Authored by Bojan Stojkovski via Interesting Engineering,

The BYD Great Tang full-size SUV is now reaching dealerships across China ahead of its planned April presale debut at the Beijing Auto Show. Early dealer data shows at least four configurations are being prepared for the market, spanning rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive setups with varying performance and range ratings. 

BYD Great Tang SUV set to challenge established plug-in hybrid rivals.

In its most capable form, the SUV is expected to deliver up to around 590 miles of driving range, positioning it as a long-distance option in the segment. As the production version of the Dynasty-D concept, the Great Tang sits at the top of BYD’s SUV lineup, both in size and technology. [ZH: The range claim comes from the Chinese CLTC test cycle, which tends to be a bit optimistic]

It measures more than 17.4 feet in length and rides on a 123-inch wheelbase, making it the brand’s largest crossover to date. The model is designed with a three-row, seven-seat configuration, targeting family-oriented buyers seeking space, efficiency, and extended electric range.

3.9-second acceleration and extended-range capability

The all-electric BYD Great Tang uses the company’s second-generation Blade Battery architecture and is designed to support high-power fast charging for reduced downtime on long trips. In its rear-wheel-drive configuration, the SUV delivers up to approximately 590 miles of CLTC range from a 130.15 kWh battery pack, placing it among the longest-range electric SUVs currently announced in China, CarNewsChina reports.

Performance is significantly higher in the dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant, which produces up to 585 kW and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in about 3.9 seconds. This added performance comes with a trade-off in efficiency, with range reduced to around 528 miles CLTC, though it still remains competitive within the long-range EV SUV segment.

In addition to the fully electric lineup, BYD will also introduce plug-in hybrid versions of the Great Tang built on its DM-i and DM-p powertrain systems. The DM-i variant pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with a 200 kW electric motor, delivering up to approximately 213 miles of CLTC electric-only range, positioning it for efficiency-focused driving and daily commuting.

The DM-p configuration steps up output significantly, using a dual-motor setup that produces a combined 400 kW. This version is tuned for stronger acceleration and more dynamic driving characteristics, while still retaining the flexibility of a hybrid system that blends combustion and electric power for extended range capability.

Aiming for upper mid-market SUV space amid strong competition

The Great Tang is being strategically positioned within BYD’s broader SUV portfolio to avoid internal overlap with its premium Denza lineup while still targeting the upper tier of the mainstream market. This placement suggests a focus on balancing scale, technology, and accessibility within the rapidly expanding full-size SUV segment.

In the competitive landscape, the model is expected to go head-to-head with rivals such as the Geely Galaxy M9, a large plug-in hybrid SUV that has already demonstrated strong early market traction with more than 11,000 deliveries in just the first two months of the year. 

The segment is becoming increasingly crowded, with demand driven by families and long-distance users seeking a mix of electric efficiency and extended range flexibility.

Authored by Bojan Stojkovski via Interesting Engineering,

The BYD Great Tang full-size SUV is now reaching dealerships across China ahead of its planned April presale debut at the Beijing Auto Show. Early dealer data shows at least four configurations are being prepared for the market, spanning rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive setups with varying performance and range ratings. 

BYD Great Tang SUV set to challenge established plug-in hybrid rivals.

In its most capable form, the SUV is expected to deliver up to around 590 miles of driving range, positioning it as a long-distance option in the segment. As the production version of the Dynasty-D concept, the Great Tang sits at the top of BYD’s SUV lineup, both in size and technology. [ZH: The range claim comes from the Chinese CLTC test cycle, which tends to be a bit optimistic]

It measures more than 17.4 feet in length and rides on a 123-inch wheelbase, making it the brand’s largest crossover to date. The model is designed with a three-row, seven-seat configuration, targeting family-oriented buyers seeking space, efficiency, and extended electric range.

3.9-second acceleration and extended-range capability

The all-electric BYD Great Tang uses the company’s second-generation Blade Battery architecture and is designed to support high-power fast charging for reduced downtime on long trips. In its rear-wheel-drive configuration, the SUV delivers up to approximately 590 miles of CLTC range from a 130.15 kWh battery pack, placing it among the longest-range electric SUVs currently announced in China, CarNewsChina reports.

Performance is significantly higher in the dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant, which produces up to 585 kW and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in about 3.9 seconds. This added performance comes with a trade-off in efficiency, with range reduced to around 528 miles CLTC, though it still remains competitive within the long-range EV SUV segment.

In addition to the fully electric lineup, BYD will also introduce plug-in hybrid versions of the Great Tang built on its DM-i and DM-p powertrain systems. The DM-i variant pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with a 200 kW electric motor, delivering up to approximately 213 miles of CLTC electric-only range, positioning it for efficiency-focused driving and daily commuting.

The DM-p configuration steps up output significantly, using a dual-motor setup that produces a combined 400 kW. This version is tuned for stronger acceleration and more dynamic driving characteristics, while still retaining the flexibility of a hybrid system that blends combustion and electric power for extended range capability.

Aiming for upper mid-market SUV space amid strong competition

The Great Tang is being strategically positioned within BYD’s broader SUV portfolio to avoid internal overlap with its premium Denza lineup while still targeting the upper tier of the mainstream market. This placement suggests a focus on balancing scale, technology, and accessibility within the rapidly expanding full-size SUV segment.

In the competitive landscape, the model is expected to go head-to-head with rivals such as the Geely Galaxy M9, a large plug-in hybrid SUV that has already demonstrated strong early market traction with more than 11,000 deliveries in just the first two months of the year. 

The segment is becoming increasingly crowded, with demand driven by families and long-distance users seeking a mix of electric efficiency and extended range flexibility.

Authored by Bojan Stojkovski via Interesting Engineering,

The BYD Great Tang full-size SUV is now reaching dealerships across China ahead of its planned April presale debut at the Beijing Auto Show. Early dealer data shows at least four configurations are being prepared for the market, spanning rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive setups with varying performance and range ratings. 

BYD Great Tang SUV set to challenge established plug-in hybrid rivals.

In its most capable form, the SUV is expected to deliver up to around 590 miles of driving range, positioning it as a long-distance option in the segment. As the production version of the Dynasty-D concept, the Great Tang sits at the top of BYD’s SUV lineup, both in size and technology. [ZH: The range claim comes from the Chinese CLTC test cycle, which tends to be a bit optimistic]

It measures more than 17.4 feet in length and rides on a 123-inch wheelbase, making it the brand’s largest crossover to date. The model is designed with a three-row, seven-seat configuration, targeting family-oriented buyers seeking space, efficiency, and extended electric range.

3.9-second acceleration and extended-range capability

The all-electric BYD Great Tang uses the company’s second-generation Blade Battery architecture and is designed to support high-power fast charging for reduced downtime on long trips. In its rear-wheel-drive configuration, the SUV delivers up to approximately 590 miles of CLTC range from a 130.15 kWh battery pack, placing it among the longest-range electric SUVs currently announced in China, CarNewsChina reports.

Performance is significantly higher in the dual-motor all-wheel-drive variant, which produces up to 585 kW and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in about 3.9 seconds. This added performance comes with a trade-off in efficiency, with range reduced to around 528 miles CLTC, though it still remains competitive within the long-range EV SUV segment.

In addition to the fully electric lineup, BYD will also introduce plug-in hybrid versions of the Great Tang built on its DM-i and DM-p powertrain systems. The DM-i variant pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with a 200 kW electric motor, delivering up to approximately 213 miles of CLTC electric-only range, positioning it for efficiency-focused driving and daily commuting.

The DM-p configuration steps up output significantly, using a dual-motor setup that produces a combined 400 kW. This version is tuned for stronger acceleration and more dynamic driving characteristics, while still retaining the flexibility of a hybrid system that blends combustion and electric power for extended range capability.

Aiming for upper mid-market SUV space amid strong competition

The Great Tang is being strategically positioned within BYD’s broader SUV portfolio to avoid internal overlap with its premium Denza lineup while still targeting the upper tier of the mainstream market. This placement suggests a focus on balancing scale, technology, and accessibility within the rapidly expanding full-size SUV segment.

In the competitive landscape, the model is expected to go head-to-head with rivals such as the Geely Galaxy M9, a large plug-in hybrid SUV that has already demonstrated strong early market traction with more than 11,000 deliveries in just the first two months of the year. 

The segment is becoming increasingly crowded, with demand driven by families and long-distance users seeking a mix of electric efficiency and extended range flexibility.

Authored by Micah Zimmerman via Bitcoin Magazine.coim

A new research proposal claims it can make Bitcoin transactions resistant to quantum attacks without changing the network’s core rules, a goal that has drawn attention as concerns grow over future cryptographic risks.

In a paper published on April 9, Avihu Levy of StarkWare outlined “Quantum-Safe Bitcoin Transactions Without Softforks,” introducing a scheme called Quantum Safe Bitcoin, or QSB. The design aims to protect transactions from threats posed by quantum computers while remaining compatible with the existing Bitcoin protocol.

The proposal targets a known vulnerability in Bitcoin’s current design. Standard transactions rely on ECDSA signatures over the secp256k1 curve. In theory, a sufficiently powerful quantum computer running Shor’s algorithm could potentially break this system by solving discrete logarithms, which would allow attackers to forge signatures and spend funds.

QSB replaces reliance on elliptic curve security with hash-based assumptions. Instead of trusting ECDSA, the scheme uses it as a verification mechanism while shifting security to hash pre-image resistance. This approach draws from earlier work known as Binohash, which embeds one-time signature schemes into Bitcoin Script.

JUST IN: Bitcoin developer Avihu Levy introduces “Quantum-Safe Bitcoin Transactions Without Softforks” 👀 pic.twitter.com/enghEoOq10

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) April 9, 2026

At the core of QSB is a “hash-to-signature” puzzle.

The system hashes a transaction-derived public key using RIPEMD-160 and treats the output as a candidate ECDSA signature. Only a small fraction of random hashes meet the strict formatting rules required for valid signatures, creating a proof-of-work condition. The paper estimates the probability of success at about one in ~70.4 trillion attempts.

Bitcoin resistant to quantum attacks

Because the puzzle depends on hash properties rather than elliptic curve hardness, it remains resistant to Shor’s algorithm. A quantum attacker would gain only a quadratic speedup from Grover’s algorithm, leaving meaningful security margins. The paper estimates about 118-bit second pre-image resistance under a Shor threat model.

The construction works within Bitcoin’s existing scripting limits, including a cap of 201 opcodes and a maximum script size of 10,000 bytes. It uses legacy script structures and avoids any need for consensus changes or soft forks, a feature that may appeal to developers wary of protocol fragmentation.

The transaction process unfolds in three stages, the proposal claims.

First, a “pinning” phase searches for transaction parameters that produce a valid hash-to-signature output, binding the transaction to a fixed structure.

Next, two digest rounds select subsets of embedded signatures to generate additional proofs tied to the transaction hash.

Finally, the transaction is assembled with all required preimages and verification data.

The design introduces tradeoffs. QSB transactions exceed standard relay policy limits, which means they would not propagate across the network under default settings. Instead, they would require direct submission to miners through services such as Slipstream. The scripts also consume significant space and computational resources.

Despite these constraints, the cost of generating a valid transaction appears within reach. The paper estimates total compute expenses between $75 and $150 using cloud GPUs, with the workload scaling across parallel hardware. Early testing reports successful puzzle solutions after several hours using multiple GPUs.

The project remains incomplete. While the paper and script generation tools are finished, parts of the pipeline, including full transaction assembly and broadcast, have not been demonstrated on-chain.

Still, the proposal adds to a growing body of research exploring how Bitcoin could adapt to a future with quantum computing. By avoiding protocol changes, QSB presents one path that relies on existing rules rather than consensus upgrades, a direction that may shape further debate on long-term network security.

[ZH: Brain fogged over? QSB makes the hard math puzzle at the heart of Bitcoin… harder…]

March brought the biggest fuel price shock Americans have experienced on record, or at least according to AAA data going back to the early 2000s.

A fuel price shock changes consumer behavior, especially for low-income households, by forcing folks to drive less, combine trips, cancel discretionary travel, or shift to carpooling and public transit.

For those who have the financial flexibility to do so, a fuel price shock may push some consumers toward smaller cars, hybrids, and EVs and away from large SUVs and trucks, because fuel economy suddenly matters much more.

The Wall Street Journal reports that a $4-per-gallon national average for gasoline, a politically sensitive level, is the threshold at which some consumers are beginning to think about EVs again.

Online car-shopping platforms such as Cars.com and Edmunds have reported a modest uptick in EV interest among users on their platforms in recent weeks. 

Edmunds pointed out that interest in EVs on its website has returned to where it was before federal tax incentives expired late last year.

“In the short term, a lot of Americans, and this has nothing to do with regulations, are coming back to EVs because of the cost of ownership,” Hyundai Motor Chief Executive José Muñoz told the WSJ. “Basically, the fuel costs are making them change their decision.”

Muñoz said that EVs are finding a place in the driveways of households in states like California because it makes economic sense to commute to work during the week in EVs rather than gasoline-powered cars. 

He said the thinking in some households is: “I have one car from Monday to Friday, another car for the weekend.”

We must point out that far-left states like California suffer from state-killing climate policies and terrible energy policies that are crushing households on the pocketbook level. 

Data from Cox Automotive shows that EV sales jumped 12% in the first quarter as a flood of off-lease EVs swamped the market, pushing prices lower and making them more affordable.

Edmunds data show that EVs accounted for roughly 6.2% of new-car sales in March, up from 6% in February, but this is noticeably down from September, when EVs accounted for 11.5% of sales. Higher EV sales last year were mostly driven by consumers seeing that federal tax credits were expiring at the end of the year, think of it as demand pulled forward.

Stephanie Valdez Streaty, director of industry insights at Cox Automotive, said the surge in gasoline and diesel prices at the pump during the six-week U.S.-Iran conflict led to “an uptick in consideration” of EVs. She said driving habits are hard to change, considering Americans enjoy the luxury of large SUVs and trucks.

Meanwhile, Chinese EV exports soared 140% in March, driven by surging demand outside the US amid Gulf-related energy shocks. 

Authored by Aaron Gifford via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

One of the main organizations behind the recent protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations is encouraging children to walk out of class en masse next month to help promote its agenda, which includes achieving what it said are “Eco-socialism, [a] multi-racial democracy, and Green New Deal legislation,” according to a April 8 report by representatives of parent group Defending Education.

Organized by the Sunrise Movement, hundreds of young climate activists march to the White House to demand that U.S. President Joe Biden work to make the Green New Deal into law in Washington, DC, on June 28, 2021. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Sunrise Movement, during its March 17 online membership meeting, called on schools to “train up” employees and students to disrupt the federal government ahead of planned May 1 “May Day” protests as part of an ongoing “political revolution” to “structurally change the foundations of this country,” according to slides Defending Education, a nonprofit opposing indoctrination in classrooms, obtained from a tipster who attended the meeting.

The Sunrise Movement, according to the slides and its website, describes itself as an anti-President Donald Trump “climate revolution” group that advocates socialism, supports a rainbow coalition of the multi-racial working class, and calls for an end to the “billionaire” two-party political system.

In addition to mass school walkouts, the organization is also calling for more disruptions to Hilton hotels, which have housed ICE officers, according to the slides. Past actions included calling for boycotts of the hotel chain and engaging in “wide awake” events where protestors gathered outside of Hilton-branded hotels and made as much noise as possible to prevent ICE officers—and everyone else staying there—from sleeping.

Another slide illustrates a domino effect that starts with the ideological conversion of students and young people and spreads to teachers, customer service workers, city service workers, factory service workers, shipping and transportation workers, and ultimately “military and police defections.”

“They have zero reservations about using children to advance their political ideology,” Rhyen Staley, Defending Education research director, told The Epoch Times. “These kids are being used for their propaganda.”

The Sunrise Movement was frequently listed in an earlier report produced by Staley that identified 357 protests and walkouts at middle schools and high schools so far this year. He said the organization, backed by wealthy donors, recruits students via social media and provides signs used at the protests.

The slide presentation is not currently on the Sunrise Movement’s website, but the information noted in it is contained in different pages throughout the site, including a “student rise-up” guide.

“May Day 2026 is our chance to practice mass non-cooperation, prove our power so we can pick bigger fights, and set the movement’s agenda with clear demands,” the guide says.

“On May Day 2026, students at hundreds of schools are walking out, rising up, and disrupting business as usual.”

Staley anticipates participation from K-12 students across the country, especially in Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and California. Most of them, he said, don’t necessarily agree with or understand the ideology they’ll be walking out for; it’s just a chance to get out of class.

He previously told The Epoch Times that teacher unions are connected to public school protests nationwide.

Becky Pringle, president of the National Education Association (NEA) teachers’ union, appeared in a Sunrise Movement video two days before the Jan. 30 “National Day of Action” coordinated by the coalition NationalShutdown.org.

“On behalf of the education professionals who belong to the NEA … thank you, Sunrise, for standing on the front lines in Minneapolis and in so many cities across our nation, demanding justice in all forms,” Pringle said in the video.

Staley said these events exacerbate what he said is an ongoing discipline crisis in public schools. Districts might not have updated policies to address walkouts or delegate responsibility to teachers, who might only deduct class participation points with no further discipline for skipping class without an excused absence. School officials often don’t understand how freedom of speech protections apply in school settings and fear they’ll be sued for First Amendment violations if they don’t allow students to participate in walkouts.

“They don’t want nastygrams [from attorneys] and the bad attention,” he said. “They’d rather deal with the fallout from just a few parents afterward.”

Safety is another concern, given the heightened fear of terrorism. A massive May 1 mobilization of children is a dangerous idea right now, Staley said.

Defending Education urges parents to talk with their children about the consequences of skipping classes to promote politics they don’t necessarily support. Teachers can also use this current event as a teaching moment and challenge students to state their views in writing as if they were submitting a letter to Congress or their local newspaper.

“[Students’] responsibility is to be as educated as possible,” he said, “so [they belong] in a classroom.”

The Epoch Times reached out to the Sunrise Movement for comment but did not hear back by publication time.

Janice Hisle, Savannah Hulsey Pointer, and Darlene McCormick Sanchez contributed to this report. 

Authored by Rick Moran via PJMedia.com,

What is MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+? It might be a new, super-strong password. Maybe it’s a Gen-Whatever code-like thing that’s sweeping the internet, like “6-7” or something.

If only it could be that mundane.

In fact, MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ is an all-inclusive, all-encompassing, balls-to-the-wall, slam bang, wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am acronym for the totality of the gender bending, sexually “unique” population of Canada. 

For the record, as Jim Treacher helpfully points out, it stands for “Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, and “additional identities (“+”).

The excitement was started by a Canadian New Democratic Party member of parliament, Leah Gazan, who complained that not enough money was being spent to “deal with the ongoing genocide of MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+.”

NDP MP Leah Gazan condemns Budget 2026 for cutting $7B from Indigenous Services Canada and Crown Indigenous relations.

“They provided $0 to deal with the ongoing genocide of MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+,” she said.

“Rates of violence are increasing, and the PM is turning a blind eye.” pic.twitter.com/G0QfVjNpNB

— Juno News (@junonewscom) April 8, 2026

Budgeting for each and every identity, preference, and fantasy spirit in the MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ community would blow up the Canadian budget. 

I fondly recall when sexual preference identities were simple: LGB and maybe T, XYZ, believe you me. It was easy. It was a simpler time then. We didn’t have to worry about offending someone by using the wrong pronoun. We didn’t have to worry about making some poor, disturbed “T” or “Q” explode in tears from being misgendered.  

It would be so much easier (and we’d be less likely to offend) if the MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ “community” would just walk around with name tags identifying which gender they are, what their sexual identity is, and most importantly, what pronouns they prefer to be referred to.

Yes, that’s a joke. No Nazi “Star of David” references, please.

Not that I’d use them. But since misgendering is going to be an Olympic sport in 2030, it would be helpful to know who we should insult. 

Treacher tried and failed to keep a straight face in reporting on this phenomenon.

Okay, for real, this is a serious topic. You don’t want to see women kidnapped and murdered.

Not most women, anyway. I mean, there are names that come to mind…

But no. Nobody should go through that.

Mostly.

And of course, since that’s such a long acronym and that woman just rattled it off like it’s a normal thing to say, people are having some fun with it today. “Got my new password!” That sort of thing.

There’s a British comedian named Damian Slash who has perfected a sort of straight-faced satire of… liberal excesses, let’s put it that way. Here he is explaining why MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ is no joke.

MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ is not a joke pic.twitter.com/VMLFVvMPCn

— Damien Slash (@damienslash) April 9, 2026

The internet being the internet, there was a slanderous fake news take on this story that claimed Canada was updating its LGBTQ+ acronym to MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+.

Pink News, whose goal is to “empower generations to embrace and shape the future – making the world a gayer place,” says that simply isn’t true.

“She [Gazan] used MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+ as a catch-all term,” says Pink News. 

“Catch-all?” Really? That’s a pretty wide net to use as a “catch-all.” 

“Various social media sites began reporting that Canada has now officially updated the LGBTQ+ acronym to MMIWG2SLGBTQQIA+, which isn’t the case,” we’re informed by Pink News.

 It’s impossible to parody leftists who are blissfully unaware of their own stupidity.

Okay, so why is this so annoying? Why does this bug me so much? Why is liberalism so irritating?

Because that’s what’s going on here. It’s not about making fun of people who are in trouble. It’s not about making fun of these women.

It’s about not just being able to say that. That these women are in trouble. They need help. Just say that they’re missing women. They’re possibly murdered. Just say that.

But that’s not inclusive.

Precisely. If this really were about saving lives, they wouldn’t use code that’s impossible to say with a straight face or highfalutin “all-inclusive” descriptions of what these people’s preferences are when it comes to who they love or prefer to sleep with.

It’s pretentious bull. And they do their cause no good by employing acronyms solely to be “inclusive” while failing to see it as the problem.

Authored by Sylvia Xu via The Epoch Times,

Texas is expected to pay $708 million more by 2027 to the federal government in penalties for erroneous distributions from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

The state officials released the cost in a presentation to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on April 8.

The state payment error rate was estimated to be nearly 9 percent in fiscal year 2025, totaling $627 million in erroneous payments.

Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Texas will need to share an additional food stamps program cost of $708 million, 10 percent of the state’s total program benefits, based on its error rate, beginning October 2027.

Currently, the federal government fully funds the food stamps program, while states only need to pay half of the administrative expenses.

In fiscal year 2024, Texas received nearly $7 billion in federal funding and paid roughly $470 million for administrative costs.

Starting in October 2026, the states will need to share the administration costs at a rate of 75 percent. By 2027, Texas is expected to pay about $826 million more after adding in administrative fees of $117 million.

To avoid that result, Texas needs to bring its error rate down to 6 percent before the fiscal year ends this September.

In Texas, more than 3.2 million residents benefit from the food stamps program as of December 2025, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture data.

A family of four can receive a maximum of $994 per month on a Lone Star Card, which can be used like a debit card at any store that accepts SNAP.

Starting on April 1, SNAP recipients cannot buy candy or sweetened drinks in Texas with their Lone Star Cards.

Improper Payments

The federal government allocated nearly $100 billion to the food stamps program in fiscal year 2024; however, roughly $11 billion of that total was attributed to improper disbursement.

The food stamp error rate doesn’t come from fraud by people receiving the benefits, but from states making mistakes in determining who gets benefits and how much they receive.

Mistakes arise when beneficiaries forget to report changes in income or circumstances, or when government offices commit errors during case processing, according to the Texas Health and Human Services.

Food stamp errors accounted for 7 percent of the approximately $162 billion in improper payments recorded across 68 federal programs in fiscal year 2024, according to a report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office.

Since fiscal year 2003, cumulative federal improper payments have amounted to an estimated $2.8 trillion. The actual amount of improper payments may be significantly higher, according to the report.

The wait is over: after the Persian Gulf side of the Hormuz Strait had turned into a bit of a parking lot late last week as tankers piled up hoping to use the ceasefire and make the crossing, two Chinese supertankers loaded with crude sailed through the Strait of Hormuz hours after a Greek vessel moved through the waterway, marking a significant uptick in oil shipping traffic. It represents the biggest day of oil exits through Hormuz since the war caused traffic through the waterway to all but halt six weeks ago. More importantly, none of the ships are carrying Iranian oil or have obvious, direct links to the country.

The two Chinese supertankers are the Cospearl Lake and the He Rong Hai.  The Greek one is the Serifos. The Serifos and the He Rong Hai loaded their cargoes in Saudi Arabia, while the Cospearl Lake did so in Iraq, the tracking data show. 

All three tankers sailed eastward via south of Iran’s Larak Island, a new route outlined by Iran’s navy last week. The duo were in the Gulf of Oman by Saturday morning, ship-tracking data shows.

The two Chinese supertankers are the first from the Asian nation observed taking barrels out of Persian Gulf, a benefit for Beijing but also underscoring that the country has also been squeezed by the conflict. There’s also a third Chinese tanker, the Yuan Hua Hu, which hasn’t been signaling on Saturday, that had been waiting close by the first two before they moved to depart the Persian Gulf. 

The ships’ journeys were widely watched by marine and oil industry analysts as a sign of potential uptick for the traffic through the strait. Only two bulk carriers were allowed to pass on Friday, the fewest so far in April, according S&P Global Market Intelligence.

While the exits are significant, in oil flow terms, they are still way below peace-time levels: The three crossing tankers between them have a transport capacity of about 6 million barrels of crude. In addition, Iran, the only country really sending barrels through, exported at a rate of about 1.7 million barrels a day last month. That would imply roughly half the normal rate of shipments through the waterway — and only on a single day. 

Iran has said that vessels are allowed to sail through the waterway, but that they must get permission to do so. All three tankers followed a northerly route through the strait that has been demanded by Tehran. That path passes through Iranian waters and along the coasts of Qeshm and Larak Islands and is well away from the traditional Hormuz shipping lanes that hug the southern coast of the waterway.

The Greek tanker was signaling for Malacca in Malaysia, whose media reported on Friday a permission for the country’s freighters to depart. Malacca is also a waypoint for ships going elsewhere in Asia. 

Almost all traffic through the waterway, which normally handles about a fifth of the world’s oil and a similar portion of liquefied natural gas, ground to a halt within a day of the war starting on Feb. 28.

The reopening of Hormuz is critical to global oil trade because its closure has resulted in the loss of millions of barrels of supply to mostly Asian markets. A resumption would alleviate pressure on increasingly tight physical markets everywhere, and send prices plunging. The US and Iran are set to hold peace talks in Islamabad in the coming days.