“There is no anticipated disruption for households and vehicles [relying on piped gas]. The government has prioritized these two areas,” states Rahul Chopra, managing director of Haryana City Gas Distribution Limited, a nationwide gas provider with approximately 100,000 residential users and 195 CNG fueling stations.
Famous personalities frequently appear at the well-known American fast food establishment, possibly linked to its association with the Oscars – Vanity Fair, which organizes the now-iconic afterparty, has been offering In-N-Out burgers at the event since 1994, as reported by US media.
“In short, these decisions have historically followed a method—a scientific approach enshrined in law through procedural requirements,” Judge Murphy wrote.
“Regrettably, the Government ignored those processes and in doing so compromised the integrity of its actions,” he wrote. “To begin with, the Government circumvented ACIP when altering the immunization schedules — a technical and procedural lapse in itself and a clear sign of a deeper problem: a rejection of the committee’s technical expertise. Next, the Government removed every properly appointed ACIP member and promptly installed replacements without conducting the thorough vetting that had characterized ACIP appointments for decades. This procedural lapse, once more, underscores why such procedures exist and creates a substantial likelihood that the reconstituted ACIP does not comply with governing law.”
The judge also condemned the dismissal of former ACIP members, the seeming absence of vetting for replacements, and the apparent lack of relevant qualifications, even identifying individuals by name.
“To start, out of fifteen current ACIP members, at most six seem to possess substantive vaccine experience—the central purpose of ACIP,” he wrote (emphasis his).
“At least six members—Dr. Hillary Blackburn, Dr. Evelyn Griffin, Dr. Joseph Hibbeln, Dr. Kirk Milhoan, Dr. James Pagano, and Dr. Raymond Pollak—seem devoid of expertise or professional credentials in vaccines or immunization as ACIP’s Charter requires,” he wrote. “A further three of the current ACIP members—Dr. Retsef Levi, Dr. Robert Malone, and Dr. Catherine Stein—while possessing some arguably related experience, appear not to hold the qualifications or background to be considered experts in vaccines and immunization.”
Overall, Judge Murphy contended that Kennedy’s personally chosen advisors do not satisfy ACIP’s charter criteria, which demand members be conversant in pertinent disciplines. They likewise fall short of federal rules calling for advisory committees to be “fairly balanced” in reflecting perspectives within those fields.
She initially reached out to other victims she knew; ultimately, “local law enforcement was notified, and a criminal investigation was opened,” the complaint said.
While examining the Discord evidence, investigators quickly determined the perpetrator had access to the first victim’s Instagram “because he had maintained a close and friendly relationship” with her. A search of his phone uncovered a third-party app that had licensed or otherwise purchased access to Grok, which they say the perpetrator used to manipulate the girls’ photos.
After that, the attacker uploaded the images to a file-sharing service called Mega and used them as a “bartering tool in Telegram group chats with hundreds of other users,” trading the AI-generated CSAM “for sexually explicit content of other minors.”
The lawsuit states the victims have suffered extensive harm, including acute emotional and mental distress. For those who know the perpetrator, there remains uncertainty about whether the Grok-created CSAM was shared with classmates or distributed to others at their school, the complaint noted. One girl fears the episode will affect her college admissions, while another is too frightened to attend her own graduation.
Perhaps more alarming than acquaintances encountering the AI CSAM is the concern that the girls could now be stalked because of Grok’s outputs. As the lawsuit explains, “it also appears the victims’ true first names and the name of their school was attached to their files online, meaning other online predators may also be able to identify them, creating a substantial risk for stalking.”
Although earlier reports indicated Grok Imagine’s paying subscribers were producing more graphic material than the Grok outputs that prompted outrage on X, the lawsuit alleges xAI has taken further steps to obscure how it profits from explicit content that harms real people.
BEIJING — On Monday, China emphasized that it possesses adequate energy resources as the Iran conflict disrupts oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with U.S. President Donald Trump urging Beijing to assist in securing this vital route.
According to Fu Linghui, spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s energy supply remains “relatively robust,” providing a “relatively solid” base to cope with external market fluctuations, as communicated to the media in Mandarin Chinese, translated by CNBC.
The bureau also revealed that China’s domestic crude oil output increased by 1.9% year-on-year to 35.73 million metric tons during January and February.
Trump mentioned on Sunday that China should contribute to efforts to restore oil supplies through the Hormuz route before his intended visit to Beijing at the close of this month, as reported by The Financial Times. He also indicated a potential delay in his travel plans to China.
Oil prices have spiked above $100 a barrel, nearing 4-year highs as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has been hampered for most nations since the onset of the Iran conflict more than two weeks ago. Nonetheless, Iran has delivered over 11 million barrels of oil to China via the strait in that timeframe.
Trump asserted that Beijing should help maintain oil transportation through the strait since China depends on 90% of its oil from this route, the report indicated.
However, analysts have suggested that China only relies on the strait for approximately 40% to 50% of its maritime oil imports, noting that shipments through Hormuz make up just 6.6% of China’s overall energy consumption.
As of January, Beijing was estimated to possess 1.2 billion barrels of onshore crude reserves, among the largest in the world, sufficient to satisfy demand for three to four months.
Limiting internet connectivity not only hampers interaction with the outside environment, but also hinders demonstrators’ capacity to organise, strategise, and communicate amongst themselves. Encrypted messaging applications and platforms frequently serve as instruments for coordinating demonstrations, disseminating protest site information, and propagating calls to action.
However, achievements in representing clients in court have been restricted. Among their two identified clients who underwent trial, both experienced losses. Their client Livia Tossici-Bolt was found guilty of violating a buffer-zone in Bournemouth last April. Adam Smith-Connor, whose situation was brought to attention by Vance, faced a similar conviction in October 2024. Tossici-Bolt received a two-year conditional discharge and was required to pay £20,000, while Smith-Connor was also given a two-year conditional discharge and instructed to cover over £9,000 in expenses.
As Senate Republicans gear up to vote on the SAVE America Act this week, Democrats continue to oppose the voter-ID proposal firmly endorsed by President Donald Trump.
Although House Republicans advanced one version of the bill in February, largely on party lines, they still require 60 votes in the Senate to overcome the filibuster. With a majority of only 53-47, Senate Republicans cannot move the legislation forward without support from Democratic counterparts, unless they amend the filibuster rules.
In the meantime, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., stated on Thursday that he would present the legislation for a vote this week to “put Democrats on record.”
As various versions of the legislation are in circulation, it is uncertain which one Thune intends to bring to the Senate floor for a vote next week.
“We still don’t know what Thune’s next steps are… but we’re ready for any eventuality,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York remarked to reporters Sunday afternoon during a press conference.
“My caucus is strongly convinced that this would be extremely damaging… one of the most significant setbacks in our country’s voting history,” he added.
The recently passed bill in the House would obligate Americans to demonstrate citizenship, such as through a certified birth certificate or passport, to register for federal elections. Additionally, it would enforce photo ID requirements for voting in person or via mail.
If implemented, the legislation could lead to “widespread voter suppression” for individuals unable to meet the requirements, according to Marc Elias, founder of the voter rights group Democracy Docket, who also addressed reporters during the Sunday conference.
The majority of people do not possess a passport, and in truth, the majority do not have easy access to an original or certified copy of a birth certificate.Marc EliasFounder of Democracy Docket
“The majority of people do not possess a passport, and in truth, the majority do not have easy access to an original or certified copy of a birth certificate,” he stated.
Approximately 21 million Americans lack readily available documents to verify their citizenship, and 2.6 million Americans do not possess government-issued photo IDs, according to findings from the Brennan Center for Justice and the University of Maryland’s Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement.
During fiscal year 2025, the U.S. Department of State issued about 27.3 million passports, which included approximately 4.5 million passport cards, as per the latest statistics.
The bill that passed in February would additionally require each state to regularly submit a list of eligible voters to the Department of Homeland Security to identify non-citizens and remove them from the voting rolls.
“What they are attempting here is just outrageous, and it has my caucus extremely motivated to do everything within our power to halt it,” Schumer stated during the Sunday call. “This is merely a manipulative strategy by Donald Trump to hijack the election.”
CNBC sought comments from the White House in response to criticisms from Schumer and voting rights activists regarding the legislation.
The anticipated vote on the SAVE America Act next week occurs less than eight months before the November midterm elections, which could jeopardize Republican dominance in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Recently, Trump has increasingly concentrated on the elections, insisting that Republicans should “nationalize” elections, and that he could instate voter-ID mandates via executive order. Trump has also emphasized the urgency of implementing the SAVE America Act.
“It needs to happen immediately. It takes precedence over all else. MUST BE PRIORITIZED,” he declared in a Truth Social post last week. “As President, I will not approve other Bills until this gets passed.”
— Reporting by CNBC’s Justin Papp contributed to this article
Genre mayhem in celebration of the dance floor.
Genre mayhem in celebration of the dance floor.
Shout out to subscriber N_Gorski for today’s selection. They dropped into the comments on last week’s recommendation to inquire about my thoughts on the new Sotomayor album. I hadn’t listened to it yet, but now I can’t get enough.
The duo is made up of siblings Raul and Paulina Sotomayor hailing from Mexico City. Wabi Sabi marks their first release since 2020’s Origenes, and it radiates pure joy. Reflect back on all my previous recommendations over the past few months, and “fun” isn’t typically how I’d categorize most of them. Yet, that’s precisely what Wabi Sabi delivers — it’s fun, chaotic, and irresistibly danceable.
My prior familiarity with Sotomayor stemmed from a brief documentary featuring Raul’s diverse projects produced by Ableton. In that film, he elaborates on how his approach to music production has evolved, from striving for a “proper” and “clean” sound to focusing on “how much can we distort it” or “how much can we stretch it.”
This evolution is evident in the music. The opening track, “Me dejo llevar,” kicks off with a synth arpeggio that has unmistakably been time-stretched to its limits. The digital artifacts are abundant. The track possesses a slight grit, as if everything is clipping just ever so slightly. “Who’s there” similarly crackles at the edges, evoking a dance floor that is always on the brink of erupting into chaos.
The classic electronic drum hits, a droning bass, and noise stabs drenched in reverb never achieve full release, yet they simmer beautifully into the album’s standout track “Vida.” Here, Paulina discovers a sultry mode as she sings over a UK garage-influenced rhythm that ultimately explodes into an afrohouse club anthem.
Wabi Sabi bounces between genres with infectious joy. Afrobeat, cumbia, electro pop, R&B, and more all merge in what is undoubtedly the most entertaining album of 2026 thus far. What amplifies its distinction is that, despite its unconventional sounds (a donkey jaw?) and stylistic adventures, Sotomayor maintains a clear vision that cohesively ties the record together.
At no moment does the chaos become overwhelming. It never feels as though the duo are simply tossing ideas to see what resonates; every element is a meticulously crafted choice aimed at enhancing the party atmosphere. The gently wandering guitar in “Yo se todo de ti,” the classic house vibe of “Todo se derrumba,” and the dancehall energy of “Prende la palma” all harmonize through Paulina’s captivating presence on the microphone and Raul’s uninhibited sonic exploration.
Sotomayor’s Wabi Sabi can be found on Bandcamp and across most prominent streaming platforms, including Apple Music, Qobuz, YouTube Music, Deezer, and Spotify.
On Version History: The rise of audio social networking as the next huge trend, and the reasons it ultimately fell short.
On Version History: The rise of audio social networking as the next huge trend, and the reasons it ultimately fell short.
In 2020 and 2021, the social media landscape appeared poised for a transformation. A novel app known as TikTok surged in popularity, introducing an innovative format of vertical video to smartphones worldwide. Meanwhile, another app—lesser-known yet rapidly gaining traction and already impactful within the tech community—seemed to possess a groundbreaking social concept. This app was called Clubhouse, betting heavily on the potential of audio as the future of social interaction. It was the talk of the town, until it faded away.
In this episode of Version History, we recount the beginnings of Clubhouse, detailing how a straightforward audio group chat app evolved into a thriving platform for entertainment and creators. Platformer’s Casey Newton and Bloomberg’s Ashley Carman join David Pierce for a discussion about the app’s functionality, its appeal to tech enthusiasts, and ultimately, the ways in which its timing was simultaneously its greatest asset and biggest liability. What would the app have looked like without a global health crisis and prolonged lockdown that left people yearning for connection? We’ll never know. But it surely would have been a different story.
This episode marks the second installment of the third season of Version History. Here’s how to access each episode, along with all our other entertaining content, right when it’s released:
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And if you wish to delve deeper into the complete narrative of Clubhouse—and yes, take a moment to recall the lockdown experience—here are several links to help you begin.
