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U.S. Spirits Exports Hit Record $2.4 Billion in 2024 Amid Global Trade Uncertainty U.S. spirits exports reached a record-breaking $2.4 billion in 2024, marking a significant rebound for the industry as global demand climbed and markets responded to ongoing trade negotiations and tariff concerns. The latest figures come from the American Spirits Exports Report, published Thursday by the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS). “U.S. spirits exports hit a new high in 2024, recapturing lost market share since the UK and EU lifted retaliatory tariffs that were applied between 2018 and 2021,” said Chris Swonger, DISCUS President and…

QUITO, Ecuador — The wife and young child of Ecuadorian soccer player Jackson Rodríguez were kidnapped early Wednesday during a violent home invasion in Guayaquil, a city increasingly plagued by organized crime and violence. According to police, the break-in happened around 3 a.m. at Rodríguez’s home in the coastal city, located in Guayas province. The 26-year-old fullback, who plays for Emelec, told authorities that he hid under a bed when he heard his front door being violently forced open. The intruders, reportedly searching for Rodríguez, confronted his wife and asked whether he was present. When she responded, the men took…

Pedro Pascal Slams J.K. Rowling Over “Heinous” Post Celebrating Anti-Trans Court Ruling Pedro Pascal, star of The Last of Us, accused author J.K. Rowling of displaying “heinous loser behavior” after she posted a celebratory message following a U.K. court decision that refused to recognize transgender women as women. Pascal directed his harsh criticism at the Harry Potter author in response to an Instagram video by activist Tariq Raouf. The video, which called for a complete boycott of Rowling’s widely successful franchise, condemned the writer’s reaction to the U.K. Supreme Court’s recent ruling. The ruling upheld that the Equality Act defines…

19-Year-Old Charged in Connection to Massive New Jersey Wildfire That Burned 15,000 Acres A 19-year-old from Ocean Township, New Jersey, has been charged in connection with a massive wildfire that scorched approximately 15,000 acres, forced thousands of evacuations, and destroyed a commercial building. Joseph Kling was arrested and charged with aggravated arson and arson, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office announced Thursday. The wildfire—dubbed the Jones Road Wildfire—ignited Tuesday in Waretown and rapidly spread across southern Ocean County. Prosecutors allege Kling set wooden pallets on fire and left the scene without ensuring the flames were fully extinguished. The fire was later…

Former child actor Sophie Nyweide was pregnant when she died on April 14, according to her death certificate. She was 24 years old. Nyweide was best known for her role in the 2009 romance drama Mammoth, where she starred alongside Gael García Bernal and Michelle Williams. Her final credited role was in the 2014 film Noah, which featured Russell Crowe and Emma Watson. According to the Vermont Department of Health, Nyweide died in a wooded area in Bennington, Vermont—about 25 miles south of her home in Manchester Center. The cause of death is still under investigation. An April 17 online…

China has successfully launched three astronauts into orbit to replace the current crew aboard the Tiangong space station, further advancing its ambitious plans for a crewed lunar mission and eventual Mars exploration. The Shenzhou 20 spacecraft lifted off at 5:17 p.m. local time (0917 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, located on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northwestern China. Propelled by the reliable Long March 2F rocket, the spacecraft is expected to dock with Tiangong approximately 6.5 hours after launch. This mission underscores China’s growing presence in space. Built entirely without international collaboration—due in part to U.S.…

The Trump administration’s latest attempt to dial back its aggressive trade stance is clashing with a sobering reality: other nations aren’t ready to negotiate. On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent doubled down on remarks he made privately to investors a day earlier, calling the ongoing tariff standoff with China “unsustainable.” However, he clarified that any easing of tensions would have to be mutual—and that the White House hadn’t yet made the first move. In response, a spokesperson for China’s U.S. embassy accused Washington of continued mistreatment. “Our doors are open if the U.S. wants to talk,” the spokesperson said. “But…

Russia launched one of its most devastating overnight attacks on Ukraine’s major cities late Thursday, killing at least nine people and injuring 70 others—just hours after former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed he had brokered deals with both sides to end the war. The capital, Kyiv, was rocked by drones and missiles during what Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha described as “a particularly horrible and loud night.” The bombardment triggered fires in administrative buildings, garages, and parked vehicles, as well as widespread damage to residential areas, according to Ukraine’s State Emergency Service. Rescue teams were still searching for survivors in…

In an emotional testimony on Wednesday, the mother of a Boston police officer described the heartbreaking moment she learned her son had been found unresponsive in a snowbank — and pushed back against comments made about her by Karen Read, the woman accused of killing him. Peggy O’Keefe told the court she received a call around 6 a.m. on January 29, 2022, from one of her son John O’Keefe’s friends — someone who had been with Read when the officer was discovered on the front lawn of Brian Albert, a then-sergeant with the Boston Police Department. “She said, ‘John was…

Warning: This article contains spoilers for the series “Andor.” Set in a galaxy far, far away, Andor’s second season might feel eerily close to home. The acclaimed Disney+ Star Wars series returns with new episodes that dive deeper into themes of authoritarianism, immigration, and resistance—sparking conversations about how fiction mirrors today’s political reality. Season two, which premiered Tuesday on Disney+, picks up as the Empire’s grip tightens across the galaxy. Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), the thief-turned-rebel spy first introduced in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), continues his evolution into a resistance leader. After the events of season one—where…