playShould the Cubs be worried about their pitching situation (0:52)Xavier Scruggs explains why the Cubs might need to be worried about their pitching Of course, much has already changed since we last convened with our final preseason projections playing five weeks of a new season will inevitably expose additional shifts that are needed no matter how splendid or how dreadful the start One thing the forecasts suggested that has borne out so far is the relative levels of stratification between the leagues and while not all of the teams we thought would make up that elite tier are a perfect match with the forecasts the overall dynamic is very much one of dominance the American League figured to be a whole bunch of teams in spitting distance of break even with little separation among the top 12-13 teams in the circuit How will these dynamics hold up until we Stock Watch again in June to make the following changes might determine that This Stock Watch uses projections based on blended 2025 forecasts from my model Baseball Prospectus and ESPN Bet over/unders These were used to create a baseline win expectation that was then used as the basis for 10,000 simulations of the rest of the 2025 schedule yielding our win forecasts and postseason probabilities who's still building up so he can take his turns in the rotation Given their recent history of starter injuries .. the Dodgers have already had 10 different pitchers start games What must change: Middle relief instability if this is a team's biggest worry at the beginning of May Chicago's relievers rank 28th in swing-and-miss percentage underscoring the general lack of dominance in that unit The Cubs have been strong in every other facet but for them to establish themselves as a true front-runner the relief leaks will need to be shored up You hate to pick on Trey Sweeney who accounts for most of Detroit's starts at shortstop but there just aren't many shortcomings for the Tigers so far No team has improved its forecast more since the start of the season 1 playoff seed more often than any other AL team in the simulations though the Yankees' pennant odds are still a tick better because of a higher baseline (New York has a lower regular-season win forecast because of schedule differences.) Sweeney hasn't hit (.234/.317/.355)* and the Tigers' shortstop defensive rating It's the most obvious blemish on what is shaping up as a pristine season in Detroit * These numbers were .202/.282/.303 entering Sunday but Sweeney must have had spies watching over my shoulder largely on the strength of a bullpen that has been off the charts The relievers have racked up 14 saves (they've blown only one) and 27 holds while compiling a collective 1.73 ERA Those numbers are both unbelievable and unsustainable a top-heavy lineup will need to get production from spots like catcher (21st in OPS) and left field (27th) to offset the difference We kind of knew this was how the Padres were constructed but still -- San Diego has given too many plate appearances to too many players in what we'll call the post-productive phases of their careers This projected to be a major hole before the season so the chances of self-correction are limited the stakes are higher to shore up the weak spots since the Mariners have emerged as the early front-runner to win the AL West it's not immediately clear how this is going to get better This issue might really start to mushroom if and when Fried regresses from his hot start If the Phillies don't want to lose sight of the front-running Mets in the NL East race they'll need their main cogs to start firing April is almost over and you may not want to trust the hot starts from players like Boston's Alex Bregman Atlanta can't keep plodding along under .500 in this year's NL while waiting for its stars to get healthy but if the Braves can stay above water until then the fact that they won't see the Dodgers again during the regular season certainly helps But the Royals need some stable offense from the corner outfielders making this a must-get as the trade deadline starts to loom What must change: Emmanuel Clase the problem has been a mystifying start by Clase who has already given up more runs (11) than he did all of last season (10) but of course that's not necessarily a good sign for a closer Clase's dominance was the biggest differentiator on last year's team which has been outscored by 23 runs despite a 20-14 record Despite an elite offense, the Red Sox have hovered around .500 because of a thin bullpen. The relievers have blown as many saves (eight) as they've converted and only one team has seen a higher rate of inherited runners score. Closer Aroldis Chapman has been fine Boston ranks in the middle of the pack with a 4.11 relief ERA and its 10 holds are tied for the fewest of any bullpen but it'll need more support to remain that way Pederson is hitting a remarkable .094 with a .334 OPS The Rangers' brass has taken note: Offensive coordinator Donnie Ecker What must change: Carlos Correa For once, we don't have to cite the availability of the Twins' stars as their primary problem. That's still an issue, too, as Royce Lewis has yet to make his season debut -- but the larger problem has been the star who has stayed on the field He's hitting .216 with a lone homer and a .560 OPS to begin the season hamstringing a Twins lineup that has struggled as he has walked at a rate less than half his career norm The Twins need more to turn around than just Correa but no one else on the roster has fallen as far below expectation as he has Bichette has recovered most of the batting average he lost during last year's .225 season This is a player in his age-27 season who topped 20 homers in each season from 2021 to 2023 Santander has flailed during his first Toronto season This can't continue if the Jays are to contend Brandon Woodruff might return to the mix soon and that will certainly help More troubling is Milwaukee's normally airtight relief staff which has struggled to finish games and strand inherited runners With the Cubs emerging as a potential powerhouse in the NL Central being an above-average team is no longer the bar to clear in the division And it's unlikely the Central's second-place club is going to have a chance at a wild-card slot -- not in this league this was going to be a strange season for the Rays Playing in a minor league facility owned by a division rival was going to take some getting used to The problem for the Rays is that they need to get used to it quickly because of a schedule heavy on early home games When the Rays depart for a six-game trip on June 8 they will have played nearly twice as many games in Tampa (43) as on the road (22) that the Rays will have a road-heavy schedule after that which would be fine if the Rays were playing well at George M When the Rays return to Florida on Tuesday they'll be looking at an uphill battle for playoff contention and most of those hills will be confronted away from home Is your favorite franchise boiling hot or below freezing We take the temperature of every club with a brand-new number Bradford Doolittle » but he's unproven and prone to lapses of command manager Terry Francona needs someone to step up to lock down the ninth because the overall pitching is contention-worthy it's another reason why the Reds can't afford back-of-the-bullpen inconsistency This is shaping up as an exciting first season in Sacramento for the Athletics. The offense has been productive and looks legit, especially if rookie Nick Kurtz hits the ground running The pitching is going to be more of a scramble but what would help if the Athletics could field They rank last or second to last in the leading defensive metrics Only the Red Sox have committed more errors Some teams can overwhelm opponents by favoring offense over defense at most positions but the Athletics aren't likely to be one of them Key spots to shore up are second base and third base positions that aren't producing at the plate so at the very least the Athletics could favor a glove What must change: Ryan Helsley We split the 2025 Dodgers in half to find out if BOTH squads would rule baseball Bradford Doolittle » owning a run differential that has hovered around break even Their record is a little worse than the expectation the so-so differential portends largely because of a 4-5 record in one-run games -- two of those coming in Sunday's doubleheader against the Mets This is not exclusively because of Helsley but he has not been on his game so far with two blown saves in seven chances and walking nearly as many batters as he has struck out as they reflect what Helsley was early in his career before he ascended to All-Star status If the mediocre Cardinals are going to do better than middling they need their star closer to help them close out more than their share of close games is that if the Cardinals go into offload mode this version of Helsley isn't going to look nearly as alluring in the trade marketplace et al.) are hitting a collective .200/.261/.319 This of course comes after the Orioles moved in the left-field fence at Camden Yards over the winter Opposing righty hitters have a .972 OPS there while their Baltimore counterparts are at .586 The visitors have outhomered Baltimore's righty swingers 20-8 at Oriole Park What must change: Dylan Crews The Nationals are competitive already and often fun to watch especially given the current state of their bullpen the more long-term questions the Nationals can answer in the affirmative the better they will be able to set themselves up for a real push in 2026 infield prospect Brady House should join the big league fray the touted second-year player whose MLB career has sputtered at the beginning going 5-for-47 with zero extra-base hits to start Then came a two-week splurge with four homers and a 1.026 OPS over 13 outings Crews needs to get off the roller coaster and enjoy a nice What do I mean by "roster make-up"? Remember the glory days of April 12, when L.A. was 9-5 and it seemed its floor-raising project from the winter was going to work? Since then, the Angels have a minus-65 run differential, 14 runs worse than any other team and, yes, that includes the Rockies. And also, Mike Trout is back on the injured list what the Angels are doing now is not working What must change: Oneil Cruz's defense Cruz's offense has been nine runs better than average once you combine his hitting (.243/.377/.505 with eight homers) and baserunning (14 steals) His defensive performance in center field is minus-9 runs His bWAR (0.5) is a product of accounting -- positional value and replacement value Cruz is now minus-12 in fielding runs over the past two seasons in center His career figure at shortstop was minus-9 For all that athletic ability and offensive output to this point he'd have produced almost as much value as a DH What must change: Sandy Alcantara's command It's great to have Alcantara back after Tommy John surgery It's often said that command lags behind stuff for many surgery returnees and that certainly seems to be the case for the 2022 NL Cy Young winner His walk ratio (5.9 per nine innings) is more than double his career norm and his strikeout rate (15.8%) is the lowest of his career Alcantara threw strikes nearly 69% of the time during the three years before he was injured; this season he's at 62% His velocity isn't quite all the way back either but he's still averaging 97.4 mph with his fastball He's just not putting it where it needs to be • Fantasy baseball buzz: The latest news • Cockcroft: Two rising stars to grab • Reliever depth chart for every MLB team Fantasy baseball home page >> The White Sox are the team nearest to me -- less than two miles from my keyboard -- so I get a good sampling of fan feedback as I get out and about This isn't a scientifically-informed observation but it feels as if many are missing the point The White Sox tore the team down to the studs -- last year -- and this is the aftermath The bounce-back was never going to be immediate but it's playing a much better brand of baseball than it did last year There are players on the roster now who might be around for awhile and more are on the way The rebuild isn't even 20% complete and another 100-plus losses is a near certainty Watching a team come together required patience but it's better than what White Sox fans dealt with a year ago I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice New Marvel film Thunderbolts* has changed its title days after release The film sees Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour reprise their Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) roles, forming an unconventional group of antiheroes Thunderbolts* has become a hit since its release earlier this month, earning rave reviews and shooting to the top of the global box office. In a four-star review,The Independent’s film critic Clarisse Loughrey called it “the best Marvel movie in years” The film’s box office domination will undoubtedly be extended following an intriguing marketing decision to change the film’s title due to events seen in the film At the end of Thunderbolts*, CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) announced the group’s rebrand as The New Avengers. A graphic on screen after the film’s post-credits scene then informs cinemagoers that “The New Avengers will return” posters for Thunderbolts* appearing in cinemas and on billboards around the world have been updated to reveal its new title: The New Avengers Hours after photos surfaced on social media Marvel released an official video showing the cast unveiling the new title – as well as clips of Bucky Barnes actor Stan taping up posters with the New Avengers title in Los Angeles This development also reveals the meaning of the asterisk featured at the end of the original title which was part of a carefully orchestrated publicity stunt While many have expressed excitement at the title change, as it clearly sets the stage for the next phase of the MCU others are complaining that the stunt has spoiled the film They should have probably waited like a week before doing that,” one film fan wrote with another stating on X/Twitter: “Advertising a movie you want people to watch using a different name If you sign up to this service we will earn commission This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent I’ve seen the movie but this is just desperation – why would you ruin it for everyone like that?” calling it a “perfect” example of marketing Robert Downey Jr has shared his thoughts on the film after viewing it with the cast of Avengers: Doomsday which will see the Iron Man actor return as the film’s primary villain Downey shared a picture on Instagram of himself and a host of Marvel stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Paul Rudd, Anthony Mackie, Simu Liu and Winston Duke. Downey captioned the image: “Just wow!!! Dinner and a show with the Old Avengers. So cool, fresh, and deep. Big congrats to the New Avengers (and Bob). #Thunderbolts.” Thunderbolts* – or The New Avengers – is in cinemas now. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies A website dedicated to all things film-related This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday It almost never happens that a newly released film changes its title just days after hitting theaters but desperate times seem to call for desperate measures “Thunderbolts” has decided to embark on a title change prompted by events revealed in the movie CIA director Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) unveils a rebranding of the team as “The New Avengers.” Following the post-credits scene an on-screen message tells viewers that “The New Avengers will return.” promotional materials for “Thunderbolts”— including posters and billboards— have now been updated with the new title: “The New Avengers.” This shift also clarifies the significance of the asterisk in the film’s original title While some fans are enthusiastic about the name change and its implications for future MCU installments They should’ve waited a bit longer.” Another commented “Why advertise it with a title that ruins the twist but this feels like desperation—why spoil it for everyone else?” No word yet on whether exhibitors will follow suit and have screenings of the film go by the new title but this certainly points towards how efficient of a brand ‘The Avengers’ is and given the medium-sized opening weekend “Thunderbolts” just had then maybe it’ll result in a bump at the box-office Advertise Donate Privacy Policy All my attempts at exercise had ended in failure slurping large glasses of wine and gobbling wings from overlit chicken shops I tried to be healthy: I would make overnight oats; get only the small mixed sushi from Wasabi; and drink prosecco because someone said it was keto-friendly I even did Veganuary back when it was such a gruelling feat of strength to be vegan for a month that people would sponsor you in horror and amazement I felt I had more in common with a pair of old socks than with gym-goers “leg days” and “core strength” made me cringe mainly because they were the secret language of an exclusive club to which I wasn’t invited Yet I still believed I could magic up the motivation to work out profusely and daily. I signed up to Fitness First because it was opposite my flat Then I realised the problem: I had set the bar sky high I wondered if I could stick to doing a 40-second plank Forty seconds was all I could manage at the time Forty seconds of doing this could change your life. Photograph: Peter Flude/The GuardianFive years later, I can now do a two-and-a-half-minute plank and various other strength exercises. I still do it all religiously every day and the domino effect it has had has changed my life. About a year in, I began to encounter a tantalisingly unfamiliar feeling: physical strength. I noticed I was standing differently, taller perhaps, my core naturally taut. There were even the beginnings of – dare I say it – abs. Am I someone that has abs, I wondered? About a year in, I began to encounter a tantalisingly unfamiliar feeling: physical strengthThe feeling was exhilarating. I had spent years body-shaming myself: as a teenager, I existed on a diet of pasta and worshipped Kate Moss, so I always believed I was overweight because I wasn’t a waif. Now, suddenly, I was accepting my body, even liking it. But my body hadn’t changed size – I just felt stronger physically and, consequently, mentally. This newfound confidence led me back to my childhood sport: competitive swimming. I am better at swimming now because my core is stronger and my core gets stronger the more I swim. A coach recently referred to me as “an athlete” and I laughed (before spending the rest of the day smirking and in my head trying out the word “athlete” next to my name). Free weekly newsletterPractical advice, expert insights and answers to your questions about how to live a good life Read moreBecause of the regular swimming I’ve quit smoking and my mental health is the best it has ever been I haven’t become totally insufferable (yet) – I still drink wine and gobble fried chicken – but my life is different I’ll have to plank for ever now for fear of losing my streak Texas — As the NFL offseason calendar speeds along Brian Schottenheimer digs his heels in more and more as both a first-time head coach and the latest leader of the Dallas Cowboys The latest tasks involved conquering his first NFL Draft and then welcoming a class of 18 rookies to minicamp Schottenheimer is the same as he was when he was an analyst for the Cowboys in 2022 and the team's offensive coordinator in the two seasons that followed — not changing his approach whatsoever to his players or coaches "I think I've always been someone that believes in connections getting to know these guys," Schottenheimer said "I've always been someone who's been able to be demanding and I'm pretty good at disciplining guys because I think I've seen too many people change." He went on to elaborate on the outcome for those who have opted to morph into a different version of themselves simply because they earned the power to do so "The guys I've seen change — I'm not going to name them — they weren't very successful and I plan on being really successful," he said "The reason I think I'll do that is because of my values and my beliefs and how hard I work but also because I'm going to be me and I'm not going to change that for anything." Another major key to establishing the new culture in Dallas will be interactions between players, something All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons made clear when asked about his recent viral exchange with former Cowboys’ defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence Schottenheimer not only orchestrated locker reassignments that place Parsons next to All-Pro quarterback Dak Prescott — his still being next to CeeDee Lamb's (sending the message that they are the Big 3 as far as player leadership goes) — but the Cowboys' head coach is also noting interactions between veterans who are currently in the building and the rookies who reported last week Bottom line is this isn't simply the perfect time to get the rookies acclimated to the team and the expectations they'll face this summer and beyond but to also take inventory of relationship-building within the locker room "I was kind of sitting at the bottom of the team room watching the interactions go on with different position coaches talking to players … and everybody like that," said Schottenheimer of his early observations and that's the culture that you want to build one that's about being family-first and first class and joyful is that your veterans reach out and will assist these young players "Dak reaching out to [rookie first-round pick] Tyler Booker the night of the draft is one example Jalen Tolbert told me he stopped and said hello to three or four of the guys Luke Schoonmaker was here yesterday getting some extra work and stopped to talk to a few guys he had competed against The hope is it all spills over onto the field by way of wins and a deep playoff run because Schottenheimer is far from naive and knows this is a league where a championship is always the endgame; and especially for a club thirty years removed from its last dance with glory we're going to be judged on wins and losses and that's part of the deal," Schottenheimer said No one wants to win a Super Bowl more than me I'd not be doing my job if I didn't make sure that both young and old players alike weren't investing in one another." The former Bruin showed what he could do at UCLA and he explained what NFL gamewreckers he's been studying to bring that same violence for the Cowboys It's been a long journey to the NFL for new Cowboys cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. but he's finally gotten to where he's wanted to be his entire life and now is looking to prove to everyone why he belongs When Shemar James got the call from the Cowboys during the 2025 NFL Draft the moment was as manifestation of everything he dreamt about his entire life former Oregon wide receiver Traeshon Holden got his opportunity in the NFL when the Cowboys signed him New Cowboys defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku is ready to get to work in his new home and prides himself on being a versatile "dawg" that can cause havoc in the backfield The Cowboys hosted all 18 of their rookies at the Star in Frisco on Thursday to start the preparations for the team's rookie minicamp Not content to use only one 2025 NFL Draft pick on a running back the Cowboys launched one at Jaydon Blue and the other at Phil Mafah; and both appear ready for impact Beyoncé-Knowles-Carter made a change to the visuals used on her "Cowboy Carter" tour after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Las Vegas Sphere owner James Dolan The Grammy-winning singer took hold of the stage at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles for the third night of her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin Circuit Tour on May 4 The groundbreaking concert seemingly went on without a hitch Prior to the change, Sphere Entertainment Group Co. reportedly demanded the singer remove the visual by May 5 claiming she used Sphere’s imagery “without permission." According to the letter it amounted to "unauthorized use of the company’s intellectual property.” The entertainment group accused Beyoncé of “impermissible use and violation” of the company’s intellectual property rights which “has resulted in significant speculation that Beyoncé will end her tour with a Sphere residency.” We've got Beyoncé covered: Sign up for USA TODAY's Entertainment newsletter different music genres and most notably country music and political commentary including by playing the most dates at SoFi Stadium of any artist Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay I agree to the use of cookies and similar technologies to serve relevant advertising and improve my service Pay to read The Race without adverts or cookies used for personalised ads By logging in, you agree to our use of third-party and analytics cookies to enhance your experience and improve our services. For more details, please review our Privacy Policy It appears we have our second in-season Formula 1 driver axing in 2025, with Alpine set to replace Jack Doohan with Franco Colapinto from the next race at Imola A driver change in season is always a sad development and very rarely anyone’s intention.  It reflects something not going as hoped or planned there is a particularly cruel aspect in that someone’s dream is over and what they’ve worked incredibly hard to earn is taken away What is earned must keep being earned and F1 drivers are subject to pretty excruciating was a function of the team’s tendency for upheaval.  and his extensive testing programme were all put in place well before the current Alpine team leadership were around.  He isn’t ‘their’ driver. Never really was And Oliver Oakes didn’t even join Alpine himself until the die was cast as Alpine had missed out on Carlos Sainz - with Doohan left as the path of least resistance.   while Oakes was keen to back Doohan as much as possible because that was in the team’s best interest he and Briatore were inevitably going to want to make their own driver choices at some point.  Now that’s finally happening at Doohan’s expense on a harsh timeline for any team except maybe Red Bull Want more on why Alpine is dropping Doohan? Hear from the man who broke the story, Scott Mitchell-Malm, in The Race Members' Club on Patreon. Head to this post and sign up now To select a driver and only run them for the first six events of a season (and one at the back end of the previous year) without being forced into the situation always reflects badly on a team's decision-making processes But while Doohan deserves enormous sympathy for the sudden interruption but at the top level you have to seize whatever opportunity you get with both hands and make the most of it Doohan has failed to do that and make himself undroppable which realistically was what he needed to do in the early races of 2025 to avoid this fate You can argue that he was being set up to fail but in F1 you are always vulnerable if you don't prove yourself to be a superstar driver and Doohan fell short of that.  it is a shame given he did show plenty of signs of good underlying speed notably in outqualifying team-mate Pierre Gasly in main qualifying last weekend There's no doubt he had the ability to become a regular points scorer certainly at the tracks where the weaknesses of the Alpine package didn't make it impossible and with more time there's no doubt he'd have had some strong weekends Elite sport can be cruel and Doohan has good reason to feel hard done by but the reality is that he didn't do enough to stave off his fate The team certainly didn't put him in a position to deliver his best and Doohan himself knew full well he was walking a tightrope he could have done more even with this narrow window of opportunity We didn't see the best of Doohan this year He will rue the fact that he only sporadically showed the very real pace that Doohan hasn’t made a great fist of trying to seize his chance at the start of this year The team undermined its rookie driver before the season had even started by dangling Colapinto over his head it’ll be able to point to Doohan’s patchy handful of weekends as justification for the switch.  Will Alpine also accept that it didn’t give Doohan the best environment to get the job done due to the circumstances it created around him?  I’ve seen his struggles to look comfortable in F1 compared to the other rookies that have got off to good starts in 2025 but none of those came into this year fearing that after a handful of races they could be gone So it’s not an entirely fair comparison.  The only surprise in this whole affair was the brief moment where it looked like the team had changed its mind and was going to give Doohan at least half a season. What happened with that?  it’s utterly plausible that someone changed their mind based on nothing of substance Or perhaps it was a way to smoke out some more commercial support from South America or speed up any incoming payments from existing arrangements…  None of the above is a reflection on Colapinto’s worthiness for an F1 seat He should get off to a better start than Doohan did let’s hope he’s given more time to turn it around.  Doohan definitely did not make an ironclad case that he was Alpine's best possible version for the long term but there was also clearly no priority given to making this work He was put in an unreasonable situation and couldn't beat the odds I'm not naive enough to pretend this is a novel way of going about business for F1 it is probably no coincidence Alpine team boss Oakes has spent much of this year sounding like a punchier jokier Christian Horner - and it's not like most F1 teams wouldn't discard both of their drivers in a heartbeat if they felt doing so could improve the team situation very funny when you remember the whole Oscar Piastri thing all that hand-wringing about driver loyalty all those quotes from then-Alpine chief Laurent Rossi about how now the Alpine Academy was suddenly maybe not worth it anymore because drivers and their management lacked integrity Different people are in charge now at Alpine they certainly do not have to answer for Rossi's words It's a wider top-level motorsport thing anyway (yes I'm thinking about the whole Alex Palou/McLaren saga) No F1 driver should ever be faulted if they leave a team even if everyone's saying they owe that team a lot They can never-ever hesitate - because team bosses certainly will not For all that Jack Doohan’s likely early exit from Alpine may seem unfair considering some strong potential he has shown we have to remember that Formula 1 is not a charity And one of the harsh realities about life as a F1 driver is that when opportunity comes knocking Just look at how Ollie Bearman’s destiny changed when he pulled off that sublime performance in Saudi Arabia last year or even how Colapinto wasted no time in getting up to speed with Williams in Monza and Baku last year Doohan’s run of seven races offered plenty of opportunities for him to prove to his Alpine bosses that he was the right man to lead them on the biggest ace up his sleeve was incumbency teams do not keep drivers because of their potential tomorrow – they want to see what you deliver today.  a bunch of penalties and that Japanese GP crash (even though it emerged afterwards it was not 100% his fault he kept the DRS open) are the opposite of what Alpine needed which was strong finishing positions and some points on the board There is no excuse that rookies need time to get up to speed now – just look at Isack Hadjar and how Kimi Antonelli put his Mercedes on pole position in the sprint race last weekend.  even with the competitive situation of Alpine not being brilliant was make progress and ram home some finishes that showed he was moving onwards and upwards Some of these team principals need to take a good look at themselves and realise they are actually playing around with someone’s careers if not lives They don’t seem to take any responsibility for these rash decisions Liam Lawson was a typical example at Red Bull and now Doohan at Alpine - the management of both these teams made decisions to give these drivers a shot at the big time so they should see that out and give them a fair crack of the whip it’s a bit 'how long is a piece of string?' the drivers have had the chop when at least 50% of the root cause of their failures were actually down to the teams I think they should stand by their commitments and give these guys a chance until they get a minimum of three clean race weekends and then make a judgment and not a spur-of-the-moment decision after a bad weekend As far as the Alpine decision is concerned and its comments over the weekend it shows that Oliver Oakes Alpine’s ‘team principal’ is simply a puppet with Flavio Briatore pulling the strings behind the scenes.  do I think Lawson or Doohan are or were going to be the next Max Verstappen Probably not - but then is there another one on the horizon probably Piastri is in line for that accolade but is Colapinto a step forward from Doohan If he can repeat his early performance when he replaced Logan Sargeant But if he performs like he did at the end of his time in the Williams another Formula 1 team has fallen victim to its own decisions The moment Alpine signed Colapinto as a reserve driver I know F1 is a brutal business - but before Doohan had even started the season he was already under intense public pressure after the team he had been nothing but loyal to decided to put an alternative driver as a potential replacement in the shop window for everyone to see Has Doohan seized the opportunity given to him but Alpine certainly haven’t provided him with the environment to thrive either this is the same team that let current championship leader Piastri slip through their fingers into the welcoming arms of McLaren - so should we really be that surprised Please accept marketing cookies to enable YouTube videos their names are covered with cardboard or paper taped to the ID scanners — a precaution taken to hide the legal names of transgender students still programmed to appear on the displays Behind the temporary fix is a long-standing problem in at least two of Harvard’s central databases: they do not remove legal names for students who use preferred names instead whether because of personal preference or gender identity and dining hall scanners all default to using students’ legal names and are not updated when students change their names in my.harvard the University’s central administrative site The Harvard Alumni Directory allows affiliates to add a nickname to appear in quotes next to their legal name but provides no option on the website to remove a name Harvard Trans+ Community Celebration co-director E Matteo Diaz ’27 said the directory discrepancies present a serious issue for transgender students many of whom do not use or identify with their legal name “Having a legal name that doesn’t reflect your identity pop up can be a really discomforting distressing experience — something that’s difficult and can make you feel kind of at odds with your environment also a Crimson Editorial editor and Diversity and Inclusivity Chair Students are asked at the beginning of each semester to verify their preferred name in my.harvard and can change their name in the system at any time But when preferred name changes were made mid-semester students said there was a weeks-long delay before some Harvard systems began reflecting the change a transgender student who changed her preferred name in the middle of the spring semester said her name on Canvas was updated more than two weeks after she entered it into my.harvard Even after being told by her academic advisor that “the back end of Harvard’s servers” had been updated with her new name Codding said “there are still a couple significant holdouts,” including the dining hall scanners She added that changing a Harvard email to reflect a new name is a “pretty intensive process.” “The official Harvard email saying my dead name — I’m not really cool with,” Codding said According to College spokesperson Jonathan Palumbo students enrolled in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences can change their name at any time with the Registrar’s Office but changes made after HUDS and other Harvard offices pull names from the system are not reflected “The old name would appear,” Palumbo wrote trans students’ dead names appeared on screens every time they swiped their ID cards until the scanners were covered earlier this year “It’s not a great experience to have your dead name coming up every time you have to swipe in and do a very basic function of life on campus,” Diaz said Harvard University Dining Services began taping pieces of cardboard or paper over part of swipe machines that display student names at the beginning of the Fall 2024 Four HUDS employees said the change was made to protect student privacy around gender identity One HUDS employee said the scanners were covered after a transgender student made a complaint in summer 2024 the student swiped into the dining hall surrounded by their group of friends who learned their dead name from the scanner — leading the student to make a complaint Palumbo confirmed that the change was made after a student raised a concern over the summer and wrote that “it is a technical issue between the system where students reflect their preferred name and the HUDS system for processing board plan usage.” “We are actively working together on a solution,” Palumbo added The College’s nine river houses and Currier House started covering student names on dining hall scanners in the fall both Cabot House and Pforzheimer House had added covers as well Annenberg is the only dining hall without covered scanners Though the University has not fixed the inconsistency yet the temporary coverings were an effective temporary measure “Coming in this year and seeing HUDS having made that switch — it meant a lot to me,” Diaz said it meant that there was someone thinking about it But Diaz added that having preferred names registered in my.harvard also registered with the HUDS system automatically would be the “ideal scenario.” The issue caught the attention of Harvard Undergraduate Association officials who were also told administrators would work to find a solution Former HUA Academic Team officer Matthew R Tobin ’27 said he met with the Committee on Undergraduate Education who said the HUDS issue was separate from the alumni directory “The fix seems like a very easy fix on Harvard’s end,” Tobin said “Students already list their preferred names that’s already in the software so it's just making sure that data point is used when they’re pulling the students information rather than the data point listed immediately before it.” used by current students and alumni from all 12 schools as a networking platform While a student can remove the prefix “Mr.” or “Ms.” from their online profile and choose to add a nickname which is displayed in quotation marks they cannot add preferred pronouns or remove their legal name from being displayed entirely through the website For alumni who change their names legally after getting married there is a “Marital Status Change Request” form built into the profile editing page on the Harvard Alumni website There is no equivalent system for trans students who change their names legally the Alumni Association will remove legal names and replace them with preferred names if a student emails the association and requests an update and the differences between used and listed names has led both the alumni association and potential employers who reach out using the directory information to misgender or misname University affiliates who founded Harvard Trans+ Community Celebration in 2022 said they are “misgendered and misnamed every single time” someone contacts them through the Alumni Directory or your pronouns assigned at birth would have been it’s a lot easier for them to misgender you intentionally or unintentionally,” King said Having names mismatched either in initial outreach to employers or from transcripts is an “additional flag” in the hiring process and a detriment to job opportunities “Over the course of six months of last year I had significantly worse outcomes compared to peers with similar backgrounds and experiences,” King said The HAA spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement that the HAA is “actively working to ensure that alumni records are accurate and able to sync with other university information systems as appropriate.” Three transgender students who spoke to The Crimson said they faced extra confusion among employers when applying for summer opportunities with different names on documents — such as resumes and transcripts — and their email address or name “Applying for summer funding was kind of stressful,” Codding said “It was definitely just an uncomfortable process to have my name be different things in different places for a while.” said that when applying for an internship opportunity through Harvard and making it to the interview round the University only shared his legal name with the host organization — leading Perkins to have to correct the employer upon initial outreach “It is still a correction that is at least uncomfortable to try to do that early in an application process,” Perkins said Palumbo wrote in a statement that the College is “deeply committed to cultivating a campus where all students are welcome and feel seen.” we strive to improve our systems in service of a more inclusive environment and we acknowledge the work still left to do Every student belongs and we work to ensure our systems match our commitments,” he added Multiple students said they still receive email communications from the College — the FAS Registrar and messages from House Mail Centers — which addressed them with a legal or dead name they no longer use Perkins said receiving those emails is a “jarring” experience “We just don’t have the systems to support it —Staff writer Annabel M. Yu can be reached at annabel.yu@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @annabelmyu —Staff writer Sheerea X. Yu can be reached at sheerea.yu@thecrimson.com. Follow her on X @_shuhree_ Many Republican senators are watching with a mixture of dread and optimism as the House tries to send a massive tax/spending cut/national security bill to them by Memorial Day And some of them aren’t watching much at all “I shut most of that out because they debate a lot of stuff I call it a sandstorm of bad ideas,” quipped Sen As House Republicans consider combining everything from Medicaid to energy policy with the right blend of spending cuts Moreno said the GOP Congress should focus on what he called its overall goal: permanent extensions of the president’s 2017 tax cuts the restoration of research and development expensing to 100% and the addition of new Trump-backed tax breaks for tips “They love to make things complicated,” Moreno said of the House’s tax machinations “I don’t think we need to do anything more than that.” Yet the House GOP is still working toward a much bigger project even as some senators suspect it may become a Frankenstein’s monster One thing is clear: The Senate is essentially guaranteed to amend whatever the House comes up with “I don’t know what it’s going to look like when the smoke clears The only thing I would encourage my House colleagues to do is make meaningful spending reductions Spending cuts may be a requirement for conservatives but every time Republicans zero in on something to cut they get pushback from another corner of the GOP Moreno dislikes House proposals to shrink the federal share of Medicaid spending; some Republicans oppose repealing certain Inflation Reduction Act tax credits; and spending cuts for food aid is becoming a third rail for Republicans “The toughest thing is how to pay for these issues How much money can the House save the American taxpayers?” asked Sen to send its legislation through congressional committees The Senate has no current plans to do that; they’ll assemble their own bill or tweak whatever the House sends over That could lead to a leadership-negotiated Senate bill that amends the House’s work and tees up a final deal “There could be a world in which the House passes their bill That’s assuming that the House can pass its megabill at all Republicans are already facing big delays as key tax health care and food markups remain unscheduled the Senate may need to step in to go first Whether that work would take the form of Trump’s preferred “big beautiful bill” or passing his agenda in pieces would have to be determined Sign up for Semafor .css-w8sqnb{text-transform:capitalize;}principals Casey Browne is a Just Like Us ambassador (Casey Browne) I didn’t learn about trans people whilst in school Like so many people in my generation and the generations before us I missed out on learning about the rich history of the trans community and therefore part of the human experience I didn’t get to learn about a group of people who deserve to be humanised, especially in the face of transphobia and adversity. Trans history helps LGBTQ+ people and allies alike to move beyond medical narratives and allows us to see trans folk as multifaceted people with rich and complex stories It challenges stereotypes and promotes understanding.  For young people who are trans themselves learning about trans history provides crucial representation and visibility It helps us see that trans people have always existed and contributed to society Learning about trans people makes me feel more empowered and resilient and knowing about the strength of trans communities throughout history will empower current and future generations trans people have made significant contributions to culture which is so important to me because advocating for social change is now a big part of my life.  I went to university and became an LGBTQ+ Officer and creating resources about LGBTQ+ inclusion for professors I also began volunteering as an ambassador for Just Like Us I am able to share my experiences in schools becoming the trans representation that I never had in my own classroom.  But making change doesn’t have to start when we leave school I know that if I had had the chance to learn about trans people and trans history at school I would have felt empowered enough to start sooner Young people in schools have the power to make a difference whether by advocating for more inclusive policies creating safe spaces like LGBT+ groups in their school communities But they are only able to do this if they are able to learn about the world around them I hope trans history can teach other young people that things don’t just get better in a nebulous future that people are working to make the world a better place That being LGBTQ+ means that you are allowed to advocate for your community organised around the acceptance and rights of persons who might today identify as LGBTQ+ began as responses to centuries of discrimination towards the LGBT+ community My journey from feeling confused and alone in who I was took longer than it should have because I lacked inclusive education Trans history is not only about documenting the past; it’s about reshaping our understanding of gender Casey volunteers as an ambassador for Just Like Us, the LGBT+ young people’s charity. LGBT+ and aged 18 to 25? Sign up here! This article was originally written in May 2024 and updated in May 2025 About us Contact us Advertise Work for us Terms and conditions Privacy policy '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" 2025 2:48 PM EDTEarlier this week American Airlines finally announced their new suites with sliding doors will arrive on plans in June 2025 The initial news regarding the update plane setup came back in September 2022 while the design was expected to start in 2024 The new suites on the Boeing 787-9 will debut for regularly scheduled service on June 5 between its hub at Chicago O’Hare International Airport and London Heathrow Airport That's not the only news from American Airlines and it's Chicago O'Hare hub The airline recently announced an expanded winter schedule with new routes from Chicago O'Hare with increased service on a number of lines and new service to several locations Here is the list of changes, via NBC Chicago: According to a report from Travel + Leisure "the new flight frequencies and added destinations are the biggest flight expansions for any American hub so far this year Vice president of Chicago operations Ben Humphrey issued a statement regarding the change “As we get our first taste of spring in Chicago, we are already looking ahead to giving our customers a reprieve from the bitter Midwest winter with more than double the flights to popular vacation spots,” he said ShareSaveCommentInnovationConsumer TechApple iPhone 17 Air Promises Curious Design Change, New Leak SaysByDavid Phelan Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights I write about lifestyle techFollow AuthorMay 05 02:26pm EDTShareSaveCommentUpdated May 5 with more iPhone 17 Air design details and more focus on the USB-C port plus details of future Air models in subsequent years But a new dummy has emerged which shows a curious redesign of the USB-C port Here’s why it’s so curious and it comes at a time when interest in the new phone is growing And there’s already a report on subsequent iPhone Air models Respected analyst Ming-Chi Kuo from TFI Securities has published a schedule of iPhones but here we’ll stick to what it means for the Air models His belief is that the second half of this year will see the launch of the first model We can be confident this means in September as that’s the routine month for iPhone releases although it’s good to note that Kuo believes the Air will be an annual release not a less frequent one like the SE used to be But when we get to what Kuo terms “2H27,” the comment is different 18 Slim),” is how Kuo describes that year’s release Apple regularly uses the same design two years’ running so the prospect that Apple is already planning a third Air or Slim with a bigger screen will appeal to many — assuming it lives up to the excitement it has already generated before it has even officially been acknowledged Back to that design upgrade with a possibly ugly changed to the USB-C socket and its surrounding antenna band But the cost of that 5.5mm svelte design could come at the cost of symmetry on the base of the phone. That’s because, as pointed out by MacRumors “Achieving this level of thinness is unlikely to come without compromise Dummy models… suggest that Apple has made some subtle adjustments to accommodate internal components in the tighter chassis the USB-C port on the bottom edge is no longer centered front-to-back,” it points out The dummy seems to show the socket is closer to the rear of the device than the front which is “likely to accommodate display components within the enclosure,” the report claims Look closely within the USB-C port and the central element around which the hollow USB-C connector wraps when you plug it in There is a limit to how thin a display can be while still accommodating touch capabilities and so on it seems probably that the USB-C socket couldn’t be any closer to the screen so the only way to achieve the maximum thinness is to move it off-center Add in that it’s a part of the phone you literally only look at if you’re plugging in a cable and it seems likely this is going to be no problem it’s also worth noting that the leaked dummy shows two perforations on either side of the USB-C port which has six holes on one side and four on the other Two holes suggests the speaker may not be as potent as it is on other iPhones Note that the iPhone 17 Air is expected to dispense with the SIM card tray as well which would be the first iPhone sold outside the U.S Interest in the phone is at a high, with 9to5Mac predicting the Air could soar in the sales charts thanks to its thin profile Then there’s a “just-right” 6.6-inch screen size which could make the iPhone easier to use one-handed than is the case with the Pro Max iPhones especially the latest model with its 6.9-inch display intriguing customers just as the iPhone X did back in 2017 DeGeneres has swapped her signature side-swept blonde hair for a dark brown cut that makes her look like a completely different person The new 'do can be seen in its entirety on DeGeneres' new Instagram video of herself trying to mow the lawn her locks had mostly just been peeking out from underneath a ball cap or a beanie in her Instagram photos and videos DeGeneres is attempting to learn how to use the riding lawn mower… with mixed results DeGeneres has to get a farmhand to help push her up the hill "Portia thought it would be fun to film my first time on the mower She was right," wrote DeGeneres in the caption DeGeneres gave a sneak peek of the change on Valentine's Day though it looks as if her hair isn't completely brown yet in that photo It definitely looks darker three months later DeGeneres and de Rossi have been celebrating their 20th anniversary together this past year. In December 2024, DeGeneres posted a photo of them together with their beautiful estate in the background and wrote a lovely ode to her wife not realizing what a long,g beautiful adventure this would be You are the best thing that ever happened in my life You help to guide me and pick me up when I feel off or down You are a beautiful soul that I am so very grateful to have as a partner to navigate this crazy life with So happy we get to travel and explore the world together in the next 20 years and looking forward to our first snowy Christmas," wrote the comedian DeGeneres posted another gorgeous photo of them in March 2025 Happy to be with you everywhere and always @portiaderossi." And in late April, their farm was blessed with a double rainbow so DeGeneres couldn't help but take a picture of de Rossi taking a picture of it "3 things that make me happy: My Wife And my wife taking a photograph of a Rainbow." It certainly looks as though they are enjoying the rural life the Cotswolds is an area of England located about 2 hours WNW of London Websites can be scrubbed of climate change references and the U.S. halted from international and national climate assessments but rising temperatures leave their own evidence especially in the nation’s most northern state Temperatures have climbed for decades in Alaska, where it’s warming two- to three-times faster than the global average. The heat warms surrounding waters, shrinks glaciers and sea ice and creates more hazardous conditions for people National Weather Service offices in Juneau and Fairbanks will start issuing heat advisories for the first time this summer climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska special weather statements were used to communicate heat risks The new advisories starting June 1 will “more clearly identify the hazardous heat” and allow easily seen heat alerts on websites, according to the public notice from the weather service an advisory will be sent out if the temperature is forecast to reach 75 degrees advisories will kick in when the temperature is forecast for 80 degrees or higher Thoman joked with a colleague that 75 degrees would “get some chuckles in the lower 48.” Those who live in sunbaked southern states in the nation may scoff but in parts of Alaska that’s enough to make conditions dangerous The 30-year average overnight minimum temperature has climbed more than 4 degrees in Fairbanks since 1960 it works “whether it’s 40 below outside or 85,” he said it’s also during the longest days of the year “It’s not only that temperatures are going up, but in many areas we’re getting increasing wildfire smoke in the summer,” Thoman said “So the impact of the temperatures is changing.” Fairbanks residents have to ask themselves if they want to be cool “If you have to have your windows closed for three days you don't have air conditioning and your house is built to hold heat pretty soon your indoor air temperature is higher than it is outside." Even a small increase in temperature means more evaporation which leaves plants and shrubs drier than normal and more likely to burn In the more wildfire-prone parts of the state which dries things out sooner than it used to The start of Alaska's wildfire season has been moved forward from May 1 to April 1 and the frequency of “really big” fire seasons with 2 million to 3 million acres burning has doubled this century compared with the last half of the 20th century “We are getting more wildfire in places that used to hardly ever see wildfire The state is on the frontlines of climate change with dramatic changes “real and visible," according to The Nature Conservancy chapter in Alaska especially rural Alaskans and Indigenous Peoples have learned by experience “Alaskans are experiencing and adapting to a changing climate and its ramifications at breakneck speed.” Studies have linked the deaths of billions of snow crabs in the region to warming temperatures The shrinking sea ice also has been a concern of the U.S. military for decades Dinah Voyles Pulver covers climate change and the environment for USA TODAY. She's been writing about wildfire since the Florida firestorm of 1998 Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal 2025 9:46 AM EDTA major change that one American toilet paper company launched back in 2023 has been rolled out and it's getting rave reviews for being a "brilliant innovation" in toilet paper technology and has helped boost sales In fall of 2023, Charmin announced it was changing its toilet paper by replacing the traditional perforation line with a wavy edge to offer a "better smoother tear" and launched "Smooth Tear" as part of the "Ultra Soft category to offer a more enjoyable go." According to Sustainability Times this "revolutionary" change has resulted in a "surge in sales illustrating that even the smallest details can lead to monumental shifts in consumer satisfaction and market dynamics." So, what makes the Smooth Tear technology better than other kinds of toilet paper? P&G Scientist Gregg Weaver explains that the technology was created after some complaints from customers "The number one complaint at our toilet paper call center was the messy tear, so we did something about it," said Weaver who has served as a P&G scientist for 25 years "We revolutionized Charmin toilet paper and launched Charmin Smooth Tear It's designed to work the way people pull their toilet paper Charmin spent years working on this Smooth Tear offering and the goal was to help customers who "get frustrated when they're unable to get a clean tear resulting in additional toilet paper usage and potential waste." In other words the Smooth Tear line serves to prevent uneven tearing of sheets According to Rob Reinerman, Charmin vice President, Procter & Gamble "This is something the toilet paper category hasn't seen and we've spent more than five years perfecting the technology and design behind it." She's an award-winning reporter who covers sports and entertainment Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker I rode my Kawasaki from Portola Valley onto campus one thing has remained constant: our humanness We still search for meaning and need connection I’ve never stopped appreciating and observing my fellow companions Want your question to be featured in the next column? Ask Helen here What are your thoughts on artificial intelligence (AI) — should students be using it or does it compromise academic integrity AI is a universal game changer and with us to stay means “not authentic.” AI cannot understand either our intentions or our motivations and that is why human input and guidance is crucial it’s great for research and technicalities — but not for voice you won’t achieve confidence in your skills A law professor friend of mine said he can always tell if a student’s paper was generated by AI “It reads like the taste of those mashed potato flakes you get in a box,” he said I dislike both ChatGPT and autocorrect because I rarely like the suggestions they proffer would you send an AI-generated letter to a lover Any astute soul will catch the counterfeit if you compromise your personal code in anything everything else is tainted by association.  What do I do if I am choosing between two jobs One pays better and sets me up for a better future which matters to me as a first-generation student The other seems more exciting and is more aligned with my interests but is higher risk How do I make peace with my decision either way “set you up for a better future.” You simply don’t know The promise of “better pay” is not only fleeting but often not worth the gruel of the work if another job is “more aligned” with your interests and “more exciting,” it’s a no-brainer The best time to “take risks” is when you are young and just beginning — not when you’re 40 and have kids and a mortgage you understand struggle and have a resilience that the more entitled likely do not you never really “make peace,” with a decision You “find peace” when you choose what is more aligned with your true self and I feel like my friends and I are completely different from the people we were when we met You’re probably not “completely” different just different enough that you can see the changes in yourselves Change puts a bounce in your step and renews your outlook Would you want to go back to your awkward years Change is also the main reason that relationships don’t last One person changes faster or differently than the partner and the gap between them grows too wide you’ll have a great friend or two who keeps step with you over your lifetime.    University Academics Campus Life Graduate Students Business & Technology Equity Project Fall Sports Winter Sports Spring Sports Screen Culture Music Reads Columnists Editorials Letters from the Editor Letters to the Editor Op-Eds Video Podcasts Cartoons Graphics Tech © 2025 THE STANFORD DAILY PUBLISHING CORPORATION Privacy Policy         Accessibility         Advertise Donate and support The Daily when you shop on Amazon 2025 3:49 PM EDTTerry Bradshaw has worn many hats throughout his career in the world of professional football While he starred as the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1970-83 after being the No his career continued well beyond his final playing season The 1978 NFL Most Valuable Player also won three Sports Emmy Awards as a studio analyst and was featured on shows such as The NFL Today Fox NFL Sunday and NFL on Fox, among others During a recent interview with Fox 32 Chicago including battling two different types of cancer one of which was an extremely rare skin cancer The former NFL star explained that he was also diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis which led to him battling weight gain after being put on steroids Bradshaw reveals that he's lost 48 points "I ended up getting rheumatoid arthritis and it took forever to find out what steroid worked," Bradshaw explained "And so I put on so much weight and I got big So Tammy started me on one of those shots." "I've been on this shot for about a year now and I've lost 48 pounds and now I'm doing periodic It's great to hear that Bradshaw has a clean bill of health and he explained that he's now going in just for preventative treatments from time to time SAN ANTONIO -- Mitch Johnson extended his hand Popovich spoke publicly Monday for the first time since suffering a stroke six months ago, saying at the news conference where the Spurs formally introduced Johnson as his replacement that the time was right to make that move but it's not good enough for what we plan ahead," Popovich said Gregg Popovich introduces Mitch Johnson as the Spurs' new coach saying "it's time to make this change." Popovich will remain with the Spurs as team president. AP Photo/Eric GayFlanked by Spurs greats Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili the 76-year-old Popovich -- speaking far more softly than he has in the past -- said his health is improving and that he fully believes in Johnson Popovich will remain with the Spurs as team president and the leadership of the team -- including CEO R.C Buford and general manager Brian Wright -- isn't changing to make sure we keep it going," Popovich said adding that he will do everything he can to help Johnson going forward Popovich removed his jacket before bringing Johnson to the podium revealing a T-shirt with his new title: "El Jefe," it said Johnson took his seat at a microphone moments later not before Popovich reminded those present that "he's going to do a great job." Johnson looked in Popovich's direction and took a deep breath "I am honored by this opportunity and even more humbled by the people that I'll be able to partner with and serve," the new coach of the Spurs said Popovich's public appearance was a bit of a surprise. Surrounded by a slew of Spurs past and present -- Victor Wembanyama leading the way -- Popovich walked into the practice facility shortly before managing partner Peter J "I can't be him or 'El Jefe,'" Johnson said when asked what he'll take from Popovich "But to be able to commit and invest in people and relationships -- that can be having to yell and hold someone accountable and that can be to put your arm around someone's shoulder and love them -- and he did it better than anybody that's ever walked the sidelines Popovich -- the NBA's all-time wins leader someone who coached the Spurs from 1996 until now and won five NBA titles in that span -- spoke for about seven minutes He also turned reflective, at times even a bit emotional. He suffered the stroke on Nov. 2, hours before the Spurs were playing the Minnesota Timberwolves that night. Johnson took over as acting coach for the final 77 games of the season and his promotion was formally announced Friday. "I can never express the gratitude that I have for so many people caring about the organization and sending me thoughts and prayers, that sort of thing, since I had this stroke," Popovich said. "Things are getting better by the day, but it's not good enough for what we plan ahead, so it's time to make this change." Popovich also thanked several of those involved in his rehabilitation, some of whom were at Monday's news conference at the team's The Rock at La Cantera training facility. "Timmy and Manu have been here for all of my workouts here at the Rock," Popovich said. "They say it's because they love me and they want to be there in case I fall and they want to catch me, that sort of thing. I call it payback. They give the rehab people new ideas for things to do to me. They're not fooling anybody." Popovich thanked former players and coaches for being there, and noted that everyone in the Spurs organization -- including the in-game time-out performers, those in the ticket office, custodians, window-washers and more -- plays a role in the team's success. He also lauded the fans for their years of support and vowed that the Spurs won't let them down. "We all have a part in this," Popovich said. "It's not just the players and the coaches." The Spurs' core principles -- doing things the right way, honoring continuity, always welcoming former players back into the fold -- will remain in place, Johnson said. "The theme of the book isn't changing," Johnson said. It’s a competitive arena in which people win by distinguishing themselves from others And it’s an arena so lacking in originality How often do you hear a political leader say something truly inspired How often do you notice them actually thinking out loud not answers given to them on Post-It notes by an aide it sometimes takes me a second to realize it But that’s what happened when I interviewed Dr He is a doctor and public health professional in Michigan who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2018 and is now running for the U.S What took me time to register was that El-Sayed was doing something more interesting than explaining why he should win his primary He was laying out a vision for how America can finally be done with Trumpism I don’t think I’ve heard these ideas put together like this in a package before But I think the whole package is worth a look A lot of what Democrats have ended up offering is contempt for Trump voters and moderate policy ideas Dr El-Sayed is suggesting a reversal on both counts: radical empathy for Trump voters (which will rankle progressives) and radical change to eradicate the social conditions that enabled Trump (which will rankle moderates) Support free and independent media that bows to no billionaire or tyrant by becoming a subscriber El-Sayed knew a thing or two about bullying What he sees in Trump is a bully par excellence that the pro-democracy movement must obsessively seek to separate the posse from the bully Which means adopting a posture that some fellow Democrats may not like: showing what he calls “radical empathy” for Trump voters and viewing the choice millions made as an expression of desperation in an unresponsive system That means not lapsing into the condescension toward lay voters that feels so satisfying and It means not calling them Magats and brainwashed and irredeemable racists all It means strategically biting your tongue and opening your arms Share Winning movements don’t humiliate potential followers Trump’s chaotic and economy-quaking opening months are already causing lots of pain for his own supporters let alone all the other people in his policy crosshairs Gleeful Democrats sharing stories of MAGA types now being hurt by the policies they voted for El-Sayed framed the approach he favors instead succinctly: “We’ve got to get folks to being right “a space within which you felt safe enough…to say So next time you hear a veteran who voted for Trump complaining about benefit cuts or a CEO complaining about the stock market If you want to save your country from hell invite these potential newcomers to the pro-democracy cause in well-earned critiques of American policy and history can sometimes devolve into contempt for America often conceding the flag to those who would break the country rather than share it They become so consumed with what is wrong with the country that they forget to say whether there is anything they love about it Because it’s risking the republic itself and plays right into Donald Trump’s hands has a way into this issue that is compelling and worth listening to He knows all the critiques leveled at America; he levels many of them himself But his dualness — being from here and being from there — gives him another way of seeing He spoke in our conversation about going back to Egypt in his youth would sit with him and tell him that this cousin of his was better looking than Abdul his greatest gift that would matter more than any of these others It’s a bittersweet truth that many of us with similar experiences of dualness know from childhood would grow up to have criticisms of how America functions would also never forget that America has real and profound gifts but more than most places — life chances and an opportunity to flourish and create and speak and become the fullest version of yourself language many progressives would find way too cringe What El-Sayed reminds us is that to be a progressive who comes partly from somewhere else can be to hold two competing ideas in tension: that America is flawed and is built on ideals and ways rare in history and worth defending “America sucks” is a lazy shrug too often heard in progressive organizing spaces and it is weirdly provincial in its obliviousness to how life is in other places around the world and what El-Sayed is pointing toward instead is a progressive patriotism “I love America because I know exactly what my life would have ended up as if I didn’t And: “My critiques about America are about the difference between what she gave me…and what she has not given too many kids.” His advice to Democrats and progressives: “Wrap yourself in the flag as you demand the flag represent the things that you believe are best about this country.” Leave a comment like so many of you and so many across the country have argued that Democrats need to show fight Boneless and skinless is fine for chicken thighs It’s not adequate for a party that purports to be interested in beating back an attempted authoritarian breakthrough But El-Sayed challenged my thinking on the fight point A former team captain in school sports before he became a Rhodes Scholar and a medical doctor he pointed to scars on his face and spoke obliquely about not being afraid to fight when needed But he argued Democrats need to be more interested in winning the peace than the war: “Nobody fights the war to just win the war What he means is remaining focused on healing the causes of the pain that made Trump possible instead of over-fixating on Trump as the sum total of the ill must be creating conditions where the fighting is unnecessary There are a lot of ways to frame the times we live in But El-Sayed offered one that stuck with me: this is an age of insecurity What’s powerful about insecurity as a grand unified theory is that it encompasses all manner of sentiments from all sections of the political spectrum Brutal hyper-capitalism creates insecurity Not being able to afford things creates insecurity Feeling vulnerable to crime creates insecurity Feeling deluged across a poorly managed border creates insecurity when you are not well prepared for your own new role and standing New and unfamiliar ideas about history and the meaning of your country create insecurity New technology and the threat of obsolescence create insecurity The loss of control over one’s children and their vulnerability to outside influences creates insecurity You will no doubt identify with some forms of insecurity listed above El-Sayed’s point is that insecurity in general has been roiling our hearts and politics “The thing about insecurity is that you may have what you need right now but you’re constantly at risk of losing it.” So part of winning the peace beyond Trumpism And how bold should Democrats be in doing that Some of El-Sayed’s arguments above — the radical empathy part of his solution — might strike some Democrats as too solicitous of Trump voters I think of him as being in the mold of many of the organizers I wrote about in my book The Persuaders: advocating more flexibility on how you reach out to and court moderates and MAGA voters A lot of what you see from Democrats right now is the opposite: Snideness and condescension toward MAGA types El-Sayed wants to flip that script: Gentle “You can't beat something with nothing,” he told me And the problem that folks have with Democrats is that we say nothing It’s like somebody screaming ‘Vanilla!’ at you El-Sayed has advocated aggressive policy responses to America’s overlapping crises — including Medicare for All, which he wrote an entire book about Whatever you think about individual policy questions the larger point is worth grappling with: that the proper place for moderation is in the stance one shows to potentially politically adrift Americans The place for unbending passion is on substantive policy ideas that would drastically change the country and therefore heal the conditions that enabled Trump so that we don’t keep returning to square one it struck me that he was pushing against both his fellow progressives and the more moderate wing of the Democratic Party His message to progressives is to ditch the label although his policy vision lines up with any conventional definition But he seemed determined to frame ideas like clean air and water (Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been making similar arguments on her “Fighting Oligarchy” tour stops.) But he also has a bracing message for those moderates so singularly fixated on Trump that they think the goal of political struggle should be to return America to the day before the golden escalator ride in 2015 “That’s our own version of Make America Great Again It just happens to be 2015 instead of 1930-something,” he told me America wasn’t working for most people in 2015 The way to move past Trumpism is to champion drastically and to do so with an openhearted posture toward converts who will have many reasons to seek a new political home in the days that are coming If The Ink helps you think and connect with others and stay sane in these times support the work that goes into it by subscribing Give a gift subscription Get 20% off a group subscription ReplyShare2 replies45 more comments...TopLatestDiscussionsNo posts Here is a strange thing about politics It\u2019s a competitive arena in which people win by distinguishing themselves from others And it\u2019s an arena so lacking in originality But that\u2019s what happened when I interviewed Dr I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve heard these ideas put together like this in a package before Which means adopting a posture that some fellow Democrats may not like: showing what he calls \u201Cradical empathy\u201D for Trump voters Share Winning movements don\u2019t humiliate potential followers Trump\u2019s chaotic and economy-quaking opening months are already causing lots of pain for his own supporters El-Sayed framed the approach he favors instead succinctly: \u201CWe\u2019ve got to get folks to being right \u201Ca space within which you felt safe enough\u2026to say Subscribe now Because it\u2019s risking the republic itself and plays right into Donald Trump\u2019s hands But his dualness \u2014 being from here and being from there \u2014 gives him another way of seeing It\u2019s a bittersweet truth that many of us with similar experiences of dualness know from childhood but more than most places \u2014 life chances and an opportunity to flourish and create and speak and become the fullest version of yourself \u201CAmerica sucks\u201D is a lazy shrug too often heard in progressive organizing spaces \u201CI love America because I know exactly what my life would have ended up as if I didn\u2019t And: \u201CMy critiques about America are about the difference between what she gave me\u2026and what she has not given too many kids.\u201D His advice to Democrats and progressives: \u201CWrap yourself in the flag as you demand the flag represent the things that you believe are best about this country.\u201D Leave a comment It\u2019s not adequate for a party that purports to be interested in beating back an attempted authoritarian breakthrough But he argued Democrats need to be more interested in winning the peace than the war: \u201CNobody fights the war to just win the war What\u2019s powerful about insecurity as a grand unified theory is that it encompasses all manner of sentiments The loss of control over one\u2019s children and their vulnerability to outside influences creates insecurity El-Sayed\u2019s point is that insecurity in general has been roiling our hearts and politics \u201CThe thing about insecurity is that you may have what you need right now but you\u2019re constantly at risk of losing it.\u201D Some of El-Sayed\u2019s arguments above \u2014 the radical empathy part of his solution \u2014 might strike some Democrats as too solicitous of Trump voters \u201CYou can't beat something with nothing,\u201D he told me It\u2019s like somebody screaming \u2018Vanilla!\u2019 at you El-Sayed has advocated aggressive policy responses to America\u2019s overlapping crises \u2014 including Medicare for All, which he wrote an entire book about so that we don\u2019t keep returning to square one (Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has been making similar arguments on her \u201CFighting Oligarchy\u201D tour stops.) \u201CThat\u2019s our own version of Make America Great Again It just happens to be 2015 instead of 1930-something,\u201D he told me America wasn\u2019t working for most people in 2015 Give a gift subscription Get 20% off a group subscription Watch my full conversation with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed here: 2025Photograph from GettySave this storySave this storySave this storySave this storyThis morning I just purchased a forty-five-dollar bouquet of dried willow branches from a pixie-haired woman at the farmers’ market Watch as I parade around town with my elegant twigs toward the heavens—but don’t look too closely elevated to high fashion by the completely insane amount of kindling in my arms Now my very being begs a litany of questions You can tell because they’re wrapped neatly in crisp brown paper I enjoy cradling the bouquet casually against my bosom But of course it is not a baby—it is sticks I can barely contain my joy as I courageously tromp home along the busiest of avenues I contemplate where I’ll display my bouquet—not on the dining table because I spend my money on more important things I imagine what guests will think when they see my stick bouquet “She really has a keen eye that sees beyond surface-level beauty and finds splendor in the mundane I bet she knits her own sweaters and strains her own nut milk and when she goes to karaoke she probably chooses a Fiona Apple song and sings it perfectly on key in a way that’s somehow endearing and self-aware and does not seem showboaty at all.” I dream of other charming objects I might soon haul around town—a baguette each new item is arranged around the branch bouquet an altar to women who refer to jams as “preserves.” I know innately that the simple act of purchasing this bouquet will launch me into the future of my dreams Soon I’ll have a small army of back-yard animals—chickens I will brew beer that is so hoppy it literally jumps out of the glass I will bake pies using berries that mankind has not yet encountered and cannot comprehend Things you could have done instead of checking your phone I thought I would accomplish a lot more today and also by the time I was thirty-five I am a Tinder guy holding a fish and I will provide for you Circumstances in which I will not pet your dog Fake pandemic introvert vs. real introvert Other hygge-like Scandinavian trends to make your sad life seem intentional Enter the Cartoon Caption Contest for a chance to appear in the magazine Follow @newyorkercartoons on Instagram and sign up for the Daily Humor newsletter for more funny stuff. the retail industry is pretty much unrecognizable compared to what it used to look like.  Consider what the average American's shopping experience looked like a couple of decades ago.  You'd probably need to visit a big box store for things like a mop Maybe you'd need to go to a home improvement retailer for a step ladder since that dust collecting on your ceiling fans isn't going to clean itself.  you'd also probably want to a visit clothing store (likely in the mall) to update your jeans so you could prepare a few meals for the busy week ahead.  All of this would involve you visiting at least four very different stores you'd probably feel lucky if you got around to doing your actual Walmart's online delivery is about to get more efficient Image source: Jeff Schear/Getty Images for Walmart Retail is a changing beastFast forward a couple of decades and we've found ourselves smack dab in the center of a brave new retail world.  Very few of us spend entire weekends running around from store to store It's no longer necessary to devote hours perusing aisles and bins of inventory looking for our desired brand That's because most of us now get the essentials (and sometimes just the stuff we want) online.  a weekend of spring cleaning can easily be planned for seamlessly; all we'd need to do is put in an order online from one of the retail giants like Walmart or Amazon.  All the necessary supplies would arrive on our doorstep in a matter of days — or even hours Walmart makes another delivery changeOf course a lot must go on in the background to have our goods reach us so quickly Online retailers are always updating their ordering and delivery processes to ensure customers are getting the fastest and most seamless experience.  Amazon has set something of a gold standard when it comes to shipping speed; about 60% of orders placed through Amazon are delivered on the same or next day This process involves looking at areas of the country as pixels or hexagonal-shaped zones, rather than zip codes.  In doing this, Walmart can better anticipate demand, plan delivery routes, and eliminate coverage gaps. It can also source from multiple Walmart stores. "Rather than relying on traditional boundaries like zip codes, we divide large areas into smaller, more precise hexagonal grids," Walmart explained.  "Think of it like pixels in a digital image — each hexagon is a 'tile' packed with real-time data such as slot availability, drive time, store capacity, customer demand and more. This allows us to adjust delivery zones with greater accuracy, ultimately serving more customers across the country." Walmart says the delivery change is already expanding its service. It's added 12 million new households to its reach, or 93% of homes in the U.S. By Jena Warburton is a senior reporter and editor at TheStreet banking and financials. Jena graduated from Trinity College with a bachelor's in American Studies Want TheStreet’s best daily stock and investing news right in your inbox every weekday Sign up today for our free newsletter and you'll receive an exclusive report explaining hedge fund guru Doug Kass' winning investment style “We won both wars, nobody was close to us in terms of strength, bravery, or military brilliance, but we never celebrate anything,” Trump wrote in the late night statement. “That’s because we don’t have leaders anymore We are going to start celebrating our victories again!” The move to rename Veterans Day — established to coincide with the end date of World War I — would overwrite 87 years of precedent in recognizing Nov 11 as a national holiday celebrating all veterans Trump issued a national proclamation for Veterans Day honoring the celebration as a chance for the country to “pause to pay tribute to all who have proudly worn our nation’s uniform.” He did not make any mention of the World War I origins of the date Trump also did not clarify if he expects May 8 will also become a federal holiday like Veterans Day although a decision on that designation would fall to Congress Trump noted that many countries commemorate the end of World War II on May 8 “but we did more than any other country was the end of major fighting in the European arena of World War II and allied troops continued for nearly four more months troops were killed in fighting in World War II according to the National World War II museum Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times focusing on military personnel and veterans policies the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox and more info about our products and services © 2025 CNBC LLC. All Rights Reserved. A Division of NBCUniversal Data also provided by Chris Vagasky is a member of the American Meteorological Society and National Weather Association University of Wisconsin–Madison provides funding as a member of The Conversation US View all partners The National Hurricane Center’s forecasts in 2024 were its most accurate on record to its forecasts five days into the future when storms were only beginning to come together Thanks to federally funded research, forecasts of tropical cyclone tracks today are up to 75% more accurate than they were in 1990 A National Hurricane Center forecast three days out today is about as accurate as a one-day forecast in 2002 giving people in the storm’s path more time to prepare and reducing the size of evacuations Accuracy will be crucial again in 2025, as meteorologists predict another active Atlantic hurricane season Yet, cuts in staffing and threats to funding at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – which includes the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service – are diminishing operations that forecasters rely on I am a meteorologist who studies lightning in hurricanes and helps train other meteorologists to monitor and forecast tropical cyclones Here are three of the essential components of weather forecasting that have been targeted for cuts to funding and staff at NOAA To understand how a hurricane is likely to behave forecasters need to know what’s going on in the atmosphere far from the Atlantic and Gulf coasts Hurricanes are steered by the winds around them Wind patterns detected today over the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains – places like Colorado Nebraska and South Dakota – give forecasters clues to the winds that will be likely along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts in the days ahead Satellites can’t take direct measurements, so to measure these winds, scientists rely on weather balloons. That data is essential both for forecasts and to calibrate the complicated formulas forecasters use to make estimates from satellite data That move and other cuts and threatened cuts at NOAA have raised red flags for forecasters across the country and around the world Much of that data would be extremely expensive if not impossible to replicate Under normal circumstances, weather balloons are released from around 900 locations around the world at 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern time every day. While the loss of just 12 of these profiles may not seem significant, small amounts of missing data can lead to big forecast errors. This is an example of chaos theory more popularly known as the butterfly effect The balloons carry a small instrument called a radiosonde which records data as it rises from the surface of the Earth to around 120,000 feet above ground The radiosonde acts like an all-in-one weather station and air pressure every 15 feet through its flight Together, all these measurements help meteorologists interpret the atmosphere overhead and feed into computer models used to help forecast weather around the country For more than 80 years, scientists have been flying planes into hurricanes to measure each storm’s strength and help forecast its path and potential for damage Known as “Hurricane Hunters,” these crews from the U.S. Air Force Reserve and NOAA routinely conduct reconnaissance missions throughout hurricane season using a variety of instruments these flights are making measurements that satellites can’t Hurricane Hunters use Doppler radar to gauge how the wind is blowing and LiDAR to measure temperature and humidity changes They drop probes to measure the ocean temperature down several hundred feet to tell how much warm water might be there to fuel the storm They also release 20 to 30 dropsondes wind speed and direction and air pressure every 15 feet or so from the plane to the ocean Dropsondes from Hurricane Hunter flights are the only way to directly measure what is occurring inside the storm Although satellites and radars can see inside hurricanes these are indirect measurements that do not have the fine-scale resolution of dropsonde data That data tells National Hurricane Center forecasters how intense the storm is and whether the atmosphere around the storm is favorable for strengthening Dropsonde data also helps computer models forecast the track and intensity of storms days into the future Two NOAA Hurricane Hunter flight directors were laid off in February 2025 Directors are the flight meteorologists aboard each flight who oversee operations and ensure the planes stay away from the most dangerous conditions Having fewer directors limits the number of flights that can be sent out during busy times when Hurricane Hunters are monitoring multiple storms And that would limit the accurate data the National Hurricane Center would have for forecasting storms Weather satellites that monitor tropical storms from space provide continuous views of each storm’s track and intensity changes The equipment on these satellites and software used to analyze it make increasingly accurate hurricane forecasts possible Much of that equipment is developed by federally funded researchers Forecasting rapid intensification is one of the great challenges for hurricane scientists It’s the dangerous shift when a tropical cyclone’s wind speeds jump by at least 35 mph (56 kilometers per hour) in 24 hours The passback budget also cut funding for some technology from future satellites, including lightning mappers that are used in hurricane intensity forecasting and to warn airplanes of risks Tropical storms and hurricanes can have devastating effects, as Hurricanes Helene and Milton reminded the country in 2024 resulted in billions of dollars of damage and hundreds of fatalities The U.S. has been facing more intense storms, and the coastal population and value of property in harm’s way are growing. As five former directors of the National Weather Service wrote in an open letter cutting funding and staff from NOAA’s work that is improving forecasting and warnings ultimately threatens to leave more lives at risk incorporates the expertise of the journalist and may offer interpretations and conclusions Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content The Trump administration is initiating a $36 billion overhaul of the U.S. Army modernizing systems and updating weapons—such as next-generation tanks and helicopters—that will bring about a "generational change," an Army spokesperson told Newsweek This means they view China as a long-term risk to U.S The last major equipment overhaul of the U.S Army occurred during the late 1970s and mid-1980s with the introduction of the "Big Five" weapons systems: the M1 Abrams tank UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter and the Patriot air defense missile system The overhaul is part of President Donald Trump's efforts to counter China's aggressive military. U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Wednesday that directed the Pentagon to "build a leaner as well as restructuring headquarters and acquisition systems." the Army must prioritize investments in accordance with the Administration's strategy ensuring existing resources are prioritized to improve long-range precision fires air and missile defense including through the Golden Dome for America and counter-space capabilities," Hegseth wrote in his memo The upgrade will cost $36 billion spent over five years to complete spoke with Newsweek about some of the specifics that the administration is looking to enact with the understanding that "the proof will be in the execution of it," but the belief that "this is going to be a generational change for the army." the Defense Acquisition System is archaic," Butler said "I think what's happening now is people just realize that it's right in front of our faces: You could see the battlefield in Ukraine is moving technologically the way the Israeli military had to adapt and change," Butler continued "Our defense acquisition system could never keep up with that and so I think—I can't speak for why we haven't been able to do it up until now." The defense acquisition system is meant to "support the National Defense Strategy through the development of a more lethal force based on U.S. technological innovation and a culture of performance that yields a decisive and sustained U.S. military advantage," according to the Pentagon The Army will look to equip each active-duty division with around 1000 drones but Butler said that the Army would also look to invest in counter-drone technology which he said "we're way behind in," in addition to investing in electronic warfare—spectrum detection and jamming capabilities—as well as artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics "We've got to continue to invest in our network infrastructure connected via Starlink and Star Shield and other satellite communications," Butler said The Army's got to invest quite a bit into that because over the past 20 years we've gotten wayward in how our network is built and conducted." "We are going to operate across several different lines of effort but one of the one of the baseline things that we have to get right we've already started this and we're going to continue The improvements Butler mentioned aimed to "lower our signature on the battlefield," as "a single electronic emissions give away our location and allow us to be targeted." so that we can be the ones targeting instead the ones targeted," he said the Army will be able to more quickly and accurate process information on production and program progress that currently is tracked through "tens of thousands of civilians that are filling out Excel spreadsheets and passing those around via email." "We're doing a series of pilots with AI companies that apply AI to that system .. and initial findings is AI is obviously much and it's also pulling out data that enables us to see the programs in a different way," he said such as highlighting anomalies and trends – just one of several ways the Army will integrate new technology Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth wrote in his memo: "The President gave us a clear mission: achieve Peace through Strength the United States Army must prioritize defending our homeland and deterring China in the IndoPacific region winning on the rapidly evolving battlefield requires Soldiers who are physically and mentally resilient and equipped with the best technology available." Oxford University International Relations Professor Neta C told Newsweek: "This spending saps the rest of the U.S Any military budget needs to be shaped by a military strategy that is sized to the threat and Russia is a greatly weakened military power after years of fighting in Ukraine." The Army will continue its review of spending and systems to pinpoint areas of improvement and work to overhaul those weaknesses over the course of Trump's second term in office Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsweek is committed to journalism that is factual and fair We value your input and encourage you to rate this article Newsletters in your inbox See all This website uses cookies to enhance your experience. Read our Privacy Notice This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings we will not be able to save your preferences This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again which promotes more movement around highly frequented areas such as restaurants and shopping centers.  When they aren't blaming bad weather for poor sales they're often gearing up for warmer weather in the hopes that more customers will come through their doors And there are a few ways retailers do this.  Some leverage inspiring marketing as a ploy to capture more dollars.  They'll advertise spring as a time for new changes this means you should feel compelled to clean out your closet and replace it with cooler Or maybe it means you should take up a new exercise routine — and purchase new sneakers and running shorts while you're at it — say sporting goods stores.  Perhaps it means you should put in fresh landscaping Lowe's and other major retailers are getting ready for spring sales promotions Image source: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Retailers look ahead to springThere are plenty of feel-good springtime holidays retailers routinely promote.  and Cinco de Mayo are all cause for sales events that try to capitalize on people having more free time to browse stores or online websites for sales.  it may feel like spring is a time for spontaneous renewal (and spontaneous spending) this is a season for which they've been carefully planning for quite a while.  the springtime season is typically the next-highest spending period in retail second only to the busy December holiday shopping push Lowe's drop early dealsParticularly in 2025 retailers have been promoting big sales during spring as a way to nab choosey consumers before tariffs kick in on many imported goods.  Such is the case for many of America's largest retailers — both in stores and online.  Many of these companies such as Walmart  (WMT) , Lowe's  (LOW) and Wayfair often hold annual springtime savings events.  Here's how the schedules have changed:  This sales front-loading effect isn't a new concept, but it does reflect a big push by both retailers to capitalize on consumers before they feel the squeeze of heftier prices.  “Consumers are expecting sharply higher prices the next year and are clearing the store shelves and picking up bargains while they can,” FwdBonds chief Economist Christopher Rupkey said. Editor’s note: A previous version of this article and an accompanying chart misstated the dimensions of the “buffer zone” used to evaluate umpires before this year That buffer zone should have been described as 2 inches on all sides of the plate Major League Baseball negotiated a seemingly simple change in how home-plate umpires are graded and evaluated its impact on balls and strikes has players asking questions about what they believe is a tightened strike zone — and searching for ways to adjust to a new wrinkle they say caught them by surprise which was part of a new labor agreement with the Major League Umpires Association significantly decreased the margin of error for umpires in their evaluations — and has resulted in fewer called strikes off the edges of the plate through the same point as last season “Everybody’s zone has shrunk,” Angels catcher Travis d’Arnaud told The Athletic The actual number of pitches affected is relatively small pitching coaches and analytics-driven front offices — has been anything but They say the shift in how balls and strikes are now called is already having an impact on game-planning evaluation models and even roster construction umpires were working with a “buffer zone” that gave them 2 inches of leeway — on all sides of the plate just off the strike zone — when they were graded on how accurately they called balls and strikes from 2 inches on all sides to just three-quarters of an inch on all sides inside and outside the strike zone (1.5 inches total) according to league sources briefed on the change but not authorized to discuss the matter publicly An MLB official confirmed that the buffer zone had decreased in size The intent of the buffer zone change is simple: to call the rulebook strike zone more accurately But the real-life impact seems to have caught pitchers and catchers in particular off guard even though the definition of the actual strike zone remains the same “I was unaware of that,” Phillies reliever Matt Strahm said of the change. “I thought everything was going to be normal after spring (training, when MLB tested an electronic ball-strike challenge system) I guess I wasn’t aware that the (buffer zone) has shrunk.” “The rulebook strike zone has not changed and we have not instructed umpires to call a different strike zone In response to consistent player and club desire to have umpires evaluated more closely to the rulebook strike zone we agreed with the MLB Umpires Association in their new CBA to reduce the size of the ‘buffer’ around the border of the strike zone which essentially protects an umpire from being graded ‘incorrect’ on extremely close misses “We informed the GMs and Field Managers that we were seeking this change during the offseason,” the official said “and again informed the Clubs when the umpire CBA was ratified Overall ball-strike accuracy in 2025 is the highest it has ever been through this point in the season.” The data shows that this season’s strike calls are the most accurate since Statcast began tracking pitches in 2015 players interviewed about this change say the strike zone feels noticeably smaller in the past week to get their impression of how balls and strikes are now being called — and to ask when they learned about the umpiring changes No players interviewed could recall being informed before the season that this was coming — by their teams found it puzzling that no one had communicated more details about this new approach to the strike zone before the season started they say they found themselves dealing with the change in real time I do think we should be told that it’s smaller and that the buffer zone might be smaller,” Giants pitcher Logan Webb said Several players relayed conversations they’ve had with umpires in the early going who like some other players and team employees requested anonymity in order to speak freely said an umpire asked him early this season: “What do you think of the new strike zone?” His response: “What new strike zone?” this strike zone is not “new.” Its dimensions remain the same as described in baseball’s official rules But pitchers told The Athletic the impact of the smaller buffer zone has affected at-bats umpires know how they’re now being evaluated Umpires are continually graded by the league on the accuracy of their calls — particularly when working the plate Those grades affect whether they’re given postseason assignments and could even result in termination if their scores are low enough awareness of the buffer zone has always had an impact on ball-strike calls If an umpire calls a pitch a strike that misses the plate but hits that buffer zone the buffer means he isn’t penalized for an incorrect call As umpires adjust to a narrower buffer zone the practical effect has been fewer strikes in that area that shadows the plate but before this season they had regularly been called strikes There are other reasons this year’s zone feels to players as if it’s gotten tighter who have more experience calling the rulebook strike zone while working with the Automated Ball-Strike System (ABS) in the minor leagues The other is MLB’s experiment this spring with the ball-strike challenge system which veteran umpires have told players caused their zones to tighten as the spring went along The result is that pitchers and catchers said they noticed so many pitches just off the plate being called balls “We pulled the numbers of strikes that were called balls in the first week of the season this year versus last year,” d’Arnaud said (we found) like 550 at the same point in time Major League Baseball’s position is that it was players who told the league that they would like to see the strike zone be called more closely Players The Athletic spoke with did not share the view that the impetus for this change came from their side Baseball’s big-picture offensive numbers so far would suggest that the change to the buffer zone has not had a major statistical impact League batting average is up compared with March/April 2024 it’s within the range of common year-to-year fluctuations All of those developments are positives for a sport in which it has gotten tougher than ever to hit coaches and data-driven front offices say the change in how balls and strikes are being called has been felt inside clubhouses and analytics departments throughout the game A high-ranking executive in one front office told The Athletic that for the past two weeks his team has been “trying to figure out what’s going on.” He said his team believes the decrease in called strikes on the edges will have ripple effects that include “personnel decisions everything.” If he had known this was coming maybe his club would have adjusted and built a more patient lineup — since in a world with fewer called strikes patience would seem to be more valuable than ever hitters surveyed by The Athletic had far fewer issues with the change than pitchers even though they consistently said they had no idea this new more hitter-friendly buffer zone was coming Asked if this is what hitters want — for the strike zone to be called more like the rulebook strike zone — Astros first baseman Christian Walker replied “That’s what we’re doing out there,” he said We all get frustrated when we feel calls don’t go our way These guys are throwing nasty pitches at nearly 100 mph so I think some forgiveness around the zone is totally understandable.” What is less clear-cut is why all the players The Athletic interviewed said they were caught off guard by this change The league is adamant that the managers and front-office execs were informed that front offices were updated on the specifics of the umpires’ labor agreement in writing and that there was no intent to keep anyone in the dark According to league sources briefed on the matter MLB officials spoke to all 30 managers about the change at December’s Winter Meetings Those sources also said that MLB talked about this change with all 30 club front offices at the general managers’ meetings in November — and then distributed a memorandum to every team in mid-December after the agreement with the umpires was completed They said the league has had regular communication with the players’ union as well they said MLB normally relies on clubs and the union to keep players updated on such matters But more than two dozen people from all of those groups — managers front-office executives and sources with ties to the union — told The Athletic they had no recollection of the league briefing them on this change Sources tied to the players’ union dispute the notion that the league briefed them on the buffer zone changes before the season A spokesperson for the Players Association declined to comment further and instead released a statement: “We’ve heard from players on the topic and we’re closely monitoring this year’s strike-zone trends including via those discussions with players the umpires and the commissioner’s office.” inquiries to seven club officials found none who said they had any prior knowledge of the tighter buffer zone until they began noticing a shift in ball-strike calls once the season started And none of six managers interviewed could recall this change being communicated by MLB during the Winter Meetings “I don’t remember having any communication with anybody at any point in time saying we’re going to tighten it up,’” Padres manager Mike Shildt said I try to pay attention during the meetings … I would have thought it would grab my attention I would probably share that with (his coaches).” I didn’t know that,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Asked if he remembered being told about this at the Winter Meetings Reds manager Terry Francona said: “I don’t believe so That doesn’t mean they didn’t because I can barely remember yesterday Shildt said that if he’d known about this change he would have made a point to prepare his players before the season Most of the managers surveyed did say that they had no problem with any move intended to help umpires call a more consistent version of the strike zone “I think that’s a good thing,” Roberts said “I think that there is just so much gray with the strike zone whatever adjustments for the umpiring there’s been behind home plate I’ve been really pleased with the consistency.” League sources say that players and coaches have pushed for a smaller buffer zone and more consistent accurate ball-strike calls for years — and have been in more agreement on that position than on any other on-field issue in the game a player on baseball’s competition committee who requested anonymity in order to speak freely said that if there was a request from players it didn’t come from players on the committee And multiple sources connected to the committee speaking anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly said this was never a topic before the change was made and that it never came up at a scheduled January meeting of the competition committee the first after the umpires’ agreement was ratified “If (players were) going to make a proposal on changing the strike zone it’s going to happen in the competition committee meeting,” one of those sources said The competition committee’s next meeting is Friday and it’s expected that there will be a deeper discussion of the change and its impact According to Statcast data from Baseball Savant the change in how balls and strikes are being called averages out to about one fewer called strike per game But pitchers still believe that’s not an insignificant number “when a call makes a difference in a win or loss.” Players and clubs also have pointed to the number of pitches no longer being called strikes in what Baseball Savant refers to as “the shadow zone,” an area around the strike zone that is the width of a baseball (The shadow zone is similar to the buffer zone but not the same — Statcast uses the former and umpires the latter.) The drop in called strikes in that area is the largest While numerous players expressed frustrations over the lack of communication from the league no one accused MLB of intentionally keeping players out of the loop simply: If balls and strikes are going to be called differently it puts pitchers at a disadvantage if they don’t know that going into the season “As a competitor … you just have to learn to deal with whatever the new goal posts are,” said one veteran pitcher “But I would say that any time we choose to change the goal posts just let us know so we can prepare for it.” Sam Blum and Chad Jennings contributed to this report (Top image: Dan Goldfarb / The Athletic; Photo: iStock) Hotel stays in Hawaii will be getting a little more expensive starting in 2026 thanks to the introduction of a first-of-its-kind tax Lawmakers in Hawaii have passed a bill to raise the tax on hotel stays and other vacation rentals, specifically to fund efforts to fight climate change. Senate Bill 1396 was passed on April 25 and is expected to be signed into law by Governor Josh Green the tax on hotels and other accommodations will increase by 1.75% The expectation is that this will generate between $85 million and $100 million per year in additional revenue Hawaii hasn’t otherwise increased taxes on hotel stays since 2010 there was talk of introducing a $50 per person fee for visitors to enter the state as lawmakers were concerned it would violate the Constitution’s right to free travel So this agreement is considered to be a compromise Here’s how Representative Adrian Tam described this new bill: “Our residents and communities deserve to be protected As we continue to invite visitors to Hawaii to share the beauty of this land this bill is a huge step in ensuring adequate funding is set aside to steward and protect our delicate ecosystems for visitors our constituents and communities for generations to come.” Funding from this tax will be used to address the impacts of climate change on the state by authorizing the funding of resiliency projects and establishing the climate mitigation and resiliency special fund Funding will also be used to establish the economic development and revitalization special fund Here’s how the bill describes the intent behind this increased tax: The legislature finds that Hawaii is experiencing a climate emergency and increasingly destructive and deadly weather events These impacts threaten not only our vibrant ecosystems but successful mitigation of and adaptation to climate change is imperative The legislature further finds that given the scale and impact of the climate emergency the State must invest in bold actions to prepare for including resiliency to intensifying natural disasters charged with protecting the safety and welfare of the people of Hawaii and the State’s lead for hazard mitigation and disaster readiness in coordination with the departments of business and tourism; land and natural resources; and transportation and wellbeing of Hawaii’s places and people This is the first time that we’re seeing a US state introduce a hotel tax specifically to address climate change That 1.75% tax increase is being used specifically to address the impacts of climate change The expectation is that this will lead to an incremental $85-100 million per year in revenue for the government Assuming the money is used to make life better for Hawaiians What do you make of Hawaii’s new hotel climate tax Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" If they were honest and just said we need more money cool lots of tourist destinations have high taxes for visitors/hotels to fund the needs of their citizens and that's perfectly fine Many destinations that are most desirable for holidays such as HI don't have many resources so monetizing tourism makes sense and tourists do have a cost for the island in roads and upkeep for beaches/parks etc translates roughly to we are creating either a slush fund for "research" aka grants to connected people to write pre-determined "papers" that will achieve nothing but pay their salaries So why not just be honest about it and raise the hotel tax Mexico has a crazy hotel tax (and not for climate change) because people want to visit so they pay it No one who was planning a trip there would cancel if their hotel tax went up $100 I mean if a few extra % is a deal breaker perhaps an island vacation isn't the right financial decision for you right now...but calling it a "climate tax" might be off-putting to some (more money was the goal right?) so don't understand the logic there If you're really concerned about climate change it's just dem politicians virtue signaling while doing what they want to do anyway (collect more money and control) and self righteous elitist leftist vacationers happily paying indulgences to free them of imaginary climate guilt and to feel self righteous knowing the only reason they are in favor of it is to keep out the unwashed.. knowing the only reason they are in favor of it is to keep out the unwashed masses for their own enjoyment Your ideology is a lie on top of a lie on top of a lie AA alone is sending in hundreds of overweight Texans on their packed 777 every day Always some moron who has to bring politics into a post And a few places that charge a higher total tax rate than Honolulu: San Antonio I feel the point that gets missed is it doesn’t really matter what someone says a tax is for It could be the most worthy tax in existence and if that’s too high people will pick another destination It’s easy to imagine an increase like this pushing hotels from $298/night to $300/night One less $24 Mai Tai on holiday will cover this tax increase Hopefully it deters all the volk getting their reich's panties in a twist about it the same as the biblical instructed tithe for Christians That way the religion of climate change could be on par in Hawaii If the legislature called it "we just want more revenue" tax don't go to NYC or Venice or Barcelona or fill in the blank And some people just pay up just to remain brainwashed Surely all that meth/ice smoke from local Hawaiians and imported bums is GREAT for the environment WOW the youngest state is solving climate change!!!!!! It would sound less pathetic if you called it pooping on island tax than fighting climate change Why don't those hypocrites introduce a world peace tax or ending famine tax Science says the sun's temperature will drop by a few degrees if we pay more taxes Hope they use the money raised to close the oil powered power stations and go fully renewable "Hawaiian" implies a person of native Hawaiian ancestry The correct term for a person who lives in the state of Hawaii is "Hawaii Resident." If only Native Hawaiians can be called Hawaiians does that mean people of African or Asian ancestry that are UK or French citizens cannot be called British or French The US Census designates and recognizes it as “Native Hawaiian” not Hawaiian By your logic everyone in the USA who isn’t of Native American ancestry shouldn’t be called American but America Resident A resident of Hawaii is a Hawaiian regardless of race As a British citizen of Ghanaian ancestry this is true then Barack Obama is not a Native Hawaiian and maybe principle will keep some of the climate complainers away So incredibly sad that had we had a perfect opportunity to build out greener and more efficient transportation alternatives and rework the zoning codes here in the US back in the '70s during the oil crisis I'm curious what you think the impact of these taxes will be Do you think states and localities are going to use this (rather meager) revenue to totally transform transportation and energy infrastructure what do you think will happen if they don't The reality is that none of the climate apocalypse scenarios has come close to materializing if you're so concerned about climate change what are you prepared to give up to stop it let alone leaving your hometown if you think it's such an existential crisis @Trufax I don't think Hawaii alone will materially be able to do anything with their tax other than maybe implement more effective mass transit on their islands (which to be clear would help) it's a line item to hopefully make people think when they pay the bill this has to be addressed at a higher level than a single state in the US The biggest driver of CO2 emissions in the United States (and also plastic particles in our water and food) comes from automobiles and suburban sprawl Despite being only a population of 340m people and more per capita than China with their 1.4 billion people This is because single-family tract housing on the periphery of cities makes mass transit politically and fiscally impossible This then passes the cost of transportation to the individual instead of the state by forcing people to own cars to participate in society in any measure single-family homes are less energy efficient than any form of multi-family dwellings meaning more oil and coal burned in power stations for climate control more concrete and plastic to provide the sewers and power lines since most microplastics in the environment come from vehicle tires I bought a condo closer to the city to reduce the need to take car trips (I walk to restaurants I bought a 50mpg hybrid car to reduce tailpipe emissions and gas consumption for the car trips I do have to take And my condo requires far less energy to heat and cool it's not easy to live completely car-free in the US because the handful of areas where that's actually possible tend to be prohibitively expensive (thanks to demand because people WANT to live in such areas) I'm not worried about commercial air travel because that makes up such a small segment of total emissions as to be insignificant in the grand scheme of things whereas if the we in the USA alone cut our emissions by 1/4 we'd cut global CO2 emissions by 3% Would Honolulu's light rail have been less of a disaster if they tried to build it back in the 70's In the 1970s we hadn't yet completely spun off institutional public works knowledge from governments to private companies and in the '70s Honolulu's population was only 630k~ as opposed to 900k~ in 2008 when the light rail was finally approved and better state capacity to manage and build infrastructure If it was going to be really used to support the environment and offset tourist impact to the climate it is nothing more than a money grab to line certain connected people's pockets With how overrun they are they absolutely should have gone higher Hawaii is the most tourist-unfriendly place in the world given that they have nothing else to offer the world It's so unfriendly to tourists that only 2.5 million of them visited in Q1 of 2025 There are countless other islands and tropical locales that are cheaper and better Maybe not tropical as these are in Europe but absolutely fantastic islands that you can visit for way less money than Hawaii Balonga or whatever you say in that made-up "language" of yours lol @France Gall and your comment is too offensive and discriminatory Your feedback is important in helping us keep our community safe The comments on this page have not been provided approved or otherwise endorsed by any advertiser and it is not an advertiser's responsibility to ensure posts and/or questions are answered You have successfully joined our subscriber list Editorial Disclosure: The editorial content on this page is not provided by any entity mentioned herein. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. See more about our ethics policies here The Columbia City Council has a stacked agenda when it meets Monday night the council will receive a report and hold discussion on the water cost-of-service study during a work session Work session meeting materials were not yet available when agendas were posted Friday A news release from Columbia Water and Light did note "the cost of service study evaluated how much revenue the water utility will need to cover expenses while balancing impacts on customers "Studies such as these are generally conducted every five years to accommodate any changes to expenses This study will project costs and necessary revenue for the next 10 years." Columbia could get a Hyatt Place Hotel with lodging wings and centrally attached conference center across U.S Highway 63 from Menards and Bass Pro Shop if a rezoning from agricultural to planned district is approved by 2/3 of the council The Centerstate East Subdivision has nine lots where two of them could serve as the two hotels and attached conference center Three other lots could have future development A staff report notes that the hotel and conference centers could have max heights of 85 feet based on Planning and Zoning Commission and staff discussion One lot will serve as the access drive to the property from off the roundabout on Vandiver Drive The remaining lots could serve as stormwater management and tree preservations areas The planning and zoning had a tie vote on a motion to provide an approval recommendation for the council which is considered a denial recommendation in the end This is part of the reason why at least five of the council's seven members have to give the OK to the rezoning A public hearing toward the beginning of Monday's meeting will determine if renovations to the Waters House at the Waters-Moss Memorial Wildlife Area are authorized to provide an expansion of recreational programming and facility rental spaces The house is located at 1907 Hillcrest Drive and proposed changes include a new concrete patio adding a hand rail and tables; removing a garage door and adding ventilation and fire suppression for a ceramics kiln adjacent to an art classroom; providing Americans with Disabilities Act access to the art classroom along with the addition of an entry door and deck and removal of a closet in the art classroom; renovating the ranger office into rental storage; removing a centrally located restroom to become Columbia Parks and Recreation storage with a washer and dryer; removing the fireplace and installing a beam to combine spaces; closing off one entry door; and renovating a wall and door to become sliding doors for a meeting space The project budget is $250,000 using funds from the 2021 parks sales tax While the city council still will have oversight and approval of any changes to the city's mission a staff memo notes the other functions are largely administrative The new policy resolution does include some modifications to the city's five strategic priority area goal statements when compared to the 2021 strategic plan document A report from Columbia Parks and Recreation is recommending a reengagement of public input meetings regarding Douglass Park basketball court improvements Parks and recreation recommends holding public input meetings 6-8 p.m May 27 at the Activity and Recreation Center May 28 in conference rooms 1A/1B at Columbia City Hall to noon May 31 in Columbia City Hall conference rooms 1A/1B Douglass Park improvements, originally approved by the council in November 2023 The plan for the basketball courts including naming the courts after University of Missouri Women's Basketball Coach Willie Cox and Mizzou Tigers Theming When Parks and Recreation announced in February that work was due to move ahead on this design it prompted objections from the community and suggestions of naming a court or courts after individuals who had a greater impact on the surrounding community This led to Parks and Recreation pulling back on basketball court improvements until it could consult with the city’s engagement coordinator leading to the proposed series of public input meetings Justice Department is suing New York State over a 2024 climate law The Climate Change Superfund Act fines the largest greenhouse gas emission contributors between 2000 and 2018 which will be used to help the state adapt to climate change The DOJ’s lawsuit stems from an executive order calling for the Attorney General to crack down on climate change laws the managing director for power at the Natural Resources Defense Council “It runs afoul of the Constitution and multiple federal laws,” said Kennedy “which make clear states have the authority to shape their own energy and environmental pathways whether the Trump Administration agrees with their policies or not.” Vermont, Michigan, and Hawaii also face lawsuits from the DOJ for passing or considering similar laws The DOJ says the states’ actions violate the Constitution and that the Clean Air Act specifically calls on the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate power plant pollutants Attorneys general from all four states are vowing to fight these lawsuits in court Fossil fuel companies opposed the Climate Change Superfund Act and threatened to raise prices statewide if enacted Reports find the law could collect up to $75 billion over 25 years for climate change impacts from those companies Kennedy said she feels the DOJ is failing to fulfill its purpose by siding with major fossil fuel producers “What is the Department of Justice doing They should be suing polluters that are impacting communities,” said Kennedy “They shouldn’t be suing states that are trying to protect their own residents from polluters they’ve really misunderstood their job here.” Reports show New York faces more than $2 billion in climate change-related costs And it’s estimated those costs could reach $10 billion yearly by 2050 projections suggest a major disaster in the next decade could cost the state $55 billion Get the latest headlines delivered to your inbox each morning. Sign up for our Morning Edition to start your day. FL1 on the Go! Download the free FingerLakes1.com App for iOS (iPhone, iPad). Edwin is a reporter and producer in North Tonawanda, New York. He’s previously reported for the Niagara Gazette and the Ithaca Times. Edwin got an early start in radio interning for WBFO-88.7FM, NPR’s Buffalo affiliate. In 2018, he graduated from SUNY Buffalo State College with a B.A. in Journalism, and in 2022, graduated from Syracuse University with an M.S. in Communications. Audi Formula 1 engine chief Adam Baker has departed the programme "by mutual agreement" Audi has revealed as part of its latest F1 restructuring It means the Audi F1 project at the top is now effectively completely unrecognisable compared to when it was revealed - with the change on the engine side adding to the metamorphoses the project had undergone on the team/chassis side Audi CEO (chief executive officer) Gernot Dollner - who had replaced Markus Duesmann in the role after Audi's F1 project had already been announced - said: "We would like to thank Adam Baker for his commitment over the past years He played a decisive role in shaping the overall strategic concept for the entry of Audi into Formula 1 and got the development of the power unit in Neuburg off the ground." Baker's official role as CEO of Audi Formula Racing GmbH has been "eliminated as part of the reorganisation" but his responsibilities will be assumed by Christian Foyer appointed as COO (chief operating officer) Foyer has been described by Audi as a combustion engine specialist and "a proven expert in process structures in F1 powertrain development" The specifics of his prior involvement with F1 projects aren't publicly available Long-time Audi engineer Stefan Dreyer will remain as the CTO (chief technical officer) while also becoming the spokesperson for the management board of Audi's F1 engine company.  Audi says the changes are intended to "align its F1 project even more consistently with the synergies and working methods of a factory team" and thus bring the various moving parts more "under the overall leadership of Mattia Binotto" The former Ferrari F1 boss took over the reins of the project last year replacing Andreas Seidl - who had originally left McLaren to head up the Audi F1 programme - and Oliver Hoffmann On Monday, College Football Playoff executive director Rich Clark announced that Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen and longtime administrator Jeff Long have officially joined the CFP Selection Committee.  Help decide who makes the playoff — and who doesn’t entering just his second year with the Cornhuskers.  But his reputation as a forward-thinking program builder stretches back to his work at Tulane and Northern Iowa.  Now he steps into one of the most influential positions in college football This isn’t Long's first time on the CFP stage — he chaired the very first selection committee back in 2014 making him one of the few people who truly understand the process from the inside The 12-team College Football Playoff officially debuted last season There was more access, more drama and a clear payoff as the Ohio State Buckeyes beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to win the first-ever expanded national title Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day with the CFP National Championship trophy.  Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images the selection process matters more than ever.  Dannen and Long will be responsible for evaluating résumés settling close calls and ultimately shaping the road to the title game The committee’s decisions shift the sport and Monday’s announcement signals that the CFP is continuing to evolve with a blend of fresh energy and veteran insight "Zelina Vega has been cooled off for so long and her real story [was] never taken advantage of," Bully said Bully's co-host Dave LaGreca then pointed out that the crowd reacted strongly to Vega's victory, but Bully believes that the audience was reacting to the moment rather than the wrestler. Discussing her win on the same show last week, Vega herself was shocked by the response from the crowd The company is at least attempting to follow up on her victory with Vega picking up a win over Piper Niven on the latest edition of "SmackDown." initially serving as a manager for Andrade before taking on an in-ring role the following year Apart from a run with the WWE Women's Tag Team Championship alongside Carmella the Women's United States Championship is her first title with the company As for Bully, the WWE Hall of Famer's comment came during a larger discussion about the promotion's current creative direction, including the possible effects of upcoming reality series "WWE Unreal." LaGreca worries that moments such as Vega's win could be dictated because of storylines on the reality show while Bully believes the show will be ultimately harmless If you use any of the quotes in this article please credit "Busted Open Radio" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc There’s still hope for much-needed reforms but face it: There’ll be no help from legislative leaders Richard Wiens is the Deputy Ideas Editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at rwiens@civilbeat.org Patti Epler is the Ideas Editor for Civil Beat. She’s been a reporter and editor for more than 40 years, primarily in Hawaii, Alaska, Washington and Arizona. You can email her at patti@civilbeat.org or call her at 808-377-0561 Chad Blair is the politics editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on X at @chadblairCB The regular session of the 2025 Hawaiʻi Legislature is over Overcoming the dysfunction that plagues the Legislature and the wider tarpit of corruption that mars Hawaiʻi politics can be accomplished only by going around the current legislative leaders who block genuine reform efforts at every turn That became devastatingly clear when they killed House Bill 371 in the same manner they kill so many others: Allowing it to gain unanimous approval in both chambers, then suffocating it with no “release” — and no explanation — from money committee chairs in the final days In this case they stuck a brazen blow to defend the influence of special interests The target was a well-thought-out measure to close a gaping loophole in campaign finance law that allows people connected to government contractors and grantees to donate huge sums to politicians: pay-to-play.  and they probably hope to have broken the spirit of reformers But there are opportunities ahead — the next session the next election and beyond — to loosen their stranglehold on the Legislature itʻs a question of who will answer the call and become new candidates for the Legislature the opportunity for a better state government will be in the hands of voters The first opportunity requires nothing less than mutiny against the Senate president the money committee chairs and their cabal of disciples because the majority of senators and representatives currently endure their public lives as powerless pawns Rank-and-file legislators and even most of the committee chairs toil for months to create and then shepherd all manner of significant bills only to see them die in the dark hours of conference committee with no explanation The only reason for these lawmakers not to rebel is the culture of fear within the Legislature the rank-and-file worry their own bills will be killed by legislative leaders if they don’t go along and so much to gain — for their constituents and for themselves Majorities rule in the Hawaiʻi Legislature Majorities elect the leaders who dole out the committee chairmanships And majorities adopt the rules of operation Before you contend that a revolution canʻt happen, think back to exactly a decade ago when the Senate president was ousted just before adjournment the gavel merely passed from one faction of powerbrokers to another Whatʻs needed now is not another secretly orchestrated power grab but rather a grass-roots uprising of disenfranchised legislators They could start the session with wide-open elections for speaker and president instead of voting in closed-door party caucuses If there arenʻt enough votes to topple the current leaders theyʻd at least be put on notice that times are changing the rebels could push for new rules of engagement: rank-and-file legislators have more power than they ever use such as the ability to challenge their committee chairs’ recommendations and the power to pull measures out of committees and back to the floor if the chairs are ignoring them the pay-to-play bill must be reintroduced next session and it should become a litmus test for whether legislators deserve to remain in office Incumbent legislators can either run for reelection as tacit enablers of the status quo or as battle-scarred crusaders for change The proof will lie in what they did in the 2026 session it needs to become more politically perilous to support leadership than to challenge it Senate President Ron Kouchi, by the way, has strongly indicated he won’t seek reelection next year so senators should move to replace him next session with someone who can loosen the grip of entrenched powerbrokers like Ways and Means Committee chair Donovan Dela Cruz there’s an urgent need for strong new candidates to challenge incumbents and seek open seats because after the next election legislators will be paid $97,896 annually The pay increase — up from the current annual salary of $74,160 — should attract civic-minded people to seek the job especially those with professional and technical backgrounds and even younger adults who are raising families and might bring a perspective the Legislature could use more of A couple of measures passed by the Legislature this session might provide further encouragement but the Legislature needs to do more in 2026 to make it easier to run for office House Bill 134 allows people to file their candidate paperwork online, while Senate Bill 1202 makes official the current state policy of allowing candidates to use campaign contributions for child care and other caregiver expenses But a much stronger incentive for potential new candidates was lost when House Bill 370 to even the electoral playing field by expanding the state’s public campaign finance program died when it couldnʻt get “release” during conference committee We need to be take a close look at the political parties and explore what barriers they put up that make it hard for people to get on the ballot The fact that it is almost impossible to win election as an independent or nonpartisan candidate in Hawaiʻi needs to change The bottom line on motivating more registered voters to take the time to fill out their ballots should be the dire need to reform state government Efforts to increase Hawaiʻi’s traditionally low voter turnout got mixed results this session. House Bill 408 passed extending the deadline to register to vote by mail from 30 to 10 days prior to an election but several measures to increase the number of voting centers open on Election Day failed to even get committee hearings the bottom line on motivating more registered voters to take the time to fill out their ballots should be the dire need to reform state government Can incumbents point to a record of pushing for change If itʻs hard to tell where they stand (for instance if they donʻt respond to Q&A surveys by Civil Beat and others) While the 2026 election could prove pivotal if they want to hold a constitutional convention where citizen delegates would convene with the opportunity to go over the heads of the Legislature and propose constitutional amendments directly to voters Some possibilities that should be on the table for discussion: There hasnʻt been a ConCon since 1978 when 34 constitutional amendments were proposed to voters Last time around in 2018, voters rejected holding a ConCon after being barraged by scare tactics employed by the well-monied entrenched powerbrokers who benefit from the status quo including the public employee labor unions who warned that elected ConCon delegates might trash the constitution we already have outspent supporters by more than $665,000 to high-profile bribery convictions have roiled state and local governments and the resulting calls for reform have been repeatedly shot down by legislative leaders There will be three more legislative sessions before the ConCon vote but if the rejections of meaningful reforms continue voters might just be frustrated enough to ignore those scare tactics this time fear of the unknown will be dwarfed by fear of the known Honolulu Civil Beat is a nonprofit organization and your donation helps us produce local reporting that serves all of Hawaii Ideas is the place you'll find essays, analysis and opinion on public affairs in Hawaiʻi. We want to showcase smart ideas about the future of Hawaiʻi, from the state's sharpest thinkers, to stretch our collective thinking about a problem or an issue. Email news@civilbeat.org to submit an idea Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed Ahead of a vote later this month to rezone Seattle’s residential neighborhoods to allow more types of housing the city’s Planning Commission is broadly united in urging caution when it comes to some potential amendments that may be on deck at the city council Facing a deadline to implement changes by the end of June the Seattle City Council is set to adopt a temporary — or “interim” — ordinance that will remain in place for up to a year until permanent regulations can be adopted Amendments to the interim code haven’t officially dropped yet, and will be discussed at a committee meeting this Wednesday But some ideas have already been floated by councilmembers or presented as potential options by the city council’s independent central staff the Seattle Planning Commission discussed what those amendments might look like — and raised severe concerns about many of them Now they’re raising the alarm about the negative impact proposed amendments could have on the ability for Seattle to add much-needed housing “These are all things that are going to make a very difficult development market even more difficult We’re going to see less housing come out of it,” Dylan Glosecki “The idea of a poison pill is what a lot of these will end up being.” Housing advocates have long been bracing for a particular set of amendments dealing with the city’s Mandatory Housing Affordability (MHA) program Within the city’s urban villages — and the forthcoming neighborhood centers the council will be considering next year — developers are required to include a certain number of units that are made available for lower-income residents or pay a fee that will subsidize the creation of those units elsewhere The Harrell Administration considered the idea of expanding that program to the entire city publicly citing concerns about adding additional requirements onto smaller-scale developments suggesting that if developers wanted to add units in the newly upzoned neighborhood residential zones they should be required to also provide affordable housing “We’re going to open up the city to tremendous development and density but we need to make sure that we’re utilizing all our tools and MHA is a powerful tool,” Moore said at a meeting in March at least the third time she brought up the idea this year alone but to simply say it shouldn’t apply across the board showed that middle housing would likely only be feasible on around 20% of lots within the city without adding MHA costs due to a combination of current land costs and demand “What middle housing does is provide less expensive typologies of housing [the opportunity] to flourish,” Hutchins said at April’s Planning Commission meeting Those are things that aren’t as expensive as single family detached houses that are the dominant paradigm What all these poison pills do is make all those things more expensive and therefore reduce their benefit.” If Moore is successful in adding MHA requirements to neighborhood residential zones that move will set a strong precedent for the permanent code to be adopted later this year But she’ll have opposition from at least one of her colleagues “I’m not supportive of expanding MHA to neighborhood residential zones because of the concerns of how it would make middle housing pencil,” Councilmember Alexis Mercedes Rinck told The Urbanist and things are not getting much better right now I’m deeply concerned about the impact of everything related to this trade war and the materials to construct said housing.” Another potential tweak that could be on deck relates to adjacent street upgrade requirements With around one in four city blocks in Seattle missing sidewalks filling in the gaps in pedestrian infrastructure and basic accessibility is undoubtedly a change that needs to occur as the city continues to get denser But planning commissioners raised concerns about asking developers to pick up the tab for those upgrades developers building in the city’s neighborhood residential zones are only required to build sidewalks and curb ramps if a project includes ten or more units or if the project would create at least 10 new lots But the council could change that requirement adding on a stipulation that middle housing types like four- and sixplexes also need to come with this infrastructure that could ultimately create an incentive back toward single-family homes which would likely be able to include detached and attached accessory dwelling units (ADUs) without triggering any adjacent upgrades really do want to see more street improvements happen but it just kind of feels like another kind of way to disincentivize the redevelopment in our neighborhood residential zones and not actually an intention to create sidewalks because what it will do is yield no development and no street improvements instead of the actual intent,” commissioner McCaela Daffern who works in affordable housing policy at King County one of the city’s biggest advocates for new sidewalks in her day job as a community organizer with Disability Rights Washington was also in agreement that it shouldn’t be on the housing developer to add those sidewalks “There’s just so much better ways to build sidewalks than taxing new developments,” Black said With Seattle’s housing market already facing significant headwinds all eyes are on potential council amendments this week Major changes could put a significant damper on updates that are only expected to have a modest impact on the city’s housing supply as it is starting at 9:30am for speakers who are calling in by phone and at 4pm for in-person commenters Ryan Packer has been writing for The Urbanist since 2015 and currently reports full-time as Contributing Editor Packer has also reported for other regional outlets including Capitol Hill Seattle They live in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle The Urbanist hosts social hour meetups every month. In April, we’re hosting four social events and kicking off our urbanism-themed walking tours starting in Kirkland on April 26 we’ll be hosting a booth at the opening celebration at Downtown Redmond Station Check our urbanist events calendar to see everything happening this month, including events hosted by partner organizations. You can submit your event for inclusion To see sponsored ads, please enable JavaScript. In an effort to minimize risk of injury in high school wrestling, a revision in the leg block or cut-back maneuver was recommended by the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee at its April 6-8 meeting in Indianapolis. This revision to Rule 7-1-5n of the NFHS Wrestling Rules Book was one of eight changes recommended by the committee – all of which were subsequently approved by the NFHS Board of Directors. Although the leg block/cut-back maneuver already was an illegal move, the committee added “when leaving the feet and using the foot or leg to ‘cut out’ an opponent’s leg, to include from the rear-standing position.” Elliot Hopkins, director of sports and student services and editor of the NFHS wrestling rules, said the committee added language about leaving the feet to help ensure that this move is not attempted because of the significant risk of injury. In other rules changes, near-fall criteria language was added to the Technical Fall section in Rule 5-11. In Rules 5-11-2c and 5-11-4b, the following statement was approved: “If the near fall creates a 15-point advantage, the match shall continue until the near-fall criteria is no longer met. Conclusion of the near-fall criteria is immediate.” “This change defines when a technical fall shall be awarded and eliminate any confusion between a pinning situation and near-fall criteria,” Hopkins said. “It also will make the technical fall consistent with the takedown or reversal that creates the 15-point advantage.” Two changes were approved regarding equipment and uniforms. While wrestlers cannot wear wristbands, sweatbands, bicep bands or arm sleeves that do not contain a pad, they now will be able to wear leg sleeves that do not contain a pad. Since wrestlers are allowed to wear tights on both legs, the committee agreed that wearing leg sleeves would be no different. In addition, effective July 1, 2027, the school’s name, school nickname, school logo, school mascot, weight classification and/or the wrestler’s name are permitted on the uniform top and/or bottom. Aside from the wrestling-specific terms, this is standard language approved for all NFHS sports rules publications. The final changes approved by the committee included another option for conducting dual meets and a revision in the Technical Violation section. In Rule 1-2-2 regarding dual meets, the committee approved an option of conducting dual meets in order of lowest weight classes to the heaviest classes. In Rule 7-3-3 regarding technical violations, “arm” was replaced with “extremity.” The committee noted that locking hands and including a leg in the clasp around the trunk of the body is the same as locking hands with an arm included. A complete listing of the wrestling rules changes will be available on the NFHS website at www.nfhs.org. Click on the “Activities & Sports” at the top of the home page and select “Wrestling.” The print version of the 2025-26 Wrestling Rules Book will be available for purchase in July at www.NFHS.com, and the digital version will be available in the same timeframe via NFHS Digital at www.NFHS.org. According to the most recent NFHS High School Athletics Participation Survey, wrestling is the sixth-most popular sport for boys with 291,874 participants in 11,149 schools nationwide. In addition, 64,257 girls are now competing in the sport at 7,138 schools. [data-focus]){outline-width:var(--focus-ring-width 2px);outline-offset:var(--focus-ring-offset solid);outline-color:var(--focus-ring-color);outline:none;}.css-puhhl:is(:focus-visible [data-focus-visible]){box-shadow:none;outline-width:3px;outline-style:solid;outline-color:var(--semantics-focus-light);outline-offset:3px;}.css-puhhl:visited{color:var(--components-rte-light-link-color);}.css-puhhl:visited.css-puhhl:visited:is(:active [data-state=open]){color:var(--components-rte-light-link-color-active);}@media (hover: hover){.css-puhhl:visited:is(:hover [data-disabled]){color:var(--components-rte-light-link-color-hover);}}.css-puhhl.css-puhhl:is(:active [data-state=open]){color:var(--components-rte-light-link-color-active);}@media (hover: hover){.css-puhhl:is(:hover May 5, 2025 3:38 PM EDTIn this story:Las Vegas Raiders NewsThe Las Vegas Raiders have made a change within their staff that could really help them over the next year or so especially when it comes to their personnel Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant general manager and now GM of the Raiders has really started to get his fingerprints on this team especially when it comes to the roster and the front office staff the Raiders hired Anthony Patch to be their Senior Personnel Executive Las Vegas Raiders hire Anthony Patch on MondayAnthony Patch previously spent 23 years with the Philadelphia Eagles where he served as Senior Director of College Scouting from 2016 leading their college scouting efforts and contributing to their 2018 Super Bowl win.  Patch started with the Eagles in 2003 as a West Coast Area Scout and held various roles, including Director of College Scouting and Assistant Director of College Scouting. Before that, he interned with the Miami Dolphins in 2001 A former college football player at Carroll College in Montana Patch played defensive line and linebacker and earned a finance degree His hiring by the Raiders reunites him with General Manager John Spytek Patch’s extensive scouting experience and leadership are expected to strengthen the Raiders’ draft strategy and roster-building efforts You can already tell the difference between this staff and regime when it comes to roster building than the difference the last two regimes showed getting their guys that fit the profile they want for the team that's without a lot of the guys Spytek wanted in the front office He's starting to really get his guys in and that's only going to start reflecting in the way the team looks and works over the next few years