WASHINGTON – Following a Supreme Court decision in late February that declared President Donald Trump’s emergency tariffs unlawful, a federal judge has mandated that the U.S. government commence refund payments that could total as much as $182 billion, according to budget experts.
Senior Judge Richard Eaton of the Court of International Trade issued the directive on Wednesday, requiring the Customs and Border Protection agency to present preliminary plans by Friday for a comprehensive refund system designed to prevent thousands of separate legal challenges.
During Wednesday’s court proceedings, Eaton emphasized the government’s obligation, stating: “I want to make it clear to the customs service that they have to refund any money that was unlawfully collected.”
However, the specific process for distributing these refunds remains uncertain at this time.
Research teams from major universities have provided varying calculations of the potential refund amounts based on tariff data and projections.
The Penn Wharton Budget Model at the University of Pennsylvania projects that CBP accumulated as much as $182 billion in total revenue from tariffs enacted under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act spanning from February 4, 2025, through February 23, 2026.
Their analysis, conducted specifically for Reuters, utilized a comprehensive forecasting system examining tariffs across approximately 11,000 product classifications from 233 nations worldwide.
Using an alternative calculation method, Penn-Wharton researchers arrived at a secondary estimate of roughly $177 billion in IEEPA tariff collections. This figure was determined by analyzing what percentage of overall U.S. Treasury customs income consisted of IEEPA tariffs through December 14, then projecting that same proportion to subsequent customs revenues.
According to the most recent CBP data from December 14, IEEPA tariff assessments totaled $133.5 billion.
Meanwhile, Yale University’s Budget Lab calculated IEEPA tariff collections at $168 billion through February 19, using forward estimates based on the December 14 CBP assessment figures, placing their projection somewhat below Penn-Wharton’s estimates.
Yale researchers also determined that by January 2026, all Trump-era tariffs implemented in 2025 increased average inflation-adjusted customs revenue by $194.8 billion compared to the 2022-2024 baseline. This encompasses a $174.7 billion increase throughout 2025 and an additional $20.1 billion in January 2026 alone.
The Yale team calculated that before the Supreme Court struck down the IEEPA tariffs, the effective U.S. tariff rate had reached 9.9%.
Following the high court’s decision, the Trump administration implemented an interim 10% worldwide tariff using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974, with plans to increase it to 15%.
The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget projects the 10% tariff will produce approximately $35 billion in fresh net revenue during the 150-day period permitted under current law, potentially reaching $50 billion at the 15% level.
Any extension would require Congressional authorization, but if approved or replicated through alternative tariff mechanisms, CRFB estimates decade-long revenue could surpass $900 billion at 10% or reach $1.3 trillion at 15%.
According to CRFB analysis, the Section 122 tariffs would compensate for more than half the revenue loss from the Supreme Court ruling at 10%, and over three-quarters at 15%.
Penn Wharton’s projections for 10-year Section 122 revenue are slightly higher, estimating $1.51 trillion assuming a 15% rate, with potential 2026 revenue of $136 billion if maintained for a full year.
ORLANDO, Fla. — Dallas Mavericks first-year player Cooper Flagg will return to the starting five Thursday evening when they face the Orlando Magic, ending an eight-game absence due to a foot injury.
The top selection in last year’s NBA draft had been out of action since February 10 following a game at Phoenix, suffering from a sprained left mid-foot.
Standing 6-foot-9 and hailing from Duke University, Flagg has put together impressive numbers across 49 games this season, leading Dallas with 20.4 points per game while adding 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists. His rookie campaign has seen him miss 12 total contests.
At just 19 years old, Flagg sits atop the rookie scoring charts and holds the fourth position in rebounding and second place in assists among first-year players. His standout performance came against Charlotte on January 29, when he exploded for 49 points, setting a record as the youngest player in NBA history to reach the 45-point threshold in a single game.
Nine individuals sustained injuries early Friday morning when a Ukrainian drone loaded with explosives and metal fragments crashed beside a residential building in Sevastopol, located in the Russian-controlled Crimean peninsula, according to local officials.
The Moscow-appointed regional leader Mikhail Razvozhayev reported that the unmanned aircraft came down adjacent to a five-story apartment complex in the port city, resulting in significant structural damage to the building.
Among the nine casualties, six individuals required hospitalization for their injuries, with three of the wounded being minors, Razvozhayev stated.
The incident occurred in Sevastopol, which serves as the home base for Russia’s Black Sea naval forces. Russia took control of the Crimean peninsula in 2014, though international governments and Western nations continue to reject Moscow’s territorial claims over the region.
The American dollar maintained stability during early Friday trading in Asia and is on track for its largest weekly increase in more than a year as intensifying Middle Eastern tensions push investors toward safer financial havens.
Both the euro and Japanese yen struggled as the ongoing crisis pushed oil prices higher, creating inflation concerns for nations that rely heavily on energy imports and altering predictions for Federal Reserve and other central bank policies.
Initial optimism about potential de-escalation faded amid new uncertainties, with Iran cautioning that Washington would “bitterly regret” the destruction of an Iranian naval vessel. President Donald Trump expressed his desire to participate in selecting Iran’s future leader following joint U.S. and Israeli airstrikes that resulted in Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death during the conflict’s opening phase.
“If the Middle Eastern conflict continues at its current intensity, it’s likely to bring sustained higher inflation, a stronger U.S. dollar, and a vastly reduced chance of Fed rate cuts,” market analyst Tony Sycamore from IG wrote in his analysis.
The dollar index, which tracks the greenback’s performance against multiple currencies, dropped slightly by 0.06% to 99.00, though it remains positioned for a 1.4% weekly increase that would mark the strongest performance since November 2024.
The euro showed minimal movement at $1.1612, while the yen gained 0.06% to reach 157.5 per dollar. The British pound remained nearly unchanged, rising just 0.04% to $1.3361.
Thursday saw the conflict intensify as American and Israeli aircraft targeted locations throughout Iran while Gulf cities faced renewed attacks.
During a telephone conversation with Reuters, Trump indicated that Mojtaba Khamenei, the deceased supreme leader’s son who had been viewed as a potential successor, would be an improbable selection.
The dollar emerged as among the few beneficiaries during turbulent trading sessions that have negatively impacted stocks, bonds, and occasionally even traditionally safe precious metals.
Energy price increases stemming from the Middle Eastern conflict have heightened concerns about returning inflation, with overnight index swaps revealing changes in interest rate expectations for major central banks.
Market participants have delayed their timeline for the Federal Reserve’s next rate reduction to either September or October, based on LSEG data. Expectations for rate cuts from the Bank of England have similarly been reduced, while financial markets have increased speculation about European Central Bank rate increases potentially occurring this year.
“The fears of what happened to inflation when the Russia-Ukraine war began and what we saw post-pandemic with supply shocks, that’s still sort of front of mind,” explained Skye Masters, National Australia Bank’s head of markets research, during a podcast appearance. “You see that repricing in OIS curves, and you are seeing some meaningful repricing in bond markets as well.”
With attention focused on the conflict, currency traders largely ignored Thursday’s economic indicators.
Weekly unemployment benefit applications among Americans remained steady, while February layoffs declined significantly, indicating stable employment market conditions.
Friday’s employment data has become the market’s primary focus. Economic forecasters surveyed by Reuters anticipate nonfarm payrolls likely grew by 59,000 positions last month following January’s 130,000 increase. The unemployment rate is projected to remain at 4.3%.
Jayati Bharadwaj, TD Securities’ head of FX strategy, believes there’s potential for short-term adjustments in dollar positioning given current risk-averse market sentiment. However, she anticipates the Iranian situation will stay limited, particularly during a U.S. midterm election period.
“(The) U.S. dollar upside should persist only while risk premia remain elevated in crude oil, potentially echoing the price action seen in June 2025 until a regime shift happens in Iran with U.S. backing,” Bharadwaj noted in her analysis.
The Australian dollar gained 0.16% against the American currency to $0.7017. New Zealand’s dollar increased 0.15% to $0.5903.
In digital currency markets, bitcoin decreased 0.26% to $70,956.52, while ethereum dropped 0.27% to $2,074.84.
The plant-based food company formerly known as Beyond Meat has undergone a major rebrand, now calling itself Beyond The Plant Protein Co. as it shifts away from the declining market for meat substitutes toward protein beverages and snack products.
This week, the California-based company updated its website and social media presence to reflect the new identity, with packaging simply displaying “Beyond.” The rebrand coincides with the January launch of Beyond Immerse, a sparkling protein beverage, and plans for a protein bar release this summer.
The transformation comes at a crucial time for the struggling brand. Revenue fell 14% during the first nine months of 2025, while stock prices have remained under $1 throughout this year. The broader plant-based meat industry has seen retail sales crash 26% over the past two years following a 2020 peak, according to NIQ data.
Company founder and CEO Ethan Brown, who established the business in 2009, explained the strategic shift. “For me, it is an opportunity to reshape the company around very real food that is directly from plants,” Brown stated. “It’s about delivering all those benefits of the plant kingdom to the consumer in ways that they’re going to be able to easily integrate it into their lives.”
Beyond isn’t alone in this industry pivot. Several plant-based companies are racing to capitalize on surging consumer protein demand. Eat Just launched a mung bean protein powder last spring, while Impossible Foods partnered with Equii Foods in January to create protein-enhanced breads and pastas. Plant-based dairy brand Silk also debuted a protein drink in January.
Industry expert Chris Costagli from NIQ attributes the plant-based meat decline to consumer skepticism about ingredient lists containing unfamiliar additives, excess sugars, and high sodium levels. “There’s a lot of fillers and gums and texturizers and things that give those products a more familiar feel,” Costagli explained. “I think as people have been paying closer and closer attention to what they’re actually ingesting, it’s causing some products to stumble.”
Costagli believes simplified, healthier reformulations could revive the category, similar to successes in plant-based dairy. Beyond is banking on this approach, having already redesigned its signature burger in 2024 for better nutrition. Last summer introduced Beyond Ground, featuring just four components: faba bean protein, potato protein, psyllium husk, and water, with no “meat” reference on packaging.
Moving forward, Brown says the company will emphasize products that highlight plant origins, such as chickpea sausages and faba bean strips. The goal is to “celebrate the realness” of simplified ingredients while potentially drawing customers back to meat alternatives.
“Hopefully, at some point people will say, ‘Wait a minute, how did we get here, where protein taken from red lentils, peas and brown rice and oil taken from avocado and mixed together into a burger is somehow not good for you?’” Brown questioned.
Currently, newer products like Beyond Ground and Beyond Immerse are exclusively sold through the company’s online Beyond Test Kitchen platform. Brown says this allows rapid innovation and feedback collection before eventual retail distribution.
The El Segundo-based company will maintain production of traditional plant-based burgers, chicken alternatives, and similar meat-mimicking products, which remain successful in European markets, including McDonald’s menus abroad.
Despite current challenges, Brown maintains optimism about plant-based meat becoming “a much more dominant choice” within the next decade or two, though acknowledges navigating through what he terms “a period of confusion.” “It’s just not the moment for plant-based meat right now,” he admitted.
WAUKESHA, Wis. — An 18-year-old Wisconsin man received a life sentence without possibility of parole Thursday after admitting he murdered his parents to finance an elaborate scheme to assassinate President Donald Trump using an explosive-laden drone.
Nikita Casap entered guilty pleas in January to two first-degree intentional homicide charges in Waukesha County Circuit Court for the fatal shootings of his mother, Tatiana Casap, and stepfather, Donald Mayer, in February 2025. As part of a plea agreement, prosecutors dismissed seven additional charges including concealing corpses and theft.
Judge Ralph Ramirez imposed two consecutive life terms without the possibility of extended supervision during Thursday’s sentencing hearing, describing Casap’s crimes as both “horrific” and “inexplicable.” The judge explained he couldn’t predict if or when the defendant might change.
“I choose to find he’s not eligible for extended release because I do not know … when and if and whether a profound and significant change can occur,” Ramirez stated.
Court documents indicate Casap fatally shot both victims at their Waukesha village residence on or around February 11, 2025. He then cohabitated with the decomposing remains for two weeks before taking his stepfather’s SUV and fleeing westward with $14,000 in cash, jewelry, identification documents, a firearm, and the family pet.
Law enforcement apprehended Casap during a traffic stop in Kansas on February 28 following a four-day manhunt.
Federal investigators allege Casap orchestrated his parents’ deaths to secure funding and freedom to execute his assassination plan, which involved purchasing drone equipment and explosives. A federal search warrant reveals he authored a manifesto demanding Trump’s death and communicated with co-conspirators, including a Russian-speaking contact, about overthrowing the government.
“The killing of his parents appeared to be an effort to obtain the financial means and autonomy necessary to carrying out his plan,” the warrant stated.
Investigators discovered cell phone messages from January 2025 showing Casap inquiring about hiding periods before potential relocation to Ukraine. One message asked: “So while in Ukraine, I’ll be able to live a normal life? Even if it’s found out I did it?”
District Attorney Lesli Boese argued Thursday that Casap posed too great a public safety risk for eventual release. Drawing from FBI interrogation transcripts, Boese revealed that Casap immigrated from Moldova as an elementary student but became increasingly consumed by what she termed “disturbing websites,” including content about serial killers and mass school violence.
According to Boese, Casap initially planned to attack Trump using an AK-47 rifle mounted on a drone in late 2024. He later modified the scheme to involve dropping explosives from above before escaping by sea to Ukraine, where he intended to remain hidden for ten years. Casap admitted to federal agents he was indifferent to collateral casualties during the attempted assassination.
The teenager contacted two online sellers offering drone equipment and explosives, transferring $8,700 in bitcoin from his stepfather’s account to one of them. However, both contacts were operating fraudulent schemes, and no actual weapons or equipment existed.
“He walked right into it,” Boese commented.
Defense attorney Paul Rifelj requested parole eligibility after 20 years, explaining that news coverage of a December 2024 vehicle attack at a German Christmas market triggered Casap’s violent ideation. The attorney said his client believed he could impact world events by targeting a political figure.
Rifelj argued that the online contacts manipulated Casap by convincing him he was participating in a larger military operation, providing direction and purpose during a period of social isolation at school.
“Children are more than their worst deeds,” he told the court.
During his emotional statement to the court, a visibly shaking Casap expressed love for his mother, saying he constantly worried about her safety, even during mundane activities like reaching for items on high shelves. While acknowledging a more distant relationship with his stepfather, he credited Mayer with treating him as family.
However, Casap admitted becoming consumed by violent thoughts.
“I thought I was part of a revolution,” he said. “I thought I was part of a war. I told myself bad things had to happen.”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Civil rights pioneer Bernard LaFayette, who conducted the dangerous preliminary work for Alabama’s Selma voter registration drive that ultimately led to the historic Voting Rights Act of 1965, has passed away.
LaFayette’s son, Bernard LaFayette III, confirmed his father suffered a fatal heart attack Thursday morning at age 85.
While the March 7, 1965 attack on future Representative John Lewis and other demonstrators at Selma’s Edmund Pettus Bridge captured national headlines and galvanized Congress into action, it was LaFayette who had discreetly laid the foundation for those pivotal events two years earlier.
As a Nashville college student in 1960, LaFayette helped establish the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, which spearheaded integration and voting rights efforts throughout the South. SNCC had initially abandoned plans for Selma after early reconnaissance suggested “the white folks were too mean and the Black folks were too scared,” according to LaFayette.
Despite these warnings, LaFayette persisted. Appointed to lead Alabama’s Voter Registration Campaign in 1963, he relocated to Selma with his then-wife Colia Liddell, gradually developing local leadership and persuading residents that transformation was achievable. He documented this experience in his 2013 autobiography, “In Peace and Freedom: My Journey in Selma.”
LaFayette encountered numerous threats, including a murder attempt on the same evening Medgar Evers was killed in Mississippi, which the FBI identified as part of a broader plot against civil rights activists. After being assaulted near his residence, LaFayette faced an armed attacker until a neighbor emerged with a rifle, leaving LaFayette positioned between both armed men while pleading with his neighbor not to fire.
During that terrifying moment, LaFayette experienced “an extraordinary sense of internal strength instead of fear.” Instead of retaliating, he maintained eye contact with his assailant. He described nonviolence as a battle “to win that person over, a struggle of the human spirit.”
LaFayette also recognized that his neighbor’s weapon likely prevented his death.
By 1965, when his Selma efforts reached their climax, LaFayette had moved on to a Chicago initiative. He had intended to participate in the Selma-to-Montgomery demonstration on its second day, causing him to miss the violent confrontation when state police used tear gas and clubs to halt marchers before they could leave the city.
“I felt helpless at a distance,” he reflected. “I was stricken with grief, concerned that so many people in my beloved community were hurt, possibly killed.”
However, he quickly mobilized, gathering Chicago supporters and organizing transportation to Alabama for another attempt. Two weeks later, they embarked on what had transformed into a celebration: President Lyndon Johnson had presented the Voting Rights Act to Congress.
LaFayette’s childhood in Tampa, Florida, included a formative experience at age 7 when he attempted to board a streetcar with his grandmother. African American passengers were required to pay at the front before walking to the rear entrance. When the operator started moving before they could board, his grandmother fell, and he was too small to assist her.
“I felt like a sword cut me in half, and I vowed I would do something about this problem one day,” he wrote in his memoir.
His grandmother, believing he was meant for ministry, arranged his enrollment at Nashville’s American Baptist Theological Seminary (now American Baptist College), where he shared a room with Lewis. Together, they led the nonviolent resistance movement that made Nashville the first major Southern city to integrate its downtown establishments.
President Barack Obama honored both roommates in his 2020 eulogy for Lewis, recounting how they integrated a Greyhound bus during their Christmas journey home (Lewis to Troy, Alabama, and LaFayette to Tampa, Florida) shortly after the Supreme Court prohibited segregation in interstate transportation in 1960.
The pair occupied front seats and refused relocation, infuriating the driver who abandoned his post at every stop throughout the night.
“Imagine the courage of these two people … to challenge an entire infrastructure of oppression,” Obama stated. “Nobody was there to protect them. There were no camera crews to record events.”
LaFayette acknowledged they didn’t fully comprehend their work’s historical significance at the time.
“We lived through this, but this was our daily lives,” he explained to The Associated Press in 2021. “When you think about it, we weren’t trying to make history or trying to rewrite history. We were responding to the problems of the particular time.”
In 1961, LaFayette abandoned his college finals to participate in an official Freedom Ride, joining many others attempting to force Southern compliance with court decisions. He suffered beatings in Montgomery, Alabama, and arrest in Jackson, Mississippi, becoming among more than 300 Freedom Riders imprisoned at Parchman.
LaFayette subsequently trained African American youth for leadership roles in Chicago’s Freedom Movement and helped establish tenant organizations.
“The tenant protections we have today are really a direct outcome of that work in Chicago,” explained Mary Lou Finley, professor emeritus at Antioch University Seattle, who collaborated with LaFayette during the 1960s Chicago campaigns.
When LaFayette discovered that a secretary’s two children suffered from lead exposure—a poorly understood health crisis at the time—he organized high school students to test toddlers for lead poisoning through urine collection and pushed Chicago officials to develop the nation’s first comprehensive lead screening program, Finley noted.
“Bernard has always worked quietly behind the scenes,” Finley observed, having later partnered with LaFayette on nonviolence education. “He has avoided the spotlight. In some ways, I think he felt like he could do more if he were doing it quietly.”
LaFayette also collaborated with Andrew Young and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to organize Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s challenging Northern campaign. While several of King’s demonstrations faced violent opposition from white crowds, LaFayette and Young disputed claims that the Chicago movement failed.
Young emphasized in a 2021 interview that Chicago presented challenges 20 times greater than Birmingham’s, addressing complex issues from neighborhood integration to educational and employment quality. “In each one of those we made progress,” Young affirmed.
By 1968, LaFayette coordinated King’s Poor People’s Campaign nationally and was present at the Lorraine Motel on the morning of King’s assassination. King’s final words to him concerned the necessity of institutionalizing and globalizing the nonviolence movement—a mission LaFayette embraced for life.
Following King’s death, LaFayette completed his bachelor’s degree at American Baptist, then pursued graduate studies at Harvard University. His subsequent roles included directing Peace and Justice initiatives in Latin America, chairing the Consortium on Peace Research, Education and Development, leading the University of Rhode Island’s Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies, serving as distinguished senior scholar at Emory University’s Candler School of Theology, and ministering at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Tuskegee, Alabama.
“Bernard did work in Latin America. He did nonviolence workshops in South Africa with the African National Congress. He went to Nigeria when the civil war was happening there,” Young recalled. “Bernard literally went everywhere he was invited as sort of a global prophet of nonviolence.”
In his memoir, LaFayette reflected that the constant threat of death during his early organizing years taught him that life’s worth “lies not in longevity, but in what people do to give it significance.”
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed Friday that three defense personnel from his country were present on a U.S. submarine when it launched a torpedo attack against an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean, though he emphasized the Australians played no role in the strike itself.
The attack took place off Sri Lanka’s southern coastline earlier this week, representing the first instance since World War Two that the United States has destroyed an enemy vessel using torpedo weaponry. Recovery efforts by Sri Lankan officials have retrieved the remains of 87 Iranian naval personnel.
Speaking to Sky News, Albanese explained the Australian personnel were participating in training exercises connected to the AUKUS defense agreement between Australia, the United States, and Britain. This partnership aims to assist Australia in obtaining and constructing nuclear-powered submarine capabilities.
The Prime Minister made clear that no Australian military members took part in any hostile operations against Iran. “These are long-standing third country arrangements that have been in place for a long period of time,” Albanese stated.
While Australia maintains its position as a strong U.S. ally, the nation has declined to take on any combat responsibilities in the current conflict. However, Australian leadership has expressed support for initiatives designed to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons capability.
The Middle Eastern conflict intensified Thursday as American and Israeli aircraft conducted strikes across multiple Iranian locations, while Gulf region cities faced additional bombardment.
Jamaica’s foreign ministry announced Thursday that the Caribbean nation will discontinue its medical cooperation agreement with Cuba, as reported by local publication The Gleaner.
Officials stated that both governments were unable to reach consensus on conditions for a renewed partnership, according to the ministry’s statement published by The Gleaner.
Cuban medical personnel currently stationed in Jamaica will be permitted to complete their existing contract periods, The Gleaner reported.
Health and Wellness Minister Christopher Tufton had indicated that approximately 300 Cuban physicians and healthcare workers were serving throughout Jamaica, even though their previous agreement had lapsed in 2023.
This decision makes Jamaica among the most recent nations to scale back medical partnerships with Cuba, occurring as President Donald Trump’s administration intensifies pressure on countries to cut diplomatic and economic connections with Cuba’s communist leadership.
In February, Guatemala declared it would terminate its program that brought Cuban medical professionals to serve in that country.
The Bahamas announced in June that it was moving forward with plans to end contracts with Cuban healthcare workers following consultations with U.S. officials.
An artificial intelligence company has been labeled a national security threat by Pentagon officials, according to the firm’s top executive who spoke out Thursday.
Dario Amodei, who leads Anthropic, revealed that his AI laboratory received official notification from the Department of War on March 4th regarding their new classification. The government letter informed the company it had been marked as a supply chain threat to the nation’s security interests.
“Yesterday (March 4) Anthropic received a letter from the Department of War confirming that we have been designated as a supply chain risk to America’s national security,” Amodei stated.
The CEO expressed strong disagreement with the Pentagon’s decision and announced plans to fight back through the legal system. “We do not believe this action is legally sound, and we see no choice but to challenge it in court,” he declared.
The announcement came during Amodei’s public remarks on Thursday, marking the first time the company has disclosed receiving such a designation from defense officials.
A major diabetes technology company has successfully launched on the stock market, generating significant investor interest on Thursday.
MiniMed, which operates as the diabetes-focused division of medical device corporation Medtronic, announced it successfully completed its initial public stock offering in the United States, bringing in $560 million from investors.
The public offering marks a significant milestone for the diabetes technology sector, as MiniMed transitions from being a subsidiary to operating as an independent publicly-traded entity.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump hosted soccer superstar Lionel Messi and the Inter Miami team at the White House Thursday, honoring the 2025 Major League Soccer Cup champions in a ceremony that mixed sports celebration with military updates.
In a surprising admission, Trump revealed he was unaware that one of soccer’s biggest names was visiting until his son brought it to his attention.
During the East Room ceremony, Trump discussed ongoing U.S. military operations in Iran before shifting focus to the championship team.
“The United States military, together with the wonderful Israeli partners, continues to totally demolish the enemy, far ahead of schedule and at levels that people have never seen before,” Trump stated while the Argentine soccer legend stood beside him.
The president then addressed what he termed “soccer-slash-football,” acknowledging both American and international terminology for the sport.
“It’s my distinct privilege to say what no American president has ever had the chance to say before, welcome to the White House, Lionel Messi,” Trump declared.
Trump explained that Messi’s appearance caught him off guard due to his administration’s focus on the Iran situation since Saturday, only learning about Thursday’s scheduled event when his son mentioned it.
“I got a lot of things going on,” Trump remarked.
With the World Cup approaching on American soil, Trump offered praise for Miami’s coach Javier Mascherano and other soccer legends including Cristiano Ronaldo and Brazilian icon Pele, while expressing particular enthusiasm for Messi and the Florida-based squad.
“Leo is the reigning FIFA World Cup MVP. You could have gone anywhere in the world. You could have chosen any team in the world, and you chose to go to Miami. I don’t blame you. The weather’s extremely good,” Trump commented.
While describing the team’s championship victory to the gathered audience, Trump made repeated comments about the “good-looking” players standing behind him.
Looking over the roster, Trump highlighted Argentine midfielder Rodrigo De Paul and inquired, “Do you have any bad looking players?”
“I don’t like good looking men,” Trump jested, “You don’t feel so good about yourself.”
The team gifted Trump a jersey bearing number 47, representing his status as the 47th president, along with a soccer ball and timepiece featuring the team’s distinctive pink branding.
Trump also referenced upcoming summer events, stating, “We have the World Cup and the Olympics.” The World Cup, jointly hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States across 16 cities, is scheduled from June 11 to July 19 and will mark the first tournament to include 48 competing nations.
Argentina enters as the current World Cup and Copa America titleholders.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or recipient Messi had previously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from former President Joe Biden, Trump’s Democratic predecessor, in January 2025, though Messi was unable to attend that ceremony due to scheduling conflicts.
Returning to political topics, Trump praised Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s management of the Iran operation and suggested that once that conflict concludes, the United States could shift attention to communist Cuba.
Cuba wants “to make a deal so badly,” Trump asserted.
The Defense Department has made good on the Trump administration’s warning by officially classifying artificial intelligence firm Anthropic as a supply chain threat in an extraordinary action that may compel federal contractors to cease using the company’s Claude AI assistant.
Pentagon officials announced Thursday they have “officially informed Anthropic leadership the company and its products are deemed a supply chain risk, effective immediately.”
This determination appears to close the door on any additional discussions with Anthropic, coming almost one week after President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth alleged the firm poses risks to national security.
The president and defense secretary revealed a list of potential sanctions last Friday, coinciding with tensions over Iran, following Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s refusal to compromise on his concerns that the company’s technology might enable widespread domestic surveillance or fully automated weapons systems.
The California-based firm did not provide an immediate response to requests for comment Thursday. Anthropic has previously threatened litigation if the Pentagon moved forward with what the company characterized as a “legally unsound” measure “never before publicly applied to an American company.”
Pentagon representatives did not respond to inquiries by deadline.
Several defense contractors have already begun severing relationships with Anthropic, an emerging leader in the technology sector that markets Claude to numerous businesses and government organizations. Lockheed Martin announced it will “follow the President’s and the Department of War’s direction” while seeking alternative large language model providers.
“We expect minimal impacts as Lockheed Martin is not dependent on any single LLM vendor for any portion of our work,” the defense contractor stated. It remains unclear whether this classification targets Anthropic’s use across all federal contractors or specifically those working with military agencies.
The Pentagon’s choice to implement regulations originally created to counter supply threats from foreign enemies has drawn swift condemnation from critics and some allies of Trump’s Republican government. Federal regulations define supply chain risk as a “risk that an adversary may sabotage, maliciously introduce unwanted function, or otherwise subvert” a system to disrupt, compromise or conduct surveillance.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a New York Democrat serving on both the Senate Armed Services Committee and Senate Intelligence Committee, described it as “a dangerous misuse of a tool meant to address adversary-controlled technology.”
“This reckless action is shortsighted, self-destructive, and a gift to our adversaries,” she stated in a written response Thursday.
Neil Chilson, a former Federal Trade Commission Republican chief technologist who currently oversees AI policy at the Abundance Institute, characterized the move as “massive overreach that would hurt both the U.S. AI sector and the military’s ability to acquire the best technology for the U.S. warfighter.”
Earlier Thursday, a coalition of former defense and national security leaders sent correspondence to federal legislators voicing “serious concern” regarding the classification.
“The use of this authority against a domestic American company is a profound departure from its intended purpose and sets a dangerous precedent,” wrote the group of former officials and policy specialists, including ex-CIA director Michael Hayden and retired military leaders from the Air Force, Army and Navy.
The letter emphasized that such classifications are designed to “protect the United States from infiltration by foreign adversaries — from companies beholden to Beijing or Moscow, not from American innovators operating transparently under the rule of law. Applying this tool to penalize a U.S. firm for declining to remove safeguards against mass domestic surveillance and fully autonomous weapons is a category error with consequences that extend far beyond this dispute.”
Despite losing major defense contractor partnerships, Anthropic has seen dramatic growth in consumer adoption during the past week as users support its ethical position. The company reports more than one million daily Claude signups this week, propelling it ahead of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini as the leading AI application in over 20 nations on Apple’s app store.
The Pentagon conflict has also intensified Anthropic’s competitive feud with OpenAI, which announced a Friday agreement with the Pentagon to essentially substitute ChatGPT for Anthropic in classified settings.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman later acknowledged he regretted hastily pursuing an agreement that “looked opportunistic and sloppy.”
WASHINGTON — Federal officials on Thursday made public previously unreleased documents from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation that contain unverified allegations against President Donald Trump, which the Justice Department says were accidentally excluded from earlier document releases.
Last week, the department announced it was reviewing whether any records had been improperly held back after multiple media outlets noted that certain FBI interview summaries from 2019 were missing from the large collection of documents already released to the public.
Federal agents had conducted four separate interviews with a woman making accusations against Trump, but only one interview summary had appeared in the initially published files.
Thursday’s release revealed these missing documents had been “incorrectly coded as duplicative,” leading to their unintentional omission from the investigative materials concerning the disgraced financier, who took his own life in 2019 while facing sex trafficking charges.
“As we have consistently done, if any member of the public reported concerns with information in the library, the Department would review, make any corrections, and republish online,” the department stated on X.
Trump has repeatedly rejected any misconduct related to Epstein. The Justice Department previously stated in January that certain documents include “untrue and sensationalist claims against President Trump that were submitted to the FBI right before the 2020 election.”
These latest revelations emerge amid continued controversy surrounding Attorney General Pam Bondi’s oversight of the file releases mandated by congressional legislation. On Wednesday, five House Oversight Committee Republicans joined Democratic colleagues in voting to subpoena Bondi for sworn testimony, reflecting growing dissatisfaction within the president’s own party.
The Trump administration has encountered persistent political challenges since document releases began in December, with opponents claiming the department has concealed certain files, applied excessive redactions, or in other instances, failed to adequately protect sensitive information. The department accidentally published unredacted nude photographs showing victims’ faces along with names, email addresses and other identifying details.
Justice Department representatives have stood by their document handling procedures, emphasizing their efforts to comply with legal requirements for rapid release while safeguarding victims. Officials have acknowledged that mistakes were unavoidable considering the massive volume of materials, the numerous attorneys reviewing documents, and the mandated timeline for publication. The department maintains its authority to withhold records that could expose abuse victims, duplicate materials, legally privileged communications, or information tied to active criminal cases.
Among Thursday’s newly released documents were records involving a woman who reached out to federal agents following Epstein’s 2019 arrest. She alleged that a man called “Jeff” residing in Hilton Head, South Carolina, had sexually assaulted her there during the 1980s when she was approximately 13 years old. The woman explained to investigators that she was unaware of the perpetrator’s identity at the time, but years later determined he was Jeffrey Epstein after a friend sent her his photograph from a news article.
During a subsequent interview one month later, the woman made additional allegations, claiming Epstein had orchestrated her mother’s imprisonment, physically abused her, facilitated sexual encounters with other men, and once transported her to New Jersey or New York, where she alleged biting Donald Trump during an attempted sexual assault.
Federal investigators interviewed the woman twice more, requesting additional details about her claimed encounters with Trump, but noted she refused to provide further information and ceased communication. No evidence exists that Epstein maintained residence in South Carolina, and it remains uncertain whether Trump and Epstein had any relationship during the alleged timeframe.
This woman’s account represents one of numerous unsubstantiated and sometimes bizarre reports that federal authorities received from citizens alleging improper conduct by Trump and other prominent figures following Epstein’s arrest.
New research reveals that former President Donald Trump’s unfounded statements linking Tylenol to autism significantly changed how doctors prescribed medications nationwide last year.
During a White House briefing, Trump advised expectant mothers to avoid Tylenol, claiming without scientific backing that the common pain reliever causes autism. He simultaneously promoted leucovorin, an older generic medication, as an autism remedy.
Following those remarks, a study published Thursday in The Lancet shows dramatic shifts in prescribing practices occurred over nearly three months. Emergency department orders for Tylenol among pregnant women ages 15-44 fell 10% below expected levels. Meanwhile, leucovorin prescriptions for children between 5-17 years old jumped 71% higher than anticipated from late September through early December.
Medical organizations had immediately condemned the president’s statements, emphasizing that Tylenol remains safe during pregnancy and that leucovorin should not be widely prescribed for autism treatment.
“It just shows that in our country right now, health care has been politicized in a way that political messages are driving and impacting care — and not always for good,” said Dr. Susan Sirota, a pediatrician in Highland Park, Illinois, who wasn’t involved with the research.
The researchers analyzed prescription data changes against projected trends to determine what would have happened without the White House announcement. They found no comparable shifts in similar medications, indicating the changes directly resulted from Trump’s briefing.
Study co-author Dr. Michael Barnett from Brown University School of Public Health noted how unusual it was for a political leader’s unconventional press conference to influence both patient choices and medical prescribing habits.
In previous administrations, “there are lots of layers of approval and expert consensus” before officials make big announcements about medical topics, said Barnett.
The study had some limitations, including that it didn’t track all Tylenol usage since most people purchase the over-the-counter medication outside hospital settings.
Expectant mothers typically use Tylenol for pain relief or fever reduction. The Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine warns that untreated fevers during pregnancy, especially in early stages, can increase risks for miscarriage, premature delivery and other complications. While some research has suggested possible links between prenatal Tylenol use and autism, many studies have found no such connection.
Leucovorin, derived from folic acid, is primarily used to counteract toxic effects from certain cancer treatments and address a rare blood condition. The American Academy of Pediatrics has noted studies examining its use for cerebral folate deficiency and certain autistic children.
However, the pediatrics organization does not recommend routine leucovorin treatment for autistic children. While early, limited studies have explored its potential benefits “in carefully selected cases,” the evidence remains insufficient. Additionally, the European Journal of Pediatrics retracted a study on leucovorin as autism treatment in late January.
After the federal announcement, Dr. Sirota said families in her practice inquired about obtaining leucovorin for their autistic children. She provided education about the limited evidence and potential side effects, which can include irritability, nausea, vomiting and skin conditions like dermatitis, and chose not to prescribe it.
Sirota expressed frustration with dealing with consequences from such government statements on autism.
“It feels like a pattern with our government, right? They keep building on these houses of cards that just fall down,” she said. “This politicizing of medicine just in general, and moving away from science, has been so challenging.”
The United States and Venezuela have reached an agreement to restore diplomatic ties, marking a dramatic reversal in their historically tense relationship, according to a Thursday announcement from the State Department.
This development follows multiple visits by Trump administration representatives to the South American country after a U.S. military action removed former President Nicolás Maduro from office in January. The Trump administration has since intensified efforts to persuade Maduro supporters still in leadership positions to embrace its plans for the oil-wealthy nation.
Diplomatic ties between Washington and Caracas were severed during another international crisis in 2019, which occurred during Trump’s first term in office. The American Embassy in Caracas was shuttered, with diplomatic personnel relocating to Colombia.
According to the State Department’s official statement, discussions between both nations have been “focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government.”
The diplomatic breakthrough was revealed following a two-day trip by U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to Venezuela, primarily aimed at offering security guarantees to mining corporations considering investments in the South American country, where mineral-rich territories containing resources like gold have historically been under the control of criminal organizations.
Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who previously served as Maduro’s vice president, stated on government television that these measures “will strengthen relations between our two countries.”
Following the extraordinary U.S. intervention in Venezuela, the Trump administration has urged the government to welcome foreign investment in its petroleum industry. Rodríguez’s administration has passed an amnesty measure that could lead to the freedom of political figures, advocates, legal professionals and numerous others, essentially recognizing that the government has imprisoned hundreds of individuals for political reasons.
This past Sunday, Venezuela’s leading opposition figure and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize recipient María Corina Machado announced her plans to return to Venezuela within the coming weeks and confirmed that national elections would take place.
These dramatic transformations would have seemed impossible just months earlier in the South American country. Venezuela’s dominant political movement, called Chavismo, has successfully weathered numerous challenges over the years, including American economic sanctions and a devastating financial collapse.
LOS ANGELES — Legal representatives for the individual facing charges in connection with the devastating Palisades Fire made a public appeal Thursday, demanding his freedom from custody based on recently discovered evidence they claim proves his innocence.
Twenty-nine-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht faces charges for allegedly igniting what became one of California’s most catastrophic wildfires in recorded history. The blaze erupted on January 7, 2025, consuming hillside communities in Pacific Palisades and Malibu, ultimately claiming 12 lives.
Federal prosecutors allege Rinderknecht ignited a fire on January 1 that continued burning undetected in underground root systems before resurging six days later. Rinderknecht maintains his innocence through a not guilty plea, while his legal team argues he’s become a convenient target to cover up the Los Angeles Fire Department’s inability to completely extinguish the initial fire.
Federal prosecutors chose not to provide comment Thursday regarding the case.
Defense lawyer Steve Haney highlighted recently disclosed deposition testimony from a firefighter who stated he observed continued smoldering from the blaze on January 2 and informed supervisors about remaining hot spots. This testimony emerged from litigation brought by fire victims against the city.
The civil lawsuit also featured testimony from California state park ranger Christy Araujo supporting the firefighter’s observations about the smoldering burn area, Haney noted.
However, a battalion chief provided testimony stating he conducted four separate perimeter walks throughout the day, ensuring all hot spots were completely extinguished.
Fire Department Chief Jaime Moore, who assumed his position in October, has expressed concern about the conflicting firefighter accounts and ordered an independent investigation into the January 1 fire response.
Haney emphasized this critical evidence was unavailable to the defense team during Rinderknecht’s indictment process.
“This evidence calls into question not only the fundamental fairness for my client’s continued detention, but the very foundation of the charges themselves,” Haney said in a statement. “This is not a case about an individual causing a fire. This is a case about government agencies failing to do their jobs.”
The attorney also argued no evidence connects Rinderknecht to starting the January 1 fire, suggesting witness accounts point to fireworks as the likely ignition source.
Haney stated Rinderknecht, who has remained in custody for 150 days, should never have faced indictment and deserves immediate release. While federal procedural rules prevent filing a motion to dismiss the indictment, he plans to file next week seeking suppression of all evidence obtained through search warrants he claims lacked probable cause.
“I’m calling upon the U.S. Attorneys,” Haney said. “I believe they have an ethical obligation … to review this and dismiss the indictment.”
The case’s next pretrial conference is set for April.
Clothing retailer Gap Inc. became the latest major company to sound the alarm about import tariff impacts, projecting annual earnings below Wall Street expectations and causing its stock to tumble 7% in after-hours trading Thursday.
The retailer behind Old Navy and Gap stores said its yearly financial projections don’t factor in recent Supreme Court decisions regarding tariffs under the 1977 International Emergency Economic Powers Act or temporary duties implemented by President Donald Trump.
“Changes in global tariff rates in 2025 had a substantial impact on our profits,” Gap’s Chief Financial Officer Katrina O’Connell stated during an earnings conference call.
The company anticipates a 200-basis-point hit to its current quarter’s gross profit margins due to U.S. import duties.
Industry analyst Sky Canaves from eMarketer explained the broader challenge: “U.S. trade policy uncertainty is the single biggest force behind the sector-wide pressure.”
Canaves added: “The latest threats to bring tariffs back to the pre-ruling levels are sowing unease about apparel companies’ ability to absorb or pass on the costs.”
Gap isn’t alone in facing these challenges. Competitors American Eagle and Abercrombie & Fitch, along with footwear company Steve Madden, have similarly reported tariff-related pressures affecting their profit margins and business strategies.
According to Gap’s 2024 annual filing, roughly 46% of the company’s merchandise comes from Southeast Asian nations including Vietnam and Indonesia, regions that faced duties last year. The retailer has been working to diversify its supply chain and has increased prices on certain items like denim to counter the tariff effects.
The company, famous for its jeans and casual wear, projects annual adjusted earnings between $2.20 and $2.35 per share, mostly falling short of the $2.32 average analyst prediction compiled by LSEG.
Despite the challenges, Gap announced a $1 billion stock buyback initiative.
During the holiday shopping period, Gap’s same-store sales increased 3%, slightly missing the anticipated 3.08% growth as consumers, especially those with lower incomes, hunted for deals and postponed discretionary purchases.
Following industry trends, Gap has significantly boosted its advertising investments to draw customers. The company plans to spend approximately $650 million on capital expenditures for the full year, up from $470 million in 2025.
The Athleta brand continued struggling with declining sales for the fifth consecutive quarter as management works on a turnaround strategy.
Gap reported quarterly revenue of $4.24 billion, meeting analyst expectations, though earnings per share came up one cent short of projections.
The private equity company that controls Dunkin’ is exploring the possibility of taking the coffee chain’s parent company public in a move that could generate approximately $2 billion, according to a Bloomberg News report published Thursday.
Roark Capital is evaluating an initial public offering for Inspire Brands, which operates Dunkin’ along with other restaurant chains, sources familiar with the discussions told Bloomberg. The potential stock market debut could happen as early as this year if the company moves forward with the plan.
The report could not be independently confirmed by Reuters at the time of publication.
Federal aviation officials are pushing for more dramatic reductions in daily flight operations at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport this summer, according to industry sources who spoke with Reuters on Thursday.
The Federal Aviation Administration initially proposed limiting daily operations to 2,800 flights last week, representing a decrease from the planned 3,080 summer flights but still higher than last summer’s 2,680 operations. However, sources indicate the agency now wants to cap daily flights at approximately 2,500, though this figure remains under negotiation.
Aviation officials conducted their first schedule reduction meeting on Wednesday with top executives from United Airlines, American Airlines, and other major carriers. Another session is planned for next week, with the FAA emphasizing that additional cuts are necessary to prevent operational disruptions.
The proposed summer schedules would establish 2026 as O’Hare’s most congested season on record. Agency officials stated last week that the “increase is significant and would stress the runway, terminal, and air traffic control systems.”
Representatives from the FAA, United, and American all refused to provide comments regarding the ongoing discussions.
United Airlines has scheduled 780 daily flights from O’Hare for this month, a substantial jump from the 541 average daily operations last year. The carrier announced plans to boost its mainline departures by 20% compared to the previous summer.
American Airlines revealed in December its intention to introduce 100 additional daily departures to more than 75 destinations from O’Hare in preparation for spring break travel. This represents a 30% surge in spring departures versus 2025, with daily operations climbing from 484 last summer to 526 this summer.
In internal communications this week, American criticized United’s “reckless” scheduling approach at O’Hare, warning it would result in “long taxi times, extensive tarmac delays, missed customer connections, disrupted crew sequencing and cascading disruptions across the system.”
United responded last week by expressing appreciation for the FAA and Transportation Department’s coordination efforts, stating they share “their commitment to running a safe and reliable operation” at O’Hare.
The flight reduction plan targets the summer travel period, which begins March 29 and continues through October 25.
A Missouri judge has granted preliminary approval to a massive $7.25 billion class action settlement aimed at resolving cancer claims against Roundup weedkiller, but the agreement contains several mechanisms designed to discourage plaintiffs from rejecting the deal.
The settlement structure includes financial penalties for attorneys whose clients opt out in large numbers, plus a provision allowing Bayer to reduce the total payout if too many people walk away from the agreement.
Under the terms, lawyers who represent more than 25 clients who reject the settlement will lose their eligibility for any legal fees from the case. Additionally, if more than 650 plaintiffs opt out, Bayer can subtract up to $400 million from the overall settlement fund.
Judge Timothy Boyer in St. Louis provided the preliminary approval on Wednesday for the deal covering thousands of current and potential future claims that allege the popular herbicide causes cancer.
Bayer, which owns Roundup manufacturer Monsanto, retains the authority to cancel the entire agreement if what it considers an “excessive” number of plaintiffs choose to opt out, though the company has not publicly defined that threshold.
Attorney Christopher Seeger, who participated in settlement negotiations, defended the fee restrictions. “The whole concept of class action (legal) fees is you’re providing a common benefit to everyone,” Seeger explained. When class members opt out, they’re “exposing the deal to risk – and that should be taken into account.”
The opt-out process itself has drawn criticism for its complexity. Plaintiffs must meet 11 separate requirements by June 4, including providing wet-ink signatures, government photo identification, and sworn statements.
Attorney Asim Badaruzzaman, who was not involved in the settlement negotiations, described the process as a “confusing maze” that “appears designed to trap cancer patients” in the settlement.
Bayer currently faces approximately 65,000 claims in state and federal courts alleging that Roundup exposure led to non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The company stated in a February 17 announcement that it agreed to the settlement “solely to contain the litigation.”
The pharmaceutical giant maintains that extensive research spanning decades demonstrates Roundup and its primary component glyphosate pose no danger to human health. While Bayer has won several recent court battles, plaintiffs have also secured significant victories, including a $2.1 billion Georgia jury award in 2025 and a $332 million California verdict in 2023.
Settlement amounts vary based on multiple criteria. According to plaintiffs’ attorneys, a younger individual with aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma who used Roundup professionally could expect approximately $165,000, while someone first diagnosed at age 78 or older would receive around $10,000.
The agreement requires plaintiffs’ lawyers to make their “best efforts” to recommend the settlement to clients while maintaining their “independent judgment” in providing legal advice.
One factor supporting acceptance of the settlement is an upcoming Supreme Court review that could significantly restrict future litigation. The high court will hear Bayer’s argument in April that federal regulations override state law claims regarding Roundup labeling requirements.
Seeger acknowledged that despite lawyers’ efforts to highlight the settlement’s benefits, some clients will inevitably say, “I want more, I want my day in court.” However, he expressed confidence that an “overwhelming” majority of plaintiffs will choose the guaranteed settlement payment over the uncertainty of individual litigation.
The final approval hearing is scheduled for July 9, when Judge Boyer will also review the legal fee application from settlement negotiators. The total amount designated for attorney compensation has not been disclosed in the public version of the agreement.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has leveled serious accusations against Hungary, claiming the country detained seven workers from Ukraine’s state savings bank who were carrying cash back from Austria on Friday.
The allegations emerged on social media platform X shortly after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban threatened to use “political and financial tools” to pressure Ukraine into reopening the Druzhba pipeline, which transports Russian oil to Hungarian refineries.
According to Sybiha, the bank workers were traveling in two vehicles through Hungarian territory when authorities stopped them. The foreign minister said their current location remains unclear.
Sybiha made explosive claims about the detention, stating: “In fact, we are talking about Hungary taking hostages and stealing money. If this is the ‘force’ announced earlier today by Mr Orban, then this is a force of a criminal gang. This is state terrorism and racketeering.”
The incident highlights growing tensions between the two neighboring countries over energy infrastructure and Ukraine’s ongoing conflict with Russia.
TAMPA, Florida – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declared Thursday that America’s military goals regarding Iran remain unchanged, following President Donald Trump’s statement to Reuters that the U.S. should play a role in selecting Iran’s future leadership.
The Pentagon described earlier this week that the military operation, called Operation Epic Fury, aims to eliminate Iran’s offensive missile capabilities, missile manufacturing facilities, and naval forces, while preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“There’s no expansion in our objectives. We know exactly what we’re trying to achieve,” Hegseth stated.
The Defense Secretary noted that Trump was “having a heck of a say in who runs Iran given the ongoing operation.”
During a phone conversation with Reuters Thursday, Trump indicated that America would need to assist in selecting Iran’s next leader.
American forces have struck more than 2,000 Iranian targets during the last six days, including naval vessels belonging to Iran’s fleet.
The U.S. Treasury Department may reveal new strategies as early as Thursday aimed at combating escalating energy costs, with potential intervention in oil futures trading among the options being considered, according to a senior White House official.
Energy prices have surged since conflict with Iran began over the weekend, as the expanding hostilities have caused disruptions to oil supplies throughout the Middle East region.
Industry experts are weighing in on the potential effectiveness of such unprecedented government action in commodity markets.
John Paisie, President of Stratas Advisors, explained the potential impact: “It could dampen speculation with traders knowing that the U.S. government is taking the opposite side – which should moderate the spike in oil prices – but it does not solve the disruption to physical supply, which is significant with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and there is no spare capacity outside of the Gulf.”
Paisie added: “Ultimately, if substantial oil volumes are kept off the market, financial manipulation is not going to work. Traders will continue betting on the oil price going higher – because the price should be higher.”
Phil Flynn, Senior Analyst with Price Futures Group, described the approach as innovative: “This is a very novel, think-outside-the-box move. Instead of using physical barrels to try to ease market concerns you can use futures to sell the front end of the curve and buy the back end.”
Flynn noted the unusual nature of Treasury involvement: “The Treasury’s traditional role focuses on fiscal policy, debt management, and occasional interventions in currency markets through mechanisms like the Exchange Stabilization Fund, but not in commodities like oil.”
Tony Sycamore, IG Market Analyst, expressed skepticism about long-term effectiveness: “If they go ahead and try to influence futures contracts themselves (deliverable futures contracts at that), it might create a short-term pause or spook some speculative longs, but I’d be surprised if it moves the needle meaningfully beyond a day or two.”
Sycamore emphasized market fundamentals: “The oil market is deep, global, and driven by real supply/demand fundamentals – especially with tanker traffic already choked in the Strait and trying to avoid the genuine threat of Iranian drone and other strikes. A bit of Treasury jawboning or symbolic action is unlikely to unlock or change that.”
Ed Meir, Marex Analyst, raised concerns about the risks involved: “I’m not sure what they have in mind, but if they intend to sell futures to bring prices lower, this is a big gamble and will also be an unprecedented interference in the crude oil markets.”
Meir questioned the strategy’s sustainability: “The question that comes immediately to mind is what happens if prices continue to move higher and go against a potential Treasury short position? Will they use the SPR oil to deliver against their short or just continue to post margin and ride out their position?”
WASHINGTON – America and Venezuela’s temporary leadership have decided to rebuild their diplomatic and consular connections, according to a Thursday announcement from the U.S. State Department. Officials say the focus remains on establishing conditions that would allow for a peaceful shift toward a democratically chosen government.
State Department representatives explained the decision’s purpose, stating: “This step will facilitate our joint efforts to promote stability, support economic recovery, and advance political reconciliation in Venezuela.”
Department officials further elaborated on their approach: “Our engagement is focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government.”
Following several months of increased political strain, American forces apprehended Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro this past January, triggering a series of governmental shifts within the South American nation. These changes included the installation of interim President Delcy Rodriguez.
Since those events unfolded, both nations have slowly begun rebuilding their bilateral connections.
PRISTINA – A midnight deadline came and went Thursday without Kosovo’s parliament selecting a new president, throwing the Balkan nation into another round of political turmoil that threatens to spark yet another emergency election.
The parliamentary assembly, which contains 120 seats, had until the end of Thursday to choose a head of state. However, Prime Minister Albin Kurti’s governing Vetevendosje party failed to secure sufficient support from opposition members for their presidential nominee.
While opposition groups have called for selecting a candidate with broader consensus, Kurti put forward Foreign Minister Glauk Konjufca for the position.
Parliamentary Speaker Albulena Haxhiu announced the session could not move forward due to insufficient attendance. “There is no quorum to continue this session… we cannot proceed with the vote,” Haxhiu stated, explaining that just 66 legislators showed up – falling short of the minimum 80 needed.
Should emergency elections be triggered, it would mark the third time Kosovo voters head to the polls in slightly more than 12 months. The country previously conducted a snap election on December 28 following the inability to establish a government after February 2025’s voting.
Both major opposition groups – the Democratic Party of Kosovo and the Democratic League of Kosovo – are pushing for the president to authorize new elections.
Current President Vjosa Osmani, whose term continues for another month, is anticipated to announce next steps on Friday.
Two subsidiaries of pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson have reached a $65 million settlement agreement to resolve allegations that they artificially inflated prices for a heart medication by preventing generic alternatives from reaching the market.
The proposed settlement between Actelion Pharmaceuticals and Janssen Research & Development was submitted Wednesday to a federal court in Maryland, though it still requires judicial approval to move forward.
Health insurance plans, including the Government Employees Health Association and other organizations that covered Tracleer prescriptions for their members, filed the lawsuit claiming the drug manufacturers intentionally stalled generic competition for the medication.
Tracleer serves as an oral therapy for pulmonary artery hypertension, generating billions in revenue for Actelion before Johnson & Johnson acquired the company in 2017. Janssen operates as another division within the Johnson & Johnson corporate structure.
Company representatives have not yet provided a response to requests for comment regarding the settlement.
Sharon Robertson, representing the plaintiffs as lead counsel, stated the agreement will deliver “meaningful relief” to the group of third-party insurance providers who purchased both brand-name Tracleer and its generic equivalent across nearly ten years.
While agreeing to the financial settlement, the defendant companies have maintained their innocence and rejected any admission of wrongdoing. The original legal challenge was initiated in 2018.
According to the lawsuit, the pharmaceutical companies prevented competitors from obtaining necessary Tracleer samples, which “effectively blocked competitors from bringing a competing generic product to market for a period of time.”
The settlement encompasses Tracleer transactions across 31 states, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico spanning from December 2015 through September 2024.
Legal representatives for the plaintiffs indicated they will request approximately one-third of the total settlement amount, roughly $21 million, to cover attorney fees and litigation costs.
The legal case is formally titled Government Employees Health Association v. Actelion Pharmaceuticals Ltd et al, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland under case number 1:18-cv-03560-GLR.
Motorists using Sussex Highway should plan for potential delays as construction crews continue work that requires periodic lane restrictions between Boyce Road and Laurel Road.
The Delaware Department of Transportation reports that lanes will be closed intermittently in the construction zone. Drivers are being asked to follow instructions from traffic control personnel who are on site to direct vehicles safely through the work area.
No timeline has been provided for when the construction project will be completed and normal traffic patterns restored.
Israeli Defense Forces have severely crippled Iran’s military capabilities, eliminating approximately 80% of the country’s air defense infrastructure and over 60% of ballistic missile launch systems during the initial stages of Operation Roaring Lion, according to Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Israel’s chief military officer.
The extensive bombardment has granted Israeli warplanes nearly complete dominance over Iranian airspace, Zamir announced in his official statement.
“Within 24 hours, our pilots paved the way to Tehran. We destroyed about 80% of the air defense systems and achieved almost complete air superiority over the skies of Iran,” Zamir stated.
The military campaign has involved extensive aerial operations against Iranian defense installations, with Israeli pilots conducting massive numbers of combat missions.
“So far, Israeli Air Force pilots have carried out 2,500 strikes and dropped more than 6,000 munitions,” the IDF chief reported.
Military sources indicate that numerous attacks have concentrated on missile installations that Israeli leadership considers the primary danger to civilian areas within Israel’s borders.
“Thanks to this and to the high-quality intelligence, we are striking the ballistic missiles that pose a direct threat to the citizens of the State of Israel.”
Zamir added, “We have neutralized and destroyed more than 60% of the ballistic missile launchers, a very significant achievement that reduces the damage to the home front and saves many lives.”
However, the military leader cautioned that Iran continues to pose a security risk to Israel even after the substantial damage to its weapons systems.
“Every missile is lethal, I emphasize that the threat has not yet been removed and still poses a danger,” he warned.
Israeli military leadership indicated plans to escalate operations as the mission enters its next stage.
“We are now transitioning to the next phase of the campaign, in which we will intensify strikes against the regime’s foundations and military capabilities,” Zamir announced.
“We have additional surprise moves at our disposal that I do not intend to reveal,” he concluded.
MAIQUETIA, Venezuela — Interior Secretary Doug Burgum announced Thursday that Venezuelan leadership has committed to providing safety guarantees for international mining firms considering investments in the nation, where valuable mineral deposits have traditionally been dominated by criminal organizations, armed groups, and unauthorized miners operating with government and military backing.
Following a two-day visit to Venezuela, Burgum informed the media that acting President Delcy Rodríguez’s administration recognized the security challenges facing potential investors. Legitimate mining development in these dangerous, remote locations represents a key component of the U.S. strategy to help restore stability to the crisis-stricken nation.
“We heard assurances in the meeting today and yesterday that if companies wanted to get to these areas, do due diligence, think about reopening mines, maybe even getting back to mines that they themselves were running 15 or 20 years ago, that this government would ensure their security,” Burgum said.
The Interior Secretary, who chairs President Donald Trump’s National Energy Dominance Council, argued that while illegal operations “created an economic opportunity where there was none,” legitimate investments would deliver a “superior economic opportunity.”
Burgum joins other U.S. officials who have recently visited Caracas to engage with Rodríguez, who assumed power after former President Nicolás Maduro was captured by American forces two months earlier. This diplomatic outreach supports the Trump administration’s efforts to counter China’s dominance in critical mineral supplies — many of which exist abundantly in Venezuela — while advancing plans to stabilize the South American nation that endured severe crisis throughout Maduro’s nearly 13-year presidency.
The Republican government is taking aggressive steps to secure essential mineral supplies required for electric vehicle production, defense systems, and advanced technology after China restricted exports in retaliation for Trump’s comprehensive tariff policies last year. Despite a recent agreement between the superpowers to ease trade tensions and mineral export limitations, China’s restrictions remain more stringent than pre-Trump levels.
Beyond petroleum reserves, Venezuela possesses significant deposits of gold, copper, coltan, bauxite, diamonds, and other valuable minerals, though the poorly regulated mining sector is notorious for dangerous working conditions. Coltan contains niobium and tantalum, both classified as critical minerals essential for smartphone manufacturing and electric vehicle batteries, while bauxite is refined into aluminum, another U.S.-designated critical mineral.
“I believe the steps we are taking demonstrate the goodwill to build this cooperation agenda in the energy and mining sectors, which will strengthen relations between our two countries for the benefit of the people of Venezuela and the people of the United States,” Rodríguez said on state television.
One day prior, Rodríguez revealed plans to request legislative action on comprehensive mining law reforms designed to encourage foreign investment. These modifications will follow the framework of recently enacted oil sector changes that enabled privatization, abandoning a core principle of the socialist government that has controlled the country for over twenty years.
Numerous international corporations with Venezuelan investments, particularly in mining and petroleum, lost their assets to government seizure approximately two decades ago. In 2016, Maduro’s administration created an extensive mining development zone across the country’s central region to compensate for declining oil revenues caused by poor management, corruption, and subsequent U.S. economic sanctions.
Mining activities for gold, diamonds, copper, and other materials have expanded dramatically since then. Most operations are unauthorized mines functioning under harsh conditions with criminal gang involvement, yet desperate Venezuelans continue seeking opportunities to escape poverty through potential quick wealth. Government officials and military personnel receive portions of illegal mining profits in exchange for permitting mine operations, providing fuel and equipment access, and facilitating mineral transportation.
CHICAGO (AP) — Democratic Party leaders are grappling with how to reconstruct a successful coalition capable of regaining control in Washington, with many seasoned politicians looking back to when the party faced similar divisions before being transformed by Rev. Jesse Jackson’s groundbreaking campaign.
Through his two White House runs, Jackson — who stood as the nation’s leading civil rights figure at the time — assembled what he called a Rainbow Coalition, bringing together voters from different racial and economic backgrounds to mirror America’s diversity. Though Jackson didn’t secure the nomination in either race, his approach became so powerful that it evolved into an aspirational model for Democrats.
“America is not like a blanket, one piece of unbroken cloth, the same color, the same texture, the same size,” Jackson said in his 1984 Democratic National Convention speech. “America is more like a quilt. Many patches, many pieces, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread.”
Barack Obama’s successful presidential campaigns, built on a multicultural voter base that mirrored Jackson’s concept, led many Democrats to view the Rainbow Coalition as their path to victory.
“What Reverend planted in American politics were seeds that continue to blossom and bloom,” said Donna Brazile, a former chair of the Democratic National Committee and longtime mentee to Jackson.
However, this approach has weakened recently as Donald Trump’s conservative movement has dominated among white working-class Americans while also gaining ground with minority communities that previously formed the backbone of Democratic support.
Democratic officials are now preparing for intense internal debates about reviving the Rainbow Coalition and applying lessons from Jackson’s legacy following his death last month.
Jackson’s organizational network has reshaped party leadership.
Brazile launched her political career working on Jackson’s initial presidential run. Similar to other activists Jackson guided, she advanced through Democratic ranks, serving in Washington D.C. government and advising Bill Clinton’s campaigns before managing Al Gore’s 2000 presidential effort.
“In electoral politics, Jesse Jackson became a player because he understood the power of the Black vote,” said Brazile. She also remembered his strategy to expand beyond that base. “Reverend told us straight up that our patch was not big enough,” she said. “Reverend began shifting his rhetoric from Black empowerment to speak to any of those who didn’t have a seat at the table.”
During her role as Democratic National Committee chair in 2016, Brazile oversaw an election where party officials faced criticism for how they handled Bernie Sanders’ insurgent challenge to Hillary Clinton.
Defending her leadership while acknowledging the recurring tensions between progressive and moderate wings, Brazile pointed to lessons from her own journey.
“Reverend understood that you needed a roux,” said Brazile, referring to the cooking technique. “In gumbo, you need the seasoning of those who came before but every now and then you also need some new salt. We have to coexist. The moderates need the progressives, and the progressives need the moderates. That’s the dance of American politics.”
Brazile’s progression from Jackson supporter to party establishment isn’t unusual. Numerous Democratic officials credit Jackson as their mentor and continue following his example for building broad voter coalitions. Others point to his campaigns as their political starting point, invoking his influence while proposing vastly different directions for the party.
With party leaders and potential 2028 candidates gathering in Chicago for Jackson’s memorial services, many are reflecting on his political impact.
Progressive leaders view Trump’s upcoming second presidency as an opportunity to redirect both Democrats and the nation toward an ambitious liberal agenda.
“He served to challenge the party as a moral leader,” said Rev. William Barber, a minister and Jackson mentee who co-chairs the Poor People’s Campaign focused on economic justice. “He didn’t spend time saying what he was against. He spent all of his time talking about what he was for.”
Barber announced that activists, religious leaders and progressive legislators will convene soon to discuss adapting Jackson’s movement to today’s political environment.
“Anyone serious about taking on the extremism we see going on now in Congress and general assemblies and the presidency needs to grab onto the vision that was expressed in 1988 because it is so necessary in this moment,” Barber said regarding Jackson’s second campaign message.
Though Jackson maintained clear political positions, other proteges emphasize his willingness to work with people across the political spectrum. Some believe he would encourage Democrats to adopt realistic strategies for the challenging 2028 race.
“He was incredibly progressive. But he was even more so pragmatic. He was a problem solver,” said Steven Benjamin, Columbia, South Carolina’s first Black mayor and Jackson mentee. Benjamin contends Jackson’s practical approach enabled his diverse coalition and that Democrats need bold yet careful planning.
“I would tell all those who may consider themselves somewhere under the Democratic banner that we’ve got to find ways to coalesce around central values and never compromising those values,” said Benjamin, a former Biden senior adviser and Third Way think tank board member. “Everything else, you have to find ways to be thoughtful and pragmatic about how to actually solve problems.”
Additional observers highlighted Jackson’s magnetic personality and commitment to hearing from the varied communities he represented.
“We have to learn, as Reverend Jackson and others of his day did so effectively, to listen more than we talk,” said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist. “We have to show up and hear from folks about what their priorities are, instead of showing up, telling people what we think their priority should be.”
OKLAHOMA CITY — President Donald Trump’s decision to nominate Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin for the position of Homeland Security secretary has created an unforeseen opening in the U.S. Senate from the reliably conservative state.
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt will have the authority to select Mullin’s successor should he vacate his Senate position, according to state law. In a Thursday statement, Stitt indicated he plans to choose “a strong, small government conservative voice to support President Trump.”
Mullin had not served a complete six-year Senate term, having won election in 2022 to complete the remaining time left by the late Senator Jim Inhofe, who resigned before his term ended.
The person Stitt selects will serve only temporarily in the Senate role. State legislation prevents the appointee from seeking election in the upcoming race scheduled for November, a provision lawmakers created to eliminate any incumbency benefits.
The open Senate position in Oklahoma is expected to trigger a cascade of political movements throughout the state. Potential candidates being discussed include Representatives Kevin Hern from Tulsa and Stephanie Bice from Oklahoma City, along with former Oklahoma House Speaker T.W. Shannon, whom Mullin beat in a Republican primary runoff during 2022.
The three-day candidate filing window opens April 1st. Republican candidates are anticipated to have a significant advantage in maintaining party control of the seat.
President Donald Trump expressed little worry about climbing fuel costs connected to ongoing military actions against Iran, stating in an exclusive Reuters interview Thursday that the operation takes priority over economic concerns at gas stations.
When questioned about higher pump prices, Trump responded, “I don’t have any concern about it. They’ll drop very rapidly when this is over, and if they rise, they rise, but this is far more important than having gasoline prices go up a little bit.”
This represents a notable change from Trump’s recent messaging, as he had celebrated declining fuel costs during last month’s State of the Union speech and at a Texas energy rally just hours before Saturday’s air strikes commenced.
Political experts warn that sustained increases in gas costs could damage Republican chances in November’s midterm elections, where congressional control hangs in the balance. Public dissatisfaction with living expenses and economic management already poses challenges for the administration.
While Trump publicly downplays the price increases, behind-the-scenes efforts are underway. White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Energy Secretary Chris Wright have contacted oil industry leaders to explore solutions for rising energy costs, press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Thursday.
A White House source, speaking anonymously, revealed urgent coordination between energy and national security teams to develop price-reduction strategies.
The same official disclosed that Wiles cautioned in internal meetings that inaction on rising prices would prove “catastrophic” for Republicans in upcoming elections.
Trump has projected a four-to-five-week duration for the Iran campaign, though political and military analysts question this timeline, noting the administration hasn’t clearly defined success goals as the conflict expands regionally.
During the interview, Trump ruled out accessing the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, the world’s largest emergency oil stockpile. He expressed confidence that the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil shipping route near Iran, would stay operational because Iran’s naval forces are at the “bottom of the sea.”
International oil markets have surged 16% since Saturday’s conflict began, as regional supply disruptions spread throughout the Middle East.
According to AAA’s fuel price tracking, the national gas average has climbed 27 cents since last week, reaching $3.25 per gallon. Current prices sit 15 cents above last year’s levels.
Trump characterized the increases as minimal, saying costs “haven’t risen very much.”
The administration is wagering that both the Iran conflict and resulting fuel price pain will be temporary.
Energy advisors have informed Trump’s team that initial market shock has been less dramatic than anticipated, recommending patience, according to two sources familiar with internal discussions.
These advisors cautioned that premature administration intervention could backfire by unsettling markets if prices don’t drop quickly.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced earlier this week that the administration was preparing measures to address rising energy costs, but only risk insurance for oil tankers and potential naval escorts through the Strait of Hormuz have been revealed so far.
Three energy industry executives told Reuters the White House faces limited effective options for reducing energy prices.
“When you look across the menu of policy options, domestically or within other countries, they can be helpful, but they don’t move the needle far,” one executive said anonymously to speak freely about administration policies. “I think the primary focus is … to do whatever they can to restore transits through the Strait of Hormuz itself.”
Internal discussions include various alternatives such as suspending federal gasoline taxes and relaxing environmental rules for summer fuel blends to permit higher ethanol content, the two sources revealed.
Officials also considered releasing Strategic Petroleum Reserve supplies, but Trump’s Reuters comments ruled out that possibility for now.
Congressional Republican leadership, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, has similarly dismissed gas price concerns, even as the party prepares to emphasize economic achievements in midterm campaigns.
The Dallas Mavericks have received medical clearance for forward Cooper Flagg to return from his left midfoot sprain, with the rookie suiting up for Thursday night’s matchup against the Orlando Magic.
The 19-year-old first-year player will make his comeback after being sidelined for eight consecutive games. Flagg, who was selected first overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, took part in portions of Tuesday’s practice session and saw his status improve from doubtful on Tuesday to questionable heading into Thursday’s contest.
Team officials plan to limit Flagg’s playing time as he transitions back to full game action while continuing his recovery process.
According to ESPN, the Mavericks are contemplating having Flagg participate in Friday’s road game in Boston, which would mark a homecoming of sorts for the Newport, Maine native who cheered for the Celtics growing up.
Dallas head coach Jason Kidd discussed the rookie’s progress earlier this week, stating: “He’s ramping up. Everything is going well. [Tuesday] was to kind of get back in his routine and hopefully as we go on this road trip he can get in and play a game or two.”
The injury occurred during Dallas’s February 10th road defeat against the Phoenix Suns, forcing Flagg to miss the Rising Stars showcase during All-Star Weekend festivities.
Following an impressive single season at Duke that culminated in a Final Four appearance, Flagg is positioned to join an elite group of NBA rookies. He’s on track to become only the fourth first-year player since the ABA-NBA merger to post averages of at least 20 points, six rebounds and four assists, joining Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Luka Doncic in that exclusive company.
Through 49 games as a starter entering Thursday’s action, Flagg has compiled impressive statistics of 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 4.1 assists per contest.
WASHINGTON – Former President Donald Trump announced Thursday that Iranian officials are contacting Washington seeking diplomatic negotiations while U.S. and Israeli military operations continue against Iran.
During remarks at a White House gathering with Inter Miami soccer team, Trump described the Iranian outreach: “They’re calling, they’re saying ‘how do we make a deal?’ I said you’re being a little bit late.”
The former president praised ongoing military operations against Iran, claiming they have severely damaged Tehran’s weapons systems and naval forces. Trump stated the strikes are eliminating Iran’s missile and drone capabilities, adding “their navy is gone – 24 ships in three days.”
Trump also issued a direct appeal to Iranian diplomatic personnel worldwide: “We also urge Iranian diplomats around the world to request asylum and to help us shape a new and better Iran.”
Iran’s United Nations mission in New York refused to provide comment on Trump’s statements.
Regarding energy markets, Trump indicated that oil prices have “pretty much stabilized” but suggested additional measures to ease pressure on petroleum costs would be announced shortly.
A senior White House official confirmed earlier Thursday that the Treasury Department plans to reveal new initiatives targeting rising energy costs, potentially including actions related to oil futures trading.
During a Thursday White House gathering featuring the Inter Miami soccer team, President Donald Trump outlined his foreign policy priorities, stating he intends to resolve the Iranian conflict before addressing Cuba relations.
“Will be just a question of time before you and a lot of unbelievable people are going to be going back to Cuba,” Trump told attendees at the March 5th event.
The President indicated that Cuban leadership is eager for negotiations, claiming the nation wants “to make a deal so badly.”
“We want to finish this one first,” Trump explained when discussing the ongoing Iranian situation before shifting focus to Cuban relations.
WASHINGTON, March 5 – Pentagon officials announced Thursday that American forces have destroyed more than 30 Iranian naval vessels during the ongoing military conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran. Among the destroyed craft was an Iranian drone vessel that caught fire during the engagement.
Admiral Brad Cooper, who oversees American military operations in the Middle East as commander of Central Command, briefed reporters on the conflict’s progress. Cooper reported that Iranian ballistic missile strikes have plummeted by 90% compared to the war’s initial day.
The admiral’s briefing provided one of the most detailed accounts to date of the military action’s impact on Iranian naval capabilities in the region.
A drone assault launched by Iran targeted Azerbaijan’s Nakhchivan International Airport on Thursday, March 5, leaving two people wounded and raising fears that ongoing Middle Eastern conflicts are spreading to new regions.
Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry reported that two unmanned aircraft originating from Iranian soil attacked the exclave territory. The first drone hit the airport’s terminal building, while the second struck near a local school facility.
Emergency responders rushed to both locations as officials worked to evaluate damage to the airport facilities and nearby structures. Authorities have not disclosed whether flight operations at the airport have been halted.
The Nakhchivan exclave represents an isolated piece of Azerbaijani territory, cut off from the main country by Armenia and positioned along borders shared with both Iran and Turkey. Its proximity to Iran—just 10 kilometers or 6 miles away—leaves it exposed to close-range drone and rocket attacks.
Azerbaijan’s government issued harsh criticism of the assault, with foreign ministry officials calling it a breach of national sovereignty and international legal standards.
“Azerbaijan reserves the right to take appropriate measures,” ministry representatives declared in an official statement released after the bombing.
Diplomatic tensions escalated when Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry called in Iran’s ambassador for discussions, according to local media coverage.
Social media footage appeared to capture explosions and flames around the airport area immediately following the attack, though officials have not yet released comprehensive damage assessments.
The bombing occurs amid widening regional warfare that began with joint US-Israeli military operations against Iran on February 28. Recent weeks have seen Iranian missile and drone campaigns hitting multiple locations throughout the area, sparking worries that more nations may become involved in the fighting.
Long-standing defense and intelligence partnerships between Azerbaijan and Israel have created ongoing friction with Tehran. Iranian officials have consistently claimed that Baku permits Israeli spy operations along Iran’s northern frontier—charges that Azerbaijani leaders reject.
Thursday’s assault on Nakhchivan creates the possibility that warfare could extend into the South Caucasus, potentially establishing another battleground in a strategically important area that borders Iran, Turkey, and Russia.
Military officials in Israel project that hostilities with Iran may persist for an additional one to two weeks as forces work to diminish Tehran’s military strength and potentially trigger governmental collapse, according to reporting by the Times of Israel.
Simultaneously, polling data reveals overwhelming support among Israel’s Jewish population for the joint US-Israeli military campaign against Iran.
During the initial five days of combat operations, American and Israeli forces launched 5,000 bombing strikes against Iranian targets.
A high-ranking Israeli Air Force official stated that air operations will continue to expand dominance throughout the region, with special emphasis on the Tehran area.
Speaking to public broadcaster KAN News on Monday, a senior Israeli official suggested the confrontation might stretch even further, potentially continuing through Passover next month. The timeline could shift based on internal Iranian developments, the official noted. Sources indicate that while no directive has been given for Iranian citizens to demonstrate publicly, such a signal may come soon.
KAN News also reported that Israeli security cabinet meetings determined that Iran’s missile attack frequency will likely diminish following days of coordinated strikes by Israeli and US forces. Intelligence assessments suggest Iran currently maintains approximately 200 operational missile launchers.
Domestic polling within Israel reveals sharp divisions along ethnic lines regarding the military operation. Jewish citizens demonstrate overwhelming approval while Arab citizens show significantly less enthusiasm.
Research findings indicate 82% of all respondents endorse Operation Roaring Lion. However, support jumps to 93% among Jewish respondents while dropping to just 26% among Arab citizens.
Jewish support crosses political boundaries, though with varying intensity levels. Right-wing respondents show 97% approval, centrist voters demonstrate 93% backing, and left-leaning citizens register 76% support.
A majority of Jewish survey participants prefer extending operations beyond current military goals. Fifty-seven percent believe the campaign should persist until Iran’s nuclear and missile programs are destroyed and the Ayatollah government is removed, while 36% favor concluding once stated objectives are met.
The polling also found 74% of Jewish respondents express confidence in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s handling of the operation, compared to only 16% of Arab participants. Additionally, 74% of Jewish citizens report feeling secure from Iranian attacks, while merely 15% of Arab respondents share that sentiment.
Syrian aviation authorities announced Thursday the reopening of flight corridors linking the northern city of Aleppo to Mediterranean destinations, making these routes available to international carriers amid widespread regional air traffic disruptions.
Omar Hosari, who leads Syria’s Civil Aviation Authority, explained to Reuters that the newly activated pathway will provide secure flight operations for aircraft using Aleppo International Airport. Any carrier meeting established international safety requirements can utilize these routes.
“The corridors are not dedicated exclusively to Syrian Air,” Hosari stated. “Other airlines can use them to transit or operate through Syrian airspace according to the usual regulatory procedures.”
Aviation officials also confirmed Thursday that northern Syrian airspace routes toward Turkey have been restored following comprehensive operational and technical evaluations, taking into account recent regional developments impacting air travel.
The first Syrian Air departure from Aleppo to Istanbul completed its journey successfully on Thursday, signaling the gradual restoration of airport operations. Officials have scheduled an Aleppo-to-Jeddah flight for Friday and are considering additional routes to destinations like Riyadh.
Royal Jordanian is anticipated to utilize the Mediterranean corridor Friday for service between Amman and Aleppo as part of the staged return of commercial aviation to the region.
Across much of the Middle East, commercial aviation has remained severely limited, with major Gulf aviation centers including Doha and Dubai – the world’s leading international passenger hub – continuing closures for six consecutive days following U.S.-Israeli military action against Iran and subsequent Iranian retaliation involving missiles and drones throughout the region.
As regional tensions enter their second week, Syria finds itself in a relatively peripheral position, with Iranian military presence eliminated following President Bashar al-Assad’s removal in late 2024, and U.S. military installations in the country evacuated this past February.
News reporters documenting the escalating Middle East conflict are experiencing firsthand the same perils faced by the civilians they’re covering, as rocket attacks continue to target Israel during the sixth day of widening regional warfare.
Media professionals working in the conflict zone find their daily schedules controlled by warning sirens and urgent dashes to nearby protective shelters. Gabriel Coladro, who works as a reporter for The Media Line, described how covering the story from Israel during the ongoing attacks has required constantly stopping his work to find safety alongside his family members.
The dangerous conditions highlight the challenges faced by journalists attempting to document the unfolding crisis while managing their own safety in an active war zone.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has intensified military operations against Kurdish opposition forces, launching a series of drone and missile strikes on their bases in northern Iraq this week.
The attacks come as five Kurdish political organizations have united to form an armed coalition challenging Iran’s government. On Tuesday afternoon, the Revolutionary Guard carried out fresh assaults on Kurdish opposition strongholds in response to this growing resistance movement.
The Kurdistan Democratic Party reported Monday that Iranian forces used three unmanned aircraft to attack the Kurdistan Democratic Party of Iran’s facility in Koy Sanjaq, located in the Erbil region of Iraq. Kurdish news organization Rudaw confirmed that missiles also struck the same location, which serves as home to families of party members.
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency announced Tuesday evening that Revolutionary Guard forces had once again attacked Kurdish opposition sites in the Kurdistan Region, alleging these organizations were “planning infiltration and action against the country.”
“Following a targeted intelligence operation,” Tasnim stated that the locations were “powerfully destroyed” through the deployment of 30 unmanned aircraft. The news agency later claimed that Revolutionary Guard ground units joined the offensive, launching numerous drones at what they characterized as a “US base in Erbil” and conducting “several rounds” of attacks that “destroyed the deployment locations” of Kurdish resistance groups in “northern Iraq.”
No other news organizations have verified the alleged strike on an American military installation in Erbil. This development occurs as numerous Revolutionary Guard command facilities, including ground force headquarters, have faced targeting by US and Israeli forces over the past four days.
Reports indicate that US President Donald Trump conducted telephone conversations Sunday with Iraq’s primary Kurdish faction leaders, Masoud Barzani of the Kurdistan Democratic Party and Bafel Talabani of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, discussing the ongoing US-Israeli conflict with Iran’s government.
Axios reported that these communications followed extensive lobbying efforts by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to promote increased American involvement and coordination with Kurdistan Region leadership. The Wall Street Journal has also indicated that the US president is evaluating potential support for Kurdish resistance forces opposing Iran’s regime.
Numerous Iranian Kurdish organizations have maintained relatively strong connections with Israel over many years, and the Kurdistan Free Life Party (PJAK)—among the five Kurdish groups that recently established a unified opposition front against Iran’s government—has openly declared that if Iranian liberation requires Israeli cooperation, such partnership would be welcomed.
Peyman Viyan, serving as one of PJAK’s dual leaders and recognized as the sole female commander among Iran’s Kurdish political movements, stated in one discussion that PJAK presently maintains no connections with America or Israel. However, in remarks cited by Israel’s Channel 12, she indicated that Iranian freedom might be achieved through collaborative efforts between Iranians and Israel.
Additionally, Abdullah Mohtadi, who leads the Komala Party of Iranian Kurdistan as secretary-general, recently conducted meetings with US Congressional representatives during a Washington visit. Kurdish organizations—which maintain substantial armed peshmerga military units—seem to have gained increased significance in American and Israeli policy considerations during this period when both nations are engaged in conflict with Iran’s leadership.
Nearly all Iranian Kurdish political groups advocate for Kurdistan autonomy within Iran alongside broader Iranian freedom. Recently, however, exiled Crown Prince and overseas opposition leader Reza Pahlavi responded harshly to the five-party Kurdish alliance, referencing “suppression by the army,” comments that generated widespread condemnation.
On Tuesday, he released a video statement revising his previous position, expressing support for eliminating discrimination against Iran’s ethnic minorities, including Kurdish populations.
During recent weeks, Kurdish resistance organizations have engaged in repeated confrontations with the Revolutionary Guard, prompting Iran’s government to respond with missile attacks on their facilities. Since Sunday, however, Tehran has significantly escalated missile and drone operations against Iranian Kurdish party bases and settlements in Iraq.
On Monday, Kurdistan Region Prime Minister Masrour Barzani, without specifically identifying the Revolutionary Guard, issued warnings against continued missile and drone attacks, characterizing them as “terrorist attacks,” and urged Iraq’s federal government to take action.
President Donald Trump has selected Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin to serve as his next Homeland Security Secretary, marking a rapid political ascent for the former plumbing business owner who entered Congress just over a decade ago.
The 48-year-old senator has established himself as one of Trump’s most vocal allies in the upper chamber and is set to join the administration following Thursday’s dismissal of Kristi Noem, who faced growing scrutiny regarding her department leadership.
With a background in mixed martial arts and collegiate wrestling, Mullin has cultivated an aggressive approach in the Senate and strengthened his relationship with Trump after they attended an NCAA wrestling match together in Tulsa during 2023.
“Markwayne will make a spectacular Secretary of Homeland Security,” Trump posted on his Truth Social account.
A member of the Cherokee Nation, Mullin secured Oklahoma’s open Senate seat in 2022 after prevailing in a competitive Republican primary. Before entering politics, he operated a thriving plumbing business in Oklahoma featuring distinctive red vehicles branded with “The Red Rooter” signage, launching his initial House campaign as an anti-establishment candidate frustrated with government red tape affecting his business operations.
He eventually captured Oklahoma’s expansive 2nd Congressional District, a rural territory that shifted from Democratic control to increasingly conservative representation over the past ten years.
Mullin’s confrontational Senate moments include a heated 2023 committee session with International Brotherhood of Teamsters leadership, during which he challenged the union chief to “stand your butt up” while rising from his chair and removing his ring.
“If you want to run your mouth, we can be two consenting adults,” Mullin declared to Sean O’Brien, the union’s president, following their previous social media disputes. “We can finish it here.”
The senator originally pledged to limit himself to three congressional terms but abandoned that commitment when seeking reelection, acknowledging he “didn’t understand politics” when making his initial promise.
Mullin has also drawn scrutiny for accepting approximately $1.8 million through federal pandemic relief programs intended to support struggling small businesses during the coronavirus crisis.
Treasury Department records revealed that four companies under Mullin’s ownership collected between $800,000 and $1.9 million through the Paycheck Protection Program. His spokesperson previously stated the congressman wasn’t involved in daily business operations and directed inquiries to the companies’ financial officer.
The senator has embraced his Cherokee Nation heritage and championed issues affecting tribal communities, including defending tribal sovereignty rights. He also campaigned for Trump among Native American voters in North Carolina during the 2024 election cycle.
America’s postal system faces a looming financial crisis that could leave it unable to pay workers or suppliers by February 2027, according to the nation’s top postal official.
Postmaster General David Steiner issued the stark warning during a recent interview with The Associated Press, explaining that the agency needs Congress to remove a borrowing restriction that has limited the Postal Service since 1990.
“How long are employees going to work and vendors going to show up if we’re not paying them?” Steiner questioned during Wednesday’s interview.
Steiner is set to appear before congressional lawmakers this month to discuss the agency’s mounting financial troubles and advocate for changes to what he describes as restrictive regulations. The borrowing ceiling currently stands at $15 billion and has remained unchanged for more than three decades.
Operating as an independent federal agency, the Postal Service relies primarily on stamp sales and service fees for funding rather than direct government appropriations. Steiner argues this creates an unfair burden, requiring universal delivery six days weekly without the financial backing other government services receive.
“We have to have a conversation with the American public,” Steiner explained. “If you want us to deliver everywhere, every day, we’ll do it. That’s not a problem. But who is going to pay for it?”
The current postmaster general, who previously served as CEO of America’s largest waste management company and sat on FedEx’s board of directors, assumed leadership of the struggling agency last July. He believes increasing the borrowing authority represents the most immediate solution lawmakers could provide.
“That will buy us the time to make the fixes we need to make, and we can sail on down the road,” he stated.
Steiner has proposed expanding revenue streams, particularly through increased last-mile delivery partnerships. This service involves transporting packages from local distribution facilities to customers’ doorsteps, representing the most labor-intensive portion of the shipping process.
Financial records show the USPS recorded $9 billion in losses during fiscal year 2025, despite generating an additional $916 million in operating revenue – a 1.2% increase largely attributed to its Ground Advantage shipping program. The previous fiscal year saw slightly higher losses at $9.5 billion.
Beyond borrowing capacity, Steiner advocates for pricing authority that would allow the agency to set stamp costs high enough to offset operational losses. He calculates that increasing first-class stamp prices from the current 78 cents to 95 cents would resolve the service’s financial difficulties. For perspective, first-class stamps cost 47 cents just ten years ago.
However, an independent oversight body created by Congress prevents such pricing adjustments, according to Steiner.
“If the Postal Regulatory Commission adopted our pricing model, problem solved,” he remarked, noting that profitable package delivery operations could then support traditional mail services.
Steiner and other postal officials have also requested reforms to pension and retirement healthcare obligations, including permission to invest funds in instruments beyond Treasury bills.
Previous postmaster generals have spent the past twenty years requesting similar regulatory and legislative changes from Congress. While lawmakers did pass the Postal Service Reform Act in 2022, eliminating requirements to prepay retiree health benefits, other operational restrictions remained in place.
The agency has watched mail volume collapse dramatically, dropping from approximately 220 billion pieces annually to roughly 110 billion today as digital communication and online bill paying have become standard.
“Take those 110 billion and put a 78-cent stamp on them. That’s $86 billion of revenue that evaporated in 15 years,” Steiner calculated. “If either FedEx or UPS lost $86 billion of revenue, they would have no revenue.”
Rather than receiving assistance, Steiner argues that regulators and Congress have instead imposed expensive new requirements on the postal system.
“I like to say we sort of got thrown overboard on a ship into the cold water, right? And instead of throwing us a life preserver, we get thrown an anchor,” he said.
Congressional representatives who oversee postal operations did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.
Steiner admitted he underestimated the severity of the agency’s cash flow problems before accepting the position last year.
“Interestingly, I’m not sure some of the people at the Postal Service realized how dramatic it was,” he acknowledged.
Officials from both the United States and Mexico announced Thursday that bilateral trade negotiations will commence March 16, setting the stage for an upcoming comprehensive evaluation of the trade agreement that has significantly influenced both nations’ economic landscapes and maintained commercial stability amid President Trump’s fluctuating tariff strategies.
These bilateral discussions will precede the formal review of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) scheduled for later this year. The USMCA represents the most recent iteration of North American free trade pacts that originated in the early 1990s and have deeply connected the economic systems of all three nations.
While the USMCA has shielded Mexico from many of Trump’s protectionist policies by covering numerous Mexican products under free trade provisions, several items remain unprotected. Medium and heavy-duty trucks currently face a 25% tariff, while steel, aluminum and copper are subject to a 50% duty. Mexican tomatoes carry a 17% tariff.
Mexico’s Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard announced on X that the initial round of bilateral discussions was coordinated with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Ebrard indicated the talks would focus on origin requirements, production enhancement, supply chain protection and economic integration to strengthen competitiveness against other global regions.
According to Greer’s office, following the opening discussions, both nations plan to “meet regularly thereafter.”
The relationship between the three USMCA member countries has faced challenges over the past year due to Trump’s protectionist approach, creating uncertainty among markets and investors. Ebrard and fellow Mexican officials have made frequent trips to Washington for meetings with American counterparts in efforts to mitigate tariff concerns.
Additionally, Mexico and Canada are conducting separate discussions to enhance trade and security cooperation in preparation for the USMCA’s six-year review.
A Cleveland father has confirmed that his daughter, who disappeared five years ago, was among two children whose bodies were discovered buried in shallow graves this week in Ohio.
DeShaun Chatman revealed Thursday that investigators informed him late Wednesday evening that his daughter Mila’s remains were among those recovered from a field close to Ginn Academy in the South Collinwood area. The 8-year-old girl and another child were discovered buried inside suitcases.
According to Chatman, he had made five attempts to gain emergency custody and worked with a child welfare agency to track down Mila, but these efforts failed because he was unaware of their location. Officials have not yet publicly identified either of the two children.
Speaking from the location where the children were discovered, Chatman described the situation as “very much horrible.” He revealed that Mila had been living close enough to see the burial site and expressed his anguish, saying he felt “useless — I couldn’t save my baby.”
Cleveland authorities announced Thursday that they plan to file charges against a 28-year-old woman connected to the case. Sergeant Wilfredo Diaz reported that officers took the woman into custody Wednesday evening following initial questioning and evidence review.
The unnamed woman is being treated as a person of interest, according to Diaz.
“We are aiming to have her charged later today. However, that’s subject to change,” he stated.
Chatman explained that while he and Mila’s mother were never married, they shared a home for approximately one year following their daughter’s birth. His last contact with Mila occurred in 2020 when she was just 3 years old.
“Mila was happy-go-lucky, always smiling,” Chatman recalled. “Favorite color was pink — she swore that she was a princess. She was always happy. She was a kid’s kid.”
He noted that officials have not revealed the cause of death for either child, though he anticipates receiving additional details on Monday. Earlier in the week, Cleveland Police Chief Dorothy Todd acknowledged she was unaware of how the children died.
“We are hoping to find answers,” Todd stated to media representatives. “This is a terrible, tragic situation.”
The discovery was made after someone walking their dog contacted authorities about the remains.
President Donald Trump launched a scathing attack on Israeli President Isaac Herzog Thursday, demanding he immediately pardon Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and accusing him of breaking multiple promises to do so.
According to journalist Barak Ravid’s reporting, Trump claimed Herzog had made several pledges to pardon Netanyahu but never delivered on them. The President reportedly labeled Herzog “a disgrace” and insisted he should issue the pardon right away.
“He promised me five times that he would grant Bibi a pardon,” Trump stated, using Netanyahu’s well-known nickname. “I don’t want anything on Bibi’s mind other than fighting against Iran.”
Trump’s harsh words inject fresh controversy into the ongoing discussion about Netanyahu’s corruption case, which launched in 2020 with allegations of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust. Netanyahu has maintained his innocence throughout and claims the charges are politically driven.
The U.S. President has consistently backed Netanyahu and drawn parallels between the Israeli leader’s legal challenges and what Trump characterizes as politically motivated cases against him in America. In his recent statements, Trump indicated that the court proceedings might interfere with Israel’s focus during heightened tensions with Iran.
Israeli law gives the president power to issue pardons. These decisions usually follow recommendations from legal experts and thorough examination of case details. While the idea of pardoning Netanyahu has emerged in Israeli political discussions before, it continues to spark debate.
Herzog’s representatives have previously stated that any pardon consideration would go through appropriate legal channels and have rejected assertions that the president made definitive commitments on this matter.
This confrontation unfolds during a critical time for Israel as the nation continues dealing with expanding regional tensions involving Iran following recent military actions and counter-strikes throughout the Middle East.
Trump’s statements represent an unusually bold intervention by a U.S. leader in Israel’s domestic legal and political matters while highlighting his belief that Netanyahu should concentrate solely on dealing with Tehran.
Traffic is being rerouted around a section of Sanfilippo Road after electrical wires came down and blocked the roadway at the Eskridge Road intersection.
Delaware Department of Transportation officials have temporarily shut down the area to ensure driver safety while utility crews work to clear the downed power lines from the road surface.
Motorists should expect delays and plan alternate routes until the electrical hazard can be safely removed and normal traffic flow restored to the intersection.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum wrapped up a two-day diplomatic mission to Venezuela on Thursday, expressing strong confidence about future investment prospects in the South American nation’s mining sector.
Speaking to reporters before his departure from Caracas, Burgum highlighted upcoming legislation that will open doors for international companies, with operating permits expected soon. Venezuela’s interim administration under Delcy Rodriguez has pledged to protect foreign businesses, according to the Interior Secretary.
Burgum, who leads the U.S. National Energy Dominance Council, praised interim President Rodriguez’s efforts to welcome foreign capital into Venezuela’s oil and mineral sectors, reflecting similar endorsements from President Donald Trump.
This marks the second high-level U.S. cabinet visit to Venezuela following January’s military operation that resulted in Nicolas Maduro’s capture. Energy Secretary Chris Wright made a similar trip last month.
Venezuela possesses vast mineral wealth including gold, iron ore, bauxite and coltan, but current production levels remain far below potential. Mining facilities require substantial repairs and modernization investments, while major state enterprises CVG and Minerven continue facing financial constraints and U.S. sanctions.
Foreign investment dried up over the past decade after nationalizations implemented under former President Hugo Chavez. Industry analysts believe rapid export growth is possible, especially for gold, though they warn that enormous capital investments and renewed exploration efforts will be necessary.
The Interior Secretary’s delegation included more than 24 mining and mineral companies. Thursday morning meetings in Caracas brought together major international oil and gas firms with leading Venezuelan corporate and banking executives.
When questioned about corruption concerns and security challenges, including armed groups involved in illegal mining operations, Burgum emphasized that interested companies have demonstrated strong ethical standards and that new regulations will generate employment opportunities.
“I think you’re going to see this government very concerned about providing the right kind of security. We heard assurances in the meeting today and yesterday that if companies wanted to get to these areas, do due diligence, think about reopening mines, maybe even getting back to mines that they themselves were running 15 or 20 years ago, that this government would ensure their security,” Burgum said.
“I’m feeling very optimistic about an environment where investment is going to flow, not just to offshore oil and gas, not just to Caracas but actually to the interior where these enormous resources exist,” he added.
Burgum indicated that general mining licenses, similar to those already granted to oil companies, will be available shortly.
Agricultural producers worldwide are confronting steep increases in fertilizer and fuel costs as Middle East warfare intensifies, creating supply challenges just as spring planting season begins.
The conflict has resulted in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, forcing fertilizer manufacturing facilities in the area to halt operations and severely impacting shipping lanes. This disruption threatens to limit supplies reaching major importing nations precisely when Northern Hemisphere farmers need to begin seeding their fields.
“It’s a mess because it’s spring,” stated Cedric Benoist, who cultivates wheat, barley and additional crops south of Paris, commenting on worldwide fertilizer costs that have increased by tens of euros per metric ton. “This situation can’t continue.”
Agricultural producers spanning from Srinagar in Kashmir to Saskatchewan in Canada depend on fertilizer and diesel transported through the strait, which handles approximately one-third of international fertilizer commerce and 20% of global fuel exports.
Due to an oversupply of grains worldwide, numerous farmers were already anticipating financial losses on this year’s harvest. The prospects appear particularly dire for producers who must still purchase spring fertilizer, including Jeff Harrison from Quinte West in Ontario. “We’re in a real bad situation now,” Harrison stated.
Costs in the United States, which imports a substantial portion of its fertilizer requirements despite having significant domestic production, increased when the conflict began. Fertilizer prices surged from $516 per metric ton on Friday to as high as $683 at New Orleans’ import center by Thursday. Prices may climb even higher if the Persian Gulf blockade continues and shipments cannot arrive in time for spring planting, according to industry analysts.
“Literally, this could not happen at a worse time of the year,” commented StoneX analyst Josh Linville.
Seth Meyer, former chief economist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and currently with the Food and Agricultural Policy Institute, indicated that producers might modify their crop selections and fertilizer usage due to the price increases.
Agricultural operations require fertilizers for nearly all their crops to achieve optimal yields, though each crop type and soil condition has varying requirements.
Producers might reduce corn acreage, which demands substantial nitrogen fertilizer applications, or significantly decrease fertilizer usage rates, Meyer explained.
Deliveries from the Middle East will likely decline not only because passage through the Strait of Hormuz has essentially ceased, but also due to production reductions.
Qatar Energy has been forced to halt operations at the world’s largest single-location urea facility after losing its natural gas supply when the company stopped gas production following attacks on its LNG infrastructure.
Simultaneously, sulfur production has been reduced in other Middle Eastern regions.
“We have lost a significant chunk of the global supply because of this situation,” Linville from StoneX noted.
India purchases over 40% of its urea and phosphatic fertilizers from the Middle East. While imports face potential disruption, domestic production within India has already been impacted.
Three Indian facilities have been compelled to decrease urea production as LNG deliveries from Qatar have dropped significantly, according to a senior industry official based in New Delhi. Consequently, supplies are anticipated to be limited for urea and diammonium phosphate in the near term, the source indicated.
The international fertilizer market was already constrained before the conflict began, with China limiting exports this year to guarantee domestic supply, while European manufacturers have reduced production due to the loss of affordable Russian gas, analysts reported.
Urea prices had increased by approximately $80 per ton from the roughly $470 per ton quoted before the Iranian conflict started, they noted.
China will likely expand fertilizer export restrictions because of the conflict, two agricultural analysts predicted, though the limitations may not be officially announced and instead communicated to major producers and customs authorities.
While China obtains more than 50% of its sulfur imports from the Middle East, Indonesia depends on the region for nearly 70% of its supplies, according to traders. Sulfur serves as a crucial component for phosphate fertilizers such as diammonium phosphate and monoammonium phosphate.
“It is really hard to find readily available spot cargoes now. There are no spot cargoes anywhere,” one Chinese sulfur trader reported.
Australia relies on imports to satisfy most of its fertilizer requirements, industry analysts indicate.
Agricultural economist Corne Louw of GrainSA, representing South African farmers, explained to reporters that fertilizer can comprise as much as 50% of their production expenses.
“Any increases in the current situation where farmers are already struggling with record low grain prices will just be another nail in the coffin,” he stated.
Markets may not have completely factored in the potential for an extended conflict, according to Morningstar analyst Seth Goldstein, who projects that nitrogen prices could approximately double and phosphate prices increase 50% from present levels.
“If the supply shock lasts more than a few weeks, I wouldn’t be surprised to see prices go back to the highs of 2022, when the Russia-Ukraine conflict began,” Goldstein predicted.
Federal banking authorities made clear Thursday that financial institutions will not be required to maintain extra capital reserves when working with digital securities built on blockchain technology, emphasizing their regulatory approach remains neutral toward different technologies.
The Federal Reserve, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency released updated guidance stating they will treat tokenized securities the same as conventional securities regarding bank capital requirements.
The regulatory agencies explained they issued this clarification because of growing bank interest in handling ownership rights through tokenized securities.
“The technologies used to issue and transact in a security do not generally impact its capital treatment,” the agencies stated in their announcement.
Following President Donald Trump’s supportive cryptocurrency policies and his administration’s efforts toward favorable regulations, the digital currency sector experienced significant growth last year. This momentum led companies such as Robinhood, Kraken, and Gemini to introduce tokenized stock products in European markets.
Industry advocates argue that tokenized shares — digital instruments based on blockchain that mirror traditional stocks — have the potential to transform stock markets. These instruments would enable round-the-clock trading and immediate settlement, potentially increasing market liquidity while lowering transaction fees.
Several companies have created experimental stock tokens using blockchain technology — software functioning as a distributed digital record system — though most tokenized shares connect to publicly traded companies through third-party issuers. Major firms including BlackRock and Franklin Templeton have also developed tokenized treasury offerings.
The Edmonton Oilers completed their second transaction with the Chicago Blackhawks this week, obtaining forwards Jason Dickinson and Colton Dach on Wednesday. In return, Chicago received forward Andrew Mangiapane and a conditional first-round selection for 2027.
This deal comes just one day after Edmonton strengthened their blue line by acquiring defenseman Connor Murphy from the Blackhawks, giving up a 2028 second-round draft pick in that exchange. The moves signal the Oilers’ commitment to bolstering their lineup for another postseason campaign.
The 30-year-old Dickinson brings versatility to Edmonton’s forward group, capable of playing both center and left wing while excelling on penalty kill duties. Currently in year two of a contract paying $4.25 million per season, Dickinson will see Chicago retain half of his remaining salary, according to ESPN reports.
This season, Dickinson has contributed 13 points through 47 appearances, recording six goals and seven assists. His penalty killing expertise shows in his 103 short-handed minutes, marking his fourth consecutive campaign with at least 100 such minutes.
Originally selected 29th overall by Dallas in the 2013 draft, Dickinson brings substantial NHL experience with 549 career games. His professional journey includes stops with the Stars from 2015-21, a brief stint with Vancouver in 2021-22, and his current tenure with Chicago since 2022. Over that span, he has accumulated 168 points on 74 goals and 94 assists.
The younger Dach, at 23, represents a developmental piece for the Oilers. The 2021 second-round selection is experiencing his first complete NHL season, tallying nine points with three goals and six assists across 53 games. His total NHL production stands at 16 points in 78 career contests with Chicago.
Moving in the opposite direction, Mangiapane joins Chicago after a challenging season in Edmonton. The 29-year-old forward, who exploded for 35 goals with Calgary during the 2021-22 campaign, has struggled to maintain that production level. This season marks the first year of his two-year contract worth $3.6 million, during which he has managed 14 points on seven goals and seven assists in 52 games.
Throughout his 550-game NHL career spanning Calgary, Washington, and Edmonton, Mangiapane has produced 257 points with 130 goals and 127 assists.
Thousands of shoppers across the United States encountered technical problems while trying to use Amazon’s website on Thursday afternoon, according to outage tracking service Downdetector.com.
By 3:26 p.m. Eastern Time, more than 20,300 people had reported difficulties accessing the popular online retailer’s services. Downdetector monitors service disruptions by gathering reports from multiple sources, though the platform notes that actual user impact numbers could differ from reported figures.
Social media users complained about various technical issues, including problems signing into their accounts, completing purchases during checkout, and navigating through product listings on Amazon’s platform.
An Amazon company representative acknowledged the widespread problems, stating: “We’re sorry that some customers may be experiencing issues while shopping. We appreciate customers’ patience as we work to resolve the issue.”
The online retail giant has not provided additional details about what caused the service interruption or when full functionality would be restored.
Federal officials are preparing to unveil new strategies to address climbing energy costs, with the Treasury Department expected to make an announcement as early as Thursday that could include unprecedented intervention in oil futures markets, according to a senior White House official.
This approach would represent a departure from traditional methods, as the federal government typically addresses energy price concerns through physical oil supply adjustments rather than financial market interventions. Officials are working urgently to minimize both the political and economic consequences of escalating fuel costs.
Energy markets have seen significant volatility, with Brent crude oil prices reaching approximately $85 per barrel due to concerns that ongoing conflicts could interrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. This critical waterway handles roughly 20% of worldwide oil transportation. Meanwhile, gasoline prices across the United States have risen above $3 per gallon.
Treasury Department representatives were not immediately available to provide additional details about the potential measures.
Matt Eberflus has landed a new position with the San Francisco 49ers as their assistant head coach of defense, according to Thursday reports from NFL Network.
The 55-year-old coach was dismissed from his role as Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator in January following a single disappointing season with the team.
Eberflus steps into a position on Kyle Shanahan’s coaching staff previously occupied by Gus Bradley in 2025. Bradley left San Francisco to take over as defensive coordinator with the Tennessee Titans.
In his new role, Eberflus will collaborate with recently appointed defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, who took over after Robert Saleh departed to become Tennessee’s head coach.
Eberflus faced significant challenges during his time in Dallas, beginning when the Cowboys traded star pass rusher Micah Parsons to Green Bay just days before the regular season commenced.
The Cowboys’ defense struggled mightily under Eberflus’s leadership, ranking 30th overall in total defense and dead last in pass defense, surrendering 251.5 yards per game through the air. The unit also performed worst in the league on third downs, allowing conversions on over 47% of attempts while giving up a franchise-worst 511 points throughout the season.
During his time as Chicago’s head coach from 2022-24, Eberflus compiled a 14-32 record before being terminated following a 4-8 start to his third season. His coaching background includes serving as Indianapolis Colts defensive coordinator from 2018-21, along with linebacker coaching positions with Dallas (2011-17) and Cleveland (2009-10).
The St. Louis Blues announced Thursday they have put forward Mathieu Joseph on unconditional waivers with the intention of ending his contract.
The 29-year-old player hasn’t suited up for St. Louis since February 2nd. Joseph is currently in his final season of a four-year deal he inked with Ottawa back in July 2022, making him eligible for unrestricted free agency when the season concludes. Should he pass through waivers unclaimed, Joseph will immediately become available to sign with any NHL franchise.
This season, Joseph has recorded 11 points through 39 games, including two goals and nine assists, while posting a minus-5 plus/minus rating. He’s accumulated four penalty minutes, registered 28 blocked shots, and delivered 85 hits.
Joseph also spent time with Springfield, St. Louis’ American Hockey League affiliate, where he netted one goal across two appearances. The Blues sent him down to Springfield on February 27th following his successful passage through waivers at that time.
Throughout his NHL tenure, Joseph has compiled 160 points over 459 regular season contests, scoring 61 goals and adding 99 assists. His career statistics include a plus-8 rating, 200 penalty minutes, 207 blocked shots, and 755 hits while playing for Tampa Bay Lightning from 2018-2022, Ottawa Senators from 2022-2024, and the Blues. Joseph captured consecutive Stanley Cup championships with Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021.
The Tampa Bay Lightning originally drafted Joseph in the fourth round of the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
A University of Delaware ice hockey player has been recognized with one of the sport’s most prestigious character awards.
Graduate student Kaitlin Finnegan was chosen to receive the Atlantic Hockey America Individual Sportsmanship Award for the 2025-26 season, the league announced from Boston. The honor came through voting by head coaches and assistant coaches throughout the conference.
The Blue Hens program also earned recognition at the team level, sharing the Team Sportsmanship Award with another Atlantic Hockey America school.
The individual award recognizes a player who best demonstrates fair play, respect for opponents, and exemplary conduct both on and off the ice throughout the season.
A federal appeals court delivered a significant victory to President Trump on Thursday, determining he possesses the legal authority to halt refugee admissions to the United States for an indefinite period.
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, through a three-judge panel, reversed most of the court orders issued by a Seattle federal judge last year that had prevented the suspension of refugee resettlement activities.
Following his inauguration in January 2025, Trump immediately froze the refugee program, stating that the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program needed to guarantee that incoming refugees would “appropriately assimilate.” This action prompted a class-action legal challenge from refugees, their relatives, and organizations that assist with resettlement.
Senior U.S. Circuit Judge Jay Bybee, who authored the panel’s opinion, acknowledged the “enormous practical implications” of the court’s decision to reverse the majority of rulings made by U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead, whose pro-plaintiff decisions had been temporarily suspended during the appeals process.
“There are over one hundred thousand vetted and conditionally approved refugees, many of whom may have spent years completing the USRAP process in a third country only to be turned away on the tarmac,” Bybee noted in his written opinion.
However, Bybee, along with his fellow appellate judges who were all nominated by Republican presidents, explained that Congress had provided the president with extensive authority to halt immigrant entry.
“Whether that consequence reflects prudent policy is not a question for this court,” Bybee stated.
Attorney Mevlude Akay Alp, representing the plaintiffs through the International Refugee Assistance Project, responded with a statement criticizing the decision, saying it “removes the ability for refugees stranded by the refugee ban to be safely resettled, or even have their cases processed, while President Trump’s cruel ban continues.”
The White House has not provided a response to requests for comment on the ruling.
Although the appellate court reversed most of Whitehead’s decisions, it maintained certain injunctions by a 2-1 margin, specifically those preventing the elimination of services for refugees already in the United States and the cancellation of agreements with resettlement support facilities.
U.S. Circuit Judge Kenneth Lee, who was appointed during Trump’s previous term, issued a partial dissent, arguing for the complete reversal of all injunctions issued by Whitehead, who was nominated by former Democratic President Joe Biden.
“District courts cannot stand athwart, yelling ‘stop’ just because they genuinely believe they are the last refuge against policies that they deem to be deeply unwise,” Lee wrote in his dissenting opinion.
Female professional hockey players have made a significant move to amplify their collective bargaining power by joining forces with the AFL-CIO during a period of unprecedented growth for their sport.
On Thursday, the Professional Women’s Hockey League Players Association became the 65th labor union to affiliate with America’s most prominent labor federation, which advocates for close to 15 million workers nationwide. This development also marks the PWHLPA as the tenth players’ union to enter the AFL-CIO’s sports council, joining existing unions for NFL, NHL, Major League Baseball, WNBA, and women’s soccer athletes.
The partnership was formalized during meetings held in Washington, D.C., coming at an opportune moment as women’s hockey experiences unprecedented popularity following the U.S. women’s Olympic team’s third gold medal victory at the Milan Cortina Games in recent weeks.
“This isn’t a moment, it is a movement,” PWHLPA executive director Malaika Underwood told The Associated Press.
“I think this affiliation really reflects something our members have believed from the beginning,” she added. “When athletes stand together and they work collectively, they can shape the future of their sport. And they are doing just that. It is amazing to be part of.”
Securing AFL-CIO affiliation for her 184 PWHL members was a priority Underwood established when she assumed leadership of the PWHLPA approximately one year ago. Before her current role, Underwood served as a partner at OneTeam, a consulting company that handled commercial interests for several player associations already connected to the AFL-CIO.
She viewed the PWHLPA’s membership as a natural progression in the union’s development.
The women’s hockey players’ association was established when the league launched in summer 2023, earning recognition as the first women’s professional sports league to establish a collective bargaining agreement before its inaugural season.
The privately-owned PWHL started with six franchises and has experienced substantial expansion since its inception. The league grew by two teams last summer and has announced plans to potentially add up to four additional teams in the upcoming season.
The league has witnessed a dramatic surge in fan interest since players returned from Olympic competition, with the PWHL recording multiple sold-out events. This momentum was highlighted Thursday when the league announced complete ticket sales for upcoming games at New York City’s Madison Square Garden and Boston’s TD Garden.
Underwood emphasized that despite the PWHLPA and league maintaining a cooperative and respectful relationship in developing the league’s direction, the AFL-CIO partnership enhances the union’s negotiating position. This alliance provides the PWHLPA with additional resources and collective strength when representing players during contract discussions.
“These players have platforms, and they have a voice and power. And when they use it to advance workers’ issues, we all win,” AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler told the AP. “So I think connecting those common struggles has been at the root of why we think this partnership is so important.”
Shuler highlighted the AFL-CIO’s involvement in current negotiations between the Women’s National Basketball Players Association and the WNBA, following the union’s decision to exit their previous collective bargaining agreement. She also referenced the influence women’s soccer players wielded in abolishing the college draft during their most recent NWSL contract negotiations.
“When women athletes come together as workers, they don’t only elevate their own leagues, they raise the bar across all of women’s sports,” Shuler said.
The PWHL maintains ownership and operational control of all its franchises, with financial backing provided by Los Angeles Dodgers owner Mark Walter.
The league’s existing collective bargaining agreement extends through 2031, with Underwood indicating the union remains flexible regarding PWHL leadership’s preferences — whether they choose to reopen negotiations early or allow the current contract to continue through its full term.
WASHINGTON — Federal investigators are examining a cyber security breach targeting an FBI computer network that stores sensitive surveillance data and investigation materials.
According to a congressional notification obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday, the bureau is working to assess how extensive the breach was and what damage may have resulted. The document indicates an unidentified attacker employed advanced methods to bypass the FBI’s network security measures.
Bureau officials discovered unusual activity logs on February 17 that prompted the investigation into their network systems.
The congressional notification, reviewed by The Associated Press, explained that the compromised network is unclassified but holds law enforcement sensitive materials. This includes data from court-authorized surveillance methods like pen register and trap-and-trace monitoring, as well as personal information about individuals under FBI investigation.
Pen register surveillance allows law enforcement agencies to record phone numbers that are dialed from a specific telephone line.
While the FBI acknowledged the cyber incident occurred, officials provided limited information in their public response.
“The FBI identified and addressed suspicious activities on FBI networks, and we have leveraged all technical capabilities to respond,” bureau officials stated. “We have nothing additional to respond.”
The notification to Congress did not reveal who investigators suspect may be behind the attack, though the FBI and other government agencies frequently face cyber threats from foreign hackers attempting to gather intelligence on sensitive operations and internal processes.
In this case, investigators determined the attackers used advanced techniques, including exploiting a commercial internet service provider’s infrastructure to circumvent the FBI’s network security systems.
CAIRO (AP) — American and Israeli forces have launched an unprecedented military campaign against Iran, targeting a far broader range of objectives than previous conflicts. Military analysts say the current strategy appears focused on dismantling Iran’s defense capabilities and undermining its religious government structure.
According to U.S. Central Command, more than 2,000 targets have been attacked in under seven days, representing the most intensive American bombing operation in the Middle East region in over ten years, based on data from Airwars, a conflict monitoring organization. Israeli officials report striking hundreds of additional locations.
The coordinated assault has reached from Tehran, the nation’s capital, to numerous cities throughout Iran, with airstrikes hitting government leadership, defense installations, weapons manufacturing plants, security forces, and state broadcasting facilities.
While the complete extent of destruction remains unclear, Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), an independent monitoring organization, described it as “a more significant blow than anyone expected might happen in such a short time.” The group noted that despite the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s emergency leadership still maintains “the ability for domestic coercion.”
Casualty figures are challenging to verify due to communication disruptions. Iranian government sources report at least 1,230 fatalities. State media indicates that 165 people, primarily children, died when airstrikes hit a school in southeastern Iran.
The bombing campaign eliminated Khamenei at his residential compound in central Tehran during initial attacks on February 28. Additional strikes killed Iran’s defense minister, Republican Guard commander, Khamenei’s chief security advisor, and other high-ranking officials.
Attacks also damaged a religious site associated with Khamenei’s predecessor and created a large hole in the dome of an Assembly of Experts building, which houses senior Shiite clerics responsible for selecting the next supreme leader.
The Revolutionary Guard, Iran’s primary military force, and the Basij paramilitary organization have been major targets. ACLED documented over 280 strikes by Wednesday, with more than 20% aimed at Revolutionary Guard or Basij positions, particularly in Tehran and Iran’s western and southern regions. Military bases, underground facilities, weapons storage sites, manufacturing plants, and command centers have all sustained damage.
Satellite imagery from Vantor, a U.S. imaging company, shows multiple demolished buildings at the Revolutionary Guard’s northern Tehran headquarters. Local Basij offices have also been struck throughout the country.
Thursday’s attacks included two Tehran sports venues, notably the expansive Azadi Sports Complex, once considered as an Olympic host site. Verified video footage shows a massive hole in the roof of a 12,000-seat arena. Military analysts note that the Guard and Basij frequently use athletic facilities as assembly points.
However, ACLED observed that “a lot of empty buildings” have also been targeted, suggesting not every strike delivers strategic value.
American and Israeli officials identify Iran’s missile capabilities as a primary target. Strikes hit suspected missile installations in the mountains near Isfahan and outside Kermanshah, where satellite photos from Planet Labs PBC reveal crater-damaged roads leading to underground mountain tunnels. The Garmdareh missile facility near Tehran also suffered extensive building damage.
Iran previously possessed thousands of short and medium-range missiles. Despite ongoing attacks, the country continues launching missiles and drones at Israeli targets, American Persian Gulf bases, and regional energy infrastructure. A senior Western intelligence official, speaking anonymously, estimated Iran has several days of ballistic missile reserves at current firing rates, though it may conserve some for extended operations.
Naval assets have also been targeted. Vantor satellite photos show a capsized vessel at the Konarak Naval Base on Iran’s southern coast following strikes there. A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship near Sri Lanka, where authorities recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 Iranian sailors on Wednesday.
Military-connected manufacturers have faced attacks as well. In Isfahan, ACLED documented strikes on Isfahan Optics Industries, which faces international sanctions due to suspected nuclear program connections.
Tehran’s main police headquarters sustained multiple building collapses, according to Planet Labs satellite imagery. The national police force, led by a Revolutionary Guard general, plays a crucial role in Iran’s internal security and has violently suppressed anti-government demonstrations.
Local police stations have also been targeted, including one near Tehran’s Grand Bazaar, where late December protests grew into massive nationwide demonstrations before being violently suppressed in early January.
The state television and radio network IRIB has endured repeated attacks while maintaining broadcasts. Its main headquarters in northern Tehran shows visible damage. Sunday strikes on another IRIB facility brought down transmission equipment and severely damaged the nearby Gandhi Hospital, shattering its exterior and scattering debris throughout patient areas.
Nuclear facilities have received limited attention so far, though Israel has indicated future targeting. Monday satellite images reveal new damage at the Natanz nuclear facility, Iran’s primary enrichment site. The International Atomic Energy Agency stated there was “no radiological consequence expected.”
Israeli military officials reported striking mountains north of Tehran where they claim Iran secretly relocated nuclear activities to underground bunkers following last summer’s 12-day conflict.
Iran continues asserting its nuclear program serves peaceful purposes, though officials previously threatened weapons development while enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade concentrations.
NEW YORK — Three wealthy brothers who built their reputation in high-end real estate now face the possibility of life behind bars as a Manhattan federal jury deliberates their fate on sex trafficking charges.
Twins Oren and Alon Alexander, 38, along with their brother Tal, 39, are accused of drugging and sexually assaulting multiple women over more than a decade. Two of the brothers gained fame as luxury real estate agents dubbed ‘The A Team,’ while the third worked in private security.
Jury deliberations began Thursday following marathon closing arguments where defense lawyers painted their clients as promiscuous playboys rather than the predators prosecutors described.
Marc Agnifilo, representing Oren Alexander, acknowledged his clients’ lifestyle may have been offensive but argued they’re facing charges because of anger over their behavior, not criminal conduct.
‘Not because they’re rapists. Not because they drug women. But because they have a certain combination of characteristics that have made lots of people angry with them,’ Agnifilo told the 12-person jury.
He continued: ‘They’re reaching out. Why? Because they are pursuing women. They’re pursuing women across the board. That’s what the evidence shows. They’re not drugging them, they’re not raping them, but they’re certainly pursuing them.’
The defense team, which included the lawyer who recently secured acquittals for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs on major charges, urged jurors to look past emotional testimony from nearly a dozen alleged victims.
Agnifilo told jurors that acquitting takes bravery. ‘It takes courage to acquit. It does,’ he said. ‘And I want you guys to know that that’s what you should do here. You should have that courage.’
Attorney Deanna Paul, defending Tal Alexander, criticized prosecutors for lacking sufficient evidence. ‘You can’t build a house if you don’t have any bricks,’ she argued.
Both defense lawyers challenged the government’s attempt to connect their clients to a disturbing blog containing posts about drugging and assaulting women.
While Agnifilo called the blog content ‘horrific,’ he insisted no evidence showed the Alexander brothers authored the offensive posts. ‘Are they tasteless? They’re beyond tasteless. They’re shocking. They’re awful,’ he said. ‘I submit to you it does not help you. It doesn’t help you make your decision.’
Paul was more direct: ‘There is zero proof that any of the Alexander brothers ever wrote any of those blog posts, and there is not one shred of evidence that Tal even knew it existed.’
However, prosecutor Elizabeth Espinosa countered in her rebuttal that investigators discovered the blog on a computer hard drive inside Tal Alexander’s residence. She claimed the posts reflected the brothers’ methods and rationalizations for assault.
Espinosa described how the blog justified attacks under various scenarios, including when victims were too frightened to report incidents or when drugs impaired their ability to resist.
The prosecutor dismissed defense arguments as ‘all nonsense’ and declared the case straightforward. ‘This is not a close case,’ she stated while requesting guilty verdicts.
She credited the courage of 11 women who testified against the brothers, calling their testimony ‘an avalanche of evidence.’
Espinosa accused defense attorneys of cherry-picking testimony details to distract jurors from the broader pattern of alleged abuse. ‘Defendants’ arguments are meant to confuse and distract you,’ she warned. ‘That bigger picture is more important.’
The case gained additional attention Thursday when Tracy Tutor, featured on Bravo’s ‘Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles,’ filed a civil lawsuit alleging Oren Alexander drugged and attacked her in a restaurant restroom during a New York real estate event.
Jason Goldman, representing Oren Alexander in civil matters, criticized the timing of Tutor’s lawsuit, calling it ‘salacious and demonstrably false’ and designed for ‘maximum media impact.’ He noted her allegations date back over ten years and have been previously publicized.
All three brothers have entered not guilty pleas to the federal charges they face.
Motorists traveling along Route 54 should expect delays today as construction crews continue work that requires periodic lane restrictions.
The affected area spans Lighthouse Road from Bennett Avenue to Dukes Avenue (Road 58D), where workers are implementing intermittent lane closures throughout the day.
According to DelDOT, the construction activity and associated traffic pattern changes are expected to conclude by 4 PM today.
Drivers are advised to allow extra travel time and consider alternate routes if possible while crews complete their work in the area.
Aviation and travel sector executives are calling on lawmakers to resolve the Department of Homeland Security funding impasse as the peak spring break travel period draws near.
Industry representatives warn that continued congressional gridlock could result in Transportation Security Administration personnel and port security staff missing complete salary payments during what is traditionally one of the busiest travel times of the year.
The funding dispute comes at a particularly challenging time for the travel sector, which relies heavily on federal security operations to maintain smooth airport and port operations during high-volume travel seasons.
Without resolution, the standoff could impact security screening operations and other critical travel infrastructure just as millions of Americans prepare for spring vacation trips.
KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 5, 2026 — Three agriculture industry leaders received the highest recognition from the National Pork Producers Council this week, as Ken and Julie Maschhoff and Sam Carney were welcomed into the organization’s Hall of Fame at the 2026 National Pork Industry Forum. The honor celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions to pork production advancement.
The Maschhoff Partnership: Building an Empire Together
Ken and Julie Maschhoff have directed one of America’s largest pork production enterprises for over thirty years. Their family business expanded across several states while providing employment for hundreds of workers.
Bryan Humphreys, NPPC CEO, praised their contributions, saying: “Beyond their business, Ken and Julie have been tireless advocates for the pork industry with outstanding leadership and service to fellow pork producers. Their impact is lasting, their story remarkable, and their legacy as builders, partners, and pioneers secure.”
Ken served as company president and later board chairman, helping create strategic alliances and introducing innovative technologies that established the operation as a leader in integrated pork production. Julie maintained the company’s financial stability and organizational structure in its early years, later overseeing human resources and public relations as the enterprise expanded.
Sam Carney: Authentic Leadership from the Farm
Sam Carney, a dedicated pork producer from Adair, Iowa, earned recognition through hands-on experience rather than boardroom presentations. Leading Carney Farms Inc., his genuine understanding of producer challenges made him an effective National Pork Producers Council president from 2010 to 2011.
Duane Stateler, current NPPC president and Ohio pork producer, noted Carney’s impact: “When it comes to speaking up for producers, Sam led by example. His pragmatic approach to leadership helped advance key NPPC initiatives. Whether engaging with members of Congress, speaking with international trade partners, or visiting with producers on their operations, Sam stayed grounded in his purpose.”
Carney contributed to numerous industry programs, including the Strategic Investment Program, Legislative Education Action Development Resource, and We Care initiatives. His years of service at state and national levels demonstrate his commitment to agriculture’s future, particularly supporting emerging pork producers.
The National Pork Producers Council annually honors Hall of Fame recipients at the National Pork Industry Forum, recognizing exceptional contributions to pork industry advancement. These achievements align with NPPC’s mission to promote social, environmental, and economic sustainability for U.S. pork producers and their partners. The distinguished careers of Ken and Julie Maschhoff and Sam Carney exemplify the dedication, perseverance, and forward-thinking leadership that continues shaping agriculture’s future.
State officials and healthcare professionals assembled at Dover Behavioral Health System on Thursday to showcase a new digital platform aimed at enhancing mental health services across Delaware.
The DTRN360 system represents a cutting-edge approach to care coordination, bringing together representatives from the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), mental health treatment providers, and healthcare organizations.
The platform is specifically engineered to foster better communication and collaboration among Delaware’s network of behavioral health professionals while enhancing treatment outcomes for residents facing mental health challenges.
The demonstration event highlighted how the technology aims to streamline the coordination process between different providers and improve the overall quality of mental health services available to Delawareans.
KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 5, 2026 — John Parker has been selected to receive the prestigious Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award from the National Pork Producers Council, celebrating his extraordinary contributions and leadership spanning more than four decades in the pork industry. The honor was announced in collaboration with the National Pork Board.
Throughout his remarkable career of over 40 years leading the Virginia Pork Council as executive secretary, Parker established himself as an influential figure who significantly shaped Virginia’s farming community while strengthening connections between local and national agricultural organizations.
“John’s knack for bringing people together and his even-handed style was particularly valuable during times of industry challenge, especially when tough decisions required both clarity and empathy,” said Duane Stateler, NPPC president and Ohio pork producer. “He became the glue that held together a diverse state council, managing board meetings, policy priorities, and producer communications with calm competence and sharp attention to detail.”
During his extensive tenure, Parker successfully guided the organization through significant policy changes, major industry developments, and transitions between generations of farmers.
Parker played a crucial role in developing producer-funded promotion and research initiatives, contributing to the establishment of the National Pork Board and the reorganization of the National Pork Producers Council. His pioneering work to strengthen communication and collaboration between state and national groups helped create the foundation for today’s more cohesive industry structure. He was also pivotal in creating the inaugural State Pork Leadership Conference, an ongoing program that develops emerging leaders throughout pork-producing regions nationwide.
Beyond his professional achievements, Parker gained recognition for his generous mentorship approach. He guided new executives, provided wise advice, and supported young people entering agriculture through his active participation in 4-H and FFA youth livestock initiatives.
Looking back on his career, Parker shared, “I never saw this role as about one person. It has always been about the producers we serve and the relationships that keep our industry moving forward. I have been fortunate to work alongside dedicated leaders in Virginia and across the country who care deeply about agriculture’s future, and I share this recognition with them.”
The Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award is presented each year during the National Pork Industry Forum to honor individuals who have made substantial contributions to their state’s pork sector and supported the broader goals of NPPC and NPB. The award bears the names of two respected former state executives, Don Paulson from Minnesota and Rex Whitmore from Wisconsin, highlighting the vital role state organizations play in the pork industry’s continued success.
President Donald Trump terminated Kristi Noem from her position as Homeland Security secretary on Thursday following mounting concerns about her performance in the role, marking her as the initial Cabinet member to depart Trump’s administration during his second presidency.
The dismissal comes as a collection of photographs documenting Noem’s tenure has been assembled by Associated Press photo editors.
AUSTIN, Texas — Police body camera recordings released Thursday reveal the chaos that erupted when a gunman opened fire outside an Austin bar, resulting in three deaths in what federal authorities are examining as a possible terrorist attack.
“Everybody down!” one officer yells. “Where is he?”
The frightening scenes documented by officer cameras and security surveillance equipment illustrate how rapidly the violence unfolded early Sunday morning in Austin’s downtown nightlife area, injuring more than a dozen people.
According to Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis, law enforcement reached the scene just 56 seconds after receiving the initial emergency call, ultimately shooting and killing the attacker when he opened fire on police.
Davis indicated the investigation continues and declined to speculate about what motivated the shooting, which occurred one day following joint U.S. and Israeli military strikes against Iran.
Federal investigators are treating the incident as a potential terrorist act, with a law enforcement source telling The Associated Press that the shooter wore clothing featuring an Iranian flag pattern and text reading “Property of Allah.”
Authorities have named the shooter as 53-year-old Ndiaga Diagne, who lawfully purchased both the handgun and rifle used in the assault near Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden. The establishment sits on Sixth Street, a popular entertainment strip packed with drinking establishments and music venues near the University of Texas at Austin campus.
Officials now confirm 19 individuals sustained gunshot wounds, including the three fatalities, Davis announced Thursday. One victim remains hospitalized in critical condition.
The majority of shooting victims were located outside the establishment, including one person who had been waiting for transportation, according to Davis.
Emergency call recordings released Thursday capture screams and commands to “get down.” “There has been a shooting at Buford’s,” one caller said. “There are people dead over here. We need help right now.”
Diagne had not previously attracted law enforcement attention before beginning his attack early Sunday. Davis revealed investigators discovered he had been the subject of a mental health welfare check, possibly in 2022, conducted by another agency in a different location.
The gunman initially fired from inside his SUV before parking and exiting with a rifle, according to police. He shot another individual before responding officers arrived at the intersection and fatally wounded him, Davis explained.
Jorge Pederson, 30, an aspiring mixed martial arts competitor, succumbed to his injuries Monday. The recent Texas transplant from Minnesota was remembered by his former training facility, the Academy Martial Arts Gym, in a Facebook tribute noting he brought “light and joy into the grueling work of training.”
The other victims were identified as 21-year-old Savitha Shan and 19-year-old Ryder Harrington.
Shan, who studied business at the University of Texas at Austin, had secured employment with a consulting company, her family revealed in a university-issued statement. They described her as an only child and called her death “profoundly unfair.”
Harrington had been enrolled at Texas Tech University until last fall, with his former Beta Theta Pi fraternity brothers honoring him in an Instagram memorial that praised his talent for making “ordinary days unforgettable.”
President Donald Trump has dismissed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following mounting criticism of her immigration enforcement approach, announcing Thursday that Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin will be nominated as her replacement.
The president revealed the decision through social media posts on Thursday, just two days following Noem’s difficult questioning by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
Rather than leaving government entirely, Noem will transition to a newly created position as “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” according to Trump’s announcement. This fresh security program will concentrate on Western Hemisphere initiatives.
This marks the first Cabinet-level departure during Trump’s current presidential term. Noem’s exit concludes a controversial period leading immigration enforcement operations that sparked significant protests and legal challenges.
In her response on social media platform X, Noem expressed gratitude for the new appointment. “Thank you @POTUS Trump for appointing me as the Special Envoy for the Shield of the Americas,” she posted. She emphasized her commitment to collaborating with senior administration officials “to dismantle cartels that have poured drugs into our nation and killed our children and grandchildren.”
“In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise, I forged over the last 13 months as Secretary of Homeland Security,” Noem continued in her statement. She claimed her department “delivered the MOST secure border in American history” and that FEMA had “delivered disaster relief at a 100% faster rate.”
Interestingly, Noem made no reference to her dismissal during a lengthy presentation at a Nashville law enforcement gathering that same day.
Throughout her tenure, Noem positioned herself as the public face of immigration operations, frequently placing herself at the center of enforcement activities.
Despite lacking law enforcement experience, she regularly donned protective gear and joined agents during immigration operations while media cameras captured the scenes.
One particularly notable moment occurred during a March trip to an El Salvador detention facility, where she posed for photographs in front of shirtless, tattooed inmates that the Trump administration had deported as suspected gang members.
During her Thursday address to the Sergeant Benevolent Association Major Cities Conference in Nashville, Noem spoke for over 20 minutes without acknowledging her termination.
Even during the question-and-answer portion, attendees didn’t bring up the dismissal. When asked about future law enforcement funding, Noem appeared to indicate she would remain in her current position.
“I think your best options for funding alternatives would be through some grants that with the department, we have specific grants towards, terrorism grants,” she responded. “So maybe what I’ll do is I will forward those grant opportunities to all of you so that you can share them with your departments and have that opportunity.”
Mullin will inherit leadership of the government’s third-largest department, responsible for implementing Trump’s strict immigration policies during a crucial period for that agenda.
The first year of Trump’s administration featured highly publicized immigration operations with attention-grabbing names, typically overseen by Border Patrol commander Gregory Bovino, who answered directly to Noem.
Noem frequently participated in these operations personally, accompanying officers during arrest missions.
However, these prominent operations in cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis often resulted in confrontations with activists and demonstrators that were recorded and shared widely, fueling opposition to the president’s immigration policies.
The situation reached a breaking point following fatal shootings in Minneapolis, prompting Trump to deploy border czar Tom Homan to assume direct oversight of Minneapolis operations. Bovino was subsequently reassigned to different duties.
While Noem becomes the first Trump Cabinet official to be removed from office, the president’s practice of arranging alternative positions for dismissed officials represents an emerging pattern.
The “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas” position represents a new security program focused on Western Hemisphere concerns, according to Trump’s announcement.
This approach mirrors other recent personnel moves. Former national security adviser Mike Waltz received a United Nations ambassador nomination after accidentally including a journalist in a Signal conversation about military strategies last year.
Similarly, Trump selected IRS Commissioner Billy Long as Iceland ambassador following Long’s contradictory statements regarding administration messaging during his brief two-month tenure.
Additionally, Trump announced in August that former State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce would serve as deputy U.N. representative after her State Department departure.
A Florida construction worker who received a presidential pardon for participating in the January 6th Capitol attack has been handed a life sentence for sexually abusing two minors.
Andrew Paul Johnson, 45, received the life sentence on Thursday from Hernando County Circuit Judge Stephen Toner after being found guilty of multiple charges including lewd and lascivious molestation of children and electronically sending harmful material to a minor.
Johnson was one of more than 1,500 individuals who received clemency from President Donald Trump for their involvement in the Capitol breach. The sweeping pardons, commutations, and case dismissals were issued on Trump’s first day returning to office.
Hernando County authorities launched their investigation into the child abuse allegations in July 2025. According to investigators, one victim reported that Johnson’s abuse began around April 2024, which was months before he received his sentence for the Capitol riot charges.
Court documents reveal that Johnson told one of his victims he anticipated receiving compensation as a pardoned January 6th participant and promised to include the child in his will to receive any remaining funds.
“This tactic was believed to be used to keep (the child) from exposing what Andrew had done,” the report said.
Prosecutors from Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney Bill Gladson’s office discovered explicit messages Johnson had sent to one victim through the Discord platform.
“In the messages, Johnson attempted to have the victim download another application for a more private conversation and encouraged the victim to delete their messages afterwards,” Gladson’s office said in a news release.
Before his pardon, Johnson had been sentenced to 12 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg in Washington after entering guilty pleas to four misdemeanor charges related to the Capitol incident. Johnson had attempted to retract his guilty plea, alleging he was coerced, but the judge denied his motion.
The Seffner, Florida resident had carried a megaphone while walking to the Capitol following Trump’s “Stop the Steal” demonstration near the White House. Federal prosecutors stated he gained entry to the building by climbing through an office window that other participants had broken. After police deployed tear gas to clear the crowd of Trump supporters, Johnson shouted profanities and threats at law enforcement officers, according to prosecutors.
President Donald Trump announced Thursday a significant cabinet shake-up, naming Oklahoma Senator Markwayne Mullin as the next Secretary of Homeland Security to replace Kristi Noem, who has faced mounting criticism over her aggressive immigration enforcement approach.
“I am pleased to announce that the Highly Respected United States Senator from the Great State of Oklahoma, Markwayne Mullin, will become the United States Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), effective March 31, 2026,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
The leadership change comes amid questions about the future direction of Trump’s immigration policies. Noem will transition to a new position as “Special envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” according to the president’s announcement.
The former South Dakota governor became a controversial figure during her tenure, gaining attention for inflammatory social media posts about immigrants and what critics called harsh enforcement tactics. Her approach included deploying masked immigration agents in major cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington D.C., conducting sweeps in neighborhoods and locations such as Home Depot parking lots.
Noem faced intense scrutiny in January following a deadly incident in Minneapolis where federal immigration agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. She immediately characterized their actions as “domestic terrorism,” but later-released video footage contradicted claims by Noem and other administration officials that the victims were violent aggressors.
The public outcry over these deaths prompted the administration to shift toward more focused immigration enforcement in Minnesota, moving away from the broad sweeps that had sparked violent confrontations with community members opposing the crackdown.
Congressional Democrats initiated impeachment proceedings against Noem, while at least two Republican lawmakers also called for her removal following these incidents. During March congressional hearings, lawmakers from both parties criticized her management of DHS and her enforcement methods, including concerns about a $220 million advertising campaign that prominently featured the secretary.
The staffing transition raises uncertainty about whether the Trump administration will escalate its mass deportation efforts or adopt a more selective strategy. Public support for Trump’s immigration policies declined as agents detained American citizens and used tear gas in streets while attempting to increase deportations, which fell below the administration’s target of one million annually.
Despite serving as a vocal advocate for Trump’s agenda, immigration policy remains under the control of White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, a longtime Trump advisor. The 54-year-old Noem received quick Senate confirmation to lead the 260,000-employee department when Trump returned to office in January 2025.
Throughout her time in office, Noem used provocative language on social media, calling immigrants with criminal records “scumbags” while arrests of non-criminal immigrants increased under the administration. She personally participated in enforcement operations in New York City and visited a high-security El Salvador prison housing Venezuelan immigrants who had been deported without charges or legal representation.
Border crossings dropped dramatically under Trump’s restrictive policies, a sharp contrast to the elevated illegal immigration levels during former President Joe Biden’s Democratic administration.
Following Trump’s broader agenda, Noem also moved to reduce legal immigration pathways and strengthen screening processes. She terminated multiple Temporary Protected Status programs that had provided work authorization to hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Venezuela, Haiti, and other countries, triggering legal challenges.
After an Afghan immigrant allegedly attacked National Guard personnel in Washington D.C., Noem stated she advised Trump to implement “a full travel ban on every damn country that’s been flooding our nation with killers, leeches, and entitlement junkies.”
Opponents accused Noem of vilifying immigrants and implementing enforcement policies that primarily affected law-abiding working immigrants and their families. During her leadership, deaths in immigration detention facilities reached a 20-year peak while DHS oversight staff experienced significant cuts.
Veteran defensive end Cameron Jordan is set to enter free agency after dedicating his entire 15-season NFL career to the New Orleans Saints, according to an ESPN report released Thursday.
The eight-time Pro Bowl selection will not receive a new deal from New Orleans by next week’s deadline and will hit the open market. Jordan, who will celebrate his 37th birthday in July, recently finished a two-year deal worth $27.5 million in 2025. According to ESPN’s reporting, the veteran defender is interested in continuing his career for a 16th season.
During the most recent campaign, Jordan appeared in every regular-season contest as a starter, recording 47 total tackles alongside 10.5 quarterback takedowns. His statistical line also included 15 tackles behind the line of scrimmage, 15 quarterback pressures, two forced turnovers, and one fumble recovery.
Throughout his professional career, Jordan has accumulated 132 quarterback sacks, establishing a Saints franchise milestone. His complete career statistics show 763 total tackles, 175 tackles for loss, 17 forced turnovers, 12 fumble recoveries, and 67 defended passes across 243 regular-season appearances with 242 starts.
Jordan earned Pro Bowl recognition in 2013, 2015, and consecutively from 2017 through 2022, while receiving first-team All-Pro honors in 2017. His eight Pro Bowl selections represent the highest total for any defensive player in Saints franchise history.
The Saints acquired Jordan through the first round of the 2011 NFL draft, selecting him 24th overall following his collegiate career at California.
Following a major sewage spill in the Potomac River, ongoing water quality monitoring reveals bacteria levels have dropped to safe recreational standards after a federal pipeline rupture earlier this year.
The environmental crisis began January 19 when a massive 72-inch sewage pipeline called the Potomac Interceptor suffered a catastrophic break, releasing untreated waste into the river. The pipeline, operated by DC Water, carries sewage from Northern Virginia to the Blue Plains Wastewater Treatment Plant in Washington, D.C.
State and local officials quickly implemented emergency closures in affected areas and issued health warnings for all river users following the discharge from the deteriorating federal infrastructure.
DC Water has successfully stopped the sewage release, and continuous monitoring by Maryland’s Department of the Environment has documented acceptable bacteria concentrations in river waters south of Washington D.C. since February 17.
Maryland’s Department of Health is collaborating with Montgomery, Prince George’s, and Charles counties to determine when no-contact advisories can be removed from their river sections. Washington, D.C. already canceled its no-contact warning on March 2 after several weeks of consistently low bacterial readings.
Shellfish harvesting areas in Charles County, located approximately 60 miles downstream from the spill location, showed no contamination evidence during testing. The precautionary harvest bans implemented in these waters will be removed March 10.
The Potomac River Fisheries Commission announced in a collaborative statement with Maryland response agencies that fishing remains permitted in their jurisdictional waters and will continue during the upcoming crabbing season.
Maryland maintains shellfish safety through participation in the National Shellfish Sanitation Program, which enforces strict health standards including regular water quality assessments, harvesting procedure reviews, and legal compliance measures. The Maryland Natural Resources Police serves as one of several enforcement bodies ensuring harvest safety.
Following a request from the District of Columbia, President Biden approved an emergency declaration on February 21, enabling federal funding assistance for remaining repair and cleanup operations. DC shares responsibility with DC Water for incident response costs.
The Department of Natural Resources pledges continued cooperation with all responding agencies to monitor any remaining threats from the contained sewage discharge, prioritizing public health and environmental safety.
DOVER, DE – Delaware’s healthcare policy officials rolled out comprehensive reform legislation on March 5, 2026, with Senate Bill 1 designed to prioritize patients and medical providers while tackling the state’s healthcare affordability crisis.
The sweeping proposal was announced jointly by legislative leadership and the state’s Insurance Commissioner during a Dover press conference. Officials say the measure focuses on redistributing healthcare dollars more effectively while expanding access to quality, affordable medical services.
The legislation represents an ambitious effort to restructure how healthcare funding flows through Delaware’s system, with particular emphasis on strengthening primary care services. Policy makers describe the bill as putting patients and healthcare providers at the center of reform efforts.
According to state officials, the proposal builds upon previous work by Delaware’s Department of Health and represents a significant step toward addressing long-standing concerns about medical care costs and accessibility throughout the First State.
The United States dairy industry reported robust cheese manufacturing numbers for the latest reporting period, with production reaching 1.28 billion pounds when cottage cheese is not included in the calculations.
According to federal agricultural data, this production volume represents a substantial 4.7 percent jump compared to January 2025 figures. The numbers also show a modest 0.1 percent increase over December 2025 production levels.
The production statistics reflect the ongoing strength in America’s dairy manufacturing sector, with cheese makers maintaining steady output levels across the country.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum appears poised to make his comeback to professional basketball nearly ten months following a devastating right Achilles tendon rupture that occurred during last season’s postseason run.
The All-Star player has been upgraded to questionable status on Boston’s injury report released Thursday for Friday evening’s contest against the Dallas Mavericks at home.
This marks the initial occasion this season that Tatum hasn’t been designated as out while continuing his recovery process from the injury sustained in the fourth game of Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinal defeat to New York in May.
Brad Stevens, the Celtics’ president of basketball operations, previously stated that Tatum would only receive medical clearance when he demonstrated complete physical and mental readiness. That milestone appears to be approaching.
Tatum has also expressed his preference for making his comeback during a home contest. With Boston holding a 41-21 record, the team has 20 games left in the regular season, with 11 scheduled at TD Garden. The Celtics currently occupy second place in the Eastern Conference.
“I didn’t come back to be no role player, Doc,” Tatum told his physician during a post-surgery appointment featured in the recent documentary “The Quiet Work,” which documented his rehabilitation journey.
Following his injury last season, Tatum quickly shifted his focus away from personal disappointment and his team’s ended championship defense hopes.
He promptly decided to move forward and scheduled his surgical procedure for the following day.
Standard recovery periods for returning to basketball following Achilles tendon repair typically range from nine to twelve months.
Should he take the court Friday, the 28-year-old Tatum, who underwent surgery on May 13, would be making his comeback after 298 days away from competition.
This timeline closely mirrors the recovery period of Basketball Hall of Fame member Dominique Wilkins, who returned from his Achilles rupture after 283 days at age 33 during the 1992-93 campaign. Wilkins participated in 71 regular-season contests that year, posting 29.9 points per game and earning All-Star recognition.
Kobe Bryant, Tatum’s childhood hero, returned to action after approximately eight months but faced additional injury complications.
Tatum is currently in year one of his five-year, $314 million contract extension signed in 2024. He marked his 28th birthday this past Tuesday.
Despite maintaining a six-day weekly rehabilitation schedule since his operation, whether Tatum would return this season remained uncertain.
Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton and Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard have both been sidelined for the entire 2025-26 campaign after suffering similar Achilles injuries during the 2025 playoffs. Lillard, playing for Milwaukee at the time, was injured during their opening-round elimination by Indiana. Haliburton suffered his injury in the seventh game of Indiana’s NBA Finals defeat to Oklahoma City.
However, Tatum has shown consistent progress throughout his rehabilitation without any reported complications. He has maintained his presence with the team and continued traveling for away games while pursuing his workout regimen.
Following his participation in a complete practice session with Boston’s G League affiliate three weeks ago, Tatum indicated he hadn’t finalized his return decision.
“It doesn’t mean that I’m coming back or I’m not, it’s just following the plan. So it’s just another step,” Tatum explained at that time. “I don’t know percentage. I just know I feel a little bit better everyday. I just try to focus on that.”
During the same conversation, Tatum acknowledged his awareness of not wanting to interfere with the success of a Celtics squad competing for Eastern Conference supremacy this season.
Specifically, fellow All-Star Jaylen Brown has excelled during Tatum’s absence, posting career-best averages in scoring (29.1), rebounding (7.1) and assists (4.9) while establishing himself among the league’s top defensive players. His performance has generated his first serious MVP consideration.
This situation prompted Tatum to acknowledge some uncertainty about his potential return during a recent podcast interview.
“I’m just hyper aware of what’s going on. I think it would just stem from that. Obviously, I know what I bring to the table and bring to the team. But I’m also aware that these guys have been playing extremely well,” Tatum explained. “Not to say that I would mess it up or anything like that. It was just being kind of, being vulnerable, I guess, for a moment and talking from that perspective.”
Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, who captured the Heisman Trophy while guiding the Hoosiers to their inaugural national championship, is projected to be selected first overall by the Las Vegas Raiders in next month’s NFL draft.
Beyond Mendoza’s expected selection, the remainder of the draft remains uncertain. There’s no guarantee that another quarterback will be chosen in the opening round following Mendoza, although Ty Simpson strengthened his position with an impressive showing at the scouting combine.
The Associated Press has released its inaugural 2026 mock draft, presenting selections in order without any anticipated trades:
Mendoza possesses the qualities of an accurate pocket quarterback with ideal dimensions, composure, and leadership qualities. While the Raiders have offensive weapons in Brock Bowers and Ashton Jeanty, they must construct their team around Mendoza while ensuring his protection. Having part-owner Tom Brady available for mentorship should prove valuable for Mendoza. Las Vegas hasn’t secured a playoff victory since their Super Bowl appearance following the 2002 campaign and has qualified for the postseason just twice since then. Mendoza must develop into their cornerstone quarterback.
Reese demonstrates exceptional athleticism, posting a 4.47-second 40-yard dash time while playing both off-ball linebacker and standing edge positions. His potential to become an elite pass rusher makes him attractive to the Jets, who require a sure-fire prospect.
Bailey appears on numerous draft boards as the second overall selection. He represents another tremendously athletic edge player with exceptional potential. Should the Cardinals choose not to trade down for additional draft picks, he would be an excellent selection.
Bain offers versatility as a pass rusher capable of lining up outside or inside against guards, creating favorable matchups. He would provide significant value for new coach Robert Saleh.
Safeguarding Jaxson Dart remains a top concern for the Giants. Mauigoa brings three years of starting experience at right tackle and would immediately strengthen New York’s offensive line.
Proctor began starting at left tackle as a true freshman and surrendered only two sacks across three seasons. Cleveland must rebuild their offensive line, and Proctor represents an excellent foundation. His impressive measurements of 6-foot-7 and 352 pounds complement his athletic ability. Proctor even contributed five rushing attempts for 16 yards.
Styles’ outstanding combine showing elevated him into the top five on numerous draft boards. While Washington has offensive needs, they cannot overlook a talented defensive player of Styles’ caliber.
Tate draws comparisons to Chris Olave and would join him in New Orleans. He runs precise routes with reliable hands and sufficient speed to become a primary offensive weapon.
Kansas City must provide Patrick Mahomes with improved protection and additional receiving options. Love would immediately reduce pressure on Mahomes and the passing attack, offering an explosive playmaker capable of scoring on any touch.
Delane ranks as the draft’s premier coverage cornerback. He would significantly upgrade a defense that has faced challenges.
McCoy demonstrates reliability with exceptional ball-handling abilities. Miami might consider a receiver to replace Tyreek Hill, but new coach Jeff Hafley’s defensive background makes McCoy an appealing choice to stabilize the secondary.
Scouts praise Faulk’s leadership qualities alongside his evident skills. He represents an ideal match for Dallas, who seeks to replace Micah Parsons’ production.
Downs possesses elite versatility as a playmaker but falls this far due to knee issues discovered at the combine. Adding Downs following their acquisition of All-Pro cornerback Trent McDuffie would strengthen the Rams’ secondary.
Ioane addresses a significant need for Baltimore while fitting their run-blocking system effectively.
Allen ranks among the draft’s most adaptable linebackers and could assume defensive play-calling duties if Lavonte David retires.
New York strengthens the opposite side of the line with their second selection in the first round’s opening half. Freeling possesses outstanding athleticism but requires additional experience.
Fano might be selected much earlier than Detroit’s pick based on his natural abilities. He drops due to concerns about short arms, which became a significant discussion point following the Super Bowl.
Thieneman delivered an outstanding combine performance, recording a 4.36-second 40-yard dash that surpassed some of the NFL’s top receivers. As a three-year starter, he would immediately contribute to Brian Flores’ defense.
Mesidor enters the draft as an older candidate at 25, but his abilities are evident on film. He would create pressure from the outside while remaining effective against rushing attacks.
An athletic cornerback who would immediately provide Dallas and new defensive coordinator Christian Parker with an impact starter.
Simpson could finally represent Pittsburgh’s long-term quarterback solution with an opportunity to develop under coach Mike McCarthy.
He stands as the draft’s top tight end prospect and could quickly become Justin Herbert’s preferred target.
Philadelphia frequently selects offensive or defensive linemen in the first round and has a current need. Lomu would eventually replace Lane Johnson at right tackle.
Banks requires additional development after appearing in only three games last season due to injury, but his natural talent is extraordinary.
McDonald represents another Ohio State player entering the first round. He excels as a natural run defender who would occupy the middle of the defensive line.
Boston combines strength, speed, and outstanding ball skills. He would provide Josh Allen with a needed receiving target.
San Francisco also requires an offensive tackle but must rebuild their receiving corps. Fields brings toughness and physicality as a wide receiver with red zone capabilities.
Houston needs better protection for C.J. Stroud. Iheanachor is an athletic former basketball player with ideal size who needs development time but could start immediately.
Miller appeared in 54 college games and could contribute immediately for Kansas City, who must improve protection for Mahomes.
Lemon represents an elite playmaker who would give Bo Nix another option while strengthening Denver’s offense.
Young creates disruption while bringing energy and leadership qualities. He should mesh well with coach Mike Vrabel.
The Super Bowl champions enhance the league’s top defense by adding another defensive back from South Carolina after their successful selection of Nick Emmanwori last year.
OMAHA, Neb. — For the first time in nearly two years, investment giant Berkshire Hathaway has returned to purchasing its own stock, while the company’s new chief executive Greg Abel voiced approval of Kraft Heinz’s choice to delay dividing into two separate entities.
Abel made a television appearance on CNBC Thursday, just days after publishing his inaugural shareholder letter since assuming leadership of Berkshire from investment icon Warren Buffett this past January. The company also filed an uncommon notification with federal securities regulators confirming it had started repurchasing shares on Wednesday, marking the first such activity since May 2024.
Last autumn when Kraft initially revealed its corporate division strategy, both Abel and Buffett raised objections due to the expenses and ongoing challenges facing certain product lines. Abel stated he supported new Kraft chief executive Steve Cahillane’s choice to postpone the separation.
“For Steve to come in and say we’re pausing it, there’s opportunities within Kraft Heinz to fix things and get the business back on track and then he’ll evaluate things. We thought that was absolutely the right approach,” Abel said.
During his CNBC interview, Abel emphasized Berkshire’s unchanged philosophy regarding share repurchases. The Nebraska-headquartered conglomerate plans to continue using portions of its massive $373.3 billion cash reserve to buy back stock when Abel and Buffett determine shares are undervalued compared to market prices. The company’s Class A stock rose over 2% Thursday, reaching $745,451.75 per share.
Abel revealed Thursday that he invested his entire $15.3 million salary for 2026 into Berkshire shares this week, pledging to maintain this practice throughout his tenure as CEO to ensure his financial interests match those of shareholders.
“As CEO, I absolutely obviously believe in Berkshire with — with the transition from Warren. And I inherited a company that has an incredible foundation. I believe in its — you know, future, the opportunities that exist there,” Abel said.
In his shareholder correspondence released last Saturday, Abel committed to maintaining the operational approach Buffett has employed over six decades. The two executives maintain regular communication as Buffett retains his chairman role and continues daily office attendance to seek new investment opportunities.
Abel confirmed this continuity includes avoiding dividend payments, as both leaders believe reinvesting company cash generates superior shareholder returns compared to distributing dividends.
The investment powerhouse controls numerous subsidiaries, including insurance companies such as Geico, the BNSF railway system, recognizable brands like Dairy Queen, multiple utility companies, and various manufacturing, retail and service enterprises including private jet company NetJets.
MADISON, Wis. — A 20-year-old Wisconsin man received a seven-year prison sentence Thursday for attempting to burn down a Republican congressman’s office because he opposed the lawmaker’s support for TikTok divestiture legislation.
Fond du Lac County Circuit Judge Tricia Walker also ordered Caiden Stachowicz of Menasha to serve seven years of extended supervision following his prison term, according to court documents.
Stachowicz entered a no contest plea in November to arson charges. In return for his plea, which carries the same weight as a guilty verdict during sentencing without admitting wrongdoing, prosecutors dismissed burglary and property damage charges.
Defense attorney Timothy Hogan did not respond to requests for comment.
Court documents reveal that a police officer arrived at the scene of a fire outside Republican U.S. Rep. Glenn Grothman’s Fond du Lac office around 1 a.m. on January 19, 2025, and found Stachowicz in the vicinity. The office is located approximately 55 miles northwest of Milwaukee.
Stachowicz admitted to the officer that he ignited the fire due to his dislike of Grothman, the complaint states. His original plan involved breaking into the building to start the fire indoors, but after failing to shatter a window, he doused an electrical box behind the structure and the front entrance area with gasoline before lighting it with a match and observing the flames, according to court filings.
The defendant explained his motivation by saying he wanted to destroy the office because the federal government was eliminating TikTok in violation of his constitutional freedoms and peaceful solutions were no longer viable, the complaint indicates. He noted that Grothman supported the ban but emphasized he had no intention of harming the congressman or anyone else.
In April 2024, Grothman cast his vote for legislation mandating that ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, divest its American operations. The original compliance deadline was January 19, 2025, though President Donald Trump has extended the timeline through several executive orders. TikTok completed arrangements two months ago to establish an American version of the video-sharing platform, which Trump has endorsed.
Representatives from Grothman’s congressional office have not responded to requests for comment.
Students from across Delaware had the opportunity to witness history in the making as they attended the American debut of Glory Ride, a powerful new musical production. The show brings to life the remarkable wartime story of Gino Bartali, an Italian cycling champion whose heroic deeds during World War II led to the rescue of hundreds of Jewish individuals facing Fascist persecution.
The educational theater experience took place during special student matinee showings in March, providing young people with a unique learning opportunity that combines arts education with important historical lessons about the Holocaust.
This cultural initiative aligns with Delaware’s Strategic Plan objectives while offering students an engaging way to learn about courage, resistance, and human compassion during one of history’s darkest periods. The musical showcases how one person’s determination and bravery can make a profound difference in the lives of others facing persecution.
Beast Industries has terminated a video editor from their team this week after prediction market platform Kalshi leveled insider trading allegations against the employee.
According to Kalshi’s announcement last month, a platform user had wagered approximately $4,000 on streaming markets connected to MrBeast content with “near-perfect” results. The company discovered this user was actually a Beast Industries employee who “likely had access to material non-public information.” As a result, Kalshi imposed a two-year ban on the editor, issued a $20,000 fine, and notified federal regulatory agencies.
A representative from Beast Industries, the company established by Jimmy Donaldson, stated that the approximately 500-employee organization maintains “no tolerance for this behavior” and has launched an independent review. Company president and CEO Jeff Housenbold revealed to CNBC that he had implemented restrictions months earlier preventing MrBeast staff and Beast Games contestants from trading, referencing Donaldson’s hit Amazon Prime reality competition series.
This situation draws YouTube’s largest channel, known for Donaldson’s elaborate stunt-based content featuring substantial cash prizes, into ongoing discussions about prediction market regulation and whether such platforms constitute gambling. Kalshi operates as one of multiple popular services enabling users to bet on potential event outcomes, with wagering options spanning from Super Bowl entertainment to international political developments.
The Beast Industries representative urged Kalshi and similar platforms to share their investigative results more transparently. Housenbold, who formerly served on Caesars Entertainment’s board of directors, described prediction markets as “ripe for abuse” during CNBC’s “Squawk Box” program last week. He noted these platforms strongly resemble gambling operations, emphasizing that government officials must make the final classification decision.
Federal oversight of prediction markets currently falls under the Commodity Futures Trading Commission rather than state gambling regulatory bodies. Industry critics argue both prediction market operators and regulators should strengthen measures preventing insider trading violations.
“You could be a third-party cameraman on set and know what the first song in the rehearsal is for a singer. You can be the person reviewing a script and knowing what the end result is,” Housenbold explained. “There’s so much information out there and it’s asymmetric and people are taking advantage of that.”
Weather forecasters are warning that the season’s first significant severe weather outbreak could impact America’s central regions, placing millions of residents from Texas through Iowa in the path of dangerous tornado activity.
The National Weather Service reported that isolated severe thunderstorms are forecast to develop Thursday evening across the Texas Panhandle, western Oklahoma, and portions of Kansas. Forecasters anticipate these storms will produce large hail, destructive winds, and potentially several tornadoes.
However, Friday is when the most dangerous weather conditions are anticipated across a broad region encompassing much of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri, while extending into adjacent states, weather service forecasts indicate.
The Storm Prediction Center reports that over 6 million Americans face the greatest severe weather threat on Friday, including residents of the Kansas City and Tulsa, Oklahoma metropolitan regions. An additional 22 million people are under a moderate risk level in areas that encompass Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Omaha, Nebraska, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
This same weather system driving the severe storm potential will also deliver exceptionally high temperatures for the season by weekend.
“Temperatures will be 20-30 degrees above average, with 80s reaching as far north as parts of the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic,” federal forecasters wrote in their long-range forecast discussion. “Daily records could become widespread.”
Texas Senator John Cornyn is launching aggressive attacks against his Republican primary runoff rival while the state anticipates President Donald Trump’s promised backing in the race.
Cornyn’s campaign unveiled a new attack advertisement Thursday targeting state Attorney General Ken Paxton with multiple ethical and personal allegations. The move signals the beginning of what could become an even more contentious and costly second round of campaigning.
The advertisement highlights controversies surrounding Paxton, including his impeachment proceedings on corruption allegations that resulted in acquittal but revealed an extramarital relationship, plus a state securities fraud case that Paxton settled through a plea agreement while maintaining his innocence.
Campaign officials for Cornyn report investing tens of thousands of dollars to ensure voter exposure to the advertisement. While this represents a small fraction of the over $110 million already spent before Tuesday’s primary, it could signal much larger expenditures ahead if the six-minute video becomes shortened television commercials.
Trump refrained from backing any candidate during the primary phase, disappointing Republicans who worry about wasted resources and time in Texas rather than focusing on more competitive swing states. The president indicated Wednesday he plans to announce his choice for the May 26 runoff and expects the unendorsed candidate to withdraw, though no decision has been revealed.
Cornyn barely secured first place in Tuesday’s concluded primary but failed to reach the majority threshold needed to prevent a runoff. Representative Wesley Hunt placed third before being eliminated.
Republican leadership supports Cornyn, the established incumbent pursuing his fifth term, while cautioning that Paxton carries excessive controversy to succeed against Democratic candidate James Talarico in November’s general election.
However, Paxton has demonstrated durability against previous attacks and has positioned himself as a champion for Trump’s “Make America Great Again” agenda. Speaking with conservative commentator Benny Johnson, he declared he would not withdraw regardless of endorsement developments.
“I’m going to give people in Texas a choice,” Paxton said. “The people in Washington can have their own opinion. The president can have his own opinion.”
Paxton presented an alternative proposal through social media, suggesting he might consider withdrawal if Senate Republican leadership eliminated the filibuster to advance Trump-supported legislation requiring strict citizenship verification for voting. This proposal remains stalled in the Senate.
Trump seemed irritated by Paxton’s defiance.
“That is bad for him,” he told Politico. “So maybe, maybe that leads me to go the other direction.”
The president had previously stated on social media that he would endorse a Texas candidate because the divisive race cannot “be allowed to go on any longer.”
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump dismissed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem from her position Thursday following intense scrutiny of her department’s performance on immigration enforcement and emergency response efforts.
The president announced via social media that Oklahoma Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin will be nominated to replace Noem, just two days after she endured harsh questioning from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers on Capitol Hill.
In his announcement, Trump indicated Noem would transition to serve as “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” describing it as a newly created security program concentrated on Western Hemisphere operations.
Shortly after Trump’s public statement, Noem appeared at a scheduled Department of Homeland Security gathering where she delivered prepared comments without acknowledging her removal, instead reinforcing points from Trump’s recent State of the Union address.
This marks the first Cabinet-level departure during Trump’s current presidential term. Noem’s exit concludes a controversial period leading the department amid widespread opposition and legal challenges to immigration enforcement strategies.
Her position became increasingly precarious following this week’s congressional hearings, where she encountered unusual but severe criticism from Republican representatives. Lawmakers particularly questioned a $220 million advertising initiative featuring Noem that promoted voluntary departure for undocumented immigrants.
During testimony, Noem stated Trump had prior knowledge of the advertising campaign, though Trump contradicted this claim in a Thursday Reuters interview, denying he approved the promotional effort.
The former South Dakota governor faced ongoing criticism throughout her tenure overseeing Trump’s strict immigration policies, particularly following fatal shootings of two demonstrators in Minneapolis by immigration enforcement personnel. Her department also drew scrutiny regarding its management of congressional funding allocations.
Growing dissatisfaction with Noem’s implementation of the administration’s immigration agenda — especially her response to the Minneapolis shooting incident involving two American citizens — combined with concerns over disaster management contributed to her removal. Both Democratic and Republican legislators criticized her performance during this week’s hearings on multiple fronts.
Beyond immigration matters, Noem encountered bipartisan criticism regarding delays in Federal Emergency Management Agency funding approvals and the administration’s overall disaster response coordination.
While Mullin requires Senate confirmation for the permanent position, federal vacancy legislation permits him to serve in an acting capacity as Homeland Security secretary during the nomination process.
TORREY, Utah — Law enforcement officials have apprehended a 22-year-old Iowa man in connection with the deaths of three women in Utah, announcing the arrest Thursday after a multi-state manhunt.
Ivan Miller of Blakesburg, Iowa, is accused of a deadly crime spree that unfolded Wednesday afternoon in rural Utah communities near popular national parks. According to Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Cameron Roden, Miller allegedly murdered an elderly woman at her residence, took her vehicle, and drove to a hiking trail where he killed two other women before fleeing in one of their cars.
The tragic discovery began when the husbands of two hikers went searching for their wives near Capitol Reef National Park. The men found one vehicle missing from the trailhead and discovered another car they didn’t recognize, prompting them to contact authorities.
“The husbands told authorities one vehicle was missing from the trailhead and they didn’t know who owned the other,” Roden explained.
Police traced the unknown vehicle to its owner, leading them to discover the first victim at a brick residence in Lyman, which remained surrounded by police tape Thursday as investigators collected evidence.
Law enforcement tracked Miller’s route using license plate recognition technology and vehicle tracking systems. The trail led from Utah through northern Arizona to the mountain community of Pagosa Springs in southwestern Colorado, where Miller abandoned the stolen vehicle. Officers located him after a brief search in the area.
Miller appeared in Colorado jail records Thursday, held on a misdemeanor charge of carrying a concealed weapon. His initial court appearance was set for Friday afternoon. The Colorado Public Defender’s office is representing him, though officials declined to provide additional comments.
The victims include two friends who were hiking together – one in her 30s and another in her 60s – plus an 80-year-old woman who lived approximately 10 miles from the trail in Wayne County. Authorities say there was no connection between the hikers and the elderly victim.
“There is no indication that Miller had any connection to the victims,” Roden stated. Investigators believe the attacks were crimes of “convenience” rather than targeted violence, though they continue examining when Miller arrived in Utah and his activities before the killings.
The crime prompted safety warnings for Wayne County residents, with nearby schools closing Thursday as a precaution. Officials had asked the public to help locate a white Subaru Outback while warning people not to approach the vehicle.
Multiple crime scenes in Torrey and surrounding areas remain under investigation, with support from the State Bureau of Investigation and Crime Lab, according to Roden.
Major League Soccer club FC Cincinnati has brought in goalkeeper Fabian Mrozek through a loan arrangement with Liverpool FC of the English Premier League.
The agreement with the 22-year-old Polish keeper was revealed Thursday and extends through the 2026 season, featuring an option for a permanent acquisition. Mrozek will take up one of the team’s international player spots.
Throughout his time with Liverpool’s youth and reserve squads, Mrozek has recorded 19 shutouts across 60 matches at the U18, U19, and U21 levels. He has also earned six substitute appearances with Liverpool’s senior squad.
“Fabian is a talented young goalkeeper,” said FCC general manager Chris Albright. “He will add quality and depth to our goalkeeping group and we look forward to his development under Paul Rogers. We’d like to welcome him to Cincinnati.”
Cincinnati’s current goalkeeper roster features primary starter Roman Celentano along with Evan Louro and Bryan Dowd.
Sources familiar with the transaction confirmed Thursday that the Buffalo Bills have reached an agreement to obtain wide receiver D.J. Moore from the Chicago Bears, according to two individuals with direct knowledge of the deal who spoke to The Associated Press.
The trade involves Buffalo sending Chicago a second-round selection in this year’s draft in exchange for Moore and a fifth-round pick, according to the sources. The individuals requested anonymity since the transaction cannot be finalized until the new league year begins on Wednesday.
The nearly 29-year-old receiver recorded 50 receptions for 682 yards and found the end zone six times during the previous season, helping Chicago reach the playoffs in Ben Johnson’s inaugural campaign as head coach. Moore will now join Buffalo under new coach Joe Brady, providing quarterback Josh Allen with another target after the team has cycled through various receivers in recent seasons.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Tesla CEO Elon Musk took the witness stand Thursday in a San Francisco courtroom, standing by his controversial statements made before his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter in 2022. The billionaire faces accusations from investors who claim his public comments deliberately misled them and resulted in significant financial losses.
The legal battle stems from a class-action suit filed shortly before Musk’s takeover of the social media platform, which he later rebranded as X. The deal was finalized in October 2022, half a year after Musk initially agreed to purchase the struggling company at $54.20 per share.
Shareholders who sold their Twitter stock between May 13 and October 4, 2022, are represented in the lawsuit. They argue that Musk intentionally violated federal securities regulations through strategic moves designed to lower the company’s share value, hoping to either abandon the purchase entirely or negotiate a reduced price.
During his second day of testimony, Musk maintained his position that Twitter harbored significantly more fraudulent and spam accounts than the company’s official disclosure of 5 percent in regulatory documents.
The issue of automated accounts and fake profiles on Twitter predated Musk’s acquisition negotiations. In 2021, the company agreed to pay $809.5 million to resolve allegations that it had inflated its user growth statistics and monthly active user counts. Twitter had also regularly reported its bot estimates to the Securities and Exchange Commission over multiple years, acknowledging that their calculations could potentially underestimate the actual figures.
However, Musk and certain independent analysts contend the actual percentage was far greater, reaching at least 20 percent. During his testimony, Musk described claiming the bot percentage was at minimum this level as equivalent to “saying the grass is green or the sky is blue.”
NEW YORK — Investment banking giant Morgan Stanley is eliminating approximately 2,500 positions as the financial industry continues widespread workforce reductions this year.
The job cuts represent about 3% of Morgan Stanley’s total staff and are happening throughout the investment banking operation, according to a source familiar with the situation who spoke anonymously since the company isn’t publicly discussing the reductions.
Similar to other financial firms, Morgan Stanley expanded rapidly during the coronavirus pandemic, growing from 60,000 workers in 2019 to 82,000 by the close of 2022. The firm employed 83,000 people at the end of 2025.
Already in the first two months of this year, tens of thousands of positions have been eliminated across various industries, with many affecting white-collar workers. Financial companies haven’t escaped this trend.
Both Citigroup and BlackRock have reportedly reduced their employee numbers, and last week financial technology firm Block — parent company of Cash App and Square — announced plans to eliminate 40% of its staff. Although Block founder Jack Dorsey attributed the cuts to artificial intelligence-driven productivity improvements, industry analysts pointed out that Block had essentially tripled its workforce between 2019 and 2025, expanding from 3,800 to 12,000 employees.
Morgan Stanley’s workforce reduction won’t affect the company’s financial advisors, though the firm is reducing support staff within its lucrative wealth management operations.
The Wall Street Journal initially broke the story about Morgan Stanley’s layoffs on Thursday.
ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A Greek man has experienced profound emotions after discovering a photograph that captured his grandfather’s final moments before being executed by Nazi forces during World War II.
Thrasivoulos Marakis spent his life listening to family stories about his namesake grandfather, whom he never had the chance to meet. The tales described a towering man who lost his life during Nazi retaliation operations in Greece throughout the war.
Throughout the years, Marakis possessed only a single faded family photograph of his grandfather.
However, a new image surfaced last month through an online auction. The photograph depicted his grandfather walking with composure toward his execution alongside fellow prisoners.
This discovery has deeply affected the Marakis family and generated intense emotions throughout Greece, where the killing of 200 prisoners by Nazi occupying forces on May 1, 1944 stands as one of the nation’s most moving representations of wartime defiance.
The photographs hold profound personal significance for Marakis.
“They went to their deaths with their heads held high so that we could be free today,” he said.
On Thursday, the Culture Ministry unveiled these disturbing photographs of the execution — the first authenticated images ever released publicly — following their acquisition of the collection from a private collector in Belgium.
Marakis, a Crete resident, identified the tall, broad-shouldered figure leading one group — with rolled-up sleeves, walking forward with dignity — as his grandfather, 40-year-old dairy farmer Thrasivoulos Kalafatakis.
He presented the image to aging family members and their acquaintances, including a local 97-year-old woman.
“That’s when I got the final confirmation,” he told The Associated Press. “It was very moving for the family — deeply, deeply moving.”
The photograph captures prisoners marching under guard toward Athens’ Kaisariani firing range, where they faced execution in groups of 20 as retaliation for a resistance attack that killed a German commander in southern Greece.
The Greek government acquired the archive from a Belgian collector for 100,000 euros ($115,700). The collection contains 262 photographs captured by German Wehrmacht lieutenant Hermann Heuer, who served in Greece during 1943–44, plus wartime currency and news clippings from that era.
While unveiling the materials in Athens, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni explained that the images offer compelling evidence of Nazi occupation strategies and restore personal identities to victims previously known primarily through written records.
“The value of this collection is immense,” Mendoni said. “The photographs…are priceless, because they give a face and a visual dimension to historical testimonies.”
“What matters is how the Greeks faced the Nazi system with courage,” she added.
Multiple photographs document the prisoners’ last moments.
One sequence shows trucks carrying detainees along unpaved roads from Athens’ outskirts Haidari prison camp to the execution site east of the city center. Another image captures the men entering the shooting area, where stacks of jackets sit piled beside the entrance.
Valentin Schneider, a researcher at the University of Athens’ Department of History and Archaeology who assisted in authenticating the images, explained the detail’s importance.
“Most likely it was on the orders of the German army,” Schneider said. “To make the bullets penetrate more easily, they asked them to remove their coats and heavy clothing.”
Additional photographs document seldom-recorded moments: one captures the precise instant gunfire erupts, while another shows the executed prisoners on the ground, all having fallen backward.
Historians note that such visual documentation is exceptionally uncommon.
Throughout Nazi occupation of Greece from 1941 to 1944, German commanders regularly ordered executions of hostages or civilians following resistance operations.
Many prisoners killed at Kaisariani had been detained years before by Greece’s pre-war authoritarian government for communist political activities and remained incarcerated when German forces took control of the country.
The 200 prisoners faced execution in response to the ambush and assassination of a German military commander in southern Greece by resistance fighters.
The archive also exposes another aspect of the German officer who captured the photographs. Among the images are glimpses of Heuer’s personal life — including swimming near Athens, touring the Acropolis and spending time with his family after returning to Germany.
Stavroula Fotopoulou, director of the Culture Ministry’s antiquities and cultural heritage department, explained that the photographs represented a wider system promoted by the Nazi regime.
They “created a powerful propaganda machine, not only with professional photographers in the propaganda units, but by encouraging everyone — soldiers and their families — to take photographs,” she said. “Why? So these images could be sent back home and build the impression of the Wehrmacht’s successes.”
Mendoni announced that official identification of individuals shown in the photographs will commence immediately. Digital versions will be distributed to victims’ families as well as institutions and museums requesting them.
“In that moment, the Greeks — and these people in particular — showed true greatness,” Mendoni said. “They reacted with bravery and dignity. That’s what we must hold on to.”
Marakis stated the images demonstrate his grandfather “stood by his beliefs and his ideology. He never renounced them”
He added: “If he had renounced them, he would have lived longer.”
These represent just some of the evolving justifications the Trump administration has offered for its military campaign against Iran and the assassination of Iranian leadership, all without first obtaining congressional approval or allied support. Key details remain murky about this expanding conflict initiated by the president, including how it will end, when operations might conclude, and which groups Trump envisions replacing what he terms the “sick people” currently governing Iran.
What sets this U.S.-Iran confrontation apart from previous tensions is the apparent lack of coordination among Trump administration officials regarding fundamental questions: What are the objectives and why act at this moment?
“Typically, you establish a unified rationale from the outset and maintain consistent communication,” explained David Schenker, formerly of the Trump administration and currently with the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. “However, this presents difficulties for the current administration.”
By midweek, White House officials characterized the Republican president’s launch of Operation Epic Fury as responding to historical Iranian threats against America “and the president’s assessment, grounded in evidence, that Iran presents an immediate and direct danger to the United States of America.” Experts question this characterization.
Below are selected explanations from Trump administration representatives during the past week as the U.S.-Israel confrontation with Iran escalated into warfare.
STATEMENTS FOLLOWING U.S.-ISRAEL ATTACKS ON IRAN LAST SUMMER:
“THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED!” Trump declared in a June 24, 2025, Truth Social posting.
RESPONSES TO INTELLIGENCE REPORTS SUGGESTING IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM SUFFERED ONLY TEMPORARY SETBACKS:
“That is a false story, and it’s one that really shouldn’t be re-reported,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated during a June 25, 2025, Politico interview.
COMMENTS SINCE THE ASSASSINATION OF IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER AYATOLLAH ALI KHAMENEI:
“If we didn’t do what we’re doing right now, you would have had a nuclear war and they would have taken out many countries because, you know what? They’re sick people,” Trump said Tuesday at the White House.
CONTEXT:
Tehran has consistently maintained its nuclear program serves peaceful purposes, though the UN’s nuclear monitoring agency and Western governments assert Iran operated an organized weapons program until 2003.
The program’s current status remains unknown since officials have blocked International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors from accessing bombed nuclear sites since June. This information comes from a confidential watchdog report distributed to member nations and obtained February 27 by The Associated Press.
Iran claims it has halted enrichment activities since June. AP analysis of satellite imagery reveals renewed activity at two targeted locations, indicating Iran may be evaluating damage and potentially salvaging materials.
Under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Iran must cooperate with the IAEA, but suspended all collaboration following the conflict with Israel.
ADMINISTRATION STATEMENTS:
“Iran possesses a very large number of ballistic missiles, particularly short-range ballistic missiles, that threaten the United States and our bases in the region, and our partners in the region, and all of our bases in the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain,” Rubio told reporters February 25.
“The regime already had missiles capable of hitting Europe and our bases — both local and overseas — and would soon have had missiles capable of reaching our beautiful America,” Trump stated during a Monday White House Medal of Honor ceremony.
Iran “was building powerful missiles and drones to create a conventional shield for their nuclear blackmail ambitions,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said during Monday’s Pentagon briefing.
CONTEXT:
Iran has not confirmed intentions to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles. The nation maintains self-imposed restrictions on its missile program, capping range at 2,000 kilometers (1,240 miles). This reaches throughout the Middle East and portions of Eastern Europe.
Trump administration representatives informed congressional staff during private Sunday briefings that U.S. intelligence indicated no Iranian preparations for preemptive strikes against America. Officials instead acknowledged broader threats from Iran and affiliated groups.
“There’s been a lot of reporting that the assessments from the intelligence and military didn’t suggest that there was going to be an Iranian first strike,” noted Naysan Rafati, senior Iran analyst at the Washington-based International Crisis Group. “My sense has been that opportunity is at least as much of a significant factor as threats, certainly.”
ADMINISTRATION STATEMENTS:
“We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action. And we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after (Iran) before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties,” Rubio told reporters Monday.
“Israel was determined to act in its own defense here, with or without American support,” House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., informed reporters. Should that have occurred, he continued, “exquisite intelligence” indicated Iran would target American assets. “If we had waited, the consequences of inaction on our part could have been devastating,” he stated.
“No,” Trump responded to White House reporters Tuesday when questioned whether Israel pressured his decision to attack Iran. “If anything, I might have forced Israel’s hand.”
CONTEXT:
No evidence suggests Israel was compelled to cooperate with the U.S. in these strikes.
An Israeli military official, speaking anonymously per protocol, described coordinated planning between America and Israel Wednesday. Three weeks prior to the attacks, Israel recognized the operation was heading toward renewed Iranian confrontation and dispatched a team to the Pentagon, the official revealed. On Friday, Israeli forces deliberately indicated military stand-down for the weekend, releasing images showing personnel and senior commanders departing for Shabbat dinner.
This shared intelligence enabled strikes to proceed hours later in a surprise daytime assault, sources familiar with the operation informed the AP over the weekend. The eventual U.S.-Israeli attack barrage occurred so rapidly they were nearly simultaneous — three strikes across three sites within one minute — eliminating Khamenei and approximately 40 senior officials, another Israeli military official reported Sunday.
During operations, American and Israeli command centers maintained real-time synchronization for rapid tactical adjustments, the first Israeli military official said Wednesday.
In a televised statement, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Israel conducted the strikes “in full cooperation” with the United States.
ADMINISTRATION STATEMENTS:
“If Iran shoots and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue. We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” Trump posted on Truth Social January 2.
“When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” Trump addressed Iranians on Truth Social immediately following initial strikes.
“This is not a so-called regime change war. But the regime sure did change, and the world is better off for it,” Hegseth stated at Monday’s Pentagon briefing.
CONTEXT:
America maintains an extensive, complex regime change history. Consider Vietnam, Panama, Nicaragua, Iraq and Afghanistan following September 11, 2001, and Venezuela recently.
Regarding Iran specifically, the CIA assisted in engineering a 1953 coup that removed Iran’s democratically elected leader and granted near-absolute authority to Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. However, like the shah, who was overthrown during Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, regime change rarely proceeds as intended.
This occurs partly because such outcomes remain beyond Trump’s complete authority, as he acknowledged Tuesday.
“Most of the people we had in mind are dead,” he informed reporters. “Now we have another group. They may be dead also based on reports. So, I guess you have a third wave coming, and pretty soon we’re not going to know anybody.”
WASHINGTON — Delaware is among 24 states that filed a federal lawsuit Thursday challenging President Donald Trump’s recently implemented global import duties, which were put in place following a major Supreme Court setback.
Democratic state attorneys general spearheading the legal challenge claim Trump is exceeding his executive authority with the proposed 15% import duties affecting much of the world.
The president has defended the tariffs as necessary tools to address America’s persistent trade deficits. Trump implemented the duties using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 after the Supreme Court invalidated tariffs he had established last year through emergency powers legislation.
The previously unused Section 122 permits presidents to establish tariffs up to 15%, but limits them to five months without congressional approval.
Oregon, Arizona, California and New York attorneys general are spearheading the legal action.
The plaintiff states contend that Section 122 was designed for use only under specific, narrow conditions and doesn’t authorize Trump to establish broad-based import taxes. They also claim the tariffs will increase expenses for state governments, businesses and consumers.
Many of these same states previously won legal battles against Trump’s tariffs established under different legislation: the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA).
Just four days after the Supreme Court invalidated his comprehensive IEEPA tariffs on February 20, Trump utilized Section 122 to establish 10% duties on international goods. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant announced to CNBC on Wednesday that the administration would increase the rates to the maximum 15% this week.
Democratic states and other opponents argue the president cannot utilize Section 122 as a substitute for the invalidated tariffs to address trade deficit issues.
The Section 122 provision targets what it describes as “fundamental international payments problems.” The central question is whether this language encompasses trade deficits — the difference between U.S. exports and imports.
Section 122 emerged from financial crises during the 1960s and 1970s when the U.S. dollar was backed by gold. Foreign nations were exchanging dollars for gold at fixed rates, threatening currency collapse and market instability. Since the dollar is no longer gold-backed, opponents argue Section 122 is outdated.
In an embarrassing development for Trump, his Justice Department argued in court documents last year that the president needed emergency powers because Section 122 had “not have any obvious application” for addressing trade deficits, calling them “conceptually distinct” from balance-of-payment concerns.
However, some legal experts believe the Trump administration has stronger legal ground this time.
“The legal reality is that courts will likely provide President Trump substantially more deference regarding Section 122 than they did to his previous tariffs under IEEPA,” Peter Harrell, visiting scholar at Georgetown University’s Institute of International Economic Law, wrote in a Wednesday analysis.
The specialized Court of International Trade in New York, which will consider the states’ lawsuit, ruled last year when striking down the emergency-powers tariffs that Trump didn’t require them since Section 122 was available for combating trade deficits.
Companies that paid duties under that legislation achieved a court victory Wednesday when a judge determined refunds are warranted.
Trump possesses additional legal mechanisms for implementing tariffs, with some already surviving judicial scrutiny. Duties Trump established on Chinese imports during his initial presidency under Section 301 of the same 1974 trade legislation remain active.
The lawsuit also includes attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, plus the governors of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — During an emotional news conference Thursday, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds expressed her continued support for military operations against Iran, even while mourning the deaths of four soldiers from her state who have been killed since December.
Two Iowa soldiers lost their lives last weekend when a retaliatory drone attack struck in Kuwait as the conflict with Iran escalated.
“I believe in the mission right now,” said Reynolds, a Republican, her voice cracking with emotion during the press briefing.
The governor defended the U.S. and Israeli military actions against Iran, stating: “I think it was the right thing to do. Just look at what Iran has done over the last several years. Hopefully we’re in and out. I believe that’s the goal of this administration.”
The two soldiers killed in Kuwait were Major Jeffrey O’Brien, 45, from Indianola, and Sergeant Declan Coady, 20, from West Des Moines. They were part of six Army Reservists who died in the attack, all serving with the 103rd Sustainment Command, a unit responsible for providing essential supplies including food, fuel, water, ammunition, and transportation equipment.
Earlier in December, the Iowa National Guard lost two members in Syria: Sergeant Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, from Des Moines, and Sergeant William Nathaniel Howard, 29, from Marshalltown. Military officials attributed their deaths to the Islamic State group.
“I can’t imagine the sacrifice,” Reynolds said. “To think they’re coming home and then maybe things have changed, delayed. We had some killed in action.”
The governor revealed she had personal conversations with Coady’s father and O’Brien’s wife following the tragedy.
“As you can imagine, they’re heartbroken and as Iowans, we grieve with them,” she said, noting that some wounded soldiers have been successfully evacuated to Germany for medical treatment.
O’Brien’s civilian employer, cybersecurity firm ProCircular, remembered him fondly. CEO Aaron Warner highlighted his “uplifting humor” and “calm guidance,” saying: “His quiet strength and expertise protected countless systems and left a lasting impact on everyone privileged to work with him.”
Military officials have released the names of the other four soldiers killed in the Kuwait attack: Sergeant 1st Class Nicole Amor, 39, from White Bear Lake, Minnesota; Captain Cody Khork, 35, from Winter Haven, Florida; Sergeant 1st Class Noah Tietjens, 42, from Bellevue, Nebraska; and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, from Sacramento, California.
Tina Marzan shared that her husband’s deployment was scheduled to conclude in just a few months, and their family had been eagerly planning to celebrate his April birthday upon his return home.
During America’s colonial era, taverns functioned as far more than simple establishments for food and beverages. These venues, frequently referred to as “public houses of entertainment,” operated as vital community centers where residents exchanged information, handled business matters, and built social connections.
The Delaware Public Archives has scheduled a First Saturday Program for Saturday, March 7, 2026, beginning at 10:30 a.m., focusing on the role of women in operating these important establishments on Dover Green during the colonial period.
Motorists traveling on Delaware Route 40 are experiencing significant delays this morning after a vehicle accident forced the closure of two westbound right lanes at Eden Circle.
According to DelDOT traffic officials, the collision has blocked the right lanes of traffic heading west, creating a bottleneck for commuters in the area. Emergency responders are currently on scene working to clear the roadway.
Drivers are advised to expect delays and consider alternate routes if possible while crews work to restore normal traffic flow. The duration of the lane closures has not yet been determined.
The University of Delaware men’s basketball program received academic recognition this week when player Christian Bliss was selected for Conference USA’s All-Academic team for the 2025-26 season.
The conference headquarters in Dallas made the announcement on Thursday, highlighting student-athletes who have excelled both on the court and in the classroom.
The All-Academic team honors recognize players who have demonstrated outstanding performance in their academic studies while competing at the collegiate basketball level.
The University of Delaware women’s basketball squad is set to close out their regular season campaign with a road game against Liberty University.
The Blue Hens will travel to face the Flames as they look to cap off what has been a competitive season for the program. This final regular season contest will serve as preparation for the team’s upcoming postseason tournament play.
Delaware’s women’s basketball program has been working throughout the season to build momentum heading into the most crucial part of their schedule. The matchup against Liberty represents their last opportunity to fine-tune their game before tournament action begins.
The team will be looking to carry any positive results from this final regular season game into their postseason efforts, where every game becomes win-or-go-home.
