x01a Research Archives

Blurb:

President Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela and Iran are the first time that any president has made any progress against China’s decades old effort to peacefully subvert the U.S.

It is no secret that China has two goals: to seize control of Taiwan and to become the lone global superpower by 2049, the centennial of the communist control over the country. China is our primary geopolitical rival, if not our mortal enemy.

Over the past few decades, China has successfully subverted the U.S. through globalization. The U.S. now depends on China for antibiotics, energy, technology hardware and vital rare earth minerals and their processing. China could shut off exports of these and other goods, and our economy, society and security would be crippled.

Yes, China would hurt itself by doing these things, but China is an iron-fisted totalitarian state where any social unrest would be much more easily (read brutally) addressed than in the U.S.

Blurb:

They reportedly have had bad experiences acting as Washington’s proxy in past conflicts

Iraq’s Kurds are against joining the US attacks on Iran, and have voiced concerns about being left facing Iranian retaliation with no ground or air defense support, Axios reported on Saturday.

The CIA began working to arm Kurdish forces hostile to the Islamic Republic after the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran last Saturday, according to CNN. While US President Donald Trump initially voiced support for Kurds getting involved in the conflict, he backpedaled on the idea on Saturday.

“The Kurds must not be the tip of the spear in this conflict,” Axios wrote, citing a senior official from the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), a semi-autonomous region in northeastern Iraq.

Blurb:

… One in three people now believe the world will end within their lifetime, according to new research. The study shows apocalyptic beliefs are no longer confined to the fringes of society – and they’re shaping how people respond to global threats, say scientists.

Study lead author said Dr Matthew Billet said: “Belief in the end of the world is surprisingly common.” He added: “It’s significantly influencing how people interpret and respond to the most pressing threats facing humanity.”

The research team surveyed more than 3,400 people in the United States and Canada. In the American sample of 1,409 respondents, nearly a third said they believe the world will end within their lifetime.

Blurb:

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al Thani has described Iran’s strikes on Gulf countries as a “dangerous miscalculation” – warning the escalation risks destabilising the region and sending shockwaves through the global economy.

Speaking to the media for the first time since Qatar has come under repeated missile and drone attacks, the prime minister told Sky News that the country had entered what he called “a very difficult period” – but praised the professionalism of its defence and security forces.

For a man who has mediated some of the world’s most complex crises, what stood out to me was how angry he was about Iran’s actions.

“It is a big sense of betrayal,” he told me. “Just an hour after the start of the war, Qatar and other Gulf countries have been attacked. We made clear that we were not going to take part in any wars against our neighbours.”

Blurb:

… Keir Starmer is expected to promise to protect the British public from the economic impact of the war after oil prices surged past $100 a barrel for the first time since 2022.

“No matter the headwinds, supporting working people and their families with the cost of living is always top of my mind,” the prime minister said ahead of a visit on Monday to a community centre in London.

Starmer added:

People are also rightly worrying what this means for life at home – their bills, their jobs, their communities.

I want to address those concerns head on. I will always be guided by what is best for the British public. And no matter the headwinds, supporting working people and their families with the cost of living is always top of my mind.

Blurb:

Vladimir Putin has congratulated the new Supreme Leader of Iran with a statement that risks infuriating Donald Trump. The Russian leader sent a congratulatory message to Iran’s Supreme Leader-elect Mojtaba Khamenei, reaffirming his continued support and solidarity with Tehran.

A statement posted on the Kremlin’s website on Monday read: “Please accept my sincere congratulations on your election as Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran. At a time when Iran is confronting armed aggression, your tenure in this high position will undoubtedly require great courage and dedication. I am confident that you will honorably continue your father’s work and unite the Iranian people in the face of severe trials.” The statement, signed off by Putin himself, also reiterated Russia‘s “unwavering support” for Tehran and expressed solidarity with its “Iranian friends”. The leader confirmed that Russia has been and will remain a “reliable partner of the Islamic Republic”.

He has strong ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which pressured the Assembly of Experts to select him, Iran International reported.

Despite the connection to the military branch, he is not a high-ranking cleric and has never held an official role in the regime. He did, however, serve in the Iranian armed forces during the war with Israel.

Blurb:

There is little doubt in Washington that AI is a powerful technology that will help determine which country rules the 21st century. Policymakers from the Hill to the White House have made U.S. AI leadership a priority and invested significant resources towards staying ahead of competitors. Yet the United States is at perhaps greater risk than ever before of losing the broader global technology competition.

Despite growing investment in AI, U.S. policymakers have failed to prepare for its convergence with biotechnology, a fusion that will define economic and national power in the coming decades. While competitors are building coordinated AI-bio ecosystems, the U.S. biodata (biological data) environment remains fragmented, underfunded, and insecure. Without a federally led effort to build AI-ready biodata as national infrastructure, the United States risks ceding leadership in both AI and biotechnology at a critical moment.

The Strategic Importance of the AI-Biotechnology Nexus

Compute, talent, and capital are necessary for AI-enabled biotechnology, but biodata is the binding constraint. Without large, representative, and interoperable biological datasets, AI models cannot generalize, scale, or translate into real-world impact.

Blurb:

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Election officials were counting votes Friday, a day after a parliamentary election in Nepal which was the first nationwide poll since a violent, youth-led uprising forced the former government from power in September.

The Election Commission said they had begun vote counting in 53 of the 165 constituencies by Friday morning, and expect to begin work in the remaining areas by the end of the day.

Some of the polling stations are high up in remote mountain villages, which are accessible only by days of hiking, leading authorities to arrange the transport of ballot boxes by helicopter to counting centers.

Blurb:

Republican Rep. Tony Gonzales has exited his reelection runoff after an affair scandal with a former aide embroiled his campaign.

Gonzales released a short statement announcing his decision to withdraw without acknowledging the affair with a former staffer, who later committed suicide.

“At 18, I swore an oath to defend our nation against all enemies, foreign and domestic. During my 20 years in the military and three terms in Congress, I have fought for that cause with absolute dedication to the country that I love,” he said.

Blurb:

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he would consider dropping his senatorial bid if Congress would lift the filibuster in order to pass the SAVE America Act.

Paxton and Sen. John Cornyn are headed to a runoff in May after neither candidate secured a majority of the vote during Tuesday’s primary.

The SAVE America Act would require documentary proof of citizenship to register and voter ID to cast a ballot in federal elections. The legislation is overwhelmingly popular, with polling showing roughly 80 percent of Americans — including a large number of Democrats — support voter ID and citizenship requirements.

Blurb:

Of all the asteroids that have imperiled the planet, 2024 YR4 is unparalleled. Soon after it was spotted in December 2024, worldwide telescopic observations quickly positioned it as the most dangerous space rock ever discovered—one that stood a 3.1-percent (or 1-in-32) chance of crashing into Earth on December 22, 2032. If it were to hit one of the cities potentially in its path, this 60-meter asteroid would have unleashed a force comparable to several atomic bombs, devastating the unfortunate metropolis.

An Earth impact was eventually ruled out in February of last year. But a late plot twist revealed 2024 YR4 stood a 4.3-percent (1-in-23) chance of slamming into our moon on the same date. Now, a concerted effort by astronomers indicates the asteroid will comfortably miss our alabaster companion too—by 21,200 kilometers.

Blurb:

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s clash with GOP senators this week was the final straw for President Donald Trump, though insiders say her fate had been sealed long before Tuesday’s hearing.

Two days after that hearing, Trump announced via social media that Noem would be replaced at DHS by Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), effective March 31. In the same statement, Trump announced that Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, would become the new special envoy for “The Shield of the Americas,” a new security initiative in the Western Hemisphere that’s expected to be formally announced on Saturday in Doral, Florida.

Blurb:

 

Republicans on Capitol Hill are preparing to confront a staggering price tag for the war in the Middle East after closed-door briefings this week detailed the rapid consumption of expensive munitions and the lack of any firm deadline for the end of the military campaign.

Asked how much the Iran offensive would cost, House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole (R-Okla.) didn’t sugarcoat it.

“A lot,” he replied.

Blurb:

Top US officials, including the Defense Secretary have said that sending US troops into Iran could not be ruled out. But given public opinion in the US, such a move would come with political consequences for Donald Trump and the Republicans, especially with the midterm elections approaching in November. However, there are reports that the White House is looking to enlist and even arm separatist groups in the region to accomplish having “boots on the ground.”
from www.france24.com

Blurb:

Democrats are looking ahead to the next battle after losing a fight in Congress this week to rein in President Donald Trump’s war against Iran: Making sure he doesn’t have the money to wage it.

Democrats are vowing to wield their Senate filibuster power against more spending to fund the president’s war efforts after both chambers this week failed to curb Trump’s military campaign through war powers resolutions, and the administration weighs an emergency funding request.

“Good luck,” Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT), a leadership member, told the Washington Examiner. “What Democrat is going to vote to fund an illegal war that is turning into a bigger ham-handed disaster every minute?”

Blurb:

Happy Friday, dear Kruiser Morning Briefing friends. Uzubuk felt that his joyful approach to his slaughterhouse days were what made him the haikuist that he’d become.

Many, many thanks to Chris for filling in for me on very short notice. My sister and niece blew into town unannounced from Michigan to surprise me and were only here for 36 hours. Chris kindly offered to free up some time for me to spend with them.

We’ve talked about it before, but it’s worth repeating — President Trump and his administration work at a furious pace compared to previous administrations. The president’s work ethic infuses the entire administration, which enables everyone to keep a lot of balls in the air. That’s a very good thing given how many messes were inherited from the Biden administration and the general state of the world today.

Blurb:

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has released a video of what it said were strikes on Iran’s drone carrier, the IRIS Shahid Bagheri.

The footage shows two explosions rocking a large vessel at sea. “Today, an Iranian drone carrier, roughly the size of a WWII aircraft carrier, was struck and is now on fire,” CENTCOM wrote on X.

CENTCOM said earlier that the vessel was hit during the first wave of strikes launched on Saturday.

A former container ship, the Shahid Bagheri joined the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in 2025. According to Press TV, its 180-meter runway was designed to host surveillance and combat drones and helicopters.

Blurb:

Degrees with median earnings below high school graduates could be cut

An Indiana bill that would cut funding for “low-earning degrees” is now headed to Governor Mike Braun’s desk and, if signed, would take effect on July 1.

An undergraduate degree is classified as having low earnings outcomes if, four years after graduation, the median earnings of its graduates do not exceed the median wages of certain high school-educated workers, Higher Ed Dive reported.