Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🏛️ Trump’s 2027 budget
• 🇺🇸 America’s fastest-growing region
• 🧸 NeeDoh mania

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.70-minute read (983 words).

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“I believe that one of life's greatest risks is never daring to risk.”

–Oprah Winfrey (b. 1954)

Late last week, President Trump unveiled a proposed federal budget for 2027 that pairs a major increase in military spending with cuts to domestic programs, laying out how the White House looks to spend federal dollars in the coming years.

The proposal marks a significant shift in federal spending priorities, reshaping funding across areas like public health, education, housing, and scientific research.

Let’s break it down: Under Trump’s proposed budget, defense spending would increase by ~44% to $1.5 trillion, while non-defense spending would drop by ~10% (or $73 billion).

• Individual spending cuts include greatly reduced budgets for the EPA (-52%), National Science Foundation (-55%), and Small Business Administration (-67%).
• Meanwhile, the Justice Department would be one of the few agencies to see a budget increase (+13%).

How both sides see it

The White House says its proposed budget is designed to rebuild military capacity and strengthen national security, while reducing spending on programs they view as unnecessary or outside the federal government’s core responsibilities. They also frame the proposal as part of a broader effort to curb federal spending, with some officials pointing to the need to address long-term deficits.

On the flip side: Critics, including many Democratic lawmakers and pundits, warn the cuts would significantly reduce funding for scientific research, environmental protection, and small business support. Those changes could slow innovation, weaken long-term economic growth, and limit federal support for key public services.

Some lawmakers in both parties have also raised concerns about the scale of the reductions, with early reactions signaling the proposal is likely to face major revisions in Congress. They also note that a proposed 44% bump in defense spending would represent one of the biggest such increases in modern history.

Looking ahead…The president’s budget proposal is more a statement of priorities to Congress, rather than a final plan of action. The House and Senate will now review Trump’s proposal and create their own budget resolutions, which must be negotiated and merged before heading to Trump for a final signature or veto.

📊 Flash poll: In general, do you support or oppose President Trump’s proposed federal budget for 2027?

• Support
• Oppose
• Unsure/other

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Here are five stats from this past week that made our team go “whoa.” Hopefully you will, too.

🇺🇸 The Southeast US was home to nearly all of the fastest-growing US metro areas last year, led by Ocala, FL (+3.4%), Myrtle Beach, SC (+3.2%), and Spartanburg, SC (+2.8%).

🏀🎓 Nearly 2,000 D1 men's basketball players—about half of all scholarship players—have already entered the transfer portal since it opened this Tuesday, according to Yahoo Sports.

💰 Americans lost $7.2 billion to crypto investment scams in 2025, making it the top source of the combined $20+ billion lost by Americans to fraud last year, per the FBI.

🤖🔍 Google’s new AI overviews were accurate on 91% of queries in February, up from 85% in October, per a new analysis from the NY Times and AI start-up Oumi.

📵 At least 11 states now have individual restaurants or bars with some form of phone restriction or digital detox, led by five such venues in Washington, D.C., according to Axios.

BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🛻 Kia to launch new midsize pickup truck in the US by 2030, including at least one hybrid option. | Tesla developing a smaller, cheaper electric SUV, Reuters reports.
• 📬 US Postal Service is temporarily suspending employer pension contributions and seeking a four-cent stamp price hike amid financial difficulties.
• 📲 Meta has begun removing ads from lawyers seeking clients who claim to have been harmed by social media while underage.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🌞 25th Coachella Festival starts today in Indio, California; headliners include Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber, and Karol G. | 🎬 2026 Cannes Film Festival lineup announced ahead of event, which runs May 12-23.
• 🎭 The Housemaid author Freida McFadden reveals her true identity as Sara Cohen, a doctor who treats brain disorders when not writing bestselling thrillers. | Bridgerton announces new cast members for Season 5.
• 🏈 DOJ reportedly investigating whether NFL has violated anticompetitive practices with TV contracts that require multiple subscriptions from consumers.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🚀 Artemis II astronaut crew set to return to Earth on Friday from record-breaking trip around the Moon; the four astronauts are expected to splash down off the coast of Southern California around 7 pm CT.
• 🧬💊 Variations in two genes that help regulate appetite and digestion may account for why some patients experience different weight-loss results or side-effects when taking GLP-1 drugs.
• 🎗️💒 US adults who never married faced “substantially higher rates” of developing cancer compared to people who were or had been married, per new analysis of 100+ million Americans aged 30+.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 💥 Iran war: Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed despite Iran's promise to reopen the waterway as part of 11th-hour ceasefire deal announced by President Trump; Iran reportedly wants to impose a $1/barrel toll on oil tankers, paid in cryptocurrency.
• 🌡️ This past March was the America’s hottest in 132 years of recordkeeping, according to new federal climate data; March’s 50.9°F average temp was fueled by unusual heat wave across Western US.
• 🏛️ First Lady Melania Trump makes surprise White House appearance in which she denies having ties to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and calls on Congress to hold public hearing for his victims.

👆You’re looking at one of the most expensive homes in Paradise Valley, Arizona, which recently hit the market with an asking price of $27.5 million. The three-bedroom home, built into the side of Mummy Mountain, is being sold by Steve Sanghi—president and CEO of Microchip Technology Inc—and his wife Maria.

🤔 Did you know? Rhode Island may be the smallest US state, but it’s actually larger than many of the world's smallest nations, including Singapore, Malta, and Maldives. Altogether, the 17 smallest countries combined are only slightly larger than Rhode Island.

📰 Worth a read: Jesus’s burial cloth or medieval forgery? The debate over the Shroud of Turin

🖱️ What we’re clicking:

• Why is math harder for some kids than others?
• The engagement ring is having an identity crisis
• Why everyone is hunting for NeeDohs

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How well did you pay attention this week? Find out here.

1. What’s the distance between −12 and 5 on a number line?
2. A movie ticket costs $14. You buy 3 tickets and use a $5 coupon. Then 10% sales tax is added. How much do you pay in total?
3. A car travels 150 miles in 3 hours. How far will it travel in 2 hours at the same speed?

🌪️ An Applebee’s manager in Michigan faced her lifelong fear head-on when a tornado suddenly touched down last month. She stayed calm, and ended up helping quickly pack everyone into a windowless prep area. Thanks to her fast thinking, everyone walked away unharmed.

1. 17
2. $40.70
3. 100 miles

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