Tech News
Today’s tech thread points to a push for AI and computing that is both more scalable and more measurable: faster, cheaper models and more modular chips on one side, and stronger, broader evaluation of agent behavior and multimodal safety on the other. At the same time, enterprise tooling is emphasizing resilient, controlled access and high-availability infrastructure, while product teams are being nudged to bake accessibility into research and design decisions. For readers, the key tradeoff is speed and rollout versus assurance—what gets deployed widely needs clearer tests, sturdier systems, and inclusive practices.
Gemini 3.1 Flash-Lite is now available in preview via the Gemini API in Google AI Studio and via Vertex AI for enterprises.
Apple unveiled M5 Pro and M5 Max using more chiplets, three CPU core types, and a Fusion Architecture that joins two silicon chiplets. The performance impact won't be known until hardware is tested.
Researchers released MUSE, an open-source run-centric platform for multimodal safety evaluation of large language models. Experiments on six multimodal LLMs showed multi-turn attacks reached up to 90–100% ASR despite near-perfect single-turn refusal.
Researchers released LiveAgentBench, a benchmark of 104 real-world scenarios for evaluating agentic systems. It uses SPDG to ensure real-world relevance and provides 374 tasks (125 validation, 249 testing).
Cloudflare's Gateway Authorization Proxy and hosted PAC files are in open beta for all plans. They replace IP-based access with Cloudflare Access, enabling identity-aware filtering without WARP for VDIs or compliance-restricted endpoints.
GitHub rebuilt the search architecture in GitHub Enterprise Server to provide high availability. GitHub says this makes search better, faster, and more resilient for GHES customers.
Smashing Magazine has started worldwide shipping of Accessible UX Research, a new book by Michele Williams.
Local News
Montana’s news reflects a convergence of election jockeying, energy-system choices, and public safety pressures. Voters and policymakers are weighing tradeoffs between environmental requirements and reliable, affordable power, while political candidates position themselves around those priorities. These shifts matter most for households facing utility decisions, communities affected by resource management, and local courts handling serious violence.
Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen announced she will run for the western U.S. House seat being vacated by Rep. Ryan Zinke.
Seth Bodnar announced he is running for U.S. Senate in Montana as an independent. He will file to challenge Republican Sen. Steve Daines.
A federal judge ordered operators to lower reservoirs and increase spill on the Columbia and Snake rivers to aid salmon and steelhead. Flathead Electric says it has "direct affordability implications" for members.
A 25-year-old man, Dylan Austin Olson, has been charged with deliberate homicide after allegedly fatally shooting another man with a shotgun at a Hungry Horse property.
A poll found Montanans favor more solar and natural gas and oppose new coal plants. It comes as policymakers face rising electricity demand from AI and data centers.
U.S. Governance
Federal governance is being pulled between urgent national-security decisions abroad and demands for tighter checks on executive power at home. Lawmakers are weighing war-authority limits and extended emergency authorities while simultaneously scrutinizing immigration enforcement. Local crackdowns tied to homelessness highlight how stated policy goals can diverge from enforcement outcomes, shaping legal and oversight choices that affect residents and Americans overseas.
Iranian drones struck the U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia. It occurred as the war widened, with Israel sending ground troops into Lebanon and explosions in Iran's capital.
Trump administration officials briefed Congress on the war with Iran. It came as both chambers prepared to vote on a War Powers Act that could limit Trump's strike authority.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made back-to-back appearances before Senate and House lawmakers to answer bipartisan questions about immigration enforcement.
The House received the President's notification that the national emergency regarding Iran will continue beyond March 15, 2026, and referred it to the Committee on Foreign Affairs.
Jail bookings in Albuquerque have skyrocketed despite Mayor Tim Keller saying arrests were "not the solution" to homelessness.
The U.S. Department of State is facilitating charter flights to help over 9,000 American citizens depart the Middle East and return to the United States.
Global Affairs
Fighting between Iran, Israel and the US is widening geographically and materially, with strikes, drones and missiles now affecting multiple countries, bases and civilian life. The key tension is military escalation versus the risk of broader disruption to trade, energy flows and allied coordination. Readers should view developments through exposure to shipping and air travel, fuel costs, and the security posture of regional hubs hosting foreign forces.
On March 4, the United States and Israel launched multiple airstrikes on Tehran and other cities, with Israel targeting Iranian leadership and security forces and Iran responding with missile and drone attacks.
Energy prices rose after the Strait of Hormuz was closed amid fighting. President Donald Trump said the US will provide political risk insurance for vessels transiting the strait to curb rising prices.
US and Israeli strikes on Iran and Iranian missile and drone attacks have continued into a fifth day across several countries. They disrupt airspace and transport and raise fears of wider conflict.
The US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on 28 February, killing Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and IRGC figures, after which Iran retaliated with strikes across the Middle East.
The US military identified four of six soldiers killed when an unmanned aircraft system evaded air defences and struck a command centre in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait.
President Trump criticised Sir Keir Starmer and the UK's initial response to US-Israeli strikes on Iran.
Catholic News (Past 2 Days)
Recent coverage links the church’s global role in conflict and humanitarian crises with internal efforts to adapt ministry and communication to a digital, fast-changing environment. A key tension is balancing moral appeals and institutional reform with limited leverage over war, hunger, and displacement. For readers, this frames choices facing communities and leaders about where to direct attention, resources, and protection.
Airstrikes hit Iran’s capital, Tehran, and other major cities. They have raised serious concerns about Christian communities in Iran and the wider region.
Pope Leo XIV told journalists outside Villa Barberini in Castel Gandolfo to "work for peace," "promote dialogue," and "seek solutions without weapons."
The Synod's General Secretariat released the first two of 15 final reports from study groups Pope Francis created. They were created in February 2024 to examine topics from the synod's first session.
The United Nations warned Somalia faces a renewed hunger emergency. About 6.5 million may face acute food insecurity in early 2026, including 1.8 million children under five.
Vatican Museums officials said millions of visitors' breath and sweat, combined with warmer temperatures, have left a white film and salt on Sistine Chapel frescoes, especially Michelangelo's Last Judgment, prompting conservation work.