“A German company has signed a deal to help build the first stellarator fusion power plant in Europe. Proxima Fusion has signed the agreement with the Free State of Bavaria, RWE, and Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) to put the world’s first commercial stellarator fusion power plant on the grid in Europe. The company revealed that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed and it outlines a roadmap to commercial fusion in Europe that begins with building demonstration stellarator Alpha near the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP) in Garching. … Proxima Fusion also revealed that when operational in the 2030s, Alpha will become the first stellarator to demonstrate net energy gain, meaning its plasma will generate more energy than it consumes.” (03/01/26)
“Both the Pennsylvania (Penn) State University College Republicans and College Democrats are speaking out after another flyer reading, ‘Dead ICE agents can’t kill,’ was found on campus, depicting the hanging of a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer. In a joint Saturday statement entitled, ‘PSU College Republicans and Democrats Condemn Continued ICE Death Threats on Campus,’ they said, ‘Earlier today, a member of the Penn State College Republicans discovered a second ‘Dead ICE Agents Can’t Kill’ flyer placed near the HUB-Robeson Center, which serves as a central part of daily life for students at Penn State.’ … Penn State University told Fox News Digital in a statement that it ‘condemns this and any calls for violence or attempts to frighten or intimidate [violent gang members]. We are aware of this image circulating online, and University Police and Public Safety is investigating.'” (03/02/26)
“The Supreme Court on Monday hears its latest gun rights case concerning a federal law that bars frequent users of illegal drugs from possessing firearms. Gun rights advocates [point out that] the law falls afoul of the Constitution’s Second Amendment, which protects the right to bear arms. The case puts a spotlight on the Trump administration’s mixed messaging on gun rights. Although the Justice Department is defending the law in court, to the annoyance of Second Amendment advocates, it has in other areas backed challenges to firearms restrictions. The Justice Department turned to the Supreme Court after an appeals court ruled last year in favor of Texas-based Ali Danial Hemani, an alleged regular user of marijuana who had a handgun at his home in the Dallas area when it was searched by the FBI in 2022.” (03/02/26)
“A long lost painting by Rembrandt has been rediscovered and authenticated by experts, after its whereabouts were unknown for decades. Rembrandt’s Vision of Zacharias in the Temple, from 1633, was excluded from a list of the Dutch master’s works in 1960, and disappeared after being sold to a private collector the following year. But it resurfaced when its owners presented it for tests at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which undertook a two-year examination. ‘When I saw it in our studio when it was restored, I was immediately struck by the incredible power it has,’ Rijksmuseum director Taco Dibbits said. The Rijksmuseum receives many emails from people asking for information about paintings they have inherited or bought, Dibbits said. In this case, they knew it could be something special.” (03/02/26)
“An internal government database reviewed by The Washington Post demonstrates the vast scope of the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to revise or remove information on African American history, climate change and other topics at hundreds of national park sites.” (03/02/26)
“Three U.S. fighter jets were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses Sunday night, U.S. Central Command said in a Monday statement. All six aircrew ejected safely and are in stable condition. The incident shows how chaotic the air war with Iran has become as allies defend against Iranian attacks while American jets fly through the same airspace.” (03/02/26)
“Israel’s military vowed to intensify its attacks on the country and make Hezbollah pay a ‘heavy price’ after launching several strikes on Beirut’s southern suburbs and south Lebanon, areas where Hezbollah holds sway. The escalation came as Lebanese authorities, who have been trying to spare the country from any repercussions of the US-Israeli attack on Iran, said Hezbollah’s rocket fire gave Israel “excuses” to ramp up its attacks. Hezbollah’s attack on Israel overnight was the first time the Lebanese movement claimed responsibility for an operation against Israel since a November 2024 ceasefire sought to end over a year of hostilities between the two.” (03/02/26)
“Three U.S. service members have been killed in action and five have been seriously wounded, the Pentagon said in announcing the first American troops to die in President Trump’s war with Iran. United States Central Command did not say where the troops were killed. Two military officials said that an Army base housing American troops in Kuwait was one of the many American bases in the region that had been hit in retaliatory Iranian strikes. … Since the joint U.S. and Israel military strikes began Saturday morning, Iran has launched hundreds of retaliatory missiles at a wide swath of American and Israeli targets in the region, as well as at Arab countries it considers allies of the United States.” (03/01/26)
“The head of Myanmar’s military government granted amnesty to more than 10,000 prisoners and reduced the sentences of others to mark a holiday, state-run media reported Monday. There was no sign former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was ousted in the military takeover in 2021 and has been held virtually incommunicado since then, would be freed. The amnesty comes two weeks before parliament is set to convene for its first session in more than five years following the recent election that critics said was neither free nor fair. State-run MRTV television reported that Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the military government, pardoned 10,162 prisoners, including 7,337 convicted under a counterterrorism law, on Peasants’ Day, a national holiday honoring farmers.” (03/02/26)
“Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., called on both President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to testify about their relationships with Jeffery Epstein, telling NBC News’[s] ‘Meet the Press’ on Sunday that said he’s working with a Republican colleague to subpoena Lutnick. Khanna, a member of the House Oversight Committee, referenced former President Bill Clinton’s testimony before the committee last week, saying Clinton ‘set a precedent’ for high-profile figures to testify. ‘A new Clinton rule that means that Donald Trump should do the same — answer the questions. Howard Lutnick should do the same,’ Khanna told ‘Meet the Press.'” (03/01/26)
