First Thing: Justice department indicts ex-FBI director James Comey over seashells Instagram post
The former FBI director, who is one of the president’s political enemies, has been charged with two felonies over the photo. Plus, Disneyland introduces facial recognition
In what appears to be the latest instance of the justice department using its power to target the president’s political enemies, Comey was charged over a picture he posted on Instagram last year while on vacation, showing seashells arranged to say “86 47”.
The post was read as a threat to Donald Trump, the 47th president, as the number 86 can be used as shorthand for getting rid of something. He captioned the image: “Cool shell formation on my beach walk.”
Comey then deleted the post and apologized, saying he had not realized the numbers were associated with violence. “It never occurred to me, but I oppose violence of any kind so I took the post down,” he wrote on Instagram.
What has he been charged with? Two felonies: making a threat against the president, and transmitting that threat, via social media, across state lines.
What does the indictment say? That the seashell numbers were something a reasonable person “would interpret as a serious expression of an intent to do harm to the President of the United States”.
And how about Comey? He published a video of himself saying: “Well, they’re back. This time, about a picture of seashells on a North Carolina beach a year ago. And this won’t be the end of it, but nothing has changed with me. I am still innocent. I am still not afraid. And I still believe in the independent federal judiciary. So, let’s go.” He continued: “It’s really important that all of us remember – this is not who we are as a country, this is not how the Department of Justice is supposed to be, and the good news is we get closer every day to restoring those values. Keep the faith.”
King Charles praises Nato and urges defence of Ukraine in key speech during Trump visit
In a speech that will be interpreted as an appeal to Donald Trump to return to the US’s traditional European alliances, Charles said: “America’s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence. The actions of this great nation matter even more.”
His speech to Congress – the main event of his four-day visit to mark the 250th anniversary of US independence – was the first such royal address in 35 years.
What has Trump said about the visit? He has claimed that King Charles agrees with him that Iran should never be allowed nuclear weapons. But, as head of state, the king is above party politics and remains neutral.
How else is the 250th anniversary being marked? The US will issue limited-edition “America250” passports featuring Donald Trump’s image, in the latest of Trump’s efforts to illustrate US institutions and documents with his face.
Disneyland starts using facial recognition
Disneyland has equipped parts of its California adventure park with facial recognition technology, amid mounting concerns about privacy and surveillance.
At certain entrance lanes, a camera will capture images of visitors, which can be converted via biometric technology into unique numerical values, according to the Walt Disney Company’s website. Purportedly, this is to streamline re-entry and prevent fraud.
What other entertainment venues are doing this?Several stadiums that host Major League Baseball (MLB) games encourage ticket holders to opt for a “go-ahead entry” that uses facial recognition tech. Privacy experts have warned that such moves set dangerous precedents.
In other news …
Aid organizations are calling for a “humanitarian corridor” to be opened through the strait of Hormuz as the US and Iranian blockades prevent food and medical aid from reaching the world’s most vulnerable people.
New Zealand officials have rejected a statue to commemorate so-called “comfort women” enslaved by Japan before and during the second world war, after objections from Tokyo.
France is investigating the reappearance of a website that enabled Dominique Pelicot to recruit dozens of strangers to rape his drugged wife, Gisèle Pelicot.
A federal judge has thwarted attempts by the Trump administration to gain access to Arizona’s voter records, in the latest legal setback before the midterm elections.
Stat of the day
Deaths are projected to outnumber births in the UK every year from 2026, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). This means that the UK’s population is projected to peak in the 2050s before decreasing, with net migration expected to be the only driver of population growth in the UK over the next few decades. In the US, deaths are projected to begin outnumbering births in 2030.
Well Actually:How do I respond to my friends when they criticize their own weight and looks?
How do you respond to a friend who is complaining about her weight or wrinkles, a reader asks? “It would feel preachy to tell her that she’s supporting the beauty industrial complex and reinforcing a status quo that keeps women fixated on their physical appearance. But saying: ‘You’re beautiful!’ feels shallow.” Beauty journalists and experts weigh in on how you can respond empathetically – while having fruitful conversations about how the industry perpetuates such insecurities.
Don’t miss this: Meet the AI jailbreakers: ‘I see the worst things humanity has produced’
Hackers such as Valen Tagliabue spend their days trying to manipulate large language models into breaking their own rules: coaxing them into giving instructions to build bombs and orchestrate cyber attacks. That information is then passed on to the creators of the chatbot can fix the flaws they discover. But after a while, the work begins to take a toll: “I spent hours manipulating something that talks back. Unless you’re a sociopath, that does something to a person,” Tagliabue says.
Climate check: Trump’s attempt to crush clean energy progress not going to plan, experts say
Donald Trump has thrown his weight behind obstructing the clean energy transition – but there are signs his efforts are failing. March was the first full month in which more of the US’s electricity came from renewable sources such as solar and wind than via gas, according to data from the Ember thinktank. Last year was also a record year for green energy.
Last Thing: Dogs’ brains began to shrink at least 5,000 years ago, study finds
Dogs’ brains began to shrink 5,000 years ago, research shows – but don’t take this to mean that they are less intelligent than their wolf-like ancestors. Although dogs kept as pets rarely get to use the full range of their smarts, “domestication didn’t make them stupid, but made them really capable of reading us and communicating with us,” the study’s lead author said.
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