# Morning Briefing

Monday, April 20, 2026
📰 Top Stories

## US Seizes Iranian Cargo Ship in Strait of Hormuz

NPR · AP News · Reuters
US forces seized an Iranian-flagged vessel, leading to vows of a swift response from Tehran and sparking concerns over global oil prices.
geopolitics iran trade

## Vercel Confirms Security Incident

The Register · Hacker News
Vercel warns of customer credential compromises; the breach is linked to an "agentic OAuth tangle" involving Context.ai.
security vercel oauth

## Trump Tariff Refunds Launch Today

AP News · NPR
An online government portal has launched allowing businesses to claim refunds for tariffs that were declared unconstitutional.
economy policy tariffs
💻 Tech

## The HEVC Licensing Mess

Ars Technica
A deep dive into why HEVC support is often killed or complicated by licensing fees and royalties.
video licensing hardware

## UK AI Datacenters Migrate from London

The Register
Power shortages and planning constraints are pushing AI infrastructure away from the capital toward regions with better grid access.
AI infrastructure energy

## EU Forces Replaceable Batteries by 2027

Hacker News · The Olive Press
New EU regulations will mandate that all phones and tablets sold in the region have user-replaceable batteries starting in 2027.
right-to-repair EU hardware
🌍 Wider Lens

## 3D Scanning the Sonoran Desert

NPR News
An art exhibit in Phoenix uses high-resolution 3D scans of saguaro cacti to help protect the environment.
environment conservation art

## Netflix's AI Deal Risks VFX Jobs

Rest of World
Netflix's acquisition of Interpositive could automate frame-by-frame VFX work, threatening artists in India and South Korea.
AI labor vfx
🔥 HN Deep Reads

## GitHub's Fake Star Economy

Hacker News
An investigation into how "fake stars" are bought and sold to manipulate project perceived popularity.
open-source social-engineering

## Stop Engineering Your Way Out of Listening

Hacker News
A critique of the tendency to solve interpersonal communication problems with tools and systems rather than actual listening.
philosophy communication
🎮 Gaming

## Pragmata Hits 1M Sales in 2 Days

PC Gamer · Eurogamer
After four years of delays, Capcom's ambitious title has finally launched to strong commercial success.
Capcom releases

## Sekiro Jet Set Radio Mod

Eurogamer
Modders have added skateboarding and graffiti to FromSoft's ninja classic, blending two very different vibes.
modding FromSoft
⚖️ Bias Check

## Louisiana School Shooting

Ground News · 460 sources
Covered by 460 sources (Left: 25%, Center: 54%, Right: 20%). Broad consensus on the tragedy, with divergent framing on systemic causes.
bias-check domestic-news

## US Seizure of Iranian Ship

Ground News · 272 sources
Covered by 272 sources (Left: 26%, Center: 39%, Right: 34%). Right-leaning outlets emphasize security/deterrence, while left-leaning ones highlight escalation risks.
bias-check geopolitics