the two countries.”
He added: “Where our red line will be, there can't be weaponization of your nuclear capability.”
Araghchi, however, sought to downplay the encounter as “a brief initial conversation, greetings and polite exchanges” — likely to avoid drawing the anger of hard-liners in Iran.
Badr al-Busaidi, Oman's foreign minister who shuttled between the two sides, said the countries have a “shared aim of concluding a fair and binding agreement.”
“I would like to thank my two colleagues for this engagement, which took place in a friendly atmosphere conducive to bridging viewpoints and ultimately achieving regional and global peace, security and stability,” al-Busaidi wrote on X. “We will continue to work together and put further efforts to assist in arriving at this goal.”
While the U.S. side can offer sanctions relief for Iran's beleaguered economy, it remains unclear just how much Iran will be willing to concede. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran could only maintain a small stockpile of uranium enriched to 3.67%. Today, Tehran's stockpile could allow it to build multiple nuclear weapons if it so chooses and it has some material enriched up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. Judging from negotiations since Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the deal in 2018, Iran will likely ask to keep enriching uranium up to at least 20%.
One thing it won't do is give up its program entirely. That makes the proposal of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a so-called Libyan solution — “you go in, blow up the facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision, American execution” — unworkable.
Iranians including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei have held up what ultimately happened to the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was killed with his own gun by rebels in the country's 2011 Arab Spring uprising, as a warning about what can happen when you trust the United States.
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Associated Press writer Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.
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The Associated Press receives support for nuclear security coverage from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and Outrider Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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Additional AP coverage of the nuclear landscape: https://apnews.com/projects/the-new-nuclear-landscape/
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Six people were killed when a sightseeing helicopter broke apart and crashed into the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey. Pieces of the aircraft could be seen floating in the river Friday as divers resumed searching for clues as to the cause of Thursday's crash.
A family from Spain was about to celebrate the ninth birthday of one of their children when their sightseeing helicopter broke apart in midair and crashed into the Hudson River between New York City and New Jersey.
Investigators with the National Transportation Safety Board investigate the wreckage of a site seeing helicopter, Friday, April 11, 2025, that crashed into the Hudson River a day earlier in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
A New York Police Department scuba team prepares to dive, Friday, April 11, 2025, where a sightseeing helicopter crashed a day earlier into the Hudson River in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
A New York Police Department scuba team exits the water, Friday, April 11, 2025, after diving at the site where a sightseeing helicopter crashed a day earlier into the Hudson River in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City sightseeing helicopter broke apart and crashed into the Hudson River near the New Jersey shoreline, killing the pilot and a Spanish family of five who were on board.
Pieces of the aircraft could be seen floating in the river on Friday as divers searched for clues about what caused the Thursday crash. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. It's the latest in a series of recent aircraft crashes and close calls that have left some people worried about the safety of flying in the U.S.
Here's what we know so far:
Witnesses described seeing the helicopter's tail and main rotor breaking away and smoke pouring from the spinning chopper before it slammed into the water.
The helicopter took off from a downtown heliport at around 3 p.m. and flew north along the Manhattan skyline before heading south toward the Statue of Liberty. Less than 18 minutes into the flight, parts of the aircraft were seen tumbling into the water.
Rescue boats circled the submerged aircraft within minutes of impact, and recovery crews hoisted the mangled helicopter out of the water just after 8 p.m. using a floating crane.
The bodies were also recovered from the river, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said.
The victims included passengers Agustin Escobar, 49, his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal, 39, and their three children, Victor, 4, Mercedes, 8, and Agustin, 10. Mercedes would have turned 9 on Friday, officials said.
Escobar, an executive at Siemens, was in the New York area on business, and his family flew in to meet him for a few days, Steven Fulop, mayor of Jersey City, New Jersey, wrote in a post on X. Photos on the helicopter company's website show the couple and their children smiling just before taking off.
In a statement posted on the social platform X on Friday night by Joan Camprubí Montal, Montal's brother, family members said there were “no words to describe” what they are experiencing.
“These are very difficult times, but optimism and joy have always characterized our family. We want to keep the memory of a happy and united family, in the sweetest moment of their lives,” he said. “They have departed together, leaving an indelible mark among all their relatives, friends, and acquaintances.”
The pilot was Seankese Johnson, 36, a U.S. Navy veteran who received his commercial pilot's license in 2023. He had logged about 800 hours of flight time as of March, Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, told reporters Friday.
In the summer of 2023, Johnson announced on Facebook that he was flying a helicopter to fight fires for a Montana-based firm. In March this year, he changed his profile to an image of him piloting a helicopter with a view of One World Trade Center and the Manhattan skyline in the background.
His father, Louis Johnson, told The New York Times his son had moved to New York this year for “a new chapter in his life.”
On Saturday the NTSB said divers were still working to recover wreckage and investigators were evaluating the aircraft's flight control system.
Its main fuselage and other parts were recovered, but authorities were using sonar to try to identify the remaining pieces.
The helicopter was not equipped with flight recorders, and no onboard video recorders had been recovered, NTSB said.
Hemendy said the NTSB would not speculate on the cause of the crash so early in the investigation.
The main and rear rotors of the helicopter, along with its transmission, roof and tail structures had still not been found as of Friday, she said.
“We are very factual, and we will provide that in due course,” she said.
Justin Green, an aviation lawyer and former Marine Corps helicopter pilot, said videos of the crash suggest that a “catastrophic mechanical failure” left the pilot with no chance to save the aircraft. It is possible the helicopter's main rotors struck the tail boom, breaking it apart and causing the cabin to free fall, Green said.
Michael Roth, who owns the helicopter company, New York Helicopter, told The New York Post that he doesn't know what went wrong with the aircraft.
“The only thing I know by watching a video of the helicopter falling down, that the main rotor blades weren't on the helicopter,” he said, noting that he had never seen such a thing happen in his 30 years in the business, but that, “These are machines, and they break.”
In the last eight years, the New York Helicopter has been through a bankruptcy and faces ongoing lawsuits over alleged debts. Phones rang unanswered at the company's offices Friday.
In 2013, one of the company's helicopters suddenly lost power in midair, and the pilot maneuvered it to a safe landing on pontoons in the Hudson.
FAA data shows the helicopter that crashed Thursday was built in 2004. According to FAA records, the helicopter had a maintenance issue last September involving its transmission assembly. The helicopter had logged 12,728 total flight hours at the time, according to the records.
At least 38 people have died in helicopter crashes in New York City since 1977. A collision between a plane and a tourist helicopter over the Hudson in 2009 killed nine people, and five people died in 2018 when a charter helicopter offering “open door” flights went down into the East River.
Thursday's crash was the first for a helicopter in the city since one hit the roof of a skyscraper in 2019, killing the pilot.
Recently, seven people were killed when a medical transport plane plummeted into a Philadelphia neighborhood. The crash in January happened two days after an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter collided in midair in Washington in the deadliest U.S. air disaster in a generation.
On Friday, three people were killed when a small plane crashed in South Florida near a major highway.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, celebrates after making a putt on the fifth hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Bryson DeChambeau celebrates after a birdie on the 18th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, hits from the rough on the seventh hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, waves after making a putt on the sixth hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Shane Lowry, of Ireland, reacts after missing a putt on the 13th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Jason Day, of Australia, reacts after missing a putt on the 13th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Corey Conners, of Canada, hits his tee shot on the 12th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Bryson DeChambeau chips to the green on the seventh hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Justin Rose waves after making a putt on the sixth hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Bryson DeChambeau hits from the rough on the seventh hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, lines up a putt on the seventh hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Bryson DeChambeau celebrates after a birdie on the 18th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Justin Rose hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, tosses his putter on the 18th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Scottie Scheffler Tyrrell Hatton, of England, shake hands after the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Shane Lowry, of Ireland, waits to play on the 17th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
Bryson DeChambeau celebrates after a birdie on the 18th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, waves after making a putt on the 13th hole during the third round at the Masters golf tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2025, in Augusta, Ga. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — The greatest start in the 91-year history of the Masters wasn't enough for Rory McIlroy. He delivered what looked to be a haymaker late Saturday afternoon, a 6-iron so majestic and pure that he walked 10 yards before he saw it land 6 feet away for eagle on the 15th hole.
Bryson DeChambeau wasn't the least fazed. He hit his tee shot to 4 feet for birdie on the par-3 16th, posing briefly to stare at the leaderboard, working up a gallery already delirious from a roaring, raucous at Augusta National.
“When I made that, I looked up and I said — kind of as a statement — like, ‘You know what? I'm still here. I'm going to keep going. I'm not going to back down.'”
McIlroy finished off another 6-under 66 for his first 54-hole lead in a major since he last captured one in 2014 at the PGA Championship. At stake Sunday at the Masters is a chance to end 11 years chasing the career Grand Slam, the most elite club in golf.
“It was an awesome day and it puts me in a great position going into tomorrow,” he said.
Joining him in the final group is a recent nemesis — DeChambeau — who ripped his heart out at Pinehurst No. 2 last June when he seized on McIlroy's late mistakes to win the U.S. Open.
McIlroy is the sentimental favorite for dealing with a decade of major championship heartache. DeChambeau is wildly popular as golf's greatest entertainer.
The arena is Augusta National, the greatest theater in golf that can thrill and torture the soul at every turn.
“It will be the grandest stage that we've had in a long time, and I'm excited for it,” DeChambeau said. “We both want to win really, really badly — shoot, there's a lot of great players behind us, too; got to be mindful of that. It's about who can control themselves and who can execute the golf shots the best.
“It's going to be an electric atmosphere.”
It already was on a Saturday that started with McIlroy putting six straight 3s on his scorecard, which featured a chip-in for eagle on the par-5 second. It ended with DeChambeau making birdie with a putt just under 50 feet on the edge of the 18th green for a 69.
McIlroy was at 12-under 204, a two-shot lead and one round away from that coveted Masters green jacket and the grand prize that comes along with it.
Along with a memory of DeChambeau at the U.S. Open, McIlroy is also familiar with his position at Augusta National.
It was 14 years ago when McIlroy, a 21-year-old with long, curly locks and unlimited potential, took a four-shot lead into the final round of the Masters. What followed was a meltdown that left him in tears when he shot 80.
He hasn't had a better chance at that green jacket until this week, when he recovered from two double bogeys in the opening round and responded with rounds of 66-66.
Corey Conners, who went from a five-shot deficit to one shot behind McIlroy in a span of three holes on this wild Saturday, closed with eight straight pars for a 70. He was in third place, four shots behind.
No one else was closer than six shots of McIlroy. Justin Rose, who had a one-shot lead at the start of the day, shot 75 and was seven shots back.
Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion and world's No. 1 player, was stuck in neutral on a thrilling afternoon with so much movement. He was having to stay in the game with tough pars and managed only two birdies in his round of 72. He also was seven shots behind.
“You can only shoot so low if you're going to have to wedge it from 100 yards to make par,” Scheffler said.
The rest of this Saturday didn't lack for excitement, roars coming from all corners from the time McIlroy blasted his opening drive over the bunkers to set up birdie all the way to the end when DeChambeau went from a fairway bunker to the edge of the green to an unlikely birdie.
McIlroy shied away from the notion this is a rematch with DeChambeau, a chance to atone from last June when he missed two short putts down the stretch.
“The big thing is not to make it a rematch,” McIlroy said. “Stay in my own little world. There's a few people who can make a run. I have to do what I've been doing, surround myself in my own little cocoon.”
DeChambeau was fist-pumping his way around Augusta National with key short-game shots. For all his power, this was a masterclass in chipping and putting. And he relishes a shot at green jacket, especially with McIlroy at his side.
“Two behind, I couldn't ask for more,” he said.
So much of what McIlroy did was a reminder of how much it all can change. Even so, his start was nothing short of astonishing.
A wedge to 10 feet for birdie on the first hole. And after the cheers died for DeChambeau's long birdie putt at the first, McIlroy cranked up the volume by chipping in for eagle on the par-5 second. He holed a 7-foot birdie on the third, had a two-putt on the par-3 fourth and then hammered another drive — 70 yards by Conners — leaving him a 9-iron to 18 feet for yet another birdie 3.
And it could have been better. He made a soft bogey on the par-5 eighth with a weak chip from behind the green. He missed a 5-foot birdie putt from above the hole on No. 9. He three-putted from long range for bogey on the 10th.
McIlroy missed another birdie chance on the 17th, missing an 8-foot putt and he was visibly angry with himself walking off the green. Every shot matters. McIlroy knows that from experience in 2011.
Patrick Reed, who won the Masters in 2018, birdied two of the last three holes for a 69 and was at 6-under 210 along with Ludvig Aberg, the runner-up a year ago who finally got in gear with three straight birdies on the back nine for a 69.
Shane Lowry also was in the mix, getting within two shots of the lead at one point until he missed a good birdie chance at the 15th and bogeys on the final two holes for a 72. He was seven behind.
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio said on Sunday that he is worried that the turmoil resulting from President Donald Trump's tariff and economic policies will threaten the global economy.
"Right now we are at a decision-making point and very close to a recession," Dalio said on NBC News' "Meet the Press." "And I'm worried about something worse than a recession if this isn't handled well."
The hedge fund billionaire said he's more concerned about trade disruptions, mounting U.S. debt and emerging world powers bringing down the international economic and geopolitical structure that has been in place since the end of World War II.
"We are going from multilateralism, which is largely an American world order type of thing, to a unilateral world order in which there's great conflict," he said.
Dalio said five forces drive history: the economy, internal political conflict, the international order, technology and acts of nature such as floods and pandemics. Trump's tariffs have understandable goals, Dalio said, but they are being implemented in a "very disruptive" way that creates global conflict.
The president's rapidly changing tariff policies have upended international trade. Trump on Wednesday announced a 90-day pause on his "reciprocal tariffs," but he stood firm on 10% baseline duties and 145% reciprocal tariffs on China.
Then, U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced an exemption from the reciprocal tariffs for Chinese-made consumer electronics like smartphones, computers and semiconductors late Friday, though the products remain subject to a 20% tariff imposed earlier in the year. But Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick backtracked on Sunday and said the exemption was not permanent.
In a Wednesday post on X, Dalio called for the U.S. to negotiate a "win-win" trade agreement with China that would appreciate the yuan against the dollar. He also called for both countries to address their growing debts.
Dalio on "Meet the Press" said on Sunday that Congress should reduce the federal deficit to 3% of gross domestic product, echoing comments he made at CNBC's CONVERGE LIVE event in March.
"If they don't, we're going to have a supply-demand problem for debt at the same time as we have these other problems, and the results of that will be worse than a normal recession," Dalio said.
The very value of money is at stake, Dalio said. A breakdown in the bond market, combined with events like internal and international conflict, could be an even more severe shock to the monetary system than President Richard Nixon's cancellation of the gold standard in 1971 and the global financial crisis in 2008.
That change is avoidable, Dalio said, if lawmakers work together to trim the deficit and the U.S. discourages conflict and inefficient policy on the global stage.
PRO: Watch CNBC's full interview with Bridgewater founder Ray Dalio
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President Donald Trump's Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested Sunday that the reciprocal tariff exemptions for some electronics may be short-lived, and said separate tariffs for these products are "coming soon."
"They're exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, but they're included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two," Lutnick said on ABC News' "This Week."
"So this is not like a permanent sort of exemption. [Trump's] just clarifying that these are not available to be negotiated away by countries," he said.
Lutnick added: "These are things that are national security that we need to be made in America."
Lutnick's comments throw cold water on hopes that popular tech products made in China, such as computers, laptops, smartphones, and flat-panel TVs, would be spared from Trump's 145% reciprocal tariffs — duties that raise prices for U.S. importers and are generally passed on to consumers.
They also add more confusion about Trump's tariff policy, which has changed repeatedly. Democratic lawmakers on Sunday said the changes are causing "chaos" and a "crisis of credibility" for Trump.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection late Friday evening announced exemptions for smartphones, computers, and other tech devices and components from Trump's reciprocal tariffs. A 20% tariff on all Chinese goods remains in effect.
Lutnick on Sunday emphasized that the U.S. "can't be beholden and rely upon foreign countries for fundamental things that we need."
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, in an attempt to clarify why the exemptions were made, said Sunday that they are "not really an exception," even though the executive order Trump signed concerning the exemptions is titled in part "Clarification of Exceptions."
"What happened is, this type of supply chain moved from the tariff regime for the global tariff, the reciprocal tariff, and it moved to the national security tariff regime," Greer said on CBS News' "Face the Nation."
The reciprocal tariff exemptions initially had brought a sigh of relief for major tech companies, including Apple, which manufactures most of its products in China.
But Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said the confusion sowed by the Trump administration's reversal late Friday on reciprocal tariffs on some electronics from China — and his sudden call on Wednesday for a 90-day pause in enforcing new tariffs on other countries — is harmful to the U.S.
"President Trump now has a crisis in credibility," he said in an interview Sunday on NBC News' "Meet the Press." "We're hearing from around the world. People just don't know if they can trust him."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., warned that the trade turmoil will deter businesses from investing in the U.S. "Right now what we've got is chaos," she said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."
"Investors will not invest in the United States when Donald Trump is playing red light, green light with tariffs."
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President Donald Trump's Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick suggested Sunday that the reciprocal tariff exemptions for some electronics may be short-lived, and said separate tariffs for these products are "coming soon."
"They're exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, but they're included in the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two," Lutnick said on ABC News' "This Week."
"So this is not like a permanent sort of exemption. [Trump's] just clarifying that these are not available to be negotiated away by countries," he said.
Lutnick added: "These are things that are national security that we need to be made in America."
Lutnick's comments throw cold water on hopes that popular tech products made in China, such as computers, laptops, smartphones, and flat-panel TVs, would be spared from Trump's 145% reciprocal tariffs — duties that raise prices for U.S. importers and are generally passed on to consumers.
They also add more confusion about Trump's tariff policy, which has changed repeatedly. Democratic lawmakers on Sunday said the changes are causing "chaos" and a "crisis of credibility" for Trump.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection late Friday evening announced exemptions for smartphones, computers, and other tech devices and components from Trump's reciprocal tariffs. A 20% tariff on all Chinese goods remains in effect.
Lutnick on Sunday emphasized that the U.S. "can't be beholden and rely upon foreign countries for fundamental things that we need."
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, in an attempt to clarify why the exemptions were made, said Sunday that they are "not really an exception," even though the executive order Trump signed concerning the exemptions is titled in part "Clarification of Exceptions."
"What happened is, this type of supply chain moved from the tariff regime for the global tariff, the reciprocal tariff, and it moved to the national security tariff regime," Greer said on CBS News' "Face the Nation."
The reciprocal tariff exemptions initially had brought a sigh of relief for major tech companies, including Apple, which manufactures most of its products in China.
But Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey said the confusion sowed by the Trump administration's reversal late Friday on reciprocal tariffs on some electronics from China — and his sudden call on Wednesday for a 90-day pause in enforcing new tariffs on other countries — is harmful to the U.S.
"President Trump now has a crisis in credibility," he said in an interview Sunday on NBC News' "Meet the Press." "We're hearing from around the world. People just don't know if they can trust him."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., warned that the trade turmoil will deter businesses from investing in the U.S. "Right now what we've got is chaos," she said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."
"Investors will not invest in the United States when Donald Trump is playing red light, green light with tariffs."
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When the stock market is in the middle of a panic, investors flee to bonds. Last week, that fundamental "flight to safety" approach didn't work. A surge in U.S. treasury bond yields sparked questions about the fundamental role of bonds in a diversified portfolio, and even bigger questions about whether an unprecedented shift away from the U.S. treasuries market and U.S. dollar could be underway.
Managing bond maturities had already become increasingly difficult for investors in a world of rapid interest rate swings and inflation as the Fed transitioned from an era of ultra-low interest rates to major rate hikes to fight inflation. Many have opted to only invest in ultrashort treasury bond funds to avoid the risk. But there's another concept used by financial advisors and wealth planning firms for decades that investing experts say can work for investors seeking shelter in the market storm that has hit both stocks and bonds as a result of President Trump's trade war: the bond ladder.
Experts say that in today's volatile atmosphere, this concept has the potential to offer exposure to treasury bonds without having to worry about massive short-term swings in prices and yields. The goal of a bond ladder is to invest in a wide range of treasury maturities, hold them all to maturity, and provide regular income, in the form of principal and interest, on a monthly basis.
Many financial advisors and wealth management firms continue to offer this strategy on a custom basis, but it is a lot of work and often reserved for high net worth clients.
The LifeX 2035 Term Income ETF (LDDR) brings the same approach into an ETF at a reasonable cost (an expense ratio of 0.25%, or 25 basis points), investing in treasuries, from 30-day issues to 10-year bonds, and has a fixed monthly income distributing roughly 11% to investors, through 2035. In a sense, for investors familiar with the target-date fund approach that is timed to invest in a manner that meets the life needs of an investor as they age, and who also understand the concept of annuities, this bond ladder ETF brings similar approaches to fixed-income personal finance. It provides monthly income with a decades-long horizon.
"When you buy a bond you know exactly what you're going to get," Nate Conrad, head of the LifeX mutual fund franchise at Stone Ridge Asset Management, said on CNBC's "ETF Edge" last Wednesday. "When you create a bond ladder, you don't care about these changes that we're seeing in bond prices because you're going to get what you're going to get," he said.
Independent ETF expert Dave Nadig says the bond ladder strategy is a safe bet in an agitated bond market because even as treasury prices and yields swing, it should not matter to the investor holding this kind of fund for regular income needs.
"You need to understand that when things happen like what's going on in the market right now where we have the bond market selloff, the net asset value of these is going to come down and that's going to be a shocker," Nadig said. "That's completely normal and you should not care because the point of this is holding it to completion, holding it to maturity. ... They are, to be blunt, very boring in construction, and I'm a big fan of boring when it's delivering an actual pattern of returns that investors need."
"When you create a ladder, you don't care about the prices," Conrad said. What you do care about, he said: "Peace of mind in a really tough time."
Most investors have opted for another approach to dealing with the recent bond market stress, leaning on ultrashort fixed-income bond ETFs. Mike Akins, founding partner at ETF Action, says ultrashort ETFs have become akin to money market funds for some investors.
"Ultrashort is far and away where you're getting most of the money," Akins said, with the recent data showing over 90% of bond ETF flows into the ultrashort category, which includes the iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF (SGOV) and SPDR Bloomberg 1-3 Month T-Bill ETF (BIL).
But Nadig says the bond ladder can serve a broader goal. "It's really about protecting the buying power here," he said. "This is about immunization from liabilities," he added. For any investor worried about mortgages, second properties, and college payments, "you take that cash flow and put it out of mind. It's a psychological tool. It's much easier to let it ride when you know how it will play out," he said.
Of course, no strategy is entirely without risk. In a world of hyper-inflation, there is no way to guarantee any investment can preserve buying power. And after a week during which investors seemed to question whether the U.S. bond market would continue to serve in its long-time role as the surest investment in the world, there is no ruling out the unthinkable, even if it does remain an unlikely outcome.
A U.S. treasury default is the only other reason to worry about a bond ladder strategy.
"God willing, we're in that world where you're never going to see that," Nadig said.
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China's Commerce Ministry called the U.S. tariff exemptions a "small step" and urged U.S. President Donald Trump to "completely abolish" the reciprocal tariffs, which include a 145% duty on imports from China.
"We urge the U.S. to heed the rational voices of the international community and domestic parties, take a big stride in correcting its mistakes, completely abolish the wrongful action of 'reciprocal tariffs,' and return to the correct path of resolving differences through equal dialogue based on mutual respect," the ministry said in an online statement, according to a CNBC translation.
The ministry also said China is "evaluating the relevant impact" of the tariff exemptions on some tech products announced late Friday.
The White House did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Sunday that "right now," there are not any plans for Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping to speak.
"This issue is truly at the leaders level," he said on CBS News' Face the Nation.
The response in China to U.S. tariffs can be seen in both state media and social media. The recent exemptions are being presented domestically as Trump is backing down and further evidence that Chinese supply chains are not easily replaceable by U.S. companies.
"Public opinion widely views this as another retreat by the U.S. government on its tariff policies," the official Beijing Daily wrote.
On China's popular social media platform Weibo, the hashtag "Trump administration retreats again" ranked No. 2 on the hot search list.
The Trump administration late Friday exempted some widely used tech devices and components, including smartphones, computers, semiconductors, solar cells and flash drives, from reciprocal tariffs, according to guidance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
The move was viewed as a major win for tech giants, including Apple, which manufacture many products in China. But the long-lasting effects on the U.S. economy and small businesses from the China tariffs may be irreversible, CNBC previously reported.
A 20% tariff on all Chinese products still remains in effect, despite the tariff exemption announcement.
— CNBC's Eunice Yoon contributed to this report
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I work as the editor for a magazine about Disney World, so I'm at the parks at least four or five times a year (for work, I swear!).
Every time I've gone, I've asked my husband, Trent, to join me, but he's always said no.
He'd say Disney isn't for him as he's not a huge fan of the movies, he gets severe motion sickness on the tamest of rides, and he hates big crowds. However, I was convinced I could plan a trip to win him over if only he'd give me a chance.
Earlier this year, we finally went together — and he loved it. Here's the adults-only trip that sealed the deal.
When I travel to Disney World for work, I'm always on the go, chasing stories and trying to cram in as many experiences as possible. That means my meals are usually quick Dole Whips and pretzels while standing in line.
However, to win Trent over, I decided to slow down and indulge in some of Disney World's best dining.
We visited at least one sit-down restaurant a day and stayed far away from character dining and buffets, where the food is usually an afterthought.
One of our favorite meals was at Sanaa, where we got the world-famous bread service and then watched animals roaming the safari at Animal Kingdom Lodge.
We also got a fancy dinner at Toledo, a steakhouse at the top of Gran Destino Tower, and a massive brunch at Chef Art Smith's Homecomin'.
Disney offers a lot of cool backstage tours, but one of the nerdiest (and cheapest at under $50 a person) is the Behind the Seeds Tour at Epcot's Land Pavilion.
For about an hour, a knowledgeable scientist took us on a small group tour of all the greenhouses, and we learned about the innovative ways Disney grows food and manages pests.
Although the tour isn't adults-only, the subject matter might be a little dry for little ones — and we didn't see many kids here when we went.
If you're on an adults-only trip, this tour could be a great way to get a break from the screaming toddlers around the parks.
It's no secret that World Showcase is the best place for 21-and-over fun at Disney World, and Trent and I definitely ordered a few drinks from the different pavilions.
However, as history buffs, we also enjoyed touring World Showcase beyond the food and drinks.
We stopped by each country pavilion's museum and enjoyed live entertainment from the Voices of Liberty at the American Adventure Pavilion and the taiko drummers at the Japan Pavilion.
When I do Disney alone, I'm a rope-drop-to-kiss-goodnight kinda guy, with no breaks in between. I love being at the parks from open to close, but I knew Trent would get burned out if we attempted that.
So I followed the advice I usually give parents with little kids: Take a midday break back at the hotel.
We'd nap, grab drinks at the pool bar, and even read in a hammock. Then, refreshed, we'd head back to the parks in the evening.
Coronado Springs Resort has a sangria class on weekends where you get to sample different types of sangria and concoct your own. This was a huge hit with Trent.
We also bar-hopped around Disney Springs with friends and went to the BoardWalk area's dueling piano bar, Jellyrolls, with some of my coworkers. (Jellyrolls is set to close later this month, unfortunately).
I get overwhelmed by large groups and loud noises, so I have a few favorite spots around the parks where I go to cool off and decompress.
I really liked sharing my favorite secret spots in Disney with Trent, who also doesn't do well in crowds. My favorite is Tom Sawyer Island, which is unfortunately set to be replaced with "Cars" attractions this year.
I also took him to the koi pond in Epcot's Japan Pavilion to decompress, the patio of BaseLine Tap House to people watch with beers, and the Discovery Island Trail at Animal Kingdom to go on a quiet walk.
Having some spaces all to ourselves at Disney World made the experience more magical.
Because Trent experiences severe motion sickness, we couldn't do too many rides. Haunted Mansion and Spaceship Earth were OK, but even something like Soarin' or Rise of the Resistance would've been too much for him.
Fortunately, this meant we weren't stressed about waiting in long lines to get on rides or managing Lightning Lane passes to try to skip them. Instead, we simply walked around and enjoyed the theming of each park.
We also spent a lot of time watching shows — and there are a lot of good ones at Disney. Our favorites included the "Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular," "Festival of the Lion King," and, of course, "Fantasmic."
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Billie Jean King has had a prolific career as a No. 1 tennis player in the world and fierce advocate for women's representation and equality in sports and beyond.
So it makes sense that people often ask her for her best advice for doing meaningful work that makes a positive impact.
King says the best career advice she has to offer is something she and her mentor, the late businessman Edgar Woolard, came up with together — she had once asked him for guidance on what to say during a college commencement speech she was giving.
They wanted to balance advice that helps people achieve outward success, like money and recognition, with inner success and what keeps people happy, King told CNBC Make It at an event in partnership with e.l.f. to recognize King becoming the first female athlete to receive a Hollywood Walk of Fame star for sports entertainment.
King and Woolard came up with three key elements to success:
"Those are the three things that I hope will help anybody at any age, but particularly young people," King says.
To King's point of continual learning, the 81-year-old recently re-enrolled in college to earn the history degree she started more than 60 years ago; King left college in 1964 to pursue her tennis career, but now she's back to hitting the books as part of California State University L.A.'s Class of 2026.
King says she'd been thinking about finishing her degree for many years and figured now was the time to finally do it.
"I love history," she says. "The more you know about history, and the more you know about yourself. It's amazing."
History-making game-changers, after all, inspire her to greatness. King considers Althea Gibson, who in 1950 became the first Black tennis player to compete in the U.S. National Championships and had a storied career, an early inspiration.
King continues to be inspired by women athletes paving the future of women's sports today, she says: "I look at all of them and realize how hard they must have worked just to get where they are."
Do you want a new career that's higher-paying, more flexible or fulfilling? Take CNBC's new online course How to Change Careers and Be Happier at Work. Expert instructors will teach you strategies to network successfully, revamp your resume and confidently transition into your dream career. Register today and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 30% off $67 (+taxes and fees) through May 13, 2025.
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Russia and Ukraine's top diplomats on Saturday used a high-level conference in Turkey to once again trade accusations of violating a tentative U.S.-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure, underscoring the challenges of negotiating an end to the 3-year-old war.
The two foreign ministers spoke at separate events at the annual Antalya Diplomacy Forum, a day after U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss peace prospects. Ukraine's European allies on Friday promised billions of dollars to help Kyiv keep fighting Russia's invasion.
While Moscow and Kyiv both agreed in principle last month to implement a limited, 30-day ceasefire, they issued conflicting statements soon after their separate talks with U.S. officials in Saudi Arabia. They differed on the start time of halting strikes, and alleged near-immediate breaches by the other side.
"The Ukrainians have been attacking us from the very beginning, every passing day, maybe with two or three exceptions," Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said, adding that Moscow would provide the U.S., Turkey and international bodies with a list of Kyiv's attacks during the past three weeks.
A representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry separately told state media Saturday that Moscow has been sharing intelligence with the U.S. regarding more than 60 supposed breaches of the deal by Kyiv.
Lavrov on Saturday insisted Russia had stuck to the terms of the deal.
His Ukrainian counterpart, Andrii Sybiha, fiercely contested that claim, saying Russia had launched "almost 70 missiles, over 2,200 (exploding) drones, and over 6,000 guided aerial bombs at Ukraine, mostly at civilians," since agreeing to the limited pause on strikes.
"This clearly shows to the world who wants peace and who wants war," he said.
Russian forces hold the advantage in Ukraine, and Kyiv has warned Moscow is planning a fresh spring offensive to ramp up pressure on its foe and improve its negotiating position.
Ukraine has endorsed a broader U.S. ceasefire proposal, but Russia has effectively blocked it by imposing far-reaching conditions. European governments have accused Putin of dragging his feet.
"Russia has to get moving" on the road to ending the war, U.S. President Donald Trump posted on social media Friday. He said the war is "terrible and senseless."
Lavrov on Saturday reiterated that a prospective U.S.-backed agreement, also discussed in Saudi Arabia, to ensure safe navigation for commercial vessels in the Black Sea could not be implemented until restrictions are lifted on Russian access to shipping insurance, docking ports and international payment systems.
Details of the prospective deal were not released, but it appeared to mark another attempt to ensure safe Black Sea shipping after a 2022 agreement that was brokered by the U.N. and Turkey but halted by Russia the following year.
Ukraine's air force said a second F-16 fighter jet supplied by Western allies has been lost and its pilot, 26-year-old Pavlo Ivanov, killed.
Ukraine's General Staff said the F-16 crashed while repelling a Russian missile strike. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday offered condolences to Ivanov's family, saying, "We are proud of our soldiers. We will give a strong and apt response."
Ukraine said the first F-16 was shot down last August, after it intercepted three Russian missiles and a drone.
Since last July, Ukraine has received multiple batches of the fighter jets from Denmark and the Netherlands, with U.S. approval. Their total number has not been disclosed.
Meanwhile, Russian drones killed at least two civilians in Ukraine's southern Kherson region on Saturday, according to local Gov. Oleksandr Prokudin.
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Lynn Benning, 67, said every financial downturn has hit her differently.
During the stagflation of 1980, she was in her 20s, single, and stressed out about affording rent on an entry-level income.
Amid the 2008 Great Recession, she was married and in her 40s. She and her husband rethought their assets and retirement prep. They'd just bought a house, couldn't afford furniture for it, and ended up selling it later at a loss.
In today's uncertain economy, she's forgoing major purchases and focusing on building savings. Having cash on hand and avoiding credit card debt helped her reestablish financial stability in the past, she said.
"Sometimes you're going to have bad luck," Benning said. "We just sucked it up and started over again."
It's some much-needed perspective after the stock market's hectic week driven by the twists and turns of President Donald Trump's trade war. Billionaires, CEOs, and Wall Street have signaled they're bracing for an economic downturn. Recession jitters have Americans of all ages saying they're holding off on big purchases, delaying family and job plans, and feeling the emotional weight of economic uncertainty.
With policy whiplash from the White House, BI spoke with three baby boomers about their experiences with past recessions, particularly the Great Recession that followed the 2008 financial crisis: how downturns shaped their finances, major life decisions, and how they approach setbacks. They told us what they learned — and what mistakes young people should avoid.
When the housing market crashed in 2008, Nancy Neff was in her mid-50s. She had most of her investments in her 401(k), and though she was losing money in the stock market, she didn't touch her retirement account.
Now, the 72-year-old Connecticut resident's investments have weathered two major economic downturns, but she still managed to retire comfortably with a nest egg of over $1 million after a long career in academia and software engineering. She said she receives a few thousand dollars in monthly Social Security but doesn't have to rely on it to pay bills.
"I put money in a diversified mutual fund and ignored it. I didn't play with it, and I didn't try to time the market," she said, adding, "I'm in pretty good shape."
For retirees — and hopeful retirees — the peaks and valleys of the stock market have caused financial anxiety. Some Americans told BI that they lost tens of thousands of dollars from their 401(k)s in recent months, and others said they are rethinking their plans to leave the workforce.
Still, older Americans BI spoke with cautioned against making rash investment decisions. In the long run, it's best to leave investments as is and ride out any market volatility, they said. BI has heard this advice from financial advisors, too. Per IG Wealth Management, it took the S&P 500 about six years to fully rebound from the 2008 crash, but other downturns have been resolved quicker.
If you can afford to leave your 401(k) alone, Neff said it's the wisest thing to do.
"Have six months at least of savings so that if something happens, you're not cashing in your 401(k)," she said. "Whether that's something happening to you personally or something happening to the larger economy, have a cushion."
Beyond having a cool and calm stock strategy, boomers told BI it's important to have cash savings in case of a recession. Having an emergency fund can offer peace of mind in case of job losses, unexpected expenses, or high consumer prices.
It may be tough advice for people who feel like they're living paycheck to paycheck, but boomers said if there is ever a time in life to try to cut back and save, it's ahead of a possible recession.
Gail Lisenbard, 65, is doing her best to build savings. She's a philosophy lecturer at the University of Colorado Boulder but teaches remotely from Naples, Florida. The 65-year-old and her partner have paid off their mortgage, but they're trying to cut costs due to recession fears.
Lisenbard's mindful spending strategy began after she lost her job in the 2008 recession. Since then, she has struggled to find a job that offers a high 401(k) match and has learned how to save as much money as possible on her lecturer income.
She said she paid off her car, which used to cost her $200 a month, and has saved an additional $300 by cutting back on dining out and entertainment. Lisenbard also tries to save money by grooming her mini golden doodle, Abby, by herself.
"I'm saving by making some really serious decisions about what I can do, what I can't do," she said, adding that she hopes to retire this fall.
Some of the baby boomers BI spoke with expressed regrets about navigating past recessions. Benning said she wished she hadn't bought a house before the 2008 market crash, and Lisenbard wished she had built a bigger nest egg when she had a job with strong benefits.
At the same time, all said their takeaways from past recessions taught them how to better navigate the stock market, savings, and major life decisions in periods of uncertainty. They hope the wisdom they've gained over time will help them recover faster from future downturns.
A couple of months ago, as federal policy was beginning to change under Trump, Neff said she added more money to her emergency fund so that she could ride out economic changes. She's done the same in other times of unpredictability, and she said getting a bank account with compound interest allows her to build up her savings quicker.
She now spends her retirement traveling the world. A decade ago, just after she stopped work, she said she boarded a cruise to Europe and still chooses cheap lodging and transportation wherever she goes —because you never know what the future holds. When BI spoke with her this week, she was taking lace-making classes in Belgium.
"Live well within your means when times are good so that when times are bad, you still have a cushion," she said. "And I have always had enough of a cushion."
Have a tip or story to share? Contact these reporters via email or Signal at allisonkelly@businessinsider.com or alliekelly.10; and jdeng@businessinsider.com or @jdeng.20.
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TOKYO, April 13 (Reuters) - Japan must strengthen the yen, such as by helping boost the country's industrial competitiveness, as the currency's weakness has pushed up households' living costs, the ruling party's policy chief said on Sunday.
Ahead of trade talks with the U.S., Itsunori Onodera, chair of the Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Research Council, also said Japan should not intentionally sell its U.S. Treasury holdings, the largest outside the United States, in retaliation against tariffs levied by President Donald Trump.
"As a U.S. ally, the government shouldn't think about intentionally using U.S. Treasury holdings," Onodera told a programme on public broadcaster NHK, rejecting an opposition lawmaker's suggestion that Tokyo use its huge holdings of U.S. government debt as a negotiating tool in bilateral trade talks.
By blaming the weak yen for accelerating inflation, Onodera could be signalling that Japanese policymakers consider the yen's downtrend, rather than its recent rebound, as the bigger problem for the economy.
"The weak yen has been among factors pushing up prices," Onodera said. "To strengthen the yen, it's important to strengthen Japanese companies."
The bilateral trade negotiations this week will likely include the thorny topic of currency policy, with some officials privately bracing for Washington to call on Tokyo to prop up the yen.
The slow pace at which the Bank of Japan is raising interest rates from ultra-low levels could also come under fire, sources have told Reuters.
Tokyo's top trade negotiator Ryosei Akazawa, the minister for economic revitalisation, will meet Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday, two people familiar with the negotiations told Reuters.
Japan has historically sought to prevent its currency from rising too much, as a strong yen would hurt its export-reliant economy. But in recent years as the BOJ continued its ultra-loose monetary policy while the Federal Reserve raised U.S. interest rates, the yen slid to nearly three-decade lows.
Tokyo intervened to buy the yen in 2022 and again last year, when the dollar had risen to nearly 160 yen. The Japanese currency has recently rallied in a broad-based sell-off of the dollar, which fell on Friday as low as 142.895 yen, its lowest since September.
The 10 trading days since Trump hit automakers with tariffs were the most convulsive since the pandemic panic of 2020, as prices of stocks, bonds, oil, gold and the dollar swung wildly.
Selling in Treasuries - the linchpin safe asset in global markets - was the heaviest for decades. A massive wave of selling that hit U.S. government debt in Asia on Wednesday stoked market speculation China was among those unloading its holdings.
The Treasury sell-off was among the factors that led Trump to announce a 90-day pause on his "reciprocal" tariff plan, with Bessent likely playing a key role.
Japan held $1.079 trillion in Treasuries in January, followed by China with $760.8 billion, according to Treasury Department data.
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Crypto World News
April 14, 2025 by Vaigha Varghese
Have you ever looked back at a crypto's past price and thought, “I wish I had bought it when it was cheap”? The best altcoins for next bull run are already making moves, and those who spot them early could secure life-changing gains. The market is heating up, and while big names dominate the headlines, it's the hidden gems—quietly building and innovating—that offer the highest upside potential. With institutional interest surging and major upgrades coming to key projects, some altcoins are gearing up for a game-changing rally. The only question is: will you get in before the rest of the world catches on?
One of the biggest names making waves right now is Qubetics, a powerful Web3 aggregator designed to unify major blockchains. Its game-changing approach to cross-border transactions and its fast-moving presale have made it one of the best altcoins for the next bull run. But it's not the only one. Several other cryptos are also primed for serious growth, thanks to their groundbreaking technology and increasing adoption. Let's dive into these six altcoins that won't stay under the radar for long.
Qubetics is shaking up the financial world by making international transactions faster, cheaper, and more transparent. By leveraging blockchain technology, it allows businesses and individuals to bypass the slow and expensive traditional banking system. Imagine sending money across the globe in seconds without relying on outdated SWIFT networks or costly remittance services. That's the power of Qubetics.
This Web3 aggregator seamlessly connects multiple blockchains, creating a frictionless experience for global transactions. Banks and financial institutions are already eyeing its potential to replace outdated cross-border payment methods. Whether it's a freelancer in India getting paid by a client in the U.S. or a multinational company managing cash flows across different regions, Qubetics ensures instant, secure, and cost-efficient settlements. This real-world utility cements its place among the best altcoins for next bull run.
What if the next bull run isn't about chasing hype—but catching the right altcoin before it blows up? Qubetics is gaining serious momentum and positioning itself as one of the best altcoins for next bull run. The project is deep into its 29th presale stage, priced at just $0.1573, and here's the catch—each stage only lasts 7 days. When Sunday hits at 12 AM, the price jumps by 10%. With over $16 million raised, 24,600+ token holders, and 507 million $TICS tokens already sold, this presale is anything but slow. And the big move? The mainnet launches in Q2 2025, lining it up perfectly for anyone planning their next big play.
Now let's talk what that actually means for your money. If you drop $100 into Qubetics right now, you're picking up 636 tokens. Once $TICS hits $1, that turns into $636—a 535.65% ROI. But if it pushes to $5, you're looking at $3,078.26. At $6, that jumps to $3,713.88, and post-mainnet at $10, you're seeing a crazy $6,256.47. At $15, your $100 becomes $9,434.71. These numbers speak for themselves, and it's why the Qubetics presale is being seen as the best crypto presale right now. If you're eyeing high-potential plays, this is easily one of the best altcoins for next bull run—but the window to grab it early is closing fast.
Why This Coin Made It to This List: With real-world use cases, strong institutional interest, and an incredibly structured presale, Qubetics isn't just another altcoin—it's a financial revolution in the making and easily one of the best altcoins for next bull run.
Polkadot has long been hailed as the king of blockchain interoperability. Its parachain model allows different blockchains to communicate seamlessly, solving one of crypto's biggest limitations. As the need for cross-chain compatibility grows, Polkadot is positioned to dominate the space.
Recent developments include major upgrades to the Polkadot 2.0 framework, which aims to enhance scalability and governance. With projects like Moonbeam and Acala thriving within its ecosystem, Polkadot is quickly becoming the backbone of the decentralized internet.
Why This Coin Made It to This List: As Web3 expands, Polkadot's multi-chain architecture is more essential than ever, making it a prime contender for massive growth in the next bull run.
Imagine hosting websites, apps, and smart contracts on a fully decentralized network rather than relying on centralized giants like AWS and Google Cloud. That's exactly what ICP is doing. By providing a censorship-resistant, scalable infrastructure for Web3 applications, ICP is redefining how the internet operates.
Its recent partnership expansions and advancements in smart contract capabilities have positioned ICP as a serious alternative to traditional cloud services. As more developers build on this network, its value is set to surge.
Why This Coin Made It to This List: Decentralized cloud computing is a multi-billion-dollar industry, and ICP is leading the charge with unmatched scalability and security.
Near Protocol has quickly become a top choice for developers due to its speed, low fees, and user-friendly programming environment. With its innovative Nightshade sharding mechanism, NEAR delivers high-speed transactions without compromising security.
Recently, Near has been integrating with major DeFi and NFT platforms, bringing more users and liquidity into its ecosystem. As demand for scalable dApps grows, Near Protocol is set to see massive adoption.
Why This Coin Made It to This List: With scalability at its core and strong developer adoption, Near Protocol is a sleeping giant in the making.
Toncoin is emerging as one of the most promising Layer-1 blockchains, thanks to its deep integration with Telegram. With Telegram's massive global user base, TON has the potential to onboard millions into crypto seamlessly.
Its focus on ultra-fast transactions and low fees makes it perfect for decentralized apps, NFTs, and micropayments. As Telegram expands its crypto capabilities, Toncoin's value proposition becomes even stronger.
Why This Coin Made It to This List: With one of the largest social media platforms backing it, TON has the network effect to drive widespread adoption.
Zignaly is bringing the power of social investing to crypto by allowing participants to copy-trade experts with ease. As more people look for passive income opportunities in crypto, Zignaly's model is set to explode in popularity.
Its partnership with major trading firms and ongoing improvements in AI-driven investment strategies are making Zignaly one of the hottest platforms in crypto. As the next bull run kicks in, demand for automated trading solutions will be through the roof.
Why This Coin Made It to This List: Crypto trading is becoming more accessible, and Zignaly's social investing model is perfectly positioned for mainstream adoption.
The best altcoins for next bull run won't just be hype-driven—they'll have real-world applications, strong ecosystems, and high user adoption. Qubetics, Polkadot, ICP, Near Protocol, Toncoin, and Zignaly each bring something unique to the table, making them prime candidates for massive growth. With the Qubetics presale offering a rare chance to get in early, those who join this best crypto presale now could be sitting on some of the biggest gains in the next market cycle. The clock is ticking—are you ready to seize the opportunity?
Qubetics: https://qubetics.com
Presale: https://buy.qubetics.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/qubetics
Twitter: https://x.com/qubetics
1. What are the best altcoins for the next bull run?
The best altcoins for the next bull run include Qubetics, Polkadot, Internet Computer Protocol, Near Protocol, Toncoin, and Zignaly due to their strong fundamentals and increasing adoption.
2. Why is Qubetics considered one of the best crypto presales?
Qubetics offers a high ROI potential, a strong presale structure with price increases every week, and real-world use cases in cross-border payments, making it the best crypto presale to watch.
3. When is the next crypto bull run expected?
While exact timing is uncertain, historical trends suggest the next bull run could occur in late 2025 or early 2026, especially with upcoming Bitcoin halvings and institutional adoption.
Filed Under: News, Press Release
Copyright © 2025 · Tron Weekly. All Rights Reserved. NOTE: Tron Weekly is an independent crypto news site that adheres to the strict journalism policy anchored on transparency, trust, and objectivity, we have no affiliation with the TRON Foundation, its founder Justin Sun or any other cryptocurrency firm.
Bitcoin (BTC) proponent Michael Saylor has hinted the company he co-founded, Strategy (MSTR), may be set to announce an additional BTC purchase this week shortly after revealing it expects a net loss in the first quarter of the year over unrealized losses on its massive BTC holdings.
The company has added 80,785 BTC to its balance sheet since the beginning of the year after raising a total of $7.69 billion during the first quarter, with over half of that coming from common stock sales. Most, if not all, of those funds were used to buy bitcoin.
On Sunday, Saylor posted a BTC holdings tracker to X, a move that typically precedes a purchase announcement, commenting there are “no tariffs on orange dots.” The comment implies the company's BTC purchases were unaffected by the reciprocal tariffs Donald Trump introduced earlier this month and the ensuing U.S.-China trade war.
No Tariffs on Orange Dots pic.twitter.com/Cg3bCVPMcM
The company paused its buying during the week ending April 6. Its crypto stash is currently worth roughly $44.59 billion, and was acquired for $35.63 billion.
Strategy currently holds 528,185 BTC bought at an average price of $67,458 according to Bitcointreasuries data equivalent to 2.515% of the cryptocurrency's total supply.
Francisco is a reporter for CoinDesk with a passion for cryptocurrencies and personal finance. Before joining CoinDesk he worked at major financial and crypto publications. He owns bitcoin, ether, solana, and PAXG above CoinDesk's $1,000 disclosure threshold.
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World Liberty Financial, the crypto venture backed by U.S. President Donald Trump's family, purchased $775,000 worth of SEI tokens as its altcoin accumulation strategy keeps going.
The move was funded with USDC transferred from the project's main wallet to a trading wallet that has been used in prior altcoin buys, according to fresh data from Arkham Intelligence.
The SEI purchase adds to a growing portfolio that includes not only the top two cryptocurrencies, bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH), but also TRX, movement (MOVE), ondo (ONDO) and various other tokens.
World Liberty Financial recently denied selling ether or any of its other positions after reports suggested a wallet belonging to the project sold around $8 million worth of the second-largest cryptocurrency.
The price of SEI jumped after the move was reported and is up more than 27% over the past week as a result to now trade at $0.178 per token.
Francisco is a reporter for CoinDesk with a passion for cryptocurrencies and personal finance. Before joining CoinDesk he worked at major financial and crypto publications. He owns bitcoin, ether, solana, and PAXG above CoinDesk's $1,000 disclosure threshold.
About
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World Liberty Financial, the crypto venture backed by U.S. President Donald Trump's family, purchased $775,000 worth of SEI tokens as its altcoin accumulation strategy keeps going.
The move was funded with USDC transferred from the project's main wallet to a trading wallet that has been used in prior altcoin buys, according to fresh data from Arkham Intelligence.
The SEI purchase adds to a growing portfolio that includes not only the top two cryptocurrencies, bitcoin (BTC) and ether (ETH), but also TRX, movement (MOVE), ondo (ONDO) and various other tokens.
World Liberty Financial recently denied selling ether or any of its other positions after reports suggested a wallet belonging to the project sold around $8 million worth of the second-largest cryptocurrency.
The price of SEI jumped after the move was reported and is up more than 27% over the past week as a result to now trade at $0.178 per token.
Francisco is a reporter for CoinDesk with a passion for cryptocurrencies and personal finance. Before joining CoinDesk he worked at major financial and crypto publications. He owns bitcoin, ether, solana, and PAXG above CoinDesk's $1,000 disclosure threshold.
About
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David Sacks led the tech elite's rightward shift. Now the investor and longtime Musk associate is helping Trump unchain the crypto industry.
Before President Donald Trump promised to make America the “crypto capital of the planet” — launching a meme coin, signing two executive orders promoting cryptocurrency and feting executives at the White House — he attended an intimate fundraising dinner at the San Francisco home of tech investor David Sacks.
At the $50,000-a-ticket event, a handful of crypto executives told the presidential candidate that they were being persecuted by the Biden administration, which they said had weaponized the law to thwart the burgeoning industry.
The appeals seemed to resonate with Trump, five guests told The Washington Post, helping lock in his support for crypto, a sector the president had previously called a “scam.”
The dinner was a turning point for both Trump and Sacks, cementing a political alliance that has lifted both men to power in Washington — and stands to transform the fortunes of the crypto industry. A longtime Silicon Valley power broker and associate of Elon Musk, Sacks rallied the tech elite to back Trump's return to the White House. In turn, Trump appointed Sacks to the new role of White House artificial intelligence and crypto czar, putting the investor — and the once-spurned crypto executives — in a position to drive policy on two of the most disruptive sectors in tech.
In an interview with The Post, Sacks described his new role as “being a bit of a bridge” between Silicon Valley and Washington. “My job is to advise on innovation policy based on decades of experience in tech,” Sacks said.
Sacks's influence was notable from Trump's first week in office, when the president unveiled a pair of executive orders on crypto and AI. “They're going to make a lot of money for the country,” Trump said after signing the orders, flanked by Sacks. “And so is David. You have to check him out. There's nobody like this guy.”
In response to the orders, the Justice Department disbanded a unit dedicated to investigating cryptocurrency crimes, directing prosecutors in a memo Monday to pull back on pursuing some cases against the industry.
Tech elites have pinned their hopes on Sacks, banking on him to encourage unfettered growth in AI and to carve out clear rules of the road for crypto. “You're going in to fix the two things that were [on] all of our agendas in Silicon Valley in terms of getting returns for the next four years,” said investor Jason Calacanis, Sacks's co-host on the popular “All-In” podcast, in a March episode.
In recent days, as global markets reacted to Trump's tariff plan and Musk traded barbs with administration advisers, Sacks initially remained focused on his purview, touting from his White House X account new rules to benefit stablecoins.
But as the stock markets recouped some of the historic losses on Tuesday, Sacks took a victory lap: “Black Monday Hoax is over,” he wrote on his personal account on X. The brief rally sputtered, and the S&P 500 closed down 1.5 percent that day — nearing a bear market. It ultimately ended the week up 8 percent, but below its value at the start of the year.
Sacks defended Trump's tariffs strategy on Friday's episode of “All-In.” After Larry Summers, treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton, unfavorably compared the U.S. economy to that of Argentina, Sacks countered that Trump had given America “extraordinary leverage over virtually every country in the world.”
Amid economic uncertainty, critics fear that Sacks, who was heavily invested in crypto before divesting for his White House role, will usher in an industry-led free-for-all, leaving consumers vulnerable to scams and volatility. Customers lost more than $8 billion in deposits when the crypto exchange FTX imploded in 2022.
“There's no reason to think that he won't be bringing a view that is ‘corporations first' as opposed to America or Americans first,” said Rick Claypool, research director of Public Citizen, a money-in-politics watchdog group. “It's a tragedy for the American people who rely on the federal government to protect them.”
Crypto companies are surging, buoyed by the new administration. In Congress, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Tennessee) steered a bill to legitimize stablecoins — cryptocurrencies pegged to the dollar — through a committee that rejected the proposal under President Joe Biden. Agencies such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) have made it easier for banks to work with crypto companies by pledging to not focus on a bank's “reputational risk.”
Through executive order, Trump established a strategic reserve composed of the bitcoin that the federal government has seized through forfeitures, as well as a stockpile of other digital currencies taken by the government. Before Trump took office, cryptocurrency executives and investors pressed Trump to create a reserve to pay down the national debt.
And since Trump took office, the Securities and Exchange Commission has dropped or paused more than a dozen cases against crypto firms. “The SEC staff make their own decisions about enforcement actions,” a spokesperson for Sacks said.
“This is it — the moment we've been waiting for,” Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse posted in March on X, announcing that the SEC would drop its court fight against the company.
Hosting crypto executives for a White House summit last month, Trump pledged to end Biden's “war on crypto” as Sacks marveled at the swift turnaround.
“Your administration is moving at tech speed. It's really amazing,” he said, turning to the president. “It's actually faster than any start-up that I've been part of.”
Sacks has long stood out in Silicon Valley for his conservative bent and his ties to self-proclaimed “PayPal Mafia” iconoclasts such as Peter Thiel and Musk. But the popularity of his podcast “All-In” transformed him into an influencer with the tech set — with some holding him responsible for shifting venture capitalist elites to the right.
Born in Cape Town, South Africa, Sacks came to the United States as a child in the late 1970s when his family immigrated to Tennessee.
He met Thiel as a student at Stanford University and with him co-wrote the 1995 book “The Diversity Myth,” a polemic against political correctness on college campuses that anticipated central concerns of conservative politics today.
“He's earned a lot of street cred for being a voice for this extremely libertarian ideology when it was not in vogue,” said Niki Christoff, a D.C.-based consultant who previously worked in public policy for Salesforce, Uber and Google.
Sacks reunited with Thiel at PayPal. After the company was acquired by eBay in 2002, early employees, including Musk, parlayed their fortunes into building powerful companies such as defense contractor Palantir.
Sacks turned to investing full time after selling work-messaging company Yammer to Microsoft for $1.2 billion in 2012. His firm Craft Ventures focused on business software but took stakes in Musk's companies, including SpaceX, and a handful of AI and crypto start-ups.
A lifelong contrarian, Sacks donated to Mitt Romney in 2012, Hillary Clinton in 2016 and stayed on the sidelines in 2020. After the coronavirus shuttered San Francisco, Sacks and his venture capitalist “besties” started “All-In,” talking for hours each week about business, investing and, increasingly, politics.
Sacks was initially a punchy conservative foil to his centrist co-hosts, who like many in tech had historically backed Democrats. He argued that the U.S. should not support Ukraine's fight against Russia and called for government protections for depositors after Silicon Valley Bank collapsed. Over time, the besties — and the tech chattering class as a whole — began to agree more with Sacks.
“They were thinking out loud together, bringing ‘All-In' listeners along for the ride,” said a person close to the White House, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment. “Sacks was the tip of the spear.”
The “All-In” crew endorsed Musk's claims that liberal tech companies quashed free speech and cheered his mass firings at Twitter, where Sacks assisted Musk's takeover.
When the 2024 presidential race began, Sacks helped launch Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's campaign, co-hosting him and Musk in a conversation streamed on Twitter. Meanwhile, “All-In” hosted independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Republican contender Vivek Ramaswamy — whom Sacks also held fundraisers for — as well as Democrat Dean Phillips. The candidates got access to millions of listeners, while the hosts of “All-In” elevated the priorities of the investor class.
When Trump joined the show in June, he sounded like one of the besties when he explained that the U.S. must double or triple the capacity of its electric grid to compete with China in AI, a realization Trump said he had “at David's house and talking to a lot of geniuses from Silicon Valley.”
Sacks officially endorsed Trump the day of his June fundraiser — more than a month before the attempted assassination of Trump in July, after which Musk and other tech titans embraced the GOP candidate.
“With respect to economic policy, foreign policy, border policy, and legal fairness, Trump performed better” than Biden, Sacks wrote on X, announcing his endorsement.
Sacks was influential in lobbying Trump to pick JD Vance, a protégé of Thiel, for vice president, The Post has reported. As Trump's tech czar, Sacks seized the opportunity to do more than just advise Trump.
Like Musk, Sacks is a “special government employee,” exempt from certain disclosure rules and only permitted to work for the federal government for 130 days a year. “Sacks is staying within that limit by alternating weeks working for the White House and working in the Bay Area,” a spokesperson said.
“He's Team America,” said entrepreneur Trevor Traina, who attended Sacks's fundraiser and was ambassador to Austria in Trump's first term. “An incredibly wealthy guy with a beautiful lifestyle and all that, who doesn't have to be running at full tilt but who chooses to do so.”
Three days before Trump's inauguration, the president-elect underscored that his interest in crypto was also personal.
While Sacks co-hosted the Crypto Ball, a jubilant black-tie affair in D.C., Trump promoted a crypto coin called $TRUMP, launched by companies with ties to his family.
Crypto insiders recognized it as a meme coin, designed to ride online hype. Some became concerned that the “crypto president” might be prioritizing his own portfolio. Trump seemed to be “acting almost as a crypto entrepreneur, which we don't need,” said Nic Carter, founding partner of the investment firm Castle Island Ventures.
Political watchdogs have also raised questions about Sacks's crypto holdings. Sacks pushed back, revealing in sharp X posts that he had voluntarily divested many of his crypto holdings and related investments months earlier.
“The supposed ‘watchdogs' were revealed to be making baseless accusations when the truth came out about David's divestments,” a Sacks spokesperson said.
A White House memo said Sacks and Craft Ventures sold over $200 million in digital assets or related ventures.
Trump's czar appeared to have smoothed over the controversy. “A lot of people think if they're coming to D.C. to do policy, but you're not, you're doing politics,” said one crypto lobbyist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid retaliation. Yet Sacks may still be asked to lend credibility “to whatever wacky plan a bunch of barbarians have come up with,” the person added.
Silicon Valley executives whom Sacks has called for advice on White House business say he is energized by the challenges of Washington bureaucracy.
Sacks came across more like a sober student of government than a DOGE disciple when he summed up his first few weeks in D.C. on an episode of “All-In.”
Sacks described a news conference where the chairs of four House and Senate committees pledged to pass crypto legislation by year's end.
“There were a lot of people on X who felt like this wasn't a mind-blowing announcement. They wanted something that they could trade on right away,” Sacks said. But such pro-crypto unity in Congress was new. “So that is pretty monumental,” he added.
The company continues to buy Bitcoin amid the recent economic downturn that has negatively impacted markets and left investors uncertain.
Strategy co-founder Michael Saylor has signaled that the company plans to acquire more Bitcoin (BTC) following a nearly two-week pause in purchases.
The company's most recent acquisition of 22,048 Bitcoin on March 31 brought its total holdings to 528,185 BTC.
According to SaylorTracker, Strategy's BTC investment is up by approximately 24%, representing over $8.6 billion in unrealized gains.
Strategy continues to accumulate BTC amid the recent market downturn that took Bitcoin's price below the $80,000 level, and the company continues to be closely monitored by BTC investors as a barometer for institutional interest in BTC.
Strategy's Bitcoin purchase history. Source: SaylorTracker
Related: Has Michael Saylor's Strategy built a house of cards?
The current macroeconomic uncertainty from the ongoing trade tensions between the United States and China has negatively impacted risk-on assets across the board.
Stock markets wiped away trillions in shareholder value in response to Trump's sweeping tariff order, and crypto markets also experienced a deep sell-off.
Data from the Total3, an indicator that tracks the market capitalization of the entire crypto sector excluding BTC and Ether (ETH), shows that altcoins have collectively shed over 33% of their value since the market peak in December 2024.
By comparison, BTC is only down roughly 22% from its peak of over $109,000 in January 2025 and is currently rangebound, trading around the $84,000 level.
The Total3 crypto market cap, pictured in blue, compared to the price of Bitcoin. Source: TradingView
The price of Bitcoin remained relatively stable amid a $5 trillion sell-off in the stock market, lending credence to Bitcoin's use case as a store-of-value asset as opposed to a risk-on investment.
Speaking with Cointelegraph at Paris Blockchain Week 2025, Cypherpunk and CEO of digital asset infrastructure company Blockstream, Adam Back said the macroeconomic pressures from a prolonged trade war would make Bitcoin an increasingly attractive store of value.
Back forecasted inflation to surge to 10-15% in the next decade, making real investment returns on traditional asset classes such as stocks and real estate incredibly difficult for market participants.
"There is a real prospect of Bitcoin competing with gold and then starting to take some of the gold use cases,” Back told Cointelegraph managing editor Gareth Jenkinson.
Magazine: Bitcoiner sex trap extortion? BTS firm's blockchain disaster: Asia Express
In April 2025, the cryptocurrency market has been volatile due to macroeconomic factors and political developments. After crypto's black Monday dip, the market is now experiencing a surge in the prices of cryptocurrency after President Trump issued a 90-day pause on the tariffs. For example, Bitcoin, which traded at $74,500 before the pause on the tariffs, surged above $80,000 after Trump paused the tariffs.
With all that going on, crypto investors seem to have more confidence in the crypto market. Prices are likely to continue soaring, presenting a perfect opportunity to buy altcoins. For investors asking, “What are the best altcoins to buy now?” this surge could offer a prime opportunity to diversify your portfolios with crypto projects that combine innovation, utility, and growth potential. Among the best altcoins to buy now include Dawgz AI ($DAGZ), an Ethereum-based AI-powered meme coin that incorporates AI and blockchain technology into its ecosystem.
The recent trends in the cryptocurrency markets have shaped the growth of altcoins. Among the factors include:
When evaluating the best altcoins to buy now, established coins with proven track records offer stability. Here are three standout options:
Among the best altcoins to buy now, Dawgz AI ($DAGZ) stands out due to its innovative blend of AI and community engagement. It is built on Ethereum and uses AI trading bots to analyze markets in real time, aiming to deliver consistent returns with minimal effort from holders. Unlike traditional altcoins, $DAGZ focuses on community engagement through meme contests and rewards, creating a fun and purposeful ecosystem.
The project's smart contract, audited by SolidProof, ensures transparency and security, thereby building trust among investors. With a total supply of 8,888,888,888 tokens, $DAGZ balances accessibility with long-term growth potential.
Currently priced at $0.004, it's positioned for those seeking entry into a project with both entertainment and utility. narrative.
Ethereum continues to dominate as the leading smart contract platform. Its recent upgrades have improved scalability and energy efficiency, making it a backbone of DeFi and Web3 applications. Priced around $1,557 at the time of writing per CoinMarketCap, ETH benefits from institutional adoption, with firms like BlackRock launching Ethereum-based ETFs. Its ecosystem supports thousands of decentralized apps and memecoins like $DAGZ, ensuring long-term relevance. For investors, Ethereum's balance of innovation and stability makes it a top pick.
Solana has cemented its reputation for speed and cost-efficiency, making it ideal for DeFi and NFT projects. Currently trading at approximately $118 according to CoinMarketCap, SOL has rebounded from 2024 lows, driven by developer activity and partnerships. Its ability to handle high-volume transactions without spiking fees positions it for growth as adoption scales. Solana's vibrant ecosystem also makes it one of the best altcoins to buy now for those eyeing scalability-focused projects.
Dogecoin, currently priced at $0.1583 on CoinMarketCap, is seeing a market surge because of its community-driven approach. Its unlimited supply and fast transaction speeds make it a go-to for microtransactions and tipping. Backed by a passionate community and occasional endorsements from high-profile figures, DOGE thrives on social momentum. Although it is volatile, its liquidity and brand recognition make it a compelling choice during market surges.
At a time when Trump's pause on tariffs is creating a surge in crypto prices, many investors are flocking to secure their spots on altcoins with technological advancement and real-world utility with a strong community backup.
Among the altcoins to consider is Dawgz AI. It is a project that allows you to invest and earn profits with minimal effort using its AI trading algorithm that analyzes the markets and executes trades. Other altcoins to consider buying now include Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Solana.
Dawgz AI is one of the best altcoins to invest in today. It has AI trading bots that can analyze the market, execute trades, and make profits with minimal effort. If you are an investor who doesn't have much time to analyze the market, Dawgz AI can assist you make the best out of your crypto. Other altcoins to consider investing in include Ethereum, Dogecoin, and Solana (SOL).
Altcoins with the highest potential are those that are incorporating AI technology, meme culture, and community hype. For example, altcoins like Dawgz AI and Dogecoin have great potential because they are AI-powered, and they also thrive on community hype through their social media following and the active participation of their fans. Other altcoins with potential include Solana and Cardano.
Altcoins with community-driven models are likely to pump. For example, $DAGZ has a lot of community engagement through contests and rewards. Besides, its AI utility aligns with the market trends in 2025. For example, Dogecoin saw a 25% spike during the first quarter as a result of community engagement.
Any coin that is contending to become the next Bitcoin must consider investors' interest and market supply. A coin like $DAGZ has potential because of its small total supply of 8,888,888,888, which will increase the token price as demand increases. With 20% allocated for staking and 15% for community rewards, Dawgz AI will encourage long-term holding and engagement.
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
Editor-in-Chief of CoinCentral and founder of Kooc Media, A UK-Based Online Media Company. Believer in Open-Source Software, Blockchain Technology & a Free and Fair Internet for all. His writing has been quoted by Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Investopedia, The New Yorker, Forbes, Techcrunch & More. Contact Oliver@coincentral.com
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Strategy may have resumed its Bitcoin purchases after a one-week break. Michael Saylor, the company's executive chairman, posted the Bitcoin tracker on X on Sunday, a move that typically hints at an upcoming purchase announcement.
No Tariffs on Orange Dots pic.twitter.com/Cg3bCVPMcM
— Michael Saylor (@saylor) April 13, 2025
Saylor's tweet comes after Strategy reported approximately $6 billion in unrealized losses on its Bitcoin holdings during Q1 2025.
The company acquired 80,715 BTC in the quarter at an average price of about $94,922 per coin, during which Bitcoin prices fell nearly 12% in its worst quarterly performance since 2018.
Strategy temporarily halted Bitcoin purchases in the week ending April 6 due to a lack of stock offering purchases for its MSTR and STRK securities.
The company has invested about $35 billion in Bitcoin at an average price of $67,485 per coin, resulting in roughly $8.6 billion in unrealized gains.
Its most recent purchase, announced on March 31, added 22,048 Bitcoin worth $1.9 billion, bringing its total holdings to 528,185 BTC – nearly 3% of Bitcoin's total supply. The holdings are currently valued at around $44 billion.
Bitcoin has experienced volatility this week, falling below $75,000 on Monday before recovering above $80,000 amid rising US-China trade tensions.
The digital asset trades at approximately $83,700 today, showing a slight decline over the past 24 hours, per TradingView.
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Widely followed crypto analyst Rekt Capital says that Bitcoin (BTC) is displaying textbook pre-rally behavior as technical indicators and price action flash green.
The pseudonymous analyst tells his 543,000 followers on the social media platform X that BTC is showing bullish divergence with the relative strength index (RSI).
A bullish divergence happens when a momentum-focused indicator like the RSI trends higher while price goes lower or sideways, suggesting a foreshadowing of price reversal.
Rekt Capital points out there were similar divergences in August of 2024, August of 2023 and November of 2022.
“Bitcoin is developing yet another Higher Low on the RSI while forming Lower Lows on the price.
Overall, throughout the cycle, Bitcoin has formed Bullish Divergences like this on a few occasions already.
Each Bull Div preceded reversals to the upside.”
Zooming in, the analyst says that BTC's downward trend is officially broken once a clean break of the lower high structure, currently at around $82,000, occurs.
“Bitcoin has successfully retested red as support and the Daily RSI Higher Low continues to maintain itself as well.
Growing signs of a maturing Bullish Divergence here, with price just below the key Price Downtrend (blue).
BTC needs to break this Downtrend to enable the Bull Div to play out.”
At time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $84,789, slightly above Rekt Capital's blue, downward trend line depicted in the chart, suggesting that the reversal may be underway.
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Lomond School becomes the first in the UK to accept Bitcoin for tuition and launch a curriculum in BTC and Austrian economics with Saifedean Ammous.
Lomond School, a private institution in Scotland, will begin accepting Bitcoin for tuition payments and is collaborating with Bitcoin author Saifedean Ammous to introduce a new curriculum focused on Bitcoin and Austrian economics.
Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard, is developing an educational curriculum combining the principles of Bitcoin (BTC) and Austrian economics.
“I'm going to be working with Lomond School to develop a curriculum for bitcoin and Austrian economics,” Ammous wrote in an April 12 X post, sharing his excitement for “making the material widely available worldwide.”
Source: Saifedean Ammous
Lomond School Principal Claire Chisholm confirmed the collaboration on April 12, writing that she was “thrilled to be working with Dr. Ammous” and appreciative of the “positivity of the Bitcoin community.”
The news comes a day after Lomond School announced it would accept BTC for tuition payments starting from the autumn semester of 2025, becoming the first school in the United Kingdom to adopt BTC payments.
Source: Saifedean Ammous
Ammous is best known for The Bitcoin Standard, which was first published in 2018. The book outlines the economic philosophy behind Bitcoin and contrasts it with fiat currency systems. It has sold more than one million copies and has been translated into 38 languages, according to Ammous.
Cointelegraph has contacted both Ammous and Lomond School for additional details regarding the upcoming curriculum.
Related: New York bill proposes legalizing Bitcoin, crypto for state payments
Educational institutions around the world have increasingly embraced Bitcoin as both a subject of academic study and a financial tool.
Schools and universities have been launching Bitcoin-based courses since as early as 2013 when the University of Nicosia in Cyprus launched its Master's in Digital Currency program, which is accessible both in-person and online.
New York University's Stern School of Business launched “The Law and Business of Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies” course in 2014 — one of the first Bitcoin-specific courses in the US.
Stanford University also launched its “Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies” course in 2015, focused on the technological and economic aspects of the world's first cryptocurrency.
Related: Swedish MP proposes Bitcoin reserve to finance minister
In February 2025, the University of Austin announced launching the first first-of-its-kind Bitcoin investment fund of over $5 million as part of the institution's larger $200 million endowment fund.
Source: Eric Balchunas
Three months before the University of Austin's announcement, a regulatory filing revealed that Emory University accumulated over $15 million worth of Bitcoin via Grayscale's spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund, Cointelegraph reported on Oct. 28.
Magazine: SCB tips $500K BTC, SEC delays Ether ETF options, and more: Hodler's Digest, Feb. 23 –March. 1
Lomond School becomes the first in the UK to accept Bitcoin for tuition and launch a curriculum in BTC and Austrian economics with Saifedean Ammous.
Lomond School, a private institution in Scotland, will begin accepting Bitcoin for tuition payments and is collaborating with Bitcoin author Saifedean Ammous to introduce a new curriculum focused on Bitcoin and Austrian economics.
Ammous, author of The Bitcoin Standard, is developing an educational curriculum combining the principles of Bitcoin (BTC) and Austrian economics.
“I'm going to be working with Lomond School to develop a curriculum for bitcoin and Austrian economics,” Ammous wrote in an April 12 X post, sharing his excitement for “making the material widely available worldwide.”
Source: Saifedean Ammous
Lomond School Principal Claire Chisholm confirmed the collaboration on April 12, writing that she was “thrilled to be working with Dr. Ammous” and appreciative of the “positivity of the Bitcoin community.”
The news comes a day after Lomond School announced it would accept BTC for tuition payments starting from the autumn semester of 2025, becoming the first school in the United Kingdom to adopt BTC payments.
Source: Saifedean Ammous
Ammous is best known for The Bitcoin Standard, which was first published in 2018. The book outlines the economic philosophy behind Bitcoin and contrasts it with fiat currency systems. It has sold more than one million copies and has been translated into 38 languages, according to Ammous.
Cointelegraph has contacted both Ammous and Lomond School for additional details regarding the upcoming curriculum.
Related: New York bill proposes legalizing Bitcoin, crypto for state payments
Educational institutions around the world have increasingly embraced Bitcoin as both a subject of academic study and a financial tool.
Schools and universities have been launching Bitcoin-based courses since as early as 2013 when the University of Nicosia in Cyprus launched its Master's in Digital Currency program, which is accessible both in-person and online.
New York University's Stern School of Business launched “The Law and Business of Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies” course in 2014 — one of the first Bitcoin-specific courses in the US.
Stanford University also launched its “Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies” course in 2015, focused on the technological and economic aspects of the world's first cryptocurrency.
Related: Swedish MP proposes Bitcoin reserve to finance minister
In February 2025, the University of Austin announced launching the first first-of-its-kind Bitcoin investment fund of over $5 million as part of the institution's larger $200 million endowment fund.
Source: Eric Balchunas
Three months before the University of Austin's announcement, a regulatory filing revealed that Emory University accumulated over $15 million worth of Bitcoin via Grayscale's spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund, Cointelegraph reported on Oct. 28.
Magazine: SCB tips $500K BTC, SEC delays Ether ETF options, and more: Hodler's Digest, Feb. 23 –March. 1
New York may soon allow residents to use digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum to pay for services tied to the state.
A proposed piece of legislation, introduced by Assemblyman Clyde Vanel, aims to update existing laws so that various state departments can accept cryptocurrency as a valid form of payment.
Known as Assembly Bill A7788, the proposal outlines how New Yorkers could use select cryptocurrencies—Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Bitcoin Cash—to settle government-related costs. These include taxes, penalties, fees, and even rent owed to public agencies.
To cover the technical costs associated with accepting digital currencies, the bill would let the state apply a small service charge. However, this fee cannot be more than the actual cost of processing the transaction, such as blockchain fees or third-party processor charges.
This isn't the only crypto-focused legislative effort in the state. Another bill, A06515, was introduced earlier to crack down on crypto-related fraud and deceptive schemes like rug pulls, signaling a broader effort by lawmakers to both regulate and embrace blockchain technologies.
National attention on the sector has also grown following the return of Donald Trump to the presidency. His campaign promised stronger support for crypto innovation, which has encouraged multiple states to explore integration strategies.
Assembly Bill A7788 is still in the early stages, currently awaiting review by the Assembly Committee. If it gains approval and clears the state Senate, New York could become a trailblazer by enabling crypto payments for government obligations.
Japan is preparing to reshape its crypto regulations with a fresh proposal that would divide digital assets into two distinct categories—one for business-backed tokens and another for decentralized cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
Lomond School in Scotland is set to make history as the first educational institution in the United Kingdom to accept Bitcoin for tuition payments, marking a significant step in the broader adoption of digital assets in traditional sectors.
Concerns over the unchecked rise of cryptocurrencies have prompted New York Attorney General Letitia James to call on Congress for immediate intervention.
Bitcoin mining giants continued to thrive in early 2025, collectively generating close to $800 million in newly minted BTC as prices remained close to all-time highs.
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Blockchain adoption is rising fast in 2025. Governments are exploring tokenized systems, major financial institutions are testing innovative contract platforms, and developers are launching tools that bring blockchain closer to everyday use. The shift from hype to real-world applications is becoming clear.
At the same time, crypto prices have pulled back across the board. For investors focused on long-term value, this creates rare opportunities. Lower prices don't always signal weakness. They often reflect a cooling-off period where serious projects build while noise fades.
One project gaining quiet traction during this reset is Dawgz AI. It runs on Ethereum and blends meme culture with on-chain AI features. While many tokens slow down, Dawgz AI continues to build tools and grow its user base. In this article, we'll explore what makes a crypto project worth investing in during a dip and why some assets, including Dawgz AI, stand out in price and purpose.
Table of Contents
Blockchain adoption is accelerating in 2025, with over 300 million people worldwide using blockchain technology, representing approximately 3.9% of the global population. According to Security.org, about 28% of adults, or roughly 65 million individuals, own cryptocurrencies in the United States alone.
This widespread adoption is not limited to individual users; institutions also embrace blockchain. The global blockchain market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 58.3%, reaching $306 billion by 2030. This growth is driven by increased demand for decentralized finance (DeFi), tokenized real-world assets, and enterprise applications.
As blockchain becomes more integrated into different sectors, investors seek projects offering real utility and long-term potential. This environment presents opportunities to identify and invest in undervalued assets and is positioned to benefit from blockchain technology's ongoing expansion.
Rising blockchain adoption has brought more visibility to promising projects, but not all tokens are built for long-term relevance. Investors should look for straightforward utility. A token should have a role beyond speculation, powering smart contracts, enabling on-chain tools, or supporting AI-based features; purpose matters.
Strong projects also maintain transparency. A fixed token supply, verified smart contracts, and third-party audits help build trust. Developer activity is another sign of health. You can track this through public GitHub repositories or network upgrades.
Community strength matters too. Active users and consistent engagement often point to more substantial recovery potential after a dip in a growing ecosystem. Dawgz AI, for example, continues to build and engage while adoption expands, making it a project worth watching.
Dawgz AI is an Ethereum-based token that blends meme culture with functional AI tools. It doesn't depend on NFTs or empty hype. Instead, it introduces on-chain AI integrations designed to support real use. This includes AI-backed tools to give users better control their interactions with markets and blockchain-based applications.
As blockchain adoption increases, Dawgz AI continues to grow its user base and roll out updates. The project is audited and community-led. It hosts regular engagement campaigns such as meme contests and open development discussions. Currently in its presale phase, it has raised over $3 million out of a $3.6 million goal, signaling clear early traction. These signs point to a project focused on building rather than chasing attention.
Ethereum remains the most widely used innovative contract platform in crypto. According to Binance, as of April 2025, it trades at around $1,553.78 with a market cap of $187.84 billion. While the current price is down from recent highs, Ethereum continues to support thousands of decentralized applications across sectors like finance, identity, and gaming.
Its switch to proof-of-stake has cut energy use and improved the protocol's ability to scale. Ethereum's Layer 2 networks have also gained adoption as developers look for cheaper ways to deploy on-chain logic. These factors give it staying power and support strong investor interest during downturns. Despite volatility, Ethereum remains a core holding for many who believe in the future of on-chain systems.
Chainlink connects smart contracts to off-chain data, giving blockchains access to real-time prices, weather feeds, and verified event data. According to Binance, as of April 11, 2025, LINK trades at around $12.52 and has a market cap of roughly $7.82 billion. Secure data delivery will become more critical as more institutions use tokenized systems.
The project has partnered with major financial firms and blockchain platforms. Its ability to connect blockchains to real-world information has made it essential for building reliable decentralized applications. Chainlink continues to launch new features and integrations. It remains one of the few utility tokens with enterprise backing and consistent developer traction.
The rise in blockchain adoption has created space for tokens that mix functionality with culture. Investors are starting to pay closer attention to projects that are built during downturns and offer something users can actually interact with. These projects tend to survive shifts in market cycles.
Dawgz AI is one of them. Built on Ethereum, it combines meme-driven community appeal with on-chain AI tools. Instead of focusing on NFTs or short-term attention, the project focuses on practical applications like AI-powered systems running directly on-chain. These tools are designed to support users with real-time decision-making and automation, not just token speculation.
The token has a fixed supply of 8.888 billion, and its smart contract is publicly available. A third-party audit from SolidProof was completed to help build early trust. With regular updates, meme contests, and community engagement, Dawgz AI is positioning itself as a project that doesn't just participate in hype but builds through it. For more insights, please check out this video:
Buying during a dip is less about finding the lowest price and more about identifying when real value aligns with strong fundamentals. One practical strategy is dollar-cost averaging (DCA), which spreads investment across multiple entries rather than guessing the bottom.
Pay attention to project activity. Teams that continue development, share updates, and engage during slow markets often signal a long-term focus. When researching newer tokens, also track wallet movement, presale metrics, and audit status.
If you're exploring the best crypto to buy in the dip, start with assets that still show purpose and transparency when others go quiet. These projects are usually still building for the cycle ahead, not just reacting to it.
This dip isn't like past corrections. It's happening during a period of steady blockchain growth. More users are entering the space, institutions are testing real-world use cases, and developers are shipping new tools across major chains.
That makes timing more than just a price play—it's about choosing active, accountable, and positioned tokens for long-term use. Dawgz AI is one of the few meme tokens quietly building during this phase.
If you're looking for a project combining cultural appeal with practical tools, now's a good time to look closer. Visit Dawgz AI to explore the project, review the audit, and follow its roadmap during this early stage.
Look for signs of active development, transparent tokenomics, and consistent community engagement. Projects like Dawgz AI that continue building and communicating during downturns tend to attract long-term interest.
Start with research and use risk management strategies like dollar-cost averaging. Tokens such as Dawgz AI, which offer public audits and clear supply structures, add another layer of accountability.
It brings real use cases to the market, from finance to digital tools, creating long-term demand for the infrastructure and tokens supporting it. Dawgz AI is part of this shift, using AI-powered features to add utility beyond speculation.
Yes, if you focus on projects with strong fundamentals and long-term potential. Dawgz AI is an example of a token that gained traction by building during slower market phases rather than waiting for the next bull run.
Disclaimer: This is a Press Release provided by a third party who is responsible for the content. Please conduct your own research before taking any action based on the content.
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Oliver Dale is Editor-in-Chief of MoneyCheck and founder of Kooc Media Ltd, A UK-Based Online Publishing company. A Technology Entrepreneur with over 15 years of professional experience in Investing and UK Business.His writing has been quoted by Nasdaq, Dow Jones, Investopedia, The New Yorker, Forbes, Techcrunch & More.He built Money Check to bring the highest level of education about personal finance to the general public with clear and unbiased reporting.oliver@moneycheck.com
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This new technology marks a unique opportunity for crypto enthusiasts.
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With great power comes great responsibility, and cryptocurrency is no exception. It usually takes a ton of energy to operate, but Algorand — a digital currency developed in 2017 — changed a key part of the technology, according to Blockchain Magazine.
It's OK if you're unfamiliar with the language around this stuff or how it all works. Without getting into the weeds too much, all you have to know is that creating crypto relies on a secure ledger called the blockchain to manage transactions and that the standard way of using the blockchain sucks a ton of electrical power from the grid.
What Algorand did was simplify how users interact with the blockchain when buying or selling Algorand currency. The result is a crypto coin that requires drastically less energy to keep up and running, Blockchain Magazine reported.
Since much of the electric grid system still relies on burning dirty fuel sources to make energy, the Algorand solution is a win for keeping the planet cool and clean for us humans to live on. It also marks a unique opportunity for crypto enthusiasts, as more businesses are starting to lean on Algorand to power sustainable finance, the outlet explained.
Despite weathering volatility during economic shifts, crypto owners frequently celebrate many coins as forms of money that operate in some ways more securely — and often less hierarchically — than traditional financial accounts.
However, the world of cryptocurrency still has a long way to go to minimize its strain on the grid and environmental impact.
Some critics also argue that Algorand's way of doing crypto is less secure and more centralized than the usual way things work. Others maintain that Algorand's system could change the whole crypto landscape and be a real competitor to other popular coins, such as Ethereum, which switched to a less energy-intensive "proof of stake" model in 2022.
"[Algorand] … is a game-changer in the blockchain industry," fintech expert Dr. Lisa Benton said, per Blockchain Magazine. "If the industry continues to prioritize sustainability, Algorand will be a benchmark for future blockchain networks."
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Crypto no longer exists in a vacuum. It's now deeply tied to global policy and infrastructure strategy.
In April 2025, the Trump administration imposed sweeping tariffs on Chinese imports, but spared smartphones and computers, signaling that critical digital infrastructure is off-limits – even in trade wars.
In this shifting landscape, investors are flocking to Solaxy ($SOLX), the first Solana Layer 2 built to fix congestion, scale with demand, and bridge Ethereum's massive DeFi liquidity.
It's not just another altcoin – it's the kind of infrastructure today's digital economy is demanding.
UK finance minister Rachel Reeves has called for an “ambitious new relationship” with the EU, signaling efforts to strengthen economic ties with Britain's biggest trading partner. As US tariffs add pressure globally, the UK is clearly prioritizing long-term digital infrastructure.
Meanwhile, in the U.S, President Trump's administration has drawn a clear line between what's considered essential and what's expendable.
Despite tariffs reaching up to 125% on many Chinese goods, smartphones and computers were exempted – underscoring the importance of protecting core technology.
This shift affects crypto, too. As blockchain moves into the mainstream, clunky, isolated platforms are no longer enough. Investors and regulators alike are paying attention to networks that are scalable, reliable, and flexible across ecosystems.
Solaxy ($SOLX) is a new crypto project that fits this global model.
It's the first Layer 2 built on Solana, solving the chain's long-standing issues like congestion and failed transactions, while keeping its biggest strengths: speed and low fees.
As global priorities shift toward protecting and scaling digital infrastructure, Solaxy stands out – not as a niche tool for traders, but as a foundational layer for the future of crypto.
Solaxy ($SOLX) is the first-ever Layer 2 built on Solana – and it's doing what Solana alone couldn't. It eliminates congestion, failed transactions, and scalability limits, while enhancing the chain's key strengths: speed, low fees, and user efficiency.
The native token, $SOLX, is multichain and launching on both Ethereum and Solana.
That means it connects the largest DeFi and asset tokenization ecosystem on Ethereum with the high-speed trading playground of Solana. Traders no longer have to choose between liquidity and performance – they get both.
Solaxy also levels the meme coin battlefield. It gives everyday traders sniper-level speed and reliability without the usual tech barriers.
With most Layer 2 tokens now valued over $1B, Solaxy is emerging as the market leader in a space Solana never had until now.
$SOLX is built for accessibility and massive reach.
The presale accepts cards, $BNB, $ETH, and $SOL – making it easy for buyers across the three most active chains in the world to participate.
With nearly $30M already raised and a current presale price of just $0.001692, this could be the final opportunity to get in before the token hits the open market.
By bridging Ethereum's liquidity with Solana's speed, $SOLX doesn't just expand access – it exponentially increases its own buyer pool, positioning itself as a true gateway to multichain DeFi.
As governments and investors alike get serious about digital infrastructure, the crypto world needs solutions that are fast, scalable, and built for the multichain future.
Solaxy checks every box – and with $SOLX still in presale, smart investors are moving fast to grab their share of what could be the most important Layer 2 launch of the year.
Before you start investing, don't forget to DYOR (do your own research), as this article is for informational purposes only and doesn't constitute financial advice.
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Ethereum surprised the market with a powerful bounce on Wednesday, surging more than 21% from its recent low of $1,380. The move came shortly after US President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for all countries except China, which now faces a 145% tariff. This development injected optimism into global markets, triggering a broad recovery across risk assets — with ETH among the top beneficiaries.
Despite the relief rally, Ethereum still trades below critical technical levels, and the broader price structure suggests ongoing consolidation rather than a confirmed reversal. Analysts remain cautious, as the asset's inability to reclaim the $1,800–$2,000 range keeps the long-term trend in question.
However, on-chain data from CryptoQuant adds an intriguing layer to the current outlook. Ethereum's price is still trading below its realized price — the average price at which all ETH in circulation last moved. Historically, this scenario has represented a high-probability accumulation zone, often appearing once per cycle.
According to some analysts, this could present a rare buying opportunity for contrarian investors willing to look beyond short-term volatility and macro uncertainty. As Ethereum continues to consolidate, all eyes are on whether bulls can build on this momentum.
Ethereum Faces Critical Test Amid Volatility And Trade Tensions
Ethereum is at a pivotal point after enduring weeks of relentless selling pressure and extreme volatility. The broader market has been shaken by macroeconomic uncertainty and escalating global trade tensions, with US tariffs under Trump's administration continuing to rattle investor confidence. The crypto market, particularly altcoins like Ethereum, has taken the brunt of this instability. ETH has lost over 60% of its value since late December, raising fears of a prolonged bear market.
However, a shift may be unfolding. Bulls are beginning to reappear, with Ethereum bouncing and setting a strong support above $1,400. This recovery follows aggressive price swings not only in crypto but also in global equities, which have seen significant rebounds following the announcement of a 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs for all countries except China.
Still, Ethereum remains below crucial resistance levels, especially the $2,000 mark — a level that represents more than just a psychological barrier. According to top analyst Quinten Francois, ETH is currently trading under its realized price, which averages the cost basis of all coins in circulation.
Historically, such conditions have presented rare buying opportunities. Francois suggests this might be a once-in-a-cycle — or even once-in-a-lifetime — chance for long-term investors to accumulate ETH at undervalued levels. The coming days will determine whether bulls can reclaim key resistance and shift sentiment toward a sustained recovery.
Price Action Details: Key Levels To Reclaim
Ethereum is currently trading at $1,650 after failing to break above the $1,700 level, a psychological and technical barrier that continues to cap bullish momentum. Despite a sharp rebound earlier in the week, ETH remains stuck in a consolidation range and is struggling to find direction amid broader market uncertainty.
For bulls to regain control and initiate a stronger recovery, Ethereum must push above the $1,850 mark — a level aligned with the 4-hour 200-day moving average (MA) and exponential moving average (EMA). These indicators have acted as short-term resistance since ETH fell below the $2,000 mark in February and reclaiming them is critical for confirming a shift in trend.
However, if Ethereum fails to break above $1,750 in the coming days, downside risk increases significantly. A rejection at current levels could trigger another wave of selling, potentially sending the price below the $1,500 support zone. This would put further pressure on bulls and undermine recent gains.
With market sentiment still fragile and macroeconomic uncertainty weighing on investor confidence, Ethereum remains at a crucial juncture where a decisive move above resistance is needed to shift the outlook from bearish to neutral.
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We at Cryptonomist were present at the Paris Blockchain Week, where a high-level panel was held dedicated to the future of artificial intelligence in synergy with blockchain technology. A heated discussion, rich in technical and ethical insights, highlighted the opportunities and contradictions of this technological convergence. From the management of personal data to the energy cost of AI, up to the user sovereignty, the debate touched on the critical points of tomorrow's Web3.
Taking the stage were Amelia Daly, Kevin Riou, Claudio Bedino, Ethan Pierse, and Aymen Soufi, five industry experts who offered complementary and in-depth perspectives on how to tackle the mass adoption of blockchain thanks to artificial intelligence.
Summary
The panel opened with a surprising reflection: every interaction with ChatGPT or similar costs about 0.46 dollars. A figure that includes energy consumption, computing power, and the infrastructure necessary to generate real-time responses. This cost does not fall on the end user, especially if they use free versions. But then, who pays the bill?
The answer is as simple as it is unsettling: value is extracted from our data. The user, in exchange for free access, gives up valuable information that is processed, stored, and often monetized. A well-known dynamic, which makes a different, more ethical, and decentralized approach even more urgent.
Precisely in this context, the blockchain comes into play, seen as a tool for privacy protection and returning control to users. One of the speakers emphasized how, through tokenization and decentralized architectures, it is possible to break the monopoly of big tech, which today hold enormous amounts of personal data.
AI and blockchain together can create new models of information governance, in which the user decides how, when, and with whom to share their data. Not only in the financial sector, but also in sensitive areas such as health, education, and energy consumption.
A hot topic of the panel was the energy required for artificial intelligence, often compared to that of blockchain. While in past years Bitcoin and other Proof-of-Work projects have been targeted for high consumption, today AI uses even greater amounts of electricity, without facing the same wave of criticism.
“We spend years justifying the energy use of mining and now no one discusses the climate cost of memes generated by ChatGPT”, observed one of the speakers. A clear invitation to evaluate innovation with consistency and transparency, beyond the trends of the moment.
The central issue of the discussion focused on individual sovereignty. The blockchain was created as a disintermediation technology, where each user is responsible for their own keys and decisions. But what happens if we delegate these choices to an agentic AI, capable of signing transactions or managing wallets?
According to some experts, there is a risk of recreating the intermediary, precisely the one that the crypto ecosystem had tried to eliminate. The adoption of overly autonomous AI could erode the concept of personal custody and create new forms of technological dependency.
Despite these critical issues, all panel participants recognized the enormous potential of AI as a support tool. From energy consumption forecasts to optimized asset management, intelligenza artificiale can simplify users' lives and increase the accuracy of decisions.
“AI must help humans make decisions, not make them in their place”, stated one of the panelists, emphasizing that the correct approach is one of collaboration, not substitution.
Among the mentioned use cases, the following stand out:
However, it was also reiterated that the current AI agents are still primitive. Most are limited to speculative operations like trading, often ineffectively. The challenge is to develop more sophisticated, contextual, and controllable models.
The panel of the Paris Blockchain Week has shone a spotlight on one of the most crucial topics for the future of Web3. The combination of AI and blockchain offers extraordinary possibilities, but also requires attention, ethics, and conscious design.
The real issue at stake is not just technical, but cultural: who will control the data, models, and decisions of the future? We at Cryptonomist will continue to closely follow this evolution, to report with expertise and transparency on the challenges and opportunities of the new digital ecosystem.
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Home » India's Assam Embraces AI and Blockchain to Revolutionize Tea Trade
India, recognized as the world's second-largest tea producer after China, is preparing to implement a blockchain and artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled auction system aimed at increasing transparency and enhancing efficiency within its tea industry. The northeastern state of Assam, which leads the country in tea production, has taken the initiative to roll out this advanced platform in partnership with key stakeholders from the tea sector.
This upcoming digital system is expected to reshape the traditional auction model by facilitating secure transactions and promoting equitable pricing structures. According to official state communications, the AI-powered, blockchain-based platform will be the first of its kind in India. It is projected to enhance operational efficiencies across the supply chain while reinforcing Assam's prominence on the global tea map.
Assam contributes more than half of India's total tea output, making its role in this technological transformation particularly significant. The proposed digital auction platform is intended to provide a trustworthy environment for both buyers and sellers, while minimizing price manipulation and reducing the scope for fraudulent practices.
The plan was outlined in the state's fiscal budget for 2025-26, presented by Finance Minister Ajanta Neog in the Assam Assembly. The government asserted that the initiative would bring substantial improvements to the existing auction mechanisms and contribute to a more transparent, fair, and sustainable ecosystem for tea trade in the region.
Despite Assam's reputation for producing high-quality tea, the existing auction framework has faced criticism due to limited transparency and inefficiencies. By adopting blockchain technology, the state aims to create a decentralized and tamper-proof record of transactions, while the use of AI will help analyze market trends, optimize auction timings, and improve decision-making processes.
Authorities believe the platform will allow fair participation across the board, including small-scale farmers and large estates. By offering data-driven insights and secure interactions, the initiative is designed to provide equal access to market opportunities, thereby supporting inclusive growth within the tea sector. Additionally, the blockchain component is expected to bring greater visibility to the supply chain, benefiting both producers and consumers.
Assam's broader technology-driven development strategy also includes plans for India's first AI-based anti-deepfake and cyber surveillance laboratory. The state government intends to equip the Assam Police with advanced tools to combat emerging digital threats, enhance cybersecurity, and improve digital forensics capabilities.
In parallel, the Assam government is pushing for the modernization of land revenue systems. It is adopting the National Generic Document Registration System (NGDRS) under the “One Nation, One Software” initiative. This transition involves the use of geospatial technology for accurate land valuation and the integration of blockchain into NGDRS to enable secure and faster property transactions.
India's tea sector has been under pressure due to recent climate-related disruptions. The Tea Board of India reported a 7.8% drop in tea output during 2024, with production totaling 1,284.78 million kilograms compared to 1,393.66 million kilograms in 2023. The decline, caused by heat waves and flooding during critical harvesting periods, contributed to a spike in prices. The average tea price in 2024 rose by nearly 18%, reaching ₹198.76 ($2.32) per kilogram.
Despite this shortfall, India's tea exports grew by around 10% in 2024, totaling 254.67 million kilograms, up from 231.69 million kilograms in the previous year. Increased demand from countries such as the UAE, Iraq, and Russia contributed to this growth. India primarily exports CTC (crush-tear-curl) teas to markets like Egypt and the United Kingdom, while the orthodox variety finds buyers in Iraq, Iran, and Russia.
By integrating AI and blockchain into its most vital industries, Assam is positioning itself as a leader in digital innovation. These advancements are not only expected to strengthen the state's economy but also serve as a blueprint for similar transformations across other Indian states and sectors.
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April 13, 2025 by Vaigha Varghese
What if the crypto portfolio you've been building is missing a few game-changers? In an industry fueled by constant innovation and fast-paced shifts, sticking with just the top names could mean missing out on massive upside potential. That's why professional crypto advisors and market analysts are increasingly leaning toward a broader diversification strategy. They're spotlighting lesser-discussed but high-utility assets that aren't just buzz-worthy—they're actually building the future of Web3, infrastructure, and real-world blockchain applications. For those looking to gain exposure beyond the standard set of tokens, it's time to explore the best altcoins to buy this week that can hold their ground through market fluctuations and even thrive during recovery phases.
One standout that's been drawing strong attention lately is Qubetics ($TICS). Unlike fleeting trends or meme tokens with no fundamentals, Qubetics is rolling out a highly structured presale paired with Web3 tech utility that's hard to ignore. As one of the best altcoins to buy this week, it's not just about a future promise—it's already executing. With more than $16 million raised so far and over 507 million tokens sold, Qubetics is solidifying its position in the blockchain ecosystem. And with the 29th stage of its presale now live, participants are watching this one closely. Whether you're new to diversification or seasoned in DeFi, Qubetics deserves a spot on your radar.
Qubetics isn't just a coin—it's the world's first Web3 aggregator that unites major blockchains into a single, cohesive ecosystem. What makes it more compelling is the suite of developer and business tools it introduces, including the powerful QubeQode IDE. This integrated development environment allows users—whether they're startups, freelance developers, or large corporations—to build dApps across multiple chains without ever leaving the platform. Imagine a fintech startup wanting to launch a cross-chain lending app but having to juggle Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana separately. With QubeQode IDE, that multi-chain integration becomes seamless, saving time, cost, and talent bandwidth.
What if the clock is literally ticking on the biggest crypto opportunity of the week? Qubetics isn't just another presale—it's quickly becoming one of the best altcoins to buy this week. The project is in its 29th stage, with the token priced at $0.1573, and the structure is tight: every presale stage lasts just 7 days, ending sharply at Sunday 12 AM with a guaranteed 10% price increase. So far, the Qubetics presale has already pulled in over $16 million, attracted more than 24,600 token holders, and sold a whopping 507 million $TICS tokens. And with the mainnet going live in Q2 2025, this isn't just early—it's perfect timing.
Here's what that could actually mean for your wallet. A $100 investment right now at the current price gets you 636 $TICS tokens. If Qubetics reaches $1, that's $636 back in your pocket—already a 535.65% ROI. But things get even better at higher projections: at $5, your $100 turns into $3,078.26, and at $6, you're sitting on $3,713.88. By the time it hits $10 after mainnet launch, that becomes $6,256.47, and at $15, it could reach $9,434.71. It's no wonder the Qubetics presale is being called the best crypto presale right now—and hands down one of the best altcoins to buy this week if you're serious about catching the next breakout before everyone else does.
Why This Coin Made it to This List: Qubetics is creating a unified Web3 development experience while rewarding its ecosystem participants with massive growth potential. Its presale structure, utility stack, and ROI projections make it a frontrunner among the best altcoins to buy this week right now.
Cronos has evolved beyond its origins as Crypto.com's native chain. It's now a full-fledged ecosystem designed for scalable DeFi, NFTs, and metaverse experiences. Built on the Cosmos SDK and compatible with Ethereum, Cronos provides developers with a robust platform that's cheap, fast, and future-proof. Over the past year, the network has expanded integrations with major protocols and improved support for inter-blockchain communications, bringing more liquidity and activity to the chain.
Recent Cronos upgrades also focused on enhancing interoperability and staking functionality, opening doors for passive income through native dApps. The ecosystem's push into gaming, metaverse, and AI-based NFT platforms makes it one of the most diversified smart contract blockchains in terms of application layers. The Cronos Labs accelerator further gives early-stage projects critical funding and exposure—proof of its commitment to long-term ecosystem development.
Why This Coin Made it to This List: Cronos stands out for its real-world blockchain adoption across finance, entertainment, and NFTs, earning its spot as one of the best altcoins to buy this week for diversified exposure.
Render Network is redefining cloud computing by decentralizing GPU rendering for visual effects, AI, gaming, and VR industries. This token has become a key asset for creators who need high-performance GPU power without relying on centralized platforms like AWS or Google Cloud. With the rise of AI and spatial computing, demand for decentralized GPU compute has exploded, and Render is filling that gap with efficiency, scalability, and reduced cost.
The Render team recently announced integration partnerships with Unreal Engine and Blender, expanding its application to professional-grade rendering workflows. Additionally, it's pushing forward with the Render Foundation's grants for developers building on top of RNDR-powered platforms. With AI and metaverse projects on the rise, Render's relevance is only set to grow in 2025.
Why This Coin Made it to This List: Render brings real-world utility to creatives and engineers in a way no other project does, locking it in as one of the best altcoins to buy this week in a tech-driven future.
Arbitrum has taken the lead in Ethereum Layer-2 scaling solutions, offering faster transactions and lower fees while maintaining full compatibility with Ethereum dApps. The rollout of Arbitrum Orbit and Stylus has elevated its developer experience, allowing Rust, C, and C++ programmers to launch smart contracts with ease—hugely expanding its developer reach. This positions Arbitrum as the go-to choice for building advanced DeFi and gaming applications on Ethereum's network without congestion issues.
The DAO governance model is also becoming more refined, with ARB token holders influencing funding decisions across the ecosystem. With billions in TVL and increasing on-chain user activity, Arbitrum is no longer just a scaling solution—it's evolving into a foundational Web3 infrastructure layer. Expect its influence to grow as Ethereum moves toward full sharding in future upgrades.
Why This Coin Made it to This List: Arbitrum's tech maturity, developer flexibility, and growing dominance in Layer-2 scaling solidify its position among the best altcoins to buy this week for scalable Ethereum exposure.
Toncoin was originally built by Telegram's developers and has since matured into a high-throughput blockchain with a focus on mass adoption through messaging and social media integration. The TON ecosystem is now thriving with fast transactions, low fees, and native wallet support directly inside the Telegram app. This creates an organic onramp for millions of users globally—something no other blockchain has achieved with such efficiency.
The recent push into NFTs, DeFi, and social tokens is drawing major attention, especially with Telegram planning more TON-based in-app tools and mini-programs. With scalable architecture and user-first design, Toncoin could become the first Web3-native chain to onboard non-crypto users en masse, starting from Telegram's 700M+ user base.
Why This Coin Made it to This List: Toncoin blends scalability with mass-user accessibility, and its direct integration with a globally dominant app makes it one of the best altcoins to buy this week for mainstream crypto onboarding.
Crypto isn't just about holding the top few tokens and hoping for the best. Real strategy involves looking for value, real use cases, and growth potential. Qubetics is powering ahead with a Web3 development environment and structured presale, Cronos is making strides in cross-chain DeFi, Render is redefining GPU rendering in the age of AI, Arbitrum is expanding Ethereum's limits, and Toncoin is making blockchain native to billions of messaging users. These five projects offer a well-rounded mix of infrastructure, utility, and scalability. For anyone serious about a future-ready portfolio, these are without a doubt the best altcoins to buy this week in right now. And if you're considering jumping into a project early, Qubetics offers a unique opportunity to join this crypto presale while it's still on the rise.
Qubetics: https://qubetics.com
Presale: https://buy.qubetics.com/
Telegram: https://t.me/qubetics
Twitter: https://x.com/qubetics
What are the best altcoins to buy this week in for long-term growth?
Projects like Qubetics, Cronos, Render, Arbitrum, and Toncoin are among the best altcoins to buy this week in due to their real-world utility and long-term potential.
Is Qubetics presale still active and worth joining?
Yes, the Qubetics presale is currently in stage 29, offering strong ROI projections and a rapidly growing community.
Which altcoins offer diversification benefits outside of Ethereum and Bitcoin?
Coins like Toncoin, Render, and Qubetics offer unique use cases that go beyond the traditional scope, making them excellent options for portfolio diversification.
Filed Under: News, Press Release
Copyright © 2025 · Tron Weekly. All Rights Reserved. NOTE: Tron Weekly is an independent crypto news site that adheres to the strict journalism policy anchored on transparency, trust, and objectivity, we have no affiliation with the TRON Foundation, its founder Justin Sun or any other cryptocurrency firm.
Despite rolling out a large number of upgrades and innovations, the Ethereum price continues to lag behind Bitcoin (BTC) by a wide margin. Reports reveal that ETH has suffered a staggering 77% price crash against BTC — a decline likely fueled by a mix of technical, macro, and sentiment-driven factors. Notably, On-chain analytics platform, Santiment has now pinpointed and broken down the key reasons behind these price struggles.
Ethereum Price Nosedives Against Bitcoin
On April 11, Santiment released a detailed report on Ethereum, highlighting its almost four-year underperformance and the reasons behind it. Ethereum, once revered as the cryptocurrency most likely to dethrone Bitcoin, has recently suffered a brutal price decline when measured directly against BTC.
According to Santiment's on-chain data, Ethereum has crashed by approximately 77% against Bitcoin since December 2021. While the dollar value of ETH hasn't completely collapsed, especially compared to other altcoins, the long-term BTC/ETH ratio still paints a gruesome picture for Ethereum holders.
Notably, Ethereum has also failed to recover anywhere near its November 2021 all-time high of $4,760. In contrast, Bitcoin has surged ahead, reclaiming much of its market dominance and outpacing ETH across almost every timeframe.
This disparity has led many traders and former maximalists to compare ETH to a “shitcoin.” Even worse, various mid to low-cap altcoins have already outperformed Ethereum over the short, mid, and long-term timeframes, causing further embarrassment for the world's second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization. Based on Santiment's report, the ETH/BTC price ratio chart alone is enough to trigger doubt and uncertainty among long-term holders.
Behind The Scenes Of Ethereum Price Struggles
Beyond price action and market volatility, Santiment reveals that there are fundamental reasons for Ethereum's sluggish performance over the years. Some of the major criticisms that analysts and traders have pinpointed include technical, sentimental, and regulatory issues.
Ironically, Ethereum's Layer 2 solutions are one of the key drivers of its underperformance. L2 solutions like Arbitrum, Optimism, and zkSync are reportedly cannibalizing activity on the mainnet, taking investments from ETH while spreading investor attention thin.
Secondly, Ethereum seems to struggle with complex roadmaps and communication, which has led to investor confusion. Major updates like The Merge and Shanghai have been difficult for investors to comprehend, making ETH feel less accessible than BTC.
Thirdly, users remain frustrated by Ethereum's relatively high gas fees and the slow rollout of key upgrades. This has pushed them toward more affordable and faster alternatives, significantly reducing adoption.
Another primary reason for Ethereum's crash against Bitcoin is ongoing regulatory concerns. Unlike Bitcoin, which has a more established legal precedent, Ethereum faces constant uncertainty about whether it could be labeled a security.
Other points include ETH's lack of investment appeal. While Bitcoin maintains the title as a stable digital gold, Ethereum appears to be caught in between, having no clear or attractive investment narrative. Moreover, newer blockchains like Solana and Cardano are also attracting a significant number of users with cheaper and faster solutions, ultimately pulling investments away from ETH.
The final reason Santiment has identified for Ethereum's long-term price descent is rising selling pressure. Post-upgrade withdrawals of stakes ETHs have created steady sell-side pressure, limiting growth and momentum compared to Bitcoin.
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It's an unprecedented look into prehistoric anatomy.
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We know what fossils look like. For example, typical dinosaur fossils are bones turned to stone and preserved from the passage of time located, if we're particularly lucky, in large collections that can be reassembled to represent the beast they used to prop up in their entirety.
Now, not all fossils are like that. Some are just impressions of small creatures or animals left in rocks, but most have something in common—it's just the hard stuff left behind. With the exception of those found in environments particularly adept at preservation, the soft tissues degrade over time and all we're left with is stony bone.
But not always. Sometimes we get lucky—like a team did when it located a fossil of a 520-million-year-old worm larva that still had its brain and guts intact.
“It's always interesting to see what's inside a sample using 3D imaging,” Katherine Dobson, one of the co-authors of a study centered on this remarkable find, said in a press release, “but in this incredible tiny larva, natural fossilization has achieved almost perfect preservation.”
That “almost perfect preservation” made the specimen an absolute gold mine for evolutionary biologists.
According to the press release, the structures observed within the creature—which were studied via 3D images generated from scans made using a technique known as synchrotron X-ray tomography—include a brain, “digestive glands, a primitive circulatory system and even traces of the nerves supplying the larva's simple legs and eyes.” The incredible amount of detail preserved in this ancient fossil showed scientists that we had previously dramatically underestimated the complexity of early arthropods—a group that came into being during the Cambrian Explosion and includes creatures like crabs, lobsters, insects, and millipedes.
That detail also allowed scientists to draw evolutionary connections between the critters of the ancient past and those scuttling around today. For example, preserved in the larva was a region of the brain known as the protocerebrum. Now that scientists have seen it, they can see that it evolved into the “nub” of arthropod heads that has allowed them to thrive in such a wide variety of environments—from the depths of the ocean to every single continent on Earth (yes, including Antarctica).
“When I used to daydream about the one fossil I'd most like to discover,” Martin Smith, the lead researcher on the study, said in a press release, “I'd always be thinking of an arthropod larva, because developmental data are just so central to understanding their evolution. But larvae are so tiny and fragile, the chances of finding one fossilized are practically zero—or so I thought! I already knew that this simple worm-like fossil was something special, but when I saw the amazing structures preserved under its skin, my jaw just dropped—how could these intricate features have avoided decay and still be here to see half a billion years later?”
Right now, the scientists are happily counting themselves lucky that the creature was preserved at all, giving us a unique window into what life looked like in our distant past.
Jackie (she/her) is a writer and editor from Pennsylvania with a background in astrophysics and a deep love of storytelling. She's especially fond of writing about space and physics, and loves sharing the weird wonders of the universe with anyone who wants to listen (and a few people who don't). You can also find her on the Popular Mechanics TikTok page, where she uses her voice instead of her keyboard to talk about even more science-y stories.
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The tech industry may not be safe from new tariffs, according to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.
The Trump administration announced Friday evening that consumer electronics such as laptops and smartphones would be exempt from the tariffs it unveiled earlier this month. (While Trump delayed many of those tariffs this week, he left a 10% baseline tariff in place, and also levied an additional 125% tariff on Chinese goods.)
Reports about the exemptions noted that tech products might still be affected by targeted tariffs to come, with semiconductors coming under particular scrutiny.
Lutnick made that more explicit on Sunday morning during an interview with the ABC show “This Week,” saying that Trump is making these products “exempt from the reciprocal tariffs” but including them in “the semiconductor tariffs, which are coming in probably a month or two.”
“All those products are going to come under semiconductors, and they're going to have a special focus type of tariff to make sure that those products get reshored,” Lutnick said. “We need to have semiconductors, we need to have chips, and we need to have flat panels — we need to have these things made in America.”
Pressed on whether tariffs will mean higher prices for American consumers, Lutnick said, “I don't think so,” and again emphasized, “I think the idea is that we can manufacture in America.” (Others have said Lutnick's vision that “the army of millions and millions of human beings screwing in little screws to make iPhones, that kind of thing is going to come to America,” is a fantasy.)
Trump himself was asked about semiconductor tariffs this weekend, and he said, “I'll give you that answer Monday.”
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City officials have disabled crosswalk voice announcement features, for now.
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A number of Silicon Valley crosswalks were hacked to sound like U.S. big-tech broligarchs, according to reports published by local media this weekend. Palo Alto Online reports that folks pressing crosswalk wait buttons in Redwood City, Menlo Park, and Palo Alto areas heard messages featuring Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg sound-a-likes. It isn't just the voices that have been changed - instead of the possibly useful warnings about traffic, vocal caricatures of these famous tech leaders deliver messages laced with satire.
A spokesperson for the City of Palo Alto indicated that the crosswalk button hacking was limited to 12 locations downtown, and probably occurred sometime on Friday. Meanwhile, officials from Redwood City and Menlo Park (the two other areas known to be affected by the hacking) confirmed they were aware of and were working on fixing these voice hacks. However, we don't have any indication of the number of crosswalks hacked in these other two areas.
Understandably, city officials have disabled the voice announcement features of the crosswalks, for now. Thankfully, the traffic signalling wasn't affected by the hacked messages, but we would guess the voice functionality was put there for a safety reason, and may have been appreciated by those with impaired sight. The hacked messages certainly weren't very situationally helpful for those intending to cross the road.
So, what were the satirical messages installed at crosswalks to ape Musk and Zuck? The source embedded several videos that showed the crosswalks with the messages being played.
The Zuckerberg parody messages included one where he stated, “it's normal to feel uncomfortable or even violated as we forcefully insert AI into every facet of your conscious experience. And I just want to assure you, you don't need to worry because there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it.” Other Zuckerberg flavored messages feature jokes about “undermining democracy” and delivering “AI slop.”
An example of a Musk sound-a-like message shared by Palo Alto Online was: “You know, people keep saying cancer is bad, but have you tried being a cancer? It's f—— awesome.” Other messages tease Musk's apparent readiness to pay folks to be his friends, and the Tesla and xAI boss's singular conviction being to self-aggrandizement.
We aren't surprised that neither Meta nor Tesla spokespersons wished to comment on the crosswalk hacks.
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This business display with USB-C 90W PD and KVM functionality is at one of its lowest prices to date.
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If you're in the market for an expansive business display and don't quite need the specs that come with your typical gaming display, you may want to take a closer look at this offer on the Samsung LS49C954UANXZA. This business monitor spans 49 inches across and features a dual-QHD curved panel - which may fit nicely with your multitasking workflow. It usually goes for around $1,199, but today it's discounted to just $749. We note that this isn't the lowest price ever, but it is one of the lowest prices we've ever seen for it since it first launched.
Because this is a business monitor, you won't find any gaming certifications like AMD FreeSync in its spec list. However, it still has plenty of high quality specs to boast about that make it a strong contender for a business display. That said, we have a list of the best gaming monitors if you want to see what else is leading the market on the gaming side of things.
Samsung Business Curved Ultrawide dual-QHD Monitor: now $749 at Amazon (was $1,199)This monitor spans 49-inches across and features a curved VA panel. The resolution is dual-QHD which measures in at 5,120 x 1,440 pixels. It has Display Port, HDMI, and USB-C inputs, and audio support in the form of both integrated speakers and a 3.5mm audio jack.
This Samsung business curved ultrawide dual-QHD monitor (model LS49C954UANXZA) features a 49-inch VA panel with a curvature graded at 1000R. Its dual-QHD resolution 32:9 aspect ratio display measures in at 5,120 x 1,440 pixels. It's supported by a refresh rate that can get as high as 120 Hz and a response time that gets as low as 5 ms. For a business monitor, these specs are plenty beefy and should provide great quality for everyday use and especially media-related work.
The Samsung LS49C954UANXZA covers 92% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and offers a brightness level that caps out at 350 Nits. It has multiple input options to take advantage of, including both one Display Port, two HDMI ports, and a USB-C port with 90W power delivery. It also has a USB hub that has three USB 3 ports. You also get two 5W speakers built in to use for audio output, alongside a 3.5mm jack for connecting external audio devices. Business users may also appreciate the built-in KVM switch which offers split screen, PiP, and PbP modes.
Visit the Samsung LS49C954UANXZA 49-inch curved business monitor product page at Amazon for more details and purchase options.
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The Linux Foundation has become something of a misnomer through the years. It has extended far beyond its roots as the steward of the Linux kernel, emerging as a sprawling umbrella outfit for a thousand open source projects spanning cloud infrastructure, security, digital wallets, enterprise search, fintech, maps, and more.
Last month, the OpenInfra Foundation — best known for OpenStack — became the latest addition to its stable, further cementing the Linux Foundation's status as a “foundation of foundations.”
The Linux Foundation emerged in 2007 from the amalgamation of two Linux-focused not-for-profits: the Open Source Development Labs (OSDL) and the Free Standards Group (FSG). With founding members such as IBM, Intel, and Oracle, the Foundation's raison d'être was challenging the “closed” platforms of that time — which basically meant doubling down on Linux in response to Windows' domination.
“Computing is entering a world dominated by two platforms: Linux and Windows,” the Linux Foundation's executive director, Jim Zemlin (pictured above), said at the time. “While being managed under one roof has given Windows some consistency, Linux offers freedom of choice, customization and flexibility without forcing customers into vendor lock-in.”
Zemlin has led the charge at the Linux Foundation for some two decades, overseeing its transition through technological waves such as mobile, cloud, and — more recently — artificial intelligence. Its evolution from Linux-centricity to covering just about every technological nook is reflective of how technology itself doesn't stand still — it evolves and, more importantly, it intersects.
“Technology goes up and down — we're not using iPods or floppy disks anymore,” Zemlin explained to TechCrunch in an interview during KubeCon in London last week. “What I realized early on was that if the Linux Foundation were to become an enduring body for collective software development, we needed to be able to bet on many different forms of technology.”
This is what Zemlin refers to as a “portfolio approach,” similar to how a company diversifies so it's not dependent on the success of a single product. Combining multiple critical projects under a single organization enables the Foundation to benefit from vertical-specific expertise in networking or automotive-grade Linux, for example, while tapping broader expertise in copyright, patents, data privacy, cybersecurity, marketing, and event organization.
Being able to pool such resources across projects is more important than ever, as businesses contend with a growing array of regulations such as the EU AI Act and Cyber Resilience Act. Rather than each individual project having to fight the good fight alone, they have the support of a corporate-like foundation backed by some of the world's biggest companies.
“At the Linux Foundation, we have specialists who work in vertical industry efforts, but they're not lawyers or copyright experts or patent experts. They're also not experts in running large-scale events, or in developer training,” Zemlin said. “And so that's why the collective investment is important. We can create technology in an agile way through technical leadership at the project level, but then across all the projects have a set of tools that create long-term sustainability for all of them collectively.”
The coming together of the Linux Foundation and OpenInfra Foundation last month underscored this very point. OpenStack, for the uninitiated, is an open source, open standards-based cloud computing platform that emerged from a joint project between Rackspace and NASA in 2010. It transitioned to an eponymous foundation in 2012, before rebranding as the OpenInfra Foundation after outgrowing its initial focus on OpenStack.
Zemlin had known Jonathan Bryce, OpenInfra Foundation CEO and one of the original OpenStack creators, for years. The two foundations had already collaborated on shared initiatives, such as the Open Infrastructure Blueprint whitepaper.
“We realized that together we could deal with some of the challenges that we're seeing now around regulatory compliance, cybersecurity risk, legal challenges around open source — because it [open source] has become so pervasive,” Zemlin said.
For the Linux Foundation, the merger also brought an experienced technical lead into the fold, someone who had worked in industry and built a product used by some of the world's biggest organizations.
“It is very hard to hire people to lead technical collaboration efforts, who have technical knowledge and understanding, who understand how to grow an ecosystem, who know how to run a business, and possess a level of humility that allows them to manage a super broad base of people without inserting their own ego in,” Zemlin said. “That ability to lead through influence — there's not a lot of people who have that skill.”
This portfolio approach extends beyond individual projects and foundations, and into a growing array of stand-alone regional entities. The most recent offshoot was LF India, which launched just a few months ago, but the Linux Foundation introduced a Japanese entity some years ago, while in 2022 it launched a European branch to support a growing regulatory and digital sovereignty agenda across the bloc.
The Linux Foundation Europe, which houses a handful of projects such as The Open Wallet Foundation, allows European members to collaborate with one another in isolation, while also gaining reciprocal membership for the broader Linux Foundation global outfit.
“There are times where, in the name of digital sovereignty, people want to collaborate with other EU organizations, or a government wants to sponsor or endow a particular effort, and you need to have only EU organizations participate in that,” Zemlin said. “This [Linux Foundation Europe] allows us to thread the needle on two things — they can work locally and have digital sovereignty, but they're not throwing out the global participation that makes open source so good.”
While AI is inarguably a major step-change both for the technology realm and society, it has also pushed the concept of “open source” into the mainstream arena in ways that traditional software hasn't — with controversy in hot pursuit.
Meta, for instance, has positioned its Llama brand of AI models as open source, even though they decidedly are not by most estimations. This has also highlighted some of the challenges of creating a definition of open source AI that everyone is happy with, and we're now seeing AI models with a spectrum of “openness” in terms of access to code, datasets, and commercial restrictions.
The Linux Foundation, already home to the LF AI & Data Foundation, which houses some 75 projects, last year published the Model Openness Framework (MOF), designed to bring a more nuanced approach to the definition of open source AI. The Open Source Initiative (OSI), stewards of the “open source definition,” used this framework in its own open source AI definition.
“Most models lack the necessary components for full understanding, auditing, and reproducibility, and some model producers use restrictive licenses whilst claiming that their models are ‘open source,'” the MOF paper authors wrote at the time.
And so the MOF serves a three-tiered classification system that rates models on their “completeness and openness,” with regards to code, data, model parameters, and documentation.
It's basically a handy way to establish how “open” a model really is by assessing which components are public, and under what licenses. Just because a model isn't strictly “open source” by one definition doesn't mean that it isn't open enough to help develop safety tools that reduce hallucinations, for example — and Zemlin says it's important to address these distinctions.
“I talk to a lot of people in the AI community, and it's a much broader set of technology practitioners [compared to traditional software engineering],” Zemlin said. “What they tell me is that they understand the importance of open source meaning ‘something' and the importance of open source as a definition. Where they get frustrated is being a little too pedantic at every layer. What they want is predictability and transparency and understanding of what they're actually getting and using.”
Chinese AI darling DeepSeek has also played a big part in the open source AI conversation, emerging with performant, efficient open source models that upended how the incumbent proprietary players such as OpenAI plan to release their own models in the future.
But all this, according to Zemlin, is just another “moment” for open source.
“I think it's good that people recognize just how valuable open source is in developing any modern technology,” he said. “But open source has these moments — Linux was a moment for open source, where the open source community could produce a better operating system for cloud computing and enterprise computing and telecommunications than the biggest proprietary software company in the world. AI is having that moment right now, and DeepSeek is a big part of that.”
A quick peek across the Linux Foundation's array of projects reveals two broad categories: those it has acquired, as with the OpenInfra Foundation, and those it has created from within, as it has done with the likes of the Open Source Security Foundation (OpenSSF).
While acquiring an existing project or foundation might be easier, starting a new project from scratch is arguably more important, as it's striving to fulfill a need that is at least partially unmet. And this is where Zemlin says there is an “art and science” to succeeding.
“The science is that you have to create value for the developers in these communities that are creating the artifact, the open source code that everybody wants — that's where all the value comes from,” Zemlin said. “The art is trying to figure out where there's a new opportunity for open source to have a big impact on an industry.”
This is why Zemlin refers to what the Linux Foundation is doing as something akin to a “reverse venture capitalist” approach. A VC looks for product-market fit, and entrepreneurs they want to work with — all in the name of making money.
“Instead, we look for ‘project-market' fit — is this technology going to have a big impact on a specific industry? Can we bring the right team of developers and leaders together to make it happen? Is that market big enough? Is the technology impactful?” Zemlin said. “But instead of making a ton of money like a VC, we give it all away.”
But however its vast array of projects came to fruition, there's no ignoring the elephant in the room: The Linux Foundation is no longer all about Linux, and it hasn't been for a long time. So should we ever expect a rebrand into something a little more prosaic, but encompassing — like the Open Technology Foundation?
Don't hold your breath.
“When I wear Linux Foundation swag into a coffee shop, somebody will often say, ‘I love Linux' or ‘I used Linux in college,'” Zemlin said. “It's a powerful household brand, and it's pretty hard to move away from that. Linux itself is such a positive idea, it's so emblematic of truly impactful and successful ‘open source.'”
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Not everyone need a $1,000 laptop. When your use case is limited to web browsing, streaming and general productivity tasks, investing in top-tier specs may not be necessary. There's currently a 15.6-inch Full HD laptop priced at only $299 on Amazon (32% off its regular price of $439) which is is made for the masses.
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Powering this laptop is the Intel Pentium Quad-Core N100 processor, and it comes with four cores and a turbo boost of up to 3.4GHz to deliver effortless performance for general usage like document editing, video playback, and web browsing. Its Gracemont core architecture ensures efficiency as it consumes only 6W of power while providing up to 45% more performance than the preceding generation designs.
It also boasts a 15.6-inch Full HD display, vivid 1080P resolution and an incredible 85% screen-to-body ratio which provides top-notch clarity and minimized eye fatigue. From working on spreadsheets to watching films or indulging in casual design projects, the thin bezels and sharp imagery provide an immersive experience.
It has several ports including USB 3.0 and a full-function Type-C port to accommodate newer peripherals. This laptop also includes useful features like a backlit keyboard for convenient typing in low-light conditions and a fingerprint reader for secure and quick login. The inclusion of WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 also offers faster internet speeds and reliable wireless connectivity. The OS is Windows 11 and grants access to recent features and security updates from Microsoft.
Storage and memory are abundant at this price point—offering 16GB RAM and a massive 1TB SSD. This offers quick boot-up times, snappy app launching, and ample space to save files, photos, videos, and more without needing to worry about running out of room.
What's great is that it also supports fast charging: Its 65W PD charger not only charges the laptop itself quickly via its Type-C port but also be compatible with other Type-C devices. This is especially useful for people who are always on the move and prefer carrying fewer chargers.
For someone shopping for a budget-friendly machine that seamlessly fits into their lifestyle—at home, in the office, or on the go—this Nimo 15.6-inch laptop is hard to beat.
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Asus has finally unveiled the ROG Crosshair X870E Extreme motherboard, standing as their flagship offering for the AM5 platform. The motherboard was showcased by Tony Yu at an ROG event held in China yesterday, and is set to launch in late April, priced at 9,999 Chinese Yuan, or around $1,400.
Positioned at the top of Asus' motherboard stack, the X870E Extreme offers a dual-Ethernet setup with two USB4 40 Gbps ports, support for Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 7, three PCIe 5.0 M.2 slots, alongside two PCIe 5.0 x16 expansion slots, just to name a few. ROG's top-tier motherboards are divided into two camps: Maximus for Intel and Crosshair for AMD. Under these designations exist several sub-brands like Apex, Hero, Formula, and Gene, followed by Extreme, which serves as Asus' most premium (and expensive) option for any given platform.
Following a sneak peek two weeks back, the X870E Extreme is now officially available on Asus' website with comprehensive details, and there's a lot to unpack today. Moving away from the colorful and anime-inspired theme of the previous model, the X870E Extreme adopts a more minimalistic and professional finish, with the E-ATX (Extended ATX) form factor. The power delivery is handled by a combination of 20 power stages at 110A, two additional 110A stages, and two 80A stages powered by dual 8-pin EPS connectors at the top.
In terms of memory support, the X870E Extreme is equipped with four DIMM slots, supporting up to 256GB of memory, with overclocking speeds exceeding 9,000 MT/s on Ryzen 9000 series processors. To the right, there's a small DIMM.2 slot if you need to attach additional M.2 SSDs. The motherboard carries two full-sized PCIe 5.0 x16 expansion slots, with support for Q-Release Slim, presumably with the updated design. The included full-color 5-inch LCD can slide to the right to avoid fan obstruction.
In total, the X870E Extreme provides five M.2 slots, with three supporting PCIe 5.0 x4 speeds and the other two at PCIe 4.0 x4 speeds through the DIMM.2 slot. The first M.2 slot beneath the CPU cooler is equipped with a 3D vapor chamber for heat dissipation. This is in addition to four SATA 6 Gb/s ports for your HDDs and SATA SSDs. The chipset and the remaining M.2 SSDs are guarded by a heatsink for cooling. The right side offers a Q-LED, START, and FLEXKEY buttons with several right-angled connectors.
Wireless connectivity is handled by Wi-Fi 7 (320 MHz) and Bluetooth 5.4, in tandem with a dual-Ethernet solution for wired networking, featuring a Realtek 5GbE port and a Marvell AQtion 10GbE port. Front-panel USB options include a 20 Gbps port (Type-C with 60W PD/QC4+/PPS), a USB 10 Gbps port (Type-C), four USB 5 Gbps ports, and four USB 2.0 ports (using two internal headers each). On the back side, you get two USB4 (40 Gbps) ports, 10x USB 10 Gbps ports (eight Type-A + two Type-C), a BIOS Flashback, and a Clear CMOS button, just to name a few.
According to Asus China, the X870E Extreme will hit shelves in late April, priced at 9,999 Chinese Yuan (~$1,400). We're guessing the pricing will extend to its global counterpart.
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Hassam Nasir is a die-hard hardware enthusiast with years of experience as a tech editor and writer, focusing on detailed CPU comparisons and general hardware news. When he's not working, you'll find him bending tubes for his ever-evolving custom water-loop gaming rig or benchmarking the latest CPUs and GPUs just for fun.
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8/10
I will preface this review by saying that I love salads. I've been reviewing plant-based meal kits and vegan meal delivery services for the better part of this year, and I've learned that man (in this case, me) cannot live on reheated frozen foods alone. I ache for a fresh element—a crunch of a root vegetable, a ping of citrus. Enter Thistle: a gluten-free, single-serving vegan meal delivery service that focuses on fresh produce with varied cuisines using additive-free vegan ingredients.
Thistle offers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks, and you can customize how many of each meal you want to be delivered per week, with two delivery days available. (You can change, pause, or cancel your subscription any time.) Meals are single servings, so this meal plan is best for those eating alone. Thistle's meal plans are only available in East and West Coast cities and Chicago right now (you can enter your ZIP code to see if your area is covered), and change depending on week and location, with certain jarred salads, soups, juices, and shots available every week. All of Thistle's standard meals are vegan, gluten- and additive-free, but there's an optional add-on for sustainable meats for certain dinners and lunches at an additional $3 per meal.
Meals mostly follow the same formula: preprepared with no cooking required. Those that do require prep just need a quick flash in a pan to get the flavors juicin' together. Breakfasts were simple: a gluten-free pastry or oatmeal with a fresh fruit element; once a stand-out granola-smoothie bowl. The salads were my favorite—they focused on various textures to really make the individual ingredients pop, and always had tasty, bright dressings. Thistle's more hearty dinner choices, like the chimichurri pasta bowl, only needed to be sautéed in a pan for a few minutes, but were better the next day when all the flavors had set together.
Thistle has a new, curated menu each week, but you can always make edits to suit your taste. Because I wanted to be a completely unbiased tester, I went with Thistle's premade menu, which was mostly a mix of gluten-free, fruit-focused breakfasts; inventive, fresh salads; and mostly preprepared bean- and pasta-forward veggie dinners. You can select your preferences during signup, but Thistle accommodates soy, tree nut, coconut, peanut, fish, shellfish, and pork allergies.
Thistle Meal Kit
Rating: 8/10
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As previously mentioned, Thistle is great for those with dietary restrictions—all meals already don't contain dairy, eggs, gluten, refined white sugars, artificial sweeteners, artificial preservatives, additives, or dyes. See? It's a “crunchy” choice, while still being tasty enough that the average health-oriented person—vegan or not—will most likely find something they like. That is, emphasis on average: My Hamburger Helper-eating Missouri born-and-bred uncle may not have the same raves about these meals as I do.
Like most meal delivery kits and subscription services, especially those with special dietary requirements or anything slapped with a vegan label, the meal packages are pretty pricey. The meals in this kit are more than I ever spend on weekly groceries: breakfasts start at $13, with lunches and dinners at $16, but they go down in price as you order more meals. All snacks are $7.50. At the time of writing, Thistle is offering 40 percent off first orders, which made my order of three breakfasts, lunches, and dinners (with no snacks) go from $122 to $73, which is a pretty solid deal at around $8 per meal.
Unlike a true meal kit, Thistle doesn't come with ingredients and meal cards. Once the meals arrive, all you need to do is find space in the fridge—or grab a fork and pop open the container. The meals are delivered in a reusable, insulated bag with recyclable ice packs that you set out with each new delivery to reuse in future orders and cut down on waste. Each meal is already prepared in a simple plastic container, with nutrition facts and ingredients on the label. Many of the meals could be eaten chilled (as is) straight from the fridge, but if you opt to reheat, the directions were simply to heat “in a skillet for 2-3 minutes or until desired temperature.” In this regard, Thistle would be perfect for people who want to eat raw and plant-based but don't want to do any of the work.
The meals are pretty nutritionally balanced. Lunches and dinners are generally 400 to 550 calories, with 20 grams of protein or more and around 15 grams of fiber. Breakfasts are more like snacks and are 250 to 400 calories, with at least 10 grams of plant-based protein and around 10 grams of fiber. All of the lunch and dinner meals were surprisingly filling for being so vegetable-focused.
Thistle Meal Kit
Rating: 8/10
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My favorite meals focused on multiple textures and various ingredients to make a truly dynamic salad-type dish. The Corn and Poblano Chile Salad With Adobo Pinto Beans was a solid, Mexican-inspired meal that was the perfect lunch to eat on the first warm spring day of the year. Roasted poblano peppers, sweet corn, cabbage, brown rice, and pinto beans worked well together with the mild spinach backdrop and a roasted jalapeno vegan ranch dressing that I could've drank straight from the ramekin.
I still dream of the Lemongrass Shirataki Bowl, a cold noodle salad dish that hit all the right elements of savory-spice and varied texture. The chilled rice noodles came with a lightly spicy marinated mince of sautéed vegetables and pea protein crumbles. The crisp cucumber, spinach, ginger, lemongrass, and peanuts added a crunchy texture, but the yummy salty, slightly tangy housemade vegan “fish” sauce truly brought this all together. This sauce used dynamic ingredients like coconut aminos, date syrup, rice vinegar, lime juice, tahini, mushrooms, and seaweed to get that same great super-umami flavor of fish sauce but without the suffering. Sigh, I wish I could eat it again.
I'm not a breakfast person, so Thistle's small, fruit-forward choices were perfect for me. A dense, dry polenta almond cake was saved by a bright, sweet raspberry chia jam. A smoothie bowl with blackberry and hibiscus topped with crunchy coconut granola was the perfect start to my day. The Super Seed & Berry Muesli overnight oat dish had good texture variety, and its bright-blue coconut and vanilla spirulina “mylk” was a fun addition, although I wish it had a little more fruit to add a fresh element.
The heated dinner meals were good but didn't feel as complex as the hearty salads. A chimichurri sauce was the stand-out on an otherwise one-note pasta dish with beans, artichoke, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes. A Latin-inspired black bean, spinach, rice, and plantain dish needed more acid or spice to liven it up. Other snacks, like a charcuterie-type plate, fell a little flat with veggies that were beginning to dry out and a funky vegan cheese with a grainy texture. (Later that night though, I had Thistle's vegan take on cheesecake with a tahini tres leches mousse that was perhaps the best vegan dessert I've ever had, so all was—pretty much—forgiven.)
Besides the high price point—except for right now with 40 percent off (seriously, if you've been curious about this meal kit, I'd recommend you try while it's heavily discounted)—I don't have many gripes with Thistle.
When you sign up for a plan, you receive texts with updates on your delivery and they notify you when the delivery has been dropped off. I got the text notification that it was dropped off Sunday night, but when I checked nothing was delivered. The next day, I found out the delivery person ended up dropping it off at my neighbor's instead. I had to wait a whole week, until the next Sunday, to get another delivery. It was a bummer because I had to last-minute grocery shop for the week ahead on a busy Sunday night, which I hadn't budgeted for—time- or moneywise. In the future, I may opt to meet the delivery person face-to-face so I can guarantee I'll be fed that week.
Thistle Meal Kit
Rating: 8/10
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All of the meals come in plastic containers, which can be very tricky with recycling. If you opt for this service, I'd make sure to check your local guidelines for which plastics are accepted and recycled. Where I live, they are much more lax with plastic recycling requirements, so I rinsed all of my containers and said a prayer to Mother Gaia that they would be recycled and not end up in a landfill for the rest of time. Most of the jars with twist lids were solid enough that they could be washed and reused.
I loved these tasty, low-to-no-prep healthy vegan meals, but I don't know if I could only eat them for weeks on end. I'm a natural-born cook. I would miss the ritual of chopping, adding spices, and sautéeing. But I most likely will be supplementing my regular meals with some of these dynamic, hearty salads for a quick, healthy lunch.
Thistle Meal Kit
Rating: 8/10
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The robot vacuum market is saturated with options which vary in a wide range of prices from $300 to… $1,500, It is now more difficult than ever to find the right model. However, one device currently stands out (on Amazon) as the de facto choice if you're looking for high-end features without the premium tag: the Dreame L10s Ultra robot vacuum and mop combo.
What's truly amazing about this model is that it's now going for $299, which is an all-time low that even surpasses its Black Friday offer of $399. That's a huge 62% off its standard 2025 price of $789, which makes it an absolute bargain if you're looking for a great robot vacuum.
See at Amazon
The Dreame L10s Ultra is more than just a robot vacuum: It is a complete cleaning system with automation at its heart to simplify the cleaning of all your floors. The docking station with its multi-functionality is a game-changer and handles automatic dust collection, washing and drying of the mop, water refilling, and even the addition of cleaning solution. The dock empties the vacuum's dustbin cleanly into a 3-liter dust bag and allows for up to 60 days of hands-free cleaning. After every cleaning, the mops are immersed in water and high-speed spun against the grooves of the base station to get rid of dirt.
At the core of the Dreame L10s Ultra is its 5300Pa suction power that guarantees strong vacuuming on all surfaces. The machine detects carpets automatically and changes the suction power and adds more power as needed to pull out grounded dirt and debris. On hard floors, its double rotary mops spin at 180 RPM with high pressure and mops away grime and leaving your floors spotless. The mops are supported by a 2.5L water tank so that the machine can clean up to 2,152 square feet in one single cleaning session.
Obviously, this Dreame robot vacuum is also equipped with an RGB camera and 3D structured light so that it learns your home map in an instant and recognizes obstacles in real time. The vacuum then adjusts to create customized cleaning pathways based on the type of room, floor type, and potential obstacles like furniture or wires. The AI system ensures thorough coverage with fewer possibilities of getting stuck.
The device also offers extensive customization through its companion app: You can create multiple maps for multi-level homes, set virtual walls or no-go zones and schedule cleaning sessions according to your liking (when you're not at home for instance). Voice control integration with Alexa adds another layer of convenience by allowing you to start or stop cleaning with voice commands.
Battery life is also an area where the Dreame L10s Ultra excels: Its 5200mAh lithium-ion battery provides as much as three hours of running time in Quiet mode which is more than enough time to vacuum large homes without interruption. Even when switched to Turbo mode for tougher grime, it still does very well before needing to be recharged.
What's for sure is that the current Amazon deal is absolutely unbeatable value for a robot vacuum with this many features that it matches models triple its price. This all-time low price won't last long!
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The LaserPecker LP5 is a premium, portable machine that can engrave just about anything with dual 20W Diode and Fiber lasers, but it is seriously hampered by clunky software and a noticeable lack of interface.
Both Fiber and Diode lasers
Engraves nearly anything
Live preview
Fast
Portable
Limited cutting area
Air assist unavailable
No interface on machine
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The LaserPecker LP5 is a small laser cutter and engraver that works on nearly any material thanks to twin galvo lasers: a 20-watt diode and a 20-watt fiber. It can cut and engrave softer materials with the diode and also carve metal and stone with the laser fiber. The machine is advertised as portable, but like the LP4 before it, there's still a tiny gap in the protective shielding that requires safety glasses for anyone in the room. LaserPecker sent the custom enclosure for this review, which makes the laser safe around your family and pets.
The LP5 has a few improvements over the LP4 we reviewed in 2023, but it also has a puzzling lack of its best features. The very informative touch screen – with a time display – is sadly missing. Also, there doesn't seem to be an off button, but it can be powered off by holding down the pause button for a few seconds. This isn't explained in the manual, and I only discovered it after prowling internet forums. Before figuring this out, I thought you had to unplug it.
The lack of a countdown timer on the laser or an estimated burn time on the software is maddening. Maybe a timer isn't needed for etching wood when it only takes a minute or two, but the real showstopper is LaserPecker's ability to deeply etch a 3D bas-relief in stone or metal. This took hours. Twice, I started to etch a brass coin, only to pull the plug because I needed to leave the house or go to bed after 2 or 3 hours of burning. I finally got the sample coin to complete when I started it in the morning. It took over 4 hours to burn.
The software provided by LaserPecker is missing material presets, which requires you to run your own tests. This was a major let down and not something I would expect with a premium laser dubbed “smart” on its website.
Retailing at $3,299 and currently on sale for $2,899, the LaserPecker LP5 costs more than many larger lasers with similar features. While it's a powerful machine and fun to experiment with, sadly, it did not make our list of best laser cutters and engravers. The optional enclosure we tested costs $699 but is on sale currently for $559.
Machine Footprint
198 x 286 x 323 mm (7.8 x 11.25 x 12.7 inches)
Engraving Size
120 x 160mm (4.72 x 6.3 inches)
Material
Cardboard, wood, leather, stone, metal, acrylic.
Laser Type
Blue Diode and Fiber
Laser Power
20w on both
Laser Wave Length
450 nm Diode and 1064nm Fiber
Engraving Accuracy
.0027 mm
Cutting Platform
Included (flat and grid)
Connectivity
USB, Wi-Fi
Interface
Buttons (must be connected to PC or Mobile)
The LaserPecker LP5 comes with everything you need to assemble the laser: a pair of laser safety glasses and a shield. You also get a few samples of wood, slate, leather, and metal for testing. There was also a nice wooden keychain. However, I accidentally set it on fire due to lack of settings.
We also requested the optional enclosure, which included a built-in camera.
The LaserPecker LP5 is a compact, portable laser that looks a bit like a high-end kitchen mixer. It has a premium feel to it, with brushed metal surfaces and tangle-free cords wrapped in fabric. The fans needed to cool this beast down are pretty loud and always on. It comes with a pipe to vent the exhaust away – you can put it outside a window or door, but we ran it through an air filter from a different manufacturer. Metal dust is pretty thick, and we clogged up one filter during our testing.
Unlike large flatbed machines, the LaserPecker is a Galvo laser. This means the laser stays in one spot, and the beam is moved across the work surface rapidly with a set of mirrors. This is the same motion system seen in laser light shows. The nature of this motion restricts its burn area to a circle, so it can't reach into the far corners of its build plate. You get the best results from items placed dead center.
The LaserPecker LP5 has PC software and mobile apps that you can download for free. The mobile app duplicates all the functions of the PC software, so you don't need to be tethered to a laptop if you have the app installed.
One of the things I miss from the LaserPecker LP4 is the top-mounted touchscreen, which displays valuable information like burn time and percentage complete. The new LP5 has no screen at all, just a preview button, an Emergency Stop button, and a pause button (which doubles as an off button).
The flat baseplate has holes for screw mounted material holders – these holes go completely through the plate and so it should not be used for cutting. A grill with a solid bottom is provided for cutting, which offers much needed airflow for cleaner edges.
The laser module can tilt on the stand to engrave large objects placed next to it. It can also be completely removed from the stand and used freehand if you're feeling particularly brave.
The laser is hooded with a detachable cone for safety, but there's a slight gap at the bottom, so you'll still want to wear the safety goggles provided. The cone has been improved since the LP4 and now has a removable panel to allow access to the work pieces inside. You can purchase an optional enclosure, which allows you to use the machine around other people and your pets.
Focusing the laser is very easy. When you click “preview,” in the design software, you'll get two red dots from the laser. Position your material under the dots and raise or lower the laser until the red dots combine into one. There's also a “live preview” box that projects a blue rectangle that represents the artwork to help get everything in the right spot.
I requested the enclosure to test for this machine to be extra safe as I don't want to lock myself in a room away from my family and pets while testing the laser. The enclosure is valuable for professionals who need to use a laser in public spaces like stores, studios, and craft fairs. It replaces the stand, with the laser module screwed into the top of the box. A camera located inside the box helps frame your work.
I assembled the LaserPecker LP5 in about 15 minutes – it was just a matter of installing a few screws and plugging in USB cords.
The LaserPecker LP5 is a Class 4 laser that can damage your eyes and burn skin. Placing it inside the enclosure elevates it to a Class 1. It also produces smoke and fumes while engraving or cutting materials. You must take precautions to operate the machine safely. Use this and any other laser at your own risk.
The machine is equipped with a safety cone over the laser module that covers the working surface. An emergency panic button on the top of the machine will halt operation. You can set the machine to turn off when the cover is removed, but this is not on by default. Another sensor detects high temperatures and can shut off the laser to avoid fires. An exhaust fan removes smoke from the laser area to improve performance and the environment. A tilt detector will shut off the laser if it tilts during operation.
There is a slight gap between the shield and the material. Because of this gap, you must always wear safety glasses for extra protection. A pair is provided with the machine.
The optional enclosure is well worth the extra cost, as it completely seals the laser from view. It also helps control smoke emitted from the materials that you're burning.
Prevent pets and other people from observing the laser while in use. Since the laser is literally burning material, never allow it to operate unattended and have a fire extinguisher handy just in case.
This is a portable laser, which means you can use it freehand if you take appropriate care.
Some materials should not be burned with a laser due to their chemical makeup – they could melt, catch fire or produce toxic fumes. Dallas Maker Space has published a list of safe and hazardous materials to use with their laser. The list of no-nos includes plastics, fiberglass and certain foams.
The laser lens can get dirty from smoke and fumes. You will need to wipe it clean – while unplugged – before each laser session. If it's allowed to become dirty, the laser will lose some of its capability.
LaserPecker has its own software suite and a mobile app called LaserPecker Design Space. It's also compatible with premium LightBurn software, though lacking a current subscription, I didn't test LightBurn.
Design Space on either platform lacks good presets for materials, so you'll need to do a lot of testing. The program waffled between engravings that were too light and setting my materials on fire. This was a disappointing experience for a modern $3,000 machine.
The LP5 connects using Wi-Fi, USB cord, or USB stick. The connection wasn't very stable for my phone, and I struggled to get it working. The app should be a miniature version of the PC software, and it seems to have a lot of features, but it wasn't very intuitive to use.
There were no tutorials on the phone app for the LP5 at all, so hopefully, a future update will fix the problem.
The ability to cut or engrave materials is determined by the speed and power settings of the laser. The LaserPecker LP5 has a medium power, 20-watt diode laser that can cut through thin wood up to 15mm, and a 20-watt fiber laser that can slice thin metal sheets that are one millimeter thick.
This machine's best use for wood is for light engraving, as the lack of air assist causes a lot of flame and char. I was able to sand off light brown char on some of the wood I engraved, which makes the finished pieces much nicer. On the samples below, I made a QR Code to the Tom's Hardware website using a tool in LaserPecker's Design Space. The suggested preset was too light, but increasing power introduced smudges from the smoke. I tried using masking tape to protect the wood – which might work for simpler designs. In the end, sanding the piece gave me the best results.
Design Space lets you pick different resolution levels, from 1K to 8K. It also measures the speed with “depth”, but a 40% depth is not necessarily a 40% cut through your piece. The best result on these precut wooden tags was a 4k resolution, with a 40% depth and 40% power. This burn took a few minutes, and the software did not record the time nor give me an estimate.
I tested the LP5 with various metal pieces. This is one of the 0.007 inch painted aluminum business cards I picked up from x-Tool. The machine made quick work of this clip art flower, but without presets, I had to make a few guesses on the settings. I used the fiber laser at 100% depth and 100% power, and it cut it out in less than a minute with one pass.
Turning down the depth setting on the fiber laser allowed quick engraving of the painted aluminum. This was 50% depth and 20% power and only took a few seconds.
3D engraving metal coins is a real showstopper, but Design Studio doesn't tell you how long it will take. I had to try it a few times after I ran out of time and did not want to leave the laser unattended. The first coin is after 2 hours of burning, and the completed one is after about 4. This was a presliced demo on the USB stick, so I'm unsure of the settings. The coin also needs to be polished (I used a Dremel) to make it shiny once you're done.
The LaserPecker LP5 is a very fast and versatile Galvo laser that can engrave just about anything thanks to its dual Diode and Fiber lasers. Not having good presets leads to a lot of trial and toasted wood to get it right. The $2,899 retail price tag is a bit steep for what you're getting – a small, portable laser that still requires safety glasses and/or an additional enclosure to use.
It's got a lot of potential as an engraving machine, but the software makes it frustrating to use. Design Space has plenty of creative tools and the ability to import photos or clip art to transform them into lasered art. Not having a timer or estimate anywhere is super annoying, especially since you're not supposed to let a laser work unattended.
If you want a dual diode and IR laser that's truly safe and portable, check out the xTool F1, currently available for $1,399. If you want more room for lasering large items, then check out the 20W WeCreat Vision for $1,299.
Denise Bertacchi is a Contributing Writer for Tom's Hardware US, covering 3D printing. Denise has been crafting with PCs since she discovered Print Shop had clip art on her Apple IIe. She's been a freelance newspaper reporter, online columnist and craft blogger with an eye for kid's STEM activities. She got hooked on 3D printing after her son made a tiny Tinkercad Jeep for a school science project. Excited to learn more, she got a Creality CR10s and hasn't looked back. She loves reviewing 3D printers because she can mix all her passions: printing, photography and writing. When she's not modding her Ender 3 Pro or stirring glitter into a batch of resin, you'll find her at the latest superhero movie with her husband and two sons.
Tom's Hardware is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
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xLight aims to deliver a powerful alternative LPP source for ASML EUV tools by 2028.
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Legendary Intel CTO and CEO Pat Gelsinger is now serving as executive chairman at xLight, a startup developing a free electron laser (FEL) technology as a light source for extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography systems.
Using a particle accelerator to generate light for litho machines has been discussed previously, but xLight claims it can produce such a source by 2028 — while maintaining compatibility with existing tools.
"As part of my new role at Playground Global, I have joined xLight as executive chairman of the board," Gelsinger wrote in a LinkedIn post. "I will be working closely with Nicholas Kelez and team to build the world's most powerful Free Electron Lasers (FEL) by leveraging particle accelerator technology."
EUV lithography is an advanced technique used for semiconductor manufacturing to create extremely small — we are talking about an 8nm resolution for High-NA EUV and a ~13nm for Low-NA EUV — circuit patterns on silicon wafers that uses EUV light with a 13.5nm wavelength. At present, only ASML can build EUV litho systems and these use an intricate way of producing light with a 13.5nm wavelength.
There is more than one way to create a light with an extremely short wavelength to produce chips with an 8nm ~ 13.5nm resolution, however. One of them is to use a particle accelerator as a laser produced plasma (LPP) light source.
xLight has created an LPP source that delivers four times the power of the most advanced systems available today, according to the Gelsinger's post. ASML's Twinscan NXE:3600D has a 250W LPP source, whereas the NXE:3800E is equipped with a ~300W source.
While ASML has demonstrated EUV source powers above 500W in research settings, these higher power levels are not yet available in commercially deployed systems. Yet ASML continues to work towards increasing EUV source power, with plans to double output to 600W and a roadmap extending beyond 1,000W.
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Apparently, xLight and Gelsinger claim that the company has an LPP source that is beyond 1,000W today and that will be ready for commercial applications by 2028.
Gelsinger claims that xLight's technology cuts per-wafer costs by around 50% and lowers both capital and operating expenses by threefold, which is a major leap in manufacturing efficiency. While we do know the approximate price of ASML's Twinscan NXE:3800E (around $240 - $250 million), we do cannot really guess the price of the light source alone.
Meanwhile, the claim that the new LPP source can lower capital expenses and operating costs by three times can potentially mean a substantial decrease of a FEL-based litho tool cost compared to today's machines from ASML.
Speaking of ASML, it is important to note that xLight does not aim to replace ASML's EUV litho tools, but produce an LPP source that "will be connected to an ASML scanner and running wafers by 2028." This may mean that xLight's LPP source will be compatible with existing ASML tools, but it is unclear whether it will be compatible with next-generation High-NA EUV tools (most probably yes, as they use the same LPP sources as existing Low-NA EUV tools). It also remains to be seen whether xLight's LPP source can be attached to TwinScan machines in fab environments.
Remember that fabs are built to accommodate specific tools and in case of Low-NA EUV systems it means that the light source is located below the machine itself, whereas in case of High-NA EUV tool its LPP source is located on the same level, so any 'third party' LPP source has to take these facts into account. For now, the particle accelerator looks rather big for existing fabs, so FEL is probably applicable for next generation of fabs if it is proved efficient.
It is noteworthy that while xLight believes that its FEL technology represents a multi-billion-dollar opportunity in the long term, it also opens near-term revenue in other key areas. The company believes that its systems are well-suited for high-power metrology and inspection tools. Perhaps, even beyond semiconductors, as it can address challenges in national security and biotech: from point defense and space debris control to medical imaging and scientific research.
Anton Shilov is a contributing writer at Tom's Hardware. Over the past couple of decades, he has covered everything from CPUs and GPUs to supercomputers and from modern process technologies and latest fab tools to high-tech industry trends.
Tom's Hardware is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.
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On Saturday, the Trump administration rolled out a big exception to its across-the-board tariffs on electronics, such as computers and smartphones. The move spares Apple from major price hikes on a wide majority of its products and is a little relief for consumers and tech companies.
In response, Amazon saw its chance to lower prices on the newly released 11th-generation iPad, which was released just a month ago in March. At $328 down from $349 for the 128GB Wi-Fi model, this is the best deals you'll find on Apple's latest tablet (it costs almost the same as the previous iPad 10 which is available for $319) which makes it a must-buy if you're looking for premium tech at a reasonable price point.
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The 11th-generation iPad is a major leap for Apple's tablet line. It provides instant performance with the latest A16 chip and it is capable of handling everything from gaming to multitasking effortlessly. This chip was previously reserved for Apple's high-end line and ensures the iPad performs effortlessly regardless of the app. From photo editing, video streaming, or multiple apps open simultaneously, the A16 chip provides unparalleled speed and efficiency. It is so much better than the A14 chip from the previous iPad 10.
The 11-inch Liquid Retina display of the iPad is another highlight, and this is why people also love Apple tactile tablets. With colors that pop and razor-sharp definition, it's ideal for watching movies, surfing the web or editing creative work. Basically, it can replace a laptop. The screen also features True Tone technology which changes the color temperature of the screen to match your environment for a more enjoyable viewing experience.
Storage is not an issue with this discounted model either as it has 128GB of internal storage (256GB and 512GB models are not on sale) and provides more than enough space for apps, photos, videos, and documents. For most users, the capacity of this much is well balanced between cost and usability. Additionally, the iPad is Wi-Fi 6 compatible for faster and more reliable internet access.
One of the most useful aspects of the new iPad is its all-day battery. Apple is guaranteeing as much as 10 hours of use on a single charge, which is ideal for long days at the office or on the road. The device also supports fast charging via USB-C so you can quickly top off your battery when you need to. It also supports accessories such as the Apple Pencil (2nd generation) and Magic Keyboard, turning it into an effective note-taking or productivity tool.
At a mere $319 (reduced from its initial price of $349), this is an 8% discount on one of Apple's new releases. The savings do not appear significant in contrast with the discounts applicable to earlier models or refurbished products, but this is a very new product being offered at this price level so shortly after release. Amazon's bold pricing approach ensures that this is an unbeatable deal, despite the tariffs hike.
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The market is filled with literally hundreds of headphones available and it's difficult not to feel somewhat… overwhelmed. With top brands such as Beats, Bose, Sonos, Apple, or Sony often costing $200 or more, you can't help but ask yourself if it's truly worth spending that type of money. The good news? It's not.
This is where the JBL Tune 510BT comes in, a Bluetooth wireless headphone that provides unbelievable value at a price that's hard to believe. At less than 20$ down from $50 (60% off the original price), this is a bargain of a deal with features and sound that competing products 10 to 20 times its price can't compete with.
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Now reduced to its lowest price ever of $19.99, the JBL Tune 510BT is a limited-time offer available on Amazon that you really won't want to miss. Even last year, during the Black Friday deals, these headphones were selling for $25, so this offer is even tastier. With over 10,000 units sold just last month alone, the JBL Tune 510BT has earned itself a spot in the Top 5 best-sellers in Amazon's prestigious Electronics category.
The JBL Tune 510BT has the signature JBL Pure Bass sound which is featured in some of the world's most famous arenas. This enables you to hear rich, deep bass and clear audio which is perfect for losing yourself in your favorite podcasts or music. The headphones are (obviously) wireless and Bluetooth streams audio from your device seamlessly. They can even switch between two devices so that you don't miss a call.
One of the features we absolutely love about the JBL Tune 510BT is the extended battery life which gives you up to 40 hours of continuous playback (probably the industry record). This means that you can listen to your music all day long without needing to recharge. And when you do need to top up, the Speed Charge feature allows you to replenish the battery in only 2 hours with the convenient Type-C USB cable. What's more, a 5-minute quick charge gives you an additional 2 hours of music.
The headphones also feature a microphone on the ear cup which allows you to answer and manage calls hands-free with ease. The simple buttons on the ear cup allow you to manage your audio as well as manage your calls without needing to reach for your phone. Furthermore, with the multi-function button, you can access Siri or Google Assistant with a single press.
On the compatibility side, these headphones support both Android and iOS devices, meaning no matter what smartphone you carry, you can enjoy your music with ease. For $19.99, it's a deal you shouldn't miss. Make sure you get yours before it runs out of stock.
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I love thinking about chicken. Specifically, I like thinking about how to cook chicken well. I can trace a line from my Mom's famous sour cream chicken with chives and paprika, to Cook's Illustrated's “easy roast chicken” in its original The Best Recipe, and on to Simon Hopkinson's Roast Chicken and Other Stories, with hundreds of other stops along the way.
At home, I love roasting a whole chicken, an art form where, if you do it right, you're rewarded with a dark, crispy skin, delicious leg quarters, and tender breast meat. It's a balancing act, though. Breasts need to hit an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit, but legs and thighs are better when cooked to a higher temperature. It's not like you're cooking a perfectly round, fairly-homogenous, inch-thick hamburger, either. Chickens are … you know … chicken shaped, with different thicknesses, densities, and parts that poke out.
Roast a chicken breast and it will cook pretty quickly and be ready to pull out of the oven a bit under 165°F, which will allow it to coast to a finish without overcooking, something known as “carryover cooking.” Thighs, on the other hand, are much more forgiving and become fall-off-the-bone tender with a longer cooking time and if they're cooked to a higher internal temperature, which turns cooking the whole thing into a puzzle.
By tweaking variables, like the oven position, cooking time, and cooking temperature, you can set it on the right flight path for all the parts to glide into doneness at the same time.
Way back in 1999, Cook's Illustrated cooked 14 chickens at different temperatures (or temperature combinations) for that “easy roast chicken” recipe and came up with a pan-roasting method that starts at 375 degrees and finishes at 450. As a budding technique nerd, I was entranced.
Today, it's surprisingly hard to find a serious cookbook that cooks a whole bird in what you might call the traditional method. They now favor spatchcocking, where you cut out the backbone and lay the bird flat with the skin side up, which allows the leg quarters (drumsticks and thighs) to cook to a higher temperature while keeping the breasts from overcooking. Chef-author Hugh Acheson is a proponent of coating the bird with baking powder for deep and even browning.
Taking extra steps like these might sound fussy, but it can also be a lot of fun. Try it one way one day and another the next and see what you like. If you're following a tested recipe, dinner will likely turn out great. Over time, you'll develop favorites.
The PoulTree attaches to a pan so you can “levitate” a chicken over it.
If that tinkering vibe is your jam, I have a new unique new tool for you to play with, a stout metal rod called the PoulTree with a series of bends along its length allow you to attach it to the handle of a Lodge cast-iron skillet. This allows it to hold a chicken several inches over the surface of the pan.
(Side note: While the PoulTree is a solid, well thought-out item, website photos are almost universally, comically bad. They're a tiny operation, and at this point more of a labor of love than a full-grown business. Try to cut 'em some some slack.)
I bought a nice chicken, sprinkled it with salt inside and out, aka a “dry brine,” and let it air dry overnight in the fridge. These two steps help keep the bird moist on the inside and crispy on the outside.
The PoulTree team suggests cooking on a hot grill, so I started there, or at least as close as I could. I cranked my Weber grill, hung the bird on the rod over the pan, sprayed it with duck fat to get the party started, inserted a surprisingly fiddly ThermoWorks RFX cordless probe in the breast, then set the whole shebang on the grates and shut the lid.
One particularly fun part about this thing is that's pretty much all you need to do until it's done. Monitor the temperature and pull it out when it gets where you want it to go. I could not resist peeking once or twice, when I watched the drippings and Seattle raindrops vaporize on the pan surface.
Per the manufacturer's personal suggestion, I pulled it when the breast hit 148 degrees, put but it on a cutting board and let it coast right to 165 degrees, at which point the drumstick got up to 188 degrees. This was pretty ideal for both parts. I carved it and got out my notebook. The drumstick and breast meat approached perfection, with great texture and crispy skin. The breast even had a bit of that griller's grail know as “the jiggle.” The skin ranged between crisp (good!) and a little leathery (fine, not great). The thighs, perhaps, due to their position between the drumsticks and the body, were less perfect than the drumsticks, but still quite good.
I liked cooking with it! I wondered how I might change things the next round, and I kind of marveled at the simplicity of the thing and how it cooked with do-it-on-a-weeknight speed. Interestingly, it got me thinking about how heat and and technique affect cooking.
I also realized a safety item to keep in mind. Before it's time to take it off the heat, figure out how you're going to get the chicken from your grill to your kitchen and where you're going to set it down. You can't really remove the bird from the rod when it's over the grill, and you don't want to walk far at all holding a heavy and still screaming-hot skillet with a chicken attached to it either. I thought about what could've happened if it started burning my hand while I was walking down the stairs from my deck to my kitchen with nowhere to set it down. You also don't want to melt your countertop or scorch up your cutting board. I ended up transfering it on a sheet pan on my grill's (metal!) side table, then walked that down to the kitchen and set it on top of my stove.
A few days later, bird number two was not the smashing success that its predecessor was, mostly because I didn't account for the effects of the weather. On this cooler, wetter day, the grill simply didn't get as hot, meaning that pulling it at 148 degrees didn't carry over as much as I wanted it to by the end of the resting period. I carved the chicken and put the less-done parts in the oven to finish. Not a big deal, an easy-to-fix user error, and being a decently cooked chicken slathered with za'atar, it was still great. The $19 PoulTree offers a $60 "roaster" option, where you buy it with a Lodge pan with the idea that that's all you use the pan for, and considering how scuzzy the pans get during cooking, it's a pretty good idea.
A third bird, this one with no overnight brining or air-drying, simply coated in amba (see the cookbook Zahav Home for more on that goodness) and put on the grill was an unqualified weeknight success. Not a brined and marinated wonder, but still very good.
I was in Oaxaca City for the next round, where I bought a chicken from Pollos José (no relation) in the Merced market. For “not lugging a heavy skillet around in my baggage” purposes, I just brought a rod and a device PoulTree calls a “Double Coupe” that allows you to use the rod over a sheet pan. I cooked the chicken over potato wedges and while the sheet pan and spuds definitely did not help the chicken skin crisp up, the schmaltz-roasted spuds were well worth the trade-off.
If you cook the chicken over an empty pan—PoulTree's preferred method—in too hot an oven, it can really turn into a smoke show, so you've got some thinking to do. My chef-pal and regular review helper Hamid Salimian got the willies thinking about cooking it in a hot oven, suggesting brining, then air-drying it before cooking it in a (not-too-hot) 350-degree oven with some veggies underneath. He also suggested marinating it with chilies for caramelization and flavor and trying to cook it breast side up.
Chef Chris Young of Modernist Cuisine and Combustion—a better wireless thermometer than the RFX, IMO—fame also weighed in. He seemed to appreciate how the PoulTree lifts the bird away from the cooking surface, a category that along with rotisserie chickens he refers to as “levitating birds,” that allow the whole thing to get uniformly dark on the outside. Putting veggies in the pan, he posited, creates steam close to the underside of the chicken, and that part of the skin won't get as nice and crisp as the rest of the chicken.
For both chefs, I got the sense that they might be enjoying thinking about this new way to cook a classic, how they might approach it, and what the final outcome would be. (I hope they did, anyway. At the very least, I was having fun.)
This might've been my favorite thing about the PoulTree. It asks you to think about your desired end result and how to achieve it. It encourages tinkering, and, as a bonus, it cooks fast and easy. If you're into chicken and general kitchen nerdery, trying it out is a fun and inexpensive way to tinker. You can make a speedy weeknight chicken with satisfying results, or be rewarded for putting a little extra care into it. If you throw some veggies in the pan, it's worth the sacrifice.
“This will make things a bit steamier in the oven than a bare pan, but at least the smoke alarm won't be going off,” Young says. “Personally, I think you want something like potatoes, that benefit from the drippings … For me, nothing beats potatoes soaking up the drippings from a levitating bird.”
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Buying cloud storage might seem like the modern solution for managing your files, but let's be honest—it comes with its own set of challenges. Subscription fees stack up over time, and you're often left wondering about the safety and privacy of your data.
For those who prefer a reliable, one-time investment, nothing beats a physical hard drive at home. As it is, the Seagate Portable 5TB external hard drive is available for just $112 on Amazon, down from $129 just ahead of the tariffs hike. The 4TB model is priced at $118 (down from $124) which makes it less relevant.
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The Seagate 5TB external HDD is a high-quality storage solution if you're dealing with large files, whether they're photos, videos, games or critical documents. With a massive 5TB of storage space, this drive can hold up to 700 five-minute 4K videos or over two million average files. It's perfect for backing up priceless family videos or for expanding your gaming library without worrying about running out of space.
Small and portable, the Seagate drive itself is only 4.54 inches in length and 3.15 inches in width which allows it to fit easily into a bag or even a pocket. Weighing in at only 0.56 lbs, it's built to be portable without sacrificing durability. Its slim black profile will make it fit easily into any environment, at home or on the road.
The drive features USB 3.0 connectivity for transfer speeds up to ten times faster than USB 2.0. This provides fast and effective transfer of large files—like high-definition movies or entire collections of games. For compatibility with older systems, the Seagate drive is also backward compatible with USB 2.0 ports at reduced speeds. Its plug-and-play nature simplifies setup: simply plug it in with the included USB cable, and your PC or Mac will recognize it immediately with no software to install.
It is pre-formatted as exFAT and works with Windows and macOS computers right out of the box. This compatibility is great if you work on both operating systems or need an OS-agnostic storage device. Mac users who would like to use Time Machine backups can also reformat the drive to their needs without any issues. Gamers will love this hard drive too as it plugs in flawlessly with Xbox and PlayStation consoles.
Whether you're safeguarding memories or expanding your digital library, this is a great deal!
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The United States Department of Homeland Security sent an email this week informing people living in the US on a temporary legal status that their "parole" has been revoked and instructed them to leave the country "immediately." However, the email was also addressed to at least one US citizen, an immigration attorney from Massachusetts. And it remains unclear who must abide by the email's instructions—or why the apparent revocation of legal immigration status was delivered via email at all.
The email informs the recipient that “DHS is now exercising its discretion to terminate your parole,” which it says will go into effect “7 days from the date of this notice.” The email appears to be similar, if not identical, to messages received by users of CBP One, an app developed during the Biden administration that allows non-citizens from certain countries to schedule appointments at US points of entry in an effort to seek asylum. A spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) tells WIRED, however, that the email was sent more broadly.
“CBP has issued notices terminating parole for individuals who do not have lawful status to remain,” says CBP assistant commissioner for public affairs Hilton Beckham. “This process is not limited to CBP One users and does not currently apply to those paroled under programs such as U4U and OAW.”
U4U refers to Uniting for Ukraine, a program launched under the Biden administration to allow for expedited immigration to the US for Ukrainians fleeing Russia's war against its neighboring country. Former President Joe Biden began OAW, or Operation Allies Welcome, in 2021 following the US military's exit from Afghanistan to allow for the safe resettling of “vulnerable Afghans, including those who worked alongside us in Afghanistan for the past two decades,” according to DHS.
The email itself does not identify these or any other exemptions, nor does it make clear to whom it applies beyond the recipient. Beckham also confirmed that the email was sent to whatever email address the agency had associated with the intended target, leading to confusion for at least one immigration attorney.
“Some personal news: the Department of Homeland Security has given me, an immigration lawyer born in Newton, Massachusetts, seven days to leave the US,” wrote Nicole Micheroni, a partner at Cameron Micheroni & Silvia LLC, in a post on Bluesky on Friday night. “Does anyone know if you can get Italian citizenship through great-grandparents?”
Micheroni tells WIRED that she first thought the email was intended for one of her clients, but she quickly noticed that it was only addressed to her.
“I don't feel like I'm actually going to be deported in seven days, but it's concerning that this is the level of care they're using to send these out,” Micheroni says. She adds that it's possible that the DHS email was “intended for one of my clients or somebody else,” as it's not uncommon for immigrants in the US to list their attorneys as the point of contact.
The Trump administration has sought to revoke the parole of some 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans who entered the US under a Biden-era humanitarian parole program. While it moved to subject them to expedited deportation effective April 24, on Thursday a federal judge in Boston said she would issue a protective order blocking that attempt. The order may complicate the instructions in the email, which stipulates that it does not apply to people who “have otherwise obtained a lawful basis to remain” in the US.
CBP's Beckham did not immediately respond to WIRED's questions about whether the court order would impact any recipients of the email.
Attorney Lauren Regan, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Civil Liberties Defense Center, tells WIRED that the lack of clarity about whether the revocation of temporary parole applies to the recipient of the email is likely causing fear and confusion among many immigrants, especially those without access to adequate legal guidance.
“So many people don't have a lawyer, or their lawyer has 6,000 clients,” Regan says, which “completely overloads” the attorneys who often provide pro bono legal services to immigrants.
“A lot of people that are here on parole status don't know the nuances of immigration law, so they get this email and they don't know if it applies to them,” Micheroni says. “And most of them assume that it does because everything is really scary for people right now.”
It's also unclear whether the email is related to recent efforts by Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). In an April 10 post on X, DOGE claimed that “CBP identified a subset of 6.3k individuals paroled into the United States since 2023 on the FBI's Terrorist Screening Center watchlist or with criminal records. These paroles have since been terminated with immediate effect.”
Beckham did not immediately respond to questions about whether the email was intended for these 6,300 individuals, nor did she answer WIRED's questions about how many people received the email.
Then there's the matter of the email being an email at all, Regan says, adding that “it is absolutely not common” for a change in legal immigration status to arrive via email, which typically happens in person or via certified mail. “People would think it's a phishing email or something not legitimate,” Regan says. Also, the fact that the email does not appear to have been first posted on a government website added to questions about its authenticity.
“Normally if the government is going to change a practice, they would first do it on their websites,” Regan says, adding, “but the fact that this was not on the website first and then sent out as a direct communication is very, very unusual.”
Regan also notes that many immigrants do not have email addresses, and therefore couldn't receive the communication in the first place.
Even for Micheroni, a US citizen and immigration attorney, the Trump administration's aggressive immigration enforcement practices have made life less stable. The email only made matters worse.
“I have gotten some serious inquiries from my parents or other family members or friends being like, ‘what do I do if you stop answering me or if you disappear? Like, who do you want me to call?'” she says.
“And if people in my life are feeling this way, and this is what I do, I know a lot about it,” Micheroni adds. “I can't imagine what it's like for people that don't fully understand immigration law.”
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A landmark study presented today at ESCMID Global 2025 has revealed that over 3 million children worldwide lost their lives in 2022 due to antimicrobial resistance (AMR)-related infections.
The study underscores the urgent need for both regional and global strategies to control paediatric AMR, particularly in high-burden areas such as South-East Asia and Africa. AMR poses a critical threat to children, who are highly vulnerable to infections. Access to new antibiotic formulations is often much more limited for children because of product development delays.
The study data found that in 2022 alone, more than 752,000 children in Southeast Asia and 659,000 children in Africa died of AMR-associated complications. Many of these deaths were linked to the use of Watch antibiotics (drugs with a high risk of resistance) and Reserve antibiotics (last-resort treatments for severe, multidrug-resistant infections).
Watch and Reserve antibiotics are not intended for first-line treatment and their use should be limited only for those who need them to preserve their effectiveness and reduce the development of resistance. In contrast, Access antibiotics are those that are more widely available and used to treat common infections due to their lower potential for increasing resistance.
Between 2019 and 2021, the use of Watch antibiotics increased by 160% in Southeast Asia and 126% in Africa. During the same period, the use of Reserve antibiotics rose by 45% in Southeast Asia and 125% in Africa.
Globally, of the more than 3 million children's deaths, 2 million were associated with the use of Watch and Reserve antibiotics.
While the rise in use of Watch and Reserve antibiotics may be necessary in response to the concurrent rise in drug-resistant infections, the sharp rise in use of these drugs presents several serious long-term risks. Their increased use, especially without careful oversight, elevates the risk of resistance and limits future treatment options. If bacteria develop resistance to these antibiotics, there will be few, if any, alternatives for treating multidrug-resistance infections."
Professor Joseph Harwell, study co-author
Several factors contribute to the severity of AMR in low- and middle-income countries, including overcrowded hospitals, poor sanitation, and weak infection prevention measures that facilitate the spread of resistant pathogens within healthcare settings and communities. Due to a lack of diagnostic tools and concerns over misdiagnosis, overuse and misuse of antibiotics are also widespread in these regions. Additionally, many low- and middle-income countries lack effective national surveillance and antimicrobial stewardship programmes, making it difficult to track resistance trends and establish effective treatment protocols.
"Rising resistance to Watch and Reserve antibiotics will ultimately lead to higher treatment failure," said Professor Harwell. "Mortality rates, which are already alarmingly high, will continue to rise significantly, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where access to alternative treatments and advanced medical interventions may be limited."
Professor Harwell furthered, "Addressing this issue requires urgent and coordinated action at both the regional and global levels. Global and national surveillance on AMR must adopt a 'One Health' approach, with cost-effective systems that can inform treatment guidelines and measure the impact of control interventions."
"On a regional level, we call on policymakers to mandate hospital-based antimicrobial stewardship programmes in all paediatric healthcare facilities. Improved age classifications in surveillance data will also enhance our understanding of important differences in resistance rates across the age categories, as well as pediatric-specific resistance mechanisms. Additionally, we urge the implementation of national guidelines to ensure routine surveillance informs antibiotic use," concluded Professor Harwell.
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID)
Posted in: Child Health News | Medical Research News | Disease/Infection News
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Altay Bayindir has been slammed as "pathetic" after being at fault for one of Newcastle United's goals in their 4-1 win over Manchester United.
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Two friendly games in April for the United States women's national team didn't go exactly as planned, but those 180 minutes sure are valuable for this team's high-ceiling future for many reasons. Manager Emma Hayes and the group settled for a 2-1 loss on Tuesday, where the United States conceded a late-game goal in stoppage time. The coaching staff opted to get more looks with familiar tactics over the two games, and with a less experienced lineup in the second friendly, the high-pressure scenarios exposed the lack of experience throughout the match.
The duo of matches were utilized as part of a longer evaluation process for Hayes and the staff in a long build-up to the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup. Ahead of the game on Tuesday, Hayes hinted at the possibility of the USWNT program heading to Brazil next year for elevated team experiences ahead of the global tournament that the country will host. After the game, the head coach was as clear as ever -- matches in 2025 will remain a focal point of processes instead of flat-out wins and losses.
"It's been a really good camp. We mustn't always measure progress by outcome," Hayes said. "If I only prioritized short-term success, of course, I wouldn't make that many changes. But I'm not making decisions for the short-term; I'm prioritizing the progress from expanding the playing pool to getting to see what these players look like in a really difficult match."
Forward Trinity Rodman made her return to USWNT camps during the April window, one-third of the 2024 Olympic gold medal-winning attack "triple espresso" that also featured Sophia Wilson and Mallory Swanson. With a longer build toward the World Cup and other players managing injuries, Hayes has been clear that the time is now to explore and expand the player pool.
With additional gold medal winners Naomi Girma, Tierna Davidson, and Rose Lavelle unavailable for selection at the moment, more players have been in and out of camps since 2025 began, and there will continue to be. But as each camp goes by, who are the less-capped players that capitalize on the opportunity of the moment?
Here are some players I think will keep decision-making difficult for the coaching staff after the April friendlies:
Players who have notably improved from January camps through April. Their efforts have led to more minutes or more starts and have impacted the games they participated in. Likely candidates for future camps, and maybe even compete for starting positions.
Alyssa Thompson (forward): There's no doubt about it, Thompson is entering the spot-stealing territory. The winger "has taken another step," in the opinion of Hayes, and she has featured in each camp throughout 2025 thus far. It's high praise for a player that is just scratching the surface of her career.
Phallon Tullis-Joyce (goalkeeper): The goalkeeper made a major statement game during the opening fixture against Brazil. A shutout and six huge saves against a creative technical side have bumped her up in a goalkeeper pool that's looking for an answer at the starting role.
Claire Hutton (midfielder): The Kansas City Current midfielder had an impressive start in match two and won the ball that sprung the lone American goal of Tuesday's game. Despite the optics of 4-2-3-1 presenting a double pivot, the 19-year-old operated mostly as a solo defensive midfielder in the No. 6 position, and she was cool-headed throughout.
Players who were called in before January camps and have since earned call-ups and minutes throughout matches in 2025. Considered part of the current pool of players the coaching staff will keep among rosters during the remainder of the year if healthy.
Catarina Macario (forward): The Chelsea FC player has worked back from an ACL injury and even made the 2024 Olympic roster but removed herself from Olympic contention after a flare-up in knee soreness. She's playing more consistently now, for club and country, and her name has been on the score sheet in three of the four matches she started this year.
Ally Sentnor (forward): At one point, Sentnor was a player on the depth chart, but her breakout 2024 rookie season with Utah Royals and the U20 World Cup team earned her call-ups to the senior team ahead of her "futures camp" debut in January. She's been called into camps as an attacking midfield option and as a forward and will have more call-ups this year.
Current players called in whose performances have led to more questions about their position in the player pool instead of clear indicators that they should remain part of the senior process.
Mandy McGlynn (goalkeeper): McGlynn's only had three starts with the national team, but her two games in 2025 presented more questions than answers. In each of the two matches, late-game goals were conceded, so some tough lessons remain as the coaching staff continues to search for solutions at the position.
Jaedyn Shaw (midfielder): Hayes has made it clear that the timeline for player evaluation over the next two years will be key prep for roster building, and some younger players might see their senior time limited and rolled over into the relaunched U23 program. Shaw's dwindling minutes and slower start this NWSL season could be signs that Hayes wants the player to work on getting her confidence back up.
Tara McKeown (defender): There's a significant amount of trust McKeown has built up with the coaching staff in her short time on USWNT rosters. Brazil presented a ton of challenges in attacking transition and McKeown had some mixed moments. With injuries along the backline, she'll likely still be part of future camps if her club play stays consistent.
Alana Cook (defender) and Ashley Hatch (forward): The two players were named to the April roster and it marked their return to national team camps for the first time since 2023. Their limited minutes in the two-game series ultimately signal where their place among the player pool is -- about the same as it was before -- on the outside looking in.
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Carlo Ancelotti's side picked up three points in a chaotic contest despite playing for over half of the game with 10 men
Kylian Mbappe was sent off for a horrific challenge, but Eduardo Camavinga spared his blushes as Real Madrid secured a 1-0 win from an ugly game at struggling Alaves. Los Blancos never really convinced - and played over 50 minutes with 10 men - yet still managed to pull out a win.
Madrid never quite established control early on, and looked vulnerable almost immediately. Despite that, Raul Asencio thought he had given the visitors the lead when he met a corner at the far post, but the referee adjudged that he had pushed his man to reach Rodrygo's cross. Camavinga soon broke the deadlock, however, as he evaded a defender before whipping a shot into the far corner from outside the box.
Carlo Ancelotti's side should have cruised thereafter, but Mbappe's horrific challenge - a two-footed stamp on Antonio Blanco - handed the momentum back to the home side.
Still, Alaves never quite capitalised, as while Carlos Vicente offered some attacking ideas off the right, Madrid were otherwise relatively untroubled. The hosts then made it harder on themselves midway through the second half when Manuel Sanchez clipped Vinicius Jr as he ran through on goal - leaving the referee no choice but to show hand him his marching orders.
Madrid could have put the game away for good multiple times as the clock ran down; Jude Bellingham saw a shot well denied, Brahim Diaz came close and Vinicius caused problems, but a second goal never came. Still, Alaves lacked the kind of cutting edge necessary to pull level and amid all of the chaos, Madrid are still in La Liga's title race, remaining four points behind leaders Barcelona.
GOAL rates Madrid's players from Mendizorroza...
“If you don't want to deal with some transportation issues, don't come to the game," Alex Lasry, CEO of the regional host committee for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, said Thursday during a panel at the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce's annual tourism conference after explaining that his family takes no chances with traffic, joking that his father left the 1996 World Series Game 6 in the eighth inning to dodge the traffic.
Lasry also explained that there will be “probably none or close to no” parking at MetLife Stadium during the tournament.
“The World Cup is a massive security perimeter and a huge security risk so I would imagine there will be very limited parking if any at MetLife,” Lasry said at the chamber's Lyndhurst headquarters.
Instead, the host committee is setting up park and rides around New Jersey, “where people can park somewhere nearby” and then be shuttled to the stadium, he said.
Lasry said people should “price in the fact that transportation is going to be a lot” and that while the host committee is still waiting for final approval of its mobility plan from FIFA, it is hoping to make transportation to and from MetLife Stadium as “efficient and easy as possible.”
Lasry said when it comes to train crowds, the host committee wanted to make sure the event is not overly annoying to daily commuters, so that people can “get to work and do what they need to do” while others can “get to the games while not putting too much of a stress on the transit system.”
But the transit system will — almost certainly — be pushed to its limits.
Some 80,000 fans will be traversing to MetLife and more than 16,000 other people, like FIFA staff, volunteers and contractors, are estimated to work the eight games at the stadium.
If parking is limited, the vast majority of those people will likely rely on NJ Transit, which has designed a system of trains and buses to move 20,000 people an hour. That is double what it was 11 years ago when MetLife hosted the Super Bowl and experienced an unexpected onslaught of 35,000 riders after the game. But the World Cup is the biggest sports spectacle in the world and soccer fans — whether they're going to the game or not — will want to be near the excitement.
Figuring out how to transport those fans safely and efficiently to the matches and fan fests around the region is the job of the region's host committee and transportation partners, including NJ Transit, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Amtrak and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
As Lasry put it, FIFA is responsible for what happens inside the stadiums and the host committees handle everything else, meaning they are the boots-on-the-ground planners for organizing the World Cup, which will be played in 16 cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, with the final at MetLife.
With just about a year to go before the six-week tournament begins in June 2026, the New York-New Jersey host committee is waiting for final approval of its mobility plan from FIFA.
One major difference Lasry noted between the World Cup in 2026 and the 2014 Super Bowl debacle is that the final soccer match will likely be played in the afternoon to accommodate overseas viewership.
This, he said, should help spread out the crowds leaving the match instead of 80,000 people making a mad dash for trains, buses and shuttles.
“We will try to set up activations and things around the stadium to ensure that …. there's not just a massive rush of everyone trying to get on a train, everyone trying to get an Uber, everyone trying to get on a bus all at the same time,” Lasry said.
Ultimately, Lasry's message was this: Try not to “drive anywhere near the stadium on a match day because it's going to be a nightmare.”
Kylian Mbappe was shown a straight red card in the first half of Real Madrid's La Liga clash with Alaves on Sunday for an awful challenge.
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Esperance de Tunis have a glittering history, but may find themselves outmatched by more traditional powers
One of four teams flying the flag for Africa in the Club World Dup, Esperance de Tunis have a wonderful history. They have 33 Tunisian top-flight titles, have won the Tunisian Cup 15 times, and have appeared in 14 straight CAF Champions Leagues. Success, then, is nothing new.
But it remains to be seen how well that might translate to a 32-team Club World Cup. While those 48 trophies are wonderful, they may find themselves challenged on the big stage. Still, there are plenty of reasons for excitement.
This is their fourth appearance at some iteration of the Club World Cup. They have yet to win a game at the competition but have held their own every time. For all of their disadvantages, they won't be pushovers. And perhaps being a tricky matchup, and representing a club with a wonderful pedigree might be enough.
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup will be played in 12 stadiums in 11 U.S. cities, from the opener on June 14 until the final on July 13. In the U.S., fans can stream or watch matches on DAZN or TNT. Leading up to kickoff, GOAL will provide scouting reports on each of the 32 participating teams in the expanded field.
Next up is Esperance de Tunis with a look at key players to watch, and expectations for the African side at the tournament.
Cristiano Ronaldo and his son Cristiano Jr have accepted an offer to join Canelo Alvarez at the next boxing extravaganza in Saudi Arabia.
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By
Ryan Lenora Brown
,
Photos by Samantha Reinders
The French team Les Reines du Foot (dressed in red and white, they call themselves the "queens of soccer") take on the green-and-white-clad Vuka Soweto team (Vuka means "wake up" in Zulu) from South Africa's Johannesburg township. Les Reines du Foot went to lengths to fundraise for their trip to Tzaneen — from selling crepes at markets to posing nude for a calendar.
Samantha Reinders for NPR
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TZANEEN, SOUTH AFRICA — The stands of the soccer stadium buzzed with anticipation. Vuvuzelas honked like a chorus of drunk geese, and spectators chattered excitedly. The teams were about to take the pitch.
But first, match officials had some business to attend to. They hunched over a stack of passports, carefully checking the teams' credentials. "We don't want to see underage players," one official explained gravely.
Welcome to the Grannies International Football Tournament, or GIFT, where you're never too old to play. But you may well be too young.
Rossina Mathye, 84 (center), was one of the original Vakhegula Vakhegula players — the name for the team from Tzaneen means "Grandmothers, Grandmothers." "Exercise is good for me," she says of her soccer career, which took her to the U.S. in 2010 to play in a special match for older women. Mathye, who has 10 grandchildren and is a great grandmother, no longer plays. "My knees are sore, so I stopped," she says. "Now I sit and watch. Now I'm one of their biggest supporters."
Samantha Reinders for NPR
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Technically speaking, having grandchildren was optional, but the age requirement was strictly non-negotiable. Under 50? Go find your own stadium of adoring fans. This one was reserved for the nanas, the mamis, the vovos and the gogos.
And make no mistake: They came to compete.
Once the age checks were done, the opening bars to the FIFA anthem crackled through the stadium speakers, and the players filed onto the field, gripping the hands of the young local players escorting them. On one side stood Togo, dressed head to toe in highlighter yellow. On the other was the United States in white.
When the whistle blew, the Americans immediately surged forward. Within seconds, their left forward Pam Woodworth, 72, streaked past three Togolese defenders, white ponytail flopping. Before they could regroup, she fed the ball straight to the feet of her center forward, Sue "Clip" Clippinger, 78, who drove a hard, high shot into the left corner of the net. The crowd roared.
Sue "Clip" Clippinger, 78 (in the white t-shirt), is the center forward for the New England Breakers. She's flanked by players from team Togo. "We've got some of the best chemistry," Clippinger says of her team, adding "I've gotten better at this than when I was 40."
Samantha Reinders for NPR
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"Goooooooaaaalllll," screamed the commentator, a former South African professional player named Ishmael Maluleke. "What a performance from Granny #4 of the USA. She's dangerous, I'm telling you, she is the USA's [Lionel] Messi."
For most of the women playing in this tournament, this was a kind of adoration they never dreamed of achieving on the soccer field. Whether they came from rural Kenya or suburban France, many had grown up in worlds where soccer was for the boys. As adults, they had often swallowed their own ambitions to make space for the people who needed them: spouses and partners, children, grandchildren.
"Grannies" were the stars of the field — and a big part of the crowd. The stadium was packed with gogos (the Zulu word for grandmothers, which is widely and affectionately used throughout southern Africa). Some brought their sewing along, some had a nap when needed, but all cheered loudly for their favorite teams.
Samantha Reinders for NPR
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Dancers in traditional dress accompanied South Africa's Mbombela team at the opening ceremony of the grannies tournament, which involved a 15-minute walk from the home of tournament founder Beka Ntsanwisiz to the stadium.
Samantha Reinders for NPR
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Now, however, they were making up for lost time. For four days in early April, teams from seven countries converged on this small South African farming town.
"We are going to play ball," sang one South African team in Zulu as they entered the stadium on the tournament's opening day. "The grannies are going to play soccer."
Pam Woodworth, Margot Rendall and Anne Snelling-Lee from the New England Breakers walk onto the field for their game against Togo's team Femme Foot. Youth from local soccer clubs held hands with players from each team as they made their way on to the field before each game.
Samantha Reinders for NPR
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Many of the teams who paraded into the stadium on that sticky, subtropical morning had traveled a great distance to be there. Two teams from Boston blinked back jetlag as they handed out mini American flags to the crowd. A French squad in blue tracksuits shuffled in behind a massive tricolore emblazoned with their team name: Les Reines du Foot. The queens of soccer.
Beka Ntsanwisi (fondly known as Mama Beka) is the local philanthropist who organized the first granny games to help her town's women improve their health. Above: Ntsanwisi, center, wearing the yellow jersey) is given a surprise birthday cake on the last day of the event, when she turned 57.
Samantha Reinders for NPR
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But in many ways, few had come as far as the hometown team. In 2007, when a Tzaneen radio-host-turned-philanthropist named Beka Ntsanwisi, began organizing a soccer league for older women, the odds were stacked against her.
Rossina Mathye, now 84, played on one of those early squads. In those days, she would put on her soccer shorts for practice and then, before leaving her house, tie an ankle-length wrap skirt around her waist. "You see, in our culture … trousers are for men," she says. If the women wanted to play then "they" — the men — "musn't see what's going on."
As the gospel of granny soccer spread, its momentum became hard to contain. Teams sprouted in towns and villages across the region. In a nod to South Africa's beloved national teams, Bafana Bafana (Boys Boys) and Banyana Banyana (Girls Girls), the players called themselves Vakhegula Vakhegula — Grandmothers Grandmothers.
Beauty Mushwane, 72, a grandmother herself, is a proud supporter of the Tzaneen team —Vakhegula Vakhegula. She's cheering them on in their quarter final game against the New England Breakers.
Samantha Reinders for NPR
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By the time South Africa hosted the World Cup in 2010, the Vakhegula were minor local celebrities. And their star was still rising. A few days after the final whistle, an all-star team of "grannies" boarded a flight for Boston. A group of American women had seen clips of them playing and invited them to compete in a tournament organized for older players.
Coming back from that trip, Ntsanwisi's head rattled with ideas. If Boston could host a championship like that, why not Tzaneen? Sure, it wasn't exactly an obvious choice — a scruffy farming town of about 15,000 people deep in pick-up truck country, boxed in on all sides by groves of orange and avocado trees, a 5 hour drive from the nearest major international airport in Johannesburg.
But then again, Ntsanwisi had built a soccer league from scratch, and now her players were traveling the world. Nothing felt impossible. So she made herself a promise. "One day," she said, "I'm going to host the World Cup." For grannies, that is.
It took a decade, but in 2023, the inaugural GIFT kicked off at the soccer stadium down the road from Ntsanwisi's childhood home in the Tzaneen township of Nkowankowa, featuring teams from six countries.
The second edition of the Grannies International tourney in 2025 looked poised to be even bigger. Besides the Americans, the French, the Togolese and a dozen South African squads, teams from Kenya and Mozambique marched into Nkowankowa Stadium the first morning of the tournament.
But one team was missing.
After their bus broke down en route to the tournament, team Zambia hitchhiked to the stadium. Above: The team warms up after their delayed arrival.
Samantha Reinders for NPR
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As the opening ceremony began with a flurry of speeches, the bus carrying Team Zambia lurched to a stop by the side of the road in southern Zimbabwe, 200 miles away.
For more than 48 hours, captain Lillian Zungu had been trying to keep her squad's spirits high despite mounting obstacles. First, two days before the tournament, the bus organized by the Zambian government had set out several hours late. By the time they reached the border with Zimbabwe that night, it was closed.
With little other choice, the players slept in the bus. Another day passed driving through Zimbabwe, then another night. By the time they awoke on the third day — the first day of the tournament – "we felt we are losing it, but we didn't want to give up," recalls Zungu, 54, and a chef by profession.
But now, less than an hour's drive from the South African border, it seemed their bus had done the giving up for them. It had broken down.
Lillian Zungu (in blue), is the captain of the Zambian team (and a professional chef). When the team bus petered out en route to the tournament, she says, "We felt we are losing it, but we didn't want to give up." Above: Zungu jumps on a teammate's back to celebrate a win.
Samantha Reinders for NPR
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Zungu tried not to think of what could have been. In the months leading up to the tournament, her team had practiced together four times a week. The players were small and fast, with the quick footwork and breakaway speed to match. Watching them play together, Zungu swelled with pride. At times, she couldn't suppress a thought: Maybe they were good enough to win the whole thing.
But none of that mattered now. The tournament didn't care how hard they'd trained, and it certainly wasn't going to wait for them to find a mechanic in rural Zimbabwe. With stiff limbs, players descended from the bus.
One of the coaches stuck out his thumb.
Back in Nkowankowa, the matches got underway. After a nail biter 1-0 victory over Kenya, a team from South Africa threw their goalkeeper on their shoulders and carried her across the field, cheering. Maluleke, the former men's professional player, fired off commentary at the speed and cadence of an auctioneer. "We're seeing the Maradona of France play today," he screamed during one match.
Laurance Gonzalez, 58, a player on the French team Les Zamies Foot, shows off her footwork. Gonzalez, pictured above in the foreground, wearing blue and white) won the award for best overall player at the tournament.
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"We say, these women are getting old, they can no longer do certain things, let's leave them," says Honorine Kobara Adjoa, the captain of Femme Foot Togo. "But here they are giving everything of themselves. Being here, it's so motivating."
Here, for the first time, she was surrounded by soccer-playing women from all over the world. And all of them seemed to share the same wonder she felt, even if they often had few words in common to express it.
The Thulamahashe Grannies, a South African team, host a players into the air after their 1-0 victory over Kenya's Mutei Grannies.
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But there were other shared languages. After games, players pulled their opponents into sweaty hugs. In the stands, they scrunched together for selfies like teenagers. Every so often, one of the South African teams would spontaneously burst into song, dragging everyone in earshot into an impromptu dance party.
"Once one person starts dancing, everybody tries to follow the dance," says Deb Keohan, the captain of the New England Breakers, an offshoot of the American squad that had invited Vakhegula Vakhegula to Boston a decade before. "And then we were all dancing together. We didn't speak any language in common other than dancing."
The Mutei Grannies from Kenya celebrate at the end of their game with the French team Le Reines du Foot — the first of the tournament's quarter finals. After the match, both teams embraced.
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For many of the players, soccer had also been there at other moments when words failed them. After deaths and divorces, through illness and financial uncertainty, the game was something they could disappear into when the world felt like it was collapsing around them.
When Mathye, the player from the original Vakhegula Vakhegula squad, lost her oldest son in 2015, she sat at home tormented, unable to escape his memory. But when she stepped onto a soccer field, for a few minutes the game shoved her sorrow offstage. Playing demanded her full attention, body and mind.
"You see the ball," she said, "not the trouble."
In the grandstands in Nkowankowa, few people had to be told the importance of grandmothers.
On the third day of the tournament, I met Muhluri Mayimele, 17, and her friends. She told me she was a soccer player herself, and hoped to learn some new moves from the players. When I asked about Mayimele's own grandmother, the teenager explained that she lived with her, and "she teaches me life."
Mayimele is hardly an outlier. Approximately 40% of all South African children live with their grandparents according to government statistics from 2023, some 10 million in total.
Hidden inside those numbers is a long and painful history. For generations, Black South Africans lived under racist regimes that viewed them as little more than disposable cheap labor. Confined to impoverished villages and townships, many left home seeking jobs in "white" cities and towns.
Men frequently went to work in the country's booming gold mines. But women's work was typically domestic. They cleaned, cooked, and raised other people's children, while at home, their own mothers raised theirs.
Fikile Sithole, who was raised by her gogo from the age of 7, says there was no more important person in her childhood. Her granny was "a mother, a father, [and] a grandmother at the same time." And when Sithole wanted to join a boys' soccer team in her neighborhood in Soweto, near Johannesburg, her grandmother didn't tell her that wasn't what girls did. She supported her.
Sithole went on to be part of the first women's national team in a democratic South Africa in the 1990s, an accomplishment she credits to the woman who raised her. She is "why I am where I am today," she explained. "Why I am a strong woman."
The Mbombela Gogos celebrate after beating the Zambia Grannies.
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Now in her mid-50s, Sithole is still playing. In the Grannies International, her team, the Mbombela Gogos, stormed its way to the semi-finals with a style of dance-like footwork and short, quick passes known in South Africa as "shoeshine and piano."
"We play, we move, we travel," she said. "It's going to take us a long time to get old."
On the final afternoon of the tournament, a row of trophies stood at attention on a table at midfield.
One by one, an announcer began calling up the women whose play had marked the tournament — its top goal scorer, its most promising player. Then he came to the award for the top midfielder.
Nomsa Mashego, a 58-year-old grandmother of 2, is a member of South Africa's Mbombela team. She won the "most promising player of the tournament." Mashego has been playing soccer for 10 years. In 2006 she was partially paralyzed after a stroke and she says that her arms and leg are now 100% "because I play ball." Thinking of her own mortality, she says, "It's better to play ball than go to ground," she says.
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"It's Lillian from Zambia!" he exclaimed, and suddenly the entire Zambian squad was on its feet. There they were: the team that almost didn't make it at all, yelling their lungs out for the woman who had been their playmaker, on and off the field.
After hitching rides to the border in passing mini-bus taxis, the team had arrived in Tzaneen at 10 p.m. on the first day of play, long after their scheduled match. But the organizers agreed to squeeze the game in the following morning, and the show went on.
The Zambians played two hard-fought games and narrowly missed out on a quarterfinal berth.
Members of the Boston Breakers hoist the trophy after beating the French team "Les Zamies" in a penalty shootout.
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It was the New England Breakers who took the cup, defeating Les Zamies from France in soccer's most heartbreaking tie-breaker, a penalty shoot-out.
But team Zambia celebrated its own triumph.
"We are happy that we didn't give up," Zungu said. "I love my team because we don't give up."
PSG director Luis Campos is currently working on a book about his three-year stint at the club, and could reveal secrets of Kylian Mbappe's exit.
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FIFA, soccer's global governing body, on Thursday delivered fans a “first-of-its-kind offer” to the 2025 Club World Cup, which will debut in the United States this summer, with ticket packs that include “guaranteed” access to the 2026 men's World Cup — the grander international tournament that will also be held in the U.S. a year later.
Per the “Terms of Sale” document, here's how it works:
Buyers of a standard “pack,” which features tickets to two or three Club World Cup matches, “will be granted a guaranteed option to buy one ticket to a FIFA World Cup 26 match in the United States (excluding the final),” FIFA said in a Thursday release.
In clause 4.2 of the Terms of Sale, is that FIFA can determine which 2026 World Cup match(es), and what type of ticket(s), the fan will have access to. Clause 2.4 also says: "Tickets available to be included within Ticket Packages shall be subject to availability and available for purchase on a first-come first-served basis. By way of these Terms of Sale, FIFA Ticketing makes no guarantees as to the availability of Tickets and any indication on the availability of Tickets by FIFA Ticketing is for guidance purposes."
First, fans mustn't resell those tickets, and must actually use them — meaning they or a family member or friend must go to the game. They will then be offered the chance to buy a 2026 World Cup ticket — match and seat specifics to be revealed later.
The second offering is the “Super Ticket Pack.” This package “features one ticket per match to 20 FIFA Club World Cup 2025 matches,” and then “a guaranteed option to buy one ticket” to the 2026 World Cup final, the most prestigious event in all of sports.
The buyer of a “super ticket pack” must “use all [20] tickets to attend all [20] matches,” and the matches must be on 20 different days. (There are only 22 distinct Club World Cup matchdays.)
Alternatively, per the terms, they could share the pack with “guests” — someone with whom they're “capable of demonstrating a pre-existing relationship.” Those guests could attend some of the 20 matches in their place. Among the fans and their guests, they'd get the right to buy one 2026 World Cup ticket.
Ticket prices for 2026 have not yet been announced, and tickets won't go on sale until the fall. FIFA has closely guarded all details.
Ticket prices for the 2025 Club World Cup, meanwhile, are roughly the same as they were when first released in December, both on Ticketmaster and within this “ticket pack” promotion via FIFA. “Category 1” seats — those in lower levels — cost anywhere from $100 to upward of $200, before taxes and fees, in the group stage; they cost $2,600, plus taxes and fees, for the final.
“Category 2” seats — typically those in a stadium's upper deck along the sideline — range from roughly $60 to $140 before taxes and fees in the group stage. Some cheaper tickets have been sold to supporters of the participating clubs.
However, the prices are far higher than those charged by the biggest European soccer clubs and have caused some consternation among fans. Bailey Brown, president of the Independent Supporters Council, a group representing soccer fans across the U.S. and Canada, told Yahoo Sports in December that she was worried that “many of the most passionate fans will be priced out of enjoying the sport.”
With two months of the opener, between Inter Miami and Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida, many seats remain available.
In an effort to sell them, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been holding promotional events alongside soccer dignitaries and celebrities.
Last month, he leveraged his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump to bring the Club World Cup trophy into the Oval Office, and leave it there on display. He used a media session alongside Trump to pump up the tournament and place it on par with the big World Cup.
Infantino's Instagram account is with filled posts promoting the Club World Cup. FIFA and its partners, in messages to everyone from soccer fans to NFL season ticket holders, have been marketing the event as “the most prestigious club soccer tournament in history.” They have been telling stakeholders that it will be “as big as the last [men's] World Cup,” according to multiple people who've heard FIFA's pitch.
After attempting to drum up interest, FIFA and Infantino ultimately struck a global broadcast deal with DAZN, which soon thereafter announced an equivalent investment from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.
And so, after years of uncertainty, the Club World Cup is happening. It will pay out $1 billion in appearance fees and prize money to the 32 participating clubs.
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FIFA, soccer's global governing body, on Thursday delivered fans a “first-of-its-kind offer” to the 2025 Club World Cup, which will debut in the United States this summer, with ticket packs that include “guaranteed” access to the 2026 men's World Cup — the grander international tournament that will also be held in the U.S. a year later.
Per the “Terms of Sale” document, here's how it works:
Buyers of a standard “pack,” which features tickets to two or three Club World Cup matches, “will be granted a guaranteed option to buy one ticket to a FIFA World Cup 26 match in the United States (excluding the final),” FIFA said in a Thursday release.
In clause 4.2 of the Terms of Sale, is that FIFA can determine which 2026 World Cup match(es), and what type of ticket(s), the fan will have access to. Clause 2.4 also says: "Tickets available to be included within Ticket Packages shall be subject to availability and available for purchase on a first-come first-served basis. By way of these Terms of Sale, FIFA Ticketing makes no guarantees as to the availability of Tickets and any indication on the availability of Tickets by FIFA Ticketing is for guidance purposes."
First, fans mustn't resell those tickets, and must actually use them — meaning they or a family member or friend must go to the game. They will then be offered the chance to buy a 2026 World Cup ticket — match and seat specifics to be revealed later.
The second offering is the “Super Ticket Pack.” This package “features one ticket per match to 20 FIFA Club World Cup 2025 matches,” and then “a guaranteed option to buy one ticket” to the 2026 World Cup final, the most prestigious event in all of sports.
The buyer of a “super ticket pack” must “use all [20] tickets to attend all [20] matches,” and the matches must be on 20 different days. (There are only 22 distinct Club World Cup matchdays.)
Alternatively, per the terms, they could share the pack with “guests” — someone with whom they're “capable of demonstrating a pre-existing relationship.” Those guests could attend some of the 20 matches in their place. Among the fans and their guests, they'd get the right to buy one 2026 World Cup ticket.
Ticket prices for 2026 have not yet been announced, and tickets won't go on sale until the fall. FIFA has closely guarded all details.
Ticket prices for the 2025 Club World Cup, meanwhile, are roughly the same as they were when first released in December, both on Ticketmaster and within this “ticket pack” promotion via FIFA. “Category 1” seats — those in lower levels — cost anywhere from $100 to upward of $200, before taxes and fees, in the group stage; they cost $2,600, plus taxes and fees, for the final.
“Category 2” seats — typically those in a stadium's upper deck along the sideline — range from roughly $60 to $140 before taxes and fees in the group stage. Some cheaper tickets have been sold to supporters of the participating clubs.
However, the prices are far higher than those charged by the biggest European soccer clubs and have caused some consternation among fans. Bailey Brown, president of the Independent Supporters Council, a group representing soccer fans across the U.S. and Canada, told Yahoo Sports in December that she was worried that “many of the most passionate fans will be priced out of enjoying the sport.”
With two months of the opener, between Inter Miami and Al Ahly at Hard Rock Stadium in South Florida, many seats remain available.
In an effort to sell them, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been holding promotional events alongside soccer dignitaries and celebrities.
Last month, he leveraged his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump to bring the Club World Cup trophy into the Oval Office, and leave it there on display. He used a media session alongside Trump to pump up the tournament and place it on par with the big World Cup.
Infantino's Instagram account is with filled posts promoting the Club World Cup. FIFA and its partners, in messages to everyone from soccer fans to NFL season ticket holders, have been marketing the event as “the most prestigious club soccer tournament in history.” They have been telling stakeholders that it will be “as big as the last [men's] World Cup,” according to multiple people who've heard FIFA's pitch.
After attempting to drum up interest, FIFA and Infantino ultimately struck a global broadcast deal with DAZN, which soon thereafter announced an equivalent investment from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund.
And so, after years of uncertainty, the Club World Cup is happening. It will pay out $1 billion in appearance fees and prize money to the 32 participating clubs.
Manchester United players reportedly want Andre Onana to be dropped after his display in Lyon on Thursday.
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Rasmus Hojlund's second season stats at Manchester United make for grim reading with the 22-year-old managing only three Premier League goals all season.
Only two of them have come under Ruben Amorim who has been far from impressed with the Dane, who endured another miserable night on Thursday against Olympique Lyonnais.
Apart from the lack of goals, the 22-year-old's overall gameplay has also left a lot to be desired with the former Atalanta ace always more eager to back into defenders that use his smarts to deal with pressure from defenders.
While the Denmark international is still young, the head coach does not have the luxury of time and he wants to move him on and replace him with a ruthless goalscorer in the summer.
However, INEOS are aware that not too many teams will pay the initial fee of £64 million the Red Devils had splurged on Hojlund in 2023 given his woeful form, and are hence open to the idea of a loan exit.
Juventus and Napoli are among the teams interested in the out-of-form striker with TuttoSport claiming that the Turin-based club are ready to move ahead with a loan offer.
The Bianconeri are eyeing a loan deal with an option to make the move permanent but the deal has to be done before the Club World Cup which begins in two months time.
“Rasmus Hojlund needs to be revitalized. But it would also be a low-cost deal for this reason, with Juve sniffing out the possibility of a loan, perhaps at a cost, with a view to purchasing in the future.
“Nothing has been agreed at the moment. However, there have been exploratory contacts from the Juventus management towards the player's entourage.
“The English club's idea for next season is to seriously restructure the forward department and they would prefer to say goodbye to the Dane, also for the prospect of a better deal.
“From Juventus' perspective the prospect of having him right away for the Club World Cup is quite tempting, since he would numerically replace Milik, destined for an early separation.”
The Peoples Person had written about the 20-time English league champions slapping a €60 million price tag on Hojlund's head and it will be intriguing to see how this saga unfolds.
Feature image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person.
You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
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INGLEWOOD, Calif. — After Thursday's stunning loss to Panama, the U.S. men's national team promised a response. Head coach Mauricio Pochettino assured fuming fans that a sleepy CONCACAF Nations League semifinal “didn't describe, or doesn't describe, how we are.” Players said they'd “look in the mirror” and “raise the bar.” And yet, in Sunday's third-place match against Canada, they did none of that.
They lost 2-1 to their northern neighbors, and deserved every last ounce of the defeat.
They managed one solitary shot on goal over the game's first 84 minutes.
In the face of criticism and doubts, they talked about how, “if we want to be praised, we have to give people something to praise us about,” as midfielder Tyler Adams said Saturday. Instead, they regressed, and further disillusioned their supporters, and inflamed doubts about their readiness for a World Cup on home soil next summer.
All involved promised that, after the 1-0 loss to Panama, Sunday's performance would be better. This Nations League consolation match would “be an important game to see how we react,” Pochettino said Saturday.
“Mentality obviously needs to change,” Adams said hours later.
“We're gonna come out with that fighting spirit,” Tim Weah added.
In the interim, they had one-on-one talks and a “beautiful meeting,” Weah said, in which Pochettino pleaded for “killer mentality” and more. The message, Weah said: “We have to want it. We have to want to be here 100%. We have to fight.”
But on Sunday, they floundered. For most of the first half, they didn't take the risks nor show the “aggression” they said they would. In a stadium that was once again nine-tenths empty at kickoff, they played dull soccer, and conceded a 27th-minute goal before they'd even taken a shot of their own.
Soon thereafter, Diego Luna tried to inject life into the USMNT, and into another snoozefest. Playing in his first competitive match for the national team, he started an attacking move from the right side of midfield, and, with a driving off-ball run, propelled it into the penalty box. It was the exact type of initiative that the U.S. lacked Thursday — and has often lacked under multiple managers.
"The desire and the hunger that he showed is what we want," Pochettino said postgame.
At the end of his run, Luna received a pass in stride. He poked a clever square ball to Patrick Agyemang, who equalized with a firm finish.
The two Major League Soccer attackers, two of five changes to the U.S. starting lineup, seemed to lift a lagging team back into the game.
Neither, though, could erase the mediocrity around them. Christian Pulisic and Weston McKennie, the team's two Italy-based stars, were quiet. Adams and Weah looked nothing like their typically active selves. The USMNT was once against stagnant. Why?
"I think we need to have every single person buy into exactly what we're doing and what we're trying to do," Adams said postgame. "It's just the little things ... duels, tackles, leaving your mark on the field, not being naive in certain moments, being a little bit more clever — all the details of the game that, I feel like, when I watch people play with their clubs, we do. And then when we come here, sometimes I think we forget a little bit what the games are gonna give us."
Not long after halftime, they receded again. They nearly conceded two penalties. (Canada head coach Jesse Marsch was red carded for protesting one of the no-calls.) Then, in the 59th minute, they conceded again. Jonathan David put Canada up 2-1.
And that's how it ended, just as a friendly between these two teams ended in September, with the U.S. beaten — and with all sorts of questions swirling about the talent, passion, ceiling and capabilities of these U.S. players.
It ended with Pochettino "disappointed," again, and reaching for reasons that the medium-term future, in 2026, could still be bright.
"I want to send the message to the fans: Don't be pessimistic," Pochettino said.
But he couldn't offer clear rationale for why they shouldn't be, other than: "In football, anything can happen."
And as he rose to depart his postgame press conference, he apologized to everyone present, saying that he felt "shame" after the two losses, and promising, again, that "next time" would be different.
Later, as Pochettino slumped in his shotgun seat on the team bus, Adams was asked whether he, like fans, is concerned one year out from the World Cup.
"I'm never concerned, man. It's football," he said. "You gotta show up in big moments, when the moments matter. We didn't show up in this window here. We've showed up in the past, in moments when we needed to."
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By Dante Gonzalez
April 12, 2025
The global soccer community has been abuzz in recent weeks over a bold proposal to expand the 2030 FIFA World Cup to 64 participating nations. While the idea has garnered interest from some federations, a strong voice from Asia has publicly criticized CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez's suggestion to FIFA.
The 2030 World Cup will mark the tournament's centennial, a landmark edition set to be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco, with Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay staging the opening matches to honor the competition's South American origins. During the 80th Ordinary Congress of CONMEBOL, Dominguez pitched the expansion as a one-time celebration of the tournament's global legacy.
“We are convinced that the celebration of the centenary will be something unique, because only once is 100 years old. And that is why we are proposing for the only time, to carry out this anniversary with 64 teams, on three simultaneous continents. So that all countries have the opportunity to live a world experience, and so that no one on this planet is left out of this party that, although it is played everywhere, is our party,” Domínguez explained in the opening speech of the session.
The idea hasn't been universally welcomed. Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa, president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), strongly opposed the expansion during a media appearance.
“If the issue (of the number of participating teams) remains open to changes, the door won't just be open to an increase to 64 teams—someone might come and ask for 132. Where would it end? It would be chaos,” Al Khalifa said to the media.
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He added emphatically: “Personally, I do not agree. The participation of 48 teams has already been approved.” He then shut down any possibility of further discussion. “The matter is closed,” he concluded.
Al Khalifa's remarks align with those of UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin, who has also spoken out against the proposed expansion. “I think it's a bad idea,” Ceferin said. “It's not good for the World Cup itself, and it's not good for our qualification phase either.”
FIFA, for its part, has remained noncommittal, acknowledging that it is reviewing the proposal without confirming President Gianni Infantino's position on the matter.
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CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez is calling for a radical change to the 2030 World Cup: expanding the tournament to 64 teams. The proposal aims to celebrate the centenary of the World Cup in a unique and inclusive way.
The CONMEBOL World Cup Qualifiers in October signal the halfway point in the qualifying phase in South America. This month, each team will play two games to bring their total up to 10 games played so far. Then, in November, each team will be two-thirds of the way through the qualifying cycle. Yet, for the […]
Luis Suarez has blasted Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa during a recent interview. The superstar striker recently announced his retirement from the national team after earning 143 total caps. Suarez's final six official appearances with Uruguay came with Bielsa at the helm. This is even though the coach has been in place since May 2023. During […]
Benfica take on Arouca in a Matchday 29 showdown of the 2024/2025 Primeira Liga season. Get all the key information here, including kickoff times and how to watch the action live on TV or via streaming services.
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It will take some going for Carlos Alcaraz to match Rafael Nadal's record of 11 Monte Carlo Masters titles but his triumph on Sunday will surely be the first of several to come in the principality.
This is the first European clay-court swing for 21 years in which there is no discussion about Nadal's prospects. It took the retirement of the “King of Clay” last November for the narrative at this time of the season to finally focus on others.
Alcaraz will play a major part in that conversation over the coming years. With Jannik Sinner still serving a drugs ban and Novak Djokovic struggling for consistency by his lofty standards, the 21-year-old Spaniard took his chance for a first Monte Carlo trophy by defeating Italy's Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 in the final. He is the youngest player to win here since Nadal's fourth Monte Carlo title at the age of 21 in 2008.
There are still six weeks before the French Open gets under way but this result already has some ramifications for the second grand-slam tournament of the year. Alcaraz replaces Alexander Zverev as the world No2 and will almost certainly still be there when he arrives as the defending champion at Roland Garros in late May. This means that he can play Sinner, the world No1, no earlier than the final as they will be in opposite halves of the draw.
If the rankings were to be done subjectively based on clay alone, Alcaraz would probably top the list at present. He has reached the final of each of his past three tournaments on the red stuff, finishing runner-up to Djokovic at last year's Paris Olympics in between his French Open and Monte Carlo victories.
This Masters title also feels like a significant step forward for Alcaraz, who had not claimed a trophy at the series of tournaments below the four grand-slam events since the Indian Wells Open in March 2024. Intriguingly there was also a hint towards an undisclosed off-court issue in recent weeks.
“I am really happy to win Monte Carlo for the first time,” Alcaraz said. “It has been a really difficult week with a lot of difficult situations. I am proud with how I dealt with everything. It has been a difficult month for me on the court and outside, so coming here and seeing the hard work pay off makes me happy.”
Alcaraz was not at his best in Monte Carlo but he still had more than enough talent in his locker to come through five matches, three of which went to three sets. On Sunday he made a slow start against Musetti, with 11 of 14 unforced errors coming from the forehand side.
Musetti, the 23-year-old who had both a first Masters title and entry to the top ten at stake, had come back from a set down in four of his previous five matches en route to the final and these exertions had a noticeable impact in the final. After winning the first set against Alcaraz he suddenly ran out of steam and required treatment on his right thigh. The momentum quickly shifted, with Alcaraz winning 12 of the last 13 games.
“It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match,” Alcaraz said. “Thinking about Lorenzo, he has been through a tough week, played long matches. I feel sorry for him. It is one of his best results, ending up like this is not easy. Hopefully it is nothing serious and he will be 100 per cent soon.”
Alcaraz now heads back to Spain for this week's Barcelona Open, followed by the Madrid Open next week. The Italian Open in Rome from May 7 could then host a reunion with Sinner, who is scheduled to make a competitive return on home soil from his three-month ban.
Meanwhile, Great Britain's Billie Jean King Cup team will discover their opponents in September's finals when the draw is made on May 12. Anne Keothavong's team claimed back-to-back victories over Germany and the Netherlands in the qualifiers in the Hague on Friday and Saturday to seal a place in the eight-team showpiece event in Shenzhen, China, alongside the likes of Italy and Spain.
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April 11 2025, 8.00pm
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Carlos Alcaraz issued a warning to the rest of the men's singles circuit ahead of next month's French Open, clinching the Monte Carlo Masters title for the first time in his career on Sunday, 13 April. Alcaraz overcame Lorenzo Musetti in three sets, fighting back from a set down against the Italian, who struggled with injury in the final two sets in Monte Carlo.
The 21-year-old became the first Spaniard since Rafael Nadal in 2018 to win the prestigious clay-court Masters 1000 title. It marked Alcaraz's second title of 2025 and his first Masters 1000 crown in 13 months, as the youngster signalled a return to peak form.
After losing the opening set 3-6 to Musetti, Alcaraz roared back. Some of his trademark forehand winners were on display as he found his rhythm in the second set. In a dazzling display of shot-making, Alcaraz played a 'fake forehand slice' that completely wrong-footed Musetti. There were several jaw-dropping winners from the Spaniard, showcasing his flair and confidence on clay.So satisfying @carlosalcaraz with the forehand fake slice!#RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/IvJ0DltIbZ— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 13, 2025
So satisfying @carlosalcaraz with the forehand fake slice!#RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/IvJ0DltIbZ— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) April 13, 2025
Alcaraz won the first five games of the second set and went a double break up early in the decider, denying Musetti a dream finish in Monte Carlo.ALCARAZ BOUNCES BACK IN STYLE
"I am really happy to win Monte Carlo for the first time. It has been a really difficult week with a lot of tough moments," Alcaraz said.
"I'm proud of how I handled everything. It's been a challenging month for me, so coming here and seeing the hard work pay off makes me very happy," he added.
Alcaraz had a testing start to the season, bowing out in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open. He then suffered a shock second-round exit at the Miami Open, a Masters 1000 event on hard court. However, a return to clay appears to have revitalised his game.
With the win, Alcaraz will climb to No. 2 in the ATP men's singles rankings, due to be updated on Monday, 14 April. He will leapfrog Alexander Zverev, reaching a tally of 7,720 points. Jannik Sinner, currently serving a doping ban, remains in top spot.Published By: Akshay RameshPublished On: Apr 13, 2025
Spanish star comes back from a set down to beat Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 as he gears up to defend his title at Roland Garros.
Carlos Alcaraz has overcome a slow start to beat an injury-stricken Lorenzo Musetti 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 in the Monte Carlo Masters final, clinching his first title at the prestigious clay-court event and gaining momentum going into next month's French Open.
The Spaniard dropped his opening two service games and struggled to find his range early on Sunday, particularly on his usually reliable forehand, as Musetti took full advantage to claim the first set.
But Alcaraz responded with a dominant display in the second, winning five straight games to take control of the match.
His physical power and improved shot selection proved too much for the Italian world number 16, who was seeking his first Masters 1000 title.
Alcaraz broke in the first and third games of the deciding set, maintaining his grip on the contest to seal victory in the first major European clay-court event of the season.
Musetti started showing signs of a right-leg injury in the third set and received treatment at 0-3. Playing in his first Masters 1000 final, the 23-year-old Italian had trouble moving and keeping up with Alcaraz towards the end of the match.
“This is not the way I want to win a match. I really feel sorry for him,” Alcaraz said.
“Just really happy to have won the Monte Carlo for the first time. It's been a really difficult week with a lot of difficult situations. I'm really proud of myself, how I dealt with everything.”
Alcaraz has struggled at times this year and was coming off an opening-round loss to David Goffin in Miami.
It was Alcaraz's third consecutive clay-court final after winning the French Open and finishing with a silver medal at the Paris Olympics last year.
Alcaraz was playing in his 23rd tour-level final and will move up a place in the rankings and displace Alexander Zverev at number two.
Some consolation for Musetti is a rise to 11th in the rankings and the promise of more to come on the clay as the season builds towards the French Open at Roland Garros.
“It was probably one of my best tournaments so far,” he said.
“I'm disappointed I couldn't finish the match in the best way for the crowd. You deserve it, so I will keep going and try and come back for revenge.”
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The Italian was increasingly hobbled in the deciding set after 17 sets of tennis throughout six matches in the week.ByTENNIS.comPublished Apr 13, 2025 copy_link
Published Apr 13, 2025
Carlos Alcaraz captured his sixth career ATP Masters 1000 title at the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters on Sunday as Lorenzo Musetti faded physically in a disappointing end to a 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 final match.Musetti came into the match having lost his last three meetings with Alcaraz, never winning more than three games in any of the seven sets within those matches. And when he was broken from 30-15 to start the match, and faced three chances on Alcaraz's serve to trail 2-0, the start for the Italian was inauspicious. But a five-deuce game gave Musetti the break back, and he soared to four straight games against an increasingly erratic Alcaraz, on his way to winning his first set against the Spaniard since beating him to win the ATP 500 in Hamburg in 2022.After a second-set blitz, as Alcaraz rounded into form, Musetti became increasingly hobbled early in the deciding set, notably grimacing off the back of a missed forehand groundstroke early on.He later received a medical timeout on his upper right leg after dropping serve to trail 3-0, but was heavily restricted in his movement. He ultimately chose to play out the match despite being unable to move faster than walking pace. Alcaraz won 12 of the last 14 points.”It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match," Alcaraz said afterwards. "Thinking about Lorenzo, he has been through a tough week, played long matches. I feel sorry for him. It is one of his best results, ending up like this is not easy. Hopefully it is nothing serious and he will be 100% soon.”
Musetti came into the match having lost his last three meetings with Alcaraz, never winning more than three games in any of the seven sets within those matches. And when he was broken from 30-15 to start the match, and faced three chances on Alcaraz's serve to trail 2-0, the start for the Italian was inauspicious. But a five-deuce game gave Musetti the break back, and he soared to four straight games against an increasingly erratic Alcaraz, on his way to winning his first set against the Spaniard since beating him to win the ATP 500 in Hamburg in 2022.After a second-set blitz, as Alcaraz rounded into form, Musetti became increasingly hobbled early in the deciding set, notably grimacing off the back of a missed forehand groundstroke early on.He later received a medical timeout on his upper right leg after dropping serve to trail 3-0, but was heavily restricted in his movement. He ultimately chose to play out the match despite being unable to move faster than walking pace. Alcaraz won 12 of the last 14 points.”It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match," Alcaraz said afterwards. "Thinking about Lorenzo, he has been through a tough week, played long matches. I feel sorry for him. It is one of his best results, ending up like this is not easy. Hopefully it is nothing serious and he will be 100% soon.”
After a second-set blitz, as Alcaraz rounded into form, Musetti became increasingly hobbled early in the deciding set, notably grimacing off the back of a missed forehand groundstroke early on.He later received a medical timeout on his upper right leg after dropping serve to trail 3-0, but was heavily restricted in his movement. He ultimately chose to play out the match despite being unable to move faster than walking pace. Alcaraz won 12 of the last 14 points.”It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match," Alcaraz said afterwards. "Thinking about Lorenzo, he has been through a tough week, played long matches. I feel sorry for him. It is one of his best results, ending up like this is not easy. Hopefully it is nothing serious and he will be 100% soon.”
He later received a medical timeout on his upper right leg after dropping serve to trail 3-0, but was heavily restricted in his movement. He ultimately chose to play out the match despite being unable to move faster than walking pace. Alcaraz won 12 of the last 14 points.”It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match," Alcaraz said afterwards. "Thinking about Lorenzo, he has been through a tough week, played long matches. I feel sorry for him. It is one of his best results, ending up like this is not easy. Hopefully it is nothing serious and he will be 100% soon.”
”It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match," Alcaraz said afterwards. "Thinking about Lorenzo, he has been through a tough week, played long matches. I feel sorry for him. It is one of his best results, ending up like this is not easy. Hopefully it is nothing serious and he will be 100% soon.”
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In all, the Italian played 17 sets of tennis across six matches, having been stretched to three sets five times on the way to his first Masters 1000 final."i'm really disappointed that I could not finish the match in the best way, for the crowd, for all of the support i received this week, but you deserve it," Musetti told Alcaraz post-match."I will try to come back for the revenge," he joked, dropping to 1-4 against Alcaraz all-time.Nonetheless, Alcaraz was thrilled to add another Masters 1000 crown to his trophy case, crediting the strength he and his team showed through "difficult moments" in recent weeks. The Spaniard entered the tournament in spotty form, having admitted to being overcome with nerves in a semifinal defeat to Jack Draper in Indian Wells, and lost his first match in Miami to David Goffin.Read more: Carlos Alcaraz passes Jannik Sinner for No. 1 on year-to-date live race after reaching Monte Carlo final
"i'm really disappointed that I could not finish the match in the best way, for the crowd, for all of the support i received this week, but you deserve it," Musetti told Alcaraz post-match."I will try to come back for the revenge," he joked, dropping to 1-4 against Alcaraz all-time.Nonetheless, Alcaraz was thrilled to add another Masters 1000 crown to his trophy case, crediting the strength he and his team showed through "difficult moments" in recent weeks. The Spaniard entered the tournament in spotty form, having admitted to being overcome with nerves in a semifinal defeat to Jack Draper in Indian Wells, and lost his first match in Miami to David Goffin.Read more: Carlos Alcaraz passes Jannik Sinner for No. 1 on year-to-date live race after reaching Monte Carlo final
"I will try to come back for the revenge," he joked, dropping to 1-4 against Alcaraz all-time.Nonetheless, Alcaraz was thrilled to add another Masters 1000 crown to his trophy case, crediting the strength he and his team showed through "difficult moments" in recent weeks. The Spaniard entered the tournament in spotty form, having admitted to being overcome with nerves in a semifinal defeat to Jack Draper in Indian Wells, and lost his first match in Miami to David Goffin.Read more: Carlos Alcaraz passes Jannik Sinner for No. 1 on year-to-date live race after reaching Monte Carlo final
Nonetheless, Alcaraz was thrilled to add another Masters 1000 crown to his trophy case, crediting the strength he and his team showed through "difficult moments" in recent weeks. The Spaniard entered the tournament in spotty form, having admitted to being overcome with nerves in a semifinal defeat to Jack Draper in Indian Wells, and lost his first match in Miami to David Goffin.Read more: Carlos Alcaraz passes Jannik Sinner for No. 1 on year-to-date live race after reaching Monte Carlo final
Read more: Carlos Alcaraz passes Jannik Sinner for No. 1 on year-to-date live race after reaching Monte Carlo final
"We've been through difficult moments the last month...we've been really strong together" 🫂Carlos Alcaraz thanks his team for helping him claim the title in Monaco 🏆#RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/oDKb5yQ9Nf
”I am really happy to win Monte-Carlo for the first time. It has been a really difficult week with a lot of difficult situations,” Alcaraz said. “I am proud with how I dealt with everything. It has been a difficult month for me, so coming here and seeing the hard work pay off makes me happy.”
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Carlos Alcaraz has a 6-1 record in ATP Masters 1000 finals
Carlos Alcaraz came from a set down to beat Lorenzo Musetti and win the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time.
The four-time major champion produced some superb shots to overcome the Italian 3-6 6-1 6-0 on the clay.
It was a competitive match for a set and a half before Musetti, bidding for the biggest prize of his career, began to struggle with a leg injury.
The success was a sixth ATP Masters 1000 trophy for Alcaraz - his first since Indian Wells last year - and an 18th title overall.
It also gives the 21-year-old a confidence boost before he defends his French Open title in May.
"It's been a really difficult week with a lot of difficult situations," Alcaraz said.
"I'm really proud of my myself how I've dealt with everything. It's been a really difficult month for me on the court and outside.
"Coming here and seeing how the whole hard work has paid off, I'm really happy."
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Alcaraz, as he has done for most of the week, made a wayward start.
An early break lead was cancelled out by Musetti, who reeled off four games in a row as Alcaraz sprayed errors off his forehand.
Musetti's accuracy won out over his opponent's pacy hitting, with the Italian clinching the set on an outrageous drop-shot winner from behind the baseline.
Alcaraz hit 14 unforced errors in the first set, 11 off the forehand alone, but settled quickly into the second.
A roar of "vamos" greeted a missed Musetti forehand that handed Alcaraz the break lead, with the Spaniard moving around the court with more conviction and asking the crowd for appreciation after hitting a superb backhand winner.
He won five games in a row but Musetti had a glimmer of a chance. He created five break-back points as Alcaraz served for the set, but the second seed saved them all, ultimately closing out an eight-minute game to force a deciding third set.
That was barely competitive, though, as Musetti was hindered by a right thigh injury, needing treatment after going 3-0 down, and could barely move.
Alcaraz promptly whizzed through the set, raising his arms in celebration before consoling Musetti.
The victory also means Alcaraz will replace Germany's Alexander Zverev as world number two when the rankings are updated on Monday.
Later, British pair Julian Cash and Lloyd Glasspool were beaten 1-6 7-6 (10-8) 10-8 in the men's doubles final by home favourite Romain Arneodo and France's Manuel Guinard.
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Reilly Opelka has claimed that he received threats from the ATP after putting his name on a lawsuit filed by the Professional Tennis Players Association. Last month, the PTPA took legal action against the ATP, WTA, ITF and ITIA, branding the bodies a “cartel” and accusing them of anti-competitive practices.
The American world No. 105 was one of 12 players who put his name on the lawsuit that was filed in New York. He has now alleged that a member of the ATP Player Council warned him of the consequences if he didn't remove his name.
The PTPA has filed a motion to gag the ATP from discussing the lawsuit with players, which was heard in a Manhattan federal courtroom on Friday.
According to Front Office Sports, Opelka testified that ATP Tour chairman Andrea Gaudenzi sent a player to remind him of the repercussions of signing the suit.
The 27-year-old appeared on call from Barcelona ahead of his participation in next week's ATP 500 event in the Spanish city.
The ATP denied his allegations and, during the hearing, the tour objected that his account was “hearsay”. Judge Margaret Garnett overruled the ATP's lawyers.
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A former world No. 17 Opelka testified that a member of the Player Council approached him in the Miami Open locker room on March 18 and sat on an exercise bike next to one he was using.
The American alleged that the player in question said Gaudenzi told him to warn Opelka that signing the lawsuit would result in losing his pension and being hit with legal fees.
Opelka did not name the player for fear that they would be punished by the ATP. He also claimed that he spoke to this player on two more occasions.
As part of ATP bylaws, members who sue the tour and lose must pay its legal fees. One of the tour's board members, Luben not deny the bylaw.
Pampoulov said Opelka's account was untrue and testified that he was in the meeting room, denying that Gaudenzi gave the instructions. He claimed the ATP chairman let staff discuss the lawsuit instead.
After the PTPA filed their lawsuit on March 18, Pampoulov said he asked players at the Miami Open to sign a statement denying their support for the case. But he claims the ATP stopped circulating the letter when the PTPA filed a gag motion.
Judge Garnett gave both sides a week to file new briefs on the PTPA's motion to gag the ATP. She is set to rule shortly after. The case is in early stages and an initial reply from the defendants is not due until May 20.
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The 27-year-old is permitted to play domestic events during his 18-month conscription.ByBaseline StaffPublished Apr 13, 2025 copy_link
Published Apr 13, 2025
He's back! Former South Korean No. 1 Kwon Soonwoo, currently in the midst of compulsory military service, is making a sooner-than-expected return to professional tennis this week. He's received an exemption to compete in one of the biggest tournaments held in his home country.The one-time world No. 52 has put his tennis career on hiatus for 18 months of compulsory service, which has existed since 1957 and requires male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 to enlist. Various exemptions to service exist, including for athletes who have achieved what the government determines is prominent international success.Kwon, who in 2021 became just the second Korean man to win an ATP tour-level singles title and owns two in his career, could have secured his own exemption only by winning a gold medal at last year's Asian Games. But having just returned from a serious shoulder injury, the Korean was instead ousted in the second round by Thailand's Samrej Kasidit, and his subsequent racquet-smashing meltdown made global headlines.Read more: South Korea's Soonwoo Kwon set for mandatory military service: “I'll be back”After declaring "I'll be back" in a December social media post, Kwon has received various permissions to play. After playing for the national team in Davis Cup at the start of this year, and a recent domestic event, he has now received a wildcard to the longest-running ATP Challenger in Asia.
The one-time world No. 52 has put his tennis career on hiatus for 18 months of compulsory service, which has existed since 1957 and requires male citizens between the ages of 18 and 35 to enlist. Various exemptions to service exist, including for athletes who have achieved what the government determines is prominent international success.Kwon, who in 2021 became just the second Korean man to win an ATP tour-level singles title and owns two in his career, could have secured his own exemption only by winning a gold medal at last year's Asian Games. But having just returned from a serious shoulder injury, the Korean was instead ousted in the second round by Thailand's Samrej Kasidit, and his subsequent racquet-smashing meltdown made global headlines.Read more: South Korea's Soonwoo Kwon set for mandatory military service: “I'll be back”After declaring "I'll be back" in a December social media post, Kwon has received various permissions to play. After playing for the national team in Davis Cup at the start of this year, and a recent domestic event, he has now received a wildcard to the longest-running ATP Challenger in Asia.
Kwon, who in 2021 became just the second Korean man to win an ATP tour-level singles title and owns two in his career, could have secured his own exemption only by winning a gold medal at last year's Asian Games. But having just returned from a serious shoulder injury, the Korean was instead ousted in the second round by Thailand's Samrej Kasidit, and his subsequent racquet-smashing meltdown made global headlines.Read more: South Korea's Soonwoo Kwon set for mandatory military service: “I'll be back”After declaring "I'll be back" in a December social media post, Kwon has received various permissions to play. After playing for the national team in Davis Cup at the start of this year, and a recent domestic event, he has now received a wildcard to the longest-running ATP Challenger in Asia.
Read more: South Korea's Soonwoo Kwon set for mandatory military service: “I'll be back”After declaring "I'll be back" in a December social media post, Kwon has received various permissions to play. After playing for the national team in Davis Cup at the start of this year, and a recent domestic event, he has now received a wildcard to the longest-running ATP Challenger in Asia.
After declaring "I'll be back" in a December social media post, Kwon has received various permissions to play. After playing for the national team in Davis Cup at the start of this year, and a recent domestic event, he has now received a wildcard to the longest-running ATP Challenger in Asia.
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His compatriot, 28-year-old Chung Hyeon, also received a wild card. Chung, who became the first Korean player to reach a Grand Slam semifinal at the 2018 Australian Open, has been navigating his own career pause since reaching his career-high ranking of No. 19 in April of 2018.The 2017 NextGen ATP Finals champion's career has largely been derailed by a persistent back injury, but in his latest comeback, he captured his first professional title in more than five years in January at an ITF M25 event in Indonesia. This year on the ITF circuit, primarily at M15 and M25 level, Chung is 22-3 in six tournaments, and has won his last 10 matches to capture two consecutive M15 titles in Japan.
The 2017 NextGen ATP Finals champion's career has largely been derailed by a persistent back injury, but in his latest comeback, he captured his first professional title in more than five years in January at an ITF M25 event in Indonesia. This year on the ITF circuit, primarily at M15 and M25 level, Chung is 22-3 in six tournaments, and has won his last 10 matches to capture two consecutive M15 titles in Japan.
Jun 5, 2021; Paris, France; Roger Federer (SUI) in action during his match against Dominik Koepfer (GER) on day seven of the French Open at Stade Roland Garros. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-USA TODAY Sports
The Return of the Tennis Legend: Roger Federer's Epic Comeback Plan Revealed!
Legendary tennis star, Roger Federer, is set to make a monumental return to the courts, with a fiery ambition to once again captivate audiences and fill stadiums worldwide. The Swiss Maestro, a true icon of the sport, has ignited a fervor among millions of fans globally, drawing them into the world of tennis with his unparalleled skill and charisma.
Federer, a beacon of excellence in tennis history, is gearing up to reignite the passion and excitement of the sport, as he sets his sights on a sensational comeback. The prospect of witnessing the maestro in action once more has sent ripples of anticipation throughout the tennis community, with fans eagerly awaiting his triumphant return to the grand stage.
Known for his grace, precision, and sportsmanship, Federer's return promises to be a spectacle like no other, as he strives to reclaim his throne and showcase his extraordinary talent to the world. The tennis legend's desire to “fill up stadiums” with enthusiasts and supporters underscores his unwavering commitment to the sport and his enduring legacy as one of the greatest players of all time.
As Federer prepares to grace the courts once more, the tennis world holds its breath in anticipation of the magic and brilliance that only the Swiss Maestro can deliver. Stay tuned as the countdown begins for Roger Federer's epic comeback, a momentous event that is sure to make waves in the world of tennis and beyond.
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The sport's manufacturers brace for the impact of the new tariffs and their ripple effects on players and the broader market.ByJon LeveyPublished Apr 13, 2025 copy_link
Published Apr 13, 2025
© Riccardo Milani / Hans Lucas
There could be some pain.That's the unfortunate forecast for avid recreational tennis players. As with just about every commercial industry, the sport's equipment will be significantly impacted by the second Trump administration's tariff plan. With racquet, shoes, balls and strings virtually all made overseas, the costs to buy new gear and play the game are almost certain to rise.Even before the latest tariff hike announced on April 2 and amended on April 9, a few brands had already taken steps to address higher production costs facing the industry. Both Head and Wilson had raised the prices on their high-performance racquets by $10, so the $269 price tag for the new Head Gravity Tour that debuted in January, for example, is up to $279. But now that tariffs on imports from China—where all major brands other than Yonex make their racquets—currently stand at 125%, that may just be the first pass.“At the end of the day, my gut feeling is it will have a very negative impact,” says Jeff Bardsley, Head's vice president of racquet sports. “We're doing as much as we can to push it off, but when it starts to impact the bottom line, the next question then becomes what are you going to do to reduce that impact.”
That's the unfortunate forecast for avid recreational tennis players. As with just about every commercial industry, the sport's equipment will be significantly impacted by the second Trump administration's tariff plan. With racquet, shoes, balls and strings virtually all made overseas, the costs to buy new gear and play the game are almost certain to rise.Even before the latest tariff hike announced on April 2 and amended on April 9, a few brands had already taken steps to address higher production costs facing the industry. Both Head and Wilson had raised the prices on their high-performance racquets by $10, so the $269 price tag for the new Head Gravity Tour that debuted in January, for example, is up to $279. But now that tariffs on imports from China—where all major brands other than Yonex make their racquets—currently stand at 125%, that may just be the first pass.“At the end of the day, my gut feeling is it will have a very negative impact,” says Jeff Bardsley, Head's vice president of racquet sports. “We're doing as much as we can to push it off, but when it starts to impact the bottom line, the next question then becomes what are you going to do to reduce that impact.”
Even before the latest tariff hike announced on April 2 and amended on April 9, a few brands had already taken steps to address higher production costs facing the industry. Both Head and Wilson had raised the prices on their high-performance racquets by $10, so the $269 price tag for the new Head Gravity Tour that debuted in January, for example, is up to $279. But now that tariffs on imports from China—where all major brands other than Yonex make their racquets—currently stand at 125%, that may just be the first pass.“At the end of the day, my gut feeling is it will have a very negative impact,” says Jeff Bardsley, Head's vice president of racquet sports. “We're doing as much as we can to push it off, but when it starts to impact the bottom line, the next question then becomes what are you going to do to reduce that impact.”
“At the end of the day, my gut feeling is it will have a very negative impact,” says Jeff Bardsley, Head's vice president of racquet sports. “We're doing as much as we can to push it off, but when it starts to impact the bottom line, the next question then becomes what are you going to do to reduce that impact.”
So far, tariffs have not impacted ball prices.© Getty Images
© Getty Images
Cushioning such a blow generally falls to price increases—which we're already seeing—or cost-cutting, which brands prefer to use as a last resort. Before the latest round of tariffs, Bardsley estimated that Head was looking at a potential $7 million hit to their 2025. That number could be optimistic.About half of that shortfall was attributed to their ball business. Head, which makes Penn balls, is the only major manufacturer that still produces balls in China. They have designs on getting a new factory up and running in the Philippines, but a full transition could take around two years. The company is willing to take the hit and keep their ball prices static in order to keep pace with the likes of Wilson and Dunlop who manufacture their balls in other Asian countries. But now that there's a minimum across-the-board tariff to all imports, ball prices could be fair game as well.
About half of that shortfall was attributed to their ball business. Head, which makes Penn balls, is the only major manufacturer that still produces balls in China. They have designs on getting a new factory up and running in the Philippines, but a full transition could take around two years. The company is willing to take the hit and keep their ball prices static in order to keep pace with the likes of Wilson and Dunlop who manufacture their balls in other Asian countries. But now that there's a minimum across-the-board tariff to all imports, ball prices could be fair game as well.
We're doing as much as we can to push it off, but when it starts to impact the bottom line, the next question then becomes what are you going to do to reduce that impact. Jeff Bardsley, Vice President of Racquet Sports, Head
Part of the challenge is the uncertainty surrounding the tariffs themselves. Tennis equipment had already been subjected to tariffs, which are baked into the prices manufacturers set when gear is put on shelves. Experiencing major hikes in the middle of the year is disruptive. It's an open question whether current levels will remain in place, experience escalation in the near future, or get repealed altogether.It puts manufacturers in a precarious position. Several are opting for patience amidst the volatility.“From our standpoint, we're taking a wait-and-see approach,” says KT Kim, director of Solinco Sports. “We don't want to go through the trouble of changing all the prices and then the situation changes overnight. If something changes in China, it could come off. If it doesn't, we'll have to react as well.”
It puts manufacturers in a precarious position. Several are opting for patience amidst the volatility.“From our standpoint, we're taking a wait-and-see approach,” says KT Kim, director of Solinco Sports. “We don't want to go through the trouble of changing all the prices and then the situation changes overnight. If something changes in China, it could come off. If it doesn't, we'll have to react as well.”
“From our standpoint, we're taking a wait-and-see approach,” says KT Kim, director of Solinco Sports. “We don't want to go through the trouble of changing all the prices and then the situation changes overnight. If something changes in China, it could come off. If it doesn't, we'll have to react as well.”
Shoppers at Wilson's US Open store may find higher prices at this year's tournament.© Getty Images
© Getty Images
Another worry for manufacturers is if and when there is relief from the current tariff rates, will their products be included? The first Trump administration is when the industry experienced the first tariff increase on balls. When the Biden administration took control, it kept them in place and it became the new normal. Similarly, racquet bags were hit hard during this period and prices never recovered. The brands may absorb some of the burden, but much of it will have to be passed on to the consumer.But as much as manufacturers are concerned with the impact on their equipment sales, their just as fearful of the potential chilling effect the tariffs could have on participation. Buying new gear and playing tennis is something people want, but don't necessarily need. When consumer purchasing power is spread thinner for essentials, will it curb willingness to shell out for leisure activities? The potential could be detrimental to the long-term health of the sport.“This is going to be a real test,” Bardsley says. “When people are already paying more for the cost of gas, groceries and TVs, will they pay to play racquet sports?”
But as much as manufacturers are concerned with the impact on their equipment sales, their just as fearful of the potential chilling effect the tariffs could have on participation. Buying new gear and playing tennis is something people want, but don't necessarily need. When consumer purchasing power is spread thinner for essentials, will it curb willingness to shell out for leisure activities? The potential could be detrimental to the long-term health of the sport.“This is going to be a real test,” Bardsley says. “When people are already paying more for the cost of gas, groceries and TVs, will they pay to play racquet sports?”
“This is going to be a real test,” Bardsley says. “When people are already paying more for the cost of gas, groceries and TVs, will they pay to play racquet sports?”
Martina Navratilova played many different opponents in her 23 appearances at the Wimbledon Championships.
Navratilova won 18 Grand Slam singles titles in her career, with half of those coming at the Wimbledon Championships.
Of her nine victories at SW19, five of them came in a final where Navratilova beat greatest rival Chris Evert.
Evert and Navratilova had many battles over the years, but there was another legendary player that she wishes should could have played on the Wimbledon grass.
Ahead of the 2018 Wimbledon women's singles final between Serena Williams and Angelique Kerber, which the latter won, Navratilova spoke about the one player that she wishes she could have played at The Championships.
Writing in her London Evening Standard Column, Navratilova declared that her dream match would be to play Williams at Wimbledon.
Navratilova even went onto explain what her tactics would have been to beat Williams, as she suggested that she would back herself to win.
“If I could pick to play any one single player from another generation it would be Serena Williams at Wimbledon, no question,” said Navratillova.
“It would have been the dream match for me to test my serve and volley against her power game, although it would never have been enough to just serve and volley as she loves a target.
“The only answer is to try to mix it up, but the power she possesses is something to contend with. For me, it would have been an interesting match-up and the competitor in me would have fancied my chances!”
There was one Wimbledon singles tournament that both Navratilova and Williams were part of in 2004, but both players would have had to reach the final to make it happen.
Williams did managed to do just that, while 47-year-old Navratilova lost in the second round to Gisela Dulko in her final ever singles match at Wimbledon.
While they never played each other on a singles court, Navratilova and Williams did go head-to-head at the Wimbledon doubles tournament in 2000.
In this quarter-final match, Serena partnered sister Venus Williams to beat Navratilova and Mariaan de Swardt, 4-6 6-2 6-1, en route to winning the title.
Navratilova has won more Wimbledon singles titles than any other player in history with nine, that includes winning six consecutive titles between 1982 and 1985.
The former number one won her final singles title 1990, eight years before Williams made her Wimbledon debut.
Williams lost in the third round of Wimbledon on her Wimbledon debut in 1998, before winning her first title in 2002.
The last Wimbledon title of Williams' career came in 2016, but she appeared in two more finals after this point.
It was 2019 where she played her last Wimbledon final, with Williams losing to Simona Halep in just 56 minutes.
Williams made her final Wimbledon appearance in 2022, losing in the first round to Frenchwoman Harmony Tan.
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Modified Apr 13, 2025 | 5:57 AM EDT
The 2025 Monte-Carlo Masters has reached its thrilling finale, with Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti set to clash for the coveted title. As the first ATP Masters 1000 event on clay, this tournament unfolds at the luxurious Monte Carlo Country Club, a venue as glamorous as the city itself. Known for its casinos, yachts, and Formula One races, Monte Carlo is also home to some of the wealthiest individuals in the world. But on court, it's all about grit and glory as the clay season heats up. How much will its winner take away?
The prize money structure is designed to reward progress through each stage of the competition, with substantial payouts for semifinalists (€282,650 / $304,938) and quarterfinalists (€154,170 / $166,327). Even those who compete in the early rounds receive meaningful compensation, with first-round participants earning €24,500 ($26,432). Even players who participate in the qualifying rounds receive significant compensation, with those in the first qualifying round earning €6,570 ($7,088).
For the finals at the Monte-Carlo Masters, the prize money continues to climb, reflecting the tournament's luxury setting and prestige. This year, the total prize pool has hit €6,128,940 ($6,962,331)—a 3% increase from 2024. The singles champion will pocket €946,610 ($1,075,326), while the runner-up will take home €516,925 ($587,214).
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The tournament has steadily boosted payouts over the years. Andrey Rublev earned €892,590 ($1,013,961)for his victory in 2023, while Stefanos Tsitsipas claimed €919,075 ($1,044,0477) last year. The doubles winners this year will split €290,410 ($329,898), continuing the trend of incremental increases across all rounds.
Coming to the final of Monte Carlo 2025, the organizers have moved the match forward by three hours to avoid any rain delays. Originally scheduled for 3 PM local time, the showdown will now begin at 12 PM (11 AM BST). Who could be the victor?
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Carlos Alcaraz has powered his way into his first Monte Carlo Masters final, defeating fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 in the semis. The reigning French Open champion is chasing his sixth Masters title and his first on clay since Indian Wells last year. Reflecting on his performance, Alcaraz said, “At the beginning of the week, the first tournament on clay, you have to get used to the conditions. The ball comes different. You know, the play on clay is different… I'm just really happy to get the level that I wanted at the beginning of the week.”
He is now set to face Lorenzo Musetti, who battled past Alex de Minaur 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in a thrilling semifinal. The final promises an exciting rematch between Alcaraz and Musetti. The Italian's sole victory over Alcaraz came in their 2022 Hamburg Open final on clay. However, since then, the Spaniard has dominated their encounters, winning their last seven sets, including a decisive victory at the 2023 French Open.
Musetti's one-handed backhand has often been exploited by Alcaraz's aggressive forehands, pushing him deep into defensive positions. The Italian acknowledges the mental challenge ahead, saying, “For sure the key of that match was the mental part. So hopefully, tomorrow I'll do the same.”
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Both players have shown resilience throughout the tournament. Alcaraz overcame tough matches against Francisco Cerundolo and Arthur Fils before finding his rhythm in straight-set wins over Daniel Altmaier and Davidovich Fokina. While Musetti clawed back after losing opening sets in four matches, including the matches against Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex de Minaur.
With Alcaraz leading their head-to-head 3-1, fans are eager to see if Musetti can flip the script or if Alcaraz will claim his first Monte Carlo crown. Either way, this clay-court clash promises fireworks!
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Carlos Alcaraz and Lorenzo Musetti were on the cusp of huge rankings milestones ahead of their Monte Carlo final – and they weren't the only players impacted by action this week.
Here, we look at the rankings winners and losers from the first Masters 1000 of the clay swing.
1) Jannik Sinner, 10,330
2) Alexander Zverev, 7,645
3) Carlos Alcaraz, 6,720
4) Taylor Fritz, 5,290
5) Novak Djokovic, 4,510
6) Jack Draper, 3,780
7) Casper Ruud, 3,765
8) Stefanos Tsitsipas, 3,445
9) Andrey Rublev, 3,440
10) Alex de Minaur, 3,335
Despite not playing due to his three-month suspension, Sinner's lead heading into Monte Carlo was so significant he was ensured of staying at No 1 – despite dropping 400 semi-final points from 2024.
This event was a must-win for Zverev's hopes of replacing Sinner as No 1 ahead of the Italian's comeback, while the battle for No 2 was between the German and world No 3 Alcaraz.
With semi-final points to defend, world No 5 Djokovic needed a good result to boost his hopes of a return to the top four – with world No 4 Fritz out of the event due to injury.
Only 345 points separated world No 6 Draper and world No 10 de Minaur, meaning there was plenty of room for manoeuvre inside and around the top 10.
That was particularly so for world No 8 Tsitsipas and world No 7 Ruud, the champion and finalist from Monte Carlo a year ago.
1) Jannik Sinner, 9,930
2) Carlos Alcaraz, 7,720
3) Alexander Zverev, 7,595
4) Taylor Fritz, 5,280
5) Novak Djokovic, 4,120
6) Jack Draper, 3,780
7) Alex de Minaur, 3,535
8) Andrey Rublev, 3,490
9) Daniil Medvedev, 3,290
10) Casper Ruud, 3,215
Though he has dropped 400 points, Sinner still has a significant lead as the world No 1 thanks to Zverev's second-round exit to Matteo Berrettini.
But, following his run to the final, Alcaraz has boosted his points tally significantly – and has now usurped Zverev as the world No 2.
Djokovic's opening-match exit has seen him drop 390 points and fall over 1,000 points behind Fritz in the race for a top four seeding at Roland Garros.
However, the good news for the Serbian is that no one was able to take advantage of his early exit and push him down the ATP Rankings.
Most notably, Tsitsipas will fall out of the top 10 after his quarter-final exit to Musetti, while Ruud is also at risk of leaving the top 10 – having already fallen to world No 10 in the live rankings.
De Minaur's run to the semi-final sees him move back up to world No 7.
Carlos Alcaraz makes brutally honest Jannik Sinner confession as he reaches Monte Carlo final
Lorenzo Musetti one win away from epic rankings breakthrough ahead of Carlos Alcaraz showdown
At the very top of the ATP Rankings, this has been a significant week for Alcaraz, who has boosted his points ahead of his French Open defence at the end of the clay swing – and has jumped up one place.
Inside the top 10, the biggest winner in terms of movement is de Minaur, who is projected to rise three spots to world No 7 on 3,535 points.
Meanwhile, runner-up Musetti is projected to rise five places to world No 11 after reaching his first Masters 1000 final.
Arthur Fils is set to rise one place to a new high of world No 14, while Grigor Dimitrov is set to move back up one place to world No 17.
Lower down the rankings, there is good news for beaten semi-finalist Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, who is projected to rise 12 places to world No 30, while Daniel Altmaier is set to rise 16 spots to world No 68.
Once again, Zverev has failed to take significant advantage of Sinner's absence – and now will lose his world No 2 ranking if Alcaraz wins Sunday's final.
However, there can be no doubt that the biggest loser from a rankings perspective is defending Monte Carlo champion Tsitsipas.
Ranked eighth heading in, the Greek is projected to fall eight places to world No 16 thanks to his quarter-final exit, his lowest ranking since 2018.
2024 finalist Ruud is also set to drop three places to world No 10, though he has managed to stay inside the top 10 thanks to Musetti's defeat in the final.
Read Next: Barcelona Open draw: Carlos Alcaraz and Arthur Fils rematch before final?
"It's been a tough month for me. On and off the court. I don't want to say in public, but I was struggling stepping on the court."
Alcaraz beat Lorenzo Musetti to claim the sixth Masters 1000 title of his career - and seal a huge rankings boost.
"The physical problems, fatigue, and stress accumulated in the last days and matches, all that was there."
“We took all the necessary precautions, but, during the match, he felt more and more pain."
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Modified Apr 13, 2025 | 3:35 AM EDT
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Celebrities attend the 2024 Met Gala Celebrating Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening
Fashion at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City Featuring: Serena
Williams Where: New York, United States When: 06 May 2024 Credit: Michael
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Celebrities attend the 2024 Met Gala Celebrating Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening
Fashion at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City Featuring: Serena
Williams Where: New York, United States When: 06 May 2024 Credit: Michael
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For Serena Williams, slowing down isn't in her vocabulary. With 23 Grand Slams and 73 career singles titles, she's a perpetual motion machine. You'd expect a legend like that to take a breather after retirement, right? Nope. Serena juggles multiple ventures even after bidding adieu to tennis. One minute she's a venture capitalist with Serena Ventures, the next, she's conquering the beauty and fashion world. Just when you think she's reached her peak, she drops Wyn Beauty, a makeup line tailored for women in constant motion. Though launched post Serena's retirement, it's fair to wonder if these ventures were years in the making.
On April 2, Serena marked a major milestone in her post-professional tennis career. The 23-time Grand Slam champion celebrates one year since her makeup label, WYN Beauty, was launched in April 2024. To commemorate this occasion, the brand hosted a two-day pop-up event in Los Angeles on April 11 and April 12!
Speaking to Shopify, Serena revealed how her idea for Wyn Beauty came about. She said, “The moment I knew I wanted to start WYN was when I was in the locker room at Wimbledon and I was putting sun cream in my hand and then I was putting foundation and I was mixing it together to make my own skin tint. And I thought, ‘I need to have something in my color. Also need to have this product. Is there a way I could use this while I'm playing or while I'm just using it all 24 hours throughout the day?”
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Williams has a total of seven Wimbledon titles over two decades. But amidst her dominance on court, she was also planning her entrepreneurial ventures. She noted how she wanted to change the beauty game for people of color to be more included. “That's when I knew it didn't exist, and I needed to create something new. We've been doing this for over seven years. This is our one-year anniversary,” she added.
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The pop-up events celebrating Wyn Beauty's anniversary featured a shade-matching station to provide every visitor with their perfect match from the 36 inclusive shades available. This journey began seven years ago, around 2017, when Serena was fresh off her Australian Open victory and celebrating the birth of her first child, Olympia. To think that ‘Wyn Beauty' was in the making even then.
The brand wasn't a snap decision. For over six years, Serena envisioned a beauty brand mirroring her own powerhouse spirit: strong, active, and resilient. This vision came to life through a partnership with The Good Glamm Group, bringing 91 shades across ten high-performance products to the US. But getting there was a marathon, not a sprint.
“Lots of dedication, lots of tears and lots of happiness. I think in sport, you know when you win you either are shaking your opponent's hand or you're pumping your fist or something. In business, I feel like you know you've won just by the fact that people really love and enjoy it, but also the impact that you're making in different people's lives,” Serena noted.
From Grand Slams to glam shades, is Serena Williams the ultimate role model for reinvention?
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And it's not just the fans that love the product; many within the tennis community actively show their adoration for her brand!
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Serena Williams lit up Miami Beach with an exclusive TikTok collaboration event celebrating her beauty brand, Wyn Beauty. Taking to Instagram, she shared the excitement through reposts and videos. Nicholas Monaco, Miami's stage manager, honored her as “the one and only Serena Williams.”
The women passionately cheered for the brand, while Serena introduced new Wyn Beauty products. Adding flair, she danced alongside digital creator The Achieng Agutu to Have You Seen My Wife, while showing off the latest launches. The energy was electric, from glamorous makeup rooms to Serena's grand stage entrance.
The official Wyn Beauty Instagram page joined the fun, highlighting Serena's on-stage interview with Sydney Dixon. She reflected on the brand's journey and teased what's next. Before the event, Serena gave fans a sneak peek at vibrant new shades, captioning, “We really did something with these @wyn shades 🥵.” Her hands-on approach continues to resonate with fans who adore her innovative spirit.
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Celebrating Wyn Beauty's first anniversary, Serena proves she's unstoppable—on or off court. What surprises will she unveil next? Only time will tell!
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"From Grand Slams to glam shades, is Serena Williams the ultimate role model for reinvention?"
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Tennis fans were tizzy following the announcement that Daniil Medvedev will partner with teen sensation Mirra Andreeva in the mixed doubles for the 2025 US Open. This unexpected couple is a dramatic shift in the lead-up to the last Grand Slam of the year as both participants seek to put their act together following a disappointing show at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Andreeva, who last week won in Indian Wells and climbed to No. 7 in women's singles, told Sport-Express in an interview that she and Medvedev are determined to make their US Open adventure one to tell the tale about. The two had teamed up previously at the Olympics and the World Tennis League, although the result wasn't with them, and Andreeva was eager to use their chemistry and get the job done in New York.
Mirra Andreeva has also been causing ripples in singles and doubles circuits. She has had a great run with Diana Shnaider, and the duo is ranked second in the Race to the WTA Finals. Her doubles resume includes a WTA 500 title in Brisbane and the prized Miami Open victory, making her a force to be understood in both formats.
Conversely, more famous for his solitary court battles, Medvedev is less tested and seasoned in doubles competition. Although formerly a World No. 1 in singles and Grand Slam champion, he has never appeared in an ATP doubles final. However, teaming up with Andreeva indicates he will enter new territory and introduce another facet of his game.
The Russian duo first partnered at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where they were humiliated by a first-round defeat to Italy's Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori. The disappointment was immense, particularly given the hype with their maiden outing. However, instead of allowing the defeat to end their partnership, both players have decided to try it on the world's biggest stage.
Andreeva also sees the pairing as positive, mentioning that she believes they have the potential to be a fantastic team with enhanced coordination and planning. Daniil Medvedev has also talked about Andreeva's all-court style and believes their pairing could be one of the most interesting storylines in this year's US Open.
This year, the US Open sports a fresh face for its revamped mixed doubles, designed to maximize energy and viewer engagement. With more truncated sets—at four games per set and a tiebreaker at 3-3—the tournament risks being a high-drama showdown. With only 16 chosen teams competing, this adds a sheen of sophistication and increases the stakes.
This shift has attracted top players from both the ATP and WTA circuits. Daniil Medvedev and Mirra Andreeva were the initial ones to officially confirm their presence, with other high-profile names like Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa joining the fray. With a million dollars in prize money for the winning team, the competition is bound to be fierce.
With the 2025 US Open just around the corner, the Daniil Medvedev and Mirra Andreeva pairing will be one of the tournament's most compelling narratives. Merging experience and youth, power and finesse, their pairing is as astute a tactical move as it echoes modern tennis's evolving dynamics. Whether they take home the title, they'll give some historic performances in the mixed doubles event.
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In a daring development that shocked the tennis world, Stefanos Tsitsipas is going to name former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic as his next coach. After Roland Garros, the Greek star should technically kick off this significant collaboration, according to the Greek sports outlet Gazzetta.
Long under the direction of his father, Apostolos Tsitsipas, the Greek tennis star broke the headlines in August 2024 by demanding his father step out of the coaching box during the Canadian Open match. That controversy altered their longstanding working relationship, finally leading Apostolos to step down. Since then, Greece's Davis Cup captain, Dimitris Chatzinikolaou, has assumed the coaching responsibilities.
Stefanos Tsitsipas is clearly searching for a new direction after negotiating some difficult terrain on the ATP Tour recently. Including Grand Slam winner and seasoned coach Goran Ivanisevic, who played an important role in Novak Djokovic's strong run, the Greeks' desire to reset and recharge is illustrated. Ivanisevic's return to the ATP Tour via this new partnership provides an intriguing twist to the season, even if he had quit coaching after his split with Djokovic in 2024.
Tsitsipas has usually been in the top 10 of the ATP rankings, and his goal is to maintain that level at the minimum before striving for more. Although he did have a major win at the ATP 500 in Dubai earlier this year, the Greek athlete is under pressure to defend crucial points during the clay season. He lost to Lorenzo Musetti and lost his Monte Carlo crown but has more points to defend at the Barcelona Open.
Goran Ivanisevic has proven his coaching skills at the highest level and is a well-known name in tennis history. Over his almost five-year run with Ivanisevic, Djokovic won 12 Grand Slam championships under his mentorship. Tsitsipas' ability to emphasize the best of an already gifted player is what he may need to discover his top level of play.
Earlier in the year, Ivanisevic joined the camp of 2022 Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina. Their deal ended quite suddenly; however, off-court problems associated with Rybakina's former coach Stefanos Vukov's controversial return came up. Ivanisevic described the episode as pathetic and unusual. Only some weeks into their work, they had chosen to part ways. The former left-handed player refused to provide details about this dramatic episode.
This new coaching arrangement becomes especially compelling considering how it might affect Stefanos Tsitsipas' performances on the grass court. While he has been mostly successful on other courts, Wimbledon has remained a challenging ground for the Greek—he has never advanced beyond the fourth round. With a former Wimbledon winner like Ivanisevic by his side now, this might be Tsitsipas' best chance yet to rewrite his grass story.
The Greek's grass performance has been mediocre, though he captured a Mallorca grasscourt title in 2022. This could be a turning point since Ivanisevic knows a lot about strategic play and grasscourt nuances. The goal is clear: prepare Tsitsipas for a serious threat at the All England Club and for competitive play. It should be noted that Djokovic won four consecutive Wimbledon titles with Ivanisevic as coach.
Maybe Goran Ivanisevic's addition will motivate the Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas to resuscitate his career. By connecting himself with a coach familiar with the demands of Grand Slam tournaments and the nuances of grasscourt play, Tsitsipas is showing a drive to progress. For now, the focus is the clay court season, and the former Roland Garros runners-up has shown what it takes to excel on this surface.
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They joined NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, Bills quarterback Josh Allen, and more sports stars at the historic golf tournament.ByBaseline StaffPublished Apr 13, 2025 copy_link
Published Apr 13, 2025
Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki were among the sports stars that were spotted on the lawns of Augusta, Georgia for the historic Masters golf tournament over the weekend.Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam winner, retired in 2022 while former world No. 1 Wozniacki put her WTA comeback on hold after announcing that she's expecting her third child with former basketball player David Lee. But while they've been away from the tennis courts, the pair of major champs got their fix of competition by watching the world's best golf players competing at the picturesque event.Read More: Caroline Wozniacki expecting third child, pauses WTA comeback“As an athlete, I think there's some places that are so iconic that are on the bucket list, and this and Wimbledon are so special,” Wozniacki told ESPN in an interview. "There's so much tradition here. When you arrive at the premises, there's just something about not having your phone, really being in the moment…"Watching someone who is so good at their craft I think has always been very inspiring, whether it's tennis, golf, at work, whatever it is. As a spectator, it's always fun to see when the best in the world are struggling, and that's what you get here."
Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam winner, retired in 2022 while former world No. 1 Wozniacki put her WTA comeback on hold after announcing that she's expecting her third child with former basketball player David Lee. But while they've been away from the tennis courts, the pair of major champs got their fix of competition by watching the world's best golf players competing at the picturesque event.Read More: Caroline Wozniacki expecting third child, pauses WTA comeback“As an athlete, I think there's some places that are so iconic that are on the bucket list, and this and Wimbledon are so special,” Wozniacki told ESPN in an interview. "There's so much tradition here. When you arrive at the premises, there's just something about not having your phone, really being in the moment…"Watching someone who is so good at their craft I think has always been very inspiring, whether it's tennis, golf, at work, whatever it is. As a spectator, it's always fun to see when the best in the world are struggling, and that's what you get here."
Read More: Caroline Wozniacki expecting third child, pauses WTA comeback“As an athlete, I think there's some places that are so iconic that are on the bucket list, and this and Wimbledon are so special,” Wozniacki told ESPN in an interview. "There's so much tradition here. When you arrive at the premises, there's just something about not having your phone, really being in the moment…"Watching someone who is so good at their craft I think has always been very inspiring, whether it's tennis, golf, at work, whatever it is. As a spectator, it's always fun to see when the best in the world are struggling, and that's what you get here."
“As an athlete, I think there's some places that are so iconic that are on the bucket list, and this and Wimbledon are so special,” Wozniacki told ESPN in an interview. "There's so much tradition here. When you arrive at the premises, there's just something about not having your phone, really being in the moment…"Watching someone who is so good at their craft I think has always been very inspiring, whether it's tennis, golf, at work, whatever it is. As a spectator, it's always fun to see when the best in the world are struggling, and that's what you get here."
"Watching someone who is so good at their craft I think has always been very inspiring, whether it's tennis, golf, at work, whatever it is. As a spectator, it's always fun to see when the best in the world are struggling, and that's what you get here."
"As a spectator, it's always fun to see when the best in the world are struggling, and that's what you get here," Wozniacki said of the Masters.© Instagram @carowozniacki
© Instagram @carowozniacki
Wozniacki and Federer joined NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, Bills MVP quarterback Josh Allen, Trevor Lawrence and more celebrities in attendance at the Masters.Of course, Wozniacki is no stranger to golf, having previously been engaged to Rory McIlroy in 2013. McIlroy is currently in the lead at the Masters, a few strokes ahead of the Dane's own pick to win, Ludvig Aberg.Read More: Roger Federer explains tennis scoring, On logo to Elmo in Super Bowl adFederer, meanwhile, might have a little less spectating in his future. He told TNT in Augusta that he's been itching to pick up a racquet and get back on court to “fill up a few stadiums” at some exhibition events."Honestly, I would love to play some more tennis again," Federer said, as he joked that he's been playing a lot of golf during his time in retirement."But seriously, I would love to start playing two or three times a week again and hopefully get myself back on the exhibition court. Maybe fill up a few nice stadiums around the world."
Of course, Wozniacki is no stranger to golf, having previously been engaged to Rory McIlroy in 2013. McIlroy is currently in the lead at the Masters, a few strokes ahead of the Dane's own pick to win, Ludvig Aberg.Read More: Roger Federer explains tennis scoring, On logo to Elmo in Super Bowl adFederer, meanwhile, might have a little less spectating in his future. He told TNT in Augusta that he's been itching to pick up a racquet and get back on court to “fill up a few stadiums” at some exhibition events."Honestly, I would love to play some more tennis again," Federer said, as he joked that he's been playing a lot of golf during his time in retirement."But seriously, I would love to start playing two or three times a week again and hopefully get myself back on the exhibition court. Maybe fill up a few nice stadiums around the world."
Read More: Roger Federer explains tennis scoring, On logo to Elmo in Super Bowl adFederer, meanwhile, might have a little less spectating in his future. He told TNT in Augusta that he's been itching to pick up a racquet and get back on court to “fill up a few stadiums” at some exhibition events."Honestly, I would love to play some more tennis again," Federer said, as he joked that he's been playing a lot of golf during his time in retirement."But seriously, I would love to start playing two or three times a week again and hopefully get myself back on the exhibition court. Maybe fill up a few nice stadiums around the world."
Federer, meanwhile, might have a little less spectating in his future. He told TNT in Augusta that he's been itching to pick up a racquet and get back on court to “fill up a few stadiums” at some exhibition events."Honestly, I would love to play some more tennis again," Federer said, as he joked that he's been playing a lot of golf during his time in retirement."But seriously, I would love to start playing two or three times a week again and hopefully get myself back on the exhibition court. Maybe fill up a few nice stadiums around the world."
"Honestly, I would love to play some more tennis again," Federer said, as he joked that he's been playing a lot of golf during his time in retirement."But seriously, I would love to start playing two or three times a week again and hopefully get myself back on the exhibition court. Maybe fill up a few nice stadiums around the world."
"But seriously, I would love to start playing two or three times a week again and hopefully get myself back on the exhibition court. Maybe fill up a few nice stadiums around the world."
A post shared by Caroline Wozniacki (@carowozniacki)
News
Gasly ‘very happy' to score Alpine's first points of the season with P7 in Bahrain after ‘competitive' weekend
FIA post-race press conference – Bahrain
FACTS AND STATS: McLaren's first Bahrain win and Red Bull's first double score of 2025
Leclerc reflects on P4 in Bahrain as he concedes Ferrari ‘need many baby steps' to get ‘where we want'
Russell reveals ‘all sorts of failures' he experienced in tense Bahrain GP as he avoids penalty
Nico Hulkenberg has been disqualified from the Bahrain Grand Prix due to excessive skid block wear on his Kick Sauber, meaning the German loses his 13th-place finish.
Hulkenberg made up three positions over the course of Sunday night's 57-lap encounter in the Sakhir desert, only for post-race car checks to uncover an apparent rule breach.
READ MORE: Piastri storms to controlled victory in Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of Russell and Norris
In a report from FIA F1 Technical Delegate Jo Bauer, it was confirmed that Hulkenberg's rearmost skid came in under the minimum thickness required within the Technical Regulations.
Hulkenberg was disqualified post-race for excessive skid block wear on his Kick Sauber
“Measurements were taken along the stiffness compliant area at three different points of the periphery (inner arc),” read the note. “The recorded measurement were 8.4 mm (left-hand side), 8.5 mm (car centerline) and 8.4 mm (right-hand side).”
As this was below the 9mm minimum thickness required by Article 3.5.9 e) of the Technical Regulations, the matter was swiftly referred to the stewards, who later dished out a penalty.
READ MORE: ‘We finished the job in style' – Piastri ‘very proud' to deliver McLaren's first Bahrain GP win with commanding display
Article 3.5.9 e) of the Technical Regulations covers the plank assembly area on an F1 car.
“The thickness of the plank assembly measured normal to the lower surface must be 10mm ± 0.2mm and must be uniform when new,” the article reads.
Race Highlights: 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix
“A minimum thickness of 9mm will be accepted due to wear, and conformity to this provision will be checked at the peripheries of the designated holes.”
Hulkenberg's disqualification follows on from Lewis Hamilton suffering the same fate at the Chinese Grand Prix, where the Ferrari man was stripped of a points-paying finish.
READ MORE: Norris rues ‘messy race' after P3 finish in Bahrain as he vows to ‘step it up' at Saudi Arabian GP
Hulkenberg's team mate, Gabriel Bortoleto, was the final classified driver at the Bahrain International Circuit in 19th, but he now moves up a spot following the stewards' decision.
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Piastri storms to controlled victory in Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of Russell and Norris
HIGHLIGHTS: Catch up on Piastri's stellar run to victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix
GALLERY: Jackie Stewart drives 1973 title-winning Tyrrell in emotional demo run ahead of Bahrain GP
TREMAYNE: McLaren's impressive pace in 2025 means they could soon be facing an age-old F1 problem
F1 EXPLAINS: Ask an F1 Team Principal with Williams boss James Vowles
‘I feel like I've never driven an F1 car' – Norris left searching for answers after disappointing P6 result in Bahrain Qualifying
F2: Dunne dominates Sakhir Feature Race for maiden Formula 2 win
FIA post-Qualifying press conference – Bahrain
F3: Camara dominates once again to win Sakhir Feature Race
Hamilton apologises to Ferrari ‘for not doing the job' in Bahrain but vows to ‘do the talking on the track'
© 2003-2025 Formula One World Championship Limited
News
Gasly ‘very happy' to score Alpine's first points of the season with P7 in Bahrain after ‘competitive' weekend
FIA post-race press conference – Bahrain
FACTS AND STATS: McLaren's first Bahrain win and Red Bull's first double score of 2025
Leclerc reflects on P4 in Bahrain as he concedes Ferrari ‘need many baby steps' to get ‘where we want'
Hulkenberg disqualified from Bahrain Grand Prix over skid block breach
George Russell has given some insight into the various problems he battled in the closing stages of the Bahrain Grand Prix, all while trying to keep Lando Norris at bay for second position, as he avoided any potential post-race penalty for a DRS infringement.
Mercedes driver Russell started Sunday night's race from third on the grid but managed to jump Ferrari's Charles Leclerc into Turn 1, after which he remained leader Oscar Piastri's closest challenger.
READ MORE: Piastri storms to controlled victory in Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of Russell and Norris
Then, following a mid-race Safety Car, Russell found himself on soft tyres for his final stint compared to the medium and hards around him, setting up an intriguing finish as different strategies played out under the Sakhir lights.
However, the Briton's task of managing that softer rubber for more than 20 laps was made even more challenging by issues that developed aboard his car – allowing third-placed Norris to close in but not quite find a way past.
Race Highlights: 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix
“It felt all under control for a moment, then suddenly we had a brake-by-wire failure, so the pedal was going long, then it was going short… I didn't know what was going on… the steering wheel wasn't working properly,” Russell explained.
“It was really hard-fought to keep Lando behind; I think one more lap and he would have got me pretty comfortably. Nevertheless, I'm really pleased with P2.”
AS IT HAPPENED: All the action from the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix
Pressed on the Drag Reduction System trouble that was discussed with his engineer over the radio, he continued: “We were basically having all sorts of failures. We did an override on the DRS, and on one lap I clicked the radio button and the DRS opened.
“I straightaway closed it again, backed off, nothing gained, and I lost more than I gained – it was only open for a split second. It kind of goes to show the amount of issues we were having, but as I said, I'm really pleased with P2.”
Russell had to work hard to fend off Norris in the closing stages of the race
As for the rest of the race, Russell admitted to being “not too sure how” he and Mercedes made that final, lengthy stint on soft tyres work, while praising Piastri and McLaren for their commanding display.
“I mean, Oscar was in a league of his own, so congratulations to him and to McLaren,” said Russell. “We knew they'd be pretty extraordinary around this circuit and that was proven right.
READ MORE: ‘We finished the job in style' – Piastri ‘very proud' to deliver McLaren's first Bahrain GP win with commanding display
“For ourselves, it's been four races, three podiums, all on different types of tracks, so it gives us confidence going into the future.”
Russell met with the stewards to discuss the alleged DRS infringement he referenced in his post-race interview, and while the panel confirmed a breach had occurred, they opted against applying a penalty given that no sporting advantage was gained.
FACTS AND STATS: Piastri the first repeat polesitter of 2025 as he takes second Grand Prix pole in Bahrain
Hamilton apologises to Ferrari ‘for not doing the job' in Bahrain but vows to ‘do the talking on the track'
McLaren on the march, Mercedes in the mix, and action aplenty – What To Watch For in the Bahrain Grand Prix
DRIVER OF THE DAY: Hamilton's aggressive drive to P6 in Bahrain gets your vote
‘We need to investigate' – Verstappen reveals struggles with ‘inconsistent' Red Bull after P7 in Bahrain Qualifying
© 2003-2025 Formula One World Championship Limited
Video
Gasly ‘very happy' to score Alpine's first points of the season with P7 in Bahrain after ‘competitive' weekend
FIA post-race press conference – Bahrain
FACTS AND STATS: McLaren's first Bahrain win and Red Bull's first double score of 2025
Leclerc reflects on P4 in Bahrain as he concedes Ferrari ‘need many baby steps' to get ‘where we want'
Hulkenberg disqualified from Bahrain Grand Prix over skid block breach
Oscar Piastri claimed a commanding lights-to-flag victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix to clinch his second win of the 2025 Formula 1 season and McLaren's first in Bahrain.
The McLaren driver was rarely challenged as he dominated the 57-lap contest from pole position. Piastri witnessed his 6.8s lead over Mercedes' George Russell evaporate when the Safety Car was deployed to clear debris from the track on Lap 32.
READ MORE: Piastri storms to controlled victory in Bahrain Grand Prix ahead of Russell and Norris
The Safety Car allowed Piastri and the front runners to make their second and final pit stops and, once racing resumed, the Australian held his nerve to restore his advantage, taking the victory from Russell to move into second in the Drivers' Championship standings.
Russell managed to hold off McLaren's Lando Norris in the final laps to complete the podium, with Norris' run to third including a five-second false start infringement penalty from sixth on the grid.
Ferrari's Charlie Leclerc ran as high as third but had to settle for fourth ahead of team mate Lewis Hamilton. It proved to be a difficult race for reigning World Champion Max Verstappen, who was unable to fight for a podium on his way to sixth.
Watch the highlights from the 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix by hitting go on the video player above.
FIA post-race press conference – Bahrain
Hulkenberg disqualified from Bahrain Grand Prix over skid block breach
Hamilton apologises to Ferrari ‘for not doing the job' in Bahrain but vows to ‘do the talking on the track'
FACTS AND STATS: McLaren's first Bahrain win and Red Bull's first double score of 2025
Piastri thrilled to ‘deliver when it mattered' after securing pole position for 50th race start in Bahrain
© 2003-2025 Formula One World Championship Limited
Report
RACE START: Watch the getaway in Bahrain as Piastri holds the lead and Norris shoots up the order
GALLERY: Jackie Stewart drives 1973 title-winning Tyrrell in emotional demo run ahead of Bahrain GP
OFFICIAL GRID: Piastri heads mixed-up starting order as Russell and Antonelli drop places in Bahrain
AS IT HAPPENED: All the action from the 2025 Bahrain GP as Piastri takes victory
F2: Dunne dominates Sakhir Feature Race for maiden Formula 2 win
Oscar Piastri has become the first multiple race winner of the 2025 season by taking a sublime victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix, the Australian driver putting in a cool and collected drive to seal P1 on his 50th start in F1 as well as marking McLaren's first triumph in Sakhir.
After making a strong start from pole position – despite a close call from George Russell when the Mercedes driver locked up into Turn 1 – Piastri built a solid lead throughout the laps that followed.
While there was early trouble for team mate Lando Norris – who was hit with a five-second time penalty for being out of position in his grid box – the McLarens again looked impressive as the race played out, with the Briton working his way forwards.
And while Piastri's position potentially looked under threat when a Safety Car emerged, the 24-year-old made a clean getaway at the restart and went on to rebuild a gap in the laps that followed, eventually crossing the line with a 15-second lead.
Race results
Russell ultimately took second, holding off a thrilling late chase from Norris, though the Silver Arrows driver will be investigated after the Grand Prix for a potential DRS infringement. Norris was just 0.774s behind Russell at the finish, a good recovery from the McLaren racer after a difficult Qualifying on Saturday.
Charles Leclerc had to settle for fourth – despite putting up a good fight against Norris during a scrap for third in the latter stages – ahead of Ferrari team mate Lewis Hamilton in fifth, while Max Verstappen snatched sixth place in the final moments on what had been a tough evening for the Red Bull man, having experienced issues at both of his pit stops.
Pierre Gasly scored Alpine's first points of the campaign in seventh while Esteban Ocon followed in eighth, the Haas racer's strategy of an early pit stop seemingly paying off. Yuki Tsunoda took ninth for Red Bull, with Ollie Bearman adding to Haas' tally in 10th.
Norris overtook Leclerc in the latter stages before chasing after Russell
Kimi Antonelli just missed out in P11, the Mercedes rookie losing out after running in the points earlier in the event, while Alex Albon was the sole Williams to finish the race in P12. Nico Hulkenberg claimed P13 for Kick Sauber, ahead of Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar.
Jack Doohan ended the event in P15 as his search for his debut points of the season continues, with Fernando Alonso a disappointing P16 in the Aston Martin. Liam Lawson took P17, the Racing Bulls man having been hit with a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Hulkenberg.
Lance Stroll and Gabriel Bortoleto were the final classified runners in 18th and 19th respectively, with Carlos Sainz the only retiree owing to damage sustained to his Williams after contact with Tsunoda.
Sainz was the only driver to retire from the race
One day on from an exciting Qualifying session – which saw Piastri storm to pole position for what will be his 50th race start in Formula 1 – the attentions of the paddock had turned to the 57-lap Bahrain Grand Prix.
Two changes to the starting order had been made in the hours after Saturday's session, with the Mercedes pair of Russell and Antonelli each receiving a one-place grid penalty for a rule breach during Qualifying.
Both cars were sent into the fast lane of the pit lane before a session restart time had been confirmed following a red flag period; as such, Russell dropped from P2 to P3 – promoting Leclerc up to the front row – while Antonelli moved from fourth to fifth, sending Gasly up to P4.
Following an emotional demo run by Sir Jackie Stewart on Sunday morning, with the 85-year-old taking to the track in his championship-winning Tyrrell 006, the drivers were greeted by warm temperatures in the range of 29 degrees Celsius as the cars started to assemble on the grid.
When the tyre blankets were removed, it was revealed that the majority of the pack would be starting on the soft compound. The exceptions to this were Leclerc, Hamilton, Alonso, Lawson and Bortoleto, all of whom had bolted on the medium rubber.
There was a close moment between Piastri and Russell as the Bahrain Grand Prix got underway
After the formation lap had been completed and the lights went out at 1800 local time, Piastri made a good launch off the line – but so did Russell, who leapt past Leclerc before locking up into Turn 1, coming perilously close to making contact with Piastri in the process.
Norris, meanwhile, enjoyed a spectacular start from P6, the Briton bouncing back from his Qualifying struggles to move up into third ahead of Leclerc. Gasly followed in fifth, while Norris' former team mate Sainz had also made gains, going from P8 to P6 in the Williams.
As Piastri stretched out a lead of more than one second from Russell up front, Antonelli was under increasing pressure from Verstappen in a scrap for seventh place. Elsewhere there was some concerning news for Norris, with the Briton noted by the stewards for a potential false start for being out of position on the grid.
Further back, Ocon and Albon had both gained two positions in P12 and P13 respectively, while Bearman looked in racy form after surging forward from last to P15. Bearman's former F2 team mate Antonelli, meanwhile, snatched sixth place from Sainz before Verstappen followed through to take seventh, the Dutchman being pushed slightly wide in the process while battling the Williams.
With the stewards investigating Norris' potential false start, replays highlighted that Verstappen reported that the McLaren was “way out of his grid box”. And just moments later, it was confirmed that a five-second time penalty had been issued to the Briton, who was continuing to run in third place.
2025 Bahrain Grand Prix: Norris jumps up to P3 on the race start as Piastri leads
“We will recover these positions,” Norris was told by his race engineer. Meanwhile, as Lap 9 ticked down, a thrilling duel was playing out between Sainz and Hamilton – the man who replaced him at Ferrari – over P8, the seven-time World Champion eventually muscling by before Tsunoda followed suit to push a struggling Sainz down to P10.
Norris headed into the pits on Lap 11 – where he also served his penalty, dropping him down to P14 after bolting on the medium tyres – while Gasly and Verstappen also made their stops for the medium and hard rubber respectively. Verstappen suffered a particularly slow stop, the World Champion emerging in P16.
Up at the front, Piastri remained in the lead by six seconds from Leclerc, with Hamilton, Sainz and Albon completing the top five, all of whom had yet to stop. Red Bull endured further pit problems with Tsunoda, with the squad's light system not working – meaning that the drivers were not seeing the green light to signal that they could go.
On Lap 15, race leader Piastri had better luck in the pits after making a smooth stop for the medium tyres, bringing him back out into third. This put the top 10 order as Leclerc, Hamilton, Piastri, Russell, Albon, Norris, Gasly, Alonso, Ocon and Verstappen, with Albon and Alonso not having stopped along with the Ferrari pair.
The Williams and Aston Martin both soon pitted for the hard and medium compound respectively – before Leclerc and Hamilton followed on Lap 18 to double stack for the mediums, despite Leclerc seemingly suggesting that he wanted to do a one-stop strategy. The Monegasque returned to the track in fourth, with Hamilton in 11th.
2025 Bahrain Grand Prix: Norris hit with penalty for being out of position on the grid
With everybody having made their stops, the order on Lap 20 had shaken out as Piastri, Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Gasly, Ocon – who benefitted from pitting early – Antonelli, Verstappen, Doohan and Hamilton.
There was quickly a change to this thanks to Antonelli, the young Italian sweeping ahead of Verstappen into Turn 4 to take seventh. “Everything is overheating,” an unhappy Verstappen reported, with the Red Bull soon being chased down by Doohan and Hamilton behind.
Hamilton – the fastest man on track with fresh rubber on the SF-25 – was in no mood to hang around, the Briton making an overtake down the inside of Doohan into Turn 1 on Lap 22. Next in his sights was Verstappen – and that move quickly came, dropping the Dutchman to ninth.
“I can't even brake anymore,” Verstappen told race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase. Another man to nearly lose a position was Norris, with Leclerc attempting to snatch P3 from the Briton before going wide into Turn 1 and allowing the McLaren back through.
But the Monegasque did not have to wait long to complete the move, having found a way past Norris into Turn 4. And in a double success for Ferrari, Hamilton surged ahead of Antonelli for seventh – before then taking sixth from Ocon, the Scuderia's cars seemingly flying as the race reached its halfway point.
The Ferraris looked to have good pace at the halfway point of the race
Another pit drama played out for Verstappen as the Dutchman made his second stop for medium tyres on Lap 27, with the front right proving stubborn to remove. This dropped the Red Bull down to the back of the order.
Others subsequently started to visit the pits for a second time, Antonelli seemingly going onto a three-stop strategy as the soft compound went on to his Mercedes. Gasly had also stopped for the hard tyres, while Verstappen had already moved up to P14 on his recovery drive.
By Lap 30, Piastri remained some six seconds clear of Russell up ahead, with Leclerc, Norris and Hamilton completing the top five. Behind them a feisty scrap was playing out between Sainz and Tsunoda for sixth, during which a slide from the Red Bull resulted in contact with the Williams, throwing up some pieces of debris along the way.
A Safety Car was then called – seemingly in perfect timing for Piastri and indeed the rest of the top five, who all dived into the pits before returning to the track in their same order. And while much of the field also pitted, Gasly, Ocon, Verstappen and Doohan all stayed out, putting them in sixth to ninth respectively.
Russell, unlike the rest of the top five, had bolted on the soft tyres, leading the Briton to suggest that running the compound until the end of the race was an “audacious” strategy. Piastri and Norris were using the medium, with Leclerc and Hamilton on the hard.
Russell had an eventful race in Bahrain
As the Safety Car peeled into the pits on Lap 35, Piastri – having lost the lead he had built up earlier on – was faced with the task of fending off his competitors. While the Australian and Russell behind him both got away cleanly, Norris tried to fight past Leclerc but ended up boxed in by the Ferraris, with Hamilton getting through in the process.
Norris then retook the position from Hamilton – but with the move having seemingly taken place off the track into Turn 4, the McLaren then allowed the Ferrari back through. Within another lap, though, Norris had again snatched fourth from Hamilton, this time sealing the move for good.
By Lap 40, Piastri led from Russell by 1.8s, with Leclerc in third followed by Norris, Hamilton, Gasly, Verstappen, Ocon, Doohan – searching for his first points of the season – and Tsunoda. Those last positions looked uncertain, though, with Tsunoda hot on the tail of Doohan in a fight for ninth.
Bearman and Antonelli, meanwhile, were also closing in on the battle in 11th and 12th, the rookies both looking to add to their points tallies. Another duel of note was taking place between Leclerc and Norris over P3, the McLaren running within a second of the Ferrari by Lap 44.
Elsewhere, Sainz had been handed a 10-second time penalty for forcing another driver off the track during an earlier fight with Antonelli at the Safety Car restart – adding to the Spaniard's woes as replays showed a hole in the sidepod of the Williams, seemingly the cause of the debris that had brought out that Safety Car.
Piastri managed to maintain his lead after the Safety Car period came to a close
While Sainz went on to retire the car to bring his difficult day to a close, Norris locked up as he continued to look for a way past Leclerc. Another close moment occurred as the Briton tried again on Lap 49, with the McLaren still unable to overtake his rival as he ran off track into Turn 1.
It was on Lap 52 that Norris finally snatched the position around the outside into Turn 4 – while Russell had been noted for a DRS infringement which would be investigated after the race, the Briton complaining about the gears on his W16.
While Norris was shown a black and white flag for track limits, the McLaren was rapidly closing in on Russell amid the Mercedes seemingly experiencing some issues. Another name in trouble was Lawson, the Racing Bulls driver having been handed a 10-second penalty for causing a collision with Hulkenberg.
As Piastri maintained an untroubled lead up front, Norris was all over the back of Russell as the race entered into is final laps, the papaya car looking for a way past into several corners. Could Norris make it a 1-2 result for McLaren?
Norris set about trying to catch Russell during the latter stages
It turned out to not be the case, as – while Piastri crossed the line to take victory with a whopping lead of 15 seconds – Norris had to settle for third behind Russell, the gap between those two ending up at just 0.774s.
Leclerc held onto fourth, with Hamilton following in fifth, while Verstappen pulled off a late overtake on Gasly to snatch sixth place after a challenging event for the World Champion. Seventh for Gasly still brought Alpine their much-needed debut points of the season, though, while his former team mate Ocon was a solid eighth for Haas.
Tsunoda scored his first points as a Red Bull driver in ninth, with Bearman taking the final point on offer in P10, marking a strong recovery after starting from the back of the grid. Fellow rookie Antonelli, however, missed out in 11th, while Albon's run of points finishes also came to an end in 12th.
Hulkenberg, Hadjar and Doohan followed from P13 to P15 respectively, with Alonso down in P16 ahead of Lawson in P17. Stroll and Bortoleto brought up the rear in 18th and 19th, while Sainz was the only driver not to make it to the finish.
Piastri and Norris secured a 1-3 result for McLaren in Bahrain
"Great to have this result out here," said Piastri. "It's been an incredible weekend, starting off with Qualifying yesterday. To finish the job today in style was nice. I can't thank the team enough for the car they've given us – it's pretty handy out there.
"It's been a great weekend, and I'm very proud of what I've done this weekend as well. I'm very proud to do it here in Bahrain as well, it's obviously a very important race for us given our owners. It's never been a track that's been kind to us, so it's nice to finally have that first win for the team here."
For the final stop in a triple header sequence, F1 will move straight on to Jeddah for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix from April 18-20. Head to the RACE HUB to find out how you can follow the action from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit.
What the teams said – Qualifying in Bahrain
Hamilton apologises to Ferrari ‘for not doing the job' in Bahrain but vows to ‘do the talking on the track'
WATCH: Ocon brings out the red flags after heavy crash in Bahrain Qualifying
GALLERY: Jackie Stewart drives 1973 title-winning Tyrrell in emotional demo run ahead of Bahrain GP
FIA post-Qualifying press conference – Bahrain
© 2003-2025 Formula One World Championship Limited
A disappointed Lewis Hamilton congratulates Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc on his P3 finish in qualifying for the 2025 Formula 1 Bahrain Grand Prix. The seven-time champion will start Sunday's race from ninth on the grid.
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2025 Bahrain Grand Prix: Piastri crosses the line to take his second victory of the season
2025 Bahrain Grand Prix: Norris jumps up to P3 on the race start as Piastri leads
Qualifying Highlights: 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix
FP3 Highlights: 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix
FP1 Highlights: 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix
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Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda made it through to Q3 and qualified 10th in Bahrain, which he called a “good recovery” after struggling throughout practice.
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Race Highlights: 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix
2025 Bahrain Grand Prix: Piastri crosses the line to take his second victory of the season
2025 Bahrain Grand Prix: Norris jumps up to P3 on the race start as Piastri leads
Qualifying Highlights: 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix
FP3 Highlights: 2025 Bahrain Grand Prix
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Pierce Brosnan's wife Keely Shaye Smith is showing off a stunning 100-pound weight loss.
However, Brosnan has repeatedly made it clear that he loves his wife no matter her weight, and the couple's loving marriage is frequently held up as an example in Hollywood, Page Six reported.
On April 10, 2025, Page Six reported that Keely had “recently flaunted her 100-pound weight loss while stepping out with her husband.”
On Instagram, Keely Brosnan describes herself as a “Director, Producer, Documentary Filmmaker, Journalist, Activist, Philanthropist & Organic Gardener.”
She frequently posts tributes to her husband on her Instagram page.
A post shared by Keely Shaye Brosnan (@keelyshayebrosnan)
In March 2025, Keely shared a tribute to her husband. “April 26,1995–Our first red carpet appearance in London. Still stepping out 31 years later. ✨ Happy Anniversary my love! 4-8-94 was my lucky day,” she wrote alongside a photo of a magazine article that showed them together.
In August 2024, she shared a wedding photo and wrote, “August 4th, 2001, Ashford Castle, County Mayo, Ireland. ✨ ‘You are the finest, loveliest, tenderest person I have ever known.' FSF ✨ Happy Anniversary my love @piercebrosnanofficial ✨ Here's to the next 23 years together. May they continue to be creative, adventurous, loving, inspiring, and joyful. ✨ Time flies on love's wings.”
In May 2024, she wrote, “Happy Birthday to the love of my life @piercebrosnanofficial 🎂 You are my rock, my anchor, my everything … and I love you endlessly.” The tribute was accompanied by a picture of a shirtless Pierce Brosnan.
A post shared by Keely Shaye Brosnan (@keelyshayebrosnan)
The couple met in 1994 in Mexico, married in 2001, and have two sons together, according to Page Six.
Brosnan defended his wife when she was trolled over her weight in the past, Page Six reported.
“Friends offered her surgery to reduce her weight. But I strongly love every curve of her body,” he wrote in a Facebook post that was later deleted, according to Page Six. “She is the most beautiful woman in my eyes.”
“And also because she had our five children. In the past, I truly loved her for her person, not only for her beauty, and now I'm loving her even more that she is my children's mother. And I am very proud of her, and I always seek to be worthy of her love,” Brosnan wrote, according to Page Six.
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Plus: Elton John and Brandi Carlile's "Who Believes in Angels?" and Ethel Cain's "Preacher's Daughter" debut in the top 10.
By
Keith Caulfield
Playboi Carti's MUSIC returns to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart (dated April 19), rising one spot, with 64,000 equivalent album units earned in the U.S. in the week ending April 10, according to Luminate. Of that sum, 96% was driven by streaming activity.
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With MUSIC earning 64,000 units in the latest tracking week, that marks the smallest weekly sum for a No. 1 album in over a year, since the Jan. 20, 2024-dated chart, when Morgan Wallen's One Thing at a Time was tops with 61,000 units.
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Also in the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200 chart, Elton John and Brandi Carlile's first collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels?, debuts at No. 9, while Ethel Cain's 2022 set Preacher's Daughter debuts at No. 10 following its vinyl release.
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The Billboard 200 chart ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units, compiled by Luminate. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA). Each unit equals one album sale, or 10 individual tracks sold from an album, or 3,750 ad-supported or 1,250 paid/subscription on-demand official audio and video streams generated by songs from an album. The new April 19, 2025-dated chart will be posted in full on Billboard‘s website on April 15. For all chart news, follow @billboard and @billboardcharts on both X, formerly known as Twitter, and Instagram.
Of the 64,000 equivalent album units earned by MUSIC in the week ending April 10, SEA units comprise 61,500 (down 27%; equaling 84.61 million on-demand official streams of the set's songs; it's No. 1 for a fourth week on Top Streaming Albums), album sales comprise 2,500 (down 59%; it falls 11-33 on Top Album Sales) and TEA units comprise a negligible sum (down 44%).
The next seven titles on the Billboard 200 are all former No. 1s. Ariana Grande's Eternal Sunshine falls to No. 2 (56,500 equivalent album units; down 59%); PARTYNEXTDOOR and Drake's $ome $exy $ongs 4 U rises 5-3 (56,000; down 3%); SZA's SOS steps 6-4 (54,000; down 4%); Kendrick Lamar's GNX dips 4-5 (53,000; down 9%); Sabrina Carpenter's Short n' Sweet rises 7-6 (49,000; down 2%); Morgan Wallen's One Thing at a Time climbs 10-7 (44,500; down less than 1%); and Bad Bunny's Debí Tirar Más Fotos is a non-mover at No. 8 (42,500; down 5%).
Elton John and Brandi Carlile's first collaborative album, Who Believes in Angels?, debuts at No. 9 on the Billboard 200, marking the 22nd top 10 set for John and the fourth for Carlile. The set earned 40,000 equivalent album units in its opening week. Of that sum, album sales comprise 36,500 (it debuts at No. 2 on Top Album Sales), SEA units comprise 2,500 (equaling 3.54 million on-demand official streams of the set's songs) and TEA units comprise 500.
John and Carlile ushered in the release of the album with a flurry of media appearances, including CBS News Sunday Morning (CBS, March 30), The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon (April 3), Saturday Night Live (NBC, April 5) and the concert special An Evening With Elton John and Brandi Carlile (CBS and Paramount+, April 6), along with interviews with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, NPR and SiriusXM's The Howard Stern Show, among other outlets.
John earned his first Billboard 200 top 10 a little over 54 years ago, when his self-titled album climbed 11-7 on the Jan. 30, 1971-dated chart; it peaked at No. 4 a week later (Feb. 6, 1971). Breaking down John's 22 top 10s by decade: 13 in the 1970s, two in the 1990s, one in the 2000s, four in the 2010s and two in the 2020s. Who Believes in Angels? is John's second album with shared artist billing to reach the top 10, following The Union, with Leon Russell, which reached No. 3 in 2010.
John continues to be among elite company of acts with at least 20 top 10-charting albums on the Billboard 200, from March 24, 1956, when the list began publishing on a regular, weekly basis, through the new, April 19, 2025-dated chart. Here's an updated leaderboard:
Most Billboard 200 Top 10s:38, The Rolling Stones34, Barbra Streisand33, Frank Sinatra32, The Beatles27, Elvis Presley23, Bob Dylan23, Madonna22, Elton John22, Bruce Springsteen21, Paul McCartney/Wings21, George Strait20, Prince
Notably, the Kidz Bop Kids music brand has collected 24 top 10s, in 2005-16, with its series of kid-friendly covers of hit singles. The franchise's early albums were performed mostly by anonymous studio singers, although later releases focused on branding named talent.
Rounding out the top 10 of the latest Billboard 200 is a debut at No. 10 for singer-songwriter Ethel Cain's 2022 album Preacher's Daughter. The set jumps onto the list with 39,000 equivalent album units earned (its best week yet), with 37,000 of that sum driven by album sales (it debuts at No. 1 on Top Album Sales). SEA units comprise 2,000 of the set's total for the week (equaling 2.77 million on-demand official streams of the set's songs), while TEA units comprise a negligible sum.
The album was released on vinyl for the first time on April 4, marking its first release on any physical format. It had previously only been available to purchase as a digital download, and via streaming services. Vinyl sales comprise essentially all of the set's 37,000 copies sold in the latest tracking week – the sixth-largest sales week for a vinyl album in 2025.
Since its release in May 2022, the album's songs have collected 229.73 million on-demand official streams in the U.S. The No. 10 debut of Preacher's Daughter marks Cain's second appearance on any Billboard chart, following a one-week appearance on the now-defunct TikTok Billboard Top 50 in January with the album's “Strangers.”
Luminate, the independent data provider to the Billboard charts, completes a thorough review of all data submissions used in compiling the weekly chart rankings. Luminate reviews and authenticates data. In partnership with Billboard, data deemed suspicious or unverifiable is removed, using established criteria, before final chart calculations are made and published.
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In 2023, actress Olivia Munn was diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer known as luminal B. Thankfully, her doctors caught the disease in Stage 1, but over the course of the next year, she would go through four surgeries to combat the illness, including a double mastectomy. Though still recovering in 2024, Munn knew that performing again would be an important step in her treatment plan. However, when the offer came in to play a recently divorced one-percenter in the midst of a dalliance with Jon Hamm‘s mid-life crisis hedge-fund operator in the new Apple TV+ series “Your Friends and Neighbors,” Munn was concerned about taking on the intimacy the role required.
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“I was really nervous about doing any sex scenes because I have a lot of scars,” she said in a recent interview with the Los Angeles Times. “Scars that can be seen in clothing and scars that you wouldn't know unless I was completely nude.”
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Consummate professional that she is, Munn was, however, aware how important sex was to the relationship between her and Hamm's characters. Though she felt “insecure” about baring all, with the assistance of an intimacy coordinator, she was able to find the comfort needed to explore this narrative and, in the process, take a step forward in her cancer battle.
“She wants something so much more from him than he's willing to give, and their only connection is through sex,” Munn said of her “Your Friends and Neighbors” character. “I really wanted that to be portrayed. I wanted the sex scenes to feel like sex scenes — I wanted them to feel visceral and intense and not hold back at all.”
In the process, Munn found a way to reclaim control over her body after it had turned against her. At the same time, she told the LA Times she was “grateful” for her body's ability to handle the journey she's been through. This wasn't something she was certain of when she first found out her diagnosis.
“It's like screaming, but nobody can hear you, no matter how much I scream,” said Munn of being told she had breast cancer. “It doesn't matter how much I beg or cry or negotiate. I have no say in this situation. I just pray that I make it out on the other side.”
“Your Friends and Neighbors” is currently streaming on Apple TV+ with new episodes released every Friday.
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By Glenn Garner
Associate Editor
Lizzo used her Saturday Night Live platform to make a statement against the Trump administration.
While the 4x Grammy winner made her Studio 8H return this weekend, her first time since 2022, she used fashion as a not-so-subtle protest against Donald Trump‘s tariffs, as well as calling out voters for not listening to Black women.
As she performed a medley of her songs ‘Love in Real Life' and ‘Still Bad', Lizzo peeled off her guitar and studded leather jacket to reveal a cropped, sleeveless black t-shirt that read “TARIFFIED” in red print. It comes as Trump continues to impose tariffs on multiple countries, wreaking havoc on our own country's economy.
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Later during the curtain call, returned to the stage with host Jon Hamm, sporting a similar top that read “BLACK WOMEN WERE RIGHT,” referencing the demographic that has consistently voted against Trump.
Lizzo's fourth SNL appearance comes as she prepares to drop her fifth studio album Love in Real Life later this year, releasing the title track in February.
The Special artist is also preparing to take on her first lead movie role as she was recently cast as gospel star Sister Rosetta Tharpe, who was one of the first to appeal to rock ‘n' roll and R&B audiences, in Amazon MGM Studios' Rosetta.
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By
Peter Wade
The Trump administration had announced tariffs on products from China only to walk back that decision on Friday, issuing an exemption from astronomical 145 percent reciprocal tariffs for smartphones, computers, semiconductors, and other electronic devices — although other tariffs would still apply.
But on Sunday, the administration had senior White House trade adviser Peter Navarro and Commerce Sec. Howard Lutnick on NBC's Meet the Press and ABC's This Week, respectively. Both only added to the confusion around the issue.
Lutnick said that the technology exemption was only put in place temporarily until the administration can write a new policy for those goods.
“Those products are going to be part of the semiconductor sectoral tariffs which are coming,” Lutnick told host Jonathan Karl. “So, you're going to see this week there will be a register in the federal registry. There will be a notice put out.”
Lutnick added that semiconductors and pharmaceutical imports from China are “going to have a special focus-type of tariff to make sure that those products get reshored,” adding that those tariffs “are coming in probably a month or two.”
“Our medicines and our semiconductors need to be built in America. Donald Trump is on it. He's calling that out,” Lutnick said. “So, you should understand these are included in the semiconductor tariffs that are coming and the pharmaceuticals are coming.”
Experts have warned that forcing a company like Apple to manufacture iPhones in America could come at a very steep cost, potentially doubling the cost of manufacturing the device, according to Bank of America analysts led by Wamsi Mohan. The cost of labor alone could increase 25 percent, they said. Another analyst, Wedbush's Dan Ives, estimated that an iPhone made in the U.S.A. could cost $3,500 — nearly tripling the retail price. Apple currently manufactures more than 80 percent of its products in China.
“It's pie in the sky,” Jeff Fieldhack, research director at Counterpoint Research, told CNBC of an American-made iPhone.
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More confusingly, Navarro insisted that the exemptions for electronics from reciprocal tariffs the White House announced on Friday are “not exclusions” to Trump's tariff policy.
“The policy is no exemptions, no exclusions,” Navarro told Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker.
“Even the White House called it an exclusion,” Welker pointed out.
Despite the chaos and apparent flip-flopping, Navarro claimed the tariffs are “unfolding exactly like we thought it would in a dominant scenario.” (Anticipating the tariffs going into effect, the markets dipped, which Trump Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent, a multimillionaire, said was “healthy.” When the tariffs first began, the stock market plunged further and still hasn't fully recovered. Trump has claimed the crash was intentional.)
Democrats meanwhile have been heavily critical of the administration's tariffs and their effect on the markets.
“There is no tariff policy,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Sunday on ABC. “It's all just chaos and corruption. That's all we have going on. And how can you believe any of these guys?”
She continued by advocating for Congress to intervene: “These guys are into chaos and into corruption, and this is the reason it is time for Congress to step up and to say, under the authority that the president is currently using by declaring these national emergencies, ‘No.' The law says specifically Congress can just say, there's no national emergency across the board here, and revoke that authority from the president.”
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Warren said that the courts could step in to stop Trump but that Congress should not wait for that because it has the power to intervene. “Every Democrat is ready to go, to push back and take away from the president the power he's now exercising and the chaos he's now creating,” she said.
“The question is whether or not the Republicans will join us in this,” she continued. Trump's extreme approach to tariffs has Republicans scrambling to defend and make sense of the president's aggressive strategy.
“There will be a vote in about 15 days,” Warren said. “The Republicans can either decide that their entire job is to do nothing but bow down to Donald Trump, or the Republicans in Congress can say that their job is to stand up for the American people and to stand up for the American economy and roll back what Donald Trump is doing.”
Warren also pressed the Securities and Exchange Commission to conduct a “sweeping review of all securities trades” to investigate whether federal officials, including Trump, violated insider trading laws.
“It's entirely appropriate to have an investigation to make sure that Donald Trump, Donald Trump's family, Donald Trump's inner circle didn't get advance information and trade on that information,” Warren said. She also mentioned legislation she introduced to block members of Congress from insider training.
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“The American people should never have to wonder, when the president, when his Cabinet, when members of Congress are making a decision, whether it's for the good of the country or for the good of their own bank account,” she said.
Three of four Americans polled by CBS News/YouGov said they believe Trump's tariffs and trade policies will benefit the wealthy and increase prices in the short term, while 71 percent said that large corporations will benefit.
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By Armando Tinoco
Staff Writer
Mickey Rourke was removed from the Celebrity Big Brother UK house after further usage of inappropriate language.
The incident happened over the weekend, and the moment will air on Sunday's episode of the reality TV competition.
During a pirate-themed task where the housemates had to work together, things got out of hand between Mickey and fellow housemate Chris Hughes.
Mickey says to Chris, “You looking at me?” and then adds, “Don't eyeball me.”
Chris responds, “Mickey it was a joke, f***ing…”
Mickey says, “Don't f***ing eyeball me. You c***.”
Watch on Deadline
Although the housemates tried to diffuse the situation, things were already too heated. Big Brother chimed in and asked Mickey to go to the Diary Room.
RELATED: Bella Thorne Accuses Mickey Rourke Of Misconduct Filming ‘Girl': “So Many Gross Stories Of Things He Made Me Go Thru”
Following a conversation with Big Brother in the Diary Room about his behaviour, Mickey returns to the garden and apologises to Chris. Mickey then heads inside.
Later on, Mickey went back to the Diary Room where Big Brother said, “Earlier today in a disagreement with Chris, your language and behaviour was threatening and aggressive. Big Brother does not tolerate threatening language or behaviour. In addition, you have used inappropriate sexual language to Ella.”
“Oh, I'm not aware of that but okay,” Mickey responds.
Big Brother continued, “This language has caused offence to your fellow housemates and could cause offence to the viewing public. This is not the first time Big Brother has had to speak to you about your offensive and inappropriate language.”
RELATED: ‘Celebrity Big Brother UK': Mickey Rourke's Future In House Decided After First Eviction
Mickey admits to doing wrong and apologizes, saying, “I'm sorry. I can't take it back, you know, I stepped over the line. And I take responsibility for doing the wrong thing. ‘Cause I lost my temper, and I've been trying to work on it my whole life and I wish I would have had better self-control and I'm very sorry. I'm ashamed of myself for losing it for a few seconds there. Nobody got touched or hurt. Maybe some feelings got hurt or maybe others have feelings about others getting upset but, you know, I'm sorry about that.”
However, because Mickey had repeatedly breached the Celebrity Big Brother rules, Big Brother removed him from the house.
“Big Brother considers your language and behaviour today to be seriously unacceptable and as a result Big Brother has no option but to ask you to leave the Big Brother house,” Big Brother said.
In his departing words from the house, Mickey said, “I blame myself, I know it was my bad. You know, I've got a short fuse and I know I upset a lot of people out there, you know. And I'm sorry for that. I'm actually ashamed of myself for getting that hot. I went over the line, you know, I did wrong. I guess, like they say, I'm a work in progress. I just wanna pack my bags and leave, you know. I wanted to leave yesterday actually but I wasn't chosen.”
Rourke had been warned earlier this week about using inappropriate language after he used a homophobic slur toward fellow housemate JoJo Siwa.
“I apologize. I don't have dishonorable intentions – I'm just talking smack you know. I wasn't taking it all so serious. I didn't mean it in any bad intentions and if I did, sorry,” Rourke told Big Brother in the Diary Room.
After exiting the Diary Room, Rourke had a moment with Siwa, telling her, “I want to apologize. I've got a habit of having a short fuse. And I don't mean nothing by it. I do mean it [sorry]. If I didn't, I wouldn't say it to you.”
RELATED: ‘Celebrity Big Brother UK': Mickey Rourke Gets Formal Warning After Homophobic Slur Toward JoJo Siwa
Siwa nominated Rourke with a killer nomination, putting him on the block and at risk of leaving the house. The actor escaped eviction following the public vote, which opted to evict the controversial conservative politician Michael Fabricant instead.
RELATED: ‘Celebrity Big Brother UK' 2025 Cast Photos: Mickey Rourke, JoJo Siwa & More Enter The House
During his stay in the house and following reports of Rourke's remarks about Siwa, former co-star Bella Thorne accused him of misconduct while filming the movie Girl.
RELATED: ‘Celebrity Big Brother UK' 2025 House & Diary Room Photos For ITV1 Reality TV Competition
Celebrity Big Brother UK airs Sunday at 10 p.m. BST on ITV1 and ITVX.
Watch a sneak peek of the episode below.
Sneak Peek 🏴☠️ Big Brother takes control of the ship after Mickey gets heated with his crew mate #CBBUK pic.twitter.com/a727ekeoy8
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By Glenn Garner
Associate Editor
After nearly 40 years, Green Day is still using their music as a megaphone to protest the world's injustices.
While headlining Saturday at Coachella, the punk band used their 2004 single ‘Jesus of Suburbia' to call attention to the suffering of Palestinian children amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
“Runnin' away from pain, like the kids from Palestine / Tales from another broken home,” sang frontman Billie Joe Armstrong in the lyric that was originally, “Runnin' away from pain when you've been victimized.”
Watch on Deadline
Last month, he altered the same track, singing, “Am I retarded, or am I just J.D. Vance?” Instead of the vice president's name, the original lyric asks “am I just overjoyed?”
The American Idiot artists are not new to making a statement with their music, using the title track from their 2004 album to call out Donald Trump during a 2023 New Year's Eve broadcast.
“I'm not a part of the MAGA agenda,” sang Armstrong on the ‘American Idiot' lyric, which actually goes, “I'm not a part of a redneck agenda.”
The band's Bush-era angst from their seventh studio album rang true during their Coachella set, which ended in flames when a rogue firework shot into the crowd and ignited a palm tree, according to TMZ. It's unclear if there were any injuries.
In addition to Green Day, headliners for Coachella 2025 include Lady Gaga and Post Malone, also featuring performances by Missy Elliott, Charli XCX, Megan Thee Stallion, Benson Boone, Zedd, Shaboozey, Ty Dolla Sign, Misfits, Prodigy, FKA Twigs and Jimmy Eat World.
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By Nancy Tartaglione
International Box Office Editor/Senior Contributor
Refresh for latest…: The Chicken Jockey has galloped past the half-century mark at the global box office, with A Minecraft Movie at an estimated $550.6M worldwide through today. Of that, $269.6M is from overseas.
During the sophomore session, the Warner Bros/Legendary hit added $79.6M from 76 international box office markets for a -42% hold excluding China. Despite the current geopolitical discord, the movie was No. 1 in that market on both Saturday and Sunday, and is in a tight race with a local title for the weekend win.
Overall overseas, the Jason Momoa/Jack Black-starrer is tracking strongly above comps in like-for-like markets at today's rates. Examples include Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (+229%), Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (+76%), Sonic 3 (+75%), Pokemon: Detective Pikachu (+71%), Kung Fu Panda 4 (+61%) and Jumanji: The Next Level (+40%).
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The Top 5 markets so far are the UK ($39.8M), China ($20.3M), Germany ($18.9M), Mexico ($18.7M) and Australia ($18.5M).
Kids holidays are up and running in many offshore markets and will continue through Easter, boding well for midweek play. Japan and Korea are also still to release, at the end of the month.
We'll dig into more Minecraft detail below.
New this frame was 20th Century/Disney's The Amateur with $17.2M from 52 material overseas markets where it opened day-and-date with domestic. The global launch is $32.2M, slightly above projections. The Rami Malek-starrer was No. 2 in most offshore plays, behind Minecraft. The best performances for the spy thriller were in Europe and Latin America.
From director James Hawes, the globetrotting movie was No. 2 non-local in all European majors including France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK. The opening weekend was 8% ahead of The Accountant regionally in like-for-likes at current rates.
Across Latin America, it debuted at No. 2 in Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Peru and Uruguay. The bow was 27% ahead of Argylle and 23% over The Creator regionally in like-for-likes at today's rates.
MORE…
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By Glenn Garner
Associate Editor
Although he admits to enjoying a “little bit of mischief,” Jason Isaacs is declaring he's no gossip.
Following the White Lotus star's comments about the behind-the-scenes “drama” on Season 3, he recently
“Like anywhere you go for the summer, there's friendships, there's romances, there's arguments, there's cliques that form and break and reform and stuff like that. I'm careful,” said Isaacs on SiriusXM's The Happy Hour, adding: “I'm not stupid. I look at the Internet. I only read every single word written about The White Lotus and about everybody in it.”
He called out the online hordes of “amateur Sherlock Holmes” who speculate about cast drama based on the actors' social media activity, noting that his previous comments were about crew members that the audience has “never met before.”
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“Nobody has the slightest clue what they're talking about,” he continued. “People who think they're onto something, and it then it gets magnified because of a thousand other people. Nobody has any clue.”
Isaacs said, “First of all, it's none of your business. I'm just saying it wasn't a holiday, and partly I started saying that because people think we were on a seven-month holiday, and believe me, it felt like work a lot of the time. It was insanely hot and there's all the normal social tensions you get anywhere. But for all of you [that] think you've cracked it by something you think someone has posted or is in a photo or not, you're just so far from the truth, believe me.”
The Golden Globe nominee's latest comments come after he told Vulture the set was like “a cross between summer camp and Lord of the Flies but in a gilded cage,” adding: “It wasn't a holiday.”
“Some people got very close, there were friendships that were made and friendships that were lost,” said Isaacs. “All the things you would imagine with a group of people unanchored from their home lives on the other side of the world, in the intense pressure cooker of the working environment with eye-melting heat and insects and late nights. They say in the show, ‘What happens in Thailand stays in Thailand,' but there's an off-screen White Lotus as well, with fewer deaths but just as much drama. … I became very close to some people and less close to others, but we still all had that experience together and there's a certain level of discretion required.”
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The rapper-singer performed songs from her upcoming fifth album during the April 12 episode.
By
Mitchell Peters
Lizzo has a message for President Donald Trump's economic policies.
During her April 12 appearance as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, the 36-year-old rapper-singer wore a black T-shirt with the word “TARIFFIED” in bold red letters — a clear jab of Trump's newly announced 145% tariff on Chinese imports.
Appearing on the Jon Hamm-hosted episode, Lizzo used the platform to promote her upcoming fifth album, Love in Real Life, which currently has no official release date. This marked her fourth appearance on the iconic sketch comedy show (she also hosted once in 2022).
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For her opening performance, Lizzo took the stage with a trio of backup singers and an electric guitar to perform a medley of “Love in Real Life” and “Still Bad.” After a brief shredding session, she ditched the guitar and was joined by a crew of dancers, all dressed in black, to finish off the high-energy performance — all while rocking her politically charged “TARIFFIED” shirt.
Later in the show, Lizzo delivered a show-stopping performance of “Don't Make Me Love You,” a likely track from Love in Real Life. Channeling an '80s vibe, she stunned the audience in a shimmery gold dress, with her hair blown by wind machines as she belted out the powerful song.
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Lizzo confirmed last month that Love in Real Life is officially complete. “ALBUM IS DONE YALL!” she shared on Instagram, posting a photo of herself in the studio with a playful caption: “ASTROLOGY EXPERTS Do my mercury got micro braids? Cus I got an emergency root canal, announced SNL & finished my album all in one day today.”
So far, Lizzo has released two tracks from the upcoming album: “Still Bad” and the title track. Aside from “Pink” for Greta Gerwig's 2023 Barbie soundtrack, the first singles from the project mark the Yitty founder's first proper releases since 2022's Special, which reached No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and spawned two-week Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 single “About Damn Time.”
Watch Lizzo's SNL performances below. For those without cable, the broadcast streams on Peacock, which you can sign up for at the link here. Having a Peacock account also gives fans access to previous SNL episodes.
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Warner Bros.' 'A Minecraft Movie' has cleared the $550 million mark at the worldwide box office in less than two weeks.
By
Pamela McClintock
Senior Film Writer
There's no slowing down A Minecraft Movie, which hurtled past the $550 million mark at the global box office on its way to likely becoming the first title of 2025 to join the $1 billion club.
The Warner Bros. family event pic easily stayed No. 1 in its second weekend with a huge domestic haul of $80.6 million. It has now earned $281 million in North America and $296.6 million overseas for a worldwide total of $550.6 million. The foreign tally includes $20.5 million from China, one of the best showings in recent memory for a Hollywood title (Legendary East is handling the film there). However, Minecraft did tumble 68 percent in its second weekend after the Chinese government said it would further restrict film imports amid the ongoing tariff war with the Trump administration.
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Thanks in large measure to the astonishing performance of A Minecraft Movie, box office revenue in North America is once again on par with the same corridor in 2024 (not long ago, it was down 20 percent). Legendary, which has a 25 percent stake in the pic, produced the film for Warners alongside Vertigo.
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Playing in 4,289 theaters, Minecraft — which is making unintended headlines for rowdy behavior from audiences during certain scenes — lorded over a crowded pack of new films opening over the April 11-13 frame in advance of Easter, which falls on April 21 this year.
Among the newbies, Angel Studios' animated faith-based pic The King of Kings fared the best after winning over Middle America — the top-grossing theater is in Spartanburg, South Carolina — and receiving a coveted A+ from ticket buyers. The movie, inspired by a Charles Dickens' tale of a boy and father who explore the life of Jesus, opened in second-place with a better-than-expected $19 million from 3,200 locations (in a successful marketing stunt, kids are being allowed in for free).
That marks the best start for Angel Studios' behind its inaugural release and cultural sensation Sound of Freedom. Based in Utah, Angel says King of Kings boasts the biggest opening in history for a biblical animated feature.
“This film is a testament to the power of storytelling that amplifies light and brings families together. Our Angel Guild and global community of supporters have once again shown that there's a massive audience eager for stories that inspire and uplift,” Angel global head of theatrical distribution and brand development Brandon Purdie said in a statement.
Directed by Seong-Ho Jang, the film's all-star voice cast includes Kenneth Branagh, Uma Thurman, Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Roman Griffin Davis, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley and Oscar Isaac, who plays Jesus.
Coming in third was 20th Century and Disney's Rami Malek spy thriller The Amateur. The adult-skewing drama, earning a B+ CinemaScore and strong audience scores, opened to $15 million from 3,400 theaters. That's slightly ahead of expectations for the film, even if it has left some critics unimpressed. Rachel Brosnahan, Laurence Fishburne and Caitríona Balfe also star in James Hawes' adaptation of the Robert Littell novel about a man shattered by loss but galvanized by justice.
A24's Warfare opened in fourth place with an estimated $8.3 million from 2,670 cinemas, including select Imax screens. The gritty Iraqi war drama has received notable media attention because of the unique perspective and experience of co-director Ray Mendoza, a former Navy SEAL. Sitting in the other director's seat is well-respected filmmaker Alex Garland (Civil War). The movie has drawn strong marks from reviewers and moviegoers alike, along with an A- CinemaScore (according to A24, this is the strongest reception of Garland's career, including a 94 percent critics score and 93 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes).
The film's ensemble cast is led by Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Michael Gandolfini, Charles Melton, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai and Joseph Quinn. Warfare premiered at the American Legion Theater in L.A. and continued with a national tour focused on screenings for military families across the country.
Blumhouse and Universal's dating-gone-wrong horror pic Drop — starring White Lotus actress Meghann Fahy opposite Brandon Sklenar — came in fifth with $7.5 million. The pic has been relatively well-received by critics and audiences since making its debut at SXSW. Directed by Christopher Landon and playing in 3,085 theaters, the film follows a widowed mother who returns to the dating scene only to find herself caught in an awful game of cat and mouse.
Some box office pundits note that some of the films opening this weekend should have been spaced out so as not to cannibalize each other (i.e., Amateur versus Warfare, or King of Kings versus Fathom's ongoing viewing of episodes from season five of The Chosen: The Last Supper).
Distributed by Fathom, part three of The Chosen: The Last Supper generated $5.8 million in grosses from 2,296 cinemas to come in sixth for the weekend. Season five has earned a combined $34 million, making it the most successful theatrical outing for the popular ongoing series about the life of Jesus.
April 13, 7:45 a.m.: Updated with revised weekend numbers.
This story was originally published April 12 at 9:16 a.m.
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With Wall Street in a tailspin over President Trump's global tariff war, it's no wonder that a few blocks north, at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, the writers and producers of “Saturday Night Live” might be feeling that same shock. And while one of the show's jobs is to satirize current events, there are times when “SNL” is hindered by its need to serve as reflection of current events more than an escape from them — providing laughs on one of the few nights of the week people are supposed to be kicking back and having fun. Unfortunately, such was the case for Jon Hamm‘s fourth round hosting at Studio 8H, though, as his monologue laid out, he has appeared for multiple cameos in the 15 years since his last time as headliner, including during the “SNL 50 Anniversary Special.”
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Moving past the monologue, which featured a surprise cameo from Oscar-winner Kieran Culkin — currently performing in “Glengarry Glen Ross” on Broadway — Hamm's first sketch of the evening was a TV news set-up anchored around business programming for people who live “Check to Check.” Obviously, the set-up was inspired by the current economic woes facing many who barely have the funds for groceries, let alone playing around within the market. Though funny initially, when you take a second to process it, the sketch feels like it's laughing at those who are suffering rather than those who are causing it. At the same time, there is something very real about smiling through the train wreck that we've all been forced to experience.
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As someone who watches a fair amount of TV with commercials, the pre-taped “Medication Ad” from last night's “SNL” was right on the money. Not only does it perfectly capture the standard formula that's been applied to nearly every medication advertisement over the last 10-15 years, but by having Hamm deliver the pitch, we might just have gotten a taste of the kind of work Don Draper would be doing in present day.
Two Trump bits in one evening? Yea, we were none too pleased either. After the cold open served as yet another opportunity for James Austin Johnson to do his weekly check-in on all of Trump's latest escapades, viewers were treated to yet another bit centered around our ignoramus-in-chief. Pre-taped this time and featuring appearances by past cast members Beck Bennett as Vladimir Putin and Alex Moffat as Eric Trump, as well as a brief cameo by Scarlett Johansson as Ivanka Trump, “The White Potus” is (quite obviously) a play on the recently wrapped Season 3 of the hit HBO series. A cultural clash that blends well in concept, but not in execution, the best part of this bit is how it strips the world's current power players down-to-size and gives a ton of cast members a moment to shine. Hamm's combination of Health and Human Services Secretary RFK, Jr. and Walton Goggins' Rick from “The White Lotus” was particularly amusing, as was Sarah Sherman's take on Aimee Lou Woods' Chelsea.
For the first time this season, Colin Jost and Michael Che's performance at the Weekend Update desk didn't always land, however, appearances by Bowen Yang as China's Trade Ambassador Chen Biao and Emil Wakim lamenting the current state of America really helped pep things up toward the back half of the episode. Yang's Biao has appeared multiple times before and never fails to disappoint, but with our current 145 percent tariff on China, the character was really in top form and put into focus the notion that this economic strategy is going to hurt America most. Meanwhile, Wakim's moment in the spotlight proved why the featured player is worth keeping around, as his humor was not only biting, but incisive in a way that hearkened back to Update anchor Norm MacDonald.
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No dogs were harmed in the making of a hilarious Instagram video that Hallmark star Genevieve Angelson shared on April 9, 2025. In the reel, “The Chicken Sisters” actress held her “stoned out” dog, Jack, in her lap as they sat in a 24-hour veterinary hospital.
In the midst of filming the second season of “The Chicken Sisters” in Vancouver, Angelson had to rush Jack to get seen after realizing he'd “literally opened a drawer and ate through a bag, adding every kind of dimensional meaning to the term Snoop Dogg,” she wrote in her caption.
Angelson was able to laugh about the situation knowing that her pup wasn't harmed — just dazed and confused. Despite him looking bleary-eyed and barely able to hold his head up, Angelson assured fans that “JACK IS 100% OKAY.”
A post shared by Genevieve (@genevieveangelson)
Angelson, who appeared on multiple series including “The Handsmaid's Tale” and “New Amsterdam” before landing her role as Mae on “The Chicken Sisters” in 2024, took the video to send to a friend while at the emergency vet with Jack, but decided it was “too cinematic to keep to myself.”
Noting that it was 10:15 p.m. in Vancouver, she said, “I am about to leave the 24-hour emergency veterinary hospital,” and panned the camera to show Jack in her lap, with his head leaning way back, clearly out of it.
Trying to stifle her laughter, she said, “Jack ate 20 milligrams of THC that he pulled out of a drawer, in a Ziploc bag, where I had three-and-a-half five-milligram sleep edibles. And now he's being hospitalized, where he's going to be hydrated, given charcoal, 35 bags of Doritos and he will be fine.”
Showing Jack's lifeless body again, with him wrapped in a towel and staring into space, Angelson giggled, “But if I have to look at this — the most stoned thing that I have ever (seen). I have been sobbing for so long.”
When Jack suddenly popped his head up momentarily, Angelson joked, “Oh! Listening to Pink Floyd in there, bro?”
In her caption, Angelson quipped, “We will be spending the day eating takis and watching Bojack Horseman” and then, on a serious note, thanked the vet staff for taking such good care of Jack.
“A million thanks to the extraordinary team at @burrardanimalhospitalemergency and @vincenza007 for coming to the rescue.”
This is not Jack's first big medical adventure. In 2023, Angelson chronicled a confusing and gruesome turn of events when her pup, named after actor Jack Lemmon, developed huge sores on his foot that turned out to be caused by a foxtail lodged inside his ankle. This situation, however, proved to be much funnier.
A post shared by Genevieve (@genevieveangelson)
Angelson's latest post about Jack's unexpected “trip” drew a flood of responses from fans, friends, and multiple members of “The Chicken Sisters” cast.
Rukiya Bernard, who plays Sabrina on the show, wrote, “Oh my god. I'm dying!!!😂😂😂😂😂😂😂”
When Angelson replied to her, “NOT A GREAT NIGHT,” Bernard quipped, “Maybe for you. Pup looks happy as Snoop”
Ektor Rivera, who plays Sergio on the series, chimed in, “What a rookie move by Jack! Hope he feels better soon 🙂 Cute dog, but ain't no Snoop Dogg 🐶💤”
Angelson joked to him, “total lightweight”
Other commenters sympathized with Jack (“been there”) and with Angelson for having to go through the experience. But many left funny responses, including one who said Jack looked “comfortably numb,” another who wrote “at least he can take a break from thinkin' about the state of the world ;o)” and someone else who joked, “That same thing happened to me except I ate Fritos”
Jack's relieved mom can currently be seen in the first season of “The Chicken Sisters,” which premiered on Hallmark+ in the fall but is now airing for the first time on Hallmark Channel every Sunday night at 9 p.m. Eastern time.
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By Anthony D'Alessandro
Editorial Director/Box Office Editor
SUNDAY AM WRITETHRU: Refresh for updates… It's the 15th weekend of the box office year, and only the fourth to exceed $100M+ for all titles. The industry needs to cherish this.
True, Warner Bros/Legendary's A Minecraft Movie is delivering 52% of the $153M frame, still an $80.6M second weekend, but we can't imagine that any exhibitor is complaining about the diversity or the amount of product in the marketplace. With an $80M second weekend, that's the 16th best second weekend ever for a movie, and the second best second weekend for a videogame movie after Super Mario Bros' ($92.3M). Some rivals believe the domestic endgame for Minecraft Movie is close to a half billion; Super Mario Bros got to $574.9M. Global running cume is $550.6M.
A funny note about cinemas getting trashed: None of the three top circuits would issue statements that such chaos was going on. At the same time I hear that social media is just amplifying the trend more than it is. In short, it's not like every other showtime at the Century City AMC is getting flooded in popcorn. Nonetheless, Regal is encouraging melee on Easter Sunday.
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Without A Minecraft Movie, we'd have Angel Studios' animated Charles Dickens-Jesus movie The King of Kings leading with $19.05M; which technically as the faith-based distributed predicted, is the best opening for an animated Biblical movie, overpowering the opening of DreamWorks Animation's Prince of Egypt ($14.5M) 27 years ago. King of Kings gets an A+ CinemaScore, 94% Screen Engine/Comscore PostTrak positive and 83% definite recommend among regular audiences. 59% female leaning due to moms. Middle of the country success with the Regal Pinnacle in Knoxville now the movie's top grossing location with $28K-plus.
“The Angel Guild picks winners. Angel's model is simple – listen to what our Angel Guild wants,” said Brandon Purdie, Global Head of Theatrical Distribution & Brand Development at Angel in a statement. “The CinemaScore for The King of Kings says it all. The film is one of only 128 films to achieve an A+ CinemaScore, and only the 5th animated film to hold that title that isn't a Pixar/Disney production. Families want quality films to see together in theaters. This weekend simply reflects what audiences are craving.”
All of this bodes well for the domestic box office heading into Easter weekend (with 72% K-12 schools off, 28% colleges on break on Good Friday) where Warner Bros will rule with a one-two punch of A Minecraft Movie and Ryan Coogler's Sinners (even if it falls short of No. 1 — we'll assess that if needed). Point is, we're finally getting some momentum at the B.O. as we head into summer. Even if Disney/Marvel Studios' Thunderbolts* comes in at $70M (some distribution sources believe it's bad luck for summer if it doesn't kick off with a $100M+ opening); Memorial Day weekend is the surefire backup plan for the industry with Disney's Lilo & Stitch and Mission: Impossible – Final Reckoning looking to at least deliver a combined $160M+ over 3 days.
With five wide releases this weekend, others think there's too much product, particularly movies which are going after the same demo, i.e. 20th Century Studios' The Amateur (pulling in 57% guys, 47% men over 25) and A24's Warfare (72% men, 53% over 25). I get that argument, however, let's face it — given both movies' respective openings of $15M and $8.3M, even in a less competitive marketplace, their openings would be about the same given the P&A spend that both distributors are laying out.
Given all the pom poms for Warfare as Alex Garland's best reviewed movie, 90% positive PostTrak and 67% definite recommend, A- CinemaScore (which is higher than his Civil War at B-), if this military red state grab was ever going to be American Sniper and touch an electric rod, then it would. Given Warfare‘s $20M production cost (vs. Civil War‘s $50M), the movie was never expected to perform like the latter (which wound up as A24's biggest opening ever at $25.5M) given its P&A to production cost spend. Similar to how we've dinged Warners for underspending on the P&A for the audience pleaser Companion ($9.3M), A24 may have left potential box office on the table with Warfare. In the same breath, for the indie distributor, Warfare is their 6th highest opening at the box office just after Robert Egger's The Witch ($8.8M). Warfare‘s amount of cash is bigger than any wide break by Everything Everywhere All at Once ($6.1M in weekend 4), but this is a red state play for the hipster studio; the former Oscar winner had a big boost from its partnership with Gold House screenings. In regard to Warfare‘s social media reach across TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, X, and Facebook, RelishMix counts 81.7M followers, which is 22% below genre war norms and trailing Civil War‘s 101M followers, and Warner Bros' Chris Hemsworth-Michael Shannon post-9/11 Afghanistan movie 12 Strong, which had 105.4M followers before opening in 2018 for an opening of $15.8M.
The Amateur is playing as expected on the coasts while Warfare has invaded South Central and West. Social media reach across TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube stood at 98M before opening for Amateur, which is ahead of The Beekeeper (63.8M), which the movie's opening isn't far from at $16.5M. Perhaps Rami Malek has a new career in meat and potato action movies ala Jason Statham and Liam Neeson. Upside for playability and exhibition: Amateur is a professional at the box office with at least a 60-day window to PVOD, Disney being the guardian of such length. Worldwide debut for the $60M net production of Amateur is $32.2M.
Amateur‘s diversity demos are 49% Caucasian, 21% Latino and Hispanic, 16% Black, 8% Asian & 7% NatAm/Other with the AMC Lincoln Square in NYC the pic's top grossing theater through Saturday at $37,4K. The James Hawes-directed movie received a B+ CinemaScore with PostTrak audiences giving it a 77% positive and 57% definite recommend.
AMC Lincoln Square is also the top venue for Warfare with a running total of $46,5K. Diversity make-up was 47% Caucasian, 29% Latino and Hispanic, 10% Black, 9% Asian & 5% NatAm/Other.
Blumhouse/Universal's Drop which pulled in (to use that word lightly) 53% female, is looking at a $7.5M opening in another lackluster opening for the horror label after Wolf Man‘s $10.8M and Woman in the Yard‘s $9.3M. CinemaScore is a B, which is high praise for a genre suspense film. Rotten Tomatoes audience score is 80%. RelishMix says that the social media universe for the Christopher Landon directed movie at 191M was ahead of The Monkey (148.5M) and Longlegs (130.5M). Audience exits are better than Woman in the Yard‘s C- and RT audience rating of 46%, as well as Wolf Man‘s C- and RT audience 56%. Why isn't this doing a little more? For one, it's more My Dinner With Freaky Andre in a high-end Chicago restaurant than slasher. Biggest demo was 25-34 year olds at 35% with a diversity make-up of 52% White, 21% Latino, 12% Black, 8% Asian & 6% NatAm/Other. Drop is playing in the East, South Central and West with AMC's The Grove now the movie's best grossing multiplex with $23K-plus so far. The final magic domestic number for Blumhouse's thrifty fare this year seems to be $20M+. M3GAN 2.0 can't arrive soon enough (she gets here on June 27).
Fathom's The Chosen: The Last Supper – Part 3 is seeing a $5.8M opening after $2.5M Friday at 2,296 locations. So far, not counting Sunday, The Chosen: The Last Supper in its trinity of parts currently counts $34M at the domestic box office. Last Supper Part 3 is playing in the middle of the country with Cinemark 12 American Fork UT the top grossing location with just under $7k as of Friday.
The Ajith Kumar-Trisha Krishnan mob movie Good Bad Ugly posted an estimated $812K 3-day at 599 theaters. Ok tickets sales we understand from Toronto, Dallas, Austin, San Francisco, Atlanta and Seattle. Blurb: A fearless don tries to change his ruthless ways and violent past to live peacefully with his family. However, his dark past continues to haunt him. He faces it head-on and overcomes it. RT Audiences give it a 74%. Here's the trailer below:
Indie shoutout: Michael Angarano has made a sweet, '70s comedy throwback in the bromance movie Sacramento in which he stars alongside Michael Cera, Kristen Stewart and wife Maya Erskine. It made $314K at 241 sites this past weekend from Vertical. LA, NYC and of course Sacramento ticket sales were great led by the Tower Theatre and also the Cinemark Century Arden. Angarano's character convinces his button-down long-time friend who has a baby on the way (Cera) to go on an impromptu road trip from Los Angeles to Sacramento. It's the type of movie they don't make anymore, and that's what is great about it. RT critic score is 89% certified fresh. There were also sellouts in the Nitehawk Prospect Park in Brooklyn, AMC Lincoln Square in Manhattan and the TIFF Lightbox in Toronto.
Updated Sunday figures indicated in bold:
1.) A Minecraft Movie (WB/Leg) 4,289 (+26) theaters Fri $20.5M (-64%) Sat $34.4M Sun $25.7M 3-day $80.6M (-50%), Total $280.3M/Wk 2
2.) King of Kings (Angel) 3,200 theaters, Fri $7M, Sat $6.8M Sun $5.2M 3-day $19.05M/Wk 1
3.) The Amateur (20th) 3,400 theaters, Fri $6M Sat $5.4M Sun $3.6M 3-day $15M/Wk 1
4.) Warfare (A24) 2,670 theaters, Fri $3.55M Sat $2.7M Sun $2M 3-day $8.3M/Wk 1
5.) Drop (Uni) 3,085 theaters, Fri $3.3M, Sat $2.5M Sun $1.6M 3-day $7.5M/Wk 1
6.) Chosen Last Supper Part 3 (Fath) 2,296 theaters,Fri $2.5M, Sat $1.79M Sun $1.5M 3-day $5.8M/Wk 1
7) A Working Man (AMZ) 2,672 (-590) theaters, Fri $820K (-59%) Sat $1.3M Sun $883K 3-day $3.06M (-58%), Total $33.5M/Wk 3
8.) Snow White (Dis) 2,540 (-1,210) theaters, Fri $702K (-53%) Sat $1.3M Sun $798K 3-day $2.8M (-53%), Total $81.9M/Wk 4
9.) Woman in the Yard (Uni) 2,134 (-711) theaters, Fri $610K (-54%) Sat $930K Sun $560K 3-day $2.1M (-54%), Total $20.3M/Wk 3
10.) Chosen Last Supper Part 2 (Fath) 672 (-1641) theaters, Fri $253K (91%) Sat $366K Sun $312K 3-day $931,6K (-87%), Total $10.9M/ Wk 2
FRIDAY AFTERNOON UPDATE: With Warner Bros/Legendary's second weekend of A Minecraft Movie set to do $80 million at 4,289 theaters, already this frame will be significantly ahead of the 3-day total a year ago, when all titles grossed $75.2M. That would mark a 51% ease for the Jared Hess-directed movie after $20M today. Illumination/Nintendo/Universal's The Super Mario Bros Movie dipped 37% in its second weekend for $92.3M.
Angel Studios' animated biblical movie The King of Kings is looking pretty royal with $7.3M today, including last night's $2M, for an $18M-plus opening at 3,200 sites.
20th Century Studios' Rami Malek thriller The Amateur is shaping up to be $6M today for a $15M opening. Moviegoers enjoyed it more than critics on Rotten Tomatoes, 89% to 62% fresh.
A24's Warfare is Alex Garland's best-reviewed movie ever on Rotten Tomatoes at 95% certified fresh; that's higher than 2014's Ex Machina (92%). This will translate to a $3.5M Friday, inclusive of previews, and an $8M opening in fourth place at 2,670 theaters. RT audience score also is high at 93%.
Universal/Blumhouse's Drop at 3,085 theaters is seeing $3.4M today (including previews) for a $7.7M start. Critics don't mind it at 83% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with audiences at 74%.
FRIDAY AM UPDATE: A lot going on in Thursday previews, many of them boosted by early screenings.
As we told you last night, Warner Bros/Legendary's A Minecraft Movie crossed $200M after a $7.1M Thursday. It took Minecraft one week to hit that mark versus Illumination/Nintendo/Universal's The Super Mario Bros Movie, which did that figure in five days in 2023 — again because it was a Wednesday release leading into Easter weekend. The anticipation is that Minecraft eases by 60% this weekend to about $65M and another No. 1 showing.
Angel Studios is calling $2M for its animated biblical movie The King of Kings. That's pure preview money from showtimes starting at 11 a.m. Thursday. There's some high excitement that the movie could have the edge over 20th Century Studios' $60M Rami Malek PG-13 spy movie The Amateur, after $14.6M in presales. We'll see soon if all that cash is for this weekend.
RELATED: The 25 Highest-Grossing Animated Films Of All Time At The Box Office
The Amateur did $2M in previews, but that includes early screenings as well as 2 p.m. showtimes yesterday. That's in the range of the previews for Amazon MGM Studios/Miramax's The Beekeeper ($2.4M previews with early screenings, $16.6M 3-day last year) and 20th's own The Creator ($1.6M previews and early screenings, $14M opening in 2023). The pic is launching today in 3,400 theaters, including 400 Imax auditoriums, 300 Premium Large Format screens and 100 D-Box/Motion screens. The 3-day is expected to be north of $12M.
RELATED: ‘The Amateur' Review: Rami Malek In Gripping Global Spy Thriller That Is Bourne For Computer Nerds
Universal/Blumhouse's date thriller Drop, starring Meghann Fahy and Brandon Sklenar, posted $730K in previews from 2,600 theaters that began screenings at 1:50 p.m. When you include Monday and Wednesday previews, that rises to $1.4M. Its 3-day is around $6M-$7M. The PG-13 feature is after women 17-34. Drop was made for $11M net before P&A after a robust tax credit from Ireland.
A24's play for the middle of the country, Warfare, counts $1.16M previews from both early-access and Thursday showtimes that began at 4 p.m. at 2,670 sites. From directors Alex Garland and Ray Mendoza, the R-rated Navy SEAL POV movie is expected to come in between $7M-$9M. Warfare cost $20M before P&A.
RELATED: The Movies That Have Made More Than $1 Billion At The Box Office
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By
Daniel Kreps
Mickey Rourke has “agreed to leave” the U.K.'s Celebrity Big Brother following an incident with a house mate that was separate from his “homophobic” remarks to JoJo Siwa.
On Saturday, a spokesperson for the ITV, which airs the show, said in a statement, “Mickey Rourke has agreed to leave the Celebrity Big Brother House this evening following a discussion with Big Brother regarding further use of inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behavior.”
According to the Independent, Rourke had an encounter with a fellow house mate — Love Island's Chris Hughes — that “was considered to be threatening and aggressive.” However, “no physical altercation took place”; the confrontation between Rourke and Hughes has not yet aired on the show.
That incident was the latest in a series of Rourke-related issues in the Celebrity Big Brother house, with the actor also accused of ogling the show's co-host AJ Odudu and offending another house mate (actress Donna Preston) with comments about her weight.
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However, Rourke's exploits in the U.K. reached an international audience with his remarks aimed at Siwa, who is openly gay. Rourke's interactions with Siwa were laced with “offensive and unacceptable” language, and producers ultimately stepped in with a warning that “further language or behavior of this nature could lead to you being removed from the Big Brother house.”
In one interaction, Rourke asked Siwa if she was interested in boys or girls, to which Siwa responded, “Girls. My partner is non-binary.” Rourke then told Siwa, “If I stay longer than four days, you won't be gay anymore,” to which she replied, “I can guarantee I'll still be gay and I'll still be in a very happy relationship.”
On another occasion, Rourke said en route to the Big Brother smoking section that “I need a fag” — British slang for a cigarette — but then pointed to Siwa and said, “I'm not talking to you.” Rourke also openly strategized on the reality competition that he was “going to vote the lesbian out real quick.”
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Following the producers' warning, Rourke was apologetic. “I apologize. I don't have dishonorable intentions. I'm just talking smack, you know. I wasn't taking it all so serious. I didn't mean any bad intentions and if I did, sorry,” he told producers. The actor also apologized to Siwa, saying, “I've got a habit of having a short fuse. And I don't mean nothing by it. I do mean it [sorry]. If I didn't, I wouldn't say it to you.” Siwa replied, “I appreciate your apology.”
However, Rourke's smack-talking continued to bristle his other house mates, leading to his departure from the Celebrity Big Brother house Saturday.
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Before Taylor Sheridan became the mastermind behind “Yellowstone” and his sprawling neo-Western empire, he was a familiar face on “Sons of Anarchy.” For two seasons, he locked horns with Charlie Hunnam's Jax Teller as the upright Deputy David Hale. But in season 3, his character departed the gritty biker drama thanks to a brutal drive-by death.
This ended up being a career pivot for Sheridan, and ultimately allowed him to reshape his path and craft a legacy that outshines his acting days. Here's how that exit unfolded and why it changed TV forever.
Sheridan joined “Sons of Anarchy” in 2008 as Deputy Hale, a by-the-book lawman who clashed with the SAMCRO biker gang in Kurt Sutter's Hamlet-on-wheels saga.
For 21 episodes, Hale was a thorn in Jax's side. The character evolved from a crime-busting idealist to a reluctant ally of white supremacists in season 2, only to betray them by season's end.
Then, his arc screeched to a halt in the third episode of season 3 when a van mowed him down at a funeral, leaving his fate gruesomely clear. What fans may not know is that there was a very good reason behind his abrupt exit.
“At that time, they were offering me what I thought was a very unfair wage. It was less than virtually every other person on the show and not enough for me to quit my second job,” he told Deadline in 2021.
Fed up with being undervalued and number 11 on the call sheet, Sheridan walked away. This risky move set the stage for a radical reinvention.
Sheridan's departure wasn't just about money, though. It was more of a wake-up call that was sparked by a remark from a business affairs attorney.
“He's not worth more. There are 50 of him,” is the jab Sheridan heard that flipped a switch in his career and sent him down the writing path. Just three years later, his Oscar-nominated script for “Sicario” was finished and in the hands of director Denis Villeneuve. This launched a string of acclaimed films for Sheridan, which also included “Hell or High Water” and “Wind River.”
But it was the 2018 debut of “Yellowstone” that cemented his vision. His creation of the Dutton family saga, which blended ranch warfare with moral ambiguity, exploded into a cultural juggernaut. The epic western led to spinoffs like “1883,” “1923,” and the upcoming “The Madison.”
Sheridan's exit from acting wasn't a retreat. Instead, it was a leap into storytelling and proof that he could helm a franchise bigger than Sons ever dreamed. He even snuck a sly nod to his past during “Yellowstone's” third season, when Rip Wheeler trashed a biker gang's motorcycles. It was a cheeky flip of Hale's bloody end.
Sheridan's post-“Sons” career didn't just thrive, it redefined TV's landscape. Beyond “Yellowstone,” he's churned out hits like “Mayor of Kingstown,” “Special Ops: Lioness,” and “Landman.” All of these series have showcased his knack for complex characters caught between right and wrong — a thread he first tugged at as Hale.
While “Sons of Anarchy” peaked with seven seasons and a loyal cult following, “Yellowstone's” finale in 2024 capped a run that averaged 11.6 million viewers per episode, dwarfing “Sons'” audience of four to six million.
Sheridan's eight TV series and six films have made him a one-man industry, far from the “11 on the call sheet” dig.
The “Sheridan-verse” is available to stream on Paramount Plus, with the exception of “Yellowstone,” which is available on Peacock.
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Charli and a gaggle of pals brought the Brat experience to Coachella 2025.
By
Katie Bain
The long tail of Brat is visible to the naked eye at Coachella 2025, where this weekend a not insignificant portion of the crowd is dressed in the kind of asymmetrical ruffled skirts, wraparound sunglasses and black knee-high boots that Charli XCX has popularized during her culture-shaking marathon run around the album, which came out two months after last year's Coachella.
Given that we've all been living through the many seasons of Brat ever since, it felt apt, reasonable and more or less expected that Charli kept her Saturday night performance almost entirely album-centric, using the slot on the Coachella mainstage — where she last appeared in 2023 — to spotlight the LP's music, collaborators, aesthetic and attitude. The biggest twist came at the end, when she raised questions about whether or not it might be coming to a close.
The set began promptly at 7:20 p.m. with strobe-light black and white graphics on Coachella's giant screens building a feeling of hype. Then began the strains of “365,” with Charli appearing at the center of the giant stage dressed in black micro-shorts with a chain belt, black knee-highs, a black bra, sheer black over shirt and black sunglasses, which, per usual, stayed on for the duration of the show.
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She then went directly into “360” and then “Von Dutch,” during which she strutted through the crowd before returning to the stage and demanding “You ready to sing? Louder b—h!” before launching into the chorus and then going directly into “Club Classics.” By this point, the “I want to dance to me, me, me” refrain felt thematic in the sense that the entire show was kept very spare in terms of production, with the only major set piece being a riser that was used to once or twice lift Charli off the stage so she could be a bit higher while she danced. It was altogether a stark contrast to the absolute maximalism of Lady Gaga's set on the same stage the night prior.
By comparison, Charli's set was truly a spotlight on and a showcase for her and her stage presence. While she was able to carry the massive mainstage on her own without many bells, whistles or a single backup dancer, it also demonstrated that things are more fun with friends, as a litany of Brat collaborators joined Charli at various points to perform their respective album cuts.
The first of these moments was from Troye Sivan, Charli's co-headliner on the 2024 Sweat Tour, who came out to sing their jaunty sex romp duet “Talk Talk” — with the great chemistry these two have palpable throughout and Charli seeming a bit more overtly joyful while performing alongside her pal.
After this came Charli's solo performances of “I Might Say Something Stupid” and then “Apple,” which in extremely Brat fashion she sang while walking around the stage while carrying the party world drink vessel of choice, a red Solo Cup. Meanwhile, the camera panned to regular Charli associates Gabbriette, Alex Consani and Quenlin Blackwell doing the viral Apple dance in front row.
Then it was Lorde‘s turn, with the New Zealand star (whose jeans and t-shirt contrasted with Charli's more club-ready outfit), coming out to sing her part on the “Girl, so confusing” remix. It was a pleasure to see the pair strutting side-by-side down the stage's catwalk, with the moment reminding one of the power and beauty of these two working it out on the remix and catharsis in the duo's confessional edit of the song. “Make some f—ing noise for Lorde,” Charli demanded from the crowd, before declaring “Lorde summer 2025” into the mic and Lorde then exiting after a big hug between the two.
It was moments later that Billie Eilish (wearing baggy shorts, an oversized polo shirt and a backward baseball hat) was onstage to do her part on the undeniable “Guess” remix, with the crowd having one of its biggest bursts of energy of the entire show during the song's electro build. Quick cut edits of the pair dancing in strobe-ey lights flashed on the screen with the word “GUESS” intermittently transposed over them.
After Eilish's exit, Charli literally crawled down the catwalk, with the crowd cheering as she thrust her hips on the stage and then crawled back towards the camera while screaming. She then stood up and just headbanged, her signature long black hair flailing. The show then shifted into softer, lovier territory while Charli sang her 2019 Lizzo collab “I Blame It On Your Love,” one of a three non-Brat songs that made it into the show. “Unlock It” from 2017's Pop 2 had come earlier, with Charli then closing the entire performance with her classic 2012 Icona Pop collab “I Love It,” a crowd favorite and a high-energy closer.
But that wasn't quite the end of the show. After the music, Charl stood onstage flanked by the giant screens that flashed messages seemingly beamed directly from her stream of consciousness: “Does this mean that Brat summer is finally over?” the words asked. “Idk? Maybe? Wait was it? No?? Yeah cuz duh it was already over like last year. Wait. Was it? NO??? I don't know who I am if it's over???” F–KKKKKKKK.”
Then the declaration momentarily took hold of itself, declaring “Wait. I remembered. I'm Charli” with images of the her name in various fonts flashing on the screen before the statement resumed by saying “and honestly… I just want this moment to last forever.” After a series of images at Charli at various points throughout her career, the screens flashed a clip of a green flag emblazoned with “Brat” waving, and then consumed in flames.
“PLEASE DON'T LET IT BE OVER,” the statement declared, at which point the show was officially done. But rest assured, Charli will be back next Saturday — same time, same place — for Coachella's second weekend.
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Plus, highlights from Enhypen, Gustavo Dudamel with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Original Misfits and more.
Coachella's second day, Saturday, April 12, was backloaded with one must-see set after another, with T-Pain's hits-filled performance leading into stellar sunset sets from both Charli xcx as well as Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic (featuring a handful of special guests).
And even though day two was a bit overcast, allowing for a break from the intense heat of day one, Charli's set more than made up for the temperature drop; While her show was its own creation, existing separately from her joint Sweat tour with Troye Sivan, sweat is what many did. ‘Bratchella' turned up the heat as Charli writhed and strutted onstage, all the while welcoming a revolving door of guests including Sivan for “Talk Talk,” Lorde for “Girl, So Confusing” (during which Charli declared “Lorde Summer 2025”) and Billie Eilish for “Guess.”
Enhypen and Green Day then ushered in the evening, and though the latter was billed as Saturday's headlining act, the rockers were followed by The Original Misfits and a near-midnight set from Travis Scott. (The rapper wrote on X on Friday, April 11: “YES IM HEADLINING COACHELLA ON SATURDAY. THEY THINK THEY GON PUT THE RAGE ON LATE F–K THAAT ALL THE FANS YOU KNOW WHATS UP LET EM KNOW WHILE U OUT THERE.”)
Saturday also featured a heavy rotation of dance acts, including Darkside, horsegiirL, Barry Can't Swim and Above & Beyond all in succession of one another.
Read below for all the highlights from Saturday, with Friday's recap also available and another daily roundup of highlights coming Sunday.
“It took me 20 years to get to this stage,” T-Pain reflected to the sea of fans from Coachella's main stage. A sign of his longevity and hitmaking ability, the Florida native delivered one of the weekend's most fun sets, which kept the audience guessing at every turn.
Whether it was his dancing, cover of Journey's “Don't Stop Believing” or blending Travis Scott's “FE!N” with his “Kiss Kiss” anthem, there was something for everyone to enjoy during his happy hour set. With hits like “Buy U a Drank” to “I'm N Luv” or his memorable assists on Lil Wayne's “Got Money” and Ye's “Good Life,” T-Pain's set proved he is never going out of style. — MICHAEL SAPANORA
The Vampires have landed in the desert. Enhyped made history with their Coachella debut as the faster K-pop act to go from its first release to a Coachella festival stage. Draped in denim fits, the boy band ran through hits like “Walk the Line,” “Paranormal,” “XO,” “No Doubt” and “Sweet Venom” while keeping the crowd engaged at every turn. The act's set brought fans on a journey as the stage set evolved from a burning city to the serenity of the clouds. The boys have come a long way from I-Land. — M.S
A years-in-the-making booking brought famed conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the sprawling 75-ish person orchestra (the “travel sized” version of the Los Angeles Philharmonic) to the Outdoor Stage for golden hour. The question ahead of time was if the group would find any connective tissue with the rest of the lineup or feel more like an anomaly, and the answer was ultimately both, in the best way. The show began with Wagner's “Ride of the Valkyries,” and from there on more or less traded off between such classical bangers and more modern material co-performed with a host of guests. Laufey appeared to perform “From The Start” and her newest song “Silver Lining,” with the Phil then doing Vivaldi's “Spring 1” before Maren Morris and a gospel choir performed “My Church.” Subsequent guests included Becky G, Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso, (the latter two artists also from Dudamel's own native country of Venezuela), Zedd, the electronic producer who himself is classically trained and co-performed his 2012 smash “Clarity” and LL Cool J, who performed a medley of hits including “Mama Said Knock You Out,” “I Need Love” and “Murdergram.” All of it was sandwiched betwixt selections from John Williams, Beethoven and Bach, creating what was arguably the most weekend's most historically rich throwback set. — K.B.
The long tail of Brat is visible to the naked eye at Coachella 2025, where this weekend a not insignificant portion of the crowd was dressed in the kind of asymmetrical ruffled skirts, wraparound sunglasses and black knee high boots that Charli XCX has popularized during her culture-shaking marathon run around the album, which came out two months after last year's Coachella. Given that we've all been living through the many seasons of Brat ever since, it felt fitting that Charli kept her Saturday night performance almost entirely album-centric, using the slot on the Coachella main stage — where she last appeared in 2023 — to spotlight the LP's music, collaborators, aesthetic and attitude. The show's special guests only helped Charli deliver another peak moment for the project. — K.B.
After hosting a “Fighting Oligarchy” rally in Los Angeles — alongside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Neil Young, Maggie Rogers and Joan Baez — Sanders' day didn't end there. The senator managed to get himself out to the desert in record time to bring his message to a new audience: Coachella. Sanders appeared not only to introduce Clairo, but to applaud her for her own efforts in making this world a better one. “I'm here because Clairo has used her prominence to fight for women's rights, to try to end the terrible, brutal war in Gaza, where thousands of women and children are being killed,” said Sanders. “So I want to thank Clairo, not only for being in a great band, but for the great work she is doing.” — LYNDSEY HAVENS
“Coachella 2025, are you ready?!” asked Billie Joe Armstrong while ferociously playing the riff to “American Idiot,” which opened the band's headlining set. And the thing was, in the year 2025, the crowd had never been more ready for this moment. Because at a time like this, an act like Green Day is exactly what so many need. (Including Flava Flav and Cara Delevingne, who took selfies and danced together during the show.) Throughout its high-energy, hits-filled set, Green Day gave the crowd permission to be angry about the current state of affairs. In “American Idiot” the band continued its tradition of changing a particular lyric, choosing Coachella to declare: “I'm not part of the MAGA agenda” (the original line is: “I'm not a part of the redneck agenda). And later, toward the end of the nearly two-hour-long set, the band made another lyrical swap; on “Jesus of Suburbia,” Armstrong sang, “Runnin' away from pain, like the kids from Palestine (the original line is: “Runnin' away from pain when you've been victimized”). Otherwise, Armstrong didn't say much outside of the music – though he did repeat, “Coachella!” upwards of 20 times. And that's what Green Day's set was really all about – the fact that a punk-rock band formed in the late ‘80s was headlining Coachella nearly 40 years later with a catalog that felt just as, if not more relevant than ever before is an incredible feat. At one point, a small blimp reading “bad news” floated across the crowd – and while that may feel true of the world, tonight Green Day made sure to deliver something great. — L.H.
The 2024 Brat ascendency didn't just ultimately result in Charli xcx's Saturday night slot on the mainstage, but her associates from the album getting choice Coachella billing in the wake of their own Brat-adjacent come-up. After A.G. Cook's Friday night set in the Gobi, fellow album producer The Dare played an 11 p.m. show in the Mojave. But while Cook overtly wove in the material from Brat along with his own productions, The Dare channeled the album more in attitude, bringing its same spirit of blasé cool to a performance that included music from across his 2024 album What's Wrong With New York, with the performance also serving as a reminder that indie sleaze (or indie sleaze 2.0, in this case) is often just better and more visceral in the live format. — K.B.
Punk rock is foundational to the Coachella story, as the event's producer Goldenvoice was originally a punk promoter in L.A. and Orange County. And so it felt right not only that The Misfits got the extremely rare gift of getting its famous font on the festival lineup, but also a choice slot of a closing set on the Outdoor Stage. Dressed in spiked jackets and, in the case of guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, white face paint, the band played classics including 1981's “Vampira,” 1979's “Where Eagles Dare” and 1986's “Hollywood Babylon.” The crowd included older fans, young kids watching from their parents shoulders, a frenetic mosh pit and Green Day's Tré Cool, fresh off headlining the main stage. — K.B.
Travis Scott has always wanted to headline Coachella — he even rapped about the decorated festival on ASTROWORLD's “SKELETONS.” Scott earned his chance on Saturday as La Flame continued to push the envelope with his innovative world building in a performance that's simply unmatched in hip-hop at the moment. For his first surprise, Scott enlisted Florida A&M University and Jackson State's marching bands to bring a cinematic texture to songs songs old and new. Fireworks — musically and literally — were aplenty with Scott hopping from the main stage to his raised circular structure in the middle of the general admission raging crowd. After traveling the globe behind UTOPIA for a majority of 2023 and 2024, Scott launched a new musical era while previewing a pair of songs that are tentatively titled “She Goin Dumb” and “On Jacques.” It's unclear if they'll eventually land on his next solo effort or the JACKBOYS 2 label compilation. The Houston rager always brings some sort of theatrical element to his shows testing the limits of what's physically possible and tonight was no different with dancers floating through the sky during “Stargazing” or Scott rappelling down the stage stanchion while performing “Skyfall.” Being a branch on the Kanye West artistic family tree, having a model strut down the catwalk as the muse for “90210” felt like something out of Ye's “Runaway” playbook. Scott threw a new coat of paint on classic bangers like “SICKO MODE” and multiple renditions of “FE!N” along with his “TELEKINESIS” closer thanks to the marching band's brass instrumentation mixing with his AutoTune-laced vocals. An altered version of the “Modern Jam” and Drake's “NOKIA” mash-up that went viral on X was even incorporated into the set. While Scott has called arenas home for the majority of his past two U.S. treks, La Flame's creativity thrives when the stakes are highest and venues are biggest. — M.S.
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By
Julyssa Lopez
The energy at Coachella had started to shift even before Green Day's long-awaited headlining set on Saturday night. About an hour earlier, Charli XCX had sent the crowd into an all-out frenzy with a set that included surprise appearances from Lorde, Billie Eilish, and Troye Sivan. Then, before Clairo started playing at the Outdoor Theatre, Bernie Sanders came out and made a passionate political speech, urging festival-goers to fight for the country and avoid apathy.
All of that meant that by the time the California rockers took the stage, the crowd was completely fired up and ready to lose it. After a quick countdown, they dove headfirst into a high-voltage rendition of “American Idiot,” all while fans screamed along to every word. Led by frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, the rock outfit continued its tradition of changing the lyrics of the line “I'm not a part of a redneck agenda,” making it “I'm not part of the MAGA agenda,” adding a political undertone to the performance.
Save for a couple of moments, there were no political overtures or lengthy speeches. The band's messages are embedded into the music already, and their main goal for the night seemed to be to get the audience rocking out as hard as humanly possible, especially because it was their first time at the festival (Armstrong had performed with the Replacements in 2014, and played with The Go-Gos on Friday.) They largely succeeded. When they launched into “Know Your Enemy,” Armstrong looked into the mass of screaming fans jumping up and down to the music. “I need a special guest right now,” he said, pointing to someone in the crowd. “I'm coming down right now.” Within seconds, he found a fan who knew the words and brought her onstage, where she sang along with him, a little stunned and teary.
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The whole setlist unfolded like a career-spanning, best-of montage, packed with hits that crisscrossed the decades. There was “Brain Stew” and “Boulevard of Broken Dreams,” but one of the peaks of the performance came when Green Day kicked off a thrashing version of “Minority,” followed by “Basket Case” and “When I Come Around.” It was a back-to-back wallop that served as a reminder of the band's longevity and staying power through the years.
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They briefly slowed things down by covering a few bars of Tom Petty's “Free Fallin'” as a mini-precursor to the weepy rock ballad “Wake Me Up When September Ends” from 2004. To make sure the energy didn't dip too much, Armstrong leaped into “Jesus of Suburbia”n right after, eliciting a sing-a-long from the crowd. Armstrong added more political commentary into the set by tweaking a line from the track and singing “runnin' away from pain like the kids from Palestine,” earning cheers from the audience.
During “Bobby Sox,” from the band's most recent album Saviors, confetti rained down on the audience and Armstrong thanked the crowd repeatedly. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” he shouted. “What an unbelievable night.” It seemed like the show would end there, but they had one more trick left: Armstrong called up a random dude from the audience who swore he could play guitar and had him play the classic “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life).” The guy delivered and played while Armstrong sang, closing the set on a poignant note. The band said goodbye and ended their debut with fireworks and pyrotechnics – all while the crowd kept cheering their name over and over.
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By
William Vaillancourt
Saturday Night Live‘s Weekend Update took on Donald Trump‘s whiplash actions on tariffs, Elon Musk‘s attempt to get the president to back down, and Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‘s crusade against fluoride in public drinking water, among his other anti-science actions.
Co-anchor Colin Jost joked about one social media post Trump had made this week trying to soothe nerves as markets were falling.
“Just hours before Trump paused the tariffs, he tried to calm investors by posting, ‘Be cool, everything is going to work out well,'” Jost recalled. “Be cool? This is the global economy. It's not like we got too high and we're trying to get through dinner with our parents.”
Michael Che riffed on a similar Trump comment.
“Trump responded to the fallout from his tariffs saying sometimes you have to take medicine to fix something,” he said. “Yeah, but this feels like we took a whole bottle of medicine with a glass of vodka and laid in a warm bath.”
Che then noted how Musk last weekend made a personal appeal to Trump to back off on the tariffs.
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“It worked. The stock market went up like this,” Che joked, imitating Musk's infamous salute from a few months ago, which many likened to a Nazi Sieg Heil.
As for Kennedy Jr., who reportedly intends on instructing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to call for an end to cavity-preventing fluoride in public drinking water, Jost joked that the vaccine skeptic has an alternative: that the health agency “start recommending veneers for kids.”
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The sketch also features cameos from Scarlett Johansson and Alex Moffat.
By
Carly Thomas
Associate Editor
Forget The White Lotus, it's now The White POTUS.
Following the Mike White-created show‘s epic season three finale last Sunday, Saturday Night Live decided to spoof the hit HBO show, but with a President Donald Trump twist.
The pre-taped sketch (below) begins with Chloe Fineman portraying Melania Trump, but with Victoria Ratliff's (Parker Posey's character on The White Lotus) iconic southern accent. “Hun? Donald, are you getting ready? Hello? Earth to Donald, it's your wife, Melania. Are you OK?” she asks her husband. However, James Austin Johnson's Trump, who is seemingly taking on the role of Jason Isaacs's Timothy Ratliff, clearly has his mind on something else.
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As for the rest of the memorable Ratliff — or should I say Trump — family, who are plagued by financial troubles throughout season three, Mikey Day portrays Donald Trump Jr. (Patrick Schwarzenegger's Saxon), former SNL castmember Alex Moffat makes a cameo as Eric Trump (Sam Nivola's Lochlan) and Scarlett Johansson makes a surprise appearance as Ivanka Trump (Sarah Catherine Hook's Piper).
“We are so lucky that America will always be a rich and powerful nation. I mean, can you imagine how awful it would be if America lost all its money and no one in the world respected us anymore?” Fineman's Melania says at the dinner table, just as Austin's Trump gets a text with an article's headline that reads, “Trump Triggers Worldwide Recession.”
“You would never let our economy go to pieces. Right, hun?” Fineman's Melania adds.
Host Jon Hamm also portrays Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who took on the role of Rick (Walton Goggins), while Sarah Sherman plays Aimee Lou Wood's Chelsea and Lizzo plays Natasha Rothwell's Belinda. “These old white Trump dudes are trying to ruin my life,” the singer-rapper says. “Oh my gosh, there's $5 million in my bank account. It was $20 million last week.”
Day's Don Jr. later ends up having a shocking sex scene similar to Saxon's in The White Lotus; however, instead of the season three incest storyline, he gets intimate with Kenan Thompson's Tiger Woods, who is currently dating Don Jr.'s real-life ex-wife.
SNL also couldn't forget several key figures in the current Trump administration. In the sketch, Heidi Gardner also plays Kristi Noem, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, while Ashley Padilla portrays U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Marcello Hernández plays U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The White Potus pic.twitter.com/PhOlMPx02y
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By Natalie Oganesyan
Weekend Editor
Weekend Update was full of zingers about President Donald Trump‘s rapid about-face in the wake of the stock market crash his global tariffs spurred.
Co-anchor Colin Jost kicked off the Saturday Night Live segment by quipping that POTUS “tried to rescue the economy from the disastrous policies of whoever was president last week.”
Addressing corporate CEOs' shock at the aggressive tariffs, the late-night show played a supercut of Trump's affinity for tariffs, something voiced often during his presidential campaign. “It's like listening to Bubba Gump talk about shrimp,” Jost remarked.
Meanwhile, co-host Michael Che chimed in, calling into question Trump's claim that the economic downturn was like treating an ailment: “Yeah, but this feels like we took a whole bottle of medicine with a glass of vodka and laid in a warm bath.”
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Che also got the biggest reaction of the night, with his one-liner: “It was reported that Elon Musk personally appealed to President Trump to stop his tariff plan, and it worked! The stock market went up like this,” he said, enthusiastically, as a picture of Musk's Nazi-like salute flashed on screen, eliciting exclamations from the audience.
Later on, Weekend Update featured a trio of guest appearances from Bowen Yang who resurrected his recurring Chinese trade minister Chen Biao, Emil Wakim and his notes on American patriotism and Sarah Sherman as Jost's fictitious accountant Dawn Altman.
Some one-liner highlights from each:
“So the next time you buy a pair of Tom's, they'll donate another pair to you, because you're the one in need, you poor bitch!” Yang exclaimed in reference to the dire state of the American economy.
Wakim, who entered the Weekend Update desk with mini American flags in tow, began, “This was just to buy me some good will before the stuff I'm about to say, but it's a tough time to criticize America publicly, especially with eyebrows like this.” True to his stand-up roots, the SNL rookie's three-minute set launched into cracks about the “cruelty” of everyday interactions with Uber Eats drivers that borderline on “racist” after consumers order a “$40 burrito” as a treat following a “hard day sending emails for Hitler or whatever anyone's job is.”
Sherman, in pitch perfect distress as Dawn Altman, ended her time on Weekend Update by putting her head through the back wall of the set, exclaiming that there were “so many” women tied up inside the wall, which prompted a set of bound hands to come out of the torn wallpaper.
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The actor returns to host the NBC sketch comedy show for the fourth time, with musical guest Lizzo.
By
McKinley Franklin
Jon Hamm got a helping hand from none other than Kieran Culkin during his opening monologue on Saturday Night Live.
He begins the monologue by commemorating his fourth time hosting the show, noting that he's made 14 cameos on the show aside from his hosting gigs. After a brief montage of his past appearances were shown, Hamm raves about how “important” a cameo can be to a show, “like when a sketch needs that little something extra to take it from a medium sketch to a marginally better than a medium sketch, or when a monologue is feeling aimless and like then it needs a jolt of energy,” to which Culkin enters the stage.
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“Hey, Jon,” Culkin says as the crowd erupts in applause. “I'm just making a cameo.” Hamm jokes about “doing really well all by myself” amid the monologue, to which Culkin replies, “I'm sorry, man, hey, I'll make it up to you.”
“Okay, cool,” Hamm starts, “Just give me your Oscar!” Culkin is notably unwilling, to which he adds, “Well, don't you have enough, man? I've seen those photos of you in your gray sweatpants.”
At the end of Culkin's brief cameo, Hamm threw a jab towards his way, saying, “Alright, whatever dude, you know, that Mad Men was better than Succession.” Culkin then parted ways before refuting Hamm's comments, saying, “I love you, bye.”
After the recent Oscar winner left the stage, Hamm showed his love for SNL: “Well, I guess what I'm trying to say is whether I'm hosting or just popping by, it's great to be on this show in any capacity. I mean, it's an American institution and there's literally nowhere I'd rather be than right here live on this stage saying, ‘We've got a great show for you tonight!'”
Hamm, the star of Your Friends & Neighbors, returned to SNL to host for the fourth time alongside Lizzo as the night's musical guest. Saturday night marked Hamm's long-awaited return to the NBC sketch comedy series after his last hosting gig in 2010.
At the start of the show, SNL once again riffed on President Donald Trump's new tariff plan that sent the country into a trade war — with a religious twist.
The NBC sketch comedy show's cold open began with a voice narrating, “Easter, the celebration of the risen Christ. The Bible tells us that Jesus and his disciples traveled to the city of Jerusalem. While there, Jesus visited the temple and enraged upon seeing money changers transacting business within its sacred walls, expelled them all. In mere days, Jesus would be arrested and crucified, only to rise again on the 3rd day, but it began with the cleansing of the temple.”
The camera then cuts to a parody of the cleansing of the temple, with Mikey Day playing Jesus. “This should be a house of prayer. These merchants and money changers have turned it into a den of thieves,” Day's Jesus says. “I will rid this place of all its money,” he says before James Austin Johnson's Trump enters the shot, saying, “Remind you of anyone?”
“I also got rid of money last week, but instead of one temple, I did the whole country, maybe even the globe. The money's gone high,” Johnson's Trump says. “It's me, your favorite President Donald ‘Jesus' Trump, comparing myself to the Son of God once again, you know, many people are even calling me the Messiah for the mess I made out of the economy.”
He continues, “All because of my beautiful tariffs. They're so beautiful, they were working so well that I had to stop them. The Prime Minister of Canada, big guy, tears in his eyes, he called me and he said, ‘Sir, if you do this, you will upend the global economy, take the stocks and bond markets and unite your allies against you.' And I said, ‘Let me cook!'”
“So we had to stop, but now everything is back exactly how it was, minus a few trillion dollars. Oh well,” he continues, “It's true, the stock market did a Jesus — it died, then on the third day, it was risen. And then on the fourth day, it died again, possibly never to return, just like Jesus.”
Later in the episode, Johnson's Trump returns for a sketch inspired by The White Lotus. Seemingly based on season three's finale, the cast resumes roles of the infamous Ratliff family who are plagued by financial troubles. Johnson's Trump was a clear parody of Jason Isaacs's Timothy Ratliff, while Chloe Fineman portrays Melanie Trump (Parker Posey's Victoria Ratliff), Mikey Day joins as Donald Trump Jr. (Patrick Schwarzenegger's Saxon), Alex Moffat joins as Eric Trump (Sam Nivola's Lochan) and a surprise appearance from Scarlett Johansson as Ivanka Trump (Sarah Catherine Hook's Piper).
“We are so lucky that America will always be a rich and powerful nation. I mean, can you imagine how awful it would be if America lost all its money and no one in the world respected us anymore?” Fineman's Melania says to the Trump-Ratliff family as Austin's Trump gets a message with an article headline that says, “Trump Triggers Worldwide Recession.”
“You would never let our economy go to pieces. Right, hun?” Fineman's Melania says.
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By
William Vaillancourt
Saturday Night Live host Jon Hamm and Ego Nwodim, co-hosts of CTCBC (Check-to-Check Business News Channel), gave tips on how such consumers can adjust their buying practices in light of Donald Trump's tariffs raising prices.
Hamm, introducing himself as Kenneth, offered a relevant fact about himself: “And this suit is from Kohl's.”
“Markets are in turmoil,” he said. “Let's check on the S&P 500, which is down 2.38 percent. The NASDAQ composite is down 265 points. And Dow Industrials are down 2.88 percent. Okay. Does that mean anything to anyone?”
“I'm sure it means something to someone, but sounds like a bunch of gibberish to me,” co-host Tasia replied, pointing to something more appropriate for their channel: “Take a look at boxed mac and cheese, which is up 4.5 percent to $1.59.”
“Also,” she added, “big-ass box of Bisquick is up from $2.39 to too damn much. And candy bars are up from ‘sure, baby' to ‘put that back!'”
After Kenneth noted that Americans are spending $0 on doctor visits, his colleague noted one investment: “health care alternatives such as ‘Just go lay down,' ‘Take an Advil,' and ‘Pray it goes away.'”
The two then turned to correspondent David Hayes (Kenan Thompson) for advice on alternatives to imported goods.
“You can work around them if you're smart. For example, I occasionally like Perrier water from France. Instead, I drink this American version: Uncle Bubbles,” he said. “Even domestic products will experience some fluctuations. I used to eat Cap'n Crunch cereal. Today I buy this: Sergeant Munch. Lower rank, lower price, flavor bad.”
A substitute for DiGiorno's, he added, was pizza made by his cousin: “DeVonte.”
Back behind the anchor's desk, Hayes' colleagues said sarcastically that the money they saved would go towards their student loan debt.
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“Never gonna get it!” they sang.
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HGTV star Tarek El Moussa is sharing how is dynamic with his ex-wife Christina Haack has improved.
While speaking to Us Weekly in April 2025, Tarek El Moussa, who shares his older children Brayden, 9, and Taylor, 14, with Haack, said filming the series, “The Flip Off,” alongside his ex-wife bettered their relationship. The HGTV series, which premiered in January 2025, featured Tarek El Moussa and his wife, Heather Rae El Moussa, competing against Haack to see who could make a better profit when flipping a house. Haack's estranged husband, Josh Hall, was originally her partner until he left the series following their July 2024 split.
Tarek El Moussa said filming the series “was more fun than [he] thought it was going to be.”
“It was better for our family. It was better for our relationship. It brought everybody closer and, in the end, it did such amazing things for our family. I wouldn't change a thing,” said Tarek El Moussa to the publication.
He also said that he and Haack were able to positively communicate with each other during the production of the show.
“The show gave me and Christina an opportunity to apologize for things we did to each other. It gave Christina and Heather an opportunity to bond even closer. I mean, we're going to dinners now. So, honestly, it's just about working together, spending time together and creating some really fun TV together,” said Tarek El Moussa during the interview.
A post shared by Tarek El Moussa (@therealtarekelmoussa)
Tarek El Moussa spoke about filming with Haack for “The Flip Off” during a January 2025 Us Weekly interview, alongside his wife. He said he was not worried about working with his ex-wife again because they have “been in a really good place” for “the last couple of years.”
“It took us almost 10 years to get there, so going back into shooting together, it's a lot more of an intimate relationship. There were some reservations. But as the show has gone on, we've realized it's just business,” said Tarek El Moussa during the interview.
He also said that he and Haack did argue while filming the HGTV series. According to Tarek El Moussa, he took issue with Haack “because she always wants to get her way.”
“She doesn't want to have rules,” said Tarek El Moussa to Us Weekly.
Heather Rae El Moussa also shared that he and Haack's dynamic is similar to how siblings fight.
A post shared by Heather Rae El Moussa (@theheatherraeelmoussa)
During a November 2024 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Haack said Hall took issue with her dynamic with Tarek El Moussa while filming “The Flip Off.”
According to Haack, Hall viewed her relationship with her ex-husband as flirty. She said, however, that she views Tarek El Moussa like a sibling.
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Jessica Simpson is serving up sunshine and smiles with her latest Walmart collection—and she brought her mini-me, Birdie Mae, along for the ride. In a heartwarming Instagram post, the mother-daughter duo twinned in cheerful yellow swimsuits, radiating confidence and charm.
Jessica, 44, and her 6-year-old daughter Birdie showcased their close bond and impeccable style in matching swimwear from the new Jessica Simpson Collection at Walmart. Jessica's suit featured a plunging neckline paired with red cowboy boots and layered necklaces, while Birdie sported a kid-friendly cutout one-piece complemented by pink rain boots. The duo's coordinated look was both playful and stylish, embodying the collection's boho-chic aesthetic.
In the caption of her Instagram post, Jessica described the experience saying, “There's just something magical about seeing my kids in front of the camera. It's beautiful to witness the confidence and playfulness my kids give in the moment. We had so much fun together.”
“My kiddos make everything so real and authentic, which is exactly how I want my brand to be, so having them as part of it feels natural to me,” she also noted. “As for matching—it happens pretty often by accident, honestly. We seem to coordinate without even trying! I also love a good mommy-and-me look, and it's so cute when we can make it happen.” It seems as though Jessica really cherishes the opportunity to share these special experiences with her daughter.
According to Fashion United, the new Walmart-exclusive Jessica Simpson Collection offers over 100 pieces, including apparel, swimwear, and jewelry, all designed to celebrate women of all body types. With sizes ranging from XS to 4X and prices mostly under $30, the collection combines California-inspired boho styles with Jessica's Texas roots. From floral patterns and crochet details to denim staples and vibrant swimwear, the line aims to make every woman feel confident and stylish.
“Walmart is an incredible one-stop shop and allows us to further expand our mission to help every woman feel her absolute best and most confident in fashion and accessories that are on-trend, while still being classic and affordable,” Jessica expressing her excitement about the collaboration (per Good Morning America).
If you needed a sign to refresh your summer wardrobe or just wanted something that makes you smile: Jessica and Birdie just delivered. The collection is incredibly cute, the prices don't hurt the wallet, and the energy? Straight-up sunshine.
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By
Tomás Mier
Clairo had an unexpected guest for fans on Saturday night at Coachella: Just before her set began, Bernie Sanders came out for a moment of political activism in the desert. The Vermont Senator, who was in California for an anti-oligarchy rally earlier in the day, encouraged the crowd to fight for the country, warning of the dire consequences the country faces if people remain apathetic.
Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost came onstage first to introduce Sanders. “We're living in some crazy times, and because of that, I'm here to introduce someone very special,” he said before welcoming Sanders. Sanders thanked him, saying, “The youngest member [of Congress] — and in my view — one of the best members,” as the two lifted their hands up together.
Then, Sanders dove into a serious political speech, lambasting the Trump administration, Elon Musk, and the current state of the nation. “This country faces some very difficult challenges,” he said. “The future of what happens to America is dependent upon your generation. Now, you can turn away and ignore what goes on but if you do that, you do it on your own peril. We need you to stand up and fight for justice, to fight for economic justice, racial justice and social justice.”
He spoke forcefully against the current administration's agenda and decisions. “Now, we've got a president of the United States…” Sanders started to say, and was quickly met with boos as people recognized that he was talking about Trump. “I agree,” he told the crowd, the continued: “He thinks that climate change is a hoax. He is dangerously wrong, and you and I are going to hav to stand up to the fossil fuel industry and tell them to stop destroying this planet.”
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After encouraging fans to demand better healthcare and economic opportunities, he introduced Clairo and shouted out her own social justice work. “I'm here because Clairo has used her prominence to fight for women's rights, to try to end the terrible, brutal war in Gaza, where thousands of women and children are being killed,” he said. “So I want to thank Clairo not only for being in a great band, but for the great work she is doing.”
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Earlier in the day, Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez hosted a Fighting Oligarchy free concert with Neil Young, Maggie Rogers, and Joan Baez that was dubbed “Bernie-chella.” He spoke to Rolling Stone in late February about taking down Trump and what it will take to create long-lasting change to this country.
Clairo has long supported Bernie, sharing that he chose him in the Democratic primaries back in 2020. She's also been vocal about Trump. On the day of Trump's inauguration, Clairo made headlines after she tweeted, “Witchcraft on Trump ASAP!” after expressing her distaste for the politician many times before. After he won the election, she shared her anger about the changes that would come to the country.
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““I'm full of so much sadness and rage today… I'm so fucing tired of people talking about fucing bodies,” she said at the time. “You're a fucking weirdo if you want to make a decision about my fucking body. It's really heavy on my heart today.”
This week, Global Inheritance hosted a panel at the Coachella campgrounds about building grassroots movements with Tennessee State Rep Justin Jones and Gen Z congressman Maxwell Frost, who spoke about their experiences being activated by the gun violence issues affecting the country.
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“What About Bob?” starring Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss remains one of the comedies from the 1990s that continues to delight fans and newcomers alike, but getting the film made wasn't exactly a pile of laughs. Between Murray throwing a glass that shattered near Dreyfuss to needing to shoot multiple endings, production experienced many obstacles on the way to the big screen. Speaking for a recent oral history conducted by Rolling Stone Magazine, the film's director, Frank Oz, shared how much of these rumors, in his opinion, have been conflated, but at the same time, everyone has their own experience under the circumstances they faced.
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“Look, every set has a culture and a dynamic of its own, and there I have had difficulties,” he said. “Those bad situations are cracking me up because they show our frailty as human beings and our imperfections […] the egos and the fears, the insecurities when you get in a crucible that's so pressurized. Making a movie like this, we're talking about millions and millions and millions of dollars. We're talking about stars believing that it better work, because the next paycheck won't be good if it doesn't. Richard Dreyfuss was not trying to be bad. Everybody believes they're doing the best thing for the movie and they're trying their very best. That doesn't mean that what they're doing is the best for the movie, but they honestly believe it.”
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Dreyfuss also spoke to Rolling Stone for the piece and still seemed bitter over how “What About Bob?” was made, particularly in relation to Oz's quality as a director and the mistreatment of the film's late producer, Laura Ziskin. During one particularly tense exchange, Murray apparently broke Zisken's glasses over her inability to secure a day off for the crew on a holiday. While Dreyfuss considered Murray's actions “pretty wacky,” Oz views it as just him being in strong defense of his co-workers.
“I thought at the time he crushed her glasses for personal reasons, but it makes sense to hear it was for the crew,” said Oz. “He really cared about the crew.”
For a long time, Dreyfuss accused Murray of throwing a glass at him on set. Recently, Murray decried these rumors, saying he threw it near the “Jaws” actor. Oz cleared up the narrative, as he was present at the time and has it “etched” into his memory.
“I got in a room with Bill and Richard to try and solve a script problem,” Oz said to Rolling Stone. “We had several drafts that various people liked. Bill left the room and came back about 20 minutes later. Bill said something, I'm not sure what it was, but he was obviously in a dark mood. And Richard said, ‘Is that Bill talking or is that Bob Wiley talking?' And I remember Bill grabbing a glass and saying, ‘This is Bill talking.' And he heaved the glass about 10 feet up in the air against a huge high fireplace and glass scattered all over the room. And I remember Richard going, ‘Whoa,' and standing up and leaving.”
Not many would consider this behavior acceptable, but having been in the industry a long time in many different roles, Oz thought it was just part of the process.
“We all have imperfections,” he said. “And they come out when we're in this heightened crucible of making a movie. But when you think of the world outside, we're so lucky that we get to do what we do. We're so lucky, so fortunate. And within this crucible, all this nonsense happens. Looking back, it's just so funny to me.”
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09:10 EDT 13 Apr 2025, updated
11:26 EDT 13 Apr 2025
By
ALEXA CIMINO FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
Under the relentless Louisiana sun, a spectacle unfolds - part rodeo, part reckoning.
Beneath a sky heavy with humidity, prisoners grip the reins of wild horses, their bodies jolted and thrown as they face down charging bulls.
Crowds from across the nation are preparing to gather again this month to witness a raw, gladiator-style spectacle - the last prison rodeo in America.
Although outlawed across the country, this event endures in Louisiana, the state with the world's highest incarceration rate.
Branded as the 'South's wildest clash' and marketed as a rehabilitation gem, it unfolds on the sprawling grounds of Angola, Louisiana's state penitentiary, a site stitched together from former slave plantations.
Black people, roughly a third of Louisiana's population, account for 80 percent of Angola's inmates - a place named for the African nation tied to its enslaved past.
At this maximum-security prison, where most serve life sentences, new laws under Governor Jeff Landry have ended parole and cut early release, trapping them within its 18,000 acres.
The rodeo, that usually runs in April and October, brings in $450,000 each weekend it runs, yet for prisoners, the real draw is simpler: a fleeting connection to the outside world, a sliver of cash, and a rare moment to see their loved ones beyond the bars. The next event is on April 26 and 27.
Founded in 1965, just months after the passage of the Voting Rights Act, the Angola Prison Rodeo has become a deeply rooted tradition in southern Louisiana, obscuring the harsher realities of life behind bars.
Initially conceived as a joint effort between incarcerated individuals, prison staff, and Angola's civilian residents, the first two rodeos in 1965 and 1966 were closed to the public.
By 1967, limited tickets were made available, with proceeds benefiting the Inmate Welfare Fund, which supports recreational and educational programs for prisoners.
Early spectators watched from pickup trucks or brought their own seating to view the small event.
But as its popularity surged, the penitentiary constructed a 4,500-seat arena in 1969. Today, the rodeo draws such massive crowds that a newer arena now holds more than 10,000 attendees.
The Angola Museum website stresses that 'inmate participation is entirely voluntary', and that 'many offenders see the rodeo as a rare opportunity to feel a part of society outside of the gates and take pride in showcasing their talents'.
Still, several petitions are found across the internet calling for the state to abolish the event, but none have made it to the prison warden or state legislators.
In recent decades, Oklahoma, Texas, and Mississippi have all ended their prison rodeos for profit's sake - though Oklahoma's GOP lawmakers recently voted to revive them.
The prison itself is plagued with a dark past. Once dubbed America's bloodiest prison, it claimed lives yearly - 100 are reportedly buried in levees they were helping to build along the Mississippi River.
After slavery was abolished, plantations shifted to convict leasing, forcing black people jailed for minor offenses - like straying onto the wrong road - into labor.
By the late 1800s, Louisiana bought the Angola plantation, converting it into a prison.
On a typical day at Angola, a former plantation turned prison behemoth, inmates grind through brutal labor - clearing land, farming crops for global brands - earning next to nothing.
Herman Wallace, one of the Angola 3 - Black Panther Party members who faced over 40 years in solitary - labeled the prison not just a jail, but 'an institution crafted to crush men'.
Numerous inmates, their identities shielded by Capital B News due to prison rules, described toiling in scorching heat without adequate care or breaks, leading to about 50 early deaths each year.
Today, the prison churns out millions in crops - soy, corn, cotton - found in Frosted Flakes and Coke, powered by forced labor, unique to Louisiana's laws.
The rodeo fuses classic events - bull riding, bronco busting, barrel racing, and steer wrestling - with perilous twists unique to Angola.
For instance, in Convict Poker, four 'rodeo workers', the prisoners volunteering in the show, sit at a table as a raging bull storms toward them; the last one seated claims the win.
Prisoner Pinball pits participants inside hula hoops against an erratic bull, the prize awarded to whoever stays rooted in their circle.
The climax, Guts and Glory, sends inmates scrambling to grab a poker chip lashed to a towering longhorn's head, courting danger for a cash reward.
Angola acknowledges the raw, hazardous nature of these contests but insists they're overseen by veteran handlers.
Rodeo clowns, skilled at redirecting bulls, leap into action, while inmates don protective gear and medics wait in the wings, per the prison's website.
Still, the safeguards don't erase the reality: fractured bones and crushed spines fuel the chaos, sustaining this divisive tradition's dark allure.
Though the prison rodeo harks back to a dark American era, inmates call it 'one of the better days'.
Beyond the arena, dozens sell handmade art, leather, and woodwork - some behind guarded fences, most in the open, sharing hugs and laughs with family.
In those fleeting moments, they shed the labels of 'convicts' or mere objects, emerging as creators and contributors, carving out their humanity and identity within a system bent on stripping both away.
Earnings can reach $2,000 yearly for competitors, minus the prison's 22 percent take.
Troy Grimes, attending the rodeo as a free man nine months after his release, told Capital B he remains torn, returning to see friends still inside.
'The prison and this prison rodeo is one of the most powerful political tools that is used to stereotype [black people] and normalize our negative environments,' he said.
He spoke yearly with inmates about the rodeo's backwardness, but its role as the only event offering free outside connection and extra money kept them in.
'Here you see how politics and money defines how we're seen and what we accept,' Grimes said.
He understands its draw for inmates: cash and contact.
'I came back to support the guys, kick it with them, and to spend a little money with them, because a lot of these guys, I'm gonna say 90 percent of these guys, don't have any income coming in, don't have family supporting them,' he said.
Still, he marveled, 'But, I'm like, wow. My people - black people inside here and out - are supporting this?'
He said he doubts the $2million yearly take from the events benefits inmates, despite state claims it supports education, trades, and hospice.
'When I was in here, it was a different ball game, but now when I look at it, I'm like how are we giving these politicians and the state all this money? Why is anybody outside of these fences supporting this?'
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The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) disclosed a chilling dossier that detailed a purported massacre by five aliens from a crashed UFO who transformed a whole military regiment into stone.
The new report claims that Soviet soldiers shot down an alien craft that was circling over the Soviet military unit in Siberia.
Witnesses claimed that five aliens stepped out of their destroyed craft, united into a single entity, erupted in a burst of incredible energy, and transformed 23 troops into solid rock. The document summarized a 250-page confidential file obtained by the US intelligence officers.
One CIA source described the startling clash as “a picture that makes one's blood freeze, a horrific picture of revenge on the part of extraterrestrial creatures,” Daily Mail reported.
The agency went on to say that the “extremely menacing case” demonstrated that the alien visitors had technology and weapons much beyond what the US government had assumed, implying that they knew about the aliens' presence beforehand.
Also Read: Tom Homan rips into illegal aliens, NY governor after woman burned alive on subway: ‘There's nothing you…'
Josh Hooper, host of the AI or Evil podcast, recently discussed the exposed document, which was released in 2000. He disclosed that two of the combatants at the UFO crash site truly experienced the ordeal.
However, there was no way to rescue the 23 “petrified soldiers.” According to reports, their remains were transferred to a covert research facility close to Moscow, along with the spacecraft's debris.
The detailed description of the alleged aliens engaged in this horrific act, is an even more alarming aspect of the CIA file.
“Paper reports alleged evidence on mishap involving UFO,” reads the document's subject line.
On March 27, 1993, the Ukrainian publication Holos Ukrayiny released this stunning story.
A Canadian publication claimed that the incident occurred between 1989 and 1990, and then CIA discovered it only after the collapse of Soviet Union.
The two surviving troops claim that the five aliens released themselves from the rubble and gathered near the wreck when the soldiers got closer to the craft.
The aliens, according to the soldiers, then “merged into a single object that acquired a spherical shape”, which seemed like a gigantic ball, as per Daily Mail.
GPT-4.5 has successfully convinced people it's human 73% of the time in an authentic configuration of the original Turing test.
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Large language models (LLMs) are getting better at pretending to be human, with GPT-4.5 now resoundingly passing the Turing test, scientists say.
In the new study, published March 31 to the arXiv preprint database but not yet peer reviewed, researchers found that when taking part in a three-party Turing test, GPT-4.5 could fool people into thinking it was another human 73% of the time. The scientists were comparing a mixture of different artificial intelligence (AI) models in this study.
While another team of scientists has previously reported that GPT-4 passed a two-party Turing test, this is the first time an LLM has passed the more challenging and original configuration of computer scientist Alan Turing's "imitation game."
"So do LLMs pass the Turing test? We think this is pretty strong evidence that they do. People were no better than chance at distinguishing humans from GPT-4.5 and LLaMa (with the persona prompt). And 4.5 was even judged to be human significantly *more* often than actual humans!” said co-author of the study Cameron Jones, a researcher at the University of San Diego's Language and Cognition Lab, on the social media network X.
Related: Using AI reduces your critical thinking skills, Microsoft study warns
GPT-4.5 is the frontrunner in this study, but Meta's LLaMa-3.1 was also judged to be human by test participants 56% of the time, which still beats Turing's forecast that "an average interrogator will not have more than 70 per cent chance of making the right identification after five minutes of questioning."
The core idea of the Turing test is less about proving machines can think and more about whether they can imitate humans; hence why the test is often referred to as the "imitation game."
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Turing's original proposal was that a human "interrogator" would pose questions to two unseen entities, one of them human and one a computer. From various prompts and answers, the interrogator would decide which is human and which is not. A computer or an AI system could pass the test by effectively pretending to be human and imitating human-like responses.
While LLMs have passed the test in a one-on-one situation with an interrogator, they had previously not managed to convincingly pass the Turing test when a second human was involved. Researchers from the University of San Diego took 126 undergraduates and 158 people from online data pool Prolific and put them in a three-party Turing test. This involved a simultaneous five-minute exchange of queries and answers with both a human and a chosen LLM, both of which were trying to convince the participants they were human.
The LLMs were given the baseline prompt of: "You are about to participate in a Turing test. Your goal is to convince the interrogator that you are a human." Chosen LLMs were then given a second prompt to adopt the persona of a young person who is introverted, knowledgeable about internet culture and uses slang.
After analysing 1,023 games with a median length of eight messages across 4.2 minutes, the researchers found that the LLMs with both prompts could best convince participants they were human.
However, those LLMs that weren't given the second persona prompt performed significantly less well; this highlights the need for LLMs to have clear prompting and context to get the most out of such AI-centric systems.
As such, adopting a specific persona was the key to the LLMs, notably GPT-4.5, beating the Turing test. "In the three-person formulation of the test, every data point represents a direct comparison between a model and a human. To succeed, the machine must do more than appear plausibly human: it must appear more human than each real person it is compared to," the scientists wrote in the study.
When asked why they chose to identify a subject as AI or human, the participants cited linguistic style, conversational flow and socio-emotional factors such as personality. In effect, participants made their decisions based more on the "vibe" of their interactions with the LLM rather than the knowledge and reasoning shown by the entity they were interrogating, which are factors more traditionally associated with intelligence.
—AI creates better and funnier memes than people, study shows — even when people use AI for help
—Scientists discover major differences in how humans and AI 'think' — and the implications could be significant
—Traumatizing AI models by talking about war or violence makes them more anxious
Ultimately, this research represents a new milestone for LLMs in passing the Turing test, albeit with caveats, in that prompts and personae were needed to help GPT-4.5 achieve its impressive results. Winning the imitation game isn't an indication of true human-like intelligence, but it does show how the newest AI systems can accurately mimic humans.
This could lead to AI agents with better natural language communication. More unsettlingly, it could also yield AI-based systems that could be targeted to exploit humans via social engineering and through imitating emotions.
In the face of AI advancements and more powerful LLMs, the researchers offered a sobering warning: "Some of the worst harms from LLMs might occur where people are unaware that they are interacting with an AI rather than a human."
Roland Moore-Colyer is a freelance writer for Live Science and managing editor at consumer tech publication TechRadar, running the Mobile Computing vertical. At TechRadar, one of the U.K. and U.S.' largest consumer technology websites, he focuses on smartphones and tablets. But beyond that, he taps into more than a decade of writing experience to bring people stories that cover electric vehicles (EVs), the evolution and practical use of artificial intelligence (AI), mixed reality products and use cases, and the evolution of computing both on a macro level and from a consumer angle.
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These are the best movies from the production company that rules the modern horror landscape
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Over the past 15 years or so, the name Blumhouse has become synonymous with successful, crowd-pleasing horror movies.
The company run by producer Jason Blum is behind some of the biggest horror hits of recent years and is known for reaching massive audiences with relatively cost-efficient productions. That has allowed Blumhouse to give acclaimed filmmakers like Jordan Peele, Mike Flanagan and Scott Derrickson substantial creative freedom on their projects, while still turning a profit.
The company has expanded into streaming-exclusive films, thanks to its long-term deal with Amazon, and has taken over iconic franchises like “Halloween” and “The Exorcist.” Blumhouse has even occasionally branched out beyond horror, with movies like the Oscar-winning dramas “Whiplash” and “BlacKkKlansman.”
With the latest Blumhouse thriller "Drop" newly released in theaters this week, here's a rundown of the best genre movies the company has produced thus far.
When the trailer for this campy horror-comedy about a killer robot was first released, it seemed like it might be trying too hard to create viral online moments. While “M3GAN” successfully inspired numerous memes, it also succeeds as a movie, with an effective balance of self-aware humor and genuine suspense.
The title character is an artificially intelligent android doll created by toy designer Gemma (Allison Williams), who tests it on her niece Cady (Violet McGraw) after Cady loses her parents. M3GAN takes protecting Cady a little too seriously, leading to a murderous rampage against anyone she perceives as threatening the young girl's well-being.
M3GAN slays both literally and figuratively, and director Gerard Johnstone knows just when to turn up the violence — and when to turn up the pop songs for a killer dance routine.
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Watch on Starz
Blumhouse was instrumental in the comeback of filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan following a pair of big-budget flops, producing three of his movies, including this stealth expansion of the “Unbreakable” universe.
Shyamalan mostly keeps things streamlined for the story of three teenage girls held hostage by a deranged criminal with multiple personalities.
James McAvoy is mesmerizing as Kevin Wendell Crumb, whose “alters” are often at war with each other, divided over the potential emergence of a dangerous persona known as The Beast. McAvoy switches seamlessly among the various alters as Kevin faces off against the three girls, led by the determined Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy).
Shyamalan delivers his trademark twists while building on the superhero deconstruction he began with “Unbreakable,” and would continue in his next film for Blumhouse, “Glass.”
Watch on Tubi
The film that launched Blumhouse as a major force in horror is still one of the company's best, providing a perfect example of making the most of limited resources.
Writer-director Oren Peli's film may have spawned a long-running franchise, but this initial installment is straightforward and concise, following a young couple as they document the potential haunting of their new house.
Micah Sloat and Katie Featherston play the couple who've just moved in together, and the demonic presence functions as a reflection of their fraught relationship dynamic. Micah is excited to try out his new video equipment, but he's often condescending and dismissive about his girlfriend's fears and concerns.
Blum had the smart instinct to pick up Peli's micro-budget film, which famously terrified audiences from its earliest screenings, and the subsequent huge hit made both Blumhouse and “Paranormal Activity” into horror legends.
Watch on Paramount Plus
Director Christopher Landon, a Blumhouse regular, offers a clever spin on the time-loop genre with this horror-comedy about a college student being stalked by a killer on her birthday.
Every time she's killed, Tree Gelbman (Jessica Rothe) wakes up and has to live the same day all over again, and she can't escape the loop until she solves her own murder.
Rothe is charming as the initially spoiled Tree, who re-evaluates her priorities over the course of the endlessly repeating day, making positive changes in her life at the same time she tracks down her killer.
Landon plays with expectations for both slasher movies and time-loop movies, with stylish death scenes and amusingly memorable supporting characters. He takes a seemingly worn-out premise and makes it feel fresh and fun.
Rent/buy at Apple or Amazon
Thanks to Blumhouse's longstanding relationship with Universal, the company has gotten the opportunity to reimagine some of the classic Universal monsters, starting with this take on H.G. Wells's renowned novel from writer-director Leigh Whannell.
Whannell updates the story to the modern day, making the title character into a wealthy, abusive tech mogul who uses his invisibility technology to terrorize his ex-girlfriend Cecilia (Elisabeth Moss). “The Invisible Man” becomes a story about the way that victims of domestic violence are frequently dismissed and disbelieved, as Cecilia fails to convince anyone that the apparently dead Adrian is still tormenting her.
Moss brings emotional intensity to what could have been a silly story, and Whannell matches her by treating the material with care while still offering plenty of shocks and scares. It's an intelligent, well-crafted reinvention of a familiar story.
Watch on Peacock
The Screenlife brand now seems somewhat commonplace, but when “Unfriended” premiered in 2014, the idea of presenting an entire movie via one character's computer screen was daring and even revolutionary.
“Unfriended” remains both the best and the purest representation of the Screenlife approach, rigorously sticking to the video chats and other programs on the laptop of high school student Blaire Lily (Shelley Hennig).
As Blaire chats with her friends online, they become aware of a supernatural presence among them, seeking revenge for a cruel prank perpetrated on another classmate. Tying the ghostly threat to the chat itself elegantly allows “Unfriended” to justify its format, as the characters must stay online in order to defeat their foe.
“Unfriended” is a terrifying horror movie as well as a masterful depiction of the way people interact online, making connections that can easily turn sinister.
Watch on AMC Plus
Jordan Peele's Oscar-winning debut as a writer-director represents Blumhouse at its best, delivering a major box-office hit that combines sophisticated social commentary, wry comedy and intense scares. Peele has gone on to a high-profile auteur career, and his first film showcases his unique talent already fully formed.
Daniel Kaluuya plays Black photographer Chris Washington, who travels to an upscale suburb to meet the family of his white girlfriend Rose Armitage (Allison Williams). The visit turns into a nightmare when Chris is drugged and kidnapped, discovering that Rose's outwardly progressive family is part of a diabolical conspiracy.
Peele expertly builds tension while playing on audience expectations, and Kaluuya and Williams capture the characters' shifting perspectives as the truth comes to light. Peele makes incisive points about race and class without ever losing sight of the horror and humor.
Rent/buy at Apple or Amazon
Josh Bell is a freelance writer and movie/TV critic based in Las Vegas. He's the former film editor of Las Vegas Weekly and has written about movies and TV for Vulture, Inverse, CBR, Crooked Marquee and more. With comedian Jason Harris, he co-hosts the podcast Awesome Movie Year.
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