🐤 When Harry met Cali

🌪️ Twister threats: Severe weather warnings are still in place across much of the United States after more than two dozen tornadoes have been reported across a wide swath of the nation — including in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, and Ohio — earlier this week. Meteorologists say storms are expected to continue making their way south from the Midwest, potentially causing tornadoes, high winds, and hail all the way from Indiana to Texas. Twisters are most likely to touch down in Illinois and Missouri.

💥 Iranian aftermath: Days after Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones toward Israel, most of which were intercepted before reaching their targets, the Biden administration has imposed additional sanctions against the Iranian regime. The measures are aimed at impacting the nation’s economy as well as hindering its ability to continue contributing to the unrest across the region. “Let it be clear to all those who enable or support Iran’s attacks: The United States is committed to Israel’s security,” the president said yesterday.

🌿 Basil outbreak: A popular brand of organic basil sold by Trader Joe’s locations in 29 states and the District of Columbia earlier this year have been recalled in connection with a salmonella outbreak. Specifically, 2.5-ounce containers of the Infinite Herbs product sold between Feb. 1 and April 6 are included in the recall. A dozen reported infections were reported across seven states, including one resulting in hospitalization. Infinite Herbs said its action was a voluntary recall and expressed a renewed commitment to safety.

💵 Billionaire battle: There’s no doubt that both Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk are among the absolute wealthiest people on the planet, but their respective fortunes (pun intended) have shifted recently. As shares of Zuckerberg’s Meta have advanced toward their all-time high value, Musk’s Tesla stock has floundered, reaching its lowest price in a year. The trend has fueled a shake-up at the top of the richest-person list, with Zuckerberg’s net worth of $175 billion knocking Musk, who’s worth about $1 billion less, out of the top three on Wednesday.

🏦 Markets: Wall Street is closing out the week facing some serious headwinds as stocks faltered yet again on Thursday.

The S&P 500 chalked up its fifth consecutive losing day, the worst stretch since October, and the Nasdaq Composite also finished the day lower. But the Dow Jones managed to wrap things up just a hair higher than where it landed the previous day.

All three major indexes are on pace to register net losses for the week.

It might not come as a huge shock to those who have been following his disassociation with the British royal family in recent years, but a new report seems to confirm it: Prince Harry is now officially a U.S. resident.

A long time coming

Since shortly after his marriage to American actress Meghan Markle, Harry has increasingly distanced himself from the monarchy. Though not always directly, they have spoken out against certain aspects of royal life.

In 2020, an apparently widening chasm between Harry and the rest of his family led to his decision, along with Meghan, to eschew royal duties.

And then they moved to California, which they have considered their primary residence ever since. But that doesn’t mean Harry wants to renounce his British roots and become a Yank.

During an interview earlier this year, he was asked about becoming an American citizen, replying: “It’s a thought that has crossed my mind but it’s not a high priority right now.”

According to the recent filing by Companies House, the British corporate registrar, Harry appears to have taken the next step toward fully embracing the American lifestyle.

The brief entry only references “Prince Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex” to formally update his country of residence.

The ties that bind

There aren’t any clear reports indicating the visa or other permits Harry currently holds while living in the U.S., but his decision to leave his royal residence, Frogmore Cottage, in 2018 represented a clear line in the sand between him and the rest of the family.

Since then, however, there have been a few signs that some familial connections remain. Most notably, Harry flew back to the U.K. in February to visit his father, King Charles, who had recently been diagnosed with cancer.

If you've ever struggled to enjoy cannabis due to the harshness of smoking or vaping, you're not alone. That’s why these new cannabis gummies caught our eye.

Mood is an online dispensary that has invented a “joint within a gummy” that’s extremely potent yet federally-legal. Their gummies are formulated to tap into the human body’s endocannabinoid system.

Although this system was discovered in the 1990’s, farmers and scientists at Mood were among the first to figure out how to tap into it with cannabis gummies. Just 1 of their rapid onset THC gummies can get you feeling right within 5 minutes!

The New Jersey gambling mecca of Atlantic City has always paled in comparison to Las Vegas, but it’s not Sin City that represents the biggest threat to those East Coast casinos.

Neighboring New York has secured licenses for casinos of its own … and now there’s new competition looming from within the Garden State.

Bad news piling up

Gaming has suffered some serious setbacks across the board in the wake of the pandemic, with losses during the shutdowns compounded by the impact of reduced foot traffic in casinos over the several years since.

And Atlantic City is acutely aware of this trend. According to recent data, seven out of the resort town’s nine casinos are taking in less revenue from in-person gambling than they did prior to the COVID outbreak.

As New York plans to build up its own gaming footprint, Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small is sounding the alarms.

“Now more than ever, we know there’s a threat coming with New York gaming coming,” he said. “We understand the threat. We want to continue to work together to do things right to put Atlantic City in a prime position, no matter where these casinos are, that we diversify our options.”

The Meadowlands question

Casino operators and employees might be looking across the state line, but the next big threat to their revenue might be brewing in their own backyard.

According to Jeff Gural, who operates a racetrack in East Rutherford, casinos are likely to pop up in the Meadowlands shortly after New York casinos open, which means another Atlantic City alternative within the same state.

“I’m just waiting for New York to open,” he said. “People will say, ‘Why am I driving over the George Washington Bridge and paying an $18 toll and sitting in traffic to go gamble?’”

You don’t have to be a nutritionist to know that fruits and vegetables are good for you. But what if that nutrient-packed produce is hiding a potentially harmful secret?

That’s a question Consumer Reports tackled in a recent investigation, and its findings are worth paying close attention to.

Not enough progress

In recent decades, regulators have taken a tougher approach to the amount and types of pesticides that can be used on crops meant for human consumption. And while there’s evidence that these measures have had some positive effects, researchers found that some potentially serious health risks remain.

Here are some highlights from the report released this week:

• Researchers analyzed about 30,000 domestic and imported samples
• The study focused on 59 fruits and vegetables common in grocery stores
• About one-fifth of them had a high risk of dangerous pesticide exposure
• Blueberries, watermelons, and bell peppers had the highest risk level
• Peaches, oranges, mushrooms, and canned tomatoes were on the low end

So what should you do? Some health advocates recommend going organic … but it’s also important to look a little deeper into the study before completely giving up traditional produce.

It’s not all negative

As we mentioned, there has been some significant progress in limiting pesticide exposure. And Consumer Reports did use a particularly low threshold for registering the risk associated with the fruits and vegetables it tested.

Hundreds of types of pesticides have either been strictly regulated or completely banned since the ‘90s, and the Environmental Protection Agency says America’s food supply has never been cleaner.

Most of the concerns raised in the report come from just a handful of pesticides, and almost two-thirds of the fruits and vegetables tested by researchers were determined to pose a low risk of pesticide exposure.