“European consumer group Euroconsumers along with Football Supporters Europe have filed a complaint with the European Commission accusing FIFA of abusing its monopoly over World Cup ticket sales to impose excessive prices and unfair conditions on fans. The complaint, obtained by POLITICO, alleges breaches of Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibits abuses of a dominant market position. … The groups point to a range of alleged abusive practices, including limited transparency on ticket categories and seat allocation, a ‘variable pricing’ system that can push prices higher over time, and the actual scarcity of tickets advertised from $60.” (03/24/26)
“A California man has been sentenced to over a decade in prison for attempting to use a drone to deliver balloons stuffed with methamphetamine to people in a state penitentiary, officials announced last week. According to a March 20 news release from the Eastern District of California U.S. Attorney’s Office, 28-year-old Jorge Narvaez admitted to using an Autel EVO II Pro V3 drone to attempt to deliver drugs to North Kern State Prison in June 2024. That year, Narvaez packed two balloons with meth and dropped them over a prison yard, the release said. When two prison officers recovered the contraband balloons and sent their contents to a laboratory, they discovered that they contained 21.4 grams of methamphetamine. Officers also discovered that this wouldn’t be Narvaez’s only delivery attempt. That same day, Narvaez launched the drone a second time, equipping it with three ‘similarly packaged balloons’ of meth, the news releases said.” (03/24/26)
“Memphis police are investigating a shooting near the Westwood area that left one woman injured early Monday morning. … Upon arrival, officers found a woman lying in front of the residence with visible gunshot wounds on her upper leg. The homeowner told police he was sleeping when he heard noises from the back of his home, then saw an unknown woman inside. The homeowner stated that when the woman said she wanted to buy his residence, that’s when he shot her. The woman told police she was shot after she entered the residence through the unlocked back door. MPD states that the woman is experiencing mental health issues.” (03/23/26)
“Iran launched another blistering attack against Israel and American allies in the Gulf on Tuesday after dismissing Donald Trump’s claims that Washington and Tehran were holding ‘productive’ talks to end the war as ‘fake news.’ The Israeli military reported a fresh wave of missile attacks, triggering air raid sirens across the country …. Kuwait also responded to drone and missile attacks overnight, while Saudi Arabia intercepted a wave of more than 20 drones and Bahrain activated alert sirens. Explosions continued to rock Iran through the night, heard in Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan and Karaj. There was no sign of de-escalation after Iran rubbished Donald Trump’s claims that talks towards a ceasefire were ongoing with an unnamed ‘top person’ in Iran.” (03/24/26)
“The US has banned new foreign-made consumer internet routers over [fake] national security concerns. In an update on Monday to a list of equipment seen as not secure enough for use, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) added all consumer-grade routers made outside the US. … Any new router made outside the US will now need to be approved by the FCC before it can be imported, marketed, or sold in the country. In order to get that approval, companies manufacturing routers outside the US must apply for conditional approval in a process that will require the disclosure of the firm’s foreign investors or influence, as well as a plan to bring the manufacturing of the routers to the US.” [editor’s note: In other words, the US regime is suppressing price competition on behalf of some Trump crony – TLK] (03/24/26)
“Ukraine has struck Russia’s largest western export terminal in an effort to stifle Moscow’s windfall from rising global oil prices. A wave of drones targeted the Baltic Sea port of Primorsk, which exports one million barrels of crude a day and serves as a hub for the Kremlin’s sanctions-busting ‘shadow fleet’ of oil tankers. Satellite images showed a huge fire and thick plumes of smoke above the facility near Finland, 570 miles from the Ukrainian border, after several fuel reservoirs were hit. Ukrainian drones struck Primorsk last September, but the considerably more explosive results of the latest attack have fuelled speculation missiles were used, specifically the new Flamingo weapon, which has a 1,150kg warhead. An oil refinery in the central Russian city of Ufa was also targeted and forced to suspend operations.” (03/23/26)
“At least 66 people have died and dozens of others have been wounded after a Colombian military plane with 125 people on board crashed after takeoff in the south of the country, officials have said. The Lockheed Martin-built C-130 Hercules aircraft went down on Monday shortly after it had departed from Puerto Leguizamo, near the southern border with Ecuador and Peru, strewing burning wreckage on the jungle floor.” (03/24/26)
“The Senate confirmed Markwayne Mullin to replace Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary on Monday, following a fiery hearing last week where Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) claimed his colleague was too angry for the promotion. In a 54-45 vote, the Oklahoma Republican senator was approved to lead the beleaguered Department of Homeland Security, where carrying out the president’s ‘mass deportations’ actions has led to low public approval in the second year of his term. … two Democrats — Sens. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) — supported Mullin to helm DHS, along with 52 Republicans. Paul was the lone GOP ‘no’ vote on his confirmation.” (03/23/26)
“China took steps to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices on Monday, increasing the regulated ceiling prices for retail gasoline and diesel but limiting the hike to about half what would normally be applied under the government’s pricing mechanism. The adjustments brought on by rising oil prices linked to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran were still the largest on record, however, lifting price limits close to levels seen in 2022 after Russia invaded Ukraine. State planner the National Development and Reform Commission said on Monday it would raise the maximum retail prices for gasoline and diesel by 1,160 yuan ($168) per metric ton and 1,115 yuan per metric ton, respectively, starting from Monday midnight.” (03/23/26)
“Pfizer on Monday said it will seek regulatory approval for a Lyme disease vaccine candidate despite the shot failing a late-stage trial. Pfizer said the vaccine missed the trial’s statistical goal because not enough people in the study contracted Lyme disease to be confident in the results. Still, the company said the shot reduced the rate of infection by more than 70% in people who received the vaccine versus placebo, efficacy the company thinks is strong enough to take to regulators. … A vaccine for Lyme disease isn’t expected to become a best-seller for Pfizer …. But Pfizer had billed the Lyme vaccine results as one of its major catalysts this year, and it represented a chance to introduce the only human vaccine for Lyme disease.” (03/23/26)
