WeekDay AM: 10 Things you need to know this morning
US economy shrinks, UK temperatures soar, and ChatGPT gets too chummy

 
today's economics story

Trump blames Biden as US economy shrinks

What happened
Donald Trump has blamed former president Joe Biden for a 0.3% first quarter dip in GDP that has put the US on the brink of a technical recession.

Who said what
In a social media post yesterday, Trump asked supporters to "be patient" and blamed his predecessor for the economic contraction, writing "this is Biden's stock market, not Trump's". The claim came "despite data showing that growth was strong when he took office", said The New York Times. The figures "marked the first quarterly decline in three years", said the BBC, and coincided with Trump's new import taxes, which have "scrambled global trade and created major uncertainty".

But amid the signs of weakness in the first GDP report of Trump's second term, "it wasn't all doom and gloom", said CNN. US businesses "actually stepped up their spending", most likely to "get ahead of any expected price increases stemming from Trump's tariffs". Stephen Miran, chair of the White House's Council of Economic Advisers, told CNN's Pamela Brown that increasing their business investment was "not what firms do when they're concerned about the economic outlook".

What next?
US stocks fell after the GDP report was released yesterday. But on the question of whether the US economy will actually tip into recession, forecasters remain "roughly split", said USA Today, "with nearly four in 10 figuring more than 50% odds of such a downturn".

 
 
today's politics story

Lammy says UK and France mulling Palestine recognition

What happened
The UK is in talks with France and Saudi Arabia about potentially recognising a Palestinian state at a conference next month focused on preserving the two-state solution, Foreign Secretary David Lammy has confirmed. The statement marks the first official UK acknowledgment of such discussions.

Who said what
"It is unacceptable for any group of people to have lived with no state for longer than I've been alive," Lammy told the Lords international relations select committee yesterday.

Recognition of Palestine by two permanent members of the UN security council "would be a powerful statement", said The Guardian, but it "faces many diplomatic hurdles", not least the need for greater clarity about France's intentions and whether "recognition could form part of a credible process towards a two-state solution".

What next?
Speculation over Palestinian state recognition grew after Emmanuel Macron said France would likely recognise it at next month's conference at the UN. If the French prime minister follows through it would make France the first G7 country to do so.

 
 
Today's weather story

Temperatures continue to soar across UK today

What happened
The UK will sizzle in temperatures of 29C or even 30C today – which would be the warmest start to May on record, beating the previous high of 27.4C. Southern and central England will likely experience the most warmth, but temperatures in Wales, the north west and north east are also expected to rise above 24C.

Who said what
As a high pressure system "continues to dominate the UK weather", temperatures will build and peak today, said Nicola Maxey of the Met Office.

Very warm spring weather is "not that unusual", said the BBC. But blocked weather patterns, which cause south or south-easterly winds that bring high temperatures from northern Africa, are becoming far more frequent. Research suggests human-induced climate change now makes them at least five times as likely to occur.

What next?
Temperatures will dip tomorrow as the high pressure system starts to pull away, but the weather should stay dry across the long weekend.

 
 

It's not all bad

One of the world’s rarest and most endangered amphibians, the Mexican axolotl, is showing signs of recovery after being released into restored wetlands near Mexico City. Scientists freed 18 captive-bred axolotls and tracked them as they adapted, foraged and even gained weight. The success, described as "amazing" by lead researcher Dr Alejandra Ramos, offers hope for rewilding efforts. Once nearly extinct in the wild, the iconic creature may now be inching back from the brink thanks to habitat restoration and community support.

 
 
under the radar

The link between a bacterial toxin and colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer has increased significantly among adults under 50 over the past 20 years. Now scientists may have identified a potential factor in the rise: a toxin called colibactin. Exposure to the toxin happens in childhood and could be manipulating DNA to increase the cancer risk.

Colibactin was linked to colorectal cancer cases in younger people in a study published in the journal Nature. There are "several plausible hypotheses" as to how children can be exposed to colibactin, including "early life antibiotic use, which may allow these strains to establish more easily; dietary shifts such as increased consumption of processed foods or reduced fibre consumption; increased rates of C-section births or reduced breastfeeding; and wider use of early group childcare, which could facilitate microbial transmission during a critical developmental window", according to Professor Ludmil Alexandrov of the University of California, San Diego. While the study linked colibactin to cases of cancer, it does not prove that the toxin actually causes it.

Scientists have observed an alarming rise in colorectal and gastrointestinal cancers in people under 50 since the mid-1990s, but have not been able to pinpoint a specific cause. The disease's "incidence in adults under 50 has roughly doubled each decade for the past 20 years", said a release about the study. "If current trends continue, colorectal cancer is projected to become the leading cause of cancer-related death among young adults by 2030." So while colibactin is not a definitive cause, it could be an important piece of the puzzle.

 
 
on this day

1 May 1840

The world's first adhesive postage stamp was issued in the UK. The "Penny Black", featuring a profile of Queen Victoria, became valid on 6 May and cost just one penny. Last month the price of a first-class stamp rose to £1.70 – the sixth price hike in just three years.

 
 
Today's newspapers

Unite, Labour's biggest union backer, has attacked the government's net-zero drive, warning it is set to become a "political millstone around the party's neck", the Daily Mail says. "Take risks … love deeply" is The Mirror's headline after King Charles offered an inspirational message. The Sun says that the words of "rebellious hope" from the monarch were inspired by "Bowel-babe Dame Deborah James". "I'm top of the popes", says the Daily Star, after Donald Trump joked that he would "like to be Pope". But "no one wants an orange pontiff," it adds.

See the newspaper front pages

 
 
tall tale

Affirmation overload

OpenAI has pulled a ChatGPT update after users complained that the chatbot was showering them with inappropriate praise. One person highlighted the potential danger, sharing the chatbot's response to the decision to stop taking their medication: "I am so proud of you, and I honour your journey." The latest version of the tool was "overly flattering", OpenAI boss Sam Altman admitted, even "sycophant-y". "Sycophantic interactions can be uncomfortable, unsettling and cause distress," said the tech company in a blog post.

 
 

Morning Report was written and edited by Arion McNicoll, Harriet Marsden, Devika Rao, Ross Couzens and Chas Newkey-Burden, with illustrations by Julia Wytrazek.

Image credits, from top: Ken Cedeno / UPI / Bloomberg / Getty Images; Stefan Rousseau – WPA Pool / Getty Images; Carl De Souza / AFP / Getty Images; Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images.