x01a Research Archives

Iran death toll reaches 555 as US, Israel escalate attacks | News– www.aljazeera.com

pgnewser March 2, 2026 0

Blurb:

At least 555 people have been killed in US-Israeli strikes across 131 counties in Iran, the Iranian Red Crescent Society says, amid another wave of intensive attacks and Iranian counterstrikes on Israel and US assets in the Middle East region.

At least 35 people were killed on Monday morning in southern Iran’s Fars province, according to the Mehr news agency. The outlet also reported more than 20 people killed in an attack on Niloofar Square in Tehran.

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Oil prices rise as Iran war threatens shipping through strait of Hormuz | US-Israel war on Iran– www.theguardian.com

pgnewser March 2, 2026 0

Blurb:

Oil prices rose and stock markets came under pressure on Monday after intense US-Israeli strikes on Iran prompted fears of significant global economic disruption.

Brent crude jumped by as much as 13% during early trading – to hit $82 per barrel, a 14-month high – as the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz, one of the most important arteries for global trade, intensified concerns over oil supplies.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell by nearly 2.4% as traders in Asia responded to the weekend’s developments. It later pulled back, to trade down 1.5%. Pre-market trading also put Wall Street on course to open lower on Monday.

Trump warns of Iran threat in State of the Union speech amid military push – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

U.S. President Donald Trump briefly laid out his case for a possible attack on Iran in his State of the Union speech to Congress on Tuesday, saying he would not allow the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism to have a nuclear weapon.

Even while assembling a massive military force in the Middle East, Trump has done little to explain to the American public why he might be leading the U.S. into its most aggressive action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution.

In his speech, Trump pointed to Tehran’s support for militant groups, its killing of protesters and the country’s missile and nuclear programs as threats to the region and the
United States.

DCCC Rakes in Millions From Palantir Lobbyists as Protests Target the Company’s ICE Surveillance Tools– readsludge.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

As progressive activists blockade Palantir offices and protest the company’s AI tools used in ICE deportation and surveillance operations, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has continued taking millions from the company’s lobbyists, according to new Federal Election Commission filings.

In January alone, more than a dozen lobbyists with firms representing Palantir bundled a combined $2.9 million for the DCCC, according to a newly filed FEC disclosure. The January haul from Palantir’s lobbying firms represents 38% of the DCCC’s total contributions for the month.

Mike Johnson Promises That Trump’s Presidency Will End If Democrats Win Back The House– www.politicususa.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

In electoral politics, it is usually the party that is out of power that promises that a victory will end the rule of an unpopular congressional majority or president.

The usual message coming from a minority party during a midterm election is that they should be elected to serve as a check on the president. The message of checks and balances has an inherent appeal to many voters, because the system of checks and balances between the three branches of government is baked into America’s national DNA.

Larry Summers used racist language in messages to Epstein– boingboing.net

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

Larry Summers used racist language in messages to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein about a woman he was pursuing romantically. “I’d be happy to have a rational affair w yellow peril,” he wrote, minutes after telling the pedophile he was “way smitten with her so woukd sacrifuce lots for being w her.” — Read the rest

The post Larry Summers used racist language in messages to Epstein appeared first on Boing Boing.

Spanberger Omits Her Own Tax Wish List During Anti-SOTU ‘Affordability’ Rant– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Despite claiming to champion “affordability” and reframing President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariffs as an expensive “tax” during her rebuttal to Trump’s State of the Union address Tuesday, Democrat Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger refused to mention the slew of new taxes she’s seeking to inflict on residents of her state.

Spanberger, who took office last month, admitted that she knew affordability was a concern for Virginians and other Americans while she was running for governor:

“As I campaigned for governor last year, I traveled to every corner of Virginia, and I heard the same pressing concern everywhere: costs are too high in housing, healthcare, energy, and childcare. And I know these same conversations are being had all across this country.”

Trump Calls for ‘Low IQ Ilhan Omar & Rashida Tlaib’ to Be Deported After SOTU: ‘Crazy People, LUNATICS, Mentally Deranged, Sick’– slaynews.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

President Donald Trump sharply criticized Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) on Wednesday after the two lawmakers repeatedly shouted during his State of the Union address.

The confrontation unfolded as President Trump highlighted fraud and criminal activity in Minnesota and emphasized his administration’s immigration enforcement agenda.

As the camera focused on Omar while the president referenced corruption in Somalia and fraud rings in Minnesota, she appeared visibly emotional.

Canada sending $8M in food aid to Cuba as humanitarian crisis deepens – National– globalnews.ca

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Canada is sending $8 million in food aid to people in Cuba, where a U.S. oil blockade has triggered a humanitarian crisis.

Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and MP Randeep Sarai, secretary of state for international development, say the funding is aimed at addressing urgent needs.

The funding will be delivered through United Nations agencies instead of the Cuban government.

Global Affairs Canada has warned travellers for more than a year of “shortages of basic necessities, including food, medicine and fuel,” across most of Cuba.

 

What AI Can’t Do: Humanity’s Last Exam– www.science20.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

By this time 26 years ago, the “Dot-Com Bubble” was ready to burst. People who wanted to raise investor money claimed that they could sell anything affordably on a website; three companies were devoted just to pet food and buying ad space on broadcast television.So-called AI is enjoying a similar frenzy. Though they are still just Large Language Models (LLMs), and the best analogy for that is a fancy autocomplete, they are attracting huge levels of financial investment partly because of the potential and then primarily because people want to make money on stocks, not companies.

The Dot-Com Bubble did collapse but progress continued without the hype(1) you can buy dog food affordably on the the internet now, though the big money is artisanal dog food marketed toward wealthy elites. That may be the future for AI in 25 years also. For now, while AI is still a long way off, tasks that academics considered challenging for LLMs, like the 2020 Multitask Language Understanding (MMLU) benchmark designed to evaluate ability using 57 topics, are now easy for the private sector to master.

Soros-Backed Steve Descano Allows Insanity Murder Pleas– www.dailysignal.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Last week, a man who allegedly shot the founder of a charity 10 times while he lay in bed with his wife got off without a prison sentence—because the prosecutor, backed by groups funded by Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, agreed to let him plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

Gret Glyer had founded DonorSee, a charity platform that allowed donors to support specific people while giving video updates to show the donor’s concrete impact. Joshua Danehower, 37, who had gone on one date with Glyer’s wife Heather about 10 years previously, allegedly broke into the family’s house, snuck into the bedroom, and fired 10 shots into Gret Glyer, leaving his wife a widow and his two young children fatherless.

Mamdani’s city-run grocery stores? It’ll cost taxpayers $70 million just to “study” if it’s possible– www.louderwithcrowder.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

For a mayor who spent his campaign promising everything would be free, it sure takes a lot of money to get those free things. It’s weird how things work out like that, isn’t it?

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is mulling spending $70 million to study his proposed government-owned grocery store. This news comes just a week after he threatened to raise taxes on the middle class because the city has a budget shortfall.

According to the New York Post:

Hizzoner is proposing the new funding for the city Economic Development Corporation simply to scout potential locations for the five stores he’s pledged to open in each borough, according to sources who reviewed preliminary budget documents.

One city source with knowledge of the plans described it as a “feasibility study.”

Travis and Jason Kelce Face Backlash for Supporting USA’s Men’s Hockey Team After President Trump Drama – InTouch Weekly– www.intouchweekly.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce opened the Wednesday, February 25, episode of their New Heights podcast with squeals as they both rocked Team USA hockey jerseys.

“Twinsieeeesss,” Jason, 38, shouted.

“Same jerseyyyy,” Travis, 36, added.

The brothers quickly broke into a U-S-A chant before rehashing the team’s “epic” win over Canada.

Former Prime Minister named in Epstein Files rushed to hospital | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

The former Prime Minister of Norway has been rushed to hospital after a reported suicide attempt.

Thorbjørn Jagland was hospitalised on Tuesday, February 24, just a few days after he was charged with serious corruption offences, linked to his association with paedophile Epstein. Reports of Jagland attempting suicide were denied by his lawyer.

Jagland was charged with “gross corruption” after newly released documents appeared to reveal a transactional relationship between the ex-PM and convicted paedophile, between 2011 and 2018. Some Norwegian outlets have reported a suicide attempt, but the high-profile statesman’s legal team has insisted he was rushed to the hospital due to extreme stress instead of a deliberate act.

Don Lemon Hit With Civil Suit Over MN Church Disruption– trendingpoliticsnews.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon is among the defendants named in a civil lawsuit filed by a St. Paul church congregant over the disruption of a worship service on January 18, 2026, at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. The same incident has also resulted in federal criminal charges against Lemon and eight other individuals.

The protest occurred during a Sunday service at Cities Church, a Southern Baptist congregation. Demonstrators entered the sanctuary and began chanting slogans including “ICE out!” and “Justice for Renee Good,” a reference to a local anti-ICE agitator who was shot while attempting to run over a federal agent last month.

Democrat Ayanna Pressley Compares ‘Racist’ ICE to Ku Klux Klan– slaynews.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Far-left Democrat Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), a member of the progressive “Squad,” is facing backlash after comparing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to the Ku Klux Klan.

During a recent interview, Pressley accused federal immigration officers of carrying out what she described as a “campaign of terror.”

Pressley has repeatedly accused ICE agents of being “racist.”

“In the same way that the KKK cannot be reformed, another, you know, masked militia group, I do not believe that ICE can be reformed and that this has anything to do with training and protocols,” Pressley said.

Man Forced Woman to Take Abortion Pills and Killed Her Unborn Baby– www.lifenews.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

A 25-year-old man from Spring, Texas is jailed without bond, charged with aggravated assault after authorities say he secretly gave abortion medication to a pregnant woman against her will, causing the death of their unborn child.

Jon Rueben Gabriel Demeter faces a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon causing serious bodily injury — family violence. Authorities indicated possible additional or enhanced charges pending further evidence processing.

The child, named Presley Mae by her mother, was stillborn at a hospital in The Woodlands.

US Sends Elite F-22 Stealth Fighters To Israel As Trump Demands Iran End Nuclear Program– trendingpoliticsnews.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 1

Blurb:

A dozen of the world’s most advanced fighter jets touched down in Israel this week, signaling a sharp escalation in America’s military posture as President Donald Trump warned Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions or face consequences.

According to The Times of Israel, twelve U.S. F-22 stealth fighters arrived Tuesday at an Israeli Air Force base as part of the American buildup across the Middle East. Open-source flight tracking data showed the aircraft departing from Royal Air Force Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, though one jet reportedly turned back because of a technical issue before completing the trip.

Ex-Clinton Official’s Epstein Ties Under Further Review After Shock Resignation– trendingpoliticsnews.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has resigned from his teaching gig at Harvard University over his relationship with notorious sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein.

Summers, a prominent economist at the university, announced Wednesday that he will resign from his professorship and other faculty appointments at Harvard University at the end of the 2025-2026 academic year. This decision follows increased public scrutiny related to his past associations with Jeffrey Epstein.

North Korea warns it could destroy South if threatened, but leaves door open for U.S. dialogue– www.washingtontimes.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un claimed his nuclear-armed country could “completely destroy” South Korea if its security were threatened, reiterating his refusal to engage with Seoul, state media said Thursday. However, he left the door open to dialogue with Washington as he concluded a ruling party congress outlining his policy goals for the next five years.
from www.washingtontimes.com

Congress races to deliver Epstein results as bipartisan pressure mounts– www.politico.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

House members are eyeing a new phase in their monthslong investigation into the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein: a race to produce results that match the stunning Epstein fallout across the globe and satisfy an electorate clamoring for accountability.

This week’s interviews of Bill and Hillary Clinton — who are scheduled to testify to lawmakers under subpoena and behind closed doors about their relationships with Epstein and his convicted co-conspirator, Ghislaine Maxwell — could be a pivotal moment in this effort.

AI ‘homework agent’ will do lazy students’ work as childhood literacy rates are in free fall | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Just over 30 percent of US fourth graders are considered proficient in reading.

The AI platform called Compani.AI is promoting a “homework agent” named Einstein and says it can complete assignments on behalf of students, including submitting work for them automatically. Childhood literacy rates in the US, however, are falling.

The website features a virtual version of Albert Einstein as an AI companion. According to the company, “Einstein has a full virtual computer with a browser — anything you can do, he can do.” The platform says the AI can log into the education platform Canvas on behalf of users, and once logged in, it “watches lectures, reads essays, writes papers, participates in discussions, and submits your homework — automatically.”

“Give him a reading assignment, and he reads the full text, understands it, and writes original essays with proper citations,” the company says. It also states that the AI can watch videos and extract “key concepts” using them to “answer assignments accurately.”

‘MAGA-Coded’ CBS Evening News Echoes Hysterical Hockey Reporting– www.newsbusters.org

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

The media hall monitors are fond of berating the Bari Weiss-run CBS Evening News as Trump-friendly or “MAGA-coded.” So far, the network has quite easily managed to beat those allegations. Case in point: the former Tiffany network has decided to wade into the fake controversy surrounding the U.S. men’s and women’s Olympic hockey teams.

Watch the report in its entirety, as aired on the CBS Evening News on Wednesday, February 25th, 2026 (click “expand” to view transcript):

Biden’s FBI subpoenaed phone records of Kash Patel, Susie Wiles, during probe of Trump | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

“It is outrageous and deeply alarming that the previous FBI leadership secretly subpoenaed my own phone records — along with those of now White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.”

The FBI under Joe Biden subpoenaed the phone records of now-FBI Director Kash Patel and now-White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in 2022 and 2023, when both were private citizens. The phone records grab was part of the Biden administration’s investigation into Donald Trump.

Suspect in NH shooting ambush on Border Patrol agent revealed to be trans nonbinary | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

Daly faces a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.

The trans nonbinary suspect accused of shooting a US Border Patrol agent in New Hampshire on Sunday has been charged with attempted murder and assault of a federal officer. Blu Zeke Daly, 26, of Manchester, previously known as “Cullen Zeke Daly,” reportedly pulled a vehicle up to a closed gate at the US-Canadian Pittsburgh Port of Entry and fired gunshots at a Border Patrol agent when approached.

Daly sustained injuries during the attack when the Border Patrol agent returned gunfire, striking the defendant in an act of self-defense. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 20-years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

8 billion tokens a day forced AT&T to rethink AI orchestration — and cut costs by 90%– venturebeat.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

When your average daily token usage is 8 billion a day, you have a massive scale problem.

This was the case at AT&T, and chief data officer Andy Markus and his team recognized that it simply wasn’t feasible (or economical) to push everything through large reasoning models.

So, when building out an internal Ask AT&T personal assistant, they reconstructed the orchestration layer. The result: A multi-agent stack built on LangChain where large language model “super agents” direct smaller, underlying “worker” agents performing more concise, purpose-driven work.

Cuba Kills Four on Florida Boat; Rubio Promises ‘to Figure Out Exactly What Happened’– legalinsurrection.com

pgnewser February 26, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told the press that the boat Cuba’s Coast Guard shot at and killed four people was not participating in a U.S. government operation.

We do not know who was on the boat. One person told The New York Post that the boat was “a US civilian boat working to get relatives out of Cuba, adding that the vessel was not a US Naval or Coast Guard boat.”