“The White House said it fired a National Transportation Safety Board member after reports of drinking on the job and harassing staff, but Todd Inman flatly denied the allegations Monday and said he plans to fight back. Inman revealed Sunday that he had been fired on Friday without explanation, though his term on the board was supposed to continue through the end of 2027. President DonaldTrump’s administration said Monday that it believes the firing is justified. ‘The White House lawfully removed Todd Inman from the NTSB after receiving highly concerning reports of inappropriate alcohol use on the job, harassment of staff, misuse of government resources, and failure to attend at least half of NTSB meetings,’ spokesman Kush Desai said. … Inman said Monday that he hadn’t initially planned to sue over his firing, but now says, ‘I look forward to defending my reputation through all legal means possible.'” (03/10/26)
“A jury has found the Alexander brothers guilty on all counts in their federal sex trafficking trial in New York City. Jury deliberations began Thursday for the former real estate titans, Oren and Alon Alexander, 38-year-old twins, along with their brother, Tal Alexander, 39, who have denied sexually assaulting anyone or running a sex trafficking conspiracy, as prosecutors have charged. They pleaded not guilty. Throughout the five-week trial, 11 women testified that they were sexually assaulted by one or more of the brothers. At least eight of the women claimed they were drugged by one of the Alexanders.” (03/09/26)
“Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday they would not let any oil be shipped from the Middle East if U.S. and Israeli attacks continue, prompting President Donald Trump to say the U.S. would hit Iran much harder if it blocked exports. The rhetoric did little to quell a fall in crude prices and a rally in global shares that followed Trump expressing confidence in a swift end to hostilities, even after Iran showed defiance by naming Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader. … Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran was unlikely to resume negotiations with the U.S, which he said had spoken of progress after three rounds of talks. ‘Still, they decided to attack us. So, I don’t think talking to the Americans anymore would be on our agenda any more,” he said in an interview with PBS.'” (03/10/26)
“Bitcoin pushed back above $70,000 Tuesday morning East Asia time, completing a rapid recovery from a weekend selloff that briefly dragged the largest digital asset down to around $65,000. The move higher came as oil prices fell back below $100 and U.S. equity markets rallied. Markets turned risk off early Monday as disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz sent major oil benchmarks, WTI and brent, above $100 for the first time in years. Bitcoin dipped alongside risk assets during the initial shock but quickly stabilized in the mid $60,000 range — given Wall Street’s insulation from the energy crisis — before climbing again as markets digested the geopolitical headlines.” (03/10/26)
“A federal judge furthered protections for demonstrators protesting federal immigration enforcement activities outside of Portland’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement building. In an opinion and order issued Monday afternoon, U.S. District Judge Michael Simon granted the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction, further limiting the ability of federal law enforcement to use chemical munitions. … The class action lawsuit was filed in November after numerous protesters, including an elderly couple and children, said they were targeted with chemical munitions while peacefully demonstrating outside the ICE building in Portland.” (03/09/26)
“Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu went on trial on Monday with more than 400 other defendants accused of widespread corruption in a case critics see as a politically motivated move against Turkey’s opposition. Imamoglu, who has been behind bars for nearly a year, is the main challenger to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ’s 23-year rule. He was elected as the main opposition party’s candidate for an election due in 2028 just days after he was detained. The hearing began in a tense atmosphere, with Imamoglu asking to speak and the panel of judges refusing the request, Halk TV news channel and other media reported. The judges accused Imamoglu of disrupting the proceedings, and then left the courtroom. The trial was adjourned until the afternoon. Most of the 402 defendants worked for the Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, headed by Imamoglu since 2019. Many are elected officials from the Republican People’s Party, or CHP, while journalists are also among the accused.” (03/09/26)
“Artificial intelligence company Anthropic filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration Monday challenging the Pentagon’s decision to label the company and its products as a ‘supply chain risk’ after negotiations over safety guardrails fell apart earlier this month. The suit, filed in federal court in California on Monday, argues the designation and President Trump’s order for all federal agencies to cease the use of Anthropic are ‘unprecedented and unlawful.’ The AI firm asked the court to reverse the Pentagon’s decision, warning the ‘consequences of this case are enormous.’ The supply chain risk designation has typically been reserved for foreign adversaries and restricts defense contractors from using the company’s products.” (03/09/26)
“The U.S. Supreme Court agreed on Monday to hear a bid by President Donald Trump’s administration to dismiss a challenge by environmentalists to the U.S. Air Force’s practice of detonating hazardous waste explosives on a beach in Guam. The justices agreed to hear the Justice Department’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling allowing a lawsuit pursued by the environmental groups Prutehi Guahan and Earthjustice …. Since 1982, the Air Force has disposed of hazardous munitions such as tear gas and propellants on Tarague Beach, a restricted-access location in Guam, a U.S. territory roughly 3,800 miles (6,100 km) from Hawaii that acts as an anchor for military operations in the Western Pacific. Tarague Beach serves as a nesting habitat for the endangered turtles and sits above an aquifer that provides more than 80% of the island’s population with drinking water.” (03/09/26)
“Congressional Democrats are demanding that the Trump administration immediately reverse a sanctions waiver allowing Indian refiners to purchase Russian oil as the Iran war wreaks havoc on global energy markets. ‘Your recent decision to provide a 30-day waiver is dangerous, self-defeating, and indefensible,’ Rep. Sam Liccardo, D-Calif., and Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., wrote in a letter Monday to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, which was shared exclusively with CNBC. ‘This waiver constitutes an inexplicable act of material benefit to the enemy.’ The Treasury Department last week issued a temporary 30-day sanctions carve-out to allow India to buy Russian oil, an effort to ease skyrocketing oil prices caused by the war and the traffic standstill at the Strait of Hormuz.” [editor’s note: In what universe is it Liccardo’s, Gallego’s, or the US government’s business where Indian customers get their oil from? – TLK] (03/09/26)
