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  • These Are the Worst U.S Cities for Spring Allergies in 2026, Ranked

    These Are the Worst U.S Cities for Spring Allergies in 2026, Ranked

    Hazy image of a female lying in the grass in the sunshineShare on Pinterest
    If you live in one of the top 20 U.S. cities for spring allergies, here’s what you can do to cope. Image Credit: Liliya Rodnikova/Stocksy
    • The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) has ranked the top 20 worst cities for pollen allergies in 2026.
    • Allergy seasons are lasting longer and are more intense due to climate change, which can worsen allergy symptoms.
    • Experts offer tips for coping with seasonal allergies this spring and beyond.

    You may feel like your spring allergies are worsening, beginning earlier, or lasting longer. You’re not alone in feeling this way.

    “Allergy seasons are getting longer and worse all the time, and I think we can expect an increase in allergy-driven symptoms this spring and every spring going forward,” said Noah Greenspan, PT, DPT, board certified clinical specialist in cardiovascular and pulmonary physical therapy, a leading expert in cardiopulmonary rehabilitation, and the founder of Pulmonary Wellness Complex PT.

    “People naturally spend more time outdoors, in nature, and other areas where increased heat and humidity, greater prevalence of allergens, and therefore exposure to triggers, and compromised air quality are more common. In addition, we can expect that the impact of various environmental triggers will vary by geographic location and the characteristics of the exposures,” Greenspan told Healthline.

    Indeed, some areas of the United States experience year-round pollen from trees, weeds, and grasses.

    The AAFA has ranked the top “allergy capitals” in the contiguous (lower 48) states by how difficult it is to live there with pollen allergies. Here’s what you need to know to cope.

    The AAFA has ranked the top 100 allergy capitals in the United States for 2026.

    The following are the top 20 out of 100 based on pollen scores for tree, grass, and weed pollen, over-the-counter allergy medication use, and the number of allergy specialists.

    The AAFA notes that, compared with previous years, more cities in the West are among the top 20 allergy capitals.

    1. Boise, ID
    2. San Diego, CA
    3. Tulsa, OK
    4. Provo, UT
    5. Rochester, NY
    6. Wichita, KS
    7. Raleigh, NC
    8. Ogden, UT
    9. Spokane, WA
    10. Greenville, SC
    11. San Francisco, CA
    12. Minneapolis, MN
    13. Salt Lake City, UT
    14. Richmond, VA
    15. Colorado Springs, CO
    16. Little Rock, AR
    17. Toledo, OH
    18. New Orleans, LA
    19. Winston-Salem, NC
    20. Lakeland, FL

    You can find the full list of the top 100 allergy capitals in the AAFA 2026 report.

    If you know allergens, like pollen, may trigger symptoms, you may want to reduce your exposure. Here are a few ways to do just that:

    • Monitor the pollen count in your area so you can avoid going outside during high pollen times.
    • Keep the windows in your house and car closed, and let your HVAC system filter out allergens.
    • Remember to change your HVAC filters regularly, especially during your worst allergy months.
    • Try to keep pollen outside as much as possible by removing your shoes by the door when you enter your house, changing your clothes after being outside, and showering before bed.
    • Wear sunglasses when outside to help protect your eyes from pollen.

    You can also use over-the-counter allergy medications to help reduce your symptoms. If these don’t seem to work, you can consult with a healthcare professional about alternative treatment options.

    “Start taking antihistamines, nasal sprays, and eye drops as soon as possible,” said Nicolle Overstreet, DO, family physician with Medical Offices of Manhattan. “If you’re feeling symptoms, start treating [them]. I advise patients to start 2 weeks before their symptoms started last year, to get a head start,” she told Healthline.

    Overstreet recommended frequent allergy testing, when possible, to effectively reduce and manage symptoms.

    If you’re prone to allergies and inflammation, you should monitor your symptoms regularly to track trends and flare-ups, Greenspan said.

  • How to watch the Triple-i Initiative showcase on April 9

    The latest Triple-i Initiative Showcase is nearly upon us, as the indie-focused event returns for its third consecutive year on Thursday, April 9 at 12PM ET / 9AM PT. We’re being promised announcements for 40 games, including eight world premieres, so it’s well worth tuning in if you like your indies.

    You’ll be able to watch the stream on The Triple-i Initiative YouTube channel, as well as Twitch, bilibili, niconico and on Steam. Co-streaming partners IGN and Gamespot will also host their own streams. The showcase will run for 45 minutes, and nine featured studios will also have post-show deep dives on their games if you want to know more. As previously, the mantra here is “no hosts, no ads, just games,” so rest assured your attention will be rewarded.

    Confirmed featured games so far include Risk of Rain 2, the open-world survival game Windrose and Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse. We also know that the studio behind the excellent sci-fi narrative adventure 1000xResist will be showing off what it’s been working on, and we can also expect news from Cairn developer The Game Bakers.

    It sounds like a typically eclectic lineup, then, and given last year’s showcase gave us release dates for 2025 indie hits like The Alters and Rematch, you can be confident that plenty of notable news should come out of this one too.

  • Dog rescued from train track support beam in Philly

    Dog rescued from train track support beam in Philly

    Odd News // 3 weeks ago

    Prosthetic leg, surfboard among Los Angeles Metro’s Lost & Found

    March 13 (UPI) — The Los Angeles Metro revealed some of the most unusual items in its Lost & Found, including a surfboard, a prosthetic leg and a 55-inch TV.

  • You’ll soon be able to hide games from your Xbox achievements list

    Microsoft is testing giving users more control over what games appear in their Xbox achievements and tweaking how achievements look when they’re earned. The changes are being introduced via the company’s free-to-join Xbox Insiders program, and will presumably roll out to all Xbox owners at some point in the future.

    Coming later in April, select Xbox Insiders will be able to hide games from their achievement list, whether they’ve completed them or not. Hidden games will still count towards users’ Gamerscore, but the option should serve as another way to curate your public profile. Microsoft is also experimenting with changing how it displays achievements. Xbox Insiders will receive redesigned achievements with new animations and notifications that match the custom color they’ve chosen for their Xbox interface. Games where Insiders have earned 100 percent of the achievements will also be highlighted in their achievements list, and insiders will be able to filter their list to only view the games they’ve fully completed.

    Being able to hide games from the achievement list has been “one of the most requested features” from Xbox Insiders, according to Microsoft. The company’s March update that allowed users to selectively exclude games from the Xbox’s Quick Resume feature was similarly long-requested.  It would likely be wrong to characterize these changes as being downstream of new Microsoft Gaming CEO Asha Sharma’s stated desire to “recommit” to the Xbox, but they don’t hurt when it comes to winning over fans — especially if the company’s continued presence in the console space ends up hinging on an expensive box that plays PC and Xbox games.

  • Ripple Adds 9,900,000 RLUSD to Ethereum Network

    Ripple Adds 9,900,000 RLUSD to Ethereum Network

    The official Ripple USD ($RLUSD) Treasury account recently received 9.9 million $RLUSD tokens. This happened on the Ethereum blockchain after weeks of consistent $RLUSD burning on the network.

    Ripple mints 9.9 million $RLUSD

    Community account Ripple Stablecoin Tracker on X spotlighted the new 9,900,000 $RLUSD minted in a recent post.

    Notably, minting occurs when there is demand for more $RLUSD from exchanges, institutions or even retail users. Upon request, the Ripple Treasury smart contract, which is the issuer, creates new $RLUSD tokens from scratch.

    The new tokens are added to the total supply and can now be transferred, traded or used on Ethereum. Also, these tokens are fully backed 1:1 by USD cash and cash equivalents that Ripple holds in regulated custody accounts.

    💵💵💵💵💵💵 9,900,000 #$RLUSD minted at $RLUSD Treasury.https://t.co/UQY0Dx1bZm

    — Ripple Stablecoin Tracker (@RL_Tracker) April 8, 2026

    Crucially, the latest 9.9 million $RLUSD minting follows a series of token burns in the past few weeks. Burning is the opposite of minting, where Ripple permanently removes $RLUSD tokens from circulation.

    In late March and early April, the crypto market observes a clear wave of large burns. Over $230 million $RLUSD were burned in roughly one week.

    One of the biggest was Ripple burning 180 million $RLUSD in just a few hours. Multiple millions of other burns occurred across both XRPL and Ethereum.

    Essentially, Ripple frequently mints and burns large batches to efficiently manage supply, rebalancing between the $XRP Ledger and Ethereum chains.

    More $RLUSD expansion

    While Ripple regulates $RLUSD supply and demand, the stablecoin is strengthening its position as a bridge between traditional assets and the crypto market.

    As disclosed in a recent report, Bitrue exchange has launched a unique trading pair of $RLUSD against PAXG and XAUT. These tokens represent tokenized gold issued by Paxos and Tether — the issuer of USDT — respectively.

    Prior to the integration, Deloitte published a new report stating that the Ripple stablecoin reserves were worth $1.56 billion. This figure exceeds the market supply of $1.49 billion tokens.

    In another bold expansion move, Binance exchange announced support for the Ripple USD stablecoin on XRPL. Through this integration, Binace users are allowed to transact $RLUSD directly via the $XRP Ledger.

    These developments signal increased exposure of $RLUSD to more users in the crypto space. This indicates the rapid expansion of the stablecoin, launched on Dec. 17, 2024. Ripple designed $RLUSD to facilitate cross-border payments and provide liquidity within Ripple’s ecosystem.

  • XRP/USDT balances between recovery and resistance as Ripple price holds near $1.38

    XRP/USDT balances between recovery and resistance as Ripple price holds near $1.38

    Markets are showing cautious strength as the Ripple price hovers around a key technical zone, with sentiment still dominated by extreme fear across crypto.

    $XRP/USDT — daily chart with candlesticks, EMA20/EMA50 and volume.

    Daily Bias: Neutral With A Slight Bullish Lean

    $XRP is sitting right on a decision point. The daily close at $1.38 matches the daily pivot and rides just above the 20-day EMA, while the broader crypto market is up strongly but still ruled by extreme fear (fear & greed index at 17). That mix – improving price action in a scared market – is usually where the best trades start, but also where fake breakouts are common.

    On the daily chart the system tags $XRP’s regime as neutral, but the shorter timeframes are clearly bullish. That tells us we are not in a confirmed uptrend yet; we are in a rebound inside a larger, damaged structure. The dominant force right now is short-term momentum pushing into medium-term resistance. Whether buyers can turn this into a sustained trend or not depends on how $XRP behaves around the current $1.38–$1.45 band.

    On the daily timeframe, XRPUSDT is trying to repair a longer downtrend but has not flipped it yet.

    • Price vs EMAs (trend structure)
      Daily close: $1.38
      EMA 20: $1.36
      EMA 50: $1.42
      EMA 200: $1.84

    Price is slightly above the 20-day EMA but still below the 50-day and deep below the 200-day. That is the definition of a market in repair mode: near-term strength, but the medium and long trends are still pointing to prior damage. To turn this into a clean bullish environment on the daily, $XRP needs to reclaim and hold above the 50-day EMA first, and eventually start closing the gap to the 200-day.

    • RSI (momentum)
      RSI 14 (D1): 52.18

    Daily RSI is just above the midpoint. Momentum has shifted from oversold or weak toward mildly positive, but we are not in a runaway trend. This lines up with the EMAs: the selling pressure has eased, buyers have the upper hand for now, but there is no confirmed, strong bull leg yet.

    • MACD (trend confirmation)
      MACD line: -0.02
      Signal line: -0.02
      Histogram: 0.01

    The MACD is still slightly negative but the histogram is marginally positive. In plain language, the prior downtrend is stalling and starting to turn. It is an early-stage recovery signal rather than a fully established uptrend. This supports the idea of a neutral-to-slightly-bullish daily bias.

    • Bollinger Bands (volatility and positioning)
      Middle band: $1.36
      Upper band: $1.45
      Lower band: $1.28

    Price at $1.38 is just above the mid-band and roughly halfway to the upper band at $1.45. $XRP is no longer hugging the lower side of volatility; it has moved into the upper half of the range, but has not yet challenged the band extremes. That usually marks a constructive recovery inside a contained range rather than a blow-off move.

    • ATR (daily volatility)
      ATR 14 (D1): $0.05

    A daily ATR of five cents on a $1.38 asset points to moderate, controlled volatility. Moves are meaningful but not wild. That is a favorable backdrop for both trend trades and mean-reversion setups, but it also means breakouts need conviction to stand out.

    • Daily Pivot Levels
      Pivot point (PP): $1.38
      Resistance 1 (R1): $1.39
      Support 1 (S1): $1.37

    Price closing right on the pivot at $1.38 underscores how balanced the daily tape is. The nearby intraday levels at $1.37–$1.39 mark a very tight battlefield; whichever side wins this band will likely dictate the next $0.05–$0.10 move.

    Bottom line on D1: The main scenario on the daily chart is neutral with an upward tilt. Short-term recovery is in play, but the medium and long-term trends are not yet repaired. Bulls are probing, not in control.

    1-Hour Chart: Short-Term Bulls In Control, But Getting Warm

    The 1-hour chart is where the strength really shows up. The regime tag here is bullish, and the structure backs that up.

    • Price vs EMAs (H1)
      Close: $1.38
      EMA 20: $1.36
      EMA 50: $1.34
      EMA 200: $1.33

    On H1, price is stacked cleanly above the 20, 50 and 200 EMAs. The shorter EMAs are also above the longer ones. This is a classic bullish intraday trend. Short-term participants are clearly buying dips and defending higher lows.

    Hourly RSI sitting just under 70 shows strong, almost overbought momentum. Buyers are pressing hard, but this is also where the probability of a pause or a small pullback starts to rise, especially into resistance zones on the daily bands.

    • MACD (H1)
      MACD line: 0.02
      Signal line: 0.01
      Histogram: 0.00

    The MACD is positive but the histogram has flattened out around zero. The intraday uptrend is intact, but the acceleration phase is cooling. In other words, bulls are still in charge on H1, but momentum is no longer expanding aggressively.

    • Bollinger Bands (H1)
      Middle band: $1.35
      Upper band: $1.42
      Lower band: $1.29

    With price at $1.38, $XRP is above the mid-band but not crowded at the upper band. That fits with the RSI story: a strong but maturing intraday move where there is still room to stretch higher, yet the easy part of the rally may already be behind us.

    An hourly ATR of one cent is relatively low for an asset trading at $1.38. Intraday conditions are orderly, not chaotic. This often precedes either a grinding trend continuation or a sudden volatility expansion once a key level breaks.

    • Hourly Pivot
      Pivot point (PP): $1.38
      R1: $1.38
      S1: $1.38

    The automated pivot calculation collapsing PP, R1 and S1 onto $1.38 highlights just how compressed the immediate trading range is. The market is coiling in a very tight band, and when that resolves, the next directional impulse is likely to be sharp relative to the current small intraday bars.

    15-Minute Chart: Execution Context, Not Direction

    The 15-minute chart is mainly useful for timing, not for defining the broader view. Here, the regime is also flagged as bullish, aligned with the 1-hour trend.

    • Price vs EMAs (M15)
      Close: $1.38
      EMA 20: $1.38
      EMA 50: $1.37
      EMA 200: $1.34

    Price is riding the 20-EMA and above the 50 and 200. Short-term traders are still buying dips, and the micro-trend matches the hourly strength.

    • RSI & MACD (M15)
      RSI 14: 58.6
      MACD line: 0.00, Signal: 0.00, Histogram: 0.00

    On 15-minute, RSI is comfortably positive but far from stretched, while MACD is flat. The very short-term move is in balance: no immediate exhaustion, but no fresh surge either. That favors either a sideways consolidation at these levels or a gradual drift following the hourly direction.

    • Bollinger Bands & ATR (M15)
      Middle band: $1.38
      Upper band: $1.39
      Lower band: $1.38
      ATR 14: $0.00

    The bands are extremely tight on M15 and ATR rounds down to zero, reflecting a very compressed micro-range. This is classic pre-move behavior: short-term volatility is being suffocated, often before a breakout in one direction or the other.

    How The Timeframes Fit Together

    There is a clear hierarchy here:

    • Daily (D1): Neutral bias, leaning bullish, with price above the 20-day EMA but below the 50- and 200-day. Recovery inside a damaged larger trend.
    • 1-Hour (H1): Firmly bullish, price stacked above all key EMAs, RSI near overbought, MACD positive but flattening.
    • 15-Minute (M15): Bullish alignment with compressed volatility and no clear exhaustion.

    The tension is straightforward: lower timeframes are bullish and pushing up into the ceiling defined by the daily structure. When that happens, one of two things usually follows: either the higher timeframe gives way and a trend change begins, or the intraday rally exhausts and snaps back toward the daily mean.

    Given the extreme fear in the broader crypto market and rising total market cap, there is a reasonable case for a wall of worry rally – strong moves higher despite nervous sentiment. But $XRP is still trading beneath its key daily moving averages, so the burden of proof is on the bulls to break and hold above resistance.

    Ripple Price: Bullish Scenario For XRPUSDT

    For the bullish case, you want to see the intraday strength on H1 and M15 force a structural shift on the daily chart. This is where the Ripple price has a chance to transition from recovery to a more durable advance.

    What bulls want to see:

    • Price holds above the daily pivot at $1.38 on closing basis and turns this level into a reliable floor rather than a coin-flip area.
    • A clean push into and through the upper Bollinger Band on D1 around $1.45, ideally on expanding ATR and volume, signaling that the range is breaking rather than just stretching.
    • Daily close above the 50-day EMA at $1.42 and then sustained trading above that level. That would be the first real sign of a medium-term trend repair.
    • RSI on D1 pushing from 52 toward the 60–65 zone, while H1 RSI stays elevated without deep dives below 50. That would indicate follow-through buying, not just a short squeeze.
    • MACD on D1 crossing decisively into positive territory with a growing positive histogram, confirming that the old downtrend has been replaced by a new up-leg.

    If this plays out, the first upside zone is the $1.45 band (upper daily Bollinger, recent volatility cap). Above that, the roadmap opens toward the $1.55–$1.60 area, and in a more extended move, the 200-day EMA up near $1.84 becomes a logical longer-term magnet.

    What would invalidate the bullish scenario?

    • A decisive daily close back below the 20-day EMA at $1.36, showing that the current push was just a failed attempt.
    • H1 structure flipping, with price breaking and holding below the 200-EMA around $1.33, turning the intraday trend from bullish to bearish.
    • Daily RSI sliding back under 45 and MACD histogram turning clearly negative again, signaling a resumption of downside momentum rather than a pause.

    Ripple Price: Bearish Scenario For XRPUSDT

    The bearish case leans on the bigger picture: $XRP is still below its 50-day and far below its 200-day EMA. In this view, the current strength on the lower timeframes is just a rally inside a larger downtrend.

    What bears want to see:

    • A failure to sustain above the daily pivot at $1.38, followed by a clear move back toward and below $1.37 (S1).
    • 15-minute and 1-hour charts rolling over: price loses the 20- and 50-EMAs on M15 and H1, then tests the H1 200-EMA at $1.33. That would mark the end of the short-term uptrend.
    • Daily price slipping back toward the mid-to-lower Bollinger Band area ($1.36 down to $1.28), showing that the rally was rejected.
    • H1 RSI dropping from near-overbought down through 50, and D1 RSI leaking back into the 40s. That shift would show momentum rotating back to the sellers.
    • MACD on D1 rolling over before it can turn decisively positive, with the histogram moving back into a clearly negative zone.

    If sellers regain control, the first downside focus is the $1.30–$1.33 region, where the hourly 200-EMA currently sits and prior liquidity likely clusters. Below that, the lower daily Bollinger Band around $1.28 is a natural target. A deeper extension could open the way back to previous swing lows, especially if broader market sentiment deteriorates further from already fearful levels.

    What would invalidate the bearish scenario?

    • A clean daily breakout above $1.45 with expanding ATR and sustained trade above the 50-day EMA at $1.42. That would signal more than just a rally into resistance.
    • H1 trend staying intact even after pullbacks – that is, repeated defenses of the H1 50- and 200-EMAs and higher lows forming above $1.36–$1.37.
    • Daily RSI holding above 50 during any dip and then pushing higher again, showing that bulls are buying every setback.

    Positioning, Risk, And Uncertainty Around The Current Ripple Price

    $XRP is currently in that awkward middle zone: strong enough on intraday charts to tempt late longs, but not yet strong enough on the daily to call it a new bull market. Extremes in the broader sentiment (extreme fear) combined with rising total crypto market cap often provide a fertile backdrop for sustained recoveries. However, they also create sharp, emotional reversals when key levels reject price.

    For positioning, the key is timeframe:

    • Short-term traders are operating in a bullish tape with tight ranges. They are dealing with a market that can break into a larger move once this volatility compression resolves. Precision around intraday supports and resistance near $1.37–$1.39 matters.
    • Swing and position participants should treat the current move as a test of the daily structure, not a confirmed trend shift. Until $XRP can reclaim the 50-day EMA and sustain above it, the larger downtrend damage is only partially repaired.

    Volatility on all tracked timeframes is contained but coiling, and uncertainty remains high given macro sentiment. The market is effectively asking the question: does this short-term strength in Ripple’s price have the depth to break the daily ceiling, or is it just another rally into resistance? The answer will show up first in how $XRP behaves around $1.36–$1.45 over the coming sessions.

  • Trump DOJ Rejects Tornado Cash Developer’s Newest Argument for Dismissal

    Trump DOJ Rejects Tornado Cash Developer’s Newest Argument for Dismissal

    In brief

    • The DOJ rejected Roman Storm’s argument that a recent Supreme Court ruling should lead to his case’s dismissal.
    • Prosecutors told a judge the ruling shouldn’t apply, arguing it deals with a different situation and industry.
    • The case highlights tensions between the Trump administration’s pro-crypto stance and its continued prosecution of crypto developers.

    Attorneys for the Department of Justice poured cold water Tuesday on Ethereum developer Roman Storm’s latest plea for dismissal of his criminal case—which could now head to court for a second time. 

    In a letter sent today, federal prosecutors urged federal judge Katherine Polk Failla to disregard a recent Supreme Court ruling, which Storm’s attorneys said could have significant implications for the software developer’s current legal woes.

    Storm was arrested and charged in 2023 for operating Tornado Cash, a coin mixing service that allowed Ethereum users to keep their transactions, typically visible on the blockchain, private. Prosecutors alleged Storm was aware that bad actors were using Tornado Cash to launder money, even though the software ran autonomously without the developer’s direct involvement.

    Last summer, a Manhattan jury found Storm guilty of operating an illegal money transmitter, but failed to reach verdicts on two other money laundering and sanctions evasion charges. Storm appealed the verdict. Last month, the Trump DOJ filed to try the developer again for conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to commit sanctions evasion.

    But late last month, Storm’s attorneys thought they might have caught a break. On March 25, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled, in a seemingly unrelated music copyright case, that Cox—a major internet service provider—could not be held liable for the illegal actions of its customers.

    In a letter to Judge Failla sent last week, Storm’s lawyers argued the Supreme Court’s ruling—namely, that Cox’s awareness that some of its customers might illegally stream music did not amount to an intent on Cox’s part to infringe on music copyrights—had direct bearing on their case.

    They specifically highlighted how the Trump administration itself backed Cox’s position that the internet giant should not be considered supportive of the illegal actions of some of its users. The Supreme Court ultimately found that argument convincing.

    But today, in a blunt, three-page letter, U.S. attorneys for the Southern District of New York rejected the argument that the Cox decision should have any bearing on Storm’s case.

    Cox went out of its way to discourage users from engaging in copyright infringement with policies that ended the vast majority of identified misconduct, the DOJ said. Further, Cox’s internet services could be used by customers for a wide variety of purposes besides copyright infringement, prosecutors wrote.

    In contrast, they argued, Storm was personally aware of the misconduct of some Tornado Cash users and did not intervene to stop it.

    The Trump DOJ further alleged in Tuesday’s letter that there is no evidence a crypto privacy service like Tornado Cash was capable of “substantial or commercially significant” noncriminal uses. That claim is all but certain to irk crypto privacy champions, who contend all digital asset users have a right to keep their financial transactions private.

    “The defendant’s conduct simply is not comparable to the conduct at issue in Cox,” the DOJ said Tuesday. “In any event, a civil copyright case has no relevance here in the first place.”

    The DOJ’s push to retry Roman Storm is notable given the Trump administration’s aggressively pro-crypto agenda. Last year, on multiple occasions, the DOJ pledged to stop prosecuting crypto privacy software developers, to the crypto industry’s elation. Yet federal prosecutors have sent multiple such developers to prison in the interim, a state of affairs of great concern to leading privacy advocates.

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  • Solana Exchange Stabble Warns Users to Pull Liquidity After North Korean Hacker Scare

    Solana Exchange Stabble Warns Users to Pull Liquidity After North Korean Hacker Scare

    In brief

    • Solana exchange Stabble urged users to pull liquidity after its former CTO was alleged to be a North Korean hacker.
    • The firm’s total value locked dropped 62% in the wake of the request, dropping from $1.75 million to less than $663,000.
    • North Korean hackers allegedly completed a sophisticated scheme to exploit Drift Protocol last week for $285 million.

    Solana decentralized exchange Stabble has urged users to pull liquidity from the platform, leading to a 62% drop in its total value locked (TVL) Tuesday after the firm learned its former chief technology officer was flagged as an alleged North Korean hacker. 

    The protocol, which was recently taken over by a new team, began the day with around $1.75 million in TVL, according to data from DeFiLlama. After publicly sounding the alarm to a potential emergency, that value is down to less than $663,000

    “EMERGENCY!” the new protocol team posted on X. “Guys, please temporarily withdraw your liquidity instantly! Better safe than sorry.”

    The alert hit social media around 9:34 a.m. ET on Tuesday, about seven hours after pseudonymous on-chain sleuth ZachXBT had identified an alleged North Korean hacker, Keisuke Watanabe, who reportedly worked as the CTO at Stabble last year.

    Despite there being no disclosed exploit on the platform, the firm said it was working on audits to ensure everything is fully secure. 

    “We received a message and are acting on it, our primary focus is the safety of our LPs,” the new Stabble team posted. “We’re not PR people, we’re quants and early DeFi degens. We hear you, and your feedback matters.”

    The platform’s hasty move to alert the public comes less than a week after leading Solana DeFi protocol Drift was exploited for more than $285 million by hackers linked to North Korea.

    In a complex, sophisticated scheme played out over six months, it is alleged that the attackers used fabricated professional identities and in-person conference meetings before deploying malicious developer tools to execute the drain.

    North Korea’s connection to DeFi and on-chain exploits is a long-standing issue. Last year, hackers from North Korea exploited crypto exchange Bybit for $1.4 billion, the largest crypto hack of all-time, and individuals believed to be from North Korea are trying to get hired at Binance every day, according to its chief security officer.

    On Monday, the Solana Foundation launched multiple new security efforts for the ecosystem, saying that it would help secure DeFi protocols with a total value locked of at least $10 million.

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  • Starting 5: Houston’s heater hits 7, Boston beats Charlotte, Minnesota books Playoff berth

    Starting 5: Houston’s heater hits 7, Boston beats Charlotte, Minnesota books Playoff berth

    Soaring to seven straight.

    With five days left in the regular season, the Rockets are red-hot – and just one game back of 3rd in the West.

    Amen Thompson


    5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

    April 8, 2026

    Coast 2 Coast Comebacks: C’s storm past Hornets, Rockets top Suns to extend streak

    Postseason Push: Clips complete challenge, Thunder rumble, Wolves clinch, Raps & Warriors win

    Roundup: Fears erupts for Pels’ rookie record, Bulls roll, Nets edge Bucks

    Kia Rookie Ladder: Aschburner breaks down a race to the finish in his final Ladder of the season

    ESPN Doubleheader: Elite East duos collide in potential Playoff preview, Spurs & Blazers meet again


    BUT FIRST … ⏰

    More postseason implications tonight…

    Scores & Schedule

    Seven games tip off tonight, headlined by an ESPN doubleheader as the Hawks visit the Cavs (7 ET | Tap to Watch), before the Spurs host the Blazers (9:30 ET | Tap to Watch).

    Postseason Countdown: The SoFi Play-In Tournament is just six days away. See the current Playoff Picture here.

    Beyond The Take: Thunder All-Star Chet Holmgren breaks down what he sees in real time on the floor in the premiere of “Beyond the Take,” a new series available on the NBA App, NBA.com and NBA social channels.


    1. C2C COMEBACKS: CELTICS SLOW HORNETS, ROCKETS STAY ROLLING

    LaMelo Ball, Jaylen Brown

    Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

    Facing one of the league’s hottest forces since Jan. 1, the 2024 champs stayed poised and locked in on the defensive end.

    Celtics 113, Hornets 102: Jaylen Brown (35 pts, 9 reb) and Jayson Tatum (23 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast) helped the C’s chase down the Hornets, overcoming 36 points from LaMelo Ball (5 reb, 6 ast, 6 3s) with a 58-41 2nd-half run. | Recap

    • Big Starts: In a battle of top-4 offenses, Ball netted 13 points in the 1st quarter for an 11-point lead. Brown responded with 11 in the 2nd as Charlotte took a six-point lead at the break
    • Turning Point: Payton Pritchard (12 pts) hit back-to-back 3s with under two minutes left in the 3rd, keying a 10-0 Boston closeout for a 3-point lead
    • Celtics Clamps: From there, the C’s held the Hornets to 15 4th-quarter points with zero 3s, Charlotte’s lowest-scoring 4th since Dec. 20
    • “This team kind of reminds me of us when we were younger,” Brown said postgame. “Young group, shoot the ball well, got a lot of different guys who can beat you and got a fearlessness.”
    • East Impacts: Boston now holds a 3-game lead over New York for 2nd, while Charlotte drops to 9th, a half-game behind 7th-place Philly
    • “They came out ready to play,” Brown said. “Today was like a Playoff atmosphere, and we found a way to win.”

    Kevin Durant

    In Kevin Durant’s first game back in Phoenix, his Rockets responded with their biggest rally of the season.

    Rockets 119, Suns 105: Durant (24 pts, 5 3s) led seven Rockets with 12+ points, overcoming 31 from Devin Booker and a 21-point deficit for Houston’s seventh straight win – its longest streak of the season. | Recap

    • Valley Heat: After the Suns jumped out to a 37-21 1st quarter lead, the Rockets started chipping away with 11 of KD’s 24 points coming in the 2nd
    • Climbing Back: Down 3 at the half and leading briefly in the 3rd, Houston took the lead for good early in a 38-21 4th quarter, winning the final three periods 98-68
    • “I love how we weathered the storm,” KD said. “I love how we stayed together and [were] able to take that first punch, take the lead and win by double digits.”
    • Alpi & Amen: Alperen Sengun (12 pts, 14 reb, 6 ast) scored or assisted on four of Houston’s first five buckets in that 4th, followed by 12 of Amen Thompson’s 22 points (11 reb, 8 ast, 3 stl)
    • Suns’ Spot: The loss locks Phoenix into the SoFi Play-In Tournament (seeding TBD), while 5th-place Houston pulls even with the 4th-place Lakers at 50-29

    2. POSTSEASON PUSH: CLIPS & THUNDER STAY HOT, WOLVES CLINCH & MORE

    Kawhi Leonard

    Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images

    After a 6-21 start, Clippers coach Tyronn Lue challenged his team to go 35-20 the rest of the way.

    LA hit that mark last night – with room to spare.

    Clippers 116, Mavericks 103: After dropping 51 and 45 over the weekend, Cooper Flagg led the Mavs with 25 points, 9 boards and 1 monster poster.

    But Dallas had no answer for Kawhi Leonard, who drilled six 3s en route to 34 points in three quarters, as LA rolled to its seventh win in nine games, moving to 41-38. | Recap

    • Uncharted Turnaround: The Clippers are the first team in NBA history to finish .500 or better after a 6-21 start
    • “To have the mindset to go through tough times and dig your way out – I give a lot of credit to our players and our coaching staff,” said Lue postgame. “They really hung in there.”
    • Sustained Standard: It’s LA’s 15th consecutive season at .500 or better – the longest active streak in the NBA and the longest since the Spurs’ run of 22 straight seasons from 1997-98 to 2018-19
    • Klaw Catalyst: To get there, Leonard has boosted the Clips with a career-high 28.1 ppg in Year 14
    • How Rare Is Kawhi’s Leap? No player has ever set a new career-high in scoring after their 13th season
    • Still Climbing: Darius Garland added 22 points in the win, as LA moves just two games back of Phoenix for 7th

    Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ayo Dosunmu

    Thunder 123, Lakers 87: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 28 points and 8 assists in 28 minutes of action in OKC’s wire-to-wire win over a Lakers team without LeBron James (foot), Luka Dončić (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique). | Recap

    • West Race: OKC now holds a 3-game lead over San Antonio for 1st, while Los Angeles (4th) is 1 GB of 3rd-place Denver

    And now, the West’s 6th and final Playoff guaranteed berth is booked.

    Wolves 124, Pacers 104: Led by Ayo Dosunmu (24 pts, 3 stl), Minnesota never trailed after a 35-point 1st quarter to snap a three-game skid. Bones Hyland (7 ast) and Julius Randle (4 ast) added 19 points apiece with Anthony Edwards (knee) sidelined. | Recap

    • 🔒 Wolves Clinch: With the win and Phoenix’s loss, Minnesota secured a top-6 seed in the West
    • Final Stretch Spark: Dosunmu is averaging 18.7 ppg as a starter in nine games for the Wolves, as he eyes a return to the Playoffs with his new team

    Raptors 121, Heat 95: Scottie Barnes (25 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast) and Brandon Ingram (23 pts, 6 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl) shined on both ends as Toronto raced past Andrew Wiggins (24 pts, 5 reb) and Miami for a second straight win. | Recap

    • Miami Play-In Bound: The loss locks the Heat into the SoFi Play-In Tournament, while the Raptors hold a one-game lead for 6th in the East

    After sharing the floor for the first time as NBA teammates on Sunday, the Curry brothers closed out a key Warriors win on Tuesday.

    Warriors 110, Kings 105: Down 3 with 2:53 left, Steph Curry (17 pts, 5 reb, 4 3s) and Brandin Podziemski (20 pts, 4 3s) sparked a 9-1 closing run for Golden State with back-to-back 3s, before Seth Curry (12 pts) sealed it at the line, edging Sacramento to end a four-game skid. | Recap

    • Play-In Push: The Warriors (10th) are now 3 GB of the 9th-place Blazers, who visit the Spurs tonight on ESPN (9:30 ET)

    3. ROUNDUP: FEARS CATCHES FIRE, BULLS & NETS DUB

    Jeremiah Fears

    It’s been a season full of rookie records (see Section 4), and last night, Jeremiah Fears added another to the list.

    Pelicans 156, Jazz 137: Fears went off for a career-high 40 points – the most ever by a Pelicans rookie – as NOLA set a new single-game franchise scoring record, outpacing Bez Mbeng (26 pts, 5 stl) and the Jazz to halt an eight-game slide. | Recap

    • Special Company: Fears added 5 boards and 6 dimes, becoming just the fifth teenager to post at least 40/5/5 in a game, joining Cooper Flagg, Anthony Edwards, Kevin Durant and LeBron James
    • NOLA Eruption: Jordan Poole tallied 34 points on seven 3s, as the Pels dropped 95 in the 2nd half – the 3rd-highest scoring half in the play-by-play era

    Bulls 129, Wizards 98: Rob Dillingham (26 pts, 5 3s) and Patrick Williams (20 pts, 7 reb, 6 ast) helped Chicago jump out to a 38-18 1st-quarter lead, and the Bulls never looked back, beating the Wiz to snap a seven-game skid. | Recap

    Nets 96, Bucks 90: After trailing by as many as 16, AJ Green (20 pts, 6 reb) sparked a 15-5 Bucks run to cut the deficit to 1 with 2:28 left, but Brooklyn closed on an 8-3 burst to slam the door, with rookie Ben Saraf (19 pts, 5 reb) hitting the game-clinching free throws. | Recap

    NBA Standings


    4. KIA ROOKIE LADDER FIRST LOOK: A RACE TO REMEMBER

    Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, VJ Edgecombe

    A season full of firsts. Milestones stacking up. And a rookie race that delivered through April.

    The 2025-26 rookie class has produced from the jump – from VJ Edgecombe’s debut outburst, to Kon Knueppel shattering a slew of 3-point records, to Cooper Flagg’s historic scoring weekend just days ago.

    With no shortage of standout cases, the race for the top spot on Steve Aschburner’s Kia Rookie Ladder has stayed tight from start to finish.

    In his final Ladder of the season, Aschburner gives his take on a race that may not have a clear-cut answer:

    There is no institutional heft to this. The Ladder committee has one member [Aschburner], who is just one of the 100 media voters invited by the NBA to cast ballots for each of its annual awards and honors…

    … More than most seasons, a Kia ROY tie might feel appropriate for this year’s top two contenders… | Read More

    Tonight on League Pass, one of Aschburner’s top contenders takes the floor, as Flagg leads Dallas into Phoenix (10 ET).


    5. ON ESPN: ELITE EAST DUOS COLLIDE, SURGING SPURS HOST BLAZERS

    Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, James Harden, Donovan Mitchell

    Kevin C. Cox + Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images

    Nineteen seeds to lock in.

    Five more nights.

    As the runway to a finalized postseason field gets shorter and shorter, ESPN’s Wednesday doubleheader features four postseason squads and a potential First Round matchup.

    Hawks at Cavaliers (7 ET): 4th-place Cleveland remains just one game behind the Knicks, but if the season ended today, the Cavs would host the 5th-place Hawks in a battle of assembled duos driving strong stretch runs:

    • Pairing Up: The Cavs made a win-now deadline deal to pair superstars Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, while Atlanta’s offseason addition of Nickeil Alexander-Walker has synced with Jalen Johnson’s rise
    • NAW & JJ: Atlanta has the No. 2 threat it’s been looking for in Alexander-Walker lately, as he and Johnson have fueled an 18-3 run, during which the offense ranks top-4 with 122.6 ppg
    • Scoring Support: Alexander-Walker (23.2 pts) has led the team in scoring during the run while Johnson continues orchestrating at a premier level (21.1 pts, 9 reb, 7.4 ast)
    • Rare Level Up: NAW is the first player to increase his scoring by 10+ ppg from one season to the next since teammate CJ McCollum did from 2014-15 (6.8 ppg) to 2015-16 (20.8 ppg)
    • On Monday, NAW set the Hawks’ single-season record for made 3s (244). He’s averaging a career-high 3.2 3s per game this season at a 39.9% clip
    James Harden, Nickeil Alexander-Walker

    Jeff Haynes + Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images

    Cleveland’s superstar pairing has paid immediate dividends, powering the Cavs to a fourth straight Playoff berth, as they now seek a fourth straight win.

    • Offensive Complements: Cleveland is 15-6 when Harden and Mitchell play together, averaging 120.3 ppg in that span, which would be good for 3rd-best in the NBA this season
    • Spring Mainstays: Harden is one of four players ever to make the Playoffs in each of his first 17 seasons, while Mitchell has made the Playoffs all nine years of his career
    Stephon Castle, Deni Avdija

    Rocky Widner + Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images

    Blazers at Spurs (9:30 ET): After reaching 60 wins, San Antonio still has the West’s No. 1 seed in sight (2.5 GB of OKC), but could be without Victor Wembanyama (ribs) tonight.

    • Without Wemby: San Antonio’s depth has delivered in Wemby’s absence this season, going 11-5, with De’Aaron Fox (24.6 pts, 6.3 ast) and Stephon Castle (19.6 pts, 6.9 ast) leading the offense to 121.4 ppg in those outings
    • Spurs Slayers: Portland won its last matchup with San Antonio on Jan. 3, also without Wemby, behind Deni Avdija’s 24/10/10
    • Both Bolstered Since: A month later, San Antonio started its current 28-3 surge, rising to the league’s 3rd-highest scoring offense (119.7 ppg)
    • Strength vs. Strength: Portland, in a 7-3 stretch, counters with the 2nd-best defense (107.9 DefRtg) since March 1

    League Pass Roundup: Nikola Jokić and the surging Nuggets go for a 10th straight win, hosting the Grizzlies (9 ET).

    • Wolves at Magic (7 ET)
    • Bucks at Pistons (7 ET)
    • Thunder at Clippers (10 ET)
  • Defeat from the jaws of victory: Israel reacts to Trump’s Iran ceasefire

    Defeat from the jaws of victory: Israel reacts to Trump’s Iran ceasefire

    As Israel contemplates a two-week ceasefire announced by United States President Donald Trump in the war on Iran on Tuesday night, it appears weakened in the eyes of its opponents and critics. Its arch-nemesis, Iran, is still standing; Israel’s defensive stock of missiles is depleted and its prime minister is facing a political backlash.

    Following news of the Pakistan-brokered truce, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office issued a statement in English, saying that the PM supports the US decision and claiming that “Iran no longer poses a nuclear, missile and terror threat to America, Israel, Iran’s Arab neighbours and the world.”

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    But there was a caveat. While mediator Pakistan had announced that Israeli attacks on Hezbollah in Lebanon would also cease, Netanyahu added that he does not regard the ceasefire as extending to Israel’s war on Lebanon, which, for now at least, the US appears willing to allow to continue, subject to its peace negotiations with Iran.

    Responding to Netanyahu’s announcement, Israel’s opposition leader, Yair Lapid, who had strongly supported his country’s attack on regional nemesis Iran, called the ceasefire one of the greatest “political disasters in all of our history”. Israel had not even been involved in negotiations, he said, adding that, despite its military successes, the prime minister had “failed politically, failed strategically, and didn’t meet a single one of the goals that he himself set”, adding that it would take years to repair the damage inflicted upon the country through the prime minister’s “arrogance”.

    Others were swift to join in the bashing. “I wasn’t surprised that the announcement was in English,” Ofer Cassif of the left-wing Hadash party said. “Netanyahu has no interest in talking to the people of Israel. He rarely does and almost never enters the [television or radio] studio,” he said of the prime minister, who waited two weeks to spell out his war aims to the Israeli public in a televised address after the start of the war on Iran.

    “He knows, probably correctly, that those who support him will do so anyway, and those who oppose him will continue to do so, so when he speaks, it’s to the international media and to reassure his base,” Cassif said.

    Netanyahu’s war aims

    Those war aims, as stated by Netanyahu, of preventing “Iran from developing nuclear weapons” and of creating ” the conditions for the Iranian people so they can remove the cruel regime of tyranny”, were merely the latest iteration of Israel’s longstanding strategic goals. Indeed, Netanyahu has been claiming Iran’s potential to develop a nuclear weapon was imminent since the 1990s.

    But, despite significant military successes over the past 40 days of attacks on Iran, neither of those goals has been achieved.

    “The Israelis are deeply disappointed with the ceasefire as none of the original aims of the war have been achieved,” Ahron Bregman, a senior teaching fellow at the Department for War Studies at King’s College London, who has recently returned from Israel, said. “The Iranian regime is still in place, its ballistic missile programme could be rebuilt very quickly, and it’s still got 440kg of enriched uranium at 60 percent purity, enough for 10 bombs.”

    In fact, according to many observers, despite significant military defeats, including the loss of control over its airspace, the assassination of much of its leadership – including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed on the first day of the war, as well as many of Iran’s key military figures – Iran has, counterintuitively, emerged stronger as a result, analysts say.

    “Israel and the US had many tactical gains. They won militarily, but, strategically, Iran is the clear victor,” Bregman said.

    A strategic blunder?

    Key among its victories was not just the Iranian government’s survival in the face of relentless Israeli and US military strikes, but also its decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s key energy arteries and, according to current negotiations, one where safe passage for international shipping is now entirely under the control of Iran and its neighbour Oman.

    Iran has been struggling under increased US sanctions after Trump, with Netanyahu’s encouragement, unilaterally withdrew from an international deal to limit its nuclear programme in return for reduced economic sanctions in 2018. However, many observers now expect Iran to continue with newly imposed levies on ships for safe passage through the Strait. Also supporting the Iranian economy are Trump’s promises, posted on Truth Social on Wednesday, of future sanctions and tariff relief as part of the ceasefire arrangement.

    “Iran’s decision to block the Hormuz pushed Trump off balance, and he never recovered,” Bregman said. “Future historians will regard this Iranian decision as the turning point in the war.”

    According to some observers, Israel’s conduct during the war has also served to strengthen the Iranian government. Some centres of opposition, such as Tehran’s Sharif University, which had been a focal point of antigovernment protests in January, have been destroyed in Israeli attacks. Donald Trump’s 11th-hour threat to wipe out Iranian civilisation also allowed the Iranian government to beam out rallying images of citizens forming human chains around critical infrastructure.

    “Please understand, I despise the Iranian regime; it’s murderous,” Cassif told Al Jazeera on Wednesday. “But we [Hadash] had warned from second number one that we didn’t have the right, or the ability, to change it. Instead, we’ve strengthened the support for that regime at the expense of the opposition,” he said of reports of the surge in support for the Iranian government in the face of US and Israeli attacks.

    Israel and the US had, he said, “given operational control of the Strait of Hormuz to Iran, which had never been an issue before, and, with the first aggressions coming while negotiations were under way, signalled to the entire world that they can’t trust the US and Israel”.

    Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah
    Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance [Stringer/Reuters]

    ‘Israel has achieved nothing tangible’

    Then there is Israel’s assault on southern and eastern Lebanon, where it claims it is targeting Hezbollah strongholds. Whether it will continue with these attacks remains to be seen.

    For now, Israel is not expected to attend peace talks in Pakistan on Friday. But that is where, according to Bregman, its freedom to continue attacks on Lebanon may be determined by the US and Hezbollah’s allies in Tehran.

    “Assuming the ceasefire holds beyond the two-week period, Israel achieved almost nothing tangible,” Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli ambassador and consul general in New York, told Al Jazeera of its war on Iran. “Iran upended the strategic asymmetry by both attacking the Arab Gulf states and, crucially, shutting the Strait of Hormuz with almost no pushback from China. Israel is increasingly perceived as a destabilising force and, arguably, strained the US relationship since all promises Netanyahu made to Trump unravelled,” he said, referring to reported assurances of swift regime change in Iran that Israel made.

    Cassif was more succinct: “It’s crazy.”