Meridian Afternoon Brief — Mar 27
Editor’s note: Today’s file feels like one of those news cycles where markets, policy, and public health all decided to compete for the same front page. Plenty of motion, not much calm, and just enough weirdness to keep things on brand for 2026.
The Verge • Tech • Sony is raising PS5 prices by $100 in April
https://www.theverge.com/games/902224/sony-ps5-playstation-price-hike
Sony said it will raise global PlayStation 5 prices starting April 2. In the U.S., the standard PS5 will rise to $649.99 from $549.99, the Digital Edition to $599.99 from $499.99, and the PS5 Pro to $899.99 from $749.99. The company is also increasing the PlayStation Portal price to $249.99 from $199.99. Sony said continued economic pressure drove the decision, marking its second PS5 price increase in less than a year.
CNBC Top News • Politics • TSA funding update: House GOP bristles at Senate DHS funding proposal, potentially extending shutdown
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/27/dhs-tsa-shutdown-congress.html
The Senate advanced a bill to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security in an effort to end the partial shutdown that has disrupted airport operations. The proposal excludes funding for ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection, which immediately drew opposition from House Republicans. Speaker Mike Johnson told House Republicans he would instead try to pass an eight-week stopgap bill for all of DHS, a move that would send the matter back to the Senate. House Democrats said the bipartisan Senate deal should be brought to the floor, while conservative Republicans demanded that ICE funding and a voter ID provision be restored.
CNBC Top News • Health • AstraZeneca stock jumps after surprise trial win for lung disease drug where rivals have failed
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/27/astrazeneca-stock-az-trial-lung-drug-shares-tozorakimab.html
AstraZeneca shares rose more than 3% after the company said its experimental COPD drug tozorakimab met targets in two late-stage trials. The treatment reduced flare-ups in former smokers as well as in the overall study population versus placebo. Analysts described the results as notable because previous IL-33 drug efforts from rivals including Roche and Sanofi had failed or produced mixed outcomes. AstraZeneca said full data will be presented at an upcoming medical meeting, and it has projected peak annual sales of $3 billion to $5 billion for the drug.
BBC World • Other • Three dead after helicopter crash in Hawaii
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/czxrkq5wdxxo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
Three people died after a helicopter crashed off the island of Kauai in Hawaii, according to police. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and four passengers, and two survivors were taken to a hospital for treatment. Authorities said the helicopter crash-landed about 100 yards off Kalalau beach and was operated by Airborne Aviation, a tour company. Officials have not yet publicly identified the victims, and the crash is under investigation.
The Guardian World • Health • Polio virus detected in London days before ministers cut global eradication funding
UK surveillance detected vaccine-derived poliovirus in London sewage for the second time this year, in a sample collected on March 2. Health officials said there is no evidence of local transmission and described the general public risk as very low, but urged parents to make sure children are fully vaccinated. The report comes days after the UK government said it was eliminating funding for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative as part of wider aid cuts. Experts and campaigners said the detection highlights the continuing value of vaccination and outbreak surveillance.
NPR News • Stocks • How long will the war last? No one knows, and it's making oil prices weird
https://www.npr.org/2026/03/27/nx-s1-5757946/oil-iran-war-markets-uncertainty
NPR reports that crude oil prices have been volatile and elevated, reaching around $110 per barrel while swinging sharply from day to day. The central issue is uncertainty over whether disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz will be short-lived or turn into a prolonged supply shock. Analysts told NPR that a long disruption could become one of the biggest oil shocks in market history, while a quick de-escalation would leave the market better supplied than prices might suggest. That split outlook has left traders pricing in both crisis and recovery at the same time.
The Guardian World • Science • Scientists film whale giving birth while other whales work together to help her
Researchers with Project Ceti documented a sperm whale giving birth off Dominica while other adult females surrounded and assisted the mother and newborn. The team observed the pod for more than five hours, using drones and underwater audio recordings. The scientists said births in the wild have been observed in only a small number of cetacean species, and assistance from unrelated females makes this case especially unusual. The researchers believe the behavior helps keep the calf from sinking immediately after birth and supports its first breaths.
TechCrunch • Tech • Apple says no one using Lockdown Mode has been hacked with spyware
Apple told TechCrunch it is not aware of any successful mercenary spyware attacks against devices with Lockdown Mode enabled. The company introduced the opt-in security feature in 2022 to reduce attack surfaces commonly used by spyware makers. Amnesty International researchers told TechCrunch they also have not seen evidence of a successful compromise against an iPhone with Lockdown Mode active at the time of attack. Security researchers cited in the report said the feature blocks major exploit pathways and can force attackers to abandon attempts or use far more complex methods.
CNBC Top News • Business • Italy investigates Sephora and Benefit over skincare marketing to children
Italy’s competition authority opened investigations into Sephora and Benefit over what it called unfair commercial practices aimed at children and young teens. Regulators said the brands promoted products including serums, masks, and anti-aging creams to minors, sometimes without adequate warnings or age-appropriate labeling. The authority also cited the use of young micro-influencers as part of what it described as an insidious marketing strategy. LVMH said the companies would cooperate fully with the investigation and reiterated that they comply with Italian regulations.
Al Jazeera • World • Meet the children left without parents under El Salvador’s emergency decree
As El Salvador’s state of emergency reaches four years, families and advocacy groups say mass arrests are leaving large numbers of children without one or both parents. Al Jazeera reports that more than 90,000 people have been detained since the emergency decree was introduced in March 2022 to combat gang violence. Advocacy groups estimate that tens of thousands of children have lost parental support, with many families saying detained relatives have not been convicted of crimes. Supporters of the policy point to a steep decline in homicides, while critics argue the prolonged emergency has come at major human-rights cost.
TechCrunch • Business • Rivian gets another $1B from Volkswagen
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/27/rivian-gets-another-1b-from-volkswagen/
Volkswagen Group has released another $1 billion to Rivian after winter testing was completed for the VW ID.EVERY1, the first vehicle under the companies’ joint venture to use Rivian’s software and electrical architecture. About $750 million comes as an equity investment, while the remaining $250 million is structured as either equity or convertible debt. Volkswagen has already invested more than $3 billion in Rivian through the partnership, with additional financing and milestone payments still possible. The funding arrives ahead of Rivian’s planned R2 SUV launch, a key test of the company’s scaling strategy.
