Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has plans to stage a "hackathon" next week in Washington, DC. The goal is to create a single "mega API" -- a bridge that lets software systems talk to one another -- for accessing IRS data, sources tell WIRED. read more
As TikTok teeters and Facebook alienates, Gen Z is rediscovering Tumblr -- a chaotic, cozy corner of the internet untouched by algorithmic gloss and influencer overload. read more
A US neo-Nazi terrorist group with a Russia-based leader is calling for targeted assassinations and attacks on the critical infrastructure of Ukraine in an effort to destabilize the country as it carries out ceasefire negotiations with the Kremlin. The Base, which has a web of cells all over the world, was founded in 2018 and became the subject of a relentless FBI counter-terrorism investigation that led to several arrests and world governments officially designating it as a terrorist organization.
The Air Force says it's again allowing airmen and civilian employees to put their preferred personal pronouns in their email signatures and correspondence, backtracking on a Trump administration restriction after recognizing that a law exists protecting the practice. read more
President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs -- and made false claims to justify them. DW fact-checked two viral ones. read more
Chief Justice John Roberts pauses order for Trump administration to return man mistakenly deported to El Salvador prison
wtop.com
OpEd: Measles Rates Hit New Record as RFK Jr. Keeps Waffling on Vaccines
www.yahoo.com
... Kennedy, who traveled to West Texas on Sunday to meet the families of the two victims, seems to at last be realizing just how deadly the infection can be, after years of downplaying its effects and spreading baseless vaccine claims, including that the vaccine is as dangerous as the infection itself.
"I came to Gaines County, Texas, today to comfort the Hildebrand family after the loss of their 8-year-old daughter Daisy," he wrote in a statement on X Sunday. "My intention was to come down here quietly to console the families and to be with the community in their moment of grief.
"The most effective way to prevent the spread of measles is the MMR vaccine," Kennedy added, admitting to the benefits of the only evidence-based method proven to prevent measles infection.
But Kennedy hasn't totally given up on his anti-vaccine agenda. Just hours after the Hildebrand family's funeral, Kennedy posted on X praising two anti-vax doctors who he claimed had cured "300 measles-stricken Mennonite children" using "aerosolized budesonide and clarithromycin." Budesonide is a corticosteroid used to treat asthma and inflammatory bowel disease, and clarithromycin is an antibacterial drug.
The health secretary has previously touted cod liver oil, which is rich in vitamin A, as a cure for the infection, despite there being little medical evidence to support the claim. In high doses, vitamin A can also lead to nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and liver damage, which has been
recorded in the lab work of some of the 50 children who have been hospitalized for measles in Texas.
In his statement, Kennedy said HHS is partnering with Texas health officials to better "control the measles outbreak," as well as deploy CDC teams across the state. It's a long-awaited response from the HHS, but it's too little too late for some. ...
How Apple 'flew' 5 flights full of iPhones from India and China in 3 days to beat Trump Tariffs
timesofindia.indiatimes.com
... Apple transported five planes full of iPhones and other products from India to the US in just three days during the final week of March, a senior Indian officials confirmed to The Times of India. The urgent shipments were made to avoid a new 10% reciprocal tariff imposed by US President Donald Trump's administration that took effect on April 5. Sources said that Apple currently has no plans to increase retail prices in India or other markets despite the tariffs.
To mitigate the impact, the company rapidly moved inventory from manufacturing centres in India and China to the US, even though this period is typically a slow shipping season.
"Factories in India and China and other key locations had been shipping products to the US in anticipation of the higher tariffs," according to one source. ...
Related...
Larry Fink says most CEOs he talks to think U.S. is in a recession
www.bnnbloomberg.ca
... BlackRock Inc. Chief Executive Officer Larry Fink said most CEOs he talks to think the U.S. is in a recession, warning that stock markets could decline further as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff policies destabilize the world economy.
"The economy is weakening as we speak," Fink, 72, said in an interview Monday at the Economic Club of New York, adding that he foresees more of an economic slowdown in the coming months.
Inflation is likely to be elevated, Fink said, casting doubt on the Federal Reserve cutting rates multiple times this year. As an example of worries spiking, Fink said he's already heard from airline executives about the decline in travel demand.
"Most CEOs I talk to would say we are probably in a recession right now," Fink said. ...
Related ...
Report: Most migrants sent to mega-prison have no apparent criminal record
www.axios.com
... Three-fourths of the Venezuelan migrants flown from Texas to a notorious maximum security prison in El Salvador three weeks ago had no apparent criminal record, a CBS News 60 Minutes report out Sunday found.
Why it matters: The lack of evidence of a criminal record is consistent with many other immigrant removals under the Trump administration so far and poses serious questions over the deportations to El Salvador, as a judge ordered at least one man returned. ...
Sandpipers - Guantanamera (1966)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt ...
...
[Letra de "Guantanamera"]
[Coro]
Guantanamera, Guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, Guajira Guantanamera
[Verso 1]
Yo soy un hombre sincero
De donde crece la palma
Yo soy un hombre sincero
En donde crece la palma
Antes de morir me quiero
Echar mis versos del alma
[Coro]
Guantanamera, Guajira Guantanamera
Guantanamera, Guajira Guantanamera
[Verso 2]
Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmn encendido
Mi verso es de un verde claro
Y de un carmn encendido
Mi verso es un ciervo herido
Que busca en el monte amparo
[Puente]
The words mean "I am a truthful man from the land of the palm trees
And before dying, I want to share these poems of my soul
My poems are soft green
My poems are also flaming crimson
My poems are like a wounded fawn seeking refuge in the forest"
The last verse says, "Con los pobres de la tierra"
"With the poor people of this earth I want to share my fate
The streams of the mountains please me more than the sea"
(Con los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
Con los pobres de la tierra
Quiero yo mi suerte echar
El arroyo de la sierra
Me complace ms que el mar)
...
A song I remember prominently from my childhood ...
@#1 ... As agreed in the USMCA, a certain number of US dairy products is allowed to enter the Canadian market tariff-free. ...
So Pres Trump dos not appear to know the terms of the treaty he negotiated?
A treaty he has called, "The USMCA is the largest, most significant, modern, and balanced trade agreement in history.
All of our countries will benefit greatly."
( trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov )
Pres Trump and [lack of] transparency.
Again.