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Orbán associates rush to move wealth out of Hungary after election defeat

Orbán associates rush to move wealth out of Hungary after election defeat

The Guardian reports: Along the banks of the Danube, news that the Viktor Orbán era had come to an end set off an hours-long party. The joy echoed across Hungary as people traded hugs and high-fives. For some, however, the landslide loss set off a frantic scramble. Private jets allegedly laden with the spoils of those whose wealth swelled during Orbán’s 16 years in power have steadily been taking off from Vienna, while other individuals are racing to invest their…

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California’s billionaire tax has the signatures to make the ballot, backers say

California’s billionaire tax has the signatures to make the ballot, backers say

The Wall Street Journal reports: Backers of the proposed California billionaire tax believe they have gathered enough signatures to get the initiative on the November ballot, according to people familiar with the campaign, likely kicking off a bruising battle over the initiative. More than 1.5 million people have signed a petition to get the one-time, 5% wealth tax on statewide ballots in November, the people said. County election officials must tally the signatures, verify them, and send them to California’s…

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Trump fired the entire National Science Board. Here’s why that matters

Trump fired the entire National Science Board. Here’s why that matters

John Drake writes: On Friday, April 24, 2026, the White House fired all 24 members of the National Science Board. According to the National Science Foundation website, the board’s next scheduled meeting is May 5. Most people outside the research enterprise have never heard of the NSB, so it’s worth saying what it is. The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 created NSF with two heads: a director and a board. Jointly they set the strategic direction of an agency…

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The billion-barrel Hormuz oil shock is about to crash demand

The billion-barrel Hormuz oil shock is about to crash demand

Bloomberg reports: The Strait of Hormuz oil shock has yet to crash demand as the rich world borrows from its stocks and pays up to secure supply. Traders are now sounding the alarm that a harsh adjustment is coming. The longer the vital oil channel doesn’t reopen, traders say, the more consumption is going to have to recalibrate lower to align with supply that’s dropped at least 10%. And for that to happen, people will have buy less, either through…

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Iran caused significantly more damage to U.S. military bases than publicly acknowledged

Iran caused significantly more damage to U.S. military bases than publicly acknowledged

Defence Security Asia reports: The emerging picture of Iranian retaliation against American military bases across the Gulf suggests that the real military cost of Operation Epic Fury may be significantly higher than Washington has publicly acknowledged, with infrastructure damage, aircraft losses, and operational disruption now measured in billions of dollars. Multiple U.S. officials, congressional aides, and individuals familiar with classified damage assessments indicate that Iranian strikes hit dozens of targets across at least seven countries in the Middle East, challenging…

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The generals who are now running Iran

The generals who are now running Iran

The New York Times reports: When Ayatollah Ali Khamenei ruled Iran as the supreme leader, he exerted absolute power over all decisions about war, peace and negotiations with the United States. His son and successor does not play the same role. Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the son, is an elusive figure who has not been seen and whose voice has not been heard since he was appointed in March. Instead, a battle-hardened collective of commanders in the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps…

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Lockheed Martin CEO tells investors war-driven boost in defense spending presents ‘golden opportunity’

Lockheed Martin CEO tells investors war-driven boost in defense spending presents ‘golden opportunity’

The Street reports: There’s a phrase that doesn’t come up often in defense contractor earnings calls: “golden opportunity.” It’s the kind of language that gets people’s attention. Lockheed Martin (LMT) CEO Jim Taiclet used it anyway. Speaking to investors on the company’s first-quarter 2026 earnings call Thursday, April 23, Taiclet did not attempt to be subtle about what the current political environment means for the world’s largest defense contractor. With the Iran war driving Pentagon spending, a Trump administration that…

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The inside story of five days that remade the Supreme Court

The inside story of five days that remade the Supreme Court

The New York Times just obtained secret Supreme Court memos that expose how John Roberts built the shadow docket out of spite. Leah Litman and Steve Vladeck break it down:   The New York Times reports: Just after 6 p.m. on a February evening in 2016, the Supreme Court issued a cryptic, one paragraph ruling that sent both climate policy and the court itself spinning in new directions. For two centuries, the court had generally handled major cases at a…

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The AI industry is discovering how much it is hated by the public

The AI industry is discovering how much it is hated by the public

The New Republic reports: On April 10, the house of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman was attacked with a Molotov cocktail by 20-year-old Daniel Moreno-Gama. The suspect, who was arrested the same day, had written a manifesto warning of the existential threat of artificial intelligence. In his missive, he advocated for killing the CEOs of AI companies, and he referred to himself as “butlerian jihadist” on Instagram (a reference to a war against machines in Frank Herbert’s Dune universe). Three days…

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A new type of neuroplasticity rewires the brain after a single experience

A new type of neuroplasticity rewires the brain after a single experience

Yasemin Saplakoglu writes: Every experience we have changes our brain, the way a ceramicist reshapes a slab of clay. Every corner we turn, every conversation we have, every shudder we feel causes cascading effects: Chemicals are released, electricity surges, the connections between brain cells tighten, and our mental models update. The brain is “incredibly plastic, and it stays that way throughout the lifespan of a human,” said Christine Grienberger, a neuroscientist at Brandeis University. This plasticity, the quality of being…

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‘The damage is done’: Global oil crisis has changed fossil fuel industry for ever, IEA chief says

‘The damage is done’: Global oil crisis has changed fossil fuel industry for ever, IEA chief says

The Guardian reports: The oil crisis triggered by the Iran war has changed the fossil fuel industry for ever, turning countries away from fossil fuels to secure energy supplies, the world’s leading energy economist said. Fatih Birol, the executive director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), also said that, despite pressure, the UK should forgo much of its potential North Sea expansion. Speaking exclusively to the Guardian, Birol said a key effect of the US-Israel war on Iran was that…

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Iran deploys more mines in the Strait of Hormuz, sources say

Iran deploys more mines in the Strait of Hormuz, sources say

Axios reports: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy laid more mines in the Strait of Hormuz this week, according to a U.S. official and a source with knowledge of the issue. Why it matters: The military standoff in the world’s most important oil chokepoint is escalating, with Iran laying mines and attacking commercial ships on one side and the U.S. tightening its naval blockade on the other. After being briefed on the new developments, President Trump ordered the U.S. Navy on Truth Social on Thursday to “shoot and…

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World’s top producer of condoms raises prices by up to 30% as Iran war rattles supply chains

World’s top producer of condoms raises prices by up to 30% as Iran war rattles supply chains

The New York Times reports: The world’s largest condom maker is raising prices of its products by up to 30 percent, warning that shortages of raw materials and chemicals because of the Iran war could disrupt production. The Malaysian condom company, Karex, which produces about five billion condoms a year, blamed a surge in raw material prices, global shipping disruptions and higher freight costs for the price increases. The de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz has led to…

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