VOUX MAG

The war, which began on Feb. 28 when the U.S. and Israellaunched military strikesagainst Iran, has led to aglobal shortage of jet fuel. As a result, the cost of jet fuel has soared around the world; in the U.S., for instance, it has increased by nearly 70% since the start of the war, according to theArgus U.S. Jet Fuel Index.

Airlines worldwide are looking to offset the rising costs of jet fuel—one of the most expensive operating costs for carriers—by increasing costs for travelers, including baggage and ticket prices. The average airfare for an international trip from a U.S. point of origin has increased by about 37% since the war began; on April 13, it was $1,064, while it was just $776 on Feb. 23, according to the travel search engineKayak. U.S. domestic airfare has increased too, from $335 on Feb. 23 to $358 on April 13, according to Kayak.

And in addition to raising prices for passengers, some airlines have started canceling flights because of the financial strain. Here’s what you should do if your flight gets canceled.

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Contact the airline’s customer service

If you get a notification from your airline that your flight has been canceled, contact customer service right away. Once you get through, you should be able to get a refund or rebook your flight without any additional cost to you.

Consider your options

The rules regarding what an airline has to offer you if your flight is canceled differ depending on the country, so make sure you’re aware of the options available to you. For instance, in the U.S., if your airline cancels your flight and you decide not to rebook it, then the airlinehas to refundyou for the cost of your ticket.

Try to prepare as much as possible for any disruptions

So far, travelers seem to be getting notice days or weeks ahead of time if their flights are canceled because of the jet fuel crisis, so you will likely have time to prepare or rebook your travel if your flight is impacted by these disruptions. While, ultimately, there’s nothing you can do to avoid a potential flight cancellation, there are some steps you can take to put yourself in the best situation to handle any issues that might arise.

Make sure you stay up-to-date on the status of your flight; opt in to receive notifications about any changes to your trip and make sure to check the status of your flight with your airline before you leave for the airport. Travel experts also recommend booking your trip directly with your airline if you can, since that will simplify dealing with any changes that may come up as opposed to having to navigate a third-party travel site.

The case came before the justices after a tidal wave of litigation that included some multibillion-dollar verdicts against the global agrochemical manufacturer Bayer, which owns Roundup maker Monsanto.

Several justices seemed sympathetic to the company’s argument that it can’t be sued under state law because federal regulators have found Roundup likely doesn’t cause cancer. Others, though, grilled attorneys about whether that wrongly stops states from responding to changing research.

Roundup maker Monsanto is backed by the Trump administration, a legal position that's at odds with some allies inthe Make America Healthy Again movementwho want to rein in pesticide use.

On the other side is a Missouri man named John Durnell. His lawsuit said he developed a cancer called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma after more than 20 years of serving as the neighborhood association’s “spray guy,” using Roundup on parks in his historic St. Louis community.

A jury agreed that the company failed to warn him about possible cancer dangers and awarded him $1.25 million. It's one of thousands of similar cases, includingsome multibillion-dollardamage awards.

There's still fierce debate about cancer and Roundup’s key ingredient, glyphosate. The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer classified the chemical as “probably carcinogenic" in 2015, but the Environmental Protection Agency has determined that it'snot likely to be carcinogenicto humans when used as directed.

The agency approved a label without a cancer warning, and Bayer argues that it's required to follow those federal standards — not the state laws that Durnell and others have sued under.

Durnell's lawyers, on the other hand, say that federal law doesn't stop Bayer from putting a fuller warning on its products under state law.

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Bayer disputes the cancer claims but has set aside $16 billion to settle cases, andproposed a major settlementearlier this year. At the same time, it has tried to persuade states to pass laws barring new cases, anda few have agreed.

The company has faced more than 100,000 Roundup claims, mostly from home users. It has stopped using glyphosate in Roundup sold in the U.S. residential lawn and garden market. The company has said it might have to consider pulling glyphosate from U.S. agricultural markets if the lawsuits persist.

Farmers with the Modern Ag Alliance, a group founded by Bayer, said they're worried that could hurt the agricultural industry at time when it's already under pressure.

Environmental groups say Bayer wants to keep juries out of the lawsuits because of its state court losses.

Pesticides have created a rift between the administration and members of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's MAHA movement, who were also frustrated with an executive order aimed at boosting glyphosate’s production.

Kennedy himself has said repeatedly that glyphosate causes cancer, even as he says he recognizes the executive order was necessary for food supply and national security reasons.

Dozens of MAHA activists and supporters on Monday gathered outside the Supreme Court for what they called a “People vs. Poison” rally to decry Monsanto’s efforts to shield itself from lawsuits.

The Supreme Court is expected to decide the case by the end of June.

Associated Press writer Ali Swenson in New York contributed to this report.

The emerging political fracture is already jeopardizing a critical piece of legislation that farmers across the country are awaiting. And it could have larger consequences for the GOP's control of Congress.

The evolving dynamic was on full displayoutside the Supreme Court on April 27, when a group of activists protested a case about shielding pesticide companies from cancer lawsuits. The justices appeared divided over whether Bayer, the manufacturer of the weedkiller Roundup, should be protected from billions of dollars in potential liability. The Trump administration has backed Bayer in court, yielding pushback from notable MAHA figures.

Protestors gather outside the Supreme Court as the Justices hearing arguments in Monsanto Company v. Durnell, on April 27, 2026, in Washington, DC. The Supreme Court will decide whether to block thousands of lawsuits alleging Monsanto failed to warn people that its popular weedkiller could cause cancer.

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Protesters rally outside Supreme Court amid Monsanto weedkiller case

Read more:Supreme Court divided on Roundup cancer lawsuits

As activists rallied on the steps of the court, their debates mirrored ones that Republicans in Congress have been having for weeks on virtually the same issue. Rural lawmakers have been actively pushing to include a pro-pesticide provision in the upcoming farm bill. However, their more MAHA-oriented colleagues want no part of such an effort. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-South Carolina, even introduced an amendment to strip what she calls the "pesticide loophole" from the legislation.

"South Carolina farmers, families, and communities deserve better," sheposted on social media.

Republican Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Anna Paulina Luna of Florida and Chip Roy of Texas are among the other conservatives who are openly at odds with some of their other GOP colleagues. Luna said the farm bill "must be stopped."

"I think big ag needs to be body-checked," said Roy, who stressed the importance of warning labels for potential carcinogens and noted a cancer survivor himself. "That labeling issue is very real."

Several MAHA organizers told USA TODAY they've been discouraged with the state of their movement in a Republican-led Washington. Nora Kemmerer, a health care worker from northern Virginia who was donning a red MAHA hat, wouldn't commit to voting for GOP candidates in November.

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"We'll see what happens," she said. "I don't know how I'm voting as of right now . . . I'm frustrated."

MAHA vs. pesticide companies

It's not the first time an effort to shield pesticide companies from liability has quietly shown up in important legislation this year.

The same contentious provision drew outrage in January,when it nearly derailed a government funding bill. Ultimately, opposition from MAHA activists killed it – until a few months later, when it was included in the farm bill.

Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pennsylvania, the chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, has said new investment in American agriculture is overdue. During a congressional hearing on April 27, he insisted the controversial section of the bill wasn't a "liability shield."

"The language that we have basically addresses what our farmers need," he said, insisting that it struck the right balance between consumer protections and agricultural reforms.

Thompson's comments defending the provision prompted fierce criticism from across the aisle, including from Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Massachusetts.

"Big companies want this desperately," McGovern said.

Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:A MAHA mutiny could reshape the farm bill – and the midterm elections

NEED TO KNOW

• Prince’s unmatched talent and work ethic left a lasting impression on Jimmy Jam, shaping his musical career

• Prince died on April 21, 2016

Jimmy Jam still looks back on his memories alongsidePrincewith fondness, 10 yearsafter the music icon's death.

When talking to PEOPLE at the Hollywood premiere ofMichaelon April 20, the songwriter and producer says “there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about him or think about what he would do in a certain situation.”

The 66-year-old notes that he met the late rock star in junior high and they took a piano class together.

“We both already knew how to play. And I remember at the end of the semester they said, ‘Hey, we're going to put a band together for a play. Who wants to be in the band?’ And we both raised our hands," he recalls. "And they said, ‘Jimmy, what do you want to play?’ And I said, ‘Drums.' And he looked at me like, ‘Drums?’ They said, 'Prince, what do you want to play?' And he said, ‘Guitar.’ And I looked at him like, ‘Guitar?’ "

During practice one day, however, Jimmy Jam went to use the bathroom, only to overhear someone else take over his instrument.

“I'm thinking it's [the] drum teacher," he says. "It's Prince on the drums."

"So literally at 13 years old, I'm watching this wunderkind. It's just like nothing I'd ever seen before,” the producer adds.

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Jimmy Jam notes that Prince, whodied at the age of 57on April 21, 2016, could “play every instrument and do everything.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE'sfree daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

As the pair got older, they continued collaborating, and when Prince rose to fame, he assembled The Time, a protege group under his Warner Bros. contract that consisted of Jimmy Jam, Morris Day, Jesse Johnson, Terry Lewis, Monte Moir and Jellybean Johnson. The group served as Prince's opening act in the early 1980s.

“When we got a chance to get signed as The Time, which Prince made happen, and go and tour with him, it was every musical education that we needed, but really, it was about the work ethic," Jimmy Jam shares. "Nobody outworked Prince. He'd rehearse us for 12 hours. He'd rehearse his band for 6 hours. He'd go to the studio all night. And something about that work ethic was amazing."

Even after Jimmy Jam and Lewis were fired from The Time in 1983, they went on to have prominent careers in music — and Jimmy Jam doesn't look back with any animosity.

“Prince was the one that fired us from The Time, but as my partner says, ‘He freed us,'" Jimmy Jam shares.

“He was the person that gave us our opportunity twice. He gave us our opportunity by bringing us into the fold, and he gave us our opportunity by letting us fly and separating us from the fold. And so I thank him to this day."

Read the original article onPeople

With the significant rise of NIL packages offered to collegiate players to play another season with their college team or use the transfer portal, the basketball world has never seen such little financial incentive to turn pro. In many cases, top men's basketball players can actually collect more annual money at their university than they would have in the first year of their rookie scale contract.

Prospects have until 11:59 p.m. ET on April 24 todeclare as early entry candidatesfor the2026 NBA Draft. Those players can remain as draft candidates 11:59 p.m. ET on May 27 if they want to maintain their collegiate eligibility.

It is not uncommon for players to "test the waters" and go through the draft process and attend the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, then decide to go back to school.

AJ DYBANTSA DECLARES FOR NBA DRAFT:How does he project at the next level?

Who's the NBA's GOAT? 30 players who have the best claim

Notable players who have already declared for the draft but may still return to their college team next season include Morez Johnson Jr. (Michigan), Ebuka Okorie (Stanford) and Meleek Thomas (Arkansas). Some who have declared (e.g. Allen Graves, Flory Bidunga, Tounde Yessoufou, Milan Momcilovic and Juke Harris) also entered the transfer portal and a few have already committed to new schools.

This year, more than ever, several notable players announced they will not even go through the pre-draft process.

Thomas Haugh (Florida), Braylon Mullins (UConn) and Patrick Ngongba II (Duke) are among those who were widely considered potential first-round picks but opted to not enter the pre-draft process. Others, including Pryce Sandfort (Nebraska), Alex Condon (Florida), Joseph Tugler (Houston) and David Mirković (Illinois), made the same decision.

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Haugh is reportedly expected to earn what he would have made in his first two NBA seasons combined at Florida next season,according to The Athletic.

Some have argued thatNIL is bad for the NBA, but in many cases, the opposite is true. NIL is mutually beneficial for both the NCAA and the NBA at large.

NBA DRAFT:How the order was impacted by league's tiebreaking process

For college basketball, top players returning can help teams compose the most talented rosters available and keep the product as interesting as possible for fans with old faces at either familiar or new places. Players can build their brands and create a legacy while improving their draft stock in the process.

In the NBA, meanwhile, professional teams can reserve roster spots only for the most ready-to-contribute players. Rather than drafting young players with the hope to develop them over the years, they can use the spots at the end of their bench for veterans who do not need that same on-ramp in the pros.

Ideally, these players can become known quantities while in college rather than alluring but risky mystery boxes for the next level. Now that players can hire agents, it is often even more financially lucrative for their clients to stay in school as well.

College basketball provides players from around the world a chance to get mentally and physically ready as they mature, rather than rush, to reach their dreams of playing in the NBA. Big name players staying in the NCAA is mutually beneficial for everyone involved.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Top college basketball products return to NCAA. Why it's good for NBA