With nuclear talks hanging in the balance, and the potential for yet another US war of choice in the Middle East, President Donald Trump escalated the rhetoric Tuesday night, warning that Iran is moving beyond just regional missile capabilities and setting its sights farther west by developing missiles capable of hitting the United States.

During his State of the Union address Tuesday night, Trump claimed, “They’ve already developed missiles that can threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they’re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.”

It seemed a transparent attempt to make the American people believe they are under direct threat from Tehran, in order to justify potential near-future strikes, however flimsy the case might be. So far Washington’s main talking point has been that Iran simply can never have a nuclear weapon and so something has to be done – and this actually does resonate with some sectors of the American public.

But Tehran setting its sites on directly attacking the US homeland is a huge stretch, with no serious analyst so much as suggesting the Islamic Republic has the capability or is even close.

US intelligence assessments have been very conservative on this. For example, in 2025, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) stated that Iran could potentially field a militarily viable intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035 “should Tehran decide to pursue the capability.”

Given US intelligence also has not concluded that such a decision had been made, this means Iran is likely at least a decade away from even being close to possessing such an ultra long range missile.

The US mainland is some 6000 miles away from western Iran, and currently Iran’s longest range missile is said to reach just under 1900 miles – a huge gap.

Iran’s ballistic missile focus has always been developing with an eye on the country’s number one nemesis in the region: Israel. 

There’s a broad understanding even among the Western public that in reality Washington’s anti-Iran stance has much more to do with defending Israel than the US homeland, which is clearly not under immediate threat from Tehran. There’s not so much as been a terror attack carried out by a single Iranian Shia operative on American soil in all of history. 

Iran is willing to scale back uranium enrichment from 60% to roughly 3.6% and pause enrichment activities for seven years under a draft framework expected in Geneva, an Arab diplomat familiar with the proposal tells Kan News. Tehran opposes shipping hundreds of kilograms of…

— Faytuks Network (@FaytuksNetwork) February 25, 2026

So it seems the White House continues to be in search of a rationale and narrative to sell the public amid the major Pentagon build-up in the region. But polls by and large suggest most Americans still aren’t buying it.

Authored by Tom Ozimek via The Epoch Times,

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she is considering legal action after tech billionaire Elon Musk alleged on social media that she was taking orders from drug cartels.

Speaking at a Feb. 24 news conference in Mexico City, Sheinbaum said government lawyers were reviewing the matter.

“We’re considering whether to take some legal action,” she said.

“The lawyers are looking into it, but what matters to me is what the people say, honestly.”

Musk’s allegation of Sheinbaum’s cartel subservience followed the capture and killing of Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC) leader Nemesio Oseguera, known as “El Mencho,” by Mexican security forces.

In his post on X, Musk responded to a 2025 video of Sheinbaum discussing cartel violence and saying that returning to a war against the cartels is “not an option” because it would mean extrajudicial killings that are “outside the framework of the law.” She added that military force against the cartels would also be counterproductive because it would trigger retaliatory violence that would only “increase homicides in Mexico.”

Responding to those remarks, Musk alleged that she was “saying what her cartel bosses tell her to say.”

“Let’s just say that their punishment for disobedience is a little worse than a ‘performance improvement plan,’” Musk wrote.

He did not provide evidence to support his claims.

Sheinbaum could face difficulty suing Musk for defamation in the United States because of strong legal protections for free speech. To prevail, she would need to show that Musk knowingly made a false statement or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.

Tesla, Musk’s auto company, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Violence After El Mencho’s Killing

Musk’s comments came amid heightened tensions in Mexico following Oseguera’s death.

An uneasy calm appeared to be returning to parts of the country on Wednesday after the killing of the cartel leader triggered widespread reprisals. The violence paralyzed highways, grounded flights, and forced residents and tourists to shelter in place, particularly in Jalisco state.

Aerial view of burned vehicles over the La Desembocada bridge in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco State, Mexico, on Feb. 24, 2026. Alfredo Estrella/AFP via Getty Images

Sheinbaum said at the Feb. 24 briefing that authorities were working to restore order after Sunday’s military operation in Tapalpa, Jalisco, left Oseguera dead following a shootout.

“Today there was no school, but tomorrow activities are expected to return to normal,” she said.

“In the Guadalajara airport, practically all flights have already resumed, and in Puerto Vallarta, little by little, things are returning to normal.”

Sheinbaum added that there were still “some” burned vehicles on the side of the road on Tuesday that would be removed later in the day.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum pays tribute during the celebration of Flag Day in Mexico City on Feb. 24, 2026. Yuri Cortez/AFP via Getty Images

Mexico’s Security Cabinet said in a Feb. 24 post on X that affected states were experiencing “a gradual reopening of economic and educational activities, with progressive normalization of mobility and strategic operations,” according to a translation.

More than 50 people were reported killed in the operation and its aftermath, including members of Mexico’s National Guard. The White House said the United States provided intelligence support for the raid.

The CJNG, one of Mexico’s most powerful criminal organizations and a major trafficker of fentanyl and methamphetamine into the United States, responded to Oseguera’s death with coordinated attacks, including vehicle burnings and armed confrontations with security forces.

Sheinbaum also sought to reassure international visitors ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying there was no risk to fans traveling to Mexico and that “all the guarantees” for safety were in place.

Trump’s Escalating Pressure

Musk’s criticism mirrors that of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has sharply escalated rhetoric against Mexican cartels and criticized Sheinbaum’s approach.

“The cartels are running Mexico. It’s very sad to watch and see what’s happened to that country,” Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity in a Jan. 8 interview.

“They’re killing 250,000, 300,000 in our country every single year.

“We knocked out 97 percent of the drugs coming in by water, and we are going to start now hitting land with regard with the cartels.”

Trump also warned that Mexico needs to “get its act together.”

“You have to do something with Mexico,” Trump told reporters in January. “We’re going to have to do something. We’d love Mexico to do it; they’re capable of doing it, but unfortunately, the cartels are very strong in Mexico.”

He has described Sheinbaum as “afraid” of the cartels and has suggested the United States could conduct military strikes on Mexican soil. His administration has intensified anti-cartel measures, including designating certain Mexican syndicates as terrorist organizations.

“Much more remains to be done by Mexico’s government to target cartel leadership, along with their clandestine drug labs, precursor chemical supply chains, and illicit finances,” Trump said in a presidential determination published by the U.S. State Department in September 2025. “Over the next year, the United States will expect to see additional, aggressive efforts by Mexico to hold cartel leaders accountable and disrupt the illicit networks engaged in drug production and trafficking.”

Sheinbaum has repeatedly rejected the prospect of unilateral U.S. intervention, saying it would violate Mexican sovereignty.

“We categorically reject intervention in the internal affairs of other countries,” Sheinbaum said during a news conference in early January. “The history of Latin America is clear and compelling: Intervention has never brought democracy, never generated well-being, nor lasting stability.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House in Washington on Feb. 10, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The White House confirmed that the United States provided intelligence support for the operation to capture El Mencho and applauded Mexico’s army for taking down a man who was one of the most wanted criminals in both countries.

“The United States provided intelligence support to the Mexican government in order to assist with an operation in Talpalpa, Jalisco, Mexico, in which Nemesio ‘El Mencho’ Oseguera Cervantes, an infamous drug lord and leader within the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, was eliminated,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a Feb 22 post on X.

Sheinbaum told reporters on Feb. 24 that she expects security to continue to normalize in Mexico following coordinated roadblocks and arson attacks by cartel members after the operation against Oseguera.

The June 13-24, 2025, “12-Day War” was a direct escalation of long-standing tensions.

Israel launched Operation Rising Lion with massive airstrikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets, later joined by U.S. strikes on June 22 targeting key enrichment and conversion sites. 

The campaign aimed to degrade Iran’s nuclear program, which the IAEA had declared non-compliant days earlier. While physical damage was extensive, Iran retained its scientific expertise, much of its enriched uranium stockpile (~400 kg of 60% Highly enriched uranium, HEU) and is now fortifying deeper underground facilities.

With U.S.-Iran talks ongoing and satellite imagery showing repair and hardening efforts, here is a site-by-site status update on the major facilities.

Tehran Nuclear Research Center (TNRC) and Research Reactor

The TNRC houses Iran’s primary research reactor: the Tehran Research Reactor (TRR), a 5 MW light-water unit supplied decades ago by the U.S. and used for medical isotope production and research. It operates on high assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) and remains under IAEA safeguards. During the war, one building linked to centrifuge or fuel activities sustained damage, but the TRR avoided any issues. No major radiological issues were reported.

Natanz Uranium Enrichment Complex

Iran’s flagship enrichment site in central Iran features the underground Fuel Enrichment Plant (FEP) and above-ground Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant (PFEP). Israeli strikes destroyed most of the above-ground infrastructure, while subsequent U.S. bunker-busters further damaged underground halls. Centrifuge cascades were severely affected, rendering large-scale enrichment inoperable. As of early 2026, satellite imagery shows limited cleanup, roof repairs over damaged structures, and fortification of utilities. The site remains a shadow of its former capacity.

Fordow Uranium Enrichment Complex

Buried deep in a mountain, this hardened site was Iran’s key location for higher-level enrichment (up to 60%).

Israeli strikes caused initial damage, but U.S. B-2 bombers delivered 12-14 GBU-57 MOPs on June 22, penetrating and destroying ventilation shafts, tunnel portals, and “almost all sensitive equipment,” per IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

The facility is effectively inoperable for enrichment. Minimal post-war activity has been observed. Entrances remain damaged or reinforced.

Esfahan Nuclear Complex

This site south of Tehran serves as the hub for uranium conversion (yellowcake to UF6 gas), fuel fabrication (for the TRR), chemical labs, and a nuclear technology/research center. It includes small research reactors, such as a Chinese-supplied miniature neutron source reactor (MNSR ~30 kW) and subcritical assemblies for training and experiments. Israeli strikes damaged multiple buildings including the central lab, uranium conversion sections, TRR fuel manufacturing plant, and a uranium metal processing facility under construction. U.S. Tomahawk strikes targeted tunnel entrances possibly used for HEU storage. Post-war: roofs have been added over some damaged buildings for protection. Tunnel entrances have been sealed with earth and fortified. The small research reactors’ exact operational status is unclear amid restricted access.

Pickaxe Mountain (Kuh-e Kolang Gaz La) Underground Complex

Approximately 2 km south of Natanz, this buried site was notably not targeted during the 12-Day War. Construction began years earlier and accelerated afterward.

Satellite imagery from late 2025 into February 2026 shows ongoing fortification – strengthened tunnel entrances with concrete, soil/rock cover, security perimeters, and additional barriers. Iran has declared it for advanced centrifuge assembly, but analysts assess it could host covert enrichment, HEU storage, or a hardened fallback plant.

It remains uninspected by the IAEA and represents Iran’s clearest effort to reconstitute capabilities in a strike-resistant location.

Activity here stands out amid stagnation at traditional sites.

Arak (Khondab) Heavy Water Reactor and Related Facilities

The IR-40 heavy water reactor near Arak was intended for plutonium production but never fueled or operational under JCPOA redesign commitments. It was struck by Israel on June 19. The containment dome was breached, the core destroyed, and adjacent heavy water production infrastructure damaged. With no nuclear material inside, there was no radiological release. The reactor is now permanently crippled and will not be completed in its prior form, effectively closing Iran’s plutonium route for the foreseeable future.

Key Changes Since the 12-Day War

The strikes destroyed or degraded above-ground and semi-buried infrastructure at Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, killed several nuclear scientists, and forced Iran to suspend IAEA cooperation. The enriched uranium stockpile largely survived but its precise location is unverified. The most common assumption is that it is being stored in the Pickaxe/Esfahan tunnels. Repair efforts include roofs over damaged Natanz/Isfahan buildings and Pickaxe fortification. The program is delayed but not eliminated. 

Bushehr’s operating 1,000 MW VVER power reactor was untouched to avoid a Chenobyl-like catastrophe.

Ongoing U.S.-Iran talks focus on enrichment limits, stockpile disposal, and sanctions relief, but gaps remain wide. There have been some indications recently that Iran is willing to limit its enrichment pursuit. 

Heading into NVDA’s earnings, we said that all else equal, the bare minimum for the stock – which has underperformed peers rather dramatically in recent months – to outperform, was to (solidly) beat expectations of another 2+2 quarter, i.e., beat the guide by $2BN and beat Street expectations for the April quarter guide by $2BN. 

What they got was a blowout 2.2+5: Q4 revenues beating by $2.2BN and guidance beating the midpoint by about $5BN

Here are the details from the just completed Q4:

• Adjusted EPS $1.62, beating estimate $1.53
   
• Revenue $68.13 billion, +73% y/y, blowing away estimates of $65.91 billion by $2.2BN
  • Data center revenue $62.31 billion, +75% y/y, smashing estimate $60.36 billion
  • Compute revenue $51.33 billion, +58% y/y, missing estimate $51.61 billion
  • Networking revenue $10.98 billion vs. $3.02 billion y/y, beating estimate $9.02 billion
  • Gaming revenue $3.73 billion, +49% y/y, missing estimate $4.01 billion
  • Professional Visualization revenue $1.3 billion vs. $511 million y/y, beating estimate $770.7 million
  • Automotive revenue $604 million, +6% y/y, missing estimate $643.2 million
  • OEM & other revenue $161 million, +28% y/y, missing estimate $179.4 million

According to the company, Data Center revenue was driven by accelerated computing and AI:

Overall revenue has been a relentless juggernaut.

• Adjusted gross margin 75.2%, above the 75.0% bogey and beating estimates of 74.7%

• Adjusted operating expenses $5.10 billion, +51% y/y, below estimate $4.96 billion
• Adjusted operating income $46.11 billion, +81% y/y, above estimate $44.56 billion
• R&D expenses $5.51 billion, +48% y/y, above estimate $5.38 billion
   
• And free cash flow was a remarkable $34.90 billion, more than double the $15.52 billion YoY

While historical were great, the guidance was stellar:

• Sees revenue $76.44 billion to $79.56 billion, the midpoint of $78BN more than $5BN above the estimate $72.78 billion, and comfortably above the buyside bogey of $74-75BN
• Sees adjusted gross margin 74.5% to 75.5%, in line with the 75% buyside bogey and above the sellside consensus estimate 74.7%
• Sees adjusted operating expenses about $7.5 billion, estimate $5.33 billion
• For the full year fiscal 2027, GAAP and non-GAAP tax rates are expected to be between 17.0% and 19.0%, excluding any discrete items and material changes to NVIDIA’s tax environment.

Notably, NVDA’s guidance does not assume any China data center compute revenue. 

Here are some of the comments from Jensen Huang:

• Computing Demand Is Growing Exponentially
• Customers Are Racing to Invest in AI Compute
• Enterprise Adoption of Agents Is Skyrocketing”
• Grace Blackwell With Nvlink Is the King of Inference

As Bloomberg summarizes, this was a solid quarter by any measure and shares are responding accordingly. “Fourth-quarter revenue beat by more than $2 billion while the forward guide midpoint lands at $78 billion, way above the $72.78 billion Wall Street was anticipating. So in other words, Nvidia delivered on even some of the highest expectations out there, which should go a long way to reviving confidence in the tech sector.”

Needless to say, how investors now react to Nvidia’s results will be important for the entire market, given the stock’s nearly 8% weight in the S&P 500. Nvidia shares gained 1.4% in Wednesday’s session to close at the highest level since Nov. 10. Shares have been stuck in a narrow range over the last few months as investor enthusiasm around artificial intelligence has waned. Options were pricing in a 4.4% move ahead of the report, which means we are about to see a lot of options expire worthless. That’s because while the stock jumped about 3%, it has since faded gains a bit. Still, it is trading at the highest level since November.

The question is will that be enough to get the Nasdaq out of its recent funk?

Here is the company’s Q4 investor presentation.

NVDA F4Q26 Quarterly Presentation by Zerohedge

*   *   * 

The Cuban Embassy’s official X account reported that a Florida-registered speedboat illegally entered Cuban territorial waters. This prompted a maritime unit of Cuban border guards to intercept the vessel, after which a firefight erupted, leaving four people aboard the speedboat dead and six injured.

“The vessel, registered in Florida, United States, with registration number FL7726SH, approached to within 1 nautical mile northeast of the El Pino channel, in Cayo Falcones, Corralillo municipality, Villa Clara province,” Cuba’s embassy wrote on X, citing a note from the Ministry of the Interior.

The incident took place on Cuba’s north coast, near Cayo Falcones and the Corralillo area, along the edge of Santa Clara Bay.

The embassy included more details:

When a surface unit of the Border Guard Troops of the Ministry of the Interior, carrying five service members, approached the vessel for identification, the crew of the violating speedboat opened fire on the Cuban personnel, resulting in the injury of the commander of the Cuban vessel.

As a consequence of the confrontation, as of the time of this report, four aggressors on the foreign vessel were killed and six were injured. The injured individuals were evacuated and received medical assistance.

In the face of current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its determination to protect its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar of the Cuban state in safeguarding its sovereignty and ensuring stability in the region.

Note from the Ministry of the Interior:

On the morning of February 25, 2026, a violating speedboat was detected within Cuban territorial waters. The vessel, registered in Florida, United States, with registration number FL7726SH, approached up to 1 nautical mile northeast of the… pic.twitter.com/AEmwtAZ4lO

— Cuban Embassy in US (@EmbaCubaUS) February 25, 2026

What armed men aboard the Florida-registered speedboat were doing inside Cuban territorial waters remains a very open question at the moment. 

*Developing… 

Global very large crude carrier (VLCC) rates have jumped to six-year highs due to two recent catalysts: first, a growing war-risk premium tied to the possibility of a US-Iran conflict, and second, ongoing consolidation in fleet ownership that is tightening vessel availability.

Let’s begin by noting that war-risk insurance premiums are rapidly being priced into VLCC tanker rates. The Strait of Hormuz has once again come into focus as the world’s most important energy chokepoint, where any flare-up in a US-Iran conflict could prompt Iranian commanders to shut the strait down, sparking what would only be immediate panic in global energy markets.

Latest Polymarket pricing for “US strikes Iran by…?” implies a 47% probability of a U.S. military strike by March 15. 

A war-risk premium has also been priced into Brent crude futures, with prices trading above $70 per barrel late Wednesday morning.

Bloomberg reports that Bahri, the National Shipping Co. of Saudi Arabia, chartered five VLCCs to transport up to 2 million barrels from the Middle East to China at a rate of $200,000 per day. According to the Baltic Exchange in London, that is the highest rate in six years. One of the ships Bahri chartered, the DHT Jaguar, was booked at $208,000 per day.

Supertanker rates are rising for two reasons:

1. Rising fears of a potential US-Iran conflict, and a vessel supply squeeze caused by a South Korean shipowner aggressively putting on charters.

2. South Korea’s Sinokor group has recently amassed control of roughly 120 VLCC supertankers, dramatically tightening global supply and contributing to the rise in tanker rates.

“You have one party or group of people who are working together who effectively control around a third of the available or traded tanker VLCC fleet out there,” Ole Hjertaker, chief executive officer of shipping firm SFL Corp., told investors on a call earlier this week, without naming the parties.

Svein Moxnes Harfjeld, chief executive of tanker company DHT Holdings Inc., told investors on another call that a “fundamental shift” in global fleet consolidation is underway.

“We can say with confidence that this is taking place and already making an impact, both on freight rates in the spot market, customer demand for time charters, and values of second-hand VLCCs,” Harfjeld said. “This consolidation is shifting the pricing dynamics and is putting pressure on timely availability of ships.”

Aristidis Alafouzos, chief executive officer of Okeanis Eco Tankers, noted, “This market consolidation, occurring at an unprecedented level, by a buyer with deep financial power, occurs at a time when market fundamentals continue to get tighter. It all creates an amazing opportunity if you have tankers on the water today, and the commercial ability to capture such market to its full extent.”

June Goh, a senior analyst at Sparta Commodities, said, “VLCC freight rates have seen many positive fundamental drivers, starting with Venezuela barrels moving on legitimate freight vs a dark fleet before, increased OPEC+ production and healthy crude demand from refineries, particularly from India, which has moved from Russian to Middle Eastern barrels.”

“Suezmax and Aframax markets will soon receive the spillover effects in the dirty freight market,” Goh said, referring to smaller tankers.

Authored by Debra Heine via American Greatness,

The California Parole Board’s decision to release a serial child molester who used candy and toys to lure children as young as three years old has sparked outrage from victims, prosecutors, and law enforcement officials.

David Allen Funston, 64, was convicted in 1999 of sixteen counts of kidnapping and child molestation after a horrific crime spree in Sacramento County, during which he kidnapped, raped, and beat eight children aged 3 to 7.

The judge described him as “the monster parents fear the most” and sentenced him to three consecutive life terms plus 20 years.

Funston was recently granted parole under California’s Elderly Parole Program, which allows inmates over 50 who have served at least 20 years to be considered for release.

He was initially denied parole in May 2022 but was granted suitability for release in September 2025.

Governor Gavin Newsom (D.) requested a review of the decision and the Board of Parole Hearings reaffirmed it on February 18, 2026.  

Newsom did not override the decision.

Former prosecutor Anne Marie Schubert, who prosecuted Funston in what she called “the worst child predator case I’ve ever seen,” has urged the state to screen him for the Sexually Violent Predator (SVP) program, which would allow civil commitment to a state hospital instead of public release.

“He was hunting for young children,” Schubert, now a victim’s rights advocate, told the Modesto Bee. 

 “It boggles the mind. He’s the poster child for why sex offenders should be exempt from elderly parole.”

Court records at the time showed Funston had a prior sexual assault conviction in Colorado before moving to California. According to authorities, he served time in a Colorado prison for third-degree sexual assault but was never required to register as a sex offender when he relocated to Sacramento County.

“He is a serial predator is what he is,” Deputy District Attorney Hillary Bagley said in 1996 as charges mounted ahead of his 2½ month trial, according to previous Bee reporting. “He is every parent’s worst nightmare.”

Schubert provided graphic details to the Los Angeles Times of a horrible case in 1995,  where Funston used candy to lure a 5-year-old girl into his car, and then took her up into the hills and molested her.

“He beat her. He took her underwear and shoved it down her throat because she was screaming. He then raped her to the point that she has vaginal trauma,” Schubert recalled.

Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper held a press conference Monday and blasted the parole board’s decision to release the dangerous predator back onto the streets.

“He lured them with candy and Barbie dolls. He stole their childhoods. I’ve seen the reports. They’re horrific,” Cooper said.

The sheriff described how Funston kidnapped one little girl in 1995, “viciously” raped her and then drove her to another location where he punched her and kicked her out of the car.

“There’s no explanation. There are some folks who deserve a second chance at life—someone who does these types of things doesn’t deserve a second chance at life,” Cooper said.  “The people of Sacramento and every parent across California, deserve answers.”

The sheriff questioned why California would “be okay” with this releasing an infamous child predator like Funston back onto the streets and said California’s parole program needs to be changed.

Sergeant Rafael Rodriguez, who had worked the case in the 1990s as a detective, said he was “outraged” when he read that the monster he helped put behind bars was about to be released.  Rodriguez told reporters that the entire Sacramento police bureau has not forgotten the appalling Funston case.

The sergeant said he immediately called Sheriff Cooper and said, “we can’t allow this. This is wrong.”

He lamented that while Funston is being released back onto the streets, his victims are serving the life sentences that come with severe trauma.

“Wherever he is going to be released to better watch him,” Rodriguez warned.

During the presser, Undersheriff Mike Ziegler stressed that child molesters like Funston cannot be rehabilitated.

“There are certain crimes that cannot be rehabilitated and this is one of them,” Ziegler said.

Amelia, who was 3-year-old when she was molested by Funston, also spoke during the presser to plead with the state to keep him incarcerated for life.

“I feel that he does not deserve his freedom,” she said. “He does not need to be back in public society. He is a criminal child molester who is dangerous and deserves to spend the rest of his life behind bars,” she added.

The Sacramento Sheriff’s Office provided additional details about the case in a statement on X Monday.

“The Elderly Parole Program was meant for those who no longer pose a danger. In cases like this, it fails. Our number one responsibility is to protect children. That should never be controversial or partisan,” the sheriff’s office stated.  “Protecting children is not rhetoric. It is common sense. Protect children first. Always.”

Funston remains incarcerated at the California Institution for Men in Chino, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has not disclosed his release date or location, citing safety and security reasons. Ziegler told reporters however that the likelihood of Funston being released right back into Sacramento was “very high.”

SpaceX satellite policy lead Udrivolf Pica told participants in the International Telecommunication Union Space Connect webcast about the next-generation Starlink direct-to-device cellular service for smartphones. The revelation of the new service follows SpaceX’s October 2025 U.S. trademark filing for “STARLINK MOBILE” and comes as Elon Musk has recently hinted at Starlink mobile ambitions.

“We are aiming at peak speeds of 150 Mbps per user,” Pica said, adding, “So something incredible if you think about the link budgets from space to the mobile phone.”

PCMag reporter Michael Kan was the first to report Pica’s comments, as SpaceX plans to launch new cellular Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit.

Kan continued:

If SpaceX can hit its speed goal, the upgraded cellular Starlink service promises to deliver speeds close to those of traditional cell carriers’ 5G networks on Earth. The median download speeds for T-Mobile’s 5G network currently reach 309 Mbps, while AT&T’s 5G network comes in at 172 Mbps, according to Ookla’s Speedtest.net data.

SpaceX has been offering the service through T-Mobile’s T-Satellite, allowing users in cellular dead zones to remain connected. However, the current iteration of the cellular Starlink service has bandwidth constraints. Although it can power low-resolution video calls, texts, and select mobile apps using orbiting SpaceX satellites, download speeds only reach an estimated 4 Mbps per user.

SpaceX is preparing to upgrade the technology by using newly acquired radio spectrum from Boost Mobile’s parent, EchoStar. In addition, the company has requested regulatory permission to launch another 15,000 satellites for the cellular Starlink service; the current system spans only about 650 satellites. The new system promises to unleash “video, voice, and data services, clearly,” Pica said during the panel.

On acquiring the EchoStar radio spectrum, Pica added, “More spectrum means a bigger pipeline, and this means that we can expand what we can do with partners. We can expand the quality of service. And again, we can do cellular broadband basically, cellular broadband use cases, like AI or daily connectivity needs.”

. . .

As for SpaceX, the company aims to launch the upgraded cellular Starlink service in late 2027, when its deal for the EchoStar spectrum officially closes. In addition to T-Mobile, SpaceX has been partnering with a growing number of carriers worldwide, including Rogers in Canada and KDDI in Japan, to offer cellular Starlink service.

In September, All-In’s Chamath Palihapitiya asked Musk: “Elon, is your vision that instead of having an AT&T account and then roaming when you’re in the UK or India, we could have one direct deal with Starlink that works all over the world? Maybe not today, but eventually, is that the end goal?”

Musk responded: “Yes.”

$ASTS: Elon interview
– Crystal clear he wants to directly compete against AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile in fixed wireless and now mobile wireless
– It’ll take at least 2 years to deploy this spectrum as it requires a completely new satellite and mobile phones with compatible… pic.twitter.com/G1nNPNEbv3

— Anp🅰️nman (@spacanpanman) September 10, 2025

By mid-October, Starlink filed to register the “Starlink Mobile” trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Starlink’s USPTO filing describes the service as: “Satellite communication and transmission services; transmission of data, voice, image and video via satellite; collecting and transmitting real-time data and images obtained via satellites; telecommunications services, namely, cellular personal communication services.”

Back to the All-In podcast, David Friedberg asked Musk: “Could you buy some carriers to acquire more spectrum? Maybe buy Verizon?”

Musk replied: “Not out of the question. I suppose that may happen.”

As the Trump White House weighs its options against Tehran, Hezbollah is signaling it may not be eager to open another front – at least not immediately, issuing a rare message which seeks to calm the mood in the region.

A senior Hezbollah official told AFP that the Iran-backed group would stay out of the fight if the United States conducts only “limited” strikes against Iran – a notable caveat, but which leaves the door open if escalation goes further.

The past several years of the Gaza war saw Hezbollah enter direct, sustained conflict with Israel – after which the Shia paramilitary group saw it’s leadership decimated after a series of targeted IDF strikes on Beirut, as well as the pager blast operation.

And so at this moment, Hezbollah is very much on a back foot, and likely doesn’t have the resources to enter into a new round of fighting with Israel along the country’s northern border.

However, it’s believed that Hezbollah – which has throughout it’s history stretching back into the 1980s closely coordinated with Iran – still has tens of thousands of rockets it could unleash.

The Israeli government has meanwhile conveyed its own indirect warning, saying if Hezbollah joins any US-Iran war, Lebanon will pay a steep price. Potential Israeli retaliation would once again target civilian infrastructure, including Beirut’s airport – as has happened several times in the past.

“Over the past several months, IDF troops have been operating in southern Lebanon to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and prevent attempts by the Hezbollah terrorist organization to rearm,” the Israeli military (IDF) said in a fresh statement this week.

Israeli forces targeted “weapons and terrorist infrastructure, including observation and firing positions in which anti-tank launchers were located,” the IDF said.

A key part of Israel’s strategy has long been to pressure the entire country of Lebanon and make life miserable for its population. But the Lebanese government and armed forces are limited in their options, given Hezbollah is by far the most well-armed faction, even far and above the national army.

BIG: Hezbollah will not intervene if the U.S. launches ‘limited’ strikes against Iran.

Source: Hezbollah official to AFP pic.twitter.com/1MSNL39R0Y

— Clash Report (@clashreport) February 25, 2026

But should a major US-Iran-Israel war erupt, there’s a high chance that Lebanon would once again feel the disastrous after effects. Hezbollah militants would likely take shots at Israel, and the IDF would respond brutally, likely with more bombing raids over Beirut and especially the south.

On Wednesday, the United States rolled out with yet more sanctions on Iran, which at this point has become a monthly, if not weekly, exercise. Iran is widely seen as a key bankroller of Hezbollah’s operations in the Levant region.

Days after the firm announced that they were scrapping DEI requirements for new board members, and six years after the death of George Floyd that ushered in institutionalized virtue-signaling, the bank’s head of DEI is leaving. 

Megan Hogan, who’s been at the firm 12 years, is taking her shtick to Morgan Stanley according to Business Insider, which Hogan confirmed via email, telling the outlet that Morgan Stanley had extended “an amazing opportunity” to her in talent development. 

She will report to Morgan’s head of talent development, Susan Reid, the firm’s global head of talent, and will begin in April. 

The move comes after Goldman’s hard pivot away from DEI following Donald Trump’s second term – retooling its diversity program, known as One Million Black Women (oh god), a multibillion-dollar commitment to invest in black businesswomen and nonprofit leaders. 

The bank also ended its requirement that companies it takes public have diverse boards, and stopped highlighting specific DEI targets in annual reports. 

Hogan is being replaced by Lauren Uranker, another managing director who has been with the firm for 14 years who will become the new sole head of talent, development, engagement and management, according to the report. Her mandate will be to concentrate on the transition to AI-supported work, team growth, and finding ways to keep top talent from fleeing. 

In early 2025, anti-DEI activist groups, which included the National Center for Public Policy Research (NCPPR), the National Legal and Policy Center and the Heritage Foundation, also targeted the bank – submitting proposals challenging their business practices, and arguing that the banks’ policies have left them and their shareholders vulnerable to costly legal challenges. 

So-called anti-woke groups have seized on the 2023 Supreme Court ruling that found race-based affirmative action in college-admissions processes is unconstitutional. Since then, the groups have challenged a range of diversity policies across Corporate America, both in court and through shareholder proposals. 

…

Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office to end DEI programs across the federal government. –WSJ

The NCPPR was also a co-plaintiff in a successful ruling in late 2024 against the SEC over Nasdaq’s requirement that companies listed on its exchange meet DEI requirements. 

“This is a reflection of the changing legal environment and adapting to the reality of those legal shifts,” a genderless spokesperson told Business Insider, adding that the firm stands by the benefit of “diverse perspectives and experiences.” 

Indeed!