Apple Succession, Missing Scientists, & Free Coffee

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
April 21, 2026

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Apple announced Yesterday that Tim Cook will step down as CEO on September 1, with John Ternus, the company's hardware engineering chief, named as his successor. Cook will become executive chairman. It is Apple's first CEO transition since Cook succeeded Steve Jobs in 2011, shortly before Jobs' death.
Under Cook's 14-year tenure, Apple's market cap grew more than 20-fold to $4 trillion, and revenue nearly quadrupled to over $400 billion. Cook joined Apple in 1998 when the company was near bankruptcy and rebuilt its supply chain into one of the most efficient in the world.
Ternus, a mechanical engineer who has spent half his life at Apple, inherits a company facing real headwinds. His most immediate test is delivering the foldable iPhone, described as the most significant overhaul in the product's history. Apple has also lagged behind its peers on AI and delayed a Siri upgrade.

The White House is investigating a series of deaths and disappearances involving US researchers tied to advanced fields like nuclear and aerospace work, after the issue was raised publicly by reporters.
The cases span at least 10 individuals since 2023, including a retired Air Force general who vanished in New Mexico after leaving personal items behind, and a NASA-linked engineer who disappeared while hiking in California. Others were found dead, in some cases after violent attacks, fueling speculation about a broader pattern.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said she would consult relevant agencies, while Donald Trump called the situation “serious” but expressed hope the cases are unrelated. Authorities have not confirmed any link.

Singer D4vd, whose legal name is David Burke, was charged yesterday with first-degree murder in the death of 14-year-old Celeste Rivas Hernandez. Her dismembered body was found in cadaver bags inside his abandoned Tesla in September. The 21-year-old faces special circumstances charges — lying in wait, financial gain, and murdering a witness — that could carry the death penalty.
Rivas Hernandez was last heard from on April 23, 2025, when she went to D4vd's Hollywood Hills home. She was never seen again. Her body was found on September 8, the day after what would have been her 15th birthday.
He continued touring after the body was discovered, canceling shows only when reports of his involvement spread. His lawyers maintain he is innocent. D4vd went viral on TikTok in 2022 with "Romantic Homicide" before signing with Interscope Records.

Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer resigned, becoming the third Trump Cabinet member to leave this term, amid an inspector general probe into potential misconduct at her department. (More)

The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case over whether Colorado can bar Catholic preschools from its state-funded program for refusing to admit children of same-sex parents. (More)

FBI Director Kash Patel sued The Atlantic Monday for $250 million, calling a recent story about his alleged heavy drinking and frequent absences from headquarters false and defamatory. (More)

A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off northern Japan Monday, triggering a brief tsunami warning and raising official estimates of a major follow-on quake to ten times the normal probability. (More)

Canadian PM Mark Carney said Canada's deep economic ties to the U.S. have become a liability and pledged to diversify trade and attract new investment from other countries. (More)

Paraguay now offers permanent residency to foreigners who invest at least $150,000, dropping a previous rule that required creating five jobs. (More)

US stock markets closed lower on Monday (S&P -0.24%, Nasdaq -0.26%, Dow -0.01%) after tensions between the US and Iran rose over the weekend. (More)

Jersey Mike's, the second-largest sandwich chain in the US, filed confidentially for an IPO, more than a year after private equity firm Blackstone bought a majority stake, valuing it at $8 billion. (More)

American Airlines stock fell more than 4% Monday after the company publicly rejected merger talks with United Airlines. (More)

San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama won NBA Defensive Player of the Year in a unanimous vote, becoming the award's youngest winner at 22. (More)

Kenya's John Korir and Sharon Lokedi each won their respective Boston Marathon races Monday, with Korir setting a men's course record of 2:01:52 that had stood since 2011. (More)

Actor Patrick Muldoon, known for Starship Troopers, Days of Our Lives, and Melrose Place, died Sunday of a heart attack at his Beverly Hills home. He was 57. (More)

A new study found that gut bacteria patterns can reveal elevated Parkinson's risk before symptoms appear, potentially enabling early detection and prevention through dietary changes or medication. (More)

Scientists found a broad, flat geological shelf across Mars's northern lowlands that closely resembles Earth's continental shelves, offering the strongest evidence yet of an ancient ocean. (More)

Blue Origin launched its New Glenn rocket and landed its booster, but a navigation error left a communications satellite in an orbit too low to operate, and it will burn up on reentry. (More)

A look into the world of competitive rock, paper, scissors.

Watch an astronaut’s iPhone video of Earth setting behind the moon.

…and watch why kids need to take more risks.

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