“Ghislaine Maxwell’s lawyer on Friday acknowledged that she is continuing to seek a pardon from President Donald Trump in the wake of the release of the Epstein files. The remarks from Maxwell’s lawyer, David Oscar Markus, came during an on-stage conversation at an American Bar Association conference with Barry Pollack, the attorney for another high-profile defendant, deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. During a discussion about their media strategy in which Markus derided reporting about Maxwell’s prison transfer to what some outlets have described as a ‘country club’-like prison facility, Pollack suggested one goal in talking to reporters might be to alter the public perception of a defendant in hopes of leniency from the president.” (03/13/26)
“An American aerial refueling tanker that was involved in the U.S. military operation in Iran crashed in western Iraq. The status of the plane’s crew is unknown. Iranian state media released the first public statement attributed to new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, as the country continued attacking U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf and ships in the region. … Iran’s relentless assaults have fueled an apparent lack of investor confidence, with oil prices topping $100 a barrel and stock prices sliding despite President Trump’s repeated assertions that he’ll end the war soon and announcements of major oil reserve releases.” (03/13/26)
“Donald Trump has issued a 30-day waiver for countries to buy sanctioned Russian oil and petroleum products currently stranded at sea to stabilise global energy markets roiled by the Iran war. Earlier on Wednesday, Washington announced it would be releasing 172 million barrels of oil from the strategic petroleum reserve in an effort to curb skyrocketing oil prices. That release was part of a broader commitment by the 32-nation International Energy Agency (IEA) to release 400 million barrels of oil. Meanwhile, Ukraine struck a vital Russian oil hub on Thursday, causing a large fire and damaging Moscow’s logistics in the latest attack on energy infrastructure, according to a source in Ukraine’s security service.” [editor’s note: As if it was ever any of the US regime’s business where other countries get their oil from – TLK] (03/13/26)
“Bitcoin is holding near $71,000 and trading at the upper end of a monthlong consolidation range, even as global stock markets wobble and oil prices climb. The broader crypto market, with a capitalization around $2.4 trillion, has remained in a tight band since late January, with major tokens like Ether, Solana, XRP and BNB posting modest gains. Analysts say Bitcoin’s resilience reflects a stabilization phase that may require new capital for a sustained rally, as institutions increasingly explore Bitcoin-native financial infrastructure and so-called Bitcoin DeFi.” (03/13/26)
“Senate Democrats on Thursday defeated a motion to proceed to a House-passed bill to reopen the Department of Homeland Security and end the 27-day shutdown that has hampered the functions of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and other critical agencies. The motion failed by a vote of 51 to 46. Centrist Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.) was the only Democrat to vote with Republicans to advance the funding bill. It needed 60 votes to advance. It marked the fourth time since Feb. 12 that Democrats have voted to block Homeland Security funding legislation.” (03/12/26)
“Richard Kahn, who was Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime accountant, testified for roughly six hours on Wednesday before the House Oversight Committee as part of its probe into Epstein. Committee chair James Comer, R-Ky., said Kahn named five people who paid Epstein, ‘and that was Les Wexner, Glenn Dubin, Steven Sinofsky, the Rothschilds and Leon Black.’ Comer noted that the committee previously questioned Wexner and that Black will be deposed ‘very soon.’ No one named by Kahn has been accused by the authorities of wrongdoing in connection with Epstein.” [editor’ note: Why was this hearing held in secret? – TLK] (03/12/26)
“A suspect in an attack on a synagogue in the Detroit area is dead after ramming a vehicle into the building and being confronted by synagogue security, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office says law enforcement responded to an ‘active shooter situation’ at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Thursday afternoon. Bouchard said about 1:35 p.m. Thursday that shots were fired in the area and that area residents within a mile of the location have been asked to shelter in place. … There were no confirmed injuries ‘except potentially the shooter,’ the sheriff said.” (03/12/26)
“Federal regulators have warned the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy that it failed to report possible drug side effects to the government. In a March 5 warning letter, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said Novo Nordisk committed ‘serious violations’ related to safety reporting for semaglutide, the active ingredient in both medications, NBC News reported. The FDA said the company did not report several serious adverse events, including three deaths among patients taking the drugs, by the legal deadline. One of the deaths involved a patient who died by suicide, according to the agency. The FDA also said the company failed to investigate or report that case properly. The agency stressed that the letter does not mean the medications caused the deaths or other side effects.” (03/12/26)
“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)
