Author: Jack Mulligan

Homeland Security funding fight deepens travel disruption across the US Travel disruption intensified on Tuesday as senators rushed to rescue a proposal aimed at partially ending the Homeland Security shutdown, with airports across the United States facing longer security lines, staffing shortfalls and growing passenger frustration. The urgency in Washington reflects a simple reality: what began as a political standoff over immigration enforcement is now causing visible breakdowns at some of the country’s busiest airports. The proposed agreement would fund much of the Department of Homeland Security, including airport screening operations, while carving out one of the most politically contentious…

New Mexico jury finds company willfully violated consumer protection law Meta has suffered one of its most damaging courtroom defeats yet, after a New Mexico state court jury found the company liable for nearly 400 million dollars in civil damages in a case centered on child safety across Facebook and Instagram. The verdict marks a major legal and reputational setback for the social media giant, and it adds momentum to a broader wave of litigation accusing major technology platforms of misleading the public about the safety of their products for young users. The jury awarded 375 million dollars after concluding…

Sinopec notice triggers queues as Beijing trims the increase Long lines formed at gas stations across China on Monday after drivers rushed to fill their tanks ahead of a newly announced fuel price increase. The surge in demand followed a notice from Sinopec, the state-owned oil giant, warning that gasoline prices would rise by a meaningful amount starting March 24. For many motorists, the announcement turned an already difficult fuel environment into an immediate household concern. The response was swift and emotional. Drivers, alerted to the pending increase, headed to stations in large numbers rather than wait until the higher…

Markets react as Tehran denies negotiations ever took place President Donald Trump said Monday that he had ordered a five-day delay in planned US strikes on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure after what he described as productive discussions with Iranian representatives. The announcement immediately shifted attention from military escalation to the possibility of a temporary diplomatic opening, even as Tehran publicly denied that any direct or indirect negotiations had taken place. Trump framed the pause as a serious chance to reach a broader settlement, saying the United States was intent on making a deal and suggesting the conversations had…

ABS rollout forces baseball to replace listed heights with real ones Baseball’s new Automated Ball-Strike challenge system is doing more than changing how pitches are judged. It is also forcing the sport to confront one of its quieter traditions: generously listed player heights. As Major League Baseball rolls out the ABS challenge system for the 2026 season, every player is being measured with greater precision so the technology can calculate an individualized strike zone. The result has been a wave of revised player profiles, with several familiar names suddenly appearing an inch or two shorter than they were previously listed.…

New project revives an old ambition in a tougher market Amazon is reportedly exploring a return to smartphones more than a decade after the failure of the Fire Phone, this time with a device designed around artificial intelligence, Alexa integration and deeper personalization. The effort, known internally as Transformer, reflects a broader attempt by the company to strengthen its position in consumer AI and build a device that can keep Amazon connected to users far beyond the home. The reported project is being developed inside Amazon’s devices and services unit and is described as a potential mobile companion that would…

Hegseth says projected budget ask could still change The Pentagon has opened the door to a massive new funding request tied to the war with Iran, a move that suggests the conflict may be expanding beyond the shorter timeline the administration had previously floated. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that a reported request of about $200 billion for war-related funding could still shift, but he did not deny that a major supplemental package is under discussion. His remarks matter because they move the conversation from estimates and leaks to an explicit acknowledgment that the administration is preparing to ask…

Deal could deploy up to 50,000 autonomous vehicles Uber is taking a larger step into autonomous transport through a major agreement with Rivian that includes up to $1.25 billion in investment and a plan to deploy as many as 50,000 robotaxis across several countries by 2031. The deal adds fresh momentum to the autonomous vehicle sector, where companies are once again trying to convince investors that commercial scale may finally be within reach after years of delays and missed targets. The agreement calls for Uber, or its fleet partners, to purchase 10,000 autonomous versions of Rivian’s upcoming R2 electric vehicle,…

February rebound masks pressure from oil and tariffs Japan moved back into trade surplus in February, a modest improvement that offers some relief after the sharp deficit recorded a month earlier. But the recovery came with clear warning signs. Imports accelerated strongly, exports remained uneven across major markets and the outlook is becoming more fragile as the conflict involving Iran pushes up energy prices for one of the world’s most import-dependent advanced economies. Preliminary government data showed Japan posted a trade surplus of 57.3 billion yen in February, reversing the 1.15 trillion yen deficit recorded in January. Exports rose 4.2…

Díaz-Canel attacks US pressure as energy crisis deepens Cuba’s political and economic crisis has entered a more volatile phase after a nationwide blackout and a fresh exchange of threats with Washington. President Miguel Díaz-Canel said on Wednesday that the island faces near-daily pressure from the United States and vowed that any effort to suffocate Cuba’s fuel supply would be met with what he called unyielding resistance. His remarks came as the country struggled to restore electricity following a prolonged collapse of the power grid, highlighting how closely political confrontation and material hardship are now intertwined on the island. Energy officials…