Today’s Big Story

Coffee Raves

Exploring the latest social craze, from espresso machines to DJ booths

Maybe you’ve heard of these. If not, let me set the scene: You walk into your favorite cafe for a Saturday morning latte, but a DJ blocks the counter and people in dark sunglasses are dancing in front of the booth. You see … you’ve just stumbled into a coffee rave.

It’s a growing kind of club scene for people who like the word “espresso” in front of “shot”. The daytime dance parties are redefining nightlife for the sober-curious crowd, offering high-energy parties without the hangover. What’s more, attending is cheaper than getting bottle service: Tickets are typically under $60 and often include alcohol-free drinks.

According to Eventbrite, this type of coffee clubbing events are up 478% compared to last year. Big names in “soft clubbing”, as the platform calls it, include Be You Disco, House of Coffee Music Festival and Daybreaker. The mid-day events can mix yoga, live music and cold plunges with saunas plenty of high fives.

Daybreaker was a major pioneer of the format in 2013, when it launched early-morning weekday dance parties in New York City. ore than a decade later, Daybreaker is hosting 100 events this year and there are infinite derivatives across the U.S.

At first glance, the concept seems bizarre. Sue. And you might be scared to dance without the usual “liquid courage”. But looking closer, coffee raves offer a unique combination of two things Gen Z loves: intentional living and unapologetic self-expression. These daytime parties, free of hangovers and late-night regrets, blend seamlessly with the generation’s penchant for health-conscious choices and meticulous routines. After all, what could be more aspirational than hitting the dance floor and still making it home in time for your evening skincare rituals?

The Shutdown Gets Ugly

Trump administration uses government websites and email messages to pin it on Democrats

The Trump administration began to exert its power over the government shutdown Wednesday, blaming Democrats for imminent layoffs and tying up infrastructure projects in blue states. Multiple federal agencies put out messages blaming Democratic senators as well—in a sharp break from how departments have handled shutdowns in the past. Traditionally, agencies provide information on the status of the funding lapse and what services won’t be available, but stay away from partisan talking points. NBC News reports that some civil servants, who are supposed to be nonpartisan, are being encouraged to push out the messages as well.

Vice President Vance said the Trump administration will fire federal workers to “do a little triage to make sure the most critical and most essential services are provided.” But in actuality, in a shutdown, the president and White House budget office determine which federal activities continue based on national security and if parts of the government have money left over from other funding sources.

Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought said the Trump administration will begin firing federal workers in a "day or two," sources told Axios. Vought made the comments on a House Republican conference-wide call Wednesday afternoon. He told House Republicans that he'll spend the next week figuring out “constitutionally” what the administration can do in terms of shrinking the federal work force.

Israel Intercepts Aid Flotilla

A goal of the activists in the flotilla was to send a message by breaking through Israel’s naval blockade to reach Gaza

The Israeli navy on Wednesday intercepted an aid flotilla bound for Gaza that was being closely watched around the world through its social media posts, according to activists within the flotilla. Reuters reports that the Global Sumud Flotilla is made up of about 50 boats and 500 activists, including the prominent environmental campaigner Greta Thunberg. A grandson of Nelson Mandela and several European lawmakers are taking part in the latest sailing.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the interception follows a weekslong standoff as the activists closed in on the Gaza coast. The flotilla’s organizers called the interception “an illegal attack on unarmed humanitarians in international waters.” It said it was working to account for all participants after losing contact with several boats amid what appeared to be deliberate disruption of their communications systems. There were no initial reports of injuries.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry said the flotilla had been informed it was “violating a lawful naval blockade” that covers the waters next to Gaza—though it is unclear if the boats had entered the blockade zone. It posted footage from the interception showing Thunberg sitting on the deck of a boat, being handed water and a jacket by a member of the Israeli military. Later, the foreign ministry said detained activists were being taken to Israel before procedures begin to deport them to Europe. Livestreams from the boats suggest not all of the 44 vessels have been boarded and evacuated.

Legendary Conservationist Jane Goodall Dies

Her work revolutionized the study of primates

Jane Goodall, the intellectual, soft-spoken conservationist renowned for her groundbreaking, immersive chimpanzee field research in which she documented the primates’ distinct personalities and use of tools, has died. She was 91.

The environmental advocate became a beloved household name who transcended generations through her appearances in documentaries and on television, as well as her travels to address packed auditoriums around the world. The Jane Goodall Institute announced the primatologist’s death Wednesday in an Instagram post. Her discoveries “revolutionized science, and she was a tireless advocate for the protection and restoration of our natural world,” it said.

While living among chimpanzees in Africa decades ago, Goodall documented them doing activities previously believed to be exclusive to humans. Her observations and subsequent magazine and documentary appearances in the 1960s transformed how the world perceived not only humans’ closest living biological relatives but also the emotional and social complexity of all animals. Goodall was appointed Dame of the British Empire in 2004, and awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2025. She was also named a Messenger of Peace by the United Nations in 2002.

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