Today’s Big Story

MLB’s Uniform Dust-Up

Baseball fans (and players) continue to roast the new uniforms and their ‘way-too-transparent pants’

Uniform-gate keeps getting weirder and funnier. A few days ago, as American sports fans’ eyes moved from football to baseball, a great cry—or at least a significant grumble—was heard from MLB players arriving at spring training: The new uniforms are bad. Players described the new uniforms as “kind of like papery,” and others were quoted as saying “It’s like a knockoff jersey from T.J. Maxx.”

When the MLB announced the uniforms, which have been redesigned by Nike and produced by Fanatics for all of the league’s 30 teams, it included praise from some of the biggest baseball names on Nike’s endorsement roster. But players were upset that they’d no longer been given the chance to tailor the fit of their pants. Some of the colors seem off. The design elements are poorly spaced and sized, and the lettering for players’ names seems too small. According to The Athletic, some players feel so strongly about the changes that they’ve taken their concerns to their union.

In response, the MLB clarified that it’d been six years since the league began working on these uniform changes—gathering input from clubs and players as they looked to optimize the jerseys for the best performance possible. Nike’s goal was simple: create jerseys that addressed the needs and desires of the players, namely lighter, more breathable and better-fitting uniform tops.

But the result was so light, it seems, that the pants are now see-through, allowing players and sports writers to have some fun worrying about rainy day games or how appropriate it would be to watch highlights on your work computer. And some teams are now complaining that the streamlined designs have a less “classy, throwback feel.” For example, the St. Louis Cardinals’ logo is no longer embroidered directly on the jersey. Instead, it’s embroidered on a patch. The Phillies’ logo is also no longer chain-stitched onto the jersey. The Mariners’ sleeve patch is no longer embroidered.

"It's disappointing that we've landed in a place where the uniforms are the topic of discussion," MLBPA executive director Tony Clark told ESPN Thursday. He hopes there will be alterations made before Opening Day, as do many players. "Each conversation with the guys is yielding more information with what we're seeing." More like … what we’re all seeing, right?

Israel’s Post-War Plan

No reconstruction in Gaza without demilitarization

For over four months, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has held off holding security cabinet discussions regarding the so-called “day after” the war. But on Thursday, an official post-war plan for Gaza was unveiled, stressing that Israel will only allow reconstruction to take place after the enclave is demilitarized.

There’s no doubt that the IDF has done significant damage to Hamas's infrastructure. Vox reports that Israel has killed or captured somewhere around one-third of Hamas’s fighting force, destroyed at least half of its rocket stockpile, and demolished somewhere between 20 and 40 percent of its tunnel network under Gaza. The more the war goes on, the higher those numbers will become. But as significant as these achievements are, “none of them come close to eliminating Hamas,” says Dan Byman, a professor at Georgetown who studies Israeli counterterrorism policy.

According to the plan released Thursday, the Israel Defense Forces will indefinitely maintain freedom of operation across the entire Gaza Strip—a position Netanyahu has voiced in the past. Israel will create a ‘security zone” within Gaza's territory bordering Israel "for as long as there is a security need for it," the plan states. Notably, it doesn’t specifically name the PA or rule out its participation in the post-war governance of Gaza. Instead, it says that civil affairs in Gaza will be run by “local officials” who have “administrative experience” and who aren’t tied to “countries or entities that support terrorism.”

Your Order Was Delivered … to the Moon

Did you hear that an American company just made history with the first commercial moon landing?

For the first time in a half-century, an American-built spacecraft has landed on the moon. And it landed closer to the moon's south pole than any other craft, ever. The lander, named Odysseus and a bit bigger than a telephone booth, arrived in the south polar region of the moon at 6:23 p.m. Eastern time on Thursday. It was a historic achievement that was met with a somewhat tepid response. Perhaps because this was not a NASA mission, but one from a private company.

Intuitive Machines, a Houston-based space company, became the first commercial company to reach the lunar surface intact. Still, the unprecedented achievement is certainly a win for NASA, which has invested $2.6 billion in contracts with Intuitive Machines and several other vendors to deliver instruments to the moon over the next four years.

Back on Earth, the team had to wait well past the expected touchdown time for confirmation that there was a signal before celebrating. “Today is a day that shows the power and promise of NASA's commercial partnerships,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson. The space agency has ambitions to make lunar trips a more regular affair and, eventually, build a base on the moon. Scientists hope to find layers of ice, or perhaps Arctic-style permafrost, from which they can create hydration for astronauts—something which would enable them to stay for prolonged missions.

Massive Cell Outage Caused by Technical Error

But a rash of conspiracy theories ran wild amid the confusion when people couldn't use their phones

It’s not news that we’re all attached to our phones. So when there’s a massive outage like the one on Thursday, it’s no surprise people freak out. In fact, AT&T said that the nationwide outage affected nearly 2 million customers and disrupted 911 services in several states. But it was caused by an error made while it was expanding its network—not by a cyberattack.

For about 12 hours, wireless customers with AT&T, Cricket Wireless, T-Mobile and Verizon all reported outages or trouble connecting with their phones. And just like clockwork, some folks online pounced on the disruption as evidence of a global conspiracy. Even people who aren’t known conspiracy theorists were bringing up the apocalyptic Netflix movie Leave the World Behind, causing the title to trend on X.

The Washington Post reports that National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security are looking into the outage. The Federal Communications Commission is also investigating the outage.

A Weekend Pairing

‘Avatar: The Last Airbender’ + a Last Element cocktail

Long ago, in early 2005, Avatar: The Last Airbender hit our very thick television screens. Nickelodeon’s anime-inspired epic cartoon became an instant fan favorite with long-tail, generation-bridging appeal. Now it’s back, with a splashy, live-action adaptation on Netflix. If the online chatter is to believed, millennial and Gen Z fans are stoked. During the original series’ three-year run, it won an Emmy, a Peabody, and the admiration of critics and young audiences alike. The story follows a young boy who must master the four elemental powers to save a world and apparently, it holds up.

This new live-action show, however, seems to have people split. Some reviews say that it’s “an earnest and admirable attempt to reignite the original’s magic,” and that “much of the silliness and whimsy of the original are traded for a tone that’s more grounded, more mature, and more violent.” That could be a good thing or a bad thing, depending on your personal stance. The Verge, however, was disappointed, saying the show “has its heart in the right place, but its pacing and uneven performances leave a lot to be desired.” But I doubt any fan of the original will give up the opportunity to enjoy the show again.

Don’t give up, just rest.