We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
AUGUSTA, Ga – For many visitors, no trip to Augusta National feels complete without a visit to the Pro Shop, a beloved stop for fans of the Masters.
As the opening round of the tournament concluded, many attendees were seen departing with bags brimming with an array of shirts, hats, and treasured souvenirs, marking their experience at the prestigious event.
Matt Crawford, a fan who traveled from Boston, was among those proudly showcasing their purchases. “I picked up this shirt today,” he said, highlighting his new attire. “They mentioned it was an exclusive release.”
Among the merchandise, the Masters-themed gnome collectibles were particularly sought after, capturing the attention of many enthusiasts.
“This is a dream come true for me,” expressed Karen Miyamoto, a visitor from Japan. “It’s my second year here, and securing a gnome is a real challenge,” she noted, underscoring the excitement and rarity associated with these popular items.
Others came in with a plan after missing out on items in past years.
“I missed out on the gnome salt and pepper shakers last year, so I had to grab those,” said Erick Owens, a patron from Atlanta. “I got the quarter-zipper Masters pullover this year, and I know they’re sold out of those now.”
From exclusive shirts to hard-to-find collectibles, many patrons say the shopping experience is part of the tradition.
And while some were able to check everything off their list, others may have a reason to come back next year.
Coachella has officially begun, and the event is drawing in a host of A-list celebrities, including none other than Kylie Jenner.
The 28-year-old beauty entrepreneur made her entrance in Indio, California, on the festival’s first day, donning a bold top emblazoned with a cheeky image of her friend Justin Bieber giving the middle finger.
She posted a snap of herself standing by a luxury cart with the caption: ‘chelly day 1!!!!!’
Jenner seemed to channel her inner Bieber fan, her hands full with an impressive haul from his SKYLRK clothing line, including two substantial tote bags brimming with merchandise.
The reality TV star appeared to be in high spirits, beaming brightly as she held onto an iced coffee.
She paired the edgy Bieber tank top with black cropped sweat shorts and completed her look with light blue SKYLRK beach slides.
Kylie Jenner has arrived in the desert of Indio, California on day 1 of the highly-anticipated festival wearing a profane top featuring pal Justin Bieber sticking up his middle finger
Her controversial top is one of the merchandise items for sale at Coachella for a hefty price of $90
Jenner completed the look with a black bucket hat also from Bieber’s clothing line as she showcased her looks with minimal makeup on her face.
Her controversial top is one of the merchandise items for sale at Coachella for a hefty price of $90.
Meanwhile, Lizzo also posted that she has touched down at Coachella as she rocked a rather racy ensemble.
The 37-year-old singer posted a video of herself hopping on a private plane in sheer panties.
The 2026 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival will light up the desert in Indio, California, over two weekends.
Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G are headlining the highly anticipated event.
They’ll be joined by an eclectic roster that spans genres and generations, including electronic act Anyma, Young Thug, Turnstile, David Byrne, FKA twigs, Addison Rae and Ethel Cain.
Legacy artists Iggy Pop, Moby, and Devo also earned spots on the packed schedule, while Radiohead appeared under a mysterious note teasing The Bunker Debut of Kid A Mnesia.
The xx and The Strokes are both making a comeback to the festival.
The booking marks a major milestone for Bieber as he has never officially been billed at the festival, despite making surprise cameos during Ariana Grande, Daniel Caesar, Chance the Rapper, Tems and Wizkid’s sets.
Meanwhile, Lizzo also posted that she has touched down at Coachella as she rocked a rather racy ensemble
Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Karol G are headlining the highly anticipated event; Carpenter pictured in 2024
The booking marks a major milestone for Bieber as he has never officially been billed at the festival; Bieber pictured in 2022
Colombian superstar Karol G made her Coachella debut in 2022, but this will be her first major set behind her new album Tropicoqueta, released in June 2025; Seen performing in 2024
Bieber’s most recent live performance was at the 2026 Grammys on February 1, while his last full concert took place at a private Roxy Theatre show on March 29.
The Baby hitmaker hasn’t headlined a major tour since cancelling his 49-date Justice World Tour after coming down with Ramsay Hunt syndrome.
In agreeing to perform at the Southern California-based festival, the two-time Grammy-winner was paid more than $10 million – surpassing musical icons Beyonce and Lady Gaga as the festival’s highest-compensated artist ever.
An insider told Rolling Stone that Bieber worked out his record Coachella payday directly with promoter Goldenvoice without the use of an agent.
‘It’s a groundbreaking move for a headliner, and it’s something he built entirely on his own,’ an insider close to the Daisies artist – who shares son Jack, one, with supermodel wife Hailey Bieber, 28 – told the outlet.
The source added, ‘Between headlining Coachella and the success of Swag, it’s clear this is the start of an exciting new era for Justin – one where he’s fully in the driver’s seat.’
Carpenter previously performed at Coachella in 2024, as her then boyfriend Barry Keoghan cheered her on from the VIP section.
She teased that her new Coachella performance will be ‘the most ambitious show I’ve ever done’ in a recent interview with Perfect magazine.
Prices for weekend passes ran from $549 to $1,299
For Karol G, it’s a long-awaited return.
The Colombian superstar made her Coachella debut in 2022, but this will be her first major set behind her new album Tropicoqueta, released in June 2025.
The milestone makes her the first Latina artist to lead the iconic Coachella stage.
Prices for weekend passes at this year’s event ran from $549 to $1,299.
The headliners for last year’s Coachella were Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator, and Doja Cat.
CHICAGO, Ill. — In a move to honor the forthcoming 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Illinois Arts Council, alongside Governor JB Pritzker and Illinois Humanities, has disbursed over $325,000 to fund 22 public art projects throughout the state, including several in Central Illinois.
These initiatives are part of a larger campaign steered by the Illinois America 250 Commission, aimed at celebrating the country’s significant milestone. The funding will breathe life into projects that encapsulate Illinois’ unique contributions to the narrative of America.
The Masked Singer season 14 saw a dazzling victory as singer and actress Ashlee Simpson Ross claimed the crown as Galaxy Girl. Among the many memorable moments she experienced during the season, Ashlee has now shared which one stands out as her favorite. This season was particularly historic, as it featured Ashlee and her husband, actor and singer Evan Ross, as the first-ever married duo to compete against each other, taking on the personas of Galaxy Girl and Stingray, respectively.
As Galaxy Girl, Ashlee delivered several standout performances, captivating audiences with renditions of songs such as “Super Graphic Ultra Modern Girl” by Chappell Roan on Premiere Night, “Just A Girl” by No Doubt on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Night, “Drive” by Incubus on Ozzfest Night, “Lights” by Ellie Goulding on Star Trek Night, “Misery Business” by Paramore during the Semi-Finals, and an electrifying finale featuring “Good 4 U” by Olivia Rodrigo and “Try” by P!nk. She concluded her journey on the show with a powerful performance of her own chart-topping hit, “Pieces of Me,” which was particularly poignant as her sister, singer Jessica Simpson, unmasked her.
Over the course of the season, the panelists gradually pieced together Ashlee’s identity. Guest panelist Kelly Osbourne was the first to correctly identify her during Ozzfest Night. By the finale, Jessica Simpson’s presence was a clear hint, leading all the panelists—Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Rita Ora—to unanimously select Ashlee as their final guess. Jenny and Rita had already suspected it earlier in the competition.
Throughout The Masked Singer season 14, the panelists did eventually guess Ashlee’s identity correctly, beginning with guest panelist Kelly Osbourne on Ozzfest Night. During the finale, Jessica’s presence gave away Ashlee’s identity, and all of the panelists, including Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy-Wahlberg, Ken Jeong, and Rita Ora, stated Ashlee for their final guesses, after Jenny and Rita had figured it out earlier.
The Masked Singer Season 14 Winner Ashlee Simpson’s Favorite Moment Was During The Finale
In a Masked Singer Instagram post, Ashlee shared that her favorite moment was during the finale when she sang “Try,” and ascended above the stage on a platform. Ashlee said, “The sets that they gave me were absolutely gorgeous. And getting to fly on my last song was probably my favorite moment. At first, I was scared. I was like, “Oh, wait. How am I gonna …?” And then I was like, “Let’s just do it!” Then I did it, and it felt so powerful and beautiful.”
Ashlee Revealed Why She Joined The Masked Singer Season 14
The Masked Singer Season 14 Contestant Galaxy Girl Promotional PhotoImage via FOX
Ashlee revealed that she joined The Masked Singer season 14 because she and her kids have always been big fans of the show. She said, “I love the show. I watch it with my kids, and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do. And I know they’re gonna be so excited when they get to see this season. It’s something very special that I get to share with them.”
As the Masked Singer season 14 winner, Ashlee joins the group of previous champions, including T-Pain (Monster, season 1); Wayne Brady (Fox, season 2); Kandi Burruss (Night Angel, season 3); LeAnn Rimes (Sun, season 4); Nick Lachey (Piglet, season 5); Jewel (Queen of Hearts, season 6); Teyana Taylor (Firefly, season 7); Amber Riley (Harp, season 8); Bishop Briggs (Medusa, season 9); Ne-Yo (Cow, season 10); Vanessa Hudgens (Goldfish, season 11); Boyz II Men (Buffalos, season 12); and Gretchen Wilson (Pearl, season 13).
As Galaxy Girl, Ashlee’s powerful vocals and spectacular stage presence were evident in every one of her performances. It was so much fun to put together the clues to figure out her identity. Ashlee truly deserved to win The Masked Singer season 14, and she’ll always be remembered for her out-of-this-world performances as Galaxy Girl.
Southwest Airlines has introduced new restrictions concerning portable chargers and power banks to minimize the danger of battery fires during flights.
Starting April 20, the airline will enforce a rule allowing passengers to carry only one portable lithium charger in their carry-on luggage. These power banks must not be stored away; instead, they should be kept in a bag under the seat or carried directly by the passenger, according to an internal communication from Dave Hunt, Southwest’s vice president of safety and security.
Additionally, passengers will no longer be allowed to use in-seat power outlets to charge their portable lithium batteries, as stated in the memo.
Despite this restriction, Southwest has announced plans to equip its entire fleet with power outlets by the middle of next year, likely reducing the need for passengers to bring their own chargers.
A Southwest Airlines plane pull into a gate at Pittsburgh International Airport in Imperial, Pa., Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported almost 100 incidents involving portable batteries leading to smoke, fire, or extreme heat on aircrafts last year.
Airlines like Lufthansa and countries including South Korea have already introduced restrictions on the use of power banks on flights, following incidents like a fire on an Air Busan plane in 2025.
Portable lithium power banks are currently not allowed in checked baggage, per FAA regulations. Southwest’s policy has also prohibited their use when not in plain sight, but the current policy is a little more lenient with the amount of power banks a traveler can bring on the plane (two), so long as all other requirements (proper packing, a limit on watt-hours) have been followed.
The new Southwest rule goes even further than the limit of two chargers per passenger that the International Civil Aviation Organization recommended last month. But the airline says it isn’t going to aggressively enforce the policy by searching bags and confiscating chargers. Instead, Hunt said the airline will inform travelers of the new policy when they book their flights and at the airport.
“Our approach reflects our Culture of Safety and Security in action: Proactively managing risk and caring for our Customers and People at every step,” Hunt wrote in the memo.
This change is one of several recent adjustments to Southwest Airlines’ policies.
The airline enacted a new assigned-seating policy in January, which replaced the carrier’s longstanding open-seating arrangement. The airline also plans to upgrade the majority of its aircrafts’ cabins with larger overhead bins, and will designate certain bins as reserved for use by those who purchased a more premium “Extra Legroom” option.
The airline encountered turbulence on social media for a change in policy impacting plus-size passengers, as well. Previously, plus-size passengers were not required to purchase a second seat in advance, though it was recommended. (Additional seats for larger customers are provided free of charge “if space is available on the flight,” according to Southwest.) Refunds could be obtained after travel. But under the new policy, customers must buy an extra seat and “pay any applicable seat fee” before boarding. Refunds can be obtained later, but only if: both seats were in the same fare class; the refund request is made within 90 days; and the plane would have taken off with “at least one” extra open seat, according to Southwest.
The Strait of Hormuz carries around one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil in addition to fertiliser, helium, and other essentials.
The shipping channel has been effectively shut to most international trade since US-Israel strikes on Iran began on 28 February.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime passage, typically witnesses the transit of over a hundred cargo ships daily. These vessels transport vital commodities such as oil and fertilizer from the Middle East to various global destinations.
However, traffic through this strategic channel has significantly dwindled to just a handful of ships each day, despite the ceasefire agreement reached between the United States and Iran on Wednesday. The slowdown persists, highlighting the ongoing tensions in the region.
Currently, hundreds of ships are anchored at both ends of the strait, with approximately 20,000 seafarers facing uncertainty as they remain stranded due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, now entering its second month.
Although direct peace talks between the US and Iran are scheduled to occur in Pakistan on Friday, maritime trade continues to suffer. The shaky nature of the ceasefire contributes to the slow recovery of shipping activities in the area.
On Wednesday, Iran declared that it would reopen the crucial shipping lane, which has been under military blockade since February 28, contingent upon coordination with its armed forces. This announcement marks a potential shift, but the situation remains delicate.
Ship tracking data taken from 9 April to 10 April shows few ships making the currently perilous crossing. Some 20 to 30 vessels have been targeted in the past month in the region. Credit: Courtesy of Maritime Traffic / Reuters / SBS
In the first 24 hours after that announcement, just seven vessels appeared to transit across the contested waterway.
Six of those were bulk cargo vessels; three of them were apparently Chinese-owned, and three of them appeared to be Greek.
“Iran has made clear — through both its statements and actions — that passage is subject to permission, conditions and political leverage. That is not freedom of navigation. That is coercion,” Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of the United Arab Emirates’ state-owned oil company, said on Thursday.
He noted that the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company had 230 ships loaded with fuel, ready to sail, that effectively remain grounded.
With Iran having demonstrated its unassailable ability to shut off traffic, questions remain over when exactly the Strait of Hormuz opens, for whom, and in what capacity.
Is the Strait of Hormuz open?
Last month, US defence secretary Pete Hegseth said that the Strait of Hormuz was, and always had been, open.
“The only thing prohibiting transit in the strait right now is Iran shooting at shipping,” Hegseth told reporters at a Pentagon briefing. “It is open for transit should Iran not do that.”
While technically accurate, Hegseth’s statement does emphasise that the definition of “open” is not entirely straightforward.
Credit: SBS
Ships have continued to pass through the strait since it was closed by Iran, but traffic is a fraction of what it once was.
While ships are not being physically blocked, they are being deterred from passing through. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have attacked 20 to 30 commercial vessels since 28 February.
Most of those that have made it across have been Chinese-flagged vessels, as the country continues to purchase oil from Iran and the ceasefire arrangement appears to have changed little.
“There were far fewer tankers going through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, after the ceasefire was signed, then the day before, when there was active war in the region,” Jessie Moritz, lecturer at ANU’s Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, told SBS News. “The ceasefire is very fragile at the moment.”
Iran uses a so-called “mosaic defence” structure through which semi-autonomous regions can operate militarily without coordination with each other. As such, the country has continued to fire missiles at Israel and other neighbouring countries throughout the “ceasefire”.
Israel, meanwhile, launched a devastating wave of attacks across Lebanon shortly after the ceasefire declaration. Hundreds of people were killed as Israel struck dozens of sites across Beirut, the Bekaa valley, and the south of the country.
Israel has said that Lebanon is not part of the ceasefire arrangement — something that the US has echoed — contradicting statements by mediators Pakistan as well as Iran, who “re-shut” the Strait of Hormuz in response.
“The immediate effect of the ceasefire has been confusion over who controls the Strait,” Moritz said. “Iran will claim that they are opening the strait, and that is part of their ceasefire terms, but what is their definition of open? The reality is that Iran has very little incentive to compromise.”
A new toll lane?
All of the ships that went through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday passed through the new “toll route” travel lane established by Iran in order to attempt to charge US$2 million ($2.8 million) per vessel.
The attempted imposition of a toll has infuriated US President Donald Trump, who warned in a post on his Truth Social platform that such revenue-raising would not be accepted.
“There are reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers going through the Hormuz Strait — They better not be and, if they are, they better stop now!” Trump said on Friday.
Iran’s reported plan for the future of Hormuz has also been rejected by a coalition of 40 countries, led by the United Kingdom, which is trying to return trade to normal through the strait.
“The fundamental freedoms of the seas must not be unilaterally withdrawn or sold off to individual bidders,” UK foreign secretary Yvette Cooper said in a speech in London overnight. “Nor can there be any place for tolls on an international waterway.”
“It’s going to be difficult to get [Iran] to back off of that idea. Very difficult,” Moritz said. “They have every incentive and every reason to try to maintain this and to make it the new status quo.”
How long could Iran keep the Strait of Hormuz shut?
Trump and members of his cabinet have called on other nations to help open the strait, but Iran has demonstrated that even the largest military in the world can’t force it to release its grip on the waterway.
“This is a regime that thrives on chaos and, as part of its strategy, they use the deaths of innocent civilians in Iran to justify their regime,” Moritz said. “The more of a hammering Iranian civilians get, it empowers the regime, to an extent.
“I’m not saying that Iran has come out well of this war, because the Iranian people are having an absolutely horrific time, but the regime has a strategic advantage.”
Whilst American objectives in the conflict have been ill-defined, key sticking points around sanctions, Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities, and its military support for regional proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas remain.
There are several global trade choke points around the world. Credit: SBS
“The conditions that led to this conflict have not changed fundamentally,” Moritz said. “What we’ll see over the next 48 hours is this balance between how much Iran is willing to give up in order to reduce the bombings in Lebanon, and how much the US is willing to give up in order to open more trade through the Strait of Hormuz.
“The most likely outcome, in my view at the moment, is that we’re going to see several months of contestation over the Strait of Hormuz and a very gradual reopening rather than a sudden shift.”
Economists have long cautioned that the domestic impacts of the conflict are likely to be delayed for some time and could potential remain with us for months if not longer when they do arrive in earnest. The longer trade is strangled off the Iranian coastline, the heavier the financial storm that Australians will have to endure.
Still, Mortiz argues that Iran will not be able to maintain its position forever. At some point, it will need to cash in its most powerful bargaining chip, not least of all because of the damage the current situation is doing to its relationship with China.
“In the long term, this hurts everyone, including the Iranian regime,” she said, noting that US-imposed sanctions on the country have given rise to the waves of protests seen within the country in recent years, which are slowly eroding its power and support.
“The Iranian regime is not fully immune to all forms of pressure,” she said, adding that diplomacy may be the more effective strategy.
America’s fertility rate has reached a new historic low, continuing its descent for the third year in a row, according to official reports. This pattern, highlighted by recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), indicates a significant and ongoing shift in the nation’s demographic trends.
The CDC’s provisional data reveals that in 2025, the general fertility rate declined to 53.1 births per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44. This is a slight decrease from the previous year’s rate of 53.8, marking a one percent drop within a year. More strikingly, it represents a 23 percent decrease from the peak fertility rate recorded in 2007, which stood at 69.3.
In terms of actual births, the numbers reflect this downward trend. Approximately 3.6 million babies were born last year, a one percent decline from 2024. This is also a noticeable fall of 16 percent from the 4.3 million births reported back in 2007.
Experts have remarked on the significance of these figures, describing them as indicative of broader societal changes. They suggest that an increasing number of women are choosing to delay starting families, a trend that is reshaping the nation’s demographic landscape.
Experts told Daily Mail that the new data told a ‘striking story’, and showed that more women were waiting longer to start having families.
America’s fertility rate has been in decline since 2007. Experts initially blamed the Great Recession of 2008, saying economic uncertainty led many to put off having children.
But even as the economy initially rebounded, the decline continued.
Experts say continued economic and financial instability, as well as an increased focus on schooling and career have led people to delay having children, have fewer children or not have children at all.
In the CDC’s release, the provisional data suggested that the fertility rate’s decline was driven by a drop in the number of teenage pregnancies. It also showed that more women are having children later.
Among those aged 15 to 19 years, births dropped seven percent in 2025 to 11.7 per 1,000 women in the age group. Among those aged 18 to 19 years, they fell 11 percent to 21.9.
Among women aged 20 to 24, births dipped six percent to 52.5.
Women aged 25 to 29 experienced the fourth-largest drop, four percent, to 85.6 births.
But for those aged 30 to 34 years, who had the highest fertility rate overall, births ticked up three percent to 96.2 births per 1,000 women in that age group.
Among 35- to 39-year-olds, they rose two percent to 55.1.
There was also a record-high fertility rate among women aged 40 to 44 – 12.8 births per 1,000 women, up one percent from 2024.
For 45- to 49-year-olds, births remained at their record high for the age group of 1.1.
Dr Elizabeth Cherot, the chief medical officer at Unified Women’s Healthcare, told Daily Mail: ‘This week’s CDC data tells a striking story.
‘There were roughly 710,000 fewer babies born in the US last year compared with the peak in 2007, a decline in the general fertility rate in less than two decades. That’s a fundamental shift in how Americans are thinking about family.’
Provisional CDC data shows that Americans are having fewer children (stock image)
She added: ‘The broader fertility decline is complex.
‘Women aren’t having fewer children in a vacuum. They’re making deeply personal decisions shaped by economic pressures, career considerations and questions about the kind of support they’ll have if they do choose to start a family.’
The CDC has yet to release its total fertility rate estimate for 2025, or the number of children per woman.
For a population to remain stable, this should be at 2.1 children per woman.
In 2024, it was 1.6 children per woman. It has been below the replacement threshold since 2007.
Polling in recent years has indicated that the proportion of adults who say they never want to have children has grown, while many couples plan to have fewer children than in previous generations.
A Pew Research Center study published last year found that, on average, men and women aged 20 to 39 years planned to have 1.8 children. In 2012, the figure was 2.3.
Overall, about three-quarters of men and women said that they planned to have at least one child.
That was down from about 90 percent in 2012.
Political leaders are warning of dire consequences if the population decline continues.
The White House proposed offering a $5,000 ‘baby bonus’ to every US mother after she gives birth and President Donald Trump has worked to make the fertility treatment in vitro fertilization more affordable to make it accessible to people who want to have children.
Elon Musk – who has 14 children with four different women – called the decline ‘the biggest threat to civilization’ and has warned it ‘will lead to mass extinction of entire nations.’
Vice President JD Vance has also claimed that ‘our people aren’t having enough children to replace themselves.
Today marks the debut of a thrilling new shark movie on Netflix titled Thrash. Fans of the cult-hit Sharknado series will likely find this latest addition to the shark movie genre irresistible.
Directed and penned by Norwegian filmmaker Tommy Wirkola, Thrash is a survival thriller that combines elements of suspense and humor. Set in South Carolina, the film centers on a group of residents who fail to evacuate as a severe Category Five hurricane approaches. As the storm intensifies, the levees give way, flooding the town and leaving destruction in its wake. To complicate matters further, the floodwaters are swarming with ferocious sharks on the hunt. While Thrash may not reach the campy heights of the Sharknado films or match the craftsmanship of Alexandre Aja’s 2019 thriller Crawl, it still offers plenty of CGI shark action to keep viewers entertained.
The film boasts a commendable cast featuring Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak, Alyla Browne, and Djimon Hounsou. Although the plot of Thrash might not demand close attention, it provides enough thrills and spills to keep an audience engaged. For those who might find themselves a bit lost in the narrative, Decider offers a comprehensive breakdown of the 2026 plot and ending.
Photo: Netflix
Thrash 2026 movie plot summary:
The storyline unfolds in the town of Annieville, South Carolina, focusing on residents who choose to stay despite the impending storm. Among them is Dakota (played by Whitney Peak), a reclusive teenager grappling with the loss of her mother. Her fear of leaving her home is palpable. Her uncle, Dale (played by Djimon Hounsou), is a marine biologist who studies sharks and assures Dakota he’ll come for her. Dale’s expertise leads to a startling discovery as he and his colleagues observe sharks moving inland, seeking refuge from the storm.
Meanwhile, Lisa (portrayed by Phoebe Dynevor) faces her own challenges. Nine months pregnant and recently abandoned by her child’s father, she is summoned to her meatpacking job just as the hurricane hits. Trapped by the closed interstate, Lisa’s attempts to escape are thwarted, leaving her to face the storm’s fury.
Finally, Dee (Alyla Browne), Ron (Stacy Clausen), and Will (Dante Ubaldi) are siblings living with their foster parents, Mrs. and Mr. Olsen. Mr. Olsen refuses to evacuate, insisting it’s just a bit of rain.
Spoil alert: It’s not just a bit of rain. The hurricane makes landfall, and almost immediately, the levees protecting the town break. The entire town is flooded and under water within minutes. Lisa’s car is swept up in a wave of water, and punctured by a fallen tree, trapping her inside, just outside of Dakota’s house. To make matters worse, her co-worker’s meat packing truck is punctured, spilling delicious animal blood into the water. Yum yum!
It doesn’t take long for the sharks to show up. Dakota watches from her upstairs window with horror as the sharks tear apart two guys who try to rescue Lisa from the car. They don’t make it. Lisa is alone, and trapped… unless Dakota decides to help her.
Meanwhile, Mr. Olson is quickly proven wrong when his so-called reinforced windows break and the house begins rapidly flooding. His foster son reminds him that their truck has a vehicle snorkel on it, which should prevent water from flooding the engine, and allow them to escape by driving. Mr. and Mrs. Olson instruct the kids to stay inside while they go get the vehicle. But in the garage, the Olsons are attacked by sharks.
The kids witness the attack and know they are on their own. Unfortunately, sharks swim into the house before they can close the door. With the water rising, they know they can’t stay camped out on the kitchen table. They come with a plan to venture into the basement (please don’t go into your basement during a flood!) to retrieve steaks, in order to “distract” the sharks. Because everyone knows sharks love frozen steak!
Across town, Dakota successfully frees Lisa from her car, and brings her back to the safety of her room. But it won’t stay safe for long. The water is still rising. And, oops, now Lisa’s baby is coming. The girls decide they need to retrieve the boat left by Lisa’s would-be rescuers. Since Lisa is actively giving birth, it’s up to Dakota to retrieve the boat. She comes up with a plan to distract the sharks with vibrations, which her uncle told her attracts sharks because they think it’s injured fish. So Dakota throws a vibrating toothbrush in a plastic bag into the water to serve as a decoy, while she retrieves the boat.
Mr. Olson reappears, gravely injured, demanding the kids sacrifice themselves to go get help. But they refuse, and instead, Mr. Olson serves as the distraction to the sharks that Ron needs to get to the basement to retrieve the steaks (you know, the thing they want to distract the sharks… again). Lucky for Ron, he also grabs a random box from the basement, which just happens to contain dynamite. What kind of foster home was Mr. Olson running?
The kids come up with a new plan to duct tape the steaks to the dynamite, light it, and blow up the sharks that eat the steak. How the hell will the dynamite stay lit in the water? Don’t think about it too hard.
Photo: Netflix
Thrash 2026 movie ending explained:
Lisa gives birth to a baby boy while Dakota’s house collapses around her. The floor and roof fall apart just as she’s giving her big push, and she plummets into the water. Somehow, though, she gives birth and the baby is fine. I guess her mom got that water birth after all. But now, Lisa is stranded in shark-infested waters with a newborn.
Luckily, Dakota has retrieved the boat and is on her way over. After fending off one of the sharks with a harpoon gun, Dakota tries to pull Lisa and the baby to safety. Unfortunately, her boat capsizes. Fortunately, Uncle Dale pulls up in his rescue boat. He throws an electromagnetic shark deterrent into the water, scaring away all the bull sharks but one. That least bull shark is coming for the girls… but is eaten by the great white shark Dale had been tracking, before it gets to the humans. The great white swims away. Dale rescues his niece, Lisa, and her newborn baby. Everyone is totally fine!
Meanwhile, the foster kids need to lure the sharks to them if they want their dynamite-in-steak plan to work. The youngest has heard about the vibrations thing on shark week, so the kids jump into the water and thrash about. For some reason, the sharks opt to go for the steak over the fresh, wriggly kids in the water. Also for some reason, the fuse on the dynamite was not extinguished by the water. The shark eats the dynamite-steak, and blows to pieces. It worked! The kids get to the garage and escape in the snorkel vehicle.
The storm is over, and all’s well that ends well. But in the very last scene of the movie, one of the workers at the storm tracking headquarter sees an even bigger hurricane coming for the east coast on the radar. “Oh f–k me,” he says, and the movie ends. Get it? It’s funny because we will continue to get destructive, bigger, unprecedented storms with alarming frequency, thanks to climate change.
WASHINGTON (AP) — On Friday, Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser introduced her final budget proposal before leaving office later this year. The $21.2 billion gross operating budget is expected to ignite debates both in the District Council and on Capitol Hill, where Republicans have increasingly expressed interest in influencing local governance.
The budget proposal prioritizes funding for education and healthcare, yet it also suggests cuts in several areas. Notably, it reduces $127 million allocated for upcoming collective bargaining agreements and pay raises for non-union city employees.
One significant aspect of the budget is the reduction in the general funds budget, which is set at $12.7 billion—a 3.3% decrease from the 2026 projection. These general funds are crucial for financing city services. Mayor Bowser attributed these cuts to diminished revenues resulting from federal workforce downsizing and rising costs, including increased Medicaid expenses and higher administrative costs for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) due to recent federal law changes that shifted more financial responsibility to states.
Addressing the Council, Bowser asserted that the city remains financially stable and outlined what she describes as the three phases of her administration: the growth era, the COVID-economic period, and the post-COVID phase.
“We are adapting to the changes the DOGE has made to our workforce and commercial areas,” she explained, referencing the previous administration’s efforts to reduce federal government size. She noted that the rising expenses and reduced revenues have resulted in a projected budget shortfall that needs to be addressed.
“I think we all have to be clear headed about where we are and what it will take to keep growing,” said Bowser, who has served as mayor since 2015 and has announced she will not be running for reelection this year.
Members of the council questioned Bowser and members of her staff on proposed targets, including taking aim at programs intended to help defray the cost of child care in a city where a family pays on average more than $25,000 a year for infant care, according to the advocacy group Child Care Aware of America. It would cap the District’s child care subsidy program, which helps the city’s poorest families afford care, at 6,000 children. Families currently receiving the subsidies would continue to receive them. And it would eliminate a program that supplemented the wages of child care providers, a measure passed during the pandemic to help attract and retain workers to a field with historically low wages.
Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said the council would likely vote on the budget in June.
Washington’s budget has been complicated in the last two years, including in 2025 when the House passed a federal government funding bill that would force the district’s government to revert to its 2024 budget parameters, effectively cutting $1.1 billion from its previously balanced budget midway through the financial year.
The remaking of the federal workforce by the Department of Government Efficiency heavily impacted the Washington region. Terry Clower, director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University estimated more than 50,000 jobs were lost in the region. Clover said those job losses would be more than lost salaries and income taxes for the workers, also hitting businesses that support those workers, meaning additional lost revenue for localities.
The D.C. Office of Revenue Analysis estimated that Washington had a net loss of 22,000 federal jobs at a combined annual pay of more than $3 billion.
City Administrator Kevin Donahue said said one area where revenue was hit was the impact of the reductions in the federal workforce, primarily by the Department of Government Efficiency, that cost about $325 million in lost revenue from job cuts and the accompanying consumer spending. Those losses will be even higher in the 2027 fiscal year.
(KTLA) – In a move to enhance in-flight safety, Southwest Airlines has introduced restrictions on portable chargers and power banks to mitigate the risk of battery fires during flights.
Starting April 20, travelers will be restricted to carrying just one portable lithium charger in their carry-on luggage. These power banks cannot be stored in overhead bins but must be kept either in an under-seat bag or directly with the passenger, as outlined in an internal communication from Dave Hunt, Southwest’s vice president of safety and security.
The memo further specifies that passengers are not allowed to use in-seat power outlets to recharge their portable lithium batteries.
Despite these new restrictions, Southwest announced that by mid-next year, all its aircraft will be equipped with in-seat power outlets, potentially diminishing the necessity for passengers to bring personal chargers.
A Southwest Airlines plane pull into a gate at Pittsburgh International Airport in Imperial, Pa., Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, last year witnessed nearly 100 incidents involving portable batteries that resulted in smoke, fire, or intense heat onboard aircraft.
Airlines like Lufthansa and countries including South Korea have already introduced restrictions on the use of power banks on flights, following incidents like a fire on an Air Busan plane in 2025.
Portable lithium power banks are currently not allowed in checked baggage, per FAA regulations. Southwest’s policy has also prohibited their use when not in plain sight, but the current policy is a little more lenient with the amount of power banks a traveler can bring on the plane (two), so long as all other requirements (proper packing, a limit on watt-hours) have been followed.
The new Southwest rule goes even further than the limit of two chargers per passenger that the International Civil Aviation Organization recommended last month. But the airline says it isn’t going to aggressively enforce the policy by searching bags and confiscating chargers. Instead, Hunt said the airline will inform travelers of the new policy when they book their flights and at the airport.
“Our approach reflects our Culture of Safety and Security in action: Proactively managing risk and caring for our Customers and People at every step,” Hunt wrote in the memo.
This change is one of several recent adjustments to Southwest Airlines’ policies.
The airline enacted a new assigned-seating policy in January, which replaced the carrier’s longstanding open-seating arrangement. The airline also plans to upgrade the majority of its aircrafts’ cabins with larger overhead bins, and will designate certain bins as reserved for use by those who purchased a more premium “Extra Legroom” option.
The airline encountered turbulence on social media for a change in policy impacting plus-size passengers, as well. Previously, plus-size passengers were not required to purchase a second seat in advance, though it was recommended. (Additional seats for larger customers are provided free of charge “if space is available on the flight,” according to Southwest.) Refunds could be obtained after travel. But under the new policy, customers must buy an extra seat and “pay any applicable seat fee” before boarding. Refunds can be obtained later, but only if: both seats were in the same fare class; the refund request is made within 90 days; and the plane would have taken off with “at least one” extra open seat, according to Southwest.
