World News
US-Iran War Enters Third Week as Trump Seeks Coalition to Reopen Strait of Hormuz
The US military campaign against Iran entered its third week with no clear end in sight. President Trump called on allied nations to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but Japan, Australia, and other key partners have so far declined to commit naval forces. Iran has effectively shut down the waterway, which normally carries about one-fifth of global oil supply.
Oil Prices Climb Past $104 After Second Attack on UAE Port of Fujairah
Brent crude rose near $104 a barrel on Monday after Iran launched a second attack in three days on Fujairah, a vital oil export port in the United Arab Emirates just outside the Strait of Hormuz. Oil loading at the port was suspended as damage was assessed. Futures have surged more than 40 percent since the war began on February 28.
Politics
Senate Prepares to Vote on SAVE America Act This Week
Senate Republicans are teeing up a floor vote on the SAVE America Act, President Trump’s top legislative priority, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo ID to cast a ballot. The bill faces long odds as Democrats have vowed to filibuster it, and Senate Majority Leader Thune has said there are not enough Republican votes to change filibuster rules. Trump has said he will not sign any other legislation until the bill passes.
Sen. Cornyn Reverses Long-Standing Support for Filibuster
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas reversed years of support for the Senate filibuster, saying he would back rule changes to pass the SAVE America Act. The move comes as Cornyn is locked in a competitive Republican primary runoff and seeking Trump’s endorsement. Several other Republican senators, including Murkowski and Collins, remain opposed to any filibuster changes.
Tech & AI
NVIDIA GTC 2026 Opens With Jensen Huang Keynote Today
NVIDIA’s annual GTC conference kicked off in San Jose with 30,000 attendees from 190 countries. CEO Jensen Huang is set to deliver a keynote today outlining the company’s strategy as the AI market shifts from model training toward inference, orchestration, and agentic workloads. NVIDIA also announced a major partnership with Thinking Machines Lab and a strategic deal with Coherent to advance optics technology for next-generation AI data centers.
OpenAI Tops $25 Billion in Annualized Revenue
OpenAI has surpassed $25 billion in annualized revenue and is reportedly taking early steps toward a public listing, potentially as late as 2026. Rival Anthropic is approaching $19 billion in annualized revenue. The figures signal that the market for advanced AI models has rapidly become one of the fastest-growing sectors in tech.
Apple Announces AI-Powered Siri Overhaul for March Release
Apple announced that a completely reimagined, AI-powered version of Siri is set to debut alongside iOS 26.4 in March 2026. The new Siri will feature on-screen awareness and cross-app integration, powered by Google’s Gemini AI model running on Apple’s Private Cloud Compute infrastructure to maintain privacy standards.
Weather
Bomb Cyclone Brings Historic Blizzard to Midwest and Great Lakes
A powerful bomb cyclone delivered historic snowfall and dangerous blizzard conditions across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes over the weekend. Minneapolis and St. Paul declared snow emergencies after accumulations exceeded 10 inches in some suburbs, while Michigan’s Upper Peninsula recorded over 26 inches. Blizzard warnings remain in effect for parts of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Iowa on Monday.
Severe Storm Threat Shifts to East Coast With Tornado Risk
On the warm side of the same storm system, a significant severe weather outbreak is targeting the mid-Atlantic today. Nearly 13 million people from South Carolina to Maryland face a Level 4 out of 5 severe weather risk, with the potential for strong, long-track tornadoes, damaging winds topping 75 mph, and large hail. Wind advisories are also in effect for the New York City area.
Culture
‘One Battle After Another’ Sweeps 2026 Oscars With Six Wins
Paul Thomas Anderson’s action-thriller “One Battle After Another” dominated the 98th Academy Awards on Sunday night, taking home six Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. It was Anderson’s first-ever Oscar win after 14 previous nominations. Ryan Coogler’s “Sinners” followed with four awards, including Best Actor for Michael B. Jordan and a historic Best Cinematography win for Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the first woman ever to win the category.
Jessie Buckley Wins Best Actress for ‘Hamnet’
Jessie Buckley won Best Actress for her performance in “Hamnet,” directed by Chloe Zhao. The ceremony, hosted by Conan O’Brien for a second consecutive year, also featured the Academy’s first-ever award for Best Casting, won by Cassandra Kulukundis for “One Battle After Another.” The In Memoriam segment included tributes to Rob Reiner, Robert Redford, Diane Keaton, and Catherine O’Hara.