“California Gov. Gavin Newsom said there was no imminent threat to the state, despite a warning from the FBI that Iran could send drones to the West Coast in retaliation for war. Newsom said drone issues ‘have always been top of mind.’ ‘We’ve been aware of that information. … It’s all about a posture of preparedness for worst-case scenarios,’ the governor said Wednesday. The FBI recently warned police departments about Iran and a possible California strike, though the alert also said it was ‘unverified information.’ ‘Iran allegedly aspired to conduct a surprise attack using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States homeland, specifically against unspecified targets in California, in the event the U.S. conducted strikes against Iran,’ the alert said.” (03/12/26)
“The International Criminal Court Office of the Prosecutor announced Thursday that the United States did not commit crimes against humanity with its sanctions against Venezuela. The investigation, called Venezuela II by the court, was referred to the court by Venezuela’s government in 2020, alleging that sanctions against the country had caused suffering and hardship. … The ICC prosecutor determined that the ‘evidential requirements of causation and intent are not met.'” (03/12/26)
“Democratic state lawmakers are formally backing a version of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposal to tax the rich, setting up a budget showdown in Albany with Gov. Kathy Hochul. Leaders of the state Assembly and Senate inserted much of the Democratic mayor’s agenda Tuesday into their official ‘one-house’ counterproposals to Hochul’s state budget plan. That includes a tax hike on people reporting more than $5 million of income as well as an increase in the state’s corporate tax rates from 7.25% to 9%. The two houses, both controlled by Democrats, also included various changes to New York City’s tax code sought by Mamdani, including versions of his proposals to boost New York City’s corporate, business and ‘mansion’ taxes. … The governor, a moderate Democrat, has steadfastly opposed income-tax increases since taking office in 2021 and has centered her re-election campaign on a message of affordability.” (03/12/26)
“A new study by California researchers is raising concerns of a possible link between cannabis vaping and a rare disorder called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS, that can leave users violently vomiting for days. The researchers found that people who used electronic vape cartridges developed CHS much faster than people who smoked marijuana or used edibles. … The study, published last week in Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, was based on more than 1,130 responses to a digital survey sent to people who said they experienced CHS. It did not prove any causal mechanism between vaping and developing CHS, but found a strong statistically significant association showing vape cartridge users were more likely to both develop CHS sooner compared to smokers and use higher levels of cannabis.” (03/12/26)
“China’s National People’s Congress approved legislation promoting what it calls the ‘ethnic unity’ law, which human rights groups say could further marginalize minority groups. The law formalizes policies in order to promote Mandarin as the ‘national common language’ for official purposes such as education and public affairs. As part of the law, educational institutions will now be obliged to teach in Mandarin, with teenagers required to have a ‘basic grasp’ of Mandarin when finishing their compulsory education. It also states that the law can be applied outside China’s borders, meaning people outside China who ‘engage in activities that undermine ethnic unity'” or incite ‘ethnic separatism’ can be held legally liable.” (03/12/26)
“In the latest example of Republicans using artificially generated deepfakes to attack their opponents, the Senate GOP’s official social media account has posted an attack ad depicting a synthetic version of Texas Democrat James Talarico, a state representative and US Senate candidate. The video, posted on Wednesday to the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) page on X, portrays a frighteningly realistic approximation of Talarico’s (D-50) appearance and voice. The state representative, who won the Democratic nomination for Texas’[s] US Senate seat in a primary earlier this month, is depicted reading an array of old social media posts that the NRSC described as ‘extreme statements praising transgenderism, twisting Christian beliefs, and advocating for open borders.'” [editor’s note: All they need to do is play his existing actual words – SAT] [editor’s note: Neither deepfakes nor real quotes will reduce even that guy to Paxton’s depths of depravity, though – TLK] (03/12/26)
“A Costco customer in the US has taken the retailer to court, demanding that the company use potential tariff refunds to return money to shoppers who paid more due to the levies. In a proposed class action lawsuit, customer Matthew Sockov argues that Costco is in the position to potentially recoup its tariff costs twice, ‘from customers through elevated pricing and from the government.’ He says that amounts to ‘unjust enrichment’ and asks the court to order the firm to refund shoppers. The legal battle is a sign of the complexities looming over the roughly $166bn (£124bn) in tariff refunds the US owes to companies since the Supreme Court struck down many of Trump’s tariffs last month.” [editor’s note: Gotta throw the BS flag on this one, unless Costco expressly itemized a “tariff” line on its invoices/receipts – TLK] (03/12/26)
“The Senate passed a broad bill on Thursday to make U.S. housing more accessible and affordable, a rare bipartisan effort in Congress to address a growing national problem. The bill, which passed 89-10, would reduce regulations, regulate corporate investors and expand how housing dollars can be used to build affordable homes and rentals. It will now head back to the House, which passed a similar bill earlier this year. ‘We have a housing shortage all across America,’ said Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who worked with Republicans to win overwhelming support from both parties for the legislation. ‘We need more housing of every kind. More housing for first-time home buyers, more housing for renters, more housing for seniors, more housing for people with disabilities, more rural housing, more urban housing, more, more, and more.’ The legislation, she said ‘will help drive down prices.'” (03/12/26)
“Senegal’s parliament has approved a new bill that toughens punishment for homosexuality in the largely Muslim West African nation, the latest African country to impose harsh penalties against the LGBTQ+ community. The new bill, which was introduced to parliament last month by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko, describes homosexual acts as being ‘against nature.’ It doubles the punishment for those convicted from prison sentences of one to five years to between five and 10 years. Nearly all lawmakers voted in favor of the bill during Wednesday’s plenary, with no opposition and three abstentions. It needs presidential assent before becoming a law, with Senegal’s President Bassirou Diomaye Faye widely expected to sign it.” (03/12/26)
“A Georgia judge denied Jose Ibarra’s motion for a new trial following his conviction in the killing of nursing student Laken Riley. Superior Court Judge Patrick Haggard rejected the request, leaving in place Ibarra’s sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Ibarra, a Venezuelan migrant, was found guilty of malice murder, felony murder, kidnapping, aggravated assault, hindering a 911 call, tampering with evidence and peeping tom in connection with Riley’s death. The ruling means Ibarra’s convictions and life sentence remain intact.” (03/12/26)
