Record US drought sparks worries about fires, water supply and food prices

Drought in the contiguous United States has reached record levels for this time of year, weather data shows. Meteorologists said it's a bad sign for the upcoming wildfire season, food prices and western water issues.
More than 61% of the Lower 48 states is in moderate to exceptional drought — including 97% of the Southeast and two-thirds of the West — according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. It's the highest levels for this time of year since the drought monitor began in 2000.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adm

LeBron James is getting ready for his post-NBA media career, partner says

LeBron James’ longtime business partner has been laying the groundwork to grow the basketball superstar’s business when he steps away from the game.
In an appearance at last week’s Semafor World Economy gathering, Maverick Carter said that changes in the tech and media landscape allowed James some flexibility in terms of his next moves once he retires — which could be as soon as later this month, if the Lakers fall to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA playoffs, or after next season.
Carter told Semaf

Oil price plunge on US-Iran peace hopes to give rupee, bonds some breather

By Dharamraj Dhutia and Jaspreet Kalra
MUMBAI, April 20 (Reuters) - The Indian rupee and government bonds this week will be comforted by a drop in oil prices even as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains at a standstill, days before a ‌ceasefire between the United States and Iran is set to expire.
Brent crude oil prices fell sharply on Friday and could experience ‌fresh volatility this week after U.S. President Donald Trump said his envoys would return to Pakistan for fresh talks with Iran, while threatenin

Nations gather for first-ever conference on fossil fuel exit

More than 50 nations are attending a world-first conference on phasing out fossil fuels in Colombia next week as the Iran war underscores how dependent countries remain on planet-heating coal, oil and gas.
Ministers arrive in the Caribbean city of Santa Marta against a backdrop of wartime fuel shortages, soaring prices and a scramble for energy security in what the International Energy Agency has called the biggest oil supply shock ever.
The gathering was born out of frustration with consensus-based United Nations climate talks,

US seizes Iranian-flagged ship near Strait of Hormuz and Tehran vows to respond

The United States said it attacked and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to get around a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first interception since its blockade of Iranian ports began last week.
Iran will respond soon, its state broadcaster said later, calling the armed boarding an act of piracy.
The events threw into question both the fragile ceasefire and President Donald Trump’s earlier announcement that US negotiators would head to Pakistan on Monday for another round of

Airline adding bunk beds for economy travelers but bans snacks, smells and cuddling

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Sleep on a long-haul flight in economy class has always been a fantasy for many travelers. Air New Zealand will soon offer a solution that involves climbing into a triple-tier bunk bed wearing special socks.
The airline will soon open bookings for four-hour stints in the Skynest sleep pods and says they will be the first lie-flat beds for budget air travelers. Fliers will get cozy with their fellow passengers, however, so crumbs, strong perfumes and bedsharing are forbidden.

Poll: Trump's approval rating hits second-term low as Americans sour on the economy and Iran war

President Donald Trump’s job approval rating has sunk to a new low as Americans express growing concerns about rising costs and the war with Iran, according to an NBC News Decision Desk Poll powered by SurveyMonkey.
Overall, 37% of adults approve of Trump’s performance as president, while 63% disapprove — including 50% who said they disapprove strongly — putting his job rating at the lowest point of his second term in NBC News Decision Desk polling. Two-thirds of respondents also disapproved of

Stewart Cink puts on a clinic at Concession and wins the Senior PGA Championship by 6 shots

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Stewart Cink pulled away from the field with an astonishing stretch around the turn Sunday to close with a 9-under 63 for a six-shot victory in the Senior PGA Championship, his first senior major and third win of the year on the PGA Tour Champions.
Cink was one shot behind going into the final round at Concession Golf Club, and then he removed all drama with a remarkable run.
It started with an eagle on the par-5 seventh. He closed out the front nine with back-to-back birdies

Millions of years ago, the megalodon ruled the oceans – why did it disappear?

Curious Kids is a series for children of all ages. If you have a question you’d like an expert to answer, send it to curiouskidsustheconversation.com.
When did the megalodon shark go extinct, and why? – Landon, age 10
Imagine traveling back in time and observing the oceans of 5 million years ago.
As you stand on an ancient shoreline, you see several small whales in the distance, gliding along the surface of an ancient sea.
Suddenly, and without warning, an enormous creature erupts out of the depths.

https:

Fake 20mph claims and bogus manifesto among election misinformation

Claims about the real cost of the 20mph policy and a fake political party manifesto are among the misinformation about Welsh politics being shared online by prominent accounts in the build-up to the Senedd election, the BBC has found.
The examples come from pages seen by BBC Wales' undercover voters and include one account which brands itself as a "trusted news source for Welsh communities" while actually acting as an unofficial party support page.
The project tracks what a group of fictional voters are seeing online; the

Trump says US forcibly seized Iran-flagged ship near Strait of Hormuz that tried...

President Donald Trump said the U.S. forcibly seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that tried to get around a naval blockade near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, the first such interception since the blockade of Iranian ports began last week.
Trump on social media said the ship was warned by a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer in the Gulf of Oman to stop, but it did not. He said the Navy “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom” and that U.S. Marines had custody of the vessel

Gov. Maura Healey signs new cannabis law. What to know

Governor Maura Healey signed a new cannabis law on Sunday that will expand business opportunities and increase the amount of cannabis adults can legally possess.
The law increases the legal possession limit for adults to two ounces and doubles the number of retail licenses business owners can hold from three to six. It will also reduce the number of members on the Cannabis Control Commission from five to three.
The law also authorizes new license categories, including on-site consumption, event-based use and research licenses.
The ne

SpaceX’s $2 Trillion IPO Is Coming: These 6 Stocks Will Ride the New ***** e Economy Into Orbit

SpaceX confidentially filed for its IPO on April 1, and quickly raised its target valuation above $2 trillion. That would dwarf Saudi Aramco’s record $29.4 billion raise in 2019 and could bring in as much as $75 billion. Morgan Stanley just released a list of 60 public companies across the full ***** e supply chain — the ***** e 60 — that stand to capitalize on the opportunity, everything from raw materials to satellite services.
While all the names on that list stand to gain something from broa

Trump says US negotiators will head to Pakistan on Monday for talks with Iran

https://www.chicagotribune...

This Trash‑Hauling Giant Could Be the Only Industrial Stock I'd Buy and Never Sell

Industrial stocks tend to be very cyclical. Their revenues and stock prices typically rise during an economic expansion and fall during a recession. That cyclicality makes them more difficult to buy and hold long-term, since it often makes sense to sell when the economy appears to be nearing a cyclical peak.
However, garbage collection tends to be a relatively resilient business. That's why trash-hauling giant WM (NYSE: WM) might be the only industrial stock I buy and hold forever.
Will AI create the world'

Slumping Red Sox Shockingly Plummet To Last Place In Key Offensive Category

Slumping Red Sox Shockingly Plummet To Last Place In Key Offensive Category originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Runs have been hard to come by for the Boston Red Sox this year, especially lately.
The Red Sox's slumbering offense has looked lifeless at Fenway Park so far this weekend, mustering just two runs and nine hits in 19 innings over the first two games of their series against the Detroit Tigers. Granted, eight of those innings were against reigning AL Cy Young winne

The Lyrid meteor shower is visible now and peaking soon. Here's how to spot it

NEW YORK (AP) — This year’s Lyrid meteor shower is getting a boost thanks to a dim crescent moon. Skywatchers could see 10 to 20 shooting stars per hour soar across the spring sky, according to NASA, when the fiery display peaks Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
The show will be visible across the globe, but views will be best in the Northern Hemisphere. And there’s no risk of the crescent moon photobombing the Lyrid shower. It’ll set before the fun starts.
Meteor showers happen when the Earth plows through

Rachel Reeves has launched a new threat to pensions – 'millions will be poorer'

Rachel Reeves has been warned her controversial pension reforms will mean “lower returns and lower pensions in future for millions of workers”, as Labour prepares for a fresh battle with the House of Lords. Peers are expected to reject plans to allow the Chancellor to order pension funds to invest in the British economy. It’s the latest round in an ongoing battle between the Commons and the Lords over the Government’s Pensions Schemes Bill.
The Lords has already removed elements of the legislation that will giv

Winning the war in Ukraine is about more than just numbers

A common question the media asks is how much money Russia has left to sustain the war against Ukraine. In response, experts discuss the burgeoning budget deficit, high interest rates, anemic investment and the fact that war costs have caused sharp reductions in public sector salaries, pensions, health and education.
Everyone is waiting for a gamechanger that hasn’t arrived yet. The recent increase in the global oil price offers only marginal benefit to Russia, since 20 to 40 percent of its oil export capacity has been rendered at l

SpaceX’s $2 Trillion IPO Is Coming: These 6 Stocks Will Ride the New ***** e Economy Into Orbit

Rocket Lab (RKLB) reported record 2025 revenue of $602M, up 38% year-over-year, with a $49B market cap driven by its vertical integration across launch vehicles, ***** ecraft systems, and orbital infrastructure. AST ***** eMobile (ASTS) generated $70.9M in 2025 revenue with guidance for $150M-$200M in 2026 and $1.2B in contracted revenue as it builds a ***** e-based cellular broadband network. Planet Labs (PL) posted record fiscal 2026 revenue of $307.7M, up 26% year-over-year, with a $900M backl

Air New Zealand introduces bunk beds for economy passengers

Air New Zealand is launching an innovative way for economy passengers to sleep on long-haul flights with bunk beds on board.
The airline will open bookings next month for its “Skynest” seats, which will allow economy class passengers to lie flat on flights.
These will debut on select ultra-long-haul flights between New York and Auckland, on sale 18 May with travel from November.
Beds on planes are nothing new – almost every airline that operates long-haul journeys provides upper-class passengers a seat which can be adjusted into

I asked a flight attendant how overhead bin **** e really works — here’s what most travelers get wron...

When you pack a carry-on bag, you expect to bring it onto the plane with you. But more travelers are finding themselves stopped at the gate and told to check their bags – even when overhead bins don’t appear to be full.
I recently watched it happen in real time.
A woman with a designer carry-on – the kind that clearly wasn’t meant for a baggage carousel – was stopped just steps before the jet bridge. The gate agent told her the bins were full or nearly full, and her bag needed to be ch

Iran doubles down on closing the Strait of Hormuz as the ceasefire inches toward expiration

CAIRO (AP) — Iran doubled down on its pledge to restrict ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz as long as the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports remains in place, as mediators scrambled to extend the ceasefire set to expire on Wednesday.
The dueling blockades have complicated Pakistani-led mediation attempts and raised questions about whether the two-week truce can be extended.
“It is impossible for others to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while we cannot,” Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohamme

Why one ****** yst thinks the US economy will be feeling the Iran-fueled inflation shock for years to...

Chris Whalen thinks hot inflation will weigh on the US economy for years after the Iran war ends.
The veteran ****** yst says supply disruptions in the Middle East will take a long time to normalize.
He said he expected inflation to rise to the high single-digits, about double its current rate.
Investors see the Iran war as all but over, but a market vet warns the effects will be felt a lot longer than Wall Street might realize.
Chris Whalen, an investment banker, longtime ****** yst

Liam Rosenior gives Estevao Willian and Enzo Fernandez injury updates in fresh Chelsea setback

Liam Rosenior has shared how Chelsea star Estevao Willian cried following an injury setback in the 1-0 defeat to Manchester United.
It is the latest setback for the Blues in their pursuit of a top-five finish and Champions League football next season.
While Enzo Fernandez, captaining the side yesterday after an internal two-game suspension, was also forced off with a worrying calf problem.
The injury for Estevao could put his appearance at this summer’s World Cup with Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil a

Ancient teeth reveal clues to the environment humans’ early ancestors evolved in millions of years ago

Teeth are like tiny biological time capsules. They tell stories about ancient diets and environments long after their owners have died and landscapes have changed.
After bones break down, tooth enamel stays hard and unchanged, even in fossilized teeth that have been buried under sediment and rock for millions of years and are now being uncovered by erosion or excavation.
Tooth enamel forms when an animal is young, and it remains chemically stable for the rest of that animal’s life. The f

Britain is the most inflation-prone nation in the G7. That was true before the Iran war

Heavy reliance on imported energy and food leaves the UK extremely vulnerable

https://www.telegraph.co.u...

Which European countries will be the richest by 2030?

Gross domestic product (GDP) per capita is one of the most widely used tools for comparing economies — and across much of Europe, the trajectory is upward.
But a rising figure does not always mean a country is pulling ahead of its peers: rankings shift as all economies move together. Where a country sits in the table often tells a more useful story than the raw number.
So which European countries are expected to lead in GDP per capita by 2030, and are any significant shifts on the way?
Euronews Business has examined IMF World Economic

Iran War Live News Updates: Ships Attacked as Iranian Forces Declare Strait of Hormuz Closed

https://www.wsj.com/liveco...

Putin finally admits Russia’s economy is in trouble and grasps for answers, after warnings about a f...

Russian President Vladimir Putin made his concerns about the economy public as he vented frustration at aides and demanded they come up with solutions.
During a televised meeting on the economy Wednesday, he revealed that GDP shrank by combined 1.8% in January and February, adding that manufacturing, industrial production and construction were negative.
“I expect to hear detailed reports today on the current economic situation and why the trajectory of macroeconomic indicators is curren