Take Rocky Home with LEGO PROJECT HAIL MARY Set
- LEGO Icons Project Hail Mary Collectible Building Set for Adults will let Ryland Grace and Rocky dock on your bookshelf.
If you were mankind’s one final hope for salvation, would you agree to fly halfway across the galaxy and sacrifice your life? Before you answer, the alternative is spending 30 years on a dying planet building LEGO sets. Tough, right? Well, it just got even tougher, because instead of an intergalactic trip, you can now stay back and build LEGO’s new Project Hail Mary set—and yes, it comes with a little LEGO Rocky.
LEGOLEGO Icons Project Hail Mary set will let Ryland Grace’s ship dock on your bookshelf. The 830-piece set measures 12-inches high, 9.5-inches long, and 8.5-inches wide. It is a miniature recreation of the interstellar spaceship that provided humanity with one final long-shot chance at survival in the Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s adaptation of Andy Weir’s novel. This LEGO version of the Project Hail Mary ship also comes with a functional display stand, since the only thing it can’t do is actually fly.
Most importantly, it includes LEGO minifigures for both Grace and the best character in the movie, the adorable Eridian Rocky.
LEGOBut this Project Hail Mary set is more than just a cool-looking collectible. It also moves. It comes equipped a crank on the display stand so you can turn it. That will let you “send the crew module into orbit, simulating the spaceship’s centrifugal gravity system.”
LEGOYou can send LEGO Ryland and little plastic brick Rocky to your house for $99.99. Or at least you can when it’s back in stock. Like every other Project Hail Mary collectible it’s a hot item. But we trust it’ll be back available again soon enough. Just as Eve Stratt and Ryland Grace wouldn’t let humanity down, we know LEGO won’t either.
In the meantime, you can still snag Rocky in a plush form or wear a cheeky T-shirt in his honor. Project Hail Mary heads to streaming soon, so you can build and watch at the same time.
Originally published on April 3, 2026.
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Pentagon Enters Lockdown Mode Over False Alarm
The Pentagon had multiple floors locked down and evacuated Thursday over an air quality false alarm.
“Earlier this morning, Pentagon occupants were notified of a potential air quality issue, prompting immediate precautionary safety measures and evaluation. Subsequent testing confirmed no hazard exists, and normal operations have resumed,” chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said. “We express our sincere appreciation to the first responders for their swift actions to ensure the safety of all personnel.”
Parnell had originally reported there was an “air quality issue necessitating precautionary measures.” Floors two through five in corridors four through seven were closed down, and the Arlington Fire Department’s hazmat team was also present.
This story has been updated.
Apple gives Mac devs a WSL-ish thing to call their own
Bring PROJECT HAIL MARY’s Rocky Home in Adorable Plushie Form
- You can now bring Project Hail Mary’s lovable alien Rocky home with this replica eight-inch officially licensed plushie doll.
- Rocky is too cute to resist and he costs $39.99.
- Project Hail Mary also has a ton of other cute Rocky merch to enjoy, in case the Rocky plush is sold out.
The best part of Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary? Rocky the alien. The best part of Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s big screen adaptation of the novel? Also, Rocky the alien. And now, the best collectible from the film? Oh you better believe it’s Rocky the alien. You can bring that wonderful interstellar traveler to your own home here on Earth with this delightful new figure. But unlike Ryland Grace, you’ll be able to get extra cozy with your best bud because this version is a plushie.
Project Hail Mary StoreThis officially licensed Rocky Collector Figure from the Project Hail Mary store captures everything that made the character so distinct while also making him huggable. (Huggable without the need for a protective bubble between species). Despite looking like a spot-on replica, this legendary alien isn’t make of stone. Or rock. Or whatever it is Rocky’s actually made of. It’s a plush doll that stands roughly eight inches tall and is made with “soft fabrics and polyester fiber stuffing.” (Specifically velboa fabric, nylex, and TC materials.) It’s also features the same green markings the sported in the film.
You don’t need to spend untold billions in both money and human resources, not do you need to travel halfway across the galaxy like Ryland Grace, to get close to this little guy. You can order yours now for $39.99. It will ship towards the end of April. It officially arrives on the 16th, with an expected (free) arrival date around April 20-22.
Project Hail Mary StoreGive it as a gift and you are sure to “amaze amaze amaze” anyone who knows Rocky has always been and will always be the best part of Project Hail Mary. Rocky will be the perfect plush to clutch as you watch Project Hail Mary at home on streaming.
Update: If the adorable Project Hail Mary Rocky plush is currently sold out, worry not, he may be back at any time. While you wait, you can snag a pretty cute Rocky Plush Backpack Clip or a hilarious t-shirt that shows your true Rocky affinity.
This post has affiliate links, which means we may earn advertising money if you buy something. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, we just have to give you the heads up for legal reasons. Click away!
Originally published March 24, 2026.
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Trump Team Investigates How to Deport Major Iran War Critic
The Trump administration is reportedly investigating a critic of the Iran war, threatening to revoke his green card and deport him from the U.S.
Trita Parsi is reportedly being targeted by the White House for his frequent criticisms of the Iran war. Parsi, a Swedish citizen born in Iran who holds U.S. permanent residency, co-founded the National Iranian American Council and the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a foreign policy think tank.
To some in the Trump administration, Parsi’s criticisms—and his push for diplomacy with the Iranian government—suggest more than a dissenting opinion. The administration has used immigration law against critics of its foreign policy, notably with college students who protest against U.S. support for Israel in its massacre of Palestinians in Gaza.
Parsi has for years been accused by some Iranian Americans of promoting the Iranian government’s interests, with many Republicans echoing those criticisms. Far-right influencer Laura Loomer, who has a lot of influence in the White House, called Parsi “a mouthpiece for the Iranian regime” who pushes “pro-Iranian regime talking points,” in an April X post. In May, Loomer wrote that Parsi’s “days in our country are numbered.”
Loomer may have been involved in getting two Iranian women detained earlier this year after she claimed they were related to deceased Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and others may still be taking her advice.
The State Department under Trump has detained other critics, as well, including doctoral student Rümeysa Öztürk, who wrote an op-ed column about Gaza, and Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia University graduate whom the administration is still trying to deport over his role in protests on campus against the war in Gaza.
The Quincy Institute is preparing to “cover the legal costs to prepare for—and if necessary—fight a deportation attack on Trita,” according to a memo obtained by The Free Press. If the administration pursues deportation against him, it would be a chilling attempt to disregard the First Amendment and send the message that anyone less than a full citizen of the U.S. does not have the right to free speech.
Trump calls in to ‘Fox & Friends’ to share latest hot Iran gossip
On Thursday morning, President Donald Trump called in to his allies at Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” and previewed his plans for the purported next phase of war against Iran, detailing ideas that many have described as war crimes. “My preference has always been take Kharg Island,” Trump said, referencing the Iranian island that is used for oil storage. “I don’t know that America has the…
Pool’s new app turns your screenshots into something useful
Watch Taylor Swift Perform New Song for TOY STORY 5 (And ‘You’ve Got a Friend in Me’)
- Taylor Swift’s big Toy Story 5 countdown turned out to be the announcement that the film will feature a new original song from the pop star.
Taylor Swift frequently sends her global horde of devoted fans into a manic frenzy with nothing more than a vague social media post. Sometimes they tease huge news. Sometimes they lead to nothing but clown shoes. On April 30th there wasn’t much mystery, though. The pop star wasn’t exactly subtle with her new “secret” message. For about ten minutes she posted a countdown that featured the iconic clouds from Andy’s room in Toy Story. Before she quickly took it down it was set to go off on May 2. Turns out we needed to wait an extra month to find out what it’s about. After days of teasing her involvement in the film, Disney and Pixar have finally revealed how Taylor Swift is involved with Toy Story 5.
Toy Story 5 will become “Tay Story” thanks to a new original song from Swift titled “I Knew It, I Knew You.” And yes, obviously, there’s a bunch of merch involved with this announcement. You can listen to it below… but more importantly, watch Taylor Swift perform it live. And, as a special bonus, you can catch her singing “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” alongside the icon that is Randy Newman.
From digital billboards, Jessie dancing to “Shake It Off,” and Swift putting her Toy Story timer back up on her own official site with an actual countdown, there wasn’t any mystery over Taylor Swift’s involvement with Toy Story 5. All we needed to know when the clock struck zero at 2 pm Eastern on June 1 was exactly what it meant. Previously, the film’s director, Andrew Stanton, addressed one major fan theory. He shot it down when he said a new song from Swift would not play over the movie’s end credits. But as many noted, he shot down the idea of a new Swift song playing over the end credits, not that one couldn’t play at any point. And that’s what we’re going to get.
Disney-PixarSwift’s countdown disappeared to reveal three different double-sided CDs for fans to purchase of her original song for the film. The CDs includes both an acoustic version and a piano one. Each listing said it would be for sale for 48 hours or until they sellout. Considering what we know about her fans we don’t expect them to last 48 minutes.
Taylor Swift“It’s incredible just how meaningful it’s been having Taylor write and perform this song,” said Stanton in a press release about Taylor Swift and Toy Story 5. “Her connection to Jessie and the immediate way she understood what the character was going through was undeniable. The song is so deeply connected to Toy Story. So much so that on first listen, it instantly felt like it had always belonged there, like a long-lost family member. It was kismet.”
After all that speculation, it turned out to be the most logical theory: a new song. Not that the franchise needed her help, but Taylor Swift’s involvement could help Toy Story 5 become the most successful entry in the franchise yet. Will it? There’s no mystery when we’ll find out. Pixar’s “Tay Story” comes to theaters on June 19.
Originally published on June 1, 2026.
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Race against re-entry: Swift's would-be saviour straps itself to a rocket
My Half-Baked Attempt to Cook Through the World Cup
I can’t really say why I decided to cook, or otherwise procure, a dish representing every nation at the World Cup, except that I thought it might be kind of fun, and it seemed like the least I could do. If you have a family, or a roommate, or even a cat, and are planning to spend a significant percentage of your summer on the couch, watching the most important of the least important things, you ought to find some way to pull your weight around the house—or at least, to say in advance that you’re sorry.
It was a good idea, though. And a doable one: I live in New York, a city where I can obtain just about any ingredient I could possibly need for any kind of cuisine (along with, for some reason, the worst onions you’ve ever imagined). And where, failing that, I can simply ride a few subway stops and procure a critically acclaimed meal representing first-time qualifiers Uzbekistan. Given enough time, I could have knocked this quest off slowly and gracefully.
So that was my first mistake. I neglected to plan for the fact that this men’s World Cup has—for the purposes of squeezing more money out of more people over more games—16 more countries than the last one did. That might have prompted a reconsideration of my mission, but it’s hard to walk away once you’ve announced your plan. People will just keep asking about it, and it becomes increasingly painful to force a smile and say “nope, still working on Curacao.” The burden of expectations, the sense of disappointment…You start to understand, in some small way, what it feels like to play for England.
Everyone has stewed chicken.
But I did it, starting in early March and finishing with one week to spare before Mexico kicks off against South Africa. Even with breaks for work trips, family visits, and emergency mac and cheese—or maybe because so much else kept getting in the way—the three-month odyssey was ultimately more of a burden than a heroic gesture. There were some bangers along the way: the aforementioned Uzbek; a Cape Verdean dish by way of Rhode Island; a West African meal my 3-year-old, somewhat problematically, began referring to as “dad’s chicken.” Spend enough time poking around for recipes—and even more time looking for ones that are vegetable-forward, or are not yet another national version of stewed chicken—and you start to learn a thing or two about tradition, migration, and common bonds. Maybe that was the point.
So here’s how I made it to 48, by eating, more or less in order, through the 12 groups of four teams who will meet in the tournament’s opening rounds. I want to be clear: I was not attempting to create everyone’s national dish. I did not approach this with academic rigor. I took shortcuts. I made liberal substitutions. I used random blogs and Reddit and, in one instance, TikTok. I am not trying to start anything or offend anyone; I was just a soccer fan trying to make dinner.
Group AI started inauspiciously with a Cape Malay curry from South Africa. The dish was brought to the area by Malaysians who were enslaved by the Dutch East India Company. My recipe came from The Today Show and called for 3 tablespoons of turmeric, which I should have immediately clocked as an editing error but—in the spirit of cultural exploration—dutifully followed anyway and paid a price. For South Korea I made kalbijim, from Eric Kim’s excellent Korean American: Food That Tastes Like Home, and won back a little credibility in my household; you, or at least I, simply cannot mess up braised short ribs and beef-fat croutons. Mexico was ably represented by a large order from Tacos El Bronco, and Czechia by a 1997 red-cabbage-and-apple salad recipe from the New York Times.
Group B
I split a big thing of fondue for Switzerland and wondered why I don’t eat fondue more often. Then I thought about what I had just done. The national dish of Qatar, and several other nearby states, is machboos—meat (in my case chicken) cooked with rice seasoned by an eponymous spice blend. I pulled it from an official government-sponsored cultural program’s website and it was pretty good. But what you come to realize in an eating project like this is that everyone has a national stewed chicken dish and if you aren’t being careful you could make nothing but stewed chicken for a month. For Canada, I made a New York Times recipe for coconut kale from a restaurant in Vancouver, and paired it with some maple-glazed salmon. Bosnia and Herzegovina knocked out Italy in the playoffs with a penalty from a guy who was born in Appleton, Wisconsin. I’m just sharing that so you know. I picked up three huge slices of meat, cheese, and spinach burek from a shop in south Brooklyn, and it kicked ass.
Group C
We used to have a children’s book by J. Kenji Lopez-Alt in which one of the characters refers to herself as “a tagine machine.” It’s stuck with me, long after all the pages were torn out—so I made a chicken tagine for 2022 semi-finalists Morocco and a green-pepper salad with preserved lemon to go with. It was probably too much preserved lemon for one meal, but both were nice on their own. Haiti, back for the first time since 1974, is one of the great stories of this World Cup, and the poul ak nwa I made (another stew-adjacent chicken dish, with cashews) was a worthy entry, for the first several days I ate it. Scotland showed out with rumbledethumps, which, even if you’ve never heard of it before, I feel like you intuitively know is a dish of cabbage, potatoes, and cheese. For Brazil, I baked pão de queijo, little balls of cheesy tapioca bread. They make incredible sliders.
Group D
One of the few major upsides of the Global War on Terror is that New York has a lot of people from Australia, which enabled me to get really tremendous sausage rolls from the NoMad outpost of Bourke Street Bakery in April. On balance, you would not say it was all worth it, but I would eat these every day. I should have just made chipa for Paraguay, but that felt too similar to the pão de queijo I’d just made, so I made chipa guazu instead—a sort of cheese-and-corn souffle (at least that’s how it turned out) that I take full responsibility for. At this point, a month into the project, I was starting to hear rumblings from the loved-ones I was feeding that more vegetables would be in order. Googling “Turkey” and “vegetable dish,” I found karnabahar mucveri, a baked cauliflower recipe from Ozlem Warren. The United States is also in this group; I got Tacos El Bronco again.
Group EI had never had döner kebab before, but our entry for Germany immediately slotted itself into the family sandwich rotation. I’ll admit to not having put too much thought into the choice—we have a local döner kebab shop, it has Berlin in its name, that’s good enough for me—but the kebab has become a symbol among members of JD Vance’s beloved German far-white for the kinds of people they don’t like. One of my rules for normal living is to live your life without being triggered by a sandwich. Less controversially, I made keshi yena—ground meat baked in gouda—for World Cup debutantes Curaçao, using a recipe from Oprah.com. It’s a little bit of Holland, a little bit Caribbean, but where it really shined for me was as leftovers, where you could easily repurpose the filling for chopped cheese. For Ecuador, who I rate as dark horses this year, I made llapingachos—potato patties with a bit of achiote—and a nice peanut sauce. But the real winner here might have been Côte d’Ivoire and its maafe, a stew with chicken and ground nuts that’s popular across West Africa. It was a standout in the highly competitive braised poultry category; naturally, I left it on the stovetop overnight and had to toss the rest.
Group F
Many of the Netherlands’ greatest players have roots in Suriname, which in turn has deep ties to Java, so I made goedangan, a cabbage salad with coconut dressing. Japan’s oyakodon, another saucy chicken dish, did a job when it needed to. My wife chipped in (or intervened) to make shakshuka for Tunisia; whenever I have shakshuka, I think: “I should have shakshuka more often.” And then there was Sweden. As a gift this year, I got a copy of The Nordic Cookbook, an absolute doorstop of a treatise by Magnus Nilsson that includes recipes for pilot whale and fermented Greenland shark (definitely read the instructions closely for that one). I opted for the book’s more straightforward weeknight dish of nikkaluokta soppa, a.k.a. cabbage and ground beef soup. Perfect January fare, but I made it in May.
Group G
They do eat Brussels sprouts in Brussels, it turns out. In search of roughage, I opted for “Flemish-style” sprouts, sauteed in lots of butter. I don’t like these as much as I like Belgium’s Tintin jerseys, but they’ll do right by you. For Egypt, I made dukkah, a nuts-and-spices mixture with various interpretations. Mine came from Claudia Roden’s The New Book of Middle Eastern Food: The Classic Cookbook, Expanded and Updated, with New Recipes and Contemporary Variations on Old Themes—an essential volume for Roden heads. I was unduly confident about making Samin Nosrat’s kuku sabzi for Iran because the process is similar to that of tortilla española. But there’s always a moment of hesitation, when you’re preparing to flip the puck, when you can envision the whole thing going horribly wrong, eggs and herbs ending up everywhere, a deep clean-up job, tears, apologies, a hasty search for delivery options. It turned out quite nicely, though. We spent a long time talking about making pavlova, because there was a recipe for it in the Bluey cookbook, and further research confirmed that it’s also eaten in New Zealand, but by this point, I was starting to grow wary of ambitious projects, and picked up fish and chips.
Group H
Uruguay has one food everyone talks about and it’s a sandwich called a chivito. I used to get it at a gas station in DC, but you can just make them. And then keep making them, for several days, because assembling the ingredients for even one means you end up with a ton of sliced steak, ham, bacon, and mozzarella. Most of what I know about Cape Verde is that there are lots of Cape Verdeans in southern New England, and lo if you search for the national dish—a hearty stew called cachupa—one of the first recipes comes from the University of Rhode Island. About 10,000 fans showed up to watch the national team play in Hartford in June and I think I made enough for all of them. Saudi Arabia was ably represented by chicken shawarma. For Spain, I made a tortilla española. (See above.) Versatile, filling, does what it says on the tin.
Group I
If I had to put money on anyone to win this year—and I don’t, and won’t—I guess it would be France. And if I could only have one sandwich for the rest of my life…I’m not sure it would be a jambon-beurre, but I’d be hard-pressed to improve on it. Hot dogs in Norway are often wrapped in a potato flatbread called lefse, but I put them in flour tortillas and topped mine with potato salad, fried onions, and—in lieu of lingonberries—a black cherry jam. Senegal came through with coconut collard greens and butternut squash from Pierre Thiam’s Simply West African cookbook. FIFA may have expanded the tournament to make money, but Iraq’s participation, for the first time since 1986, does feel like one small point in favor of a 48-team tournament. I picked up some lahm bi ajeen—spiced meat and yogurt served on a doughy disc. It came in a pizza box. It’s always nice when something that isn’t pizza comes in a pizza box.
Group J
I made choripan for defending world champions Argentina. It’s a portmanteau of chorizo and pan. I don’t want to insult anyone by saying it “reminds me of what you get outside of Fenway,” because it’s very different—chimichurri, salsa criolla, etc.—but still: grilled sausage with peppers and onion in any variety will transport you to the sporting cathedral of your homeland. It just feels right. We needed vegetables again, so for Jordan, making its World Cup debut, I got fattoush from a Palestinian spot in my neighborhood, and for Algeria I made a nice cucumber salad with green bell peppers and mint. Austria was one of the stars of this gustatory competition, for the simple reason that we went to a restaurant called Werkstatt (fun to say) and got some schnitzel (also fun to say!) and rösti and a giant pretzel with an anchovy-infused cheese sauce. Very nice.
Group K
If the World Cup hadn’t expanded to 48 teams, I’d already have been done. But it did expand, and I was running out of time. So by this point in late May, I was cooking a lot less and getting a lot more takeout. Arguably this entire project was just a ploy to get food for Uzbekistan from Laghman Express, a Central Asian restaurant in south Brooklyn that also has a location in Atlanta. I have already made plans to get it again on Christmas. I picked up egg tarts for Portugal from a place in Brooklyn’s Chinatown, and they tasted like a sweet, eggy cloud. For Colombia I sourced an order of bandeja paisa—a platter with steak, chicharron, rice, and egg—and some papas criollas. The last time Democratic Republic of Congo was in the World Cup it was still called Zaire. I made poulet mayo, which is chicken cooked with mayonnaise, spices, peppers, and onions. It hit the spot.
Group LI’ve always wanted to open a restaurant that only serves canapés, sort of like a Golden Corral for things you eat at weddings. We would not serve the exact mini empanadas I made for Panama, which were pulled from one of the first recipes that showed up when I searched “Panama + empanadas,” and looked vaguely like what a child might come back with if you asked them to draw the moon. But some other version might work. For Croatia we got burek again from the same place. Burek is shaping up to be a breakout star of this year’s World Cup; don’t mess with a good thing. For England, I got a bag of meat pies and pasties from Myers of Keswick in Greenwich Village. Is it coming home? Talk to me in July. But I’m definitely getting these again. For Ghana, I made kelewele—a dish of roasted plantains with an absolutely tremendous citrus, miso, and peanut butter marinade, topped with fried shallots for good measure. It was the last thing I made, with one day to spare before a family road trip that would take us out of pocket and away from our kitchen until the opening match. It might also have been the best.
The Rolling Stones Release Marvel Comics Vinyl Covers for New Album
- The Rolling Stones and Marvel have assembled a special collection with five character vinyl covers for the group’s forthcoming album, Foreign Tongues.
- The lineup includes vinyl covers for Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, Thor, and The Hulk.
If you love both The Rolling Stones and Marvel Comics, you’re about to get a whole lot of satisfaction. The two iconic institutions are proving that movie theaters aren’t the only place to have an epic crossover event. The band is releasing five special vinyl versions of its new album, Foreign Tongues. Each The Rolling Stones x Marvel collab album will feature a different Marvel superhero and a matching comic insert.
Henson/MarvelThe Rolling Stones and Marvel have assembled a special collection to promote the iconic group’s forthcoming album Foreign Tongues. U.S. music fans and superhero enthusiasts alike can now pre-order five vinyl variants of the record. Each celebrates one of five Marvel heroes. The lineup includes Spider-Man, Captain America, Wolverine, Thor, and The Hulk. (Star-Lord is going to be FURIOUS when he finds out he didn’t make the cut on a rock-n-roll/Marvel promotion.)
Henson/MarvelEvery special vinyl also comes with a custom comic book insert featuring matching artwork by Marvel illustrators specifically designed for this release.
Henson/MarvelEach version of the Marvel albums will include the same 14-song record that The Rolling Stones recently announced. Foreign Tongues will arrive on July 10, the same day as these Marvel variant versions. The album features Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Woo, and some very special guest appearances. In addition to longtime collaborators Darryl Jones, Steve Jordan, and Matt Clifford, you’ll also hear Steve Winwood, Paul McCartney, Robert Smith of The Cure, and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith. Best of all is that the album also includes the band’s longtime drummer, Charlie Watts. The record features music he recorded during what the band says was one of his final studio sessions before his passing in 2021.
The band has already released its first single from the record, “In the Stars.”
Is there any obvious connection between The Rolling Stones and Marvel superheroes? Obviously. Superheroes can live forever, no matter what they do. We’re pretty sure that whole concept is based on Keith Richards.
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Thursday morning traffic: Closures along Highways 1, 9, 152
This post is updated throughout the day to reflect the latest incidents. It was last updated at 8:01 a.m.
Here’s what’s happening on Santa Cruz County roads this morning…
▼︎ new incidents ▼︎ long-term incidents
Road incidents as of 8 a.m. on June 11- A 5-foot-wide Comcast communication line fell and blocked both lanes of the road at 1500 Smith Grade in Bonny Doon. The road was completely closed, and fire and utility crews responded. The incident was reported yesterday.
- South Highway 1 is facing closures at Park Avenue in Capitola because of road excavation work. The closure is expected to last until Aug. 19.
- Highway 9 at Cascade Avenue in Brookdale has one-way traffic due to ongoing work. This closure is expected to last until Aug. 31.
- There will be alternating lane closures on Highway 9 at Pool Drive in Boulder Creek because of bridge work. This is scheduled to continue until April 30, 2027.
- A lane on westbound Highway 152 at Clifford Drive/Ohlone Parkway in Watsonville is closed for asphalt paving. The closure is expected to last until July 3.
- Lompico Road at 12320 in Felton will be closed to vehicles today during work hours from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. while MGE Underground replaces a crossarm and cutouts.
- The California Highway Patrol helped with construction work at the intersection of Highway 9 and Highway 236 in Boulder Creek today.
These have been going on for a while, but are still worth keeping in mind.
- River Road at 618 River Rd. in Boulder Creek will be closed to vehicles on June 11 from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. while crews repair a connector and replace a broken crossarm.
- Thurber Lane near 4672 Thurber Lane in Santa Cruz will be fully closed from June 8-12 during work hours (8:30 a.m.-4 p.m.) for tree trimming and vegetation management by county crews.
- Single lane closures are in place on Soquel Drive between Huntington Drive and Jaunell Road in Aptos from today through June 12, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. while county crews do overhead tree trimming.
Disclosure: Traffic incidents are partially generated by artificial intelligence. We are constantly working to improve the accuracy and quality of our AI-generated content. However, there may still be errors or inaccuracies. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us.
The post Thursday morning traffic: Closures along Highways 1, 9, 152 appeared first on Lookout Santa Cruz.
Trump Is “Going to Blow” Up Over Pushback Against New Intel Chief
The White House is corroding from the inside.
The president is reportedly “pissed” and “increasingly frustrated with everyone” surrounding him—though the drama seems to be a mess of his own creation.
The pressing issue started last week, when Donald Trump suddenly appointed Bill Pulte—a real estate developer serving as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency—to run U.S. national intelligence in place of the outbound Tulsi Gabbard.
Democrats and some Republicans on the Hill immediately opposed Pulte’s appointment and were quick to point out that the PulteGroup heir would come to the job with zero national security experience, a direct violation of the law, which specifically requires a director of national intelligence to have “extensive” national security experience.
Lawmakers have accused Trump of nominating Pulte for his own personal benefit: “The apparent motivation for his elevation is the demonstrated willingness of Bill Pulte to search government databases for alleged dirt on President Trump’s chosen political enemies,” House Democratic leadership wrote in a statement Thursday.
At risk thanks to Pulte’s nomination is the imminent expiration of FISA Section 702, a statute that allows federal agencies such as the NSA and the CIA to surveil people without warrants. That statute is slated to expire Friday, but Democratic leadership has indicated it won’t vote to renew it “without meaningful reforms,” emphasizing Pulte’s recent promotion in its demands.
Senate Republicans expected Trump to find an off-ramp on the matter—House Speaker Mike Johnson even visited the White House Tuesday to discuss it. But they were wrong.
Trump was irate with “everyone, from his own team to the Senate,” a MAGA-world operative close to the White House told Politico Thursday, highlighting Senate Republicans’ opposition to Trump’s $400 million White House ballroom, his $1.8 billion “anti-weaponization” fund, and the general disregard for Trump’s desire to fire Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough after she identified procedural problems in the SAVE Act.
“He’s pissed, and people are not recognizing the level of pissed that he is,” the operative added. “He does not like being put in a box. When you put him in a box, then Trump’s going to blow the box up.”
The message was received loud and clear. One senior GOP staffer described Trump’s recent moves to Politico as “a middle finger to Congress.”
Trump is also furious that his preferred candidate for Iowa governor, Representative Randy Feenstra, lost his primary last week. “He’s really angry about this Iowa endorsement—like really, really angry,” a White House ally told Politico. “He’s really angry that his consultants and people pushed him to do that.”
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In the wake of new reports detailing behind-the-scenes efforts by the White House to public outrage over the Epstein files, former MAGA acolyte Marjorie Taylor Greene was asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins for her reaction. According to excerpts from New York Times reporters Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan’s forthcoming book, Vice President JD Vance suggested that right-wing broadcaster Tucker…
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CBS Hit With Fresh Scandal Over Ousted 60 Minutes Correspondent
60 Minutes correspondent Cecilia Vega was fired while she was in the midst of a feature on Francesca Albanese, U.N. special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories—perhaps the most prominent institutional voice against Israel’s genocide of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
“Cecilia Vega and her team were indeed working on a report for CBS examining the impact of the U.S. sanctions on my work and personal life, including developments in the U.S. courts,” Albanese wrote on X Thursday morning, confirming reporting from Zeteo. “I am sorry they were punished.”
Vega was fired by CBS head Bari Weiss at the end of May, along with Sharyn Alfonsi—who lambasted Weiss’s decision to push back her report on the notoriously inhumane CECOT megaprison in El Salvador—executive producer Tanya Simon, and executive editor Draggan Mihailovich.
The timing of Vega’s firing is extremely questionable given that Weiss and CBS owner David Ellison are staunch Zionists aligned with the Trump administration. Albanese has been sanctioned by the United States, has had multiple European countries call for her resignation, and has faced a wave of personal attacks online for her Palestinian advocacy.
FIFA Peace Prize Recipient Vows to Hit Iran ‘VERY HARD’ on First Night of World Cup
On Thursday, President Donald Trump said that the US would strike Iran “VERY HARD TONIGHT,” in a bid to “assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets.”
Trump made the statement in a Truth Social post, comparing the effort to the US military kidnapping Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January and taking over the country’s multi-billion-dollar oil industry.
The possible strikes come on the same day as the first two World Cup matches, the global soccer tournament organized by FIFA, a corrupt governing body, whose president awarded Trump the FIFA Peace Prize for his “unwavering commitment to advancing peace and unity.” Among the achievements FIFA cited: playing “a pivotal role” in establishing a ceasefire and promoting peace between Israel and Palestine.”
View this post on InstagramAs I wrote in May, Trump has used his supposed success in Venezuela as fuel for subsequent takeovers attempts of Iran and Cuba. If he sees his legacy on the line—with both his and Israel’s war in Iran and the World Cup—the possible consequences look dire.
According to data from Iran’s government ministries, nearly 3,500 people have been killed since February 28, and, per a Wednesday report from the New York Times, the US military may have already hit two water facilities serving thousands of people in Iran (which many international law experts label as a war crime).
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Trump Gives Pathetic Justification for Claim About Loving Inflation
President Donald Trump’s attempt to explain his sudden “love” for high inflation just made things so much worse.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office Wednesday, Trump brushed off a bleak inflation report finding that America’s annual inflation rate had reached its highest levels in three years.
“The numbers were great. You know what I really love? I love the inflation,” Trump said.
Speaking on the phone with the New York Post later that day, Trump claimed he’d been taken out of context. “I love the inflation numbers because of what I’m talking about,” he said.
“The numbers are going to be phenomenal because what’s showing is that despite the fact that we’re in a war, the numbers are much lower than anticipated, and when we’re out of that war, the numbers will be at lower numbers than they were even before it started,” Trump claimed.
Inflation is not any lower than anticipated. Last month, a group of economists surveyed by Bloomberg estimated the consumer price index would rise to 3.9 percent. The Organization for Economic Cooperation raised its prediction up from 3 to 4.2 percent. Per Wednesday’s Bureau of Labor Statistics report, the current inflation rate is 4.2 percent.
Still, Trump attempted to repackage the fastest-growing inflation in three years as better than it could’ve been and a sign of good things to come. That’s not good enough for Americans who are struggling to pay for gas, rent, and groceries because of a reckless war with no end in sight.
Trump also dismissed Democrats who’d criticized his gushing over high inflation.
“They’re so bad,” Trump said. “I was talking about inflation numbers that will be so good as soon as the war ends. The numbers will come way down, that’s what I’m talking about.
“I’m always taken out of context,” the president continued. “My inflation numbers will be very low as soon as the war—they’re already very low, but they’ll be very low, because you know the energy brings them up a little bit, because we have to stop Iran from having a nuclear weapon.”
Of course, that doesn’t even begin to qualify as being taken out of context. It was Trump who elided the actual context of the question: the current inflation rate. Not future numbers, or predictions, but the painful reality that Americans are literally paying the price for Trump’s wildly unpopular war. Was he concerned? No, he was delighted.
If anything, the president’s baffling remarks have handed Democrats a winning message for the midterm elections: Trump loves inflation, and thinks that anyone whose struggle to make ends meet should thank him that things aren’t worse.