Good afternoon, 

If you’re wondering what to do this glorious spring evening, may we suggest a “fart walk?”

The term “fart walk” was coined by Canadian cookbook author Marilyn Smith in 2024. She posted a TikTok about how she and her husband will typically go on an hour-long walk after dinner where they will allow their bodies to naturally digest their meals.

And this isn’t just hot air! Dr. Tim Tiutan, an internal medicine doctor at NYC’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, shared that going on a long walk after dinner can keep your intestines moving and prevent constipation. The regular exercise can also prevent large spikes in blood sugar and even reduce cancer risks, especially for older adults.

Many of us have just called this a post-dinner walk until now,

Sam
Associate Producer

🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Shortages May Be In Store For Americans As West Coast Ports See Massive Drop In Shipments

Shipments from China to the U.S. West Coast are expected to plummet by around 35% next week compared to a year ago, as President Trump’s 145% tariffs on Chinese goods take effect. Consumers are expected to feel the pain — both in lack of supply and higher prices — as soon as this month.

• From China to the U.S. alone, there’s been a 65% decline in sea-faring cargo shipments in just the three weeks since Trump’s massive tariffs — other countries have picked up the pace to soften the blow.

In an interview with Mo News, Craig Fuller, founder of FreightWaves, warns that consumers should start stocking up on some specific and specialty items now. Even if a deal is reached soon, it could still take weeks or months for orders to make their way to consumers.

DRIVING THE DROP
Many retailers have stopped all shipments from China. While some major retailers front-loaded shipments in anticipation of the tariffs, Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles, warns that inventories may only last five to seven more weeks before store shelves thin out and prices rise for what’s left.

WHAT TO EXPECT 
Large retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Target will weather this best, Fuller says, as they’ve been able to prepare. Smaller brands and e-commerce shops will feel it the most. Many lack the resources or foresight to secure backup supply chains. He says now is a good time to get things like batteries, over-the-counter meds, and specialty items (like a specific fish hook or hair piece). China is also a major supplier of PPE, lithium ion batteries, furniture, apparel and baby products.

• June: Just in time for the heat, we can expect air conditioners and parts for appliance repair could start to be in short supply.

• August: Back-to-school shopping could see delays or missing items like backpacks, school supplies, and kids' clothes.

• December holidays: Fuller says, “If you know the gift you want, buy it early” as low holiday stock is expected.

The silver lining: Unless you love a very specific fish or fruit from China, most of the food on Americans tables will not be impacted by what supply chain experts are seeing at the ports. BTW, the majority of toilet paper is also produced here.

ANY END IN SIGHT?
New economic numbers show that the U.S. is likely on its way to a recession — if not already there. From January to March, the U.S. economy shrank 0.3%, the first contraction in three years, as businesses rushed to get ahead of the tariffs.

• The U.S. bought far more from other countries than it sold, and that gap dragged down overall growth by nearly 5 percentage points — the worst hit from net exports (the difference between what the U.S. imports and exports) in any quarter since records began in 1947.

There’s no clear end in sight, as Trump told ABC on Tuesday that these tariffs are what he campaigned on and that Americans should have expected them. Meanwhile, China says it won’t bow to a bully.

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🚨 ONE THING WE’LL BE TRACKING

Supreme Court Appears Poised To Allow First Religious Charter School

The Supreme Court appeared open on Wednesday to allowing Oklahoma to use public funds to operate the nation’s first religious charter school. St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School would feature a curriculum grounded in Catholic doctrine, backed by the local Archdioceses, be free for students, and funded by taxpayers.

The case arrives as the Court — where seven of the nine justices have ties to Catholicism — continues to tilt toward expanded religious liberty. This term includes several cases that could further shape the role of religion in U.S. education, with the conservative majority this week appearing to side with religious parents who do not want their children to read books with LGBTQ characters in school.

There is an interesting internal fight among conservatives playing out here. Oklahoma’s Republican Attorney General, Gentner Drummond, challenged the state’s charter school board which approved the school. He argued that it could be a slippery slope, that could eventually see schools teaching “radical Islam or even the Church of Satan” getting state funding. The Oklahoma Supreme Court sided with Drummond, warning it could set a dangerous precedent.

INSIDE THE COURTROOM

• On Wednesday, five conservative justices hearing the case (Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself due to a connection with one of the attorneys supporting the school) appeared more receptive to St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School not being a public school. Justice Brett Kavanaugh said: “All the religious school is saying is, ‘Don’t exclude us on account of our religion.’” He added, “You can’t treat religious people and religious institutions and religious speech as second class in the United States.”

• Justice Elena Kagan and the two other liberal justices highlighted the similarities between charter and public schools. "They accept everybody,” she said. “They’re free. They can be closed down by the state. There’s a good deal of curricular involvement by the state, approvals by the state. They have to comply with all the state standards.”

What’s next: If any of the conservative justices side with the three liberals (we are watching Justice John Roberts), a split 4-4 decision would mean the lower court’s rejection of the school stands. If not — and the Court rules that the school can receive public funding — it could invalidate laws in at least 45 states and the District of Columbia, likely triggering a wave of new religious charter schools.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 Government widens reasons for canceling international student visas (AP)

📌 Trump fires Doug Emhoff and other Biden apointees from Holocaust Museum (NPR)

📌 11 high school students in Syracuse hazing incident turn themselves in (CNN)

📌 Milwaukee judge accused of obstructing immigration authorities temporarily relieved (NBC)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 A new global study says that young people are not flourishing, even in high-income countries (CBC)

📌 U.S. supports Israel’s refusal to ban UN agency from Gaza (TIMES OF ISRAEL)

📌 U.S. and Ukraine to sign minerals deal (AXIOS)

📌 Vietnamese celebrate 50 years since fall of Saigon (NPR)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 Trump says children may have fewer dolls because of tariffs (AP)

📌 New smart home tech lets you unlock your home with a fingerprint (YAHOO)

📌 UPS cutting 200,000 jobs as Amazon shipments lower (CBS)

📌 Two new theories compete to explain how human consciousness emerged (SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Lorde announces new album (PEOPLE)

📌 Katy Perry expresses hurt after ‘Blue Origin’ backlash (BBC)

📌 Robert De Niro’s child comes out as transgender (THEM)

📌 Late night comedians “grade” Trump’s 100 days in office (FOX)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… 

April is coming to a close, which, to quote Justin Timberlake, means “It’s Gonna Be May.”

For those who have no idea what that sentence means, let’s explain. In NSYNC’s 2000 song “It’s Gonna Be Me,” singer Justin Timberlake pronounces “Me” as “May.” Timberlake told “Hot Ones” producer Sean Evans in 2023 that he originally pronounced the lyric with an elongated “e,” only to be told to change his enunciation to mimic his producer’s Swedish accent.

Since then, the line has been repeated in countless memes about spring-time and May approaching. The meme has become so popular that searches for the song on Google peak every year toward the end of April, according to Google Trends.