Iran Announces the Strait of Hormuz Is Closed to the U.S. & Israel
March 25th, 2026If you don’t want to listen to the whole thing, I understand, but I’d strongly suggest listening from 15:29.
Summary: There’s probably no military option that will make shipping through the Persian Gulf safe again as long as the Iranians are actively resisting that outcome with their drone and missile systems. If the Iranians can’t be convinced to allow normal shipping operations to resume, normal shipping operations will not resume.
Via: What’s Going on With Shipping?:
Same Conclusion as Above: Scott Ritter : What Awaits US Ground Troops
FCC Imposes Sweeping Ban on Foreign-Made Routers, Affecting All New Models
March 25th, 2026Most routers are made in China. While it’s possible to find routers that aren’t made in China, it’s definitely not easy.
My incredible Asus Rapture AX6000 was made in Taiwan. My old Mikrotik Hex was made in Latvia, but that line of routers is also made in several other countries, including China.
How about routers made in the U.S.?
Apparently, some Starlink routers are made in the U.S. (although mine was made in Vietnam), but they are meant to be used only with the Starlink service and antenna hardware.
I’m struggling to find a single consumer grade router that’s made in the U.S. The closest I could come were AI hallucinations that claimed things were made in the U.S., but weren’t.
Via: Ars Technica:
The Federal Communications Commission yesterday announced it will no longer approve consumer-grade routers made outside of the US, citing a President Trump directive on reducing the use of foreign technology for national security reasons. The action will prevent foreign-made routers from being imported into or sold in the US.
Routers already approved for sale in the US can continue to be sold, and consumers can keep using any router they’ve previously obtained, the FCC said. But the FCC will not approve new device models made at least partly outside the US unless the Department of Defense or Department of Homeland Security determines that the router does not pose national security risks.
The prohibition applies to both US and foreign companies that produce routers outside the US. Foreign production includes “any major stage of the process through which the device is made, including manufacturing, assembly, design, and development.”
“This action means that new models of foreign-produced routers will no longer be eligible for marketing or sale in the US,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr wrote on X. “The determination included an exemption for routers that the Department of War (DoW) or the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have granted ‘Conditional Approval’ after finding that such device or devices do not pose such unacceptable risks.”
Router makers seeking conditional approvals must submit, among other things, a “justification on why any foreign manufactured router is not currently manufactured in the United States, including why these foreign sources were selected and whether alternatives exist,” and a “detailed, time-bound plan to establish or expand manufacturing in the United States.”
The FCC said it acted after receiving a national security determination from an interagency group of security experts. “Recently, malicious state and non-state sponsored cyber attackers have increasingly leveraged the vulnerabilities in small and home office routers produced abroad to carry out direct attacks against American civilians in their homes,” the determination said.
U.S. Army Raises Maximum Enlistment Age to 42
March 25th, 2026Via: Army Times:
In a sweeping change to its enlistment regulations, the Army has raised the maximum age for eligible recruits to 42, the service announced.
Changes highlighted in the memo, which was distributed this week and will go into effect in April, also include the removal of previous enlistment obstacles for recruits who have a single marijuana or drug paraphernalia conviction.
The announcement comes as the Army continues efforts to widen its recruiting pool after falling short of its Regular Army enlistment goals in 2022 and 2023 before rebounding in 2024.
The upper limit of the Army’s previous allowable enlistment age was 35, but waivers were sometimes granted for older enlistees.
Short Term Pain For The Long Term Gain
March 25th, 2026Two weeks to flatten the curve.
Build back better.
Thousands of Soldiers from U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division Deploying to Middle East
March 25th, 2026Reuters is saying between 3000 and 4000 troops:
The Pentagon is expected to send ?thousands of soldiers from the U.S. Army’s elite 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, two people familiar with the ?matter told Reuters on Tuesday, adding to a massive U.S. military buildup even as President Donald Trump talks about a possible deal with Tehran to end the war.
…
No decision had been made to send troops into Iran itself, one of the sources told Reuters, but they will build up capacity for potential future operations in the region.
One of the sources said the Pentagon was set to send between 3,000 and 4,000 soldiers.
New York Times is saying about 2000:
The Pentagon has ordered about 2,000 soldiers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to begin moving to the Middle East to give President Trump additional military options even as he weighs a new diplomatic initiative with Iran, two Defense Department officials said on Tuesday.
The combat forces would come from the division’s “Immediate Response Force,” a brigade of about 3,000 soldiers capable of deploying anywhere in the world within 18 hours.
Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division and Senior Staff Ordered to Deploy to Middle East
March 24th, 2026Fox News has learned that the Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division Maj Gen Brandon Tegtmeier and his “command element,” members of his headquarters staff, have been ordered to deploy to the Middle East as the Pentagon and White House weigh whether to send the 82nd Airborne…
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) March 24, 2026
“Genetically-Engineered Whole Organ Systems That Lack a Brain”
March 24th, 2026Via: Wired:
“If we can create a nonsentient, headless bodyoid for a human being, that will be a great source of organs.”
RUSSIA HALTS AMMONIUM NITRATE EXPORTS
March 24th, 2026Via: ZeroHedge:
The fertilizer crisis appears to be worsening just as the Northern Hemisphere planting season, in some areas, is about to begin, with top ammonium nitrate supplier Russia announcing on Tuesday via state media that exports of the critical crop nutrient will be halted.
Russia’s state-run news agency TASS said Russia will suspend ammonium nitrate exports from March 21 through April 21. The report cited a statement from the Agriculture Ministry.
The temporary restriction is intended to secure domestic fertilizer supplies during the spring planting season. Exports made under intergovernmental agreements are exempt.
Russia is the world’s largest producer of ammonium nitrate. In 2024, the country produced about 12 million tons, roughly 47% of the global output of the plant nutrient. It was also the largest exporter at about 2.7 million tons, around 37% of global export volume and 40% of export value.
More: Nations race to secure enough fertilizer and prevent food crisis
Slovenia Becomes First EU Country to Introduce Fuel Rationing
March 24th, 2026Ok, it turns out that the answer was ten days…
On a related topic, I was expecting that some diabolical tracking app or other Covid-style pass would be required to manage fuel purchases, but the article states:
Under his government’s new measures, the nationwide restrictions are to be policed by the petrol stations themselves, with employees required to make sure that customers do not stock up on more than the allowed amount of fuel.
This amounts to no meaningful restrictions. People who want more will simply find easy ways to get more.
Obviously, the Slovenian government must realize this.
I wonder if this exercise will be used as a pretext to bring in more abhorrent electronic/biometric rationing systems?
You can hear it now: We tried the honor system, but that obviously didn’t work. For those who would like to purchase fuel, simply download the convenient Palantir/Oracle/Microsoft homunculus onto your phone. Provide your biometric information. With a sufficient social credit score, up to date vaccine status and low enough emissions totals, you’ll be authorized to get the fuel you need to own nothing and be happy.
Via: BBC:
Slovenia has become the first EU member state to implement fuel rationing to tackle disruptions caused by the US-Israeli strikes on Iran and its retaliation on their allies in the Gulf – most major players in world energy markets.
Many countries have been experiencing steep hikes in fuel prices.
In Slovenia, this has resulted in so-called “fuel tourism”, as drivers from neighbouring countries, particularly Austria, take advantage of the lower, regulated prices here.
Under the new measures, private motorists in Slovenia will be restricted to a maximum purchase of 50 litres of fuel per day. Businesses and farmers have a more generous allowance of 200 litres.
Some fuel retailers had already imposed measures of their own. Hungary’s MOL, which operates petrol stations across the region, had already imposed a 30-litre limit.
Volume in Stock and Oil Futures Surged Minutes Before Trump’s Market-Turning Post
March 23rd, 2026Update: Half a billion dollars bet on oil minutes before Trump climbdown
—
While the news might be fake, the profits are real.
10% for the big guy?
Those are rookie numbers.
Via: CNBC:
S&P 500 futures and oil futures flashed an unusual burst of activity early Monday minutes before a market-moving social media post from President Donald Trump.
At around 6:50 a.m. in New York, S&P 500 e-Mini futures trading on the CME recorded a sharp and isolated jump in volume, breaking from an otherwise subdued premarket backdrop. With thin liquidity typical of early trading hours, the sudden burst stood out as one of the largest volume moments of the session up to that point.
A similar pattern was observed in oil markets. West Texas Intermediate May futures also saw a noticeable pickup in trading activity at roughly the same time, with a distinct volume spike interrupting otherwise quiet conditions.
Roughly 15 minutes later, at 7:05 a.m., Trump said on Truth Social that the U.S. and Iran had held talks and that he was halting planned strikes on Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure. That announcement prompted an instant rally in risk assets, with S&P 500 futures soaring more than 2.5% before the opening bell. West Texas Intermediate futures dropped nearly 6% following the announcement.
Related: They Made a Killing: The Use of Knowledge of Covert Operations in the Stock Market
