🚔 Publishers Clearing House scam: This is something! An 84-year-old woman was told she’d won $5 million and a Mercedes-Benz. The catch? All she had to do was pay $30,000 in “taxes” first. She handed over $19K before realizing something was off and setting up a sting with the cops. Granny wasn’t playing around, and the police caught the crooks. Reminds me of when my son Ian asked, “Grandma, how old are you?” “A woman never reveals her age,” my mom said. Ian said, “Alright, just give me the first digit.” “Seven,” she said. “And the second?” Mom sighed and said, “Two.” And Ian said, “And the third?” 😂
Three per day
Satellite or rocket parts crash back to Earth. A 4-inch shard from the ISS punched through a Florida roof last month, as if those hurricanes weren’t bad enough. We may hit 15 daily as Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper launch more satellites. Did you hear about the film they’re making, where Dallas gets destroyed by space junk? Debris Does Dallas. (Thank you for that chuckle.)
💊 Hair-raising warning: Hims, Keeps and Ro promising to bring back your hairline? That topical finasteride they’re peddling isn’t FDA-approved (paywall link). Only the pill version is. They also don’t always spell out the side effects: erectile dysfunction, brain fog and depression that can last after you stop trying to get a head of hair.
📦 Thrifting apps are booming: They’re up 18% in the first quarter compared to last year (paywall link). Folks are using apps like Depop and eBay for cheaper secondhand clothes and furniture since Shein and Temu are getting pricier because of tariffs. But hey, with all that demand, don’t be shocked when thrift prices start acting ~boutique~.
I take two scoops of collagen a day: It’s good for bone density, makes your nails and hair stronger and can help smooth wrinkles. Use this link for 45% off if you want to try it, too.
🕶️ Meta glasses can live-translate: Ray-Ban smart glasses owners can now have conversations with someone in English, French, Italian or Spanish and hear the translation in real time through their shades. The best part? No internet needed. Just download the language pack ahead of time, and it works offline, too. I can’t wait to try this!
5 minutes
China’s top battery makers have reached five-minute charging speeds for EVs, more or less the time it takes at a gas station. CATL and BYD just flexed batteries that can deliver up to 320+ miles of range off a five-minute charge. Meanwhile, most U.S. EVs take 15 to 30 minutes.
🙏 Can AI predict the next pope? Not really, but they’re giving it a shot. Grok and Gemini picked Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s former number two under Pope Francis. ChatGPT went with Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle. But even the bots will tell you it’s a guessing game. The process is way too secretive for data to crack … for now.
🚗 A parent’s worst nightmare: An Uber driver recently took off with a sleeping 5-year-old daughter still in the back. The mom, Julia, called 911, but Uber refused to call the driver without paperwork. It took Toronto cops over an hour to find the girl safe. Uber’s apology? A $10 future ride credit, because nothing says “sorry, we misplaced your child” like one free quarter-ride to Chili’s.
$550 billion
That’s how much analysts say Google can get for YouTube if forced to sell it. Now the top streaming platform by viewership, YouTube is worth more than Disney, and all it took was 20 years of cat videos and Minecraft speedruns. Fun fact: The YouTube founder sold it to Google for $1.65 billion in 2006.
🧠 New Gen Z term to know: “Locking in.” If someone you know uses that phrase, it means they are cutting out distractions to focus on a personal goal. Think quitting social media, skipping parties and going all-in on fitness or making money. My dad used to call it “a kick in the a$$.”
Cloudy days for ASUS: Update the firmware in your ASUS router. It has a severe vulnerability that lets attackers remotely execute functions. That is, do whatever the heck they want on your network.
⚠️ Flying a drone? Be careful. They’re getting way too close to planes, especially around major U.S. airports. Some have come within 50 to 300 feet of passenger jets mid-flight. Most people don’t even realize they’re flying in restricted zones. The FAA is now testing jammers and lasers to stop it. Yep, it’s that serious.
Hackers can steal your home: With just a forged signature, cybercriminals can take out loans in your name, drain your equity and leave you with the mess. Click here to get a free home title history report, when you sign up using code KIM. You’ll also receive a free 14-day trial of their Million Dollar Triple Lock Protection.
$1 million
A rare photo of Abraham Lincoln might sell for that at auction. The pic was made between 1895 and 1900 using an original negative from 1860. Bidding starts at $250,000 and kicks off today at 10 a.m. ET. I’ll never forget when I told my son to get off his Xbox and said, “When Abraham Lincoln was your age, he used to walk 10 miles every day to get to school.” Ian responded, “Really? Well, when he was your age, he was president.” Kids.
💍 Be smitten, not bitten: Couples are losing thousands to photographers they find on social media. It all seems legit with a digital contract. Then, the shady shutterbugs ask for a cash deposit through Venmo or Zelle. But on the big day? They ghost you or show up and never deliver the photos. Folks, do your homework.
Nintendo Switch 2 update: Preorders are set for April 24, and the price is holding at $449.99. Accessories are getting more expensive. The Joy-Con is $94.99, the Pro Controller is $84.99, and the Switch 2 Camera is $54.99. Launch day’s locked for June 5. By the time I finish buying accessories, Nintendo is legally allowed to claim me as a dependent.
$3.4 million
Price tag of the world’s most accurate clock. The Aether clock OC 020 is as big as two refrigerators and weighs over 440 pounds. Let it tick for 10 billion years, and it would only be off by a second. That’s better than atomic clocks and could help predict earthquakes. No word if it has a snooze button.
🚨 Android alert: Watch out for a fake bank text asking you to call about a suspicious transaction. That’s when they’ll get you to share your card info and install a so-called Reader app. Next, you’re told to tap your bank card to your phone, and just like that, the app steals the card’s chip data with full access to your bank account.
🕵️ Scammers posing as the FBI: The lowest of the low. Scammers claim to be from the Internet Crime Complaint Center and offer to help you recover stolen money, then refer you to another “agent.” That’s when they ask for financial info and money. The real FBI won’t contact you like this or ask for payment.