News & Updates
The latest news and updates from companies in the WLTH portfolio.
Elon Musk's Grok Ultimatum: Buy AI Subscriptions or Lose the SpaceX IPO
The banks vying for a role in what could be the most lucrative initial public offering in years have been handed an unusual prerequisite: subscribe to Grok, the artificial intelligence chatbot built by Elon Musk's xAI. Not as a suggestion. As a condition. According to reporting by Ars Technica, Musk has told investment banks seeking underwriting roles in SpaceX's anticipated IPO that they must purchase Grok enterprise subscriptions for their employees. The demand ties access to one of the most coveted deals on Wall Street directly to the commercial fortunes of another Musk-controlled company. It is, by any measure, an extraordinary entanglement of interests -- one that raises questions about conflicts of interest, market power, and just how far a founder's leverage extends when the asset is irresistible enough. SpaceX is that asset. The rocket company, valued at roughly $350 billion in recent private secondary transactions, has become the dominant commercial launch provider on Earth. Its Starlink satellite internet division alone generates billions in recurring revenue. An IPO -- possibly of Starlink as a separate entity -- has been the subject of intense speculation for years. Musk has dangled the possibility without committing to a timeline, keeping Wall Street in a perpetual state of anticipation. That anticipation is now being monetized. The Price of Admission The specifics of the Grok subscription requirement remain somewhat opaque. What's clear is that Musk's demand isn't a casual recommendation. Banks have been told that purchasing enterprise-level Grok access is expected -- a threshold that must be met to remain in contention for a bookrunner or advisory position on the SpaceX deal. The financial commitment for a large bank would likely run into the millions of dollars annually, depending on the number of seats purchased, though that figure is modest relative to the fees a lead underwriting role would generate. And that's precisely the calculus Musk appears to be exploiting. A lead position on a SpaceX IPO could yield hundreds of millions in underwriting fees. Against that, a few million in AI subscriptions looks like a rounding error. The banks know it. Musk knows they know it. But the optics are something else entirely. Tying a commercial product purchase to IPO access creates what governance experts would call a coercive bundling arrangement. It forces counterparties to support one Musk venture as the cost of doing business with another. The practice doesn't have a clean parallel in recent IPO history, though Musk has a well-documented pattern of using the gravitational pull of his companies to extract concessions from partners, suppliers, and even governments. xAI, the company behind Grok, was founded by Musk in 2023 and has grown rapidly, fueled by massive capital raises and Musk's ability to redirect resources -- including data from his social media platform X. Grok competes with OpenAI's ChatGPT, Google's Gemini, and Anthropic's Claude in an increasingly crowded AI market. Enterprise adoption has been a key battleground, and landing Wall Street banks as clients -- even under duress -- would represent a significant distribution win for xAI. The arrangement also raises a subtler issue. Banks underwriting an IPO are supposed to provide independent analysis of a company's value. If those same banks are commercially entangled with the founder's other ventures, the independence of their valuation work becomes harder to defend. Regulators at the Securities and Exchange Commission have historically scrutinized conflicts of interest in the IPO process, though enforcement has been uneven and the current political environment under the Trump administration has favored deregulation. Several major banks -- including Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and JPMorgan Chase -- have been reported as contenders for the SpaceX offering. None have publicly commented on the Grok subscription requirement. Privately, according to people familiar with the discussions cited in the Ars Technica report, some bankers view the demand as distasteful but ultimately acceptable given the scale of the opportunity. Others are less sanguine, worried about the precedent it sets. One precedent worth considering: Musk's history with Tesla's capital markets activity. For years, Tesla's stock offerings and debt raises were among the most sought-after mandates on Wall Street. Analysts at banks hoping for future business were widely perceived as reluctant to issue negative research on Tesla -- a dynamic that, while never proven as explicit quid pro quo, corroded confidence in the independence of sell-side coverage. The Grok requirement makes the implicit explicit. There's also the question of what happens after the subscription is purchased. Do the banks actually use Grok? Do they integrate it into workflows, or does it sit unused -- a toll paid for access? If Musk is genuinely trying to build xAI's enterprise footprint, forcing adoption through deal leverage is a blunt instrument. It may generate revenue, but it won't generate the organic usage data and feedback loops that make AI products better. Coerced customers are rarely good customers. Still, Musk has never been particularly concerned with conventional wisdom about customer acquisition. His approach across Tesla, SpaceX, X, and now xAI has consistently prioritized control and speed over consensus. He eliminated Tesla's PR department. He gutted X's trust and safety teams. He fired SpaceX employees who criticized him in an open letter. The Grok demand fits the pattern: a unilateral assertion of power, justified by the underlying strength of the product being offered. And SpaceX is undeniably strong. The company completed more than 100 orbital launches in the past year, a cadence no competitor can match. Starlink has surpassed 4 million subscribers globally. The Starship program, while still in development, represents a potential step-change in payload capacity. For institutional investors, SpaceX is one of the few private companies that could debut on public markets as a top-50 U.S. company by market capitalization on day one. That kind of gravity bends behavior. Banks will buy the subscriptions. Most of them probably already have. The deeper concern isn't whether this particular demand is legal -- it almost certainly is, as private companies have wide latitude in selecting their advisors and setting terms. The concern is structural. Musk now controls or influences companies spanning electric vehicles, space launch, satellite internet, social media, artificial intelligence, brain-computer interfaces, and tunneling infrastructure. Each company creates leverage that can be applied to the others. The Grok-SpaceX linkage is just the most visible example of a web of interdependencies that regulators haven't fully reckoned with. So what happens next? The SpaceX IPO timeline remains uncertain. Musk has said publicly that a Starlink IPO could happen once the business reaches "reasonably predictable" cash flow -- a threshold many analysts believe has already been crossed. If the offering moves forward in late 2026 or 2027, the banks that paid the Grok toll will line up for their roles. The fees will flow. The subscriptions will quietly renew. And the next founder with a hot enough company will have a new playbook to follow.
Warm weather on the way following Storm Dave chaos - but how long will it last?
A blast of warm air is set to hit the country next week, after Storm Dave brings heavy winds and rain over the weekend. The country is battening down the hatches this afternoon ahead of Storm Dave, as a yellow wind warning is in place for all 32 counties. A yellow rain warning is also in place for Co Mayo and Donegal and will remain in effect until 4 pm on Saturday. While many were hoping for an Easter weekend reminiscent of the season we're meant to be in, the Storm is also expected to bring snow to higher ground -- but meteorologist Alan O'Reilly has said that next week we might see some Springlike conditions. Taking to Twitter (X) on Saturday morning, Alan O'Reilly wrote that there will be a 'brief' blast of warm air, which will see temperatures (relatively) soar to highs of 16C. (Sweltering) However, don't put the umbrellas and big jackets away just yet -- as he added that the heat will only be around on Tuesday and Wednesday, before cooler temperatures prevail on Thursday. 'A brief blast of warm air on Tuesday and Wednesday with temperatures up to 16 °C before dropping back quickly on Thursday,' he wrote. While Storm David will dominate the weather cycle for the next 24 hours, Met Éireann says that, while things will remain fairly unsettled for much of next week, we'll see some reprieve from the dark and dreary spring with sunny spells. Conditions will be windy to kick off next week, with patchy outbreaks of rain and light drizzle on Monday. Brighter spells will develop at times throughout Monday afternoon, and conditions will be mild in the afternoon. Highest temperatures of 10 °C to 13 °C. Monday night will be dry, with long clear spells early on, before cloud increases from the southwest towards morning, bringing scattered showers. Lowest temperatures of 5 °C to 9 °C. While Tuesday will bring high temperatures, it will be rather wet with showery outbreaks of rain moving northeastwards throughout the day. Highest temperatures of 12 °C to 16 °C- 17 °C. Wednesday will be cloudy but warm, becoming brighter through the morning with a chance of hazy sunny spells developing. Dry for most of the country, save for a few isolated showers in the east. Cloud will start to increase from the west again later in the evening, with the highest temperatures remaining around 12C to 17C While the high pressure will become established to the south on Thursday, it will allow for a brief reprieve. Conditions will take yet another turn on Friday as further spells of unsettled weather move in from the Atlantic.
"TV was a win, but awful in the room": 25 years of Gorillaz chaos
To celebrate a quarter-century of the world's most famous virtual band, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett sat down with Apple Music's Zane Lowe to pull back the curtain on the technical disasters and triumphs that defined the Gorillaz legacy. From "vibrating" holograms to the "disadvantage" of being the face of Britpop, the interview serves as a candid "window into the process" of two icons who "haven't quite mastered" the art of being cartoons. While the world marveled at their early digital performances, the reality inside the venue was often "awful." Reflecting on their Grammy performance, Albarn admitted, "TV was a win... but awful in the room." The technology simply wasn't ready for the "Pyramid Stage" scale. "The invisible screen vibrates when you turn the bass up," Hewlett explained, "and then your animations go [vibrating sound]." At the Grammys, the volume was so low "people were talking; they didn't even know the show had started." The band's early refusal to step into the light was a deliberate attempt to "remove the idea of celebrity," though Albarn admits they were "so bad at it." He recalled their first U.S. interview where they tried to stay in character on separate phones: "I was being 2D, Jamie was being Murdoc... that side of things we haven't kind of mastered yet." Albarn also felt a unique pressure compared to contemporaries like Daft Punk. "They had the advantage of not having a face of Britpop trying to hide," he told Lowe. "I was at a disadvantage." Despite the technical hurdles, the heart of Gorillaz remains the "marriage" between Albarn's tunes and Hewlett's "350 drawings just to tell a four-minute video." Hewlett described a "happy existence" where Albarn would play a song and Hewlett would "start drawing... every day." It is this "freedom to do what we want" that has allowed the band to survive 25 years, proving that even if the holograms vibrate, the "electricity" of the collaboration remains steady.
Suspension and Inquiry: Kolkata Cops in Hot Water Over Election Chaos | Headlines
The Election Commission of India has suspended four Kolkata police officers and initiated disciplinary action due to a disorderly incident during BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's nomination filing. The Commission demands immediate action and plans to fill vacant positions. Tensions rise as crucial West Bengal assembly elections approach. The Election Commission of India has taken a decisive step by suspending four Kolkata police officers and initiating disciplinary measures following a law and order breakdown outside the Survey Building in Alipore. On April 2, tensions flared when BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari filed his nomination in the presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, prompting the Commission's swift action. The officers, including Deputy Commissioner Siddhartha Dutta and others, now face consequences amid the backdrop of West Bengal's high-stakes assembly elections, characterized by a fierce contest between Adhikari and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
Anthropic restricts Claude subscribers from using OpenClaw, starts refunding users
Users can still access OpenClaw with Claude models, but only through additional paid usage bundles (now offered at a discount) or by using a full Claude API key, which follows pay-per-token pricing. Anthropic is in the news once more, and this time, its decision has sparked significant backlash. The AI firm announced that Claude subscriptions will no longer cover usage on third-party tools like the popular open-source AI agent OpenClaw. From April 4, 2026, users must pay extra to access such tools, even if they already have a paid Claude Pro or Max subscription. Anthropic executive Boris Cherny broke the news on X (formerly Twitter), explaining, "Starting tomorrow at 12 pm PT, Claude subscriptions will no longer cover usage on third-party tools like OpenClaw." He added that Anthropic's computing capacity was not optimised for the usage patterns of these tools, and subscriptions were not designed for them. Users can still access OpenClaw with Claude models, but only through additional paid usage bundles (now offered at a discount) or by using a full Claude API key, which follows pay-per-token pricing. Claude users hurt by Anthropic's decision Anthropic's decision has triggered widespread frustration on social media. Many subscribers have expressed disappointment, with one user writing, "I love you guys, and Claude is amazing, but this low-key sucks. This decision is actually going to actively hurt a lot of people." Another user questioned the rationale, "The increasing demand is nothing to do with third-party use. The amount of tokens is the same. Why do you treat us as stupid?" OpenClaw's creator, Peter Steinberger, who recently joined OpenAI, revealed that he and others had tried to negotiate with Anthropic and were able to manage only a one-week delay. He hinted at timing concerns too, noting that Anthropic had recently added similar agentic features to Claude, such as computer control and task automation. OpenClaw is an open-source agentic AI platform that allows users to run autonomous AI agents locally or on their devices. It gained massive popularity for enabling Claude models to perform complex, independent tasks such as automation, app building, and persistent assistance across messaging platforms. Anthropic's response to the fiasco In response to the backlash, Anthropic stated it is issuing full refunds and discounts for any overages caused by the change. Affected users are expected to receive an email with a link to claim refunds starting tomorrow. The company has also been rolling out its own native agentic capabilities in Claude, including features like Dispatch for computer control and remote phone access. Some users see this as a direct competition to tools like OpenClaw. This move comes amid surging demand for Claude, with several users recently reporting faster exhaustion of their usage limits. Anthropic maintains that no one was charged unfairly and has suggested ways for users to optimise token consumption.
MidEast conflict chaos: UN warns rising global food prices could push five million into hunger in Arab region
BEIRUT (dpa): A 20 per cent rise in global food prices could push an additional 5 million middle and low-income people in Arab countries into food insecurity, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) warned on Thursday, reported German Press Agency (dpa). In a new policy brief, the agency labelled the risk as both immediate and escalating, particularly for fragile and conflict-affected states that rely heavily on food imports and have limited fiscal capacity to absorb economic shocks. Titled "Conflict and its shockwaves: escalating impacts and risks for energy, water and food systems in the Arab region," the report outlines how ongoing regional tensions are triggering interconnected disruptions across key sectors, with potentially severe consequences for economic stability and human security. Energy markets have experienced the most immediate impact, according to ESCWA. Gulf oil exports have fallen sharply -- by as much as 75 per cent to 90 per cent since the start of the Iran-US-Israel conflict on Feb 28, while oil prices have surged above US$112 per barrel, driven in part by disruptions to shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz. The resulting spike in transport and insurance costs is fuelling inflation and widening budget deficits across the region. Water security is also under growing threat. Nearly 40 million people in Gulf countries depend on desalinated water sourced from the Gulf, leaving them highly exposed to potential damage to energy and desalination infrastructure or pollution linked to the conflict. ESCWA warned that any prolonged disruption could quickly escalate into a humanitarian crisis. Food systems, already under strain, face further pressure as the region imports the majority of its cereals and maintains limited reserves -- typically covering just over three months of consumption. "These figures call for urgent and coordinated regional action to protect critical supply chains," said ESCWA Acting Executive Secretary Mourad Wahba, urging measures such as building strategic reserves, diversifying trade routes and investing in more resilient infrastructure. He warned that without swift intervention, the compounded effects of the conflict could deepen poverty, increase social unrest in fragile states and reverse development gains across the region. An earlier report estimated that Arab economies could lose up to US$150 billion in output within a single month.
Anthropic Just Closed the OpenClaw Subscription Loophole
Anthropic has officially ended the practice of using Claude Pro, Max, or Team subscriptions to power high-volume automated agents through tools like OpenClaw at flat-rate pricing. Starting at 12pm PT on April 4, 2026, Anthropic began enforcing a policy change. Third-party "harnesses" like OpenClaw no longer qualify for subscription usage limits. Heavy or automated workloads now trigger separate pay-as-you-go "extra usage" billing at full API rates. For agentic tasks that consume millions of tokens, this means bills that can run into hundreds or thousands of dollars on what used to be a $20 to $200/month subscription. This wasn't sudden. Back in January 2026, Anthropic quietly blocked some of the technical paths that made this workaround possible. February brought a formal terms update explicitly stating that OAuth tokens from consumer subscriptions are only for official Anthropic interfaces (Claude.ai, Claude Code, and so on). Their official Agent SDK overview now says third-party developers are not allowed to offer claude.ai login or subscription rate limits for their own products unless Anthropic approved it beforehand. April 4 is when the enforcement teeth came in. OpenClaw (also known historically as Clawdbot or Moltbot) is a popular open-source AI agent framework that enables persistent, autonomous agents. For months, a significant chunk of its user base had been routing their subscription OAuth tokens through OpenClaw to run sophisticated workflows far beyond typical chat usage. Effectively, a consumer plan was being used as a subsidized backend for agent swarms. Yes, but your costs will be higher for anything beyond light use. Third-party harness usage now pulls from "extra usage" billing instead of your included subscription limits. Some community workarounds are being tested, routing through the local Claude CLI, but these may still incur extra charges and carry ToS risks. A one-time credit equivalent to one month of subscription is being provided as a transition buffer for affected users. The official line is now in Anthropic's docs, not just community screenshots and email quotes. OAuth from Free, Pro, Max, or Team accounts should not be used in third-party products or services. Cost. Workloads that previously ran efficiently on a $20 to $200/month subscription are now generating substantial extra usage bills. Some users were reportedly burning token volumes equivalent to thousands of dollars monthly, at standard API pricing. Infrastructure. Anthropic cited capacity strain from high-volume agents overloading consumer-tier systems designed for individual use. Where heavy users go from here. Subscriptions remain positioned for human-centric, official interfaces. Commercial or agentic use is directed toward proper API keys or Anthropic's own tools like Claude Code. OpenClaw users are exploring model switches to OpenAI, Minimax, Kimi, or local options. The subscription hack for running fleets of agents at discounted rates is over. The announcement sparked backlash and debate across Reddit, Hacker News, and X. On Reddit's r/ClaudeAI, "All the OpenClaw bros are having a meltdown after the Anthropic subscription lock-down" captured the vibe. Comments described OpenClaw agents as wasteful, token-burning, and a "clobbered together mess." Community consensus leaned toward Anthropic being right to crack down. One top comment: "Anthropic banned subscription OAuth tokens from all third-party tools, forcing users to either stick with Claude Code only or pay 5 to 10 times more via API keys." On Hacker News, reactions were more mixed. In "Tell HN: Anthropic no longer allowing Claude Code subscriptions to use OpenClaw", one commenter noted: "Using the chatbot subscription as an API was a weird loophole. I don't feel betrayed." Another pointed to misaligned incentives: "The organization selling the per-token model doesn't have the incentive, at scale, to have you reduce token consumption." A sharper take: "OpenClaw literally brought them customers at the door and now they get them off their platform, with a strong feeling of dislike or hatred towards Anthropic." On X, reactions ranged from angry to analytical. Robert Scoble called it a fumble, while another take was simply: Anthropic wasn't trying to kill OpenClaw. Anthropic's rationale is straightforward. Consumer subscriptions were never designed to subsidize unlimited autonomous agent swarms, and the terms of service were always there. Enforcement just came faster than some expected. Whether this strengthens their premium positioning or drives users toward competitors will play out over the coming months. For now, if you rely on OpenClaw with Claude, review your authentication setup, monitor for extra usage charges, and have a backup model lined up. The era of cheap subscription fuel for third-party automation is over. Adjust accordingly.
Delta Air Lines Will Potentially Lead In This Year Of Chaos (NYSE:DAL)
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SpaceX and Amazon Clash Over Satellite Deployments
Amazon and SpaceX are navigating a complex dispute over satellite deployment strategies for broadband services. While both companies aim to establish their satellite constellations, tensions are rising concerning safety concerns and regulatory compliance. Deployment Plans and Allegations On April 1, SpaceX submitted a letter to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In it, they accused Amazon of breaching its orbital debris mitigation plan. SpaceX contended that Amazon's deployment of satellites occurred at altitudes 50 to 90 kilometers above the authorized limit of 400 kilometers. SpaceX claims this potentially increases collision risks with its Starlink satellites. Recent Launch and Risks SpaceX's concerns were amplified following Amazon's February 12 launch. During this event, 32 Amazon Leo satellites were deployed using an Ariane 6 rocket. SpaceX stated this launch posed significant collision risks, necessitating 30 collision avoidance maneuvers within just a few hours. * SpaceX's claims detail unmitigable collision risks with dozens of operational spacecraft. * No updates to Amazon's debris mitigation plan were provided to SpaceX before this launch. Amazon's Response Amazon responded to SpaceX's allegations on April 2, asserting that its FCC license allows operational flexibility. They pointed out that their satellite launches on Falcon 9 rockets in 2025 did not raise the same altitude concerns. According to Amazon, SpaceX began voicing these issues only after adjusting their own Starlink altitudes to 475, 480, and 485 kilometers. Collaboration and Future Plans In their letter, Amazon expressed a willingness to collaborate with SpaceX. They indicated that modifying satellite deployment altitudes may require up to a year of analysis. Despite proposing potential solutions for addressing these safety concerns, SpaceX reportedly declined Amazon's suggestions. As part of its strategic planning, Amazon Leo is also working with Arianespace to lower its target insertion orbit in upcoming launches. Their next launch on a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 rocket is set for April 4, followed by an Ariane 6 launch on April 28. Launch Schedule and Future Goals Amazon aims to expedite its satellite constellation deployment, targeting 20 launches annually with up to 48 satellites per launch. As part of this effort, Amazon secured 10 additional Falcon 9 launches scheduled for late 2025. * Upcoming launches: The ongoing conflict between Amazon and SpaceX highlights the challenges of satellite deployment and space safety. As both companies work to establish their positions, the outcome may set significant precedents for future satellite operations.
Strikes In Spanish Airports as Easter travel peaks: baggage chaos and three paths forward
strikes in spanish airports are producing widespread disruption at 12 major hubs as ground crews stage repeated stoppages over peak holiday windows, leaving thousands of suitcases delayed or unloaded and passengers facing multi-hour waits. What Happens When Strikes In Spanish Airports Hit the Peak Travel Weekend? The current picture is concentrated and operationally severe. Groundforce walkouts have already produced a build-up in baggage sorting areas, flights departing without loaded luggage, and long waits for arriving passengers. The UGT union characterises the situation as an operational overload with thousands of suitcases left unloaded or delivered late; the CCOO union has highlighted flights pushed through without normal label-scanning to speed processing. Spanish airport operator Aena issued a notice about an indefinite strike by ground handling staff affecting multiple airports. Key facts from available accounts: * Two sets of airport lists tied to the actions include 12 hubs. One list names: Barcelona-El Prat, Madrid-Barajas, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Bilbao, Lanzarote, Alicante, Valencia and Malaga. Another list includes: Barcelona, Madrid, Palma, Málaga, Alicante, Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Valencia, Lanzarote, Bilbao, Fuerteventura and Zaragoza. * Strike pattern: partial work stoppages scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays across three daily windows: 5am-7am, 11am-5pm and 10pm-midnight. A Groundforce 24-hour action was noted for Good Friday in one account. * Operational impacts noted include waits of up to four to five hours at baggage carousels, more than 40 flights departing without loaded luggage, flight delays averaging around an hour per flight, and some cancellations and apron build-ups. What If the Walkouts Continue? Three plausible scenarios and who wins or loses Scenario mapping must rely on the evidence of current actions and the known positions of the parties involved. Best case: Localised resolution and mitigation. Negotiation or targeted agreements -- similar to the mediated settlement that halted some planned action at Menzies Aviation in the Canary Islands -- contain the worst effects. Groundforce restores staffing during peak slots; airlines and airports prioritise baggage for connecting and long-haul services; third-party shippers and door-to-door baggage services help reunite travellers and luggage. Winners: travellers who secure contingency services and carriers that maintain schedules. Losers: providers who cannot meet backlog demands immediately. Most likely: Rolling disruption with reactive fixes. Partial agreements or ad hoc operational changes reduce but do not eliminate delays. Ground crews rotate limited stoppages across the 12 airports and the three daily time windows, producing persistent queues at carousels, intermittent flight departures without luggage, and elevated stress in operations -- conditions the UGT union has described as reflecting a breakdown in labour relations. Winners: businesses that offer logistical alternatives or proactive customer handling. Losers: families and holidaymakers facing luggage uncertainty and airlines absorbing reputational and operational costs. Most challenging: Escalation to wider, indefinite walkouts. If indefinite action continues across the scheduled slots and spreads without negotiated settlement, baggage backlogs grow, cancellations rise, and airports face sustained operational strain. The UGT union warns of severe labour relations problems; company sanctions and enforcement interventions have already been referenced in available accounts. Winners in this scenario are limited to firms that moved early to ship baggage or rebook passengers; losers include large numbers of travellers, ground-handling staff under stress, and carriers forced to operate without standard ground services. What Should Travellers, Operators and Policymakers Do Next? Immediate priorities are mitigation, transparency and targeted mediation. Practical steps noted in available guidance include using door-to-door baggage shipping options and checking flight and baggage arrangements directly with airlines, while operations teams should prioritise label-scanning integrity and passenger reunification to limit mishandled luggage. The Send My Bag company flagged four practical measures for travellers; Darren Johnston at Send My Bag emphasised that backlog and abandoned baggage are likely where handlers walk out. For employers and unions, the accounts underline that emergency mediation and urgent labour dialogue are required to stabilise services. The example of a mediated agreement at Menzies Aviation in the Canary Islands shows that rapid bargaining can call off planned action and ease pressure on specific routes. Readers should expect ongoing disruption across the identified time windows and affected hubs, plan for luggage delays, explore alternative shipping or packing strategies, and monitor airline communications. The situation will hinge on labour talks and operational responses; at this inflection point the essential takeaway is to prepare for uncertainty and contingency-plan travel around strikes in spanish airports
Anthropic Ends Claude Subscriptions for OpenClaw, Third-Party AI Agents
Anthropic has announced a significant change for subscribers of its Claude AI models. Starting April 4, 2026, at noon PT, users of Claude Pro and Max plans will be unable to connect their subscriptions to third-party AI tools like OpenClaw. This decision stems from the company's need to optimize its compute and engineering resources amidst rising demand. Impact on Subscriptions Subscribers can still utilize Claude models such as Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku with third-party agents. However, users will need to switch to a new pay-as-you-go billing structure for additional usage. This change comes as Anthropic has recognized that third-party applications do not operate as efficiently as their in-house tools. Reasons for the Change * Third-party tools like OpenClaw bypass essential efficiencies. * Increased usage has led to strain on Anthropic's systems. * Subscription models were not designed to support these usage patterns. Boris Cherny, the Head of Claude Code at Anthropic, highlighted the challenges of managing resources effectively. "We prioritize customers using our products and API," he stated in a recent post. Technical Adjustments In addition to the new billing structure, Anthropic has modified session limits for Claude users. Every five hours during business hours, users will face stricter limitations, affecting up to 7% of the user base. This has resulted in some power users reaching their token limits more quickly than expected. Compensation and Discounts * Anthropic will offer a one-time credit equivalent to the monthly subscription price, available until April 17, 2026. * Users who pre-purchase extra usage bundles may receive discounts of up to 30%. This move is meant to retain users who might consider switching to alternative models due to rising costs. Community Reactions The announcement has elicited mixed responses from developers. Some expressed frustration at the changes and the potential costs involved. Aakash Gupta remarked that running a single OpenClaw agent for an extended period could result in substantial expenses. Peter Steinberger, founder of OpenClaw, raised concerns regarding the timing of Anthropic's changes, suggesting a shift towards more closed systems. He noted that Anthropic's recent feature additions to Claude Code closely mirror those of OpenClaw, leading to skepticism about the motivations behind the limitations imposed on third-party integrations. Shifts in the AI Landscape As the AI market evolves, the contact between competitors shifts, particularly after Steinberger's recent move to OpenAI. The changes at Anthropic represent a strategic decision amidst a broader context of competition in the AI ecosystem. In summary, the era of unrestricted use of Claude AI for third-party applications is coming to an end. Moving forward, Anthropic is focusing on managing its resources to serve a wide array of clients effectively. However, this will require users to navigate a new, potentially more expensive landscape.
Jillian Michaels Shreds Dems Sowing Chaos with Fearmongering Over ICE at Airports
Fitness expert Jillian Michaels denounced Democrats for their alarmist rhetoric about President Donald Trump deploying Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to airports during a Friday episode of "Actual Friends." House [...] The post Jillian Michaels Shreds Dems Sowing Chaos with Fearmongering Over ICE at Airports appeared first on The Western Journal.
BJP's one engine runs on misusing institutions, other on stoking communal discord: TMC's Abhishek
Kolkata, Apr 4 (PTI) TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday targeted the BJP for its "double-engine" pitch, saying one engine runs on misusing democratic institutions and the other on recruiting "local agents" like AIMIM, ISF and AJUP to stoke "communal discord". In a play of words, he said in a social media post that the people of Bengal will choose a government that is of the people, by the people, and for the people and not a dispensation that is "off the people, buy the people, and far from the people". "Double engine this, double engine that. You know what the BJP's real double engine is? One engine runs on misusing democratic institutions, weaponising the Election Commission to delete genuine voters, transferring honest officers to destabilise the state machinery, and illegally importing outsiders to rig the electoral rolls," Banerjee said. "The second engine runs on recruiting local agents like AIMIM, ISF and AJUP to stoke communal discord, create unrest, split votes, and hand over advantage to the BJP. But the people of Bengal have seen through this dirty game completely," the Diamond Harbour MP alleged in the social media post. Banerjee, the national general secretary of the TMC, said Bengal will choose "Maa-Mati-Manush", a political slogan coined by party supremo Mamata Banerjee. Later, addressing a political rally in Birbhum, Abhishek Banerjee alleged that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre has forced people to stand in queues for hours during demonetization, LPG crisis and Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. "The BJP takes hasty decisions every time without considering the consequences and their effect on people." Accusing the BJP of plotting to omit lakhs of names from the electoral rolls under the garb of SIR, he said anyone whose name does not figure in the electoral rolls post-SIR, the TMC will extend help for them for re-inclusion of names into the poll list. "From roads, to Parliament and in the Supreme Court, the TMC has always stood by the people," he said. Banerjee alleged that the BJP has been trying to enrol names of people from outside Bengal into the electoral rolls here and asked everyone to remain vigilant. "Several Form 6s have been submitted to the CEO's office. But we won't allow any wrongdoing. I scrutinise it in the evening, and our party is keeping a tab on such activities," he said at the rally at Hansan in Birbhum district in support of TMC candidate Kajal Sheikh. Accusing the Modi government of labelling Bengali-speaking people as "Bangladeshis", Banerjee recalled that they had even pushed Sonali Khatun into Bangladesh, even though she and her family had been living here for ages. Khatun, a pregnant woman who, along with two of her family members and others, was pushed into Bangladesh in June last year on suspicion of being an illegal immigrant, had returned to India through the Malda border on December 6 with her eight-year-old son following the Supreme Court's intervention. Arrested in Delhi in June, these migrants are residents of Murarai in Birbhum district. Banerjee said, "It was we who had managed to bring her back, offering her legal support." Accusing the BJP of dictating people's food habits, the Daimon Harbour MP claimed Prime Minister Modi had once commented on eating non-vegetarian food during certain religious occasions. "Will the BJP dictate whether we will eat fish, chicken or mutton? Will the rioters, rumour mongers, fake news creators, and outsiders dictate what we should eat?" he posed. Banerjee claimed the TMC's return to power in Bengal for a fourth term will set the stage for the ouster of the Modi government in Delhi. The TMC will play a crucial role in installing a democratic, liberal, progressive and inclusive government at the Centre, he asserted. At an election meeting at Barabani in Paschim Bardhaman earlier in the day, he said, "When Yuva Sathi was announced, the BJP made sarcastic comments. But consider its overwhelming response, in Paschim Bardhaman alone, an estimated 1.42 lakh have enrolled for the scheme." Accusing the BJP of blocking Central funds for various welfare projects, he said, "They stopped allocation for housing schemes, but Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has introduced Banglar Bari project under which 1.5 lakh families have roofs over their heads in Paschim Bardhaman." PTI SUS NSD
Brits brace for Storm Dave chaos over Easter with 90mph winds & snow in hours
STORM Dave is due to hit parts of the UK over the Easter weekend, bringing gale-force winds as millions travel for the holiday. The Met Office has issued yellow severe weather warnings for wind covering the whole of mainland Scotland, Northern Ireland, parts of northern England and North Wales from Saturday evening into Sunday. Northern Scotland will also experience heavy rain and snowy conditions on higher ground, with a separate weather warning in place for rain and snow from Saturday afternoon. Those travelling during the warning period have been told there could be disruption on the roads as well as on rail, air and ferry services. There could also be dangerous conditions from large waves along the coastline as well as gusts of up to 90mph in exposed areas. Storm Dave will hit hardest on Saturday evening, before beginning to weaken on Sunday as it moves into the North Sea. The Met Office's forecast said: "A rapidly deepening area of low pressure, Storm Dave, will cross Scotland on Saturday night before clearing into the North Sea on Sunday. "Whilst some uncertainty remains in the exact track and shape of Storm Dave, a spell of strong south-westerly winds is expected. "Gusts of 50-60mph are expected fairly widely with 60-70mph in more exposed locations. "The strongest winds are expected during Saturday evening where there is a small chance of gusts of 70-80mph briefly, particularly northern England and southern Scotland. "Large waves may lead to some dangerous conditions around windward coasts." The Met Office also warned some areas could experience power cuts, while warning "injuries and danger to life from flying debris are possible". Earlier, the RAC predicted it would be the busiest Easter on the roads since 2022. Travel trade organisation Abta has also estimated that two million people from the UK will travel abroad between Good Friday and Easter Monday. Those driving in Scotland have been urged to check their journeys before setting off. George Fiddes, from Transport Scotland, said: "Storm Dave is a timely reminder that we can face challenging weather conditions at any time of year, not just during the winter period. "The Met Office warnings show high winds will impact the whole country this weekend, with the prospect of some areas also being affected by heavy rain and snow, so I'm urging people to plan ahead if they are travelling over the Easter period. "Motorists should check their planned routes before setting off." Police in Scotland urged HGV and bus drivers to use "extreme caution" when Storm Dave hits at the weekend. Network Rail Scotland said the worst affected lines would be on the Ayrshire coast, the East Coast Main Line and in the north-east.
'Confusion, chaos and distrust': Oregon challenges Trump's order restricting vote-by-mail
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) - Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed a lawsuit on Friday challenging an executive order from President Trump that limits voting by mail. Attorney General Rayfield joined 22 other attorneys general and one governor in an effort to block Trump's March 31 executive order. The order directs the Department of Homeland Security to create verified voter lists using federal data, including Social Security. Those lists would be transferred to states, including Oregon, to determine who is eligible to vote. Rayfield argues the order weaponizes the United States Postal Service by giving it rule-making power to determine who gets a ballot through the mail and who doesn't. "The United States Postal Service has one job: to deliver the mail. President Trump is trying to give it a second one -- deciding which Americans get a ballot," said Attorney General Rayfield. "That is not the postal service's role, it is not the federal government's role, and it is not constitutional," Rayfield argued in a statement. "Trump has spent years weaponizing federal agencies to prop up his false story that fraud cost him the 2020 election. He votes by mail. Oregonians vote by mail. And Oregon will keep running its own elections." The lawsuit argues that the executive order violates the separation of powers as the U.S. Constitution gives states the authority to conduct elections, not the president. The attorneys general further that the executive order weaponizes the Postal Service by directing it to withhold ballots from voters that are not on a federally-approved list. The attorneys general say the order would require states to upend their existing election procedures for upcoming elections and conduct statewide voter education efforts "at a dangerously quick pace - potentially within weeks of primary elections and mere months before the beginning of mail voting for the 2026 general election." The attorneys general warn that the executive order will "create confusion, chaos and distrust" in state elections while potentially disenfranchising eligible voters. Oregon Governor Tina Kotek issued a press release Friday in support of the lawsuit, saying, "Today, Oregon is moving to block President Trump's unconstitutional voter suppression effort," adding, "His attack on the fundamental right of every American to vote has nothing to do with election integrity and everything to do with silencing people so he can ultimately influence election results." In a statement shared with KOIN 6 News, White House Spokesperson Abigail Jackson defended the order, saying, "Only Democrat politicians and operatives would be upset about lawful efforts to secure American elections and ensure only eligible American citizens are casting ballots. President Trump campaigned on securing our elections and the American people sent him back to the White House to get the job done." As reported by the Associated Press, critics say Trump's executive order would offer little time to go through voter rolls before ballots are sent out this fall for elections. Critics also question whether the administration's voter lists would be reliable. AP notes that mail voting has existed for more than a century and was increasingly popular in Democratic and Republican states until 2020, when Trump hurled baseless claims of mass voter fraud in mail-in voting. These claims come as Trump himself has voted by mail as recently as last month in a Florida special election. Oregon has had mail-in voting since 1998. The state legislative fiscal office says there have been very few cases of fraud, and not enough to sway any elections. The state already uses bar codes and signature verification for mail-in ballots, which is something the president's order also stipulates. The March executive order comes after President Trump signed a similar order last year to overhaul election rules; however, the order was blocked by courts. Since then, the Trump administration has requested voter rolls from several states, including Oregon. Oregon's lawsuit was later dismissed. "Now the administration is trying again, this time using the U.S. Postal Service," the Oregon Attorney General's Office said. Rayfield is joined in the lawsuit by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the Governor of Pennsylvania.
22 Precious Puppers Spreading Pure Pawsitive Meme Chaos
Attention, fellow Fido enthusiasts: We're here to prove that doggo chaos is better than any law and order society offers. We all know that navigating through modern society can be an absolute drain to the soul. Between the awkward small talk, constant meetings, and the exhausting demands of being "civilized" (what does it even mean?), it's no wonder we often find ourselves diving into the couch. Now, compare that to the life a dog lives - pure and magnificent chaos covered in fur and powered by high-speed zoomies and fueled by stolen peanut butter that your dog definitely has no idea who stole. Dogs don't do passive-aggressive emails or fake smiles - they just do enthusiasm and a series of howlariously questionable decisions that probably made pawrfect sense in their minds. If you've ever canceled social plans specifically to hang out with your precious pupper, you have found your pack. Nothing truly beats the company of a good boy or girl who believes that rolling in something mysterious is a hobby worth practicing every visit to the dog park. That pawsitive energy is what fuels these delightful dog memes. They are packed together to bark louder than the hardships of society's expectations in the most heartwarming way possible. These loyal digital canine companions won't judge you for staying in your pajamas until mid-afternoon. If your dog won't, these doggo memes also would never. That warrants a celebration of doggo chaos - throw some yummy snacks their way. Your doggo deserves it. And you deserve the beautiful chaos of dog memes.
Polymarket ripped for taking bets on fate of downed F-15 pilot: 'Disgusting'
"Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) ripped Polymarket on Friday after the popular prediction market platform allowed users to place bets on the fate of a missing American F-15 fighter pilot shot down over Iran." "The since-deleted market offered degenerates the opportunity to wager on what date the US would confirm that the downed airman had been found - with most (63%) predicting that they wouldn't be rescued until Saturday." " 'This is DISGUSTING,' Moulton fumed on X, sharing a screenshot of the betting market....'And people are betting on whether or not they'll be saved' " https://nypost.com/2026/04/04/us-news/polymarket-ripped-for-taking-bets-on-fate-of-downed-f-15-pilot/ Donald Trump Jr. is an "adviser" at Polymarket, and Trump Jr.'s venture capital firm, 1789 Capital, also invested tens of million$ in the betting giant. (Reuters) "Polymarket secures investment from Trump Jr-backed 1789 Capital...Polymarket said on Tuesday it secured an investment from Donald Trump Jr-backed venture capital firm 1789 Capital, as prediction markets gain traction in the United States." https://www.reuters.com/business/polymarket-secures-investment-trump-jr-backed-1789-capital-2025-08-26/
PMC In Action Mode: Pune Mayor Manjusha Nagpure Pulls Up Administration After Flood Chaos
Pune: After heavy rainfall disrupted normal life in the city, the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) has swung into action. Pune Mayor Manjusha Nagpure has pulled up the civic administration over poor preparedness and ordered immediate corrective steps. Over the past three days, heavy rain has led to severe waterlogging across Pune. Roads were submerged, and water entered homes and shops in several areas. The situation exposed major gaps in the city's disaster management planning. Following public outrage, the mayor held a review meeting with senior officials of the Disaster Management Department. She expressed strong displeasure over the handling of the crisis and directed officials to act quickly. Civic data shows that around 260 locations reported waterlogging, of which 227 have been identified as critical. The administration has now prepared a plan to begin work at 120 of these spots from Monday to prevent similar situations during the monsoon. Sinhagad Road, Warje, Among Worse Hit Areas... The worst-hit areas included Sinhagad Road, Kothrud, Warje, Karvenagar, Kondhwa, Katraj, and parts of the Peth areas. Overflowing drains and clogged nullahs caused flooding in many localities. In some areas, water levels rose up to waist height, damaging homes, shops, and vehicles. Citizens criticised the PMC for its delayed response and lack of preparedness. Taking note of this, the mayor instructed officials to fix accountability and improve response systems. Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, along with other senior officers, attended the meeting. Addressing the media, Nagpure said that pre-monsoon meetings had been held and instructions were given to clean drains. However, the sudden heavy rainfall led to widespread flooding. Action Against Illegal Constructions... She also ordered strict action against illegal constructions along nullahs and streams, saying these block natural water flow and worsen flooding. In addition, the mayor directed that permissions for trimming or removing dangerous tree branches must be granted within 48 hours. She said such work should continue throughout the year and not be limited to the pre-monsoon period. Nagpure stressed the need for a modern and proactive approach. She said changing weather patterns require better planning and a clear policy to handle such situations. The civic body has now been asked to deploy adequate manpower and funds to strengthen disaster preparedness and avoid similar chaos in the coming months.
AI recruiting startup Mercor hit by cyberattack; Meta halts collaboration - The Economic Times
As per media reports, Mercor was among thousands of firms affected by the compromise of LiteLLM. Even as Mercor has claimed that the malicious code was detected and removed, the breach drew attention because LiteLLM is widely used. LiteLLM has since strengthened its compliance measures, switching from the controversy-hit compliance startup Delve to Vanta for certifications.
Dacoit Hindi Trailer Review: Adivi Sesh & Mrunal Thakur's Love-Revenge Saga Hooks, But The Chaos Is Overwhelming!
Adivi Sesh & Mrunal Thakur shine with sizzling chemistry in the Dacoit trailer but the plot feels overstuffed. Here's our honest review! The much-awaited moment is here! The official trailer of Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur starrer Dacoit was unveiled a few minutes ago. I'm impressed with the action sequences and their sizzling chemistry, but unfortunately, I got lost in the chaos. Scroll below for a detailed Hindi trailer review. Decoding the Dacoit Hindi trailer The 2-minute, 23-second trailer offers a glimpse into the tender romance between Hari (Adivi Sesh) and Juliet (Mrunal Thakur), as they dream about their wedding and family. However, their love story takes a dark, unexpected turn, landing Hari behind bars. What follows is a gripping journey fueled by vengeance, emotional turmoil, and an unbreakable bond that endures despite the odds. As fate brings them back together for the sake of their daughter, the narrative unfolds with compelling twists and turns, leaving it uncertain who will ultimately prevail in this intense love-versus-revenge saga. Dacoit Hindi Trailer Review Director Shaneil Deo had me hooked for most of the 2-minute+ promo, backed by a gripping background score. The chemistry between Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur feels intense and compelling, while the visuals, especially the graphics and action sequences, stand out as a spectacle. Anurag Kashyap's entry, the subtle Pushpa dig, and a few standout moments do catch attention, but they don't quite leave a lasting impact or build anticipation. Instead, the narrative feels overcrowded. Juggling multiple emotions, sequences, and plot threads has ultimately created confusion around the storyline. While I appreciate the intent to keep key details under wraps, the execution here leaves me uncertain rather than intrigued. Hopefully, it will all make sense on April 10, 2025, as the film hits the theatres. More about Dacoit Dacoit: A Love Story features an ensemble cast of Adivi Sesh, Mrunal Thakur, Anurag Kashyap, Prakash Raj, Sunil, Atul Kulkarni, Zayn Marie Khan, and Kamakshi Bhaskarla. The romantic action thriller is jointly produced by S.S. Creations & Suniel Narang Production. Stay tuned to Koimoi for more teaser and trailer reviews!
