By Lisa Courbebaisse and Elina Baudier Kim, CNN

Paris (CNN) — Anyone visiting Paris just over a decade ago would doubtless have been charmed by the city’s timeless attractions — brasseries serving delicious food, museums crammed with famous works of art, boulevards of chic stores — all overlooked by the sparkling lights of the Eiffel Tower.

But despite being home to one of Europe’s busiest metro systems, they would’ve found Paris still very much ruled by la voiture. Back then, the French capital’s central road networks crawled with automobiles. Pedestrians were squeezed onto narrow sidewalks and, on the terraces of the city’s cafés, customers were served exhaust fumes with their coffee and croissant.

Today, Paris is different. Tourists stroll more freely than ever on pedestrianized streets, breathing cleaner air. For those wanting to get around by bike, there are hundreds of miles of cycle lanes to transport them safely across town.

Much of this is down to one woman: Anne Hidalgo, a Spanish immigrant who rose to become the city’s first female mayor, and one of its most dynamic in modern times. She’s now one of Paris’ most globally recognizable leaders, particularly following her symbolic swim in the Seine during the 2024 Olympics, highlighting her years-long campaign to clean up the once-dirty river.

But while tourists may have cause to thank Hidalgo as she bows out of office this month after 12 transformative years, many Parisians are disssatisfied about the state she has left their city in.

Reclaiming the streets

Beyond the pedestrianized streets and bike lanes, the familiar cacophony of drivers honking their frustration is, if anything, louder than ever — as are the grumbles from those who rely on buses now snarled in endless jams.

“Boulevard des Batignolles is constantly jammed,” remarks 73-year-old Katherine, who has experienced decades of life on the wide Parisian thoroughfare during her time as a resident of the surrounding 9th district. “Sometimes seven buses get stuck in a row!”

Addressing gridlocked traffic and getting citizens walking was one of the priorities for Hidalgo, a member of France’s Socialist Party, when she was elected mayor in 2014. Her administration removed parking spaces and banned cars from entire streets and plazas. The number of cars in the city has been drastically reduced.

This has gone down well with many of the millions of tourists who visit Paris each year. “Making it walkable is definitely number one for me” said Leon Crawford, a 23-year-old structural engineer visiting from Virginia with his girlfriend.

“That’s something I appreciate being able to do. The fact that we’re able to come here for a vacation and not have to worry about renting a car.”

Hidalgo’s pedestrianization drive gained some local support from parents, particularly a “Rues aux Ecoles” or “Streets for Schools” campaign that permanently blocked traffic on 100 streets around public schools.

“In a very concrete-heavy neighborhood with few parks, we’ve gained extra outdoor space for kids, or adults,” says Théophile Chamard, a father of three whose home overlooks Rue de la Bienfaisance, where motorized transport has been deprioritized. “The street is an extra soccer field.”

His son, six-year-old Balthazar Chamard, agreed: “It’s so great, because there’s less smoke without the cars.”

Paris has won international praise for its efforts to curb the automobile. The Washington-based Urban Institute cited the city as a model for urban planning and pedest

Por Steve Contorno y Marshall Cohen, CNN

Con sus casinos de Atlantic City en crisis durante la década de 1990, Donald Trump vio una posible salvación en las apuestas deportivas e hizo campaña agresivamente para legalizarlas en Nueva Jersey.

Pero cuando los influyentes políticos estatales le cerraron el paso, Trump prometió que tarde o temprano encontraría la manera de ganar.

“Algunas personas se rinden con mucha facilidad”, declaró Trump al New York Times tras la decisiva derrota de 1993. “Pero yo nunca he sido una de esas personas”.

Más de tres décadas después, y ya fuera del negocio de los casinos, la familia Trump ha encontrado una nueva vía para obtener beneficios de las apuestas deportivas: los mercados de predicción, una industria de rápido crecimiento donde la gente puede apostar a casi cualquier cosa.

Trump Media and Technology Group, la principal fuente de riqueza del presidente desde su salida a bolsa en 2024, ha anunciado planes para lanzar su propia plataforma de predicción basada en criptomonedas, llamada Truth Predict.

Además, el hijo mayor del presidente, Donald Trump Jr., es asesor de las dos mayores empresas de mercados de predicción, Kalshi y Polymarket, y es inversor en esta última.

A diferencia de los primeros intentos de Trump por ofrecer apuestas deportivas en Nueva Jersey, cuando necesitó la ayuda de legisladores y reguladores hostiles, ahora su propia administración presidencial y los funcionarios que él mismo designó están redactando las reglas para la incipiente industria del mercado de predicciones.

La Comisión de Comercio de Futuros de Productos Básicos y su comisionado designado por Trump están tratando de proteger estos mercados incipientes de las leyes estatales que regulan o prohíben las apuestas deportivas, porque están legalmente estructurados como contratos de eventos, que se regulan de manera diferente a los juegos de azar.

Dado que las acciones de la CFTC podrían beneficiar a la empresa del presidente, los posibles conflictos de intereses ya han atraído la atención de los organismos de control ético.

Esta dinámica también enfrenta a la administración Trump y a su familia con la industria de los casinos, la misma que contribuyó a que se hiciera famoso y que, según los informes de financiación de campañas, ha generado un grupo de magnates que han aportado más de US$ 200 millones para apoyar sus ambiciones políticas durante la última década.

Los operadores de casinos han observado con creciente preocupación cómo las apuestas deportivas en los mercados de predicción han proliferado, mermando sus negocios de maneras que, según afirman, son ilegales.

“Él defendió las apuestas deportivas en una época en la que no existían”, declaró el exgobernador de Nueva Jersey, Chris Christie, quien ahora es cabildero de la industria del juego y los casinos. “Lo que está haciendo ahora es arruinar algo que ha funcionado extraordinariamente bien”.

Una persona cercana a la industria del juego, que pidió permanecer en el anonimato debido al poder que ejerce la administración Trump sobre su negocio, reconoció que la participación de la familia Trump en los mercados de predicción es un factor crucial en la política de este asunto.

Los operadores de casinos ven pocas posibilidades de influir en la administración, y los republicanos en Washington se muestran reacios a intervenir en una disputa que podría perjudicar los negocios de la familia Trump.

“Es el elefante en la habitación”, comentó la persona.

En una declaración a CNN en respuesta a estas preocupaciones, el portavoz de la Casa Blanca, Davis Ingle, m

By Jeanne Sahadi, CNN

(CNN) — The much-touted new tax breaks for tips, overtime, seniors and car loan interest have a lot of income tax filers expecting a big bump in their refunds this year – or a big cut in their tax bill.

That certainly may be the result for some people. But for others, the new deductions may offer a smaller-than-expected break. Or none.

Why? Complicated details and eligibility rules reduce the relief taxpayers may have assumed they’ll get given the misleading promotion of the new tax breaks as “no tax on … .” And that same misleading language is repeated on Schedule 1-A, the form you must fill out to claim the breaks.

So, temper your expectations: There will be no 100% tax-free anything.

These breaks are deductions, which reduce the tax you owe by a percentage of the deductible amount. And that percentage will be the same as your tax bracket. If you’re in the 12% bracket, you will reduce your federal income tax bill (or boost your refund) by $12 for every $100 in deductions. If you’re in the 22% bracket, it’s $22.

What’s more, there are income limitations on who may claim the deductions, limits on what constitute “qualified” tips, overtime and car loan interest, and a limit on how much you may deduct.

Here are details on key limitations for each of the four deductions.

Tips deduction

How much may filers deduct? Up to $25,000 of “qualified” tips – even if you and your spouse both earn tips. “It’s not a per spouse limit,” the IRS notes in its 1040 instructions.

What are “qualified” tips, exactly? Per the IRS, they are “tips that you received from customers or, as an employee, through a tip-sharing arrangement in an occupation that customarily and regularly received tips on or before December 31, 2024.”

Also, they have to be “voluntary” tips – meaning customers decide whether and how much to tip you. So, if you’re a waiter at a restaurant that includes an 18% automatic gratuity for large tables, that is not deductible.

If you’re self-employed, you may only deduct the qualified tips that don’t exceed your gross business income minus all your business deductions (except for the tips one). So, those include “the deductible part of self-employment tax; the deduction for contributions to self-employed SEP, SIMPLE, and qualified plans; and the self-employed health insurance deduction,” according to the IRS.

Am I eligible? Yes, if you meet the following criteria:

• Your modified adjusted gross income was $150,000 or less in 2025 ($300,000 if married). You will get a partial deduction if your MAGI was above those thresholds. But the deduction is disallowed if your MAGI was $400,000 or more ($550,000 or more if married).*
• You earned your tips in one of these industries.
• You have a valid Social Security number.
• You file a joint return if married.

Overtime deduction

How much may filers deduct? “Up to $12,500 ($25,000 if married filing jointly) of your qualified overtime compensation,” per the IRS. “Qualified” overtime refers to the portion of your pay that is above your standard wage. So if you’re paid time and a half, only the “half” portion is deductible.

Am I eligible? Yes, if you meet the following criteria:

• Your MAGI was $150,000 or less in 2025 ($300,000 if married). You will get a partial deduction if your MAGI was above those thresholds. But the deduction is disallowed i

By Maureen O’Hare, CNN

(CNN) — The world’s happiest countries for 2026, what travelers can expect in terms of rising air fares, plus United Airlines cracks down on noisy passengers. Here’s what’s happening in Travel.

Noise annoys

Here’s a teensy bit of positive news in what’s been a dark and difficult month: United Airlines has updated its contract of carriage to stipulate that “passengers who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content” can be refused travel or removed from the aircraft.

There were more than 1,600 incidents of unruly passenger behavior on US flights last year, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. While that’s down from a record high of 5,973 in 2021, it’s still a lot more disorderly conduct than pre-pandemic levels.

Public noise nuisance caused by people not bothering to use headphones might not rise to the level of a federal offense, but it’s something nearly all of us have encountered more often in recent years.

United’s decision to formally call it out as unacceptable might seem a small thing, but it’s a nod towards courtesy and consideration for our neighbors. That’s something we all could do with more of.

World’s happiest countries

Speaking of which, social support and generosity are two of the six variables researchers look at to help explain the rankings in the annual World Happiness Report, released this week. The others are GDP per capita, life expectancy and perceptions of freedom and corruption.

Finland was crowned the happiest country in the world for a record ninth time in a row, with Finns reporting an average score of 7.764 to evaluate their life satisfaction, on a scale of 0 to 10.

By comparison, the US is in 23rd place, with respondents from the States giving themselves a life evaluation rating of 6.816 on average.

Nordic countries triumphed overall in the happiness stakes, with Iceland at No. 2, Denmark at No. 3 and Sweden and Norway in fifth and sixth places respectively.

See how other countries did here.

Aviation chaos

A partial government shutdown in the US has meant Transportation Security Administration workers missed their first full paychecks last week.

The situation has employees at their breaking point, with many not showing up to work. US air travelers have been facing hours-long lines at security checkpoints, just as the spring break travel season intensifies.

CNN is tracking TSA security wait times at 16 major airports across the United States, including those in Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Dallas-Fort Worth and Denver. Check your local airport here.

Globally, ticket prices for flyers have increased dramatically because the war with Iran is driving up fuel costs. In this video, CNN’s Richard Quest explains the factors at play, including how a strategy called “hedging” has provided an extra twist in the tale.

Unexpected possum

Airport staff in Tasmania, Australia, found a real live possum blending in a little too well among stuffed toys in a gift shop. A spokesperson for Hobart International says the furry visitor “was safely escorted, it wasn’t distressed — just another day of adventuring.”

Citizenship and relocation

By Arlette Saenz, CNN

(CNN) — In the days after winning the Democratic nomination for Senate, Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton spoke to the two women with whom she could make history next year.

“We both were just gleeful. I can tell you that much,” Democratic Sen. Angela Alsobrooks of Maryland said of her call with Stratton on Wednesday. “I’m just really thrilled for her. Thrilled for all of us.”

Only five Black women have served in the Senate in American history. Alsobrooks and Democratic Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware broke barriers last year as the first two Black female senators to serve simultaneously.

If elected, Stratton, 60, would become the sixth Black woman to serve in the Senate and expand the number doing so at the same time to three, giving Black women greater representation and governing experience in the upper chamber.

“The idea of three means there’s that much more of an opportunity to make sure that when policy is being made, when legislation is being passed, that the voices of our community is right there at the table,” Stratton told reporters on Wednesday. “We don’t want policy to just be made for us. We want it to be made by us and with us, and that’s going to help that to happen.”

Given Illinois’ Democratic lean, Stratton is the heavy favorite to win November’s election when she’ll face off against Republican Don Tracy. Stratton would also make history on another front serving alongside Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth, who is Asian American. They would be the first two women of color to ever represent a state together in the Senate.

“It’s going to bring a much-needed perspective to what we need to do to move our party forward, to move our state forward and to move our country forward,” said Stratton.

In the history of the country, only 14 Black individuals have served in the US Senate, starting in 1870 with former Sen. Hiram Revels, a Republican from Mississippi. More than 120 years later, Illinois sent the first Black woman to the US Senate – former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, a Democrat.

“Illinois understands diversity and the value of it. It always has,” Moseley Braun told CNN in an interview. “When I ran, people thought I had lost my mind. Happily, no one’s surprised about it now. That’s a good thing and that’s the progress we’ve been able to make.”

An early endorser of Stratton, Moseley Braun was among the people the Democratic nominee called after her victory this week.

That same day, Stratton spoke with former Vice President Kamala Harris, who was the second Black woman to serve in the Senate, a source familiar with the call said.

Stratton also has exchanged text messages with former Sen. Laphonza Butler, who became the third Black female senator when she was appointed to finish the term of the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, another source said.

Stratton’s path

Born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, Stratton worked as a lawyer before winning a state House seat in 2016. Former President Barack Obama, also a senator from Illinois, endorsed Stratton’s state legislative campaign during the Democratic primary.

Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker tapped Stratton as his running mate in 2018, and when they won, she became the first Black lieutenant governor of the state.

Pritzker, who is eyeing a 2028 presidential run, played a significant role in Stratton’s primary victory, flexing his political and financial muscle to boost his governing partner. The governor’s involvement caused frustration with the head of the Congressional Black Caucus, which had endorsed another Black woman in the race, Rep. Robin Kelly.

Stratton also defeated