Trump envoy seeks to replace Iran with Italy at World Cup, says report * US special envoy Zampolli hopes for Italy involvement * Doubts remain over Iran’s participation An envoy to the US President Donald Trump has asked Fifa to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday. The plan is an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Continue reading...

Trump envoy seeks to replace Iran with Italy at World Cup, says report

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Zoe Peters Zoe Peters died at 76 from a heart attack, assuming the medical examiner accepts her husband’s bribe.

Kash Patel’s Erratic Behavior Could Cost Him His Job The FBI director has alarmed colleagues with episodes of excessive drinking and unexplained absences.

Kash Patel’s colleagues are alarmed by what they say is erratic behavior and excessive drinking, Sarah Fitzpatrick reports. More than two dozen people she spoke with described his management failures and conduct that could harm national security.

Hampshire College Will Close Amid Student Enrollment Declines Hundreds of small private colleges like Hampshire have closed in recent years as financial pressures and competition for students increase.

Hampshire College, a small liberal arts school in Massachusetts, will permanently shutter, joining an epidemic of college closures. It's the alma mater of the filmmaker Ken Burns, who made his first documentary movie as a student there.

///BREAKING/// The 7th Circuit has ordered former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore and lobbyist Michael McClain RELEASED from federal prison pending a new trial.

Flimsier Cabinets and Fewer Windows: Home Builders Are Skimping on the Basics Builders are pinching pennies to maintain profits in a stagnant housing market, choosing lower-end fixtures and synthetic over natural materials.

Builders are pinching pennies to maintain profits in a stagnant housing market, choosing lower-end fixtures and synthetic over natural materials. on.wsj.com/4vrFYRN

Council committee backs raising Chicago cab fares by 20% to save ailing taxi industry

Chicago taxicab fares could soon rise by 20% — the first rate hike in a decade — to save a once-dominant industry whose monopoly was, as one City Council member put it, “eviscerated” by Uber and Lyft.

Already Under Financial Pressure, Midwest Soybean Farmers are Squeezed Further by Tariffs, Iran War The high cost of fuel, equipment, and fertilizer — compounded by the Iran war — and also tariffs, perceived “price gouging” by suppliers, and low soybean prices driven by a global supply glut.

The high cost of fuel, equipment, and fertilizer — compounded by the Iran war — and also tariffs, perceived “price gouging” by suppliers, and low soybean prices driven by a global supply glut. All of it weighs on Midwest soybean producers.

Grateful for another challenging and rewarding season on the Bulls beat.

Lots more TK — starting with tonight’s WNBA draft!

The Internet's Most Powerful Archiving Tool Is in Peril As major news outlets cut off the Wayback Machine, journalists and advocacy groups are rallying to protect the Internet Archive’s vast collection of web pages.

Journalists know that losing the Wayback Machine would be a nightmare: www.wired.com/story/the-in...

An Iran War Winner: China’s Green Industrial Complex Beijing’s push to sell its solar and wind power to the world has gained momentum from troubles in the Middle East.

The Iran war’s disruption of Middle East oil and gas supplies is driving countries toward renewable energy, boosting demand for Chinese technology.

Hungary election live: Viktor Orbán concedes defeat in Hungarian election after 16 years in power Long-serving prime minister beaten by opposition after early results showed clear lead

Hungary election live: Viktor Orbán concedes defeat in Hungarian election after 16 years in power

Okay CTA. This is a good sign.

The University of Michigan has been measuring consumer sentiment since 1952. We just got the first Iran-afflicted measure for April, and it's at the lowest level ever recorded.

Chicago Cops Did Little to Probe Gun Stolen From Police Station and Used in Three Shootings, New Records Show The Glock was later used in three shootings, but no one was ever charged in the gun's theft, nor was any officer disciplined.

A Chicago police sergeant told internal affairs he thought another cop stole a gun from his district tact office.

CPD Internal affairs didn't add the theft allegation to their case file, closed the case without more interviews, only reopened their case after we asked CPD about the theft. #chicago

Column: Institutional failure sent Angel Reese out of Chicago. Sky owner Michael Alter must break the cycle — or sell. For the Chicago Sky, this rapid divorce with Angel Reese reflects deeper flaws in how the front office and ownership manage their top players.

Institutional failure sent Angel Reese out of Chicago.

Sky owner Michael Alter must break the cycle — or sell the team.

The Bulls have fired Artūras Karnišovas and Marc Eversley. New era will begin for the front office after a ruinous run over the last four seasons.

Chicago Sky trade Angel Reese for 2 future 1st-round picks after 2 rocky seasons The Chicago Sky made a blockbuster trade Monday to send two-time WNBA All-Star Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for a pair of first-round picks.

The Chicago Sky traded Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream.

After months of open dissatisfaction from the star, this move closes another short-lived (and unsuccessful) chapter of the team’s history.

Final Planet of the Apes scene with half buried Statue of Liberty on beach.

Artemis II crew returning to Earth.

Scientists Create Plant That Produces Ayahuasca, Shrooms, and Toad Psychedelics All At Once The proof-of-concept system produces psilocybin, DMT, and other compounds in leaves of the tobacco plant, potentially easing pressure on wild species and preserving Indigenous traditions.

Scientists have engineered tobacco plants to produce five psychedelic compounds that are normally found in a wide range of natural sources, including psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, and toads. www.404media.co/scientists-c...

“‘I have never, ever seen price hikes this steep and this quick”: How the Iran war’s ripples have brought a lucrative reversal of fortune to U.S. chemical makers like Dow and LyondellBasell Shares of Dow, LyondellBasell and others have gotten a significant boost as war blocks competitors’ supply route.

Shares of Dow, LyondellBasell and others have gotten a significant boost as war blocks competitors’ supply route. on.wsj.com/4vdAEBq

One year on from "Liberation Day," Trump’s tariffs have altered supply chains — just not in the way he envisioned.

Read more: bloom.bg/41E9GFE

NASA Launches Astronauts on Historic Moon Flight The Artemis II mission seeks to accomplish a lunar return with an astronaut flyby.

Four astronauts took off on a journey to the moon, a mission intended by NASA to ignite a new era of space exploration

He’s wearing an Arsenal jersey so he’s clearly a smart and classy fellow. Give him an internship, already.

You’ve got a World Cup penalty.

Where are you aiming?

Subscribe and read more penalty analysis in this week's newsletter: newsletter.theanalyst.com/p/stat-viz-q...

Column: The Jaden Ivey debacle is another embarrassing failure for Artūras Karnišovas and the Chicago Bulls If Artūras Karnišovas can’t vet his trades, why should he be empowered to continue running the Chicago Bulls front office?

As a queer person covering the Bulls, the team’s response to Jaden Ivey's homophobic comments came as a relief.

But the guard’s beliefs — and willingness to vocalize them — were not a surprise.

If Artūras Karnišovas can’t vet his trades, why should he continue running the Bulls front office?

Exclusive | Trump Weighs Military Operation to Extract Iran’s Uranium The president hasn’t made a decision, U.S. officials said, as he considers the risk to U.S. troops.

Exclusive: Trump is weighing a military operation to extract Iran’s uranium, a risky mission that would likely put American forces inside the country for days or longer.

Sorry, Caleb. He’s right.

This remains one of the most cuckoo bananas Chicago stories of recent years.