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The White House rolls out “OnlyFarms,” Paapa Essiedu receives death threats over his Snape role, the Philippines faces a fuel crisis, Russia bans gasoline exports, and Iran-linked hackers breach Kash Patel’s email. Welcome to this Friday’s global headlines.
White House Launches “OnlyFarms” Initiative
The White House under President Trump just launched a new website called OnlyFarms. It is on the official WhiteHouse.gov website. The site was inspired by the popular adult website OnlyFans. The goal of the website is to promote the ways that the American government is supporting farmers and rural areas of the country. There was an event on the South Lawn that featured a giant golden tractor. Farmers from all over the country showed up to see it. The website features maps of the country that display the savings that farmers in each state will receive due to new tax rules.
The website explains the new permanent tax changes that will be made by the One Big Beautiful Bill that will help family farms avoid the death taxes that would otherwise claim them.
Farmers can write off the cost of their farming equipment when they purchase it. Additionally, there will be a 20% deduction of small business taxes for these farmers.
Lastly, farmers who sell their land to another farmer who will use it for farming can delay their capital gains taxes.
President Trump is making significant efforts to make the farming industry cheaper and stronger for all American farmers. The goal is to encourage investors to put their money into farming and agriculture to improve the lives of people in the farm states of the country. The website was launched on a Friday in late March 2026. It is part of a series of efforts by the Trump administration to highlight the successes that they are seeing in rural America.
Paapa Essiedu Faces Death Threats Over Snape Role
British Ghanaian actor Paapa Essiedu has been cast as Professor Snape in HBO’s new Harry Potter series. Fans have sent him death threats and racist messages online since the casting was announced last year. Many are complaining over the fact that white actor Alan Rickman portrayed Snape in the Harry Potter movies. Essiedu is of Black descent. The threats have had a great impact on him emotionally.
The threats started right after the announcement of his casting to the show and continued to escalate on social media.
HBO’s Casey Bloys understands the opinion that fans will have about Harry Potter but finds some of the messages scary.
The production team has increased the security on set and provided all the cast members with training on how to deal with the hatred they are receiving online.
The Harry Potter series for HBO will have ten seasons and will be released in 2027. The show allows the writers to explore the world of Harry Potter in more detail than the films portrayed. HBO has locked down the production of the show to ensure that all are safe. Essiedu has also made comments in interviews stating that people should not have to suffer abuse like this for doing their job.
Philippines Declares National Emergency Amid Fuel Shortages
The Philippines had to declare a national energy emergency due to fuel shortages and high prices. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared it on a Tuesday in late March 2026. The Philippines gets 98% of its oil from the Gulf region. Due to a war between the United States, Israel and Iran, oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have been blocked. This resulted in high oil prices for Asia. The price of both diesel and petrol more than doubled in the Philippines since the war started at the end of February.
This declaration allows the government to control the price of fuel and stop people from hoarding and profiteering in the market.
The government can speed up the import of fuel from new suppliers and power plants can switch to coal fuel in the short term.
The decree will last for one year and will establish a committee in the country to protect its energy and economy.
This will be the first time an Asian country has experienced an energy emergency due to the Iran war. The president has committed to finding new sources of oil for the country to ensure that the oil flows through its national markets. There are significant concerns regarding the price of goods in the country. However, this will allow the government to act to secure the country’s energy and economy.
Russia to Ban Gasoline Exports Starting April 1
Russia will ban all gasoline exports starting April 1. The ban will last until July 31. Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak told the energy ministry to write the order that will ban gasoline exports. This has happened before when fuel prices at home have been rising or when there have been issues at the country’s refineries. The price of oil from around the world is surging due to the war with Iran. Crude oil has passed $100 a barrel. Russia wants to ensure that its domestic gas prices do not spike due to a lack of gasoline for its own citizens and domestic economy.
The price of oil has changed drastically in the past few weeks due to turmoil in the Middle East.
Russia gains significant income from its exports, but it prioritizes its citizens’ needs when there is a lack of gasoline at home.
The price of gasoline could go up for European countries and others that depend on Russian exports.
Russia’s government quickly responded to the issues created by the Iran conflict. This is not the first time the country has limited its fuel exports for its people. The war between Iran and Russia has created significant impacts on the global economy and the prices of resources everywhere.
Iran-Linked Hackers Breach FBI Director Kash Patel’s Email, Leak Personal Data
Iran-linked hackers broke into the personal Gmail account of FBI Director Kash Patel. The hackers, known as the Handala Hack Team, posted old photos, a resume, and emails from 2011 to 2022 on their website. The personal information published includes travel plans, family pictures, and business information. There is no official FBI or government information in the leaked files. The FBI confirmed the hacking into Patel’s private email, which is not linked to his job. The Hack Team said this was just the beginning of their efforts to embarrass United States officials in the midst of the war between the United States and Iran.
The published documents are all from before Patel became director of the FBI in February 2025.
Experts believe that the hackers targeted the FBI as an act of retribution for the war between the two countries.
The FBI and the United States Department of Justice have promised steps will be taken to protect them from further hacks from the Handala Hack Team.
Kash Patel is the ninth person to serve as director of the FBI; he was appointed during the early years of the Trump administration. Not only has the hacker group targeted him, but they are also involved in other online actions resulting from the Middle East fighting. Although no classified information has been made public, the hackers have embarrassed the FBI by making it public and the hackers have displayed their Iranian ties on their website hosting the leaked files.
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That’s all, folks, for today! remember, News Roundups come out Monday through Friday.
This has been PBN. See you in the next one!