Category Archives: general

A Brazilian judge allows ex-President Bolsonaro to leave prison for a hernia surgery

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**Brazil’s Former President Jair Bolsonaro Granted Permission to Leave Prison for Hernia Surgery**

SAO PAULO (AP) — Brazil’s former President Jair Bolsonaro, who has been serving a 27-year prison sentence for an attempted coup since November, was granted permission on Friday to leave prison for a hernia surgery.

The date of the surgery has not been announced.

Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes gave the far-right leader authorization to temporarily leave incarceration in order to undergo the medical procedure.
https://mymotherlode.com/news/latin/10322659/a-brazilian-judge-allows-ex-president-bolsonaro-to-leave-prison-for-a-hernia-surgery.html

Space Development Agency awards roughly $3.5 billion to 4 companies for 72 missile tracking and warning satellites

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The U.S. Space Force’s Space Development Agency (SDA) has awarded approximately $3.5 billion to four companies to begin building the third generation of its low Earth orbit constellation. The SDA issued firm fixed-price Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements with L3Harris Technologies, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Rocket Lab to build a total of 72 satellites for the Tracking Layer Tranche 3 (TRKT3) of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA) constellation in low Earth orbit.

“The Tracking Layer of Tranche 3, once integrated with the PWSA Transport Layer, will significantly increase the coverage and accuracy needed to close kill chains against advanced adversary threats,” said SDA Acting Director Gurpartap ‘GP’ Sandhoo. “The constellation will include a mix of missile warning and missile tracking, with half the constellation’s payloads supporting advanced missile defense missions to pace evolving threats.”

### Satellite Capabilities and Launch Timeline

The satellites are slated to begin launching in fiscal year 2029 and will cover two types of sensing capabilities: missile warning/missile tracking (MW/MT) infrared (IR) sensors and missile warning, tracking, and defense (MWTD) sensors. Each of the four companies will build 18 satellites.

Here’s the breakdown of funds allocated to each company and the satellites they will build:

– **Lockheed Martin:** $1.1 billion for 18 MWTD space vehicles (SVs)
– **L3Harris Technologies:** $843 million for 18 MW/MT SVs
– **Rocket Lab:** $805 million for 18 MWTD SVs
– **Northrop Grumman:** $764 million for 18 MW/MT SVs

“The addition of these satellites will achieve near-continuous global coverage for missile warning and tracking, along with payloads capable of generating fire control quality tracks for missile defense,” Sandhoo added. “This is a prime example of spiral development: the ability to rapidly integrate the next generation of technologies, and to proliferate the most impactful capabilities for increased capacity and lethality.”

### Rocket Lab’s Role and Technology

In its announcement to investors, Rocket Lab noted that the initial amount is a base contract, with up to $10.45 million in options available. The company will build these satellites on its Lightning satellite bus featuring Rocket Lab’s next-generation Phoenix infrared sensor payload — a wide field-of-view (WFOV) solution designed to meet evolving missile defense needs for national security space. Additionally, the satellites will include the advanced StarLite space protection sensors, designed to safeguard the constellation against directed energy threats.

Rocket Lab also revealed that some other companies on this contract are incorporating its StarLite sensors.

“The Tranche 3 Tracking Layer constellation is part of the U.S. Space Force’s strategy to counter rapidly evolving global threats, ensuring the nation’s defense capabilities remain ahead of adversaries. Rocket Lab is honored to play a role in enabling this,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO, Peter Beck. “Demand for resilient, scalable, and affordable space systems continues to grow, and this award demonstrates that Rocket Lab is uniquely positioned to lead the charge in delivering solutions that meet the needs of national security.”

This contract marks Rocket Lab’s second award from the SDA, adding to its $515 million award for 18 satellites with the SDA’s Transporter Layer-Beta Tranche 2 program, which will enhance secure, low-latency communications across the PWSA.

### L3Harris Technologies’ Expanding Fleet

L3Harris is expanding on its earlier allotments of four missile tracking satellites launched as part of Tranche 0, plus 34 satellites currently in development across Tranche 1 and Tranche 2. The company recently opened a new facility on its Palm Bay, Florida campus dedicated to the production of Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 satellites.

“L3Harris is proud to support SDA in its mission to deliver a next-generation, layered defense architecture that can track threats in real time,” said Christopher Kubasik, Chair and CEO of L3Harris. “Defeating the hypersonic missile threat begins in space, and our Tranche 3 satellites will advance our proven, on-orbit tracking and targeting capability needed to protect our homeland.”

### Northrop Grumman’s Continued Commitment

Northrop Grumman is now responsible for 150 satellites across the first three Tranches for the SDA. The first plane of its Tranche 1 Transport Layer (T1TL) satellites is set to launch in early 2026.

“Northrop Grumman’s contributions to both high and low altitude layers of our nation’s missile warning and tracking architecture help protect our nation from a wide range of threats,” said Brandon White, Vice President and General Manager of the space-enabled multi-domain operations division at Northrop Grumman. “With our extensive history of fielding operational Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) satellites, we are poised to rapidly deliver the TRKT3 satellites to the SDA.”

### Lockheed Martin’s Largest Contract Share

Lockheed Martin received the largest portion of the contract, valued at $1.1 billion for its 18 MWTD satellites. Earlier, in January 2024, the company was awarded an $890 million contract for 18 Tranche 2 Tracking Layer satellites. Lockheed Martin launched 21 of its T1TL satellites in October 2025 and has another 21 in production.

The 18 TRKT3 satellites will be built on satellite buses supplied by Terran Orbital and assembled at Terran Orbital’s SmallSat Processing and Delivery Center in Colorado. In total, Lockheed Martin is currently contracted to build 124 space vehicles for the SDA.

“Lockheed Martin’s ongoing investments and evolving practices demonstrate our commitment to supporting the SDA’s Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture,” said Joe Rickers, Vice President of Transport, Tracking and Warning at Lockheed Martin. “These innovative approaches position Lockheed Martin to meet the warfighter’s urgent need for a proliferated missile defense constellation.”

### Integrated, Resilient Constellation

All satellites in the Tracking Layer will be designed to operate seamlessly with other satellites in the PWSA constellation in low Earth orbit, working in concert with a common ground system.

“The Tracking Layer will form a global constellation in LEO of IR missile warning and missile tracking satellites that integrate with the Transport Layer’s low-latency mesh communication network to provide mission data directly over tactical data links and enable advanced missile tracking from proliferated LEO,” the SDA said in a statement. “Resilience is built in through proliferation by fielding refreshed capabilities with targeted technological enhancements approximately every two years with each generation of satellites that launch.”

This innovative approach ensures that the United States maintains a robust, scalable, and advanced missile warning and defense architecture capable of countering evolving global threats.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2025/12/20/space-development-agency-awards-roughly-3-5-billion-to-4-companies-for-72-missile-tracking-and-warning-satellites/

Trump Media to merge with fusion energy startup TAE in $6B all-stock deal

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**Trump Media & Technology Group to Merge with Fusion Reactor Startup TAE Technologies in $6 Billion All-Stock Deal**

Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. (commonly referred to as TMTG) today announced plans to merge with TAE Technologies Inc., a startup specializing in the development of fusion reactors. The all-stock transaction is valued at $6 billion, with ownership of the combined company set to be evenly split between the shareholders of both TAE and TMTG.

U.S. President Donald Trump indirectly holds a majority stake in TMTG. The company went public last March via a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). TMTG operates the Truth Social social network and manages a $2.5 billion fund investing in digital assets such as Bitcoin.

Despite its assets, TMTG has faced financial challenges, reporting a net loss of $54.8 million last quarter on net sales of just $972,900. Similarly, Foothill Ranch, California-based TAE Technologies is also unprofitable, having lost $54.8 million in the third quarter, but it holds $166 million in cash reserves.

The planned merger is expected to provide TAE with access to TMTG’s substantial $3.1 billion balance sheet, significantly extending the fusion startup’s financial runway and supporting its ambitious development goals.

### About TAE Technologies and Its Fusion Reactor Technology

TAE Technologies is developing fusion reactors based on an advanced beam-driven field-reversed configuration system. This approach involves powering the reactor with multiple particle accelerators. According to TAE, its accelerator-driven architecture and other innovations offer advantages over traditional fusion reactor designs.

Unlike standard nuclear reactors, which generate power through nuclear fission (splitting atomic nuclei), fusion energy is produced by fusing two light atomic nuclei into a heavier one. The resulting heavier nucleus has slightly less mass than its components, and this mass difference is converted into energy—the fundamental principle behind fusion power.

Currently, commercial fusion power generation remains a challenge due to significant technical limitations, primarily the difficulty of fusing atomic nuclei which naturally repel each other. Fusion reactors must replicate sun-like conditions within their reaction chambers to overcome this obstacle.

TAE’s reactor uses fuel composed of hydrogen and boron. The process involves converting the fuel into plasma—a cloud of charged particles—held in place by a powerful magnetic field. Unlike some fusion designs that rely exclusively on magnets for containment, TAE’s approach leverages the hydrogen-boron plasma itself to generate a magnetic field, reducing dependency on external magnets.

The system is further stabilized by an array of particle accelerators that inject energetic particles into the plasma to maintain the magnetic containment field. These accelerators are supported by power management systems capable of delivering 750 megawatts of electricity in under a millisecond.

### Expansion Into Medical Applications

In 2017, TAE spun off a subsidiary called TAE Life Sciences to explore medical applications of its particle accelerator technology. This unit is developing a compact particle accelerator designed for hospital installation in radiation therapy.

Earlier this month, TAE Life Sciences partnered with the UK Atomic Energy Authority to commercialize this medical technology, marking an important step towards practical healthcare applications.

### Future Plans and Outlook

TMTG and TAE Technologies expect to complete their merger by mid-2026. Around the same time, TAE plans to commence construction of a 50-megawatt fusion power plant. Further down the line, the company aims to bring up to 500 megawatts of additional fusion capacity online, advancing closer toward viable commercial fusion energy.

This merger represents a significant development at the intersection of emerging media and advanced clean energy technologies, potentially shaping both sectors in the years to come.
https://siliconangle.com/2025/12/18/trump-media-merge-fusion-energy-startup-tae-6b-stock-deal/

“I can’t call him the N-word” – Former WWE announcer shares hilarious story about Vince McMahon; called the former CEO a ‘psychotic’

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Former WWE CEO Vince McMahon has shared numerous unforgettable backstage moments that WWE superstars still talk about to this day. Although McMahon is no longer closely associated with the company, there’s no denying that he laid the foundation for the global phenomenon WWE has become. His contributions to the industry will always be remembered.

In a recent appearance on *INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet*, Todd Grisham recounted a hilarious story involving Vince McMahon. The WWE veteran revealed that one day, after using the gym, McMahon approached him and mentioned that he had left weights on the barbell.

Grisham shared the moment:
“And Vince is walking by and he goes, ‘Oh, hey, there’s my boy.’ And I’m like, he’s talking to me. ‘Yeah, yeah, you. I’m your boy, right?’ He starts walking a little closer and he’s like, ‘I saw you going into the weight room the other day.’ I said, ‘Yes sir.’ He goes, ‘You were lifting those weights, weren’t you? Lifting those weights.’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘You put the weights on the bar, right?’ I said, ‘Yeah.’ He goes, ‘But you forgot to take them off.’ I said, ‘Oh.’ He goes, ‘No, no, no, it’s OK. It’s OK.’” [48:50 onwards]

Further elaborating, Grisham revealed that Vince had taken quite some time to decide how to address the issue of leaving the weights on the bar. McMahon reportedly wanted to call him the N-word but realized he couldn’t, so instead, he settled on calling him “boy.”

Grisham explained,
“And he said that Vince thought about how to approach me about that all weekend. ‘I can’t call him the N-word. I’m not his N-word. What can I call him? I’ll call him boy.’ Yeah, OK. And he like planned it. He’s psychotic. But to be fair, later that night, I did the show, walked backstage and he gave me the nod. Like, he’s on to the next subject.”

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### Vince McMahon Absent from John Cena’s Final WWE Match

John Cena recently marked his retirement at WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event in one of the most emotional nights in the company’s history. While many expected Vince McMahon to make an appearance and witness Cena’s final match in the WWE ring, that did not happen. The former CEO did not show up, and the reason for his absence has not yet been disclosed.

Fans will have to wait and see when Vince McMahon will make his return to WWE television.

—

*Stay updated with the hottest WWE news by choosing Sportskeeda as your preferred source. [Click here to read more.]*

*Edited by Ishaan Rathi*
https://www.sportskeeda.com/wwe/news-i-call-n-word-former-wwe-announcer-shares-hilarious-story-vince-mcmahon-called-former-ceo-psychotic

‘Heated Rivalry’ Scores UK and Irish Release on Sky

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**Heated Rivalry** has finally found a home in the U.K. and Ireland. The popular gay hockey romance series is set to premiere on Sky and its streaming service Now in January, Sky and Bell Media announced Wednesday.

The series is currently airing on the streamer Crave in Canada. In the United States, **Heated Rivalry** is available on HBO Max, while fans in New Zealand can watch the show on Sky.

Created for television by *Letterkenny* alum Jacob Tierney, the series is adapted from Rachel Reid’s novel of the same name. It centers around a fictional hockey universe, focusing on two rival professional hockey players: Canadian-born Shane Hollander (Hudson Williams) of the fictitious Montreal Metros, and Russian-born Ilya Rozanov (Connor Storrie) of the fictitious Boston Raiders. The story follows their years-long secret relationship as they navigate the challenges of love and sport.

Jacob Tierney and Brendan Brady serve as showrunners for the series, which is produced by Accent Aigu Entertainment in association with Bell Media’s Crave. The show is distributed internationally by Sphere Abacus. Lucy Criddle, Director of Acquisitions and Strategic Projects, and Alexander Wright, Acquisitions Manager, handled the acquisition for Sky.

**Heated Rivalry** is based on the second book in a series of gay hockey romance novels by Rachel Reid, all set within the same universe.

A synopsis from the show’s producers reads:

*“Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are two of the biggest stars in Major League Hockey, bound by ambition, rivalry, and a magnetic pull neither of them fully understands. What begins as a secret fling between two confused teenagers at 17 evolves into a years-long journey of love, denial, and self-discovery.*

*Over the next eight years, as they chase glory on the ice, they struggle to navigate their feelings off of it. Torn between the sport they live for and the love they can’t ignore, Shane and Ilya must decide if there’s room in their fiercely competitive world for something as fragile and powerful as real love.”*

With its compelling mix of sports drama and romance, **Heated Rivalry** promises to capture the hearts of viewers around the world. Stay tuned for its U.K. and Ireland debut this January on Sky and Now.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/heated-rivalry-sky-uk-ireland-stream-1236453680/

Annual Christmas celebration takes place at Center for Disability Services

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ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) – The Christmas spirit was on full display Wednesday at the Center for Disability Services.

The Albany Police Athletic League, their Youth Leadership Council, and the Albany High School choir stopped by the center to spread some holiday cheer.

In addition to Christmas carols, attendees enjoyed a variety of activities and a special visit from Santa Claus.

The event brought joy and celebration to the community, highlighting the true meaning of the holiday season.
https://www.news10.com/holidays/annual-christmas-celebration-takes-place-at-center-for-disability-services/

Pedestrian dies after vehicle collision

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On Saturday, December 13, at around 4:10 p.m., a vehicle collision in Fremont resulted in the death of a pedestrian.

Fremont Police officers initially observed a vehicle traveling at high speed near Osgood Road, just south of Auto Mall Parkway. When the police attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver did not comply. For the safety of the community, officers decided not to pursue the vehicle.

Shortly afterward, the same vehicle was involved in a serious collision at the intersection of Osgood Road and South Grimmer Boulevard. The driver ran a red light and struck another car. The impact caused that vehicle to hit a pedestrian who was on the sidewalk.

The pedestrian was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced dead. Investigators are currently awaiting reports to determine whether the driver had drugs or alcohol in their system at the time of the crash.

The 28-year-old suspect, Antwone Spruill, a Fremont resident, was taken into custody. He faces multiple vehicle-related violations and is pending charges.

This tragic incident marks Fremont’s sixth fatal traffic collision of 2025. Police continue to investigate and urge drivers to exercise caution and obey traffic laws to prevent such accidents.
https://tricityvoice.com/pedestrian-dies-after-vehicle-collision/

Woman in the Philippines Twerks on Basketball Hoop, Falls as It Comes Crashing Down

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A woman from the Philippines took twerking to a whole new level by performing on top of a basketball hoop — before it came crashing down.

In a video shared by TMZ, the woman climbs up to the top of a basketball hoop as a crowd cheers her on. Once she reaches the rim, she begins gyrating for the excited group below.

What started as a few seconds of twerking quickly turned into a moment of pure terror when the hoop tipped over, presumably because it wasn’t designed to support a human’s weight. The woman then fell to the ground.

The video ends without showing whether she was okay, but from the closing frames, it appears she may have just had the wind knocked out of her.

If nothing else, she certainly learned that twerking on top of a basketball hoop is probably not a good idea. Check out the clip below to see the full moment unfold.

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In other famous twerking news, Jeremy Lin went viral last October when he shook what his mother gave him at a Jackson Wang concert.

Footage from the rapper’s show in Macau shows Lin briefly putting his hands on his hips and wiggling for a few seconds in front of the crowd.

In a TikTok post following the event, Lin wrote, “POV: @jacksonwang852g7 tells you to dance in front of almost 20,000 people. Almost shat my pants.”
https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/a/treyalston/phillipines-woman-twerk-basketball

Nick Saban Becomes Minority Owner Of Nashville Predators

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The Nashville Predators just got a lot cooler. Legendary former Alabama football coach Nick Saban and his business partner Joe Agresti have acquired a minority stake in the Nashville Predators through their entity, Dream Sports Ventures LLC. The transaction was announced Tuesday by franchise chairman and majority owner Bill Haslam.

Saban and Agresti now join an ownership group largely composed of local residents and Predators season ticket holders.

“I am really looking forward to having Coach Nick Saban and Joe Agresti as a part of our ownership group,” said Haslam, per NHL.com. “Coach is one of the all-time greats in college football history and one of the winningest coaches in all of sports. We are excited to have him join us in our pursuit of championships on the ice in Nashville.”

Saban and Agresti are partnered in multiple ventures, with their flagship being Dream Motor Group—one of the Southeast’s most successful and rapidly expanding dealership networks. The group currently operates a portfolio of 10 dealerships, including two locations in Nashville: Prancing Horse of Nashville and Mercedes-Benz of Music City. Both consistently rank among Tennessee’s top-performing luxury outlets.

“Although I am now retired as a coach, I still possess a competitive nature and a great passion for sports,” said Saban, per NHL.com. “Being involved in a sports team in Nashville has always been a goal and the opportunity to partner in the Predators with a class act like Bill Haslam created the perfect scenario for us. The Preds are a great organization with a fantastic brand, and we are excited to be part of the future success of the franchise.”
https://dailycaller.com/2025/12/16/nick-saban-minority-owner-nashville-predators-nhl/

Ouster: Strong Growth Should Lead To Further Upside

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**Ouster: Strong Growth Should Lead To Further Upside**
*December 16, 2025 | 8:16 PM ET*

Ouster, Inc. (NASDAQ: OUST) has exhibited strong growth recently, primarily driven by its expanding presence in the smart infrastructure and robotics verticals. While the automotive opportunity continues to be delayed, it is not a critical component of Ouster’s current business narrative.

Despite some stock price pressure over the past six months, likely due to valuation concerns and a waning investor enthusiasm for drone-related stocks, Ouster’s shares remain reasonably priced. Given the company’s continued robust growth trajectory, solid returns over the next 12 months appear achievable.

### Company Overview and Market Position

Ouster operates at the intersection of innovative sensor technology and growing market demand for smart infrastructure and autonomous robotics applications. Though the automotive sector has not yet materialized as expected, Ouster’s diversified exposure helps mitigate this risk. The company’s high-performance lidar sensors are well positioned to capture secular growth opportunities in industries where market barriers to entry remain significant.

### Investment Perspective

Richard Durant, leader of Narweena — an asset management firm that specializes in identifying market dislocations stemming from misunderstood long-term prospects — highlights Ouster’s potential. Narweena’s investment approach focuses on deep fundamental research and targets smaller-cap stocks with identifiable competitive advantages.

The firm believes that demographic shifts, including an aging population combined with stagnating productivity growth, will reshape investment opportunities. Many traditional industries may face secular decline or stagnation, potentially lessening competition and improving business performance for companies like Ouster that operate in growth markets.

Durant, who holds degrees in engineering and finance from the University of Adelaide and an MBA from Nanyang Technological University, underscores that Ouster’s current valuation looks reasonable relative to its growth prospects. His perspective suggests that investors can expect strong risk-adjusted returns by focusing on these secular growth trends.

### Analyst Disclosure

I/we have no stock, option, or similar derivative positions in any of the companies mentioned and have no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. This article expresses my own opinions and I am not receiving compensation for it other than from Seeking Alpha. I have no business relationships with any company whose stock is mentioned.

### Disclaimer

Past performance is no guarantee of future results. This article should not be considered investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell securities. The views expressed are those of the author and may not reflect the opinions of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker, or US investment adviser. Opinions here are provided by third-party authors who may or may not be licensed or certified.

—

*By Richard Durant, 9.39K Followers*
Leader of Narweena Asset Management, specializing in identifying long-term secular growth opportunities in underappreciated markets.
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4853875-ouster-strong-growth-should-lead-to-further-upside?source=feed_all_articles