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President Trump said he'd like to send American criminals to El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison when he met with Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office. Former US Attorney Harry Litman says that would violate the Constitution.
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The deal signed last week between the centre-right CDU and centre-left SPD paves the way for vital investment in Europe's biggest economy
Some years ago, hundreds of German finance ministry staff dressed in black and formed a giant zero to salute their boss, Wolfgang Schäuble, as he left office. It was a tribute to Mr Schäuble's extreme fiscal conservatism, which had delivered Germany's first balanced budget in the postwar period. Amid resurgent prosperity in the Angela Merkel years, the so-called black zero – symbolising a constitutional prohibition on public debt – had gradually acquired cult status.
As a new administration prepares to take power in Berlin, it seems unlikely that human euro signs will welcome the latest politician to take on Mr Schäuble's former role. But in dramatic fashion, the spending taps are set to be turned on. Via a swiftly staged March vote in the outgoing Bundestag, “debt brake” dogma was consigned to history by the chancellor‑elect, Friedrich Merz. The way was thus paved for groundbreaking expenditure on defence, and the overhaul of an economy being left behind in a changed, suddenly menacing world.
So much for the theory – now for the practice. Mr Merz, the centre-right leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), last week concluded the fastest set of coalition talks since 2009. Pending approval of the deal by Social Democratic party (SPD) members, he is expected to be sworn in as chancellor in by early May. In office, the “grand coalition” agreed between the CDU and the SPD – handed seven ministries including finance and defence – will immediately be confronted by challenges that dwarf those faced by almost all its predecessors.
The US under Donald Trump, whether as economic partner or military ally, can no longer be relied upon – an era-defining shift whatever the outcome of the current tariff wars and Mr Trump's negotiations with Moscow over Ukraine. China, once a vast outlet for the exports which fuelled growth, has morphed into a fearsome competitor, including on German soil. A stagnant economy, combined with a post-Merkel backlash against migration, has accelerated the rise of Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), one of the most extreme far‑right parties in Europe. Last week, a poll fatefully placed the AfD in the lead for the first time.
The pressure from the right – both from within his own party and from the AfD – is having an impact. Mr Merz's Trumpian promise to turn asylum seekers away at German borders from his “first day”, along with other draconian measures, will only allow the far right to up the ante still further. Meanwhile, he also appears to be looking for wriggle room on agreed coalition commitments to the less well off and to climate targets.
Nevertheless, the broad economic thrust of the deal remains right for troubling times. The European Central Bank must play its part – by keeping yields on a leash. As Germany's neighbours deal with similar geopolitical threats and uncertainties, the ability of the EU's most powerful member state to show leadership and forge a path through the crisis will be crucial. With short-term growth acutely vulnerable to mood swings in the White House, the effects of spending will take time to be felt in people's everyday lives. But the prospect of a transformative increase in public investment offers the hope of industrial renaissance and a restoration of voters' trust in the political centre.
Alongside his SPD counterparts last week, Mr Merz confidently announced that Germany was “back on track”. Europe badly needs him to be right.
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Harvard University rejected the Trump administration's demands for policy changes at the school on Monday, putting nearly $9 billion in federal funding at risk.
The university received a letter from a federal task force last week outlining additional policy demands that “will maintain Harvard's financial relationship with the federal government.”
“We have informed the administration through our legal counsel that we will not accept their proposed agreement,” Harvard President Alan M. Garber said in a statement. “The University will not surrender its independence or its constitutional rights.”
The Trump administration has threatened numerous colleges across the U.S. with funding cuts if changes in school policy weren't made, and Harvard's move appears to mark the first time an elite university has rebuked the White House over those demands.
Among the mandates in the administration's letter are the elimination of Harvard's diversity, equity and inclusion programs, banning masks at campus protests, merit-based hiring and admissions reforms and reducing the power held by faculty and administrators “more committed to activism than scholarship.”
The proposed changes are the latest effort of the federal task force to combat antisemitism on college campuses after a spate of high-profile incidents around the country in response to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Garber said the majority of demands “represent direct governmental regulation of the ‘intellectual conditions' at Harvard.”
“No government – regardless of which party is in power – should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue,” Garber said.
The Harvard faculty chapter of the American Association of University Professors, along with the national organization, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Friday in conjunction with a request from the professors for an immediate temporary restraining order to block the government from cutting off Harvard's federal funding, CNN previously reported.
The lawsuit says the cancellation of federal funding “is imminent,” citing how the Trump administration already slashed the funding of other higher education institutions such as Columbia University, which was the first college targeted, with $400 million in federal funding cuts.
“What the President of the United States is demanding of universities is nothing short of authoritarian,” Harvard Law School professor Nikolas Bowie said Monday on CNN's News Central.
“He is violating the First Amendment rights of universities and faculty by demanding that if universities want to keep this money, they have to suppress our speech and change what we teach and how we study,” Bowie said.
The demands in the administration's earlier letter also include “full cooperation” with the Department of Homeland Security, which enforces immigration policy, and federal regulators to ensure “full compliance,” according to a copy of the letter obtained by the The Harvard Crimson, a student-run newspaper.
The letter was received days after the departments of Education, Health and Human Services, and the US General Services Administration announced they are reviewing $8.7 billion in grants and more than $255 million worth of contracts between Harvard, its affiliates and the federal government, according to a news release.
CNN's Emma Tucker contributed to this report.
This story has been updated with additional details.
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A man accused of breaking into and setting fire to Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's residence while the governor's family slept admitted to “harboring hatred” for Shapiro, and said he would have beaten the governor with a hammer if they had encountered one another, court records allege.
Shapiro, his wife Lori, their four children, two dogs and another family were forced to evacuate the state-owned Harrisburg residence, which was significantly damaged by the fire early Sunday, hours after the family hosted a Passover dinner, the governor said. No injuries were reported.
Cody Balmer, 38, turned himself in to police and was being held on charges of attempted murder, aggravated arson, terrorism and other charges, authorities said. As of Monday morning, however, he was receiving treatment at a hospital following a “medical event not connected to this incident or his arrest,” police said.
Investigators believe mental health issues may be a factor, according to a source familiar with the investigation. Officials were struck by how casual and relaxed the suspect was throughout the ordeal, the source said.
Balmer admitted to setting the fire using homemade Molotov cocktails he fashioned from lawnmower gasoline and beer bottles, according to an affidavit filed by state police early Monday. Balmer knew it was possible the governor was home at the time, he said, and that people could have been hurt.
The case is seemingly the latest instance of violence or threats against an American elected official. A prominent Democrat, the 51-year-old Shapiro was one of several candidates considered for former Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate during her 2024 presidential bid. He has also been floated as a potential presidential candidate for 2028.
A surge in violent threats against politicians in recent years has included a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, in 2023 and two assassination attempts against President Donald Trump, a Republican, last year.
“This type of violence is not OK,” Shapiro said at a news conference Sunday, his voice rising. “We have to be better than this.”
Here's what we know about the fire at Shapiro's home and the response by officials:
It took Balmer about an hour to walk from his Harrisburg home to the governor's residence early Sunday, he told police in an interview outlined in Monday's affidavit.
When he arrived, Balmer hopped the fence surrounding the residence, broke two windows with a hammer, threw an incendiary device through one of the broken windows – starting a fire – and climbed in through the other to enter the home, according to the affidavit, which cited footage captured by security cameras. Inside, Balmer threw a second incendiary device, causing more flames, the affidavit said.
Balmer then kicked a dining room door down and fled the scene, according to the affidavit.
Balmer was inside the governor's residence for less than one minute, and “actively evaded” troopers who were searching for him at the same time, Pennsylvania State Police Lt. Col. George Bivens said.
“He clearly had a plan,” Bivens said. “He was very methodical in his approach.”
The suspect was on the property for several minutes before the fires began, according to the source familiar with the investigation. A member of the governor's security team was seen on closed-circuit footage walking not far from him, the source said, but it's unclear whether the security officer was responding to a motion sensor or on a routine patrol of the compound.
A caller to emergency services reported a “large fire on the first floor” of the governor's residence, adding they could “see fire out the windows,” according to audio from the Dauphin County Fire and EMS scanner obtained by CNN.
Shapiro and his family woke up around 2 a.m. Sunday to loud bangs on the door from one of the state troopers assigned to their detail alerting them to the flames, Shapiro told reporters.
Harrisburg Bureau of Fire responded around 2 a.m. and extinguished the flames, according to state police.
A security review is now underway “to determine how we can ensure that we don't have a repeat situation like this,” Bivens said.
Shapiro has praised law enforcement for its response. Despite that, the incident is seen by many within the Pennsylvania State Police as a failure, and some personnel could face discipline, according to the source familiar with the investigation.
The governor's residence has 24/7 security, even when Shapiro is not home, the source said. The property also has numerous security cameras equipped with motion sensor technology that are supposed to be monitored. There have been numerous past instances where the motion sensors were tripped by squirrels and cats, the source said.
When the fires began early Sunday, the security team assumed an intruder was at the residence, but the team's first priority was securing the governor and his family, the source noted. It appears the suspect did not have any contact with the governor's detail.
After Balmer fled the scene, a woman who identified herself as his ex-partner called police to say Balmer had confessed he started the fire, according to the affidavit.
Balmer then turned himself in to police headquarters, authorities said. Balmer told police he removed gasoline from a lawn mower and poured it into beer bottles to make Molotov cocktails, which he threw into the governor's home, the affidavit said.
In his interview with police, Balmer admitted to “harboring hatred” towards Shapiro, the affidavit said, without elaborating on reasons for those feelings. Balmer also said he knew it was possible Shapiro and others were home when the fire started, the document said.
“Balmer was asked specifically what he would have done if Governor Shapiro found him inside of his residence, to which (Balmer) advised he would have beaten him with his hammer,” the affidavit reads.
Balmer had expressed disdain for former President Joe Biden, also a Democrat, on social media multiple times since 2021. In one post that January, Balmer wrote in part, “Biden supporters shouldn't exist. Where were you his first run? Well aware of the trash he is.”
In September 2021, Balmer posted a meme critical of the Biden administration's handling of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. The meme shows Biden in a car with text that reads, “Get in, loser. We're leaving Afghanistan.” The next image shows Biden appearing to drive off, with text that says, “*Drives off without you*.”
Balmer's arrest comes days before he is expected in court for a plea hearing in a separate case stemming from a 2023 simple assault charge, according to state court records. CNN has reached out to the attorney representing Balmer in that case.
In another case, Balmer pleaded guilty in 2016 to forgery and theft by deception charges, court documents show.
Balmer could also face federal charges in Sunday's incident, the Dauphin County district attorney said. The FBI's Philadelphia field office is assisting state police in its investigation, the agency told CNN in an email.
The fire caused “significant fire damage” to the residence's piano room and the dining room, the affidavit said.
Walls and ceilings are torched, with floors covered in ash and furniture destroyed, photos show. There are remnants of the Passover dinner the governor hosted Saturday – including a “Passover Crafts” sign.
The Pennsylvania governor's residence is a 29,000 square foot Georgian-style building on the Susquehanna River, which has been home to eight governors and their families since it was completed in 1968, according to the Pennsylvania government.
The residence's first floor houses both temporary and permanent art exhibits.
In an emotional news conference Sunday, Shapiro said the fire was an attack not just on his family but on “the entire commonwealth of Pennsylvania.”
He expressed gratitude for the messages of support and prayers he and his family have received, including from numerous politicians. Vice President JD Vance, a Republican, called the attack “really disgusting violence,” and US Sen. John Fetterman, a Pennsylvania Democrat, described it as “truly appalling.”
“I want you all to know that your prayers lift us up, and in this moment of darkness we are choosing to see light,” Shapiro said, choking up.
Still, Shapiro said he will not be “deterred” by the alleged attack. “If this individual was trying to deter me from doing my job as your governor, rest assured, I will find a way to work even harder than I was,” he said.
The governor also highlighted his pride in his Jewish faith.
“If he was trying to terrorize our family, our friends, the Jewish community, who joined us for a Passover Seder in that room last night, hear me on this: we celebrated our faith last night, proudly and in a few hours, we will celebrate our second Seder of Passover,” he said.
“No one will deter me or my family, or any Pennsylvanian from celebrating their faith openly and proudly.”
CNN's Josh Campbell, Sara Smart and Amanda Jackson contributed to this report.
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Trump's tariff chaos has naturally scared some Britons back into the safety of savings accounts – but investing is about playing the long game
Recent headlines about stock markets in freefall and graphs with downward arrows are not what you would choose as a backdrop to persuading people to move from cash savings into riskier investments.
But that was what the chancellor, Rachel Reeves, was faced with after announcing that a review of cash and shares Isas was on the way.
A week after her March spring statement included confirmation that the government was considering changes to the tax-efficient accounts “to earn better returns for savers, boost the culture of retail investment, and support the growth mission”, Donald Trump put the frighteners on investors with his tariffs announcement.
But while they may have dodged losses linked to recent market gyrations, those who hold only savings accounts have missed out on some serious stock market gains in recent years. Figures issued by the Investment Association at the end of March showed that £10,000 put into a cash Isa five years ago would in effect be worth £8,713 “in today's money” once inflation was taken into account. By contrast, the same sum put into a stocks and shares Isa that invested in a global equity fund would have been worth £12,249, it said. That figure was issued on 27 March, before the stock market turmoil of the last few days.
Ruth Handcock, the chief executive of the money advice company Octopus Money, says that over most periods, investments have outperformed cash savings.
“The reasons for not investing are not logical,” she says. While everyone needs some cash they can get their hands on in an emergency, “people who only save see the value of their money eroded by inflation”, she adds.
Despite that, figures from the investment firm Aberdeen show that typically, after property and pension savings, people in the UK choose to stash their money on deposit – in a bank, building society, at National Savings and Investments, or one of the new app-based providers.
Aberdeen says UK consumers hold an average of 15% of their assets in cash, compared with 8% in stocks. That compares with 13% for each among French consumers, and with 10% and 33% respectively in the US.
Among the countries the company compared, the UK was not the most cash-heavy – in Japan, 35% of savings were in cash – but British residents had the smallest proportion of their assets in the markets.
Separate research by the Investment Association found that in 2023, only 39% of UK adults were actively investing – which included buying cryptocurrency and other assets.
While not everyone has enough money to put by for the long term, even among those who seemingly do have something spare to put by, there is a high reliance on cash accounts.
So why are we a nation of savers, not investors?
Alexander Joshi, the head of behavioural insight at Barclays Private Bank, says its research has shown there are two main reasons why people stick to cash: “Firstly, they find investing too confusing and complicated. Secondly, they perceive it to be too risky,” he says. “A fifth of UK adults who don't invest say it's because they have insufficient knowledge, and a quarter say it's because investing is too complicated.”
Handcock blames the “paucity of help that's available” to people who do not know what to do with their money.
Richard Wilson, the chief operating officer at Aberdeen, says the UK has “failed for years to spark a national culture of retail investing – a culture that you see embedded in the US”.
He says there is a need for better financial education.
“We also need a more competitive stock market. That means no stamp duty [tax] on UK shares, and a friction-free, simpler Isa system,” Wilson says. “While Isas have clearly enjoyed many successes, the brand has been stretched too far, and high levels of complexity risk putting people off altogether.”
The government's plans include a review of Isas, though it has dropped the idea of one designed to incentivise people to put money specifically in UK shares. It is also working with the City regulator on ways to make financial advice more accessible.
It acknowledges that not everyone can afford to invest, and that people should have emergency funds that are easily available and safe. But it wants to increase investment by those who can afford it.
Handcock says Isas could be better set up to encourage investment and that people's personal savings allowance should be used more to encourage the use of bank and building society accounts. “How do you create the ladder to investing? We've relied on the Isa to do that, and people have got stuck at cash,” she says. Instead, the focus could be on stocks and shares Isas. “What we'd then need is help to use it.”
For anyone wavering between investing and saving, this month's severe stock market turbulence could easily have tipped the scales in favour of a bank or building society account.
Joshi says: “Those who are reluctant to invest may be experiencing ‘confirmation bias'. In simple terms, they are overly focusing on information about investing that confirms their pre-existing beliefs, which might be negative to begin with.”
He says the current uncertainty will naturally make people more cautious when it comes to their money.
“An expectation of rising living costs is likely to make people more conscious of their day-to-day spending, and it may cause them to shy away from risk, especially when it comes to investing,” he says. “In the short term, recency bias is also likely to play a factor, because people tend to overweight the importance of recent events at the expense of their long-term objectives or financial goals.”
However, investing is all about playing the long game. “As they say: time in the market beats timing the market,” Joshi says. “If people are still unsure, one option is to start with small investments to gain confidence and to build from there.”
Only invest money you don't need soon. Investments are long-term and you will be able to ride out the ups and downs in the stock markets if you do not need to withdraw the money when things are going badly.
Instead of trying to pick individual stocks and shares, go for a fund. This means you don't have to research hundreds of companies to find the right ones, and allows you to spread your money more widely, as you can, in effect, own bits of lots of shares.
Choosing a low-cost tracker fund is a good place to start if you are not going to put in much money. Tracker funds tend to have the lowest charges – they focus on a certain market and try to follow its performance.
Invest regularly rather than putting in a lump sum. The best way to avoid any scary losses is to invest regular sums. When the market is lower, you are buying more units for your money and stand to gain when it recovers – so you make a virtue of any dips.
Investments held in an Isa are not subject to tax. Although you are starting small, you might want to put in more money as you get more confident, and if your choices perform well, you may be grateful you have shielded your gains.
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Billionaire Ray Dalio says President Donald Trump's tariff war has helped push America close to a recession — or perhaps even “something worse.”
“Right now, we are at a decision-making point and very close to a recession,” the founder of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world's largest hedge funds, told NBC's “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “And I'm worried about something worse than a recession if this isn't handled well.”
Dalio, who correctly predicted the 2008 financial crisis, is part of a growing chorus, including major Wall Street banks, worried that tariffs could hamstring the US economy, the world's largest.
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“If you take tariffs, if you take debt, if you take the rising power challenging existing power, if you take those factors and look at the factors, those changes in the orders, the systems, are very, very disruptive. How that's handled could produce something that is much worse than a recession. Or it could be handled well,” he said.
Dalio added that whether tariffs are implemented in a “stable” way or a “chaotic and disruptive way” makes “all the difference in the world.”
But, so far, the way Trump has pursued his tariff plan — designed to reshore manufacturing to the US and boost jobs and tax revenue — has been “very disruptive,” Dalio said, adding the tariffs are “like throwing rocks into the production system.”
Trump's tariff offensive on the world has triggered global market turmoil in recent weeks, raising fears of an economic downturn. Last week, Trump declared a 90-day pause on all “reciprocal” tariffs, except those imposed on China, which increased to at least 145%.
Yet some Chinese electronic goods, including smartphones and computer monitors, will be exempt from that 145%, according to a US Customs and Border Protection notice posted late Friday. Those goods are still, however, subject to a 20% levy imposed on China.
A recession refers to a sustained decline in economic activity, often measured by two or more consecutive quarters of negative growth.
Goldman Sachs economists expect a 45% chance of a recession in the US over the next 12 months. Before Trump announced the 90-day pause, they had forecast a recession as the “base case,” meaning it was highly likely to occur.
“The prospect of a recession has increased, with growing indications that economic activity is slowing down around the world,” company CEO David Solomon told analysts on a Monday call.
Current levels of uncertainty have “constrained” the ability of Goldman Sachs' clients to make important decisions, Solomon said. “Fears over the potentially escalating effects of the trade war have created material risks to the US and global economy,” he added.
Dalio is worth $16 billion, according to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index.
John Towfighi contributed reporting.
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With the first generation of people exposed widely to technology now approaching old age, how has its use affected their risk of cognitive decline?
That's a question researchers from two Texas universities sought to answer in a new meta-analysis study, a review of previous studies, published Monday in the journal Nature Human Behavior. The query investigates the “digital dementia hypothesis,” which argues that lifetime use may increase reliance on technology and weaken cognitive abilities over time.
“We say a really active brain in youth and midlife is a brain that is more resilient later,” said Dr. Amit Sachdev, medical director of the department of neurology and ophthalmology at Michigan State University, who wasn't involved in the study.
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But the authors discovered that the digital dementia hypothesis may not bear out: Their analysis of 57 studies totaling 411,430 older adults found technology use was associated with a 42% lower risk of cognitive impairment, which was defined as a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment or dementia, or as subpar performance on cognitive tests.
Forms of technology included computers, smartphones, internet, email, social media or “mixed/multiple uses,” according to the new study.
“That these effects were found in studies even when factors like education, income, and other lifestyle factors were adjusted was also encouraging: the effect doesn't seem just due to other brain health factors,” co-lead study author Dr. Jared Benge, associate professor in the department of neurology at the University of Texas at Austin's Dell Medical School, said via email.
The authors searched eight databases for studies published through 2024, and the 57 chosen for their main analysis included 20 studies that followed participants for about six years on average and 37 cross-sectional studies, which measure health data and outcomes at one point in time. The adults were age 68 on average at the beginning of the studies.
While technology use was generally linked with a lower risk of cognitive decline, the findings for social media use were inconsistent, the authors said.
None of the 136 studies the authors reviewed overall reported an increased risk of cognitive impairment correlated with technology use — a consistency that is “really quite rare,” said co-lead study author Dr. Michael Scullin, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Baylor University, via email.
The research is “a really well-organized and -executed meta-analysis of essentially the entire field over the last 18 years or 20 years,” said Dr. Christopher Anderson, chief of the division of stroke and cerebrovascular diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. Anderson wasn't involved in the study.
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But if you're thinking the study's findings mean you're free to use technology to your heart's content since your brain will be fine anyway — not so fast.
“Our findings are not a blanket endorsement of mindless scrolling,” Benge, who is also a clinical neuropsychologist at UT Health Austin's Comprehensive Memory Center, said. “They are instead a hint that the generation that gave us the internet has found ways to get some net positive benefits from these tools to the brain.”
And despite the study's significance, there are still many uncertainties about the relationships between various aspects of technology use and brain health.
One of the study's limitations is that it doesn't have details on how people were using technological devices, experts said. As a result, it's unclear whether participants were using computers or phones in ways that meaningfully exercised their brains, or what specific way may be most associated with cognitive protection.
Lacking information on the amount of time technology was used means it's also unknown whether there is harmful threshold or if only a little time is needed for cognitive benefits, Anderson said.
These questions are difficult “to try to answer, because the sheer volume of technology exposures that we have to navigate is so high,” Sachdev said. “To isolate one technology exposure and its effect is difficult, and to measure just a whole ecosystem of technology exposures and … their aggregate effect is also a challenge.”
Additionally, “the amount that we can extrapolate from this study towards future generations is very unclear, given the ubiquity of technology today that people are exposed to and have been exposed to from their birth,” Anderson said.
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“When you think about the kind of technology that this cohort would've been interacting with earlier in their lives, it's a time when you had to really work to use technology,” Anderson added.
Their brains were also already well formed, Benge said.
The study may support the alternative to the digital dementia hypothesis, which is the cognitive reserve theory. The theory “contends that exposure to complex mental activities leads to better cognitive well-being in older age,” even in the face of age-related brain changes, according to the study.
That technology may reduce risk of cognitive decline by helping us be more neurologically active is possible, Sachdev said. Technology use can also foster social connection in some instances, and social isolation has been linked with greater odds of developing dementia.
It's also possible that older adults who are using technology may already have more active and resilient brains, explaining their engagement with technology.
Inferences on best practices for technology use in consideration of cognitive health can't be drawn from the study since it didn't have specifics on participants' use habits, experts said.
But “it does support that a healthy mix of activities is likely to be the most beneficial, and that fits with other literature on the topic as well,” Anderson said. “What this probably does more than anything else is provide some reassurance that there's no association between at least moderate use of technology and cognitive decline.”
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Engaging in moderation is best, Sachdev said. And that should largely bring joy, genuine connection, creativity and intellectual stimulation to your life, experts said.
“It should be productive in some way,” he added, and entertaining yourself can sometimes meet that requirement. But if you're experiencing eye or neck strain from sitting in front of a screen, that's a sign you're using technology too much.
“Too much of anything can be a bad thing,” Sachdev said. “Identifying the purpose and the duration and then executing along those lines is how we would advise for most topics.”
Some older adults have avoided technology use, thinking it's too difficult to learn. But Scullin and others have found even people with mild dementia can be trained to use such devices, he said. Though sometimes frustrating, the difficulty “is a reflection of the mental stimulation afforded through learning the device,” Scullin added.
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Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro was recovering in an intensive care unit on Monday after a tricky 12-hour surgery due to recurring intestinal issues since he was stabbed while campaigning in 2018.
The 70-year-old conservative firebrand was awake and doing “very well” in the intensive care unit, where he will remain during a slow recovery, doctors at the DF Star Hospital told journalists. It was his fifth surgery since the 2018 stabbing.
The former president was hospitalized on Friday after strong abdominal pains during an event with supporters in northeastern Brazil, forcing him to break off a regional tour aimed at drumming up support ahead of a trial before the Supreme Court.
Bolsonaro was transferred to the nation's capital, Brasilia, where he lives, on Saturday night.
The surgery was difficult due to Bolsonaro's prior surgeries and stab wound, but Sunday's procedure did not have unexpected complications and the result was satisfactory, doctors said, adding that hospital visits for now should be limited to family.
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President Donald Trump is heading into another volatile week of his trade wars facing an urgent need to de-escalate the clash he ignited with China before it inflicts deep damage on the US economy.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is so far declining US pressure to call his American counterpart to seek a “deal” after the United States imposed 145% tariffs on its superpower rival, setting off a long-feared direct confrontation.
This leaves Trump repeatedly assuring Americans that his “great relationship” with the Chinese leader will head off a crisis but unable to initiate talks in a standoff that risks tanking stock markets again and imposing real hardships on Americans.
Despite the uncertainty, Trump is putting on a show of relishing multiple fights he set off, and he lapped up a standing ovation as he took a seat cage-side at a UFC mixed martial arts event in Florida on Saturday night. The president, who styles himself as an ultimate political fighter, told reporters his reception was “somewhat legendary” and showed that “we're doing a good job.”
But the president's conflict with China is a real-world showdown with far higher stakes.
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The impasse is so serious because the US and Chinese economies are intricately entwined. The US relies on China for consumer electronics; rare earth minerals used in the manufacture of electric vehicles and for military applications and robotics; pharmaceuticals used in lifesaving medicines; and more basic staples of daily life, including clothing and shoes. US exports of produce like soybeans and sorghum to China are vital to the livelihoods of American farmers, but the tariffs imposed by both sides are so prohibitive that trade may effectively grind to a halt.
Both sides could suffer terribly in a full-blown trade war, and US consumers could be hit by shortages and surging prices. But some experts believe that China, owing to its authoritarian system of government, would be willing to impose more pain on its populace to avoid losing what could be a defining struggle with the US.
China imposed reciprocal 34% tariffs on all imports from the United States from April 10, including export controls on seven types of rare-earth minerals, such as samarium, gadolinium and terbium.
Trump's capacity to play the long game was called into question when he suddenly paused reciprocal tariffs on dozens of nations last week for 90 days after bond market sell-offs began to hint at a developing financial crisis. That climbdown will have been carefully watched in Beijing. And in seeking to ease one sticky situation, Trump exacerbated another — lashing out at China with his 145% tariffs in an apparent effort to save face.
As the chaos worsens, the White House added more confusion Friday night, exempting imports of Chinese-made smartphones and computers from the top tariff rate in an apparent acknowledgment that sky-high levies on those items could hammer the tech industry and US consumers.
But on Sunday, the administration insisted that such products would still be subject to new tariffs at a lower level in the coming weeks, raising further questions about its apparently unplanned and knee-jerk stances, which have repeatedly scared markets.
“NOBODY is getting ‘off the hook' for the unfair Trade Balances, and Non Monetary Tariff Barriers, that other Countries have used against us, especially not China which, by far, treats us the worst!” Trump wrote Sunday on Truth Social. “There was no Tariff ‘exception' announced on Friday. These products are subject to the existing 20% Fentanyl Tariffs, and they are just moving to a different Tariff ‘bucket.' The Fake News knows this, but refuses to report it,” he went on.
As it has several times, the administration is insisting that its sudden moves and inconsistent messaging were part of the plan all along.
“This is just another great example of how President Trump had a detailed plan from the beginning that's being executed exactly as directed,” White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said on Fox News' “Sunday Morning Futures.” He explained the administration's thinking that such items are vital to US national security and thus required different treatment for “reshoring” factories that make them.
The administration insists its strategy is working, arguing that scores of countries included in the now-paused reciprocal tariffs have rushed to offer stunning deals to Trump to escape American pressure.
The White House is now applying similar logic to China, betting that the might of the US economy will force Xi to offer concessions on long-held grievances that include concerns over market access, intellectual property theft and a vast trade imbalance that Trump insists is proof Beijing is ripping off Washington.
“It's kind of almost a two-world system. There's a process about China, and that's very, very nascent … and then the process for everybody else,” Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, told CNN's Jake Tapper on “State of the Union” on Sunday. “So the process for everybody else is orderly, it's clear. People are coming to town with great, great offers.”
The Trump approach is risky, and it may fail to take into account the complexities of the US-China relationship and the political dynamics in Beijing. This is because Xi's attempt to turn his country into a dominant great power is founded in a conceit that the US and other Western powers have historically adopted colonial-style policies to suppress Chinese influence and deprive it of its rightful place in the world. This makes it almost impossible for Xi to be seen as caving to what China regards as US bullying.
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Still, the administration has dismissed warnings that China can hurt the US as badly as Washington can hurt it. “They're playing with a pair of twos,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last week on CNBC. He argued that since the US exports only a fifth of the total value of goods Beijing sends to the US, its economy would come off worse in a tit-for-tat trade war.
That reasoning and Trump's confidence that his typical brinksmanship and raising of the stakes to intolerable levels, which he honed as a real estate mogul in New York, will be tested in the days to come.
If Trump does manage to reframe the US trading relationship with China, he will claim a significant achievement in a new era of Washington relations with Beijing. For years, presidents of both parties reasoned that by liberalizing China's previously controlled economy, the US could usher its rival into the global rule-based trading system and promote political reforms inside the country. But that calculus began to change at the end of the Obama administration, and Xi's nationalistic rule sharpened the economic and geopolitical showdown between the two sides.
Trump has argued with some justification that expanded trade with China has built a superpower foe that US leaders in both parties now regard as the premier threat to US national security and global power. At the same time, however, cheap clothes and consumer goods such as iPhones have massively improved the material circumstances of millions of Americans, even as globalization has hollowed out US manufacturing heartlands and left a trail of social blight.
Despite the rising tensions and more nervousness to come on the stock markets this week, Trump's aides on Sunday defended the president's approach, which risks tipping into recession an economy that was humming along when he took office less than three months ago.
“This is unfolding exactly like we thought it would in a dominant scenario,” White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said on NBC's “Meet the Press.” He added: “We've got 90 deals in 90 days possibly pending here.”
That kind of success rate in negotiating trade deals, which normally take years to clinch, would be remarkable — one reason why many analysts don't take the administration's bombast about offers from foreign nations at face value. The possibility remains that countries such as Japan, India and South Korea, as well as the European Union, will offer Trump splashy concessions he can claim as a big win while they do not fundamentally change bilateral trading relationships.
That would mean one of Trump's core justifications for the tariff war — remaking American manufacturing — would not be achieved. Cosmetic wins for Trump would also fail to justify the trillions of dollars his actions have wiped off global stock markets and the losses he's inflicted on millions of Americans' retirement accounts.
There are growing signs that the president's chaotic economic management is depressing his political standing in a way that will be particularly sensitive for Republican lawmakers in the year before the midterm elections.
A new CBS poll Sunday showed that the president's approval ratings over his handling of the economy and inflation have dipped. Some 44% of respondents approve and 56% disapprove of his performance on the economy, while only 40% approve and 60% disapprove on his handling of inflation. And 75% expect at least short-term price spikes due to tariffs, while 48% expect long-term increases.
These are shaky numbers considering that the real impact of tariffs is yet to be felt by consumers in terms of rising prices. And Trump's bet is particularly hazardous given that his promise to lower the costs of food and housing was at the center of his win over Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris last November.
Despite the tense times, one of Trump's loudest boosters in the Cabinet, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, remains bombastic.
“Donald Trump has the ball. I want him to have it. He's the right person with it,” Lutnick said on ABC News' “This Week.” “He knows how to play this game. He knows how to deal with President Xi. This is the right person for the right role, and I am confident this is going to work out with China.”
Yet the mystique of Trump as a master dealmaker, which has been more central to the president's political appeal than anything else, has never faced a tougher test.
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A recent study shows the benefit of being a middle-aged ‘weekend warrior' who only exercises once or twice a week
In these bleak times, glimmers of hope often seem to come out of the pages of scientific research. Take what we know about exercise. Just in the past few months, we've learned that moderate exercise may almost halve the risk of postpartum depression for new mothers, and that even five minutes of exercise a day could help lower blood pressure.
But what really caught my eye recently was a study from Latin America that included roughly 10,000 people who were assessed over two decades using the Mexico City prospective study. The research, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, examined cognitive function with the aim of understanding the impact of exercise on mental ability, including mild dementia. The researchers took account of confounding variables such as age, diet, smoking and alcohol intake, nightly sleep and educational attainment, which have all been shown to affect overall health and wellbeing. By controlling for these factors, the contribution of physical activity towards mild cognitive impairment was estimated.
The study found that “weekend warriors” – that is people who exercise only once or twice a week – were 25% less likely to develop mild dementia than those who didn't exercise at all; while those who were regularly active (at least three times a week) were 11% less likely. The authors of the study didn't address why weekend warriors actually fared better than regular exercisers, but focused on the big picture: they estimate that 13% of mild dementia cases could be avoided if all middle-aged adults exercised at least once or twice a week.
While we have known about the benefits of physical activity for physical health, such as preventing diabetes and hypertension, for a long time, newer research is pointing to the positive effects on our minds. As a personal trainer, I'm used to telling individual clients and classes how we can make certain muscles “stronger”. But people should also be encouraged to think more expansively about what's going on – to visualise their muscles producing small proteins travelling up to their brain to protect neural matter. This is what makes us feel happy and helps delay mild dementia. Referred to as “muscle-brain cross-talk”, exercise has increasingly been prescribed as an effective intervention for depression.
The latest analysis on mild dementia and exercise is exciting to read because it shows that you don't have to do huge amounts of exercise – punishing daily regimes – to reap significant benefits to your health. So stop stressing if you can't, or don't want to, get up at 6am to exercise before work each day, or can't make it to the gym in the evening because you prefer to see your friends or family. You can also look at your overall fitness plan, if you have one, in a weekly block, rather than being guilty if a few days go by when you're not able to fit in movement. How active are you over seven days, and where can you add in enjoyable and easy ways to get moving – whether it's a Sunday morning jog or a Saturday afternoon swim?
Those of us in the physical activity community often think about optimising fitness – what is the best exercise, compound set of moves, or new hack to introduce? But this incremental fixation, which is really about the fit becoming fitter, and tinkering around the edges, misses the bigger picture: the wider public health challenge of getting those who are inactive, or feel like they're not sporty, to get moving. So three cheers to the researchers in Mexico City if it's the incentive you need – even just a little bit of exercise can go a long way.
Prof Devi Sridhar is chair of global public health at the University of Edinburgh, and the author of How Not to Die (Too Soon)
It was a passion project that spanned around 15 years and cost over $1 million, but nearly two decades after technology entrepreneur Chris Willson purchased a cruise ship on Craigslist, the vessel has met its end.
The 293-foot ship, which was towed from California city Stockton to nearby peninsula Mare Island in late 2024, has been completely demolished.
Willson, who reluctantly sold the vessel, known as the Aurora, in October 2023, says he's devastated by the turn of events.
“It's probably one of the saddest things that I've had to witness in this lifetime…” Willson tells CNN Travel.
“It's hard to watch 15 years of hard work just go to complete waste.”
Cruise historian Peter Knego, who has followed the ship for several decades, is one of the few people to have caught a glimpse of the Aurora after she was towed, and was able to witness some of the painstaking work involved in scrapping it earlier this year.
“They're demolishing it with these cranes that go in and just grind up the steel,” Knego told CNN last month, pointing out that this is the “safest” method.
“It's a really mean looking, horrible death for the ship.”
That “horrible death” marks the final chapter in the eventful story of the “pocket” cruise ship, originally named Wappen von Hamburg, which was built by the Blohm and Voss shipyard in 1955 and went on to become the first significant passenger liner built by Germany after World War II.
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And while he no longer has any official connection to the vessel, Willson clearly feels a strong emotional tie to the Aurora after claiming to have plowed at least $1 million into the ship and spending nearly 15 years restoring it. He now rues parting company with it.
“If I would have known it would have went this direction, I would have stuck it out,” admits Willson, who previously lived on board the vessel with his long-term partner Jin Li and had hoped to transform it into a museum.
“But, I think it would have been sticking it out to my detriment.”
His long association with the ship began around 17 years ago, when he came across the sale listing on the Craigslist classified advertisements website.
After doing some digging into its history, Willson discovered that the vessel had appeared as the Spectre criminal organization headquarters in the 1963 James Bond movie “From Russia with Love.”
“I started learning some of the history about it,” he says. “And came to find out that it was one of the most historic ships on the planet.”
The vessel also served as a cruise ship for around two decades, which is around the time that Knego, whose fascination with ships began when he was a child, first came across it in California.
“At the time, it was this boutique luxury cruise ship decorated with the owner's wife's antique collection from Asia,” recalls Knego, who has been sharing updates on the ship on his YouTube channel, Peter Knego's MidShipCinema.
“So it was kind of a big deal, and I had my dad drive me down.”
Knego says he didn't see the ship again for many years, until he came across it “anchored off of Long Beach” and had his friends “go circle her so I could take some pictures.”
The ship went through many different owners, as well as names, before being moored in Vancouver.
After a few false starts and even more ownership, and name changes, it was towed to Alameda, California in 2005.
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It stayed at the Alameda for several years, until it was relocated to the California Delta and listed for sale on Craigslist, where Willson came across it in 2008.
Although he hasn't disclosed how much he paid for the ship, Willson previously told CNN that he was able to “work out a really good deal with the owner.”
“I thought I would never see it again,” says Knego, who had spent years traveling the world documenting cruise ships by this point.
“And then all of a sudden, the news came out on Craigslist that Chris Willson had bought the ship. And I was like, ‘Oh my god.' So I contacted Chris, and we became good friends.”
Willson renamed the ship the Aurora after spending his first night on board and waking up “to one of the most brilliant sunrises I had ever seen.”
“It was forming an Aurora type effect with the clouds and water,” he told CNN back in 2022.
“I remember thinking at that time ‘Aurora' was a fitting name.”
Willson arranged for the ship to be moved to the California river city of Rio Vista, and it remained there for a year, before he was offered a berth in San Francisco's Pier 38. However, this arrangement came to an end after around three years.
In 2012, he had the ship transferred back to the California Delta, California's largest estuary, and moored the Aurora at Herman & Helen's Marina in Little Potato Slough, located around 14 miles from the city of Stockton in California's Central Valley.
“We wanted it in fresh water and we wanted it in shallow water,” Willson explained to CNN previously. “So it was absolutely the best possible location that we could have put it.”
Although Herman & Helen's Marina closed down a few years later, the Aurora remained at the site.
However, Willson says he faced a lot of resistance from locals, who weren't exactly thrilled to have a huge decommissioned ship moored nearby.
This apparent hostility only worsened when another large vessel, Canadian MineSweeper HMCS Chaleur, which was moored in the same area, sank in 2021.
According to Willson, he received a “three-day notice to quit” on “several occasions,” but local authorities never actually “followed through with an eviction.”
He goes on to explain that things came to a head when 1940s military tugboat Mazapeta, stationed near the Aurora, also sank, creating a “pollution issue,” and various local agencies became involved.
By this stage, Willson conceded that “there was really no future for the Aurora” at that particular spot.
While he considered moving the ship, and looked into various other locations, Willson learned that this would be a costly endeavour.
“The ship was trapped in that channel,” he says. “There was no getting it out without dredging and that's something that the city would have to do… So there was absolutely no getting out of that situation.”
As time went on and the pressure mounted, Willson felt more and more out of his depth and the situation began to take an emotional toll on him.
Feeling dejected, he says he ultimately chose to sell the Aurora to an interested buyer who seemed just as passionate about saving the ship as he was.
“I didn't see myself being able to fight that battle anymore,” he says, adding that selling the ship “destroyed” him.
“It became far too in depth for me. And I decided for mental health reasons, just to kind of stay away… To move on and find another project and do something else with my life.”
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Willson stresses that he had every confidence that the unnamed individual was capable of keeping the Aurora going, and talked them through how to maintain the ship.
When it comes to the general condition of the Aurora at the time of the sale, Willson explains that while “there were some holes” when he first bought it, they were “patched professionally” and he never had “any problems” afterward.
He stresses that he was as shocked as anyone when it was announced that the ship was sinking around seven months later.
“It has been determined the ship has suffered a hole and is taking on water and is currently leaking diesel fuel and oil into the Delta Waterway,” read a statement from the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office posted on X on May 22, 2024.
The US Coast Guard would later confirm that the vessel had been refloated by contractors, noting that it “recently changed ownership.”
Meanwhile, a statement shared by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response on June 28 indicated that contractors had “removed an estimated 21,675 gallons of oily water, 3,193 gallons of hazardous waste, and five 25-yard bins of debris” from the vessel.
The City of Stockton later took over the operation.
When contacted by CNN last year, Stockton Community Relations Officer Connie Cochran said that officials were “figuring out how to dispose of the vessel,” explaining that the size of the ship, along with its location, in an area that wasn't actually within the city limits, had complicated things.
Cochran also indicated that there “was no clear ownership” for the Aurora when the situation occurred.
Willson has shared the bill of sale and the transfer of ownership document filed with the Coast Guard Vessel documentation center. CNN has put in a Freedom of Information Act request to confirm the change of ownership for the vessel.
CNN was unable to locate the most recent owner for comment.
“It really hurts that I couldn't jump back in there and save it,” says Willson. “I had no ownership of it.”
Cochran was unable to provide an estimate of the costs for the ongoing operation, which saw various contractors with specialist knowledge brought in, but said that the city was hoping to “recoup” some of it.
In December, the US Coast Guard of Northern California announced that a dead ship tow had been undertaken to move the Aurora to Mare Island, where it would be painstakingly demolished.
Knego estimates that the entire operation, including hiring tug boats to tow the ship and the dry docking, a process where a ship is brought to dry land so that the submerged portions of the hull can either be cleaned or inspected, would likely have cost between $10 to $20 million.
“It's a poor city,” he says. “And for them to spend this huge amount of money… People will be angry…
“And the irony is, the ship desperately needed to be dry docked. It hadn't been dry docked since 1978. Finally, the Aurora gets dry docked, just to be demolished.”
Knego points out that the ship was perhaps worth “a couple hundred thousand dollars in a good market.”
“The city of Stockton has a big loss on their hands,” he adds.
Cochran has since confirmed to CNN that the Aurora is no more.
“It was towed to Mare Island, and as of April 9, 2025, the destruction of the Aurora was complete except for the final disposal of a few key pieces and material,” Cochran told CNN via email.
She went on to state that the city “is working with other government agencies to investigate and identify who was responsible for placing the Aurora in the waterway and allowing it to degrade.”
“The city intends to take all appropriate legal action to recover the city's costs for the Aurora's removal and disposal from any responsible parties,” she added.
“We do not, yet, have the final cost.”
When questioned on the costs to the city of Stockton, Willson says he's frustrated that the authorities decided to scrap the ship.
“It (scrapping the Aurora) was the most expensive way,” he adds.
Reflecting on his decision to sell the Aurora nearly two years ago, Willson concedes that he would have done things differently if he'd known what would happen next.
“Was I willing to go down with the ship?” he reflects. “I mean, I would have worked on that ship my entire life.
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“But once they threw a wrench in the works, that kind of ended it for me. I decided, no more.”
While Willson was previously in contact with the most recent owner, he admits that he hasn't heard from him in a while.
“All of this is a big mystery,” Knego says. “And needless to say, very disappointing…
“I'm kind of sad, because after all these years… The ship turned 70 and it should be preserved. It's not such a big ship.
“It would have been great if the Germans took her back to Hamburg and restored her.”
To say things haven't turned out the way he hoped is something of an understatement, but Willson says he's hugely grateful to have been able to keep the Aurora “afloat” for so many years, describing his time with the ship as the happiest of his life.
“I kept it safe for 15 years, and then I couldn't see any hope for me working on the project anymore,” he says. “So I passed it on to someone else.”
He's been heavily criticized for seemingly abandoning the ship and leaving others to deal with the aftermath. But Willson feels that any anger towards him is misguided.
“I don't think people should be mad at me,” he said. “I think that they should be mad that they allowed it into the Delta to begin with.
“So that's kind of where I stand on that. I didn't bring the mess there. I just protected it.”
Willson also points out that “nobody knew what that vessel was” until he bought it and removed several coats of paint to uncover its original name.
“At least I showed that to people for 15 years,” he says, recounting the many happy hours he spent renovating the ship, with the help of volunteers.
A cursory glance at the official Facebook page for the Aurora Restoration Project, which has over 13,000 followers, indicates just how much those who got involved appreciated the opportunity to step on board the historic ship.
“I am just thankful that Chris and his devoted crew gave us a chance to see her one last time,” a user named Steve Young wrote. “I thought that she was toast years ago.”
Another, Clay Byfield, added that he was “sad to see that the Aurora is being put to rest.”
“But having the opportunity to meet you and some of the (at the time) crew will forever be cherished,” he said.
Willson, who also ran a YouTube channel chronicling the progress of the project, believes that the ship would likely “have just sank without anybody not knowing what it was” if he hadn't bought it all those years ago.
“I think that that's a happy thing,” he says.
Willson is particularly frustrated that the end of the Aurora has come around the same time that plans are moving ahead for the SS United States, once the largest passenger ship built entirely in the US, to be intentionally sunk to form the world's largest artificial reef.
“It just seems weird that they're going down at the almost exact same time.” he says, before adding that he feels that people “aren't so focused on history anymore.”
“There were only three vintage liners left (in the US)… Now it's just going to be the Queen Mary (a retired ocean liner moored at Long Beach that's now a popular tourist attraction).”
Knego is also hugely disappointed by the demise of these historic ships, noting that “only a handful” get saved.
“It's just beautiful,” he says of the SS United States. “I mean, it's rusty and it looks like hell. But the bones of the ship are so spectacular.
“And we can't find a home for this thing?… It sucks if you like ships.”
Knego admits that he once had high hopes for the future of the Aurora, but sadly it wasn't to be.
“It's heartbreaking,” he says, before noting that the saga of the vessel is a “great story.”
And while Willson is still coming to terms with the reality that he couldn't save his beloved ship one final time, he maintains that he has absolutely no regrets about buying it.
“I wouldn't trade the experience for anything,” he says. “There were so many almosts with that ship.
“We almost had the right people involved in order to save that ship for many, many more generations.
“But things fall through and we just kept waiting for the next one to happen. So I think it was worth it to take the chance.”
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The truth is, we were always dangerously overexposed to decisions made in Washington – consider this chaotic moment an opportunity
“People speak with forked tongues about America,” a veteran foreign correspondent once said to me. It was a long time ago – during a debate about whether the US should intervene in a foreign conflict – and I have never forgotten it. What they meant was that just as the US is condemned for foreign intervention in some instances, it is also called upon to do so in others and then judged for not upholding its moral standards. That dissonance persists, and is even more jarring as we approach the 100th day of Donald Trump's second term. There is a duality to how the US is seen: as both a country that wantonly violates international law and as the only one capable of upholding that system of law and order. This duality, always tense, is no longer sustainable.
I have felt this ambivalence myself – the contradictory demand that the US stay out of it but also anger that it is not doing more. In Sudan, Washington frustratingly refuses to pressure its ally, the UAE, into stopping pumping arms and funding into the conflict. But what proof or history is there to support the delusional notion that the US cares about a conflict in which it has no direct interest? It is an expectation of moral policing from an amoral player that I remember even in childhood, after Iraq invaded Kuwait and the Arab world was rocked with fear of regional war. A fierce debate in our classroom in Sudan on the merits of US intervention was silenced by one indignant evacuee from Kuwait, who said that the most important thing was to defeat Saddam Hussein. Her words occasionally echo in my mind: “We must deal with the greater evil first.”
Even in Gaza, as Congress passed package after package of billions in military aid to Israel, there remained some residual hope – long extinguished now – that the phone call to Benjamin Netanyahu would finally come. And even as Trump emboldens Vladimir Putin, abandons Ukraine and slaps tariffs on allies, you can detect that belief in the fundamental viability of the US as an actor that can still default to rationality, and even morality.
But, for the first time that I can remember, the conversation is going in a new direction. The appeals to the difference between the presidency and other more solid US institutions are quieter now, as universities, law firms and even parts of the press kowtow to their erratic new king. The questions now being asked are about how Europe and the rest of the world can pivot away from the US, from its USAID programmes nestled within the health budgets of developing countries, and its global system of military assistance and deterrence. But they sound less like practical suggestions and more like attempts to get heads around a reality that is impossible to countenance.
The challenge is technical and psychological. It is difficult to imagine a post-American world because America crafted that world. When the US becomes a volatile actor, the very architecture of the global financial order starts to wobble. We saw this in the crisis of confidence in the dollar in the aftermath of Trump's “liberation-day” tariffs. The robustness of the rule of law and separation of powers – cornerstones of confidence in an economy – are also now in doubt, as the administration goes to war with its own judiciary and the president himself boasts about how many people in the room with him made a killing out of his stock market crash. Is it insider trading if your source is the president?
Just as formidable is the mental task of divestment from the US. A friend who holds a green card but lives under an illiberal regime in Asia told me that, deep down, he always felt protected from the dangers of his country's domestic politics by the knowledge that there was a safe haven to which he could retreat in case of persecution. No longer, as legal residents and visitors are hounded by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) or turned away at the border. I know others who have cancelled work trips to the US for fear of deportation or blacklisting. With that insecurity comes an awareness that, for some in the global south who always knew that the US was not a benign presence, there was still the belief that there was something within its own borders that curbed its excesses. This was partly true, but also a reflection of US cultural power. The pursuit of liberty and the pursuit of happiness, “give me … your huddled masses”, the Obama hope iconography; all resonant and powerful touchstones. They are now reduced to dust. It is one thing to know that the US was never the sum of these parts, but another to accept it.
And there is a fear in accepting it. Because, for all its violations, the advent of a post-US world induces a feeling of vertigo. A world in which there is no final authority at all might be scarier than a world where there is a deeply flawed one. What is daunting is the prospect of anarchy, a new world where there is no organising principle in a post-ideological, everyone-for-themselves system. Not a cold war order divided into capitalist, communist and non-aligned. And not a post-cold war one divided into western liberal overlords, competing non-democracies and, below them, smaller clients of both.
But what the US's breakdown should really trigger is not overwhelm and bewilderment, but a project to build a new global order in which we all have a stake. What the US chooses to do in terms of foreign and economic policy can affect your shopping basket and the very borders of the nation state in which you live. It remains the world's largest economy, has the world's largest military, and is the home of the world's most powerful entertainment complex. This centrality combined with its collapse reveals the fact that the problem goes deeper than Trump. The world was always dangerously overexposed to whatever direction the US took.
Ironically, this all might be the beginning of a process that leads to genuine “liberation days” for other countries, but not the US itself. There is pain ahead, but also a sort of independence. Above all, there might finally be a recognition that the US's definition of peace and prosperity was always its own, enforced by sheer force of power and propaganda.
Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist
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Environment minister says experts ‘actively working' to prevent leaks in wake of February attack; Russian foreign minister praises Donald Trump for his understanding of the conflict. What we know on day 1,145
Ukraine is seeking solutions to repair the damage caused by a Russian drone attack to the confinement vessel at the stricken Chornobyl nuclear power plant, a government minister said on Saturday. Environment minister Svitlana Hrynchuk said Ukraine was working together with experts to determine the best way to restore the proper functioning of the containment vessel, or arch, after the 14 February drone strike. “We are actively working on this ... We, of course, need to restore the ‘arch' so that there are no leaks under any circumstances, because ensuring nuclear and radiation safety is the main task,” she said. The arch was installed in 2019 to cover the leaking “sarcophagus” underneath, hurriedly put in place in the weeks following the 1986 Chornobyl disaster. The February drone attack punched a large hole in the new containment structure's outer cover and exploded inside.
Russia and Ukraine's top diplomats on Saturday used a conference in Turkey to trade accusations of violating a tentative US-brokered deal to pause strikes on energy infrastructure. Ukrainian foreign minister Andrii Sybiha says Russia has launched daily attacks at Ukraine since agreeing to the pause. Sybiha said 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. Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov insisted Moscow has stuck to the terms of a limited 30-day ceasefire. Russia's defence ministry said on Saturday that Ukraine had carried out five attacks on Russian energy infrastructure over the past day.
Lavrov praised Donald Trump on Saturday for what he said was a better understanding of the Ukraine conflict than any other western leader. “President Trump was the first and so far, I think, almost the only one among the western leaders who repeatedly, with conviction, several times stated that it was a huge mistake to pull Ukraine into Nato,” Lavrov said at the Antalya diplomacy forum in southern Turkey. Trump has previously said it was unlikely Kyiv would win back all its territory, and that he was “OK” with Ukraine not having Nato membership.
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.
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.
Russia's ambassador to the UK has not denied allegations that Russian sensors have been hidden in seas around Great Britain in an attempt to track UK nuclear submarines. Andrei Kelin told the BBC on Sunday that while he did not deny Russia was attempting to track British submarines, he rejected the idea that such activities presented a threat to the UK. “All these threats are extremely exaggerated,” he said.
US envoy Steve Witkoff wrapped up his latest talks with Russia's Vladimir Putin on Friday, after Donald Trump urged his Russian counterpart to move quicker to end what he said was the country's “senseless war” with Ukraine. The Kremlin said afterwards only that the meeting had taken place and “focused on various aspects of the Ukrainian settlement”, without elaborating. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov had said earlier that he expected no diplomatic “breakthroughs” from the talks – Witkoff's third with Putin since February.
A Russian guided bomb struck a house in the north-eastern Ukrainian town of Kupiansk, injuring four people and possibly trapping three more under rubble, the regional governor said. Kupiansk, located in Kharkiv region, was seized by Russian forces in the early days of the February 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. It was recaptured by Ukrainian troops later that year in a lightning counteroffensive.
A Ukrainian F-16 pilot was killed in combat, Kyiv said Saturday, in the second such incident since the delivery of the precious US-made fighter jets to Ukraine to help fight Russia's invasion. The army did not give more details on the circumstances of how he died and said that a commission was working to establish “all the circumstances of the tragedy.” Kyiv received the first deliveries of F-16s last year, after spending two years pushing for them.
Prime minister accuses opposition of ‘borrowing ideas' and says ‘there's lots of really good Australian music around'
Anthony Albanese says Liberal campaign tactics such as releasing a hip-hop diss track against Labor are “beyond my comprehension”, accusing his opponents of “borrowing ideas” in their election pitch.
The Liberal campaign released a rap song with lyrics critical of Labor's record on the cost of living, claiming the economy was “looking a mess” and that “eggs and cheese” cost $100. The song, titled Leaving Labor, was shared on the opposition's SoundCloud account on Monday. While Coalition sources maintained the song was not generated by artificial intelligence, the campaign did not reveal the artist behind it, only saying it was a “commercial artist”.
Hours after the Liberal campaign had shared the song with journalists, the opposition leader, Peter Dutton, was asked about it at a press conference, and said he had not heard it. “I'm sure the gurus have put together a cracking ad,” he said.
At his own press conference in Tasmania, the prime minister said jokingly that the song had been “drawn to my attention”.
“The Liberal party can explain their own campaign,” he said at a paper mill in Boyer, north of Hobart. “Some of it is way beyond my comprehension, some of the things they're doing in this campaign.”The noted rock'n'roll fan continued: “You know, there's lots of really good Australian music around.”
“We heard one of those at my campaign launch yesterday: Sounds of Then by the great Ganggajang. We can all sing ‘This is Australia',” he said.
“We are a different country. I'm running as an Australian prime minister on Australian values. I'll leave it to others to see why they consistently just borrow cultures and ideas and policies from other places as well.”
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Albanese and Labor have regularly used American music in campaign videos online. One recent video of Albanese was soundtracked by a Kendrick Lamar song; Labor has also referenced Sabrina Carpenter or her music in several posts.
When sharing the song, Coalition sources referenced famous American rap feuds including Drake and Lamar, and Nas and Jay-Z. The cover art for the song, with Albanese's face superimposed on shrugging emojis, appeared to be a nod to Drake's 2021 album Certified Lover Boy, which was referenced several times in diss tracks from Lamar during their 2024 feud.
Critics and music fans reached broad consensus Drake lost the feud after a weeks-long public battle with Lamar, who later performed several songs criticising him at the February 2025 NFL Super Bowl.
Leaving Labor includes lyrics such as: “We living cheque to cheque / Labor's got us feeling so stressed”; “We need to find a solution / we need to switch up the people in power”; and “Albo's got to leave”.
The song carries an authorisation message at the end for the Liberal party.
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Comments about the song on SoundCloudwere mostly negative.
The track recalled a similar stunt from the Liberals in the 2022 election, an ad jingle titled There's a hole in your budget, later released with a “club remix”.
The Coalition senator Matt Canavan backed the new song on Monday as a “catchy tune”, but when asked if he'd put it on his own playlist, admitted “probably not”.
“If it gets the message out … If it makes people to understand those real issues which are causing pain for everyday Australians, I'm all for it,” he told ABC's Afternoon Briefing.
The Greens senator Barbara Pocock, on the same panel, suggested it was “not going to be a memorable hit for the 2025 election”.
“If you want to connect with young people, have some policies that actually matter to them: deal with student debt, talk about housing and make real changes that make a difference,” she said.
“If Peter Dutton needed a theme song, it should involve backflips.”
China has been flexing its maritime muscle in the Indo-Pacific – moves that pose a challenge for the US president
In the space of just five weeks, China held live-fire drills on the doorsteps of Australia, Taiwan and Vietnam. It tested new landing barges on ships that could facilitate an amphibious assault on Taiwan. And it unveiled deep-sea cable cutters with the ability to switch off another country's internet access – a tool no other nation admits to having.
China has been flexing its maritime muscle in the Indo-Pacific to send a message of supremacy to its regional neighbours, experts say. But it's also testing the thinking of a bigger rival further afield: Donald Trump.
Since Trump took office in January, he and his cabinet members have focused their China strategy on tariffs and have launched an escalating trade war with Beijing. They had been largely silent on China's growing acts of aggression in the Indo-Pacific's seas.
That's starting to change.
On April 1, the US state department condemned Beijing's “aggressive military activities and rhetoric” in relation to unannounced military drills in the Taiwan Strait, which have become bigger in scale in recent months and are increasingly resembling actual invasion. That came on the heels of a visit to the region by US defence secretary Pete Hegseth, where he assured Japan and the Philippines that America would continue to defend them against China. He clarified the US had not changed its status quo stance on Taiwan, and the Pentagon reiterated China remained the US' biggest threat.
But the US's Indo-Pacific allies will want to hear those assurances from Trump, who has not shown his cards on issues like Taiwan. When asked by a journalist in February for his stance, Trump refused to be drawn and has said nothing on Taiwan since. He's not afraid to diverge from his senior advisers, and his haphazard approach to Ukraine ceasefire talks – and tariffs – gives little confidence the president has a consistent, long-term strategy on any given global affair.
“The Chinese are watching what's happening with the Trump administration and seeing how far they can push things,” said Malcolm Davis, a senior analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.
And in their testing of Trump, the seas around China are likely to become more restive, Davis said, adding that China will keep ratcheting up its drills in the Taiwan Strait and target countries with which it has territorial disputes, including the Philippines and Japan.
“China will be more willing to impose the risk of casualties on the Philippines through ramming ships and so forth. It might go from using water cannon to something a bit more aggressive,” Davis said. “The goal is to intimidate Manila into accepting China's interests.”
How heavily involved the US military should get in the Indo-Pacific and how far the US should go to protect Taiwan from China are issues that have divided Trump's most senior officials, according to a former state department staffer who worked in Trump's initial weeks in office.
“There are definitely different competing camps that you could liken to a royal court, all competing for the last word and influence with Trump,” the former staffer said. “There is definitely a split over Taiwan policy between traditional NatSec folks like (Marco) Rubio and (Mike) Waltz versus Maga folks.”
But which side Trump is on isn't clear.
Sam Roggeveen, director of the Lowy Institute's international security program, said it was known that a faction of the Trump administration wanted to turn away from Europe. “But it's not at all clear that he agrees with the second part of it – doing more in Asia,” he said.
What is clear from Trump's posture in Ukraine talks is that he is open to putting deals on trade and major geopolitical issues on the same table. He also has a tendency to change his stance on a subject in a matter of days.
Beijing will be watching to see how Trump sways. If Russia's Vladimir Putin can strike a grand bargain with Trump by using economic incentives in exchange for Ukrainian land, Beijing may look to do the same with Taiwan.
And that's causing anxiety among the US's closest allies in the Indo-Pacific, said Jenny Schuch-Page, managing principal in energy and sustainability with the Washington-based Asia Group. “Even the prospect for a ‘grand bargain' with China will make countries in South-east Asia wary about how they will fare,” she said.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, did not comment on whether Beijing was looking for such a deal, but he said China “deplores” the US' criticisms of its drills near Taiwan, calling them “a mischaracterisation of the facts and truth and an interference in China's internal affairs.”
What Trump is likely to focus on is staying competitive with China, which is ahead in areas including artificial intelligence, robotics, electric vehicles and 6G internet.
The lack of a long-term China strategy is problematic, according to Danny Russel, a former US diplomat and vice-president of international security and diplomacy with the Asia Society Policy Institute in Washington.
He points to mass firings in the country's intelligence services, which included laying off dedicated China researchers from the CIA, as a dangerous move in terms of security and the US's bargaining position in trade talks.
China will probably try to recruit those laid off for its own intelligence gathering on the US, he said. A Reuters report suggests it already is.
“We're blinding ourselves at a moment when the national security and economic interests of the United States and our allies call for clarity,” Russel said.
The defunding of Radio Free Asia – a sister organisation of Voice of America – is another own-goal, Russel said, cutting off a valuable source of information from China and other countries that are difficult to report from, like North Korea.
“It's a kind of unilateral disarmament in the information space at a time when China, Russia, and North Korea are ramping up,” Russel said of the cuts. “Why are we voluntarily giving up our best tools of competition? There's a big difference between belt-tightening and self-sabotage.”
That may become a security concern for countries like Australia, which has a long tradition of sharing intelligence back and forth with the US. China is likely to ramp up its missions in international waters near Australia, Davis and Roggenveen said, so a reliable flow of information on China is crucial.
A Chinese research vessel making a loop around Australia is a case in point. The Tan Suo Yi Hao has been cruising international waters off Australia's southern and western coasts for two weeks surveying subsea communication cables – critical infrastructure that allows Australians to send everything from emails to military secrets.
“I'd prefer it wasn't there,” is about as much as Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese could say when asked by journalists for his thoughts.
Without a strong signal on the region from Trump, there could be more Chinese ships to come.
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Five people are missing and one person is dead after a boat capsized near St. Lucie Inlet, off the southeast coast of Florida, authorities said Sunday.
Four people were rescued from the vessel, which was located 22 miles off Florida's coastline, Martin County Fire Rescue said on X.
The United States Coast Guard is searching for five other people who are still missing.
One person aboard the vessel said it capsized on Friday, the US Coast Guard Seventh District said on X. The Coast Guard began its rescue mission Sunday after a “good Samaritan reported the incident.”
The four rescued survivors were transported by helicopter to Cleveland South Hospital in Stuart, Florida for further evaluation. One patient has serious injuries, Martin County Fire Rescue said.
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Amendment passes with 140 votes in favour and 21 against despite disruption in the chamber as rights campaigners say it chips away at human rights
Despite the weeks-long protests and a brief disruption in the chamber just before the vote, the Hungarian constitutional amendment has now been passed, with 140 votes in favour and 21 against, Index reported.
Monday's amendment underpins legislation passed on 18 March that bans the annual Pride march, effectively restricting freedom of assembly and triggering protests against the changes fast-tracked by Orbán's Fidesz party, AFP said.
The key provision declares that children's rights for their “proper physical, mental and moral development take precedence over all other fundamental rights,” except the right to life, AP explained.
That provision is seen as a way to strengthen the legal foundations for the prohibition of the Pride march, it added.
The amendment proclaims that people can only be male or female, and allows for temporary stripping of citizenship from some dual or multiple nationals, which AP speculates that could target billionaire George Soros, a Hungarian-American and a regular subject of populist conspiracy theories.
Opposition forces are leading a protest against the vote outside the parliament.
… and on that note, it's a wrap for today.
The Hungarian parliament has adopted a constitutional amendment that rights campaigners have described as a “significant escalation” in the government's efforts to crack down on dissent and chip away at human rights, with some of the key changes targeting LGBTQ community and dual nationals (17:32).
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas warned that “It is clear that they are stalling and not wanting peace at all,” (15:28) when commenting on the latest Russian airstrikes on Ukraine, as she called for more ammunition to be sent to help the country fight against the Russian aggression (15:39).
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett told Fox Business that the US was “making enormous progress on tariff talks with the EU,” as the bloc's trade chief Maroš Šefčovič continues his visit in Washington DC (14:23).
The Bundestag has confirmed that the formal election of the country's next chancellor is scheduled for 6 May, assuming that the coalition deal gets approved before then (13:48). A youth organisation associated with the Social Democrats indicated their opposition to the agreement, announced last week, prompting questions about whether it can win the key vote among the SPD members (12:09).
Earlier, the presumed next chancellor, Friedrich Merz, suggested last night that his government could finally deliver on Kyiv's longstanding request to supply Ukraine with Taurus missiles, capable of strikes inside Russia (10:48), marking a shift in Germany's policy after longstanding opposition from current chancellor, Olaf Scholz.
We will be back tomorrow with more updates on Europe Live.
The amendment passed Monday also allows for Hungarians who hold dual citizenship in a non-European Economic Area country to have their citizenship suspended for up to 10 years if they are deemed to pose a threat to public order, public security or national security.
Hungary has taken steps in recent months to protect its national sovereignty from what it claims are foreign efforts to influence its politics or even topple Orban's government.
The self-described “illiberal” leader has accelerated his longstanding efforts to crack down on critics such as media outlets and groups devoted to civil rights and anti-corruption, which he says have undermined Hungary's sovereignty by receiving financial assistance from international donors.
In a speech laden with conspiracy theories in March, Orban compared people who work for such groups to insects, and pledged to “eliminate the entire shadow army” of foreign-funded “politicians, judges, journalists, pseudo-NGOs and political activists.”
Ádám Remport, a lawyer with the HCLU, said that while Hungary has used facial recognition tools since 2015 to assist police in criminal investigations and finding missing persons, the recent law banning Pride allows the technology to be used in a much broader and problematic manner.
That includes for monitoring and deterring political protests, AP reported.
“One of the most fundamental problems is its invasiveness, just the sheer scale of the intrusion that happens when you apply mass surveillance to a crowd,” Remport said.
“More salient in this case is the effect on the freedom of assembly, specifically the chilling effect that arises when people are scared to go out and show their political or ideological beliefs for fear of being persecuted,” he added.
And on that note I'm passing the blog to Tom Ambrose who will bring you more from this as we get first reactions to the vote.
Despite the weeks-long protests and a brief disruption in the chamber just before the vote, the Hungarian constitutional amendment has now been passed, with 140 votes in favour and 21 against, Index reported.
Monday's amendment underpins legislation passed on 18 March that bans the annual Pride march, effectively restricting freedom of assembly and triggering protests against the changes fast-tracked by Orbán's Fidesz party, AFP said.
The key provision declares that children's rights for their “proper physical, mental and moral development take precedence over all other fundamental rights,” except the right to life, AP explained.
That provision is seen as a way to strengthen the legal foundations for the prohibition of the Pride march, it added.
The amendment proclaims that people can only be male or female, and allows for temporary stripping of citizenship from some dual or multiple nationals, which AP speculates that could target billionaire George Soros, a Hungarian-American and a regular subject of populist conspiracy theories.
Opposition forces are leading a protest against the vote outside the parliament.
I'm keeping an eye on the events in Budapest, and will update you soon. The bloc of votes has just started, according to Hungarian media.
But in the meantime, let me bring you this update from US president Donald Trump on Ukraine.
Posting on Truth Social, he insisted he was “working diligently to get the death and destruction to stop,” as he added “we have to get it to stop, and fast.”
Here is his post in full:
The War between Russia and Ukraine is Biden's war, not mine. I just got here, and for four years during my term, had no problem in preventing it from happening. President Putin, and everyone else, respected your President! I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS WAR, BUT AM WORKING DILIGENTLY TO GET THE DEATH AND DESTRUCTION TO STOP. If the 2020 Presidential Election was not RIGGED, and it was, in so many ways, that horrible War would never have happened. President Zelenskyy and Crooked Joe Biden did an absolutely horrible job in allowing this travesty to begin. There were so many ways of preventing it from ever starting. But that is the past. Now we have to get it to STOP, AND FAST. SO SAD!
The Hungarian vote is accompanied by protests outside the parliament building in Budapest.
AFP noted that according to the organisers of the Pride parade, scheduled for 28 June, the changes move the EU member country closer to authoritarianism.
They also criticise that the amendment conflates being a member of the LGBTQ community with paedophilia and pornography, adding that it is an “attempt … to dehumanise them”.
Elsewhere, Hungarian lawmakers are expected to vote in a controversial constitutional amendment on Monday that rights campaigners have described as a “significant escalation” in the government's efforts to crack down on dissent and chip away at human rights.
Backed by the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, and his rightwing populist party, Fidesz, the amendment seeks to codify the government's recent ban on Pride events, paving the way for authorities to use facial recognition software to identify attenders and potentially fine them.
The amendment, which the government says prioritises the protection of children's physical, mental and moral development, also enshrines the recognition of only two sexes, providing a constitutional basis for denying the gender identities of some in Hungary.
After Orbán's repeated claims of foreign interference in the country's politics, the amendment will also allow the government to temporarily suspend Hungarian citizenship in the case of dual nationals deemed to pose a threat to the country's security or sovereignty.
The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, a rights group, described the amendment as a means of “legislating fear” in the EU country. “These laws represent a significant escalation in the government's efforts to suppress dissent, weaken human rights protection and consolidate its grip on power,” it said in a statement.
The opposition Momentum party highlighted similarities with restrictions in Russia. Much like Vladimir Putin, Orbán has sought to portray himself as a champion of traditional family values, ushering in policies that include blocking same-sex couples from adopting children and barring any mention of LGBTQ+ issues in school education programmes.
Read the full story here:
Kallas also said that it was “in everybody's interest” to make Russia “realise it made a mistake” by attacking Ukraine and making it clear it cannot win.
“Because the will of the Ukrainian people is not broken, and European countries will – and not only European countries, but many other countries – will stand by Ukraine,” she says.
In a pointed remark likely aimed at US president Donald Trump, she says:
“I hope that it's also clear to everybody now, that if you want the killing to stop, you should put the pressure on Russia, who actually does the killing.”
And that concludes the briefing.
Kallas also reiterates the need to provide more ammunition to Ukraine “as soon as possible,” saying “they need it now, because these attacks are [happening], there are civilian casualties in great numbers.”
“That's why they need the ammunition. That's why they also need the air defence. The calls by Ukraine to have more air defense have been really, really vocal,” she says.
Kallas also summed up the discussion on Gaza, with “the first ever high-level political dialogue with Palestine” taking place later today, as the bloc supports the two state solution.
She says the overall situation is “very grave” and urged mediators to restart negotiations, agree to a ceasefire and release all hostages.
She says that Israel “has the right to defend itself, but its current actions go beyond proportionate self-defence.”
Kallas also spoke about the discussion leaders had on Syria with the country's future “still very fragile,” on Iran, and on the EU's policy on Africa.
She then turned to the bloc's enlargement policies, praising Albania and Montenegro for making “good progress,” and expressing concerns about the attempts to break Bosnia and Herzegovina.
She also issued a pointed warning against “any participation in the 9 May parades or celebrations in Moscow,” saying this “will not be taken lightly on the European side, considering that Russia is really waging a full scale war in Europe.”
Talking about putting more pressure on Russia, Kallas says the bloc is working on the 17th package of sanctions covering “shadow fleet and different elements” for the next meeting in May.
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is briefing reporters after the meeting of EU foreign ministers.
She opens by saying that all countries want to see peace in Ukraine, but pointedly calls Russia out for not committing to the US-led proposal for a ceasefire.
She says:
“Ukraine agreed to unconditional ceasefire already a month ago, and yet we are seeing that Russia alone wants war, because we have seen the deadliest attack …Sumy airstrike over the weekend.
It is clear that they are stalling and not wanting peace at all.”
She then adds:
“So the only way to get Russia to negotiate seriously is putting some more pressure on Russia.”
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is about to brief journalists about today's discussions among EU foreign ministers, including on Ukraine.
You can follow her press conference below, and I will bring you all the key lines in the blog.
I brought you earlier the confirmation from the European Commission that EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is in Brussels for talks with the US on trade.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett just told Fox Business that the US was “making enormous progress on tariff talks with the EU,” Reuters reported.
“There have been a lot of discussions with the EU,” Hassett, director of the National Economic Council said in an interview with Fox Business Network, in comments reported by Reuters.
“We're making enormous progress. It's going to be very good for American workers, especially American auto workers.”
A top British security expert is being appointed as British ambassador to France in a sign of how the UK sees the future defence relationship with France and cooperation with Paris over Ukraine critical to the future of the Franco-British bilateral relationship.
Sir Thomas Drew will take over as ambassador in Paris starting in August 2025. He has spent the last four years as the FCDO's most senior official responsible for Defence and Intelligence where he led on issues ranging from Covid-19 to threats from hostile states.
He will take over from Dame Menna Rawlings in the summer. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the British prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, have grown into close political allies in the last few months as they have tried to build support for some kind of European led protection force in Ukraine.
Sir Tom's previous roles in Government have also included the Director of National Security in both the Foreign Office and Home Office.
A Foreign Office source said: “Sir Tom is a seasoned diplomat with invaluable experience, his appointment will build on the new era in our alliance with France under this Government. This is underpinned by closer than ever cooperation by the foreign secretary and prime minister, including joint visits, leading the Coalition of the Willing and a UK-France Summit due later this summer.”
Back to Germany, the Bundestag has now confirmed that the formal election of the country's next chancellor is scheduled for 6 May (assuming that the coalition deal gets approved before then.)
The decision was made by the Bundestag president, Julia Klöckner.
The timing makes sense: as the new head of the government, Friedrich Merz would then represent Germany at the Victory in Europe Day celebrations on 8 May and then at the EU-UK summit on 19 May, creating ample opportunities to meet other leaders in his new role.
Secretary of state says ‘criminals' were taken to country thanks to alliance between Trump and Nayib Bukele
The US has deported another 10 people that it alleges are gang members to El Salvador, secretary of state Marco Rubio said on Sunday, a day before that country's president is due to visit the White House.
“Last night, another 10 criminals from the MS-13 and Tren de Aragua Foreign Terrorist Organizations arrived in El Salvador,” Rubio said in an X/Twitter post.
Last night, another 10 criminals from the MS-13 and Tren de Aragua Foreign Terrorist Organizations arrived in El Salvador. The alliance between @POTUS and President @nayibbukele has become an example for security and prosperity in our hemisphere.
The alliance between Donald Trump and El Salvador president Nayib Bukele “has become an example for security and prosperity in our hemisphere”, Rubio added. The US president is due to meet Bukele at the White House on Monday.
It comes as US officials said in court filings on Sunday that they were not obliged to help a Maryland resident get out of prison in El Salvador after he was erroneously deported, despite a supreme court ruling directing the government to “facilitate” his return to the US.
Attorneys for the Trump administration said the high court's order to “facilitate” the return of Abrego García, 29, meant they should “remove any domestic obstacles that would otherwise impede the alien's ability to return here”, not help extract him from El Salvador.
The Trump administration has acknowledged that García, a Salvadoran migrant who was living in Maryland and has had a work permit since 2019, was deported in March in violation of an immigration judge's order blocking his removal to El Salvador. Trump administration lawyers were able to confirm on Saturday that García remains confined in a notorious prison in El Salvador.
Trump said on Saturday he was looking forward to meeting Bukele and praised him for taking “enemy aliens” from the United States. He said the two countries were working closely to “eradicate terrorist organizations”.
Administration officials have repeatedly made public statements alleging that detained immigrants are gang members that they have not backed up in court.
The Trump administration has deported hundreds of Venezuelans to a prison in El Salvador under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act.
Lawyers and relatives of the migrants held in El Salvador say they are not gang members and had no opportunity to contest the US government assertion that they were. The Trump administration says it vetted migrants to ensure they belonged to Tren de Aragua, which it labels a terrorist organization.
The deportations have been challenged in federal court. The US supreme court said the US government must give sufficient notice to immigrant detainees to allow them to contest their deportations. It did not say how those already in El Salvador could seek judicial review of their removals.
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President Donald Trump speaks to reporters alongside El Salvador President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office.
President Donald Trump repeatedly needled CNN and its primetime anchor Kaitlan Collins on Monday during an extended exchange in the Oval Office about deported El Salvadoran national Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
Trump welcomed El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to the White House on Monday, and as Collins tried to get in a remark, Trump said he wanted to hear a question from the "very low-rated anchor." Collins ignored the slam and asked Trump if he would ask Bukele to assist in bringing back the man who was mistakenly deported.
Trump directed Attorney General Pam Bondi to answer Collins, who said Abrego Garcia was illegally in the country and had previously been ruled by immigration courts to be a member of transnational terrorist group MS-13. It was "up to El Salvador" if it wanted to return him, she said.
Trump interjected that CNN asked "with a slant, because they are totally slanted."
‘UP TO EL SALVADOR': TRUMP ADMIN PUNTS ON RETURN OF WRONGFULLY DEPORTED MARYLAND RESIDENT
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office of the White House, Monday, April 14, 2025. (Pool via AP)
"They don't know what's happening, that's why nobody is watching them," Trump said.
White House advisor Stephen Miller was also tapped in by Trump to respond to Collins, saying it was "very arrogant even for American media to suggest that we would even tell El Salvador how to handle their own citizens." He added that because Trump had declared MS-13 a foreign terrorist outfit, Abrego Garcia was ineligible for immigration relief in the U.S.
While a court ordered the U.S. government to pursue "steps to facilitate the return" of the man who was removed last month, the Justice Department asserted that federal courts do not have the authority to dictate to the executive branch how to handle foreign relations and that the order only requires removal of "domestic obstacles" that would hinder the man's ability to return to the U.S.
The Supreme Court upheld the decision by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis saying Abrego Garcia had to be returned, saying it "properly requires the government to 'facilitate' Abrego Garcia's release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador." However, the Trump administration has framed the decision as a victory that affirmed the president's authority over foreign policy.
STEPHEN MILLER DOUBLES DOWN ON DEPORTATION OF ALLEGED GANG MEMBER: ‘NOT MISTAKENLY SENT'
Former President Donald Trump took shots at CNN's Kaitlan Collins at the White House on Monday. (Fox News)
"We won a case 9-0," Miller said. "And people like CNN are portraying it as a loss, as usual, because they want foreign terrorists in the country who kidnap women and children."
Collins followed up that Trump had said he would abide by the Supreme Court decision. Trump shot back, "Why don't you just say, 'Isn't it wonderful that we're keeping criminals out of our country?' Why can't you just say that? Why do you go over and over — and that's why nobody watches you anymore. You have no credibility."
Collins hosts "The Source" on weeknights in addition to being a White House correspondent for CNN.
Earlier in the conversation with Bukele, Trump said of CNN, "I think they hate our country" and accused it of stifling reporting about decreased illegal border crossings under his administration.
Asked for comment, a CNN spokesperson didn't respond on the record to Fox News Digital.
'WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT': US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO
In this split image, President Donald Trump is seen next to detainees at a prison in El Salvador, which is housing more than 200 U.S. migrants and Venezuelan nationals following an agreement with the country's president. (Getty Images)
In a court filing submitted Sunday evening, Justice Department lawyers argued they are not required to comply with a judge's order to "facilitate" the return of Abrego Garcia, who was sent to an El Salvadoran prison in what administration officials have since acknowledged was an "administrative error."
They argued that the order itself likely exceeds the power of the courts, arguing they "have no authority to direct the Executive Branch to conduct foreign relations in a particular way, or engage with a foreign sovereign in a given manner."
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Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg and Breanne Deppisch contributed to this report.
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China's leader Xi Jinping met with Vietnamese officials as he kicked off a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia on Monday. “I chose Vietnam as the first stop in my first visit this year. This amply shows how highly China and the Communist Party values China-Vietnam relations,” said Xi after meeting Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, shakes hands with Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attend a meeting with Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, not pictured, during a two-day state visit, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, meets with Vietnam's President Luong Cuong on his arrival at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam Monday, April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Vietnamese General Secretary of Communist Party To Lam, second right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk out of a meeting room at the Office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang, Pool)
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk to the meeting room at the Office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang, Pool)
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks to Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting at the Office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang, Pool)
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks to Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting at the Office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang, Pool)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, speaks to Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, not pictured, during their meeting at the Office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang, Pool)
Chinese President Xi Jinping gestures during his two-day state visit, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, meets Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man during a two-day state visit, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
People wave Chinese flags as the plane carrying Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam Monday, April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam Monday, April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
People wait for Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival outside the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam Monday, April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for a two-day state visit, at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for a two-day state visit, at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping looks on during a meeting with Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man during a two-day state visit, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, centre, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attend a meeting with Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man during a two-day state visit, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
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HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — China's leader Xi Jinping said no one wins in a trade war as he kicked off a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia on Monday, presenting China as a force for stability in contrast with U.S. President Donald Trump's latest moves on tariffs,
Although Trump has paused some tariffs, he has kept in place 145% duties on China, the world's second-largest economy.
“There are no winners in a trade war, or a tariff war,” Xi wrote in an editorial jointly published in Vietnamese and Chinese official media. “Our two countries should resolutely safeguard the multilateral trading system, stable global industrial and supply chains, and open and cooperative international environment.”
Xi's visit lets China show Southeast Asia it is a “responsible superpower in the way that contrasts with the way the U.S. under President Donald Trump presents to the whole world,” said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at Singapore's ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute.
While Trump has said he respects Xi, he interpreted the meeting between the two Asian leaders as a sign they were attempting to put the U.S. at a disadvantage on trade.
Talking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said China and Vietnam were trying “to figure out how do we screw the United States of America.”
Xi was greeted on the tarmac by Vietnam's President Luong Cuong at the start of his two-day visit, a mark of honor not often given to visitors, said Nguyen Thanh Trung, a professor of Vietnamese studies at Fulbright University Vietnam. Students of a drum art group performed as women waved the red and yellow Chinese and Communist Party flags.
While Xi's trip likely was planned earlier, it has become significant because of the tariff fight between China and the U.S. The visit offers a path for Beijing to shore up its alliances and find solutions for the high trade barrier that the U.S. has imposed on Chinese exports.
In Hanoi, Xi met with Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, his counterpart. “In the face of turmoil and disruption in the current global context, China and Vietnam's commitment to peaceful development, and deepening of friendship and cooperation and has brought the world valuable stability and certainty,” he said.
He also met with Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The two sides signed a series of memorandums in areas including strengthening cooperation in supply chains, railroad development and environmental protection, according to Associated Press footage of the signed documents.
Nhan Dan, the official mouthpiece of Vietnam's Communist Party, said that China and Vietnam will speed up a $8 billion railway project connecting the two countries in a deal that was approved in February.
The timing of the visit sends a “strong political message that Southeast Asia is important to China,” said Huong Le-Thu of the International Crisis Group think tank. She said that given the severity of Trump's tariffs and despite the 90-day pause, Southeast Asian nations were anxious that the tariffs, if implemented, could complicate their development.
Vietnam is experienced at balancing its relations with the U.S and China. It is run under a communist, one-party system like China but has had a strong relationship with the U.S.
In 2023, it was the only country that received both U.S. President Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping. That year it also upgraded the U.S. to its highest diplomatic level, the same as China and Russia.
Vietnam was one of the biggest beneficiaries of countries trying to decouple their supply chains from China, as businesses moved here. China is its biggest trading partner, and China-Vietnam trade surged 14.6% year-on-year in 2024, according to Chinese state media.
That trade relationship goes both ways.
“The trip to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia is all about how China can really insulate itself against the tariffs from Trump,” said Nguyen Khac Giang, an analyst at Singapore's ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, noting that Xi visited twice in the decade after he became president in 2013. But he has visited Vietnam twice more in the past two years.
But the intensification of the trade war has put Vietnam in a “very precarious situation” given the impression in the U.S. that Vietnam is serving as a backdoor for Chinese goods, said Giang. Vietnam had been hit with 46% tariffs under Trump's order before the 90-day pause.
China and Vietnam have real long-term differences, including territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where Vietnam has faced off with China's coast guard but does not often publicize the confrontations.
After Vietnam, Xi is expected to go to Malaysia next and then Cambodia.
—-
Wu reported from Bangkok. Associated Press journalists Hau Dinh and Josh Boak contributed to this report.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem joins 'Fox & Friends' to discuss the Justice Department's argument that the courts do not have authority to order the administration to return a deported Maryland man.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sounded off on "fake news" which she said put an accused MS-13 gang member on a pedestal in an appearance on "Fox & Friends," Monday.
Salvadoran national Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, 29, was arrested on March 12 in Baltimore and deported to his home country three days later despite having been granted "Withholding of Removal" status and having legal working papers from the Department of Homeland Security. In 2019, a judge ruled that Abrego Garcia could not be deported because it was "more likely than not that he would be persecuted by gangs," according to a complaint filed by his attorney, Fox Baltimore reported.
The 29-year-old national was deported to the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in Tecoluca, El Salvador, for being an alleged MS-13 gang member, but his attorneys say he does not have any gang ties. The Trump administration acknowledged it mistakenly deported him "because of an administrative error," but said they cannot bring him back because he is in Salvadoran custody.
MARYLAND IMMIGRANT WRONGLY DEPORTED TO EL SALVADOR MUST RETURN TO US, SUPREME COURT RULES
As prisoners stand looking out from a cell, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a tour of the Terrorist Confinement Center (CECOT) on March 26, 2025, in Tecoluca, El Salvador. (Alex Brandon-Pool/Getty Images)
A vigil is reportedly taking place on behalf of Abrego Garcia outside the White House on Monday, with faith leaders urging President Donald Trump to get him home. The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Trump administration must "facilitate" his return, but stopped short of requiring the government to return him to the United States. Both Abrego Garcia's attorneys and the Trump administration interpreted the decision as a win.
"Tonight, the rule of law prevailed," Simon Sandoval-Moshenberg, one of Abrego Garcia's attorneys, said. "The Supreme Court upheld the District Judge's order that the government has to bring Kilmar home. Now they need to stop wasting time and get moving."
But Noem saw the case differently.
"Yes, I think that what the Supreme Court said here in this decision was a very clear message to other judges across this country, is that stop acting like you have the authority to dictate foreign policy and national security decisions that the president is making to protect its citizens," Noem said on "Fox & Friends."
"So, this was just one of those examples of an individual that was an MS-13 gang member, had multiple charges and encounters with the individuals here… trafficking in his background, was found with other MS-13 gang members, very dangerous person."
"And what the liberal left and the fake news are doing to turn him into a media darling is sickening," she said.
TRUMP ADMIN DEFENDS DEPORTING ACCUSED MS-13 LEADER TO EL SALVADOR AMID BACKLASH
This undated photo provided by Murray Osorio PLLC shows Kilmar Abrego Garcia. (Murray Osorio PLLC via AP)
Homeland Security Advisor Stephen Miller also defined the Supreme Court ruling as a win for the Trump administration in an appearance on Fox News, Monday.
"We won the Supreme Court case, clearly, 9-0," Miller said. "A district court judge said, unconscionably, that the president and his administration have to go into El Salvador, and extradite one of their citizens - an El Salvadoran citizen - so that would be kidnapping. That we have to kidnap an El Salvadoran citizen against the will of his government and fly him back to America, which would be an unimaginable act, an invasion of El Salvador sovereignty."
The ruling "clearly" read, Miller said, that "no district court can compel the president to exercise his Article II foreign powers in any way whatsoever."
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Fox News' Audrey Conklin and Emma Colton contributed to this report.
Cortney O'Brien is an Editor at Fox News. Twitter: @obrienc2
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The remarks came during Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele's White House visit on Monday.
Attorney General Pam Bondi told reporters Monday that it is "up to El Salvador" whether they will choose to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, the Maryland resident deported in what Trump officials have acknowledged was an "administrative error," saying that if the country chooses to do so, then the U.S. would "provide a plane."
Her remarks came as President Donald Trump hosted El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele at the White House on Monday for a bilateral summit focused largely on immigration – and the hundreds of migrants deported by the U.S. to El Salvador for detention in the country's maximum-security prison.
When asked by reporters Monday about Abrego Garcia, a Maryland resident who was deported in error to El Salvador, Bondi said the matter was up to Bukele's administration.
"That's up to El Salvador if they want to return him. That's not up to us," Bondi said.
STEPHEN MILLER DOUBLES DOWN ON DEPORTATION OF ALLEGED GANG MEMBER: ‘NOT MISTAKENLY SENT'
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, center right, sit nearby as President Donald Trump meets with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, left, in the Oval Office of the White House Apr. 14, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
"The Supreme Court ruled precedent that if El Salvador wanted to return him," she continued. "This is international matters, foreign affairs."
Bondi said that "if they wanted to return him, we would facilitate it – meaning to provide a plane," Bondi said.
The Supreme Court ruled last week that a lower court's order "requires the government to 'facilitate' Abrego Garcia's release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador."
Bukele received a warm welcome from Trump, who praised the Salvadorian leader as a "fantastic" president who is "taking care of a lot of problems," including accepting hundreds of U.S. migrants into their detention facility, part of a roughly $6 million deal struck by U.S. officials and El Salvador earlier this year.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller doubled down on Bondi's assertion, noting that Abrego Garcia is a Salvadorian national.
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller (2ndR), speaks durging a bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump participates and El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office of the WHite House in Washington, DC, Apr. 14, 2025. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
"It's very arrogant, even for American media, to suggest that we would even tell El Salvador how to handle their own citizens as a starting point," Miller told reporters, claiming that "two courts" had found Abrego Garcia to be a member of the MS-13 gang.
In fact, Abrego Garcia was granted temporary protection status in the U.S. by a court in 2019 from being removed to El Salvador, after it determined he would face criminal prosecution from gangs if he were removed to his home country.
Bukele, for his part, did not seem to think he had the authority to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S., suggesting Monday that the move would be beyond the scope of his authorities.
"How can I smuggle a terrorist into the U.S.? I don't have the power to return him to the United States," Bukele said.
FEDERAL JUDGE HAMMERS DOJ ON WHEREABOUTS OF ALLEGED MS-13 GANG MEMBER FOLLOWING SCOTUS ORDER
Trump, right, and Bukele, El Salvador's president, shake hands during a meeting in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, US, on Monday, Apr. 14, 2025. (Ken Cedeno/UPI/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Also in attendance at Monday's meeting were several members of Trump's Cabinet, including the aforementioned Bondi, Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff for policy and an architect of Trump's immigration policies.
The meeting comes as El Salvador has received hundreds of migrants from the U.S., including more than 200 Venezuelan nationals abruptly removed in March under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act, and alleged members of the Salvadorian gang MS-13.
Most recently, U.S. officials said they deported 10 more migrants to El Salvador over the weekend.
As of this writing, the Trump administration has not returned any of the individuals who have been sent to El Salvador's sprawling, high-security prison, including any Venezuelan nationals who may have been mistakenly identified as members of the Tren de Aragua gang, and one Maryland resident whom U.S. officials acknowledged was wrongfully deported.
In March, after the first migrant flights arrived in El Salvador despite a federal judge's order that the flights be "immediately" returned to U.S. soil, Bukele took to social media to mockingly share footage of their arrival.
"Oopsie...Too late," he said on X, using an irreverent tone slightly emblematic of Trump's own style.
'WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT': US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a tour of the Terrorist Confinement Center in Tecoluca, El Salvador, on March 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
El Salvador has already accepted hundreds of migrants from the U.S., drawing praise from President Trump and other hard-line immigration hawks – but critics warn the removals may violate due process protections under the U.S. Constitution. Immigration advocates have also raised concerns that deported individuals have not had a chance to challenge their removals in court.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., said on Monday that he has requested a meeting with Bukele this week to discuss the return of Abrego Garcia. He said in a letter Monday that he has met with Abrego Garcia's family members, including his wife and brother, who expressed to him that they are "extremely concerned" about his safety.
"If Kilmar is not home by midweek – I plan to travel to El Salvador this week to check on his condition and discuss his release," Van Hollen said.
Most recently, a federal judge ordered Trump officials last week to provide the court with daily updates about its efforts to "facilitate" the return of Abrego Garcia, the wrongfully deported Maryland resident.
In a court filing submitted Sunday evening, Justice Department lawyers argued they are not required to comply with a judge's order to "facilitate" the return of Abrego Garcia, who was sent to El Salvadorian prison in what administration officials have since acknowledged was an "administrative error."
They argued that the order itself likely exceeds the power of the courts, arguing they "have no authority to direct the Executive Branch to conduct foreign relations in a particular way, or engage with a foreign sovereign in a given manner."
Meanwhile, Trump officials continue to publicly rail against so-called "activist judges," whom they have argued are attempting to stymie Trump's agenda and his priorities on immigration enforcement.
Noem on Monday praised the Supreme Court's recent emergency ruling that upholds, for now, the Trump administration's use of the Alien Enemies Act to more quickly deport certain migrants.
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The Supreme Court's ruling "was a very clear message to other judges across this country … [to] stop acting like you have the authority to dictate foreign policy and national security decisions that the president is making to protect its citizens," she said in an interview on "Fox & Friends."
"We need to stop this, stop allowing liberal judges to try to dictate what President Trump is doing to make America safe again," she said. "I'm grateful for the Supreme Court's decision, and I'm hopeful that we can have a new path forward where the president and his powers are recognized."
Breanne Deppisch is a national politics reporter for Fox News Digital covering the Trump administration, with a focus on the Justice Department, FBI, and other national news.
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Governor Shapiro surveys fire damage to residence
This image provided by Commonwealth Media Services shows damage after a fire at the Pennsylvania governor's mansion while Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside on Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (Commonwealth Media Services via AP)
This image provided by Commonwealth Media Services shows damage after a fire at the Pennsylvania governor's mansion while Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family slept inside on Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (Commonwealth Media Services via AP)
Police tape cordons off an area outside Pennsylvania governor's official residence in Harrisburg, Pa., Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The aftermath of a fire can be seen at Pennsylvania governor's official residence in Harrisburg, Pa., Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The aftermath of a fire can be seen at Pennsylvania governor's official residence in Harrisburg, Pa., Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Shown is Pennsylvania governor's official residence in Harrisburg, Pa., Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Shown is Pennsylvania governor's official residence in Harrisburg, Pa., Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Shown is Pennsylvania governor's official residence in Harrisburg, Pa., Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
The aftermath of a fire can be seen at Pennsylvania governor's official residence in Harrisburg, Pa., Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Shown is Pennsylvania governor's official residence in Harrisburg, Pa., Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference at the governor's official residence about a suspected arson fire that forced him, his family and guests to flee in the middle of the night on the Jewish holiday of Passover, Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference at the governor's official residence about a suspected arson fire that forced him, his family and guests to flee in the middle of the night on the Jewish holiday of Passover, Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks during a news conference at the governor's official residence about a suspected arson fire that forced him, his family and guests to flee in the middle of the night on the Jewish holiday of Passover, Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro pauses during a news conference at the governor's official residence discussing the alleged arson that forced him, his family and guests to flee in the middle of the night on the Jewish holiday of Passover, Sunday, Apr. 13, 2025, in Harrisburg, Pa. (AP Photo/Marc Levy)
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A man is facing charges after authorities say he broke into the Pennsylvania governor's mansion in the middle of the night, set a fire that left significant damage and forced Gov. Josh Shapiro, his family and guests to evacuate the building during the Jewish holiday of Passover.
Firefighters extinguished the fire early Sunday morning and no injuries were reported. The suspect, identified as Cody Balmer, 38, was arrested nearby later in the day, police said.
Balmer, who turned himself in to police, told them that he planned to beat Shapiro with a small sledgehammer if he found him, according to court documents released Monday.
Authorities said they were investigating how someone was able to elude police to break into the governor's residence in Harrisburg.
Pennsylvania State Police Col. Christopher Paris said the fire was a carefully planned attack but emphasized the investigation is continuing. He did not give a possible motive.
Balmer apparently scaled an iron security fence that stands around 7 feet (2.1 meters) and is monitored by security cameras, police said.
Police became aware someone had climbed over the fence and began a pursuit on the grounds but initially didn't locate anyone.
Police allege Balmer broke into the southern wing of the residence, entering a room often used to entertain crowds and display art, and set a fire using a homemade incendiary device. Police said two broken glass beer bottles containing gasoline were found. The fire left significant damage to the room, charring walls, tables, buffet serving dishes, plates and a piano. Window panes and brick around doors and windows were blackened.
Balmer was inside for around a minute before he left and escaped the premises, authorities said.
Authorities said Balmer, who turned himself in after police received a call from a female “ex-paramour” who said he confessed, faces charges of attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson and aggravated assault.
Balmer, who had walked about an hour from his home to the governor's residence, “admitted to harboring hatred towards Governor Shapiro,” according to a police affidavit. No reason was given.
Balmer has faced criminal charges over the past decade including simple assault, theft and forgery, according to online court records. He drew a sentence of probation after guilty pleas to theft and forgery counts. Simple assault charges from 2023 appeared unresolved.
Authorities did not say whether Balmer has a lawyer. One recent residence listed for him in Harrisburg was condemned in 2022.
Balmer's mother told The Associated Press on Monday that she had tried in recent days to get him assistance for mental health issues, but “nobody would help.” She said her son had bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The AP was not able to verify that information.
“He wasn't taking his medicine, and that's all I want to say,” Christie Balmer said, speaking at the family home in Harrisburg.
Balmer was taken to a hospital for treatment following an undisclosed medical event not connected to the incident or his arrest, authorities said Monday. Balmer remains under state police supervision and will be transported to the Dauphin County jail for arraignment upon his release, though it was not clear how long he would be at the hospital.
Shapiro, 51, is the first-term governor of the nation's fifth-most populous state, a presidential battleground that has helped make him a rising star in the Democratic Party and viewed as a potential White House contender in 2028.
Shapiro said he, his wife, their four children, two dogs and another family had celebrated Passover at the residence on Saturday and were awakened by state troopers pounding on their doors at about 2 a.m. Sunday.
Shapiro has been outspoken about his Jewish faith.
He used his first ad in his campaign for governor in 2022 to tell family stories and describe his commitment to making “it home Friday night for Sabbath dinner,” complete with footage of him and his children at the table.
“Family and faith ground me,” he said.
In stump speeches and his election-night victory speech, Shapiro regularly quoted an ancient rabbinic maxim: “No one is required to complete the task, but neither are we free to refrain from it.”
The attack happened on the Jewish holiday of Passover, which began at sundown Saturday.
The holiday commemorates the Israelites' liberation from slavery in ancient Egypt, including their 40-year journey through the desert. It is one of the holiest days of the year for Jews and is celebrated with a special meal called a Seder, which includes the eating of matzah, a type of unleavened bread, and the retelling of the Exodus story.
Shapiro had celebrated with a Seder at the official residence with his family and members of the Jewish community in the same room where authorities said the fire was set.
___
Follow Marc Levy on X at https://x.com/timelywriter.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
China's leader Xi Jinping met with Vietnamese officials as he kicked off a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia on Monday. “I chose Vietnam as the first stop in my first visit this year. This amply shows how highly China and the Communist Party values China-Vietnam relations,” said Xi after meeting Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in Hanoi.
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, shakes hands with Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attend a meeting with Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, not pictured, during a two-day state visit, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, meets with Vietnam's President Luong Cuong on his arrival at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam Monday, April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Vietnamese General Secretary of Communist Party To Lam, second right, and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk out of a meeting room at the Office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang, Pool)
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping walk to the meeting room at the Office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang, Pool)
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks to Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting at the Office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang, Pool)
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks to Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting at the Office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang, Pool)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, speaks to Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, not pictured, during their meeting at the Office of the Party Central Committee in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Minh Hoang, Pool)
Chinese President Xi Jinping gestures during his two-day state visit, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, meets Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man during a two-day state visit, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
People wave Chinese flags as the plane carrying Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam Monday, April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives at the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam Monday, April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
People wait for Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival outside the Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi, Vietnam Monday, April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for a two-day state visit, at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives for a two-day state visit, at Hanoi's Noi Bai International Airport, Vietnam, Monday, April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping looks on during a meeting with Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man during a two-day state visit, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
Chinese President Xi Jinping, centre, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi attend a meeting with Vietnam's National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man during a two-day state visit, in Hanoi, Vietnam, Monday April 14, 2025. (Athit Perawongmetha/Pool Photo via AP)
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HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — China's leader Xi Jinping said no one wins in a trade war as he kicked off a diplomatic tour of Southeast Asia on Monday, presenting China as a force for stability in contrast with U.S. President Donald Trump's latest moves on tariffs,
Although Trump has paused some tariffs, he has kept in place 145% duties on China, the world's second-largest economy.
“There are no winners in a trade war, or a tariff war,” Xi wrote in an editorial jointly published in Vietnamese and Chinese official media. “Our two countries should resolutely safeguard the multilateral trading system, stable global industrial and supply chains, and open and cooperative international environment.”
Xi's visit lets China show Southeast Asia it is a “responsible superpower in the way that contrasts with the way the U.S. under President Donald Trump presents to the whole world,” said Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at Singapore's ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute.
While Trump has said he respects Xi, he interpreted the meeting between the two Asian leaders as a sign they were attempting to put the U.S. at a disadvantage on trade.
Talking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said China and Vietnam were trying “to figure out how do we screw the United States of America.”
Xi was greeted on the tarmac by Vietnam's President Luong Cuong at the start of his two-day visit, a mark of honor not often given to visitors, said Nguyen Thanh Trung, a professor of Vietnamese studies at Fulbright University Vietnam. Students of a drum art group performed as women waved the red and yellow Chinese and Communist Party flags.
While Xi's trip likely was planned earlier, it has become significant because of the tariff fight between China and the U.S. The visit offers a path for Beijing to shore up its alliances and find solutions for the high trade barrier that the U.S. has imposed on Chinese exports.
In Hanoi, Xi met with Vietnam's Communist Party General Secretary To Lam, his counterpart. “In the face of turmoil and disruption in the current global context, China and Vietnam's commitment to peaceful development, and deepening of friendship and cooperation and has brought the world valuable stability and certainty,” he said.
He also met with Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. The two sides signed a series of memorandums in areas including strengthening cooperation in supply chains, railroad development and environmental protection, according to Associated Press footage of the signed documents.
Nhan Dan, the official mouthpiece of Vietnam's Communist Party, said that China and Vietnam will speed up a $8 billion railway project connecting the two countries in a deal that was approved in February.
The timing of the visit sends a “strong political message that Southeast Asia is important to China,” said Huong Le-Thu of the International Crisis Group think tank. She said that given the severity of Trump's tariffs and despite the 90-day pause, Southeast Asian nations were anxious that the tariffs, if implemented, could complicate their development.
Vietnam is experienced at balancing its relations with the U.S and China. It is run under a communist, one-party system like China but has had a strong relationship with the U.S.
In 2023, it was the only country that received both U.S. President Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping. That year it also upgraded the U.S. to its highest diplomatic level, the same as China and Russia.
Vietnam was one of the biggest beneficiaries of countries trying to decouple their supply chains from China, as businesses moved here. China is its biggest trading partner, and China-Vietnam trade surged 14.6% year-on-year in 2024, according to Chinese state media.
That trade relationship goes both ways.
“The trip to Vietnam, Malaysia, and Cambodia is all about how China can really insulate itself,” said Nguyen Khac Giang, an analyst at Singapore's ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, pointing out that since Xi became the president in 2013, he has only visited Vietnam twice.
But the intensification of the trade war has put Vietnam in a “very precarious situation” given the impression in the U.S. that Vietnam is serving as a backdoor for Chinese goods, said Giang. Vietnam had been hit with 46% tariffs under Trump's order before the 90-day pause.
China and Vietnam have real long-term differences, including territorial disputes in the South China Sea, where Vietnam has faced off with China's coast guard but does not often publicize the confrontations.
After Vietnam, Xi is expected to go to Malaysia next and then Cambodia.
—-
Wu reported from Bangkok. Associated Press journalists Hau Dinh and Josh Boak contributed to this report.
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Tech expert Kurt Knutsson discusses tips on how to protect your data amid AI privacy concerns and Ford filing a patent to bring the stick shift to electric vehicles.
Imagine an internet where your data can't be stolen, your messages are completely private and online security is unbreakable. That's the promise of quantum internet: a futuristic technology that could completely change how we connect online.
Here's a look at what quantum internet is, how it works and why it might be the future of online security.
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Illustration of future tech (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
Quantum internet is a next-generation network that uses the power of physics to send data in a way that's ultra-secure and computationally infeasible to hack. Quantum internet, quantum networks and quantum communication are all connected but have different roles.
Quantum internet refers to the entire system that allows ultra-secure communication. Quantum networks are the infrastructure that connect quantum devices. Quantum communication is the actual exchange of information over these networks. Unlike today's internet, which sends data as either a 0 or a 1, quantum internet relies on quantum bits, or qubits, which can exist as both 0 and 1 at the same time.
This results in an encryption method that is nearly impossible to break, making it one of the most secure ways to communicate. What makes quantum internet even safer is a phenomenon called entanglement. When qubits become entangled, they stay connected no matter how far apart they are. If one qubit is changed, the other changes instantly. Any attempt to disrupt the entanglement, such as hacking, would immediately alert both people communicating.
Man surfing the internet on his laptop (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
SELLING ON THE INTERNET? BEWARE OF SNEAKY TACTICS SCAMMERS USE TO TRICK YOU
One of the biggest breakthroughs of quantum internet is its potential to eliminate hacking and data breaches. Here's how.
Quantum internet could completely redefine online privacy, making it harder for hackers, corporations or even governments to access personal data. Here's how it could transform your online experience.
Tablet showing a username and password screen (Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson)
HOW TO SPEED UP YOUR WI-FI AND INTERNET CONNECTION
While the potential of quantum internet is exciting, there are still hurdles to overcome. The technology is still in early development, with most experiments confined to research labs. Unlike the traditional internet, quantum networks need specialized equipment to keep signals strong across cities or even countries. Developing this technology requires massive investments and breakthroughs before quantum internet can become widely available. Another key challenge is the transition from today's internet to quantum internet.
Since most existing technology is built for current networks, the shift won't happen overnight. Instead, hybrid systems that combine elements of both traditional and quantum communication can serve as a bridge, helping businesses, governments and everyday users to adapt without disrupting the current digital infrastructure.
Despite these challenges, progress is happening. Major countries, including the U.S., are investing heavily in quantum research, and scientists have successfully demonstrated that the technology works. While it may take years before quantum internet reaches everyday users, these breakthroughs are laying the foundation for a safer, more private digital future.
While quantum internet is a ways away, it's important to stay safe on the internet we use today. Until that new technology arrives, here are a few ways to protect yourself online.
1) Have strong antivirus software: Until a more secure internet becomes available, it's important to use tools that help protect against everyday threats like unsafe links and malware. The best way to safeguard yourself from malicious links that install malware, potentially accessing your private information, is to have antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also alert you to phishing emails and ransomware scams, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe. Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
2) Be careful when using public Wi-Fi: Public Wi-Fi remains one of the easiest ways for hackers to access your data. The temptations and risks of free Wi-Fi make it important to think twice before connecting to an unsecured network. Avoid logging into sensitive accounts or entering personal details unless you're using a VPN or other form of encryption.
3) Use a VPN: Consider using a VPN to protect against hackers snooping on your device as well. VPNs will protect you from those who want to track and identify your potential location and the websites that you visit. A reliable VPN is essential for protecting your online privacy and ensuring a secure, high-speed connection. For the best VPN software, see my expert review of the best VPNs for browsing the web privately on your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
4) Invest in personal data removal services: While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of removing your information from hundreds of sites continuously over a longer period of time. Check out my top picks for data removal services here.
5) Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): Until more advanced security becomes mainstream, 2FA is a simple way to protect your accounts. It adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second step to log in, like a code sent to your phone. For even stronger protection, consider using a security key that plugs into your device.
Quantum internet represents a large shift in how we think about communication, privacy and security. By harnessing the power of physics, it promises to create a network that's faster, more secure and more private than anything we've seen before. While the technology is still emerging, it has the potential to change the internet forever.
What are your initial reactions to the concept of quantum internet? Are you excited, skeptical or concerned, and why? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
For more of my tech tips and security alerts, subscribe to my free CyberGuy Report Newsletter by heading to Cyberguy.com/Newsletter.
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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Kurt "CyberGuy" Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on "FOX & Friends." Got a tech question? Get Kurt's free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
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President-elect Donald Trump called on award-winning TV producer Mark Burnett to be special envoy to the United Kingdom.
As President Donald Trump reshapes American foreign policy around hard-nosed deals and national self-interest, a new report warns the UK must rethink its strategy to preserve its "special relationship" – or risk being sidelined in Washington.
Darren Spinck, a fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, cautions that there will be no "business as usual" under Trump and that the "special relationship" between the U.S. and UK can no longer be taken for granted. To remain a key ally, Spinck argues in a new report, Britain must embrace Trump's "transactional" approach to foreign policy.
"Choosing not to retaliate" against Trump-era steel and aluminum tariffs may signal a "strategic patience that may facilitate bilateral negotiations," the report states. It outlines steps that Prime Minister Keir Starmer could take to align with the Trump administration and pursue a U.S.-UK free trade deal, including deeper security cooperation and a tougher stance on China.
Trump recently imposed 10% across-the-board tariffs on foreign nations and paused harsher levies he earlier proposed on every nation except China.
CHINESE OFFICIALS CLAIMED BEHIND CLOSED DOORS PRC PLAYED ROLE IN US CYBERATTACKS: REPORT
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, leads the Labour Party. (Carl Court/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo)
Another path, the report suggests, could involve the UK seeking accession to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), the North American trade bloc, as a way to deepen economic ties with the United States.
The report also urges the UK Labour Party leadership to "reduce commercial dependency on the PRC rather than deepening it," warning that closer economic ties with Beijing could strain U.S.-UK relations under Trump.
Spinck contrasted the Trump administration's focus on "bilateralism, economic nationalism, and Indo-Pacific security" with the Starmer government's preference for "multilateral diplomacy, progressive trade policies, and European security commitments."
"This policy gap threatens transatlantic cohesion, weakening their collective ability to act against common adversaries, particularly China," he warned.
Divergent policies on China, NATO commitments and Indo-Pacific strategy could erode Five Eyes intelligence sharing, which is key to UK national security.
Spinck called on the British government to strike a deal with the U.S. that addresses the White House's digital privacy concerns – particularly after the UK ordered Apple to grant security agencies access to encrypted cloud data – and to launch a mineral mining partnership to bolster critical supply chains.
Whereas the previous conservative UK government deemed China its "greatest state-based threat," the current liberal leadership has "reversed the course of the previous three Conservative Party Governments and has sought to strengthen economic ties with Beijing," according to Spink.
He said the UK had recently advanced Beijing's access to Western capital markets and re-established bilateral frameworks on industrial, trade and energy policy with China.
"One must wonder why London appears eager to expand economic ties with China – a country widely criticized for its human rights record – while the UK's development finance institution has been less inclined to support international infrastructure development or mining projects in other regions."
UK PRIME MINISTER TO ADMIT ‘GLOBALIZATION IS OVER' IN RESPONSE TO TRUMP TARIFFS: REPORT
The UK's growing relationship with China is a cause for concern for the U.S., according to the report. ( Stefan Rousseau/Pool via REUTERS)
"As the Trump Administration seeks to further accelerate America's decoupling from targeted CCP economic and technology sectors, the US feels that the Labour Government's apparent rapprochement with Beijing, after years of cautious relations following the PRC's 2020 breach of the Sino–British Joint Declaration, could unnecessarily complicate the "Special Relationship," Spink wrote.
He said that critical issues "requiring transatlantic cooperation," such as a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine, are "at risk" if the U.S. and the UK are not aligned on China policy.
The UK must also set aside its disagreements over U.S. domestic policy, according to Spinck, due to the more urgent need for security cooperation.
"As the Labour Government works with President Trump's Administration, it should realize its views on a wide range of policies, including immigration, climate policy, digital privacy and welfare benefits, are vastly different," he wrote.
He said such "fractures" like the UK government's demand for backdoor access to Apple's encrypted cloud storage "have begun to define the overall relationship between the two allies, impacting the potential for foreign policy alignment."
"Overcoming these cultural differences requires a shift to a more transactional model of foreign policy cooperation. Britain needs to take an active role in re-setting this agenda, pushing questions of domestic ideology to the margins in favor of solid, mutually beneficial measures."
The UK could also signal goodwill by taking a tougher diplomatic stance on Iran. Spinck urged London to help close the "transatlantic divide" on Iran policy, which he said has "disrupted attempts to forge a coherent approach to stopping Iran's nuclear progress."
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While the U.S. withdrew from the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and imposed sweeping sanctions, the UK remained a party and declined to trigger snapback sanctions – even amid reports that Iran had violated the agreement and was enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels.
Spink also urged the UK to join the U.S. in designating Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. Such moves, he argued, "would also be seen as a victory for the long-established Trump policy on Iran – one that would cost the UK nothing and would generate much goodwill in Washington, D.C."
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FIRST ON FOX: A GOP organization dedicated to electing Republicans to state legislative and executive offices across the nation is spotlighting what it calls a "record" fundraising haul during the first three months of the year.
The Republican State Leadership Committee (RSLC) announced on Monday that, along with its strategic policy partner, the State Government Leadership Foundation, it raked in a combined $13 million in fundraising during the January-March first quarter of 2025.
The group, in sharing their figures first with Fox News, highlighted that it was their "best-ever first-quarter fundraising haul," and follows what they describe as "a historic 2023-2024 election cycle," when the two groups combined raised $102 million.
Showcasing their grassroots appeal, the group noted that they brought in over $2.2 million online, with 5,130 new online donors and an average online donation of $24.68.
THIS WELL-KNOWN REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR WILL NOT SEEK RE-ELECTION IN 2026
The Republican State Leadership Committee is spotlighting what it calls a "record" fundraising haul during the first three months of the year. (RSLC)
"This record-breaking fundraising achievement highlights the enthusiasm behind the results Republicans are delivering at the state level," RSLC President Edith Jorge-Tuñón emphasized in a statement to Fox News.
"While we're proud of this milestone, we must stay alert. Recent elections show Democrats are ready to invest unlimited resources in down-ballot races, taking advantage of low turnout to build momentum for the 2025-2026 cycle. We need to be proactive in countering these efforts," she added.
THIS DEMOCRATIC SENATOR IS RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR
At the time this story was posted, the rival Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee had yet to report its first-quarter fundraising figures.
The Wisconsin state capitol, in Madison, Wisconsin, on April 1, 2025. Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature, while Democrats control the governor's office. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)
Two legislative chambers changed control in the 2024 elections, both in favor of the Republicans. Minnesota's House flipped from Democratic control to a tie, and Michigan's House flipped from the Democrats to the GOP.
CAN REPUBLICANS END THEIR TWO-DECADE-LONG ELECTORAL LOSING STREAK IN THIS STATE?
According to the nonpartisan National Conference on State Legislatures, Republicans currently control 58 of the nation's 98 state legislative chambers (Nebraska's technically non-partisan unicameral legislature is not included), with the Democrats in control of 38 chambers and two divided.
The New Hampshire State House, in Concord, New Hampshire. Republicans control both chambers of the state legislature as well as the governor's office. (Fox News - Paul Steinhauser)
Republicans control 28 of the 50 state legislatures, with Democrats in control of 18 and three legislatures divided.
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Additionally, Republicans have total control (state house majority in both chambers and control of the governor's office) in 23 states, compared to 15 for the Democrats, with 11 states divided. (Note: Nebraska's technically non-partisan unicameral legislature is not included in the count)
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A compilation of President Trump's remarks on his and the nation's relationship with God from the past year. (Credit: White House / FOX / National Faith Advisory Board)
President Donald Trump declared "HAPPY EASTER!" in a Truth Social post on Palm Sunday, which falls a week before Easter Sunday.
"This Holy Week, Christians around the World remember the Crucifixion of God's Only Begotten Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and, on Easter Sunday, we celebrate His Glorious Resurrection and proclaim, as Christians have done for nearly 2,000 years, ‘HE IS RISEN!'" the president declared in the social media post.
"Through the pain and sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross, we saw God's boundless Love and Devotion to all Humanity and, in that moment of His Resurrection, History was forever changed with the Promise of Everlasting Life," he continued.
WHITE HOUSE PLANS ‘EXTRAORDINARY' HOLY WEEK AS TRUMP HONORS EASTER WITH ‘THE OBSERVANCE IT DESERVES'
President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on April 10, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
"As we approach this Joyous Easter Sunday, I want to wish Christians everywhere a Happy and very Blessed Holiday. America is a Nation of Believers. We need God, we want God and, with His help, we will make our Nation Stronger, Safer, Greater, more Prosperous, and more United than ever before. Thank you, and HAPPY EASTER!"
The president also spoke out on the topic in a "Presidential Message on Holy Week, 2025" that the White House issued on Sunday.
"This Holy Week, Melania and I join in prayer with Christians celebrating the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ—the living Son of God who conquered death, freed us from sin, and unlocked the gates of Heaven for all of humanity," the message begins.
TRUMP CHAMPIONS JESUS' ‘MIRACULOUS RESURRECTION' IN PALM SUNDAY MESSAGE VOWING TO ‘DEFEND THE CHRISTIAN FAITH'
President Donald Trump, accompanied by a person dressed as the Easter Bunny, welcomes guests with opening remarks during the 141st Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn of the White House on April 22, 2019, in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
In the message, the president pledged that his "Administration renews its promise to defend the Christian faith in our schools, military, workplaces, hospitals, and halls of government. We will never waver in safeguarding the right to religious liberty, upholding the dignity of life, and protecting God in our public square."
Trump, who narrowly escaped assassination last year, has previously said that he believes his life was saved by God.
INSIDE DONALD TRUMP'S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD, IN HIS OWN WORDS: ‘I WAS SAVED'
Then-candidate Trump is rushed offstage by U.S. Secret Service agents after being grazed by a bullet during a rally on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
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"I was saved by God to make America great again. I believe that," he said last month during his address before a joint session of Congress.
The president recently underwent an annual physical exam and has been deemed to be "in excellent health," by the physician to the president.
Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.
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DJ Daniel, a 13-year-old battling brain cancer, visited Donald Trump in the Oval Office. His visit comes after he was made an honorary Secret Service member during Trump's joint address to Congress on Tuesday night. (Credit: Margo Martin via X)
DJ Daniel, the teenage boy who was made a Secret Service agent during President Donald Trump's speech to Congress in March, has been sworn into another federal agency.
Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum helped Daniel – a cancer survivor – fulfill his goal of being sworn into 1,000 law enforcement agencies by swearing him in as an honorary United States Park Police officer on Sunday.
"DJ's resilience in his battle against cancer has inspired the nation. It was an honor to meet with him and his family today at @Interior!" Burgum wrote on X.
13-YEAR-OLD CANCER SURVIVOR EARNS STANDING OVATION AS HE BECOMES SECRET SERVICE AGENT DURING TRUMP SPEECH
DJ Daniel, the teenage boy who was made an honorary Secret Service agent by President Donald Trump in March, has now been sworn in as a U.S. Park Police officer. (Interior Secretary Doug Burgum)
Daniel then had the opportunity to patrol the National Mall after his swearing-in ceremony.
The agency said he "demonstrated the highest degree of honor, integrity and service" during his patrol.
Daniel made national headlines when Trump acknowledged him during his joint address to Congress on March 4 and deemed him an honorary Secret Service agent.
He had the opportunity to visit the Secret Service Training Center on March 19, where he congratulated the latest graduating class alongside Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Secret Service Director Sean Curran, and then went on a tour of the facility.
DJ Daniel hugged Interior Secretary Doug Burgum after his swearing-in ceremony on Sunday. (Interior Secretary Doug Burgum)
TRUMP-AFFIRMED SECRET SERVICE AGENT 'DJ' DANIEL CONTINUES RECORD PUSH TO BE SWORN IN BY 1,000 LAW AGENCIES
Daniel was diagnosed with brain and spinal cancer in 2018 and was given five months to live, according to his father, Theodis. He has had more than 13 brain surgeries since then and is also part of a research study.
His dad said Daniel is "beating the odds."
Daniel had a simple message for children with cancer that he shared during his visit to the Secret Service Training Center last month.
"Have faith. Believe in God. Listen to your parents," he said.
DJ Daniel was able to patrol the National Mall after he was sworn in as a U.S. Park Police officer. (Interior Secretary Doug Burgum)
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The Daniel family remains busy with plans to visit more law enforcement agencies across the country.
As of March 29, Daniel had been sworn in by 914 agencies. Though he has not yet hit his goal of 1,000, he has set records for having the most keys to the city and the most "proclamation days."
Fox News Digital's Alexandra Koch contributed to this report.
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Jim Weakley, the president of the Lake Carriers' Association, which represents the interests of U.S. commercial shippers, discussed the national security risks present at the U.S.-Canadian border. (Fox News Digital)
As the White House focuses on cracking down on illegal immigration on the southern border, an expert warns that the maritime industry along the northern border faces threats from bad actors and the risk of foreign influence.
Fox News Digital spoke with Jim Weakley, president of the Lake Carriers' Association and retired U.S. Coast Guard officer, about national security risks along the Great Lakes and the Detroit Sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which covers parts of Michigan and northern Ohio along the U.S.-Canada border.
"What people outside our region or outside of law enforcement often don't understand is that border security—or any type of perimeter security—is a lot like a tube of toothpaste: if you apply pressure in one area, such as the southern border, the threat simply shifts to another part of the perimeter," he said.
"So, as we—rightfully, in my view—reinforce our southern border, which has proven to be significantly lax, bad actors looking to smuggle terrorists, humans, fentanyl, or other contraband will likely redirect their efforts to our northern border."
NORTHERN BORDER ‘QUIET CRISIS' BREWS AS EXPERT FLOATS UNCONVENTIONAL SOLUTION TO COMBAT HUMAN SMUGGLING
A ship sails down the St. Clair River under the Blue Water Bridge border crossing between Canada and the U.S. near Sarnia, Ontario, on April 3, 2025. (Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty Images)
Weakley said that the lower standards in Canada serve as a national security risk in the U.S., due to the stricter inspection and manning regulations.
"To work on a U.S. vessel, officers must be U.S. citizens and most crew must be at least green card holders, with limits on how many non-citizens can be on board. In contrast, Canada allows sailors and officers from a wide range of countries, including the Philippines, Jamaica and Ukraine."
"Canadian companies can also issue pilotage endorsements, unlike the U.S., where it's tightly regulated by the U.S. Coast Guard. That means a Canadian vessel, even on Lake Michigan—where there's no Canadian border—could be operated by foreign nationals with minimal oversight. They also carry fewer pilots and use cheaper, Chinese-subsidized ships, which further lowers their costs.
Weakley argued that the standards are a national security risk and a major reason why Canada dominates 90% of the cross-lake shipping market, putting U.S. carriers at a disadvantage.
Crew members of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Katmai Bay prepare to return to port following ice-clearing operations near Lake Huron in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, on March 15, 2023. (Matthew Hatcher/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
As the Great Lakes region plunges into the wintry weather, the lakes freeze over and provide human smugglers with another way to traverse across to America, Weakley explained.
"The vastness of the Great Lakes makes border security and law enforcement far more complex, especially when the Canadians aren't pulling their weight," he said. "In fact, I don't believe they have any law enforcement presence on the Great Lakes during the winter."
When the ice melts, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police or the Ontario Provincial Police operate patrol boats, he explained.
"We're doing much more to secure the border on both sides. However, the Canadians are doing less, which forces the U.S. to take on a greater share of the responsibility. And as we strengthen our southern border, the threat along the northern border is only going to grow."
US NORTHERN BORDER SEES ROMANIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT INFLUX AS EXPERT PREDICTS WHAT COULD BE DRIVING THEM
A tugboat pulls a barge along the St. Clair River between Michigan and Ontario, Canada. (Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
During testimony in front of the House Intelligence Committee, FBI Director Kash Patel told lawmakers adversaries such as China and Russia have started to target the northern U.S. border with Canada.
"The enemy adapts," Patel said.
The Trump administration has overseen a dramatic shift at the U.S. southern border since taking office in January, with the number of CBP recorded encounters plummeting by 90% in most sectors compared to the same time period last year. The administration has poured in resources to stop the spiraling immigration situation at the southern border.
The sudden silence there came after record-setting numbers of illegal crossings during the four years of the Biden administration, a trend that also saw a dramatic increase in attempted crossings by immigrants outside of North and Latin America.
WATCH: Chinese migrants are cause for concern, expert warns
Chinese nationals were among the most likely to attempt illegal crossings, with the number of crossings from citizens of the country rising to over 24,000 in 2023, a more than 5,200% increase from the 450 encounters just a year earlier, according to CBP data.
Overall, Patel told lawmakers that between 2022 and 2025, roughly 178,000 Chinese nationals attempted to cross the southern border.
ILLEGAL-SMUGGLING COYOTES NOW ADVERTISING AT CANADA BORDER AMID TRUMP MIGRANT CRACKDOWN: REPORT
CBP declined to comment but pointed to data that depicted encounters at the Northern Land Border in the Detroit Sector, broken down by fiscal year (FY) and demographic group.
FY 2024 had the highest monthly peaks, especially in May (139 encounters) and July (74). FY 2022 had consistently very low encounter counts, never surpassing 35 per month.
FY 2025 saw a large jump in February (139) compared to only 53 the same month in FY 2024.
Read the CBP data. Mobile users click here
Single adults consistently dominated the encounters in the Detroit Sector, data showed. Single adults peaked in FY 2024, with 604 encounters.
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The trend is continuing into FY 2025, with 338 encounters to date, suggesting it could surpass previous years if the trend continues.
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten is a U.S. Writer at Fox News Digital.
Sarah joined FOX in 2021, where she has assisted on coverage of breaking and major news events across the US and around the world, including the fallout following the "Defund the police" movement, the assassination attempts on President Donald Trump's life and illegal immigration.
She has experience reporting on topics including crime, politics, business, lifestyle, world news and more. You can follow her on Twitter and LinkedIn.
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Victims of car collisions may have more to worry about as insurance companies warn drivers to be aware of a growing scam involving tow truck companies.
Chris Stroisch, the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) vice president of public affairs & communications, shared with Fox News Digital that they are seeing a "significant spike in predatory tolling in the United States, which has increased 89% in the last three years."
"We're seeing predatory towing occurring in cities both large and small. So you're seeing predatory towing occurring in large cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. But you're also seeing it in small communities like Des Moines, Iowa," Stroisch said.
Stroisch explained that these predatory towers are "following the money" and will operate wherever they can make the most profit.
ALARMING NUMBER OF AMERICANS SCAMMED OUT OF LIFE SAVINGS HAVE ONE THING IN COMMON, PROMPTING LAWMAKER RESPONSE
A tow truck brings a car to a repair shop. (Getty Images)
"Unfortunately, what we're seeing on our end is that we're hearing a lot of sad stories," Stroisch said. "Predatory towers that are engaging in reckless driving, they're engaging in turf wars even, and there's even been shootings tied to predatory towing that's all leading to very tragic, but avoidable deaths. So it's really just this growing problem that we've seen take off in the last three years in this country."
The California Department of Insurance echoed the NICB warning and added that it has seen an uptick happening where some tow truck companies are targeting drivers involved in crashes by picking up their cars and then holding them hostage for large amounts of money.
"This type of scam is preying on drivers at their most vulnerable moments—immediately after an accident—when they should be focused on their safety and next steps, not fighting to get their vehicle back," Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said in a statement. "Our department is committed to protecting Californians from fraud, and this PSA is an important step in ensuring drivers know the warning signs and how to protect themselves."
A spokesperson for the agency told Fox News Digital that, right now, they are seeing two primary scams. One involves a tow truck driver showing up immediately after a collision occurs and offering to help the other driver by towing their vehicle to a body shop.
"Tow drivers show up to accident scenes and misrepresent to the crash victim that they were sent there by the insurance company, when they were in fact not," the agency said. "The suspects steal/tow the victim's vehicle under false pretenses to a body shop or tow yard. They then charge exorbitant fees to the victim or insurance company to release the vehicle."
FBI WARNS OF DANGEROUS NEW ‘SMISHING' SCAM TARGETING YOUR PHONE
California officials said one common scam involves a tow truck driver showing up immediately after a collision occurs and offering to help the other driver by towing their vehicle to a body shop. (Getty Images)
The second scam the agency said they are seeing is when a tow driver steals personal information from the victim by posing as law enforcement or an insurance company employee.
"Suspects contact the crash victim claiming to be an employee of the victim's insurance carrier, indicating they will tow the vehicle to a body shop approved by their insurance company and then steal/tow the vehicle under false pretenses," the California Department of Insurance spokesperson said.
Stroisch added that there are two rules of thumb that they tell consumers.
"First thing, if you didn't request it, reject it," Stroisch said. "If you're in an accident and a tow truck company shows up on scene that's unsolicited, we tell people to wait for law enforcement to arrive. And then once that tow truck company is on scene, to know as much as you can or know before you tow."
The California Department of Insurance shared a few red flags drivers should be aware of to make sure they are not a victim of this type of scam, which include:
In response to the growing scam trend, the agency said that it has created three law enforcement task forces in Southern California that investigate organized automobile insurance fraud.
The task forces are comprised of CDI detectives, investigators from the California Highway Patrol, and investigators from the local district attorney's offices, the agency explained, adding that it manages these task forces.
"These task forces work up these crimes, present the case to the district attorney's offices for filing criminal charges, and arrest the suspects. Additionally, we work with other state agencies, such as the Bureau of Automotive Repair, to refer cases for administrative sanctions," the agency said.
"We also spend considerable time educating our state and local law enforcement partners to assist us in better recognizing this type of activity, and we have been releasing public service announcements to raise the public's awareness."
HOLIDAY TRAVEL WARNING: $5M WORTH OF CARS STOLEN FROM MAJOR US AIRPORT BY ORGANIZED THEFT RING, REPORT SAYS
The California Highway Patrol is part of the state's effort to investigate car insurance fraud. (CHP El Cajon)
According to the department, the Inland Empire Automobile Insurance Fraud Task Force has investigated multiple cases, including one that has resulted in the arraignment and charges against 16 Southern California residents.
"This task force investigation found the auto fraud ring allegedly conspired together to create fraudulent insurance claims to illegally collect over $216,932," the department said in a statement. "The investigation discovered the large-scale organized auto insurance fraud ring was engaged in multiple types of schemes including holding vehicles hostage and collusive collisions."
This same ring, the department shared, was previously charged in a similar scheme stemming from vehicles stolen under false pretenses in San Bernardino County.
Stroisch shared that some of these operators are even charging upwards of 10 times the usual cost of a tow, and then are holding the vehicles hostage in the process.
"The average cost of a tow is $109, but we're seeing costs that have skyrocketed, and we're seeing costs that are 10, 15, 16, and $17,000 that are just filled with absorbent fees and very vague descriptions of what people are actually paying for all while these vehicles are being held hostage," Stroisch explained.
Officials said while most towing companies are reputable, there is a warning on unlicensed predatory tow truck companies that prey on drivers when they are most vulnerable. (Getty Images)
HOW SCAMMERS HAVE SUNK TO A NEW LOW WITH AN AI OBITUARY SCAM TARGETING THE GRIEVING
"If you're in an accident, get as much information as you can about a tow truck company and wait for law enforcement to arrive first."
While tow truck scams are nothing new, the California Department of Insurance said they are on the rise, increasing by over 1,500 reports since 2023.
"We do not have stats specific to this type of scam, but in 2024, CDI received 13,870 referrals of suspected automobile insurance fraud from insurance companies, government agencies and the public, which increased from 2023, where we received 12,363," the department shared.
The department said it is urging any drivers that believe they may be in a situation like this to verify the tow truck with their insurance company or wait for CHP to verify the tow truck was dispatched by CHP, adding to also not sign any documents until you have talked to their insurance company.
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Stroisch said one of the biggest things that the bureau is seeing right now is the lack of laws and the lack of policies in some cities and states.
"Every state, every municipality is different, and some states have laws against predatory towing. They have laws that require licensing of tow truck companies. They have laws that require transparency around fee schedules, but there are many cities and states that don't," Stroisch explained. "So I think that from an NICB standpoint, we would recommend all lawmakers at every level, work together to put measures in place to help prevent this."
Stroisch suggested that banning accident scene solicitations is one example of how predatory towing can be thwarted.
"That's where a lot of this is occurring. These tow truck companies that just show up on scene, so ban accident scene solicitation in the first place. So we are really encouraging lawmakers to work together to pass legislation.
"We are currently monitoring 107 different bills in 37 states that are all tied to predatory towing. So to have that many bills that are in some stage, it's just showing the problem that we're seeing right now."
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com
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Fox News correspondent Brooke Taylor has the latest on efforts to secure the southern border on 'Special Report.'
Daniel Noboa, the tough-on-crime firebrand president of Ecuador, was re-elected in Sunday's runoff.
Noboa, running under the right-wing National Democratic Action party label, handily defeated Luisa González of the leftist Citizen Revolution Movement – the party of influential former President Rafael Correa.
ECUADOR'S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION GOES TO RUNOFF BETWEEN CONSERVATIVE INCUMBENT, LEFTIST LAWYER
Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa, running for re-election, waves after accompanying his running mate, Maria Jose Pinto, to cast her ballot during the presidential elections in Quito, Ecuador, on Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Carlos Noriega)
According to the National Electoral Council, Noboa received about 55.8% of the vote to González's 44%.
EXCLUSIVE LOOK INTO TRUMP REPATRIATION FLIGHT ON C-17 MILITARY PLANE TO ECUADOR
Over 90% of ballots have been tabulated, according to The Associated Press. Over 13 million people were eligible to vote – and in Ecuador, voting is compulsory.
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A Miami-born heir to a large banana trade fortune, the largely politically-inexperienced Noboa emerged as the surprise winner of a 16-month presidency following a 2023 snap election to succeed former President Guillermo Lasso.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Kyle Schmidbauer is a production assistant for Fox News Digital. A graduate of Montclair State University in New Jersey, he joined Fox in 2022.
Fox News' Antisemitism Exposed" newsletter brings you stories on the rising anti-Jewish prejudice across the U.S. and the world."
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Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) moves the ball while defended by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during overtime of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 13, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac (40) dunks while defended by Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Sunday, April 13, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) loses control of the ball during overtime of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Sunday, April 13, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry reacts after making a 3-point basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Sunday, April 13, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry reacts after making a 3-point basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers, Sunday, April 13, 2025, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Godofredo A. Vásquez)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Nobody had to remind Draymond Green of Golden State's struggles in the NBA play-in tournament, because those results are still plenty fresh.
Yet this time, Green is thrilled the Warriors have the added advantage of Jimmy Butler on their side to help them try to reach the first-round playoffs.
“Man, we've got a lot of really good basketball players around this locker room key in what we're trying to do,” Butler said. “I like the confidence he has in myself. I also have the same amount of confidence. I know that I and we have a job to do, and I know that we're capable of doing it, so play-in here we come.”
After a 124-119 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in a regular-season finale for the ages on Sunday, Green, Butler and Stephen Curry will have to take their team down the tougher road once again.
The Warriors face the Memphis Grizzlies in a play-in game Tuesday night at Chase Center for the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Beating the Clippers would have earned Golden State the sixth seed.
“We've got to turn the page quickly and move on to that game, so our guys will have tomorrow off and come in and have a walk-through on Tuesday and ready to roll,” coach Steve Kerr said. “A great opportunity there to win a game and get into the playoffs, which has been our goal this whole time.”
Butler had 30 points on 12-for-20 shooting and nine assists playing 48 minutes against the Clippers.
“He does what the game calls for,” Curry said of Butler.
Though Butler knows there is little room for error this time of year.
“It didn't end the way that we wanted it to end so we've got to figure something out, myself included, and hit the ground running come Tuesday,” Butler said. “It felt good to have the ball and make all the right decisions.”
The Warriors were eliminated by the Sacramento Kings 118-94 in the play-in tournament as the No. 10 seed last year. In 2020-21, Golden State lost to the Lakers 103-100 before having its season ended by the Grizzlies in a 117-112 defeat.
“We haven't fared well in these play-in games, so we've got to make sure we're locked in and ready to go,” Green said.
In 2023, Butler and Miami lost a play-in game to Atlanta but bounced back to beat the Bulls thanks to his 31 points — and the Heat wound up making an NBA Finals run before losing to Denver.
“We joked about that I think last week that he went into the play-in packing for two months,” Curry said. “We'd love to have that opportunity.”
Given Butler's remarkable record of brilliant performances on the playoff stage, Curry and Green know Golden State can lean on that.
“I've been excited since the trade deadline because of that,” Curry said of having Butler on the big stage.
The OT game Sunday certainly resembled a playoff atmosphere. Butler has helped turn around the Warriors since being acquired at the trade deadline.
“We'll just draw on having Jimmy as a whole,” Green said. “You saw the effort he put out there tonight. That's it. Not necessarily the experience in the play-in or any of that, just riding our aces.”
Butler, for one, can't wait.
“We're right where we want to be.”
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
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Apple shares rose more than 2% on Monday, pushing the company's market cap back above $3 trillion, as Wall Street expressed some level of relief that the iPhone maker will be able to withstand President Donald Trump's widespread tariffs.
Late Friday, the Trump administration announced that phones, computers and chips were exempted from new tariffs. Apple is among the most exposed companies to Trump's tariffs because the majority of its iPhones, iPads and MacBooks are manufactured in China and other Asian countries. Trump has called for Apple to make its products in the U.S.
Most of Apple's critical imports were exempted from the tariffs, a move that Wall Street analysts said could save Apple billions in costs. However, administration officials warned over the weekend that the exemptions were temporary and could change over the coming weeks.
"I speak to Tim Cook. I helped Tim Cook, recently, and that whole business," Trump said Monday in a briefing with reporters in the Oval Office, referring to Apple's CEO. "I don't want to hurt anybody, but the end result is we're going to get to the position of greatness for our country."
Uncertainty about what the future holds helps explain Apple's relatively muted gain on Friday. The stock is still down almost 9% in April after falling more than 8% in March. The 11% drop in the first quarter marked Apple's worst performance since 2023.
Apple is the most valuable publicly traded U.S. company once again, edging out Microsoft.
Apple fell below the $3 trillion mark on April 4, two days after Trump announced "reciprocal tariffs" that would place significant duties on China and countries where the company does manufacturing.
The stock rallied last week after Trump announced his administration was dropping new tariff rates to 10% on imports from countries other than China, which would face tariffs as high as 145%.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley wrote in a note Monday that the latest news from the White House brings Apple's "annualized tariff cost burden" to $7 billion, down from $44 billion as of Thursday.
WATCH: Having exposure to Apple is important
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A group of five small businesses on Monday sued President Donald Trump, seeking to block new tariffs that he has imposed on foreign imports in recent weeks.
The lawsuit in the U.S. Court of International Trade alleges that Trump has illegally usurped Congress' power to levy tariffs by claiming that trade deficits with other countries constitute an emergency.
"Congress has not delegated any such power," the suit says. "The statute the Presidentinvokes — the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ('IEEPA') — does not authorize the President to unilaterally issue across-the-board worldwide tariffs."
The Liberty Justice Center, which is representing the owner-operated companies, said Trump's so-called Liberation Day tariffs of at least 10% on imports from most countries, and higher rates for scores of other nations, are devastating small businesses across the country."
"His claimed emergency is a figment of his own imagination: trade deficits, which have persisted for decades without causing economic harm, are not an emergency," the suit says.
"Nor do these trade deficits constitute an 'unusual and extraordinary threat."
The Liberty Justice Center noted that the Trump administration imposed tariffs even on countries with which the United States does not have a trade deficit, "further undermining the administration's justification."
"This Court should declare the President's unprecedented power grab illegal, enjoin the operation of the executive actions that purport to impose these tariffs under the IEEPA and reaffirm this country's core founding principle: there shall be no taxation without representation," the suit says.
The plaintiffs include New York-based VOS Selections, which imports and distributes small-production wines, spirits, and sakes; FishUSA in Pennsylvania, a retail and wholesale e-commerce business making and selling sportfishing tackle and related gear; and Genova Pipe in Utah, which makes plastic pipe, conduit, and fittings for plumbing, irrigation, drainage, and electrical applications.
The other plaintiffs are MicroKits LLC in Virginia, which makes educational electronic kits and musical instruments, and Terry Precision Cycling, a Vermont-based brand of women's cycling apparel.
"Terry Cycling has already paid $25,000 in unplanned tariffs this year for goods for which Terry was the importer of record, and Terry projects that the tariffs will cost the company approximately $250,000 by the end of 2025," the suit says.
Terry Cycling in 2026 expects to "face an estimated $1.2 million in tariff costs — an amount that is simply not survivable for a business of its size," the suit says.
CNBC has requested comment from the White House on the lawsuit.
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Pam Duthie, a 51-year-old UK-based artisan, built her business selling Americans a unique way to capture their love of their furry friends.
Her craft venture, selling miniature stuffed replicas of dogs and cats on Etsy Inc., went international thanks to a US law that exempted small packages from import taxes.
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Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller said Monday he expects the effects of President Donald Trump's tariffs on prices to be "transitory," embracing a term that got the central bank in trouble during the last bout of inflation.
"I can hear the howls already that this must be a mistake given what happened in 2021 and 2022. But just because it didn't work out once does not mean you should never think that way again," Waller said in remarks for a policy speech in St. Louis that compared his inflation view to the controversial "tush push" football play.
Laying out two scenarios for what the duties eventually will look like, Waller said larger and longer-lasting tariffs would bring a larger inflation spike initially to a 4% to 5% range that eventually would ebb as growth slowed and unemployment increased. In the smaller-tariff scenario, inflation would hit around 3% and then fall off.
Either case would still see the Fed cutting interest rates, with timing being the only question, he said. Larger tariffs might force a cut to support growth, while smaller duties might allow a "good news" cut later this year, Waller added.
"Yes, I am saying that I expect that elevated inflation would be temporary, and 'temporary' is another word for transitory,'" he said. "Despite the fact that the last surge of inflation beginning in 2021 lasted longer than I and other policymakers initially expected, my best judgment is that higher inflation from tariffs will be temporary."
The "transitory" term harkens back to the inflation spike in 2021 that Fed officials and many economists expected to ease after supply chain and demand factors related to the Covid-19 pandemic normalized.
However, prices continued to rise, hitting their highest since the early 1980s and necessitating a series of dramatic rate hikes. While inflation has pulled back substantially since the Fed started raising in 2022, it remains above the central bank's 2% target. The Fed cut its benchmark borrowing rate by a full percentage point in late 2024 but has not cut further this year.
A Trump appointee during the president's first term, Waller used a football analogy to explain his views on "transitory" inflation. He cited the Philadelphia Eagles' famed "tush push" play that the team has used to great effect on short-yardage and goal line situations.
"You are the Philadelphia Eagles and it is fourth down and a few inches from the goal line. You call for the tush push but fail to convert by running the ball," he said. "Since it didn't work out the way you expected, does that mean that you shouldn't call for the tush push the next time you face a similar situation? I don't think so."
Waller estimated that Trump has either of two goals from the tariffs: to keep the levies high and remake the economy, or use them as negotiating tactics. In the first case, he sees growth slowing "to a crawl" while the unemployment rate rises "significantly." If the tariffs are negotiated down, he sees the effect on inflation to be "significantly smaller."
In the other case, he said "one of the biggest shocks to affect the U.S. economy in many decades" is making forecasting and policymaking difficult. Fed officials will need to "remain flexible" in deciding the future path.
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If China is going to lose some manufacturing as a result of President Trump's tariffs, the U.S. manufacturing sector won't be the main beneficiary, according to a new CNBC Supply Chain Survey. The Trump administration says a reshoring boom is coming, but most companies tell CNBC that the costs could as much as double to bring supply chains back and instead a new search for low-tariff regimes around the world will commence.
Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed (74%) said cost was the top reason for saying they would not be reshoring production, followed by the challenge of finding skilled labor (21%). The Trump administration has promised tax cuts for companies that bring back manufacturing but the survey found taxes lower in the ranking of costs that impact manufacturing site decision making.
Despite some recent high-profile announcements from the tech sector, including Nvidia's plans for a supercomputer plant in the U.S. and Apple's commitment to invest $500 billion in the country, most companies cite costs as prohibitive. The tech sector received a reprieve on Friday night from new tariffs on China and other global manufacturing nations, but the Trump administration is moving ahead with a national security investigation that targets critical technology for future tariffs.
The majority of respondents taking the survey estimate that the price tag of building a new domestic supply chain would at least be double current costs (18%), and would likely be more than twice as expensive (47%). Instead of moving supply chains back to the United States, 61% said it would be more cost-effective to relocate supply chains to lower-tariffed countries.
In addition to the tariffs, consumer demand and raw material prices, as well as the "current administration's inability to provide a consistent strategy," were cited as key supply chain concerns.
A majority of respondents (61%) said they feel like the Trump Administration "is bullying corporate America."
A total of 380 respondents from companies in the supply chain and business organizations were included in the survey, conducted from April 14-18. The survey was sent to members of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, National Retail Federation, American Apparel and Footwear Association, Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, OL USA, SEKO Logistics, and ITS Logistics.
Among respondents indicating interest in reestablishing U.S. supply chain, they expect a process that would take many years, with 74% expecting a three-to-five-year timeline, if not longer: 41% said at least three to five years; 33% said longer than five years.
If manufacturing is coming back to the U.S., automation will be a major component of the economic model, with 81% of respondents saying it will be used more than human workers.
"The U.S. labor market is a concern when considering movement back to the U.S.," said Mark Baxa, CEO of supply chain trade group CSCMP.
In the current environment, layoffs are an immediate concern, with respondents almost evenly split between those who are planning headcount reductions (47%) and those who say they do not have current layoff plans (53%). A majority of respondents expect job cuts within the next nine months, and 38% within two to three months.
A Fed survey released on Monday found a surge in fears about layoffs.
Right now, the most widespread reaction to the Trump tariffs is the cancellation of orders (89%) based on an expectation that consumers will pull back on spending, which 75% of respondents said they are forecasting. For products that are coming in under the new tariff rates, 61% of those who participated in the survey said they would raise prices.
"The immediate impact is order cancellations and the risk of consumer spending pullback is noteworthy," Baxa said.
Survey respondents expect the hardest-hit products as a result of a pullback in consumer spending to be discretionary products (44%), furniture (19%), and luxury (19%).
"As of now, we have seen a heavy cancellation or pause rate for freight originating from China, but are seeing increased volumes and front loading from other countries in Asia that had their reciprocal tariffs paused for 90 days," said Paul Brashier, vice president of global supply chain at ITS Logistics.
Sixty-three percent of respondents warn of a recession impacting the U.S. economy this year as a result of Trump's tariffs policy, with roughly half (51%) of those expecting it to hit in Q2.
"Supply chains that support millions of U.S. jobs, power U.S. manufacturers, and provide affordable choices for U.S. consumers are now experiencing early signs of damage due to these destructive tariffs," said Steve Lamar, CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. "Higher prices, job losses, product shortages, and bankruptcies will be only some of the adversity the U.S. economy weathers while the President pursues this ill-advised tariff policy."
He previously told CNBC that the damage to businesses across the economy may soon be "irreversible."
Trump's National Economic Council Director, Kevin Hassett, said on Monday that more than 10 countries have made "amazing" trade deal offers to the United States and he "100%" guaranteed there is no recession coming.
Multiple surveys taking the pulse of CEOs show widespread expectations that a recession may have already started or is soon to come.
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink said that based on conversations he has had with CEOs across the economy, the U.S. is either very close to or already in a recession now.
Smaller businesses and startups say the tariffs will be catastrophic and place U.S. jobs at risk.
"Small consumer companies that started with an innovative idea do not have the capital to invest in building factories," said Bruce Kaminstein, member of NY Angels and founder and former CEO of cleaning products company Casabella. "They were forced to go overseas because of a lack of production facilities here in the U.S. Factories in China welcomed our business and helped us bring our products to market," he said.
This time of year is when retailers are ordering their back-to-school and holiday items, and while importers have been pulling back on orders from between 5% to 30%, according to the survey, the majority of respondents say the back-to-school and holiday orders specifically have not been affected. But the majority of respondents (75%) indicate they will be raising the price of those high-demand seasonal goods. They're also suggesting that companies are preparing for a cautious consumer. There is a greater focus on lower-priced goods for the holidays (67%), and more promotional items (21%). Aspirational luxury (7%) and luxury (5%) ranked last among holiday season order planning.
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DETROIT — Shares of automakers closed higher Monday after President Donald Trump said he is looking to "help some of the car companies" amid his 25% auto tariffs.
The automakers "need a little bit of time" to move their production to the U.S., Trump said during a meeting Monday with Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office.
"I'm looking for something to help some of the car companies, where they're switching to parts that were made in Canada, Mexico and other places, and they need a little bit of time because they're going to make them here," Trump said without elaborating on the potential plans. "But they need a little bit of time, so I'm talking about things like that."
The comments pushed stocks such as Ford Motor, General Motors and Chrysler parent Stellantis higher, with each rising between 3% and 6% after previously trading flat or negative. Shares of Rivian Automotive closed Monday up by 4.9%, while shares of Tesla were level.
Shares of other automakers such as Toyota Motor, Honda Motor and EV startup Lucid Group closed up by between 1.5% and 2%.
A senior automotive industry executive described Trump's comments as "some recognition that this is getting tough for the industry."
Trump's remarks Monday come nearly two weeks after he implemented automotive tariffs on imported vehicles of 25% on April 3.
Despite reducing tariffs on most countries last week and giving tech companies such as Apple exemptions from the levies over the weekend, the automotive tariffs have remained in effect.
Automakers have responded to the tariffs in a variety of ways. Manufacturers that are mostly domestic, such as Ford and Stellantis, have announced temporary deals for employee pricing, while others, such as British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover, have ceased U.S. shipments. Hyundai Motor also has said it would not raise prices for at least two months to ease consumer concerns.
GM has been strategically increasing some U.S. production, including upping output at a pickup truck plant in Indiana as well as canceling previously announced downtime next month at a facility in Tennessee.
"The company continues to update and revise production schedules as part of their standard process of evaluating and managing vehicle inventory as needed," plant leadership said in a message to workers viewed by CNBC. "The previously announced downtime for the week of May 12th is being rescinded, which means full production in Vehicle Assembly will run as normal."
A GM spokesman on Monday confirmed the change in plans for the Tennessee plant, which produces several Cadillac crossovers.
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El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said Monday that he would not return Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the United States despite a U.S. Supreme Court order that says the Trump administration should facilitate his return.
"The question is preposterous," Bukele said at the White House during a meeting with President Donald Trump, when he was asked about sending Abrego Garcia back from the notorious Salvadoran prison where he has been held since being forcibly deported in March.
"How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States?" Bukele said. "I don't have the power to return him to the United States."
Top Trump administration officials at the same Oval Office meeting suggested they would not comply with Maryland U.S. District Court Judge Paula Xinis' demand that officials facilitate Abrego Garcia's return from his native country.
The Trump administration, which claims he is a gang member, has admitted that Abrego Garcia, a married father of three who lives in Maryland, was deported due to an administrative error.
But the administration also argues it has no legal responsibility to get him back, and that federal courts lack the power to compel his return.
On Thursday, the Supreme Court upheld Xinis' order, but asked her to clarify it. Xinis quickly did so, and on Friday told the Trump administration to give her daily updates on the status of Abrego Garcia, and about its efforts to get him back.
Bukele suggested he would not comply with the administration, even if asked.
"I mean, we're not very fond of releasing terrorists into our country," the Salvadoran president said.
"We just turned the murder capital of the world into the safest country in the Western Hemisphere and you want us to go back into releasing criminals so we can go back to being the murder capital of the world?" Bukele said. "That's not going to happen."
Trump then quipped that the media would "love" to have criminal released into the U.S., adding that they are "sick people."
He also said he wants Bukele to accept as many criminals as possible.
After insulting the CNN reporter who asked about Abrego Garcia, Trump had tossed the question about his return to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Bondi said Abrego Garcia — who has never been convicted of a crime in the U.S. — had been determined in the courts to be a member of the gang MS-13 who was in the country illegally.
Xinis has said there is no evidence that he is a gang member.
"That's up to El Salvador if they want to return him. That's not up to us," Bondi said.
She said the Supreme Court's ruling on Abrego Garcia only requires that the Trump administration "facilitate" his return, "meaning provide a plane," if El Salvador decides to return him.
Trump then asked top White House advisor Stephen Miller to weigh in.
"He's a citizen of El Salvador," Miller said. "So it's very arrogant, even, for American media to suggest that we would even tell El Salvador how to handle their own citizens."
Secretary of State Marco Rubio nodded along at Miller's interpretation of the Supreme Court's ruling.
After Bukele said he would not release Abrego Garcia, Rubio said, "I don't understand what the confusion is."
"This individual is a citizen of El Salvador," Rubio said. "He was illegally in the United States and was returned to his country. That's where you deport people back to their country of origin."
Rubio added: "The foreign policy of the United States is conducted by the President of the United States, not by a court. And no court in the United States has a right to conduct a foreign policy in the United States, it's that simple. End of story."
When the CNN reporter attempted to ask Trump a follow-up question, the president replied, "How long do we have to answer this question from you?"
"Why don't you just say, Isn't it wonderful that we're keeping criminals out of our country?" Trump said.
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This was CNBC's live blog covering European markets.
European stock markets closed higher on Monday after investors parsed news of a U.S. tariff exemption for some tech items.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index provisionally closed higher by 2.7%, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 ended the day up 2%, Germany's DAX up by 2.6%, and France's CAC 40 up by 2.4%.
Oil and gas stocks jumped 3% despite forecasts of weaker oil prices in 2025, while banks rose nearly 3%.
Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk rose 3.7% after competitor Pfizer scrapped the development of its experimental daily weight loss pill over a livery injury in one patient.
After the market closed, luxury giant LVMH reported a 3% drop in first-quarter sales of 20.3 billion euros ($23.1 billion), lower than the 21.2 billion euros forecast by LSEG analysts.
U.S. President Donald Trump's extreme and fast-changing tariff policy has led to one of the most volatile periods on record for global equities.
After a strong start to the year in which it had been outperforming U.S. markets, the Stoxx 600 has fallen more than 8% in April so far, while Wall Street's S&P 500 has lost 4.43%.
In fresh developments over the weekend, smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices and components were exempted from the U.S. duties — though only temporarily, according to officials. U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidance indicates 20 product categories are exempt from the 125% tariff newly-imposed by Trump on Chinese imports and the 10% baseline tariff on imports from other countries, while a 20% tariff on all Chinese goods remains in effect.
Trump on Sunday said he would be announcing the tariff rate on imported semiconductors over the next week, NBC News reported.
Key questions for markets remain over exactly how long Trump's pause on his full "reciprocal tariff" plan will last, and how various countries will seek to or be able to negotiate without resorting to their own retaliatory action. The European Union last week paused its own countertariffs for 90 days in order to engage in talks.
Currency and bond markets have also been swept up in the action, with the euro climbing to its highest level against the U.S. dollar for more than three years.
The yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury jumped from 3.99% at the start of last week to 4.49% by Friday, with its spread over the German 10-year bund widening by the most in a week since 1990.
Meanwhile, investors must also contend with the start of first-quarter earnings season this week, with companies now facing a hugely uncertain trade environment.
It is relatively quiet on the data front, but inflation figures will be released in the coming days ahead of the European Central Bank's April meeting on Thursday.
Asia-Pacific markets gained on Monday, as U.S. stock futures rose.
European stock indexes closed higher as investors welcomed news of a U.S. tariff exemption.
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index provisionally closed higher by 2.6%, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 ended the day up 2%, Germany's DAX up by 2.6%, and France's CAC 40 up by 2.4%
— Ganesh Rao
Stocks kicked off Monday's session in the green.
The Dow jumped 480 points, or 1.2%, shortly after 9:30 a.m. ET. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite climbed 1.8% and 2.3%, respectively.
— Alex Harring
The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, lowered its outlook for oil demand growth in its latest monthly report published Monday.
The 12-member oil producer organization had previously been significantly more bullish on global growth and oil demand than many other economic forecasters.
"The global economy showed a steady growth trend at the beginning of the year, however, the near-term trajectory is now subject to higher uncertainty given the recent tariff-related dynamics," OPEC's report read.
"The global oil demand growth forecast for 2025 is revised down slightly" to 1.3 million barrels per day, year-on-year, compared to a forecast of 1.4 million barrels per day in March. The forecast for global oil demand growth in 2026 was also revised down to 1.3 million barrels per day from 1.4 million.
"This minor adjustment is mainly due to received data for 1Q25 and the expected impact on oil demand given recently announced US tariffs," the report said.
— Natasha Turak
Shares of Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk spiked higher after competitor Pfizer scrapped its weight loss pill following a livery injury in one patient.
Novo Nordisk, famed for its weight loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, was last up 4.5% at 12:09 p.m. in London.
Rival firm Pfizer earlier announced that it would end the development of its experimental daily weight loss pill after one of its patients experienced a liver injury. The patient was taking an oral GLP-1 drug called danuglipron, and had their dosage of it increased over a short period of time. The patient recovered quickly after they stopped taking the pill, according to Pfizer.
"While we are disappointed to discontinue the development of danuglipron, we remain committed to evaluating and advancing promising programs in an effort to bring innovative new medicines to patients," Dr. Chris Boshoff, Pfizer's chief scientific officer, said in a press release, adding that the company is continuing to develop other weight loss drugs.
— Sawdah Bhaimiya
European software firms crowded the top of the Stoxx600 on Monday morning following fresh tariff developments over the weekend, which saw smartphones, computers, and other electronic devices and components exempted from U.S. tariffs.
Swiss software firm Logitech led gains and was up 8.8% at 11:50 a.m. in London. British medical products and tech firm Convatec gained almost 7%. GN Group, a Danish manufacturer of audio products, was up nearly 6%.
Meanwhile, manufacturing firm Vallourec was up 5.8%, while Technip Energies, an engineering and tech firm, was up 4.8%.
— Sawdah Bhaimiya
Germany's Federal Cartel Office on Monday said it had cleared Italy's UniCredit to acquire a stake of up to 29.99% in Commerzbank, amid persisting questions over a potential future takeover by the Italian lender.
"The notified minority acquisition alone will strengthen UniCredit's market position in the private and corporate banking business in Germany. We have therefore taken a close look at the financial services segments particularly affected. Other significant competitors are active in all areas, which is why the transaction had to be approved," said Andreas Mundt, president of the Federal Cartel Office, in a Google-translated statement.
Last month, UniCredit, which progressively accrued a roughly 28% stake in Commerzbank over surprise derivative builds at the end of last year, received critical permission to own a shareholding of up to 29.99% in the German lender from the European Central Bank, which has euro zone banks under its purview.
It remains unclear whether UniCredit will pivot toward a full takeover offer for Commerzbank, after it simultaneously launched an acquisition bid for Italian peer Banco BPM. Commerzbank has meanwhile been actively making a standalone case with investors.
— Ruxandra Iordache
The euro and British pound extended last week's gains as the U.S. dollar remained on the backfoot on Monday, with the dollar index down 0.63% at its lowest level for three years.
The euro was up 0.23% at 8:50 a.m. U.K. time at $1.138, while sterling was up 0.6% at $1.136.
Benjamin Picton, senior macro strategist at Rabobank, said in a Monday note that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's prior argument that the cost of tariffs would be partially shouldered by exporting countries due to a stronger dollar appeared to have "gone out the window for now."
However, Picton also noted that the overvaluation of the U.S. dollar due to its reserve currency status was a long-standing bugbear of Trump and some of his allies.
— Jenni Reid
European stocks roared back into the green at Monday's open after a weekly loss of 1.9% for the regional Stoxx 600 index.
Germany's DAX popped 2.06%, while France's CAC 40 and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 were up by 1.9% and 1.75%, respectively.
— Jenni Reid
The scale of recent financial market volatility spurred by Trump tariffs was highlighted in research published by Deutsche Bank strategists Henry Allen and Jim Reid on Sunday, who called it among the "most tumultuous periods in living memory."
The period since the initial announcement on April 2 has seen the S&P 500 record its worst day since the pandemic in March 2020, along with its best day since the Financial Crisis in 2008, they said. Swiss equities have been among the worst performers in Europe, with the Swiss Market Index falling 10.4% in local currency terms.
They also highlighted moves in global bond yields, with the U.S. 10-year yield seeing its biggest weekly increase since 2001, despite its traditional status as a safe haven investment during turbulent periods. The spread between the 10-year Treasury yield and Germany's 10-year bund has widened by the largest weekly amount since German reunification in 1990, as the latter has emerged as an alternative flight-to-safety asset.
— Jenni Reid
Goldman Sachs forecasts a decline in oil prices this and next year on the back of the rising risk of a recession and higher supply from the OPEC+ group.
The investment bank expects the Brent Crude to edge down to $63 a barrel through the end of this year and $58 next year. Meanwhile, it expects the West Texas Intermediate to average at around $59 a barrel for the rest of this year and $55 in 2026.
Oil prices fell Monday on the back of uncertainties on the rollout of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff rollout.
Brent Crude fell 0.37% to trade at $64.52 per barrel as of 11.35 a.m. Singapore time, while the WTI dropped 0.39% to $61.26.
— Amala Balakrishner
Technology stocks in Asia-Pacific climbed Monday after U.S. President Donald Trump paused tariffs on phones, computers and consumer electronics.
Taiwan's Hon Hai Precision Industry - which assembles iPhones for Apple - was up 4.46% as at 10 a.m. Singapore time.
Over in Japan, gains were led by Nvidia supplier Advantest Corp, which added 3.89%, and SoftBank Group, which was up 2.29%.
Meanwhile, South Korean parts maker LG Innotek, which gets a substantial chunk of its revenue from Apple, was last seen up 7.26%.
In Hong Kong, the best performers were Nio which surged 6.33%, Alibaba which gained 5.73% and Xpeng which advanced 5.6%.
— Amala Balakrishner
While the Trump administration's move to exempt smartphones, computers and semiconductors, among other electronic devices and components, from "reciprocal" tariffs may have been a win for Big Tech, the market could still be facing "mass uncertainty" around President Donald Trump's tariff policy, says Wedbush analyst Dan Ives.
"The White House made the right move in our view as tech leaders and the overall tech industry knew that if these tariffs went into effect it would essentially be a shut off valve for getting products to the US consumers," Ives wrote in a note dated Sunday.
"[B]ut still there is mass uncertainty, chaos, and confusion about the next steps ahead with all focus on China tariff negotiations being front and center and any progress on this game of high stakes poker between Beijing and DC being crucial to the markets and the economy this week," he continued.
— Sean Conlon
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Married student-loan borrowers could soon be faced with higher monthly payments.
President Donald Trump's Department of Education restored access to student-loan borrowers' income-driven repayment plans after the American Federation of Teachers sued the administration for taking down the online applications.
The plans, however, will look different this time around, Acting Under Secretary James Bergeron wrote in a recent legal filing in AFT's lawsuit. He said that by May 10, "married borrowers filing separate income tax returns or separated from their spouses will have spousal income counted for the purposes of calculating monthly payment amount under IDR plans."
Bergeron wrote that the change is a "required consequence" of a federal court's block on former President Joe Biden's SAVE plan. The plan was intended to give borrowers cheaper monthly payments and a shorter timeline to loan forgiveness.
This means that some student-loan borrowers could see their payments surge if their income-driven repayment plan payments are calculated based on spousal income since the combined income is higher than an individual borrower's income.
It's unclear how the Trump administration will carry out this change, or if it will face additional legal challenges. Allowing married borrowers to file separately is written into the law; the federal statute on income-based repayment states that "in the case of a married borrower who files a separate Federal income tax return, the Secretary shall calculate the amount of the borrower's income-based repayment under this section solely on the basis of the borrower's student loan debt and adjusted gross income."
While the SAVE plan remains blocked in court pending a final legal decision, student-loan borrowers can enroll in an income-based repayment plan, the pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) plan, and the income-contingent repayment plan. Bergeron wrote that the Department of Education had to temporarily remove online access to those plans to revise the applications to comply with the court's ruling on SAVE. The court did not explicitly direct the department to block access to those plans.
Bergeron said there is not yet a timeline for when servicers will begin processing the backlog of the repayment plan applications. He added that borrowers seeking payment credit toward Public Service Loan Forgiveness can access the "buyback" program, which allows borrowers to buy back months that would complete their total 120 qualifying payments.
The Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Have a tip or story to share? Contact this reporter via email at asheffey@businessinsider.com or Signal at asheffey.97. Use a personal email address and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.
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TikTok users in the US are being inundated with videos from Chinese influencers encouraging American buyers to overcome punitive Trump tariffs by buying direct from the “world's factory” — China.
Mostly filmed at Chinese factories purporting to supply top US brands from Lululemon Athletica Inc. to Nike Inc., the influencers aim to “expose” how the vast majority of consumer goods are made in the world's second-largest economy. Many of them provide website URLs and contact details for viewers to order directly from these suppliers. “Why don't you just contact us and buy from us? You won't believe the prices we give you,” said one creator selling luxury handbags.
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Consumer worries grew over inflation, unemployment and the stock market as the global trade war heated up in March, according to a Federal Reserve Bank of New York survey released Monday.
The central bank's monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations showed that respondents saw inflation a year from now at 3.6%, an increase of half a percentage point from February and the highest reading since October 2023.
Along with concerns over a higher cost of living came a surge in worries over the labor market: The probability that the unemployment rate would be higher a year from now surged to 44%, a move up of 4.6 percentage points and the highest level going back to the early Covid pandemic days of April 2020.
The survey also showed angst about the uncertainty translating into problems for stock market prices.
The expectation that the market will be higher a year from low slid to 33.8%, a decline of 3.2 percentage points to the lowest reading going back to June 2022. While the expectations for equities pulled back, respondents said they figure gold to rise by 5.2%, the highest since April 2022.
The survey reflects other readings, such as the University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey, which showed one-year expectations in mid-April at their highest since November 1981.
In the case of the New York Fed measure, the survey took place ahead of President Donald Trump's April 2 "liberation day" tariff announcement, as well as the 90-day suspension of the order a week later. However, it is largely consistent with other measures reflecting consumer concern over the impact tariffs will have, even as market-based measures show inflation worries are low among traders.
Expectations for inflation at the five-year horizon actually edged lower to 2.9%, down 0.1 percentage point, and were unchanged for the three-year outlook at 3%. The outlook for food prices a year from now nudged up to 5.2%, its highest since May 2024, and was at 7.2% for rent, an increase of half a point. The outlook for medical care costs also jumped to an expected 7.9% increase, the most since August 2024.
Respondents expect gasoline to rise by 3.2%, a 0.5 percentage point drop from the February outlook.
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National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Monday that "more than 10" countries have made "very good, amazing" trade deal offers to the United States after President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on imports from many nations.
Hassett also said in a Fox Business interview that there is no chance at all — "100% not" — that the U.S. will experience a recession in 2025.
He denied there was any insider trading by Trump or White House officials ahead of the president's monthslong pause in so-called reciprocal tariffs Wednesday.
Trump, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are mulling whether offers of trade pacts from other countries are "good enough," Hassett said in the interview.
"The one question that I have open in my mind is, should we go one at a time, or should we announce a bundle all at once?" Hassett said.
He also said business executives have been telling him that companies are pushing to move their overseas operations back to the U.S, while consumers are buying up foreign goods because they are "worried about future tariffs."
"So everything's through the roof, anecdotally," he said, adding that recent U.S. jobs report data is "really, really good."
An industry group survey published Monday found that 62% of U.S. CEOs now expect a recession or other economic downturn within the next six months. A day earlier, Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio said on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that he was worried that turmoil from Trump's tariffs and economic policies will lead to "something worse than a recession."
Hassett's optimism about America's trade and economic trajectory came as stock market indices rose Monday morning.
The gains followed news over the weekend that Trump had granted an exemption on reciprocal tariffs imposed on imported electronics, including phones, computers and semiconductors.
Trump later insisted Sunday in a Truth Social post that there was no exemption granted, and that tariffs on those items would be imposed in a different "bucket" later.
On Wednesday, Trump abruptly announced that the sweeping reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries he had announced April 2 would be reduced to a 10% flat rate for 90 days.
The postponement, announced just hours after the steep tariffs took effect, sent stocks soaring after a four-day slide.
That swing led Democrats to ask questions about possible market manipulation or insider trading.
Lawmakers pointed to Trump's Truth Social post in which he declared "THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!" hours before announcing the tariff pause.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said Sunday that "there's enough smoke here that should demand congressional hearings."
House Democrats on Thursday asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate, noting, among other things, a "spike" in purchases of call options minutes before Trump announced the tariff delay. Call options give their holders the right to buy stock shares at a certain price, and act as effective bets that that price will be lower than the retail price of the shares at the time the options are executed.
On Friday, Democrats in the Senate also wrote to the SEC, asking for an investigation.
Hassett, asked about Booker's push for hearings, said, "There was no insider trading at the White House."
But he said the large stock movements will be investigated by the proper authorities, he said.
"When there are big movements in markets, then there are people around town that investigate and make sure that nothing funny was happening," he said.
"But I'm sure it's not anything to do with the White House," Hassett added.
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National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett said Monday that "more than 10" countries have made "very good, amazing" trade deal offers to the United States after President Donald Trump imposed steep tariffs on imports from many nations.
Hassett also said in a Fox Business interview that there is no chance at all — "100% not" — that the U.S. will experience a recession in 2025.
He denied there was any insider trading by Trump or White House officials ahead of the president's monthslong pause in so-called reciprocal tariffs Wednesday.
Trump, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are mulling whether offers of trade pacts from other countries are "good enough," Hassett said in the interview.
"The one question that I have open in my mind is, should we go one at a time, or should we announce a bundle all at once?" Hassett said.
He also said business executives have been telling him that companies are pushing to move their overseas operations back to the U.S, while consumers are buying up foreign goods because they are "worried about future tariffs."
"So everything's through the roof, anecdotally," he said, adding that recent U.S. jobs report data is "really, really good."
An industry group survey published Monday found that 62% of U.S. CEOs now expect a recession or other economic downturn within the next six months. A day earlier, Bridgewater Associates founder Ray Dalio said on NBC News' "Meet the Press" that he was worried that turmoil from Trump's tariffs and economic policies will lead to "something worse than a recession."
Hassett's optimism about America's trade and economic trajectory came as stock market indices rose Monday morning.
The gains followed news over the weekend that Trump had granted an exemption on reciprocal tariffs imposed on imported electronics, including phones, computers and semiconductors.
Trump later insisted Sunday in a Truth Social post that there was no exemption granted, and that tariffs on those items would be imposed in a different "bucket" later.
On Wednesday, Trump abruptly announced that the sweeping reciprocal tariffs on dozens of countries he had announced April 2 would be reduced to a 10% flat rate for 90 days.
The postponement, announced just hours after the steep tariffs took effect, sent stocks soaring after a four-day slide.
That swing led Democrats to ask questions about possible market manipulation or insider trading.
Lawmakers pointed to Trump's Truth Social post in which he declared "THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!" hours before announcing the tariff pause.
Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., said Sunday that "there's enough smoke here that should demand congressional hearings."
House Democrats on Thursday asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate, noting, among other things, a "spike" in purchases of call options minutes before Trump announced the tariff delay. Call options give their holders the right to buy stock shares at a certain price, and act as effective bets that that price will be lower than the retail price of the shares at the time the options are executed.
On Friday, Democrats in the Senate also wrote to the SEC, asking for an investigation.
Hassett, asked about Booker's push for hearings, said, "There was no insider trading at the White House."
But he said the large stock movements will be investigated by the proper authorities, he said.
"When there are big movements in markets, then there are people around town that investigate and make sure that nothing funny was happening," he said.
"But I'm sure it's not anything to do with the White House," Hassett added.
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Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin launched his fiancee Lauren Sanchez into space Monday with an all-female celebrity crew that included Katy Perry and Gayle King.
It was the latest wave in space tourism, where more of the rich and famous than ever before — or lucky and well-connected — can enter the zero-gravity realm traditionally dominated by professional astronauts.
The New Shepard rocket blasted off on the quick up-and-down trip from West Texas. The fringes of space beckoned some 65 miles (105 kilometers) up, promising a few precious minutes of weightlessness.
Sanchez, a helicopter pilot and former TV journalist, invited the others along for the 10-minute, fully automated flight, packing on the star power with singer-songwriter Perry and "CBS Mornings" co-host King.
Also sharing the ride were film producer Kerianne Flynn; Aisha Bowe, a former NASA engineer who started her own companies to promote science education; and Amanda Nguyen, a scientist who studied planets around other stars and now advocates for survivors of sexual violence.
Blue Origin declined to say how much the flight cost or who paid what. The trip came two months before Sanchez and Bezos marry in Venice.
It was the 11th human spaceflight for the Washington state-based company, founded by Bezos in 2000 after making a fortune with Amazon. Bezos strapped in for Blue Origin's first space tourist flight in 2021 and accompanied the latest crew to the pad.
The celebrity launch was the nation's first spaceflight where women filled each seat. The only other all-female crew in 64 years of human spaceflight was back in 1963. That's when Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova launched by herself, becoming the first woman in space. Tereshkova spent three days off the planet.
Even after the latest launch, women represent barely 15% of the more than 700 people who have traveled into space. Sanchez said she deliberately chose women to launch with her, each of them eager to inspire both the young and old to dream big, and even commissioned special flight suits.
"It's an important moment for the future of commercial space travel and for humanity in general and for women all around," Perry told The Associated Press last week.
The launch brought out VIPs to West Texas including Oprah Winfrey and several women who previously have flown on private flights. Winfrey, a close friend of King, wiped away tears when the capsule reached space and the passengers were heard marveling at the moon and shouting with joy.
This wasn't the first Blue Origin launch with marquee names.
"Star Trek" actor William Shatner caught a lift to space with Blue Origin in 2021 at age 90, soon after Bezos' inaugural trip. He was followed by former New York Giants defensive end and TV host Michael Strahan and Laura Shepard Churchley, the eldest daughter of Mercury astronaut Alan Shepard, for whom the rocket is named. Two aviation pioneers who missed out on space when they were younger — Wally Funk and Ed Dwight — also rocketed away at ages 82 and 90, respectively.
Most of Blue Origin's passengers — 58 counting the latest launch — have been business or science types, TV hosts or YouTubers. Ticket prices are not disclosed.
The Russian Space Agency also has launched its share of space tourists, beginning with a California financier in 2001. Two decades later, a Russian actress filmed aboard the International Space Station.
Elon Musk's SpaceX also sells multi-day trips to private customers. SpaceX's first client to fly, billionaire tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman already has launched twice and performed the first private spacewalk. He's now set to become NASA's next administrator if confirmed by the Senate.
Chinese-born bitcoin investor Chun Wang just returned from the first spaceflight to carry people over the north and south poles. Wang picked up the whole SpaceX tab for himself and three polar explorers for an undisclosed sum.
"In this exciting new era of commercial spaceflight, the dream of becoming an astronaut is no longer limited to a select few," Wang said via X last week.
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The Downtown Dilemma:
Crissy Field at the Presidio in San Francisco.
Welcome to Tech In Depth, our daily newsletter with reporting and analysis about the business of tech from Bloomberg's journalists around the world. Today, Ed Ludlow discusses San Francisco Mayor Lurie's pitch to attract the technology industry.
Pricier PlayStations: Sony raised the price of its PlayStation 5 across Europe, Australia and New Zealand in a likely preview of a hike in the US as well. The company cited “a backdrop of a challenging economic environment.”
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XTX Markets founder Alex Gerko is bolstering his status as Britain's richest trader, leading a recent charge of self-made finance billionaires breaking into the nation's ultra-wealthy elite.
Gerko's net worth surged to a record $13.2 billion after the London-based firm reported a jump in 2024 revenue and earnings, more than doubling his fortune over the past two years, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He's now the world's 164th-richest person, and the third-wealthiest in the UK.
In the high-stakes race to dominate AI infrastructure, a tech giant has subtly shifted gears.
Since ChatGPT burst onto the scene in late 2022, there's been a mad dash to build as many artificial intelligence data centers as possible. Big Tech is spending hundreds of billions of dollars on land, construction, and computing gear to support new generative-AI workloads.
Microsoft has been at the forefront of this, mostly through its partnership with OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT.
For two years, there's been almost zero doubt in the tech industry about this AI expansion. It's been all very up and to the right.
Until recently, that is.
On Tuesday, Noelle Walsh, the head of Microsoft cloud operations, said the company "may strategically pace our plans."
This is pretty shocking news for an AI industry that's been constantly kicking and screaming for more cloud capacity and more Nvidia graphics processing units. So it's worth reading closely what Walsh wrote about how things have changed.
"In recent years, demand for our cloud and AI services grew more than we could have ever anticipated and to meet this opportunity, we began executing the largest and most ambitious infrastructure scaling project in our history," she wrote in a LinkedIn post.
"By nature, any significant new endeavor at this size and scale requires agility and refinement as we learn and grow with our customers. What this means is that we are slowing or pausing some early-stage projects," Walsh added.
She didn't share more details, but the TD Cowen analyst Michael Elias has found several recent examples of what he said was Microsoft backing off.
The tech giant has walked away from more than 2 gigawatts of AI cloud capacity in the US and Europe in the past six months, which was in the process of being leased, he said. In the past month or so, Microsoft has also deferred and canceled data center leases in the US and Europe, Elias wrote in a recent note to investors.
This pullback on new capacity leasing was largely driven by Microsoft's decision to not support incremental OpenAI training workloads, Elias said. A recent change to this crucial partnership allows OpenAI to work with cloud providers beyond Microsoft.
"However, we continue to believe the lease cancellations and deferrals of capacity point to data center oversupply relative to its current demand forecast," Elias added.
This is worrying because trillions of dollars in current and planned investments are riding on the generative-AI boom. With so much money on the line, any inkling that this rocket ship is not ascending at light speed is unnerving. (I asked a Microsoft spokesperson all about this twice and didn't get a response.)
The reality is more nuanced than a simple pullback, though. What we're witnessing is a recalibration — not a retreat.
Raimo Lenschow, a Barclays analyst, put the situation in context. The initial wave of this industry spending spree focused a lot on securing land and buildings to house all the chips and other computing gear needed to create and run AI models and services.
In this AI "land grab," it's common for large cloud companies to sign and negotiate leases that they end up walking away from later, Lenschow said.
Now that Microsoft feels more comfortable with the amount of land it has on hand, the company is likely shifting some spending to the later stages that focus more on buying the GPUs and other computing gear that go inside these data centers.
"In other words, over the past few quarters, Microsoft has 'overspent' on land and buildings, but is now going back to a more normal cadence," Lenschow wrote in a recent note to investors.
Microsoft still plans $80 billion in capital expenditures during its 2025 fiscal year and has guided for year-over-year growth in the next fiscal year. So the company probably isn't backing away from AI much but is becoming more strategic about where and how it invests.
Part of the shift appears to be from AI training to inference. Pretraining is how models are created, and this requires loads of closely connected GPUs, along with state-of-the-art networking. Expensive stuff! Inference is how existing models are run to support services such as AI agents and Microsoft Copilot. Inference is less technically demanding but expected to be the larger market.
With inference outpacing training, the focus is shifting toward scalable, cost-effective infrastructure that maximizes return on investment.
For instance, at a recent AI conference in New York, the discussion was focused more on efficiency than attaining artificial general intelligence, a costly endeavor to make machines work better than humans.
The AI startup Cohere said that its new Command A model needs only two GPUs to run. That's a heck of a lot fewer than most models have required in recent years.
Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI, echoed this in a recent podcast. While he acknowledged a slight slowdown in returns from massive pretraining runs, he said the company's compute consumption was still "unbelievable" — it's just shifting to different stages of the AI pipeline.
Suleyman added that some of the canceled leases and projects were never finalized contracts but exploratory discussions — part of standard operating procedure in hyperscale cloud planning.
This strategic pivot comes as OpenAI, Microsoft's close partner, has begun sourcing capacity from other cloud providers and even hinting at developing its own data centers. Microsoft, however, maintains a right of first refusal on new OpenAI capacity, signaling continued deep integration between the two companies.
First, don't mistake agility for weakness. Microsoft is likely adjusting to changing market dynamics, not scaling back ambition. Second, the hyperscaler space remains incredibly competitive.
When Microsoft walked away from capacity in overseas markets, Elias said, Google stepped in to snap up the supply. Meanwhile, Meta backfilled the capacity that Microsoft left on the table in the US.
"Both of these hyperscalers are in the midst of a material year-over-year ramp in data center demand," Elias wrote, referring to Google and Meta.
So Microsoft's pivot may be more a sign of maturity than retreat. As AI adoption enters its next phase, the winners won't necessarily be those who spend the most — but those who spend the smartest.
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Europe's family founders are emerging with much of their empires intact after bruising refinancing battles. Many of their creditors have had to take heavy writedowns.
Ardagh Group chairman Paul Coulson at the New York Stock Exchange.
Photographer: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Lenders to struggling private equity-owned companies have had a rough time of late, regularly getting whacked with heavy losses after fierce refinancing battles. But their compadres who binged in recent years on junk credit from Europe's tycoon business builders won't have much sympathy.
While buyout firms have had to keep at least one eye on future relations with the creditor community, individuals who've built their trouble-hit empires from scratch have been tougher adversaries, according to several market participants. In the words of one key lender to telecoms billionaire Patrick Drahi, who asked to stay anonymous discussing a sensitive matter, these owners are ready to burn a business to the ground rather than give it up.
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The wreckage of a helicopter that crashed into the Hudson River is extracted from the water in Jersey City, New Jersey, on April 10.
The Federal Aviation Administration ordered New York Helicopter Charter Inc. to cease operations while it conducts a review of the tour operator's license and safety record following a deadly crash last week.
The regulator's decision, announced on XBloomberg Terminal, came just hours after US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called on it to revoke the company's license and expand safety inspections of other tour operators.
Bitcoin Rises as Inflation Expectations Intensify Among Consumers
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The price of Bitcoin hovered around $85,000 on Monday as investors weighed whether the White House's message on tariffs was tailored enough to avoid a recession.
The leading cryptocurrency was recently changing hands around $84,950, showing a 1.5% increase over the past day, according to crypto data provider CoinGecko. Ethereum edged up 3.4% to $1,650, meanwhile, while Solana climbed 2.4% to $131.
A survey released on Monday underscored consumers' inflation worries, as economists fear the U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs could ignite price pressures. Consumers foresee inflation clocking in at 3.6% a year from now, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York's monthly Survey of Consumer Expectations.
Representing the highest levels of economic angst since April 2020, 44% of survey respondents also believe the unemployment rate will be higher a year from now. Among households with annual incomes below $50,000, there was a notable increase in the perceived probability of losing one's job.
Still, Bitcoin's price rose this weekend after the White House indicated computer chips and smartphones would be exempt from “reciprocal” levies. It softened on Sunday after Trump clarified that “NOBODY is getting ‘off the hook'” and other levies still being applied to electronics.
Strategy shares rose 4.3% to $312, while Coinbase shares advanced 1.4% to 178$, according to Yahoo Finance. Major equity indexes closed in positive territory with the tech-heavy Nasdaq and S&P 500 both up the better part of a percentage point.
Market participants will be listening attentively to Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday, according to Carlos Guzman, a research analyst at crypto market maker GSR. They are eager to know where the central bank now stands on a potential recession, he told Decrypt.
“When the ‘Liberation Day' tariffs were unveiled, a major fear was that it would cause a big economic contraction,” he said. “People were pricing in as many as four rate cuts this year.”
After Trump unveiled his 90-day pause on most tariffs last week, the odds of an incoming recession decreased, alongside expectations of rate cuts. Still, market participants are pricing in more cuts now than before Trump's “Liberation Day” announcement, Guzman noted.
“If the economic situation globally looks bad, we'd likely see more stimulative policy from central banks,” he said. “That might be more positive for crypto medium-term, maybe not short-term, with all this [recent] volatility.”
Edited by James Rubin
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Analysts say Bitcoin price could soar to $137,000 if the US Treasury General Account continues pumping money into financial markets.
The US Treasury has injected $500 billion into financial markets since February by drawing liquidity from its Treasury General Account (TGA), funding government operations after a $36 trillion debt ceiling was hit on Jan. 2, 2025.
Macroeconomic financial analyst Tomas said that this liquidity surge boosted the net Federal Reserve liquidity to $6.3 trillion, and it may support Bitcoin's (BTC) price in the future, even though risk assets have reflected minimal growth so far.
US Treasury General Account's expected liquidity flow. Source: X.com
The TGA represents the government's checking account at the Federal Reserve, holding capital for daily operations like paying bills or collecting taxes. A decrease in TGA capital means the balance has been deployed into the broader economy, boosting available cash in the markets.
Tomas explained that The TGA drawdown commenced on Feb. 12, following the exhaustion of "extraordinary measures" after the debt ceiling was reached. The TGA balance has dropped from $842 to roughly $342 billion, releasing liquidity into the system, and the targeted liquidity is expected to rise up to $600 billion by the end of April.
The analyst added that the current tax season will temporarily drain liquidity, but the drawdown is expected to resume in May. If debt ceiling talks extend to August, net liquidity could hit a multi-year high of $6.6 trillion, which could cause a bullish tailwind for Bitcoin.
Bitcoin's correlation with global liquidity. Source: Lynalden.com
According to a study by financial analyst Lyn Alden, Bitcoin has historically moved 83% of the time in line with global liquidity in a given 12-month period. The research termed “Bitcoin a Global Liquidity Barometer” compared Bitcoin to other major asset classes such as SPX, gold and VT, and BTC topped the correlation index with respect to global liquidity.
Past TGA drawdowns in 2022 and 2023 have fueled speculative assets like Bitcoin. Thus, a $600 billion boost, plus billions more added over Q2-Q3, could lift BTC's value if market conditions remain stable.
Related: Bitcoin traders target $90K as apparent tariff exemptions ease US Treasury yields
Anonymous crypto trader Titan of Crypto shared a bullish outlook for Bitcoin, predicting that BTC could surge to a new all-time high of $137,000 by July-August 2025. In a recent X post, the analyst pointed out a bullish pennant pattern on the daily chart, with the price potentially heading toward a positive breakout.
Bitcoin bullish pennant by Titan of Crypto. Source: X.com
However, before pushing chips into a long conviction play, BTC must break and retain a position above its 200-day exponential moving average (EMA). As illustrated in the chart, Bitcoin faces resistance from all three key EMAs, namely, the 50-day, 100-day and 200-day indicators.
A collective reclaim above each moving average on a higher time frame chart could further strengthen the bullish case, allowing the crypto to retest its six-figure targets.
Bitcoin 1-day chart analysis. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView
Related: Bybit integrates Avalon through CeFi to DeFi bridge for Bitcoin yield
This article does not contain investment advice or recommendations. Every investment and trading move involves risk, and readers should conduct their own research when making a decision.
A new wave of smartphone-based attacks is draining crypto wallets without victims ever realizing it. According to researchers at Doctor Web, a surge in malware-laced Android phones has exposed a coordinated operation where attackers are embedding spyware directly into the software of newly sold devices. The goal is to intercept cryptocurrency transactions through a hijacked version of WhatsApp.
Cheap Phones, Expensive Consequences
The phones in question look familiar. Models like the “S23 Ultra,” “Note 13 Pro,” and “P70 Ultra” imitate premium brands with sleek branding and tempting specs. But beneath the surface, they're running older software despite claiming to have the latest Android version, and they come with malicious software within.
The infected devices ship with preinstalled, modified versions of WhatsApp that operate as clippers, which are malicious programs designed to replace copied cryptocurrency wallet addresses with the attacker's own. Once installed, this fake WhatsApp quietly swaps out wallet strings for popular coins like Ethereum and Tron whenever users send or receive them through chat.
Even more worrying, victims never see anything suspicious. The malware shows the correct wallet address on the sender's screen but delivers the wrong one to the receiver and vice versa. Everything looks normal until the money disappears.
Not Just WhatsApp
The attackers didn't stop at one app. According to Dr. Web's report, researchers found nearly 40 fake applications, including Telegram, crypto wallets like Trust Wallet and MathWallet, QR code readers, and others. The technique behind the infection relies on a tool called LSPatch, which allows modifications without altering the core app code. This method not only evades detection but also lets the malicious code survive updates.
What makes this campaign particularly dangerous is the supply chain angle. Researchers believe the infection occurred at the manufacturing stage, meaning these phones were compromised before reaching store shelves. Many devices originate from smaller Chinese brands, with some models linked to a label called “SHOWJI.” Others remain untraceable.
SHOWJI S19 ProNote 30iCamon 20SHOWJI Note 13 ProS23 UltraP70 UltraSHOWJI X100S ProS18 ProM14 UltraSHOWJI Reno12 Pro6 ProS24 UltraSmartphone models identified by Dr. Web to be malicious
Beyond Message Hijacking
The spyware doesn't just swap out wallet addresses; it digs through targeted devices' image folders like DCIM, Downloads, and Screenshots, looking for pictures of recovery phrases. A lot of people snap screenshots of these for convenience, but those phrases are the master keys to their crypto wallets. If attackers get their hands on them, they can drain the account in minutes.
To make things worse, the malicious WhatsApp update system doesn't point to official servers. Instead, it fetches updates from domains controlled by the hackers, ensuring the spyware stays functional and up to date.
So far, Doctor Web has identified over 60 servers and 30 domains used in the campaign. Some attacker wallets linked to the operation have already received more than $1 million, with others holding six-figure balances. And because many addresses are generated dynamically, the full financial scope remains unclear.
One of the attacker-controlled wallets has already stolen a substantial amount of cryptocurrency from victims (Screenshot via Dr. Web).
How to Stay Safe
Cybersecurity experts at Dr. Web warned users to be extra cautious, especially when it comes to mobile devices and crypto security. They recommend avoiding Android phones from unverified sellers, particularly if the price feels too good to be true. To make sure a device is legit, tools like DevCheck can help verify hardware specs since fake models often manipulate system details, even in well-known apps like CPU-Z or AIDA64.
Experts also advise against storing recovery phrases, passwords, or private keys as unencrypted images or text files, which can be easy targets for spyware. Installing reliable security software can help catch deeper system-level threats. And when it comes to downloading apps, it's safest to stick with official sources like Google Play.
Although the campaign is currently targeting Russian-speaking users, pre-installed malware on cheap Android devices, including smartphones and TV boxes, has already been used to target unsuspecting users worldwide. Therefore, regardless of your location, if your Android phone isn't what it claimed to be or if you've recently bought one off-brand device, it might be worth checking what's running under the hood.
Waqas
I am a UK-based cybersecurity journalist with a passion for covering the latest happenings in cybersecurity and tech world. I am also into gaming, reading and investigative journalism.
View Posts
The phones in question look familiar. Models like the “S23 Ultra,” “Note 13 Pro,” and “P70 Ultra” imitate premium brands with sleek branding and tempting specs. But beneath the surface, they're running older software despite claiming to have the latest Android version, and they come with malicious software within.
The infected devices ship with preinstalled, modified versions of WhatsApp that operate as clippers, which are malicious programs designed to replace copied cryptocurrency wallet addresses with the attacker's own. Once installed, this fake WhatsApp quietly swaps out wallet strings for popular coins like Ethereum and Tron whenever users send or receive them through chat.
Even more worrying, victims never see anything suspicious. The malware shows the correct wallet address on the sender's screen but delivers the wrong one to the receiver and vice versa. Everything looks normal until the money disappears.
The attackers didn't stop at one app. According to Dr. Web's report, researchers found nearly 40 fake applications, including Telegram, crypto wallets like Trust Wallet and MathWallet, QR code readers, and others. The technique behind the infection relies on a tool called LSPatch, which allows modifications without altering the core app code. This method not only evades detection but also lets the malicious code survive updates.
What makes this campaign particularly dangerous is the supply chain angle. Researchers believe the infection occurred at the manufacturing stage, meaning these phones were compromised before reaching store shelves. Many devices originate from smaller Chinese brands, with some models linked to a label called “SHOWJI.” Others remain untraceable.
The spyware doesn't just swap out wallet addresses; it digs through targeted devices' image folders like DCIM, Downloads, and Screenshots, looking for pictures of recovery phrases. A lot of people snap screenshots of these for convenience, but those phrases are the master keys to their crypto wallets. If attackers get their hands on them, they can drain the account in minutes.
To make things worse, the malicious WhatsApp update system doesn't point to official servers. Instead, it fetches updates from domains controlled by the hackers, ensuring the spyware stays functional and up to date.
So far, Doctor Web has identified over 60 servers and 30 domains used in the campaign. Some attacker wallets linked to the operation have already received more than $1 million, with others holding six-figure balances. And because many addresses are generated dynamically, the full financial scope remains unclear.
One of the attacker-controlled wallets has already stolen a substantial amount of cryptocurrency from victims (Screenshot via Dr. Web).
How to Stay Safe
Cybersecurity experts at Dr. Web warned users to be extra cautious, especially when it comes to mobile devices and crypto security. They recommend avoiding Android phones from unverified sellers, particularly if the price feels too good to be true. To make sure a device is legit, tools like DevCheck can help verify hardware specs since fake models often manipulate system details, even in well-known apps like CPU-Z or AIDA64.
Experts also advise against storing recovery phrases, passwords, or private keys as unencrypted images or text files, which can be easy targets for spyware. Installing reliable security software can help catch deeper system-level threats. And when it comes to downloading apps, it's safest to stick with official sources like Google Play.
Although the campaign is currently targeting Russian-speaking users, pre-installed malware on cheap Android devices, including smartphones and TV boxes, has already been used to target unsuspecting users worldwide. Therefore, regardless of your location, if your Android phone isn't what it claimed to be or if you've recently bought one off-brand device, it might be worth checking what's running under the hood.
Waqas
I am a UK-based cybersecurity journalist with a passion for covering the latest happenings in cybersecurity and tech world. I am also into gaming, reading and investigative journalism.
View Posts
To make things worse, the malicious WhatsApp update system doesn't point to official servers. Instead, it fetches updates from domains controlled by the hackers, ensuring the spyware stays functional and up to date.
So far, Doctor Web has identified over 60 servers and 30 domains used in the campaign. Some attacker wallets linked to the operation have already received more than $1 million, with others holding six-figure balances. And because many addresses are generated dynamically, the full financial scope remains unclear.
Cybersecurity experts at Dr. Web warned users to be extra cautious, especially when it comes to mobile devices and crypto security. They recommend avoiding Android phones from unverified sellers, particularly if the price feels too good to be true. To make sure a device is legit, tools like DevCheck can help verify hardware specs since fake models often manipulate system details, even in well-known apps like CPU-Z or AIDA64.
Experts also advise against storing recovery phrases, passwords, or private keys as unencrypted images or text files, which can be easy targets for spyware. Installing reliable security software can help catch deeper system-level threats. And when it comes to downloading apps, it's safest to stick with official sources like Google Play.
Although the campaign is currently targeting Russian-speaking users, pre-installed malware on cheap Android devices, including smartphones and TV boxes, has already been used to target unsuspecting users worldwide. Therefore, regardless of your location, if your Android phone isn't what it claimed to be or if you've recently bought one off-brand device, it might be worth checking what's running under the hood.
Waqas
I am a UK-based cybersecurity journalist with a passion for covering the latest happenings in cybersecurity and tech world. I am also into gaming, reading and investigative journalism.
View Posts
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A Pennsylvania man could spend up to six years in prison after pleading guilty to concealing over $13 million in NFT sales from tax authorities.
What Happened: Waylon Wilcox, 45, admitted to filing false individual income tax returns in 2022 and 2023, according to a Department of Justice statement released Friday and reported by Fortune on Monday.
The DOJ alleges Wilcox sold 97 NFTs from the iconic CryptoPunks collection between 2021 and 2022, generating over $13 million in proceeds that he failed to report to the IRS.
“When a taxpayer sells an NFT, including a Punk, then the taxpayer must report sales proceeds and any gains or losses from the sale of the NFT on their tax return,” the DOJ statement emphasized.
By omitting these substantial sales, Wilcox allegedly reduced his tax liability by approximately $3.2 million over the two-year period.
Lawyers representing Wilcox did not respond to Fortune's request for comment.
Read Also: Bitcoin Surges Back To $85,000: What Does The Technical Analysis Show?
Why It Matters: The case comes during a transitional period for cryptocurrency tax reporting.
Earlier this year, the IRS issued Notice 2025-7, providing temporary relief that allows crypto holders using centralized exchanges in 2025 to have more flexibility in their accounting methods rather than defaulting to the First-In-First-Out (FIFO) method.
However, this relief doesn't exempt traders from reporting cryptocurrency transactions.
According to the DOJ, Wilcox sold 62 CryptoPunks for over $7.4 million in 2021 during the height of the NFT boom, followed by another 35 Punks for nearly $5 million in 2022 as the market began to cool.
CryptoPunks, created in 2017, is one of the oldest and most valuable NFT collections, with individual pieces once selling for as much as $23.7 million.
The floor price for a CryptoPunk currently sits at 42.42 Ethereum ETH, approximately $70,000.
The case serves as a reminder to cryptocurrency investors that while the IRS has temporarily eased some reporting requirements for 2025, the fundamental obligation to report all cryptocurrency transactions remains unchanged.
The DOJ has not disclosed how they discovered the unreported sales.
Read Next:
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XRP a Bright Spot as Investors Yank $789 Million from Bitcoin, Ethereum Funds: CoinShares
$84,842.00
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$1.14
Since a “wave of negative sentiment” formed in February, digital asset products have shed $7.2 billion worth of assets, the most dramatic stretch of outflows on record, CoinShares Head of Research James Butterfill wrote in a report on Monday.
But he cautioned against substantial concern over last week's outflows of $795 million across tracked crypto funds, including $751 million from Bitcoin ETFs and nearly $38 million from Ethereum funds.
“I don't see this as anything particularly ominous or alarming at this point,” Butterfill told Decrypt. “If you look outside the institutional ETF market, we've seen Bitcoin prices, in general, outperform that of equities since ‘Liberation Day.'”
Indeed, Bitcoin has held up well against stock indices since U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled, and then mostly paused, tariffs on more than 180 nations earlier this month. Bitcoin initially surged this weekend after the White House indicated that computer chips and smartphones would be exempt from levies, but slid on Sunday after Trump clarified that “NOBODY is getting ‘off the hook.'”
On Monday, the leading cryptocurrency recently rose toward $85,000, showing a 0.4% increase over the past day, according to crypto data provider CoinGecko. On Wall Street, the tech-heavy Nasdaq had meanwhile edged up 0.88%, per Yahoo Finance.
Year-to-date, investors have allocated $545 million to Bitcoin funds and $241 million to Ethereum funds.
After Bitcoin fell as low as $74,700 a week ago, the average investor has appeared willing to buy the dip, but institutions are showing continued pessimism with outflows stretching into their third straight week, Butterfill said.
“Retail [investors] are clearly buying now, but we're not seeing that on the institutional side,” he said. “It does suggest that institutions are not seeing this as an opportunity just yet.”
Products tracking various cryptocurrencies generated outflows across the board last week, except for XRP. As funds tied to Ethereum and Solana lost $38 and $5 million, respectively, investors allocated $3.5 million to the Ripple-linked token.
Although it does not track XRP's spot price, the first XRP ETF debuted in the U.S. last week. Dubbed the Teucrium 2x Long Daily XRP ETF, the leveraged ETF debuted last Tuesday.
After pouring $44 billion into products including spot Bitcoin and Ethereum exchange-traded funds last year, investors have now allocated just $165 million so far in 2025, CoinShares said.
Edited by Andrew Hayward
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Bitcoin is trading up 11% from the lows of $74,450 as of Wednesday, as overall markets saw a significant jump — with the Nasdaq up nearly 12%, the S&P 500 up 9%, and the Dow up 8%.
The altcoin market, including ETH, is up 8.35%, but still 40% below its all-time high of $1.6 trillion. It would need to rise by 70% to reach that peak again.
Screenshot via TradingView User NoticeTrades
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Bitcoin Weekly Chart
Bitcoin has shown demand at the previous weekly swing from March 10, which is around $76,560. This is a crucial level for Bitcoin to hold in the short term. As we've seen a significant rally, Bitcoin should not return to the lows if the price is going to reverse the daily trend.
Closing above the 50EMA on the weekly also would be ideal.
Screenshot via TradingView User NoticeTrades
Trending: BlackRock is calling 2025 the year of alternative assets. One firm from NYC has quietly built a group of 60,000+ investors who have all joined in on an alt asset class previously exclusive to billionaires like Bezos and Gates.
Bitcoin Daily Chart
Even with this massive rally, the structure on the daily chart still remains bearish. This is why understanding structure is important. Just because sentiment may feel more bullish than ever, as the markets haven't seen a rally like this in a long time, things could still continue the bearish trend.
Screenshot via TradingView User NoticeTrades
In terms of the daily structure, this is a decent start for a rally, but there are key levels to monitor.
The first is the $88,000 range, where price was rejected twice.
The second is the $92,000 range, which is the lower end of the consolidation that eventually broke.
See Also: Are you rich? Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy.
With this strong rally on Wednesday, you would want to see continuation. That's the key here. If you start seeing this momentum fade and price trades back below $80,000, it could be a sign that this was just a move to create another lower high on the daily, setting up a continuation to the downside.
As always, it's crucial to stay disciplined and monitor the key levels closely. The market's reaction at these price points will give us a clearer picture of whether the rally can sustain itself or if the bearish trend will resume. Keep an eye on the structure and adjust your strategy accordingly. Patience and proper risk management will be key as we navigate through these critical levels.
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This article Crypto Market Update: Bitcoin Breaks Out, Altcoins Pump — Is the Bull Back? A Deep Dive Into the Charts originally appeared on Benzinga.com
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
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Bitcoin is trading up 11% from the lows of $74,450 as of Wednesday, as overall markets saw a significant jump — with the Nasdaq up nearly 12%, the S&P 500 up 9%, and the Dow up 8%.
The altcoin market, including ETH, is up 8.35%, but still 40% below its all-time high of $1.6 trillion. It would need to rise by 70% to reach that peak again.
Screenshot via TradingView User NoticeTrades
Don't Miss:
Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — this is your last chance to become an investor for $0.80 per share.
‘Scrolling To UBI' — Deloitte's #1 fastest-growing software company allows users to earn money on their phones. You can invest today for just $0.26/share with a $1000 minimum.
Bitcoin Weekly Chart
Bitcoin has shown demand at the previous weekly swing from March 10, which is around $76,560. This is a crucial level for Bitcoin to hold in the short term. As we've seen a significant rally, Bitcoin should not return to the lows if the price is going to reverse the daily trend.
Closing above the 50EMA on the weekly also would be ideal.
Screenshot via TradingView User NoticeTrades
Trending: BlackRock is calling 2025 the year of alternative assets. One firm from NYC has quietly built a group of 60,000+ investors who have all joined in on an alt asset class previously exclusive to billionaires like Bezos and Gates.
Bitcoin Daily Chart
Even with this massive rally, the structure on the daily chart still remains bearish. This is why understanding structure is important. Just because sentiment may feel more bullish than ever, as the markets haven't seen a rally like this in a long time, things could still continue the bearish trend.
Screenshot via TradingView User NoticeTrades
In terms of the daily structure, this is a decent start for a rally, but there are key levels to monitor.
The first is the $88,000 range, where price was rejected twice.
The second is the $92,000 range, which is the lower end of the consolidation that eventually broke.
See Also: Are you rich? Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy.
With this strong rally on Wednesday, you would want to see continuation. That's the key here. If you start seeing this momentum fade and price trades back below $80,000, it could be a sign that this was just a move to create another lower high on the daily, setting up a continuation to the downside.
As always, it's crucial to stay disciplined and monitor the key levels closely. The market's reaction at these price points will give us a clearer picture of whether the rally can sustain itself or if the bearish trend will resume. Keep an eye on the structure and adjust your strategy accordingly. Patience and proper risk management will be key as we navigate through these critical levels.
Read Next:
Hasbro, MGM, and Skechers trust this AI marketing firm — invest pre-IPO from $0.55 per share now.
Deloitte's fastest-growing software company partners with Amazon, Walmart & Target – Many are rushing to grab 4,000 of its pre-IPO shares for just $0.26/share!
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In a move signaling intensified competition in the cross-border payments space, J.P. Morgan Chase has introduced GBP-denominated Blockchain Deposit Accounts for its Kinexys Digital Payments (KDP) platform in London. The bank said it's one of the first products of its kind in the U.K. with live corporate clients.
Trading market infrastructure company LSEG is among the first to open an account. Its SwapAgent division and global commodities firm Trafigura will are the first to open London-based blockchain accounts, which aim to streamline 24/7 real-time payments and foreign exchange (FX) settlements across global financial centers. This roll-out expands upon earlier Kinexys launches — most notably, the EUR-denominated blockchain accounts in Frankfurt — and underscores the firm's push to increase operational efficiency and reduce transaction friction for multinational corporations.
Key Points From the Announcement:
SwapAgent, an LSEG Post Trade Solutions business, plans to leverage these new accounts for its digital post-trade services pilot project, with a view to broadening its blockchain adoption. “Integrating the innovative Kinexys Digital Payments blockchain deposit accounts into our SwapAgent offerings could allow us to operate beyond traditional branch cut-off times and manage settlements in a programmable manner in the future,” said Nathan Ondyak, CEO at SwapAgent.
Meanwhile, Trafigura, one of the world's largest commodities suppliers, plans to harness the London-based accounts to support 24/7 global payments across financial hubs in New York, London and Singapore. Chris McLaughlin, Global Head of Group Treasury at Trafigura, said the collaboration “will enable us with 24/7 near-real-time payments across major global financial centers” and offer greater efficiency for real-time cross-border transactions.
According to J.P. Morgan, since its inception in 2019, the Kinexys platform has processed over $1.5 trillion in transaction volume, with average daily transactions exceeding $2 billion and registering 10x year-over-year growth in payments. In addition to deposit accounts, KDP provides a Programmable Payments feature with an “if-this-then-that” interface, allowing corporate clients to automate treasury workflows and enhance liquidity management.
In November, J.P. Morgan announced a significant enhancement to its blockchain platform, recently rebranded from Onyx to Kinexys. The bank will integrate Kinexys Digital Payments with J.P. Morgan FX Services, enabling on-chain FX settlement. This move positions Kinexys as a key player in the landscape of digital cross-border payments and foreign exchange.
Initially supporting USD and EUR, with plans to expand to other currencies, this integration allowed clients to execute near real-time FX transactions and settlements via the J.P. Morgan global FX platform. This is expected to significantly reduce FX settlement risk and accelerate trade settlements, potentially revolutionizing how businesses manage international payments.
“Together with our clients, we aim to move beyond the limitations of legacy technology and realize the promise of a multichain world,” said Umar Farooq, co-head of J.P. Morgan Payments said at the time. “Our goal is to foster a more connected ecosystem to break down disparate systems, enable greater interoperability and reduce the limitations of today's financial infrastructure.”
JPMorgan Chase's Kinexys Broadens FX Reach With New GBP Blockchain Rollout
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We're always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.
Mantra CEO John Mullin denied reports suggesting there were insider sales by investors like Laser Digital before the 90% crash of its OM token.
Update (April 14, 1:15 pm UTC): This article has been updated to add comments by Mantra CEO John Mullin from an AMA event hosted by Cointelegraph.Update (April 14, 4:33 pm UTC): This article has been updated with data from Arkham Intelligence.
Mantra CEO John Mullin denied reports suggesting large-scale token transfers by major Mantra investors in the days leading up to the sharp collapse of the OM token, while speaking in an AMA hosted by Cointelegraph on April 14.
“The Mantra association, our key investors, our advisers — no one has sold, and we are going to categorically deny and also provide verifiable proof onchain proof that this is the case,” Mullin stated in the AMA.
Previous reports suggested that Laser Digital, a strategic Mantra investor, cashed out large portions of Mantra (OM) tokens before the cryptocurrency collapsed on April 13.
Laser Digital is a digital asset business backed by Nomura. The firm announced a strategic investment in Mantra in May 2024.
At least two wallets linked to Laser Digital were among 17 wallets that moved a combined 43.6 million OM tokens — worth about $227 million at the time — to exchanges before the crash, the blockchain analytics platform Lookonchain reported on April 13, citing Arkham Intelligence data.
According to Arkham data, a Laser Digital-linked wallet, “0x84EE7,” sent 6.5 million OM tokens to an unlabelled Arkham wallet address, “0xB37DB,” on April 11.
The “0xB37DB” address subsequently dumped the tokens on the OKX exchange in several transactions, Arkham data shows.
Arkham did not immediately respond to Cointelegraph's request to comment on Laser Digital's wallets' tags.
Laser Digital-linked wallet and the 6.5 million OM transfer to 0xB37DB. Source: Arkham
Laser Digital subsequently denied Lookonchain reports alleging its involvement in the OM crash, claiming that the referenced wallets did not belong to it.
Source: Laser Digital
“Laser has no involvement in the recent price collapse of $OM,” Laser said in an X post on April 14. “Assertions circulating on social media that link Laser to ‘investor selling' are factually incorrect and misleading,” the firm added.
In addition to Laser Digital, some social media reports also linked the OM onchain activity to an address allegedly tied to another Mantra investor, Shorooq Partners.
According to Lookonchain data, a wallet associated with Shane Shin, a founding partner of Shorooq Partners, received 2 million OM tokens on April 13 at 11:52 am UTC, hours before the crash.
Mantra (OM) flows by a wallet potentially linked to Shorooq's Shane Shin. Source: Arkham
The tokens came from a previously dormant wallet that received 2.75 million OM in April 2024, Lookonchain reported.
Shin also subsequently denied selling the tokens, stating that the transfers implied wallet-to-wallet transactions rather than transfers to an exchange.
Source: Shane Shin
“No tokens have been sold. The community can check the wallet address and all its transactions to understand the situation fully. Here is the wallet address for full transparency,” Shin wrote in a post on X, attaching his wallet address.
Both Laser Digital and Shorooq were among the investors in the $109 million Mantra Ecosystem Fund (MEF) announced on April 7.
Related: Mantra bounces 200% after OM price crash but poses LUNA-like' big scandal' risk
“It is important to note up front that Shorooq (its funds and founding partners) and Mantra (management and team members) have not sold OM tokens in the lead up to, or during, this crash,” a spokesperson for Shorooq told Cointelegraph.
The representative also emphasized that Shorooq is an equity investor in Mantra, not solely a token investor. “This means that our focus is on the long-term growth of the project,” the spokesperson added.
While denying the accuracy of Arkham's data, Mantra CEO Mullin stressed that the company was not aware of the identity of the addresses dumping OM prior to its crash.
“I don't know who those wallets belong to,” Mullin said during the Cointelegraph AMA, adding:
Mullin said that Mantra believes the wallets were “mislabeled by Arkham,” adding that the platform provided its key wallet addresses in a transparency report published on April 8.
As OKX and Binance were among exchanges that saw significant OM activity before and during the crash, both exchanges addressed the issue. OKX founder Star Xu called the incident a “big scandal to the whole crypto industry.”
While Mantra CEO John Mullin attributed the OM crash to one exchange, Binance hinted at “cross-exchange liquidations.”
“Our initial findings indicate that the developments over the past day are a result of cross-exchange liquidations,” Binance said in an announcement on April 14.
In an update on April 14, OKX said that Mantra's tokenomics had gone through major changes since October 2024 and flagged suspicious activity across multiple exchanges.
Magazine: Illegal arcade disguised as … a fake Bitcoin mine? Soldier scams in China: Asia Express
Vitalik Buterin, the original creator of the Ethereum blockchain, is one of the most recognizable figures of the cryptocurrency industry. He's often admired in the ecosystem for being highly technical while also deeply philosophical about technology's role in society. For those that do not follow crypto closely, Buterin starkly contrasts the stereotypical image of a flashy cryptocurrency billionaire with his minimalism in his personal style as well as his geeky and awkward mannerisms.
The documentary “Vitalik: An Ethereum Story,” which is set for global release April 15, tries to give us a peek into those aspects of Buterin, following his early life and childhood in Russia followed by immigrating with his family to Toronto, Canada, where his love for computers and technology began in his high school years.
At the core of Buterin's life was the creation of Ethereum, which came after his early involvement in Toronto's Bitcoin community, where he saw the potential of the asset in giving people some financial freedom. While thinking how he could apply those concepts to other aspects of life, Buterin set out to write a whitepaper on creating the blockchain version of the internet.
Toronto has strong ties to Ethereum's early days. It was home to some of the first Ethereum developer hackathons and meetups organized by Ethereum's Canadian co-founders in the city.
This year, CoinDesk's Consensus 2025 takes place in Toronto May 14-16, highlighting Canada's vibrant crypto community.
The film walks through the various stages of Ethereum's lifetime, including the start of the network and the struggles Buterin faced in his new leadership role, the boom of the blockchain during the NFT era, the importance of the Merge in reducing Ethereum's energy consumption, and Buterin's urge to help Ukraine in its war with Russia by deploying crypto for resources.
CoinDesk sat down with the directors of the documentary, Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci, to hear about their perspectives on creating the film, ahead of its global release.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
CoinDesk: Why did you want to make a documentary about Ethereum?
Zach Ingrasci [ZI]: So Chris and I have been making documentaries together for 15 years now. We make character driven documentaries. So I really love those human stories that give us insight into the emotions and motivations of people in really interesting places.
We aren't crypto experts. We both studied economics, so we have a bit of understanding of finance. But when we met Vitalik in 2021 I think he immediately clicked something in our brains like: “oh, here's a story that kind of breaks the stereotypes that mainstream audiences have of this space.”
Quickly after meeting Vitalik, we did an NFT crowdfund for the film on mirror.xyz, peoplepleaser did the NFT. We raised basically the full budget of the film, and it allowed us to create this independent story and approach to follow Vitalik around the world, as, he lives out of a 40 liter backpack
How did you guys decide what parts of Ethereum's history to include in Vitalik's story? One noticeable moment I thought was interesting that you left out was not to include the 2016 DAO hack? Why exclude that key moment in Ethereum's history but leave in other moments?
ZI: This is the challenge of making these films. We had a very broad mandate, following the community, not just focused on Vitalik. And then after two years of filming, we realized that the kind of narrative structure would only make sense if you were able to follow one person and then get to meet the community through his eyes.
The DAO hack is very confusing to explain, and so there's an element of just what at its essence is important. And I think, you know, the moment for Vitalik to decide whether the Ethereum Foundation would be nonprofit versus for profit is a very understandable concept for a mainstream audience. They get it.
As you mentioned, there was the premiere a few months ago, and it was only accessible to people on-chain. If the movie is aimed for a mainstream audience, why first decide to release it on-chain, instead of a streaming platform where more of those folks can access it?
ZI: It's a practical answer. The documentary industry is broken, so to have an independent film premiere on a mainstream platform doesn't even mean anything, unless you have real marketing. And so actually, the on-chain release, the NFT, the trailer release on Zora, building sponsorship for this mainstream release is critical.
Chris Temple [CT]: People love the film, and have rallied behind it and been interested and been sharing it with their moms, being like: “Hey, this is what I do for a living.”
This isn't just our film, this film belongs to the community. And I think empowering people with it at that first step, and using the technology that the film was all about felt very right to us.
How did you convince Vitalik to do the film? He's not very rerceptive to the media so how did you get him to agree to do it?
ZI: I think we got really lucky in some ways. This was before he was on the front page of TIME magazine. I think he was motivated to speak up about what he believed the future of Ethereum should look like, and how to build it, and people should focus on building things that have real world value.
So I think we just happened to meet him at the perfect moment when he and the people around him were looking to have access to broader audiences.
I think ultimately, that's what makes for us Vitalik the perfect participant of a film, because his reluctance to be in that spotlight, that genuine authenticity. You can tell on the film that he's not trying to hog the spotlight. This is something that he's uncomfortable with, and something that's taken a long journey for him to even find where his voice is and how it should be.
CT: It was a very challenging production, more than any film we've ever made, because Vitalik is nomadic, he's all over the world, and he says, “I'm going to be tomorrow in Montenegro…If you want to come.” We have to immediately try to scramble and get everybody there just to get those moments, even if it's just a couple of hours with Vitalik.
Recently, there's been a bunch of leadership changes at the EF, and Vitalik has been at the core of making the decision on those changes. The movie shows how uncomfortable Vitalik can be in stepping into that leadership role and having to make core decisions like whether the EF should be a non-profit vs for-profit organization and going against some co-founders.
Given all the key decisions he's had to make over the past few months and a key leader in Ethereum, what do you think went through his mind, and has he become more comfortable in his leadership role?
ZI: I really can't speak for Vitalik, but I do think that's why this film has never been more relevant. Because if we are looking for insight into how Vitalik thinks and what he cares about, I think the thing he cares most about is that Ethereum will be useful in the world.
There's an important quote in the film about “if Ethereum is only used for speculation, that's a huge missed opportunity.” So it's not surprising that Vitalik didn't go to the White House [to meet with President Trump]. Vitalik cares about how this tool will be used in the long term for real, positive change in the world. He is uncomfortable with conflict, we know that, we see that in the film. So I can't imagine this has been an easy process for him.
But you can definitely tell that he's begun to understand how to use his voice in this ecosystem and use his kind of soft power.Read more: Ethereum Foundation Picks New Co-Executive Directors, Following Leadership Reshuffle
What was filming in Ukraine during the start of the Russian invasion like? And why does Vitalik feel so connected to that cause?
ZI: We have some experience filming on the borders of war zones. Luckily, at that time Kiev was relatively safe.
It really was Vitalik's idea, he always wanted to support the hackers there. Vitalik just felt like he could be there to support them, and it's something he cares so deeply about for two reasons: 1) he actually has Ukrainian ancestry, and 2) coming from Russia, I think he regrets having met with Putin.
Then there's also just really one of the first concrete examples of real positive impact in the world, of how crypto is being used when the banking system was in chaos, and so quickly got money to the front lines.
There's a deleted scene where he's playing chess with Fedorov, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine. But you know, Fedorov was talking about how 1000s of their military were saved because of that $100 million Vitalik raised in crypto was quickly mobilized.
What are you hoping that your audience takes away from this film?
CT: Documentaries are bad at information, but they're great at provoking questions and getting emotions. If we can inspire an audience to be more savvy and think more critically about technology, not just in these extremes of it's all bad or it's all good, but to understand a bit of that spectrum along the middle there, and look at both the positive and negative consequences of technology.
I think that kind of techno optimism is the core of what this film is really about. Helping anybody apply those lessons, whether it's within crypto, within AI, because technology is just going to continue to shift and impact our lives.
The movie is about Vitalik as a person but also a bit about Ethereum's history. So is Vitalik = Ethereum?
ZI: I don't think he is, and I think that's what he hoped for at this point. I hope that comes across in the film, and that's why we called it an Ethereum story, because I think it's one of many that gets told. I think that's where Vitalik has been successful because he is not Ethereum.
Margaux Nijkerk reports on the Ethereum protocol and L2s. A graduate of Johns Hopkins and Emory universities, she has a masters in International Affairs & Economics. She holds BTC and ETH above CoinDesk's disclosure threshold of $1,000.
About
Contact
Vitalik Buterin, the original creator of the Ethereum blockchain, is one of the most recognizable figures of the cryptocurrency industry. He's often admired in the ecosystem for being highly technical while also deeply philosophical about technology's role in society. For those that do not follow crypto closely, Buterin starkly contrasts the stereotypical image of a flashy cryptocurrency billionaire with his minimalism in his personal style as well as his geeky and awkward mannerisms.
The documentary “Vitalik: An Ethereum Story,” which is set for global release April 15, tries to give us a peek into those aspects of Buterin, following his early life and childhood in Russia followed by immigrating with his family to Toronto, Canada, where his love for computers and technology began in his high school years.
At the core of Buterin's life was the creation of Ethereum, which came after his early involvement in Toronto's Bitcoin community, where he saw the potential of the asset in giving people some financial freedom. While thinking how he could apply those concepts to other aspects of life, Buterin set out to write a whitepaper on creating the blockchain version of the internet.
Toronto has strong ties to Ethereum's early days. It was home to some of the first Ethereum developer hackathons and meetups organized by Ethereum's Canadian co-founders in the city.
This year, CoinDesk's Consensus 2025 takes place in Toronto May 14-16, highlighting Canada's vibrant crypto community.
The film walks through the various stages of Ethereum's lifetime, including the start of the network and the struggles Buterin faced in his new leadership role, the boom of the blockchain during the NFT era, the importance of the Merge in reducing Ethereum's energy consumption, and Buterin's urge to help Ukraine in its war with Russia by deploying crypto for resources.
CoinDesk sat down with the directors of the documentary, Chris Temple and Zach Ingrasci, to hear about their perspectives on creating the film, ahead of its global release.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
CoinDesk: Why did you want to make a documentary about Ethereum?
Zach Ingrasci [ZI]: So Chris and I have been making documentaries together for 15 years now. We make character driven documentaries. So I really love those human stories that give us insight into the emotions and motivations of people in really interesting places.
We aren't crypto experts. We both studied economics, so we have a bit of understanding of finance. But when we met Vitalik in 2021 I think he immediately clicked something in our brains like: “oh, here's a story that kind of breaks the stereotypes that mainstream audiences have of this space.”
Quickly after meeting Vitalik, we did an NFT crowdfund for the film on mirror.xyz, peoplepleaser did the NFT. We raised basically the full budget of the film, and it allowed us to create this independent story and approach to follow Vitalik around the world, as, he lives out of a 40 liter backpack
How did you guys decide what parts of Ethereum's history to include in Vitalik's story? One noticeable moment I thought was interesting that you left out was not to include the 2016 DAO hack? Why exclude that key moment in Ethereum's history but leave in other moments?
ZI: This is the challenge of making these films. We had a very broad mandate, following the community, not just focused on Vitalik. And then after two years of filming, we realized that the kind of narrative structure would only make sense if you were able to follow one person and then get to meet the community through his eyes.
The DAO hack is very confusing to explain, and so there's an element of just what at its essence is important. And I think, you know, the moment for Vitalik to decide whether the Ethereum Foundation would be nonprofit versus for profit is a very understandable concept for a mainstream audience. They get it.
As you mentioned, there was the premiere a few months ago, and it was only accessible to people on-chain. If the movie is aimed for a mainstream audience, why first decide to release it on-chain, instead of a streaming platform where more of those folks can access it?
ZI: It's a practical answer. The documentary industry is broken, so to have an independent film premiere on a mainstream platform doesn't even mean anything, unless you have real marketing. And so actually, the on-chain release, the NFT, the trailer release on Zora, building sponsorship for this mainstream release is critical.
Chris Temple [CT]: People love the film, and have rallied behind it and been interested and been sharing it with their moms, being like: “Hey, this is what I do for a living.”
This isn't just our film, this film belongs to the community. And I think empowering people with it at that first step, and using the technology that the film was all about felt very right to us.
How did you convince Vitalik to do the film? He's not very rerceptive to the media so how did you get him to agree to do it?
ZI: I think we got really lucky in some ways. This was before he was on the front page of TIME magazine. I think he was motivated to speak up about what he believed the future of Ethereum should look like, and how to build it, and people should focus on building things that have real world value.
So I think we just happened to meet him at the perfect moment when he and the people around him were looking to have access to broader audiences.
I think ultimately, that's what makes for us Vitalik the perfect participant of a film, because his reluctance to be in that spotlight, that genuine authenticity. You can tell on the film that he's not trying to hog the spotlight. This is something that he's uncomfortable with, and something that's taken a long journey for him to even find where his voice is and how it should be.
CT: It was a very challenging production, more than any film we've ever made, because Vitalik is nomadic, he's all over the world, and he says, “I'm going to be tomorrow in Montenegro…If you want to come.” We have to immediately try to scramble and get everybody there just to get those moments, even if it's just a couple of hours with Vitalik.
Recently, there's been a bunch of leadership changes at the EF, and Vitalik has been at the core of making the decision on those changes. The movie shows how uncomfortable Vitalik can be in stepping into that leadership role and having to make core decisions like whether the EF should be a non-profit vs for-profit organization and going against some co-founders.
Given all the key decisions he's had to make over the past few months and a key leader in Ethereum, what do you think went through his mind, and has he become more comfortable in his leadership role?
ZI: I really can't speak for Vitalik, but I do think that's why this film has never been more relevant. Because if we are looking for insight into how Vitalik thinks and what he cares about, I think the thing he cares most about is that Ethereum will be useful in the world.
There's an important quote in the film about “if Ethereum is only used for speculation, that's a huge missed opportunity.” So it's not surprising that Vitalik didn't go to the White House [to meet with President Trump]. Vitalik cares about how this tool will be used in the long term for real, positive change in the world. He is uncomfortable with conflict, we know that, we see that in the film. So I can't imagine this has been an easy process for him.
But you can definitely tell that he's begun to understand how to use his voice in this ecosystem and use his kind of soft power.Read more: Ethereum Foundation Picks New Co-Executive Directors, Following Leadership Reshuffle
What was filming in Ukraine during the start of the Russian invasion like? And why does Vitalik feel so connected to that cause?
ZI: We have some experience filming on the borders of war zones. Luckily, at that time Kiev was relatively safe.
It really was Vitalik's idea, he always wanted to support the hackers there. Vitalik just felt like he could be there to support them, and it's something he cares so deeply about for two reasons: 1) he actually has Ukrainian ancestry, and 2) coming from Russia, I think he regrets having met with Putin.
Then there's also just really one of the first concrete examples of real positive impact in the world, of how crypto is being used when the banking system was in chaos, and so quickly got money to the front lines.
There's a deleted scene where he's playing chess with Fedorov, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine. But you know, Fedorov was talking about how 1000s of their military were saved because of that $100 million Vitalik raised in crypto was quickly mobilized.
What are you hoping that your audience takes away from this film?
CT: Documentaries are bad at information, but they're great at provoking questions and getting emotions. If we can inspire an audience to be more savvy and think more critically about technology, not just in these extremes of it's all bad or it's all good, but to understand a bit of that spectrum along the middle there, and look at both the positive and negative consequences of technology.
I think that kind of techno optimism is the core of what this film is really about. Helping anybody apply those lessons, whether it's within crypto, within AI, because technology is just going to continue to shift and impact our lives.
The movie is about Vitalik as a person but also a bit about Ethereum's history. So is Vitalik = Ethereum?
ZI: I don't think he is, and I think that's what he hoped for at this point. I hope that comes across in the film, and that's why we called it an Ethereum story, because I think it's one of many that gets told. I think that's where Vitalik has been successful because he is not Ethereum.
Margaux Nijkerk reports on the Ethereum protocol and L2s. A graduate of Johns Hopkins and Emory universities, she has a masters in International Affairs & Economics. She holds BTC and ETH above CoinDesk's disclosure threshold of $1,000.
About
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Strategy acquired 3,459 BTC worth $285 million, boosting its total holdings to over $35.9 billion as institutional confidence wanes amid global trade tensions.
Michael Saylor's digital asset firm, Strategy, purchased 3,459 Bitcoin for $285.5 million, signaling continued confidence in Bitcoin even as global markets face trade-related headwinds.
Strategy acquired the 3,459 Bitcoin (BTC) for $285.5 million at an average price of $82,618 per BTC. The purchase brings Strategy's total Bitcoin holdings to 531,644 BTC, acquired for a cumulative $35.92 billion at an average price of $67,556 per coin, achieving an over 11.4% yield since the beginning of 2025, Saylor wrote in an April 14 X post.
Source: Michael Saylor
The $285 million purchase marks Strategy's first Bitcoin investment since March 31, when the company acquired $1.9 billion worth of Bitcoin, Cointelegraph reported.
According to data from Saylortracker, the firm is currently sitting on more than $9.1 billion in unrealized profit, representing a 25% gain on its total Bitcoin position as of 12:20 pm UTC.
Strategy total Bitcoin holdings. Source: Saylortracker
Strategy's continued accumulation comes despite a broader market pullback and declining appetite for risk assets. The downturn has been largely attributed to global trade policy uncertainty after US President Donald Trump announced a new round of tariffs.
Trump announced a 90-day pause on higher reciprocal tariffs on April 9, reverting the tariffs to the 10% baseline for most countries, except for China, which currently faces a 145% import tariff.
Related: New York bill proposes legalizing Bitcoin, crypto for state payments
Despite continued uncertainty around the outcome of trade negotiations, Bitcoin staged an over 10% recovery in the past seven days to above $85,000 as of 1:10 pm UTC, Cointelegraph Markets Pro data shows.
BTC/USD, 1-year chart. Source: Cointelegraph
“Crypto markets opened the week with cautious strength, continuing a broad recovery from last Monday's tariff-induced sell-off,” Stella Zlatareva, dispatch editor at digital asset investment platform Nexo, told Cointelegraph, adding:
“This week's calendar includes key data from China, Fed commentary and updates on retail sales, all of which could shape the next leg of risk asset performance,” she added.
Related: Bitcoin ‘more likely' to hit $110K before $76.5K — Arthur Hayes
Despite the tariff-related uncertainty, some analysts, including Jamie Coutts, predicted that the growing money supply could push Bitcoin's price above $132,000 before the end of 2025.
Zooming out to the next decade, Bitcoin remains on track to surpass $1.8 million by 2035, in a development that may see Bitcoin surpass gold's $21 trillion market capitalization as the superior savings technology, Joe Burnett, director of market research at Unchained, told Cointelegraph.
Magazine: Bitcoin ATH sooner than expected? XRP may drop 40%, and more: Hodler's Digest, March 23 – 29
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Unlock stock picks and a broker-level newsfeed that powers Wall Street.
Wealth host Brad Smith examines some of today's top trending tickers.
Strategy (MSTR), formerly MicroStrategy, buys more than $285 million in bitcoin (BTC-USD), adding to its crypto holdings.
Keybanc analysts upgraded DuPont (DD) stock to Overweight from Sector Weight, saying its strong balance sheet could support the company during an economic downturn.
Deutsche Bank upgraded Peloton (PTON) to Buy from Hold based on expectations of strong earnings over the next year.
To watch more expert insights and analysis on the latest market action, check out more Wealth here.
It's now time for some of today's trending tickers. We're watching Bitcoin, DuPont, and Peloton. First up, Michael Saylor's strategy, buying more Bitcoin amid the recent volatility. Strategy bought $285.8 million more of Bitcoin last week. It's latest purchase of the cryptocurrency in a series of purchases starting in late October. Bloomberg says strategy now has holdings of around $45 billion. The company is the largest corporate owner of Bitcoin.
Next, chemical company DuPont catching an upgrade after the stock's recent sell off. Keybank raising its rating to overweight from sector weight. Keybank says that the company's strong balance sheet could allow it to weather a possible economic downturn. The analyst calls DuPont's electronics and water divisions, quote, world-class secular growth franchises, and that possible tariff exemptions could derisk downside for DuPont. The firm sees more than 37% upside for the stock as of the last close.
And finally, Peloton getting an upgrade to buy from hold at Deutsche Bank. The analyst thinks the stock has been hit too hard since its last earnings report. Although the firm does expect Peloton to see rising tariff costs and growth pressures, they believe the earnings could do better than expected over the next year. The analyst price target is now $6.60. That's about 18% upside from the last close.
You can scan the QR code below to track the best and worst performing stocks of this session with Yahoo Finance's trending tickers page.
XRP, Cardano (ADA), and Solana (SOL) tokens are exhibiting technical strength in a signal of potential short-term price recoveries, data indicates.
Bullish patterns—XRP's $2.00 breakout, ADA's double bottom at $0.55, and SOL's rally to above $130—suggest accumulation phases despite broader market volatility. However, a bitcoin drop below $80,000 or intensified macro pressures could limit gains.
Alex Kuptsikevich, the FxPro chief market analyst, said in a note to CoinDesk that traders must await confirmation of a bitcoin trend reversal before long-term dip buying on major tokens.
"Bitcoin has yet to confirm a growth reversal," Kuptsikevich said. "The key area along the way is the $85,000 level, where the 50-day moving average passes. Its overcoming will be an important confirmation of the bullish sentiment, while fluctuations below it will remain market noise."
"XRP found support last week on the decline to the 200-day moving averages. This small but encouraging signal suggests that market participants are still adhering to a ‘buy on dips' strategy, believing in the continuation of the bullish trend," he added.
Here are technical analysis highlights for XRP, ADA and SOL, based on CoinDesk data:
XRP surged 11% from $1.87 to $2.07 in the past week, breaking a psychological $2.00 barrier earlier Monday. Recent price action shows a higher low at $2.065, recovering to $2.068, with decreasing volatility indicating accumulation.
Technical Outlook:
Short-Term Target: If $2.00 holds, bulls may want to watch $2.10-$2.15, with a break below risking $1.99.
Solana rallied 3% from a low of $125 to nearly $134 in early European hours Monday, part of a 30% climb from $101.30 to $125.48 in the past week driven by ETF approval optimism (76% odds on Polymarket).
Support around the $120 mark remains firm, with recent consolidation between $124.50-$125.30 testing $125.50 resistance.
Technical Outlook:
Short-Term Target: Clearing $135 could push SOL to $140 and above. A drop below $120 risks $105, but the channel favors bulls.
ADA rebounded 18.6% from $0.537 to $0.637 in the past week, forming a double bottom at $0.55 with strong volume on April 9th. Despite bitcoin's 15% weekly decline and trade tensions (China's 34% U.S. import tariffs), ADA's consolidation above 60 cents (now support) signals strength. With the ascending channel with support at 63 cents, bulls can now target at least 70 cents.
Technical Outlook:
Short-Term Target: A break below 63 cents risks 55-59 cents, but the double bottom supports the upside.
Read more: Bitcoin Faces 'Cloud Resistance' at $85K, Neutralizes Risk-Reward for Bulls: Godbole
Shaurya is the Co-Leader of the CoinDesk tokens and data team in Asia with a focus on crypto derivatives, DeFi, market microstructure, and protocol analysis.
Shaurya holds over $1,000 in BTC, ETH, SOL, AVAX, SUSHI, CRV, NEAR, YFI, YFII, SHIB, DOGE, USDT, USDC, BNB, MANA, MLN, LINK, XMR, ALGO, VET, CAKE, AAVE, COMP, ROOK, TRX, SNX, RUNE, FTM, ZIL, KSM, ENJ, CKB, JOE, GHST, PERP, BTRFLY, OHM, BANANA, ROME, BURGER, SPIRIT, and ORCA.
He provides over $1,000 to liquidity pools on Compound, Curve, SushiSwap, PancakeSwap, BurgerSwap, Orca, AnySwap, SpiritSwap, Rook Protocol, Yearn Finance, Synthetix, Harvest, Redacted Cartel, OlympusDAO, Rome, Trader Joe, and SUN.
“AI Boost” indicates a generative text tool, typically an AI chatbot, contributed to the article. In each and every case, the article was edited, fact-checked and published by a human. Read more about CoinDesk's AI Policy.
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Strategy Buys More Bitcoin as Tariff Exemptions Send Tech Stocks Soaring
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Strategy, formerly known as MicroStrategy, acquired around 3,450 Bitcoin worth $286 million last week, the company said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Unveiling a Bitcoin purchase for the third straight Monday, the Tysons, Virginia-based firm now owns 531,644 Bitcoin worth $45.2 billion, based on the asset's current price.Strategy paid an average price of $82,600 per Bitcoin last week, it added.
Strategy, which has shifted its focus from software development to become a Bitcoin treasury, said it meanwhile sold one million Class A common shares through an at-the-money offering program unveiled in October. Under the initiative, Strategy said it can still issue an additional $2 billion worth of common shares, alongside swaths of preferred perpetual stock.
Strategy's shares rose 4% on Monday to around $312, as the tech-heavy Nasdaq surged 1.5%, adding on to last week's recovery after the White House said smartphones and computers would be exempt from sweeping levies, including 125% taxes on Chinese goods, per Nasdaq.
Monday's price action represents a dramatic turnaround after investors navigated outsized uncertainty last week, including a disclosure from Strategy that it may ultimately need to sell Bitcoin to meet its financial obligations. Amid tariff-linked concerns, Strategy's shares fell as low as $236, or around 32% below their opening on Monday.
“No Tariffs on Orange Dots,” Strategy co-founder and Executive Chairman Michael Saylor said on X, formerly Twitter, on Sunday, referring to the way Bitcoin buys look on Saylor Tracker.
The price of Bitcoin was recently changing hands around $85 on Monday, showing a roughly 8.3% increase of the past week, according to CoinGecko. Over the past month, it's virtually flat.
Strategy has become the world's largest corporate holder of Bitcoin since it began accumulating the asset in 2020. Over time, as it has embraced its role as a Bitcoin treasury firm, Strategy has issued billions of dollars in debt to buy more Bitcoin than it could otherwise.
The Nasdaq-listed firm's 531,600 Bitcoin tower over the next largest corporate holder, Bitcoin miner Marathon Digital, which is around 47,500 Bitcoin, according to Bitcoin Treasures. As of this writing, Strategy's stash accounted for more than 2.5% of Bitcoin total supply.
The Tokyo-based investment firm Metaplanet, which began buying Bitcoin last May, said on X on Monday that it had recently bought 319 Bitcoin worth $27 million. The company said in an update that it now holds 4,525 Bitcoin worth around $385 million.
Among publicly traded companies, MetaPlanet is currently the 10th largest Bitcoin holder, according to Bitcoin Treasuries.
Edited by James Rubin
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14 April 2025 – Tether, the largest company in the digital assets industry, announced today its intention to deploy both existing and future hashrate on OCEAN, a leading Bitcoin mining pool focused on decentralization and launched by long-time Bitcoin Core developer Luke Dashjr. This strategic move strengthens Tether's ongoing commitment to supporting the resilience, transparency, and decentralization of Bitcoin's foundational infrastructure.
OCEAN empowers miners to build their own block templates using their open source DATUM protocol, reducing dependency on centralized intermediaries and enhancing censorship resistance within the Bitcoin network. Tether's deployment leverages OCEAN's DATUM Gateway software, designed to deliver high-performance mining operations even in bandwidth-constrained environments.
“As a company committed to financial freedom and open access, we see supporting decentralization in Bitcoin mining as essential to the network's long-term integrity,” said Paolo Ardoino, CEO of Tether. “Deploying hashrate to OCEAN aligns with both our mining investments and our broader mission to fortify Bitcoin against centralizing forces.”
Tether will roll out OCEAN's DATUM Gateway across its mining operations worldwide, including in rural and underserved areas such as parts of Africa. By enabling on-site generation of unique block templates and aggregating thousands of rig connections with low-latency performance, DATUM ensures global competitiveness while promoting geographic and operational diversity.
“Tether's decision to mine on OCEAN reflects months of deep technical evaluation,” said Giv Zanganeh, VP of Mining & Energy at Tether. “We believe the DATUM protocol is the software stack most aligned with Bitcoin's decentralization ethos. Its architecture allows us to achieve reliable connectivity even in low-bandwidth regions, expanding the reach and resilience of our infrastructure.”
OCEAN leadership welcomed the development. Luke Dashjr, Chairman and CTO, commented: “Tether's involvement is a strong signal that decentralization remains a core priority for Bitcoin's future. Their participation underscores the value of open, censorship-resistant mining protocols.” Mark Artymko, OCEAN's President, added: “This alignment reinforces our shared belief that financial inclusion and decentralization go hand-in-hand.”
This deployment also builds on Tether's growing presence in Africa, where the company is actively investing in infrastructure and education. Most recently, Tether collaborated with Quidax on a major crypto literacy initiative across Nigeria and other African nations aimed at equipping millions with the tools to access and benefit from digital assets. By combining mining operations with educational programs, Tether is driving financial empowerment and digital resilience throughout the continent.
Tether acquires a 30.4% stake in Be Water to support technological innovation in content creation and distribution 27 March, 2025 – Tether, the largest company in the digital asset ecosystem, has announced a strategic investment in Be Water, an innovative media company specializing in the production and distribution of audio, video, film, and live content. […]
26 March, 2025 – T3 Financial Crime Unit (T3 FCU), the pioneering collaboration between Tether, TRON and TRM Labs, today announced the successful freezing of $9 million connected to the recent Bybit hack, the largest cryptocurrency theft in history. “T3 FCU is reshaping how the industry responds to illicit activity—enabling cross-border collaboration with a level […]
10 March, 2025 – Tether, the largest company in the digital assets industry, has announced that Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission has granted acceptance of USD₮ as an approved cryptocurrency. This approval enables USD₮ to be traded within the country, including facilitating its listing on regulated exchanges, which advances the region's leadership in digital asset […]
Savvy investors are already positioning themselves in altcoins that show the best possibility for exponential development as the cryptocurrency market gets set for what many anticipate to be another historic bull run. Although Bitcoin and Ethereum remain the most often used cryptocurrency, several less well-known initiatives show even more promise. Among them, Cardano (ADA), XRP from Ripple, and Rexas Finance (RXS) stand out as three cryptocurrencies with an irresistible climb in the following months, most likely. Strong technology, valuable applications, and rising acceptance support these projects. These altcoins could see notable breakouts as institutional investors and retail traders hunt for fresh prospects to set new all-time highs (ATH) in 2025 and beyond. Let us investigate why Cardano, XRP, and Rexas Finance are positioned for notable expansion and why they could be the best choices for the next bull market.
Long regarded as among the most sophisticated blockchain systems available in cryptocurrencies, Cardano (ADA) excels in a scientific approach to blockchain development—that is, in using peer-reviewed research and thorough testing before significant innovations. Attracting developers and businesses, the Hydra scaling technology and Plutus smart contracts make Cardano more fit than ever to handle enormous transaction volumes at low cost. In 2021, Cardano reached its last all-time high of $3.10. ADA is prepared for a significant comeback in the next bull cycle with its expanding network of DeFi apps, NFT markets, and tokenized assets. Analysts estimate Cardano might surpass $5 if the market conditions match or approach $10. This is one of the most exciting cryptocurrencies entering 2025 because of its solid foundations and sustainability concentration.
One of the more divisive yet generally embraced cryptocurrencies on the market is XRP from Ripple. Unlike many speculative crypto ventures, XRP is helpful in the real world as a bridge currency for international payments and remittances. Banks, payment companies, and financial institutions know about Ripple's network for fast and low-cost transaction processing. Since it has been legally clashing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), XRP has suffered. The unresolved case has made it difficult for XRP to increase prices and reach new heights. However, many analysts think a big breakout is about to happen, even if the case is not resolved. XRP is still much undervalued; its all-time high was $3.40. If Ripple gets regulatory clarity and keeps growing its alliances with financial institutions, XRP might quickly surpass $5 or even $10 in the next bull market. XRP is among the most exciting cryptocurrencies for long-term investors as worldwide demand for cross-border payments rises, and its adoption could be explosive.
Although Cardano and XRP are well-known projects, Rexas Finance (RXS) is a newly developed altcoin that might yield enormous returns for early investors. Rexas Finance is leading the tokenization of real-world assets (RWA), enabling users to own and trade assets, including real estate, art, commodities, and intellectual property, on the blockchain, unlike conventional cryptocurrencies. One of Rexas Finance's main benefits is its capacity to democratize investment. Conventional financing only makes high-value assets like fine art and real estate available to the rich. But thanks to Rexas' fractional ownership approach, investors of all kinds can now purchase and trade tokenized versions of these worthwhile assets.
Currently, RXS is in its presale period at $0.20; its intended launch price is $0.25. Rexas Finance is rapidly becoming one of the most exciting blockchain initiatives in asset management, having already raised over $47,624,594 in its presale and sold over 458,120,680 tokens.
Real-World Utility: Rexas Finance offers a real-world asset ownership solution, unlike many speculative crypto ventures, enabling more inclusive, open, and quick investment. Purchasing fractional real estate shares, precious metals, and other valuable assets allows investors to democratize their wealth-building chances. CertiK has thoroughly audited Rexas Finance to guarantee that its smart contracts are safe and free from flaws. Expanding its use cases outside asset tokenization, the Rexas Token Builder, Rexas Launchpad, and Rexas GenAI offer a complete ecosystem for token creation, fundraising, and NFT development. Given its strong fundamentals and market demand for real-world asset tokenization, RXS has the potential to reach $10-$20 in the next cycle, delivering 50x to 100x returns for early investors.
With the next bull market horizon, Cardano (ADA), XRP, and Rexas Finance (RXS) are among the top altcoins that could experience unstoppable rallies. Cardano's smart contract and DeFi growth could push ADA toward $5+. XRP's regulatory clarity and banking partnerships could drive it to new highs of $5-$10. Rexas Finance's RWA tokenization revolution could see RXS explode past $10-$20. These three cryptos provide the best risk-to-reward potential for investors hoping to position themselves for enormous returns in the following market cycle. The key is to invest early and hold long enough to reap the rewards of their inevitable breakout. With blockchain technology revolutionizing industries and new opportunities emerging, it is time to accumulate these promising assets before they take off.
For more information about Rexas Finance (RXS) visit the links below:
Website: https://rexas.com
Win $1 Million Giveaway: https://bit.ly/Rexas1M
Whitepaper: https://rexas.com/rexas-whitepaper.pdf
Twitter/X: https://x.com/rexasfinance
Telegram: https://t.me/rexasfinance
Disclaimer: This content is provided by a sponsor. FinanceFeeds does not independently verify the legitimacy, credibility, claims, or financial viability of the information or description of services mentioned. As such, we bear no responsibility for any potential risks, inaccuracies, or misleading representations related to the content. This post does not constitute financial advice or a recommendation and should not be treated as such. We strongly advise seeking independent financial guidance from a qualified and regulated professional before engaging in any investment or financial activities. Please review our full disclaimer for more details.
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The United Kingdom has positioned itself as a significant player in the global cryptocurrency ecosystem. From government debates on regulation to growing retail interest, the digital currency scene in the UK is evolving quickly. With this shift, two crypto topics are capturing widespread attention: crypto mining software and the rise of politically-themed meme coins like the trending Trump Meme Coin.
This article explores these areas from a UK-centric viewpoint, considering market trends, technological implications, and cultural impact on local investors and enthusiasts alike.
While the UK is not typically associated with large-scale crypto mining (compared to countries with lower electricity costs), it remains a hub for blockchain innovation and small-to-mid-scale mining operations. For UK-based crypto enthusiasts, crypto mining software remains essential in supporting solo or pool-based mining using local setups.
Crypto mining software allows individuals or businesses to validate transactions on blockchains like Bitcoin using their hardware. Programs like EasyMiner, CGMiner, and BFGMiner are often used by UK hobbyists and developers testing energy-efficient mining rigs. Even with the UK government's increasing focus on green technology, local innovators are exploring how mining software can be optimised for sustainable performance.
More importantly, software developers in London and across the UK are beginning to create hybrid applications, combining mining functions with portfolio tracking and energy usage analytics. As discussions about crypto's carbon footprint grow louder, British tech companies are expected to lead the way in eco-conscious mining innovation.
Despite being rooted in American politics, the Trump Meme Coin has found curious traction among British investors, largely thanks to its online virality and the UK's ongoing interest in U.S. politics and pop culture. The coin, styled around former President Donald Trump, is a digital token that merges satire with speculation, much like previous meme coins such as Dogecoin or Shiba Inu.
For the UK audience, this coin's appeal lies not in direct political support but in its entertainment value, market volatility, and social media buzz. Platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Telegram are filled with UK-based traders discussing the coin's swings, memes, and news updates.
More broadly, the UK has a long-standing tradition of political satire, making politically charged meme coins a natural fit for crypto-curious Britons. While experts advise caution, especially due to lack of regulation and high volatility, the Trump Meme Coin offers insight into how internet culture and decentralised finance (DeFi) are influencing British investor behaviour.
British crypto miners, whether casual hobbyists or small-scale entrepreneurs, often face challenges such as high electricity costs, regulation uncertainty, and limited access to industrial-scale hardware. This makes choosing the right mining software especially important for efficiency and sustainability.
Features that appeal to UK miners include:
Some miners even integrate their systems with renewable energy sources (like rooftop solar) to align with government sustainability targets and lower operational costs. With smart mining software, UK users can remain competitive in a global crypto landscape, even without access to industrial-scale infrastructure.
The popularity of meme coins in the UK shouldn't be underestimated. Though many start as jokes, their impact on internet culture and financial habits is real. In London, where financial innovation often intersects with art and satire, meme coins are being viewed as both speculative assets and digital collectibles.
Take the Trump Meme Coin for example, it's more than just a token. It's a statement, a conversation starter, and in some circles, a tool for gamifying the financial experience. UK traders and younger investors in particular are drawn to these digital assets not just for profit, but also for the shared sense of community they create.
However, concerns remain about stability, rug pulls, and market manipulation. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK has issued multiple warnings about the risks of crypto investing, particularly in meme coins and other unregulated digital assets. Still, with proper risk management and awareness, meme coins continue to attract attention from a broad spectrum of the UK's tech-savvy population.
As the UK sets ambitious goals for carbon neutrality and digital transformation, the sustainability of crypto mining is under the spotlight. Unlike countries where energy is cheap and regulations are lax, the UK enforces higher standards for energy usage and environmental impact.
This context has inspired local developers and companies to rethink how mining software operates. Several London-based blockchain startups are developing AI-integrated mining dashboards that reduce energy waste and improve efficiency. Some are even exploring ways to integrate carbon-offset tracking into mining platforms, aligning with the UK government's broader environmental goals.
Moreover, recent reports from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology indicate growing interest in supporting green blockchain infrastructure. While large-scale crypto mining may not be feasible in the UK due to cost and environmental constraints, mining software is rapidly evolving to suit a smaller, greener, and smarter approach.
British culture has always embraced satire, from the pages of Private Eye to comedy classics like Spitting Image. It's no surprise, then, that meme coins resonate with a UK audience attuned to irony, humour, and quick-turn trends.
As for coins like the Trump Meme Coin, their success lies in striking a balance between entertainment and finance. In UK online forums, these coins are discussed not just as investments, but as part of larger conversations around digital identity, censorship, and decentralisation.
Some analysts even suggest that the rise of meme coins has democratised crypto investing in the UK, making it more appealing to people outside of traditional financial hubs like Canary Wharf. With mobile apps and user-friendly exchanges, even novice investors can participate, though they must tread carefully in this volatile space.
As meme coins continue to intersect with art, politics, and fintech, they may increasingly reflect the diverse cultural narratives of modern Britain.
The crypto world is evolving quickly, and the UK is keeping pace with a uniquely British lens on innovation, regulation, and cultural impact. From the development of crypto mining software optimised for eco-conscious users, to the unexpected popularity of political meme coins like the Trump Meme Coin, the landscape is as diverse as it is dynamic.
For UK residents, from London tech startups to individual crypto investors, the future of digital assets holds both promise and unpredictability. What's clear is that understanding the nuances of these technologies, alongside a healthy dose of scepticism and curiosity, will be essential for anyone hoping to navigate crypto space successfully in Britain.
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JP Morgan has launched its blockchain-based bank account service, Kinexys Digital Payments (formerly JPM Coin), in a third currency, GBP. As a result, it can now provide 24/7 support for corporate payments and foreign exchange for dollars, euros and pounds. The first clients to use the sterling services in London are LSEG's SwapAgent and commodities trader Trafigura.
Kinexys has processed more than $1.5 trillion in cumulative transactions across all its services which include payments, intraday repo, collateral management and other offerings. It now averages around $2 billion in transactions daily.
SwapAgent, the derivatives margin and settlement service that is part of LSEG's LCH, will be using Kinexys Digital Payments via JP Morgan's London subsidiary for its post trade services pilot, which is independent of the UK's Digital Securities Sandbox. It will then consider a broader adoption of the service.
“Integrating the innovative Kinexys Digital Payments blockchain deposit accounts into our SwapAgent offerings could allow us to operate beyond traditional branch cut-off times and manage settlements in a programmable manner in the future,” said Nathan Ondyak, CEO at SwapAgent, part of the London Stock Exchange Group.
Trafigura is using Kinexys for 24/7 cross border payments between its New York, London and Singapore divisions. It plans to deploy programmable payments to sweep funds between the centers in near real time.
The timing of Kinexys Digital Payments' launch in the UK coincides with the early stages of the Digital Securities Sandbox (DSS), a joint initiative from the Bank of England and the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). We asked JP Morgan about its plans to get involved, but it declined to comment.
Potentially settlement of institutional transactions will be enabled with Fnality, the tokenized settlement solution that uses central bank money. But corporates and some non bank financial institutions may not have access to central bank money, so Kinexys could be one of the digital solutions that fills the need. Most of the UK's largest banks are also working on the Regulated Liability Network, a tokenized deposit payment solution, but that's not yet live.
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Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - April 14, 2025) - Colle AI (COLLE), a multichain AI-driven NFT platform, is expanding creator access to its intelligent toolset on Solana, reinforcing its commitment to building accessible, high-performance infrastructure across leading blockchain networks. The expansion enhances speed, affordability, and user experience for NFT creators operating within the Solana ecosystem.
Create and scale NFTs with intelligent tools across Solana and beyond.
To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8833/248375_2c50466ca4bc8bb5_001full.jpg
As part of this initiative, Colle AI has optimized its AI-based NFT creation engine to deliver faster asset generation, more efficient smart contract handling, and greater responsiveness on Solana. These enhancements make it easier for creators to mint, customize, and deploy NFTs at scale-without requiring advanced technical knowledge.
The platform's streamlined Solana workflows now support real-time metadata editing, dynamic minting logic, and improved multichain routing, giving creators a unified toolset to launch collections across Solana and other supported chains, including Ethereum, BNB Chain, XRP, and Bitcoin.
With growing adoption of Solana by creators seeking speed and cost efficiency, Colle AI's expanded integration ensures the platform remains aligned with the evolving needs of the Web3 community. This growth also reinforces Colle AI's mission to simplify NFT creation while enabling true multichain interoperability through AI innovation.
About Colle AI
Colle AI leverages AI technology to simplify the NFT creation process, empowering artists and creators to easily transform their ideas into digital assets. The platform aims to make NFT creation more accessible, fostering innovation in the digital art space.
Media ContactDorothy MarleyKaJ Labs+1 707-622-6168media@kajlabs.com
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To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/248375
SOURCE: Kaj Labs
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Bitcoin (BTC) price approaches its key resistance level at $85,000 on Monday; a breakout indicates a bullish trend ahead. Ethereum (ETH) and Ripple (XRP) found support around their key levels last week, suggesting a recovery is in the cards.
Bitcoin price broke and closed above its descending trendline (drawn by connecting multiple high levels since mid-January) on Friday and rallied 2.22% the next day. However, on Sunday, it faced rejection at the $85,000 level, which coincides with the 200-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) and the daily resistance level. At the time of writing on Monday, it trades at around $84,000.
If BTC breaks and closes above $85,000, it could extend the rally to the key psychological level of $90,000. A successful close above this level could extend an additional rally to test its March 2 high of $95,000.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) on the daily chart flattens around its neutral level of 50, indicating indecisiveness among traders. The RSI must move above its neutral level for the bullish momentum to be sustained.
BTC/USDT daily chart
If BTC fails to close above $85,000 and continues its downward trend, it could extend the decline to retest its next daily support level at $73,072.
Ethereum price found support around its daily level of $1,449 last week, recovered slightly, but faced resistance around $1,700. At the time of writing on Monday, it hovers at around $1,638.
If ETH continues its recovery and closes above $1,700, it could extend the rally to retest its next daily resistance at $1,861.
The RSI on the daily chart reads 42 after bouncing off its oversold level of 30 last week. It points upward toward its neutral level of 50, indicating fading bearish momentum. The RSI must move above its neutral level of 50 for the bullish momentum to be sustained.
ETH/USDT daily chart
Conversely, if ETH closes below its daily support level of $1,449, it could extend the decline to retest its important psychological level of $1,300.
XRP price recovered by 14.28%, breaking above its 200-day EMA at $1.95 on Wednesday. It declined by 4.24% the next day, and the 200-day EMA level was tested. XRP continued its recovery and retested its April 2 high of $2.23 on Sunday. At the time of writing on Monday, it stabilizes at around $2.14.
If XRP breaks and closes above $2.23, it could extend the rally to retest its March 24 high of $2.50.
The RSI on the daily chart reads 50 and points upward toward its neutral level of 50, indicating the bearish momentum is fading. The RSI must maintain its level above 50 for the recovery rally to be sustained.
XRP/USDT daily chart
On the other hand, if XRP closes below its 200-day EMA, it could extend the decline to retest its next support level at $1.77.
Bitcoin is the largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, a virtual currency designed to serve as money. This form of payment cannot be controlled by any one person, group, or entity, which eliminates the need for third-party participation during financial transactions.
Altcoins are any cryptocurrency apart from Bitcoin, but some also regard Ethereum as a non-altcoin because it is from these two cryptocurrencies that forking happens. If this is true, then Litecoin is the first altcoin, forked from the Bitcoin protocol and, therefore, an “improved” version of it.
Stablecoins are cryptocurrencies designed to have a stable price, with their value backed by a reserve of the asset it represents. To achieve this, the value of any one stablecoin is pegged to a commodity or financial instrument, such as the US Dollar (USD), with its supply regulated by an algorithm or demand. The main goal of stablecoins is to provide an on/off-ramp for investors willing to trade and invest in cryptocurrencies. Stablecoins also allow investors to store value since cryptocurrencies, in general, are subject to volatility.
Bitcoin dominance is the ratio of Bitcoin's market capitalization to the total market capitalization of all cryptocurrencies combined. It provides a clear picture of Bitcoin's interest among investors. A high BTC dominance typically happens before and during a bull run, in which investors resort to investing in relatively stable and high market capitalization cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. A drop in BTC dominance usually means that investors are moving their capital and/or profits to altcoins in a quest for higher returns, which usually triggers an explosion of altcoin rallies.
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Ethereum Foundation's Co-Executive Director Tomasz K. Stańczak highlights simplified roadmap scaling blobs and improving L1 performance. Ethereum whale scoops 16,000 ETH, emphasizing growing interest in the token as the price recovers.
Bitcoin (BTC) price edges higher and approaches its key resistance at $85,000 on Monday, with a breakout indicating a bullish trend ahead. Metaplanet announced Monday that it purchased an additional 319 BTC, bringing its total holdings to 4,525 BTC.
Ripple (XRP) price grinds higher and trades at $2.15 during the early European session on Monday. The token sustained a bullish outlook throughout the weekend supported by bullish sentiment from the 90-day tariff suspension in the United States.
Senators Elizabeth Warren, Mazie K. Hirono, and Dick Durbin want the DoJ's decision to terminate crypto investigations reversed. The Senators raise concerns over the DoJ's shift in priorities, terming it a “grave mistake.”
Bitcoin (BTC) price extends recovery to around $82,500 on Friday after dumping to a new year-to-date low of $74,508 to start the week. Market uncertainty remains high, leading to a massive shakeout, with total liquidations hitting $2.18 billion across crypto markets.
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The gastrointestinal tract is continuously exposed to foreign antigens in food and commensal microbes with potential to induce adaptive immune responses. Peripherally induced T regulatory (pTreg) cells are essential for mitigating inflammatory responses to these agents1–4. While RORγt+ antigen-presenting cells (RORγt-APCs) were shown to program gut microbiota-specific pTreg5–7, their definition remains incomplete, and the APC responsible for food tolerance has remained elusive. Here, we identify an APC subset required for differentiation of both food- and microbiota-specific pTreg cells and for establishment of oral tolerance. Development and function of these APCs require expression of the transcription factors Prdm16 and RORγt, as well as a unique Rorc(t) cis-regulatory element. Gene expression, chromatin accessibility, and surface marker analysis establish the pTreg-inducing APCs as myeloid in origin, distinct from ILC3, and sharing epigenetic profiles with classical dendritic cells (cDC), and designate them Prdm16+ RORγt+ tolerizing DC (tolDC). Upon genetic perturbation of tolDC, we observe a substantial increase in food antigen-specific T helper 2 (Th2) cells in lieu of pTreg, leading to compromised tolerance in mouse models of asthma and food allergy. Single-cell analyses of freshly resected mesenteric lymph nodes from a human organ donor, as well as multiple specimens of human intestine and tonsil, reveal candidate tolDC with co-expression of PRDM16 and RORC and an extensive transcriptome shared with mice, highlighting an evolutionarily conserved role across species. Our findings suggest that a better understanding of how tolDC develop and how they regulate T cell responses to food and microbial antigens could offer new insights into developing therapeutic strategies for autoimmune and allergic diseases as well as organ transplant tolerance.
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These authors contributed equally: Liuhui Fu, Rabi Upadhyay, Maria Pokrovskii
Department of Cell Biology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
Liuhui Fu, Rabi Upadhyay, Maria Pokrovskii, Francis M. Chen, Gabriela Romero-Meza & Dan R. Littman
Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
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Howard Hughes Medical Institute, New York, NY, USA
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NYU Langone Transplant Institute, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY, USA
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People protesting against Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro's education-budget cuts, in São Paulo on 13 August 2019.Credit: Cris Faga/NurPhoto/Getty
From 2019 to 2023, I studied for a PhD in the evolutionary developmental genetics of the beetle Tribolium castaneum at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. My laboratory, based in the coastal region of Macaé, became collateral damage in a war on science declared by Jair Bolsonaro, our president from 2019 to 2022 — a war that might feel familiar to many US researchers now that their own president seems determined to cut funding for scientific research.
After Bolsonaro came to power in 2019, more than 5,600 grants vanished under sweeping austerity measures that targeted research and higher education. The cuts left thousands of researchers in limbo as national funding agencies such as the Brazilian Federal Agency for Support and Evaluation of Graduate Education and Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development slashed their budgets. Faculty members scrambled for emergency support while researchers rationed reagents and faced the prospect of stalled projects.
That year, a brilliant colleague of mine nearly lost her career when the government axed her scholarship days before she was set to begin. Without warning, she found herself locked out of the lab. Desperate not to lose everything she had worked for, she spoke out, and the story of her cancelled funding struck a nerve with the public. Support came together quickly enough to keep her from walking away, but only just.
Others faced similar threats: a friend of mine, unable to afford rent without her stipend, left her PhD for a non-academic job. Another, after months of uncertainty, moved abroad to continue his research. I, too, thought about quitting. But I had already changed fields once — from nuclear physics to developmental biology — and I knew I couldn't do it again. Not even under Bolsonaro.
The cuts sparked nationwide protests led by students, professors and scientific societies, with banners in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasília declaring: “Knowledge is not an expense.” Marching with thousands — even in my small city — I felt a powerful unity.
The pressure paid off. On 18 October, 2019, the Brazilian Ministry of Education unlocked one billion Brazilian reais (about US$172 million) in funds for federal universities — a rare concession that groups such as the Brazil National Union of Students credited to our mobilization. That day, I wasn't just a scientist. I was part of a movement that had pushed back against the cuts and reaffirmed the role of education and research in Brazil. I felt connected. I wasn't alone.
Then, in March 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. By June, as Bolsonaro's administration continued to dismiss science as an elitist pursuit, our lab shifted from evolutionary research to processing COVID-19 tests with Macaé's city hall. Our qPCR machines, once mapping beetle gene expression, were repurposed for diagnoses in a testing effort that helped to keep Macaé's fatality rate below the state average. This crucial initiative meant that I lost access to the institute — not only because it became a diagnostic lab but also owing to a strict sanitary barrier. My assays were indefinitely halted.
In July that year, I secured funding for an eight-month internship at evolutionary biologist Siegfried Roth's lab at the University of Cologne, Germany — an important opportunity that finally provided me with the resources to complete my PhD. The trip was originally scheduled for August 2020, but was postponed to February 2021 as the pandemic peaked.
By then, I had booked flights, rented an apartment and spent nights reading catastrophic headlines detailing Bolsonaro's relentless attacks on science — dismissing the virus as “just a little flu”, promoting hydroxychloroquine as a treatment despite overwhelming evidence of its ineffectiveness and systematically slashing science budgets and environmental protections across the Amazon rainforest.
The day before my departure, Germany closed its borders to Brazilian travellers, citing high case numbers and the emergence of new COVID-19 variants. I was unable to recoup the costs. Because the funding agency covered only part of the trip, the financial loss came out of my own pocket — another harsh reminder of how unstable my research situation had become.
Stuck in limbo, I again adapted by shifting my research focus from wet lab work to bioinformatics, analysing data sets from home and collaborating through Zoom with Siegfried's group while waiting for borders to reopen. I finally arrived in late September 2021, and my official internship ran from October that year to April 2022. The analyses done during quarantine became the foundation for the experiments that I did during my eight-month stay in Germany.
Back in Brazil, fresh post-pandemic challenges emerged: basic reagents were trapped in customs for six months, stalling follow-up experiments.
Meanwhile, online trolls, and even some family members, mocked my research as frivolous, championed funding cuts and embraced debunked so-called COVID-19 cures such as hydroxychloroquine. Amid the chaos, I learnt to thrive in uncertainty — skills that no grant could fund.
Completing my PhD required more than scientific rigour — it demanded that I confront my own limits. Those years blurred together in setbacks and personal challenges, each day testing my resolve amid constant political turmoil. My spouse guided me to mental health care. My advisers, Rodrigo Nunes da Fonseca and Helena Araújo, despite facing their own institutional chaos, found time to strategize about grants and training opportunities.
In October 2022, Bolsonaro was voted out of office. He claimed that the election was rigged, and on 8 January, a mob of his supporters stormed government buildings in Brasília. The attacks mirrored a similar assault one year earlier on the US Capitol in Washington DC, following Donald Trump's defeat at the end of his first term as president. In Brazil, courts and Congress stopped the attempted coup. In June 2023, a judge banned Bolsonaro from running for office for eight years. This March, the Brazil Supreme Federal Court unanimously accepted the complaints against Bolsonaro; he could face a criminal trial by the end of the year.
I defended my thesis in October 2023. Today, I'm a postdoctoral researcher in Siegfried's lab.
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The author received funding from CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher EducationPersonnel) and FAPERJ (Carlos Chagas Filho Foundation for Research Support of the State ofRio de Janeiro) during their PhD to support research in evolutionary developmental genetics.The author currently does not receive funding from these agencies.
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Physicists Are Closer Than Ever to Solving the Puzzle of the Ghostly Neutrino's Mass
In just the first 259 days of data collection, KATRIN, a beta-decay-based detector in Germany, has set the smallest upper limit yet on the mass of the neutrino—the universe's lightest massive particle
By Gayoung Lee edited by Lee Billings
Laser Raman system for the analysis of the tritium gas composition in the WGTS.
Tritium Laboratory, KIT
The neutrino is a notorious troublemaker in the world of particle physics. This tiny, elusive particle with no electric charge likely permeates every corner of the universe, but you'd be hard-pressed to know that without extremely specialized instruments. Trillions pass through you every second, in fact, all without interacting with a single atom of your body. That is but one of the reasons why, for something so supposedly abundant and fundamental, we know painfully little about the neutrino—not even something so basic as its mass.
But neutrino physics might be on the verge of an experimental breakthrough: physicists with the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino (KATRIN) experiment in Germany have succeeded in measuring the upper limit of the neutrino's mass to a mere 0.45 electron volts (eV), which is less than one millionth of the mass of an electron. These results, published last week in Science, represent just a fraction of KATRIN's investigations; about three quarters of the detector's planned data haul from its ongoing 1,000-day campaign remains to be analyzed and revealed.
Another reason for excitement is that KATRIN has achieved a twofold increase in sensitivity from just last year, when some researchers raised questions as to whether the experiment would even be able to make progress on physicists' decades-long quest to gauge the neutrino's mass. And the KATRIN team intends to push the detector even further, says Alexey Lokhov, a co-author of the new study and an experimental physicist at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. By the conclusion of KATRIN's campaign, he says, the detector's sensitivity is targeted for a lower-end neutrino mass of 0.3 eV, another significant boost.
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With their eyes on that prize, for this particular round of data analysis, Lokhov and his colleagues, including co-author Christoph Wiesinger, performed several technical overhauls to significantly improve the instrument's capabilities. “By the end of this year, we'll have this new, really big chunk of data to look at,” says Wiesinger, a physicist at Technical University of Munich, Germany. “Now KATRIN is in a more stable, near-final configuration, [so] I'm very confident we'll manage this [sensitivity boost] in upcoming years.”
The main spectrometer of the Karlsruhe Tritium Neutrino Experiment (KATRIN) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). The cylindrical giant tank weighs 200 tons, with a length of 24 meters, a diameter of 10 meters and an inner surface of 800 square meters.
ULI DECK/dpa/AFP via Getty Images
The KATRIN experiment began operations in 2019. It seeks to constrain the neutrino's mass by looking at the energy spectrum of electrons and electron antineutrinos emitted by decaying tritium, a radioactive isotope of hydrogen. As detailed in the new paper, during the experiment's first 259 days, KATRIN performed energy measurements of about 36 million electrons. From the energy spectrum of these electrons, physicists were able to infer the mass of the neutrino by identifying what would appear to be a “distortion” in the energy spectrum of electrons, Lokhov explains. “The trick is that to produce a neutrino in this decay process, one needs to at least produce a mass that a small, nonzero mass [that] would influence how much energy [would be] left for the electrons.” And that “leftover” energy, he says, would hint at the presence of something else—the neutrino—present in the decay process.
To be clear, KATRIN still hasn't locked in on an absolute value for neutrino mass—nor is it supposed to. But that may be more the product of the neutrino's innate weirdness rather than any representation of KATRIN's shortcomings. The neutrino's mass is particularly elusive quarry because it stubbornly refuses to abide by the tenets of the Standard Model of particle physics. Famously, almost all of this theory's predictions have been experimentally confirmed, yet some of its forecasts for the neutrino have notoriously fallen flat. The model predicts that neutrinos should be completely massless, but this was ultimately refuted by a Nobel-winning experiment that showed neutrinos not only have mass but also, for whatever reason, change mass by oscillating between three different neutrino varieties, or “flavors.”
“You know, when everything is settled and we are all happy, [neutrinos] are like that one person in the room saying, no, not quite,” muses Carlos Argüelles Delgado, a physicist at Harvard University, who is unaffiliated with KATRIN.
But the neutrino's troublesome nature is precisely why physicists are so enamored with it; the tiny particle, theorists say, must be a rebel with a cause, with some deeper and more fundamental explanation for its quirks that could open vast new realms of physics beyond the Standard Model's increasingly bland confines. And results like KATRIN's are part of a steady flow of theoretical and experimental advances bringing us incrementally closer to those long-awaited breakthroughs.
“There's a tricky business here because the neutrinos are superpositions of mass states—they have three—and what [KATRIN] shows is that this mass combination can be no larger than 0.45 eV,” Argüelles Delgado says. Now, with the experiment's lengthy campaign set to conclude by the end of this year, the clock is ticking towards a final countdown. Time is running out to further boost its sensitivity and tighten its snare around this slippery subatomic subversive. “If the true mass of the neutrinos is within the sensitivity range of KATRIN, then KATRIN should be able to measure it,” explains Georgia Karagiorgi, a particle physicist at Columbia University, who is not part of the research team.
That said, KATRIN is probably going to be the last of its kind, Argüelles Delgado says, noting the diminishing returns associated with scaling up such experiments. Major investments to make bigger, longer-running experiments risk only delivering marginal advances—which is all the more reason why KATRIN's sunk costs and ongoing success now call for urgency. “Given KATRIN's projections, it's clear that additional data will help get it to [the researchers'] target sensitivity, so they absolutely need to run it now,” Karagiorgi says.
If or when KATRIN achieves its intended higher sensitivity, this particular experiment will end—but the hope is that future instruments will be able to continue its mission by taking heed of what physicists have learned from KATRIN. Despite its end, the data will be a treasure trove that physicists will mine for discoveries for many years to come. After all, the greater quest to measure the neutrino's mass is unquestionably a marathon.
“Neutrinos are so elusive that, well, you need either these big detectors or very, very sophisticated technologies,” Wiesinger says. “But even though that the [neutrino's] mass is so small, we expect today that just by there being so many [of them], they have a large influence on the cosmos—how structures are forming and how they evolve.”
It's fascinating to realize that such an infinitesimal and rebellious particle can have such profound effects on both subatomic and cosmic scales—and that it can be robustly studied in earthbound laboratories at all.
“Neutrinos are one-of-a-kind portals to new discoveries in physics—they were always like this from the beginning, when they were first postulated,” Lokhov says. “And even now, they're still bringing some new, exciting discoveries that [further] our understanding of nature.”
Gayoung Lee is Scientific American's current news intern. A philosopher turned journalist, originally from South Korea, Lee's interests lie in finding unexpected connections between life and science, particularly in theoretical physics and mathematics. You can read more about her here: https://gayoung-lee.carrd.co
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Welcome to the Critical Zone.
We're walking around on living skin every day. Well... sort of. Earth's Critical Zone, often called its “living skin,” is the near-surface environment that extends from the tops of trees down to about 700 feet into the soil. It's home to rocks, groundwater, and many, many organisms—and scientists just discovered a new resident. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study finds a whole new phylum of microbes that may help purify water.
A phylum is a level of classification below kingdom and above class. It's essentially a “major category” of living things that groups organisms together based on shared qualities. The newly-discovered phylum, CSP1-3, is just a small part of the diverse ecosystem that is the Critical Zone.
“This zone supports most life on the planet as it regulates essential processes like soil formation, water cycling, and nutrient cycling, which are vital for food production, water quality, and ecosystem health,” James Tiedje—researcher on the study—said in a press release. “Despite its importance, the deep Critical Zone is a new frontier because it's a major part of the Earth that is relatively unexplored.”
Researchers identified CSP1-3 in soil samples from China and Iowa. Yes, the two locations seem unrelated—but that was intentional. Researchers wanted to know if CSP1-3 was generally occurring or specific to just one location.
Using DNA extracted from the respective soil samples (pulled from about 70 feet deep), the team found that millions of years ago, the bacteria actually lived in hot springs and freshwater. Researchers suggest that the organisms underwent at least one transition to colonize soil environments throughout its evolutionary history. And these microbes aren't just sitting around—they are extremely active.
“Most people would think that these organisms are just like spores or dormant,” Tiedje said in the release. “But one of our key findings we found through examining their DNA is that these microbes are active and slowly growing.”
Researchers were also surprised by the sheer amount of these microbes which, in some cases, made up over 50% of the soil's population. This level of dominance is not present in topsoil, and Tiedje explains that this is likely because the bacteria has evolved to thrive in the destitute deep soil conditions over many centuries. CSP1-3 lives off of the nitrogen and carbon washed down from the top soil, simultaneously sustaining itself and completing the water filtration process.
“CSP1-3 are the scavengers cleaning up what got through the surface layer of soil,” Tiedje said. “They have a job to do.”
Overall, the study emphasizes the role of soil in global processes. In the future, researchers hope to culture some of the microbes and learn about their physiology. Unfortunately, this proves to be difficult, as deep soil conditions are hard to replicate. This research could prove important for ongoing studies attempting to solve some of the issues we are facing today.
“CSP1-3's physiology, driven by their biochemistry, is different, so there may be some interesting genes of value for other purposes,” Tiedje said. “For example, we don't know their capacities for metabolizing tough pollutants and, if we could learn that, we can help solve one of the Earth's most pressing problems.”
Emma Frederickson is a Pace University student by day, journalist by night. She enjoys covering anything from pop culture to science to food. Her work appears in several publications including Biography.com and Popular Mechanics. When she's not writing, Emma can be found hopping between coffee shops on the hunt for the world's best oat milk cappuccino.
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Opinion
April 14, 2025
5 min read
Replacing Federal Workers with Chatbots Would Be a Dystopian Nightmare
The Trump administration sees an AI-driven federal workforce as more efficient. Instead, with chatbots unable to carry out critical tasks, it would be a diabolical mess
By Asmelash Teka Hadgu & Timnit Gebru
Moor Studio/Getty Images
Imagine calling the Social Security Administration and asking, “Where is my April payment?” only to have a chatbot respond, “Canceling all future payments.” Your check has just fallen victim to “hallucination,” a phenomenon in which an automatic speech recognition system outputs text that bears little or no relation to the input.
Hallucinations are one of the many issues that plague so-called generative artificial intelligence systems like OpenAI's ChatGPT, xAI's Grok, Anthropic's Claude or Meta's Llama. These are design flaws, problems in the architecture of these systems, that make them problematic. Yet these are the same types of generative AI tools that the DOGE and the Trump administration want to use to replace, in one official's words, “the human workforce with machines.”
This is terrifying. There is no “one weird trick” that removes experts and creates miracle machines that can do everything that humans can do, but better. The prospect of replacing federal workers who handle critical tasks—ones that could result in life-and-death scenarios for hundreds of millions of people—with automated systems that can't even perform basic speech-to-text transcription without making up large swaths of text, is catastrophic. If these automated systems can't even reliably parrot back the exact information that is given to them, then their outputs will be riddled with errors, leading to inappropriate and even dangerous actions. Automated systems cannot be trusted to make decisions the way that federal workers—actual people—can.
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Historically, “hallucination” hasn't been a major issue in speech recognition. That is, although earlier systems could take specific phrases and respond with transcription errors in specific phrases or misspell words, they didn't produce large chunks of fluent and grammatically correct texts that weren't uttered in the corresponding audio inputs. But researchers have shown that recent speech recognition systems like OpenAI's Whisper can produce entirely fabricated transcriptions. Whisper is a model that has been integrated into some versions of ChatGPT, OpenAI's famous chatbot.
For example, researchers from four universities analyzed short snippets of audio transcribed by Whisper, and found completely fabricated sentences, with some transcripts inventing the races of the people being spoken about, and others even attributing murder to them. In one case a recording that said, “He, the boy, was going to, I'm not sure exactly, take the umbrella” was transcribed with additions including: “He took a big piece of a cross, a teeny, small piece.... I'm sure he didn't have a terror knife so he killed a number of people.” In another example, “two other girls and one lady” was transcribed as “two other girls and one lady, um, which were Black.”
In the age of unbridled AI hype, with the likes of Elon Musk claiming to build a “maximally truth-seeking AI,” how did we come to have less reliable speech recognition systems than we did before? The answer is that while researchers working to improve speech recognition systems used their contextual knowledge to create models uniquely appropriate for performing that specific task, companies like OpenAI and xAI are claiming that they are building something akin to “one model for everything” that can perform many tasks, including, according to OpenAI, “tackling complex problems in science, coding, math, and similar fields.” To do this, these companies use model architectures that they believe can be used for many different tasks and train these models on vast amounts of noisy, uncurated data, instead of using system architectures and training and evaluation datasets that best fit a specific task at hand. A tool that supposedly does everything won't be able to do it well.
The current dominant method of building tools like ChatGPT or Grok, which are advertised along the lines of “one model for everything,” uses some variation of large language models (LLMs), which are trained to predict the most likely sequences of words. Whisper simultaneously maps the input speech to text and predicts what immediately comes next, a “token” as output. A token is a basic unit of text, such as a word, number, punctuation mark or word segment, used to analyze textual data. So giving the system two disparate jobs to do, speech transcription and next-token prediction, in conjunction with the large messy datasets used to train it, makes it more likely that hallucinations will happen.
Like many of OpenAI's projects, Whisper's development was influenced by an outlook that its former chief scientist has summarized as “If you have a big dataset and you train a very big neural network,” it will work better. But arguably, Whisper doesn't work better. Given that its decoder is tasked with both transcription and token prediction, without precise alignment between audio and text during training, the model can prioritize generating fluent text over accurately transcribing the input. And unlike misspellings or other mistakes, large swaths of coherent text don't give the reader clues that the transcriptions could be inaccurate, potentially leading users to use them in high-stakes scenarios without ever finding their failures. Until it's too late.
OpenAI researchers have claimed that Whisper approaches human “accuracy and robustness,” a statement that is demonstrably false. Most humans don't transcribe speech by making up large swaths of text that never existed in the speech they heard. In the past, those working on automatic speech recognition trained their systems using carefully curated data consisting of speech-text pairs where the text accurately represents the speech. Conversely, OpenAI's attempt to use a “general” model architecture rather than one tailored for speech transcription—sidestepping the time and resources it takes to curate data and adequately compensate data workers and creators—results in a dangerously unreliable speech recognition system.
If the current one-model-for-everything paradigm has failed in the context of English language speech transcription that most English speakers can perfectly perform without further education, how will we fare if the U.S. DOGE Service succeeds in replacing expert federal workers with generative AI systems? Unlike the generative AI systems that federal workers have been told to use to perform tasks ranging from creating talking points to writing code, automatic speech recognition tools are constrained to the much more well-defined setting of transcribing speech.
We cannot afford to replace the critical tasks of federal workers with models that completely make stuff up. There is no substitute for the expertise of federal workers handling sensitive information and working on life-critical sectors ranging from health care to immigration. Thu, we need to promptly challenge, including incourts if appropriate, DOGE's push to replace “the human workforce with machines,” before this action brings immense harm to Americans.
This is an opinion and analysis article, and the views expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily those of Scientific American
Asmelash Teka Hadgu is co-founder and chief technology officer of Lesan AI and a fellow at the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR). His work at Lesan focuses on building advanced speech recognition and machine translation systems for underrepresented languages.
Timnit Gebru is the founder and executive director of the Distributed AI Research Institute (DAIR) and author of the forthcoming book The View from Somewhere, a memoir and manifesto arguing for a technological future that serves us instead of one used for surveillance, warfare and the centralization of power by Silicon Valley.
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Physicist Richard Lieu first explored the idea that gravity could exist without mass—now he's got a new cosmological model that eschews the need for dark energy.
In 1998, two independent projects—the Supernova Cosmology Project and the High-Z Supernova Search Team—confirmed that the expansion of the universe was accelerating. But there was a problem: our current understanding of physics couldn't explain this phenomenon. Scientists hypothesized that there must be some unknown “dark energy” in the universe that propels the universe ever outward, but as theoretical cosmologist Katie Mack states: “We can't see it, we don't know what it is, and we're not even sure how it can exist at all.”
In the decades following this discovery, independent pieces of evidence have supported the idea, but this elusive form of energy—estimated to make up 70 percent of the universe—has still never been directly observed or measured. Because science abhors an epistemological vacuum, alternative theories of this universal acceleration have emerged in an attempt to circumvent this dark energy conundrum with names like Modified Newtonian Dynamics (or MOND) and “timescape cosmology,” the latter of which essentially attributes dark energy to a misunderstanding of kinetic energy expansion at universal scales.
Now, Richard Lieu, a physicist from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, has a new approach to explaining the universe that has no need for dark energy—or even the Big Bang. The results of the study were published in the journal Classical and Quantum Gravity.
Lieu isn't a stranger to out-of-the-box cosmological thinking, grabbing headlines just last year for intimating that gravity can exist without mass (though, the idea relied on negative mass, which is as hypothetical as dark energy). This new study builds a cosmological model around the central idea being that universal acceleration is caused by multiple singularities blinking in and out of existence. And as Lieu notes, this concept doesn't rely on negative mass or negative density to work.
“The new model can account for both structure formation and stability, and the key observational properties of the expansion of the universe at large, by enlisting density singularities in time that uniformly affect all space to replace conventional dark matter and dark energy,” Lieu said in a press statement.
These “transient temporal singularities,” as Lieu calls them, create step-like bursts that periodically flood the universe with matter and energy. The kicker is that because they happen so quickly, they're nearly impossible to observe before they disappear entirely. Lieu isn't the first to propose the idea that the universe creates energy over time—from the 40s to and 60s, a hypothesis known as the “steady-state” theory was the main rival of the Big Bang theory. Lieu claims his theory fixes one of steady-state theory's biggest shortfalls.
“[The steady-state] hypothesis violates the law of mass-energy conservation,” Lieu said in a press statement. “In the current theory, the conjecture is for matter and energy to appear and disappear in sudden bursts and, interestingly enough, there is no violation of conservation laws […]. The origin of these temporal singularities is unknown—safe to say that the same is true of the moment of the Big Bang itself.”
Like every other alternative theory that forgoes dark energy, this model has no empirical data to back up its claims. Thankfully, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (which launches in 2027) is purpose-built to explore the cosmos for evidence of dark energy. For now, cosmologists postulate different methods for explaining the observational acceleration of universal expansion. But it will require cold, hard data to prove whether dark energy—or some other alternative, like multiple singularities—is the long-sought-after energy force behind the unexplainable.
Darren lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes/edits about sci-fi and how our world works. You can find his previous stuff at Gizmodo and Paste if you look hard enough.
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April 13, 2025
A Long Day on Uranus, a Better Method of Making Coffee and Disputed Dino Decline
A fluid study homes in on the best method to make a cup of coffee, scientists use the Hubble Telescope to reassess the length of a day on Uranus, and we discuss more of the latest in science in this news roundup.
By Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi & Alex Sugiura
Anaissa Ruiz Tejada/Scientific American
Rachel Feltman: Happy Monday, listeners! For Scientific American's Science Quickly, I'm Rachel Feltman. Let's catch up on some of the science news you might have missed last week.
We'll ease into things with a new study on a subject that's bound to perk you up: coffee. Up until now the best way to learn more than you ever wanted to know about pour-over coffee was to ask literally any guy at a party in Brooklyn. But a study published last week in the journal Physics of Fluids brings some actual science into debates over how to brew the perfect pot of joe.
Using transparent silica gel particles in place of coffee grounds, researchers captured high-speed footage showing exactly how water flows through a pour-over setup under different conditions. They determined that the best way to brew a strong cup of coffee was to maximize the contact time between water and coffee grounds while also allowing for plenty of mixing so as much coffee as possible was extracted. The team says the key is to pour slowly—to maximize contact—and from a greater height to increase the water velocity. A slim stream of water from a gooseneck kettle can help optimize this process. As those dudes from parties in Brooklyn have probably already told you. If you get it right, the researchers say, you can actually get a stronger cup of coffee using a smaller quantity of grounds. They recommend experimenting by subtracting a small amount from your usual bean count—maybe a couple of grams per serving—and then trying cups brewed at different pour heights until you find a strength you like.
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Now that we're all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, let's move on to another troubling story of cuts in federal funding for research. Last Tuesday the U.S. Department of Commerce announced that the Trump administration will pull around $4 million in research grants for climate change-related projects from Princeton University. According to a press release from the Department of Commerce, the projects funded by these grants “are no longer aligned with the program objectives” of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and “are no longer in keeping with the Trump Administration's priorities.”
One of the targeted projects focuses on how water supplies might fluctuate as global warming progresses. The Department of Commerce stated that “using federal funds to perpetuate these narratives does not align with the priorities of this Administration,” which is, frankly, chilling language to use when talking about climate change research. The press release also accused some of the slashed projects of increasing “climate anxiety,” which is a phrase that's increasingly being used to cast folks' concerns over very real evidence about the climate crisis in a hysterical light.
Speaking of environmental threats: a study published last Thursday in the journal Communications Earth & Environment found that less than 10 percent of the plastic made worldwide in 2022 contained recycled materials. The world produced more than 400 million tons of plastic that year. And some estimates say that amount will more than double by 2050. The new study also found that just around 28 percent of all plastic waste made it to the sorting stage and only half of that plastic was actually recycled. While China had the highest plastic consumption overall in 2022, the U.S. had the highest amount of usage per person, according to the researchers. On average, each individual in the U.S. consumed about 476 pounds [216 kilograms] of plastic that year.
Now, obviously plastic usage is a massive, complex, systemic problem that high income countries around the world need to address, so this isn't me trying to make you feel guilty about your ever-growing pile of old takeout containers. But if you've been looking for something to motivate you to start making some slightly less convenient choices in the name of using less plastic—carrying reusable straws and silverware with you, finding a local bulk grocery store that lets you use your own containers—maybe these new findings can fire you up to make a change.
Now let's check in with a cosmic neighbor. The Small Magellanic Cloud is a galaxy not far from our own, and a new study published in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series suggests that things might be getting a little hectic over there. Within the SMC, researchers tracked the motion of roughly 7,000 stars, each one more than eight times the mass of our own sun. The team found that the stars were moving in different directions on the galaxy's respective sides. The scientists think that the gravitational pull of the nearby Large Magellanic Cloud—which, to state the obvious, is the bigger of the two galaxies—might be pulling the SMC apart. The researchers say that studying how the SMC and LMC interact with both each other and with the Milky Way will help us understand how galaxies form and behave.
In other space news, it turns out that a day on Uranus lasts slightly longer than we thought. A study published last Monday in Nature Astronomyused data from the Hubble Space Telescope to estimate the ice giant's rotation rate with unprecedented accuracy. Our prior estimate of 17 hours, 14 minutes and 24 seconds came from Voyager 2's 1986 flyby of Uranus. That figure relied on measurements of the planet's magnetic field and radio signals emitted by its auroras. For a better estimate scientists used more than a decade's worth of Hubble data to track the movement of Uranus's auroras, which helped them zero in on the actual location of the planet's magnetic poles. The researchers' findings added a whopping 28 seconds to Uranus's previously estimated rotational period. And hey, every second on Uranus is precious.
We'll wrap up with some new findings on the demise of the dinosaurs. Some earlier research has suggested that dinosaurs were already on the outs before that infamous asteroid struck the killing blow. But a study published last Tuesday in Current Biologyargues that the dinosaurs were doing just fine before that pesky space rock came along, thank you very much.
Researchers analyzed the North American fossil record for the 18 million years preceding the mass extinction event in question—about 8,000 fossil specimens in total. That fossil record does indeed seem to show that dinosaur populations started declining millions of years before the asteroid hit. But the new study suggests it's not the dinosaurs themselves that declined but simply their mark on the fossil record. The researchers argue that geological changes made dinosaur fossils less likely to be preserved in places where archaeologists could one day access them. It's certainly not the end of this debate, but it's now a little more plausible to imagine that, had things gone down a little differently, we might still have dinosaurs roaming the Earth today—other than birds, of course.
That's all for this week's news roundup. We'll be back on Wednesday to talk about a trendy disinfectant that sounds almost too good to be true: hypochlorous acid. Tune in to get the full scoop on this so-called miracle molecule.
Science Quickly is produced by me, Rachel Feltman, along with Fonda Mwangi, Kelso Harper, Naeem Amarsy and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check our show. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Subscribe to Scientific American for more up-to-date and in-depth science news.
For Scientific American, this is Rachel Feltman. Have a great week!
Rachel Feltman is former executive editor of Popular Science and forever host of the podcast The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week. She previously founded the blog Speaking of Science for the Washington Post.
Fonda Mwangi is a multimedia editor at Scientific American. She previously worked as an audio producer at Axios, The Recount and WTOP News. She holds a master's degree in journalism and public affairs from American University in Washington, D.C.
Alex Sugiura is a Peabody and Pulitzer Prize–winning composer, editor and podcast producer based in Brooklyn, N.Y. He has worked on projects for Bloomberg, Axios, Crooked Media and Spotify, among others.
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Nature Communications
volume 16, Article number: 3465 (2025)
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While it has been suggested that alterations in the composition of gut microbial metabolites may play a causative role in the pathophysiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), it is not known how gut microbial metabolites are associated with ASD-specific brain alterations. In this cross-sectional, case-control observational study, (i) fecal metabolomics, (ii) task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and (iii) behavioral assessments were obtained from 43 ASD and 41 neurotypical (NT) children, aged 8–17. The fMRI tasks used socio-emotional and sensory paradigms that commonly reveal strong evoked brain differences in ASD participants. Our results show that fecal levels of specific tryptophan-related metabolites, including kynurenate, were significantly lower in ASD compared to NT, and were associated with: 1) alterations in insular and cingulate cortical activity previously implicated in ASD; and 2) ASD severity and symptoms (e.g., ADOS scores, disgust propensity, and sensory sensitivities). Moreover, activity in the mid-insula and mid-cingulate significantly mediated relationships between the microbial tryptophan metabolites (indolelactate and tryptophan betaine) and ASD severity and disgust sensitivity. Thus, we identify associations between gut microbial tryptophan metabolites, ASD symptoms, and brain activity in humans, particularly in brain regions associated with interoceptive processing.
The gut microbial ecosystem generates an estimated 40% of all metabolites in the body's circulation, including neuroactive and inflammatory molecules1,2. Within the brain-gut-microbiome (BGM) system, neuroactive gut metabolites can modulate brain activity directly, via the systemic circulation, or via vagal and spinal afferents. Ninety percent of vagal fibers are afferents, underscoring the magnitude of information that is transmitted from the gut, its microbiome, and from vagal signals to the brain3,4. Together, these regulatory signals from the gut microbiome can influence socio-emotional and sensory processing, cognition, and behavior5,6,7,8. Pre- and postnatal microbial and neural disruptions may have profound effects on the development of the enteric and central nervous system9. Such disruptions have been linked to the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD)10,11,12,13,14.
Indeed, longitudinal studies in ASD indicate that gut microbial dysbiosis can be found in infancy15 and persist through adulthood16,17. Early life gut dysbiosis may be associated with compromised barriers within the BGM system, contributing to the development of neurodevelopmental disorders13,18,19. Further, there is evidence from cross-sectional human studies indicating that gut microbiome and metabolite alterations correlate with ASD symptoms (i.e., difficulties in socio-emotional behavior and sensory perception), which can be ameliorated with probiotics or fecal microbiota transplants from neurotypical (NT) children20,21,22,23. The high prevalence of gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms in ASD (46–84%) further underscores the gut as an important component in ASD pathophysiology3,5,24,25.
Of the gut microbial metabolites that may be relevant to ASD pathophysiology, there has long been an interest in those in the tryptophan/serotonin pathway (Fig. 1). Roughly 30% of individuals with ASD show elevated blood serotonin levels, which have been linked to dysregulation of symptoms such as mood, appetite, and social interactions26. In addition, individuals with ASD with hyper-serotonemia are more likely to experience GI issues27,28. However, reducing dietary tryptophan, which is the precursor for 95% of the body's serotonin, has been associated with increased ASD symptomatology29,30,31,32. Serotonin, generated by intestinal enterochromaffin cells, is almost completely taken up by platelets. However, as serotonin does not cross the blood–brain barrier, serotonin signals are thought to reach the brain via serotonin-mediated vagal signaling26,33,34. Gut microbes also play an important role in the metabolism of dietary tryptophan into indoles, kynurenate (KA) and kynurenine (KYN), which, in contrast to serotonin, are able to cross the blood–brain-barrier. While KA has neuroprotective effects, KYN has neurotoxic effects especially during critical periods of development, influencing brain microstructure, activity, and development5,35,36. Thus, there is evidence that dysregulation in the tryptophan metabolism and KYN pathway may influence ASD symptomatology both by peripheral and central mechanisms, at least in a subset of individuals.
Arrow thickness represents the strength of the pathway under normal conditions.
Some animal studies have examined how the brain may mediate relationships between gut metabolites and behavior13,37. However, to date, there are no human ASD studies that have looked at interactions between gut metabolites and brain activity, and their impact on ASD symptomatology. In this cross-sectional comparative study, 43 ASD and 41 neurotypical (NT) youth (aged 8–17) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging studies (fMRI), fecal metabolomics focused on the tryptophan pathway, and comprehensive clinical and behavioral assessments. We focused on interoceptive, emotional, and sensory processing brain regions of interest (ROIs) based on prior studies in children with ASD and their relevance to vagal processing (see “Methods: fMRI Tasks”). The fMRI tasks all involved socio-emotional processing (processing emotions, facial expressions, others' somatosensory experiences); such socio-emotional processing has been shown to be modulated by tryptophan metabolites, like serotonin31,32,38. Our primary hypotheses were that the relative abundances of tryptophan-related gut metabolites differs between ASD and NT groups, and correlate with ASD symptomatology as well as with atypical brain activity in regions consistently implicated in ASD (i.e., insular subregions, pregenual anterior, and mid-cingulate). While the study design did not allow us to address causality, we additionally explored the hypothesis that task-based brain activity mediates metabolite and behavioral relationships.
Independent samples t-tests and Fisher's exact tests were used to determine significant ASD-NT differences in demographic and behavioral variables. As shown in Supplemental Table 1, compared to the NT group (N = 41; 20F; mean age = 11.6), the ASD group (N = 43; 11F; mean age = 12.06) showed significantly higher values for: body mass index (BMI), prenatal antibiotic use, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms, sensory sensitivities, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, disgust sensitivity, disgust propensity, and social difficulties. In addition, the ASD group showed significantly lower scores on the full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) and sleep quality (all ps < 0.05). No between-group differences in diet were found (see Supplemental Table 1 and Supplemental fig. 1). Refer to Supplemental Table 2 for the participant's race and ethnicity by group.
Regarding stool-derived metabolites, as compared to the NT group, the ASD group displayed significantly lower KA levels (β = 0.78, se = 0.23, q = 0.02, Cohen's d = 0.82; Fig. 2). Other tryptophan pathway metabolites such as xanthurenate (Cohen's d = 0.49), 5-hydroxypicolinic acid (Cohen's d = 0.41), and indolepropionate (Cohen's d = 0.39) had small to moderate effect sizes but did not achieve FDR-corrected statistical significance at q < 0.05 (Supplemental Table 3).
A contrast analysis within the framework of the GLM indicated significant differences between ASD (N = 43) and NT (N = 41) groups in kynurenate (KA; q = 0.02, two-tailed). NT: minimum = −1.15, 1st quartile = −0.23, median = 0.51, 3rd quartile = 1.00, maximum = 1.45. ASD: minimum = −2.68, 1st quartile = −0.98, median = −0.18, 3rd quartile = 0.75, maximum = 1.30. Source data are provided as a Source data file.
Given that in our sample there were greater reports of GI symptoms in ASD compared to NT, in a subset of participants with this data available, we performed a sensitivity analysis including GI symptoms as a covariate. The significant group differences in KA abundance persisted (β = 1.11, se = 0.29, q = 0.009, Cohen's d = 1.15). Further, indoleacrylate (Cohen's d = 0.76), indolepropionate (Cohen's d = 0.62), 5-hydroxypicolinic acid (Cohen's d = 0.58), and xanthurenate (Cohen's d = 0.53) had large effect sizes but did not achieve FDR-corrected statistical significance at q < 0.05 (Supplemental Table 4). In addition, including diet as a covariate did not change the results.
We primarily focused on brain regions involved in interoceptive, vagal, and emotion processing, as these may be especially impacted in altered gut-brain interactions. In addition, brain regions of interest (ROIs) were selected from those which showed significant differences in ASD compared to NT based on prior studies and our fMRI tasks (tasks included: processing others' facial expressions/actions; disgust processing; processing somatosensory experiences; see Methods: fMRI Tasks and Supplemental Table 5). As Fig. 3 shows, ROIs included the: cingulate cortex (right mid-cingulate, pregenual anterior cingulate, anterior mid-cingulate cortex/dorsal medial prefrontal cortex), bilateral insula (anterior, dorsal anterior, mid, ventral, posterior), right fusiform face area (FFA), right inferior gyrus pars opercularis (IFGop), and right primary somatosensory cortex (S1).
See Supplemental Table 5 for peak MNI coordinates for each ROI. While our predominant focus was on subregions of the insula and cingulate due to their involvement in interoceptive and emotional processing, we additionally considered other ROIs with significant ASD vs. NT differences in our fMRI tasks and from prior ASD studies. Please see “Methods” for how ROIs were selected. R Right, L Left, insular subregions (dAI left dorsal anterior insula, vAI ventral anterior insula, MI mid-insula, PI posterior insula); cingulate subregions (pACC pregenual anterior cingulate cortex, MCC mid-cingulate cortex, dmPFC/aMCC dorsal medial prefrontal cortex/anterior mid-cingulate cortex); IFGop inferior frontal gyrus, pars opercularis, S1 primary somatosensory cortex.
General linear models (GLMs) were applied to assess associations between brain regions showing differences on the stimulus-evoked tasks with metabolites, controlling for age, sex, FSIQ, and BMI. See Table 1 for metabolite-brain association results for the ASD group (see Supplemental Table 8 for NT results).
During facial expression processing, increased activity in the right IFGop was significantly associated with higher levels of anthranilate, while decreased activity in the right mid-cingulate cortex (MCC) was significantly associated with higher levels of tryptophan betaine. Activity in the right MCC when processing hand actions was significantly associated with increased abundance of N-acetyltryptophan. In addition, higher right MCC activity during processing of non-emotional faces was significantly associated with increased c-glycosyltryptophan.
For the disgust processing task, significant ROI-metabolite correlations primarily involved insular subregions. Notably, lower levels of indolelactate were significantly associated with increased activity in the right mid-insula when viewing disgusting foods. When viewing disgust facial expressions, increased activity in the left dorsal anterior insula was associated with higher levels of KA.
For the somatosensory task, increased levels of indole-3-carboxylate were significantly associated with increased activity in right S1 and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex /anterior mid-cingulate cortex (dmPFC/aMCC) when processing object touch. By contrast, decreased levels of indole-3-carboxylate were associated with activity in the left posterior insula when processing social touch.
Brain-behavioral association results within the ASD group are shown in Table 2 (see Supplemental Table 6 for additional significant associations and Supplemental Table 10 for NT results). Of note, increased right MCC activity related to non-emotional facial processing was positively associated with disgust sensitivity across various stimuli conditions. Further, when looking at disgusting foods, decreased activity in the right mid-insula was significantly associated with autism severity (ADOS-2 RRB and ADOS-2 total score), and activity in the left ventral anterior insula was associated with restricted, repetitive, and stereotyped patterns of behavior (ADI-R RRB).
The above results indicated that 7 tryptophan metabolites were significantly correlated with alterations in brain activity in ASD. We applied GLMs to investigate how these 7 metabolites may also be related to behavior in the ASD group, while controlling for age, sex, BMI, and FSIQ. As Table 3 shows, we found large effect size associations between metabolites and behavioral variables. Higher levels of tryptophol were significantly correlated with sensory sensitivities (vestibular/proprioception, social, and non-social). In addition, higher levels of anthranilate were significantly correlated with greater quality of sleep. Refer to Supplementary Table 7 for the results of a post hoc analysis of tryptophan metabolite-behavior associations within ASD with all tryptophan metabolites. NT results are presented in Supplemental Table 9.
Based on previous theoretical work and animal studies indicating that metabolites affect brain activity which in turn affect behavior13,37,39, we conducted exploratory mediation analyses, with the brain activity in regions that differed between ASD and NT as the mediator between tryptophan metabolite-behavior relationships. As Fig. 4 shows, mediation models (controlling for brain-related variables, age and FSIQ) indicated significant mediating effects for the right mid-insula and the right mid-cingulate. Specifically, activity in the right mid-insula during disgust processing statistically mediated the relationship between indolelactate and ASD severity as measured by the ADOS RRB score (indirect effect: Std. β = 0.341, SE = 0.227, 95% CI [0.016,0.967] and ADOS total score (indirect effect: Std.β = 0.440, SE = 0.585, 95% CI [0.005, 0.984]). In addition, activity in the right mid-cingulate during facial expression processing mediated the relationship between tryptophan betaine and disgust sensitivity (indirect effect: Std. β = −0.328, SE = −0.944, 95% CI [−0.610, −0.075]). We note that while the significant statistical mediation effects observed in these models are consistent with the conceptual model whereby gut metabolites impact brain activity increasing ASD symptomatology, longitudinal and/or interventional experiments (e.g., fecal transplant studies at critical periods of development) are necessary to determine causation. A summary of the main results in ASD is displayed in Table 4. The summary of NT results is available in Supplemental Table 11.
Significant mediation models within the ASD group, with the brain as the mediator between specific metabolites and behavior. For each mediation model, the figure contains the standardized beta and standard error: Std. β (SE) for direct effects. The indirect effect between the metabolite and behavior is listed below the arrow in brackets. * indicates significant indirect effects. A Right mid-insula: disgusting foods vs. rest, indolelactate, and ADOS RRB. B Right mid-insula: disgusting foods vs. rest, indolelactate, and ADOS total score. C right mid-cingulate: non-emotional faces vs. rest, tryptophan betaine, and disgust sensitivity. ADOS Autism Diagnosis Observation Schedule, ADI-R Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, RRB Restricted and Repetitive Behaviors, DPSS-R Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale - Revised, r_MI right mid-insula, MCC mid-cingulate cortex. Source data are provided as a Source data file.
The current results confirmed our main hypotheses that tryptophan-related fecal metabolites differ between ASD and NT groups and show significant associations with known ASD brain alterations as well as symptomatology, with medium to large effect sizes. Here, we report data consistent with the conceptual model that brain activity mediates the relationship between tryptophan metabolites and ASD symptomatology. Although the current study was not designed to demonstrate causality, these findings represent an important step toward a better mechanistic understanding of ASD.
As Fig. 1 shows, in the gut, more than 90% of dietary tryptophan is metabolized into kynurenine (KYN) and to a lesser degree into serotonin as well as other metabolites. Importantly, any changes in regulation of the KYN pathway, in particular a reduction in plasma levels of kynurenate (KA) and an increase in the KYN/KA ratio, can lead to neurotoxic effects, impact blood serotonin levels, and have profound behavioral and cognitive effects40. Indeed, such dysregulation has been associated with several neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders such as ASD, schizophrenia, depression, and epilepsy41,42,43,44. Here, we found significantly decreased levels of KA in our ASD group compared to NT. This result is consistent with prior research by Bryn et al. (2018) showing lower blood levels of KA in ASD compared to NT children. In that study, the authors suggested that decreased plasma KA levels and an increase in the KYN/KA ratio in ASD may result in less neuroprotection during development41.
There are conflicting data about whether differences in plasma and/or fecal metabolites in ASD may be driven by the high degree of ASD participants with GI issues23,45. However, consistent with Needham et al. (2021), we did not find any significant relationships between fecal KA levels and GI distress in ASD, indicating that our results may not be limited to those with GI symptoms. Whether KA abundance can be used as a biomarker of ASD remains a question for future research23.
In this study, we focused on interactions of tryptophan metabolites with brain activity specifically in brain regions important for interoceptive, vagal, disgust, and socio-emotional processing which have previously been implicated in ASD38,46,47,48,49. Indeed, activity in these ROIs was significantly related to ASD symptomatology and severity (see Table 2). Importantly, we show that in ASD, activity in these ROIs is significantly correlated with fecal abundance of gut-derived metabolites in the tryptophan pathway, including indoles, which have been implicated in previous ASD research50,51. Specifically, we found that different fecal tryptophan metabolites are significantly correlated with task-based brain activity (left pregenual anterior and middle cingulate cortex, insular subregions, right S1) and with ASD severity and symptomatology.
Notably, in line with our hypothesis, we found that in ASD, brain activity in the mid-cingulate associated with social processing modulated the relationship between tryptophan betaine and disgust sensitivity. Tryptophan-related metabolites (i.e., indoles, serotonin) are important peripheral modulators of vagal activity52. Their altered abundance in the gut has been significantly linked to a number of psychological, neurological, and medical symptoms, such as memory loss, long COVID, depression, sleep disturbances, and anxiety52,53. Thus, the altered abundance of fecal tryptophan-related metabolites may modify activity in vagal and enteric afferent terminals in the gut, or after absorption, directly activate brainstem nuclei, influencing upstream MCC brain activity during socio-emotional tasks and impacting emotional processing. The current data support a hypothesized mechanistic link between common ASD differences in brain activity (MCC, insula) and behavior (disgust sensitivity)49,54.
Further, in the ASD group, we specifically found several correlations between indole metabolites, brain activity (insular subregions, dmPFC/aMCC, IFGop, and S1), and symptomatology (autism severity [ADI-R RSI] and alexithymia). In contrast to serotonin, indoles are exclusively generated by gut microbes from tryptophan and therefore strongly implicate gut microbial alterations in ASD symptomatology55. Interestingly, supporting our last hypothesis, we found that disgust processing activity in the right mid-insula mediates the relationship between indolelactate and two measures of autism severity (ADOS total score and ADOS RRBs). This is particularly noteworthy given that: 1) disgust processing is strongly related to interoceptive processing, making it particularly suited for gut metabolite influence; 2) children with ASD commonly have differences in disgust processing49,54; and 3) the mid-insula is a hub of interoceptive, emotion, and chemosensory processing, and is particularly known to show atypical activity and connectivity in ASD46,54,56. Thus, although these findings do not prove causality between gut microbial metabolites and brain and behavior alterations, they are consistent with the concept that indole metabolites generated by gut microbes (and other tryptophan-related metabolites) directly or indirectly impact brain function, contributing to some ASD-related behavioral symptomatology.
Prior studies have also found that differences in levels of fecal indole metabolites in ASD correlate with autism symptomatology23,57,58. For example, Needham et al. (2021) found significant negative correlations between fecal levels of several indoles, such as indolepropionate, indole, n-formlyanthranalic acid, and indole-3-carboxylate and ASD severity (ADI-R)23. The current results expand upon these previous findings by adding that activity in the right mid-insula may be an important mediator between gut microbial generated indole metabolite and ASD behavior.
Interestingly, we found that a history of prenatal antibiotic exposure was significantly higher in the ASD group. Prenatal maternal antibiotic exposure has been shown to affect the maternal microbiome, which plays an important role in the fetal brain's exposure to altered maternal microbial metabolites. This prenatal mechanism has been hypothesized to play a role in the etiology of ASD14,59. However, in a post hoc analysis using independent samples t-tests, we found no significant differences in metabolite abundances in the tryptophan pathway between ASD participants with and without prenatal antibiotic exposure; further studies are needed on this topic.
There are several important limitations to the current study. We had strict inclusion criteria for the fMRI component (right handedness, FSIQ > 79, 8–17-year-olds, exclusion of other neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders), which limited the sample heterogeneity and size. To account for this, we utilized a hypothesis-driven approach considering only metabolites within the tryptophan pathway and a priori brain ROIs to limit the number of comparisons, as well as multiple comparisons corrections in all GLM analyses. Another limitation is that we had a larger ratio of males to females in our ASD group compared to the NT group. This was largely due to the exceptional challenge of enrolling in-person participants during the COVID-19 pandemic, which made our initial effort to match groups by sex unviable in a timely manner. However, we accounted for this by including sex as a covariate in all our analyses. Further, the study design was cross-sectional and did not allow the assessment of a causal relationship of the gut microbial metabolites with the brain or behavior. While the mediation models are consistent with our hypotheses, they do not prove causality. Future replication studies are needed as well as studies with more heterogeneous, larger samples with groups matched in sex, well-powered longitudinal designs aimed at studying critical periods of development, interventional designs to demonstrate causality, analysis of broader metabolite pathways, targeted metabolomics, as well as metagenomics to better understand relationships between the brain, gut microbiome, and behavior in ASD. Future studies could also leverage Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to evaluate potential causal relationships between stool metabolite levels and ASD. However, this approach is currently limited by the lack of adequate data. The only stool-based metabolite genome-wide association study (GWAS) available has a very small sample size and is not publicly accessible60. While serum-based GWAS data exist, they are constrained by relatively low sample sizes, which complicates MR analyses. Specifically, the limited number of genome-wide significant single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that are independent (i.e., not in linkage disequilibrium) poses challenges for their use as robust instrumental variables61. Despite these current limitations, we believe that this may be an important future technique to better assess causality. Finally, the current study focused on fecal metabolites due to their importance in impacting the brain via vagal signaling. However, given the fact that some tryptophan metabolites can pass the intestinal barrier and the blood–brain barrier (e.g., KYN, indoles), future studies should focus on serum metabolites for a more comprehensive picture of metabolite-brain-behavior associations.
We note that a study by Yap and colleagues (2021) found that microbiome differences between ASD and NT samples were driven by less diverse diets, likely due to significantly restricted ASD food preferences, and thus cautioned against claiming a causative role of the microbiome in ASD pathophysiology62. However, in the current study, a post hoc analysis using independent samples t-tests found no group differences in metabolite concentrations between the observed diet types and no associations with diet between groups or significant correlations between diet and metabolites (Supplemental Fig. 2, Supplemental Table 1). We cannot rule out the possibility of unreliable reporting of dietary patterns by ASD participants or their parents could be responsible for the lack of group differences. Future research should include more reliable and in-depth dietary analyses of participants (and their mothers during the prenatal stage), and use tools such as the foodMAST platform's foodomic analysis63 to circumvent issues with recording children's diet (e.g., parent recall bias, calculating accurate portion size)64. Nevertheless, the current study addresses many critiques of prior studies suggested by Yap and colleagues62. We included microbiome-relevant factors as covariates (age, sex, BMI), used multiple comparisons corrections in all GLM analyses, excluded participants on antibiotics, prebiotics, and probiotics, and measured and considered other factors potentially affecting the microbiome (sleep, delivery method, GI issues, medication usage).
In summary, our study reveals that atypical activity in several brain regions previously implicated in ASD pathophysiology is associated with several tryptophan metabolites and symptomatology in youth with ASD. Further, the mediation analysis was consistent with a model that the fecal metabolite abundance is associated with brain activity in regions of interest, contributing to ASD symptomatology. Although our study design is unable to demonstrate causality, these findings represent an important step toward mechanistic integrated models of body-brain-behavior relationships in ASD, with potential implications for future interventions. Future studies incorporating longitudinal designs focusing on critical periods of pre- and postnatal development, as well as interventional designs, are needed to further explore these relationships and their relevance in ASD.
Participants were recruited from healthcare clinics in Los Angeles, through advertising in the local community and social media, and by word-of-mouth. Inclusion criteria for all participants included: (a) aged 8–17 years old; (b) IQ of at least 79 on either Full-Scale Intelligence Quotient (FSIQ), or Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI) of the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence 2nd edition (WASI-II)65; and c) right-handed as assessed by a questionnaire adapted from Crovitz and Zener66. Exclusion criteria for all participants included: (a) history of head injury with loss of consciousness greater than 5 min; (b) not sufficiently fluent in English or parent who did not have English proficiency (as not all assessments have been validated in other languages); (c) born before 36 weeks of gestation; (d) contraindications to participating in MRI; (e) on probiotics/prebiotics for the past two weeks; and (f) on antibiotics in the past month.
Additional inclusion criteria for the NT group were: (a) no first-degree relatives diagnosed with ASD; (b) a t-score < 65 on the Conners-3AI parent67 indicating no attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; (c) a t-score < 60 on the Social Responsiveness Scale 2nd edition (SRS-2)68 indicating low likelihood of ASD; and (d) no psychological or neurological disorders. For the ASD group, the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2)69 and the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R)70 were administered by a research-certified assessor to confirm ASD diagnosis. Of the ASD participants, 9 were taking antidepressants, 1 was taking anticonvulsants, 11 were on stimulants, and 3 were taking antipsychotics at the time of participation (metabolites were adjusted for medication usage, see Methods subsection “Preprocessing of metabolomic data”). No NT participants were taking medication at time of participation. All participants were instructed to abstain from antibiotic usage for 30 days and probiotics for 14 days prior to participation.
This study was approved by the University of Southern California's Institutional Review Board (Approval Number: UP-19-00522). Prior to their participation, all participants and parents/legally authorized representatives were emailed a copy of the informed consent and assent forms to give them adequate time to review the forms and ask questions. In person, the informed consent, assent forms, and study procedures were reviewed with the parents/legally authorized representatives and children prior to obtaining written informed consent and assent. Data were collected and stored on REDCap.
The study took place over two days. On the first day, behavioral measures and assessments were completed, and fMRI task training and desensitization took place. Within 72 h prior to their second visit, participants collected a stool sample. On the second day, participants brought their stool sample into the lab and then participated in the fMRI sessions.
In addition to the screening measures, parents completed the Sensory Experiences Questionnaire (SEQ-3)71 to assess sensory processing and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED-P)72 to measure anxiety symptoms. Participants completed the Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-Revised (DPSS-R)73 to assess frequency of disgusting experiences and the emotional impact of disgusting stimuli, the Alexithymia Questionnaire for Children (AQC)74 to measure alexithymia, and the Body Perception Questionnaire-Short Form (BQP-SF)75 to measure interoception. We also collected data on variables that could impact the gut microbiome. The following variables were collected from the parent or the child including: birth delivery method, prenatal antibiotic usage, antibiotic and probiotic usage during infancy, gastrointestinal symptoms (Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale)76, stool consistency (Bristol Stool Form Scale)77, sleep (Adolescent Sleep Wake Scale [ASWS]78; and Family Inventory of Sleep Habits [FISH])79, and current medication usage. For diet, parents were asked to report the type of diet that best reflects what their child consumes on a regular basis with the following options: Standard American (high consumption of processed foods, red meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, vegetables and fruits), Modified American (high consumption of whole grains, some processed foods, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, vegetables and fruits), Mediterranean, Paleo, Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Low FODMAP, or Other. No parents reported their child followed a Low FODMAP or Vegetarian diet. Standard American and Modified American were then grouped into the category “American” (high consumption of whole grains, some processed foods such as frozen and packaged foods as well as whole grain pasta and breads, limited quantities of poultry, fish, eggs and dairy, and vegetables and fruits are consumed in moderate to large quantities) and the Mediterranean, Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Other were grouped into the “Other” category. Refer to Supplementary Fig. 2 for the diet breakdown by group.
The ADOS-2 is a standardized, observational assessment to assess and diagnose autism spectrum disorders. Research reliable staff administered the ADOS-2 to children in the ASD group to verify ASD diagnosis. Module 3 or Module 4 were utilized depending on the child's age. As the two modules have two different scoring algorithms, for data analysis we utilized the Module 3 algorithm to calculate comparable scores for participants that were assessed with Module 4.
The ADI-R is a structured interview classically used for diagnosing ASD, planning treatment, and distinguishing ASD from other developmental disorders. The ADI-R has three domains: language/communication, reciprocal social interactions, and repetitive behaviors/interests. The ADI-R was administered by a research staff member with the parents of children in the ASD group.
The AQC is a standardized, self-reported questionnaire for children aged 9-15 to assess three domains of alexithymia including difficulty describing feelings, difficulty identifying feelings, and externally oriented thinking. The difficulty describing feelings and difficulty identifying feelings scores were combined for a two-factor total. The externally oriented thinking sub-score was not used in this study due to its low Cronbach's alpha in children80.
Self-reported sleep quality was measured with the ASWS. The ASWS has five dimensions: going to bed, falling asleep, maintaining sleep, reinitiating sleep, and returning to wakefulness. A full-scale sleep quality score is obtained by taking the mean of the subscales. The full-scale sleep quality score was used in this study.
The BPQ-VSF is a self-reported measure of interoception. The very short form includes 12 items with the highest factor loadings to generate high fidelity scores from the original measure81.
The Bristol Stool Form Scale is a visual scale of stool density to assess gastrointenstial transit time.
The Conners 3AI-Parent is a parent reported measure of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms for children 6–18 years old. It was used as a screening measure for the NT group but not the ASD group, as ADHD is highly co-occurring with ASD82.
The child version of the DPSS-R is a self-reported measure used to assess the frequency of disgust experiences (disgust propensity) and the negative emotional impact of disgusting stimuli (disgust sensitivity).
The FISH is a parent-completed questionnaire to assess sleep habits in children. The scale includes questions related to daytime routine, pre-bedtime habits, sleep environment, bedtime routine, and parental habits. The total score was used in this study as an overall measure of sleep habits.
The GSRS is a self-reported instrument to assess the presence of gastrointestinal symptoms.
The SCARED-P is a parent reported measure of anxiety symptoms in children aged 8–18 years old. It has five subscales: separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, panic or somatic symptoms, and school avoidance, which can be combined to obtain a total anxiety score.
The SEQ is a parent-reported measure of sensory response patterns (hypersensitivity, hyposensitivity, enhanced perception, and sensory interests, repetitions, and seeking), sensory modalities (tactile, auditory, gustatory, auditory, vestibular/proprioception), and sensory contexts (non-social and social). The hypersensitivity, hyposensitivity, enhanced perception, non-social, social, and vestibular/proprioception were used as variables of interest in this study due to their hypothesized relationships with the fMRI tasks and/or metabolites.
The SRS-2 is a parent reported questionnaire for children aged 4–18 years that is used as both a screening tool and to aid in clinical diagnosis of ASD. The measure includes questions related to restrictive interests, repetitive behaviors, deficits in social interactions, and social communication.
The WASI-II is a standardized measure of intelligence for ages 6–90. There are four subtests: block design, vocabulary, matrix reasoning, and similarities. Block design and matrix reasoning are combined to obtain a perceptual reasoning index (PRI) and vocabulary and similarities are combined for a verbal comprehension index (VCI). The full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) consists of all four subtests. The WASI-II was administered by trained research staff.
After completion of their day 1 visit, participants were given a stool collection kit (specimen cup, wooden spatula, plastic bag, Fisherbrand Scientific Commode Specimen Collection System, gloves, ice packs, and an insulated transportation container). They were instructed to collect a stool sample within 72 h prior to their MRI, freeze the sample at home, and transport it in the insulated transportation container with ice packs to the lab. Once in the lab, the sample was placed in a −80 °C degree freezer for storage (first at USC, and then at UCLA where they were aliquoted under liquid nitrogen and stored in a −80 °C degree freezer). Aliquoted samples were shipped on dry ice with a stool collection log to Metabolon Inc. for further processing and analysis on their global metabolomics and bioinformatics platform (Metabolon, 617 Davis Drive, Durham, NC). See the section “Metabolite analysis (All information in this section provided by Metabolon, Inc)” for more details on sample analysis.
MRI data were acquired on a 3 Tesla MAGNETOM Prisma (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany) with a 20-channel head coil. A 5-min structural T1-weighted MPRAGE was acquired for each participant (TR = 1950 ms, TE = 3.09 ms, flip angle = 10°, 256 × 256 matrix, 176 sagittal slices, 1 mm isotropic resolution). Each functional scan consisted of an echo-planar imaging (EPI; 150 whole-brain volumes) acquired with the following parameters: TR = 2 s, TE = 30 ms, flip angle = 90°, 64 × 64 matrix, in-plane resolution 2.5 × 2.5 mm, and 41 transverse slices, each 2.5 mm thick, covering the whole-brain with a multiband factor of three. Spin Echo EPI field mapping data was also acquired in AP and PA directions with identical geometry to the EPI data for EPI off-resonance distortion correction (TR = 1020 ms, TE1 = 10 ms, TE2 = 12.46 ms, flip angle = 90°, FOV = 224 × 224 × 191 mm3, voxel size = 2.5 mm isotropic).
All participants completed a practice MRI session in a mock MRI scanner prior to the fMRI tasks to become familiarized with the task and the MRI environment and to increase comfortability and minimize head motion. Functional MRI procedure, task stimuli, fMRI acquisition, and data preprocessing were completed following the protocol previously published in Kilroy et al.38. We utilized a head-motion cut-off of absolute FD > 1.5 mm. Five participants (4 ASD, 1 NT) were excluded for head motion in the watching facial expressions and hand actions task, 3 (2 ASD, 1 NT) for disgust processing, and 2 (1 ASD, 1 NT) from watching others being touched. There were no significant differences in relative head motion between the two groups for the disgust processing (t = 0.981, p = 0.33) and watching others being touched (t = −1.029, p = 0.307) tasks, but significant differences were present for the observation of facial expressions and hand actions task (t = −2.572, p = 0.015). Please see section “fMRI processing” for details regarding motion correction.
The task-based fMRI paradigms were selected based on existing literature showing significant ASD vs. NT differences during these tasks, their relevance to key ASD symptomatology (socio-emotional processing and sensory sensitivities)38,46,83,84 and/or their relevance to vagally mediated emotional processes (disgust and emotion processing)49. The fMRI tasks included: watching videos of facial expressions/body actions, physical and social disgust processing tasks, and watching videos of others being touched (Supplemental Fig. 1). Stimuli were presented using the Psychophysics Toolbox85 on MATLAB. During all tasks, participants were instructed to simply watch all videos and remain as still as possible. fMRI tasks are described in A–C below.
A. Watching videos of facial expressions and hand actions (n = 78; 38 NT [19 female, 19 male], 40 ASD [11 female, 29 male]): One 9-min run with five 15-s blocks of video-stimuli were shown. As Supplemental Fig. 1A shows, blocks consisted of one of three categories of stimuli: emotional facial expressions (e.g., happy expression), non-emotional facial expressions (e.g., tongue to lip), or bimanual hand actions (e.g., playing the xylophone). Each video was presented for 3.75 s followed by a 1.25 s black screen between each stimulus, there were 3 videos per block, and both male and female actors were included in each block. For further details on stimuli, please see Kilroy et al.38.
B. Disgust processing (n = 46; 22 NT [12 female, 10 male], 24 ASD [6 female, 18 male]): There were four categories of stimuli, disgusting foods, disgusted facial expressions, neutral foods, and neutral facial expressions (Supplemental Fig. 1B). The neutral and the disgusted facial expressions were chosen from an online repository (NimStim)86 and from previous research (EmStim)38 then edited and counterbalanced so that each participant saw the same actor displaying a neutral and disgusted facial expression. To ensure that the neutral food images were indeed items the participant truly had no preferential or disgusting feelings for, all participants were administered a questionnaire prior to participating in the study, to assess their preferences for each food stimuli. For each participant, 18 images were used from each stimulus category. One fMRI run was presented to all participants, including six blocks per stimulus category. Within each 15-s block, three different images from the same category were presented with a 250-ms fixation crosshair between each stimulus (e.g., three different disgusting food images). Thus, the fMRI task consisted of 24 blocks (5 per stimulus category), lasting for a single 10-min run.
C. Watching others being touched (n = 37; 19 NT [11 female, 8 male], 18 ASD [5 female, 13 male]): Participants watched four different videos where a person strokes the arm of another person in the MRI scanner with: 1) their hand with glove on (social touch), 2) a dry sponge (object touch), 3) their hand with glove on hovering next to the person's arm (social touch control), and 4) a dry sponge hovering next to the person's arm (object touch control) following a similar to the protocol used in Green et al. 2015 (Supplemental Fig. 1C)87. Each video was 15 s long followed by a 15 s rest block. During the rest blocks, participants were shown a black crosshair in the middle of a white screen. Excluding an initial junk block, five blocks of each stimulus condition were alternated with rest in a pseudo-random sequence. Stimuli conditions were counterbalanced across participants. We note that our original intention was to physically touch participants while in the scanner, but as this task was largely conducted during the initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were obliged to remain at a 6-ft distance from our participants, and thus used videos of touch instead, as this has previously been shown to show strong effects88,89.
Independent samples t-tests and Fisher's exact tests were conducted using SPSS Statistics (Version 29.0.2.0) to determine ASD-NT differences in demographic and behavioral variables. Significance was set at p < 0.05.
Instrument and Process Validity: Instrument variability was determined by calculating the median relative standard deviation (RSD) for the internal standards that were added to each sample prior to injection into the mass spectrometers. Overall process variability was determined by calculating the median RSD for all endogenous metabolites (i.e., non-instrument standards) present in 100% of the Client Matrix samples, which are technical replicates of pooled client samples. Values for instrument and process variability met Metabolon's acceptance criteria.
Following receipt, samples were inventoried and immediately stored at −80 °C. Each sample received was accessioned into the Metabolon LIMS system and was assigned by the LIMS a unique identifier that was associated with the original source identifier only. This identifier was used to track all sample handling, tasks, results, etc. The samples (and all derived aliquots) were tracked by the LIMS system. All portions of any sample were automatically assigned their own unique identifiers by the LIMS when a new task was created; the relationship of these samples was also tracked. All samples were maintained at −80 °C until processed.
Samples were prepared using the automated MicroLab STAR® system from Hamilton Company. Several recovery standards were added prior to the first step in the extraction process for QC purposes. To remove protein, dissociate small molecules bound to protein or trapped in the precipitated protein matrix, and to recover chemically diverse metabolites, proteins were precipitated with methanol under vigorous shaking for 2 min (Glen Mills GenoGrinder 2000) followed by centrifugation. The resulting extract was divided into five fractions: two for analysis by two separate reverse phase (RP)/UPLC-MS/MS methods with positive ion mode electrospray ionization (ESI), one for analysis by RP/UPLC-MS/MS with negative ion mode ESI, one for analysis by HILIC/UPLC-MS/MS with negative ion mode ESI, and one sample was reserved for backup. Samples were placed briefly on a TurboVap® (Zymark) to remove the organic solvent. The sample extracts were stored overnight under nitrogen before preparation for analysis.
Several types of controls were analyzed in concert with the experimental samples: a pooled matrix sample generated by taking a small volume of each experimental sample (or alternatively, use of a pool of well-characterized human plasma) served as a technical replicate throughout the data set; extracted water samples served as process blanks; and a cocktail of QC standards that were carefully chosen not to interfere with the measurement of endogenous compounds were spiked into every analyzed sample, allowed instrument performance monitoring and aided chromatographic alignment. Instrument variability was determined by calculating the median relative standard deviation (RSD) for the standards that were added to each sample prior to injection into the mass spectrometers. Overall process variability was determined by calculating the median RSD for all endogenous metabolites (i.e., non-instrument standards) present in 100% of the pooled matrix samples. Experimental samples were randomized across the platform run with QC samples spaced evenly among the injections.
All methods utilized a Waters ACQUITY ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) and a Thermo Scientific Q-Exactive high resolution/accurate mass spectrometer interfaced with a heated electrospray ionization (HESI-II) source and Orbitrap mass analyzer operated at 35,000 mass resolution. The sample extract was dried then reconstituted in solvents compatible to each of the four methods. Each reconstitution solvent contained a series of standards at fixed concentrations to ensure injection and chromatographic consistency. One aliquot was analyzed using acidic positive ion conditions, chromatographically optimized for more hydrophilic compounds. In this method, the extract was gradient eluted from a C18 column (Waters UPLC BEH C18-2.1 × 100 mm, 1.7 µm) using water and methanol, containing 0.05% perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPA) and 0.1% formic acid (FA). Another aliquot was also analyzed using acidic positive ion conditions; however, it was chromatographically optimized for more hydrophobic compounds. In this method, the extract was gradient eluted from the same aforementioned C18 column using methanol, acetonitrile, water, 0.05% PFPA and 0.01% FA and was operated at an overall higher organic content. Another aliquot was analyzed using basic negative ion optimized conditions using a separate dedicated C18 column. The basic extracts were gradient eluted from the column using methanol and water, however, with 6.5 mM Ammonium Bicarbonate at pH 8. The fourth aliquot was analyzed via negative ionization following elution from a HILIC column (Waters UPLC BEH Amide 2.1 × 150 mm, 1.7 µm) using a gradient consisting of water and acetonitrile with 10 mM Ammonium Formate, pH 10.8. The MS analysis alternated between MS and data-dependent MSn scans using dynamic exclusion. The scan range varied slighted between methods but covered 70–1000 m/z. Raw data files are archived and extracted as described below.
The informatics system consisted of four major components, the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS), the data extraction and peak-identification software, data processing tools for QC and compound identification, and a collection of information interpretation and visualization tools for use by data analysts. The hardware and software foundations for these informatics components were the LAN backbone, and a database server running Oracle 10.2.0.1 Enterprise Edition.
The purpose of the Metabolon LIMS system was to enable fully auditable laboratory automation through a secure, easy to use, and highly specialized system. The scope of the Metabolon LIMS system encompasses sample accessioning, sample preparation and instrumental analysis and reporting and advanced data analysis. All the subsequent software systems are grounded in the LIMS data structures. It has been modified to leverage and interface with the in-house information extraction and data visualization systems, as well as third-party instrumentation and data analysis software.
Raw data was extracted, peak-identified and QC processed using Metabolon's hardware and software. These systems are built on a web-service platform utilizing Microsoft's.NET technologies, which run on high-performance application servers and fiber-channel storage arrays in clusters to provide active failover and load-balancing. Compounds were identified by comparison to library entries of purified standards or recurrent unknown entities. Metabolon maintains a library based on authenticated standards that contains the retention time/index (RI), mass to charge ratio (m/z), and chromatographic data (including MS/MS spectral data) on all molecules present in the library. Furthermore, biochemical identifications are based on three criteria: retention index within a narrow RI window of the proposed identification, accurate mass match to the library +/−10 ppm, and the MS/MS forward and reverse scores between the experimental data and authentic standards. The MS/MS scores are based on a comparison of the ions present in the experimental spectrum to the ions present in the library spectrum. While there may be similarities between these molecules based on one of these factors, the use of all three data points can be utilized to distinguish and differentiate biochemicals. More than 3300 commercially available purified standard compounds have been acquired and registered into LIMS for analysis on all platforms for determination of their analytical characteristics. Additional mass spectral entries have been created for structurally unnamed biochemicals, which have been identified by virtue of their recurrent nature (both chromatographic and mass spectral). These compounds have the potential to be identified by future acquisition of a matching purified standard or by classical structural analysis.
A variety of curation procedures were carried out to ensure that a high-quality data set was made available for statistical analysis and data interpretation. The QC and curation processes were designed to ensure accurate and consistent identification of true chemical entities, and to remove those representing system artifacts, mis-assignments, and background noise. Metabolon data analysts use proprietary visualization and interpretation software to confirm the consistency of peak identification among the various samples. Library matches for each compound were checked for each sample and corrected if necessary.
Peaks were quantified using area-under-the-curve.
Peak area values were log transformed and KNN imputation was applied for missing data90. Next, data was Z score normalized and adjusted for use of antidepressants, vitamins, supplements, laxatives, antihistamines, stimulants, cognition enhancers, and antipsychotics. Specifically we regressed out significant medication/supplement effects identified using a backward selection approach (function “MASS::stepAIC” in R using the BIC, i.e., log(n) degrees of freedom). The adjusted features were then used in downstream analyses. A priori metabolite targets of interest included 26 named metabolites in the tryptophan pathway (see Fig. 1).
Contrast analysis was applied within the framework of the general linear model (GLM) to determine ASD-NT differences in 26 tryptophan metabolites. The model included group as a factor, and sex, age, and BMI as covariates. As children with ASD in our sample had significantly higher levels of gastrointestinal symptoms compared to the NT children (p < 0.001; Supplemental Table 1) we also ran GLMs controlling for gastrointestinal symptoms (GSRS) and diet to assess potential confounding effects of GI symptoms on the levels of tryptophan-related metabolites. Significance was considered at a false discovery rate of q < 0.05. Cohen's d was calculated to provide an effect size for differences. R Version 4.2.1 was used for all GLM analysis.
All analyses followed best practices in fMRI analysis, as detailed in our prior studies38,49. The data analytic approach used to address each of our research questions utilized FMRIB's Software Library 6.0 (FSL)91,92,93,94,95. Standard preprocessing pipeline was performed involving: (a) structural T1 brain extraction and non-brain tissue removal; (b) smoothing with 5 mm FWHM Gaussian kernel; (c) B0 unwarping along y-axis; (d) high pass filter with 100 s cutoff; (e) realignment using MCFLIRT to obtain motion estimates; and (f) Independent component analysis (ICA). Preprocessed data was fed into the ICA AROMA algorithm96, which filtered out noise and motion components from the whole brain signal. Registration to the MNI-152 standard atlas using 12 degrees-of-freedom affine transformation and FNIRT nonlinear registration were performed92,93.
Individual participants' statistical images were subjected to higher-level mixed-effects analyses using FSL's FLAME Stage 1 algorithm, modeling the stimulus conditions for each participant as separate regressors. For watching facial expressions and hand actions, regressors included: emotional faces, non-emotional faces, and bimanual hand actions. For disgust processing, regressors included: disgusting foods, neutral foods, disgusted facial expressions, neutral facial expressions. Subject-specific head motion parameters were used as nuisance regressors. For observation of others being touched, regressors included social touch and object touch.
Between-group comparisons between the NT and ASD groups were performed using higher level mixed-effects analyses with FSL's FLAME 1 algorithm. Age, Sex, and IQ were used as covariates in all group-level analyses. For watching facial expressions and hand actions, groups were contrasted on: all stimuli>rest; emotional facial expressions>rest; non-emotional facial expressions>rest; all facial expressions>rest; hand actions>rest. For disgust processing, groups were contrasted on: disgusting foods>rest, disgusted faces>rest. For observation of others being touched, groups were contrasted on: social touch>rest and object touch>rest. For the facial expressions/hand action task and the disgust tasks, the resulting group-level images for all models were thresholded at voxel Z > 3.1, with a cluster size probability correction threshold of p < 0.05. For observation of others being touched, a more lenient threshold (Z > 2.3 cluster size probability threshold of p < 0.05) was used to have more sensitivity to detect effects given the more subtle observation (rather than physical touch) task used, due to COVID-19 restrictions (see Methods: fMRI Tasks, Watching others being touched). In addition, for disgust and facial expression/hand action tasks, for hypothesized regions of interest (ROIs), a small volume correction (SVC) analysis with a significance threshold of p < 0.01 using predefined masks for disgust and observation tasks. For the facial expression/hand action task, we used structurally defined anterior insula parcellations from extant literature and the Harvard-Oxford atlas parcellations for the pACC and amygdala. For the IFGop, we used a hand-drawn anatomically derived ROI38 and previously published insula parcellations97. For the disgust task, ROIs for SVC analysis were defined utilizing the Neurosynth database (which performs automated large-scale meta-analyses of fMRI data), using the search terms: “disgust”, “emotional faces”, and “food”, and we also included insula parcellations from extant literature97. Functional ROIs were then masked with structural ROIs from the Harvard-Oxford atlas (thresholded at 30% probability) to ensure they captured non-overlapping regions.
GLMs were applied within the ASD and NT groups to test brain-behavior, brain-metabolite, and metabolite-behavior relationships. The GLMs included group as a factor, and sex, age, IQ, and BMI were included as covariates. As a measure of effect size, we report the standardized beta (Std β). Std β between 0.10 and 0.29 is considered small, 0.30–0.49 medium, and greater than 0.50 large98. Brain ROIs were chosen based on group differences in fMRI tasks as well as prior studies supporting atypicalities in brain activity in the chosen ROIs38,46,49,83,84. The Benjamini-Hochberg method to correct for multiple comparisons was used; the false discovery reporting threshold set at 10% (FDR)99. We used FDR correction for the number of dependent variables in each analyses. Specifically for brain-metabolite and brain-behavior analyses, FDR correction was for the number of ROIs compared. For metabolite-behavior analyses, FDR correction was for the number of metabolites compared. To limit the number of comparisons, only metabolites that significantly correlated with brain activity were included in the metabolite-behavior analyses.
As a post hoc analysis, we ran GLMs with all primary variables and all tryptophan metabolites (see Supplemental Table 7). The GLM model included group as a factor, and sex, age, IQ, and BMI were included as covariates.
Exploratory mediation analyses were conducted to determine if the brain regions that differed between ASD and NT statistically mediated the relationships between metabolites and behavior in the ASD group. The variables included in the mediation models were selected based on ROIs that had both significant ROI-metabolite associations and significant ROI-behavior associations. Mediation modeling was performed using lavaan in R. We estimated the bootstrapped 95% percentile confidence intervals for the indirect effects100. Confidence intervals that do not contain zero are considered significant. Because age, sex, and BMI are collinear, we ran analyses using only age and FSIQ as covariates. In addition, in terms of regressors for brain and behavior (as opposed to metabolites), it is less common and relevant to control for BMI, especially those in normal ranges, as was our ASD sample mean (see Supplemental Table 1).
Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article.
Deidentified data are available via the NIMH Data Archive: The Relationship Between Brain Functioning, Behavior, and Microbiota in Autism Spectrum Disorder #4991. Metabolomic data is available through Zenodo (https://zenodo.org/records/1467599). Source data are provided with this paper.
MRI codes are available on GitHub: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14834325 and https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14834337.
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We thank all our participants, research assistants, and the Integrative Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Core at the Goodman Luskin Microbiome Center for their contributions to this study. We also thank Ruty Mehrian-Shai, Antonio Damasio, Sarkis Mazmanian, and Jonas Kaplan for helpful discussions on this study. This work was funded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD079432; PI: L.A.Z., M.D.) and the Department of Defense through the Idea Development Award (AR170062; PI: L.A.Z., E.A.M.). Opinions, interpretations, conclusions, and recommendations are those of the authors and are not necessarily endorsed by the NIH or the Department of Defense. Additional support was provided by the Nedra Gillette Endowed Research Fellowship E.K.
These authors contributed equally: Jennifer S. Labus, Emeran A. Mayer.
Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Lisa Aziz-Zadeh, Sofronia M. Ringold, Aditya Jayashankar, Emily Kilroy & Christiana Butera
Brain and Creativity Institute, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Lisa Aziz-Zadeh, Sofronia M. Ringold, Aditya Jayashankar, Emily Kilroy & Christiana Butera
Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Christiana Butera
Oppenheimer Center for the Neurobiology of Stress and Resilience, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Jonathan P. Jacobs, Skylar Tanartkit, Swapna Mahurkar-Joshi, Jennifer S. Labus & Emeran A. Mayer
Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Division of Digestive Diseases, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Jonathan P. Jacobs, Skylar Tanartkit, Swapna Mahurkar-Joshi, Jennifer S. Labus & Emeran A. Mayer
Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Jonathan P. Jacobs, Skylar Tanartkit, Swapna Mahurkar-Joshi, Jennifer S. Labus & Emeran A. Mayer
Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Marina del Rey, CA, USA
Ravi R. Bhatt
Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
Mirella Dapretto
Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Idea conceptualization: L.A.Z., E.A.M., J.S.L., and M.D.; Design: L.A.Z., E.A.M., J.S.L., E.K., C.B., A.J., and M.D.; Data acquisition: E.K., C.B., A.J., and S.M.R.; Specimen handling/preprocessing: J.P.J.; Data analysis: S.M.R., J.S.L., S.T., A.J., C.B., L.A.Z., E.K., R.R.B., and S.M.J.; First draft of manuscript: L.A.Z., S.M.R., J.S.L., and E.A.M.; Manuscript editing/revision: all authors.
Correspondence to
Lisa Aziz-Zadeh.
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Neptune is one of the newest short-form video apps on the block seeking to compete with major players like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts.
The app, currently in beta, has attracted attention from hundreds of thousands of users, with 970 testers participating and 400,000 people on the waitlist, per the company.
Neptune announced Monday that it's preparing to launch the app on the App Store next week, with plans to roll out on the Google Play Store in about six months.
The startup was founded by Ashley Darling, who has a background as a talent director at the OPTYX agency, where she worked with “underestimated” influencers. She set out to develop a platform that emphasizes creativity instead of the number of followers a creator has.
“I spent years working with independent creators, both as an influencer myself and later helping brands,” Darling shared with TechCrunch. “I kept hearing the same thing from creators and users, ‘I miss when social media was fun. When it was about creativity, not competition.' So, instead of waiting for a platform to listen, I built one.”
With TikTok's future still uncertain, Neptune hopes to attract creators looking for an alternative way to earn revenue while fostering an environment that prioritizes the quality of videos and connections instead of follower counts. The app plans to offer various revenue streams, including tips, livestreams, and subscriptions.
Like its competitors, Neptune features a discovery tool and a vertical feed for users to swipe through short videos and engage through comments. Additionally, users can add a cover photo to their profiles, imitating what X and other networking apps offer.
A key distinguishing feature of Neptune is that it lets creators hide their total followers and likes. This “ghost metrics” feature is optional, however, and is designed to help users avoid the pressures associated with follower count, yet still caters to creators who may want to showcase their metrics.
According to the company, Neptune's algorithm emphasizes user interests and content quality rather than creator popularity. Typically, social media algorithms prioritize content with the highest engagement, often leaving lesser-known creators, or “micro-influencers,” at a disadvantage.
“We put the power back in the hands of [the creators] who actually built the internet. Not the corporations, not the algorithms. Neptune is for connection, not clout,” chief marketing officer Timur Tugberk said.
Another notable feature is “Hop Back,” which allows users to resume watching a video right where they left off, preventing them from losing their place when the app refreshes.
Neptune is in beta and doesn't offer all of its intended features yet. It's currently on the simple side, providing only a video feed and a search function. When testing the app, we also noticed it lacks in-app editing tools and direct messaging.
The company says it's working on adding a livestream capability, the ability to create playlists, and music integrations.
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Intel bought Altera in 2015 for $16.7 billion.
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Intel has reached an agreement to transfer a majority stake in its Altera division to Silver Lake for $4.46 billion, which values the business at $8.75 billion. The deal is part of Intel's effort to streamline its operations and improve its financial position, while making Altera the world's largest pure-play FPGA provider.
Under the terms of the agreement, Silver Lake will acquire 51% of Altera, while Intel retains 49%, ensuring it continues to benefit from the unit's future performance. The transaction enables Altera to function as an independent company focused on programmable logic technologies. Specifically, Altera aims to double down on established fields such as automotive, aerospace, and communications, while also targeting growth in areas like artificial intelligence, cloud platforms, edge systems, and next-generation wireless networks.
Intel, on the other hand, will reduce operational complexity and focus on its primary business areas: CPUs, GPUs, supporting platforms, and chip production.
"Today's announcement reflects our commitment to sharpening our focus, lowering our expense structure and strengthening our balance sheet," said Lip-Bu Tan, chief executive officer of Intel. "Altera continues to make progress repositioning its product portfolio to participate in the fastest growing and most profitable segments of the FPGA market."
Altera will be led by Raghib Hussain starting May 5, 2025. He replaces Sandra Rivera, who is stepping down after a 25-year tenure at Intel. Hussain previously served as president of Products and Technologies at Marvell and co-founded Cavium. His earlier roles included engineering positions at Cisco and Cadence, as well as founding a security firm called VPNet.
"We are grateful for Sandra's strong leadership and lasting impact throughout her 25-year Intel career and wish her continued success as she begins a new chapter," said Tan. "Raghib is a superb executive we selected to lead the business forward based on his vast industry experience and proven track record of success. We look forward to partnering with Silver Lake upon closing of the transaction, as their industry expertise will help to accelerate Altera's efforts and unlock additional economic value for Intel."
Intel bought Altera in 2015 for $16.7 billion — its biggest deal ever at the time — viewing the acquisition as a strategic move to broaden its revenue sources and strengthen its role in the data center market. Today, Intel sells a controlling stake in Altera for some $4.46 billion as the company is now valued at $8.75 billion, a significant decrease from the sum that Intel paid for Altera 10 years ago.
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The deal is expected to be finalized in the second half of 2025, subject to regulatory approval and other conditions. Once closed, Intel will remove Altera's financial results from its consolidated statements. In the previous fiscal year, Altera generated $1.54 billion in revenue, posted a $615 million loss under standard accounting rules, but showed a $35 million profit on a non-GAAP basis.
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.
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Car rental giant Hertz has begun notifying its customers of a data breach that included their personal information and driver's licenses.
The rental company, which also owns the Dollar and Thrifty brands, said in notices on its website that the breach relates to a cyberattack on one of its vendors between October 2024 and December 2024.
The stolen data varies by region, but largely includes Hertz customer names, dates of birth, contact information, driver's licenses, payment card information, and workers' compensation claims. Hertz said a smaller number of customers had their Social Security numbers taken in the breach, along with other government-issued identification numbers.
Notices on Hertz's websites disclosed the breach to customers in Australia, Canada, the European Union, New Zealand, the United Kingdom.
Hertz also disclosed the breach with several U.S. states, including California and Maine. Hertz said at least 3,400 customers in Maine were affected but did not list the total number of affected individuals, which is likely to be significantly higher.
Emily Spencer, a spokesperson for Hertz, would not provide TechCrunch with a specific number of individuals affected by the breach but said it would be “inaccurate to say millions” of customers are affected.
The company attributed the breach to a vendor, Cleo Software, which last year was at the center of a mass-hacking campaign by a prolific Russia-linked ransomware gang.
Hertz is one of dozens of companies that used Cleo Software at the time of their data thefts. The Clop ransomware gang claimed last year to have exploited a zero-day vulnerability in Cleo's widely used enterprise file transfer products, which allow companies to share large sets of sensitive data over the internet. By breaching these systems, the hackers stole reams of data from Cleo's corporate customers.
Soon after, the Clop ransomware gang claimed on its dark web leak site that it stole data from close to 60 companies by exploiting the bug in their Cleo systems. In a later post, Clop claimed dozens more alleged corporate victims.
The data extortion campaign became one of the most notable mass-hacks of 2024.
At the time, Hertz, which was named on Clop's site, said it had “no evidence” that Hertz data or Hertz systems were affected.
On Monday, Hertz's spokesperson told TechCrunch it found no evidence that Hertz's own network was affected by the breach, but confirmed that Hertz data “was acquired by an unauthorized third party that we understand exploited zero-day vulnerabilities within Cleo's platform in October 2024 and December 2024.”
A Cleo executive did not respond to TechCrunch's inquiry on Monday.
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Hacked documents reveal guide to serving Elon Musk on private jets
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Google's AI research lab, Google DeepMind, says that it has created an AI model that can help decipher dolphin vocalizations, supporting research efforts to better understand how dolphins communicate.
The model, called DolphinGemma, was trained using data from the Wild Dolphin Project (WDP), a nonprofit that studies Atlantic spotted dolphins and their behaviors. Built on Google's open Gemma series of models, DolphinGemma, which can generate “dolphin-like” sound sequences, is efficient enough to run on phones, Google says.
This summer, WDP plans to use Google's Pixel 9 smartphone to power a platform that can create synthetic dolphin vocalizations and listen to dolphin sounds for a matching “reply.” WDP previously was using the Pixel 6 to conduct this work, Google says, and upgrading to the Pixel 9 will enable researchers at the organization to run AI models and template-matching algorithms at the same time, according to Google.
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Chipolo, the maker of AirTag-like devices, on Monday introduced the latest version of its product. Now, instead of offering models that only work with either Apple or Google's lost-item finding technology, the new Chipolo POP devices work with both companies' finding networks out of the box.
By combining these different functionalities into one device, Chipolo believes it will be easier for consumers to choose the right device for their needs. Plus, this would make Chipolo products better for gifting because buyers won't need to know whether the recipient uses Android or an iPhone, the company said.
The Chipolo devices are among a handful of companies, including Tile, Pebblebee, and Samsung, that make their own AirTag-like trackers.
Unlike Tile, which designed a finding network that leveraged the people who had its mobile app installed, Chipolo chose to work with the existing finding networks offered by platform makers Apple and Google. (Though Tile arrived before the AirTag, the competition from Apple ultimately led to its finding an exit by selling in 2021 to family locator service, Life360, for $205 million.)
To date, Chipolo has sold more than 4.5 million of its devices. Following the launch of its first “Find My” compatible product, the Chipolo ONE Spot and the Chipolo Card Spot, it's seen a 30% average in annual growth, the company shared with TechCrunch via email.
In addition to offering support for both Apple and Google's finding networks, the new Chipolo POP includes other popular features from prior trackers, including the option to find your missing phone by double-pressing on your trackers out-of-range alerts, the ability to change the Chipolo's ringtone, and the option to use the tracker as a remote selfie shutter.
The Bluetooth range of the device has also been extended to 300 feett (90m) and the battery lasts up to a 1 year and is user-replaceable.
The new devices now come in blue, black, green, red, white, and yellow and sell for $29 (£30/€35) on Chipolo's website and Amazon.
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Hacked documents reveal guide to serving Elon Musk on private jets
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Earth's meteorite collection just got called out for being a little biased—and what's more, a team of astronomers pinpointed exactly why that bias occurs.
Carbonaceous asteroids are all over our solar system, both in the main belt and closer to Earth. But very few of the carbon-rich rocks are actually found on Earth, comprising just 4% of the meteorites recovered on our planet's surface.
The astronomical team wanted to understand what causes the discrepancy. Their findings, published today in Nature Astronomy, indicate that carbon asteroids get obliterated by the Sun and Earth's atmosphere before they can make it to ground.
“We've long suspected weak, carbonaceous material doesn't survive atmospheric entry,” said Hadrien Devillepoix, a researcher at Australia's Curtin Institute of Radio Astronomy and co-author of the paper, in a university release. “What this research shows is many of these meteoroids don't even make it that far: they break apart from being heated repeatedly as they pass close to the Sun.”
The team analyzed nearly 8,000 meteoroid impacts and 540 potential falls from 19 different observation networks around the globe to understand why carbonaceous asteroids are so rare on Earth.
Carbonaceous meteorites on Earth give scientists the unique opportunity to study some of the oldest material in our solar system. But researchers also recover carbon-rich asteroid material from space; Japan's Hayabusa2 mission and NASA's OSIRIS-REx both plucked rocky material from distant asteroids and brought those samples to Earth, where they can be investigated to a fuller extent than remote observations allow.
“Carbon-rich meteorites are some of the most chemically primitive materials we can study—they contain water, organic molecules and even amino acids,” said Patrick Shober, a researcher at the Paris Observatory and co-author of the paper, in the same release.
“However, we have so few of them in our meteorite collections that we risk having an incomplete picture of what's actually out there in space and how the building blocks of life arrived on Earth,” Shober added.
The team found that meteoroids created by tidal disruption events—when asteroids swing by planets closely enough to be broken apart by the planet's forces—are particularly fragile, and survive atmospheric entry less than other types of asteroids.
Only the hardy carbon-rich asteroids make it to Earth, after surviving the Sun's heat and the fiery burnup that occurs when entering Earth's atmosphere. If astronomers want to get a proper assessment of the diversity of carbon-rich rocks, they'll have to consider those that couldn't survive the journey to Earth.
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The icy planet is spinning more slowly than we thought.
The nearby T Coronae Borealis system could still explode any day now, but calculations suggest the next best chance for fireworks is later this year.
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The rare nova explosion—once it happens—will be so bright that you'll be able to spot it without a telescope.
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Interesting. I would have guessed that any kind of forests have quite limited cap how much carbon it could retain in dead wood, and that this cap will be pretty much fixed. Unless something will stop natural decay processes releasing the carbon back to the atmosphere I don't see how existing grown forest could increase its capacity, since I suppose it is already at its equilibrium.(Unlike peatlands, where most of accumulated carbon remains underwater, so it presumably has much larger capacity.)Simply said, without "burying or sinking wood mass" I see no easy way to prevent carbon from returning into the atmosphere. Basically if we need to take carbon from the atmosphere, we should ideally put it back from where we have been mining it for last couple of centuries.
(Unlike peatlands, where most of accumulated carbon remains underwater, so it presumably has much larger capacity.)Simply said, without "burying or sinking wood mass" I see no easy way to prevent carbon from returning into the atmosphere. Basically if we need to take carbon from the atmosphere, we should ideally put it back from where we have been mining it for last couple of centuries.
Simply said, without "burying or sinking wood mass" I see no easy way to prevent carbon from returning into the atmosphere. Basically if we need to take carbon from the atmosphere, we should ideally put it back from where we have been mining it for last couple of centuries.
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The article says, "We found that a forest that's developing toward old-growth condition is accruing more wood in the stream than is being lost through decomposition" and "The effect will continue in coming decades, Keeton said, because many mature New England forests are only about halfway through their long recovery from 19th- and 20th-century clearing for timber and agriculture".
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Still a bit confused about the emphasis in wood deposits in "streams" – reportedly way more effective, but I'd guess with very limited capacity to really "lock" the mass – compared to regular hummus – not that effective, but for forest with couple of centuries of growth ahead I'd guess way more capacious. Good news either way, though!
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If that fraction isn't negligible, we'd be better off burning it. Determining that fraction, across a range of conditions, is nontrivial.
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Solar doesn't require high tech. We use solar panels cause we are good at making circuits. But solar thermal with mirrors should work for lower technology. They wouldn't have the chips for controlling mirrors, but could have some system of central control or just have people move them.
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efficiency of photovoltaic - 20%so photovoltaic is 15 times more land efficient then burning biomass. so we absolutely need trees to provide ecological functions. but in era of 5kwp PV array paying itself in 5-6 years(and still working afterwards), to heat water... its is ridiculous to cut trees and burn them to have hot water. 80% of time Canadian citizen can have 100% solar hot water (PV), less then 100% rest of the year.
so photovoltaic is 15 times more land efficient then burning biomass. so we absolutely need trees to provide ecological functions. but in era of 5kwp PV array paying itself in 5-6 years(and still working afterwards), to heat water... its is ridiculous to cut trees and burn them to have hot water. 80% of time Canadian citizen can have 100% solar hot water (PV), less then 100% rest of the year.
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My only concern is that building those houses might actually emit more carbon than they are supposed to keep. But assuming that we moved from Oil era to Nuclear and/or Renewables, that should not happen.
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It's the same logic for construction materials. A house has dozens of trees worth of lumber in it, and that carbon is now trapped in the house for however many decades it takes until the house eventually burns down or rots. Meanwhile the trees that were cut regrew, so the total "inventory" of trapped carbon has increased.
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https://natural-resources.canada.ca/stories/simply-science/e...
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Now it all finally makes sense!
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There's a bit of nuance to be filled out, like challenges of forest plantation monoculture and so on, but it always sounded quite practical to me. Iirc the idea derived from "coal".
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2. Store spent fuel in massive wooden dry caskets. (500-1000x steel)3a. Float caskets to Antarctica3b. Offload via rail to South Pole4. They stay frozen for a million years and don't rot. Problem solved.
3a. Float caskets to Antarctica3b. Offload via rail to South Pole4. They stay frozen for a million years and don't rot. Problem solved.
3b. Offload via rail to South Pole4. They stay frozen for a million years and don't rot. Problem solved.
4. They stay frozen for a million years and don't rot. Problem solved.
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With saltwater it's a bit trickier because it's decently oxygenated even to depth and there is a lot of life dedicated to breaking down wood in the ocean. If you can get it to sink into the muck it lasts a lot longer though.
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Basically any place where you've got high timber production within a reasonably short distance of an arid area could make for a relatively low-tech sequestration/storage pipeline.
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I grew up in an area known for coal and logging. Ever since I heard of sequestration brought up I thought the area sounded perfect for it. Fell (maybe mulch) the trees, kiln dry to remove weight/moisture, and toss them down a mineshaft.It always felt a bit peotic to 'reseed' a coal mine
It always felt a bit peotic to 'reseed' a coal mine
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Maybe it would be more effective to drop wet lumber off in the desert for a few years by rail before moving the dry lumber to permanent underground storage. This assumes two stages of transport to and from the desert would cost less carbon than transport to a kiln and then to storage.I'm not convinced that the wood even needs to be dried before burying, though.
I'm not convinced that the wood even needs to be dried before burying, though.
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For reference: https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4307
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[*] (.gov.cn) https://english.www.gov.cn/news/202411/17/content_WS6739adf7... ("China's first deep-ocean drilling vessel enters service")If moderators see this and choose to change the URL, here's several more versions of this story:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01675-7 ("The Moho is in reach of ocean drilling with the Meng Xiang")https://www.science.org/content/article/china-s-dreamy-new-s... ("China's ‘dreamy' new ship aims for Earth's mantle—and assumes ocean-drilling leadership")
If moderators see this and choose to change the URL, here's several more versions of this story:https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01675-7 ("The Moho is in reach of ocean drilling with the Meng Xiang")https://www.science.org/content/article/china-s-dreamy-new-s... ("China's ‘dreamy' new ship aims for Earth's mantle—and assumes ocean-drilling leadership")
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01675-7 ("The Moho is in reach of ocean drilling with the Meng Xiang")https://www.science.org/content/article/china-s-dreamy-new-s... ("China's ‘dreamy' new ship aims for Earth's mantle—and assumes ocean-drilling leadership")
https://www.science.org/content/article/china-s-dreamy-new-s... ("China's ‘dreamy' new ship aims for Earth's mantle—and assumes ocean-drilling leadership")
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Edit: Ah, AI written. :-(
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I've got a little utility program that I can tell to get the weather or run common commands unique to my system. It's handy, and I can even cron it to run things regularly, if I'd like.If it had its own email box, I can send it information, it could use AI to parse that info, and possibly send email back, or a new message. Now, I've got something really useful. It would parse the email, add it to whatever internal store it has, and delete the message, without screwing up my own email box.Thanks for the insight.
If it had its own email box, I can send it information, it could use AI to parse that info, and possibly send email back, or a new message. Now, I've got something really useful. It would parse the email, add it to whatever internal store it has, and delete the message, without screwing up my own email box.Thanks for the insight.
Thanks for the insight.
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It is a lot cheaper to leverage existing user interfaces & tools (i.e., Outlook) than it is to build new UIs and then train users on them.
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text + attachments into the system, text + attachments out
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My finance guy, tax attorney, other attorneys. Send emails, get emails, occasionally a blind status update from them.Sure, we have phone calls, sometimes get together for lunch.But mostly it's just emails.
Sure, we have phone calls, sometimes get together for lunch.But mostly it's just emails.
But mostly it's just emails.
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If you don't need to have the lowest possible latency for your work and you're happy to have threads die then it's better than any bespoke solution you can build without an army of engineers to keep it chugging along.What's even better is that you can see all the context, and use the same command plane as the agents to tell them what they are doing wrong.
What's even better is that you can see all the context, and use the same command plane as the agents to tell them what they are doing wrong.
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https://www.val.town/x/geoffreylitt/stevensDemo/code/importe...I think it would be pretty easy to extend to support other types of inbound email.Also I work for Val Town, happy to answer any questions.
I think it would be pretty easy to extend to support other types of inbound email.Also I work for Val Town, happy to answer any questions.
Also I work for Val Town, happy to answer any questions.
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I use that for journaling: I made a little system that sends me an email every day; I respond to it and the response is then sent to a page that stores it into a db.
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This might not seem like much of a big deal. But as we transition to more of these #nocode automated tools, the idea of having to know how programming works in order to interact with an API will start to seem archaic. I'd compare it to how esoteric the terminal looked after someone saw a GUI like the one used by Apple's Macintosh back in the 1980s.I looked forward to this day back in the early 2000s when APIs started arriving, but felt even then that something was fishy. I would have preferred that sites had a style-free request format that returned XML or even JSON generated from HTML, rather than having to use a separate API. I have this sense that the way we do it today with a split backend/frontend, distributed state, duplicated validation, etc has been a monumental waste of time.
I looked forward to this day back in the early 2000s when APIs started arriving, but felt even then that something was fishy. I would have preferred that sites had a style-free request format that returned XML or even JSON generated from HTML, rather than having to use a separate API. I have this sense that the way we do it today with a split backend/frontend, distributed state, duplicated validation, etc has been a monumental waste of time.
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I've found it to be very reliable with a detailed dashboard to track individual transactions, plus they give you 10,000 emails a month for free.Not an employee, just a big fan![0] https://www.cloudmailin.com
Not an employee, just a big fan![0] https://www.cloudmailin.com
[0] https://www.cloudmailin.com
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Yes. I know note taking and journaling posts are frequent on HN, but I've thought that this is the best way to go, is universal from any client, and very expandable. It's just not generically scaleable for all users, but for the HN reader-types, it'd be perfect.
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- all attachments are stripped out and stored on a server in an hierarchical structure based on sender/recipient/subject line- all discussions are archived based on similar criteria, and can be reviewed EDIT: and edited like to a wiki
- all discussions are archived based on similar criteria, and can be reviewed EDIT: and edited like to a wiki
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https://msrc.microsoft.com/blog/2025/03/announcing-the-winne...
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I have not thought about adding memory log of all current things and feeding it into the context I'll try it out.Mine is a simple stateless thing that captures messages, voice memos and creates task entries in my org mode file with actionable items. I only feed current date to the context.Its pretty amusing to see how it sometimes adds a little bit of its own personality to simple tasks, for example if one of my tasks are phrased as a question it will often try to answer the question in the task description.
Mine is a simple stateless thing that captures messages, voice memos and creates task entries in my org mode file with actionable items. I only feed current date to the context.Its pretty amusing to see how it sometimes adds a little bit of its own personality to simple tasks, for example if one of my tasks are phrased as a question it will often try to answer the question in the task description.
Its pretty amusing to see how it sometimes adds a little bit of its own personality to simple tasks, for example if one of my tasks are phrased as a question it will often try to answer the question in the task description.
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- https://docs.mcp.run/tasks/tutorials/telegram-botfor memories (still not shown in this tutorial) I have created a pantry [0]
and a servlet for it [1] and I modified the prompt so that it would first check if a conversation existed with the given chat id, and store the result there.The cool thing is that you can add any servlets on the registry and make your bot as capable as you want.[0] https://getpantry.cloud/
[1] https://www.mcp.run/evacchi/pantryDisclaimer: I work at Dylibso :o)
for memories (still not shown in this tutorial) I have created a pantry [0]
and a servlet for it [1] and I modified the prompt so that it would first check if a conversation existed with the given chat id, and store the result there.The cool thing is that you can add any servlets on the registry and make your bot as capable as you want.[0] https://getpantry.cloud/
[1] https://www.mcp.run/evacchi/pantryDisclaimer: I work at Dylibso :o)
The cool thing is that you can add any servlets on the registry and make your bot as capable as you want.[0] https://getpantry.cloud/
[1] https://www.mcp.run/evacchi/pantryDisclaimer: I work at Dylibso :o)
[0] https://getpantry.cloud/
[1] https://www.mcp.run/evacchi/pantryDisclaimer: I work at Dylibso :o)
Disclaimer: I work at Dylibso :o)
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1. How did he tell Claude to “update” based on the notebook entries?2. Won't he eventually ran out of context window?3. Won't this be expensive when using hosted solutions? For just personal hacking, why not simply use ollama + your favorite model?4. If one were to build this locally, can Vector DB similarity search or a hybrid combined with fulltext search be used to achieve this?I can totally imagine using pgai for the notebook logs feature and local ollama + deepseek for the inference.The email idea mentioned by other commenters is brilliant. But I don't think you need a new mailbox, just pull from Gmail and grep if sender and receiver is yourself (aka the self tag).Thank you for sharing, OP's project is something I have been thinking for a few months now.
2. Won't he eventually ran out of context window?3. Won't this be expensive when using hosted solutions? For just personal hacking, why not simply use ollama + your favorite model?4. If one were to build this locally, can Vector DB similarity search or a hybrid combined with fulltext search be used to achieve this?I can totally imagine using pgai for the notebook logs feature and local ollama + deepseek for the inference.The email idea mentioned by other commenters is brilliant. But I don't think you need a new mailbox, just pull from Gmail and grep if sender and receiver is yourself (aka the self tag).Thank you for sharing, OP's project is something I have been thinking for a few months now.
3. Won't this be expensive when using hosted solutions? For just personal hacking, why not simply use ollama + your favorite model?4. If one were to build this locally, can Vector DB similarity search or a hybrid combined with fulltext search be used to achieve this?I can totally imagine using pgai for the notebook logs feature and local ollama + deepseek for the inference.The email idea mentioned by other commenters is brilliant. But I don't think you need a new mailbox, just pull from Gmail and grep if sender and receiver is yourself (aka the self tag).Thank you for sharing, OP's project is something I have been thinking for a few months now.
4. If one were to build this locally, can Vector DB similarity search or a hybrid combined with fulltext search be used to achieve this?I can totally imagine using pgai for the notebook logs feature and local ollama + deepseek for the inference.The email idea mentioned by other commenters is brilliant. But I don't think you need a new mailbox, just pull from Gmail and grep if sender and receiver is yourself (aka the self tag).Thank you for sharing, OP's project is something I have been thinking for a few months now.
I can totally imagine using pgai for the notebook logs feature and local ollama + deepseek for the inference.The email idea mentioned by other commenters is brilliant. But I don't think you need a new mailbox, just pull from Gmail and grep if sender and receiver is yourself (aka the self tag).Thank you for sharing, OP's project is something I have been thinking for a few months now.
The email idea mentioned by other commenters is brilliant. But I don't think you need a new mailbox, just pull from Gmail and grep if sender and receiver is yourself (aka the self tag).Thank you for sharing, OP's project is something I have been thinking for a few months now.
Thank you for sharing, OP's project is something I have been thinking for a few months now.
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The "memories" table has a date column which is used to record the data when the information is relevant. The prompt can then be fed just information for today and the next few days - which will always be tiny.It's possible to save "memories" that are always included in the prompt, but even those will add up to not a lot of tokens over time.> Won't this be expensive when using hosted solutions?You may be under-estimating how absurdly cheap hosted LLMs are these days. Most prompts against most models cost a fraction of a single cent, even for tens of thousands of tokens. Play around with my LLM pricing calculator for an illustration of that: https://tools.simonwillison.net/llm-prices> If one were to build this locally, can Vector DB similarity search or a hybrid combined with fulltext search be used to achieve this?Geoffrey's design is so simple it doesn't even need search - all it does is dump in context that's been stamped with a date, and there are so few tokens there's no need for FTS or vector search. If you wanted to build something more sophisticated you could absolutely use those. SQLite has surprisingly capable FTS built in and there are extensions like https://github.com/asg017/sqlite-vec for doing things with vectors.
It's possible to save "memories" that are always included in the prompt, but even those will add up to not a lot of tokens over time.> Won't this be expensive when using hosted solutions?You may be under-estimating how absurdly cheap hosted LLMs are these days. Most prompts against most models cost a fraction of a single cent, even for tens of thousands of tokens. Play around with my LLM pricing calculator for an illustration of that: https://tools.simonwillison.net/llm-prices> If one were to build this locally, can Vector DB similarity search or a hybrid combined with fulltext search be used to achieve this?Geoffrey's design is so simple it doesn't even need search - all it does is dump in context that's been stamped with a date, and there are so few tokens there's no need for FTS or vector search. If you wanted to build something more sophisticated you could absolutely use those. SQLite has surprisingly capable FTS built in and there are extensions like https://github.com/asg017/sqlite-vec for doing things with vectors.
> Won't this be expensive when using hosted solutions?You may be under-estimating how absurdly cheap hosted LLMs are these days. Most prompts against most models cost a fraction of a single cent, even for tens of thousands of tokens. Play around with my LLM pricing calculator for an illustration of that: https://tools.simonwillison.net/llm-prices> If one were to build this locally, can Vector DB similarity search or a hybrid combined with fulltext search be used to achieve this?Geoffrey's design is so simple it doesn't even need search - all it does is dump in context that's been stamped with a date, and there are so few tokens there's no need for FTS or vector search. If you wanted to build something more sophisticated you could absolutely use those. SQLite has surprisingly capable FTS built in and there are extensions like https://github.com/asg017/sqlite-vec for doing things with vectors.
You may be under-estimating how absurdly cheap hosted LLMs are these days. Most prompts against most models cost a fraction of a single cent, even for tens of thousands of tokens. Play around with my LLM pricing calculator for an illustration of that: https://tools.simonwillison.net/llm-prices> If one were to build this locally, can Vector DB similarity search or a hybrid combined with fulltext search be used to achieve this?Geoffrey's design is so simple it doesn't even need search - all it does is dump in context that's been stamped with a date, and there are so few tokens there's no need for FTS or vector search. If you wanted to build something more sophisticated you could absolutely use those. SQLite has surprisingly capable FTS built in and there are extensions like https://github.com/asg017/sqlite-vec for doing things with vectors.
> If one were to build this locally, can Vector DB similarity search or a hybrid combined with fulltext search be used to achieve this?Geoffrey's design is so simple it doesn't even need search - all it does is dump in context that's been stamped with a date, and there are so few tokens there's no need for FTS or vector search. If you wanted to build something more sophisticated you could absolutely use those. SQLite has surprisingly capable FTS built in and there are extensions like https://github.com/asg017/sqlite-vec for doing things with vectors.
Geoffrey's design is so simple it doesn't even need search - all it does is dump in context that's been stamped with a date, and there are so few tokens there's no need for FTS or vector search. If you wanted to build something more sophisticated you could absolutely use those. SQLite has surprisingly capable FTS built in and there are extensions like https://github.com/asg017/sqlite-vec for doing things with vectors.
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Do we even need to think of these as agents, or will the agentic frameworks move towrads being a call_llm() sql function?
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This works really effectively with thinking models, because the thinking eats up tons of context, but also produces very good "summary documents". So you can kind of reap the rewards of thinking without having to sacrifice that juicy sub 50k context. The database also provides a form of fallback, or RAG I suppose, for situations where the summary leaves out important details, but the model must also recognize this and go pull context from the DB.Right now I have been trying it to make essentially an inventory management/BOM optimization agent for a database of ~10k distinct parts/materials.
Right now I have been trying it to make essentially an inventory management/BOM optimization agent for a database of ~10k distinct parts/materials.
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The big ones that come to mind are cheap long term caching, and innovations in compaction, differential stuff - like is there a way to only use the parts of the cached input context we need?
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For others: they use Claude.
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Large swathes of the stack is commoditized OSS plumbing, and hosted inference is already cheap and easy.There are obvious security issues with plugging an agent into your email and calendar, but I think many will find it preferable to control the whole stack rather than ceding control to Apple or Google.
There are obvious security issues with plugging an agent into your email and calendar, but I think many will find it preferable to control the whole stack rather than ceding control to Apple or Google.
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"There are obivious security issues with plugging and agent into your email..." Isn't this how North Korea makes all their crypto happen?
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TL;DR I made shortcuts that work on my Apple watch directly to record my voice, transcribe it and store my daily logs on a Notion DB.All you need are 1) a chatgpt API key and 2) a Notion account (free).- I made one shortcut in my iPhone to record my voice, use whisper model to transcribe it (done locally using a POST request) and send this transcription to my Notion database (again a POST request on shortcuts)- I made another shortcut that records my voice, transcribes and reads data from my Notion database to answer questions based on what exists in it. It puts all data from db into the context to answer -- costs a lot but simple and works well.The best part is -- this workflow works without my iPhone and directly on my Apple Watch. It uses POST requests internally so no need of hosting a server. And Notion API happens to be free for this kind of a use case.I like logging my day to day activities with just using Siri on my watch and possibly getting insights based on them. Honestly the whisper model is what makes it work because the accuracy is miles ahead of the local transcription model.
All you need are 1) a chatgpt API key and 2) a Notion account (free).- I made one shortcut in my iPhone to record my voice, use whisper model to transcribe it (done locally using a POST request) and send this transcription to my Notion database (again a POST request on shortcuts)- I made another shortcut that records my voice, transcribes and reads data from my Notion database to answer questions based on what exists in it. It puts all data from db into the context to answer -- costs a lot but simple and works well.The best part is -- this workflow works without my iPhone and directly on my Apple Watch. It uses POST requests internally so no need of hosting a server. And Notion API happens to be free for this kind of a use case.I like logging my day to day activities with just using Siri on my watch and possibly getting insights based on them. Honestly the whisper model is what makes it work because the accuracy is miles ahead of the local transcription model.
- I made one shortcut in my iPhone to record my voice, use whisper model to transcribe it (done locally using a POST request) and send this transcription to my Notion database (again a POST request on shortcuts)- I made another shortcut that records my voice, transcribes and reads data from my Notion database to answer questions based on what exists in it. It puts all data from db into the context to answer -- costs a lot but simple and works well.The best part is -- this workflow works without my iPhone and directly on my Apple Watch. It uses POST requests internally so no need of hosting a server. And Notion API happens to be free for this kind of a use case.I like logging my day to day activities with just using Siri on my watch and possibly getting insights based on them. Honestly the whisper model is what makes it work because the accuracy is miles ahead of the local transcription model.
- I made another shortcut that records my voice, transcribes and reads data from my Notion database to answer questions based on what exists in it. It puts all data from db into the context to answer -- costs a lot but simple and works well.The best part is -- this workflow works without my iPhone and directly on my Apple Watch. It uses POST requests internally so no need of hosting a server. And Notion API happens to be free for this kind of a use case.I like logging my day to day activities with just using Siri on my watch and possibly getting insights based on them. Honestly the whisper model is what makes it work because the accuracy is miles ahead of the local transcription model.
The best part is -- this workflow works without my iPhone and directly on my Apple Watch. It uses POST requests internally so no need of hosting a server. And Notion API happens to be free for this kind of a use case.I like logging my day to day activities with just using Siri on my watch and possibly getting insights based on them. Honestly the whisper model is what makes it work because the accuracy is miles ahead of the local transcription model.
I like logging my day to day activities with just using Siri on my watch and possibly getting insights based on them. Honestly the whisper model is what makes it work because the accuracy is miles ahead of the local transcription model.
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On second thought -- apple shortcuts is really brittle. It breaks in non obvious ways and a lot can only be learned by trial and error lol
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I'd use a hosted platform for this kind of thing myself, because then there's less for me to have to worry about. I have dozens of little systems running in GitHub Actions right now just to save me from having to maintain a machine with a crontab.
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Home server AI is orders of magnitude more costly than heavily subsidized cloud based ones for this use case unless you run toy models that might hallucinate meetings.edit: I now realize you're talking about the non-ai related functionality.
edit: I now realize you're talking about the non-ai related functionality.
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Personally, this appears to be extremely helpful for me, because instead of checking several different spots every day, I can get a coherent summary in one spot, tailored to me and my family. I'm literally checking the same things every day, down to USPS Informed Delivery. This seems to simplify what's already complicated, at least for my use cases.Is this niche? I don't know and I don't care. It looks useful to me. And the author, obviously, because they wrote it. That's enough.I can't count the number of useful scripts and apps I've written that nobody else has used, yet I rely on them daily or nearly every day.
Is this niche? I don't know and I don't care. It looks useful to me. And the author, obviously, because they wrote it. That's enough.I can't count the number of useful scripts and apps I've written that nobody else has used, yet I rely on them daily or nearly every day.
I can't count the number of useful scripts and apps I've written that nobody else has used, yet I rely on them daily or nearly every day.
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For me, that is an extremely low barrier to cross.I find Siri useful for exactly two things at the moment: setting timers and calling people while I am driving.For these two things it is really useful, but even in these niches, when it comes to calling people, despite it having been around me for years now it insist on stupid things like telling me there is no Theresa in my contacts when I ask it to call Therese.That said what I really want is a reliable system I can trust with calendar acccess and that is possible to discuss with, ideally voice based.
I find Siri useful for exactly two things at the moment: setting timers and calling people while I am driving.For these two things it is really useful, but even in these niches, when it comes to calling people, despite it having been around me for years now it insist on stupid things like telling me there is no Theresa in my contacts when I ask it to call Therese.That said what I really want is a reliable system I can trust with calendar acccess and that is possible to discuss with, ideally voice based.
For these two things it is really useful, but even in these niches, when it comes to calling people, despite it having been around me for years now it insist on stupid things like telling me there is no Theresa in my contacts when I ask it to call Therese.That said what I really want is a reliable system I can trust with calendar acccess and that is possible to discuss with, ideally voice based.
That said what I really want is a reliable system I can trust with calendar acccess and that is possible to discuss with, ideally voice based.
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(Or you don't trust them not to have security breaches that grant attackers access to logged data, which remains a genuine thread, albeit one that's true of any other cloud service.)
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I am wondering, how powerful the AI model need to be to power this app?Would a selfhosted Llama-3.2-1B, Qwen2.5-0.5B or Qwen2.5-1.5B on a phone be enough?
Would a selfhosted Llama-3.2-1B, Qwen2.5-0.5B or Qwen2.5-1.5B on a phone be enough?
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> cron job which makes a call to the Claude API
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The background tasks can call mcp servers, to connect to more data sources and services. At least you don't have to write all the connectivities to them.
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It's about 652 tokens according to https://tools.simonwillison.net/claude-token-counter - maybe double that once you add all of the context from the database table.1200 input tokens and 200 output tokens for Claude 3.7 Sonnet costs 0.66 cents - that's around 2/3rd of a cent.LLM APIs are so cheap these days.
1200 input tokens and 200 output tokens for Claude 3.7 Sonnet costs 0.66 cents - that's around 2/3rd of a cent.LLM APIs are so cheap these days.
LLM APIs are so cheap these days.
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How? This post shows nothing of the sort."I've written before about how the endgame for AI-driven personal software isn't more app silos, it's small tools operating on a shared pool of context about our lives."Yes, probably, so now is the time to resist and refuse to open ourselves up to unprecedented degrees of vulnerability towards the state and corporations. Doing it voluntarily while it is still rather cheap is a bad idea.
"I've written before about how the endgame for AI-driven personal software isn't more app silos, it's small tools operating on a shared pool of context about our lives."Yes, probably, so now is the time to resist and refuse to open ourselves up to unprecedented degrees of vulnerability towards the state and corporations. Doing it voluntarily while it is still rather cheap is a bad idea.
Yes, probably, so now is the time to resist and refuse to open ourselves up to unprecedented degrees of vulnerability towards the state and corporations. Doing it voluntarily while it is still rather cheap is a bad idea.
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Microsoft Office 2024 is the most suitable alternative to Microsoft 365. Although Microsoft 365 offers frequent updates and cloud services like OneDrive and Teams, it is rather pricey (typically $69.99 per year) for Personal subscriptions and even more for Business plans. Office 2024 includes all the latest updates in one package and does not require additional payments.
Office 2024 Home & Business is filled with features appropriate for both personal and business use: It builds on the success of Office 2021 with major improvements in performance, looks and functionality. Excel users will welcome its more intelligent handling of large datasets, PowerPoint can now record presentations with audio and live video feeds and Word introduces Focus Mode to eliminate distractions while composing, along with AI-powered Smart Compose to easily fill in sentences or generate ideas.
The new user interface of the suite is based on Fluent Design principles and provides a harmonious and beautiful experience for every application. Redesign makes navigation easier and reduces the learning curve for new users while expanding touch and pen support for tablets. In addition, customizable themes and templates provide an easy way to create professional documents, presentations, and spreadsheets without deep design expertise.
What's great is that Microsoft Office 2024 can be used offline: Unlike Microsoft 365, which is dependent on cloud services, Office 2024 will work completely offline after it has been installed. This is great for those who like to keep files locally or who need to have secure access to their applications without internet. While it does not have cloud storage and co-authoring applications like Teams, the suite compensates with extensive co-authoring capabilities that enable multiple users to edit the same document in real time.
For those concerned with future updates, know that Office 2024 does not receive new features after purchase—security patches and bug fixes, yes. But this is not a drawback when considering that Office 2024 already includes all the newest tools from Microsoft's productivity set (including Copilot's AI). With Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote all current in this release, there is little to need additional upgrades.
For only $159, this lifetime license is the ultimate value if you're a Mac or PC user looking to be as productive as possible at a reasonable price point. For business or individual projects, Microsoft Office 2024 delivers everything you need in one convenient package. With StackSocial‘s standing as an expert on software deals, now is the perfect time to grab this offer before prices go back to normal.
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Self-driving truck startup Kodiak Robotics plans to go public via a merger with special purpose acquisition company Ares Acquisition Corporation II.
The transaction values Kodiak, which has raised around $243 million to date, at about $2.5 billion pre-money. New and existing Kodiak institutional investors, like Soros Fund Management, ARK Investments, and Ares, have funded or committed over $110 million in financing to support the transaction, as well as about $551 million of cash held in trust.
The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2025.
Going public via SPAC is an interesting move at a time when the self-driving truck space has experienced some major hits, including high-profile players like Embark and TuSimple shutting down. SPACs have also lost much of their luster from the heyday of 2021, especially for capital-intensive companies like AV and EV startups.
Kodiak does have something going for it, at least. It is revenue-generating, albeit that revenue is likely minimal. Kodiak, which says it has driven 2.6 million miles autonomously, eventually wants to commercialize long-haul trucking operations. In the short-term, the company has pursued off-road autonomy as a quicker path to market.
In January, Kodiak delivered its first two autonomous trucks to customer Atlas Energy Solutions, marking its first commercial launch. Atlas has committed to buying an initial order of 100 trucks to aid its operations delivering frac sand in West Texas' remote Permian Basin.
That bit of revenue validates Kodiak's technology more than pre-revenue startups, which have made up the bulk of SPAC mergers over the past few years, and it could open the door to PIPE investments. That said, the path to profitability is a long one, and the capital needs of autonomy are massive.
TechCrunch reached out to Kodiak to learn more about how long their current runway is but did not receive an immediate response.
Kodiak's public market debut comes during a turbulent period in the public markets, in large part due to President Trump's tariffs and the ensuing trade war. It also comes as one of Kodiak's main competitors, Aurora Innovation, is slated to begin fully driverless commercial trucking operations this month.
Kodiak CEO Don Burnette co-founded the company in 2018 after years of experience in autonomous driving. He previously worked on self-driving tech at Google before leaving in early 2016 to help launch Otto, an AV startup founded alongside Anthony Levandowski, Lior Ron, and Claire Delaunay. Otto was acquired by Uber, but things unraveled quickly as Waymo sued Uber, accusing Levandowski of trade secret theft. Uber eventually settled with Waymo, and Levandowski was later criminally charged and pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison but pardoned by President Trump before serving time.
Burnette, who had already left Otto before the Levandowski drama, managed to avoid the fallout and pursue his main goal — his thesis was that trucking would be the killer app for autonomy.
“We believe entering the public markets will accelerate our strategy to expand our existing partner relationships, provide our technology to a broader customer base, and deliver enhanced solutions across the commercial trucking and public sector industries,” Burnette said in a statement.
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Rebecca Bellan is a senior reporter at TechCrunch, where she covers Tesla and Elon Musk's broader empire, autonomy, AI, electrification, gig work platforms, Big Tech regulatory scrutiny, and more. She's one of the co-hosts of the Equity podcast and writes the TechCrunch Daily morning newsletter.
Previously, she covered social media for Forbes.com, and her work has appeared in Bloomberg CityLab, The Atlantic, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, i-D (Vice) and more.
Rebecca has invested in Ethereum.
Blue Origin's all-female crew, including Katy Perry, successfully launched
Silicon Valley crosswalk buttons hacked to imitate Musk, Zuckerberg's voices
Nvidia says it plans to manufacture some AI chips in the US
Access to future AI models in OpenAI's API may require a verified ID
Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk would like to ‘delete all IP law'
OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever's Safe Superintelligence reportedly valued at $32B
Hacked documents reveal guide to serving Elon Musk on private jets
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Audio-enabled traffic control crosswalk buttons across Silicon Valley were hacked over the weekend to include audio snippets imitating the voices of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk.
Videos taken by locals in Menlo Park, Palo Alto, and Redwood City in California show the crosswalk buttons were playing AI-generated speech designed to sound like the two billionaires.
“It's normal to feel uncomfortable or even violated as we forcefully insert AI into every facet of your conscious experience,” said one crosswalk button, which was hacked to sound like Zuckerberg. “I just want to assure you, you don't need to worry because there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it.”
One crosswalk button that was hacked to sound like Musk said: “I guess they say money can't buy happiness… I guess that's true. God knows I've tried. But it can buy a Cybertruck and that's pretty sick, right?”
“F—k, I'm so alone,” the Musk voice adds.
It's not clear why the sidewalk buttons were hacked, or by whom, but signs point to possible hacktivism.
our crosswalks just got vc funding apparently #paloalto #elonmusk #tesla #siliconvalley #walkablecities
Replying to @whitney 🍉
Menlo Park, home of meta, crosswalk speakers are getting hacked… @Mark Zuckerberg
Palo Alto Online, one of the first outlets to report the hack, cited a Redwood City official as saying the city was “actively working to investigate and resolve the issue as quickly as possible.” According to the outlet, the tampering may have happened on Friday.
Audio-enabled crosswalk buttons are widely used across the United States to allow those with visual impairments or accessibility needs to hear custom audio messages that play for pedestrians to know when it is safe to cross a street.
In a video from 2024, physical penetration specialist and security researcher Deviant Ollam explains how audio-enabled crosswalk buttons can be manipulated often by way of default-set passwords that have not been changed.
Polara, the company that makes the audio-enabled crosswalk buttons, did not respond to a request for comment when contacted by TechCrunch on Monday.
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Silicon Valley crosswalk buttons hacked to imitate Musk, Zuckerberg's voices
Nvidia says it plans to manufacture some AI chips in the US
Access to future AI models in OpenAI's API may require a verified ID
Apple reportedly working on a Vision Pro that plugs into your Mac
Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk would like to ‘delete all IP law'
OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever's Safe Superintelligence reportedly valued at $32B
Hacked documents reveal guide to serving Elon Musk on private jets
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Another attempt to breach the CUDA moat.
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The first traces of Moore Threads' GPU programming software stack, dubbed MUSA, have surfaced online, furthering the nation's pursuit of tech-autarky. MUSA serves as an alternative to Nvidia's CUDA environment, compatible with the domestic MUSA MTT GPU lineup. Any open-source pedigree of the SDK has not been mentioned, so it is likely proprietary and won't be of much benefit to developers outside China.
The U.S. has implemented a series of export restrictions on China, including: advanced AI chips, high-bandwidth memory (HBM), manufacturing equipment, and silicon wafers from leading players like Intel, TSMC, and Samsung. In a bid to reduce reliance on Western hardware, China is hard at work developing its semiconductor ecosystem with in-house silicon, fab equipment, memory, CPUs, and even GPUs. The latter is of great importance, as modern-day machine learning (sometimes under the buzzword banner of AI) is largely accelerated by parallel computing, something which GPUs excel at.
A strong GPU programming ecosystem offers high-level abstraction, ready-to-use libraries, documentation, and profiling tools. With high-performance Nvidia GPU exports still in limbo, Moore Threads is offering an alternative to CUDA.
MUSA provides a built-in compiler (MCC), runtime libraries (MUSA Runtime), a comprehensive list of specialized libraries (MUSA-X), debuggers, and profilers. To ensure compatibility with already written CUDA code, the MUSA SDK also includes Musify, a tool that translates CUDA code for the MUSA environment, likely by translating PTX code at runtime, similar to zLUDA.
The MUSA SDK version 4.0.1 is compatible with x86 processors from Intel (on Ubuntu) and Hygon (on Kylin). Moore Threads is demonstrating the prowess of its stack through several demonstrations on its website, including speech synthesis, AI-image generation, image processing, AI-powered 3D face modeling, just to name a few. You can actually try out a bunch of these demos right now (though you might need an account), some of which are reportedly running on Moore Threads' MTT S3000 datacenter GPUs.
Despite CUDA's clear advantage in terms of advancement, maturity, and support, MUSA could find many indigenous customers in small-scale environments, evolving over time. AI developers and researchers envision a heterogeneous future, championing the adoption of hardware-agnostic and open-source platforms. Breaking free from CUDA's reign requires superior alternatives, with ROCm being a key contender. However, AMD's hardware support still trails behind Nvidia.
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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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Ankylosaurs, a group of dinosaurs often compared to Pokémon, were built like walking tanks, with bony armor plating their backs and sides. They lived during the Late Jurassic (164 to 145 million years ago) and Cretaceous (145 to 66 million years ago) periods, and consisted of two main subgroups: the nodosaurids, which lacked tail clubs and typically had four toes on both hands and feet; and the ankylosaurids, which had distinctive clubbed tails and usually three toes on their hind feet. While paleontologists have unearthed four-toed ankylosaur footprints throughout North America, three-toed ones have remained elusive—until now.
An international team of researchers has identified the first ankylosaurid footprints known to science. The 100-million-year-old fossilized footprints, discovered in Canada's Peace Region (spanning the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta), represent a new ankylosaurid species, which the team named Ruopodosaurus clava. The discovery also fills in a notorious gap in North America's fossil records from the middle of the Cretaceous period.
“While we don't know exactly what the dinosaur that made Ruopodosaurus footprints looked like, we know that it would have been about 5-6 metres long [16 to over 19 feet long], spiky and armoured, and with a stiff tail or a full tail club,” Victoria Arbour, the curator of paleontology at the Royal BC (British Columbia) Museum, said in a Taylor & Francis Group statement. Arbour and her colleagues' work is detailed in a study published today in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, which is published by Taylor & Francis Group.
Ruopodosaurus clava means “the tumbled-down lizard with a club/mace,” according to the statement, honoring both the mountain terrain that preserved the footprints and the dinosaur's sledgehammer-like tail club.
The researchers dated the footprints to the middle of the Cretaceous period, sometime between 100 and 94 million years ago. This makes the footprints doubly exceptional—prior to their discovery, some scholars had suggested that ankylosaurids did not exist in North America during that time range, given the lack of fossil evidence. The newly discovered tracks fill in this gap in North America's fossil record, and also demonstrate that nodosaurids and ankylosaurids shared this region millions of years ago.
The investigation began when Charles Helm, a co-author of the study and a scientific advisor at Tumbler Ridge Museum, documented three-toed tracks around Tumbler Ridge, a municipality in the foothills of British Columbia's Canadian Rockies, which is also in the Peace Region.
“Ever since two young boys discovered an ankylosaur trackway close to Tumbler Ridge in the year 2000, ankylosaurs and Tumbler Ridge have been synonymous. It is really exciting to now know through this research that there are two types of ankylosaurs that called this region home, and that Ruopodosaurus has only been identified in this part of Canada,” said Helm.
“This study also highlights how important the Peace Region of northeastern BC is for understanding the evolution of dinosaurs in North America—there's still lots more to be discovered,” Arbour added.
By following in the footsteps of dinosaurs that walked the Earth tens of millions of years ago, the team secured a first-of-its-kind discovery, as well as one more piece of the ankylosaur fossil record puzzle.
Cretaceousdinosaurstrace fossils
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New analysis shows several families of dinosaurs were likely thriving in North America in the latter days of the dinosaur era.
Researchers suggest that ground-based mammals fared better than their arboreal relatives during the end-Cretaceous extinction thanks to their lifestyle.
A slab of rock at an Australian high school, a boulder in a parking lot, and a bookend in a private collection feature 200-million-year-old dinosaur footprints.
Paleontologists in Denmark found a once-gloopy, now-hardened mess that they believe was spat up by a Cretaceous-era fish.
The fossil, destroyed in an air raid 80 years ago, had faded from memory until a paleontologist found archival images.
Researchers are calling for CT scans to confirm the authenticity of a Cretaceous period fossil that led to the identification of a new mosasaur species.
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Elon Musk may have run tech companies, but building technology for government is an entirely different beast.
Tech buzzwords are clanging through the halls of Washington, DC. The Trump administration has promised to “leverage blockchain technology” to reorganize the US Agency for International Development, and Elon Musk's DOGE has already unleashed an internal chatbot to automate agency tasks—with bigger plans on the horizon to take over for laid-off employees. The executive order that created DOGE in the first place claims the agency intends to “modernize Federal technology and software.” But jamming hyped-up tech into government workflows isn't a formula for efficiency. Successful, safe civic tech requires a human-centered approach that understands and respects the needs of citizens. Unfortunately, this administration laid off all the federal workers with the know-how for that—seasoned design and technology professionals, many of whom left careers in the private sector to serve their government and compatriots.
What's going on now is not unconventional swashbuckling—it's wild incompetence. Musk may have run plenty of tech companies, but building technology for government is an entirely different beast. If this administration doesn't change its approach soon, American citizens are going to suffer far more than they probably realize.
Many may wince remembering the rollout of Healthcare.gov under the Obama administration. Following passage of the Affordable Care Act, Healthcare.gov launched in October of 2013 to facilitate the anticipated wave of insurance signups. But enormous demand famously took down the website two hours after launch. On that first day, only six people were able to complete the registration process. In the wake of the mess, the administration formed the US Digital Service (USDS) and 18F, the digital services office of the General Services Administration. These agencies—the ones now dismantled at the hands of DOGE—pulled experienced technologists from industry to improve critical infrastructure across the federal government, including the Social Security Administration and Veterans Affairs.
Over the last decade, USDS and 18F have worked to build safe, accessible, and secure infrastructure for the people of the United States. DirectFile, the free digital tax filing system that the IRS launched last year, emerged from years of careful research, design, and engineering and a thoughtful, multi-staged release. As a result, 90% of people who used DirectFile and responded to a survey said their experience was excellent or above average, and 86% reported that DirectFile increased their trust in the IRS. Recently, Sam Corcos, a DOGE engineer, told IRS employees he plans to kill the program. When 21 experienced technologists quit their jobs at USDS in January after their colleagues were let go, they weren't objecting on political grounds. Rather, they preferred to quit rather than “compromise core government services” under DOGE, whose orders are incompatible with USDS's original mission.
As DOGE bulldozes through technological systems, firewalls between government agencies are collapsing and the floodgates are open for data-sharing disasters that will affect everyone. For example, the decision to give Immigration and Customs Enforcement access to IRS data and to databases of unaccompanied minors creates immediate dangers for immigrants, regardless of their legal status. And it threatens everyone else, albeit perhaps less imminently, as every American's Social Security number, tax returns, benefits, and health-care records are agglomerated into one massive, poorly secured data pool.
That's not just speculation. We've already seen how data breaches at companies like Equifax can expose the sensitive information of hundreds of millions of people. Now imagine those same risks with all your government data, managed by a small crew of DOGE workers without a hint of institutional knowledge between them.
Making data sets speak to each other is one of the most difficult technological challenges out there. Anyone who has ever had to migrate from one CRM system to another knows how easy it is to lose data in the process. Centralization of data is on the administration's agenda—and will more than likely involve the help of contracting tech companies. Giants like Palantir have built entire business models around integrating government data for surveillance, and they stand to profit enormously from DOGE's dismantling of privacy protections. This is the playbook: Gut public infrastructure, pay private companies millions to rebuild it, and then grant those companies unprecedented access to our data.
DOGE is also coming for COBOL, a programming language that the entire infrastructure of the Social Security Administration is built on. According to reporting by Wired, DOGE plans to rebuild that system from the ground up in mere months—even though the SSA itself estimated that a project like that would take five years. The difference in those timelines isn't due to efficiency or ingenuity; it's the audacity of naïveté and negligence. If something goes wrong, more than 65 million people in the US currently receiving Social Security benefits will feel it where it hurts. Any delay in a Social Security payment can mean the difference between paying rent and facing eviction, affording medication or food and going without.
There are so many alarms to ring about the actions of this administration, but the damage to essential technical infrastructure may be one of the effects with the longest tails. Once these systems are gutted and these firewalls are down, it could take years or even decades to put the pieces back together from a technical standpoint. And since the administration has laid off the in-house experts who did the important and meticulous work of truly modernizing government technology, who will be around to clean up the mess?
Last month, an 83-year-old pastor in hospice care summoned her strength to sue this administration over its gutting of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and we can follow her example. Former federal tech workers have both the knowledge and the legal standing to challenge these reckless tech initiatives. And everyday Americans who rely on government services, which is all of us, have a stake in this fight. Support the lawyers challenging DOGE's tech takeover, document and report any failures you encounter in government systems, and demand that your representatives hold hearings on what's happening to our digital infrastructure. It may soon be too late.
Steven Renderos is the executive director of Media Justice.
Correction: Due to a CMS error, this article was originally published with an incorrect byline. Steven Renderos is the author.
Federal scientists warn that Americans could feel the effects of the new administration's devastating cuts for decades to come.
With news this week of the messaging app being used to discuss war plans, we get you up to speed on what Signal should be used for—and what it shouldn't.
A conversation with Kathleen Hicks, the former deputy secretary of defense.
A look back at the Office of Technology Assessment, the Congressional think tank that detected lies and tested tech.
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AirTags have been a godsend for those who have a habit of misplacing their belongings: Whether it's your keys, wallet, bag or luggage (or even your pet's collar), these small Bluetooth trackers offer a simple and effective solution to keep track of your belongings.
Amazon is now offering great discounts on the single AirTag unit and the 4-pack set which it an excellent time to pick up this handy device. Though these prices aren't all-time lows, they're near enough to low to make this offer very attractive—especially with word on the street that tariffs might double the price of electronics any time soon. The individual AirTag is now just $24 (orig. $29), and the 4-pack bundle can be had for $79 (orig. $99). Both options are Top 5 bestsellers in Amazon's Electronics category right now.
See 4-pack AirTags at Amazon
See single AirTag at Amazon
The AirTag is a tiny attachment that makes finding lost items simple: It's very simple to set up—just tap it to your iPhone or iPad, assign the AirTag a name for what you're using it for (such as “Keys” or “Backpack”) and you're ready to go. When linked to your Apple ID, the AirTag cooperates with the Find My app to display its location on a map in real time. If the item is nearby but not in sight, you can use Precision Finding on recent iPhones that have Ultra Wideband technology for a very precise location with on-screen directions and sound. Or you can have the AirTag play a sound from its built-in speaker to locate it in seconds.
One of the unique features of the AirTag is that it is able to leverage Apple's vast Find My network which is composed of hundreds of millions of devices across the globe. When you misplace something outside the home (at a hotel or airport, for example), the AirTag can transmit its location anonymously through nearby Apple devices and back to you via iCloud. This feature makes your items trackable even when they're out of Bluetooth range.
Obviously, privacy and security are also important aspects of the AirTag design: The device uses encrypted communication to protect your data and prevent unwanted tracking. Moreover, if someone attempts to use an AirTag to track you against your will, your iPhone will detect and alert you if there are any unfamiliar trackers nearby.
As fears mount over imminent tariff hikes that would essentially see electronics prices go through the roof, it's a great time to take advantage of Amazon's discounts. Purchasing AirTags today will ensure that you are not caught off guard by rising costs in the near future.
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Georgia Tech scientists reckon advance could mean BCIs become more important in everyday life.
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Researchers from Georgia Tech have developed a tiny, minimally invasive, brain-computer interface (BCI). The device is small enough to fit between hair follicles, and need only be inserted very slightly under the skin. It is thought that this super-compact new "high fidelity" sensor will make continuous everyday use of BCIs a more realistic possibility.
For many tech enthusiasts and futurists, BCIs play a large role in the expected evolution of human interaction with tech. However, some of the most advanced BCI systems we know of today are pretty bulky and rigid. Look at Elon Musk's Neuralink implant technology, for example.
Hong Yeo, the Harris Saunders Jr. Professor in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech, decided to do something about this bulky invasive issue - while maintaining optimum impedance and data quality.
"I started this research because my main goal is to develop new sensor technology to support healthcare and I had previous experience with brain-computer interfaces and flexible scalp electronics," explained Yeo. "I knew we needed better BCI sensor technology and discovered that if we can slightly penetrate the skin and avoid hair by miniaturizing the sensor, we can dramatically increase the signal quality by getting closer to the source of the signals and reduce unwanted noise."
The Georgia Tech blog also mentions that this tiny new sensor uses conductive polymer microneedles to capture electrical signals and conveys those signals along flexible polyimide/copper wires. In addition to this naturally flexible construction the implant device is less than a square millimeter.
The tiny new hi-fi BCI might have one major drawback for certain applications. It only has a useful life of approximately 12 hours. So, perhaps we should think of it as a disposable, occasional use device.
In Georgia Tech field tests, six subjects used the new device for controlling an augmented reality (AR) video call. They used the BCI to "look up phone contacts and initiate and accept AR video calls hands-free." It proved to be 96.4% accurate in recording and classifying neural signals. However, the high-fidelity neural signal capture persisted only for up to 12 hours. Georgia Tech researchers stressed that during the half day, subjects could stand, walk, and run – enjoy complete freedom of movement, with the implant in place.
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Perhaps we shouldn't get too excited about the possibilities of BCIs unlocking super-human powers, though. Recent research suggested that human thought runs at a leisurely 10 bits per second, so we might also need a brain overclocking upgrade to make the most of an advanced BCI's potential...
Mark Tyson is a news editor at Tom's Hardware. He enjoys covering the full breadth of PC tech; from business and semiconductor design to products approaching the edge of reason.
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We're a good third of the way into 2025 and with it comes a bunch of opportunities to save on a variety of electronics and personal devices. Last year, Samsung announced the Galaxy Buds3 Pro and right now you can get them for as low as $125. These noise-cancelling earbuds are normally priced at $250, but after a trade in, you can get a credit of up to $120. That's a 50% discount just for handing over your old earbuds you weren't going to use anymore anyway. If you don't have an old pair to trade-in, you can still enjoy a $40 discount for a limited time. Choose between either white or silver as both options are available with the trade-in deal and standard discount.
See at Samsung
The Galaxy Buds3 Pro are designed to be Samsung's most comfortable in-ear headphones yet so they can stay in all-day comfortably for an immersive listening experience. The Buds3 Pro each come with it's charging case and charging USB-C cable as well as three sets of ear tips of various sizes so you can mold them to your ears perfectly.
Adaptive active noise cancellation means the earbuds can change modes on their own automatically based on your surroundings. This allows you to stay alert to what's around you while still not being distracted by ambient sounds as you're listening to your music, podcasts, or audiobooks on the go. The adaptive equalizer can even tell how you are wearing them and tailor-fit the sound you hear to your ears. You can even pair them with your TV to experience full 360-degree immersive sound that feels like its coming from all around you.
With Galaxy AI, you can have conversations across the language barrier, face-to-face, in real time. This is the kind of ability joked about by Douglas Adams with the babel fish in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series of novels. But now it's really coming I guess. They say “Hola,” and you'll hear “Hello,” in your ear.
Touch controls make it easy to pause, skip, accept calls and more without needing to remove your phone from your pocket.
The trade-in will bring the price of the Galaxy Buds3 Pro to as low as $125. By trading in your old pair of earbuds, you can save up to $125 on your new Galaxy Buds3. Samsung is accepting a wide array of in-ear headphones are part of the offer. If you hand over a set of Galaxy Buds2 Pro, you'll receive the full $125 credit. A standard pair of Galaxy Buds or will net you $100 as will the original Galaxy Buds Pro. Samsung is also accepting Apple AirPods. Trade in the AirPods 3 or the AirPods Pro or Pro 2 and you'll get you the full $125 credit. Even if you just gave some off-brand set of wireless or wired headphones, you can still save between $10 and $30.
And if you don't have a pair to trade in, you can still save $40 getting the Buds 3 Pro for just $210.
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Google has firmly established itself in the market as a top contender in the high-end smartphone market and fights it out with Apple's iPhone and Samsung Galaxy series. In the Pixel 9 Pro, Google goes another step further with a phone that in all aspects (design, functionality, features) gathers for a high-end contender to both its rivals.
Now, thanks to a magical Amazon offer, the Pixel 9 Pro is available at a historical low price—below Black Friday—so it's the perfect time to invest in this top-of-the-line smartphone. Regardless of how much storage space you require, you can have this device for a price that is unbeatable: $799 for the 128GB model (normal price: $999, 20% discount), $849 for the 256GB model (normal price: $1,099, 23% discount) and $919 for the 512GB model (normal price: $1,219 which marks a 25% discount).
See 128GB at Amazon
See 256GB at Amazon
The Pixel 9 Pro is powered by Google's latest Tensor G4 processor which delivers first-rate performance optimized for AI-intensive tasks. The chipset delivers effortless multitasking and app performance and also offers such capabilities as real-time language translation and pro-level photo editing. Paired with 16GB of RAM, it is ready to handle taxing applications super easily.
The Google phone has a stunning 6.3-inch Super Actua OLED screen with 495 PPI of pixel density. It is HDR-compatible with up to 3,000 nits peak brightness measurements and delivers a great deal of visibility even when subjected to direct sunlight. Its refresh rate varies from 1Hz to 120Hz which makes it super smooth at scrolling and optimizes the battery life. Of course, the screen is also protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 which makes the device highly scratch and drop-proof.
If you like photography, you will absolutely love the Pixel 9 Pro's three-camera rear camera setup (and the competitions is quite far behind). The setup includes a 50MP wide-angle camera with ƒ/1.68 aperture for stunning detail and clarity, a 48MP ultrawide lens with macro focus for capturing detailed close-ups, and a 48MP telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and Super Res Zoom up to 30x. These smartphones arrive loaded with premium features like Night Sight mode for low-light photography and the quite unique Magic Eraser for the removal of unwanted objects from photographs. Even the selfie camera is on par with a 42MP ultra-wide lens which ensures a crisp selfie and can handle high-end video calls.
Battery life is also great on the Pixel 9 Pro: It has a high-capacity 4,700mAh battery and offers over 24 hours of use between charges. For those needing even more life, Extreme Battery Saver mode offers up to an incredible 100 hours of use. The phone charges rapidly (fast-charging to up to 55% in about 30 min) and also fast wireless charging and wireless charging with reverse wireless charging through Battery Share.
At its Amazon record-low price of $799 for the 128GB model, $849 for the 256GB model, and $919 for the 512GB model, the Pixel 9 Pro offers a great value for one of the most advanced smartphones on the market today. Given speculations that prices may double as a result of looming tariff increases in the U.S., you should better act fast.
See 128GB at Amazon
See 256GB at Amazon
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It's called Book Highlights and it lets you:• Import highlights from Kindle using My Clippings.txt• Create and manage your own personal book library• Add quotes manually or scan them with your phone's camera• Sync everything across your Apple devices via iCloudI tried to keep the interface clean and minimal, just focused on helping readers organize and revisit their favorite quotes. If anyone here gives it a try, I'd love to hear your thoughts or feedback!
• Import highlights from Kindle using My Clippings.txt• Create and manage your own personal book library• Add quotes manually or scan them with your phone's camera• Sync everything across your Apple devices via iCloudI tried to keep the interface clean and minimal, just focused on helping readers organize and revisit their favorite quotes. If anyone here gives it a try, I'd love to hear your thoughts or feedback!
• Create and manage your own personal book library• Add quotes manually or scan them with your phone's camera• Sync everything across your Apple devices via iCloudI tried to keep the interface clean and minimal, just focused on helping readers organize and revisit their favorite quotes. If anyone here gives it a try, I'd love to hear your thoughts or feedback!
• Add quotes manually or scan them with your phone's camera• Sync everything across your Apple devices via iCloudI tried to keep the interface clean and minimal, just focused on helping readers organize and revisit their favorite quotes. If anyone here gives it a try, I'd love to hear your thoughts or feedback!
• Sync everything across your Apple devices via iCloudI tried to keep the interface clean and minimal, just focused on helping readers organize and revisit their favorite quotes. If anyone here gives it a try, I'd love to hear your thoughts or feedback!
I tried to keep the interface clean and minimal, just focused on helping readers organize and revisit their favorite quotes. If anyone here gives it a try, I'd love to hear your thoughts or feedback!
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The one issue we could not figure out, is how to import books/pdfs (side loaded is the term I think) that are on a kindle device but are not 'bought' books through Amazon. We might just add sth later to allow adding ebooks and pdfs, non Amazon related in our webapp.If you'd like to give it a try, it's called DeepRead (deepread.com), we're just a few peeps trying to create sth fun and useful ^^Ps. Sorry for the little self promotion, but I'm happy to see this issue popping up still nowadays.Pss. We were also thinking of building something that allows an easier export to Obsidian or other apps (we have an export functionality built in already which creates a markdown of the chapters and highlights). Let us know if that is remotely interesting.
If you'd like to give it a try, it's called DeepRead (deepread.com), we're just a few peeps trying to create sth fun and useful ^^Ps. Sorry for the little self promotion, but I'm happy to see this issue popping up still nowadays.Pss. We were also thinking of building something that allows an easier export to Obsidian or other apps (we have an export functionality built in already which creates a markdown of the chapters and highlights). Let us know if that is remotely interesting.
Ps. Sorry for the little self promotion, but I'm happy to see this issue popping up still nowadays.Pss. We were also thinking of building something that allows an easier export to Obsidian or other apps (we have an export functionality built in already which creates a markdown of the chapters and highlights). Let us know if that is remotely interesting.
Pss. We were also thinking of building something that allows an easier export to Obsidian or other apps (we have an export functionality built in already which creates a markdown of the chapters and highlights). Let us know if that is remotely interesting.
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Now I need a computer and a usb cable, while I'm mostly living off road and off grid.This is in no way the fault of your app. Just pointing out how Amazon isn't for serious researchers. Just selling books is the bare minimum that they support, and only from the website, not from within the app. I'm sure Amazon is big enough to put the cork screws on Apple to not pay the 30% Apple tax?
This is in no way the fault of your app. Just pointing out how Amazon isn't for serious researchers. Just selling books is the bare minimum that they support, and only from the website, not from within the app. I'm sure Amazon is big enough to put the cork screws on Apple to not pay the 30% Apple tax?
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On a related note, I built a kindle notes parser, which splits the highlights and transforms them into markdown.My workflow is to dump my highlights into obsidian and build flashcards on top of that.The app is open source:https://github.com/woile/kindle-notes-parseredit: I still don't like that I have to plug the kindle, to extract the highlights, it's a bummer, but in the end, it's just simple and works for me.
My workflow is to dump my highlights into obsidian and build flashcards on top of that.The app is open source:https://github.com/woile/kindle-notes-parseredit: I still don't like that I have to plug the kindle, to extract the highlights, it's a bummer, but in the end, it's just simple and works for me.
The app is open source:https://github.com/woile/kindle-notes-parseredit: I still don't like that I have to plug the kindle, to extract the highlights, it's a bummer, but in the end, it's just simple and works for me.
https://github.com/woile/kindle-notes-parseredit: I still don't like that I have to plug the kindle, to extract the highlights, it's a bummer, but in the end, it's just simple and works for me.
edit: I still don't like that I have to plug the kindle, to extract the highlights, it's a bummer, but in the end, it's just simple and works for me.
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Works pretty well for me.
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I like my Kindle but the software is very crummy. The font rendering is great, though. Noticeably better than KOReader.
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A nuclear explosion might eventually be Earth's only way to protect itself from a dangerous asteroid. But preparing for that without launching nukes into space means getting creative.
One day, in the near or far future, an asteroid about the length of a football stadium will find itself on a collision course with Earth. If we are lucky, it will land in the middle of the vast ocean, creating a good-size but innocuous tsunami, or in an uninhabited patch of desert. But if it has a city in its crosshairs, one of the worst natural disasters in modern times will unfold. As the asteroid steams through the atmosphere, it will begin to fragment—but the bulk of it will likely make it to the ground in just a few seconds, instantly turning anything solid into a fluid and excavating a huge impact crater in a heartbeat. A colossal blast wave, akin to one unleashed by a large nuclear weapon, will explode from the impact site in every direction. Homes dozens of miles away will fold like cardboard. Millions of people could die.
Fortunately for all 8 billion of us, planetary defense—the science of preventing asteroid impacts—is a highly active field of research. Astronomers are watching the skies, constantly on the hunt for new near-Earth objects that might pose a threat. And others are actively working on developing ways to prevent a collision should we find an asteroid that seems likely to hit us.
We already know that at least one method works: ramming the rock with an uncrewed spacecraft to push it away from Earth. In September 2022, NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test, or DART, showed it could be done when a semiautonomous spacecraft the size of a small car, with solar panel wings, was smashed into an (innocuous) asteroid named Dimorphos at 14,000 miles per hour, successfully changing its orbit around a larger asteroid named Didymos.
But there are circumstances in which giving an asteroid a physical shove might not be enough to protect the planet. If that's the case, we could need another method, one that is notoriously difficult to test in real life: a nuclear explosion.
Scientists have used computer simulations to explore this potential method of planetary defense. But in an ideal world, researchers would ground their models with cold, hard, practical data. Therein lies a challenge. Sending a nuclear weapon into space would violate international laws and risk inflaming political tensions. What's more, it could do damage to Earth: A rocket malfunction could send radioactive debris into the atmosphere.
Over the last few years, however, scientists have started to devise some creative ways around this experimental limitation. The effort began in 2023, with a team of scientists led by Nathan Moore, a physicist and chemical engineer at the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Sandia is a semi-secretive site that serves as the engineering arm of America's nuclear weapons program. And within that complex lies the Z Pulsed Power Facility, or Z machine, a cylindrical metallic labyrinth of warning signs and wiring. It's capable of summoning enough energy to melt diamond.
About 25,000 asteroids more than 460 feet long—a size range that starts with midsize “city killers” and goes up in impact from there—are thought to exist close to Earth. Just under half of them have been found.
The researchers reckoned they could use the Z machine to re-create the x-ray blast of a nuclear weapon—the radiation that would be used to knock back an asteroid—on a very small and safe scale.
It took a while to sort out the details. But by July 2023, Moore and his team were ready. They waited anxiously inside a control room, monitoring the thrumming contraption from afar. Inside the machine's heart were two small pieces of rock, stand-ins for asteroids, and at the press of a button, a maelstrom of x-rays would thunder toward them. If they were knocked back by those x-rays, it would prove something that, until now, was purely theoretical: You can deflect an asteroid from Earth using a nuke.
This experiment “had never been done before,” says Moore. But if it succeeded, its data would contribute to the safety of everyone on the planet. Would it work?
Asteroid impacts are a natural disaster like any other. You shouldn't lose sleep over the prospect, but if we get unlucky, an errant space rock may rudely ring Earth's doorbell. “The probability of an asteroid striking Earth during my lifetime is very small. But what if one did? What would we do about it?” says Moore. “I think that's worth being curious about.”
Forget about the gigantic asteroids you know from Hollywood blockbusters. Space rocks over two-thirds of a mile (about one kilometer) in diameter—those capable of imperiling civilization—are certainly out there, and some hew close to Earth's own orbit. But because these asteroids are so elephantine, astronomers have found almost all of them already, and none pose an impact threat.
The telescope will catalogue billions of new objects and produce a new map of the entire night sky every three days with the largest digital camera ever made.
Rather, it's asteroids a size range down—those upwards of 460 feet (140 meters) long—that are of paramount concern. About 25,000 of those are thought to exist close to our planet, and just under half have been found. The day-to-day odds of an impact are extremely low, but even one of the smaller ones in that size range could do significant damage if it found Earth and hit a populated area—a capacity that has led astronomers to dub such midsize asteroids “city killers.”
If we find a city killer that looks likely to hit Earth, we'll need a way to stop it. That could be technology to break or “disrupt” the asteroid into fragments that will either miss the planet entirely or harmlessly ignite in the atmosphere. Or it could be something that can deflect the asteroid, pushing it onto a path that will no longer intersect with our blue marble.
Because disruption could accidentally turn a big asteroid into multiple smaller, but still deadly, shards bound for Earth, it's often considered to be a strategy of last resort. Deflection is seen as safer and more elegant. One way to achieve it is to deploy a spacecraft known as a kinetic impactor—a battering ram that collides with an asteroid and transfers its momentum to the rocky interloper, nudging it away from Earth. NASA's DART mission demonstrated that this can work, but there are some important caveats: You need to deflect the asteroid years in advance to make sure it completely misses Earth, and asteroids that we spot too late—or that are too big—can't be swatted away by just one DART-like mission. Instead, you'd need several kinetic impactors—maybe many of them—to hit one side of the asteroid perfectly each time in order to push it far enough to save our planet. That's a tall order for orbital mechanics, and not something space agencies may be willing to gamble on.
In that case, the best option might instead be to detonate a nuclear weapon next to the asteroid. This would irradiate one hemisphere of the asteroid in x-rays, which in a few millionths of a second would violently shatter and vaporize the rocky surface. The stream of debris spewing out of that surface and into space would act like a rocket, pushing the asteroid in the opposite direction. “There are scenarios where kinetic impact is insufficient, and we'd have to use a nuclear explosive device,” says Moore.
This idea isn't new. Several decades ago, Peter Schultz, a planetary geologist and impacts expert at Brown University, was giving a planetary defense talk at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, another American lab focused on nuclear deterrence and nuclear physics research. Afterwards, he recalls, none other than Edward Teller, the father of the hydrogen bomb and a key member of the Manhattan Project, invited him into his office for a chat. “He wanted to do one of these near-Earth-asteroid flybys and wanted to test the nukes,” Schultz says. What, he wondered, would happen if you blasted an asteroid with a nuclear weapon's x-rays? Could you forestall a spaceborne disaster using weapons of mass destruction?
But Teller's dream wasn't fulfilled—and it's unlikely to become a reality anytime soon. The United Nations' 1967 Outer Space Treaty states that no nation can deploy or use nuclear weapons off-world (even if it's not clear how long certain spacefaring nations will continue to adhere to that rule).
Even raising the possibility of using nukes to defend the planet can be tricky. “There're still many folks that don't want to talk about it at all … even if that were the only option to prevent an impact,” says Megan Bruck Syal, a physicist and planetary defense researcher at Lawrence Livermore. Nuclear weapons have long been a sensitive subject, and with relations between several nuclear nations currently at a new nadir, anxiety over the subject is understandable.
But in the US, there are groups of scientists who “recognize that we have a special responsibility as a spacefaring nation and as a nuclear-capable nation to look at this,” Syal says. “It isn't our preference to use a nuclear explosive, of course. But we are still looking at it, in case it's needed.”
No asteroid larger than a kilometer is likely to hit us in that time frame, says a new study. But smaller ones could still pose a risk.
But how?
Mostly, researchers have turned to the virtual world, using supercomputers at various US laboratories to simulate the asteroid-agitating physics of a nuclear blast. To put it mildly, “this is very hard,” says Mary Burkey, a physicist and planetary defense researcher at Lawrence Livermore. You cannot simply flick a switch on a computer and get immediate answers. “When a nuke goes off in space, there's just x-ray light that's coming out of it. It's shining on the surface of your asteroid, and you're tracking those little photons penetrating maybe a tiny little bit into the surface, and then somehow you have to take that micrometer worth of resolution and then propagate it out onto something that might be on the order of hundreds of meters wide, watching that shock wave propagate and then watching fragments spin off into space. That's four different problems.”
Mimicking the physics of x-ray rock annihilation with as much verisimilitude as possible is difficult work. But recent research using these high-fidelity simulations does suggest that nukes are an effective planetary defense tool for both disruption and deflection. The thing is, though, no two asteroids are alike; each is mechanically and geologically unique, meaning huge uncertainties remain. A more monolithic asteroid might respond in a straightforward way to a nuclear deflection campaign, whereas a rubble pile asteroid—a weakly bound fleet of boulders barely held together by their own gravity—might respond in a chaotic, uncontrollable way. Can you be sure the explosion wouldn't accidentally shatter the asteroid, turning a cannonball into a hail of bullets still headed for Earth?
Simulations can go a long way toward answering these questions, but they remain virtual re-creations of reality, with built-in assumptions. “Our models are only as good as the physics that we understand and that we put into them,” says Angela Stickle, a hypervelocity impact physicist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland. To make sure the simulations are reproducing the correct physics and delivering realistic data, physical experiments are needed to ground them.
Every firing of the Z machine carries the energy of more than 1,000 lightning bolts, and each shot lasts a few millionths of a second.
Researchers studying kinetic impactors can get that sort of real-world data. Along with DART, they can use specialized cannons—like the Vertical Gun Range at NASA's Ames Research Center in California—to fire all sorts of projectiles at meteorites. In doing so, they can find out how tough or fragile asteroid shards can be, effectively reproducing a kinetic impact mission on a small scale.
Battle-testing nuke-based asteroid defense simulations is another matter. Re-creating the physics of these confrontations on a small scale was long considered to be exceedingly difficult. Fortunately, those keen on fighting asteroids are as persistent as they are creative—and several teams, including Moore's at Sandia, think they have come up with a solution.
The prime mission of Sandia, like that of Lawrence Livermore, is to help maintain the nation's nuclear weapons arsenal. “It's a national security laboratory,” says Moore. “Planetary defense affects the entire planet,” he adds—making it, by default, a national security issue as well. And that logic, in part, persuaded the powers that be in July 2022 to try a brand-new kind of experiment. Moore took charge of the project in January 2023—and with the shot scheduled for the summer, he had only a few months to come up with the specific plan for the experiment. There was “lots of scribbling on my whiteboard, running computer simulations, and getting data to our engineers to design the test fixture for the several months it would take to get all the parts machined and assembled,” he says.
Although there were previous and ongoing experiments that showered asteroid-like targets with x-rays, Moore and his team were frustrated by one aspect of them. Unlike actual asteroids floating freely in space, the micro-asteroids on Earth were fixed in place. To truly test whether x-rays could deflect asteroids, targets would have to be suspended in a vacuum—and it wasn't immediately clear how that could be achieved.
Generating the nuke-like x-rays was the easy part, because Sandia had the Z machine, a hulking mass of diodes, pipes, and wires interwoven with an assortment of walkways that circumnavigate a vacuum chamber at its core. When it's powered up, electrical currents are channeled into capacitors—and, when commanded, blast that energy at a target or substance to create radiation and intense magnetic pressures.
Flanked by klaxons and flashing lights, it's an intimidating sight. “It's the size of a building—about three stories tall,” says Moore. Every firing of the Z machine carries the energy of more than 1,000 lightning bolts, and each shot lasts a few millionths of a second: “You can't even blink that fast.” The Z machine is named for the axis along which its energetic particles cascade, but the Z could easily stand for “Zeus.”
The original purpose of the Z machine, whose first form was built half a century ago, was nuclear fusion research. But over time, it's been tinkered with, upgraded, and used for all kinds of science. “The Z machine has been used to compress matter to the same densities [you'd find at] the centers of planets. And we can do experiments like that to better understand how planets form,” Moore says, as an example. And the machine's preternatural energies could easily be used to generate x-rays—in this case, by electrifying and collapsing a cloud of argon gas.
“The idea of studying asteroid deflection is completely different for us,” says Moore. And the machine “fires just once a day,” he adds, “so all the experiments are planned more than a year in advance.” In other words, the researchers had to be near certain their one experiment would work, or they would be in for a long wait to try again—if they were permitted a second attempt.
For some time, they could not figure out how to suspend their micro-asteroids. But eventually, they found a solution: Two incredibly thin bits of aluminum foil would hold their targets in place within the Z machine's vacuum chamber. When the x-ray blast hit them and the targets, the pieces of foil would be instantly vaporized, briefly leaving the targets suspended in the chamber and allowing them to be pushed back as if they were in space. “It's like you wave your magic wand and it's gone,” Moore says of the foil. He dubbed this technique “x-ray scissors.”
In July 2023, after considerable planning, the team was ready. Within the Z machine's vacuum chamber were two fingernail-size targets—a bit of quartz and some fused silica, both frequently found on real asteroids. Nearby, a pocket of argon gas swirled away. Satisfied that the gigantic gizmo was ready, everyone left and went to stand in the control room. For a moment, it was deathly quiet.
Stand by.
Fire.
It was over before their ears could even register a metallic bang. A tempest of electricity shocked the argon gas cloud, causing it to implode; as it did, it transformed into a plasma and x-rays screamed out of it, racing toward the two targets in the chamber. The foil vanished, the surfaces of both targets erupted outward as supersonic sprays of debris, and the targets flew backward, away from the x-rays, at 160 miles per hour.
Moore wasn't there. “I was in Spain when the experiment was run, because I was celebrating my anniversary with my wife, and there was no way I was going to miss that,” he says. But just after the Z machine was fired, one of his colleagues sent him a very concise text: IT WORKED.
“We knew right away it was a huge success,” says Moore. The implications were immediately clear. The experimental setup was complex, but they were trying to achieve something extremely fundamental: a real-world demonstration that a nuclear blast could make an object in space move.
“We're genuinely looking at this from the standpoint of ‘This is a technology that could save lives.'”
Patrick King, a physicist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, was impressed. Previously, pushing back objects using x-ray vaporization had been extremely difficult to demonstrate in the lab. “They were able to get a direct measurement of that momentum transfer,” he says, calling the x-ray scissors an “elegant” technique.
Sandia's work took many in the community by surprise. “The Z machine experiment was a bit of a newcomer for the planetary defense field,” says Burkey. But she notes that we can't overinterpret the results. It isn't clear, from the deflection of the very small and rudimentary asteroid-like targets, how much a genuine nuclear explosion would deflect an actual asteroid. As ever, more work is needed.
King leads a team that is also working on this question. His NASA-funded project involves the Omega Laser Facility, a complex based at the University of Rochester in upstate New York. Omega can generate x-rays by firing powerful lasers at a target within a specialized chamber. Upon being irradiated, the target generates an x-ray flash, similar to the one produced during a nuclear explosion in space, which can then be used to bombard various objects—in this case, some Earth rocks acting as asteroid mimics, and (crucially) some bona fide meteoritic material too.
King's Omega experiments have tried to answer a basic question: “How much material actually gets removed from the surface?” says King. The amount of material that flies off the pseudo-asteroids, and the vigor with which it's removed, will differ from target to target. The hope is that these results—which the team is still considering—will hint at how different types of asteroids will react to being nuked. Although experiments with Omega cannot produce the kickback seen in the Z machine, King's team has used a more realistic and diverse series of targets and blasted them with x-rays hundreds of times. That, in turn, should clue us in to how effectively, or not, actual asteroids would be deflected by a nuclear explosion.
“I wouldn't say one [experiment] has definitive advantages over the other,” says King. “Like many things in science, each approach can yield insight along different ‘axes,' if you will, and no experimental setup gives you the whole picture.”
Experiments like Moore's and King's may sound technologically baroque—a bit like lightning-fast Rube Goldberg machines overseen by wizards. But they are likely the first in a long line of increasingly sophisticated tests. “We've just scratched the surface of what we can do,” Moore says. As with King's experiments, Moore hopes to place a variety of materials in the Z machine, including targets that can stand in for the wetter, more fragile carbon-rich asteroids that astronomers commonly see in near-Earth space. “If we could get our hands on real asteroid material, we'd do it,” he says. And it's expected that all this experimental data will be fed back into those nuke-versus-asteroid computer simulations, helping to verify the virtual results.
Although these experiments are perfectly safe, planetary defenders remain fully cognizant of the taboo around merely discussing the use of nukes for any reason—even if that reason is potentially saving the world. “We're genuinely looking at this from the standpoint of ‘This is a technology that could save lives,'” King says.
Inevitably, Earth will be imperiled by a dangerous asteroid. And the hope is that when that day arrives, it can be dealt with using something other than a nuke. But comfort should be taken from the fact that scientists are researching this scenario, just in case it's our only protection against the firmament. “We are your taxpayer dollars at work,” says Burkey.
There's still some way to go before they can be near certain that this asteroid-stopping technique will succeed. Their progress, though, belongs to everyone. “Ultimately,” says Moore, “we all win if we solve this problem.”
Robin George Andrews is an award-winning science journalist based in London and the author, most recently, of How to Kill an Asteroid: The Real Science of Planetary Defense.
The radiation-hardened technology will get its first test in an upcoming mission to the lunar south pole.
Startups and legacy aerospace companies alike are aiming to take a chunk out of its launch business.
Building such facilities off Earth could have a lot of benefits. Early projects are underway.
The continent's imminent attempt at a commercial orbital launch could be the start of a bold new era that ends Europe's reliance on SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the US.
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Cardiovascular disease is by far the most common cause of death worldwide, and myocardial infarction is the most common acute event. For those who survive a myocardial infarction, the risk of a new heart attack is greatest in the first year after the initial event because the blood vessels are more sensitive, making it easier for blood clots to develop. Reducing the "bad" cholesterol in the blood stabilises changes in the vessels, decreasing the risk for new events. The current established routine treatment is to treat with high-potency statins, immediately after the infarction. However, the majority of patients do not reach their treatment goals using only this medication. They need an add-on treatment in order to get down to the recommended cholesterol levels.
Today's guidelines recommend stepwise addition of lipid-lowering treatment. But it's often the case that this escalation takes too long, it's ineffective and patients are lost to follow-up."
Margrét Leósdóttir, Associate Professor at Lund University and senior cardiology consultant at Skåne University Hospital in Malmö, Sweden
In the study in question, she examined the prognosis of patients if the add-on therapy ezetimibe is applied early – (within 12 weeks after myocardial infarction), late (between 13 weeks and 16 months) or not at all. Based on Swedish registry data from 36,000 patients who had a myocardial infarction between 2015 and 2022, Margrét Leósdóttir´s research group has used advanced statistical models to emulate a clinical trial. The results show that patients who received a combination treatment of statins and ezetimibe within 12 weeks after the infarction and were able to lower cholesterol to the target level early, had a better prognosis and less risk of new cardiovascular events and death than those who received the add-on treatment late or never. Based on the results, many new heart attacks, strokes and deaths could be prevented every year if the treatment strategy would be changed.
"Combination therapy is not applied up-front for two main reasons. General recommendations are not included in today's guidelines and a precautionary principle is applied to avoid side effects and overmedication. However, there are positive effects from applying both medicines as soon after the infarction as possible. Not doing this entails an increased risk. In addition, the drug we have examined in the study causes few side effects and is readily available and inexpensive in many countries."
Margrét Leósdóttir hopes that the research results will in time provide support for changes in the recommendations. A treatment algorithm has already been introduced at her hospital in Sweden to help doctors to prescribe appropriate lipid-lowering treatment for patients who have had a myocardial infarction. It has been noted that patients achieve their treatment goals earlier and two months after the infarction twice as many patients have reduced their bad cholesterol to the target level, compared with previously.
"Several other hospitals in Sweden have also adopted the algorithm and there are similar examples from other countries that have produced as good results. My hope is that even more will review their procedures, so that more patients will get the right treatment in time, and we can thereby prevent unnecessary suffering and save lives."
Lund University
Leosdottir, M., et al. (2025). Early Ezetimibe Initiation After Myocardial Infarction Protects Against Later Cardiovascular Outcomes in the SWEDEHEART Registry. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2025.02.007.
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UNIGE scientists identified a brain circuit where lies the origin the social difficulties experienced by people with autism spectrum disorders.
From birth, human survival depends on the ability to engage with others. This ability, which is essential for development, seems to be impaired very early on in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD), who show limited interest in social stimuli from their first year of life. To understand the neurobiological basis of this phenomenon, scientists at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) combined data from clinical and animal research. They identified a defect in a communication pathway between two brain structures that prevents rapid redirection of attention, a key mechanism for decoding social interactions. These results, published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, pave the way for better prediction of development and more targeted interventions.
It is currently estimated that one child in 36 develops an autistic disorder, of whom a third is at risk of cognitive impairment.
''In the children who show a delay, the cognitive difficulties are the consequence of a lack of understanding of social interactions,'' explains Camilla Bellone, Associate Professor in the Department of Basic Neurosciences at the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, and co-last author of the study. ''We learn through interaction with others. As young children with ASD are less oriented towards social cues very early on, they are less likely to develop the tools that enable them to navigate the social world and learn.'' While the consequences of this lack of social interest on development are well known, the neurobiological causes are much less so.
At the UNIGE Faculty of Medicine, the Synapsy Centre for Research in Neuroscience for Mental Health brings together neuroscientists and psychiatrists in a joint network. This sharing of expertise has led to a major discovery for understanding the very essence of social interaction: the ability to maintain a social interaction depends on the speed with which attention can be shifted from one stimulus to another.
In mice lacking the Shank3 gene - the most common single gene cause of ASD found in humans - we observe orientation deficit towards other mice, which reflects the alterations in social interactions already described in children with ASD. These mice therefore represent a good model for the study of ASD.''
Marie Schaer, Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry, UNIGE Faculty of Medicine and co-last author of the study
In previous research, Camilla Bellone's team identified a neuronal communication pathway whose role is to send information between the superior colliculus, a brain structure linked to orientation, and particularly to social orientation, and the ventral tegmental area, linked to the reward system. ''This time, we were able to show in our mouse model of ASD that a lack of neural synchronisation in the superior colliculus altered the exchange of communication between the two cerebral areas, resulting in defects in the orientation and social behaviour of individuals''. These experiments were carried out in vivo using miniaturised microscopes that enable the monitoring of neural activity in moving animals. They were conducted by Alessandro Contestabile, co-first author of the study and a post-doctoral researcher in Camilla Bellone's laboratory.
To confirm this hypothesis in humans, Nada Kojovic, a researcher in Marie Schaer's team and co-first author of the study, developed an original protocol for obtaining brain MRIs without sedation in children aged 2 to 5 years. ''It is obviously impossible to ask such young children to remain motionless in the MRI scanner for the 30 minutes needed to obtain the images,'' she explains. ''We therefore developed a habituation protocol, fitted out the MRI room and worked closely with the families to provide optimum conditions for the child to fall asleep, which worked very well for over 90% of the children for whom we obtained very good quality MRI images.''
The two teams observed that the circuit changes identified in mice were identical in the children. Furthermore, the level of connectivity in this circuit makes it possible to predict their cognitive development in the following year. While it is not yet possible to intervene directly on this brain network, this discovery provides a guide to behavioural interventions, in particular to reinforce children's ability to redirect their attention from one thing to another rapidly from an early age. An intensive treatment method developed in the United States and used in Geneva which require 20 hours a week for 2 years, has already proved its worth. With early intervention, the children gain an average of 20 IQ points, and 75% of them can go on to attend ordinary school.
University of Geneva
Contestabile, A., et al. (2025). Translational research approach to social orienting deficits in autism: the role of superior colliculus-ventral tegmental pathway. Molecular Psychiatry. doi.org/10.1038/s41380-025-02962-w.
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Insomnia and hazardous drinking are so closely intertwined that estimates suggest at least one-third, and as many as 91%, of people who have a hard time with sleep also misuse alcohol.
A new study suggests that perceived stress and depression factor into the relationship between the two conditions – perhaps not a surprise. But because the relationship between insomnia and heavy drinking goes in both directions, the influence of stress or depression depends on which condition came first, the analysis found.
We were most interested in how insomnia leads to drinking, and we found that seems to occur primarily through stress. But when we switched pathways, it appeared that drinking primarily led to insomnia through depression."
Jessica Weafer, senior author of the study and associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral health, The Ohio State University College of Medicine
"Identifying these types of mediating factors can have important treatment implications," she said. "If people who have insomnia are experiencing a lot of stress, then if we can target the stress, that might reduce the likelihood that their insomnia would lead to heavy drinking. That's the long-term ideal, or hope, that this work could have an impact on treatment."
The study was published recently in the journal Alcohol.
Insomnia and hazardous drinking can cause upheaval in one's life: Both are associated with missed work and lower productivity on the job. Chronic insomnia can increase the risk for cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's and other chronic illnesses. A defining characteristic of alcohol use disorder (AUD) is continuing to drink even when encountering interpersonal problems, getting sick or hurt, or driving while intoxicated.
Weafer has expanded her research focus on risks for problem drinking to address the fact that poor sleep can lead to increased drinking and those with AUD commonly have difficulty with sleep.
"The number of people with AUD who also have insomnia is very, very high. It's striking, and important," she said.
Participants in this study were part of a larger project testing the effectiveness of a digital insomnia intervention for people with poor sleep who are heavy drinkers. A total of 405 volunteers completed questionnaires assessing insomnia severity, current and historic drinking behaviors, perceived stress and depression symptoms.
Stress and depression often overlap, but are distinct – the stress scale measures the degree to which situations in life are perceived as stressful, and the depression scale measures behaviors and feelings related to hope, fear, happiness and loneliness.
Previous research has suggested that stress or depression, or both, contribute to troubled sleep or heavy drinking, said first study author Justin Verlinden, a cognitive neuroscience PhD student at the University of Kentucky.
"There are so many different pathways that could explain insomnia and alcohol use. We wanted to connect the dots and see if there's anything there," he said.
Analyzing the data with a range of statistical models revealed the many ways stress and depression influence the relationship between insomnia and hazardous drinking.
"If you look at stress and depression separately, we find there is an indirect relationship between insomnia and drinking as well as drinking and insomnia – meaning a good chunk of the relationship between insomnia and drinking can be explained through perceived stress or depression," Verlinden said.
"When you put both stress and depression in the same models, that's where we get unique findings, even though there are a lot of shared characteristics between stress and depression."
A model of insomnia predicting heavy use of alcohol showed that the characteristics of stress – beyond any symptoms shared with depression – better described this relationship. In a model reversing the order, where drinking predicts the onset of insomnia, symptoms of depression that aren't shared with stress better explain the link.
"That finding was very surprising, but showed the benefit of looking at both stress and depression in the same model, to see how those pathways might differ depending on what the directionality is," Weafer said.
Both stress and depression are described as partial indirect paths – meaning there are any number of other factors that could help explain the connection between bad sleep and problem drinking, the researchers said.
The findings represent a snapshot rather than explaining the progression of how insomnia and heavy drinking become linked over time, and where depression and stress fit into that evolving relationship, Weafer said. The team is collecting a final dataset that will enable the researchers to trace insomnia, stress and depression over the course of 12 months to get a better idea of the connected pathways.
The researchers are also testing the effectiveness of a digital version of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia called SHUTi (Sleep Healthy Using the internet) in heavy drinkers. Their December 2023 pilot study showed that SHUTi was effective at reducing insomnia in heavy drinkers – even without an emphasis on curbing alcohol use.
This research was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the University of Kentucky.
Additional co-authors include Mairead Moloney of the University of Miami and Olga Vsevolozhskaya and Lauren Whitehurst of the University of Kentucky.
Ohio State University
Verlinden, J. J., et al. (2025). Indirect Effects of Perceived Stress and Depression on the Relationship Between Insomnia Symptoms and Hazardous Drinking. Alcohol. doi.org/10.1016/j.alcohol.2025.01.001.
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At a swim meet just outside St. Louis, heads turned when a team of young swimmers walked through the rec center with their parents in tow.
A supportive mom kept her eye on the clock while the Makos Swim Team athletes tucked their natural curls, braids, and locs into yellow swimming caps. In the bleachers, spectators whispered about the team's presence at the pool in Centralia, Illinois — as they do at almost every competition.
"They don't know that we're listening," Randella Randell, a swimmer's mom, later said. "But we're here to stay. We're here to represent. We're going to show you that Black kids know how to swim. We swim, too."
Randell's son, Elijah Gilliam, 14, is a member of the Makos' competitive YMCA and USA Swimming program based in North St. Louis. Almost 40 athletes, ages 4 to 19, swim on the squad, which encourages Black and multiracial kids to participate in the sport. Coached by Terea Goodwin and Torrie Preciado, the team also spreads the word about water safety in their community.
"If we can get everybody to learn how to swim, just that little bit, it would save so many lives," said Goodwin, a kitchen and bathroom designer by day who is known as Coach T at the pool. "Swimming is life."
But just like mako sharks, such teams of Black swimmers are rare. Detroit has the Razor Aquatics, Howard University in Washington, D.C., has a team that's made headlines for winning championships, and some alums from North Carolina A&T's former swim team created a group to offer water safety classes.
In the past, Black Americans were barred from many public swimming pools. When racial segregation was officially banned, white Americans established private swim clubs that required members to pay a fee that wasn't always affordable. As a result, swimming remained effectively segregated, and many Black Americans stayed away from pools.
The impact is still felt. More than a third of Black adults report they do not know how to swim, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics, more than twice the rate for adults overall.
Seeing a need in their community, the parents of the Makos swimmers formed the Black Swimmers Alliance at the end of 2023 with a goal of "bridging the gap in aquatic skills," according to its website. But the group, which offers swim lessons to families of color, is concerned about the flow of grant money dwindling because of the recent federal backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. Even so, they are fundraising directly on their own, because lives are being lost.
In late January, a 6-year-old died at a hotel pool in St. Louis. A boy the same age drowned while taking swim lessons at a St. Louis County pool in 2022. And across the river in Hamel, Illinois, a 3-year-old boy drowned in a backyard pool last summer.
Drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 4, according to the CDC. Black children and Black adults drown far more often than their white peers.
Members of the Black Swimmers Alliance discussed those statistics before their advocacy work began. They also had to address another issue — many of the adult volunteers and parents with children on the Makos team didn't know how to swim. Even though their children were swimming competitively, the fear of drowning and the repercussions of history had kept the parents out of the pool.
The Makos athletes also noticed that their parents were timid around water. That's when their roles reversed. The children started to look out for the grown-ups.
Joseph Johnson, now 14, called out his mom, Connie Johnson, when she tried to give him a few tips about how to improve his performance.
"He was like, 'Mom, you have no idea,'" the now-55-year-old recalled. "At first, I was offended, but he was absolutely right. I didn't know how to swim."
She signed up for lessons with Coach T.
Najma Nasiruddin-Crump and her husband, Joshua Crump, signed up, too. His daughter Kaia Collins-Crump, now 14, had told them she wanted to join the Makos team the first time she saw it. But among the three of them, no one knew how to swim.
Joshua Crump, 38, said he initially felt silly at the lessons, then started to get the hang of it.
"I don't swim well enough to beat any of the children in a race," he said with a chuckle.
Nasiruddin-Crump, 33, said she was terrified the first time she jumped in the deep end. "It is the only moment in my life outside of birthing my children that I've been afraid of something," she said. "But once you do it, it's freedom. It's pure freedom."
Mahoganny Richardson, whose daughter Ava is on the team, volunteered to teach more Makos parents how to swim.
She said the work starts outside the pool with a conversation about a person's experiences with water. She has heard stories about adults who were pushed into pools, then told to sink or swim. Black women were often told to stay out of the water to maintain hairstyles that would swell if their hair got wet.
Bradlin Jacob-Simms, 47, decided to learn how to swim almost 20 years after her family survived Hurricane Katrina. She evacuated the day before the storm hit but said one of her friends survived only because that woman's brother was able to swim to find help.
"If it wasn't for him, they would have died," she said, noting that hundreds did drown.
"That's the reason why swimming is important to me," she said. "A lot of times, us as African Americans, we shy away from it. It's not really in our schools. It's not really pushed."
Makos swimmer Rocket McDonald, 13, encouraged his mom, Jamie McDonald, to get back into the water and stick with it. When she was a child, her parents had signed her up for swim lessons, but she never got the hang of it. Her dad was always leery of the water. McDonald didn't understand why until she read about a race riot at a pool not far from where her dad grew up that happened after St. Louis desegregated public pools in 1949.
"It was a full-circle moment," McDonald said. "It all makes sense now."
Now, at 42, McDonald is learning to swim again.
Safety is always a priority for the Makos team. Coach T makes the athletes practice swimming in full clothing as a survival skill.
Years ago, as a lifeguard in Kansas City, Missouri, Coach T pulled dozens of children out of recreational swimming pools who were drowning. Most of them, she said, were Black children who came to cool off but didn't know how to swim.
"I was literally jumping in daily, probably hourly, getting kids out of every section," Goodwin said. After repeated rescues, too many to count, she decided to offer lessons.
Swim lessons can be costly. The Black Swimmers Alliance aimed to fund 1,000 free swim lessons by the end of 2025. It had already funded 150 lessons in St. Louis. But when the group looked for grants, the alliance scaled back its goal to 500 lessons, out of caution about what funding would be available.
It's still committed to helping Black athletes swim competitively throughout their school years and in college.
Most of the time, the Makos swimmers practice in a YMCA pool that doesn't have starting blocks. Backstroke flags are held in place with fishing wire, and the assistant coach's husband, José Preciado, used his 3-D printer to make red, regulation 15-meter markers for the team. Once a week, parents drive the team to a different YMCA pool that has starting blocks. That pool is about 5 degrees warmer for its senior patrons' comfort. Sometimes the young swimmers fuss about the heat, but practicing there helps them prepare for meets.
Parents said white officials have frequently disqualified Makos swimmers. So some of the team parents studied the rules of the sport, and eventually four became officials to diversify the ranks and ensure all swimmers are treated fairly. Still, parents said, that hasn't stopped occasional racist comments from bystanders and other swimmers at meets.
"Some didn't think we'd make it this far, not because of who we are but where we're from," Goodwin has taught the Makos swimmers to recite. "So we have to show them."
And this spring, Richardson is offering lessons for Makos parents while their children practice.
"It's not just about swimming," Richardson said. "It's about overcoming something that once felt impossible."
This article was reprinted from khn.org, a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF - the independent source for health policy research, polling, and journalism.
KFF Health News
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Rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses dropped during and shortly after Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, according to a recent analysis. However, late-stage diagnoses eventually exceeded expectations, suggesting that limited access to cancer screening services due to these disasters likely hindered timely CRC diagnoses. The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
During disasters, medical services may be delayed or inaccessible due to damaged infrastructure, overburdened health care facilities, or shortages of medical personnel. This can lead to late diagnoses, interruptions in treatment, and an overall worsening of survival and other health outcomes for patients.
To assess the impact of Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on CRC diagnoses, investigators analyzed 2012–2021 data from the Puerto Rico Central Cancer Registry, which has been collecting information on all cancer cases diagnosed and treated in Puerto Rico since 1950.
The team led by investigators at the University of Puerto Rico found that from 2012–2021, a total of 18,537 residents received a first-time diagnosis of CRC. In the month the hurricanes struck, 161.4 CRC cases would have been expected in the absence of any interruption, but instead, only 82 cases were diagnosed.
After a slight upward trend, there was a second decline following the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. In April 2020, the observed number of CRC cases was 50, but the expected number of cases without interruptions would have been 162.5.
By the end of the study, the estimated numbers of patients with early-stage CRC and those aged 50–75 years (the recommended screening age range) did not reach expected numbers. Meanwhile, numbers of patients with late-stage CRC and those outside the recommended screening age range (<50 years and ≥76 years) exceeded expected numbers.
These findings suggest that limited health care access during these events may have delayed cancer detection and may have worsened health outcomes. This issue is especially critical in Puerto Rico, since the health care system already faces important challenges."
Tonatiuh Suárez-Ramos, MS,co–lead author
"Understanding these disruptions can help develop more adaptable and resilient strategies to ensure the continuity of essential care," added co-lead author Yisel Pagán-Santana, DrPH.
Senior author Karen J. Ortiz-Ortiz, DrPH, stressed the urgent need for policies that strengthen health care systems in Puerto Rico and other regions that face similar challenges. "By evaluating the impact of events like hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic, we hope to start the conversation about long-term solutions to improve cancer care coordination, reduce health disparities, and ensure continued access to care," she said. "Ultimately, our goal is to help people live longer, healthier lives by making health care systems more resilient and accessible, even in times of crisis."
Wiley
Suárez-Ramos, T., et al. (2025) Evaluating the impact of hurricanes and the COVID-19 pandemic on colorectal cancer incidence in Puerto Rico: An interrupted time-series analysis. Cancer. doi.org/10.1002/cncr.35793.
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New research from the University of Waterloo suggests increasing the ratio of dietary potassium to sodium intake may be more effective for lowering blood pressure than simply reducing sodium intake.
High blood pressure affects over 30 per cent of adults globally. It's the leading cause of coronary heart disease and stroke and may also lead to other afflictions like chronic kidney disease, heart failure, irregular heartbeats, and dementia.
"Usually, when we have high blood pressure, we are advised to eat less salt," said Anita Layton, professor of Applied Mathematics, Computer Science, Pharmacy and Biology at the University of Waterloo and the Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematical Biology and Medicine.
"Our research suggests that adding more potassium-rich foods to your diet, such as bananas or broccoli, might have a greater positive impact on your blood pressure than just cutting sodium."
Potassium and sodium are both electrolytes – substances that help the body send electrical signals to contract muscles, affect the amount of water in your body and perform other essential functions.
Early humans ate lots of fruits and vegetables, and as a result, our body's regulatory systems may have evolved to work best with a high potassium, low sodium diet."
Melissa Stadt, PhD candidate in Waterloo's Department of Applied Mathematics and lead author of the study
"Today, western diets tend to be much higher in sodium and lower in potassium. That may explain why high blood pressure is found mainly in industrialized societies, not in isolated societies."
While previous research found that increasing potassium intake can help control blood pressure, the researchers developed a mathematical model that successfully identifies how the ratio of potassium to sodium impacts the body.
The model also identifies how sex differences affect the relationship between potassium and blood pressure. The study found that men develop high blood pressure more easily than pre-menopausal women, but men are also more likely to respond positively to an increased ratio of potassium to sodium.
The researchers emphasize that mathematical models like the one used in this study allow these kinds of experiments to identify how different factors impact the body quickly, cheaply, and ethically.
The study, Modulation of blood pressure by dietary potassium and sodium: sex differences and modeling analysis, was recently published in the American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology.
University of Waterloo
Stadt, M., & Layton, A. T. (2025). Modulation of blood pressure by dietary potassium and sodium: sex differences and modeling analysis. American Journal of Physiology-Renal Physiology. doi.org/10.1152/ajprenal.00222.2024.
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This new article publication from Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B, discusses how diabetes-associated sleep fragmentation impairs liver and heart function via SIRT1-dependent epigenetic modulation of NADPH oxidase 4.
Although clinical evidence suggests that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is an established major risk factor for heart failure, it remains unexplored whether sleep disorder-caused hepatic damage contributes to the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The authors of this article revealed that sleep fragmentation (SF) displayed notable hepatic detrimental phenotypes, including steatosis and oxidative damage, along with significant abnormalities in cardiac structure and function. All these pathological changes persisted even after sleep recovery for 2 consecutive weeks or more, displaying memory properties.
Mechanistically, persistent higher expression of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate oxidase 4 (NOX4) in the liver was the key initiator of SF-accelerated damage phenotypes. SF epigenetically controlled the acetylation of histone H3 lysine 27 (H3K27ac) enrichment at the Nox4 promoter and markedly increased Nox4 expression in liver even after sleep recovery. Moreover, fine coordination of the circadian clock and hepatic damage was strictly controlled by BMAL1-dependent Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1) transcription after circadian misalignment. Accordingly, genetic manipulation of liver-specific Nox4 or Sirt1, along with pharmacological intervention targeting NOX4 (GLX351322) or SIRT1 (Resveratrol), could effectively erase the epigenetic modification of Nox4 by reducing the H3K27ac level and ameliorate the progression of liver pathology, thereby counteracting SF-evoked sustained CVD. Collectively, our findings may pave the way for strategies to mitigate myocardial injury from persistent hepatic detrimental memory in diabetic patients.
Compuscript Ltd
Guo, Y., et al. (2025). Diabetes-associated sleep fragmentation impairs liver and heart function via SIRT1-dependent epigenetic modulation of NADPH oxidase 4. Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B. doi.org/10.1016/j.apsb.2024.12.031.
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Announcing a new article publication for BIO Integration journal. Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease characterized by excessive extracellular matrix deposition and tissue scarring, and leading to impaired lung function and respiratory failure. Although current treatments, such as pirfenidone and nintedanib, slow disease progression, they fail to completely halt or reverse fibrosis
Therefore, innovative therapeutic strategies are needed. Targeted drug delivery systems (TDDSs) are emerging as promising solutions. Biomaterials play critical roles in these systems by enhancing drug specificity, availability, and efficacy, while minimizing systemic toxicity. The most notable biomaterials include nanotechnology-based systems, including liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles, which facilitate drug penetration and slow release in fibrotic tissues. Hydrogels have three-dimensional structures providing controlled and sustained drug release at inflammation sites, and therefore are particularly valuable in PF treatment. Furthermore, biological carriers such as stem cells and extracellular vesicles have biocompatibility and anti-inflammatory effects that improve therapeutic outcomes. Despite the promising potential of these systems, clinical translation is hindered by several challenges, including immune clearance, stability of delivery platforms, and optimization of drug retention within diseased tissues. Interdisciplinary approaches integrating precision medicine with advancements in biomaterials may provide solutions opening new avenues for PF treatment.
This article discusses current developments in targeted drug delivery for PF, emphasizing the importance of biomaterials, the mechanisms and barriers involved in pulmonary drug delivery, and future perspectives for overcoming current limitations. The ultimate goal is to improve patient outcomes by revolutionizing the approach to PF treatment through advanced drug delivery technologies.
Compuscript Ltd
Liu, J., et al. (2025). Targeted Drug Delivery System for Pulmonary Fibrosis: Design and Development of Biomaterials. BIO Integration. doi.org/10.15212/bioi-2025-0016.
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A newly-published Cochrane review reveals significant gaps in the clinical rating scales used to assess pain in newborn babies, highlighting the urgent need for improved tools and global collaboration.
Despite the critical importance of accurately measuring pain in newborns, the review found that none of the available scales are backed by the high-quality evidence and methodological safeguards required to confirm their validity and reliability in clinical practice.
Neonatal pain assessment and management presents a challenge for clinical staff worldwide. Over 40 rating scales have been developed and adapted worldwide assessing different parameters and various types of pain.
Six to nine percent of all newborns require admission to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) due to either illness of prematurity. These infants endure multiple painful procedures daily, which can lead to long-term negative effects. Due to this, valid tools to support the assessment of pain are of great importance.
The Cochrane review analysed 79 studies involving over 7,000 infants across 26 countries, evaluating 27 different clinical rating scales. All rating scales were found to be supported by very low-quality evidence, indicating major limitations in their effectiveness and clinical applicability.
Over 70% of rating scales in this review did not assess content and structural validity, and both these factors are essential when selecting a measurement instrument. Without a strong foundation in these areas, other necessary measures, such as reliability, cannot be accurately evaluated. Future studies must prioritise rigorous validation to improve neonatal pain assessment."
Kenneth Färnqvist, physiotherapist and PhD candidate at the Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery at the Karolinska Institute, Sweden
Measuring pain in newborns is particularly complex compared to adults. Such limitations may lead to an over- or under-estimation of pain, resulting in unnecessary sedation or inadequately treated pain, potentially jeopardizing infant safety through treatment side-effects, including withdrawal symptoms or prolonged discomfort. Premature infants further complicate matters, as they often have a reduced ability to display robust pain behaviour due to their immaturity. The same is also true for ill or sedated infants.
"It is important to remember that clinical rating scales are only surrogates for pain measurement," says Roger F. Soll, Professor of Neonatology at the University of Vermont. "Given the uncertainty highlighted in this review, clinical staff should avoid relying too heavily on the rating scales currently in practice and instead strive to decrease painful procedures as much as possible in this vulnerable population."
Despite the disappointing results, this review presents an opportunity for progress in neonatal pain assessment, particularly through global collaboration and innovation.
Emma Persad, doctor and PhD candidate at the Department of Women's and Children's Health at the Karolinska Institute, sees this as an opportunity for global collaboration and a call to action.
"This is our chance to unite clinicians and methodologists in developing a rigorously validated scale from scratch, one that meets all necessary checks before implementation in research and practice," Emma says. "We look forward to beginning this impactful work and the implications it will have on assessing and managing neonatal pain worldwide."
Cochrane
Färnqvist, K., et al. (2025). Clinical rating scales for assessing pain in newborn infants. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. doi.org/10.1002/14651858.mr000064.pub2
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A pioneering study presented today at ESCMID Global 2025 has demonstrated that an AI-powered lung ultrasound outperforms human experts by 9% in diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).
The ULTR-AI suite analyses images from portable, smartphone-connected ultrasound devices, offering a sputum-free, rapid, and scalable alternative for TB detection. The results exceed the World Health Organization (WHO) benchmarks for pulmonary tuberculosis diagnosis, marking a major opportunity for accessible and efficient TB triage.
Despite previous global declines, TB rates rose by 4.6% from 2020 to 2023.2 Early screening and rapid diagnosis are critical components of the WHO's 'End TB Strategy,' yet many high-burden countries experience substantial patient dropouts at the diagnostic stage due to the high cost of chest x-ray equipment and a shortage of trained radiologists.3
These challenges underscore the urgent need for more accessible diagnostic tools. The ULTR-AI suite leverages deep learning algorithms to interpret lung ultrasound in real time, making the tool more accessible for TB triage, especially for minimally trained healthcare workers in rural areas. By reducing operator dependency and standardising the test, this technology can help diagnose patients faster and more efficiently."
Dr. Véronique Suttels, lead study author
The ULTR-AI suite comprises three deep-learning models: ULTR-AI predicts TB directly from lung ultrasound images; ULTR-AI (signs) detects ultrasound patterns as interpreted by human experts; and ULTR-AI (max) uses the highest risk score from both models to optimise accuracy.
The study was conducted at a tertiary urban centre in Benin, West Africa. After exclusions, 504 patients were included, with 192 (38%) confirmed to have pulmonary TB. Among the study population, 15% were HIV-positive and 13% had a history of TB. A standardised 14-point lung ultrasound sliding scan protocol was performed, with human experts interpreting images based on typical lung ultrasound findings. A single sputum molecular test (MTB Xpert Ultra) served as the reference standard.
ULTR-AI (max) demonstrated 93% sensitivity and 81% specificity (AUROC 0.93, 95% CI 0.92-0.95), exceeding WHO's target thresholds of 90% sensitivity and 70% specificity for non-sputum-based TB triage tests.
"Our model clearly detects human-recognisable lung ultrasound findings-like large consolidations and interstitial changes-but an end-to-end deep learning approach captures even subtler features beyond the human eye," said Dr. Suttels. "Our hope is that this will help identify early pathological signs such as small sub-centimetre pleural lesions common in TB."
"A key advantage of our AI models is the immediate turnaround time once they are integrated into an app," added Dr. Suttels. "This allows lung ultrasound to function as a true point-of-care test with good diagnostic performance at triage, providing instant results while the patient is still with the healthcare worker. Faster diagnosis could also improve linkage to care, reducing the risk of patients being lost to follow-up."
European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID)
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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.
The reigning FIFA Women's Coach of the Year, U.S. Women's National Team boss Emma Hayes knows exactly what it takes to succeed both domestically and internationally. The former Chelsea coach left London in 2024 for a return to the U.S. having guided the Blues to seven Women's Super League titles and numerous other accolades during her 12 years in charge.
Then just 75 days into her time with the USWNT, who were still reeling after their thoroughly underwhelming FIFA Women's World Cup performance in 2023, Hayes guided her side to a gold medal at the Paris Olympic Games.
But this level of success doesn't come easily, with Hayes having gone into detail about her work ethic in an interview with CNN. “I think first of all, work every day like you're going to get fired. And that sounds mental, doesn't it?” she admitted. Meanwhile, the USWNT recently announced that their second scheduled friendly against China has been dropped, with Jamaica now set to take on Hayes' side.
“Having been fired, what you learn is you have to stay so present in everything you're doing to make sure you do it at the best possible level.”
However, while many would see the looming prospect of unemployment as a reason to be fearful, Hayes believes the best way to approach it is by simply accepting it - something she clearly did after being let go by the Chicago Red Stars in 2010. “No, it's not fear. It's acceptance of the reality of the profession. And I accept all of those things,” she said.
“But I also think without being fired, I don't think I'd be the coach that I am. I think that shapes you and I think you should be fired. I think it's good for the soul because it develops that little bit of resilience that's required. And it's a job. I love it. It's a job. And the most important thing is my health and family.”
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Of course, while Hayes loves her job, it isn't without its pitfalls - especially in the women's game. Hayes has regularly reiterated her desire to help transform women's soccer in the U.S. with a focus on redeveloping elements of the sport from a female perspective.
“We've got a long way to go in our culture in England to be able to see the value of women in football,” Hayes said. “There is always a greater sense that the game of football in England is only for males.
“Unfortunately, still with football, everything is modeled on the men's game. So we say, ‘Oh, we've got to run teams like the men's game. You've got a coach them like the men's game.' Why do we have to do that?”
It isn't just coaching that Hayes believes needs an overhaul, having previously highlighted in an interview with CNBC the importance of adjusting other areas to be more suited to women such as rehabbing from injuries, recovering after games, or strength and conditioning work.
What's more, Hayes is also working to help develop the women's game far beyond just the senior team. Having regularly emphasized the importance of creating a clear pathway via which young players can develop and progress into the first team, the Under-23s have already been re-established.
She also wants to help address issues at the very bottom of the pyramid, having recently discussed her concerns regarding the high rate of young players dropping out of the sport once they reach puberty.
“I'd love to create a world where coaches and the clubs are well-armed with the tools and the knowledge to be able to support women and girls that are going through really really difficult periods in their life, but with the ultimate motivation to keep them in the sport because the dropout rates, in my honest opinion, can be avoided if we understand girls better,” Hayes explained.
But while her ambitions go above and beyond her current job description, Hayes' main focus will still be the USWNT which has a series of tough friendlies scheduled over the coming months as they continue to prepare for World Cup redemption in 2027.
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ATLANTA – With the ongoing objective to expand and improve the Women's Youth National Team player pool, U.S. Soccer will hold its third and final regional mini-camp of 2025 as part of the Under-14 Girls' Talent Identification Program.
Eighty players from the Central Region, all born in 2011, will gather from April 17-21 in Austin, Texas
Not only will this be an opportunity for some of the most talented young female players theses regions to show their talents to National Team coaches and scouts, but the U-14 TID program provides more opportunities for female scouts and coaches as well. The entire coaching staff for the camp will be female with the U.S. Women's National Team program, under head coach Emma Hayes, endeavoring to look at all women's and girls' development through a female lens.
The camp will be led by U.S. Soccer Director of Talent ID Nicole Lukic along with Central Talent ID Manager Lindsay Basalyga and South Talent ID Manager Illeana Moschos, who along with the other U.S. Soccer Regional Talent ID Managers will oversee nine female coaches – including one goalkeeper coach – who are also part of the Women's Youth National Team Scouting Network. The coaches will lead and facilitate the players' learning during the week of training, games and off field video analysis and education sessions. Adhering the maxim of “If you can see it, you can be it,” a large portion of the support staff will consist of women as well, who along with the coaching staff will give the players numerous female role models for the entire week of training camp.
All 80 players come from either Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Texas, Utah or Wisconsin.
The U-14 TID Program is designed to discover a larger base of high potentials through widespread scouting at the U-14 age group and build the player pool foundation for the U-15 Girls' National Teams while introducing them to The U.S. Way. The mini-camp format helps to evaluate and inspire high-potential players while accelerating their development in an engaging, supportive and challenging environment.
In addition to expanding the YNT player pool at its early stages, the scouting and identification structure gives U-14 players a meaningful opportunity to learn and apply basic principles of the U.S. Way playing philosophy and other high performance education topics such as nutrition, rest and recovery and self-evaluation tools to help them take further responsibility for their own development. Travel is minimized through the regional mini-camp set-up, helping minimize days away from home, school and club. The program also bolsters U.S. Soccer's national network of scouts, advancing their education and development while also building the Federation's connections with clubs across the country.
There will be one final U-14 Girls' Talent ID event this year when 60 players – 20 of the top players from each region – West, Central and East – come together in Chula Vista, Calif. from May 30-June 4 in an event led by Lukic.
Goalkeepers (8): Lily Albertson (Michigan Jaguars FC; Northville, Mich.), Claire Allen (Colorado Rapids Youth SC; Broomfield, Colo.), Olivia Devaux (HTX; Katy, Texas), Sarah Komacki (Galaxy SC; Elgin, Ill.), Azalea Osmond (Utah Celtic FC; Highland, Utah), Gwen Provost (Indy Eleven; Carmel, Ind.), Sophia Thompson (Rockford Raptors FC; Freeport, Ill.), Sarah Webb (Solar Soccer Club; Rockwall, Texas)
Defenders (27): Avery Alley (Sting Austin; Austin, Texas), Jaidyn Beal (Forms Academy; Dallas, Texas), Morghan Callis (Colorado United; Highlands Ranch, Colo.), Hadlee Durrant (Wasatch Soccer Club; Syracuse, Utah), Kennedy Early (Colorado Rapids Youth SC; Castle Rock, Colo.), Parker Goetz (Kings Hammer FC; Independence, Ky.), Erin Gonzalez (Solar Soccer Club; Dallas, Texas), Ava Hall (Lexington SC; Winchester, Ky.), Kendal Hansen (Sporting Iowa; Clive, Iowa), Hinckley Hassan (Utah Celtic FC; Mapleton, Utah), Lauren Hough (Real Colorado; Fort Collins, Colo.), McKenna Kann (Michigan Hawks; South Lyon, Mich.), Collins Kracik (Chicago Inter SC; Park Ridge, Ill.), Kennedy Lindsey (Real Colorado; Fort Collins, Colo.), Kendalyn McDowell (Indy Premier SC; Fishers, Ind.), Sammi Miron (Racing Louisville Academy; Goshen, Ky.), Gabby Morris (Missouri Rush SC; Wentzville, Mo.), Annabel Pezzani (Lou Fusz Athletic; Chesterfield, Mo.), Kai Ramos (Solar SC; Frisco, Texas), Ariana Rodriguez (Solar SC; Arlington, Texas), Brooklyn Russell (Cleveland Force SC; Cleveland, Ohio), Mollie Samborski (Elmbrook United; Oconomowoc, Wisc.), Saylor Stock (Sting Dallas; Dallas, Texas), Siena Stone (Central Illinois United; Metamora, Ill.), Lulu Talbott (FC Dallas; McKinney, Texas), Colbie Thornhill (Indy Eleven; Westfield, Ind.), Cambria Williams (Eclipse Select SC; Glendale Heights, Ill.)
Midfielders (24): Angelica Alzugaray (Cincinnati United SC; Cincinnati, Ohio), Sophie Andersen (St. Louis Scott Gallagher; Wentzville, Mo.), Harper Ballenger (Colorado Rush SC; Englewood, Colo.), Chloe Bond (St. Louis Development Academy; St. Peters, Mo.), Ava Carter (Lou Fusz Athletic; Red Bud, Ill.), Giada Colamatteo (Eclipse Select SC; Batavia, Ill.), Annsley Dercks (FC Dallas; Fairview, Texas), Cambria Drewry (Sting Dallas Royal; Keller, Texas), Sonu Gautam (Sting Dallas Black; Allen, Texas), Samantha Gutzman (La Roca FC; Provo, Utah), Alaia Harrington (FC Dallas; Southlake, Texas), Taylor Henley (La Roca FC; Syracuse, Utah), Sophie Iuga (Real Colorado; Lone Tree, Colo.), Maddy James (Ohio Galaxies; Xenia, Ohio), Liana Kim (Ohio Elite SA; West Chester, Ohio), Maryn Roeder (Indy Eleven; Fishers, Ind.), Camila Roman (SC Wave; Milwaukee, Wisc.), Astrid Ryan (Columbus Force; Dublin, Ohio), Alanna Smith (Wasatch SC; Ogden, Utah), Brielle Steed (Utah Celtic FC; Vineyard, Utah), Mia Tokrri (Michigan Jaguars FC; Commerce, Mich.), Lyla Villareal (Classics Elite SA; San Antonio, Texas), Brooklyn Walker (Solar SC; Plano, Texas), Olivia Winters (Eclipse Select SC; Chicago, Ill.)
Forwards (21): Claire Allen (Solar SC; Dallas, Texas), Lucy Bergstedt (Utah Avalanche; Salt Lake City, Utah), Aubrey Blakely (Kings Hammer FC; Cincinnati, Ohio), Trinity Bledsoe (FC Dallas; Dallas, Texas), Ruby Gilbert (Utah Avalanche; Salt Lake City, Utah), Jourdan Henderson (Galaxy SC; Plainfield, Ill.), Cassie Hernandez (Minnesota Thunder; White Bear Township, Minn.), London Hutchinson (Sting Dallas Black; Dallas, Texas), Olivia Jones (Indy Premier SC; Chesterton, Ind.), Peyton Lefler (Central Illinois United; Peoria, Ill.), Zoey Montgomery (Indy Premier SC; Lexington, Ky.), Brynlee Nordstrom (Sting Austin; Cedar Park, Texas), Jordan Paynter (Utah Celtic FC; Draper, Utah), Reese Roethe (Elmbrook United; Milwaukee, Wisc.), Aurora Rice (Kansas City Athletics; Lees Summit, Mo.), Laini Rucka (Galaxy SC; Channahon, Ill.), Ava Sadlowski (Albion Hurricanes FC; Houston, Texas), Ada Smith (Utah Avalanche; South Jordan, Utah), Tori Vassor (Sporting Blue Valley; Olathe, Kan.), Claire Young (Cincinnati United SC; Cincinnati, Ohio), Aniah Zembrodt (Kings Hammer FC; Independence, Ky.)
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With the Concacaf Gold Cup just two months away, the U. S. Men's National Team is in a crucial phase of its development. But how are its stars faring for their club teams around the world? Here's a breakdown:
Forward Brian White | Vancouver Whitecaps
After scoring four — yes, four — goals against Austin FC on Saturday, the New Jersey-born White became Major League Soccer's leading goal scorer in 2025. The 29-year-old made his belated USMNT debut in January under Mauricio Pochettino and has proved to be the most reliable goal scorer of MLS' American strikers.
White's weekend goal haul is impressive because of the opponent. Before the Vancouver game, Austin FC had allowed only three goals in its previous seven matches. Pochettino, take note: White is the ideal guy to start up top next time your USMNT faces a stubborn defense.
Midfielder Christian Pulisic | AC Milan
On Friday, Pennsylvania native Pulisic notched one assist in AC Milan's 4-0 Serie A win over Udinese. It was his eighth assist in the league and 10th in all competitions in 2024-25. Those numbers make him one of the more productive goal creators in Europe's top leagues this season — only Mohamed Salah, Lamine Yamal and Bukayo Saka are better.
Midfielder Weston McKennie | AC Milan
It's not all good news for American soccer. (Let's be real: It's never all good news for American soccer.) McKennie, Pulisic's AC Milan teammate, made headlines for all the wrong reasons after being named in a wide-reaching Italian sports betting probe.
McKennie was accused of using a banned site to play online poker, not betting on his own matches. The former carries a maximum fine of $284; the latter can result in a multi-year ban from the sport.
Defender Cameron Carter-Vickers | Celtic FC
Carter-Vickers is one of the USMNT's top central defenders, but on Saturday, he turned into one of its most eye-catching goalscorers, too. Check out this otherworldly strike to lift Celtic to a 5-1 win over Kilmarnock in the Scottish Premiership.
Forward Folarin Balogun | AS Monaco
Balogun joined the USMNT as one of its more exciting prospects in years, but a persistent shoulder injury has kept him off the field in 2025. But that's about to change.
After successful surgery at the end of 2024, Balogun is well on his way to full fitness. He has made substitute appearances in three straight league games for AS Monaco and scored a hat trick against Brighton in a friendly match for Monaco's reserve squad. That's excellent progress for a player the USMNT will need in the World Cup in 2026.
Midfielder Matko Miljevic | Huracan
Miljevic isn't a fan favorite for the USMNT; the Miami-born attacking midfielder lost a lot of support after starting a bizarre on-field altercation while playing for CF Montreal. But even the messiest players can find redemption, and Miljevic seems determined to get back into the USMNT's good graces.
Miljevic notched three assists for his Argentine club side Huracan in its crucial Copa Sudamericana clash against Uruguay's Racing Club de Montevideo. The USMNT desperately needs creative attackers; Miljevic's production, coming as it is from Pochettino's home country of Argentina, should earn him another shot with the USMNT.
Alyssa is a Boston-born Californian with a passion for global sport. She can yell about misplaced soccer passes in five languages and rattle off the turns of Silverstone in her sleep. You can find her dormant Twitter account at @alyssaclang, but honestly, you're probably better off finding her here
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Jack Grealish reportedly racked up a £5,000 bar bill as he partied with friends after Manchester City's 5-2 win over Crystal Palace.
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Victor Osimhen issued a statement on his future as Galatasaray remain determined to retain the striker's services.
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A self-proclaimed late bloomer in the goalkeeping world, could Tullis-Joyce be the answer to the USWNT's shot-stopper vacancy?
Phallon Tullis-Joyce knows all about patience.
Whether it is plunging 130ft down into the depths of the ocean, or waiting to become Manchester United's first-choice goalkeeper, the football player is well-versed in the art of biding her time.
The 28-year-old is considered a late bloomer in the sport, something relatively common for those who spend their career between the goalposts.
A move to England two years ago represented a new phase in her career, one that was duly rewarded with a senior debut for the United States Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) in April 2025.
When she is not on the pitch, though, you can find her scouring the ocean for wildlife.
“I was obsessed with soccer from the start and I was obsessed with marine biology from the start,” she said in an interview with the Guardian.
“I always knew that those were my paths.”
But for now, at least, she is focused on diving into a new opportunity – one that could see her assume the no.1 spot for the USWNT.
Love football? ⚽ Relive the best football moments from Paris 2024 🏅
Tullis-Joyce's debut for the USWNT.
Phallon has loved the ocean for as long as she can remember.
“I just fell in love with how much mystery there is,” she revealed to Just Women's Sports.
“When you go underwater, you will never see the same thing twice.
“The animals and their adaptations and how they've evolved to exist underwater – it just blows my mind every single time.”
Her passion led to qualifications, majoring in marine biology at university before becoming deep-diving certified up to 130ft.
It's not something she enjoys alone, though. In fact, she is working with the Manchester community to give her vast knowledge of sea life to children in schools.
“I've had a great time being with the community and helping out in any way that I can; I just love shedding any kind of light on how awesome our oceans are,” she told the club website.
“At the schools, the kids are incredible and love learning too… I think it's super important to be part of our community, especially as professional athletes.
“So many people helped me along the way, and this is my way of giving a little back; all that I have learned that's been passed and shared with me – passing that on to future generations is what I'd like to do.”
A post shared by phallon (@phallon)
A handful of goalkeepers are in the mix to become Emma Hayes's next no.1 for the United States, following the international retirement of Alyssa Naeher late last year.
Tullis-Joyce is a bit of a latecomer to the party, earning her first call to camp last November.
She proved once again that patience is a virtue, continuing to work on her game before being rewarded with her debut against Brazil in April.
To top it off, the ocean enthusiast kept a clean sheet on her first appearance.
At the time of writing, this season has seen Tullis-Joyce play 25 games for Manchester United, conceding just 10 goals and earning a staggering 17 shutouts.
“I've been a little bit of a late bloomer for a goalkeeper,” she admitted.
“My progress has been a little slower, but you can still have your time… I still believe that no matter what age you are, you can still grow – I'm still learning plenty of new things.
“I want to show my communication skills and own it. I want to be a strong force at the back.”
She spent much of last season waiting in the wings, learning from England's Mary Earps, preparing for her moment in the spotlight.
“As much as learning can be painful sometimes, it has been such a great growth experience for me to be exposed to the national team environment and see what it takes to play at the top level,” she told Sky Sports.
“It was a massive eye-opener and [I'm excited] to keep growing for Manchester United and hopefully for my country.”
Neymar enjoyed a touching reunion with former Brazil team-mate Thiago Silva ahead of Santos' clash against Fluminense.
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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."
The Italian giants will be among the top contenders to take the trophy as they look to build on recent success
After a decade of Juventus dominance at the very top of Italian soccer, Serie A has become as entertaining as any league in the world. With a number of strong teams, the country's top flight has gone from Europe's most predictable league to one of its most unpredictable.
Of those top sides, Inter Milan have come closest to shedding the "very good" label in favor of a "great." They've won the league twice in the last four years and, if results hold, they'll win it again this year.
On the continent, they have a Champions League final run on their resume, too, proving that they can win at every level. They're Italy's model club. No team in the world wants to face Inter.
They'll get another chance to showcase that in the Club World Cup. Their Champions League successes put them in a position to go toe-to-toe with the game's elite. Led by stars all over the field, Inter will head to the United States this summer with both belief and expectations. This is a team that can win, one that has the talent, experience and mentality to go out and beat anyone in their path.
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 Inter Milan with a look at key players to watch, and expectations for the Italian side at the tournament.
Soccer ball in goal on green grass
Over the next two years, Philadelphia will become the world's stage for several international sporting events. In addition to hosting the World Cup during the summer of 2026, a new tournament called the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 will be played in Philadelphia this summer.
The city will host eight matches in the new tournament. Group play begins at Lincoln Financial Field on June 16 and concludes with a quarterfinal match on July 4.
On Thursday, April 10, FIFA president Gianni Infantino visited Lincoln Financial Field to announce the tournament. It will bring 32 teams from six international FIFA confederations to 11 U.S. cities this summer, including Philadelphia.
"We have fans from Chelsea, or [Manchester] City, or Real Madrid. They come from all over the world, and they will come to the United States. They will come to Philadelphia," Infantino said in a media statement shared with CBS News Philadelphia. "We thought that Philadelphia is such a great city that we'll bring another World Cup to Philadelphia as well this year."
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said the tournament will help Philadelphia reach "the next level as being a global hub for entertainment, culture, and sports."
Soccer isn't the only big sporting event that will take place in Philadelphia. Next year, in 2026, the city will host the MLB All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park. It's the fifth time that the city has hosted the event. The Wells Fargo Center will be the center of sports action. That's for the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship. Finally, the PGA Championship will be held May 11 to 17 at Aronimink Golf Club in Newton Square.
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World Cup
As soon as FIFA finalized its 2026 World Cup qualifying timeline, March 24, 2025, was poised to be a milestone day for the New Zealand men's national team. When Chris Wood exited its match that day in the 54th minute, however, tensions were impossible to ignore.
New Caledonia entered the final of Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)'s bracket as a heavy underdog, given New Zealand's regional dominance and the fact the match was staged in Auckland. The visitors put in a spirited first half, marking Wood — the Nottingham Forest striker who is New Zealand's all-time leading goalscorer by a considerable margin — with two or three defenders and dependably clearing crosses into the box. Nine minutes into the second half, Wood took a kick to the hip, forcing him to depart with the match still scoreless.
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“We were all wondering where the goal was going to come from,” defender Michael Boxall told The Athletic in the aftermath of the result.
Everyone in the stadium likely assumed the scorer would be anybody but Boxall himself.
The 36-year-old has been a regular part of New Zealand's program since debuting in 2011, a year after the nation's most recent World Cup appearance. Only three active members of the All Whites' pool have earned more caps than his 55, but Boxall entered the OFC qualifying final without an international goal on his ledger. His job had been to prevent opponents from rippling the net, not to score of his own volition.
And yet, a well-rehearsed corner kick routine in the 61st minute put Boxall in a rare position. Francis De Vries looped his kick over the congregated hoard and toward the far post, just beyond the goalkeeper's hopeful reach. Boxall timed his jump to perfection, rising above his defensive mark to nod the ball into the net.
Boxall opens the scoring at @edenparknz 🇳🇿💪 pic.twitter.com/6eheeMnb2J
— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) March 24, 2025
A day shy of 14 years from making his senior international debut, Boxall's first goal for New Zealand had effectively secured the nation a place at the 2026 World Cup. For a veteran who has come to thrive in one of the sport's least glamorous roles, it was a hero's turn that left him uncertain how to react.
“As I saw it hit the net, I guess I didn't really realize the moment, until Marko Stamenić and Liberato (Cacace), how they reacted around me,” Boxall said. “Seeing their reactions kind of set me off, and we had a good, good home crowd there. Just hearing them erupt was a pretty special moment.”
At last, the favorites found their breakthrough. New Zealand doubled the lead five minutes later, and New Caledonia failed to present a compelling response in what wound up a 3-0 result. As Boxall put it, “the last 20 minutes were a lot more relaxing than the first first hour or so.”
Culturally, New Zealanders are characterized as being considerably humble. Whether it's reliving his latest career milestone or speaking about his team's efforts across qualifying, Boxall's answers are largely in that spirit. However, New Zealand's status atop the OFC hierarchy since Australia joined the Asian Football Confederation in 2006 meant that completing the qualification process was a simple act of meeting expectations.
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Few teams in international soccer, if any, have a claim to regional dominance like New Zealand has earned in Oceania. Since Australia's departure, the All Whites emerged from World Cup qualifying in the top position in each of the last four installments of the 32-team era. In the last three, they ultimately lost in an inter-confederation playoff. So as FIFA's expansion of the 2026 World Cup — growing the field to 48 — hatched hopes around the world, Oceania suddenly had a guarantee of a place in the field for its top combatant.
“Once this was announced — not to count our chickens before they hatched — but we were like, ‘OK, that spot's ours',” Boxall said. “But we have to obviously take care of business, and make sure we dominate Oceania, make sure it's ours. There was probably a few players who thought it was almost a guaranteed spot for us, as long as we don't do something disastrous, and I mean, that was pretty much the case.”
New Zealand didn't sweat many moments of its qualifying path beyond the first half against New Caledonia. In its group stage, New Zealand won all three games against Tahiti, Vanuatu and Somoa 19-1 combined. In the semifinal against Fiji, it logged a 7-0 win. So while Jordy Tasip managed to score for Vanuatu, it was the only blemish in a 29-1 demolition job to enter the 48-team field.
Often, teams with New Zealand's profile — top performers in the world's less-hallowed confederations — are treated as filler in tournament projections, the teams left hoping to test true contenders in the group stage as Saudi Arabia did to Argentina in 2022. However, much has changed about New Zealand's player pool since 2010. The All Whites aren't just heading to North America next summer for a lark; they want to show that they're more than the biggest fish in a small pond.
“How do I say this … If our expectations aren't to be at this World Cup, then we were selling ourselves short,” Boxall said. “For us, it was never about just getting there.
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“A lot of our the players on this team got inspired by the 2010 World Cup team, and so they're in the national team, having grown up watching the 2010 team. I think now that the tables have turned, they can hopefully influence a lot of younger players in New Zealand. I think that's what we want to do. How we've begun to play over the last cycle can change the representation of how people see New Zealand as playing football. That's kind of the direction we'd like to go down.”
That 2010 squad became something of a legend, drawing all three of its group games (including against defending champion Italy) to turn Group F on its head. However, its spirit was less of a plucky and proactive underdog and more in line with a staunch defensive unit that just wouldn't quit. It's a sentiment that Boxall echoes as that group's enduring legacy.
“I think they saw themselves as not as talented (as their opponents), but they had a ton of grit to grind out games,” he said.
So while the rising wave of talent grew up with fond memories of the showing in South Africa, they're going about it in a style all their own. The five most-capped midfielders in the final OFC qualifying squad are all 25 or younger. Cacace (aged 24) and Wood (33) play in Serie A and the Premier League, respectively, while the midfield quintet represents clubs in Austria, Denmark, Greece, Norway and the Netherlands.
“Technically, we've got so many more ball-players than what we used to have,” Boxall said. “I remember my first few years in the national team, we were obviously pretty direct, pretty industrial: defending deep, relying on counterattacks and set pieces to win games. Now, we've got so much more talent, especially in midfield with creative pieces, where we're trying to take it to the teams that are ranked far higher than us. I think we're excited by that challenge, that we can play in a different way to what I grew up watching and playing.”
A 29-1 aggregate walloping in qualifying can't happen without some well-executed creativity, but the team knows it'll face tougher draws even in the increasingly diluted World Cup field.
On either side of The Athletic's interview, the conversation drifts to the state of qualifying in other confederations as Boxall starts to project possible draw outcomes for the 2026 World Cup. Even as Paraguay continues to shock CONMEBOL and Africa's state of qualifying has sprung some surprises, New Zealand, 86th in FIFA's world ranking, will need to incorporate at least some of the hard-nosed approach that made 2010 a galvanizing moment.
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“I think that's the biggest thing we have to we have to take from those teams,” Boxall said. “Yeah, maybe we have a bit more talent than prior teams, but we're not going to win games on talent alone. We still need that Kiwi grit and determination and to just be a bit of a dog sometimes. We're not going to just connect 40 passes and bang goals in.”
These days, the sport's congested calendar and a slew of newly launched competitions for club and country can make international duty feel like a burden. After the U.S.'s calamitous showing in last month's Concacaf Nations League, some questioned whether Mauricio Pochettino's squad felt an intrinsic desire to be part of the national team. Even storied Brazil is in the midst of its own reckoning, as its stars seem more driven by success on European clubs than restoring the Seleção back to the sport's summit.
It isn't a feeling with which Boxall can relate, and not just due to New Zealand's ongoing identity revamp.
“My whole time with the national team, that environment's always been super positive,” Boxall said. “We've got guys from so many different walks of life and the top leagues around the world, and then everyone comes back and something about the New Zealand kind of humility, and down to earth— it's great to be around. Once you adjust from the travel and the jet lag, then it's pretty awesome.
“I love seeing different parts of the world that I would never otherwise be able to see. Twelve months ago, we were in Egypt, and getting to go see the pyramids and the Sphinx and stuff, I would never have that opportunity otherwise. The little kid of me still geeks out about seeing those places. But also, the challenge of international football, I still really enjoy.”
He won't quite scratch that tourist's itch in 2026 if he's on New Zealand's squad, though. Boxall has played for MLS's Minnesota United since 2017, serving as one of the squad's most important members for nearly a decade as well as its captain. He helped author another clean sheet this past weekend in a 0-0 draw with Toronto FC, the club's fourth in eight MLS matches in 2025. During pre-game lineup announcements at Allianz Field, Boxall's name routinely draws one of the loudest vocal endorsements from the team's supporters.
It isn't a bittersweet payoff for a qualifying goal — as he puts it with some jest, “a World Cup here would probably be more enjoyable, travel-wise, than one in Qatar.” He won't have to worry about adjusting his sleep schedule, nor with the cross-continental travel that New Zealand could face after the group draw. Now, the focus is on keeping himself in contention to make the final squad.
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Boxall, who will turn 37 in August, has continued to refine his routine between games to stay in peak fitness. Understandably, the ability to represent his nation in a World Cup where his family currently lives is an undeniably motivator. Boxall also credited the expertise of his wife, Libby, a registered nutritionist and naturopath who founded ingestible supplements company Dose & Co., with altering his diet to ensure peak performance.
“I've always kind of struggled with long-term goals when, especially in team sports, so much is out of your control,” Boxall said. “I kind of planted that seed out there: it's like, OK, the goal is to make the 2026 World Cup. I think having that there, it's all the little things you do day-to-day that will get you there. Picking up the little habits, bouncing off nutrition and dietary things off my wife has helped as well. Nothing too crazy, it's nothing too complicated. Alcohol is pretty much cut out.
“Unfortunately, I don't have the funds to do the LeBron ‘million dollars a year on my body' kind of thing, but just picking up a few habits here and there, so far, seems to be working.”
Boxall has put himself in a good position to realize that ambition, between his defensive acumen, his leadership shops – and his timely goal contributions.
“I still haven't truly accepted that I'm, like, an older kind of leader, but I think I'm trying to look at it through the eyes of like how other people may see me, and try to be a bit more influential in those ways,” Boxall said. “I'll speak up when it needs when it needs to be done, but I think just making sure my level of consistency and intensity is there every day, I want that to become infectious. I'd rather like lead with actions than have to give some kind of speech. During my 15 years or so of playing, you notice that good leaders and bad leaders, they all say the same things. They say the same words. The difference is their actions. That's how I try and influence a group.”
Still, the hard work is still left to be done in spite of over a decade of dependable service for his national team. Simply making the squad isn't the aim for the veteran — it's to play, and to deserve those minutes on the back of his recent performances. He remains a starter for a Minnesota side that has lofty ambitions – “I think we'd be selling ourselves short if we thought we couldn't finish in the top four,” he said – which should allow him to maintain a high standard of play.
The rest will largely be intrinsic. As New Caledonia learned, it'd be foolish to bet against Boxall once he gets into the right spot.
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“I think the World Cup will be a month or two short of my 38th birthday, so I'll leave no stone unturned trying to make sure that I'm there,” he said. “I don't want to be added to the squad as, like, a kind of cheerleader or leadership role. I want to make sure that I'm competing for a starting spot and earning it, rather than having it based on goodwill or my career. It's something I want to make sure that I've earned.”
(Top photo: Joe Serci/SPP/Sipa USA/AP)
Jeff Rueter is a senior soccer writer for The Athletic who covers the game in North America, Europe, and beyond. No matter how often he hears the Number 10 role is "dying," he'll always leave a light on for the next great playmaker. Follow Jeff on Twitter @jeffrueter
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Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will miss Wendesday's Champions League clash between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich.
This is confirmed by German tabloid BILD, via FCInterNews. They report that the 39-year-old will not recover from a calf injury in time for the crucial knockout match.
Bayern Munich have been without a number of players for their Champions League tie against Inter Milan.
Jamal Musiala is the biggest name absentee. However, injuries to all of Alphonso Davies, Dayot Upamecano, and Hiroki Ito have also decimated the Bavarians' defense.
Meanwhile, Bayern captain Manuel Neuer has been out for a few weeks with a thorny calf injury.
The 39-year-old has not yet managed to make his return to training.
Whilst Neuer has been out, Jonas Urbig has started in the veteran's place.
The young keeper was in the Bayern starting eleven for the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie against Inter.
And Urbig will once again start for the Bavarians on Wednesday.
According to BILD, keeper Manuel Neuer will not be able to recover in time for the second leg against Inter.
Emma Hayes had only been head coach of the US Women's National Team for a few months when she led them to an Olympic gold medal last August.
It was the highest-profile success in a career that had included winning 15 trophies in 12 years as manager of Chelsea, including five straight league titles.
But speaking to CNN's Amanda Davies at the end of last year, Hayes said that for her, football is about more than just the silverware.
“I enjoy winning, but it's not my motivator,” she said. “I think creating inspiring environments for people to thrive in and creating a landscape where women in particular can thrive and develop, grow, be given opportunity — that's what I get out of bed for every day.”
Hayes has advocated for women in football throughout her career, unsurprising considering that her dad once told her “to change the face of women's football.”
She grew up in the London neighborhood of Camden, where her dad was active in the football community, starting a local league, and Hayes was equally obsessed with the sport.
“I was the kid that would come home from school, drop my school bag, run down to the pitch, play till 10 at night,” she recalled.
A warren of music venues, markets and counterculture, Camden is famous for producing artists, actors and campaigners. “I think this diverse, eclectic, little left-of-center place that's Camden, with our market and multicultural neighborhood, I think has had such a big impact on who I am,” Hayes said.
A skiing accident at the age of 17 ended her nascent playing career. She studied for a master's degree in intelligence and international affairs, but in 2002 she returned to football, starting her career as a coach in the US.
Hayes' first coaching job was with the Long Island Lady Riders. They immediately won their conference and Hayes was made W-League Coach of the Year, before becoming head coach of the women's team at Iona College in New York, until 2005.
She then spent two years winning multiple trophies as an assistant coach at Arsenal, returning to the US in 2008 to coach the Chicago Red Stars, one of the seven teams established as part of the new Women's Professional Soccer league. Though the team had a star roster, including Megan Rapinoe, they struggled, finishing sixth out of seven in 2009 and 2010, and Hayes was fired.
But Hayes says she has that experience to thank for her future success.
“Without being fired, I don't think I'd be the coach that I am,” she told CNN. “I think that shapes you, and I think you should be fired. I think it's good for the soul because it develops that little bit of resilience that's required.”
After the Chicago Red Stars, Hayes spent some time away from coaching, but in 2012 she became the manager of Chelsea, leading them to unprecedented success.
It was that success that paved the way for her to take the top job with the US Women's National Team. But just as that coaching role came up in 2023, Hayes' dad died, and she was caught between her dream job and her grieving family.
“The last thing I wanted to do was abandon anyone,” she said. “I didn't want to abandon Mum. My sisters needed me. We all needed each other. And all I kept thinking was, ‘I can't do this. This is selfish.'”
“And then I kept hearing my dad in the background going, ‘This is what you worked your whole life for, this is the one you want.'”
She was driving to work one morning when she heard his voice, telling her: “You have got to go to that interview, you have got to get that job.” She rang her agent and said: “I've got to go. My dad wants me to do it.”
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Coaching the most dominant team in the history of international women's football, and the winner of four Women's World Cup titles, has given her an even bigger opportunity to advocate for women's football. “I want to use my platform and my voice to support women front and center,” she said.
Hayes is glad to be back in the US, where she thinks there is more equality in football than in her home country. “We've got a long way to go in our culture in England to be able to see the value of women in football,” she said.
“There is always a greater sense that the game of football in England is only for males,” she added.
“Unfortunately, still with football, everything is modeled on the men's game. So we say, ‘oh, we've got to run teams like the men's game. You've got a coach them like the men's game.' Why do we have to do that?”
In 2024, Hayes won the women's Johan Cruyff Trophy, the inaugural Ballon d'Or award for the world's best coach, but Hayes believes there's plenty still to play for. “Beyond doing the sport I love, I believe I was put on this Earth to build women's soccer out in a certain way, to push the envelope, to be strategic about that. And it goes beyond winning.”
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Jacob Fearnley broke into the top 100 in late 2024
British number two Jacob Fearnley claimed his first win on clay on the ATP Tour with victory over Roberto Carballes Baena at the Barcelona Open.
The Scot, into the main draw as a lucky loser, beat the Spaniard 6-1 7-5 to reach the second round.
He will face either Australian fifth seed Alex de Minaur or Argentina's Tomas Martin Etcheverry next.
Fearnley was ranked outside the top 600 a year ago, but won four ATP Challenger titles in 2024 to rise inside the top 100.
Currently ranked 74th, Fearnley will gain direct entry to the French Open, which takes place from 25 May-8 June.
Elsewhere, Britain's Billy Harris lost 6-2 6-7 (2-7) 6-4 to David Goffin at the Munich Open.
Englishman Harris also benefited from a lucky loser spot but was edged out by Belgium's Goffin in a tight match lasting two hours and 32 minutes.
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Few 17-year-old's have enjoyed a six-month period quite like the one Justin Engel has just experienced.
In October, the #NextGenATP German became the first player born in 2007 or later to win an ATP Tour match when he defeated Coleman Wong in Almaty. Since then, he has hired a former Top 20 player as his coach, met his tennis idol, and mixed it with one of German football's most famous names. This week in Munich, Engel is preparing for another novel experience: His first tour-level event on home soil, the 2025 BMW Open by Bitpanda.
“It's totally exciting. I mean, I'm almost at home here,” said Engel, who hails from Nuremburg, just 170km north of Munich. “A lot of people know me here in Munich, and I also train in the tennis base Oberhaching here, so I'm really excited to play here.
“I was here [at the tournament] when I was eight or nine years old, and I watched [Gael] Monfils. It's really funny, now I'm here with him [at the same event]. It's really exciting to do this step in my career and let's see how it goes.”
In Engel's player box for his first-round match against Fabian Marozsan, which is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, will be coach Philipp Kohlschreiber. The former World No. 16 and eight-time ATP Tour champion joined the teenager's team shortly after his historic win in Almaty. Kohlschreiber is a record three-time champion in Munich, a fact that Engel admits has come up in conversation.
“Of course he talks about it. That is like his ‘biggest flex',” joked the World No. 347. “It's really exciting to have this kind of player, now coach, in my team. Let's hope he can give me some tips on how to win some matches here.”
Engel had to adjust to increased media attention, especially in his home country, after his historic victory against Wong. From an on-court perspective, however, the teenager says he learned as much from his second-round loss to Francisco Cerundolo in Kazakhstan as he did from his opening-round win.
“After the first match, I knew I have the potential to really play at this level,” he said. “Also when I lost against Cerundolo, I saw, ‘Okay, it's really physical, a really mental game. They're really fast.' So in the past couple of months, I trained my legs a lot and did everything fitness, so I also move towards this physical level that they play [on the ATP Tour].”
Engel has enjoyed meetings with two sporting superstars since his run in Almaty. First, he met the manager of his hometown football club FC Nuremberg, Miroslav Klose, the former Germany striker who still holds the record for the most goals scored at FIFA World Cups. Then in early 2025, he travelled to Mallorca to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar, where he met his tennis idol Rafael Nadal for the first time.
“I was [at the academy] for the first time when I was like six or seven. I don't know, I don't remember,” said Engel. “But this was the first time I trained there and I also saw Rafa. He greeted me and we talked a little bit. I was really excited to see him. I had never even seen him before, only on the TV.”
Before that meeting with former World No. 1 Nadal, Engel enjoyed an early on-court success for 2025 in January, when he won an ITF World Tennis Tour event in Cadolzburg, Germany. He is currently 25th in the PIF ATP Live Race To Jeddah, but will rise to 11th if he defeats Marozsan on Tuesday, and he lists qualifying for the Next Gen ATP Finals presented by PIF as one of his biggest short-term goals.
“I will try my best to play Next Gen this year,” said Engel of the 20-and-under season-ending event. “I saw on TV how special this event is. [The stadium] looks unbelievably good.”
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John McEnroe seeked out this ATP player to be the next star of American tennis back in 2011.
There has not been an American men's singles Grand Slam champion in over 21 years, with the last coming when Andy Roddick won the 2003 US Open.
The closest that drought has come to ending is last year, when Taylor Fritz reached the US Open final before losing to Jannik Sinner.
However, before Fritz came on the scene, McEnroe picked out a young ATP player that he thought could be a potential contender at the top of the sport.
On April 14 2008, 15-year-old Ryan Harrison would make his ATP main draw debut after qualifying for the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston.
Ranked 1277 in the world at the time, Harrison would cause a big shock and beat world number 95 Pablo Cuevas, 6-4 6-3.
As a result, he became the 10th youngest ATP match winner in history at just 15-years-old and 11 months.
This record still stands, with the now retired Rafael Nadal just ahead of Harrison by one month, after he won his first match at the 2002 Mallorca Open.
Some of the other players sitting above Harrison include Grand Slam champions Andre Agassi, Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander.
Harrison would lose his subsequent match against top seed James Blake, and would spend the next year competing on the Challenger Tour.
Three years on from his debut win, a 19-year-old Harrison was a mainstay on the ATP Tour and had broken into the top 100 following reaching his first semi-final at the Los Angeles Open.
Someone who knows a thing or two about success is seven-time major winner John McEnroe, who appeared to be impressed by his rising compatriot.
When speaking on a ESPN conference call ahead of the 2011 US Open, McEnroe predicted Harrison to approach the top 10 of the ATP rankings.
“Ryan Harrison to me has always been a guy that you know he's going to be a top 10, top 15 player, but can he get to that top elite game?” questioned McEnroe. “That remains to be seen for me.
“But I like him for what he's bringing to the table now, and he loves to be out there competing and he's learning. He's going to get up there. It's just how much is he going to develop his own sort of personality and game would be my question.”
Harrison would subsequently lose in the first round of the 2011 US Open to 27th seed Marin Cilic, and he would not have the career that many expected him to from this point.
Harrison would reach four ATP singles finals in his career, but his only title came at the Memphis Open in 2017.
This was the same year that he would reach his career-high ranking of world number 40, much lower than what McEnroe thought Harrison could achieve.
Harrison's Grand Slam singles results were not much to shout about either, with his best coming at the Australian Open and US Open where he reached the third round.
However, Harrison did find some major success in doubles, winning Roland Garros alongside New Zealander partner Michael Venus in 2017.
While it is unclear exactly why Harrison was unable to achieve his potential, the American had years of injury problems.
This included undergoing surgeries to injuries to his wrist, femur, hip, shoulder and abductor muscles.
Harrison announced his retirement in 2024 at the age of 32, citing these injury struggles and health problems as his reasoning for ending his on-court career.
Since then, the once promising young talent has coached Danielle Collins and has also partaken in media activities.
John McEnroe seeked out this ATP player to be the next star of American tennis back in 2011.
There has not been an American men's singles Grand Slam champion in over 21 years, with the last coming when Andy Roddick won the 2003 US Open.
The closest that drought has come to ending is last year, when Taylor Fritz reached the US Open final before losing to Jannik Sinner.
However, before Fritz came on the scene, McEnroe picked out a young ATP player that he thought could be a potential contender at the top of the sport.
On April 14 2008, 15-year-old Ryan Harrison would make his ATP main draw debut after qualifying for the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships in Houston.
Ranked 1277 in the world at the time, Harrison would cause a big shock and beat world number 95 Pablo Cuevas, 6-4 6-3.
As a result, he became the 10th youngest ATP match winner in history at just 15-years-old and 11 months.
This record still stands, with the now retired Rafael Nadal just ahead of Harrison by one month, after he won his first match at the 2002 Mallorca Open.
Some of the other players sitting above Harrison include Grand Slam champions Andre Agassi, Bjorn Borg and Mats Wilander.
Harrison would lose his subsequent match against top seed James Blake, and would spend the next year competing on the Challenger Tour.
Three years on from his debut win, a 19-year-old Harrison was a mainstay on the ATP Tour and had broken into the top 100 following reaching his first semi-final at the Los Angeles Open.
Someone who knows a thing or two about success is seven-time major winner John McEnroe, who appeared to be impressed by his rising compatriot.
When speaking on a ESPN conference call ahead of the 2011 US Open, McEnroe predicted Harrison to approach the top 10 of the ATP rankings.
“Ryan Harrison to me has always been a guy that you know he's going to be a top 10, top 15 player, but can he get to that top elite game?” questioned McEnroe. “That remains to be seen for me.
“But I like him for what he's bringing to the table now, and he loves to be out there competing and he's learning. He's going to get up there. It's just how much is he going to develop his own sort of personality and game would be my question.”
Harrison would subsequently lose in the first round of the 2011 US Open to 27th seed Marin Cilic, and he would not have the career that many expected him to from this point.
Harrison would reach four ATP singles finals in his career, but his only title came at the Memphis Open in 2017.
This was the same year that he would reach his career-high ranking of world number 40, much lower than what McEnroe thought Harrison could achieve.
Harrison's Grand Slam singles results were not much to shout about either, with his best coming at the Australian Open and US Open where he reached the third round.
However, Harrison did find some major success in doubles, winning Roland Garros alongside New Zealander partner Michael Venus in 2017.
While it is unclear exactly why Harrison was unable to achieve his potential, the American had years of injury problems.
This included undergoing surgeries to injuries to his wrist, femur, hip, shoulder and abductor muscles.
Harrison announced his retirement in 2024 at the age of 32, citing these injury struggles and health problems as his reasoning for ending his on-court career.
Since then, the once promising young talent has coached Danielle Collins and has also partaken in media activities.
Early European clay season plot lines on the ATP Tour also include Rublev hiring Safin and the upcoming departure of CEO Massimo Calvelli.ByJoel DruckerPublished Apr 14, 2025 copy_link
Published Apr 14, 2025
© Matt Fitzgerald
It's fitting that Roland Garros, the Grand Slam event that requires the most patience and fitness, would also have the longest pre-tournament itinerary. For the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, the road to the throne was this simple: Kick it off in Monte Carlo and play like gangbusters all the way to the close of business in Paris. Many a year, for example, Nadal would tear his way through Monte Carlo, Barcelona, Madrid and Rome, all preludes to yet another title run at Roland Garros.For others, the proper calibration of effort and output, fitness and freshness, is less certain, the path to Paris lined with many challenging venues and opponents. With the first big event of this epic swing, the Monte Carlo Masters, now in the books, here are a few early clay season plot lines worthy of attention.
For others, the proper calibration of effort and output, fitness and freshness, is less certain, the path to Paris lined with many challenging venues and opponents. With the first big event of this epic swing, the Monte Carlo Masters, now in the books, here are a few early clay season plot lines worthy of attention.
Over the course of one week in Monte Carlo, Alcaraz lost the first set in three of his five victories, including the opener of the final versus an inspired Lorenzo Musetti. But, swiftly overcoming these slow starts, Alcaraz by Sunday night had earned his 18th career title.Over recent months, amid a few surprising losses, Alcaraz's approach to tennis has been extensively dissected. His post-finals press conference revealed a desire to tune out those voices. “So I just realized that I don't have to think about all they talking about and just focus on myself,” he said. “So I'm not gonna say I just proved them, that they're wrong, but I just really happy to be able to refocus the important things and just be focused on myself and the part that I have to follow with my team, with my close people, and just playing for myself. So I'm just really happy that I was able to do it.”To analyze Alcaraz requires new levels of understanding. Akin to such athletic geniuses as basketball star Steph Curry, hockey legend Sidney Crosby, and football great Patrick Mahomes, Alcaraz is a generational talent—someone who has tremendously expanded the dimensions of how his sport is played. With that in mind, my thoughts on Alcaraz's often distinct and seemingly adventurous choices when it comes to shot selection: In the spirit of Curry's three-pointers, it's not reckless if you own it. Alcaraz has repeatedly proven credible by generating significant results, most notably having earned four majors on three different surfaces before even turning 22. That said, having lost earlier than desired during the Sunshine Swing, Alcaraz's Monte Carlo run has put him on a good path towards defending his Roland Garros title.
Over recent months, amid a few surprising losses, Alcaraz's approach to tennis has been extensively dissected. His post-finals press conference revealed a desire to tune out those voices. “So I just realized that I don't have to think about all they talking about and just focus on myself,” he said. “So I'm not gonna say I just proved them, that they're wrong, but I just really happy to be able to refocus the important things and just be focused on myself and the part that I have to follow with my team, with my close people, and just playing for myself. So I'm just really happy that I was able to do it.”To analyze Alcaraz requires new levels of understanding. Akin to such athletic geniuses as basketball star Steph Curry, hockey legend Sidney Crosby, and football great Patrick Mahomes, Alcaraz is a generational talent—someone who has tremendously expanded the dimensions of how his sport is played. With that in mind, my thoughts on Alcaraz's often distinct and seemingly adventurous choices when it comes to shot selection: In the spirit of Curry's three-pointers, it's not reckless if you own it. Alcaraz has repeatedly proven credible by generating significant results, most notably having earned four majors on three different surfaces before even turning 22. That said, having lost earlier than desired during the Sunshine Swing, Alcaraz's Monte Carlo run has put him on a good path towards defending his Roland Garros title.
To analyze Alcaraz requires new levels of understanding. Akin to such athletic geniuses as basketball star Steph Curry, hockey legend Sidney Crosby, and football great Patrick Mahomes, Alcaraz is a generational talent—someone who has tremendously expanded the dimensions of how his sport is played. With that in mind, my thoughts on Alcaraz's often distinct and seemingly adventurous choices when it comes to shot selection: In the spirit of Curry's three-pointers, it's not reckless if you own it. Alcaraz has repeatedly proven credible by generating significant results, most notably having earned four majors on three different surfaces before even turning 22. That said, having lost earlier than desired during the Sunshine Swing, Alcaraz's Monte Carlo run has put him on a good path towards defending his Roland Garros title.
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Nadal built his clay court empire from the same foundation laid down by such clay court greats as Bjorn Borg, Guillermo Vilas, Ivan Lendl, Mats Wilander, Thomas Muster, Jim Courier, Sergei Bruguera, and Juan Carlos Ferrero. It was a highly physical model, predicated most of all on the ability to wear down opponents with depth, consistency, and movement. For all the extraordinary shots Nadal frequently came up with, his success, and that for those cited above, was largely built on patterns and predictability. Exhibit A for the prosecution: Nadal's crosscourt forehand.There are two ways to overcome this highly reliable playing style. One is to do it better, as Borg did when he repeatedly beat Vilas. Consider '24 Roland Garros finalist Alexander Zverev a contemporary version, who in his second round loss to Matteo Berrettini came up on the short end of a 48-ball rally. Monte Carlo semifinalist Alex de Minaur—a citizen of both Spain and Australia—plays somewhat similarly, his game based on tremendous footspeed. While less powerful than Zverev, de Minaur has an ability to take time away by hitting the ball early.Another way to overcome the attrition-based baseliner is to innovate and trot out a wide range of speeds, spins, and shots. Alcaraz, Musetti, Arthur Fils, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina are just a few of the current crop of stylists who have transformed clay court tennis. While these players can sustain their share of long rallies, they are also eager to explore the dimensions of the court with power and angles, aggression and touch. For these kinds of players, the motto is: Grinding only carries you so far. The time has come to create.
There are two ways to overcome this highly reliable playing style. One is to do it better, as Borg did when he repeatedly beat Vilas. Consider '24 Roland Garros finalist Alexander Zverev a contemporary version, who in his second round loss to Matteo Berrettini came up on the short end of a 48-ball rally. Monte Carlo semifinalist Alex de Minaur—a citizen of both Spain and Australia—plays somewhat similarly, his game based on tremendous footspeed. While less powerful than Zverev, de Minaur has an ability to take time away by hitting the ball early.Another way to overcome the attrition-based baseliner is to innovate and trot out a wide range of speeds, spins, and shots. Alcaraz, Musetti, Arthur Fils, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina are just a few of the current crop of stylists who have transformed clay court tennis. While these players can sustain their share of long rallies, they are also eager to explore the dimensions of the court with power and angles, aggression and touch. For these kinds of players, the motto is: Grinding only carries you so far. The time has come to create.
Another way to overcome the attrition-based baseliner is to innovate and trot out a wide range of speeds, spins, and shots. Alcaraz, Musetti, Arthur Fils, and Alejandro Davidovich Fokina are just a few of the current crop of stylists who have transformed clay court tennis. While these players can sustain their share of long rallies, they are also eager to explore the dimensions of the court with power and angles, aggression and touch. For these kinds of players, the motto is: Grinding only carries you so far. The time has come to create.
Horrible feeling to play this way, and just sorry for all the people that have to witness this. Novak Djokovic following his Monte Carlo exit
Given that Djokovic will turn 38 in a month, it shouldn't be surprising these days to see him exit early at any tournament. In Monte Carlo, Djokovic lost his opening match to Alejandro Tabilo. Afterwards, Djokovic said, “I knew I'm gonna have a tough opponent and I knew I'm gonna probably play pretty bad. But this bad, I didn't expect.” That Djokovic said he knew he'd play poorly makes me wonder if he has a highly troubling injury. As Djokovic pursues a fourth Roland Garros title, will he get in enough match play—say, five matches—prior to showing up in Paris?One-Handed BackhandsOf Monte Carlo's eight quarterfinalists, three have one-handed backhands—Musetti, Grigor Dimitrov, Stefanos Tsitsipas. If on the one hand, clay's high bounces can pose difficulty for one-handers, clay's slow speed provides more time, perhaps most importantly when returning serve. Let's see how this plays out over the clay-court season. Or was Monte Carlo merely an outlier?
Of Monte Carlo's eight quarterfinalists, three have one-handed backhands—Musetti, Grigor Dimitrov, Stefanos Tsitsipas. If on the one hand, clay's high bounces can pose difficulty for one-handers, clay's slow speed provides more time, perhaps most importantly when returning serve. Let's see how this plays out over the clay-court season. Or was Monte Carlo merely an outlier?
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The last month had been rough for Andrey Rublev. In Dubai, Indian Wells, and Miami, he'd lost his opening match at each of those events—and all of those defeats came to players ranked no higher than 35. Temperamental as Rublev can be, he's always assessed himself with candor. So it was, seeking new ideas, just prior to Monte Carlo, Rublev added the mercurial Marat Safin to his team. “It was my feelings. There was no logic, no explanation,” Rublev told Tennis.com's Matt Fitzgerald of his decision to hire a man he's looked up to since childhood. That's an explanation straight out of Safin's playbook.During Safin's playing career, I was never sure how much he liked tennis. Then again, what do I really know about the motivations of this Hall of Fame inductee who won two singles majors and was ranked number one in the world? For all that, it surely would be fascinating to be a fly on the wall for any conversations—on any topic—between the persistently clear Rublev and the enigmatic Safin. In Monte Carlo, the Rublev played impressively to beat Gael Monfils, then lost to Fils.
During Safin's playing career, I was never sure how much he liked tennis. Then again, what do I really know about the motivations of this Hall of Fame inductee who won two singles majors and was ranked number one in the world? For all that, it surely would be fascinating to be a fly on the wall for any conversations—on any topic—between the persistently clear Rublev and the enigmatic Safin. In Monte Carlo, the Rublev played impressively to beat Gael Monfils, then lost to Fils.
Gasquet owns 609 tour-level wins.© Getty Images
© Getty Images
A man with another crowd-pleasing one-hander has announced plans to retire following Roland Garros this year. The 38-year-old Gasquet's career has been a study in expectation and durability. At the age of nine, he was featured on the cover of a French tennis magazine, poised to strike his elegant backhand. The headline read: “The champion that France is waiting for?” That is quite a question to ask of any tennis player, much less a nine-year-old. Gasquet progressed nicely. While still a teenager, he beat Roger Federer in the quarters of Monte Carlo, losing to Nadal in three sets. Two years later, he was a Wimbledon semifinalist. And yet, for all the high hopes France held for Gasquet, he at heart proved more solid than flashy. Gasquet has won 16 ATP Tour singles titles and 22 times reached the round of 16 at a major. Let's hope this spring he sparkles with a few more backhand winners before at last bidding adieu to pro tennis.ATP Seeking New CEOMassimo Calvelli, CEO of the ATP, announced that he will be stepping down in June after just over five years on the job. At this point, what's to happen next lends itself to far more questions than answers. How far and wide will the ATP search? Given such matters as the PTPA lawsuit and the many conflicting views about how to restructure tennis, is it best to hire someone from inside the game? Or might it be better to hire an executive with experience from an entirely different sector—a different sport, entertainment field, or business? How do ATP board members and players view the organization's current challenges? And amid this transition, what role will ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi play?
Massimo Calvelli, CEO of the ATP, announced that he will be stepping down in June after just over five years on the job. At this point, what's to happen next lends itself to far more questions than answers. How far and wide will the ATP search? Given such matters as the PTPA lawsuit and the many conflicting views about how to restructure tennis, is it best to hire someone from inside the game? Or might it be better to hire an executive with experience from an entirely different sector—a different sport, entertainment field, or business? How do ATP board members and players view the organization's current challenges? And amid this transition, what role will ATP chairman Andrea Gaudenzi play?
Emilio Nava is enjoying the form of his life on the ATP Challenger Tour.
The 23-year-old claimed his third consecutive title at that level Sunday when he triumphed at the Elizabeth Moore Sarasota Open in Florida. Nava, seeded fifth, downed Liam Draxl 6-2, 7-6(2) in the final.
Nava is on a 15-match winning streak, including title runs at the South American clay events in Asuncion, Paraguay and Concepcion, Chile. The California native is just the second American to win three clay-court Challenger titles in the same season. Tristan Boyer, who is the same age as Nava, accomplished the feat last year.
Nava and Borna Coric are the only players this season with three Challenger trophies.
A five-time Challenger champion, Nava is up 29 places to No. 140 in the PIF ATP Rankings. Last April, he reached a career high No. 124.
Collignon continues breakthrough season
Another standout player on the ATP Challenger Tour this year is Belgian Raphael Collignon, who captured his second trophy of 2025. The 23-year-old won the Atkinsons Monza Open, having defeated Ukraine's Vitaliy Sachko 6-3, 7-5 in the final.
Raphael Collignon wins the Atkinsons Monza Open. Credit: Francesco Panunzio
“It was a difficult tournament with a lot of great players. I just tried to focus on my game, take it match by match,” Collignon said. “Sometimes some tough battles, but I tried to play my best tennis when it mattered and I played good all week. I'm very happy to take the title. I was confident in myself and I think that made the difference.”
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Following his triumph, Collignon is at a career-high No. 83 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He won the Pau Challenger in February and finished runner-up in Lugano the following week, falling to Coric in the final, which marked the Croatian's first of three consecutive crowns.
Majchrzak marches past Cilic in three-set final
Marin Cilic, former World No. 3, was aiming for his second title across his past three events, but was outlasted in the final by Kamil Majchrzak at the Grand Prix by Mercedes Benz Open Comunidad de Madrid.Majchrzak overcame a lengthy rain delay and the 2014 US Open champion Cilic 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to secure his eighth Challenger title, half of which have come in the past 14 months. Majchrzak is now tied with former No. 57 Michal Przysiezny for the most Challenger titles among Polish players.
Kamil Majchrzak (right) and Marin Cilic at the Madrid Challenger trophy ceremony. Credit: Alberto Simon
The 29-year-old Majchrzak, who is No. 91 in the PIF ATP Rankings, makes his return to the Top 100 for the first time since January 2023.
Read More on Cilic's injury 'lifesaver' & circling back to Challengers
Meligeni Alves saves 2 MPs in opener, goes on to title
Felipe Meligeni Alves showed his fighting spirit en route to winning the Mexico City Open. The Brazilian, 27, saved two match points in the opening round against Beibit Zhukayev and survived a deciding-set tie-break in the semi-finals against 2022 champion Marc-Andrea Huesler. But it was more straightforward in the championship match for Meligeni Alves, who raced past Luka Pavlovic 6-3, 6-3 to cap a memorable week.
Felipe Meligeni Alves embraces his wife Gabriela after the Mexico City Open final. Credit: ImagenShop
Meligeni Alves did not face a break point in the final, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Having also won the Merida, Mexico Challenger title last month, Meligeni Alves is at a career-high No. 119 in the PIF ATP Rankings."I'm very happy, two titles in four weeks, it's never happened to me before," said Meligeni Alves. "I'm very grateful to all the people who came to support me. It was very nice, a beautiful atmosphere. Coming out with the title here at such a big and special tournament is very important to me."
Did You Know?
In 2024, the Mexico City Open was named Tournament of the Year for the ATP Challenger Tour.
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Following his triumph, Collignon is at a career-high No. 83 in the PIF ATP Rankings. He won the Pau Challenger in February and finished runner-up in Lugano the following week, falling to Coric in the final, which marked the Croatian's first of three consecutive crowns.
Majchrzak marches past Cilic in three-set final
Marin Cilic, former World No. 3, was aiming for his second title across his past three events, but was outlasted in the final by Kamil Majchrzak at the Grand Prix by Mercedes Benz Open Comunidad de Madrid.
Majchrzak overcame a lengthy rain delay and the 2014 US Open champion Cilic 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to secure his eighth Challenger title, half of which have come in the past 14 months. Majchrzak is now tied with former No. 57 Michal Przysiezny for the most Challenger titles among Polish players.
Kamil Majchrzak (right) and Marin Cilic at the Madrid Challenger trophy ceremony. Credit: Alberto Simon
The 29-year-old Majchrzak, who is No. 91 in the PIF ATP Rankings, makes his return to the Top 100 for the first time since January 2023.
Read More on Cilic's injury 'lifesaver' & circling back to Challengers
Meligeni Alves saves 2 MPs in opener, goes on to title
Felipe Meligeni Alves showed his fighting spirit en route to winning the Mexico City Open. The Brazilian, 27, saved two match points in the opening round against Beibit Zhukayev and survived a deciding-set tie-break in the semi-finals against 2022 champion Marc-Andrea Huesler. But it was more straightforward in the championship match for Meligeni Alves, who raced past Luka Pavlovic 6-3, 6-3 to cap a memorable week.
Felipe Meligeni Alves embraces his wife Gabriela after the Mexico City Open final. Credit: ImagenShop
Meligeni Alves did not face a break point in the final, according to Infosys ATP Stats. Having also won the Merida, Mexico Challenger title last month, Meligeni Alves is at a career-high No. 119 in the PIF ATP Rankings.
"I'm very happy, two titles in four weeks, it's never happened to me before," said Meligeni Alves. "I'm very grateful to all the people who came to support me. It was very nice, a beautiful atmosphere. Coming out with the title here at such a big and special tournament is very important to me."
Did You Know?
In 2024, the Mexico City Open was named Tournament of the Year for the ATP Challenger Tour.
Read More News
View All News
View Related Videos
View All Videos
Did You Know?
In 2024, the Mexico City Open was named Tournament of the Year for the ATP Challenger Tour.
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The Monte Carlo Masters have closed their doors for another year after Carlos Alcaraz won the ATP 1000 tournament.
Alcaraz beat Lorenzo Musetti to win the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time, as he now rises to world number two in the ATP rankings.
Following his biggest title win of the 2025 season so far, Alcaraz has received messages from Novak Djokovic and many other tennis players.
The ATP tournament has been on its own since 1983, with former top 10 player John Isner suggesting a WTA Monte Carlo tournament for the future.
After Alcaraz won the Monte Carlo Masters, tournament director David Massey fielded questions from the media in his post-match press conference.
Massey, who previously worked for the ATP Tour, has been the Monte Carlo Masters tournament director for three years now.
When the subject of whether the WTA Tour could play in Monte Carlo in the future was broached, Massey did not rule it out, but confirmed that there are no talks of it happening in the near future.
“It's a good question. I think at this stage right now there are no concrete plans to change our format,” said Massey. “So for next year we know our dates are already set, so we are on the 4th through 12th of April, a nine-day event with a 56 draw men's singles, so the same format of the other two draws.
“We obviously remain open to introducing the WTA into our competition into the tournament. I believe that would require us to have more days for the event and a shift in date by at least one week to accommodate that.
“Nothing planned at this stage but not to be ruled out in the future either. The best product I believe would be a combined event and not back to back. So we are really, if it does happen in the future, it will be combined.
“Having said that, I think that the format we have right now works extremely well with a men's competition. Intensity that we see with this format I think is really — I think it's one of the best formats in tennis.
“As a reminder, the cutoff to enter this tournament, the top 45 players get into the draw directly, so we had a 48 original cutoff, with very few players actually not able to play this event.
“So we had a very healthy player field overall, and I think that it's very tough to play this tournament, and the first rounds are very, very competitive. We saw this with some big matches from the first day.
“Even the qualifying is very competitive. Players who normally go straight into main draw in Indian Wells, Miami, and other tournaments of 96 draws or Grand Slams, cannot play here directly.
“So it's a format I think that delivers to fans intense and very competitive tennis, very high-level tennis, and for that, I think, you know, we are in a great position for the future, as well.”
The Monte Carlo Masters is one of only two ATP 1000 tournaments that remains as a one-week event, alongside the Paris Masters tournament.
It has previously held a WTA tournament that was last held in 1982, with Romanian Virginia Ruzici winning the title.
That was not the only question that Massey was asked about a potential women's event, with a follow-up question concerning whether the WTA have put any pressure on the Monte Carlo Masters.
Massey shut down the idea of any pressure being put on, but did not say that no enquiries had been made by the WTA Tour.
“I wouldn't say pressure, no. I wouldn't use the word ‘pressure',” said Massey. “But again, we are not in active discussion to integrate a WTA tournament at this stage.
“There is no pressure; nor are we saying that we would never do that either. It's just not an action item at this point.”
The 2026 edition of the Monte Carlo Masters main draw will take place between April 5-12.
The clay season is underway and, while there are plenty of big events still to come, it is hard not to already have one eye on the French Open.
Action at Roland Garros begins in the final week of May, and before then, several of the leading stars of the ATP Tour will be looking to get themselves into the best position possible.
That largely involves trying to seal the best seeding and, while Jannik Sinner looks set to be the top seed, things look a little up in the air elsewhere.
Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev are set to battle it out to try and seal the second seeding ahead of Paris, while there is also a crucial battle between world No 4 Taylor Fritz and No 5 Novak Djokovic.
Whether Djokovic is a top-four seed or not could have a significant effect on his hopes of winning a 25th Grand Slam singles title; here, we look at how things could pan out over the coming weeks.
For both Djokovic and Fritz's hopes at Roland Garros, avoiding a meeting against the likes of Sinner, Alcaraz, and Zverev until the semi-final stage will likely be key.
That is where being the fourth seed will provide a huge advantage, as it will ensure that that player – whoever it may prove to be – will be the highest-ranked player in their quarter.
The fourth seed cannot face one of the top three until at least the semi-final stage, while two of the top three players will be on the other side of the draw.
Whoever ends up being the fifth seed will be in the same quarter as one of the top four seeds, meaning they risk meeting one of Sinner, Alcaraz, and Zverev as early as the last eight.
As of Monday's ATP Rankings update, Fritz has a solid cushion as the world No 4 – with Djokovic having lost some ground to the American.
Djokovic lost in round two of the Monte Carlo Masters last week, meaning he failed to match his semi-final showing from 2025, and has therefore dropped 390 ranking points.
In contrast, Fritz, who withdrew from the event due to injury, only dropped 10 ranking points he was defending after he lost in the second round 12 months ago.
Fritz currently sits on 5,280 ranking points, while Djokovic is 1,160 adrift on 4,120 points.
ATP Rankings: Alcaraz overtakes Zverev; Musetti's breakthrough, Djokovic misses chance, Tsitsipas drops
Carlos Alcaraz reveals key lesson he has learned after Monte Carlo Masters triumph
Chasing down Fritz will not be easy, but there is one significant advantage that Djokovic currently has.
The Serbian is defending very few ranking points in the run-up to Roland Garros, with the seedings set to be sorted following the conclusion of the Italian Open – one week before the second major of 2024.
Djokovic missed the ATP 1000 event in Madrid last year and then lost in the third round of the Italian Open in Rome, earning just 50 points.
With the 24-time Grand Slam champion currently set to compete at both events this spring, that potentially hands him a sizeable opportunity to boost his top-four hopes.
And, his hopes will also be boosted because Fritz has significantly more ranking points to defend than him.
The American embarked on a strong clay swing in 2024, with one highlight being a run to the final at the Munich Open in Germany.
However, due to the same abdominal injury that ruled him out of Monte Carlo, Fritz is not in Munich in 2025 – and will drop 165 points as a result.
Next Monday, Fritz will have 5,115 points to his name, decreasing the cushion he has over Djokovic ever so slightly to 995 points.
After Munich, the world No 4 then has 400 semi-final points to defend in Madrid, and 200 quarter-final points in Rome; take those away, and he has 4,515 to his name.
In contrast, Djokovic will only drop to 4,070 with his Rome points removed, decreasing the gap between the two to just 445 points.
While that is still a slight cushion, and the chance of the Fritz dropping all those points is unlikely, the door may be open for Djokovic considering his rival's ongoing injury concerns.
A strong run in just one of Madrid or Rome could prove enough for the 24-time Grand Slam winner to seal a top-four seeding at the second major of the year.
Read Next: Tennis365 Heroes and Villains: Carlos Alcaraz takes top prize, as Stefanos Tsitsipas is on the slide
Alcaraz received messages from a host of Monte Carlo champions, as well as two Real Madrid stars.
This way for your post-Monte Carlo Masters ATP Rankings.
We look at the biggest rankings swings in Monte Carlo ahead of Sunday's final.
Novak Djokovic insisted he did not want to spend time away from his family last year, but that plan has changed in recent months.
© Planet Sport Limited 2025 • All Rights Reserved
The Philippine passport allows visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to only 65 countries and territories, making the global nature of tennis a challenge.ByBaseline StaffPublished Apr 14, 2025 copy_link
Published Apr 14, 2025
Alexandra Eala couldn't be prouder of her heritage, a fact that was on full show last month at the Miami Open, where she became the first player from the Philippines to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event, and with it, crack the Top 100.Having cut her ranking in half as a result of her Miami exploits, where she upset Australian Open champion Madison Keys and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek en route to the final four, Eala will now enjoy the fruits that come with being in that ranking range, includind direct entry to the biggest tournaments.But there's one thing that Eala says is a challenge of being a citizen of the archipelagic nation of nearly 115 million: securing visas with her passport."What's challenging is being able to travel with flexibility," Eala said last week, speaking to Philippene media in the aftermath of her Miami run. "As a tennis player, you need to be very flexible with your schedule. You're going to make a lot of last-minute choices, and it doesn't allow you time to organize all of this—every single time—to have the visas ready."As of 2025, the Philippine passport ranks 74th in the Henley Passport Index, which since 2005 has rated travel freedoms for the world. Eala and other citizens of the Philippines are afforded visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to only 65 countries and territories. Though she is based at Rafael Nadal's namesake tennis academy in Mallorca, Spain, the 19-year-old needs a visa in advance of traveling to the location of the four Grand Slam tournaments (Australia, France, Great Britain and the United States), as well as Asian swing hub China, just to name a few.
Having cut her ranking in half as a result of her Miami exploits, where she upset Australian Open champion Madison Keys and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek en route to the final four, Eala will now enjoy the fruits that come with being in that ranking range, includind direct entry to the biggest tournaments.But there's one thing that Eala says is a challenge of being a citizen of the archipelagic nation of nearly 115 million: securing visas with her passport."What's challenging is being able to travel with flexibility," Eala said last week, speaking to Philippene media in the aftermath of her Miami run. "As a tennis player, you need to be very flexible with your schedule. You're going to make a lot of last-minute choices, and it doesn't allow you time to organize all of this—every single time—to have the visas ready."As of 2025, the Philippine passport ranks 74th in the Henley Passport Index, which since 2005 has rated travel freedoms for the world. Eala and other citizens of the Philippines are afforded visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to only 65 countries and territories. Though she is based at Rafael Nadal's namesake tennis academy in Mallorca, Spain, the 19-year-old needs a visa in advance of traveling to the location of the four Grand Slam tournaments (Australia, France, Great Britain and the United States), as well as Asian swing hub China, just to name a few.
But there's one thing that Eala says is a challenge of being a citizen of the archipelagic nation of nearly 115 million: securing visas with her passport."What's challenging is being able to travel with flexibility," Eala said last week, speaking to Philippene media in the aftermath of her Miami run. "As a tennis player, you need to be very flexible with your schedule. You're going to make a lot of last-minute choices, and it doesn't allow you time to organize all of this—every single time—to have the visas ready."As of 2025, the Philippine passport ranks 74th in the Henley Passport Index, which since 2005 has rated travel freedoms for the world. Eala and other citizens of the Philippines are afforded visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to only 65 countries and territories. Though she is based at Rafael Nadal's namesake tennis academy in Mallorca, Spain, the 19-year-old needs a visa in advance of traveling to the location of the four Grand Slam tournaments (Australia, France, Great Britain and the United States), as well as Asian swing hub China, just to name a few.
"What's challenging is being able to travel with flexibility," Eala said last week, speaking to Philippene media in the aftermath of her Miami run. "As a tennis player, you need to be very flexible with your schedule. You're going to make a lot of last-minute choices, and it doesn't allow you time to organize all of this—every single time—to have the visas ready."As of 2025, the Philippine passport ranks 74th in the Henley Passport Index, which since 2005 has rated travel freedoms for the world. Eala and other citizens of the Philippines are afforded visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to only 65 countries and territories. Though she is based at Rafael Nadal's namesake tennis academy in Mallorca, Spain, the 19-year-old needs a visa in advance of traveling to the location of the four Grand Slam tournaments (Australia, France, Great Britain and the United States), as well as Asian swing hub China, just to name a few.
As of 2025, the Philippine passport ranks 74th in the Henley Passport Index, which since 2005 has rated travel freedoms for the world. Eala and other citizens of the Philippines are afforded visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to only 65 countries and territories. Though she is based at Rafael Nadal's namesake tennis academy in Mallorca, Spain, the 19-year-old needs a visa in advance of traveling to the location of the four Grand Slam tournaments (Australia, France, Great Britain and the United States), as well as Asian swing hub China, just to name a few.
A post shared by Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar (@rafanadalacademy)
Read more: When and where is Alexandra Eala playing next?But despite the challenges posed to her traveling, Eala says she wouldn't trade the intagibles that come from being Filipina for anything, including the fan support from the country's diaspora that has followed her across the globe.In 2013, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) estimated that more than 10 million people of Filipino descent live or work abroad, and in 2023, more than 4.6 million of these could be found in the United States—the site of Eala's two biggest career achievements to date. (In 2022, she won the junior US Open singles title.)"You cannot find that kind of community anywhere else, in my opinion," she confessed.The left-hander will take her new Top 100 ranking, a perch of No. 72, into this week's WTA 125 event in Oeiras, Portugal, where she is the top seed.
But despite the challenges posed to her traveling, Eala says she wouldn't trade the intagibles that come from being Filipina for anything, including the fan support from the country's diaspora that has followed her across the globe.In 2013, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) estimated that more than 10 million people of Filipino descent live or work abroad, and in 2023, more than 4.6 million of these could be found in the United States—the site of Eala's two biggest career achievements to date. (In 2022, she won the junior US Open singles title.)"You cannot find that kind of community anywhere else, in my opinion," she confessed.The left-hander will take her new Top 100 ranking, a perch of No. 72, into this week's WTA 125 event in Oeiras, Portugal, where she is the top seed.
In 2013, the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) estimated that more than 10 million people of Filipino descent live or work abroad, and in 2023, more than 4.6 million of these could be found in the United States—the site of Eala's two biggest career achievements to date. (In 2022, she won the junior US Open singles title.)"You cannot find that kind of community anywhere else, in my opinion," she confessed.The left-hander will take her new Top 100 ranking, a perch of No. 72, into this week's WTA 125 event in Oeiras, Portugal, where she is the top seed.
"You cannot find that kind of community anywhere else, in my opinion," she confessed.The left-hander will take her new Top 100 ranking, a perch of No. 72, into this week's WTA 125 event in Oeiras, Portugal, where she is the top seed.
The left-hander will take her new Top 100 ranking, a perch of No. 72, into this week's WTA 125 event in Oeiras, Portugal, where she is the top seed.
Casper Ruud is looking ahead to defending his title at the upcoming ATP tournament in Barcelona.
Ruud is a two-time Roland Garros finalist, having finished runner-up to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
However, the Norwegian did not make the best start to his 2025 clay court season, with Ruud losing in the second round of the Monte Carlo Masters to Alexei Popyrin.
Ruud did predict Alcaraz to win Monte Carlo though, as he now looks ahead to the upcoming tournaments on his favorite surface.
Ruud's next tournament is the Barcelona Open, where he won the biggest title of his career to date last year after beating Stefanos Tsitsipas in the 2024 final.
This means that Ruud, who has already dropped 550 points from reaching the Monte Carlo Masters final last year, has to defend a further 500 points in Barcelona.
However, when speaking in his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the Barcelona Open, Ruud pointed out that he actually has the chance to gain points during clay court tournaments in Madrid and Rome.
“Most of my points come from clay court tournaments,” said Ruud. “I have some other results on hard courts, but honestly, last fall was quite disappointing for me. I didn't win many matches at all.
“Fortunately, I somehow salvaged a few wins for Turin [ATP Finals] and made it to the semi-finals there, so I still have something to fall back on. This week, obviously, I'm the defending champion, but in Madrid and Rome, I have almost no points to defend, so that really helps me relax a little.”
Ruud won only two of his four matches in Madrid and Rome last year, meaning that he only has 110 points to defend across those two ATP Masters 1000 tournaments.
Despite appearing to feel positive about his ranking points total, Ruud still has a lot of pressure during this part of the season.
Ruud has endured a mixed start to the year so far, having won only 11 of his 18 matches and currently sits at 28th in the race to the ATP Finals.
The current world number 10 has 2,490 points to defend until the end of the 2025 season, with 67% of those from clay court tournaments.
Although he has 800 points from reaching the semi-finals of the clay court major last year, Ruud has been predicted to win Roland Garros by a former world number 11.
Before he can even think about Roland Garros, Ruud will first turn his attention towards defending the Barcelona Open title.
Ruud begins his campaign against Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan, who he has beaten in both of their two previous meetings.
The 20-time major champion retired in 2022.
20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer is undoubtedly one of the poster boys in the sport of tennis. Despite not being the outright leader in terms of few statistics, he inspired multiple generations to pick up a racquet and perfect their game with his gracious style of play. After making a heartbreaking retirement decision in 2022, Federer has been away from the game for a while. But now, he has dropped an exciting update that will leave fans jumping for joy.
During his time on tour, Federer won 103 singles titles (second highest in the Open Era) and 8 doubles championships. Winner of a record eight Wimbledon trophies, the Swiss maestro held the No. 1 ranking for 310 weeks – including an unbelievable streak of 237 consecutive weeks at the helm.
“I mean, the guy is great. He's the greatest of all time to be honest. Both on the court and off the court he has such charisma, he's just a wonderful player,” claimed the great Serena Williams on Federer in 2019. There is no doubt that Federer's latest revelation will put a smile on her face, along with the faces of millions of fanatics around the world.
Having hung up his racquet after the Laver Cup in 2022, Roger Federer has been an onlooker in a plethora of matches on tour ever since. Yet, the waver of the magical Wilson wand naturally hasn't made any appearances on the court – which could change very soon.
READ ALSO: Carlos Alcaraz Delivers Masterclass at the 2025 Monte Carlo Masters Final, Pulls Stunning Win after Losing First Set
“I'd like to resume training a little,” revealed Federer in a recent interview. “I hope to redo exhibitions again, fill stadiums around the world. Nothing planned yet, but I miss it. I almost haven't played since my retirement.” Federer went on to admit that his body needed a break – one of the big reasons for his gradual exit was a knee issue that hampered his game for multiple years.
However, he remains optimistic about the future. “I've played a little with my children, but I'd like to take it more seriously again. During my travels, I will get back into it. And maybe you'll see me again on the court soon.”
🇨🇭🥹 Roger Federer says he would like to play exhibitions and fill stadiums again:“I would like to resume training a little, two to three times a week. And I hope to redo exhibitions, fill stadiums around the world. Nothing planned yet, but I miss it. I almost haven't played… pic.twitter.com/g8sZzJabFQ
Frenchman Alexandre Muller is set to face top seed and home favourite Alexander Zverev in Round-1 of the ATP Munich Open this week. The 28-year-old told ATPTour.com about a memorable story with Federer – not on the greens of the All England Club but on the greens of a golf course.
“He [Federer] had a tee time 10 minutes before mine, so I was behind him for nine or 10 holes,” reminisced Muller. The incident took place in November 2024, when the French World No. 40 was enjoying a relaxed time on the fairways in Dubai. “For the last few holes I was with him, because the guy in front of him was a bit slow. So every time at the beginning of the hole I was with him, and we were talking a little bit. It was cool.”
READ MORE: ‘Clutch' Carlos Alcaraz: Analysing the Spanish Sensation's Mental Fortitude After Latest Monte Carlo Masters 2025 Heist
While Muller takes to court on Monday, Federer himself will hopefully return to court very soon. Would you like to see a potential Roger vs Rafa tussle once more?
A passionate sports fan through and through, I am currently pursuing my MA in Global Sports Journalism. I specialise in tennis and football writing at The PlayOffs, and I have prior experience working at EssentiallySports and Sportskeeda. Born and raised in Bengaluru, India, sport was my safe space right from my childhood. After trying my hand at multiple sports and representing my educational institutions in cricket, badminton and table tennis, I found sports media to be my calling.
My message to the readers is don't be shy to express yourself - regardless of whether it's playing, talking or writing about sport. And if you're a fan Roger Federer, Lionel Messi and/or Stephen Curry - I'm your guy.
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He's just the 11th player in ATP or WTA history to hit that number, and the first player born in the 2000s to do it.ByJohn BerkokPublished Apr 14, 2025 copy_link
Published Apr 14, 2025
Carlos Alcaraz has already reached a lot of milestones in his career, and now he reaches another one after his run to the title in Monte Carlo, surpassing $40 million in career prize money.He went into the Masters 1000 event with a career haul of $39,194,113, and with his €946,610 paycheque for winning the title—which converts to $1,037,674—he leaves with $40,231,787.With that, Alcaraz becomes just the 11th player in either ATP or WTA history to surpass $40 million in career prize money.PLAYERS TO HIT $40M IN PRIZE MONEY IN ATP OR WTA HISTORY:Novak Djokovic: $186,933,983Rafael Nadal: $134,946,100Roger Federer: $130,594,339Serena Williams: $94,816,730Andy Murray: $64,687,542Alexander Zverev: $52,045,455Daniil Medvedev: $45,970,918Pete Sampras: $43,280,489Venus Williams: $42,648,578Simona Halep: $40,236,618Carlos Alcaraz: $40,231,787
He went into the Masters 1000 event with a career haul of $39,194,113, and with his €946,610 paycheque for winning the title—which converts to $1,037,674—he leaves with $40,231,787.With that, Alcaraz becomes just the 11th player in either ATP or WTA history to surpass $40 million in career prize money.PLAYERS TO HIT $40M IN PRIZE MONEY IN ATP OR WTA HISTORY:Novak Djokovic: $186,933,983Rafael Nadal: $134,946,100Roger Federer: $130,594,339Serena Williams: $94,816,730Andy Murray: $64,687,542Alexander Zverev: $52,045,455Daniil Medvedev: $45,970,918Pete Sampras: $43,280,489Venus Williams: $42,648,578Simona Halep: $40,236,618Carlos Alcaraz: $40,231,787
With that, Alcaraz becomes just the 11th player in either ATP or WTA history to surpass $40 million in career prize money.PLAYERS TO HIT $40M IN PRIZE MONEY IN ATP OR WTA HISTORY:Novak Djokovic: $186,933,983Rafael Nadal: $134,946,100Roger Federer: $130,594,339Serena Williams: $94,816,730Andy Murray: $64,687,542Alexander Zverev: $52,045,455Daniil Medvedev: $45,970,918Pete Sampras: $43,280,489Venus Williams: $42,648,578Simona Halep: $40,236,618Carlos Alcaraz: $40,231,787
PLAYERS TO HIT $40M IN PRIZE MONEY IN ATP OR WTA HISTORY:Novak Djokovic: $186,933,983Rafael Nadal: $134,946,100Roger Federer: $130,594,339Serena Williams: $94,816,730Andy Murray: $64,687,542Alexander Zverev: $52,045,455Daniil Medvedev: $45,970,918Pete Sampras: $43,280,489Venus Williams: $42,648,578Simona Halep: $40,236,618Carlos Alcaraz: $40,231,787
Alcaraz just beats Jannik Sinner to the milestone.© 2025 Getty Images
© 2025 Getty Images
Additionally, Alcaraz is the first player born in the 2000s, male or female, to surpass $40 million in career prize money.The 21-year-old just edges Jannik Sinner to the milestone, with Iga Swiatek not far behind—those two will likely join the club soon.MOST CAREER PRIZE MONEY, PLAYERS BORN IN 2000s:$40,231,787: Carlos Alcaraz [born in 2003]$39,389,088: Jannik Sinner [born in 2001]$35,224,252: Iga Swiatek [born in 2001]$23,162,470: Coco Gauff [born in 2004]$15,141,403: Felix Auger-Aliassime [born in 2000]
The 21-year-old just edges Jannik Sinner to the milestone, with Iga Swiatek not far behind—those two will likely join the club soon.MOST CAREER PRIZE MONEY, PLAYERS BORN IN 2000s:$40,231,787: Carlos Alcaraz [born in 2003]$39,389,088: Jannik Sinner [born in 2001]$35,224,252: Iga Swiatek [born in 2001]$23,162,470: Coco Gauff [born in 2004]$15,141,403: Felix Auger-Aliassime [born in 2000]
MOST CAREER PRIZE MONEY, PLAYERS BORN IN 2000s:$40,231,787: Carlos Alcaraz [born in 2003]$39,389,088: Jannik Sinner [born in 2001]$35,224,252: Iga Swiatek [born in 2001]$23,162,470: Coco Gauff [born in 2004]$15,141,403: Felix Auger-Aliassime [born in 2000]
A week to remember for Carlitos 🤩#RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/gCnTH2vWhH
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The Spaniard passes Alexander Zverev, who dips to No. 3, and closes the gap with No. 1-ranked Jannik Sinner.ByJohn BerkokPublished Apr 14, 2025 copy_link
Published Apr 14, 2025
Carlos Alcaraz made a perfect start to his clay-court season this past week, winning the Monte Carlo title for the first time in his career.Having missed the Masters 1000 event last year, he adds a clean 1,000 points to his ranking now, going from 6,720 to 7,720.And with that, Alcaraz makes a major move on the new ATP rankings—he rises from No. 3 back to No. 2, passing Alexander Zverev, who lost his opening match in Monte Carlo this year. The German drops from 7,645 to 7,595 ranking points, and dips from No. 2 to No. 3.It's Alcaraz's first time in the Top 2 since the week of October 28th last year, when he was ranked No. 2 (he had spent the 23 weeks in a row since then at No. 3). It's also his 89th career week in the Top 2, having spent 36 career weeks at No. 1 and, now, 53 career weeks at No. 2.He also cuts the gap between himself and No. 1 Jannik Sinner from 3,610 points (10,330 to 6,720) to 2,210 points (9,930 to 7,720), as Sinner was defending semifinal points in Monte Carlo and missed this year's event as he's currently in a three-month period of ineligibility.The Spaniard can't catch the Italian before he returns to the tour in Rome, but if he goes on to win both Barcelona and Madrid in the next few weeks, he'll cut that gap even further to 720 points, which would mean the No. 1 ranking could be up for grabs in the Italian capital.
Having missed the Masters 1000 event last year, he adds a clean 1,000 points to his ranking now, going from 6,720 to 7,720.And with that, Alcaraz makes a major move on the new ATP rankings—he rises from No. 3 back to No. 2, passing Alexander Zverev, who lost his opening match in Monte Carlo this year. The German drops from 7,645 to 7,595 ranking points, and dips from No. 2 to No. 3.It's Alcaraz's first time in the Top 2 since the week of October 28th last year, when he was ranked No. 2 (he had spent the 23 weeks in a row since then at No. 3). It's also his 89th career week in the Top 2, having spent 36 career weeks at No. 1 and, now, 53 career weeks at No. 2.He also cuts the gap between himself and No. 1 Jannik Sinner from 3,610 points (10,330 to 6,720) to 2,210 points (9,930 to 7,720), as Sinner was defending semifinal points in Monte Carlo and missed this year's event as he's currently in a three-month period of ineligibility.The Spaniard can't catch the Italian before he returns to the tour in Rome, but if he goes on to win both Barcelona and Madrid in the next few weeks, he'll cut that gap even further to 720 points, which would mean the No. 1 ranking could be up for grabs in the Italian capital.
And with that, Alcaraz makes a major move on the new ATP rankings—he rises from No. 3 back to No. 2, passing Alexander Zverev, who lost his opening match in Monte Carlo this year. The German drops from 7,645 to 7,595 ranking points, and dips from No. 2 to No. 3.It's Alcaraz's first time in the Top 2 since the week of October 28th last year, when he was ranked No. 2 (he had spent the 23 weeks in a row since then at No. 3). It's also his 89th career week in the Top 2, having spent 36 career weeks at No. 1 and, now, 53 career weeks at No. 2.He also cuts the gap between himself and No. 1 Jannik Sinner from 3,610 points (10,330 to 6,720) to 2,210 points (9,930 to 7,720), as Sinner was defending semifinal points in Monte Carlo and missed this year's event as he's currently in a three-month period of ineligibility.The Spaniard can't catch the Italian before he returns to the tour in Rome, but if he goes on to win both Barcelona and Madrid in the next few weeks, he'll cut that gap even further to 720 points, which would mean the No. 1 ranking could be up for grabs in the Italian capital.
It's Alcaraz's first time in the Top 2 since the week of October 28th last year, when he was ranked No. 2 (he had spent the 23 weeks in a row since then at No. 3). It's also his 89th career week in the Top 2, having spent 36 career weeks at No. 1 and, now, 53 career weeks at No. 2.He also cuts the gap between himself and No. 1 Jannik Sinner from 3,610 points (10,330 to 6,720) to 2,210 points (9,930 to 7,720), as Sinner was defending semifinal points in Monte Carlo and missed this year's event as he's currently in a three-month period of ineligibility.The Spaniard can't catch the Italian before he returns to the tour in Rome, but if he goes on to win both Barcelona and Madrid in the next few weeks, he'll cut that gap even further to 720 points, which would mean the No. 1 ranking could be up for grabs in the Italian capital.
He also cuts the gap between himself and No. 1 Jannik Sinner from 3,610 points (10,330 to 6,720) to 2,210 points (9,930 to 7,720), as Sinner was defending semifinal points in Monte Carlo and missed this year's event as he's currently in a three-month period of ineligibility.The Spaniard can't catch the Italian before he returns to the tour in Rome, but if he goes on to win both Barcelona and Madrid in the next few weeks, he'll cut that gap even further to 720 points, which would mean the No. 1 ranking could be up for grabs in the Italian capital.
The Spaniard can't catch the Italian before he returns to the tour in Rome, but if he goes on to win both Barcelona and Madrid in the next few weeks, he'll cut that gap even further to 720 points, which would mean the No. 1 ranking could be up for grabs in the Italian capital.
In the last 12 months, Alcaraz has captured five titles—two Grand Slams, two ATP 500s and now a Masters 1000.© 2025 Allstar
© 2025 Allstar
Alcaraz and Zverev switching spots isn't the only movement in the ATP Top 10 this week, the biggest jump coming from Alex de Minaur, who rises from No. 10 to No. 7—just one spot off of his career-high of No. 6—after reaching the second Masters 1000 semifinal of his career.Andrey Rublev also rises from No. 9 back to No. 8 and Daniil Medvedev bounces back into the Top 10 after two weeks outside, rising from No. 11 to No. 9. Those were the 2021 US Open champion's first two weeks outside the elite in just over two years, since February of 2023.Rublev and Medvedev both fell in the round of 16 in Monte Carlo, but move up after last year's two finalists—Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud—fell in the quarterfinals and third round, respectively, the Greek dropping from No. 8 to No. 16 and the Norwegian from No. 7 to No. 10.Meanwhile, Lorenzo Musetti is now within striking distance of his Top 10 debut, rising from No. 16 to No. 11—smashing his previous career-high of No. 15—after reaching the first Masters 1000 final of his career. He's now just 15 points behind No. 10-ranked Ruud, 3,215 to 3,200.
Andrey Rublev also rises from No. 9 back to No. 8 and Daniil Medvedev bounces back into the Top 10 after two weeks outside, rising from No. 11 to No. 9. Those were the 2021 US Open champion's first two weeks outside the elite in just over two years, since February of 2023.Rublev and Medvedev both fell in the round of 16 in Monte Carlo, but move up after last year's two finalists—Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud—fell in the quarterfinals and third round, respectively, the Greek dropping from No. 8 to No. 16 and the Norwegian from No. 7 to No. 10.Meanwhile, Lorenzo Musetti is now within striking distance of his Top 10 debut, rising from No. 16 to No. 11—smashing his previous career-high of No. 15—after reaching the first Masters 1000 final of his career. He's now just 15 points behind No. 10-ranked Ruud, 3,215 to 3,200.
Rublev and Medvedev both fell in the round of 16 in Monte Carlo, but move up after last year's two finalists—Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud—fell in the quarterfinals and third round, respectively, the Greek dropping from No. 8 to No. 16 and the Norwegian from No. 7 to No. 10.Meanwhile, Lorenzo Musetti is now within striking distance of his Top 10 debut, rising from No. 16 to No. 11—smashing his previous career-high of No. 15—after reaching the first Masters 1000 final of his career. He's now just 15 points behind No. 10-ranked Ruud, 3,215 to 3,200.
Meanwhile, Lorenzo Musetti is now within striking distance of his Top 10 debut, rising from No. 16 to No. 11—smashing his previous career-high of No. 15—after reaching the first Masters 1000 final of his career. He's now just 15 points behind No. 10-ranked Ruud, 3,215 to 3,200.
A week to remember for Carlitos 🤩#RolexMonteCarloMasters pic.twitter.com/gCnTH2vWhH
Finally, Pablo Carreno Busta makes a welcome return to the Top 100, rising from No. 103 to No. 99 after a Challenger final run in Madrid.The Spaniard, a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist and former No. 10, missed 14 of 15 months between February 2023 and May 2024 due to an elbow injury, on which he had surgery in November 2023. He fell as low as No. 1,052 a year ago, but he's back in the Top 100 now.There are no notable moves on the WTA rankings as it was a Billie Jean King Cup week last week with no tour-level events.
The Spaniard, a two-time Grand Slam semifinalist and former No. 10, missed 14 of 15 months between February 2023 and May 2024 due to an elbow injury, on which he had surgery in November 2023. He fell as low as No. 1,052 a year ago, but he's back in the Top 100 now.There are no notable moves on the WTA rankings as it was a Billie Jean King Cup week last week with no tour-level events.
There are no notable moves on the WTA rankings as it was a Billie Jean King Cup week last week with no tour-level events.
Carlos Alcaraz fired a warning to Jannik Sinner as the Italian prepares to return to professional tennis next month by winning the Monte Carlo Masters.
Alcaraz came from behind to beat Lorenzo Musetti and win his second title of the year to go alongside the Rotterdam Open prize he won back in February.
Musetti fatigued badly after taking the opening set and that is a concern for him after enduring similar circumstances at other stages in his relatively short career to date.
The win was a big one for Alcaraz, with the Spaniard firing a message to Sinner ahead of his return to tennis next month at the Italian Open event in his home country.
The 21-year-old has now gone one place behind Sinner on the list of world rankings and now he will have the Italian player firmly in his sights.
The rivalry between Alcaraz and Sinner has been enthralling so far and the pair are fair and away the most consistent players on the tour at the moment.
Sinner is a long way ahead of Alcaraz at the top of the world rankings, but it's hard to rule out the Spanish star going on a run and closing the gap further.
Much like his compatriot Rafael Nadal, Alcaraz simply doesn't know when he's defeated and he will be keen to get another crack at Sinner for a title as the year progresses.
Alcaraz was quizzed on the world rankings afterwards and he's suggested tennis fans want to see him playing Sinner in extremely big finals going forward.
He said in his on-court interview: “Well, talking about the things that I learned the last couple of months or the last months is not thinking about anything else but enjoying on court.
“Something that I realized that I had to do is not think about anything else but enjoy. So I'm not thinking about the ranking anymore. Just keep going, making the things that I enjoy, that make me happy. It is a step on the court, showing good tennis, and that's it.
“If I win, it is great. If I don't win, I will learn and just keep going and making the things that make me happy. So the ranking is not my priority anymore, and let's see what's gonna happen in the next month until Roland Garros.
“Jannik and I, yeah, probably the people want that in the final. So let's see.”
This was a great win for Alcaraz even if Musetti did seemingly capitulate on the fitness front towards the end of the match.
It will be a huge lift for Alcaraz to win the first tournament of the clay-court season and he will now have his eyes on the defence of his French Open title.
Alcaraz received a one-word message from Boris Becker on X after the ATP Tour posted an image of the player celebrating his win.
Word https://t.co/BefbctPMjY
The former star player simply said ‘word' and Alcaraz winning titles and smiling on a tennis court is always a sight for sore eyes.
Alcaraz was always going to be among the favourites in Monte Carlo and it now appears that he's in fine fettle going into other clay-court tournaments this summer.
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Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson did not have the best of races in Bahrain, with both drivers coming home down the order – in the case of Lawson after picking up two time penalties for collisions with Lance Stroll and Nico Hulkenberg.
Hadjar eventually finished 13th and Lawson 16th on a night where their rivals Haas and Alpine both scored.
Hadjar's race was compromised by the start, the French driver failing to get away well off the line and dropping from 12th to 16th on the opening lap, making his evening even harder to manage.
An early pit stop managed to undercut him past some cars, but he was then running the hard tyres late on behind the Safety Car, which hampered his restart.
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“Just our race start itself was a disaster. I felt like I was not moving on my grid slot so we need to review that because we lost already like two positions there... which was not ideal,” Hadjar explained afterwards.
“Then our pace and strategy was definitely aggressive, it seemed the right way to do it. But the Safety Car killed us at the restart – with used hards it was just too slow.”
READ MORE: Sainz explains incident with Tsunoda that led to retirement from ‘frustrating' Bahrain Grand Prix
Lawson also found he had pace to burn, but wasn't in a position to climb back through the field on Sunday as he tried desperately to make up lost ground from a lowly P17 starting grid slot.
He explained what led to the two time penalties, the first earned from contact with Stroll's Aston Martin around the Safety Car period, while the second was handed down when he was fighting with Hulkenberg late on in the race.
Lawson made contact with both Stroll and Hulkenberg during the race on Sunday
“I was pretty much just on a gearbox of a car the entire race. We had really good speed, just couldn't use it. To be honest, the only way I could overtake was lunging quite late, I wasn't intentionally touching with others, but it is what it is. Last stint was okay, obviously just a shame,” he added.
“It's a shame we don't have a result to show it, the car was really fast in Quali, didn't get to show it and then the car was really fast in the race, but you don't get to show it from the back.”
READ MORE: Russell reveals ‘all sorts of failures' he experienced in tense Bahrain GP as he avoids penalty
After two race weekends back with Racing Bulls, Lawson will be hoping something starts to click for him in Jeddah, with 17th and 16th his results since his Red Bull demotion, while his best qualifying of the year so far is just 14th.
The New Zealander is one of just four drivers yet to score in 2025 – along with Alpine's Jack Doohan, Kick Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto and two-time champion, Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso – while Hadjar has four points to his name so far this year.
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5 Winners and 5 Losers from Bahrain – Who excelled in the heat of the Sakhir desert?
© 2003-2025 Formula One World Championship Limited
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Kimi Antonelli had an up and down race in Bahrain after starting fifth. He looked on for points but instead found himself battling hard down the order after a series of interesting strategy calls. In the end the teenager came home 11th, but there were definitely some positives to take away.
Antonelli got his elbows out at several points during the race, fighting hard with Carlos Sainz and even pulling off a move on reigning champion Max Verstappen at one point. The pace was clearly there, but Antonelli found himself in too much traffic to make it count.
Having dropped two places at the start, his problems began with the first pit stops, as he was undercut by a number of rivals. More issues then arose when Mercedes played it safe by trying to undercut him in return with an earlier second stop.
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Fitting the soft compound tyres, he pushed too hard in traffic, so that when a Safety Car came out a few laps later, Mercedes opted to pit him a third time – dropping him down the order yet again.
Antonelli pulled off a move on Verstappen midway through the race in Bahrain
“It's a bit confusing because obviously it's the first time I got undercut, and that was fine – I was expecting it,” Antonelli explained.
“But obviously when I put the softs on after the medium, we did two laps and then there was the Safety Car. I felt I could have stayed out – with the Safety Car the tyres would have cooled down anyway and with a bit more free air, it would have been a different story.
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“We need to review this with the team, I think on my side I could have probably chosen a bit more wisely the way I was pushing after the pit stop, just to save a bit more tyre.”
Antonelli is continuing to learn fast as he adjusts to life as a fulltime F1 driver
Antonelli was the only driver to three stop bar the Williams of Carlos Sainz, and pitting an extra time cost him hugely. The likes of Esteban Ocon and Max Verstappen benefitted from staying out under the Safety Car – but Mercedes were worried whether Antonelli's soft tyres would last the distance.
But despite those strategic hiccups, Antonelli can take plenty away from Bahrain – as he continues to improve across the board, from his one-lap pace to his race management and overtaking prowess.
READ MORE: Norris rues ‘messy race' after P3 finish in Bahrain as he vows to ‘step it up' at Saudi Arabian GP
“The pace is improving especially qualifying. Also, the racing on track is getting much, much better. I'm getting more comfortable with making overtakes and driving around other cars so that is for sure a positive. I will try in Jeddah to do an even better qualifying and do a good race from there.”
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© 2003-2025 Formula One World Championship Limited
Yuki Tsunoda opened his points account with a ninth-place finish for Red Bull in the Bahrain Grand Prix.
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© 2003-2025 Formula One World Championship Limited
President Donald Trump and his administration are acting like they don't need to listen to the Supreme Court — even going so far as to publicly pretend the high court told them they have no obligation to send back a man they illegally shipped to El Salvador's infamous torture prison.
Trump suggested last week he would comply with the high court's unanimous decision ordering him to “facilitate” the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a man who Trump officials previously claimed was deported to El Salvador as the result of an “administrative error.” Abrego Garcia, who fled gang violence in El Salvador and came to the U.S. in 2011, had previously been granted a “protection from removal” order specifically barring his deportation to that country. He has never been charged criminally.
“If the Supreme Court said bring somebody back, I would do that,” Trump said. “I respect the Supreme Court.”
Trump and his administration, however, have changed their tune and are deliberately not complying with the court orders for several grim reasons, according to three people familiar with the situation.
There are plenty of officials in Trump's White House and government who don't want to give the news media what they'd deem a “win” or a “scalp,” the sources say. On a practical and legal level, Trump aides and lieutenants worry that complying too readily or quickly with court orders — or maybe even at all — would open the floodgates to other challenges and due process claims by other migrants whom the Trump administration shipped to prison in El Salvador, a person close to Trump and an administration official tell Rolling Stone. They would much rather set the precedent that if they rendition a person to a foreign gulag, that person is staying there, no matter what.
Some Trump administration officials are simply concerned about optics and want to make it look like its policy of shipping migrants to prison in El Salvador is as ironclad as possible — in part to act as a potential deterrent to undocumented people in the U.S. and migrants who'd want to come here, per the three sources.
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Reasons aside, the administration is ultimately making a shockingly authoritarian argument with few parallels in American history: that it can send anyone, from U.S. soil, to a foreign prison, and no court can ensure the person's return. Indeed, Trump mused again on Monday about sending American citizens — “homegrown” criminals, as he put it — to El Salvador.
“They're just saying, ‘Hey, look, if we get someone out of the United States, there's nothing you can do to make us get that person back,'” says Patrick Jaicomo, a civil rights litigator at the center-right Institute for Justice.
Jaicomo notes that the hundreds of migrants that Trump sent to El Salvador were not deported. “They're being renditioned,” he says. “They're actually being sent to one of the most notoriously dangerous prisons on the planet, without due process, without any sort of sentence, with apparently indefinite terms.”
Last week, the conservative-dominated Supreme Court unanimously sided with a lower court which had ordered the Trump administration to ”facilitate” Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S. “The order properly requires the Government to ‘facilitate' Abrego Garcia's release from custody in El Salvador and to ensure that his case is handled as it would have been had he not been improperly sent to El Salvador,” read the unsigned, 9-0 opinion.
Over the weekend, the Trump administration told a lower court Abrego Garcia is “alive and secure” in El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center, the infamous mega-prison known as CECOT. The administration separately told the court that the judge would have no right to demand that officials secure Abrego Garcia's release in El Salvador and bring him back to the U.S. Instead, the administration argued that the Supreme Court hadn't actually ordered them to have Abrego Garcia released — and that it would be unconstitutional to do so.
His administration further argued that Abrego Garcia's “protection from removal” order is void now that officials have decided that the man is a member of a gang the president deemed a terrorist organization. And Trump's administration also rejected the idea that it should share any details about the terms or financial agreement under which El Salvador is imprisoning the migrants it sent there.
“We won the Supreme Court case, clearly, 9-0,” Trump's deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, said Monday morning on Fox News. He disputed the government's previous contention in several court filings that Abrego Garcia had been removed mistakenly: “He was not mistakenly sent to El Salvador. This was the right person sent to the right place.”
In an Oval Office photo-op with El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele on Monday, Trump and Miller — along with Attorney General Pam Bondi — continued to pretend that the administration won at the Supreme Court, with both agreeing that the decision was 9-0 “in our favor.” Miller claimed that the high court found “no district court has the power to compel the foreign policy function of the United States,” while Bondi claimed that the U.S. only had to worry about bringing Abrego Garcia back if El Salvador released him first.
Bukele insisted that he would not, and could not, give up Abrego Garcia. “How can I smuggle a terrorist into the United States?” he said. “I do not have the power to return him to the United States.”
When Trump was asked on Monday about his assurance last week that he would respect the Supreme Court's decision, the president responded, “How long do we have to answer this question?” before telling CNN's Kaitlan Collins that she should instead be lauding the administration for deporting criminals. He then attacked her TV ratings.
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Trump and his administration clearly do not care about the reality of Abrego Garcia's case, which is that he was in the U.S. legally, that he has never been charged with a crime, and that the Supreme Court has ruled the government needs to bring him back.
“They'd love to have a criminal released into our country,” Trump told Bukele on Monday, speaking about the media. “These are sick people.”
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By Matt Grobar
Senior Film Reporter
EXCLUSIVE: Severance star Britt Lower will star alongside David Dastmalchian (Late Night with the Devil), Anna Baryshnikov (Love Lies Bleeding) and Jamie Lee Curtis (The Last Showgirl) in Sender, a new psychological horror film produced by the latter.
Marking the directorial debut of Russell Goldman, the film is based on Return to Sender, his award-winning 2022 short that he later adapted into a 2023 Black List script. It's currently in production and follows a woman (Lower) who experiences an e-commerce package delivery scam that becomes so personal and disturbing that she becomes hellbent on discovering the identity of her anonymous sender.
Curtis is producing for Comet Pictures alongside Molly Hallam and Jake Katofsky. Akshay Shah, Lower and Goldman are exec producers on the project, with Thomas Grabinski, Eric Baird, Cesar Vega and Mireia Vilanova serving as co-producers. Verve Ventures attached Hallam to the project and represents the film for North American sales.
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In a statement to Deadline, Curtis said, “I am so proud to be a part of Russell's first movie, the first of many. The little seed that Comet Pictures planted has now grown into a feature filled with talented artists surrounding a new and exciting filmmaker.”
Lower has drawn rave reviews for her dual roles opposite Adam Scott in Apple's hit series Severance, a water cooler phenomenon that's just wrapped its second season and has been picked up for a third. Recently, she's also led indies Darkest Miriam and Psycho Therapy, both of which premiered at last year's Tribeca Festival ahead of an unveiling in theaters. Next, she's set to lead Netflix's recently announced limited series I Will Find You based on Harlan Coben's bestselling novel. She is repped by UTA, Ames/Hashagen Entertainment, and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
In addition to supernatural horror hit Late Night with the Devil, Dastmalchian has recently appeared in Oppenheimer, The Boogeyman, and Dune: Part One. He'll next be seen starring in Apple TV+'s Murderbot, Dexter: Resurrection and Mike Flanagan's The Life of Chuck. He is repped by Atlas Artists and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller.
Best known for roles in A24's Love Lies Bleeding and the Apple TV+ series Dickinson, Baryshnikov most recently executive produced and starred in Nastasya Popov's film Idiotka, which just premiered at SXSW. She is repped by CAA, Brookside Artist Management, and Yorn, Levine, Barnes.
Most recently seen starring opposite Pamela Anderson in The Last Showgirl in a supporting role that landed her SAG and BAFTA Award nominations, Curtis' upcoming slate also includes Freakier Friday opposite Lindsay Lohan, James L. Brooks' comedy Ella McCay, and Amazon's Kay Scarpetta opposite Nicole Kidman. She is repped by CAA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman.
Goldman has history with Curtis, as the pair previously teamed to pen the graphic novel Mother Nature for Titan Comics. His short film work including Burn Out and Closing Time has played at over 100 film festivals around the world. He is repped by Verve and Myman Greenspan Fox.
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By Nellie Andreeva
Co-Editor-in-Chief, TV
EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has taken in for development Carrie Soto is Back, a series adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid's bestselling tennis-themed novel, Deadline has learned. Fittingly, tennis great Serena Williams is set to executive produce the project from Fifth Season and Picturestart. A rep for the streamer declined comment.
Written and executive produced by Amanda Kate Shuman (The Wheel of Time, Berlin Station), Carrie Soto Is Back follows tennis legend Carrie Soto, whose determination to win at all costs has not made her popular. But by the time she retires from tennis, she is the best player the world has ever seen. Six years after her retirement, her world record might be taken from her by a brutal, stunning player named Nicki Chan. At 37 years old, Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement and be coached by her father for one last year in an attempt to reclaim her record. And to make matters more complicated, she is joined in the journey back by her on-again, off-again romance, Bowe Huntley. In spite of it all, Carrie Soto is back for one epic final season to be remembered.
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Williams and Caroline Currier executive produce via Nine Two Six Productions alongside Picturestart, Reid as well as Brad Mendelsohn via Circle Management + Production. Fifth Season and Picturestart will serve as co-studios.
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While Carrie Soto is not based on Williams, the character evokes the 23-time Grand Slam winner, and Reid has spoken of the Williams sisters' influence on the book.
“My incredible respect for the Williams sisters is part of what makes me interested in tennis,” she said in an interview at the time of the book's 2022 release. “I wouldn't write a book about tennis without the influence of just the absolute glory that has been their journey, but also specifically Serena's quest to get as many Grand Slam titles as she has managed to do.”
The TV series adaptation also is expected to be loosely inspired by Serena Williams' story.
Williams executive produced the 2024 docuseries In the Arena: Serena Wiliams as well as, alongside her sister and fellow Grand Slam winner Venus Williams, King Richard, the 2021 movie about the sisters' early years in Compton being coached by their dad.
Shuman is repped by UTA and Hansen Jacobson Teller.
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By
Larisha Paul
Over the weekend, Benson Boone took the stage at Coachella for the first time with a set that built up to one firecracker moment: his surprise guest appearance from Brian May. It came towards the end of the set, with the Queen member emerging for an encore performance of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and sticking around for Boone's own hit single “Beautiful Things.” It was a transcendent moment for the young musician, but less so for his crowd.
“Me trying to get the Coachella crowd to understand what an absolute legend Brian May is and the cultural impact he has on music and THE WORLD,” Boone wrote on TikTok. The accompanying post reenacted his efforts to get the audience excited about the special performance. It was mostly lighthearted with a banana standing in for his microphone before he gives up and throws it over his shoulder.
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Mystical Magical.
“@brianmayforreal I have no words,” he captioned an Instagram post from his set. “You are easily one of the most legendary musicians of all time and I cannot thank you enough for coming out.” May responded with his own Instagram post to the “truly golden 22 year old prodigy,” writing: “I'm still reeling from last night at Coachella. Thanks to all of you folks who made it feel so special — you know who you are !!!! And this particular way of concluding Bohemian Rhapsody will be hard to beat in the years to come !!! Thanks. And for Benson and his entire team, I have no words. I'm awestruck.”
Boone's set spanned nine songs including the live debut of an unreleased track called “Mystical Magical.” “This show is by far and easily the biggest production I have ever been a part of. The work, dedication, and time to build and see out something like this is near unfathomable. So many people are behind the scenes making this dream happen. I am so proud to have been a part of this show,” he said. “I can't wait to come back to Coachella next weekend, thank you for having me, and thank you for everything you do even if it's just a simple stream. I love this job, I love this life, I love music, and I love the people I have around me. God bless you all.”
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The summer shows are slated to kick off on August 6 in Belmont Park, NY.
By
Gil Kaufman
K-pop boy band ENHYPEN announced the dates and venues for the upcoming late summer U.S. and European legs of the group's 2025 Walk the Line world tour. The 10-city swing is slated to kick off on Aug. 6 with the first of two dates at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, NY, followed by a stop at the United Center in Chicago on August 9 and two nights (Aug. 12-13) at the Toyota Center in Houston.
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The quick run will wind down on Aug. 16 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles before hopping over to the The O2 Arena in London on Aug. 22. From there the group will hit Manchester in the U.K., before moving on to Amsterdam, Brussels and Berlin before winding down on Sept. 3 at the Accor Arena in Paris.
For the U.S. dates, an ENGENE membership pre-sale will run from April 23 at 4 p.m. local time through 10 p.m. local on April 24. A general on-sale for the U.S. dates will begin on April 25 at 4 p.m. local time. The ENGENE membership pre-sale for the European dates will open at 10 a.m. local time on April 23 and run through 9:59 a.m. local time on April 25; click here for more information on tickets.
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HEESUNG, JAY, JAKE, SUNGHOON, SUNOO, JUNGWON AND NI-KI made their Coachella Festival debut over the weekend with a 45-minute, 13-song set backed by a live band. Rocking custom Prada denim outfits, the group blasted through hits including “Walk the Line,” “Paranormal,” “XO,” “No Doubt” and “Sweet Venom” on a stage that evolved from a burning cityscape to a serene cloud forest.
Check out the full list of dates for ENHYPEN's 2025 Walk the Line U.S./Europe Tour below:
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It may not be “Pirates of the Caribbean,” but Johnny Depp is back with a big studio feature thanks to Marc Webb's Lionsgate action thriller “Day Drinker.” More than a decade after starring in “The Rum Diary” opposite his now ex-wife Amber Heard, Depp returns to a booze-soaked title that doubles as a reunion with his longtime collaborator Penélope Cruz. The duo famously co-starred in “Blow,” as well as “Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides” and “Murder on the Orient Express.”
“Day Drinker” centers on private-yacht bartender (Madelyn Cline) who encounters a mysterious, onboard guest (Depp). They soon find themselves entangled with a criminal figure (Cruz) and connected in ways no one saw coming. Netflix's “Elite” breakouts Manu Ríos and Arón Piper also star, as well as Juan Diego Botto and Anika Boyle.
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Lionsgate has started production on “Day Drinker” in Spain as of today, April 14. The film is produced by “John Wick” franchise stewards, Thunder Road's Basil Iwanyk and Erica Lee, plus Adam Kolbrenner (“Free Guy,” “Prisoners”) and Zach Dean, who also wrote the original screenplay. Kolbrenner and Dean's film “The Gorge” was recently released by Apple TV+/Skydance.
“I'm excited to be starting production with Johnny, Madelyn, Penelope, and this incredible cast,” director Webb said. “We're in a beautiful location with a fantastic crew and a thrilling, ferocious story to tell. This is gonna be fun.”
Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, said in a previous statement, “'Day Drinker' combines a highly commercial concept with wildly outrageous twists and turns all set in an incredible world, and there is no better filmmaker than Marc or two more perfectly cast actors than Johnny and Penélope to bring that world to life.”
While Depp led Maiwenn's “Jeanne du Barry,” which opened the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, “Day Drinker” is his major stateside studio project since the infamous trial involving Heard.
“Day Drinker” is executive produced by Webb, Dan Friedkin, Micah Green, Daniel Steinman, Stephen Deuters, Jason Forman, Sam Sarkar, Eric Sherman, Sarah Hong, Scott LaStaiti, Christopher Woodrow, Connor DiGregorio, and Adrián Guerra. It is also executive produced by 30WEST. Lionsgate will present “Day Drinker” in association with 30WEST. The film marks the second recent collaboration between Lionsgate and 30WEST, who are also teaming for “Power Ballad,” directed by John Carney, written by Carney and Peter McDonald, and starring Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas.
Webb's production team includes director of photography Javier Aguirresarobe, ASC, AEC, production designer Jan Roelfs, editor Doc Crotzer, ACE, costume designer Penny Rose, and casting directors Hannah Ashby Ward and Alejandro Gil.
“Day Drinker” is a Thunder Road / IN.2 production. Chelsea Kujawa is overseeing the project for Lionsgate. The deals for Ríos, Piper, Botto, and Boyle were overseen for the studio by Dan Freedman.
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By Armando Tinoco
Staff Writer
Ellen Pompeo is one of three original Grey's Anatomy cast members who have remained on the long-running series since its debut in 2005.
In 2022 (Season 19), Pompeo took a step back from the medical drama named after her character, Meredith Grey, and in a new interview, the star explains why she hasn't entirely left the show.
“That would make no sense, emotionally or financially. The show was streamed more than a billion times in 2024. More than a billion times,” Pompeo told El País while promoting A Good American Family. “The companies that own the show and stream the show make a lot of money from our images and our voices and our faces.”
She continued, “If I were to walk away completely, everybody gets to make money from my hard work for 20 years and I wouldn't make any money. To me, it doesn't make any sense that everybody [else] gets to profit off of my hard work. And emotionally, the show means a lot to people. I want to have an attitude of gratitude toward the show.”
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During the same interview, Pompeo also explained why she chose to act in another TV series after reducing her role in Grey's Anatomy.
“Well, this is a limited series, so I won't appear as this character again. I was just looking for something that was very different from Meredith Grey, and this offer presented itself,” she said.
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Cate Blanchett may be looking to diversify her career away from the screen. The acclaimed actress/producer told the Radio Times that she is considering “giving up acting,” however, there is no timeline just yet for a possible exit.
“My family roll their eyes every time I say it, but I mean it: I am serious about giving up acting,” Blanchett said. “[There are] a lot of things I want to do with my life.”
IndieWire has reached out for additional comment.
Blanchett won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar in 2005 for “The Aviator” and Best Actress in 2014 for “Blue Jasmine.” She also was nominated for six other Oscars. The prolific star recently led Guy Maddin's “Rumours,” Alfonso Cuarón's series “Disclaimer,” Eli Roth's “Borderlands,” and Steven Soderbergh's “Black Bag.” Blanchett will next appear in Jim Jarmusch's “Father, Mother, Sister, Brother.”
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Blanchett, through her Dirty Films banner, also launched Proof of Concept with Netflix and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative in 2023. Proof of Concept is a program that grants female, trans, and non-binary filmmakers $50,000 for features or TV series.
In addition to acting and producing, Blanchett also has to weather being a celebrity. She told the Radio Times that across her years of fame, she hasn't escaped the “feeling of being uncomfortable” in the spotlight.
“When you go on a talk show, or even here now, and then you see soundbites of things you've said, pulled out and italicized, they sound really loud. I'm not that person,” Blanchett said. “I make more sense in motion – it's been a long time to remotely get comfortable with the idea of being photographed.”
Blanchett added, “I've always felt like I'm on the periphery of things, so I'm always surprised when I belong anywhere. I go with curiosity into whatever environment that I'm in, not expecting to be accepted or welcomed. I've spent a lifetime getting comfortable with the feeling of being uncomfortable.”
Blanchett further said during Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang‘s “Las Culturistas” podcast earlier this year that she would prefer to go “back to the day” when awards shows weren't televised to the public.
“Bring that back and just have a great party where people can just let go. I mean, the industry is so scattered and at such a point…which I think potentially could be exciting or could really be depressing, but it's at a pivot point, and so we need to gather together and celebrate what it is that we do, without it having to have any public-facing. I mean, the fashion is great, and all of that stuff. We'll find out in the end who won or who didn't win. But it would be so nice [if] that happened behind closed doors. Absolutely a very different evening.”
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By
Larisha Paul
Mickey Rourke isn't pretending to be surprised that he was asked to leave Celebrity Big Brother house. On Sunday, the U.K.-based reality series shared footage from when the actor was confronted about his “inappropriate language and instances of unacceptable behavior,” which he owned up to with a few deflections.
“I stepped over the line, and I take responsibility for doing the wrong thing. Because I lost my temper, and I've been trying to work on it my whole life,” Rourke said. “And I wish I would have had better self-control. I'm very sorry. I'm ashamed of myself for losing it for a few seconds there.”
The specific instances referenced in his eviction included “threatening and aggressive” language towards housemate Chris Hughes and “inappropriate sexual language” towards Ella Rae Wise, which Rourke claimed he wasn't aware of. “Nobody got touched or hurt, or maybe some feelings got hurt, or maybe others have feelings about someone getting upset,” he said. “But, you know, I'm just sorry about that.” Rourke said at the end of his exit interview that he intended to leave the day prior, but wasn't chosen. “I'd like to leave now, actually,” he said.
His departure from the series comes after he was issued a warning that “further language or behavior of this nature could lead to you being removed from the Big Brother house.” The notice followed an “offensive and unacceptable” interaction with Jojo Siwa in which he asked her if she was interested in boys or girls, to which she responded, “Girls. My partner is non-binary.” Rourke then said, “If I stay longer than four days, you won't be gay anymore.”
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Rourke followed this with a number of homophobic comments, including one instance when he exclaimed “I need a fag” — British slang for a cigarette — while heading to the smoking section, but then pointed to Siwa and said, “I'm not talking to you.” This came in addition to his competition strategy, which including a goal to “to vote the lesbian out real quick.”
“I apologize. I don't have dishonorable intentions,” he said at the time. “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.”
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The show, featuring contestants clueless about President Trump's actions in office, will debut next month on Fox News Media's Fox Nation streaming service.
By
Alex Weprin
Media & Business Writer
On Jan. 20, the day of President Donald Trump's inauguration, Fox News Media placed four people “in complete isolation in upstate New York, with no contact to the outside world — no phones, internet, television, or social media.”
90 days later, those four people will come out of their cocoon, but before learning about what happened in the world over the last three months, they have to get through Greg Gutfeld.
Gutfeld will host a game show called What Did I Miss? for the Fox Nation streaming service, with the contestants having to guess things that actually happened over the last 90 days, while avoiding scenarios invented by the production team.
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The show will see Gutfeld presenting dozens of scenarios featuring real headlines and fake ones, with the contestants having to sort through them to figure out what really happened, and what didn't. The grand prize is $50,000.
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Greg Gutfeld's What Did I Miss? will tape in front of a live audience with a panel that includes Gutfeld! regulars Kat Timpf and Jamie Lissow. The first episode of the game show will debut on Fox Nation May 12, with episodes two and three releasing on the 13th and 14th, respectively.
The premise of the show is sure to elicit curiosity, given the nonstop barrage of news that has accompanied Trump's return to office. From the Gulf of America to a global trade war over tariffs, there is no shortage of news events that would surprise people kept in isolation.
Gutfeld, of course, has become one of Fox News' biggest stars, co-hosting its top show The Five, and hosting his eponymous 10 p.m. program. The former magazine editor and Red Eye host is known for his sardonic humor, which will almost certainly be present on What Did I Miss?
“Truth can be stranger than fiction and who better to help isolated Americans catch up on the headlines they missed during an unprecedented news cycle than Greg Gutfeld,” Fox Nation president Lauren Petterson said in a statement. “We are excited for Fox Nation subscribers to have exclusive access to America's most-watched late night host's game show debut as he informs contestants about what really happened while they were completely off the grid and isolated from the outside world.”
“For these four contestants to learn what really happened while they were living in isolation, they'll have to get through me first,” Gutfeld added. “Lucky them.”
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By
Justin Glawe
The House's passage of the SAVE Act last week is the culmination of Donald Trump's election-denial movement, which has pushed hundreds of laws around the country targeting non-existent voter fraud based on Trump's lies that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
The SAVE Act — which requires documentary proof of citizenship like a certified birth certificate or passport to register to vote — could disenfranchise tens of millions of voters or prevent them from voting in future elections. The act requires last names on documents like drivers licenses to match those on birth certificates, and could prevent millions of women who have changed their names after being married from registering to vote. The bill must pass the Senate before Trump can sign it.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), who brought the bill to the floor last week, said at that time the legislation “ensures you gotta have identification, you have to prove your identity, because only U.S. citizens should vote and decide U.S. elections.” He noted that noncitizens are already prohibited from voting in federal elections, but claimed “there's no mechanism currently to ensure that [the] law is always followed.”
The legislation is part of a broader attack on Americans' voting rights. On March 25, Trump signed an executive order that sought to require the same proof of citizenship as the SAVE Act, would effectively eliminate voting machines and drastically reduce mail-in and absentee ballots, and calls for bogus Republican investigations of voter fraud. Republicans in state legislatures have introduced more than 2,000 election-related bills since legislative sessions began in January. Across the country and in Congress, Republicans have worked with key figures in the election-denial movement as it has gone from a fringe right-wing belief to a key plank of the Trump-led GOP. Last week, they rejoiced together.
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“I'm proud to work with my friend Cleta Mitchell, who had a significant hand in what we're doing here,” Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) said Thursday before House Republicans voted to approve the SAVE Act.
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Mitchell, a lawyer who tried to help Trump overturn the 2020 election results, is head of the Election Integrity Network (EIN), which has become one the most influential organizations in supporting Trump's lies about widespread voter fraud. She and members of EIN were in the gallery when the House voted to pass the SAVE Act on a nearly-party line vote. Four Democrats joined House Republicans in approving the legislation, which the Brennan Center and other pro-democracy groups have warned could prevent 21 million Americans — many who are poor or minorities without access to certified birth certificates, passports, or other necessary documents — from voting in future elections.
“The House has just passed one of the worst pieces of voting legislation in American history. The Senate must stop it,” Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center, said in a statement. “The SAVE Act would put voting out of reach for millions of American citizens. It should not become law.”
The SAVE Act, Trump's executive order (titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections”), and the more than 2,000 bills across the country are largely based on conservatives' false claims about widespread voter fraud, including by undocumented immigrants, neither of which have ever been proven to occur in any significant manner.
In virtually all aspects of Republican attempts to change the rules and functions of election administration, the election-denial movement's fingerprints — and those of more mainstream conservative groups like the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) — are visible, including on Trump's executive order.
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The order contains many of the demands of the election-denial movement, including an attempt to force states to do away with voting machines and conduct elections only with paper ballots; robust restrictions on mail-in and absentee ballots; and calls for Trump's Justice Department, Homeland Security, and even Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to access voter information to find nonexistent widespread voter fraud and pursue politically-motivated prosecutions of state and local election officials.
In December, Mitchell led a panel at a meeting hosted by ALEC, the watchdog group Documented reported. One of the outcomes of the gathering was the drafting of a document called the U.S. Citizens Elections Bill of Rights. The document called for many of the provisions included in Trump's order. At the top of the list of demands was requiring “documentary proof of citizenship” in order to register to vote — an idea that's one step closer to being codified into law after the House's passing of the SAVE Act.
Max Flugrath of the voting rights group Fair Fight tells Rolling Stone and American Doom that the requirement to have a certified birth certificate or passport to register to vote has roots in the Jim Crow South.
“It's a modern poll tax designed to silence Black, young, and working Americans. Forget dog whistles — this is a siren,” Flugrath says. “They're telling us they'll rig the system to win, no matter how many Americans they silence.”
The SAVE Act enacts policies that the election-denial movement has been calling for for years, while Trump's executive order is an attempt to force states to comply with its provisions under threat of withholding federal funding for elections or prosecution from the Justice Department and other agencies. Trump's executive order would also make every voting machine currently in use in the country obsolete, and is based on election-denial conspiracies that the machines are susceptible to hacking and fraud.
The order appears to have been, in large part, a back door to the SAVE Act. Its key provision was a requirement of documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, which the SAVE Act accomplished. But Trump's executive order is also part of the president's aggressive attempts to expand his constitutional power by attempting to dictate to states how to run elections.
Speaking at the National Republican Congressional Committee dinner last week, Trump expanded on what legal experts have said is the blatant unconstitutionality of his executive order.
Individual “states are just an agent of the federal government,” Trump said, adding that Republicans should “demand paper ballots” (meaning an end to voting machines) and “one-day elections” (meaning an end to early, absentee, and mail-in voting). These are two of the most important election changes sought by Mitchell and the election-denial movement.
These goals — doing away with voting machines, ending mail-in and absentee voting, and only allowing votes to be counted on a single Election Day — are in line with the provisions in Trump's order, the SAVE Act, and scores of bills across the country.
All are based on the myth of widespread voting, and especially illegal voting by undocumented immigrants, says Rob Weiner, a former Justice Department civil rights lawyer who is now a director at the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. Trump and Republicans have used claims of widespread voter fraud — which has never been proven to affect the outcome of any major election — and voting by undocumented immigrants to make it more difficult to register to vote, restrict access to non-Election Day voting, and purge millions of people from voter rolls under questionable claims about ineligibility.
There “is the notion that there is a problem with people who are voting who are not citizens. That's just not the case. It is an exceedingly rare event,” Weiner tells Rolling Stone and American Doom.
THE TRIO OF Republican efforts to change election rules and laws — the SAVE Act, Trump's executive order, and the 2,000-plus bills introduced by state GOP lawmakers — are merely attempts to call future elections into question or rig them in favor of conservatives, pro-democracy groups say. All three efforts have been in the works for years.
“They think that by controlling the process that they're going to control all of society,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes tells Rolling Stone and American Doom. “What they don't understand is that this society is much more diverse and complex than any other society that has fallen to autocracy, so we're not going down like that.”
Following Trump's loss in 2020, election deniers took over local election boards and won seats in state legislatures, pushing measures that would support his claims of widespread voter fraud and, in their minds, stop it from happening again. Many of those efforts were successful; some were not.
The trend continued in 2023 and 2024, with state legislatures introducing thousands of bills aimed at curbing voter fraud — efforts that critics say are simply voter suppression laws. In the final weeks and months of the 2024 presidential campaign, Trump-aligned groups and the Republican National Committee filed dozens of lawsuits seeking to purge millions from the voter rolls, on the false basis that noncitizens had registered to vote, and stop the counting of mail-in and absentee ballots.
Following Trump's win in November, Republicans have only doubled down.
So far this year, Republicans in state legislatures have introduced more than 2,000 bills related to election administration, voting rules, and voter registration — already surpassing the total number of election-related bills in 2022 and nearing the total for 2023 and 2024, according to Ballotpedia. In 2024 and so far this year, lawmakers in 21 states have introduced measures requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, with three states — New Hampshire, Wyoming, and Louisiana — passing such legislation.
These efforts, taken together, could create a chaotic election period for next year's midterms in which the rules of the election are still being debated in statehouses and courtrooms across the country as votes are being tallied.
Combined with the possible disenfranchisement of tens of millions of voters thanks to the SAVE Act, plus Trump's executive order that seeks to make every voting machine currently in use in the country obsolete, last week's win by House Republicans and the election-denial movement could be just the beginning of sustained electoral turmoil.
If the Senate passes the SAVE Act, it will be up to states to enforce the law's key provision of requiring documentary proof of citizenship to vote. States will also have to decide whether to comply with the demands of Trump's executive order.
If states do comply — or pass laws that mandate some of the order's demands — it would throw election administration into disarray, according to Larry Norden, vice president of elections and government for the Brennan Center, a nonpartisan law and policy institute.
Norden and others warn about provisions in the executive order that call for the discontinuation of all voting machines in use across the country, to be replaced by machines that comply with new guidelines. Those machines have not yet been constructed by any manufacturers, meaning states that seek to comply with the new guidelines in Trump's order might have to switch to hand-counted paper ballots in future elections. This would slow the processing of results and add more fuel to the fire of an election-denial movement that claims vote-counting is rife with fraud, Norden and others say.
“They would have to buy systems that aren't on the market, which they can't do, so they'd have to hand-count ballots, which would cause all kinds of chaos in an election,” Norden tells Rolling Stone and American Doom.
Currently, 11 states have laws that require their election equipment to comply with what's called the Voluntary Voting Systems Guidlines 1.0 (VVSG). Trump's order demands that states comply with the new version of those guidelines, VVSG 2.0, for election equipment like voting machines.
Mark Lindeman of Verified Voting, which advocates for secure election technology, notes that there are currently no voting machines on the market that comply with VVSG 2.0.
“It is possible to interpret this EO as an attempt to fulfill the fantasies of election deniers by basically abolishing all existing voting systems and requiring all hand-counts,” Lindeman tells Rolling Stone and American Doom. “Encouragingly, no state has passed a bill that requires impossible voting systems.”
Completely eliminating voting machines has been at the top of the list of priorities for the election-denial movement since 2020. Trump and others have spread conspiracies that voting machines are susceptible to hacking and fraud. At a Cabinet meeting on Feb. 26, Trump said “We have to go back to paper ballots.”
“I wish the governors would do it, because the paper ballots will cost” less than machines, Trump said.
At a Cabinet meeting last week, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told Trump that she has found evidence of fraud related to voting machines.
“We have evidence of how these electronic voting systems have been vulnerable to hackers for a very long time, and vulnerable to exploitation to manipulate the results of the votes being cast, which further drives forward your mandate to bring about paper ballots across the country so that voters can have faith in the integrity of our elections,” Gabbard told Trump.
TRUMP'S ORDER ALSO requires the Justice Department and DHS to prosecute state and local election officials for not complying with the order's demands, would withhold federal funds to states for elections, and gives agencies and DOGE access to private voter information on state voter rolls.
“The attorney general shall take all appropriate action to align the Department of Justice's litigation positions with the purpose and policy of this order,” the order states.
Prosecution of local election officials is part of the Heritage Foundation's infamous Project 2025, which has served as a playbook for Trump's second presidency. Project 2025 proposes using a portion of U.S. code — Section 241, known as “conspiracy against rights” — to prosecute state and local election officials who follow state election laws that conflict with federal law. The law was first used to prosecute members of the Ku Klux Klan who were attempting to prevent freed slaves from voting.
Gene Hamilton, a former lawyer in Trump's first administration who is now at the White House, wrote in Project 2025 that the law should be used by the Trump administration to punish election officials who don't run elections in the exact manner prescribed by Republicans.
Hamilton complained in the document that the Justice Department's Criminal Division had “ceded substantial discretion concerning voter suppression to the Civil Rights Division.”
“This is a mistake,” Hamilton wrote. “Only by moving authority for 18 U.S. Code § 241 investigations and prosecutions back to the Criminal Division will the rule of law be appropriately enforced.”
Trump's executive order seeks to implement similar policies to those outlined by Hamilton in Project 2025, requiring the Justice Department and DHS to sue election officials who don't hand over records the agencies demand, and even giving subpoena power to DOGE in order to find ineligible voters on voter rolls. The order also calls for the Social Security Administration to share Americans' personal information with the DOJ and DHS in the Trump administration's attempt to prove widespread voter fraud exists.
Already, a Musk ally working for DOGE, Antonio Gracias, has used SSA data to propagate false conspiracies about widespread voting by undocumented immigrants.
In the first Trump administration, the president's Commission on Election Integrity failed to find any evidence of widespread voter fraud and was disbanded within a year of Trump taking office. Similar to last month's executive order, the commission had demanded voter registration information from state election officials — who largely rebuffed the demands, according to Weiner of the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights.
“This is sort of a reprise of that commission, and I don't think that states will be any more anxious to provide all this information,” Weiner tells Rolling Stone and American Doom.
Weiner, Norden, and others say that Trump's executive order is obviously unconstitutional. Norden says it is simply “an unlawful power grab,” pointing to Article 1, Section 4 of the Constitution, which makes it very clear that elections are the purview of the states or Congress, not the president.
“The Constitution is pretty clear about who runs our elections — and it's the states,” Norden tells Rolling Stone and American Doom. “Congress has some power, but the president is not mentioned at all when it comes to elections in the constitution and I think that was very deliberate.”
MEANWHILE, REPUBLICAN-LED states continue to aggressively pursue election-denial legislative priorities. In Michigan, the state chapter of Mitchell's Election Integrity Network has pushed state legislators to introduce a constitutional amendment requiring documentary proof of citizenship, two voting-rights advocates tell Rolling Stone and American Doom. Elsewhere, Republicans are trying to eliminate or limit early-voting locations, enact mass purges of voters from rolls under specious ineligibility claims, and drastically reduce mail-in voting.
In North Carolina, the state's Supreme Court has thrown out thousands of votes that were counted after Election Day as part of a bid to reverse the results of an election for a seat on the court itself. Jefferson Griffin, who is seeking to overturn his election loss to Judge Allison Riggs, has argued that 65,000 votes shouldn't be counted because they didn't comply with new voter ID requirements.
The implementation of more strict voter ID rules and laws; the targeting of mail-in voting, drop boxes, voting machines; and voter roll purges are just some aspects of Republican efforts to change election administration. In 16 of the 23 states that allow ballot measures, Republican lawmakers are trying to make it more difficult for voters to get voter referendums on the ballot, says Kelly Hall of the Fairness Project, which has been tracking ballot measure laws. Those efforts follow successful ballot measures to protect abortion rights in several red states.
“What they're saying is, ‘We care so little that we want to undo what you voted on and make it harder for you to do it in the future,'” Hall tells Rolling Stone and American Doom. “It's one of the purest forms of disdain for direct democracy, and it's pure, unadulterated hypocrisy. ‘We want to get our way regardless of what the public votes for' is what we're hearing from political leaders.”
Republican lawmakers in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, and Washington state have introduced 151 bills in 2025 alone that would make it more difficult to enact ballot measures, according to Hall.
“The level of overreach they're comfortable with is completely inconsistent with their views on other issues,” Hall says of Republicans. “When we see Trump say, ‘I want to send the issue of abortion to the states,' at the least, what you would expect is that the politicians in power would respect voters' decisions on the issue.”
With the SAVE Act now closer to becoming federal law, and as red states introduce and pass scores of voter suppression laws, the Trump administration has also been gutting election security at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, which protects election systems and infrastructure like power grids from cyber attacks.
On March 27, the agency's former leader warned at a forum hosted by the bipartisan election integrity group Keep Our Republic that the Trump administration's dismantling of CISA increases the risk of foreign interference in elections.
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At Keep Our Republic's recent online meeting, former CISA lead Suzanne Spaulding, warned that the Trump administration's gutting of the agency is setting the stage for unfettered foreign influence in future elections.
“The robust efforts at foreign interference continue, from Russia, from China, from Iran, from others — it was documented, well documented, by the intelligence community, by CISA, by the FBI, by private sector companies who have visibility, like Microsoft,” said Spaulding, who served as a DHS undersecretary for CISA under President Biden among other executive branch positions across Republican and Democrat administrations. “It is no longer really being monitored, analyzed, or countered by those entities, as far as we can tell.”
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Two nuclear families — both headed by a pair of sisters — go on a darkly comic family vacation that takes a turn for the suddenly tragic in Laurynas Bareiša's grimly funny “Drowning Dry.” The film was Lithuania's pick for the 2025 Best International Feature Academy Award, and while it didn't make the cut, “Drowning Dry” previously won Best Director and Best Performance for its ensemble at the 2024 Locarno Film Festival. As IndieWire exclusively announced, Dekanalog will release the film stateside on Friday, July 18 at IFC Center with Bareiša in attendance, followed by Los Angeles and other major U.S. cities to be announced.
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“Drowning Dry” also played at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and at New Directors/New Films. Written, directed, and shot by Bareiša, “Drowning Dry” tells, per the distributor “the story of two sisters, Ernesta (Gelminė Glemžaitė) and Justė (Agnė Kaktaitė), whose lives are irrevocably altered after a near-tragic accident involving one of their children during a weekend getaway with their spouses, Tomas (Giedrius Kiela) and Lukas (Paulius Markevičius).”
The film eventually seems to take a meta turn as the same events are shown from a slightly alternative-timeline version of the telling, with subtle and offbeat performances from the cast — Ruben Östlund is a fitting reference.
The release marks Bareiša's second collaboration with Dekanalog, who previously distributed his 2021 Venice International Film Festival's Horizons Award-winning debut feature, “Pilgrims.”
Dekanalog is dedicated to the release of unique filmmaking voices and musical scores from around the world, founded in 2020 by Elijah Drenner, Lysa Le, and George Schmalz. Dekanalog has recently distributed the Independent Spirit Award-nominated C.J. “Fiery” Obasi's “Mami Wata,” last year's Dutch Academy Awards submission Ena Sendijarević's “Sweet Dreams,” and last year's Swiss submission Carmen Jaquier's “Thunder.”
“Drowning Dry” opens in select theaters July 18. Watch the trailer, an IndieWire exclusive, below.
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By Greg Evans
NY & Broadway Editor
The previously announced Broadway production of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot starring Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter has found a home in the Hudson Theatre, where the play will begin previews on Saturday, September 13 ahead of a Sunday, September 28 opening night.
The strictly limited engagement will play through Sunday, January 4, 2026, only. Jamie Lloyd is the producer and director.
Complete casting and design team will be announced soon.
Waiting for Godot is produced by The Jamie Lloyd Company, ATG Productions, Bad Robot Live, and Gavin Kalin Productions.
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Premiering in 1953 in French with a subsequent English-language production premiering in 1955 in London, Godot went on to become a cultural touchstone and has been translated into dozens of languages.
Reeves, who will play Estragon, will be making his Broadway debut with the production. Best known for his starring roles in The Matrix and John Wick franchises, Reeves performed in various local theater production in Toronto before moving to Los Angeles to begin his film career.
Winter, who will play Vladimir, made his Broadway debut as a child actor in The King & I with Yul Brynner and Peter Pan with Sandy Duncan. He also appeared in the American premiere of Simon Gray's Close of Play at Manhattan Theatre Club. He first came to prominence in movies such as Warner Bros' hit The Lost Boys and the wildly popular Bill & Ted franchise with Reeves.
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XG, Ty Dolla $ign, Zedd, BigXthaplug were among those to hit the desert on Sunday (April 13).
Weekend one of Coachella 2025 wrapped up on Sunday night (April 13) with Post Malone delivering an inspirational set from the main stage and XG making their desert debut on the Sahara stage.
Fans rallied to the desert for a third consecutive day, as Sunday didn't disappoint with additional performances from Megan Thee Stallion, Jennie, Zedd, Ty Dolla $ign and more.
The weekend send-off had a little bit of everything. Meg rocked the stage but had her set cut short a she appeared to go over on her set time after bringing out a few special guests to make the night memorable, including Queen Latifah, Victoria Monét and Ciara.
Jennie held her own as well with her solo Coachella debut. “It feels great to be back here in the desert,” the BLACKPINK star humbly told the crowd before surprising them with a Kali Uchis appearance.
Ty Dolla $ign performed on Sunday as well, and it doubled as the versatile artist's 43rd birthday. His set was a powerful one, which revolved around a jail cell and prison yard while spotlighting his brother, Big T.C.'s case (he's currently serving a life sentence).
Hours before taking the stage for his headlining performance, Post Malone revealed to Billboard he's got a new album on the way and he's “made probably 35 songs; it's just a matter of which one's rock, and which one's sock.”
Check out the full list of our highlights from day three of Coachella below.
In three years, XG went from its first song to hitting one of Coachella's biggest stages to close out the first weekend. The Japanese girl group took the stage in leopard space suits and performed tracks like “XGENE,” “Wake Up,” and “GRL GVNG.” A live band arrangement gave some of the cuts a refreshed feel throughout the set. One thing of note was not just how impressive the dancers were, but that one of them was Dream Academy‘s Emily Kelavos. The girls switched out into some white fluffy track suits and ran through favorites like “Left Right,” “In The Rain,” “Wake Up,” “Mascara (Remix)” and “TGIF.” – MICHAEL SAPONARA
While everything's bigger in Texas, BigXthaPlug is about to have a massive 2025. Coming off the release of “All the Way” with Bailey Zimmerman, which is expected to make a lofty Billboard Hot 100 debut and be X's biggest career hit to date, the Dallas native made his Coachella debut on Sunday (April 13). X was a crowd favorite as the intimate Gobi Stage was packed to the gills with fans from various backgrounds. One thing's for sure: the next time BigX is at Coachella, he will need a much bigger stage with the trajectory of his career. “This is now 6Chella,” BigX declared in a salute to his 600 Ent. imprint. – M.S.
Megan Thee Stallion was on the verge of having one of the weekend's best sets before Coachella turned her mics off as she appeared to go over on her set time. The Houston Hottie stepped out sporting a dominatrix cowgirl-themed fit as she showcased hits like “Thot S—t” and “Savage.” There was no shortage of surprise special guests as Queen Latifah joined Meg to perform “U.N.I.T.Y.” Being a student of the game, Megan had Ciara pop out for “Goodies,” which she samples on “Roc Steady.” Thee Stallion even learned the choreography for CiCi's return to the festival main stage.
Victoria Monèt was next on the guest list, as the Grammy-winning powerhouses teamed up for “Spin,” and Monèt finished off with her “On My Mama” hit. After “Body,” it appeared Meg's microphones were cut off, but she didn't have any idea as she continued to perform. The set ended shortly thereafter, around 9:28 PM. Who knows, maybe Cardi B was in line for “WAP,” which would've been a Coachella moment. We'll see what happens next weekend. – M.S.
Addison Rae made a surprise appearance during Arca's set where she performed “Aquamarine.” The bubbly TikTok star bounced around the stage in a lace white dress, but made sure the focus was on her backside before leaving the stage. Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Rae's pink lingerie said June 6 to signify that the emerging singer's debut album will be here just before the summer. – M.S.
Ty Dolla $ign's brother, Big T.C., is currently behind bars on a life sentence. Even though it was Ty's birthday, he made sure bring more awareness to his brother's legal situation with his powerful stage set-up revolving around the prison yard and a jail cell. Ty and others were outfitted in jail jumpsuits for the set, which saw him delve into his solo discography as well as his collaborative work as one of music's premier features. Vultures tracks like “Fuk Sumn,” “ Back to Me,” “Do It” and the Hot 100-topping “Carnival” rang off without Ye in the desert. Like Mustard on Friday, Ty paid tribute with a photo of Nipsey Hussle as part of the striking stage visual. It wouldn't be a Dolla $ign birthday bash without some friends, as Wiz Khalifa, YG, Tyga, Leon Thomas and more all also brought the party to another level. – M.S.
Days before making his Coachella debut on the main stage, Shaboozey dubbed his performance “Coachella's Country Hour.” Yet, his celebratory set kicked off a day that honored the genre, with performances from country rapper Jessie Murph and a headlining set from Post Malone (who ventured into country with his 2024 album F-1 Trillion). But it all started with Boozey, who welcomed Noah Cyrus to the stage for their collaboration “My Fault” — and it ended, of course, his Hot 100 No. 1 smash, “A Bar Song.” And this time, everybody in the desert was getting tipsy. – LYNDSEY HAVENS
It's been almost one year since Post Malone saddled up and dropped his chart-topping country set, F-1 Trillion. But on Sunday (April 13), on Coachella's main stage, his headlining performance felt celebratory and emotional enough to be release night. For the gig, Post fittingly brought a reimagined Forumla 1 racetrack to the desert that extended all the way from the stage through the crowd. He also leaned into his love for pyro, with various trash bins spread across the stage that, of course, would catch fire throughout the set. Because while the night was a celebration, it's clear Post has no plans of slowing down. Rather, having just performed on a makeshift racetrack, nothing is stopping him from continuing full speed ahead. – L.H.
“It feels great to be back here in the desert,” said Jennie toward the middle of her evening gig. “Thank you for coming to my set.” Such humble remarks are true to form for the global sensation, but the fact that she could use the word “my” spoke volumes to the moment. Because although Jennie has performed at Coachella twice before, including one historic headlining set with BLACKPINK, tonight was indeed hers.
On the heels of her expansive solo debut album, Ruby, Jennie's performance prioritized the new material. Songs like “ExtraL,” which included an high-energy dance break, and “Damn Right,” for which Jennie welcomed Kali Uchis to the stage, particularly stood out — did the in-your-face “Like Jennie.” But more than any one song, it was the overall experience that felt the most victorious — and bittersweet, as it could be the last solo set from Jennie before she heads back into BLACKPINK activities this year. – L.H.
The country rapper's stage design was all pretty and all pink, with chiffon curtains and a ruched satin platform. Even her all male dancers were dressed in baby pink, and her mic was bedazzled in the color as well. And then there was Jessie, dressed in all black (including her infamous snoots, a mix of sneakers and cowboy boots). Her contrasting outfit symbolized the entire essence of her artistry: you can hit hard and be soft. You can come from a town where, as she said herself, “this s–t doesn't happen” and be the one to break that mold. “I feel proud to be representing [Alabama] today,” said Murph, sharing that she cried earlier in anticipating of her debut Coachella set. – L.H.
Every year, the Outdoor Stage reliably delivers at least one mega dance music moment, and this year that honor belonged to Zedd, who drew one of the biggest crowds we can ever remember seeing in this area of the festival. The producer has many hits to pull from, along with a new arsenal of music from his exceptional 2024 album, Telos. This set took from both, with Zedd welcoming Maren Morris to sing “The Middle,” bringing John Mayer to guest on “Automatic Lover,” bringing out Indian vocalist B. C. Manjunath to perform the incredible Konnakol singing on “Shanti,” along with guests Elley Duhé, The Ollam, Tyler Duncan and Bea Miller. All of it also happened while Zedd (who had himself been a guest on this same stage during a performance by Gustavo Dudamel and the L.A. Philharmonic) rotated between turns at the decks, the drums and the piano. – KATIE BAIN
A 5:30 mainstage show isn't always the easiest slot to pull off, particularly for an artist who's not necessarily spectacle-oriented. But Beabadoobee's golden-hour performance felt both well-placed and well-timed. Her voice sounded fantastic as she played music both accessible and interesting, drawing a crowd to her and more than carrying Coachella's biggest stage. – K.B.
The English dance duo's set started nearly 25 minutes late, but if there was anything truncated about the show that eventually happened, it certainly wasn't obvious. The pair pulled out all the stops for a set that featured a sprawling crew of fantastically costumed singers, dancers, brass players, and even someone in a gorilla costume who came out during the inevitable finale “Where's Your Head At.” Altogether, the performance was a reminder that dance music live show maximalism can involve so much more than just lasers and confetti, with the vibe onstage looking like as much of a party as anything that was happening in the crowd. – K.B.
Electronic music is a foundational genre to Coachella, and most every electronic act on the lineup is able to draw a line connecting their work to that of the genre's pioneers, Kraftwerk. The German group closed out the Mojave Tent, performing iconic hits including “Trans Europe Express,” “Computer Love,” “Radioactivity,” “Tour de France” and “The Robots” with a striking, minimalist stage setup and accompanying visuals. The audience was rapt throughout, cheering especially loudly at the end for Kraftwerk's sole remaining original member Ralf Hütter, who closed his eyes amid the applause, seeming to take in all of the much deserved appreciation. – K.B.
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The Cannes Critics' Week 2025 selection boasts Best Picture winner Sean Baker‘s latest project.
Baker collaborates once more with his “Take Out” co-director and co-writer Shih-Ching Tsou, who makes her directorial debut with “Left-Handed Girl.” Tsou also produced Baker's “Tangerine” (which she starred in) and “The Florida Project,” and executive-produced “Starlet.” Now, “Left-Handed Girl” incorporates Baker's social-realist approach with the Taipei-set tragicomedy “Left-Handed Girl,” which follows a single mother and her two daughters building a new life in the Taiwanese capital. Baker cowrites, edits, and produces the film.
“The film was edited by Sean. It's true that there's a connection, I'm not going to hide it, and I don't think Shih-Ching Tsou will either,” Cannes Critics' Week artistic director Ava Cahen told Deadline. “It's a bit reminiscent of ‘Tangerine' and ‘The Florida Project,' for the way it captures reality, with a form of wonder, or at least a desire for the fabulous. The editing of the film is exceptional, the direction is very powerful, and above all, this film has a frenetic pace, a crazy pace.”
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Baker recently won Best Editing, Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director for “Anora.” The film additionally landed lead star Mikey Madison Best Actress.
“Left-Handed Girl” may be one of the buzziest films debuting during the Cannes Critics' Week 2025, but the sidebar will open with Belgian director Laura Wandel's (“Playground”) child custody drama “Adam's Interest.” The Critics' Week will later close with Japanese director Momoko Seto's animated feature debut “Dandelion's Odyssey”; this will be the first animated feature to screen in the section since Jérémy Clapin's Grand Prize winner “I Lost My Body” in 2019.
More than 1,000 films were submitted for Cannes Critics' Week 2025. The edition will run May 14-22. This year's jury is presided over by Rodrigo Sorogoyen, alongside Oscar-winning British actor Daniel Kaluuya, Moroccan film critic Jihane Bougrine, French-Canadian cinematographer Josée Deshaies, and Indonesian producer Yulia Evina Bhara.
Check out the full list of films below.
Competition
“Sleepless City” (“Ciudad Sin Sueño”)Dir. Guillermo GaloeSpain, France
“Imago” Dir. Déni Oumar PitsaevFrance, Belgium
“Kika” Dir. Alexe PoukineBelgium, France
“Left-Handed Girl” Dir. Shih-Ching TsouTaiwan, France, U.S., U.K.
“Nino” Dir. Pauline LoquèsFrance
“A Useful Ghost” (“Pee Chai Dai Ka”)Dir. Ratchapoom BoonbunchachokeThailand, France, Germany
“Reedland” (“Rietland)Dir. Sven BresserNetherlands, Belgium
Special Screenings
“Adam's Interest” (L'intérêt d'Adam) – OPENING FILMDir. Laura WandelBelgium, France
“Baise en ville” Dir. Martin JauvatFrance
“Love Letters” (“Des preuves d'amour”)Dir. Alice DouardFrance
“Dandelion's Odyssey” (“Planètes”) CLOSING FILMDir. Momoko SetoFrance, Belgium
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Media mogul Oprah Winfrey was in tears as she watched her friend Gayle King blast into space.
King was part of Blue Origin's all-female crew that launched into space on April 14, 2025. The crew included Jeff Bezos's fiancee Lauren Sanchez and pop star Katy Perry.
“I LOVE YOU,” Perry posted on her X page shortly before the launch.
ABC News aired footage showing Winfrey wiping her eyes as she watched the launch. “Oprah Winfrey appears to have tears in her eyes as her longtime friend journalist Gayle King is launched into space aboard a Blue Origin rocket,” the network wrote on X.
The Blue Origin space flight was streamed live on Blue Origin. Around 8:45 a.m. central time, the space capsule appeared to have landed back safely on Earth.
“New Shepard's 11th human flight, NS-31, will lift off from Launch Site One in West Texas on Monday, April 14. The mission includes Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyễn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn, and Lauren Sánchez,” Blue Origin wrote before the launch.
“The New Shepard launch window opens at 8:30 a.m. CDT / 13:30 UTC,” the page wrote, posting profiles of the crew.
A post shared by CBS Mornings (@cbsmornings)
King's Instagram page shared a video of the lift-off into space. “LIFTOFF: Gayle King, Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn make history aboard Blue Origin's first all-women flight crew as they lift off from Texas,” the post from CBS Mornings read.
Her page also shared video showing her walking to the rocket.
Oprah Daily shared a photo of King and wrote, “Introducing the NS-31 members going to space today! @gayleking is an award-winning journalist, co-host of @cbsmornings, editor-at-large of @oprahdaily, and the host of Gayle King in the House on SiriusXM radio.”
The post continued, “In a career spanning decades, Gayle is a gifted, compassionate interviewer able to break through the noise and create meaningful conversations. As someone who is staying open to new adventures, even ones that scare her, Gayle is honored to be part of @blueorigin's first all-female flight team and is looking forward to stepping out of her comfort zone.”
King and Winfrey also shared a video showing Winfrey embracing King as she drove with the other women to the launch site.
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HBO just confirmed the six adult leads from its upcoming Harry Potter TV series and pledges a "faithful adaptation."
By
James Hibberd
Writer-at-Large
Revelio!
HBO has finally announced the adult cast of its Harry Potter TV series.
After months of media rumors and reports of various castings — all previously unconfirmed by HBO — the company broke its silence on the matter to announce six actors for the core adult roles of its adaptation of J.K. Rowling's beloved novels.
As expected, Emmy winner John Lithgow (Conclave) will take on the critical role of Hogwarts' wise and warm Headmaster Albus Dumbledore.
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Oscar nominee Janet McTeer (Ozark) will take on the role of stern Transfiguration Professor Minerva McGonagall.
And as first reported by The Hollywood Reporter, Paapa Essiedu (Black Mirror) will take on the role of the sneering Potions Professor Severus Snape.
Nick Frost (Shaun of the Dead) will play the lumbering Hogwarts gamekeeper Rubeus Hagrid.
All four will serve as series regulars in the show.
In addition, stage actor Luke Thallon will play Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor Quirinus Quirrel and Paul Whitehouse (Harry & Paul) has been cast as the curmudgeonly caretaker Argus Filch.
“We're delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can't wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life,” said Francesca Gardiner, showrunner and executive producer, and Mark Mylod, director of multiple episodes and executive producer.
Lithgow has previously confirmed he'd accepted the role, telling one outlet, “It was not an easy decision because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid. But I'm very excited. Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to Harry Potter. That's why it's been such a hard decision. I'll be about 87 years old at the wrap party, but I've said yes.”
Essiedu's casting has caused a stir among some fans as Snape has traditionally been viewed as a white character, famously portrayed the late Alan Rickman in the Warner Bros. film series. Mylod has said, “Nobody can replace Alan Rickman, but we can find the next Alan Rickman.”
HBO's plan is to adapt each of Rowling's seven novels into a season of television.
No child stars for the equally critical roles of Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco have yet been cast. Given the characters are only 11 years old in the first book — Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone — it would make sense to cast the roles as close to the start of production as possible. Last year, HBO said it expected to begin filming in mid-2025 and that 32,000 children had auditioned for the young roles, with a team viewing between 500 and 1,000 auditions per day.
“We haven't made any final choices, but we're workshopping with a shortlist in January. And there are some crackers,” Mylod has said, adding that they want to focus on “the cream of British acting talent, this incredible tradition of brilliant theater actors, and, of course, we're following the books with the canonical casting.”
HBO also rereleased a statement about the adaptation and its place in the Harry Potter universe: “The series will be a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series by author and executive producer J.K. Rowling and will feature an exciting and talented cast to lead a new generation of fandom, full of the fantastic detail and much-loved characters Harry Potter fans have adored for over 25 years. Exploring every corner of the wizarding world, each season will bring Harry Potter and its incredible adventures to new and existing audiences and will stream exclusively on Max where it's available globally, including upcoming markets such as Turkey, the U.K., Germany and Italy, among others. The original, classic and cherished films will remain at the core of the franchise and available to watch around the world.”
HBO boss Casey Bloys previously addressed the controversies surrounding Rowling, who has frequently faced criticism for her anti-transgender sentiments. “I'm totally comfortable with it, and I'm not worried about it,” Bloys said. “Look at the huge success of the Hogwarts video game last year. I'm not concerned about consumer response.”
The series is executive produced by J.K. Rowling, Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films
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By Rosy Cordero
Associate Editor, TV
Max's Harry Potter TV series has officially cast four series regulars and two recurring roles, including four actors Deadline previously revealed: John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid.
The newly announced cast includes Luke Thallon as Quirinus Quirrell and Paul Whitehouse as Argus Filch. Whitehouse is the only actor cast thus far to have appeared in any of the original films. He played Sir Cadogan in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
The franchise follows the life of a young wizard, the titular Harry Potter, whose parents died under mysterious circumstances when he was very young. He was forced to live a life of misery and servitude to his aunt and uncle and their awful son before he was freed when Hagrid extended an invitation that changed his life forever. The adventure begins as Harry and his magical friends Ron and Hermoine become students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, who come of age in a time of extreme turmoil where the threat of war looms close.
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The Harry Potter series comes from writer/showrunner Francesca Gardiner, an executive producer alongside Mark Mylod, who will direct multiple episodes for HBO in association with Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television.
Watch on Deadline
The streamer touts the series as “a faithful adaptation of the beloved Harry Potter book series” by J.K. Rowling, who also exec produces with Neil Blair, Ruth Kenley-Letts of Brontë Film and TV, and David Heyman of Heyday Films.
Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO & Max Content, previously said the Harry Potter series would be a deep dive into each of Rowling's novels, of which seven were released. However, he emphasized that the TV series will run for 10 consecutive years.
The 8 hit Warner Bros. films released between 2001 and 2011 with the final book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, split into two features. The two longest novels are Deathly Hallows and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth and lengthiest book in the series. Potentially, more time could be devoted to these two titles with an extra season for each. However, Max has yet to reveal how much time they will focus on each novel per season. One thing that has been confirmed is that the prequel books under the “Fantastic Beasts” franchise will not be part of the series. Unless they are casually introduced like in the films when the young Hogwarts students read them as part of their curriculum.
“We're delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can't wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life,” said Gardiner and Mylod in a joint statement.
Casting is still underway for many major roles, including that of the titular wizard, best known as the Boy That Lived, famously portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe on the big screen. Also up for grabs are the roles of his dearest friends Ron and Hermoine, originally played by Rupert Grint and Emma Watson, respectively. A casting call revealed that prospective actors should be between 9 and 11 years old as of this month.
Production is set to begin this summer at Leavesden Studios, around 20 miles from London, and is the current home of the official Harry Potter Studio Tour and where the films were shot.
The newly cast actors have received many awards and accolades for their contributions to film and television on both sides of the pond.
Lithgow is a six-time Emmy, two-time Tony Award, Olivier winner, and BAFTA and Oscar nominee who will follow in the footsteps of Richard Harris, who played the Hogwarts Headmaster in the first two films, and Michael Gambon, who took over the role following Harris' death. Jude Law played Dumbledore in his early years in Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
McTeer is a Tony Award, Golden Globe, and Olivier winner, and an Oscar and Emmy nominee who takes over the role of Minerva McGonagall, the transfiguration teacher made famous by Maggie Smith and Fiona Glascott in the Fantastic Beasts films.
Essiedu is an Olivier, Emmy, and BAFTA nominee set to play the misunderstood Severus Snape, played in the films by Alan Rickman. Essiedu began his career as part of the prestigious Royal Shakespeare Company before landing his breakout role in the BBC and HBO production I May Destroy You. He made his film debut in the mystery film Murder on the Orient Express (2017), directed by Harry Potter alum Kenneth Branagh. Additional credits include Anne Boleyn, The Lazarus Project, and Black Mirror on TV.
Frost is a British Independent Film Award nominee who has starred in many fan-favorite films and is best known for his collaborations with Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright. His credits include the Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy, consisting of Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End; Attack the Block, Fighting with My Family, and How to Train Your Dragon for the big screen. He famously starred in Spaced, Into the Badlands, and Star Wars: Skeleton Crew on the small screen. Frost will play Hagrid, Hogwarts' groundskeeper, who was previously played by Robbie Coltrane.
Thallon, a newcomer on the scene, will take over the role of Professor Quirrell, the Muggle Studies professor who pivoted to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Ian Hart played Quirrell in the films.
Whitehouse will recur as Filch, Hogwart's caretaker and cat dad, originally played by David Bradley. Casting news for Mrs. Norris is also pending. Whitehouse has appeared in The Personal History of David Copperfield, The Death of Stalin, Alice Through the Looking Glass, and Alice in Wonderland.
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This morning, HBO announced four of the series regulars on its upcoming “Harry Potter” TV series adaptation, comprising most of the adult cast for the first season. Those roles are recent Olivier Award-winning actor John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Oscar-nominee Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, “I May Destroy You” star Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, and “Cornetto Trilogy” favorite Nick Frost as Rubeus Hagrid. In addition, recent “Hamlet” performer Luke Thallon will guest star as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Quirinus Quirrell, while five-time BAFTA-winner Paul Whitehouse will recur on the series as Hogwarts caretaker Argus Filch. In a joint statement shared with IndieWire, showrunner and executive producer Francesca Gardiner as well as director and executive producer Mark Mylod said, “We're delighted to have such extraordinary talent onboard, and we can't wait to see them bring these beloved characters to new life.”
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Though the new series aims to be an even more faithful adaptation of the “Harry Potter” books than the film franchise that remains popular to this day, author J.K. Rowling and original producer David Heyman remain attached to the project. Heyman likely will have his hands full working on the Bond reinvention taking place at Amazon MGM, but it's unclear how deeply Rowling will be involved. The series is produced by Brontë Film and TV and Warner Bros. Television. In addition to Rowling and Heyman, the show is executive produced by Neil Blair and Ruth Kenley-Letts.
Though not an official statement, John Lithgow did seemingly announce this news back in February during an interview with Screen Rant. In regard to being offered the part that was previously played by legends like Richard Harris and Michael Gambon, he said, “It came as a total surprise to me. I got the phone call at the Sundance Film Festival for yet another film, and it was not an easy decision, because it's going to define me for the last chapter of my life, I'm afraid. But I'm very excited. Some wonderful people are turning their attention back to ‘Harry Potter.'”
Speaking to IndieWire's Vincent Perella on the Emmy's red carpet back in September 2024, Gary Oldman expressed his interest in taking on the role of Dumbledore, as well, though doubted it would happen. He previously played Harry's godfather Sirius Black in a number of the original films and predicted the show wouldn't recycle past players.
“I would bet my money that they will get a whole new cast of people,” said Oldman to IndieWire. “Maybe in a few years, I could do Dumbledore.”
Casting for the young actors who will play Harry and best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger has not been announced.
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The singer has been slowly leaking out details about her "Scarlet" follow up for the past six months.
By
Gil Kaufman
Doja Cat was in a generous mood this weekend, giving fans what appears to be the latest preview of her upcoming Vie album. After seemingly sharing the track list in November, when she posted and then quickly deleted a 13-song roster that included the songs “Break My Heart,” “Take Me Dancing,” “Anything,” “Ain't News,” “Turn the Lights On,” “Slow Burn,” “Wood Holly” and “Appreciation,” Doja was at it again on Sunday (April 13).
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This time around the list included 16 songs, some of which matched the earlier roster, with no additional information on a release date or first single. “dont ask me where crack is rn,” she captioned the weekend post, which did not include one of the songs on the earlier roster, “Crack.” While “Turn the Lights On” matched the earlier run-down, other songs appear to have dropped off, including “Break My Heart,” “Take Me Dancing,” “Anything,” “Aint News,” “Slow Burn,” “Wood Holly,” “Did I Lie” and “Appreciation.”
Trending on Billboard
The new apparent track list includes: “Turn the Lights On,” “Slide,” “One More Time,” “Make It Up,” “Lipstain,” “Kink,” “Jealous Type,” “I Like You,” “Happy,” “Gorgeous,” “Couples Therapy,” “Come Back,” “Cards,” “Amen,” “All Mine” and “Acts of Service.”
Fans recorded an Instagram live over the weekend in which Doja previewed the bouncy “Jealous Type,” a Janet Jackson-like pop funk jam. “Boy, let me know if this is careless/ I could be torn between two roads that I just can't decide/ Which one is leading me to hell or paradise?/ Baby, I can't hurt you, sure, but I'm the jealous type/ I'm the jealous type,” Doja sings in a breathy register on the song.
Back in March, Doja also previewed the slow-burn jams “Acts of Service” and “Lipstain.”
Doja Cat's last album, 2023's Scarlet, was the follow-up to 2021's hit-packed Planet Her. Scarlet reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and hit No. 2 on the Top Rap Albums chart. She also dropped Scarlet 2 CLAUDE deluxe edition in May and earlier this year teamed up with BLACKPINK's LISA and RAYE on “Born Again” and Jack Harlow on his song “Just Us.”
dont ask me where crack is rn pic.twitter.com/To4lmOEsts
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"I think I'm gonna sing," she says in the clip. "I've got to sing in space!"
By
Jessica Lynch
Katy Perry is almost ready for launch — and she's giving fans a peek inside the capsule before liftoff.
The pop star is set to board Blue Origin's NS-31 mission on Monday morning (April 14), joining a groundbreaking, all-female crew for the company's 11th human spaceflight.
Ahead of launch, Perry shared a behind-the-scenes look from inside the capsule, posting a video to Instagram where she appears in full flight gear with her fellow passengers.
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“I think I'm gonna sing,” she says in the clip. “I've got to sing in space!” As the camera pans to show the six-woman team seated together, Perry adds, “These are all of my astronaut girly friends,” flashing a grin as the capsule runs through final simulations.
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Joining Perry on the mission are journalist Lauren Sánchez, aerospace engineer Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen, producer and entrepreneur Kerianne Flynn, and CBS Mornings anchor Gayle King. The crew is scheduled to launch at 7 a.m. CT from Blue Origin's West Texas facility, where they've spent the past several days completing astronaut training.
Trending on Billboard
This will mark the first all-women crewed mission to space since Valentina Tereshkova's historic solo flight in 1963.
Earlier this week, Perry described the emotional resonance she felt while preparing for the mission, explaining that she experienced what she believed were signs from the universe that confirmed she was on the right path.
“When I was invited to come on this voyage, I looked up the capsule. On the very front of it is the outline in the shape of a feather and when I saw that it was like a total confirmation because my mom has always called me Feather,” she said.
“Then they reveal the capsule name… The capsule's name is Tortoise. A wave, just the most energetic wave, just shot through my body. My mom calls me two nicknames. Feather and Tortoise. What are the chances that I'm going to space on a rocket in a capsule with my symbol, the feather, called Tortoise?”
“There are no coincidences,” she added. “And I'm just so grateful for these confirmations and so grateful that I feel like something bigger than me is steering the ship.”
Perry has embraced the symbolism and style of the mission, joking in a separate post, “There will be lash extensions flying in the capsule… Mine are glued on. They're good.” She added, “Space is going to finally be glam.”
Lauren Sánchez echoed the sentiment, saying, “We're going to put the ‘a**' in astronaut.”
For Perry, the mission also serves as a message to young women. “I'm motivated more than ever to be an example for my daughter that women should take up space — literally and figuratively,” she wrote on Instagram.
After the short journey into space — which will include four minutes of weightlessness before returning to Earth — Perry will begin her Lifetimes Tour in support of her upcoming album 143, launching April 23 in Mexico City.
The flight will be broadcast live on CBS with coverage beginning at 7 a.m. ET with a special edition of CBS Mornings, followed by the “Gayle Goes to Space” special at 9 a.m. ET. Paramount+ will also stream the entire Blue Origin launch and flight.
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By Jesse Whittock
International TV Co-Editor
The upcoming remake of sitcom Ghosts in Australia is shooting in Perth, with the cast list taking shape.
The eight-part series, announced last year, is from BBC Studios Australia and will be for Network 10 and Paramount+. It's filming on set and on location in Western Australia, with actor talent including Mandy McElhinney and Brent Hill, and investment from Screenwest and the state's Western Australian Production Attraction Incentive.
Like other versions of Ghosts, the plot revolves around a couple who inherit a huge and historic mansion in the countryside, with Tamala (Cleverman, Nowhere Boys) playing Kate and Rowan Witt (Totally Completely Fine, Book of Mormon) appearing as her partner, Season.
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After Kate has a near-death experience, she gains the power to see ghosts, who get up to supernatural shenanigans around the mansion.
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McElhinney will play Irish potato famine survivor, mother of 13 and publican Eileen, Hill will be stoic naval officer Gideon, Ines English plays 1900s socialite and bride-to-be MIranda, Michelle Brasier plays vibrant 1980s aerobics instructor Lindy, George Zhao is young Gold Rush-era Chinese miner Joon and Jackson Tozer is Satan, a misunderstood 1990s motorbike gang member with a heart of gold.
“Ghosts Australia boasts a stellar cast and an incredibly talented creative team,” said Daniel Monaghan, Paramount Australia's SVP, Content and Programming. “We can't wait to bring this witty and heartfelt show to life, complete with our set of uniquely Australian ghosts.”
Bree-Anne Sykes (Critical Incident) is the producer, Christiaan Van Vuuren (Top End Bub) and Madeleine Dyer (Colin From Accounts) are directing, with Sophia Zachariou (The Office Australia) and Paramount ANZ Head of Scripted and Comedy Sophia Mogford the executive producers.
The show will debut on Network 10 and Paramount+ later this year, becoming the latest version of the show following the original BBC series in the UK, which stars
Ghosts began life as a BBC series starring Charlotte Ritchie and Kiell Smith-Bynoe among others, and was followed by CBS's U.S. version, which was renewed in February for fifth and sixth seasons. The French version, for TF1 and Disney+, launched last week, a month after WDR's German remake launched. A Greek version for the Star Channel is being readied for a fall debut.
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By Zac Ntim
International Reporter
EXCLUSIVE: Cameras start rolling next month in the UK on Aladdin: The Monkey's Paw, a new feature described as a “dark, supernatural reimagining” of the Aladdin story from Empire Studios, Every Entertainment, and 8th Law Pictures
The film's synopsis read: A modern-day Londoner, Aladdin, inherits an ancient monkey's paw believed to grant wishes, only to discover that every desire comes at a soul-crushing price. As those around him fall victim to its curse, he must confront a growing evil — and the demonic force that feeds on every wish made.
Production begins in late May 2025, with principal photography taking place in the UK.
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The film stars Nick Sagar (Queen of the South), Ricky Norwood (EastEnders), Montana Manning (Tell Me Everything), and Bradley Stryker (Terrifier 3), who also directs. DOP is Simon Stolland (Marching Powder).
The film is produced by Charley McDougall (Moon Quake), Jamie McLeod-Ross (The Reckoning), Nick Sagar, and Bradley Stryker. Screenplay by Charley McDougall. Executive Producers are Rustin Matthew, Terry Bird, and Arthur Corber.
“We always wanted to explore horror through a personal lens — not just the scares, but the human cost of wishes,” McDougall said of the film. “This story's been haunting us for a while, and it's time to let it loose. The best horror films haunt you long after the credits roll. That's what this story does. It's sharp, emotional, and full of dread in all the right ways. We're not just making another horror film — we're building a world around a truly iconic concept. The paw, the mythology, the characters — it's all there.”
Stryker added: “This film will be so much fun — it's all about the peaks and valleys; the highs of lows of what we deem our dreams and desires… and then we slam that into a genre film in which the stakes have never been more diabolical and entertaining.”
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The moment took place on Saturday (April 12) at the political rally hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
By
Jessica Lynch
Neil Young, Joan Baez and Maggie Rogers shared the stage at a Bernie Sanders' Fighting Oligarchy rally over the weekend, delivering a powerful, multi-generational performance of Young's protest anthem “Rockin' in the Free World.”
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The moment took place on Saturday (April 12) at the political rally hosted by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at Los Angeles' Grand Park. The event, which centered on anti-corporate messaging and grassroots political reform, also featured solo sets from all three artists.
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Young, who closed out the rally, began his brief performance with “Rainbow of Colors,” a song from his 2019 album Colorado, before launching into “Rockin' in the Free World.”
Midway through the song, Baez and Rogers walked onstage to join him, taking turns on vocals and leading chants of “Power to the people” and “Take America back” between verses.
Baez, who recently marked her return to public performance following her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2023, also performed a five-song solo set earlier in the evening. Her selections were all covers, beginning with “Ain't Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round,” a Freedom Singers civil rights anthem. She followed with Phil Ochs' “There But for Fortune” and John Lennon's “Imagine.”
Toward the end of her set, Baez was joined by Rogers for renditions of “America the Beautiful” and Bob Dylan's “Don't Think Twice, It's All Right.” It marked a rare public musical appearance for Baez, who formally retired from full-length touring in 2019.
Rogers, who released her sophomore album Surrender in 2022, recently teased new music on social media and has continued to appear at benefit concerts and politically focused events.
Sanders has been very vocal in his disdain for the Trump administration's controversial tariff policies. During a CNN town hall with Anderson Cooper on Wednesday, Sanders lambasted Trump's pugilistic approach to foreign policy, saying, “We don't have to hate China. We don't have to hate other people. Let's figure out a way to work together.”
Young, a longtime supporter of progressive causes, first released “Rockin' in the Free World” in 1989 on his album Freedom, and has performed it across decades of political moments. In 2020, the rocker filed a copyright infringement lawsuit over Trump's unauthorized use of “Rockin' in the Free World” at campaign events.
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The Shaderoom shared video on April 13, 2025 of Chris Brown appearing to share a gleeful conversation with his former flame, Karrueche Tran, during the first weekend of Coachella.
A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom)
Tran, dressed in a white cropped tank and belted jeans, sported a bandana on her head as she giggled while sharing an exchange with the father of three, who paired a black tee shirt with two gold chains.
A post shared by karrueche ™ (@karrueche)
Brown, 35, famously dated Rihanna from 2008 to 2009 until the infamous Grammy day incident that left him on felony probation for assault. The pair rekindled their relationship in 2012, and collaborated on the well-received song “Birthday Cake” with Rick Ross. But things went sour after Karrueche Tran came into the picture, and the three were drawn into one of the 2010s' most talked about love triangles.
Many fans believed the “Ocean's Eight” star called out Tran with the line “Sweeter than a rice cake” on the birthday-themed duet.
Brown and Rihanna attended the 2013 Grammys together, three years after Essence says Brown first became involved with Tran, who broke things off with him for the final time in 2015, according to the outlet.
The “Forever” singer appeared to reference his off-and-on relationship with the Fenty Beauty founder in a 2012 vimeo clip titled “The Real Chris Brown” in which he said, “You know, when you share history with somebody, and then you tend to fall in love with somebody else, it's kinda difficult.” He went on to ask, “Is it such a thing as loving to people? I don't know if it's possible but for me, I feel like that.”
In 2017, People reported a judge had granted Tran a 5-year restraining order against the “Loyal” singer after the influencer testified he became aggressive after she refused to return gifted jewelry.
In a 2015 interview, Tran told Iyanla part of the reason her relationship with the singer and rapper fell apart was because she was an “old fashioned traditionalist” who had desires to get married and have children that Brown didn't share.
The 2017 restraining order seemed to stem entirely from cell tumultuous cell phone interactions, as the two were never publicly spotted anywhere near each other and are not believed to have seen each other since their early 2015 split.
One fan seemed to believe Brown, who recently announced additional dates for his “Breezy Bowl” stadium tour, still had romantic potential with Tran. “I think if they got back together, that would be the only thing that would make Chris Brown get married,” she wrote.
However, other fans weren't feeling a reunion. One wrote, “Let's normalize having peace beyond past relationships.”
A third commenter opted not to speculate on the former couple's relationship status, instead pointing out “Normani minding her business,” referencing the way the former Third Harmony Member sat behind Brown casually holding an electric fan towards her face.
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7.3
Genre:
Jazz
Label:
International Anthem
Reviewed:
April 14, 2025
Sam Wilkes wasn't happy with “The Fool on the Hill.” The bassist had played the song—one of his favorites—at a gig dedicated to Beatles covers. It didn't go well. Wilkes decided to try again, this time recruiting longtime friends Gregory Uhlmann and Josh Johnson to his cause. The three had never played together as a group, but they booked a concert at L.A. jazz club ETA and trusted fate and chemistry. They started the show with McCartney's song: Uhlmann's guitar picking out a path forward, Wilkes' bass finding its languid way alongside, and Johnson's sax providing the famous melody. The familiarity of the tune gave them a gentle push, but after two minutes, they were borne along by their own momentum, serenely drifting.
The three musicians had good reason to think they would jell. Uhlmann and Johnson found one another as teenagers in Chicago before forming SML; Wilkes and Uhlmann collaborated on an album by Miya Folick; Johnson and Wilkes were session musicians in the Louis Cole Big Band. This type of cross-pollination defines the L.A. jazz scene that has formed around Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker, whose long-running weekly residency at ETA spurred a resurgence in small-group improvisation across the city. Parker's influence with this trio runs even deeper; he was a music teacher to both Uhlmann and Johnson in their early days (a fact they didn't realize until years later). In retrospect, it seems inevitable that Uhlmann, Johnson, and Wilkes would come together—by the time they set foot on the ETA stage, they had seen one another play enough to anticipate each other's every movement.
Given their pedigree and the location of their album's recording—two concerts at ETA, one session at Uhlmann's house—comparisons with Parker's lauded ETA IVtet are unavoidable. If Parker's group deals in surefooted 20-minute excursions, Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes venture out on quick scouting missions, testing the terrain in two- and three-minute jaunts. They incorporate what they call “landing zones,” pre-written material contributed by each member, as safe havens from which to launch again. The biggest difference is the lack of percussion, but on tracks like “Marvis,” from Johnson's solo album Unusual Object, the trio is so adept at crafting complex polyrhythms with staccato picking, short sax bursts, and muted bass thumping that it's difficult to miss. These busy sections alternate with ambient cooldowns, sometimes within the same song—the frenetic interplay of “Hoe Down” slows to a stutter, then stops, to be replaced by an enchanting if disjointed static lull.
The group's secret weapon is the musicians' array of effects, each player sending their signals through enough pedals to mask their identity completely. On “Fumarole,” Uhlmann's guitar remains recognizable; Wilkes' bass and Johnson's sax have seemingly been replaced by synths more suited to downtempo electronica. Johnson's transformation on “Shwa” is the most remarkable. His sax flits and hovers like a dragonfly, evoking tightly controlled feedback more than a woodwind instrument. Post-production blurs the boundaries further: The melding of improvised live sessions with studio editing isn't new for the group's members, and they deploy their experience here to dizzying effect. On some tracks, like “Rewinded,” which reverses the “Shwa” tape to create a foundation for Johnson's patient one-note solo, the trick is easy to spot. Elsewhere, it's better to let the illusion work its magic, as with the subtle cut-and-paste in “Frica” that makes live syncopation tantalizingly difficult to discern from floating phrases added later.
“The Fool on the Hill” is the last song on Uhlmann Johnson Wilkes, though it was the first they performed together. That it perfectly concludes the album, some of which was recorded nearly two years later, is a testament to the trio's immediate rapport: They've started where most bands dream of ending up. These vignettes only hint at where they might go next.
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By
Maya Georgi
Jennie revved up Coachella‘s Outdoor Theatre with a supercharged performance on Sunday night. The K-pop star's performance even included a surprise guest appearance from her new bestie, and collaborator, Kali Uchis.
Jennie ripped through her solo catalog. Near the end of the set, Uchis appeared in a gorgeous fitted dress in the same wine, red color scheme of Jennie and her dancers.
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Jennie performs Damn Right with Kali Uchis at Coachella 2025 #jennie #kaliuchis #coachella2025 #coachella #jenniefans #blackpinkfans #blackpink
While the track also features a verse from Childish Gambino, the rapper didn't join the pair on the Coachella stage. Instead, Jennie and Uchis put their honeyed vocals on display as they traded the R&B-inspired verses.
The last time Jennie took the Coachella stage was with Blackpink in 2023. With their performance, Blackpink made history as the first K-pop group, and first girl group, to headline the festival. In March, Uchis reminded the 2025 Billboard Women in Music audience of this fact when she presented Jennie with the Global Force Award at the event. “It's a big deal,” she said as the crowd roared at Blackpink's achievement. Uchis also took the oppurtunity to thank Jennie for inviting her to collaborate on Ruby. Now, the moment has come full circle for Uchis and Jennie as their Coachella performance marked the first time the pair sang “Damn” together live.
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Kaitlyn Dever enters the story as Abby in the hit HBO show's return as someone with an intimate connection to Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey).
By
Josh Wigler
Contributor
[This story contains spoilers from the season two premiere of The Last of Us, “Future Days.”]
Over the course of its first season, The Last of Us put forth a variety of villains, from people-eating preachers to people-eating fungi. But with its second-season premiere, the show has introduced its fiercest foe yet, even if it doesn't look like it yet.
The season two premiere, “Future Days,” begins with a group of characters we have never met before, led by a person with an intimate connection to main protagonists Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey): Abby, played by Kaitlyn Dever. Abby is one of just a few surviving members of the Firefly resistance group Joel wiped out at the end of season one, all in an effort to stop them from performing an operation on Ellie that would have ended her life, while potentially ending the cordyceps infection that started everything. Needless to say, while we at home love Joel and Ellie, Abby's not a fan.
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“Slowly,” she says in the opener, in one of the single most chilling words uttered throughout the entire series. “When we kill him, we kill him slowly.” That's how she wants to seek her revenge against Joel, the man who killed Abby's Firefly father. The rest of this episode then jumps ahead and takes place five years later, with Joel and Ellie firmly established in the Jackson, Wyoming, settlement they reached by the end of season one. Things between the veritable father and daughter are strained, and stand to be further tested as Abby and her allies close the hour arriving at Jackson's outskirts.
As one of the most dangerous and divisive characters featured in the Last of Us video games, Abby enters season two with a bit of a reputation. Played by Dever, however, she also enters the season with extraordinary dramatic weight, a powerhouse actor tasked with bringing a powerhouse player to life. It's not Dever's first dance with the franchise, either. A number of years ago, when Neil Druckmann and his Naughty Dog video game studio were eyeing The Last of Us as a film, Dever was in line to play a different character altogether.
“I had met with Neil years ago to potentially play Ellie,” she tells The Hollywood Reporter. It didn't work out then, but years later, following an eventual collaboration with Naughty Dog providing voice work and motion capture on Uncharted 4, the right role boomeranged back around — colliding directly into Ellie's story. “I'm still shocked to this day that it happened this way.”
According to Dever, she did not have to audition for Abby; the role was hers, should she choose to accept it. Other new castmembers on season two report a similar story, including Isabela Merced as Ellie's new love interest Dina and Young Mazino as Jesse, one of Jackson's most loyal soldiers. Dever says the way Druckmann, showrunner Craig Mazin and the rest of the team cast their series directly reflects how the show gets made.
“They're very confident storytellers,” she says. “They know who is right for their story, and they have such confidence in that. It's very helpful when you're making something like this, because it allows for freedom, and for feeling safe to play these characters.”
Feeling safe does not come easily in the world of The Last of Us, and that extends to every single character, not the least of whom is Abby. While she's a tough survivor in her own right, her story brings Abby into direct conflict with many of our most beloved veterans from season one, and some new fan favorites as well. But she's also a character who stands in direct conflict with viewers, given her dark motivations of revenge and how that stands to play out in the show.
“The way into Abby is knowing how grief feels and how loss affects you, especially in the immediate aftermath,” says Dever. “There's just this shock and this desire to make it all go away.”
Dever points to her first scene in the second season as an example of Abby's devastation. There's no doubt about that line of hers (“Slowly”) as an incredibly unnerving moment. “Chilling,” Dever agrees. “She's a chilly ice queen!” Viewed another way, however, it's a moment of grief laid out on the proverbial operating table, raw and exposed for all to see.
“She just needs something to make it all better,” says Dever. “And in that moment, the only thing she can think about is revenge. She's heartbroken, she's sad, she's lost and she's trying to pick up the pieces.”Reeling from her father's death and hell-bent on revenge, Dever's Abby has something in common with one of the actress' other notable television roles: Loretta McCready, the pot-slinging kid at the heart of Justified's second season, who also sought vengeance against the people who killed her father.
“You're the first person to bring that up,” Dever says, noting the similar journeys Loretta and Abby find themselves on, albeit on two very different shows. “I'd love to find some way to bring her back. I should call Graham Yost to see how he's doing….”
Whether or not a Justified resurgence is in the cards, Dever's got her hands full with Abby, a new horror icon in the making. And no, she's not the scream queen; she's the queen that makes you scream.
“When she walks into a room, she comes through with this intense strength,” says Dever. “It's what makes her scary and intimidating. But it's all because of how much pain she's gone through.” Lord have mercy on anyone who stands in the way of that pain.
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"I had a lot of that stuff to tap into," the actor says of episode six's abuse storyline, which surfaced during a surreal exploration of the hero's psyche.
By
Lisa de los Reyes
Senior Copy Editor
[Trigger warning: This story contains a discussion of sexual abuse of children. It also includes Dark Winds spoilers through season three, episode six, “Abidoo'niidee (What We Had Been Told).”]
If you caught the latest episode of Dark Winds and you need another minute to process it all, you're not alone.
Season three is reaching a fever pitch, with episode six going deep in its exploration of Joe Leaphorn (Zahn McClarnon) and the challenges he faces both externally, as he tries to catch a killer while evading suspicion for his own crime, and internally as he struggles to reconcile his role in B.J. Vines' death with his sense of justice. The tense episode also circles back to events previewed in the season premiere, when Joe was shot in the neck with a dart as he faces an adversary in the desert.
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This time, viewers experienced that precarious situation in its full context: Joe is in a fight to save himself and the teenage George Bowlegs from a menacing attacker he believes is the Ye'iitsoh monster. The dart, as it turns out, has been laced with a substance that causes him to have surreal dreams that delve into his psyche, bringing up long-buried memories of a priest who sexually abused Joe's cousin many years ago. In the dream, he also faces the threat of FBI Agent Washington (Jenna Elfman) uncovering his crime, as well as the fallout on his marriage.
At the heart of the episode, Joe learns that his father, Henry (Joseph Runningfox), killed the priest after Joe revealed the abuse out of despair for justice, much like what Joe experienced when Vines was released from custody after he caused the death of Joe Jr. Their shared heartbreak highlights “the gap between institutional justice and true justice, and the price paid for both,” says Erica Tremblay, who directed the episode.
“It is a story about the monsters we face, both literal and figurative, and how the strength to face them often comes from the stories our ancestors left us,” Tremblay tells The Hollywood Reporter. When Joe awakes from the dream, he's able to fight off the attacker, wounding him with a gunshot, and realizes that it was never a monster after all.
Below, star Zahn McClarnon discusses the multilayered episode — which weaves in Navajo mythology with Leaphorn's challenges — touching on why that abuse storyline hit close to home and what Joe has going for him even in his darkest moments. Says McClarnon, “He has a chance to lose everything: his wife, his family, his job, his freedom. How can the stakes be any higher than that?”
***
There's a lot to unpack in this episode, with several different narrative threads happening at once: the mythological story of the Hero Twins taking on the Ye'iitsoh monster; Leaphorn's struggle to fight the attacker that's coming after him and George; and the surreal dream-world that he's navigating. I read that you have a fraternal twin in real life, which is kind of fitting for the twin storyline.
I do, he's four minutes younger.
The story of the twins is represented by a stage play happening within the episode. Is that based on real mythology?
It's based on a creation story, the Diné, or Navajo creation story of the Hero Twins, the Monster Slayer and Born for Water. These twins are embarking on a battle of the Ye'iitsoh. The direct translation of “Ye'iitsoh” is essentially something big that creates fear. Today it's kind of a general term that means something with negative energy.
Then there's the battle. Joe's battling his own monsters throughout this episode, and we include narration woven throughout the amateur production of the kids [portraying the Hero Twins] in this episode. It's Joe's journey.
One of the elements of Joe's journey, which takes up a relatively small amount of time but seems very important, is the interaction he has with his wife, Emma (Deanna Allison), in the dream. After he told her about Vines in episode five, she asked him to move out of the house, which is shocking because they've always had such a loving marriage. Now, in the dream, she says that he's not giving enough attention to the things that she needs, and it seems like they're at a breaking point.
During the — I call it a ketamine dream — he gets shot in the neck with an animal tranquilizer dart, which usually is ketamine, they use ketamine to tranquilize animals. In this ketamine dream, Joe is exposed to a lot of his inner turmoil and trauma. There are different characters that come through the ketamine, and one is definitely Emma. There's a lot going on there. There's a lot of guilt of how his marriage with Emma is a mess, it's revealed to him subconsciously in this dream, and how he treats her and how Joe puts his job ahead of their marriage. Basically how the job has consumed everything about him, as well as the death [of their son]. For this whole season we're exploring those areas of Joe and Emma's relationship.
Emma comes in the dream and basically says, “You're not paying attention, you're not here for me.” It's a part of the psychological makeup of Joe Leaphorn and the things he's going through. The whole season is basically a continued exploration of the ramifications of their son's death and the consequences that come from Joe Leaphorn's actions in season two with B.J. Vines, and also how it affects his mental state and his marriage with Emma, as well as [his relationship with] Chee [Kiowa Gordon] and Bernadette [Jessica Matten] — Bernadette's not really around in season three, she's down at the border — but everything around him in his life and how these decisions and his son's death have affected him. We explore quite a bit the inner workings of Joe Leaphorn.
I hadn't quite made the connection that ketamine was in the dart.
Yeah, they use ketamine nowadays a lot in trauma therapy, for people dealing with different issues in their lives. The research nowadays with psilocybin and ketamine for depression and anxiety — they've come a long way with that. We touch on it in 1972. (Laughs)
Maybe there's an accidental benefit for Joe.
Yeah, exactly.
One of the darkest things that's addressed in the episode is Joe's memories of his youth and how his cousin was abused by a priest, which he knew about at the time, but couldn't stop it. Can you talk about how that is addressed?
Joe revisits an event in his childhood where he wasn't able to protect his younger cousin when he's abused by a priest. That causes Joe a lot of trauma in his youth, a lot of guilt because he couldn't protect him, and he also mixed the events up in his head as a child — you know how we kind of use those tools in adulthood to deal with the trauma. We rearrange stories in our heads.
Joe finds out in this ketamine dream that it went differently than he thought. He blamed himself [thinking that he killed the priest, which he wanted to do]; he lived with this guilt his entire life, but it's revealed in the ketamine dream what actually happened to the priest: It wasn't Joe who killed the priest, it was revealed that his father did that to protect him and his cousin, to get “Indian justice.” It was revealed that Henry, Joe's father, also lives with a lot of trauma and guilt because he forced the kids to go to that church, which turned into an abusive situation. So Henry's also dealing with a lot of that guilt and trauma. Joe realizes this about his father, which does bring them closer.
Joe tells his father that he did the right thing, and Henry replies that he can tell Joe's not sure. They're both struggling because there really is no right way to respond to a situation where someone is doing something evil, but you have no legal recourse. What do you think of that dilemma that they both face?
It's a different time period. It's 1972 and a lot of people on the reservations did face that quite a bit, where there's two types of justice: There's one justice one for white people and one justice for Native people. It's that law that Joe has to struggle with as well in his personal life, because he's a cop and also follows his traditions as a Diné man, a Navajo man. He's constantly struggling with colonialism and being colonized and also representing his people, so it's a fence that Joe is continually walking throughout all the seasons.
And then obviously we have Agent Washington, who comes into the dream saying, “What you did to Vines is immoral.” So Joe is constantly dealing with these moral gray areas throughout the season. What's right and what's wrong when it comes to holding up the law? Are there two different laws, one for Indian people and one for white people? She represents the fact that in Joe's heart he probably does know what he did doesn't square up to his principles, and he has to face that.
Regarding the abuse of Joe's cousin by the priest, Erica Tremblay, who directed this episode, said that “working with Zahn to bring this story to life is an experience I will treasure forever. We were able to lean on each other through the most emotionally challenging scenes, and the result feels true and raw because we trusted each other enough to really explore these painful memories.” How was that experience for you, working with her to create a representation of these things that, sadly, happened?
Any actor, when he has to be vulnerable, wants a safe place to be vulnerable. We had closed sets on some of the scenes, where it was just the camera and the first AD and Erica and I. Erica made that environment extremely safe — not just Erica, the whole cast and crew made that environment extremely safe for me so I could go to those places and be vulnerable.
To be honest with you, as actors we all have to tap into personal experiences. Erica made it easy for me to tap into that. I had some very, very similar things happen to me as a child that my cousin went through, and also what Joe went through of not being able to protect somebody. For me, having access to that and being around people who are going to allow me to have access to that and keep me safe, Erica handled it really well. I trusted her and she's a wonderful director to work with. It's all about the safe environment. Not luckily, but fortunately, but I had a lot of that stuff to tap into.
That is really unfortunate to hear.
Everybody has their — it doesn't define me, some of the things that happened in my childhood. I don't want people feeling sorry for me or anything, because everybody's got their traumas and things that have happened to them. It's just wonderful that as an actor, I allow myself to tap into that stuff, and I think to bring some kind of truth to those situations is very important and I'm always striving to bring as much truth to the scene as I possibly can. It's a lot easier not to have to make it up, that's for sure. (Laughs)
Once Joe gets out of the dream, he's still in a bad situation. He's figured out a lot of things and he's able to shoot and wound the suspect, but he's badly injured and stranded in the desert — plus, if he gets out of this, he could be arrested at any time by Agent Washington. What do you think Joe has working for him that he can use to get out of this mess that he's still in at the end of the episode?
Pragmatically, he's got his experience as a cop, obviously. But Joe comes face to face with himself in this episode and understands how these past events shaped him and why he dealt with them through suppression. It's just a coping mechanism, that's what we do as human beings; and Joe does, finally, as do the Hero Twins in our creation story in the play, he battles the monsters. He's battling the monster himself, and finds out later on that it's not a monster, that this is a man. He's just projected all this trauma and guilt, and it appears to him as a monster, but it's really a man.
He's put all that guilt and trauma in something that wasn't reality. We do that as human beings, but he comes out of that dream and it's almost a relief to him to realize that this has all been him and his psyche that's been creating this. He has to get his job done. He has to find the killer who killed Ernesto Cata at the beginning of the season. He has a job to do, so he snaps out of it. Knowing that it's a man is a big relief to Joe. It wasn't this monster — but it was a monster, if that makes sense. It was a monster, but it's not a [supernatural] monster.
I think that came up in a previous season, too, whether there are really monsters or if it's just people who are monsters.
Henry talks about that as well when Joe meets up with his father in the ketamine dream. I think that Leaphorn's growth is more about self-understanding. It is about healing and reconciliation of the traumatic past and the choices he's made and how they've affected everybody around him.
Agent Washington clearly knows more than she's letting on about Joe's involvement with B.J. Vines. Joe must realize that on some level, as a police officer himself. So he's in a very tricky spot. And I don't want you to give away any spoilers, but how could he possibly get out of this?
It definitely raises the stakes. It raises the highest stakes, when Agent Washington comes sniffing around about B.J. Vines and what happened to him. He's a prominent character within the community, the white community, the border town community, the Navajo reservation. She's been sent off from Washington as one of the first women FBI agents in the '70s, I think there were two in 1972. She's sloughed off to the reservation by her bosses, to go take care of this missing persons report on the Navajo reservation. She's getting kind of the shitty work as a woman in '72. She shows up and the stakes become really high for Joe, because he has a chance to lose everything: his wife, his family, his job, his freedom. How can the stakes be any higher than that? It creates a lot of anxiety for Joe in season three. Done by the wonderful actress, and she just nailed this season, Jenna Elfman.
What was it like working with Jenna?
Jenna's just a professional, she's such a pro and such a warm person and easy to work with. I found myself just sitting in some of these scenes and I'm just watching her and I remember, “Oh shit, I have to say my dialogue back to her,” because I'm so amazed at her work. That doesn't happen all the time, but when it does you really have to focus and remember that you're in the scene. I just love to watch Jenna, I'd come [to set] on scenes when I wasn't working just to watch her, see how many different takes she would do and how many different versions. She just never made any mistakes. She's been doing this for so long. Once in a while, you see her flub up, and it's like, “Ah, she's human.”
I'd also like to say that when Leaphorn is injured, like he is in this episode, you play that in such a realistic way. You really feel his struggle, as opposed to action movies where the hero will be shot but he goes on fighting bad guys like nothing happened. I don't know if you think about that or if it's written that way?
I do, I'm constantly searching for an honesty to the performance. It's so important to me and it does take a lot of focus for me. I have to be that person in that moment, and you know, I've got everybody creating that environment for me. The least I can do is bring an honesty to it and do my job. Everybody's working their butts off to make the environment and create the sets, etc., so I'd better bring everything that I can.
It doesn't matter if I'm getting shot or I'm in a scene where I'm talking, I've got to tap into that honesty. It's a part of the craft that I really enjoy, and when I watch other actors, I want that honesty. You know, the pureness of it. I strive for that as much as I possibly can. It takes work, it takes a lot of focus and that's what I'm there for, I'm there to work. I take it seriously and I want it to be as honest and authentic as possible. I appreciate that compliment, that's very kind.
So much so that in season two, when he had the broken arm, I almost couldn't watch that part.
There were some scenes there I actually got hurt. There was a moment in season two where Nicholas Logan [who plays the hired murderer that killed Joe Jr.] pulls me off my feet when I got a rope around him, and I landed on my ribs and we kept rolling. I was in a lot of pain. (Laughs.) So some of that's real.
It certainly seemed real. Anything else you'd like to discuss about the season so far?
Just kind of explaining what the Ye'iitsoh is; authenticity is a big concern for us. We have wonderful consultants, Jennifer and [Manuelito] “Manny” Wheeler, and in a previous season we had George Joe — just making sure they're involved in the ceremonies, the language, the props, the wardrobe, things that are true to Navajo customs. We've got a lot of people behind the scenes that are Indigenous, and we want to make sure that we're showcasing the tribal culture with respect and honor and authenticity.
We don't represent the Navajo people obviously, we're doing a TV show, but one of the positive things is it does open the door to moments of the culture that I hope inspire people to be around Navajo people, to visit the Navajo Nation, to learn more about their culture. That can lead to more people getting involved, environmentally, politically. That's one of the positive rewards about being on Dark Winds.
The Ye'iitsoh is definitely a part of that oral story, the creation story of the Navajo people. We make sure it's authentic and we have the right people in place to honor that and respect it.
The show centers the Navajo perspective, which of course has always been there, but wasn't represented in mainstream media for a long time. It's a shame it hasn't been done in this way in the U.S. until relatively recently; imagine all the shows we could have had.
It's definitely a better time in representation in television and film, for sure, because now we have Native writers, we have Native directors, we have Native producers. But we're just at the beginning stages. We've been telling these stories for thousands and thousands and thousands of years, and we're just finally getting the opportunity for other people to see it. The show's perspective, it's got a cultural lean to it, and that's one of the positive things about being involved. And it's connecting with people, people are connecting with it and that's just a win-win for being on a television show.
***
Dark Winds season three airs on Sundays on AMC and streams on AMC+. See THR's interviews about the season with showrunner John Wirth and co-star Jessica Matten.
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[Editor's Note: The following review contains spoilers for ‘The Last of Us‘ Season 2, Episode 1, “Future Days.” For a spoiler-free analysis, read our full Season 2 review.]
Joel (Pedro Pascal), always fronting with gruff bravado to mask his inconsolable sorrow, likes to keep things simple. When his nephew, Benji (Ezra Agbonkhese), sits on his lap and asks about the maps Joel's looking over, Jackson's slacking-off construction foreman cheerfully quizzes the young boy on where he lives. “What's that?” Joel asks, and Benji replies, “The fence!” “And what's inside?” “People!” “And what's outside?” “Monsters.”
See? Simple. The fence protects the people because the fence keeps monsters out.
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Except throughout the Season 2 premiere, “Future Days,” writer and director Craig Mazin repeatedly makes clear that the monsters are moving in, if not already here. There's the stretching, straining tendrils of malevolent fungus living in the town's pipes. There's the newly evolved clickers, called “Stalkers,” so sneaky and patient when hunting their prey. There's an obsessive villain in Abby (Kaitlyn Dever) — the former Firefly introduced at the top of the episode, when she swears “slow,” brutal vengeance on Joel — who's now close enough to put Jackson in her crosshairs.
And then there's Joel, floating between monster and man. Episode 1 begins by repeating the very last scene of Season 1. Five years ago, Ellie (Bella Ramsey) is suspicious of Joel's story about what happened in Salt Lake City. Were there really other immune people who could help the scientists find a cure? Was the hospital really attacked by raiders? If not, why would Joel lie? But he did lie. His story is a lie, and he lies again when Ellie asks him to swear to its veracity.
Even when he does, she remains dubious, and reminding us of her reluctant acceptance to kick off Season 2 feels pointed. Sure, it's been two years since the scene first aired. Maybe Mazin just wanted to remind us what's happened. Maybe it's a framework for the season as a whole, rather than this specific episode.
But replaying the scene also tees up the premiere's central, mysterious conflict: Ellie is mad at Joel, and no one knows why. Things seem pretty good in Jackson. The town functions like a town, with electricity and food, contracted workers and a town council. There's even a New Year's Eve party with live music, drinks, and dancing.
Ellie has grown from a 14-year-old survivor to a 19-year-old assassin. She trains in hand-to-hand combat with men much bigger than her, led by Jesse (Young Mazino of “Beef” fame). She practices her long-range shooting with her de facto uncle, Tommy (Gabriel Luna). She cherishes her patrol assignments, in part because they get her closer to the action than any town-bound duties would, and in part because they get her closer to Dina (Isabela Merced), her best friend and full-blown crush.
Although Dina recently dumped Jesse — in what's described as an on-again, off-again relationship that's leaning toward staying off — the couple's flirtation is decidedly one-sided: Dina makes up jokes aimed directly at Ellie's sense of humor; Dina moves in for “coincidental” bodily contact while helping Ellie get geared up; Dina makes her move on New Year's Eve, asking Ellie to dance and then going in for the kiss when it's clear her partner doesn't believe there's shared interest.
For any romantic out there, it's enough to dream that “The Last of Us” Season 2 could just go on like this for another six episodes. (Yes, this season is only seven episodes long — consider this your first warning.) Dina and Ellie go on patrol. Dina and Ellie kill a clicker or two. Dina and Ellie go out, get stoned, and fall head-over-heels in love. But obviously that's not where things are headed, just as that's not all that's going on in Episode 1.
Yes, life in Jackson is tantalizingly close to normal, but the monsters are knocking on the door. Or… are they already here?
Ellie seems to think so. When Seth (Robert John Burke) chides her and Dina for kissing at “a family event,” Joel is quick to knock the drunk down and throw him out of the party. But Ellie's not mad at Seth. She's mad at Joel. “I don't need your fucking help,” she shouts at the man who only wants to help her; the man who then retires to his front porch to fix the played-out strings on her guitar; the man (or is it monster?) who saved her life by murdering dozens of innocent people in Salt Lake City.
But does Ellie know about that? The question haunts Joel so much he can't bear to entertain it. When he goes to check on Ellie before the dance, he bails as soon as it's clear things aren't suddenly hunky-dory again. When he talks to Dina about it at the start of the episode, he tries to shrug off their silent feud, using the advice he's been given in therapy. (“I can't hold myself responsible for another person's emotional state.”)
And, hell yeah, Joel is going to therapy! That being said, the excitement in seeing a terse, emotionally stunted, semi-elderly man (after the time jump, Joel is now 61 years old) sit down to better understand his emotions is muted by the fact he's been lying in every session. Clearly, he's been hoping to discover some other random issue Ellie is pissed about; one he could actually make up for, instead of his darkest, most heinous secret.
Luckily, Gail (Catherine O'Hara) isn't having it. Turns out, not only is the weed-smoking, whiskey-loving psychotherapist sick of Joel's “boring” cited issues, she's also over-the-moon mad at him because Joel… killed her husband? Even if that yet-to-be-examined wound wasn't still fresh (which it is, since this is Gail's first birthday without Eugene, and she hasn't even moved his boots off the entryway rug), that would be a big hurdle for even the most psychologically sound of us to get over. But Gail tries. To her immense credit, she faces her anger by expressing how she feels. “You can't heal something unless you're brave enough to say it out loud,” she says, as both advice to herself and to Joel.
Joel can't follow her lead. In a scene destined to be replayed any time Pascal's name is batted about awards circles, Joel's eyes become a blazing window to his soul. “Say the thing you're afraid to say,” Gail tells him, and Joel's expression cracks open, ever so slightly, desperate to accept the invitation.
“Did you do something to her?” Gail says, and Joel musters the slightest of nods.
“Did you hurt her?” Gail says, and Joel quickly shakes his head, steering her away from any conventional assumptions.
“Then what? What did you do?” Gail says, and Joel's lips part ever so slightly. His face quivers. A tear barely escapes his right eye. And then, as if he's already relived the moment in question and arrived at the same, grim decision, Joel's expression hardens. His eyes go dark, and he stands up. The man who was there a moment ago is gone, and the monster has returned. “I saved her,” he says, less for Gail than for himself.
After the Season 1 finale, I wrote that Joel became the villain. His actions take the form of heroism — a father doing whatever it takes to save his kid — but in that scenario, they're selfish, destructive, and tragic. Ellie told Joel she was willing to die to save others. He refused to let her. It would hurt too much. Specifically, it would hurt Joel too much. Now, with the emergence of Abby and the drop-off in his relationship with Ellie, we can see how his choice continues to create damage, like a fungus all its own, spreading across anything he touches.
So is Joel a monster? Even writing the words “villain” and “monster” sound too harsh for a man who's shown so much vulnerability in trying to grow as a human being, and in a show so disinterested in painting people in pure white or pitch black. Still, “The Last of Us” makes its own case. When Joel gets up to leave his office, he tells his nephew, “You keep shooting those monsters.” And Benji, bless his young soul, takes dead aim at Joel — and fires.
“The Last of Us” Season 2 releases new episodes Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and Max.
• For as much as Pedro Pascal stole the show this week, Episode 1 is arguably more focused on Ellie — and one moment stands out: When she's dancing with Dina, she tells her “friend” that every guy in the room is staring at her. “Maybe they're jealous of you,” Dina counters. “No reason to be,” Ellie says. “I'm not a threat.” And then Dina takes a beat. She looks Ellie dead in the eye and breaks from their playful banter. “Oh Ellie,” Dina says. “I think they should be terrified of you.”
In the moment, Dina is telling Ellie she is a threat to those men because Dina does like her — like, she likes her, likes her. But the emphasis Mazin puts on the moment seems to go beyond their first kiss. Should the men of Jackson be terrified of Ellie? Is it because she's so reckless on patrols? Is it because she's immune? Is it because she's with Joel, who's the reason Abby & Co. have come calling? It's hard to say yet, but it's certainly not just because Ellie stole Dina's heart.
• “Are you just going to keep grouching on like this, every session? […] I've done this long enough to know when someone is leaving something out. […] And you want me to validate that? No. Fuck no.” Oh man, I love Gail. Drinking whiskey, payments in weed — how can I book a session?
• “What do you call a grizzly's ribs? Bear-B-Que.” With the power of puns, Dina won Ellie forever.
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Perry's flight on the 'New Shepard' spacecraft takes place Monday (April 14) with the launch window opening at 9:30 a.m. ET.
By
Tim Chan
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Katy Perry is heading to space and fans can follow along with the pop star's journey with a livestream of her all-female “Blue Origin” flight.
Perry's flight on the “New Shepard” spacecraft takes place Monday morning (April 14) with the launch window opening at 9:30 a.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. PT. Officials will monitor weather conditions from the launch pad location in Texas to determine an exact lift-off time.
Want to watch the Blue Origin spaceflight launch on TV? Perry's space journey will be broadcast live on CBS (network host Gayle King is among the passengers on the flight). Coverage will begin at 7 a.m. ET with a special edition of CBS Mornings, followed by the “Gayle Goes to Space” special at 9 a.m. ET. You can watch the Blue Origin spaceflight launch on TV through your local CBS affiliate.
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You can also follow King and Perry's journey online with a corresponding livestream on Paramount+, the CBS-owned streaming service. Paramount+ will stream the entire Blue Origin launch and flight, so fans and viewers can watch Perry head into space.
Sign into your Paramount+ account to access the Blue Origin livestream. Not a subscriber? Grab a 7-day free trial here to livestream Perry's spaceflight online for free.
In addition to Perry and King, passengers onboard New Shepard include NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, bioastronautics research scientist and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Amanda Nguyen, entrepreneur/film producer Kerianne Flynn, and Jeff Bezos' fiance, Lauren Sánchez. Monday's NS-31 expedition will mark Blue Origin's 11th human space flight.
While some have questioned the timing of Perry's space flight so close to her upcoming Lifetimes Tour (which kicks off April 23), it's worth noting that the singer isn't actually staying in space. In fact, the entire suborbital flight is expected to last just 11 minutes, giving Perry and the crew enough time to reach the edge of space without making a full orbit around the earth. Still, they'll hopefully be able to get some once-in-a-lifetime views while also experiencing a few minutes of weightlessness.
Watch Perry's Blue Origin spacelight live online through Paramount+ here. You can also find a livestream on YouTube and X.
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He also worked at public TV station KCET and several radio stations in Southern California.
By
Kimberly Nordyke
Managing Editor, Digital
Ed Arnold, who spent 60 years working in broadcasting at Los Angeles radio and TV stations including KTLA and KABC, has died. He was 86.
Arnold suffered from heart disease for many years and died Thursday, according to close friend Bob Tarlau.
Arnold attended Santa Ana College and then California State University Long Beach, where he earned his bachelor's degree in speech with a radio/TV/film emphasis. He also was a member of the Santa Ana Dons 1961 Eastern Conference Championship football team.
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He worked at several radio stations in Los Angeles and Orange County before joining KTLA in the late 1960s as an announcer and later a sportscaster. He left the station in 1975, joining KABC's Eyewitness News team until 1986. He also served as the voice of public TV station KCET; was a sports personality for radio stations KRLA, KHTZ and KMPC; served as co-host and managing editor of PBS SoCal/KOCE-TV's Real Orange; and was an announcer for the internationally televised Hour of Power religious program. In 1986, he returned to KTLA, working at the station until 1999.
Arnold received many honors throughout his career, including being inducted into the Santa Ana College Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service in 2009 and into the Vanguard University Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service in 2011. He also served as president and chairman of the Santa Ana College Foundation and was a member of the Santa Ana College Athletic Hall of Fame executive committee that raised money to provide scholarships for student athletes. The SAC golf tournament was renamed the Ed Arnold Golf Classic in 2003 in honor of the work that he did for the school's athletics programs.
Arnold also served as emcee at various events at Vanguard, where his wife of 63 years, Dixie, was chair of the Liberal Studies department for many years. The Arnolds also have their name on the Vanguard University Lyceum Theater, which was added in 2014.
Arnold also was regular at events hosted by the News Geezers, a group of mostly retired Southern California broadcasting and news veterans, until his health prevented him from attending.
In addition to his wife, survivors include his son, Dean, daughter-in-law Rachel and grandchildren Jacob and Luke.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
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Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have been lighting up headlines with their romance, and now a celebrity psychic is dishing on what makes this power couple tick. Psychic Inbaal Honigman is diving into the astrological magic behind the Sagittarius pop star and her Libra NFL beau. From their zodiac-driven chemistry to a peek at 2025, here's why these two seem to click — and where they might need to sync up.
Swift, born under the fiery, free-spirited Sagittarius sign, brings a whirlwind of energy to the table. While Kelce's calm, love-loving Libra vibe keeps things balanced.
“Sagittarians like Taylor feel thankful when a Libra like Travis comes into their world and lets them hide away from the party,” Honigman told Lucy Parker, digital PR lead for Casino.ca.
Honigman highlights how Kelce offers Swift a peaceful retreat from her chaotic spotlight. Meanwhile, he gets a kick out of her social spark:
“Librans like Travis can't help but love it when a Sagittarius like Taylor comes into their world and introduces them to absolutely everybody,” she explains.
Their signs, fire and air, fuel a dynamic where Swift's zest for adventure meets Kelce's soothing charm, making them a duo that thrives on mutual vibes.
What really seals the deal in their relationship? Their knack for accepting each other, quirks and all. Swift's taste for travel and new experiences gets a thumbs-up from Kelce, who's all about her bold moves.
“Non-judgmental acceptance of each other. They're different and they love it,” Honigman noted.
On the flip side, the pop singer swoons over the Chiefs' tight end's gentle warmth — a perfect counter to her high-octane life. Whether it's jetting off to catch a game or chilling at home, these two find harmony in their differences. It's proof that opposites attract and are a winning play in a successful relationship.
It's not all smooth sailing, though. Their social styles can clash. Swift is a party-loving Sagittarius who never runs out of steam. Meanwhile, Kelce, a Libra, craves quiet recharge time.
“How sociable they are. One partner loves to be out and surrounded by people, and the other wants to read a book at home,” Honigman explains.
Swift might be ready to hit every event, but Kelce could need a breather, which might spark a little tension if they don't sync their schedules. Still, with a bit of give-and-take, they've got the tools to keep the peace.
Looking ahead, Honigman predicts a family-focused August 2025, with Venus and Jupiter aligning in Cancer to nudge the pair toward baby talk.
“August 2025 is a time for love for the glamorous couple. Venus, which is the ruling planet of Libra, will be in the family-minded sign of Cancer between 31 July and 25 August. Jupiter, which is the ruling planet of Sagittarius, is in Cancer during those dates too, as well as before and after,” Honigman says.
“Those dates will see Taylor and Travis focusing on their beloved families, as well as thinking of their future family. Baby news will soon arrive.”
For now, their star signs paint a picture of a couple who balance each other out. Her wild energy finds a soft landing in his steady glow. Whether they're dodging paparazzi or cheering from the sidelines, Swift and Kelce's cosmic connection keeps fans buzzing about what's next.
Tell us! Do you think baby news could be coming from Tayvis in 2025? Let us know in the comments below.
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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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Although turning people into stone was Medusa's modus operandi according to Greek mythology, apparently, aliens are a fan of this stunt too.
That's according to this secret CIA document from the Cold War era which was declassified, anyway.
It might be short and sweet as it only consists of one page, but it's still brimming with bizarre information about an alleged UFO attack on Soviet soldiers.
The report consists of excerpts from articles written by Canadian Weekly World News and the Ukrainian publication Holos Ukrayiny, which detail the strange - and sinister - encounter.
The outlets state that the US' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) actually obtained a 250-page file on the 'alien attack' - including images, drawings and witness testimony - that the KGB, the Soviet Union's intelligence agency, produced.
The document claims that after the Iron Curtain fell in 1991 and President Mikhail Gorbachev was no longer in power, 'a lot of material from the [KGB] found their way abroad, in particular to the CIA'.
The newspaper articles, dating back to March 1993, describe a tense encounter which saw 23 Soviet troops 'turned into stone poles' in 1989 or 1990.
One American eyewitness is alleged to have described the scene as 'a horrific picture of revenge on the part of extraterrestrial creatures, a picture that makes one's blood freeze'.
They claim that these men were taking part in a training exercise at a military base in Siberia when a 'low-flying spaceship', which was shaped like a saucer, suddenly appeared in the sky.
"For unknown reasons, somebody unexpectedly launched a surface-to-air missile and hit the UFO," it states, citing 'the KGB materials' as the source of the information.
"It fell to Earth not far away and five short humanoids with large heads and large black eyes emerged from it."
It goes on to reference the 'testimonies of two soldiers who remained alive', who allegedly observed something chilling after they 'freed themselves from the debris' of the UFO wreckage.
The CIA report explains: "The aliens came close together and then merged into a single object that acquired a spherical shape. That object began to buzz and hiss sharply, and then became brilliant white.
"In a few seconds, the spheres grew much bigger and exploded by flaring up with an extremely bright light.
"At that very instant, 23 soldiers who had watched the phenomenon turned into stone poles. Only two soldiers who stood in the shade and were less exposed to the luminous explosion survived."
Describing the supposed victims as 'petrified soldiers', the publications claimed that the KGB report said the 23 men who were turned to stone were taken to a 'secret scientific research institution' near Moscow.
The remains of the UFO were also supposedly sent to the same place, although it is not clear what became of the two survivors.
Researchers enlisted by the Red Army are said to have then determined that the molecular structure of the men was transformed into a 'substance no different from that of limestone'.
The source of energy which is claimed to have turned the troops into stone was 'still unknown to Earthlings', according to the report.
It also claims that a CIA representative stated at the time: "If the KGB file corresponds to reality, this is an extremely menacing case.The aliens possess such weapons and technology that go beyond all our assumptions."
Former CIA agent Mike Baker has cast doubt on the report, telling Fox News he didn't exactly believe the account of the alleged alien attack.
He said: "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].
"I'm sure there's something out there. 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."
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Doctors in the U.K. have warned gynecologists of the risks of necrotizing fasciitis in the external genitalia after seeing several cases.
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Gynecologists should be informed of the signs of rare, "flesh-eating" infections, doctors warn, because these dangerous infections can sometimes infiltrate the vulva.
In a new case report published April 8 in the journal BMJ Case Reports, U.K. doctors describe three patients who were found to have necrotizing fasciitis of the vulva. The vulva includes the external female genitalia, such as the labia majora and labia minora, for example.
"Necrotizing fasciitis (NF), also known as flesh-eating disease, can arise when certain bacteria enter the skin through a wound — a cut, abrasion, burn, surgical wound, or even an insect bite," Bill Sullivan, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Indiana University, who was not involved in the case report, told Live Science in an email. "NF can occur anywhere skin or tissue is breached, including genitalia."
In necrotizing fasciitis, bacteria infiltrate the fascia, which is the connective tissue surrounding muscles, nerves, fat and blood vessels. The infection rapidly causes soft tissues to die, or "necrotize," and spreads through the body very quickly.
Related: Scientists are building an ultimate atlas of the vagina. Here's why.
The case report authors, who are affiliated with the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital in England, shared these three cases to notify other gynaecologists of the possibility of vulvar involvement in necrotizing fasciitis cases.
They noted that their hospital has seen a significant uptick in flesh-eating infections in recent years, with 20 cases seen between 2022 and 2024 when only 18 had been reported in the preceding decade. In addition, several EU states and the U.S. have reported increases in invasive group A streptococcus, an infection that can lead to necrotizing fasciitis.
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If the infection is becoming more common, doctors should know the importance of rapid treatment, the case report authors emphasized.
"It's an extremely aggressive infection that can advance to a life-threatening situation in 24-48 hours," Sullivan said. "After these bacteria get into the skin, they release potent toxins that lead to rapid tissue destruction, liquefying muscle, nerves, and blood vessels."
The subsequent loss of blood supply to the affected body parts makes treating necrotizing fasciitis with antibiotics difficult, Sullivan explained; infected areas sometimes need to be surgically cut out of the body. Additionally, once the bacteria get into the bloodstream, they can cause sepsis, a dangerous, body-wide immune reaction, potentially leading to organ failure and death.
In the case report, the doctors described the cases of two patients who came to the emergency room with necrotising fasciitis of the vulva, as well as a third who developed the infection following a postoperative wound.
The first patient was alerted to the infection when she found a small spot on her mons pubis — the fatty tissue over the pubic bone. She initially went to her primary care doctor, who prescribed antibiotics. However, the spot worsened over the next five days, which resulted in necrotizing fasciitis that spread to her labia majora, left hip and lower abdomen.
At the ER, the infected tissue was surgically removed, or "debrided." But "despite intensive care unit (ICU) management for systemic infection," the patient died of sepsis only 28 hours after diagnosis.
The second patient came to the ER with a one-week history of having a lump on her labia majora, which turned out to be an infected abscess. Over the next 12 hours, the upper third of her labia majora broke down from necrotizing fasciitis. The patient ultimately needed three debridements to control the infection, after which she underwent reconstructive surgery for the lost tissue. "The wound has since healed well," her doctors noted.
The third patient suffered necrotizing fasciitis after a surgical wound got infected; she had gotten a hysterectomy as a treatment for fibroids. This patient ultimately survived after having the infected tissue surgically removed and being given broad-spectrum antibiotics.
"NF is very rare," and it most often arises in people with conditions that weaken the immune system, such as diabetes or cancer, Sullivan explained. An estimated 700 to 1,200 cases are seen in the U.S. each year. About 500 cases are reported annually in the U.K., or about 0.4 to 0.53 cases per 100,000 people, the case report authors noted.
Vaginal necrotizing fasciitis is even more rare, as people are more likely to have skin injuries on more exposed parts of the body.
"Vaginal NF could be contracted through rough sex, a piercing, or cosmetic and surgical procedures," Sullivan said. "The mortality rate of vaginal NF is estimated to be up to 50%."
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The case report authors urged other gynecologists to keep an eye out for any signs of an infection that could develop into necrotizing fasciitis, and they also emphasized that "time is of the essence" when treating the condition.
"Vaginal NF could be considered more dangerous in the sense that it might be more difficult to diagnose in time, " Sullivan said. "Gynecologists may not have NF on their diagnostic radar, and surgical interventions, which are usually required to stop NF from spreading and remove dead tissue, may be limited."
Recognizing the disease quickly is key to saving patients' lives. "Delayed diagnosis can lead to delayed treatment, increasing the odds of sepsis and death," Sullivan said.
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.
Jess Thomson is a freelance journalist. She previously worked as a science reporter for Newsweek, and has also written for publications including VICE, The Guardian, The Cut, and Inverse. Jess holds a Biological Sciences degree from the University of Oxford, where she specialised in animal behavior and ecology.
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Quantum superposition is a phenomenon in which a tiny particle can be in two states at the same time — but only if it is not being directly observed.
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Today (April 14) marks 2025's World Quantum Day, an international celebration held to promote public understanding of quantum science.
The date, 4/14, was chosen because 4.14 represents the first three digits of Planck's constant (4.135667696 x 10-15 electron volts per hertz, rounded to 4.14 x 10-15) — an important number in quantum physics.
Quantum physics is the branch of science that deals with the tiniest particles in the universe, such as atoms, electrons, photons (light particles), and other subatomic particles like quarks.
In the everyday world, at the scale that we can see, things tend to follow the laws of classical physics. However, when you zoom all the way in to the smallest particles, classical physics stops working quite as well, and the rules of quantum mechanics come into play.
Some of the key concepts of quantum physics are that particles like electrons can behave as waves, and vice versa (known as wave-particle duality); two particles can be linked in such a way that if you measure one, you instantly know something about the other (quantum entanglement); and a quantum particle can be in multiple states at once until it's observed (quantum superposition).
In everyday life, something can only be in one state at a time: a light switch is either on or off, a cat is either dead or alive. In the quantum world, things don't work quite the same way. Quantum superposition describes how a quantum particle, like an electron, a photon, or even an atom, can exist in multiple different states at the same time — until it's measured. Before it's observed, it's not halfway between states, but is instead a "superposition" of the two at once.
In quantum physics, the state of a particle is described by a wave equation, which tells us the probabilities of where a particle might be or what its properties might be. This probability wave can exist in a blend of multiple states.
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Schrödinger's Cat is a famous thought experiment that illustrates how superposition works. Imagine a cat in a box with a mechanism that has a 50/50 chance of killing it, depending on whether or not a quantum particle decays radioactively, spontaneously changing into a different type of atom and releasing radioactive particles like electrons.
Until someone opens the box and observes it, the cat is considered to be in a superposition of both alive and dead. When you measure or observe the system — or in the case of Schrödinger's Cat look inside the box — the superposition settles into one definite state, and the cat's fate is discovered.
Related: Physicists create hottest Schrödinger's cat ever in quantum technology breakthrough
Quantum superposition has been experimentally observed by scientists on multiple occasions. One famous example is the double-slit experiment, where photons are fired at a barrier with two slits, behind which is a a screen that records where the particles land. If you send particles through one slit, you get a single band on the screen, but if you open both, you get a wave-like interference pattern with multiple bands on the screen, which also proves that particles and waves can act like each other. Sending one particle at a time, you would expect each one to go through one slit or the other. However, the interference pattern still builds up, as if each single particle is interfering with itself. This means that each single particle is somehow going through both slits at once, and therefore is in a superposition of both possibilities
If you try to measure which slit the particle goes through, the superposition collapses: the particle does appear to have passed through a single slit, and the interference pattern disappears, leaving only two bands on the screen.
Additionally, ions and larger molecules have been experimentally trapped in a superposed state, and chlorophyll in the leaves of plants has been discovered to use quantum superposition to more efficiently harvest light from the sun.
Quantum superposition is also used as a tool in quantum computing and is the main reason quantum computers can be so powerful.
A classical binary bit can only be in one state at a time: 0 or 1. These bits are encoded on transistors, usually made from silicon, germanium or other semiconductors. With three bits present, they can have a potential of 8 different states: 000, 001, 010, 011, 100, 101, 110, and 111. To process all possibilities, a classical computer has to check them one at a time.
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In quantum computers, particles such as electrons or photons act as a qubit (quantum bit), which can be in a superposition of both 0 and 1. Three qubits can be in a superposition of all 8 possible states at once, meaning that quantum computers can process a much larger number of calculations simultaneously. With three qubits present, a quantum computer could process all eight states listed above at once.
This much greater processing power than traditional computers could mean that quantum computers could one day be used to perform complex simulations in pharmaceuticals, climate modeling, and manufacturing. In theory, a quantum computer powerful enough can perform calculations in seconds that would have taken the most powerful supercomputers millions of years to complete.
Jess Thomson is a freelance journalist. She previously worked as a science reporter for Newsweek, and has also written for publications including VICE, The Guardian, The Cut, and Inverse. Jess holds a Biological Sciences degree from the University of Oxford, where she specialised in animal behavior and ecology.
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A 1990s CIA report have gone viral detailing how aliens allegedly turned Soviet soldiers to stone in an act of revenge.
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Christopher McFadden
Stock photo of a flying saucer or a UFO.
Max2611/iStock
A now declassified Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) report has recently been making headlines detailing how aliens reportedly attacked Soviet soldiers during a training exercise.
The CIA report was created following the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, enabling the organization to get its hands on a 250-page (Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti (KGB) report on the event.
The report was originally declassified in 2000 and initially reported on by Canadian Weekly World News and the Ukrainian paper Holos Ukrayiny. Since then, it has remained mainly of interest to the unidentified flying object (UFO) obsessed community.
However, such reports surfaced once again in the public domain following the establishment of the UAP Task Force by the Department of Defense in 2020. Not to mention the release of large amounts of new files around mysterious flying objects recorded by the federal government to “detect, analyze and catalog” the UAPs.
According to the bone-chilling report, a group of Soviet soldiers were turned to stone as an act of revenge for shooting down a UFO somewhere in Ukraine. The report also includes eyewitness accounts and, allegedly, images of the event's aftermath.
According to the CIA report, one agent describes the event as “a horrific picture of revenge on the part of extraterrestrial creatures, a picture that makes one's blood freeze.”
The CIA report claims that the event occurred during a training exercise in Ukraine. The soldiers spotted a “low-flying spaceship [shaped like] a saucer.” At some point during the exercise, a surface-to-air missile was released, striking and bringing down the UFO.
The UFO “fell to Earth not far away, and five short humanoids with ‘large heads and large black eyes' emerged from it,” the report claims. According to the declassified CIA report, eyewitnesses recalled that some beings could escape the debris of the ruined ship.
Once free, according to the report, the crash survivors took action to take revenge for the destruction of their ship. The “beings” allegedly then huddled together and “merged into a single object that acquired a spherical shape,” the surviving soldiers recalled.
“In a few seconds, the spheres grew much bigger and exploded by flaring up with an extremely bright light. At that very instant, 23 soldiers who had watched the phenomenon turned into… stone poles,” the report states.
“Only two soldiers who stood in the shade and were less exposed to the luminous explosion survived,” it continues.
The CIA report explains that following the incident, the ruins of the ship and the petrified soldiers were transported to a secret location near Moscow. After some investigation, it was found, according to the CIA report, that the soldiers' living tissue was somehow turned into a substance near-identical to limestone.
“If the KGB file corresponds to reality, this is an extremely menacing case,” the CIA concluded. “The Aliens possess weapons and technology that go beyond all our assumptions,” it added. “They can stand up for themselves if attacked,” the report adds.
The timing and precise location of this attack are not detailed in publicly released information, but they certainly make for chilling reading.
Christopher McFadden Christopher graduated from Cardiff University in 2004 with a Masters Degree in Geology. Since then, he has worked exclusively within the Built Environment, Occupational Health and Safety and Environmental Consultancy industries. He is a qualified and accredited Energy Consultant, Green Deal Assessor and Practitioner member of IEMA. Chris’s main interests range from Science and Engineering, Military and Ancient History to Politics and Philosophy.
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Declassified CIA files reveal Cold War-era Soviet UFO incident where aliens allegedly turned soldiers into stone.
A declassified Cold War-era CIA document has gone viral for detailing a chilling encounter between Soviet soldiers and a UFO, in which extraterrestrial beings allegedly turned 23 troops into stone.
The 250-page report, originally compiled by the KGB and later obtained by the CIA following the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, describes a bizarre and deadly incident during a Soviet military training exercise in Ukraine. According to the document, soldiers fired a surface-to-air missile at a low-flying, saucer-shaped craft, causing it to crash nearby.
Eyewitnesses claimed that five short humanoids with large heads and black eyes emerged from the wreckage. The beings reportedly grouped together and morphed into a glowing spherical shape, which then exploded in a bright flash of light. The blast allegedly petrified 23 soldiers into stone, leaving only two survivors who were partially shielded from the explosion.
The report states that Soviet scientists concluded the blast somehow altered the cellular structure of the soldiers, turning their bodies into a material similar to limestone. The KGB is said to have transported both the "petrified soldiers" and the wrecked UFO to a top-secret facility near Moscow.
An American CIA operative described the findings as "a horrific picture of revenge" by alien forces, warning that the technology displayed by the extraterrestrials far exceeded human understanding. “They can stand up for themselves if attacked,” the report ominously concluded.
Originally declassified in 2000, the incident was first reported by Canadian and Ukrainian outlets and later gained renewed attention on the Joe Rogan Experience podcast. As government interest in UFOs continues to rise with the U.S. UAP Task Force, this Cold War case remains one of the most unsettling alien encounter stories ever documented.
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The CIA has released a previously classified report about a possible encounter between Soviet troops and a UFO, including an alleged alien attack on soldiers, according to Fox News.
Reports about this document were previously covered by the Canadian publication Canadian Weekly World News and the Ukrainian newspaper Holos Ukrayiny, first published in May 2000.
The Canadian Weekly World News speculated that the alleged incident occurred between 1989 and 1990, with the first publication dating back to 1993.
Now, the corresponding document has been released on the website of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States.
The document details an alleged incident in which Soviet soldiers reportedly encountered extraterrestrials after shooting down a UFO. According to the report, the aliens emerged from the wreckage and merged into a single object that "exploded" with a bright light. Following this, all but two soldiers turned to stone. This was supposedly documented in a report from the Soviet KGB.
The report, citing an unnamed CIA official, states that if the KGB dossier is accurate, it is a highly alarming case, suggesting that extraterrestrials possess weapons and technologies far beyond human understanding. The aliens were capable of defending themselves if attacked.
According to the CIA document, intelligence gathered by the US revealed a "low-flying disk-shaped spacecraft" over a Soviet military unit conducting exercises. For reasons unknown, Soviet soldiers fired a surface-to-air missile at the unidentified object, causing it to crash near a military base. The report further describes how five small humanoids with "large heads and big black eyes" emerged from the spacecraft, merged into a single "unified object," and emitted a loud buzzing sound. The object then reportedly exploded in a blinding flash of light.
Witness accounts mentioned in the document state that 23 soldiers suddenly "turned into stone pillars," with two soldiers surviving because they were sheltered from the full effect of the light. The remains of the "petrified soldiers" and the spacecraft were supposedly transported to a secret research facility near Moscow, where scientists discovered that the soldiers' molecular structure matched that of limestone. The document also claims that scientists believed the source of energy involved was something unknown to humanity.
Western media add that although the original context of the document remains unknown, it likely comes from open-source information.
The CIA and the Pentagon did not respond to requests from the American media for comments on the document.
In 2020, the US Department of Defense announced the creation of a special task force on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPTF) aimed at “detecting, analyzing, and cataloging” unknown objects that could pose a threat to national security.
The program was established after many years of government efforts to study unidentified aircraft.
At the end of 2020, former CIA Director John Brennan made a statement about the existence of aliens. He suggested that there may be other forms of life in the universe.
Additionally, in the summer of 2021, a government intelligence report on unidentified flying objects was released. The Pentagon report mentioned 144 reports of unidentified aerial objects recorded since 2004, all but one of which remain unexplained. US intelligence officials stated that UFOs pose a threat to national security.
At the beginning of 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an order to declassify government files, some of which concern UFOs and date back several dec
The CIA has released a previously classified report about a possible encounter between Soviet troops and a UFO, including an alleged alien attack on soldiers, according to Fox News.
Reports about this document were previously covered by the Canadian publication Canadian Weekly World News and the Ukrainian newspaper Holos Ukrayiny, first published in May 2000.
The Canadian Weekly World News speculated that the alleged incident occurred between 1989 and 1990, with the first publication dating back to 1993.
Now, the corresponding document has been released on the website of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the United States.
The document details an alleged incident in which Soviet soldiers reportedly encountered extraterrestrials after shooting down a UFO. According to the report, the aliens emerged from the wreckage and merged into a single object that "exploded" with a bright light. Following this, all but two soldiers turned to stone. This was supposedly documented in a report from the Soviet KGB.
The report, citing an unnamed CIA official, states that if the KGB dossier is accurate, it is a highly alarming case, suggesting that extraterrestrials possess weapons and technologies far beyond human understanding. The aliens were capable of defending themselves if attacked.
According to the CIA document, intelligence gathered by the US revealed a "low-flying disk-shaped spacecraft" over a Soviet military unit conducting exercises. For reasons unknown, Soviet soldiers fired a surface-to-air missile at the unidentified object, causing it to crash near a military base. The report further describes how five small humanoids with "large heads and big black eyes" emerged from the spacecraft, merged into a single "unified object," and emitted a loud buzzing sound. The object then reportedly exploded in a blinding flash of light.
Witness accounts mentioned in the document state that 23 soldiers suddenly "turned into stone pillars," with two soldiers surviving because they were sheltered from the full effect of the light. The remains of the "petrified soldiers" and the spacecraft were supposedly transported to a secret research facility near Moscow, where scientists discovered that the soldiers' molecular structure matched that of limestone. The document also claims that scientists believed the source of energy involved was something unknown to humanity.
Western media add that although the original context of the document remains unknown, it likely comes from open-source information.
The CIA and the Pentagon did not respond to requests from the American media for comments on the document.
In 2020, the US Department of Defense announced the creation of a special task force on Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAPTF) aimed at “detecting, analyzing, and cataloging” unknown objects that could pose a threat to national security.
The program was established after many years of government efforts to study unidentified aircraft.
At the end of 2020, former CIA Director John Brennan made a statement about the existence of aliens. He suggested that there may be other forms of life in the universe.
Additionally, in the summer of 2021, a government intelligence report on unidentified flying objects was released. The Pentagon report mentioned 144 reports of unidentified aerial objects recorded since 2004, all but one of which remain unexplained. US intelligence officials stated that UFOs pose a threat to national security.
At the beginning of 2025, US President Donald Trump signed an order to declassify government files, some of which concern UFOs and date back several dec