Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. Sign up for the daily digest chronicling the evolving media landscape here.    Anne Applebaum is sounding the alarm. The Pulitzer Prize-winning writer and historian published an 8,000-word piece in The Atlantic this week, warning about “the new propaganda war” and the dangers disinformation poses to the free world. The cover piece excerpted from her forthcoming book, “Autocracy Inc.”  spotlighted how autocratic forces across the globe, including Donald Trump in the U.S., are waging sophisticated information wars “to discredit liberalism and freedom.” The efforts, Applebaum stressed, are having the intended corrosive impact on the public discourse,…

Last updated: May 8, 2024 05:37 EDT | 10 min read In this report, we explore and analyze the Solana ecosystem downtime, SOL price action, and Solana meme coin action in April 2024, with a particular focus on the reasons for a staggering 56% SOL price drop. Key takeaways: The SOL price experienced a rollercoaster ride, dropping over 56% from $193 to $123 in April due to unresolved network issues and declining on-chain activity. Solana faced network congestion in April, with a staggering 75% of transactions failing at one point. This congestion was attributed to high demand, meme coin trading…

New Delhi    In March, a quiet coastal town in the western Indian state of Gujarat could have given both Davos and Coachella a run for their money. That’s when billionaires and movie stars from around the world jetted to Jamnagar, overwhelming its small airport with private planes and chartered flights. They were all there to party with Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani. The 67-year old chairman of India’s most valuable private company Reliance Industries had thrown a lavish pre-wedding bash for his son, welcoming around 1,200 guests from Silicon Valley, Bollywood and beyond. Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Ivanka Trump were among…

Theranos founder and convicted felon Elizabeth Holmes has had more time cut from her prison sentence, after her original release date was slashed by nearly two years last summer. Holmes, 40, was originally ordered to serve more than 11 years behind bars after she was found guilty in January 2022 of four counts of fraud and conspiracy for deceiving investors in her now-defunct blood-testing company. The former tech executive is serving her time at Federal Prison Camp Bryan, a women-only low-level security facility located in Bryan, Texas.In July 2023, the Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) website showed her release date had…

A four-year-girl and her two-year-old brother were swept to their deaths by a river at a mountainside California beauty spot, police said Tuesday. Their bodies were found near a tributary of the Santa Ana River Tuesday afternoon after their mother had frantically searched for them.Neither the children nor the mother have so far been identified.San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department and Yucaipa Police Department said in a joint statement that the family went to spend the afternoon at the Thurman Flats Picnic Area, to the east of San Bernardino. The tranquil spot in the San Bernardino National Forest is just off Highway…

Editor’s Note: A version of this story appeared in Business’ Nightcap newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free, here. New York    Disney managed a rare feat for a legacy media company: Its streaming service actually turned a profit with some caveats. But Wall Street still wasn’t satisfied, sending shares down more than 9%. It was Disney’s worst stock trading day in 18 months. See here: Disney (DIS), fresh off its victory in a bruising (and stupidly expensive) boardroom proxy battle last month, for the first time ever squeezed some profit out of Disney+ and Hulu, to…

Last updated: May 8, 2024 04:24 EDT | 1 min read Tradu, a trading platform owned by Jefferies’ Stratos Group, went live with a new crypto exchange aimed at active traders on Wednesday.Beginning May 8, crypto traders have the opportunity to invest in more than 40 coins, including Bitcoin and Ethereum on the platform, according to a statement.In a bid to undercut competitors, the crypto exchange said it significantly lowers trading fees. Tradu claims fees are up to 95% lower than other platforms, with a standard commission of just 0.1% and additional rebates for larger trades. The comparison is based…

As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That’s why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we’ll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can’t find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.Contribute as…

When it came to looks at the 2024 Met Gala, no stone went unturned. Even the most minute details were thought out—from the 2.8 million beads covering Gigi Hadid’s Thom Browne dress to Zendaya’s red carpet outfit change.Bags are often a neglected part of the red carpet experience, either left out of photos or a haphazard, last-minute choice. But at the 2024 Met Gala, the guests didn’t disappoint when it came to their purses.Some arrived with bags that perfectly complimented their outfits. Nicki Miniaj toted a mini Marni purse that matched her yellow dress, while Gwendoline Christie’s Maison Margiela bag…

Hey now, hey now! Hilary Duff and Matthew Koma’s relationship is what dreams are made of. The former Lizzie McGuire star and the musician, who got married in December 2019, are one of Hollywood’s most adorable couples. They’re also one of the most relatable, thanks to their social media posts about scrolling through Postmates in bed, NSFW tattoos and just being happy they found one another. “I will always choose sandwiches and 8 p.m. bedtimes over fancy date nights …. over and over again,” Duff wrote via Instagram on the first anniversary of their 2019 engagement. “My best friend, lover,…

Several California police unions have come out against a recent WalletHub study that concluded the state was the best place to be a police officer, with critics citing low morale among the rank and file because of law enforcement staffing issues and soft-on-crime polices.The report released by the personal finance website based its findings largely on compensation, training and job hazards and protection. However, it didn’t survey officers or sheriff’s deputies, said Tom Saggau, who represents several California police unions. “Some of the things that they weighed in our opinion are just bananas,” Saggau told Fox News Digital. “It’s certainly not…

Social Security’s trust funds are headed toward depletion, and without a fix from Congress, retirees will see steep payment cuts in less than a decade. The annual Social Security trustees’ report this week said the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) trust fund is on track to reach insolvency in 2033, at which point benefits would be cut by 21%. If Social Security’s Disability Insurance trust fund were combined with the OASI fund, which would require a change in the law, the funds would be able to pay the total scheduled benefits until 2035. But if reforms are not implemented by…

CHINO, Calif. () — Inmates on San Quentin’s death row are being cleared out and transferring to 19 other prisons across California in an effort to comply with Proposition 66, which was approved by voters in 2016.One of the facilities receiving the condemned is the California Institution for Men in Chino – a move that public officials and Chino Hills resident, Mary Ann Hughes, is fighting.”The nightmare of what my child had to go through in his last moments will be with me forever,” she said.Hughes’ 11-year-old son Christopher was murdered in 1983 by a man named Kevin Cooper. At…

The Public Theater has revealed the line-up for The Public’s 2024-25 Season at their landmark Astor Place home on 425 Lafayette Street and the Summer 2025 production to reopen the beloved Delacorte Theater. The Public will celebrate Artistic Director Oskar Eustis’ 20th anniversary season with a slate of mission- driven programming, including bold, innovative productions of works from the U.S. and abroad alongside The Public’s year-round artistic programs.An iconic New York theatrical institution producing Free Shakespeare in the Park since 1962 and revolutionary work downtown since 1967, The Public will feature productions by groundbreaking playwright Caryl Churchill, Lisa Sanaye Dring,…

Last updated: May 8, 2024 02:31 EDT | 2 min read LocalMonero, a peer-to-peer trading platform for the privacy-focused cryptocurrency Monero, has decided to shut down its services with immediate effect. In a Tuesday announcement, the exchange informed its users that new signups and advertisement postings for Monero trades would be disabled immediately. Furthermore, starting from May 14, the platform will no longer support trading of the privacy-focused cryptocurrency. LocalMonero Cites Internal and External FactorsWhile the company cited a combination of internal and external factors for its decision, it did not provide specific details regarding the reasons behind the closure.“After almost 7 years of operation, due to a combination of internal and external…