Sunday April 20th, 2025
Happy Sunday, we welcome you to the seventieth "school" edition of the Prekend
We’re so glad you’re here. Let’s get started.
Happy Reading
U.S. News
Administration Freezes $2 Billion in Harvard Funding Over Refusal to Meet Demands
The Trump administration has frozen over $2 billion in federal grants to Harvard University after the school rejected demands tied to combating antisemitism, including auditing student viewpoints, restricting international admissions, and dismantling diversity programs. Harvard refused, citing its independence and constitutional rights. President Trump also called for Harvard to lose its tax-exempt status, accusing the university of supporting harmful ideologies. While some demands targeted antisemitism, Harvard argued most were unconstitutional overreach into academic freedom. The administration has made similar demands to other universities, including Columbia, which agreed to terms after $400 million in funding was revoked.
President Trump on Abrego Garcia’s Deportation
President Trump is defying a Supreme Court order to return Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia, a migrant wrongfully deported to El Salvador. Courts, including conservative judges, have unanimously ruled that the deportation violated the law, but Trump is reframing the issue as one of illegal immigration and public safety rather than the rule of law. He has portrayed Abrego Garcia—who has never been convicted of a crime—as a dangerous criminal, using questionable or exaggerated claims.
US Chocolate Prices Soar Amid Cocoa Shortage and New Tariffs
US chocolate prices are rising sharply due to a combination of soaring cocoa costs and new tariffs under Donald Trump’s administration. Cocoa prices have skyrocketed from around $2,000 to over $12,000 per ton due to climate-related issues in West Africa, which produces 70% of the world’s cocoa. This has led to a global cocoa shortage and significantly higher chocolate prices. Tariffs on all imports, introduced in April 2025, are expected to further drive up prices, as nearly all cocoa used in US chocolate is imported.
World News
Haiti in Crisis as Gang Violence Reaches Record Highs
On Thursday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that criminal gangs had increased their violence in the capital city of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, since last year. The Haitian government now only controls about 10 percent of the city, with the rest being under control by criminal gangs. Haiti’s gang violence has only gotten worse over the years in specific incidents such as the assassination of the president in July 2021 and the mass attacks on prisons in 2024. A United Nations-backed police force, mainly Kenya-led, does exist in Haiti and has been trying to put an end to the gang violence, but it is severely underfunded. In response to gang violence, self-defense groups have formed, leading to even more violence.
Putin Announces Temporary Easter Ceasefire with Ukraine
The ceasefire will last from 6 p.m. Moscow time to Saturday midnight following Easter Sunday. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the ceasefire for being “another attempt by Putin to play with human lives.” The two nations did manage to exchange hundreds of prisoners of war (POWs), however. The exchange was welcomed by President Zelenskyy and was mediated by the United Arab Emirates.
Tunisia Jails Critics of President
On Friday, Tunisia jailed opponents of President Kais Saied after convicting them of plotting against state security. Among the 40 people jailed, the one to receive the harshest punishment was businessman Kamel Eltaief with a penalty of 66 years in prison. Critics claim that these convictions were based on faulty evidence and have no real merit, and President Saied is just using these convictions as an excuse to consolidate power. President Saied won re-election unchallenged last year after the jailing or disqualification of most of his opponents.
Iran Confirms Third Round of Nuclear Talks with US Next Week
The US and Iran have completed the second round of nuclear talks in Rome which Iran’s foreign minister has described as constructive. Some technical experts will be meeting in the days leading up to the third round of talks in Oman on April 26th, suggesting some progress in negotiations is being made.
Tech News
TSMC Outlook on AI Tech Offsets Tariff Mistrust
TSMC, the world’s largest contract chip producer, gave a bullish outlook for the year due to strong demand for AI applications, noting that it had not seen any change in customer behavior, despite U.S. tariffs. The Taiwan company, a leader in the global chip industry, reaffirmed its yearly forecast for sales and capital spending on Thursday and predicted that artificial intelligence (AI) chip revenue would double. Its Frankfurt shares rose 5% in morning trading. The forecast came in spite of challenges, such as U.S. export controls on chips to China and restrictions on Nvidia sales. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on semiconductors as part of his broader reciprocal actions on imports.
“We are definitely aware of the potential impact from all the recent tariff announcements, especially on end-market demand,” CEO C.C. Wei said on an earnings call. “That said, we have not seen any change in our customers’ behavior so far. So we are sticking to our forecasts.”
China to Rely on AI in Education Reform
China will integrate artificial intelligence into teaching methods, textbooks, and the school curriculum as part of a push to reform education, officials said in a government paper released Wednesday. The plan targets students and teachers at all levels — primary, secondary, and higher education — as the world’s second-largest economy aims to boost innovation and find new sources of growth. Advancing AI will “build the basic skills of teachers and students” and shape the core competitiveness of innovative talents,” according to the education ministry. For Chinese students, these key skills include unconstrained thinking, effective problem-solving, communication, and teamwork, the statement said. The use of AI is expected to create modern and inventive classrooms. The initiative follows Chinese universities expanding AI courses and enrollment after startup DeepSeek AI gained global attention in January for launching a competitive, low-cost language model.
Google Holds Illegal Monopolies in Ad Tech
Alphabet’s Google illegally controlled two markets for online advertising technology, a judge ruled on Thursday — a major setback for the tech giant and a step forward for U.S. antitrust officials who may now push for the company to be broken up. U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema in Virginia said Google had “willfully gained and kept monopoly power” in the markets for publisher ad servers and ad exchanges — the systems that connect advertisers with websites. Publisher ad servers are platforms that help websites manage and sell their ad space. The judge dismissed one part of the case, saying the government did not prove that Google had a monopoly in advertiser ad networks. Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s VP of Regulatory Affairs, said the company will appeal the ruling. “We won half of this case and we will appeal the other half,” she said, adding that the company disagrees with the decision on publisher tools. “Publishers have many choices, and they pick Google because our ad tech is simple, affordable, and effective.” Google shares fell 2.1%. A future hearing could determine what actions Google must take to restore competition — possibly including selling part of its business.
Entertainment
High Stakes Holiday Starts Production
High Stakes Holiday, a film blending elements of Home Alone and Ocean’s 11, stars the McGraw sisters, Madeleine and Violet. This marks the duo’s second film together after their first film together, The Curse of the Necklace, last year. The film is directed by Shaun Piccinino and written by John Ducey. The plot summary is as follows: “Set in Las Vegas during the holiday season, the story follows two sisters who find themselves entangled in a high-stakes heist. To prevent a cunning thief from stealing a priceless diamond gauntlet, they team up with a former MI6 agent. Together, they must outsmart the criminal before Christmas arrives.” Additional cast members have been announced, and the film started production on April 14.
Netflix’s Upcoming Film, Mosquito Bowl, Announces Cast
Netflix is set to produce Mosquito Bowl, a World War II drama directed by Peter Berg, featuring Nicholas Galitzine and Bill Skarsgård in leading roles. The film adapts Buzz Bissinger’s nonfiction book, The Mosquito Bowl: A Game of Life and Death in World War II, and tells the story of four college football stars who enlist in the Marines after Pearl Harbor. Before the brutal Battle of Okinawa, they participate in a legendary football game among Marines—a final match for many before facing combat. Berg co-wrote the script with Mark L. Smith, and Brian Grazer will produce.
Musical Feature No Te Olvides Announces Cast
Xochitl Gomez and Maite Perroni are set to star in No Te Olvides (Don't Forget), an upcoming musical film directed by Kimberly McCullough. Written by Nerris Nevarez-Nassiri, the story follows María, a closeted Chicana, who embarks on a journey to fulfil her grandmother's wish of returning to their ancestral village in Mexico. Her mother, Celestina, portrayed by Perroni, initially opposes the trip, leading to a cross-generational road trip that explores themes of identity, family, and healing. Production is scheduled to begin this fall, with Tony Estrada and Kristina Rivera producing.
Psych 101
Why Can’t We Stop Scrolling?
Humans naturally crave connection—it's a basic survival instinct that has kept us alive for generations. Social media taps into this need by offering instant access to human interaction. Every like, comment, or message triggers our brain to release dopamine, the chemical linked to pleasure and reward. But while these platforms mimic real social bonds, they also distort them. Unlike natural relationships, social media can be overconsumed, leading to emotional overload and comparison fatigue. According to Stanford Medicine, “our brains aren't equipped to process the millions of comparisons the virtual world demands. We can become overwhelmed by our inability to measure up to these "perfect" people who exist only in the Matrix. We give up trying and sink into depression, or what neuroscientists called ‘learned helplessness.’” In fact, some apps can release dopamine in amounts similar to addictive substances like heroin or meth by intensifying the social rewards we’re wired to seek.
1 in 4 Young Adults Turn to Artificial Intelligence for Romance and Sex—But At What Cost?
A new study from The Wheatley Institute surveyed nearly 3,000 adults and found that 1 in 4 young adults have used AI to fulfill romantic or sexual desires. This includes everything from chatting with AI-generated partners to viewing AI-created erotic content.
27% of young men and 12% of young women reported viewing AI-generated pornography.
30% of young men and 23% of young women had romantic chats with AI systems.
13% of all participants preferred AI-generated sexual images to real ones.
42% said AI was easier to talk to than real people.
31% believed AI “understood” them better than human partners.
Thanks for joining us this week!
We’ll see you next Sunday
For now, enjoy the weekend and stay safe.
Kelsi Lo, Victor Yang, Kimi Kuo, Allyson Ferrer, Evelyn Liu and Ren Brown
-The Prekend Team