4/24/2025: Bond Villain or Climate Activist?

PLUS: Tariff Talk; Swift Subpeona; and Andrew’s Hobby

Today is Thursday, April 24, 2025.

It is the 114th day of the year.

251 days remain.

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

WHAT’S ON TAP

NOTABLE & NOTEWORTHY: ELON MUSK takes a step closer to (essentially) owning his own city.

KENDRICK LAMAR leads the AMA nominations. More in SHOWBIZ.

A former football player will try his hand at finding love on a reality show. Details in CASTING CALL.

PRINCE ANDREW develops a new hobby as he potters around the Royal Lodge. Details in ROYALS.

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TARIFF TALK

– PRESIDENT TRUMP said during remarks in the Oval Office on Wednesday that he anticipates finalizing tariff rates with China in the next two to three weeks. Trump said if China doesn’t come to the table before then, he’ll set the price and let them decide how to proceed: “They can make a determination whether or not they want to do business with the United States,” Trump said.

– For their part, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, “We don’t want to fight, but we are not afraid of it. If we fight, we will fight to the end; if we talk, the door is wide open.”

– Treasury Secretary SCOTT BESSENT underscored the commitment to secure a deal with China, and get new trade terms done quickly, during a Wednesday morning speech that sent stocks soaring. Notably, Bessent said that “America First does not mean ‘America Alone.’”

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Voting is underway in southern Texas to determine whether a new town can be incorporated called Starbase, Texas – a longtime project of SPACEX head ELON MUSK.

Of the 279 people who currently live in the 1.5-square-mile area that would become the new town, about 250 moved to the area in the last few years to be part of SpaceX, whose campus would compose most of the new municipality. In fact, voting was held at a SpaceX building that’s typically closed to the public.

Voters are also selecting a new town government. Only one candidate is running for mayor, SpaceX’s security manager, Gunnar Milburn. There are three SpaceX employees vying for two town commissioner slots.

Incorporating a city gives Musk flexibility to expedite approvals for the infrastructure to accommodate what he envisions as being an all-encompassing company town for SpaceX staff and their families.

Voting is open until May 3. [via Ballotpedia]

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It’s time to play “Bond Villain or Climate Change Activist?”

The British government is reportedly in the final stages of approving a new technology that would deploy chemicals into the atmosphere to reflect sunlight away from Earth in an effort to control the weather. (And if there’s one thing Britain is known for, it’s for it’s sunny climes, said no one ever).

The Advanced Research and Invention agency is gearing up to dole out 50 MILLION Pounds worth of grants in the coming weeks for “small controlled outdoor experiments on particular approaches,” says one program director.

DON’T WORRY: The grants will prohibit the release of any toxic chemicals, so what could go wrong? [via DailyMail]

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You should never drink and drive. And you shouldn’t drink and drive if you’re working. And you really shouldn’t drink and drive if you’re a mail carrier.

A Florida woman has been arrested, accused of attending a house party in Melbourne while on her route. She was later busted for driving the wrong way and swerving in and out of traffic on South Harbor City Boulevard – for any readers who may be familiar with the local geography of Melbourne.

When police made contact, the worker, 33-year-old Katelyne Dye, “appeared confused and disoriented,” according to the police report, and failed her field sobriety test. Dye said she only had two shots of vodka and was swerving because she was falling asleep.

She’s been booked into Brevard County jail.

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Ever witness a moose migration? Now's your chance!

From now through May 4, livestream remote cameras will capture dozens of moose as they swim across the Angerman River -- about 187 miles northwest of Stockholm -- in an annual spring migration.

The cameras run 24 hours a day, for 20 days straight, capturing the animals walking a route that’s been traveled for thousands of years.

Last year, more than 9 million tuned in to watch the migrating moose. [via AP News]

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