Cropped 14 January 2026: Wildfires scorch three continents; EU trade; Food and nature in 2026 – Carbon Brief

We handpick and explain the most important stories at the intersection of climate, land, food and nature over the past fortnight.

This is an online version of Carbon Brief’s fortnightly Cropped email newsletter. Subscribe for free here. This is the last edition of Cropped for 2025. The newsletter will return on 14 January 2026.

EU trade impacts

AG EXCEPTION: France and Italy are “at least temporarily” seeking a carve-out for fertilisers from the EU’s carbon border tax in order to “protect struggling European farmers”, reported Reuters. The first-of-its-kind levy, which came into effect on 1 January, “imposes CO2 emissions fees on imports…to ensure they do not have an unfair advantage over products made in Europe”, the newswire explained. Following the “fertiliser backlash”, the European Commission said it will assess a temporary suspension if the tax leads to “significant inflationary pressure on food prices”, said S&P Global.

MERCOSUR IMMINENT: The EU is set to sign the Mercosur trade deal – an agreement “more than 25 years in the making” – in Paraguay on 17 January, reported the Buenos Aires Times. The deal will create a free trade zone between the EU and the five Mercosur countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Bloomberg wrote that the deal is “meant to signal independence from the world’s two largest economies [the US and China] – and to show that broad multilateral deals remain possible in a global order upended by Donald Trump”.

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FARMERS FUMING: Meanwhile, “dozens” of farmers in France and Greece have been protesting the trade deal, “halting traffic and blocking key roads with tractors”, according to the Associated Press. Farmers in Greece “halt[ed] all traffic except emergency vehicles”, the newswire said, while French farmers “set up roadblocks across the country”. French farmers also drove into Paris yesterday, reported Reuters, warning that the trade deal “threatens local agriculture by creating unfair competition with cheaper South American imports”. Greek farmers have been protesting “delayed EU subsidy payments, rising production costs and other grievances” for more than a month, according to Kathimerini.

DEFORESTATION LAW ‘HOLLOWED OUT’: The EU deforestation regulation has been “hollowed out”, the architect of the original legislation told the Guardian. Hugo Schally told the newspaper that the removal of reporting obligations from traders “will make enforcement and eventual prosecution more difficult”. The Guardian noted that the law had come under “intense pressure” from rightwing groups, as well as “some of the biggest exporters to the EU”. A spokesperson for the commission told the newspaper that the law “has already led to positive developments and action on the ground to fight deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss”.

Wildfires worldwide

‘MAJOR FIRES’ IN OZ: Nearly a dozen “major fires” burned across the Australian state of Victoria over the weekend, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The newspaper reported that more than 130 structures have been destroyed and more than 400,000 hectares of land have been “blackened in the fires”. A separate Sydney Morning Herald article noted that the fires had “prompt[ed] grave fears for vulnerable animals”, such as dingoes, critically endangered frogs and several endangered bird species.

WESTERN CAPE WILDFIRES: Thousands of people were also displaced following wildfires in South Africa’s Western Cape, according to Xinhua News Agency. The Daily Maverick wrote that “homes and farms were consumed within minutes, while neighbours and volunteers scrambled to protect property”. Several factors may have contributed to the blazes, including exceptionally dry weather, strong winds, unmanaged vegetation and invasive tree species, the newspaper said.

CRITICAL SITUATION: In Argentine Patagonia, tourists were evacuated and homes burned as fires “scorched more than 15,000 hectares” of forest, reported Agence France-Presse. Rain on Sunday afternoon provided “relief” to some residents of the Chubut region, but the province’s governor, Ignacio Torres, said that the situation “remains very critical”. Torres said that people should “never again…downplay the implications of climate change”, the newswire reported.

BRAZIL FIRES FALL: The number of wildfires in the Brazilian Amazon dropped by 69% in 2025, compared to the previous year, reaching the lowest level in 28 years, reported EFE Verde. The newswire said the decline was “attributed by specialists to less severe climatic conditions than in 2024 [and] to shorter and less rigorous periods of drought”.

SOYA MORATORIUM ‘ENDED’: A major Brazilian soya industry association has announced it will “withdraw” from the “soya moratorium” – an agreement to refrain from selling soya grown on recently deforested land, reported the Associated Press. The newswire noted that the moratorium “has been widely credited with helping curb rainforest loss”. It added: “Environmentalists and government officials said the withdrawal essentially ended the agreement, even though no participant has formally declared it over.”

US TREATY RETREAT: US president Donald Trump announced that the country will withdraw from 66 international bodies, including the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, saying these bodies “no longer serve US interests”, reported Politico. Among the other organisations are two major scientific bodies – the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), reported Carbon Brief. Several legal experts told the Guardian that the move to withdraw from the treaties “may be illegal”.

ALTERNATIVES FOR ENGLAND: Seven out of England’s 10 wildlife targets under the Environment Act 2021 are unlikely to be met by 2030, reported the Guardian. The outlet added that some of the targets could be hindered by the proposed planning and infrastructure bill. Elsewhere, English livestock farmers could profit more from improving the environment than producing meat, according to analysis by thinktank Green Alliance covered by the Grocer.

DIETARY CHANGE: The Trump administration released new dietary guidelines that “take a dramatic turn toward encouraging the consumption of animal protein, including red meat”, said Inside Climate News. It added that the “meat industry celebrated the new guidelines”, while health and environmental groups “called them a dangerous reversal of science-based health advice that could worsen the climate and ecological impacts of livestock”. Previous iterations of the dietary guidelines have not directly considered environmental sustainability, but have encouraged plant-based proteins from a health perspective.

LARGE SEIZURE: Indonesia is planning to reclaim millions of hectares of land it believes are being used illegally, reported Bloomberg. The country has so far seized 4m hectares of palm oil plantations, mining concessions and processing facilities, and officials say this could soon double. The outlet added that much of the land has been given to a state-owned company responsible for managing palm oil plantations, as part of Indonesian president Prabowo Subianto’s efforts to combat “malfeasance in the commodities sector”. Palm oil traders fear land seizures could hurt Indonesia’s palm oil supply, reduce investment and impact smallholder plantations, the article said.

FOOD SECURITY RISK: The head of Iran’s meteorological organisation warned that climate change is becoming a serious threat to the country’s food security, according to NatureNews Africa. The official said that sea level rise in the Persian Gulf could cause flooding and saltwater seep into coastal provinces of south-western Iran, damaging soil and food production. The official also pointed out that high temperatures are already reducing crop yields, damaging soil and harming marine life, the outlet reported, and called for “urgent” policy changes and climate adaptation strategies.

2026 FLAN moments to watch out for

This week, Carbon Brief compiles a non-exhaustive list of international policies and negotiations in 2026 that concern food systems, biodiversity and climate change, as well as major reports expected this year.

The coming year is another “triple COP” year, as countries will meet to negotiate outcomes under three major environmental treaties – the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

The world is coming out of an “intense period on the climate policy side”, Oliver Camp, an environment and food systems advocacy advisor at the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), told Carbon Brief. Following 2025, which saw many – but not all – countries update their climate pledges (“nationally determined contributions”, or NDCs), Camp said he expects new focus on accelerating implementation in the coming year.

This means “moving from what and why to how”, he continued. On the policy front, countries need to begin implementing high-level plans, such as their NDCs, national adaptation plans (NAPs), food system pathways and national nutrition plans, he added.

Policies

Regarding global agricultural policies, Camp said he expects the focus to shift towards food-based dietary guidelines, national agroecology transition plans, livestock strategies and food loss and waste reduction roadmaps.

On nature, a key moment will be the delivery of countries’ biodiversity plans (NBSAPs) and national reports, the latter of which must be submitted to the CBD by 28 February.

At the EU level, countries are required to submit their national restoration plans to the European Commission by mid-2026, which detail how they will meet their targets for restoring ecosystems. This is part of the Nature Restoration Law, which the bloc approved in 2024. This aims to restore at least 20% of EU land and sea by 2030, and all ecosystems in need of restoration by 2050.

Several global and regional agreements and policies focus on the ocean.

The High Seas Treaty, also known as the agreement on “biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction”, will enter into force on 17 January. The treaty – already ratified by 81 of 145 signing countries – aims to govern the conservation and sustainable use of the world’s oceans outside of national waters and was agreed upon in March 2023.

The first conference of parties to the treaty is supposed to take place within one year after the treaty enters into force and will address the rules of procedure, permanent bodies and rules of funding and budget, as well as priorities for implementing the treaty.

The European Ocean Act is planned for adoption by the end of this year and will seek to improve the implementation of marine governance at EU level by structuring all the marine conservation and sustainable use targets adopted by the bloc. The act also aims to streamline EU ocean policies and reporting.

Reports

The Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) will release its “business and biodiversity assessment” in February. This report will examine the impacts and dependence of companies on nature and the methods they use to measure and report their impacts. The report is expected to be adopted at the IPBES 12th plenary session, held from 3 to 8 February 2026 in Manchester, UK.

Marie Cosquer, food systems and climate advocacy analyst for Action against Hunger, told Carbon Brief that she is looking forward to an upcoming report on Indigenous peoples’ food and knowledge systems. That report will be produced by the High Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the UN Committee on World Food Security and released in October.

International negotiations

The first of the UN conventions to meet will be the UNCCD, which will convene COP17 from 17 to 28 August in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia. It is expected to deliver solutions for land restoration, sustainable land use, resilience and mitigation of climate impacts. This occurs during the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists, which will gather efforts for the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of rangelands.

COP17 of the CBD will be held from 19 to 30 October in Armenia’s capital Yerevan. It will deliver the first global review of nations’ progress in the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

Finally, COP31 of the UNFCCC will be held in Antalya, Turkey from 9 to 20 November, with rival bidder Australia acting as “president of negotiations”. In its coverage of COP30 in Belém last November, Carbon Brief compiled a list of the key meetings and milestones leading up to the summit in Turkey.

LAST BAOBAB STANDING: The Guardian asked whether the city of Kinshasa – the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo – can save its sole remaining baobab tree.

BEAVER HEROES: A National Geographic video explored how beaver dams can be beneficial to ecosystems and other species.

‘MICRO-FOREST’ MOVEMENT: NPR’s Short Wave podcast discussed the rise of “micro-forests” – small forests that can help restore degraded lands, take up CO2 and preserve biodiversity.

THE LIVING RIVER: The story of how Indigenous knowledge of New Zealand’s Māori community helped grant recognition of legal rights to the Whanganui River was told by Inside Climate News.

Dog food accounts for around 1% of total greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, with a “65-fold variation” between different foods due to their meat content and composition | Journal of Cleaner Production
Deforestation leads to more intense drought in “more than half” of the Earth’s climate zones – particularly in the boreal forests of the far northern hemisphere | Science Advances
Around one-third of terrestrial vertebrates in protected areas are projected to be subjected to increased human land-use pressures by 2050 | Nature Ecology & Evolution

Cropped is researched and written by Dr Giuliana Viglione, Aruna Chandrasekhar, Daisy Dunne, Orla Dwyer and Yanine Quiroz. Ayesha Tandon also contributed to this issue. Please send tips and feedback to [email protected]

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On MS NOW’s Deadline: White House, Angelo Carusone discusses MAGA podcasters breaking with Trump over ICE

ANGELO CARUSONE (MEDIA MATTERS PRESIDENT): Trump built and organized power on the fringes, and his vehicle for doing it was this coalition, this constellation of media entities. There was no longer just Fox and Rush Limbaugh. You know, he used online entities. We use Rogan as an example, but obviously it’s a lot of other voices just like that, who sort of glommed onto the MAGA train and were reinforcing a pro-Trump narrative. But they’re not — you know, Fox is out there saying, this is great, right? They’re toeing the line. Newsmax is saying, you want affordability, let ICE deport. They’re pro-Trump.

But a big part of MAGA media is shifting on this. They’re being much softer. They’re questioning whether or not this is appropriate. They’re even expressing outright criticism. You don’t get that outright criticism unless, one, you get the raw material like these clips that then, as you pointed out earlier, it’s not a left right issue, it’s are we American or not? Are we going to sort of live in the environment that Stephen Miller is defining for all of us, or are we going to live something much more similar to what we thought America was? And that’s where you’re starting to see the cracks form. So that’s what it all means. The swing is because it’s, you can’t ignore it. You have people’s own perception, and then you have validators like the Tim Dhillons, like the Joe Rogans, like the Shawn Ryans of the world that supported Trump, that are saying, no, I’m no longer a part of the pro-Trump train. Not on this. This is too far.

NICOLLE WALLACE (HOST): And it’s a business decision, perhaps, not to give them any more credit than they deserve. But it’s a generational divide where the people still getting all their information from Fox News’ broadcasts are not the future voters, they’re not the future podcast streamers, they’re not the people that will go to any live shows of any of these sort of manosphere figures. And so they’re betting on sort of their future, not the past.

CARUSONE: Yeah, that’s I think, you know, these are savvy business people. They’re very sensitive to their audiences, the same way anyone in media is, you know where your audience is and where they’re going, you try to respond to them. And their audiences when they’re not listening to their podcasts are consuming raw video content, they’re seeing the clips in their feeds. So they have to respond. They can’t do what Trump does. They actually have to in some way engage with reality. And this is reality coming home.

WALLACE: Well, I guess the bad news is they’re not doing it for the right reasons.

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The 10 Best Frozen Meals for Weight Loss

Healthy frozen meals can be more convenient than cooking from scratch, and they can even help you lose weight — if you know which ones to buy. “For many people, frozen meals can absolutely offer a healthy option for any meal throughout the day,” says Kristen Smith, RDN , the Atlanta-based creator of 360 Family Nutrition. While you might think of frozen food as chicken fingers or pot pies, frozen meals can help you stick to healthier fare and avoid overfilling your plate. “What I love most is that frozen meals contain built-in portion control — that is important for many people,” says Amy Shapiro, RDN , founder of Real Nutrition in New York City. There are other perks too, if you make healthy choices. “They’re often easier and healthier than ordering in, because takeaway can have more fat and sodium than you might have planned on,” Shapiro says, adding that frozen meals can be loaded with important vegetables that provide valuable vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Plus, they don’t require you to have to do any complicated nutrition tabulations. “Frozen meals provide an option that takes the guesswork out of calculating calories and other macronutrients, and lower-calorie frozen meals provide a convenient, calorie-controlled option that may aid with weight loss,” adds Smith. Here are top choices from the freezer case. default
Kashi Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowl Calling all quinoa fans! This bowl from Kashi features a bed of quinoa and brown rice with roasted sweet potatoes , black beans, and kale piled on top. If you aren’t a fan of quinoa yet, know this: While quinoa is technically a seed, it’s classified as a whole grain, and it is a good source of plant protein and fiber .e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976299440da8c-09a7-4fe4-9231-b331c3418473 Fiber, which adds bulk to your diet and promotes fullness, is jam-packed into this meal, with 12 grams (g), making it an excellent source of the nutrient.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976297a6c1c05-24e3-4d58-bf83-514c671542b4 “Look for meals with at least 5 g of fiber to help keep you full,” advises Carol Aguirre, RDN , owner of Nutrition Connections in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. A heads-up: This meal contains 270 calories, and Aguirre recommends that most people aim for roughly 350 to 600 calories per meal. Pair this option with a plant-based side dish to up your calories and protein , so that you’re not hungry an hour later. Calories: 270 Fat : 6 g Sodium: 280 milligrams (mg) Carbohydrates : 48 g Protein: 9 g Total sugar: 11 g (4 g from added sugar) Fiber: 12 g
Performance Kitchen Mediterranean-Style Salmon Pasta You get to reap all the health benefits of salmon with this frozen meal, courtesy of Performance Kitchen. Salmon contains omega-3 fatty acids , which offer a number of health perks, from making your blood less likely to form clots to helping to decrease your triglyceride levels (a fat in your blood).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f258ffc1-7902-4a67-92b4-1dddf7f01dfe Salmon also provides protein — and this meal has a decent amount of it, with 15 g, making it an excellent source. And the amount of protein in your meal is important. “Ideally a meal should have 15 grams of protein per serving,” says Aguirre. Eating protein from healthy sources like salmon can decrease your odds of developing diseases and an early death.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629b1db1657-de6e-49d6-bb83-2314227ce979 Calories: 400 Fat: 26 g Sodium: 590 mg Carbs: 29 g Protein: 15 g Total sugar: 5 g Fiber: 5 g
Saffron Road Thai Red Curry Chicken This Thai curry dish via Saffron Road comes loaded with flavor — and nutrition. Win-win! The red peppers and green beans deliver fiber and vitamins, while the chicken ups the meal’s protein. And although the fiber is on the lower side, there’s a fix for that. “Don’t stress if the frozen meal does not contain an adequate amount of veggies — you can always add raw veggies, like carrots or broccoli , or a small salad on the side,” says Smith. For example, try pairing this meal with a walnut-topped salad, since walnuts contain both protein and fiber, or a piece of fruit.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762911282cc8-2394-4c49-a28e-1b1b935a9fcf Calories: 350 Fat: 13 g Sodium: 580 mg Carbs: 45 g Protein: 14 g Total sugar: 5 g Fiber: 1 g
Evol Foods Balance Bowl If you love ordering grain bowls, consider an at-home version by Evol Foods. It’s made with grilled chicken, red rice, and half a cup of vegetables (including asparagus ) in a basil pesto sauce. And it falls in the nutritionist-approved sodium range. “Try to stick with frozen meals that contain less than 700 mg of sodium per serving,” advises Smith. “If you have been given a more severe sodium restriction, try to find a frozen meal closer to 500 mg per serving, and limit yourself to only one frozen meal per day.” Decreasing your sodium may help lower your blood pressure or prevent you from developing high blood pressure .e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762942ba66cc-a9d7-4684-808a-72845e9901bc The American Heart Association recommends no more than 1,500 mg of sodium per day for most adults, especially those with high blood pressure. To up this meal’s protein, try topping your bowl with a hard-boiled egg (6 g protein) and half a cup of broccoli for extra fiber (2.5 g).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629368f8541-c53f-4519-976c-7b882c7d7cc5e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629a8e8bac3-bb30-4bb7-959f-729e40122936 Calories: 460 Fat: 27 g Sodium: 350 mg Carbs: 43 g Protein: 13 g Total sugar: 4 g Fiber: 3 g
Daily Harvest Sweet Potato and Wild Rice Hash Harvest Bowl You’ll get your fill of veggies from this Daily Harvest bowl , which comes with tomato, avocado , sweet potatoes, and mushrooms, plus beans and wild rice. Shapiro loves Daily Harvest , a company that delivers ready-to-make meals made with whole foods, for their simple and veggie-forward ingredient list. “I love to encourage individuals to enjoy frozen meals that are filled with plants,” says Shapiro, adding that Daily Harvest offers everything from smoothies to harvest bowls to flatbreads, and it is all organic and vegan . Because this meal doesn’t hit that 15 g protein target, think about adding more beans or an animal protein. Calories: 330 Fat: 11 g Sodium: 470 mg Carbs: 50 g Protein: 8 g Total sugar: 11 g Fiber: 9 g
Amy’s Mexican-Inspired Veggies and Black Beans This dish from Amy’s Kitchen delivers on veggies: Zucchini, sweet potatoes, and corn on a bed of riced cauliflower make it a fiber-packed pick. The meal has a simple ingredient list as well, which is key, says Shapiro. “Just because the nutrition facts label looks good doesn’t mean there aren’t less healthy ingredients included like some artificial sweeteners, stabilizers, and fillers,” she cautions. Be sure to always check a frozen meal’s ingredient list. Because this dish doesn’t reach 15 g of protein, you might want to consider adding another source, like leftover grilled chicken, or if you’re vegetarian or vegan, consider sprinkling on cashews, which may complement the dish’s chipotle and cashew cream sauce. Calories: 270 Fat: 10 g Sodium: 590 mg Carbs: 36 g Protein: 9 g Total sugar: 8 g (no added sugar) Fiber: 7 g
Lean Cuisine Korean-Style Rice and Vegetables Bowl You’ll get plenty of fiber (7 g) from this Lean Cuisine bowl that contains 1 whole cup of veggies, including shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, carrots, and kale. You’ll also score protein from the edamame soybeans , which are a healthy plant-based protein source. To up the protein total of 12 g, you may want to add tofu . Calories: 370 Fat: 7 g Sodium: 450 mg Carbs: 64 g Protein: 12 g Total sugar: 7 g Fiber: 7 g
Green Giant California-Style Harvest Protein Bowl Although this bowl by Green Giant also doesn’t contain meat, you’ll still receive big rewards when it comes to the protein content (14 g). The dish includes edamame soybeans, lentils, sunflower seeds, and quinoa, which all provide protein, plus veggies including grilled red bell peppers, corn, carrots, peas, and kale. Also, this meal has only 1.5 g of saturated fat. “Ideally you’ll want no more than 5 g of saturated fat,” says Shapiro. Overall, the less fat, the better. Saturated fat is an unhealthy fat that in excess can harm the heart.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629f1cc75db-f23f-455a-ba79-b63f9dfe07ac Calories: 290 Fat: 9 g Sodium: 540 mg Carbs: 39 g Protein: 14 g Total sugar: 8 g Fiber: 9 g
Gardein Chick’n Fajita Bowl Not only is this vegan fajita bowl from Gardein on the lower end of the sodium spectrum — it also contains a solid amount of protein (15 g, making it an excellent source). What’s more, you’ll land 4 g of fiber, thanks in part to the black beans. Beans are a rich source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, and a high-fiber diet can help you maintain a healthy weight.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762990338eb2-eeb1-412f-a3a8-0d86331f8ad5e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ddbb795a-59e8-4217-ab3a-72608822251d To get an even bigger fiber punch from this meal, top the dish with avocado slices: Half an avocado contains 5 g of fiber, making it a good source.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629e609697c-c131-4bf9-a2e0-18a7b3278777 Calories: 250 Fat: 3.5 g Sodium: 360 mg Carbs: 41 g Protein: 15 g Total sugar: 7 g Fiber: 4 g
Healthy Choice Barbecue Seasoned Steak With Red Potatoes You get the decadent taste of barbecued steak, plus an impressive 16 g of protein, for only 300 calories in total with this Healthy Choice meal . To get the fiber up to the 5 g mark, think about adding a plant-based side, like green beans (1 cup contains 3 g of fiber).e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c244b4fb-611d-4cc8-915d-52ce9ccd04a6 Also worth noting: The meal’s whiskey BBQ sauce adds flavor but also increases the sugar total. Shapiro advises looking for meals that are less than 11 g of sugar, and the American Heart Association recommends no more than 25 g of added sugar per day.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629af271ae1-d923-4d2b-a184-e18ae6398ed0 So, if you do go for this option, you’ll likely want to skip dessert. Calories: 300 Fat: 4 g Sodium: 450 mg Carbs: 49 g Protein: 16 g Total sugar: 16 g (all from added sugar) Fiber: 4 g
The Takeaway Frozen meals can support weight loss when they’re balanced, portion-controlled, and rich in protein and fiber. Choosing options with whole ingredients and minimal added sugar or sodium can improve overall nutrition. High-protein frozen meals can help promote fullness and preserve muscle while you’re losing weight. Reading nutrition labels carefully is key to finding frozen meals that align with your weight loss goals.

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Milk gets a perch on Trump’s desk but takes a back seat at bill signing

WASHINGTON – There was a glass bottle of milk on the Resolute Desk, and President Donald Trump promised to get to it soon.

But first he had to talk about Iran, the capture of someone accused of leaking secret information about Venezuela and a pair of executive orders he was issuing.

Only then could he get to the actual business at hand — signing a bipartisan measure that recently sailed through Congress allowing schools to serve whole and 2% milk along with the skim and low-fat products required since 2012.

“You see that beautiful milk? That’s why we’re here,” Trump said. He noted the large group of people behind him in the Oval Office — Cabinet secretaries, lawmakers from both parties, dairy farmers, children — who had assembled to cheer the new law.

“We’ll be talking about that in a second,” Trump said.

Even by Trump standards, the “Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act” signing was a surreal scene. The president is accustomed to moving markets, putting foreign leaders on notice and making major news in an instant — often during long public events on various unrelated topics and always with cameras rolling.

But dairy products aren’t usually involved.

Before he could address the eclectic group of attendees, Trump told gathered reporters he had it “on good authority” that plans for executions in Iran have stopped. That’s despite Tehran having signaled fast trials and executions ahead in its crackdown on protesters who have taken to the streets across that country.

It appeared to be a potential escape for Trump from the geopolitical corner he had painted himself into after warning for days that the U.S. could strike Iran militarily if the mass killings continued.

After that announcement, Trump abruptly changed topics.

He proclaimed that “the leaker has been found, and is in jail right now — and that’s the leaker on Venezuela, a very bad leaker.” Without clarifying what case he was referring to, the president suggested that “there could be some others. We’re hot on their trail.”

Next, the president signed executive orders related to tariffs on semiconductors and rare earth minerals.

Then it was finally back to milk, which Trump said both Republicans and Democrats drink. Referring to national nutrition adviser Dr. Ben Carson, Trump said he “still looks good. That’s ’cause he drinks a lot of milk.”

Trump made still more news after taking questions from reporters.

He revealed he’d completed his first known phone call with Delcy Rodríguez, who became Venezuela’s acting leader after the U.S. ousted President Nicolás Maduro last week.

Trump also said he would be briefed on meetings earlier Wednesday between U.S. officials and leaders from Greenland and Denmark regarding his insistence that the U.S. take over the world’s largest island — if he ever finished with the milk event, that is.

That didn’t stop officials at the signing event from praising milk heartily, championing its role in brain development and calling it “the most wholesome nutritious drink known to humankind.” A child gave the president a detailed explanation of how milk is produced, and Carson likened milk with low fat content to dishwater.

Trump eventually pointed back at the uncapped bottle on his desk and said, “It just looks so good sitting there.”

“We have some milk here. It’s been sitting here for five days,” he joked. “I brought it so the press could have some.”

The event ended with the milk bottle untouched.

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The FTC’s data-sharing order against GM is finally settled | TechCrunch

The Federal Trade Commission said Wednesday it has finalized an order that bans General Motors and its OnStar telematics service from sharing certain consumer data with consumer reporting agencies. The finalized order, which comes a year after the agency reached a proposed settlement with GM, also requires the automaker to be more transparent with its consumers and obtain their explicit consent on any data collection.

The finalized order comes nearly two years after a New York Times report showed how GM and OnStar collected, used, and sold drivers’ precise geolocation data and driving behavior to third parties, including data brokers LexisNexis and Verisk. The data was collected through GM’s Smart Driver program, a free feature contained within its connected car apps that tracked and rated driving behaviors and seatbelt use. Data brokers sold this information to insurance providers, which could affect customers’ rates, the NYT reported at the time.

GM discontinued the Smart Driver program in April 2024 across all of its brands, citing customer feedback. GM said at the time it unenrolled all customers and ended its third-party telematics relationships with LexisNexis and Verisk.

The FTC alleged that GM and OnStar used a misleading enrollment process to get consumers to sign up for its OnStar connected vehicle service and OnStar Smart Driver feature. The FTC also alleged the automaker failed to clearly disclose that the data would be collected and sold to third parties.

Under the order finalized Wednesday, GM is also required to obtain explicit consent from consumers prior to collecting, using, or sharing connected vehicle data. This process occurs at the dealership when a consumer buys a car from a GM brand. At that point, the OnStar system is linked to that particular vehicle VIN number and the new owner is asked whether they agree or not with data collection, according to GM.

There are some exceptions to the data collection ban, however. GM is allowed to share location data with emergency first responders and for internal research, the FTC said. GM confirmed this, noting it collects data for internal research and development and sometimes shares de-identified, or anonymized data (not associated with specific drivers or vehicles) with select partners to enhance city infrastructure and improve road safety. For instance, data has been shared with the University of Michigan, which used it for urban planning.

GM must also establish a way for all U.S. consumers to request a copy of their data and seek its deletion and give them the ability to disable the collection of precise geolocation data from their vehicles. GM says it has already complied with these mandates.

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GM says it began overhauling its policies and programs on data collection and privacy in 2024. For instance, the automaker said it has consolidated many of its U.S. privacy statements into a single, simpler statement and expanded its a GM privacy program that allows customers to access and delete their personal information.

“The Federal Trade Commission has formally approved the agreement reached last year with General Motors to address concerns,” an emailed statement from GM reads. “As vehicle connectivity becomes increasingly integral to the driving experience, GM remains committed to protecting customer privacy, maintaining trust, and ensuring customers have a clear understanding of our practices.”

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‘That Is Crazy Work’: White House Tries to Brag About Trump’s Big Accomplishment — But Everyone Zooms In on the Same Embarrassing Error

Gas prices have been dropping under President Donald Trump, and with Americans so concerned about affordability, that’s a good thing.

But the White House fumbled the ball when it posted the news on social media, showing the U.S. really does need a Department of Education.

The White House post on X on Monday, Jan. 12, not only showed a map that didn’t make sense, but the word “forty” was misspelled. The post spelled it “fourty.”

“Gas prices continue to plummet nationwide. Now FOURTY THREE U.S. states feature average gas prices under $3/gallon!” the post stated.

The actual press release cited Gas Buddy for the price data, but Triple A shows 41 states with gas prices under $3 a gallon as of Tuesday, Jan. 13, not the 43 the Trump administration was trying to brag about before the word misspelling hijacked the conversation.

By the way, forty was spelled “fourty” 600 years ago in Middle English.

‘There Will be Consequences!’: Democrats Move to Impeach Kristi Noem — and This Time It’s Not Just Talk

And social media did exactly what it’s known for: zeroing in on the misspelling until the actual news about decreasing fuel costs got lost in the blowback.

“Attempting to dismantle the Department of Education all while spelling the word FORTY incorrectly is hilarious!” a Threads user said.

Another noted, “It’s not ‘incorrect,’ it’s just not the American spelling that we use in the USA. Which begs the question: who TF is running official social media for the White House?

“This is crazy work!” this Threads user agreed.

Others pointed out it’s not just Trump and his cronies who can’t spell.

“My maga congressman can’t spell,” this Threads user chined in above a post with a misspelling about SNAP benefits.

Still, more users have had enough of what critics call the obvious stupidity of members of the Trump administration.

“It’s to the point when I can’t tell if this is real, or if it’s @theonion,” poster Alex V Sim admitted. This Threads user agreed, “The audacity and idiocy are just incredible.”

But the post shows that Trump is finally taking the affordability crisis many Americans are facing seriously. For months last year, the President unbelievably seemed to have no clue about what affordability even meant, let alone the high prices for everyday goods and services. Then, when the issue wouldn’t go away, he claimed affordability issues were a “Democratic hoax” before finally acknowledging the problem and promising to address it.

Trump and Vice President JD Vance actually ran for the White House in 2024, promising to lower prices, as Trump said at the time, “on his first day in office.” That didn’t happen and it still hasn’t.

But what has happened, especially given it’s a mid-term election year, is that the President finally announced an effort at lowering prices on everyday goods, according to NBC News.

The last inflation report of 2025 from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed inflation is still higher than the Federal Reserve would like. Prices rose 2.7 percent in December compared to a year ago, NBC reported, and the Fed likes to see inflation at 2 percent as a standard marker for a healthy economy.

And while gas prices dropped 0.5 percent in December, food prices soared 0.7 percent. Many of the stats the agency is reporting may be off because of the longest government shutdown in U.S. history, which began at the start of October and ended in mid-November.

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Denmark and Greenland agree to form working group over the future of the territory | Fortune

A top Danish official said Wednesday that a “fundamental disagreement” over Greenland remains with President Donald Trump after holding highly anticipated White House talks with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The two sides, however, agreed to create a working group to discuss ways to work through differences as Trump continues to call for a U.S. takeover of the semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark.

“The group, in our view, should focus on how to address the American security concerns, while at the same time respecting the red lines of the Kingdom of Denmark,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen told reporters after joining Greenland’s foreign minister, Vivian Motzfeldt, for the talks. He added that it remains “clear that the president has this wish of conquering over Greenland.”

Trump is trying to make the case that NATO should help the U.S. acquire the world’s largest island and says anything less than it being under American control is unacceptable.

Denmark, meanwhile, announced plans to boost the country’s military presence in the Arctic and North Atlantic as Trump tries to justify his calls for a U.S. takeover of the vast territory by repeatedly claiming that China and Russia have their designs on Greenland, which holds vast untapped reserves of critical minerals.

The president did not take part in Wednesday’s meeting. In an Oval Office exchange with reporters following the talks, he reiterated his commitment to acquiring the territory.

“We need Greenland for national security,” Trump said. He added: “We’ll see how it all works out. I think something will work out.”

Before the meeting, Trump took to social media to make the case that “NATO should be leading the way” for the U.S. to acquire the territory.

“NATO becomes far more formidable and effective with Greenland in the hands of the UNITED STATES,” Trump wrote. “Anything less than that is unacceptable.”

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has sought to keep an arms-length away from the dispute between the most important power and the other members of the 32-country alliance unnerved by the aggressive tact Trump has taken toward Denmark.

Both Løkke Rasmussen and Motzfeldt offered measured hope that the talks were beginning a conversation that would lead to Trump dropping his demand of acquiring the territory and create a path for tighter cooperation with the U.S.

“We have shown where our limits are and from there, I think that it will be very good to look forward,” Motzfeldt said.

Denmark bolstering presence in Arctic

In Copenhagen, Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen announced an increase in Denmark’s “military presence and exercise activity” in the Arctic and the North Atlantic, “in close cooperation with our allies”.

Poulsen said the stepped-up military presence was necessary in a security environment in which “no one can predict what will happen tomorrow.”

“This means that from today and in the coming time there will be an increased military presence in and around Greenland of aircraft, ships and soldiers, including from other NATO allies,” Poulsen said.

Other NATO allies were arriving in Greenland along with Danish personnel, he said. Poulsen declined to name the other countries contributing to an increased Arctic presence, saying that it is up to the allies to announce their own participation.

The new security commitments, at least those publicized by Greenland’s allies, appeared modest.

Germany said it would send 13 personnel this week to Greenland “to explore the framework for potential military contributions” on the island. Sweden announced Wednesday it was sending an unspecified number of personnel to Greenland for military exercises. And two Norwegian military personnel also were being sent to Greenland to map out further cooperation with allies, the country’s defense minister, Tore O. Sandvik, told newspaper VG.

NATO is also looking at how members can collectively bolster the alliance’s presence in the Arctic, said a NATO official who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official added there’s consensus “that security in the High North is a priority.”

Greenlanders want the US to back off

Greenland is strategically important because, as climate change causes the ice to melt, it opens up the possibility of shorter trade routes to Asia. That also could make it easier to extract and transport untapped deposits of critical minerals which are needed for computers and phones.

Trump says Greenland is also “vital” to the United States’ Golden Dome missile defense program. He also has said he wants the island to expand America’s security and has repeatedly cited what he says is the threat from Russian and Chinese ships as a reason to control it.

“If we don’t go in, Russia is going to go in and China is going to go in,” Trump argued anew Wednesday. “And there’s not a thing that Denmark can do about it, but we can do everything about it.”

But experts and Greenlanders question that claim, and it has become a hot topic on the snow-covered main street in Greenland’s capital, where international journalists and camera crews have descended as Trump continues his takeover talk.

“The only Chinese I see is when I go to the fast food market,” heating engineer Lars Vintner said. He said he frequently goes sailing and hunting and has never seen Russian or Chinese ships.

In interviews, Greenlanders said the outcome of the Washington talks didn’t exactly evince confidence that Trump can be persuaded.

“Trump is unpredictable,” said Geng Lastein, who immigrated to Greenland 18 years ago from the Philippines.

Maya Martinsen, 21, said she doesn’t buy Trump’s arguments that Greenland needs to be controlled by the U.S. for the sake maintaining a security edge in Arctic over China and Russia. Instead, Martinsen said, Trump is after the plentiful “oils and minerals that we have that are untouched.”

Greenland “has beautiful nature and lovely people,” Martinsen added. “It’s just home to me. I think the Americans just see some kind of business trade.”

Denmark has said the U.S., which already has a military presence, can boost its bases on Greenland. The U.S. is party to a 1951 treaty that gives it broad rights to set up military bases there with the consent of Denmark and Greenland.

Løkke Rasmussen and Motzfeldt, along with Denmark’s ambassador to the U.S., planned to meet later Wednesday with senators from the Arctic Caucus. A bipartisan delegation of U.S. lawmakers is also heading to Copenhagen this week to see Danish and Greenlandic officials.

Both Løkke Rasmussen and Motzfeldt said while they remain at loggerheads with Trump, it remains critical to keep talking.

“It is in everybody’s interest — even though we disagree — that we agree to try to explore whether it is doable to accommodate some of the concerns while at the same time respecting the integrity of the Danish kingdom’s territory and the self-determination of the Greenlandic people,” Løkke Rasmussen said.

___

Burrows reported from Nuuk, Greenland and Ciobanu from Warsaw, Poland. Associated Press writers Stefanie Dazio and Geir Moulson in Berlin, Lisa Mascaro, Aamer Madhani and Will Weissert in Washington and Catherine Gaschka in Paris contributed to this report.

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Left-hander Ranger Suárez and Boston Red Sox agree to $130 million, 5-year contract, AP source says

Left-hander Ranger Suárez and Boston Red Sox agree to 0 million, 5-year contract, AP source says

Left-hander Ranger Suárez and the Boston Red Sox agreed Wednesday to a $130 million, five-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the agreement had not been announced.

An All-Star in 2024, Suárez had spent his entire professional career with the Philadelphia Phillies after signing at age 16 in April 2012. The 30-year-old from Venezuela pitched out of the bullpen early on but has been a steady performer and mostly a reliable winner since moving into the rotation exclusively in 2022.

The deal is the first for a major league free agent for the Red Sox this season. It comes days after they were outbid for Alex Bregman by the Chicago Cubs, who gave the incumbent Boston third baseman a five-year, $175 million deal with a no-trade clause that the Red Sox wouldn’t offer.

Instead, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow bolstered the pitching staff with a lefty who doesn’t throw hard but limits home runs and keeps batters off balance by changing speeds and hitting the corners.

Suárez was 12-8 with a 3.20 ERA last season in 26 starts covering a career-high 157 1/3 innings, then became a free agent for the first time and turned down a $22,025,000 qualifying offer from Philadelphia in November.

His calling card is consistency. Suárez went 8-5 with a 1.36 ERA and four saves in 12 starts and 27 relief outings in 2021. He finished 10-7 with a 3.65 ERA over 29 starts and 155 1/3 innings the following season, then fell off to 4-6 with a 4.18 ERA across 22 starts in 2023, when he landed on the injured list for a left elbow strain and later for a right hamstring strain. But he bounced right back the next year, going 12-8 with a 3.46 ERA in 27 starts and 150 2/3 innings.

During that stretch, he was a big reason the Phillies made four straight playoff appearances from 2022-25, winning one National League pennant and back-to-back NL East titles the past two years.

Suárez has been outstanding on the mound in postseason play, too, going 4-1 with a 1.48 ERA and one save in eight starts and three relief appearances totaling 42 2/3 innings.

Overall in eight regular seasons in the majors, he is 53-37 with a 3.38 ERA, two shutouts and four saves in 187 games, including 119 starts. He has struck out 705 batters and walked 240 in 762 innings.

Back trouble has been an issue occasionally. Three times in the past four seasons Suárez spent time on the IL for lower back spasms, soreness or stiffness.

He joins a rotation projected to include left-hander Garrett Crochet, right-handers Sonny Gray and Brayan Bello and perhaps rookie Payton Tolle or Connelly Early.

Because Suárez turned down the qualifying offer, the Phillies get an additional draft pick after the fourth round of the amateur draft this July as compensation.

___

AP Baseball Writer Mike Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

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Iran Escalates Protest Crackdown but Says Open to U.S. Talks

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Iran’s response to domestic protests, the Trump administration’s pressure campaign on the U.S. Federal Reserve, and allegations of genocide against Myanmar.

Intervention or Negotiations?

After two weeks of mass anti-government protests, Iran’s authoritarian regime is seeking to toe the line between escalating its bloody crackdown against the opposition and averting possible U.S. military intervention.

Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at Iran’s response to domestic protests, the Trump administration’s pressure campaign on the U.S. Federal Reserve, and allegations of genocide against Myanmar.

Intervention or Negotiations?

After two weeks of mass anti-government protests, Iran’s authoritarian regime is seeking to toe the line between escalating its bloody crackdown against the opposition and averting possible U.S. military intervention.

“We are not looking for war, but we are prepared for war—even more prepared than the previous war,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Monday, seemingly referring to Tehran’s 12-day conflict with Israel last June that also saw the United States launch military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

Protests first ignited on Dec. 28 over Iran’s high inflation rate and plummeting currency, which trades at more than 1.4 million rial to $1. Fighting with Israel last summer drained the country’s limited financial resources, further compounding the economic hardships from years of U.S. and European sanctions.

But the start of 2026 saw the demonstrations spiral into a larger movement aimed at the Iranian regime, led by 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The government response has been brutal. In just 15 days, Iranian forces have killed nearly 600 people and detained around 10,600 others, according to the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency. Although internet blackouts and cut phone lines have made exact estimates of the protests’ size and geographical spread difficult, experts suggest that the protests are the most serious domestic threat the regime has faced since mass demonstrations broke out in 2022 over the Iranian morality police’s alleged killing of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

Araghchi insisted on Monday that the situation in the country had “come under total control” and accused Western powers of turning the peaceful protests “violent and bloody to give an excuse” to intervene. Iranian state media on Monday showed large crowds of regime supporters rallying in Tehran and other cities, chanting “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.” Iran’s attorney general has warned that anyone protesting against the government will be considered an “enemy of God,” which carries the death penalty in Iran.

On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated his threat to militarily intervene to curb Tehran’s repression campaign. “We’re looking at it very seriously, the military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One. “I’m getting an hourly report, and we’re going to make a determination.” He added that he spoke to the “leaders of Iran” on Saturday to discuss potential negotiations, though he did not provide specifics.

Araghchi has since said that Iran is also “ready for negotiations” and has open communication channels with U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

However, hawkish lawmakers in both the United States and Iran are pushing for harsher measures. On Sunday, U.S. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham told Fox News that if he were Trump, “I would kill the leadership that are killing the people.” In a similar vein, Iranian parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf issued a grave warning: “Let us be clear. In the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories [Israel] as well as all U.S. bases and ships will be our legitimate target.”

Today’s Most Read

The World This Week

Tuesday, Jan. 13: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosts Polish President Karol Nawrocki.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung begins a two-day trip to Japan to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

Wednesday, Jan. 14: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosts Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen and Greenlandic Foreign Minister Vivian Motzfeldt.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney begins a four-day trip to China.

Thursday, Jan. 15: Uganda holds a general election.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni begins a three-day trip to Japan before traveling to South Korea.

Saturday, Jan. 17: The European Union-Mercosur trade deal is signed in Paraguay.

Sunday, Jan. 18: Portugal holds a presidential election.

Monday, Jan. 19: The World Economic Forum kicks off its annual conference in Davos, Switzerland.

What We’re Following

Fight at the Fed. The Trump administration has ramped up its pressure campaign against the U.S. Federal Reserve, with the Justice Department issuing subpoenas to Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Friday as part of an investigation related to Powell’s testimony to Congress last summer regarding oversight of the multibillion-dollar renovation of the Fed’s headquarters.

In a rare public statement, Powell on Sunday said that the investigation “is not about my testimony last June or about the renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings” but rather “is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President.”

“This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions—or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation,” Powell added.

Trump has repeatedly demanded that Powell cut interest rates, claiming that the Fed’s decision not to do so is hurting the U.S. economy. However, Powell maintains that current central bank policy is in the public’s best interests. His refusal to bow to presidential demands has worsened his rift with Trump in recent months, leading the U.S. president to threaten to fire Powell despite the chair being legally protected from such action.

Trump on Sunday denied that the Justice Department subpoenas are meant to pressure Powell on interest rates.

Allegations of genocide. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) began public hearings on Monday in a landmark case accusing Myanmar of committing genocide against its mostly Muslim Rohingya minority. This is the first genocide case that the U.N.’s top court is hearing in full in more than a decade, and it could have widespread repercussions for how allegations of genocide are determined going forward, including concerning South Africa’s similar ICJ case against Israel over its war in Gaza.

Gambia has accused Myanmar of subjecting the Rohingya to the “most horrific violence and destruction one could imagine.” At least 730,000 Rohingya have been forcibly displaced since Myanmar’s armed forces launched its initial offensive in October 2016 before its larger one several months later.

A U.N.-mandated independent fact-finding mission said in a 2018 report that the mission had “established consistent patterns of serious human rights violations and abuses” as well as “serious violations of international humanitarian law … principally committed by the Myanmar security forces, particularly the military.” It recommended “that named senior generals of the Myanmar military should be investigated and prosecuted in an international criminal tribunal for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.” Myanmar denies all allegations of genocide. The ICJ’s hearings are expected to last three weeks.

Political asylum. Hungary granted former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro asylum on Monday, widening the diplomatic rift between Budapest and Warsaw. “I decided to take advantage of the asylum granted to me by the Hungarian government due to political repression in Poland,” Ziobro wrote on X, claiming that he is the subject of a witch hunt orchestrated by Poland’s pro-EU leader, Donald Tusk.

When Poland’s nationalist Law and Justice party was in power, Ziobro enacted changes to Warsaw’s judicial system that the EU said undermined rule of law in the country. Since Tusk took power in late 2023, Warsaw has sought to prosecute Ziobro for allegedly misusing money allocated to help victims of crime, accusing him of instead spending the funds on Pegasus spyware and to target political opponents.

“A former justice minister fleeing the Polish justice system like a coward. A complete downfall!” Polish cabinet minister Tomasz Siemoniak wrote on X on Monday.

Odds and Ends

As China grapples with population decline, a new app is checking on the health of the country’s citizens. “Are You Dead?”—which requires users to check in every two days or else have their emergency contact notified—has become the most popular paid app for Chinese Apple Store customers. The app is particularly popular among young people living alone (despite Beijing taking steps to promote marriage and birthrates) and older adults without relatives nearby. And you thought Duolingo notifications were threatening.

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Trending on the Timeline: Jill Scott Opens Up & the Deltas Celebrate

Source: ione nicole thomas / IONE, VIA NICOLE THOMAS

We are keeping our ear to the streets and bringing you the hottest updates that everyone is talking about. Get the inside scoop on Jill Scott’s emotional Why Did I Get Married? confession, the latest buzz on her new album, and our Founders Day shoutout to Delta Sigma Theta,here is everything you need to know.

Here’s a closer look at the stories that had everyone talking about:

Anticipation Builds for Jill’s Next Album

It’s been a minute since we’ve heard this much from our favorite Neo-soul queen, but Jill Scott has been on a serious run lately. During a recent sit-down with Angie Martinez, the legendary songstress opened up about her iconic role as Sheila in Tyler Perry’s Why Did I Get Married? and the emotional toll it took on her behind the scenes. While we all remember rooting for Sheila to find her self-worth, Jill revealed that filming the pivotal airplane scene was harder than it looked. Tyler Perry apparently instructed the extras to go in on her with jokes, and even though she was wearing a fat suit, the insults cut deep.

Jill admitted that the experience of being “bullied” by strangers on set, even for the sake of acting, was genuinely painful. “I hated that,” she confessed, explaining how the extras’ comments about Sheila’s weight felt incredibly real in the moment. It speaks to the power of words and how easily they can affect us, regardless of the context. As discussed on the timeline, Jill is a true empath—she feels everything deeply, which is exactly what makes her music and her acting resonate so profoundly with us. We love her for speaking her truth and reminding us that even the strongest among us have moments of vulnerability.

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While we are still processing that revelation, the timeline is also buzzing with anticipation for new music. We cannot wait for that new album to drop! Jilly from Philly has a way of soundtracking our lives like no one else, and if her recent interviews are any indication, she has plenty of stories left to tell. We’d also love to see her grace the big screen again soon. Whether she is singing her heart out or delivering a powerhouse performance in a movie, Jill Scott remains a national treasure, and we are here for whatever she decides to do next.

Honoring Delta Sigma Theta: Founders Day Shines Bright

Finally, we have to take a moment to send a huge shoutout to the devastating divas of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated! The timeline is lit up with Crimson and Cream as the sorority celebrates its Founders Day. We see you, we appreciate you, and we celebrate the incredible legacy of service and sisterhood you continue to build.

Follow your girl on the ‘Gram (@djmisses) and check out Posted On The Corner for more updates.

Stay plugged in, keep the discussion going, and make sure your voice is part of the movement shaping what’s next.

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Intervention or Negotiations?

Today’s Most Read

The World This Week

What We’re Following

Odds and Ends

Anticipation Builds for Jill’s Next Album

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Honoring Delta Sigma Theta: Founders Day Shines Bright