JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 868

Menlo Park, California: BillionToOne announced on April 15 that it will release first-quarter 2026 financial results after market close on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, and will host a conference call at 1:30 p.m. Pacific / 4:30 p.m. Eastern with a live webcast. Mountain View-based LegalZoom made a similar announcement for May 6, and Columbia-based Tenable set April 29.

This week, the companies provided investor access details including webcast links, dial-in registration pages, and replay availability; Tenable’s call is scheduled for April 29 after the market close while BillionToOne and LegalZoom will present results and take questions on May 6. Analysts and shareholders can register, listen live, or access archived webcasts on each company’s investor relations site.

Washington — US President Donald Trump said in a Fox Business interview aired April 15 that he wrote to Chinese President Xi Jinping asking him not to supply weapons to Iran, and that Xi replied in writing saying Beijing was not doing so; the exchange occurred ahead of a planned summit in Beijing on May 14–15.

The statement prompted immediate diplomatic focus this week: Chinese officials criticized US maritime actions as "dangerous and irresponsible," reporting noted China's reliance on Iranian oil and its provision of dual‑use technology, and Trump has previously threatened steep tariffs on countries arming Tehran; the leaders still plan to meet in mid‑May to discuss bilateral and regional issues.

New York City. Governor Kathy Hochul this week announced she will propose a tax surcharge on second homes in the city valued over $5 million, reversing earlier reluctance and aligning with Mayor Zohran Mamdani as state lawmakers continue budget negotiations past the April 1 deadline. Her office said the measure aims to raise roughly $500 million annually to help address a reported $5.3 billion municipal shortfall.

Albany officials said negotiations this week will determine details including whether the levy is graduated by property value and whether nonresident owners are the primary target; the governor's office confirmed inclusion of the proposal in this year's state budget on Wednesday. Mamdani and progressive advocates have pressed for wealth taxes to close the gap while legal, enforcement, and public safety proposals, including a 25-foot buffer around houses of worship, remain under discussion.

United States: Multiple tornadoes touched down this week across several states. On Tuesday evening in West Michigan two tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service, including one near Otsego around midnight and another near Carson City; earlier, an EF-1 struck near Machias on March 31 and the NWS confirmed an EF-0 in Machias on Wednesday, while a weekend storm produced a tornado near Bear Lake Summit in northern Utah.

Those events produced structural damage, downed power lines, livestock losses and widespread outages; Consumers Energy dispatched hundreds of crews in Michigan and first responders worked to secure loose cattle overnight. This week Wisconsin officials canceled statewide tornado drills scheduled for April 16 to prioritize active recovery, and the NWS completed damage surveys to assign EF ratings and guide local response.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. Governor Ron DeSantis announced that Florida will address congressional redistricting during a forthcoming special session, initially referenced for April 20 and later scheduled for April 28 through May 1. This week DeSantis told reporters in Tallahassee the administration will present proposed maps and that lawmakers must consider new district plans soon.

The session will also address proposed expansion of K–12 vaccine exemptions and AI consumer-protection measures, according to reports and a memo from Senate leadership. Senate President Ben Albritton said senators will wait for the governor’s map proposal; officials warned of potential litigation and referenced prior Florida Supreme Court decisions that could constrain legislative privilege.

Los Angeles. The New York Mets dropped an 8-2 game at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday as the club extended its losing streak to eight games, with manager Carlos Mendoza and players acknowledging mounting problems. Earlier on Tuesday the Mets lost 2-1 after a 20-inning scoreless run ended with a Francisco Lindor leadoff homer.

This week the team has faced injuries and roster changes: Jared Young was placed on the injured list with a left knee meniscus tear and scheduled for surgery, while MJ Melendez was recalled and contributed hits. Owner Steve Cohen tweeted optimism late Tuesday, but immediate steps include lineup adjustments and reliance on call-ups amid offensive struggles and bullpen lapses.

Las Vegas. On Tuesday at CinemaCon, Tom Cruise unveiled the first images and an extended look from Digger, a dark comedy directed by Alejandro G. Iñárritu, showing Cruise transformed as Digger Rockwell, an aging, cat‑loving oil tycoon; the footage depicted an ecological disaster that escalates toward potential nuclear stakes.

The studio, Warner Bros., scheduled an October theatrical release and Cruise promoted the film alongside Inarritu at the event; the presentations named supporting cast members including John Goodman, Riz Ahmed, Jesse Plemons, Sandra Hüller, Sophie Wilde and Emma D’Arcy and noted the filmmakers first discussed the project roughly seven years ago.

SEATTLE — Maika Hamano scored a 27th-minute goal as Japan defeated the United States 1-0 on Tuesday night, snapping the U.S. women's national team's 10-game winning streak in the second match of a three-game friendly series. The result marked the Americans' first shutout loss in 42 games and followed a prior weekend victory for the U.S.

Seattle hosts and both coaching staffs emphasized evaluation and learning; U.S. coach Emma Hayes said she did not regret scheduling the series, while Japan's caretaker manager Michihisa Kano praised his players' preparation. The teams will meet in a decisive third friendly this week, with both sides using the match to assess tactics and player selection ahead of upcoming competitions.

West Sacramento, Calif. — On Tuesday, April 14, 2026, the Oakland Athletics defeated the Texas Rangers 2-1 when Jacob Wilson hit a two-run single and made a diving defensive play while Jeffrey Springs allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings; Denzel Clarke also robbed a potential home run in the fourth inning.

West Sacramento, Calif. — On Wednesday, April 15, 2026, the Athletics beat the Rangers 6-5 as Shea Langeliers hit a 467-foot homer and Jacob Wilson added a two-run shot; Joel Kuhnel recorded the save, Hogan Harris earned the win, and Oakland moved to 10-8, briefly sitting atop the AL West a game ahead of Texas.

ATHENS, Georgia. Vice President JD Vance visited Athens this week to speak at a Turning Point USA campus event, following a trip to Pakistan that did not secure a deal to end the war with Iran; reporters described a mostly empty arena and awkward audience questions.

The appearance prompted sharp criticism on Monday from attendees who cited President Trump's social-media meme depicting himself as Jesus and his public comments about Pope Leo XIV; the meme was taken down after conservative backlash, and local reporting noted low turnout and potential messaging challenges this week for campaign organizers and allied groups nationwide.