MMN Editor

Kendra Wilkinson is preparing for her GLP-1 journey”I’m a little bit overweight at the moment, so I’m gonna start taking my weight loss shots,” Wilkinson told Us Weekly. “I’m starting that journey next week.””There’s nothing worse than being in a gym every single day, working out and not seeing any progress,” she added. “I hit 40. I’m happy. I’m at peace, but I noticed that my jeans are a little tighter lately, so I don’t want to go out and shop anymore. Mama is on a budget, so I have to fit back in my jeans. So I actually signed up for a shot company that will be delivering my shot next week. So I’ll start my journey next week.”KENDRA WILKINSON TELLS HATERS TO ‘LEAVE ME ALONE’ AFTER WEIGHT GAIN, ADMITS SHE’S NO LONGER A ‘PLAYBOY GIRL’Wilkinson admitted that she doesn’t intend to “go all in” with the shots, but rather, “lose a few pounds safely.””I just want to slightly, like, ease my way into it,” she said. “I just want to be balanced out. I don’t really want to be skinny, but I just want to be balanced and fit in my jeans again.”LIKE WHAT YOU’RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLast year, Wilkinson addressed body-shamers who had been poking fun at her physical appearance. “Yes, I’ve gained weight. Yes, im aging. Yes, I’m not that girl i was before (playboy girl),” she wrote on Instagram, adding a laughing face emoji. “But for once in a long time I feel good and mentally healthy. Kids are my everything. Feeling pretty balanced. Working out and cooking a lot more. Golf, work. No housekeeper or nanny.”Wilkinson explained that she’s “finally” at peace in her life and would appreciate it if fans online would stop criticizing her appearance. KENDRA WILKINSON REVEALS HOW SHE’S ‘GETTING ON MY FEET AGAIN’ AFTER DIVORCE”For those of you hating on my new weight, 40 yr old face please know that I’m happy, healthy and at peace in life finally. Leave me alone and respect that I’m where I actually want to be finally all together,” she wrote. “Almost 40 is feeling amazing and yes to the people criticizing my alcohol intake…I hear you and that will be monitored better. Drinking too much is definitely drinking too much but you know what’s coming up in JUNE…. Shots.”These days, the mother of two is focusing on her real estate career. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT NEWSLETTER”The only thing I can say I regret in my life is not starting my real estate career while I was living at the Playboy Mansion,” the “Girls Next Door” alum told Fox News Digital on the red carpet at the Operation Smile 25th Los Angeles Smile Fiesta last year. “What was I thinking?” she added. “Like, I mean, I was surrounded by everyone, every celebrity, every billionaire, and what was I thinking? But I’m now in real estate, so I’m good.”Wilkinson launched her career in real estate after passing the California real estate exam in June 2020. A month later, Wilkinson was hired as a real estate agent at The Agency, the luxury real estate company founded by Mauricio Umansky.Wilkinson later left The Agency to join the high-end real estate firm Douglas Elliman. In November 2021, Wilkinson debuted her reality series, “Kendra Sells Hollywood,” which followed the former model as she navigated the ups and downs of her new career in Los Angeles’ ultracompetitive luxury real estate market. “Kendra Sells Hollywood” ran for two seasons on Discovery+ and Max. 

Republican Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt on Tuesday announced Alan Armstrong as his choice to fill Markwayne Mullin’s U.S. Senate seat. The Senate on Monday voted 54-45 to confirm President Donald Trump’s nomination of Mullin to serve as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. Mullin is being sworn in Tuesday.Stitt, who made the announcement during a press conference on Tuesday, described Armstrong in a post on X as “a proud third-generation Oklahoman, staunch conservative, respected business leader, and a devoted family man with an inspiring American Dream story.”REPORTER’S NOTEBOOK: GOP EYES DHS DEAL FUNDING ICE PROBES, BUT NOT REMOVALS, AS SHUTDOWN DRAGSThe governor noted during the press conference that Armstrong is stepping down from the board of Williams. The company’s website describes Williams as an “energy infrastructure company.”MULLIN CONFIRMED AS DHS CHIEF AS LAWMAKERS NEAR SOLUTION ON SHUTDOWN STANDOFFSen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., was the only Republican to vote against Mullin’s confirmation, while Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Martin Heinrich of New Mexico were the only Democrats to vote for confirmation. Mullin cast a vote to green-light his own nomination.Armstrong will not be able to run in the next election for the Senate seat he’s now filling because Oklahoma state law stipulates that “a person who is a prospective appointee shall submit to the Secretary of State an oath affirming that the person will not file as a candidate for the office when it next appears on the ballot.”TRUMP-BACKED SENATE HOPEFUL GAINS MOMENTUM WITH TOP GOP ENDORSEMNTS BEFORE MULLIN DHS SHIFTMullin is replacing Kristi Noem, who will instead serve as a special envoy for a security initiative pertaining to the Western Hemisphere.

Markwayne Mullin
President Trump will participate in the swearing-in ceremony for former Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) to serve as Homeland Security Secretary this afternoon. 
Mullin submitted his resignation from the US Senate on Monday after the Senate voted to confirm him as DHS Chief.
The Senate voted 54-45 to confirm Mullin to replace former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.
JUST IN: Senate Votes 54-45 to Confirm Markwayne Mullin as DHS Chief – One Republican Votes No (VIDEO)

Trump fired Noem earlier this month and immediately announced that Mullin would become the next Secretary of Homeland Security.
The then-Senator accepted the nomination, saying he looks forward to “carrying out President Trump’s mission alongside the department’s many capable agencies and the thousands of patriots who keep us safe every day,” in a statement on X:
As a kid from Westville, it has been the greatest honor and privilege to serve the people of Oklahoma for the past thirteen years in both the House and Senate.
I am grateful to President Trump for nominating me to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. I look forward to earning the support of my colleagues in the Senate and carrying out President Trump’s mission alongside the department’s many capable agencies and the thousands of patriots who keep us safe every day.
President Trump ran on restoring law and order, and he quickly delivered the most secure U.S. border in American history. I look forward to supporting @POTUS’ mission to safeguard the American people and defend the homeland.

As a kid from Westville, it has been the greatest honor and privilege to serve the people of Oklahoma for the past thirteen years in both the House and Senate.
I am grateful to President Trump for nominating me to lead the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. I look forward to…
— Markwayne Mullin (@SenMullin) March 5, 2026

Mullin is set to be sworn in during an Oval Office ceremony at 1:30 PM ET, and he is expected to take questions alongside President Trump about Homeland Security’s mission under the new leadership.
Watch live below:

The post WATCH LIVE: President Trump Participates in Ceremony to Swear in Markwayne Mullin as DHS Secretary – 1:30 PM ET appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

National average gas prices are now within cents of the pivotal $4-per-gallon threshold, which many elected officials would prefer to avoid in a midterm election year.
So what will they do about it?
As of Tuesday, it appeared likely that the national average would cross the $4 mark “in the next 24 hours,” Patrick de Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, wrote in a post on X.
The national average stood at $3.98 on Tuesday, according to GasBuddy, and AAA also put it at $3.98. Based on AAA’s figures, that’s an increase of more than $1 over the past month.
With drivers suddenly paying roughly 35% more for gas just weeks into the Iran war, some federal and state representatives are pushing legislation to suspend gas taxes. All states charge gas taxes, which range from 9 cents to nearly 71 cents — counting fees — and are typically paid by drivers on every gallon of gas. The federal gas tax is 18.4 cents per gallon.

States consider gas tax holidays amid Iran war
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, signed a measure Friday suspending the state gas tax for 60 days after lawmakers sent it to his desk with bipartisan support. The move is estimated to save drivers about 33 to 34 cents per gallon. So far, Georgia is the only state to enact a gas tax holiday during this price spike.
Other proposals have encountered resistance.
In Maryland, Republican legislative leaders have backed a 30-day gas tax holiday; however, Gov. Wes Moore, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, isn’t on board. In a statement to FOX Baltimore, a spokesperson said it would “blow a $100 million hole” in the transportation budget, adding that “if Maryland Republicans are serious about lowering costs, they should pick up the phone and call Donald Trump and tell him to end this missionless war.”
Key Connecticut officials including Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat, have endorsed a gas tax holiday. But a report last week from the Connecticut Mirror raised questions about the seriousness of the effort, given that there’s no concrete plan available and few signs of progress in recent days.
Gas prices can be a political liability for elected officials on both sides of the aisle. Republican strategists are “privately worrying that high gas prices will undercut their economic message for the midterms,” according to the New York Times.
Meanwhile, California’s highest-in-the-nation fuel costs are seen as one of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s vulnerabilities ahead of a potential 2028 run.
A bill to suspend California’s gas tax, introduced earlier this month, quickly failed in a state senate committee last week. California has the highest state gas taxes and fees at 70.9 cents per gallon, according to the Energy Information Administration. The average cost for a gallon of gas is $5.82 in the Golden State, according to AAA.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, R-Fla., recently poured cold water on the idea of suspending Florida’s 25-cent per gallon state and local gas taxes, stating at a press event that the government’s “ability to influence the fuel prices are really marginal at best.” He added: “My answer is just get the cost down internationally.”
Rather than advancing gas tax relief, the Trump administration has taken several other steps aimed at lowering the cost of crude oil, which accounts for over 50% of what U.S. drivers pay for gas.
The Trump administration is releasing 172 million barrels of oil from its strategic reserves over a 120-day period in a coordinated release with dozens of other nations. The White House also eased some sanctions on Russian oil and decided to temporarily waive the Jones Act, a law typically requiring that ships transporting cargo between U.S. ports be American-built and -flagged vessels.
Experts told The Hill these actions will save customers some money “at the margin,” though the only way to really bring down the cost of gas is to reopen the strait.
Will Congress suspend the federal gas tax?
Over in Congress, Sens. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., have cosponsored a bill that would suspend the federal gas tax through Oct. 1. The “Gas Prices Relief Act of 2026” was referred to a finance committee. A House version introduced by Rep. Chris Pappas, D-N.H., on March 12 was referred to the Ways and Means committee.
“As Granite Staters continue to grapple with high costs on groceries, housing and health care thanks to this administration, the last thing they need is to pay even higher prices at the gas pump as a result of Donald Trump’s war in Iran,” Pappas said in a release.
Given Democrats’ minorities in both chambers of Congress, the bills appear unlikely to gain traction. They have no bipartisan support to date.
GOP leaders like House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., say they are confident that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen soon, and gas prices will come down shortly. About 20% of global oil supply is currently disrupted at the strait, leading to the ongoing supply crunch and price spikes.
On Monday, the Brent crude oil benchmark was down 10% to about $100 per barrel following President Donald Trump’s latest claims that the U.S. has been in talks with Iran about ending the war, which Iran denied.
GasBuddy’s De Haan said on X that the sharp drop in oil prices “could lead the national average to start declining later in the week if there’s confidence in [the situation] improving.”

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Samsung just ended one of mobile’s most persistent frustrations. The Galaxy S26 series can now send files directly to iPhones, iPads, and Macs using Apple’s AirDrop protocol through Quick Share. No third-party apps. No cloud links. No QR codes. Just tap, select, and send.The rollout of native AirDrop compatibility began March 23 in South Korea. The United States is set to follow, with Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Taiwan also in the expansion roadmap. Samsung has not specified exact dates for regions outside Korea.How to enable AirDrop file sharing on Galaxy S26AirDrop support for Quick Share is not turned on by default. Galaxy S26 owners need to activate it manually. Here is the full setup process.On your Galaxy S26: Go to Settings > Connected devices > Quick Share and toggle on “Share with Apple devices.”On the iPhone: Open Control Center, long-press the AirDrop icon, and set it to “Everyone.” This allows the Galaxy to detect it.To send a file: Open Gallery or Files, select what you want to share, tap Share > Quick Share, and nearby Apple devices will appear automatically.Technical requirement: Your Galaxy S26 must have Google Play Services version 26.11 or newer, Android Authority notes. If the toggle does not appear, check for a Play Services update in Settings > Apps > Google Play Services.Samsung also notes that the device may temporarily disconnect from Wi-Fi networks while searching for or transferring to Apple devices. This is something worth knowing before you use it in the middle of a video call.AirDrop support on Samsung Galaxy: what works and what doesn’tAirDrop support works on the Galaxy S26, S26+, and S26 Ultra. That’s it for now — older Galaxy devices, including the S25 series, foldables, and A-series phones, are not yet supported. Samsung has confirmed additional devices will follow, but it has not yet shared a device list or a timeline for that expansion.More Tech Stocks:Morgan Stanley sets jaw-dropping Micron price target after eventNvidia’s China chip problem isn’t what most investors thinkQuantum Computing makes $110 million move nobody saw comingThe reverse direction works, too. iPhones can AirDrop files to the Galaxy S26, and Samsung receives them through Quick Share. That bidirectional capability is what separates this from the earlier Pixel implementation, which initially only supported receiving from Apple devices. Both users need to have their respective sharing settings open for discovery to work.How AirDrop compatibility on Quick Share came to existGoogle introduced AirDrop compatibility on Quick Share with the Pixel 10 in late 2025. It expanded to the Pixel 9 series more recently. The development was driven in part by EU regulations that required Apple to implement Wi-Fi Aware technology in iOS’s native file-sharing feature, opening the door for Android manufacturers to build compatible implementations.Samsung is now the largest Android manufacturer to add AirDrop support, and it will not be the last. Other companies including Nothing and Qualcomm have already confirmed compatibility. Google’s Android VP Eric Kay stated in February that AirDrop support would expand to “a lot more devices” across Android in 2026. The standard is becoming universal rather than exclusive.Why this matters for consumersSharing files between an iPhone and an Android phone has been unnecessarily complicated for years. The standard workarounds involved emailing files to yourself, using Google Drive or iCloud links, or downloading third-party apps that both people needed to have installed. All of that friction has now gone away for Galaxy S26 owners and anyone they interact with on iPhone.

Samsung is now the largest Android manufacturer to add AirDrop support.Cros/GettyImages

Mixed-device households, offices, and social situations are the obvious beneficiaries. Think of the parent trying to share a child’s birthday video with grandparents on different phones, or colleagues passing a presentation file across platforms before a meeting. The use case is simple, and the demand has always been there. The only thing missing was the technical bridge.For Apple, the development is a quiet erosion of one of the ecosystem advantages that made iPhones stickier for users who also owned other Apple products. AirDrop was not the reason most people bought an iPhone, but it was a feature that made staying in the Apple ecosystem feel frictionless. That frictionlessness now works across the Android divide, too.The bigger picture here is a broader shift toward interoperability across mobile platforms. RCS messaging between iPhone and Android arrived in 2024. AirDrop compatibility is now here for Galaxy. The walls between the two ecosystems are coming down piece by piece, driven by a combination of regulatory pressure in Europe and competitive pressure from manufacturers who want to remove reasons to switch. For consumers, that is a straightforward win.Related: Apple just got a brutal iPhone 18 warning

Recent wild movements in the bond markets may have created an opportunity.

US To Order 3,000 82nd Airborne Soldiers To Mideast; Tehran Appoints Larijani Successor, Cuts Gas Flows To Turkey

Summary

WSJ, Fox reporting 3,000 elite Army Airborne soldiers to be ordered to Middle East.

Backchannel diplomacy vs skepticism: Abbas Araghchi reportedly signaled openness to negotiations with the US via envoy Steve Witkoff, but Israel has appeared cool on deal prospects or offramp.

Heavy exchange of fire and testing red lines: Iran continues missile and drone waves targeting Israel and US bases, amid reports of overnight airstrikes on military and gas infrastructure near Isfahan.

Iran reshuffles its security leadership, appointing Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr: he’s a former IRGC commander and replaces the assassinated Ali Larijani.

Iran halts natural gas exports to Turkey: follows last week’s Israeli strike on the massive South Pars gas field.

*  *  *

82nd Airborne Division Deploying to Middle East

Amid speculation that President Trump could seek to force open the Strait of Hormuz by some kind of ultra high risk Kharg Island takeover operation, Fox chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin has posted the following:

Fox News has learned that the Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division Maj Gen Brandon Tegtmeier and his “command element,” members of his headquarters staff, have been ordered to deploy to the Middle East as the Pentagon and White House weigh whether to send the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East for possible land operations.

It was only on Monday that the NYT began reporting Pentagon was seriously weighing whether to send the elite 82nd Airborne. This would be a sure sign of escalation into potential ‘ground operations’.

US TO ORDER 3,000 82ND AIRBORNE SOLDIERS TO MIDDLE EAST : WSJ

WRITTEN ORDER TO DEPLOY UNIT EXPECTED IN THE COMING HOURS: WSJ

Iran & Israel Trade Blows Despite US Promoting Backchannel Talks

Despite the White House touting backchannel interactions with the Iranians as basis for some kind of peaceful offramp, Israel and Iran intensified direct and regional strikes, in continued escalation of the war. The Israeli military said it had “completed a wave of extensive strikes targeting production sites” across Iran, including in Isfahan, following overnight reports that gas facilities were hit, triggering fears of potential Iranian retaliation on Gulf energy and infrastructure sites – which doesn’t appear to have happened yet.

Iran has kept up its attacks on Israel, launching at least eight overnight missile waves, including reports of cluster munitions as well as new cutting-edge warheads and projectiles. Impacts were reported across Tel Aviv, causing heavy building damage and multiple casualties, as well as with sirens sounding from the Judean Foothills to Eilat. One strike marked a shift in capability, per the NY Times: “One of the Iranian missiles that hit Tel Aviv carried a warhead of around 100 kilograms… This missile was ‘something we have not yet encountered in the war,'” said Col. Miki David.

A 100-kg warhead was used on the Iranian missile that slammed into Tel Aviv early this morning. Significant damage was caused to a residential area. pic.twitter.com/ujkuJpxUVO
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) March 24, 2026
Iran Halts NatGas Exports to Turkey

More energy flows impact and blowback as Iran has halted natural gas exports to Turkey following last week’s Israeli strike on the massive South Pars gas field, according to regional sources and Bloomberg. Turkey sourced roughly 14% of its gas from Iran last year, per industry data, but continues to rely on Russia and Azerbaijan as primary suppliers while drawing on existing reserves. Ankara has not initially confirmed or commented.

The South Pars field, part of the world’s largest natural gas reserve, sits at the core of Iran’s energy system, underpinning both domestic supply and export flows. Per Middle East Eye: “Data from Turkey’s Energy Market Regulatory Authority suggests that the country imports around 13 percent of its gas needs annually, roughly 7 billion cubic metres (bcm), from Iran.”

The report concludes that “A sharp drop in Iranian gas flows to Turkey following Israel’s strike on the South Pars gas field and Tehran’s retaliatory attacks across the Gulf has raised energy security concerns. But analysts say Ankara will likely be able to cushion the blow.

⚡️Sky above Tel Aviv pic.twitter.com/skgWXTOWZ4
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) March 24, 2026
New National Security Chief (former IRGC), Ongoing Retaliation on Gulf

Iran has continued to signal resilience, downplaying threats to its grid and stating damaged infrastructure could be quickly rebuilt, even as a gas pipeline at Khorramshahr was hit apparently without disruption. Saudi Arabia said it “intercepted and destroyed” more than a dozen drones in its east, while the UAE reported intercepting five ballistic missiles and 17 drones in a single day, bringing totals since the war began to hundreds of missiles and more than 1,800 drones. Bahrain said another facility was set ablaze “as a result of Iranian aggression.”

Tehran has reportedly simultaneously struck US bases, and Gulf states including Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, while warning any attack on its energy network will trigger region-wide blackouts. Northern Iraq has continued to see drone threats. “The entire region will go dark” – Iranian leadership has threatened. Meanwhile, Iran has reshuffled its security leadership, appointing Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr to replace the assassinated Ali Larijani, underscoring wartime consolidation at the top. Zolghadr is a former Revolutionary Guards commander.
Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr in 2013, via Wiki Commons

Status of Diplomacy

Lebanon has declared the Iranian ambassador persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country by Sunday, after an Iranian ballistic missile fell on Lebanese territory. This appears also a way to pressure Hezbollah, given the Lebanese state has long wanted the Tehran-linked group to lay down is arms so war doesn’t engulf the whole country.

Both Pakistan and Qatar have stepped up mediation efforts, with chatter that Islamabad could play host to future Iranian and US talks. Despite the rumors of ongoing backchannel communications, and President Trump himself insisting Sunday into Monday this is happening, there’s as yet no clear evidence that Tehran and Washington are actually dialoguing. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry has told Al Jazeera that Islamabad is ready to host talks between the US and Iran: “If the parties desire, Islamabad is always willing to host talks,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said. Andrabi’s comment came a day after Trump put on hold, for a period five days, his threat to bomb Iranian power plants.

WSJ meanwhile writes, “Foreign ministers from Egypt, Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan gathered before dawn Thursday in Riyadh for talks aimed at finding a diplomatic off-ramp to the war in Iran.” The report continues, “But there was one big problem, according to Arab officials involved in the discussions: finding a counterpart in Iran to negotiate with. Earlier that week, Israel killed Iran’s national security chief, Ali Larijani, who had been considered a viable partner who could engage with the West.”

USAF B-52s began to carry out Iran strike missions yesterday using 2,000 pound JDAM guided bombs.
Indicates that the BUFFs are finally carrying out bombing runs over Iran. pic.twitter.com/tzcJQc6LLp
— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 23, 2026
And Bloomberg’s assessment: “Fighting between the US-Israeli alliance and Iran raged unabated, even as President Donald Trump claimed talks are under way to end the conflict.” The report then notes no observable cooling or offramp in the tit-for-tat exchanges of fire:

Iran carried out overnight missile and drone attacks on the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv, Eilat and Dimona, as well as on US bases in the Middle East. Israel launched a wave of strikes in western and central Iran, including Tehran, with Defense Minister Israel Katz saying the campaign would continue “at full intensity.”

Israel is Cool on Prospect of a Deal

Reports out of regional and Israeli media claim Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi quietly signaled to US envoy Steve Witkoff that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has agreed to negotiations, while Iranian officials said they have received US proposals via intermediaries and are reviewing them. However, Tehran keeps threatening and delivering more ‘retaliatory’ action, perceiving that it has the long-term strategic leverage given the Strait of Hormuz crisis and Trump seeming to issue forth dictates on a back foot.

Israeli officials have by and large dismissed the prospects of a deal, warning the chances of agreement are “very small” and stressing that US force deployments and joint operational planning remain unchanged. 

More Regional Spillover: Caspian & Lebanon

The Kremlin has newly warned that any expansion into the Caspian Sea would be viewed “extremely negatively” after Israeli strikes reportedly targeted Iranian naval assets there. Meanwhile, a parallel ground war in Lebanon is accelerating. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz signaled a long-term buffer zone and mass displacement, stating, “Hundreds of thousands… will not return south of the Litani River until security is guaranteed.”

Video purports to show large Israeli strike on Southern Lebanon overnight – an apparent hit on a gas station:

⚡️Israeli strike on Southern Lebanon tonight. Strike on Gas Station pic.twitter.com/5r0teCUZ6n
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) March 24, 2026
Israel has already destroyed key infrastructure, with Katz confirming, “All five bridges over the Litani… have been blown up,” as forces move to control the area. There are over 1,000 dead and more than a million displaced in Lebanon, with much of Israel’s north also still under emergency evacuation orders, given Hezbollah rocket fire there. At least two Lebanese died in the last day due to Israeli strikes Bshamoun.

*  *  * ARE YOU PREPARED?

Tyler Durden
Tue, 03/24/2026 – 13:10

Protesters Rally Outside OpenAI, Anthropic, And xAI Offices Over Industry Concerns

Authored by Jason Nelson via decrypt.co,

In brief

200 protesters marched from Anthropic to OpenAI and xAI offices in San Francisco.

Activists called on AI companies to pause development of new frontier AI models.

Organizer Michael Trazzi previously staged a multi-week hunger strike outside Google DeepMind.

Protesters took to the streets of San Francisco on Saturday, stopping outside the offices of Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI to call for a conditional pause in the development of increasingly powerful artificial intelligence.

According to Stop the AI Race founder and documentarian Michael Trazzi, roughly 200 protesters participated in the demonstration.

Participants included researchers, academics, and members of advocacy groups such as the Machine Intelligence Research Institute, PauseAI, QuitGPT, StopAI, and Evitable.

“There are a lot of people who care about this risk from advanced AI systems,” Trazzi told Decrypt. “Having everyone marching together shows people are not isolated in thinking about this by themselves. There are a lot of people who care about this.”

The march began at noon outside Anthropic’s offices, then moved to OpenAI and then to xAI. At each stop, activists and speakers from the participating organizations addressed protesters.

According to Trazzi, the protest aimed to push AI companies to agree to a coordinated pause in building more powerful AI models and create treaties with AI developers in other countries to do the same.

“If China and the U.S. agreed to stop building more dangerous models, they could focus on making the systems better for us, like medical AI,” he said. “Everyone would be better off.”

Stop the AI Race’s proposal calls for companies to stop building new frontier models and shift work toward safety, if other major labs “credibly do the same,” which Trazzi said makes protesting in front of AI labs’ offices more important.

Steady opposition

The protest is the latest in a series of efforts to disrupt AI development.

In March 2023, the Future of Life Institute published an open letter demanding a moratorium on further enhancements to the leading AI tool following the public launch of ChatGPT the year before.

Signers included xAI founder Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and Ripple co-founder Chris Larsen. Since then, the “Pause Giant AI Experiments” open letter has garnered over 33,000 signatures.

In September, Trazzi staged a week-long hunger strike outside Google DeepMind’s London offices, while Guido Reichstadter held a parallel hunger strike outside Anthropic’s San Francisco offices.

Government officials and supporters of continued AI development argue that slowing research in the U.S. could give competitors abroad an advantage.

Last week, the Trump Administration published its AI framework to establish a national standard for laws governing AI development. The White House framed it as a commitment to “winning the AI race.”

“Even if you’re in China or any country in the world, nobody wants systems they cannot control,” Trazzi said. “Because we’re in this race between companies and countries to build the systems as fast as possible, we’re taking shortcuts and cutting corners on safety. There is a race that has no winners. What we have is a system we cannot control, and that’s why it’s called a suicide race.”

But even if AI developers agreed to pause development, verifying it may be easier said than done. Trazzi suggested one way to verify a pause would be to limit the computing power used to train new models.

“If you limit how much compute a company can use to build these systems, then you’re pretty much limiting developing new models,” he said.

Following the San Francisco protest, Trazzi said additional demonstrations could take place in other locations where major AI companies operate.

“We want to show up where the employees are,” he said. “We want to talk to them, and we want them to talk to their leadership and have things moving from inside,” adding that whistleblowers will have some amount of power because “they’re the ones building it.”

OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI did not immediately respond to Decrypt’s requests for comment.

Tyler Durden
Tue, 03/24/2026 – 13:05

Russia launched nearly 400 drones and dozens of missiles across Ukraine overnight Monday, triggering NATO to scramble fighter jets in neighboring countries, according to reports.The massive aerial assault killed at least four people and injured more than two dozen, with strikes hitting multiple regions including Kyiv, Zaporizhzhia and Kharkiv, The Associated Press reported, citing Ukrainian officials.Poland and Romania both scrambled fighter jets as Russian strikes approached NATO airspace, East2West reported, with Warsaw placing air defenses on the “highest state of readiness,” Poland’s operational command said.”Due to the activity of long-range Russian air forces conducting strikes on Ukrainian territory, Polish and allied air forces have begun operating in our airspace,” Poland’s operational command said, according to East2West.RUSSIA LAUNCHES RECORD MISSILE BARRAGE AGAINST UKRAINE ONE DAY BEFORE PEACE TALKS SET TO RESUME IN ABU DHABIHours earlier, two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled in fellow NATO state Romania as Russian drones attacked Ukraine near the River Danube, the outlet reported. The Danube forms part of the border between Ukraine and Romania.Ukrainian military leaders said Russian forces have intensified attacks along the roughly 750-mile front line, with hundreds of assaults reported in recent days.The Institute for the Study of War said the escalation suggests Moscow’s long-anticipated spring-summer offensive is now underway, according to The Associated Press.RUSSIA KILLS 12 UKRAINIAN MINERS IN DEADLY BUS ATTACK HOURS AFTER PEACE TALKS POSTPONEDUkraine’s air force said Russia launched nearly 400 drones. Ukrainian officials later said most were intercepted or disrupted, although some were able to hit their targets, according to East2West.Russia also launched 23 cruise missiles and seven ballistic missiles at Ukraine during the night, hitting at least 10 locations across the country, according to the Ukrainian air force.Ukrainian civilians have endured relentless barrages since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of its neighbor more than four years ago. U.S.-brokered talks between Moscow and Kyiv over the past year have brought no respite, with Russia rejecting Ukraine’s ceasefire offer.The latest strikes came after Ukraine hit Russia’s largest Baltic port, Primorsk, in a pinpoint attack a day earlier, leaving the key export hub in flames, East2West reported.Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s ambassador to London, Andrey Kelin, threatened “dire” consequences over what he said was Ukraine’s use of Storm Shadow missiles, which this month hit and damaged a microelectronics plant in Russia’s Bryansk region.”The British, without whose participation the use of Storm Shadow missiles is simply impossible, decided to remind everyone of both Ukraine and themselves,” he said. “However, any action has consequences. And for everyone involved in the tragedy in Bryansk, the consequences will be dire.”The Associated Press contributed to this report.

An Iranian military spokesman defiantly vowed Tuesday that Tehran’s armed forces will fight “until complete victory,” despite suffering heavy losses from the joint U.S. and Israeli campaign. The remark from Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi of the Khatam-al Anbiya Central Headquarters, which is Iran’s top military command, comes after President Donald Trump paused planned U.S. strikes on Iran on Monday, citing diplomatic progress. “Iran’s powerful armed forces are proud, victorious and steadfast in defending Iran’s integrity, and this path will continue until complete victory,” Iranian state television quoted Aliabadi as saying, according to The Associated Press. It added that Aliabadi did not say what “complete victory” would look like. Operation Epic Fury, which started Feb. 28, has resulted in the destruction of or damage to more than 140 Iranian naval vessels, U.S. Central Command said Monday. In total, more than 9,000 combat flights have been conducted as part of the campaign. TRUMP’S IRAN STRATEGY SHOWCASES ‘DOCTRINE OF UNPREDICTABILITY’ AMID STRIKE THREATS AND SUDDEN PAUSE “CENTCOM forces are striking targets to dismantle the Iranian regime’s security apparatus, prioritizing locations that pose an imminent threat,” CENTCOM said. Targeted assets include Iranian navy ships and submarines, air defense systems, anti-ship missile sites, military communication infrastructure and facilities involved in ballistic missile and drone manufacturing. On Friday, Trump, speaking about Iran, said, “Their Navy’s gone, their Air Force is gone, their anti-aircraft is all gone.” JET FUEL PRICES SOAR AS AIRLINES WARN SUPPLIES COULD RUN DRY WITHIN WEEKS “Their leaders are all gone. The next set of leaders are all gone. And the next set of leaders are mostly gone,” Trump continued. “And now, nobody wants to be a leader over there anymore. We’re having a hard time. We want to talk to them and there’s nobody to talk to.” Trump also said, “Over the past few weeks, the world has seen the true strength and might of our sailors and aviators as they fought in one of the most complex and successful military operations of all time against the Iranian regime.”  “And it’s amazing… I don’t want to get too crazy here, not a contest. It’s not even a contest. They do whatever they want,” Trump said. Fox News Digital’s Emma Bussey, Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this report.