Gershkovich has lived in Moscow for the past six years as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal focusing his coverage on Russia, Ukraine, and the former Soviet Union. He is accredited as a journalist by Russia’s foreign ministry, the Wall Street Journal reported. His last article, published Tuesday, was about the possible forthcoming decline of Russia’s economy.
Gershkovich’s arrest comes at a time the Kremlin is cracking down on dissent and criticism during its ongoing war in Ukraine, which the international community has condemned. In September 2022, Russian police arrested 1,300 people at anti-war protests after President Vladimir Putin announced that citizens would be drafted for the fight against Ukraine. More recently, a Russian father was sentenced to two years in prison after his 13-year-old daughter made pro-Ukrainian art with the slogan “Glory to Ukraine.”
Russia is also cracking down on media. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, Putin signed a law making it a crime to report “fake” news about the war with Ukraine — including merely referring to it as a war — leading to many international organizations suspending reporting from the country.
Outlets that remained have done so under censorship, with restricted language and punishment for contradicting the government. According to Reporters Without Borders, journalists have also been targeted with attacks while reporting from within Ukraine, and eight were killed within the first six months of the war.
Russian authorities have made high-profile arrests of US citizens before, often on inflated or spurious grounds. On Feb. 17, 2022, shortly before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Russian authorities arrested WNBA player Brittney Griner after vape cartridges with a small amount of hashish oil were found in her luggage. Griner later pleaded guilty to drug charges and was sentenced to nine years in a Russian penal colony. The case was widely seen as a political move to put pressure on the United States, which had promised aid to Ukraine. Griner was later released in a prisoner swap with Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
Gershkovich is the first journalist in over 30 years to be detained in Russia on espionage accusations. In 1986, Nicholas Daniloff, a reporter for U.S. News & World Report, was arrested by the KGB while he was a Moscow correspondent and released 20 days later in a prisoner swap for an employee of the Russian government who had been arrested by the FBI.
Before I first went traveling in 2006, I had these expectations in my head based on nothing but my imagination and popular culture.
My trip was going to be a nonstop adventure filled with colorful and exciting people. Crazy things were going to happen to me. I’d make friends everywhere. I’d be talking to strangers on buses. Locals would invite me out for drinks. I’d be sipping a latte, strike up a conversation with my beautiful waitress, and then the next thing I’d know, we’d be at a wine bar, staring into each other’s eyes while she taught me French.
It was going to be just like those articles I’d read or travel movies I saw. One adventurous scene after the next.
Then I went overseas.
There I was in the hostel, on the road, seeing amazing attractions in historic cities. I could do whatever I wanted, when I wanted. I was finally marching to the beat of my own drum.
At first, it was exciting, as I set my daily schedule and did things by myself. I was so busy those first couple of days that I had forgotten I was alone. And that was fine — until it wasn’t.
As the days wore on and my tongue forgot what speech sounded like, that excitement dissipated. I began to crave human interaction and companionship.
Suddenly, I was alone — and in the bad way.
Aloneness had turned to loneliness.
Where were the locals who were supposed to show me around? The cool travelers I’d spend nights out with? Once I ran out of things to do, I could no longer hide my aloneness.
Sure, I could move on to another city, hoping that the magic would happen there, that it was the destination’s fault and not me.
But it was me. Life doesn’t just happen to you — you have to make it happen.
As an introvert, it isn’t natural for me to just walk up to strangers and talk to them. That was especially true way back in 2006, when I first started traveling. (Heck, it takes me a lot to overcome that today.)
But that fear was keeping me from living the dreams I had in my head. If I wanted those dreams to happen, I was going to have to make them happen.
A lot of people wonder if traveling alone means they will always be alone. How will they make friends? Is it hard?
It’s a valid concern and, for us to whom socializing doesn’t come naturally, it’s a challenge. But let me tell you: it’s a lot easier than you think.
There are a lot of people traveling solo.
People just like you.
People looking for an adventure.
People who crave interactions with others.
And that other is you.
I overcame being alone when people in my hostel in Prague started talking to me. They were the first ones to reach out, luckily. They broke the barrier I was too afraid to break myself, sitting there, waiting for “something to happen.”
But, after they broke the ice, I realized that it was actually easier and less scary than I thought. Those travelers were like me and looking for a friend.
It took the introvert in me a while to learn that truth, but once I did, I had no trouble meeting people. After those travelers said hello and showed me how easy it was, I realized I was making a mountain out of a molehill. There was nothing to be scared of. I just had to say hi.
Because we all start off in the same boat: in a foreign country without any friends, not speaking the language, and looking for people to spend time with. Once you realize that, you also realize how simple and easy it is to make friends…because everyone is just like you.
That’s the big secret. There’s nothing more to overcome being alone than to get over yourself and say “hi.”
The key is to start small and break out of your shell. Talk to the person in your dorm room. Say hello. Ask them about themselves. Trust me, they will respond. They’ll ask you about you, your home, your travel plans, and more.
From there, just do the same to other travelers you see. Look for a group leaving for the bar and ask, “Can I join you?”
Walk over to that pool table in the hostel and ask, “Who’s next?”
People will say yes. Conversation will begin. Friendships will blossom.
And thanks to the sharing economy, there are lots more ways to meet people beyond meeting them at hostels,
For example, I’m sure you have one thing you are passionate about, right? Well, people around the world have that same passion. Use a website like Meetup.com to find local groups that form around that passion. Maybe it’s swing dancing, maybe it’s pickleball or Dungeons & Dragons. Whatever it is, I’m sure there are locals who do it too. Finding local groups with a shared interest is a great way to break the ice because you already have something to talk about, something that creates an instant connection.
Moreover, you can try the website Couchsurfing. It’s not only a place to find accommodation; it also has tons of meet-ups you can attend to find other travelers and like-minded people.
I’ll be honest, at first, I found it hard to speak to others. Conversations stumbled from time to time. But you either sink or swim on the road. My options were to be alone (and risk potentially going home early) or to get over my fear, take the plunge, and talk to people.
I choose the latter.
And on the occasions I was sinking instead of swimming, other travelers came up to me and said hello. They made the first move so I didn’t have to.
Why? Because they were looking to make friends too. Like me, they understood that if they didn’t do something, they too would have been alone.
Travelers are a friendly bunch. They want to meet new people and make new friends.
And one of those friends is you.
For that reason, you are never alone on the road. There are people everywhere who will be constantly talking to you and inviting you out (especially if you’re staying in hostels).
Take it from this introvert: you’ll meet more people than you’ll know what to do with. (In fact, there will be points when you wished you had some personal “me” time.)
Eventually, you’ll realize there was never a reason to worry in the first place. And you’ll never be alone again.
How to Travel the World on $75 a Day
My New York Times best-selling book to travel will teach you how to master the art of travel so that you’ll get off save money, always find deals, and have a deeper travel experience. It’s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the “bible for budget travelers.”
Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.
Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.
Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:
Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.
Need a Rental Car? Discover Cars is a budget-friendly international car rental website. No matter where you’re headed, they’ll be able to find the best — and cheapest — rental for your trip!
Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.
Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.
HYBE has officially launched a subsidiary in China, the world’s fifth-largest recorded music market.
A HYBE spokesperson has confirmed that the South Korea-born entertainment giant set up an office in Beijing last month. Yonhap reports that the dedicated subsidiary in China is aimed at helping the company’s artists expand into the market.
HYBE is behind superstar acts including BTS, ENHYPEN, Seventeen, and others.
The launch of an office in Beijing marks HYBE’s fourth global market presence outside of South Korea, having expanded into Japan, followed by the United States and, most recently, LatinAmerica over the past few years.
According to that report, HYBE is preparing to make a “full-fledged entry into the Indian entertainment market starting with a local office”.
HYBE told us in a statement at the time that, “while HYBE is not currently in the stage of making concrete plans to establish a local office [in India], we regularly conduct market research across countries and regions”.
Improved relations between the two countries could result in a substantial uplift in concert ticket, album, and merch sales for South Korean entertainment companies as they expand beyond their home market amid the continued rise in K-pop’s global popularity.
HYBE’s move to set up a new office in China arrives in the same year that its flagship K-Pop act, BTS, is set to return after a hiatus of several years due to the members’ military service.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, we learned that HYBE is selling its entire 9.38% stake in rival K-Pop firm SM Entertainment to Tencent Music Entertainment, China’s largest owner of music streaming services, in a transaction worth nearly $180 million.
We suggested earlier this week that Tencent Music’s significant investment in a South Korean music company signals a vote of confidence in South Korean Entertainment’s future positioning in the Chinese market.
Earlier today, SM and Tencent Music announced a new partnership that will see them co-produce new idol groups and plan local performances in China.
Yonhapnotes that SM Entertainment, but also YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment, which are all key rivals to HYBE in the K-pop business, already run their own China-based divisions.
When news arrived last week about HYBE’s reported India expansion plans, we asked if HYBE was considering a potential acquisition in the market, replicating its strategy of buying local companies and expanding into markets such as the US and Latin America.
HYBE entered into the Latin Music market in 2023 via the acquisition of Exile Music, an affiliate label of Spanish-language entertainment studio Exile Content.
Since then, the company has expanded its presence in the market through initiatives such as its partnership with Spanish-language television network Telemundo to launch Pase a la Fama.
HYBE’s most notable M&A move in recent years, however, was the $1 billion-plus acquisition of Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in the US, in 2021.
And in February 2023, HYBE America, led by Scooter Braun, acquired Atlanta rap powerhouse QC Media Holdings aka Quality Control, home to acts such as Lil Baby, Migos, Lil Yachty and City Girls, in a deal was worth $300 million, according to Korean regulator filings.
Elsewhere in the US, MBW broke the news in March that HYBE has acquired Santa Monica-based ‘events concierge’ company Confirmed360, which has been linked to arranging VIP experiences at concerts by superstars from Taylor Swift to Justin Timberlake.
Just yesterday (May 29), HYBE America divested Big Machine Rock, the Nashville-based rock imprint of Big Machine Label Group, selling the label to Gebbia Media. (BMLGwas acquired by Scooter Braun’s Ithaca Holdings in 2019. The entirety of Ithaca, including BMLG and Braun’s SB Projects, was then acquired by South Korea’s HYBE in 2021.)
HYBE recently achieved its highest-ever first-quarter revenue haul, surpassing the 500 billion South Korean won mark in the three months to the end of March.
HYBE reported KRW500.6 billion (approx. USD $348.4 million at current exchange rates) in first-quarter revenue on Tuesday (April 29), a 38.7% jump from KRW 360.9 billion($251m) last year.
Europe has a comfortable lead designing the world’s most luxuriously accommodating production camper vans. The US, on the other hand, is more about forging a lead in rugged, versatile off-road adventure vans. Now, Winnebago Industries’ Grand Design RV is bringing those two worlds screaming together. Its all-new Lineage van features a level of interior glamping luxury you don’t usually see outside the European or custom markets, housed within a ruggedized Ford Transit van primed for all-terrain journeys to remote off-grid campsites.
A relatively new brand in the Indianan heartland of the American RV industry, Grand Design typically busies itself with big honking premium travel trailers and Class C motorhomes. The Lineage Series VT is its first dip in the camper van pool, and rather than going the more obvious and popular route (Mercedes Sprinter), it shows its American Midwest pride by starting off with a Ford Transit 148 topped with a high roof.
To give its first Class B that spontaneous, adventurous edge upon which American van-dwellers thrive, Grand Design includes standard all-wheel-drive for distributing out the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6’s 310 hp and 400 lb-ft (542 Nm) of torque to all four wheels. It ensures those wheels are adept at using that torque to bite into the ground below by wrapping them up in a set of BFGoodrich KO2 all-terrain tires, hanging a full spare off the back by the ladder.
Grand Design moves the spare tire to a carrier on the back of the van, making room for the underbody split-system condensor/compressor air conditioning, which feeds into a vent over top the bed
Grand Design
Connecting those ruggedly shod wheels to Ford’s chassis is an upgraded Van Compass suspension with 2-in lift. A set of running boards helps occupants make the leap up to the raised van floor.
A full-length roof rack comes standard atop the hard-roofed two-sleeper Lineage VT, flashing 400 watts of pre-mounted solar panels at the sun. Buyers can double that to 800 watts, optionally. The optional pop-up roof, meanwhile, comes directly adorned with 300 watts of solar, no rack. The non-pop-up van includes a full-width light bar on the front of its rack, while both models come with area pod lights at the rear corners.
The pop-up roof includes a panoramic fabric design and skylight
Grand Design
A passenger-side awning comes standard, and buyers really looking to keep powered up for long off-grid stints can opt up to the available 720-W solar awning. The VT camps electrically with no propane equipment, powered by a 48-V Lithionics package with a 165-Ah battery that can be optionally doubled up to 330 Ah. That system is designed to power base camp for up to three days with the 20K-BTU underbody-mounted air conditioner humming along to keep the inside cool.
All that off-grid, all-terrain focus lets the Lineage VT’s American roots shine, but stepping through the sliding rear door is like taking a quick trip across the Atlantic. Sure, many manufacturers use Europe’s preferred floor plan with foldaway rear bed, front-facing bench/dining area, and central wet bath/kitchen, but Grand Design dials up the continental flavor with lesser-seen features inspired by – some even directly imported from – the Old Continent.
The attachable, expanding dining table doubles as an outdoor work table when attached to the back of the kitchen block
Grand Design
It starts smack in the center of the van with a wet bathroom that pushes outside its cramped driver-side compartment to span the width of the van to the kitchen counter. The shower floor is integrated into the main aisle, below a removable floor panel, and a roller door wraps around the space for privacy. A rainfall shower head is built into the ceiling directly over the aisle, offering a more neatly integrated solution than the typical shower head or sprayer.
That style of expandable roller door wet bathroom has been a staple of European camper design, even on rather inexpensive vans, for as long as we’ve been following. During that same stretch, most American camper van builders have remained a little too comfortable with closet-like wet bathrooms and deconstructed spaces that break down to stealthy nothingness.
The rainfall shower is located right over the center aisle, which becomes part of the bathroom
Grand Design
Being a Winnebago brand, Grand Design could have quite easily carbon-copied the Revel’s small but clever wet bath, but it instead went a few steps further to maximize elbow room and elegance. In fact, when you consider the overhead rainfall shower, the Lineage VT bathroom is most similar to the design we recently saw in the Camper Schmiede Marilyn Onroad, an experimental one-off custom camper. Not bad for a volume production van from a big Indiana RV maker.
Outside that bathroom roller door, the Lineage VT kitchen block pulls more than just inspiration from the European market, featuring a countertop made from Italian porcelain. That top isn’t merely a luxe appointment, concealing an InvisaCook induction cooktop below. A cleaner solution than an above-counter or portable induction cooker, the unit is always at the ready but stays completely out of the way, maintaining a clear, flush usable work space when not in use.
Putting the hidden induction cooktop to use
Grand Design
That premium residential-grade cooktop design is complemented by a rectangular kitchen sink with a cutting board cover and a swivel faucet that offers both direct and wide rainfall modes. The 91-L fridge/freezer is located at the end of the galley block, just inside the sliding door, while a pop-up spice rack makes use of the space behind the sink.
Stepping into the convertible rear bedroom area, a foldaway center bed panel fills out the space between two side consoles to complete the bed foundation. The driver-side console houses the electrical and systems hardware, while the passenger-side console complements the overhead cabinets in offering loads of storage space. The latter even includes a handy integrated mesh laundry bag below a removable top panel and a slim, heavy-duty storage tray that slides out of the rear door.
The center of the bed folds up, leaving a side shelf/work area console; the dining table mounts to the underside of the bed when not in use
Grand Design
Once the center panel is folded down and the mattress segments put in place, the 54 x 80-in (137 x 203-cm) bed stretches across the width of the van. Another clever highlight Grand Designs has hidden away, a 50-in projector screen at the foot of the bed unfurls from the overhead cabinetry at the push of a button next to the passenger-side window. A magnet integrated into the underside of the passenger-side overhead cabinet floor works to hold a projector in place for enjoying movies in bed.
The retractable projector screen delivers in-bed entertainment
Grand Design
The front end of the Lineage VT interior offers plenty of natural light thanks to another feature literally imported straight from Europe. The double-pane skylight extends from just over the windshield up to the roof, bringing in plenty of sunlight and delivering up views of the sky above.
We recall watching that style of skylight spread around the European camper van market back around 2018 and 2019. And not so long after that, pop-up roofs also started becoming more panoramic, ditching smaller standalone windows in favor of wraparound mesh delivering grand views of the stars at night and plenty of sunlight and fresh air during the day.
The Lineage VT picks that latter trend up, as well, using a dramatic 270-degree front-side mesh wrap on the fabric of its own pop-top. The optional upstairs bedroom space sleeps two people, providing a four-person family camper option.
View from inside the pop-up roof
Grand Design
Other notable features in the 21.9-foot (6.7-m) Lineage VT include a Firefly touchscreen command system, an outdoor shower port on the driver’s side, a 30-A shore power hookup, a 6,800-BTU furnace, and a water heater. Options include a roof-mounted Starlink internet dish, along with previous mentions like the solar awning and added battery capacity.
The RVIA-certified Lineage Series VT starts at an MSRP of US$218,557, and while anything over $200K still reads quite expensive to our naked eye, that price doesn’t look bad at all when you start looking around the market. We’re not even sure how Winnebago is going to convince customers that $254,000 is a reasonable MSRP for the Revel when its own brand is offering this beauty for under $219K to start.
Some of the VT’s features are better seen than read, and if you have 30 minutes (or 10 and a keen eye for skipping through YT videos to the info you want), Grand Design product manager Stephan Dolzan does a great job showcasing the camper van from bumper to bumper, inside and out:
The men’s 100 fly has been largely dominated by Caeleb Dressel since 2017, but the world record holder in the event is not competing at this year’s Nationals. Dressel won the 100 fly at the Olympic Trials last summer, clocking 50.19. That makes the men’s 100 fly yet another event that will be missing at least one of its Olympians from last summer.
Moreover, the men’s 100 fly has seen a lot of turnover from last year, as only three of the eight finalists from the Olympic Trials last summer are competing in the event at Nationals this year. Other finalists from Trials last year who won’t be in the picture this year are Zach Harting (4th), Ryan Murphy (6th), Luke Miller (7th), and Kaii Winkler (8th).
The 50-Point Club
With Dressel’s absence, there are three swimmers in the field who are entered with a time under 51 seconds, and another who has been under 51 seconds before.
Leading the way is 18-year-old Thomas Heilman out of Cavalier Aquatics/Piedmont Family YMCA. The other American Olympian in this event from last summer, Heilman came in 2nd at Trials last summer in 50.80. As just a 17-year-old, Heilman would finish 18th in prelims in Paris, missing out on the semi-finals.
Heilman was notably the Trials champion in the 200 fly last summer, and he would go on to finish 10th in the semis in Paris. This year, Heilman hasn’t yet swum the LC 100 fly, however, he did pop a 1:57.81 200 fly in mid-May at the Richmond Sectionals meet. Given his age, Heilman is a swimmer whose stock could very well continue to rise, which means he may well end up being one of the American stars of this summer.
Alongside Heilman is Shaine Casas, who is benefiting as much as anyone from the absences in his primary events. Casas now has an easier path in the backstroke events due to absences, and he finds himself in a great position in the 100 fly as well with Dressel being out. He wound up entering and declaring a false start in the 100 fly at Trials last summer, however, he may well view it as a much more favorable event this summer. Casas holds a career best of 50.40 in the 100 fly, which he swam back in 2022. That time also marks Casas as the swimmer with the fastest career best in this field.
Casas has been in good form so far in 2025. Back at the Westmont Pro Swim Series in March, he clocked his season high of 50.82 in the 100 fly, which also makes him the fastest American in the event so far this year. Like Heilman, he’ll be one of the most interesting swimmers to watch at this meet, as he could easily turn into one of the stars of the meet. Now, between the fly events, back events, 200 IM, and the 100/200 free, Casas will likely have to scratch down from his seven entries, however, he has the clearest path he’s ever faced to be on an international LC roster in a multitude of events.
The other swimmer in the field who is seeded under 51 seconds is Cal’s Dare Rose, who came in 3rd at Trials last summer with a 50.84.
Rose holds a career best of 50.46 from the 2023 World Championships, marking the 2nd-fastest career best in the field. His time from Worlds earned him the bronze medal. Like Casas, Rose has already shown himself to be in great shape heading into this meet, as he clocked a season-best 50.93 at the CA NOVA Speedo Grand Challenge on Memorial Day weekend.
Rose is only entered in the 50 fly and 100 fly next week, which means we can say with a great degree of confidence that he will race the 100 fly, and he has the benefit of pouring his focus into the event versus those racing busier schedules.
Michael Andrew rounds out the swimmers in this field who have been under 51 seconds in the 100 fly before. Andrew’s career best of 50.80 is a bit dated, coming from May of 2021, however, in his defense, his focus of events has been shifting quite a bit over the past few years. Now that he’s training with the ASU pro group, we’ll get to see Andrew’s first true taper meet in a very long time. In fact, Andrew detailed at the Sacramento Pro Swim Series in early April that he was still trying to adjust to racing while tired, which wasn’t something he really ever did under his previous training plan.
A potential benefit to that adjustment for Andrew is that, now that he’ll be in a resting phase heading into this meet, he may feel more refreshed than ever racing at this meet. That’s not a guarantee, just a possibility. Either way, this is a Michael Andrew type of meet. Following the disappointment of not making the Olympic roster last summer, he gets to come back this summer, race a bunch of 50s, a couple of 100s, and the 200 IM.
Andrew comes into the 100 fly seeded with a 52.36, which doesn’t necessarily jump off the page, but as stated above, the 100 fly hasn’t been as much of a focus for him in recent years. He hasn’t swum the 100 fly LC yet this year, however, he’s managed to put up some very solid 50 fly times, including a 23.44 at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series in early May.
Now, the trickiest part with Andrew is that this meet featuring 50s makes his schedule a bit too busy. The 100 fly is on day 3 of the meet, but, unfortunately, the 100 fly, 50 breast, and 50 back are all back-to-back-to-back on that day. It’s incredibly hard to imagine that Andrew would forego the 50 breast, so that’s a lock. That means the only remaining question is whether Andrew will attempt the double or not, and, if so, which event he will choose for the double. Given the likelihood that he races the 50 breast, we’re going to leave Andrew out of our official picks on this preview, but if he does race it, he’ll be a contender.
All It Takes Is a Great Swim
Behind our 50-point club, there’s a handful of swimmers who can make some real noise in the 100 fly if they just manage to pop a lifetime best next week. Leading that pack is Luca Urlando, who returned from injury to have a very successful NCAA season with Georgia this year.
Once one of the most promising rising stars in American swimming, Urlando’s career was derailed by a significant shoulder injury. That being said, the 23-year-old is back healthy and appears to be potentially even better than ever.
Starting with his college season, Urlando won the 200 fly at NCAAs, swimming a 1:36.43 (yards), which broke the NCAA Record. He also clocked a career best in the 100 fly at NCAAs with a 43.49, which was good for 3rd place. Urlando then carried that momentum from NCAAs into the LCM pool, as just a couple of days after NCAAs, he traveled down to Sacramento for the Pro Swim Series, where he was exceptional. Urlando popped a career best of 51.32 in the 100 fly at that Pro Swim Series. He also was 1:52.37 in the 200 fly, which was another career best.
Now, we know Urlando was fully rested for that Pro Swim Series since it was directly after NCAAs but, even so, all it would take for Urlando to make the team in the 100 fly is another career best in Indy.
NC State’s Aiden Hayes comes in seeded 5th in the 100 fly for this meet and is 1 of only 3 swimmers in this field from last year’s Trials final. Last year, Hayes came in 5th at Trials with a 51.43. He also executed the Trials races very impressively, going 51.58 in prelims, 51.50 in semifinals, then 51.43 in finals. That being said, Hayes’ career best was set in the summer of 2023, where he went 51.24.
Since he’s no longer in college, we don’t have an NCAA season to judge Hayes’ improvement on. Instead, he’s only swum a single meet since the Olympic Trials last summer, which was the TAC Titans Spring Fling in mid-May, where he clocked a 52.52 in the 100 fly. It’s hard to judge where someone is based on a single meet in the past year, however, 52.52 is strong enough that we should expect to see Hayes in another final in the 100 fly, especially since he’s shown he can be on point in prelims.
Trenton Julian has the 5th-fastest career best in this field, having been 51.10 back in the summer of 2022. Julian came in 9th in semifinals at Trials last summer, swimming a 51.79. So far in 2025, Julian has been consistently solid in the 100 fly, having been 52.68 in March, 52.46 in April, and 52.45 in May. Like the others in this section, Julian would almost certainly have to pop a career best in order to finish in the top two, but he has a great chance of making the final, so there’s a chance.
Cal’s Gabriel Jett is an ever-present threat in this event. Jett has been such a dynamic yards swimmer for the Golden Bears, and we’ve been waiting for him to fully breakout in LCM swimming. While he’s done quite well in the long pool, it still seems like he has more potential. That being said, he has a career best of 51.53 in the 100 fly, which is plenty fast enough for him to make the final next week. At Trials last summer, he came in 15th in semi-finals with a 52.57 after going 52.35 in prelims.
Jett seems to really fit that mold where, if he has a great race, he could really cause some disruption in this event.
The Best of The Rest
Jack Dahlgren, a Mizzou pro, came in 10th in the 100 fly at Trials last summer, swimming his career best of 52.02.
So far this year, he’s been 53.11 in the 100 fly, and he’s put up an impressive 1:56.83 in the 200 fly. Dahlgren would have to have the swim of his life to make the Worlds team in this event, however, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him in the final after narrowly missing out on it last summer at Trials.
Ohio State’s Evan Fentress was a semifinalist in the 100 fly at Trials, taking 13th in 52.27, which is his career best. He had a hit or miss NCAA season this year, clocking career bests in the 50 and 100 free, but not improving in the 100 or 200 fly. Like Dahlgren, Fentress would have to have a true coming out party to get in contention for the team, however, he could make the final with a good swim in the morning.
Kamal Muhammad, who recently announced he’s transferring from Virginia to Tennessee for his final 2 years of NCAA eligibility, could be an interesting name to watch here. Muhammad just swam his career best of 52.36 at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series. That time ties him for the 10th seed coming into the meet, so he’s right on the threshold of making the final.
Texas’ Ryan Branon just popped a career best of 52.46 in the 100 fly at the ST TXLA Longhorns Aquatics meet in mid-May. He also posted a career best of 1:56.45 in the 200 fly at that meet, so Branon appears to be in great shape with his LCM fly heading into this meet.
16-year-old Rowan Cox out of Longhorn Aquatics could really make some noise in the 100 fly. He clocked his career best of 52.59 in the 100 fly at Junior Pan Pacs last summer, where he earned the silver medal. This year, Cox has been 53.78 in the 100 fly, which he swam at the Fort Lauderdale Pro Swim Series a few weeks ago.
SWIMSWAM’S PICKS
Dark Horse: Colin Geer, Michigan – Rising Michigan junior Colin Geer has been making a name for himself through his first 2 years with the Wolverines. He comes into this meet as the 16th seed with a time of 52.72, which also stands as his career best. He set his career best at the Speedo Summer Championships at the end of last July. Since then, Geer had a terrific NCAA season, wherein he got down to career bests of 45.10 in the 100 fly and 1:39.58 in the 200 fly in SCY. While a top 2 finish seems a bit out of reach for Geer as of yet, a great swim in the morning could easily see him as an unexpected finalist in this event.
A rare visit to the Afghan village hit by the ‘mother of all bombs’ reveals lasting damage and unanswered questions.
In 2017, the US dropped the “mother of all bombs” in a remote village in Afghanistan’s Achin district. Al Jazeera made the journey to see what’s left: homes destroyed, health problems mounting, and no accountability in sight.
The second international trip Mike and I took together was to Belize for our PADI open-water diver certification. In many ways, the vacation was a test to see, not only if we loved scuba, but also traveling together. After days of exploring the tropical waters, swimming alongside eagle rays, nurse sharks, countless reef fish, and my adorable boyfriend, the answer was a resounding yes and yes! We quickly realized diving was an incredible and integral way to explore this blue planet, and we’ve since done 200+ dives across the continents! Looking back on our 18 years as scuba divers, we’re excited to share our top 10 dive destinations in the world.
Roatán, Honduras: Shore Dives & Caverns
When we told people we were housesitting for two months in Honduras, most thought we were nuts, but our diver friends completely understood. In a prime stretch of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (the second largest in the world), Roatán is among the best Caribbean diving destinations, with 500+ species of fish, dozens of shipwrecks, sea walls, underwater caves, and boundless coral gardens. The section between West End and West Bay is the island’s scuba diving hub, with many of the sites accessible right from shore or a few-minute boat ride for super easy access.
Tabyana
We went on three incredible dive trips, starting in West Bay’s Tabyana. First and foremost, this site is an incredible rock formation with crags letting in light for vibrant corals, nooks for a wide range of habitats, and passageways to delight the explorer in all of us. We dove a dramatic coral swim-through and were surrounded by thousands of silverside fish. Ascending from the chasm, we were in gardens of purple fan coral and parrot fish cleaning the reef, for a dive that made us want to become Cavern-Diver Certified.
Roatán Banks
Cayos Cochinos is within the UNESCO heritage section of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, but savvy scuba outfitters know the best diving is just before Cayos in the deep seamount of the Roatán Banks. We dropped down 40 feet and there seemed to be every type of coral and reef fish imaginable. Peering into azure barrel sponges, eyeing up green morays, and channel-clinging crabs in the crevices, examining the peculiar nudibranch, and having a reef shark whiz by us was a delight!
Any scuba driver will tell you that our oceans are warming and coral bleaching is happening worldwide, but when you come to a place like The Banks it gives you hope it’s not too late. For more on protecting this reef, check out the great work by the non-profit and ocean watchdog, Roatán Marine Park.
The Coral Triangle is the most biodiverse marine region in the world with over 6,000 species of fish and 76% of the planet’s coral species. It’s lined with epic scuba diving destinations, but one that consistently tops the lists? Sipadan, Malaysia. The varied terrain in Malaysia’s Celebes Sea offered us every kind of dive, from high-speed drift to shipwreck to otherworldly macro. Bumphead parrotfish, whitetip reef sharks, spotted rays, green sea turtles, countless reef fish, and nudibranchs galore graced our 11 dives.
And to make this trip even more memorable, we stayed on a liveaboard like no other, Seaventures Dive Rig…a 1970s oil rig turned eco-friendly dive resort hovering over the reef. The old cargo deck has been turned into a PADI dive center and restaurant, employee housing into suites, the helipad into a sweeping rooftop patio, and the freight elevator into a fun way to reach the sea. Our days were filled with three scuba sessions (plus as many as we’d like at the house reef directly below the rig), with breaks for bountiful meals, roof deck lounging, high dives off the plank, and boat trips to the fascinating Bajau Laut (aka “sea gypsy”) village on Mabul Island.
Sipadan Marine Park
Rising 2,000 feet above the sea floor and covered in 100 species of coral, this is the oceanic island that draws people to the region. Due to its popularity, you’ll need a park permit and Advanced Open-Water Certification, with a max of two dives per day at Sipadan’s 13 sites. Barracuda Point is the channel where these toothy beasts love to congregate, and West Ridge is where the bumphead parrotfish like to bask in the dawn light.
Paradise 1 & Paradise 2
While the beige sandy bottom and artificial reef of north Mabul Island might not seem like much at first, here lies some of the Coral Triangle’s finest macro and muck diving. Scouring the sea floor we found a plethora of colorful nudibranchs, cuttlefish, frogfish (Mike’s new favorite creature), and more weird and wonderful marine life. Plus, we saw a school of ~800 jackfish!
West Mabul
The west side of Mabul has a stunning wall with enough current for a thrilling drift dive. Starting at Lobster Wall, it turned into a turbo drift to Panglima Reef, where we were greeted by an abundance of tropical fish and multiple green sea turtles.
Galapagos, Ecuador: Endemic Species & Sheer Abundance
Exploring the Galapagos Islands is like a safari at sea. But unlike an elusive cheetah or lioness in the tall grasses of the savanna, the Galapagos wildlife doesn’t shy away…they are equally curious about you. Playful sea lions swim up to snorkelers, penguins do laps around kayakers, and iguanas sunbathe alongside you. Isolated 1,000 kilometers off the coast of Ecuador, these volcanic islands’ endemic species served as the groundwork for Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution and remain one of the world’s premier wildlife-viewing destinations.
To explore this National Park and UNESCO Heritage Site, we went with Active Adventures and made sure scuba diving was a part of our package. Not only is this area of the East Pacific teeming with awe-inspiring sharks, rays, sea lions, and turtles, but over 2,900 other marine organisms discovered in the Galapagos.
Kicker Rock
Shaped like a boot split in two, this underwater volcano off San Cristóbal Island is nothing short of incredible. The canyon through the middle is a veritable fish highway and we took a ride in the fast lane. Marine life of countless varieties — hammerhead sharks, scorpion fish, Pacific green sea turtles, whitetip sharks, and sea lions all gave us close encounters. Words cannot fully describe the volume and beauty of marine life we saw on our two dives at Kicker Rock. Watch for yourselves (above).
Darwin & Wolf Islands
These neighboring islands on the northwest side of the archipelago always top the list of the Galapagos best dive sites. Due to their remote location, these isles and their dozen sites are most commonly accessed by liveaboard ships, but once you’re there, you’ll have diving for days. We’ll certainly be adding it to our next trip!
Mark our words, Timor-Leste is the new frontier in scuba diving. Hidden away as a Portuguese colony for over 400 years, followed by Indonesian military occupation for the next two decades, and propped up by UN Peacekeeping operations until 2012, Timor-Leste never really had the chance to develop and its reef is pristine as a result. Along the Ombai Strait and Indonesian Throughflow, where upwelling from the deep basins of the Banda Sea brings nutrient-rich water, the area is a paradise for marine mammals and reef fish alike.
It’s a major migratory route for whales, including blue, beaked, humpback, sperm, killer, melonhead, plus super pods of dolphins. October-December is the best time to whale watch and, better yet, swim with the blue whales–one of the few places on Earth where this is even possible! Then there is Ataúro Island, where Conservation International found the highest average reef fish diversity in the world (a whopping 642 species), and according to us, the prettiest coral gardens we’ve ever seen!
Ataúro Island & Two-Mile Reef
We set out for Ataúro with the seasoned Aquatica Dive Resort, one of the island’s longest-running operators, and were quickly surrounded by a dozen pilot whales and over 100 dolphins. As Ataúro’s sheer cliffs drew closer, we hugged the west side of their stunning shoreline and dropped in at Iliana. The Two-Mile Reef combines the villages of Iliana and Arlo, with incredible walls of soft coral colonies and huge sponges.
The color, textures, and density of life on the wall were like nothing we’ve seen in our 18 years of diving. We saw snappers, surgeonfish, fusiliers, trevally, and so many schools of blue tangs it could have been a university. While you can often see eagle rays, dogtooth tuna, and barracudas, it wasn’t about the big fish, it was the sheer abundance of life in all its forms and a new standard for healthy reefs on this planet!
Ombai Strait
Swimming with the largest mammal on earth is not usually on the dive menu, but Desmond Lee, owner of Aquatica Dive Resort was convinced he could offer it up (in a safe and respectful manner) during the blue whale migration each fall. Studying their patterns as they move through the Ombai Strait, he’s found a way for freedivers to join the whales at the right moment for eye-to-eye observation. We will certainly be back for this!
French Polynesia is a country made up of over 100 islands and atolls, with Fakarava bringing out the best of its biodiversity. A UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in the Tuamotu Archipelago, Fakarava boasts the second-biggest lagoon in French Polynesia. With two passes on the opposite sides of the atoll, plankton, and schools of fish are funneled between the natural gates, attracting droves of pelagics.
Famous for its “wall of sharks” and excellent visibility (up to 100 feet!), it’s a bucket-list diving destination made better with dreamy turquoise water and white sand spits. This part of the Pacific also holds an extra big spot in our hearts because it’s also where we learned to sail. Over eight days, we had the chance to explore the atoll by yacht and dive it from end to end.
Garuae Pass
Starting in the north of the atoll, we dove Garuae, French Polynesia’s widest pass (more than a mile!). The varied topography allows for shallow dives among the hard corals and a fun drift into the heart of the channel. The high density of fish includes jacks, perches, goatfish, groupers, and wrasses, along with plenty of predators from sleeper sharks to moray eels.
Tetamanu Pass
After days of sailing, anchoring at secluded coves, SUPing to shore for coconuts and hearts of palm, and living our best pirate life, we reached Tetamanu Pass in the far south. It brings a strong incoming current and so many resting sharks it’s been dubbed ‘the wall of sharks.” While our timing wasn’t right for the true “wall,” we had so much fun riding the current with the fishies and ending our drift dive with a dramatic finale of gray reef sharks on a tag-team, high-speed chase to catch and thrash their dinner.
More French Polynesia Top Dive Destinations and Adventures
Unroll your map of the Philippines’ 7,107 tropical islands, hone in on the archipelagos splitting the Sulu and South China Seas…and you’ll find the Calamianes. This island grouping around northern Palawan is absolutely stunning with its black limestone mountains, turquoise lakes, and beaches. When it comes to wreck diving, Coron Island is arguably the best place in the world to give it a try.
Most wreck dives require a special PADI certification, due to deeper depths and dangers of entering enclosed and unstable structures, but Coron’s unique history brings them within reach. Toward the end of World War II, the US Navy pinpointed Coron Bay as a safe haven for Japanese supply boats and battleships. At 9am on September 24th, 1944 a surprise air strike sunk 24 ships in one hour, leaving behind a wide variety of structures for divers at every level to explore.
Sangat Island
We went to Sangat Island which has Coron Bay’s largest concentration of sunken ships, with 11 being within recreational dive depths of 9 to 140 feet. Wreck diving can be a little scary, so East Tangat, a gunboat/anti-submarine craft that lies on a shallow slope, lets you evaluate the relic in the bright sunlight and work your way down. Both soft and hard corals have made it their home and schools of angelfish and butterflyfish move through the storied spaces.
Olympia Maru
A 425-foot-long mobile aircraft repair facility and supply depot for the Japanese Army now lies at the base of Busuanga Island. The main deck sits at 59-79 feet deep and with a wide-open cargo area, it’s easier to explore and examine this piece of history. Moving through the wheelhouse and propeller shaft, we felt like we were in a Discovery Channel special! The structure and context of World War II combat were fascinating in and of itself, then add in the marine life, including adorable puffers and a school of jackfish, and our minds were blown.
The Caribbean’s Cayman Islands may not be known for their mountains above the sea, but below, the walls rise 6,000 feet for some epic diving. And if that kind of drop makes you weak in the knees, Grand Cayman also has some of the best shore dives around with amazing rock formations and shipwrecks that even beginners can enjoy. With 365 dive sites, this three-island nation takes diving and ocean conservation seriously, offering some of the best Caribbean diving for every day of the year.
Trinity Caves, West Bay
Five minutes from shore, across the teal shallows of the westside, the sea floor seemed to drop out from under us. It was a shade of blue reserved for deep-sea fishing trips and trans-Atlantic voyages. Kitted out like Jacques Cousteau, we descended a hundred feet to the Trinity Caves. Passing dragon whips and sea fans, we entered the craggy rock tunnel with beams of light peeking through. The Trinity reference is for the three caves, but also the look of a rough-hewn cathedral. We met a spotted eagle ray, parrot fish, clinging crabs, a Nassau grouper with a belly full of eggs, and more beguiling creatures.
Doc Poulson Wreck
This old telecommunications cable boat has been lying on the sea floor since the 1980s and found a second life as a coral garden. We swam into the hull, moving through mangled iron with schools of fish, emerged through the floorboards, and took the helm in the wheelhouse feeling like proper underwater explorers.
More Cayman Islands’ Top Dive Destinations & Adventures
Leonardo DiCaprio’s The Beach made everyone want to check out Koh Phi Phi Island’s azure water and white sand utopia…especially if you were already in the Andaman Sea neighborhood. We too joined the ranks of meatheads and misfits attracted to Southern Thailand, with visions of Leo dancing through our heads, and experienced it for ourselves. We got there and, although Koh Phi Phi was indeed party madness, its limestone islands and coral gardens were even better than the movies.
Koh Bida Nok
This island across the way slopes down to an incredibly vibrant reef, teeming with marine life. The underwater topography ranges from sandy bottoms, steep walls, small caves, large crevices, and rolling reefs. It’s covered in a wide range of soft and hard corals, for some of the best colors left in the sea. Big schools of tuna, trevallies, two-spot snappers, anemone fish, butterflyfish, and even the rare Ghost Pipe can be seen here, plus, we spotted over a dozen Hawksbill turtles! Come May-August, you may even see whale sharks passing through, and blacktip reef sharks and leopard sharks can be spotted most of the year.
Koh Phi Phi Le & Maya Bay
This is home of the actual Beach beach. The north side of the bay has a sloping reef, some dramatic rock formations, including an awesome swim-through, a steep wall, and one of the largest caverns in the area. The best part was, by the time we were done with our dives, the tour boats had gone home and we had the cove to ourselves for sunset and a swim to our own mini Beach tucked in the cliffs.
Great Barrier Reef, Australia: The Mother of Them All
This list wouldn’t be complete without the Great Barrier Reef….the largest living structure on this planet! Teeming with 600 types of corals, 1,625 species of fish, 3,000 varieties of mollusks, and a number of sharks I don’t even want to comprehend, it is truly a world wonder. But don’t think you can just book a two-tank dive from the gateway city of Cairns and get the gist. We joined the Spirit of Freedom’s three-day Cod Hole and Ribbons Reef Dive Adventure in the remote northern sector of the protected park, and got Advanced Open Water Certified along the way to go even deeper…so worth it!
Dynamite Pass & Pixie Pinnacle
Diving three times a day, plus occasional night dives, we encountered hundreds of types of fish, including spotted stingray, hawksbill turtles, whitetip reef sharks, sea snakes, giant clams, diagonal banded sweetlips, puffer fish, giant trevally, Maori Wrasse, and barracuda from Dynamite Pass to Pixie Pinnacle.
Cod Hole
The liveaboard gave us access to so many incredible lesser-known dive sites…but when in the GBR, you have to see the world-famous Cod Hole. A family of potato cod likes to hang out at Ribbon Reef #10 and swim up to scuba divers, especially when park-sanctioned fish food is on hand. This area is highly regulated but a small number of divers are allowed to feed the cod each day. At the bottom of the sea floor, we sat in a circle while 200-pound fish (that can reach 6 feet in length) swam in front of our faces, pursing their voluptuous lips.
The gorgeous Lizard Island was the perfect Great Barrier Reef finale and better yet, we came away with friends that we are still in touch with 10 years later!
More Great Barrier ReefTop Dive Destinations
Eddy Reef, Lighthouse Bommies, Museum of Underwater Art, and the Whitsundays (a whole world we’re dying to dive into!)
KomodoNational Park, Indonesia: Best Dive Destination Overall!
The cool currents of the Indian Ocean collide with the warm waters of the Pacific, creating the perfect storm for a profusion of marine life in the waters of Indonesia’s Komodo National Park & UNESCO World Heritage Site. This marine area was originally created to protect the only habitat of the world’s largest lizard, but they found the ecosystem below the islands to be just as important. In the heart of the Coral Triangle, Komodo’s 29 islands and countless reefs are at the pinnacle of its biodiversity.
The nutrient-rich currents bring over 1,000 species of fish and 250 species of coral…and that’s just below the surface. Jagged mountains, pink sand beaches, and the only habitat for the Komodo dragon are waiting in the islands above. Our four-day liveaboard here was absolutely incredible, so much so that we featured it in our National Geographic Book, Ultimate Journeys for Two. This places is hands down one of the top 10 dive destinations in the world!
Manta Point
We descended into Makassar Reef, where the biiiiig rays come to play and snack on plankton. Hanging out for fifteen minutes along the rocky bottom, we started to doubt its reputation as “Manta Point,” then seemingly on queue this beauty, with a 10-foot wingspan, and a few friends gracefully flew past us. Aside from the mantas, the shallow reef is in good shape with giant trevallies, huge clams, various sponges, and cuttlefish, along with the occasional eagle rays, sharks, and turtles.
The Cauldron
Three days of thrills culminated at The Cauldron, a place with such a strong current that you can literally see it bubbling from the surface. It began with an unassuming drift dive over a coral garden, complete with gorgonian fans and coral bommies, then the current began to pick up as the floor went from 75 to 45 feet and the walls closed in. Soon we were speeding through a narrow canyon along a fish superhighway.
Looking through the swirling water and past the tuna traffic, we spotted our guide signaling to huddle up and hang on! We secured ourselves with a reef hook (the only way to stay in one place) and let the marine life—schools of midnight snapper, giant trevally, even a few sharks—whiz by. After 10 minutes, we pulled our hook and rode “The Shotgun” until the currents dissipated and our hearts stopped racing. Slightly terrifying, utterly amazing.
Top 10 Dive Destinations in the World: Make Diving a Part of Your World
On a planet comprising 70% ocean, our travels would just be skimming the surface without scuba. Our open-water training has allowed us to swim alongside schools of blue tangs, go eye to eye with Nemos, watch a Mandarin fish mating dance, and explore inside shipwrecks. With a regulator in our mouths, we not only have the superpower to breathe underwater but also a reason to stop the chatter and listen to the rhythms of nature and our innermost thoughts. In the deep blue, there is nowhere to be but present.
Do YOU have the power of scuba? Getting dive-certified was truly one of the best things we’ve ever done for our travels and understanding of our blue planet. Start your PADI journey or up your certification (wreck-diving, coral conservation, dive master, etc.) by heading to PADI.com (use PADI discount code HONEYTREK15 to get 15% off any online course)…the world awaits!
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has called on the government to “minimise the negative effects” of Brexit by seeking closer alignment with the EU.
Bailey made the case on Thursday for non-tariff barriers to be reduced, particularly in the financial services industry, saying that less red tape would boost trade and economic growth.
His comments come after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer unveiled the UK’s “reset” deal with the EU this month. It includes plans to cut barriers to trade in areas including foodstuffs and electricity.
In a speech, Bailey welcomed the government’s efforts to increase trade with Europe but cautioned that Brexit had “weighed” on productivity and growth and suggested the UK and the EU should seek to further deepen their ties.
Bailey joined forces in November with chancellor Rachel Reeves in calling for the UK to rebuild relations with the EU, at a time when fears were growing about a transatlantic trade war after Donald Trump won the US presidential election.
The BoE governor, speaking in Ireland, suggested that more could be done to increase UK-EU trade in financial services, saying that a “two-way street” would deepen markets and benefit both sides.
“There is merit in seeking to increase the openness of our financial markets by reducing non-tariff barriers,” he told a financial services dinner in Dublin.
Reeves has argued that Britain should seek a closer trading relationship with the EU partly by agreeing to align rules between the two sides in “mature industries” such as the chemicals sector.
Starmer’s allies have said the UK-EU reset deal was a starting point for negotiations about closer relations and that the confidence built by new arrangements could lead to more ambitious moves to boost trade in the future.
Bailey said that, while he was not saying Brexit was “wrong”, it had created non-tariff barriers. “We should do all we can to minimise negative effects on trade,” he said.
He was clear on the benefits to both the UK and EU economies of increasing the openness of financial markets by reducing non-tariff barriers, as he disputed the idea that trade was a “one-way street” from Britain to the bloc.
“As with goods trade, open financial markets support economic growth as well as increasing investment and reducing the cost of capital,” Bailey said.
He added that close co-operation between the UK and EU was increasingly relevant in the context of the “increased market volatility” observed following Trump’s tariff announcements.
In a world where innovation has often been equated with bursts of creativity or risky leaps of faith, organizations are starting to rethink their approach. The question on the table isn’t just how to innovate, but how to sustain it—how to make innovation as predictable and enduring as financial planning or supply chain management.
