Chinese electric vehicle startups Xiaomi, Xpeng and Leapmotor each reported in March delivery volumes that were roughly double of their startup competitors.
It's a sign of how some automakers are pulling ahead, while BYD remains the market leader by far.
Xiaomi delivered a record number of electric vehicles in March, exceeding 29,000 units, the company announced on social media. That topped its prior run of delivering more than 20,000 vehicles in each of the past five months.
The SU7, Xiaomi's flagship model, was involved in a crash on a highway on Tuesday that left three dead. The automaker on Tuesday afternoon released a statement on Chinese social media that the vehicle was in navigation on autopilot mode before the accident.
Based on preliminary information, the road was obstructed because of construction. The driver took control of the car but collided with construction infrastructure. Xiaomi added in the release that investigations were underway.
That came two weeks after the automaker announced on March 18 its goal to deliver 350,000 vehicles this year. There are also talks of the automaker expanding its second EV factory in Beijing to meet demand, Bloomberg reported on March 18. Xiaomi did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
Its competitor Xpeng in March delivered 33,205 vehicles, the fifth consecutive month it has delivered over 30,000 units per month and reflecting a 268% surge in deliveries from the same month last year. March is also the fifth consecutive month the company has delivered over 15,000 units of the Mona M03.
China still accounts for the majority of Apple iPhone production, but the tech giant has sought to ramp up manufacturing in places like India and Vietnam.
Apple has made moves to diversify its supply chain beyond China to places like India and Vietnam, but tariffs announced by the White House are set to hit those countries too.
U.S. President Donald Trump laid out "reciprocal tariff" rates on more than 180 countries on Wednesday.
China will face a 34% tariff, but with the existing 20% rate, that brings the true tariff rate on Beijing under this Trump term to 54%, CNBC reported. India faces a 26% tariff, while Vietnam's rate is 46%.
China
The majority of Apple's iPhones are still assembled in China by partner Foxconn.
China accounts for around 80% of Apple's production capacity, according to estimates from Evercore ISI in a note last month.
Around 90% of iPhones are assembled in China, Evercore ISI said.
While the number of manufacturing sites in China dropped between Apple's 2017 and 2020 fiscal year, it has since rebounded, Bernstein said in a note last month. Chinese suppliers account for around 40% of Apple's total, Bernstein said.
Evercore ISI estimates that 55% of Apple's Mac products and 80% of iPads are assembled in China.
Plaid announced a new funding round that values the fintech company at less than half of its peak price tag four years ago.
The $575 million round was led by a batch of new investors including Franklin Templeton, Fidelity and BlackRock. Existing backers NEA and Ribbit Capital also participated, Plaid said.
Plaid CEO Zach Perret said the startup saw a "substantial" growth year with record revenue and positive operating margins, though he did not provide specifics. The downsized valuation is a reflection of market conditions, he said.
"The reality is our business is much stronger and revenue has grown quite substantially," Perret told CNBC. "The profitability of business has gotten quite a lot better, and yet we are impacted by market multiples, as many companies are."
Plaid is "not ready" for an initial public offering quite yet, but this round will be the last private fundraise until the company lists on public markets, he said.
"An IPO is absolutely on our path for the coming years. We haven't assigned a specific timeline to it," Perret said. "We still have a lot of internal work to do. We're not ready, which is why we didn't consider it right now."
Rise of secondary rounds
Plaid's new funding allows employees to cash out of restricted stock units that expire at the end of the year. The startup will also use a portion of the proceeds to enable an employee tender offer.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies were under pressure Thursday after President Donald Trump's big tariffs reveal jolted the stock market.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies were under pressure Thursday after President Donald Trump's big tariffs reveal jolted the stock market.
The price of the flagship cryptocurrency was last lower by 5% at $81,849.63, according to Coin Metrics. Ether fell 7% and the token tied to Solana dropped 13%.
Shares of Coinbase and MicroStrategy lost more than 7% each in premarket trading.
The moves came overnight as investor fears of a global trade war intensified following Trump's presentation of sweeping tariffs of at least 10% and even higher for some countries.
Bitcoin has been trading in the $80,000 to $90,000 range for most of the past month, as investors take cues from the equities market absent a crypto-specific catalyst. David Hernandez, crypto investment specialist at 21Shares, noted it held above key technical support, signaling strong underlying demand.
"Despite the broader risk-off sentiment, crypto markets demonstrated incredible resilience relative to equities," he said.
"Although the tariff rates were slightly higher than expectations, the announcement provided much-needed clarity on the scope and scale of the policy," he added. "Markets thrive on certainty, and with speculation now largely removed, institutional investors may see an opportunity over the coming days to take advantage of compressed valuations."
AI could be the travel sector’s greatest inflection point
Looking at the evolution of brand marketing and media planning by vertical, UM’s Dan Chapman explores how AI will transform every stage of the consumer journey and why brand essence matters in this new era.
"That's the motivation for the round," Perret said. "We think it's important to give our employees options to sell and the ability to have liquidity, especially given that Plaid has been private for so long."
Plaid is the latest in a string of late-stage, private deals designed to enable employees to cash out in private markets. Ramp, DataBricks, OpenAI and Stripe have all announced secondary financings that were designed to let some employees get liquidity. Few of those companies seem eager to wade into public markets. Recent volatility around stocks and lackluster performance of recent IPOs, including CoreWeave's last week, have kept some companies on the sidelines.
"Volatility is definitely going to be one of the key factors," Perret said, adding that it was too early to assess IPO market conditions for Plaid.
The startup has been on a roller coaster in private markets since it was founded a decade ago. Plaid was set to be bought by Visa for $5 billion in 2020 in a deal that was eventually called off amid regulatory scrutiny. The following year, it raised money at a $13.4 billion valuation. That also marked the peak for growth and technology valuations before the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates.
Plaid provides the plumbing to connect consumer bank accounts to popular finance apps. Its APIs let consumers link their bank accounts to services like Venmo, Robinhood and Coinbase. Since then, it's expanded into direct bill pay, cybersecurity and data analytics. It also partners with major banks.
Cybersecurity is one of Plaid's largest growth areas, Perret said. He pointed to financial fraud growing at 20% to 25% per year as a result of the boom in artificial intelligence.
"We've been leaning in to try to build tools to combat deep fakes and a lot of AI-driven financial fraud," he said. "Unfortunately, this is a large market opportunity. It's something that we'd actually like to be smaller. But it's been an area of growth."
India
Over the last two years, Apple has made a big push to ramp up iPhone production in India as the government looks to increase local manufacturing of high-tech goods.
Apple is targeting around 25% of all iPhones globally to be made in India, a government minister said in 2023.
India could reach about 15%-20% of overall iPhone production by the end of 2025, Bernstein analysts estimate. Evercore ISI said around 10% to 15% of iPhones are currently assembled in India.
Vietnam
Vietnam has emerged in the past few years as a popular manufacturing hub for consumer electronics. Apple has increased its production in Vietnam.
Around 20% of iPad production and 90% of Apple's wearable product assembly like the Apple Watch takes place in Vietnam, according to Evercore ISI.
Leapmotor delivered 37,095 vehicles, reflecting a 154% year-over-year growth. The Stellantis-owned automaker last month launched U.K. sales of two electric vehicle models, the T03 and the C10.
Li Auto delivered 36,674 vehicles in March, a 26.5% year-over-year increase, but fewer than every month in the second half of 2024. The company's cars had gained early traction with Chinese consumers since most come with a fuel tank for charging the vehicle's battery, reducing anxiety about driving range.
Leapmotor saw quarterly deliveries more than double to 87,552 units from 33,410 units the same period in 2024, according to publicly available numbers the company published.
However, Li Auto and Nio reported weaker growth than their competitors in the first quarter of the year.
Nio saw 42,094 vehicles delivered in the three months ended March 2025, an increase of 40.1% year over year. Li Auto saw a slower year-over-year growth of 15.5%, with a total of 92,864 vehicles delivered.
Stellantis idles plants in Mexico and Canada due to tariffs
Stellantis is pausing production at the automaker's Windsor Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada, and its Toluca Assembly Plant in Mexico.
DETROIT — Stellantis is pausing production at assembly plants in Canada and Mexico as the company attempts to navigate President Donald Trump's new round of 25% automotive tariffs that took effect Thursday.
The downtime includes two weeks at the automaker's Windsor Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada, and the entire month of April at its Toluca Assembly Plant in Mexico. Both start Monday.
The actions will result in temporary layoffs of roughly 900-U.S. represented employees in addition to the thousands of employees at the assembly plants.
The Canadian plant produces the Chrysler Pacifica minivan and the recently released Dodge Charger Daytona EV. The Mexico plant produces the Jeep Compass SUV and Jeep Wagoneer S EV.
Vance: Elon Musk Will Continue to Be Adviser
Elon Musk will remain a friend and adviser to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, despite leaving his role, Vance said Thursday.
Politico and ABC reported Wednesday that Trump had told members of his Cabinet that Musk will soon depart and return to the private sector, although it was not clear if Musk would leave before his 130-day mandate as a special government employee expires around late May.
"DOGE has got a lot of work to do, and yeah, that work is going to continue after Elon leaves. But fundamentally, Elon is going to remain a friend and an adviser of both me and the president," he said.
The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, pointing to continued labor market stability ahead of potential volatility from import tariffs.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 219,000 for the week ended March 29, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 225,000 claims for the latest week.
Low layoffs have kept the labor market humming. There were 1.07 job openings for every unemployed person in February, down from 1.13 in January, the government reported on Tuesday.
But economists worry that President Donald Trump's blizzard of tariffs since returning to the White House in January could hurt the labor market.
FBI Nabs Top MS-13 Gang Leader
On charges connected to at least 11 murders, FBI agents tracked down and arrested a top leader of the notorious MS-13 gang.
FBI agents tracked down and arrested a top leader of the notorious MS-13 gang who was wanted on charges connected to at least 11 murders. Joel Vargas-Escobar, also known as 'Momia' within the gang, was arrested by agents in New York. He was brought before a federal magistrate and ordered to remain in custody and is being transferred to Nevada.
Agents reported Vargas-Escobar was a top leader of a branch of MS-13 operating in Nevada and California. He was indicted in Nevada on racketeering conspiracy charges involving 11 murders. The government's indictment of Vargas-Escobar said victims were allegedly kidnapped and taken to desert or mountainous areas where they were tortured and killed. The conspiracy charges carry a mandatory life sentence if convicted. He's also facing firearms charges.
Trump specifically named MS-13, otherwise known as La Mara Salvatrucha, among a group of "Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists" that he ordered removed from the U.S. on the day of his inauguration for a second term in January.
Fallout from the Trump administration's Signal chat fiasco has resulted in at least three National Security Council staffers being fired.
National security adviser Mike Waltz inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic magazine, to a March 11 group text using the Signal encrypted messaging service where top officials were discussing plans to attack the Houthis in Yemen.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump made his clearest commitment to not fire anyone over the accidental leak of his administration's plans for an airstrike against the Houthis.
However, sources told Axios that several NSC members have been fired. CNN reported three NSC staffers were fired.
Axios added that its source said several people had been fired, possibly as many as 10, including senior directors.
Brian Walsh, a director for intelligence and a former top staffer for Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Thomas Boodry, a senior director for legislative affairs who previously served as Waltz's legislative director in Congress, and David Feith, a senior director overseeing technology and national security who served in the State Department during Trump's first administration were the three NSC officials let go, CNN reported.
The outlet added the firings followed conservative influencer Laura Loomer's Wednesday visit to the Oval Office.
"I woke up this morning to learn that there are still people in and around the West Wing who are LEAKING to the hostile, left-wing media about President Trump’s confidential and private meetings in the Oval Office," Loomer posted late-morning Thursday on X.
Rogan Says DOGE Should Investigate How 'Snow White' Cost $250M
Podcaster Joe Rogan wants Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to investigate how "Snow White" cost $250 million to make.
"They should get DOGE to look at this movie. They spent $250 million bucks making that movie?" Rogan said during a recent episode.
"Imagine you spent $250 million, and you get some young girl, and you don't kind of talk to her about like, Hey, you know, don't get political. You're young, and I know you have opinions about things, but this should be just about the movie," Rogan added.
The Walt Disney Co.'s live action "Snow White" opened with a disappointing $43 million in ticket sales.
The movie struggled, even before it went to theaters. The runup to release was plagued by controversies over the film's handling of the dwarfs, who are rendered in CGI, and backlashes over comments by its star, Rachel Zegler. The PR headaches prompted Disney to pull back on its premiere.
Newsmax CEO Rings NYSE Opening Bell
Ruddy told “The Record With Greta Van Susteren” on Tuesday that he is not paying as much attention on the stock price as he is on efforts of building the company.
Newsmax Inc. CEO Christopher Ruddy rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange Thursday morning to celebrate the company's stunning debut earlier this week as a public company.
Ruddy was on the exchange’s famed podium, joined by Newsmax’s top personalities, including Rudy Giuliani, Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Dick Morris and many others.
Newsmax board members Amb. Nancy Brinker, former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta and banker Christopher Cox were on the dais as Ruddy pressed the trading bell at 9:30am ET.
Dems Consider Suing Gov. Abbott Over Vacant Congressional Seat
Democrats are threatening legal action over Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's delay in calling a special election to replace Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, who died earlier this year, Punchbowl News reported.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said House Democrats would likely pursue a lawsuit, though he did not offer further details. Democrats are anxious to fill the seat in a deep blue district.
Harris County attorney Christian Menefee, a candidate in the race, and the Texas Democratic Party have also threatened legal action.
"Call an emergency election or lawyer up," the party said.
Senate Confirms Trump's Medicare/Medicaid Nominee Mehmet Oz
The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate voted on Thursday 53-45 along party lines to confirm Dr. Mehmet Oz, the celebrity physician nominated by President Donald Trump, to oversee government health insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid.
As administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Oz, who has never held public office, will oversee a wide-reaching agency with annual spending of $2.6 trillion that oversees health insurance for more than half of Americans.
He would head Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people aged 65 or older or who have disabilities, oversee Medicaid, the state-based health insurance program for low-income people, and the Children's Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, for low-income children and pregnant women.
Republicans control the Senate and have been largely supportive of Oz, who in 2022 ran with Trump's endorsement as the Republican candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania and lost. Republicans have backed nearly all Trump's nominees.
Habba: Will Try as Adults Teen Gang Members Who Kill Police
Teen gang members who kill police officers will be tried as adults, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba said Thursday.
"This is really the way it should be. If you shoot a police officer, if you shoot anyone, I don't care what your age is, if you are part of a gang and have a repeated history of crime, you will be tried as an adult," Habba said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" after she filed paperwork to try a 14-year-old boy as an adult after he allegedly shot and killed Newark Sgt. Joseph Azcona.
The teen was initially charged with murder, attempted murder, and possession of illegal weapons.
The slain officer, 26, was part of a team of Newark police detectives and federal agents that had gone to capture a suspect in an illegal weapons sting when the officer was fired on in his vehicle, authorities said.
HHS to Brief House Panel After Widespread Layoffs
Department of Health and Human Services staffers will brief members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the agency's mass layoffs under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., The Hill reports.
Democrats on the panel are demanding a hearing on efforts to downsize the agency's workforce by as many as 20,000 staffers be attended by Kennedy himself, but the Hill reports that Republicans have committed only to holding a briefing with agency staffers.
A spokesperson for Democrats on the panel said in a statement on Thursday that "Democrats haven't been invited to attend" the staff briefing.
"We're reading about it in the press like everyone else," the spokesperson added, "which is why it's important we hold a public hearing with Secretary Kennedy so we can get some real answers."
Martina Navratilova: 'Shame on USA Fencing'
Retired women's tennis star Martina Navratilova got some attention when she posted "I am fuming" over USA Fencing's treatment of a female athlete.
The full text of her post on X made it clear she was protesting USA Fencing's treatment of a female athlete. "This is what happens when female athletes protest! Anyone here still thinks this is fair??? I am fuming… and shame on @USAFencing, shame on you for doing this. How dare you throw women under the gender [expletive] bus!!!
The incident creating Navratilova's response involved fencer Stephanie Turner, who competes for the Fencing Academy of Philadelphia. Turner refused to compete against transgender opponent Redmond Sullivan at a tournament in Maryland.
Breitbart reported that Turner was then disqualified from the event, which was held under the rules of USA Fencing.
Childhood Lead Exposure, Cancer Workers Among CDC Fired
Employees whose work focused on childhood lead exposure and cancer clusters were among those terminated from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to a former staffer.
The ex-employee told The Hill that approximately 200 people — the entire permanent staff — at the CDC’s Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice (DEHSP) were cut.
Scientists, epidemiologists, and grant program administrators were reportedly among the workers who were let go from the DEHSP, which is housed within the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health.
Tasked with such issues as climate change and health, childhood lead poisoning, cancer clusters and asthma and air pollution, The Hill’s source said that the work their former division does is vital to protecting public health.
Canadian PM Carney: Global Free Trade Led by US Is 'Over'
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney fired back at the Trump administration on Thursday, saying the era of global free trade under the United States "is over," Mediaite reported.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on more than 180 countries, which he says are designed to reset global trade and return manufacturing to the United States. Specifically for Canada, Trump imposed a 25% auto tariff, which took effect on Thursday.
Speaking to the media from Ottawa and aired on C-SPAN in the U.S., Carney said the effect on the global economy will be "monumental."
"The global economy is fundamentally different today than it was yesterday. The system of global trade anchored on the United States that Canada has relied on since the end of the Second World War — a system that, while not perfect, has helped to deliver prosperity for our country for decades — is over," Carney said.
Canada Hits Back With Retaliatory Tariff on US Autos
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday he will institute 25% tariffs on U.S. auto imports in retaliation to tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump that took effect earlier in the day.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday he will institute 25% tariffs on U.S. auto imports in retaliation to tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump that took effect earlier in the day.
"As I told President Trump during our call last week, Canada will respond to the U.S. auto tariffs," Carney said during a news conference from Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. "And today, I'm announcing that the government of Canada will be responding by matching the U.S. approach."
Trump on Wednesday announced "Liberation Day" tariffs that imposed a baseline 10% tariff on all imported goods starting Saturday, with higher individualized reciprocal tariffs on countries with which the U.S. has the largest trade deficits.
Carney said his new tariffs would not be imposed on auto parts.
"Our tariffs, though, unlike the U.S. tariffs, will not affect auto parts because we know the benefits of our integrated production system, and they will also not affect vehicle content from Mexico, who is respecting the [USMCA trade] agreement," he said.
Canada's initial retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. remain in place, on items such as orange juice, peanut butter, coffee, appliances, footwear, cosmetics, motorcycles, and certain pulp and paper products.
The Canadian government also will develop a framework for auto producers in Canada to get federal relief from U.S. tariffs as long as they maintain production and investment in the country, The Globe and Mail in Toronto reported. Carney said every dollar raised from Canadian levies will go toward helping workers and companies affected by the U.S. tariffs.
Carney, who was sworn in as prime minister last month after Justin Trudeau resigned, paused his election campaign Wednesday – Canada's federal elections are set for April 28 – to consult with cabinet officials and provincial and territorial leaders on how to counter the U.S. tariffs, the Globe and Mail reported. He was expected to resume his campaign later in the day.
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre said during a campaign event in Kingston, Ontario, on Thursday that he no longer considers the U.S. a dependable trading partner – "their president has chosen to betray America's best friend and closest ally," according to the Globe and Mail.
He added the Canadian government must get tougher with Trump and commit to revoking any new trade or defense arrangements with the U.S. if the Trump administration keeps violating trade agreements.
GM to Increase Truck Production in Indiana Following Trump's Tariffs
General Motors is moving to increase production of light-duty trucks at its Fort Wayne, Indiana, assembly plant, it said in a webcast sent to plant employees Thursday and viewed by Reuters.
GM's announcement came a day after President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on auto imports.
The Fort Wayne plant makes the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, which GM also manufactures at plants in Mexico and Canada.
The Detroit automaker may also add overtime days to the schedule, plant director Dennys Pimenta told employees in the webcast.
GM said in a statement on Thursday that it will hire temporary workers for the Fort Wayne assembly plant, saying that will be part of "operational adjustments" at the plant "to support current manufacturing and business needs."
Tom Hanks’ daughter, E.A. Hanks, reveals childhood ‘filled with confusion, violence, deprivation’ in new memoir
Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes' daughter, Elizabeth Hanks, wrote about her turbulent childhood in her new memoir, "The 10: A Memoir of Family And The Open Road."
Elizabeth Hanks, the daughter of Tom Hanks and first wife Samantha Lewes, opened up about her turbulent childhood and complex relationship with her mother in her new book, “The 10: A Memoir of Family And The Open Road.”
In an excerpt obtained by People Thursday, the author — who now goes by E.A. for Elizabeth Anne — wrote about how her parents’ split in 1985 shaped her and brother Colin Hanks’ early years.
“I am a kid from the First (non-famous) Marriage. My only memories of my parents in the same place at the same time are Colin’s high school graduation, then my high school graduation,” she began. “I have one picture of me standing between my parents. In it, my mother’s best wig is slightly askew.”
Sordid new details of teacher Christina Formella's alleged abuse of teen student emerge — including classroom sex romp
Christina Formella allegedly started sending the student flirtatious messages on a school messaging platform, new court documents reveal.
The married Illinois special ed teacher accused of molesting a 15-year-old student allegedly began messaging the boy on a digital school platform – which quickly escalated to a sexual encounter during a tutoring session in a classroom, new court documents reveal.
Downer Grove High School teacher Christina Formella, who was also the alleged victim’s soccer coach, started tutoring the boy in private sessions after he broke his collarbone, documents obtained by TMZ showed.
“She claimed that one day, [the boy] had grabbed her phone unattended, had entered her passcode … had sent the message to his phone, had then deleted the message from her phone, and had saved it to his phone as blackmail,” previously obtained court documents showed.
“[Formella said] everybody comes after her because she is good looking and she is just a good person who cared too much about [the boy],” the documents added.
The alleged affair was discovered in mid-March when the boy’s mother was setting up a new phone for him and saw inappropriate texts with Formella.
“I love you sooooo much baby… Even though this morning was short, it was perfect,” one of Formella’s alleged texts read, “I love having sex with you.”
She was arrested on March 16, just days after the boy’s mother found the messages.
The first batch of 27 Project Kuiper space internet satellites are scheduled to launch next week. Amazon has secured 80 such launch missions that will each deliver dozens of satellites into low earth orbit (LEO) to create a constellation capable of competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink juggernaut. Amazon says it expects to begin offering high-speed, low-latency internet service “later this year.”
The KA-01 mission satellites — short for Kuiper Atlas 1 — will launch on an Atlas V rocket from United Launch Alliance. It’s currently scheduled for 12pm ET on Wednesday, April 9th, assuming weather and technology cooperate at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Amazon’s other Project Kuiper launch partners include Arianespace, Blue Origin, and yes, SpaceX.
As a global service offering, Amazon’s space internet service will eventually be available from “virtually any location on the planet.” Users will need terminal antennas to tap into the satellite constellation. In 2023, Amazon said that its smallest dish, a seven-inch square design weighing just one pound, would offer speeds up to 100Mbps, making it a Starlink Mini alternative. Amazon will further compete with SpaceX by offering larger dishes for residential and enterprise use offering speeds up to 1Gbps. Amazon expects to produce the terminals “for less than $400 each,” which may or may not be subsidized to attract users.
Amazon’s first-generation satellite system will eventually consist of more than 3,200 LEO satellites, all flying at 17,000 mph (27,359 km/h), 392 miles (630km) above the Earth, and circling the planet in about 90 minutes. SpaceX’s Starlink constellation currently exceeds 7,000 LEO satellites, the first of which launched in 2019.
Notably, the satellites flying on KA-01 are coated in a “dielectric mirror film unique to Kuiper” that scatters reflected sunlight. That should help make them less visible to ground-based astronomers, according to Amazon.
Although Amazon already launched a pair of Project Kuiper prototype satellites, its upcoming mission will include a number of firsts that introduce risk. “We’ve done extensive testing on the ground to prepare for this first mission, but there are some things you can only learn in flight, and this will be the first time we’ve flown our final satellite design and the first time we’ve deployed so many satellites at once,” said Rajeev Badyal, vice president of Project Kuiper.
“No matter how the mission unfolds, this is just the start of our journey, and we have all the pieces in place to learn and adapt as we prepare to launch again and again over the coming years.”
Two leading AI labs, OpenAI and Anthropic, just announced major initiatives in higher education. It’s the constant one-upping we’ve all become familiar with: this week, Anthropic dropped their announcement at 8 AM Wednesday, while OpenAI followed with nearly identical news at 8 AM Thursday.
For Anthropic, this week’s announcement was its first major academic push. It launched Claude for Education, a university-focused version of its chatbot. The company also announced partnerships with Northeastern University, London School of Economics (LSE), and Champlain College, along with with Internet2, which builds university tech infrastructure, and Instructure (maker of Canvas) to increase “equitable access to tools that support universities as they integrate AI.”
At the center of Anthropic’s education-focused offering is “Learning mode,” a new feature that changes how Claude interacts with students. Instead of just providing answers, the press release says Learning mode will use Socratic questioning to guide students through problems, asking “How would you approach this?” or “What evidence supports your conclusion?” — with the goal of helping students ”develop critical thinking skills” rather than just doing their homework for them.
“As social scientists, we are in a unique position to understand and shape how AI can positively transform education and society,” President and Vice-Chancellor of LSE Larry Kramer said in Anthropic’s press release.
While Anthropic is just now entering higher education, OpenAI has been active in this space for nearly a year. The startup launched ChatGPT Edu in May 2024 — a university-focused version of its chatbot that came with multiple college partnerships. Last month, the company formed the NextGenAI Consortium, committing $50 million to accelerate AI research across 15 colleges. In February, OpenAI also partnered with California State University to bring ChatGPT Edu to all CSU campuses. Then, this Thursday, OpenAI announced that ChatGPT Plus (which costs $20 a month) will be free for all U.S. and Canadian college students through May.
The OpenAI initiative highlights that ChatGPT is “here to help you through finals,” offering Plus tier benefits like large file uploads, Deep Research, and advanced voice features.
YouTube is adding new features to Shorts that aim to make it easier for creators to edit short-form videos. There are five new tools “coming this spring” according to YouTube’s announcement, including a revamped video editor that provides similar editing features to those already found on competing platforms like TikTok and Reels.
The new video editor allows adjustments like cutting and rearranging clips, zooming into footage, and overlaying text and music to be made from an editing timeline view. Creators can preview the edited short on this timeline view, which can be accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the Shorts editor. YouTube says these new capabilities are the “first of more improvements” lined up to help streamline the Shorts editing process.
YouTube is making it easier to add music to Shorts, allowing creators to pick a song and have their video clips automatically synchronize to the rhythm instead of manually aligning them to a beat. Effects like video filters and overlays will also be available in Shorts templates, making it quicker to jump on viral trends.
The ability to add image stickers from your gallery directly into Shorts will be available “later this spring” according to YouTube, alongside text-to-image AI-generated sticker creation. Users can describe the sticker they want to add to their video, giving creators more personalization options.
The current $PEPE price movement is noteworthy. It's available on many platforms but hasn't experienced a rapid surge yet. Could it eventually outperform $SHIB? Further insights are welcome in the discussion.
These people tanking pretty much all markets whether they are related to tariffs or not is just hilarious. People have no balls anymore, if they do, they are filled with soy, lol.
I'll take all your cheap stocks and coins, lol.
I mean even gold and silver are dipping, lol. DXY, 10Y Bond rates, everything...
The big question that always confront me is: How deeper does the market need to go before I move my assets into stable coins? Seems I always get it wrong.
saw this in Shibuya, a binance pop up store. No time to investigate and I try to spend as little time in Shibuya as possible but Binance Japan has no cash to crypto rails so I’m not too interested since I want to buy/sell
Got my fifth follower on my new X account today, he's a XRP bull, probably going to unfollow me the next time I talk shit about XRP or Ripple(which I know I will).
Oh well, cheers to 4 followers which 2 are likely bots :)
Eagerness to learn can lead to significant progress even when natural talents may be lacking. Conversely, without curiosity and determination, inherent abilities might not meet the demands at hand.
It's true that Bruce Wayne had a fear of bats when he was a child, but he overcame that fear. He chose the name Batman not because of his fear but rather the fear other people have of bats.
Trump made a big show, and the asset market has danced along with it.
Through this show and the sub-shows, exchanges continued their play with individuals.
Be careful, bros. If you’re not confident, just stay away for a while for yourself.
Non Jewish US citizen so it doesn't effect me at all other than that the US government is controlled by them so my money gets stolen from me to fund their protection against these groups that they actually start the fights with in the first place. They are not the good guys here... Just saying... Dig deeper...
$DOGE bag holders should be glad that the US government has no intention of adopting it. It's bad enough that it's getting its tentacles all over $BTC and $ETH. DOGE (like $HIVE & $DASH) is cryptocurrency for The People. Keep DOGE free.
From a psychological perspective, it's a behavioral model that bears fruit, just as it describes: Gestalt.
In my case, I have no problem smiling. On the contrary, I always encourage others to do so because I believe it's a very good way to improve the quality of life.
Thanks!
Breaking news from the Core Memory podcast: Dr. Alan Weston – innovator behind bungee jumping, lunar landers, and airship design – is now heading rocket development at Astra. The legacy endures.
Focusing excessively on minor miscreants can lead to financial strain. Await more strategic onchain opportunities. This reset was crucial and should result in fewer opportunistic pitfalls. Stay resilient.
Here is the daily technology #threadcast for 4/3/24. The goal is to make this a technology "reddit".
Drop all question, comments, and articles relating to #technology and the future. The goal is make it a technology center.
!summarize #tesla #media #stock
!summarize #technology #ai #art
!summarize #technology #ai
!summarize #technology #tiktok #amazon
!summarize #technology
!summarize #technology #6g
Xiaomi delivers record cars in March as winners emerge in China's EV race
Chinese electric vehicle startups Xiaomi, Xpeng and Leapmotor each reported in March delivery volumes that were roughly double of their startup competitors.
It's a sign of how some automakers are pulling ahead, while BYD remains the market leader by far.
Xiaomi delivered a record number of electric vehicles in March, exceeding 29,000 units, the company announced on social media. That topped its prior run of delivering more than 20,000 vehicles in each of the past five months.
The SU7, Xiaomi's flagship model, was involved in a crash on a highway on Tuesday that left three dead. The automaker on Tuesday afternoon released a statement on Chinese social media that the vehicle was in navigation on autopilot mode before the accident.
Based on preliminary information, the road was obstructed because of construction. The driver took control of the car but collided with construction infrastructure. Xiaomi added in the release that investigations were underway.
That came two weeks after the automaker announced on March 18 its goal to deliver 350,000 vehicles this year. There are also talks of the automaker expanding its second EV factory in Beijing to meet demand, Bloomberg reported on March 18. Xiaomi did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment.
Its competitor Xpeng in March delivered 33,205 vehicles, the fifth consecutive month it has delivered over 30,000 units per month and reflecting a 268% surge in deliveries from the same month last year. March is also the fifth consecutive month the company has delivered over 15,000 units of the Mona M03.
!summarize #modely #china #tesla
Here's where Apple makes its products — and how Trump's tariffs could have an impact
China still accounts for the majority of Apple iPhone production, but the tech giant has sought to ramp up manufacturing in places like India and Vietnam.
Apple has made moves to diversify its supply chain beyond China to places like India and Vietnam, but tariffs announced by the White House are set to hit those countries too.
U.S. President Donald Trump laid out "reciprocal tariff" rates on more than 180 countries on Wednesday.
China will face a 34% tariff, but with the existing 20% rate, that brings the true tariff rate on Beijing under this Trump term to 54%, CNBC reported. India faces a 26% tariff, while Vietnam's rate is 46%.
China
The majority of Apple's iPhones are still assembled in China by partner Foxconn.
China accounts for around 80% of Apple's production capacity, according to estimates from Evercore ISI in a note last month.
Around 90% of iPhones are assembled in China, Evercore ISI said.
While the number of manufacturing sites in China dropped between Apple's 2017 and 2020 fiscal year, it has since rebounded, Bernstein said in a note last month. Chinese suppliers account for around 40% of Apple's total, Bernstein said.
Evercore ISI estimates that 55% of Apple's Mac products and 80% of iPads are assembled in China.
Plaid raises funding at $6 billion valuation, enabling some employees to cash out
Plaid announced a new funding round that values the fintech company at less than half of its peak price tag four years ago.
The $575 million round was led by a batch of new investors including Franklin Templeton, Fidelity and BlackRock. Existing backers NEA and Ribbit Capital also participated, Plaid said.
Plaid CEO Zach Perret said the startup saw a "substantial" growth year with record revenue and positive operating margins, though he did not provide specifics. The downsized valuation is a reflection of market conditions, he said.
"The reality is our business is much stronger and revenue has grown quite substantially," Perret told CNBC. "The profitability of business has gotten quite a lot better, and yet we are impacted by market multiples, as many companies are."
Plaid is "not ready" for an initial public offering quite yet, but this round will be the last private fundraise until the company lists on public markets, he said.
"An IPO is absolutely on our path for the coming years. We haven't assigned a specific timeline to it," Perret said. "We still have a lot of internal work to do. We're not ready, which is why we didn't consider it right now."
Rise of secondary rounds
Plaid's new funding allows employees to cash out of restricted stock units that expire at the end of the year. The startup will also use a portion of the proceeds to enable an employee tender offer.
Bitcoin slides to $81,000 as Trump tariffs jolt stock market
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies were under pressure Thursday after President Donald Trump's big tariffs reveal jolted the stock market.
Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies were under pressure Thursday after President Donald Trump's big tariffs reveal jolted the stock market.
The price of the flagship cryptocurrency was last lower by 5% at $81,849.63, according to Coin Metrics. Ether fell 7% and the token tied to Solana dropped 13%.
Shares of Coinbase and MicroStrategy lost more than 7% each in premarket trading.
The moves came overnight as investor fears of a global trade war intensified following Trump's presentation of sweeping tariffs of at least 10% and even higher for some countries.
Bitcoin has been trading in the $80,000 to $90,000 range for most of the past month, as investors take cues from the equities market absent a crypto-specific catalyst. David Hernandez, crypto investment specialist at 21Shares, noted it held above key technical support, signaling strong underlying demand.
"Despite the broader risk-off sentiment, crypto markets demonstrated incredible resilience relative to equities," he said.
"Although the tariff rates were slightly higher than expectations, the announcement provided much-needed clarity on the scope and scale of the policy," he added. "Markets thrive on certainty, and with speculation now largely removed, institutional investors may see an opportunity over the coming days to take advantage of compressed valuations."
AI could be the travel sector’s greatest inflection point
Article via The Media Leader
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"That's the motivation for the round," Perret said. "We think it's important to give our employees options to sell and the ability to have liquidity, especially given that Plaid has been private for so long."
Plaid is the latest in a string of late-stage, private deals designed to enable employees to cash out in private markets. Ramp, DataBricks, OpenAI and Stripe have all announced secondary financings that were designed to let some employees get liquidity. Few of those companies seem eager to wade into public markets. Recent volatility around stocks and lackluster performance of recent IPOs, including CoreWeave's last week, have kept some companies on the sidelines.
"Volatility is definitely going to be one of the key factors," Perret said, adding that it was too early to assess IPO market conditions for Plaid.
The startup has been on a roller coaster in private markets since it was founded a decade ago. Plaid was set to be bought by Visa for $5 billion in 2020 in a deal that was eventually called off amid regulatory scrutiny. The following year, it raised money at a $13.4 billion valuation. That also marked the peak for growth and technology valuations before the Federal Reserve began raising interest rates.
Plaid provides the plumbing to connect consumer bank accounts to popular finance apps. Its APIs let consumers link their bank accounts to services like Venmo, Robinhood and Coinbase. Since then, it's expanded into direct bill pay, cybersecurity and data analytics. It also partners with major banks.
Cybersecurity is one of Plaid's largest growth areas, Perret said. He pointed to financial fraud growing at 20% to 25% per year as a result of the boom in artificial intelligence.
!summarize #trade #tariffs #exports
"We've been leaning in to try to build tools to combat deep fakes and a lot of AI-driven financial fraud," he said. "Unfortunately, this is a large market opportunity. It's something that we'd actually like to be smaller. But it's been an area of growth."
India
Over the last two years, Apple has made a big push to ramp up iPhone production in India as the government looks to increase local manufacturing of high-tech goods.
Apple is targeting around 25% of all iPhones globally to be made in India, a government minister said in 2023.
India could reach about 15%-20% of overall iPhone production by the end of 2025, Bernstein analysts estimate. Evercore ISI said around 10% to 15% of iPhones are currently assembled in India.
Vietnam
Vietnam has emerged in the past few years as a popular manufacturing hub for consumer electronics. Apple has increased its production in Vietnam.
Around 20% of iPad production and 90% of Apple's wearable product assembly like the Apple Watch takes place in Vietnam, according to Evercore ISI.
Leapmotor delivered 37,095 vehicles, reflecting a 154% year-over-year growth. The Stellantis-owned automaker last month launched U.K. sales of two electric vehicle models, the T03 and the C10.
Li Auto delivered 36,674 vehicles in March, a 26.5% year-over-year increase, but fewer than every month in the second half of 2024. The company's cars had gained early traction with Chinese consumers since most come with a fuel tank for charging the vehicle's battery, reducing anxiety about driving range.
Leapmotor saw quarterly deliveries more than double to 87,552 units from 33,410 units the same period in 2024, according to publicly available numbers the company published.
However, Li Auto and Nio reported weaker growth than their competitors in the first quarter of the year.
Nio saw 42,094 vehicles delivered in the three months ended March 2025, an increase of 40.1% year over year. Li Auto saw a slower year-over-year growth of 15.5%, with a total of 92,864 vehicles delivered.
Stellantis idles plants in Mexico and Canada due to tariffs
Stellantis is pausing production at the automaker's Windsor Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada, and its Toluca Assembly Plant in Mexico.
DETROIT — Stellantis is pausing production at assembly plants in Canada and Mexico as the company attempts to navigate President Donald Trump's new round of 25% automotive tariffs that took effect Thursday.
The downtime includes two weeks at the automaker's Windsor Assembly Plant in Ontario, Canada, and the entire month of April at its Toluca Assembly Plant in Mexico. Both start Monday.
The actions will result in temporary layoffs of roughly 900-U.S. represented employees in addition to the thousands of employees at the assembly plants.
The Canadian plant produces the Chrysler Pacifica minivan and the recently released Dodge Charger Daytona EV. The Mexico plant produces the Jeep Compass SUV and Jeep Wagoneer S EV.
Vance: Elon Musk Will Continue to Be Adviser
Elon Musk will remain a friend and adviser to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance, despite leaving his role, Vance said Thursday.
Politico and ABC reported Wednesday that Trump had told members of his Cabinet that Musk will soon depart and return to the private sector, although it was not clear if Musk would leave before his 130-day mandate as a special government employee expires around late May.
"DOGE has got a lot of work to do, and yeah, that work is going to continue after Elon leaves. But fundamentally, Elon is going to remain a friend and an adviser of both me and the president," he said.
Unemployment Claims Fall Amid Strong Job Market
The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, pointing to continued labor market stability ahead of potential volatility from import tariffs.
Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 6,000 to a seasonally adjusted 219,000 for the week ended March 29, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 225,000 claims for the latest week.
Low layoffs have kept the labor market humming. There were 1.07 job openings for every unemployed person in February, down from 1.13 in January, the government reported on Tuesday.
But economists worry that President Donald Trump's blizzard of tariffs since returning to the White House in January could hurt the labor market.
FBI Nabs Top MS-13 Gang Leader
On charges connected to at least 11 murders, FBI agents tracked down and arrested a top leader of the notorious MS-13 gang.
FBI agents tracked down and arrested a top leader of the notorious MS-13 gang who was wanted on charges connected to at least 11 murders. Joel Vargas-Escobar, also known as 'Momia' within the gang, was arrested by agents in New York. He was brought before a federal magistrate and ordered to remain in custody and is being transferred to Nevada.
Agents reported Vargas-Escobar was a top leader of a branch of MS-13 operating in Nevada and California. He was indicted in Nevada on racketeering conspiracy charges involving 11 murders. The government's indictment of Vargas-Escobar said victims were allegedly kidnapped and taken to desert or mountainous areas where they were tortured and killed. The conspiracy charges carry a mandatory life sentence if convicted. He's also facing firearms charges.
Trump specifically named MS-13, otherwise known as La Mara Salvatrucha, among a group of "Foreign Terrorist Organizations and Specially Designated Global Terrorists" that he ordered removed from the U.S. on the day of his inauguration for a second term in January.
NSC Staffers Fired in Signal Chat Fallout
Fallout from the Trump administration's Signal chat fiasco has resulted in at least three National Security Council staffers being fired.
National security adviser Mike Waltz inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic magazine, to a March 11 group text using the Signal encrypted messaging service where top officials were discussing plans to attack the Houthis in Yemen.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump made his clearest commitment to not fire anyone over the accidental leak of his administration's plans for an airstrike against the Houthis.
However, sources told Axios that several NSC members have been fired. CNN reported three NSC staffers were fired.
Axios added that its source said several people had been fired, possibly as many as 10, including senior directors.
Brian Walsh, a director for intelligence and a former top staffer for Secretary of State Marco Rubio on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Thomas Boodry, a senior director for legislative affairs who previously served as Waltz's legislative director in Congress, and David Feith, a senior director overseeing technology and national security who served in the State Department during Trump's first administration were the three NSC officials let go, CNN reported.
The outlet added the firings followed conservative influencer Laura Loomer's Wednesday visit to the Oval Office.
"I woke up this morning to learn that there are still people in and around the West Wing who are LEAKING to the hostile, left-wing media about President Trump’s confidential and private meetings in the Oval Office," Loomer posted late-morning Thursday on X.
Rogan Says DOGE Should Investigate How 'Snow White' Cost $250M
Podcaster Joe Rogan wants Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to investigate how "Snow White" cost $250 million to make.
"They should get DOGE to look at this movie. They spent $250 million bucks making that movie?" Rogan said during a recent episode.
"Imagine you spent $250 million, and you get some young girl, and you don't kind of talk to her about like, Hey, you know, don't get political. You're young, and I know you have opinions about things, but this should be just about the movie," Rogan added.
The Walt Disney Co.'s live action "Snow White" opened with a disappointing $43 million in ticket sales.
The movie struggled, even before it went to theaters. The runup to release was plagued by controversies over the film's handling of the dwarfs, who are rendered in CGI, and backlashes over comments by its star, Rachel Zegler. The PR headaches prompted Disney to pull back on its premiere.
Newsmax CEO Rings NYSE Opening Bell
Ruddy told “The Record With Greta Van Susteren” on Tuesday that he is not paying as much attention on the stock price as he is on efforts of building the company.
Newsmax Inc. CEO Christopher Ruddy rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange Thursday morning to celebrate the company's stunning debut earlier this week as a public company.
Ruddy was on the exchange’s famed podium, joined by Newsmax’s top personalities, including Rudy Giuliani, Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Dick Morris and many others.
Newsmax board members Amb. Nancy Brinker, former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta and banker Christopher Cox were on the dais as Ruddy pressed the trading bell at 9:30am ET.
Dems Consider Suing Gov. Abbott Over Vacant Congressional Seat
Democrats are threatening legal action over Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's delay in calling a special election to replace Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Texas, who died earlier this year, Punchbowl News reported.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said House Democrats would likely pursue a lawsuit, though he did not offer further details. Democrats are anxious to fill the seat in a deep blue district.
Harris County attorney Christian Menefee, a candidate in the race, and the Texas Democratic Party have also threatened legal action.
"Call an emergency election or lawyer up," the party said.
Senate Confirms Trump's Medicare/Medicaid Nominee Mehmet Oz
The Republican-controlled U.S. Senate voted on Thursday 53-45 along party lines to confirm Dr. Mehmet Oz, the celebrity physician nominated by President Donald Trump, to oversee government health insurance programs Medicare and Medicaid.
As administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Oz, who has never held public office, will oversee a wide-reaching agency with annual spending of $2.6 trillion that oversees health insurance for more than half of Americans.
He would head Medicare, the federal health insurance program for people aged 65 or older or who have disabilities, oversee Medicaid, the state-based health insurance program for low-income people, and the Children's Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, for low-income children and pregnant women.
Republicans control the Senate and have been largely supportive of Oz, who in 2022 ran with Trump's endorsement as the Republican candidate for Senate in Pennsylvania and lost. Republicans have backed nearly all Trump's nominees.
Habba: Will Try as Adults Teen Gang Members Who Kill Police
Teen gang members who kill police officers will be tried as adults, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba said Thursday.
"This is really the way it should be. If you shoot a police officer, if you shoot anyone, I don't care what your age is, if you are part of a gang and have a repeated history of crime, you will be tried as an adult," Habba said on Fox News' "Fox and Friends" after she filed paperwork to try a 14-year-old boy as an adult after he allegedly shot and killed Newark Sgt. Joseph Azcona.
The teen was initially charged with murder, attempted murder, and possession of illegal weapons.
The slain officer, 26, was part of a team of Newark police detectives and federal agents that had gone to capture a suspect in an illegal weapons sting when the officer was fired on in his vehicle, authorities said.
HHS to Brief House Panel After Widespread Layoffs
Department of Health and Human Services staffers will brief members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee about the agency's mass layoffs under Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., The Hill reports.
Democrats on the panel are demanding a hearing on efforts to downsize the agency's workforce by as many as 20,000 staffers be attended by Kennedy himself, but the Hill reports that Republicans have committed only to holding a briefing with agency staffers.
A spokesperson for Democrats on the panel said in a statement on Thursday that "Democrats haven't been invited to attend" the staff briefing.
"We're reading about it in the press like everyone else," the spokesperson added, "which is why it's important we hold a public hearing with Secretary Kennedy so we can get some real answers."
Martina Navratilova: 'Shame on USA Fencing'
Retired women's tennis star Martina Navratilova got some attention when she posted "I am fuming" over USA Fencing's treatment of a female athlete.
The full text of her post on X made it clear she was protesting USA Fencing's treatment of a female athlete. "This is what happens when female athletes protest! Anyone here still thinks this is fair??? I am fuming… and shame on @USAFencing, shame on you for doing this. How dare you throw women under the gender [expletive] bus!!!
The incident creating Navratilova's response involved fencer Stephanie Turner, who competes for the Fencing Academy of Philadelphia. Turner refused to compete against transgender opponent Redmond Sullivan at a tournament in Maryland.
Breitbart reported that Turner was then disqualified from the event, which was held under the rules of USA Fencing.
Childhood Lead Exposure, Cancer Workers Among CDC Fired
Employees whose work focused on childhood lead exposure and cancer clusters were among those terminated from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), according to a former staffer.
The ex-employee told The Hill that approximately 200 people — the entire permanent staff — at the CDC’s Division of Environmental Health Science and Practice (DEHSP) were cut.
Scientists, epidemiologists, and grant program administrators were reportedly among the workers who were let go from the DEHSP, which is housed within the CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health.
Tasked with such issues as climate change and health, childhood lead poisoning, cancer clusters and asthma and air pollution, The Hill’s source said that the work their former division does is vital to protecting public health.
Canadian PM Carney: Global Free Trade Led by US Is 'Over'
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney fired back at the Trump administration on Thursday, saying the era of global free trade under the United States "is over," Mediaite reported.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced reciprocal tariffs on more than 180 countries, which he says are designed to reset global trade and return manufacturing to the United States. Specifically for Canada, Trump imposed a 25% auto tariff, which took effect on Thursday.
Speaking to the media from Ottawa and aired on C-SPAN in the U.S., Carney said the effect on the global economy will be "monumental."
"The global economy is fundamentally different today than it was yesterday. The system of global trade anchored on the United States that Canada has relied on since the end of the Second World War — a system that, while not perfect, has helped to deliver prosperity for our country for decades — is over," Carney said.
Canada Hits Back With Retaliatory Tariff on US Autos
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday he will institute 25% tariffs on U.S. auto imports in retaliation to tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump that took effect earlier in the day.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday he will institute 25% tariffs on U.S. auto imports in retaliation to tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump that took effect earlier in the day.
"As I told President Trump during our call last week, Canada will respond to the U.S. auto tariffs," Carney said during a news conference from Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario. "And today, I'm announcing that the government of Canada will be responding by matching the U.S. approach."
Trump on Wednesday announced "Liberation Day" tariffs that imposed a baseline 10% tariff on all imported goods starting Saturday, with higher individualized reciprocal tariffs on countries with which the U.S. has the largest trade deficits.
Carney said his new tariffs would not be imposed on auto parts.
"Our tariffs, though, unlike the U.S. tariffs, will not affect auto parts because we know the benefits of our integrated production system, and they will also not affect vehicle content from Mexico, who is respecting the [USMCA trade] agreement," he said.
Canada's initial retaliatory tariffs on the U.S. remain in place, on items such as orange juice, peanut butter, coffee, appliances, footwear, cosmetics, motorcycles, and certain pulp and paper products.
The Canadian government also will develop a framework for auto producers in Canada to get federal relief from U.S. tariffs as long as they maintain production and investment in the country, The Globe and Mail in Toronto reported. Carney said every dollar raised from Canadian levies will go toward helping workers and companies affected by the U.S. tariffs.
Carney, who was sworn in as prime minister last month after Justin Trudeau resigned, paused his election campaign Wednesday – Canada's federal elections are set for April 28 – to consult with cabinet officials and provincial and territorial leaders on how to counter the U.S. tariffs, the Globe and Mail reported. He was expected to resume his campaign later in the day.
Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre said during a campaign event in Kingston, Ontario, on Thursday that he no longer considers the U.S. a dependable trading partner – "their president has chosen to betray America's best friend and closest ally," according to the Globe and Mail.
He added the Canadian government must get tougher with Trump and commit to revoking any new trade or defense arrangements with the U.S. if the Trump administration keeps violating trade agreements.
GM to Increase Truck Production in Indiana Following Trump's Tariffs
General Motors is moving to increase production of light-duty trucks at its Fort Wayne, Indiana, assembly plant, it said in a webcast sent to plant employees Thursday and viewed by Reuters.
GM's announcement came a day after President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on auto imports.
The Fort Wayne plant makes the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks, which GM also manufactures at plants in Mexico and Canada.
The Detroit automaker may also add overtime days to the schedule, plant director Dennys Pimenta told employees in the webcast.
GM said in a statement on Thursday that it will hire temporary workers for the Fort Wayne assembly plant, saying that will be part of "operational adjustments" at the plant "to support current manufacturing and business needs."
Tom Hanks’ daughter, E.A. Hanks, reveals childhood ‘filled with confusion, violence, deprivation’ in new memoir
Tom Hanks and Samantha Lewes' daughter, Elizabeth Hanks, wrote about her turbulent childhood in her new memoir, "The 10: A Memoir of Family And The Open Road."
Elizabeth Hanks, the daughter of Tom Hanks and first wife Samantha Lewes, opened up about her turbulent childhood and complex relationship with her mother in her new book, “The 10: A Memoir of Family And The Open Road.”
In an excerpt obtained by People Thursday, the author — who now goes by E.A. for Elizabeth Anne — wrote about how her parents’ split in 1985 shaped her and brother Colin Hanks’ early years.
“I am a kid from the First (non-famous) Marriage. My only memories of my parents in the same place at the same time are Colin’s high school graduation, then my high school graduation,” she began. “I have one picture of me standing between my parents. In it, my mother’s best wig is slightly askew.”
Sordid new details of teacher Christina Formella's alleged abuse of teen student emerge — including classroom sex romp
Christina Formella allegedly started sending the student flirtatious messages on a school messaging platform, new court documents reveal.
The married Illinois special ed teacher accused of molesting a 15-year-old student allegedly began messaging the boy on a digital school platform – which quickly escalated to a sexual encounter during a tutoring session in a classroom, new court documents reveal.
Downer Grove High School teacher Christina Formella, who was also the alleged victim’s soccer coach, started tutoring the boy in private sessions after he broke his collarbone, documents obtained by TMZ showed.
“She claimed that one day, [the boy] had grabbed her phone unattended, had entered her passcode … had sent the message to his phone, had then deleted the message from her phone, and had saved it to his phone as blackmail,” previously obtained court documents showed.
“[Formella said] everybody comes after her because she is good looking and she is just a good person who cared too much about [the boy],” the documents added.
The alleged affair was discovered in mid-March when the boy’s mother was setting up a new phone for him and saw inappropriate texts with Formella.
“I love you sooooo much baby… Even though this morning was short, it was perfect,” one of Formella’s alleged texts read, “I love having sex with you.”
She was arrested on March 16, just days after the boy’s mother found the messages.
https://inleo.io/threads/view/anderssinho/re-leothreads-23eob24gy?referral=anderssinho
Amazon is ready to launch its Starlink competitor
The first batch of 27 Project Kuiper space internet satellites are scheduled to launch next week. Amazon has secured 80 such launch missions that will each deliver dozens of satellites into low earth orbit (LEO) to create a constellation capable of competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink juggernaut. Amazon says it expects to begin offering high-speed, low-latency internet service “later this year.”
#technology #amazon #starlink
The KA-01 mission satellites — short for Kuiper Atlas 1 — will launch on an Atlas V rocket from United Launch Alliance. It’s currently scheduled for 12pm ET on Wednesday, April 9th, assuming weather and technology cooperate at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. Amazon’s other Project Kuiper launch partners include Arianespace, Blue Origin, and yes, SpaceX.
As a global service offering, Amazon’s space internet service will eventually be available from “virtually any location on the planet.” Users will need terminal antennas to tap into the satellite constellation. In 2023, Amazon said that its smallest dish, a seven-inch square design weighing just one pound, would offer speeds up to 100Mbps, making it a Starlink Mini alternative. Amazon will further compete with SpaceX by offering larger dishes for residential and enterprise use offering speeds up to 1Gbps. Amazon expects to produce the terminals “for less than $400 each,” which may or may not be subsidized to attract users.
Amazon’s first-generation satellite system will eventually consist of more than 3,200 LEO satellites, all flying at 17,000 mph (27,359 km/h), 392 miles (630km) above the Earth, and circling the planet in about 90 minutes. SpaceX’s Starlink constellation currently exceeds 7,000 LEO satellites, the first of which launched in 2019.
Notably, the satellites flying on KA-01 are coated in a “dielectric mirror film unique to Kuiper” that scatters reflected sunlight. That should help make them less visible to ground-based astronomers, according to Amazon.
Although Amazon already launched a pair of Project Kuiper prototype satellites, its upcoming mission will include a number of firsts that introduce risk. “We’ve done extensive testing on the ground to prepare for this first mission, but there are some things you can only learn in flight, and this will be the first time we’ve flown our final satellite design and the first time we’ve deployed so many satellites at once,” said Rajeev Badyal, vice president of Project Kuiper.
“No matter how the mission unfolds, this is just the start of our journey, and we have all the pieces in place to learn and adapt as we prepare to launch again and again over the coming years.”
OpenAI and Anthropic are fighting over college students with free AI
Two leading AI labs, OpenAI and Anthropic, just announced major initiatives in higher education. It’s the constant one-upping we’ve all become familiar with: this week, Anthropic dropped their announcement at 8 AM Wednesday, while OpenAI followed with nearly identical news at 8 AM Thursday.
#technology #ai #openai
For Anthropic, this week’s announcement was its first major academic push. It launched Claude for Education, a university-focused version of its chatbot. The company also announced partnerships with Northeastern University, London School of Economics (LSE), and Champlain College, along with with Internet2, which builds university tech infrastructure, and Instructure (maker of Canvas) to increase “equitable access to tools that support universities as they integrate AI.”
At the center of Anthropic’s education-focused offering is “Learning mode,” a new feature that changes how Claude interacts with students. Instead of just providing answers, the press release says Learning mode will use Socratic questioning to guide students through problems, asking “How would you approach this?” or “What evidence supports your conclusion?” — with the goal of helping students ”develop critical thinking skills” rather than just doing their homework for them.
“As social scientists, we are in a unique position to understand and shape how AI can positively transform education and society,” President and Vice-Chancellor of LSE Larry Kramer said in Anthropic’s press release.
While Anthropic is just now entering higher education, OpenAI has been active in this space for nearly a year. The startup launched ChatGPT Edu in May 2024 — a university-focused version of its chatbot that came with multiple college partnerships. Last month, the company formed the NextGenAI Consortium, committing $50 million to accelerate AI research across 15 colleges. In February, OpenAI also partnered with California State University to bring ChatGPT Edu to all CSU campuses. Then, this Thursday, OpenAI announced that ChatGPT Plus (which costs $20 a month) will be free for all U.S. and Canadian college students through May.
The OpenAI initiative highlights that ChatGPT is “here to help you through finals,” offering Plus tier benefits like large file uploads, Deep Research, and advanced voice features.
YouTube is updating Shorts with TikTok-like editing features
YouTube is adding new features to Shorts that aim to make it easier for creators to edit short-form videos. There are five new tools “coming this spring” according to YouTube’s announcement, including a revamped video editor that provides similar editing features to those already found on competing platforms like TikTok and Reels.
#technology #tiktok #youtube
The new video editor allows adjustments like cutting and rearranging clips, zooming into footage, and overlaying text and music to be made from an editing timeline view. Creators can preview the edited short on this timeline view, which can be accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the Shorts editor. YouTube says these new capabilities are the “first of more improvements” lined up to help streamline the Shorts editing process.
YouTube is making it easier to add music to Shorts, allowing creators to pick a song and have their video clips automatically synchronize to the rhythm instead of manually aligning them to a beat. Effects like video filters and overlays will also be available in Shorts templates, making it quicker to jump on viral trends.
The ability to add image stickers from your gallery directly into Shorts will be available “later this spring” according to YouTube, alongside text-to-image AI-generated sticker creation. Users can describe the sticker they want to add to their video, giving creators more personalization options.
A bright start to the day, 𝕏!
Alabama, Minnesota lawmakers join US states pushing for Bitcoin reserves
https://inleo.io/@justmythoughts/alabama-minnesota-lawmakers-join-us
$26000 ready to be used in some way shape or form. Be ready $LEO hodler 🚀
#leodex
just a little win would be nice lol
⛵️Splawik (👇Link): "What a great event having #AmerigoVespucci and being able to get on board"
@dashpay #dash #TravellingDashiers
What a festival ship it is.
🇮🇹 Yes, an Italian work of art!
https://tourvespucci.it/en/home/
Very colorful and lively event.
The current $PEPE price movement is noteworthy. It's available on many platforms but hasn't experienced a rapid surge yet. Could it eventually outperform $SHIB? Further insights are welcome in the discussion.
Welcome to the daily sports #threadcast! Here we will discuss, follow and share all the news from the sporting world.
We want to make #inleo the premier destination for the #sports community by establishing the Leo platform as the hub for sports updates
Edition #214
https://img.leopedia.io/DQmSokkdsKD1CXgimW33vtbdqtCB1XxBPE5WbXY3qw2vsmG/image%20(15).webp
Do you watch IPL T20 cricket matches.
Today's match is between:
I don't watch it, but you're always welcome to share about this sport here.
!summarize #sports #news
!summarize #sports #news
!summarize #sports #news
!summarize #sports #news
!summarize #sports #news
!summarize #sports #news
!summarize #sports #news
!summarize #sports #news
!summarize #sports #news
!summarize #sports #news
!summarize #sports #news
!summarize #sports #news
!summarize #sports #news
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I always think of this when I hear people buy and sell in market volatility.
!summarize #dollar #cost #Averaging #dca
Thanks for the cheap prices! LOL
These people tanking pretty much all markets whether they are related to tariffs or not is just hilarious. People have no balls anymore, if they do, they are filled with soy, lol.
I'll take all your cheap stocks and coins, lol.
I mean even gold and silver are dipping, lol. DXY, 10Y Bond rates, everything...
A perfect time to invest. Couldn't have come any better.
GM inleo friends, this is where I start my grinding for today.
Grind away!
Keep grinding on threads 👏👏
#newsoninleo #liotes
read on, link ⬇️
https://coinmarketcap.com/academy/article/waters-accuses-trump-of-pushing-family-backed-stablecoin-warns-of-conflict-in-us-crypto-bill-debate?lid=cc68cr1bb5om
Come join us on the #hivelist threadcast for some e-commerce action on the blockchain!
https://inleo.io/threads/view/hivelist/re-hivelist-uga6hpsy
Gran diseño 😎
https://inleo.io/threads/view/jimmy.adames/re-leothreads-h2wrqxgb
Lost nearly 4kg during Ramadhan. I was stuck at 70kg. So i skipped my sahur for 2 days. And lost 1.5kg.
Weldone keep pushing
Nice one. Just watch that sugar level
The big question that always confront me is: How deeper does the market need to go before I move my assets into stable coins? Seems I always get it wrong.
Damn
As soon as you trade them for stables the market will skyrocket lol
Hodl!
I thought this happens to only me?
your delegations to the OCDB are making this account rich.
check it out yourself.
Please re-think this.
peakd.com/@alpha/wallet
I do ecency for 100% liquid reward
that funds the whales of Hive and keeps Hive from moving forward.
Wait... it does? Hive needs a non benefactor frontend 😃
yep
#diy #whale !LOLZ
lolztoken.com
Because it was 2-tired
Credit: reddit
$LOLZ on behalf of ben.haase
(5/10)
Delegate Hive Tokens to Farm $LOLZ and earn 110% Rewards. Learn more.@simplegame, I sent you an
https://inleo.io/threads/view/mightpossibly/re-leothreads-2ccsqb1t5
To beat a lion, you have to have the heart of a lion.
Welcome to the pride #newlion
Cool lion! Which AI did you use?
It was made with freepik com. Very cool looking lion. Cheers 🍻
saw this in Shibuya, a binance pop up store. No time to investigate and I try to spend as little time in Shibuya as possible but Binance Japan has no cash to crypto rails so I’m not too interested since I want to buy/sell
What if Bitcoin were to surge dramatically today?
We all want to see it
anything is possible in the crypto space
Isnt that why we are here?😁
It will be interesting to see that happen
Got my fifth follower on my new X account today, he's a XRP bull, probably going to unfollow me the next time I talk shit about XRP or Ripple(which I know I will).
Oh well, cheers to 4 followers which 2 are likely bots :)
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Definitely gonna miss this winter. For the past few days, kabus has been so strong sebab summer is approaching.
What was your first phone and what year was it?
That was a Nokia 3310 - build for nuclear war
Haha
Mine was Nokia 1100 🙃
nokia was my first phone. I don't remember the year, its a long long time ago.
check the image, it was bulky one
Used to see this phone on the hands of elders! Was a dream to use a phone then 😂
All world markets are bleeding, and crypto prices are also dropping. The tariff wars have begun.
#crypto #news #markets
forcing a cut in interest rates perhaps
That may happen next!
Lets see who bleeds out first
BTC ETH already bleeding
buying time
Very true
2 BTC in wallet right now. I'd better received it.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Eagerness to learn can lead to significant progress even when natural talents may be lacking. Conversely, without curiosity and determination, inherent abilities might not meet the demands at hand.
leo.voter is the 10th largest Hive account by effective HP.
LFG!!!
Also OCBD or whatever it is called is above leo.voter.
If you are a Lion stop delegating to that one.
So many bad people involved with it.
Love that, a daring Lion as it should be. Lions are amazing.
We nees more HP supporting leo.voter 🦁🦁
Spider man😂😂
It's true that Bruce Wayne had a fear of bats when he was a child, but he overcame that fear. He chose the name
Batmannot because of his fear but rather the fear other people have of bats.🤣🤣
I think I have that fear too
I don’t like bats 😏
Trump made a big show, and the asset market has danced along with it.
Through this show and the sub-shows, exchanges continued their play with individuals.
Be careful, bros. If you’re not confident, just stay away for a while for yourself.
Warm wishes to all Muslim friends,
عيد مبارك
#عيدالفطرالمبارك
you want?
Einen Tod muss man sterben!
Image generated from Akash image generator.
#aiimages #aiartonleo #aiart
back in home office, weather was already good to go for shorts 🚲
Yeah we have it super warm today aslo ☀️
Does rolling a joint is considered #diy?
What’s your take on this?🤔
Non Jewish US citizen so it doesn't effect me at all other than that the US government is controlled by them so my money gets stolen from me to fund their protection against these groups that they actually start the fights with in the first place. They are not the good guys here... Just saying... Dig deeper...
Propaganda and proper gaslighting.
Challenging, though certainly achievable.
"BREAKING: Liberal candidates now hold a 90% probability of prevailing in the forthcoming state's highest court election."
I wonder if history will look back on this moment and realize how big of a sea change is happening
What are your thoughts?
Decisiveness is a critical skill
GM
Markets are red, but we are not dead
Keep accumulating, building and working hard
Many cheap stocks and cryptos now. $LEO is one of them 🤩
Don't look at the charts.
Sure 👑
HODL💪
The market losses today are self-inflicted. We've been indoctrinated by decades of "education" and media exposure to fear tariffs.
We're so used to income taxes that we forgot that tariff generated government revenues from Day One.
Breaking: 🇺🇸 Elon Musk reveals the US government has no intention of adopting Dogecoin $DOGE.
DOGE holders are shaking
no one adopts shit coins
$DOGE bag holders should be glad that the US government has no intention of adopting it. It's bad enough that it's getting its tentacles all over $BTC and $ETH. DOGE (like $HIVE & $DASH) is cryptocurrency for The People. Keep DOGE free.
Life is too short to go through it without smiling.
Smile as much as you can today and you'll feel so much better!
Oh, tomorrow... smile tomorrow too!
#feedback #inleo #hivecuba
If you have trouble smiling, fake the smile until it becomes second nature. Then the smile will become a real smile.
From a psychological perspective, it's a behavioral model that bears fruit, just as it describes: Gestalt.
In my case, I have no problem smiling. On the contrary, I always encourage others to do so because I believe it's a very good way to improve the quality of life.
Thanks!
This is the mindset of a winner
Find high conviction assets and buy when there is blood in the streets
https://inleo.io/threads/view/thelogicaldude/re-leothreads-2kw2d6nzt
Not going to lie the tariffs hit me hard this morning.
I do a lot of UK business and the exchange rate is fkd right now.
small price to pay.
Globalism is a lie and I will happily take some pain right now.
I wonder how labor intensive it will be to take all those tariffs in.
Are there any exceptions known to the tariffs yet?
All I know is other countries have tariffs and we are matching them.
and a lot of the FUD right now is just politics and finance people.
Real industries have already been onshoring for a long time.
I was thinking, if small businesses used crypto hey could avoid the tariffs entirely.
Tariffs are hard, but UK business is worth it. The exchange rate needs to fix itself soon
I hope so
The most nonsensical part of this whole irrational selling is that everything that happened was known in advance. There was no "#news" from Trump.
https://inleo.io/threads/view/thelogicaldude/re-leothreads-2kw2d6nzt
M👁’s Delicious Moments
Bean pan with bacon, onions, red peppers, celery and chili 🌶️ or as i call it: „Bud Spencer Pan“
#beans #budspencer #food #foodies #photographers #photography #photofeed #visualshots #photographylovers #mdm
Rate this photo👇🏽
👇🏽click2zoom
😋 gonna try this n sub the bacon
Sould be very delicious and full of proteins.
yep, it is 💪🏽😎👍🏽 i have that once a week with different Ingredients
Breaking news from the Core Memory podcast: Dr. Alan Weston – innovator behind bungee jumping, lunar landers, and airship design – is now heading rocket development at Astra. The legacy endures.
Focusing excessively on minor miscreants can lead to financial strain. Await more strategic onchain opportunities. This reset was crucial and should result in fewer opportunistic pitfalls. Stay resilient.
Starlink enabling high-speed connection from the waters of the Caribbean 🛰️🏝️