Category: News
The Real Threat Is Artificial Credit, Not Artificial Intelligence
The Real Threat Is Artificial Credit, Not Artificial Intelligence
Authored by George Ford Smith via the Mises Institute,
Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming one of the most capital-intensive industries in history. Consider: Semiconductor fabrication plants cost tens of billions of dollars. Massive data centers consume extraordinary amounts of electricity, sending power bills soaring. Specialized engineering talent commands premium wages. (Although the median salary for an AI professional is $160K annually, the top 1 percent of AI researchers receive compensation packages exceeding $1 million). Global supply chains must coordinate rare materials, precision manufacturing, and complex infrastructure.
Yet discussions about artificial intelligence almost never address the most important economic variable shaping its development: money.
From an Austrian perspective, the future of artificial intelligence ties directly to the monetary system that finances it. Whether AI produces sustainable prosperity or another boom-bust cycle depends less on algorithms than on interest rates.
As we’ve seen throughout history, interest rates in a fractional-reserve banking system trend ever lower when a new technology gets underway. This generates the illusion of prosperity called a boom, followed inevitably by a bust.
As a reminder of what is meant by a “bust,” keep in mind the figure $16.2 trillion—“The total net worth American households lost between 2007 and 2009 of the Great Recession.”
Artificial intelligence is best understood economically as a higher-order capital good—a tool that enhances the productivity of human performance. Like machinery during the Industrial Revolution or computers in the late twentieth century, AI operates within a time-structured production process involving multiple stages before consumer goods emerge. Here’s how ChatGPT works as a consumer good, for example, providing an indispensable research tool for millions.
Nobel laureate F.A. Hayek emphasized that production requires coordination of dispersed knowledge across time. Interest rates serve as the critical signal aligning savings with investment. When that signal is distorted, the capital structure becomes misaligned.
Artificial intelligence offers super-advanced intellectual performance, but as a capital good is still subject to interest rate signals. Economically, under our central bank fiat system, distorted interest rates intensifies capital misalignment.
The Neglected Relevance of the Monetary System
The current AI boom is unfolding after more than a decade of unprecedented monetary expansion. Following the 2008 financial crisis—and again after 2020—the Federal Reserve expanded its balance sheet dramatically while maintaining near-zero interest rates for extended periods. The Fed has been unwinding since its April 2022 peak, but is still 59 percent above pre-pandemic levels.
In the world of Federal Reserve economics, cheap credit is a necessary fuel for economic development. But as Mises warned,
What induces an entrepreneur to embark upon definite projects is neither high prices nor low prices as such, but a discrepancy between the costs of production, inclusive of interest on the capital required, and the anticipated prices of the products. A lowering of the gross market rate of interest as brought about by credit expansion always has the effect of making some projects appear profitable which did not appear so before. (emphasis added)
When the Fed artificially suppresses interest rates, entrepreneurs undertake projects that appear profitable but cannot be sustained once monetary conditions change. This is the core of Austrian business cycle theory: Credit expansion causes malinvestment.
Artificial intelligence investment is particularly vulnerable to this dynamic because it involves long time horizons, uncertain demand, and enormous upfront capital requirements.
Warning Signs of Malinvestment
Several familiar signals are already visible:
Massive capital flows into AI startups with uncertain revenue models, with AI capturing “close to 50% of all global funding in 2025, up from 34 percent in 2024.”
Extraordinary valuations driven by future expectations rather than present earnings
Rapid expansion of data center infrastructure ahead of proven demand, with global capacity expected to double by 2030
Energy investment justified primarily by projected AI growth
Technological revolutions often coincide with speculative manias. The railroad booms of the nineteenth century, the stock market excesses of the 1920s, the dot-com bubble of the 1990s, and the housing boom before 2008 all followed this pattern. In each case, the technology survived, while the speculative capital structure collapsed. Artificial intelligence may follow a similar trajectory if monetary conditions continue to distort investment signals. As long as money is under monopoly control of political appointees instead of the free market, distortion is guaranteed.
Gold historically constrained credit expansion because banks could not create unlimited claims without risking the wrath of defrauded depositors. Interest rates reflected real savings more accurately, and investment discipline was stronger.
Under a monetary system anchored by market forces rather than quarreling politicians, artificial intelligence would develop in a manner more closely aligned with genuine demand and less vulnerable to speculative collapse.
Conclusion
Artificial intelligence is likely to become the most transformative technology in history, but under the auspices of a money-printing counterfeiter such as the Federal Reserve it’s certain to create massive economic problems. The real threat is artificial credit, not artificial intelligence.
People rightfully fear losing their jobs. What actually threatens workers, though, is not automation but monetary distortion. When credit expansion drives speculative booms, capital is misdirected into unsustainable ventures. When the correction arrives, workers suffer the consequences of decisions made far above them. And they tend to direct their anger at the market, rather than the politically-influenced decision makers.
Ron Paul was right. We need to end the Fed and end the property rights violations of fractional reserve banking.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 03/09/2026 – 14:45
https://www.zerohedge.com/economics/real-threat-artificial-credit-not-artificial-intelligence
Democrats Sue Trump Over Tariff Workaround
Democrats Sue Trump Over Tariff Workaround
A coalition of 24 Democratic attorneys general and governors filed a lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. Court of International Trade, targeting President Trump’s newly imposed global tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania joined as plaintiffs since both states have Republican attorneys general, leaving the governors to step in themselves.
The lawsuit, led by attorneys general from Oregon, New York, California, and Arizona – with 18 additional states piling on – argues Trump invented a legal pretext to keep tariffs alive after the Supreme Court handed him a 6-3 defeat on tariffs last month.
That ruling held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) did not authorize tariff-setting, because “regulate” does not encompass taxing power.
Trump signed Proclamation No. 11012 the same day, slapping a 10 percent ad valorem tariff on most worldwide imports effective February 24 under Section 122, a statute that had never been invoked in the 52 years since its enactment. Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent confirmed on March 4 that the rate would climb to 15 percent — the statutory ceiling — within the week.
“The President is trying to exploit a little-known statute as a means for his tariffs and is again proceeding unlawfully,” said California Attorney Rob Bonta.
The named defendants include President Trump in his official capacity, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Secretary. Kristi Noem, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Commissioner Rodney S. Scott. Plaintiffs are also requesting a three-judge panel given the constitutional stakes under 28 U.S.C. § 255.
Despite the lawsuit, it has been clear since that, despite the Supreme Court ruling saying that Trump couldn’t implement tariffs under IEEPA, he had other statutes under which he could.
“The administration has other tools in its toolbox,” Constitutional law scholar Jonathan Turley told Fox News last month after the Supreme Court ruling. “It can actually impose tariffs under other statutes, so this fight is hardly over for the administration when it comes to tariffs.”
Johnathan Turley after SCOTUS rules against Trump tariffs,
“The administration has other tools in its toolbox. It can actually impose tariffs under other statutes”pic.twitter.com/4EXmW1d1Gh
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) February 20, 2026
With that in mind, the White House does not seem rattled by the lawsuit.
“The President is utilizing the authority bestowed upon him by Congress to tackle fundamental international payment issues and to address the significant balance-of-payments deficits our country is facing,” spokesperson Kush Desai said. “The Administration will robustly defend the President’s actions in court.”
This wouldn’t be the first time an administration found ways around a Supreme Court ruling against it.
In June 2023, a 6-3 Supreme Court majority struck down the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program in Biden v. Nebraska, ruling the administration had overstepped its authority by attempting to cancel roughly $400 billion in federal debt without explicit congressional authorization.
Biden’s response was to keep going anyway.
His administration pursued alternative legal pathways to deliver partial relief, dismissing objections as political obstruction. In fact, Joe Biden used to brag about how he was defying the Supreme Court. “Early in my term, I announced a major plan to provide millions of working families with debt relief for their college student debt,” Biden said. “Tens of millions of people in debt were literally about to be canceled in debts. But my MAGA Republican friends in the Congress, elected officials and special interests stepped in and sued us. And the Supreme Court blocked it. But that didn’t stop me.”
The spectacle of 24 Democratic officials filing an emergency lawsuit over a president finding a new statutory route after a court loss, while their own party spent two years celebrating exactly that maneuver, is typical of the Democratic Party. Democrats also have come out in opposition to Trump’s bombing of Iran without congressional approval, despite their widespread approval of similar bombing campaigns without congressional approval by both Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 03/09/2026 – 14:25
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/democrats-sue-trump-over-tariff-workaround
Democrats Sue Trump Over Tariff Workaround
Democrats Sue Trump Over Tariff Workaround
A coalition of 24 Democratic attorneys general and governors filed a lawsuit Thursday in the U.S. Court of International Trade, targeting President Trump’s newly imposed global tariffs under Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. Gov. Andy Beshear of Kentucky and Gov. Josh Shapiro of Pennsylvania joined as plaintiffs since both states have Republican attorneys general, leaving the governors to step in themselves.
The lawsuit, led by attorneys general from Oregon, New York, California, and Arizona – with 18 additional states piling on – argues Trump invented a legal pretext to keep tariffs alive after the Supreme Court handed him a 6-3 defeat on tariffs last month.
That ruling held that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) did not authorize tariff-setting, because “regulate” does not encompass taxing power.
Trump signed Proclamation No. 11012 the same day, slapping a 10 percent ad valorem tariff on most worldwide imports effective February 24 under Section 122, a statute that had never been invoked in the 52 years since its enactment. Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent confirmed on March 4 that the rate would climb to 15 percent — the statutory ceiling — within the week.
“The President is trying to exploit a little-known statute as a means for his tariffs and is again proceeding unlawfully,” said California Attorney Rob Bonta.
The named defendants include President Trump in his official capacity, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Secretary. Kristi Noem, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Commissioner Rodney S. Scott. Plaintiffs are also requesting a three-judge panel given the constitutional stakes under 28 U.S.C. § 255.
Despite the lawsuit, it has been clear since that, despite the Supreme Court ruling saying that Trump couldn’t implement tariffs under IEEPA, he had other statutes under which he could.
“The administration has other tools in its toolbox,” Constitutional law scholar Jonathan Turley told Fox News last month after the Supreme Court ruling. “It can actually impose tariffs under other statutes, so this fight is hardly over for the administration when it comes to tariffs.”
Johnathan Turley after SCOTUS rules against Trump tariffs,
“The administration has other tools in its toolbox. It can actually impose tariffs under other statutes”pic.twitter.com/4EXmW1d1Gh
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) February 20, 2026
With that in mind, the White House does not seem rattled by the lawsuit.
“The President is utilizing the authority bestowed upon him by Congress to tackle fundamental international payment issues and to address the significant balance-of-payments deficits our country is facing,” spokesperson Kush Desai said. “The Administration will robustly defend the President’s actions in court.”
This wouldn’t be the first time an administration found ways around a Supreme Court ruling against it.
In June 2023, a 6-3 Supreme Court majority struck down the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness program in Biden v. Nebraska, ruling the administration had overstepped its authority by attempting to cancel roughly $400 billion in federal debt without explicit congressional authorization.
Biden’s response was to keep going anyway.
His administration pursued alternative legal pathways to deliver partial relief, dismissing objections as political obstruction. In fact, Joe Biden used to brag about how he was defying the Supreme Court. “Early in my term, I announced a major plan to provide millions of working families with debt relief for their college student debt,” Biden said. “Tens of millions of people in debt were literally about to be canceled in debts. But my MAGA Republican friends in the Congress, elected officials and special interests stepped in and sued us. And the Supreme Court blocked it. But that didn’t stop me.”
The spectacle of 24 Democratic officials filing an emergency lawsuit over a president finding a new statutory route after a court loss, while their own party spent two years celebrating exactly that maneuver, is typical of the Democratic Party. Democrats also have come out in opposition to Trump’s bombing of Iran without congressional approval, despite their widespread approval of similar bombing campaigns without congressional approval by both Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 03/09/2026 – 14:25
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/democrats-sue-trump-over-tariff-workaround
Multiple gunshots fired near Rihanna’s LA home and a woman is taken into custody
LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles police took a woman into custody after she fired gunshots near the home of Grammy-Award winning performer Rihanna, according to police and news reports.
No one was injured, police said. It’s not immediately clear whether the pop star was at home when the shooting happened Sunday afternoon.
Police received a call about shots fired near a home in the Beverly Hills area, spokesperson and Officer Charles Miller said Monday. A 35-year-old woman was later taken into custody “without further incident” and police recovered a weapon, according to a statement from law enforcement. The suspect has been booked on suspicion of attempted murder and is in jail on $10 million in bail. The district attorney had not yet announced charges.
Miller did not say who lived in the home. Multiple local news outlets reported that it belongs to Rihanna. Public records show the property in the Beverly Hills area is owned by a trust run by Evan Jehle, who is a member of the advisory board for Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation.
Emails seeking comment were left with Rihanna’s publicist and manager.
KABC-TV showed video of what appeared to be five bullet holes in the front gate of the home.
“Shooting just occurred. Ten gunshots fired from the vehicle,” a police dispatcher told responding officers on audio obtained by KABC. The gunfire came from across the street, police said.
It was not known if the woman under arrest had any connection to Rihanna.
In 2018, a man was accused of breaking into a different home of Rihanna’s in the Hollywood Hills and spending 12 hours there. The man pleaded no contest to felony counts of stalking and vandalism and a misdemeanor count of resisting arrest in 2019. He was sentenced to probation.
A nine-time Grammy Award winner, Rihanna has 14 No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including “We Found Love,” “Work,” “Umbrella” and “Disturbia.” She founded the makeup brand Fenty Beauty in 2017.
She and A$AP Rocky announced the birth of their third child, a girl named Rocki Irish Mayers, in September.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/09/gunshots-rihanna-la-home/
Uber’s women-only option goes nationwide in the US
NEW YORK — Uber launched a feature Monday to allow both women riders and drivers across the U.S. to be matched with other women for trips, expanding a pilot program aimed at addressing concerns about the safety of its riding-hailing platform.
The new feature is being rolled out nationwide despite an ongoing class action lawsuit against the policy in California, filed by Uber drivers who argue that it is discriminatory against men. Rival ride-hailing company Lyft is also facing a discrimination lawsuit over a similar offering that it introduced nationwide in 2024.
The feature, announced in a blog post, allows women to request a female driver through an option on the app called “Women Drivers.” Passengers can opt for another ride if the wait for a woman is too long, and they can also reserve a trip with a woman driver in advance. A third option allows female users to set a preference for a woman driver in their app settings, which would increase the chances of being matched with a female driver, though it would not guarantee it. Uber is also allowing its teen account users to request women drivers.
Uber’s women drivers can set the app’s preferences to request trips with female riders, and they can turn off that preference at anytime.
Uber, based in San Francisco, says about one-fifth of its drivers in the U.S. are women, thought the ratio varies by city.
Two California Uber drivers filed a class-action lawsuit against Uber in November, arguing that its Women Preferences feature violates California’s Unruh Act, which prohibits sex discrimination by business enterprises. The lawsuit charges that the feature gives its minority female drivers access to the entire pool of passengers, while leaving its majority male drivers to compete for a smaller pool of passengers. The lawsuit also argues that Uber’s policy “reinforces the gender stereotype that men are more dangerous than women.”
Uber filed a motion to compel arbitration in the case, citing an agreement the plaintiffs signed when joining the app as drivers. In the motion, Uber disputed that its new feature violates the Unruh Act, saying it “serves a strong and recognized public policy interest in enhancing safety.”
“This feature is a common sense solution to a long-standing request from both women Drivers and Riders who told Uber they would feel more comfortable and safer if they could choose to ride with another woman,” the company said in the court filing.
Two Lyft drivers have filed a similar lawsuit against that company against its “Women+Connect” feature, which allows women and nonbinary riders to match with drivers of the same identification.
Uber piloted the “Women Preferences” feature in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Detroit last summer and expanded it to 26 U.S. cities in November. The company first launched a version of the feature in Saudi Arabia in 2019 following the country’s landmark law granting women the right to drive. It now offers similar options in 40 other countries, including Canada and Mexico.
Both Uber and Lyft have for years faced criticism over their safety records, including thousands of reports of sexual assaults from both passengers and drivers. In February, federal jury found Uber to be legally responsible in a 2023 case of sexual assault and the company was ordered to pay $8.5 million to an Arizona woman who said she was raped by one of its drivers.
Uber maintains that because its drivers are contractors and not employees, it’s not liable for their misconduct. But Uber says has taken multiple steps in efforts to improve safety, including teaming up with Lyft in 2021 to create a database of drivers ousted from their ride-hailing services for complaints over sexual assault and other crimes.
Uber says sexual assault reports have decreased over the years. According to reports from Uber, 5,981 incidents of sexual assault were reported in U.S. rides between 2017 and 2018 — compared to 2,717 between 2021 and 2022 (the latest years with data available), which the platform says represented 0.0001% of total trips nationwide.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/09/uber-women-only-option/
Waukegan mayor part of Great Lakes delegation in Washington: ‘It went extremely well’
Spending three days in Washington, D.C., last week, Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham and 23 other municipal leaders from the U.S. and Canada spoke to officials at the White House and members of Congress about the importance of fresh water and economic stability.
As part of a delegation from the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative that went to Washington for the organization’s Great Lakes Day, Cunningham said the mayors and other officials made a pitch for water resources funding and tariff relief, as well as other needs.
Both Cunningham and Benton Harbor, Michigan, Mayor Marcus Muhammad talked to members of Congress about renewal of the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which provides low-cost financing for water quality infrastructure, including lead service line replacement.
“We had an excellent reception,” Cunningham said. “More important was how both sides of the aisle were talking about the Great Lakes Initiative’s projects to the president’s (staff) and to Congress. They are champions when it comes to issues about the Great Lakes.”
Cunningham and his colleagues worked to persuade both members of Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration of the importance of supporting fresh water and economic development in the Great Lakes region for three days last week.
Along with immediate concerns of renewal of the fund and tariff stability between Canada and the U.S., Jonathan Altenberg, the president and CEO of the initiative, said they talked to federal officials about the establishment of the Fresh Coast Economic Corridor.
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham, far right, and other members of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative meet with U.S. Rep Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, second from left, in Washington, D.C. (City of Waukegan)
Altenberg said the corridor is a 10-year economic development project designed to bring 500,000 new businesses to the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River area, creating more than 18 million new jobs in both the U.S. and Canada.
“We want to protect our water and grow our economy,” Altenberg said. “We want to maintain our quality of life, grow our economy rapidly, and reduce our carbon footprint. Our region has the world’s third-largest economy.”
Extending from metropolitan Chicago to the southwest, through the five Great Lakes into the St. Lawrence River from Lake Ontario, the initiative’s boundaries’ easternmost point is the Gulf of St. Lawrence and the Atlantic Ocean.
Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson said at a news conference with the 24 mayors and other officials, that the region relies on the “Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway for our economic prosperity.” He wants to impress upon the governments of both countries the importance of the region.
Waukegan Mayor Sam Cunningham at the White House after he and other members of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Cities Initiative met with a representative of President Donald Trump’s administration last week in Washington, D.C. (City of Waukegan)
“I’m proud that we’re using our collective voice in advocating for our two governments as we continue to work together on trade between both Canada and the United States, and for the return of a strong, stable and trust-based relationship between our two countries,” Johnson said.
At the White House, Cunningham said the group met with Danny Gustafson, the associate director of intergovernmental affairs. It was a joint meeting with a group devoted to the preservation of the Mississippi River.
“We talked about lead pipe service line replacement and invasive carp,” Cunningham said. “It went extremely well. He was exceptionally receptive. He seemed to understand the importance of the projects.”
Meeting with more than 20 members of Congress, including U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider, D-Highland Park, Cunningham said the congressman took time from a meeting of the House Committee on Ways and Means to meet with the group. They talked about lead service line replacement and other water-related issues, especially renewal of the fund.
“The safety of our residents is nonnegotiable,” Cunningham said. “In Waukegan, we are approaching lead service line replacement with a city-wide approach to ensure no neighborhood is left behind. Even small amounts (of lead) can accumulate in your body over time and cause irreversible damage to your brain’s function and overall health.”
Schneider said Monday he and his colleagues on the committee plan to support the effort to renew the fund. He said he makes a point of meeting with the leaders from the region each year in what remains a bipartisan effort.
“The Great Lakes are a bipartisan issue,” Schneider said. “There are Republicans from Ohio, Buffalo, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. We are all committed to the Great Lakes.”
Tariffs are a major concern to members of the initiative, especially those from Canada, like Toronto Deputy Mayor Paul Ainslie. He said the group wants no further tariffs until the current review of the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA), a trade pact between the three countries, is complete. Tariffs create uncertainty, he said.
“The USMCA review should be working to create new supply chains, not create new uncertainty,” Ainslie said at the news conference. “When tariffs rise, costs rise and investment pauses. When investment pauses, jobs and competitiveness are put at risk all across our communities. This is why stability matters.”
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/03/09/waukegan-great-lakes-initiative/
Pentagon, FAA Will Conduct Anti-Drone Laser Tests In New Mexico
Pentagon, FAA Will Conduct Anti-Drone Laser Tests In New Mexico
Authored by Jacob Burg via The Epoch Times,
The Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) agreed to conduct an anti-drone “high-energy laser test” in New Mexico over the weekend.
The announcement comes a little more than a week after the FAA had to suddenly close airspace around Fort Hancock, Texas, because of what the agency at the time called “special security reasons.”
The Department of War (DOW) shot what it thought was a “seemingly threatening” drone flying within military airspace, the Pentagon, the FAA, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a joint statement at the time.
A House committee stated that the FAA’s closure resulted from the Pentagon using a “high risk counter-unmanned aircraft system” to shoot down a CBP drone operating near the U.S.–Mexico border.
The incident, along with another Pentagon drone incursion the same month, faced criticism in Congress. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), the ranking Democrat member on the Senate Aviation Subcommittee, called for an independent investigation into the incidents.
Following congressional pushback, the Pentagon is now conducting anti-drone tests at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico alongside its partners at the FAA.
On March 6, the U.S. military stated that its Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and the FAA will conduct a “high-energy laser test” from March 7 through March 8.
“This upcoming event will specifically address FAA safety concerns while gathering data about the laser’s material effects on aircraft surrogates, validating the functionality of automated safety shut-off systems, and informing analyses for aircrew eye safety,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
The military stated that the test is part of a “long-term, multi-year partnership” between it and the FAA to ensure that counter-drone technology is “safely integrated into the national airspace.” It’s a continuation of previous military testing done over the past few decades, according to the Pentagon.
The interagency effort will include representatives from the Energy Department, National Nuclear Security Administration, Homeland Security Department, CBP, and the New Mexico National Guard attending the test in New Mexico over the weekend.
The Pentagon stated that the test underscores a federal effort to combat drone threats while maintaining sovereignty and safety in the national airspace.
“This is a critical step in making sure our warfighters have the most advanced tools to defend the homeland,” U.S. Army Brigadier General Matt Ross said in a statement.
“By working hand-in-hand with the FAA and our interagency partners, we are ensuring that these cutting-edge capabilities are safe, effective, and ready to protect Americans from emerging drone threats.”
The FAA said in a statement to The Epoch Times that it appreciates “coordination with the Department of War to help ensure public safety.”
“The FAA and DOW are working with interagency partners to address emerging threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems while maintaining the safety of the National Airspace System,” the agency stated.
Ranking Democrats on the House committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Homeland Security criticized the Pentagon for the drone shoot-down incident last month.
“Our heads are exploding over the news that [Pentagon] reportedly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone using a high risk counter-unmanned aircraft system,” Reps. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), and André Carson (D-Ind.) said in a joint statement.
“We said months ago that the White House’s decision to sidestep a bipartisan, tri-committee bill to appropriately train C-UAS operators and address the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, [Department of Homeland Security], and the FAA was a short-sighted idea.”
The Pentagon is required to formally notify the FAA whenever it conducts any counter-drone operations within U.S. airspace.
The FAA’s closure of airspace near Fort Hancock is scheduled to last until June 24.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 03/09/2026 – 14:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/military/pentagon-faa-will-conduct-anti-drone-laser-tests-new-mexico
Pentagon, FAA Will Conduct Anti-Drone Laser Tests In New Mexico
Pentagon, FAA Will Conduct Anti-Drone Laser Tests In New Mexico
Authored by Jacob Burg via The Epoch Times,
The Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) agreed to conduct an anti-drone “high-energy laser test” in New Mexico over the weekend.
The announcement comes a little more than a week after the FAA had to suddenly close airspace around Fort Hancock, Texas, because of what the agency at the time called “special security reasons.”
The Department of War (DOW) shot what it thought was a “seemingly threatening” drone flying within military airspace, the Pentagon, the FAA, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said in a joint statement at the time.
A House committee stated that the FAA’s closure resulted from the Pentagon using a “high risk counter-unmanned aircraft system” to shoot down a CBP drone operating near the U.S.–Mexico border.
The incident, along with another Pentagon drone incursion the same month, faced criticism in Congress. Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), the ranking Democrat member on the Senate Aviation Subcommittee, called for an independent investigation into the incidents.
Following congressional pushback, the Pentagon is now conducting anti-drone tests at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico alongside its partners at the FAA.
On March 6, the U.S. military stated that its Joint Interagency Task Force 401 and the FAA will conduct a “high-energy laser test” from March 7 through March 8.
“This upcoming event will specifically address FAA safety concerns while gathering data about the laser’s material effects on aircraft surrogates, validating the functionality of automated safety shut-off systems, and informing analyses for aircrew eye safety,” the Pentagon said in a statement.
The military stated that the test is part of a “long-term, multi-year partnership” between it and the FAA to ensure that counter-drone technology is “safely integrated into the national airspace.” It’s a continuation of previous military testing done over the past few decades, according to the Pentagon.
The interagency effort will include representatives from the Energy Department, National Nuclear Security Administration, Homeland Security Department, CBP, and the New Mexico National Guard attending the test in New Mexico over the weekend.
The Pentagon stated that the test underscores a federal effort to combat drone threats while maintaining sovereignty and safety in the national airspace.
“This is a critical step in making sure our warfighters have the most advanced tools to defend the homeland,” U.S. Army Brigadier General Matt Ross said in a statement.
“By working hand-in-hand with the FAA and our interagency partners, we are ensuring that these cutting-edge capabilities are safe, effective, and ready to protect Americans from emerging drone threats.”
The FAA said in a statement to The Epoch Times that it appreciates “coordination with the Department of War to help ensure public safety.”
“The FAA and DOW are working with interagency partners to address emerging threats posed by unmanned aircraft systems while maintaining the safety of the National Airspace System,” the agency stated.
Ranking Democrats on the House committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Homeland Security criticized the Pentagon for the drone shoot-down incident last month.
“Our heads are exploding over the news that [Pentagon] reportedly shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone using a high risk counter-unmanned aircraft system,” Reps. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.), Bennie G. Thompson (D-Miss.), and André Carson (D-Ind.) said in a joint statement.
“We said months ago that the White House’s decision to sidestep a bipartisan, tri-committee bill to appropriately train C-UAS operators and address the lack of coordination between the Pentagon, [Department of Homeland Security], and the FAA was a short-sighted idea.”
The Pentagon is required to formally notify the FAA whenever it conducts any counter-drone operations within U.S. airspace.
The FAA’s closure of airspace near Fort Hancock is scheduled to last until June 24.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 03/09/2026 – 14:05
https://www.zerohedge.com/military/pentagon-faa-will-conduct-anti-drone-laser-tests-new-mexico
Photos: Celebrating spring at Holi’s festival of colors at Navy Pier
People gathered at Navy Pier on Saturday to celebrate the Hindu spring tradition of Holi, also known as the festival of colors, with music, dance, and by throwing and decorating each other with colored powder.
Children dance onstage inside Navy Pier’s Grand Ballroom during a Holi celebration on March 7, 2026. The Hindu celebration is also known as the festival of colors. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
People celebrate Holi by throwing and decorating each other with colored powder at Navy Pier in Chicago during the spring festival of colors on March 7, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
People celebrate Holi by throwing and decorating each other with colored powder at Navy Pier in Chicago during the spring festival of colors on March 7, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
A person walks through the crowd of people throwing and decorating each other with colored powder at Navy Pier in Chicago during a Holi celebration on March 7, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
A woman dances on stage inside Navy Pier’s Grand Ballroom during a Holi celebration on March 7, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
People celebrate Holi by throwing and decorating each other with colored powder at Navy Pier in Chicago during the spring festival of colors on March 7, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
People celebrate Holi by throwing and decorating each other with colored powder at Navy Pier in Chicago during the spring festival of colors on March 7, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Children from the group Rhythm Roots dance onstage inside Navy Pier’s Grand Ballroom during a Holi celebration on March 7, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
People celebrate Holi by throwing and decorating each other with colored powder at Navy Pier in Chicago during the spring festival of colors on March 7, 2026. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune)
Chiefs fichan a Kenneth Walker, MVP del Super Bowl, por 3 años y hasta 45 millones, según fuente AP
Por DAVE SKRETTA
KANSAS CITY, Missouri, EE.UU. (AP) — Los Chiefs y Kenneth Walker, el MVP del Super Bowl, acordaron un contrato de tres años por un valor de hasta 45 millones de dólares para llevar al ex running back de Seattle a Kansas City, informó a The Associated Press una persona familiarizada con las negociaciones el lunes.
El acuerdo incluye 28,7 millones de dólares garantizados y 43,05 millones de dólares de valor base, indicó la persona, que habló bajo condición de anonimato porque los contratos no pueden hacerse oficiales hasta que comience el nuevo año de la liga el miércoles.
Walker cubre quizá la mayor necesidad de los Chiefs, que intentan recuperarse de una desastrosa temporada de 6-11. Kareem Hunt e Isiah Pacheco, sus dos principales corredores, son agentes libres, lo que deja bajo contrato únicamente a Brashard Smith con dos años de experiencia.
El acuerdo se produjo mientras los Chiefs estaban cerca de llegar a un entendimiento para traer de vuelta al tight end Travis Kelce, cuatro veces All-Pro, para su 14ª temporada, dijo a AP una persona al tanto de esas conversaciones. La fuente habló bajo condición de anonimato porque ese contrato aún no estaba cerrado.
Walker, una selección de segunda ronda en el draft de 2022, corrió para 3.555 yardas y 29 touchdowns en cuatro temporadas con los Seahawks. Tuvo 1.027 yardas y cinco anotaciones la temporada pasada, y fue incluso mejor en los playoffs: corrió para 116 yardas y tres touchdowns contra los 49ers, otro touchdown contra los Rams, y 135 yardas en una victoria 29-13 sobre los Patriots en el Super Bowl.
Es el cuarto MVP del Super Bowl que cambia de equipo la temporada siguiente: Larry Brown pasó de los Cowboys a los Raiders, Desmond Howard de los Packers a los Raiders, y Dexter Jackson de los Buccaneers a los Cardinals.
Los Chiefs han sobrevivido durante mucho tiempo en la posición de corredor con una mezcla improvisada de selecciones tardías del draft y agentes libres de bajo costo. Pero estaban desesperados por mejorar el puesto después de ubicarse 25º en la NFL en juego terrestre la temporada pasada, con apenas 106,6 yardas por partido.
Hunt terminó con 661 yardas por tierra y Pacheco con 462. El tercer mejor corredor de los Chiefs fue el quarterback Patrick Mahomes con 422 yardas y cinco touchdowns, y se perdió los últimos tres partidos de la temporada por un ligamento de la rodilla desgarrado.
Jeremiyah Love, corredor de Notre Dame Jeremiyah Love, había sonado para los Chiefs en el próximo draft de la NFL, pero su sólido desempeño en el scouting combine podría haberlo impulsado tanto en las listas del draft que no estaría disponible cuando a Kansas City le toque elegir con el número 9 global.
Los Chiefs también tienen la selección número 29 en la primera ronda como parte de su acuerdo para enviar al cornerback Trent McDuffie a los Rams. Y al firmar a Walker en la agencia libre, tienen más flexibilidad en el draft para atender otras necesidades apremiantes, entre ellas una débil presión al pasador, el interior de su línea defensiva, la profundidad de su línea ofensiva y la posición de wide receiver.
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Deports AP: https://apnews.com/hub/deportes
