Análisis por Zachary B. Wolf, CNN

Los contrastes son notables.

Un presidente optó por la diplomacia. Barack Obama y una amplia coalición internacional negociaron un acuerdo con Irán para que archivara su programa nuclear durante una década, a pesar de las objeciones del indignado primer ministro de Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, quien acudió al Congreso en 2015 para manifestarse en contra del acuerdo y del presidente de EE.UU.

Otro presidente optó por la guerra. Donald Trump, años después de haber destrozado el acuerdo de Obama y tras sentirse frustrado por las negociaciones para un nuevo pacto nuclear, convocó a Netanyahu a la Sala de Crisis de la Casa Blanca, según un informe del New York Times. El primer ministro de Israel se sentó frente al presidente de EE.UU. y lo convenció de lanzar un ataque sorpresa contra Irán sin consultar a los aliados en Europa ni en Medio Oriente.

Sin embargo, la guerra no se desarrolló exactamente según el plan de Trump.

Estados Unidos e Israel lograron sus objetivos de debilitar las capacidades militares, navales y de misiles de Irán. Pero el material nuclear iraní aún se encuentra en el país, aunque aparentemente enterrado, y la República Islámica ha tomado el control del estrecho de Ormuz, descubriendo así una nueva herramienta de influencia sobre la economía mundial.

No obstante, independientemente de cómo termine finalmente la guerra con Irán —las conversaciones comenzarán el sábado en Islamabad, Pakistán, para intentar consolidar un frágil alto el fuego—, Trump querrá declarar que el resultado es mejor que el que logró su predecesor Obama sin ir a la guerra.

Trump rara vez habla de Irán sin criticar duramente a Obama y el acuerdo nuclear de 2015, conocido formalmente como Plan de Acción Integral Conjunto, o JCPOA.

“Lo que hizo Barack Hussein Obama, al concederles el acuerdo nuclear con Irán, les dio libertad para desarrollar un arma nuclear. Básicamente, eligió a Irán por encima de Israel y otros países que no querían que lo hiciera”, dijo Trump en una reunión de gabinete el 26 de marzo.

En una conferencia de prensa el 6 de abril, reiteró la idea de que Obama eligió a Irán en lugar de a Israel.

“Si no hubiera intervenido y cancelado el acuerdo de Obama, que era terrible, el acuerdo nuclear con Irán habría sido un camino hacia un arma nuclear”, afirmó Trump. “Una muy grande, sin límites”.

A Trump también le gusta mencionar que, al finalizar el acuerdo, Estados Unidos envió un avión cargado de dinero en efectivo — US$ 400 millones, en su mayoría francos suizos— a Irán.

En realidad, ese dinero era el reembolso de fondos iraníes congelados décadas atrás, pero coincidió con la adopción del acuerdo nuclear y la liberación de estadounidenses encarcelados en Irán, entre ellos el periodista del Washington Post, Jason Rezaian.

Ese cargamento de dinero —y los miles de millones que Irán obtuvo en activos descongelados y por la venta de petróleo mientras el JCPOA estaba vigente— podrían verse eclipsados ​​por los peajes que Irán podría exigir ahora para poner fin a la guerra.

Estos nuevos fondos podrían incluir los peajes cobrados a los barcos por transitar el estrecho de Ormuz, el dinero procedente de activos descongelados o los ingresos derivados del levantamiento de las sanciones.

El JCPOA tenía un nombre difícil de recordar y fue una co

By Lisa Eadicicco, CNN

(CNN) — Matt Shumer’s home computer setup is a little weirder than most.

He and his roommate each have a mini Apple computer in the kitchen, both devices silently toiling away in the background. All Shumer has to do is give the virtual assistant running on his Mac Mini a broad task, and it handles the rest. That includes actions that would usually require typing, clicking and scrolling, such as browsing websites and signing into accounts.

It may be strange to his friends outside of tech, but for hobbyists like himself, “you’re like, ‘Oh, of course there’s a computer using itself,’” he said.

Shumer, an AI investor and author of a viral essay on AI and jobs from February, is one of many tech enthusiasts who recently purchased a Mac mini to run the buzzy AI agent OpenClaw.

AI dabblers have been snatching up Apple’s petite silver desktop because it has all the right ingredients to run AI agents: a convenient design, processing power and a relatively affordable price at a time when memory prices are surging. Apple declined to comment for this story, but analysts told CNN Mac shipments grew last year.

The Mac mini has become a status symbol among AI tinkerers, and some analysts say the device’s growing popularity may preface a broader shift in how people use computers.

“We think we’re in this highly transformative phase for the PC industry,” said Linn Huang, an analyst for the International Data Corporation who follows the PC market. “Not only are we talking about hardware changing, we’re talking about the user experience itself vastly changing.”

An ‘OpenClaw machine’

Apple’s puck-shaped Mac mini, essentially a tiny version of a computer tower that’s meant to be connected to an external keyboard and monitor, has been around for years. The latest version was released in 2024.

But the excitement over OpenClaw, an autonomous AI agent that can operate a user’s device to accomplish tasks, has made Apple’s tiny desktop a hot commodity over the past few months.

Shipping estimates for certain configurations of the Mac mini are up to 10-12 weeks, with the earliest Apple Store pickup date in New York City in mid-July.

Shumer said an Apple Store employee even referred to the Mac mini as an
“OpenClaw machine” when he recently visited a New York City location.

It’s difficult to say whether OpenClaw has boosted Apple’s bottom line, since the tech giant doesn’t break out sales by individual product and OpenClaw only launched in November.

Still, tech market research firm Omdia estimated Mac mini shipments grew by double digits in 2025 compared to 2024. Kieren Jessop, a research manager for Omdia, described the Mac mini’s anecdotal popularity in tech circles as “real” and “durable” in an email to CNN.

Huang also said Apple’s Mac desktops sales grew more than its laptop sales in 2025.

Why the Mac mini is getting so much love right now

A Mac mini isn’t required for OpenClaw, but there are a few reasons why many prefer it.

Running AI models on a computer versus in the cloud is usually more private, since information doesn’t have to leave the device. Using a separate computer for OpenClaw is also more secure, since users can choose to preload the device only with information they want the agent to have access to.

Starting at $599, it’s also relatively affordable at a time when memory prices are soaring.

The Mac mini’s design also appeals to some OpenClaw users. The AI agent can perform tasks autonomously without constant questions or commands, so it doesn’t need

Por René Marsh, CNN

Un mensaje de Pascua con la frase “Cristo ha resucitado” enviado por la secretaria de Agricultura ha desatado una ola de rechazo dentro del departamento, provocando la indignación de algunos de sus casi 100.000 empleados y motivando la presentación de una queja formal contra la secretaria.

Los empleados de las 4.500 oficinas del departamento en todo el país recibieron el domingo un correo electrónico de la secretaria Brooke Rollins con el siguiente mensaje: “¡Feliz Pascua. Él ha resucitado verdaderamente!”.

Rollins comunicó a todo el personal del departamento que se trataba de un día para celebrar “el fundamento de nuestra fe”.

“Desde el pie de la Cruz el Viernes Santo hasta la piedra apartada de la tumba, ahora vacía, el pecado ha sido destruido. Jesús ha resucitado de entre los muertos. Y Dios nos ha concedido a cada uno de nosotros la victoria y una vida nueva”, rezaba el correo electrónico.

La queja, obtenida por CNN, fue presentada ante la Oficina del Asesor Especial (OSC, por sus siglas en inglés) por Ethan Roberts, presidente de un sindicato local de empleados federales que, a su vez, es empleado del USDA. La OSC es una agencia federal de investigación independiente que examina las denuncias de los empleados federales que alegan violaciones de leyes, normas o reglamentos.

En su queja, Roberts afirmó que el correo electrónico constituía un “sermón a favor del cristianismo” enviado a todos los empleados del USDA el día de Pascua, alegando que violaba la cláusula de establecimiento de la Primera Enmienda. Roberts añadió que el correo electrónico “socavaba la separación entre la Iglesia y el Estado”.

Roberts declaró a CNN que el correo electrónico de la secretaria, al hacer referencia al “pecado” y al “Infierno”, le hizo “sentir como si ese fuera mi destino si no consideraba la Pascua tan sagrada como lo hace la secretaria Rollins”.

La queja exige la retractación del correo electrónico de Pascua y que se ponga fin al envío de cualquier otro correo electrónico del departamento que celebre o respalde festividades religiosas.

Un portavoz del USDA declaró a CNN en un comunicado: “La secretaria está en su derecho de enviar un mensaje a los empleados y al público con motivo de la festividad de Pascua, tal como lo han hecho en el pasado otros secretarios de Agricultura y presidentes”.

Otro empleado del USDA, que solicitó el anonimato para poder hablar con libertad, comentó a CNN que se sintió molesto al recibir el correo electrónico.

“Utilizar recursos gubernamentales para promover una religión contradice lo que aprendí sobre los fundamentos de Estados Unidos, basados ​​en la separación entre la Iglesia y el Estado”, afirmó el empleado. “Aunque muchos de mis compañeros de trabajo también estaban celebrando la Pascua judía, el correo electrónico no hacía referencia a ninguna otra tradición religiosa”. La Freedom from Religion Foundation, una organización sin fines de lucro que aboga por la separación entre la Iglesia y el Estado, comunicó a CNN que recibió quejas sobre el mensaje de Pascua de Rollins por parte de casi 30 empleados del USDA, quienes expresaron su indignación y calificaron el mensaje de “inapropiado e insultante”. La organización declaró haber enviado una carta formal a la secretaria exigiéndole que deje de “promover sus creencias religiosas personales a través de comunicaciones oficiales”.

Bajo la presidencia de Donald Trump, momentos como este —poco frecuentes en administraciones recientes— se están volviendo habituales. Se ha alentado a los ciudadanos estadounidenses a dedicar una hora a la oración cada semana. Algunas agencias gubernamentales han inaugurado sus reuniones con una oración o han organizado servicios religiosos periódicos. Versículos bíblicos e imaginería cristiana aparecen ahora en las cuentas oficiales de redes sociales del gobierno.

Una serie de iniciativas d

By Tricia Escobedo, CNN

A quiet April will soon give way to a jam-packed primary season where the fight for control of the Senate will come into sharper focus. These nine contests are expected to be among the most competitive Senate races in the 2026 midterms.

Here’s what else you need to know to get up to speed and on with your day.

1⃣ Iran impacts

The lives of millions of people across the Middle East — and the fate of the global economy — will hinge on the outcome of make-or-break talks between the US and Iran this weekend in Pakistan. The fragile two-week ceasefire that paved the way for the talks is holding for now — although it isn’t giving shippers the nerve to brave the narrow Strait of Hormuz that holds the key to 20% of the world’s oil supply. Israel’s massive bombardment of Hezbollah and disagreements over whether Lebanon is included in the truce could still derail the meetings.

2⃣ Melania Trump

First lady Melania Trump blasted “lies linking me to the disgraceful Jeffrey Epstein” in extraordinary and rare remarks from the White House on Thursday, attempting to distance herself from the convicted sex offender while calling on Congress to hold public hearings allowing his victims to testify on Capitol Hill. That call for action directly undercut ongoing messaging from her husband and the West Wing, renewing attention on a topic that was fading from public discourse amid the war with Iran. President Donald Trump and his top lieutenants have sought to downplay Epstein and his victims, repeatedly and publicly stating that the country is ready to move on.

3⃣ Pentagon ruling

A federal judge has blocked the Pentagon’s latest bid to limit press access, tearing into the Department of Defense in a stinging ruling that warned “suppression of political speech is the mark of an autocracy, not a democracy.” US District Judge Paul Friedman blasted the department for attempting an end-run around his decision voiding parts of a restrictive press policy rolled out by Secretary Pete Hegseth last year, saying the Pentagon had flouted his ruling when it quickly implemented a tighter policy. The Pentagon plans to appeal the ruling, a spokesman said.

4⃣ Easter message backlash

A “Christ is Risen” Easter message sent by the secretary of agriculture has sparked backlash inside the department, angering some of its nearly 100,000 employees and prompting a formal complaint against the secretary for the religious message. “From the foot of the Cross on Good Friday to the stone rolled away from the now empty tomb, sin has been destroyed. Jesus has been raised from the dead. And God has granted each of us victory and new life,” read Secretary Brooke Rollins’ email. The complaint calls for the email’s retraction and a stop to any further department emails that celebrate or endorse religious holidays.

5⃣ Hawaii flood threat

A potent, multi-day storm is reaching its peak as it lashes Hawaii with heavy rain, renewing a major flood threat for a state that’s still recovering from devastating floods in March. Showers have been impacting the entire state over the past couple of days, but the most w

By Alex Stambaugh, CNN

(CNN) — An undocumented Haitian man has been charged with murder after repeatedly striking a woman with a hammer outside a convenience store in Florida last week, the latest immigration case thrust into the national spotlight by President Donald Trump.

Rolbert Joachin, 40, is in custody and accused by authorities of killing the woman, who has not been publicly identified, during an interaction at a gas station in Fort Myers on April 2, according to court documents.

The victim was working as a store clerk at the gas station, according to the documents. A man who knew the victim told CNN affiliate WBBH she was a member of the Bangladeshi community in Fort Myers.

In a post on Truth Social Thursday evening, Trump shared shocking surveillance footage of the killing, calling it the result of immigration policies under former President Joe Biden and reiterated inflammatory rhetoric associating immigrants with crime. Trump’s amplification of the video is the latest in a yearslong campaign to use certain killings as apparent evidence for stricter border enforcement.

“The video of her brutal slaying is one of the most vicious things you will ever see,” Trump said in his post, referring to the suspect as an “animal” and criticizing humanitarian protections previously granted for Haitians.

Gruesome video of the interaction, also shared online by the Department of Homeland Security, shows a man repeatedly hitting the hood and sides of a car parked in the gas station’s parking lot with an object – an apparent hammer – in his hand.

A woman is seen exiting the store and approaching the man, appearing to speak to him, and the man turns and walks towards her, according to the video, which is then lightly blurred due to the graphic nature of the attack.

He immediately strikes the woman in the head with the object in his right hand, forcing her to fall backwards onto the store’s sidewalk. He is then seen striking her another six times on her head and torso before walking over her body and away from the scene.

Police received calls around 7:19 a.m. notifying them that a woman had been hit with a hammer, according to court documents. When multiple officers responded to the scene, they found the woman unresponsive lying on the ground and she “was not breathing,” according to the documents.

Through the surveillance video, authorities identified the suspect, who they said had previous interactions with police, and were able to arrest him later in the day, the documents say.

He has been charged with murder, criminal mischief, and damage to property over $1,000, a third-degree felony, according to the court documents.

CNN has reached out to Joachin’s lawyers. He’s being held without bond after a hearing in Lee County court Wednesday and is scheduled to be arraigned on May 4.

A memorial has been erected outside the gas station where the woman was killed, according to WBBH. Friends and family described her as a loving mother, devoted to her faith.

“Everybody, like, right now is sad …not only me, not only my Bangladeshi community,” M.D. Islam, a member of the Bangladeshi community in Fort Myers, told WBBH. “Also, all of us people,