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Russian President Vladimir Putin has offered the U.S. to halt his full-scale invasion of Ukraine along the current front line, the Financial Times (FT) reported on April 22, citing unnamed sources familiar with the talks.
Putin reportedly conveyed the offer during a recent meeting with U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in St. Petersburg. This could be the first formal indication from Putin since the full-scale war began in 2022 that Russia may consider scaling back its territorial demands.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, responding to the report, cast doubt on its accuracy. "A lot of fakes are being published now, including those published by respected publications, so one should only listen to primary sources," he told the Russian state-controlled media outlet RIA Novosti.
Russia illegally declared ownership over Ukraine's Crimea in 2014 and over Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, Donetsk, and Luhansk oblasts in 2022, in violation of international law. Russia only partially occupies the four oblasts.
Moscow has repeatedly demanded international recognition of the regions as Russian and that Ukrainian troops completely withdraw from them as part of any peace negotiations.
Putin's message reportedly prompted Washington to propose a "peace settlement," elements of which have since been revealed in media reports, according to the FT.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. proposal — presented in a confidential April 17 meeting in Paris — involves potentially recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea and barring Ukraine from NATO membership.
Ukraine has been asked to respond this week, with a follow-up meeting scheduled in London on April 23 involving delegations from Ukraine, the U.S., the U.K., and France. If the parties reach a consensus, the proposal may be formally introduced to Moscow.
European officials cited by the FT expressed concern that Putin's offer is designed to push U.S. President Donald Trump toward accepting broader Kremlin demands.
President Volodymyr Zelensky firmly rejected such conditions on April 22, reiterating that Ukraine will not recognize Russia's occupation of Crimea under any scenario.
"This is our territory, the territory of the people of Ukraine," Zelensky said. "As soon as talks about Crimea and our sovereign territories begin, the talks enter the format that Russia wants — prolonging the war."
Witkoff, who conveyed Putin's position and is expected to visit Moscow this week, has drawn criticism for backing proposals perceived as aligning with Russian interests.
Washington has signaled that if no progress is made in the coming days, it may abandon its ceasefire mediation efforts.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House on April 9 in Washington.Evan Vucci/The Canadian Press
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a Tuesday speech that the ongoing tariffs showdown against China is unsustainable and expects a “de-escalation” in the trade war between the world's two largest economies.
But in a private speech in Washington for JPMorgan Chase, Bessent also cautioned that talks between the United States and China had yet to formally start. Trump placed import taxes of 145% on China, which has countered with 125% tariffs on U.S. goods. Trump has placed tariffs on several dozen countries, causing the stock market to stumble and interest rates to increase on U.S. debt as investors worry about slower economic growth and higher inflationary pressures.
Details of the speech were confirmed by two people familiar with the remarks who insisted on anonymity to discuss them.
“I do say China is going to be a slog in terms of the negotiations,” Bessent said according to a transcript obtained by The Associated Press. “Neither side thinks the status quo is sustainable.”
The S&P 500 stock index rose after Bloomberg News initially reported Bessent's remarks.
The Trump administration has met for talks with counterparts from Japan, India, South Korea, the European Union, Canada and Mexico, among other nations. But Trump has shown no public indications that he plans to pullback his baseline 10% tariff, even as he has insisted he's looking for other nations to cut their own import taxes and remove any non-tariff barriers that the administration says have hindered exports from the U.S.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Tuesday that Trump told her “we're doing very well” regarding a “potential trade deal with China.”
China on Monday warned other countries against making trade deals with the United States that could negatively impact China.
“China firmly opposes any party reaching a deal at the expense of China's interests,” China's Commerce Ministry said in a statement.
Leavitt said the Trump administration has received 18 proposals from other countries for trade deals with the U.S., adding that “everyone involved wants to see a trade deal happen.”
The uncertainty over tariffs in the financial markets has also been amplified by Trump calling on the Federal Reserve to cut its benchmark interest rate, with the president saying he could fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell if he wanted to do so.
Leavitt said Trump believes the Fed has by holding rates steady as it awaits the impacts of tariffs “in the name of politics, rather in the name of what's right for the American economy.”
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Bill Owens says in staff memo ‘it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it'
Bill Owens, the executive producer of 60 Minutes, says he is leaving the flagship news program because he lost his journalistic independence.
In a staff memo obtained by the New York Times, Owens said that “over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make independent decisions based on what was right for 60 Minutes, right for the audience”.
He continued: “So, having defended this show – and what we stand for – from every angle, over time with everything I could, I am stepping aside so the show can move forward.”
He said the show will continue to cover the new Trump administration, adding: “The show is too important to the country. It has to continue, just not with me as the executive producer.”
Owens is only the third producer to run 60 Minutes in its 57-year history, following Jeff Fager and its founding showrunner, Don Hewitt.
His departure comes amid a long-running dispute between Donald Trump and the CBS program over a lawsuit he filed over its editing of an interview with Kamala Harris in the run-up to the 2024 presidential election.
Trump said in his lawsuit that CBS News engaged in “partisan and unlawful acts of election and voter interference” by editing its 7 October interview with Harris. An answer Harris gave about Israel's war in Gaza was released online, but was not part of the full broadcast.
CBS has denied the claim, saying Trump's lawsuit was an attempt by government officials to “punish” journalism institutions for their editorial decisions.
Lawyers for Paramount Global, CBS's parent company, and Trump are currently engaged in settlement talks over his $20bn lawsuit.
In a separate note on Tuesday, the CBS News president, Wendy McMahon, praised Owens and said she remained “committed to 60 Minutes and to ensuring that the mission and the work remain our priority.”.
“Standing behind what he stood for was an easy decision for me, and I never took for granted that he did the same for me,” she wrote.
Trump, who has frequently branded journalists “the enemy of the people”, has escalated his attacks on the US media landscape since taking office in January.
Last month, he accused CNN and MSNBC of being the “political arms” of the Democratic party, suggesting their actions should be deemed illegal and subject to investigation.
Government-employed journalists at Voice of America (VoA), which broadcasts news, information and cultural programming in nearly 50 languages to a global audience, were put on leave after Trump signed an order eliminating the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), VoA's parent company.
The White House has also moved to take control of the press pool away from the White House Correspondents' Association. Instead, members of the White House press pool are now selected by administration officials.
The White House has also been engaged in a highly publicized dispute with the Associated Press over the wire agency's decision not to adopt the name Gulf of America instead of Gulf of Mexico into its stylebook, attempting to restrict the AP from access to the Oval Office and Air Force One.
Additionally, Trump's social media platform Truth Social is currently embroiled in a defamation lawsuit against 20 news outlets that reported an erroneous earnings figure. Semafor reported earlier this week that politics news site The Hill “privately convinced the owners of Truth Social to drop it” from that lawsuit and as “part of the settlement, the Hill's owner agreed to fire one of its own journalists”.
CBS did not respond to an immediate request for comment.
Analysis finds that corporations facing federal investigations or enforcement lawsuits donated a combined $50 million.
An analysis released Monday in the wake of new Federal Election Commission filings shows that the Trump administration has dropped or paused federal enforcement cases against at least 17 corporations that donated to the president's inaugural fund, an indication that companies' attempts to buy favor with the White House are already paying off.
In the new analysis, the watchdog group Public Citizen cross-references FEC data released Sunday with its own Corporate Enforcement Tracker, which documents companies facing federal cases for alleged wrongdoing.
Public Citizen found that corporations facing federal investigations or enforcement lawsuits donated a combined $50 million to President Donald Trump's inaugural committee. Trump raised a record sum of $239 million for his second inauguration, the new FEC filings show.
“Corporations facing federal lawsuits and investigations aren't giving millions to Trump's inauguration out of the kindness of their hearts,” said Public Citizen researcher Rick Claypool. “They are trying to buy good will. And when you're a corporation under investigation or facing prosecution, that means the government dropping enforcement actions against you. In some cases, it may even mean receiving pardons in cases in which guilty pleas have already been entered, or retractions of settlements already entered into.”
Bank of America, Capital One, Coinbase, DuPont, and JPMorgan are among the corporations that donated to Trump's inauguration and subsequently had federal enforcement cases dismissed.
Public Citizen noted that Google, which donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural committee, could benefit from the Trump Justice Department's decision during an ongoing antitrust case to scrap part of a “proposed breakup plan requiring Google to sell off AI businesses.”
Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google's parent company, was among a number of high-profile corporate executives who were given prominent spots at Trump's inauguration ceremony in January.
Other inauguration donors have benefited differently from the Trump administration's actions.
As former U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich noted on social media late Monday, the Trump administration is poised to end the Internal Revenue Services' free Direct File program after the private tax prep giant Intuit donated $1 million to the president's inauguration.
“Apple donated $1M. Trump exempted most of Apple's imports from tariffs,” Reich added. “Coinbase donated $1M. Trump's SEC dropped a major lawsuit against them. See how this works?”
The appearance of pay-to-play corruption has been stark during the opening months of Trump's second term, with critics accusing the president of effectively placing a “for sale” sign on the White House.
CBS News reported that much of the White House's Easter Egg Roll on Monday was “sponsored by corporations, a change from the traditional sponsorship by the American Egg Board.”
Amazon, Google's YouTube, and Facebook parent company Meta sponsored “various stations at the event,” according to CBS.
“Nothing says Happy Easter in Trump 2.0 like having corporate sponsors at the White House Egg Roll,” Public Citizen said Monday. “They really never miss an opportunity for some good old-fashioned corporate bribery.”
We've borne witness to a chaotic first few months in Trump's presidency.
Over the last months, each executive order has delivered shock and bewilderment — a core part of a strategy to make the right-wing turn feel inevitable and overwhelming. But, as organizer Sandra Avalos implored us to remember in Truthout last November, “Together, we are more powerful than Trump.”
Indeed, the Trump administration is pushing through executive orders, but — as we've reported at Truthout — many are in legal limbo and face court challenges from unions and civil rights groups. Efforts to quash anti-racist teaching and DEI programs are stalled by education faculty, staff, and students refusing to comply. And communities across the country are coming together to raise the alarm on ICE raids, inform neighbors of their civil rights, and protect each other in moving shows of solidarity.
It will be a long fight ahead. And as nonprofit movement media, Truthout plans to be there documenting and uplifting resistance.
As we undertake this life-sustaining work, we appeal for your support. We have 48 hours left in our fundraiser: Please, if you find value in what we do, join our community of sustainers by making a monthly or one-time gift.
Jake Johnson is a staff writer for Common Dreams. Follow him on Twitter: @johnsonjakep.
Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day.
As Trump and his sycophants work to silence political dissent, independent media is a key part of the resistance. Join our collective fight by making a monthly donation to Truthout today.
Disability advocates urge funding education and services for autistic people — not surveillance-style data collection.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is collecting sensitive medical records from federal and commercial sources for Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s new “autism research” initiative, which will give external researchers access to “comprehensive” patient data, representing “broad coverage” of the U.S. population.
The NIH will also be creating a national registry to track Americans with autism, which will be integrated into the sweeping federal data collection effort.
According to officials, the initiative will connect a wide range of personal health information, including prescription histories from major pharmacies, genetic and lab data from patients within the Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service systems, insurance billing records, and data collected from wearable devices like fitness trackers and smartwatches. The NIH is also negotiating with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to expand existing data-sharing agreements.
Kennedy, a longtime promoter of disinformation about autism, has been condemned for his ableism by disability rights advocates. He has said that “autism destroys families,” has repeatedly endorsed debunked theories linking vaccines to autism, and has portrayed autistic people in profoundly dehumanizing ways.
In a recent press conference, Kennedy responded to new CDC data indicating an increase in autism diagnoses by declaring autism a “preventable disease” and an “epidemic”— claims unsupported by medical consensus. Kennedy claimed that “environmental toxins” cause autism, disregarding extensive research that has found no such link. Nevertheless, he has pledged to identify the “cause” of autism by September.
Alycia Halladay, chief science officer at the Autism Science Foundation, has explained that the rise in autism diagnoses is largely due to better access to services and decreased stigma — not an actual increase in the condition itself. “[The CDC] report is the most convincing evidence yet that changes in factors like access to services and de-stigmatization of [autism spectrum disorder] are leading to the increases in prevalence,” she said. “But changes in prevalence should not drive how or what we study to find the causes of autism.”
The CDC itself has stated that the rise in autism diagnoses is largely due to improved screening and awareness — directly contradicting Kennedy's claims that there is an autism “epidemic.”
While Kennedy often speaks about autism as a singular, devastating diagnosis, experts emphasize that it encompasses a wide spectrum of experiences. “[A]utism isn't a single thing; it is a word we use in an attempt to capture a spectrum of behavioral strengths, differences, and vulnerabilities in order to help optimally support children,” said Zachary Warren, a pediatric psychiatrist and autism expert, in an interview with NPR .
Lisa Settles, director of Tulane University's Center for Autism and Related Disorders, added in an interview with CNN, “To me, it's very obvious that [Kennedy] doesn't know a lot about the diagnosis,” she said. “He's pulling things together into a theory that isn't based in any ounce of science, and it's really frustrating to those of us who are professionals.”
At the conference, Kennedy claimed that: “These are kids who will never pay taxes. They'll never hold a job. They'll never play baseball. They'll never write a poem. They'll never go on a date. Many of them will never use a toilet unassisted.” This is clearly untrue — many autistic people do engage in these activities, and those who don't can still lead full, happy lives with the right support, advocates emphasize.
“We have to recognize we are doing this to our children, and we need to put an end to it,” Kennedy added. Notably, Kennedy has proposed that families of autistic people are “injured” and should receive financial compensation — despite receiving pushback from families who say that they are “outraged and disturbed” by his ableist comments.
Disability organizations have firmly pushed back on RFK's ableist and inaccurate claims about autism. “Claims that Autism is ‘preventable' is not supported by scientific consensus and perpetuate stigma,” organizations that advocate for autistic people said in a joint statement. “Language framing Autism as a ‘chronic disease,' a ‘childhood disease' or ‘epidemic' distorts public understanding and undermines respect for Autistic people.”
In fact, Kennedy has gone so far as to compare autism to the COVID-19 pandemic, baselessly claiming that autism is actually more dangerous. “[Autism] dwarfs the COVID epidemic and the impacts on our country because COVID killed old people. Autism affects children and affects them at the beginning of their lives, the beginning of their productivity,” he recently said on a radio show.
COVID-19, which has killed over 7 million people globally, continues to affect millions through long COVID, with symptoms ranging from fatigue and brain fog to chronic pain and mental health conditions. Notably, Trump has removed the United States from the World Health Organization, which continues to monitor the effects of COVID-19.
Disability advocates argue that rather than investing in surveillance-style data collection or reviving long-debunked theories, the federal government should be focusing on supporting the needs of autistic people. This includes funding home care, accessible education, and individualized services. However, the Trump administration has stalled disability rights cases, moved to cut health care funding, and is attempting to dismantle disability protections in public schools.
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could help the country take a step forward if he listened to families, caregivers, health care providers, and scientists who actually understand autism and are doing the work to identify its cause or causes. He could help the country move forward if he insisted that HHS invest in home care and individualized supports for people with disabilities” said Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-New Hampshire) in a statement “[Instead,] Secretary Kennedy is using a position of great power to continue to exploit the vulnerabilities of millions of Americans, all for the purpose of spreading his own unfounded and fully debunked beliefs.”
We've borne witness to a chaotic first few months in Trump's presidency.
Over the last months, each executive order has delivered shock and bewilderment — a core part of a strategy to make the right-wing turn feel inevitable and overwhelming. But, as organizer Sandra Avalos implored us to remember in Truthout last November, “Together, we are more powerful than Trump.”
Indeed, the Trump administration is pushing through executive orders, but — as we've reported at Truthout — many are in legal limbo and face court challenges from unions and civil rights groups. Efforts to quash anti-racist teaching and DEI programs are stalled by education faculty, staff, and students refusing to comply. And communities across the country are coming together to raise the alarm on ICE raids, inform neighbors of their civil rights, and protect each other in moving shows of solidarity.
It will be a long fight ahead. And as nonprofit movement media, Truthout plans to be there documenting and uplifting resistance.
As we undertake this life-sustaining work, we appeal for your support. We have 48 hours left in our fundraiser: Please, if you find value in what we do, join our community of sustainers by making a monthly or one-time gift.
Zane McNeill is a trending news writer at Truthout. They have a master's degree in political science from Central European University and are currently enrolled in law school at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law. They can be found on Twitter: @zane_crittheory.
Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day.
As Trump and his sycophants work to silence political dissent, independent media is a key part of the resistance. Join our collective fight by making a monthly donation to Truthout today.
Noem, wearing a $50,000 watch in her ICE cosplay videos, encapsulates the aesthetic cruelty of the Trump regime.
Noem, wearing a $50,000 watch in her ICE cosplay videos, encapsulates the aesthetic cruelty of the Trump regime.
“I want you to do [ads] for the border,” Donald Trump told Kristi Noem after nominating her to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). At least that's what the DHS secretary recounted at a Conservative Political Action Conference dinner in February: “‘I want them around the world,'” Noem recalled Trump saying. “‘I want you to tell people not to come to this country if they're going to come here illegally.'”
Noem has certainly taken that directive to heart. Since assuming her position, Noem has appeared alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in a slate of videos and photo ops, posted on social media, broadcast around the world and uploaded to the DHS website under the banner of “Making America Safe Again.” Whether accompanying ICE on an early morning raid in New York City or riding an ATV through the Arizona desert, Noem's spotlight-ready makeup and curated costumes have been scorned by ICE officials, conservative commentators and the general public alike. In one particularly noxious video, Noem delivers a message from inside El Salvador's infamously brutal “Terrorism Confinement Center,” or CECOT, where Trump recently sent hundreds of migrants from the U.S. Wearing an ICE baseball cap and a $50,000 gold Rolex watch, Noem stood in front of a crowded prison cell and told the cameras, “If you come to our country illegally, this is one of the consequences you could face.”
While Noem's “made-for-television” approach might be irking some in Trump's government, the videos are overall exactly what the president asked for. Trump himself, of course, has roots as a reality TV star, and he's long had a knack for capturing the public's attention. Indeed, the videos lay bare a core tenet of this administration: that the cruelty, as the adage goes, is the point.
Ahead of Trump's inauguration, Khury Petersen-Smith presciently noted in Truthout that Trump and his allies deploy fascistic imagery — particularly the spectacle of state violence at the U.S. border — in order “to produc[e] a more violent and repressive society.” It is not just Trump's actions that are brutal, or the rhetoric cruel, but also the public example that he makes of them; Petersen-Smith argues that, by forcing us all to observe the ugly display of his power, Trump makes his violent agenda seem both invincible and inevitable.
Even if we've come to expect this kind of cruelty, it's nevertheless been chilling to see how eagerly Trump's followers have embraced the aesthetic of sadism less than 100 days into this administration.
Take “Trump Gaza,” for instance: a hideous AI-generated video that Trump shared to his social media accounts, which depicts the transformation of Gaza's bombed-out ruins into a Riviera-style resort, complete with a golden statue of Trump himself. “Trump Gaza's finally here,” sings an AI voice in the background as the president sips drinks on the beach with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. That same week, the White House X account posted a video of police shackling immigrants and loading them onto a deportation flight. Featuring the sounds of jingling handcuffs and a whirring plane, the footage was captioned “ASMR” – a reference to autonomous sensory meridian response or the pleasant tingling sensation one might get from certain noises, which are often used in a popular genre of internet video. Or consider a recent post from the official White House X account, which hopped aboard the social media trend of turning photos into Studio Ghibli-style animations to mock a woman for crying while being handcuffed by ICE.
It's laughable to think that a working class parent fleeing persecution in, say, Honduras or Venezuela is taking the time to scroll through Noem's X feed.
Intentionally snide, these images articulate an attitude that's central to the MAGA agenda: the belief that “wokeness” compelled people to bite their tongues for far too long, and with Trump back in the White House, everyone is now free to revel in their own contempt.
Because, of course, while Noem's videos purport to be addressing migrants who want to come to the U.S. without authorization, her real audience is domestic. The videos, after all, are in English. And it's laughable to think that a working class parent fleeing persecution in, say, Honduras or Venezuela is taking the time to scroll through Noem's X feed.
The videos are blatant propaganda – security theater. They are power expressing itself. And while some may argue that critiquing Noem's style in the videos borders on misogyny — what's so bad, really, about having coiffed hair? — the fact is that the made-for-TV look is intentionally boastful. It serves the spectacle, differentiating Noem from the people that she's arresting, and brandishing the message that this is just another day in the life for one of the most powerful people in the United States. Contrast Noem's videos with the El Salvadoran government's recent CECOT propaganda reels: While immigrants were being handcuffed, shaved and loaded into prison cells, Noem — the videos drive home — was just putting makeup on.
While Joe Biden's administration attempted to conceal the barbarism of the deportation machine, Trump promotes it. This, however, is not to be mistaken with true transparency. The DHS videos center the criminal records of the immigrants being arrested, citing a laundry list of violent acts to justify their deportation — rape, murder, human trafficking, fentanyl smuggling. Conspicuously absent from the limelight is the fact that little support exists for many of these charges; the administration has neglected to share any evidence of criminal activity for the more than 200 men it's locked up in CECOT.
A New York Times investigation found that the majority of the men sent to El Salvador lacked any criminal rap sheet. In one case that we know of thus far, a man managed to stave off his shipment to CECOT and secure a hearing at an immigration court. While the Trump administration had accused the man of membership in the Tren de Aragua gang, an affidavit from the man's attorney states that at no point during the hearing did the government produce any evidence that he was a member.
Though the Trump administration has at this stage focused its efforts on bolstering unsubstantiated claims about violent criminals, it has also made clear that it intends to broaden its deportation regime. Many of Noem's DHS videos are accompanied by the tagline, “Capturing the Worst First.” It doesn't take a great grammarian to know that “first” implies a “second.”
The natural follow up question is, then, what comes next?
We've borne witness to a chaotic first few months in Trump's presidency.
Over the last months, each executive order has delivered shock and bewilderment — a core part of a strategy to make the right-wing turn feel inevitable and overwhelming. But, as organizer Sandra Avalos implored us to remember in Truthout last November, “Together, we are more powerful than Trump.”
Indeed, the Trump administration is pushing through executive orders, but — as we've reported at Truthout — many are in legal limbo and face court challenges from unions and civil rights groups. Efforts to quash anti-racist teaching and DEI programs are stalled by education faculty, staff, and students refusing to comply. And communities across the country are coming together to raise the alarm on ICE raids, inform neighbors of their civil rights, and protect each other in moving shows of solidarity.
It will be a long fight ahead. And as nonprofit movement media, Truthout plans to be there documenting and uplifting resistance.
As we undertake this life-sustaining work, we appeal for your support. We have 2 days left in our fundraiser: Please, if you find value in what we do, join our community of sustainers by making a monthly or one-time gift.
Schuyler Mitchell is a writer, editor and fact-checker from North Carolina, currently based in Brooklyn. Her work has appeared in The Intercept, The Baffler, Labor Notes, Los Angeles Magazine, and elsewhere. Find her on X: @schuy_ler
Get the news you want, delivered to your inbox every day.
As Trump and his sycophants work to silence political dissent, independent media is a key part of the resistance. Join our collective fight by making a monthly donation to Truthout today.
The National Institutes of Health claims it is fulfilling RFK's promise to find cause of autism by September
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is collecting the private medical records of many Americans from several different federal and commercial databases to give to researchers for US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr's new autism study.
With this information being included in the database, the NIH is also reportedly crafting a new registry to track those with autism, per CBS News.
The health agency claims it was doing so to fulfill a controversial promise the secretary of health made to root out the cause of autism by September, despite some experts saying that Kennedy's goal is not even feasible.
“If you just ask me, as a scientist, is it possible to get the answer that quickly? I don't see any possible way,” Dr Peter Marks said on CBS's Face the Nation earlier this month.
On the collection of data, the director of NIH, Jay Bhattacharya, told advisers during a presentation on Monday that the aim was to help researchers study autism by giving them access to “comprehensive” patient data and health records.
He added that these records would cover a “broad range” of people across the US.
“The idea of the platform is that the existing data resources are often fragmented and difficult to obtain. The NIH itself will often pay multiple times for the same data resource,” he said in the presentation. “Even data resources that are within the federal government are difficult to obtain.”
Bhattacharya added that the NIH was also discussing a potential expansion of the agency's access to data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
The study also plans to link medication records from pharmacies, lab testing and genomics data from patients treated by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service, claims from private insurers and data from smartwatches and fitness trackers.
Between 10 and 20 outside research teams will be selected and given grants to study the data, according to CBS News.
Bhattacharya said that compiling this data could also potentially give health agencies a window into “real-time health monitoring” on Americans for studying other health problems beyond autism.
“What we're proposing is a transformative real-world data initiative, which aims to provide a robust and secure computational data platform for chronic disease and autism research,” he said.
Bhattacharya echoed Kennedy's words that some answers as to the cause of autism would be discovered by September, but he added that the study would be “an evolving process”.
The news followed Kennedy's first press conference in which he claimed that a significant and recent rise in autism diagnoses was evidence of an “epidemic” caused by an “environmental toxin” despite the evidence collected by health researchers.
The Guardian has contacted the NIH for comment.
Attorney Mudassar Toppa provides updates on the Tufts University Ph.D. student's case.
A federal judge has ordered Rümeysa Öztürk to be transferred to Vermont as she seeks to challenge what her lawyers call her “unconstitutional detention” in an ICE detention center in Louisiana. Öztürk is a Turkish national and a Tufts University Ph.D. student whose abduction off the streets by plainclothes U.S. agents was caught on camera, one of the most controversial examples of the Trump administration's crackdown on pro-Palestinian international students. She was targeted after co-authoring an opinion piece for the Tufts student newspaper critical of the school's response to Gaza protests. Last week, an immigration judge denied bond for Öztürk, declaring her to be a potential “danger to the community.” Meanwhile, The Washington Post reports the State Department found no evidence linking Rümeysa Öztürk to antisemitic activities or public statements in support of terrorism, as the administration has claimed.
For more, we speak with Mudassar Toppa, part of Öztürk's legal team and a staff attorney at CLEAR, a legal nonprofit and clinic at CUNY School of Law. “In this case, the government was clear it was intending to abduct Ms. Öztürk. They didn't want her to know that her visa was revoked, and four days later, they did exactly what they planned and abducted her in broad daylight,” says Toppa.
This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.
AMY GOODMAN: This is Democracy Now!, democracynow.org. I'm Amy Goodman, with Juan González.
A federal judge has ordered the Turkish national, Tufts University Ph.D. student Rümeysa Öztürk to be transferred to Vermont no later than May 1st, as she seeks to challenge what her lawyers call her unconstitutional detention in an ICE jail in Louisiana. That order came Friday and followed a separate hearing last Wednesday when an immigration judge denied bond for Rümeysa, declaring her to be a potential so-called danger to the community.
Rümeysa, who is from Turkey, was arrested for co-authoring a student op-ed on Tufts' response to Gaza solidarity protests on campus. Rümeysa Öztürk is a doctoral candidate in the school's Department of Child Study and Human Development and research assistant at Tufts' Children's Television Project. She's a former Fulbright scholar.
On March 25th, masked, plainclothes immigration agents snatched her from the streets of Somerville, Massachusetts, outside Tufts. Surveillance video from a nearby house shows agents approaching her on the streets near her home. In the video, you can hear her scream as the agents move to detain her.
RÜMEYSA ÖZTÜRK: [inaudible]
AMY GOODMAN: Apparently, she said something like, “I'm calling the police,” and they said something like they are the police.
The Washington Post reports the State Department found no evidence linking Rümeysa Öztürk to antisemitic activities or public statements in support of terrorism. The Washington Post reports a State Department memo determined Secretary of State Marco Rubio did not have sufficient grounds for revoking her visa, contradicting public accusations made by the Trump administration.
Meanwhile, the Tufts University Democrats and Republicans have released a joint statement condemning the Trump administration's arrest and detention of Rümeysa and its overall attack on international students and their right to free speech.
As she awaits transfer to Vermont, Rümeysa is jailed at a privately run ICE jail in Louisiana.
For more, we're joined by one of Rümeysa's attorneys, Mudassar Toppa, staff attorney at CLEAR, a legal nonprofit clinic at CUNY School of Law.
Mudassar, welcome to Democracy Now! Can you explain exactly what happened? This is all also happening as another judge ruled that something like 130 international students have to have their visas reinstated.
MUDASSAR TOPPA: Yes. Thank you, Amy, for having me.
So, there's two parallel tracks in Ms. Öztürk's case. There's the immigration proceedings that you mentioned, that involved this bond proceeding, that happened last Wednesday, where the immigration judge found that based on this one-paragraph memo from the State Department that says that — you know, the only evidence that's cited is this op-ed that she co-authored that references a common cause with an organization that was later temporarily banned from campus, as supporting a finding that she was a danger to her community or a flight risk.
And so, those proceedings are happening on a parallel track to the habeas proceedings that are happening in federal court. And Ms. Öztürk's initial petition was filed in the District Court of Massachusetts. That was eventually transferred to the district of Vermont, because at the time that petition was filed, that's where she was. And the court heard arguments on the government's motion to dismiss and our motion for bail and for Ms. Öztürk's release. And this last Friday, the court rejected the government's arguments and held that it did have jurisdiction to hear her claims.
And so, Ms. Öztürk's transfer has now been ordered. She's been ordered to be transferred back to Vermont. And the court has also ordered a bail hearing to happen on May 9th and a hearing to hear the underlying merits of her habeas petition on May 22nd. And this is important at least with respect to cases involving ideological retaliation against students for their advocacy for Palestinian human rights. This is the first federal court that's actually cited has jurisdiction to hear these claims and is moving on to that phase of the process.
And with respect to, you know, the temporary restraining orders that have been handed down in other courts regarding visa revocations writ large, those are happening not just in Georgia, but throughout the country. As far as I'm aware, I think there have been at least six TROs issued, and some of those have extended beyond just the individual plaintiffs in those cases.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And I wanted to ask you: This whole issue of her student issue being revoked on March 21st without even her knowledge, could you talk about that and the implications of that for other international students?
MUDASSAR TOPPA: Yeah, it's really chilling, you know? So, the same memo that the government submits in Ms. Öztürk's removal case, this one-paragraph memo from the State Department, it has this underlined portion, and this is underlined by the government itself, that says, “Due to ongoing ICE operational security, this revocation will be silent.” And this is completely abnormal. The government is normally going to notify students that there's been a revocation. Generally, revocations will take place because of, you know, some issues regarding, like, the student perhaps not maintaining a full course load or a criminal offense that renders them unable to maintain their student status. So, typically, students are given notice, and they're given the opportunity to pursue other avenues of relief potentially, you know, seeking a different type of visa or self-deportation, you know, just leaving the country. In this case, the government was clear: It was intending to abduct Ms. Öztürk. They didn't want her to know that her visa was revoked, and four days later, they did exactly what they planned and abducted her in broad daylight in a street in Massachusetts.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And could you talk about the role of Canary Mission and others like it in, essentially, identifying for the government people that they should be deporting?
MUDASSAR TOPPA: Yeah, and, you know, I think at this point there's been a clear connection that we can draw — right? — from the doxxing organizations, the pro-Israeli doxxing organizations. And there is a clear doxxing-to-deportation pipeline that's taking place.
And in Ms. Öztürk's case, it's even more apparent, because Ms. Öztürk was not a known organizer or advocate for any cause, really. And Ms. Öztürk's sole sort of publicly identifiable association to the movement against the genocide and the movement for Palestinian human rights was this co-authored op-ed in her school newspaper that was really just asking the university to respect the wishes and the vote of the student Senate. And, you know, all of the sudden, in February of 2025, almost a year after she's written — she's co-written this op-ed, Canary Mission publishes a page on her, doxxing her and alleging that she's engaged in antisemitic behavior because of this co-authored op-ed. And less than a month later, she's abducted by ICE.
And so, it's very chilling that the government seems to be taking their marching orders from these private doxxing organizations with mysterious funding and backing. And I think it underscores why the government's actions are simply unconscionable.
AMY GOODMAN: Well, we'll continue to cover Rümeysa's case, see if they will send her back to Vermont, where the masked agents drove her to before sending her to Louisiana. Mudassar Toppa, thanks so much for being with us, one of the attorneys for Rümeysa Öztürk, a staff attorney at CLEAR, a legal clinic at CUNY School of Law. Again, the Democrats and Republicans at Tufts sent a joint letter objecting to her treatment, as did Tufts University.
Next up, 70 years ago this week, the historic anti-colonial Bandung Conference took place. We'll speak to Vijay Prashad in Chile. Stay with us.
We've borne witness to a chaotic first few months in Trump's presidency.
Over the last months, each executive order has delivered shock and bewilderment — a core part of a strategy to make the right-wing turn feel inevitable and overwhelming. But, as organizer Sandra Avalos implored us to remember in Truthout last November, “Together, we are more powerful than Trump.”
Indeed, the Trump administration is pushing through executive orders, but — as we've reported at Truthout — many are in legal limbo and face court challenges from unions and civil rights groups. Efforts to quash anti-racist teaching and DEI programs are stalled by education faculty, staff, and students refusing to comply. And communities across the country are coming together to raise the alarm on ICE raids, inform neighbors of their civil rights, and protect each other in moving shows of solidarity.
It will be a long fight ahead. And as nonprofit movement media, Truthout plans to be there documenting and uplifting resistance.
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Amy Goodman is the host and executive producer of Democracy Now!, a national, daily, independent, award-winning news program airing on more than 1,100 public television and radio stations worldwide. Time Magazine named Democracy Now! its “Pick of the Podcasts,” along with NBC's “Meet the Press.”
Juan González co-hosts Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman. González has been a professional journalist for more than 30 years and a staff columnist at the New York Daily News since 1987. He is a two-time recipient of the George Polk Award.
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The outlooks for the US and global economies have significantly worsened in the wake of US President Donald Trump's tariffs and the uncertainty they have created, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said yesterday.
The IMF said that the global economy would grow just 2.8 percent this year, down from its forecast in January of 3.3 percent, according to its latest World Economic Outlook. Next year, global growth will be 3 percent, the fund predicts, also below its previous 3.3 percent estimate.
US economic growth will come in at just 1.8 percent this year, down sharply from its previous forecast of 2.7 percent and a full percentage point below its expansion last year. The IMF doesn't expect a US recession, though it has raised its odds of one this year from 25 percent to 37 percent.
Photo: Kent Nishimura, Bloomberg
The forecasts are largely in line with many private-sector economists' expectations, though some do fear a recession is increasingly likely. Economists at JPMorgan Chase & Co say the chances of a US recession are now 60 percent. The US Federal Reserve has also forecast that growth will weaken this year, to 1.7 percent.
“We are entering a new era,” IMF chief economist Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas said. “This global economic system that has operated for the last eighty years is being reset.”
Gourinchas said that the heightened uncertainty around the import taxes led the IMF to take the unusual step of preparing several different scenarios for future growth. Its forecasts were finalized on April 4, after the Trump administration announced sweeping tariffs on nearly 60 countries along with nearly-universal 10 percent duties.
Those duties were paused on April 9 for 90 days. Gourinchas said the pause didn't substantially change the IMF's forecasts because the US and China have imposed such steep tariffs on each other since then.
The uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration's next moves will also likely weigh heavily on the US and global economies, the IMF said. Companies may pull back on investment and expansion as they wait to see how the trade policies play out, which can slow growth.
China is also forecast to grow more slowly because of US tariffs. The IMF now expects it will expand 4 percent this year and next, down roughly half a point from its previous forecasts.
While the US economy will likely suffer a “supply shock,” similar to what hampered during the COVID-19 pandemic and which pushed up inflation in 2021 and 2022, Gourinchas said, China is expected to experience reduced demand as US purchases of its exports fall.
Inflation will likely worsen in the United States, rising to about 3 percent by the end of this year, while it will be little changed in China, the IMF forecast.
The European Union is forecast to grow more slowly, but the hit from tariffs is not as large, in part because it is facing lower US duties than China. In addition, some of the hit from tariffs will be offset by stronger government spending by Germany.
The economies of the 27 countries that use the euro are forecast to expand 0.8 percent this year and 1.2 percent next year, down just 0.2 percentage points in both years from the IMF's January forecast.
Japan's growth forecast has been marked down to 0.6 percent this year and next, 0.5 percentage points and 0.2 percentage points lower than in January, respectively.
Taiwan will prioritize the development of silicon photonics by taking advantage of its strength in the semiconductor industry to build another shield to protect the local economy, National Development Council (NDC) Minister Paul Liu (劉鏡清) said yesterday.
Speaking at a meeting of the legislature's Economics Committee, Liu said Taiwan already has the artificial intelligence (AI) industry as a shield, after the semiconductor industry, to safeguard the country, and is looking at new unique fields to build more economic shields.
While Taiwan will further strengthen its existing shields, over the longer term, the country is determined to focus on such potential segments as
UNCERTAINTY:
Innolux activated a stringent supply chain management mechanism, as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic, to ensure optimal inventory levels for customers Flat-panel display makers AUO Corp (友達) and Innolux Corp (群創) yesterday said that about 12 to 20 percent of their display business is at risk of potential US tariffs and that they would relocate production or shipment destinations to mitigate the levies' effects.
US tariffs would have a direct impact of US$200 million on AUO's revenue, company chairman Paul Peng (彭雙浪) told reporters on the sidelines of the Touch Taiwan trade show in Taipei yesterday.
That would make up about 12 percent of the company's overall revenue.
To cope with the tariff uncertainty, AUO plans to allocate its production to manufacturing facilities in
Chizuko Kimura has become the first female sushi chef in the world to win a Michelin star, fulfilling a promise she made to her dying husband to continue his legacy.
The 54-year-old Japanese chef regained the Michelin star her late husband, Shunei Kimura, won three years ago for their Sushi Shunei restaurant in Paris.
For Shunei Kimura, the star was a dream come true.
However, the joy was short-lived.
He died from cancer just three months later in June 2022.
He was 65.
The following year, the restaurant in the heart of Montmartre lost its star rating.
Chizuko Kimura insisted that the new star is still down
While China's leaders use their economic and political might to fight US President Donald Trump's trade war “to the end,” its army of social media soldiers are embarking on a more humorous campaign online.
Trump's tariff blitz has seen Washington and Beijing impose eye-watering duties on imports from the other, fanning a standoff between the economic superpowers that has sparked global recession fears and sent markets into a tailspin.
Trump says his policy is a response to years of being “ripped off” by other countries and aims to bring manufacturing to the US, forcing companies to employ US workers.
However, China's online warriors
The R&A would like to see Donald Trump's Turnberry course in Scotland return as host of the Open but will first need to assess the feasibility of the venue, the governing body's chief executive, Mark Darbon, said.
Turnberry, a seaside course in South Ayrshire, has staged the Open four times – most recently in 2009 when American Stewart Cink edged past his compatriot Tom Watson to claim the title in a thrilling victory. Trump bought the property in 2014 and has spent £200m upgrading the resort's courses.
In 2021, after the 6 January attack on the US Capitol by Trump supporters, the R&A said it would not stage championships at Turnberry “until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself and we do not believe that is achievable in the current circumstances.”
But on Tuesday, Darbon said the body's main concerns over returning to the venue are logistical rather than political.
“At Turnberry, there are definitely some logistical and commercial challenges that we face around the road, rail and accommodation infrastructure,” Darbon said. “We're doing some feasibility work around what it would look like to return to that venue and the investment that it would require.”
Turnberry is a 30 minute drive from the nearest large town, Ayr, although there is limited rail service to nearby Girvan, a 10 minute drive from the course and hotel.
The 153rd edition of the Open, one of golf's major championships, will take place from 13-20 July at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, with the R&A announcing on Tuesday that a record attendance of 278,000 fans is expected at the event.
“The last time we were there [Turnberry], I think we had just over 120,000 people,” Darbon said. “We've just announced that this summer we're going to welcome nearly 280,000 people [at Royal Portrush]. A modern Open Championship is a large-scale event. What we know for sure is the golf course is brilliant, so at some point we'd love to be back there.”
Turnberry's famous Ailsa Course is currently closed after it was seriously damaged earlier this year by pro-Palestinian protestors.
The Power Within: The Kyiv Independent's first-ever magazine. Be among the first to get it.
The Mejlis, the representative body of the Crimean Tatar people, will reject any international recognition of Russian-occupied Crimea as Russian territory, Refat Chubarov, the body's chairman, said in a statement published on Facebook on April 22.
Crimean Tatars are the indigenous people of Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula that has been under Russian occupation since 2014.
Chubarov's statement comes amid reports that the recognition of Crimea as Russian territory is being considered as part of a U.S.-backed proposal to end the war in Ukraine.
Any move by the U.S. to recognize the peninsula as Russian would mark a break with a decade of bipartisan consensus in Washington and would violate international law.
Chubarov said the Mejlis' stance is grounded in international law and aligns fully with Ukrainian legislation.
"Crimea is the homeland of the indigenous Crimean Tatar people and an integral part of Ukraine. Accordingly, no one can decide the fate of Crimea under any circumstances, except for the Ukrainian state and the Crimean Tatar people," he wrote.
Russia illegally annexed Crimea following a sham referendum held under military occupation and without international observers. For resisting Russian occupation, Crimean Tatars have come under harsh repression by the Russian occupation authorities.
Crimean Tatars are represented by the Mejlis, a high representative and executive body with 33 members, and the Kurultai, a national congress with 350 delegates.
Crimean Tatars, historically the majority on the peninsula before Russia's conquest in 1783, have faced widespread persecution under Russian rule.
Since 2014, Moscow has used intimidation, religious profiling, and politically motivated terrorism charges to suppress dissent among Crimean Tatars.
Many Crimean Tatars have joined Ukraine's Armed Forces since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, with some serving in the volunteer "Crimea" Battalion formed after the 2014 occupation.
Ukraine's response to the U.S. proposal is expected at a follow-up meeting in London on April 23. Washington has indicated it may withdraw from ceasefire efforts in the coming days if no progress is made.
Ukrainian lawmakers have also opposed the proposal. Oleksandr Merezhko, chair of Ukraine's parliamentary foreign affairs committee, warned that recognizing Russia's annexation of Crimea would have global consequences "much worse than Munich in 1938."
Department will begin collection next month on student loans that are in default, including the garnishing of wages
The education department will begin collection next month on student loans that are in default, including the garnishing of wages for potentially millions of borrowers, officials said Monday.
Currently, roughly 5.3 million borrowers are in default on their federal student loans.
The Donald Trump administration's announcement marks an end to a period of leniency that began during the Covid-19 pandemic. No federal student loans have been referred for collection since March 2020, including those in default. Under Joe Biden, the education department tried multiple times to give broad forgiveness of student loans, only to be stopped by courts.
“American taxpayers will no longer be forced to serve as collateral for irresponsible student loan policies,” Linda McMahon, the education secretary, said.
Beginning 5 May, the department will begin involuntary collection through the treasury department's offset program, which withholds government payments – including tax refunds, federal salaries and other benefits – from people with past-due debts to the government. After a 30-day notice, the department also will begin garnishing wages for borrowers in default.
The decision to send debt to collections drew criticism from advocates, who said borrowers had experienced whiplash and confusion with the changing student loan policies between the Biden and Trump administrations.
“This is cruel, unnecessary and will further fan the flames of economic chaos for working families across this country,” said Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center.
Already, many borrowers have been bracing for obligations coming due.
In 2020, Trump paused federal student loan payments and interest accrual as a temporary relief measure for student borrowers. The pause in payments was extended multiple times by the Biden administration through 2023, and a final grace period for loan repayments ended in October 2024. That meant tens of millions of Americans had to start making payments again.
Borrowers who do not make payments for nine months go into default, which is reported on their credit scores and can go to collections.
Along with the borrowers already in default, around another 4 million are 91 to 180 days late on their loan payments. Less than 40% of all borrowers are current on their student loans, department officials said.
Layoffs at the federal student aid office at the education department have made it harder for students to get their questions answered, even if they wanted to pay their loans, said Kristin McGuire, executive director for Young Invincibles, a group that focuses on economic security for younger adults.
And questions are swirling about certain income-driven repayment programs after a February court ruling blocked some of the payment plans. Borrowers in the more lenient, Biden-era Save plan were placed in forbearance, in which borrowers receive relief from payments but still accrue interest. The education department in February took down applications for income-driven repayment programs – which tie a monthly payment to a person's income level – only to bring them back online a month later.
“Things are really difficult to understand right now. Things are changing every day,” McGuire said. “We can't assume that people are in default because they don't want to pay their loans. People are in default because they can't pay their loans and because they don't know how to pay their loans.”
CNN's Chief Global Affairs Correspondent, Matthew Chance, got a first look at a portrait that its painter says was gifted to President Trump by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In March, Putin gifted Trump a mystery portrait that was delivered by his envoy Steve Witkoff. CNN visited the home of Russian artist, Nikas Safronov, who says he painted the portrait.
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The announcement that members must watch all films nominated in a category in order to vote for the winner, is met with disbelief that it wasn't already the case
A new rule introduced by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to ensure voters have seen all the films in a category before they cast their ballots has provoked disquiet online, with many expressing surprise it wasn't already a requirement.
A raft of measures were announced by the Oscars governing body on Monday, including the stipulation that “Academy members must now watch all nominated films in each category to be eligible to vote in the final round for the Oscars”.
“Absolutely insane this wasn't already a thing,” wrote one person on X, a sentiment echoed by many others, who questioned the validity of previous Academy decisions and theorised about the reasons key titles had been celebrated – or snubbed.
“You're telling me all this time people could just watch one movie and be like ‘yeah that should win all the awards,'” said another, with one X commentator asking: “Were they just voting on vibes?”
“THEY WEREN'T DOING THAT BEFORE?”, wrote one user, adding: “This explains why movies like The Color Purple, What's Love Got to Do With It, and Malcolm X were snubbed. These voters were NOT watching black films?”
Anonymous Oscar voters have previously admitted to not watching all the contenders in a category before voting in the final round.
“I'm bummed because I haven't seen The Substance or I'm Still Here yet,” one told Entertainment Weekly ahead of the most recent ceremony. “The first Dune, I couldn't get through; I'm not rushing for another three hours of Dune. There's still time to re-evaluate, but I really struggled.”
In this event, voters are expected to abstain in that category, however there is no enforcement for this, and category error and ignorance can persist.
Other leaked ballots earlier this year suggested a widespread misapprehension among voters that Conclave's Ralph Fiennes had already won an Oscar in 1994 for Schindler's List. In fact he has never won, and this year lost out to Adrien Brody for The Brutalist.
Other changes to the awards included an update to the international feature film category, to include “film-makers with refugee or asylum status”, and the clarification that the use of generative AI in a film would “neither help nor harm” their submission.
Two of this year's key nominees – The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez – were involved in minor controversies over their use of AI to enhance the voices of their leading actors.
Monday's statement also provided further details on how the inaugural casting prize will be decided – the equivalent award was first introduced at the Baftas in 2020.
Compulsory viewing was enforced by the British Academy as part of its radical overhaul of rules and regulations that same year, in response to the #BaftasSoWhite controversy.
Stringent regulations are in force to ensure not only that voters view all the films in the categories for which they cast their ballot, but also that they watch 15 randomised movies participating in the first stage of voting. As with the strict gender quotas in force on the director longlist, and the inclusivity criteria necessary for inclusion in a number of key categories such as outstanding British film, this measure is to try to promote a more diverse spread of contenders.
Speaking to the Guardian in 2018, ahead of her Oscar win for The Favourite, Olivia Colman said that she would always abstain from voting should she not have seen all films in consideration.
The alternative, she said, “feels so naughty. I think maybe I'm just really square”. Colman went on to attribute her response to the fate of Paddy Considine's 2011 film Tyrannosaur, in which she starred, and which was ignored by Bafta in its best film nominations: “Very few people watched it and it broke my heart a bit.”
Preliminary voting for next year's Oscars begins in December, with the nominations announcement on 22 January ahead of the 15 March ceremony – an unusually long campaigning period. This year's emcee, Conan O'Brien, will return as host.
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The death of Pope Francis has triggered a period of mourning in the Vatican and signals the start of a millennia-old process of picking a new pontiff.
It is a procedure steeped in tradition, but one which has been subtly updated for the modern world.
Cardinals – senior church officials appointed by the pope – from around the world must gather for the conclave in which Francis' successor is selected. It typically takes between two and three weeks for a pope to be chosen, though it can stretch slightly beyond that if cardinals struggle to agree on a candidate.
The voting process is kept secret but will take place with the eyes of the world on the Vatican and amid intense scrutiny of the Catholic Church – an institution whose reputation has been stained by the scandal of child sex abuse within its ranks, overshadowing the legacies of successive popes.
In the interim, a cardinal from the United States has become acting head of the Vatican until a new pope is elected. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who was born in Ireland and who became a naturalized American citizen after spending many years ministering in the United States, holds the position of “camerlengo,” or chamberlain.
Later on Monday, Farrell sealed the Papal Apartment of the Apostolic Palace, the traditional residence of the pope, to mark the beginning of the mourning period. The apartment was not used by Francis, who lived in Casa Santa Marta. The closure of the pope's residence is a symbolic gesture that historically served to prevent looting of the pope's residence. It symbolizes the formal end of the Francis pontificate.
Here's what you need to know about the coming days and weeks.
The “Papal Interregnum” – the period between the death of one pope and the election of another – began when Francis passed away. Francis, who was 88, died of a stroke and heart failure at Casa Santa Marta, his residence in the Vatican, on Monday.
Cardinals must now decide exactly when the funeral can take place, and after that, when conclave can begin. But much of the timeline is predetermined; the pope's death includes nine days of mourning known as the Novendiales, and the pope must be buried between the fourth and sixth day after death.
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Pope Francis, voice for the poor who transformed the Catholic Church, dies on Easter Monday
In the interim, the pope will be placed in a coffin, after which he will lie in state for several days until the funeral.
Pope Francis' body could lie in state in St. Peter's Basilica for people to come and pay their respects as soon as Wednesday, a Vatican spokesperson said Monday.
Mourners lined up for miles to see the body of Pope John Paul II, the last serving pontiff to die, in 2005.
It is likely that unofficial events will take place in tandem in Buenos Aires, where Francis lived before becoming the Bishop of Rome. In Warsaw, more than 200,000 gathered at the site where John Paul II, then Karol Wojtyla, returned as the new pope in 1979.
Then, at the end of the period of mourning, a large funeral Mass will take place at St. Peter's. This is historically a huge event, with dignitaries expected from around the world. John Paul II's funeral was attended by then-President George W. Bush and his two predecessors, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.
Francis declared his wish to be buried in a “simple” tomb in the ground at Rome's Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore, a significant Catholic church and papal basilica. He had arranged for an unnamed benefactor to cover the expenses of his burial, according to his will released by the Vatican.
“The tomb must be in the earth; simple, without particular decoration and with the only inscription: Franciscus,” the statement said.
When a pope dies, the dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals calls for a meeting of all cardinals eligible to vote – those under the age of 80. They must all travel to the Vatican to do so. There are currently 135 eligible cardinals. But it's worth remembering that in 1996, John Paul II set the maximum number of cardinals allowed to participate at 120.
Conclave is not expected to begin earlier than 15 days, nor later than 20 days, after the pope's death – though it could get underway sooner if all the cardinal electors arrive in Rome quickly.
Inside the Sistine Chapel, the codified home of conclave, paper ballots are passed out to each cardinal, who writes the name of their chosen candidate below the words “Eligo in Summum Pontificem” (Latin for “I elect as supreme pontiff”).
Technically, any Roman Catholic male can be elected pope. But the last pope not chosen from the College of Cardinals was Urban VI in 1379.
When they're done, each cardinal - in order of seniority - walks to the altar to ceremoniously place his folded ballot into a chalice. The votes are then counted, and the result is read to the cardinals.
If a cardinal has received two-thirds of the vote, he becomes the new pope.
As many as four votes a day - two in the morning and two in the afternoon - can be held on the second, third and fourth days of the conclave. The fifth day is set aside to break for prayer and discussion, and then voting can continue for an additional seven rounds. After that, there's another break and the pattern resumes.
News cameras will have their lenses fixed on a chimney on a Vatican rooftop for days - because that's where the first confirmation of a new pope will be seen.
Ballots are burned after the votes, once in the morning and once in the afternoon. If a pope hasn't been elected, the ballots will be burned along with a chemical that makes the smoke black.
If white smoke billows from the chimney, however, it means “sede vacante” (in Latin “with the chair vacant”) is over and a new pontiff has been chosen – which could happen up to 13 days after the start of conclave.
Traditionally, about 30 to 60 minutes after the white smoke, the new pope will appear on the balcony overlooking St. Peter's Square.
His papal name will be announced, and the new pope will then speak briefly and say a prayer. His formal coronation will take place days after his election. The last two popes have been inaugurated in St. Peter's Square.
The election of a pope is a deeply consequential decision for the Catholic Church, whose followers number some 1.4 billion around the world, according to the Vatican.
The record and beliefs of the next man to take the mantle will be scrutinized for clues as to the church's next move.
Francis' election was seen as something of a surprise; the first non-European leader in centuries, whose approach to many social issues was less strict than that of his predecessors.
Though he did not radically alter Catholic practices, Francis surprised global observers with comments on homosexuality and the death penalty that were far more accepting than Benedict XVI. Whether the cardinals choose to continue down that path, or revert towards a hardline interpreter of biblical teachings, will be one question that hangs over the election.
The consuming abuse scandal is another. In 2013, a group representing survivors of sexual abuse by priests named a “Dirty Dozen” list of cardinals it said would be the worst candidates for pope based on their handling of child sex abuse claims or their public comments about the cases.
All but one have aged out of eligibility or died, but undoubtedly the track record of the next pontiff when it comes to responding to and dealing with allegations of abuse will be pored over.
Correction: This story has been updated to reflect when the period of mourning known as the Novendiales begins.
CNN's Lauren Said-Moorhouse, Kara Fox, Michael Rios and Sharon Braithwaite contributed reporting.
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MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/ Kiev has markedly bolstered its deployment of FPV drone units along the Pokrovsk frontline within the special military operation zone, amid setbacks in the Kursk Region. Despite intensified Ukrainian drone assaults, Russian forces continue their advance on this sector, military expert Vitaly Kiselev said.
"There have been no significant changes on the Pokrovsk frontline. Considering the recent developments in the Kursk area, where Ukrainian forces suffered heavy personnel losses, they have now transferred a substantial number of FPV drones to Pokrovsk. Nonetheless, our troops are still making gains under these challenging conditions," Kiselev stated during an interview on Solovyov Live.
Ukraine's large-scale incursion into the Kursk Region commenced on August 6, 2024. According to Russia's General Staff as of March 12, more than 86% of the territory occupied by Ukrainian forces has been liberated. In some sectors, Russian units have crossed into the Sumy region. The Russian Defense Ministry reports that Ukrainian forces have suffered the loss of over 74,000 personnel since the hostilities began in the Kursk area.
WASHINGTON, April 22. /TASS/. Russian hockey star and Washington Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin has passed compatriot Yevgeny Malkin for most power play goals scored by a Russian in NHL playoff history.
On Monday night, in Game 1 of the Capitals' opening round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens, Ovechkin scored on the power play with one minute to go in the first period. The Russian was involved in all three of his team's goals on the night, assisting on an Anthony Beauvillier goal in the second period, and then scoring the winner in overtime as the Caps held off the Habs 3-2 to protect their home ice advantage.
Ovechkin now has 29 power play goals in his playoff career, breaking a tie with Malkin en route to claiming another goals record, this time among Russians in the playoffs. Overall, he is now tied with Canada's Mario Lemieux for seventh all-time in playoff power play goals, while American Brett Hull holds the record with 38.
Speaking at a news conference after the game, Ovechkin said: "A goal is a goal. And in the playoffs, especially, it doesn't matter who scores."
"I think everybody was hitting today," the official NHL website quoted Ovechkin as saying. "<…> All our guys get involved in the physical game."
Capitals' forward and assistant captain Tom Wilson heaped praise on Ovechkin after his Game 1 heroics: "He's a beast. He's a machine."
"When he's out there creating energy for our team, scoring, he does it all. He does everything. That's what a leader does," Wilson added.
During the 2024/2025 NHL regular season, Ovechkin appeared in 65 games, tallying 44 goals and 29 assists. Despite missing 16 games earlier in the year with a fractured leg, he finished the season tied for third-most goals in the NHL with Buffalo Sabres' forward Tage Thompson.
On April 6, Ovechkin scored his 895th career regular season goal in a game against the New York Islanders, passing legend Wayne Gretzky for most all-time (894 goals).
Ovechkin has played his entire NHL career with the Washington Capitals, who selected him with the 1st overall pick in the 2004 draft. The Russian superstar led the Caps to a Stanley Cup title in 2018, the only one of his career, and the only one in the club's history.
In 2008, 2012 and 2014, "Ovie," as he is called by his fans, won gold medals at the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships to go along with his two silver and four bronze medals at the world championships.
Ovechkin has earned a slew of NHL awards in his career, including the Calder Memorial Trophy (2006), Art Ross Trophy (2008), Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy (2008, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020), Hart Memorial Trophy (2008, 2009, 2013), Lester B. Pearson Award/Ted Lindsay Award (2008, 2009, 2010), Conn Smythe Trophy (2018) and others.
MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. Ukraine needs to secure around 4.5-6 bln cubic meters (bcm) of gas on the European market to get through the next heating season, with part of those supplies inevitably originating from Russia, Verkhovna Rada deputy, first deputy chairman of the parliament's committee on energy and housing and communal services Alexey Kucherenko said.
"Europe is a unified gas market, where the substitution principle applies. We do not know what gas we're actually purchasing. I may disillusion you: we probably [get] the Russian gas as well – not probably, but definitely we also buy Russian gas, which flows through TurkStream, running to Serbia, to Hungary, for example. <…> We cannot pinpoint the origin of molecules," he said. Theoretically, it is possible that American liquefied gas will reach Ukraine via Polish terminals as well, Kucherenko added.
Ukraine requires around 4.5-6 bcm of gas for the upcoming season, he said, adding that this amount should be contracted now. The primary issue for Naftogaz of Ukraine now is to secure financing, as prices on the European gas market are not expected to decline, according to the deputy.
On April 21, Naftogaz announced the start of gas injection into its underground gas storage facilities (UGS) for the next heating season, without clarifying whether it is imported or domestically produced gas. As of late March, gas stocks in Ukraine's UGS stood at a record low level of less than 6 bcm. The heating season in the country ended earlier than expected due to shortages.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) on April 21 announced that 27 alleged members or affiliates of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) had been charged under legislation designed to bring down criminal enterprises.
The indictments were filed against those suspected to be current members of TdA, which is designated a terrorist organization by the federal government, and members of “Anti-Tren,” a group the DOJ said is largely composed of past TdA members.
The DOJ said the case is part of “Operation Take Back America,” described as “a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.”
The case fits into President Donald Trump's broader hardline stance against gangs like TdA and MS-13.
Attorney General Pam Bondi also released a statement on the indictment, saying, “Tren de Aragua is not just a street gang—it is a highly structured terrorist organization that has destroyed American families with brutal violence, engaged in human trafficking, and spread deadly drugs through our communities.”
Bondi said that the indictments and arrests made in connection with the case spanned three states and that they're poised to “devastate TdA's infrastructure.”
The federal law being used to charge the more than two dozen individuals, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), was introduced in the late 20th century as a measure to break up the mob. However, it's broad enough to permit widespread application to any type of corrupt organization.
To convict under RICO, prosecutors must prove that one or more “enterprises”—meaning any organization dedicated to an end goal, whether corporate or criminal—engaged in a pattern of criminal behavior. Specific federal charges are eligible for prosecution under RICO, and any RICO case must involve at least two of those charges being committed within a 10-year period.
RICO is an indictment even hardened criminals have come to fear, as its specific mechanisms allow prosecutors to charge far more liberally, and with far harsher prison sentences, than in many other types of criminal proceedings.
To meet the law's requirements of the definition of an “enterprise,” which must be dedicated to one or many end goals, the DOJ broadly defined the goal of TdA as “preserving and protecting the power and territory of TdA and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, robbery, other acts of violence, and threats of violence.”
Additionally, the DOJ said TdA sought to “[enrich] the members and associates of TdA” through sex trafficking young women into Peru and the United States, trafficking controlled substances, and armed robbery.
Six of those affiliated with the mainline TdA were indicted.
The other 21 involved members of Anti-Tren, which operated in multiple New York City boroughs, including the Bronx and Queens, and in New Jersey, and elsewhere. The DOJ said its members are “almost exclusively” former TdA members who broke away.
The justification for the Anti-Tren indictments under RICO is identical to that given for TdA.
Xavier Donaldson, an attorney representing one of the defendants, declined to comment. Joshua Kirshner, who is representing defendant Luis Jose Velasquez-Hurtado, told The Epoch Times in an email that his client will be pleading not guilty.
“We are confident that after a thorough investigation, Mr. Velasquez-Hurtado will be fully exonerated,” Kirshner said.
Other lawyers listed on the court docket for defendants did not return inquiries.
The charges come amid an ongoing dispute between the United States, El Salvador, and Venezuela over the handling of Venezuelan nationals convicted and deported by the Trump administration.
Under a $6 million agreement between the United States and El Salvador, many of those deported have been housed at El Salvador's CECOT prison.
Venezuela's socialist regime, which currently detains several dissidents recognized internationally as political prisoners, claimed that deported Venezuelan gang members detained at CECOT were themselves political prisoners.
On April 20, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele proposed a swap of all Venezuelans currently in Salvadoran custody in exchange for an identical number of Venezuela's anti-regime political prisoners.
Venezuela has rejected the deal and called for the immediate and unconditional release of detained Venezuelans.
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Some 59% of Americans think that U.S. President Donald Trump is costing their country its credibility on the global stage, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll published on April 21.
Concerns about the U.S. global credibility under Trump are shared by roughly one-third of Republicans.
The survey revealed growing dissatisfaction with Trump's policies on multiple issues. His overall approval rating stands at 42%, the lowest since he returned to the White House in January.
Unlike his more restrained first term, the second Trump presidency sent shockwaves through international politics as the president lashed out against the U.S.'s friends and partners and moved to restore ties with Russia.
This was perhaps most visible in Ukraine, a country that relied on crucial U.S. military and economic support under Trump's predecessor, former U.S. President Joe Biden.
Trump departed from the West's unequivocally pro-Ukraine policy, presenting the U.S. as a mediator seeking to broker a ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow. These efforts have included pressuring Ukraine by temporarily halting military support, while applying far less tangible pressure on Moscow, except for verbal threats of sanctions and tariffs.
Russia was even one of the few countries—unlike Ukraine, EU states, and others—that were excluded from Trump's sweeping "reciprocal" tariffs, which sent stock markets tumbling around the world. Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has met Russian President Vladimir Putin three times, often echoing Moscow's narratives on the war and pushing for economic cooperation.
Trump has further shocked the international community by repeatedly voting against motions in support of Ukraine in the U.N., joining the ranks of countries like Russia and Belarus. He has also publicly discussed annexing territory from U.S. partners like Denmark and Canada and directly challenged NATO's principle of collective defense.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted between April 16 and 21 and involved 4,306 U.S. adults.
Ukraine has enjoyed a strong, bipartisan support at the start of Russia's full-scale invasion, but later years saw the Republican Party grow increasingly skeptical about aiding Kyiv.
A March poll showed that most Americans disapprove of Trump's handling of the war and his embrace of Moscow. A more recent survey from April however confirmed a widening gap between Republicans and Democrats, with the former seeing Russia increasingly less as an adversary and being less concerned about the outcome of the war.
Editor's Note: This report contains graphic descriptions of sexual acts.
Former NFL star tight end Shannon Sharpe has been accused of multiple instances of assault, sexual assault, battery and sexual battery in a lawsuit filed Sunday by an anonymous woman and her attorneys.
Sharpe's legal representatives called the lawsuit an attempt to “shake down” the popular podcaster for millions of dollars and said he “categorically denies all allegations of coercion or misconduct.”
In the suit filed in a Las Vegas district court, “Jane Doe” accuses the popular host of the “Club Shay Shay” podcast of “manipulating and controlling” the plaintiff during a nearly two-year period that started in 2023 as a consensual relationship when the woman was 20 years old.
The civil complaint alleges Sharpe, 56, “violently sexually assaulted and anally raped Plaintiff,” in October 2024 and again in January of this year in Las Vegas, Nevada, “blatantly ignoring her requests for him to stop.”
The suit states: “After many months of manipulating and controlling Plaintiff — a woman more than thirty years younger than he — and repeatedly threatening to brutally choke and violently slap her, Sharpe refused to accept the answer no and raped Plaintiff, despite her sobbing and repeated screams of ‘no.'”
When asked if Jane Doe had contacted police during or after the alleged assaults, the plaintiffs' attorney, Tony Buzbee, said he could not comment.
The attorney told CNN, “It takes a great deal of courage to stand up against those with power, fame and money. I look forward to pressing this case in court.”
Sharpe's attorney, Lanny J. Davis, said the woman is attempting to blackmail his client and that the pair's relationship was consensual and “sexual in nature — and, in many cases, initiated by her with specific and graphic requests.”
Davis said Sharpe “looks forward to vindication through due process and a judgment based on the facts and the law.”
The complaint is seeking compensatory and punitive damages of more than $50 million.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer was inducted as part of the Class of 2011. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in 1990 and retired following the 2003 season as the NFL's all-time leader in catches, yards and touchdowns by a tight end.
Sharpe won two Super Bowls with Denver and then another while a member of the Baltimore Ravens.
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MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. The plan to resolve the Ukraine conflict proposed by US President Donald Trump will be presented in next history textbooks for schools across Russia, Vladimir Medinsky, a Kremlin aide who chairs the Russian Military Historical Society, told TASS.
On April 20, Trump wrote on his Truth Social media that Russia and Ukraine will hopefully make a deal in the coming week.
"The extraordinary efforts being taken by the new US administration in an attempt to find a reasonable solution to the Ukraine conflict and all the amazing reform taking place in US domestic policies will undoubtedly appear on the pages of the next edition of both a textbook of Russian history and a textbook of global history. Trump will go down in history for sure," said Medinsky, who has authored history textbooks.
While the Russian presidential aide said that he was not in a position to comment on the policy being pursued by the US president, he added: "As an observer and a historian, I can say that we are living in historical times.".
Police arrested a 30-year-old person inside Trump Tower on Monday after getting a report of a disorderly person on an “elevated surface” inside the building, authorities said.
New York City Police responded at around 4:30 p.m. to the skyscraper where President Donald Trump keeps a penthouse. The tower also houses private condominiums, restaurants, shops, and a soaring public atrium that is open to tourists.
Independent journalists on the scene posted video of security officials evacuating people from the atrium and police officers later exiting the building. The officers were wearing helmets and safety harnesses of the kind used by emergency responders who specialize in rescuing people from high places.
The NYPD's emergency service unit took the person into custody without further incident, police said. It wasn't immediately clear what charges the person might face and the incident remains under investigation, police said.
Trump Tower has been the scene, over the years, of protests, bomb scares and the occasional stunt. A person tried to scale the building in 2016 and got to the 21st floor before officers dragged him in.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told investors Tuesday that the US-China trade war is unsustainable and he expects the battle to de-escalate, a person familiar with the matter confirmed to CNN, giving a boost to a Wall Street rally that had taken shape this morning.
The Dow closed higher by 1,017 points, or 2.66%. The S&P 500 rose 2.51% and the tech-heavy Nasdaq gained 2.71%. The rebound helped recover the market's losses on Monday, when a major sell-off gripped Wall Street.
US stocks had broadly gained Tuesday as investors waded into the market after the steep Monday sell-off. Stocks extended their gains midday after Bessent told investors at a closed-door event hosted by JPMorgan Chase that he expects de-escalation in the trade spat with China. The event was first reported by Bloomberg.
According to one person in the room, Bessent said that he expects both sides will de-escalate in the very near future because China and the United States effectively have embargoes on each other due to extremely high tariffs.
Instead of a hard break or complete decoupling between the United States and China, Bessent told the investors that the goal is to have a rebalancing of trade, the source told CNN.
The three major stock indexes hit their highest levels of the day after Bessent's remarks.
The Nasdaq and Dow snapped a four-day losing streak. Despite the rebound, the S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 and the Dow is on track for its worst April since 1936, according to FactSet data.
Investors have been on edge as uncertainty lingers about trade negotiations and Trump has ratcheted up his criticism of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
Stocks gave back some of their gains in the afternoon before closing higher as White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that she had spoken with President Donald Trump and Director of the National Economic Council Kevin Hassett about the Federal Reserve, and both expressed doubt about the Fed's decisions on interest rates — reigniting concerns that the White House might try to undermine the Fed's independence.
Stocks were coming off a day sharply in the red as investors assessed Trump's continued tirade against Powell for not cutting interest rates — a complaint he has levied multiple times. The Fed's independence is a hallmark of the central bank and market watchers have been unnerved by the president's continued verbal assault on the Fed chair.
“A multi-front trade war is by itself a lot for stocks to handle so adding a Fed independence crisis on top of it has markets understandably jittery,” said Jeff Buchbinder, chief equity strategist at LPL Financial, in a Monday note.
While many experts say the president does not in fact have the power to fire the Fed chief just due to policy differences, Trump has made clear he's willing to break with norms and precedent.
Mohit Kumar, chief economist and strategist for Europe at Jefferies, said in a Tuesday note that “it will be nearly impossible for Trump to remove Powell without cause” and it is unlikely Trump will have broader political support to oust Powell before his term ends in 2026.
“Moreover, as recent events have shown, bond market is the pressure point for Trump,” Kumar said. “Any attempt to subjugate the Fed's independence will be met by a strong negative bond market reaction and Trump will need to back down.”
Related article
The bond market is acting weird. It spooked Trump
US stocks, government bonds and the dollar all sold off on Monday in a continuation of a trend that has unnerved Wall Street. Typically, when stocks sell off during moments of uncertainty, investors seek refuge in safe havens like Treasuries and the dollar. Yet that conventional wisdom has been breaking down this month during bouts of sell-offs in all three American asset classes.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note ticked down and the US dollar gained Tuesday, signaling relative stability after Monday's massive sell-off.
Gold on Tuesday briefly hit a fresh record high above $3,500 a troy ounce before sliding more than 1%. The yellow metal has soared more than 28% this year, surpassing its gain of 27% across last year. Investors have flocked to gold amid broad uncertainty about the outlook for the global economy.
Trump's tariffs and countermeasures by America's trading partners will likely deal a heavy blow to economic growth worldwide, with US prosperity hit particularly hard, according to the International Monetary Fund.
Global economic growth is expected to slow down to 2.8% this year, from 3.3% last year and significantly below the historical average, the IMF forecast in its World Economic Outlook on Tuesday. The slowdown expected in the United States is even steeper, with its economy likely to grow only 1.8%, compared with 2.8% in 2024.
Wall Street this week will be on edge for potential signs of progress in trade talks but also focused on a slate of earnings results for the first quarter.
Investors today will likely be attuned to Tesla's (TSLA) earnings results which are scheduled to be released after the closing bell. Elon Musk's electric vehicle company has cratered in market value this year as its stock has tumbled more than 40%. The decline in Tesla stock comes amid backlash against Musk's role in the US government and slumping sales in Europe.
“Extreme fear” was the sentiment driving markets on Tuesday, according to CNN's Fear and Greed index. The index has been staunchly in “extreme fear” this month.
CNN's Olesya Dmitracova contributed reporting.
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Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell said Thursday that the former Republican leader will not run for re-election in 2026.
FIRST ON FOX: Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky., is officially entering the race to replace longtime retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.
Barr, who has served in the House for over a decade, is expected to kick off his campaign in Richmond, Kentucky this evening.
He's also releasing a video to launch the campaign that paints him as a staunch ally of President Donald Trump and a fierce opponent of "woke" trends on diversity, transgender inclusion, and U.S. energy dominance.
"The United States is the greatest country on Earth, and it's not even close. But here's the problem. The woke left wants to neuter America – literally," the Kentucky Republican said in the video.
MEET THE TRUMP-PICKED LAWMAKERS GIVING SPEAKER JOHNSON A FULL HOUSE GOP CONFERENCE
Rep. Andy Barr is running for the Senate seat being vacated by longtime Sen. Mitch McConnell. (AP/Getty)
"They hate our values. They hate our history. And goodness knows they hate President Trump. But here in Kentucky, that's why we love him. I'm Andy Barr, and I'm running for Senate to help our President save this great country."
His candidacy sets up a high-profile primary race against former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron.
In the video, Barr promised to "deport illegal aliens, instead of putting them up in luxury hotels," and "get rid of this anti-coal, do-gooder ESG garbage once and for all."
"Working with President Trump, I'll fight to create jobs for hardworking Kentuckians, instead of warm and fuzzies for hardcore liberals," Barr said in the video. "And as a dad, let me be clear. I'll fight to lock up the sickos who allow biological men to share locker rooms with our daughters."
His Senate campaign has also been blessed by House GOP leaders, House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., and House Republican Leadership Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y.
SENATE GOP PUSHES TRUMP BUDGET FRAMEWORK THROUGH AFTER MARATHON VOTE SERIES
Barr and McConnell have very different relationships with President Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
"There is no bigger supporter of President Donald J. Trump and our MAGA movement than my dear friend Andy Barr," Scalise told Fox News Digital. "I am all-in for Andy in his campaign for the US Senate — proud to support him."
Stefanik said, "I am proud to call Andy a friend and I wholeheartedly endorse his campaign for US Senate. Kentucky needs a Senator who stands 100% with President Trump — that my friend, Andy Barr."
Barr said their support "is a strong signal to all Kentuckians that there is only one America First candidate in this race — and only one candidate with a proven record of getting our America First agenda across the finish line."
The conservative lawmaker has been known as a reliable leadership ally in the House and serves as chair of the House Financial Services Committee's subcommittee on financial institutions.
He's also a leader of several groups in the House, including the Congressional Taiwan Caucus, the Congressional Bourbon Caucus, and the American Worker Task Force.
McConnell is the longest-serving senator in Kentucky history and the longest-serving party leader in the upper chamber, only stepping down from leading the Senate GOP conference at the end of last year.
His final years in office have been marked by his rocky relationship with Trump, who has called for an end to McConnell's political career on multiple occasions.
Trump and McConnell have also broken on matters of foreign policy and defense. McConnell opposed two major Trump nominees in the national security sphere, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and Pentagon Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is also running for the Senate seat. (AP Photo/Timothy D. Easley)
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McConnell also opposed Trump's Health and Human Services secretary, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Barr and Cameron's campaigns are a stark departure from that – both have painted themselves as staunch Trump allies.
Kentucky businessman Nate Morris is also expected to announce a Republican bid for the seat.
And in Kentucky, where Trump outran former Vice President Kamala Harris by roughly 30%, the president's endorsement will likely prove decisive.
When reached for comment on Barr's campaign, Cameron's campaign general consultant Brandon Moody hammered the House lawmaker.
"The great Andy Barr re-brand is on as he now will try and convince Kentucky he's actually conservative and MAGA. He's not. Voters know he went Washington and sold out Kentucky long ago," Moody said.
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
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Many of the justices seemed eager to impose impossible burdens on schools.
by Ian Millhiser
Three years ago, Montgomery County, Maryland, approved several books with LGBTQ characters for use in public school classrooms. Not much else is known about these books, how they have been used, when they were used in lessons, or how teachers plan to use them in the future.
These questions have come before lower courts, but the Supreme Court decided to hear a case — Mahmoud v. Taylor, brought by conservative Muslim and Christian parents who find these books objectionable — before these lower courts had a chance to sort out whether anyone's constitutional rights have actually been violated.
Get the latest developments on the US Supreme Court from senior correspondent Ian Millhiser.
Despite all this uncertainty, all six of the Supreme Court's Republicans appeared absolutely convinced, during an oral argument on Tuesday, that the Montgomery County school district violated the Constitution, and that it must do more to protect parents who object to these books on religious grounds.
Based on Tuesday's argument in Mahmoud, it seems all but certain the Court will rule that parents who object to these books must be allowed to remove their children from any classes where the books are featured. What is less clear is whether the Court will do so in a way that could endanger every public school in the country's ability to function.
Eric Baxter, the lawyer representing the parents who oppose these books, seemed quite emboldened during Tuesday's argument, and advocated for a result that would be extraordinarily disruptive. In his brief, Baxter suggested that parents who object to any form of classroom instruction on religious grounds must be notified in advance about that instruction and be permitted to opt their child out of the class.
The implications of this argument are breathtaking. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out, past cases involve parents who object to lessons touching on topics like divorce, interfaith couples, and “immodest dress.” Parents have brought federal lawsuits objecting, on religious grounds, to the government using unique numbers to identify people in its own internal records. They've objected to lessons exposing children to ideas about evolution, pacifism, magic, women achieving things outside of the home, and “false views of death” — among other things.
Under Baxter's proposed rule, to avoid these lawsuits, school districts would have an obligation to notify parents in advance if they will teach any book where magic exists, any book where divorce exists, any book where women have accomplishments, or any book about famous pacifists such as Martin Luther King, Jr. — among many other things. It is hard to imagine how any public school could comply with such an obligation.
That said, while all six of the Republican justices appeared highly likely to rule against the school district in Mahmoud, some of them did appear to be looking for a way to decide this case more narrowly than Baxter suggested.
Justice Samuel Alito, for example, suggested at one point that Baxter's rule might only apply to very young students, or to lessons that touch upon sexuality. Justice Neil Gorsuch pointed to an alleged statement by a school board member, which Gorsuch claims showed animus against certain religious beliefs. Following Gorsuch's line of thinking to its conclusion would allow the Court to rule that Montgomery County's policies must be changed because they are rooted in animus, but that another school district might be allowed to enact similar policies so long as they did not display similar hostility toward religion.
So, while there seems to be little doubt that the school district will lose the Mahmoud case, it is possible that it will lose in a way that doesn't endanger public school instruction throughout the United States.
Broadly speaking, the justices floated four different approaches to this case.
All three of the Court's Democrats — Sotomayor, and Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson — focused on the “line-drawing” problems presented by this case. Kagan said she understood how even non-religious parents might object to “young kids” being taught “on matters concerning sexuality,” but she added that there wasn't anything in Baxter's argument that would allow the Court to limit claims by parents who want to micromanage a school's lessons.
Similarly, Jackson was troubled that Baxter's arguments seemed so broad that they could prevent a gay teacher from displaying a picture of their own wedding, or even prevent a teacher from referring to a transgender child by that child's preferred pronouns in the presence of another student whose parents object to trans people on religious grounds.
But these concerns were largely limited to the Court's Democratic minority. The other six justices appeared to be hunting for a way to rule against the school district.
The most extreme of these six Republicans was Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who at one point said that he is “mystified, as a longtime resident” of Montgomery County, that this case exists. As the Supreme Court said in Lyng v. Northwest Indian Cemetery (1988), the First Amendment only prohibits government action that tends “to coerce individuals into acting contrary to their religious beliefs.” But Kavanaugh at one point seemed to propose overruling Lyng and holding that a parent with religious objections to a lesson must only show a “burden” on their faith — however Kavanaugh would define that term.
Both Alito and Chief Justice John Roberts, meanwhile, appeared to think that there is something particularly noxious about exposing young people to books with gay characters. Alito, for example, argued that older students will understand that their teacher isn't always correct — so it's okay if those students are exposed to lessons that are in tension with their parents' religious beliefs. But a different rule should apply to younger students.
Similarly, Roberts argued that it would be “dangerous” to expose kindergarten-age children to lessons their parents might object to, because that might cause those children to question whether they should obey their teacher.
Gorsuch, meanwhile, latched onto several lines in Baxter's brief, which claim that a school board member compared parents who object to LGBTQ-inclusive literature to “white supremacists” and “xenophobes.” This matters because, in Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission (2018), the Court ruled in favor of a baker who refused to bake wedding cakes for same-sex couples because a state civil rights commissioner made similarly disparaging comments about the baker.
Under Gorsuch's approach, in other words, the Court could decide the Mahmoud case very narrowly, ruling in favor of the parents because of this school board member's alleged comments, without handing down a broader rule that would impose unworkable disclosure rules on every public school in the country.
So it is possible that the Court will hand down a good-for-this-ride-only decision that gives these specific Montgomery County parents the result they want, without harming public education elsewhere. It is also possible that the Court will impose a kind of “Don't Say Gay” rule on elementary school teachers, while allowing high school teachers to reveal that some people form romantic attachments to people of the same sex.
One surprising omission in Tuesday's argument is that no one mentioned the Court's decision in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), a free speech case brought by students who wore black armbands to class in order to protest the Vietnam War.
In Tinker, the Court held that these students had a right to wear the black armbands, but it did so because the students merely engaged in a “silent, passive expression of opinion, unaccompanied by any disorder or disturbance on the part of petitioners.” Tinker held that public school students retain free speech rights, but not when their speech “materially disrupts classwork or involves substantial disorder or invasion of the rights of others.”
The Court, in other words, recognized that public schools could not function if students could engage in speech that disrupts lessons, and it crafted a careful rule which respects those students' First Amendment rights without undercutting the school's ability to educate them and their classmates.
The Court could take a similar approach in Mahmoud. Because the full facts of this case are not yet known, it may, in fact, turn out that a teacher tried to coerce a student into rejecting their religious beliefs, or otherwise behaved in a manner that violates the Constitution's protections for religious people. If that turns out to be true, then the courts absolutely should provide appropriate relief to that student and their parents.
But, instead of waiting until they know all the facts of the Mahmoud case and crafting an appropriately tailored rule like the one announced in Tinker, many of the justices seemed inclined to a more ham-handed approach. Based on Tuesday's argument, it is difficult to guess whether Kavanaugh's, Alito's, Gorsuch's, or some other approach will prevail. But, if the justices choose to accept Baxter's arguments in full, they could easily impose unworkable obligations on public schools that will prevent them from functioning.
Understand the world with a daily explainer plus the most compelling stories of the day, compiled by news editor Sean Collins.
The two Republican justices appeared open to an attack on Obamacare, but ultimately seemed likely to reject it.
In an unusual overnight order, most of the justices voted to halt several illegal deportations.
How can you punish Trump officials for violating the law, when federal law enforcement is controlled by Trump?
The Oklahoma charter school case is one of two April cases seeking to remake schools in the religious right's image.
The Court is likely to give Trump broad, unchecked authority over the federal workforce.
An influential Christian right law firm asks the justices to impose an impossible burden on teachers.
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Fox News contributor Jonathan Turley discusses the legal battle over the deportation of Kilmar Abrego Garcia on 'The Ingraham Angle.'
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch and Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday sided with left-leaning justices in an immigration appeals case, a narrow ruling that could portend the court's future thinking amid a flurry of legal cases centered on immigration.
The 5-4 ruling in Monsalvo Velazquez v. Bondi centered on the government's interpretation of a 60-day "voluntary departure" deadline, which authorities can use to allow certain immigrants deemed to be of "good moral character" to depart the U.S. on their own terms within that timeframe.
The Supreme Court ruled, with the backing of Roberts and Gorsuch, that any voluntary departure deadlines for immigrants under the 60-day departure time frame that fall on a weekend or on a legal holiday in the U.S. should be extended to the next business day.
FEDERAL JUDGE ORDERS HALT TO TRUMP ADMIN'S CFPB TERMINATIONS
Neil Gorsuch testifies during his Supreme Court confirmation hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 22, 2017, in Washington, D.C. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Writing for the majority, Gorsuch noted that this interpretation of the 60-day period aligns with long-standing administrative practices, including in immigration law.
"When Congress adopts a new law against the backdrop of a ‘long-standing administrative construction,' the Court generally presumes the new provision works in harmony with what came before," Gorsuch said.
"Since at least the 1950s, immigration regulations have provided that when calculating deadlines, the term ‘day' carries its specialized meaning by excluding Sundays and legal holidays (and later Saturdays) if a deadline would otherwise fall on one of those days," Gorsuch added, noting that the 1996 Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act passed by Congress uses the same reading.
Gorsuch was joined in the majority decision by Roberts, and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson.
The court's ruling overturns the decision of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Board of Immigration Appeals, which had voted to reject that interpretation in the case of Monsalvo Velázquez, a 32-year-old Colorado resident targeted for removal in 2019.
And while the case in question centers largely on the technicalities of certain immigration proceedings, the slim majority ruling could offer early signs of the court's thinking as justices gear up for a flurry of high-profile immigration cases – including cases centered on due process protections for migrants, and on nationwide injunctions that block Trump's birthright citizenship ban from taking force.
SUPREME COURT TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS IN BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP CASE
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh arrive for President Biden's 2024 State of the Union at the Capitol. (Shawn Thew-Pool/Getty Images)
Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett dissented, noting that, in their view, the court lacked jurisdiction to weigh in on the matter.
While Thomas said he would have remanded the case back to the lower circuit court to consider other outstanding issues, and Barrett took issue with the nature of the appeal filed by Monsalvo, Alito said in a separate dissenting opinion that he viewed the court's interpretation as a whole as incorrect.
In his view, the 60-day period imposed by the government is straightforward, and should include weekends.
"There will always be a sympathetic pro se alien who is a day or two late," Alito said. "Unless the Court is willing to extend the statutory deadline indefinitely, it would presumably be forced to say in such cases that a day too late is just too bad."
"For this reason, sympathy for petitioner cannot justify the Court's decision," he said.
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The narrow ruling comes just weeks before May 15, when justices are slated to hear oral arguments in a case challenging President Donald Trump's attempt to end birthright citizenship in the U.S.
The case is considered one of the most highly anticipated ones to be reviewed by the high court since Trump took office.
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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Actor Rainn Wilson challenged MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle's idea that a “concerted effort” is responsible for the nation's declining faith in legacy media.
“Forty percent of Americans don't trust mainstream media. Why is that?” Wilson, best known for his portrayal of Dwight Schrute on The Office, asked Ruhle on the latest episode of the Soul Boom podcast. “How did we get here?”
“We are seeing a huge loss in trust of all of our institutions,” Ruhle said. “It's the media. It's medicine. It's banking. It's a huge problem because when you think about Democracy and all of these pillars, they need to stand tall. They need to stand strong, and, sort of, losing that trust is not by accident. It's by design.”
According to Ruhle, Americans' lack of faith in mainstream media is the product of “concerted effort” by the Right and allies of President Donald Trump to “destroy” the news media because it is the last line of defense when it comes to holding power accountable.
Ruhle has previously accused Trump of suppressing the media, and the Washington Examiner reported she showed support for former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election.
“You have the Elon Musk media machine because they want you to leave traditional media, and they want you to go to X, which is a bastion of misinformation, where there is no fact-checking,” Ruhle told Wilson. “So, it's a perfect storm of people saying: ‘I'm angry. I'm frustrated. I'm tuning out. I'm disconnecting.'”
Ruhle said the media must respond by covering what is happening in politics and the White House, but Wilson jumped in, calling out the behavior of leftist media under the administration of former President Joe Biden.
“This is where I would push back,” he said. “When I see this kind of insight and passion being directed at the current administration and the lack of this kind of insight and passion being directed at the previous administration, where, again, I'm not talking about you. I'm talking about left-leaning news media organizations [that] were kind of like, ‘La la la la, everything's fine. Look, the economy is great, la la la, immigration's not that much of a problem,' and really being Cleopatra, queen of denial. Thank you. Boom.”
Immigration is not a good example of hypocrisy, according to Ruhle.
“I can specifically remember when [Republican Govs.] Greg Abbott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida sent those buses of migrants to different cities, different parts of the country, which ended up being politically genius for both of them,” she said. “The media regularly talked about the fact that Biden was not doing enough.”
A large majority of the people who have a problem with the immigration crisis are not racist, but they are “tarred” as being racist by the liberal left and their outlets, according to Wilson.
The actor also called attention to the “toxic relationship” and “mental health connection” to screens and the news.
LIBERAL MEDIA SCREAM: CHRIS MATTHEWS RETURNS MORE UNHINGED THAN EVER
“So many people have come on this show … and said, ‘I don't watch the news anymore, and my life is so much better. I turn it off. I took Apple News off my phone. I don't even subscribe … and my life is so much better and richer for it,'” Wilson said.
That idea, itself, is “rich,” Ruhle said. “People of privilege can afford to tune out.”
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Harvard University's lawsuit against the Trump administration has set up a titanic clash between America's most prestigious university and the federal government over academic freedom, federal funding and campus oversight.
The legal showdown over frozen federal funds will likely take years to play out and could end up at the Supreme Court.
The nation's oldest university, Harvard has emerged as a symbol of resistance against President Donald Trump, who has been trying to “reclaim” colleges and universities and has framed the conflict as a fight against antisemitism. The university says the White House is trying to control the Harvard community.
The Trump administration has already rolled back diversity, equity and inclusion programs, arrested international students and revoked their visas, and frozen federal funding for schools that refused to submit to its demands.
Harvard said the Trump administration has cut the funds to gain “leverage” over the university and the move is part of a “pressure campaign” to force the school to submit to governmental control, according to court documents.
The government's actions “threaten Harvard's academic independence” and “are part of a broader effort by the Government to punish Harvard for protecting its constitutional rights,” Harvard's lawyers wrote.
The new Harvard lawsuit argues the Trump administration has failed to establish any tie between the crucial funding cuts and fighting antisemitism.
“The Government has not – and cannot – identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America's position as a global leader in innovation,” said the lawsuit, filed in Boston federal court.
The case has been assigned to US District Court Judge Allison Burroughs, an Obama nominee who was involved in a previous landmark case involving the university. Burroughs, who did not earn her bachelor's or law degree from Harvard, upheld Harvard's admissions process in a 2019 ruling that was overturned by the Supreme Court's landmark decision ending race-conscious admissions in American colleges.
Harvard's suit against the Trump administration comes as prominent Jewish organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League and Harvard's chapter of the Hillel student organization, have publicly questioned the administration's broad attacks on the university.
“(S)huttering apolitical, life-saving research; targeting the university's tax-exempt status; and threatening all student visas … is neither focused nor measured, and stands to substantially harm the very Jewish students and scholars it purports to protect,” Harvard Hillel wrote Saturday.
The escalation between Harvard and the Trump administration intensified quickly, according to court documents.
In March, the federal government sent a letter to Harvard saying the school was being investigated for its failures to “curb or combat” antisemitism on campus. A similar letter with demands for policy changes had been sent to Columbia University, and federal agencies soon announced a review of more than $5 billion in grants to the Ivy League school.
Columbia later announced several changes to address the Trump administration's demands, an apparent concession to the federal government.
The White House continued targeting universities — Princeton, Cornell and Northwestern all had funds frozen or suspended — and on April 11 sent Harvard a list of policy changes it wanted implemented, demanding “immediate cooperation” if the university wanted to “maintain Harvard's financial relationship with the federal government.”
The list included eliminating the school'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.”
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Analysis: The real stakes in Trump's confrontation with Harvard
A New York Times report suggested the letter inadvertently had been sent prematurely. Still, Harvard put out a response three days later, publicly rebuking the Trump administration, saying it would not “surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
The Trump administration retaliated by freezing $2.2 billion in multiyear grants and contracts, making plans to rescind Harvard's tax-exempt status and threatening the school's ability to host international students.
The school sued days later.
If the case were to end up at the Supreme Court, it would be heard by a bench that includes four Harvard alumni: liberal Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, along with Justice Neil Gorsuch and Chief Justice John Roberts, both conservatives.
Justices are unlikely to recuse themselves from a case based solely on having studied at an institution involved. Jackson recused herself from a case involving affirmative action at Harvard because she was on the school's board of overseers; the other three Harvard alumni ruled in that groundbreaking case.
Billions of dollars, along with jobs, research and Harvard's ability to administer financial aid are not the only things at stake. The “standing of American higher education” is also on the table, Harvard President Alan Garber said Monday in a statement.
Garber also signed a letter with more than 100 presidents of colleges, universities and scholarly societies, opposing the Trump administration's pressure on academic institutions.
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Hear what three Harvard students said about Trump administration threats
“As leaders of America's colleges, universities, and scholarly societies, we speak with one voice against the unprecedented government overreach and political interference now endangering American higher education,” said the letter released Tuesday by the American Association of Colleges and Universities.
“We are open to constructive reform and do not oppose legitimate government oversight. However, we must oppose undue government intrusion in the lives of those who learn, live, and work on our campuses,” wrote the presidents – including leaders of Princeton and American universities – adding, “The price of abridging the defining freedoms of American higher education will be paid by our students and our society.”
The Trump administration intends to continue a dialogue with Harvard, Education Secretary Linda McMahon said Tuesday, insisting the White House's recent demands are not about curbing freedom of speech.
“I made it very clear that these are not First Amendment infractions. This is civil rights. This is making sure that students on all campuses can come and learn and be safe … and that is why we have had these funds either withheld or frozen during this period of time of negotiation,” she said on CNBC's “Squawk Box.”
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‘An unprecedented assault': Legal scholar says White House attacks on Harvard are threat to democracy
McMahon did not respond directly to a question about whether the Trump administration's demand in its April 11 letter for “viewpoint diversity” among Harvard students, faculty and departments, to be audited by a third party, is really about free speech.
“We had hoped Harvard would come back to the table to discuss these. We would like to have viewpoint diversity,” the education secretary replied. The letter, she added, “was intended to have both parties sit down again and continue their negotiations.”
Garber said last week the demands in the letter were “unprecedented” and made “to control the Harvard community,” adding that the university “will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights.”
Harvard, the world's wealthiest university, has an endowment of $53 billion, which could help cushion cuts. About 80% of that money is earmarked for financial aid, scholarships, faculty chairs, academic programs or other projects, according to the school. The remaining 20% is intended to sustain the institution's future.
But the lawsuit paints a bleak picture of that future if Harvard has to dip into university coffers for too long. Eventually, Harvard will be left operating at “a significantly reduced level,” the complaint says.
“If Harvard continues to replace the frozen funding from its own resources, it will be forced to reduce the number of graduate students it admits and the number of faculty and research staff it pays to conduct research,” the lawsuit says.
The Trump administration's threats against Harvard's tax-exempt status and its ability to host international students could put even more pressure on the university's funding, and more federal money could get withheld.
The National Institutes of Health announced Monday it would pull medical research funding from universities with diversity and inclusion programs. Of the $686 million in Harvard's federal research funding in fiscal year 2024, $488 million came from NIH, according to the Harvard Crimson.
The government is “slamming on the brakes” on research and the “victims will be future patients,” Garber said. Research on childhood cancer, infectious disease outbreaks and how to ease the pain of soldiers wounded on the battlefield would all be affected, Garber added.
The indiscriminate cuts, he said, would undermine America's position as a global leader in innovation, adding, “The consequences of the government's overreach will be severe and long-lasting.”
Harvard's many partnerships with other universities, private companies, and state and local agencies mean the freeze on funding will touch off widespread economic harm, the lawsuit argues, noting, “Harvard is one of Massachusetts' largest employers.”
“The freeze creates a ripple effect extending beyond Harvard's campus by stifling job creation in the research sector across the nation, reducing intellectual property development, and delaying scientific and medical advances that boost the national economy,” the lawsuit says.
CNN's Shania Shelton, Brad Lendon, Matthew Rehbein, Andy Rose, Michelle Krupa, Kara Scannell and John Fritze contributed to this report.
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At a time when critical funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency has slowed to a crawl, some states — with Republican governors — have been luckier than others in prying money loose.
The Trump administration directed FEMA to prioritize payments to GOP-led Missouri and Virginia in recent weeks, while some other states' requests weren't being filled, according to multiple sources and internal communications obtained by CNN.
The situation has raised concerns at FEMA that the White House is playing politics with critical emergency management funds. President Donald Trump and his allies have criticized FEMA for months as partisan, ineffective and unnecessary. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has said she will “eliminate FEMA” altogether.
A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees FEMA, denied any special treatment for red states, saying “the Secretary reviews every grant based on need — not discrimination based on state.”
Brian Hughes, a spokesman for Trump's National Security Council, told CNN: “The only criteria for critical relief is ensuring we deploy all available resources to those impacted in the most efficient way to help all Americans. The premise of this inquiry and complaints of unnamed ‘sources' are categorically false.”
The first directives to distribute funding came in March, when FEMA was sitting on a backlog of more than $100 billion of previously awarded grants and disaster assistance, as agency personnel awaited guidance from the Trump administration on how to distribute the money without violating the president's executive orders that funding not end up benefiting illegal immigrants.
Beyond its $20 billion-plus Disaster Relief Fund, FEMA also distributes billions of dollars in grants for disaster preparedness, mitigation, resilience and homeland security, which are intended to bolster emergency management before a disaster strikes. The Trump administration has vowed to cut some of those programs.
FEMA staff first received orders to prioritize payments for Missouri, after state officials warned the Department of Homeland Security that they would have to lay off state emergency management personnel if the funds didn't arrive quickly, according to internal emails obtained by CNN.
Homeland security officials forwarded Missouri's request to FEMA, and within 24 hours, the agency's acting administrator instructed staff to start paying the state. At the time, extremely little money was getting out of FEMA, multiple sources tell CNN.
“Today, is there a way we can focus on payments to Missouri specifically and clear these out?” acting FEMA Administrator Cameron Hamilton, a Trump appointee, told agency personnel in an email, which CNN obtained.
In the memo, Hamilton wrote that Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe and Sen. Eric Schmitt had been notified the payments would commence and were “extremely glad to hear it.” Both Kehoe and Schmitt are Republicans.
In the weeks that followed, Missouri began receiving various previously paused grants, even as other states were forced to wait for a range of FEMA funds – including, in some cases, disaster assistance – multiple sources tell CNN.
The episode alarmed some FEMA officials who had never experienced such a wide-reaching funding pause at the agency, as other states and locales pushed for their own funding to be cleared. Multiple officials, speaking to CNN anonymously out of fear of retribution, said the money for Missouri was not assistance for any recent disaster and seemed no more urgent than the paused payments to other states.
One of the officials noted that the governor of Missouri pushed for the Trump administration to release the funds.
“But is the same thing going to happen if Gavin Newsom calls the White House and says, ‘Hey, we really need X, Y, Z?'” the official told CNN.
CNN reached out to Kehoe and Schmitt about the situation.
Last week, another directive went out to FEMA staff: prioritize payments for Virginia.
The request came from the White House, according to multiple sources with knowledge of the situation. It is unclear which specific funds were prioritized.
A DHS spokesperson would not clarify why Missouri and Virginia were singled out for priority but reiterated that grants are greenlit based solely on need.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin's Communications Director Rob Damschen told CNN the governor “works closely with federal officials to ensure that Virginia communities receive critical disaster recovery support. Governor Youngkin sincerely appreciates the level of engagement by President Trump and his entire administration who are focused on delivering for Virginians.”
Yet some inside FEMA argue the unfreezing of federal funding goes beyond leveraging working relationships.
“This is politicization of grant funds and disaster assistance like we've never seen before,” a second FEMA official told CNN.
FEMA payments have started flowing more freely in recent weeks, but the agency is still working through its backlog, which has proved consequential for some of the recipients.
As FEMA greenlit some payments, North Carolina was waiting on more than $150 million in disaster assistance for its recovery from Hurricane Helene, according to the state's office of emergency management.
North Carolina Emergency Management spokesman Justin Graney told CNN more than half of that backlog has now been cleared, but the ongoing delays have been detrimental to their recovery efforts as the state waits to be reimbursed by the federal government.
“Many communities are not situated to handle such an expense like Helene brought to their community. These are small western North Carolina communities,” Graney said.
As FEMA's previously awarded funds trickle out of the agency, the White House has also recently denied additional disaster relief to two states with Democratic leadership.
This month, the Trump administration notified North Carolina that it would no longer fully reimburse the state for funding used to support the recovery from Hurricane Helene.
Such a decision is common months after a destructive natural disaster. Yet during the 2024 campaign, Trump repeatedly lambasted FEMA's response in North Carolina, saying the agency had failed to provide adequate resources to hurricane survivors.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein, a Democrat, says the state will appeal the decision to the White House.
The administration also denied Washington state's request for $34 million in additional disaster assistance to help in its recovery from last year's “bomb cyclone,” which killed two people and destroyed homes and infrastructure, saying the funding “is not warranted.”
“There are very clear criteria to qualify for these emergency relief funds. Washington's application met all of them,” Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, wrote in a statement after Trump's denial. “This is another troubling example of the federal government withholding funding.”
Ferguson, like Stein, has vowed to appeal the decision.
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It took at least 12 New York animal cops in a four-hour “squirrel raid” to find and seize a pet squirrel and raccoon from an amateur sanctuary in a case that has drawn national scorn from Vice President JD Vance and tech giant Elon Musk.
New law enforcement documents shared with Secrets by Judicial Watch provided the first details about the October raid and included notes that the officials planned to euthanize the wildlife to test for rabies, even before one of the officers said “Peanut,” the squirrel bit her.
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Dubbed a “squirrel raid” by the Washington-based legal watchdog, the package of 163 pages secured under a Freedom of Information Law lawsuit described an operation of overwhelming force to find Instagram star Peanut and “Fred” the raccoon after officials received a few anonymous complaints.
Among the surprises revealed, the state said it planned to test for rabies in the “pets” before the raid because raccoons are “a rabies vector species.” That required that the animals first be killed, their heads decapitated. No rabies was found in the tests of Peanut or Fred.
“New York State bureaucrats did not want to turn over these documents, but Judicial Watch's lawsuit forced their hand,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. “The documents show an abuse of power where 12 officers were sent in on a raid to seize Peanut and Fred, who the bureaucrats decided beforehand would be killed. These documents show the killing of Peanut the Squirrel and Fred the Racoon was the result of pure government abuse and insanity,” he added.
Mark Longo had Peanut for seven years and featured the squirrel in social media posts used to raise money for his “sanctuary.” But a handful of people complained, and the state moved in.
During the raid by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Longo said he was unlicensed to hold wildlife, though he said he was applying for a sanctuary license. He also initially denied that he had the animals in his home.
Once Peanut was found in a bathtub and Fred in a suitcase, Longo pleaded to keep them.
One of the officers who seized the squirrel said she was bitten on a finger, though the bite apparently didn't break through her latex glove.
New York officials have said that they blew the raid at Longo's home in Pine City, New York, near the Pennsylvania border, and planned to “do better” in the future.
The documents released by Judicial Watch were the first to provide information on the size of the raid. The officer who organized said at least 12 law enforcement personnel were involved: “3 DEC [Department of Environmental Conservation] investigators, 1 investigator lieutenant, 4 uniform ECOs [Environmental Control Officers], 1 uniform lieutenant, and 3 Bureau of Wildlife staff.”
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Longo has threatened to sue the state, and the case has sparked a consideration of “Peanut's Law” to require a 72-hour waiting period before animals from animal sanctuaries are euthanized, possibly long enough to observe symptoms of rabies.
The case resulted in widespread online anger at New York officials. Vance expressed concern during a 2024 election rally, and Musk called the raid “government overreach.”
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Stewart Chiron, a Miami-based cruise industry expert known as "The Cruise Guy," tells Fox News Digital the reasons why cruise passengers are sailing now, more than any other time in history.
Researchers have made a remarkable discovery deep down in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the South Sandwich Islands.
While searching for new sea life, the Schmidt Ocean Institute announced it's discovered a colossal squid, according to The Associated Press (AP).
ARCHAEOLOGISTS UNEARTH MILLENNIA-OLD LECTURE HALL FROM ANCIENT HIGH SCHOOL
The juvenile squid stretches about one foot in length at a depth of 1,968 feet.
Once fully grown, adult colossal squids can reach lengths up to 23 feet or about the size of a small fire truck, the AP said.
A baby colossal squid (pictured) was caught on camera for the first time in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of the South Sandwich Islands. (ROV SuBastian/Schmidt Ocean Institute via AP)
The colossal squid, or Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, is "the largest invertebrate on Earth," according to Oceana.
"It also has the largest eyes of any animal, larger even than those of the great whales."
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Oceana notes the species is "likely naturally rare."
Kat Bolstad, Auckland University of Technology squid researcher, helped confirm the species.
Once fully grown, adult colossal squids can reach lengths of up to 23 feet or about the size of a small fire truck. (Credit: ViralPress/yosuke_tstyle)
"I really love that we have seen a young colossal squid first. This animal is so beautiful," Bolstad said, according to AP.
She added that researchers are testing different cameras in hopes of catching an adult colossal squid.
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The baby squid has thin arms.
It's nearly completely transparent.
Researchers catch a baby colossal squid on camera (not pictured) for the first time. (iStock)
When the squid ages, it will lose its glassy appearance and turn an opaque dark red or purple.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., tells 'The Will Cain Show' why he traveled to El Salvador after an alleged MS-13 gang member was deported by the Trump administration.
The House GOP's elections arm is offering to foot the bill for any future Democratic lawmakers' trips to El Salvador after multiple progressive lawmakers traveled there in protest of the Trump administration's deportation policies.
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) made the public offering on Monday – but any takers have to provide real-time video evidence of the visit.
"If out-of-touch House Democrats are so desperate to cozy up to violent gang members, the least they can do is let Americans watch the show," NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella said.
"We'll pay for the plane tickets, they just can't forget to smile for the camera while they sell out their constituents."
KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA SUSPECTED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN REPORT OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS
Reps. Maxine Dexter, Robert Garcia and Maxwell A. Frost have traveled to El Salvador. (Getty)
Progressive Sen. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., was in El Salvador last week, where he met with Kilmar Abrego Garcia, an illegal immigrant married to an American citizen. The administration says Abrego Garcia is an MS-13 gang member with a violent history.
Democrats, in contrast, have painted him as a Maryland father and husband wrongfully deported under the Trump administration's sweeping immigration plans.
Four House Democrats – Reps. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., Robert Garcia, D-Calif., Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., and Maxine Dexter, D-Ore. – are currently in El Salvador with Abrego Garcia's family lawyer in an effort to secure his release.
Frost told Fox News host Will Cain on Monday that they had not been able to meet with him.
In their press release announcing the trip, the group said it was not funded by taxpayer dollars, though it did not say how it was funded.
OREGON LAWMAKER LATEST DEMOCRAT TO VISIT EL SALVADOR FOR DEPORTED ILLEGAL MIGRANT ABREGO GARCIA
Rep. Richard Hudson is chair of the NRCC. (Reuters/Mike Segar)
It comes amid President Donald Trump's standoff with the courts over his administration's deportation of suspected Tren de Aragua and MS-13 gang members to El Salvador.
Democrats and human rights groups argue that the White House is denying due process rights to deported individuals, while supporters say the illegal immigrants' hearings and deportation orders are sufficient evidence of due process.
The Supreme Court upheld a lower court's decision earlier this month that ordered the Trump administration to arrange Abrego Garcia's return to the U.S. The court ordered the U.S. "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."
Republicans, meanwhile, are eager to tie Democrats to suspected criminals being deported to an El Salvador prison – particularly after border security and immigration proved potent issues for the GOP in the 2024 elections.
SEN VAN HOLLEN POURS COLD WATER ON ‘MARGARITA-GATE' PHOTO-OP AFTER EL SALVADOR TRIP
Illegal immigrant Kilmar Abrego Garcia has become a flashpoint in the political standoff. (Fox news)
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The NRCC's Senate counterpart, the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), released a video on X with a message to Democrats: "¡Bienvenidos a El Salvador Senate Dems! Democrats should feel free to make their trip to hang out with MS-13 gangbangers one-way."
The 40-second video is a vacation-style clip advertising El Salvador as "the destination for Democrats seeking the thrill of bringing violent criminal illegal aliens back to America."
"Come witness Trump Derangement Syndrome in its purest form," the voiceover says. "So, what are you waiting for, Senate Democrats?"
Elizabeth Elkind is a politics reporter for Fox News Digital leading coverage of the House of Representatives. Previous digital bylines seen at Daily Mail and CBS News.
Follow on Twitter at @liz_elkind and send tips to elizabeth.elkind@fox.com
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Fox News senior congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on the Democratic Party's young challengers to older party voices on ‘Special Report.'
The tract of political land where Democrats reside is unique.
It's not the same political street address where they took up shop in 1995 after losing the House and Senate to the "Republican Revolution" of 1994 – which flipped control of the House to the GOP for the first time in 40 years. They still held the presidency then with President Bill Clinton.
It's not the same zip code after the legendary House blowout in 2010 where they dropped an historic 63 seats. President Barack Obama remained in the White House.
It's even a different electoral co-op for Democrats compared to 2016, when President Donald Trump unexpectedly prevailed over Hillary Clinton, winning in the Electoral College. Democrats controlled neither the House nor Senate in 2017. But a lack of support for Trump in Congress and his inexperience at governance undercut sizable portions of his legislative agenda.
DEMOCRATS' VICE CHAIR IGNITES CIVIL WAR, TARGETING 'ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL' INCUMBENTS IN PRIMARIES
President Donald Trump and DNC vice chair David Hogg (AP/IMAGN)
Fast-forward to 2025.
President Trump is back in the White House – this time after winning the popular vote and Electoral College, scoring a decisive knockout over former Vice President Kamala Harris. Republicans clung to power in the House and flipped the Senate. And the political real estate Democrats now occupy is a very foreign locale. They're out of power in Washington. But President Trump returned to power resoundingly and emboldened. And this time, congressional Republicans – MAGA Republicans – stand foursquare behind Mr. Trump.
So it's natural there's Democratic infighting about what went wrong, who deserves blame and, more importantly, what direction the party should take next.
Here's the schism:
Younger, more progressive Democrats are trying to weed out senior lawmakers and power brokers who have been in office for years.
Let's start with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y. She's the best known of younger, energetic, left-leaning Democrats. She's also the most-experienced figure in the Democrats' youth movement. Ocasio-Cortez arrived on the scene, upsetting former Rep. Joe Crowley, D-N.Y., in a 2018 primary.
"We got them on their back foot. We've got them scared," said Ocasio-Cortez recently about MAGA-aligned Republicans.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in Los Angeles on April 12, 2025. (Sam Ghazi/Middle East Images/Middle East Images via AFP)
They're brash.
"Let's go kick some a--! Let's go win our young people back," thundered 25-year-old Democratic National Committee (DNC) Vice Chairman David Hogg.
And they're blunt about Democratic errors and missteps.
"What if we didn't suck?" asked 26-year-old Kat Abughazaleh, the Democratic Illinois congressional candidate and TikTok influencer.
SEN. VAN HOLLEN POURS COLD WATER ON ‘MARGARITA-GATE' PHOTO-OP AFTER EL SALVADOR TRIP: 'NOBODY DRANK ANY'
Younger Democrats are trying to banish party veterans.
"We' have to have a whole rebrand of the Democratic Party," said Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif. "New leaders. Not the old guard."
Rep. Ro Khanna during a roundtable on Supreme Court ethics in Washington on June 11, 2024. (Allison Bailey/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)
Hogg is now spending $20 million to coax younger Democrats to primary longtime congressional incumbents.
"What we're trying to do here is not just focus on primaries where there's potentially an older incumbent. But more than anything, an ineffective person in that position. And replace with a generational leader," said Hogg on MSNBC.
Abughazaleh is primarying 80-year-old Rep. Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., who is progressive. But she first came to Congress in 1998. She's been a member of the House of Representatives longer than Abughazaleh has been alive.
"You have to look to the exceptions for real leadership, as the majority work from an outdated playbook. We need a makeover," said Abughazaleh.
But devouring your own is risky.
"Beating the other side is more important to many voters [rather] than who exactly is representing your own team," said University of Mary Washington political scientist Stephen Farnsworth.
David Hogg speaks during the state Democratic Party Convention in El Paso, Texas, on June 7, 2024. (Gaby Velasquez/El Paso Times/USA Today Network)
But Farnsworth concedes that unrest brews on the Democratic side of the aisle.
"What we're talking about here is a pretty powerful, generational clash within the Democratic Party over how to aggressively challenge President Trump," said Farnsworth. "The Democratic Party has to figure out where the sweet spot is. You have to be energized enough to motivate those voters who might stay at home."
Some top political handicappers like Nate Silver now believe that Ocasio-Cortez could be the odds-on favorite to emerge as the Democrats' 2028 presidential nominee.
Now 35 years old, the New York Democrat is old enough to become president. Ocasio-Cortez has kept busy during the congressional recess by barnstorming the country with Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., the 83-year-old former Democratic presidential candidate.
"We're here together because of an extreme concentration of power, greed and corruption which is taking over this country like never before," Ocasio-Cortez declared during a whistlestop in Missoula, Montana.
DEMOCRATIC PARTY'S FAVORABLE RATINGS DROP TO HISTORIC LOWS
So Democrats are searching for a toe-hold against the president. Younger voters favored Democrats for years. But a Fox News voter analysis found a staggering 11-point spike in voters under age 30 favoring Trump in 2024 compared with 2020.
"In the 2024 election, Democrats lost a lot of voters who had voted for Biden four years ago. Some of them went to Trump," said Farnsworth. "It seems to me that a more aggressive messaging strategy is certainly one way of connecting with voters who didn't feel as warmly toward the Democrats in 2024 as they did in 2020."
Republicans found themselves at a loss in late 2012. They were perhaps overconfident that they were going to blow out President Obama. Republicans retreated to backrooms in Washington to conduct an "autopsy" about reaching out to minorities and retrenching the party. The party didn't rely on the findings of that postmortem much. Republicans held the House and finally flipped the Senate after they tried to get control dating back to 2006.
Former President Barack Obama pauses as he speaks during the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Aug. 20, 2024. (Reuters/Alyssa Pointer)
FIRST ON FOX: REPUBLICAN PARTY SHOWCASES MASSIVE HAUL
Republicans also won the House in 2010 after Obama's big 2008 victory. In 2009, many Republicans felt it was best if the GOP took a couple of cycles to retrench their bench and agenda during the echoes of the presidency of George W. Bush. But Republicans found themselves in control of the House following the 2010 midterms. The party was more than happy to be back in power in the House. They viewed their victory as a repudiation of Obama and the policies of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. But, nonetheless, this was a strange piece of political landholdings to acquire for the GOP in 2010. In politics, you sometimes "inherit" property.
We don't know what the political real estate market will look like in 2026. But Democrats now occupy a remote, unfamiliar province. Democrats are trying to map and navigate this alien territory.
But the key with any piece of real estate is how you use it. Do you build on it? Do you rent it out? Do you grow crops?
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Democrats are trying to determine if drifting further to the left helps them use this particular land tract. Does cultivating youth boost them at the polls? Democrats are surveying their turf. Taking measurements. Understanding the topography and geology.
We'll know in November 2026 if Democrats successfully converted their property into something useful. Or if it's a total wreck and undesirable.
Chad Pergram currently serves as a senior congressional correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.
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The GOP-led House Judiciary Committee is pressing Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis‘s staff for documents after she has spent months stonewalling a congressional investigation into the “politically motivated” prosecutions of President Donald Trump.
In a series of letters sent last week, the panel reportedly asked several of the Democratic district attorney's senior staffers to provide testimony and hand over records related to her office's alleged coordination with the since-defunct House select Jan. 6 committee.
The allegations revolve around a memo Willis wrote to the Jan. 6 committee's then-chairman, Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), in which she requested access to transcripts, emails, and travel records. Members of her administration then allegedly traveled to Capitol Hill for a meeting with committee staff, in which they reviewed nonpublic material.
One letter addressed to assistant prosecutor Donald Wakeford notes that the House Judiciary Committee has been asking him since Feb. 6 to appear before Congress for a transcribed interview, according to a copy of the correspondence obtained by Law and Crime.
“It has been 70 days since the Committee first requested your voluntary cooperation with our oversight,” the letter reads. “Upon your request, the Committee granted you an extension for the purpose of obtaining counsel to represent you in this matter. You have had sufficient time to obtain counsel, and, in fact, you currently have counsel representing you before the Committee. There is no reason for further delay.”
Wakeford previously requested a 30-day extension to obtain personal counsel and seek legal advice. As of March 31, he had retained an attorney, former Fulton County prosecutor Charlie Bailey, a Democrat who unsuccessfully ran for Georgia lieutenant governor in 2022. Wakeford, however, has still not complied with the committee's requests.
Similar letters were sent Thursday afternoon to deputy district attorney Will Wooten, assistant chief investigator Michael Hill, and assistant chief investigator Trina Swanson-Lucas, according to FOX 5 Atlanta.
Following the first slew of inquiries in February, the staffers wrote back with guidance issued by their boss, Willis, which the latest letters reference.
FANI WILLIS ORDERED TO TURN OVER MESSAGES WITH JACK SMITH AND JAN. 6 COMMITTEE
According to Thursday's letters, the congressional committee received an email stating that Willis told the staff members that they were “not authorized to release any potentially responsive items to any outside party whatsoever” because all relevant records are the “exclusive property” of her office.
In response, the committee members insisted they have the authority to seek such information.
“As we explained in our February 6 letter to you, the FCDAO's politically motivated prosecution of a President implicates substantial federal interests, and its coordination with the partisan January 6 Select Committee raises additional questions relevant to the Committee's oversight into political prosecutions to inform potential legislative reforms,” the committee told Wakeford on Thursday.
The lawmakers also warned of escalating actions if they are met with more resistance.
“For example,” the committee members wrote, “the Committee may consider legislative proposals, such as amending the federal officer removal statute — codified at 28 U.S.C. § 1442 — to broaden the criteria under which state cases against federal officials can be moved to federal court, or requiring state prosecutors to disclose any coordination with congressional committees or federal entities when pursuing cases against current or former federal officials.”
The staffers were told to comply by the new May 1 deadline.
Willis is at the center of several House Judiciary Committee inquiries, including one investigating her office's use of federal funding from the Department of Justice. A whistleblower, whom Willis fired, alleged she misused DOJ grant money meant to finance the creation of a Center of Youth Empowerment and Gang Prevention and spent the taxpayer funds on unrelated, frivolous expenses.
For nearly two years, Willis has repeatedly refused to cooperate with the congressional investigations, even under threat of being held in contempt of Congress.
Willis and the committee's chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), have been engaged in a war of words over her noncompliance.
FANI WILLIS CONDEMNS ‘ILLEGITIMATE' INVESTIGATIONS INTO HER LED BY ‘CLOWN' JIM JORDAN: ‘DISGUSTING‘
At the state level, Willis is also fighting a subpoena from a special Georgia Senate committee that was formed to look into prosecutorial misconduct allegations against her.
“This has been going on now for many months,” Republican state Sen. Bill Cowsert, who chairs the committee, said during a Senate hearing. “We issued our subpoena back in September of '24. We're now six months later, and we haven't gotten her to comply, even though the judge has ordered it. And, you know, we are fed up with that.”
GOP state Sen. Greg Dolezal accused Willis of “thumb[ing] her nose at this committee.”
Willis will continue to challenge the subpoena, an attorney representing Willis said in a statement shared with FOX 5 Atlanta. However, she has agreed to produce “certain already publicly produced documents” and “will do so at an appropriate time,” the attorney added.
The level of spending cuts is a major point of contention as Republicans begin writing legislation to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and add new tax cuts proposed by President Donald Trump.
Republicans aim to pass the major tax and spending bill through budget reconciliation, a legislative process that allows bills to bypass the filibuster and pass with only a simple majority in the Senate.
Republicans approved a budget resolution earlier this month that includes instructions for reconciliation, the first major step in the projects.
Yet the reconciliation instructions do not commit Republicans to major spending cuts to go along with the tax cuts. The tax cuts amount to roughly $6 trillion over the next decade. In the meantime, the federal government is already on track to run huge deficits over the coming years.
Here's what to know about the spending cut goals in reconciliation.
Republicans hold only a slim majority in the House. Some members favor major spending cuts to lower deficits and the federal debt. To get them on board with the legislation, the budget resolution the House adopted includes floors for various committees to find hundreds of billions of dollars in spending cuts.
The reconciliation instructions for the House include decent-sized spending cut floors. The cuts would come from individual committees that are tasked with writing legislation to spell out reductions in spending through specific programs:
That all adds up to $1.5 trillion, a number that has gotten a lot of play in the media after House Speaker Mike Johnson was able to get the votes to pass the budget resolution.
It is critical to note that $1.5 trillion in spending cuts would only partially offset the tax cuts sought by Republicans, not to mention any additional new spending programs that might be included in the final legislation, such as for border security.
The reconciliation instructions give the tax-writing House Ways and Means Committee up to $4.5 trillion for a net tax cut.
The Bipartisan Policy Center found that if the committees are able to meet the goal of finding $1.5 trillion in spending reductions, the tax cuts and other spending priorities would still add nearly $3.3 trillion to the deficit.
But, in the technical sense, there is no officially identified topline in the resolution identified as $1.5 trillion, according to Michael Thorning, director of BPC's Structural Democracy Project.
“The way reconciliation is structured is that this is really supposed to be a committee-driven process,” Thorning told the Washington Examiner.
The reconciliation instructions give the Senate much more wiggle room.
They include floors of just $4 billion — billion, not trillion — in total spending cuts across four committees, compared the $1.5 trillion in the House.
While there are deficit hawks in the Senate, there are also several Republican senators who might oppose significant spending reductions, such as reforms to Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income and disabled people.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said that it's his conference's “ambition” to find $1.5 trillion in spending cuts. But he has acknowledged the challenges the Senate will face and has noted that some in his conference might see $1.5 trillion in cuts as too much.
“We got folks on both sides of that issue. We'll have to sort it out,” Thune said, according to the Hill.
The sorts of spending reforms contemplated by fiscal hawks in the House would likely generate pushback from centrist Republicans.
In the House, the Agriculture Committee is tasked with finding $230 billion in spending cuts. Such savings would likely come from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, which is administered through the Agriculture Department. Many Republicans would blanch at cuts to food stamps, although a majority might vote for measures to tighten work requirements.
Similarly, the reconciliation instructions call for $880 billion in deficit reduction from the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicaid. While many conservative Republicans favor sweeping reforms to the program, centrists, such as Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have indicated opposition to overhauling Medicaid.
And last week, a dozen House Republicans sent a letter to Johnson vowing not to vote for legislation that includes big cuts to the program, although they acknowledged the need for “targeted reforms.”
“We cannot and will not support a final reconciliation bill that includes any reduction in Medicaid coverage for vulnerable populations,” the lawmakers said.
Republicans do have options to reduce Medicaid spending in ways that they could argue do not reduce benefits for core, vulnerable recipients. For instance, one option is to boost work requirements. According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, imposing federal work requirements for Medicaid would save the government approximately $140 billion over 10 years. Republicans have suggested the requirements would apply only to able-bodied adults without children.
But the numbers show that getting sufficient spending reductions to offset tax cuts will be very difficult.
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) lobbied for steeper spending cuts. But Roy said he “reluctantly voted” for the budget blueprint after Trump and congressional leadership promised “a minimum of $1 trillion in real reductions in mandatory spending” in reconciliation, according to the New York Times.
Brendan Duke, senior director for federal fiscal policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a left-of-center think tank, pointed out that the floors are in place to comply with the budget resolution, but they could always change.
“Those committee instructions in the House were not written into the Constitution by James Madison, right?” Duke told the Washington Examiner. “Those were the political price of getting the ball rolling on reconciliation. Individual members of Congress deeply wanted those spending cuts.”And while the House has the technical ability to change that target, if they did so they could lose the votes of deficit hawks like Roy who would be upset if that level of cuts does not ultimately end up in the final fiscal overhaul legislation.
“The roadblock is not procedural on the House, it's political,” Duke said.
Roy has said that Johnson had “made a specific commitment to guarantee the House framework tying tax cuts to spending cuts.”
HERE ARE THE MAJOR DILEMMAS FACING THE GOP AS IT WRITES TAX OVERHAUL
And while procedurally the levels of spending cuts can be changed, some Republicans in the House might balk and accuse GOP leadership of backtracking on assurances of the spending cuts.
“So I think you've got some deficit hawks, for instance, who the price of their support is that $1.5 trillion number,” Thorning said. “Well at that point, the procedural part doesn't really matter. You've got a political problem.”
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Democrats' efforts to land on a winning message against President Donald Trump have led the party to consider how fully to embrace a new, politically complex cause: pressuring the administration to follow a Supreme Court order to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
The party has uniformly spoken in support of Abrego Garcia's right to due process after he was mistakenly deported to El Salvador last month. But some have expressed concern in recent days over how it has conveyed the nuances of their argument that a violation of one person's due process rights – regardless of their personal backstory or legal status – threatens everyone in the US. And as Democrats look to take back power in Washington, starting with next year's midterm elections, how that message is received by voters matters.
Democrats who've urged a different approach say they worry that the party isn't doing enough to broaden the due process argument beyond Abrego Garcia's case. Others have argued it's a “distraction” from more politically salient messages on the economy that shifts the conversation to immigration, where Trump holds an advantage with voters.
In an aggressive push to keep the issue alive and raise pressure on the administration, Democratic lawmakers – including Maryland Sen. Chris Van Hollen and a quartet of House progressives – recently traveled to El Salvador to visit Abrego Garcia, who has been held in Salvadoran prisons since his deportation last month, and pushed for his release. They join others who have rejected the counter argument from members of their own party, who say the due process argument comes with political risks.
“We as Democrats should fight for due process not because it polls well, not because it's been focus grouped, but because fighting for due process is the right thing to do,” Rep. Ritchie Torres, a New York Democrat, said in an interview.
Under legislation Torres introduced last month, the US government would be required to punish foreign countries if they don't return migrants who a court has ruled were improperly deported.
On Monday, Democratic Reps. Maxwell Frost of Florida, Robert Garcia of California, Yassamin Ansari of Arizona and Maxine Dexter of Oregon arrived in El Salvador to, as they put it, “bring attention to President Trump's illegal defiance of the binding and unanimous Supreme Court decision.”
At a press conference there, Frost said he was in El Salvador because he'd received “hundreds and hundreds of calls” and emails from his constituents.
“I represent a lot of immigrants. I represent a lot of people who see themselves represented in this situation,” Frost said later in an interview with Fox News on Monday. “They're saying, ‘Congressman, do what you can now because it's him today, and it can be one of us tomorrow.'”
Republicans have been quick to frame Democrats' defense of Abrego Garcia, a 29-year-old Salvadoran national and Maryland resident who entered the country illegally over a decade ago, as a sign the Democrats are more committed to protecting migrants than American citizens.
In a bid to shift public opinion around Abrego Garcia, the administration has pointed to a 2021 protective order his wife filed accusing him of domestic violence that was later dropped, a 2022 traffic stop that an officer described as a suspected “human trafficking incident,” as well as allegations from a law enforcement informant that he is a member of the gang MS-13.
Abrego Garcia's wife and lawyer maintain he does not have ties to MS-13. The Maryland man has no criminal record in the United States, according to court documents.
Last month, Abrego Garcia was deported to El Salvador's notorious CECOT prison, despite a 2019 order preventing him from being sent to the country due to a risk of persecution. The administration called his deportation an “administrative error” and has openly defied the Supreme Court's order to facilitate his return.
During a recent White House press briefing, press secretary Karoline Leavitt was joined by Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin, a Maryland woman who was raped and murdered by a fugitive from El Salvador in a 2023 case unrelated to Abrego Garcia. They have also sought to use social media, zeroing in on images of Van Hollen meeting with Abrego Garcia at the senator's hotel, where the lawmaker said wait staff placed salt-rimmed glasses on the table to make it appear the pair were drinking margaritas.
After the four progressive lawmakers announced they'd arrived in El Salvador, House Republicans' campaign arm labeled the Maryland man Democrats' new “poster child.” The NRCC also offered to pay for Democrats' round-trip airfare to El Salvador if they livestream their trips.
“House Democrats have proven they care more about illegal immigrant gang bangers than American families,” National Republican Campaign Committee spokesperson Mike Marinella said in a statement. “Their agenda is clear: Elevate criminals. Abandon Americans.”
Matt Bennett, the co-founder of Third Way, a center-left think tank, said the Abrego Garcia case was a “tough and complicated cause” for Democrats to take up, but “[Trump] thumbing his nose at the court is a pretty safe place for Democrats to land politically.”
“I know that the Republicans – the Trump administration and the NRCC and others – believe that this is a winner for them, and I'm not sure they're right,” Bennett said. “I think that Americans are uneasy with a president that is acting in ways that are so clearly unlawful.”
On the other end of the Democratic spectrum, Adam Green, the co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, said Trump had personalized one of the party's key 2024 issues: defending democracy.
“If the downside of talking about democracy in 2024 is that it wasn't a kitchen table issue, Trump has created an issue that literally whisks parents away from a kitchen table to a gulag in a foreign country with no due process,” Green said.
But one Democratic strategist who works with candidates in districts Trump won expressed concern that the nuances of the constitutional rights argument would get lost. The strategist, who asked for anonymity to speak candidly, said Democrats should stand up for due process when asked about it, but that the volume of attention focused on the current case makes it seem as if it's the party's top issue.
“The impulse among lots of Democrats is to always crank the volume up to 11 and take advantage of whatever the easiest, most obvious photo opportunity is,” the strategist said. “In this case, you get a situation where you're giving the White House and the Republicans a lot of images and visuals that they think are compelling for them.”
Democratic strategist Mo Elleithee, meanwhile, argued that Democrats should be careful not to turn Abrego Garcia into a martyr, or keep the focus of their due process argument squarely on him. Instead, he said, the party needs to focus its argument on a White House that has “run amok” in a way that threatens all Americans, including US citizens who have been unfairly detained by immigration officials.
“The Democrats who are going down there ought to be saying … ‘If a judge says he's a bad guy, then let's deport him,'” Elleithee said. “‘And if he's a good guy, then we will escort him back to his family who's waiting for him.'”
Some Democrats have argued that the administration is using the Maryland man's case to distract from the impact his tariff agenda has had on the global economy.
“They're doing it because they want to distract people from the fact that our economy is in a tailspin thanks to them, their tariffs,” Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Sunday on CNN's “State of the Union.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a California Democrat and potential 2028 presidential candidate, agreed with members of his party calling on the administration to follow the Supreme Court's orders. But he also called the push to return the Maryland man a “distraction” and a “tough case” for Democrats, because some voters might view the party as defending MS-13 or “someone who's out of sight, out of mind in El Salvador.”
“They don't want this debate on the tariffs, they don't want to be accountable to the markets today,” Newsom said during a press conference on tariffs last week. “They want to have this conversation. Don't get distracted by distractions.”
Asked about Newsom's remarks, Van Hollen reiterated that the case isn't about one person, but the threat the case poses to everyone else's constitutional rights.
“I think a lot of voters, both Republican and Democrat, are tired of elected officials and politicians who just put their finger to the wind,” Van Hollen separately told CNN's Dana Bash on Sunday. “Anyone who's not prepared to stand up and fight for the Constitution doesn't deserve to lead.”
Democrats' push on the Abrego Garcia case could also mark a subtle shift in how the party has approached the issue of immigration. Last year, President Joe Biden backed a bipartisan immigration deal that would have funded immigration courts and border security, as well as created more avenues for legal immigration, that ultimately failed.
In the first weeks of the second Trump presidency, several dozen Democrats in the House and Senate helped pass the Laken Riley Act, which requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain migrants charged with burglary, shoplifting, assaulting a law enforcement officer or a violent crime. Critics of the law argue that its mandatory detention provisions erode due process rights for some migrants. At least one Democratic lawmaker, Connecticut Rep. Jahana Hayes, has said she regrets backing the bill.
Matt Barreto, a Democratic strategist and pollster who worked on Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign, said Democrats' response to the Abrego Garcia case shows that the party is finding its footing on how to address immigration and Trump, with Van Hollen leading the way. Still, he said, Democrats could do more to defend immigrants.
“I think on immigration, in particular, Democrats can push back harder to demonstrate that these are not criminals,” Barreto said. “These are people with families, these are taxpayers, and Trump is lying about the criminality aspect of this as an excuse to just abduct people who are here in the United States.”
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Sign up for CNN's Life, But Greener newsletter. Our limited newsletter series guides you on how to minimize your personal role in the climate crisis — and reduce your eco-anxiety.
At most places Melissa Valliant goes when dining out, she carries in her backpack a set of reusable flatware — prepared to refuse the disposable utensils she says are part of the plastic pollution crisis that's inextricably linked with the climate crisis.
Plastic is made from chemicals derived from fossil fuels, the burning of which drive the climate crisis by producing planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions such as carbon dioxide and methane. Disposable flatware, in particular, is typically produced from a rigid plastic called polystyrene, which is made from a byproduct of petroleum.
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“Plastic is contributing to climate change at every stage of its life cycle,” said Valliant, communications director at Beyond Plastics, a nationwide project that works to end plastic pollution and is based at Bennington College in Vermont.
“Plastic production, specifically, is warming the planet four times faster than air travel,” Valliant said. “In addition to its climate impact, it's also contributing to air and water pollution during the drilling and fracking process and toxic emissions that come out of the plastic production plant.”
Additionally, the life cycle of plastics contributes to environmental injustice, as plastics tend to be both manufactured and disposed of in lower-income communities and communities of color, Valliant said. The resulting pollutants have led to a higher rate of cancer in those areas.
Processing crude oil also requires a significant amount of energy, Dr. Jillian Goldfarb, associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at Cornell University in New York state, said via email. “A typical refinery will use about 1.5 barrels of water for each barrel of oil it processes,” Goldfarb, a fellow of the American Chemical Society, said.
Some reports estimate that potentially between 36 billion and 40 billion plastic utensils are used every year just in the United States, which is more than 100 million per day, Valliant said.
You might think recycling plastic flatware may offset the harms of using it. But as of 2018, only 9% of all the plastic the world has ever produced — around 9 billion metric tons or nearly 10 billion US tons — had been recycled, according to a report by the United Nations Environment Programme.
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This means most of the rest ends up in landfills, and the intentional durability of plastics means “the fork you (ate) lunch with today could be taking up space in a landfill for the next 500 years,” Goldfarb said.
“In landfills, plastic utensils are weakened by mechanical forces like the friction of moving and being compressed among literally tons of trash, as well as biological and chemical means, like the bacteria present in landfills and corrosive chemicals,” Goldfarb said. “While this does little to degrade the utensils in a meaningful time frame, it does lead to the release of more microplastics, which can travel with leachate and can eventually contaminate groundwater supplies.”
What isn't recycled or thrown away is burned or littered, experts said. Burning plastic utensils releases carbon dioxide into the environment, Goldfarb said, and an incinerator that isn't at peak performance can release particulate matter and carbon monoxide.
However, emissions of these pollutants from burning are typically low when compared with those from landfills, according to reports by the US Environmental Protection Agency. The agency monitors air emissions and has standards for pollutants, Goldfarb said.
The production process for plastics has a significantly worse impact on the environment than individuals' use of them does, which is “just another reason why waste management solutions for single-use plastic and plastic in general are not going to significantly curb this crisis,” Valliant said. “We actually need to stop pollution at the source, which means cutting back on the production and use of plastic from the get-go.”
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To limit your use of plastic flatware, you could switch to compostable, bamboo or metal options, all of which generally require or produce significantly less energy, water, waste or emissions, Goldfarb said. Producing a pound of bamboo forks, for example, expends 0.46 kilowatts per hour, whereas making a pound of plastic forks expends 11 kilowatts per hour, according to Goldfarb. (Manufacturing metal utensils, however, does require more water than plastic utensils.)
But you don't have to buy a reusable set from a trendy environmental store — you can just use what you already have, Valliant said. And if a plastic fork weighs about 5 grams, our landfills would be spared roughly 200,000 tons of single-use plastic utensils, “a weight equivalent to 889 Statues of Liberty,” Valliant added.
To put into perspective the savings on electricity use, Goldfarb said, switching from plastic forks to metal “could save enough energy to charge your iPhone once a day for five years.”
“In the sea of plastic waste we create each year, one person switching to reusable silverware is unlikely to alter the global environmental impacts of plastic utensils on a climate-mitigation scale,” Goldfarb said. “Yet this person's action — if shared and discussed with others — can form the basis for a community of change.
“Across the country, states and municipalities are banning single-use plastics (including utensils) in growing numbers,” Goldfarb added. “These collective actions could have very meaningful impacts.”
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Additionally, by reducing your share of plastic waste and its impact on pollution and the climate crisis, you would also be lowering the odds of microplastics residing in your body, experts said — a phenomenon increasingly detected by recent research. Studies have found microplastics in human blood, lungs, placentas, brains and testicles.
“This is really concerning, because a lot of these chemicals are associated with cancer, hormone disruption, diabetes, fertility issues — the more we learn, the scarier it gets,” Valliant said. “We should be reducing our exposure to it, which is why it's so important for policymakers to force companies to do so.”
Editor's note: One Small Thing is a new series to help you take a simple step toward a healthy, impactful goal. Try this one thing, and you'll be heading in the right direction.
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Wall Street Journal reporter Annie Linskey, who broke the news of former President Biden's decline, joins 'America's Newsroom' to discuss the pushback she received and the impact of his administration dodging questions on Biden's mental acuity
You almost have to feel sorry for Joe Biden. One minute he's president of the United States, the most powerful person on earth, and the next minute his own party is begging him to disappear. Michael LaRosa, Jill Biden's former communications director, is quoted in a Hill piece saying, "the intense level of anger or indifference to [the Bidens]… isn't going away anytime soon."
Biden is so out of favor he can't even circulate an Easter message without attracting ridicule. Biden's Easter greeting featured a family snapshot that trended on X for hours, with most viewers deciding the president had been photoshopped in, so unartfully was he positioned and so peculiarly dressed. The picture raises several questions including: where was the president if not among family members? Where was Hunter, conspicuous by his absence?
We don't know the answers to these questions, because Biden has been keeping a low profile of late. His rare public appearances have not gone well. Several days ago, he spoke before a conference on Social Security in Chicago, his first address since leaving office in January. He used the opportunity to scare seniors into believing that the Trump administration's efforts to reduce waste and fraud in Social Security (estimated by the Social Security Inspector General to total $72 billion from 2015 through 2022) might mean their checks will be delayed or interrupted. He claimed the Trump White House wants to "wreck" the program so they can "rob it," using the money to reward billionaires with tax cuts.
BIDEN RETURNS TO PODIUM FOR FIRST TIME TO SLAM TRUMP'S SOCIAL SECURITY PLANS: 'WRECK IT SO THEY COULD ROB IT'
None of that is true, of course, but the public is used to the former president misrepresenting his successor's programs (and his own.) The reality is that President Donald Trump is attempting to preserve Social Security, which is slowly going bankrupt; ignoring reality and doing zero to fix our entitlements programs was only one of many Biden lapses.
Former President Joe Biden gestures during a speech at the Advocates, Counselors, and Representatives for the Disabled conference in Chicago on April 15, 2025.
That wasn't the only falsehood uttered by the former president. He also said, "They want to make permanent the 2017 tax cuts, which overwhelmingly benefits the wealthiest Americans and the biggest corporations."
This statement is completely false, and Biden must know it. A new study has been released, based on IRS data, showing the actual impact of Trump's Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). This is important, since Congress is hard at work on a new reconciliation bill that will extend those tax changes, and perhaps add further sweeteners, like no taxes on tips, for working-class Americans.
The study, authored by Justin Haskins for the Heartland Institute, concluded that "every income bracket received a tax cut because of the TCJA, but the taxpayers who received the biggest cuts, in terms of percentage saved, went to those who earned less than $75,000." The study shows that the average filer, making between $40,000 and $50,000, paid almost 19% less in taxes in 2022 than they did in 2017.
Wealthy filers did not fare as well. People making between $5 million and $10 million paid 2.3% less over the same period. As Haskins notes, "So much for the "billionaire tax cut" narrative."
NEW STUDY ABOUT IRS REVEALS JUST HOW MUCH TRUMP TAX CUTS SAVED YOU
The savings have been significant for middle-class families. Americans earning between $50,000 and $75,000 saved more than $4,500 on average between 2018 and 2022 because of the 2017 tax revisions; those earning between $75,000 and $100,000 saved $5,923.
Overall, the 2017 TCJA made our tax system more – not less- progressive, something Republicans have argued for some time. In other words, the wealthy's share of the total tax burden increased because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, contrary to Democrats' arguments. For the left, tax cuts are instantly suspect, since they hamper their ambitions to grow the federal government.
In his Chicago address, Biden had the temerity to warn that the GOP will fund lower taxes by "running up the national debt," an ironic caution from Biden, who added more to the debt than any president in history. At least Trump won't be borrowing money to fund lease payments on empty office buildings or DEI programs at government agencies.
In his Chicago speech, Biden also reminisced that he learned about segregation from seeing "colored kids" go by on a bus when he was in fourth grade, another embarrassment.
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Biden's only other recent public outing was to visit Harvard, for a closed-door session with students. Reports indicated the 82-year-old confused Iraq with Ukraine and then spilled his ice cream. Fortunately, a former aide, Mike Donilon, was there to clean up.
Outings like these have Democrats hoping that Biden will stay out of the public eye -- and who can blame them? Every time Biden speaks, voters are reminded of the Big Lie – the coverup of the former president's declining mental acuity. The Biden presidency was one of the worst frauds perpetrated on the American public in our history. It is still unclear who actually ran the government over the past four years.
The entire Democratic Party (and their allies in the liberal media) has been tarnished by their participation in that pretense, which may be one reason their approval ratings are so dismal. A new Gallup poll finds confidence in Democratic Congressional leadership at an all-time low of 25%; that compares with 39% confidence in GOP leadership. A CNN poll from last month shows Democrats' overall approval rating also hitting record lows.
Unfortunately, Biden wants to earn some money, and raking in $300,000 per speech is one way to do that. Though there evidently have not been many takers, Biden will likely continue to show up. That will add to Democrats' angst and may push them to undertake less subtle encouragements.
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The DNC posted an Easter greeting on X that included photos of four former presidents and their families but omitted Biden. That stings.
Will it convince Biden to exit the public arena? Doubtful. After all, he's so out of touch with reality that he still thinks he could have beaten Donald Trump.
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Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams has the latest on Karen Read's statements to the media ahead of her retrial on 'America Reports.'
Karen Read's retrial in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O'Keefe, kicks off Tuesday with opening statements, months after jurors deadlocked on the case and prosecutors had to start over. But experts expect a tough fight for the former financial analyst.
Read, 45, is charged with murder, manslaughter and fleeing the scene for allegedly striking O'Keefe with her Lexus SUV during a snowstorm on Jan. 29, 2022. He was found on fellow officer Brian Albert's front lawn hours later with signs of hypothermia and traumatic injuries to his head.
Read has pleaded not guilty, denied killing O'Keefe and alleged she is being framed, attempting to sow reasonable doubt in prosecutors' claims and asserting that someone else killed O'Keefe and had ties to and influence over the investigation.
Albert hosted an after-party that evening, inviting a group of friends and acquaintances to drop by after the local bars closed at midnight. Attendees testified that O'Keefe never came inside.
UNFAZED KAREN READ STARES DOWN LINGERING QUESTIONS ABOUT 'DOG BITES,' TEXTS WITH RETRIAL READY FOR KICKOFF
Karen Read's booking photo (Massachusetts State Police)
Special prosecutor Hank Brennan and lead defense attorney Alan Jackson are slated to begin opening statements Tuesday. Experts say observers should expect fireworks.
For the retrial, Judge Beverly Cannone has placed limits on how the defense can raise its theory that an alternate perpetrator is responsible for O'Keefe's death.
"Like a high-wire specialist, Alan is going to dance the line," said Linda Kenney Baden, a high-profile defense attorney who has been following the case. "Sometimes when you do that, you fall off or, in this case, Brennan is going to try to push him off objecting."
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John O'Keefe (Courtesy of Karen Read)
She said limiting what the defense can say in their opening about a potential third-party culprit is a severe hurdle for Read's team.
"Judge Cannone is going to cut the defense off at its kneecaps," she said. She noted that David Yannetti, another one of Read's lawyers, opened the first trial by claiming she had been framed.
KAREN READ AND JOHN O'KEEFE: INSIDE EVOLUTION OF BOSTON MURDER MYSTERY SINCE JULY MISTRIAL
"She did not cause his death, and that means that somebody else did," Yannetti told the court in April 2024.
He pointed to the controversial lead investigator, Massachusetts State Trooper Michael Proctor, who was fired last month as a result of an internal investigation into his conduct.
Karen Read is shown with her attorneys, David Yannetti, left, and Alan Jackson during jury selection at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., on April 15, 2025. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald via AP/Pool)
Now that Proctor is no longer a member of law enforcement, the prosecution actually may have an easier time overcoming his sultry text messages in the eyes of the jury, according to Neama Rahmani, a former federal prosecutor.
KAREN READ PROSECUTOR WANTS TO BLOCK DEFENSE FROM BLAMING AFTER-PARTY GUESTS, PET DOG IN OPENING STATEMENT
"Now that Proctor's been fired, the prosecution can own these bad facts and get ahead of them," he said Monday. "By ‘fronting' the unprofessional and embarrassing evidence impeaching Proctor for the jury, and showing Proctor has been terminated for his misconduct, the commonwealth will have a better chance of securing a conviction this time."
Retrials tend to go better for prosecutors, who know what to expect from witnesses for the defense, said Andrew Stoltmann, a Chicago-based attorney and adjunct professor at Northwestern University's School of Law.
Special Assistant District Attorney Hank Brennan introduces himself during jury selection in the murder trial of Karen Read at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., on April 15, 2025. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald via AP/Pool)
"I think she faces a major uphill climb," he told Fox News Digital. "They have many witnesses locked into their story. As for a prediction, I say the prosecutors are going to win this case as they are going to be loaded for bear with respect to her expert witnesses."
Defense experts were key to Read's strategy in the first trial, when they testified that O'Keefe's injuries were inconsistent with being struck by an SUV.
Another attendee of the after-party was Brian Higgins, an ATF agent. Higgins and Read exchanged romantic text messages, and he testified that she once kissed him outside O'Keefe's house.
ATF Agent Brian Higgins speaks during the Karen Read murder trial at Norfolk Superior Court in Dedham, Mass., on May 28, 2024. (Stuart Cahill/Boston Herald via AP/Pool)
Speaking outside the courthouse last week, Read left open the possibility of taking the stand in her own defense, something she opted not to do last year. Since then, she's given multiple media interviews, appearing on TV and in print to share her side of the story.
Brennan, a specially appointed assistant district attorney brought in to spearhead the second trial, asked the court to appoint a third-party reader to read text messages between the defendant and the victim to the jury in court. Her defense opposed the move in writing Friday, arguing that an appointed reader could potentially drum up unfair prejudice with an over-dramatic inflection.
During the first trial, Massachusetts State Trooper Nick Guarino read the texts. The defense argued that was standard procedure.
Read the defense opposition to ‘independent readers':
In the months since her first trial ended in a mistrial, the former lead investigator saw himself fired by the Massachusetts State Police over his handling of the investigation, which included sharing confidential materials in text messages that included lewd and unprofessional remarks about Read.
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He joked that he'd searched her confiscated phone for nude photos, called her a "c---" and said he wished she'd kill herself.
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Judge Beverly J. Cannone addresses potential jurors as jury selection continues for the murder retrial of Karen Read in Norfolk Superior Court, April 14, 2025, in Dedham, Mass. (Pat Greenhouse/Boston Globe via AP/Pool)
The defense also raised evidence-collection and chain-of-custody concerns surrounding Read's vehicle, fragments of the taillight authorities said they recovered at the scene and other key items.
Close to the time of his death, she allegedly left him a voicemail saying, "I hate you." The two had also argued the morning before his death, but they went out drinking that night.
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A key part of the retrial is expected to include expert testimony about injuries found on O'Keefe's right arm, which the defense argues were caused by a dog and is potential evidence that he wasn't killed by a vehicular strike but rather in a fight.
The defense will call Garrett Wing, a dog trainer, and the prosecution will have testimony from Dr. James Crosby.
The trial is expected to last six to eight weeks after taking more than two weeks to seat a jury.
Read could face a maximum of life in prison if convicted.
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President Donald Trump endorsed Rep. Andy Biggs's (R-AZ) campaign to be Arizona's next governor, marking an unusual move to back not one but two GOP candidates in the race.
Republican Karrin Taylor Robson first garnered Trump's support for her gubernatorial ambitions in December 2024, before Biggs made his entry into the race in late January. On Monday, the president weighed in on the state of the race ahead of the 2026 Republican primary, saying that because he was faced with “two fantastic candidates,” he would extend his endorsement to both of them.
“I like Karrin Taylor Robson of Arizona a lot, and when she asked me to Endorse her, with nobody else running, I Endorsed her, and was happy to do so,” the president said in a post to Truth Social.
“When Andy Biggs decided to run for Governor, quite unexpectedly, I had a problem — Two fantastic candidates, two terrific people, two wonderful champions, and it is therefore my Great Honor TO GIVE MY COMPLETE AND TOTAL ENDORSEMENT TO BOTH,” he continued. “Either one will never let you down. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
The president's split endorsement comes as both Biggs, a member of the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus, and Taylor Robson have competed to showcase their Trumplike appeal to voters.
Biggs has faithfully backed Trump's controversial global tariffs and pulled to the president's side during a high-stakes government spending fight earlier this year.
When she announced her gubernatorial bid, Taylor Robson promised her run for governor would “support President @realDonaldTrump, lock down the border, and create jobs for Arizona.”
The two are looking to oust Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ), who won her 2022 election by a narrow margin, with under 1% of the vote.
Both GOP primary candidates claimed Trump's latest announcement as a win for their respective campaigns in statements Monday evening.
“Thank you, @realDonaldTrump! It's been an honor to support you and fight for your agenda since 2016,” Biggs said.
Taylor Robson said Trump “reaffirmed what he told me in December when he urged me to run on stage: That he supports me & has fully endorsed my Arizona First campaign.”
BIGGS ANNOUNCES RUN FOR ARIZONA GOVERNOR
This isn't the first time Trump has handed out a dual endorsement.
Last year, the president backed two candidates in the Republican primary for Arizona's 8th Congressional District. Former Senate candidate Blake Masters and former attorney general candidate Abe Hamadeh received Trump's support, with the promise that both candidates would “be spectacular.”
The fluorescent red of Flamin' Hot Cheetos, the brilliant teal of Mountain Dew Baja Blast and the colorful rainbow of Skittles may soon be dimmed.
The Food and Drug Administration is phasing out the use of petroleum-based synthetic dyes by the end of next year, the agency announced on Tuesday.
"For the last 50 years, American children have increasingly been living in a toxic soup of synthetic chemicals," FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said at a press conference.
Food and beverage companies use additives like red dye 40 to give cereal, chips, sports drinks and other products bright hues that attract shoppers. But backlash against artificial colorants has been brewing in the U.S. for more than a decade.
The changes will affect a slew of food giants, including PepsiCo, General Mills, Mars and WK Kellogg. The industry has argued that the claims about the dangers of artificial dyes lack evidence that would support any bans.
As of Tuesday, the FDA and the food industry don't have a formal agreement to remove artificial dyes but instead "an understanding," according to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. It is unclear what enforcement actions the agency would take if food and beverage companies do not comply.
"There are a number of tools at our disposal," Makary said. "I believe in love, let's start in a friendly way and see if we can do this without any statutory or regulatory changes, but we are exploring every tool in the toolbox to make sure this gets done very quickly. And they want to do it — so why go down a complicated road with Congress?"
The FDA is taking several actions, including setting a "national standard" and timeline for the food industry to transition from petroleum-based food dyes to natural alternatives, according to Makary. The agency is also initiating a process to revoke authorization of synthetic food colorings, including those not in production, within the coming weeks.
He added that the FDA is also eliminating the remaining six synthetic dyes on the market from the U.S. food supply by the end of the year, specifically red dye 40, yellow dye 5, yellow dye 6, blue dye 1, blue dye 2 and green dye 2. It is also requesting food companies to phase out red dye 3 by the end of next year, which is sooner than the 2027 to 2028 deadline previously announced, according to Makary.
"For companies that are currently using petroleum based red dye, try watermelon juice or beet juice. For companies currently combining petroleum-based yellow chemical and red dyes together, try carrot juice," he said.
Makary added that the agency plans to authorize four additional color additives using natural ingredients in the coming weeks, while also expediting the review and approval of other natural ingredient colors.
Makary cited a Lancet study that concluded that artificial colors in the diet "result in increased hyperactivity."
"The F in FDA stands for food," he said. "Now, there's no one ingredient that accounts for the child chronic disease epidemic. And let's be honest, taking petroleum-based food dyes out of the food supply is not a silver bullet that will instantly make America's children healthy, but it is one important step."
Last month, Kennedy told top food executives that removing artificial dyes from the food system is an urgent priority of the Trump administration. Meeting attendees included the CEOs of PepsiCo North America, Kraft Heinz, General Mills, Tyson Foods, WK Kellogg, J.M. Smucker and the Consumer Brands Association, the industry's top trade group.
Kennedy has used Kellogg's Froot Loops as his primary example when railing against artificial colorants.
While it is unclear exactly how removing dyes could affect the companies' businesses, it will be a major effort to overhaul recipes — and the new looks could affect how consumers perceive the products.
Makary said phasing out petroleum-based food dyes won't increase food prices, pointing to other countries that have made similar moves. However, synthetic dyes are generally more cost-effective than natural alternatives, which often require larger quantities to achieve vibrant colors and can carry higher production costs, according to some reports and one natural ingredient manufacturer.
Previously, pushback from consumer advocates led some of the companies to tweak their formulas and drop artificial dyes without any government intervention. In 2015, Kraft Heinz changed the recipe of its trademark mac and cheese to use the same natural colors found in the European version of the product.
But the changes don't always stick. In 2017, General Mills reversed course, putting its artificially colored Trix cereal back on shelves. The naturally dyed cereal, which used turmeric, radishes and purple carrots, was not as vibrant, and customers rejected the new version.
Kennedy is at the helm of a $1.7 trillion agency that oversees food and tobacco products, vaccines and other medicines, scientific research, public health infrastructure and government-funded health care. After just two months on the job, he has drastically changed the nation's federal health agencies.
In March, he announced plans to slash 10,000 full-time employees across different departments and consolidate divisions. He has cut back crucial parts of HHS, including offices that handle HIV prevention efforts and work to eliminate health-care disparities. The Food and Drug Administration is also suspending a quality control program for testing fluid milk and other dairy products due to reduced capacity in its food safety and nutrition division, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
Kennedy's so-called Make America Healthy Again platform argues a corrupt alliance of drug and food companies and the federal health agencies that regulate them are making Americans less healthy. He has pledged to end the chronic disease epidemic in children and adults, and has been vocal about making nutritious food, rather than drugs, central to that goal.
In January, before President Donald Trump or Kennedy took office, the Food and Drug Administration revoked its authorization of one type of red food dye called Red No. 3. The dye is known to cause cancer in laboratory animals, but food manufacturers were allowed to use it for years because scientists didn't believe it raised the risk of cancer in humans at the level it is typically consumed.
At least one company is benefitting from the ban on artificial dyes: McCormick, which helps companies tweak their flavors and formulas.
"Now, reformulation activity has always been a part of the work that we do with our customer base, and we've been doing that for quite some time, but we are seeing a tick up in reformulation activity," McCormick CEO Brendan Foley told analysts on the company's earnings call in late March, adding that companies are seeking help cutting both artificial colors and sodium from their products.
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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told investors in a closed-door meeting Tuesday he expects "there will be a de-escalation" in President Donald Trump's trade war with China in the "very near future," a person in the room told CNBC.
"No one thinks the current status quo is sustainable" with tariff rates at their current levels, Bessent said at a private investor summit in Washington, D.C., hosted by JPMorgan Chase.
Stocks, already recovering from the prior day's sell-off, soared higher after Bessent's remarks were first reported.
Bessent said he believes that the prospect of de-escalation between the economic superpowers "should give the world, the markets, a sigh of relief," according to the person in the room who was granted anonymity in order to describe a private event.
"We have an embargo now, on both sides, right?" he said.
Bessent also insisted that, despite the U.S. ratcheting up tariffs on Chinese imports to 145% and China retaliating with 125% duties on American goods, the goal of Trump's policy "isn't to decouple."
The U.S. Cabinet secretary noted that negotiating with China is likely to be "a slog."
But neither side "thinks the status quo is sustainable," Bessent added.
Later Tuesday, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed Bessent's positive outlook toward talks with China, though neither official suggested that those negotiations have actually begun.
Leavitt said in a press briefing that Trump wants people to know that "we're doing very well in respect to a potential trade deal with China."
Trump is "setting the stage for a deal with China," she said, "and the ball is moving in the right direction."
Asked if Trump has spoken directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Leavitt said she had nothing to share.
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The broad public and investors have something in common these days: They don't have a lot of love for either Tesla or CEO Elon Musk.
Tesla's stock has undergone a withering sell-off, and the CNBC All-America Economic survey finds more than 47% of the public have a negative view of the company. Another 27% are positive on the electric vehicle maker, while 24% are neutral. That compares with a third of the public who have a positive view of General Motors with 51% neutral and 10% negative.
Tesla has been under pressure with concern that its founder's controversial political activities in cutting government employment and backing President Donald Trump and Republicans could be alienating prospective buyers. Protests have sprung up across the nation at Tesla offices.
The survey found Musk to be a highly polarizing figure. Half of the public has a negative view of Musk, compared with 36% who see him positively and 16% who are neutral. Among Democrats, Musk's net approval (positive minus negative) is -82 and -49 for independents. GOP respondents are +56.
The biggest problem for Tesla may be that many groups who are potential customers are far more positive about electric vehicles than they are about the company.
"Where Tesla is strongest is among the people least likely to buy an EV," said Micah Roberts, partner at Public Opinion Strategies, the Republican pollster for the survey.
Overall, 35% of Americans are negative on EVs and 33% are positive. Men, however, are +11 in net approval of EVs but evenly divided on Tesla. Young people aged 18-34 are +19 on EV's but -23 on Tesla. The gap is most stark among Democrats, who are +20 on EV's but -74 on Tesla.
Further complicating the issue: Republicans are strongly positive on Tesla, but net negative on EV's.
The survey of 1,000 people nationwide was conducted April 9 through April 13 and has a margin of error of +/-3.1%.
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This was CNBC's live blog covering European markets.
European markets climbed into the green on Tuesday, shaking off earlier losses as European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde told CNBC the disinflation process in the euro area was "nearing completion."
The pan-European Stoxx 600 index ended the session up 0.25%, with major regional bourses notching gains. The construction sector closed around 0.7% lower, as household goods rose 1.7%.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 closed 0.64% higher in its seventh straight positive session — cementing its best run since April 2023.
Global sentiment was buoyed on hopes of an eventual breakthrough in the trade standoff between the U.S. and China, sending U.S. stocks sharply higher.
Traders are keeping an eye on news and comment out of the IMF-World Bank Spring meetings in Washington this week, where the threat and fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs regime is likely to dominate discussions.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde told CNBC's Sara Eisen that there was "scope for negotiations" between Europe and the U.S. during Trump's 90-day pause on his full tariff policy, set to otherwise leave the European Union with a blanket rate of 25%.
— CNBC's Alex Harring contributed to this market summary
European stock markets closed higher on Tuesday, with the regional Stoxx 600 index gaining 0.25%.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 added 0.64% while France's CAC 40 and Germany's DAX rose 0.56% and 0.41%, respectively.
— Jenni Reid
The European Union's investment bank plans to more than double its defense funding for the bloc in 2025, the group's head Nadia Calviño told CNBC's Carolin Roth on the sidelines of the IMF Spring Meetings.
"It's clear that we need to reinforce and step-up our support to Europe's security and defense capabilities," the European Investment Bank president said.
"Last year in 2024 we started to get ready and expand our mandate, and this year we have expanded it further so that we will ingrain security and defense as one of our core objectives in all our projects."
Calviño added: "We will certainly increase our financing in this area. We doubled our investments last year, we are expecting to more than double in 2025 again and make a difference in terms of the security and strategic autonomy of Europe in these troubling times."
Many European nations this year held bilateral talks at which they pledged to increase their defense spending, partly in response to fears over the future of U.S. support under Trump for Ukraine and institutions such as NATO.
— Jenni Reid
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde told CNBC that the disinflation process in the euro zone was "so much on track that we are nearing completion."
"I think that we're heading towards our target in the course of 2025," Lagarde said in an interview. The ECB targets inflation at 2%, and the March reading was 2.2%.
U.S. tariffs dampen economic growth and will likely be a "negative shock to demand," she said.
"The net impact on inflation will depend on what countermeasures are eventually taken by Europe. Then we have to take into account the fiscal push by the defense investments, by the [German] infrastructure fund ... and the impact of [European] structural reforms."
"We need to continue checking the data," she added, saying the central bank would be "data dependent to the extreme."
Lagarde said the ECB was not factoring a euro area recession into its forecast because the bloc had already begun an economic recovery and had a large internal trading network that it was planning to strengthen, while also expanding its relationships with other partners.
— Jenni Reid
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde told CNBC during an interview at the IMF Spring Meetings that Europe and the U.S. had scope to negotiate on tariffs.
However, Lagarde said she disagreed with Trump's past comments that the EU treats the U.S. unfairly on trade, noting that trade between the two "vast" economies was complex and spanned services and foreign direct investment as well as goods. The U.S. has a trade deficit with Europe in goods, with Trump taking particular umbrage at the gap in automotive exports, but the relationship is nearly balanced when accounting for services too.
"There might be sectors where serious negotiations need to be had ... it's not just on one side, it's on both sides," Lagarde said.
Lagarde also said that the shock from Trump's tariffs, along with renewed momentum for defense spending in Germany and beyond, had spurred a move toward long-discussed structural reform in Europe.
"Europe is now saying, 'OK, now it's time, and it's Europe's hour to actually do the things that have to be done.' So it [tariffs] obviously has an impact, some of it positive, some of it negative. I think on the growth front, we've always said that it would be lose-lose," she said.
— Jenni Reid
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said she hopes the prospect of U.S. President Donald Trump firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell is not on the table.
Asked by CNBC's Sara Eisen on the sidelines of the IMF World Bank Spring Meetings, Lagarde said she would not comment on the potential market implications of an event she hoped was not a risk.
It comes as Trump has been ramping up pressure on Powell to reduce interest rates, warning the U.S. economy could slow down otherwise.
Read the full story here.
— Jenni Reid
The International Monetary Fund downgraded its growth forecasts for both the U.S. and the U.K., citing the impact of Trump's tariffs.
The IMF is projecting U.S. growth of 1.8% in 2025, down 0.9 percentage points from its January forecast.
For the U.K., it sees annual growth of 1.1%, down by 0.5 percentage points.
— Jenni Reid
U.S. stocks rose on Tuesday morning, recovering some of their Monday losses.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 400 points, or 1%. The S&P 500 also rose 1%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite added 1.1%.
— Lisa Kailai Han
Shares of wind energy developer Orsted were trading 7.8% lower after U.S. authorities halted construction of a competitor's offshore wind project.
The Trump administration last week ordered to halt construction activity on Equinor's Empire Wind offshore wind project off New York after the company had secured permits and approvals. Analysts suggest that investors are expecting other projects to be at risk of facing similar action.
Denmark's Orsted is currently building the 704 megawatt Revolution Wind and 924 megawatt Sunrise Wind projects in the United States and could be exposed to U.S. President Donald Trump's actions against the renewable energy industry.
"This immediately changes the rules of the game, as already approved projects are being halted, and it could potentially be very costly for Ørsted," Jacob Pedersen, head of equity research at Sydbank, said in a note to clients, according to an automated translation.
Such action, Pedersen said, is a "nightmare for the offshore wind industry in the US if already approved projects can be derailed and stopped."
— Ganesh Rao
Geopolitics could drive gold prices above a record $4,000 per ounce in the next 12 months, according to JPMorgan's commodity research team.
Gold is up 30% so far this year to $3,424.24, according to FactSet data. The jump builds on a 27% increase in 2024 and a 13% rise in 2023.
"Tariff-driven recession and stagflation risks are forecasted to continue to supercharge gold's structural bull run," said Gregory Shearer, JPMorgan's head of base and precious metals research.
The Wall Street bank said demand for the yellow metal from global central banks and investors, enabled by ETFs, is likely to be at "elevated levels" due to concerns over the global economy.
Shearer's team said that gold was the "most optimal hedge" for investors concerned about a "unique combination of stagflation, recession, debasement and US policy risks" this year and next.
— Ganesh Rao
London's FTSE 100 bucked the regional trend on Tuesday, trading 0.4% higher by 11:00 a.m. U.K. time. It put the index on course for its seventh consecutive day of gains and its biggest winning streak in two years.
The FTSE AIM All-Share index, home to companies listed on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market, gained around 0.5%.
The biggest gainers in London included pest control firm Rentokil, British grocery giant Sainsbury's and sportswear retailer JD Sports.
— Chloe Taylor
Stockholm-listed shares of Swedish biotech firm Biotage jumped 56.1% by 10:25 a.m. in London, after private equity giant KKR made a $1.2 billion bid to take over the company.
In a statement on Tuesday, KKR said it had made a cash offer to Biotage shareholders of 145 Swedish krona ($15.24) per share. The offer values the company at around 11.6 billion krona, or $1.2 billion.
Biotage's Board of Directors has recommended that shareholders accept the offer.
KKR is currently Biotage's biggest shareholder, holding 17% of outstanding shares through Gamma Biosciences, which it owns and operates. Other shareholders include Vanguard, BlackRock and Norges Bank Investment Management, which controls Norway's $1.8 trillion sovereign wealth fund.
— Chloe Taylor
Healthcare stocks were among the biggest losers on the Stoxx 600 on Tuesday, with the regional Stoxx Healthcare index down 1.5% by 9 a.m. London time.
Novo Nordisk and Zealand Pharma, both down by around 8.4%, tumbled to the bottom of the Stoxx 600 index after U.S. rival Eli Lilly posted positive results from a late-stage trial of its oral weight loss drug orforglipron.
— Chloe Taylor
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche on Tuesday said that it would invest $50 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, amid concerns about the impact of possible new White House tariffs on pharma goods from abroad.
The investment will create more than 12,000 jobs, Roche said — 1,000 with the company, and the remainder to support new U.S. manufacturing capabilities.
Shares of Roche were 1.2% lower at 8:43 a.m. in London.
Read the full story here.
The euro was around 0.2% higher against the dollar by 7:08 a.m. in London, trading at $1.154.
Meanwhile, the British pound gained almost 0.3% against the greenback to trade at $1.341, and the Swiss franc was 0.1% higher.
The U.S. dollar has been on a largely downward trajectory since U.S. President Donald Trump's so-called liberation day tariffs sparked widespread market volatility earlier this month, even after the levies were paused for 90 days for most countries.
— Chloe Taylor
The dollar has been sliding and the ripple effect on other currencies has brought a mix of relief and headache to central banks around the world.
Uncertainty about U.S. policymaking has led to a flight out of the U.S. dollar and Treasurys in recent weeks, with the dollar index weakening more than 9% so far this year. Market watchers see further declines.
According to Bank of America's most recent Global Fund Manager Survey, a net 61% of participants anticipate a decline in the dollar's value over the next 12 months — the most pessimistic outlook of major investors in almost 20 years.
Read the full story here.
— Lee Ying Shan
European markets are expected to open from the long Easter weekend on a positive note, expected to open higher across the board.
The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 60 points higher at 8,254, Germany's DAX up 253 points at 21,064, France's CAC 81 points higher at 7,241 and Italy's FTSE MIB 441 points higher at 34,967, according to data from IG.
There are no major earnings or data releases from Europe Tuesday but traders will be keeping an eye on news and comment out of the IMF-World Bank Spring meetings in Washington this week, where the threat and fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs regime is likely to dominate discussions.
— Holly Ellyatt
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Apple Inc.'s new Siri engineering chief is overhauling the management team leading development of the beleaguered voice assistant, taking a step he assured employees would set the company up for success.
Mike Rockwell, head of engineering for the assistant, is replacing much of Siri's leadership with lieutenants from his Vision Pro software group, according to people with knowledge of the matter. He's also restructuring teams related to speech, understanding, performance and user experience, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the changes are private.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde on Tuesday said she hoped that U.S. President Donald Trump firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell was not a scenario that was on the table.
Asked by CNBC's Sara Eisen whether Trump finding a way to remove the central bank chief was a material risk to markets, Lagarde said: "I certainly hope not ... I hope that it is not a risk."
Trump appointed Powell during his first presidential mandate, but is now looking into whether the Fed chief can legally be sacked before his term expires.
Speaking on the sidelines of the IMF World Bank Spring Meetings, Lagarde told CNBC that she would not comment on the market implications of an event she hoped was "not on the table."
Trump has been ramping up pressure on Powell to reduce interest rates, warning the U.S. economy could slow down otherwise.
Powell in turn last week suggested that Trump's trade war could weigh on growth and fuel inflation. He did not indicate his expectations for the interest rate path ahead, but noted that "for the time being, we are well positioned to wait for greater clarity before considering any adjustments to our policy stance."
Lagarde told CNBC on Tuesday: "We're both used to political pressure in one way or the other."
"I have immense respect for the work that he does, and for his loyalty to his job and to being as diligent, disciplined as possible to deliver on his mandate. For him, I think, I'm sure as it is for me, the mandate is our compass. We have to deliver on our mandate."
The ECB and the Fed have been diverging on monetary policy.
The euro area's central bank has consistently cut rates as inflation closes in on its 2% target and economic growth in the bloc appears lackluster. The Fed has meanwhile been keeping rates steady this year, after enacting three consecutive reductions between September and December last year.
The ECB last week cut interest rates by a further 25 basis points, making its third reduction of 2025 and its seventh trim since it began easing monetary policy last summer. In its monetary policy statement, the central bank warned of a weakened growth outlook linked to the global trade uncertainty stoked by Trump's tariff policy.
Trump has cited ECB rate cuts during his recent attacks on Powell. On Monday, he posted on his Truth Social platform that the central bank had already cut rates seven times, and again branded Powell "Mr. Too Late."
Lagarde also discussed the impact of Trump's market-rattling tariff policy, saying that the tariff rate currently faced by the euro zone was higher than the blanket 10% now imposed on U.S. trading partners since it included 25% duties on steel, aluminum and autos. The EU could be slapped with universal 25% tariffs without a deal.
"I am sure that there is scope for negotiations. It's in the nature of policymakers to want to sit down and and argue their case and point out their imperatives, their red lines, their vulnerabilities, and I'm sure that there can be a dialog," Lagarde said.
"I would be surprised if there was not such a thing," she added.
The EU has currently paused its first tranche of counter-tariffs, a response to the rates on metals, while it engages in talks.
Lagarde said she disagreed with Trump's view that the EU treats the U.S. unfairly on trade because of its goods surplus, noting that the relationship also spanned services and foreign direct investment.
"There is so much joint interest" between the U.S. and Europe, she said. "There might be sectors where serious negotiations need to be had, but it's as always with trade ... it's not just in on one side, it's on both sides."
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The Washington Post on Tuesday inked a deal with OpenAI allowing the Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence startup to display, summarize and quote the newspaper's content within ChatGPT.
When users ask the viral chatbot questions, ChatGPT will "display summaries, quotes, and links" to the Post's reporting, "always with clear attribution and direct links to full articles so people can explore topics in greater depth and context," according to a release from the two companies.
The Washington Post, which is owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, has leaned into AI in the past year, launching generative AI tools like "Ask The Post AI" and "Climate Answers," as well as AI-powered summaries and audio, per a release.
The deal is the latest in a string of media partnerships OpenAI has formed with more than 20 news publishers, which include more than 160 outlets, according to the release.
In October, OpenAI began its partnership with Hearst, the media conglomerate behind outlets like the Houston Chronicle, the San Francisco Chronicle, Esquire, Cosmopolitan, Elle and others. Under the partnership, products like ChatGPT and SearchGPT can use content from more than 20 magazine brands and more than 40 newspapers.
OpenAI announced a similar partnership in August with Condé Nast, which owns media brands such as Vogue, The New Yorker, GQ, Vanity Fair and Wired.
OpenAI and Time announced a "multi-year content deal" in June that allowed OpenAI to access current and archived articles from more than 100 years of the magazine's history. OpenAI can use Time's content "to enhance its products," according to the magazine, or, likely, to train its AI models.
Last May, OpenAI announced a partnership with News Corp. allowing OpenAI to access current and archived articles from The Wall Street Journal, MarketWatch, Barron's, the New York Post and other publications. Reddit also announced a deal with OpenAI that same month to allow the ChatGPT maker to train its AI models on the social media company's content.
Other news publications and media outlets have aggressively tried to protect their businesses as AI-generated content becomes more prevalent.
The Center for Investigative Reporting, the country's oldest nonprofit newsroom, sued OpenAI and its lead backer Microsoft in federal court last June for alleged copyright infringement, following similar suits from publications including The New York Times, the Chicago Tribune and the New York Daily News.
The New York Times also filed a suit against Microsoft and OpenAI, alleging intellectual property violations related to its journalistic content appearing in ChatGPT training data. The newspaper said at the time it sought to hold Microsoft and OpenAI accountable for "billions of dollars in statutory and actual damages" related to the "unlawful copying and use of the Times's uniquely valuable works," according to a filing in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. OpenAI disagreed with the publication's characterization of events.
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The International Monetary Fund sharply lowered its forecasts for world growth this year and next, warning the outlook could deteriorate further as US President Donald Trump's tariffs spark a global trade war.
The downgrades add weight to similar warnings from several Wall Street banks in recent weeks, with JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. saying the chances of a recession in the US have spiked.
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A Tesla dealership in Valencia, Spain.
Photographer: Michael Robinson Chavez/Bloomberg
Tesla Inc. investors reeling from one of the stock's worst-ever quarters are once again looking for Elon Musk to inject excitement back into the company when it reports results Tuesday, as profits slip and the much-awaited debut of a self-driving car remains months away.
This year is off to a dismal start as Musk's political entanglements have pushed Tesla's sales to a nearly three-year low in the first three months, leading a slew of Wall Street analysts to slash their growth expectations. The automaker's souring outlook and towering valuation has spooked investors, leading to a 53% plunge in Tesla's stock price since it hit a record in December.
Every family has some drama, and Meta's has been coming to light through the release of court documents in recent days.
In particular, a sibling-like rivalry between Instagram and Facebook was brewing for years — and vexed Mark Zuckerberg.
Meta is in the middle of an antitrust trial brought by the FTC, which aims to break up the social media giant. Facebook's $1 billion 2012 acquisition of Instagram plays a large role in the FTC's case. The FTC argues that the acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp violated US competition law.
Internal emails and other documents from 2018 to 2022 reveal how Instagram and Facebook struggled to coexist.
In emails, Zuckerberg expressed concerns that the photo-sharing app had begun to "cannibalize" the Facebook app.
From Zuckerberg's POV, Facebook was driving Instagram's growth at the cost of engagement and its own relevance, and it was time for Instagram to return the favor.
That said, he also emphasized that he wanted Instagram to "keep growing, even understanding it will naturally cannibalize FB somewhat."
It was clearly a tricky situation for Zuckerberg to navigate.
"Out-of-context and years-old documents about acquisitions that were reviewed by the FTC more than a decade ago will not obscure the realities of the competition we face or overcome the FTC's weak case," a Meta spokesperson told Business Insider.
Several documents from 2018 show a recurring topic of concern: Instagram overshadowing Facebook.
"The Facebook app has historically driven most of Instagram's growth through bookmarks and other links, and has born a higher ad load tax," Zuckerberg said in a letter to board members in 2018. "This has contributed to a headwind for Facebook in that it sends some of its engagement to Instagram."
In May 2018, Zuckerberg wrote to several Facebook executives in an email that "one of the major mistakes I regret is not reducing the massive inorganic distribution to Instagram sooner."
"If we had stopped aggressively promoting Instagram at 500 million people, for example it would have had sufficient scale to build and compete on Stories and we would not have the same concern about network fragmentation that we have today," he said.
In the same email, Zuckerberg posed the question: Is Instagram "just a better product" than Facebook? Zuck didn't think so.
"All of our metrics suggests that Instagram is a good but overall less effective product, and is likely only growing so quickly because we promoted it heavily," Zuckerberg said.
Facebook, meanwhile, needed to maintain relevance among its users as Instagram grew.
"When you get an Amazon Echo and start using it after you already use Amazon for commerce, you feel like Amazon is getting more relevant in your life," Zuckerberg said in the May 2018 email to executives. "However, when you get Instagram and start using that in addition to Facebook you feel like Facebook as a company is getting less relevant in your life."
Zuckerberg saw two options for improving Facebook's relevance at the time: double down on Facebook's branding when users opened Instagram and WhatsApp, or change the corporate brand entirely.
It did both.
In 2019, it introduced an "Instagram from Facebook" tagline. Then, in 2021, Facebook changed its corporate name to Meta Platforms.
Fast forward to 2022, and Facebook's relevance in users' lives was still a struggle.
"Right now IG is doing well on cultural relevance and FB isn't, so I'm more focused on figuring out a reasonable path for FB longer term," Zuckerberg said in an email to head of Facebook Tom Alison.
Throughout 2018, Zuckerberg discussed several options that could help preserve Facebook's cultural relevance and growth amid Instagram's "cannibalization."
Here are a few that were discussed in the court documents:
The court documents also shed light on the mounting tension between Zuckerberg and Instagram's cofounders, Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger, in the months before their ultimate departure from Facebook.
Zuckerberg's May 2018 email to executives reveals concerns around retaining Systrom and Kreiger at Facebook.
"Within our current discussion framework where we have to tread very carefully when discussing any possible downsides of promoting Instagram, I'm not sure how we'll even articulate the decisions I'm suggesting here to Kevin," Zuckerberg said.
Later in the email, Zuckerberg describes Systrom as "an excellent product leader who has built something massively successful" and a "good team player."
"But by the very fact of him pushing so hard for what he believes is right and our desire to retain him, we compromise more than we would for almost any other leader, and over time those compromises compound to creating a large imbalance in the value flows between the apps," Zuckerberg said.
A few months later, Mosseri and Zuckerberg also discussed Systrom.
"I caught up with Kevin briefly last night but it's hard for me to get a read on what's going on as the relationship is strained," Mosseri said in a June 2018 email to Zuckerberg about shifting Instagram's priorities. In August, Mosseri told Zuckerberg that Systrom and Krieger "seem to be struggling with all of this."
That September, both Systrom and Krieger stepped down from Instagram, with Mosseri taking over as head of Instagram.
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The U.S. remains Europe's most important ally, Poland's finance minister told CNBC Tuesday, saying it was crucial for the bloc to find areas where it can increase trade and cooperation.
He highlighted defense and the purchasing of more U.S. military equipment as an area where further engagement could take place.
"The U.S. is the strongest and most important ally of the European Union and Poland, this is why we buy a lot of military equipment here in the U.S., and why we value so much the presence of U.S. troops in Poland," Andrzej Domański told CNBC on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings in Washington.
"I believe it's clear for everyone that it's time to strengthen our eastern flank of NATO [in Europe] and the U.S.' presence is absolutely crucial," he added.
Defense is one domain where the EU could meet the dual needs of rebalancing trade with the U.S. and of increasing spending in line with the current NATO requirements.
Both matters are perennial bugbears for President Trump when it comes to European allies, with whom relations have been strained following his early-April announcement of trade tariffs of 20% on EU imports.
A global market meltdown has since prompted the U.S. president to announce a 90-day pause on "reciprocal" tariffs above 10% — barring those imposed on China — although the moratorium ends in early July.
In the interim, multiple countries, along with the EU as a whole, are trying to negotiate bilateral trade deals with the Trump administration.
"We need to have a deal, that's crystal clear," Domański told CNBC's Carolin Roth in Washington. "The U.S. and European Union are very strong trading partners and the U.S. is our most important ally and that's a fact, and this is why we need to find a good solution."
He added, "We need to use these 80 days remaining very, very wisely and this is why the [European] Commission is working to find a good solution."
Domański said there were a number of areas where trade could increase, pointing to the EU potentially buying more U.S. military equipment and American natural gas.
Poland has escaped much of Trump's wrath over European defense spending, given that Warsaw is looking to invest close to 5% of its GDP on security this year and has repeatedly called on allies to up their own contributions in the arena.
NATO estimates suggest that Poland spent 4.12% of its GDP on defense in 2024, while the U.S. made an expenditure of 3.38% of its economic output over the period.
"We are asking our European friends to do the same, to increase their defense spending," Domański told CNBC. "It's not easy, we know budgets are tight and some countries face fiscal challenges, but some action is really, really needed."
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Tariffs are posing major headwinds for the U.S. and global economies, leading the International Monetary Fund to slash its 2025 growth forecast.
President Donald Trump's April 2 rollout of "reciprocal" tariffs has not only shaken stocks – the S&P 500 is down 9% since the levies were launched – but they also have set off countermeasures from other trading partners.
"This on its own is a major negative shock to growth," the IMF said in the executive summary of its April 2025 World Economic Outlook.
This new outlook includes a "reference forecast" for global economic growth and inflation, based on data available as of April 4 — including the reciprocal tariffs but excluding subsequent developments like the 90-day pause on higher rates and the exemption on smartphones — and updates the earlier outlook the IMF shared in January.
In its new projections, the IMF now calls for a U.S. growth outlook of 1.8% in 2025, down 0.9 percentage point from its January forecast.
In addition to trade policy pressures, the IMF's chief economist, Pierre-Olivier Gourinchas, added that the weakening consumer confidence and consumption indicators also factored in its downward revision.
While it is not yet calling for a recession in the U.S., Gourinchas told reporters Tuesday that the IMF now views recession odds at 40%, up from 25% in October 2024.
The IMF also cut back its global growth forecast to 2.8% in 2025, down 0.5 percentage point from its previous estimate.
"The April 2 Rose Garden announcement forced us to jettison our projections — nearly finalized at that point — and compress a production cycle that usually takes more than two months into less than 10 days," Gourinchas wrote in the April report.
"The common denominator ... is that tariffs are a negative supply shock for the economy imposing them," he said.
The IMF also revised its expectations for headline inflation for advanced economies, which include the U.S., the United Kingdom and Canada, to 2.5% for 2025, reflecting an increase of 0.4 percentage point from January's projection.
The U.S. inflation outlook was also revised higher to 3%, up 1 percentage point from the initial projection in January.
"For the United States, this reflects stubborn price dynamics in the services sector as well as a recent uptick in the growth of the price of core goods (excluding food and energy) and the supply shock from recent tariffs," the IMF noted in its April report.
The increase in inflation for major economies was offset by downward revisions across certain emerging markets and developing economies.
The extent to which the levies pressure central banks' efforts to lower inflation is contingent "on whether the tariffs are perceived to be temporary or permanent," according to the IMF's report.
Previous bouts of market volatility have led to the U.S. dollar strengthening relative to other countries, creating upward inflationary pressure in other countries. However, the dollar has reversed this trend amid the recent market sell-off.
"The effect of tariffs on exchange rates is not straightforward," per Gourinchas. "In the medium term, the dollar may depreciate in real terms if tariffs translate into lower productivity in the US tradables sector, relative to its trading partners."
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Bitcoin reclaimed the $90,000 level for the first time since March as investors jumped into the crypto for a second day amid continued stock market turbulence and a falling dollar.
The price of bitcoin was last higher by more than 3% at $90,282.00, according to Coin Metrics, bringing its 2-day gain to more than 7%. Earlier, it rose as high as $91,555.18, its highest level since March 6. Bitcoin is off its April low now by about 22%.
The big up move this week coincided with yet another sell-off in U.S. equities Monday as Trump ratcheted up his pressure campaign on Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell, demanding he lower rates immediately as the Trump administration explores whether Powell can legally be fired before his term ends in May 2026.
U.S. ETFs that track the price of spot bitcoin logged $381.4 million in inflows on Monday. That was their biggest daily inflow since Jan. 30, when they posted $588.2 million, and their fourth day of inflows in the past five trading sessions.
The cryptocurrency was highly vulnerable to stocks' tariff-fueled volatility earlier this month but has been decoupling from risk assets in the past week or so. As of Tuesday, it's up more than 9% in April, surpassing gold's 8% gain in the same period. The S&P 500 and U.S. dollar index have each lost 5% month to date.
"Bitcoin continues showing signs of resilience," said Ed Engel, an analyst at Compass Point, in a note Tuesday. "Bitcoin's correlation with equities historically approaches 1.0 during macro sell-offs; however, its 30-day correlation with the S&P is just 0.65."
"While we're constructive on bitcoin's recent decoupling, recent strength comes alongside light trading volumes," he added. "This lowers our conviction that bitcoin can break above the $93,000 resistance level without a significant catalyst like Fed easing or tariff deals. That said, bitcoin's long-term holders remain steadfast and buying from Strategy is picking up as bitcoin's liquidity declines … these factors can support further resiliency amid equity and fixed income volatility."
According to chart analyst Katie Stockton of Fairlead Strategies, the $88,000 level marks key resistance for the cryptocurrency. If cleared successfully, it would be a positive near-term development for bitcoin, putting its next resistance near $95,900, Stockton said.
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There are so many AI research papers these days, it's hard to stand out. But one paper has fired up a lot of discussion across the tech industry in recent days.
"This is the most inspiring thing I've read in AI in the last two years," the startup founder Suhail Doshi wrote on X this weekend. Jack Clark, a cofounder of Anthropic, featured the paper in Monday's edition of his Import AI newsletter, which is read by thousands of industry researchers.
Written by the Google researcher David Silver and the Canadian computer scientist Richard Sutton, the paper boldly announces a new AI era.
The authors identify two previous modern AI eras. The first was epitomized by AlphaGo, a Google AI model that famously learned to play the board game Go better than humans in 2015. The second is the one we're in right now, defined by OpenAI's ChatGPT.
Silver and Sutton say we're now entering a new period called "the Era of Experience."
To me, this represents a new attempt by Google to tackle one of AI's most persistent problems — the scarcity of training data — while moving beyond a technological approach that OpenAI basically won.
Let's start with the first era, which the authors call the "Simulation Era."
In this period, roughly the mid-2010s, researchers used digital simulations to get AI models to play games repeatedly to learn how to perform like humans. We're talking millions and millions of games, such as chess, poker, Atari, and "Gran Turismo," played over and over, with rewards dangled for good results — thus teaching the machines what's good versus bad and incentivizing them to pursue better strategies.
This method of reinforcement learning, or RL, produced Google's AlphaGo. And it also helped to create another Google model called AlphaZero, which discovered new strategies for chess and Go, and changed the way that humans play these games.
The problem with this approach: Machines trained this way did well on specific problems with precisely defined rewards, but they couldn't tackle more general, open-ended problems with vague payoffs, Silver and Sutton wrote. So, probably not really full AI.
The next area was kicked off by another Google research paper published in 2017. "Attention Is All You Need" proposed that AI models should be trained on mountains of human-created data from the internet. Just by allowing machines to pay "attention" to all this information, they would learn to behave like humans and perform as well as us on a wide variety of different tasks.
This is the era we're in now, and it has produced ChatGPT and most of the other powerful generative AI models and tools that are increasingly being used to automate tasks such as graphic design, content creation, and software coding.
The key to this era has been amassing as much high-quality, human-generated data as possible, and using that in massive, compute-intensive training runs to imbue AI models with an understanding of the world.
While Google researchers kicked off this era of human data, most of those people left the company and started their own things. Many went to OpenAI and worked on technology that ultimately produced ChatGPT, which is by far the most successful generative AI product in history. Others went on to start Anthropic, another leading generative AI startup that runs Claude, a powerful chatbot and AI agent.
Many experts in the AI industry, and some investors and analysts on Wall Street, think that Google may have dropped the ball here. Although it came up with this AI approach, OpenAI and ChatGPT have run away with most of the spoils so far.
I think the jury is still out. However, you can't help but think about this situation when the authors seem to be dissing the era of human data.
"It could be argued that the shift in paradigm has thrown out the baby with the bathwater," they wrote. "While human-centric RL has enabled an unprecedented breadth of behaviours, it has also imposed a new ceiling on the agent's performance: agents cannot go beyond existing human knowledge."
Silver and Sutton are right about one aspect of this. The supply of high-quality human data has been outstripped by the insatiable demand from AI labs and Big Tech companies that need fresh content to train new models and move their abilities forward. As I wrote last year, it has become a lot harder and more expensive to make big leaps at the AI frontier.
The authors have a pretty radical solution for this, and it's at the heart of the new Era of Experience that they propose in this paper.
They suggest that models and agents should just get out there and create their own new data through interactions with the real world.
This will solve the nagging data-supply problem, they argue, while helping the field attain AGI, or artificial general intelligence, a technical holy grail where machines outperform humans in most useful activities.
"Ultimately, experiential data will eclipse the scale and quality of human-generated data," Silver and Sutton write. "This paradigm shift, accompanied by algorithmic advancements in RL, will unlock in many domains new capabilities that surpass those possessed by any human."
Any modern parent can think of this as the equivalent of telling their child to get off the couch, stop looking at their phone, and go outside and play with their friends. There are a lot of richer, more satisfying, and more valuable experiences out there to learn from.
Clark, the Anthropic cofounder, was impressed by the chutzpah of this proposal.
"Papers like this are emblematic of the confidence found in the AI industry," he wrote in his newsletter on Monday, citing "the gumption to give these agents sufficient independence and latitude that they can interact with the world and generate their own data."
The authors float some theoretical examples of how this might work in the new Era of Experience.
An AI health assistant could ground a person's health goals into a reward based on a combination of signals such as their resting heart rate, sleep duration, and activity levels. (A reward in AI is a common way to incentivize models and agents to perform better. Just like you might nag your partner to exercise more by saying they'll get stronger and look better if they go to the gym.)
An educational assistant could use exam results to provide an incentive or reward, based on a grounded reward for a user's language learning.
A science agent with a goal to reduce global warming might use a reward based on empirical observations of carbon dioxide levels, Silver and Sutton suggested.
In a way, this is a return to the previous Era of Simulation, which Google arguably led. Except this time, AI models and agents are learning from the real world and collecting their own data, rather than existing in a video game or other digital realm.
The key is that, unlike the Era of Human Data, there may be no limit to the information that can be generated and gathered for this new phase of AI development.
In our current human data period, something was lost, the authors argue: an agent's ability to self-discover its own knowledge.
"Without this grounding, an agent, no matter how sophisticated, will become an echo chamber of existing human knowledge," Silver and Sutton wrote, in a possible final dis to OpenAI.
Jump to
Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche on Tuesday said that it would invest $50 billion in the U.S. over the next five years, amid concerns about the impact of possible new White House tariffs on pharma goods from abroad.
The investment will create more than 12,000 jobs, Roche said — 1,000 with the company, and the remainder to support new U.S. manufacturing capabilities. The firm said it already employs more than 25,000 people in America.
Shares of Roche were 1.1% lower at 8:39 a.m. in London.
The pharma giant will inject cash into creating new state-of-the-art research and development (R&D) sites, while bolstering and expanding manufacturing facilities in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and California. A new R&D site in Massachusetts will be used for AI research and act as a hub for research into cardiovascular, renal and metabolism treatments.
The funding package will also be used to build a new 900,000 square foot manufacturing center in an unknown location to support Roche's "expanding portfolio of next generation weight loss medicines."
Once the new manufacturing capacity investments are complete, Roche said it would export more medicines from the U.S. than it imports.
Pharmaceutical companies have been scrambling to bolster their U.S. presence amid threats from President Donald Trump to end the industry's exemption from import tariffs.
"We're going to be announcing very shortly a major tariff on pharmaceuticals," he said earlier this month.
Roche's investment follows similar moves from major rivals. Earlier this month, Switzerland's Novartis announced plans to invest $23 billion in building and expanding 10 U.S. facilities, in a move it said would create more than 4,000 jobs.
British pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca last moth said that it would invest $2.5 billion in creating a Beijing hub. However, the company's CEO Pascal Soriot told CNBC at the time that AstraZeneca remained "very committed to the United States," where it has two "very large" research and development centers.
Roche CEO Thomas Schinecker said in a statement on Tuesday that the company's new $50 billion investment demonstrated its "long-standing commitment to research, development and manufacturing in the US."
"We are proud of our 110 year legacy in the United States which has been a key driver for jobs, innovation and the creation of intellectual property in the US, across both our Pharmaceutical and Diagnostics Divisions," he said. "Our investments of USD 50 billion over the next five years will lay the foundation for our next era of innovation and growth, benefiting patients in the US and around the world."
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China's CATL, the world's largest supplier of EV batteries, announced a set of new incoming products Monday, including a battery it claims has set a "new global record for superfast charging technology."
In a post on WeChat, the company — Contemporary Amperex Technology Company Ltd. — said that its second-generation Shenxing battery could add 520 km (323 miles) of driving range from just five minutes of charging time— only slightly longer than it takes to refuel gas cars.
This appears to put CATL's fast charging ahead of that of Chinese EV giant and Tesla rival BYD, which last month surprised the industry with a charging system it claimed could add about 400 km in range to its batteries in about 5 minutes.
Some analysts were skeptical about BYD's claims, noting potential technical hurdles and high costs. However, if proved feasible on a larger scale, the tech could help the EV industry alleviate consumer concerns about electric vehicle range and convenience.
CATL's latest claims would also place its cutting-edge charging speeds comfortably ahead of those of its Western competitors. Tesla's latest superchargers can add up to 270 kilometers of range in 15 minutes, while Mercedes-Benz Group recently said one of its batteries can recharge up to 325 kilometers within 10 minutes.
The new Shenxing product offers a range of 800 km and a peak charging power of 1.3 megawatts, CATL said. It added that the battery outperforms the industry's highest current charging level in low-temperature environments of -10°C.
On Monday, CATL also revealed new batteries within its "Naxtra" series, which it said would be "the world's first mass produced sodium-ion battery," reducing the EV industry's reliance on lithium.
The use of sodium-ion batteries can help decrease maintenance costs and are capable of performing in extreme temperatures of -40°C to +70°C, according to the company.
One of the Naxtra batteries was specifically for heavy-duty trucks, offering over eight years of service life while providing reduced lifecycle costs and higher efficiency than traditional lead-acid batteries, CATL added.
Shenzhen-listed shares of CATL were trading up about 1% on Tuesday.
The company filed for a listing in Hong Kong earlier this year. According to a report from Reuters citing sources familiar with the matter, the deal is expected to raise at least $5 billion, which could make it Hong Kong's largest IPO since early 2021.
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The dollar has been sliding and the ripple effect on other currencies has brought a mix of relief and headache to central banks around the world.
Uncertainty about U.S. policymaking has led to a flight out of the U.S. dollar and Treasurys in recent weeks, with the dollar index weakening more than 9% so far this year. Market watchers see further declines.
According to Bank of America's most recent Global Fund Manager Survey, a net 61% of participants anticipate a decline in the dollar's value over the next 12 months — the most pessimistic outlook of major investors in almost 20 years.
The exodus from U.S. assets may reflect a broader crisis of confidence, with potential spillovers such as higher imported inflation as the dollar weakens.
The drop in the greenback has led other currencies to appreciate against it, especially safe havens such as the Japanese yen, the Swiss franc as well as the euro.
Since the start of the year, the Japanese yen has strengthened over 10% against the greenback, while the Swiss franc and the euro has appreciated about 11%, according to LSEG data.
Aside from the safe havens, other currencies that have strengthened against the dollar this year include the Mexican peso, up 5.5% against the dollar, and the Canadian dollar which has appreciated over 4%. The Polish zloty has strengthened more than 9% while and Russian rouble has appreciated over 22% against the greenback.
Some emerging market currencies, however, have depreciated despite the weakness in the greenback.
The Vietnamese dong and Indonesian rupiah weakened to a record low per U.S. dollar earlier this month. The Turkish lira also hit an all-time low last week. China's yuan hit a record low against the dollar nearly two weeks back but has since strengthened.
Barring a few exceptions like the Swiss National Bank, a weakening U.S. dollar is a relief to governments and central banks around the world, analysts told CNBC.
"Most central banks would be happy to see 10%-20% declines in the U.S. dollar," said Adam Button, chief currency analyst at ForexLive. He added that the dollar strength has been a persistent problem for years and poses a difficulty for countries with hard and soft dollar pegs.
With many emerging market countries having large dollar-denominated debt, a weaker dollar lowers real debt burden. Additionally, a softer greenback and stronger local currency tend to make imports relatively cheaper, lowering inflation and hence allowing central banks the room to cut rates to boost growth.
The recent U.S. dollar sell-off offers more "breathing room" for central banks to cut rates, said Button.
While a stronger local currency might help tame inflation via cheaper imports, it complicates export competitiveness particularly under renewed U.S. tariffs where Asia is exposed as the world's largest goods producer, said Thomas Rupf, VP Bank's co-head for Singapore and Asia chief investment officer.
Currency devaluation is likely to be more of an active consideration across emerging markets, particularly in Asia, said Nick Rees, head of macro research at Monex Europe.
However, these emerging markets and Asian central banks will need to tread a fine line, to avoid capital flight and other risks.
"Emerging markets face high inflation, debt, and capital flight risks, making devaluation dangerous," said Wael Makarem, financial markets strategists lead at Exness.
Additionally, devaluation could be seen by the U.S. administration as a trade measure which could attract retaliation, he added.
Emerging market economies may be reluctant to cut rates as it can affect the debt burden of domestic households and firms that have borrowed in U.S. dollars, said Fitch Ratings' director of economics, Alex Muscatelli. A weaker domestic currency can also lead to capital outflows in response to lower interest differentials with the U.S., he added.
For example, Muscatelli does not see Indonesia's central bank cutting rates too much given the recent currency volatility, but cited that Korea and India may have space for cutting rates.
The European Central Bank took the opportunity offered by declining inflation to cut rates by another 25 basis point at its April meeting. The ECB on Thursday said that "Most measures of underlying inflation suggest that inflation will settle at around the Governing Council's 2% medium-term target on a sustained basis."
Another example is the Swiss National Bank, which has grappled with a strong franc for much of the past 15 years, observed Button. Exports of goods and services make up over 75% of Switzerland's GDP and a strong franc makes Swiss goods more expensive abroad.
"If capital continues to flow in, they may have to take drastic measures to devalue," he said. Investors flood into the franc during times of uncertainties, such as in recent weeks, strengthening the franc.
Devaluing the currency poses the risk of stoking price growth and monetary authorities will be wary of inflation staying above their targets.
The risk of higher inflation arising from currency depreciation as well as tariffs — as countries respond to U.S. levies — are likely to make central banks reluctant to pursue a path of voluntary devaluation, said Wells Fargo's international economist and FX strategist, Brendan McKenna.
On top of that, while most foreign central banks do theoretically have the bandwidth to weaken their own currency, the likelihood is still low in the current environment, the strategist added.
Whether a country can devalue its currency is influenced by several factors: the size of its FX reserves, exposure to foreign debt, its trade balance, and sensitivity to imported inflation.
"Export-oriented countries with sufficient reserves and lower reliance on foreign debt would have more room to devalue – but even those are likely to tread carefully," said McKenna.
The broader direction of trade negotiations will be key to how countries choose to act. Aside from China, several countries have displayed a willingness to engage in trade negotiations, and if these talks lead to lower tariffs, then central banks will not be as likely to pursue weaker currencies, he added.
In the current geopolitical climate, devaluation could also invite retaliation and risks of accusations of currency manipulation, said VP Bank's Rupf.
Though there is still the possibility that trade tensions could lead to more protectionist outcomes, which will drive central banks toward devaluing their currencies.
"But for now, it seems the preferred action is avoiding a currency war that would only add more instability to the local and global economy," McKenna said.
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Crypto analyst 589Bull has asserted that the “XRP is dead” narrative is a lie. The analyst went further to reveal the truth and explain why market participants should be bullish on the altcoin, despite the current price action.
Why XRP Is Not Dead Despite Current Price Action
In an X post, 589Bull stated that the idea that XRP is dead is a lie. Instead, he stated that the truth is that the altcoin is being embedded in the next financial system. The crypto analyst further remarked that Ripple is building the rails, digitizing liquidity using XRP, mapping corridors, and “bleeding retail” so that only institutions, bots, and insiders are positioned.
In line with this, he advised retail investors not to chase hype, or beg for dates, or flinch as the trick isn't timing when the switch flips for XRP. Instead, he believes the trick is surviving the lie long enough to cash out on the truth. Simply put, 589Bull is confident that the altcoin will still experience a massive surge and is therefore advising market participants to hold and not get shaken out.
589Bull also answered the question on why XRP has the most fundamentals in its history and is still down 30% from its 2025 high. He remarked that the answer is simple, as price isn't the truth. Instead, he believes that the price is the trap, possibly to shake out the weak hands before the altcoins surge to new all-time highs (ATHs). The analyst claimed that “they” are not trying to reward early holders but rather shake them out.
He further stated that while retail investors are watching red candles, they are launching futures, likely alluding to the Teucrium XRP ETF, which just launched. 589Bull added that the institutions are also listing international ISINs, onboarding banks to DLT corridors, and filing ETF applications in the background. The analyst asserted that this is a game of perception and that the louder the fear, the quieter the setup.
The Clock Is Ticking For The Altcoin
In an X post, crypto analyst CasiTrades stated that XRP's setup hasn't changed, but the clock is ticking. She explained that the altcoin remains in the same range, as there haven't been any new highs or lows.
However, the analyst noted that the altcoin has attempted a breakout alongside the Bitcoin price but stalled at the 0.618 retracement level, which is a common level for exhaustion. She added that the rejection came fast, and now the momentum is pulling XRP back to support.
Meanwhile, CasiTrades also asserted that nothing about the bigger picture has changed. She stated that the current price action reinforces her belief that XRP will need to sweep major support levels, such as $1.90 and $1.55, before it is ready to break out. The analyst added that this should not continue to drag on as momentum in crypto shifts very quickly.
At the time of writing, the XRP price is trading at around $2.07, down almost 2% in the last 24 hours, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
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Remittix
Remittix
New York, NY, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- XRP news is on everyone's radar after the token jumped 11%, rebounding from Monday's low of $1.65 to around $1.89. While a whale transfer of 200 million XRP (worth $355 million) to Binance has some watchers worried about a selloff, many analysts are still confident. Meanwhile, newer projects like Remittix (RTX) are also capturing headlines, with fans pointing to real-world payment solutions that might shine in a market driven by both hype and practical use cases.
XRP's Road to a Parabolic Run
XRP at almost $2
XRP is currently trading around $1.89 rising over 5% in the past 24 hours. Several analysts see strong reasons for a potential breakout, fueling fresh XRP news across social media. First, NYSE Arca's approval for Teucrium's 2X Long Daily XRP ETF confirms wider institutional interest in leveraged XRP trading.
Second, crypto commentator Dark Defender calls $1.88 a key support, believing XRP may bounce if whales stay net buyers. Third, the daily chart reveals two conflicting patterns: a head-and-shoulders that could sink the price to $1.30, and a triangle setup that might break bullish. Regardless of which pattern wins, XRP news remains lively because the altcoin stands at a pivotal price zone.
At the same time, not all signals are rosy. The giant whale transfer highlights lingering volatility. Market watchers also warn that if the head-and-shoulders plays out, traders might see a steep correction soon. Still, broader XRP news points to leveraged ETFs, Grayscale's positive note, and whales holding strong. Combine all that, and you have a recipe for major swings—either up or down.
Remittix Soars Toward $15M
While XRP news sparks chatter, a newcomer called Remittix (RTX) has quietly soared past $14.4 million in presale funds with over 527 million tokens sold. Priced at $0.0734, RTX aims to reshape cross-border payments by converting crypto to fiat in roughly 24 hours. Fans view it as a more agile version of Ripple's early ambitions—minus the multi-year legal headaches.
Whether you're a freelancer in Brazil or a small shop in Europe, Remittix (RTX) intends to sidestep the typical wire-transfer delays and hefty fees. If large partnerships or payroll integrations happen, some expect a strong bull run for this altcoin, possibly eclipsing the short-term upside in some well-known projects.
Such an approach highlights the growing demand for cryptos that go beyond hype. By solving everyday remittance hurdles, Remittix (RTX) could capture a slice of the multi-trillion-dollar global payments market, drawing mainstream users who want less red tape and faster settlements. As more people look for dependable coins with lasting value, Remittix's real-world utility might set it apart in a crowded field.
Conclusion: Which Token Grabs the Spotlight?
All the latest XRP news suggests a crucial crossroads: a possible bullish ETF listing, competing chart signals, and a major whale transaction fueling fresh optimism. If a true parabolic run emerges, $2 and beyond could arrive faster than skeptics expect. Meanwhile, Remittix steadily gains traction, proving that real-world utility can stand alongside even the loudest crypto hype.
As the market evolves, “payFi” solutions like Remittix (RTX) might capture a sizable user base, potentially outpacing major projects mired in legal or technological debates. Whether traders focus on the latest XRP developments or ride the rise of Remittix, 2025's crypto scene still holds surprises for both casual investors and seasoned veterans, ensuring that hype and practicality will continue shaping the digital asset landscape.
Ready to Give Remittix a Go?Website: https://remittix.io/ Socials: https://linktr.ee/remittix
New York, NY, March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ripple token is up in profits now, thanks to the resolution of its lawsuits against the SEC. Now, the project is set to realize its true...
Bitcoin bulls return as BTC price reclaims the $90,000 level, leading one analyst to predict an 80% gain “from here.”
Bitcoin (BTC) price has been in a persistent downtrend since January, but the April 22 surge past $91,000 marks its first higher high breakout of the year and the potential start of a new longer-term uptrend.
The higher high pattern occurred after BTC moved above its previous lower high and resistance at $88,500, but the real factor that will keep price afloat is buying volumes in various cohorts of the Bitcoin market.
The US spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded total net inflows of $381 million on April 21, levels not seen since Jan. 30.
Rising spot BTC inflows, along with Bitcoin's increase in price, point to a possible resurgence in institutional demand for Bitcoin, and the change in trend from the ETFs could offset the selling pressure that has put a cap on BTC price for months.
However, retail investor demand (buy volumes between $0 and 10,000) remained below 0%, which suggested that low volume buyers are not back yet. Over the past year, these investors have lagged behind BTC price breakouts, but they strengthen price momentum once the investor volume turns positive.
CryptoQuant community manager Maartunn highlighted that the present rally is leverage-driven rather than spot volume-driven. Glassnode data also pointed out that Bitcoin futures open interest (OI) increased by $2.4 billion in less than 36 hours.
For Bitcoin price to sustain a strong position above $90,000, the current discrepancy between futures traders and retail traders needs to decrease.
Related: Bitcoin-to-gold ratio risks 35% decline following Wall Street's $13T wipeout
From a longer-term perspective, DYOR crypto founder Hitesh Malviya said BTC could gain 70% to 80% if it maintains a MVRV ratio of 2 for the next six weeks.
The Market Value to Realized Value (MVRV) ratio, a key onchain metric, compares Bitcoin's market cap to its realized cap—the value of coins at their last transaction price. Historically, an MVRV above 3.7 often signals overvaluation and market tops, while values near 2 have preceded strong price rallies.
Bitcoin's MVRV score remained above 2 from October 2024 to February 2025, coinciding with its all-time high. Recently, the metric fell below 2 during the market correction, but it is now attempting to reclaim this key level.
Related: Bitcoin traders turn to $93K yearly open as BTC price hits 6-week high
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.
Highlights
Paul S. Atkins' appointment as SEC chairman signals potential regulatory clarity for crypto, which could reshape how U.S. businesses handle payments and financial operations.
Circle launched the Circle Payments Network (CPN), a blockchain-based system enabling real-time, cross-border settlements using regulated stablecoins like USDC and EURC.
Crypto firms like Circle, Coinbase and Paxos are pursuing U.S. bank charters, aiming to operate within the traditional financial system under regulatory oversight.
The changing cryptocurrency landscape in the United States could have a downstream impact on how businesses move, hold, store and monetize payments.
Paul S. Atkins was sworn into office as the 34th chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Monday (April 21) after being confirmed by the Senate earlier this month. Atkins, who has long been personally involved with digital assets, is viewed favorably by industry advocates, who are hopeful he will use his position atop the regulatory body to drive forward regulatory clarity for the digital asset landscape.
In a sign of the evolving times, Circle, the FinTech firm best known for the USDC stablecoin, unveiled Monday an initiative called the Circle Payments Network (CPN), which aims to modernize how value flows worldwide.
CPN will connect financial institutions and enable real-time settlement of cross-border payments using USDC, EURC and other regulated stablecoins, the company laid out in a white paper.
Separately, crypto companies like Paxos and Coinbase, as well as Circle, are pursuing bank charters, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, essentially seeking to become part of the very banking system that has historically kept them at arm's length.
For chief financial officers, treasurers and payment executives, these trends could affect how companies manage money in the coming years.
Read also: The Digital Asset Primer: On-Chain Tokenization for Payments Professionals
At a high level, CPN is a blockchain-powered payment network that connects financial institutions (FIs) and allows them to transact using digital stablecoins as the settlement medium. Participants might include banks, neobanks, payment service providers, FinTechs and digital wallet operators.
By joining CPN, these institutions can send and receive payments globally in real time via stablecoins like USDC (a U.S. dollar-pegged coin) or EURC (a euro-pegged coin), which are redeemable 1-to-1 for fiat currency. The stablecoins effectively act as the transmittal vehicle for value, zipping from sender to receiver faster than traditional bank wires.
One key aspect is that CPN itself doesn't move cash between bank accounts in the old-fashioned way. Instead, it coordinates the movement of stablecoins between network participants.
“Importantly, CPN does not move funds directly; rather, it serves as a marketplace of financial institutions and acts as a coordination protocol that orchestrates global money movement and the seamless exchange of information,” Circle's white paper said.
CPN can essentially be viewed as an orchestration layer that tells participants how and when to transfer tokens (and the corresponding fiat on their balance sheets) to complete a transaction. Circle's role is as the network operator defining the rules (the protocol) and providing the APIs and smart contracts that participants plug into.
Circle's ultimate vision for CPN isn't just a single product but a framework others can build upon, more akin to how the internet's open protocols enabled a proliferation of websites and applications. For corporate finance teams, this could mean a richer array of financial services available on one interoperable network, rather than siloed portals and bank platforms.
See also: 3 Things Payment Stakeholders Can All Agree On About Stablecoins
While Circle is building out the CPN platform, it's also part of a broader movement of crypto companies pushing into the regulated banking sector. Several crypto and FinTech firms are seeking U.S. bank charters or similar licenses right now.
It's a striking development, given that just a year or two ago the relationship between crypto firms and banks was fraught. In 2023, after high-profile failures like FTX in the crypto industry and the collapse of crypto-friendly institutions like Silvergate Bank and Signature Bank, many traditional banks pulled back from serving crypto clients.
If successful, a company like Circle could hold customer deposits, custody reserves for stablecoins, and make loans or offer other banking services, all under the supervision of bank regulators.
There's a growing sentiment among policymakers (on both sides of the aisle) that if stablecoins are to be a part of the financial system, they need a legal foundation similar to banks or money market funds. By obtaining bank charters or trust licenses now, crypto companies could get ahead of impending regulations and shape them.
Chartered institutions also have certain advantages. They can potentially get direct access to Federal Reserve payment systems, hold customer dollar balances in central bank accounts, and operate across all 50 states without needing a patchwork of state licenses.
For a stablecoin issuer like Circle or Paxos, being a nationally regulated bank could bolster trust among large institutions and users — essentially saying, “We meet the same standards as the bank where you hold your corporate treasury or your personal savings.”
It's worth noting that not all these firms are pursuing the same type of charter. Circle and BitGo are reportedly aiming for full-service national bank charters. Others have considered national trust bank charters or even industrial loan company (ILC) charters.
If these charters are approved, regulators will subject the firms to bank-like scrutiny. This is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it means greater oversight and accountability (good for customers and the system's integrity), but on the other hand, it means these companies must mature their risk management, compliance operations and capital requirements.
As crypto firms become regulated banks or trust companies, partnering with them becomes less of a reputational or regulatory risk for businesses. A Fortune 500 company might have been hesitant to hold stablecoins or use a crypto service provider when the sector was seen as the Wild West. But if that provider is now a supervised bank entity (subject to audits, capital requirements and oversight by federal regulators), it changes the equation.
Ultimately, the takeaway for business leaders is to stay informed and be prepared.
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According to Justin Sun, founder of TRON, the digital yuan represents a significant innovation in the cryptocurrency landscape. His endorsement suggests potential shifts in trading dynamics as China continues to integrate its central bank digital currency (CBDC) into the economy. Traders should monitor developments in the digital yuan's adoption, as it may influence both regional and global cryptocurrency markets.
Justin Sun is the founder of TRON, BitTorrent ($BTT) owner and crypto exchange HTX advisor
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Gold hit a new high on Tuesday and bitcoin broke through the $90,000 threshold as anxiety over the US dollar's strength sent investors looking for other safe havens.
With President Donald Trump's tariff policies throwing markets into turmoil, traditional and emerging alternatives — most notably gold and bitcoin — have rapidly gained favor.
On the New York Mercantile Exchange, gold surpassed $3,500 per troy ounce to reach a new record before retreating to around $3,426 just before noon ET as Wall Street rebounded from Monday's sell-off.
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The precious metal has soared nearly 30% since Trump returned to the White House.
“Orders from central banks and retail investors are driving a historic surge in gold,” analysts at JPMorgan noted, adding they expect gold to average $3,675 per ounce by the fourth quarter and potentially hit $4,000 by mid-2026.
Bitcoin also got a boost, climbing to nearly $91,000 — its highest level since early March — .to narrow its year-to-date loss to under 5%. Spot bitcoin ETFs also rallied, with the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) and others gaining 2.4%, after a 3% jump on Monday.
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ETFs rebounded above their 50-day moving averages, boosted by $381.3 million in total inflows on Monday.
The ARK 21Shares ETF (ARKB) led with $116.1 million, followed by Bitwise (BITB) with $87.6 million, and iShares with $41.6 million.
The sharp rise in gold and bitcoin has been triggered by investor concerns over both geopolitics and domestic monetary policy.
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President Trump on Monday posted a social media message suggesting the Federal Reserve should act immediately to lower interest rates, despite recent signs of slowing inflation.
Many interpreted the message as a not-so-veiled threat toward Fed Chair Jerome Powell.
Rania Gule of XS.com pointed to growing global skepticism toward the dollar.
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The ICE US Dollar Index, which tracks the dollar against a basket of major currencies, fell by over 1% on Monday, making dollar-denominated assets like gold more attractive to international buyers. The greenback rose 0.45% as of noon Tuesday.
“Declining faith in the dollar is one of the key factors pushing gold higher,” Gule said.
Michael Brown, a market strategist at Pepperstone, echoed the sentiment.
“Investors are reducing exposure to US assets amid policy instability. Gold is one of the few instruments shielded from the volatility Trump can introduce with a single post.”
That instability has sparked interest not just in gold but also in bitcoin, as investors diversify away from the dollar.
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The digital currency has risen sharply in tandem with gold, reflecting a broader shift in portfolio strategies.
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With traditional financial assets like US equities and Treasury bonds now under pressure, many are turning to bitcoin as a hedge.
Physical gold ETF holdings are also at their highest level since 2023, and JPMorgan estimates central banks alone will purchase around 900 metric tons of bullion in 2025 after acquiring 1,045 tons in 2024 — accounting for roughly 20% of global demand.
Meanwhile, the US dollar index has dropped to its lowest level since February 2022, prompting renewed fears about the dollar's global standing.
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While a weaker dollar can benefit exports, the timing is problematic.
“We're seeing capital flight from what were once the safest assets — US Treasuries and equities — at a moment when the economy may be tipping toward recession,” a senior economist told Investor's Business Daily.
Compounding matters, the US posted a record $1.2 trillion trade deficit in 2024, while its net international investment position fell to -$26.2 trillion — figures Trump himself has criticized.
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But his plan to reverse those numbers through steep tariffs lacks the transitional policies needed to avoid financial disruption, economists warn.
“This kind of economic whiplash,” JPMorgan's analysts wrote, “is precisely what drives capital into alternatives like gold and bitcoin.”
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If the word crypto makes you cross your eyes with confusion, you're certainly not alone. One of the buzziest terms in contemporary finance, cryptocurrency can feel incredibly difficult to understand. Is it a digital currency? A stock? And why have so many people made memes about it?
Some of these questions are easier to answer than others — especially when using an asset like ChatGPT, which is adept at synthesizing complex information into easy-to-understand terms. Which, for many laypeople, is exactly what they need to get a handle on crypto. And by many laypeople, I mean me — your humble personal finance writer. I decided to ask ChatGPT to explain crypto to me like I was 12 years old, and let's just say some of the mystery started to lift.
I started off with a very simple prompt: “Can you please explain crypto to me like I'm 12 years old?” And my pal ChatGPT came in the clutch, saying that it would explain it to me like we were friends at lunch.
“Crypto (short for cryptocurrency) is like money on the internet, but it's not printed like dollars or coins. It's completely digital. You can't hold it in your hand, but you can use it to buy stuff, save it, or send it to someone — just like money.”
Okay, that makes sense. It even explained where the word “crypto” came from:
“‘Crypto' comes from cryptography, which is a fancy word for super-secret codes. Cryptocurrencies use these codes to: keep your money safe, make sure no one can cheat or copy it, and let people trust it without needing a bank.”
Thanks, ChatGPT!
Okay, so, money stays in the bank. Stocks live in your brokerage account. Where does crypto reside? My buddy ChatGPT tells me that crypto lives on the blockchain, which is basically “…like a huge public notebook that everyone can see, but nobody can erase or cheat.” The blockchain keeps track of every transaction (as in who sent what to whom).
“Every time someone sends crypto, it gets added as a new line in the notebook, and everyone agrees it's real,” said ChatGPT. “Crypto is decentralized, which means there's no boss, bank or government in charge. It runs on thousands of computers all over the world.”
That makes a lot of sense. I'm starting to get it now. But what can I even get with it? Turns out, a lot. I can buy stuff online, send money to a friend instantly (even if they're in another country), or hoard it like a dragon with their digital gold. You can even use it in online games or to buy digital art, like NFTs.
With a stronger baseline understanding of what crypto is and how it works, I decided to ask ChatGPT a follow-up question: Where does it get its value?
My friend gave me a simple answer to start, saying that, in essence, it has value “because people believe it's valuable and are willing to trade things for it.”
In fact, traditional money works the same way. Fiat currencies like the U.S. dollar aren't backed by gold or silver — they hold value because people agree they do, and trust that others will accept them in exchange for goods and services.
ChatGPT explained further, elaborating on the supply-and-demand factor that Bitcoin's creators built into it as a way to increase its value:
“If lots of people want a certain crypto (like Bitcoin), and there's only a limited amount, the price goes up. It's kind of like rare trading cards. If only a few exist and everyone wants one, it becomes more valuable.”
Usefulness is another factor, with some cryptos having value because they help run apps, enable smart contracts, or facilitate NFT purchases.
“The more useful something is, the more people want it = more value,” ChatGPT said, adding that people's trust in the blockchain and overall hype for crypto have also played a role in giving it value.
Thanks to ChatGPT, I went from a total crypto newbie to someone who actually understands the basics. However, it's wise to also double — or even triple — check everything you learn from ChatGPT, and use it as a foundation for your own research.
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Utility-driven projects are taking center stage in 2025, addressing blockchain's most pressing challenges—scalability, efficiency, and accessibility.
Two standout projects, BlockDAG and Solaxy, are attracting significant investment with innovative solutions. BlockDAG is revolutionizing the mining model, while Solaxy offers a vital Layer 2 solution on Solana, tackling network congestion and reliability issues.
As the crypto market sees a resurgence in investor interest, these new presale projects are gaining traction, with analysts recommending them as some of the best investment opportunities available.
Source – Cryptonews YouTube Channel
Summary
BlockDAG has already raised a staggering $215 million in its presale phase, signaling strong investor confidence. The project introduces a next-generation Layer 1 blockchain featuring a unique mobile node infrastructure.
Through this system, users can mine cryptocurrency directly from their mobile phones, democratizing mining access and making it more environmentally friendly and widely available.
With an experienced and well-documented team behind the project, BlockDAG aims to offer a highly scalable, secure, and inclusive blockchain network.
The ability to participate in mining without the need for expensive rigs or technical expertise is one of its most compelling propositions. It's no surprise this model has garnered support from major blockchain advocates and investment communities alike.
While BlockDAG dominates in Layer 1 innovation, Solaxy is positioning itself as the first major Layer 2 protocol on Solana—an ecosystem long overdue for a scalable secondary layer.
Solana, despite its high-speed and low-fee architecture, has been plagued by network congestion and failed transactions, especially during peak demand events like meme coin launches from public figures such as Donald Trump and Melania Trump.
These crashes exposed critical limitations in Solana's current structure. Solaxy offers a solution by building a Layer 2 protocol that enhances Solana's throughput, efficiency, and reliability.
With $31 million raised so far in its presale, Solaxy is already gaining traction and trust.
Source – Solaxy Twitter
The project allows users to buy, sell, and trade just like they would on Solana, but without the bottlenecks—delivering faster confirmation times, better scalability, and seamless interaction across dApps.
Solaxy's architecture amplifies Solana's security while eliminating key drawbacks, making it a vital upgrade for the entire ecosystem. It serves both developers and users who want performance without compromise.
One of Solaxy's most appealing features is its generous staking rewards program, offering 130% APY on presale allocations. Investors can start earning passive income immediately, as staking is live before the token's official launch.
By participating in the presale and staking tokens right away, investments continue to grow even before hitting the open market. This presents a compelling value proposition for those looking to maximize early entry and enjoy strong returns with minimal friction.
Accessing the presale is simple: users can purchase using USDT, USDC, ETH, or SOL, and even by credit card (Visa or Mastercard). The project has passed all necessary audits, adding another layer of credibility and security for new investors.
Both BlockDAG and Solaxy offer real utility and innovation in the crypto space. BlockDAG is reshaping mining with mobile accessibility, while Solaxy addresses a key technical issue in one of the fastest-growing ecosystems.
Solaxy stands out for its ability to solve a foundational blockchain problem, offering a well-timed Layer 2 solution, along with attractive staking options and a path to passive income.
As both projects near launch, they present some of the most promising opportunities in crypto today. For those seeking long-term growth with strong fundamentals, BlockDAG and Solaxy are worth serious consideration.
BlockDAG and Solaxy are gaining investment by solving blockchain issues, becoming top presale opportunities in the 2025 crypto market.
Visit Solaxy
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Utility-driven projects are taking center stage in 2025, addressing blockchain's most pressing challenges—scalability, efficiency, and accessibility.
Two standout projects, BlockDAG and Solaxy, are attracting significant investment with innovative solutions. BlockDAG is revolutionizing the mining model, while Solaxy offers a vital Layer 2 solution on Solana, tackling network congestion and reliability issues.
As the crypto market sees a resurgence in investor interest, these new presale projects are gaining traction, with analysts recommending them as some of the best investment opportunities available.
Source – Cryptonews YouTube Channel
Summary
BlockDAG has already raised a staggering $215 million in its presale phase, signaling strong investor confidence. The project introduces a next-generation Layer 1 blockchain featuring a unique mobile node infrastructure.
Through this system, users can mine cryptocurrency directly from their mobile phones, democratizing mining access and making it more environmentally friendly and widely available.
With an experienced and well-documented team behind the project, BlockDAG aims to offer a highly scalable, secure, and inclusive blockchain network.
The ability to participate in mining without the need for expensive rigs or technical expertise is one of its most compelling propositions. It's no surprise this model has garnered support from major blockchain advocates and investment communities alike.
While BlockDAG dominates in Layer 1 innovation, Solaxy is positioning itself as the first major Layer 2 protocol on Solana—an ecosystem long overdue for a scalable secondary layer.
Solana, despite its high-speed and low-fee architecture, has been plagued by network congestion and failed transactions, especially during peak demand events like meme coin launches from public figures such as Donald Trump and Melania Trump.
These crashes exposed critical limitations in Solana's current structure. Solaxy offers a solution by building a Layer 2 protocol that enhances Solana's throughput, efficiency, and reliability.
With $31 million raised so far in its presale, Solaxy is already gaining traction and trust.
Source – Solaxy Twitter
The project allows users to buy, sell, and trade just like they would on Solana, but without the bottlenecks—delivering faster confirmation times, better scalability, and seamless interaction across dApps.
Solaxy's architecture amplifies Solana's security while eliminating key drawbacks, making it a vital upgrade for the entire ecosystem. It serves both developers and users who want performance without compromise.
One of Solaxy's most appealing features is its generous staking rewards program, offering 130% APY on presale allocations. Investors can start earning passive income immediately, as staking is live before the token's official launch.
By participating in the presale and staking tokens right away, investments continue to grow even before hitting the open market. This presents a compelling value proposition for those looking to maximize early entry and enjoy strong returns with minimal friction.
Accessing the presale is simple: users can purchase using USDT, USDC, ETH, or SOL, and even by credit card (Visa or Mastercard). The project has passed all necessary audits, adding another layer of credibility and security for new investors.
Both BlockDAG and Solaxy offer real utility and innovation in the crypto space. BlockDAG is reshaping mining with mobile accessibility, while Solaxy addresses a key technical issue in one of the fastest-growing ecosystems.
Solaxy stands out for its ability to solve a foundational blockchain problem, offering a well-timed Layer 2 solution, along with attractive staking options and a path to passive income.
As both projects near launch, they present some of the most promising opportunities in crypto today. For those seeking long-term growth with strong fundamentals, BlockDAG and Solaxy are worth serious consideration.
BlockDAG and Solaxy are gaining investment by solving blockchain issues, becoming top presale opportunities in the 2025 crypto market.
Visit Solaxy
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SHENZHEN, China, April 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- MicroCloud Hologram Inc. (NASDAQ: HOLO) ("HOLO" or the "Company"), a Hologram Digital Twins Technology provider, today announced that it developed an innovative solution aiming to provide an effective reconstruction for blockchain when it gets attacked. The solution employs verifiable secret sharing (VSS) technology to ensure that the blockchain system can quickly restore and maintain data integrity and consistency even under extreme circumstances.
HOLO's blockchain reconstruction solution is based on the following components:
Verifiable secret sharing (VSS)
VSS is a cryptographic technique that allows a private key to be split into multiple shares and distributed to different participants. These shares are meaningless individually, and the original secret can only be reconstructed when a certain number of shares are pooled. VSS is used to protect private keys and ensure that users can recover their blockchain data even if some of the nodes are compromised.
Redundant storage on distributed nodes
In order to improve the fault tolerance of the system, HOLO uses a redundant storage mechanism on distributed nodes. This means that each node not only stores its own copy of the ledger, but also stores part of the ledger information of other nodes. In this way, even if some nodes are damaged, other nodes can use the redundant information to help rebuild the lost data.
Dynamic participant selection and verification
Participant selection and verification are crucial in blockchain systems. By dynamically selecting participants and verifying them rigorously, it is ensured that only trusted nodes can participate in the blockchain maintenance and data reconstruction process. This greatly reduces the impact of malicious nodes on the system.
Reward and punishment mechanisms
In order to eliminate the incentives for dishonest reconstruction, HOLO designed a set of incentives and punishments. Under this mechanism, users who honestly participate in reconstruction will be rewarded, while users who try to destroy or tamper with data will face severe punishment. This mechanism effectively improves the security and reliability of the system.
In contrast to traditional reconstruction mechanisms, the scheme is able to take effect immediately, without waiting for negotiation and trust establishment between different blockchain parties. Each user can reconstruct their own data independently without relying on other untrustworthy participants. Through VSS and incentive mechanisms, the scheme greatly improves the security of the blockchain system in the face of malicious attacks. All operations in the reconstruction process are transparent and traceable, ensuring data integrity and consistency.
HOLO's innovative blockchain reconstruction solution provides a new kind of security for encrypted systems. By introducing verifiable secret sharing technology, the solution not only protects against malicious attacks, but also quickly recovers the system in the event of an attack, ensuring the security and integrity of data. With the continuous development and application of blockchain technology, this solution from HOLO will undoubtedly bring a far-reaching impact to the entire industry.
About MicroCloud Hologram Inc.
MicroCloud Hologram Inc. (NASDAQ:HOLO) engages in the research and development, and application of holographic technology. MicroCloud Hologram provides its holographic technology services to its customers worldwide. MicroCloud Hologram also provides holographic digital twin technology services and has a proprietary holographic digital twin technology resource library. MicroCloud holographic digital twin technology resource library captures shapes and objects in 3D holographic form by utilizing a combination of holographic digital twin software, digital content, spatial data-driven data science, holographic digital cloud algorithm, and holographic 3D capture technology. MicroCloud Hologram technology services include holographic light detection and ranging (LiDAR) solutions based on holographic technology, holographic LiDAR point cloud algorithms architecture design, technical holographic imaging solutions, holographic LiDAR sensor chip design, and holographic vehicle intelligent vision technology to service customers that provide holographic advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
Safe Harbor Statements
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the Company's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Among other things, the business outlook and quotations from management in this press release, as well as the Company's strategic and operational plans, contain forward−looking statements. The Company may also make written or oral forward−looking statements in its periodic reports to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on Forms 20−F and 6−K, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward−looking statement, including but not limited to the following: the Company's goals and strategies; the Company's future business development, financial condition and results of operations; the expected growth of the AR holographic industry; and the Company's expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its products and services. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in the Company's annual report on Form 20-F and current report on Form 6-K and other documents filed with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable laws.
View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/microcloud-hologram-developed-an-innovative-blockchain-reconstruction-solution-to-strengthen-crypto-system-security-302434624.html
SOURCE MicroCloud Hologram Inc.
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Legacy tech – is holding finance back; nearly half of financial firms admit outdated infrastructure is stalling AI progress, with data quality and harmonization key to unlocking value.
AI and cloud – dominate investments, with 80-90% of financial services outfits making both big AI bets, especially in generative AI, and closer cloud integrations
Blockchain and crypto – gain ground, with investments surging in both as financial firms eyeing new capital market opportunities – whilst also bracing for tougher digital asset regulation.
Digital infrastructure in the financial services sector is a mess, and not fit in most cases to support progressive enterprise AI strategies. So says a new report from financial services tech (fin-tech) supplier Broadridge Financial Solutions, which has polled 500-odd “leaders” among global wealth management, capital markets, and asset management firms, and found that almost half reckon their firms are not going fast enough with infrastructure upgrades (41 percent) and are impeded by legacy technologies (46 percent).
The new report, available here, is the company's fifth annual review of digital change tactics in the financial services industry. Generative AI is all the rage, it finds – in finance, like everywhere else. Apparently, three quarters of firms (72 percent) will make decent investments (“moderate to large”) in generative AI this year, up from 40 percent in 2024. At the same time, four in five (80 percent of) firms are making “moderate-to-large” investments in AI of whatever-sort in 2025.
Two-thirds (68 percent) think generative AI will have the “greatest impact on employee productivity” and a third (35 percent; considerably less) expect to see a return (ROI) on their investments / deployments “within six months”. Overall, firms expect to allocate 29 percent of their total IT spend to “technology innovation” over the next two years, up seven percentage points from last year's study. And cloud is still king – 86 percent are “integrating it into their processes”, and 84 percent are making “moderate-to-large” investments in cloud technologies this year.
Otherwise, three-quarters (71 percent) of finance firms are making “major investments” in distributed ledger technology (DLT) like blockchain, up from 59 percent in 2024, and two thirds (64 percent) are making “big investments” in cryptocurrency, from 51 percent in 2024. Almost half (47 percent) think DLT is enabling “new opportunities in the capital markets ecosystem”. Three quarters (73 percent) expect greater regulation and governance around digital assets going forward.
Equally, almost three-in-five (58 percent) of firms say “data harmonization” is the clearest path (“ideal driver”) to accelerate and maximize ROI on AI-style initiatives. Two in five (40 percent) admit to “data quality issues”; the rest say their data is clean and accessible. But Broadridge warns, as a pitch for business: “Today, when the introduction of a new AI model has the power to send shockwaves through financial markets, Bitcoin ETFs are routinely turning over billions in average daily volume, and cybersecurity has become a global mandate, financial services firms can no longer afford half-measures or indecision when it comes to data harmonization or addressing legacy technology.”
Chris Perry, president at Broadridge, commented: “As financial services firms modernize their operations and move away from legacy systems, many are realizing that the right data management strategy has the power to break down silos and achieve the level of data quality needed to realize the potential of AI and sustain prolonged digital transformation within their organizations. With the right data strategy and a clear plan to address legacy tech, firms can drive digital transformation, enable innovation at scale, enhance customer experiences, and foster long-term growth while providing operational resilience and efficiency.”
Jason Birmingham, global head of engineering at Broadridge, said: “It's really all about straight-through processes and the ability to see consistent data across all products and workflows. Companies that are still trying to drive transformation by bolting on point solutions are quickly starting to realize that there is a limit to how much they can accomplish unless they address the fundamental flaws in their platforms.”
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Since 1982, RCR Wireless News has been providing wireless and mobile industry news, insights, and analysis to mobile and wireless industry professionals, decision makers, policy makers, analysts and investors.
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Cryptocurrency prices are starting to grind through a period of slow but steady gains in the past 48 hours, with Bitcoin again leading the charge and most altcoins lagging in recovery. In a recent post on the X platform, popular Bitcoin maximalist and CEO of JAN3, Samson Mow, described the misleading nature of unit bias among altcoins.
According to Mow, Ethereum at $9,200, XRP at $5,800, and Solana at $3,400 is virtually impossible, given the current supply of these tokens.
Unit Bias And Market Cap: The Numbers Don't Lie
Mow's post on X challenges how investors perceive the value of altcoins like Ethereum, XRP, and Solana. He proposed a reframing of altcoin valuations by applying Bitcoin's supply model to them. Bitcoin was created with a total possible circulating supply of 21 million units, with 19.85 million of those currently in circulation.
At the time of writing, one unit of 21 million Bitcoins is trading around $88,000. This price might be too much for retail traders. As such, the idea of owning a whole unit of XRP or Solana feels more accessible to newcomers and retail traders compared to buying a fraction of Bitcoin with the same capital.
To expose how misleading this mindset can be, Mow reimagines altcoin valuations by dividing their total market capitalizations by Bitcoin's 21 million supply cap. This is essentially asking what one unit of these assets would cost if they had the same scarcity of supply as Bitcoin. Based on current market caps, Ethereum would be valued at approximately $9,200, XRP at $5,800, and Solana at $3,400.
Given the current price of Ethereum, Solana, and XRP, these figures are unrealistic and reveal how much of the altcoin appeal is driven by unit bias rather than actual value. Furthermore, it shows that Bitcoin has better fundamentals and scarcity in its supply dynamics.
Narrative Of Bitcoin Dominance Getting Stronger
For Mow and other Bitcoin maximalists, the disparity in Bitcoin supply and that of popular altcoins is yet another reason why Bitcoin dominance is likely to grow stronger in the long run. Notably, the inflows into spot Bitcoin ETFs and increasing recognition among traditional finance investors are strengthening the case for Bitcoin's dominance going forward.
Notably, Mow's perspective stands in opposition to the outlook held by some analysts who still anticipate an incoming altcoin season. These analysts believe that Bitcoin dominance, despite currently sitting at a yearly high of 63.5%, could be on the verge of a reversal. One notable technical analysis even projected a sharp crash in dominance toward the 40% mark in the coming months.
At the time of writing, Bitcoin is trading at $88,530, up by 1.3% in the past 24 hours. Ethereum is trading at $1,620, representing a 1.5% decline over the same period. Solana is down 0.5% at $140, and XRP is trading at $2.09 after a 1.63% decline in the past day.
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Bitcoin's breakdown against gold mirrors previous bear markets and heightens the risk of a decline toward $50,950 in US dollar terms.
Bitcoin's (BTC) value relative to gold (XAU) may be poised for a steep 35% drop as it mirrors historical bear market signals and reacts to massive turbulence that has wiped out $13 trillion from the US stock market.
As of April 22, the BTC/XAU ratio had closed below its 50-period exponential moving average (50-period EMA; the red wave) on the two-week chart for the first time since April 2022.
Historically, a decisive close below the 50-period EMA has led to an extended downtrend toward the 200-period EMA (the blue wave).
For instance, in both 2021 and 2022, BTC/XAU experienced an initial bounce after testing the 50-EMA, only to eventually break below it and decline toward the 200-EMA, as shown above.
Related: Bitcoin longs cut $106M — Are Bitfinex BTC whales turning bearish above $86K?
This pattern is now repeating in 2025 after two recent tests of the 50-EMA support level in 2024 and 2025. BTC/XAU is breaking lower, suggesting that a move toward the 200-EMA may be underway, representing an approximately 35% drop.
Mike McGlone, the senior commodity strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, offers a similar downside outlook for the Bitcoin-to-Gold ratio, citing its extremely positive correlation with the US stock market.
“What's $13 trillion? The 2025 peak-to-trough drop in US stock market capitalization -- almost 50% of GDP,” he wrote, adding:
“Bounces should be expected in bear markets,” he added, implying that while short-term relief rallies are possible, the prevailing trend for both Bitcoin and equities may remain downward for now.
That is in contrast to the ongoing decoupling narrative between Bitcoin and the US stocks.
Weakness in the BTC/XAU pair is not just a relative signal; it often foreshadows absolute declines in Bitcoin's price.
This trend was clearly visible during the 2021–2022 cycle. After BTC/XAU broke below its 50-EMA in late 2021, Bitcoin's price in USD followed suit, entering a prolonged bear market that saw prices fall from over $42,000 to below $17,000.
The pattern also repeated in earlier cycles, namely the 2019-2020 and 2018-2019 periods. Each time, Bitcoin either bottomed out near its 200-week EMA or declined further below it to establish a cycle low, as shown below.
If the historical correlation between BTC/XAU and BTC/USD holds true in the current cycle, Bitcoin faces an elevated risk of declining toward its 200-week EMA by year's end, which currently sits near $50,950.
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.
Bitcoin's (BTC) value relative to Gold (XAU) may be poised for a steep 35% drop, as it mirrors historical bear market signals and reacts to massive turbulence that has wiped out $13 trillion from the US stock market.
As of April 22, the BTC/XAU ratio had closed below its 50-period exponential moving average (50-period EMA; the red wave) on the two-week chart for the first time since April 2022.
Historically, a decisive close below the 50-period EMA has led to an extended downtrend toward the 200-period EMA (the blue wave).
In both 2021 and 2022, for instance, BTC/XAU experienced an initial bounce after testing the 50-EMA, only to eventually break below it and decline toward the 200-EMA, as shown above.
This pattern is now repeating in 2025 after two recent tests of the 50-EMA support level in 2024 and 2025. BTC/XAU is breaking lower, suggesting that a move toward the 200-EMA may be underway, representing an approximately 35% drop.
Mike McGlone, the senior commodity strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, offers a similar downside outlook for the Bitcoin-to-Gold ratio, citing its extremely positive correlation with the US stock market.
“What's $13 trillion? The 2025 peak-to-trough drop in US stock market capitalization -- almost 50% of GDP,” he wrote, adding:
“Bounces should be expected in bear markets,” he added, implying that while short-term relief rallies are possible, the prevailing trend for both Bitcoin and equities may remain downward for now.
Related: Bitcoin longs cut $106M — Are Bitfinex BTC whales turning bearish above $86K?
That is in contrast to the ongoing ‘decoupling' narrative between Bitcoin and the US stocks.
Weakness in the BTC/XAU pair is not just a relative signal; it often foreshadows absolute declines in Bitcoin's price.
This trend was clearly visible during the 2021–2022 cycle. After BTC/XAU broke below its 50-EMA in late 2021, Bitcoin's price in USD followed suit, entering a prolonged bear market that saw prices fall from over $42,000 to below $17,000.
The pattern repeated in earlier cycles as well, namely the 2019-2020 and 2019-2019 periods. Each time, Bitcoin either bottomed out near its 200-week EMA or declined further below it to establish a cycle low, as shown below.
If the historical correlation between BTC/XAU and BTC/USD holds true in the current cycle, Bitcoin faces an elevated risk of declining toward its 200-week EMA by year's end, which currently sits near $50,950.
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.
Bitcoin's (BTC) value relative to Gold (XAU) may be poised for a steep 35% drop, as it mirrors historical bear market signals and reacts to massive turbulence that has wiped out $13 trillion from the US stock market.
As of April 22, the BTC/XAU ratio had closed below its 50-period exponential moving average (50-period EMA; the red wave) on the two-week chart for the first time since April 2022.
Historically, a decisive close below the 50-period EMA has led to an extended downtrend toward the 200-period EMA (the blue wave).
In both 2021 and 2022, for instance, BTC/XAU experienced an initial bounce after testing the 50-EMA, only to eventually break below it and decline toward the 200-EMA, as shown above.
This pattern is now repeating in 2025 after two recent tests of the 50-EMA support level in 2024 and 2025. BTC/XAU is breaking lower, suggesting that a move toward the 200-EMA may be underway, representing an approximately 35% drop.
Mike McGlone, the senior commodity strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, offers a similar downside outlook for the Bitcoin-to-Gold ratio, citing its extremely positive correlation with the US stock market.
“What's $13 trillion? The 2025 peak-to-trough drop in US stock market capitalization -- almost 50% of GDP,” he wrote, adding:
“Bounces should be expected in bear markets,” he added, implying that while short-term relief rallies are possible, the prevailing trend for both Bitcoin and equities may remain downward for now.
Related: Bitcoin longs cut $106M — Are Bitfinex BTC whales turning bearish above $86K?
That is in contrast to the ongoing ‘decoupling' narrative between Bitcoin and the US stocks.
Weakness in the BTC/XAU pair is not just a relative signal; it often foreshadows absolute declines in Bitcoin's price.
This trend was clearly visible during the 2021–2022 cycle. After BTC/XAU broke below its 50-EMA in late 2021, Bitcoin's price in USD followed suit, entering a prolonged bear market that saw prices fall from over $42,000 to below $17,000.
The pattern repeated in earlier cycles as well, namely the 2019-2020 and 2019-2019 periods. Each time, Bitcoin either bottomed out near its 200-week EMA or declined further below it to establish a cycle low, as shown below.
If the historical correlation between BTC/XAU and BTC/USD holds true in the current cycle, Bitcoin faces an elevated risk of declining toward its 200-week EMA by year's end, which currently sits near $50,950.
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.
Bitcoin's (BTC) value relative to Gold (XAU) may be poised for a steep 35% drop, as it mirrors historical bear market signals and reacts to massive turbulence that has wiped out $13 trillion from the US stock market.
As of April 22, the BTC/XAU ratio had closed below its 50-period exponential moving average (50-period EMA; the red wave) on the two-week chart for the first time since April 2022.
Historically, a decisive close below the 50-period EMA has led to an extended downtrend toward the 200-period EMA (the blue wave).
In both 2021 and 2022, for instance, BTC/XAU experienced an initial bounce after testing the 50-EMA, only to eventually break below it and decline toward the 200-EMA, as shown above.
This pattern is now repeating in 2025 after two recent tests of the 50-EMA support level in 2024 and 2025. BTC/XAU is breaking lower, suggesting that a move toward the 200-EMA may be underway, representing an approximately 35% drop.
Mike McGlone, the senior commodity strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, offers a similar downside outlook for the Bitcoin-to-Gold ratio, citing its extremely positive correlation with the US stock market.
“What's $13 trillion? The 2025 peak-to-trough drop in US stock market capitalization -- almost 50% of GDP,” he wrote, adding:
“Bounces should be expected in bear markets,” he added, implying that while short-term relief rallies are possible, the prevailing trend for both Bitcoin and equities may remain downward for now.
Related: Bitcoin longs cut $106M — Are Bitfinex BTC whales turning bearish above $86K?
That is in contrast to the ongoing ‘decoupling' narrative between Bitcoin and the US stocks.
Weakness in the BTC/XAU pair is not just a relative signal; it often foreshadows absolute declines in Bitcoin's price.
This trend was clearly visible during the 2021–2022 cycle. After BTC/XAU broke below its 50-EMA in late 2021, Bitcoin's price in USD followed suit, entering a prolonged bear market that saw prices fall from over $42,000 to below $17,000.
The pattern repeated in earlier cycles as well, namely the 2019-2020 and 2019-2019 periods. Each time, Bitcoin either bottomed out near its 200-week EMA or declined further below it to establish a cycle low, as shown below.
If the historical correlation between BTC/XAU and BTC/USD holds true in the current cycle, Bitcoin faces an elevated risk of declining toward its 200-week EMA by year's end, which currently sits near $50,950.
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.
Bitcoin's (BTC) value relative to Gold (XAU) may be poised for a steep 35% drop, as it mirrors historical bear market signals and reacts to massive turbulence that has wiped out $13 trillion from the US stock market.
As of April 22, the BTC/XAU ratio had closed below its 50-period exponential moving average (50-period EMA; the red wave) on the two-week chart for the first time since April 2022.
Historically, a decisive close below the 50-period EMA has led to an extended downtrend toward the 200-period EMA (the blue wave).
In both 2021 and 2022, for instance, BTC/XAU experienced an initial bounce after testing the 50-EMA, only to eventually break below it and decline toward the 200-EMA, as shown above.
This pattern is now repeating in 2025 after two recent tests of the 50-EMA support level in 2024 and 2025. BTC/XAU is breaking lower, suggesting that a move toward the 200-EMA may be underway, representing an approximately 35% drop.
Mike McGlone, the senior commodity strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, offers a similar downside outlook for the Bitcoin-to-Gold ratio, citing its extremely positive correlation with the US stock market.
“What's $13 trillion? The 2025 peak-to-trough drop in US stock market capitalization -- almost 50% of GDP,” he wrote, adding:
“Bounces should be expected in bear markets,” he added, implying that while short-term relief rallies are possible, the prevailing trend for both Bitcoin and equities may remain downward for now.
Related: Bitcoin longs cut $106M — Are Bitfinex BTC whales turning bearish above $86K?
That is in contrast to the ongoing ‘decoupling' narrative between Bitcoin and the US stocks.
Weakness in the BTC/XAU pair is not just a relative signal; it often foreshadows absolute declines in Bitcoin's price.
This trend was clearly visible during the 2021–2022 cycle. After BTC/XAU broke below its 50-EMA in late 2021, Bitcoin's price in USD followed suit, entering a prolonged bear market that saw prices fall from over $42,000 to below $17,000.
The pattern repeated in earlier cycles as well, namely the 2019-2020 and 2019-2019 periods. Each time, Bitcoin either bottomed out near its 200-week EMA or declined further below it to establish a cycle low, as shown below.
If the historical correlation between BTC/XAU and BTC/USD holds true in the current cycle, Bitcoin faces an elevated risk of declining toward its 200-week EMA by year's end, which currently sits near $50,950.
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.
Bitcoin's (BTC) value relative to Gold (XAU) may be poised for a steep 35% drop, as it mirrors historical bear market signals and reacts to massive turbulence that has wiped out $13 trillion from the US stock market.
As of April 22, the BTC/XAU ratio had closed below its 50-period exponential moving average (50-period EMA; the red wave) on the two-week chart for the first time since April 2022.
Historically, a decisive close below the 50-period EMA has led to an extended downtrend toward the 200-period EMA (the blue wave).
In both 2021 and 2022, for instance, BTC/XAU experienced an initial bounce after testing the 50-EMA, only to eventually break below it and decline toward the 200-EMA, as shown above.
This pattern is now repeating in 2025 after two recent tests of the 50-EMA support level in 2024 and 2025. BTC/XAU is breaking lower, suggesting that a move toward the 200-EMA may be underway, representing an approximately 35% drop.
Mike McGlone, the senior commodity strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, offers a similar downside outlook for the Bitcoin-to-Gold ratio, citing its extremely positive correlation with the US stock market.
“What's $13 trillion? The 2025 peak-to-trough drop in US stock market capitalization -- almost 50% of GDP,” he wrote, adding:
“Bounces should be expected in bear markets,” he added, implying that while short-term relief rallies are possible, the prevailing trend for both Bitcoin and equities may remain downward for now.
Related: Bitcoin longs cut $106M — Are Bitfinex BTC whales turning bearish above $86K?
That is in contrast to the ongoing ‘decoupling' narrative between Bitcoin and the US stocks.
Weakness in the BTC/XAU pair is not just a relative signal; it often foreshadows absolute declines in Bitcoin's price.
This trend was clearly visible during the 2021–2022 cycle. After BTC/XAU broke below its 50-EMA in late 2021, Bitcoin's price in USD followed suit, entering a prolonged bear market that saw prices fall from over $42,000 to below $17,000.
The pattern repeated in earlier cycles as well, namely the 2019-2020 and 2019-2019 periods. Each time, Bitcoin either bottomed out near its 200-week EMA or declined further below it to establish a cycle low, as shown below.
If the historical correlation between BTC/XAU and BTC/USD holds true in the current cycle, Bitcoin faces an elevated risk of declining toward its 200-week EMA by year's end, which currently sits near $50,950.
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.
Analog, a blockchain project looking to improve unified liquidity across multiple networks, said it raised $15 million through a token sale.
Digital asset financier Bolts Capital completed the token purchase to bring Analog's total backing to $36 million, according to an emailed announcement shared with CoinDesk on Tuesday.
Analog plans to use the capital to develop interoperability tools like Omnichain Analog Token Standard (OATS), which enables transfer of fungible and non-fungible assets across blockchains chains
Also in the pipeline is Firestarter, a real-world asset (RWA) marketplace to tokenize real estate, collectibles and revenue-producing items.
Tokenization of RWAs represents a use case for blockchain technology of considerable interest for traditional financial (TradFi) institutions.
However, fragmented liquidity across multiple ecosystems is a potential roadblock to further adoption that interoperability projects like Analog are looking to demolish.
Jamie has been part of CoinDesk's news team since February 2021, focusing on breaking news, Bitcoin tech and protocols and crypto VC. He holds BTC, ETH and DOGE.
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April 22, 2025 09:00 ET
| Source:
Spirit Blockchain Capital Inc.
Spirit Blockchain Capital Inc.
VANCOUVER, BC, April 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spirit Blockchain Capital Inc. (CSE: SPIR, OTCQB: SBLCF) ("Spirit" or the "Company"), a leading blockchain technology investment company, is pleased to announce its successful upgrade to the OTCQB Venture Market ("OTCQB"), effective April 22, 2025. Spirit's common shares will continue to trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol “SPIR”.
The Company's common shares will begin trading on the OTCQB under the symbol "SBLCF" as of market open tomorrow. This achievement represents a significant milestone in Spirit's growth trajectory and commitment to enhancing shareholder value.
"Our upgrade to OTCQB marks a pivotal moment for Spirit Blockchain Capital and our shareholders," said Lewis Bateman, Chief Executive Officer of Spirit Blockchain Capital. "This advancement provides greater visibility within the U.S. investment community and improves accessibility for U.S. investors seeking to participate in the expanding blockchain economy through our diversified portfolio of assets."
The OTCQB, operated by OTC Markets Group Inc., is a premier marketplace for entrepreneurial and development stage companies that are current in their financial reporting and undergo an annual verification and management certification process. The OTCQB is recognized by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as an established public market providing public information for analysis and value of securities.
Real-Time quotes and market information for Spirit can be accessed on the OTC Market's website at www.otcmarkets.com.
Benefits of the OTCQB upgrade include:
Spirit Blockchain Capital continues to focus on its strategic initiatives in blockchain technology investments, cryptocurrency mining operations, and digital asset management across multiple blockchain ecosystems.
About Spirit Blockchain Capital Inc.
Spirit Blockchain Capital Inc. is a growth-oriented investment company focused on the blockchain technology sector. With a diversified portfolio approach, the Company invests in blockchain infrastructure, cryptocurrencies, mining operations, and emerging blockchain technologies. Spirit aims to create shareholder value through strategic investments in a rapidly expanding digital asset landscape.
Investor Relations Contact:
Lewis Bateman
info@spiritblockchain.com
For More Information
Visit: www.spiritblockchain.com
Email: info@spiritblockchain.com
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. The use of any of the words “expect”, “anticipate”, “continue”, “estimate”, “objective”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “should”, “believe”, “plans”, “intends” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking information or statements. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct.
Since forward-looking statements and information address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors and risks. Factors that could materially affect such forward-looking information are described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the Company's long-form prospectus dated August 8, 2022, that is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents managements' best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.
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Zug, Switzerland, April 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spirit Digital AG (“Spirit”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Spirit Blockchain Capital Inc. (CSE:SPIR / OTC:SPBCF / FRA:RTFB), helping advance...
Zug, Switzerland, March 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spirit Digital AG (“Spirit”), a wholly owned subsidiary of Spirit Blockchain Capital Inc. (CSE:SPIR / OTC:SPBCF / FRA:RTFB), helping advance...
Dutch bank ING is working on a stablecoin, looking to take advantage of Europe's new cryptocurrency regulations that came into force last year, according to two people with knowledge of the plans.
ING's stablecoin project could take the form of a consortium effort involving other banks and crypto service providers, both people said.
“ING is working on a stablecoin project with a few other banks. It's moving slow as multiple banks need board approval to set up a joint entity,” one of the sources said.
ING declined to comment.
Europe's Markets in Crypto Assets regime [MiCA] requires stablecoin issuers across EU member countries to hold an authorization license, while promoting the potential of euro-denominated stablecoins (the vast majority of the stablecoins in circulation are pegged to the U.S. dollar).
MiCA's stablecoin rules, which also require issuers to maintain significant reserves in banks based in Europe, have strengthened compliant offerings like Circle's euro stablecoin EURC over its main rival Tether, according to a note early this year from JPMorgan.
Banks like ING entering the European stablecoin space means French lender Société Générale, the first big bank to offer a stablecoin through its SG Forge innovation division, will soon have some competition.
Read more: Stablecoin Market Could Grow to $2T by End-2028: Standard Chartered
Ian Allison is a senior reporter at CoinDesk, focused on institutional and enterprise adoption of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. Prior to that, he covered fintech for the International Business Times in London and Newsweek online. He won the State Street Data and Innovation journalist of the year award in 2017, and was runner up the following year. He also earned CoinDesk an honourable mention in the 2020 SABEW Best in Business awards. His November 2022 FTX scoop, which brought down the exchange and its boss Sam Bankman-Fried, won a Polk award, Loeb award and New York Press Club award. Ian graduated from the University of Edinburgh. He holds ETH.
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The NFT landscape is undergoing a notable shift, with sales on Polygon outpacing Ethereum for the first time.
According to data from CryptoSlam, NFT sales on Polygon (POL) reached $22.1 million in the seven days leading up to Aprill 22, surpassing Ethereum (ETH), which came in second with $21.8 million in weekly sales.
In addition to total sales, Polygon also outpaced Ethereum in the number of individual buyers. Over the past week, 39,027 buyers purchased NFTs on Polygon—a jump of 81.61%. In comparison, Ethereum recorded 36,544 individual buyers.
The primary driver behind Polygon's rise is Courtyard, a real-world asset (RWA) project that integrates NFTs. Courtyard accounted for $20 million in sales over the past seven days, making up the bulk of Polygon's NFT volume. On April 22 alone, the project recorded $2.746 million in NFT sales.
Courtyard sells physical trading cards, with each corresponding to an NFT on the Polygon network. These include rare baseball, basketball, and Pokémon cards, which Courtyard keeps in a vault. The project also features a virtual vending machine that gives users random cards to start collecting.
The rise of Polygon-based Courtyard parallels the trend of layer 2 networks eating into Ethereum's traffic and dominance. This has prompted criticism among ETH holders, which believe that Ethereum is allowing layer-2 networks to capture too much value from the ecosystem.
Still, Polygon remains deeply connected to Ethereum's broader network. It benefits from Ethereum's decentralization and security, and its EVM-compatibility ensures interoperability with Ethereum base layers and other L2s.
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Snow Lake Resources (NASDAQ: LITM) has announced a new Strategic Growth Plan aimed at expanding its investment portfolio beyond critical resources. The plan focuses on deploying capital across three key sectors: Solana (SOL) blockchain infrastructure, clean energy technologies, and critical minerals.
The initiative is designed to utilize existing and future cash reserves to grow the company's treasury while maintaining its core focus on resource exploration and development. Snow Lake aims to create a balanced business model that combines traditional mining operations with investments in high-growth, tech-driven sectors.
The strategy emphasizes investments in the Solana ecosystem, known for its energy efficiency, along with clean energy platforms aligned with global electrification and AI-driven energy demand. The company believes this diversification will enhance balance sheet strength and create long-term shareholder value while maintaining flexibility in evolving markets.
Snow Lake Resources (NASDAQ: LITM) ha annunciato un nuovo Piano Strategico di Crescita volto a espandere il proprio portafoglio di investimenti oltre le risorse critiche. Il piano si concentra sull'impiego di capitale in tre settori chiave: l'infrastruttura blockchain di Solana (SOL), le tecnologie per l'energia pulita e i minerali critici.
L'iniziativa è pensata per utilizzare le riserve di cassa attuali e future per far crescere la tesoreria dell'azienda, mantenendo al contempo il focus principale sull'esplorazione e lo sviluppo delle risorse. Snow Lake punta a creare un modello di business equilibrato che unisca le operazioni minerarie tradizionali con investimenti in settori tecnologici ad alta crescita.
La strategia sottolinea gli investimenti nell'ecosistema Solana, noto per la sua efficienza energetica, insieme a piattaforme di energia pulita in linea con l'elettrificazione globale e la domanda energetica guidata dall'intelligenza artificiale. L'azienda ritiene che questa diversificazione rafforzerà il bilancio e genererà valore a lungo termine per gli azionisti, mantenendo la flessibilità in mercati in evoluzione.
Snow Lake Resources (NASDAQ: LITM) ha anunciado un nuevo Plan Estratégico de Crecimiento destinado a ampliar su cartera de inversiones más allá de los recursos críticos. El plan se centra en desplegar capital en tres sectores clave: infraestructura blockchain de Solana (SOL), tecnologías de energía limpia y minerales críticos.
La iniciativa está diseñada para utilizar las reservas de efectivo actuales y futuras para aumentar la tesorería de la empresa, manteniendo su enfoque principal en la exploración y desarrollo de recursos. Snow Lake busca crear un modelo de negocio equilibrado que combine operaciones mineras tradicionales con inversiones en sectores tecnológicos de alto crecimiento.
La estrategia enfatiza las inversiones en el ecosistema Solana, conocido por su eficiencia energética, junto con plataformas de energía limpia alineadas con la electrificación global y la demanda energética impulsada por inteligencia artificial. La compañía cree que esta diversificación fortalecerá el balance y generará valor a largo plazo para los accionistas, manteniendo la flexibilidad en mercados en evolución.
Snow Lake Resources (NASDAQ: LITM)는 핵심 자원을 넘어 투자 포트폴리오를 확장하기 위한 새로운 전략적 성장 계획을 발표했습니다. 이 계획은 세 가지 주요 분야에 자본을 투입하는 데 중점을 둡니다: 솔라나(SOL) 블록체인 인프라, 청정 에너지 기술, 그리고 핵심 광물입니다.
이 이니셔티브는 현재와 미래의 현금 보유고를 활용하여 회사의 재무를 성장시키면서 자원 탐사 및 개발에 대한 핵심 집중을 유지하도록 설계되었습니다. Snow Lake는 전통적인 채굴 작업과 고성장 기술 중심 분야에 대한 투자를 결합한 균형 잡힌 비즈니스 모델을 구축하는 것을 목표로 합니다.
전략은 에너지 효율성으로 잘 알려진 솔라나 생태계와 글로벌 전기화 및 인공지능 기반 에너지 수요에 부합하는 청정 에너지 플랫폼에 대한 투자를 강조합니다. 회사는 이러한 다각화가 재무 건전성을 강화하고 변화하는 시장에서 유연성을 유지하면서 장기적인 주주 가치를 창출할 것이라고 믿고 있습니다.
Snow Lake Resources (NASDAQ : LITM) a annoncé un nouveau Plan Stratégique de Croissance visant à étendre son portefeuille d'investissements au-delà des ressources critiques. Ce plan se concentre sur l'allocation de capitaux dans trois secteurs clés : l'infrastructure blockchain Solana (SOL), les technologies d'énergie propre et les minéraux critiques.
Cette initiative est conçue pour utiliser les réserves de trésorerie actuelles et futures afin de développer la trésorerie de l'entreprise tout en maintenant son focus principal sur l'exploration et le développement des ressources. Snow Lake vise à créer un modèle d'affaires équilibré combinant les opérations minières traditionnelles avec des investissements dans des secteurs technologiques à forte croissance.
La stratégie met l'accent sur les investissements dans l'écosystème Solana, reconnu pour son efficacité énergétique, ainsi que dans des plateformes d'énergie propre alignées avec l'électrification mondiale et la demande énergétique pilotée par l'intelligence artificielle. L'entreprise estime que cette diversification renforcera la solidité du bilan et créera une valeur actionnariale à long terme tout en conservant une flexibilité dans des marchés en évolution.
Snow Lake Resources (NASDAQ: LITM) hat einen neuen Strategischen Wachstumsplan angekündigt, der darauf abzielt, das Investitionsportfolio über kritische Ressourcen hinaus zu erweitern. Der Plan konzentriert sich darauf, Kapital in drei Schlüsselbereiche zu investieren: die Solana (SOL) Blockchain-Infrastruktur, Technologien für saubere Energie und kritische Mineralien.
Die Initiative ist darauf ausgelegt, bestehende und zukünftige Barmittelreserven zu nutzen, um die Unternehmensliquidität zu erhöhen und gleichzeitig den Kernfokus auf Ressourcenerkundung und -entwicklung beizubehalten. Snow Lake strebt ein ausgewogenes Geschäftsmodell an, das traditionelle Bergbauaktivitäten mit Investitionen in wachstumsstarke, technologiegetriebene Sektoren verbindet.
Die Strategie legt besonderen Wert auf Investitionen im Solana-Ökosystem, das für seine Energieeffizienz bekannt ist, sowie auf saubere Energieplattformen, die mit der globalen Elektrifizierung und der durch KI gesteuerten Energienachfrage in Einklang stehen. Das Unternehmen ist überzeugt, dass diese Diversifizierung die Bilanz stärkt und langfristigen Aktionärswert schafft, während gleichzeitig Flexibilität in sich wandelnden Märkten erhalten bleibt.
Snow Lake's pivot to invest in Solana crypto and clean energy represents a major strategic shift with significant diversification risks for the small-cap miner.
Snow Lake Resources is executing a dramatic strategic pivot for a $48 million critical minerals company, expanding beyond its traditional mining focus into cryptocurrency and clean energy investments. This Strategic Growth Plan represents a fundamental business model transformation that substantially alters the company's risk profile and investment thesis.
The decision to diversify into Solana blockchain infrastructure is particularly notable - resource companies rarely allocate treasury assets to volatile cryptocurrency investments. This creates an unusual hybrid business model where traditional mining operations will coexist with exposure to digital assets. While framed as strengthening the balance sheet, this move introduces substantial market volatility risk that didn't previously exist.
What's critically missing from this announcement is any specific allocation framework - there's no disclosure of how much capital will be directed toward these new initiatives or what percentage of assets might be invested in Solana versus clean energy technologies. This creates significant uncertainty about implementation.
The strategic rationale appears to acknowledge the long-cycle, capital-intensive nature of resource development by creating complementary investments that could potentially generate returns while waiting for mineral projects to mature. For a small-cap company with resources, however, this diversification simultaneously creates potential focus risks when management attention gets divided across fundamentally different business sectors.
Without concrete parameters around allocation sizes or investment guardrails, shareholders are left with substantial questions about how this transformation will actually manifest and what it means for the company's core resource business.
Snow Lake's specific targeting of the Solana ecosystem rather than general cryptocurrency exposure reveals a somewhat more sophisticated approach than typical corporate crypto announcements. Solana is positioned as a high-throughput, energy-efficient blockchain that processes transactions more efficiently than older platforms like Bitcoin or Ethereum's original implementation.
The strategic connection between a resource company and blockchain infrastructure appears tenuous at first glance, but there are potential synergies around energy usage and critical minerals required for technology deployment. Solana's reputation for energy efficiency aligns with Snow Lake's mention of "clean energy technologies" as another investment target.
However, the announcement lacks crucial technical specifics about how they plan to engage with the Solana ecosystem. There's a substantial difference between simply purchasing SOL tokens as a treasury asset, investing in Solana-based projects, or developing actual blockchain infrastructure. Each approach carries dramatically different risk profiles, technical requirements, and regulatory considerations.
For a company with no demonstrated blockchain expertise, this represents entry into a highly specialized technology sector with significant operational complexities. The blockchain industry moves at an extraordinarily rapid pace compared to traditional resource development, requiring specialized knowledge to navigate effectively.
This announcement essentially transforms Snow Lake into a hybrid entity - part traditional resource company and part blockchain/clean tech investor. For shareholders who invested based on critical minerals exposure, this fundamentally changes what they're getting in their investment without providing specific parameters around implementation or risk management.
Winnipeg, Manitoba--(Newsfile Corp. - April 22, 2025) - Snow Lake Resources Ltd. (NASDAQ: LITM), d/b/a Snow Lake Energy ("Snow Lake" or the "Company"), announces a strategic growth initiative (the "Strategic Growth Plan") to allow the Company to utilize existing and future cash on hand to grow the Company's treasury and accelerate its long-term vision in critical resources. The Strategic Growth Plan will broaden and diversify the Company's investment targets to allow the Company to explore strategic investments within Solana (SOL) blockchain infrastructure, and clean energy technologies, with the intention of accelerating the growth of its treasury. The Strategic Growth Plan reflects the Company's commitment to building a resilient and future-facing business model that balances its core critical resources operations with exposure to high-growth, tech-driven sectors.
As part of the Strategic Growth Plan, the Company plans to deploy capital across a carefully selected range of strategic opportunities, including critical mineral development, blockchain infrastructure such as the Solana ecosystem, and clean energy platforms aligned with global electrification and AI-driven energy demand. These investments are designed to strengthen Snow Lake's balance sheet, increase optionality, and support value creation for shareholders over time.
Key Highlights:
Allocating capital to focus on long-term strategic growth
Target sectors include Solana (crypto), clean energy, and critical minerals
Aims to increase balance sheet strength and long-term shareholder value
Leverages Company's resource expertise while expanding into future-facing markets
Snow Lake remains fundamentally committed to the exploration and development of essential natural resources. These projects-often long-cycle and capital-intensive-require financial agility and vision to bring online. By pairing its core mining initiatives with selective high-growth investments, the Company is creating a flexible strategy that can evolve with changing markets and technologies.
Current areas of focus include blockchain infrastructure, particularly the scalable and energy-efficient Solana (SOL) ecosystem, as well as clean energy technologies and AI-related platforms that support the global energy transition. Snow Lake's management continues to evaluate and adapt its investment strategy to reflect new opportunities and long-term global trends.
This strategic direction reinforces Snow Lake's belief that combining its deep expertise in resource development with selective, high-potential investments in emerging sectors will allow the Company to scale, diversify, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global economy.
About Snow Lake Resources Ltd.
Snow Lake Resources Ltd., d/b/a Snow Lake Energy, is a Canadian mineral exploration company listed on Nasdaq:LITM, with a global portfolio of clean energy mineral projects comprised of two uranium projects and two hard rock lithium projects. The Engo Valley Uranium Project is an exploration stage project located in the Skeleton Coast of Namibia, and the Black Lake Uranium Project is an exploration stage project located in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan. The Shatford Lake Project is an exploration stage project located adjacent to the Tanco lithium, cesium and tantalum mine in Southern Manitoba, and the Snow Lake Lithium™ Project is an exploration stage project located in the Snow Lake region of Northern Manitoba. Learn more at www.snowlakeenergy.com.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the "safe harbor" provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements with regard to Snow Lake Resources Ltd.. We base these forward-looking statements on our expectations and projections about future events, which we derive from the information currently available to us. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "contemplate," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "seek," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "target," "aim," "should," "will," "would," or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on Snow Lake Resources Ltd.'s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Some of these risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled "Risk Factors" in our registration statements and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Snow Lake Resources Ltd. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/249317
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Winnipeg, Manitoba--(Newsfile Corp. - April 22, 2025) - Snow Lake Resources Ltd. (NASDAQ: LITM), d/b/a Snow Lake Energy ("Snow Lake" or the "Company"), announces a strategic growth initiative (the "Strategic Growth Plan") to allow the Company to utilize existing and future cash on hand to grow the Company's treasury and accelerate its long-term vision in critical resources. The Strategic Growth Plan will broaden and diversify the Company's investment targets to allow the Company to explore strategic investments within Solana (SOL) blockchain infrastructure, and clean energy technologies, with the intention of accelerating the growth of its treasury. The Strategic Growth Plan reflects the Company's commitment to building a resilient and future-facing business model that balances its core critical resources operations with exposure to high-growth, tech-driven sectors.
As part of the Strategic Growth Plan, the Company plans to deploy capital across a carefully selected range of strategic opportunities, including critical mineral development, blockchain infrastructure such as the Solana ecosystem, and clean energy platforms aligned with global electrification and AI-driven energy demand. These investments are designed to strengthen Snow Lake's balance sheet, increase optionality, and support value creation for shareholders over time.
Key Highlights:
Allocating capital to focus on long-term strategic growth
Target sectors include Solana (crypto), clean energy, and critical minerals
Aims to increase balance sheet strength and long-term shareholder value
Leverages Company's resource expertise while expanding into future-facing markets
Snow Lake remains fundamentally committed to the exploration and development of essential natural resources. These projects-often long-cycle and capital-intensive-require financial agility and vision to bring online. By pairing its core mining initiatives with selective high-growth investments, the Company is creating a flexible strategy that can evolve with changing markets and technologies.
Current areas of focus include blockchain infrastructure, particularly the scalable and energy-efficient Solana (SOL) ecosystem, as well as clean energy technologies and AI-related platforms that support the global energy transition. Snow Lake's management continues to evaluate and adapt its investment strategy to reflect new opportunities and long-term global trends.
This strategic direction reinforces Snow Lake's belief that combining its deep expertise in resource development with selective, high-potential investments in emerging sectors will allow the Company to scale, diversify, and remain competitive in a rapidly evolving global economy.
About Snow Lake Resources Ltd.
Snow Lake Resources Ltd., d/b/a Snow Lake Energy, is a Canadian mineral exploration company listed on Nasdaq:LITM, with a global portfolio of clean energy mineral projects comprised of two uranium projects and two hard rock lithium projects. The Engo Valley Uranium Project is an exploration stage project located in the Skeleton Coast of Namibia, and the Black Lake Uranium Project is an exploration stage project located in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan. The Shatford Lake Project is an exploration stage project located adjacent to the Tanco lithium, cesium and tantalum mine in Southern Manitoba, and the Snow Lake Lithium™ Project is an exploration stage project located in the Snow Lake region of Northern Manitoba. Learn more at www.snowlakeenergy.com.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the "safe harbor" provisions under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, contained in this press release are forward-looking statements, including without limitation statements with regard to Snow Lake Resources Ltd.. We base these forward-looking statements on our expectations and projections about future events, which we derive from the information currently available to us. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "contemplate," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "seek," "may," "might," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "target," "aim," "should," "will," "would," or the negative of these words or other similar expressions, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are based on Snow Lake Resources Ltd.'s current expectations and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Further, certain forward-looking statements are based on assumptions as to future events that may not prove to be accurate. Some of these risks and uncertainties are described more fully in the section titled "Risk Factors" in our registration statements and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements contained in this announcement are made as of this date, and Snow Lake Resources Ltd. undertakes no duty to update such information except as required under applicable law.
To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/249317
SOURCE: Snow Lake Resources Ltd
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Fartcoin price extends gains above the $1.00 level at the time of writing on Tuesday after recovering from a dip triggered by profit-taking activity ahead of the weekend. POL, formerly known as MATIC, changed course, reversing the trend in favor of the bulls to trade at $0.2195 at the time of writing. On the other hand, DeepBook (DEEP) explodes in double-digit gains following the protocol's launch on the Sui Network.
The largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization, Bitcoin (BTC), popped up above $88,000 during the Asian session on Tuesday, tagging an intraday peak of $88,877. Spot Bitcoin Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) recorded a total net inflow of $381 million on Monday, with none of the 12 licensed products posting net outflows, representing the return of institutional demand. This inflow surge underscores Bitcoin's role as a hedge during times of uncertainty in global markets, especially now with the US dollar (USD) sliding against major currencies.
US President Donald Trump's hostile gestures towards the Federal Reserve (Fed) shook the US dollar (USD), triggering a sharp drop on Monday as Trump criticized Fed Chair Jerome Powell for not cutting interest rates.
As FXStreet reported, "the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback's value against six major currencies, hitting a three-year low, with markets interpreting the White House's direct attack on the Fed Chair Jerome Powell as threatening the central bank's independence."
Fartcoin's price has worked its way above the psychological $1.00 level, increasing by over 10% on the day. At the time of writing, the meme coin exchanges hands at $1.06 after completing a cup and handle pattern's 66% breakout target, highlighted in previous analyses.
Fartcoin holds above the 50, 100 and 200 Exponential Moving Average (EMA) indicators on the 12-hour chart, signaling a strong bullish outlook toward the next target at $1.20, a resistance level tested in December and January.
The Relative Strength Index (RSI) indicator's move above 70 suggests buyers have the upper hand. However, entry into the overbought region introduces another risk of a potential pullback, especially if investors take profit.
FARTCOIN/USDT 12-hour chart
Traders would look for a 12-hour to a daily close above the immediate $1.00 support to ascertain the uptrend's strength. Declines below this level could cause a sharp price drop to the recent support level at $0.90 before extending the leg to $0.80 and $0.72.
POL's price increases by nearly 10% to hover at $0.2195 at the time of writing on Tuesday. The token appears to have bottomed out at $0.1519, following the widespread crash in the crypto market on April 7.
The upward-pointing RSI indicator at 63.52 suggests strong bullish momentum and that POL may continue to move higher in the coming sessions and days.
Higher support is anticipated above the 50-day EMA around $0.2175, which may play a huge role in POL's ability to extend the uptrend to key targets at the 100 EMA holding $0.2676 and the 200-day EMA at $ 0.3537.
POL/USDT daily chart
On the flip side, if POL cannot hold above the 50-day EMA, some traders may choose to reduce exposure, anticipating a drop to the year-to-date low at $0.1519.
DeepBook's massive rally could break the downtrend
DeepBook's launch on Sui Network on April 16 continues to positively impact the performance of DEEP, which tagged $0.1991, its highest level since mid-February. Despite the token surging by more than 40% on Tuesday, it has pulled back from the intraday high and currently hovers at $0.1256 at the time of writing.
DEEP/USDT daily chart
It is unclear whether the rally will continue, considering the RSI indicator is overbought at 75.90. If investors liquidate for profit, sell-side pressure could claw back the accrued gains. Traders may seek support at the 100-day EMA ($0.1026) and the 50-day EMA ($0.0901).
Token launches influence demand and adoption among market participants. Listings on crypto exchanges deepen the liquidity for an asset and add new participants to an asset's network. This is typically bullish for a digital asset.
A hack is an event in which an attacker captures a large volume of the asset from a DeFi bridge or hot wallet of an exchange or any other crypto platform via exploits, bugs or other methods. The exploiter then transfers these tokens out of the exchange platforms to ultimately sell or swap the assets for other cryptocurrencies or stablecoins. Such events often involve an en masse panic triggering a sell-off in the affected assets.
Macroeconomic events like the US Federal Reserve's decision on interest rates influence crypto assets mainly through the direct impact they have on the US Dollar. An increase in interest rate typically negatively influences Bitcoin and altcoin prices, and vice versa. If the US Dollar index declines, risk assets and associated leverage for trading gets cheaper, in turn driving crypto prices higher.
Halvings are typically considered bullish events as they slash the block reward in half for miners, constricting the supply of the asset. At consistent demand if the supply reduces, the asset's price climbs.
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Chainlink exchange outflows exceed $120 million in the last 30 days, hinting at increasing accumulation. The breakout from a falling wedge technical pattern and an uptrending RSI indicator signal stronger bullish momentum.
Bitcoin is extending its gains, trading above $88,000 at the time of writing on Tuesday after rising nearly 3% the previous day. Institutional demand seems to be supporting BTC's recent price rally, with US spot ETFs recording an inflow of $381.40 million on Monday.
Investors in select altcoins like Fartcoin, POL and DeepBook welcome double-digit gains. Bitcoin inches closer to $90,000, potentially waking up as digital Gold amid uncertainty in the macro environment.
Hyperliquid's validator update allows anyone to register, with the 21 largest stakes forming the active set. Validators must lock up 10,000 HYPE for one year, whether in the active set or not.
Bitcoin price consolidates above $84,000 on Friday, a short-term support that has gained significance this week. The world's largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization continued to weather storms caused by US President Donald Trump's incessant trade war with China after pausing reciprocal tariffs for 90 days on April 9 for other countries.
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Burwick Law, a New York-based firm, has raised legal concerns about Metaplex's plan to transfer over 54,000 unclaimed SOL, worth roughly $7.3 million, into its DAO treasury.
In an open letter shared on X on Apr. 22, the firm warned that the protocol's approach could lead to legal action and damage user trust in the Solana (SOL) ecosystem. The SOL at risk comes from a technical upgrade that allowed non-fungible token metadata accounts to be resized, freeing up a small amount of rent paid in SOL.
Users have until Apr. 25, 2025, to manually reclaim these funds. After that, Metaplex said the remaining tokens would be swept into the DAO's treasury. According to Burwick, many NFT holders were not properly informed that their unclaimed funds could be relocated.
The firm argues that such a move risks violating consumer protection laws and undermines core principles of transparency in crypto. “Rent was paid so NFTs could live on-chain, not to bankroll a future windfall,” the letter states.
**An Open Letter to @metaplex and Solana Industry Leaders**The Metaplex SOL Sweep: Why User Rent Should Flow Back to the Community, Not a DAO TreasuryOn April 25, 2025, the Metaplex protocol plans to relocate about 54,000 SOL in “unclaimed resize rent” from user‑funded…
The total value of unclaimed SOL is estimated at over $7 million at current prices. Burwick says this kind of action could be seen as unjust enrichment or unauthorized fee collection, similar to cases where banks were forced to return overdraft charges due to lack of clear disclosure.
Instead of going ahead with a full sweep, Burwick recommends halting the process and issuing refunds directly to current NFT holders through a program upgrade. The DAO could still retain a small portion, around 10%, to help cover network maintenance costs.
The letter has not yet received a public response from Metaplex. The DAO had previously stated that the reclaimed SOL might be used to finance airdrops, community grants, or other projects that have been approved by governance.
Burwick Law is known for representing crypto investors in cases involving token mismanagement and transparency failures. It recently filed a class action lawsuit against the team behind the LIBRA token, alleging deceptive practices and insider trading during its launch.
The firm has urged Metaplex and Solana developers to act quickly before the sweep deadline to avoid extended legal battles and protect user trust.
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The Central Bank Digital Currency has the ability to solve problems with cross border money transfer. While UPI is good, with the complete roll-out of CBDC, customers will at least have a choice, said RBI's Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar.
Sankar was speaking at Bharat Inclusion Summit 2.0 by IIMA Ventures in Bengaluru. “I have so far not seen any use case which potentially can solve the problem of cross border money transfer, only CBDC has the ability to solve it,” he said.
CBDC is currently undergoing many alterations both in terms of technology and models, which is aimed at gradually improving its efficiency in users. A key area where digital payments have shown promise is in global retail payments, which are currently slow — up to a week and costly up to 6% for small transactions, Sankar noted.
Traditional banking systems and legal frameworks limit cost reduction in these processes, he said. However, CBDCs can bridge this gap by offering immediate settlement without intermediaries, as they are both digital and a direct form of currency—allowing seamless, borderless transactions.
“One can actually imagine a future when money can be transferred at a fraction of the cost from a person or business in India to a person or business anywhere else in the world, almost instantaneously. Globally, there have been a lot of efforts in achieving efficiency in the payment systems for global transfers. We are not seeing much traction there yet and we believe that CBDCs will be really that,” Sankar said.
Sankar explained that traditionally, there are two types of money — central bank money, like physical cash and commercial bank money like deposits/credit. Central bank money was trusted and easy to use without intermediaries but had limitations like being physical and unsuitable for large or distant transactions. Commercial bank money solved these issues by being digital but required trust and intermediaries. Now, with the introduction of Central Bank Digital Currency, central bank money is becoming digital—combining the trust and simplicity of traditional cash with the convenience and reach of digital banking.
Highlights
On-chain tokenization is shifting from concept to reality, enabling real-world assets like fiat, real estate and securities to be represented as programmable digital tokens on the blockchain.
Tokenization offers new capital and liquidity strategies through real-time, cross-border and programmable money movement.
Despite regulatory fragmentation and digital identity concerns, adoption is growing due to tokenization's potential for speed, cost efficiency, transparency and automation.
The convenience, security and speed of digital innovation have reshaped the way businesses and individuals transact.
Now, money and assets are undergoing their own fundamental transformation.
It's all happening by way of tokenization on the blockchain. On-chain tokenization is moving from concept to practice, with players like Visa, Mastercard, J.P. Morgan and other commercial banks exploring or piloting real-world tokenized payment and financial systems.
For chief financial officers and corporate treasurers, tokenization isn't just a tech issue; it could represent a capital strategy shift.
As recently as Friday (April 18), Vera Capital announced a partnership with Blocksquare to tokenize “a substantial portfolio of commercial and multifamily real estate assets” across the United States, having already tokenized a $5.4 million commercial property in Fort Lauderdale.
BlackRock CEO Larry Fink also wants all assets to be tokenized on a blockchain and tradable online, writing in his shareholder letter: “Every stock, every bond, every fund — every asset — can be tokenized.”
At its most fundamental level, tokenization refers to representing real-world assets, such as fiat currency, deposits, securities and investment contracts, as digital tokens on a distributed ledger. These tokens can then be transferred, programmed or settled in ways traditional systems don't allow.
Tokenization isn't a cryptocurrency play. Tokenization helps give businesses and financial services stakeholders a way to move value faster, cheaper and more securely across different networks. It's about modernizing the movement of money and assets while democratizing investment access to institutional-grade products.
See also: Stablecoin Sandwiches? Here's What CFOs Need to Know About Crypto Jargon
Unlike traditional digital assets, which are typically ledger entries in a private system (like a bank or card network), on-chain tokens are blockchain-native. They can be programmed, split, audited or transferred with a few lines of code, and often faster than traditional methods allow.
These tokenized real-world assets (RWAs) can be anything: fiat currency (like dollars or euros), real estate, equities, loyalty points or invoices.
Payments giants aren't waiting on regulators to get started prototyping. Last year, Visa tested the settlement of stablecoins. J.P. Morgan's JPM Coin is now facilitating billions of dollars in daily transactions, primarily for institutional clients.
“Banks are in the state where they are thinking about blockchains as public infrastructure that they need to rely on,” Chainalysis co-founder and CEO Jonathan Levin told PYMNTS this month.
“When we started the business in 2014 … cryptocurrency only meant blockchains that had native cryptocurrency tokens,” he said. “Today, people are putting all types of financial instruments on the blockchain.”
As appetite grows from corporate treasurers for 24/7 programmable money, tokenization could provide tangible benefits to companies managing global supply chains, complex vendor networks or digital platforms. While tokenized payments are not a panacea, they can help to solve specific, persistent pain points in the global movement of money.
Read also: 3 Things Payment Stakeholders Can All Agree on About Stablecoins
Cross-border payments, treasury management and programmable contracts are among the emerging real-world use cases for on-chain RWA.
Traditional correspondent banking networks are fragmented and slow. Tokenized fiat or deposits on a shared ledger allow for near-instant cross-border transfers, potentially collapsing multiday settlement windows into minutes or seconds. This is among the main benefits of stablecoins, an increasingly popular payment mechanism that involves the tokenization of fiat and other reserve backings.
At the same time, multinational corporations can struggle with liquidity fragmentation across jurisdictions. Tokenized deposits can be moved 24/7 across entities or regions, enabling just-in-time funding and optimizing working capital.
Blockchain-based smart contracts can also allow conditional or milestone-based payments to execute automatically, which could prove useful for trade finance, supply chains or royalty payments. Ultimately, tokenization's benefits such as real-time liquidity, conditional payments and borderless value exchange can create competitive advantages.
Two primary roadblocks to scalable utility across the enterprise are regulatory fragmentation and digital identity.
Regulatory alignment remains patchy, especially across borders. Cybersecurity and smart contract auditing are still evolving. And adoption depends not just on technology, but on user trust and industry coordination.
Sensitive financial data and transactions may be increasingly exposed to public scrutiny on-chain, so there's a pressing need to address privacy and identity challenges within crypto.
However, the marketplace isn't standing still, and work is being done to overcome these challenges. For forward-thinking finance leaders, it could be worth entertaining that the next decade of payments may be built not just with APIs and rails, but with tokens, smart contracts and interoperable ledgers.
For all PYMNTS digital transformation and B2B coverage, subscribe to the daily Digital Transformation and B2B Newsletters.
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Risigaye ari isango ngarukamwaka kuva mu 1996 ku Barundi baba mu bihugu bitari bike vy'i Bulaya, Reta Zunze Ubumwe za Amerika na Canada.
Barahurira muri kimwe muri ivyo bihugu bahujwe n'inkino, akaranga n'ikiyago.
Uyu mwaka bahuriye i Genève mu Buswisi mu mpera z'indwi yaraye iheze.
Izo nkino zatanguriye mu Bubiligi zitwa Tournoi de Basketball des Burundais International, TBBI. Ariko ubu ntizicerekeye umupira wa basket gusa kuko haragiyemwo akaranga n'ikiyago.
Zatanguriye muri Canada. Uyu mwaka zahuje imirwi irenga 10 zitabwa n'Abarundi baharurwa mu bihumbi bavuye mu Bubirigi, Suède, Ubufaransa, Ubuswisi, Norvège, Luxembourg, Ubuholande, Amerika na Canada.
Kuzitegura no kuzitaba bisaba umwanya n'uburyo bwinshi ariko abamaze kuzimenyera bavuga ko ari isango batoba bagisiba kubera akamaro bazibonamwo.
''Ni ibintu dutegura umwanya muremure. Turabika uburyo kugira duseruke. Nk'ubu tuvuye ngaha duca dutangura kurondera uko tuzokwitabira ivy'umwaka uza'', bivugwa na Ama Nibaze yaje ava mu gisagara ca Toronto muri Canada.
''Bisaba uburyo ariko ni imbonekarimwe, ntawosiba. Bisaba kwitegura, nk'ubu abo twazananye twamaze iminsi irenga itatu tuza, hariho n'abandi bamara hafi indwi baza kuko ni isango ata n'umwe yipfuza gusiba …kuko iyo tuvuye ngaha dutahana ivyiyumviro bishasha biteza imbere abacu''.
Abava mu bihugu vya Bulaya bamara imisi mu nzira kubera biyunguruza n'imiduga yabo mu kirwi, co kimwe n'abava muri za Canada na Amerika bamara imisi mu rugendo rw'indege.
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Bamwe basanga mbere izo nkino zobera akarorero n'icitegererezo ku ndongozi z'ibihugu vy'akarere k'ibiyaga binini mu guhuza no kunywanisha abantu kugira indyane zimaze imyaka zizingamitse ako karere zihere.
Nkurunziza Népomucène, Umurundi arenza imyaka 30 aba mu Bubiligi avuga ko ari icitegererezo abategetsi borabirako kugira bateze imbere igihugu.
Ati: "Biba gake ko Abarundi badahuje ubwoko n'ivyiyumviro vya poritike canke umugambwe bicarana".
''Ni igikorwa cerekana ko Abarundi bose bari umwe, aha turakina tukayaga, tukigisha abana bacu imico yacu. Ikindi ni uko haza Abanyarwanda n'abanye-Congo, duhejeje turicarana tukibutsanya ko ico dupfana gisumba ico dupfa.
''Abategetsi mu karere kacu barakwiye gufatira akarorero ku gikorwa nk'iki mu guteza imbere ikiyago, kuko tutabeshanye, ibibazo iyo tuva birahari kandi n'umuti urahari, uri mu kuyaga. Rero ni barabire kuri twebwe. Ko twabishoboye turi mu mahanga, nta nkeka ko vyobera akarorero ab'iwacu''.
Ivyo abihurizako na Matutino Pierre, umuhinga mu bigendajuru akorera mu gihugu ca Danemark.
Avuga ati: ''Uretse gukina no kuyaga, haratunganywa ibiganiro hagati yacu. Jewe naje ubwa mbere mu mwaka uheze mu birori vyari vyatunganirijwe mu gihugu c'Ubuholandi. Naramenyanye n'Abarundi baba mu mahanga.
''Twaramenye ko iyo tuva, mu mavuriro ata mashini nyabwonko n'imiti bihari. Ubu tuvugana hariho imashini 150 buca zija mu Ruyigi na Karuzi, buca turungika ivyuma bifasha gupima vya radiographie na échographie mu ntara zine''.
N'abakiri bato barashima iryo huriro ry'Abarundi. Axel, umusore aba mu majefo y'Ubufaransa avuga ko vyerekana ko Abarundi baba mu mahanga bafise intererano mw'iterambere.
ati: ''Uravye abitabira rino huriro buri mwaka benshi ni urwaruka. Rimwe na rimwe twebwe abakiri bato tuba mu mahanga ntiduhabwa ikibanza mw'iterambere ry'igihugu kubera ugushihana kwibonekeza mu Barundi baba mu mahanga.
"Ariko buri mwaka turazi ko duhura tukicarana, tukerekana impano zacu mu nkino no mu mico, hanyuma tukayaga".
Abandanya avuga ko muri bo harimwo abahinga mu buvuzi, mu bwubatsi, mu gucukura ibitoro n'ubutare n'ibindi kandi ''turiteguye guterera''.
Eka na bene imirwi yitabira iryo higanwa bavuga ko ari intambwe idasanzwe. Emery Nsaziyinka arongoye umurwi Imboneza wo mu Bubiligi avuga ko ari itunga ridasanzwe kwitabira iryo sango.
''Tuzana abana bakiri bato, abenshi bavukiye mu mahanga, tuhasanga abantu bo mu runganwe rutandukanye, tuhasanga Abanyarwanda, Abakongomani. Turicara tukayaga tukibuka ko ataco dupfa, vyaratunywanishije, bituma dusezera imigera y'amacakubiri no gukumirana.
Mw'ihiganwa ry'uno mwaka Abarundi baba muri Canada nibo batahukanye ikibanza ca mbere.
Ryasozerewe n'igiteramo c'umuziki cahuje Abarundi, Abakongomani n'Abanyarwanda, aho hari hatumiwe n'abaririmvyi barimwo n'abagiye bava i Bujumbura nka Drama T.
© 2025 BBC. BBC ntibazwa ibivuye ku zindi mbuga. Soma ibijanye n'aho duhagaze ku mihora ijana ahandi
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미국 상장 기업 DeFi Development Corporation(구 Janover Inc.)은 솔라나(SOL) 88,164개의 보유량을 늘렸으며, 이는 약 1,150만 달러 상당이라고 발표했습니다. 이번 매수 이후 회사의 총 Solana 보유량은 251,842개로 늘어났으며, 이는 약 3,440만 달러(스테이킹 보상 포함)에 해당합니다.
폴 애킨스가 미국 증권거래위원회(SEC) 위원장으로 취임했으며, 게리 겐슬러의 공식적인 리더십 인수인계가 이제 완료되었습니다. 디지털 자산 회사와 협력해 온 애킨스는 SEC가 암호화폐에 대해 보인 이전 저항을 뒤집는 임시 리더십을 계속 이어갈 것으로 예상됩니다. 애킨스는 트럼프 대통령과 미국 상원이 자신에게 보여준 "신뢰와 확신"에 영광을 느끼며, 동료 위원들과 함께 일을 시작하게 되어 기쁘다고 말했습니다.
비트코인 인프라 회사인 아치랩스(Arch Labs)가 1,300만 달러 규모의 시리즈 A 펀딩 라운드를 완료했으며, 기업 가치는 2억 달러에 달합니다. 이번 자금 조달은 Pantera Capital이 주도했으며, 다른 전략적 투자자들이 참여했습니다. 이 자금은 비트코인에서 빠르고 안전하며 완벽하게 검증 가능한 스마트 계약 기능을 구현하는 ArchVM의 개발 및 출시를 가속화하는 데 사용될 예정입니다.
이 글에서는 암호화폐 자산 보관 산업에서 영향력 있는 상위 10개 플랫폼을 살펴보고, 이 복잡한 시장에서 현명한 선택을 할 수 있도록 도와드리겠습니다.
Trump Media & Technology Group(DJT.O), Crypto.com 및 Yorkville America Digital이 ETF 발행 계약을 마무리했습니다.
격동의 시대에 주목해야 할 스테이블코인 기반 수익 상품 4가지를 소개합니다.
"경계를 넘어선다"는 것이 벤이 지난 2년간 Bybit의 발전을 정의한 것입니다. 4월 중순, Bybit은 발리에서 CCCC 콘텐츠 크리에이터 이벤트를 개최했고, 이 이벤트에서 Ben은 Bybit의 7년 역사, 보안 업그레이드, 혁신적인 제품에 대해서도 소개했습니다. PANews 편집장 통통은 CCCC 행사의 멘토로 초대되어 벤과 단독 인터뷰를 진행했습니다.
DeSci부터 기관 수준의 DeFi까지, 우리는 여러분의 관심을 끌만한 초기 단계 프로젝트 10개를 선정했습니다.
밈 코인은 이러한 순환을 "망치지" 않았지만, 대신 업계의 성숙을 가속화하는 시장 촉매제 역할을 했습니다.
바이낸스 알파에 SKYAI(SKYAI), TROLL(TROLL), Wizard Gang(Wizard)이 추가되었습니다.
앵커로의 복귀에 베팅하는 것과 비교하면, 현재로서는 더 확실한 중재 기회가 있습니다.
바이낸스는 X 플랫폼을 통해 이번 TGE 이벤트(하이퍼레인) 초기 단계에서 손실된 가스 수수료와 관련하여, 손실된 가스 수수료는 이벤트가 끝난 후 사용자 계정으로 재발급될 것이라고 밝혔습니다. 관련 문제는 이제 해결되었으며, 이제 이벤트 페이지에 다시 접속하여 참여할 수 있습니다.
개방형 프로토콜은 사용자 규모를 늘릴 수 없고, 콘텐츠 배포는 거래를 촉진할 수 없습니다. 궁극적으로 우리는 자산 주도 개발이라는 유일하게 현실적인 길로만 돌아갈 수 있습니다.
오늘날 온체인 세계는 점차 "이자율 벤치마크"와 "무위험 수익"이라는 자체 개념을 확립하고 있으며, 보다 심오한 금융 질서가 형성되고 있습니다.
분석: 비트코인이 하락 채널을 돌파하면서 주요 저항 수준인 90,000달러 돌파가 가능해졌습니다. Hyperlane: HYPER 토큰 청구는 오늘 밤 20시에 시작됩니다. 업비트가 한국 원화 시장에 DEEP을 상장합니다.
엠버의 모니터링에 따르면, 4년 전 991,000 SOL을 약속했던 고래나 기관이 방금 약속 금액 중 100,000 SOL(1,390만 달러 상당)을 환매하여 바이낸스로 이체했습니다. 해당 주소는 4년 동안 총 1억 5,350만 달러의 수익을 냈으며, 여기에는 1억 1,140만 달러의 SOL 가치 상승 이익(4년 전 SOL 가격은 27.57달러였지만 현재는 140달러)과 스테이킹을 통해 얻은 30만 개의 SOL 이자가 포함되어 총 4,208만 달러의 수익을 냈습니다. 현재 해당 주소에는 1,191,000 SOL(1억 6,700만 달러 상당)이 약속되어 있습니다.
잘 알려진 암호화폐 거래 및 투자 회사인 GSR은 나스닥 상장 소비재 회사인 Upexi에 최대 1억 달러의 사모 투자를 했습니다. 이는 Solana의 재무 전략을 전면적으로 변혁할 것이라는 기대에 따른 것입니다.
세계 자산 가격 결정력의 흔들림과 비주권 안전 자산의 부활.
Vitalik이 Farcaster에서 Pump.fun 등의 프로젝트를 공개적으로 비판한 논란의 여지가 있는 발언은 Ethereum 커뮤니티와 Solana, Base 등의 외부 생태계에서 가치 갈등과 여론 충격을 촉발했습니다.
지금 우리가 겪고 있는 것은 시장 붕괴가 아니라 구조적 재조정입니다.
PANews로 슬기로운 뉴스를 놓치지 마세요
데이터 분석, 시각적 보고 산업 핫스팟
농담 문화에서 1조 달러 경주까지, Memecoin은 암호화폐 시장의 필수적인 부분이 되었습니다. 이 Memecoin 슈퍼 사이클에서 어떻게 기회를 잡을 수 있을까요?
암호화폐 유명인과의 독점 인터뷰, 독특한 관찰과 통찰력 공유
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Ethereum's Pectra upgrade is expected to be completed by April 30
Photo Credit: Unsplash/ Shubham Dhiman
Ethereum, touted as the most commercial blockchain in existence, is set to undergo a significant upgrade in the coming days. Dubbed “Pectra”, the upgrade is aimed at improving Ethereum's efficiency, stability, and usability. Initially, the upgrade was slated to be completed around early April, however, owing to the ongoing tests on the upgrade its deployment has been pushed by some days. According to Tim Beiko, who runs the core protocol meetings for Ethereum, the upgrade could be completed by April 30.
Pectra's introduction to Ethereum will improve the blockchain's ability to augment accounts and upgrade the experience for its validators, as per an official blog from Ethereum. It will also expand Ethereum's scalability range for the supported Layer-2 blockchains like Arbitrum, Base, and Polygon among others.
With Pectra, Ethereum users will be able to replace traditional private key-controlled accounts with programmable smart contracts for greater flexibility and security. This will notably advance Ethereum's “account abstraction” features.
Explaining the feature, Ethereum said it represented “a major step toward widespread account abstraction, enabling users to enhance their Externally Owned Accounts (EOAs) with smart contract functionality.
“This hybrid approach combines the simplicity of EOAs with the programmability of contract-based accounts,” the blog post read.
Through the feature, users will be able to execute multiple operations within a single transaction. This will eliminate the need to execute separate transactions for transaction approvals and token swapping.
Another significant feature that will come with Pectra is the “Gas Sponsorship”. Essentially, users will be able to process gas fee payments through other crypto tokens instead of accepting only ETH tokens.
For network validators, Pectra will introduce profitable rewards. “Pectra raises the maximum balance a validator can receive rewards on from 32 ETH to 2048 ETH, through an opt-in update of withdrawal credential type. For smaller stakers, this enables automatic reward compounding. Both existing and new validators can be configured to earn rewards on the entirety of their stake, up to 2048 ETH per validator,” the network explained.
Beiko has posted more details on the upcoming upgrade on X.
EIPs 6110, 7002 and 7251 improve validator UX by removing the delay between deposits on the EL and the CL queue (a PoW artifact), allowing EL addresses to trigger withdrawals (reduced trust assumptions) and increasing validators' max effective balance (compounding rewards!) pic.twitter.com/X5PyAmJAGr
The word "Pectra" has been explained as the combination of Prague, the location of Devcon IV, and Electra, a blue-white giant star in the constellation of Taurus. Its testnet was activated on February 24.
In March 2024, Ethereum had undergone the Dencun upgrade. It was aimed at lowering the expenses for the Ethereum-supported Layer 2 networks.
Before that, Ethereum had completed its Shanghai upgrade in April 2023. That upgrade started allowing validators to withdraw their staked ETH tokens on the PoS network.
In 2022, Ethereum saw one of its biggest upgrades when its consensus shifted from energy-intensive Proof of Work (PoW) mechanism to the eco-friendly Proof of Stake (PoS). This upgrade was called the “Merge”.
Cryptocurrency Prices across Indian exchanges
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According to PeckShieldAlert, an Ethereum ICO participant has transferred 1,000 ETH, approximately valued at $1.6 million, to the Kraken exchange. This movement, reportedly linked to the address associated with @rovercrc, could indicate a potential sell-off or strategic repositioning. Traders should monitor Kraken's ETH order book for potential impacts on liquidity and price volatility, as such large transfers can significantly influence market sentiment.
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Bitcoin's recent surge, briefly surpassing $87,700, follows a weakening U.S. dollar and speculation around upcoming Treasury buybacks. Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX and CIO of Maelstrom, predicted this could be the “last chance” to buy Bitcoin for less than $100,000, as the U.S. Treasury repurchasing its own debt may inject more liquidity into the market. Hayes referred to these buybacks as a “bazooka” for Bitcoin's price, which could push it well past the $100,000 barrier.
The rise in Bitcoin's price has also been supported by macroeconomic conditions, including the weakening U.S. dollar, which reached its lowest point since March 2022. As the dollar drops, Bitcoin becomes more attractive to investors seeking a hedge.
This sentiment is further amplified by a growing correlation with gold, which has risen nearly 30% this year. Ryan Lee, Chief Analyst at Bitget Research, emphasized that a “descending wedge breakout” in Bitcoin's technical chart supports this bullish narrative.
Global institutional interest in Bitcoin remains strong. Despite recent volatility, investment firms from Japan and the U.K. have continued to pour capital into the cryptocurrency, signaling ongoing trust in Bitcoin's long-term potential. As Bitcoin's price nears the $90,000 resistance level, analysts like Jamie Coutts from Real Vision forecast the cryptocurrency could climb as high as $132,000 by year-end, driven by expanding fiat money supply (M2). Coutts' projection aligns with predictions from economist Timothy Peterson, who suggests Bitcoin could reach $138,000 within three months, considering similar market patterns in the past.
As Bitcoin's price movements gain momentum, the political climate adds another layer of uncertainty. President Donald Trump's calls to oust Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell have increased expectations of a potential rate cut, which could further weaken the dollar and benefit Bitcoin's rally. The implications of this political pressure, combined with the ongoing macroeconomic factors, could set the stage for Bitcoin's continued ascent.
Despite the bullish outlook, some analysts remain cautious. Michaël van de Poppe warned that weekend price rallies can be misleading and that Bitcoin may experience a dip before breaking through significant resistance levels. The next major hurdle is seen around $91,000, and until this level is surpassed, short-term price corrections may still occur.
The convergence of weakening fiat currencies, rising institutional support, and Treasury buybacks creates a potentially favorable environment for Bitcoin's price to continue its upward trajectory toward $100,000 and beyond.
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With a recent significant technical advance, Shiba Inu may be about to start a long-awaited bull run. The 50-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA), a crucial resistance level that frequently serves as the first gate to trend reversals, has finally been reached by SHIB after weeks of consolidation and muted price action. SHIB has increased by almost 3% on the day and is currently trading at about $0.0000127, indicating a change in sentiment.
Together with increasing volume, the breakout above the 50 EMA points to a rise in market participants' confidence. The asset is now in a position to test the 100 EMA and possibly target the 200 EMA, which is located close to the $0.0000166 zone, according to this move. Above all, this breakout is consistent with a larger pattern observed on the cryptocurrency market.
Major EMAs have been regained by Bitcoin, and Ethereum is recovering with increasing whale accumulation. Memes like SHIB may benefit from the resurgence of market optimism as the macro environment improves and momentum shifts back toward riskier assets. Now at 54, the RSI is rising gradually but is still well outside of overbought territory. This provides SHIB with a great deal of technical leeway to keep rising without encouraging unwarranted profit-taking.
Related
Mon, 04/21/2025 - 15:33
Bitcoin to $100,000? Last Chance to Buy Might Be Now, Says Hayes
Gamza Khanzadaev
If momentum continues, $0.0000148 will be the next significant resistance, and then the psychologically significant $0.000017 level will follow. It is critical to keep support above the 50 EMA in the short term. SHIB will probably draw more inflows from traders and investors, hoping for a longer-term breakout if it can stay above this line. It appears that a new bullish phase for Shiba Inu may be about to begin. SHIB may finally emerge from its months-long decline if the general market rally continues and a true bull run could be in the works.
With the second-largest cryptocurrency by market capitalization rising by almost 4% to approximately $1,700, Ethereum is finally reviving. Following weeks of poor performance, ETH's abrupt upward move has boosted investor confidence, particularly since it coincides with a pronounced whale accumulation trend. In the past 10 hours, a well-known whale has taken out another 1,897 ETH or roughly $3 million from Bitget, according to on-chain data.
Related
Mon, 04/21/2025 - 15:33
Bitcoin to $100,000? Last Chance to Buy Might Be Now, Says Hayes
Gamza Khanzadaev
In addition this whale has been accumulating 3,844 ETH (~$6. 5 million) since the spree started on April 3. These behaviors indicate sustained faith in Ethereum's value proposition and frequently come before price rallies. Technically, Ethereum is testing its 50 EMA, which is currently hovering around $1,884 after breaking out of a local symmetrical triangle. This level is crucial because a clear breakout above it might pave the way for a retest of the 100 EMA at $2,229, though that still seems far off.
With rising volume and an RSI of 46 to 45, it appears that momentum is building without yet reaching overbought conditions. Even so, Ethereum is still technically weaker than some of its main rivals, such as Bitcoin, and even meme coins like Shiba Inu, which have conquered significant resistance levels like the 50 EMA. In terms of recovering its long-term moving averages, particularly the 200 EMA — which is significantly higher than its current levels — ETH is still lagging behind.
Bitcoin just made a strong move that could pave the way for the elusive $100,000 milestone and rekindle bullish optimism. The 200-day EMA and the 100-day EMA were both confidently broken by Bitcoin as it soared over 2.7% on the daily chart. This technical move greatly enhances the cryptocurrency's short-term outlook.
The 50-day EMA (black) and overhead moving averages were sandwiched between Bitcoin's consolidation just below significant resistance levels before this spike. Because of this range-bound behavior, there was uncertainty and potential for volatility to the downside. However, the abrupt upswing above $87,000 bolstered by increasing volume indicates that buyers have taken back control and that Bitcoin is once again gaining ground.
Related
Mon, 04/21/2025 - 11:58
Breaking: Strategy Buys $556 Million Worth of Bitcoin (BTC)
Alex Dovbnya
The death cross — a bearish crossover between short- and long-term EMAs — that was looming on the charts is invalidated by this breakout from a structural standpoint. Bitcoin's recovery of key technical levels has reduced significant downside risks and created the possibility of a long-term rally, assuming bullish momentum holds.
Another indication that Bitcoin may have space to extend gains is the RSI's recent ascent above 58, which puts it into bullish territory while remaining far from overbought. Bitcoin might test $90,000 in the near future and keep moving toward the psychologically significant $100,000 mark during the next macro wave if the current rally holds.
Traders should be on the lookout for possible rejection, though, in the $90,000-$92,000 resistance zone, where profit-taking could lead to brief pullbacks. Nevertheless, the general trend is becoming more positive.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are not investment advice; they are provided for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed by our writers are their own and do not represent the views of U.Today. Every investment and all trading involves risk, so you should always perform your own research prior to making decisions. U.Today is not liable for any financial losses incurred while trading cryptocurrencies. We do not recommend investing money you cannot afford to lose.
The stunning ancient symbols shed light on a forgotten chapter in religious history.
This story is a collaboration with Biography.com.
The Last Supper is one of the most venerated events in the story of the Christian faith.
Depicted in all three Synoptic Gospels of Mark, Luke, Matthew, and the Gospel of John (though this latter account creates issues with the established timeline), it's at this meal that Jesus Christ purportedly reveals his foreknowledge of Judas Iscariot's betrayal (“But the hand of him who is going to betray me is with mine on the table,” Luke 22:21), and where, through the symbolic consumption of bread and wine, Jesus establishes the tradition of the Eucharist:
Though no Gospel provides a precise location for the site of The Last Supper—only that disciples were led by a man in the city to “a large upper room furnished and ready” (Mark 14:13-15)— later tradition would hold that the event occurred on Mount Sinai, outside the Old City of Jerusalem.
The site of Jesus's Last Supper itself likely originally held a synagogue. But after what Heritage Daily describes as “cycles of destruction and reconstruction,” there came to be, in the time of the Crusades, a structure built referred to as the Cenacle, which still stands to this day.
The Cenacle has attracted religious pilgrims for centuries, from impoverished worshippers to kings and conquerors. And now, a study published in Studium Biblicum Franciscanum has revealed that some of those pilgrims left messages behind on the very walls that surround this sacred site.
In the study, scientists deployed advanced digital photography within the confines of the Cenacle and discovered “hidden inscriptions, coats of arms, and sketches etched into the Cenacle's centuries-old stone,” per Heritage Daily.
The inscriptions included one that belonged to Johannes Poloner of Regensburg, sometimes written as John Poloner. He is known to have visited the site, having chronicled his travels in the 1421-1422 work John Poloner's Description of the Holy Land, wherein he wrote of the Cenacle:
The scientists also identified “coats of arms belonging to Tristram von Teuffenbach, a Styrian nobleman who was part of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem in 1436, led by Archduke Frederick of Habsburg (later the Holy Roman Emperor),” according to Heritage Daily, as well as an inscription that read “Christmas 1300.” They assessed it as being written “in a style typical of Armenian nobility.”
If true, this lends credence to the widely held belief that the Armenian king Het'um II and his forces entered Jerusalem after fighting alongside the Kingdom of Georgia and the Mongol Ilkhanate to defeat the Mamluks in Syria on December 22, 1299 in the Battle of Wad al-Khaznadar.
None of these inscriptions definitively proves that this site was the location of the Last Supper; the area's history of relentless destruction and reconstruction makes that practically impossible to confirm. But, as study coauthor Ilya Berkovich points out, a discovery like this can broaden our understanding of the places made sacred by centuries of tradition.
“These graffiti shed new light on the geographical diversity and international pilgrimage movement to Jerusalem in the Middle Ages,” Berkovich told Heritage Daily, “far beyond the Western-dominated research perspective.”
Michale Natale is a News Editor for the Hearst Enthusiast Group. As a writer and researcher, he has produced written and audio-visual content for more than fifteen years, spanning historical periods from the dawn of early man to the Golden Age of Hollywood. His stories for the Enthusiast Group have involved coordinating with organizations like the National Parks Service and the Secret Service, and travelling to notable historical sites and archaeological digs, from excavations of America' earliest colonies to the former homes of Edgar Allan Poe.
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Engineering and characterizing proteins can be time-consuming and cumbersome, motivating the development of generalist CRISPR-Cas enzymes1–4 to enable diverse genome editing applications. However, such enzymes have caveats such as an increased risk of off-target editing3,5,6. To enable scalable reprogramming of Cas9 enzymes, here we combined high-throughput protein engineering with machine learning (ML) to derive bespoke editors more uniquely suited to specific targets. Via structure/function-informed saturation mutagenesis and bacterial selections, we obtained nearly 1,000 engineered SpCas9 enzymes and characterized their protospacer-adjacent motif7 (PAM) requirements to train a neural network that relates amino acid sequence to PAM specificity. By utilizing the resulting PAM ML algorithm (PAMmla) to predict the PAMs of 64 million SpCas9 enzymes, we identified efficacious and specific enzymes that outperform evolution-based and engineered SpCas9 enzymes as nucleases and base editors in human cells while reducing off-targets. An in silico directed evolution method enables user-directed Cas9 enzyme design, including for allele-selective targeting of the RHO P23H allele in human cells and mice. Together, PAMmla integrates ML and protein engineering to curate a catalog of SpCas9 enzymes with distinct PAM requirements, and motivates the use of efficient and safe bespoke Cas9 enzymes instead of generalist enzymes for various applications.
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These authors contributed equally: Nahye Kim, Ann-Sophie Kroell
PhD Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Rachel A. Silverstein & Aviv D. Spinner
Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Rachel A. Silverstein, Nahye Kim, Ann-Sophie Kroell, Russell T. Walton, Blaire K. Smith, Kathleen A. Christie, Leillani L. Ha & Benjamin P. Kleinstiver
Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
Rachel A. Silverstein, Nahye Kim, Ann-Sophie Kroell, Russell T. Walton, Blaire K. Smith, Kathleen A. Christie, Leillani L. Ha & Benjamin P. Kleinstiver
Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Nahye Kim, Kathleen A. Christie, Luca Pinello & Benjamin P. Kleinstiver
Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology (IPMB), Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
Ann-Sophie Kroell
Department of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Justin Delano
Molecular Pathology Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
Justin Delano & Luca Pinello
Krantz Family Center for Cancer Research, Massachusetts General Hospital Charlestown, Charlestown, MA, USA
Justin Delano & Luca Pinello
Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
Justin Delano, Debora S. Marks & Luca Pinello
Ocular Genomics Institute, Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Boston, MA, USA
Rossano M. Butcher & Qin Liu
Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Rossano M. Butcher & Qin Liu
Laboratory of Protein Design and Immunoengineering, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
Martin Pacesa & Bruno E. Correia
CELLSCRIPTTM, Madison, WI, USA
Ronald J. Meis, Aaron B. Clark & Gary A. Dahl
Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, USA
Cicera R. Lazzarotto, Yichao Li, Azusa Matsubara, Elizabeth O. Urbina & Shengdar Q. Tsai
Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
Aviv D. Spinner & Debora S. Marks
Laboratory of Clinical Immunology and Microbiology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
Suk See De Ravin
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Correspondence to
Benjamin P. Kleinstiver.
This file contains Supplementary Notes 1-13, Supplementary Figures 1-19, and Supplementary References.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-09021-y
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The U.S. is losing the hypersonic arms race to China—but a formidable, new weapon could change the game.
When the U.S. Navy's newest and most advanced aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford deployed for the first time in October 2022, analysts expressed concern that the $13.3 billion behemoth was dead on arrival. Standing nine stories above the waterline, complete with a five-acre flight deck and capacity for four squadrons of fighter jets, the ship instantly became the largest and most expensive to ever sail—a formidable platform projecting American naval superiority and American naval vulnerability.
Despite all of her technical prowess, Ford is faced with a harsh reality: over the last two decades, China's hypersonic missile technology has far outpaced America's. Beijing has “the world's leading hypersonic missile arsenal,” according to a December 2024 report from the U.S. Department of Defense—and it only takes one successful anti-ship missile strike to destroy even the most powerful floating air base.
In the event that China makes an amphibious landing on Taiwan, which experts expect will take place by 2027, China's suite of hypersonic missiles “can take out our 10 aircraft carriers in the first 20 minutes of a conflict,” U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said in a November interview that has recently resurfaced. “China is building an army specifically designed to destroy the U.S.,” Hegseth continued.
These assertions fall in line with the Pentagon's priority of developing Navy laser weapons that can neutralize the hypersonic threat. Ford is equipped to support about two dozen emerging technologies, and if a true laser weapon were among them, the thinking goes, the lasers would fire at the speed of light, negating the effect of hypersonics, which fly at speeds greater than five times the speed of sound.
Consider the DF-17, a medium-range Chinese hypersonic missile that can reportedly reach speeds of Mach 10 (10 times the speed of sound) and attack from more than 1,500 miles away. This missile does not fly in a conventional arc, but remains highly maneuverable as it reenters the atmosphere, meaning it can change its trajectory and direction while in flight. A weapon of this caliber is unpredictable and, therefore, more difficult to intercept. But a laser weapon powered by Ford's advanced A1B nuclear reactors could fire thousands or tens of thousands of times at a weapon like DF-17, tracking and targeting it better than conventional missiles.
Laser weapons would also have a never-ending magazine, as they can theoretically fire for as long as the ship has power. The economics play out well, too. According to estimates from the Congressional Research Service, it will cost between $1 and $10 to fire a high-powered laser as compared to the $1 million to $10 million that a defensive missile costs.
That said, the United States is still years away from a reliable, high-powered laser weapon capable of taking out hypersonic missiles.
In 2014, the U.S. Navy conducted its first sea trials with a laser weapon after installing the 33-kilowatt AN/SEQ-3 Laser Weapon System (LaWS) on the amphibious transport ship USS Ponce. In one test, the laser tracked and locked in on a small inflatable speedboat with replica cannons and a dummy driver before silently firing an invisible ray of dancing atoms at the speed of light, causing the cannons to explode. In another test, LaWs destroyed a drone launched from the deck of a nearby ship, sending its fiery body toward the sea. However, due to operational issues, LaWs never saw mass production.
Five years later, the Navy tested a laser five times more powerful than LaWs. It installed the 150-kilowatt Laser Weapons System Demonstrator on the amphibious transport ship USS Portland. In sea trials, the laser successfully engaged a static training target. The laser was removed from the ship in 2023, and the service has not requested further funding for the program.
Then, in August 2022, the Navy installed its first permanent laser on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Preble. Known as HELIOS (short for High-Energy Laser with Integrated Optical Dazzler and Surveillance), the 60-kilowatt laser integrates with the ship's AEGIS radar and weapons control system. Its developer, Lockheed Martin, says it could eventually scale to 150 kilowatts to take out drones and small boats. During a weapons test in 2024, HELIOS zapped an aerial drone, according to a January report from the Office of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation. It did not include specifics on the date or time of deployment.But to thwart a hypersonic missile, the Navy needs something much more powerful on the order of 300 kilowatts. Enter HELCAP, the High Energy Laser Counter-Anti-Ship Cruise Missile Program. The Navy transferred its research from the Laser Weapons System Demonstrator program to the HELCAP program, which will “expedite the development, experimentation, integration and demonstration of critical technologies to defeat crossing Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles (ASCM) by addressing the remaining technical challenges,” according to the service's fiscal year 2025 budget submission.
Even HELCAP won't be strong enough to destroy an anti-ship hypersonic missile, though. That will take a 1-megawatt laser, the Pentagon believes—and it can't come soon enough.
For her part, Ford is a transformational aircraft carrier that will serve well into the 2050s with next-generation technologies that we haven't yet seen. But given the proliferation of weapons like DF-17, she is perhaps more vulnerable now than her contemporaries have been in the last 80 years. If the Navy can expedite development of a high-power ship-mounted laser weapon—a HELCAP+, if you will—before China invades Taiwan, Ford may sail the seas without a worthy opponent to fear.
Before joining Pop Mech, Courtney was the technology reporter at her hometown newspaper, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. She is a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, where she studied English and economics. Her favorite topics include, but are not limited to: the giant squid, punk rock, and robotics. She lives in Philadelphia with her husband, her black cat, and towers upon towers of books.
China's Aircraft Carriers Are Rapidly Evolving
China's New Barges Are Unlike Any Other Ship
How Tech Bros Almost Killed America's New Fighter
Is America's Hypersonic Missile Finally Ready?
The ‘Space Laser' Wars Have Begun
The World's First ‘Fighter Drones' Are Coming
We're Already Fighting the World's First AI War
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In recent years, the gut microbiota and derived metabolites have emerged as relevant players in modulating several brain functions, including energy balance control1,2,3. This form of distant communication mirrors that of metabolic hormones (for example, leptin, ghrelin), which convey information about the organism's energy status by exerting effects on diverse brain regions, including the master homeostatic centre, the hypothalamus4. However, whether the hypothalamus is also able to influence gut microbiota composition remains enigmatic. Here we present a study designed to unravel this challenging question. To this aim, we used chemogenetics5 (to selectively activate or inhibit hypothalamic pro-opiomelanocortin or agouti-related peptide neurons) or centrally administered leptin or ghrelin to male mice. Subsequently, we conducted microbiota composition analysis throughout the gut using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Our results showed that these brain interventions significantly changed the gut microbiota in an anatomical and short-term (2–4 h) fashion. Transcriptomic analysis indicated that these changes were associated with the reconfiguration of neuronal and synaptic pathways in the duodenum concomitant with increased sympathetic tone. Interestingly, diet-induced obesity attenuated the brain-mediated changes triggered by leptin in gut microbiota communities and sympathetic activation. Our findings reveal a previously unanticipated brain–gut axis that acutely attunes microbiota composition on fast timescales, with potential implications for meal-to-meal adjustments and systemic energy balance control.
Over the last two decades, many studies have shown that changing the gut microbiota composition has the potential to positively influence the progression of several diseases1. Therefore, the gut microbiota is emerging as a crucial determinant for the maintenance and promotion of host homeostasis and health1. This bacterial ecosystem is a complex and dynamic entity that produces many active compounds that are involved in a wide range of organismal functions. In the context of energy balance, the availability and abundance of different bacterial-derived metabolites (for example, short-chain fatty acids, bile acid derivatives, endocannabinoids) may profoundly influence host metabolism and feeding behaviour via diverse brain mechanisms1,2,6. Indeed, the interaction of these metabolites with G protein-coupled receptors of enteroendocrine cells promotes indirect signalling to the brain through the release of gut hormones (glucagon-like peptide-1, peptide YY) and neurotransmitters (γ-aminobutyric acid, serotonin)1. Furthermore, growing evidence suggests that many bacterial-derived metabolites reach the bloodstream and exert direct effects on distal organs, including the brain7. Collectively, these data indicate that certain metabolites produced by intestinal bacterial communities contribute to fine-tuning inflammation, glucose and lipid metabolism, and appetite via the so-called microbiota–gut–brain axis3.
This mode of communication used by the gut microbiota mirrors the strategies used by metabolic organs (stomach, white adipose tissue or pancreatic beta cells, among others), which secrete hormones (ghrelin, leptin and insulin, respectively) that signal the whole-body energy status to the brain4. In turn, the brain integrates this information and orchestrates a range of adaptive mechanisms. For example, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) and agouti-related peptide (AgRP) neurons located in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus can sense and amalgamate multiple dynamic cues conveyed by metabolic hormones (ghrelin, leptin), nutrients and sensory inputs4. According to this information, these neurons co-ordinately modulate appetite, energy expenditure and glucose and lipid metabolism via the autonomic regulation of peripheral tissues, thus adjusting overall energy balance and metabolism4. On this basis, the brain also communicates with the gut and regulates key gastrointestinal functions (motility, permeability, pH, mucus production, immune response)8. However, whether the brain is also able to influence gut microbiota composition remains enigmatic.
This study was designed to unravel this challenging hypothesis. Our results unequivocally show that acute modulation of POMC or AgRP neuronal activity via chemogenetics, as well as the central delivery of the metabolic hormones ghrelin and leptin, changes gut microbiota composition in a short-term and anatomically specific fashion. Together, our findings reveal a new and unexpected brain–gut axis that acutely attunes microbiota composition on rapid timescales, with potential implications for meal–meal adjustments and systemic energy balance control. These observations represent a paradigm shift because they introduce the brain as an active modulator of microbiome plasticity and composition in response to metabolic signals.
To initially assess whether the brain influences gut microbiota composition, we chemogenetically modulated the activity of hypothalamic AgRP and POMC neurons. These populations of neurons are plausible candidates to mediate brain–gut communication because of their crucial role in systemic metabolic control4. To this aim, we used designer receptors exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADD) technology5. AgRPCre/+9 or POMCCre/+10 mice, as well as AgRP+/+ or POMC+/+ as controls, were bilaterally injected with an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector encoding excitatory hM3Dq (AAV8-hSYN-DIO-hM3D(Gq)-mCherry) or inhibitory hM4Di (AAV8-hSYN-DIO-hM4D(Gi)-mCherry) DREADDs in the ARC (Fig. 1a). Subsequent studies were conducted 3 weeks later to ensure adequate AAV expression. Validation of the fidelity of AAV infection and the effectiveness of DREADD performance on AgRP and POMC neurons was confirmed via immunofluorescence studies (Extended Data Fig. 1a–h).
a, Diagram illustrating the approach to express the excitatory (hM3Dq) or inhibitory (hM4Di) DREADDs in AgRP and POMC neurons. b, Schematic representation of the data processing and analysis workflow. c,d, Microbial α-diversity (Shannon index) of gut microbiota from vehicle and AgRP neuron-activated mice and vehicle (c) and AgRP neuron-inhibited mice 2 or 4 h after CNO injection (d). Sample sizes in c: 2 h control n = 7 in the duodenum, jejunum and caecum, and n = 6 in the ileum; 2 h activated n = 8 in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, and n = 6 in the caecum; 4 h control n = 8 in duodenum and jejunum, and n = 7 in the ileum and n = 6 in the caecum; 4 h activated n = 8 in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum and caecum. Sample sizes in d: 2 h control n = 7 per gut section; 2 h inhibited n = 9 per gut section; 4 h control n = 7 per gut section; 4 h inhibited n = 8 in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, and n = 7 in the caecum. e,f, Microbial α-diversity (Shannon index) of gut microbiota from vehicle and POMC neuron-activated mice (e) and vehicle and POMC neuron-inhibited mice (f) 2 or 4 h after CNO injection. Sample sizes in e: 2 h control n = 7 per gut section; 2 h activated n = 8 per gut section; 4 h control n = 8 per gut section; 4 h activated n = 8 per gut section. Sample sizes in f: 2 h control n = 7 in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, and n = 6 in the caecum; 2 h inhibited n = 9 per gut section; 4 h control n = 7 per gut section; 4 h inhibited n = 7 in the duodenum, jejunum and ileum, and n = 6 in the caecum. *q = 0.0212. All box plots display the range from the first to the third quartile (box) and the median (centre line), while the whiskers extend to the minimum and maximum values. Statistical significance was determined using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), followed by false discovery rate (FDR) adjustment. g, Heatmap representations from the ANCOM-BC analysis at the family level. Data are represented by the effect size (log fold change). Microbial taxa with statistically significant differences between the control and treated group at 2 and 4 h after CNO injection in specific gut sections are shown. Stars indicate statistically significant differences compared to the control group; q values for the differences depicted in the heatmaps are provided in Supplementary Table 1.
Source data
The DREADD ligand clozapine N-oxide (CNO) was administered to selectively activate or inhibit POMC or AgRP neurons; gut luminal contents from four anatomically distinct segments (duodenum, jejunum, ileum and caecum) were collected 2 and 4 h later, followed by gut microbiota analysis (Fig. 1a). To assess how the composition of microbial communities changed upon brain manipulations, we implemented a tailored metagenomic profiling and statistical analysis pipeline (Fig. 1b). Microbiota community richness and evenness was evaluated according to the α-diversity using the Shannon index. We observed that modulation of the activity of AgRP or POMC neurons did not significantly modify this parameter (Fig. 1c–f). Beta diversity analysis was performed to obtain the differential abundant taxa using the analysis of compositions of microbiomes with bias correction (ANCOM-BC) method11. Stimulation of AgRP neurons resulted in minor changes in the bacterial profile (Fig. 1g), while inhibition also induced slight changes in the gut microbiota composition of the jejunum and caecum (Fig. 1g). In contrast, activation of POMC neurons predominantly increased or decreased several bacterial families in the duodenum, while inhibition significantly affected bacterial families in the jejunum, ileum and caecum (Fig. 1g). These changes in microbiome composition were not due to alterations in gut motility (Extended Data Fig. 2a–e). Collectively, our findings suggest that the acute chemogenetic manipulation of key populations of hypothalamic neurons (particularly POMC neurons) results in rapid changes in gut microbiota composition independent of food intake.
To investigate these findings under a more physiological context, we implemented two complementary strategies that progressed with the modulation of hypothalamic AgRP and POMC neurons: (1) sensory perception of food12,13,14,15 and (2) central administration of metabolic hormones (that is, ghrelin and leptin)4,12,16. Regarding the sensory aspect, overnight fasted C57BL/6J mice were exposed either to a caged inedible object (a wood dowel) or a caged food pellet that could be seen and smelled but not consumed (Fig. 2a). Mice were euthanized at a shorter time interval (1 h later), compatible with the acute food sensory effects on hypothalamic neurons12,13,14,15; luminal contents were obtained from the diverse gut regions for microbiota analysis. The diversity of the microbial communities was similar between experimental groups (Fig. 2b). Similarly, sensory detection of food did not cause changes in gut microbiota composition in any of the intestinal segments assessed (Fig. 2c). These results indicate that transient fluctuations in AgRP and POMC neuron activity in response to food perception are insufficient to influence the gut microbiome, suggesting that more sustained or intense stimuli may be required to induce noticeable changes. Nevertheless, we cannot exclude that the timing of sample collection could be contributing to the absence of changes in microbiota composition under these experimental conditions.
a, Schematic representation of the food sensory perception paradigm. b, Microbial α-diversity (Shannon index) of gut microbiota from mice exposed to an inedible object (n = 6 samples per gut section) or inaccessible food pellet for 60 min (n = 7 samples per gut section). The box plot displays the range from the first to the third quartile (box) and the median (centre line), while the whiskers extend to the minimum and maximum values. Statistical significance was determined using a one-way ANOVA, followed by FDR adjustment. c, Heatmap representation from the ANCOM-BC analysis at the family level. Data are represented according to the effect size (log fold change). Stars indicate microbial taxa with statistically significant differences (*q = 0.0144) between an inedible object and an inaccessible food pellet after 60 min of exposure.
Source data
Next, we examined the effects of ghrelin and leptin, which are canonical metabolic hormones with opposite functions regarding energy homeostasis16. To do so, we administered saline, leptin or ghrelin into the lateral ventricle of the brain of 8-week-old C57BL/6J mice (Fig. 3a). Validation of hormonal interventions was confirmed via FOS staining in hypothalamic sections (Extended Data Fig. 3a,b). Luminal contents from the duodenum, jejunum, ileum and caecum were collected 2 and 4 h after the injection (Fig. 3a). While ghrelin-associated α-diversity showed no significant differences between groups, leptin treatment led to significant changes in this parameter in certain gut regions (Fig. 3b,c). For β-diversity, similar to AgRP neuronal activation, ghrelin resulted in modest alterations in bacterial families (Fig. 3d). In contrast, leptin treatment led to notable variations in the composition of the microbiota across the various intestinal sections analysed. Indeed, changes were primarily observed in the ileum and caecum after 2 h of treatment, whereas the main changes at 4 h were evident in the duodenum (Fig. 3d). The latter anatomical changes were reminiscent of the effects seen after POMC neuronal activation. Interestingly, while ghrelin did not significantly affect gut motility, central leptin administration strongly inhibited this parameter (Extended Data Fig. 4a–e). Altogether, these results suggest that satiety signals contribute to reshaping the bacterial composition of the gut in a swift and anatomically selective manner. In the case of leptin, part of these changes may be the consequence of alterations in gut transit. This aligns with previous studies showing that leptin influences gastrointestinal motility17, which can in turn affect microbial communities and dynamics in the gut.
a, Schematic representation of the experimental outline for brain delivery of leptin and ghrelin. b,c, Microbial α-diversity (Shannon index) of gut microbiota from mice treated with ICV ghrelin (b) or leptin (c) at 2 or 4 h after treatment. Sample sizes in b: 2 h vehicle n = 9 per gut section; 2 h ghrelin n = 10 per gut section; 4 h vehicle and ghrelin n = 10 per gut section. Sample sizes in c: 2 h vehicle n = 8 per gut section; 2 h leptin n = 7 in the duodenum, jejunum and caecum, and n = 8 in the ileum; 4 h vehicle and leptin n = 8 in the duodenum, jejunum and caecum, and n = 7 in the ileum; 2 h (ileum, **q = 0.0036; caecum, *q = 0.0101); 4 h (duodenum, *q = 0.0152; jejunum, *q = 0.0269). All box plots display the range from the first to the third quartile (box) and the median (centre line), while the whiskers extend to the minimum and maximum values. Statistical significance was determined using a one-way ANOVA, followed by FDR adjustment. d, Heatmap representations from the ANCOM-BC analysis at the family level. Microbial taxa with statistically significant differences between control and treated group at 2 and 4 h after treatment in specific gut sections are shown. Data are represented by the effect size (log fold change). Stars indicate statistically significantly differences compared to the control group; q values for the differences depicted in the heatmaps are provided in Supplementary Table 1. e, Chord diagram where the width of the links represents the strength of the interaction between the treatment and the gut section in which the microbial changes are observed. AgRPact, activation of AgRP neurons; AgRPinh, inhibition of AgRP neurons; POMCact, activation of POMC neurons; POMCinh, inhibition of POMC neurons.
Source data
For a comprehensive overview and precise identification of interactions between diverse treatments and gut sections, we visualized differentially abundant taxa using a chord diagram (Fig. 3e). This analysis revealed that the most significant brain-induced effects on gut microbiota composition were observed in the duodenum and were mediated by both chemogenetic POMC neuron activation and central leptin (Fig. 3e). Therefore, we subsequently focused our attention on this specific gut segment and hormonal treatment.
Central leptin resistance is a hallmark of obesity16. To assess whether leptin resistance compromises the leptin-driven changes in the gut microbiota profile, we fed C57BL/6J mice with a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 consecutive weeks (Fig. 4a). As expected, this dietary regime caused significant weight gain, hyperglycaemia and plasma hyperleptinaemia (Extended Data Fig. 5a–c) indicative of leptin resistance. Notably, central leptin delivery in these animals (Fig. 4a) did not trigger the microbiota changes previously observed across the intestine of lean mice (Fig. 4b). No changes in α-diversity were observed (Extended Data Fig. 5d). Collectively, these results indicate that functional leptin signalling in the brain is required to drive short-term gut microbiota changes.
a, Schematic representing the experimental outline of central leptin treatment under HFD conditions. b, Heatmap representations from the ANCOM-BC analysis at the family level. Data are represented by the effect size (log fold change). Microbial taxa with statistically significant differences between vehicle-treated and leptin-treated groups in mice fed with standard diet (SD) (left heatmap) and mice fed with an HFD (right heatmap) at 2 and 4 h after treatment in specific gut sections are shown (n = 7–10 mice per group). Stars indicate statistically significant differences compared to the control group; q values for the differences depicted in the heatmaps are provided in Supplementary Table 1. c, Volcano plot displaying statistically significant differences in metabolites in the duodenal luminal content between mice centrally treated with vehicle or leptin (red, upregulated; blue, downregulated; black, no changes; n = 6 mice per group). d, Bar plot visualization of significantly changed metabolites (log2 fold change). e, Schematic representing the experimental outline of the antibiotic and central leptin treatment study. f, Sankey plot of the top 50 overrepresented GO pathways and related biological categories for the leptin versus vehicle groups comparing untreated (water, left) or antibiotic-treated (right) conditions (n = 6–14 mice per group). The GO pathways are ordered according to ascending P value. Details on GO categories and P values are provided in Supplementary Table 2. g,h, Adrenaline (g) and noradrenaline (h) levels in the duodenum of mice fed with standard or HFD 2 h after central leptin treatment. Sample sizes in g: vehicle (n = 6); leptin, vehicle HFD and leptin HFD (n = 8). Sample sizes in h: n = 8 per group. g,h, Data are represented as the mean ± s.e.m. *P = 0.0313, ***P = 0.0006, ****P < 0.0001. Statistical significance was determined using a two-way ANOVA followed by Tukey's test.
Source data
Changes in microbiota communities entail alterations in metabolic pathways and the production of metabolites that impact host health3. To define the metabolic and functional signatures of the microbial communities in the duodenum induced by central leptin administration, we used predictive tools of metagenome functions based on 16S rRNA sequencing data18,19. This analysis revealed 472 metabolic pathways, among which 79 exhibited significant differences (Extended Data Fig. 6). Most pathways reflected an enrichment in biosynthetic processes (amino acids, cofactors, carriers, vitamins, carbohydrates, lipids, precursor metabolites and energy) with few representations of degradative categories (Extended Data Fig. 6). It is important to note that some of the biochemical products of these pathways (for example, certain amino acids, acetate) have been associated with central acute effects on appetite in rodents20,21,22,23.
To validate these predictions, we performed liquid chromatography (LC)–tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) metabolomics on the duodenal content from mice centrally treated with vehicle or leptin. Vehicle and leptin samples formed distinct clusters (Extended Data Fig. 7a). We identified 89 metabolites, 19 of which were significantly altered between groups (Fig. 4c,d). Leptin treatment notably increased amino acids and related metabolites (Fig. 4d), partially validating functional predictions for amino acid metabolism (Extended Data Fig. 6). Additionally, metabolites such as pyridoxic acid, trigonelline, pantothenic acid and riboflavin (Fig. 4d) support microbial contributions to vitamin biosynthesis pathways predicted by Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States (PICRUSt2) plug-in (Extended Data Fig. 6).
We next evaluated the neuroactive potential of the gut microbiota, after central leptin intervention, by examining the presence of gut–brain modules (GBMs) involved in the synthesis or degradation of neuroactive compounds24. Our findings revealed that intracerebroventricular (ICV) leptin administration was associated with reduced representation of several GBMs, including those involved in neurotransmitter synthesis (for example, γ-aminobutyric acid and glutamate) and the production of neuroactive metabolites (for example, quinolinic acid, vitamin K2 and p-cresol) (Extended Data Fig. 7b). While highly speculative, these results suggest that activation of the brain–gut–microbiota axis via ICV leptin administration may transiently attenuate the reciprocal communication from the microbiota to the brain.
In an attempt to unveil potential mechanisms mediating the rapid reconfiguration of gut microbiota composition after central leptin delivery, we conducted RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) analysis of the duodenum under this experimental condition. We also included an antibiotic treatment to isolate the effects of the microbiota on transcriptomic changes. We concentrated on the 2-h time point, assuming that potential transcriptomic changes in the duodenum should precede any alterations in microbiota if they are causally linked (Fig. 4e). To gain insights into the functional characteristics and biological implications of central leptin administration across all experimental groups, we conducted a Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the transcriptomic dataset. This uncovered a significant enrichment of common pathways between the control (water) and antibiotic treatment groups after ICV leptin administration, including ‘Neuronal signalling and synaptic processes', ‘Cellular signalling, transport and ion regulation', ‘Developmental and differentiation processes' and ‘Hormonal regulation, blood circulation and metabolism' (Fig. 4f). Additionally, leptin administration enhanced pathways related to ‘Immune response and antigen processing' in the antibiotic-treated group (Fig. 4f). These results indicate that central leptin delivery engages in neuronal communication processes in the duodenum independently of the gut microbiota, underscoring the establishment of dynamic brain–gut communication mechanisms.
The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) has a crucial role in regulating diverse metabolic functions that are essential for maintaining energy balance and physiological homeostasis25. In particular, the melanocortin system and leptin signalling influence the function of several peripheral tissues via the SNS26,27. Sympathetic neurons signal, via catecholamines (mainly adrenaline and noradrenaline), to α-adrenergic or β-adrenergic receptors in target cells. In this context, we next set out to determine whether central leptin modulates the duodenal content of adrenaline and noradrenaline. We found that while leptin did not change the concentration of noradrenaline in the duodenum 2 h after administration, it increased adrenaline levels (Fig. 4g,h), suggesting increased duodenal sympathetic tone. This is congruent with the transcriptomic data, reflecting the recruitment of pathways related to neuronal signalling and synaptic transmission (Fig. 4f). Interestingly, mice fed with an HFD did not exhibit a rise in duodenal adrenaline induced by central leptin (Fig. 4g). These results suggest that intact leptin signalling is necessary to mediate brain–gut sympathetic communication. This aligns with the attenuated changes in microbiota composition previously observed under the HFD regime (Fig. 4b).
This study represents a new standpoint and a paradigm shift in microbiota biology and metabolic research for several reasons. First, we provide evidence that the direct action of metabolic hormones in the brain (for example, leptin) and modulation of key neurons implicated in energy balance control (for example, POMC neurons) result in acute and anatomically specific alterations in gut microbiota composition. Our findings uncover a new and unexpected layer of communication between the brain and the gut microbiota, with potential physiological significance (in managing the postprandial state) and pathophysiological relevance.
Second, our work builds on previous studies demonstrating rapid changes in gut microbiota composition induced by diurnal rhythmicity28,29, dietary manipulations30,31 and neurological insults, including stress32,33,34. Notably, our data extend these observations by offering gut-region-specific insights into gut microbiota composition that are independent of food intake and nutrient availability. Indeed, most of the current knowledge on gut microbiota biology stems from studies of faecal samples, which is an appropriate non-invasive strategy that can be sampled easily and repeatedly. However, the faecal microbiota composition provides a snapshot of the overall microbial diversity of the entire gastrointestinal tract. This approach precludes the analysis of regional variations and potential rapid changes (for example, 2 h) in microbiota composition, which is important to understand how microbial communities adapt to specific niches and their contribution to host health. Considering that the small intestine serves as the primary site for nutrient digestion and absorption, it is reasonable to anticipate that nutrients can rapidly influence gut microbiota activity and composition in this gut segment. Our experimental design, centred around 2-h and 4-h intervals, reinforces this idea and emphasizes the importance of analysing specific regions and using short time points.
Third, our study also underscores the dynamic nature of the gut microbiome in response to immediate metabolic cues. Therefore, it is tempting to speculate that the rapid brain-mediated changes in gut microbiota may have a meal–meal relevance with a direct impact on systemic metabolism. While food intake is vital for the provision of energy and nutrients, it is also a significant stressor that disrupts homeostasis35. Indeed, these microbiome changes could contribute to multiple postprandial physiological aspects, including nutrient absorption, immune function, maintenance of the gastrointestinal barrier and integrity, and production of bioactive metabolites, as well as metabolism and appetite regulation. Our findings indicating that leptin-induced changes in bacterial functional pathways can be associated with changes in metabolites that acutely modulate appetite support this idea. The dynamic brain–gut reshaping of microbial communities could represent an evolutionary strategy to handle the postprandial situation and fine-tune appetite, thus maximizing metabolic benefits and reducing homeostatic stress.
Our transcriptomic data suggest that brain–gut communication occurs through the reorganization of the neuronal and synaptic architecture of the duodenum, independent of gut microbiota. In line with this, we also noted a local increase in sympathetic mediators indicating enhanced SNS activity. Notably, this effect was attenuated under HFD feeding, implying that obesogenic states may disrupt adequate brain–gut communication. Nevertheless, we cannot rule out the potential involvement of circulating factors (hormones, peptides) released by the brain that directly or indirectly mediate the communication between the brain and the gut. This would depict a complex scenario in which multiple factors could act in conjunction with neural pathways or independently to influence gut microbiota and function.
Despite this study providing a new dimension in the way that the brain communicates with the periphery, it is important to recognize some limitations. We used pharmacological interventions (that is, exogenous administration of hormones and DREADD ligand in line with those commonly used in the literature), aimed at eliciting robust responses. While our studies were consistently conducted at the same time during the light phase, we believe that the pharmacological treatments used would drive the same observed outcomes regardless of time of day. The dissection of the functional relevance and mechanistic insights of brain-mediated variations in gut microbiota are challenged by the inability to exclude confounding factors or define appropriate biological readouts. The gut microbiota is highly responsive to changes in a wide range of environmental factors (for example, diet, drugs, stress). Thus, any manipulation or intervention aimed at studying the hypothalamus–gut microbiota axis may alter the microbiota composition, making it difficult to isolate specific cause-and-effect relationships. Another constraint is that, although our findings are probably applicable also to females, all studies conducted thus far have exclusively involved male mice. The effects of female hormones on gut microbiota have been reported in several species, including rodents and humans36,37,38,39. This poses challenges in controlling hormonal fluctuations and can represent a significant source of variability.
In summary, our findings uncover an unsuspected brain–gut connection that rapidly adjusts gut microbiota composition on short timescales, potentially participating in meal–meal adaptations and whole-body energy balance control. The identification of this new brain–gut axis represents an exciting point of departure in the field of neurogastroenterology and paves the way for new research to precisely delve into the mechanisms and their biological implications. Understanding this biological process may offer a potentially tractable target for a rapidly and transiently modulating gut microbiota composition. This approach would leverage the organism's own adaptive responses, holding potential benefits for metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Animal studies followed the ethical standards approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Barcelona (390/19) and the University of Santiago de Compostela (15012/2023/014) in compliance with local, national and European legislation. Mice were group-housed (4–5 animals per cage) under a controlled environment (humidity 30–80%; temperature 22–24 °C) under a 12-h light–dark cycle and with free access to water and standard diet (Teklad maintenance diet, 14% protein; 2014C, Envigo). In specific studies, HFD (60% kcal from fat, 4.7 kcal g−1; cat. no. D12451, Research Diets) was provided ad libitum for 12 weeks (starting at 6 weeks of age). C57BL/6J, POMCCre/+10 and AgRPCre/+ mice9 were bred in-house. As controls, Cre− littermates were used and maintained under identical conditions. For the chemogenetic experiments, all mice received CNO to control for potential ligand effects. Mice were randomly assigned to experimental treatments. Samples were consistently collected at the same time of day to ensure the replicability of microbiome analyses40.
Eight-week-old C57BL/6J male mice were fasted overnight (16 h) and exposed to an inedible object (a wood dowel) or a standard chow pellet, both caged within a wire mesh that allowed the object or food to be seen and smelled but not consumed, as described previously15. Sixty minutes later, animals were euthanized for sample collection.
Eight-week-old C57BL/6J male mice (for the standard chow diet studies) or 18-week-old mice (for the HFD studies) were anaesthetized with 2.5% isoflurane in oxygen and placed in a stereotaxic frame. Head hair was shaved and the area cleaned with chlorhexidine. A stainless steel cannula was implanted in the right lateral ventricle (coordinates from Bregma: anteroposterior: −0.3 mm; mediolateral: +1.0 mm; dorsoventral: −2.5 mm below the surface of the skull) and fixed to the skull with n-butyl cyanoacrylate. To improve recovery, the area was treated with bupivacaine (local infiltration, 1.25 mg ml−1); mice were placed on a heat pad (37 °C) until recovered from the anaesthesia.
The ICV leptin (L3772, Sigma-Aldrich) and ghrelin (4033076, Bachem) treatments were performed 3 days after cannula implantation. One hour after the start of the light period, mice were food-deprived for 2 h before treatment. At the time of the injection, the cannula was opened to administer leptin (3 µg per mouse), ghrelin (5 µg per mouse) or sterile saline for the controls, using a 25-µl syringe (Gas Tight Syringe, Hamilton Company). Animals were euthanized 2 or 4 h after the injection for sample collection.
Eight-week-old POMCCre/+ and AgRPCre/+ male mice were anaesthetized intraperitoneally with ketamine/xylazine (100 mg kg−1 and 10 mg kg−1) and placed in a stereotaxic frame (Kopf Instruments). For pain relief, mice received buprenorphine intraperitoneally (0.3 mg kg−1) before surgery and every 12 h for 72 h after surgery. The skull was exposed and a small hole was drilled for AAV injection into the ARC. AAVs encoding excitatory (AAV8-hSYN-DIO-hM3D(Gq)-mCherry; 44361, Addgene; 1.10 × 1,013 gc ml−1) or inhibitory (AAV8-hSYN-DIO-hM4D(Gi)-mCherry, 44362, Addgene; 1.10 × 1,013 gc ml−1) DREADDs were injected bilaterally (300 nl per side) using a 33-G needle connected to a 5-μl syringe (NeuroSyringe, Hamilton Company) at 50 nl min−1 at the following coordinates from Bregma: anteroposterior: −1.5 mm; mediolateral: ±0.3 mm; dorsoventral: −5.8 mm below the surface of the skull. After 8 min, the needle was retracted 1 mm and, after waiting 1 min, it was completely withdrawn. The incision was sutured with VetBond (3M) and mice were placed on a 37 °C heat pad until recovered from the anaesthesia. Experiments were conducted at least 3 weeks after the injections.
On the experimental days, food was removed one hour after lights-on; 2 h later, mice were injected intraperitoneally with CNO (1 mg kg−1 for activation or 3 mg kg−1 for inhibition; C4936, Tocris Bioscience) dissolved in sterile saline. Mice were euthanized 2 or 4 h later. The correct injection sites were confirmed in every mouse postmortem by assessing the mCherry signal under a fluorescence microscope (Nikon Eclipse Ni-U).
POMCCre/+ and AgRPCre/+ mice were anaesthetized with ketamine/xylazine and perfused intracardially with saline (PBS) followed by ice-cold 4% buffered paraformaldehyde. Brains were dissected, post-fixed overnight, cryoprotected with 30% sucrose, sectioned using a cryostat (RWD) at a 25-µm thickness; slices were stored at −20 °C.
For double POMC and FOS immunofluorescence in mCherry+ specimens, hypothalamic slices containing the ARC were blocked with 2% donkey serum in KPBS + 0.1% Triton X-100 + 3% BSA and incubated overnight at 4 °C with rabbit anti-FOS antibody (1:300 dilution, 226008, Synaptic Systems) in blocking solution. After washing in KPBS + 0.1% Triton X-100, slices were incubated for 2 h with donkey anti-rabbit Alexa Fluor 647 antibody (1:300 dilution, A32795, Thermo Fisher Scientific) in KPBS + 0.1% Triton X-100 + 3% BSA. After washing in KPBS + 0.1% Triton X-100, slices were blocked with 2% donkey serum in KPBS + 0.4% Triton X-100 and incubated with rabbit anti-POMC precursor antibody (1:1,000 dilution; H-029-30, Phoenix Pharmaceuticals) for 16 h at 4 °C. Finally, slices were incubated with donkey anti-rabbit Alexa Fluor 488 antibody (1:200 dilution, Thermo Fisher Scientific) for 1.5 h at room temperature followed by nucleus counterstaining and mounting with ProLong Diamond Antifade mountant (P36971, Invitrogen). Imaging was performed using a Nikon Eclipse Ni-U fluorescence microscope. Representative images are maximum-intensity projections generated using ImageJ Fiji (National Institutes of Health) and equally adjusted for brightness and contrast. FOS+POMC+ neuron cells were manually counted in a blinded fashion using ImageJ Fiji. Three mice per genotype were analysed by averaging the percentage of FOS + POMC neurons across four images per mouse.
For FOS immunofluorescence in mCherry+ specimens, hypothalamic slices containing the ARC were blocked with 2% donkey serum in KPBS + 0.1% Triton X-100 + 3% BSA and incubated with rabbit anti-FOS antibody (1:300 dilution, 226008, Synaptic Systems) in blocking solution overnight at 4 °C. After washing in KPBS + 0.1% Triton X-100, slices were incubated for 2 h with donkey anti-rabbit Alexa Fluor 488 antibody (1:300 dilution, A32790, Thermo Fisher Scientific) in KPBS + 0.1% Triton X-100 + 3% BSA, followed by nucleus counterstaining and mounting with ProLong Diamond Antifade mountant. Imaging was performed using a Nikon Eclipse Ni-U fluorescence microscope. Representative images are maximum-intensity projections generated using ImageJ Fiji and equally adjusted for brightness and contrast. FOS+ neuron cells were manually counted in a blinded fashion using ImageJ Fiji. Three mice per genotype were analysed by averaging the percentage of FOS + POMC neurons across four images per mouse.
For the hormonal studies, C57BL/6J male mice were fasted 2 h before the ICV injection with vehicle, leptin or ghrelin. Ninety minutes after the injection, mice were anaesthetized with ketamine/xylazine and perfused intracardially with saline followed by ice-cold 10% neutral-buffered formalin. Brains were dissected and post-fixed overnight, cryoprotected with 30% sucrose, and cut using a cryostat (Epredia) at a 30-μm thickness; slices were stored at −20 °C. Hypothalamic slices containing the ARC were blocked with 2% goat serum in Tris-buffered saline (TBS) + 0.3% Triton X-100 + 0.25% BSA and incubated with chicken anti-FOS antibody (1:4,000 dilution, 226009, Synaptic Systems) in blocking solution overnight at 4 °C. After washing in TBS + 0.1% Triton X-100, slices were incubated for 2 h at room temperature with a goat anti-chicken Alexa Fluor 488 antibody (1:1,000 dilution, ab150169, Abcam) in TBS + 0.3% Triton X-100 + 0.25% BSA. Slices were washed with TBS + 0.1% Triton X-100 followed by nucleus counterstaining and mounting with Fluoro-Gel with Tris Buffer (17985-10, Electron Microscopy Sciences) + 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (1:1,000 dilution, cat. no. D9542, Sigma-Aldrich). Imaging was performed using a Leica TC-SP5-X-AOBS confocal microscope. Representative images were equally adjusted for brightness and contrast. Neuron cells positive for FOS were manually counted in a blinded fashion using ImageJ Fiji.
Body weight was measured using a precision scale. Blood samples were collected from the tail vein after overnight (16 h) fasting. The blood glucose concentration was measured using a glucose meter (Nova Pro Biomedical).
Leptin was measured in plasma using a Mouse/Rat Leptin Quantikine ELISA Kit (Bio-Techne). Blood samples were collected in Microvette 500 lithium heparin tubes and centrifuged at 2,000g for 15 min at 4 °C. Plasma was used for the analysis.
Motility experiments were conducted according to a previously described protocol41. Briefly, cage food was removed 1 h after lights-on; 2 h later mice were injected intraperitoneally with CNO or ICV injected with ghrelin or leptin. Thirty minutes after CNO injection or 150 min after the hormonal interventions, each mouse received 200 μl of a sterile 5 mg ml−1 fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (70,000 MW, 46945, Sigma-Aldrich) solution in PBS, administered via oral gavage. Mice were euthanized 90 min later and gastrointestinal tracts were immediately collected and placed in ice-cold PBS for 30 s to inhibit motility. Tracts were dissected into 12 segments: stomach, small intestine (partitioned into eight equally sized segments) and colon (with caecum first dissected out; the remaining portion was divided into two equally sized segments). Each of the 12 segments was flushed with 2 ml of PBS. The intestinal flushes were subjected to serial dilutions. Fluorescence was measured using an Infinite M Nano+ 200 PRO (Tecan Ibérica Instrumentación). Absolute fluorescence levels were estimated using a dilution series of a fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran solution of known concentration. Data analysis was performed as described in ref. 41.
Mice were treated with a combination of ampicillin and neomycin, two broad-spectrum antibiotics that are poorly (ampicillin) or not (neomycin) absorbed, thus minimizing systemic effects. One day after surgery, mice were divided into water or antibiotic treatment (ampicillin 1 g l−1; neomycin 0.5 g l−1 in drinking water) groups. This procedure allowed us to investigate the contribution of the gut microbiota to the host phenotype42,43,44. After 48 h of treatment, saline or leptin (3 µg) was delivered ICV and mice were euthanized 2 h later. The duodenum was collected and snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen. Frozen samples were processed for RNA isolation and RNA-seq as described below.
Catecholamines were measured in duodenal sections using an Epinephrine/Norepinephrine ELISA Kit (2-CAT High Sensitive ELISA BA E-5400R, Labor Diagnostika Nord). For extraction, tissues were digested in 0.01 N HCl-0.3 mg ml−1 ascorbic acid buffer using a homogenizer. Samples were centrifuged at 3,400g for 20 min at 4 °C and the supernatants were used for subsequent analysis.
Samples of mucus and luminal content were collected from the duodenum, jejunum, ileum and caecum of each mouse at selected time points for subsequent analysis of microbiota composition. Metagenomic DNA was extracted using a QIAamp Fast DNA Stool Mini Kit (cat. no. 51604, QIAGEN), according to the manufacturer's instructions with minor modifications45.
Library preparation and sequencing of the V4 variable region of the 16S rRNA gene was performed by the Mr. DNA Lab, using the illCUs515F (GTGYCAGCMGCCGCGGTAA) and new806RB (GGACTACNVGGGT WTCTAAT) primer pair and 2 × 250 bp paired-end Illumina MiSeq sequencing technology (30 cycles). FASTQ data of demultiplexed samples were downloaded from the Illumina BaseSpace Sequence Hub using the BaseMount tool.
Paired-end reads were merged using USEARCH46,47 with a maximum number of ten mismatches in the alignment. VSEARCH48 was used to strip primer sequences, globally trim the reads to 252 bp and filter the reads using an expected error threshold of 1. Reads containing wildcard bases were removed. Dereplication was performed, after which the unique sequences were denoised with UNOISE3 (ref. 49). Trimmed and quality-filtered reads were aligned with VSEARCH using a pairwise 97% sequence identity threshold onto the predicted zero-radius operational taxonomic unit (ZOTU) sequences to generate an OTU table. The table was converted to the BIOM format50. SINTAX was used to taxonomically classify the ZOTU sequences51 with the Ribosomal Database Project Training Set v.18 and a bootstrap cut-off value of 0.8.
We began by merging the working tables into a phyloseq R package object per experiment (v.4.0.3) (https://www.R-project.org/), including sample, taxonomic classification and count data. To minimize host DNA contamination, we preprocessed the data to work with bacteria only. We also removed taxa with Cyanobacteria phylum annotations to avoid food and water contamination biases. One technical outlier (total counts below 30,000) was removed (Supplementary Fig. 1). No biological outliers were based on (1) extremely different α-diversity score and (2) clear dissimilarities in the principal coordinate analysis distribution compared with the rest of the group components (based on Bray–Curtis dissimilarity).
The statistical analysis included clustering, α-diversity, β-diversity and effect size analysis; α-diversity was conducted using ZOTUs, completed by first rarefying the samples library sizes in each experiment to the minimum sample depth of that experiment without replacement. This was implemented using the phyloseq R package. The Shannon index was used to represent α-diversity along with the application of a linear model, followed by an ANOVA and FDR post-hoc adjustment (using the stats and car R packages). Data clustering was conducted using principal coordinate analysis of all data (using the phyloseq R package), including gut section, activation or treatment by tissue section or taxa. Differential abundance analysis for each gut segment, time point and treatment was performed to obtain the differential abundant taxa by implementing the ANCOM-BC method (using the ancombc function from the ANCOM-BC R package)11. ANCOM-BC uses log-ratio transformation and corrects the bias induced by the differences among samples. Absolute abundance data were modelled using a linear regression framework. The method also accounted for zero inflation. To control the FDR across tests, the Benjamini–Hochberg correction was applied, with taxa considered significantly different when Padj (q) was less than 0.05. Data visualization was performed using the RColorBrewer, ggplot2, pheatmap and circlize packages in R.
PICRUSt2 (ref. 52) was used to predict the metabolic signatures of the microbial communities within the QIIME2 environment52. Rarefied pathway abundances were further analysed in STAMP53 using a Welch test between groups. The MetaCyc Metabolic Pathway Database was used to decipher the ontology of pathways.
A Dionex Ultimate 3000 RS LC system coupled to an Orbitrap mass spectrometer (Q Exactive, ThermoHESI-II Fisher Scientific) equipped with a heated electrospray ionization (HESI-II) probe was used. Solvents were of LC–MS grade quality (Merck). The luminal content from the duodenum was collected 4 h after leptin treatment and stored at −80 °C until analysis. Metabolomic profiling was performed as reported previously with minor variations54. Briefly, 50 µl of water and 700 µl of acetone, acetonitrile and methanol (1:1:1, v/v/v), containing 2.5 µM Metabolomics Amino Acid Mix Standard (Cambridge Isotope Laboratories), were added to each sample (34 ± 8.6 mg). After incubation and centrifugation, 600 µl of the supernatant were dried under vacuum. The leftover supernatants of all samples were pooled and used for the quality control (QC) samples. Dried supernatants were reconstituted in 70 µl of methanol and acetonitrile (1:1, v/v) for LC–MS/MS analysis.
Metabolites were separated on a SeQuant ZIC-HILIC column (150 × 2.1 mm, 5 μm; Merck) using water with 5 mM ammonium acetate as eluent A and acetonitrile/eluent A (95:5, v/v) as eluent B, both containing 0.1% formic acid. The gradient elution was set as follows: isocratic step of 100% B for 3 min, 100% B to 60% B in 15 min, held for 5 min, returned to initial conditions in 5 min and held for 5 min. The flow rate was 0.5 ml min−1. Data acquisition was carried out with data-dependent MS/MS scans (top ten).
Compound Discoverer 3.3 (Thermo Fisher Scientific) was used for data processing. Metabolites were identified based on exact mass, retention time, fragmentation spectra and isotopic pattern. We used an in-house fragmentation library54, a microbiome-specific library55 and the online library mzCloud. QC-based normalization was performed. The area under the peak was additionally normalized to the appropriate internal standard and sample weight. QC at four concentrations ensured signal stability and linearity. Partial least squares discriminant analysis was conducted using the mixOmics package (v.6.28.0) in R. Group differences were assessed using the Mann–Whitney U-test and FDR correction. Metabolites were considered significant when Padj (q) was less than 0.05 and the absolute fold change greater than 1.25. Visualizations were generated using the ggplot2 package in R.
Gut–brain modules (GBMs) were inferred as described in ref. 24. Briefly, GBMs were inferred from the orthologue abundance table obtained with PICRUSt2, using the web application GOmixer (http://www.raeslab.org/gomixer/). The detection threshold was set at 66% coverage and a minimum median difference of 5.0. Data were scaled according to sample abundance and the mean of observed reactions was used as an abundance estimator. GBMs were considered significant when P < 0.05 and were represented using the ggplot2 package in R.
Duodenal mRNA was isolated using the TRIzol reagent (cat. no. 15596026, Invitrogen) according to standard protocols. Quantification and integrity analysis of RNA were performed using an Agilent 2100 Bioanalyzer (Agilent RNA 6000 Nano Kit, Agilent Technologies). Strand-specific RNA libraries were generated using 150 ng of total RNA with the Illumina Stranded RNA Prep Ligation Kit with Ribo-Zero Plus according to the manufacturer's instructions. Libraries were sequenced on an Illumina NextSeq 2000 in paired-end mode (read length of 2 × 50 bp). Forty million paired-end reads were generated for each sample and condition. Sequencing was conducted at the Genomics Facility of the Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer.
Raw reads passed the QC established in the FastQC software (http://www.bioinformatics.babraham.ac.uk/projects/fastqc) and mapped to the reference genome mm10 using HISAT56. Gene counts were acquired using featureCounts57. The expression read matrix cut-off was set at an average of ten and read counts were normalized to counts per million using the R package EdgeR (v.3.42.0). Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were calculated using the limma (v.3.60.4) R package from Bioconductor, applying batch correction. Significant DEGs were those with P < 0.05 and an absolute fold change value greater than 1.5. A principal component analysis plot was generated using the ggfortify (v.0.4.16) and ggplot2 (v.3.4.4) R packages. Pathway enrichment analysis of the DEGs was performed using AmiGO 2 (https://amigo.geneontology.org/amigo); significant annotations (P < 0.05) were selected. The top 50 significant pathways were manually curated into biological categories represented in the Sankey plot generated using the ggaluvial (v.0.12.5) R package.
We used statistical methods (https://www.datarus.eu/en/applications/granmo/) along with previous experience to predetermine sample sizes. Data collection and analysis were not performed blind to the conditions of the experiments, except for image acquisition and analysis. Data exclusion was based on the ROUT method (1% threshold). Data are presented as the mean ± s.e.m. or as individual biological replicates. Statistical analyses were performed using Prism 8.0 (GraphPad Software) and R v.4.4.0. Data distribution was assumed to be normal. Statistical significance was determined with an unpaired one-tailed or two-tailed Student's t-test, one-way or two-way ANOVA followed by an appropriate post-hoc test, as indicated in the figure legends. The number of samples (n) are indicated in the figure legends. P ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article.
The RNA-seq datasets generated and analysed during the study are available at the Gene Expression Omnibus repository under accession no. GSE266230. The clean reads were mapped to the reference genome assembly GRCm38 from GCA_000001635.2. The metagenomic data have been deposited in the Sequence Read Archive under accession no. PRJNA1107501. The metabolomics data have been deposited in the Metabolomics Workbench under project no. PR002229. Source data are provided with this paper.
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The project leading to these results received funding from ‘la Caixa' Foundation (ID100010434) under project no. LCF/PR/HR19/52160016 (to M.C., R.N. and P.D.C.), with the support of Project 2021-SGR-01320 from the Generalitat de Catalunya, Departament de Recerca i Universitats and the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya (to M.C.), and a European Research Council ERC-Synergy-Grant-2019-WATCH no. 810331 (to R.N. and M.S.). M.T. is a recipient of a Beatriu de Pinós postdoctoral fellowship (2018 BP00032), funded by the Secretary of Universities and Research (Government of Catalonia), and by the Horizon 2020 programme of the European Union under a Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant no. 801370, as well as a contract funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III with European funds from the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan, under file code IHMC22/00039 and Funded by the European Union-Next Generation EU. I.M-I. was supported by the Miguel Servet Type II program (CPII21/00013) of the ISCIII-Madrid (Spain) and co-funded by the European Union. A.O. is the recipient of a Miguel Servet contract (no. CP19/00083) funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and co-funded by the European Social Fund ‘Investing in your future'. R.H-T. is a recipient of a Ramon y Cajal contract (no. RYC2022-037070-I) from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain. P.D.C. is an honorary research director at the Fonds de la Recherche Scientifique/Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique and recipient of a Fonds de la Recherche Fondamentale Stratégique-Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and BIO (WELBIO) technology WELBIO grant no. WELBIO-CR-2022A-02 and EOS program no. 40007505. We are indebted to the Functional Genomics Core Facility of the Institut d' Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer for their technical help. This work was carried out in part at the Esther Koplowitz Centre, Barcelona.
These authors contributed equally: Patrice D. Cani, Rubén Nogueiras, Marc Claret.
Neuronal Control of Metabolism Laboratory, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
Míriam Toledo, Berta Laudo, Elena Eyre, Alicia G. Gómez-Valadés, Macarena Pozo, Iñigo Chivite, Maria Milà-Guasch, Roberta Haddad-Tóvolli, Arnaud Obri, Júlia Fos-Domènech, Iasim Tahiri, Sergio R. Llana, Sara Ramírez, Erika Monelli & Marc Claret
Department of Physiology (CIMUS), School of Medicine-Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias (IDIS), Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Sara Martínez-Martínez & Rubén Nogueiras
Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group (MNUT), Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), UCLouvain, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
Matthias Van Hul, Rudy Pelicaen, Anthony Puel & Patrice D. Cani
Walloon Excellence in Life Sciences and BIOtechnology (WELBIO), WELBIO department, WEL Research Institute, Wavre, Belgium
Matthias Van Hul, Anthony Puel & Patrice D. Cani
Laboratory of Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine Specialties, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
Jordi Altirriba
Bioanalytic Core Facility, Center for Brain, Behavior and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
Julica Inderhees
German Research Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), Lübeck, Germany
Julica Inderhees & Markus Schwaninger
Department of Endocrinology and Nutrition, Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga y Plataforma en Nanomedicina-IBIMA Plataforma Bionand, Málaga, Spain
Isabel Moreno-Indias
CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBERobn), Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Isabel Moreno-Indias & Rubén Nogueiras
Institute of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
Markus Schwaninger
Institute of Experimental and Clinical Research (IREC), UCLouvain, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
Patrice D. Cani
Galicia Agency of Innovation (GAIN), Xunta de Galicia, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
Rubén Nogueiras
CIBER de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM), Barcelona, Spain
Marc Claret
School of Medicine, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Marc Claret
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M.T., S.M-M. and M.V.H. designed and conducted the experiments, analysed the results and contributed to paper preparation. B.L., E.E., R.P., J.A., J.I., I.M-I. and S.R.L. conducted the biostatistics and bioinformatics analyses. A.P., A.G.G-V, J.I., M.P., I.C., M.M-G., S.R., R.H-T., A.O., J.F-D., I.T., E.M. and M.S. contributed to conducting the experimental procedures and analysis. P.D.C., R.N. and M.C. conceived the study, designed, coordinated and supervised experiments, wrote the paper and secured the funding. All authors discussed the results, commented on the paper before submission and agreed with the final submitted paper.
Correspondence to
Patrice D. Cani, Rubén Nogueiras or Marc Claret.
P.D.C. is the inventor in patent applications dealing with the use of specific bacteria and components in the treatment of different diseases. P.D.C. was co-founder of the Akkermansia Company and Enterosys. Rubén Nogueiras serves in the Advisory Board of Albor Biotech. The other authors declare no competing interests.
Nature Metabolism thanks John Cryan and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Primary Handling Editor: Alfredo Giménez-Cassina, in collaboration with the Nature Metabolism team.
Publisher's note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
a–d. Schematic of the approach to express the excitatory (hM3Dq) or inhibitory DREADDs (hM4Di) in AgRP and POMC neurons (n = 3 mice per group). The representative images show mCherry reporter expression in ARC coronal sections. a, b. Assessment of chemogenetic activation (A) or inhibition (B) of AgRP neurons in AgRP+/+ and AgRPCre/+ mice expressing hM3Dq or hM4Di two hours after CNO injection. Representative images of FOS (green), mCherry (red), and DAPI nuclei counterstaining (blue) are shown. Scale bar: 50 μm. c, d. Assessment of chemogenetic activation (C) or inhibition (D) of POMC neurons in POMC+/+ and POMCCre/+ mice expressing hM3Dq or hM4Di two hours after CNO injection. Representative images of FOS (magenta) and POMC (green) immunostaining, mCherry (red) and DAPI nuclei counterstaining (blue) are shown. Scale bar: 50 μm. e, f. Quantification of FOS-positive cells in AgRP+/+ and AgRPCre/+ mice expressing hM3Dq (n = 3 mice per group) (E; *p = 0.0205 hM3Dq, 2 h; **p = 0.0015 hM3Dq, 4 h) or hM4Di (F; *p = 0.0162 hM4Di, 2 h; *p = 0.0274 hM4Di, 4 h) two or four hours after CNO injection. g, h. Quantification of FOS-positive POMC neurons in POMC+/+ and POMCCre/+ mice expressing hM3Dq (n = 3 mice per group) (G; ****p < 0.0001 hM3Dq, 2 h; ****p < 0.0001 hM3Dq, 4 h) or hM4Di (H; **p = 0.0022 hM4Di, 2 h; **p = 0.037 hM4Di, 4 h) two or four hours after CNO injection. Statistical significance was determined with a two-tailed t test. hM3Dq: AAV8-hSYN-DIO-hM3D(Gq)mCherry; hM4Di: AAV8-hSYN-DIO-hM4D(Gi)mCherry; CNO: Clozapine-N-Oxide. Data in panels E-H are represented as mean ± SEM.
Source data
a. Diagram illustrating the experimental outline for the analysis of gut motility. b–e. Loess curve of intestinal FITC distributions after chemogenetic activation of AgRP (B-C; n = 6 mice per group) and POMC (D-E; n = 7 mice in POMC(-) group and n = 8 mice in POMC(+) group) neurons. X-axis represents different gut segments from stomach to colon. Dot plots represent the geometric mean (g) of FITC proportion. Data are represented as mean ± SEM. Statistical significance was determined using the Wilcoxon test, followed by Benjamini-Hochberg correction. CNO: Clozapine-N-Oxide. FITC: Fluorescein Isothiocyanate.
Source data
a, b. Representative immunofluorescence images showing FOS staining (green) in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus after intracerebroventricular delivery of ghrelin (A) or leptin (B) (n = 5 mice per group). Nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue). Scale bar: 100 μm. Quantification is also shown. Data is represented as mean ± SEM. Statistical significance was determined with a one-tailed t test. *p = 0.0244, **p = 0.0027.
Source data
a. Diagram illustrating the experimental outline for the analysis of gut motility. b–e. Loess curve of intestinal FITC distributions after intracerebroventricular ghrelin (b, c) and leptin (d, e) administration (n = 7 mice per group). X-axis represents different gut segments from stomach to colon. Dot plots represent the geometric mean (g) of FITC proportion. Data are represented as mean ± SEM. Statistical significance was determined using the Wilcoxon test, followed by Benjamini-Hochberg correction. D, section 1, **p = 0.002; section 2, **p = 0.002; section 11, **p = 0.009. E, **p = 0.0041. FITC: Fluorescein Isothiocyanate.
Source data
a–c. Body weight (A), blood glucose (B), and plasma leptin levels (C) of mice fed with a standard diet (SD) or a high-fat diet (HFD) for 12 weeks. Data is represented as mean ± SEM (A, SD n = 14 mice and HFD n = 16 mice; B, SD n = 8 mice and HFD n = 7 mice; C, SD n = 8 mice and HFD n = 6 mice). Statistical significance was determined with a two-tailed t test. ****p < 0.0000. d. Microbial α-diversity (Shannon index) of the gut microbiota in vehicle- and centrally leptin-treated mice following 12 weeks of HFD, assessed at two- and four-hours post-treatment (n = 10 mice per group). Boxplots display the range from the first to the third quartile (box) and the median (centre line), while the whiskers extend to the minimum and maximum values.
Source data
A total of 79 pathways exhibited statistically significant changes in the duodenum between vehicle-treated and leptin-treated mice at four hours post-treatment. Bar plots on the left side illustrate the mean proportion (%) of each functional pathway, while dot plots on the right side depict the differences in mean proportions (%) between the two groups (n = 8 mice per group). Statistical differences between groups were assessed using Welch's t-test, and the significance of each pathway is indicated by the corresponding p-values. Pathways are grouped according to specific functional categories, visually represented by a colour code.
Source data
a. Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) of duodenal metabolomics data showing differential clustering between vehicle- and leptin-treated groups (n = 6 mice per group). b. Bar plot illustrating statistically significant differences in gut-brain modules (GBMs) between leptin- and vehicle-treated groups (n = 8 mice per group). Data are presented as proportional differences, along with corresponding p-values.
Source data
Supplementary Fig. 1 and Tables 1 and 2.
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Toledo, M., Martínez-Martínez, S., Van Hul, M. et al. Rapid modulation of gut microbiota composition by hypothalamic circuits in mice.
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If it was happening on the Danube River, Rome was gonna know about it.
Archaeologists solved the mystery of the ruins of the Desolate Castle, determining that the mysterious site on the Danube River shore was once part of a crucial Roman trade route.
Located two miles from the Roman legionary fortress of Carnuntum along the Danube River and long known in Austria as “Odes Schloss” (which translates to the ‘Desolate Castle'), the “castellum”—a Latin word for fortlet or tower—was the subject of recent archaeological work. The well-preserved, nearly nine-foot-tall tower walls had long been thought to be some sort of Roman structure, and the team of experts that confirmed the suspicion have opened a new window in the history of Roman military and trade habits.
The site is Austria's only known Roman bridgehead fort. Around 1850, the still-visible walls at the site were dubbed the Desolate Castle, but experts were never sure what the area represented—that is, of course, until now.
Experts, according to a translated statement from the Austrian Archaeological Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, believe castle construction occurred in two phases. The first was around 170-180 A.D., when Emperor Marcus Aurelius reinforced the Roman border against the Germanic tribes during the Marcomannic Wars. The site's location—on the shore of the Danube River and along the trade route known as the Amber Road, which led from the Baltics via Carnuntum to the Roman Empire—offered a critical trade crossing at the river, which was a natural border of the empire.
The second phase of construction, which occurred around 260 A.D., saw a renovation under Emperor Gallienus. Since that time, troop levels manning the fort dropped.
During the excavation, archaeologists unearthed stamped bricks from the Roman legion groups XIV and XV, along with small bronze pieces, ceramics, and coins. “They prove the great strategic importance of Carnuntum within the Roman military system and provide new insights into the military security of the north-south connection,” Eduard Pollhammer, archaeologist and scientific director of Carnuntum, said in a statement.
Roman military strategy commonly called for the construction of forts on the opposite side of a border river. From these bases, troops observed both the passage across the river and the surrounding area. The Amber Road would have crossed the Danube at this spot, and having a military presence on the river gave Romans defensive control of comings and goings. Experts believe no physical bridge ever stood at the site—rather, a prominent ferry crossing was the transportation of choice all the way into the 18th century.
The Danube River was an important location for Roman border security and control of trade routes. Now, this newly understood castle has been designated part of the Danube Limes, which has been a UNESO World Heritage Site since 2021.
“This impressive find proves the importance of Bernsteinstraße [the Amber Road]—and the Lower Austria region—as an important traffic artery,” Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Lower Austria's governor, said in a statement, “and as a center in the midst of various dominions, function that Lower Austria still holds today.”
Tim Newcomb is a journalist based in the Pacific Northwest. He covers stadiums, sneakers, gear, infrastructure, and more for a variety of publications, including Popular Mechanics. His favorite interviews have included sit-downs with Roger Federer in Switzerland, Kobe Bryant in Los Angeles, and Tinker Hatfield in Portland.
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Bioelectronic devices hold transformative potential for healthcare diagnostics and therapeutics. Yet, traditional electronic implants often require invasive surgeries and are mechanically incompatible with biological tissues. Injectable hydrogel bioelectronics offer a minimally invasive alternative that interfaces with soft tissue seamlessly. A major challenge is the low conductivity of bioelectronic systems, stemming from poor dispersibility of conductive additives in hydrogel mixtures. We address this issue by engineering doping conditions with hydrophilic biomacromolecules, enhancing the dispersibility of conductive polymers in aqueous systems. This approach achieves a 5-fold increase in dispersibility and a 20-fold boost in conductivity compared to conventional methods. The resulting conductive polymers are molecularly and in vivo degradable, making them suitable for transient bioelectronics applications. These additives are compatible with various hydrogel systems, such as alginate, forming ionically cross-linkable conductive inks for 3D-printed wearable electronics toward high-performance physiological monitoring. Furthermore, integrating conductive fillers with gelatin-based bioadhesive hydrogels substantially enhances conductivity for injectable sealants, achieving 250% greater sensitivity in pH sensing for chronic wound monitoring. Our findings indicate that hydrophilic dopants effectively tailor conducting polymers for hydrogel fillers, enhancing their biodegradability and expanding applications in transient implantable biomonitoring.
Bioelectronic devices have transformed the landscape of medical diagnosis and treatment due to their immense potential in sensing biosignals and stimulating impaired tissues1,2. However, interfacing these devices with internal organs often requires invasive surgeries, which, coupled with mechanical mismatches with the tissue microenvironment, lead to major complications in their long-term performance. These complications stem primarily from fibrosis, poor integration, and damage to the surrounding native tissue. Soft injectable bioelectronics3,4 are emerging as a promising solution, enabling favorable tissue interfacing through minimally invasive approaches5,6,7, such as delivery via needles and catheters8,9,10.
Hydrogels have shown excellent versatility for seamless integration with injectable platforms, driving the demand for conductive hydrogels as injectable bioelectronics11. Hydrogel bioelectronic devices are created by the incorporation of conductive additives in hydrophilic polymer networks12. These networks can be engineered further to introduce various functionalities, including tissue regenerative effects, stimuli-responsiveness, bioadhesion, and more13,14,15,16. Traditional conductive materials like metals and carbon-based additives, despite their high conductivity, pose risks of immunogenicity and cytotoxicity17,18. In contrast, conductive polymers, particularly poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS), offer biocompatibility and tunable chemistry but face challenges with aggregation and poor percolation networks, resulting in low conductivity19.
Efforts to enhance hydrogel conductivity with PEDOT have reported impressive results20, yet these methods often involve processes such as drying steps and cytotoxic phase separation triggers11,21,22,23,24,25,26, making them unsuitable for injectable bioelectronics. Consequently, much of the literature has used PEDOT:PSS as fillers to impart conductivity to hydrogel platforms for minimally invasive and 3D printing applications27,28,29,30. The primary limitation of PEDOT hydrogel composites is their poor dispersibility in aqueous systems due to the aggregation driven by hydrophobic groups in the PSS backbone, which restricts their conductivity.
To address these challenges and to achieve high-performance injectable bioelectronics, we introduce a strategy to boost PEDOT hydrogel conductivity by using naturally derived hydrophilic dopants27,31,32,33,34,35 instead of PSS (Fig. 1a). We hypothesize that hydrophobic polystyrene backbone of PSS contributes to the poor dispersibility of dry PEDOT:PSS. Thus, we chose alginate, with its rich content of polar groups, as a hydrophilic backbone and modified it with sulfonates (sulfonated alginate, AlgS) that serve as a doping agent in lieu of PSS in the PEDOT polymerization process. The enhanced hydrophilicity allows the freeze-dried PEDOT:AlgS to be re-dispersed in hydrogels at concentrations approximately five times higher than PEDOT:PSS, enabling an order of magnitude improvement in achievable conductivity thresholds in hydrogels (Fig. 1b). Additionally, this approach provides molecular-level and in vivo degradability for transient bioelectronics applications.
a Doping of PEDOT via negatively charged macromolecules with hydrophilic and hydrophobic backbones, i.e., sulfonated alginate (AlgS), and poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS), respectively. b Doping of PEDOT with AlgS as compared with PSS leads to enhanced dispersibility in aqueous solutions, improved molecular degradability, and high ionic integrability with ionically cross-linkable hydrogel matrices. c The PEDOT:AlgS polymers serve as high-concentration dispersible fillers in hydrogel pre-polymers for the development of injectable and 3D-printable hydrogel bioelectronics for wearable physiological recordings as well as wound closure and monitoring.
We demonstrate the utility of PEDOT:AlgS in alginate matrices to develop ionically cross-linkable conductive inks for 3D printing of soft bioelectrodes where PEDOT:AlgS enables highly sensitive detection of signals such as physiological outputs and temperature compared to PEDOT:PSS (Fig. 1c). Finally, we showcase the ability of PEDOT:AlgS to introduce pH-sensitive conductivity to gelatin-based bioadhesives for the development of smart sealants capable of wound monitoring applications where the pH sensitivity is enhanced by ~250% compared to conventional PEDOT:PSS. We envision that such PEDOT:AlgS will serve as versatile and biocompatible building blocks, leveraging hydrogels as functional electrodes for soft injectable electronic applications.
The synthesis of PEDOT:AlgS consists of a two-step reaction: (1) modification of alginate (W201502, ~200 kDa36) with sulfonate groups using chlorosulfonic acid (CSA) to yield negatively charged hydrophilic AlgS dopants (Supplementary Fig. 1a, b); and (2) using obtained AlgS to dope PEDOT during the oxidative polymerization of EDOT, resulting in PEDOT:AlgS conductive polymers (Fig. 1a). The Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of AlgS (Supplementary Fig. 1c) revealed peaks at 1200 cm−1, indicating the conjugation of sulfonate groups during the first reaction step. The results of sulfonation degree (Supplementary Fig. 1d) suggest approximately 37% conversion of hydroxyl groups in alginate when CSA concentration exceeded 1.5% w/v, which then plateaued. Consequently, a 2% w/v CSA concentration was established as the upper limit for subsequent experiments. Size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) tests (Supplementary Fig. 2a) showed consistent trends, with minor peak shifts to higher retention times as CSA concentration increased, indicating minor chain degradations during sulfonation.
Functionalizing alginate with sulfonate groups substantially improved AlgS's water solubility (Supplementary Fig. 2b). The hydrogel formation capacity of AlgS with multivalent cations was tested at their highest soluble concentrations (Supplementary Fig. 2c, d). Rapid crosslinking with gelation points within seconds after exposure to ionic solutions was recorded. Storage moduli at 5 min indicated that sulfonation prevented ionic crosslinking of alginate through divalent Ca2+ cations, but the larger valent Fe3+ cations could still form AlgS hydrogels. While sulfonation interrupted alginate ionic associations, possibly due to steric hindrance and conformational changes, comparable mechanical properties could still be achieved by increasing the AlgS content.
Polymerization of PEDOT in PEDOT:AlgS systems, studied by UV-vis (Fig. 2a, b and Supplementary Fig. 3a, b), began with the formation of EDOT dimers and trimers within the first hours, indicated by a sharp peak at 256 nm37. The broad absorption band from 400–600 nm corresponded to π → π∗ transitions in the neutral state of PEDOT37. Near-infrared absorption bands at wavelength ranges of 600–900 nm and 700–1200 nm suggest transitions to the polaronic and bipolaronic states, respectively, due to doping via anionic sulfonate groups of AlgS (Supplementary Fig. 3c)38. The results also indicate preservation of the doped state after dialysis and freeze-drying. This trend aligns with the previous reports on PEDOT:PSS polymerization39. FTIR spectra of PEDOT:AlgS samples showed peaks at 1358 cm−1 due to C—C and C=C stretching vibrations in quinoidal thiophene rings of PEDOT (Supplementary Fig. 3d)40, while C—S stretching vibrations produced a strong peak at 984 cm−1. SEC tests exhibited a peak shift to lower retention times with increasing EDOT content and degree of sulfonation (Fig. 2c and Supplementary Fig. 3e), signifying the formation of larger molecular weight PEDOT structures.
a Polymerization and doping of PEDOT. The AlgS samples are labeled as AlgSx where x represents the % w/v concentration of CSA used in sulfonation reaction. b UV-vis spectra of PEDOT:AlgS2 at different polymerization times. EDOT 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene, APS ammonium persulfate. The inset shows the absorbance of PEDOT:AlgS reaction solutions at 800 nm before freeze-drying. Data in the inset is presented as mean ± standard deviation. c Effect of alginate sulfonation on the molecular weight distribution of freeze-dried PEDOT:AlgS2 tested via size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) (PEDOT polymerized for 1 d). d Freeze-dried PEDOT forming large aggregates when doped with PSS while doping with AlgS2 results in homogeneously distributed small nanoparticles. e Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of freeze-dried PEDOT:AlgS2 and PEDOT:PSS. Values represent the mean (n = 3 independent samples).
The electrical conductivity of PEDOT:AlgS in the dry state (Supplementary Fig. 4) showed a high correlation with alginate sulfonation degree, implying its doping effect. Given the differences in polymerization kinetics between PSS and AlgS dopants, the polymerization time for PEDOT:AlgS2 was set to 2 days to achieve a dry conductivity comparable to standard PEDOT:PSS controls, which are typically synthesized over one day38,41. Solid-state impedance spectroscopy was used to evaluate the effects of sulfonation degree and EDOT content on the AC performance of polymer films (Supplementary Fig. 5)42. In the Randles circuit model43, the ohmic resistance of PEDOT, Rp, showed high correlations with sulfonation degree. Overall, the DC and AC electrical characterizations suggest the formation of percolation networks at EDOT contents of greater than 0.5 ml, which is comparable to the formulation of commercially available PEDOT (Clevios PH1000). A higher EDOT content of 0.9 ml was used for subsequent characterizations to demonstrate the capability of AlgS dopants in high-concentration dispersion of larger PEDOT:dopant ratios in aqueous systems. From a microstructural perspective, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images (Fig. 2d, e and Supplementary Fig. 6) revealed that freeze-dried PEDOT:PSS aggregated excessively, leading to submillimeter-scale flake particles. In these images, the observed phases (PEDOT, PSS, and AlgS) were identified based on their distinct morphologies, with porous structures corresponding to hydrophilic polymer phases (dopant) and aggregates corresponding to PEDOT. While these results align well with dynamic light scattering (DLS) data (Fig. 3a), further chemical analyses are required to validate the identified phase attributions. In the PEDOT:PSS group, inhomogeneous phase separation of PEDOT and PSS was evident, while freeze-dried PEDOT:AlgS foams formed evenly distributed nanoparticles (~100 nm) within AlgS phase. This nanoscale structure of PEDOT in PEDOT:AlgS facilitates high-concentration re-dispersion of freeze-dried PEDOT in aqueous systems (Fig. 3a), whereas PEDOT loading in PEDOT:PSS is limited due to macroscale steric hindrance between PEDOT:PSS flakes.
a Facilitated re-dispersion of PEDOT in aqueous solutions via hydrophilic AlgS dopants. b The number size distribution of PEDOT polymers obtained from dynamic light scattering (DLS) tests. The inset represents the average hydrodynamic sizes of PEDOT re-dispersions in water (n = 3 independent samples). c Results of zeta potential for aqueous PEDOT:AlgS (n = 3 independent samples). d Comparison of the colloidal stability of 2% w/v PEDOT:AlgS2 with PEDOT:PSS after 1 week at rest. e Dispersibility of freeze-dried PEDOT:AlgS2 in water at various sulfonation degrees and PEDOT:PSS. Tubes represent 10% w/v PEDOT:PSS in water forming self-associated gels and 20% w/v PEDOT:AlgS remaining in liquid phase. f Viscosity-shear rate profiles for 10% w/v solutions of PEDOT:AlgS2 and PEDOT:PSS in water. g Ionic crosslinking of PEDOT-based polymers with exposure to Fe3+ cations in terms of storage (Gʹ) and loss (Gʹʹ) modulus. h Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining of intradermally injected solutions of PEDOT:AlgS2 and PEDOT:PSS (5% w/v) in vivo after 1-week implantation (n = 4 independent samples with similar results). i Hydrolysis-driven degradability assessment of PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:AlgS2 tested via SEC. j Air dry coating of PEDOT doped with PSS and AlgS on I: glass substrate and their II: atomic force microscopy (AFM) phase plots obtained from PEDOT dispersions (5% w/v) (n = 3 independent samples with similar results).
While dialysis and freeze-drying are essential for removing toxic byproducts and re-dispersing PEDOT-based polymers at controlled and high concentrations in aqueous systems, these processes exacerbate PEDOT aggregations44. Here, an enhanced dispersibility was achieved by doping with AlgS, which resulted in smaller size and greater hydrophilicity compared to PSS (Fig. 3a). DLS data revealed that PEDOT:AlgS has an order of magnitude smaller size distribution than PEDOT:PSS when synthesized at the same EDOT content of 0.9 ml (Fig. 3b). The hydrodynamic sizes of PEDOT:AlgS increased with higher degrees of sulfonation and EDOT content (Supplementary Fig. 7a) due to the greater extent of polymerization. Zeta potential measurements (Fig. 3c) showed that the net negative charges in PEDOT:AlgS increased with the degree of sulfonation, reaching approximately double those of PEDOT:PSS counterparts. These repulsive forces contribute to much better dispersion stability in water, as illustrated in Fig. 3d. A longer-term investigation over 3 months (Supplementary Fig. 7b) also confirmed the crucial role of sulfonate conjugates in colloidal stability, which is critical for structural uniformity and ink flow in 3D printing applications.
The dispersibility limits of PEDOT:AlgS were improved with sulfonation of alginate (Fig. 3e), exceeding those of PEDOT:PSS by about 4–5×, as the hydrophilic backbone of alginate facilitated interactions with water molecules. This hydrophilicity was reflected in the contact angle results of Supplementary Fig. 7c, where a substantially lower contact angle was obtained in PEDOT:AlgS (26°) compared to PEDOT:PSS (48°). Poor dispersibility of PEDOT:AlgS at low sulfonation degrees (i.e., AlgS0.5) highlighted the critical roles of sulfonate groups in achieving PEDOT aqueous dispersibility. Viscosity-shear rate characteristics (Fig. 3f and Supplementary Fig. 7d, e) showed that solutions of 10% w/v PEDOT:PSS were drastically more viscous than PEDOT:AlgS. Similarly, commercial PEDOT:PSS solutions compared with PEDOT:AlgS synthesized at the same PEDOT to dopant ratio (1:2.5) resulted in ~15× larger viscosity in solutions of similar concentrations (1.3% w/v) as shown in Supplementary Fig. 7f. This result not only indicates better dispersibility of PEDOT:AlgS, but also suggests that AlgS dopants allow for more PEDOT:dopant ratios compared to PSS. The decreasing trends of viscosity-shear rate curves showed shear-thinning properties of PEDOT solutions, typical of electrostatic hydrogels, which are indicative of their injectability45.
Evaluation of ionic crosslinkability using alginate-based dopants suggested that PEDOT:AlgS is ionically responsive to Fe3+, a response not observed in PEDOT:PSS (Fig. 3g and Supplementary Fig. 8).
In vivo injection of 5% w/v PEDOT:PSS solutions resulted in the formation of a fibrous capsule around PEDOT:PSS within a week after implantation (Fig. 3h), whereas the immune cells infiltrated PEDOT:AlgS samples, attempting to digest the polymers. We attribute the fibrotic capsules around PEDOT:PSS to its higher dispersion viscosity preventing cells from infiltrations. Extended implantation over 11 weeks showed progressive degradation in PEDOT:AlgS with cell infiltration, while PEDOT:PSS remained stable within the fibrotic capsule (Supplementary Fig. 9a, b). No meaningful differences in follicles or accumulation of fatty tissue were seen between the two groups. Immunostaining results suggest the limited presence of macrophages (F4/80+), neutrophils (Ly6G+), and T cells (CD3+) involved among the infiltrated cells in PEDOT:AlgS (Supplementary Fig. 9c). Although, the number of immune cells constituted a substantially lower ratio of the present cells in PEDOT:AlgS compared to the PEDOT:PSS, which implies a stronger immune response in PEDOT:PSS (Supplementary Fig. 9d).
To understand the degradation mechanisms, hydrolysis-driven molecular weight changes of the polymers were tested in vitro (Fig. 3i). The decay seen in the peak of PEDOT:AlgS, which is absent in PEDOT:PSS suggests that, unlike PEDOT:PSS, PEDOT:AlgS is hydrolytically degradable. The enhanced molecular degradability of PEDOT:AlgS is attributed to the hydrolyzable glycosidic bonds on the backbone of AlgS, which are absent in the PSS structure (see Supplementary Fig. 10). While PEDOT is generally stable, the byproducts of alginate are primarily alginate backbone broken into oligo- and monosaccharides involving sulfonated mannuronic acid (M) and guluronic acid (G) residues. The PEDOT phase is expected to remain intact due to the stable bonds, however, its smaller size distribution can promote their renal clearance in vivo. While sulfonation increases the hydrolyzability of alginate, as confirmed by Supplementary Fig. 10b (aligning with previous studies46), the enhanced solubility of alginate due to sulfonation can further facilitate its removal from the body. Metabolic pathways of these degradation byproducts are expected to be primarily through renal excretion. We note that although human enzymes do not metabolize sulfonated oligosaccharides, certain bacteria in the gut produce alginate lyases47, which may further contribute to alginate degradation through enzymatic cleavage of the glycosidic bonds. This biodegradability makes PEDOT:AlgS suitable for transient implantable bioelectronics.
Crack formation during drying has been a major challenge in drop-cast coatings of PEDOT:PSS48. Coating on solid surfaces showed an increased coverage ratio with polymer concentration for both PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:AlgS up to 2.5% w/v (Supplementary Fig. 11a, b). Further increases in PEDOT:PSS concentration beyond 2.5% w/v however, led to prominent cracking and islet formation (Fig. 3j), while PEDOT:AlgS achieved nearly complete surface coverage with minimal defects. The surface morphology and phase distribution of coatings (formed by the 2.5% w/v solutions) (Supplementary Fig. 11c–e) suggested larger grain sizes and a more homogeneous distribution of PEDOT (light region) within the dopant (dark region) in PEDOT:AlgS compared to PEDOT:PSS. Despite larger grain sizes typically being attributed to better conductivity49 (due to the fewer boundaries and energy barriers), the greater phase separation and thereby interconnectivity of the PEDOT phase in PEDOT:PSS resulted in a comparable conductivity with PEDOT:AlgS (Supplementary Fig. 4a).
Given its excellent water dispersibility and solution stability, PEDOT:AlgS offers great potential for injectable applications such as 3D-printed bioelectronics (Fig. 4a). The highest dispersible amount of PEDOT:PSS in alginate solutions for inks to remain injectable was approximately 4% w/v, translating to an ~8× possible improvement in conductivity of alginate solutions (Fig. 4b, c). This figure reached ~160× when PEDOT:AlgS was used (~20× greater than PEDOT:PSS) due to its much higher dispersion limit of up to ~20% w/v. The relative conductivity changes with incorporating PEDOT into various hydrogels reported previously (Supplementary Fig. 12) show that relative improvement in conductivity PEDOT:AlgS is remarkably higher, by 1–2 orders of magnitude, among PEDOT-based injectable hydrogels. Here, we emphasize relative conductivity changes with respect to hydrogel matrix to highlight the roles of PEDOT in ohmic conductivity, excluding the effects of ionic conduction and secondary dopants. Given the electrically insulating nature of existing hydrogels (e.g., alginate with a conductivity of ~7.1 × 10−4 S m−1), the conductivity of PEDOT:AlgS-incorporated hydrogels (~7.5 × 10−2 S m−1) is lower than reports on pure PEDOT hydrogels (on the order of 10⁻³–10⁻⁵ S m− 122,25). However, it is important to note that processing pure PEDOT hydrogels typically requires drying steps and the use of organic solvents or cytotoxic ions, which restricts their applicability in scenarios where direct injectability is required.
a Formulation and crosslinking scheme of conductive inks comprised of alginate with PEDOT fillers doped with AlgS and PSS. b Dispersibility limit of PEDOT:AlgS and PEDOT:PSS in 3% w/v alginate solutions in water. c The relative increase in conductivity of alginate (7.1 × 10−4 S m−1) as a result of introducing conductive PEDOT fillers at their dispersibility limit before crosslinking with Fe3+. The p-value is determined from a two-tailed Student's t-test with unequal variances (n = 3 independent samples). d Effect of PEDOT dopants on the impedance spectroscopy characteristics of alginate inks. The inset shows Nyquist plots corresponding to the ink formulations. e Illustration of the multilayer patterns of PEDOT:AlgS in alginate after crosslinking in 25 mM FeCl3 solutions. f SEM images of the freeze-dried hydrogels based on the mixtures of PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:AlgS (4 and 20% w/v, respectively) in alginate (n = 3 independent samples with similar results). g Temperature sensitivity of PEDOT-incorporated alginate hydrogels (n = 3 independent samples). h, i Results of electrocardiogram (ECG) and electromyography (EMG) recordings using conductive hydrogels as electrode interfaces, respectively. Values in (c) and (g) represent the mean and the standard deviation (n = 3 independent samples).
A more in-depth analysis of the charge-carrying processes was performed via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) (Fig. 4d and Supplementary Fig. 13). Nyquist plots showed that alginate-PEDOT:AlgS intersects with Zreal at lower impedances compared with alginate-PEDOT:PSS, reiterating greater electrical conductance. Conductivity through PEDOT-based polymers consisted of direct charge transfer through percolation resistance Rp, which was ~3× larger in alginate-PEDOT:PSS compared to alginate-PEDOT:AlgS.
In terms of printing fidelity (Fig. 4e), solutions of 4% w/v PEDOT:PSS in alginate experienced multiple clogging events due to aggregation and precipitation (Supplementary Fig. 14a), whereas PEDOT:AlgS solutions (at 20% w/v concentration) were continuously deposited with no visible defects. Crosslinking of 3D-printed constructs was performed in FeCl3 solutions at its cytocompatible concentration limit of 25 mM (Supplementary Fig. 15). The distribution and morphology of PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:AlgS after integration with alginate (Fig. 4f and Supplementary Fig. 14b, c) show aggregation of PEDOT:PSS within the alginate matrix, whereas PEDOT:AlgS formed a highly homogeneous and uniform dispersion within the alginate network, explaining the observed conductivity characteristics.
The potential applications of the conductive alginate inks were studied as temperature-sensing elements in medical devices (Fig. 4g). The temperature sensitivity of the alginate with PEDOT:AlgS within the physiologically relevant ranges (20–40 °C) was found to be ~75% greater than those of PEDOT:PSS-incorporated alginate. Additionally, as a proof-of-concept, we explored the capability of alginate-based conductive electrodes in electrophysiological recording. Electrocardiography (ECG) measurements via electrodes attached to the volunteer's wrist (Fig. 4h) resulted in time delays between two contiguous S waves of 0.71 and 0.69 s for electrodes containing PEDOT:AlgS and PEDOT:PSS, respectively. These figures correspond to heart rates of 84 and 87 beats min−1, which fall within the healthy regime of 60–100 beats min−1. While the potential amplitudes for S waves were found to be similar, these amplitudes for T waves were found to be approximately 30% greater than those observed for PEDOT:PSS. Similarly, electromyography (EMG) signals resulted in ~43% greater signal amplitudes when lifting 13 lb weights using PEDOT:AlgS-based electrodes compared to those of PEDOT:PSS (Fig. 4i), suggesting the potential of the proposed bioelectrodes for biomonitoring interfaces. This potential was further confirmed by the evaluation of immunoactivity for implantable applications in vitro, where results suggested no inflammatory response associated with PEDOT doped with either PSS or AlgS (Supplementary Fig. 16).
Injectable bioadhesive hydrogels have enabled robust sealing of bleeding wounds50,51. However, septic control post-wound closure remains a major challenge as it requires continuous real-time monitoring of patients52,53. Incorporating pH-sensing elements such as PEDOT-based polymers54 to bioadhesives is a promising approach to ensure early detection of potential infections and prompt medical intervention. PEDOT polymers were integrated with a biodegradable and ionically cross-linkable bioadhesive platform (catechol-modified gelatin-caffeic acid conjugates, GelCA)55 as shown in Fig. 5a. The dispersion limits of PEDOT:AlgS and PEDOT:PSS in GelCA were similar to those reported above for alginate matrices—20% w/v and 4% w/v, respectively—highlighting the substantially better dispersibility of PEDOT:AlgS in aqueous hydrogel systems. Incorporating PEDOT:PSS in GelCA, although at a lower concentration, required much more rigorous mixing than PEDOT:AlgS to attain a homogeneous solution (Fig. 5b). We observed an increase in viscosity (Fig. 5c) and gel-sol transition temperature (Supplementary Fig. 17) of GelCA with the addition of 20% w/v PEDOT:AlgS, and these increases were comparable to 4% w/v PEDOT:PSS in GelCA. These effects are primarily due to the intensified dynamic interactions, such as thermosensitive hydrogen bonding in GelCA networks56.
a Formulation of bioadhesives involving gelatin-catechol (GelCA), synthesized via coupling caffeic acid to gelatin, as hydrogel bioadhesive matrices. PEDOT doped with PSS and AlgS are incorporated separately within GelCA at their dispersibility limits (4 and 20% w/v, respectively) and crosslinked ionically by Fe3+ for pH sensing in wound monitoring applications. b Hydrogel pre-polymer composites of GelCA (12% w/v) with PEDOT:PSS (4% w/v) and PEDOT:AlgS (20% w/v) after shaking on a vortex for 1 min. c Viscosity-shear rate of injectable bioadhesives. d Impedance spectroscopy of injectable bioadhesive pre-polymers. e Ex vivo porcine lung burst pressure adhesion testing of hydrogels (n = 3 independent samples). f Clotting time assays in terms of relative decrease in coagulation time for the assessment of hemostatic activity after hydrogel crosslinking. Clotting time for blank controls was 21.7 ± 0.6 min. Statistical analysis was performed via one-way ANOVA (n = 3 independent samples). g In vitro pH sensitivity of conductive bioadhesives obtained by chronoamperometric testing of hydrogels in various pH levels. The inset shows current variations with time at pH 7 (n = 3 independent samples). h In vivo monitoring of wound infection using conductive bioadhesive hydrogels. The data in (e–h) represents the mean and the standard deviation (n = 3 independent samples).
In terms of tensile mechanical properties (Supplementary Fig. 18a), the elastic modulus of GelCA increased more substantially with the addition of PEDOT:AlgS compared to PEDOT:PSS (Supplementary Fig. 18b) at their dispersibility limits, due to denser dynamic interactions introduced at high concentrations of PEDOT:AlgS. The increase in tensile strength with PEDOT:AlgS was also more prominent compared to PEDOT:PSS (Supplementary Fig. 18c), though no substantial difference was seen across all conditions in terms of stretchability (Supplementary Fig. 18d).
Supplementary Fig. 19a represents the conductivity of the pre-gel solutions. While PEDOT:PSS resulted in a maximum of ~1.5× improvement at its dispersion limit, PEDOT:AlgS showed a considerably larger improvement (~7×) due to its superior dispersibility. Crosslinking of PEDOT:AlgS hydrogels using FeCl3 further increased this figure to ~9.5×, which could be elevated up to over 35× depending on the crosslinking time. The EIS results for PEDOT-incorporated GelCA solutions, along with the equivalent circuit constants (Fig. 5d and Supplementary Fig. 19b–d), corroborate the greater capacity of PEDOT-AlgS additives to impart conductivity to GelCA hydrogels.
The GelCA matrix concentrations in hydrogels were engineered to yield stable wet adhesion to collagen sheet tissue models (Supplementary Fig. 20a). Raising the GelCA content to 12% w/v allowed the formation of stable crosslinked hydrogels that remained integral and adhered to collagen substrates. Swelling tests suggested substantial swelling in the GelCA and GelCA+PEDOT:PSS groups, while no swelling was observed in the GelCA+PEDOT:AlgS groups possibly due to the larger content of hydrophobic PEDOT moieties and denser ionic crosslinking enabled by AlgS (Supplementary Fig. 20b). As shown in Fig. 5e, adding either PEDOT:PSS or PEDOT:AlgS to GelCA led to substantial improvements to ex vivo adhesion performance (porcine lungs burst pressures), primarily due to enhanced hydrogel cohesion. Such conductive bioadhesives showed up to 5-fold greater burst pressure than commercial sealants. In addition to physical sealing, the hemostatic efficacy of bioadhesives is crucial for bleeding control and wound healing57. Clotting time assays (Fig. 5f and Supplementary Fig. 21) suggested that all hydrogels exhibited hemostatic potency, primarily attributed to the Fe3+ ions used for crosslinking and the high density of electrostatic interactions driven by the positive and negative charges of PEDOT additives58.
The pH sensing function of the hydrogels was tested in physiologically relevant pH ranges59 (Supplementary Fig. 22a, b). Chronoamperometric studies showed that current increased with pH where the current changes were substantially greater for GelCA-PEDOT:AlgS compared to GelCA-PEDOT:PSS, translating into ~250% improvement in overall sensitivity (Fig. 5g). This enhancement is due to PEDOT:AlgS facilitating the incorporation of larger amounts of pH-responsive PEDOT moieties into the hydrogel. The open circuit potential (OCP) data supported the chronoamperometric measurements (Supplementary Fig. 22c). The pH sensing in conductive hydrogels is generally attributed to the synergistic effects of mediated electron and ion mobility, facilitated by hydrogel swelling, as well as catechol-to-quinone transitions induced by oxidation reactions54,60,61. However, we note that swelling effect was found to be negligible in GelCA-PEDOT:AlgS, whereas it was more prominent under other conditions (Supplementary Fig. 20b). Stability of conductivity over 1 week in various pH levels suggested the negligible effects of non-reversible reactions such as catechol oxidation (Supplementary Fig. 22d). In vivo application of conductive bioadhesives in monitoring wound infection demonstrated that PEDOT:AlgS enables ~3× larger relative current change in response to infection compared to PEDOT:PSS-based bioadhesives (Fig. 5h). This resistance change was fully recoverable with antibiotic treatment in PEDOT:AlgS, showing the robust capacity of the PEDOT:AlgS additives for monitoring wound conditions. The current response to wound infection was also tested 3 days after introducing skin wounds where similar trends were observed, indicating sensing sustainability in wound healing timescales (Supplementary Fig. 22e).
Live/Dead imaging results (Supplementary Fig. 23a, b) indicated that both PEDOT:AlgS (at 5× higher concentration) and PEDOT:PSS did not induce any evident cytotoxicity in GelCA hydrogels. Accordingly, the addition of PEDOT-based additives did not affect cell proliferation (Supplementary Fig. 23c), supporting the safety of the synthesized products for potential implantable applications. Likewise, PEDOT additives did not show substantial antibacterial effects nor affect wound healing properties in vivo (Supplementary Fig. 24).
PEDOT:PSS is a popular conductive filler for enhancing conductivity in hydrogels for medical devices and applications, including injectable soft bioelectronics for minimally invasive therapy. Doping conditions play a pivotal role in the characteristics of these polymers, such as electrical properties and aqueous dispersion. Doping PEDOT via hydrophilic alternatives is an effective strategy to enhance the dispersion limit of PEDOT in aqueous systems, allowing dispersions of more than 20% w/v in hydrogels, which is over 5× greater than those of PEDOT:PSS. This approach enables increasing conductivity thresholds up to 20× beyond those achievable by PEDOT:PSS fillers at their dispersibility limit due to the formation of more compact percolation networks. Additionally, the long-term dispersion stability of PEDOT was markedly improved, rendering PEDOT:AlgS stable additives for long-term ink storage and applications in 3D printing. Unlike PEDOT:PSS, ionic associations are possible with PEDOT:AlgS (due to using alginate derivatives as dopants) in response to Fe3+ cations, suggesting opportunities for stronger integration with other ionically crosslinking hydrogel systems such as alginate and catecholic bioadhesive hydrogels. These properties, combined with excellent in vivo response due to mitigation of fibrotic capsule formation, make PEDOT:AlgS an ideal candidate for implantable, biodegradable, and injectable bioelectronics.
In combination with hydrogel systems, introducing electrical conductivity to gelatin-based bioadhesives via PEDOT:AlgS enables smart sealants capable of pH monitoring for sensing wound conditions such as infection. Since PEDOT:AlgS enables a greater dispersion limit, the pH sensitivity in their corresponding electrodes is enhanced substantially by ~250%.
Overall, doping conducting polymers with hydrophilic moieties such as AlgS holds promising potential for applications in injectable bioelectronics. We envision that various natural biomolecules can be modified for doping polymeric semiconductors to design bioactive electrodes that enable more efficient interfacing with tissues and engineering biomaterials such as soft hydrogels. Integrability of these additives with other crosslinking systems, such as free-radical photopolymerization, further expands their utility in the development of minimally invasive theranostics. Besides, despite advances in improving conductivity, hydrogel-based electrodes still exhibit substantially lower conductivity compared to metallic electrodes, highlighting the need for further innovations in this space. Continued efforts in this field will open new avenues for sophisticated injectable bioelectronic systems capable of long-term in vivo monitoring and therapeutic interventions for more applications in real-time health monitoring and neural interfacing. Lastly, long-term in vivo studies of immune response and degradation, along with demonstrations of PEDOT-based hydrogels with active wound healing and antimicrobial properties, are critical to expand their application for wound monitoring.
Type A gelatin derived from porcine skin, gelatin from cold water fish skin, sodium alginate (cat. no. W201502), calcium chloride (CaCl2), iron(III) chloride (FeCl3), caffeic acid (CA), sodium chloride (NaCl), ammonium persulfate (APS), poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) (PSS) average molecular weight 70,000 Da, formamide, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), chlorosulfonic acid (CSA), hydrochloric acid (HCl), and sodium periodate (NaIO4) were acquired from Sigma-Aldrich. 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC), N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS), and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) were purchased from TCI Chemicals, USA. Porcine lung tissues were provided by Sierra for Medical Science, USA. Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and buffer solutions at pH 4, 7, and 9 were supplied by ThermoFisher Scientific, USA. Ethanol (C2H5OH) was purchased from KOPTEC (King of Prussia, PA, USA), potassium phosphate monobasic (KH2PO4), and potassium phosphate dibasic (K2HPO4) were purchased from Sigma-Aldrich, USA. The commercial PEDOT:PSS (1.3 wt.% dispersion in H2O) was supplied by Sigma-Aldrich, USA.
Alginate was modified to obtain AlgS dopants. First, 1000 mg alginate was added to 40 ml formamide and placed in an ice bath while stirring at 250 rpm. Different batches of AlgSx were synthesized by adding various amounts of CSA (i.e., x = 0.5, 1, and 2 ml) to the reaction solutions, and the reactions proceeded for 4 h at 60 °C under stirring at 250 rpm. Then, AlgS was precipitated by adding an equal volume of acetone to the solution. The solution was vortexed and centrifuged at 3000×g for 5 min to form a pellet. The supernatant was discarded, and the AlgS pellets were dissolved in deionized (DI) water at ~2% w/v. The AlgS solution was dialyzed for 24 h against DI water, where the dialysis media was refreshed 3 times and subsequently freeze-dried.
To synthesize PEDOT:AlgS, 1000 mg AlgS was dissolved in 50 ml DI water while stirring at 250 rpm. Then, different amounts of EDOT (i.e., 0.1, 0.5, and 0.9 ml) and APS (i.e., 240, 1200, and 2160 mg corresponding to each EDOT concentration) were added to the mixture. Where not specified, PEDOT:AlgS is synthesized using AlgS2 and the highest EDOT concentration. The polymerization reaction proceeded at room temperature at 250 rpm for 48 h unless noted otherwise.
Then, the reaction solutions were dialyzed for 3 days against 100 mM NaCl (the dialysis media refreshed 3 times a day), followed by freeze-drying. All products were dialyzed and freeze-dried (1) to remove ions/byproducts for biocompatible interfacing with tissues and (2) to allow re-dispersion at controlled concentrations.
The synthesis of PEDOT:PSS controls was performed following the same protocol as PEDOT:AlgS, where doping of PEDOT was conducted by equivalent weight ratios of PSS to EDOT monomers (i.e., the amount of EDOT monomers and APS initiators were 0.9 ml and 2160 mg, respectively). Polymerization of PEDOT in PEDOT:PSS was conducted for 24 h (half of the EDOT polymerization time in PEDOT:AlgS) to yield similar electrical conductivity between the two conditions.
For modification of gelatin with bioadhesive catechol motifs (gelatin-catechol, GelCA), 212 mg CA (4.25% w/v) was dissolved in a 5 ml solution of 50 %v/v DMSO in DI water. Subsequently, 7.5 mg of NaIO4 (0.15% w/v) was added to the CA solution, and the solution was stirred for 1 h to produce oxidized CA. Following this step, a solution consisting of 20 ml of 50 %v/v DMSO in water along with 191 mg of EDC (0.96% w/v) and 115 mg of NHS (0.58% w/v) was introduced into the mixture and activation reaction was allowed to proceed for 2 h.
Simultaneously, 1 g of gelatin is dissolved in a 75 ml solution of 50% v/v DMSO in water (1.33% w/v) at 50 °C for 1 h. The gelatin solutions were mixed with NHS-activated oxidized CA solution, and the conjugation reaction was left to proceed for 24 h at room temperature. Subsequently, the resulting solutions are dialyzed in DI water for 3 days, with the dialysis solution being refreshed three times daily. Finally, the samples were subjected to freeze-drying for 3 days.
Hydrogel mixtures containing PEDOT-based polymers were crosslinked through ionic crosslinking. Alginate inks were prepared by mixing PEDOT:PSS (4% w/v) and PEDOT:AlgS (20% w/v) in 3% w/v sodium alginate. The inks were exposed to 25 mM FeCl3 solution for 5 min and washed with PBS. Bioadhesive hydrogels were prepared similarly by mixing equivalent amounts of PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:AlgS in 12% w/v GelCA solutions in water at 80 °C followed by shaking until complete dissolution. The pre-polymers were then injected at room temperature, leading to their physical gelation and then, ionic crosslinking was conducted via FeCl3 diffusion (soaking in 25 mM FeCl3 solution for 5 min).
The solubility/dispersibility in water was assessed by mixing dry components in DI water at various concentrations, followed by multiple stages of shaking (by vortex) and heating at 80 °C. These samples were then fixed at an angle and held in position for 10 s where the flowability of the solutions under gravity was correlated to stability. The samples were considered dispersible if they flew under gravity and non-dispersible if did not.
Water absorption of hydrogels was assessed via swelling experiments. Hydrogels were crosslinked and their initial wet weight was recorded. They were then soaked in DI water at room temperature and their weight was registered at different time points. The swelling ratio was calculated as the ratio of weight change to initial weight.
The UV-vis measurements were performed using a NanoDrop OneC microvolume spectrophotometer (ThermoFisher Scientific, USA) on 2 μl volumes taken from the sample solutions. For UV-vis analysis of PEDOT:AlgS after freeze-drying, the polymers were dispersed at 1% w/v in DI water. For the analysis of polymerization kinetics, samples were taken directly from the reaction solution at different time points. UV-vis measurements in the near-infrared region were performed using an Agilent 8453 UV-vis Spectrometer.
The FTIR spectroscopy measurements were conducted via attenuated total reflection (ATR)-FTIR on freeze-dried AlgS and PEDOT:AlgS samples using a Bruker Alpha II Platinum ATR spectrometer. Baseline correction was performed on the data using SpectraGryph software.
The molecular weight distribution of the samples was assessed using SEC tests. The samples were dissolved in DI water at 0.5 mg/ml and filtered through 0.8 μm filter papers. For accelerated hydrolytic degradability tests, the products were treated in 20 mM NaOH at 5% w/v concentration and maintained at 37 °C for 3 weeks. Before the SEC tests, the samples were diluted to 0.5 mg ml−1 using DI water. Samples were loaded into an Agilent 1200 high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipped with a UV detector. A Yarra 3 μm SEC-3000 column (Phenomenex, Torrance, CA, USA) at 30 min running time was used with the mobile phase being PBS. The absorbance data measured at 210 nm wavelength was reported over retention times.
A Nano ZS (Malvern Panalytical Ltd, UK) zeta sizer was used for the DLS tests for the characterization of zeta potential and size distributions of the dispersions. The test solutions were prepared at 0.5 mg/ml, followed by loading into the DTS1070 disposable folded capillary cuvettes. The refractive indices for the dispersant and polymers, as well as the polymer absorption constant, were defined as 1.33, 1.51, and 0.01, respectively. The data were recorded at room temperature.
Contact angle measurements were performed to assess the wettability of the surfaces using a goniometer RemaHart. A volume of 100 µl PEDOT solution in water (2.5 % w/v) was dried on glass slides on hotplates at 60 °C. A droplet of deionized water (~5 µl) was carefully placed on the surface of coated layer using a microsyringe. Images of the droplet were captured upon contacting surface using a high-resolution camera, and the contact angle was determined by analyzing the droplet profile using ImageJ software.
To analyze microstructural features, SEM images were captured. Prior to imaging, a thin layer of gold (20 nm) was sputtered onto the surface of each sample. The images were recorded at 2 kV acceleration voltage using a Zeiss Sigma 300 SEM microscope.
To analyze the phase images and surface roughness, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was conducted using a Dimension® Icon® atomic force microscope with ScanAsyst™. The PEDOT-based coatings were prepared by drop casting 75 µl of 5% w/v solutions on a 60 °C hotplate. Imaging was performed at 300 nm scan size and 1.5 Hz scan rate.
The sulfonation degree of AlgS was quantified using barium sulfate nephelometry62. First, 15 mg AlgS underwent hydrolysis in 5 ml of 0.1 M HCl at 120 °C for 7 h to release the attached sulfonate groups. Subsequently, the solution volume was adjusted to 25 ml by adding DI water. Then, 625 μl of this solution was mixed with 312.5 µl of a gelatin-barium chloride solution consisting of 5% w/v BaCl2 and 5% w/v gelatin from cold water fish skin in DI water. The mixture was added to 175 μl of 8% w/v trichloroacetic acid in DI water and thoroughly mixed before allowing the reaction to proceed for 20 min. The absorbance of the reaction solutions was measured at 350 nm wavelength using a microplate reader (BioTek UV-vis Synergy 2, VT, USA). The degree of sulfonation was measured based on the calibration curves.
To attain standard curves (absorbance-SO3 concentration), stock sodium sulfate (NaSO4) solutions of various concentrations, i.e., 2.500–0.005 mg/ml, were prepared in DI water. Then, 500 μl of this solution was mixed with 250 μl gelatin-barium chloride and 140 μl trichloroacetic acid solutions prepared previously. The absorbance measurement was performed accordingly, and the degree of sulfonation was measured using the Eq. (1):
where DS is the degree of sulfonation, and SAlgS is the corresponding concentration of sulfonate groups for AlgS samples (in mol l−1) as obtained from the standard curves.
Rheological studies were conducted using an MCR 302 (Premium Analytical Instruments, Anton Paar, Graz, Austria) rheometer equipped with an 8 mm parallel-plate torque measurement system using RheoCompass software. The tests were performed on 70 μl of liquid solutions at 1 mm gap size.
Viscosity-shear rates were measured over 1 to 100 s−1 at room temperature at 0.5 mm gap size. These tests on GelCA-PEDOT composites were performed at 50 °C. For oscillatory experiments, 1 Hz frequency and 0.5% strain amplitude were defined unless noted otherwise. In order to assess the diffusive crosslinking of hydrogels, pre-gel solutions were submerged in crosslinking solutions, and storage modulus (Gʹ) and loss modulus (Gʹʹ) response were monitored through time sweep tests. The gelation point was defined as the crossover of Gʹ and Gʹʹ curves. To assess thermosensitivity, pre-gels were allowed to equilibrate at 50 °C for 5 min. Subsequently, a linear thermal transition from 50 °C to 10 °C at a rate of 1 °C/min was applied while Gʹ and Gʹʹ were recorded at 10% strain amplitude. Thermosensitivity tests were performed for PEDOT polymers at their dispersibility concentration limits (i.e., 20% w/v for PEDOT:AlgS and 4% w/v for PEDOT:PSS) incorporated in 12% w/v GelCA solutions.
Tensile mechanical properties of crosslinked GelCA-based conductive bioadhesives were evaluated using an Instron 5943 (MA, USA) universal testing equipment using BlueHill 3 software. To prepare the samples, 200 μl solutions were pipetted into 25 × 5 mm rectangular polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) molds and crosslinked diffusively by 5 min soaking in 25 mM FeCl3 solution. Then, crosslinked samples were glued to plain paper using Krazy glue (OH, USA) for better gripping. After loading the tests into the system, the tests were carried out at a crosshead displacement rate of 10 mm min−1. The force-displacement data was recorded using a 100 N load cell. The failure point was defined as the first drop observed in the stress-strain curves, from which the tensile strength and strain at failure were determined.
To evaluate the sealing effectiveness of the bioadhesive hydrogels, ex vivo burst pressure tests were conducted on porcine lung tissues. An oxygen reservoir was connected to a pressure gauge and a porcine lung through a T-shaped connector. A 3 mm wide puncture was thoroughly sealed using 100 µl bioadhesive pre-polymer (containing 12% w/v GelCA and certain concentrations of PEDOT:dopants) followed by 5 min diffusive crosslinking using 25 mM FeCl3. Pressure changes were monitored as oxygen gas was introduced into the lungs until the point where the corresponding pressure was registered as burst pressure.
The DC electrical conductivity was determined using a standard two-point probe setup via a Reference 600™ (Gamry Instruments, PA, USA) potentiostat. For conductivity of dry PEDOT:PSS and PEDOT:AlgS films, 75 μl samples taken from the PEDOT polymerization reactions were taken before the dialysis step at different time points and pipetted onto a glass slide, followed by dry annealing in an 80 °C oven. The dried coatings were cut into rectangular shapes, and then copper tape electrodes were affixed onto the coatings using silver glue, resulting in ~3 × 7 mm sample sizes. The coating thicknesses were measured to be ~4 μm using atomic force microscopy, based on which conductivity was calculated according to Eq. (2):
Here, resistance (R) was calculated based on the average current output in response to 1 V applied voltage measured over 30 s, and t, l, and w are film thickness, length, and width, respectively. The conductivity of hydrogel samples was measured by bridging two gold electrodes placed at a 7 mm distance via injecting pre-polymer solutions on glass substrates. The applied hydrogel width and thickness were ca. 5 mm and 1 mm, respectively, and the DC conductivity measurements were performed following the same procedure for dry coatings.
Impedance spectroscopy characteristics were assessed via a two-point probe setup using an AC voltage of VRMS = 100 mV over 100 MHz to 1 MHz frequency range. Gamry Echem Analyst software (version 6.3) was used for fitting the circuit models to the impedance data.
The biocompatibility of the synthesized conductive polymers in GelCA matrices was evaluated through a 2D cell culture experiment using human dermal fibroblast cell lines (ATCC PCS201012). First, a pre-gel hydrogel mixture (100 μl) was introduced into PDMS molds with an 8 mm diameter and a 1.5 mm depth to create hydrogel disks. These hydrogel disks were subsequently immersed in a 25 mM FeCl3 solution for 5 min for crosslinking. Afterward, the disks were immersed in a DPBS solution and sterilized under UV light for 1 h.
The cells were cultured and incubated at 37 °C with 5% CO2, seeding them in a 24-well plate at a cell density of 2500 cells per well for 24 h in a 2 ml medium consisting of Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium (DMEM) supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 1% penicillin-streptomycin. Subsequently, sterilized hydrogels were added to transwells (4 µm mesh), and the transwells were placed in the well plates containing the cells. Wells without hydrogels were used as a control.
To assess the metabolic activity of the cells, a PrestoBlue assay (ThermoFisher Scientific, USA) was performed at various time intervals. The cells were washed with DPBS and then incubated with 1 ml of PrestoBlue reagent (diluted 10× in the cultured medium) for 1.5 h at 37 °C. Subsequently, the PrestoBlue (100 μl per well) was transferred to a fresh 96-well plate, and fluorescence values were recorded at excitation/emission wavelengths of 530/590 nm using a microplate reader (BioTek Synergy 2, USA).
A Live/Dead assay (Invitrogen, USA) was conducted to assess cell viability. The cells were rinsed multiple times before applying the Live/Dead solution. The Live/Dead solutions were prepared by mixing 5 μl of calcein and 20 μl of ethidium homodimer-1 with 10 ml DPBS, and 500 μl of this solution was added to each well and incubated at 37 °C for 15 min. The cells were then rinsed with DPBS and imaged using a Zeiss fluorescence microscope (Axio Observer 5) with excitation/emission wavelengths of 494/515 nm for calcein (green) and 528/617 nm for ethidium homodimer-1 (red). ImageJ software was used to count live and dead cells, enabling the calculation of cell viability as the ratio of live cells to the total cell count.
The in vitro immunoactivity of PEDOT:AlgS was evaluated using bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs), isolated from the tibia and femur bones of 5- to 6-week-old C57BL/6 mice. Approximately 106 cells per dish were isolated and seeded in a mixture of DMEM supplemented with 10% w/v fetal bovine serum, 55 μM β-mercaptoethanol, 5 ng ml−1 of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (MCSF), and 100 U/ml penicillin. After 8 days of culture, the BMDMs were seeded in a 6-well transwell plate at a density of 1 × 106 cells per well. Following overnight incubation, the macrophages were co-cultured with crosslinked disk-shaped PEDOT:AlgS hydrogels in a transwell plate, each having a volume of 100 μl hydrogel material, for 24 h. Subsequently, the cells were collected, and flow cytometry (Attune, ThermoFisher Scientific, USA) was used to assess polarization and activation for the stained macrophages. In a parallel study for microscopy analysis, the following steps were performed: After a 24-h incubation period, the cells were washed three times with PBS to remove any residual media or debris. Subsequently, the cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde for 20 min to preserve their structure and morphology. To prevent non-specific binding of antibodies, the cells were then blocked with 2% bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 90 min. Following the blocking step, the cells were incubated overnight at 4 °C with primary antibodies against F4/80 (a macrophage-specific marker) and CD80 (a co-stimulatory molecule) at a dilution of 1:250. After the overnight incubation, the cells were washed three times with PBS to remove any unbound antibodies. Subsequently, the cells were stained with DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) at a dilution of 1:1000 for 15 min. Finally, microscopy analysis was performed to visualize and study the stained cells.
Biocompatibility of the crosslinked PEDOT:AlgS was assessed in vivo by implantation in mice following an approved protocol at the Lundquist Institute (#22747-01). For each sample, five black male C57BL/6 mice, 6–8 weeks old, obtained from The Jackson Laboratory in the USA, were housed in standard laboratory conditions with a 12-h light/dark cycle, ambient temperature maintained at 25 ± 2 °C, and relative humidity of 50 ± 10%. Animals were provided ad libitum access to laboratory pellets and purified water in pathogen-free facilities. The PEDOT solutions were then injected (100 µl) intradermally. All surgeries were performed under anesthesia, with 1.5% v/v isoflurane in oxygen gas followed by carprofen injection for pain management. Tissues from the mice were subsequently harvested after 1 week following euthanasia via carbon dioxide inhalation. Subsequently, the samples were preserved by immersion in a 10% v/v formalin solution. Then, the preserved organs and tissues were encased in paraffin and cut into 5 μm-thick sections. The cellular morphology was assessed through hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining.
For the subcutaneous implantation samples, immunofluorescent staining was performed. Anti-mouse F4/80 (BioRad, catalog number: MCA497A488, lot #18567, clone #Cl:A3-1), CD80 (BioLegend, catalog number: cat 600055, lot #b444189, clone W17200C), CD3 (BioLegend, catalog number: cat 100205, lot #B424757, clone 17A2), and Ly6G (BioLegend, catalog number: 127607, lot #B440678, clone 1A8), as well-established marker for identifying mouse macrophages, their pro-inflammatory subtypes, T cells, and neutrophils were used. For immunofluorescent staining, the slides were submerged in the xylene substitute for 5 min to deparaffinize the tissue sections. The tissues were rehydrated by washing them in ethanol (100%, 90%, and 70%, respectively) for 5 min each, followed by a 5-min wash in PBS. The slides were then submerged in an antigen retrieval buffer diluted 1:50 in MilliQ water, placed in a steamer set to 98.5 °C for 15 min, and subsequently incubated at room temperature for an additional 10 min to achieve antigen retrieval. Afterward, we circled the tissues using a hydrophobic pen. The slides were then washed twice in distilled water for 2 min each, followed by a 5 min wash in PBS. After drying, each tissue was covered with 10% normal goat serum for 30 min, placed in a humid chamber, and incubated in primary antibody solution overnight at 4 °C. From this stage onwards, the slides were submerged twice in PBS for 5 min each during the washing process. Subsequently, the slides were counterstained with DAPI, diluted at a ratio of 1:100 in PBS, for 10 min. Following this, the slides underwent a 10-min staining process with Sudan Black to diminish autofluorescence. Subsequently, the slides were coverslipped using an aqueous mounting medium and imaged using a Keyence microscope. Widefield fluorescent images were acquired post subcutaneous implantation, with color-coding as follows: Green for F4/80 macrophages, red for CD80, CD3, and Ly6G, and blue for DAPI.
The blood clotting tendency of the material was measured in vitro with whole human blood containing 3.8% w/v sodium citrate anticoagulant. Two hundred μl of GelCA-based pre-gel mixtures were crosslinked in a 48-well plate using 25 mM FeCl3. To initiate the clotting process, we thoroughly mixed 0.1 M calcium chloride with the blood at a 1:10 ratio and agitated the mixture for 10 s. Two hundred µl of the mixture was dispensed into the wells containing hydrogel, and the same amount was added to the empty wells as a control. At each designated time interval, the wells were rinsed with saline, ensuring the removal of soluble blood components until only the clots remained. The moment at which a consistent clot was formed in the wells was recorded as the clotting time. To assess the clot-forming abilities of different hydrogels, 10 ml of Milli-Q water was introduced to each sample after 16 min of clotting time, Afterward, the supernatant was analyzed using a plate reader at 405 nm. Greater clot formation was associated with lower absorbance values.
The conductive inks comprising 20% w/v PEDOT:AlgS and 3% w/v alginate were 3D-printed on glass slide substrates (unless noted otherwise) using a three-axis robotic deposition stage (Aerotech). AutoCAD software was used to design the printing paths, and G-code was generated using a custom Python script (available at https://github.com/hmontazerian/DXF-to-GCode.git). The ink was inserted into 15 ml syringe barrels and equipped with 27 GA tapered tips. Extrusion of the ink was regulated by applying the air pressure using an EFD Nordson benchtop fluid dispenser. Before printing the patterns, the printing pressure and speed were optimized to be 5 psi and 2 mm s−1 for stable extrusion.
A screen-printed gold electrode (Aux.:Au; Ref.:Ag)/Ink AT as a three-electrode system and Autolab with PGSTAT10 potentiostat/galvanostat from Metrohm, USA, were used for pH sensing experiments. The gold screen-printed electrodes (SPEs) were rinsed with ethanol, followed by distilled (DI) water, and then dried under nitrogen gas flow. The hydrogel-modified pH sensing system was prepared by applying 10 μl of the GelCA-based bioadhesive pre-polymers on the gold working electrodes (WEs). The pH was controlled using buffer solutions at pH 4, 7, and 9 (Fisher Scientific, USA). To ensure a consistent pH level during chronoamperometry, we meticulously controlled the environmental factors by maintaining a constant temperature throughout the experiment. The chronoamperometry studies were performed at 0.65 V.
The animal experiment was performed using ob/ob mice, B6.Cg-Lepob/J mice (The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME, USA) according to the protocol approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (protocol no. IA23-1800) at California Institute of Technology. After anesthesia and analgesia, 5-mm full-thickness wounds were created using a blade, and biosensors were implanted in subcutaneous pockets along the dorsomedial skin. S. aureus and E. coli were used for antimicrobial tests. After that, the electrodes were applied to the wound directly and tested using the hydrogel electrodes. The animals were tested for a continuous 3-day period. A mixed bacteria solution with a concentration of 1 × 108 CFU of each bacteria species was added after the first day of the test, and TCP-25 (GKYGFYTHVFRLKKWIQKVIDQFGE) (98% purity, acetate salt) (CPC Scientific) was applied after the secondary day of the test. Current measurement was performed at 0.1 V and the average current measured over 30 s was reported for each measurement time increment.
The antimicrobial activity of hydrogels was evaluated using an agar well diffusion assay. E. coli microbial strains were cultured in nutrient broth until reaching an optical density (OD600) of 1.24 for E. coli measured with a UV-Vis spectrometer. Agar plates were prepared by spreading the inoculum over the surface. Pre-gel solutions (100 µl) were pipetted on the agar plates. Crosslinked hydrogels were placed directly on the agar surface. The plates were incubated at 37 °C for 24 h to observe the zones of inhibition. As a positive control, 8 mm filter paper disks impregnated with 15 µg of silver sulfadiazine were placed on the agar plates.
Circular full-thickness wounds were created on the dorsal skin of the animal model using an 8 mm biopsy punch. After wound creation, the wounds were treated with the designated hydrogels and covered as needed to maintain the treatment. Wound area measurements were taken on days 6 and 12 post-treatment using images captured to track the healing process.
The bioadhesive GelCA-based conductive solutions were used to record biopotential signals. The reference electrode was placed on the leg for both electrocardiogram (ECG) and electromyography (EMG) monitoring. Working electrodes were placed on the left and right arms for ECG monitoring. While for EMG monitoring, the working electrodes were placed at both ends of the biceps brachii muscle. For both biopotential signals monitoring, the signal was acquired through an open-source hardware shield (SparkFun, AD8232) and was processed by a digital lowpass filter (50 Hz) through a MATLAB code (available at https://github.com/hmontazerian/biopotential-signals-recording.git).
The temperature-sensing characterization was performed on a ceramic hotplate (ThermoFisher Scientific) where the temperature was monitored using a thermometer. A two-probe setup using an amperometric method was used through an electrochemical workstation (CHI 660E) to record resistance changes with temperature under an applied voltage of 1 V.
The reported values are presented as means ± standard deviation (SD). GraphPad Prism 10 software was employed for statistical analyses using analysis of variance (ANOVA), with statistical significance considered when p < 0.05. Normal data distribution was assumed for parametric tests. All the experimentally measured data were conducted in triplicate (n = 3) for independent samples unless otherwise specified.
Every experiment involving animals, human participants, or clinical samples has been carried out following a protocol approved by an ethical commission.
Further information on research design is available in the Nature Portfolio Reporting Summary linked to this article.
All data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article and its supplementary files. Any additional requests for information can be directed to and will be fulfilled by the corresponding authors. Source data are provided with this paper.
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The authors acknowledge the financial support from the National Institutes of Health (R01EB023052, R01HL140618, R01EB031992, R01HL155815, and R01DC021461) and Heritage Medical Research Institute. E.D. thanks for the support from the National Institutes of Health Training Grant (T32EB023858).
These authors contributed equally: Hossein Montazerian, Elham Davoodi.
David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Hossein Montazerian, Yichao Zhao, Robert Langer & Daniel G. Anderson
Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
Hossein Montazerian, Tzung K. Hsiai & Paul S. Weiss
Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Hossein Montazerian & Elham Davoodi
Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation, Los Angeles, California, USA
Hossein Montazerian, Reihaneh Haghniaz, Neda Mohaghegh, Safoora Khosravi, Fatemeh Zehtabi, Negar Hosseinzadeh, Alireza Hassani Najafabadi & Ali Khademhosseini
Andrew and Peggy Cherng Department of Medical Engineering, Division of Engineering and Applied Science, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
Elham Davoodi, Canran Wang, Jiahong Li & Wei Gao
Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
Farnaz Lorestani
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
Rohan R. Sampath, Tianhan Liu & Paul S. Weiss
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Safoora Khosravi
Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Robert Langer & Daniel G. Anderson
Department of Anesthesiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Robert Langer & Daniel G. Anderson
Institute for Medical Engineering and Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Robert Langer & Daniel G. Anderson
Harvard-Massachusetts Institute of Technology Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
Robert Langer & Daniel G. Anderson
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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The original idea was developed, and experiments were designed by H.M. and E.D. H.M. prepared the majority of the original draft and performed data analysis in addition to conducting electrical characterizations, rheological studies of viscosity and thermal gelation, DLS, and testing the degree of sulfonation. E.D. led the dispersibility tests, rheological experiments of ionic crosslinking, UV-vis experiments, as well as 3D printing of hydrogels. F.L. conducted pH testing of conductive bioadhesives in vitro, and C.W. assessed the wound monitoring capability of hydrogels in vivo. In vitro biocompatibility tests were performed by R.H. R.R.S. contributed to drafting the experimental section and assisted H.M. in sulfonation degree measurements. J.L. performed temperature sensitivity, physiological monitoring studies and assisted E.D. with 3D printing experiments. S.K. performed mechanical characterizations. The hemostatic analyses were led by F.Z. The AFM imaging and FTIR tests were performed by T.L. and N.H., respectively. Y.Z. assisted H.M. in conducting electrical characterizations. In addition to in vivo biocompatibility, A.H.N. conducted in vitro immunoactivity studies, SEC experiments for biodegradability, and PEDOT polymerization. N.M. assisted A.H.N. in flow cytometric studies of immunoactivity. T.H., R.S.L., D.G.A., A.K., W.G., and P.S.W. supervised, conceived of this study, and contributed to the writing of the manuscript. The final version of the manuscript has been approved by all authors.
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Alireza Hassani Najafabadi, Paul S. Weiss, Ali Khademhosseini or Wei Gao.
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Nature Communications thanks Jun Wang, Miryam Criado, and the other anonymous reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.
Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
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Montazerian, H., Davoodi, E., Wang, C. et al. Boosting hydrogel conductivity via water-dispersible conducting polymers for injectable bioelectronics.
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In March, scientists and their allies gathered to protest cuts to funding in Washington DC. Credit: Robyn Stevens Brody/Sipa USA/Alamy
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Researchers in the United States are seeking career opportunities abroad as President Donald Trump's administration slashes science funding and workforce numbers, finds an analysis of Nature's jobs-board data.
Data from the Nature Careers global science jobs platform show that US scientists submitted 32% more applications for jobs abroad between January and March 2025 than during the same period in 2024. At the same time, the number of US-based users browsing jobs abroad increased by 35%.
In March alone, as the administration intensified its cuts to science, views rose by 68% compared with the same month last year.
More than 200 federal grants for research related to HIV and AIDS were abruptly terminated last month. Cuts to grants from the US National Institutes of Health for COVID-19 research were revealed, and the government began a US$400-million reduction in research grants at Columbia University in New York City, because of campus protests supporting Palestinians in the conflict with Israel.
“To see this big drop in views and applications to the US — and the similar rise in those looking to leave — is unprecedented,” says James Richards, who leads the Global Talent Solutions team at Springer Nature, which includes the Nature Careers multidisciplinary science jobs board. As this article went to press, the board hosted 983 live vacancies.
The team shared the data with Nature journalists on condition that its analysis was confined to percentage changes rather than raw numbers, on the grounds that the information is considered commercially privileged. Nature's journalists are editorially independent of Springer Nature, its publisher.
The release of the Nature Careers jobs-board data follows a separate poll of researchers by Nature's news team, which found that 75% of researchers in the United States who responded were keen to leave.
US President Donald Trump has planned sweeping cuts to research instiutions during his time in office.Credit: Ben Curtis/AP/Alamy
Applications from US scientists seeking career opportunities in neighbouring Canada increased by 41% between January and March 2025 compared with the same period in 2024. By contrast, applications from Canadian researchers for jobs in the United States dropped by 13%.
Chemical engineer Valerie Niemann is one of many looking beyond the United States to develop her career. This month, she moved from Stanford University in California to take up a postdoctoral position at the University of Bern.
In the United States, she says, “people don't know how long their postdocs will be. We can't apply for fellowships because we don't know how long they're going to exist.”
In a 25 March post on the social media platform X, Xiao Wu, a biostatistician at Columbia University, lamented: “My very first NIH grant was abruptly cancelled just three months after receiving funding.” His work focuses on using evidence-based data to mitigate the harms of climate change on health.
Wu is not currently looking for work elsewhere, but fears he might eventually have no choice. “Without these grants, my career stability and professional future are directly jeopardized,” he says. “Therefore, this situation is not simply one of ‘seeking other opportunities', but rather one where we are effectively being forced out of US academic institutions.” (See ‘US interest in international jobs'.)
Some European institutions are scrambling to attract what might be an exodus of scientific talent from the United States.
In early March, for example, Aix-Marseille University in France, launched the Safe Place for Science initiative. It has allocated €15 million (about US$17 million) from the university's budget to sponsor 15 researchers working on climate, health, the environment and social sciences.
Aix-Marseille spokesperson Clara Bufi says that the university closed the application window after receiving an overwhelming 298 applications and nearly 400 requests for information, but adds that it might reopen it after processing the current applications. The programme is aimed at US researchers who have been dismissed, censored or prevented from working by the Trump administration's actions. Seventy per cent of applicants are researchers from the United States and are specialists in their fields, she says, and 20 people will now be selected this year.
“What's happening is terrible for American research,” says Aix-Marseille's president, Éric Berton, adding: “We felt it was our duty to do what we could to show scientists there was a little light in the south of France where they could do their research, be a lot freer and where they were wanted.”
Berton's message seems to be a compelling one. Applications from the United States to fill European vacancies on the Nature Careers jobs board increased by 32% in March compared with the same month a year earlier, and views increased by 41%.
At the same time, applications to US institutions from researchers in Europe dropped by 41%.
The Max Planck institutes in Germany have been fielding requests from some of their researchers who are from the United States but who would like to stay in Germany longer than they'd planned.
Does US science have a future in Antarctica? Trump cuts threaten to cancel fieldwork and more
Does US science have a future in Antarctica? Trump cuts threaten to cancel fieldwork and more
Christina Beck, a spokesperson for the institutes, says that more applications are arriving from Asian countries, too, attributing the rise to “scientists possibly reorienting themselves, and preferring Europe to the US”. She adds: “We are following the situation in the US closely and are very concerned about the encroachments on academic freedom and institutional autonomy there.”
On 7 April, Patrick Cramer, president of the Max Planck Society in Munich, Germany, announced the formation of the Max Planck Transatlantic Program. The initiative sets out plans to create collaborative research centres with US-based institutions, as well as providing further postdoctoral training posts, and extra places for junior investigators at the society's 84 institutes. It will also offer director positions to some “outstanding investigators” who are no longer able to work in the United States.
The entire international jobs market has seen a spike in activity (see 'Lands of opportunity'). Views and applications for non-US jobs posted on the Nature Careers website by researchers outside the country were 13% higher in January to March 2025 than they were in the same period last year.
But researchers planning to flee to Europe from the United States shouldn't expect an open position to be waiting for them.
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Europe, as the cradle of the scientific revolution led by Isaac Newton, among others, was central to scientific and political wisdom for centuries. However, with the rise of Nazism and other forms of fascism in the 1930s, many thinkers, including Albert Einstein, moved to the United States.
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A new way to deliver disease-fighting proteins throughout the brain may improve the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and other neurological disorders, according to University of California, Irvine scientists. By engineering human immune cells called microglia, the researchers have created living cellular "couriers" capable of responding to brain pathology and releasing therapeutic agents exactly where needed.
The National Institutes of Health-supported study, published in Cell Stem Cell, demonstrates for the first time that microglia derived from induced pluripotent stem cells can be genetically programmed to detect disease-specific brain changes -- like amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's disease -- and then release enzymes that help break down those toxic proteins. As a result, the cells were able to reduce inflammation, preserve neurons and synaptic connections, and reverse multiple other hallmarks of neurodegeneration in mice.
For patients and families grappling with Alzheimer's and related diseases, the findings offer a hopeful glimpse at a future in which microglial-based cell therapies could precisely and safely counteract the ravages of neurodegeneration.
"Delivering biologics to the brain has long been a major challenge because of the blood-brain barrier," said Mathew Blurton-Jones, UC Irvine professor of neurobiology and behavior and co-corresponding author on the study. "We've developed a programmable, living delivery system that gets around that problem by residing in the brain itself and responding only when and where it's needed."
Using CRISPR gene editing, the team modified human microglia to secrete neprilysin -- an enzyme known to degrade beta-amyloid -- under the control of a promoter that only activates near plaques. The result was a highly targeted and pathology-responsive therapy. In Alzheimer's mouse models, these engineered microglia reduced the buildup of beta-amyloid and protected against damage to neurons and synapses, curbed inflammation, and even lowered a biomarker of neuronal injury in the blood.
"Remarkably, we found that placing the microglia in specific brain areas could reduce toxic amyloid levels and other AD-associated neuropathologies throughout the brain," said Jean Paul Chadarevian, a postdoctoral scholar in the Blurton-Jones lab and first author on the study. "And because the therapeutic protein was only produced in response to amyloid plaques, this approach was highly targeted yet broadly effective."
In addition to Alzheimer's, the research explored how human microglia respond in models of brain cancer and multiple sclerosis. In both cases, the engineered cells adopted unique gene expression profiles -- highlighting the potential to tailor them to a variety of central nervous system diseases.
"This work opens the door to a completely new class of brain therapies," said Robert Spitale, UC Irvine professor of pharmaceutical sciences and co-corresponding author on the study. "Instead of using synthetic drugs or viral vectors, we're enlisting the brain's immune cells as precision delivery vehicles."
The researchers noted that much work remains to translate this platform into human trials, including demonstrating long-term safety and developing methods for scalable manufacturing. However, because the microglia are derived from induced pluripotent stem cells, they could possibly be produced from a patient's own cells, reducing the risk of immune rejection.
Hayk Davtyan, Alina L. Chadarevian and Jonathan Hasselmann of UC Irvine, among others, also contributed to the study, which was a collaboration among the university's Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, and Sue & Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center.
Grants from the National Institute on Aging, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine and Cure Alzheimer's Fund supported the research.
About microglia
Microglia are immune cells that reside in the central nervous system, including the brain and spinal cord. They act as the brain's primary line of defense against infection and injury, performing like white blood cells do elsewhere in the body.
Think of microglia as the brain's own surveillance and cleanup crew. They constantly scan the brain for signs of trouble -- like pathogens, damaged cells or toxic proteins -- and respond by engulfing and digesting harmful substances in a process called phagocytosis. Microglia also help regulate inflammation and support neuronal function and plasticity during brain development and aging.
Importantly, in diseases like Alzheimer's, microglia are found near amyloid plaques (clumps of toxic proteins), where they become activated and attempt to surround and clear this toxic debris. But in chronic disease, their activity can become dysregulated, contributing to neuroinflammation and further neuronal damage. Because of their central role in both protecting and sometimes harming the brain, microglia are a major focus of neurological research and a promising target for therapies.
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Power delivery hotspots can run hotter than the GPU core itself.
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Igor's Lab has discovered a worrying trend among all Nvidia Blackwell RTX 50-series graphics cards, including even faux-budget GPUs like the RTX 5060 Ti. According to a lengthy blog post the outlet published, most if not all RTX 50-series AIB partner cards are allegedly prone to high-temperature hotspots in the power delivery area, which could potentially damage these graphics cards after extended heavy use.The problem lies in the construction of power delivery systems for the affected graphics cards. Igor's Lab states that several components that make up the power delivery system, such as the FETs, coils, drivers, and traces connecting everything together, are grouped too close together, creating temperatures that can potentially deteriorate the power delivery system over the course of a card's life, potentially killing the card after just a few years of use.
The PCB, for instance, is made up of several thin copper layers that are connected with power planes. This causes high thermal density on the board, especially around the voltage converters. Power delivery components, responsible for feeding a GPU's supply rails (such as the aforementioned FETs, coils, and drivers), are often placed too close to each other on the PCB in an effort to keep the design as compact as possible, at the expense of thermal performance.The highly compact nature of these PCBs allegedly causes increased temperature output from the power delivery system, creating hotspots that can compromise the longevity of RTX 50-series graphics cards. Board partners could rectify this issue by using heavier-duty materials, which is commonplace in server and industrial GPUs. However, the product cost of these materials is supposedly too great for board partners to take advantage of them on consumer graphics cards.Another issue Igor's Lab highlights are flaws in Nvidia's Thermal Design Guide. This guide is a document made for all Nvidia add-in board partners that serves as a thermal planning document for Nvidia's reference PCB designs, aimed at helping AIB's create properly cooled Nvidia graphics cards. Igor's Lab highlighted flaws in Nvidia's RTX 40-series guide, revealing that many of the document's parameters are specified under ideal environmental conditions, rather than being optimized for a worst-case scenario.Igor's Lab put a PNY RTX 5070 and a Palit RTX 5080 Gaming Pro OC under a thermal camera to demonstrate the aforementioned thermal issues. The RTX 5080 Gaming Pro OC was shown to have a hotspot area right where the main NVVDDs are located, sandwiched between the rear display outputs and the GPU die, measuring 80.5 °C. By contrast, the GPU core was sitting at 70 °C.The PNY RTX 5070 was far worse, measuring 107.3 °C in the same area due to its significantly shorter PCB (the GPU core was sitting at a much chillier 69.7 °C). All of the power delivery components are located between the display outputs and the GPU, making the hotspot even hotter than the RTX 5080 (which had some of its power delivery components spread around the right, top, and left of the PCB). The main problem is that PNY's RTX 5070 has fewer phases than the Palit RTX 5080, forcing the entire power delivery system to cope with higher current density, which in turn increases temperatures.The main issue with both cards is that inadequate cooling is being applied to keep the power delivery system as cool as possible (or at least cool enough to ensure longevity). Neither card was using any sort of thermal pads to connect the power delivery portion of the PCB, where the hotspot is located, to each GPU's respective backplate.Igor applied a thermal mod to both graphics cards, revealing a massive reduction in temperatures, particularly on the RTX 5070. The RTX 5080's power delivery hotspot temperature went down from 80.5C to 70.3C, after applying thermal putty o the backplate around the hotspot area. The RTX 5070 likewise went from 107.3 °C to a more sustainable "well below 95 °C" — though that's still quite high.Igor's Lab's findings show key improvements that could be made to RTX 50-series graphics cards in the power delivery area. Many of these graphics cards have a hotspot area around the VRM area that can far exceed temperatures on the GPU die itself. Allegedly, 80 degrees is close to the limit at which long-term electromigration and "ageing effects" can occur, which could eventually cause these graphics cards to die over the years of use.Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
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Khloe Kardashian has formerly launched her new food company, Khloud, and its first product, a protein popcorn, set to hit Target starting April 29th.
Back in December, TechCrunch reported that Kardashian and her mother, Kris Jenner, were looking to raise at least $10 million for a business called Khloud. Jessica Bixby, an associate partner at K5 Global, which invested in the brand, said that it went on to raise an “oversubscribed $12 million round.”
Other investors include Serena Ventures, William Morris Endeavor (WME), and Shrug Capital. Khloud says its popcorn is crafted from whole-grain corn and that its “Khoud Dust,” a milk protein and seasoning blend sprinkled on it, gives each serving seven grams of protein. In addition to Target, the product will also be sold on its website.
“We're starting with popcorn, but that's just the beginning,” Kardashian told TechCrunch. “We plan to expand into other snacking categories across the store, there's so much room to reimagine everyday snacks.”
Kardashian says the mission of her snack brand is to offer more nutritious alternatives made from “clean” ingredients.
The Kardashian-Jenners are known for their ever-growing and ever-encompassing consumer business empire. This, however, marks the first time a member of the family has forayed into the snack business. It somewhat makes sense — numerous articles have been written about their favorite foods (including a dedicated Instagram page), and anywhere there is widespread potential consumer interest, there is a widespread chance for celebrities to make money.
Celebs have pumped out numerous hair care lines, liquor lines, and beauty products. The Kardashians have been there (and are still doing that). Now, their empire spreads from household cleaning products to the food in our pantries.
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Dominic-Madori Davis is a senior venture capital and startup reporter at TechCrunch. She is based in New York City. You can contact her on Signal at +1 (646)-831-7565.
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An impressive gaming PC for a realistic price.
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Every day, I scan through retailers and keep an eye on stock levels and pricing for the most popular PC components. I've started to notice that the stock levels of the 50-series graphics cards from Nvidia are trickling in more regularly. But the better supply has not resulted in better pricing for said cards. The markup from AIB's especially, is well above the MSRP price set by Nvidia, making this deal almost respectable in the current climate.
If you're not comfortable building your own PC, then buying a prebuilt PC is your best option. But you will pay extra for the privilege, and you may not always get the very best components. Sometimes PC building companies make savings by switching to OEM parts like the power supply, memory, and storage. This, of course, is not always the case. This deal lists all the hardware used in the build, so you can check for yourself what's inside and how much the parts cost individually.
Grab the ABS Eurus Aqua Gaming PC for $2,599 at Newegg, which saves you $300 off the list price of $2,899. The ABS Eurus Aqua packs one of the best CPUs for gaming - the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, as well as Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card, 32GB of DDR5 6000MHz memory, and a 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD.
ABS Eurus Aqua Gaming PC (RTX 5070 Ti): now $2,599 at Newegg (was $2,899)A potent gaming PC build sees the ABS Eurus Aqua Gaming PC pack one of the best CPUs for gaming - the AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Nvidia's GeForce RTX 5070 Ti graphics card with 16GB of GDDR7 VRAM, 32GB of DDR5 6000MHz memory and a 2TB M.2 NVMe SSD for installing you games on. Windows 11 Home comes preinstalled on this system.
It's always cheaper to assemble the parts and build your own PC, but this isn't for everyone, and there's no shame in that. Based on current pricing, this deal isn't too bad, and if anything goes wrong with the PC, you have one warranty to worry about and can easily request a fix or replacement, which is something you don't get when building your own rig.
Don't forget to look at our Newegg coupon codes for April 2025 and see if you can save on today's deal or other products at Newegg.
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In the Roman Catholic Church, it was called the “Francis effect,” a feeling that the arrival of the more inclusive Pope Francis in 2013 would invigorate the faith and get people back in the pews.
On Monday, Francis' passing at the age of 88 led to an effect of a different kind: a surge in viewership for Conclave, director Edward Berger's Oscar-winning film about what happens in the Vatican when church leaders are locked in a room—or, well, the Sistine Chapel—to decide who will be the next pope.
Streaming viewership for Conclave increased 283 percent after Pope Francis' death, jumping from 1.8 million minutes watched on April 20 to 6.9 million minutes watched on Monday, according to data from analytics firm Luminate. Netflix's The Two Popes, meanwhile, saw a 417 percent increase in viewership over that same period, jumping from 290,000 minutes to 1.5 million minutes.
In some ways, these numbers are to be expected. Conclave's arrival last year and eight Oscar nominations (it won for Best Adapted Screenplay) had already made it a popular film. The fact that the Vatican is about to start a real-life conclave in just a few days only increases the attention on the film. The Two Popes, meanwhile, is about Pope Francis himself, and the relationship he had with his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.
While the numbers are impressive, Luminate has seen similar boosts after other significant news events, according to spokesperson Jimmy Harney. When presidential candidate Donald Trump announced JD Vance as his running mate during the Republican National Convention last year, viewership for Netflix's Hillbilly Elegy, based on Vance's memoir, jumped 1,180 percent, according to Luminate. When news came out that Vice President Kamala Harris would likely be the Democrats' candidate for president, US viewership for HBO's Veep increased 353 percent.
Theoretically, Conclave's viewership numbers could climb even higher in the coming days. On Monday, thanks to one of the many cumbersome deals that dictate the modern streaming landscape, viewers needed to rent or buy the movie in order to watch it. It cost between $6 and $20 on Amazon Prime Video. Early Tuesday, the movie became available to stream for Prime members.
Following Pope Francis' death—an announcement that sent Catholics around the world into mourning—several news outlets (including this one) pointed to Conclave's timeliness. The film, about a series of high-profile cardinals and their efforts to become the next pontiff, is a highly dramatized, and drama-filled, version of what the secretive conclave process looks like.
Francis' funeral will be held in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on Saturday. Cardinals from around the world are headed to Italy to attend. After which, they will take part in the conclave, a name that's derived from the Latin “with key,” meaning they will be locked in the historic church while they deliberate. No outside contact is permitted during the process; no phones, televisions, newspapers, or messages are allowed. Members of the College of Cardinals, the church's most senior clergy, under the age of 80 get a vote, so about 135 of the 250-member body will be involved in the choosing.
According to Luminate data, other pope-centric films like Netflix's Pope Francis biographic series Call Me Francis, haven't seen the same huge spikes—yet. Maybe viewers just need to get back in the habit of watching Catholic content.
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In the Roman Catholic Church, it was called the “Francis effect,” a feeling that the arrival of the more inclusive Pope Francis in 2013 would invigorate the faith and get people back in the pews.
On Monday, Francis' passing at the age of 88 led to an effect of a different kind: a surge in viewership for Conclave, director Edward Berger's Oscar-winning film about what happens in the Vatican when church leaders are locked in a room—or, well, the Sistine Chapel—to decide who will be the next pope.
Streaming viewership for Conclave increased 283 percent after Pope Francis' death, jumping from 1.8 million minutes watched on April 20 to 6.9 million minutes watched on Monday, according to data from analytics firm Luminate. Netflix's The Two Popes, meanwhile, saw a 417 percent increase in viewership over that same period, jumping from 290,000 minutes to 1.5 million minutes.
In some ways, these numbers are to be expected. Conclave's arrival last year and eight Oscar nominations (it won for Best Adapted Screenplay) had already made it a popular film. The fact that the Vatican is about to start a real-life conclave in just a few days only increases the attention on the film. The Two Popes, meanwhile, is about Pope Francis himself, and the relationship he had with his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI.
While the numbers are impressive, Luminate has seen similar boosts after other significant news events, according to spokesperson Jimmy Harney. When presidential candidate Donald Trump announced JD Vance as his running mate during the Republican National Convention last year, viewership for Netflix's Hillbilly Elegy, based on Vance's memoir, jumped 1,180 percent, according to Luminate. When news came out that Vice President Kamala Harris would likely be the Democrats' candidate for president, US viewership for HBO's Veep increased 353 percent.
Theoretically, Conclave's viewership numbers could climb even higher in the coming days. On Monday, thanks to one of the many cumbersome deals that dictate the modern streaming landscape, viewers needed to rent or buy the movie in order to watch it. It cost between $6 and $20 on Amazon Prime Video. Early Tuesday, the movie became available to stream for Prime members.
Following Pope Francis' death—an announcement that sent Catholics around the world into mourning—several news outlets (including this one) pointed to Conclave's timeliness. The film, about a series of high-profile cardinals and their efforts to become the next pontiff, is a highly dramatized, and drama-filled, version of what the secretive conclave process looks like.
Francis' funeral will be held in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome on Saturday. Cardinals from around the world are headed to Italy to attend. After which, they will take part in the conclave, a name that's derived from the Latin “with key,” meaning they will be locked in the historic church while they deliberate. No outside contact is permitted during the process; no phones, televisions, newspapers, or messages are allowed. Members of the College of Cardinals, the church's most senior clergy, under the age of 80 get a vote, so about 135 of the 250-member body will be involved in the choosing.
According to Luminate data, other pope-centric films like Netflix's Pope Francis biographic series Call Me Francis, haven't seen the same huge spikes—yet. Maybe viewers just need to get back in the habit of watching Catholic content.
In your inbox: Get Plaintext—Steven Levy's long view on tech
Federal judge allows DOGE to take over $500 million office building for free
Big Story: The quantum apocalypse is coming. Be very afraid
Bluesky can't take a joke
Summer Lab: Explore the future of tech with WIRED
More From WIRED
Reviews and Guides
© 2025 Condé Nast. All rights reserved. WIRED may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. Ad Choices
Magewell provides an alternative for those who don't like USB solutions.
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With many motherboard manufacturers sacrificing smaller PCIe x8, x4, and x1 slots on modern boards, the humble M.2 slot is finding new life beyond solid state drives (SSDs). Magewell, a company known for its video capture solutions, has created the Eco Capture Dual HDMI M.2 card, a compact M.2-based device that can be used for video capture. It supports dual 2K video inputs, as indicated by the name.Superficially, the device resembles a typical M.2 2280 SSD, with a green PCB and a black heatsink on top. It also includes two SHD connectors and comes bundled with two SHD-to-HDMI Type-A cables. According to early testing by Interfacing Linux, the device does not come with any mounting hardware for the HDMI cable ends, but you can find cheap ones from Amazon or MODDYI.
Designed specifically for embedded systems and small form factor PCs, the device offers dual-channel 2K HDMI capture with an M.2 interface utilizing the PCIe 2.0 x4 lanes. With a maximum power draw of just 4.17W, the approach not only seems energy-efficient, but it also eliminates the need for full-sized PCIe cards. The product page indicates that the capture card makes use of FPGA-based video processing, and claims to provide high-quality up/down/cross-scaling, picture controls, and color space conversion without putting a strain on the host system's CPU.The card supports image capture resolutions up to 2048x2160, or video capture at up to 144 frames per second. However, the actual capture frame rate can be limited depending on the PCIe bandwidth and resolution. A specific example of 1920x1080 at up to 80 FPS is listed on the specifications page.A key benefit of the Eco Capture series is its software support. The device works with almost all versions of Windows and Linux, and there's additional driver support for ARM — specifically the Nvidia Jetson TX1 and TX2. It also offers support for native video APIs like DirectShow, DirectKS, Wave API/DirectSound/WASAPI, V4L2, and ALSA.The Eco Capture Dual HDMI M.2 card is listed at $385, and is currently available on Amazon, B&H Photo, and other online resellers. Magewell has a wide range of options under its Eco Capture series. For instance, we previously covered the Eco Capture HDMI 4K Plus M.2 and Eco Capture 12G SDI 4K Plus M.2. Introduced back in 2023, these cards are similar to the Eco Capture Dual HDMI M.2 card but can support up to 4K capture at 60 frames per second.Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
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Kunal Khullar is a contributing writer at Tom's Hardware. He is a long time technology journalist and reviewer specializing in PC components and peripherals, and welcomes any and every question around building a PC.
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As an AI engineer at Meta, Boris Valkov helped build PyTorch, one of the world's largest machine learning libraries.
During his time there, Valkov realized that artificial intelligence “was about to unlock capabilities…in the application layer in the software stack.”
He left Meta in late 2021 to start Lace AI, a startup that has developed AI-driven customer service software for home service companies.
The path to entrepreneurship started when Valkov was a boy, working in the family grocery store business. It taught him the power of telephone customer service. As an adult, he began to look for ways to combine his interest in AI and customer service. The idea for Lace was born.
Taking his years of software engineering experience at VMware and Meta, Valkov teamed up with Stan Stoyanov and aimed to marry AI with customer service to help businesses generate additional revenue.
The pair talked to more than 100 companies in different industries and verticals and discovered that in the home services vertical, many sales begin with a call made to a call center. Home services include companies such as HVAC, plumbing, and roofing, among others.
The premise behind Lace is that if a customer calls in to one of these businesses, it can either convert into a sale — or not. The company claims its software can help improve the chances of call conversions.
Specifically, Lace's revenue intelligence software uses AI technology to analyze all the calls coming into these businesses to detect lost revenue opportunities. It claims that it's more comprehensive than other similar offerings in that it monitors 100% of the calls rather than a portion of them. It analyzes each interaction “to ensure that no potential lead or opportunity is missed,” according to Valkov.
The Mountain View-based company works with over 100 businesses, such as A1 Garage Door Service, Sage Home, Eco Plumbers, Matrix, and Lee's Air. Valkov declined to reveal hard revenue figures, saying only that Lace saw 1,000% annual recurring revenue (ARR) growth in 2024. (However, it only started selling to customers at the end of 2023.) The company operates a SaaS (software-as-a-service) business model, charging a monthly fee per agent or customer support representative.
Even just a 1% increase in bookings could be material for a home services or a home remodeling company. For example, a company with $300 million in revenue experiencing a 1% increase would see its revenue increase by $3 million. Some businesses that use Lace see double-digit revenue growth, Valkov said.
And today, Lace is announcing a total of $19 million in funding since its early 2022 inception, the company tells TechCrunch exclusively. The total raised includes a previously unannounced $5 million pre-seed round led by Canvas Ventures and, more recently, a $14 million seed raise led by Bek Ventures. Other backers include Horizon VC, Launchub, and Snowflake's co-founder Marcin Zukowski, Vivino's Heini Zachariassen, and other founders. Valkov declined to reveal valuation, saying only that the seed financing was an “up” round.
Mehmet Atici, managing partner at Bek Ventures, said he was drawn to invest in Lace in part because of its experienced team.
“There's a growing trend of applying AI to make a real impact in sectors historically underserved by tech, and this team has a keen understanding of how to do just that — accurately identifying and addressing the needs of these often overlooked segments represents an enormous opportunity,” he told TechCrunch.
Presently, Lace has 20 employees. It plans to triple the size of the company with its new funding.
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It's that time of year again: Rick and Morty is back with a new season next month, and Adult Swim's got a new trailer teasing what's in store.
So what wacky adventures will the Smith family get up to next? There's a casino full of Ricks and Mortys (including a Colonel Sanders-type Rick), Rick and Space Beth fighting germaphobic aliens, egg theft, and Rick's “Death Race” car that'll surely plow through tons of people.
Earlier in April, Adult Swim revealed the episode titles for a new season, which continue the series' trend of referencing recent and popular movies. The titles are as follows:
Season seven featured a handful of big moments like Rick taking vengeance on the counterpart who killed his family, Evil Morty striking out on his own, and Morty realizing his worst fear is being left behind by Rick. When io9 talked to showrunner Scott Marder in 2023, he confirmed the death of Rick Prime will be felt for quite a while, and that's just part of their plans for the 12-season show. “There are a lot of chess pieces that are moving,” he teased at the time, “And I'm excited for everyone to see where they fall.”
Rick and Morty season eight premieres May 25 on Adult Swim.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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Worry not, you're not missing out on much if you're watching the new anime series in America.
Plus, the new Mummy reboot recruits a Marvel star, and then some.
The anime legend reveals his desire to create something innovative and authentic in Lazarus, and the source of its Cowboy Bebop vibes.
Adult Swim announced the season 8 premiere date as part of its annual April Fools' Day broadcast special.
The Adult Swim series is a must-watch for fans of animation, dry comedy, and speculative fiction.
Lazarus' premiere episode on Adult Swim lays the groundwork for a classic in the making.
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Many games now push beyond the reach of 8GB cards.
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Despite launching just a week ago, Nvidia's RTX 5060 Ti 8GB struggles in numerous games. In-depth testing by Australian reviewer Hardware Unboxed reveals a stark difference between the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB and its 16GB sibling. Despite sharing the same "RTX 5060 Ti" moniker, unsuspecting customers drawn by the $50 savings could snap up the 8GB model, unaware of its limitations. Testing shows a significant performance drop-off, frame time stutters, texture pop-in issues, and in some cases game crashes.Nvidia opted to not send any reviewers the 8GB cards, so Hardware Unboxed bought a unit for independent testing. Considering many RTX 5060 Ti owners won't upgrade for several years, 8GB will become increasingly restrictive, and there's only so much upscaling and frame generation can do.Both RTX 5060 Ti models use the GB206 die with 4,608 CUDA cores and a 128-bit interface. The RTX 5070 vs RTX 5060 Ti 16GB may favor the latter in memory capacity, but our testing and current street prices show the RTX 5070 wins that matchup. Despite the lackluster gen-on-gen improvements, the RTX 5060 Ti is still no slouch, landing within 10% of the RTX 4070.As decent as the 16GB model might be, it's almost a no-brainer that slapping a limited 8GB frame-buffer would gimp the RTX 5060 Ti heavily. That's a memo Nvidia seemingly didn't get — or filed in the trash can while talking up neural rendering.
In The Last of Us Part Two, at 1080p native with the Very High preset, the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB delivers 109 FPS, while the 8GB model limps behind at 67 FPS. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle crashed on the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB at 1080p Ultra — a common problem with the game. Following the pattern of its 8GB Ada Lovelace brethren, the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB's texture pop-in issues persist in Hogwarts Legacy, and those issues extend to Space Marine 2.Moving over to 4K, the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB delivered smooth-sailing in Horizon Forbidden West, running at 70 FPS using DLSS Performance mode and Very High settings. Here, the RTX 5060 Ti 8GB's limitations are evident again, as it struggles to maintain even a cinematic experience (~15 FPS) at the same settings. Even though the underlying GPU has enough horsepower, the limited framebuffer can seriously compromise an otherwise smooth 4K or even 1440p experience.As we noted in our own 5060 Ti 16GB review, the potential $50 in savings comes with some hidden fees. You need to be very aware of where its limits lie, and for the cost of one major game release, opting for the 16GB card represents a much better choice.At $379, this GPU might be fine for esports, but there are a lot of compromises. An 8GB card won't hold its position well over time, and you'll get stuck with the nagging worry of missing out. Even 1080p games at max settings can exceed 8GB, and 1440p/4K — with DLSS upscaling and framegen — can be even more demanding. 12GB represents the bare minimum we'd recommend for most gaming GPUs that cost $400 or more. Technically the 5060 Ti 8GB card is supposed to come in below that mark, though retail availability in the U.S. at least has been very poor.Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
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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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Sony has wanted to remake 1997's I Know What You Did Last Summer for a decade, and it finally got its wish. Part reboot, part sequel to the originals, the new film keeps the same basic premise while hoping to get in on that legacy sequel craze that turned Scream into a franchise again.
Set again in the town of Southport, a group of teenage friends find themselves being knocked off by a mysterious killer with a hook hand. The teens themselves soon realize it's connected to a car accident from the previous summer they were involved in and never owned up to for fear of punishment—but what's worse than being killed by someone with a grudge? Apparently, the only ones who can help them make sense of this whole thing are Julie James (Jennifer Love Hewitt) and Ray Bronson (Freddie Prinze Jr.), survivors from the first two films.
The first two I Know What You Did Last Summer movies were followed up by a direct-to-DVD movie centered on a group of unconnected kids in Colorado, followed by a one-season show on Prime Video based more on the 1973 novel than the movies themselves. Do Revenge director Jennifer Kaytin Robinson got the gig for this new movie after her pitch, and may be looking to pass the torch from Julie and Ray to whoever survives this one. After all, summer never ends, and neither do slashers.
Also starring Madelyn Cline, Tyriq Withers, Chase Sui Wonders, and Jonah Hauer-King, the new I Know What You Did Last Summer releases July 18.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
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Plus, a new Gremlins movie is 'imminent' at Amblin.
Plus, Tom Hiddleston talks his return as Loki for Avengers: Doomsday.
Plus, Giancarlo Esposito wants in on the new DCU.
Plus, Jennifer Love Hewitt shares a tiny tease from behind the scenes on I Know What You Did Last Summer.
Plus, Freddie Prinze Jr. teases Julie and Ray's roles in the new I Know What You Did Last Summer.
The Party of Five star joins her original co-star Freddie Prinze Jr. in the upcoming horror film.
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No one likes to vacuum. If they say they do, they're lying to you. It's a chore that's never really enjoyable. Who wants to push around a stick vacuum and suck up dirt all day? It hurts your arms, sometimes it's too loud for the time of day you're doing it. And most of all, it takes up too much time. It's finally time to let the robots handle the vacuuming. And while they're at it, they can go ahead and mop as well. Amazon has a great deal right now that can make just that very thing happen.
Today, head to Amazon to get the Roborock Q5 Pro+ Robot Vacuum and Mop for just $300. That's $400 off its normal $700 price, and you're getting a discount of 57%. Think about how much of a deal that is. And stop thinking about it for too long, because it'll be gone before you know it. It's time to pounce and make sure you get one for your home now since this is such a good deal.
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This robot vacuum can handle just about whatever mess you need it to, with 7 weeks of hands-free cleaning, as touted by Roborock itself. It has a 2.5-liter dust bag so it can hold plenty of dirt, hair, and other debris from your home, and it can go empty it on its own as it travels back to its base.
You can rest assured it can suck plenty of “goodies” out of the floor too, with 5500Pa of suction and different modes to choose from so you can make sure it's as efficient as possible while cleaning. It uses LiDAR to get around your home and avoid obstacles too, so you can set it up to do its rounds and it'll do it all on its own.
But if you have hard floors in addition to carpet, you'll especially appreciate its ability to mop. It can swap between the two modes so you can have it handle two different tasks on its own as it trades off the work back and forth by itself. Just assign it the hard flooring you want cleaned and it'll handle the job.
Life is too busy these days to spend every extra moment dealing with the kind of cleaning bots are suited for. Pick up this robot vacuum and mop combos at its lowest price and spend the rest of your day lounging around. You deserve it.
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Retail giant Marks & Spencer has confirmed a cybersecurity incident, as customers report ongoing disruption and outages.
The British-headquartered retailer on Tuesday told customers in a notice, which TechCrunch has seen, that the company has been “managing a cyber incident” over the last few days. The notice, signed by chief executive Stuart Machin, said it was necessary to make operational changes “to protect [customers] and the business.”
The company said its stores remain open and its website and app are operating normally.
In a filing with the London Stock Exchange, Marks & Spencer said it had engaged external cybersecurity experts to investigate the incident, and also notified data protection authorities.
It is not immediately clear what the nature of the cyberattack is, or if customer data has been affected.
One customer told TechCrunch that in-store payment card terminals were not working for them. Several other customers reported on social media similar outages at various outlets and disruption to order pick-ups.
Marks & Spencer spokesperson Lucy Reynolds told TechCrunch that the company began limiting some of its operations on Monday, including store click and collect pick-ups and contactless payments. Contactless payments are working again, the spokesperson added.
The spokesperson declined to answer questions related to the cyberattack.
In response to one customer on X, Marks & Spencer said it was “working hard to resolve some technical issues in our stores.”
Marks & Spencer claims it serves 32 million customers every year, per its 2024 annual report.
Updated with responses from Marks & Spencer.
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This book helped clarify for me that no successful marketplace starts out as a marketplace - simply because you need to start out with ready access to one side (likely the supply side as in the Uber & AirBnB examples) and build demand.The marketplace/network then emerges strategically as more suppliers are onboarded.This insight helped quickly focus and filter the marketplace ideas we didn't have any business pursuing.
The marketplace/network then emerges strategically as more suppliers are onboarded.This insight helped quickly focus and filter the marketplace ideas we didn't have any business pursuing.
This insight helped quickly focus and filter the marketplace ideas we didn't have any business pursuing.
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So in the abstract, the friction surface is called inhomogeneous because it's referring to the floor as one component with a varying friction coefficient.
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at least in chem
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I do assume that the notion is used and also implies the 'resolution'/'precision' of that number.
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The ideal isn't straight on.
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More cash for more GPUs.
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Elon Musk has held a call with major xAI investors recently in an attempt to raise tens of billions of dollars, according to CNBC's David Faber, a renowned financial journalist and market news analyst. Musk reportedly outlined the raise as a way to place a proper value on the company, although the analyst contends that the money could also be spent on xAI's Colossus 2 supercomputer, which features one million GPUs.
"Musk is quoted as having said, we are going to 'put a proper value on the company' in reference to xAI and people took that to mean and again, this is speculation, that they will have a large raise, the last raise," said Faber. "Remember that I reported on $6 billion. This one would be far in excess of that. Perhaps you get a raise of something like $25 billion for a value that could purport to be between $150 and $200 billion. That's speculation. But that is kind of the conversation that is going on after this call."
xAI's major spendings are on supercomputer clusters to train even more advanced AI models and then used them to earn money. Currently, xAI has its Colossus supercomputer with 200,000 Nvidia's Hopper H100 and H100 GPUs, but Musk is gearing up to build Colossus 2 with a million GPUs, according to Faber. This is apparently why the company needs money. However, it requires considerably more than Faber speculates.
One million Nvidia Blackwell B100 or B200 GPUs will cost from $50 billion to $62.5 billion, depending on the deal Elon Musk manages to strike with Nvidia and its partners. The remaining infrastructure (building, servers, networking gear, cooling, etc.) would roughly cost approximately the same amount of money, so we're looking at a total of $100 billion to $125 billion. Whether Musk can raise them in a reasonable amount of time remains to be seen.
But Musk's xAI is certainly not alone in seeking massive funding for next-generation AI data centers. For example, the chief executive of Broadcom, which develops bespoke AI processors for major cloud service providers (CSPs) such as Google and Meta, stated late last year that he expected next-generation AI data centers to house around a million AI processors by 2027. Although some expected the need for compute performance in AI to decrease as companies adopt more efficient ways to train models and run inference, it appears that Musk is not one of those people.Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
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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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A startup called Superpower is publicly launching what it calls the world's first super app that is designed to help people better understand and take care of their health.
For $499, the startup offers biannual lab testing that analyzes over 100 blood biomarkers across 21 categories, giving people a more comprehensive look at their health than a standard physical does. Members conduct these tests twice a year, either at home or one of Superpower's 2,000 partner labs nationwide.
Superpower's web app considers the results of these tests with past medical records, fitness trackers, and genetics and uses AI to create a personalized overview of your health to outline any possible concerns. The app then gives you an action plan to take control of your health.
The startup was founded in 2023 by Jacob Peters, Max Marchione, and Kevin Unkrich. The trio founded Superpower following their personal struggles with the healthcare system. Peters nearly lost his life after spending $2 million on medical bills battling several serious conditions that went undiagnosed by multiple specialists. Marchione faced decades of misdiagnoses from over 20 doctors, and Unkrich lost his best friend to a brain tumor in his teens — just two days before he was scheduled for an MRI.
They recognized that these aren't isolated incidents, as 40% of Americans suffer from conditions that could have been identified and addressed earlier with the right information.
“There's this big gap between the best of healthcare and what most people have access to,” Marchione told TechCrunch in an interview. “And we have believed for the past half a decade that for as long as that gap exists, someone or some company has to come along and close that gap. And six years ago, we didn't think that was possible. Two to three years ago, when we started the company, we did realize it was possible with the advent of all sorts of new technologies such as AI.”
Superpower's biannual lab testing helps people better understand different aspects of their health, including nutrient and mineral levels, and hormone balance. The company notes that these are factors that play a vital role in energy, fertility, and overall well-being. The testing also evaluates metabolic health, which is linked to the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, neurodegenerative conditions, and other chronic illnesses.
Members can also get (for additional fees) additional specialty tests, such as a gut microbiome analysis and a Grail cancer screening that can detect over 50 types of cancer before symptoms appear.
The app's Superpower Score and Biological Age features track overall health progress and identify specific areas that can be improved. Once members receive their personalized health results, they are connected to an integrated marketplace of healthcare service providers. Superpower also offers access to a 24/7 AI and human hybrid concierge care team that members can message for personalized guidance.
“This is really just where the journey starts,” Peters said. “So from here, Superpower becomes the new front door to the healthcare system, where, instead of dealing with the fragmented world of healthcare as it exists today, we bring everything under one roof so that people can effectively have, for the first time ever, a lifelong health partner.”
While Superpower isn't looking to replace actual doctor visits, the startup wants Superpower to be the place people go when looking for answers to questions related to their health.
“The reality is that every single day there are a billion Google searches related to health,” Marchione said. “A lot of people go to ChatGPT before they go to care. And the reality is Google and ChatGPT are not that good at taking care of you. The question is, when someone is going to Google or ChatGPT, how can they come to us instead? We have all of their data. We know everything about medicine. We work with scientists and leading doctors around the world to aggregate the best of medical knowledge. And that's the front door to healthcare. That's the starting point, and that's what we want to replace.”
Alongside the public launch, the company is announcing a $30 million Series A funding round led by Forerunner, with participation from notable celebrities including Vanessa Hudgens, Steve Aoki, and NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Other investors include Day One Ventures, Susa Ventures, Long Journey Ventures, Family Fund, Opal Ventures, Valia Ventures, Visible Ventures, and Winklevoss Capital.
There are 150,000 people on Superpower's waitlist. With this public launch, the startup is opening up the app to as many people as possible while calibrating demand.
Superpower's platform is currently accessible through a web app, but the company plans to launch iOS and Android apps in the future.
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Aisha is a consumer news reporter at TechCrunch. Prior to joining the publication in 2021, she was a telecom reporter at MobileSyrup. Aisha holds an honours bachelor's degree from University of Toronto and a master's degree in journalism from Western University.
Columbia student suspended over interview cheating tool raises $5.3M to ‘cheat on everything'
Flipkart to relocate HQ to India ahead of IPO
Mark Zuckerberg once suggested spinning out Instagram as a solution to its ‘cannibalization' of Facebook
Bezos-backed startup designed an EV that can change like a ‘Transformer'
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Famed AI researcher launches controversial startup to replace all human workers everywhere
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Some of the largest consumer drives you can get.
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Toshiba announced the highest-capacity N300 and N300 Pro hard drive models, built for private cloud storage and network-attached storage (NAS) systems. These 24TB drives add 2TB more capacity to the company's current largest offerings, allowing users with limited drive bays to expand their capacity by replacing drives instead of adding new systems.
Toshiba says that the N300 series supports up to 12 drive bays and has a workload rating of 180 TB/year, while the N300 Pro works with up to 24 drive bays and up to 550 TB/year workload.
“Toshiba's 24TB N300 and N300 Pro set new benchmarks in storage capacity and density, while also enhancing power efficiency through our advanced helium-sealed design,” says Toshiba Senior Director for Product Sales and Marketing Koji Sakamoto. “These models reflect Toshiba's dedication to innovating HDD design to address the evolving storage demands for performance and small office NAS applications. With files continuing to grow in size, the 24TB capacity will allow NAS users to store and access large volume of data more efficiently.”
These 3.5-inch drives also feature industry-standard speeds of 7200 RPM and a 1GB buffer. They have integrated sensors that compensate for rotational vibrations, increasing their reliability.
While SSDs have become cheaper and have larger capacities in recent years, hard drives are still the more affordable option. This still makes them the go-to choice for organizations and individuals that need to store massive amounts of data via a NAS or a personal cloud.
The N300 series isn't the first hard drive model to reach 24TB capacity, especially as the company has already launched its CMR 24TB and SMR 28TB models for data centers and hyperscalers. Seagate has even unveiled the 36TB HAMR Mozaic 3+ extended drive, which is the highest-capacity drive available at the moment. However, these drives are designed for enterprise use, and you might be hard-pressed to find them on consumer platforms.
On the other hand, the N300 drives are readily available on e-commerce websites, allowing anyone to purchase them. Unfortunately, the 24TB N300 isn't listed online yet, but the 24TB N300 Pro is currently priced at $649.99 on Amazon. They're significantly more expensive than the other options in our best hard drives list; however, these 24TB drives might be your only option if you need to expand your capacity without investing in further hardware.Follow Tom's Hardware on Google News to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button.
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As amazing as the Google Pixel 9 smartphone is — and we'll most definitely get to all of its incredible features — there are definite downsides to paying for it month after month after month. But that's exactly what you do when you one of the big cellular carriers entices you with a premium smartphone like the Google Pixel 9 and gets you to sign up for their service.
The way around paying that monthly tribute to Big Cellular? Shop around for the plan that works best for you, and show up with your own fully owned and unlocked Google Pixel 9. The time to do that might be now, considering how Amazon just dropped $266 from the price of the 256GB version of this cutting-edge smartphone, bringing it down to $633.
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It's beyond dispute that the Google Pixel 9 is one of the very best smartphones available if you're looking for advanced photography features. It has Google's most powerful camera system, with a 50 megapixel main camera and a new 48MP ultrawide camera with Macro Focus technology that delivers incredible detail even in huge landscape shots.
Those elite-level cameras are combined with Google's powerful AI photo editing features that let you change backgrounds, remove items or people, create group shots where everyone's eyes are open with the Best Take feature, and even take a photo and also be in it with the Add Me feature. Google has brought a whole new level of photographic capabilities to the Pixel 9 smartphone that were unimaginable before the Magic Editor features were introduced in 2023.
The Pixel 9 is also loaded with Gemini, Google's latest AI assistant, which comes with a huge raft of cutting-edge features just like the camera system. Gemini Live follows your conversations naturally, even maintaining the context as you switch topics.
The new Gemini is so advanced that you can take a photo of your pantry or refrigerator and ask Gemini for recipe ideas based on what's in the picture. And regardless of which app you're using, all you need to do is circle an item or text and Gemini will do a fast, comprehensive search for you.
The only way to improve on all of the advanced features of the Google Pixel 9 smartphone is to have them and have the freedom to bring the phone to any of the big carriers, including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Google Fi, and have them connect the Pixel 9 to your account after you find the plan that works best for you, without monthly installment plans that lock you into a carrier for years. Experience the power of the Google Pixel 9 and the freedom to choose with this Amazon deal on an unlocked 256GB Pixel 9 for just $633.
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I am completely out of my depth, so have nothing constructive to add. But it sounds interesting.
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See: https://medium.com/@stephenwatathi/the-brains-power-to-read-...
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This algorithm is why! Super cool.
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We know that social media can be harmful to teens. Meta has found in its own research that Instagram makes body image worse for one in three teen girls, and Snapchat has been sued several times for not doing enough to mitigate cyberbullying. Even the former U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on the risk of youth social media use. But a new report shows how social media can sometimes have positive impacts on teenagers, despite its harms.
According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 74% of U.S. teens said social media makes them feel more connected to their friends, with 63% saying that online platforms give them a place to express their creativity.
As the U.S. government tries to pass legislation targeted at changing teens' experience online, this data shows how some teens find social media to be a positive influence.
A possible explanation for this data could be that teens feel more free to express themselves online than they may in school or at home.
One study conducted by the Trevor Project showed that 53% of young LGBTQ people of color felt safe and understood on TikTok, followed by Discord (43%) and Instagram (41%). These online communities contribute to positive mental health outcomes. The same respondents were 20% less likely to have attempted suicide in the previous year if they had reported feeling safe in an online space.
In Pew's own study, 34% of teens reported that they sometimes get information about mental health on social media, with 63% saying that it's an important way that they find such information.
These statistics don't tell us if the information teens are finding about mental health is accurate or helpful, but it's useful data in a time when only 52% of teens said they felt extremely or very comfortable talking to their parents about their own mental health, per Pew.
This doesn't mean that social media comes without its drawbacks, and Pew's study also documents these pitfalls. Yet teens are more concerned with social media's negative impact on their peers than on themselves. While 48% of teens said social media had a negative impact on people their age, only 14% think that social media has a negative effect on them personally.
Then again, these self-reported statistics don't always tell the whole story. Though teens say social media is more likely to help their friendships than hurt them, social media hurts their sleep (45%) and productivity (40%).
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An AI doctoral candidate in California says they had their student visa revoked
19 new tech unicorns were minted in 2025 so far
Famed AI researcher launches controversial startup to replace all human workers everywhere
© 2025 Yahoo.
At the start of the year, Tom Drummond, managing partner at the San Francisco-based venture capital firm Heavybit, was feeling mildly anxious about the state of the world and how political volatility in the US might affect capital markets. Now? “No one knows what the hell is going on,” he tells WIRED.
Drummond was referring to President Donald Trump's so-called reciprocal tariffs, which sent global markets into a tailspin when they were announced on April 2. Trump later backpedaled, pausing import duties on most countries for 90 days, though a 145 percent tariff on Chinese goods has remained in place. It's unclear what will happen when the pause ends in early July. “There's just as much chance for these tariffs to be pulled as for Trump to dig his heels in,” says Drummond.
Several venture capitalists working at small to midsize firms told WIRED in recent weeks they are concerned that Trump's tariffs could slow down tech investments, further decelerate an already sluggish market for initial public offerings, and possibly even put some tech startups out of business. Some investors say they're planning to lengthen their investment cycles and will be looking to sell their stakes in private companies to other asset managers. Others say that, at least for now, they're staying away from investing in hardware companies, which may be hit particularly hard by Trump's tariffs.
“The tariffs are undoubtedly the main thing that was discussed in every partner meeting the past couple weeks,” says M.G. Siegler, an independent investor and former partner at GV Management Company. "The key question is how real this ends up being, how long will it last, versus just some sort of weird temporary blip.”
The biggest factor determining how much a VC firm will be impacted by the tariffs, Drummond says, is whether its portfolio companies are subject to first-order effects of the tariffs, meaning they're directly reliant on global trade, or whether they'll primarily feel the second-order effects of an eventual reduction in customer spending if the economy goes into a recession.
“If you're looking at a portfolio of industries that rely substantially on cross-border trade or transactions, like hardware, clean tech—even biotech to a degree—you're in a world of hurt right now,” he says. One of Drummond's portfolio companies is an internet-of-things platform, which he says is now scrutinizing its inventory management strategy, trying to determine when to order from suppliers and if it can find new ones outside of China in places like Vietnam.
Siegler says that if the tariffs remain in place, he believes VC firms are going to “distance themselves even further from basically all hardware startups.” He adds that some investment funds have stayed away from hardware for a long time for other reasons. “Hardware is much harder and riskier than software—but this just escalated that to the nth degree.”
Chip Hazard, a Boston-based general partner and cofounder of Flybridge Capital, recently sent out an email to over 400 startup company founders urging them not to panic, but warned that capital markets are in “turmoil” and institutional investors might “freeze up,” thereby reducing access to funding, according to a copy of the message viewed by WIRED. Hazard encouraged startup founders to think through the risks and opportunities the tariffs will likely create for their businesses, as well as to evaluate their financing strategies.
“To the extent you are midstream in raising capital, get that closed as soon as possible. We repeat, close anything midstream ASAP,” Hazard wrote. “And be really judicious about how your capital is being deployed.”
Managing partner Charles Hudson told WIRED that his venture firm, Precursor, has stakes in several ecommerce startups that could be “heavily impacted” by Trump's tariffs.
But, Hudson adds, he doesn't know the best way to strategize around the tariffs, because “the logic for their timing, scale, and scope seems to reside only in the head of our president, and tariffs aren't being discussed as part of the normal policy-making process that would give us more clarity.”
Precursor, which invests in early-stage startups, just raised more than $65 million for its fifth fund. Hudson said in a recent interview with The Information that he plans to make investments over a three-year period rather than the standard two years. The hope is that the extra time horizon will give limited partners, who supply the funding to venture capital firms, to see returns on their investments.
Hudson also predicted that selling stock in private startups on the secondary market will make up the overwhelming majority of liquidity that investors see over the next five years, rather than returns from acquisitions or initial public offerings.
Other VCs agree that the secondary market is likely to heat up. “VCs used to be the ultimate HODLers, holding on for dear life, riding it out until a startup they invested in IPO'd,” says Drummond. “But over the past 10 years they've had to become much more disciplined sellers and figure out how to deliver liquidity sooner.” That's been true for a while because of rising interest rates and VCs being more cautious, but it's “especially true now,” he says.
Analysts from PitchBook, a database for statistics about the venture capital and private equity markets, warn the tariffs could have a cooling effect on international investments, noting that startups once celebrated for having “global first” strategies might now be seen as vulnerable.
In the first quarter of this year, prior to Trump's official tariff announcements, a smaller share of US capital was already flowing to VC deals in Europe and China than in recent periods. Around 47 percent of European deals included US funding, down four percentage points from the final quarter of 2024.
“For decades, VC has flourished in an increasingly borderless world, but another week of tariff wars is prompting a major reassessment,” PitchBook reporter Leah Hodgson wrote earlier this month.
Before Trump took office, investors had been hopeful that the tech IPO market would continue rebounding this year after falling into a slump in 2022. The market was showing signs of recovery in 2024: There were 176 initial public offerings in the US last year compared to 127 in 2023 and 90 in 2022, according to data collected by the consulting firm EY.
Accounting firm KPMG noted in a report published earlier this month that “lingering market uncertainties” had led many startups to delay their imminent public debuts this quarter. The mobile banking service Chime, ticket giant StubHub, and Swedish “buy now, pay later” firm Klarna all hit pause on planned public offerings. AI infrastructure firm CoreWeave was the outlier—it began trading shares in late March.
“With expectations for the recovery of the IPO market moving farther out again, we could see a shift in VC firms needing to reallocate investment priorities, as some companies may need additional funding prior to a now more-distant IPO,” Conor Moore, global head of KPMG Private Enterprise, said in the report.
Some investors and analysts say there are reasons to be optimistic, despite unpredictable US trade policy and instability in the broader markets. Industries like AI, defense tech, and security could now be ripe for investment. “Pockets like defense tech might be ‘safe' bets because those startups were trying to shy away from the Chinese supply chain anyway, for obvious reasons,” says Siegler. Logistics startups, especially those specializing in nearshoring, also stand to benefit from Trump's policy changes.
Hazard, who sounded the alarm about the impacts of tariffs in his note to founders, and whose firm manages $1 billion in assets, says he remains particularly confident about long-term trends in AI. “If we're headed into a period of economic uncertainty, and our AI companies are focused on helping their customers be more agile and generate more revenue, there's a lot of potential value there,” he tells WIRED.
American companies continue to receive the lion's share of global investment in AI, according to KPMG. OpenAI and Anthropic alone have announced investments totaling more than $43 billion this quarter. But those massive fundraising rounds are outliers that likely exclude most small and midsize investors. And a booming AI market—which includes startups that haven't yet proven a path to profitability—may not be enough to offset the volatility of this new geopolitical era.
Still, Hazard tells WIRED, “I'm a little less alarmed than I was two weeks ago.”
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A brief episode of anxiety may have a bigger influence on a person's ability to learn what is safe and what is not. The research recently published in NPJ Science of Learning used a virtual reality game that involved picking flowers with bees in some of the blossoms that would sting the participant-simulated by a mild electrical stimulation on the hand.
Researchers worked with 70 neurotypical participants between the ages of 20 and 30. Claire Marino, a research assistant in the ZVR Lab, and Pavel Rjabtsenkov, a Neuroscience graduate student at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, were co-first authors of the study that found that the people who learned to distinguish between the safe and dangerous areas-where the bees were and were not-showed better spatial memory and had lower anxiety, while participants who did not learn the different areas had higher anxiety and heightened fear even in safe areas. Surprisingly, they discovered that temporary feelings of anxiety had the biggest impact on learning and not a person's general tendency to feel anxious.
These results help explain why some people struggle with anxiety-related disorders, such as PTSD, where they may have difficulty distinguishing safe situations from dangerous ones. The findings suggest that excessive anxiety disrupts spatial learning and threat recognition, which could contribute to chronic fear responses. Understanding these mechanisms may help improve treatments for anxiety and stress-related disorders by targeting how people process environmental threats."
Benjamin Suarez-Jimenez, PhD, senior author of this study, associate professor of Neuroscience and Center for Visual Science at the Del Monte Institute of Neuroscience, University of Rochester
Suarez-Jimenez explains that it is now important to understand if individuals with psychopathologies of anxiety and stress have similar variations in spatial memory. Adding an attention-tracking measure, like eye-tracking, to future studies could help determine whether a focus on potential threats impacts broader environmental awareness.
Additional authors include Caitlin Sharp, Zonia Ali, Evelyn Pineda, Shreya Bavdekar, Tanya Garg, Kendal Jordan, Mary Halvorsen, Carlos Aponte, and Julie Blue of the University of Rochester Medical Center, and Xi Zhu, PhD, of Columbia University Irving Medical Center. The research was supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, Wellcome Trust Fellowship, and the European Research Council Grant.
University of Rochester Medical Center
Marino, C. E., et al. (2025). Using virtual reality to study spatial mapping and threat learning. npj Science of Learning. doi.org/10.1038/s41539-025-00305-6
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In a preclinical study led by McGill University researchers, two drugs targeting "zombie cells" have been shown to treat the underlying cause of chronic low back pain. The condition affects millions of people worldwide.
Current treatments manage symptoms through painkillers or surgery, without addressing the root cause.
Our findings are exciting because it suggests we might be able to treat back pain in a completely new way, by removing the cells driving the problem, not just masking the pain."
Lisbet Haglund, Senior Author, Professor in McGill's Department of Surgery and Co-director of the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory at the Montreal General Hospital (MUHC)
The work was conducted by McGill's Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain at the Montreal General Hospital, part of the MUHC.
Senescent cells, often called zombie cells, build up in the spinal discs as people age or when discs are damaged. Instead of dying off like normal cells, these aging cells linger and cause inflammation, pain and damage to the spine.
To explore a potential solution, the research team administered two drugs orally to mice: o-Vanillin, a natural compound, and RG-7112, an FDA-approved cancer drug. They were administered together as well as separately. They found the drugs could clear zombie cells from the spine, reduce pain and inflammation, and slow or even reverse damage to spinal discs after eight weeks of treatment. Each of the drugs had a beneficial effect, but the impact was greatest when they were administered together.
"We were surprised that an oral treatment could reach the spinal discs, which are hard to access and present a major hurdle in treating back pain," said Haglund. "The big question now is whether these drugs can have the same effect in humans."
Notably, o-Vanillin wasn't originally intended to be part of the study and was included almost by chance. Haglund explained that while testing other drugs, her team decided to add the compound, derived from turmeric and known for its anti-inflammatory properties, to see whether it might be effective in this situation.
The results offer some of the first evidence that o-Vanillin can clear out zombie cells. Analogs of RG-7112 are known to do this in osteoarthritis and cancer research, but had not been used to treat back pain.
Looking ahead, Haglund's team will work to improve o-Vanillin's structure to help it stay in the body longer to become even more effective. They believe these drugs have the potential to treat other age-related diseases driven by senescent cells, such as arthritis or osteoporosis.
"Senolytic Treatment for Low Back Pain" by Matthew Mannarino, Hosni Cherif and Lisbet Haglund et al., was published in Science Advances.
The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, The Arthritis Society, Le Réseau de Recherche en Santé Buccodentaire et Osseuse and the Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation.
McGill University
Mannarino, M., et al. (2025). Senolytic treatment for low back pain. Science Advances. doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adr1719.
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China's success in achieving malaria-free status in 2021 offers crucial lessons for the global malaria fight, say experts in a special collection of articles published by The BMJ today.
But they also warn that if funding declines, as is expected under US President Trump's drastic policy changes impacting collective efforts on global health, "the hard won gains of the past two decades would be rapidly reversed."
The collection examines China's national strategy, presents case studies from Hainan and Yunnan provinces and the Huai River Basin, and details the evolving interventions that ultimately led to elimination.
In an editorial to launch the collection, independent experts explain that global and national funding for malaria control has led to major gains in child survival and supported progress towards elimination, with 45 countries and one territory now having achieved this milestone.
However, they warn that if replenishment of the Global Fund (which supports malaria control) and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (funding for malaria vaccines) declines in 2025, malaria cases and deaths are predicted to increase.
This collection offers important lessons for countries pursuing malaria control and elimination, especially in Africa, where those goals have broad political support, they say.
For example, in Hainan Province, elimination was achieved through long term use of overlapping interventions-bed nets, indoor spraying, drug administration, and sustained surveillance-that evolved with changing risk levels, showing that persistent but flexible strategies can succeed even in highly endemic areas.
Recognising that success can breed complacency-and resurgence is another important lesson. In the Huai River Basin, early success in the 1980s led to reduced surveillance and funding, resulting in malaria resurgence in the early 2000s. Control was restored only after reintroducing mass drug administration, robust vector control, and community mobilisation, highlighting the danger of prematurely scaling back efforts and the need for long term vigilance.
Other lessons include the importance of cross border collaboration, real time data sharing, and sustained surveillance, while novel approaches to financing are also urgently needed, led by national governments and their ministries of finance and include regional banks and innovative partnerships, they add.
"China's malaria-free status is a public health triumph, but it is also a call to action. Elimination requires long term tenacity; not just funds, but data driven foresight," they write.
"As global malaria efforts face shifting donor priorities and resulting financing gaps, The BMJ's new collection offers timely insights for policy makers, implementers, and funders alike. China and other countries that have achieved elimination have shown us the destination-now the challenge is translation to action for those left behind," they conclude.
BMJ Group
Diallo, M. A., & Rabinovich, N. R. (2025). Learning from China's journey to achieve malaria elimination. BMJ. doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r758.
Posted in: Disease/Infection News | Healthcare News
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In a wide-ranging Genomic Press Interview, Dr. Jeremie Poschmann of INSERM and Université de Nantes shares the story behind his bold, data-centric approach to immunology and translational science. The conversation, published in Genomic Psychiatry as part of the Innovators & Ideas series, explores how Dr. Poschmann's unconventional path-from nurse to systems biologist-has uniquely shaped his research into the circulating immune system.
His lab focuses on the molecular analysis of blood-derived immune cells using multi-omics tools, integrating genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics to uncover how immune states evolve across patient populations. This accessible window into immune dynamics allows researchers to chart disease heterogeneity in unprecedented detail. The implications for infectious disease, psychiatric conditions, and even vaccine responsiveness are wide-reaching.
"What hooked me early on is the idea that data itself can lead the way," says Dr. Poschmann, describing his formative experience with genome-wide discovery in yeast. "That ability to follow the data rather than impose a question on it was deeply compelling." Later, frustrated by delays in bioinformatics collaboration during his postdoc, he taught himself coding, enabling a level of research independence that now defines his lab.
The interview highlights a growing interest in pre-existing immune states-patterns shaped by past infections, environmental exposures, and genetic predisposition. These states, Dr. Poschmann suggests, may explain why people respond so differently to the same pathogen or treatment. "Why do some people get severely ill from SARS-CoV-2, while others remain asymptomatic?" he asks. "We now have the tools to explore those questions at scale."
Using the blood as a dynamic, systemic readout, his team builds immune signatures that may one day forecast disease risk or therapeutic response-raising tantalizing possibilities: Could personalized immunoprofiles guide vaccine strategies? Might we predict psychiatric outcomes based on immune memory? Could this approach allow for proactive healthcare, rather than reactive treatment?
Beyond the lab, Dr. Poschmann is a vocal advocate for improving research infrastructure. He calls attention to the precarity faced by postdocs and support staff in France and across Europe. "It's becoming harder to retain talented people-not because of the science, but because of unstable contracts," he says. "Science thrives on continuity and collaboration. We need to invest in the whole ecosystem, not just the top."
The human dimension of his story is as compelling as the science. Originally trained as a nurse, Dr. Poschmann emphasizes compassion, mentorship, and inclusion in his leadership style. "I don't choose team members based on grades," he says. "I look for mindset-what makes someone original in how they think."
That mindset is also visible in his off-hours. Surfing along France's Atlantic coast helps him decompress and reconnect. "You paddle hard, sometimes for nothing," he reflects. "But then a perfect set comes, and you must be ready. That combination of grit, patience, and timing is very much like science."
Dr. Poschmann's reflections illuminate a broader shift in modern science toward interdisciplinary fluency and data-integrated decision-making. "We're in an era where biology, computation, and medicine are merging," he says. "I want my research to inform not only understanding, but clinical care."
His story prompts questions with direct societal relevance: What will it take to mainstream immune profiling in everyday medicine? How can we make complex data actionable at the point of care? And perhaps most importantly-what barriers, scientific or structural, must we dismantle to realize a truly personalized, prevention-first model of health?
Dr. Jeremie Poschmann's Genomic Press interview is part of a larger series called Innovators & Ideas that highlights the people behind today's most influential scientific breakthroughs. Each interview in the series offers a blend of cutting-edge research and personal reflections, providing readers with a comprehensive view of the scientists shaping the future. By combining a focus on professional achievements with personal insights, this interview style invites a richer narrative that both engages and educates readers. This format provides an ideal starting point for profiles that delve into the scientist's impact on the field, while also touching on broader human themes. More information on the research leaders and rising stars featured in our Innovators & Ideas – Genomic Press Interview series can be found in our publications website: https://genomicpress.kglmeridian.com/.
Genomic Press
Jeremie Poschmann: Data-driven discovery in human diseases through multi-omics profiling of the circulating immune system. Genomic Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.61373/gp025k.0023
Posted in: Genomics | Medical Science News | Medical Research News
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Martha Sajatovic, MD; Camilla Kilbane, MD
DISCLOSURES | April 22, 2025
This transcript has been edited for clarity.
Martha Sajatovic, MD: Hello. I'm Dr Martha Sajatovic. I direct the Neurological and Behavioral Outcomes Center at University Hospitals Cleveland. Joining me here today is Dr Camilla Kilbane, who directs the Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorder Center, also at University Hospitals Cleveland.
Thanks for joining me, Camilla.
Camilla Kilbane, MD: Thank you for inviting me. I'm looking forward to this conversation.
Sajatovic: Camilla, let's start off with the way we communicate with our patients. What do you think are the most important areas or topics that we have to address with our patients and their families about the issue of tardive dyskinesia (TD)?
Kilbane: I think there are many things that are important to discuss when we're talking about TD. One of them is the movement: “How is it affecting you physically? Are you having difficulty with chewing, eating? Are you having difficulty performing any tasks?”
Or, “How does TD affect you psychologically? Does it make you embarrassed? Does it make you not want to go out in public?”
These are all open-ended questions that can then start a dialogue between the physician or the provider and the patient and their families.
Sajatovic: As a psychiatrist, I am more likely to see people who are exhibiting movements consistent with TD that the patient isn't aware of. Or maybe they're aware of them, but they're not sure what it is. They'll have been prescribed an antipsychotic medication for a variety of different reasons. So, I will talk about the specific role of antipsychotic drugs in being a risk factor for TD. Sometimes it's a dialogue with the patient, sometimes with a family member to consider, “What is this?”
But what we really look at is “How is this affecting your life? Is it something that is a burden for you?” And, “Could we look at whether there are treatment options that might help you?”
Kilbane: When patients come to the neurologist, there is a self-selection bias, I think, and most of my patients are probably much more motivated and have done more research about the diagnosis as opposed to those who come to the psychiatrist, who either refers the patient to me or initially approaches the diagnosis. I think it's a very different conversation that you are having with your patients, compared with me.
Martha, can you tell me how your care plan might differ depending on the patient and the clinical diagnosis that caused them to need psychotropic medication?
Sajatovic: Their psychiatric diagnosis definitely is going to be a driver. We know that people with some types of serious mental illness — for example, schizophrenia or bipolar disorder — may process information differently. It may have to be delivered in a slower way or involving others or may need a series of visits.
I do think it is really critical to make sure that the patient has a choice and a voice. Regardless of their diagnosis, this could be an opportunity to bring family members in. They may notice impairments or symptoms that are relatively subtle — both psychiatric and TD symptoms — that the patient doesn't volunteer and that I may not see in a 30-minute or 45-minute office visit. Sometimes patients or family members will suggest that they maybe should just stop the drug, and I think that's an important point of communication between the psychiatrist and the patient.
I will talk about the likelihood that you will have a psychiatric relapse if we stop the drug or if you stop the drug on your own. Many patients and families will have already experienced having at least one psychiatric relapse episode, and that is usually not something that anybody wants to go through. It's painful; it's difficult to recover.
That is a foundational discussion to have before we go into “What are my treatment options for TD?”
Kilbane: I think sometimes people just want information, right? They want to be informed about their condition and feel empowered that they're making the choice themselves, and that can sometimes be a step in the right direction. Then it really becomes a discussion about, “How is it impacting you?” And then we start talking about the medication treatments if they're interested in pursuing those.
How do you build that therapeutic trust and alliance with your patients with regards to treating their psychiatric disorder and possibly TD?
Sajatovic: That's an excellent question. I would say that's important for any kind of clinician. For mental health clinicians, that it's particularly important because mental health conditions very often are highly stigmatized. I won't dictate most of the time what you need unless it's an acute, immediate safety issue.
People need to feel comfortable with expressing their emotions and what they want to do or not want to do. Just because I think something is a problem or not a problem may not be where they are.
I can think of a patient that I had who worked as a hairdresser and clearly had movements of her hands. You know, a little bit of bilateral writhing. When I talked with her about treatment, she told me that she was absolutely not interested in treatment because she was already on eight other drugs. She came to a session a couple years later and said that she noticed that she was putting her hands in her pockets so that her clients wouldn't see her hands moving. So, she had a behavior or a metric that was bothersome to her, and that's what she wanted to see go away.
Kilbane: That's a really great example. Sometimes people just have to think about it for a while and let it marinate in their head, and then they might be ready at some point. And, of course, when you've already had a side effect to a medication, you may be more cautious to try another medication.
I think this idea of “bringing it back gently” and discussing it is a really great idea. And I think that's a lot of what I do too. My job is to inform patients, give them the information about what I think is going on with them, and then we have the discussion about should there be treatment or not.
Sajatovic: I wonder how you communicate with the individual who comes to you saying, “I think I have TD, should I get treatment?”
Kilbane: For me, it's really important to first of all make sure I know what the clinical diagnosis is. Then, I think it's important to get into what impact the tardive movements have on the individual.
What I may perceive as mild TD can have a major impact in somebody's life, whether it's vocational, psychological, or physical. If you're a dentist and you have a tiny little tremor, you may lose your practice because nobody's going to come to your practice anymore. I think the same thing goes for TD. Learning more about the person you're seeing is going to help you decide if you think the treatment is going to be good.
But I think the important part is, if it bothers the patient — even though you think it's mild — you ought to treat it because it's impacting their quality of life. And I think that's a really important part of this more patient-centered and shared decision-making. And we can agree to disagree too — they're consenting adults who come in for discussions, and we go through all of the possible pros and cons.
One of the other things I tell patients is that if you decide to try this medication — a VMAT2 inhibitor for this movement — it doesn't mean you have to stay on it for life. So just giving patients the feeling that it's their choice and they can also change their mind, sometimes that also helps in that discussion about should we do it or should we not.
Sajatovic: Right, and I would say that the flip argument is very often once they try it, the TD goes away and they feel a lot better.
Kilbane: Exactly.
Sajatovic: And then, looking back, they're thinking, “I was a lot more worried about it than I needed to be.”
Kilbane: Exactly.
Sajatovic: But we have to go through that discussion and that shared decision-making. We want to give them the tools and the confidence to make a decision that's right for them every day.
Thank you, Camilla. That was really a wonderful conversation.
Kilbane: It was my pleasure.
Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Using pilocarpine eye drops following Kahook Dual Blade (KDB) goniotomy surgery may improve clinical outcomes for patients with glaucoma and reduce the need for future medications, according to new research published by faculty members and trainees in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
"The KDB goniotomy is a minimally invasive glaucoma surgery that we do a lot here at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center, and there was some variability in the post-operative eye drop regimen among different providers," says Julia Xia, MD, a uveitis fellow in the department and lead author of the study.
"Some of our providers prescribe pilocarpine drops and some do not," she continues. "There currently is not a clear evidence-based consensus on whether the drops are beneficial in use after the surgery, so this research sought to address whether those drops made a difference."
The study analyzed 532 KDB goniotomy procedures at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center between September 2015 and March 2020, with and without pilocarpine use, and measured surgical success, which the researchers defined as intraocular pressure less than 21 mmHg in addition to either a more than 20% reduction in intraocular pressure or the reduction of one or more topical glaucoma medications.
The group using pilocarpine drops had a significantly higher success rate in the first and third month after surgery as well as one year after surgery. They also required significantly less medications than the group that did not use pilocarpine.
Researchers estimate that more than 4.2 million adults in the U.S. have glaucoma, an eye disease that gradually damages the optic nerve when there's a build-up of fluid. There is no cure for glaucoma, so ophthalmologists are tasked with helping their patients manage the disease and the excessive intraocular pressure (IOP) that leads to vision problems.
Management often includes eye drops and surgeries that aim to reduce IOP. Goniotomy is a minimally invasive surgery that opens the trabecular meshwork, the eye's drainage system, and allows fluid to flow out of the eye, thus reducing pressure.
If you think of the eye as a sink, we are essentially trying to augment the drain. We're making an incision to open up the natural drainage pathway."
Julia Xia, MD, lead author
There are several ways ophthalmologists can perform a goniotomy, but researchers of the study focused their efforts on the Kahook Dual Blade method, which was developed by Malik Y. Kahook, MD, professor of ophthalmology and the Slater Family Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology, over a decade ago on the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.
"Pilocarpine historically has been used to lower eye pressure, but it also shrinks the pupil and creates tension in key areas of the drainage pathway," Xia explains. "This theoretically helps ensure that the pathway remains open after someone has healed from surgery which allows fluid to better flow out of the eye."
Patients in the study who used the drops typically did so for about a month following the procedure.
After that, they tended to need fewer glaucoma medications to manage the disease.
The findings are an important clinical tool for ophthalmologists who perform KDB goniotomy.
"The exciting part about this research is that it can be directly applicable to patients," Xia says. "Surgeons can use this evidence as one piece of the decision-making process when thinking about what's best for their patients."
While the results from the study are promising, ophthalmologists, including Xia, say pilocarpine drops do often come with some nuances. For many patients, side effects include headache, blurred vision, heightened risk for retinal detachment, and temporary burning or stinging in the eye.
Cara Capitena Young, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology and medical director of the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center operating room, says there are patients who may not be a good fit for the drops, but the research has convinced her to add pilocarpine drops back into her toolbox and discuss them with her patients.
Capitena-Young also co-authored the study.
"Drop adherence is a massive barrier to treating glaucoma, so if we can add a drop in the short term that helps reduce the number of drops needed long term, it can be a great option for some patients," she says. "We know from this research that it can extend the success of the surgery well beyond a year, so while the drops might be an additional annoyance for a little bit, it can be worth it."
University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus
Xia, J. L., et al. (2025). Postoperative Use of Pilocarpine After Kahook Dual Blade Goniotomy in Mild to End-Stage Glaucoma. Current Eye Research. doi.org/10.1080/02713683.2025.2464795.
Posted in: Medical Procedure News | Medical Science News | Medical Research News
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Stanford Medicine researchers have developed a blood test capable of detecting cancers, the ways cancer resists treatments and tissue injury caused by non-cancerous conditions.
The new test analyzes RNA molecules in the bloodstream. This type of RNA is called cell-free RNA because the tiny molecules no longer inhabit a cell. There are always fragments of both DNA and RNA floating in blood - byproducts of natural cell death from all types of tissues and organs throughout the body, including cancerous tumors.
The researchers spent more than six years developing novel methods to target messenger RNA in blood and then used it to identify the presence of cancers at different stages, to track resistance to cancer treatment, and to monitor severity of injury to healthy tissue.
Just as archeologists can learn about ancient societies by studying the garbage they left behind, we can learn a lot about what is going on in the cells of a patient's body based on the degraded RNA molecules that are cleared through the blood. We have developed a sensitive, versatile new type of liquid biopsy that measures cell-free and circulating-tumor RNA and has the potential to enhance personalized medicine in cancer and non-cancer diseases."
Maximilian Diehn, MD, PhD, co-lead author and the Jack, Lulu, and Sam Willson Professor and a Stanford Medicine professor of radiation oncology
A paper explaining the method and applications of the cell-free RNA blood test was published in Nature on April 16, 2025. Monica Nesselbush, a postdoctoral scholar at the Stanford Cancer Institute, Bogdan Luca, postdoctoral scholar in pathology, and Young-Jun Jeon, a former postdoctoral scholar at Stanford Medicine who is now a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, are joint first authors. Ash Alizadeh, MD, PhD, the Moghadam Family Professor and a professor of medicine, oncology and hematology, co-led the study with Diehn.
There is not a lot of cell-free RNA in the blood, and around 95% of it is the ribosomal RNA that makes up the cellular structures that manufacture proteins. The new blood test analyzes messenger RNA, which makes up less than 5% of the cell-free RNA pool, because these molecules serve as a signal about which genes are expressed as proteins.
The researchers restricted their analysis of gene expression to a group of about 5,000 genes that are not typically expressed in the blood of healthy people. Focusing on these so-called rare abundance genes increased the ability of the test to correctly identify cancer by over a factor of 50. The test found lung cancer RNA in 73% of lung cancer patients, including at early stages.
"Analysis of the rare abundance genes lets us focus on the most relevant subset of RNA for detecting disease, just like archaeologists who want to learn about what people ate might focus on a subset of artifacts such as food containers or utensils," Alizadeh said.
Detecting cell-free messenger RNA means the blood test is capable of monitoring conditions that do not involve genetic mutations that are the basis of most DNA-based tests, such as certain causes of resistance to cancer treatments.
"Unfortunately, a significant fraction of our patients who are being treated for cancer go on to have their therapy stop working, and that resistance is often based on adaptations that do not involve genetic changes, but instead altering how the cells behave or even how the cells look under a microscope," Alizadeh explained. "Our non-invasive approach has the potential of avoiding surgical biopsies and identifying these common types of resistance earlier before substantial disease burden shows up on scans or presents with symptoms like pain, providing an earlier opportunity to change treatment and improve outcomes."
Before the research team could read information from cell-free messenger RNA in the blood, they had to overcome the influence of platelets, cells in the blood that are responsible for clotting and contain RNA but not DNA. To prevent platelets from affecting test results and obscuring signals from cancer, the researchers developed a combination of molecular and computational strategies that subtract contributions from these numerous cells.
The computational approach to overcoming platelet contamination means the method works both on newly collected blood samples and on samples that have been previously collected and stored.
"This approach means that the test can be used to examine blood samples currently in the freezer from a completed clinical trial, for example, and could help find a molecular signature that predicts who responded to a drug and who did not," Diehn said. "We can save time by using historical samples to discover a biomarker that can then be applied in real time to patients moving forward."
The new cell-free RNA method also provides useful information for non-cancer applications. The test detected high levels of normal lung RNA in blood samples from patients who were intubated and on a ventilator for treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome, a condition that severely damages the lungs and causes the cells to die.
The amount of normal lung RNA in blood samples from patients with COVID-19 reflected how sick they were. The researchers also found normal lung RNA in the blood of smokers who were healthy, possibly indicating microscopic injury to the lungs caused by smoking.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, and the University of Washington also contributed to the study.
The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grants R01 CA254179, R01 CA244526, R01 CA257655, R01 CA137008, R01 CA229766, T32 CA121940, T32 CA930240) National Science Foundation of Korea, Stand Up to Cancer Phil Sharpe Award, Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program, Virginia and D.K. Ludwig Fund for Cancer Research, Susan D. Wojcicki and Dennis Troper Family Foundations, and Lungstrong Foundation.
Stanford Medicine
Nesselbush, M. C., et al. (2025). An ultrasensitive method for detection of cell-free RNA. Nature. doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08834-1.
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Rafael E. Carazo Salas
CellVoyant leverages AI and live-cell imaging to predict cellular behavior, transforming cell therapy development and making it more accessible and efficient.
Roya Amini-Naieni
Dr. Allotey
Dr. Pascale Allotey advocates for comprehensive maternal health policies, stressing the importance of women's voices in shaping effective healthcare solutions.
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One in ten people will have at least one seizure in their life, but effective treatments for seizures remain very limited, in part due to incomplete understanding of the brain mechanisms involved. Now, research in fruit flies has uncovered a role for two specific brain proteins that are necessary during brain development to prevent seizures.
The two proteins, Imp and Sdc, are found in the developing brains of both flies and mammals, and are involved in the growth and development of neurons and brain circuits.
A reduction of either protein during development makes flies prone to seizures without otherwise affecting their ability to move, the researchers found. Importantly, if Imp is reduced, restoring Sdc helps flies recover from seizures more than three times faster. This suggests that these proteins could be a valuable target for future therapies.
For people with seizures caused by a similar mechanism, "we hope that this knowledge might contribute to quicker diagnoses and treatment plans," says Paula Roy, PhD, postdoctoral researcher in neurobiology at University of Utah Health and first author on the study. "More broadly, understanding specific seizure mechanisms will lead to better, more efficient therapeutic regimens."
The results are published in eNeuro.
The research was supported by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (T32HD007491), the National Human Genome Research Institute (T32HG008962), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (R56AI170857 and R01AI170857), and the University of Utah. Content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
University of Utah Health
Roy, P. R., & Link, N. (2025). Loss of neuronal Imp contributes to seizure behavior through Syndecan function Neuronal Imp contributes to seizures via Syndecan. eNeuro. doi.org/10.1523/ENEURO.0545-24.2025.
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Rafael E. Carazo Salas
CellVoyant leverages AI and live-cell imaging to predict cellular behavior, transforming cell therapy development and making it more accessible and efficient.
Roya Amini-Naieni
Dr. Allotey
Dr. Pascale Allotey advocates for comprehensive maternal health policies, stressing the importance of women's voices in shaping effective healthcare solutions.
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Women who experience urinary incontinence after giving birth may get just as much relief from telehealth as they do from physical therapy, a new UC San Francisco study has found.
It is the first comparison of telehealth to in-person pelvic physical therapy, and the results open the door to new ways of treating a condition that affects millions of women.
The research appears in the April 2025 issue of the Journal of Women's and Pelvic Physical Therapy.
This paper provides valuable preliminary evidence of telehealth's effectiveness and overall satisfaction for treating stress urinary incontinence. This is an important step in creating more accessible and affordable care for our postpartum mothers."
Jennifer Kinder, PT, DPTSc, associate professor in the UCSF Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science and a women's health clinical specialist
Over the next two decades, 43 million women are predicted to have a form of pelvic floor dysfunction.
Incontinence often begins after delivering a baby. As many as 30% of women develop incontinence following a first vaginal delivery, and if left untreated, it can become chronic. Preexisting cases also can be aggravated by labor.
Physical therapy can help treat the condition, but limited childcare and the need to work outside the home make it hard for some women to get treatment.
The study randomized 30 women to receive care either via telehealth or in person. They were on average 1.5 years postpartum, had a median age of 37, had delivered two babies and were in good health. The women reported their symptoms throughout the four-week study, and at five weeks and one year after it ended.
All the women's symptoms improved significantly even a year after the study ended, and the improvements were similar for both groups.
University of California - San Francisco
Kinder, J., et al. (2025). Feasibility and Acceptability of a Protocol-Based Telehealth Treatment for Stress Urinary Incontinence in Postpartum Women: A Pilot Randomized Trial. Journal of Women's & Pelvic Health Physical Therapy. doi.org/10.1097/jwh.0000000000000329.
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Rafael E. Carazo Salas
CellVoyant leverages AI and live-cell imaging to predict cellular behavior, transforming cell therapy development and making it more accessible and efficient.
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The Brazilian side will look to build on their success of recent years and make a run in Club World Cup
In 2023, Fluminense were on top of all of South America. Crowned Copa Libertadores champions and winners of the Carioca Championship (domestic league title), they also earned Club World Cup runners-up honors that same campaign - and also went on to claim the 2024 Recopa Sudamericana, CONMEBOL's equivalent of the UEFA Super Cup. It was their year.
However, they've since taken a few steps back.
Manger Fernando Diniz was poached by the national team's federation, and appointed interim head coach of the Selecao on a one-year basis. He only lasted seven months - but by then, Fluminense had already moved on. They've gone through four-different coaches since, and have struggled to regain the form that had them peaking among South American sides.
This summer, at the FIFA Club World Cup, they'll look to find that spark once again. They have experience in the tournament - but never at one of this size, with the new 32-team field. Their roster is loaded with experience - highlighted by former Chelsea star and UEFA Champions League winner Thiago Silva.
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 Fluminense with a look at key players to watch, and expectations for the Brazilian side at the tournament.
Bruce Arena has expressed serious doubts over Mauricio Pochettino's credentials to coach the U.S. men's national team, saying a foreign coach with no international experience has major hurdles to overcome.
Arena is widely considered one of the all-time great American coaches, leading the USMNT to the 2002 World Cup quarterfinal and also coaching the team at the 2006 World Cup. In MLS, no coach has more regular season wins or MLS Cups than Arena, who is currently in his first season as San Jose Earthquakes coach.
Pochettino has a hugely successful resume at club level, coaching the likes of Tottenham, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea, but the USMNT job is the Argentine's first at the international level.
According to Arena, coaching an international team could not be more different than leading a club side.
"I'm sure our coach is a very good coach," Arena said of Pochettino on the "Unfiltered Soccer" podcast with former USMNT stars Landon Donovan and Tim Howard.
"Coaching international football is different than club football," he added. "It's a completely different job. People ask me all the time, 'Which do you like better?' They're two different jobs, and people don't understand that.
"When you're a national team coach you need to know your environment, you need to know the animals you're coaching, and we're lacking that."
Not only is Pochettino at a disadvantage due to his lack of international experience but in Arena's opinion, hailing from a different country is also a hinderance to his chance of success.
"You look at every national team in the world, the coach is usually a domestic coach," the 73-year-old said.
"If you're an American coach in the U.S. team, you know the culture, you know the pride and how important the national team is. I think when you bring in somebody from the outside, they don't understand it and especially in our country because we're so different."
Pochettino's first few months in charge have included some strong performances but also several missteps. The U.S. has lost three of eight matches under the Argentine, including back-to-back defeats against Panama and Canada last month in the Concacaf Nations League.
Those losses set off alarm bells for many as the 2026 World Cup approaches. Arena is undoubtedly in that group.
"I'm shocked if we can't beat Panama and Canada," Arena said. "It was shocking to me. I don't want to be disrespectful. I want them to do great in the World Cup, there's no question about it. But we only have a year left now. Time is running out, and they got to get going."
The Soccer Tournament — a winner-take-all, seven-a-side soccer tournament — on Tuesday announced the 16 women's teams and 48 men's teams that will compete for $1 million this summer.
Founded by TBT Enterprises, which also created The Basketball Tournament, The Soccer Tournament (TST) was unveiled in 2022 with 32 men's teams. Games are played on a smaller field to speed up the action, with each game featuring two 20-minute halves, but the real twist comes after the last whistle. TST borrows the “Elam Ending” from its basketball roots and gives it a soccer spin. Instead of heading to overtime or penalties, teams race to hit a target score — one goal more than the leading team's total at the final whistle. If no one scores after five minutes, the game gets wilder as each team loses a player every three minutes until there's a two-on-two duel for the winning goal.
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TST added the women's tournament in 2024 and doubled the size of the women's side this year, expanding from eight to 16 teams after receiving more than 50 applications for the coveted spots. More than 500 players will compete across four groups of four teams each, with matches held over four days from June 6-9.
“Our inaugural women's championship game viewership performed exceptionally well, as we grew our audience 452 percent from the beginning of the game until the moment the game-winning goal was scored,” Jon Mugar, the founder and CEO of TST, told The Athletic. “Both fans in attendance and people at home loved the product.” The tournament renewed its broadcast deal with ESPN+, which will stream 27 men's and women's matches live. An additional 20 matches will also air on ESPNU.
That surge in interest comes just as some of the biggest names in women's soccer take the field.
Led by USWNT and UNC legend Heather O'Reilly, the U.S. Women's team — the reigning TST champion — is back to defend its crown. This year's squad is stacked with star power, including World Cup defender Ali Krieger and 2025 Soccer Hall of Famer Carli Lloyd. The team's roster also features former Bay FC and Scottish national team player Jen Beattie, USWNT defenders Cat Whitehill and Jo Lohman, and top players from the University of North Carolina.
O'Reilly's side will kick off Group A play on June 5 against Austin Rise FC — a 100-percent women-owned, semi-professional team from the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) making its tournament debut. The match will be televised on ESPNU and streamed on ESPN+.
Austin Rise is part of a batch of new entrants, including Albion SC from San Diego, Atlanta-based Process FC, Speedy Turtles, Bumpy Pitch, Reunion City Dallas and Drunken Monkeys, led by legendary midfielder Brazilian national Formiga, who is making her TST debut.
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Another former USWNT legend making a comeback at TST is former USWNT and Seattle Reign goalkeeper Hope Solo. The two-time Olympic gold medalist and 2015 World Cup winner will captain Solo FC, a team of legends and rising stars from around the world, with a focus on giving opportunities to players from underrepresented communities around the world.
“I want to shine a light on those players from around the world who you've never heard of who are great players who have the ability to get NCAA scholarships and professional contracts,” Solo explained during TST's podcast back in February. “They're playing for the experience because it might pull them out and get them a college scholarship or a pro contract.”
Solo's side will debut against Speedy Turtles, one of the newcomers, on June 5, also broadcast on ESPNU/ESPN+.
USWNT legends won't be alone in chasing the title, with plenty of returning heavyweights ready to make a run at the $1 million prize.
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Wrexham Red Dragons (Group B) are also returning to Cary, N.C., as is Streetball Canada (Group C) with an all-star squad featuring some of Canada's top national team players from the past. The NWSL's North Carolina Courage is also back to compete in Group D. Last year, the Courage fell to the U.S. Women in the final. This year, they are sending a squad that will feature current youth academy players, academy graduates currently playing in college and a few more well-known players. Angel City FC's TST team, Angel City 7, also returns to the tournament, competing in the same group as O'Reilly's U.S. Women, Austin Rise FC and Process FC.
In addition to the Courage and Angel City, the tournament welcomes the Kansas City Current this year. The team is sending players from its second team who currently play in the WPSL. Kansas City will play in Group B against Wrexham Red Dragons, Drunken Monkeys and Ultrain — a team supported by a soccer app founded in L.A. in 2020 and backed by pros like Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Curtis Jones (Liverpool) and Katie Zelem (Angel City).
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“Our goal is to become the preeminent soccer festival in the world,” Mugar said in a statement. “Judging by the number of returning fans and teams, we are well on our way. I can't wait to see the level of competition this June!”
(Photo of Ali Krieger and Carli Lloyd: Valerie Terranova / Getty Images)
Asli Pelit is a journalist at The Athletic covering the NWSL, the U.S. women's national team and the business of women's soccer. She has reported on the global game since 2013, for TRT Sport, USA Today Sports, VICE, Forbes, and most recently was a staff writer at Sportico. Pelit holds a B.A. in Journalism from New York University, an MBA from Columbia Business School and was a 2020-2021 Knight-Bagehot Fellow. Follow Asli on Twitter @asli_pelit
US soccer fans are making their displeasure with the team known in extreme ways.
Some fans might post about their team's misfortune, but one took it to the extreme.
Michael Buxbaum filed a complaint alleging that USSF is defrauding the federal government by "not trying to win" a recent match in the She Believes Cup against Japan.
The USSF website, the federation receives no federal funding, meaning Team USA couldn't defraud the government.
It is a pretty silly lawsuit, but there are some hilarious demands made within.
Buxbaum is demanding relief from USSF in the form of multiple requests.
First, he asked for an injunction against USSF to take all US Soccer teams off television.
He is also demanding that betting on US Soccer games be banned.
Lastly, Buxbaum is looking for $100 million in damages because the USWNT was "not trying to win" against Japan.
He has no chance of winning the case, but it goes to show that some fans will go to the extremes to show their displeasure with teams.
Fans got a good laugh out of the outrageous lawsuit though, and shared those on social media.
"Ah, the 'I lost $20 on DraftKings, and I'm angry' lawsuit," one fan said.
"Is it too late to sue over the 2009 Gold Cup Final?" another fan said.
"Does anyone trust @ussoccer? Just checking," a third fan said.
"There is no chance this goes anywhere but I kind of want to hear this guy out just for fun," a fourth fan said.
"Um, okay. This will get thrown out immediately, right?" a fifth fan said.
USWNT lost to Japan 2-1 in the group stage of the She Believes Cup.
Team USA had won the last five editions of the cup.
The win was the first for Japan in the 10th edition of the cup.
It was the first loss for Team USA under Emma Hayes, who had won 15 of her first 17 matches.
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Michael Buxbaum appears to be one of the world's most prolific lawsuit filers, so perhaps it was only a matter of time before he trained his ire on the U.S. Soccer Federation.
Buxbaum has filed one of the most frivolous lawsuits of all time in the Southern District of New York. His complaint? the U.S. women's national team didn't "try to win" at the SheBelieves Cup in February.
So damaging was the USWNT's lack of effort in a 2-1 defeat to Japan, that Buxbaum is humbly requesting $100 million be paid directly to him. Also, that U.S. Soccer matches aren't shown on TV or open to wagering until his complaint is resolved.
As the plaintiff alleges, the USWNT is "fraudulently communicating and making false claims to the federal government of the United States of America for money and incorrectly spending such dollars by acting on the field of play and not trying to win the She Believes (sic) Cup game of association football thereby collecting money from international fans that are not really watching the competition and competitive soccer game."
Buxbaum does not appear to have yet mastered the art of crafting sentences.
Among the many — many! — issues with the lawsuit is that U.S. Soccer does not receive federal funding. Or that the USWNT won the first two games of the SheBelieves Cup. Or that Japan is pretty good at soccer and may defeat opponents whether they're trying to win or not.
If U.S. Soccer feels at all special that it is the defendant in a lawsuit filed by Buxbaum, it shouldn't.
In January, one of Buxbaum's lawsuits was dismissed with the note that he had filed more than 50 actions over the past six weeks alone. Unsurprisingly, Buxbaum has been representing himself.
The defendants in Buxbaum's lawsuits have run the gamut, from Disney to JetBlue to Zillow to Rocco's Italian Cuisine & Pizza.
We've seen plenty of courtroom drama involving U.S. Soccer in recent years, but the federation probably isn't losing much sleep over this one.
Welcome to this week's Championship Special USMNT tracker, a look at English football's frenetic second tier and the Americans battling in it.
Dubbed ‘Europe's most exciting division', the Championship had been gloriously hard to say with any certainty who would be going up or down ahead of the Easter weekend. That picture is clearer now with two U.S.-owned clubs clinching promotion, although who will lift the trophy as champions is still very much up for grabs.
There is still the chance of playoff glory for other USMNT players, too. So here we go…
The Premier League's U.S. contingent has a pair of familiar returnees.
Two of the USMNT's exciting young attacking talents will now play at the top level in Europe once again next season after Brenden Aaronson's Leeds United and Luca Koleosho's Burnley both earned promotion.
That, of course, is providing neither moves to pastures new over the close season — although both have plenty of time on their contracts, with Aaronson's lasting until summer 2027 and Koleosho's 2029.
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Aaronson has played the larger part this term in contributing to his team's success. The 24-year-old has been a proper mainstay, appearing in all of Leeds' 44 league games so far and starting 41 of them. Words such as ‘robust' and ‘resilient' come to mind, particularly when you consider the grinding nature of the Championship with fixtures coming thick and fast. And the relentless drama the division throws up.
Koleosho, who is still just 20, started the campaign like he may also be a pivotal part of Burnley's title push, making 25 appearances in the club's 28 games until the new year, when he vanished from manager Scott Parker's plans.
In truth, the wide player had already struggled to recapture the exciting form he showed in the Premier League the previous season; his December 2023 knee injury was considered a significant blow for their ultimately unsuccessful survival fight.
Instead, as is often the case with young players, Koleosho's form waxed and waned, even when he was playing regularly this season, and Koleosho has spent much of the business end of the campaign on the bench.
Perhaps he can revive his potential once more in the top flight next term but, either way, the weekend was hugely positive for both players and their American-owned clubs.
Our writer Phil Hay underlined why promotion was so important for Leeds in The Athletic FC daily newsletter.
“49ers Enterprises — the investment vehicle controlled by the San Francisco 49ers and the majority stakeholder at Elland Road — didn't set out to run a Championship team,” he wrote. “It sought a top-flight acquisition but changed its plans after Leeds were relegated in 2023. Two seasons in England's second tier have been expensive, largely because Championship clubs are money pits. In 2023-24 alone, Leeds lost £60million ($80m).”
As Phil points out, there are other big NFL names involved with Burnley's return — chiefly J.J. Watt, a former defensive end for the Houston Texans and investor in the Lancashire club, who will certainly approve of their record of shutouts this season. Parker's side have only conceded 15 goals in 44 league games.
Both clubs will now try to establish themselves at the top table and avoid the yo-yoing fortunes which have kept their fans on edge in recent seasons.
Well, for starters, Josh Sargent. But wait, Norwich's season has stalled, they've just sacked their manager, and any hopes of making the playoffs have long since been dashed?
All true, but it is still very possible that Sargent is scoring goals in the Premier League next season for any of a number of top-flight suitors who have tracked his prolific form during Norwich's middling season.
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The 25-year-old was on target with his 15th goal of the season on Good Friday, even if the strike ultimately didn't help his team avoid a 5-3 defeat at home by Portsmouth, a result which probably set the sacking of manager Johannes Hoff Thorup in motion ahead of the 3-1 loss to Millwall on Monday.
The goal kept the American, who was taken off injured in the second half, fourth in the Championship's top-scorer chart despite missing huge chunks of the season through injury, and reminded those Premier League clubs needing a new centre-forward what he can do when he is fit.
Another USMNT forward who may make it into the Premier League is Haji Wright.
Coventry City's fortunes were better than Norwich's over the Easter schedule, with a big 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion on Good Friday ensuring they stayed in the playoff places, even if they followed it by losing 3-1 to bottom side Plymouth Argyle.
Wright pulled a goal back for his team on Monday — illustrated in Jeff Rueter's graphic of the weekend below — and now has 12 for the season.
Elsewhere across the division, Mauricio Pochettino was spotted at Watford's game with Burnley at Vicarage Road on Friday, presumably watching Caleb Wiley first hand.
The hosts' 20-year-old left-back, who spent the first half of the season with Strasbourg in France, is on loan from Chelsea. The former Atlanta United defender played the full game last week as his side lost 2-1 to Burnley. He followed that up with another 90 minutes in Monday's 1-0 loss to Portsmouth.
But it remains to be seen where Wiley will end up next season.
But there is one U.S. forward for whom the Premier League feels out of reach just now.
Daryl Dike's injury-ravaged 2024-25 season with U.S.-owned West Brom entered a new phase of uncertainty when the club sacked manager Tony Mowbray on Sunday, with their chances of making the playoffs remote. The 24-year-old striker is likely focusing on an injury-free campaign next seaon, wherever he plays.
That awful Achilles injury suffered in February 2024 means he has not started a game for the Baggies this season, having spent almost a year on the sidelines.
Name: Christian Pulisic
Club: Milan
Position: Forward
Appearances (all competitions): 43
Goals: 15
Away from the Championship, Milan's 2-1 defeat by Atalanta on Sunday further reduced the Rossoneri's already slim chances of qualifying for the Champions League next season. They stay ninth, nine points behind Bologna in fourth, and even creeping into the Europa League through their league finish is far from straightforward now.
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Pulisic & Co can still make it into that competition if they lift the Coppa Italia, though, so watch this space with their chance of doing that resting on a semi-final derby against Inter at San Siro in midweek. Their tie is beautifully poised at 1-1 after the first leg.
Name: Kevin Paredes
Club: Wolfsburg
Position: Midfielder/Wing-back
Appearances: 1
After a frustratingly long spell out on the sidelines, one of the USMNT's more intriguing attacking talents finally returned for his Bundesliga club on Saturday.
Paredes wasted little time during his first start of the season since recovering from injury. He showed his agility and nous to create Maximilian Arnold's thumping opener for Wolfsburg in the 2-2 draw with Mainz. It was a great way for the 21-year-old, who lit up last summer's Men's Olympics soccer tournament with his U.S. performances, to remind everyone what he is about.
Paredes' compatriot Lennard Maloney was an unused sub for Mainz.
Name: Chris Richards
Club: Crystal Palace
Position: Centre-half
Appearances: 26
Goals: 1
It was a chastening afternoon for Richards as Palace welcomed Bournemouth to Selhurst Park in the Premier League. The centre-back was booked harshly early on, then shown a second yellow card in first-half stoppage time for an equally soft foul to endure the first sending off of his Palace career.
At least his team-mates ground out a goalless draw in his absence.
Richards will now miss the midweek game at Arsenal through suspension, but will hope to regain his place for Saturday's eagerly anticipated trip to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa.
Name: Gianluca Busio
Club: Venezia
Position: Midfielder
Appearances: 29
Busio is in the middle of a relegation scrap with Venezia in Serie A, and he scored during their 2-2 draw with Empoli on Sunday.
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It was only the second goal of a tough season for the 22-year-old, who hasn't managed any assists either, despite being a regular in the team. The goal ensured a point apiece for both sides from a contest neither could afford to lose. Both are locked on 25 points and linger in the relegation zone, but Venezia sit above Empoli only on goal difference.
(All Eastern Time)
So can Pulisic and Yunus Musah help save — or at least soothe — Milan's season by beating rivals Inter to reach the Coppa Italia final? We're about to find out.
Both Milan clubs go into Wednesday's semi-final second leg stinging from recent defeats. The Rossoneri's turbulent season continued with that reverse to Atalanta, while Inter failed to pull away in the title race by losing 1-0 to Bologna on Sunday. Still, you'd rather be in table-topping Inter's position heading into this high-pressure derby.
Perhaps Pulisic and the rest of Sergio Conceicao's men can cling to the psychological marker of January, when they beat Inter in the Supercoppa Italiana. See what happens in the game at 3pm (Peacock Premium).
Over in the Premier League, might there be a start for Matt Turner for Crystal Palace in their midweek trip to Arsenal? Manager Oliver Glasner has suggested he will rotate his team ahead of Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa, and might consider giving England's Dean Henderson a breather (also 3pm, Peacock Premium).
Also on Wednesday, Johnny Cardoso and Real Betis will be in La Liga action against Valladolid (3:30pm, ESPN +), and a win would keep the U.S. midfielder's dream of playing Champions League football with his club next season alive.
After beating Girona 3-1 on Monday, Betis are only a point behind Villarreal in fifth (with the top five in Spain all qualifying for next season's Champions League). Cardoso scored the first goal of that win on Monday.
(Top photos: Getty Images)
Greg O'Keeffe is a senior writer for The Athletic covering US soccer players in the UK & Europe.
Previously he spent a decade at the Liverpool Echo covering news and features before an eight-year stint as the paper's Everton correspondent; giving readers the inside track on Goodison Park, a remit he later reprised at The Athletic.
He has also worked as a news and sport journalist for the BBC and hosts a podcast in his spare time. Follow Greg on Twitter @GregOK
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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.
RB Leipzig left-back David Raum, named by Lamine Yamal as his toughest opponent yet, is on the radar of several Premier League clubs.
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The U.S. Soccer Federation has been hit with a remarkable lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, driven by one fan's frustration with the U.S. Women's National Team.
The lawsuit, submitted on April 8 by scorned viewer Michael Buxbaum, has accused the USF of “fraudulently communicating and making False Claims to the Federal Government of the United States of America for money and incorrectly spending such dollars” when he believes they had no genuine intention of winning the contest.
It is worth noting that, as per the U.S. Soccer website, they are classed as a 501(c)3 nonprofit, which does not receive any government funding whatsoever. The game in question took place on February 26 and saw the USWNT lose 2-1 in the SheBelieves Cup to Japan. The result sealed the title for Japan and second place for Emma Hayes' side.
Buxbaum's lawsuit is looking for U.S. Soccer games to be pulled from the airwaves and for all wagering on games to be halted “pending the litigation of this complaint and request for injunction.” What's more, the plaintiff also wants USF to disclose to him “full and complete financial information” regarding “revenue, salaries, expenses, health insurance and post employment lifestyle benefits.”
If this wasn't enough, Buxbaum is also pushing for the USF to not accept “foreign money for playing the game of World Football.” However, the most eye-watering demand being sought is just shy of $100 million in damages for Buxbaum, all stemming from his belief that Hayes' side was “not trying to win” a game.
The USWNT's loss at Snapdragon Stadium was their only defeat in three games at the SheBelieves Cup. It came against a vastly more experienced team, with Hayes using the competition as a proving ground for young and inexperienced talent.
The roster had an average age of just 24.9, with four uncapped players, four teenagers, and another 10 total players without prior SheBelieves Cup experience all included.
Since taking the position in the summer of 2024, Hayes has repeatedly emphasised the importance of creating a clear pathway for fresh talent to work their way into the senior set up, all with an eye on the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup where they will look to put right some of the wrongs from their thoroughly disappointing Round of 16 exit in 2023.
"I always go back to what our objectives were in the first place, and that was to deepen our playing pool with opportunities in high-pressure situations against top opponents. That's what tonight especially was about," Hayes told reporters following their loss to Japan.
"I think we look through the lens of our objectives and say listen, we've certainly looked at our players in this setting, and we've definitely got a better understanding of where they are within that journey... Which players are ready for now, which players are ready for later, and which ones will go with the [U]23s, and which ones will develop with us. From that perspective, it was mission accomplished."
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BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (22 April 2025) – FIFA and the World Trade Organization (WTO) Secretariat have released two studies that showcase the significant socioeconomic impact the forthcoming FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ and FIFA World Cup 2026™ could have in the United States and globally.
The studies – developed by OpenEconomics (OE), an independent body that supports institutions and companies in designing policies and investment projects – are the latest example of the collaboration between FIFA and the WTO since the release of the GoalEconomy initiative following the biggest and most successful FIFA Women's World Cup™ ever in Australia and New Zealand in 2023.
Among the key estimates, the FIFA World Cup 2026 analysis highlights that across the host countries, 6.5 million people are expected to attend the tournament.
According to OE, the tournament could help drive up to USD 40.9 billion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), deliver USD 8.28 billion in social benefits, and underpin the creation of nearly 824,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs globally. Specifically for the US, OE estimates that 185,000 FTE jobs could be created, with 30.5 billion in gross output and USD 17.2 billion in GDP.
Additionally, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 study showcases how the creation of FIFA's new top, quadrennial competition involving and elevating 32 of the world's best clubs will serve to unlock value for people in the tournament's host nation, the US, and globally.
The report estimates a total attendance of 3.7 million, with local and international fans flocking to the tournament's 11 host cities to support their clubs in their pursuit to become the first-ever winner of the highly anticipated competition. The event could help generate up to USD 21.1 billion in global GDP, including USD 9.6 billion in the US. This year's celebration of global club football could also generate USD 17.1 billion in gross output and unlock USD 3.36 billion in social benefits across the US, while supporting the creation of approximately 105,000 jobs there.
The studies aim to capture both tangible and intangible benefits through a structured and comprehensive analysis that includes direct, indirect, and induced contributions, and further demonstrates the commitment of FIFA and the WTO to work together to analyse the economic impact of football and its role in unlocking global and inclusive economic growth.
This is a central feature of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreed to and signed by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and WTO Director-General Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the opening day of the annual WTO Public Forum in September 2022. – www.fifa.com
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After winning the 2002 World Cup with Brazil, the world was Kleberson's oyster.
But one year later an intervention from teammate Ronaldinho proved to be a sliding doors moment in his career.
It might not feel that way with hindsight but Kleberson was a standout at the tournament hosted by Japan and South Korea.
In the final, a 2-0 win over Germany, he hit the crossbar from long range and assisted Ronaldo's second goal.
"He was always the first name on the team list, ahead of players like Ronaldo," said national team boss Luiz Felipe Scolari.
"Kleberson will have no problem adapting to The Premiership."
But just how did his £6.5million move to Old Trafford in 2003 come about?
Well, he was also wanted by Newcastle United, Celtic, and Leeds - it really was a different time.
And Barcelona also wanted in on the Atletico Paranaense star, according to reports.
Clarifying his options with FourFourTwo magazine, he said: “There were two clubs interested in signing me: Manchester United and Leeds.
“It was an easy choice, but there's a funny story about it, too. When [Manchester] United's interest in me was confirmed, I was with the national team in France for the FIFA Confederations Cup.
“I can remember it clearly: I was with Ronaldinho and his brother/agent, Assis. Ronaldinho said, ‘They want to sign both of us' and I said, ‘OK, let's go, then!'”
“I was so glad that he would be coming with me," he added.
"I went back to Brazil and kept negotiating with United, but then Ronaldinho fooled me and went to play in the warm weather at Barcelona! He sent me to Manchester.
"That's a joke between us until today. He knows that he owes me one."
Ronaldinho had looked set to be a replacement for Real Madrid-bound David Beckham that summer, but instead was snared by Barcelona, who wanted to compete with that Galactico signing.
“It almost happened with United," said Ronaldinho. "It was a matter of 48 hours, but [Sandro] Rosell had told me way before I got the offer: 'If I become Barca president, will you come?' I said yes.
"It was only a matter of details with United when Rosell called to say he was going to win the election there. And I had promised to him that I'd play for Barca.”
Without Ronaldinho, Kleberson was joined at his unveiling by a young up-start from Madeira - Cristiano Ronaldo.
And while the spritely winger quickly became a fan favourite as he began his rise to the very top of football, having won five Ballons d'Or, the Brazilian was quickly out of favour.
Indeed it got so bad at one point that Roy Keane's infamous fury was directed at him.
Teammate Eric Djemba-Djemba said: "Keane had a right go at Kleberson. Kleberson looked like he didn't want to play with his body language, and wanted to play slowly.
"I remember one Champions League game at Old Trafford, we went into the dressing room and Roy Keane was screaming at him.
"He said 'You need to wake up! You need to give everything, you need to tackle! Why don't you want to want to play? You just won the World Cup! What's happened? You need to play better!'
"It was definitely scary for Kleberson. He was always smiling, and was still smiling when Keane had a go at him, which would have made Keane even more angry."
And while the Brazilian's career may not have been as he would have wished at Old Trafford, he remains philosophical about his time with the club.
Speaking to the Manchester Evening News back in 2019, Kleberson said: “In my time at United, there was a great team with world-class players. I came with a lot of change in the team, there was five or six new players and the club were losing a couple of good players.
"We came in strong mentally to try and help the team, and of course we were doing well, then the team is doing well; players adapt to this and bring their best performance."
He added: “When the team isn't doing well, it's hard to change your style, I couldn't do it, when I came to Man United I tried to change the player I was, more passes, more aggression, more tackles, but it's too hard and wasn't what my game was about.
“From 17 to 24 years old, I was playing that fluent Brazilian style, to move the ball quickly and receive it in space. At Man United I had tough moments a lot of the time, I got a lot of injuries and struggled a lot.
"It was a difficult time, and when you see a lot of evaluation from your performance at top teams the criticism can be very high, particularly at Man United.”
Kleberson left the Red Devils after 30 appearances for Besiktas in 2005, two seasons after moving to Manchester.
That also ended after just two seasons but this time he made 67 appearances before heading back to Brazil with Flamengo where he won the title in 2009.
He would also have spells at Bahia, Philadelphia Union, Indy Eleven, and Fort Lauderdale Strikers before calling it quits in 2016.
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The official New York New Jersey (NYNJ) Host City poster for FIFA World Cup 2026 is more than just eye candy — it's the first flare in what promises to be a summer of global celebration, seen through a local lens. Designed by New Jersey native and Brooklyn-based artist Rich Tu, the artwork doesn't just represent a region — it pulses with its energy, history, and identity, as we found out when we spoke with Tu recently.
The countdown to the FIFA World Cup 2026 just got its latest major jolt of creative electricity with the reveal of the official host city posters. With anticipation building for the biggest tournament in football history, the New York New Jersey (NYNJ) Host Committee unveiled its official Host City poster — a vibrant, layered, and deeply local piece of art by award-winning artist and creative director Rich Tu. More than just a visual introduction, it's a cultural calling card — a symbol of the energy, identity, and diversity that NYNJ will bring to the global stage.
Designed by someone who's walked both sides of the Hudson, the poster captures what it means to belong to this part of the world. Born in Jersey, now based in Brooklyn, Rich Tu's roots run deep. His work is bold and kinetic, a reflection of the streets that shaped him and the creative communities he now helps foster. This commission isn't just a professional milestone — it's personal.
“Honestly? My first reaction was, ‘Did they send this to the right person?'” Tu laughs when I spoke with him recently. “There's so much history tied to World Cup visuals. Once I got over the initial surprise, we jumped on a call to align on the goals, tone, and how it would fit into the broader FIFA campaign.”
With this edition of the tournament marking the first time FIFA has commissioned city-specific posters, the opportunity was wide open — and uniquely rich. The NYNJ poster is the first of its kind: bold, bright, and full of symbolism. It features the Statue of Liberty holding a football-flamed torch, “NYNJ” integrated into the skyline, and a host of visual Easter eggs — from floral motifs nodding to the Garden State to slices of pizza and dice that tip a hat to Atlantic City.
“The Statue of Liberty sits geographically between both states,” Tu explains. “So it became a perfect anchor. I was raised in Jersey and have lived in New York for nearly 20 years — there's a personal connection there, but also a symbolic one. It's a shared icon.”
That shared spirit was central to the brief — and to the message the poster needed to convey. With the final set to take place in NYNJ, this moment isn't just about hosting. It's about leading. And for Tu, that meant creating a piece that resonated both globally and locally, equally at home on the streets of Newark as it is in Times Square.
“New York and New Jersey are incredibly diverse,” he says. “I wanted to reflect that through energy, vibrancy, and symbolism. The Statue of Liberty — a gift from France, a beacon for immigrants — became the emotional core. It says: this place is for everyone.”
That principle — inclusivity through creativity — runs through Tu's entire body of work. A graduate of Rutgers and the School of Visual Arts, he's co-founder of the COLORFUL Awards, an initiative spotlighting emerging artists from diverse backgrounds. His recent solo exhibit, Human Response, was nominated for a Webby Award. He's worked at Nike, taught at SVA, and helped shape campaigns across sports and culture.
But despite his accolades, this project hits different.
“It's surreal,” he admits. “These posters live on. When people Google ‘World Cup Posters,' this will be part of that canon. And with that comes responsibility. But also — joy. I want this to be part of the fun, the memories, the nostalgia. Something that kids today will remember in 20 years.”
And there's a lot to remember. Every detail in the poster has intention behind it. Orange hues echo the energy of the region's sports teams. Graphic flourishes pull from Tu's Filipino heritage. And cheeky nods to local life — like a slice of New York pizza — give the piece a grounded sense of place.
“I wanted people to keep discovering things,” he says. “It's like a cultural collage. From the Red Bulls to the Knicks, the sports energy here runs deep. I wanted that pulse — the roar of the crowd, the rhythm of the city — to come through.”
As for the design process? Tu kept it old-school: sketchbook first. “Very traditional — pen to paper,” he says. “I started as an illustrator, and I still approach projects through that lens. Finding unexpected connections between elements. That's how the football torch happened — it just clicked.”
Tu's passion for sport is more than surface-level. He credits the 2010 World Cup — Landon Donovan's late goal, that unforgettable surge — as his entry point into football culture. Since then, he's worked across multiple sports, absorbing the energy of competition, community, and creative expression. “Whether it's sports, theater, or design — I love seeing people master their craft,” he says. “That excellence is inspiring.”
And now, he's added his own masterpiece to the world stage. As FIFA continues to roll out host city posters — from Mexico City to Toronto — the friendly creative rivalry is on. But Tu is clear about his intention.
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“I'm a fan of what other cities are doing — especially Toronto's. Beautiful work. But of course, there's a competitive edge to all this,” he says, grinning. “I want my poster to sit up there among the best. Not just for 2026, but across all World Cups.”
At its heart, Rich Tu's poster is more than an image. It's a love letter to the place that raised him, the game that unites us, and the future that's about to unfold on home turf. It's a signal — bright, bold, and unmistakably NYNJ — that this region is ready to welcome the world.
And if this is how the story starts, we can't wait to see what comes next.
You can pick up the NYNJ Poster and all the FIFA World Cup 2026 posters here.
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The veteran of the team. It's not the years, it's the mileage. Some of his greatest achievements include playing (and scoring) at Anfield, Goodison and Camp Nou, and he'll happily talk you through all three (in great detail) over a nice cuppa. Specialises in boots and kits and will happily talk you through them (in great detail) over a nice cuppa – although you might need something stronger...
Flicking attention ahead four years, and the 2026 Men's World Cup host cities and stadiums have officially been announced. With 16 in total, there's 11 venues in U.S., three in Mexico and two in Canada, and we've rounded them up in one place for you to check out.
It may be next year but the hype for World Cup 2026 starts now as FIFA unveil the official host city posters for the tournament. Each piece is a work of art, designed to mirror each city's identity and football culture before bringing the biggest competition in football to their doorstep.
The FIFA Club World Cup 2025 is set to revamp the competition into a truly global event that will bring together the best club sides from across the globe. Here we take a closer look at the intricate detail behind the design of the tournament's new trophy.
The 2019 Women's World Cup might be over, but the legacy of this tournament is a significant one that will live on for a generation. It was a tournament that epitomised growth, none more so than the dominant pairing of the USWNT and Nike, which together, lifted the game into new ground as well as the trophy into the Lyon sky. Here we take a look at some of the stats that explain how the Swoosh reigned supreme in France this summer.
Right then. If you weren't aware, there's a bit of a knees-up going on over in Russia this summer. 32 invitations have been dished out to the big dance, and here's what each invitee will be throwing their shapes in. All 64 kits to appear at the 2018 World Cup, right here on one page. We'll help you rate and slate accordingly...
adidas have officially unveiled the match ball for the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, and it's a beauty. With the tournament fast approaching, this release bolsters the excitement for another summer of football. We can't wait.
Designing 32 World Cup inspired posters is no mean feat. Hitting a sweet spot with each one however, that's a whole new level of creative good. Bringing a graphic design element to the game, illustrator Tom Anders Watkins spent the 32 days leading up to the 2018 tournament designing a bespoke poster for each team taking part. The delivery is as sweet as a JLingz finish.
The 2022 World Cup just got a little bit more real, as FIFA unveiled the emblem for the tournament that's set to be hosted in Qatar. And yep, it's still going to be the first World Cup to be played in November and December. Still struggling with that one…
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Chelsea new boy Estevao Willian won't be available to play for the Blues in this summer's Club World Cup, his agent has claimed. The teenage star is due to join from Palmeiras in the summer, but the switch won't be brought forward.
After qualifying for the Club World Cup via their 2021 Champions League win, Chelsea have been drawn against Esperance, Flamengo and a fourth team which is yet to be confirmed. Original opponents Club Leon have been booted out of the tournament over multi-club ownership concerns, though they have publicly contested the ruling.
Estevao, who turns 18 on Thursday, will join the Blues in a deal worth up to £49million including add-ons. However, agent Andre Cury has confirmed he won't join until after the summer tournament in the United States.
"Yes, he's arriving after the Club World Cup," Cury confirmed to AS. "He's a world-class player. Very good. A guy who's going to make history here."
Cury played down comparisons with Neymar, saying his client has his own style, but backed Estevao to slot right in at his new club. "Afraid of the jump to the Premier League? No, he'll play calmly," he added. "He'll arrive and be ready to play. He's playing very well at Palmeiras."
The Brazilian domestic season operates on a different calendar to that of most European leagues. Palmeiras sit top of the Serie A table after five unbeaten matches, with Estevao setting up Jose Manuel Lopez in a 2-1 win at Fortaleza last time out.
Sao Paulo club Palmeiras will also take part in the upcoming Club World Cup thanks to their 2021 Copa Libertadores success. Their campaign begins against Porto, with their group also including Al-Ahly and Inter Miami.
Back in October, Estevao told The Guardian about the message he received from future team-mate Cole Palmer after agreeing his Chelsea switch. “When I signed for Chelsea, the next day I scored a goal and celebrated like Palmer. His celebration was trend, very popular,” he said.
“We talked on social media, I tagged him on Instagram, he called me a star, I said he's a star too. He said we're going to do a lot of great things together for Chelsea.”
It remains to be seen whether the pair have a chance to take on Champions League opponents next season. A late comeback win at Fulham on Sunday lifted Enzo Maresca's Chelsea back into the qualification spots, only for Nottingham Forest to climb back above them with a win at Tottenham on Monday night.
They still have away games against fellow Champions League contenders Newcastle and Nottingham Forest in May, along with a game at home to champions-elect Liverpool. All these responsibilties have to be fitted around a bid for Conference League glory, with Djurgardens awaiting in this season's semi-finals.
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New York Red Bulls players celebrate after defeating Toronto FC in an MLS soccer match Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Harrison, N.J. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)AP
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At Hudson Regional Hospital in Secaucus, the staff is preparing for the worst-case scenario that could be coming from a few miles away.
Hudson Regional is the closest hospital to MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, where several soccer matches in next summer's World Cup — the biggest sports tournament in the world — are set to be held.
And 15 months out, Dr. Nizar Kifaieh, CEO of the 200-bed facility, said he has had little guidance from New Jersey health officials or event planners.
He is unsure how Hudson Regional fits into the larger plan if there is a disease outbreak or mass casualty event.
The games at MetLife — including the final championship game — will likely attract close to 100,000 people each, including fans, staff and volunteers.
“There hasn't been any proactive process from the state or anybody else in reaching out to us as hospitals in preparation for this huge event that's coming,” Kifaieh told NJ Spotlight News. “What's the first phone call? Does it go to the state? Does it go to some sort of command center that the state puts together?”
World Cup leaders and state officials said they have begun public health planning in advance of the event — in addition to mapping out transportation and accommodation strategies. A national network of communicable disease experts is also working to coordinate prevention, response and mitigation efforts. But the details haven't reached those like Kifaieh.
“It would be great to see what the plan looks like [and] make sure everybody understands it,” Kifaieh said. “God forbid there is a mass casualty event because if there is, there's going be a preparedness issue, and there's going be a capacity issue” when it comes to clinicians and hospital beds, he said.
New Jersey will host eight games next year as part of FIFA's 2026 World Cup, which involves teams from 48 nations competing in 11 American cities — including East Rutherford, home of MetLife, and Philadelphia — and five sites in Canada and Mexico. The final will be played at MetLife on July 19, 2026.
Along with the excitement around the potential economic opportunities from involvement in an event that generates worldwide attention and can add billions in business and revenue for each region, there is growing concern about traffic issues connected with the games.
Health care leaders want to ensure public health is also a priority for those planning for the World Cup.
All large-scale events present opportunities for foodborne illness or the spread of communicable diseases, like COVID-19 and measles, but public health experts underscore the additional risk that comes with hosting an international event that could involve pathogens uncommon or unknown in the U.S.
“Global diseases for a global event,” Dr. Kaitlan Baston, the state health commissioner, reminded lawmakers in a conversation about the World Cup during a recent State House hearing on the state budget.
“Our ability to detect, track and respond to health threats depends on investments we make now. We cannot build this plane as we fly it,” Baston said.
This work is complicated by federal funding cuts to health care, she said, and the Trump administration's decision to withdraw from the World Health Organization, a global organization that monitors disease.
“To protect our residents and guests, we'll need coordination. We'll have to step up laboratory capacity for rapid testing, expand multilingual messaging capabilities, and conduct a whole lot of food safety inspections,” she told lawmakers.
Communicable disease experts are working nationwide to prepare for the tournament, a total of 78 games over nine weeks that can seat 7 million fans, officials involved with the event said, with each game involving thousands of vendors and volunteers. The World Cup in Dubai in 2024 attracted people from 150 countries, they said.
The National Special Pathogen System, a federally funded network of experts designed to protect against new and evolving communicable diseases, held a tabletop exercise in January involving more than 500 people nationwide. Focusing on potential health challenges during the World Cup, participants explored what would happen if there was an outbreak of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, or MERS, a rare but potentially fatal coronavirus first identified in the Arabian Peninsula.
The NSPS's executive director, Shelly Schwedhelm, an emergency management and bioterrorism expert in Nebraska, said the tabletop exercise highlighted several challenges. Work is continuing to ensure there is lab capacity for testing special pathogens that might be detected, something only certain designated testing facilities can do, she said, and to coordinate transportation systems in case infectious patients need to be moved to special care facilities, possibly across state lines.
The tabletop exercise also underscored the importance of effective communication among the multiple federal, state, local and private-sector parties involved, Schwedhelm said. This is magnified by the fact that some teams and fans — many of whom may not speak English — will be traveling between multiple locations, increasing the potential for disease spread.
“Let's just say we have a scenario where we have an entire family in New York City with a confirmed special pathogen. And maybe because of the exposures impacted, we're not just talking about a regional response,” Schwedhelm said, given how the people exposed may have traveled to the match from multiple states.
“Now we've got to think about the bigger picture. We need to quarantine people. We need to move people,” Schwedhelm said, noting that only select hospitals are equipped to care for special-pathogen cases. “Depending on the pathogen, that can be a very big deal,” she said.
In the New York-New Jersey region, the designated facility is Bellevue Hospital in New York City.
Planning meetings for the tournament are taking place within the New York – New Jersey region. The New Jersey State Police is leading the work in this state, and the state Department of Health has also been involved, officials said. A meeting last week included representatives for local public health services. These local services, a network of 100-plus county and municipal offices, are responsible for much of the state's public health duties like tracking disease outbreaks and inspecting food vendors. The New Jersey Hospital Association has also been engaged in planning through the health department.
“Public health preparedness is a key component of our ongoing efforts to ensure a safe and seamless experience for all. Engagement has taken place at all levels of government, and intensive planning efforts are ongoing,” Dr. Matt Steenberg, chief medical officer for the regional host committee, told NJ Spotlight News in an email.
State Police officials called public health preparedness a “core component” of their ongoing planning in advance of the World Cup. The agency has been working with local public health officials, emergency responders and health care systems to build a “unified, resilient response network” to protect everyone involved with the events, Sergeant First Class Charles Marchan told NJ Spotlight News in an email, a process he said is underway and will continue to expand in 2025 and 2026.
“This coordination is vital for building a comprehensive preparedness framework and fostering the trusted partnerships that are critical in large-scale, multi-jurisdictional events,” Marchan said.
“We believe that local expertise is indispensable,” Marchan said. “Public health preparedness isn't just one piece of the puzzle — it's foundational to delivering a safe, secure, and seamless experience.”
Officials with the New Jersey Association of City and County Health Officers, which represents local public health offices, worry that people might get sick eating food from unlicensed vendors.
They fear that fans who are sick will go to the game regardless instead of losing out on a once-in-a-lifetime event they paid hundreds or thousands of dollars to see. And they know any outbreak that results could mean their staff is tasked with tracking down hundreds, perhaps thousands, of other people who may have been exposed at the stadium or on mass transit.
“Wrapped within this are language and cultural concerns, which may make standard processes, like education and contact tracing, that much harder,” the association's president, Linda Brown, said in an email. “The reality is that a lot of agencies and levels of government factor in here.”
Brown, and Kifaieh from Hudson Regional Hospital, also stressed the need for public education around health safety, especially regarding communicable diseases.
Schwedhelm said organizers are discussing screening protocols — possibly using infrared temperature sensors or other technology — at the events, but reminding people to cover their coughs and wash their hands is also important.
“From a communicable disease perspective — infectious disease and preparedness — we're not there,” Kifaieh said. “But look, we can say the same for every other country, right? No country is prepared for the massive introduction of infectious disease, at least not right now.”
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In September of 2024, the U.S. Soccer Federation made waves across the global soccer community when they lured Mauricio Pochettino out of coaching on the club level and hired him to be their new national team manager. With a World Cup in North America on the horizon and the U.S. Men's National Team in need of a refresh, the acquisition seemed to be a perfect match. But following the USMNT's 4th place finish in the 2025 Concacaf Nations League, a tournament that they had never lost, many questions still remain.
One such question pertaining to the national identity of the team's Head Coach was raised by Bruce Arena during the most recent edition of Unfiltered Soccer with Landon Donovan and Tim Howard. “If you look at every national team in the world,” said Arena, “the coach is usually a domestic coach. And I think when you have coaches that don't know our culture, our environment, our players, it's hard.”
Arena, who grew up in New York, coached the U.S. from 1998 to 2006 and then again from 2016 to 2017, leaving the program as its winningest ever manager. He worries that the current regime's unfamiliarity with American soccer will be an obstacle to achieving greater success. “I think when you're a national team coach, you need to know your environment. You need to know the animals you're coaching. And we're lacking that.
“If you're an American coaching the U.S. team, you know the culture, you know the pride and how important the national team is. I think when you bring in somebody from the outside, they don't understand it.”
In addition to his concerns over nationality, Arena also expressed his concern over hiring a coach who has no experience managing on the international level. “Coaching international football is different than club football,” said the current San Jose Earthquakes manager. “It's a completely different job. People ask me all the time, ‘hey, what did you like, this or that? What'd you like better?' I go, ‘they're two different jobs.' They're two different jobs and people don't understand that.”
Pochettino made 20 appearances for Argentina as a player but this assignment with the U.S. is his first national team experience as a coach. With the 2026 World Cup growing closer by the day, it's Arena's hope that Pochettino can learn quickly on the job because results up to this point have raised cause for concern.
“I'm shocked that we can't beat Panama and Canada. It was shocking to me. And I don't want to be disrespectful. I want them to do great in the World Cup. There's no question about it. But we only have a year left now. Time is running out and they got to get going.”
New episodes of “Unfiltered Soccer” drop every Tuesday. Watch on YouTube, or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow the show @UnfilteredSoccer on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and Facebook for bonus content.
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The Club World Cup, scheduled between June and July, has created a stir in the transfer market, leaving many players' participation uncertain due to their current contracts. The case of Estevao Willian was especially complicated, as there was a chance he could play in the tournament wearing either a Chelsea or Palmeiras jersey.
Messinho keeps breaking records before joining Chelsea
Last summer, Chelsea won the race to sign Estevao Willian, better known as ‘Messinho', who was then loaned back to Palmeiras for one more year, with his official move to Europe set to happen once he turns 18. A similar situation occurred with Real Madrid's recent signings from Brazil, such as Vinícius Jr, Rodrygo Goes, and Endrick.
Unlike Kendra Páez, who already left Independiente Del Valle to begin adapting to Europe by training with Strasbourg, Chelsea's plan has always been for Messinho to join the first team for the 2025–2026 season. This makes sense considering his meteoric rise at Palmeiras, where he became the first player born in the 21st century to record 10 goals and 10 assists in the Brasileirão before turning 18.
Messinho will play the Club World Cup with Palmeiras
A regular in Brazil's youth national teams, Messinho is already the sixth-youngest debutant in the country's history, ahead of a legend like Ronaldo. The Club World Cup could have been the perfect moment for him to wear the Chelsea shirt for the first time — especially since he turns 18 this coming April 24. However, his agent André Cury revealed in an interview with Diario AS that he will play the tournament with Palmeiras.
“Yes, he'll arrive after the Club World Cup. He's a world-class player. Very good. A guy who's going to make history here,” said André Cury, although he avoided direct comparisons to Neymar. “He has his own style, but he's a very good player. He has a solid family structure that supports him every day, and that's crucial. He's going to arrive ready to play,” André Cury concluded, referring to Messinho, who will face Bolivar with Palmeiras this coming Thursday in the third round of the Copa Libertadores.
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April 22 – The FIFA World Cup 2026 poster competition has finally wrapped up with all 16 cities proudly displaying the winners of a month's long process to design a poster that reflects their relationship with football and the World Cup.
While many posters have become iconic to die-hard football supporters, the jury is out on the 2026 selection and the artists who have poured their heart and souls, and perhaps a little AI, into their images.
Atlanta
Jose Hadathy was obviously inspired by peaches in his tribute to Georgia's famous fruit featuring Atlanta landmarks. Subtlety wasn't on the menu, but local pride certainly was.
Boston
John Rego's psychedelic Bean Town fever dream looks like SpongeBob met a Thai mushroom omelette. Points for uniqueness, if not coherence.
Dallas
The “Big D,” Dallas features artist, Matt Cliff's vision of a cowboy in full western attire performing an impossible bicycle kick beneath a star-filled Texas sky. Cultural stereotypes combined with acrobatics.
Guadalajara, Mexico City & Monterrey
Cuemanche's trio of mezcal-inspired hallucinations capture Mexico's vibrant energy. The designer clearly found the worm at the bottom of the bottle – three times.
Houston
“Houston, we have a problem.” Stephanie Leal has a Space-themed “problem” that belongs in orbit rather than on Earth. NASA might want to investigate this cosmic football anomaly.
Kansas City
While not the most likely destination for the World Cup, Kansas City artist, Jadie Arnett has demonstrated her fandom by creating a poster that feels a little like a 10-year-old football supporter's scarf untitled “Woven Together.”
Los Angeles
A forgettable sunset over downtown LA that could double as default smartphone wallpaper. The '94 Final host deserved better than this generic Thieb Delaporte-Richard cityscape.
Miami
Pink flamingos from Rubem Robierb, a Brazilian artist who may have never seen actual football. South Beach vibes trump sporting substance.
New York/New Jersey
The city that hosts the final had to incorporate the Statue of Liberty, however, Rich Tu, has avoided any Trumpian wrath by not including the famous saying, “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.”
Philadelphia
Nick McClintock blends pinball meets football in a chaotic design. Balls bounce everywhere like a soccer-themed arcade game gone haywire.
San Francisco
Artistic protest reflecting the city's annoyance at hosting matches outside city limits. Passive-aggressive design at its fines by artist, LeRoid David who has seemingly produced a protest piece.
Seattle
I think that Shogo Ota, may have confused football with water polo. This waterlogged confusion feels more suitable for swimming competitions. Hemingway meets soccer in all the wrong ways. or perhaps he was channeling ‘Old Man and the Sea'. Either way he missed the mark.
Toronto
FIFA had an official explanation for David Murray's design…
“The dynamic design emphasises the magnitude of the FIFA World Cup, its impact worldwide and soccer's incredible potential for growth not only in Toronto but across the (greater Toronto area), Ontario and Canada. The grid behind the player represents our city streets and lines on a pitch, as well as the idea of a quilt to symbolise the collection of diverse people and neighbourhoods that come together to make our city special.”
Vancouver
Local artist, Jamin Zuroski, has gone minimalist to the point of suspicion. Either profoundly simple or simply unfinished – you decide.
Sixteen cities, sixteen posters, and it'll be interesting to see how history judges them.
Contact the writer of this story, Nick Webster, at moc.l1745319184labto1745319184ofdlr1745319184owred1745319184isni@1745319184retsb1745319184ew.kc1745319184in1745319184
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While there is indeed a significant part of the season yet to be played, the writing is on the wall for Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.
The manager has not been up to the mark this season and has missed on several levels from the team's tactical approach to the results on the field. In the end, the brunt of the responsibility for Real Madrid's failures has been seen as his doing.
Ancelotti may be sacked from his position as early as next week but may also stay at the helm until the end of the season. After all, any managerial target is difficult to sign mid-season, especially the likes of Xabi Alonso who is already in a current managerial position.
As revealed by The Athletic in a recent report, Alonso is the top target for Real Madrid and the club is willing to bestow their faith in the Spaniard who won both the UEFA Champions League and La Liga during his time as a player.
There is, however, a sense of urgency over the appointment of Ancelotti's successor and Real Madrid want to sort out all details at the earliest.
The unsaid deadline is to complete talks and officially announce the new coach before the start of the FIFA Club World Cup on June 14.
As relayed yesterday, the current schedule places Alonso's possible arrival only towards early July, after the completion of the novel competition but nothing can be ruled out.
There will, however, be no major complications in his appointment given that Bayer Leverkusen are open to negotiating through a special clause in his contract.
For Real Madrid, the earlier he arrives, the better and they will look to wrap up the formalities soon.
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Real Madrid will be determined to keep their title hopes alive as they take on Getafe on Wednesday.
Speaking ahead of this important encounter, Getafe and former Real Madrid forward, Borja Mayoral, talked about his former club as well as Carlo Ancelotti.
Amid widespread speculation over Ancelotti's future at Real Madrid, Mayoral notably backed the Italian.
When asked whether or not he understands the criticism surrounding Ancelotti, Mayoral said (h/t MARCA), “There will always be criticism. At Real Madrid, when the results don't go well, there is criticism. On the one hand, I understand them and on the other hand, I don't.”
The former Wolfsburg striker went on to praise Ancelotti for his achievements at Real Madrid.
“That's what we spoke about with Getafe. I understand the criticism that has been directed at us because of the last few games, but we have to look at everything in the long term.
“Everything that Ancelotti has done for Real Madrid and what he has done for Real Madrid in recent years. We have to give credit to Ancelotti for what he has done at Real Madrid in recent years,” he said.
A product of the Real Madrid youth academy, Mayoral had featured in 33 competitive matches for Los Blancos during his time in the first-team, before he eventually joined Getafe in 2022.
As a former player, Mayoral was asked whether or not he believed in the club's ability to turn things around against Arsenal.
“I was confident in Real Madrid's capabilities, and they showed that, even though they knew it would be very difficult. It was more difficult than our match against Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain because it was a very big result.
“But it is true that we know what Real Madrid is capable of in the Champions League. I have been convinced by that fact,” he replied.
As for the upcoming game against Real Madrid, Mayoral said, “It's a special match, difficult like most matches. There are no easy matches in La Liga anymore.”
Finally, the Spaniard listed out what he expects from Los Blancos despite their poor momentum heading into this encounter.
“They are in a bad state after the defeat to Arsenal. They may not get the wins they want or need in the league, but we know the potential Real Madrid have.
“Real Madrid are always a difficult team, they have players with great potential. It's a difficult match, like any other, but we will try to deal with it in the best way possible. We are preparing well, and we hope we can win,” he concluded.
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Updated on April 22, 2025
By Dante Gonzalez
Sergio Ramos has already made an impact in Liga MX following his arrival at CF Monterrey, but the team has fallen short of expectations in the first half of the season. Amid growing speculation surrounding head coach Martin Demichelis' future, reports suggest Ramos could reunite with a former Real Madrid manager ahead of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.
Ramos joined Monterrey after the season had already started and has helped the team to a solid 6-2-1 record across nine appearances. However, an early exit from the CONCACAF Champions Cup at the hands of the Vancouver Whitecaps and a 7th-place finish in the Clausura standings have put pressure on the club and its coaching staff.
Now set to compete in the Liga MX play-in round to keep their Clausura title hopes alive, Monterrey may be preparing for a coaching change. Following reports of internal tension, including a reported conflict with team star Sergio Canales, Demichelis' status appears increasingly uncertain—especially with the Club World Cup approaching.
According to multiple Mexican outlets, Demichelis is expected to step down once Monterrey concludes its Clausura campaign, and the club is eyeing Julen Lopetegui as his replacement. Recently dismissed by West Ham United, Lopetegui is said to be open to the move and could take over in time to prepare for the Club World Cup.
Lopetegui previously coached Ramos with the Spanish national team from 2016 to 2018 and had a brief stint with him at Real Madrid in 2018, though he was let go after just 14 matches due to poor results. Now unattached, the two could reunite in Mexico to lead Monterrey on a global stage.
see also
The reason Vinicius Jr. didn't end up at Barcelona and ultimately joined Real Madrid
Martin Demichelis is navigating a turbulent period at Monterrey, particularly in light of the growing speculation about his future. Following the team's 2–0 victory over Club Leon, the Argentine coach addressed the rumors head-on in his post-match press conference.
“Where are these rumors coming from? They're just rumors, and I'm not going to worry about rumors. There are tons of rumors in the world, and honestly, if it doesn't concern me—if it's something external and beyond my reach—then no,” Demichelis stated.
He went on to emphasize his commitment to the club and players despite the noise: “Life is today. I'm very happy where I am, giving my all to the club and the players. You've seen we've played some important matches… I don't live off rumors, I live off facts, and anything hypothetical doesn't help me—I don't get caught up in that kind of stuff.”
Monterrey will face Pachuca in the Liga MX play-in round after finishing 7th in the regular-season standings. While the team remains in contention for the 2025 Clausura title, multiple reports suggest Demichelis is expected to part ways with the club at the end of the tournament—regardless of the outcome.
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West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui will reportedly be given more time to turn things around at the club. The Hammers fell to 15th in the Premier League table following a 4-1 loss to Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend. The demoralizing defeat was particularly frustrating because they took an early lead in the game. Nevertheless, the […]
West Ham is in the USA for its schedule of preseason friendlies, and it is doing so with a lavish bus with an over-the-top showpiece. West Ham posted a video of this bus cruising through the streets of Tampa, FL, on Monday afternoon. Immediately following the video, questions surfaced regarding how legitimate the bus is. […]
N'Golo Kante returned to the world's stage at Euro 2024 following his move from Premier League giant Chelsea to the Saudi Pro League. Al-Ittihad has taken Kante's name out of much of the discussion of top soccer competition. However, his dominating performances in the middle of the field with France showed the world what it […]
Manchester City receive Aston Villa in a Matchday 34 clash of the 2024/2025 Premier League campaign. Here's everything you need to know, including kickoff details and where to catch the action on TV and through streaming platforms.
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Coach Diego Burato named his 14-player roster for the 2025 Concacaf W Futsal Championship (April 28-May 4 in Guatemala City) from which the two finalists will qualify for the inaugural FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup (Nov. 21-Dec. 7 in the Philippines.)
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Jelena Ostapenko is in superb form ahead of the French Open, having just won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart.
Ostapenko beat Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek en route to the title; the former in the final and the latter in the quarter-finals.
Those wins from Ostapenko came either side of a semi-final success over Ekaterina Alexandrova, after she beat Dayana Yastremska and Emma Navarro early on at the event.
The Latvian has now climbed six places to 18th in the WTA Tour rankings after winning the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
After the final, Ostapenko spoke highly of Sabalenka, who has remained in top spot, with Swiatek also retaining her position as world number two.
All three players now turn their focus to the Madrid Open, hoping to build momentum towards next month's French Open.
And Ostapenko's chances of success in Paris have now been rated by former professionals John Isner and Steve Johnson.
READ MORE: John Isner picks the men's tennis tournament which the WTA ‘would love to have' on their schedule as well
Speaking on the Nothing Major Show, Isner said of the 2017 champion: “I am going to say unequivocally no. No offence to her.
“Because Stuttgart was indoors and I think the way she hits the ball, she hits it so flat, I just think those indoor clay conditions suited her well.
“Now she has won the French Open before, I just think it's a different animal going up there and especially trying to take that title and maybe face Iga again. I would like to see that rematch at the French Open.
“That would be very interesting if she could take out Iga at a tournament she has really dominated over the last couple of years. I still think there are five or six players easily who have a better chance of winning than her.”
Ostapenko remarkably took her head-to-head record with Swiatek to 6-0, but the Pole is very much the player to beat at the French Open.
She has emerged victorious at Roland Garros in four of the last five years, which includes three successive wins since 2022.
READ MORE: What French Open organisers have planned for Rafael Nadal at this year's tournament
But Johnson is slightly more optimistic in his Ostapenko verdict, saying: “I think the conditions for her. As long as it's a hot and warm French Open in a couple of weeks, I think she has a chance.
“But other than that, if it's cold Swiatek is going to be the overwhelming favourite once again and I think there is going to be a few after her – Sabalenka, Coco [Gauff], Jess [Pegula], Emma Navarro. So I think she is down the pecking order on that one but if it's hot I think she has a chance for sure.”
The ATP Mutua Madrid Open is a historic Masters tournament played on the clay courts in Madrid, Spain. First-round action will begin on Day 1, and multiple Spanish players will be in action. As always, we at LWOT will offer predictions for every match on the slate. But who will advance?
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Camilo Ugo Carabelli has played at a high level this year, especially on clay and is sitting on his career high ranking of 59. This will be his first main draw appearance at the Madrid Masters, and he will hope to make a winning start. However, Madrid's courts don't play like usual clay courts due to the high altitude, which can affect Carabelli's rhythm. These courts should suit Christopher O'Connell's game style as he likes pace on the ball. The Australian player lost a close match to Luciano Darderi last week in Munich and will look to bounce back from that defeat. This should be a close contest, but I am going with O'Connell.
Prediction: O'Connell in 3
Head-to-Head: first meeting
Despite being played on his home soil, Pedro Martinez has never won a match at the Madrid Masters. His failures must have been influenced by the fact that the conditions here are different from those found in a typical clay court tournament. However, he would back himself to get his first win here against Francisco Comesana, who will play the main draw for the first time. Martinez will have the crowd support, and that should help him play his best tennis.
Prediction: Martinez in 3
Head-to-Head: Bautista Agut 2-1 Munar
Roberto Bautista Agut will make his 11th appearance in the main draw of the Madrid Masters, and the crowd will be cheering for him with all their heart. He is not at his best anymore, but should be motivated to perform in front of so much support. Statistically, clay has been the least successful surface for Bautista Agut and Jaume Munar, who played some great tennis this season, would be the favourite heading into this match. Munar's younger legs and aggression should give him the edge in rallies. In the battle of Spaniards, I am favouring the younger one to win.
Prediction: Munar in 3
Main Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
The 23rd edition of the Madrid Masters begins at La Caja Magica, featuring a host of matches on the cards, promising an exciting day for
The WTA Mutua Madrid Open marks the first WTA 1000 event on clay this season, bringing together a strong field of contenders. Madrid's high altitude
Naomi Osaka reached the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 in Madrid in 2019, but hasn't progressed past the second round since. She's starting this year's
ATP Masters 1000 Madrid 1/64-Finals Comesana – Martinez: Time TBA H2H: first meeting Francisco Comesana has won four of his last five matches. Last week
Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner are predicted to be the two of the players to lead the ATP Tour over the coming decade.
Sinner is currently banned from tennis, but is now into the final month of his suspension as he looks to return in May.
The Italian Open will be where the world number one returns, and Sinner has already trained with Jack Draper in a bid to prepare from this.
While Sinner has been absent from the ATP Tour, Alcaraz has won the Monte Carlo Masters and reached the final of the Barcelona Open.
With Sinner being unable to compete since winning the Australian Open title back in January, it has enabled Alcaraz to climb to the top of the race to the ATP Finals so far in 2025.
As the anticipation rises ahead of Sinner's scheduled return next month, former US Open champion Marin Cilic was asked by Punto de Break who he prefers to watch out of the world number one and Alcaraz.
Seemingly without any hesitation, Cilic chose Alcaraz and was asked to elaborate on why he prefers the Spaniard.
“I like his style better, an aggressive player, very athletic and with impressive creativity,” explained Cilic.
While Sinner may have been at the top of the ATP rankings for longer, it is Alcaraz who has the higher calibre achievements at just 21-years-old with four Grand Slam titles to his name.
Alcaraz also has the advantage in the head-to-head against Sinner and was the only player last year to beat the Italian more than once.
While Alcaraz has already achieved so much at a young age, there have been some concerns about his consistency.
These were recently raised when Alcaraz lost to David Goffin at the Miami Open, before he returned to the clay court season in style.
However, Cilic admitted that he does not have these concerns for Alcaraz, claiming that he does not need to win every tournament to prove his talent.
“Not at all,” said Cilic. “It's all down to his always-so-creative play. Players this aggressive always opt for maximum speed; it feels similar to driving an F1 car.
“They don't need to win every race, but I find it incredibly difficult to show that creativity playing at that speed. For Carlos, having that style of play is both a gift and a curse.”
Cilic continued his Formula One analogy further, suggesting that his consistency will develop over time if he continues the way that he is.
“When you watch him play, it's as if he needs to be constantly creating something new,” added Cilic. “He's the complete opposite of that driver who always drives safely and makes sure he finishes second or third.
“That type knows when to slow down, it makes it easier, but creative players like Carlos are different. When you watch him play, it's impressive, so I'm not worried at all; he'll continue to develop appropriately.”
Next up on the schedule for Alcaraz is the Madrid Open, where he is a two-time champion.
However, there have been some concerns for Alcaraz after he revealed that he would undergo a scan ahead of his home Masters 1000 tournament, as he appeared to be hampered in his Barcelona Open final defeat against Holger Rune.
A question about Stefanos Tsitsipas' favourite colour turned into an entire wedding discussion with partner Paula Badosa on Monday on the red carpet for the Laureus World Sports Awards.
“White is my favourite colour. That's also why I like Wimbledon,” Tsitsipas said as both the Greek and his partner wore white outfits.
“Maybe a Greek colour. It's very Greek vibes,” Badosa added.
“It's a Greek colour, Greek wedding.”
Is there a Mediterranean wedding on the cards? 👀💍@steftsitsipas @paulabadosa pic.twitter.com/cLow7VLUC9
The ATP Media reporter on the red carpet asked the tennis stars, who are not yet engaged, if they would get married in Greece.
“We're still trying to figure it out,” Tsitsipas said.
“We're competing, like Spain, Greece, Spain, Greece. But Greece has my heart,” Badosa replied.
For now, they will focus on tennis and this week's Mutua Madrid Open. Tsitsipas, the No. 18 player in the PIF ATP Rankings, will begin his tournament against Jan-Lennard Struff or a qualifier/lucky loser.
More off-court news from Madrid:
Alcaraz, Nadal, Djokovic & Tsitsipas attend star-studded Laureus Awards
Nadal honoured with Laureus Sporting Icon Award
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Also, Jelena Ostapenko is back in the Top 20 and Holger Rune is back in the Top 10 after 500-level triumphs.ByJohn BerkokPublished Apr 22, 2025 copy_link
Published Apr 22, 2025
Three weeks ago, after winning Miami, Aryna Sabalenka increased her lead at No. 1 past 3,000 ranking points for the first time, to 3,071.And this week, after reaching her fifth final of the year in Stuttgart, Sabalenka keeps growing that lead—not only did she improve her performance at the WTA 500 indoor clay-court event compared to last year, when she was a quarterfinalist, but Swiatek went from being a semifinalist last year to a quarterfinalist this year.With that, Sabalenka's lead at No. 1 is now at a new personal best of 3,385 ranking points—she has 10,768 points, and Swiatek has 7,383.It's the biggest ranking point lead for a No. 1 on the WTA rankings since Wimbledon last year, the weeks of July 1st and 8th, 2024, when then-No. 1 Swiatek had a 3,642-point lead over then-No. 2 Coco Gauff, 11,585 to 7,943 (Sabalenka was ranked No. 3 at the time).
And this week, after reaching her fifth final of the year in Stuttgart, Sabalenka keeps growing that lead—not only did she improve her performance at the WTA 500 indoor clay-court event compared to last year, when she was a quarterfinalist, but Swiatek went from being a semifinalist last year to a quarterfinalist this year.With that, Sabalenka's lead at No. 1 is now at a new personal best of 3,385 ranking points—she has 10,768 points, and Swiatek has 7,383.It's the biggest ranking point lead for a No. 1 on the WTA rankings since Wimbledon last year, the weeks of July 1st and 8th, 2024, when then-No. 1 Swiatek had a 3,642-point lead over then-No. 2 Coco Gauff, 11,585 to 7,943 (Sabalenka was ranked No. 3 at the time).
With that, Sabalenka's lead at No. 1 is now at a new personal best of 3,385 ranking points—she has 10,768 points, and Swiatek has 7,383.It's the biggest ranking point lead for a No. 1 on the WTA rankings since Wimbledon last year, the weeks of July 1st and 8th, 2024, when then-No. 1 Swiatek had a 3,642-point lead over then-No. 2 Coco Gauff, 11,585 to 7,943 (Sabalenka was ranked No. 3 at the time).
It's the biggest ranking point lead for a No. 1 on the WTA rankings since Wimbledon last year, the weeks of July 1st and 8th, 2024, when then-No. 1 Swiatek had a 3,642-point lead over then-No. 2 Coco Gauff, 11,585 to 7,943 (Sabalenka was ranked No. 3 at the time).
Sabalenka has already reached five finals this year, winning Brisbane and Miami and finishing runner-up at the Australian Open, Indian Wells and now Stuttgart.© 2025 Robert Prange
© 2025 Robert Prange
And the gap could widen even more during the rest of the clay-court season, as Swiatek is defending more than twice as many ranking points over the course of Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros.Swiatek earned the maximum possible 4,000 points for winning those three tournaments last year—1,000 points for each of the WTA 1000 triumphs, then 2,000 points for conquering Roland Garros.Sabalenka is defending 1,730 points in that stretch—650 for reaching the final of Madrid (where she fell to Swiatek), 650 for reaching the final of Rome (where she fell to Swiatek again) and 430 for reaching the quarterfinals of Roland Garros (where she fell to Mirra Andreeva).Watch this space for all of the upcoming WTA No. 1 updates.Meanwhile, the woman who defeated Sabalenka in the Stuttgart final, Jelena Ostapenko, jumps from No. 24 to No. 18 on the WTA rankings, her first time in the Top 20 in more than three months, since she was No. 17 the week before the Australian Open in January.She dropped out of the Top 20 after falling in the second round of the WTA 500 event in Adelaide, where she was the defending champion, and even fell as low as No. 37 in February before starting her climb back towards the upper echelon. She's a former world No. 5.
Swiatek earned the maximum possible 4,000 points for winning those three tournaments last year—1,000 points for each of the WTA 1000 triumphs, then 2,000 points for conquering Roland Garros.Sabalenka is defending 1,730 points in that stretch—650 for reaching the final of Madrid (where she fell to Swiatek), 650 for reaching the final of Rome (where she fell to Swiatek again) and 430 for reaching the quarterfinals of Roland Garros (where she fell to Mirra Andreeva).Watch this space for all of the upcoming WTA No. 1 updates.Meanwhile, the woman who defeated Sabalenka in the Stuttgart final, Jelena Ostapenko, jumps from No. 24 to No. 18 on the WTA rankings, her first time in the Top 20 in more than three months, since she was No. 17 the week before the Australian Open in January.She dropped out of the Top 20 after falling in the second round of the WTA 500 event in Adelaide, where she was the defending champion, and even fell as low as No. 37 in February before starting her climb back towards the upper echelon. She's a former world No. 5.
Sabalenka is defending 1,730 points in that stretch—650 for reaching the final of Madrid (where she fell to Swiatek), 650 for reaching the final of Rome (where she fell to Swiatek again) and 430 for reaching the quarterfinals of Roland Garros (where she fell to Mirra Andreeva).Watch this space for all of the upcoming WTA No. 1 updates.Meanwhile, the woman who defeated Sabalenka in the Stuttgart final, Jelena Ostapenko, jumps from No. 24 to No. 18 on the WTA rankings, her first time in the Top 20 in more than three months, since she was No. 17 the week before the Australian Open in January.She dropped out of the Top 20 after falling in the second round of the WTA 500 event in Adelaide, where she was the defending champion, and even fell as low as No. 37 in February before starting her climb back towards the upper echelon. She's a former world No. 5.
Watch this space for all of the upcoming WTA No. 1 updates.Meanwhile, the woman who defeated Sabalenka in the Stuttgart final, Jelena Ostapenko, jumps from No. 24 to No. 18 on the WTA rankings, her first time in the Top 20 in more than three months, since she was No. 17 the week before the Australian Open in January.She dropped out of the Top 20 after falling in the second round of the WTA 500 event in Adelaide, where she was the defending champion, and even fell as low as No. 37 in February before starting her climb back towards the upper echelon. She's a former world No. 5.
Meanwhile, the woman who defeated Sabalenka in the Stuttgart final, Jelena Ostapenko, jumps from No. 24 to No. 18 on the WTA rankings, her first time in the Top 20 in more than three months, since she was No. 17 the week before the Australian Open in January.She dropped out of the Top 20 after falling in the second round of the WTA 500 event in Adelaide, where she was the defending champion, and even fell as low as No. 37 in February before starting her climb back towards the upper echelon. She's a former world No. 5.
She dropped out of the Top 20 after falling in the second round of the WTA 500 event in Adelaide, where she was the defending champion, and even fell as low as No. 37 in February before starting her climb back towards the upper echelon. She's a former world No. 5.
Ostapenko in her new whip 🤭🏎️#PorscheTennis pic.twitter.com/XZdJ7NBLQX
There are notable moves on the ATP rankings, too, including Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev flip-flopping at No. 2 and No. 3 for the second week in a row—last week Alcaraz went from No. 3 to No. 2 after winning Monte Carlo, bumping Zverev from No. 2 to No.3, but this week Zverev rises back to No. 2 after winning Munich, while Alcaraz dips back to No. 3 after falling in the Barcelona final.And the man who defeated Alcaraz for the Barcelona title, Holger Rune, makes a welcome return to the Top 10, rising from No. 13 to No. 9, his first time in the elite since the week of April 8th, 2024.Though he was ranked outside of the Top 10 for just over a year, he never strayed too far—he was still in the Top 15 almost the entire time, except for a handful of weeks at No. 16 and No. 17 last summer.The 21-year-old Dane is a former world No. 4, spending six weeks at that career-high between late August and early October in 2023.
And the man who defeated Alcaraz for the Barcelona title, Holger Rune, makes a welcome return to the Top 10, rising from No. 13 to No. 9, his first time in the elite since the week of April 8th, 2024.Though he was ranked outside of the Top 10 for just over a year, he never strayed too far—he was still in the Top 15 almost the entire time, except for a handful of weeks at No. 16 and No. 17 last summer.The 21-year-old Dane is a former world No. 4, spending six weeks at that career-high between late August and early October in 2023.
Though he was ranked outside of the Top 10 for just over a year, he never strayed too far—he was still in the Top 15 almost the entire time, except for a handful of weeks at No. 16 and No. 17 last summer.The 21-year-old Dane is a former world No. 4, spending six weeks at that career-high between late August and early October in 2023.
The 21-year-old Dane is a former world No. 4, spending six weeks at that career-high between late August and early October in 2023.
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Tennis legend Andre Agassi will make his professional pickleball debut at the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships next week, alongside one of the best players to pick up a paddle. Anna Leigh Waters, who has won 148 Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) titles, or golds, is known across her sport as the greatest women's player of all time — at 18 years old.
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Waters, who is world No. 1 in women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles and who turned professional aged 12, will team up with 54-year-old Agassi, the eight-time Grand Slam champion in tennis, for the mixed doubles event at the tournament, which begins April 26 in Naples, Fla.
Agassi and Waters are expected to play their first match together April 30, which will be shown live on CBS Sports Network. Agassi's final professional tennis match, which he lost to Germany's Benjamin Becker at the 2006 U.S. Open, was 19 years ago.
In a recent video interview, Waters said that her motivation for partnering with Agassi — who is invested in pickleball but is not best known for it — is to try to grow the sport. His explanation was rather different.
“It was very apparent that Anna Leigh was very tired of winning. She wanted to add a little spice to her life and make it quite the difficult challenge,” Agassi said.
“She's right up there with the greatest ever in what she does and the idea of challenging myself to not screw things up for her is daunting.”
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the United States. An estimated 48.3 million adults dinked, hit and volleyed a small polymer ball over a 34-inch net between 2022 and 2023, according to the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP). The ease with which anyone can play to a reasonable level is one of its biggest selling points — and also ammunition against its seriousness as a sport.
And though he hasn't competed professionally, Agassi has played high-level exhibition events, including four billed as ‘Pickleball Slams' against other tennis luminaries. In the most recent iteration two months ago in Las Vegas, Agassi teamed up with 22-time Grand Slam champion (and his wife of almost 25 years) Steffi Graf against Wimbledon finalist turned pro pickleballer Eugenie Bouchard and former men's world No. 1 Andy Roddick.
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Agassi, Graf and their two children say they took up pickleball during the height of Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, and have played ever since. Agassi and Graf are now brand ambassadors for Joola, a pickleball and table tennis company.
Waters is on a rather different level. With equal prize money on the pickleball tours, Waters is currently the highest earner across men and women, with Ben Johns considered the best men's player of all time. She cites female trailblazers Serena Williams and Simone Biles as two of her idols.
She and her mother, Leigh, were introduced to the sport by Anna Leigh's grandfather on the same day. Both have since turned professional — and Waters senior is now Anna Leigh's coach and occasional doubles partner.
A contemporary and big fan of Agassi and Graf, Leigh Waters was overcome with excitement when her daughter made the call to ask about teaming up. Anna Leigh said she had nerves of her own while asking Agassi to play, and said that her subsequent practices with Agassi in Florida have been more of a “pinch me” moment than some of her other link-ups, which include playing with Olympian Michael Phelps, actor Jamie Foxx, boxer Sugar Ray Leonard and golfers Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth.
As well as being a hugely popular sport among the general public, pickleball's ease of adoption (and growth profile for investment) has brought it a celebrity fanbase. Casual players include Bill Gates and Leonardo DiCaprio, while NFL and NBA legends Tom Brady and LeBron James have invested in professional teams. Roddick will feature alongside Ben Stiller in a pickleball comedy film called “The Dink.”
But it's Waters' journey to this point that is more significant for the place of pickleball in the world of racket sports. She played soccer as well as tennis before turning to pickleball.
“Honestly, I didn't fall in love with tennis like I fell in love with pickleball. When I'd go play a tennis tournament, I felt that the girls and their parents were a little too… I don't want to say mean, but super intense, at such a young age. And in south Florida, it's super competitive in tennis,” Waters said.
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The Nick Bollettieri (now IMG) and Chris Evert academies in the region have long made the area America's tennis hotbed, with Grand Slam champions Coco Gauff, Madison Keys and Agassi himself all training in the area from a young age. Gauff grew up in Delray Beach after moving from Atlanta, while Agassi moved when he was 13; Danielle Collins grew up in the area in St. Petersburg, while Ben Shelton played college tennis at the University of Florida before turning pro.
“It was a little much for me because I was just playing tennis because I loved it,” Waters said.
“And then I started playing tournaments and I'm like, ‘I don't really think this is for me.'
I went and played my first pickleball tournament and I had so much fun … I was good at it and I was having fun so as a 10- or 11-year-old you want to do what you know is fun — and I was able to do it with my mom so that was even more special.”
Pickleball has long been seen as a poorer relation to tennis, largely an on-ramp or off-ramp to and from the real deal. Agassi himself is very clear that “tennis demands the most of any racket sport — mentally emotionally, physically.” In a recent interview with The Athletic, he called tennis the “Mount Everest” of racket sports.
“Anna Leigh probably experienced at a very young age, just how daunting tennis is and how lonely it can be out there against somebody that far away from you on the court, yet you're so connected to,” he said.
Waters says she does receive some snobbishness about pickleball's standing compared to tennis, but like Agassi, she thinks the two can complement one another. The conflict between the two sports often centers on tennis courts being repurposed into multiple pickleball courts.
“While tennis is growing, it's much less expensive to repaint a tennis court into two pickleball courts than to build new ones from scratch,” the United States Tennis Association (USTA) chief executive Lew Sherr told The Athletic in February.
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“That's where you tend to see some conflict on the professional side of the sport.”
For Agassi, the partnership between him and Waters, and the friendship they've developed, is evidence of the social benefits of playing pickleball, which he believes is one of its biggest selling points.
“I don't know if this says more about me than I care to admit, but through pickleball, my wife and I are actually making friends and that's not an easy thing to do at this stage of life,” he said.
They've already practiced a bit together in Florida ahead of the Championships, and part of Waters' role has been reassuring Agassi that he's good enough to compete.
“I was like, ‘Andre, you're insane at pickleball. Stop doubting yourself. You're so good,'” she said. As the far more experienced pickleball player, Waters has taken the lead on things like strategy and opposition analysis. Both she and Agassi are naturally aggressive players in their respective sports, and Waters says that broadly the approach will be “grip it and rip it.” This is in line with a shift towards more aggressive play — speeding up, as it is known in pickleball — away from the more conservative, long rallies involving short, angled shots called dinks.
Agassi, meanwhile, has been imparting some of the wisdom he's acquired over the last five decades, while trying to adapt to his new sport.
“I have no barometer for where to direct my blood pressure on a pickleball court,” Agassi said. “In tennis, I know that very well. So it'll be challenging to perceive and understand my role and stick to it in its clarity of purpose, but I look forward to the challenge.
“I'm hoping that we can get so comfortable together even before we start that Anna Leigh understands that I process information really fast and, if there's something I need to be doing or there's something I'm doing that I shouldn't be doing, I'm good with being told, ‘Get your head back in it.'”
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“Yeah, you've been in a big moment once or twice before,” Waters said, smiling.
Agassi's presence will undoubtedly be a major boost for the U.S. Open, which already typically hosts around 50,000 people and will be broadcast this year on CBS Sports Network and the Pickleball Channel. The big challenge for pickleball is turning it from a booming participation sport into one that's similarly popular with spectators. Tennis has occasionally had the reverse problem.
Whether or not Waters and other young, popular athletes choosing pickleball over tennis and other mainstream sports will lead to a meaningful demographic shift in the years to come, it has certainly become a viable profession. More and more tennis players are switching to pickleball in retirement — former world No. 8 Jack Sock and one-time world No. 38 Donald Young are among them. For Waters, who was homeschooled from the third grade, she's decided to eschew college for now to focus on her playing career in a sport that's becoming increasingly global: The tennis Australian Open this year hosted the “AO Pickleball Slam.”
Sherr said that there won't be any pickleball events at tennis' U.S. Open anytime soon, but the sport's growth means that Waters estimates that she plays in around 25 tournaments a year, and her success has made her one of the few stars of the sport who did not come from tennis.
For now, though, her focus is on the U.S. Open and her partnership with one of the most gifted people who ever picked up any racket. Going into their first match, Waters will be “hyping Andre up.” For him, the sense of opportunity will outweigh any nerves.
“When was the last time you did something for the first time?” Agassi asked.
“That gets really rare and sort of further apart as you get older. And so it feels exciting for me to stretch my skin and put myself in an area that I can honestly say is slightly uncomfortable (…) But not so uncomfortable.”
(Top photo: Handout)
Charlie Eccleshare is a tennis writer for The Athletic, having previously covered soccer as the Tottenham Hotspur correspondent for five years. He joined in 2019 after five years writing about football and tennis at The Telegraph. Follow Charlie on Twitter @CDEccleshare
From commentating matches to hosting Tennis Channel's new VIP Tennis Lounge, the former world No. 1 is learning about her sport from new angles.ByStephanie LivaudaisPublished Apr 22, 2025 copy_link
Published Apr 22, 2025
© Matt Fitzgerald
MIAMI—As Garbiñe Muguruza looked out over the warm-up area at Hard Rock Stadium, watching dozens of players and their teams prepare for the Miami Open, a thought ran through her mind:“I don't miss that at all!” she tells TENNIS.com, laughing as we sit in an air-conditioned suite.The Spaniard announced her retirement from professional tennis almost a year ago this week, ending an “indefinite hiatus” that had kept her away from the tour since January 2023. No longer driven by the week-in, week-out grind of the WTA calendar—and with her attention shifting to family—Muguruza hung up her racquets at 30 years old, leaving behind a career that included two Grand Slam titles.Read More: In a tennis career akin to a comet, Garbiñe Muguruza built a style all her own
“I don't miss that at all!” she tells TENNIS.com, laughing as we sit in an air-conditioned suite.The Spaniard announced her retirement from professional tennis almost a year ago this week, ending an “indefinite hiatus” that had kept her away from the tour since January 2023. No longer driven by the week-in, week-out grind of the WTA calendar—and with her attention shifting to family—Muguruza hung up her racquets at 30 years old, leaving behind a career that included two Grand Slam titles.Read More: In a tennis career akin to a comet, Garbiñe Muguruza built a style all her own
The Spaniard announced her retirement from professional tennis almost a year ago this week, ending an “indefinite hiatus” that had kept her away from the tour since January 2023. No longer driven by the week-in, week-out grind of the WTA calendar—and with her attention shifting to family—Muguruza hung up her racquets at 30 years old, leaving behind a career that included two Grand Slam titles.Read More: In a tennis career akin to a comet, Garbiñe Muguruza built a style all her own
Read More: In a tennis career akin to a comet, Garbiñe Muguruza built a style all her own
But unlike her hiatus, which saw Muguruza dive into hobbies like Zumba, travel and just about anything that didn't involve tennis, the next chapter of her life seems to be bringing her full circle.“At the beginning, I never thought that I was going to come back here so quickly,” Muguruza admits. “I was like, ‘Okay, I'm retiring. Bye everybody!' But only for a little bit, you know? Like, I don't want to see a tennis ball for maybe three, four years.“But then, I don't know. I think that tennis wants me back! And this—it's what I know. It's a part of me; it's in my heart. So I'm happy to be here again.”
“At the beginning, I never thought that I was going to come back here so quickly,” Muguruza admits. “I was like, ‘Okay, I'm retiring. Bye everybody!' But only for a little bit, you know? Like, I don't want to see a tennis ball for maybe three, four years.“But then, I don't know. I think that tennis wants me back! And this—it's what I know. It's a part of me; it's in my heart. So I'm happy to be here again.”
“But then, I don't know. I think that tennis wants me back! And this—it's what I know. It's a part of me; it's in my heart. So I'm happy to be here again.”
Muguruza interviews Carlos Alcaraz for Tennis Channel's VIP Tennis Lounge.© Matt Fitzgerald
© Matt Fitzgerald
In some ways, it's like she never left. The former world No. 1 has remained plugged into her sport, but from a different angle. In Miami, she was in town to try her hand as host of Tennis Channel's new VIP Tennis Lounge series. Muguruza brought her bubbly personality, in both English and Spanish, as she interviewed one-time rivals, rising stars—and even her former coach, Spanish great Conchita Martínez.The series follows her recent stints doing TV commentary during Indian Wells, as well as her role as tournament director of the WTA Finals in Riyadh.“Everything I do, I feel like I'm the rookie everywhere! So even if it's a familiar environment, it's a new role for me that I love so far,” she says.“I love seeing familiar faces and being a part of the tournaments—but in a different way. Being here with Tennis Channel, doing interviews, getting to talk to the players… this is my new job now, and I feel like it's all a learning process.”
The series follows her recent stints doing TV commentary during Indian Wells, as well as her role as tournament director of the WTA Finals in Riyadh.“Everything I do, I feel like I'm the rookie everywhere! So even if it's a familiar environment, it's a new role for me that I love so far,” she says.“I love seeing familiar faces and being a part of the tournaments—but in a different way. Being here with Tennis Channel, doing interviews, getting to talk to the players… this is my new job now, and I feel like it's all a learning process.”
“Everything I do, I feel like I'm the rookie everywhere! So even if it's a familiar environment, it's a new role for me that I love so far,” she says.“I love seeing familiar faces and being a part of the tournaments—but in a different way. Being here with Tennis Channel, doing interviews, getting to talk to the players… this is my new job now, and I feel like it's all a learning process.”
“I love seeing familiar faces and being a part of the tournaments—but in a different way. Being here with Tennis Channel, doing interviews, getting to talk to the players… this is my new job now, and I feel like it's all a learning process.”
“At the beginning, I never thought that I was going to come back here so quickly... But then, I don't know. I think that tennis wants me back!"© Instagram @garbimuguruza
© Instagram @garbimuguruza
Born in Venezuela and raised in Spain, the 31-year-old newlywed currently lives in Switzerland with her husband, Arthur Borges, and their pug, Gordi. She still hasn't played tennis “seriously” since calling time on her career, save for a few kids' clinics. But according to social media, her days are filled with travel, work with the Laureus Foundation and physical pursuits such as padel and skiing. That's no surprise for a player who once summited Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, as a way to unwind during the 2019 off-season.For the two-time Grand Slam champion, what has come as a surprise is her growing interest in the media and operations side of the sport. She's far from the first tennis-player-turned-TV-commentator, but she approaches the role with the same focused intensity she once reserved for big finals.“I keep up so much with the tennis world now because I'm commenting, and I want to be on top of things,” she says. “I want to be prepared. I want to see who's winning and who's losing—I want to know everything.“It's entertaining to do it from home, and then once in a while come and visit the tournaments.”This—it's what I know. It's a part of me; it's in my heart. So I'm happy to be here again. Garbine Muguruza
For the two-time Grand Slam champion, what has come as a surprise is her growing interest in the media and operations side of the sport. She's far from the first tennis-player-turned-TV-commentator, but she approaches the role with the same focused intensity she once reserved for big finals.“I keep up so much with the tennis world now because I'm commenting, and I want to be on top of things,” she says. “I want to be prepared. I want to see who's winning and who's losing—I want to know everything.“It's entertaining to do it from home, and then once in a while come and visit the tournaments.”This—it's what I know. It's a part of me; it's in my heart. So I'm happy to be here again. Garbine Muguruza
“I keep up so much with the tennis world now because I'm commenting, and I want to be on top of things,” she says. “I want to be prepared. I want to see who's winning and who's losing—I want to know everything.“It's entertaining to do it from home, and then once in a while come and visit the tournaments.”This—it's what I know. It's a part of me; it's in my heart. So I'm happy to be here again. Garbine Muguruza
“It's entertaining to do it from home, and then once in a while come and visit the tournaments.”This—it's what I know. It's a part of me; it's in my heart. So I'm happy to be here again. Garbine Muguruza
This—it's what I know. It's a part of me; it's in my heart. So I'm happy to be here again. Garbine Muguruza
Muguruza with pug Gordi in Geneva, and hitting the slopes in Gstaad.© Instagram @garbimuguruza
© Instagram @garbimuguruza
Staying in the loop means Muguruza has also followed the growing discontent among players regarding the systems that govern tennis—from debates about the calendar, to litigation against the tours, and demands for more prize money from the Grand Slams.Muguruza got a firsthand look at the business side of tennis during her time as tournament director for last year's WTA Finals. The 2021 champion saw just how much work goes into making an event happen, and believes active players would also benefit from understanding that perspective.“It's insane—the amount of work, the number of people, all the teamwork you need to put every piece together,” she explains. “Just the investment of money, time, effort, attention to detail…“Obviously, when I was a player, I didn't know any of that. We arrive when everything is already built, everything looks pretty, the fridges are full of drinks. And I expect that—we almost take it for granted that it will be there."Read More: Billie Jean King says tennis stars need to learn the business—not just play
Muguruza got a firsthand look at the business side of tennis during her time as tournament director for last year's WTA Finals. The 2021 champion saw just how much work goes into making an event happen, and believes active players would also benefit from understanding that perspective.“It's insane—the amount of work, the number of people, all the teamwork you need to put every piece together,” she explains. “Just the investment of money, time, effort, attention to detail…“Obviously, when I was a player, I didn't know any of that. We arrive when everything is already built, everything looks pretty, the fridges are full of drinks. And I expect that—we almost take it for granted that it will be there."Read More: Billie Jean King says tennis stars need to learn the business—not just play
“It's insane—the amount of work, the number of people, all the teamwork you need to put every piece together,” she explains. “Just the investment of money, time, effort, attention to detail…“Obviously, when I was a player, I didn't know any of that. We arrive when everything is already built, everything looks pretty, the fridges are full of drinks. And I expect that—we almost take it for granted that it will be there."Read More: Billie Jean King says tennis stars need to learn the business—not just play
“Obviously, when I was a player, I didn't know any of that. We arrive when everything is already built, everything looks pretty, the fridges are full of drinks. And I expect that—we almost take it for granted that it will be there."Read More: Billie Jean King says tennis stars need to learn the business—not just play
Read More: Billie Jean King says tennis stars need to learn the business—not just play
Muguruza got a firsthand look at the business side of tennis during her time as tournament director for last year's WTA Finals.© 2024 Robert Prange
© 2024 Robert Prange
“I wish I knew more when I was a player about this whole side of things," she added. "But also, you're in your own world. When you have to focus, you don't care about other stuff. It's normal. I was the same. But it's just interesting, and very important to learn all of these things.”On Monday, Muguruza stepped out in Madrid to attend the Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony, reuniting once again with major figures in tennis and sports. She shared snapshots with Carlos Alcaraz, Lindsey Vonn, Simone Biles and more on social media.One year earlier, in that same place, the Spaniard had waved goodbye to tennis for good. Though her playing days may indeed be over, Muguruza is now proving that her power in tennis was never limited to the court.
On Monday, Muguruza stepped out in Madrid to attend the Laureus World Sports Awards ceremony, reuniting once again with major figures in tennis and sports. She shared snapshots with Carlos Alcaraz, Lindsey Vonn, Simone Biles and more on social media.One year earlier, in that same place, the Spaniard had waved goodbye to tennis for good. Though her playing days may indeed be over, Muguruza is now proving that her power in tennis was never limited to the court.
One year earlier, in that same place, the Spaniard had waved goodbye to tennis for good. Though her playing days may indeed be over, Muguruza is now proving that her power in tennis was never limited to the court.
Jannik Sinner is closing in on a return to competitive tennis, having been banned from competing for three months after the Australian Open.
Sinner has practised with Jack Draper as he steps up his preparations for his return, which is set to arrive at the Italian Open.
Italian star Sinner triumphed at the Australian Open earlier this season before being handed a three-month doping ban.
But he has maintained his position at the top of the ATP rankings throughout the period, with Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz failing to take advantage of his absence.
The duo have instead battled it out for the second and third spots, with Zverev now in front after winning the BMW Open.
And as per La Gazzetta dello Sport, Sinner has just started his 46th successive week as number one in the rankings.
That is the same feat Rafael Nadal achieved when he became world number one for the first time in his career.
READ MORE: What Rafael Nadal told Carlos Alcaraz immediately after his Barcelona Open final loss to Holger Rune
The Spanish superstar, who retired in November, ousted another legend in Roger Federer, who holds the record of 237 weeks.
A post shared by La Gazzetta dello Sport (@gazzettadellosport)
Nadal doesn't miss tennis since retiring, but it is clear that Sinner is chomping at the bit to get back to action.
But he is perhaps focusing on his fitness and winning matches as opposed to the ATP Tour rankings at this moment in time.
READ MORE: What French Open organisers have planned for Rafael Nadal at this year's tournament
However, there are certainly more icons to follow, with Sinner currently fifth for players with the longest spells as number one for the first time.
Fittingly, immediate success is very much a possibility given that he will be making his return on home soil.
The Italian fans are certain to give the player a hero's welcome, with Sinner certainly able to achieve success on clay.
Only one of his 19 ATP Tour titles have, however, come on the surface, while all three of his Grand Slam titles have arrived on hard courts.
The Spaniard won the title last year and is in good form on clay again
Though the “old guard” of men's tennis, in the form of legends like Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, is coming to an end, the future of the game looks in safe hands with the likes of Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz and the popular young talent is the favourite to succeed at the upcoming French Open.
The 21-year-old triumphed at Roland Garros in 2024, already has four Grand Slams to his name and is very much the man to beat in the French capital. It took a five-set marathon for Alcaraz to see off Alexander Zverev last year, and you can be sure that the Murcia-born sensation will be primed and ready to take the crown in early June.
Alcaraz leads the betting for the tournament, and fans who want to back him to go all the way again can do so with the help of this amazing BetMGM promo code, which will help make the wager even more potentially profitable.
Carlos Alcaraz is +100 to win the tournament with the likes of Jannik Sinner next at +200, as far as a potential longshot, Novak Djokovic can be picked up at a very tempting +450. The veteran performer is by no means a clay-court specialist, but we are, after all, talking about one of the best players of all time, who made the final again last year.
The 37-year-old Serbian has won the French Open on three occasions, in 2016, 2021 and 2023, with those successes coming against Andy Murray, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud, respectively.
Djokovic is looking to claim his 100th title but was disappointed with his own display as he crashed out of the Monte Carlo Masters to Alejandro Tabilo, 6-3, 6-4, commenting afterwards: “It was actually more like the worst day (at the office). “I was hoping it was not going to happen, but it was quite a high probability I'm going to play this way. Just horrible. Horrible feeling to play this way, and just sorry for all the people that have to witness this.
Meanwhile, Alcaraz is in good form, despite seemingly unfair criticism being leveled at his coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero. Comment on Ferrero led to Andy Roddick defending him, the American stating: “Do you guys remember the crazy times before the Big Three when players didn't make the finals every week?”
“Yeah, we kind of have to reset expectations, and one of [Paul] Annacone's former charges, Pete Sampras, as great as he was, winner of 14 majors, six year-end No 1s — he would lose third round sometimes. He just would. He would win one or two majors a year instead of three.
“We have to reset expectations, right? Carlos Alcaraz already has more majors than Andy Murray; he's halfway towards icons like [Jimmy] Connors, [Andre] Agassi. It's just absurd what he's done. We need to reset a little bit, and anyone calling for a coaching change doesn't know anything about coaching,” Roddick concluded.
The 2025 French Open begins at the revered Stade Roland Garros on May 25th, with the men's final taking place on Sunday, June 8th.
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Tennis - ATP Masters 1000 - Monte Carlo Masters - Monte Carlo Country Club, Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, France - April 12, 2025 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz reacts during his semi final match against Spain's Alejandro Davidovich Fokina REUTERS/Manon Cruz
Spanish tennis prodigy Carlos Alcaraz is facing a pivotal moment in his career as concerns rise over his health and schedule leading up to Roland Garros. The young star, who recently captured the Monte Carlo Masters title, is now under scrutiny as he battles a muscle injury in his right leg.
Former World No. 2 Alex Corretja has issued a stern warning to Alcaraz, urging him to prioritize rest and recovery over risky scheduling decisions. Corretja emphasized the importance of maintaining peak physical condition for the upcoming clay season, with Roland Garros being the ultimate goal.
Alcaraz, a two-time champion at the Madrid Open, is now contemplating his participation in the tournament as experts caution him against exacerbating his injury. The Spaniard's recent grueling schedule, which saw him play ten matches in just 12 days, has raised red flags about his physical well-being.
During the Barcelona Open finals, Alcaraz visibly struggled with a muscular problem, leading to a decline in his performance and an eventual loss to opponent Holger Rune. With an MRI scheduled to assess the extent of his adductor muscle injury, Alcaraz faces a critical decision regarding his upcoming competitions.
Despite his recent setbacks, Alcaraz's achievements on the court have been nothing short of remarkable. The 21-year-old tennis sensation has notched impressive victories, including defeating the likes of Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic in clay court tournaments.
As Alcaraz navigates the challenges of professional tennis, the tennis world watches with bated breath to see how he will overcome this latest obstacle. With his sights set on Roland Garros and a legacy in the making, Alcaraz stands at a crossroads that could shape the trajectory of his promising career.
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Dominic Thiem has claimed that facing Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz is just as tough as contending with legends Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in their prime. The Austrian, whose career ended prematurely in 2024 due to injuries, confessed that stepping down from the sport wasn't part of his initial game plan - although he surprisingly "doesn't miss tennis much" now.
The ex-US Open champion praised the current crop of tennis talent, drawing parallels between the fresh-faced stars and the game's icons.
Thiem admits that winning in 2025 seems more daunting than when he lifted the US Open trophy in 2020, and even states that talents like Sinner and Alcaraz present challenges on par with legends like Djokovic and Federer.
The 31-year-old said: "Today it's even harder than five years ago. To do it today, you have to beat Sinner or Alcaraz, if not both. Both are as difficult to beat as Djokovic and Federer were in their day."
The remarkable legacies of Djokovic, Federer, and Rafael Nadal - known as the Big Three - will live long in the memory of any tennis fan.
Their collective wins include a staggering 66 Grand Slam titles, marking an era where they dominated from the early 2000s right up until a few years back.
Since then, Nadal and Federer have retired from professional tennis, with Federer hanging up his racket in 2022 and the Spaniard following suit in 2024. Meanwhile, Djokovic is still competing at a high level in tennis, having recently won his first Olympic medal at the 2024 Paris Games.
In contrast, Sinner and Alcaraz appeared on the professional tennis scene in the late 2010s and have become significant threats on the ATP Tour and in major tournaments.
Since his 2018 debut, Italian star Sinner has claimed the US and Australian Open titles, and back-to-back Davis Cup wins in 2023 and 2024.
Alcaraz has triumphed at the French Open, US Open, and Wimbledon, leaving him one Australian Open victory shy of achieving a complete set of Grand Slam singles titles. The 21-year-old also reached the Olympic final last year, only to be defeated by seasoned veteran Djokovic.
Thiem commended both tennis stars for their exceptional court skills but noted that they aren't currently the only strong opponents in the sport.
He added: "Now we have Sinner and Alcaraz. If they're not injured or out for some other reason, you usually have to beat one or both of them, and that's incredibly difficult.
"There are also some other really good players, like Taylor Fritz, when he plays at a really high level, like at the US Open. Winning a Grand Slam hasn't become any easier compared to five or ten years ago."
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2025 Madrid
WTA Staff
One month after stunning Iga Swiatek in the Miami quarterfinals, Alexandra Eala will get another shot at the World No. 2 in the Mutua Madrid Open second round. The Filipina wild card set up the rematch with a 6-3, 6-2 defeat of Viktoriya Tomova in 1 hour and 16 minutes to open Day 1 play.
Madrid: Draws | Scores | Order of play | Tournament info
Eala's breakthrough run to the Miami semifinals, which also featured wins over Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys, catapulted her into the Top 100 for the first time, and she's now at a career high of No. 72. Her 6-2, 7-5 defeat of Swiatek -- just the Pole's third loss at tour level to a player ranked outside the Top 100 -- was a seismic upset, so it's no wonder all eyes are on a sequel so soon.
Eala, who repeatedly cited "professionalism" in Miami as a key to her success, has already moved on and wiped the slate clean.
"Now that the dust has settled, I try not to think about Miami so much," she said after defeating Tomova. "Personally, of course it comes to mind when everyone's asking -- but in my mind, I have my whole life to look back at those moments and I'll always have those memories. But the tour goes on, competition goes on, so right now I'm fully focused on Madrid."
The 19-year-old is playing her second tournament since Miami -- as top seed in last week's Oeiras WTA 125, she fell in the second round to Panna Udvardy. However, against Tomova she shrugged off that loss to deliver a performance of high-intensity aggression, firing 27 winners to her opponent's seven and converting six of her nine break point chances, to win her Madrid opener for the second year running.
Defending champion Swiatek is also seeking to shake off recent form as the 2025 clay swing kicks into high gear. She fell in last week's Stuttgart quarterfinals to eventual winner Jelena Ostapenko -- her sixth loss to the Latvian in six meetings -- and has not reached a final since Roland Garros last year. Avenging her Miami defeat at the hands of Eala on her preferred clay surface would be an important first step in Madrid.
Eala, for one, is not expecting a similar dynamic.
"I definitely think that each match is a different story," she said. "Even if it's against the same player every time -- doesn't matter if I play her at the same time next year in Miami or in Madrid next year, it's going to be a different story than the last one."
Source: Xinhua
Editor: huaxia
2025-04-22 15:47:15
After a turbulent start to the season, Alexander Zverev celebrates his 28th birthday with a long-awaited title in Munich, a return to world No. 2, and renewed hope ahead of the French Open.
by Oliver Trust
BERLIN, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Bold promises often follow victory, and for Alexander Zverev, his triumph at the ATP 500 Munich Open on his 28th birthday felt like more than just another tournament win.
Dressed in traditional Bavarian leather pants, the German lifted the trophy in front of an adoring home crowd that serenaded him with a heartfelt rendition of "Happy Birthday". The title marked his 24th career win and ended a frustrating run of early exits that had marred the start of his 2025 season.
Zverev's struggles this year included a humbling loss to world No. 1 Jannik Sinner in the Australian Open final, followed by a string of disappointing performances that left him questioning his form.
"For several months, I've tried to understand, but I haven't got a clue what's wrong," he admitted. "It has been a hard time for me."
But Sunday's victory seemed to lift the clouds. Zverev, visibly emotional and relieved, declared to fans, "We have ten more years ahead."
Among those applauding from the stands was Bayern Munich's Thomas Muller, as Zverev celebrated a week that not only brought him a long-awaited title but also pushed him up to world No. 2 in the rankings. He now holds a narrow 35-point edge over Carlos Alcaraz, who lost the final in Barcelona.
"I am so happy about this win," Zverev said. "It's a perfect week."
The Olympic gold medalist said he was looking forward to two days off with family and friends when the news of his ranking promotion arrived. The victory also rekindled his hopes heading into the clay-court season, with upcoming events in Madrid and Rome before the French Open in late May.
"I don't want to talk about the past months, that's behind me," he said. "This birthday could hardly be happier."
Zverev's form had become a topic of national conversation, with media and analysts weighing in on his recent slide. Tennis legend and former Novak Djokovic coach Boris Becker even appeared at Zverev's training sessions, sparking speculation about a possible coaching partnership.
"We have a close relationship, but if there is news, I will tell you right away," Zverev said when asked about Becker's involvement.
The Hamburg native expressed confidence that he can build momentum heading into Roland Garros. "I can't have forgotten about tennis since the Australian Open," he said. "I want to carry the emotions from Munich into the next weeks."
Among his birthday gifts was a chocolate cake presented by tournament director Patrik Kuhnen - a sweet reminder of a week Zverev hopes will mark a turning point in his season. ■
By Rosy Cordero
Associate Editor, TV
EXCLUSIVE: Christopher Gorham (Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage, Ugly Betty) and Michele Weaver (Love Is, Briarpatch) have joined the cast of CBS‘ Fire Country spinoff series Sheriff Country, led by Morena Baccarin.
CBS ordered Sheriff Country to series for the 2025-26 broadcast season. The series is produced by CBS Studios, as is the mothership series.
Sheriff Country follows straight-shooting sheriff Mickey Fox (Baccarin), the stepsister of Cal Fire's division chief Sharon Leone (Diane Farr of Fire Country), who investigates criminal activity as she patrols the streets of small-town Edgewater while contending with her ex-con father and a mysterious incident involving her wayward daughter.
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In series regular roles, Gorham will star as Travis, a lawyer and Sheriff Mickey Fox's ex-husband. Together, they have a daughter, Skye, whom they've helped through addiction struggles. Despite their many differences, Travis and Mickey might still harbor feelings for each other.
Watch on Deadline
Weaver will star as Cassidy, a deputy in the Edgewater County Sheriff's Office who was inspired by Mickey to join law enforcement. Cassidy places Mickey on a pedestal but must now figure out what kind of deputy she wants to be.
The series also stars W. Earl Brown as Wes, an off-the-grid marijuana grower, Sheriff Mickey Fox's father, and stepfather of Sharon Leone. Wes lives a semi-reclusive life in the mountains of Edgewater, allowing only a select few to know the location of his marijuana grow operation. This illegal business creates tension with his daughter, Mickey, the local sheriff.
Sheriff Country‘s initial episode is being written by Tony Phelan and Joan Rater, with story by Phelan, Rater, and Max Thieriot. Executive producers are showrunner Matt Lopez, Max Thieriot, Tony Phelan, Joan Rater, Jerry Bruckheimer, and KristieAnne Reed for JBTV.
Gorham recently returned to CBS to recur on the Chuck Lorre hit comedy Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage as ‘Scott,' the boss and ex-boyfriend of Emily Osment's character Mandy. Up next, he stars in the upcoming Korean Disney+ and Hulu series Tempest alongside John Cho, Alicia Hannah-Kim and Jacob Bertrand. Gorham previously starred in two Netflix originals – Season 1 of the chart-topping drama The Lincoln Lawyer, as well as Insatiable, though is perhaps best known for USA Network spy series Covert Affairs in which he starred opposite Piper Perabo, and his portrayal of Henry Grubstick in Ugly Betty opposite America Ferrera. He is repped by Verve and Thruline Entertainment.
Weaver is best known for playing the leading role in OWN's romantic drama series, Love Is. Following this, she was featured as Rosario Dawson's sister in Sam Esmail's USA Network series Briarpatch, and Netflix's anthology series Dolly Parton's Heartstrings. Weaver starred opposite Kevin Hart on BET's Real Husbands of Hollywood and NBC's Council of Dads. On the feature side, she can be seen in the thriller Nighthawks opposite Chace Crawford. She starred in Illicit with Vivica A. Fox and David Ramsey. She most recently guest-starred on the MAX hit show The Pitt and appeared in Ahsoka as Lieutenant Callahan. She is repped by Gersh Agency and Luber Roklin Entertainment.
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By Nellie Andreeva
Co-Editor-in-Chief, TV
CBS has opted not to proceed with the proposed Equalizer spinoff starring Titus Welliver, Deadline has learned. The project had flown largely under the radar, with the final decision made after the planted spinoff episode of The Equalizer, guest starring Welliver and co-lead Juani Feliz, aired this past Sunday, April 20, I hear.
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Your Complete Guide to Pilots and Straight-to-Series orders
That leaves bubble drama The Equalizer, starring and executive produced by Queen Latifah, as the only remaining CBS scripted title — pilot or series — yet to learn its fate for next season. As Deadline reported, there is still chance for the series to snag a pickup for what could be a 13-episode sixth and final season. Its odds are considered 50-50 but the fact that talks with producing studio Universal Television are continuing is a promising sign.
CBS swiftly canceled the studio's two FBI spinoffs, Most Wanted and International, a month and a half ago.
As usual, finances are believed to be part of the conversation. Word is that Queen Latifah had agreed to concessions that could help the series' renewal odds.
The Equalizer offshoot was the last 2025 CBS pilot whose future had not been determined. The network this season had ordered three drama and three comedy pilots — stand-alone or planted spinoffs — with three making it to series: standalone drama pilot Einstein starring Matthew Gray Gubler, the FBI companion CIA (working title) and stand-alone comedy pilot DMV. In addition to the Equalizer offshoot, as previously reported by Deadline, not moving forward are stand-alone comedy pilot Zarna and the proposed spinoff from veteran comedy The Neighborhood.
A reimagining of the classic series, The Equalizer stars Queen Latifah as Robyn McCall, an enigmatic woman with a mysterious background who uses her extensive skills as a former CIA operative to help those with nowhere else to turn.
Welliver played Hudson Reed, a former top CIA operative with a dark secret who is connected to Robyn by an old mentor. Feliz played Samantha Reed, who has been trained by her father to be a weapons expert, skilled martial artist and true chameleon all while hiding a mysterious past.
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By Rosy Cordero
Associate Editor, TV
Greg Kinnear (As Good As It Gets, Little Miss Sunshine), Aidy Bryant (SNL, Shrill), and Shay Rudolph (The Baby-Sitters Club, Lethal Weapon) are among 10 actors joining the cast of the Disney+ pilot Holes, based on Louis Sachar's 1998 book, from Disney Branded Television.
Rounding out the cast are Flor Delis Alicea (Love the Skin You're In), Anire Kim Amoda (The Penguin), Noah Cottrell (The Spiderwick Chronicles), Iesha Daniels, Sophie Dieterlen, Alexandra Doke (City on Fire), and Maeve Press (Everything's Gonna Be Okay).
Written by Alina Mankin with Liz Phang as showrunner, Holes follows Hayley (Rudolph), a teenage girl sent to a detention camp where the ruthless Warden (Kinnear) forces the campers to dig holes for a mysterious purpose.
Watch on Deadline
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A breakdown of the characters and who plays them can be found below.
Kinnear plays The Warden, the boss at Camp Yucca, with a flair for manipulation and getting the upper hand on his campers. He has created a camp ideology to explain the virtue of having girls dig holes, but this is actually a ruse; he is really forcing the girls to labor for a mysterious purpose.
Bryant plays Sissy, who is overflowing with camp counselor energy. She seems like a trustworthy big sister figure to the girls, but as a true believer of The Warden's philosophy, her allegiance lies with him.
Rudolph plays Hayley, who arrives at Camp Yucca after being wrongly accused. She's full of heart and tired of her family's belief that fate is fixed; her arrival will inject new hope and optimism into her campmates.
Alicea plays Queenie, the tough queen bee, a seemingly fearless leader whose hard edges cover up her vulnerability.
Amoda plays Thumbelina, who is bold and not scared of anything or anyone, not even The Warden.
Cottrell plays Kitch, who works in the kitchen at Camp Yucca. He is a stickler for the rules, but we'll soon learn there is secret, deeper reason he's intent on maintaining his job.
Daniels plays Mars, a brainy, charismatic, no-nonsense, and a bit of a player among the queer female campers.
Dieterlen plays Sticky, an ever-daydreaming girly-girl with a kind heart and an abiding passion for clothes, but she can be serious and driven when needed.
Doke plays Eyeball, a mischievous, zany artist who sees the world in her own idiosyncratic way and often lightens a heavy mood with a joke.
Press plays Shrimp, the youngest and smallest of the campers, and her unusual, blunt nature makes her an outcast amongst the girls.
Sachar's novel was previously adapted into a motion picture in 2003, directed by Andrew Davis and starring Shia LaBeouf, Sigourney Weaver, and Jon Voight.
Phang and Mankin executive produce with Drew Goddard and Sarah Esberg of Goddard Textiles; the movie's producer, Mike Medavoy; rights holder Walden Media, which was behind the 2003 feature, with Julia Friley overseeing the project for the company; Shamrock, also a rights holder; and Jac Schaeffer, who also will direct. Andrea Massaro of Goddard Textiles co-executive produces. 20th Television, where Goddard is under a first-look deal, is the studio.
Kinnear is repped by CAA and attorney Rick Genow; Bryant is repped by CAA, Entertainment 360, and Schreck Rose Dapello; Rudolph is repped by The Osbrink Agency, Artistic Endeavors, and Schreck Rose Dapello; Alicea is repped by CESD and Justice & Ponder; Amoda is repped by Buchwald and Circle Management + Production; Cottrell is repped by Innovative Artists and Goodman Genow Schenkman; Daniels is repped by Artist International Group and Innovative Artists; Dieterlen is repped by 11:11 Entertainment and Duval Mac; Doke is repped by The Savage Agency, Vault Entertainment and Myman Greenspan Fox; Press is repped by Avalon Management and Brecheen Feldman Breimer.
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By
Nikki McCann Ramirez
The International Monetary Fund warned on Tuesday that the global economy is set to enter a “new era” marked by “significantly” slower economic growth caused by tariff chaos and uncertainty brought about by President Donald Trump.
“The global economic system under which most countries have operated for the last 80 years is being reset, ushering the world into a new era,” the financial agency wrote in a blog post. The IMF noted the flurry of tariffs Trump has levied or threatened against hundreds of countries and major trade partners.
“The resulting epistemic uncertainty and policy unpredictability is a major driver of the economic outlook. If sustained, this abrupt increase in tariffs and attendant uncertainty will significantly slow global growth,” the IMF wrote. The agency reported that when tariffs were factored into their World Economic Outlook (WEO) models, global growth forecasts decline “to 2.8 percent and 3 percent this year and next, a cumulative downgrade of about 0.8 percentage point relative to our January 2025 WEO update.”
The agency added that “some countries may confront steeper trade-offs between inflation and output. In others, inflation expectations may become less-well anchored, with a new inflation shock following closely after the prior one.”
Without the tariffs Trump announced in April, the IMF forecasted that “global growth would have seen only a modest cumulative downgrade of 0.2 percentage point, to 3.2 percent for 2025 and 2026.”
The International Monetary Fund is not the only major financial institution warning that the Trump tariff regime will have serious consequences for the international and local economies.
On Monday, the Institute of International Finance predicted that a “shallow recession” would soon hit the United States. Apollo Global Management's Chief Economist Torsten Sløk wrote on Saturday that “there is now a 90% chance of what can be called a Voluntary Trade Reset Recession (‘VTRR')” in the United States.
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“Implementing extremely high tariffs overnight hurts many businesses; particularly small businesses because the tariff must be paid by the business when the imported goods arrive in the US. Small businesses that have for decades relied on a stable US system will have to adjust immediately and do not have the working capital to pay tariffs. Expect ships to sit offshore, orders to be canceled, and well-run generational retailers to file for bankruptcy,” Sløk wrote.
American companies are already feeling the sting. On Friday, Mack Trucks — one of the largest employers in Pennsylvania — announced it would be laying off hundreds of employees as global demand for their product decreased. Volvo has also announced that it may lay off up to 800 employees at facilities throughout the United States as they assess the impact of the current and future tariff regime. DHL Express has suspended any deliveries to the U.S. worth over $800.
Goldman Sachs estimated in a report published this week that Trump's tariffs would hurt employment five times more than it would help, with the firm figuring a broad, 10-percent increase in import taxes would create 100,000 manufacturing jobs — but kill 500,000. “The high costs of new tariffs threaten investment, jobs, supply chains and, in turn, America's ability to outcompete other nations,” the National Association of Manufacturers said in a statement in early April, according to Axios.
All the while, the massive trade deals Trump promised after he paused some of the tariffs as the markets cratered have yet to manifest. The president seems to be in talks with plenty of world leaders, but outside of scattered, individualized investments by major international corporations looking to escape the wave of taxation, negotiations with major trade partners have produced little.
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Negotiations with Japan seem to have outright collapsed, despite Trump's claim that “big progress” was being made. On Tuesday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that he had “spoken to Prime Minister of Israel, Bibi Netanyahu, relative to numerous subjects including Trade, Iran, etc. The call went very well — We are on the same side of every issue.”
Netanyahu — who is governing Israel under the shadow of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court — doesn't seem to be on the same page as Trump about their respective nations' trade policies, given that he left White House negotiations earlier this month with no agreement in place.
Dozens of other deals are pending, but the United States' main economic competitor — China — has issued a warning to other nations cautioning them against “appeasement” towards the Trump administration.
“China firmly opposes any party reaching a deal at the expense of China's interests. If this happens, China will never accept it and will resolutely take countermeasures,” a spokesperson for the Chinese Commerce Ministry said on Monday.
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The Trump administration is currently implementing a 145-percent tariff rate on Chinese goods, which account for around 16 percent of all U.S. imports. China has in turn retaliated with a tariff rate of 125 percent against the United States. The nation has vowed that they will not bow to the “bullying” of the American president, and will keep up the economic war as long as necessary.
Bloomberg reported on Tuesday that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a closed-door investor summit that he expects the trade standoff with China to de-escalate — but given the past month of bluster, it's hard to trust anything the Trump administration says about tariffs or the economy.
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Now that they're all grown up, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver's children have begun to make a name for themselves in the world, apart from their famous parents.
Katherine has published four books, is an animal rights advocate, a mother of three, and is married to Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt. Christina has served as a founding member of the Special Olympics Founder's Council and is an editor and producer. Patrick is an actor whose risque turn in the hit series The White Lotus catapulted him into people's living rooms.
Christopher, the youngest, graduated from the University of Michigan in 2020. While he has mainly stayed out of the spotlight, several recent appearances on social media have shown him looking incredibly fit and trim. See the transformation below.
A post shared by Entertainment Tonight (@entertainmenttonight)
Christopher was spotted arriving at West Hollywood's Restoration Hardware restaurant on Easter Sunday, accompanied by Patrick and his fiancée, Abby Champion. The trio met up with Christina, Katherine, and her husband, Chris, but the siblings' parents were missing, according to Page Six.
Christopher arrived wearing khakis and a navy blue shirt, carrying a Chick-fil-A cup. He looked unbelievable. Compared to an Instagram photo of him as a college graduate taken five years ago, he appears to be a different person.
A post shared by Page Six (@pagesix)
He also appeared recently in an Instagram photo Katherine posted on April 10, showing her and her siblings.
A post shared by Katherine Schwarzenegger (@katherineschwarzenegger)
While he is not in the public eye as much as the rest of his family, Christopher has been quietly building a name for himself in film and television behind the scenes. He also works as an Associate Producer and the Director of Development for Indus Valley Media. He also serves as the Vice Chair of the Special Olympics Founder's Council.
While Christopher's weight loss may seem sudden, it's the result of years of progress and dedication to a healthier lifestyle. In 2021, Arnold posted a photo collage of Christopher, and it was clear that he had already begun his journey.
“Happy birthday Christopher!” Arnold wrote. “I love you and I'm proud of you every day! You're so smart, and you have such a big heart. Between your boxing classes, your weightlifting classes, your stretching classes, your cycling classes, and on and on, I can't even keep up with you! I can't wait to see what you accomplish this year.”
A post shared by Arnold Schwarzenegger (@schwarzenegger)
A look at Katherine's photos also shows that Christopher's progress has been ongoing. She often posts photos of her family and siblings, and one particular post in 2023 shows Christopher's remarkable transformation. He didn't just go on a diet to lose weight; it's clear that he made lifestyle changes as well.
A post shared by Katherine Schwarzenegger (@katherineschwarzenegger)
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In 1926, Paramount Pictures released the first adaptation of “Beau Geste,” a rousing adventure novel by P.C. Wren that would be remade in 1939 and 1966 and parodied by comedian Marty Feldman in the 1977 comedy “The Last Remake of Beau Geste.” The 1926 incarnation was a commercial and critical success and won Photoplay magazine's top prize — one year before the birth of the Academy Awards — at a time when that was the most prestigious recognition a movie could receive.
Despite the film‘s reputation, for decades it has been almost impossible to see, except on 16mm prints derived from mediocre dupes. That all changes this Sunday, April 27, when a gorgeous new restoration will premiere on the closing night of TCM Fest in Hollywood. The film will be presented with a new score performed live by the Mont Alto Orchestra. It's an opportunity to see a truly awe-inspiring spectacle in the best way possible: on a huge screen (at one of Hollywood's most beautiful movie palaces, the Egyptian Theatre) with a packed crowd.
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The restoration has been years in the making and represents a heroic collaboration between Paramount, multiple archives, and the San Francisco Silent Film Festival, which has teamed with veteran film restorers Robert A. Harris (no stranger to epic filmmaking, having supervised restorations of “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Spartacus”) and James Mockoski on an initiative to bring silent classics to modern audiences. (To that end, the “Beau Geste” restoration will be released theatrically in theaters across North America by Rialto Pictures.) According to Mockoski, “Beau Geste” is the perfect gateway for viewers who want to truly appreciate the pleasures of epic cinema.
“You just can't do that kind of filmmaking anymore,” Mockoski told IndieWire, noting that the impressive scale of “Beau Geste” is comparable to another film he worked on in his capacity as an archivist at Francis Coppola's American Zoetrope, “Apocalypse Now.” Like that film, “Beau Geste” is filled with jaw-dropping set pieces staged practically, without the benefit of digital technology. “Today, the thousands of people climbing the sand dunes would be CGI. At that time, they had to build a fort in the middle of nowhere, and get a water pipeline. They had to create a whole infrastructure to shoot this film.”
Ironically, the fact that “Beau Geste” was so revered in its day left it somewhat neglected in terms of preservation, since everyone in the field assumed it was taken care of. “Everyone thought that someone else was doing something with it, but no one was,” Harris told IndieWire. “UCLA had some materials, but they were not complete. MoMA had some materials. The Library of Congress had the final print that was made in 1939 by Paramount. None of these elements had any real quality to them, so it was a bit of a mess.”
Harris and Mockoski's job was complicated by the fact that there were three different cuts of “Beau Geste” that went into theatrical release: an initial roadshow version with an intermission, a slightly shortened edit for wider audiences, and a subsequent incarnation that was even shorter, with pieces taken out of each scene to give the movie more showtimes per day. When Harris and Mockoski began examining the existing elements to see what they had to work with, they found that each version only existed in pieces and often in extremely poor shape — UCLA's archive, for example, had three out of 10 reels from the second version, while MoMA had a negative that was slightly out of focus due to film shrinkage. The George Eastman Museum had a 16mm version of the third version.
The most complete copy of the film was the 1939 Paramount print stored at the Library of Congress, all at one exposure with no color timing. This copy was printed after the coming of sound, which created a major problem. “The printer masked out the soundtrack area, so the entire left side of the frame was missing,” Harris said. That meant the restorers had to take imperfect left sides of other inferior prints and digitally stitch them onto the Paramount print, a process that took several years and the efforts of dozens of archivists at multiple institutions.
“Thank God we got the cooperation of Paramount, and the George Eastman Museum, and UCLA, and the Museum of Modern Art,” Mockoski said. “There were no egos — we all just wanted to save the film.” Mockoski credits the Library of Congress with coordinating all the organizations so that every possible extant print of “Beau Geste” could be utilized in the restoration. “It takes building an army to make this work happen. It's not a profitable endeavor. It's just good to do because these are great films.”
“Beau Geste” is part of a larger project Harris and Mockoski are currently working on as they race against time to save major films from the Paramount library. “We have been authorized by the studio to restore a number of their silent films,” Harris said. “They've given us access to numerous titles and we're juggling about 40 of them at the moment, trying to find missing elements.”
One thing that keeps Mockoski and Harris going is the constant sense of discovery that accompanies their work — both men were stunned, for example, by the filmmaking sophistication and visceral thrills of “Beau Geste” and how well they held up after nearly 100 years.
“This production sometimes rivals what we're doing today,” Mockoski said. He hopes the work he, Harris, and their peers do can inspire the next generation of filmmakers the way that Abel Gance's 1927 epic “Napoleon” — a movie Mockoski and Harris worked on restoring several decades ago — inspired Francis Ford Coppola. “The end of the silent era was such a wonderful, incredibly dense period of creativity,” Harris said, “but time is not our friend in these matters. We can't just think these films are being protected and preserved. We're doing everything we can to save the surviving silents.”
The world premiere of the restored “Beau Geste” will take place at TCM Fest on Sunday, April 27.
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There's a sequence early in Sinners, Ryan Coogler's sneakily meditative new vampire movie, where Smoke, the more level-headed of two twins played by Michael B. Jordan, reunites with the girlfriend he had left behind in Mississippi. Before he walks into the small house where Annie (the exceptional Wunmi Mosaku) lives, he stops at the makeshift grave where they buried their infant daughter. Once inside, they argue, as one-time couples do. Annie is a practitioner of traditional medicines, a calling passed down from her grandmother. The medicines did not save their child; long before this is vocalized, we understand it as a wedge between them. And still—when Annie asks if Smoke knows how hard she prayed for he and his brother's safety, he opens his shirt, revealing a vial of her potion he keeps around his neck.
Sinners is a wildly uncommon thing: a blockbuster that's comfortable with uncertainty. Annie's remedies don't guard against vampires, and the strategies she eventually pulls from folklore to ward them off are only half-remembered; the relics of Christianity that have long been known in that folklore as deadly to these creatures here also represent the slave trade and the erasure of history. It's a film about the afterlife populated with skeptics. And when it begins to present those characters with its central question—is it better to be alive, or with the ones you love?—the answer is a resounding who knows?
Coming at the end of a decade that saw the rise of so-called “prestige horror,” Sinners is a desperately needed antidote. Rather than strain to add an arthouse veneer (or the climactic reveal of an animating trauma), Coogler offers a true synthesis between serious-minded fiction and B-movie camp. This is a movie that culminates in a shootout with the Klan that leads to a vision of the hero's dead child; it's also a movie where a room full of people are relieved to learn that what they're smelling is Delroy Lindo having shit himself. This balance—an achievement, first, of writing, but one that is only possible because all the performances are so finely calibrated to the same frequency—is one for which the director is uniquely suited.
Coogler's career trajectory is perhaps the ur-example for a talented young filmmaker of his era. He made a promising indie drama (2013's Fruitvale Station, based on the 2009 murder of Oscar Grant by Bay Area transit police), then was upstreamed into successively bigger franchises, updating the Rocky series with 2015's Creed and, with 2018's Black Panther, marshaling the resources of peak Marvel to create a genuine cultural phenomenon—and the sixth-highest domestic box office gross of all time. His radically inferior Black Panther sequel was rewritten in a scramble following the death of star Chadwick Boseman, and its very existence can be seen both as a testament to corporate inertia and a big, forgivable asterisk on an otherwise stellar CV.
In interviews ahead of its release, Coogler described his decision to make Sinners as a personal one, born of the anxiety that his franchise entries had not allowed the audience to really know him. This might be true, but both Creed and Black Panther are successful because they are the unmistakable product of a single artist exercising his style and taste. While Black Panther eventually descends into the sort of semi-coherent CGI combat that defines Marvel movies, the political schism at its center is one that he had clearly considered in great depth (and one on which he seemed to side with the film's nominal villain, played by Jordan). Time and again, Coogler has shown the ability to realize his vision even when that means dancing through studio notes or making Sly Stallone think it's a good idea to sit in his trailer instead of come to story meetings. As unlikely as it may seem, his filmography already scans as uniquely his.
But that specificity, that exertion of agency, comes largely in those films' first two acts. Where Sinners goes beyond Creed and Black Panther is in the latitude it has to make its climax articulate its themes. Smoke and Stack (both Jordan, one performance more pensive and the other dripping in charisma) are twins who were feared throughout the Mississippi Delta before moving north to serve, as they tell it, as enforcers for Al Capone. It's 1932, and they've returned—possibly having fled after playing Chicago gangs against one another—with plans to open a juke joint. They throw the established local blues players enticing amounts of money to perform. Their real coup, though, is recruiting their teenaged nephew, Sammie (newcomer Miles Caton), the son of their preacher uncle and a preternatural musical talent, whose playing is so good it can can not only collapse time and space but also summon evil in the form of an eldritch Irish vampire (a charming Jack O'Connell). It's a good booking, with some liability.
When O'Connell and his trio of newly undead folk musicians attempt to invade their opening night party, the fault lines between the brothers' philosophies, between the white and Black populations of Mississippi, between Irish and African folkloric traditions, and between Sammie's roots and his ambitions are all ruptured wide open. And so Sinners is the rare blockbuster with big ideas that are explored rather than shoehorned in via didactic monologues—the dialectic it proposes between a virtuous eternity and one borne of evil would be hard, though maybe not impossible, to tack onto the Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Robots adaptation—that can also accommodate an army of Riverdance predecessors having their entire fucking skulls blown clean off.
Music is both the subject and mechanism of Sinners, which opens with a voiceover history of how some musicians, dating back to the West African griots, have been seen as conduits between this world and the one beyond. Scored capably by Ludwig Göransson, the movie grows more pointed when we hear actual blues played, whether by Sammie or the assembled crew of local veterans, led by Delta Slim (an astonishing Lindo). If the film's spiritual argument about music is that it can take us to an otherwise inaccessible plane of existence, and even facilitate a communion with our ancestors, its political one is that many of these great musicians, especially Black ones, are relegated to the fringes of society, drunk in the morning at a train station with a harmonica in the breast pocket of a filthy shirt.
Where vampires have traditionally represented the feared Other, in Sinners they embody the desire by those on either side of death to reach across the divide and touch the ones they've lost. With Jim Crow, an imperfect church, economic despair, and the Klan looming, the film underlines again and again the essentiality of love—not as an antidote, but as an alternative, an entirely separate mode of experiencing the world. Even with a fantastical end-credits scene, Coogler is clear-eyed about the fates of most of his characters, whether they survive the juke joint's opening night or not. But, he seems to argue, fate is at least a little bit negotiable.
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By
Jon Blistein
Four tech “geniuses” watch the modern world they helped create descend into chaos in the new teaser for Mountainhead, the upcoming HBO movie from Succession creator Jesse Armstrong.
The film stars Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Youssef, and Cory Michael Smith as billionaire friends who gather for a luxury weekend away in the mountains. But as these four moguls try to enjoy their spoils, their phones soon start blowing up with news of crises around the world — financial collapse, political instability, violence in the streets, all that good stuff.
Just like on Succession, the fragile egos, myopic intelligence, and delusional self-righteousness of these uber-wealthy nuts go haywire pretty quickly. And, as is Armstrong's talent, the whole thing feels at once a totally outrageous and disconcertingly plausible.
“This is a serious moment, I think that is why I am so excited about these atrocities,” Carell's Randall deadpans at one point. “I'm thinking about all of the people who are not killing each other!”
Meanwhile, Youssef's Jeff scolds Smith's Venis for making billions off a platform that's “inflamed a volatile situation, circulating unfalsifiable deepfakes, massive fraud, market instability.”
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And Schwartzman's Souper is just concerned about poker and dinner: “Are we still imagining we're gonna play? Because I have a six-man, line-caught turbot.”
Along with the film's core cast, Mountainhead will feature Hadley Robinson, Andy Daly, Ali Kinkade, Daniel Oreskes, David Thompson, Amie MacKenzie, and Janine and Ava Kostia. Mountainhead — which marks Armstrong's feature directorial debut, and first major project since Succession ended in 2023 — is set to premiere on HBO and Max May 31 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.
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By Nellie Andreeva
Co-Editor-in-Chief, TV
CBS has made a decision on its standalone pilots, handing series orders to comedy DMV, starring Colin From Accounts‘ Harriet Dyer, from creator Dana Klein and Kapital Enteratnment; and drama Einstein, headlined by Criminal Minds alum Matthew Gray Gubler, from the Monk duo of Andy Breckman and Randy Zisk.
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Your Complete Guide to Pilots and Straight-to-Series orders
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Your Complete Guide to Pilots and Straight-to-Series orders
DMV‘s order resolved a four-way tie for the single remaining comedy slot on CBS' 2025-26 schedule. As Deadline reported last month, three pilots, the single-camera DMV, the multi-camera Zarna, The Neighborhood planted spinoff as well as bubble freshman series Poppa's House, were all vying for that one spot. It came down to DMV, Zarna and Poppa's House. As Deadline reported yesterday, the off-cycle DMV, which tested and screened well, had a slight edge and will now join CBS' lone single-camera comedy series, Ghosts, which was recently renewed for two seasons. The other pilots are not moving forward while Poppa's House has been canceled.
As Deadline reported, Einstein, which lured back to TV Criminal Minds‘ Gubler, flew through testing, garnering enthusiastic response within CBS. The adaptation of the German format by Monk creator Breckman hit CBS' sweet spot of procedural drama with humor and a popular CBS star as the lead.
Both DMV and Einstein come from CBS Studios. Of the remaining comedy contenders, Zarna, headlined by comedian Zarna Garg and executive produced by Mindy Kaling, was the sole outside production, coming from Warner Bros. Television.
Like most network pickup decisions these days, financials played a key role in determining the outcome of the comedy “bake-off,” sources said. DMV is single-camera but shot in Canada on a modest budget. It still had to reduce its budget to match Zarna‘s license fee as part of its series pickup consideration, I hear. Poppa's House also had been asked to reduce its costs.
In addition to a back script order DMV and Zarna each had received from CBS, CBS Studios showed extra confidence in DMV by commissioning an additional script. DMV marks Kapital's third series with creator Klein, following Friends with Better Lives and 9JKL, the latter also executive produced by DMV executive producer Wendi Trilling, CBS' former head of comedy.
From the get go, Dyer's schedule had been set up in a way that she could do DMV and Paramount+'s Colin From Accounts, which was recently renewed for a third season. Both comedies are produced by CBS Studios.
CBS' schedule for the 2025-2026 season will be announced on May 7.
Here are details about the newly picked up CBS series, which join Fire Country spinoff Sheriff Country, Blue Bloods offshoot Boston Blue and FBI companion CIA:
DMV – ComedyFORMAT: Single-CamSTUDIO: CBS StudiosEP/W: Dana KleinEP/NW: Aaron Kaplan, Wendi Trilling, Robyn MeisingerD/EP (pilot only): Trent O'DonnellLOGLINE: Based on award winning author Katherine Heiny's short story, a single camera workplace comedy set at the place everyone dreads going most: the DMV. Our quirky and lovable characters are making minimum wage, doing a thankless job where customers are annoyed before they even walk in the door. Good thing they have each other.Starring: Harriet Dyer, Tim Meadows, Molly Kearney, Alex Tarrant, Tony Cavalero, Gigi Zumbado
EINSTEIN – DramaEP/W: Andy BreckmanEP/D: Randy ZiskNW/EP: Tariq Jalil; Rose Hughes, Rodrigo Herrera Ibarguengoytia and Laura Beetz (Seven One Studios International)STUDIO: CBS StudiosThe series is a drama with comedic undertones.LOGLINE: Brilliant but directionless, the great grandson of Albert Einstein spends his days as a comfortably tenured professor until his bad boy antics land him in trouble with the law and he is pressed into service helping a local police detective solve her most puzzling cases.Starring: Matthew Gray Gubler, Rosa Salazar
DMV and Einstein will be distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
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Ryan Gosling is calling on Anakin Skywalker for assistance. Gosling, who is set to lead “Star Wars” franchise installment “Star Wars: Starfighter,” had dinner with iconic star Hayden Christensen, who famously played the young Darth Vader in the prequel films (he later reprised the role for series “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and “Ahsoka.”)
Christensen told ET while at “Star Wars” Celebration in Tokyo that Gosling is an “awesome” actor who would fit into the franchise well. “I don't think he needs any advice. He's awesome,” Christensen said. “I got to have dinner with him last night, and I know he's really excited to now be in the ‘Star Wars' family, and I'm excited for his film.”
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“Star Wars: Starfighter” will be directed by Shawn Levy, and is billed as a standalone film that takes place five years after the events of 2019's “Star Wars: Episode IX — The Rise of Skywalker.” Jonathan Tropper, who worked with Levy on “This Is Where I Leave You” and “The Adam Project,” is writing the script. “Anora” Oscar winner Mikey Madison was offered a role opposite Gosling but the actress passed. The feature begins production this fall and will be released in theaters May 28, 2027.
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Levy's film has been in development since 2022, with Gosling being first reported to be in talks to join the “Star Wars” universe in January. And the “‘Star Wars' family” is ready to have Gosling be the latest actor addition: Pedro Pascal, who will lead the feature “The Mandalorian & Grogu” after starring in “The Mandalorian” series, also told ET that he is open to working with Gosling to prepare for “Starfighter.”
“Any advice for Ryan? I don't know, Ryan, call me,” Pascal said. “We can talk about it. Whatever you want to know. I'm here for you.”
Gosling's recent filmography has been “Star Wars” adjacent, as the actor is leading sci-fi feature “Project Hail Mary” from directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who were originally slated to direct the Han Solo prequel film before Ron Howard took over. Gosling also appeared in stunt-centric 2024 film “The Fall Guy.”
Additional “Star Wars” projects in development include one from James Mangold, another from Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a new trilogy from Simon Kinberg, and other projects from Taika Waititi and Dave Filoni.
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By
Jon Blistein
The raw meat and ‘roided up empire of the Liver King is getting the documentary treatment, with a new trailer for Untold: The Liver King, premiering today on Rolling Stone.
For those whose memories of the long-ago days of 2022 might be fuzzy, “Liver King” was the moniker of Brian Johnson, a fitness and masculinity influencer who gobbled raw meat (especially liver), threw spears, and demonstrated other extreme workout techniques. While Johnson claimed his strength came from living an “ancestral lifestyle,” he later admitted to juicing his muscles through more modern techniques — steroids.
Directed by Joe Pearlman, the new documentary will dig into the Liver King's extremely online saga — rise, controversy, backlash, all the classic beats — with Johnson himself sitting for interviews, along with members of his family and business partners. “We had videos with hundreds of thousands of views,” Johnson says at one point. “That felt like new levels of invincibility — that kind of feeling is dangerous.”
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In a statement, Pearlman recalled being “transfixed” by Johnson when the Liver King cracked his internet feed. “I wanted to find out more, who he really was and what was really going on,” he said. “The truth was even crazier than I could have possibly imagined.”
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He continued, “We live in a time when someone can reach hundreds of millions of people without going through any kind of traditional gatekeeping. No background checks. Just a phone and a guy. And when shock and outrage get views, what are you willing, or even able, to keep doing to stay at the top of the algorithm?”
Untold: The Liver King is set to premiere May 13 on Netflix. The doc is part of the Untold series, which is set to release other films next month: One on the infamous locker room gun incident between NBA teammates Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton, and another on the scandals that have plagued former NFL star Brett Favre.
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Carrie Underwood is a natural as a judge on “American Idol,” but her fellow judges were a little concerned at first. Their worry was put to rest as she brought something completely different to the show.
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In an April 2025 interview with Billboard, the veteran judges dished on the newcomer and revealed their initial worry that Underwood might not be critical enough.
Richie explained, “We kept hearing, ‘She's so sweet, so cute,' and we thought we might have a problem with her, because where's that vicious side?”
He continued, “And then she finally had to say no to someone. The first time, we almost had to stop the show. She said to Luke, ‘Do I have to do this some more?' I said, ‘You've got about a hundred more to go.'”
She might not be vicious, but Underwood is every bit as sweet as her reputation, according to Richie. “She brings a certain compassion to the show that I'm loving because she's very caring,” he said.
The legendary singer added, “I always love to tell this story — she brought us a basket of goodies. Stewed okra, pickles. And I thought to myself, ‘That's so sweet. She stopped by a market and she picked up one of these baskets.' No, everything in that basket was homemade. That was kind of different for us.”
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Bryan also reflected on how Underwood brings a special kindness to the judging panel.
“When you look at what she embodies with ‘American Idol,' she's a big time representative of what America's sweetheart is supposed to be and she maintains that so amazingly and she does it by caring like she does and having the kindness with the kids,” he said.
The singer noted, “It's been fun watching her learn this role. Until now, it's probably been a lot of scripted stuff where you come in knowing exactly what you're going to do, but ‘Idol' makes you really work on the fly.”
The veteran judges have been doing this for a number of years, but Underwood found her stride pretty quickly. “Carrie rolled right in here and just started picking up the role of what it is,” Bryan shared.
“Idol” host Ryan Seacrest also praised Underwood's work ethic. “She can keep a schedule and it's a great symbiotic relationship,” he said. “She likes a schedule and I love a schedule. She's ready early. Carrie and I are standing there tapping our feet ready to go.”
Seacrest added, “I say it for fun, but it's part of why she's successful. She runs a tight ship.”
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How do you follow a cultural phenomenon like “Succession”? If you're Jesse Armstrong, it doesn't hurt to build on what you do best: making fun of childish billionaires on HBO.
Armstrong returns to the premium cable network in May with “Mountainhead,” an HBO original movie he wrote and directed with a premise that could be ripped right out of “Succession.” The film follows four tech moguls (played by Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman, Ramy Yousef, and Cory Michael Smith) with a combined net worth of nearly $400 billion who meet in an alpine mansion for a weekend of skiing and poker. But their bros' getaway is soon derailed when they find themselves fighting over a global meltdown that may or may not be caused — or at the very least, amplified and expedited — by their own social media platforms.
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Additional cast members for “Mountainhead” include Hadley Robinson, Andy Daly, Ali Kinkade, Daniel Oreskes, David Thompson, Amie MacKenzie, and Ava Kostia. The film is executive produced by Armstrong, Frank Rich, Lucy Prebble, Jon Brown, Tony Roche, Will Tracy, Mark Mylod, and Jill Footlick.
While “Mountainhead” will inevitably see Armstrong covering some new creative terrain, perhaps the film's continued focus on dysfunction among America's wealthiest families will help ease the pain of “Succession” ending. Armstrong previously said that he hoped someone would have talked him out of ending the acclaimed series after four seasons because he enjoyed making it so much.
“The word that comes to mind for me is ‘natural.' I hope people, when they see this season, will feel that it has a natural shape to it,” Armstrong said in a 2023 interview with Variety prior to Season 4. “That's how I pitched it to my writers' room, kind of hoping I'd get argued out of it so we'd see a way to do more seasons, because I love working with these people. I think there's a feeling of completeness and rightness to the shape of the show.”
“Mountainhead” airs on HBO on Saturday, May 31 at 8 p.m. E.T./P.T. and will be available to stream on Max. Check out the teaser below.
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The 2025 Tribeca Festival, presented by OKX, has unveiled its short films lineup — including a reunion between “X” actor Kid Cudi and director Ti West. This year's music-centric Tribeca Festival includes features from Miley Cyrus, Billy Joel, and more. On the shorts side, Cudi and West collaborated on the music video “Neverland,” with Jordan Peele‘s Monkeypaw Productions producing.
The 2025 Tribeca Festival will take place June 4-15 in New York City. In total, the festival will premiere 93 short films. The 2025 Tribeca Shorts program also broke its own records for submissions due to an expanded eligibility to include projects previously screened in New York or online for out-of-competition consideration.
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The festival is additionally introducing an inaugural Shorts Cinema at Spring Studios dedicated to screening only the programmed shorts. The Shorts Cinema and Storytelling Summit will take place on the same floor at Spring Studios.
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The programming ranges from narrative shorts to documentary shorts, animated shorts to music videos. The 2025 shorts lineup will feature 93 selections from 105 filmmakers, including 82 films in competition and 10 music videos. This year's program spans over 30 countries, including first-ever selections from Ecuador, Zimbabwe, and Curaçao. Among the selections are 49 world premieres, five international premieres, eight North American premieres, and 19 New York premieres. The lineup also welcomes back five directors returning to Tribeca with their latest projects. Shorts program alums have included Emmy nominee David Gelb, Oscar nominee Ryan Coogler, and Oscar winner Domee Shi, with 25 Oscar nominations and 12 wins including 2024's “In the Shadow of the Cypress” among the shorts selections.
This year's program boasts Manya Glassman's “How I Learned to Die,” which is executive-produced by Oscar winner Spike Lee, as well as Mary Pryor and Mara Whitehead's “Kiss My Grass,” executive-produced by Rosario Dawson and Colin Kaepernick.
Check out the full program below.
NARRATIVE SHORTS
”/HAAW/” (United States) – New York Premiere. Directed by Joey Scoma.
“A Brighter Summer Day For The Lady Avengers” (Taiwan, United States) – New York Premiere. Directed by Birdy Wei-Ting Hung.
“A West Side Story Story” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Aditya Joshi.
“African Family Dinner” (Norway, Sudan, Somalia) – North American Premiere. Directed by Ibrahim Mursal.
“Aimee Comes First” (United States) – New York Premiere. Directed by Aimee Garcia.
“Al Fresco” (Spain) – New York Premiere. Directed by Ignacio Rodó.
“Almost Graduated” (Chile) – New York Premiere. Directed by Samantha Copano, Florencia Peña.
“Apocalypse Besties” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Kristen Buckels Cantrell.
“ATTAGIRL!” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Klimovski.
“āyí” (United States, China) – World Premiere. Directed by Jiayi Li.
“Baby Blues” (Norway) – World Premiere. Directed by Helen Komini Knudsen.
“Baby Tooth” (United States) – Directed by Olivia Accardo.
“Beyond Silence” (Netherlands) – International Premiere. Directed by Marnie Blok.
“Chasing the Party” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Jessie Komitor.
“Cherry-Colored Funk” (United States) – New York Premiere. Directed by Chelsie Pennello.
“Cocoon” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Sujin Jung.
“Fame and Other Four Letter Words” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Miranda Kahn.
“Fire At Will” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Morgan Gruer.
“Gloria” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Kim Blanck.
“God's Lonely Magician” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Walker Higgins.
“How I Learned to Die” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Manya Glassman.
“I Want To Feel Fun” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Jessica Sanders.
“In Jeff We Trust” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Blake Jarvis.
“Jean Jacket” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Maxim Nebeker, Lucy Nebeker.
“Kisses and Bullets” (United States, Iran) – New York Premiere. Directed by Faranak Sahafian.
“Little Monsters” (France) – New York Premiere. Directed by Pablo Léridon.
“LOUD” (Canada) – World Premiere. Directed by Adam Azimov.
“My Dad, the Rockstar” (Canada) – World Premiere. Directed by Kevin Jin Kwan Kim.
“New York Day Women” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Fredgy Noël.
“Pirateland” (Greece, Norway, France) – North American Premiere. Directed by Stavros Petropoulos.
“Poreless” (United States) – New York Premiere. Directed by Harris Doran.
“Red Egg & Ginger” (UK) – World Premiere. Directed by Olivia Owyeung.
“Rise” (Zimbabwe) – World Premiere. Directed by Jessica J. Rowlands.
“Sister!” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by John Onieal.
“Sorry I'm late (but I brought a choir)” (Norway) – North American Premiere. Directed by Håkon Anton Olavsen.
“Sunny” (Curaçao) – International Premiere. Directed by German Gruber Jr.
“Terror Keeps You Slender” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Daniel Serafini-Sauli.
“Terror Night” (Sweden) – International Premiere. Directed by Jakob Arevärn.
“The Hicks Happy Hour” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Kate McCarthy.
“The Lord of All Future Space & Time” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Chris Paul Russell.
“The Rebirth” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Connie Shi.
“The Singers” (United States) – New York Premiere. Directed by Sam Davis.
“The Wrath of Othell-Yo!” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Kwesi Jones.
“Truckload” (UK) – World Premiere. Directed by Aella Jordan-Edge.
“Wannabe” (Ecuador) – World Premiere. Directed by Kat Cattani.
“We are Kings” (United States) – New York Premiere. Directed by Frank Sun.
“Womb” (New Zealand) – World Premiere. Directed by Ira Hetaraka.
“Zodiac” (Belgium) – North American Premiere. Directed by Hans Buyse.
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
“A Drastic Tale” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Chantel Simpson.
“Ask Me Anything” (Netherlands) – International Premiere. Directed by Wyneke van Nieuwenhuyzen.
“Black Tide” (France) – New York Premiere. Directed by Kim Yip Tong.
“Doc Albany” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Ben Proudfoot.
“Expiration Date” (United States) – New York Premiere. Directed by Giles Perkins.
“Freeman Vines” (United States) – New York Premiere. Directed by Tim Kirkman, André Robert Lee.
“I hope this email finds you well.” (Palestine) – World Premiere. Directed by Asia Zughaiar.
“If I Can Dream” (UK, Wales) – International Premiere. Directed by Luis Cross.
“Kiss My Grass” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Mary Pryor, Mara Whitehead.
“Monster Slayer” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Catie Skipp.
“Natasha” (Italy, Russia) – World Premiere. Directed by Mark Franchetti, Andrew Meier.
“Neith Armstrong and the Lanholmites” (UK) – World Premiere. Directed by Duncan Cowles.
“Oh Yeah!” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Nick Canfield.
“Pavilhão” (Brazil) – World Premiere. Directed by Victoria Fiore.
“Songs of Black Folk” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Haley Watson, Justin Emeka.
“The Ban” (Ireland, Northern Ireland, UK) – New York Premiere. Directed by Roisin Agnew.
“The New Indigo Wave” (Puerto Rico) – North American Premiere. Directed by Karla Claudio.
“The Patel Motel Story” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Rahul Rohatgi, Amar Shah.
“This Land” (United States) – New York Premiere. Directed by Mike Bradley.
“Watch Over Us” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Carlos Garcia de Dios.
ANIMATED SHORTS
“A Night at the Rest Area” (Japan) – Directed by Saki Muramoto.
“Awaiting the Lightning Bolt” (Italy, UK) – Directed by Marco Russo.
“Captain Zero: Into the Abyss Part II” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Z Cher-Aimé.
“How A River is Born” (Brazil) – North American Premiere. Directed by Luma Flôres.
“Lily” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Kate Siegel.
“Linie 12″ (Germany) – World Premiere. Directed by Sarah Schulz.
“Ostrich” (Switzerland) – World Premiere. Directed by Marie Kenov.
“Ovary-Acting” (Norway, Sweden, UK) – World Premiere. Directed by Ida Melum.
“Petra and the Sun” (Chile) – North American Premiere. Directed by Malu Furche, Stefania Malacchini
“Playing God” (Italy, France) – New York Premiere. Directed by Matteo Burani.
“Snow Bear” (United States) – New York Premiere. Directed by Aaron Blaise.
“Still Moving” (Canada) – North American Premiere. Directed by Rui Ting Ji.
“The Piano” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Avery Kroll.
“The Quinta's Ghost” (Spain) – World Premiere. Directed by James A. Castillo.
“Tigre” (Mexico) – World Premiere. Directed by Maria Victoria Sanchez.
MUSIC VIDEOS
“Call Me a Liar” (United States) – Performed by Dola. Directed by Jivensley Alexis, Reece Daniels.
“Carpinteria” (United States) – Performed by Rae Khalil ft. Freddie Gibbs. Directed by Anderson .Paak.
“Even Better” (Australia) – Performed by GRASS. Directed by Kieren Barber Wilson, Walter Mather.
“Fast Edee” (United States) – Performed by ZEBEDEE. Directed by Zebedee Row.
“Forever 21” (United States) – Performed by Bonnie McKee. Directed by Bonnie McKee, David Richardson.
“Madame President” (United States) – Performed by Grace Bowers. Directed by Athena Kulb.
“Neverland” (United States) – Performed by Kid Cudi. Directed by Ti West.
“Qué Más Quieres” (Mexico) – Performed by The Warning. Directed by Paulina Villarreal, Iban Chabes.
“Rock the Bells” (United States) – Performed by LL Cool J. Directed by Gregory Brunkalla.
“That's How I'm Feeling” (United States) – Performed by Jack White. Directed by Jack White.
TRIBECA MEMBER EXCLUSIVE
A curated selection of unique premiere events available only to our Tribeca Member community. Find out more at tribecafilm.com/membership
“Money Talks” (United States) – World Premiere. Directed by Tony Mucci.
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By Max Goldbart
International TV Co-Editor
Two of the industry's hottest prospects are teaming on an Apple TV+ romcom series about ex-child prodigies.
Will Sharpe has created and will star in Prodigies alongside The Bear breakout Ayo Edebiri, who is exec producing.
The pair play Didi (Edebiri) and Ren (Sharpe), two ex-child prodigies who have been together since they were children. Now in their early 30s, they are starting to question whether their very ordinary existence is living up to the extraordinary promise of their childhood. Inevitably, they find themselves asking the same questions of their relationship.
The show comes from Black Doves producer Sister, which has worked with Sharpe on the likes of Giri/Haji and Flowers.
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Sharpe and Edebiri are increasingly in demand. Sharpe, who appeared in Season 2 of The White Lotus, is currently working on a Sky series in which he plays Mozart from Black Doves creator Joe Barton. Edebiri, who won an Emmy for her turn as Sydney in The Bear, can next be seen in James L. Brooks' Ella McCay and Luca Guadagnino's After the Hunt.
Prodigies is created and written by Sharpe, who also serves as an executive producer alongside Edebiri, Jane Featherstone, Naomi de Pear and Katie Carpenter for Sister.
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By
Nikki McCann Ramirez
Embattled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during a Fox News interview on Tuesday morning that he has been sharing military attack plans on Signal “for media coordination and other things,” claiming the plans were “informal.”
On Sunday, The New York Times reported on the existence of a second Signal chat — titled “Defense | Team Huddle” — in which Hegseth shared highly sensitive air strike plans against Houthi rebels in Yemen. The chat included his brother and Department of Homeland Security Adviser Phil Hegseth, his personal lawyer, and his wife Jennifer Rauchet, a Fox News producer with no official government position. The revelation comes weeks after Hegseth shared those same plans in another chat into which Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg had inadvertently been added, leading to a firestorm of controversy around Hegseth's recklessness.
Hegseth told Fox & Friends on Monday that this was all “old stuff,” claiming that “no one is texting war plans.” While Hegseth may be relying heavily on the technical definition of “war” to excuse himself, he went on to discuss sharing the strike plans.
“I'm in the bowels of the Pentagon every single day. Just 10 minutes ago, I was looking at actual war plans — of things that were ongoing or pending to happen,” Hegseth said. “What was shared over Signal, then and now, however you characterize it, was informal unclassified coordinations for media coordination and other things.”
Hegseth went on to accuse “left wing reporters” and disgruntled former Defense Department officials fired after a slipshod investigation into leaking at the department of making up accusations against him in order to “get at President Trump.”
“I want this to be very clear, we take the classification of information very important — it's very significant to us that we safeguard it,” the secretary said, claiming he was conducting an ongoing investigation into leaking at the department.
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“When you dismiss people who you believe are leaking classified information […] why would it surprise anybody,” Hegseth said. “If those very same people keep leaking to the very same reporters whatever information they think they can have to try to sabotage the agenda of the president or the secretary. So once a leaker, always a leaker, often a leaker.”
Once a leaker, often a leaker also seems to be applicable to Hegseth's own sharing of sensitive Pentagon materials with his allies over unsecure group chats. But the Trump administration is, at least for now, standing by their man.
The White House posted segments of the Fox News interview on X, calling the claims against Hegseth a “fake news hoax.” On Monday, Trump told reporters that “Pete's doing a great job” and “everybody's happy with him.”
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The affirmations come after a week of chaos surrounding Hegseth and the Defense Department. Last week, three senior Pentagon officials were dismissed after what they called “unconscionable” treatment, and “baseless attacks” against them by Hegseth and other officials. On Sunday, former Pentagon spokesperson John Ullyot wrote in an op-ed that “it's hard to see Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth remaining in his role for much longer,” given that the Pentagon's “dysfunction is now a major distraction for the president.” Hegseth responded by ranting at the White House's annual Easter Egg Roll on Monday about how the reporters at the event were “hoaxsters.”
The president's public line remains supportive, but according to a Monday report from NPR, the White House is exploring options to replace Hegseth as defense secretary. The White House denied the report, of course.
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Former “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Lisa Vanderpump is sharing her support for Garcelle Beauvais following her recent decision to exit the Bravo series.
While speaking to TMZ in April 2025, Vanderpump, who exited RHOBH following the show's 9th season, said Beauvais is “a wonderful woman.”
“I'm sure she's kind of moving on to other things. It kind of served her well, and I wish her lots of luck,” said Vanderpump to the publication.
Vanderpump made similar comments about Beauvais' exit during an April 2025 interview with Us Weekly. She said she would continue to not watch RHOBH, especially now that Beauvais has left the Bravo series.
“There's no upside for me watching it. The only one I really liked was Garcelle [Beauvais] — I have a good relationship with her. Now it's time for her to move on. She was somebody before and she'll be somebody after. Not everybody's like that. A lot of people are defined by Housewives,” said Vanderpump during the Us Weekly interview.
A post shared by Lisa Vanderpump (@lisavanderpump)
During the April 2025 interview with TMZ, Vanderpump said she would not come back to RHOBH.
“That's a hard no,” said Vanderpump to TMZ.
Vanderpump made similar comments about possibly returning to RHOBH while speaking to Us Weekly in April 2025. She said she would not come back to the Bravo franchise unless there were changes made to its cast.
“That's a hard no, unless it was a group of different women I really liked,” said Vanderpump in the Us Weekly interview.
Vanderpump also gave her opinion about RHOBH during a December 2024 interview with Access Hollywood. She said she would not consider coming back to the series. In addition, she gave an update on her dynamic with her former friend and castmate, Kyle Richards. According to Vanderpump, she would not mend her friendship with Richards unless she received an apology.
A post shared by Garcelle Beauvais (@garcelle)
According to BravoTV.com, Beauvais revealed she would no longer film for RHOBH in a March 2025 Instagram video.
“I have some news: I've decided to leave Beverly Hills. It's been a wild ride — I mean, some amazing things have happened, and some hard things have also happened — but it's been a ride nevertheless,” said Beauvais while filming the video.
She said one of the reasons she left RHOBH following season 14 was because she wanted to spend time with her younger sons, Jaid and Jax.
“Their last year of high school is next year and I want to be a part of that. And Jaid is starting a new [modeling] career and I want to be a part of that too,” said Beauvais.
She also said she has been busy working as an actress and producer.
“Secondly, I have the most exciting projects that I am developing, producing, and acting in. I can't tell you anything right now, but you'll know soon,” said Beauvais in her Instagram video.
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On the eve of his New York retrial, the fallen mogul spends 23 hours a day alone in his cell, reading biographies and compulsively calling his "prison consultant" (who also looks out for Luigi Mangione). And he still manages to phone in the occasional Page Six item.
By
Phoebe Eaton
Phoebe Eaton | The Hollywood Reporter
Over the past many months, the press has fussed over Harvey Weinstein‘s symptoms more obsessively than his doctors, reporting on an ever-worsening medical chart showing spinal stenosis and diabetes, faltering kidneys and vision, lost teeth, through-the-roof thyroid numbers, and the long-term leukemia that the disgraced studio head had long kept secret. Still in regular contact with his two now-teenagers by his fashion designer ex-wife, Georgina Chapman, Weinstein had wanted to shield them from the knowledge of his cancer.
Still, the man just keeps on keeping on, back in Manhattan this week to possibly thwart more expectations — he hopes with an acquittal. A year ago, he was trundled into this same courtroom after his 2020 conviction for sex crimes against then-production assistant Miriam Haley and aspiring actress Jessica Mann capsized in New York State's Court of Appeals. He looked every bit a wizened Salieri in his wheelchair, hair wispy as a toddler's, those meaty prizefighter fists now frail, flaccid flippers (one always shackled to the arm of the chair, as per protocol). A price tag was visible on a new, slimmer-fitting court-going blazer (given all the muscle mass lost in the slammer), his blue tie loose, a white dress shirt horse-collary underneath. Here was a 72-year-old man going on 80 and feeling the hot breath of death at the back of the neck. That September, a published report by the Associated Press announcing three previously uncharged sex crimes then being marched past a grand jury spurred a heart attack just two days later, immediately followed by emergency surgery.
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His reps frequently wondered whether Weinstein would ever make it to his own retrial, on what would wind up being just a single new charge. They openly accused the State of New York of “trying to kill him” out there at Rikers Island jail with crummy care, forcing brutally quick turnarounds on his increasingly regular Bellevue Hospital runs. Weinstein often looked haggard and out of it — unshaven, mouth ajar, eyes bleary. But even when everyone knew his health was at its lowest, and his wheelchair would nudge through the side door of the courtroom signaling his arrival, those battered black sneakers of his would break into a shambling run as he was rolled in — as if to sprint into court, establish his resolve.
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By the time he was back in court for a pretrial hearing on Jan. 29 of this year, Weinstein had finally had it. Perhaps he could bully (or guilt) Judge Curtis J. Farber into allowing People vs. Harvey Weinstein to cut in line ahead of a homicide trial on Farber's calendar. It was terrific theater, his only leverage in these negotiations his own demise.
“You're picking a jury today? So that's something set in stone?” began Weinstein's interrogation of the judge in that Bluto voice that hadn't been heard publicly in years — except to utter the words not guilty.
“Can we start this April 7? Every week counts. Please do that, your honor.”
Weinstein speaks!
He was alleging that at 5 a.m. that very morning, Rikers staff handed him the wrong pills. He said he often found himself gasping for air. His being treated this way was outrageous, he felt, given his current revised status as “an innocent man,” in his phrasing — that 2022 sex-crime conviction in Los Angeles on that one woman there (dumping 16 more years over New York's now-canceled 23) not really top of mind.
Weinstein was in bad shape. Rikers, too: A “hellhole.” A “medieval situation,” he called it. He was not sure he could hang on.
“I won't be there for April,” he said grimly.
Yet here we are, with opening arguments in this do-over expected to kick off this week, a court order confining him in Bellevue for the duration of the trial. When prosecutors at his hearings referred to complaining women as “survivors,” Harvey's lead trial attorney Arthur Aidala would object profusely: “Referring to certain individuals as survivors is a conclusionary term.” No, it was his client who was the survivor here.
***
Weinstein abides, however tremulously, thanks to a devoted support staff. Innumerable hours are expended on his behalf (and not pro bono, insists his longtime press rep Juda Engelmayer, pointing to royalties still rolling in from his films). These relationships are almost entirely telephonic, but then, Weinstein has stressed pretty much from day one that he doesn't want visitors. “He doesn't need the face to face,” says one of his lawyers. Prison policy keeps him chained to his walker when he is out of his cell, and the resultant instability as he squeaks his way to the visitation room feels perilous. Gives him agita. The 20-something actress-girlfriend he met before prison remains a confidante, but she split some time ago to Malibu. His SUNY Buffalo college roommate, retired pediatrician Bill Currao, visited him at his two prisons upstate as did his children by Chapman, who “still cares about him when it comes to the kids,” says someone close to the family.
But the person who speaks to Weinstein most often has never been out to Rikers to see Weinstein: Prison consultant Craig Rothfeld of Inside Outside Ltd. Rothfeld — a sentencing expert who also now represents alleged United Healthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione — has emerged as the leading go-to guy in the New York City and State systems, the chief lobbyist for white-collars who find themselves tossed behind bars like Trump accountant Allen Weisselberg. Rothfeld imparts the unwritten rules of play, like how to handle the stressor situations that could get one shivved, such as queues to use the phone and dominance over the TV set in the day room. He helps set up the commissary accounts. These accounts are a known barter mechanism by which prisoners can get additional food or phone time, even if Weinstein has been entirely isolated from other prisoners since being taken off suicide watch in 2020. Craig Rothfeld is Weinstein's business liaison and health care representative, a facilitator to Weinstein's legal team and conduit to his children and the world at large.
A boyish, bearded presence who counsels more than 100 clients at any given time, Rothfeld explains that Rikers forbids any inmate classified a “Centrally Monitored Case” to walk the prison freely without being cuffed.
Thanks to that solitary California sex-crime conviction, Weinstein remains restricted thusly, having committed what state policy deems a “large-scale crime that captures the public's attention, e.g. … sex crimes.” (One might consider it overkill, too, when 16 law enforcement officers crowd into a modest-size Manhattan courtroom for Weinstein's second arraignment as if this guy in a wheelchair is any threat — unless you buy the line that they're more worried about what some spectator might try to do to Weinstein.)
In transit, Weinstein resignedly submits to the ankle shackle yet has never found himself yoked to another prisoner in any van, as is usually the case. He must always be transported alone — which explains his complaints about being left around like a sack of potatoes; a couple weeks ago he languished for eight solid hours in the wheelchair in a downstairs cell at the courthouse as he awaited his designated driver. The never-ending hurry-up-and-waits are why he's always got a couple weighty tomes stacked in his lap, his taste running from big-cheese biographies (of Elia Kazan and Abraham Lincoln, among others) to best-sellers, including Conclave. It's less about impressing the press that all cylinders are firing upstairs than his need to keep occupied. Transit is one of the most humiliating, exhausting and disorienting experiences for prisoners; Weinstein was flown on a state-owned medical plane in 2021 to face his charges in Los Angeles, hardly some slick private jet as some outlets reported, says Rothfeld: “He's still in shackles. He's still a prisoner. It's not the way you want to travel.”
Rothfeld is a onetime Rikers inmate himself, convicted in 2015 for defrauding investors and falsifying business records: “I did the wrong thing. I got punished for it. And that's not anyone else's fault,” he says.
Hired immediately upon Weinstein's 2020 conviction, Rothfeld guesses he's spoken with Weinstein perhaps 6,000 times by phone, checking in on him in person only at sporadic court dates or at Bellevue Hospital's prison wing, “perhaps two or three times ever.” Then there was a single week, too, at Weinstein's trial in Los Angeles, come to think of it. Weinstein is on the phone to him three or four times a day. Just like any other inmate at Rikers, Weinstein is allocated 21 minutes of phone time for every three hours he spends in captivity, a 15-minute call and a six-minute call, from 7 in the morning until 11 at night.
“We talk about politics, what's going on in Israel. What's going on in the world,” Rothfeld continues. “Books he's reading. I think getting his mind off his situation helps him.”
Given his formerly hyper-extroverted existence, Weinstein has had to adjust to an unnaturally hermitic isolation. He was kept in protective custody at Rikers, meaning, he spent 23 hours a day in his own room in the institution's former infectious-diseases wing. Rikers authorities say Weinstein's enforced isolation is a security measure, meant to protect their famous ward from violent prisoners seeking their own 15 minutes. But this is no medical ward here, and no remote-control levitating mattress, a decision made by the city Department of Corrections that rankles his defenders. “Optics is a huge part of it,” says Rothfeld. “The District Attorney can't have anyone seen as getting special treatment.”
Weinstein's infirmities have made it difficult for him to visit the yard — not that he is allowed to interact with anyone other than doctors and corrections officers. And given how short-staffed the prison has been of late, getting yard time is difficult for everyone.
He's almost never exposed to another inmate, Rothfeld reiterates. It's a lonesome existence. If not for that California conviction, “he would probably be on home confinement with an ankle bracelet, seeing his doctors whenever he wants,” says Rothfeld. He remains estranged from some of his children and his younger brother and former co-CEO, Bob. Last February, Harvey filed suit against Bob, claiming that he had quietly leeched money out of The Weinstein Co. in the run-up to the studio going off a cliff in 2017, and also incited Harvey to over-leverage himself as guarantor on a $45 million loan. Through his counsel Brian Kohn at Cyrulnik Fattaruso LLP, Bob Weinstein says, “Harvey's claims are a work of fiction, and we look forward to demonstrating their complete lack of merit in court.”
Harvey did not go outside once the entire time he was off dealing with his Los Angeles sex crime charges — which was almost two years. “That's cruel,” Rothfeld continues. Were he to beat the rap in Manhattan, that 16-year sentence he picked up in California would not reflect any time he already served in Manhattan, being consecutive and not concurrent. (This by order of the California judge, who indeed had a choice in the matter.)
“A dick move,” Engelmayer calls it, hotly anticipating the results of that appeal.
Weinstein's two upstate correctional facilities — Wende and, after the L.A. trial, Mohawk — had issued him a tablet (a luxury absent from L.A. County jail). State prison inmates are now furnished with email-and-phone-capable Securus Unity tablets. Access to email has changed the way inmates do time, but the tablets at Rikers, which is overseen by New York City, omit email and phone privileges.
Harvey was able to keep up with the newspapers on his Rikers tablet but doesn't have one at Bellevue. It has become very difficult to have physical newspapers brought into jails, “but whatever magazines are permitted, he gets,” says Engelmayer, who adds Weinstein keeps up with the Hollywood trades to the extent that he can. That said, his information is often a week behind: “He'll be talking to me, and I'll go, ‘Yeah, that issue is no longer an issue.'”
At both his upstate prisons and at Rikers, there are day rooms equipped with a television Weinstein could only access alone, depending on the whims of his guards, who control the clicker. They kick people out so he can have the room, and he'll watch the news or Entertainment Tonight. He's never there long enough to catch a full-length movie.
People buy Weinstein books via Amazon; he receives about two or three a week. He still has “notes meetings,” only now he's giving notes on multiple drafts of legal papers instead of scripts. He is heavily involved in the minutiae of his defense, his lawyers say. Still, his cell isn't crammed with the seemingly innumerable actions filed against him (and by him). “If there's a dorm search or a cell search and somebody takes those papers, then they are out for public consumption,” says Rothfeld, so inmates shred those documents into garbage pails with their hands or send them back out with the lawyers. And every facility has its different persnickety rules governing snail mail, the letters restricted to a few pages. When Weinstein was upstate, I had a raft of mail returned to sender because I'd written “P. Eaton” as opposed to my full proper name in every return address field. The prisons demand to know who their charges are trafficking with.
Contrary to speculation, Weinstein has not participated in any prison-run sex-offender therapy programs. Usually the people required to take part in those programs don't do so until they're much closer to their release date, says Rothfeld.
Jennifer Bonjean is an attorney who has repped R. Kelly and won Bill Cosby his release on appeal. Also handling Weinstein's California appeal, Bonjean is newly on deck to cross-examine Miriam Haley here at the Manhattan retrial. She finds Weinstein a bright, to-the-point person. Charming? Not so much. “Authentic,” she allows.
“It's a hard time, being in Rikers,” says Bonjean, the words NOT GUILTY tattooed across her right shoulder. “You know, they say either the time is doing you or you are doing the time. Harvey is doing the time. But it still feels like he's running shit from behind bars. Still maintaining relationships.”
Bonjean had tried to visit Harvey in L.A. but was denied access. “When I went to see him at Bellevue, he's like, ‘Can you bring me David Mamet's new book?'” A tidbit she presents without comment.
***
The legendarily left-leaning dethroned studio chief has lately been taken up by the right, going way beyond Weinstein's baseline engagement of attorney Aidala, CNN's harshest critic of D.A. Alvin Bragg's Donald Trump hush-money prosecution and the very same lawyer who weeks ago secured zero jail time for Steve Bannon. Literally just down the hallway.
Conservative provocateuse Candace Owens is doing dramatic readings of transcripts from Weinstein's first trial for her podcast's 4 million listeners. Joe Rogan, on his podcast, is saying he can't believe he's on Harvey Weinstein's side, weirdly reducing the accusations to generational differences about courtship. Calling Weinstein a guy “in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Never a Trump fan (Hollywood's onetime maestro marketer told people he worried Trump could win when all that Butler, Pennsylvania, fight-fight-fight imagery hit the media), Weinstein is suddenly the unlikeliest poster prisoner for what Trump is calling “the weaponization of prosecutorial power.”
The late-breaking, admiring attention is bucking Weinstein's spirits. As his retrial gets going, he's back to phoning in items about himself to gossip columns at TMZ.com, the Daily Mail, the New York Post. (“There's been an awakening on social media,” Engelmayer explains. “They are more open to Harvey.”) Criticized by the newspapers recently for cracking a smile, Weinstein looked like he was trying his damndest to suppress any merriment when points were scored in a final court hearing before the buzzer. He'd regained 25 pounds, his neck again looking like a bison's in some supernatural surprise glow-up, his press rep Engelmayer insisting he's actually on a downhill trajectory especially given a current tongue infection that has him restored to Bellevue now for the trial. Weinstein finally filed suit the opening day of his trial against seemingly the entire state prison system — including Bellevue — over the allegedly harrowing conditions in which he'd been kept, risking the anger of the very people he needs to care for him.
Rothfeld, the prison consultant, advises all his jail-bound clients to read Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl, a psychiatrist-philosopher who found himself imprisoned in Auschwitz and was able to observe firsthand who survived that (admittedly worse) hellhole. Rothfeld claims he's not sure whether Harvey has read the book, citing client confidentiality over and over. Frankl was convinced the way a person imagines his or her future seems to affect longevity. So how does Harvey Weinstein visualize his future?
Not in the movie business.
“I want justice for myself,” Harvey was telling the judge in January, showing some fight-fight-fight.
It can't have been easy hearing Georgina Chapman's boyfriend, actor Adrien Brody, shout out to Weinstein's kids when Brody claimed his Oscar last month, calling himself their “Popsy.”
“I think he imagines being free,” says Rothfeld. “Spending time with his family, making the connections lasting and more meaningful.”
“He wants his children to know he's not a bad guy,” says Engelmeyer, “and that he loved film and was an innovator and an art-maker.”
“It might be a pipe dream to reclaim any of your reputation. Any of your legacy. Those things are going to be very hard to regain,” adds attorney Bonjean. “I don't think Harvey thinks of himself staying there in Rikers. He shouldn't die there. It's frightening, the prospect of it. But he's fighting like hell.”
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Billboard's 2025 Latin Women In Music Evolution honoree explains how she defied all odds and prospered in the male-dominated corridos tumbados space.
By
Jessica Roiz
Assistant Editor, Latin
In 2019, pop star Belinda earned her first Billboard top 10 hit. That rarified chart milestone didn't come from a pop hit, but rather, from “Amor a Primera Vista,” a cumbia sonidera with Los Ángeles Azules, Lalo Ebratt and Horacio Palencia that peaked at No. 2 on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart. It was the first time that Belinda entered the chart, a feat that underscores not just the artist's versatility but her resilience.
Co-written by Belinda, Descemer Bueno and Palencia, the track that fuses traditional Mexican cumbia sounds with soft hints of reggaetón not only marked the Spain-born, Mexican-raised star's return to the Billboard charts after four years, but it also introduced a bold new sound that she had never done before, and ultimately the música mexicana era she's in today.
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Thanks to that capacity for continuous reinvention, the singer and actress is receiving the Evolution Award at the 2025 Billboard Latin Women in Music gala on Thursday, April 24.
“Life has been a journey full of learning, growth, and constant evolution — both personally and artistically,” she tells Billboard. “This recognition not only celebrates my career, but also the power of reinvention and continuing to explore new chapters. I feel more inspired than ever and excited to share this new musical era. Being honored on a night that celebrates such powerful and talented women makes this moment even more special.”
Though the artist born Belinda Peregrín Schüll has a trajectory that spans 25 years, she admits she hasn't had time to stop and truly reflect on the moment she became a bonafide Latin star.
“I keep working while having many goals, and to be honest, I don't think I've ever, at any point in my life, thought ‘Wow, I made it!,' which is something I should do,” she says. “I'm always thinking about new ideas, new songs, new challenges, new projects, but I've never taken the time to think, ‘Okay, I've achieved all this.' ”
But she has achieved a lot, and along the way, rightfully earned her place in the Latin pop realm.
Belinda was only 10 years old when she was cast as the lead in the Mexican children's telenovela Amigos x Siempre in 2000, but it was her self-titled debut album that catapulted her into the musical spotlight three years later. The set — home to her timeless pop tune “Ángel” — earned her a first top 10 entry on a Billboard chart, reaching No. 6 on the Top Latin Pop Albums chart in 2003. Her four studio albums since, including Utopia (2006), Carpe Diem (2011), and Catarsis (2013), have also entered the top 10 on the chart.
Meanwhile, hits such as “Bella Traición,” the Pitbull-assisted “Egoísta,” and “Amor a Primera Vista,” have displayed her ease to navigate different genres from rock to EDM to reggaetón to cumbia. Never one to shy away from experimentation, Belinda has now branched out into música mexicana, tagging her new fare as “Beli Bélica” in a wink to the genre's corridos bélicos. However, Belinda's songs steer away from drug dealer exploits and rather focus on lyrics about heartbreak and being coquettish.
“The first corrido tumbado artist I heard was Natanael Cano. He was the first one who made me say, ‘Wow, Mexican music sounds different. It doesn't sound like it used to,' ” she recalls. “At that time, someone also told me: ‘You're a woman, you'll never be able to sing corridos or regional music, because it doesn't suit you.' They told me I couldn't sing it because it was for men and that I would look ridiculous. And a couple of years later, here I am singing that style.”
Defying all odds, Belinda officially evolved into her corridos era with the release of “Cactus” in Jan. 2024, which also marked her debut single with Warner Music México after signing an exclusive record deal in Aug. 2023.
“I'd been thinking about doing corridos tumbados for a couple of years, but it just sort of happened,” she explains. “ ‘Cactus' was a song that started out written in a notebook; it didn't really have a melody because it was a feeling I had to express, and suddenly we turned it into music. We knew it was the right song at that moment, and that it would represent a new musical phase in my life.”
That new phase was shortly followed by her first collaborative effort with Natanael Cano in “300 Noches,” which she coined as a “corrido coquette” because of its dreamy pop undertones; “La Mala,” an unapologetic trap-corrido; and her team-up with Tito Double P on “La Cuadrada,” which secured a No. 23 spot on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart in March.
“I know there are many who don't like it,” she says of her Beli Bélica era, but if there's anything that her música mexicana collaborators have taught her, it's to “go with the flow.”
“I've learned not to take everything so personally and to listen to myself,” she elaborates. “To listen to what I feel, what I think, and what I like, because no one is going to agree with you 100% and no one is going to have your vision 100%, and as long as you're happy with what you're doing and writing, the audience will accept it well because you're doing it from the heart.”
And even though she found a new sound — while also being active on social media and connecting with new and loyal fans — Belinda remains true to her pop essence. Her single, “Jackpot,” with Kenia Os, peaked at No. 10 on the Latin Pop Airplay in February.
“Belinda isn't a musical genre,” she emphasizes. “I've been through all the musical eras, and my favorite word to describe my career is versatile. It's the perfect word to define my style. Now, with Mexican music, we're going back to the basics. It reminds me a lot of how music used to be. I love that I can go back to what it was like to make a song with real instruments and not rely on a computer program. It feels like I'm going back to what music used to be.”
Now, with her new “go with the flow” mentality, Belinda says a new studio album is on the horizon, one that she's creating specifically for those “independent women who are completely irreverent but at the same time strong, sexy, fun.”
But first, she's taking it easy.
“I'm trying to rest because in 2024 I didn't rest at all. I spent almost all my time writing the album. It was a lot of emotions in one year. This year I'm going to take the time I need to finish my album. I just want to enjoy every moment, every stage, every project,” she concludes.
The third annual Billboard Latin Women in Music special will air live at 9 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. CT on Thursday, April 24 exclusively on Telemundo, Universo, Peacock and the Telemundo app and throughout Latin America and the Caribbean on Telemundo Internacional.
Read Billboard's Latin Women In Music 2025 executive list here.
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By
Jodi Guglielmi
Tina Knowles, the mother of Beyoncé and Solange, revealed Tuesday that she had a private battle with breast cancer. During an interview with CBS Mornings, Knowles said the cancer was found after a delayed mammogram appointment.
“I've always tried to take care of myself. I just was in disbelief,” she said.
Knowles said she missed a routine mammogram appointment during the COVID-19 pandemic and did not reschedule it until last year, nearly four years later. When she went for the screening, doctors found two tumors in her left breast, one of which was benign, while the other had stage 1 cancer. (The American Cancer Society recommends a mammogram every 1 to 2 years for women over 55.)
Knowles underwent a lumpectomy to remove the cancerous tumor in August and is now cancer-free.
“I was nervous,” she recalled of how she was feeling before surgery. Luckily, she had her daughters by her side for support and comfort. “They started just joking with me,” she said of Beyoncé and Solange. “I start laughing. I get out of my head. … Then I said, ‘I'm just so happy that y'all are here.' And I thought about the song ‘Walk With Me,' which they used to sing all the time.”
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In an interview with People, Knowles said she is now “doing great” and wants to be a lesson for other women.
“Cancer-free and incredibly blessed that God allowed me to find it early,” she said. “I decided to share it because I think it's a lot of lessons in it for other women,” she says. “And I think as women, sometimes we get so busy and we get so wrapped up and running around, but you must go get your test. Because if I had not gotten my test early, I mean, I shudder to think what could have happened to me.”
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Sebastian Stan would have been a different man if not for Marvel.
The actor recently told Vanity Fair that before being cast as Bucky Barnes in 2011 MCU tentpole feature “Captain America: The First Avenger,” his career was basically at a standstill. At the time, Stan was financially relying on residuals from 2010 comedy “Hot Tub Time Machine.” Stan played an '80s frat jock who is the ski lodge villain of the film.
“I was actually struggling with work. I had just gotten off the phone with my business manager, who told me I was saved by $65,000 that came in residuals from ‘Hot Tub Time Machine,'” Stan said about how his career was going before he was offered the Marvel role. More than a decade later, and Stan is still in the MCU: The actor is leading “Thunderbolts,“ which will usher in Phase 5 of the franchise.
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As Stan told Variety in 2024, “Thunderbolts” is Marvel's version of Miloš Forman's Oscar-winning 1975 film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest,” which centered on a mutinous uprising in a psych ward. He added at the time that the debates over the merit of Marvel movies are redundant.
“It's become really convenient to pick on [Marvel films]. And that's fine. Everyone's got an opinion,” Stan said. “But they're a big part of what contributes to this business and allows us to have smaller movies as well. This is an artery traveling through the system of this entire machinery that's Hollywood. It feeds in so many more ways than people acknowledge.”
He added, “Sometimes I get protective of it because the intention is really fucking good. It's just fucking hard to make a good movie over and over again. In the last couple of years, I've gotten much more aggressive about pursuing things that I want, and I'm constantly looking for different ways of challenging myself.”
Glen Powell and Chris Pine have both also shared how their careers were faring before their respective big breaks. Powell told Interview that he was paid $35,000 for his small role in 2017's “Hidden Figures,” which was the only film he starred in for a year's time. “It's that point in your career where you're barely getting by,” he said. “There's a lot of things I could have done in terms of guest spots, but basically, I made a decision to use my old UT [University of Texas] economics class, which is just supply and demand, and take supply out of it and hope demand would follow. Just letting the town know I'm not going to take those things that are the obvious choices that guys take at this moment in their career. That was the hardest part for me, because I was dead broke. But I remembered at that moment trying to be discerning and not go down the wrong path.”
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“The Righteous Gemstones” is a Biblically epic comedy in every sense. Danny McBride and his creative team have always made the Gemstone family look as big and as loud and as garish as they feel important, entitled, and touched by destiny. In Season 4, it was crucial to make sure that the show left absolutely everything out on the field — be it a battlefield, a pulpit, or a soundstage for “Teenjus.”
It takes particular skill to keep upping what “big” looks like each and every season, but makeup department head Leigh Ann Yandle told IndieWire that all the departments on “The Righteous Gemstones” were able to execute on it because of the full trust and freedom they had to pitch ideas.
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“Everybody goes for it, and they let you do it, too. Whatever you want to come up with, nothing's too far. That's what's been fun about the show, ” Yandle told IndieWire. “Being willing to step outside of the box and find different ways for the characters to express themselves.”
A great deal of Yandle's effort this year went into crafting a Civil War setting for the first episode, a feat which required an army's worth of facial hair and enough dirt and mud to build a small siegeworks in Charleston, South Carolina, where “The Righteous Gemstones” has shot its four seasons. But some of Yandle's and her team's best work is fully contemporary, showing how each of the Gemstones deals with their individual ambitions and their place within the family. The makeup department head spoke to IndieWire about finding ways to make each character's final looks glow like a fresh set of nails.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
IndieWire: I had the chance to chat with costume designer Christina Flannery about Season 4 as well, and it seems like y'all can do just about anything.
Yandle: You can do anything. Like if you [only] do a little bit, then it's noticeable because it doesn't fit with the look of the show. All of Christina's costumes and ideas are just so wild, and she'll send you, you know, ‘Here's some ideas that I've got,' and I'm like, ‘Oh wow. OK. I've got to sit down and think about this one for a while.'
Because she's so creative with what she comes up with — not just like the Civil War costumes that everybody knows what that's supposed to look like. That's the easy stuff. But like the boat scene where they're going out there, with John [Goodman] on the yacht, on this sailboat by himself, and they're dressed in the red, white, and blue sailor outfits?
[The writers] gave a monster truck a key role! Everybody goes for it, and they let you do it, too. Whatever you want to come up with, nothing's too far. That's what's been fun about the show, just going for it — being willing to step outside of the box and find different ways for the characters to express themselves.
It's very intuitive when you're watching, but I'm curious how you'd describe the way that the Gemstone kids express themselves and how your work helps create each of their looks?
So, with Judy (Edi Patterson), we were a little more conservative at first, and then we just went for it. She's gone all in on herself. Now she's Aimee-Leigh. She's touring, she's on stage, she's got a big band club. We took her a little bit more glamorous, if you will.
Then with Jesse (Danny McBride), last year we had the sideburns that ran the black dye down his neck, and then this year he wanted to go back to what he originally had. So he comes in on Day 1 for his haircut, and he has a mustache. I really liked that mustache. “You ever thought about wearing one?” He goes, “Now that you mention it, yeah, I think maybe we could do a mustache this year.” We had already decided to do one on BJ [Tim Baltz], and so then they had to write a joke, you know?
Kelvin [Adam Devine] — his wardrobe shows who he is and explains everything you need to know about him. With Adam, we just kind of keep him tanned, evened out, because he is always out in the water and doing things. So we keep that fresh tan, young guy look, and then this year we really explore him and Keefe [Tony Cavalero], which is just… I'll be honest, last season [during the scene] when they kissed, I was out with COVID and I was so upset. I was like, “My baby boy's kissing his boyfriend for the first time!”
Oh, no, and you're missing it!
And I'm not there! You get so involved with the characters.
Absolutely.
But I'll say that it's with the kids' spouses that we get to really play. I model Amber [Cassidy Freeman] after a Texas matron, you know, big hair, big makeup, always with her nails done. Cassidy never wears makeup in her real life; her nails are short. So we kept them short but kept them in a French manicure at all times, but she doesn't wear them naturally. Then she has thick, beautiful, naturally wavy hair so when she comes in, it's all fresh-faced, and then she goes out with four piles of makeup on and her hair curled. It's a lot. We try to keep it as light as we can without compromising the character — she has to have lashes, she has to have lipstick always done. She's always very polished, even when she's just around the house.
Then, with Tim — BJ is finding his way with Judy. He wants to be his own person. But he also likes the Gemstone way. When he's out there in those little terry cloth shorts, or when he's rollerblading to work out his problems, you know? It's this struggle to center himself. He's trying to find his way and also be a Gemstone. So, the last two seasons, with his earring, we've had them match his outfits. This year we've had the mustache. He just always has something; there's just always some gimmick with his look. He's using it all to find who he really is.
We've faded all those tattoos of Keefe's slightly from Season 1, just so that you show a passage of time, and that he had tried to get the 6-6-6 off, but it just didn't work. He went from wearing really heavy eyeliner to, when they were really a couple, it's almost completely gone. He's kind of made his transition from a punk skater kid to a ‘respectable' Gemstone. Which sounds funny.
And then this year, John just goes crazy. Between the long hair and then, you know, when we de-age him for this year's “Interlude” — by this point, visual effects have got to go and do other things; they can help us out a little there, but for the most part, it's all us. Basically, all they did was shorten his nose. As you grow and age, your nose and ears keep growing, and [the VFX team] shortened those, and that's really the only help they gave us.
We covered it all with very little wig to cover it. And no neckline. There was no neckline in a lot of stuff he was wearing this year, and it was just like, ‘Well, we'll just do what we do.' And in that Charleston heat, trying to keep tape and everything on damp skin, it's not easy. That's probably the hardest thing about ‘Gemstones' is the humidity in Charleston. That's the difficulty.
As someone from Louisiana, I can definitely imagine how much you have to battle humidity.
When you get out of the van and you're walking over to the set and you're looking over and makeup is starting to drip off, it's like, “Oh, this is going to be more than a Last Looks.”
Man oh man. Charleston in the summer.
That humidity kind of makes you question your life choices. But John was a lot of fun this year and then of course he's got a girlfriend this year.
Megan Mullally!
She was a lot of fun because Lori and Aimee-Leigh are very different. They were best friends, but their styles aren't the same. Aimee had long, hot pink nails, and that pink was her signature color. Megan's character has no nails, just a clean polish. But then she had all of the fun stage makeup looks. Stephanie [Barnes], that's her wheelhouse. Actors always love it because she's got such a natural eye for taking something that's good and giving it that special tweak that makes it an extra-special beauty makeup.
Then Aunt Tiffany [Valyn Hall] has got the funniest role of all of them, hanging out with Baby Billy [Walton Goggins], who's a little crazy. We kept her clean and simple this year, because she's a producer's wife now, she's a little fancier, nicer clothes. So we added a pale pink nail polish and just upped her ever so slightly. She's got just the tiniest bit of makeup that really brings her to life. You had to be super careful not to go too far with her because it's really easy to make her high glamor. But she's not city pretty. We've got to go country pretty with her.
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By
Tim Dickinson
When Teresa Borrenpohl was dragged out of an Idaho town hall in February over her aggressive questioning of Republican officials — by dark-clad men who refused to identify themselves — it seemed like a scene ripped from The Handmaid's Tale, replete with a man on stage mocking her: “She spoke up, and now she doesn't want to suffer the consequences.”
The incident sparked national headlines, including coverage in The New York Times. And when Borrenpohl was initially cited with battery for resisting, the case seemed a dark harbinger for the erosion of civil liberties in the new Trump era.
In recent days, however, the justice system appears to be righting itself. The Coeur D'Alene city attorney has filed battery and false imprisonment charges stemming from the town hall incident. Separately, Borrenpohl has moved to file a $5 million lawsuit against the sheriff; the men who dragged her from the town hall; and others she blames for her injuries, both constitutional and physical.
The First Amendment nightmare unfolded on the afternoon of February 22, at a town hall meeting of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, held at the auditorium of Coeur D'Alene High School in northern Idaho. Borrenpohl, who previously ran for an Idaho state House seat as a Democrat, was a vociferous participant in the meeting, and was not shy about addressing local officials out of turn, including hollering at a moderator who asked the audience to pipe down: “Is this a town hall or a lecture?”
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After these interruptions, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris approached Borrenpohl and told her to “get up or get escorted out.” When she did not move, Borrenpohl was swarmed by men in dark shirts, who seized Borrenpohl by the arms and legs and literally dragged her from the auditorium.
As seen on video, these men did not wear uniforms or identify themselves, and they ignored audience members who demanded they produce badges. It emerged later that these men were not in fact Norris' deputies; rather they were affiliated with a private security firm, LEAR Asset Management, which had volunteered its services for the event. (LEAR has since seen the city of Coeur D'Alene revoke its business license, reportedly for posing “an immediate danger to the safety of the public.”)
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Late last week, the City Attorney's office in Coeur D'Alene charged six men with crimes in relation to the town hall event. Four — Paul Trouette, Russell Dunne, Chistofer Berge, and Jesse Jones — are facing battery and false imprisonment charges. These four, along with a fifth man, also face charges for violating the duties, and the uniform requirements, of “security agents.” A sixth man, apparently not involved with LEAR, Michael Keller, was also charged with battery.
The treatment of Borrenpohl became national news, but a police report of the incident also identifies three other “victims” from the town hall. The city attorney's charging announcement does not clarify who allegedly victimized whom.
Sheriff Norris is also reportedly under investigation, but neither the Kootenai County Sheriff Department nor the Idaho Attorney General's office, which has oversight of elected sheriffs, responded to Rolling Stone requests for comment.
On Monday, Borrenpohl filed a “tort claim” — initiating civil litigation — against the sheriff, LEAR, Trouette, Dunne, Jones, and several others, seeking “at least” $5 million in damages.
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Her complaint reads in part: “Ms. Borrenpohl was fearful for her safety throughout the time the men assaulted her.” It adds: “Because the men were unidentified, because Sheriff Norris directed them to physically remove her, and because of the manner in which they dragged her from the auditorium, Ms. Borrenpohl feared that she was being kidnapped.”
Wendy Olson, an attorney for Borrenpohl, called the tort claim “the first step” in “pursuing justice for Teresa,” and she added: “We have put the county on notice that its public officials intentionally obstructed Teresa's constitutional rights and physically assaulted her in the process.”
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Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2025 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.
By
Tim Dickinson
When Teresa Borrenpohl was dragged out of an Idaho town hall in February over her aggressive questioning of Republican officials — by dark-clad men who refused to identify themselves — it seemed like a scene ripped from The Handmaid's Tale, replete with a man on stage mocking her: “She spoke up, and now she doesn't want to suffer the consequences.”
The incident sparked national headlines, including coverage in The New York Times. And when Borrenpohl was initially cited with battery for resisting, the case seemed a dark harbinger for the erosion of civil liberties in the new Trump era.
In recent days, however, the justice system appears to be righting itself. The Coeur D'Alene city attorney has filed battery and false imprisonment charges stemming from the town hall incident. Separately, Borrenpohl has moved to file a $5 million lawsuit against the sheriff; the men who dragged her from the town hall; and others she blames for her injuries, both constitutional and physical.
The First Amendment nightmare unfolded on the afternoon of February 22, at a town hall meeting of the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee, held at the auditorium of Coeur D'Alene High School in northern Idaho. Borrenpohl, who previously ran for an Idaho state House seat as a Democrat, was a vociferous participant in the meeting, and was not shy about addressing local officials out of turn, including hollering at a moderator who asked the audience to pipe down: “Is this a town hall or a lecture?”
Popular on Rolling Stone
After these interruptions, Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris approached Borrenpohl and told her to “get up or get escorted out.” When she did not move, Borrenpohl was swarmed by men in dark shirts, who seized Borrenpohl by the arms and legs and literally dragged her from the auditorium.
As seen on video, these men did not wear uniforms or identify themselves, and they ignored audience members who demanded they produce badges. It emerged later that these men were not in fact Norris' deputies; rather they were affiliated with a private security firm, LEAR Asset Management, which had volunteered its services for the event. (LEAR has since seen the city of Coeur D'Alene revoke its business license, reportedly for posing “an immediate danger to the safety of the public.”)
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Late last week, the City Attorney's office in Coeur D'Alene charged six men with crimes in relation to the town hall event. Four — Paul Trouette, Russell Dunne, Chistofer Berge, and Jesse Jones — are facing battery and false imprisonment charges. These four, along with a fifth man, also face charges for violating the duties, and the uniform requirements, of “security agents.” A sixth man, apparently not involved with LEAR, Michael Keller, was also charged with battery.
The treatment of Borrenpohl became national news, but a police report of the incident also identifies three other “victims” from the town hall. The city attorney's charging announcement does not clarify who allegedly victimized whom.
Sheriff Norris is also reportedly under investigation, but neither the Kootenai County Sheriff Department nor the Idaho Attorney General's office, which has oversight of elected sheriffs, responded to Rolling Stone requests for comment.
On Monday, Borrenpohl filed a “tort claim” — initiating civil litigation — against the sheriff, LEAR, Trouette, Dunne, Jones, and several others, seeking “at least” $5 million in damages.
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Her complaint reads in part: “Ms. Borrenpohl was fearful for her safety throughout the time the men assaulted her.” It adds: “Because the men were unidentified, because Sheriff Norris directed them to physically remove her, and because of the manner in which they dragged her from the auditorium, Ms. Borrenpohl feared that she was being kidnapped.”
Wendy Olson, an attorney for Borrenpohl, called the tort claim “the first step” in “pursuing justice for Teresa,” and she added: “We have put the county on notice that its public officials intentionally obstructed Teresa's constitutional rights and physically assaulted her in the process.”
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Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2025 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.
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The film Academy also released key dates pertaining to the 2026 Oscars, as well as updated guidance on the new casting Oscar, artificial intelligence and more.
By
Scott Feinberg
Executive Editor of Awards
With the 97th Oscars now seven weeks in the rearview mirror, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is turning its attention to 98th Oscars, which will take place on Sunday, March 15, 2026. On Monday, the organization's board of governors announced other key dates pertaining to the coming season — for the announcements of shortlists, nominations and more — and also released rules and campaign promotional regulations that will govern the way contenders compete, including a number of new policies that, on the surface, seem fairly benign, but in practice could have a major impact.
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In a major departure from 97 years of tradition, the board has implemented what one might call “the Diane Warren rule.” That widely admired songwriter has received 16 best original song Oscar nominations from her peers in the music branch, but has never won, in part because the final ballot that is sent to the full membership has never listed the names of individuals who are nominated (aside from actors) alongside their nominated project. Had more voters realized that Warren was associated with a particular nominated project — say, the nominated tune “Til It Happens to You” from the documentary The Hunting Ground — they probably would have been more inclined to support it. Moving forward, though, all designated nominees in all categories will now be listed on the final ballot.
The Academy is now making it harder for members to vote in categories in which they have not watched all of the nominees (which BAFTA has done for several years), something that, based on anecdotal evidence, has become more of a concern for the Academy in recent years, since the organization massively expanded its membership and brought in a lot of younger members who are busier with their careers. In the past, voters were always asked not to vote if they hadn't watched all of the nominees, but the process operated entirely on an honor system. Moving forward, though, the Academy's e-voting system, in the final round of voting, will not allow members to access the ballot for categories in which they have not demonstrated that they have watched all of the nominees. The Academy will track viewing via the members-only Academy Screening Room streaming app; as for films consumed elsewhere — like at screenings, film festivals, etc. — members will have to fill out a form declaring when and where they watched a film. (In the past, members had to do this in order to vote in the preliminary and nomination rounds for best international feature, animated feature, animated short and live action short categories.) This will presumably result in less coattail voting.
At a time of widespread crisis around the world, the Academy is taking steps to ensure that the work of filmmakers with refugee or asylum status are able to be submitted for the best international feature Oscar by the country to which they have fled. Until now, a filmmaker had to be a resident of a country for that country to be able to submit his or her work (the most recent example, last season, being Germany submitting The Seed of the Sacred Fig, a film made by the Iranian-born German resident Mohammad Rasoulof). Henceforth, “The submitting country must confirm that creative control of the film was largely in the hands of citizens, residents or individuals with refugee or asylum status in the submitting country.”
We now have more guidance about the rules for eligibility and voting for the highly-anticipated Oscar for achivement in casting, which will be presented for the first time in 2026: there will be a preliminary round of voting to determine a shortlist of 10 films; then, prior to nominations voting, members of the casting directors branch will be invited to view a “bake-off” presentation of the shortlisted achievements, including a Q&A with the designated nominees.
Speaking of shortlists, another category is also now getting a shortlist: best cinematography. Ahead of nominations voting, members of the cinematographers branch will now determine a shortlist of between 10 and 20 films.
In years past, members hailing from any of the Academy's branches have been able to “opt-in” to help select the nominees in the international feature, animated feature and live action short categories. Henceforth, they will be able to do the same with the animated short category.
To avoid a repeat of an awkward situation at the most recent Oscar nominations announcement, when many best picture nominees were announced with their “producers still to be determined,” the Academy is now requiring films to submit their Producers Guild of America (PGA) mark certification or awards-only determination earlier than in the past. For consideration in the best picture category, films released from Jan. 1, 2025, through June 30, 2025, must have shown proof of submission for the PGA mark or awards-only determination no later than Sept. 10, 2025. Films released from July 1, 2025, through Dec. 31, 2025, must have shown proof of submission to the PGA no later than Nov. 13, 2025.
Oscar-qualifying film festivals will now be given access to the Academy's approved mailing houses in order to share information about festival programming with Academy members. These fests “may send a total of five eblasts through their festival run to all members or branch-specific eblasts,” but “may not send email promotions to Academy members regarding official Academy receptions, and any industry panels, awards presentations, tributes or Q&As. Festivals may not promote specific films to Academy members.”
In the aftermath of an awards season in which artificial intelligence (AI) became a hot-button topic, thanks to relevations about its employment on The Brutalist and Emilia Pérez, the Academy is now acknowledging the issue without actually restricting it in any way. The following language has been introduced into the rules for film eligibility, at the recommendation of the Academy's Science and Technology Council: “With regard to Generative Artificial Intellience and other digital tools used in the making of the film, the tools neither help nor harm the chances of achieving a nomination. The Academy and each branch will judge the achievement, taking into account the degree to which a human was at the heart of the creative authorship when choosing which movie to award.”
Finally, the Academy seems to be deliberating about whether or not it wants to return to its decades-old tradition of hosting Oscar Nominees Luncheons or to instead do what it did earlier this year when — after canceling the Oscar Nominees Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton in the aftermath of the LA-area wildfires — it instead hosted an Oscar Nominees Dinner at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. For now, the calendar marks Feb. 10, 2026, as the date for a “Nominees Event.”
Below are the key dates pertaining to the 2025-2026 Oscar season…
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By Nellie Andreeva
Co-Editor-in-Chief, TV
There is finally news for Heartstopper fans who have been patiently waiting to learn the fate of their show for more than six months. It may not be exactly what they were hoping for (Season 4), but it's good news nevertheless: more Heartstopper is on the way, and Nick and Charlie's story will get a proper ending.
Netflix has greenlighted a Heartstopper movie, starring and executive produced by the series' leads Joe Locke and Kit Connor and directed by Wash Westmoreland (Still Alice, Colette), which will serve as a series finale. The announcement was made on the third anniversary of Heartstopper‘s April 22, 2002 premiere.
Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman, on whose graphic books the coming-of-age romantic series was based, is back as writer of the feature film, which will draw from the upcoming sixth and final volume of the graphic novel. (Season 1 covered Vol. 1-2, Season 2 was based on Vol. 3, and Season 4 followed Vol. 4 and 5.)
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There is no publish date yet for Vol. 6, which is still being written. Oseman has indicated that ideally, the last book would drop ahead of the TV series' conclusion.
In the Heartstopper finale, Nick (Connor) and Charlie (Locke) are inseparable, but with Nick preparing to leave for university and Charlie finding new independence at school, the reality of a long-distance relationship begins to weigh on them. Doubts take hold, and their relationship faces its biggest challenge yet. Meanwhile, their friends are also navigating the ups and downs of love and friendship, confronting the bittersweet challenges of growing up and moving on. Can first loves really last forever?
Westmoreland, who has an extensive feature background, succeeds Euros Lyn, who directed the first two seasons of Heartstopper, and Andy Newbery, who helmed Season 3.
Locke and Connor join the executive producer ranks of the movie alongside Oseman, Lyn, Patrick Walters, Iain Canning and Emile Sherman who all served as executive producers on the first three seasons. See-Saw Films is back as production company. Filming is slated to begin in summer 2025.
“I am completely overjoyed that we will get to tell the end of the Heartstopper story,” Oseman said. “I'm so grateful to everyone who has worked hard to make this possible and to the incredible fans of Heartstopper for your patience and passion. I cannot wait to bring this story to a magical conclusion.”
While rare, a movie series finale is not unprecedented – in 2017, Netflix commissioned a Sense8 film following backlash from fans when the streamer canceled the Wachowskis' sci-fi drama after two seasons on a cliffhanger. Other shows given a movie conclusion by their networks include Timeless (NBC), CSI (CBS) and Deadwood (HBO).
Like most of them, Heartstopper found itself on the bubble after its third season drew 10.9 million views from its October 3 release until the end of 2024, down about 30% from the views Season 2 had garnered over the same period. Season 3 spent two weeks in Netflix's global Top 10, peaking at No. 4, vs. three weeks each for Seasons 1 and 2, the latter peaking at No. 2.
Still, over the last six months of 2024, the first two seasons of Heartstopper added combined 8.8M views, showing continuing interest in the title on the platform.
What's more, Season 3 was as well reviewed as the previous ones, nabbing another 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, and continued to keep the series culturally relevant by tackling important issues, in this case mental health.
Most of all, it was Heartstopper‘s outsized impact across TV, social media, music and books and its legacy of LGBTQ+ representation that made the case for the show to get a proper ending even if the Season 3 viewership did not quite support a full-blown fourth and final season.
The movie greenlight follows tireless efforts by the series' creative team.
“I'm working very hard behind the scenes to get us a renewal for Heartstopper… there are so many people behind the scenes who are working really hard to make it happen,” Oseman said in February. “We're feeling optimistic, we're feeling hopeful.”
A month later, Walters said that “there are lots of moving parts” on a potential renewal and “we are working hard on it.”
One of the many moving parts was likely making new deals with Connor and Locke, who reportedly no longer had options. Little known when they were cast in Heartstopper, the duo are now in-demand actors with busy schedules coming off starring roles in the movie Warfare (Connor) and Disney+'s Agatha All Along (Locke).
But, just like the cast of Euphoria recently reassembled for a final season, Connor and Locke had been willing to return to the series that made them stars.
“I'd definitely like to do it as long as it's done right,” Connor recently said. “I just want to make sure that we keep the heart in it. So, we are working on something, and hopefully we're making it happen.”
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The casual catch-up arrives just months before the first Oasis shows since the band's 2009 split.
By
Jessica Lynch
Liam Gallagher has confirmed that he and brother Noel spent Easter Sunday together, marking a rare public show of unity just months before Oasis reunite onstage.
On Sunday, Liam Gallagher took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a surprising family moment: he spent Easter Sunday with his brother Noel and Noel's two sons, Donovan and Sonny.
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“So we had a BIBLICAL Easter Sunday,” Liam wrote. “Noel, Donovan and Sonny popped over to ours for a cup of tea. It was absolutely incredible to meet the young guvs. I obviously blew their minds coz I'm cool as f—. You heard it here 1st.”
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The casual tea catch-up arrives just months before the first Oasis reunion shows since the band's notorious split. The iconic Britpop group is due to kick off its global reunion tour this July, having announced 41 dates so far.
The tour will commence with the first of two shows at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales, before criss-crossing the U.K. in advance of a North American run beginning August 24 in Toronto; the tour will then move on to Mexico City, South Korea, Japan, Australia and South America.
The new tour follows decades of tension between the brothers, who last performed together during Oasis' 2009 tour before an infamous backstage blow-up in Paris led to the band's split. Since then, both Gallaghers have pursued solo careers — Liam releasing multiple solo albums and Noel fronting the High Flying Birds.
In January, Liam responded to a fan's dream setlist, telling them “it's not far off,” when they asked if the unsolicited rundown was “official.” The list included band's past setlists, including such live staples as: “Acquiesce,” “Some Might Say,” “Lyla,” “Shakermaker,” “The Hindu Times,” “Cast No Shadow,” “Slide Away,” “Supersonic,” “Morning Glory,” “Rock ‘n' Roll Star,” “Cigarettes & Alcohol,” “Don't Look Back in Anger,” “Live Forever” and “Champagne Supernova.”
Last month, the band announced that a film documenting the Oasis Live '25 tour would be created and produced by BAFTA- and Oscar-nominated writer/producer/director Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders, Spencer, Dirty Pretty Things) and directed by Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace (Meet Me in the Bathroom, Shut Up and Play the Hits). No release date has been announced as of yet.
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The $25 hoodie is made from a soft cotton blend and features a baggy silhouette for all your fashion fits
By
Tim Chan
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Don't look now but Walmart has one of the hottest fashion deals online, with 28% off its bestselling SUBNB Oversized Hoodie. For just $25, you get that coveted baggy look seen on musicians like Ariana Grande and Rihanna (not to mention countless TikTok influencers raving about it online).
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Celebrity couples like Justin and Hailey Bieber, and Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian are also fans of the oversized hoodie look, which is an easy way to level up your streetwear cred with just one item of clothing.
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This Walmart deal gets you the baggy fit hoodie in your choice of more than a dozen colors. We like the “coffee gray” colorway above, but there are a ton of other options online, including more of the muted earth tones that are so trendy right now.
The hoodie is made from cotton blend material that is super soft and cozy. The thicker construction, meantime, helps the hoodie keep its shape and helps you stay warm underneath. The pullover makes a great layering piece for summer music festivals or chilly nights at the beach. It's also great for lounging around the house. Fashion fans love an oversized hoodie as a statement item, whether worn on its own (say, over tights or jeans) or layered under a jacket or trench, for a chic and casual mash-up.
This is one of the bestselling fashion pieces at Walmart, and one of the best-reviewed too, with shoppers giving it a 4.7-star rating (out of five). Reviewers say it wears in beautifully the more you wash it, adding that the material gets softer with age. One shopper put it even more bluntly, saying this is “literally everything you want in a cozy comfortable sweatshirt.”
This Walmart hoodie is already oversized so you should take your normal size when you order. But you can also size up if you want that extra roomy, exaggerated aesthetic. Already at steal at its regular $35.99 price point, a Walmart flash deal discounts the SUNBS hoodie down to just $25 here.
Looking for other options? Walmart also has this unisex hoodie available in 20+ colors for just $18.98 here. As with all Walmart deals, prices could change at any time so we recommend adding to cart while the sale price is still live. See full details here.
And Amazon has this one below, which featuring a flattering V-neck design and a soft fleece material. We're partial to the vintage-inspired gray colorway below but you can choose from six colors online here.
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Fresh off of supporting the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfire efforts, Chris Stapleton is using his music to help others.
This is in conjunction with fellow music sensation Tyler Childers as Variety reports the two will be co-headlining Healing Appalachia.
Dubbed “the largest recovery-based music festival,” Healing Appalachia's goals are clear in its name. The festival aims to curb “spreading addiction and [aid in] recovery awareness, fostering empathy, and inspiring life-saving action throughout communities worldwide.”
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The team at Healing Appalachia likens itself to Farm Aid — a festival with similar values that helps raise funds for America's smaller farms. Except Healing Appalachia wants to “bring together folks to raise funds and awareness to celebrate recovery through our main event Healing Appalachia each September, and work year-round on more projects fostering communities of recovery.”
2025's festival has yet to announce any other musicians joining. Past acts for the show include Childers, My Morning Jacket, Brian Fallon, Kelsey Waldon and Justin Wells and more.
The move to eastern Kentucky from West Virginia is a homeward one as both Childers and Stapleton hail from the state.
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Childers' manager, Ian Thornton, is excited for the move.
“It exemplifies the growth of something that started as an idea on how we could create change in a world that we were watching destroy our friends and families firsthand — starting at home in WV with 1500 people, to becoming this movement that it is today, and being able to start its own travels through Appalachia,” he tells Variety. “It's an honor to have Tyler and Chris headline the inaugural trip across the Big Sandy as a couple of local boys who did it right.”
President of Healing Appalachia, Dave Lavender, finds that the singers exemplify the heart of Appalachia.
“They also embody the heart and soul of what it means to be from here, from Appalachia,” Lavender tells Variety. “That Bill Withers ‘Lean on Me' coal-camp spirit drives them to always be calling out to help neighbors and folks in need both here and the world over.”
Lavender is also the board president for Hope in the Hills, a West Virginia nonprofit that helps run the festival. The organization has been able to distribute over $1 million to other nonprofits that aid in addiction recovery. Programs funded include yoga in women's prisons, mentoring teen girls in foster care, innovative reentry and recovery-to-work initiatives and much more.
The festival takes place on September 19 and 20 in Ashland, Kentucky. Buy tickets for Healing Appalachia here.
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In the world of wrestling entertainment, things don't always go according to plan. Whether it's a wrestler missing their cue or the referee botching counts, keeping all the various storylines and outrageous antics in check can be difficult.
At night 2 of WWE‘s WrestleMania 41, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin came out on his ATV, like he's done numerous times in the past. But this time, the WWE Hall of Famer's joyride came to an abrupt end as he lost control and drove straight into a barrier.
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The crowd at Allegiant Stadium was overjoyed at the sound of shattering glass on the speakers. This signaled the arrival of WWE legend “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. The sold-out stadium cheered wildly as he drove his four-wheeler out and cruised around the ring several times. Unfortunately, one of his corner turns was way too wide, and he crashed straight into the ringside barrier.
A woman was seen on video standing in front of the blockade, celebrating Austin's arrival with everyone else. After he hit the barrier, she was knocked backward. TMZ reported that the woman looked furious, but others alleged that she was overreacting.
“She did the best work of the night, how she fall seconds after the thing already hit the barricade?” One X user posted. “She sold that fall better than the entire AEW roster,” another fan wrote.
After the crash, Austin leaned forward and said something to the fan before hopping up onto the stage. While Austin was on stage, he announced the Sunday attendance of 63,226. He then claimed that there must have been more people there. He slowly began counting the crowd himself, but only made it to 18 before he gave up.
While Austin chugged a couple of cans of beer on stage, WWE President Khan came over to check on the woman. Upon exiting the ring, Austin stopped to talk to her again.
Austin was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday night. It was his second induction, as he had been inducted for the first time in 2009. This time, he received the honor for the “Immortal Moments” category, in recognition of his WrestleMania 13 match against Bret Hart.
The main event on Sunday was the match between John Cena and Cody Rhodes. Cena made history by winning the match and his 17th championship title.
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Carrie Underwood has the unique experience of being both a former “American Idol” winner and a new judge, so she understands the process on both sides of the action. Underwood says she feels a great responsibility to take her role as a judge seriously for one big reason.
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In an April 2025 interview with Billboard, Underwood was asked how she felt about “going from contestant to judge.” She called the new judging gig “difficult.”
“I'm just so happy to be here. It's definitely different, but it's difficult,” she said. “I mean, when we're discussing contestants, ‘Are they going to make the top 24?' It's a show, but it's people's lives and I'm like, ‘I was on these [contestant] boards 20 years ago and they were moving my picture around trying to see what board I was going to fit into,' so I take it really seriously.”
Luke Bryan noted, “You said you found out after the fact where you really were [on the judges' boards].”
Underwood revealed, “They told me in one of the rounds in Hollywood Week that it was said out loud that this is not a unanimous decision, but I went through. I didn't really care. I still got through. I don't know who [said no] and I still don't know who.”
When Bryan commented, “It stuck with you forever,” Underwood shared, “Absolutely.”
She explained, “It's a taste of what you're going to get afterward. In such a condensed amount of time, you learn how to sink or swim. You learn how to take those good or bad things and learn from them or make them be your motivation because you're going to get it from everywhere else.”
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Underwood also shared the tremendous way that “American Idol” changed her whole life. “I came from obscurity in a small town in Oklahoma. I loved to sing but didn't really know how to get from point A to point B,” she explained. “From that first ‘Idol' moment on, my life was on a completely different path.”
She added, “It was a launching pad and I owe it all to this show.”
The singer noted that the show continues to change people's lives, saying that she feels “blessed every single day that this is how I got my start and I'm glad to be a part of this legacy.”
Underwood added, “It's a monster show. It's still going. It's still changing lives. It's incredible just to be a part of that.”
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The body horror legend also says he doesn't "miss working with film," as the "cutting and editing was a nightmare."
By
Carly Thomas
Associate Editor
David Cronenberg isn't rushing to be the first one at the theater to see the latest blockbuster.
During a recent chat with Jim Jarmusch for Interview Magazine, the director-writer-actor, known as a leader of the body horror genre, shared that he doesn't prefer the communal experience of going to the movies.
After noting that part of the reason was because he watches “everything with subtitles” due to his hearing and that “parking is not so great in Toronto,” he expanded on why he “stopped going to the cinema many years ago.”
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“I only see movies in real theaters every once in a while, mostly at film festivals, and I've found that the projection isn't always so great,” Cronenberg explained. “I remember being in Venice onstage with Spike Lee and some others. He was talking about the Cathedral of Cinema, the whole religious aspect of it. And I said, ‘Spike, I'm watching Lawrence of Arabia on my watch, and there are a thousand camels there. I can see every one of them.' I was joking, but what I meant was, I don't find the cinema experience all that great. Maybe it's because I'm older. I don't feel that communal thing.”
The Shrouds filmmaker is also seemingly thrilled that filmmaking technology has progressed over the years, allowing for more creative control.
“I do find that people talking about streaming can be very passionate in the way that we were passionate in the movie theater after we saw a film,” Cronenberg said. “So it's different, but I don't think it's worse. I also don't miss working with film. The cutting and editing was a nightmare for me. It was very restrictive. You have so much more control now. And of course, we are control freaks to a certain extent, if you're making a film.”
He added, “I have nostalgia for the old films, but I don't have that Spielberg-esque need to actually shoot on film.”
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Cleveland music and media exec Shawn Rech has licensed the infamous brand name for a new fan-curated music video streaming service.
By
Dave Brooks
As a festival platform, the Fyre brand doesn't have the best reputation, to say the least. Originally billed as the ultimate FOMO event for influencers and scenesters, the high-profile collapse of the 2017 Fyre Festival in the Bahamas has become the ultimate symbol for hubris in the live music business and an unofficial synonym for any event plagued by disorganization, malaise or misery.
Now that Fyre founder Billy McFarland has tried, and once again failed, to revive the Fyre Fest name, most music fans have written off the brand as dead — but one Cleveland music and media executive has a new vision for the creatively spelled four-letter word.
Enter Fyre Music Streaming Ventures, LLC, a fan-curated on-demand music video streaming service that founder Shawn Rech hopes will become “home for the most passionate music fans and undiscovered talent around the world,” according to a release.
Trending on Billboard
“I just want people to remember the name,” Rech tells Billboard on why he chose Fyre. “It's really that simple. It's PT Barnum. All publicity is good publicity.”
Rech tells Billboard that shortly after the second Fyre Festival started collapsing last week, his team was on the phone with McFarland hammering out an agreement to use the Fyre name, logos and trademarks to brand the streaming venture. The agreement with Rech won't impact McFarland's ability to stage Fyre Festival at a future date.
Since getting out of prison in late 2022, McFarland has been hyping Fyre Festival 2 as a kind of redemption project following the disastrous 2017 event in the Bahamas that left fans stranded and resulted in a three-year sentence for the founder. Originally announced to be taking place on Isla Mujeres in Mexico, McFarland later moved the festival to Playa del Carmen before canceling it altogether after local officials in the Mexican town denied any knowledge of its existence.
Rech is a veteran entertainment executive and president/co-founder of the TruBlu Crime Network, which he launched with former To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen in 2022. For $4.99 a month, TruBlu subscribers get access to dozens of licensed true crime shows and documentaries like A+E After Dark, Bounty Hunters and Takedown with Chris Hansen, accessible across devices via download apps and native channels built into smart TVs.
Rech says Fyre “is like a curated YouTube with an emphasis on music.” It will operate as both a subscription service and as a FAST channel, an acronym for Free Ad-supported Streaming TV, with more linear-based programming and music content submitted and upvoted by fans. Fyre will also offer audio-only capabilities for fans looking to stream content on their phones at a lower bandwidth. Metadata identification will be verified by GraceNote.
“The relationship is between the artist and the fan through a single conduit. We intend to be that conduit,” Rech says.
Fyre will use both tastemakers and fan behavior to help drive its content strategy and potentially feature McFarland in a potential talent role in the future, although nothing has been finalized.
“He was fine to deal with; I have nothing negative to say,” Rech said when asked about working with McFarland. “He's a big dreamer.”
You can learn more about the project and sign up for notifications at watchfyretv.com.
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You can find out who made it into the Rock Hall this Sunday.
By
Paul Grein
The 2025 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame will be announced on a live episode of American Idol on Sunday (April 27).
Show host Ryan Seacrest will make the eagerly awaited announcement. James Taylor, who was inducted into the Rock Hall in 2000, will serve as a mentor on the episode, on which this season's top 14 Idol contestants will perform songs associated with previous Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees.
At the end of the episode, two contestants will be sent home, leaving this year's top 12.
This year's eclectic group of nominees for the Rock Hall were announced on Feb. 12: English rock supergroup Bad Company; Southern blues rockers The Black Crowes; powerhouse singer/songwriter Mariah Carey; early rock ‘n' roll hitmaker Chubby Checker; late blues belter Joe Cocker; radio-friendly punk rocker Billy Idol; post-punk-turned-dance-rock pioneers Joy Division/New Order; pop iconoclast Cyndi Lauper; Mexican rockers Maná; Britpop legends Oasis; critical and commercial hip-hop faves Outkast; jam band standard bearers Phish; grunge hitmakers Soundgarden; and garage rock minimalists The White Stripes.
Trending on Billboard
Idol also announced that the theme of the live show set to air on Monday, April 28, will be “Iconic Idol Moments.” Season 3 winner Fantasia will serve as the mentor for this episode and will also perform. Artist-in-residence Jelly Roll will join the show's live studio audience.
Both episodes are set to air live coast-to-coast from 8-10 p.m. ET/5-7 p.m. PT. The episodes will also be available the following day on Hulu.
One of the greatest songwriters ever joins us on Sunday! 🎶 @JamesTaylor_com will be mentoring our #AmericanIdol finalists for Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Night!Photo credit: Norman Seeff pic.twitter.com/tohJQTrEEa
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The deal aligns with companies across Hollywood stepping back from DEI policies. Parent company Paramount Global is seeking regulatory approval of its proposed merger with Skydance.
By
Winston Cho
CBS Studios has settled a lawsuit from a script coordinator for SEAL Team, who accused parent company Paramount of carrying illegal diversity quotas that discriminate against straight white men.
Lawyers for both sides on Friday informed the court of a deal to settle the case. They noted that the “action and all claims and defenses asserted therein, be dismissed with prejudice,” meaning the lawsuit can't be refiled, according to the filing. Terms of the agreement weren't disclosed.
The settlement aligns with companies across Hollywood rethinking diversity, equity and inclusion policies amid a larger retreat from initiatives under that label in the private sector driven by the government. That includes Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount, which earlier this year eliminated staffing goals tied to race, ethnicity, sex and gender. The company also stopped collecting gender and diversity data for most U.S. job applicants and tying its employee incentive program to DEI goals, pointing to the U.S. Supreme Court striking down race-conscious admissions in universities and federal mandates that “require changes in the way our company approaches inclusion moving forward.”
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Some of those policies came under the spotlight last year when SEAL Team script coordinator Brian Beneker alleged in a lawsuit filed in California federal court that he was repeatedly denied a staff writer job after the implementation of an “illegal policy of race and sex balancing” that allegedly promoted the hiring of less qualified applicants from certain groups, namely those who identify as minorities, LGBTQ or women. He sought at least $500,000, as well as a court order making him a full-time producer on the series and barring the further use of discriminatory hiring practices.
The court overseeing the case later rebuffed Paramount's bid to dismiss the case.
Paramount Global and CBS Studios have agreed to a settlement in a lawsuit America First Legal brought on behalf of our client Brian Beneker. America First Legal is pleased to see Paramount and CBS publicly back off their DEI requirements and return to merit-based considerations. Diversity quotas that discriminate on the basis of race are unlawful. Others in the entertainment industry should take note.
The lawsuit was settled as Paramount Global continues to seek regulatory approval of its proposed merger with Skydance. FCC commissioner Brendan Carr, who sent a letter to Comcast in February saying that he was investigating DEI policies, has asserted his authority over the sale due to the transfer of broadcast licenses. The agency continues to investigate CBS News' handling of a 60 Minutes interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Beneker was represented by America First Legal Foundation, a conservative group founded by White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. The firm, which was joined by JW Howard Attorneys, has brought federal complaints against major companies, including Starbucks, Morgan Stanley and BlackRock, arguing that corporate diversity and hiring practices run afoul of civil rights laws. It has targeted allegedly discriminatory hiring quotas at Disney, specifically a provision requiring that at least half of producer and writing staff come from underrepresented group that the company rolled back earlier this year.
In a statement, Nick Barry, a lawyer for Beneker, said, America First Legal is pleased to see Paramount and CBS publicly back off their DEI requirements and return to merit-based considerations.” He added, “Diversity quotas that discriminate on the basis of race are unlawful. Others in the entertainment industry should take note.”
The settlement was reached as President Donald Trump's administration continues to campaign against DEI programs in the media and entertainment sector. Carr in March urged the agency's enforcement arm to open an investigation into Disney and ABC over whether the companies maintains discriminatory policies through racial quotas, among other things.
Paramount and CBS declined to comment. Lawyers for Beneker didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.
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[Editor's note: The following interview contains spoilers for “Yellowjackets” Season 3, Episode 10.]
“Yellowjackets” fans are still hard at work choking down that devastating Season 3 finale. But for Showtime‘s favorite frog scientist, Ashley Sutton, more theories about the cliffhanger episode — and the popular series' shadowy future — are as welcome as free samples in a field study.
“My intention the last year and a half has been to really dive into every character and work on auditions,” the actress told IndieWire. “Just fully lean in and create these people's lives from scratch, so you can really find the human connection with them. I did that with Hannah, and I actually got the opportunity to play her and this crazy arc that she's on.”
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“She's kind of all over the place,” Sutton admitted, describing a rich relationship with the material first imagined by series co-creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson. The duo share executive producer and showrunner duties with Jonathan Lisco. “But you don't often get opportunities to fall into a character so deeply,” Sutton said, “and work with so many other people who are doing such deep character work.”
A fan of “Yellowjackets” long before she got cast, Sutton auditioned to be one of the teen soccer players years ago — but missed her flight, so to speak. After getting the chance again in Season 3, with a part she felt was even more right for her, Sutton was “just happy” to learn that Hannah, her research partner Edwin (Nelson Franklin), and wilderness guide Kodiak (Joel McHale) were going to find the soccer team and the site of the Flight 2525 plane crash. Getting to play that poor woman, she said, was a bonus.
“I felt like we would be a little delusional to think that there's nobody else in the wilderness,” Sutton said — taking the classic “X-Files” approach to a question about “Yellowjackets” believability. “That just seems closed-minded in some sense. Of course people would be out there and of course they stumble on this wilderness camp. That just makes good television. And it could really happen!”
Speaking with IndieWire, Sutton further unpacked “Yellowjackets” world-building, teased her other projects (did you know she was in Ryan Murphy's “Monsters”?), and shared her hopes for a version of the hit cannibalism dramedy featuring a rendition of Hannah — from before or even after she's croaked.
The following interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
IndieWire: Tell me about your reaction to the finale script and the role your character played in ultimately getting the rescue across the finish line. What did you make of that reveal?
Ashley Sutton: I read the script four times. I read it the first time all the way through, and then I was like, ‘Wait a minute, I need to read this again.' As a fan of the show, this is a pivotal moment that we've all been wanting to know how it played out and how they make connections to the outside. So I was really excited that it was happening in general, just in the “Yellowjackets” world. The fact that Hannah got to be a part of it was cool because she's new. She kind of messes up by murdering Kodi, and now she has a little bit of a redemption to help the Yellowjackets go home, which I really felt in Episode 10. That moment with Sophie Thatcher at the tree. Hannah would sacrifice herself to save all of these kids, because at the end of the day, they're just kids that are trapped in this really traumatic experience.
Hannah does choose to “fall in” with the Yellowjackets and their society as it exists. What did you make of that characterization, playing an adult woman and mother who falls prey to teenagers?
I really focused on how traumatic it would've been for Hannah as a young kid to have been pregnant and dealing with real adult issues at such a young age — where that didn't really give her the chance to grow up. She's maybe living a little sheltered of a life, and so when she's thrown back into this high school-esque environment, she gets to relive that experience again in a different way, in a more powerful way, because now she has so much life experience and she's learned so much and she's grown and she's really, really smart. She's always been really, really smart, so this is just a chance for her to relive it. I also think part of her wants that acceptance because maybe she didn't get it when she was in high school.
The reveal that it's Hannah and not Natalie standing in front of Shauna during the finale is such an amazing moment, and I love that smirk that you do. How did you prepare for that beat? Was it something that came together in the moment, or did you think about it ahead of time?
It came in the moment working with [showrunner Bart Nickerson], who was the director for the finale. We did it a couple of different ways. He was like, “Lead with you being shocked that she found out.” We started the take over again and then that smirk is just kind of what came out. Internally, I was feeling like it was a, “Checkmate, Shauna” moment. “You think you can boss all of these kids around and control them and not let them go home, but I'm not going to let you do that. Checkmate, we're coming for you.”
That moment is a long time coming, even if Hannah is a newer addition to the “Yellowjackets” universe. Tell me about your history with the show.
I was lucky enough to audition for [co-creators/showrunners Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickers] for a few different projects that they've worked on over the years. It's a special thing when people believe in you and believe in your art and the timing works out and the character works out and it just is all so right. I auditioned for the pilot five years ago and I remember reading the script, just laughing. It's so dark and spooky, but also funny and campy, and I love that as an actor and as a fa. It's the stuff I'm most drawn to because I think we're all both of those things — funny and dark, serious and silly.
I didn't end up booking for the pilot, which was sad at the time, but I became a huge fan of the show. When Hannah came out, my manager was like, “Hey, there's another opportunity. It really fits you. It fits you more than the other one. I'm going to try to get you in front of casting.” And she did. I auditioned a couple of times through self-tape. Then, Ashley and Bart called me and they were like, “Hey, do you want to come to Canada?” And I was like, “Yes, immediately. Please.” [Laughter.]
I was shocked to find out that the frog scientists were in Ashley and Bart's original series pitch to Showtime. Did you know the specifics of the part when you were going out for it?
Those were the sides I got! So, the side that I got for the audition was the tent scene with Hannah and Kodiak (Joel McHale) and Edwin (Nelson Franklin) — and I believe that's what Nelson auditioned with as well. So I knew she was a frog scientist. I didn't really know anything about what was going to happen with the wilderness timeline, but I assumed that they would cross paths with them. At that point, though it really was just that she was a scientist, and she was a little naive. She was with these two guys in the wilderness, and they had the satellite phone, so I did know that they had this device that could lead to communication to the outside world, but that was about it.
How was working with Joel McHale and finding your characters' dynamic ahead of Episode 9?
Joel just kind of showed up and he was Kodi. He just had this arrogant standoffishness about him in the character — not as a person! He's the most lovely, funniest person in real life. But as a character, he just nailed Kodi. So it was easy to play off that and the little flirting with him because he is the definition of wilderness mountain man.
Edwin is the complete opposite of any of that and really not dealing very well with the wilderness aspect of everything well. So as we're moving through the story, and we're running, Kodi's trying to save Hannah, she realizes, “I can only save myself.” And so, she runs off in a different direction. There's also a gunshot in Episode 7, when Hannah think that Kodi has died and she's all alone — but he comes back.
I think Hannah is just dealing with so much doubt with because of Edwin and he's playing in her head over and over and over again. I really think that's a part of grief. When you lose someone, you often think about the last things they've said to you over and over and over again, and Hannah's really doing that and trying to come to terms with Edwin not being there anymore, but also really trying to listen to him just in case he was right.
That's what places all this doubt in Kodi. She just doesn't trust him. She doesn't know him. When Shauna finds them with the knife in that moment, for Hann, it's really, “Either it's going to be him, or it's going to be me and Natalie. And I can't let it be me, and I definitely can't let it be Natalie.” Because Hannah sees that she is clearly the other leader in this group, the leader of the people that actually want to make it home. So she makes a snap decision that Kodi has to go.
And he, uh, calls her such a derogatory word in that moment too. She's pretty angry.
If Hannah makes it back for “Yellowjackets” Season 4, what are your hopes for the character?
I would love to explore the past of Hannah. I think it would be really interesting to see some flashbacks, maybe with her and Edwin, kind of how we saw with Coach Ben and his partner in Season 2. I think it would be really cool just to see where she's come from a little bit more. So that people understand why she is the way she is now and why she has so much grit and why she's fighting so hard.
It's so beautiful to see these characters and what makes them them. As artists, we understand it sometimes on a deeper level, but I think it's beautiful for the fans to experience that too. So I would love to see more past stuff. It would be really cool to see her in the future too, but whether or not she makes it out of the wilderness, that's not necessarily up to me. That's up to the writers and we've already seen her obituary, but I mean… she could haunt somebody. That would be extremely fun to haunt someone in the present-day timeline. I know I would really enjoy that.
Crawling through your IMDB, it's fun to see you were in “Monsters” recently. What's next for you?
I have some things in the works that I can't really talk about. I know, I know, everything is so secretive. It's such a hard job sometimes. But I loved working on “Monsters.” I love working with Ryan Murphy. I've auditioned for so many of his shows, and that's just another genre world that I love to fall into.
I just love spooky horror-esque type show and psychological thrillers. So, more of that murder mystery stuff would be so up my alley, and I really can't wait to get back on set. It's such a beautiful experience to create art with hundreds and hundreds of people. At the end, audiences see the actors on the screen, but so many people have put their art there to produce what is on the screen — whether that's hair, makeup, wardrobe, props, the people that are working with the camera, and feeding us. All of these people, they're at the peak of their art form, and it's really beautiful to be in that creative space.
That overlap, between horror and camp, is very much a Ryan Murphy thing and very much a “Yellowjackets” thing. Why do you think that blend is working so well for audiences right now?
Man, part of me feels like the world is kind of scary, so sometimes watching horror and scary stuff on the screen, it makes it easier to deal with the horrors of the world that we've going on right now. And the campiness just brings a silliness to it. We're so complex. We're like an onion. We have so many layers to us. And there's so much darkness and light in each of us, and I think it's important for projects like this to exist so we can understand that we're not just all good things, and that we're not just all bad things. We are this balance of both things.
I can't believe you just paraphrased “Shrek” to me.
[Laughter.] Look, I use it all the time because it's so true! These kinds of projects really highlight the true humanness to us. They don't sugarcoat it with “Yellowjackets.” This is real and raw, and yes, it's a little bit of female rage, but it's also just rage at its core. We all have these complex emotions inside of us, and I think these storytellers in particular really highlight the balance of what it is to be a human being.
That's really fun to watch because I think the perfection — or, at least, I hope that the perfection that has been pushed in our faces for years and years — is kind of dying off. People are realizing that we don't have to be perfect. We just have to show up as we are, who we are, and that is important. That's what the world needs is for each of us to be who we're supposed to be.
So, in your case, a frog scientist. What's the most fun frog fact you learned while making the show?
Oh my gosh. Wow. Oh, man. I don't know if I learned any fun frog facts! I was just reading a book on cannibalism. I found this book that's not about human cannibalism. It's just cannibalism in the animal kingdom, and I was just shocked that a lot of animals eat the weakest of their kind. That's so messed up in so many ways. It really helped me get into the scientist brain of like, “OK, well this is normal in the animal world, and they're all very primal right now.” Yeah, animals have been doing this forever.
“Yellowjackets” Season 3 is now streaming with Showtime and Paramount+.
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Chad Archibald's latest tale of terror is It Feeds, and it's terrifying audiences across North America. Archibald rewrites the supernatural horror film to craft something entertaining, scary, and even a little heartbreaking. Audiences who have been lucky enough to see it in theaters have watched the film from the edge of their seats, which you can see in the film's new trailer below!
It Feeds tells the harrowing story of a young girl who insists that a malevolent entity is feeding on her. Ashley Greene portrays a clairvoyant therapist who must confront her own personal demons to save the girl before she is consumed completely. Shawn Ashmore takes on the role of the anguished father, desperately struggling to protect his daughter.
It Feeds is a good old-fashioned scary movie that reinvigorates supernatural horror without rewriting the script. It's familiar but modern, stylish, and well-curated, a fascinating world with an eerie vibe that leaks into every frame.
Greene and Ashmore star in It Feeds with Ellie O'Brien, Shayelin Martin, Julian Richings, Juno Rinaldi, and Mark Taylor. Archibald also wrote the script for the film.
It Feeds is out now on VOD.
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NASA's Perseverance rover on Mars has discovered unusual "float" rocks on the rim of Jezero Crater while searching for signs of ancient microbial life. Scientists are investigating their origin.
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NASA's Perseverance Mars rover has come across several unusual rocks that don't seem to be in their original place.
Perseverance is currently searching for signs of ancient life in the hills and rocky outcrops along the rim of the Jezero Crater — a barren, bowl-shaped depression north of the Martian equator that scientists suspect held a huge lake billions of years ago. Since December 2024, the rover has been trekking down a tall slope called Witch Hazel Hill, which scientists hope will provide clues about Mars' past climate.
On April 11, Perseverance paused at a visually distinct geological boundary where light and dark rock outcrops meet. Here, one particular rock, which scientists nicknamed "Skull Hill," stood out against the surrounding light-toned, rock-riddled surface due to its dark color, angular shape and pitted texture, according to a NASA blog post.
Related: Perseverance rover spots peculiar 'spider egg' rock on Mars — and scientists have no idea how it got there
The region, called Port Anson, contains several such rocks that may have been transported from elsewhere, scientists said. Known as "floats," these loose rocks likely traveled vast distances billions of years ago when Mars possessed a warmer, wetter environment with rivers, lakes and potentially even oceans. As the water receded and softer surrounding material eroded over eons, the more resilient rocks remained perched on the Martian soil.
"We've found a few of these dark-toned floats in the Port Anson region," the post noted. "The team is working to better understand where these rocks came from and how they got here."
According to the post, the pits on Skull Hill may have formed in a couple of ways. Small pieces within Skull Hill itself might have become loose and eroded away, leaving the holes. Another possibility is that Martian winds, carrying tiny dust and rock particles, could have acted like sandpaper, slowly wearing away the rock's surface and creating the pits.
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The dark tone of Skull Hill and similar rocks could suggest they are meteorites, but recent analysis of their chemical data from Perseverance's SuperCam instrument indicates their composition doesn't match that of a typical meteorite.
Alternatively, these dark rocks could have a volcanic origin. On both Earth and Mars, minerals like olivine, pyroxene and biotite are known to give igneous rocks their dark color. If these rocks are indeed igneous, they might have come from nearby volcanic rock formations that have eroded away, or they could have been blasted out of the ground by an impact crater that excavated deeper volcanic layers.
"Luckily for us, the rover has instruments that can measure the chemical composition of rocks on Mars," according to the post. "Understanding the composition of these darker-toned floats will help the team to interpret the origin of this unique rock."
In the past few months, Perseverance has collected samples of five rocks, analyzed seven others in detail and zapped 83 more with its laser for remote study — the robotic explorer's fastest pace of scientific data collection since landing on Mars four years ago, representatives of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said in another statement.
Mission scientists noted that it often takes months of searching the crater to find a scientifically unique rock worth sampling. On the crater rim, however, Perseverance is encountering new and intriguing rocks at every turn, according to the statement.
—NASA may have unknowingly found and killed alien life on Mars 50 years ago, scientist claims
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—Life on Mars could survive — so long as you're one of these strange, hybrid lifeforms
"Crater rims — you gotta love 'em," Katie Morgan, Perseverance's project scientist at JPL, said in the statement. "The last four months have been a whirlwind for the science team, and we still feel that Witch Hazel Hill has more to tell us — it has been all we had hoped for and more."
Scientists are keen to get the samples Perseverance has collected back to Earth to determine if life ever existed on Mars. However, NASA's Mars Sample Return mission is facing significant challenges with budget, timelines and technical complexities, leaving its future uncertain.
Sharmila Kuthunur is a Seattle-based science journalist focusing on astronomy and space exploration. Her work has also appeared in Scientific American, Astronomy and Space.com, among other publications. She has earned a master's degree in journalism from Northeastern University in Boston. Follow her on BlueSky @skuthunur.bsky.social
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U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) speaks at a press conference at the U.S. Capitol Building on May 18, 2023 in Washington, DC.
ATLANTA - Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, has become one of the most polarizing figures in American politics, frequently drawing national attention for her inflammatory rhetoric, conspiracy theories, and provocative social media posts.
Since taking office in 2021, Greene has made a series of controversial remarks and false claims—ranging from denying mass shootings and promoting debunked conspiracies to making offensive comments about race, religion, and gender identity.
Her most recent controversial statement was made within a few hours of Pope Francis' death on April 21. In a post on X, Greene wrote: "Today, there were major shifts in global leaderships. Evil is being defeated by the hand of God." Although Greene did not name the pope, many people assumed her post was about the popular pontiff.
RELATED: Marjorie Taylor Greene makes controversial X post following Pope Francis' death
"Jewish Space Lasers" and California WildfiresClaimed the 2018 Camp Fire was caused by a space laser controlled by Jewish elites and California's governor to clear land for a high-speed rail project. SOURCE
"Frazzledrip" and Child Sacrifice ConspiracyEndorsed a conspiracy alleging Hillary Clinton and Huma Abedin filmed themselves sexually assaulting and mutilating a child in a satanic ritual involving adrenochrome. SOURCE
False Flag Mass Shooting AllegationsClaimed the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, Charlottesville rally, and Christchurch mosque attacks were false-flag operations meant to promote gun control. SOURCE
Denial of Muslim Reps' LegitimacyArgued that Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib were not official members of Congress because they didn't swear in on the Bible. SOURCE
9/11 TrutherismSuggested a plane never hit the Pentagon and implied the U.S. government was behind the attacks. SOURCE
Ruth Bader Ginsburg Body Double ClaimClaimed Justice Ginsburg had died earlier and was replaced by a body double. SOURCE
Seth Rich and Obama ConspiracyClaimed MS-13 killed DNC staffer Seth Rich on Barack Obama's orders and that Obama is secretly Muslim. SOURCE
Parkland and Sandy Hook "False Flags"Suggested both mass shootings were staged to promote gun control. SOURCE
Pelosi-Hillary "School Shooting" QuoteAlleged Nancy Pelosi told Hillary Clinton, "We need another school shooting," with no supporting evidence. SOURCE
Violence Against DemocratsSuggested Pelosi should be executed for treason and "liked" a post calling for a bullet to her head. SOURCE
Harassment of Parkland SurvivorHarassed David Hogg, calling him "#littleHitler" and accusing him of being Soros-funded. SOURCE
Hurricane Helene ResponsePushed the conspiracy theory that Washington used weather control technology to steer Helene towards Republican voters in order to tilt the presidential election toward Democrat Kamala Harris. SOURCE
Racist StatementsSuggested affirmative action unfairly benefits Black women and called white males the "most mistreated group." SOURCE
Attacks on Obama and Identity PoliticsClaimed Obama only won because of his skin color and that Democrats use identity politics to divide. SOURCE
Muslim DiscriminationOpposed Muslim lawmakers using the Quran for their oath and criticized Rep. Ilhan Omar's headscarf. SOURCE
Anti-LGBTQ AdvocacyOpposed the Equality Act and pride flags at U.S. embassies, and misgendered Rep. Marie Newman's transgender daughter. SOURCE
Holocaust ComparisonsEquated mask mandates and vaccine requirements to the persecution of Jews during the Holocaust. SOURCE
COVID-19 Vaccine MisinformationCompared vaccine outreach to Nazi "medical brown shirts" and spread unsubstantiated claims about side effects. SOURCE
Plan B MisrepresentationClaimed Plan B kills a baby in the womb, despite it working to prevent ovulation. SOURCE
Accusation Against Rep. Eric SwalwellClaimed, without evidence, that Swalwell had an affair with a Chinese spy. SOURCE
Alleged Affairs and Personal ScandalsFaced scrutiny over reports of extramarital affairs, which she has denied. SOURCE
Information for this story came from a variety of sources, all of which are linked above).
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Videos of chimpanzees sharing alcoholic fruit suggest that this behavior could have led to feasting in humans, a new study finds.
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Chimps have been spotted sharing alcoholic food for the first time, hinting that ancient ape behaviors gave rise to social drinking in humans.
Researchers filmed the boozing chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) gorging on fermented fruit in West Africa as part of a new study exploring alcohol consumption in one of our closest living relatives. The footage is the first evidence that nonhuman great apes consume alcohol together, supporting the idea that social aspects of consuming alcohol are deeply rooted in the ape family tree.
Humans have a history of gathering together to eat, drink and be merry. This feasting behavior has a number of social benefits and can help boost social bonds — though drinking alcohol also carries health risks. Now, the footage of chimps sharing fermented fruits has left researchers wondering whether chimps get similar social benefits from consuming alcohol in a group.
"Chimps don't share food all the time, so this behaviour with fermented fruit might be important," study co-author Kimberley Hockings, an associate professor in conservation science at the University of Exeter in the U.K., said in a statement. "We need to find out more about whether they deliberately seek out ethanolic [alcoholic] fruits and how they metabolise it, but this behaviour could be the early evolutionary stages of 'feasting'."
The researchers published their findings Monday (April 21) in the journal Current Biology.
Related: 'Contagious' peeing may have deep evolutionary roots, chimp study suggests
Alcohol consumption is likely common in the natural world. Lots of wild foods, including fruit, sap and nectar, contain the kind of alcohol humans put in drinks (ethanol) and thus will be ingested by many animals, including primates.
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Humans have been producing and drinking alcoholic beverages for around 9,000 years. However, our ancestors — and the ancestors of chimps — developed an enhanced ability to metabolize alcohol around 10 million years ago. This adaptation suggests that alcohol consumption is an ancient ape behavior.
To learn more about how chimpanzees consume alcohol, the researchers observed chimps eating naturally fermenting fruit from African breadfruit trees (Treculia africana) in the Cantanhez National Park in Guinea-Bissau. The team used camera traps to film the chimps eating and analyzed the alcohol content in the fruit.
The researchers observed the chimps sharing African breadfruit on 10 separate occasions and found that 90% of this shared fruit contained alcohol. The alcohol content wasn't high by human standards, with a maximum of 0.61% alcohol by volume (ABV) — a beer is usually around 5% ABV. However, the impact of alcohol on a chimp's metabolism is unknown, and they might not need as much as we do to feel a buzz.
—'Hostilities began in an extremely violent way': How chimp wars taught us murder and cruelty aren't just human traits
—Chimps go through menopause. That could shed light on how it evolved in humans.
—Chimps use military tactic only ever seen in humans before
A chimp's diet can be up to 85% fruit, so if plenty of that is fermented, then they may be consuming significant amounts of alcohol. That said, the researchers noted that the chimps probably aren't getting drunk, as that would be detrimental to their survival chances, according to the statement.
The study also highlighted that chimps gain benefits from consuming fermented fruit that have nothing to do with alcohol consumption. For example, the exterior of fermented fruit is softer than less ripened fruit, so chimps find it easier to open and eat.
While the researchers said their study supports the idea that alcohol consumption is rooted in ape evolutionary history, they noted that more work is needed to fully understand the social side of alcohol consumption.
Patrick Pester is the trending news writer at Live Science. His work has appeared on other science websites, such as BBC Science Focus and Scientific American. Patrick retrained as a journalist after spending his early career working in zoos and wildlife conservation. He was awarded the Master's Excellence Scholarship to study at Cardiff University where he completed a master's degree in international journalism. He also has a second master's degree in biodiversity, evolution and conservation in action from Middlesex University London. When he isn't writing news, Patrick investigates the sale of human remains.
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Travis Holp is a psychic medium and spiritual guide whose brand is built on positivity.
Travis Holp is a psychic medium and spiritual guide whose brand is built on positivity.
Travis Holp is a psychic medium and spiritual guide whose brand is built on positivity.
Travis Holp is a psychic medium and spiritual guide whose brand is built on positivity.
I'll admit it — I went in skeptical.
When I joined Travis Holp, a psychic medium and spiritual guide, on a recent Zoom call, I did my best to give nothing. I sat in front of a blank wall. I kept my responses short. I tried not to nod or gesture or reveal anything through my facial expressions.
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
Where: Improv Houston, 7620 Katy Fwy., Ste. 455
Tickets: $50 (table for two) and up; improvtx.com
MORE FROM JOEY GUERRA: Selena's legacy lives on in unexpected places, from TikTok to college campuses to Drake's T-shirt
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Without giving away specifics about our interaction, I will say I was surprised. Not by what he said, necessarily, but by how it made me feel. There is still a lot of emotion surrounding specific moments in my life, and he somehow seemed able to tap into something that felt geuine.
Holp works in the evidential, meaning he delivers specific pieces of information that the person receiving can verify, often without being provided any prior details. His client list includes Carnie Wilson and Belinda Carlisle, and he has almost 1 million followers on TikTok and Instagram, where he delivers daily messages to his fanbase.
He's known as the "Warrior Unicorn" because of his unwaveringly positive outlook, identity as a gay man and work with the LGBTQ+ community. Holp's first book, "Are You There, Spirit? It's Me, Travis," will be released in November. He'll be here Wednesday at the Improv as part of The Dead Serious Tour, where he'll conduct live readings and share stories from his life.
I used to read tarot, and one day back in 2020 I was giving a reading to a woman whose uncle had departed. I kept hearing "Buck" over and over in my head and I finally asked, "Who is Buck to you?" She started crying and shared that was her uncle's name who passed. I've been on a journey of delivering messages from spirits ever since.
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I hear, I see, I feel and I know. And so when I'm delivering messages or giving a reading, the spirit communicator is giving me all of this info that I then deliver to the person I'm reading for.
Travis Holp is a psychic medium and spiritual guide whose brand is built on positivity.
I wish more people understood that we can all do this. We all have the ability to connect with energy. It's not a special talent, rather an ability and is incredibly normal.
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Of course, and I can usually tell when that's happening. I politely let the person know that I'm not there to impress them and that my job is simply deliver messages that let them know that their loved ones are with them. That usually helps them be more open. I don't pressure myself to "prove" anything.
They absolutely give closure for those here in the living, but they also have fantastic advice. They now have access to so much wisdom, and they want to share that with us here.
Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries! I love helping people, but I also have to give myself boundaries and say no when I'm feeling depleted, or make sure I'm taking care of myself, too. It's been one of my toughest lessons, and I work on it constantly.
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Meditate. I can't stress that enough. We all have powerful wisdom within us, and if we take time to be still, these abilities will grow.
Travis Holp is a psychic medium and spiritual guide whose brand is built on positivity.
One thing is the evidence they are able to bring forward from the soul, such as who they were, names, dates, what was their personality like, etc. Whether it's my live events or one-on-one readings, I always ask the soul of the departed to give me as much evidence about them or the person I'm delivering messages to.
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If it's coming up in a reading, they're ready. It may not be easy, but I trust that if the spirit is bringing it through, it's ready to be heard and received. I always approach sensitive information with empathy and compassion.
I love this question! Here's my top five:
Joey Guerra is the music critic for the Houston Chronicle. He also covers various aspects of pop culture. He has reviewed hundreds of concerts and interviewed hundreds of celebrities, from Taylor Swift to Dolly Parton to Beyonce. He's appeared as a regular correspondent on Fox26 and was head judge and director of the Pride Superstar singing competition for a decade. He has been named journalist of the year multiple times by both OutSmart Magazine and the FACE Awards. He also covers various aspects of pop culture, including the local drag scene and "RuPaul's Drag Race."
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The beginning of the space age is generally dated to the Soviet Union's launch of the first Sputnik probe in 1957. But that event was ten years behind a space age of the imagination that had begun on June 24, 1947. On that date, while searching for a downed plane between Chehalis and Yakima, Washington, private pilot Kenneth Arnold saw a group of nine disklike objects flying in the vicinity of Mount Rainier. He estimated their speed to be approximately 1,700 miles per hour, twice the air speed record for a jet plane at the time. Arnold compared their shape to that of a pie plate, but newspapers picked up a different term for their headlines, from Arnold's comment that they moved “like a saucer would if you skipped it across the water.”
The Associated Press picked up the story, which appeared in newspapers across the country. Other mysterious sightings preceded Arnold's, but this was the moment when “flying saucers” became an American cultural phenomenon. Dozens of reported sightings followed throughout the summer of 1947.
Many witnesses reported these sightings to the Army Air Force, in addition to the local and national news, in hope that the government might be able to identify the objects. But one notable event was reported instead to Raymond Palmer, editor of the science fiction magazine Amazing Stories. Fred Lee Crisman and Howard Dahl told Palmer that, three days before Arnold's sighting, they had witnessed a group of donut-shaped craft over the Puget Sound near Maury Island. One of the objects ejected hot metal debris into the water, damaging their boat, injuring Dahl's son, and killing their dog. To investigate the incident, Palmer hired someone he knew who was both local to the area and interested in strange aerial sightings: Kenneth Arnold himself.
Arnold detailed his investigation in The Coming of the Saucers, a 1952 book coauthored with Palmer. The story is filled with strange occurrences, including mysterious black- clad strangers, abandoned buildings, and disappearing samples of saucer debris, and ends with the plane crash that killed two army intelligence officers sent to investigate the Maury Island event. The Army Air Force ultimately determined that the sighting was a hoax, but the narrative of the events and their investigation set a template that has echoed throughout UFO history.
Crisman and Dahl chose Palmer as the recipient of their report for good reason: He had been deliberately blurring the line between science fiction and outrageous fact for years. Palmer saw these mysterious aerial objects as a natural sequel to the phenomenon to which he had devoted many pages of Amazing Stories during the mid-1940s. Branded by Palmer as “the Shaver Mystery,” the subject was inaugurated in the February 1945 issue, which carried the novella I Remember Lemuria! by a new author, Richard Shaver.
This story — and dozens more by Shaver that followed — concerned the distant past of planet Earth that the author claimed were true, having been communicated to him as “thought records” through his contact with mysterious subterranean creatures. Shaver believed that there exists below Earth's surface a complex world of caverns, altogether larger than the surface world above, inhabited by a malevolent race of beings he called “dero” (short for “detrimental robots”) and their benign but powerless counterparts, the “tero” (for “integrative robots”). The dero could affect events in the world above through the use of ancient ray weapons, which they used to torment surface dwellers. Through communications with these beings, Shaver had recovered an ancient language he called Mantong, a sort of substitution cipher he used for interpreting the occult meaning of words in any language. Palmer backed up Shaver's claims and opened up the reader letter section to those who claimed similar experiences. Among the correspondents reporting encounters with dero was Fred Crisman, who provided Palmer with dramatic accounts of a subterranean firefight with a group of dero beneath the Karakoram Mountains during the Second World War and a later deadly expedition to an Alaskan cavern.
The sensationalistic Shaver Mystery dominated the pages of Amazing Stories for four years, massively increasing circulation but also leading to a harsh backlash in the small but vocal world of science fiction fandom, perhaps in part because, as [the author] Andrew May notes, the Shaver stories attracted an educationally and socioeconomically diverse group of readers who threatened fandom's self- conception as an intellectual elite. In late 1947, under pressure from both his publishers and fandom, Palmer left Amazing Stories. Made a pariah in the world of science fiction, he quickly branched out into a parallel field: stories of the paranormal.
By the end of 1947, the United States Air Force — as of September, an independent branch of the armed forces — had received enough reports of flying saucers to devote resources to their investigation. Major General L. C. Craigie, director of research and development, approved a study group under the classified code name Project Sign; the group began its work in January 1948.
The same month saw the next major saucer incident, when Kentucky Air National Guardsman Thomas F. Mantell, Jr., perished in a plane crash while pursuing an unidentified object in the skies near Franklin, Kentucky. The object was later determined to have been a Skyhook balloon — a classified high-altitude reconnaissance device. But the official Air Force statement, designed to protect the top-secret balloon project, was that Mantell had mistaken the planet Venus for a flying saucer. This explanation proved difficult for the public to accept. Some trusted that the Air Force was investigating these sightings seriously and would soon issue a definitive public statement on the matter. Others were not so sure.
Into the information void surrounding the saucers stepped Ray Palmer. In spring 1948, the Clark Publishing Company issued the first issue of his new venture, Fate Magazine. Fate had tantalizing covers of supposedly real but inexplicable events — the “damned facts” or “data that Science has excluded” that Charles Hay Fort explored in his 1919 work, Book of the Damned.
The cover story of the premiere issue was Kenneth Arnold's first-hand account of his sighting the year before, under the title “I Did See the Flying Disks!” Nearly a third of the first issue concerns flying saucers. There is a long narrative of the Maury Island incident alongside reports of other strange occurrences and mystical ideas, including automatic writing, radio signals from Mars, and prehistoric giants. In light of the new wave of mysterious sightings, saucer investigators reinterpreted older phenomena, including the “foo fighters” reported by some World War II pilots and a series of mysterious airships that appeared in newspaper reports in the late nineteenth century.
Project Sign members were unable to come to a consensus on an explanation for the sightings they reviewed, but believed that continued investigation would be valuable. In February 1949 Sign was replaced by Project Grudge. Though Air Force project names are generally assigned at random, the classified name of the new project suggests a change in philosophy. Where Sign had sought to collect data on sightings of unidentified objects, Grudge's goal was to explain them away. To this end, Grudge cooperated in the production of a two-part article by Sidney Shalett, published in the April 30 and May 7 issues of the Saturday Evening Post, which sought to offer terrestrial explanations for the objects that saucer witnesses had seen and to dismiss the rest as hoaxes or the reports of crackpots. Instead of diminishing the number of reported sightings, the Post article was followed by a large spike in new saucer reports.
Shortly after Shalett's article, journalist and former pilot Donald Keyhoe was hired to write an article for True Magazine, which believed the Air Force was hiding something about flying saucers. His article, “Flying Saucers Are Real,” appeared in the January 1950 issue, and he expanded it into a paperback that spring — the first book-length treatment of flying saucers.
Keyhoe quickly became the most prominent proponent of an increasingly popular theory about the origins of flying saucers: that they originate on another world. Later ufologists called this the “extraterrestrial hypothesis,” or ETH, and it quickly emerged as the dominant metanarrative of the early 1950s. Keyhoe also argued that the government was covering up what it knew about the saucers and their origin, and thus the second major metanarrative, conspiracism, went hand in hand with the first.
The second flying saucer book, Frank Scully's Behind the Flying Saucers, was based in large part on the story of the crash of a flying saucer near Aztec, New Mexico, and the retrieval of the bodies of several extraterrestrials from the wreckage. The book became a bestseller, but the story was soon revealed as a hoax perpetrated upon Scully by two con men named Silas Newton and Leo GeBauer (the book's anonymized witness, “Dr. Gee”) as part of an oil prospecting scam. Crashed saucers would nonetheless emerge decades later as another major metanarrative.
The Air Force ended Project Grudge, replacing it in early 1952 with a new project that would last longer than the previous two saucer projects combined: Project Blue Book. The extraterrestrial hypothesis was proving influential — a Life magazine article in April asked, “Have We Visitors from Space?”— and a new series of sightings in June and July constituted a major flap. A well- publicized evening of visual and radar sightings in Washington, DC, made front-page news across the country.
The Air Force's explanations of these events were beginning to backfire, leaving many members of the public to speculate that the government was covering up what it knew. Meanwhile, the narratives surrounding sightings were becoming more elaborate, as in the August 1952 case of scoutmaster “Sonny” Desvergers, who claimed not only to have seen a saucer, but to have climbed aboard it and scuffled with its humanoid pilots.
If there had ever been hope of the Air Force gaining control over the plot of the flying saucer story, it was gone by 1952.
The period from 1947 to 1952 shows the Air Force repeatedly attempting and failing to control the flying saucer macronarrative. The cumulative result of its efforts to provide rational explanations for sightings, its obligation to provide dishonest explanations where classified aircraft had been witnessed, and its policy of maintaining silence where a rational explanation could not be given was an erosion of public confidence in the government's ability or willingness to provide information about the mysterious sightings.
Moreover, attempts to quiet the growing saucer hysteria in the press, as in the 1949 Saturday Evening Post articles, had failed, instead increasing public awareness not only of flying saucers in general, but of the fact that some sightings remained unexplained. If there had ever been hope of the Air Force gaining control over the plot of the flying saucer story, it was gone by 1952.
One sign of this eroding confidence was the formation of civilian saucer research clubs. The first of these was Civilian Saucer Investigation, founded in December 1951 by Los Angeles–based aviation writer Ed Sullivan. The Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO), begun by Jim and Coral Lorenzen of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, followed in January 1952. The third — and the one with which [Gary] Barker was to become the most closely involved — was the International Flying Saucer Bureau (IFSB), launched by Bridgeport, Connecticut, resident Albert Bender in April, 1952.
Occult groups got involved as well, most notably the Borderland Sciences Research Associates (BSRA), which claimed psychic contact with the saucers. These occult information sources provided something that few other saucer witnesses could: firsthand knowledge of the nature of the unearthly apparitions. Project Blue Book's approach — commenting in vague and limited ways on individual sightings, often long after the media had moved on — created an information void, and an increasing number of groups and publications were on hand to provide speculative explanations, particularly for the strangest saucer narratives.
'Remain' is a supernatural thriller and love story that will come out in book form this fall, with a film to follow
Dave Allocca / StarPix; Random House; Brad Poirier
Name a more iconic duo, we'll wait.
In a one-of-a-kind collaboration, filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan and author Nicholas Sparks are teaming up to tell a multifaceted story in a new novel, due out this fall.
Remain, co-created by Shyamalan and Sparks, follows New York architect Tate Donovan as he arrives in Cape Cod to design his best friend's summer home. Donovan is looking for a fresh start after his recent discharge from a psychiatric facility where he was treated for acute depression. Still grappling with the loss of his beloved sister, Donovan meets Wren, a young woman who makes him challenge everything he knows about his logical and controlled world.
Random House
Sparks and Shyamalan are independently working on the book and a screenplay, respectively, which will follow the same original plot and characters. A feature film is still under development with a release date to be announced, although Deadline has previously reported that Jake Gyllenhaal and Phoebe Dynevor have been tapped for the leading roles.
“Collaborating with M. Night Shyamalan has been one of the highlights of my career,” Sparks told PEOPLE in an exclusive statement. “We are excited to share the next stage in this process: the beautiful book cover, designed by my longtime cover designer Flamur Tonuzi.”
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Brad Poirier
Remain will be Sparks' twenty-sixth book, adding to his collection of New York Times bestsellers (11 of which have become films), including The Notebook, A Walk To Remember and Dear John. Sparks has amassed a global following with his books published in more than 50 languages and over 150 million copies sold worldwide.
Shyamalan is an internationally acclaimed storyteller with producing, directing and writing credits on dozens of supernatural films. His filmography, with movies like The Sixth Sense, Signs and last summer's Trap, has grossed over $3.3 billion globally.
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Dave Allocca / StarPix
Blinding Edge Pictures, Shyamalan's production company he founded in 1998, is set to produce the Remain film. Company president Ashwin Rajan is set to collaborate on the project along with Spark's longtime producing partners, Theresa Park and Marc Bienstock.
Remain comes out on Oct. 7 from Random House and is available for preorder now, wherever books are sold.
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Credits: Pepe López (Astroalcoy) with Celestron CGE Pro
A new strange UFO-like galaxy has been found by the W. M. Keck Observatory and the Gemini North telescope. The researchers have been observing the galaxy for some time now and what they have found is truly remarkable. What we understand about how a universe is created has been challenged by the discovery. The researchers have made some progress since the initial discovery that has the science world asking new questions about the ever mysterious dark matter. We have a theoretical formula for calculating dark matter in a universe, and this one is very strange.
There are a few things we have been able to observe regarding the creation of a galaxy since the advancement and innovation in the space race. The Webb telescope has given us a whole new view of space and time from the earliest viewpoints of the big bang. The Keck Observatory in Hawaii is the most advanced of its kind on earth. Innovation is in our bones it would seem.
The first of the Keck telescopes began operations in May 1993. They got their first light in 1996 and the world would never look at the night sky the same. Our understanding of the universe and nearest galaxies has changed tremendously since those days. SInce then, the Keck Observatory in Hawaii has been the place to be if you wanted to be on the forefront of astrophysics.
The new galaxy they have found has been named Dragonfly 44 and is made up of 99.9% dark matter. That is, the light matter that exists allows the researchers to calculate the amount of dark matter in a galaxy. Dragonfly 44 consists almost entirely of dark matter, something that the scientific world knows nearly nothing about. So the scientist at the Keck Observatory had to study more.
To calculate the amount of dark matter in Dragonfly 44, the researchers had to use to an instrument to measure the velocities of stars for six nights so they could determine the galaxy's mass. Once they had that information they could calculate the dark matter found in Dragonfly 44. What they found was that Dragonfly 44 had a hundred times less stars than the Milky Way. A dark place indeed.
The researchers responsible for the study has stated that the point is to get a better understanding of dark matter as we know so little about it. A new group of researchers have continued with the research and have found their own set of results. The data coming from the mysterious galaxy far, far away has huge implications on the study of dark matter and in turn the study of space.
Dragonfly 44 is part of a coma of clusters that have a lot of stars in them. The sheer size of the universe is hard for us to even comprehend, however with the new information coming from the best observatory in the world, the study of dark matter has become a more reasonable attempt to understand the universe around us. What they find next has the world speculating.
With the recent venture by a certain businessman of sending a bunch of women into space for 10 minutes as part of some odd marketing scheme, the public has been forced to ask, how far are we from actual human beings going off into the night sky and never returning? The innovation happening on earth is impressive and promising. Is it enough to power us into the stars? Could we eventually go to Dragonfly 44 and see for ourselves? The world is moving ever closer to the dream colonizing another planet, according to some.
© 2025 by Ecoportal
© 2025 by Ecoportal
By Zac Ntim, Andreas Wiseman
EXCLUSIVE: Alliance Media Partners (AMP) will rep world sales on the supernatural horror film Entity Within from producer Steven Schneider (Insidious, Paranormal Activity).
AMP will take the film to the upcoming Cannes Market. GVN Releasing is producing the film and is handling U.S. distribution.
Heather Graham (Boogie Nights) leads the cast with Nick Simon (The Girl in the Photographs) directing. The film also stars Mimi Rogers (Bosch), Morgan Peter Brown (Absentia), and Kevin Keppy (Smile).
Set in 1974 suburban Los Angeles, a single mother is violently attacked by an unseen force in her home. With no one believing her, she turns to a team of paranormal researchers, leading to one of the most documented and disturbing supernatural cases in U.S. history.
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Schneider produces alongside German Michael Torres (The Girl in the Pool) from a screenplay by Thomas Fenton (Saw IV).
“We're thrilled to be working with Heather Graham again and partnering with Nick Simon to bring Entity Within to Cannes,” said Anthony Buckner, AMP's Head of Sales, Acquisitions, and Distribution. “This is a high-concept, emotionally resonant horror film that we're excited to share with international buyers.”
Missy Valdez, GVN's Head of Production, added: “This film is based on a true story and that truth is chilling. It is an honor and a challenge to bring Doris's raw and terrifying experiences to the screen with care and dignity. So proud to be part of this film. This is an elevated horror film that blends emotional depth with real-life terror, and we believe it will deeply resonate with both genre fans and new audiences alike.”
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Two recent developments in AI and astrophysics might be crucial to humanity's quest for finding extraterrestrial life and spacecraft in the vastness of space.
One is the NASA-inspired, AI-powered infrared camera to scan the skies and detect Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). The other is the new Bern-based machine learning (ML) model to identify Earth-like exoplanets.
The Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) and the Galileo Project have introduced an infrared camera equipped with artificial intelligence called Dalek to survey the skies for alien life and spacecraft.
This multisensor Dalek IR camera aligns with specifications outlined in NASA's 2023 independent study: “Purpose-built future sensors for UAP detection… designed to adjust on millisecond timescales to aid better detection.”
The study suggested the AI camera is a “multi-modal, multi-spectral ground-based observatory to continuously monitor the sky and collect data for UAP studies via a rigorous long-term aerial census of all aerial phenomena, including natural and human-made.”
The Dalek IR camera might help researchers address the problem of the lack of publicly available scientific information on UAP.
According to Avi Loeb, Frank B. Baird Jr. Professor of Science at Harvard University and Head of the Galileo Project, in a statement, “Often U.S. government data is classified, either because it was collected by classified sensors or because it is not fully understood and could potentially be relevant for national security. When in doubt, the data is not released to the public or the scientific community.”
“However, the sky is not classified,” Loeb said. Therefore, anything that can be observed and detected with the AI camera could be shared to the public, which ensures transparency.
The project uses machine learning software to detect and systematically analyze large datasets from three observatories that capture an average of 100,000 objects a month each.
One outlier discovered would mean a scientific breakthrough in the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, an advanced technological civilization that humans can learn from.
In Europe, researchers from the Swiss University of Bern and the National Centre of Competence in Research (NCCR) PlanetS developed a machine learning model that identifies planetary systems with potentially Earth-like planets.
The team is led by Jeanne Davoult, a postdoctoral researcher at Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) in Berlin. She studied exoplanets and has developed the ML model at the Space Research and Planetary Sciences Division (WP) of the Physics Institute of the University of Bern.
“Our model is based on an algorithm that I developed and that was trained to recognize and classify planetary systems that harbor Earth-like planets,” said Davoult in a press statement.
When applied to observed planetary systems, Davoult said, “The results are impressive: the algorithm achieves precision values of up to 0.99, which means that 99% of the systems identified by the machine learning model have at least one Earth-like planet.”
Built on the existing Bern Model developed in 2003 and that is constantly updating, the new model can identify the conditions of how the planets were formed. Its algorithm is trained to infer correlations between habitable planets and the properties of their systems.
Meanwhile, 124 light-years away from Earth, an exoplanet called K2-18b orbits a star in the habitable zone, and scientists found evidence of biosignature chemicals present. The detected biosignature chemicals are similar to the chemicals made by life on Earth.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) spotted the biosignature in the atmosphere of K2-18b, suggesting promising evidence of alien life. The chemicals detected are dimethyl sulfide (DMS) and dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), molecules that are only produced by microbes. No such biosignature in the atmosphere has been detected before on any planets or moons.
JWST researchers wrote in a paper, “Recent JWST transmission spectroscopy of the candidate hycean world K2-18… We report new independent evidence for DMS and/or DMDS in the atmosphere.”
The levels of DMS and DMDS on K2-18b are 10 parts per million by volume, which is much higher than the levels found on Earth at 1 part per billion by volume.
The findings are new evidence of the potential biosphere present on K2-18b, which would be a significant development in the search for extraterrestrial life. The planet is 2.6 times the size of Earth and 8.6 times the mass located in the constellation of Leo. It potentially has an ocean and a hydrogen-rich atmosphere.
Nikku Madhusudhan, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Cambridge, said in a statement: “This is an independent line of evidence, using a different instrument than we did before and a different wavelength range of light, where there is no overlap with the previous observations.”
Automating the processes of space object detection and analysis accelerates the search for Earth-like habitable planets, such as K2-18b, outside our solar system.
A collaboration between the fields of astrophysics and AI would make the quest for extraterrestrial life and spacecraft promising as there will be more Earth-like exoplanets waiting to be discovered.
AI might just be the right tool for bridging the gap between the known and the yet unknown phenomena that lurk in that vast expanse of the universe.
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A paranormal investigator known as the “real-life Scully” who died last month was remembered as “an icon and hero within the skeptical community” credited with cracking hundreds of mysteries.
Joe Nickell called himself “the world's only full-time professional paranormal investigator,” and was known for digging into some of the world's biggest myths before he died on March 4 at the age of 80 from an undisclosed cause, according to reports.
The Skeptical Inquirer – where Nickell had worked as a columnist for decades – wrote last month that he probed various enigmas, including historical, forensic and paranormal.
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“Joe was a hands-on investigator who could be found aboard the Queen Mary looking for alleged ghosts, or in a farmer's field investigating crop circles, or roaming the shores of Loch Ness looking for Nessie, or touring China studying traditional Chinese medicine and examining the claims of Qigong masters. This barely scratches the surface,” said Barry Karr, the executive director of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, which, along with the publication, is owned by the Center for Inquiry.
“Joe was a true polymath who often left you in awe of his depth of knowledge in, it seemed, a limitless number of subjects. He was a walking and talking encyclopedia with a never-ending curiosity to know even more and bring on the next mystery!” Karr continued in a statement to the outlet.
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“What a tremendous loss. He can never be replaced.”
Karr called him an “icon and hero within the skeptical community.”
Nickell, also known as the “real life Sherlock Holmes,” told the New Yorker in 2002 that his goal was to conduct investigations with a “kinder, gentler skepticism.”
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“I'm tired of these debunkers coming by my office and saying, ‘Hey, Nickell, seen any ghosts lately? Har har har,'” he said.
“I'm not saying there's a 50-50 chance that there is a ghost in that haunted house. I think the chances are closer to 99.9 percent that there isn't. But let's go look. We might learn something interesting as hell.”
He said on his website that in contrast with “mystery-mongerers” on one side of the spectrum and “so-called debunkers” on the other side, he believed “that mysteries should actually be investigated with a view toward solving them.”
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He also listed more than 1,000 personas that helped him with his job, including magician, private investigator, federal fugitive, food-server, beer master and bigfoot hunter.
Nickell was born on Dec. 1, 1944 and died in his Buffalo, NY home, his daughter told the New York Times in an obit published this weekend.
“He didn't treat a ghost story as a ghost story or a U.F.O. story as a U.F.O. story,” Kenny Biddle, the chief investigator at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, told the Times.
“It was all a mystery. He loved sifting through the evidence, like, ‘OK, what actually happened here?'”