Ilulissat Icefjord in Greenland, where the Sermeq Kujalleq glacier terminatesSean Gallup/GettyA team of scientists and engineers will head to Greenland next month to test fly drones in the Arctic, in the hope of pioneering a new low-cost surveillance system that will transform monitoring of ice sheets.Currently most data on the state of the Greenland ice sheet comes from satellite monitoring and crewed flights. Drones could provide a cheaper, more accurate solution, say researchers, unlocking near real-time monitoring of the rapidly melting feature.

Meghan Markle in September 2023. Rolf Vennenbernd/picture alliance via Getty Images 2025-04-02T22:11:01Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Meghan Markle's first As Ever collection sold out within an hour of its launch.The Duchess of Sussex's show "With Love, Meghan" was also a hit when it was released in March.Despite vocal criticism, Meghan's pivot to lifestyle is off to a good start.Meghan Markle just dropped her first lifestyle collection and it's already sold out.After months of anticipation, the Duchess of Sussex's lifestyle venture As Ever officially launched on Wednesday. The brand's entire collection sold out within an hour of it dropping online.As Ever's triumphant launch follows the successful debut of the duchess' Netflix series "With Love, Meghan," which was a hit with viewers despite widespread criticism from the media and some fans who called the show boring and out of touch.Despite that, Meghan is proving her bet on her lifestyle career was worth taking.Entering the lifestyle spaceBoth "With Love, Meghan" and As Ever were met with plenty of criticism. Outlets published dozens of negative articles about the series when it was released, lamenting its lack of relatability for the average viewer and criticizing Meghan's hosting tips as unnecessary.However, that criticism seemed detached from the show's successful reality. "With Love, Meghan" hit Netflix's top 10 list the week it premiered and amassed over 2.6 million views, according toThe New York Times. Netflix also already announced thatseason two of the show will premiere in the fall of 2025. Meghan Markle on "With Love, Meghan." Netflix As Ever is on a similar path. When it was first announced, naysayers questioned Meghan's product line, saying items like flower petal sprinkles were gratuitous or assuming she would overcharge for her products. Others questioned whether Meghan had a clear vision for the brand since she changed its name from American Riviera Orchard to As Ever, despite the swap being largely due to a trademark issue.Lo and behold, it seems the Duchess of Sussex and Netflix, her business partner in the brand did have a clear vision for As Ever. As Ever blends the type of California luxury you might associate with Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop or Martha Stewart with royal elegance, creating a glossy feel that clearly appeals to buyers.Stacy Jones, the founder and CEO of Hollywood Branded, told Business Insider Meghan and Netflix are creating a brand that seemingly reflects the duchess herself."She's not an A-list actress. She's an A-list personality," Jones said."She's really pushed herself back into that influencer side of it versus that celebrity side of it where her brand requires content to be created around her, either by her or by someone else," she added. "That's what Netflix is doing."A sold-out collectionAs Ever's first collection featured items that cost $12 to $15 aside from a $28 limited-edition honey and they sold out within an hour of its launch. The honey was gone in just five minutes.Thanks to standard shipping, it will be a few days before people get to try the products they ordered. And although it's unclear how much merchandise was available to begin with, the launch itself was a win for Meghan.Jones said the gap between the vocal criticism of Meghan's lifestyle ventures and their real-life success isn't surprising."People like to be able to complain and be really, really loud about that," she said. "The haters are gonna hate, but she has a fan base." Meghan Markle's first As Ever collection immediately sold out. As Ever Meghan has meticulously built up her base over the past decade. Many of them started out as fans of her blog, The Tig, which she ran from 2014 to 2017. They loved her recipes and hosting tips before she ever knew Prince Harry."She had a consumer base who are probably still fans of hers," Jones said. "There's not been a big step away from where she was before, back in the days of actresshood and 'Suits,' but she's bringing in a new level of branding."Jones also said that Meghan's fan base has proved fiercely loyal, sticking with her through her royal controversies. That makes them a huge asset for the duchess, which she seems aware of. As she shared on Instagram, Meghan reconnected with her "OG Tig girls" ahead of As Ever's launch.Meghan is finding a sweet spot in the lifestyle world because it blends her passions and the glamour of royal life. She's finding a way to share that with the world, and the proof is in the pudding (or rather, the jam).Recommended video

Brendan SMIALOWSKI / AFP 2025-04-02T21:00:48Z SaveSaved Read in app This story is available exclusively to Business Insider subscribers. Become an Insider and start reading now.Have an account? Trump announced a range of new tariffs on April 2, his so-called "Liberation Day."He signed an executive order to impose reciprocal tariffs and a 25% tariff on car imports.Some economists warned that uncertainty around the tariffs could strain consumers and businesses.President Donald Trump's highly-anticipated new round of tariffs is here, and it could mean increased prices on a range of goods Americans rely on.On Wednesday, Trump signed an executive order announcing reciprocal tariffs on all countries that have placed tariffs on US goods. These tariffs fall on Trump's so-called "Liberation Day," which the president has been touting for weeks as the day when his expansive trade plan would drop."April 2, 2025, will forever be remembered as the day American industry was reborn, the day America's destiny was reclaimed, and the day that we began to make America wealthy again," Trump said during Wednesday remarks.The motivation for the reciprocal tariffs: "They do it to us, and we do it to them," Trump said. "Very simple. Can't get any simpler than that." He added that all of the tariffs would have a baseline 10% tariff rate.Trump said during his remarks that he would charge countries "approximately half" of what those countries have been charging the US. Trump said that would amount to a 32% tariff on goods from China, 20% tariff for the European Union, 32% tariff for Taiwan, and 26% tariff for India.Trump also announced a 25% tariff on all car imports into the US. He did not mention any new tariffs on Canada or Mexico during his remarks.In the weeks leading up to April 2, Trump signaled a range of tariffs he was planning to implement. They included a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, a 25% tariff on all car and car part imports into the US, tariffs on agricultural goods, and reciprocal tariffs on all countries that have placed tariffs on US goods. A 25% tariff on steel and aluminum imports is already in effect.The reciprocal tariffs are the broadest category, and Trump previously indicated that there would be "flexibility" in terms of the scope of the tariffs he would end up imposing on those countries.These tariffs are likely to increase prices on impacted goods, and while some companies might choose to absorb some of the costs, consumers are set to shoulder most of the burden.Ahead of Trump's tariff announcement, the White House wrote in a press release on Wednesday morning that tariffs will "level the playing field for American workers and businesses." However, markets and consumers have already been feeling financial strains due to the ongoing uncertainty with Trump's trade plans."When the president doesn't have a clear strategy or direction, it is extremely difficult for businesses in particular and consumers as well, to plan for the future, and that's why you're seeing so much uncertainty in the consumer market right now and so much uncertainty in the business community," Alex Jacquez, an advisor on the National Economic Council under former President Joe Biden, told reporters on a Tuesday press call.The US is likely to see retaliatory tariffs from impacted countries following Trump's announcement. Canada's Justin Trudeau previously said he would place tariffs on American goods until Trump's tariffs were withdrawn.The United Auto Workers union previously lauded the president's plan to place a 25% tariff on all cars and car parts imported into the US, saying it would bring more jobs back into the US auto industry."These tariffs are a major step in the right direction for autoworkers and blue-collar communities across the country," UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement.Recommended video

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here.Welcome to The Logoff: Today Im focusing on Donald Trump saying hes imposing tariffs on products from around the world. If real and permanent two big ifs the policies represent a shift in economic policy that will have major effects on all Americans.Whats the latest? Trump today promised a 10 percent tariff on all foreign goods, with goods from many countries including some of our largest trading partners being taxed at a far higher rate. Trump also said certain foreign-made cars would face import taxes of 25 percent. Trump said the tariffs would take effect right away, though the exact timing is unclear.Is it real this time? This was Trumps most sweeping tariff announcement to date, and he announced it during a high-profile White House ceremony, suggesting these tariffs may be here to stay. That said, it was only a month ago that Trump announced tariffs on our largest trading partners, only to rescind or delay some of them days after they took effect. Can Trump do this without Congress? There will likely be legal challenges, but existing law gives the president wide authority to unilaterally impose tariffs.What do tariffs mean for you? In the short term, higher prices. Tariffs are taxes paid by importers and passed on to consumers, so, if they remain in place, you can expect to pay more for a sweeping range of goods. Economists also fear that this tariff policy could kick off a recession, particularly as other countries promise to counter with taxes on US exports.Whats the big picture? There are valid critiques of past US free trade policies particularly in how theyve hurt certain communities and segments of the labor force. But economists are skeptical Trump can bring back US manufacturing at anywhere near the scale hes promising, and theyre confident these new taxes will result in severe and widespread economic pain.And with that, its time to log off If you want a high-brow reprieve from the chaos, Voxs Unexplainable podcast has a great new episode about deep-sea microbes ancient organisms so different from the rest of the planets creatures that theyre raising questions about what it means to even be alive. (As an added bonus, Vox members can now listen ad-free!) I loved this podcast, but if youre having a just get through it kind of Wednesday, might I recommend 3 minutes and 23 seconds of tropical birds mating dances? Thanks so much for reading, and well see you back here tomorrow.See More:

The sixth episode of this upcoming season of Doctor Who may be thwarted by the BBCs other behemoth of primetime television: Eurovision. And, because time does sometimes get quite wimey in the real life, its when the series is airing its own Eurovision send-upan episode aptly titled The Interstellar Song Contest, guest-starring real-life Eurovision host Ryan Clark. The BBC Ones scheduled set of release dates for new Doctor Who episodes could see an interruption not just because of Eurovision, but because of another major TV event in the form of the FA Cup Final. Doctor Who is supposed to air between the two, but the schedule only works if the soccer game ends when its supposed to, which as sports fans know is hardly a given. According to RadioTimes.com, Doctor Who showrunner Russell T Davies is taking things in stride. The most exciting week of all is the Eurovision week, because that afternoon is the FA Cup Final live on BBC One, he said. At 8 oclock at night is Eurovision live across Europe. Were in the middle. If the football has lots of goals and things, going into extra time and penalties, we get crushed in the middle. So yes, the Doctor is between quite a rock and a hard place there. Its like we cannot movethe football cant move, Eurovision cant move. So we genuinely dont know if well be transmitted that day. Either way, itll be on the iPlayer, Davies continued, but fans will have to keep an eye on the game to see whether or not BBC One will be able to run the episode. They said to us, Do you want to move it? and I said, Thats the most exciting thing Ive ever heard. Lets find out if were transmitting. Lets feel alive. So that Saturday is going to be fun.American Doctor Who fans, who watch the series along with the non-UK rest of the world on Disney+, need not worry about any conflicts, of course. Doctor Who returns to Disney+ around the world, and the BBC in the UK, April 12. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

As horror fans look forward to Final Destination: Bloodlines, New Line Cinema president and CCO Richard Brener discussed the history and future of the alternative filmmaking arm of Warner Bros. with the Hollywood Reporter. Especially in the 90s and 2000s, the company spun out into not only franchise makers but arthouse staples built on storytelling that have resonated over time. You could say that it was the blueprint for A24 or Neon with properties that originated with horror, cult, and auteur fare including Nightmare on Elm Street, The Mask, Austin Powers, Mortal Kombat, Seven, Lord of the Rings, Elf, The Conjuring, and so many more. Now in its current era New Lines focus is squarely on horror, but to Brener thats due to the climate of cinematic demand in the genre most easy to make. Its not been a huge change in the sense that weve kind of been making the same kinds of movies, whether its horror, comedy, female-driven films, he told THR. The budgets havent changed, the expectations dont change and the pressure doesnt change. Theres an ebb and flow in the sense that we probably are making less comedies today and more horror movies, because horror movies have been working more and there are people who are nervous about comedies, I think unjustifiably. Even so, the pressure to find a balance between doling out more franchise foddersomething audiences claim to be tired of, but yet still show up forand original fare, which can have trouble filling theater seats, is something New Line is trying to navigate. Take Companion, for instance: the film was received well by audiences and critics alike but didnt do so well during its box office run. To that end Brener shared, I think its very rare to find a movie that scores as well with the audience and critics. There may be some things in the concept that were hard to get through in short form in marketing, but were super proud of the movie and would love to work with [writer-director] Drew [Hancock] again. Hes an amazing talent. The movie will be profitable for us.And its often the case that a solid horror film does tend to find its audience over time. Thats something that New Line is familiar with thanks to past films that went from cult faves to horror or genre mainstays like Dark City, Spawn, or Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. New Lines current horror master in residence is James Wan, who is closing out his era of Conjuring movies by producing the ninth film in the universe, The Conjuring: Last Rites.The film from Michael Chaves, which will see Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga return as Ed and Lorraine Warren, is set to be a wrap up of sorts. And it sounds like the studios hoping for a blockbuster farewell, as Brener teases early versions of the film are already testing through the roof.He also classified Last Rites as the last of what we call phase one, and noted we are hopeful that we can make more. It will be interesting to see if that means the second phase will reboot the universe or be anchored by new leads outside of the Warrens. Brener continued to describe the focus on franchise titans of terror. Were also making our second Evil Dead movie with plans for a third as well. But theres also new fresh ones that you havent heard of that we believe, in success, well have multiple installments, he said, adding that while fans want more Nightmare on Elm Street, perhaps the film that laid the companys solid foundation, its a bit trickier to pin down: We hope so. Its complicated because of the rights. Head to THR to read the full interview with Brener. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, whats next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

A skull of Buettnererpeton bakeri sees the light for the first time in 230 million years. This side of the specimen was uncovered in the fossil preparation lab at the University of Wisconsin Geology Museum. (Image Credit: Dave Lovelace, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)NewsletterSign up for our email newsletter for the latest science newsIt sounds like a paleontological crime scene: dozens of ancient amphibian fossils found buried relatively close together. The bones of the crocodile-sized creatures known as metoposaurid temnospondyls lie intact. What brought them there? What killed them? Why did the fossils remain undisturbed?Researchers report a detailed analysis of the single-largest collection of the species fossils found together in Wyoming in the journal PLOS ONE. But the survey of what appears to be a mass die-off provokes more questions than it provides answers.Mass Die-Off of Ancient AmphibiansThe site is especially interesting because it appears to offer what Aaron Kufner, a University of Wisconsin, Madison paleontologist and first author of the study, called in a press release a snapshot of a single population rather than an accumulation over time. Although the collection more than doubles the known number of individual Buettnererpeton bakeri fossils, it doesnt provide any solid answers about what brought them together or what ultimately killed them.They did determine that the burial site was likely a floodplain, based on ancient grains of sand and finely layered strata of sediment. But the cause of death remains elusive. It appears unlikely that they drowned in a current because some of the most delicate parts of the fossils appear well-preserved. Also, the pattern of the fossils placements doesnt indicate that any amphibians had been swept away.The amphibians, whose dense shoulder bones made them especially adept at sinking, likely submerged themselves in freshwater bodies and waited for unsuspecting prey. The researchers aren't sure if the amphibians clustered together to hunt as a group or to breed. They theorize that it is possible that they somehow become entrapped in the area, perhaps because of a blocked waterway. But they dont know for sure.Other Fossil BedsResearchers also dont know if this mass die-off was a singular event or a fate only this particular group suffered. Other fossil beds contain multiple metoposaurids but largely reveal a more scattered collection of bones that were likely moved by wind, water, or other forces.Whether or not this kind of die-off was common among temnospondyls is difficult to assess since few other sites have received this level of detailed examination and there is limited data regarding how temnospondyl burial varies with different environments, according to the press release.Article SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Before joining Discover Magazine, Paul Smaglik spent over 20 years as a science journalist, specializing in U.S. life science policy and global scientific career issues. He began his career in newspapers, but switched to scientific magazines. His work has appeared in publications including Science News, Science, Nature, and Scientific American.1 free article leftWant More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/monthSubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In1 free articleSubscribeWant more?Keep reading for as low as $1.99!SubscribeAlready a subscriber?Register or Log In

The stars in our galaxy are serenading us with songs, that is, if we take the time to translate them.According to a new paper published in Nature, constant starquakes cause some stars to fluctuate in brightness a result that seems mostly unrelated to music. But by translating these fluctuations in brightness into fluctuations in acoustic frequencies, scientists can tune in to a stars sound, learning important information about its age and its other traits. Studying 27 separate stars in our galaxys Open Cluster M67, the authors of the paper found that a stars acoustic frequencies stop fluctuating at a specific point in its lifespan, allowing scientists to identify the age of a star with a stagnating sound. This research helps us better understand how stars evolve and provides a new tool to estimate their age, said Claudia Reyes, a paper author and an asteroseismologist at Australian National University, according to a press release. Which is crucial for studying the evolution of our galaxy. The Sounds of a StarquakesThough they seem quiet in the sky, the stars in our galaxy are always making music. Thats because starquakes, or vibrations in a stars interior, can cause continual changes in its brightness that translate into continual changes in its auditory frequencies. Starquakes occur in certain stars, leading to a continuous cycle of brightening and dimming, Reyes said in the press release. By carefully observing these tiny fluctuations in brightness, we can listen to a stars musical rhythm.With its own musical melody, a stars song can tell scientists about its age as well as its mass. These fluctuations are like musical notes, similar to the vibrations of a string, Reyes added in the press release. Each frequency tells us more about the stars size, chemical composition[,] and internal structure. Setting out to study these songs, the authors of the new paper turned to Open Cluster M67, an area of our galaxy that contains several subgiant and red giant stars. There, the team found that the fluctuations in a stars acoustic frequencies pause at a particular point in the stars life. At that point the plateau, according to the press release the star sends out a single auditory signal, repeating itself like a broken record. We discovered that the plateau occurs due to events in a specific layer of the star and at specific frequencies that are influenced by a stars mass and metallicity, Reyes said in the press release. This means we can predict when and at what frequency the plateau will occur during a stars life cycle, enabling extremely precise age estimates for stars currently in their plateau phase.Read More: Getting to Know Our Galactic Home: The Milky WayM67 Stars in SongThe 27 stars that the team studied werent selected for their specific musical stylings. Instead, they were chosen because their sounds made sense to compare. Similar in age, these stars all come from the same molecular cloud from around the same time, and they all show a similar chemical composition, a lot like siblings, according to the release. The Open Cluster M67 stars also offered an opportunity to listen in on star evolution. We studied frequencies emitted by stars in this cluster as they evolved into subgiants and red giants something that had never been fully explored before, Reyes said in the press release. Taken as a whole, the teams work shows that theres always something to learn when we listen, even when it takes a bit of stellar translation. Read More: 10 Facts You May Not Know About the Milky WayArticle SourcesOur writers at Discovermagazine.com use peer-reviewed studies and high-quality sources for our articles, and our editors review for scientific accuracy and editorial standards. Review the sources used below for this article:Sam Walters is a journalist covering archaeology, paleontology, ecology, and evolution for Discover, along with an assortment of other topics. Before joining the Discover team as an assistant editor in 2022, Sam studied journalism at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08798-2Spontaneous parthenogenesis in sunflower has been used to develop a scalable doubled haploid breeding system.

Nature, Published online: 02 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-00904-8The discovery that sunflower seeds can develop without fertilization reveals a pathway to accelerate improvement of this crop and potentially others.