Daily Briefing: Katy Perry will fly faster than the speed of sound
Good morning!🙋🏼♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. These "American Idol" covers could be better than the originals.
Quick look at Monday's news:
- Blue Origin is on the cusp of ferrying its next crew of celebrities and notable people to the edge of space.
- Forecasters say the economy will nearly stall or slip into recession.
- Rory McIlroy wins the Masters — and a career Grand Slam.
11 minutes with a window view of Earth
Six notable women, including pop star Katy Perry and journalist Gayle King, are set to launch into space on a Blue Origin rocket Monday morning.
Flying like a firework: Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft will fly to space at more than three times the speed of sound. The spacefarers will pass the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space 62 miles above Earth, before unbuckling to float weightless and gaze at our planet. The crew will return gently under parachutes. Who's joining Katy on the ride?.
Authorities arrest suspect after fire at Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro's home
A person was taken into custody in connection with a suspected arson attack that caused a "significant amount of damage" to the home of Gov. Josh Shapiro, authorities said, hours after the Pennsylvania lawmaker's family celebrated the start of Passover. His family was safely evacuated from the residence by state troopers, and no one was injured, the governor added. Shapiro described the incident as an attack "not just on our family, but on the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania."
More news to know now
- Kilmar Abrego Garcia is "alive and secure" in an El Salvador prison, the Trump administration said.
- Changes to USPS mail delivery are underway.
- A helicopter company shut operations after a deadly New York crash, the FAA says.
- Six are dead after a small plane crashed in upstate New York.
- Trump's sights are set on the national African American history museum.
What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.
'It is time for you to leave the United States'
These were the words in the first sentence of an email from the Department of Homeland Security received by scores of asylum seekers living in Arizona. The recipients who received the notifications were paroled into the U.S. through the CBP One app during the Biden administration, according to immigration lawyers and refugee resettlement groups. President Donald Trump frequently criticized the app, saying it facilitated the abuse of the asylum system by migrants and smugglers. One migrant shared her reaction to the email: "It's fear."
The economy will likely slow to near-standstill
Forecasters have a bleak outlook on the U.S. economy because of President Trump’s escalating trade war even amid his 90-day pause of the highest tariffs on more than 50 countries − and they see the odds of a recession as a toss-up.
More economic news from Paste BN:
- What does Trump's temporary pause on tariffs for tech mean for you?
- The bond market sell-off is more worrisome than the one in stocks.
- Trump's approval rating fell as 59% say the economy is in bad shape.
- Trump advisor: Tariff twists are "unfolding exactly like we thought it would."
Today's talkers
- The 2025 running back class could be one of the deepest the NFL draft has ever seen.
- Justin Bieber is "crashing out" according to fans.
- Nico Iamaleava's Tennessee football career is over after a NIL dispute.
- Life flourishes even under 500 feet of ice.
- They came for summer jobs and stayed 40 years: Meet Dollywood’s original dream team.
Rory McIlroy takes the Masters
Rory McIlroy won the 89th Masters on Sunday, becoming the sixth player to complete the career Grand Slam. His victory was the culmination of an 11-year journey of doubts and disappointments, of resilience and reckoning, of vexation before validation. When McIlroy double-bogeyed the first hole, briefly coughing up the lead to Bryson DeChambeau as they walked to the third tee, a sense of dread crept into the massive galleries that the worst might be happening — but it didn't.
Photo of the day: Look how Heidi's doin'
"The Hills" alum Heidi Montag took to the stage in the California desert for weekend one of the Coachella music festival. Montag's performance channeled her song titled, "The Party Is Wherever I Am."
Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.