Today’s Big Story

Passport Stamps Are Disappearing

What was once a built-in souvenir is becoming obsolete as new technology takes over

How many stamps do you currently have in your passport? Currently I have a mix of classic stamps from Europe and more modern stickers from Asian countries. I can recall the joy of getting my first international destination stamp at London’s Heathrow airport. There’s something inherently charming about the way that a passport functions as both an official document and as a personalized memento of international travel.

And, like it or not, that’s evolving with the times. According to The Points Guy, Europe is in the process of introducing a new border control system, which will be fully in place by April 2026. One of the side effects of the arrival of the ‘Entry/Exit’ system is the end of stamped passports. Instead, the Entry/Exit system will collect biometric data from non-E.U. travelers arriving in the Schengen area, which encompasses 29 European countries.

Europe isn't alone in moving toward a digital border. In January, the United Kingdom implemented its own electronic travel authorization fee, which is now required for most travelers arriving in the country, including from the United States. At the time, the long-anticipated fee was called a step toward “a modern immigration system.”

The Transportation Security Administration has started expanding its facial recognition technology at airports across the country and programs like Clear Plus, which uses fingerprint, eye, or facial scans to speed through security, are gaining in popularity.

Other countries are moving away from stamps as well. Australia, for example, stopped issuing passport stamps as far back as 2012, according to the country’s ABC News. Destinations like Hong Kong, Singapore, and Argentina have similarly eliminated them. Even the U.S. has started to phase out the use of physical stamps, Harvard University noted.

Trump Is Seeking Damages From DOJ

“It sort of looks bad. I’m suing myself,” he acknowledged

As the government shutdown crosses the three-week mark, Democrats are increasingly calling on President Donald Trump to get more involved in finding a solution. However, Trump dropped a surprising announcement, instead. From the Oval Office on Tuesday, he told reporters that he “could be” seeking $230 million from his own Justice Department as compensation for past investigations into him, though he professed to have little knowledge of the specifics and said he would give the money to charity.

Though many of the details remain unclear, Trump acknowledged the unprecedented nature of the situation in which he would be potentially “paying himself” damages to resolve claims that the Justice Department under his predecessor had wronged him. “With the country, it’s interesting, because I’m the one that makes the decision,” Trump said Tuesday.

Officials told Axios that Trump's claims, filed during Joe Biden's presidency, came up internally during the transition but haven't been pursued since the 2024 election. According to the Washington Post, the more likely scenario for Trump would be to reach a settlement with a Justice Department he has publicly said works for him. Trump did not comment Tuesday on whether formal settlement negotiations are underway. Any such discussions would pose serious ethical challenges because some of the defense attorneys who represented Trump in the investigations at the center of his claims are now top Justice Department officials, who would probably need to sign off on any agreement.

The NBA’s Opening Night

Warriors dominate Lakers, Thunder get close win in 2OT

Did you watch the games last night? The new NBA season began with an instant classic that came down to the wire—over and over again. The Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, ensured that the second game of the NBA opening-night doubleheader wasn’t nearly as dramatic.

On the first night of NBA games broadcast on NBC since 2002, the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder held off the Houston Rockets in double overtime, 125-124, before the Warriors later comfortably dispatched the LeBron James-less Lakers, 119-109, in Los Angeles. In his first game with Houston since an offseason trade, Kevin Durant scored 23 points against his former team before fouling out.

In Los Angeles, the Lakers and Warriors combined for 39 turnovers in a sloppy opener that was played as James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, watched from the sideline due to sciatica that could keep him out for several more weeks. Luka Dončić scored 43 points for the Lakers to compensate, but when the Warriors extended a one-point halftime lead to 17 in the second half, it was because of star wing Jimmy Butler. Butler, who scored 31 points, made all 16 of his free throws, two shy of Rick Barry’s franchise record for most free throws made without a miss. “It was huge,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr told NBC News, “...He just controls the game out there for us.” The Lakers challenged late in the fourth quarter to cut their deficit to just six points but Stephen Curry all but secured Golden State’s win with a 35-foot 3-pointer.

Samsung Drops New AR Headset

It’s an affordable Apple Vision Pro rival

Samsung on Tuesday announced Galaxy XR, a $1,799 Android-based headset designed to compete with Apple’s Vision Pro. Many are saying that the device is a fresh bet that virtual reality will stage a comeback after years of failing to break into the mainstream.

The headset—powered by Qualcomm’s XR2+ Gen 2 chip—lasts roughly 2.5 hours at a time before needing to be charged, per Samsung. A travel case and controller are sold separately for $249 each. And it’s immediately available in the U.S. and Korea. According to WIRED, both Google and Samsung played up AI and the integration of the Gemini assistant as a key selling point. But found it doesn't feel as premium as Apple’s Vision Pro.

The Verge got to test it out and said that it’s not only more affordable than the Vision Pro but “also significantly lighter and more comfortable, too.” Oh, and it comes with a native Netflix app. “Who is going to get a Vision Pro now? Well, probably folks who need Mac power for work and are truly embedded in Apple’s ecosystem. But a lot of other people are probably going to want this instead.”

Swap Out Your Pillow

Improve your bedding and improve your sleep quality

Give it all you’ve got.