News covers President Trump's lawsuits against media, his administration's efforts to unseal Epstein transcripts, clashes with Brazil's ex-president, European strategies against Russia, antitrust actions against companies and individuals, the President's challenges to the Federal Reserve and its chair, tax breaks for his golf club, impacts on BRICS nations, immigration crackdown effects, deregulation debates, new bank rules, defense company performance tied to NATO warnings, proposed EU tariffs, Epstein's legal affairs, NPR and PBS funding cuts, rejection of WHO pandemic measures, a Ukraine policy shift, tariffs hurting US farmers, trade tensions with Indonesia and China, and Sam Altman's AI alliance with Trump.

• Trump sues Wall Street Journal’s publisher and Rupert Murdoch for $10bn — Financial Times -
• Trump administration files motion to unseal Epstein transcripts — Financial Times -
• Brazil orders curfew and ankle tag for ex-president as clash with US escalates — Financial Times -

• Opinion | Europe Gets Tougher on Putin — Wall Street Journal -
• Opinion | Antitrust and the Anti-Vaxxers — Wall Street Journal -
• Opinion | Exoneration for Scott Sheffield — Wall Street Journal -
• Trump’s War With Powell Throws a Little-Known Planning Board Into Scrutiny — The New York Times Business -
• Trump golf club ditches goats — but keeps $240,000 farm tax break — Financial Times -
• One of These BRICS Is Not Like the Others — The New York Times Business -
• Trump Has Penned Letter To Fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell — The New York Times Business -
• Trump’s Immigration Crackdown Hits Senior Care Work Force — The New York Times Business -
• Oil CEOs Get Their Revenge on Biden’s Antitrust Enforcers — Wall Street Journal -
• Will a return to risk-taking rouse animal spirits? — Financial Times -
• Wall Street to trump Main Street with new bank rules — Financial Times -
• Defence companies lead the way as FTSE 100 powers to new highs — Financial Times -
• Trump pushes for 15%-20% minimum tariff on all EU goods — Financial Times -
• Pam Bondi, the Trump loyalist swallowed up by the Epstein affair — Financial Times -
• Trump’s NPR and PBS Funding Cuts Were Decades in the Making — The New York Times Business -
• US rejects WHO pandemic response measures — Financial Times -
• Trump calls for release of Epstein testimony — Financial Times -
• Trump’s remarkable Ukraine U-turn — Financial Times -
• Is the U.S. Stock Market a Riskier Investment Than Emerging Global Markets? — The New York Times Business -
• Trump Tariffs on Russia Could Hurt Wary U.S. Farmers — The New York Times Business -
• Before Trump, Indonesia Had Another Trade Headache: China — The New York Times Business -
• Michael Froman: ‘We are not taking the trade-offs as seriously as we should be’ — Financial Times -
• Threats to the Fed go beyond firing Powell — Financial Times -
• Top Fed Official Backs July Rate Cut as Trump Ramps Up Pressure — The New York Times Business -
• E.P.A. Delays Required Cleanups of Toxic Coal Ash Landfills — The New York Times Business -
• How Sam Altman Outfoxed Elon Musk to Become Trump’s AI Buddy — Wall Street Journal -

This section details Chevron's successful acquisition of Hess after a dispute with Exxon for a major oil project, soaring costs for the Sizewell C nuclear plant, a proposed **$250bn rail merger to boost US logistics, English farmers battling drought with perilously low river flows, the potential restructuring or scrapping of water regulator Ofwat due to rising sewage spills, and Union Pacific's early talks for a rail colossus**.

• Chevron Buys Hess After Beating Exxon in Dispute Over One of World’s Hottest Oil Projects — The New York Times Business -
• Ministers set to admit Sizewell C nuclear plant pricetag has soared to £38bn — Financial Times -
• A $250bn rail merger could help put US logistics on track — Financial Times -

• Chevron seals $53bn Hess takeover after Exxon fails to torpedo deal — Financial Times -
• England’s farmers battle drought as river flows fall ‘perilously’ low — Financial Times -
• Water regulator Ofwat faces being scrapped as review looks at industry shake-up — Financial Times -
• Chevron Closes Megadeal for Hess After Winning Exxon Arbitration — Wall Street Journal -
• Union Pacific in early-stage talks with Norfolk Southern to create $200bn rail colossus — Financial Times -

International economic news includes China's Leapmotor selling an affordable EV in the UK, UK sanctions against Russian spies, Xi Jinping's warning on AI and EV over-investment, the EU's new sanctions on Russian banking and energy, US tariffs boosting non-Chinese graphite producers, Wells Fargo halting China travel due to an exit ban, the EU using development aid for migration control, Europe's defense ambitions, a US rare earths deal triggering industry backlash, India's 'Make in India' subsidy revamp, and the Beijing stock exchange emerging as an IPO hub.

• China’s Leapmotor sells cheapest EV in UK after mirroring government grant — Financial Times -
• UK places sanctions on Russian spies over cyber and poison attacks — Financial Times -
• Xi warns Chinese officials against over-investment in AI and EVs — Financial Times -

• EU hits Russia with fresh sanctions aimed at banking and energy — Financial Times -
• Shares in non-Chinese graphite producers rally after US unveils 93.5% tariff — Financial Times -
• Wells Fargo halts travel to China after senior banker hit with exit ban — Financial Times -
• EU to use development aid to force third countries to cut migration — Financial Times -
• Fear of market vigilantes should not hold back EU’s defence ambitions — Financial Times -
• Pentagon’s China-style rare earths deal triggers industry backlash — Financial Times -
• New Delhi revamps flagship ‘Make in India’ subsidy scheme — Financial Times -
• ‘No longer a pet project’: tiny Beijing stock exchange becomes IPO hub — Financial Times -

This segment features **global crypto assets surging to $4tn with US lawmaker support, analyses of top- and worst-performing stocks, crypto's $4 trillion market moment following legislative wins, discussions on investment banking's evolving strategic relevance, the option for mortgage lenders to use VantageScore in addition to FICO, warnings from investment platforms about private asset plans for ISAs, crypto's role in retirement savings, the cognitive dissonance in US pro-crypto policymaking, private equity-backed insurer CFC weighing a London listing, concerns about finance stopping AI data mining, and Elon Musk backer Vy Capital closing to outside investors**.

• Global crypto assets hit $4tn as industry wins backing of US lawmakers — Financial Times -
• Checking the half-time scores on top and worst-performing stocks — Financial Times -
• Crypto’s $4 Trillion Moment — The New York Times Business -

• Is investment banking still a jewel in Wall Street’s crown? — Financial Times -
• Mortgage Lenders Can Soon Use VantageScore. Is That Good for Borrowers? — The New York Times Business -
• Investment platforms warn over private asset plan for Isas — Financial Times -
• FirstFT: Congress paves the way for crypto to be used in retirement savings — Financial Times -
• CBDC for thee but not for me — Financial Times -
• Private-equity backed insurer CFC weighs London listing — Financial Times -
• Can finance put a stop to AI data mining? — Financial Times -
• Elon Musk backer Vy Capital closes to outside investors after windfall — Financial Times -

Headlines cover the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show' at CBS due to profitability issues, highlighting the perilous state of late-night television, and Netflix's robust financial performance with significant income and revenue growth.

• Stephen Colbert’s ‘Late Show’ Was Losing Millions at CBS Before Cancellation — The New York Times Business -
• Colbert Cancellation Exposes the Perilous State of Late-Night TV — Wall Street Journal -
• ‘Late Show With Stephen Colbert’ Is Being Canceled by CBS — The New York Times Business -

• Netflix’s Net Income Leaps to $3.1 Billion — The New York Times Business -
• CBS to End ‘Late Show’ in May, Concluding Decadeslong Run — Wall Street Journal -

This topic includes E.l.f. Beauty's success in cracking the Gen Z code, McDonald's facing a lettuce shortage due to Snack Wrap demand, a viral Coldplay moment spotlighting a little-known IT company, restaurants adapting to early eating trends with discounts and surge pricing, the business ventures of BrewDog, a family feud rocking a Singapore hotel dynasty, and Qantas improving punctuality and service.

• The 60-Year-Old Beauty Exec Who’s Cracking the Code on Gen Z — Wall Street Journal -
• McDonald’s Snack Wrap Rollout Leads to Lettuce Crunch — Wall Street Journal -
• How a Viral Coldplay Kiss-Cam Moment Spotlighted a Little-Known IT Company — Wall Street Journal -

• The rise of early eating: restaurants adapt as diners shun late nights — Financial Times -
• BrewDog: IOUs and PE walk into a bar — Financial Times -
• A Family Feud Is Rocking One of the World’s Richest Hotel Dynasties — Wall Street Journal -
• From ‘ghost flights’ to extra toilets: how Qantas regained altitude — Financial Times -

This section examines health insurers denying more drug claims, the debate over replacing airline pilots with evolving tech, Truemed's start-up offering tax breaks for various purchases, how Afghanistan data leaks will haunt British politics and incur billions in costs, the inside story on the catastrophic Afghan Files leak, learning to live with wildfires, and a former UK defence secretary defending a super-injunction on the Afghan data leak.

• Heath Insurers Are Denying More Drug Claims, Data Shows — The New York Times Business -
• Opinion | Replace Airline Pilots With Evolving Tech? Not So Fast. — Wall Street Journal -
• Truemed, a Start-Up Run by an RFK. Jr. Aide, Gives Tax Breaks for Meat and Mattresses — The New York Times Business -

• The Afghanistan data leak will haunt British politics for years — Financial Times -
• The Afghan Files: the inside story on the catastrophic leak — Financial Times -
• How can we learn to live in a world beset by wildfires? — Financial Times -
• Former UK defence secretary Shapps defends Afghan super-injunction — Financial Times -