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Ships Making It Through Strait Raise Another Big Question on France, May Expose Cracks in Iran Effort – RedState– redstate.com

pgnewser April 7, 2026 0

Blurb:

We reported on Thursday about a United Nations Security Council resolution, designed to try to ensure safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The resolution from Bahrain:

“[A]uthorizes member States, acting nationally or through voluntary multinational naval partnerships, with advance notifications to the Security Council,” to use all necessary means “to secure transit passage and to deter attempts to close, obstruct or otherwise interfere with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.”

Trump Rips Into Federal Judges, Supreme Court Over Fraud Ruling– townhall.com

pgnewser March 31, 2026 0

Blurb:

President Donald Trump on Thursday slammed the Supreme Court and federal court judges after they ruled against his effort to freeze $10 billion in funding to blue states.

The president in December announced that his administration was freezing funding to Minnesota after widespread welfare fraud was exposed in the state. In early January, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent letters to five blue states announcing a temporary freeze on funding for child care and social service funding.

During a cabinet meeting at the White House, Trump told reporters about how people discovered the rampant waste and fraud occurring in Minnesota.  “I just saw something that the nursing home business and the daycare centers in particular, they went out and inspected them in Minnesota, and they didn’t exist,” he said. “They’re knocking on door, happens to be a young man, Nick [Shirley], nice young man. He’s done a very good job. They’re knocking on doors. It’s like homes. And they’re getting hundreds of thousands…they didn’t exist.”

And in California, it’s worse. It’s even worse. And I spoke with Russell Vought. I said, ‘Russell, don’t send him any money.’ He said, ‘but we have a court order that we have.’ Can you believe it? A judge. The judges are really hurting this country. Our judges. Justice Roberts doesn’t like when I say it, but the judges are really hurting this country. And frankly, the justices, the Supreme Court has really hurt our country, too.

 

Oil-thirsty Asian nations seek Russian crude as Iran war strains supplies– abcnews.com

pgnewser March 31, 2026 0

Blurb:

BANGKOK — Asian nations are increasingly competing for Russian crude oil as an energy crisis mounts amid the month-old war by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, which has choked off roughly a fifth of the world’s oil supply.

Much of the oil from the mostly shut Strait of Hormuz was headed for Asia, hit hardest by recent energy shocks. Over the weekend, Iran-backed Houthi rebels entered the conflict, further threatening shipping.

AI Job Panic Still Outruns the Evidence | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org

pgnewser March 31, 2026 1

Blurb:

Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, both Democrats, have proposed pausing new data center construction until federal safeguards for workers, consumers, and the environment are in place. Given how far Congress is from passing comprehensive AI legislation, the proposal could stall new projects for years. It reflects deep concern about AI’s economic and social impact—but rests on an ASAP sense of urgency that outpaces the best current evidence on how quickly those effects are materializing.

What do we know right now about the job impacts of the emerging AI revolution, given the rising level of concern in Washington? Some recent analysis for consideration on Capitol Hill:

  • Challenger, Gray & Christmas tracked more than 1.2 million layoffs in 2025. According to The Wall Street Journal, citing Forrester, fewer than 100,000 were primarily attributable to AI-driven efficiency gains. Even that likely overstates the impact. Companies have an incentive to blame AI for cuts because it signals technological sophistication and can lift their stock prices. From the piece: “The most likely reasons for head-count reductions remain the same as ever: slower sales, shifting priorities and previous overhiring.”

Court Orders Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta to Pay $375 Million in Damages for Failing to Protect Children– slaynews.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

A New Mexico jury has ordered Mark Zuckerberg’s company Meta to pay $375 million in civil damages after finding the tech giant violated state law by failing to protect children from predators on its platforms.

The verdict, delivered after a civil trial in Santa Fe, marks a significant legal setback for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram.

Russian Energy Minister Confirms Oil Shipments to Cuba– www.themoscowtimes.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev confirmed Wednesday that Russia is sending “humanitarian” shipments of oil to Cuba after ship-tracking data earlier appeared to show that at least one tanker had unloaded Russian crude in Havana.

Cuba, which imports around 60% of its energy supply, previously relied on oil sold by Venezuela. Those shipments ended after then-President Nicolás Maduro was captured in a U.S. military raid.

USPS sets 8% fee on packages as Iran war raises energy prices– www.washingtonexaminer.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

The U.S. Postal Service is seeking to temporarily place a fee on packages due to rising fuel prices as the war in Iran continues to rattle energy markets.

The 8% fuel surcharge on packages under Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage, and Parcel Select is expected to take effect on April 26 and remain in place until Jan. 17, 2027. The Postal Regulatory Commission must review and approve the fee before it is enacted. If approved, first-class stamps and other mail services would not be affected.

“Transportation costs have been increasing, and our competitors have reacted with a number of surcharges,” the service said in a statement on Wednesday. “We have steadfastly avoided surcharges, and this charge is less than one-third of what our competitors charge for fuel alone.”

The development comes as the war in Iran has triggered the largest disruption to the global energy supply in history, due largely to Iran’s sweeping blockage of the Strait of Hormuz. Oil prices have spiked roughly 40%, approaching a record $120 a barrel earlier this month before stabilizing slightly.

BlackRock CEO does U-turn on Iran war optimism — RT World News– www.rt.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Just weeks earlier, Larry Fink expressed hope for a “neutralized Iran,” framing the conflict as a good investment opportunity

BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has warned of an impending global recession if the US-Israeli war on Iran drags on and oil prices remain above $100 a barrel. The stark prediction comes just weeks after Fink framed the conflict as a good long-term investment opportunity.

In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC this week, Fink said oil prices could stay above $100 per barrel for years if Iran “remains a threat,” potentially hitting $150 and sparking “a probably stark and steep recession.”

Could U.S. attack Iran’s Kharg Island as it sends more troops?– www.cnbc.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 1

Blurb:

The U.S. is preparing to send thousands more troops to the Middle East, prompting speculation about a ground attack on Iran amid conflicting accounts of peace talks.

The Pentagon is reportedly preparing to send about 3,000 troops from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, alongside two Marine Expeditionary Units, to assist military operations in Iran. CNBC has contacted the White House and is awaiting a response.

Military experts said that the number of additional troops being deployed to the region appears to be consistent with plans for discrete and time-limited operations — rather than a sustained ground campaign.

Fury in Russia as Putin to ban popular app from April | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

The Russian public is pushing back against the planned ban of a popular app created by two Russians, with even pro-Kremlin voices fearing it could backfire. In a rare public opposition to blocking Telegram, the country’s most popular messaging channel, Vladimir Putin has been warned that the proposed ban could have negative consequences at home and on the battlefield.

But authorities have increasingly portrayed Telegram as contributing to terrorism and criminal activity, restricting the app and targeting its founder. Similar grounds have already been used to restrict other messaging apps, including the February block on WhatsApp.

From April 1, Telegram should be blocked completely too. Instead, the Kremlin is steering users towards its new state-backed messaging app, MAX, which is feared to be used for surveillance. The “national messenger” is similar in functionality to Telegram, but it’s also integrated with Russia‘s government services portal and can serve as a digital ID.

US jury finds Meta, Alphabet liable in landmark social media addiction case | Social Media News– www.aljazeera.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

A California jury found ⁠Alphabet’s Google and Meta liable for $3m in damages in a landmark social media addiction lawsuit that accused the companies of being legally responsible for the addictive design of their platforms.

The decision was handed down by a Los Angeles-based jury on Wednesday after more than 40 hours of deliberation across nine days, and more than a month after jurors heard opening statements in the trial.

Meta, Google risk Big Tobacco-like fallout after addiction trial verdict | Tech News– www.business-standard.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

A landmark jury verdict holding Meta Platforms Inc. and Alphabet Inc.’s Google liable for harming a young user with products designed to be addictive threatens to put the social networking companies in the same category as Big Tobacco and opioid makers — a potential crack in their shield from legal responsibility for what happens on their platforms.

 While the $6 million in damages a jury in Los Angeles awarded to the 20-year-old plaintiff — which the companies vowed to appeal — will barely register on their balance sheets, the impact of the verdict will likely be more damaging and harder to quantify. The loss, in the first of thousands of product-liability lawsuits against Meta, Google and other social networks, is the kind of black eye that often leads to an increase in government regulations.

DHS shutdown live updates as Senate funding deal stalls over Democrats’ latest offer– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser March 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Ha Nguyen McNeill, the top official at the TSA, is testifying about the dire air travel situation before the House Homeland Security Committee, where she is calling on Congress to fund DHS and “ensure this never happens again.”

McNeill said the TSA has already lost more than 480 transportation security officers during this shutdown, while callout rates have accelerated. At some airports, 40 to 50% of their workforce is calling out of work on certain days, she said.

“This has led to the highest wait times in TSA history, with some wait times greater than four and a half hours,” McNeill said. “We are being forced to consolidate lanes and may have to close smaller airports if we do not have enough officers. It is a fluid, challenging and unpredictable situation.”

How China Is Killing Oil Chokepoints While Trump And Tehran Clash Over Hormuz– www.ndtv.com

pgnewser March 25, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

While the world fixates on the Strait of Hormuz, China is working to make the entire conversation obsolete.

Each flare up in US Iran tensions sends oil markets into overdrive, with prices swinging and supply fears dominating global narratives. But Beijing is not playing that game. It is building an alternative system designed to sidestep the very risks others are pricing in.

At the centre of this effort is State Grid Corporation of China, a sprawling network that already covers more than 80 percent of the country and powers over a billion people. Alongside China Southern Power Grid, it is constructing what increasingly looks like a long term energy power play. A nationwide supergrid meant to reduce reliance on imported oil and the fragile sea lanes that carry it. LIVE UPDATES

The blueprint is expansive. Ultra high voltage transmission lines are being rolled out at speed, linking inland regions rich in coal, wind and solar to the industrial coastline where demand is concentrated. The aim is to electrify more of the economy, move power efficiently across vast distances, and reduce exposure to external shocks.