Morning Briefing

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Tuesday, March 31, 2026

32 stories

Arts/Entertainment
Arts/Entertainment

King Charles Set for US State Visit with Trump

Buckingham Palace confirmed that King Charles and Queen Camilla will visit the United States for a state visit during which they will meet with President Trump.

Deadline
Arts/Entertainment

Zendaya's Packed 2026: Euphoria Finale, Spider-Man, Dune 3

Zendaya has a jam-packed year ahead starring in The Drama, Euphoria's final season, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Dune: Part Three, The Odyssey, and possibly Avengers: Doomsday.

Deadline
Arts/Entertainment

BBC Making Sarah Everard Drama

Writer Jeff Pope is creating a BBC factual drama about the tragic death of Sarah Everard, examining how a sexual offender was allowed to become and remain a Metropolitan Police officer.

Deadline
Arts/Entertainment

Edinburgh TV Festival Execs Fear Relocation Would Be Disaster

Top British TV executives fear that relocating the Edinburgh TV Festival away from its Fringe connection would spell disaster for British talent. Shows like Fleabag and Baby Reindeer may never have existed without the festival's relationship with the Fringe.

Deadline
Arts/Entertainment

WWDC 2026 Announced for June 8-12

Apple announced its annual Worldwide Developers Conference will return online from June 8-12, promising a week of connection, exploration, and innovation showcasing the latest Apple software and technologies.

Apple
Auto
Auto

Stellantis Adds 10,000 Jobs Globally

Stellantis is expanding its workforce with 10,000 new positions globally as part of a shifting hiring strategy. However, the company faces UAW backlash after awarding bonuses to non-union U.S. employees.

CBT News
Auto

Rivian Wins Direct-Sales Approval in Washington

Rivian has secured a significant victory in Washington state, gaining approval for direct vehicle sales. This marks another step in the EV maker's push to bypass traditional dealership models.

CBT News
Auto

BYD Targets 1.5 Million Overseas Sales in 2026

China's BYD expressed confidence in reaching 1.5 million units in overseas sales for 2026, signaling aggressive international expansion as the EV giant challenges Western automakers on their home turf.

Reuters
Auto

Mercedes Reveals GLE, GLE Coupe, and GLS Facelifts

Mercedes-Benz is unveiling facelifted versions of the GLE, GLE Coupe, and GLS globally on March 31. The refreshed luxury SUV lineup brings updated styling and technology across the range.

Carlelo
Auto

Ford F-150 Lightning Lease Deals Start at $343/Month

Ford is rolling out aggressive lease deals on the F-150 Lightning electric truck starting at $343 per month, making the electric pickup more accessible as EV competition intensifies.

Autoblog
Global
Global

Day 31 of US-Israel War with Iran: Trump Threatens Escalation

The US-Israel military campaign against Iran enters its 31st day as regional leaders scramble for diplomatic off-ramps. Trump has threatened escalation if no deal is reached, while all main players double down on their positions.

CNN
Global

US Strikes Isfahan with Bunker-Buster Bombs

Reports of massive airstrikes on an Iranian missile base in Isfahan overnight. The strikes used 2,000-pound bunker-buster bombs as the military campaign intensifies across the region.

Financial Express
Global

Energy Crisis Hits Developing Nations Hard

The Philippines declared a national energy emergency, Sri Lanka cut its work week to four days and rationed fuel, and Myanmar limited car drivers to alternate days as energy shortages ripple through poorer nations.

Reuters
Global

Russia Intensifies VPN Crackdown

Russia is accelerating its campaign against VPN services as part of a broader internet censorship effort. The crackdown is gathering pace as authorities seek to limit citizens' access to uncensored information.

Reuters
Global

Italy's Population Stops Shrinking After 12 Years

Italy's population has stopped declining for the first time in 12 years, thanks to increased migration. The demographic shift marks a significant turning point for a country that has long struggled with declining birth rates.

Reuters
Local
Local

Round Rock Signs Fire Response Agreement with Travis County ESD 2

Round Rock has entered a fire response agreement with Travis County ESD 2, allowing shared emergency dispatch and improved response times for residents in both jurisdictions.

Community Impact
Local

Austin Ends March with Major Rainfall Deficit

Austin is wrapping up its 6th consecutive March with a significant rainfall deficit and 8th straight month below average. The month will end with just 1.42 inches of rain, less than half the usual amount.

CBS Austin
Politics
Politics

POLITICO Poll Finds Cracks in RFK Jr. Coalition

A new POLITICO poll reveals growing divisions in the coalition that helped put HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. into office, suggesting waning support among key voter groups.

POLITICO
Politics

Vance Wins CPAC Straw Poll, Rubio Gains Steam

Vice President Vance won the CPAC straw poll while Secretary of State Rubio gained momentum among the MAGA faithful. Conference organizers presented results as rebuttal to narratives of Republican splits over the Iran war.

New York Times
Politics

Trump Admin Organizing International Anti-Antifa Summit

The Trump administration is organizing an international summit focused on countering antifa and other left-wing groups, highlighting the shift in U.S. government counterterrorism priorities over the past year.

Reuters
Politics

401(k) Plans to Open Up to Crypto and Private Equity

The Trump administration issued a proposed rule to open retirement plans to alternative assets, paving the way for private equity and cryptocurrencies to be added to 401(k) accounts.

Reuters
Politics

Secretary of War: US Will Continue Iran Campaign

The Secretary of War stated the US is continuing its military campaign against Iran, adding that troops want to "finish the mission" as the conflict enters its second month.

The Guardian
Science
Science

Artemis II Countdown Begins for First Crewed Moon Mission Since Apollo

NASA's Artemis II mission is set to launch April 1, sending four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon and back. It's the first crewed lunar mission since the Apollo era, marking a historic milestone in space exploration.

Reuters
Science

Three Asteroids Zoom Past Earth Today

Earth will witness a rare cosmic event on March 31 with three asteroids of different sizes making close approaches. While not threatening, they provide valuable opportunities for studying near-Earth objects.

NewsBytes
Science

Holographic Storage Breakthrough Uses 3D Light Encoding

A new holographic storage technique uses light in three dimensions to dramatically increase data storage capacity. The method encodes information throughout a material using amplitude, phase, and spatial dimensions.

ScienceDaily
Science

Fossil Ape Masripithecus Reshapes Human Evolution Story

A fossil ape discovered in northern Egypt is reshaping the story of human evolution. The species, Masripithecus, lived 17-18 million years ago and may sit very close to the ancestor of all great apes and humans.

ScienceDaily
Science

Powerful Cholesterol Drug Cuts Heart Attack Risk by 31%

A new cholesterol-lowering drug has shown remarkable results in clinical trials, reducing heart attack risk by 31%. Separately, elevated cortisol was found in 27% of patients with hard-to-treat high blood pressure.

ScienceDaily
Tech
Tech

Microsoft Copilot Gets Multi-Model AI Workflows

Microsoft unveiled new features in its Copilot research assistant allowing users to utilize multiple AI models simultaneously within the same workflow. The update positions Copilot as a more versatile AI orchestration tool for enterprise users.

Reuters
Tech

Mistral Secures $830M for European AI Data Centers

French AI company Mistral has secured $830 million in debt financing to purchase 13,800 Nvidia chips and build a major data center near Paris. The company is targeting 200 megawatts of compute capacity across Europe by end of 2027, pushing European AI sovereignty.

TechStartups
Tech

OpenAI Surpasses $25B Annualized Revenue, Eyes IPO

OpenAI has surpassed $25 billion in annualized revenue and is reportedly taking early steps toward a public listing, potentially as soon as late 2026. Rival Anthropic is approaching $19 billion in annualized revenue.

Crescendo AI
Tech

European Commission Hit by Major Cloud Data Breach

The ShinyHunters hacking group compromised part of the European Commission cloud infrastructure, exfiltrating over 350GB of data including employee emails, databases, and contracts. The breach was contained on March 24 and affected one AWS account.

TechStartups
Tech

Tech CEOs Increasingly Blame AI for Mass Layoffs

A growing trend of technology company executives citing AI capabilities as justification for significant workforce reductions is raising concerns about the technology's impact on employment across the industry.

BBC