Developer Copper Mill released three new designs for a proposed residential tower in Davis Square. The original 26-story plan for the 500-unit building was denied. The new designs are similar, if a few stories lower, than the original proposal. Many Somerville residents strongly oppose the proposed development in the heart of Davis Square and are concerned about the height.
Oil prices surged amid increasing concerns about the geopolitical situation in the Middle East, according to Daniel Takieddine, CEO of Sky Links Capital Group. The expiring June Brent contract briefly traded near $125 per barrel, while the new front-month July contract rose above $113 per barrel. Saxo Bank’s head of Commodity Strategy Ole Hansen said the near closure of the Strait of Hormuz is prolonging a disruption that is tightening global energy markets.
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Conversations that aim to bring passion and perspective to the big issues of the day are called Slow Boring conversations. They are intended to bring a different perspective to big issues in the society at large. They can be fun and interesting or boring at the same time.
Stratechery Plus is a subscription service. It costs $15 per month or $150 per year. It offers the subscriber-only Stratechery Update, Interviews, Sharp Tech, Sharp China, Dithering, Greatest of All Talk, and Asianometry podcasts.
Todd Blanche and Robert Cekada unveiled a package of 34 proposed and final rules Wednesday to scale back and revise Biden-era gun regulations. The new package aligns with Supreme Court precedent to streamline guidelines in a way that is clearer for firearm owners to understand and follow.
Miccosukee Tribe observes corn dance season on lands sacred to them in the Everglades. Alligator Alcatraz is a migrant detention site that now looms among the tribal lands. The light from the facility interferes with an important aspect of the tribe's religion, the orientation of the stars. The tribe and environmental groups will continue their litigation over the Alligator alcatraz.
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Joseph Aoun is working to mitigate the consequences of Israel's military attacks on Lebanon. Israel must first fully implement the ongoing ceasefire before moving on to further talks, he says. Israel has tried to achieve security through violations and destruction of border villages before and failed. Israel and Lebanon have been at war since 2nd March.
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The only South Africanised weekly cryptic crossword is compiled especially for the Mail & Guardian. Every crossword has one Afrikaans and one isiXhosa word. Clue of the week: 8 Gees is very important before event starts (4).
Eviction filings across the Twin Cities metro jumped nearly 19% in March 2026 compared to one year earlier. In Minneapolis alone, they spiked by more than 60% to 452 filings, according to quarterly data released by HOME Line, a tenant advocacy nonprofit. The most meaningful solution to evictions would be a state-level infusion of rental assistance, but with a split statehouse, that's almost certainly not coming. The Minneapolis City Council voted 8-5 to extend the pre-eviction notice period to 45 days, up from 30 days, and it will go into effect on May 1.
California Coastal Commission apologizes to SpaceX CEO Elon Musk as part of a settlement. SpaceX sued the commission over its opposition to expanding the launch schedule for Falcon 9 rockets from the Vandenberg Space Force Base near Santa Barbara. The lawsuit alleged the commissioners voted against SpaceX because of Musk's outspoken political views.
Lin Chia-lung received a six-member delegation led by Jonathan Menkos, Guatemala public finance minister, April 28 in Taipei City. This year marked the 92nd anniversary of the bilateral relationship between Taiwan and Guatemala. The two countries have enjoyed cooperation in culture, economy, education, public health, trade and women’s empowerment.
Amnesty International interviewed 33 people based in Kampala city, Rubaga, Luwero, Bulenga, Mityana, Mukono, Rukiga, Mbarara, Luuka, Wakiso, Lira and Tororo districts and Busoga region. They interviewed families of victims apparently killed by security forces and victims of gunshot injuries, torture and other ill-treatment. They also reviewed charge sheets and official statements.
Iran is believed to have around 972 pounds of highly enriched uranium stored across the country. The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog suggested that roughly half of this stash still resides in Iran's Isfahan nuclear facility. Iran’s nuclear program was a primary reason why the United States launched strikes on Iran in late February. Iran proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz if the White House agrees to postpone nuclear talks and lift its naval blockade on Iranian ports.
Global M2 printed at nearly $22.7 trillion in March 2026, up 4.6% year over year, but Bitcoin underperformed. In the post-2008 QE era, the Federal Reserve bought assets directly, flooding the system with bank reserves. Today, Treasury issuance, reserve management, cash balance swings, and bank credit creation have replaced the central bank's balance-sheet firehose. The US public debt closed the fourth quarter of 2025 at over $38.5 trillion, up 6.3% year on year. The Treasury General Account held roughly $1 trillion in the latest H4.1 data. Central banks bought 244 tonnes of gold in the
Amazon beat Wall Street’s first-quarter earnings expectations. Amazon Web Services saw its net sales increase 28% year-over-year, climbing to $37.6 billion. It was the fastest growth rate for AWS in 15 quarters. Amazon's free cash flow decreased to $1.2 billion for the trailing twelve months, driven by a year- over-year increase in purchases of property and equipment related to AI.
The Strait of Hormuz tensions are rippling through global markets, sending oil prices above $120 a barrel and driving US petrol prices to a four-year high. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf dismisses the US blockade as ineffective, while the military says its restraint so far has been intended to give diplomacy a chance. Top Iranian football officials left World Cup cohosts Canada before the start of the FIFA Congress because of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ by immigration officials at Toronto airport. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned his US counterpart Donald Trump not to resume attacks on Iran.
There is a ban on foreign journalists from being able to independently enter and report from Gaza. The ban has been in place since the war’s start in 2023 and continues even though there is a ceasefire in place. The Foreign Press Association has been waiting for a decision from the Israeli Supreme Court on a petition for independent access to Gaza.
There is a drought in North Korea, which is working to protect early-season crops. Premier Pak Thae Song carried out on-site inspections at farms in South Pyongan and North Hwanghae provinces to discuss "countermeasures to minimise drought damage". The country was hit by severe flooding in its northern regions near China in 2024.
The German economy grew by 0.3 percent in the first quarter of the year. The main drivers were consumption and the state. The Middle East war is putting a strain on the global economy. Industry warns against false security. BDI President Peter Leibinger warns that state spending alone cannot solve the structural problems.
April was a great month for book covers. Here are some of the best ones from the month. See you back here in May for the next month's picks. for the rest of April's picks, check out the gallery below. For the full list, visit the gallery here.
The sixth IPCC assessment of climate change warned that climate change has already reduced food and water security for millions of people and harmed agricultural productivity in many regions. The impact of heat compounded by drought had led to fisheries declines, crop failures, supply chain disruptions, and labor productivity losses from extreme heat.