US News, Summarized

• Just Capital and CNBC announced the 2026 Rankings of America's largest public companies, evaluating responsible business leadership across 20 industries as AI reshapes the economy. • The rankings highlight industry leaders including Trane Technologies (Construction & Materials), Nike (Consumer Products), Marathon Petroleum (Energy), and others, providing decision-grade data on corporate performance. • Just Capital released enhanced Just Intelligence capabilities in February 2026, including a new AI-powered chatbot that allows users to query corporate performance data and business case libraries.

• Anthropic released Claude Cowork on macOS, bringing agentic AI capabilities to everyday knowledge work beyond developer-focused tools and enabling multi-step task automation. • Agentic AI systems can plan, execute, and complete multi-step tasks without constant human intervention, representing a significant capability leap in AI assistant functionality. • Claude Cowork democratizes agentic capabilities for non-technical users, expanding the potential market for advanced AI assistants in office productivity and knowledge work.

• Ondas Holdings, Nvidia, and Accenture are among the best-performing tech stocks this week according to Wall Street analyst ratings, with Ondas up 3.64%, Nvidia up 1.65%, and Accenture up 1.35%. • The strength in these stocks reflects investor confidence in AI infrastructure (Nvidia), enterprise AI services (Accenture), and specialized communications technology (Ondas Holdings). • Tech sector momentum continues amid optimism about AI deployment and enterprise technology spending across multiple verticals.

• Industrial robotics startup RoboForce secured $52 million in an oversubscribed funding round on March 16, 2026, boosting its total funding to $67 million. • The capital targets deployment of AI-powered robots to address growing labor shortages in dirty and dangerous industrial tasks across U.S. manufacturing. • Funding reflects surging investor interest in automation solutions amid acute workforce gaps in sectors like warehousing and heavy industry.

• Meta announced a $12 billion compute purchase commitment from Nebius on March 16, 2026, fueling its AI infrastructure expansion amid operational restructuring. • The deal supports Meta's aggressive push into enterprise and consumer AI needs, complementing planned staff reductions for efficiency. • This underscores intensifying compute hunger among U.S. tech giants, driving demand for specialized AI cloud providers.

• Cuba's national electricity grid failed Monday, leaving millions without power in the third major blackout in four months due to U.S.-imposed energy blockade under President Trump. • Trump stated to reporters, 'I do believe I’ll be the honor of — having the honor of taking Cuba... think I could do anything I want with it,' amid reports of U.S. pressure for President Miguel Díaz-Canel to resign. • The crisis exacerbates humanitarian conditions on the island, tying into broader U.S. foreign policy shifts.

• Amnesty International investigation concludes the U.S. conducted an airstrike on an Iranian school, killing about 170 people, mostly children, amid escalating U.S.-Israel attacks on Iran. • The report highlights the attack as part of broader military actions that have injured at least 200 U.S. troops and killed 13 service members since the conflict began over two weeks ago. • Pentagon deploys thousands more U.S. Marines and warships to the Middle East, signaling intensified U.S. involvement in the region.

The final instalment in Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi trilogy brings back Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya and Florence Piugh and introduces a nasty new villainTimothée Chalamet may have finally escaped Oscar season, but not movie promotion – the first look at Dune: Part Three is here.The first trailer released for the final installment in Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi trilogy sees further war and political upheaval in the galaxy beyond Arrakis – plus, a possible future child for Chalamet’s Paul Atreides and Chani, the Fremen warrior played by Zendaya. “If we have a girl, what should be name her?” Chani asks, suggesting the two have reconciled since the end of Part Two. Continue reading...

Home secretary Yvette Cooper says this amounts to a third of those who were in region at outset of hostilitiesThe number of UK nationals flown back from the Middle East since the start of the conflict with Iran reached 100,000 on Tuesday, Britain’s foreign secretary has said.This is a third of the 300,000 who were in the region at the outset of hostilities, Yvette Cooper told parliament, many of whom were stuck when airspace was closed. The figure included tourists and Gulf residents who have temporary left. Continue reading...

The University of Florida campus group says the suspension over an off-campus post violated free speechSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxA dispute among student Republican groups in Florida over alleged antisemitic behavior is heading for a courtroom after a chapter at the state’s flagship university was suspended for an online post featuring two people giving Nazi salutes.On Saturday, University of Florida (UF) blocked campus operations of the school’s College Republicans after the group’s state leadership said it had disbanded the chapter for engaging in “a pattern of conduct that violated its rules and values, including a recent antisemitic gesture”. Continue reading...