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  • Why Crypto-Backed Mortgages Matter for Expanding Access to Homeownership

    Why Crypto-Backed Mortgages Matter for Expanding Access to Homeownership

    Crypto-backed mortgages gain traction as housing costs strain affordability, positioning digital assets as an alternative pathway to unlock homeownership while reshaping how lenders assess wealth and borrower eligibility.

    Housing Affordability Pressures Drive Crypto Mortgage Innovation

    Growing barriers to homeownership are prompting financial firms to redefine how wealth is evaluated, with Coinbase partnering with Better Home & Finance Holding Company to enable crypto-backed mortgages supported by Fannie Mae that allow borrowers to use bitcoin or $USDC instead of cash for down payments.

    Access constraints stem from structural shifts in housing affordability and borrower qualification standards. According to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Cost of Housing Index (CHI) released in March 2026, a typical family earning the national median income of $104,200 needed 34% of their income to cover the total mortgage payment on a median-priced new home in Q4 2025. For lower-income households earning 50% of the median, these costs reached 67% of their earnings, a level the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) classifies as a severe cost burden. Coinbase stated:

    “This first-of-its-kind mortgage product, offered by Better and powered by Coinbase, expands access to homeownership.”

    Crypto Assets Challenge Traditional Mortgage Barriers

    Traditional lending models prioritize income history, credit profiles, and liquid savings, limiting eligibility to individuals with established capital. Coinbase explained: “Prospective homeowners will soon be able to use bitcoin or $USDC in their Coinbase accounts to fund their cash down payments.”

    For the mortgage product offered by Better and powered by Coinbase, collateral requirements introduce defined thresholds, where bitcoin-backed loans require at least 250% of the fiat down payment value, while $USDC-backed loans require 125%, meaning a $250,000 BTC pledge or $125,000 in $USDC can unlock a $100,000 down payment loan.

    Forced liquidation introduces tradeoffs, including forfeiting potential price appreciation and triggering tax liabilities, which can discourage participation in the housing market. Crypto-backed structures alter that dynamic by converting digital holdings into usable collateral, allowing borrowers to secure financing without selling assets.

    Coinbase concluded:

    “This is a major step forward for crypto’s real-world utility, with this new offering providing the unique benefit of added stability and government backing.”

    By linking crypto collateral to mortgages supported by Fannie Mae, the model expands eligibility beyond conventional profiles while integrating digital assets into regulated housing finance systems.

    FAQ 🧭

    • How do crypto-backed mortgages impact housing demand?
      They may expand buyer pools by unlocking liquidity from digital assets without requiring liquidation.
    • What risks should investors consider in crypto mortgage models?
      Volatility in collateral value and regulatory shifts could affect loan stability and adoption.
    • Why are firms like Coinbase entering mortgage markets?
      They aim to extend crypto utility into real-world finance and capture new lending revenue streams.
    • Could crypto collateral change traditional credit evaluation?
      Yes, it introduces alternative wealth metrics that may reduce reliance on income and credit history.

  • ‘Project Hail Mary’ Author Andy Weir Says Paramount Rejected His ‘Star Trek’ Pitch: Their “Shows Are Sh**”

    The author of Project Hail Mary is firing a photon torpedo at Paramount+’s Star Trek efforts.

    Bestselling writer Andy Weir criticized modern Trek shows while on the Critical Drinker podcast last week, and even revealed he pitched a Trek show that was shot down by Paramount.

    The topic began with the podcast’s host, Will Jordan, saying how refreshing the box office hit Project Hail Mary has been, especially for audiences who grew up on Star Trek and now suffer from “a lack of” such sci-fi efforts nowadays.

    “Yeah, I saw a … I forgot who it was — I wish I could remember who it was who said it, some analyst — he said something like: ‘All modern science fiction TV shows and movies have been heavily influenced by the original Star Trek — except for the current batch of Star Trek shows,’” Weir said.

    Marsden replied, “Yes!” and they both laughed.

    At first, Weir left that comment open to interpretation, but then added, “I’m Gen X, so my sci-fi was like original series Star Trek reruns and Lost in Space reruns. And there wasn’t really much in the way of [new] sci-fi that was airing — where people are off in space doing cool things — until we got to [Star Trek: The Next Generation].”

    Later, Marsden brought up the divisive Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, which Paramount+ recently confirmed will end after its already-shot second season.

    “I think we can probably safely never talk about it again,” Marsden quipped.

    “It’s gone baby!” Weir cheerfully agreed. “It’s all gone.”

    Marsden said his advice to Paramount is to de-canonize everything Star Trek from Enterprise onward.

    “Okay, you’re a little more severe than I am,” Weir said. “I’ll give you my opinion and I’m just a consumer. I like Strange New Worlds. I think it’s pretty good. I didn’t hate Enterprise. I thought it was kind of weird. Lower Decks I thought was entertaining and fun. All the others, they can go. And here’s another thing: I pitched a Star Trek show to Paramount and I was in Zoom with the showrunners with all the shows and spent a lot of time talking to [executive producer Alex Kurtzman]. I don’t like a lot of the new Trek. He, as a person, is a really nice guy. But at the same time, those shows are shit. He is a nice guy. But they didn’t accept my pitch so, you know, fuck ’em.”

    The Hollywood Reporter has reached out to Paramount for comment.

    Paramount+’s Star Trek efforts are seemingly taking a break in Spacedock. For the first time in many years, there are no current Trek projects in production, though there are two more years of Strange New Worlds left and another season of Starfleet Academy left to air.

    There is also speculation surrounding Alex Kurtzman’s future with the franchise, who has lead Paramount’s Star Trek TV revival. His deal with CBS Studios goes through the end of 2026; Paramount+ is currently in talks with Kurtzman and his Secret Hideout production company about renewing or extending his deal.

    When news of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy’s cancellation broke, Kurtzman, alongside EPs Noga Landau and Gaia Violo, released an open letter that addressed some of the criticism surrounding the show.

    The letter reads, “Whether you’re working on Star Trek or part of the marvel that is Star Trek fandom — its very heart, soul, and conscience — the joy comes from adventuring across boundaries of time, space, and the humanly possible in service to [Gene] Roddenberry’s transformative vision of the future. That incomparable vision was fueled by an inexhaustible optimism. Star Trek places its bet on the best in human nature. It dares to imagine a society of ‘infinite diversity in infinite combinations,’ free of war, hate, poverty, disease, and repression, and dedicated to the spirit of scientific inquiry and respect for all life, whether carbon or silicon-based, green-skinned or blue.”

    “But make no mistake: Gene Roddenberry wasn’t some starry-eyed dreamer. He was a decorated Army bomber pilot in the Pacific Theater. He had seen first-hand the grim consequences of the worst of human nature. And his vision of the future wasn’t just a promise of hope. It was also a warning. In a fraught, frightening time of intolerance and violence, Star Trek said: Look! We made it! But just barely. First, we had to put all those ancient scourges behind us. It said that what makes us glorious as a species, and gives us hope for the future and the galaxy is inextricably linked to what makes us dangerous to each other, to this one world we presently inhabit, and to ourselves. That dual message — of hope and of warning — isn’t just a pretty dream but a call to action, to think about who we are in a different way,” the letter continued.

  • Binance OTC Volume Jumps to 25% of 2025 in Early 2026

    Binance OTC Volume Jumps to 25% of 2025 in Early 2026

    Over-the-counter (OTC) trading on Binance has started 2026 with strong momentum. In just January and February, the platform has already reached 25% of its total OTC volume from all of 2025. This sharp rise points to growing interest from large investors. These traders prefer private deals over public exchanges.

    As a result, OTC desks are seeing more activity than before. While this trend suggests the market is entering a new phase. Institutional players are stepping in with bigger trades and longer-term plans.

    Institutional Demand Drives Growth

    According to Binance CEO Richard Teng, demand for deep liquidity is rising fast. He noted that institutions want smooth execution for large trades. They also want to avoid moving prices too much. OTC trading helps solve this problem. It allows buyers and sellers to trade directly.

    In just two months of 2026, we’ve already hit 25% of last year’s total OTC volume.

    The institutional demand for deep liquidity and trusted execution is stronger than ever.https://t.co/qFxZtwj1LV

    — Richard Teng (@_RichardTeng) March 28, 2026

    This reduces slippage and keeps trades more stable. With this, more funds and large investors are choosing OTC desks. They see them as safer and more efficient for big transactions.

    Bitcoin and Stablecoins Take the Lead

    Bitcoin played a major role in Binance’s growth. Its share in OTC trades jumped sharply. In January, it made up just 4.91% of volume. By February, it surged to 45.81%. This shows that institutions are actively building Bitcoin positions. Many see current price levels as a good entry point.

    At the same time, stablecoin-to-crypto trades also increased. These trades more than doubled in one month. Their share rose from 21.43% to 48.95%. This shift highlights a clear trend. Traders are using stablecoins more often to move into crypto positions. It also shows growing trust in stablecoin liquidity.

    Large Trades Show Market Strength

    One standout trade shows how strong Binance OTC execution has become. A $105 million conversion from WBETH to ETH was completed in just two hours. Even more impressive, the trade had very low slippage. It was about 75% better than what regular order books would offer.

    This kind of efficiency attracts big players. It shows that large trades can happen smoothly without major price impact. As a result, OTC desks are becoming key tools for institutions entering crypto markets.

    What This Means for the Market?

    The rapid growth in OTC volume signals a bigger shift. The crypto market is becoming more mature. It is no longer driven only by retail traders. Instead, institutions are now playing a larger role. They bring bigger capital and longer-term strategies.

    Moreover, rising OTC activity on Binance often points to accumulation phases. Large players quietly build positions before major price moves. For now, the data suggests confidence is growing. Institutions are not waiting on the sidelines anymore. They are actively entering the market. But doing it quietly through OTC channels. If this trend continues, it could support stronger price stability. As it may also set the stage for the next major market move.

  • Could You Still Retire with 1,000 XRP Amid Recent Price Crash?

    Discussions around retiring with a 1,000 $XRP investment have re-emerged despite the ongoing market-wide downturn.

    $XRP’s recent price struggles have dampened optimism among investors, particularly those hoping to retire from their $XRP holdings. With the token down 63% from its peak, most investors are focused on recovering losses rather than making profits, as the market faces one of its weakest periods in years.

    Despite this, Jake Claver maintains a long-term bullish outlook, recently arguing that patience and consistent accumulation could still pay off. In his most recent commentary, the $XRP community voice assessed the possibility of retiring with 1,000 $XRP.

    Key Points

    • $XRP currently trades at $1.32, marking a 63% drop from its $3.6 all-time high in July 2025 and a 27.7% decline in Q1 2026.
    • The token would need a 172% increase to return to its previous peak for all existing investors to break even.
    • Jake Claver believes long-term holders who have accumulated $XRP over five to eight years may still see rewards, though newer investors may need more time.
    • He projects that $XRP could reach $1,000 by 2027, depending on several factors, despite his initial 2025 timeline failing to play out.
    • At $1,000 per $XRP, 1,000 tokens would equal $1 million, but Claver believes most investors may need 10,000 tokens to actually retire comfortably.

    $XRP Suffers Market Downturn

    Claver, who serves as the CEO of Digital Ascension Group, made the latest comments during a video presentation amid $XRP’s current turbulence. For context, $XRP is still struggling through a market downturn that has weakened investor confidence.

    Right now, $XRP trades at $1.32, which marks a sharp 63% drop from its all-time high of $3.6 reached in July 2025.

    The token has also fallen 27.7% in Q1 2026 alone, putting it on track for its worst first quarter since 2018, when it dropped 74.81% after reaching a peak. To return to the $3.6 level, $XRP would need to rise by 172%, which would allow all existing investors to recover their losses.

    New $XRP Investors May Need More Patience

    Despite the current situation, Jake Claver still believes in the long-term potential of $XRP. He suggests that even holding 1,000 $XRP could still help investors push toward future financial success.

    He explained that people with less than 1,000 $XRP cannot prepare in the same way as wealthier investors who keep their holdings in cold wallets. To him, those with smaller amounts should stay patient and avoid making rushed decisions.

    He pointed out that many long-term holders have stayed in the market for five to eight years, regularly adding to their holdings through dollar-cost averaging, and putting themselves in a better position over time.

    New Investors Seeing Losses

    Claver then argued that newer investors who bought at higher prices can still do well, but they should expect to wait longer before seeing meaningful returns, especially compared to those who started earlier.

    For context, $XRP has fallen about 53.5% since the downtrend began in Q4 2025, dealing a massive blow to new investors. Specifically, someone who bought 1,000 $XRP in October 2025 at $2.84, spending $2,840, would now have holdings worth $1,320 at the current price of $1.32, indicating a loss of $1,520.

    Claver believes that such investments can still recover over time, but he clarified that this recovery may take a while and will require patience.

    Could You Retire with 1,000 $XRP?

    Claver then presented a very optimistic outlook where $XRP reaches $1,000 per token. In this case, 1,000 $XRP would be worth $1 million, which could change many people’s lives. However, he pointed out that $1 million may not be enough to retire comfortably today, especially for younger people.

    According to him, someone in their 70s might still need around $3 million to $5 million to cover living costs, especially if they live another 20 to 30 years. He added that while being a millionaire meant a lot in the 1990s, today it does not carry the same financial strength.

    As a result, Claver suggested that a more comfortable retirement today may require around $10 million. Based on this suggestion, investors would need to hold 10,000 $XRP if the price reaches $1,000 per token, giving a total value of $10 million.

    New Projected Timeline for $XRP to Hit $1,000

    Claver believes $XRP could reach $1,000 by the end of 2027, and possibly even sooner, such as in 2026, depending on factors like derivatives markets and wider adoption.

    Notably, this comes after he earlier predicted that $XRP would hit $1,000 by the end of 2025, even when it was trading around $2, which meant it would have needed a rise of about 49,900%. The prediction did not come true, as the price dropped instead. He later explained that the expected events that could have supported that rise did not happen.

    In his recent commentary, he noted that if someone holds 10,000 $XRP at $1,000 each, the total $10 million could generate about 5% yearly returns, which equals $500,000 per year. He believes this level of income would allow most people to live comfortably in many parts of the United States.

    However, he noted that expensive areas like California, New York, Las Vegas, and Miami may still require more income, while places like Dallas would allow a more comfortable lifestyle at that level.

  • Lummis says CLARITY Act will deliver ‘strongest’ developer protections

    Lummis says CLARITY Act will deliver ‘strongest’ developer protections

    US Senator Cynthia Lummis has dismissed claims that the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act fails to protect decentralized finance innovators from legal repercussions, rebutting that recent changes to the draft will make it the “strongest protection for DeFi and developers ever enacted.”

    Her comments on Friday came in direct response to crypto lawyer Jake Chervinsky, who argued that Title 3 of the current draft undermines the Blockchain Regulatory Certainty Act — another crypto bill focused on developer protections — by subjecting non-custodial software developers to know-your-customer obligations.

    “Don’t believe the FUD,” Lummis said, adding, “We have worked on a bipartisan basis for the last few weeks to make changes to Title 3 that make this bill the strongest protection for DeFi and developers ever enacted. We have to pass the Clarity Act to get these protections.”

    The latest changes to the CLARITY Act have not been publicly released.

    Source: Cynthia Lummis

    Chervinsky said these DeFi protection provisions have been overshadowed by intense focus on stablecoin rewards provisions in the CLARITY Act.

    His biggest issue with the Senate Banking Committee’s latest CLARITY Act draft is that Title 3’s money transmitter definitions could still expose many non-custodial DeFi builders to liability.

    This is despite the CLARITY Act incorporating the BRCA in section 604, which clarifies that non-controlling developers and providers of non-custodial software are not to be treated as financial institutions subject to Bank Secrecy Act KYC obligations.

    “The biggest challenge is ensuring non-custodial software developers aren’t misclassified as money transmitters,” Chervinsky argued.

    “That’s non-negotiable for DeFi, and it’s still unsettled.”

    His concerns come amid several high-profile prosecutions and convictions of developers in the US in recent months, including Tornado Cash co-founder, Roman Storm, who was convicted in August 2025 of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business

    Related: Delaware eyes stablecoin licensing framework under banking laws

    US lawmakers have said the CLARITY Act is moving closer toward a Senate Banking Committee markup expected in April after recent bipartisan progress on stablecoin rewards provisions.

    Passage of the CLARITY Act is necessary to ensure DeFi developers are afforded legal protections under the BRCA, Lummis noted.

    Magazine: Are DeFi devs liable for the illegal activity of others on their platforms?

  • Ripple turns to AI to stress-test the XRP Ledger as institutional use cases scale

    Ripple turns to AI to stress-test the XRP Ledger as institutional use cases scale

    Ripple is overhauling how it secures the $XRP Ledger, and AI is at the center of the effort.

    Its engineering team outlined a new AI-driven security strategy for the $XRP Ledger in a detailed post earlier this week, one that integrates machine learning tools across the protocol’s entire development lifecycle.

    The strategy includes AI-assisted code scanning on every pull request, automated adversarial testing guided by threat models, and a dedicated AI-assisted red team that continuously analyzes the codebase and how features interact in real-world scenarios.

    A newly-created ‘red team’ has already identified more than 10 bugs, with low-severity issues disclosed publicly so far and the remainder being prioritized and fixed. The team uses fuzzing and automated adversarial testing to simulate attacker behavior at scale, surfacing vulnerabilities earlier and with greater coverage than traditional auditing approaches.

    “AI allows us to shift from reactive debugging to proactive, systematic discovery of vulnerabilities, strengthening the ledger faster and with greater confidence than ever before,” Ripple wrote.

    The initiative comes as the XRPL handles an increasingly complex workload. The ledger has been operating continuously since 2012, processing over 100 million ledgers and facilitating more than 3 billion transactions.

    A codebase of that age naturally reflects “design decisions made in earlier phases of the network, assumptions that held at smaller scale, and patterns that predate modern tooling.” The AI tools are designed to systematically find the edge cases and hidden failure modes that accumulate in any long-running production system.

    The strategy is built across six pillars. Beyond the AI-assisted scanning and red team, Ripple is modernizing the XRPL codebase itself to address structural issues like limited type safety and inconsistent interaction patterns between features.

    The company is expanding security collaboration with XRPL Commons, the XRPL Foundation, independent researchers, and validator operators. Standards for protocol amendments are being raised, with multiple independent security audits now required for significant changes alongside expanded bug bounties and adversarial testing environments.

    And the next XRPL release will be dedicated entirely to bug fixes and improvements without new features, a signal that the engineering team is treating the hardening effort as a near-term priority.

    The timing aligns with Ripple’s expanding institutional footprint.

    The company is currently running a pilot under the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s BLOOM initiative, expanding Ripple Payments globally, pursuing an Australian financial services license, and pushing adoption of its RLUSD stablecoin.

    A ledger targeting tokenized real-world assets, central bank-backed trade finance, and enterprise payment flows needs security infrastructure that scales alongside the use cases it supports.

    The approach connects to a broader industry trend. Ethereum launched a dedicated post-quantum security hub this week backed by eight years of research and 10-plus client teams shipping weekly devnets. Google set a 2029 deadline for migrating its authentication services to quantum-resistant cryptography. Across both traditional tech and crypto, the emphasis is shifting from reactive patching to proactive, AI-augmented security engineering.

    Meanwhile, the Ripple engineering team plans to publish security criteria for new amendments in collaboration with the XRPL Foundation and share findings transparently with the community in the coming weeks.

  • Bill Maher Says President Trump Tried to Block His Kennedy Center Honor: “I Respect the Move”

    Bill Maher Says President Trump Tried to Block His Kennedy Center Honor: “I Respect the Move”

    After a confusing swirl that included “fake news” denials from the White House communications team, Bill Maher offered some clarity about being picked to receive the 27th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the Kennedy Center.

    The veteran host leaned into this week’s big news during Friday night’s episode of Real Time With Bill Maher on HBO Max by addressing it in the opening minutes of his monologue as he recognized there’s been “a lot of back and forth” about whether or not he was actually going to get it. “We have reached a compromise. The compromise is that I am going to get it and then I’m going to give it to [President Donald Trump],” he joked. “Everybody’s happy. I just want things to work out.”

    Looks like they are now after the Kennedy Center confirmed Thursday that Maher would receive the 27th Mark Twain Prize for Humor at a ceremony scheduled for June 28 (and streaming on Netflix at a later date). The honor “recognizes individuals who have had an impact on American society in the same vein as Mark Twain,” and the organization’s vp public relations Roma Daravi praised Maher for “influencing American discourse — one politically incorrect joke at a time.”

    The official confirmation came a week after the Atlantic published a report citing multiple sources that Maher had been selected to receive the prize and fielded an offer but the stamp of approval could be complicated due to his history with President Trump, who has oversight of the Kennedy Center. President Trump slammed Maher in February as a “highly overrated LIGHTWEIGHT” in a Truth Social post, which detailed his White House dinner with the comedian that he called “a complete waste of time.”

    After the Atlantic published its story, Trump’s communications deputies shot it down. “This is fake news. Bill Maher will NOT be getting this award,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. “Literally FAKE NEWS,” White House communications director Steven Cheung added. It’s unclear how it went from “fake news” to being very real when the Kennedy Center confirmed it this week and whether or not Trump gave it his stamp of approval.

    Maher addressed the spokesperson denials on Friday night, but added that he just wants to say thank you. And he’s “not looking for a fight” nor is he mad at Trump for the back and forth. “Me and the president, we have a complicated relationship that goes back to the orangutan lawsuit,” Maher quipped, referencing a 2013 lawsuit which found Trump suing Maher for comments he made during an appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. Maher challenged Trump to provide a copy of his birth certificate to prove he’s not “spawn of his mother having sex with an orangutan.” Trump later withdrew the suit.

    “This has been going on a long time, so him trying to block me from getting it — I respect the move. I respect the move. Keep the game going, baby, OK, I’m all about engagement. Disengagement gets you nothing. You got to engage,” continued Maher, who then turned his attention to the insults Trump has lobbed at him on Truth Social. “We’re back to him calling me a ‘jerk’ and I’m a ‘lightweight ratings loser.’ Get it off your chest, big man, OK, I’m totally fine with that.”

    Maher even said he was “proud of these last insults” Trump tossed in his direction, and he added them to a long list that he brought with him to the White House. A split screen then showed an image of a sheet of paper with a White House logo and a long list of insults, many of which Maher read aloud.

    “So I would just like to say as a low ratings lightweight and a rather dumb guy and a pathetic, bloated sleaze bag, a dummy, a terrible student, a nervous, failing comedian and someone who was sick, insane, very sad, totally shot in, a crazy maniac, I am honored to accept the Mark Twain Prize. Thank you very much,” he said. “I will be there, Don, and I hope you will be too. I mean, the place is named after you now, you really should show up. You could show up. You could thank me in person for being one of the few people on the lunatic left who’s glad you hit Iran and is hoping we win that one.”

    Maher’s newest episode featured a one-on-one interview with U.S. Senator Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), a former CIA analyst and Pentagon official. His panel hosted CNN’s Laura Coates and ESPN star Stephen A. Smith, who hosts Straight Shooter with Stephen A. and The Stephen A. Smith Show on SiriusXM and YouTube.

  • ‘Harry Potter’ Trailer Surpasses 277M Views, Becomes Most-Watched in HBO History

    Fans are tuned in to see the Boy Who Lived back on screen.

    Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, a TV series reimagining J.K. Rowling’s seven-part book series and part of the Warner Bros. franchise, which starred Daniel Radcliffe as its title character, released its first trailer on Wednesday. After the first 48 hours, it had reached more than 277 million organic views across platforms, making it the most-watched trailer in HBO and HBO Max history.

    The first season of the multiseason series is set to follow Rowling’s first novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and each season will presumably focus on another book.

    “I’ve always wanted to know about my parents,” Harry says in the trailer to Hagrid (Nick Frost), who responds: “Your parents were the kindest, bravest people I have ever met. They were funny and clever and they stood up for what they believed was right. The next time I see you will be at Hogwarts.”

    The trailer shows Harry meeting, who will become his best friends, Ron Weasley (Alastair Stout) and Hermione Granger (Arabella Stanton), picking up the sorting hat, attending Herbology class and playing Quidditch in, of course, team Gryffindor apparel.

    Here is the official logline: “There is nothing special about Harry Potter — at least that’s what his Aunt Petunia (Bel Powley) always says. On his 11th birthday, a letter of admittance to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry opens up a hidden world for Harry: one of fun, friendship and magic. But with this new adventure comes great risk as Harry is forced to face a dangerous enemy from his past.”

    The series also stars John Lithgow as Albus Dumbledore, Janet McTeer as Minerva McGonagall, Paapa Essiedu as Severus Snape, Rory Wilmot as Neville Longbottom and Lox Pratt as Draco Malfoy, among others.

    Francesca Gardiner (Succession) is the showrunner and Mark Mylod (Game of Thrones) will direct several episodes.

    Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone premieres Christmas 2026 on HBO and will stream exclusively on HBO Max.

    Watch the trailer below.

  • How the US-Israel war on Iran unfolded in its first four weeks

    How the US-Israel war on Iran unfolded in its first four weeks

    Al Jazeera revisits major military, political and economic developments that took place in first month of the conflict.

    Published On 28 Mar 2026

    One month into the United States and Israel’s war on Iran, the Middle East is starting to look significantly different — and the effects are being felt across the world.

    Energy prices are soaring, violence is intensifying across the region, and efforts to reach a diplomatic off-ramp are offset by bellicose rhetoric and threats of further escalation by both sides.

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    Experts say the past 28 days have also ushered in new political, security and economic realities. Many top-level leaders in Iran have been killed, and the US has been struggling to rally allies to its aid.

    The death toll in Iran sits at more than 1,937 people, and more have been killed around the Middle East, including US military members.

    Here, Al Jazeera revisits the events of the past four weeks to look at how the war has unfolded so far.

    Week 1

    The war started with enormous US-Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, which the Pentagon said amounted to twice the firepower of the “shock and awe” campaign that kicked off the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

    Military developments:

    • The opening Israeli strikes killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who served as the country’s de facto head of state as well as the top spiritual authority for millions of Shia Muslims across the world.
    • The initial attack also included the assassination of several top officials, including top general Abdolrahim Mousavi; Mohammad Pakpour, the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC); and Ali Shamkhani, an adviser to Khamenei.
    • The Iranian response was quick. Hundreds of missiles and drones were launched against Israel and US assets across the region, as well as civilian and energy targets in the Gulf.
    • Tehran also succeeded in swiftly blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for the global oil trade.
    • After the initial onslaught, the US and Israel continued to strike Iran daily, with aides for US President Donald Trump saying that Washington was raining “death and destruction” on the country.
    • The US military announced the first casualties from the war: Six soldiers were killed in an attack on a base in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait.
    • The US military said three US fighter jets were accidentally shot down by friendly fire over Kuwait.
    • Less than 48 hours into the conflict, Hezbollah entered the fray by firing rockets at Israel, which it said was in response to the killing of Khamenei and daily Israeli attacks in Lebanon, in violation of a 2024 ceasefire.
    • Israel started a bombing campaign and a ground invasion in Lebanon.

    Political developments:

    • Gulf states condemned the Iranian attacks as a violation of their sovereignty, stressing that they have been neutral in the war and emphasising their right to respond.
    • Trump said the aim of the military campaign was to bring “freedom” to the Iranian people, but US officials later outlined more narrow goals, including destroying Iran’s military capabilities.
    • Despite the decapitation of its leadership, the Iranian government did not collapse.
    • Iran also did not see any major defections or antigovernment protests.
    • In the US, Trump’s Democratic critics questioned the legality of the strikes, which were launched without congressional approval.
    • Early public opinion polls suggested that only one in four people in the US supported the war.
    • Trump said he would like to be involved in choosing Iran’s next supreme leader, an assertion that was met with ridicule from Iranian officials.
    Two women mourn as they hold a photo.
    People mourn the victims of a strike on a school in Minab, Iran, on the day of their funeral on March 3, 2026 [Amir Hossein Khorgooei/Reuters]

    Civilian cost:

    • By the end of the first week of the war, US and Israeli attacks had killed 1,332 people in Iran.
    • The most jarring attack was the bombing of a girls’ school in the southern city of Minab, which Iranian officials say killed more than 170 people, mostly children.
    • The violence in Lebanon displaced hundreds of thousands of people and killed hundreds.

    Economic impact:

    • By the end of the first week of the war, the price of a barrel of oil had surpassed $90, up from about $70 before the conflict broke out.
    • Civil aviation was scaled back across most of the region, which hosts some of the world’s largest airports.

    Week 2

    By the time the war had entered its second week, it was clear that the Iranian regime had not collapsed and that the conflict was not going to be a brief, one-and-done operation akin to the US abduction of Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro in January.

    Military developments:

    • A US military refuelling aircraft fell over Iraq, killing all six crew members. Iran-allied Iraqi groups took responsibility for downing the jet, but the US military said the crash was not “due to hostile fire or friendly fire”.
    • The US and Israel continued to strike Iran, hitting oil storage depots in Tehran for the first time. The attacks caused huge plumes of smoke that produced black rain over the city of nine million people.
    • Hezbollah and Iran launched coordinated rocket attacks against Israel.
    • The Israeli military bombarded Beirut and its southern suburbs, known as Dahiyeh, as it deepened its invasion of southern Lebanon.
    • Several vessels were targeted near the Strait of Hormuz as Iran solidified its control over the strategic waterway.
    • Though Trump pledged escorts for tankers stalled near Hormuz, the US military acknowledged that it was not ready to accompany ships through the strait.
    • Iran intensified its assault across the Gulf with an attack on Saudi Arabia, killing two people.

    Political developments:

    • Iran chose the late Khamenei’s son Mojtaba as its new supreme leader in a show of defiance against US demands, after Trump had rejected the 56-year-old as an option.
    • In a written message, Mojtaba Khamenei said Iran would fight on against the US and Israeli attacks, emphasising the importance of closing the Hormuz Strait.
    • Trump said the war would end “soon”, but Israeli officials stressed that the conflict has no limits.
    • Hezbollah leader Naim Qassem said his group is ready for a “long confrontation” with Israel, describing the war as “existential”.

    Civilian cost:

    • Iran said nearly 10,000 civilian sites were damaged in the US and Israeli attacks.
    • The number of displaced people in Lebanon topped 800,000 as Israel issued forced evacuation orders for large parts of the country.
    • Israeli attacks killed more than 770 people in Lebanon by the end of the second week of the war.

    Economic impact:

    • Oil prices spiked past $110 per barrel on March 8 before dropping to between $90 and $100 later in the week.
    • The International Energy Agency agreed to release a record 400 million barrels of crude oil in response to the disruption to global fuel supplies.
    • Trump suggested the US will benefit from rising oil prices since the country is a major energy producer, despite the increasing consumer costs and a risk of accelerating inflation.

    Week 3

    In its third week, the war saw major escalations beyond the routine air strikes and rocket attacks. Israel carried out major assassinations inside Iran and bombed a gasfield, risking an all-out energy war across the region.

    Military developments:

    • Israel assassinated Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani and the head of the Basij paramilitary force Gholamreza Soleimani.
    • Two heavy missiles from Iran penetrated Israel’s multi-layered air defences, causing widespread damage in the southern cities of Dimona and Arad.
    • Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gasfield in a major escalation that expanded the war to energy infrastructure.
    • Iran responded by attacking energy facilities across the region, including the Ras Laffan liquefied natural gas facility in Qatar and an oil refinery in Israel.
    • The US said it deployed 10,000 interceptor drones to the Middle East to counter Iranian attacks.
    • Iran-allied groups in Iraq struck a US logistics support camp near Baghdad in successive attacks.
    • Hezbollah intensified its rocket fire against Israel, with one launch reaching more than 200km (125 miles) deep into Israeli territory.

    Political developments:

    • Trump distanced himself from the Israeli attack on the Iranian gasfield, saying that he told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stem such strikes.
    • Iran laid out its conditions for ending the war, which included assurances that the attacks would not be renewed, compensation for damages and recognising Iran’s “rights”.
    • Before he was killed, Larijani issued a six-point message to Muslim-majority nations decrying the lack of support for Iran and reasserting that his country is not going to relent in its fight against the US and Israel.
    • Qatar declared the Iranian embassy’s military and security attachés as personae non gratae after the Ras Laffan attack.
    • Joe Kent, the director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, resigned in protest against the war. He argued that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US when the conflict erupted.
    • Saudi Arabia said “the little trust that remained in Iran has been completely shattered”, after its energy infrastructure and military bases came under Iranian attack. Some strikes appeared to be targeted at US assets at the bases.

    Civilian cost:

    • The Iranian Red Crescent said at least 204 children were killed by the war, as the death toll exceeded 1,444 people.
    • In Lebanon, the death toll from Israeli attacks climbed past 1,000, and the number of displaced people rose to more than one million.

    Economic impact:

    • Iranian ⁠attacks knocked out ⁠17 percent of Qatar’s liquefied natural gas export capacity, causing an estimated $20bn in lost annual revenue, QatarEnergy said. The losses threatened repercussions for energy markets in Europe and Asia.
    • The price for one gallon (3.8 litres) of petrol in the US reached more than $3.90, nearly $1 more than before the war started.

    Week four

    The fourth week of the war saw the US claim it had been in diplomatic contact with Iran for the first time since hostilities began. The announcement signalled that Trump might be looking for an off-ramp as the war turns into a protracted conflict.

    Military developments:

    • Trump said he would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants if it fails to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours, but he later extended the deadline by five days and then for 10 more days.
    • The US moved thousands of troops to the Middle East, raising the prospect of ground operations inside Iran.
    • Israel bombed Iranian steel factories and a nuclear reactor, prompting Iran to threaten industrial sites across the region.
    • Qatar says seven people, including three Turkish service members, died after a military helicopter crashed due to a technical malfunction.
    • Israeli forces attacked the Qasmiyeh Bridge, a key crossing that links Lebanon’s south to the rest of the country.
    • Hezbollah said it hit dozens of Israeli tanks, claiming numerous attacks daily against invading troops.

    Political developments:

    • Trump insisted that Iran is “begging” to reach a ceasefire deal, but Iranian officials denied direct contact with Washington.
    • The US sent a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran, but Tehran rejected the proposal as maximalist.
    • Qatar called for resolving the conflict through diplomacy, saying that “total annihilation” of rivals in the region “is not an option”.
    • The United Arab Emirates took an increasingly confrontational tone against Iran, with Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed saying that his country will “never be blackmailed by terrorists”.
    • Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that “the new Israeli border must be the Litani River”, suggesting that his country would annex about 20 percent of Lebanon’s territory.
    • Yemen’s Houthi group, which has remained on the sidelines, said it is ready to join the war if the Red Sea is used to stage attacks against Iran or if the conflict escalates further.

    Civilian cost:

    • The death toll in Iran approached 2,000, with 25 deaths across the Gulf.
    • In Israel, Iranian and Hezbollah attacks killed 20 people in the first month of the war.
    • Israeli attacks killed at least 121 children in Lebanon as the country’s death toll reached 1,116, according to its Health Ministry.
    • United Nations experts warned that Lebanon, where the Israeli invasion and bombardment have displaced more than 1.2 million people, is facing the risk of a “humanitarian catastrophe”.

    Economic impact:

    • Oil prices surpassed $112 per barrel, the highest since 2022, amid supply fears.
    • The US stock market sank amid economic uncertainty linked to the war, with major indexes, including the S&P 500 and NASDAQ, seeing major losses.

  • Monterey County man accused of auto theft arrested after driving stolen vehicle to his own court hearing

    SALINAS — A man from Soledad was arrested Tuesday morning, after showing up to a court hearing at the Salinas Courthouse in a stolen vehicle.

    Ricardo Otero, 41, arrived to the Salinas Courthouse at around 11 a.m. Tuesday, where members of the Multi-Agency Detail Combating Auto Theft saw Otero driving a vehicle that had been reported stolen from San Jose.

    Otereo was scheduled to appear for a pending auto theft case, according to a press release from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office.

    He was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Monterey County Jail, where he was booked for unlawful driving or taking of a vehicle, commission of a felony while released on bail/own recognizance and driving with a suspended license.