Iran's New Leader, Rapper President, & Chief Tasting Officer

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Adam Rogers
March 09, 2026

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Iran's Assembly of Experts named Mojtaba Khamenei, son of slain Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, as the Islamic Republic's third supreme leader Yesterday. President Trump called the choice "unacceptable," saying he expects to be involved in selecting Iran's leader.
Mojtaba Khamenei lacks his father's religious credentials and is not widely popular in Iran, where father-to-son succession carries echoes of the US-backed monarchy toppled in 1979. His wife was killed in the strikes that killed his father. Experts say the appointment signals the regime intends to hold on.
Israel warned that Mojtaba is an immediate target for elimination. Trump said he "is not going to last long" without US approval, as bombing continues.

Nepal's National Independent Party — known as the RSP — is headed for a landslide victory in the country's first parliamentary election since youth-led protests ousted the longtime ruling establishment in 2025. The party, formed just four years ago, had won 117 of 165 directly elected seats as of Sunday, with counting still ongoing.
The RSP's prime ministerial candidate is Balendra Shah, a rapper-turned-politician who won the 2022 Kathmandu mayoral race and emerged as a leading figure in last year's uprising. The protests, triggered by a social media ban and fueled by anger over corruption and poor governance, killed dozens and wounded hundreds before toppling former Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli.
The RSP has unseated Nepal's two long-dominant parties, the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party, which have traded power for decades. The new party faces high public expectations with limited resources and institutional support.

Most Americans lost an hour of sleep yesterday when clocks sprang forward at 2 a.m. for daylight saving time. Only 1 in 10 US adults favor the twice-yearly clock change, according to an AP-NORC poll, with most preferring permanent daylight saving time if forced to choose.
Sleep experts favor the opposite—permanent standard time, with the sun overhead at noon. Fatal vehicle crashes, heart attacks, and strokes all increase in the days following the spring clock change, and morning light is critical for regulating the body's internal clock.
Congress has failed to act despite broad public support for ending the twice-yearly change. The Senate passed a permanent daylight saving time bill in 2022, but the House never voted on it. Nineteen states have passed similar laws, but need congressional approval to implement them. Arizona and Hawaii already opt out entirely.

Tornadoes tore through Michigan and Oklahoma, killing at least six people and injuring dozens more. (More)

Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales quit his re-election race Friday after admitting an extramarital affair with a staffer who later died by suicide — an allegation he'd denied for months. (More)

A federal judge ruled Kari Lake illegally led Voice of America's parent agency last year, voiding her staff cuts and operational shutdowns. Lake vowed to appeal. (More)

The renewed deep-sea search for MH370 has ended with no findings after covering 7,500 square kilometers of the Indian Ocean, twelve years after the plane vanished with 239 people aboard. (More)

A bomb rocked a nightclub in Trujillo, Peru, early Saturday, injuring 33 people, including three teenagers. The city recorded 136 explosions in 2025 alone. (More)

A small explosion hit the US embassy in Oslo, causing minor damage but no injuries. Police are investigating possible terrorism. (More)

US stock markets closed lower on Friday (S&P -1.33%, Nasdaq -1.59%, Dow -0.95%) as oil prices spiked and US jobs data showed an unexpected drop. (More)

Median-income households can now afford a $331,000 home, up $30,000 from last year as mortgage rates dipped, but the median home price remains $70,000 out of reach. (More)

Six Flags is selling seven of its North American parks to EPR Properties for $331 million to focus on its remaining 34 locations. (More)

The Rams signed cornerback Trent McDuffie to a record four-year, $124 million extension Sunday, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. (More)

Texas ended South Carolina's three-year SEC tournament reign Sunday, beating the third-ranked Gamecocks 78-61 behind Madison Booker's 18 points for the Longhorns' first conference title. (More)

Actor Corey Parker, the actor known for Will & Grace and Friday the 13th: A New Beginning, died March 5 in Memphis after a battle with cancer. He was 60. (More)

Solar storms and space weather may be scrambling alien radio signals before they reach Earth, making them harder to detect, the SETI Institute found. (More)

A new study found the share of US high schoolers getting insufficient sleep jumped from 69% to 77% between 2007 and 2023, with Black students seeing the steepest increase. (More)

Spending time with difficult people may accelerate your biological aging by 1.5% per person, new research shows, though scientists say it's an association, not a proven cause. (More)

Watch: Google is still trying to map the entire world.

Wendy’s is hiring a Chief Tasting Officer for $100k.

Japanese-Italian food mashup is on the rise.

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