“Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi will visit ally Russia this week for talks prior to a second round of Iran-U.S. negotiations, a spokesperson said, during a diplomatic buildup to resolve Tehran’s nuclear dispute with the West. Iran and the U.S. held indirect talks via a mediator last week in Oman and are to reconvene this week in a dialogue over Tehran’s escalating nuclear programme, with President Donald Trump threatening military action if there is no deal.” (04/14/25)
“A growing majority of America’s top executives now expects the U.S. economy to enter a recession in the near future, according to a survey released Monday. Of the more than 300 CEOs polled in April, 62% said they forecasted a recession or other economic downturn in the next six months, according to Chief Executive, an industry group that runs the survey. That’s up from 48% who said the same in March. Chief Executive’s data underscores the growing concern within corporate America around the future of the U.S. economy. Fears about a forthcoming recession hit a boiling point in the last two weeks, as President Donald Trump’s on-again-off-again tariff policy ratcheted up volatility in financial markets and stirred panic among some consumers.” (04/14/25)
“South African President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed a former deputy finance minister as a special envoy to the United States on Monday after the ambassador was expelled last month by the Trump administration. Ramaphosa said Mcebisi Jonas'[s] appointment would help South Africa rebuild its relationship with the U.S., which has deteriorated swiftly since President Donald Trump took office. Trump has accused the [b]lack-led South African government of mistreating a white minority at home and also criticized its foreign policy as anti-American. He signed an executive order in February cutting U.S. funding to South Africa over those issues.” (04/14/25)
“On Monday, Mississippi state auditor Shad White will release a compilation of audits conducted by his office that tabulated a collective $400 million in waste over the course of his tenure. ‘In the last few weeks, we’ve jokingly started calling ourselves MOGE, the Mississippi Office of Government Efficiency, like Elon Musk’s DOGE,’ White told Fox News Digital, referring to Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency under the Trump administration. ‘We approach our work with the same attention to every penny as DOGE, and I’m happy to be Mississippi’s Musk,’ White said. While the auditor’s office cannot cut any of the wasteful spending, it alerts state lawmakers to what it discovers.” (04/14/25)
“Singer Katy Perry, CBS anchor Gayle King and other well-known women set off to space on Monday morning in Blue Origin’s 11th human spaceflight mission. … The flight was led by Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’ commercial space company. Minutes after taking off, the crew experienced weightlessness. Then they soon safely returned to Earth. The passengers aboard were: Lauren Sánchez, Jeff Bezos'[s] fiancée, the vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund and a former journalist …. Katy Perry, the biggest-selling woman artist in Capitol Records’ history …. Amanda Nguyễn, a bioastronautics research scientist and civil rights activist …. Aisha Bowe: a former NASA rocket scientist …. Gayle King: co-host of CBS Mornings … Kerianne Flynn, a film producer.” (04/14/25)
“A trial in the landmark antitrust case against social media giant Meta kicks off in Washington on Monday. The US competition and consumer watchdog alleges that Meta, which already owned Facebook, bought Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 to eliminate competition, effectively giving itself a monopoly. The FTC reviewed and approved those acquisitions but committed to monitor the outcomes. If the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) wins the case it could force Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to sell off both Instagram and WhatsApp. Meta previously said it was sure it would win and experts have told the BBC it is likely to argue that Instagram users have had a better experience since it was taken over. ‘The [FTC’s] argument is the acquisition of Instagram was a way of neutralizing this rising competitive threat to Facebook,’ says Rebecca Haw Allensworth, a professor of antitrust at Vanderbilt Law School.” (04/14/25)
“European Union foreign ministers on Monday adopted sanctions against seven Iranian individuals and two organisations over the detention of EU citizens, which the bloc calls a policy of state-sponsored hostage-taking, diplomats said. A list of those sanctioned, seen by Reuters, included the director of Tehran’s Evin prison and several judges and other judicial officials. The main prison in the city of Shiraz was among the organisations sanctioned. EU sanctions consist of a freeze on any assets held in the European Union and a ban on any travel into the bloc. In recent years, Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards have arrested dozens of dual nationals and foreigners, mostly on charges related to espionage and security. Among them are at least 20 European citizens, diplomats say.” (04/14/25)
“A prosecutor in California blasted the state’s $239 million taxpayer-funded project to build a prison rehabilitation center in the Bay Area, arguing that it’s another example of politicians putting criminals ahead of law-abiding citizens. Construction is ongoing at the San Quentin State Prison, where construction crews are building a Norway-style rehabilitation center with luxury amenities such as a grocery store, library, café, farmer’s market and more. … The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said Building 38 at San Quentin State Prison was demolished to make room for the rehabilitation center. The state agency said the rehab center is part of the ‘California Model,’ which is a ‘holistic initiative that leverages international, data-backed best practices to improve the well-being of those who live and work at state prisons’.” (04/14/25)
“A retrial is set to begin Monday for Sarah Palin’s libel lawsuit claiming The New York Times libeled her in an editorial eight years ago. The onetime Republican vice presidential candidate and ex-governor of Alaska gets another chance to prove to a federal jury that the newspaper defamed her with the 2017 editorial falsely linking her campaign rhetoric to a mass shooting. Palin said it damaged her reputation and career. The Times has acknowledged the editorial was inaccurate but said it quickly corrected an ‘honest mistake.’ The trial, expected to last a week, comes after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals restored the case last year. Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday morning. In February 2022, Judge Jed S. Rakoff in Manhattan rejected Palin’s claims in a ruling issued while a jury deliberated. The judge then let jurors deliver their verdict, which went against Palin.” (04/14/25)
“Judicial officials on Monday rejected an appeal seeking the release of Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu from jail pending the outcome of his corruption trial, the country’s state-run news agency reported. Imamoglu, a prominent opposition figure and a key challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s more than two-decade rule, was detained on March 19 and formally jailed on corruption charges four days later. His arrest is widely perceived to be politically motivated, aiming to sideline a major rival ahead of presidential elections … On Monday, the Istanbul Criminal Court of First Instance ruled to reject the appeals made by Imamoglu’s lawyers, deciding that his detention would continue, the Anadolu Agency reported.” (04/14/25)
