Category: News
Booz Allen Shares Hammered After Treasury Cancels Consulting Contracts
Booz Allen Shares Hammered After Treasury Cancels Consulting Contracts
Shares of Booz Allen Hamilton tumbled the most in months during late Monday morning trading after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent canceled dozens of contracts tied to the consulting firm.
Secretary Bessent said 31 contracts with Booz Allen were terminated, representing $4.8 million in annual spending and $21 million in total obligations.
“President Trump has entrusted his cabinet to root out waste, fraud, and abuse, and canceling these contracts is an essential step to increasing Americans’ trust in government,” he said, adding, “Booz Allen failed to implement adequate safeguards to protect sensitive data, including the confidential taxpayer information it had access to through its contracts with the Internal Revenue Service.”
Treasury pointed to an incident with Booz Allen in recent years:
Most notably, between 2018 and 2020, Charles Edward Littlejohn — an employee of Booz Allen Hamilton — stole and leaked the confidential tax returns and return information of hundreds of thousands of taxpayers.
Last spring, Booz Allen said it was undergoing a major restructuring and planned to cut roughly 2,500 jobs, about 7% of its workforce, as President Trump’s DOGE efforts reduced government spending by discontinuing federal contracts.
Later in the year, CEO Horacio Rozanski told investors the company was “making the difficult decision to reduce layers and numbers in our senior ranks” due to federal contract reductions and a broader slowdown in government funding.
Shares of Booz Allen are down 7.5% in the cash session this morning, marking the worst single-day decline since October 24, when the stock fell about 9%. Shares have been cut roughly in half since President Trump’s November 2024 election victory, as Elon Musk’s DOGE initiative began aggressively targeting waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal bureaucracy in early 2025.
In May 2025, Goldman analyst Noah Poponak downgraded Booz Allen from “Neutral” to “Sell,” noting medium-term revenue growth is expected to be flat as federal civilian spending comes under pressure and priorities shift within many federal agencies.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/26/2026 – 11:40
Exministra británica se suma al partido Reform UK de extrema derecha de Nigel Farage
Associated Press
LONDRES (AP) — La exministra del Interior británica Suella Braverman, una legisladora antinmigración, se unió el lunes a la fila de desertores del Partido Conservador para irse al partido rival de extrema derecha Reform UK.
Braverman, quien fue despedida de su cargo como ministra del Interior en 2023 después de divergir repetidamente de la política gubernamental, dijo que dejaba a los conservadores después de 30 años y que representaría a su circunscripción en el sur de Inglaterra como legisladora de Reform.
“Podemos continuar por este camino de declive gestionado hacia la debilidad y la rendición”, expresó Braverman. “O podemos arreglar nuestro país, reclamar nuestro poder, redescubrir nuestra fuerza. Creo que un Reino Unido mejor es posible”.
Braverman es la última figura destacada de los conservadores en abrazar el mensaje del líder de Reform, Nigel Farage, de que el Reino Unido está roto y desbordado de migrantes. Su salida y la reciente deserción de Robert Jenrick, le da al partido de Farage ocho de los 650 escaños en la Cámara de los Comunes.
Los conservadores tienen 116 escaños y siguen siendo la oposición principal del gobierno del primer ministro Keir Starmer, del Partido Laborista.
Aunque Reform tiene un número muy pequeño de escaños en el Parlamento, va arriba de los laboristas y los conservadores en las encuestas de opinión antes de importantes elecciones locales en mayo, incluidas las de los parlamentos en Escocia y Gales.
Braverman fue destituida por el entonces primer ministro Rishi Sunak en noviembre de 2023 después de que ella declaró que la migración era como un “huracán” que se dirigía al Reino Unido; aseguró que la falta de vivienda era una “elección de estilo de vida” y acusó a la policía de ser demasiado indulgente con las protestas propalestinas a cuyos participantes llamó “manifestantes del odio”.
Los críticos la acusaron de que su retórica radical elevó las tensiones cuando manifestantes de extrema derecha se enfrentaron con la policía e intentaron confrontar una marcha propalestina de cientos de miles en Londres.
La abogada de 45 años, que ha criticado los valores sociales liberales y lo que ha llamado los “wokerati que comen tofu”, no quiso participar en la contienda por el liderazgo del Partido Conservador de centro-derecha después de que fue derrotado por el Partido Laborista de centro-izquierda en las elecciones de julio de 2024.
Después de la derrota, instó al partido a recibir a Farage. Escribiendo en el Daily Telegraph en ese momento, dijo que sus colegas conservadores no estaban dispuestos a escucharla y la tildaron de “loca, mala y peligrosa”.
Ahora Farage la ha recibido en el creciente partido Reform.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con la ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Chicago Bears CB Nahshon Wright added to the NFC Pro Bowl roster as an injury replacement
A couple of days before the Chicago Bears were set to play the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round, cornerback Nahshon Wright pulled out a 3-by-5-inch index card, stashed in a special place in his locker for safekeeping, and showed it to a reporter.
On it, he had some goals he wrote down in the summer for media day: four interceptions, 15-plus pass deflections and have an impact on winning.
“I’m like three (or four) short on the pass deflections (11), I have one more than what I set out to do in terms of picks (five) and I did a pretty good job of impacting winning,” Wright told the Tribune. “So, yeah, man, it was kind of a full-circle moment because we did that back in June.
“And I didn’t know what my situation was going to be. I didn’t know if I was going to be a starter. I was just hoping to make the 53(-man roster), and to have done that in a year with a bunch of uncertainties — definitely a blessing.”
Add one more unexpected blessing for Wright.
After being snubbed in the initial Pro Bowl voting, he was named to the NFL showcase Monday — his first Pro Bowl nod — as an injury replacement for Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.
Wright joins three Bears teammates on the NFC roster: safety Kevin Byard III, center Drew Dalman and guard Joe Thuney. That’s the most Pro Bowl honorees for the Bears since 2019, when cornerback Kyle Fuller, safety Eddie Jackson, outside linebacker Khalil Mack and return specialist Cordarrelle Patterson were selected.
The Pro Bowl Games, featuring an AFC-versus-NFC flag football game, will take place Feb. 3 in San Francisco (7 p.m., ESPN).
Wright led the league with eight takeaways during the regular season: five interceptions and three fumble recoveries. He also forced two fumbles and played a major role in the Bears leading the NFL with 23 interceptions and 33 takeaways.
He was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for November, when he racked up a league-high five takeaways (three interceptions, two fumble recoveries) and had five straight games with a takeaway.
He told the Tribune his favorite impact play was his strip of Jalen Hurts during a Tush Push, a key moment in the Bears’ 24-15 upset of the Eagles on Black Friday.
“The Tush Push was crazy,” he said in December. “I probably got the most love from that play.”
Wright spent his first three seasons (2021-23) with the Dallas Cowboys and spent all but one game last season on the Minnesota Vikings practice squad before they released him in April.
The Bears signed him as a free agent, reuniting him with former Cowboys defensive backs coach Al Harris, now the Bears defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/26/chicago-bears-nahshon-wright-pro-bowl/
WFLD-Channel 32 meteorologist Mike Caplan and his wife sell Gurnee home for $675,000
WFLD-Channel 32 morning meteorologist Mike Caplan and his wife, Laura, in December sold their five-bedroom, 3,011-square-foot house in Gurnee for $675,000.
A north suburban native, Caplan joined FOX 32 in 2015 after previously having spent 21 years as a weather forecaster for WLS-Channel 7.
In Gurnee, the Caplans paid $370,000 in 2020 for the house. Built in 1996 and located in Gurnee’s Bittersweet Woods neighborhood, the house has 2-1/2 bathrooms, custom closets in each bedroom and a primary bedroom suite with waterfall-edge vanities, an electric fireplace, a body-spray shower and a jetted tub. Other features include a family room with a fireplace and a kitchen with black stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, a slate peninsula and custom cabinetry with integrated lighting.
The home also has a 3.5-car garage with storage, along with professional landscaping on the wooded, 0.33-acre lot.
The Caplans first listed the house in October for $695,000. They found a buyer within two weeks.
The Caplans’ listing agents, Katie Bak and Jessica Bak, did not respond to requests for comment.
The house had a $14,309 property tax bill in the 2024 tax year.
Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/26/fox-meteorologist-mike-caplan-gurnee/
Businesses face pressure to respond to immigration enforcement while also becoming a target of it
From family-run cafes to retail giants, businesses are increasingly coming into the crosshairs of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, whether it’s public pressure for them to speak out against aggressive immigration enforcement or becoming the sites for such arrests themselves.
In Minneapolis, where the Department of Homeland Security says it’s carrying out its largest operation ever, hotels, restaurants and other businesses have temporarily closed their doors or stopped accepting reservations amid widespread protests.
Judge set to hear arguments on Minnesota’s immigration crackdown after fatal shootings
On Sunday, after the U.S. Border Patrol shot and killed Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, more than 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies including Target, Best Buy and UnitedHealth signed an open letter calling for “an immediate deescalation of tensions and for state, local and federal officials to work together to find real solutions.”
Still, that letter didn’t name immigration enforcement directly, or point to recent arrests at businesses. Earlier this month, widely-circulated videos showed federal agents detaining two Target employees in Minnesota. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also rounded up day laborers in Home Depot parking lots and delivery workers on the street nationwide. And last year, federal agents detained 475 people during a raid at a Hyundai plant in Georgia.
Here’s what we know about immigration enforcement in businesses.
What ICE is allowed to do
Anyone — including ICE — can enter public areas of a business as they wish. This can include restaurant dining sections, open parking lots, office lobbies and shopping aisles.
“The general public can go into a store for purposes of shopping, right? And so can law enforcement agents — without a warrant,” said Jessie Hahn, senior counsel for labor and employment policy at the National Immigration Law Center, an advocacy nonprofit. As a result, immigration officials may try to question people, seize information and even make arrests in public-facing parts of a business.
But to enter areas where there’s a reasonable expectation of privacy — like a back office or a closed-off kitchen — ICE is supposed to have a judicial warrant, which must be signed by a judge from a specified court, and can be limited to specific days or parts of the business.
Judicial warrants should not be confused with administrative warrants, which are signed by immigration officers.
But in an internal memo obtained by The Associated Press, ICE leadership stated administrative warrants were sufficient for federal officers to forcibly enter people’s homes if there’s a final order of removal. Hahn and other immigration rights lawyers say this upends years of precedent for federal agents’ authority in private spaces — and violates “bedrock principles” of the U.S. Constitution.
Still, the easiest way for ICE to enter private spaces in businesses without a warrant is through consent from an employer. That could be as simple as someone agreeing to let an agent into certain parts of the property. The agency may also cite other “exigent circumstances,” Hahn notes, such as if they’re in “hot pursuit” of a certain individual.
Other actions ICE can take against employers
Beyond more sweeping workplace raids, enforcement against employers can also take the form of I-9 audits, which focus on verifying employees’ authorization to work in the U.S.
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Since the start of Trump’s second term, attorneys have pointed to an uptick in instances of ICE physically showing up to a place of business to initiate an I-9 audit. ICE has the authority to do this — but it marks a shift from prior enforcement, when I-9 audits more often began through writing like mailed notices.
David Jones, a regional managing partner at labor and employment law firm Fisher Phillips in Memphis, said he’s also seen immigration agents approach these audits with the same approach as recent raids.
“ICE is still showing up in their full tactical gear without identifying themselves necessarily, just to do things like serve a notice of inspection,” Jones said. Employers have three days to respond to an I-9 audit, but he and others note that agents behaving aggressively might make some businesses think they need to act more immediately.
The rights of businesses
If ICE shows up without a warrant, businesses can ask agents to leave — or potentially refuse service based on their own company policy, perhaps citing safety concerns or other disruptions caused by agents’ presence. But there’s no guarantee immigration officials will comply, especially in public spaces.
“That’s not what we’re seeing here in Minnesota. What we’re seeing is they still conduct the activity,” said John Medeiros, who leads corporate immigration practice at Minneapolis-based law firm Nilan Johnson Lewis.
Because of this, Medeiros said, the question for many businesses becomes less about getting ICE to leave their property and more about what to do if ICE violates consent and other legal requirements.
In Minneapolis — and other cities that have seen surges in immigration enforcement, including Chicago and Los Angeles — some businesses have put up signs to label private spaces, educated workers on how to read different warrants and set wider protocols for what to do when ICE arrives.
Vanessa Matsis-McCready, associate general counsel and vice president of HR at Engage PEO, says she’s also seen a nationwide uptick in interest for I-9 self-audits across sectors and additional emergency preparation.
How the public is responding
ICE’s increased presence and forceful arrests at businesses has sparked public outcry, some of it directed at the companies themselves for not taking a strong enough stand.
Some employers, particularly smaller business owners, are speaking out about ICE’s impacts on their workers and customers. But a handful of bigger corporations have stayed largely silent, at least publicly, about enforcement making its way to their storefronts.
Minneapolis-based Target, for example, has not commented on videos of federal agents detaining two of its employees earlier this month, although its incoming chief executive, Michael Fiddelke, was one of the 60 CEOs who signed the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce’s letter calling for broader de-escalation. The letter also got support of the Business Roundtable, a lobbying group of CEOs from more than 200 companies.
Target is among companies that organizers with “ICE Out of Minnesota” have asked to take strong public stances over ICE’s presence in the state. Others include Home Depot, whose parking lots have become a known site of ICE raids over the last year, and Hilton — which protestors said was among brands of Twin City-area hotels that have housed federal agents.
Hilton and Home Depot did not respond to comment requests over the activists’ calls. Home Depot previously denied being involved in immigration operations.
Several worker groups have been more outspoken. Ted Pappageorge, secretary-treasurer for a local chapter of the Culinary Union in Las Vegas, said members have been shocked by a “widening pattern of unlawful ICE behavior” nationwide and “recognize that anti-immigrant policies hurt tourism, business, and their families.” United Auto Workers also expressed solidarity with Minneapolis residents “fighting back against the federal government’s abuses and attacks on the working class.”
Hahn of the National Immigration Law Center noted some businesses are communicating through industry associations to avoid direct exposure to possible retaliation. Still, she stressed the importance of speaking publicly about the impacts of immigration enforcement overall.
“We know that the raids are contributing to things like labor shortages and reduced foot traffic,” Hahn said, adding that fears to push back on “this abuse of power from Trump could ultimately land us in a very different looking economy.”
Associated Press Writer Rio Yamat in Las Vegas and Anne D’Innocenzio in New York contributed to this report.
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/26/businesses-pressure-immigration-enforcement/
USAR’s New CEO Executing On Strategy
USAR’s New CEO Executing On Strategy
Submitted by Tight Spreads
USA Rare Earth’s (USAR) strategy is characterized by its comprehensive “mine-to-magnet” vertical integration, a significant geographic footprint across North America and Europe. While competitors often focus on specific segments of the value chain, USAR is the only company outside of China positioned to offer a true end-to-end solution. In this note we’ll go over the business, key differentiators, and what the company has as remaining gaps in their operations to execute their strategy. A valuation note will follow soon.
Key notes include how on September 29, 2025, USAR announced the appointment of Barbara Humpton as the company’s Chief Executive Officer, effective October 1, 2025. Barbara Humpton had a distinguished 14-year tenure at Siemens before joining USAR.
For those of you who saw the Bloomberg and Reuters headlines:
Today, January 26th, it was confirmed true.
Business Overview and Segments
The company operates as a single reportable operating segment focused on the vertically integrated production of rare earth element magnets. Its business model encompasses the entire value chain through the following core components:
Upstream (Mining): Development of the Round Top deposit in Sierra Blanca, Texas, which is the richest known domestic source of heavy rare earth elements, gallium, beryllium, and yttrium.
Gallium: Round Top is one of the largest known deposits of gallium, a mineral where China currently accounts for approximately 98% of primary production. It is essential for semiconductors, compound semiconductors, and defense technologies, and was recently subject to export bans by China.
Beryllium: This element is used in specialized applications including military radar, nuclear power, X-rays, and MRIs. Its presence at Round Top was identified as early as the 1970s associated with fluorite deposits.
Yttrium: Classified as a heavy rare earth, yttrium is critical for radiation therapy for certain cancers and is a foundational material for chemical vapor deposition in semiconductor manufacturing.
Midstream (Processing & Metal-Making): Ownership of Less Common Metals (LCM), a leading producer of rare earth metals and alloys based in the UK, and development of a processing lab in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.
LCM is the only proven scaled producer of rare earth metals, alloys, and strip casting outside of China.
Feedstock Security: The acquisition ensures a reliable supply of NdFeB strip cast alloy, which is a mandatory input for the Stillwater, Oklahoma magnet facility.
Specialized Materials: LCM provides leadership in Samarium and Samarium Cobalt metals, which are critical for defense and medical sectors and identified as high-risk for supply vulnerabilities.
Circular Manufacturing: LCM brings the ability to process recycled rare earth oxides from end-of-life magnets and production swarf, creating a more sustainable supply chain.
Hafnium Extraction: During piloting of its separation methods, the company successfully isolated hafnium, a material used in advanced semiconductors and nuclear reactors.
Downstream (Magnet Manufacturing): A 310,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility in Stillwater, Oklahoma, designed for large-scale production of sintered Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB) magnets.
Circular Economy: Integration of recycling capabilities to recover materials from end-of-life magnets and production swarf, creating a sustainable closed-loop system.
Remaining Steps for Full Vertical Integration
While the LCM acquisition closes a major gap, several components are still required to fully realize the end-to-end domestic strategy.
1) Mining and Processing Development
Technical Milestones: The company must still complete the Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) and a Definitve Feasibility Study (DFS) for the Round Top project. Commercial production at the Texas mine is not expected to begin until late 2028.
Separation Scaling: While separation has been proven at the Wheat Ridge lab, USAR needs to scale these technologies to handle 8,000 metric tons per annum of concentrates.
2) Manufacturing and Infrastructure
Domestic Metal-Making: While LCM provides metal-making in the UK, USAR still needs to “return this capability home” by establishing rare earth metal-making facilities within the United States.
Capacity Expansion: Full commissioning of the Stillwater magnet facility is scheduled for Q1 2026. The company plans to scale magnet production from an initial 1,200 tpa to a target of 5,000 tpa, which requires additional capital and equipment installation.
European Expansion: Plans to build a 3,750 mtpa metal and alloy plant in France are underway but require further development and construction.
How the company is addressing the premier bottlenecks identified:
USAR is scaling its operations through a combination of proprietary technological development at its Wheat Ridge facility and a massive $1.6 billion government-backed investment to establish domestic metal-making capabilities.
Scaling Separation Processes to 8,000 Metric TPA
To transition from bench-scale testing to a commercial capacity of 8,000 metric tons per annum (tpa) of concentrates, the company is implementing the following steps and technologies:
Continuous Demonstration and Digital Twin Technology
USAR is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Energy to leverage digital twin technology and process modeling to advance separation at the Wheat Ridge lab.
The company plans to operate a Hydromet demonstration facility in Colorado for 2,000 to 4,000 continuous hours starting in early 2026.
This demonstration plant will run five parallel solvent-extraction (SX) circuits to generate the operational data required for commercial plant design.
The scaling strategy involves moving from batch testing to continuous testing by significantly increasing the volume of rock processed to create enough bulk leach solution.
Process Optimization and Engineering Partners
The company has selected Fluor Corp. and WSP Global Inc. as EPCM partners to advance the Definitive Feasibility Study (DFS) and manage large-scale infrastructure delivery.
Research at the Colorado Facility is specifically focused on refining separation processes that minimize the use of organic solvents, aiming for a lower waste profile than traditional methods.
Engineering work is currently focused on “fine-tuning” the separation of bulk gallium, as well as heavy and light rare earths, into distinct concentrate streams.
Establishing Domestic Metal-Making
USAR is addressing the lack of domestic rare earth metal-making by integrating the expertise of its Less Common Metals (LCM) acquisition directly into its U.S. operations.
Integration at Stillwater, Oklahoma
USAR intends to return metal making to the United States by integrating LCM’s capabilities into its Stillwater, Oklahoma facility.
The Stillwater site is being developed to house the largest metal-and-alloy-making and strip-casting capability outside of China.
The facility will produce essential feedstocks for magnets, including NdPr, dysprosium, terbium, and samarium cobalt metals.
The company aims to reshore approximately 10,000 tonnes per year of heavy rare earth metal and alloy production capacity to the U.S.
Strategic Support and Workforce Development
A $1.6 billion Letter of Intent with the U.S. government and $1.5 billion in private investment are earmarked to accelerate the build-out of these domestic capabilities.
To address the shortage of skilled labor in the U.S., USAR is launching an apprenticeship program to train domestic metal makers and transfer expertise from the UK-based LCM team.
The domestic metal-making operations will utilize a “circular” approach, incorporating both mined feedstock from Round Top and recycled materials (such as magnet swarf).
Important Notes on Management
New CEO: Barbara Humpton had a distinguished 14-year tenure at Siemens before joining USAR last October.
She served as President and CEO of Siemens USA starting in 2018, overseeing the company’s largest market with more than $20 billion in annual revenues.
Siemens Government Technologies: Prior to her role as U.S. CEO, she was the President and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies, where she focused on implementing products and services for federal government agencies.
Previous Executive Roles: She served as a Vice President at Booz Allen Hamilton and held the position of Vice President and Director at Lockheed Martin Corporation.
Board Memberships: She serves on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and is the Chair of the Board for the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA).
Industry Influence: She has held board seats at the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the Economic Club of Washington, D.C.
Rob Steele (CFO): Appointed in March 2025, Steele brings over 30 years of experience in investment banking and has led over $28 billion in capital raises.
Dr. Alex Moyes (VP of Mining): Appointed in October 2025, Moyes holds a PhD in Mining and Minerals Engineering and previously led critical minerals planning at Ramaco Resources.
Board Composition: The board includes experienced figures such as Michael Blitzer (Chairman and SPAC veteran) and General Paul Kern (Ret.), who formerly served as Commanding General of the Army Materiel Command.
More in the Tight Spreads substack.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/26/2026 – 11:25
https://www.zerohedge.com/commodities/usars-new-ceo-executing-strategy
Myanmar dice que partido respaldado por militares ganó las elecciones
Por GRANT PECK
BANGKOK (AP) — El partido respaldado por el gobierno militar de Myanmar afirmó que había ganado las primeras elecciones del país desde que el ejército tomó el poder en 2021, allanando el camino para un nuevo gobierno.
La victoria de Unión, Solidaridad y Desarrollo no sorprende ya que los principales partidos de oposición fueron excluidos y la disidencia estuvo restringida. Además, el 25% de los escaños parlamentarios se reservaron automáticamente para el ejército, garantizando efectivamente el control por parte de las fuerzas armadas y sus partidos favorecidos.
Los críticos dicen que las elecciones organizadas por el gobierno militar no fueron ni libres ni justas, sino un esfuerzo por legitimar su gobierno después de derrocar al gobierno electo de Aung San Suu Kyi. La toma de poder desencadenó una oposición generalizada que arrastró a Myanmar a una guerra civil.
La elección se llevó a cabo en tres fases el 28 de diciembre, el 11 de enero y el 25 de enero. De los 330 municipios totales del país, 67 —principalmente áreas controladas por grupos armados opositores— no participaron, reduciendo los escaños originales en el parlamento nacional de 664 miembros a 586.
Más de 4.800 candidatos de 57 partidos políticos compitieron por escaños en las legislaturas nacionales y regionales, aunque solo seis lo hicieron a nivel nacional.
Un alto funcionario de USD dijo el lunes a The Associated Press que el partido ganó 57 de los 61 escaños totales en la cámara baja que se disputaron en la fase final celebrada el domingo. El funcionario habló bajo condición de anonimato porque no estaba autorizado para divulgar información.
Añadió que el conteo de votos para los escaños en la cámara alta y las legislaturas regionales aún estaba en curso.
Las últimas cifras darían al partido al menos 290 escaños en las dos cámaras del Parlamento. Eso significa que, junto con el ejército, al que se le asignan 166 escaños, ambos tienen más de 450 y muy por encima de los 294 necesarios para formar un gobierno.
Se esperan los resultados finales para todos los escaños más adelante esta semana.
Una vez finalizados los resultados, los nuevos miembros del Parlamento y los designados militares propondrán tres candidatos y luego elegirán a uno como presidente. Los otros dos se convertirán en vicepresidentes.
Se espera ampliamente que el general Min Aung Hlaing, quien encabeza el actual gobierno militar, asuma la presidencia cuando el nuevo Parlamento se reúna.
Tom Andrews, un relator especial que trabaja con la oficina de derechos humanos de la ONU, instó el viernes a la comunidad internacional a rechazar los resultados de las elecciones y cualquier arreglo de poder que siga.
Min Aung Hlaing rechazó las críticas, declarando que “las personas que viven en Myanmar son las que votan. No aquellos de fuera”.
“No nos preocupa si esto es reconocido por países extranjeros o no. Reconocemos el voto del pueblo, que es como debe ser”, indicó.
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Esta historia fue traducida del inglés por un editor de AP con ayuda de una herramienta de inteligencia artificial generativa.
Presidenta de México toma en sus propias manos defensa de ARMY de BTS
Por BERENICE BAUTISTA
CIUDAD DE MÉXICO (AP) — Los próximos conciertos de BTS en México se están convirtiendo en un asunto presidencial y las exigencias de los fans de la banda, conocidos como ARMY, han tenido eco en la conferencia matutina de Claudia Sheinbaum.
El lunes, por segunda vez, la presidenta de México mencionó los próximos conciertos del septeto surcoreano programados para mayo de este año para pedir si se podrían abrir más fechas luego de que se agotaran en preventa y venta general en cuestión de minutos la semana pasada.
Sheinbaum dijo que envió una carta al primer ministro de Corea del Sur para solicitar que vengan más veces.
“Todavía no recibimos respuesta, pero esperamos que sea positiva”, agregó Sheinbaum.
La mandataria también se puso en contacto con los organizadores de los conciertos y hasta el momento la promotora Ocesa le ha respondido que de momento no es posible abrir más fechas. Los conciertos de BTS en México están programados para el 7, 9 y 10 de mayo en el Estadio GNP Seguros de la Ciudad de México.
Previamente, Sheinbaum celebró la confirmación de los conciertos.
“Es un grupo coreano muy famoso que les encanta a los jóvenes y viene a México”, señaló. “Qué bueno que viene (la banda) porque era petición histórica de los jóvenes mexicanos”, señaló en su conferencia matutina del 19 de enero. Estas declaraciones de la presidenta fueron reportadas incluso por medios surcoreanos.
En esa misma conferencia compartió, junto con el procurador Federal del Consumidor, todos los esfuerzos que se estaban haciendo en conjunto con Ocesa y Ticketmaster México para transparentar precios, fechas y condiciones de compra, así como para evitar reventas.
El lunes, el titular de la Procuraduría Federal del Consumidor, Ivan Escalante Ruiz, dijo que se sancionará a plataformas de reventa de boletos y que se iniciaría un “un procedimiento por infracción a la ley a Ticketmaster, por la falta de claridad en la información”.
México un destino muy popular para conciertos
México es actualmente un destino codiciado para giras internacionales. Artistas como Lady Gaga, Shakira, Oasis y Bad Bunny tuvieron presentaciones destacadas de sus giras tan solo en 2025. Además de los acérrimos fans locales de una ciudad de 9,2 millones como la Ciudad de México, suele ser también un destino para turistas internacionales por su buena reputación entre los artistas por su ambiente electrizante.
El Estadio GNP Seguros, con capacidad para 65.000 asistentes, fue reconocido en 2025 por la revista especializada Pollstar como el estadio número uno para conciertos del mundo, un título que también obtuvo en 2024.
La enorme expectativa por BTS a nivel mundial
Después de una pausa musical de casi cuatro años, BTS —integrado por RM, Jin, Jimin, V, Suga, Jung Kook y j-hope— está de regreso con una gira mundial y lanzará un nuevo álbum el 20 de marzo titulado “ARIRANG”.
Su gira comenzará en Corea del Sur en abril y se extenderá hasta marzo de 2027 con más de 70 fechas en Asia, América del Norte, América del Sur, Australia y Europa. Son las primeras presentaciones principales del grupo desde su gira Permission to Dance on Stage 2021–22.
En los años entre ambas giras, todos los miembros de BTS debieron cumplir con su servicio militar obligatorio en Corea del Sur.
___
Las periodistas de The Associated Press María Verza en Ciudad de México y Maria Sherman en Nueva York contribuyeron a este despacho.
Son Of US Govt Crypto Custodian Allegedly Steals $40 Million
Son Of US Govt Crypto Custodian Allegedly Steals $40 Million
Well known blockchain sleuth, ZachXBT, alleges a custody CEO’s son stole tens of millions in crypto from US government‑linked wallets tied to Bitfinex funds, exposing systemic custody risks.
1/ Meet the threat actor John (Lick), who was caught flexing $23M in a wallet address directly tied to $90M+ in suspected thefts from the US Government in 2024 and multiple other unidentified victims from Nov 2025 to Dec 2025. pic.twitter.com/SBAFU5hTnE
— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) January 23, 2026
As Andrew Folkler reports for Crypto.news, the case revives scrutiny of contractor CMDSS and wider federal crypto‑custody controls, even as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana prices trade mostly on macro drivers.
Core allegation
In a detailed thread “documenting [his] findings,” ZachXBT claimed that an online figure known as “Lick,” identified as John Daghita, “siphoned tens of millions of dollars in crypto from wallets linked to the US government.”
He further alleged that Daghita is the son of Dean Daghita, president and chief executive of Command Services & Support (CMDSS), a Virginia‑based firm contracted by the U.S. Marshals Service to safeguard seized digital assets classified as “Class 2–4” tokens that require bespoke custody solutions.
Trace from Bitfinex‑linked wallets
According to on‑chain traces cited by ZachXBT, the allegedly compromised funds were linked to assets seized in the 2016 Bitfinex hack, with one wallet receiving “$24.9 million from a US government‑controlled wallet in March 2024.”
The probe builds on an earlier investigation, published January 23, that tied the “Lick” persona to “more than $90 million in suspected illicit crypto activity” routed through a network of addresses associated with government‑linked wallets.
As Hannah Collymore reports for Cryptopolitan.com, that up until two days ago, John Lick had avoided detection.
John ‘Lick’ Daghita’s flamboyant lifestyle outed him
He had over $20 million in crypto wallets.
However, things started to unravel when he got into a heated argument with another threat actor known as Dritan Kapplani Jr. in a group chat to see who had more funds in crypto wallets.
By the time the showoff session wrapped up, John had flaunted $23 million in total, moving the funds between wallets ZachXBT claims he clearly controls.
2/ Earlier today John got into a heated argument with another threat actor known as Dritan Kapplani Jr. in a group chat to see who had more funds in crypto wallets.
In ‘The Com’ this is known as a band for band (b4b).
However the entire interaction was fully recorded.… pic.twitter.com/2XkdFCSNgz
— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) January 23, 2026
After that, Zach began tracing backwards to verify the source of funds and found that one of the wallets, the 0xc7a2 wallet, had previously received $24.9 million from a U.S. government wallet back in March 2024.
That transaction was linked to funds the government seized in the Bitfinex hack, and Zach had already flagged that same address in a post from October 2024. Another wallet was linked, the 0xd8bc wallet, which goes back to $63 million obtained from sketchy wallets during Q4 2025.
John just enjoys showing off
According to reports, it was only a matter of time before this happened, given how much John loves to show off. The Telegram account linked to him reportedly has a long history of bragging about his riches and brokeshaming people.
His username is tied to TG ID 8269661864. After he was outed by Zach, he allegedly wiped out his NFT usernames and quickly changed his screen name, but the damage was already done.
Zach later revealed that there are rumors circulating in cybercrime Telegram circles indicating John could be John Daghitia, who had previously been arrested in September 2025. He did concede that more research was needed to fully confirm it.
Since he made the link between John and his father, Zach claims the CMDSS company X account, website, & LinkedIn were all deactivated, and John Daghita (Lick) began trolling again on Telegram shortly after.
Update: The CMDSS company X account, website, & LinkedIn were all just deactivated pic.twitter.com/nvN6u5XMPq
— ZachXBT (@zachxbt) January 25, 2026
As Andrew Folkler reports for Crypto.news concludes, this is not the first issue faced by CMDSS.
Prior CMDSS scrutiny and systemic risk
CMDSS’s appointment already faced challenges when rival Wave Digital Assets filed a protest with the Government Accountability Office, arguing the firm lacked key registrations and warning of potential conflicts involving a former Marshals Service official, though the GAO later denied the protest.
Separately, a 2025 CoinDesk report found the Marshals Service struggled to reconcile its digital asset holdings, underscoring broader concerns around federal crypto custody as illicit addresses received a record “$154 billion in 2025,” up sharply year‑on‑year.
For now, there have been no public arrests or DOJ confirmations, but the onchain evidence has been making rounds across the Internet. Law enforcement could eventually intervene.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/26/2026 – 11:10
https://www.zerohedge.com/crypto/son-us-govt-crypto-custodian-allegedly-steals-40-million
Elon’s X Overhaul: Muting Political Posts And Banishing ‘Rage Bait’
Elon’s X Overhaul: Muting Political Posts And Banishing ‘Rage Bait’
Authored by Steve Watson via Modernity.news,
While Elon Musk is rightly credited for transforming X into a battleground for unfiltered truth, he dropped two bombshells this week that could significantly reshape the platform.
In a move that promises cleaner feeds but sparks fears of shadowy content policing, Musk revealed plans for topic-specific “For You” tabs free from “political rage bait” and an outright mute tool for all political posts. Critics are already sounding alarms over potential censorship creep.
Musk’s move comes as a direct response to some user gripes about X turning into a rage-fueled echo chamber. With immigration debates, election fallout, and globalist agendas dominating timelines, Musk’s tweaks aim to let users opt out of the frenzy. But in an era where Big Tech has a history of silencing conservative voices, the big question looms: who defines “rage bait,” and does this undermine the free speech haven Musk vowed to build?
The @xAI team is working on providing For You tabs that are specific to topics.
For example, a “For You AI” that is focused only on artificial intelligence with no political rage bait.
This would be like automatically generated follow lists with content ranked by quality.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 24, 2026
Musk first teased the changes in a post on Saturday, explaining that his xAI team is crafting specialized “For You” tabs. “The @xAI team is working on providing For You tabs that are specific to topics,” he wrote. As an example, he pointed to a “For You AI” tab “focused only on artificial intelligence with no political rage bait.” He likened it to “automatically generated follow lists with content ranked by quality.”
Then, on Sunday, Musk doubled down in response to a frustrated user complaining about the app’s political overload. The user lamented, “bro how do i mute all political posts on this app holy hell it has turned into reddit.”
Musk’s reply was straightforward: “I agree. Working on it.” This suggests a broader tool to blanket-mute political content across the platform, not just in curated tabs.
I agree. Working on it.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 25, 2026
Replies to Musk’s announcements highlight the divide.
Supporters cheered the move, with one user saying it would help “normal posts that never get seen” rise above the din.
Others, however, blasted it as a step toward echo chambers. “Yes let’s put people into echo chambers and make sure they can’t see what’s going on so it can continue….silence is complicity,” fired back one critic in the thread.
Skeptics point to Musk’s own feed, often laced with pointed commentary on issues like unchecked immigration and government overreach.
“You literally post political rage bait all day and night,” quipped another responder. If the boss sets the tone, how fair will the filtering be?
These updates may aim to “enhance content quality” by shifting from a one-size-fits-all algorithm to personalized, high-signal feeds. The move aligns with Musk’s push against legacy media’s stranglehold, but it echoes past Big Tech controversies where “quality” often meant suppressing dissenting views on topics like election integrity or vaccine mandates.
At its core, X under Musk has been a win for free speech and truth—exposing media hypocrisy, amplifying anti-globalist narratives, and giving a platform to those shut out by Silicon Valley elites. Yet this new direction raises red flags. If algorithms decide what’s “political” or “rage bait,” could conservative takes on border crises or woke indoctrination get flagged and blocked?
Musk has repeatedly championed free speech, vowing to make X a town square for all ideas. But tools like these could inadvertently—or intentionally—tilt the scales. Who programs the AI to spot “rage bait”?
True freedom means no gatekeepers, even well-intentioned ones. Muting and blocking posts of any nature risks creating just another filtered bubble, stifling the voices that need to be heard most.
Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.
Tyler Durden
Mon, 01/26/2026 – 10:55
https://www.zerohedge.com/technology/elons-x-overhaul-muting-political-posts-and-banishing-rage-bait
