NPR Politics Podcast, 03/09/26
Source: National Public Radio [US state media]
“Poll: Most Americans oppose war in Iran, but most Republicans support it.” (03/09/26)
Category: News
Congressional Democrats whine about people in another country getting oil from yet a third country
Source: CNBC
“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)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/09/bessent-russian-oil-sales-india.html
Norway: Police release images of Oslo US embassy explosion suspect
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Police in Norway have released pictures of a suspect linked to an explosion outside the US’s embassy in Norway’s capital Oslo on Sunday. Two heavily pixelated images taken from surveillance footage show a person with their face concealed, dressed in dark clothing and carrying a backpack. Police said in a statement on Monday that their investigation had so far showed the explosion was caused by an improvised device that was placed at the building’s entrance. The blast caused minor damage and no injuries were reported. Police previously said it was possible the explosion was an act of terrorism. They said in their latest update that they had no developments on the attacker’s motive. As well as the images, investigators were also examining a video published on Google Maps around the time of the incident, police said.” (03/09/26)
Travelers encounter long waits at some airports as DHS shutdown affects groper checkpoints
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
“Travelers complained of long waits Sunday — lasting hours in some cases — at security checkpoints at airports in Houston and New Orleans, which officials blamed on a government shutdown of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.” [editor’s note: There’s an easy fix for that — “standing in a line to get groped has been suspended until further notice, just go to your gate and board your flight” – TLK] (03/09/26)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2026/03/09/dhs-shutdown-airport-security/
CA: Lawsuit accuses Meta of sending nude video from AI glasses to workers
Source: SFGate
“Meta’s AI glasses were a breakout hit of 2025, with more than 7 million pairs sold. But the Bay Area tech giant now faces disconcerting allegations about the footage recorded by the devices’ cameras. The company pitches its glasses, with their small cameras that have raised some privacy concerns, as safe: ‘Designed for privacy, controlled by you’. In late February, the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, or SvD, published an investigation that said Kenyan subcontractors end up seeing deeply personal footage from the glasses — including bank cards, people changing and people having sex. A new federal lawsuit filed in San Francisco on Wednesday points to the article and accuses Meta of false advertising, fraud and breach of contract. ‘Consumers purchased these Glasses believing Meta’s privacy assurances,’ the complaint says. ‘They did not, and could not reasonably, understand that their bedrooms, bathrooms, families, bodies, and more would be exposed to strangers around the world.'” (03/08/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/meta-ai-glasses-lawsuit-21960004.php
Orban: Hungary’s regime will set price cap on gasoline and diesel
Source: SFGate
“Hungary’s government will introduce a price cap on gasoline and diesel at fueling stations beginning at midnight local time, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced on Monday. The move came against the backdrop of soaring global oil prices as the Iran war, now in its second week, ensnares countries and infrastructure critical to the production and movement of oil and gas. In a video posted on social media, Orbán said ‘the international oil price explosion has reached Hungary as well’, and that the government would cap the price of gasoline at 595 forints ($1.75) per liter and diesel at 615 forints ($1.81) per liter. He added that the capped price would only apply to vehicles with Hungarian license plates and registration documents, and that Hungary would free up its oil reserves to ensure adequate supply.” (03/09/26)
Country Joe McDonald, 1942-2026
Source: United Press International
“Country Joe McDonald, who formerly helmed Country Joe and the Fish, died Saturday. He was 84. The band announced the music artist’s death in Berkeley, Calif. on Facebook Sunday. The cause was listed as Parkinson’s Disease complications. … McDonald’s psychedelic rock band took to the stage before some 400,000 during Woodstock, The New York Times reported, performing ‘I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag,’ which criticized the Vietnam War. … McDonald ultimately branched off on his own, launching his solo career with Thinking of Woodie Guthrie.” (03/09/26)
https://www.upi.com/Entertainment_News/2026/03/09/obit-country-joe-mcdonald/2901773058567/
Canadian officials rescue 23 people who floated away on ice sheet
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Twenty-three people have been rescued by helicopter crews in Ontario, Canada, after the ice shelf they were standing on broke, sending the group floating into Lake Huron. Ontario Provincial Police said on social media that the rescue began around noon (16:00 GMT) on Sunday after ‘winds and current moved the ice shelf away from shore’ approximately 2km (1.2 miles). The rescue involved two helicopters making multiple trips to pluck people off the shelf as it continued to fracture into more pieces in the Owen Sound, about 200km north-west of Toronto. One member of the group said that he only realised the ice he was fishing on had detached from shore when he noticed that his GPS showed him moving. Members of the rescued group described harrowing moments, with several of them becoming partially submerged in the cold waters as they sought out the thickest ice on the floe, or sheet.” (03/09/26)
Colombia: Leftist bloc dominates divided congress in legislative polls
Source: United Press International
“Preliminary results in Colombia’s legislative elections on Sunday showed President Gustavo Petro’s left-wing bloc maintaining its status as a dominant force, but with congress continuing to be divided. The results offered a glimmer of hope that Petro’s party may contend against the resurgent right in the May 31 presidential vote, which is projected to head to a runoff in June. Petro, Colombia’s first leftist president, is barred by law from running for re-election and had been eying to push through reforms ahead of his term running out. While the makeup of the lower chamber remained uncertain, Petro’s leftist coalition was expected to be among the biggest, while in the Senate it was expected to be the largest.” (03/09/26)
NY: Complaint says men who brought explosives to protest said they were inspired by ISIS
Source: SFGate
“Two men who brought explosives to a protest outside New York City’s mayoral mansion said they were inspired by the Islamic State extremist group, a court complaint said. Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi are awaiting arraignment Monday on charges of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. Kayumi blurted out, as he was being arrested Saturday, that ‘ISIS’ was the reason for his conduct, the complaint said. Balat, 18, later told authorities that he had pledged allegiance to the extremist group, and Kayumi, 19, asserted that he was affiliated with the Islamic State group, the complaint said. Officers asked Balat whether he was aiming to accomplish something akin to the bombing of the Boston Marathon in 2013, when when two pressure-cooker bombs exploded near the finish line, killing three people and wounding hundreds more.” (03/09/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/explosives-thrown-near-new-york-city-mayor-s-21964148.php