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The findings of two new national polls conducted in the hours after President Donald Trump launched strikes on Iran are clear — only a minority of Americans approve of the operation and Democrats and Republicans don’t see eye to eye over the attacks.

Twenty-seven percent of those questioned in a Reuters/Ipsos national survey conducted Saturday and Sunday after the start of ‘Operation Epic Fury’ by American and Israeli forces on Iran that resulted in the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said they approved of the strikes. 

A plurality, 43%, said they disapproved, with nearly three in 10 not sure.

There were similar findings in a CNN poll conducted by SSRS that was also in the field this past weekend.

Fifty-nine percent of Americans surveyed in the poll said they disapproved of the initial decision to strike Iran, with 41% giving a thumbs up.

As expected, there’s a wide divide between Democrats and Republicans.

Republicans questioned in the Reuters/Ipsos poll, by a 55%-32% margin, were supportive of the military action. The vast majority of Democrats, 73%, disapproved of the strikes, with only 7% saying they approved. A plurality of independents, 44%, disapproved of the military attack, with 19% supportive and nearly four in 10 unsure.

The partisan gap was even wider in the CNN poll.

More than three-quarters of Republican respondents, 77%, approved, compared to 32% of independents and 18% of Democrats.

According to the CNN poll, 83% of Republicans said Trump has a clear plan for handling the attacks on Iran, while 70% of independents and 88% of Democrats disagreed.

Overall, six in 10 said they don’t think the president has a clear plan for dealing with the situation, and 62% said Trump should get congressional approval before any further military action.

Both polls were conducted before the U.S. military announced on Sunday the first U.S. casualties in the operation — six service members killed.

The joint U.S.-Israeli assault on Iran is now in its fourth day as of Tuesday, with Trump saying the plan is ahead of schedule thanks to the early elimination of Iran’s top leaders.

Trump admin to brief Congress on Iran mission amid questions surrounding Trump

Trump has said Iran is seeking talks with the U.S. as the military operations continue, but the president indicated he believes the opportunity for negotiations has passed.

The U.S. has urged Americans to leave 14 countries across the Middle East as Iran’s counterattacks intensify. The U.S. State Department has also closed embassies in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the Gulf Cooperation Council warned Iran it will take ‘all necessary measures,’ including possible military action, in response to Tehran’s missile and drone attacks.

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Minnesota filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the Trump administration, accusing federal health officials of illegally withholding $243 million in Medicaid payments from the state.

Attorney General Keith Ellison and the Minnesota Department of Human Services sued the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), arguing the funding freeze violates federal law.

The state is seeking a temporary restraining order to immediately block the action.

The dispute stems from a January notice in which the Trump administration said it would withhold more than $2 billion annually from Minnesota’s Medicaid program over what it described as ‘noncompliance’ with federal regulations, specifically, alleged failures to ‘adequately identify, prevent, and address fraud in its Medicaid program.’

State officials say they have not been told specifically how Minnesota is out of compliance or what changes the administration wants to see.

The lawsuit follows a Feb. 25 announcement from CMS that it was deferring roughly $260 million in quarterly federal Medicaid funding to Minnesota, including about $243 million tied to ‘unsupported or potentially fraudulent’ claims. 

CMS said the deferral is part of a broader fraud crackdown and cited unusually high spending and rapid growth in personal care services, home- and community-based services, and other practitioner services.

‘For decades, Medicare fraud has drained billions from American taxpayers — that ends now,’ HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement. ‘We are replacing the old ‘pay and chase’ model with a real-time ‘detect and deploy’ strategy, using advanced AI tools to identify fraud instantly and stop improper payments before they go out the door.’

Minnesota officials contend the move improperly uses a funding ‘deferral’ mechanism and amounts to denying the state due process before any formal finding of noncompliance.

Minnesota mayors blast alleged fraud-plagued state programs as Walz denies responsibility

The threatened cuts represent about 7% of Minnesota’s quarterly Medicaid funding and could force reductions in healthcare services for low-income residents, according to Ellison’s office.

‘Trump’s M.O. is to cut first, no matter what the law says or who gets hurt, and ask questions later, if at all,’ the attorney general said. ‘These cuts are the latest in a long series of efforts to go around the law to punish Minnesotans — but just as we fought back and won when they illegally tried to cut funding for childcare, hungry families and our schools, we are suing them again today to make them follow the law.’

Related Article

USDA immediately suspends all federal funding to Minnesota amid fraud investigation
USDA immediately suspends all federal funding to Minnesota amid fraud investigation
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The world’s best pro laptop raises the bar again with blazing-fast CPU and GPU performance, plus up to 2x faster SSD speeds and 1TB of starting storage

Apple® today announced the latest 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro ® with the all-new M5 Pro and M5 Max, bringing game-changing performance and AI capabilities to the world’s best pro laptop. With M5 Pro and M5 Max, MacBook Pro features a new CPU with the world’s fastest CPU core, 1 a next-generation GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core, and higher unified memory bandwidth, altogether delivering up to 4x AI performance compared to the previous generation, and up to 8x AI performance compared to M1 models. 2 This allows developers, researchers, business professionals, and creatives to unlock new AI-enabled workflows right on MacBook Pro. It now comes with up to 2x faster SSD performance 2 and starts at 1TB of storage for M5 Pro and 2TB for M5 Max. The new MacBook Pro includes N1, an Apple-designed wireless networking chip that enables Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, bringing improved performance and reliability to wireless connections. It also offers up to 24 hours of battery life; a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR® display with a nano-texture option; a wide array of connectivity, including Thunderbolt 5; a 12MP Center Stage® camera; studio-quality mics; an immersive six-speaker sound system; Apple Intelligence™ features; and the power of macOS® Tahoe. The new MacBook Pro comes in space black and silver, and is available to pre-order starting tomorrow, March 4, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11.

‘MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max redefines what’s possible on a pro laptop, now up to 4x faster than the previous generation,’ said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. ‘With Neural Accelerators in the GPU, the new MacBook Pro enables professionals to run advanced LLMs on device and unlock capabilities that no other laptop can do — all while maintaining exceptional battery life. Combined with even faster unified memory and storage, it empowers users to take their work even further, unleashing new possibilities and pushing the boundaries of what they can do.’

Blazing Performance with M5 Pro and M5 Max

M5 Pro and M5 Max are built using the new Apple-designed Fusion Architecture and engineered from the ground up for AI. This innovative design combines two dies into a single system on a chip, providing tremendous performance boosts. M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a new up-to-18-core CPU with 6 super cores, the world’s fastest CPU core, 1 and 12 all-new performance cores, optimized for power-efficient, multithreaded pro workloads — altogether delivering up to 30 percent faster performance. 3 M5 Pro is designed for users running complex workflows, like coders optimizing algorithms and photographers processing massive image libraries, while M5 Max is for those pushing the absolute limits, such as engineers running rigorous simulations.

Scaling up performance from M5 and offering the same breakthrough GPU architecture with a Neural Accelerator in each core, M5 Pro and M5 Max deliver up to 4x faster LLM prompt processing than M4 Pro and M4 Max, and up to 8x AI image generation than M1 Pro and M1 Max. 2 This enables AI researchers and developers to train custom models locally, and creative professionals to leverage AI-powered tools for video editing, music production, and design work. Both chips also bring up to a 50 percent increase in graphics performance compared to M4 Pro and M4 Max, 3,4 enabling motion designers to work with complex 3D scenes in real time and VFX artists to preview effects instantly. And with a faster and more power-efficient Neural Engine and higher unified memory bandwidth, the new MacBook Pro delivers incredible on-device AI capabilities. The increase in unified memory bandwidth enables complex workflows like intensive AI model training and massive video projects. M5 Pro supports up to 64GB of unified memory with up to 307GB/s of memory bandwidth, while M5 Max supports up to 128GB of unified memory with up to 614GB/s of memory bandwidth.

14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro deliver: 2

— Up to 7.8x faster AI image generation performance when compared to MacBook Pro with M1 Pro, and up to 3.7x faster than MacBook Pro with M4 Pro.
— Up to 6.9x faster LLM prompt processing when compared to MacBook Pro with M1 Pro, and up to 3.9x faster than MacBook Pro with M4 Pro.
— Up to 5.2x faster 3D rendering in Maxon Redshift when compared to MacBook Pro with M1 Pro, and up to 1.4x faster than MacBook Pro with M4 Pro.
— Up to 1.6x faster gaming performance with ray tracing in games like Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition when compared to MacBook Pro with M4 Pro.

14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max deliver: 2

— Up to 8x faster AI image generation performance when compared to MacBook Pro with M1 Max, and up to 3.8x faster than MacBook Pro with M4 Max.
— Up to 6.7x faster LLM prompt processing when compared to MacBook Pro with M1 Max, and up to 4x faster than MacBook Pro with M4 Max.
— Up to 5.4x faster video effects rendering performance in Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve Studio when compared to MacBook Pro with M1 Max, and up to 3x faster than MacBook Pro with M4 Max.
— Up to 3.5x faster AI video-enhancing performance in Topaz Video when compared to MacBook Pro with M4 Max.

Faster Storage Performance and Increased Starting Storage

The new MacBook Pro delivers up to 2x faster read/write performance compared to the previous generation, 4 reaching speeds of up to 14.5GB/s 5 and accelerating workflows for professionals working across 4K and 8K video projects, LLMs, and complex datasets. MacBook Pro with M5 Pro now comes standard with 1TB of storage, while MacBook Pro with M5 Max now comes standard with 2TB. And the 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 now comes standard with 1TB of storage.

Even More Value for Upgraders

The new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max mark a major leap for pro users. There’s never been a better time for customers to upgrade from a previous generation of MacBook Pro with Apple silicon or an Intel-based Mac®.

  • Enhanced AI performance with Neural Accelerators in the GPU: Users upgrading from M1 models will experience up to 8x faster AI performance. 2
  • Exceptional battery life: The new MacBook Pro gets up to 24 hours of battery life, giving Intel-based upgraders up to 13 additional hours, and users coming from M1 models will get up to three more hours, so they can get more done on a single charge. 2 And unlike many PC laptops, MacBook Pro delivers the same incredible performance whether plugged in or on battery. Users will be able to fast-charge up to 50 percent in just 30 minutes using a 96W or higher USB-C power adapter. 2
  • Best display in a pro laptop: Upgraders will enjoy the Liquid Retina XDR display, which features 1600 nits peak HDR brightness and up to 1000 nits for SDR content, and offers a nano-texture option.
  • Comprehensive connectivity: The new MacBook Pro has a wide array of connectivity options, including three Thunderbolt 5 ports for high-speed data transfer, HDMI that supports up to 8K resolution, an SDXC card slot for quick media import, and MagSafe® 3 with fast-charge capability. Upgraders can also drive up to two high-resolution external displays with M5 Pro, and up to four high-resolution displays with M5 Max, providing the flexibility to create expansive workspaces.
  • Advanced camera, mics, and speakers: Featuring a 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support and studio-quality mics, the new MacBook Pro will allow users to look and sound their best while taking calls. They will also experience an immersive six-speaker sound system with support for Spatial Audio.

An Unrivaled Experience with macOS Tahoe

macOS Tahoe transforms the MacBook Pro experience with powerful capabilities that turbocharge productivity. 6 Major updates to Spotlight® make it easier to find relevant apps and files and immediately take action right from the search bar. Apple Intelligence is even more capable while protecting users’ privacy at every step. 7 Shortcuts get even more powerful with intelligent actions and the ability to tap directly in to Apple Intelligence models. Integrated into Messages, FaceTime®, and the Phone app, Live Translation helps users easily communicate across languages, translating text and audio. 7 Additionally, developers can bring Apple Intelligence capabilities into their applications or tap in to the Foundation Models framework for specialized on-device intelligence tasks. Continuity features include the Phone app on Mac, which lets users relay cellular calls from their nearby iPhone®, and with Live Activities® from iPhone, they can stay on top of things happening in real time. 6 macOS Tahoe also features a beautiful new design with Liquid Glass, and users can personalize their Mac in even more ways with an updated Control Center, in addition to new color options for folders, app icons, and widgets.

MacBook Pro and the Environment

MacBook Pro was built with the environment in mind, and brings Apple even closer to reaching its ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by 2030. It is made with 45 percent recycled content, 8 including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery. It is manufactured with 50 percent renewable electricity, such as wind and solar, across the supply chain. The new MacBook Pro is designed to be durable and repairable, and also offers industry-leading software support, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safer chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled. 9

Pricing and Availability

  • The 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro starts at $2,199 (U.S.) and $2,049 (U.S.) for education; and the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M5 Pro starts at $2,699 (U.S.) and $2,499 (U.S.) for education.
  • The 14‑inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max starts at $3,599 (U.S.) and $3,299 (U.S.) for education; and the 16‑inch MacBook Pro with M5 Max starts at $3,899 (U.S.) and $3,599 (U.S.) for education. All models are available in space black and silver.
  • The 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 now comes standard with 1TB of storage, and is available in space black and silver, starting at $1,699 (U.S.) and $1,599 (U.S.) for education.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

1 Testing was conducted by Apple in February 2026 using shipping competitive systems and select industry-standard benchmarks.

2 Testing was conducted by Apple in January and February 2026. See apple.com/macbook-pro for more information.

3 Results are compared to previous-generation 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple M4 Pro, 14-core CPU, 20-core GPU, 48GB of unified memory, and a 4TB SSD.

4 Results are compared to previous-generation 16-inch MacBook Pro with Apple M4 Max, 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 128GB of unified memory, and an 8TB SSD.

5 Testing was conducted by Apple in January and February 2026 using preproduction 16-inch MacBook Pro systems with Apple M5 Max, 18-core CPU, 40-core GPU, 128GB of unified memory, and an 8TB SSD. Tested with FIO 3.41, 1024KB request size, 10GB test file and IO depth=8. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of MacBook Pro.

6 macOS Tahoe is available as a free software update. Some features may not be available in all regions or in all languages. See requirements at apple.com/os/macos .

7 Apple Intelligence is available in beta with support for these languages: English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Japanese, and Korean. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115 .

8 Product recycled or renewable content is the mass of certified recycled material relative to the overall mass of the device, not including packaging or in-box accessories.

9 Breakdown of U.S. retail packaging by weight. Adhesives, inks, and coatings are excluded from calculations.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple Newsroom ( www.apple.com/newsroom ), or email Apple’s Media Helpline at media.help@apple.com .

© 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, MacBook Pro, Liquid Retina XDR, Center Stage, Apple Intelligence, macOS, Mac, MagSafe, Spotlight, FaceTime, iPhone, Live Activities, Apple Store, Apple Trade In, AppleCare, AppleCare+, AppleCare One, Today at Apple, Apple Card, and Daily Cash are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260303763269/en/

Press Contacts:

Lizette Viviana Du Pond
Apple
ldupond@apple.com

Starlayne Meza
Apple
starlayne_meza@apple.com

News Provided by Business Wire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Built using the new Apple-designed Fusion Architecture, M5 Pro and M5 Max feature an advanced CPU, a next‑generation GPU with Neural Accelerators, and higher unified memory bandwidth for a massive increase in AI compute

Apple® today announced M5 Pro and M5 Max, the world’s most advanced chips for pro laptops, powering the new MacBook Pro®. The chips are built using a new Apple-designed Fusion Architecture. This innovative design combines two dies into a single system on a chip (SoC), which includes a powerful CPU, scalable GPU, Media Engine, unified memory controller, Neural Engine, and Thunderbolt 5 capabilities. M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a new 18-core CPU architecture. It includes six of the highest-performing core design, now called super cores, that are the world’s fastest CPU core. 1 Alongside these cores are 12 all-new performance cores, optimized for power-efficient, multithreaded workloads. Collectively, the CPU significantly boosts performance by up to 30 percent for pro workloads. 2 The GPU scales up the next-generation architecture introduced in M5 to an up-to-40-core GPU. With a Neural Accelerator in each GPU core and higher unified memory bandwidth, M5 Pro and M5 Max are over 4x the peak GPU compute for AI compared to the previous generation. 2 The GPU substantially increases graphics capabilities — now up to 35 percent for apps using ray tracing than M4 Pro and M4 Max — enhancing advanced visual effects and 3D rendering. 2 With M5 Pro and M5 Max, the new MacBook Pro is the ultimate powerhouse for pros and is available for pre-order starting tomorrow, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11.

‘M5 Pro and M5 Max are a monumental leap forward for Apple silicon, leveraging our new Fusion Architecture to scale the capabilities of Apple silicon while preserving its core tenets of performance, power efficiency, and unified memory architecture,’ said Johny Srouji, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Technologies. ‘Both chips underscore our relentless pace of innovation, integrating the world’s fastest CPU cores, a next-generation GPU with Neural Accelerators, a faster Neural Engine, and high-bandwidth, high-capacity memory — resulting in an unparalleled combination of performance, efficiency, and incredible on-device AI capabilities for MacBook Pro.’

All-New Fusion Architecture

M5 Pro and M5 Max introduce the Apple-designed Fusion Architecture, a state-of-the-art design that connects two dies into a single SoC. This brings together two third-generation 3-nanometer dies with high bandwidth and low latency using advanced packaging. The two dies include a powerful new CPU, scalable GPU, Media Engine, unified memory controller, Neural Engine, and Thunderbolt 5 capabilities.

Apple’s Fastest, Most Advanced CPU Cores

M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a new 18-core CPU with 6 super cores and 12 all-new performance cores.

The industry-leading super core was first introduced as performance cores in M5, which also adopts the super core name for all M5-based products — MacBook Air®, the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro®, and Apple Vision Pro®. This core is the highest-performance core design with the world’s fastest single-threaded performance, driven in part by increased front-end bandwidth, a new cache hierarchy, and enhanced branch prediction. 1

M5 Pro and M5 Max also introduce an all-new performance core that is optimized to deliver greater power-efficient, multithreaded performance for pro workloads. Together with the super cores, the chips deliver up to 2.5x higher multithreaded performance than M1 Pro and M1 Max. 2 The super cores and performance cores give MacBook Pro a huge performance boost to handle the most CPU-intensive pro workloads, like analyzing complex data or running demanding simulations with unparalleled ease.

M5 Pro: Designed to Handle Demanding Workflows

M5 Pro is designed to meet the needs of pro users — like data modelers, post-production sound designers, and STEM students — who require robust processing power and graphics, and ample amounts of unified memory to handle complex projects and workloads.

Scaling up from the M5 chip, M5 Pro pairs the up-to-18-core CPU with a next-generation up-to-20-core GPU featuring a Neural Accelerator in each core. With four additional CPU cores compared to M4 Pro, the new CPU architecture in M5 Pro significantly boosts multithreaded performance by up to 30 percent for pro workloads. 2 M5 Pro supports up to 64GB of unified memory with higher unified memory bandwidth up to 307GB/s. With all these features, M5 Pro delivers over 4x the peak GPU compute compared to M4 Pro, and over 6x the peak GPU compute than M1 Pro for AI performance. 2

M5 Pro has an enhanced shader core with second-generation dynamic caching and hardware-accelerated mesh shading, delivering significantly increased graphics performance — up to 20 percent higher than M4 Pro and 2.2x higher than M1 Pro. 2 And with Apple’s third-generation ray-tracing engine, M5 Pro provides up to a 35 percent graphics uplift in apps using this rendering technique as compared to M4 Pro. 2

M5 Max: Unmatched Capabilities

M5 Max is designed for pro users — such as 3D animators, app developers, and AI researchers — who run workloads that demand maximum GPU compute and the highest unified memory bandwidth.

Featuring the same breakthrough GPU architecture with double the cores as M5 Pro, M5 Max pairs the 18-core CPU with an up-to-40-core GPU. The new CPU architecture offers up to 15 percent higher multithreaded performance when compared to M4 Max. 2 M5 Max supports up to 128GB of unified memory with higher unified memory bandwidth up to 614GB/s. This bandwidth increase means users achieve incredible results when working with complex scenes, massive datasets, and higher token generation for LLMs. M5 Max offers over 4x the peak GPU compute compared to the previous generation, and over 6x the peak GPU compute than M1 Max for AI performance. 2

The graphics performance for M5 Max is up to 20 percent higher than M4 Max and 2.2x higher than M1 Max. 2 For apps using ray tracing, M5 Max provides a graphics uplift of up to 30 percent more than M4 Max. 2

Advanced Technologies Across M5 Pro and M5 Max

M5 Pro and M5 Max feature a number of additional advanced technologies right on the chip, including:

  • Support for Memory Integrity Enforcement — an industry-first, always-on memory safety protection that does not compromise device performance.
  • Thunderbolt 5 ports, each supported by its own custom-designed controller directly on the chip — making this the industry’s most capable implementation of Thunderbolt 5.

Apple Silicon and the Environment

Apple 2030 is the company’s ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by the end of this decade by reducing product emissions from their three biggest sources: materials, electricity, and transportation. The power-efficient performance of M5 Pro and M5 Max helps MacBook Pro meet Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency, and reduces the total amount of energy consumed over the product’s lifetime.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Footnotes

1 Testing was conducted by Apple in February 2026 using shipping competitive systems and select industry-standard benchmarks.

2 Testing was conducted by Apple in February 2026 using preproduction 16-inch MacBook Pro systems with Apple M5 Max, 18-core CPU, 40-core GPU, and 128GB of unified memory; and preproduction 16-inch MacBook Pro systems with Apple M5 Pro, 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU, and 64GB of unified memory; as well as production 16-inch MacBook Pro systems with Apple M4 Max, 16-core CPU, 40-core GPU, and 128GB of unified memory; production 16-inch MacBook Pro systems with Apple M4 Pro, 14-core CPU, 20-core GPU, and 48GB of unified memory; production 16-inch MacBook Pro systems with Apple M1 Max, 10-core CPU, 32-core GPU, and 64GB of unified memory; and production 16-inch MacBook Pro systems with Apple M1 Pro, 10-core CPU, 16-core GPU, and 32GB of unified memory. Performance measured using select industry‑standard benchmarks. Performance tests are conducted using specific computer systems and reflect the approximate performance of MacBook Pro. See apple.com/macbook-pro for more information.

3 Apple Intelligence is available in beta with support for these languages: English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Japanese, and Korean. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115 .

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple Newsroom ( www.apple.com/newsroom ), or email Apple’s Media Helpline at media.help@apple.com .

© 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iPad Pro, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple Intelligence, ProRes are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260303427628/en/

Lauren Klug
Apple
l_klug@apple.com

Andrea Schubert
Apple
a_schubert@apple.com

News Provided by Business Wire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

The world’s most popular laptop gets even better with the incredible performance of M5, double the starting storage, and improved wireless connectivity, packed into a thin, light, and durable aluminum design

Apple® today announced the new MacBook Air ® with M5, bringing exceptional performance and expanded AI capabilities to the world’s most popular laptop. M5 features a faster CPU and next-generation GPU with a Neural Accelerator in each core, enabling MacBook Air to power through a variety of workflows, from creative projects to complex AI tasks. MacBook Air now comes standard with double the starting storage at 512GB with faster SSD technology, and is configurable up to 4TB, so customers can keep their most important work on hand. Apple’s N1 wireless chip delivers Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 for seamless connectivity on the go. MacBook Air features a beautifully thin, light, and durable aluminum design, stunning Liquid Retina® display, 12MP Center Stage® camera, up to 18 hours of battery life, an immersive sound system with Spatial Audio, and two Thunderbolt 4 ports with support for up to two external displays. Combined with the power of macOS® Tahoe and Apple Intelligence™, MacBook Air delivers unmatched value for college students and creative professionals, and it’s the most popular laptop for business users. Available in 13- and 15-inch models in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver, the new MacBook Air with M5 is available for pre-order starting tomorrow, March 4, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11.

‘The new MacBook Air with M5 brings incredible performance and even more capability to the world’s most popular laptop,’ said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. ‘With M5, MacBook Air powers through a wide range of tasks, from everyday productivity to creative workloads, and is even faster for AI. Now featuring double the starting storage, as well as Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, in a sleek and durable design with long battery life, MacBook Air is the perfect laptop for anyone who values the unrivaled combination of performance and portability.’

Incredible Performance with M5 — for AI and Beyond

M5 delivers incredible performance for everything users want to tackle, from everyday productivity to creative workflows. MacBook Air with M5 features a 10-core CPU with the world’s fastest CPU core for even more responsiveness. 1 Combined with an up-to-10-core GPU with a powerful Neural Accelerator in each core, MacBook Air with M5 delivers up to 4x faster performance for AI tasks than MacBook Air with M4, and up to 9.5x faster than MacBook Air with M1. 2 This makes it an incredibly capable platform for AI — whether using Apple Intelligence across apps and system experiences at home, or running LLMs on device in an enterprise. 3

With enhanced shader cores and a third-generation ray-tracing engine, M5 supercharges tasks like gaming and 3D rendering. M5 also features faster unified memory with 153GB/s of bandwidth — a 28 percent improvement over M4 — enabling even smoother multitasking and faster app launches. All combined, MacBook Air with M5 brings even greater performance compared to previous generations, offering:

— Up to 6.9x faster AI video enhancement performance in Topaz Video when compared to MacBook Air with M1, and up to 1.9x faster than MacBook Air with M4. 2

— Up to 6.5x faster 3D rendering with ray-tracing performance in Blender when compared to MacBook Air with M1, and up to 1.5x faster than MacBook Air with M4. 4,5

— Up to 2.7x faster image processing performance in Affinity when compared to MacBook Air with M1, and up to 1.5x faster than MacBook Air with M4. 2

— Web browsing is up to 50 percent faster when compared to a PC laptop with an Intel Core Ultra X7 processor, and more demanding tasks get up to 2x faster performance. 2

Double the Starting Storage and a Faster SSD

MacBook Air with M5 now comes standard with 512GB of storage — double that of the previous generation — and can be configured up to 4TB for the first time, providing ample space for large projects and games. The new SSD also delivers 2x faster read/write performance compared to the previous generation, significantly accelerating file access and speeding up workflows for users, such as creators importing large photo libraries and students running AI workloads on device. 5

Tremendous Value for Upgraders with the World’s Most Popular Laptop

There’s never been a better time for customers upgrading from a previous generation of MacBook Air with Apple silicon or an Intel-based Mac®. In addition to the blazing performance of M5, the new MacBook Air delivers a broad range of compelling features, including:

A stunning Liquid Retina display : A brilliant 13.6- or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display with 500 nits of brightness and support for 1 billion colors makes content look vivid with sharp detail, and text appears super crisp.

Exceptional battery life : Up to 18 hours of battery life — six additional hours when compared to an Intel-based MacBook Air — with fast-charge capability means users can work, create, or play all day without plugging in. 2

Beautiful design and colors : The 13-inch MacBook Air provides the ultimate in portability for users on the go, while the 15-inch model offers even more screen real estate for multitasking. Both models feature a thin, light, and completely silent fanless design that’s available in four gorgeous colors: sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver.

Advanced camera, mics, and speakers : A 12MP Center Stage camera with support for Desk View keeps users looking great and enables more engaging video calls; a three-mic array brings enhanced voice clarity; and an immersive sound system with support for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos creates an enjoyable three-dimensional soundstage for music and movies.

Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6 : N1, the new Apple-designed wireless networking chip, enables Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 6, delivering improved performance and reliability.

Seamless connectivity : MacBook Air features two Thunderbolt 4 ports for connecting accessories with support for up to two external displays — ideal for professionals and students who need to expand their workspace. MagSafe® enables dedicated charging and peace of mind when users are plugged in.

The Power of macOS Tahoe

macOS completes the MacBook Air experience, with incredible features and built-in apps, such as Safari®, Photos, Messages, and FaceTime®, that enable users to get even more done. With macOS Tahoe, a beautiful design with Liquid Glass lets users personalize their Mac in new ways with color options for folders, app icons, and widgets. 6 Apple Intelligence adds powerful features with groundbreaking privacy at every step — including Live Translation in Messages to communicate across languages, updates in Reminders that automatically categorize the most relevant actions, and more powerful Shortcuts actions that tap directly in to Apple Intelligence models to create automations, such as extracting information from a PDF and adding key details to a spreadsheet. 3 Continuity features include the Phone app on Mac, which lets users relay cellular calls from their nearby iPhone®, and they can stay on top of notifications with Live Activities, which open in iPhone Mirroring so users can take immediate action right from their Mac. 7 Additionally, for video calls, a new Edge Light effect provides a pleasing fill light to evenly illuminate a user’s face in any lighting condition.

MacBook Air and the Environment

MacBook Air with M5 was built with the environment in mind, and brings Apple even closer to reaching its ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by 2030. It is made with 55 percent recycled content, 8 including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the enclosure and 100 percent recycled cobalt in the battery. It is manufactured with 50 percent renewable electricity, such as wind and solar, across the supply chain. MacBook Air is designed to be durable and repairable, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safer chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and can be easily recycled. 9

Pricing and Availability

  • The 13-inch MacBook Air with M5 starts at $1,099 (U.S.), and $999 (U.S.) for education, and the 15-inch MacBook Air with M5 starts at $1,299 (U.S.) and $1,199 (U.S.) for education. Both are available in sky blue, midnight, starlight, and silver.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

1 Testing was conducted by Apple in February 2025 using shipping competitive systems and select industry-standard benchmarks.

2 Testing was conducted by Apple in February 2026. See apple.com/macbook-air for more information.

3 Apple Intelligence is available in beta with support for these languages: English, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Japanese, and Korean. Some features may not be available in all regions or languages. For feature and language availability and system requirements, see support.apple.com/en-us/121115 .

4 Results are compared to MacBook Air with Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16GB of unified memory, and a 2TB SSD.

5 Results are compared to MacBook Air systems with Apple M4, 10-core CPU, 10-core GPU, 32GB of unified memory, and a 2TB SSD.

6 macOS Tahoe is available as a free software update. Some features may not be available in all regions or in all languages. See requirements at apple.com/os/macos .

7 Requires that iPhone, with an active carrier plan, and Mac are signed in with the same Apple Account, iPhone and Mac are near each other, signed in to FaceTime with the same Apple Account, have Wi-Fi turned on, and are connected to the same network.

8 Product recycled or renewable content is the mass of certified recycled material relative to the overall mass of the device, not including packaging or in-box accessories.

9 Breakdown of U.S. retail packaging by weight. Adhesives, inks, and coatings are excluded from calculations.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple Newsroom ( www.apple.com/newsroom ), or email Apple’s Media Helpline at media.help@apple.com .

© 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, MacBook Air, Liquid Retina, Center Stage, macOS, Apple Intelligence, Mac, MagSafe, Safari, FaceTime, iPhone, Apple Store, Apple Trade In, AppleCare, AppleCare+, AppleCare One, Today at Apple, Apple Card, and Daily Cash are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260303467986/en/

Press Contacts:

Jessica Reeves
Apple
j_reeves@apple.com

Starlayne Meza
Apple
starlayne_meza@apple.com

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Studio Display XDR is the world’s best pro display, featuring a 27-inch 5K Retina XDR display with a mini-LED backlight, 2000 nits of peak HDR brightness, and a 120Hz refresh rate

Apple® today announced a new family of displays engineered to pair beautifully with Mac® and meet the needs of everyone, from everyday users to the world’s top pros. The new Studio Display ® features a 12MP Center Stage® camera, now with improved image quality and support for Desk View; a studio-quality three-microphone array; and an immersive six-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio. It also now includes powerful Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, providing more downstream connectivity for high-speed accessories or daisy-chaining displays. The all-new Studio Display XDR ™ takes the pro display experience to the next level. Its 27-inch 5K Retina® XDR display features an advanced mini-LED backlight with over 2,000 local dimming zones, up to 1000 nits of SDR brightness, and 2000 nits of peak HDR brightness, in addition to a wider color gamut, so content jumps off the screen with breathtaking contrast, vibrancy, and accuracy. With its 120Hz refresh rate, Studio Display XDR is even more responsive to content in motion, and Adaptive Sync dynamically adjusts frame rates for content like video playback or graphically intense games. Studio Display XDR offers the same advanced camera and audio system as Studio Display, as well as Thunderbolt 5 connectivity to simplify pro workflow setups. The new Studio Display with a tilt-adjustable stand starts at $1,599, and Studio Display XDR with a tilt- and height-adjustable stand starts at $3,299. Both are available in standard or nano-texture glass options, and can be pre-ordered starting tomorrow, March 4, with availability beginning Wednesday, March 11.

‘Apple has led the industry in delivering the world’s most advanced displays for pros to do their life’s best work, and today we do that once again with the introduction of the new Studio Display family,’ said John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering. ‘Studio Display gets even better with a new 12MP Center Stage camera and powerful Thunderbolt 5 connectivity. And the Studio Display XDR is a huge leap forward for XDR technology, with a mini-LED backlight, 2000 nits of peak HDR brightness, advanced color accuracy, and a 120Hz refresh rate, transforming workflows like filmmaking, design and print, and 3D animation. It’s by far the world’s best pro display.’

Studio Display — the Perfect Companion to Mac

The new Studio Display pairs excellent visual quality with compelling features that deliver a great experience when connected to a Mac across a range of professional workflows — from photo and video editing to coding, music production, and everyday tasks. The stunning 27-inch 5K Retina display boasts over 14 million pixels, 600 nits of brightness, and P3 wide color for rich, true-to-life imagery. Studio Display includes a 12MP Center Stage camera, now with Desk View; a studio-quality three-microphone array; and an incredible six-speaker sound system with four force-cancelling woofers that deliver 30 percent deeper bass than the previous generation, plus two high-performance tweeters for immersive audio. Studio Display also brings Thunderbolt 5 connectivity with two ports, so users can daisy-chain up to four Studio Display models for a combined nearly 60 million pixels, or connect high-speed accessories. 1 In addition, two USB-C ports can be used for peripherals and charging. With the included Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable, users get a convenient all-in-one connection that offers up to 96W of charging power — enough to fast-charge a 14-inch MacBook Pro®. 2 Studio Display is available with standard glass or optional nano-texture glass for challenging lighting conditions. It comes with a tilt-adjustable stand, or can be configured with a tilt- and height-adjustable stand or a VESA mount adapter for custom desk setups.

Studio Display XDR — the World’s Best Pro Display

The all-new Studio Display XDR delivers the most advanced display technology and a robust set of features for pro users who need the ultimate front-of-screen performance. With 2000 nits of peak HDR brightness, a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, P3 and Adobe RGB wide color gamuts, a 120Hz refresh rate, Adaptive Sync, new DICOM medical imaging presets, a powerful combination of camera and audio, and Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, Studio Display XDR is designed for workflows like HDR video editing, 3D rendering, and diagnostic radiology. 2

Advanced XDR Display Technology

Studio Display XDR features a stunning 27-inch 5K Retina XDR display with 5120-by-2880 resolution, offering exceptional detail and clarity. The mini-LED backlight utilizes 2,304 local dimming zones that enable extreme contrast. Studio Display XDR also delivers up to an outstanding 1000 nits of SDR brightness, 2000 nits of peak HDR brightness, and a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio. This wide dynamic range — from the brightest brights to the deepest blacks — makes HDR content pop off the screen while virtually eliminating distracting halo and blooming effects.

Enhanced Color Accuracy

Ideal for print and design professionals, Studio Display XDR adds Adobe RGB color gamut support, in addition to P3 wide color, making it an even better reference display. This results in more than 80 percent Rec. 2020 coverage for HDR video editing and color grading. Both P3 and Adobe RGB are accessible from the same default preset, streamlining pro workflows that frequently switch between color spaces.

Smooth 120Hz Refresh Rate and Adaptive Sync

Studio Display XDR features a 120Hz refresh rate, enabling smooth, ultra-responsive motion. Adaptive Sync supports a continuously variable refresh rate between 47Hz to 120Hz, making gaming more fluid with faster frame delivery and lower display latency.

Innovative DICOM Medical Imaging

Today, Apple introduces new DICOM medical imaging presets and the Medical Imaging Calibrator to enable use in diagnostic radiology, allowing radiologists to view diagnostic images directly on Studio Display XDR. 2 Many medical professionals already use Mac for their office or home setups, and Studio Display XDR offers a versatile alternative to single-purpose medical imaging displays, with seamless display mode switching. The Medical Imaging Calibrator on macOS® is pending FDA clearance and is expected to be available soon in the U.S. For decades, healthcare professionals and developers have taken advantage of Apple’s innovative products and frameworks to help achieve better patient outcomes, broaden research opportunities, and improve efficiency across healthcare systems. Apple continues to innovate and collaborate with the healthcare community on solutions to ultimately improve care for their patients.

Powerful Combination of Camera, Audio, and Thunderbolt 5 Connectivity

Studio Display XDR features a 12MP Center Stage camera that keeps users centered in the frame as they move. Video calls become more engaging with Desk View, which simultaneously displays the user and a top-down view of their desk — great for demonstrating a creative project. It also includes a studio-quality three-microphone array with directional beamforming and an immersive six-speaker sound system with support for Spatial Audio.

Studio Display XDR also features Thunderbolt 5 connectivity, with a second port for connecting downstream high-speed accessories or daisy-chaining other displays. And with two additional USB-C ports for even more connectivity, it can act as a Thunderbolt hub, keeping a workspace free of clutter while offering up to 140W of charging power through the included Thunderbolt 5 Pro cable — enough to fast-charge a 16-inch MacBook Pro. 3

Versatile Stand and Accessories

Studio Display XDR includes a tilt- and height-adjustable stand to meet the needs of a variety of workspaces. With a height range of 105mm, the stand features a sophisticated counterbalancing arm that makes the display feel weightless, and as users adjust it, the display stays precisely in place. An optional VESA mount adapter is available for those who prefer to use VESA-compatible stands, mounts, and arms for a customized desk setup.

Studio Display Family and the Environment

Studio Display and Studio Display XDR were built with the environment in mind, and bring Apple even closer to reaching its ambitious plan to be carbon neutral across its entire footprint by 2030. Both are made with recycled content, including 100 percent recycled aluminum in the stand and 80 percent recycled glass in the standard glass option. Studio Display and Studio Display XDR are designed to be durable, repairable, and also offer industry-leading software support, while meeting Apple’s high standards for energy efficiency and safe chemistry. The paper packaging is 100 percent fiber-based and was designed to collapse so it can be easily recycled. 4

Pricing and Availability

  • Studio Display starts at $1,599 (U.S.) and $1,499 (U.S.) for education. Studio Display XDR replaces Pro Display XDR and starts at $3,299 (U.S.) and $3,199 (U.S.) for education.

Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

Footnotes

1 Users can daisy-chain up to four Studio Display models with a MacBook Pro with M5 Max.

2 The Medical Imaging Calibrator is pending FDA review and is expected to be available soon. The medical imaging presets should not be used for diagnostic purposes unless the display has been calibrated using the Medical Imaging Calibrator on macOS and paired with a compatible DICOM viewer. The presets are available on Studio Display XDR and are intended for use by medical professionals. Not intended for use in mammography.

3 Charge time varies with settings and environmental factors; actual results will vary.

4 Breakdown of U.S. retail packaging by weight. Adhesives, inks, and coatings are excluded from calculations.

NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple Newsroom ( www.apple.com/newsroom ), or email Apple’s Media Helpline at media.help@apple.com .

© 2026 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Studio Display, Studio Display XDR, Retina, Center Stage, MacBook Pro, macOS, Apple Store, Magic Keyboard, Touch ID, Magic Trackpad, Magic Mouse, AppleCare, AppleCare+, AppleCare One, Apple Card, and Daily Cash are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260303051854/en/

Lizette Viviana Du Pond
Apple
ldupond@apple.com

Starlayne Meza
Apple
starlayne_meza@apple.com

News Provided by Business Wire via QuoteMedia

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee described what he believes is the ‘best option’ for Americans looking to flee Israel amid the ongoing unrest across the Middle East. 

Huckabee said overnight, ‘We are getting a lot of requests regarding evacuating from Israel from American citizens who are currently in Israel or who have family here,’ and that there are ‘very limited’ options available. 

‘As of now, the best is utilizing Israel’s Ministry of Tourism shuttle bus to Taba, Egypt and getting flights from there or going on to Cairo for flights back to the U.S.,’ Huckabee said on X. ‘Not sure when Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv will reopen.  Hopefully soon, but even when it does, there will be VERY limited flights with priorities to those who already were ticketed by El Al. Doubtful that other airlines will fly in/out for a while.’ 

‘The Ministry of Tourism is operating buses to Taba. That crossing is further away, but it’s open 24/7. There are some flights from Taba, but there are also options to get to Cairo, and it’s operating normally except to Middle Eastern countries. To get out, it’s the best option for now,’ Huckabee added. 

Huckabee also said he does not recommend Americans exit via Jordan at this time, as ‘Flights are not consistent and access across the Allenby crossing has limited hours.’ 

‘All of our personnel from [the] embassy are sheltering in place, but I realize you may need to get people out and back home and not continue to incur hotel costs,’ the ambassador wrote. 

U.S. Embassy Jerusalem said in a statement early Tuesday morning that it is ‘not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.’ It also mentioned the Israeli Ministry of Tourism’s buses to Taba.

‘To be added to the passenger list for a shuttle, you must register via the Ministry’s evacuation form,’ it said.  

‘The U.S. Embassy cannot make any recommendation (for or against) the Ministry of Tourism’s shuttle. If you choose to avail yourself of this option to depart, the U.S. government cannot guarantee your safety,’ it added. 

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KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

  • Execution of a non-binding commercial LOI with Jundu, Brazil’s most established industrial silica sand producer for extraction, processing and sale of high-purity silica sands from Santa Maria Eterna (SME) Silica Sand District in Belmonte, Bahia, Brazil.
  • Jundu and Homerun are developing a formal industrial partnership at SME, with responsibilities allocated across supply, extraction and processing, and an option to construct new silica processing plant inside Homerun’s industrial complex to accelerate scale and reduce capital intensity.
  • The LOI supports rapid scaling of supply using Jundu’s existing infrastructure and upgrade capabilities, further delivering on the milestones enunciated under Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Homerun’s Business Plan – supply, extraction, processing and logistics to revenues.

Homerun Resources Inc. (TSXV: HMR,OTC:HMRFF) (OTCQB: HMRFF) (‘Homerun’ or the ‘Company’) is pleased to announce that the Company has executed a non-binding Letter of Intent (‘LOI’) with Jundu Ltda. (‘Jundu’) for the extraction, processing and sale of high-purity silica sands from Santa Maria Eterna (SME) Silica Sand District in Belmonte, Bahia, Brazil. Jundu, is Brazil’s most established industrial silica sand producer.

Both Homerun and Jundu hold CBPM Lease assets in the SME District, and Jundu currently operates silica processing infrastructure with the capacity to invest quickly in upgraded processing capacity in support of large-scale silica sales brought forth by Homerun. Under the LOI, Homerun has invited Jundu to become a contributing partner for the supply of high-purity silica sand from their leases in the SME Silica Sand District, in particular for Homerun’s planned solar glass plant and associated secondary processing operations. Homerun’s forecast demand for the SME industrial complex is approximately 365,000 tonnes per year, and the LOI envisages that Jundu will be responsible for:

  • Extraction and Processing (initially washing and sizing) of the silica sand, with the possibility of installing an updated facility within Homerun’s industrial complex to maximize capital efficiency and market competitiveness.
  • Annual silica sand supply from Jundu’s own SME leases of a minimum of 50,000 tonnes per year (up to the 365,000 tonnes per year projected total), with the balance extracted at Homerun’s discretion from Homerun’s SME leases.

Across these initiatives, the LOI contemplates a projected volume of around 365,000 tonnes per year, across silica sales to third parties, silica for advanced purification by Homerun and silica for Homerun’s solar glass plant.

This Jundu LOI is a key deliverable under both Phase 1 (commercial SME District Control) and Phase 2 (development of logistics and production to revenues) of Homerun’s Business Plan Roadmap and aligns with the Company’s commitments under its 40-year lease agreement with Companhia Baiana de Pesquisa Mineral (‘CBPM’). By defining commercial structures, price ranges and volume ramps with a large, existing industrial partner with processing capability, the LOI is intended to support the development of the Bankable Feasibility Study (BFS) for Homerun’s planned solar glass manufacturing facility at Santa Maria Eterna.

Cannot view this image? Visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4082/286093_cc2fd796d45729f8_001.jpg

The above diagram shows how this LOI fits into Homerun’s Corporate Strategy Structure and completes the first Industrial silica sales channel.

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:
https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/4082/286093_cc2fd796d45729f8_001full.jpg

Brian Leeners, CEO of Homerun, commented, ‘Advancing from an MOU to a structured commercial LOI with Jundu is a major de-risking event for Homerun. It gives us a clear, scalable path to secure and process the high-purity silica we need, with a partner that already understands this district and this product and has an extensive business in the Brazilian silica market. These commercial terms are designed to feed directly into our Bankable Feasibility Study for the Santa Maria Eterna solar glass plant and, just as importantly, they facilitate a rapid move from the BFS to construction and then to meaningful cash flow. For our shareholders, this LOI is about converting potential into an executable, large-scale industrial plan in partnership with one of the most credible silica players in Brazil.’

About Jundu Ltda. (https://jundu.com.br/)

Jundu Ltda. is a leading Brazilian producer of industrial minerals, with a primary focus on high-purity quartz sand and other non-metallic minerals used in glass, foundry, chemical, ceramic, construction and energy markets. Jundu is jointly owned by Sibelco, a global material solutions company specializing in industrial minerals, and Saint-Gobain, one of the world’s largest building materials and construction-solutions groups. Through this ownership structure, Jundu combines local operational depth with the technical, commercial and ESG standards of two industry-leading multinationals, positioning the company as a highly respected, large-scale partner for demanding silica applications such as premium solar glass.

About Homerun

Homerun is building the silica-powered backbone of the energy transition across four focused verticals: Silica, Solar, Energy Storage, and Energy Solutions. Anchored by a unique high-purity low-iron silica resource in Bahia, Brazil, Homerun transforms raw silica into essential products and technologies that accelerate clean power adoption and deliver durable shareholder value.

  • Silica: Secure supply and processing of high-purity low-iron silica for mission-critical applications, enabling premium solar glass and advanced energy materials.
  • Solar: Development of Latin America’s first dedicated 1,000 tonne per day high-efficiency solar glass plant and the commercialization of antimony-free solar glass designed for next-generation photovoltaic performance.
  • Energy Storage: Advancement of long-duration, silica-based thermal storage systems and related technologies to decarbonize industrial heat and unlock grid flexibility.
  • Energy Solutions: AI-enabled energy management, control systems, and turnkey electrification solutions that reduce costs and optimize renewable generation for commercial and industrial customers.

With disciplined execution, strategic partnerships, and an unwavering commitment to best-in-class ESG practices, Homerun is focused on converting milestones into markets – creating a scalable, vertically integrated platform for clean energy manufacturing in the Americas.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of
Homerun Resources Inc.

‘Brian Leeners’

Brian Leeners, CEO & Director
brianleeners@gmail.com / +1 604-862-4184 (WhatsApp)

Tyler Muir, Investor Relations
info@homerunresources.com / +1 306-690-8886 (WhatsApp)

FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE

The information contained herein contains ‘forward-looking statements’ within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be ‘forward-looking statements’.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accthe adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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New satellite images offer a stark look at the devastation inside Iran after U.S.-Israeli strikes, while also revealing the damage left behind by Tehran’s retaliatory attacks across the region.

According to U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations across the Middle East, U.S. forces struck more than 1,250 targets during the first two days of Operation Epic Fury.

Planet Labs satellite imagery captured burning ships and damaged facilities at the Konarak base in southern Iran, as well as significant destruction at Iran’s naval headquarters in Bandar Abbas on the Persian Gulf, reflecting the scale of the strikes on military infrastructure.

Imagery from Vantor shows the Choqa Balk drone facility in western Iran was hit, along with damage to other key military and strategic sites targeted in the U.S.–Israeli strike campaign. 

Radar systems at the Zahedan air base in eastern Iran — near the country’s borders with Pakistan and Afghanistan — were also struck.

The two facilities are about 800 to 900 miles apart, underscoring the broad reach of the coordinated strikes.

Additionally, satellite imagery from Planet Labs shows thick smoke plumes rising above Tehran, signaling explosions and fires inside the Iranian capital.

The smoke underscores how the conflict has moved beyond isolated military sites and into the heart of Iran’s political center.

Iran responded with missile and drone strikes of its own, expanding the conflict across the region. Satellite images reveal damage to the port city of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates. The city of Sharjah is the third most populous after Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The Jebel Ali Port, the region’s largest maritime hub, was also targeted, underscoring how the retaliation extended beyond military sites to key infrastructure.

The U.S. has warned that further retaliation could follow, as both sides signal they are prepared for additional rounds of strikes. Pentagon officials said U.S. forces in the region remain on high alert and have publicly cautioned that any new attacks on U.S. citizens would prompt a forceful response.

With damage now visible from western Iran to the Persian Gulf, the coming days could determine whether the confrontation stabilizes — or spirals into a wider regional war.

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The State Department on Monday urged Americans to depart immediately from more than a dozen countries across the Middle East, warning of ‘serious safety risks’ as the Iran war intensifies.

Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Mora Namdar said U.S. citizens should leave from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen.

The department said Americans who need help arranging departure via commercial means can contact the State Department 24/7 at +1-202-501-4444 from abroad or +1-888-407-4747 from the U.S. and Canada.

The travel push was amplified by the State Department’s official travel account, which urged Americans abroad to enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program, or STEP, at step.state.gov to receive the latest security updates from their nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

Officials have warned that conditions in the region remain volatile, and that security situations can change quickly as fighting tied to the Iran conflict continues.

The warnings come days after the United States launched Operation Epic Fury, striking command-and-control centers, Iranian air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites.

In a Feb. 28 Worldwide Caution security alert, the State Department said Americans worldwide, and especially those in the Middle East, should exercise increased caution, monitor local security alerts and expect potential travel disruptions, including periodic airspace closures.

The evacuation push follows a cascade of security alerts issued by U.S. embassies across the region since Saturday, many ordering or recommending Americans to shelter in place.

At least nine U.S. missions, including Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Jordan, Qatar and Israel, have issued repeated shelter-in-place directives or advisories over the past several days.

In multiple cases, embassy personnel and their families were ordered to remain at home, with Americans urged to stay in secure structures away from windows and be prepared for incoming missiles or drones.

In Saudi Arabia, the embassy in Riyadh closed Tuesday after two Iranian drones struck the building, prompting expanded shelter-in-place orders for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran. No injuries were reported.

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