The American rare earths company seeking to topple China's dominance
Trump's push to make the U.S. independent of China
Monday, March 23, 2026
Trump Sets Up ‘Pax Silica’ Fund to Reduce Global Dependencies
Trump Sets Up ‘Pax Silica’ Fund to Reduce Global Dependencies
Trump officials said on Monday that the war in Iran had emphasized the need to reduce vulnerabilities for energy and technology.
Hundreds of N.Y.U. Professors Begin Strike Over Pay and Job Protections
Hundreds of N.Y.U. Professors Begin Strike Over Pay and Job Protections
About 950 full-time faculty members who are not on the tenure track walked out. The university told students that classes would continue.
In Canada’s Frozen North, With Canada’s Frozen Soldiers
In Canada’s Frozen North, With Canada’s Frozen Soldiers
Canadian soldiers transported M777 howitzers to the High Arctic to show their ability to fight in an increasingly contested part of the world. It did not go as planned.
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| Members of an artillery unit preparing the ground to install a howitzer. |
Sunday, March 22, 2026
Saturday, March 21, 2026
TSA workers face reality of working without pay as passengers unaware of the shutdown see long lines
TSA workers face reality of working without pay as passengers unaware of the shutdown see long lines (Thanks to Finn for this one)
On Friday, more than half of TSA employees called out at Houston’s William P. Hobby International Airport.
They are among the 61,000 government employees in the Department of Homeland Security caught in the middle as Congress remains locked in a stalemate over funding the agency.
“The traveling public has been really nice,” said Aaron Barker, the local American Federation of Government Employees union president for Atlanta. “What is shocking, though, is a lot of people are unaware that we are in a government shutdown.”
Friday, March 20, 2026
A.I. Is Writing Fiction. Publishers Are Unprepared; Horror Novel ‘Shy Girl’ Canceled Over Suspected A.I. Use
A.I. Is Writing Fiction. Publishers Are Unprepared. - The New York Times
Book publishing has few safeguards in place to prevent the unwitting publication of a novel heavily generated by artificial intelligence.
Horror Novel ‘Shy Girl’ Canceled Over Suspected A.I. Use - The New York Times
Its publisher, Hachette, will not release the novel in the United States and will discontinue its U.K. edition, citing its commitment to “original creative expression and storytelling.”
Trump’s Planned White House Screening Center Is Too Big, Arts Panel Says
Trump’s Planned White House Screening Center Is Too Big, Arts Panel Says - The New York Times
The Commission of Fine Arts delayed a vote on the facility, a new, 33,000-square-foot security screening center for White House visitors, because of concerns over the design.
Judge Rules That R.F.K. Jr. Overstepped on Transgender Care
Judge Rules That R.F.K. Jr. Overstepped on Transgender Care - The New York Times
The ruling provides temporary relief for 21 states seeking to stop the Trump administration from ending federal funding to hospitals that provide gender-transition care.
How High Will Oil Climb? Russian Tanker is headed to Cuba, Testing U.S. Blockade; Sanctions lifted on Belarus
How High Will Oil Climb? Markets Brace for More Bad News. - The New York Times
Energy experts forecast more pain for consumers and businesses as the war in the Middle East shows no signs of easing.
Is Russian Fuel Headed for Cuba, Testing the U.S. Blockade? - The New York Times
A Russian oil tanker is being closely tracked to see if it will challenge the Trump administration’s blockade on Cuba.
U.S. Lifts Fertilizer Sanctions on Belarus as Iran War Causes Price Surge - The New York Times
The Trump administration made the move in exchange for Belarus’s freeing of 250 political prisoners, part of a rapprochement between the two countries.
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
China Is Embracing OpenClaw, a New A.I. Agent, and the Government Is Wary
China Is Embracing OpenClaw, a New A.I. Agent, and the Government Is Wary
Excitement about A.I. assistant tools is running into growing concerns about the security risks of software that operates autonomously on user’s devices.
How a Melting Glacier in Antarctica Could Affect Tens of Millions Around the Globe
A collapse of the Thwaites Glacier in Antarctica would sharply accelerate sea-level rise in coastal cities.
How TrumpRx Drug Prices Compare With Those in Other Countries; If You Hate Trump’s Economy, I Have News for You
How TrumpRx Drug Prices Compare With Those in Other Countries - The New York Times
The TrumpRx website claims to offer the best prices for medications. Here’s where Americans still pay more — and much more.
Opinion | If You Hate Trump’s Economy, I Have News for You - The New York Times
If you wanted to tell an anti-Trump story, you could focus on the fact that food prices rose more quickly in 2025 than they did a year before. If you wanted to tell a pro-Trump story, you could emphasize that mortgage rates are lower today than they were at the end of 2024.
Iran expert says Trump's 'war of choice' has morphed into a 'war of necessity'; Did the U.S. underestimate Iran’s drone threat?
Iran expert says Trump's 'war of choice' has morphed into a 'war of necessity' : NPR
Did the U.S. underestimate Iran’s drone threat? : NPR
Cheap drones are reshaping modern warfare — and catching the U.S. off guard
Iran War Underscores the Diverging Aims of U.S. and Israel - The New York Times
The United States views Iran through a prism of global responsibilities and strategic goals. Israel has a more regional approach. After nearly three weeks of war, their paths are diverging.
Iran Executes 3 Men, Including Teenage Wrestler Saleh Mohammadi - The New York Times
The Iranian authorities accused the men of killing two police officers during anti-government protests in January. Human rights groups had raised concerns about the cases against them.
Trump’s Friendship With Japan’s Leader Faces Test Over Iran
Trump’s Friendship With Japan’s Leader Faces Test Over Iran (Thanks to Matte for this one)
In Washington on Thursday, President Trump is expected to press Sanae Takaichi for military help in the Strait of Hormuz. But she faces constraints on what she can offer.
Using Charm and Restraint, Japan’s Leader Mostly Avoids Trump’s Wrath - The New York Times
How Japan Reacted to Trump’s Pearl Harbor Joke - The New York Times
‘It Doesn’t Need to Be Here’: The Right Vilifies a Muslim School in Alabama
‘It Doesn’t Need to Be Here’: The Right Vilifies a Muslim School in Alabama (Thanks to Haadi for this one)
A local campaign against the small school reflects growing Islamophobia in conservative enclaves in America and among G.O.P. officials.
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Dozens Killed, Possibly Many More, in Pakistani Airstrike on Kabul
Dozens Killed, Possibly Many More, in Pakistani Airstrike on Kabul
The attack hit a drug rehabilitation facility, and Afghanistan vowed to retaliate, risking an escalation of the conflict between the two countries.
Joe Kent, a Top U.S. Counterterrorism Official, Resigns Over the Iran War
Joe Kent, a Top U.S. Counterterrorism Official, Resigns Over the Iran War
Mr. Kent is the highest-ranking Trump administration official to quit in opposition to the conflict. He is also known for his support of conspiracy theories.
Read Joe Kent's Resignation Letter
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| “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Joe Kent, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, wrote in a letter to President Trump that he posted Tuesday. Photo by Jenny Kane (AP) |
Nations Rebuff Trump’s Call to Send Warships to Strait of Hormuz
Nations Rebuff Trump’s Call to Send Warships to Strait of Hormuz (Thanks to Graydon for this one)
President Trump has urged China, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea to send warships to help reopen the waterway, even though they are not involved in the U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran.
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| President Trump in the White House on Thursday. Photo by Doug Mills/NYT |
United Arab Emirates briefly closes airspace as Israel strikes Lebanon and Tehran
United Arab Emirates briefly closes airspace as Israel strikes Lebanon and Tehran (Thanks to Sam for this)
| Fire and plumes of smoke rises after a drone struck a fuel tank forcing the temporary suspension of flights. near Dubai International Airport, in United Arab Emirates, early Monday, March 16, 2026 (AP) |
Protesters in Cuba attack Communist Party office in rare riot over blackouts
Protesters in Cuba attack Communist Party office in rare riot over blackouts (Thanks to Sara for this one)
Related:
Trump’s Next Target: ‘Taking Cuba’
Still at war with Iran and in control in Venezuela, President Trump is signaling that he is about to intervene in another country.
Miami Cubans Fear Trump Won’t Go Far Enough: ‘The Castros Have to Go’
Many Cubans in Florida have sought regime change for decades. They fear that President Trump’s talks with Cuba will not lead to wholesale political transformation.
Antarctica has a strange gravity hole and scientists finally know why
Antarctica has a strange gravity hole and scientists finally know why | ScienceDaily (Thanks to Joe for this one)
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| A mysterious “gravity hole” beneath Antarctica formed as rocks deep inside Earth slowly shifted over millions of years. The timing of its growth overlaps with the birth of Antarctica’s massive ice sheets, hinting that processes deep within the planet may have helped shape the frozen continent. Credit: Shutterstock |
Friday, March 13, 2026
The US Navy decommissioned Middle East minesweepers last year. Here’s what they did.
The US Navy decommissioned Middle East minesweepers last year. Here’s what they did. (Thanks to Graydon for this one)
“The [littoral combat ship] MCM mission package is a sophisticated suite of manned and unmanned systems designed to locate, identify, and neutralize sea mines, at a safer distance from minefields than the Avenger-class MCMs,” a Navy official told Military Times on the condition of anonymity.
Unlike the minesweepers, which have a long history of being battle-tested, the LCS with the MCM package has never been deployed in combat.
The fundamental difference between the two is that the LCS operates outside the mine threat zone and deploys counter-mine devices, while the minesweepers can operate near or directly inside the mine-threat zone.
Thursday, March 12, 2026
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Iran promises $200 per barrel oil as it attacks at least one ship in the Strait of Hormuz, a Key Oil Passage
Iran claimed responsibility for striking one of two oil tankers that were burning off the Iraqi coast on Thursday. The International Energy Agency warned that the war had caused “the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.”
Iran War Causing Largest Ever Oil Disruption, I.E.A. Says - The New York Times
Conflict is forcing producers to slash production and close ports as Iran steps up attacks on energy infrastructure.
Why Oil Prices Surged Even After the Release of Strategic Reserves
Reserves or no reserves, the outlook remains bleak as long as a major oil and gas trade route remains virtually closed.
Iran Attacks at Least One Ship in the Strait of Hormuz, a Key Oil Passage
Three vessels were hit in and around the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, according to a British maritime agency. Iran claimed responsibility for one.
Iran targets ships, Dubai airport and oil facilities as economic concerns mount
Iran sends millions of oil barrels to China through Strait of Hormuz even as war chokes the waterway
Iran promises $200 per barrel oil
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