Clashes in Caracas over public employees’ payOn the streets of Caracas public employees clashed with riot police as they demanded a rise in their salaries, which have remained stagnant since 2022, according to Reuters. Acting-president Delcy Rodríguez promised Wednesday there would be a rise from May 1 but did not clarify whether that included the minimum wage.
(CNN) — For the first time in several years, festival season will welcome back shirt-optional crowd-pleaser, Justin Bieber. Just 11 days after the September release of “Swag II”, Bieber was announced as a Coachella headliner. This came after the Grammys in February, during which he performed “Yukon” wearing only a pair of silverly blue silk boxers. There was none of the usual fanfare that comes with a Grammys performance — just Bieber, his boxers and a guitar. Maybe for the Coachella crowd, simply Bieber and all his swag will be enough.
Stephanie Elam will leave CNN, where she has worked as a correspondent for more than twenty years over two different stints. Elam has in recent years worked as a Los Angeles-based correspondent. “I’m so proud of my CNN career. Popular on VarietyDuring her second run at CNN, Elam has covered everything from the eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano to the death of legendary musician Prince from Minnesota. She also anchored “First Business,” a weekly syndicated business program, and co-hosted “Black Enterprise Report,” a nationally syndicated show focused on business, career and financial education.
In our roundup of travel stories this week: how Paris’ first female mayor transformed the city, Japan’s iconic vending machines hit troubled times, plus why more and more Americans are moving to Central and Eastern Europe. For example, North Macedonia, a dramatically mountainous destination directly north of Greece, is worthy of more tourist attention. It’s blessed with a sunny climate too, which helps make the vegetables fat and juicy and its vineyards’ wines robust and plentiful. Japanese vending machinesVideo Ad Feedback Why Japan's iconic vending machines could vanish 0:42 • Source: CNN Why Japan's iconic vending machines could vanish 0:42Japan’s ubiquitous vending machines are an iconic symbol of the country, but companies behind the convenience-dispensers are struggling. Tourists in Chile are diving 65 feet to get a bottle for dinner.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)Dead fronds hang from broken palm trees at Felipe de Neve Plaza, next to Los Angeles City Hall East and across the street from City Hall. Dead palm tree fronds hang from broken palm trees at the Felipe de Neve Plaza, next to Los Angeles City Hall East and across the street from Los Angeles City Hall. A person walks by a broken and graffiti-marked Los Angeles Mall sign, across the street from Los Angeles City Hall. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)AdvertisementIf you should travel northeast from City Hall, you’ll be entering “Mad Max” territory. A pedestrian walks by a bus stop, marked by graffiti and dirty windows in front of Los Angeles City Hall.
NASA’s Orion spacecraft for the Artemis I mission was successfully recovered inside the well deck of the USS Portland on Dec. 11, 2022, off the coast of Baja California. Artemis II pilot and SoCal native Victor Glover has been thinking about reentry since he was assigned the mission in 2023. The San Diego Air & Space Museum will also host a family-friendly viewing party. AdvertisementBoots on the moon and someday MarsThe Artemis program ultimately aims to land humans back on the moon. It aspires to launch Artemis IV, which would put humans on the surface of the moon, in 2028.
A dusty haze settles over the city of Imperial at dusk near the site of a proposed 950,000-square-foot data center on in March. Many residents are concerned about the health and environmental issues a data center could bring to the community. A man speaking out against a proposed data center said he was removed and arrested at an Imperial County Board of Supervisors meeting this week for a vote related to the project. A city in Missouri recently ousted every incumbent council member who supported a data center project in favor of candidates who opposed it. Data centers have existed for decades but are rapidly changing and expanding due to the worldwide boom in artificial intelligence.
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Talks between the United States and Iran began in Pakistan on Saturday. The ceasefire has proven fragile as strikes have continued in the Middle East, with Israel launching attacks on Lebanon, killing more than 300 people. Iran has said the strikes on Lebanon violate the ceasefire, but the United States and Israel have claimed Lebanon was not a part of the truce. Abigail Spanberger, accusing her of levying taxes and forcing Virginians to flee the state. Further ReadingKeir Starmer Questions Trump’s Values—As Global Leaders Express Distrust Of Iran Ceasefire (Forbes)This article was originally published on Forbes.com
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Methods: This narrative review details athletic policies, organizational statements, and published reporting on cannabis regulation in athletics. This article also pins the potential performance augmenting abilities of cannabis on cannabidiol (CBD), a biological compound present in cannabis that can improve anxiety and sleep. Although it is accepted that cannabis can have deleterious effects on health, according to Scientific America, current research suggests that cannabis is not more harmful than alcohol [2]. Cannabis policy in athletics is shifting toward approaches that emphasize athlete health and harm reduction. “UFC Announces Formal Changes to Anti-Doping Policy Related to Cannabis,” UFC, Jan. 14, 2021,https://www.ufc.com/news/ufc-announces-formal-changes-anti-doping-policy-relate d-cannabis.
The UK has been forced to pause its plan to hand over the Chagos Islands, on which the US air base in Diego Garcia resides, after US President Donald Trump repeatedly criticized the deal. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his government are not completely scrapping the plan to hand the islands to Mauritius. When the deal to cede the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, which claims sovereignty over the Indian Ocean territory, was first announced it was fully supported by the US. Supporters and members of the Chagos Islands hold placards and flags outside the Houses of Parliament in January to protest against the proposed deal. In 1965, an agreement between the US and UK split the Chagos Islands from Mauritius and, though Mauritius gained independence three years later, the Chagos Islands remained under British control.
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Mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt Friday demanded the Los Angeles Times retract and publish an apology related to a report that raised questions about his campaign’s eligibility over residency rules. Pratt, whose home was burned down in the January 2025 Palisades fire, described the report published Monday as a “hit piece” and an attempt to “sabotage” his campaign. On social media, Pratt posted a letter written by his legal representation, McNulty Law Firm, which criticized the Times article. The rule also applies to candidates running for office, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s office. On Friday, the Times published a subsequent report related to Pratt’s residency eligibility.
