1 President Trump To Meet With Defense Contractors Tomorrow
President Trump is expected to meet tomorrow with top executives from the largest U.S. defense contractors as his administration continues peace talks with Iran. Sources say the gathering follows a March 6th White House meeting with leaders of companies like Lockheed Martin, RTX, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman. The administration has been pressing contractors to put production and American manufacturing ahead of shareholder payouts; in January, Trump signed an executive order aimed at curbing defense contractor dividends and stock buybacks, and Congress is weighing a similar law. One source said Trump will want answers from Northrop, which offered investors a small buyback this year. Earlier this month, Trump invoked the Defense Production Act to ramp up weapons making, citing limited capacity and fragile supply chains in the munitions industry.
2 President Signs Order Calling For A Quantum Computer To Be Developed
President Trump signed two executive orders yesterday aimed at speeding up quantum computing in the United States. The first calls for building a computer powerful enough for scientific research by 2028, which the White House says could open the door to big commercial breakthroughs. The second focuses on national security, moving up the government's deadline to 2031 to prepare for quantum-fueled cyberattacks that could break today's encryption. At the Oval Office signing, joined by executives from top tech firms like Google and IBM, Trump said the U.S. is already the leader and will invest in quantum like never before to stay ahead, especially against China. The orders build on a program announced last month that will send $2-billion to nine quantum companies, with the government taking equity stakes in return. IBM's effort is set to get $1-billion, with GlobalFoundries receiving $375-million and others like D-Wave and Rigetti getting $100-million each.
3 Seven People Now Face Charges In Connection With Planned UFC 250 Attack
Two more men have been arrested in connection with an alleged plot to attack a UFC event held at the White House earlier this month, bringing the total number of defendants to seven. Court documents unsealed yesterday name a Missouri man, Jordan Rincker, and a Washington man, William Lee Falkner, as the sixth and seventh people charged. They are accused of conspiring with at least five others charged the week before. Prosecutors say Rincker took a $1,200 cash payment from a Nebraska co-conspirator and handed over a pump-action shotgun, and that he discussed using a 3D printer to make drone parts. The plot first came to light after an Ohio man's mother alerted police about his stockpiling of firearms and troubling online talk.