The Chinese government is mandating its premiere artificial-intelligence scientists and business leaders refrain from visiting the U.S., as the communist country increasingly views the burgeoning technology as a top national security priority, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
Sources familiar with the matter told the outlet Beijing is concerned that Chinese AI experts are at risk for giving up top secret intelligence about the country's progress and goals with the technology.
China’s emerging dominance in the AI field goes beyond the giant Alibaba and new player on the block DeepSeek. Asia Times noted Cambricon Technologies, Yitu Technology, and CloudWalk Technology as smaller companies carving out their own industry-specific niche in the marketplace.
Zelenskyy Can Hold Out Without US Backing, Admiral Says
Amid waning U.S. support for Ukraine, retired Admiral James Stavridis believes President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can sustain resistance against Russia indefinitely if European allies maintain their aid, Newsweek reported.
Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Stavridis suggested that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can "hold out for an indefinite period" against Russia, even without continued support from the United States, as long as European nations continue their assistance, according to Newsweek.
His remarks come after a confrontational meeting Friday at the White House between Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance, which cast doubt on future U.S. aid for Ukraine.
"This is obviously a big, big moment for us, and we're certainly very grateful in many ways," Teper said. "Skype pioneered audio and video calling on the web for many, many people."
It's one of the most enduring digital brands.
In 2003, Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, who previously co-founded peer-to-peer file-sharing program Kazaa, launched Skype in Estonia with help from a band of former classmates with zero experience in telecommunications. Originally, Skype was a tool for people to call one another online for free. The quirky name stood for "sky peer to peer," a reference to the service's underlying Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, architecture.
Direct instruction is made possible using a motion capture device, synchronizing the robot’s and operator’s arm movements. During caring duties, impedance control ensures appropriate force application by enabling flexible motion execution. The EIPL architecture, based on the deep learning model, forecasts future events while reducing errors. A convolutional autoencoder processes RGB camera image input and extracts important spatial attention points.
According to researchers, the Selective Kernel Network (SKNet) is applied for joint angle and torque attention, dynamically adjusting feature importance. The model predicts joint movements, sending commands to the impedance controller, ensuring precise and adaptive caregiving motions.
Still in the testing phase, the team estimates that AIREC will only be ready for nursing care or medical facilities by 2030. The initial price of the robot is expected to be at least ¥10 million ($67,000).
Idemitsu to supply solid electrolytes
In addition, because they are resistant to high voltage and high temperature, all-solid-state batteries are expected to improve energy density and lengthen service life.
“We will expand our production capacity of lithium sulfide, an important intermediate raw material for solid electrolytes, to the world’s top class level (equivalent to 3 GWh/year of storage batteries) and establish an integrated value chain from raw materials to intermediate materials and products,” said the company in a statement.
Idemitsu will steadily meet the needs of automakers and battery manufacturers, aiming to commercialize all-solid-state batteries in 2027 to 28, and thenceforth accelerate the commercialization of solid electrolytes.
Performance tests with the new catalyst applied to seawater cell electrodes showed that its performance was on par with traditional platinum catalysts. Importantly, the overvoltage was lower than that of platinum (Pt/C) catalysts.
Affordable catalyst
Seawater batteries, using abundant seawater as the cathode material, offer economic benefits but suffer from slow kinetics and high overpotential, limiting efficiency. Electrocatalysts are essential for improving performance. While precious metals like platinum have been traditionally used as catalysts, their high cost limits their scalability.
Experts were amazed by the exceptional preservation of the settlement’s structures, including homes, workshops, administrative buildings, temples, and bathhouses, following the excavation completion this week.
The team also uncovered remnants of a mining camp, featuring a fully equipped gold extraction facility. The site included crushing and grinding stations, filtration basins, and sedimentation pools that fed into smelting furnaces used for refining gold from quartz veins.
“The project included archaeological excavations, documentation, and restoration of architectural elements discovered on-site,” Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities reveals. “These elements were relocated to a safer area three kilometers north of the original site, outside the path of modern mining operations at Sukari Mine.”
Importance and vision ahead
According to the ministry, the project is crucial for enhancing our understanding of the techniques ancient Egyptians used to extract gold from rocks.
The researchers suggest that the findings shed light on Egypt’s ancient mining industry and the daily lives of its workers. “It also provides valuable insight into the social, religious, and economic lives of mining workers in industrial cities across the Eastern Desert throughout different historical periods,” the ministry says in a press release.
“Within weeks, to the team’s great surprise, formations of mud bricks began to appear in all directions,” Zahi Hawass, archaeologist and former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt who found the city, says. “What they unearthed was the site of a large city in a good condition of preservation, with almost complete walls, and with rooms filled with tools of daily life.”
“This isn’t just about catching smugglers,” said a Beijing-based logistics expert who requested anonymity in a statement to South China Morning Post. “It’s about creating a system to enforce our rules and break the chains imposed on developing nations for over a century. This is a space-based technology revolution,” they added.
The new system consists of 66 low-cost nanosatellites, each smaller than a refrigerator. The researchers behind it note that one of the key innovations is a hybrid network that differentiates between slower-moving ‘static’ sensors—such as those on containers in port—and sensors on fast-moving cargo.
The research team claims the signal interference ensures smooth data transmission. The team also adapted techniques traditionally used for missile-tracking systems to process data at a rate 10 times faster than commercial satellite networks.
Washington concerned
The planned satellite network is believed to strengthen China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by integrating global infrastructure projects with data-driven logistics oversight. Scientists behind the system also claim that it could assist countries in combating piracy, illegal trade, and drug trafficking.
Kelly Harris of San Jose, leans over to kiss the web cam as she says her goodbye to Brian Johnson, her brother stationed in Japan, at the end of their video phone call via Skype in San Jose, Calif. on Nov. 25, 2009.
With Amazon Haul, the company is responding to the rise of Temu, Shein and TikTok Shop, which all have ties to China, the world's second-largest economy. The platforms have rapidly gained popularity in the U.S. over the past few years by hooking deal-hungry shoppers with their low prices on clothing, makeup, home goods and other items. Like Temu, Haul offers ultra-low-priced products, like $1 eyelash curlers and cosmetic bags, or a $2.99 cubic zirconia ring.
Haul remains in beta for U.S. users, but Amazon has continued to build out the service, suggesting the company sees it becoming a more permanent fixture of its online store.
The since-removed job listing indicates Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's S-team, consisting of top leaders, has set goals this year to make Haul "Go Big" in the U.S. and worldwide.
The movement bringing Web3 into real-world industries and businesses is rallying around decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePINs), Web3’s hottest sector, which also has the potential to become an agricultural superpower. Imagine rooftop gardens in every city, producing fresh food for local communities. With DePINs, this dream is closer than ever. We’re not just talking about growing lettuce; we’re talking about rebuilding our food systems from the ground up for the long-term benefit of all of humanity.
The future of food is vertical, decentralized, and delicious. Let’s grow!
In January, China had proposed plans to integrate humanoid robots and AI into elderly care, as outlined in new guidelines issued by the State Council to address demographic challenges.
Robots assist in caregiving
As aging populations and low birth rates drive the need for care services, humanoid robots are increasingly being investigated for palliative caregiving roles. Demographic transition from young to old has resulted in the dwindling of nurses, underscoring the need for automated solutions to complete jobs effectively and securely.
Despite the urgency, researchers at Waseda University claim that the integration of robotics in caregiving is still limited because of technological obstacles that need to be addressed before it can be widely used.
In contrast, the GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II integrates multiple terminal guidance systems, including active radar, semi-active laser homing, and a thermal imaging seeker. Satellite and inertial navigation are used only during midcourse flight. Thus, even if the satellite connection is jammed, the StormBreaker can still reach the target area and independently acquire the target, without needing precise coordinates.
The shift to considering a jet engine over a rocket booster by Raytheon is likely influenced by lessons learned in Ukraine, where modern electronic warfare and air defense systems present significant challenges. In the past, Ukraine received Raytheon’s RIM-7 SEASPARROW missiles, a direct development of the AIM-7E Sparrow air-to-air missile system. These advanced missiles, launched from Soviet-era 9K37 BUK (NATO designation SA-11) systems, significantly enhanced Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
An earlier effort to adapt a Small Diameter Bomb for ground launch involved modifying Boeing’s GBU-39/B with a solid booster, leading to the development of the GLSDB in collaboration with Raytheon and Saab. However, in combat operations over Ukraine, the system was found to be vulnerable to Russian electronic warfare countermeasures.
GBU-53/B brings major guidance upgrades over its predecessor
Unlike its predecessor, the GBU-53/B features a significantly more advanced guidance system. The original GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb relies primarily on satellite and inertial navigation, with only a specific subvariant incorporating a semi-active homing system. Since this lightweight bomb depends entirely on precision, electronic warfare disruptions can greatly diminish its effectiveness.
Solid-fuel and jet engine options for new weapon
One option is to equip the GBU-53/B with a booster, launching it to a high altitude where it can glide toward its target. Another approach involves adding a miniature turbojet engine, effectively turning the bomb into a cruise missile.
Regardless of the chosen option, it will be applied to both the ground-launched version and the extended-range air-to-air variant, allowing strikes from significantly greater distances. The current StormBreaker already achieves a range of approximately 110 km when released from high altitudes.
US firm developing GLSDB 2.0 weapon with improved electronic warfare resilience
Unlike its predecessor, the GBU-53/B features a significantly more advanced guidance system.
Defense giant Raytheon, a division of RTX Corporation, is developing a ground-launched variant of its GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II, the precision-guided, long-range munition known as StormBreaker.
Raytheon has not disclosed full details but plans to begin testing the weapon this summer, according to Jon Norman, Vice President of Air & Space Defense Systems Requirements & Capability, during the Fighter Pilot Podcast. Currently, the company is assessing propulsion options, weighing a traditional solid-propellant system against an air-breathing jet engine.
THIS IS THE CHICK who dumped her actual Husband when she had a little online success, she wanted to go "find herself" in Paris....without him. Devastated him, he actually had just suffered a job loss, maybe C19 related. She moved from like NJ to France, and then France to MX. I saw her interview from Talum MX maybe 2 yrs ago, on another travel channel. I was calling BS during the whole interview. She casually revealed all the dudes in Paris she met at this and that cafe, or on her walks near the Eiffel Tower and "dated", to her female interviewer. I could see the interviewer was also seeing through her story but girl-code forbid her from asking RP type follow Up Q's.
yup. That's her.
Moderate physical activity like walking or cleaning amounts to around three METs, researchers said, while more intense exercise like cycling can burn around six METs depending on speed.
People who engaged in moderate to vigorous activity were 14% to 40% less likely to develop the mental health and brain conditions being tracked, results show.
On the other hand, more time spent sitting increased people’s risk of these conditions by 5% to 54%, results show.
“Some previous studies have relied on people reporting on their own levels of activity,” Wu said.
“With our large number of participants and the use of devices that provide objective measurements of activity levels, these results will have implications for assessing risk factors and developing interventions to prevent the development of these diseases,” Wu added.
Exercise Linked to Better Mental, Brain Health
Moderate to vigorous physical activity reduces risk of dementia, stroke, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders, researchers found.
Moving your body helps your brain, a new study suggests.
Folks who regularly exercise have better mental and brain health, researchers will report in early April at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in San Diego and online.
Moderate to vigorous physical activity reduces risk of dementia, stroke, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders, researchers found.
Specific results for different sleep trajectories included:
A 29% increased risk of death from any cause for short-long, 19% for long-short and 27% for long-long.
A 22% increased risk of heart-related death for long-long, 32% for long-short, and 22% for short-long.
“Associations were stronger among White compared with Black adults and among adults with a household income $15,000 or greater compared with adults with household incomes less than $15,000,” researchers noted. “No differences were observed by sex.”
The study “highlights the importance of maintaining healthy sleep over time,” said an accompanying editorial written by Dayna Johnson, an associate professor of epidemiology with the Emory University School of Public Health.
Saturday’s statement indicates that Israeli forces could push farther into Syria as its new authorities try to consolidate control after more than a decade of civil war. Israeli forces recently set up posts in a buffer zone and on strategic Mt. Hermon nearby. There have been no major clashes between Israeli troops and Syria's new forces.
“We will not allow the terrorist regime of radical Islam in Syria to harm the Druze. If the regime harms the Druze, it will be harmed by us,” the statement said.
There was no immediate response from Syria's government.
The Druze are a religious minority who live in southern Syria and in Israel’s Golan Heights, where they navigate their historically Syrian identity while living under Israeli rule.
Israel’s statement followed the outbreak of unrest Friday in the Druze settlement of Jaramana, when a member of the security forces entered and started shooting in the air, leading to an exchange of fire with local gunmen that left him dead.
Israel's Military Is Told to Prepare to Defend a Druze Community outside Syria's Capital
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense ministry on Saturday said the military has been instructed to prepare to defend a Druze settlement in the suburbs of Damascus, asserting that the minority it has vowed to protect was “under attack” by Syrian forces.
The statement, citing an order from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, follows an Israeli warning last weekend that the forces of neighboring Syria’s new government and the insurgent group that led last year’s ouster of former President Bashar Assad should not enter the area south of Damascus.
Poor Sleep Raises Early Death Risk By 29 Percent
A new study finds that approximately two-thirds of Americans are getting too little or too much sleep, which increases risk for premature death from any cause by nearly 30%.
About two-thirds of Americans are getting too little or too much sleep, risking their health, a new study suggests.
In fact, people not getting the right amount of sleep – seven to nine hours a night – had a 29% increased risk of premature death from any cause, researchers reported Feb. 27 in JAMA Network Open.
“These findings provide new evidence that irregular sleep patterns over a 5-year period may increase the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality,” the research team led by Kelsie Full, an assistant professor of epidemiology with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, concluded.
Zelenskyy: Peace 'Will Be Difficult' Without US
In the thread, Zelenskyy wrote that Ukraine was ready to sign the minerals agreement, under the provision of security guarentees.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensykyy said in a lengthy thread posted to X on Saturday that achieving peace in the Russia-Ukraine war "will be difficult" without the United States' support.
"Our situation is tough, but we can’t just stop fighting and not having guarantees that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will not return tomorrow," Zelenskyy wrote in English. "It will be difficult without the U.S. support."
In the thread, Zelenskyy wrote that Ukraine was "ready to sign the minerals agreement," under the provision of "security guarentees."
A crash involving two buses in Bolivia left at least 33 people dead and several injured in the western Potosi region, police and local authorities said on Saturday.
The accident happened during the early morning hours on the route between the cities of Uyuni and Colchani, when one of the vehicles was heading to a carnival festival.
"There has been a fatal accident, and it has left us with around 33 confirmed fatalities already," Osmar Salvatierra, an official of the municipality of Uyuni, told local media.
Police were at the scene to clarify the circumstances of the crash and will provide an official report.
Arizona Senate Approves Strategic Digital Assets Reserve Bill, Advances to House
The Arizona Senate advanced a bill to create a state-managed reserve for seized bitcoin, passing SB 1373 by a 17-12 vote on Feb. 27 and sending it to the House for further consideration.
The Strategic Digital Assets Reserve bill establishes a fund overseen by the state treasurer to hold bitcoin confiscated by law enforcement and money allocated by the legislature. Under the bill, the treasurer may invest up to 10% of the fund’s deposits in bitcoin annually and possibly loan them to generate returns, provided such actions do not heighten financial risks.
SB 1373 differs from a related proposal, SB 1025, which seeks to allow state entities to invest public funds in bitcoin. Instead, SB 1373 focuses on managing assets already in state custody, such as those seized during criminal investigations.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said regulations and "onerous business rules" created a series of roadblocks to streamlining the mail service. He pointed a finger directly at Congress for some of the problems.
“For decades — and most specifically during the last three years — Congress has actively resisted operational solutions and meaningful change," he said.
But DeJoy may not be in a position to oversee all the new changes — he annouced his pending retirement in February.
Fishback, however, stated that "Sending checks isn't inflationary … lockdowns and labor shortages compounded the effect of inflation [during COVID]. But the macro backdrop today is disinflationary."
"It is similar to tax refund season — when the average check from the IRS is $3,100 and it goes to people's rainy day fund, saving, and paying down debt."
Fishback noted that the government would only send checks to people paying taxes, which would incentivize people to get back to work — as opposed to the COVID stimulus checks.
China could also feel pressure to maintain a hold on their national investment. Beijing has invested heavily to develop the next generation of the technology's leaders with their 2018 incentives to grow AI in schools. 535 universities have since created AI undergraduate majors, compared to roughly 14 such colleges in the U.S.
China is also likely worried about their homegrown talent leaving their country over buyouts or for another lifestyle overseas. Eurasia Group technology analyst Xiaomeng Lu said such relocation can really have an impact on the nation’s industry as a whole.
“For the tech sector, brain drain can have a devastating effect on a country,” she said. “The initial signal is: Stay here, don’t run away.”
Volkswagen to Recall over 60,000 US Vehicles
Volkswagen is recalling 60,490 U.S. vehicles due to a failure to display the gear position that may result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not engaged, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Saturday.
The recall affects certain 2021-2023 ID.4, 2022-2023 Audi Q4 e-Tron, and Q4 e-Tron Sportback vehicles, the auto safety regulator said.
The dome project originated from a Jan. 27 executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which established the development of a next-generation missile defense shield as national policy. The order, which initially branded the initiative as "Iron Dome for America," emphasized the growing threats posed by ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles.
While modeled after Israel's Iron Dome, the American version is envisioned on a much larger scale, designed to protect the entire U.S. homeland from advanced missile threats.
Space-based sensors have been identified as key components. The executive order directed the Department of Defense to explore the potential deployment of space-based interceptors that would launch in response to an attack.
The Missile Defense Agency is leading industry engagement efforts to assess technological capabilities.
Just curious about these warehouse on wheels that are the rage now. How much is the company that owns the trailer being paid each day that the trailer sits in the warehouse on wheels? It used to be if a trailer was not out on the road it wasn't making money so the trucking companies didn't want their trailers sitting around until you decided to unload it. So the contracts might have a day or two grace period then you had a daily fee to pay until the trailer was empty and ready for pickup. So how much a day does a company pay to have a trailer sitting in its warehouse on wheels?
'Golden Dome' Replaces 'Iron Dome' in Pentagon Missile Program
The Pentagon has quietly rebranded its national missile defense initiative from "Iron Dome for America" to "Golden Dome for America," according to a recent advisory issued to defense contractors, SpaceNews reported.
The name change surfaced publicly when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a recent video discussing programs shielded from potential budget reductions, referred to the system as "Golden Dome or Iron Dome."
His statement, initially perceived as a slip of the tongue, was later confirmed as an official revision.
"Please note the Department of Defense has renamed this program from 'Iron Dome for America' to 'Golden Dome for America,'" the U.S. Missile Defense Agency stated in a Feb. 24 advisory to contractors submitting proposals.
The notice, issued days before the Feb. 28 submission deadline, clarified that existing file systems would retain the original name for logistical reasons.
Zelenskyy: Ukraine Should Be Heard, Not Forgotten
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday it was "very important" that Ukraine's plight was heard and not forgotten, a day after a heated White House meeting with President Donald Trump.
"It is very important for us that Ukraine is heard and that no one forgets about it, neither during the war nor after," he said in a social media post alongside footage of a meeting with the Ukrainian community in Washington.
"It is important for people in Ukraine to know that they are not alone, that their interests are represented in every country, in every corner of the world."
Zelenskyy had seen the Oval Office meeting on Friday with Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance as a chance to win more support for Kyiv's war effort against Russia.
The administration is also considering bringing back the use of public health law Title 42 to expel migrants. The statute was used during the COVID pandemic and now could be used on the grounds that migrants can spread deadly diseases such as tuberculosis.
Meanwhile, Trump's border strategy has resulted in a quick decrease in numbers, but the administration's other moves to carry out his call for the largest deportation operation in U.S. history are hitting barriers.
These include frustrations that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not carrying out enough deportations and arrests and concerns that ICE detention centers are too crowded.
The centers, as of Friday, were at 117% capacity, with more than 45,000 migrants. Just under half of those were first apprehended at the southern border, government records show.
Here's what consumers need to understand about the latest biometric trends in smartphones, and what's likely to come next:
Why fingerprints could still make a comeback
Apple's Touch ID continues to be available in certain iPad models, and the company is likely to reintroduce the technology in subsequent versions of its smartphones, according to experts consulted by CNBC. One sign they point to that makes this likely: The company was granted a patent several years ago for under-display fingerprint reading technology and continues to work on improvements, according to several published reports. As a result, the company is likely to bring back Touch ID to smartphones once it perfects its version of under-the-screen technology.
Illegal Border Crossings at New Low Levels Under Trump
Illegal border crossings have dropped to levels that have not been seen in more than two decades during President Donald Trump's first month in office, according to government statistics.
The Border Patrol last month reported apprehending about 8,450 migrants crossing into the United States between official entry points at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to preliminary statistics, reports CBS News Saturday.
The only other time monthly apprehensions came to being that low in the past 25 years also occurred when Trump was in office, with approximately 11,000 migrants being apprehended at the southwest border in April 2017, the agency's data shows.
In comparison, there were times during record spikes in illegal crossings under former President Joe Biden's administration that the Border Patrol would record more than 8,000 apprehensions in just one day.
In a later post on a slightly different topic, Patel addressed the issue of FBI agents fulfilling their work agreement to uphold the Constitution, or else. "Stay the course and abide by our high standards, and I will always have your back. Deviate in anyway, and you will not be a part of this FBI.
The discussion ended without an agreement, and Zelenskyy left the White House early. A press conference scheduled for later was canceled.
Following the meeting, Trump posted on Truth Social, stating:
"I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. He can come back when he is ready for Peace."
Zelenskyy responded on X: "Thank you America, thank you for your support ... Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that."
Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday to seek support from European allies.
FBI's Patel Responds to Short Epstein Case File Release
FBI Director Kash Patel has promised full cooperation with the Attorney General's office on the release of files surrounding the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
FBI Director Kash Patel has promised full cooperation with the Attorney General's office on the release of files surrounding the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Patel received a terse letter this week from Attorney General Pam Bondi. What Bondi had been told would be a release of all FBI documents in the case was disappointingly short.
The AG's letter to Patel demanded full compliance. Bondi said she received information that someone within the FBI was holding back. Bondi gave the FBI a short deadline of 8 a.m. on Friday, February 28, to send the remaining files to her office. There is no word yet from either whether that complete release has occurred. But Patel said it will happen.
The directive follows reports from earlier this week that Hegseth has threatened military action inside of Mexico to confront the nation's drug cartels if the Trump administration's demands on border security are not met.
The Record reported that it is unknown at this time how the recent directive will affect Cyber Command personnel.
In a statement to the outlet, a senior defense official said, "Due to operational security concerns, we do not comment nor discuss cyber intelligence, plans, or operations. There is no greater priority to Secretary Hegseth than the safety of the Warfighter in all operations, to include the cyber domain."
Lori Goldman, who leads the Michigan-based activist group known as Fems for Dems, was enraged when asked for her assessment of Democrat leaders.
"We need all hands on deck, and we're not getting it," she said. "There's no room or time or space to act like we're in normal times."
Klein, of Indivisible, is growing increasingly pessimistic that Democrat leaders in Congress are listening, even after his group took credit for town halls that shaped the debate on Capitol Hill.
"I was hopeful that they were coming over to our side to lead the opposition. And in the absence of that, I think you're going to just see distance between them and their own constituents grow and grow and grow," he said. "And that doesn't have positive consequences."
Brian Krebs, an investigative reporter specializing in cyber security said the combination of Hegseth's order and Friday's Oval Office meltdown couldn't have come at a worse time.
"There is zero reason for the US to relax any offensive digital actions against Russia. If anything, we should be applying 10x more," Krebs posted on LinkedIn. "This is indefensible, but makes sense given the president's embarrassing performance at the White House today browbeating President Zelensky by continuously saying 'World War III' and again echoing Kremlin sabre rattling."
According to The Record, Hegseth's order may lessen the nation's ability to protect private sector digital infrastructure both at home and abroad as U.S. Cyber Command has played a critical role in counteracting Russia's cyber offensive strategy.
Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, took to the Senate floor last week to call on his colleagues to "wake up." In a subsequent interview, King described what he called Trump's "assault on the Constitution — the most serious in the history of the country."
The senator said Democrats cannot simply assume that the courts will rein in Trump. But he also acknowledged that they had relatively few tools to push back as the minority party in both chambers of Congress.
"We're in uncharted territory. There's no playbook for this," King said. "Everybody's trying to figure out what's effective."
China Warns Top AI Leaders to Avoid US
The Chinese government is mandating its premiere artificial-intelligence scientists and business leaders refrain from visiting the U.S., as the communist country increasingly views the burgeoning technology as a top national security priority, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
Sources familiar with the matter told the outlet Beijing is concerned that Chinese AI experts are at risk for giving up top secret intelligence about the country's progress and goals with the technology.
China’s emerging dominance in the AI field goes beyond the giant Alibaba and new player on the block DeepSeek. Asia Times noted Cambricon Technologies, Yitu Technology, and CloudWalk Technology as smaller companies carving out their own industry-specific niche in the marketplace.
Zelenskyy Can Hold Out Without US Backing, Admiral Says
Amid waning U.S. support for Ukraine, retired Admiral James Stavridis believes President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can sustain resistance against Russia indefinitely if European allies maintain their aid, Newsweek reported.
Retired U.S. Navy Admiral Stavridis suggested that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy can "hold out for an indefinite period" against Russia, even without continued support from the United States, as long as European nations continue their assistance, according to Newsweek.
His remarks come after a confrontational meeting Friday at the White House between Zelenskyy, President Donald Trump, and Vice President JD Vance, which cast doubt on future U.S. aid for Ukraine.
!summarize #federal #workers #email #doge
"This is obviously a big, big moment for us, and we're certainly very grateful in many ways," Teper said. "Skype pioneered audio and video calling on the web for many, many people."
It's one of the most enduring digital brands.
In 2003, Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, who previously co-founded peer-to-peer file-sharing program Kazaa, launched Skype in Estonia with help from a band of former classmates with zero experience in telecommunications. Originally, Skype was a tool for people to call one another online for free. The quirky name stood for "sky peer to peer," a reference to the service's underlying Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, architecture.
But the meeting descended into acrimony and drove relations with Kyiv's most important wartime ally to a new low.
Direct instruction is made possible using a motion capture device, synchronizing the robot’s and operator’s arm movements. During caring duties, impedance control ensures appropriate force application by enabling flexible motion execution. The EIPL architecture, based on the deep learning model, forecasts future events while reducing errors. A convolutional autoencoder processes RGB camera image input and extracts important spatial attention points.
According to researchers, the Selective Kernel Network (SKNet) is applied for joint angle and torque attention, dynamically adjusting feature importance. The model predicts joint movements, sending commands to the impedance controller, ensuring precise and adaptive caregiving motions.
Still in the testing phase, the team estimates that AIREC will only be ready for nursing care or medical facilities by 2030. The initial price of the robot is expected to be at least ¥10 million ($67,000).
Idemitsu to supply solid electrolytes
In addition, because they are resistant to high voltage and high temperature, all-solid-state batteries are expected to improve energy density and lengthen service life.
“We will expand our production capacity of lithium sulfide, an important intermediate raw material for solid electrolytes, to the world’s top class level (equivalent to 3 GWh/year of storage batteries) and establish an integrated value chain from raw materials to intermediate materials and products,” said the company in a statement.
Idemitsu will steadily meet the needs of automakers and battery manufacturers, aiming to commercialize all-solid-state batteries in 2027 to 28, and thenceforth accelerate the commercialization of solid electrolytes.
Performance tests with the new catalyst applied to seawater cell electrodes showed that its performance was on par with traditional platinum catalysts. Importantly, the overvoltage was lower than that of platinum (Pt/C) catalysts.
Affordable catalyst
Seawater batteries, using abundant seawater as the cathode material, offer economic benefits but suffer from slow kinetics and high overpotential, limiting efficiency. Electrocatalysts are essential for improving performance. While precious metals like platinum have been traditionally used as catalysts, their high cost limits their scalability.
Experts were amazed by the exceptional preservation of the settlement’s structures, including homes, workshops, administrative buildings, temples, and bathhouses, following the excavation completion this week.
The team also uncovered remnants of a mining camp, featuring a fully equipped gold extraction facility. The site included crushing and grinding stations, filtration basins, and sedimentation pools that fed into smelting furnaces used for refining gold from quartz veins.
“The project included archaeological excavations, documentation, and restoration of architectural elements discovered on-site,” Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities reveals. “These elements were relocated to a safer area three kilometers north of the original site, outside the path of modern mining operations at Sukari Mine.”
Importance and vision ahead
According to the ministry, the project is crucial for enhancing our understanding of the techniques ancient Egyptians used to extract gold from rocks.
The researchers suggest that the findings shed light on Egypt’s ancient mining industry and the daily lives of its workers. “It also provides valuable insight into the social, religious, and economic lives of mining workers in industrial cities across the Eastern Desert throughout different historical periods,” the ministry says in a press release.
“Within weeks, to the team’s great surprise, formations of mud bricks began to appear in all directions,” Zahi Hawass, archaeologist and former Minister of Tourism and Antiquities of Egypt who found the city, says. “What they unearthed was the site of a large city in a good condition of preservation, with almost complete walls, and with rooms filled with tools of daily life.”
“This isn’t just about catching smugglers,” said a Beijing-based logistics expert who requested anonymity in a statement to South China Morning Post. “It’s about creating a system to enforce our rules and break the chains imposed on developing nations for over a century. This is a space-based technology revolution,” they added.
The new system consists of 66 low-cost nanosatellites, each smaller than a refrigerator. The researchers behind it note that one of the key innovations is a hybrid network that differentiates between slower-moving ‘static’ sensors—such as those on containers in port—and sensors on fast-moving cargo.
The research team claims the signal interference ensures smooth data transmission. The team also adapted techniques traditionally used for missile-tracking systems to process data at a rate 10 times faster than commercial satellite networks.
Washington concerned
The planned satellite network is believed to strengthen China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) by integrating global infrastructure projects with data-driven logistics oversight. Scientists behind the system also claim that it could assist countries in combating piracy, illegal trade, and drug trafficking.
Kelly Harris of San Jose, leans over to kiss the web cam as she says her goodbye to Brian Johnson, her brother stationed in Japan, at the end of their video phone call via Skype in San Jose, Calif. on Nov. 25, 2009.
With Amazon Haul, the company is responding to the rise of Temu, Shein and TikTok Shop, which all have ties to China, the world's second-largest economy. The platforms have rapidly gained popularity in the U.S. over the past few years by hooking deal-hungry shoppers with their low prices on clothing, makeup, home goods and other items. Like Temu, Haul offers ultra-low-priced products, like $1 eyelash curlers and cosmetic bags, or a $2.99 cubic zirconia ring.
Haul remains in beta for U.S. users, but Amazon has continued to build out the service, suggesting the company sees it becoming a more permanent fixture of its online store.
The since-removed job listing indicates Amazon CEO Andy Jassy's S-team, consisting of top leaders, has set goals this year to make Haul "Go Big" in the U.S. and worldwide.
The movement bringing Web3 into real-world industries and businesses is rallying around decentralized physical infrastructure networks (DePINs), Web3’s hottest sector, which also has the potential to become an agricultural superpower. Imagine rooftop gardens in every city, producing fresh food for local communities. With DePINs, this dream is closer than ever. We’re not just talking about growing lettuce; we’re talking about rebuilding our food systems from the ground up for the long-term benefit of all of humanity.
The future of food is vertical, decentralized, and delicious. Let’s grow!
In January, China had proposed plans to integrate humanoid robots and AI into elderly care, as outlined in new guidelines issued by the State Council to address demographic challenges.
Robots assist in caregiving
As aging populations and low birth rates drive the need for care services, humanoid robots are increasingly being investigated for palliative caregiving roles. Demographic transition from young to old has resulted in the dwindling of nurses, underscoring the need for automated solutions to complete jobs effectively and securely.
Despite the urgency, researchers at Waseda University claim that the integration of robotics in caregiving is still limited because of technological obstacles that need to be addressed before it can be widely used.
In contrast, the GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II integrates multiple terminal guidance systems, including active radar, semi-active laser homing, and a thermal imaging seeker. Satellite and inertial navigation are used only during midcourse flight. Thus, even if the satellite connection is jammed, the StormBreaker can still reach the target area and independently acquire the target, without needing precise coordinates.
The shift to considering a jet engine over a rocket booster by Raytheon is likely influenced by lessons learned in Ukraine, where modern electronic warfare and air defense systems present significant challenges. In the past, Ukraine received Raytheon’s RIM-7 SEASPARROW missiles, a direct development of the AIM-7E Sparrow air-to-air missile system. These advanced missiles, launched from Soviet-era 9K37 BUK (NATO designation SA-11) systems, significantly enhanced Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
An earlier effort to adapt a Small Diameter Bomb for ground launch involved modifying Boeing’s GBU-39/B with a solid booster, leading to the development of the GLSDB in collaboration with Raytheon and Saab. However, in combat operations over Ukraine, the system was found to be vulnerable to Russian electronic warfare countermeasures.
GBU-53/B brings major guidance upgrades over its predecessor
Unlike its predecessor, the GBU-53/B features a significantly more advanced guidance system. The original GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bomb relies primarily on satellite and inertial navigation, with only a specific subvariant incorporating a semi-active homing system. Since this lightweight bomb depends entirely on precision, electronic warfare disruptions can greatly diminish its effectiveness.
Solid-fuel and jet engine options for new weapon
One option is to equip the GBU-53/B with a booster, launching it to a high altitude where it can glide toward its target. Another approach involves adding a miniature turbojet engine, effectively turning the bomb into a cruise missile.
Regardless of the chosen option, it will be applied to both the ground-launched version and the extended-range air-to-air variant, allowing strikes from significantly greater distances. The current StormBreaker already achieves a range of approximately 110 km when released from high altitudes.
US firm developing GLSDB 2.0 weapon with improved electronic warfare resilience
Unlike its predecessor, the GBU-53/B features a significantly more advanced guidance system.
Defense giant Raytheon, a division of RTX Corporation, is developing a ground-launched variant of its GBU-53/B Small Diameter Bomb II, the precision-guided, long-range munition known as StormBreaker.
Raytheon has not disclosed full details but plans to begin testing the weapon this summer, according to Jon Norman, Vice President of Air & Space Defense Systems Requirements & Capability, during the Fighter Pilot Podcast. Currently, the company is assessing propulsion options, weighing a traditional solid-propellant system against an air-breathing jet engine.
THIS IS THE CHICK who dumped her actual Husband when she had a little online success, she wanted to go "find herself" in Paris....without him. Devastated him, he actually had just suffered a job loss, maybe C19 related. She moved from like NJ to France, and then France to MX. I saw her interview from Talum MX maybe 2 yrs ago, on another travel channel. I was calling BS during the whole interview. She casually revealed all the dudes in Paris she met at this and that cafe, or on her walks near the Eiffel Tower and "dated", to her female interviewer. I could see the interviewer was also seeing through her story but girl-code forbid her from asking RP type follow Up Q's.
yup. That's her.
Moderate physical activity like walking or cleaning amounts to around three METs, researchers said, while more intense exercise like cycling can burn around six METs depending on speed.
People who engaged in moderate to vigorous activity were 14% to 40% less likely to develop the mental health and brain conditions being tracked, results show.
On the other hand, more time spent sitting increased people’s risk of these conditions by 5% to 54%, results show.
“Some previous studies have relied on people reporting on their own levels of activity,” Wu said.
“With our large number of participants and the use of devices that provide objective measurements of activity levels, these results will have implications for assessing risk factors and developing interventions to prevent the development of these diseases,” Wu added.
Exercise Linked to Better Mental, Brain Health
Moderate to vigorous physical activity reduces risk of dementia, stroke, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders, researchers found.
Moving your body helps your brain, a new study suggests.
Folks who regularly exercise have better mental and brain health, researchers will report in early April at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in San Diego and online.
Moderate to vigorous physical activity reduces risk of dementia, stroke, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders, researchers found.
Specific results for different sleep trajectories included:
A 29% increased risk of death from any cause for short-long, 19% for long-short and 27% for long-long.
A 22% increased risk of heart-related death for long-long, 32% for long-short, and 22% for short-long.
“Associations were stronger among White compared with Black adults and among adults with a household income $15,000 or greater compared with adults with household incomes less than $15,000,” researchers noted. “No differences were observed by sex.”
The study “highlights the importance of maintaining healthy sleep over time,” said an accompanying editorial written by Dayna Johnson, an associate professor of epidemiology with the Emory University School of Public Health.
Saturday’s statement indicates that Israeli forces could push farther into Syria as its new authorities try to consolidate control after more than a decade of civil war. Israeli forces recently set up posts in a buffer zone and on strategic Mt. Hermon nearby. There have been no major clashes between Israeli troops and Syria's new forces.
“We will not allow the terrorist regime of radical Islam in Syria to harm the Druze. If the regime harms the Druze, it will be harmed by us,” the statement said.
There was no immediate response from Syria's government.
The Druze are a religious minority who live in southern Syria and in Israel’s Golan Heights, where they navigate their historically Syrian identity while living under Israeli rule.
Israel’s statement followed the outbreak of unrest Friday in the Druze settlement of Jaramana, when a member of the security forces entered and started shooting in the air, leading to an exchange of fire with local gunmen that left him dead.
Israel's Military Is Told to Prepare to Defend a Druze Community outside Syria's Capital
JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel’s defense ministry on Saturday said the military has been instructed to prepare to defend a Druze settlement in the suburbs of Damascus, asserting that the minority it has vowed to protect was “under attack” by Syrian forces.
The statement, citing an order from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz, follows an Israeli warning last weekend that the forces of neighboring Syria’s new government and the insurgent group that led last year’s ouster of former President Bashar Assad should not enter the area south of Damascus.
Poor Sleep Raises Early Death Risk By 29 Percent
A new study finds that approximately two-thirds of Americans are getting too little or too much sleep, which increases risk for premature death from any cause by nearly 30%.
About two-thirds of Americans are getting too little or too much sleep, risking their health, a new study suggests.
In fact, people not getting the right amount of sleep – seven to nine hours a night – had a 29% increased risk of premature death from any cause, researchers reported Feb. 27 in JAMA Network Open.
“These findings provide new evidence that irregular sleep patterns over a 5-year period may increase the risk of all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality,” the research team led by Kelsie Full, an assistant professor of epidemiology with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, concluded.
Zelenskyy: Peace 'Will Be Difficult' Without US
In the thread, Zelenskyy wrote that Ukraine was ready to sign the minerals agreement, under the provision of security guarentees.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensykyy said in a lengthy thread posted to X on Saturday that achieving peace in the Russia-Ukraine war "will be difficult" without the United States' support.
"Our situation is tough, but we can’t just stop fighting and not having guarantees that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin will not return tomorrow," Zelenskyy wrote in English. "It will be difficult without the U.S. support."
In the thread, Zelenskyy wrote that Ukraine was "ready to sign the minerals agreement," under the provision of "security guarentees."
Bus Accident in Bolivia Leaves at Least 33 Dead
A crash involving two buses in Bolivia left at least 33 people dead and several injured in the western Potosi region, police and local authorities said on Saturday.
The accident happened during the early morning hours on the route between the cities of Uyuni and Colchani, when one of the vehicles was heading to a carnival festival.
"There has been a fatal accident, and it has left us with around 33 confirmed fatalities already," Osmar Salvatierra, an official of the municipality of Uyuni, told local media.
Police were at the scene to clarify the circumstances of the crash and will provide an official report.
Arizona Senate Approves Strategic Digital Assets Reserve Bill, Advances to House
The Arizona Senate advanced a bill to create a state-managed reserve for seized bitcoin, passing SB 1373 by a 17-12 vote on Feb. 27 and sending it to the House for further consideration.
The Strategic Digital Assets Reserve bill establishes a fund overseen by the state treasurer to hold bitcoin confiscated by law enforcement and money allocated by the legislature. Under the bill, the treasurer may invest up to 10% of the fund’s deposits in bitcoin annually and possibly loan them to generate returns, provided such actions do not heighten financial risks.
SB 1373 differs from a related proposal, SB 1025, which seeks to allow state entities to invest public funds in bitcoin. Instead, SB 1373 focuses on managing assets already in state custody, such as those seized during criminal investigations.
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy said regulations and "onerous business rules" created a series of roadblocks to streamlining the mail service. He pointed a finger directly at Congress for some of the problems.
“For decades — and most specifically during the last three years — Congress has actively resisted operational solutions and meaningful change," he said.
But DeJoy may not be in a position to oversee all the new changes — he annouced his pending retirement in February.
Fishback, however, stated that "Sending checks isn't inflationary … lockdowns and labor shortages compounded the effect of inflation [during COVID]. But the macro backdrop today is disinflationary."
"It is similar to tax refund season — when the average check from the IRS is $3,100 and it goes to people's rainy day fund, saving, and paying down debt."
Fishback noted that the government would only send checks to people paying taxes, which would incentivize people to get back to work — as opposed to the COVID stimulus checks.
China could also feel pressure to maintain a hold on their national investment. Beijing has invested heavily to develop the next generation of the technology's leaders with their 2018 incentives to grow AI in schools. 535 universities have since created AI undergraduate majors, compared to roughly 14 such colleges in the U.S.
China is also likely worried about their homegrown talent leaving their country over buyouts or for another lifestyle overseas. Eurasia Group technology analyst Xiaomeng Lu said such relocation can really have an impact on the nation’s industry as a whole.
“For the tech sector, brain drain can have a devastating effect on a country,” she said. “The initial signal is: Stay here, don’t run away.”
Volkswagen to Recall over 60,000 US Vehicles
Volkswagen is recalling 60,490 U.S. vehicles due to a failure to display the gear position that may result in a vehicle rollaway if the parking brake is not engaged, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on Saturday.
The recall affects certain 2021-2023 ID.4, 2022-2023 Audi Q4 e-Tron, and Q4 e-Tron Sportback vehicles, the auto safety regulator said.
The dome project originated from a Jan. 27 executive order signed by President Donald Trump, which established the development of a next-generation missile defense shield as national policy. The order, which initially branded the initiative as "Iron Dome for America," emphasized the growing threats posed by ballistic, hypersonic, and cruise missiles.
While modeled after Israel's Iron Dome, the American version is envisioned on a much larger scale, designed to protect the entire U.S. homeland from advanced missile threats.
Space-based sensors have been identified as key components. The executive order directed the Department of Defense to explore the potential deployment of space-based interceptors that would launch in response to an attack.
The Missile Defense Agency is leading industry engagement efforts to assess technological capabilities.
Just curious about these warehouse on wheels that are the rage now. How much is the company that owns the trailer being paid each day that the trailer sits in the warehouse on wheels? It used to be if a trailer was not out on the road it wasn't making money so the trucking companies didn't want their trailers sitting around until you decided to unload it. So the contracts might have a day or two grace period then you had a daily fee to pay until the trailer was empty and ready for pickup. So how much a day does a company pay to have a trailer sitting in its warehouse on wheels?
'Golden Dome' Replaces 'Iron Dome' in Pentagon Missile Program
The Pentagon has quietly rebranded its national missile defense initiative from "Iron Dome for America" to "Golden Dome for America," according to a recent advisory issued to defense contractors, SpaceNews reported.
The name change surfaced publicly when Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a recent video discussing programs shielded from potential budget reductions, referred to the system as "Golden Dome or Iron Dome."
His statement, initially perceived as a slip of the tongue, was later confirmed as an official revision.
"Please note the Department of Defense has renamed this program from 'Iron Dome for America' to 'Golden Dome for America,'" the U.S. Missile Defense Agency stated in a Feb. 24 advisory to contractors submitting proposals.
The notice, issued days before the Feb. 28 submission deadline, clarified that existing file systems would retain the original name for logistical reasons.
Zelenskyy: Ukraine Should Be Heard, Not Forgotten
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday it was "very important" that Ukraine's plight was heard and not forgotten, a day after a heated White House meeting with President Donald Trump.
"It is very important for us that Ukraine is heard and that no one forgets about it, neither during the war nor after," he said in a social media post alongside footage of a meeting with the Ukrainian community in Washington.
"It is important for people in Ukraine to know that they are not alone, that their interests are represented in every country, in every corner of the world."
Zelenskyy had seen the Oval Office meeting on Friday with Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance as a chance to win more support for Kyiv's war effort against Russia.
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
The administration is also considering bringing back the use of public health law Title 42 to expel migrants. The statute was used during the COVID pandemic and now could be used on the grounds that migrants can spread deadly diseases such as tuberculosis.
Meanwhile, Trump's border strategy has resulted in a quick decrease in numbers, but the administration's other moves to carry out his call for the largest deportation operation in U.S. history are hitting barriers.
These include frustrations that Immigration and Customs Enforcement is not carrying out enough deportations and arrests and concerns that ICE detention centers are too crowded.
The centers, as of Friday, were at 117% capacity, with more than 45,000 migrants. Just under half of those were first apprehended at the southern border, government records show.
Here's what consumers need to understand about the latest biometric trends in smartphones, and what's likely to come next:
Why fingerprints could still make a comeback
Apple's Touch ID continues to be available in certain iPad models, and the company is likely to reintroduce the technology in subsequent versions of its smartphones, according to experts consulted by CNBC. One sign they point to that makes this likely: The company was granted a patent several years ago for under-display fingerprint reading technology and continues to work on improvements, according to several published reports. As a result, the company is likely to bring back Touch ID to smartphones once it perfects its version of under-the-screen technology.
Illegal Border Crossings at New Low Levels Under Trump
Illegal border crossings have dropped to levels that have not been seen in more than two decades during President Donald Trump's first month in office, according to government statistics.
The Border Patrol last month reported apprehending about 8,450 migrants crossing into the United States between official entry points at the U.S.-Mexico border, according to preliminary statistics, reports CBS News Saturday.
The only other time monthly apprehensions came to being that low in the past 25 years also occurred when Trump was in office, with approximately 11,000 migrants being apprehended at the southwest border in April 2017, the agency's data shows.
In comparison, there were times during record spikes in illegal crossings under former President Joe Biden's administration that the Border Patrol would record more than 8,000 apprehensions in just one day.
In a later post on a slightly different topic, Patel addressed the issue of FBI agents fulfilling their work agreement to uphold the Constitution, or else. "Stay the course and abide by our high standards, and I will always have your back. Deviate in anyway, and you will not be a part of this FBI.
The discussion ended without an agreement, and Zelenskyy left the White House early. A press conference scheduled for later was canceled.
Following the meeting, Trump posted on Truth Social, stating:
"I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations. He can come back when he is ready for Peace."
Zelenskyy responded on X: "Thank you America, thank you for your support ... Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that."
Zelenskyy met with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Saturday to seek support from European allies.
FBI's Patel Responds to Short Epstein Case File Release
FBI Director Kash Patel has promised full cooperation with the Attorney General's office on the release of files surrounding the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
FBI Director Kash Patel has promised full cooperation with the Attorney General's office on the release of files surrounding the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Patel received a terse letter this week from Attorney General Pam Bondi. What Bondi had been told would be a release of all FBI documents in the case was disappointingly short.
The AG's letter to Patel demanded full compliance. Bondi said she received information that someone within the FBI was holding back. Bondi gave the FBI a short deadline of 8 a.m. on Friday, February 28, to send the remaining files to her office. There is no word yet from either whether that complete release has occurred. But Patel said it will happen.
The directive follows reports from earlier this week that Hegseth has threatened military action inside of Mexico to confront the nation's drug cartels if the Trump administration's demands on border security are not met.
The Record reported that it is unknown at this time how the recent directive will affect Cyber Command personnel.
In a statement to the outlet, a senior defense official said, "Due to operational security concerns, we do not comment nor discuss cyber intelligence, plans, or operations. There is no greater priority to Secretary Hegseth than the safety of the Warfighter in all operations, to include the cyber domain."
Lori Goldman, who leads the Michigan-based activist group known as Fems for Dems, was enraged when asked for her assessment of Democrat leaders.
"We need all hands on deck, and we're not getting it," she said. "There's no room or time or space to act like we're in normal times."
Klein, of Indivisible, is growing increasingly pessimistic that Democrat leaders in Congress are listening, even after his group took credit for town halls that shaped the debate on Capitol Hill.
"I was hopeful that they were coming over to our side to lead the opposition. And in the absence of that, I think you're going to just see distance between them and their own constituents grow and grow and grow," he said. "And that doesn't have positive consequences."
Brian Krebs, an investigative reporter specializing in cyber security said the combination of Hegseth's order and Friday's Oval Office meltdown couldn't have come at a worse time.
"There is zero reason for the US to relax any offensive digital actions against Russia. If anything, we should be applying 10x more," Krebs posted on LinkedIn. "This is indefensible, but makes sense given the president's embarrassing performance at the White House today browbeating President Zelensky by continuously saying 'World War III' and again echoing Kremlin sabre rattling."
According to The Record, Hegseth's order may lessen the nation's ability to protect private sector digital infrastructure both at home and abroad as U.S. Cyber Command has played a critical role in counteracting Russia's cyber offensive strategy.
Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, took to the Senate floor last week to call on his colleagues to "wake up." In a subsequent interview, King described what he called Trump's "assault on the Constitution — the most serious in the history of the country."
The senator said Democrats cannot simply assume that the courts will rein in Trump. But he also acknowledged that they had relatively few tools to push back as the minority party in both chambers of Congress.
"We're in uncharted territory. There's no playbook for this," King said. "Everybody's trying to figure out what's effective."
The Democrat base is not in a patient mood.