☕ Pope Francis dies

It’s Monday.

Overnight, the world learned of the death of Pope Francis, who passed away aged 88.

According to the Vatican, the first Latin American to lead the Roman Catholic Church died at 7:35am local time on Easter Monday. It was only this weekend that the Pope met with Vice-President JD Vance and participated in Easter celebrations in Italy. The White House posted a condolence message on social media earlier this morning, alongside photos of President Trump and the VP in meetings with Pope Francis.

From here, Catholic leaders are tasked with choosing a new Pope via the 'Conclave' process.

I’ve got 30 seconds

Some headlines from this morning:

• Israel has promised a "thorough examination" of a strike that killed 15 first responders in Gaza last month. According to the UN, eight Palestinian medics, six civil defence first responders and a UN staff member were assisting in Rafah when the IDF attacked their convoy. Israeli forces initially said the group was "advancing suspiciously" toward its troops "without headlights, or emergency signals," but later admitted this account was inaccurate after footage emerged showing the ambulances' flashing emergency lights. The IDF says several of the medics had ties to Hamas, but has not yet shared evidence to support this claim.

• Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of breaking a 24-hour Easter truce announced by Russia over the weekend. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the Russian army broke the truce "more than two thousand times," calling it a Russian "PR exercise." Meanwhile, Russian authorities claimed their forces "repelled" attacks by Ukraine during the same period. The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has been ongoing since February 2022.

• Pope Francis and U.S. Vice President JD Vance had an "exchange of opinions" during an unscheduled weekend meeting in Rome following the Pope's criticism of Trump administration immigration policy. The pair shared Easter well wishes, and Vance told the Pope he was praying for his health, referencing the pontiff's recent hospital discharge. After the meeting, Francis made a public appearance condemning recent attacks on migrants in a letter read to a crowd of tens of thousands.

• U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly shared sensitive military attack plans on Houthi rebels in a group chat that included his wife and brother, according to the New York Times. It follows a previous report that Hegseth shared similar information in a Signal chat containing top Trump administration officials and a journalist. A Pentagon spokesperson responded on X, saying: "There was no classified information in any Signal chat, no matter how many ways [the New York Times] try to write the story."

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The Supreme Court has temporarily stopped the Trump administration from deporting immigrants under the controversial Alien Enemies Act, following an emergency request from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).

The ACLU claimed the administration wasn't following a previous court order that required giving immigrants proper legal notice before deportation. It’s the latest in a series of clashes between the courts and President Trump over immigration policy.

Alien Enemies Act

The Alien Enemies Act is a rarely used law that gives the President power to detain or deport non-citizens without normal court proceedings, but only during wartime or when the US is being invaded.

In March, President Trump signed an executive order claiming these powers by declaring that a Venezuelan prison gang called Tren De Aragua represented an "invasion" of the United States.

El Salvador deportation

Shortly after invoking these powers, the administration deported nearly 300 people they claimed were gang members to El Salvador, despite a federal judge temporarily blocking these deportations.

When challenged, the Supreme Court had previously ruled the government could use the Act, but must give immigrants proper notice and allow them to challenge their deportation in court.

The current case

The current dispute involves a group of immigrants detained in Texas who were given just 24 hours' notice before their planned deportation. The ACLU argues this notice was inadequate because it didn't properly inform them of their right to a hearing and was written in English for people who primarily speak Spanish.

The immigrants were already on buses for deportation when the Supreme Court intervened at nearly 1 am, temporarily halting the process while it reviewed the case more thoroughly. The court has not yet decided whether the deportations can proceed.

Dissent

Two Supreme Court justices disagreed with stopping the deportations, with Justice Alito criticizing the decision as "hastily and prematurely granted." The ACLU welcomed the temporary block, while the White House expressed confidence that its actions are legal and appropriate.

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Chinese warehouse operators are using TikTok to sell products directly to American consumers, bypassing the recent 145% tariffs placed on Chinese exports to the US.

The videos, part of a trend known as "TikTok Warehouse," promise to deliver products from popular brands for a fraction of the usual retail price. Brands being undercut are hitting back, questioning the authenticity of the advertised products.

New tariffs

Since April, all exports from China to the U.S. have been subject to 145% tariffs, and economists warn that these will increase the retail prices of Chinese-manufactured goods significantly.

All retailers producing goods in China are affected, including low-cost platforms like Temu and Shein. Mainstream retailers forecast double-digit growth declines this quarter, with shares in Nike, Lululemon, and Under Armour seeing steep declines in April.

The new approach

Several TikTok accounts claiming to represent Chinese warehouse owners have begun appealing directly to individual consumers. Their key message is that brands and the new tariffs inflate product prices many times more than the manufacturing cost. These warehouse owners allow consumers to order tariff-free directly with them, either through shopping apps or messaging platforms.

The loophole

Thanks to a trade loophole called "de minimis," ships valued under $800 are exempt from taxes or tariffs upon entry to the U.S. Chinese sellers use this loophole to send low-value parcels without passing on taxes to consumers. President Trump has signed an executive order to close the loophole, but it remains open until May 2.

Are the products… real?

Several brands have released statements refuting claims made by warehouses. Lululemon warned consumers that they "do not work with the manufacturers identified in the online videos" and advised them to be cautious of fraud. Experts say major brands likely have non-disclosure agreements prohibiting manufacturers from publicly disclosing where their products are made.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has acknowledged that direct-to-consumer packages valued under $800 still qualify for duty-free import under the "de minimis" rule. American retailers have expressed concerns that these direct sales create unfair competition, as domestic businesses must comply with tariffs, taxes, and regulatory requirements that increase prices.

Rising popularity

While the exact number of orders placed with these accounts is unknown, DHgate, a Chinese online retailer, rose to the second position on the App Store charts, suggesting many American consumers are adopting these alternative shopping methods. Meanwhile, TikTok's parent company ByteDance continues to face other challenges, with the threat of a nationwide ban unless it divests its American operations.