The Vigilant Outpost Beacon

• United States: Metal Price-Floors: New Front in Minerals War
  Franklin Templeton Sets Sights on a $500 Billion Pension System
  US Jobless Claims Decline, December Trade Deficit Unexpectedly Widens
• China: China’s humanoid robots astound with rapid evolution
  Chinese tech companies progress 'remarkable,' OpenAI's Altman tells CNBC
  
• Russia: Russia Reports: Gasoline prices in the red on SPIMEX over week — trading data
  Russis Reports: Zelensky's order to develop battle plan bad news for Ukrainians
  
• United Kingdom: UK ex-prince leaves police station after arrest related to Epstein files
  Why was Andrew arrested and is he still in line for the throne?
  U.K. police arrest ex-Prince Andrew on suspicion of misconduct
• India:
  
  
• France:
  
  
• Germany: German Court Orders X To Hand Over Data To NGOs Searching For Election 'Disinformation Or Foreign Interference'
  
  
• Japan: Second round of projects under consideration for Japan’s $550 billion pledge to US Projects
  
  
• Spain:
  
  
• Italy: Italian gas storage levels fall below 50% as European reserves continue to decline
  
  
• South Korea:
  
  
• Canada: Ontario Crown Royal Whiskey plant closure
  
  
• Australia: IAEA: Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant operating on sole remaining main power line
  
  
• Venezuela: Venezuela signs amnesty law as families await prison releases
  
  
• Saudi Arabia:
  
  
• Israel: US Plans Sprawling Base For 5,000 International Troops In Southern Gaza
  
  
• Continental Africa:
  
  

• White House:
  U.S. Promotes AI Adoption, Sovereignty, and Exports at India AI Impact Summit
  Indonesia, Morocco, Kosovo among 5 countries to send troops under US President Trump's Gaza plan
  Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Ensures an Adequate Supply of Elemental Phosphorus and Glyphosate-Based Herbicides for National Security
• State Department:
  State Department Aligns With President's 10‑Day Iran Deadline as Allies Urge Restraint
  State Continues Evacuation and Security Advisories in the Middle East
  
• Dept of War (DoW):
  Army Doctrine Writers Embrace AI to Speed Knowledge to Force
  US military says it attacked vessel in Pacific Ocean, killing three people | Donald Trump News | Al Jazeera
  SpaceX and Blue Origin abruptly shift priorities amid US Golden Dome push
• Justice (DOJ):
  
  
  
• DHS:
  
  
  
• Treasury:
  Treasury quietly updated its borrowing schedule guidance
  
  
• HHS:
  
  
  
• DOT:
  Proposed Union Pacific–Norfolk Southern Merger Draws Fresh Scrutiny and Ire of Whitehouse
  
  
• Energy:
  
  
  
• Commerce:
  
  
  
• Interior:
  
  
  
• Senate:
  DHS Funding Lapse Persists as Senate Leaves Washington
  
  
• House:
  House Democrats Brace for Showdown Ahead of State of the Union
  
  
• Supreme Court:
  US Supreme Court Supreme Court Limits Use of Presidential Emergency Powers for Tariffs
  Supreme Court updates recusals process to detect conflicts of interest for Judges
  Supreme Court to hear arguments on confiscations by Cuban government

• Oil prices hit six-month highs at Iran impasse intensifies critically
  Blue Owl curbs investor liquidity following asset sale
  Citigroup’s plan to survive AI aftershocks: Bet on bonds and small-cap stocks

• Rocket Report: Chinese launch firm raises big money; Falcon 9 back to the Bahamas
  NASA Releases Report on Starliner Crewed Flight Test Investigation
  Digital Surface and Terrain Models from Vantor’s Precision3D Product Line Added to Satellite Data Explorer
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• Ali Partovi’s Neo looks to upend the accelerator model with low-dilution terms
  Altman and Amodei share a moment of awkwardness at India’s big AI summit
  New dinosaur discovered in Sahara desert was a horned ‘hell heron’
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