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19 Feb 2024 — 4 min read

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CENTCOM Activity:

On February 16th, from the evening until 1 a.m. on February 17th, Houthi forces in Yemen, launched four ballistic missiles aimed at the Red Sea. These missiles targeted the MT Pollux, a commercial vessel under Panamanian flag, owned by Denmark, but fortunately did not result in any injuries or damage to the vessel or others in the vicinity. In response to these threats, CENTCOM (U.S. Central Command) carried out two defensive strikes against a mobile cruise missile and an unmanned surface vessel (USV), deemed imminent threats to the safety of U.S. and merchant navy ships in the region.
The following day, February 17th, saw an escalation in CENTCOM's defensive measures with five strikes from the afternoon to the evening, targeting three mobile cruise missiles, an unmanned underwater vessel (UUV), and another USV, all within Houthi-controlled territories. This incident marked the first use of a UUV by the Houthis in such conflicts since October 2023. CENTCOM's actions were in direct response to the assessed threats these Houthi-controlled weapons posed to naval and commercial shipping, aiming to ensure the safety and freedom of navigation in international waters.

Truth Social Merger:

The SEC approved a merger between Donald Trump's media company, the owner of Truth Social, and a SPAC, valuing it at up to $10 billion. Despite financial losses and a smaller user base, investor enthusiasm, particularly among Trump supporters, has surged, tripling the deal's market value since January as Trump's political influence grows. Trump's ownership stake in the merged entity could range from 58.1% to 69.4%, based on investor support.
Trump may sell his Truth Social shares and step back from its management depending on his political future, as indicated by Digital World Acquisition Corp's filing. This filing, revealing new details about Trump Media & Technology Group, received SEC's nod, setting the stage for a shareholder vote to finalize the merger. Since announcing its merger with TMTG in October 2021, Digital World faced DOJ investigations, leadership changes, and an $18 million SEC settlement for disclosure inaccuracies.

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