Earlier today the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral argument in Watson v. Republican National Committee, the RNC’s challenge to a Mississippi law allowing mail-in or absentee ballots to be counted up to five days of Election Day.
Many observers have noted the court seems likely to rule that ballots for federal elections must arrive on/before election day itself. The full oral argument is below. LISTEN:
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This is one of those small stories that carries the potential for significant domestic economic gains.
As many are aware, the U.S. imports a lot of softwood lumber from Canada. Combined with the energy products the lumber sector represents the top two U.S. imports from Canada. With Venezuela now potentially positioned to replace the former, USDA Rural Development now stimulates domestic lumber development potentially positioned to replace the latter.
Taken as a whole, these two approaches significantly weaken the Canadian leverage that could be deployed in a Free Trade Agreement negotiation. Assuming, of course, the USMCA is dissolved in favor of two bilateral FTAs.
USDA Press Release – At the Advanced Bioeconomy Leadership Conference today, U.S. Department of Agriculture Administrator for the Rural Business and Cooperative Service J.R. Claeys announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture is guaranteeing $115.2 million across eight states through the Timber Production Expansion Guaranteed Loan Program (TPEP) to ensure sawmills and other wood processing facilities have the necessary funding to establish, reopen, expand, or improve their operations.
Today’s announcement includes recipients in the states of California, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Oklahoma, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
These investments represent a commitment by the Trump Administration to expand American timber production by 25%, reduce wildfire risk, and save American lives and communities by strengthening domestic wood processing capacity.
President Trump delivers remarks and takes questions from reporters in Palm Beach, Florida, before boarding Air Force One en route to Memphis, Tennessee. President Trump emphatically stated that continued negotiations with ‘leadership’ within Iran continues and reaffirms the conditions for a cessation of hostilities.
The military leadership within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. (IRGC), do not recognize any political representation over their military control of Iran. This fracture within the political structure of Iran is what seems to create the conflict with U.S. negotiations with political entities the IRGC refuses to recognize.
President Trump is confident the presentation of terms now being discussed with Iranian political leadership will be agreeable to both Israel and U.S. interests. Additionally, President Trump discusses the issue and circumstances around former NTSC Director Joe Kent and his view on the controversy that have flowed since Kent’s resignation. WATCH:
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Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s conservative party the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) won the biggest portion of the election, defeating the Social Democratic Party (SPD) who lost ground in the western area bordering France. However, the biggest electoral gains were for the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, with gains that more than doubled its previous vote share.
There is intense interest throughout Europe on the ideological shift in political sentiment mostly driven by economic concerns as well as rising nationalistic sentiment against the elitist minds in Brussels. Essentially those being ‘ruled’ are increasingly fed-up by those doing the ‘ruling.’ The AfD party is akin to the pragmatic MAGA base more focused on economic nationalism than all the nonsense associated with multiculturalism, green energy programs and terrible immigration policy.
The ideological battle within Europe is ongoing, with some gains by nationalist parties over the collective mindset of the European elites. However, the European Commission doesn’t just have a finger on the scales, they have full control over the mechanics of the elections themselves. Yes, AfD more than doubled their share of votes to 20%, but CDU at 31% and the socialists at 26% is akin to mainstream corporate republicans and progressives respectively controlling 57% of the support base.
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Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †
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Peter Thiel is well known for his PayPal startup and later Palantir tech investment. Most people now have a better understanding of exactly what Palantir software and AI interface are capable of. Palantir AI is now established as a core military system, and the suite of associated products have both military and commercial applications.
At its core, the Palantir product line is about interfacing AI with surveillance software; behavior stuff that permits surveillance and targeting systems through massive database cross referencing and actionable targeting. I’ll leave the rest of the explaining to those in the comments section who have followed the developing technology.
For his latest endeavor, Peter Thiel has now invested $2 billion in a New Zealand (think five-eyes) based company that assists cattle ranchers with their herds. “New Zealand-based Halter has secured funding at a $2 billion valuation from Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, marking one of the highest-profile venture investments in agricultural AI to date. The startup, which manufactures AI-powered collars that autonomously manage cattle movement and behaviour, now operates across more than 5,000 farms globally.” (READ MORE) – AND WATCH:
This is WILD.
Peter Thiel just bet $2 billion on a collar that wraps around a cow’s neck.
The company is called Halter and it has a proprietary algorithm that runs the entire operation.
They actually trademarked the name for it and called it the Cowgorithm and here’s how it… https://t.co/jX1SVwjNs0 pic.twitter.com/JKVvQXybsC
— Milk Road AI (@MilkRoadAI) March 22, 2026
Stay with me, this might start to sound odd.
Here’s the explanation of Halter, as it directly relates to the cattle and cow industry:
“Peter Thiel just bet $2 billion on a collar that wraps around a cow’s neck. The company is called Halter and it has a proprietary algorithm that runs the entire operation. They actually trademarked the name for it and called it the Cowgorithm and here’s how it works.
A farmer opens an app, taps a button, and 600,000 cows across three countries start walking toward the milking station on their own. No farm dogs, fences or physical labor, it’s just a solar-powered GPS collar sending sound and vibration cues to each animal.”
Apparently, CNN needs to play the game of pretending that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as well as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) do not already operate in U.S. airports.
Airports are border checkpoints, and the “customs” part of both ICE and CBP are functions that happen as part of regular duty for CBP and ICE officials.
As Tom Homan notes, CBP/ICE already exist in airports and can assist Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officials in various duties including, customs checks, routine security, entrance/exit security as well as baggage and pre-boarding security checkpoints that do not involve the use of x-ray and scanning machines. In fact, more than half the functioning work of TSA agents can easily be handled/supported by ICE/CBP agents.
But CNN needs to build a narrative, so the reality of simple explanations works against their interests. WATCH:
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U.S. Secretary to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, appears on CBS to discuss the political angles to the U.S. military operation against Iran. There was some critical questioning about whether Iran was factually capable of sending a missile from Iran to the U.S. base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Ambassador Waltz seems to question the reporting on their capabilities. Video and Transcript Below:
[Transcript] – MARGARET BRENNAN: That’s Charlie D’Agata reporting in Arad, Israel. We’re joined now by the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, and it’s good to have you here in person.
AMB. MIKE WALTZ: Thank you, Margaret.
MARGARET BRENNAN: So Ambassador, on Friday, the president tweeted, “The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it — The United States does not!” And then last night he threatened that if Iran doesn’t fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours from the time of his post, the US will “hit and obliterate” their power plants, starting with the “biggest one first.” So which is it, is the U.S. opening Hormuz by force or having others do it.
AMB. WALTZ: Well, I think it can be both. It’s not necessarily mutually exclusive. I am glad you are having NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on. I think at his urging and his leadership, we have now seen Italy, Germany, France and a number of others commit to help with this effort.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent appears on NBC News to outline the purpose and intents of the lifting sanctions as it pertains to Russian and Iranian oil shipments currently in transit. The video and transcript below:
[Transcript] – KRISTEN WELKER: And joining me now is treasury secretary Scott Bessent. Secretary Bessent, welcome back to Meet the Press.
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT: Kristen, good morning.
KRISTEN WELKER: Good morning. Good to have you back. I want to start with the latest of what we’re hearing from President Trump. Let me read you what he posted overnight. He says, “If Iran doesn’t fully open, without threat, the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various power plants, starting with the biggest one first.” Has the president changed his mind about winding down the war, as he said a day earlier, and instead plans to escalate?
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT: I think he said he could wind the war down at any time he wants. And, Kristen, this is the only language the Iranians understand.
KRISTEN WELKER: But this seems to be an escalation, a threat of escalation, and it seems to run counter to his statement that he, in fact, wants to wind down the war.
SEC. SCOTT BESSENT: Again, Kristen, the president’s been very clear from the beginning that the goals are: destroy the Iranian air force and the navy, to completely demolish their missile capabilities, demolish their ability to replenish those capabilities, make sure the Iranians cannot have a nuclear weapon and stop their ability to project power internationally. And the president will take whatever steps it takes to achieve those goals.