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/ International Affairs
Trump passes legal deadline for Iran war
Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images
Friday marked two months since President Trump notified Congress of military action in Iran, triggering a key legal deadline that many say he now has to either end the operation or get Congress on board.
Why is the two-month mark so important?
The crucial cut-off point comes from the War Powers Resolution, which states that the president cannot continue military operations that extend beyond 60 days unless Congress formally authorizes the conflict or declares war (see video overview).
The law allows Trump to request a 30-day extension to withdraw forces, but so far, he has not decided to.
Instead, his administration argues that the ongoing ceasefire effectively “paused” the 60-day timeline.
Is that true? It depends on who you ask. Republicans have largely sided with the White House, saying the US is no longer engaged in active combat. At the same time, legal experts and many Democrats argue that the law does not allow the deadline to be stopped and that ongoing actions (like naval blockades) could still count as hostilities.
Trump isn’t the only one to do this: Presidents have mostly worked around the War Powers Act since its passage more than 50 years ago, including Bill Clinton during a 78-day bombing campaign in Kosovo and Barack Obama during a 222-day UN and NATO operation in Libya.
Why should you care?
If this deadline is actually enforced and the conflict ends or stays paused, Americans could see more stability in gas prices, markets, and overall economic inflation. But if fighting resumes without clear congressional approval, it raises the risk of a prolonged conflict, which could drive up energy costs and create more economic strain.
We’re tracking this issue live on NextGen+. Click the button below to see its status, momentum, and other key developments.
/ Energy
The US just exported a record amount of oil. Why are gas prices still climbing?
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The US shipped out 5.2 million barrels of crude oil per day last month, a record high and roughly 30% more than it did the month before the Iran war began, according to data firm Kpler.
But as the US exports an abundant amount of oil, frustrated Americans are paying an ever-increasing amount at the pump, leaving many questioning why prices are so high.
So, why don’t we use our own oil?
In theory, it seems like that would bring gas prices down, but reality is a bit more complex. The issue comes down to refining mismatch:
US refineries are largely optimized for heavy, sour crude.
However, most of what’s pumped out in the US is lighter crude and medium crude.
To curb the incompatibility, the US ships out most of the domestically produced oil to other countries so they can better process and refine it.
But that’s not the only problem: Gas prices are set on the global market, so even though the US exports more oil than it imports (a recent milestone), that doesn’t really help your gas bill, according to an analyst at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.
A crude awakening
While the US surpassed Saudi Arabia as the world’s top crude oil exporter largely thanks to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, that hasn’t stopped the US from trying to get it reopened:
On Sunday, President Trump said the US will guide stranded ships from non-involved countries through the strait.
Iran called the plan “delirium,” and then yesterday, attacked two US warships and two commercial vessels, damaging a South Korean cargo ship.
Iran dismissed the plan as “delirium” and, the following day, launched attacks against two US warships and several commercial ships.
While the US Navy ended up escorting two commercial ships to safety, one South Korean cargo ship was damaged, and six Iranian small boats were destroyed.
Recent escalations have had an impact on gas prices: The Wall Street Journal estimated that Americans spent about $125 million more on gasoline on May 1 than they did the previous Friday.
Dive deeper: See how the Iran war affects the price of everyday items in your shopping cart, from eggs to chocolate to tampons, here.
Why is this important?
Record US oil exports show the country is stepping in to fill global supply gaps, which could help prevent gas prices from rising even higher, but doesn’t necessarily mean cheaper fuel at home.
We’re tracking this issue live on NextGen+. Click the button below to see its status, momentum, and other key developments.
/ Aviation
Spirit Airlines has crashed and burned
Giorgio Viera / AFP via Getty Images
Spirit Airlines shut down over the weekend after it couldn’t lock in a $500 million rescue deal with the Trump administration.
The 34-year-old budget airline officially ended its operations around 3 am Saturday, leaving 17,000 employees out of work, flights cancelled, and travel plans disrupted.
Losing its wings
Spirit launched as a commercial passenger service in 1992 with an emphasis on ultra-low cost pricing (just don’t mention the hidden fees) and eventually grew to the seventh largest carrier in the US.
Though after numerous bankruptcies, failed mergers, increased competition, and soaring costs, the airline inevitably shuttered.
Its most recent challenge was a surge in jet fuel prices driven by supply chain disruptions tied to the Iran war.
Soaring jet fuel costs now account for close to 30% of airline costs and have roughly doubled since the conflict began (see data).
What happens now? Well, things are up in the air (just not Spirit’s planes). Spirit Airlines’ ultra-low fares helped anchor pricing across the industry, and with that pressure gone, other airlines may have more room to raise prices.
But… since Spirit had already scaled back significantly in recent years, some analysts say the overall impact might not be as bad as expected, at least in the long run. The budget airline was only expected to operate around 1% of all US flights this month.
Why does this matter?
Travellers can expect to face higher flight prices, particularly on routes where Spirit used to keep fares low, with experts anticipating an average fare increase of up to 20% due to reduced competition and lower capacity.
In partnership with Roku
How Jennifer Aniston’s LolaVie brand grew sales 40% with CTV ads
For its first CTV campaign, Jennifer Aniston’s DTC haircare brand LolaVie had a few non-negotiables. The campaign had to be simple. It had to demonstrate measurable impact. And it had to be full-funnel.
LolaVie used Roku Ads Manager to test and optimize creatives — reaching millions of potential customers at all stages of their purchase journeys. Roku Ads Manager helped the brand convey LolaVie’s playful voice while helping drive omnichannel sales across both ecommerce and retail touchpoints.
The campaign included an Action Ad overlay that let viewers shop directly from their TVs by clicking OK on their Roku remote. This guided them to the website to buy LolaVie products.
Discover how Roku Ads Manager helped LolaVie drive big sales and customer growth with self-serve TV ads.
The DTC beauty category is crowded. To break through, Jennifer Aniston’s brand LolaVie, worked with Roku Ads Manager to easily set up, test, and optimize CTV ad creatives. The campaign helped drive a big lift in sales and customer growth, helping LolaVie break through in the crowded beauty category.
/ Government
Pentagon signs deals with several AI giants
Getty Images
The Pentagon has reached agreements with several leading AI companies, including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, and SpaceX, to deploy their technology in classified military systems.
Why does the Pentagon need AI?
The partnerships are designed to help the military operate faster and more efficiently in complex environments by integrating cutting-edge AI tech. According to officials:
The goal is to give US forces “decision superiority” and become the world’s premier "AI-first fighting force."
What would the AI be used for? The systems are expected to be used for a range of tasks, including data analysis, intelligence processing, mission planning, and battlefield decision-making, as the AI can easily sift through massive datasets, identify threats, and support operational commands across the world.
Not all AI companies like the Pentagon’s terms: Some firms, most notably Anthropic, declined to participate over concerns about how their technology could be used in surveillance or warfare, leading to a high-profile public dispute with the government earlier this year (see rundown).
Why is this important?
Closer ties between Big Tech and the military raise concerns about surveillance, ethics, and priorities as AI continues to play a bigger role in national defense. The shift could change how AI is regulated, how private data is handled, and how much influence these companies have over both technology and government decisions.
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/ Fast Facts
Catch up on this week’s weird news
Giphy
> New NASA satellite data shows Mexico City is sinking so fast it’s visible from space, with some areas dropping nearly 10 inches a year due to groundwater depletion.
> Collosal Biosciences, the self-proclaimed “de-extinction” company that brought back the dire wolf, is now attempting to revive the extinct bluebuck antelope using gene editing.
> The number of people getting facial procedures increased almost 20% last year as young people are increasingly willing to spend big on cosmetic surgery.
> Amazon is reportedly exploring a reboot of The Apprentice with Donald Trump Jr. as a potential host, though talks remain in the early stages.
> Netflix is rolling out a TikTok-style vertical video feed called “Clips” that lets users swipe through short scenes from shows and movies to quickly decide what to watch.
/ Social Media
Meta’s historic loss in court could cost it more than just $375 million
Jeff Chiu / AP
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is currently battling the second phase of a landmark lawsuit in New Mexico over its failure to protect children from online dangers. The case could force the social media giant to institute major reforms on its platforms.
Held liable
Last month, a jury gave a $375 million penalty against Meta in the first part of the trial, concluding that the company intentionally misled users about the risks of using its platforms and exposed children to sexual exploitation, among other harms.
Now, in the second phase, Meta could face a far worse penalty than just hundreds of millions of dollars. Officials in New Mexico are asking the company to institute massive changes to the structure of its platforms, including:
Changes to algorithms.
Limiting minors to 90 hours per month.
Banning addictive features like infinite scroll and autoplay.
Stronger age verification systems and parental monitoring tools.
Meta has denied wrongdoing and warned that the proposed changes are “technically difficult and legally overreaching,” arguing they could fundamentally alter how its platforms operate.
If it comes to it… The social media giant suggested it could just shut down access to Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp in New Mexico alltogether, depending on the outcome of the case.
Even kids know social media is bad for them: In 2024, 48% of teens ages 13 to 17 said social media has a negative effect on them, up from 32% in 2022, per Pew Research Center.
Why should you care?
While the forced changes would surely have a siginificant impact on Meta’s platforms, esepcially for yougner users, legal experts say the verdict may create a precedent that could lead to a cascade of lawsuits, poentially affecting other social media platforms or resulting in even more drastic changes.