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National Guard deployed to Los Angeles after protests turn violent

Demonstrations continued into the night as tensions flare. On Sunday, President Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles after immigration arrests induced an eruption of protests, which have since escalated.

The move marks the first such federal deployment to California since the Watts riots in 1965.

Show of force

The order followed a string of protests over the weekend, where around 400 demonstrators gathered in downtown LA, turned violent, injuring at least five LAPD officers.

Shortly after, clashes broke out between demonstrators and ICE agents:

• Protestors were seen throwing Molotov cocktails, concrete blocks, electric scooters, and fireworks at authorities (watch here).

• Others vandalized and set fire to self-driving Waymo cars (watch video).

As protests escalated, officers resorted to crowd-control tactics, including launching tear gas, firing rubber bullets and pepper balls, and deploying flash-bang explosives.

There could be a heavier presence: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that 500 Marines from Camp Pendleton are on alert in case the situation deteriorates further.

Law & Order

The president triggered the deployment of National Guard troops using Title 10 authority, which places Trump at the head of command, bypassing California Governor Gavin Newsom (D). The approach hasn’t been used since the Civil Rights era.

• Newsom called the act “Donald Trump’s mess” and vowed to sue the Trump administration for bypassing the state’s consent.

• Trump called Newsom “grossly incompetent” for failing to keep protests under control and minimizing damage.

Meanwhile, LAPD Chief McDonnell said local police were “overwhelmed” and unable to intervene on immigration matters due to California’s sanctuary laws.

What’s happening now? A third night of burglaries and clashes has authorities struggling to gain control of the situation, per the LA Times. The heavy police response has inflamed tensions, and as of writing, 42 arrests have been made, including a prominent union leader.

Amazon is training humanoid robots to deliver packages

At least they’d be immune to dog attacks. As Amazon increasingly embraces AI technology, the tech giant has secretly started testing human-like robots that can deliver packages directly into customers' hands.

Welcome to “Humanoid Park”

According to a leaked memo, first reported on by The Information, Amazon has been working on a hush-hush initiative to get robots on the road delivering packages.

A stark difference to the recent Jurassic ones (and hopefully better made too), the company has built a specialized indoor “humanoid park” in San Francisco to train its robots:

• An anonymous source described the park as an indoor obstacle course, about the same size as a café.

• The location serves as a simulated delivery habitat that is supposed to help the human-like robots get used to, well, delivering.

To help with testing, the bipedal bots are reportedly working in conjunction with one of Amazon’s electric Rivian vans so that the two systems can seamlessly interact with each other to drop off packages.

Robot melting pot

Early experiments in the facility also feature bots from Agility Robotics (called “Digit”) as well as some from China-based Unitree. Amazon says it plans to outsource a “variety” of other human-like robots for testing this summer.

• The tech giant already uses bipedal bots, like Digit, in warehouses to move tote containers (see video).

• Overall, the company has 750,000+ robots working in its facilities.

Plus, Amazon is developing its own AI for the mechanical mailmen. The robots need to be able to dynamically adapt and understand language, so Amazon’s agentic AI team is working on a new operating system:

• Under the new OS, the bots can “hear, understand, and act on natural‑language commands,” making them far more flexible than your typical industrial robot.

Looking forward: While Amazon’s humanoid bot tests are far from consumer-ready, if testing pans out, the company could reshape “doorstep delivery” and have bots ringing your doorbell in no time.

Colombian presidential candidate in critical condition after assassination attempt

One suspect is in custody as police search for accomplices. Colombian presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay was critically wounded after being shot in the head during a campaign rally in Bogotá. As of writing, Uribe remains in intensive care following emergency surgery.

A political family

The assassination attempt marks a tragic and shocking time for Uribe and Colombia’s political sphere; however, the two have been intertwined throughout his family’s history.

• Uribe’s grandfather, Julio César Turbay Ayala, served as president from 1978 to 1982.

• His mother, journalist Diana Turbay, was kidnapped by a group affiliated with Pablo Escobar and tragically killed during a failed rescue mission in 1991.

Uribe grew up heavily inspired by his lineage, pursuing a career in politics and becoming a senator in 2022. He has repeatedly advocated for the country to adopt a hardline stance on crime, but trails in polls ahead of Colombia’s May 2026 election.

How did this happen?

The incident took place during a political rally in Fontibón, a neighborhood in Colombia’s capital city, Bogotá. Uribe was speaking to supporters when a teenage gunman opened fire from close range:

• In the middle of his speech, Uribe was struck twice in the head and once in the leg.

• He was quickly rushed into emergency brain surgery at Santa Fe de Bogotá hospital.

Uribe “came out well from the surgery,” according to his wife, but remains in “the critical hours” of the recovery process, doctors say.

What do we know about the shooter? A 15-year-old suspect carrying a legally purchased 9 mm Glock-style pistol from Arizona was apprehended at the scene.

• Authorities are now investigating whether he acted alone or for a criminal organization.

• The latter is a concern given Colombia’s recent uptick in gang recruiting of minors.

Looking forward: As of writing, no motive has been identified by officials, and police are continuing their investigation. Colombian President Gustavo Petro condemned the attack and vowed to hunt down those responsible, suggesting other criminals may have been involved.

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NCAA settlement overhauls how college athletes are paid

The road for college athletes to earn money is finally paved. On Friday, a federal judge approved a $2.8 billion settlement in a long-awaited decision that is set to transform the nature of colligate sports.

The NCAA, which has preserved its amateurism rules since 1906, recently began allowing athletes to profit from their name, image, and likeness (NIL). The new settlement goes further, completely changing how student athletes are paid.

Cashing out

In a sweeping settlement of multiple lawsuits, the NCAA and its top conferences agreed to a new framework that will allow Division I athletes to receive direct compensation from their colleges:

• Starting July 1, DI schools can send up to $20.5 million per year directly to athletes from media rights, ticket sales, and other revenue.

• Plus, around $2.7 billion will be paid to athletes who couldn’t earn money from NIL deals between 2016 and 2024.

However, the deal also brings in additional regulations. Schools will be required to cap rosters, oversee revenue sharing, and use a new NIL portal for high-value endorsements.

• Those that don't sign on by July 1 may face fines close to $300,000 annually.

Looking forward: While the new NCAA payment system answers many questions, lawyers say it leaves others unresolved… mainly around how pay will be distributed by gender, raising possible Title IX concerns.

Non-alcoholic is almost the second-largest category of beer

Hipsters and hippies rejoice. Non-alcoholic beer, which has seen a surge in popularity across global markets, is expected to overtake ale in global volume, ranking second only to lager, the IWSR found.

Buzz-free beverage

Sales of non-alcoholic beer jumped by more than 30% last year, driven by health-conscious drinkers and younger consumers who want the beer flavor without the booze. Basically, it’s a good time to be NA beer:

• The IWSR also found that global sales of non-alcoholic beer rose 9% last year, even as overall beer volume declined by 1%.

• Through 2029, the NA beer segment is projected to grow 8% per year, while ale is expected to shrink by 2% annually.

What’s even more impressive: Other styles of beer control much, much more of the market than NA beer. Non-alcoholic beer only makes up 2% of the global beer market, whereas lager makes up ~80%.

New players lead the pack: Despite interest from major brewers, Athletic Brewing, which was founded in 2018, leads the US NA beer market with a nearly 20% share. Young, health-conscious consumers are driving the trend, especially as celebrities like Tom Holland and DWade enter the market.

FAST FACTS
Catch up on this week’s weird news

Baboon Bonding: Researchers have discovered that baboons walk in single-file progressions not for safety, but simply to stay close to their friends, reflecting social bonds rather than strategic behavior.

Coffee Creators: Starbucks is hiring two “Global Coffee Creators” to travel to 10–15 international locations, documenting the craft behind its coffee on social media in a paid, fully covered 12-month role.

Plant Perfume: Future Society, a perfume company, is recreating scents from extinct flowers using DNA sequencing and biotechnological synthesis.

Avian Outbreak: Federal health officials say a salmonella outbreak linked to recalled organic and cage-free eggs has sickened at least 79 people across seven US states, prompting a recall of around 1.7 million eggs.

Tiny Turnout: This year’s Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia saw its lowest attendance in 30 years, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic, with around 1.67 million participants.