Author: Press Room

It’s Markwayne Mullin’s day of reckoning after a fiery Senate hearing Wednesday. The Oklahoma Republican will likely secure the votes he needs at the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee on Thursday, though it’s not a sure thing. If things go as expected, he could be confirmed as DHS secretary early next week, Senate Majority Leader John Thune told POLITICO. But Wednesday’s drama at HSGAC — the only obvious chokepoint for his nomination — heralds some real issues going forward given the fierce opposition Mullin encountered from Chair Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and tough questioning from Democrats. — One angry chair: Paul…

HSBC is reportedly considering cutting up to 20,000 jobs as part of a multi-year automation overhaul The UK’s largest bank, HSBC, is considering cutting up to 20,000 jobs over the coming years as part of a major push to integrate artificial intelligence into its operations, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.The potential reductions would represent approximately 10% of the London-based bank’s global workforce, which stood at around 210,000 employees at the end of 2025. Non-client-facing roles in global service centers are expected to be most impacted, particularly in middle- and back-office functions that could be automated.The deliberations are still at an early…

OpenAI has postponed the launch of its controversial “adult mode” feature following intense pushback from its own advisory council and concerns about technical safeguards failing to protect minors. The Wall Street Journal reports that CEO Sam Altman first proposed the feature last year, arguing for the need to “treat adult users like adults” by enabling erotic text conversations. Originally scheduled for Q1 this year, the rollout has been pushed back by at least a month. The proposal triggered fierce opposition from OpenAI’s own handpicked advisory council on well-being and AI. At a January meeting, advisers unanimously expressed fury after learning…

The United States is investigating the circumstances that surround a F-35A jet fighter having to make an emergency landing after a combat mission over Iran. A United States Air Force F-35 fighter jet was forced to make an emergency landing at a U.S. airbase in the Middle East after flying a combat mission over Iran, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Thursday. “We are aware of reports” of the emergency landing, CENTCOM said, adding “The aircraft landed safely, and the pilot is in stable condition. This incident is under investigation.” Iran’s Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) paramilitary moved to…

Brent crude spiked to nearly $120 a barrel Thursday morning before retreating, as the Iran conflict expanded to threaten major energy hubs across the Middle East. A drone struck a Saudi refinery, and President Trump issued a stark warning that the U.S. would destroy Iran’s South Pars gas field if Iran attacks Qatar. By late morning, Brent futures had pulled back to around $112, while West Texas Intermediate was trading near $98. The rally built on Wednesday’s gains, which came after Israeli warplanes struck gas-processing and petrochemical facilities connected to South Pars — the world’s largest natural gas reservoir. The…

Several women have come forward accusing civil rights activist Cesar Chavez of having sexually abused them, according to a recent report from the New York Times. Ana Murguia, Debra Rojas, and Dolores Huerta spoke to the outlet about how Chavez, who was “one of the most revered figures in the Latino civil rights movement,” had sexually abused them. Murguia recounted an instance in which she was 13, and Chavez was 45, where she was in his office and he allegedly “kissed her and pulled her pants down.” Murguia explained that Chavez “molested her but never had intercourse with her.” Rojas explained…

Lawmakers are rethinking legislation that seeks to further honor the late activist César Chávez after sexual misconduct allegations have now surfaced decades after his death. President Barack Obama in 2012 created the César E. Chávez National Monument in Keene, California, and lawmakers have been wanting to turn the site into a national historic park. Those plans will now change. Two California Democrats, Rep. Raul Ruiz and Alex Padilla, signaled yesterday they would no longer seek to advance legislation they previously championed, which would sought to “preserve the nationally significant sites associated with César E. Chávez and the farm worker movement…

The stealth aircraft has sustained damage but managed to make an emergency landing, according to American media reports Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has claimed striking a US F-35 fighter jet with anti-aircraft fire and has circulated video of the plane sustaining a hit.The claims have been corroborated by CNN, which suggested the aircraft sustained damage but was able to make an emergency landing at an American airbase in the region.Thermal footage released by the IRGC shows a silhouette of a plane, appearing to match that of a F-35, hit by an unknown projectile. Footage abruptly cuts off after…

The Iranian regime executed a 19-year-old wrestling champion, along with two others, on Thursday, who were arrested in January’s popular uprising. All three were hanged in public. Saleh Mohammadi, one of Iran’s fast-rising wrestling stars and a native of Qom, was executed for the crime of waging war against God. “His execution was a blatant political murder, part of the Islamic Republic’s pattern of targeting athletes to crush dissent and terrorize society,” said Nima Far, a human rights activist and Iranian combat athlete. Human rights groups claim Mohammadi was executed without a fair trial. The two who were hanged along…

The government of Qatar announced on Wednesday that it had given all Iranian diplomats in the country 24 hours to leave, declaring them personas non grata after the Iranian terrorist regime bombed once of Qatar’s most lucrative energy facilities. In a stern message, the Qatari Foreign Ministry also warned what is left of the Iranian regime that it would take “all necessary measures” to protect its territory. “Qatar considers both the military attache and the security attache at the embassy, in addition to the staff of the two attache offices “persona non grata”, and requests that they leave the country…