U.S. Sanctions Lead to Increased Iranian and Russian Oil in Transit, Driving Up Prices

Michael Smith, a North Carolina medical clinic owner, has been arrested as part of the first AI streaming fraud case in the U.S., accused of generating over $10 million through fraudulent means. According to federal prosecutors, Smith allegedly deployed software bots to artificially inflate stream counts of AI-generated music, leading to a reported billion streams but no actual fan engagement. Smith and collaborator Jonathan Hay released a jazz album, "Jazz," in 2018, which initially gained popularity but vanished from charts shortly after. Suspicion grew when analytics indicated a peculiar listening pattern concentrated in unexpected regions like Vietnam. Investigations revealed that Smith directed staff at his clinics to stream the tracks, resulting in streaming service flags for fraudulent activity. The Boston-based AI song generator Boomy, linked to Smith, produced thousands of tracks that were assigned to fictitious artists with bizarre names, further complicating the scheme. Smith pleaded not guilty, while Hay, who claims ignorance of the fraud, has cooperated with authorities and expressed relief at the investigation.

A small private plane crashed in a San Diego neighborhood early Thursday, igniting fires in at least 15 homes. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the incident occurred around 3:45 a.m. local time when a Cessna 550 went down near Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport. Firefighting teams responded promptly to the scene to tackle the blazes, which were reportedly fueled by jet fuel from the aircraft. Local authorities have confirmed that there are no fatalities reported, but several individuals have sustained injuries, necessitating medical attention. The full extent of property damage is still being assessed as investigations into the cause of the crash continue. Witnesses described seeing flames and smoke rising from the neighborhood shortly after the plane went down, which led to an immediate evacuation of affected homes. “We never imagined this could happen in our community,” one resident remarked. The FAA is expected to conduct a thorough investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

A bomb explosion outside the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, on May 17, 2025, resulted in the death of 25-year-old Guy Bartkus, who allegedly had connections to antinatalism, an ideology opposing procreation. According to the FBI’s Los Angeles field office, Bartkus targeted the clinic in a calculated act of terrorism that injured five individuals and caused significant property damage. Investigators uncovered Bartkus’ online presence hinting at nihilistic beliefs, with writings suggesting he viewed himself as "anti-life." Notably, he expressed motivations to minimize human suffering, aligning with promortalist viewpoints. Officials noted that the attack was possibly motivated by Bartkus's rejection of life and pro-creation efforts, raising concerns about the influence of online nihilism on violent actions in the U.S. and Europe. This incident follows a report by the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) that links nihilistic ideologies to several violent acts and warns of a growing trend in the normalization of such beliefs among younger demographics, potentially signaling a need for preventive measures against similar future attacks.