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What a week for shakeups, as President Trump’s communications and legal strategies shifted. The administration could take some inspiration from the Mets' “Moneyball for mindfulness” game plan and use a staffing shakeup to build a team of coaches for stress management training. –Emily Banks

 

Shootout in Cancun

Murder rates have soared in spring-break hot spots on Mexico's coasts. One Riviera entrepreneur who says he's had enough has turned vigilante. His 200-man team flies drones, wears masks, and he won't say whether they carry guns. They operate out of a luxury cabin in the woods, its entrance screened by a waterfall. And they claim to have the local governor, along with senior officials and cops, under surveillance 24 hours a day.

 
Here are today's top stories...
 

Sean Spicer resigned as White House press secretary, after Trump hired financier Anthony Scaramucci as communications director Friday. Scaramucci was a campaign fundraiser and regular adviser during the presidential transition and had been mentioned for multiple jobs in the administration. Spicer reportedly resigned out of frustration; Scaramucci is not expected to perform the traditional duties of a communications director, and that work would have fallen to the already overwhelmed press secretary. Spicer tweeted that he will stay on through August.

 

Trump is shaking up his legal team as he seeks to combat an expanding and intensifying Russia investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller. Attorney John Dowd said he will be the president’s lead lawyer on the issue, while Marc Kasowitz will have a scaled-back role. Dowd denied reports that Trump is looking to highlight potential conflicts of interest on the special counsel’s team.

 

The Mets try more coaches for stress management. In the past two years, the team has nearly tripled its mental skills staff to a total of eight. Baseball can test even the most resolute minds. A hitter, for example, might experience thoughts about what not to do at the plate–don’t drop your hands, don’t commit too early, don’t chase bad pitches. The players train to replace this with a mantra like “You like it inside and down and that's the pitch that you want to hit.”

 

Bank profits are near their pre-crisis peak in the U.S., despite all the rules. The last time big U.S. banks made so much money, the financial world was heading toward the brink of collapse. This time, it’s stiff regulation in danger. Ten of the nation’s biggest lenders including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America together made $30 billion last quarter, just a few hundred million short of the record in the second quarter of 2007, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

 

Perks for U.S. CEOs aren't what they used to be. Gone are the days when Tyco ponied up millions of dollars to indulge its executives’ lavish lifestyles, including a $15,000 dog umbrella stand. But U.S. public companies still give bosses some extras. Like $11,220 for ski lessons and lodging for Vail Resorts' CEO. The CEO of Domino's made more than $11 million last year and got $224 for pizza.

 
 
 

Bon voyage, dread

By the 2040s, many of us will be driven to the terminal by autonomous cars; our eyes, faces, and fingers will be scanned; and our bags will have a permanent ID that allows them to be whisked from our homes before we even set out. Some of these airports will no longer be relegated to the outskirts of town—they will merge with city centers, becoming new destination “cities” within a city for people without travel plans. Shall we get dinner, watch a movie, see a concert, shop? People will choose to go to the airport. At least that’s the hope.

 
 

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