Do you see the big picture?
Quick Hits
Hi friends,
I wanted to share several things, so to be considerate of your time, I’ve put together 13 quick hits. (I’ve shared some excerpts in #13 (about Starbucks) that will give you a smile.)
Though these headline may seem unrelated—from developments in Iran and Venezuela to Supreme Court rulings, corporate relocations, and disputes over media platforms—they are actually part of a larger pattern of institutional change. Across government, courts, business, and media, long-standing power structures are being challenged, reinterpreted, or reorganized. Questions about executive authority, judicial limits, information control, and economic incentives are increasingly intersecting with one another. (Think that was the plan?)
Taken together, these stories highlight a broader moment of realignment. Courts are revisiting the boundaries between federal agencies, presidents, and Congress. Major corporations are responding to shifting economic and regulatory environments. Media platforms and news organizations are facing scrutiny over influence and credibility. At the same time, geopolitical conflicts and international economic developments continue to shape domestic policy debates. (Or are domestic policy changes shaping worldwide change?) Overall, the updates below tell a story of legal, political, economic, and cultural forces coming together for change.
Most of the topics were covered by Jeff Childers, Coffee and Covid in the below Substack editions, and I assure you Jeff’s writing is filled with insight and wit. So, take time to read some of it, and it will brighten your day.
www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/an-imperial-judiciary-friday-march
www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/its-me-thursday-march-5-2026-c-and
www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/open-secrets-tuesday-march-3-2026
1. Iran War Update
U.S. and Israeli forces say they have established localized air superiority over key parts of Iran, allowing coalition aircraft to operate with reduced risk while expanding strikes deeper into Iranian territory. Pentagon briefings from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine indicate that the campaign—part of the joint operation launched in late February—has already targeted thousands of Iranian military sites, including missile infrastructure, air defenses, naval assets, and command centers. Iranian missile and drone launches have continued but have dropped significantly since the opening phase of the operation as launch systems are destroyed or suppressed. U.S. officials say the air campaign will continue focusing on ballistic missile systems, military leadership, and defense infrastructure, while acknowledging that some Iranian retaliatory attacks may still get through regional air defenses. There are concerns about this military action being over quickly and decisively. President Trump’s stand is that the Iranian people will have to take appropriate action to set up their own government.
2. Venezuela Oil Production After Political Change
Following political changes in Venezuela earlier in the year, oil exports reportedly doubled, reaching about 1.4 million barrels per day. Revenues are being routed through U.S.-supervised financial channels intended for humanitarian and reconstruction purposes. The shift has also reduced discounted oil shipments to China and increased the share of revenue flowing to Venezuelan programs.
3. DHS Leadership Change
President Trump announced that Kristi Noem will shift from Secretary of Homeland Security to a new role leading a hemispheric security initiative, while Senator Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma will become the new DHS Secretary. Mullin’s Senate seat will be temporarily filled by a gubernatorial appointment until the next election. The move is part of a broader series of administrative and Senate leadership reshuffles within the administration.
4. Court Allows Changes to Federal Worker Union Bargaining
A win for Rule of Law. A federal appeals court lifted an injunction that had blocked the Trump administration from ending collective bargaining for more than one million federal employees. The bargaining system originated with President John F. Kennedy’s Executive Order 10988 in 1962, which allowed federal workers to unionize. The case remains in litigation, but the ruling allows the administration’s policy changes to proceed for now.
5. Appeals Court Upholds Refugee Admission Suspension
Another win for Rule of Law. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that President Trump has the legal authority to suspend the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program under powers granted by the Immigration and Nationality Act. The decision vacated much of a lower court injunction that had blocked the policy. A separate ruling from the Seventh Circuit also overturned restrictions imposed by a district judge on certain immigration enforcement practices.
6. Supreme Court Pauses California School Gender Policy
A win. The U.S. Supreme Court temporarily blocked a California policy that restricted teachers from informing parents if a student socially transitioned at school. The case, Mirabelli v. Bonta, centers on whether such policies violate parents’ rights to participate in decisions affecting their children’s mental health and upbringing. The Court’s order pauses the policy while litigation continues.
7. Supreme Court Blocks New York Redistricting Change
A win. The Supreme Court issued an emergency order preventing New York from redrawing the state’s only Republican congressional district in New York City, represented by Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11). A lower court had ruled the district should be redrawn due to racial representation concerns. The high court’s order keeps the current district map in place while legal challenges proceed.
8. Minnesota Church Raid Indictments
The Department of Justice announced 30 additional indictments connected to a January anti-ICE protest at Cities Church in Minneapolis, bringing the total defendants to at least 39. Prosecutors allege the group conducted a planned disruption of a church service, including reconnaissance beforehand. Charges include violations of the FACE Act and conspiracy against rights under the Ku Klux Klan Act. Several suspects have already been arrested, while at least one reportedly left the country.
9. CDC Vaccine Advisory Committee Reviewing Injury Diagnosis Code
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet in March to discuss several topics, including a proposal to adopt a new ICD diagnostic code for COVID-19 vaccine injuries. ICD codes are used in medical billing and record systems to formally identify and track health conditions. If approved, the code would allow medical providers and researchers to track vaccine-related adverse events more systematically.
10. Epstein Files and University of Florida Search Committee
New documents released under the Epstein Files Transparency Act include references to Doug Band, a former adviser to Bill Clinton who currently serves on a University of Florida presidential search advisory committee. The records reportedly include communications between Band and Ghislaine Maxwell and identify him as a person with information related to the Epstein investigation. University officials have stated they have taken no action regarding his committee role.
11. FTC Scrutiny of Apple’s News App
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent Apple a letter questioning whether its Apple News app may violate Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive business practices. The concern centers on whether the platform presents itself as neutral while algorithmically curating news sources. The issue could affect other algorithm-driven news and media platforms if regulators pursue broader action.
12. Possible CNN Ownership Shift
Paramount/Skydance, led by David Ellison, is reportedly pursuing the acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery, which owns CNN. The move follows Ellison’s purchase of CBS and investment in The Free Press. If approved by regulators, the deal would place several major media outlets under the same corporate umbrella and could reshape leadership and editorial direction within those organizations. (This could get a little tricky. Stay tuned.)
13. Starbucks Moving Operations to Tennessee
Excerpts from IT’S ME ☙ Thursday, March 5, 2026 ☙ C&C NEWS
The woke company that put pronouns on name tags is fleeing to a state that put the Ten Commandments in classrooms. The Seattle Times ran the story, headlined, “Starbucks picks this Southern state for its new corporate office.” While the coffee MegaCorp insisted that its headquarters will remain in iconic Seattle, it is moving most of its operations staff to Nashville. I still love you, I just want to see other people.
Seattle companies pay a municipal payroll tax. The Space Needle shakes down employers for between 0.7% and 2.5% of all compensation paid to employees. You can imagine how pricey that gets for Starbucks’ C-suite.
On Tuesday, Starbucks and the State of Tennessee issued a joint press release announcing the coffee company is now dating Tennessee. Stimulated by Tennessee’s low-tax culture…
90% of Starbucks investors agreed DEI was a disaster. You can’t get 90% of Americans to agree on anything.
The moral of this story is: fiscal gravity beats cultural gravity. When Governor Lee says “values,” he means no income tax. When Starbucks hears “values,” it hears no income tax. Finally, everyone agrees on values. In fairness, Starbucks is a business. It just forgot that for five years. Now they remember.
As always, do your own research and make up your own mind.
White paper on land and water rights: Property Rights and Freedom: A White Paper on America’s Disappearing Land
United we stand. Divided we fall. We must not let America fall.
VoteTexas.gov, https://www.votetexas.gov/get-involved/index.html
Disclaimer:
As always, do your own research and make up your own mind. This Substack is provided for informational and commentary purposes only. All claims or statements are based on publicly available sources and are presented as analysis and opinion, not legal conclusions.
No assertion is made of unlawful conduct by any individual, company, or government entity unless such claims are supported by formal public records or verified legal documents. The views expressed here reflect my personal perspective on property rights and land use issues.
While I strive for accuracy and transparency, readers are encouraged to verify all details using the official sources and references provided. Any references to third-party material are included solely for your consideration and do not necessarily reflect my views or imply endorsement.
If you share this content, please include this disclaimer to preserve context and clarity for all readers.
Until next time…
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Thanks again for reading! I’m glad you’re here!
Ellen, another well done report! I hope you are well.