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Stocks also slide after lacklustre $16bn auction for 20-year TreasuriesView the full article

Marketing of unhealthy products to be barred before 9pm on TV but branded advertising using company names will be allowedView the full article

The Justice Department announced plans Wednesday to abandon lawsuits against police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, a reversal of Biden-era initiatives to reform policing in two cities that sparked a national reckoning around racial justice. “The Civil Rights Division will be taking all necessary steps to dismiss the Louisville and Minneapolis lawsuits with prejudice, to close the underlying investigations into the Louisville and Minneapolis police departments, and to retract the Biden administration’s findings of constitutional violations,” the Justice Department said in a press release. The decision to back away from police reform comes just days before the five-year anniversary of George Floyd’s death. Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was found guilty of second-degree murder in 2021. The Justice Department also plans to throw out any findings of constitutional violations and close ongoing investigations into police departments in Phoenix, Trenton, Memphis, Oklahoma City and the state of Louisiana. Reversing Biden’s planned policing reforms Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, characterized the Biden administration’s lawsuits as part of an “anti-police agenda.” “Today, we are ending the Biden Civil Rights Division’s failed experiment of handcuffing local leaders and police departments with factually unjustified consent decrees,” Dhillon said. The policy shift signals an aggressive return to the first The President administration’s disinterest in police oversight and a likely roll-back of other federal reforms put in place over the last four years. In its waning days, the Biden administration rushed to finalize a Justice Department deal for police oversight in Minneapolis, securing unanimous approval from the Minneapolis City Council in early January. The agreement, known as a consent decree, was initiated in 2023 after a damning Justice Department report accused the Minneapolis Police Department of racial discrimination, First Amendment violations and the unlawful use of deadly force. In both Minneapolis and Louisville , consent decrees still await a federal judge’s approval. A powerful tool for police accountability Consent decrees are one of the federal government’s most powerful tools for holding police departments accountable for civil rights violations, dangerous policies and the wrongful use of deadly force. The Department of Justice regularly pursues these long-term roadmaps for reform with law enforcement agencies facing federal lawsuits, creating a framework for oversight that can endure until a judge decides that its requirements have been met. During the The Obama administration, 15 law enforcement agencies entered into consent decrees with the Justice Department to resolve lawsuits around policing – up from just three during the Bush era. During The President’s first term, the Justice Department introduced only one new investigation of its own and even made efforts to stall out planned reforms in Baltimore, though it ultimately failed. Most notably, The President’s then Attorney General Jeff Sessions narrowed the scope of consent decrees, introducing new requirements for sunset dates and limiting the reforms they could require. Under Biden, Attorney General Merrick Garland rescinded those sweeping The President-era changes to consent reforms in 2021, clearing a path for the Justice Department to again leverage the powerful agreements when investigating law enforcement misdeeds and civil rights abuses. The President’s early agenda makes it clear that he plans to leave police departments to their own devices in the coming years. That hands-off approach puts the fate of some cities’ planned police reforms up in the air or, like much of The President’s agenda, up to the courts. View the full article

Deal will help AI data centre operator raise fresh capital after size of IPO was cut in Wall Street debut in MarchView the full article

If you use Spotify to listen to audiobooks on your iPhone, you now have fewer hurdles to clear to purchase and download titles to your device. Apple has approved an update that allows Spotify users to view pricing and buy individual audiobooks as well as add "top-up" listening hours right from the iOS app. How in-app purchases are changing on iOSThis change is the outcome of a recent court ruling that requires Apple to allow app developers to provide links to external sites outside of the App Store to make purchases. Previously, users had to seek out where to sign up for subscriptions—in an external browser, for example—or potentially pay a premium price to cover the App Store's 15 to 30 percent cut. In response, Spotify quickly updated its iOS app with links to its various subscription options under the Premium tab, which previously had simply acknowledged that such subscriptions existed and that users could find sign-ups through their web browser. How to purchase audiobooks on SpotifyWith the update, users will now see a Buy button under individual titles in the iOS app and will no longer need to make purchases on Spotify's web player before returning to mobile to listen. Spotify includes 15 hours of use-it-or-lose-it audiobook listening time with Premium plans and the separate Audiobooks Access subscription—you can now add "top-up" listening hours within the app as well. To manage your listening time on mobile, go to Profile > Settings and privacy > Account > Plan name > Manage audiobook time. Top-ups cost $13 for 10 hours. Finally, if Spotify isn't your go-to, check out our top picks for audiobook services. View the full article

Increases in gross domestic product and home sales expectations compared with April are the drivers of Fannie Mae's latest mortgage outlook for 2025 and 2026. View the full article

Labour MPs mobilise to put pressure on chancellor over planned welfare cutsView the full article

While other streaming services thrive on carefully selected and endlessly curated (meaning: limited) selections of movies, Tubi's a bit different: It feels like the Wild West, with everything from originals; to popular hits; to critically acclaimed favorites; to the lowest-brow, lowest-budget movies you'll find this side of an old Blockbuster. In that spirit, here's a sampling of some of the best stuff currently streaming on Tubi, and it's a wide variety—the streamer will not be pinned down. If you're unfamiliar, Tubi is a free, ad-based service, but generally I find the ads to be less obnoxious and less frequent than on other, similar streamers. Interstellar (2014) Christopher Nolan's mind-bending, but oddly plausible, sci-fi epic takes Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain on a hunt through space and time to find a new home for humans in a near-future during which we've made Earth unlivable. You can stream Interstellar here. Color Out of Space (2019) Nicolas Cage is at his Nic Cage-iest in this H. P. Lovecraft adaptation about a family's descent into madness. A beautiful, horrifying, utterly unique sensory experience. You can stream Color Out of Space here. Friday (1995) An unquestioned classic of stoner comedy, Friday sees Ice Cube and Chris Tucker accidentally smoking weed that they were meant to sell. And who among us hasn't? The two slackers set out to borrow or make the money back during a misadventure-packed Friday. You can stream Friday here. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan (alongside Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis) led Everything to Oscar glory a couple of years back, with Yeoh starring as Evelyn Quan Wang, a middle-aged immigrant running a laundromat with her husband. An IRS audit leads to a trip through a wildly outlandish, and ultimately emotional, journey through a multiverse of possibilities. You can stream Everything Everywhere here. Dune (1984) You've probably seen the recent Denis Villeneuve adaptation, but you might be less familiar with this messy and fascinating take from director David Lynch. Kyle MacLachlan leads an all-star cast in a movie that doesn't quite an achieve greatness, but nevertheless offers up a bevy of wild ideas, distinctive visuals, and Lynchian madness. You can stream Dune here. Some Like It Hot (1959) Tubi offers up a better assortment of classics than many of the other streamers, most of which have shifted to a newer-is-better focus. Hot stars Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis as a couple of jazz-age musicians who run afoul of a mob boss, deciding to escape by posing as members of an all-female band (one that, memorably, includes Marilyn Monroe). Director Billy Wilder pitches the farce just right, at the intersection between smart and silly. You can stream Some Like It Hot here. Evil Bong (2006) No socially redeeming value here, just a goofy comedy horror movie about a bong that transports smokers to another planet, one where they're to be murdered by exotic dancers. Tommy Chong co-stars in this movie from Full Moon Features, purveyors of fine low-rent horror movies. You can stream Evil Bong here. Ghost World (2001) Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) face high school graduation, and a crush on Steve Buscemi, in Terry Zwigoff’s indie dark comedy. You can stream Ghost World here. Donnie Darko (2001) Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this memorable emo mind-bender about a troubled teenager who dodges disaster thanks to a bit of sleepwalking. An instant cult classic, it's the movie all the cool kids were talking about back in the day. You can stream Donnie Darko (director's cut) here, or the theatrical version here. Hollywood Shuffle (1987) Robert Townsend directs himself as Bobby Taylor, a satire about the perils of navigating the Hollywood system for an actor simultaneously too black and not black enough for the tastes of studio bosses. Through elaborate fantasy sequences and parodies of popular movies, Townsend creates a sharp and often extremely funny sendup that’s (sadly) still relevant. You can stream Hollywood Shuffle here. Barbarian (2022) One of the more divisive horror movies of the past few years (I love it), Barbarian stars Georgina Campbell as a woman who rents an Airbnb only to have a man (Bill Skarsgård) show up claiming that he also has rented the house. He seems nice enough, so she lets him in—enough of a premise for a horror movie right there, but Barbarian has twists that you'll never see coming. You can stream Barbarian here. Showgirls (1995) As with most of Paul Verhoeven's other films, it's possible to view his notoriously trashy film as either dark satire or unintended camp. It's tremendous fun either way and, though it quickly gained a reputation as garbage, it's far more watchable than many other better-reviewed films. You can stream Showgirls here. Rec (2007) This Spanish import is top-tier found footage, involving a group of firefighters on an emergency call who wind up trapped inside a building at the center of a creeping zombie infection. That limited, specific geography is key to the movie's brisk, efficient, and nerve-jangling effectiveness. You can stream Rec here. Planet of the Apes (1968) Astronaut Charlton Heston finds himself on an unknown (wink wink) planet in the distant future where he rather quickly finds himself in the power of the world's ape overlords. From a slightly goofy premise came this dark, disturbing, and timely fable. You can stream Planet of the Apes here. The Apartment (1960) Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine star in this searing, bittersweet, but ultimately humane comedy. MacLaine's Fran Kubelik is an elevator operator having an affair with the big boss at an insurance company, while Lemmon's Bud Baxter gets ahead by loaning out his apartment to upper management for various extramarital assignations. The budding friendship between the two threatens both of their careers. You can stream The Apartment here. Whale Rider (2002) Pai is a 12-year-old Māori girl and the direct descendant of their tribe’s traditional notable ancestor, the Whale Rider—except that, traditionally, women can’t lead. Star Keisha Castle-Hughes became the youngest nominee for a Best Actress Oscar for her open, genuine performance. You can stream Whale Rider here. The Descent (2006) Getting lost in those caves is scary enough, even before we discover that we're not alone down there. The ultimate in spelunking horror. You can stream The Descent here. Menace II Society (1993) A searing, raw portrait of urban violence in the 1990s, the Hughes Brothers' film follows Caine Lawson (Tyrin Turner) and his friends as they struggle for a better life amid crime and poverty, but who find themselves drawn deeper into crime and cruelty. The performances here are all phenomenal. You can stream Menace II Society here. Beauty Shop (2005) This Barbershop spin-off follows widowed hairstylist Gina Norris starting over in Atlanta with her daughter, and opening her own shop when a job doesn't pan out. Queen Latifah is as delightful as ever, and is joined by a great cast including Alfre Woodard, Della Reese, Alicia Silverstone, Andie MacDowell, Kevin Bacon, and Djimon Hounsou. You can stream Beauty Shop here. Room 237 (2012) This fascinating documentary explores, without judgement, the many (and often truly wild) theories and interpretations around Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. Probably not what you're after if you want a bit of film analysis, but as an exploration of conspiratorial thinking? You could do a lot worse. You can stream Room 237 here. Terrifier (2016) Damien Leone's low-budget slasher series quietly build into a queasy empire, with the most recent film being a legit box office smash. Here, literal clown-from-hell Art stalks partygoer Tara Heyes and her sister Victoria (Scaffidi) on Halloween night. You can stream Terrifier here. Return of the Living Dead (1985) This horror comedy with punk style is both a knowing parody of zombie movies while also managing to be an impressively gory thriller in its own right that moves the whole genre forward. Plus, it’s got a great death-rock soundtrack. You can stream Return of the Living Dead here. Frankenhooker (1990) A disreputable and goofy but surprisingly effective horror comedy, Frankenhooker stars former Penthouse Pet Patty Mullen as the movie's take on Mary Shelley's monster, made in the image of a med student's dead fiancée and built from sex workers. The style and special effects here are pretty great. You can stream Frankenhooker here. Ghost in the Shell (1995) One of the best anime films of all time, at least when it comes to sci-fi and cyberpunk, Ghost in the Shell boasts impeccable style in addition to the thoughtfulness and complexity of its story. Major Motoko Kusanagi is a cyborg security agent hunting an enigmatic hacker known only as "the Puppet Master" in the rapidly approaching year 2029, a time when the rise of AI threatens even the idea of individual existence. You can stream Ghost in the Shell here. The Leather Boys (1964) A classic of British kitchen sink realism, a movement in the 1960s that saw hyperrealistic portraits of, often, angry teens and young people, The Leather Boys sees young couple Reggie and Dot becoming increasingly estranged when Reggie mostly wants to just hang out with his biker friends. Among those friends is Pete, who seems to be developing an attraction to Reggie that goes a bit beyond that of a typical biker bro. You can stream The Leather Boys here. North by Northwest (1959) One of Hitchcock's best (and that's saying quite a bit), North by Northwest is a nearly non-stop thrill ride, seeing Cary Grant's Roger Thornhill hunted across the country by criminals who've mistaken him for someone else. It's as funny as it is clever, and nearly impossible to stop watching once you've started. You can stream North by Northwest here. Lars and the Real Girl (2007) The sweetest, most charming movie about the romance between a man and his life-like love doll that you're likely to encounter. You can stream Lars and the Real Girl here. They Call Me Trinity (1970) A classic spaghetti western, Trinity (kicking off a trilogy, appropriately enough), stars Terence Hill and Bud Spencer as brothers Trinity and Bambino, who help defend a Mormon settlement from bandits and a land-grabbing Major (Farley Granger). It's a rare comedy to come out of Italy's obsession with westerns, and a lot of fun for it. You can stream They Call Me Trinity here. The Wiz (1978) Long before Wicked reinvented (or at least reinterpreted) L. Frank Baum, the Broadway musical on which this movie is based imagined Dorothy Gale as a Black teacher from Harlem. The joyous film version is nearly a who's who of Black talent in the 1970s: Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Theresa Merritt, Thelma Carpenter, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor all play roles, while Quincy Jones, Luther Vandross, and Charlie Smalls all contributed to the music. You can stream The Wiz here. Cabaret (1972) Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey star in this essential musical about the good times and extravagant style of Weimar Germany giving way to the rising tide of fascism. You can stream Cabaret here. View the full article

The Senate unanimously passed the “No Tax on Tips Act” on Tuesday, a bill that would eliminate federal taxes on tips and that President Donald The President made a campaign promise when running for reelection. It now goes to the House for a vote. If passed, the legislation would create a new tax deduction of up to $25,000 on income made from tips. The legislation comes as many Americans are feeling an added economic burden in the face of inflation, higher prices, and skyrocketing living costs. Here’s what you need to know. What is the No Tax on Tips Act? Bill S. 129, or the “No Tax on Tips Act” creates a federal income tax deduction of up to $25,000 a year for certain types of cash tips for eligible employees. (These are cash tips workers report to employers for withholdings on payroll taxes.) Who is eligible for for the tax break? The deduction applies to employees who earn up to $160,000 in 2025; that amount will likely increase with inflation in the years ahead and applies to tips “received by an individual . . . in an occupation which traditionally and customarily received tips on or before December 31, 2023,” or including tips via cash, credit and debit card, and check, according to The Washington Post. Who supports the bill? Both Republicans and Democrats support the bill. Republican Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas introduced it back in January. Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada brought the bill to the Senate floor, where it passed with unanimous consent, which usually happens with more routine legislative matters. Nevada’s Sen. Rosen, along with Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, co-sponsored the legislation. Who championed the No Tax on Tips Act? During the 2024 presidential election, both candidates The President and Harris supported versions of the idea, with The President making it a campaign promise during a June 2024 rally in Nevada, a state 25% of the state’s workers rely on tips; and one way The President set out to court working-class voters, according to The Hill. What do critics say about the No Tax on Tips Act? The National Restaurant Association supports the bill, however, critics say eliminating taxes on tips is an empty win for many hourly workers, who don’t make enough to pay federal income taxes. Critics also say it keeps workers at a lower overall pay rate, as opposed to creating a higher minimum wage. What happens next? The bill now heads to the House of Representatives for a vote. A version of No Tax on Tips is also included in The President’s giant tax and immigration bill, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. On the Senate floor, Cruz said he was confident the bill would eventually pass either way. View the full article

It was perhaps the worst kept secret in Silicon Valley. When he wasn’t running his design firm LoveFrom, Jony Ive was building another new company, just around the corner in San Francisco’s Jackson Square, called io. Focused on the future of AI hardware—what some have oversimplified as the iPhone of AI—io was rumored to be the physical side of OpenAI’s groundbreaking software. Now, the rumors are reality. OpenAI is acquiring io for $6.5 billion. From a news release: The io team, focused on developing products that inspire, empower and enable, will now merge with OpenAI to work more intimately with the research, engineering and product teams in San Francisco. As io merges with OpenAI, Jony and LoveFrom will assume deep design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI and io. LoveFrom will remain independent. It became clear that our ambitions to develop, engineer and manufacture a new family of products demanded an entirely new company. And so, one year ago, Jony founded io with Scott Cannon, Evans Hankey and Tang Tan. Scott Cannon led teams on the Mac and iPad development. Evans Hankey was a senior member of the Apple design team who took over Ive’s own role after he left Apple. Tang Tan led design on the iPhone for years. It takes no keen analysis to observe how proven and talented this team is at shipping impactful products. But what are they doing with OpenAI, exactly? The io team, focused on developing products that inspire, empower and enable, will now merge with OpenAI to work more intimately with the research, engineering and product teams in San Francisco. As io merges with OpenAI, Jony and LoveFrom will assume deep design and creative responsibilities across OpenAI and io. In other words, io will be making products, plural, for OpenAI, with an undisclosed timeline for release. What it all adds up to is, perhaps, the greatest called bluff in Silicon Valley history. Ive had already brought much of his design team with him when he founded LoveFrom. And others he brought to io. Now, the most hyped AI company of our age is teaming up with the makers of the most defining consumer hardware of the last century. Whatever they build together will define both of their legacies to come. View the full article

US president brandishes printed media reports of murdered farmers in extraordinary Oval Office exchangeView the full article

President The President said his massive tax package is close to being finalized, but the White House has yet to win over a faction who want more spending cuts. View the full article

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication. Bed-sharing couples rarely like the exact same kind of mattress, and that's where the i8 Smart Bed shines. Each side is customizable, allowing each person to alter the mattress' firmness at any time. Right now, Sleep Number is having a Memorial Day sale with discounts of up to 50% and free delivery. Its flagship product, the i8 Smart Bed, is 30% off. I've been loving mine, and it has changed both my and my partner's sleep for the better. Mattress only i8 Mattress, King $3,289.30 at Sleep Number $4,699.00 Save $1,409.70 Get Deal Get Deal $3,289.30 at Sleep Number $4,699.00 Save $1,409.70 Mattress only i8 Mattress, Queen $2,799.30 at Sleep Number $3,999.00 Save $1,199.70 Get Deal Get Deal $2,799.30 at Sleep Number $3,999.00 Save $1,199.70 Mattress only i8 Mattress, Twin $2,379.30 at Sleep Number $3,399.00 Save $1,019.70 Get Deal Get Deal $2,379.30 at Sleep Number $3,399.00 Save $1,019.70 SEE 0 MORE These smart beds from Sleep Number aren't cheap, but they're supposed to last about twice what a regular mattress lasts, with a minimum of 15 years, according to Sleep Number's warranty (regular mattresses last about seven to eight years). Aside from the adjustable firmness, a very cool feature is the bed adapts to your position to keep you comfortable, so if you change to sleeping on your side in the middle of the night, the bed will adjust the firmness so you don't wake up with a sore shoulder I've been using the i8 Smart Bed for nearly a year, and it has helped me learn a lot about my sleep over time. The companion app tracks how long it takes me to fall asleep, my restful sleep, restless sleep (how much tossing and turning I'm doing), and how long it takes me to get out of bed (I've been making a conscious effort now to get rid of doom scrolling in the morning). I also get a Sleep Number score that is based on many metrics to tell me the quality of the sleep I got that night. Based on my score, the app gives me recommendations to improve it. You don't need to buy the integrated base (which you have to buy separately) if you have a bed frame with a flat surface. If your frame has slats, they should be no more than two inches apart. There is an air pump that needs to be plugged into an outlet, and you'll need space under or next to the bed to store it. View the full article

With President Donald The President’s multitrillion-dollar tax breaks package at risk of stalling, House Speaker Mike Johnson and conservative Republican holdouts are heading Wednesday to the White House for the last-ditch talks to salvage the “big, beautiful bill.” Johnson, R-La., had hoped to vote as soon as Wednesday on the 1,000-page plus bill after grinding through an all-night committee hearing, a final step in the process. But debate dragged into midday. Democrats, without the votes to stop The President’s package, are using all available tools to press their opposition and capitalize on the GOP disarray. “We believe it’s one big, ugly bill that’s going to hurt the American people,” said House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York as he and his team testified before the committee. “Hurt children, hurt families, hurt veterans, hurt seniors, cut health care, cut nutritional assistance, explode the debt,” he said. The President had instructed the Republican majority to quit arguing and get it done, putting his own political influence on the line. But the Republican president failed to move many skeptics during his Capitol Hill visit this week and GOP leaders struggled through the the night on crafting last-minute deals. But for every faction of the slim House majority that Johnson appeases, he is losing others. A tentative deal with GOP lawmakers from New York and other high-tax states to boost deductions for local taxes to $40,000 alarmed the most conservative Republicans, worried it will add to the nation’s $36 trillion debt. Rep. Andy Harris, R-Md., the chairman of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, said he did not believe the package could pass in a House vote, but “there is a pathway forward that we can see.” “We want to deliver the president’s agenda,” he said. It’s a make-or-break moment for the president and his party in Congress. They have invested much of their political capital during the crucial first few months of The President’s return to the White House on this legislation. If the House Republicans fall in line with the president, overcoming unified Democratic objections, the measure would next go to the Senate. “We’re doing very well. It’s very close” The President said at the White House. A fresh analysis from the Congressional Budget Office said the tax provisions would increase federal deficits by $3.8 trillion over the decade, while the changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other services would tally $1 trillion in reduced spending. The lowest-income households in the U.S. would see their resources drop, while the highest ones would see a boost, the CBO said. Republicans convened the House Rules Committee hearing shortly after midnight, but Johnson’s Memorial Day deadline for House passage was slipping as lawmakers prepared to depart for the holiday. At its core, the package is centered on extending the tax breaks approved during The President’s first term in 2017, while adding new ones he campaigned on during his 2024 campaign. To make up for some of the lost revenue, the Republicans are focused on spending cuts to federal safety net programs and a massive rollback of green energy tax breaks from the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act. Additionally, the package tacks on $350 billion in new spending, with about $150 billion going to the Pentagon, including for the president’s new “ Golden Dome” defense shield, and the rest for The President’s mass deportation and border security agenda. The package title carries The President’s own words, the “ One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” As The President promised voters on the tax front, the package proposes there would be no taxes on tips for certain workers, including those in some service industries; automobile loan interest; or some overtime pay. There would be an increase to the standard income tax deduction, to $32,000 for joint filers, and a boost to the child tax credit to $2,500. There would be an enhanced deduction, of $4,000, for older adults of certain income levels, to help defray taxes on Social Security income. To cut spending, the package would impose new work requirements for many people who receive health care through Medicaid. Able-bodied adults without dependents would need to fulfill 80 hours a month on a job or in other community activities. Similarly, those who receive food stamps through the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, known as SNAP, would also face new work requirements. Older Americans up to age 64, rather than 54, who are able-bodied and without dependents would need to work or engage in the community programs for 80 hours a month. Additionally, some parents of children older than 7 years old would need to fulfill the work requirements; under current law, the requirement comes after children are 18. Republicans said they want to root out waste, fraud and abuse in the federal programs. The Congressional Budget Office has estimated 8.6 million fewer people would have health insurance with the various changes to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. It also said 3 million fewer people each month would have SNAP benefits. Conservatives are insisting on quicker, steeper cuts to federal programs to offset the costs of the trillions of dollars in lost tax revenue. GOP leaders have sped up the start date of the Medicaid work requirements from 2029 to 2027. At the same time, more moderate and centrist lawmakers are wary of the changes to Medicaid that could result in lost health care for their constituents. Others are worried the phaseout of the renewable energy tax breaks will impede businesses using them to invest in green energy projects in many states. Plus, those lawmakers from New York, California and other high-tax states want a bigger state and local tax deduction, called SALT, for their voters back home. As it stands, the bill would triple what’s currently a $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction, increasing it to $30,000 for joint filers with incomes up to $400,000 a year. But advocates wanted more. Under the emerging deal, the cap would increase the deduction to $40,000 with an income limit of $500,000, according to a person granted anonymity to discuss the private talks. The cap would phase down for incomes above that level. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, a nonpartisan fiscal watchdog group, estimates that the House bill is shaping up to add roughly $3.3 trillion to the debt over the next decade. —Lisa Mascaro, Kevin Freking, Leah Askarinam, and Joey Cappelletti, Associated Press Associated Press writer Chris Megerian contributed to this report. View the full article

UK retailer’s woes highlight the scale — and cost — of the battleView the full article

US firm White Oak alleged broker failed to pass on crucial information about collapsed firm’s coverView the full article

The white minority does have justified anxieties but many are thriving and it is absurd to talk of a ‘genocide’ View the full article

Ex-Apple design chief is working on alternatives to smartphoneView the full article

Workers are stressed over job insecurity with many concerned about the possibility of an impending job loss. And that worry may be taking a toll on employees’ overall mental health—especially for younger workers. According to the American Psychological Association’s 2025 Work in America survey, which recorded online responses from 2,017 employed adults, more than half of American workers are bogged down with worry over their job security. A whopping 54% said concerns about their workplace stability has a “significant impact” on their stress levels. Why workers are concerned The concern appears linked to recent policy changes under the The President administration and economic uncertainty. Sixty-five percent said their company or organization has been impacted by policy changes, and two-thirds said those changes have been drastic. Most cited negative experiences as a result of the changes. Seventy-five percent of workers said they’ve experienced things like “emotional exhaustion, as well as lack of interest, motivation, or energy at work,” due to shifting policies at work. Those who haven’t yet experienced big shifts seem to be mentally preparing for them. More than two in five (42%) of employed adults surveyed said they expect government policies to lead to changes in their own workplace. That view was higher among those who worked in local, state, and federal government, where 53% said they expect to see them. Among the big changes, the possibility for layoffs is top-of-mind for employees. According to the survey, 39% of workers “said they were concerned that changes in government policies may cause them to lose their job in the next 12 months.” For younger workers, the worry hits much harder. Sixty-five percent of workers ages 26 to 43 called job insecurity a “significant stressor,” and 75% of those 18 to 25. Only 46% of those ages 44 to 57 said the same, with the number dipping further for older age groups. A challenging market for job seekers Adding fuel to the fire is concern over how challenging it may be to find a new job. About two-thirds of workers who were concerned about losing their job due to changes in government policies (66%) said it would take them a significant amount of time to find a new job if they were laid off. Forty-four percent said they weren’t confident they could find a new job in their industry and would have to change fields altogether. “When people feel their jobs are at risk, it creates a sense of uncertainty that can affect every aspect of their lives,” said Arthur C. Evans Jr., PhD, APA’s chief executive officer, in a news release. “This cultural moment is threatening workers’ sense of stability, control and ability to meet their basic needs. And feelings of insecurity at work and poor mental health can amplify each other in a vicious cycle.” The strain is impacting workers while they’re on the job. More than half said they feel tense or stressed during the workday. But they’re taking the worry home, too, with 46% saying that their work environment is causing their mental health to decline and 38% saying their personal relationships have been negatively impacted over all the work-related stress. View the full article

AI startups are the belle of the VC funding ball, and it’s coming at the expense of pretty much every other type of company. That’s a main takeaway from a report published by Silicon Valley Bank on Tuesday. That report found that roughly 40% of VC funding in the U.S. last year came from venture funds that “list AI as a focus. Those comprise more than 15% of U.S. VC funds—a number that has doubled over the past five years. “Put all together, this reflects not only the investor enthusiasm around the space, but also the funds required to properly deploy into capital-intensive hypergrowth AI startups,” the report reads. And with AI companies sucking up a good percentage of overall VC funding, it’s left other types of companies battling it out for a smaller piece of the pie—including firms in the infrastructure, applications, and cybersecurity segments of the enterprise software sector. Perhaps relatedly, the creation of “unicorn” companies—startups that reach a valuation of at least $1 billion—has slowed in recent years. During 2021, for example, there were 138 enterprise software unicorns created. Last year, there were only nine. And none so far this year. The report also points out the rise of “zombiecorns,” referring to unicorn companies that have poor revenue growth and little hope of raising more money. In effect, for some of these companies, IPO hopes are low, the climate isn’t ideal for acquisition, and it’s unclear where these companies can turn next for a lifeline. As such, they’re sort of scouring the business landscape, like zombies—not yet dead, but with a fading pulse. It’s unclear if the overarching economic conditions will improve in a way that could provide some hope to the “zombiecorns” out there, and other startups outside of the AI space looking to raise money. While the U.S. hasn’t seen catastrophic economic numbers yet—GDP, unemployment, and other such numbers have in recent months remained relatively rosy—consumer sentiment is down, and uncertainty abounds due to President The President’s tariffs and other policies. That has many investors waiting on the sidelines for an inkling of what’s next. In the meantime, startups may feel the crunch as they hope to go public or raise another round of financing. Investors will likely still invest, the report notes, but they’ll be much more selective given the overall environment. “We may see a ‘flight to quality’ where investors continue to be extremely selective in their capital deployment—potentially making it even harder to raise the next round,” the report reads. “Those left in the dust will need to seek an exit.” View the full article

The federal official told a group of bank supervisors that the move, which Democrats oppose and the industry has mixed views on, will give them more autonomy. View the full article

Elon Musk’s SpaceX employees voted this month to make their small community on the southeastern tip of Texas its own city, with a mayor and city commissioners. But the rest of the tech billionaire’s neighbors near the newly incorporated Starbase in rural Cameron County, where he lives in a home on the outskirts of Brownsville, are not so thrilled with his activities as a businessman and now as head of the The President administration’s Department of Government Efficiency. Residents have long complained about the environmental impact of SpaceX’s rocket launches, which rain debris like sheet metal and pieces of concrete on beaches and have caused wildfires. Now, Musk’s DOGE is having a major impact in the county and the rest of South Texas, an area with higher rates of poverty and less access to resources than much of the rest of the state—the initiative’s budget cutbacks have resulted in reduced funding for area food banks, fewer staffers at VA facilities to provide health care to veterans, and the termination of grants for students seeking internships, among other cuts. “We’ve been forcibly made into Elon Musk’s backyard against our will,” said Bekah Hinojosa, a local environmental activist. “Everyone in this region is constantly in survival mode, no matter who’s in office. Right now I don’t have health care, for example. Most of us are already dealing with problems. And now to have these new problems added to the existing problems.” Rene Medrano, a longtime Brownsville resident who retired as the high school’s longtime football coach with seven trips to the playoffs, said Musk was welcomed when he first arrived in the area due to the influx of jobs and economic activity. But as SpaceX grew and rocket launches started damaging the environment, often cutting off access to local beaches, he grew more critical. “People are up in arms because of the access to the beach,” he said. He hears from neighbors about the local impacts of DOGE. “I know it’s hurting people and I know it’s affecting people,” Medrano said. “And I know it’s going to continue if they keep cutting the way they’re cutting. It’s very obvious. How can it not affect you?” The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley serves meals to 88,000 people every week in Cameron, Willacy, and Hidalgo counties, with half of its funding coming from federal programs. Recently, 23 truckloads of food on their way to the food bank were cancelled due to DOGE cuts at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “This cancellation could not have come at a worse time, with the recent flooding event that we experienced and the summer vacation at our doorstep,” food bank official Omar Rodriguez told ValleyCentral.com. “The food bank helps a lot of people in the valley,” said Hinojosa, who said she worked as a volunteer there during the pandemic. “There are always long lines outside, especially now after the flooding. A lot of people are hungry.” A White House official told Capital & Main that the USDA “has not and will not lose focus on its core mission of strengthening food security, supporting agricultural markets, and ensuring access to nutritious foods.” The official noted that in March, the agency “released over half a billion in previously obligated funds for Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA), LFPA for Tribes, and the Local Food for Schools program to fulfill existing commitments and support ongoing local food purchases.” Elsewhere in the region, just a week after 20 students at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley learned they’d be part of a museum internship program that included funds for housing, transportation, and their work, they found out the federally funded grant had been terminated due to DOGE’s cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an independent federal agency. “We all felt devastated,” Stephanie Álvarez, a professor of Mexican American Studies at the school, told myRGV.com. “Because students don’t have this opportunity … We were just stunned because we put a lot of effort into it but also because all of these students expecting to go have these internships and that possibly doesn’t exist anymore unless we find at least $60,000.” And changes at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, where DOGE plans to cut about 15% of the workforce, are also having an impact in South Texas—such as at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System in San Antonio, which is considered the fastest-growing VA network in the country. In February, the agency fired workers at hospitals and clinics across the state, including in San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, though it rehired them in the wake of a lawsuit filed by multiple unions representing federal employees. And now it’s slowing down the hiring of new employees even as the number of veterans in the region who need health care keeps growing, say veterans. A spokesperson for the VA said, “We’re going to maintain VA’s mission-essential jobs like doctors, nurses and claims processors, while phasing out non-mission essential roles like DEI officers. The savings we achieve will be redirected to veteran health care and benefits.” In an email to Capital & Main, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly replied: “DOGE’s work to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse is streamlining federal services to the benefit all Americans—especially our Veterans, who have endured decades of VA bureaucracy and bloat that has hindered their ability to receive timely and quality care. President The President is restoring accountability to taxpayers, which ultimately strengthens federal programs for those in need.” “We’re hurting,” said Don Edge, a Navy vet and AFL-CIO official based in San Antonio who represents many workers at the agency. “I’ve got grown men and women coming into my office and they’re in tears, saying that they can’t keep up with the demand.” The cuts of probationary employees and reduced hiring of new employees have resulted in extended waiting times and relocation of veterans to facilities far from their homes, said Edge. “I’m a veteran myself, and to not be able to have services or have services delayed because of these cuts is horrible.” As an example, Edge cited Villa Serena, a treatment center for veterans with mental health or substance use issues. “They cut the number of beds by 35%-40%, and they’re sending the patients hundreds of miles to other VA facilities in Waco and Temple—where they’re on their own, without friends and family nearby, while they struggle with these issues.” A spokesperson for the VA said that the facility decreased beds at Villa Serena from 66 to 45 “to offer more recovery-oriented care for veterans seeking treatment for substance use disorders.” She added: “By reducing the amount of available beds, space has been converted into a small gym, meditation room, and an admission waiting area allowing more privacy during the admission process.” The spokesperson said that “there is no data supporting claims of extended wait times or wait times lasting 3-4 months, and if you report otherwise, you will be spreading disinformation.” Edge insisted that waiting times “have been worse since The President took office.” He added, “If I was to call right now and ask for a dental appointment, I don’t know when I’d have it.” To highlight the urgency of the issue and the need for services, Edge said that a veteran with mental health issues killed himself with a gunshot to the head outside the doors of the Audie Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital in San Antonio a few weeks ago, which reminded him of a spate of suicides on VA campuses in 2017 and 2018 during earlier rounds of budget cuts. “I’ve been here for 22 years and this is the worst it’s ever been.” This piece was originally published by Capital & Main, which reports from California on economic, political, and social issues. 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The third and final season of dystopian survival series Squid Game—one of Netflix's most-watched shows—is coming in June. The South Korean thriller picks up after last season's cliffhanger, with Gi-hun (Player 456) at the center of the new game. The new season will be available on June 27. Also on June's lineup is the return of FUBAR (June 12), the action series starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Monica Barbaro as a father and daughter who both work for the CIA. Carrie-Anne Moss joins the cast this season as a former East German spy. On the documentary side, Netflix will stream Titan: The OceanGate Disaster (June 11) following its premiere at the Tribeca Festival just a few days earlier. The feature uses first-hand accounts of former OceanGate employees to create a portrait of CEO Stockton Rush and the history leading up to the submersible's failure in 2023. The platform will also drop three new installments of its anthology series Trainwreck, which covers major news events gone wrong. This month's stories cover the deaths at 2021's Astroworld music festival (The Astroworld Tragedy, June 10), the rise and fall of former Toronto mayor Rob Ford (Mayor of Mayhem, June 17), and the ill-fated "poop cruise" (Poop Cruise, June 24). Sports docs this month include Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal (June 4), a series that follows Shaq in his role as president of Reebok Basketball alongside Allen Iverson, and season two of AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders (June 18). Netflix comedy specials in June include Justin Willman: Magic Lover (June 17) and Steph Tolev: Filth Queen (June 24). Here's everything coming to Netflix in June, and everything that's leaving. What's coming to Netflix in June 2025Available soonThe Great Indian Kapil Show: Season 3—Netflix Series Rana Naidu: Season 2—Netflix Series Available June 1The American Barbarian Bee Movie The Birds The Blues Brothers The Devil's Own Dune (1984) The Equalizer Family Plot Focus Frenzy The Great Outdoors Hitchcock Hop The Legend of Zorro The Man Who Knew Too Much Neighbors Now You See Me Now You See Me 2 The Nutty Professor Pokémon The Series: XY Pokémon The Series: XY: XY: Kalos Quest Pokémon The Series: XY: XYZ Rear Window The Theory of Everything The Town U-571 Us Vertigo Available June 3Sara - Woman in the Shadows—Netflix Series Available June 4Criminal Code: Season 2—Netflix Series Eva Lasting: Season 3—Netflix Series Power Moves with Shaquille O'Neal—Netflix Series Available June 5Barracuda Queens: Season 2—Netflix Series Ginny & Georgia: Season 3—Netflix Series Tires: Season 2—Netflix Series Available June 6K.O.—Netflix Film Mercy For None—Netflix Series TYLER PERRY'S STRAW—Netflix Film The Survivors—Netflix Series Available June 7Boys on the Side Piece by Piece Available June 9The Creature Cases: Chapter 5—Netflix Family Available June 10Families Like Ours—Netflix Series Trainwreck: The Astroworld Tragedy—Netflix Documentary Available June 11Aniela—Netflix Series Cheers to Life—Netflix Film Cocaine Air: Smugglers at 30,000 Ft.—Netflix Documentary Our Times—Netflix Film Titan: The OceanGate Disaster—Netflix Documentary Available June 12The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish: Season 2 FUBAR: Season 2—Netflix Series Plane Available June 13Kings of Jo'Burg: Season 3—Netflix Series Too Hot to Handle: Spain—Netflix Series Available June 14Grey's Anatomy: Season 21 Available June 16The Last Witch Hunter Available June 17Justin Willman: Magic Lover—Netflix Comedy Special Kaulitz & Kaulitz: Season 2—Netflix Series Scandal: Seasons 1-7 Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem—Netflix Documentary Available June 18AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Season 2—Netflix Series Rosario Tijeras (Mexico): Season 4—Netflix Series Somebody Feed Phil: Season 8—Netflix Series YOLANTHE—Netflix Series Available June 19The Waterfront—Netflix Series Available June 20KPop Demon Hunters—Netflix Family Olympo—Netflix Series Semi-Soeter—Netflix Film Available June 22The Intern Available June 24Steph Tolev: Filth Queen—Netflix Comedy Special Trainwreck: Poop Cruise—Netflix Documentary Available June 25The Ultimatum: Queer Love: Season 2—Netflix Series Available June 27Pokémon Horizons: Season 2—The Search for Laqua Part 3—Netflix Family Squid Game: Season 3—Netflix Series What's leaving Netflix in June 2025Leaving June 1Batman Begins Beginners Burlesque Closer Cult of Chucky Daddy Day Care The Dark Knight The Dark Knight Rises Den of Thieves From Prada to Nada GoodFellas Ma Magic Mike XXL Pride & Prejudice Ted Ted 2 Two Weeks Notice Leaving June 11Gran Turismo: Based on a True Story Trap Leaving June 14Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Leaving June 16The Equalizer: Seasons 1-3 Won't You Be My Neighbor? Leaving June 17Carol Leaving June 19Migration Leaving June 21American Sniper Leaving June 22Brain on Fire Leaving June 26Ordinary People View the full article

Mac users are spoiled when it comes to searching their computers. Macs have Spotlight search built-in, which they can use to open apps, search for files, perform calculations, and search the web. Windows has the Search Bar, but when you compare what they can do, it's not exactly the same. Now, though, there's a new tool called Command Palette, and it's a keyboard launcher designed specifically for developers and power users alike. It replaces a similar feature called PowerToys Run, and offers way more features, including the ability to run commands, search the web, search for files, and add custom bookmarks and global keyboard shortcuts. How to install and enable Command PaletteCommand Palette is part of PowerToys, which is a suite of powerful apps and utilities created by Microsoft itself. These are open source and are updated much faster than any built-in Windows feature. You can download and install PowerToys from the GitHub page, the Microsoft Store, or using Windows Package Manager. Once PowerToys is installed (or updated to the version 0.9 or higher), open the app and find the Command Palette option from the sidebar. If you don't see the app window, right-click the PowerToys utility in the Windows taskbar and click Settings. Credit: Khamosh Pathak From the Command Palette screen, make sure the extension is enabled. Here, you'll see the default keyboard shortcut for Command Palette, which is Windows + Alt + Space, but you are free to change it to anything you want. Customizing the Command Palette shortcut and other settingsFirst, open Command Palette using the keyboard shortcut, and then click the Settings button in the bottom-right corner. From here, you can use the Activation key option to remap the keyboard shortcut to something simpler, like Alt + Space. Credit: Khamosh Pathak While you're here, you can also customize the behavior of Command Palette. The features I find most useful is the ability to use Backspace to go back, but your mileage may vary. Now, let's see everything Command Palette can do. System settings and file search Credit: Khamosh Pathak Open the Command Palette and start typing. Everything you'd want from a basic keyboard launcher is here. You can use Command Palette to open apps, and to search for files and folders. You can start searching for apps directly. But when it comes to files and folders, it's better to first choose the File search option. Just type "file", choose the option, and then start searching. Similarly, if you use the "=" key, you'll enter calculator mode. Switch between open windows Credit: Khamosh Pathak Command Palette has a built-in window switcher, and it can show all windows across different desktops and monitors. Open the Command Palette and type the less-than symbol () and you'll see a list of all open windows and apps. You can scroll or search through this, or you can just enter the name of a specific app or window to highlight it, then press Enter to quickly switch to it. Use Bookmarks to open any folder or website Credit: Khamosh Pathak Bookmarks might be the best feature in Command Palette. The file search is definitely useful, but most often, you find yourself opening the same folders and files over and over again throughout the day. For me, it's the Screenshots folder and the Downloads folder. Now, I can use Command Palette to make these easier to open. Namely, I can create a bookmark that opens the Downloads folder with just a couple of letters, or using a global keyboard shortcut. This works for any Folder or File path, and even a website URL. First, navigate to the folder you want to assign a shortcut to, right-click on the folder at the top, and choose Copy Address to copy the file path. In Command Palette, use the Add Bookmark option. Here, paste in the file path and give it a name. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Now, you can give it a unique alias and a global shortcut. Go to Command Palette Settings, and from the sidebar, choose Extensions > Bookmarks. You'll see your newly created bookmark here. Credit: Khamosh Pathak Click on it, and you can now record a unique global hotkey, or give it an alias that makes it faster to find in Command Palette. Search the web Credit: Khamosh Pathak Command Palette has a quick way to search the web that opens directly in your default browser. Enter "??" and then type out your query. Press Enter, and that's it. Run any Terminal command Credit: Khamosh Pathak If you use the greater-than sign (>) before you start typing in Command Palette, you'll enter Terminal mode. From here, you can enter any command, and it will open in the Terminal app, where it will execute the command for you. Install apps using WinGetWe've already talked about WinGet, the hidden package manager inside Windows that lets you install any package or an app using a single command. Well, now you don't even need to open Terminal for this. Once you have WinGet set up, you can simply enter the "winget" command in Command Palette, followed by the package you want to install. Command Palette will search for and start installing the package for you. Use extensions to add even more featuresLastly, you can use third-party extensions to add even more functionality to Command Palette. As the feature is new, the collection is quite limited, but here's hoping that developers add new extensions in the future. To see your extensions, open the Command Palette and search for Extensions. You can find extensions on WinGet, or on the Microsoft Store. View the full article

Price rises to $109,481 on hopes US lawmakers will soon agree first digital assets regulationsView the full article