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Inspiring Solution of the Week: This Baltimore Program Shows How to Fight Generational Poverty (Washington Post)

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Like many major cities, Baltimore is a case study in how poverty and educational inequities directly translate into health disparities.

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The neighborhoods with the lowest income and education are also the ones that top the charts for infant mortality, homicide and overdose deaths, writes columnist and former Baltimore health commissioner Leana S. Wen.

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Those disparities only reinforce social determinants, creating a self-perpetuating cycle that can overwhelm those who try to tackle systemic problems.

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What's a promising solution to the vexing problem of generational poverty?

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HeartSmiles, founded by the dynamic and inspirational Baltimore native Joni Holifield, is making major strides. It's all about providing youth from underserved communities with real opportunities to succeed in life.

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Too many forgotten neighborhoods are over-run with drug addiction, crime, prostitution and low expectations for life. HeartSmiles provides hope for youth who want to rise above their circumstances, and they provide caring mentorship, leadership skill building, access to internships, careers and more.

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Last year, HeartSmiles served about 1,500 young people in Baltimore and surrounding areas. Participants had a 100 percent graduation rate for high school seniors in 2024, significantly higher than the city's 70 percent average, Wen writes.

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Take it from me: It's an incredible program providing real hope to communities that most need it. And it's all thanks to Joni's vision and the hard work of the entire team at HeartSmiles.

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Here at Bloomberg, we've been a proud supporter since 2019 of Joni's work at HeartSmiles which is having a real impact on so many lives. In 2018, she gave a presentation on her work with Baltimore youth at the first Bloomberg American Health Initiative alongside Dr. Joshua Sharfstein and Tamar Mendelson, both from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Learn more about HeartSmiles and how you can help here.  And read the full article at this gift link or on the terminal here.

Here's Joni with the Bloomberg team over the years, including Mike, Nanette Smith and more.  

Climate Consequences.

Snowmelt Triggers Glacier Collapse: Swiss Village Swept Away in "Worst-Case Scenario" (Bloomberg)

A week after 300 people were evacuated, a Swiss glacier collapsed, showering rock, mud, and ice upon Blatten, burying 90 percent of the Alpine village. 

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The army has been deployed to help with recovery efforts. A 64-year-old resident who was believed to have been in the area at the time of the collapse is still missing.

Scientists have long warned that a warming planet is making such events more likely. The Alps have warmed about 2C since the pre-industrial period, with many glaciers losing half their mass since 1900.

The world is currently on track to overshoot the critical warming threshold of 1.5C, with some estimates pointing to an average temperature rise of twice that by the end of the century. Exceeding 1.5C of warming will have irreversible consequences for glacier mass, scientists warned in a recent study, underscoring the need to slash greenhouse gas emissions.

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Below:  An aerial view shows the destruction of Blatten, Switzerland, Thursday, May 29, 2025, one day after a massive debris avalanche, triggered by the collapse of the Birch Glacier, swept down to the valley floor and demolished large parts of the village. Photographer: Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone/AP Photo

What I'm Reading.

Markets Turn Gloomier:  US Stock Futures Slide as Tariff Concerns Sap Confidence (Bloomberg)

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US stock futures slid as Donald Trump’s administration insisted it has multiple alternatives to push through his import tariffs, and an appeals court temporarily paused a suspension of the levies. A stopgap plan being considered may impose tariffs as high as 15% for 150 days, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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How to Fight a Bully: Trump's Attacks on Law Firms Are Losing Big in Court (Axios)
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Only a few law firms chose to fight President Trump's threats in court — but those decisions are paying off.

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A federal judge Wednesday blocked Trump's executive order targeting the firm WilmerHale over its relationship with former Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

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Trump is now 0-3 in suits involving the handful of firms that opted to defend themselves in court after Trump targeted them with executive orders that threatened to cripple their businesses. Judges previously ruled against Trump's efforts to punish Perkins Coie and Jenner & Block for their past work, and a fourth case is still awaiting a ruling.

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Among the major law firms that capitulated, Paul, Weiss lost four of its most powerful senior partners last week who now plan to start their own firm.

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Harvard Update: Judge Expands Block on Trump's Bid to Boot Foreign Students (Bloomberg)

Do What I Say: Harvard Fight Makes Trump Doctrine Plain: Obey (New York Times)
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In President Trump’s telling from the Oval Office on Wednesday, Harvard University has no one but itself to blame for his administration’s swift suffocation of its federal funding.

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The “last thing” he wants to do is harm the storied jewel of American higher education, he said. But he had no choice. The university was fighting back.

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In the president’s view, there is only one right way for the universities to respond. That’s the approach taken by Columbia University, which has been more willing to agree to some of the government’s demands.

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While Columbia is no longer on “the hot seat,” Mr. Trump said on Wednesday, “Harvard wants to fight, they want to show how smart they are, and they’re getting their ass kicked.”

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Silencing the Airwaves: Trump Administration Terminates Nearly 600 Voice of America Employees (Politico)

Nearly 600 contractors for the government-funded but editorially independent Voice of America received termination notices Thursday from its parent company, U.S. Agency for Global Media.

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Voice of America was founded more than 80 years ago to battle disinformation from Nazi Germany and the other Axis powers during World War II. Republicans have long decried VOA as holding anti-Trump bias. 

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Over 50 people affected by the layoffs are J-1 visa-holders and will likely be forced to leave the country within 30 days of their contracts’ May 30 termination. Those people face an uncertain return to their home countries, where they face possible arrest or worse because of their reporting for VOA.
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Fresh Air: France to Ban Smoking Outdoors in Most Places (France 24)

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The restrictions begin July 1 and will include all places where children could be, such as beaches, parks, public gardens, outside of schools, bus stops and sports venues. Some 75,000 people are estimated to die from tobacco-related complications each year in France.  Violators of the new rules could be fined up to 135 Euros ($154).

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Let's Go Knicks! Brunson, Towns Keep New York Alive to Force Game 6 Against Indiana Pacers (ESPN)

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Game 6 of the Knicks-Pacers will be in Indianapolis on Saturday. The winner of the Knicks-Pacers series will face off with Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA finals.

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Don't Miss Today's Daily Read Podcast! Click here to listen to today's AI-generated edition of the Daily Read Podcast. Be sure to 'Follow' the Sheekey Daily Read podcast on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to be the first to know when the latest episodes are available.

Weekend Guide.

French Open Tennis at Roland-Garros (TNT, Max and TruTV)

Sliding is bliss on the terre battue. We're already into the third round of tennis' greatest clay court tournament. Follow all the action on multiple platforms and see if Carlos Alcaraz and Iga Świątek can defend their titles.
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Sirens (Netflix)

Julianne Moore stars in this drama where a scrappy everywoman seeks answers about her sister's too-close relationship with her boss at a lavish seaside estate. Filmed in Lloyd Harbor on the North Fork of Long Island, the estate is meant to look like it's further north in New England.

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Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning (In Theaters)

Every choice, every mission has all led to this sendoff for Ethan Hunt, played by Tom Cruise. Watch the trailer here.

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Starting Today!  'Bono: Stories of Surrender' (Apple TV+)

Don't miss this documentary on the legendary Bono, where he pulls back the curtain on a remarkable life in a vivid reimagining that shows the son, father, husband, activist and rock star as never before.  It screened at the Cannes film festival and is on Apple TV+ starting today.  Have a VisionPro?  It's also available on Apple Immersive.

Best of Late Night.

On Donald Trump pardoning reality TV stars, Todd and Julie Chrisley:
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"This is a real married couple who had a show called 'Chrisley Knows Best' until a jury in Georgia found them guilty of conspiring to defraud community banks out of more than $30 million in fraudulent loans. That happens to be an issue that is very dear to President Trump. He has a soft spot in his heart for fraud."

-- Jimmy Kimmel‌

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On JD Vance headlining a fundraiser in Las Vegas:

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"Tickets were a million dollars a pop. Imagine you have one night out in Vegas. That's what you go see?"

-- Jimmy Kimmel
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"JD was at the big Vegas Bitcoin conference. Speakers included JD, Vivek Ramaswamy, the Winklevoss twins, Eric Trump, and Don, Jr. Basically the guys you would expect to be lined up to greet you when you got to hell."

-- Jimmy Kimmel

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"Trump's media company announced they are planning to raise $2.5 billion to invest in Bitcoin. $2.5 billion! That is a lot of Bitcoin — or maybe it isn't. Nobody has any idea how much Bitcoin that is. Trump has been known to drop a lot of money on things he doesn't understand. Bitcoin, casinos, Melania, all of it."

-- Jimmy Kimmel