“Google is confronting an existential threat as the U.S. government tries to break up the company as punishment for [supposedly, but not even close to actually] turning its revolutionary search engine into an illegal monopoly. The drama began to unfold Monday in a Washington courtroom as three weeks of hearings kicked off to determine how the company should be penalized for operating a monopoly in search. In its opening arguments, federal antitrust enforcers also urged the court to impose forward-looking remedies to prevent Google from using artificial intelligence to further its dominance. ‘This is a moment in time, we’re at an inflection point, will we abandon the search market and surrender them to control of the monopolists or will we let competition prevail and give choice to future generations,’ said Justice Department attorney David Dahlquist.” (04/21/25)
“El Salvador President Nayib Bukele has proposed a [hostage] swap that would see Venezuelans deported from the United States to his country exchanged for ‘political prisoners’ in Venezuela. In pointed remarks directed at Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday, Bukele suggested the countries reach a ‘humanitarian agreement’ amid Caracas’s demands for the repatriation of Venezuelan deportees. Bukele said he would be willing to repatriate 252 Venezuelans being held in a Salvadoran maximum security prison in exchange for ‘an identical number of the thousands of political prisoners that you hold.’ … Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab described Bukele’s proposal as ‘cynical’ and called on his government to provide a complete list of the ‘hostages’ along with ‘proof of life and a medical report’ for each detainee.” (04/21/25)
“Pope Francis, a reformer from Argentina who rattled the Catholic Church’s traditionalists and inspired progressives by reaching out to gay people and championing the rights of immigrants and the poor, has died, the Vatican announced. He was 88. Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced the Pope’s death in a statement released by the Vatican during the early hours of Monday. … In 2013, Francis succeeded retired Pope Benedict XVI as the 266th pontiff, becoming the first Jesuit and non-European to hold the church’s highest office in more than 1,000 years, leading more than 1 billion Catholics around the globe.” (04/21/25)
“Russia unleashed a barrage of missile and drone strikes on Ukraine as a short-lived Easter ceasefire expired. Russian forces launched 96 drones and three missiles on eastern and southern Ukraine overnight, Ukraine’s Air Force reported on Monday. The swift return to major hostilities following a pause declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin comes as the United States struggles to persuade Moscow to agree on a longer-term ceasefire. The overnight assault targeted Ukraine’s Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk and Cherkasy regions, the Air Force wrote on Telegram. Air defence units intercepted 42 drones and redirected another 47.” (04/21/25)
“The Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration from deporting a second wave of Venezuelan immigrants under the Alien Enemies Act after lawyers rushed to the court and alleged that the administration was about to send dozens or hundreds of detainees to El Salvador in defiance of an earlier ruling by the justices. In a brief order released at about 1 a.m. Saturday, the court directed the administration to temporarily halt any plan to deport a group of Venezuelan nationals who have been detained in northern Texas and have been designated as ‘alien enemies.’ Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented. Alito indicated he would issue a fuller statement later.” (04/19/25)
“Bitcoin prices appear to be breaking out of an extended period of consolidation as the asset climbs to its highest level since late March. Bitcoin surged above $87,400 on April 21, its highest price since March 28, according to TradingView. It has climbed by more than $3,000 from an intraday low of just over $84,000 on April 20. The asset has now gained 16% since its 2025 low of just below $75,000 on April 9, and the distance from its peak price has been reduced to 20%.” (04/21/25)
“Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared detailed plans about a military operation against the Houthis in Yemen on a second Signal group chat, this one on his personal phone and including his wife, lawyer and brother, three people familiar with the chat told CNN. The chat was set up during Hegseth’s tumultuous confirmation hearing process as a way for his closest allies to strategize, two of the people familiar with the matter said. But Hegseth continued using the chat, which had more than a dozen people in it, to communicate after he was confirmed, the people said. The revelation comes as some of Hegseth’s closest advisers have begun sounding the alarm about the secretary’s judgment, including his former press secretary, John Ullyot, and three former senior officials Hegseth fired last week — his top adviser Dan Caldwell, deputy chief of staff Darin Selnick, and Colin Carroll, who served as chief of staff to the deputy secretary of defense.” (04/20/25)
“At least six people died in Australia as towering waves battered Sydney and other places along the country’s east coast over the Easter holiday weekend, the police said. A low pressure system brought powerful surf starting Friday, and waves taller than 24 feet were recorded off the coast of Brisbane in the state of Queensland on Friday, according to government data. … By the time the hazardous surf warning was lifted on Sunday, five people had died in New South Wales, including in Sydney, and another in the state of Victoria, officials said. Another two people were missing. On Sunday morning, a man who was fishing in Wattamolla, about 20 miles south of Sydney, died after being swept into the sea, the New South Wales police said.” (04/20/25)
“Four current and former Seattle police officers are seeking intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent the release of their identities in connection with their attendance at President Donald Trump’s ‘Stop the Steal’ rally on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington, D.C. … married officers Caitlin and Alexander Everett crossed barriers set up by the Capitol police and were next to the Capitol Building, in violation of the law, prompting [Seattle police chief Adrian] Diaz to fire the pair. Investigators said three other officers had not violated policies and the fourth case was ruled ‘inconclusive.’ The four officers said they did nothing wrong and that revealing their names would violate their privacy, but those seeking disclosure said the officers’ attendance at a widely covered public demonstration that drew thousands was not a private activity.” (04/19/25)
“A federal judge on Friday declined to further enforce his order directing the White House to restore The Associated Press’s access to certain spaces, signaling that while top officials are owed a presumption of good faith, violations of his directive would be met with a heavy hand. U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, an appointee of President Trump, said he’s inclined to agree with the government that its new policy — which eliminates a permanent slot for all wire services but makes them eligible for selection as part of the pool’s daily print journalist rotation — does not, on its face, discriminate against the AP. ‘I don’t intend to micromanage the White House,’ McFadden said while handing down his decision. However, he said that if the AP continues to receive ‘second class treatment,’ that would be a ‘very serious problem.'” (04/18/25)
