Connected-Vehicle Security: Two U.S. lawmakers unveiled the Protecting America from Chinese Cars Act to block Chinese-connected vehicles from entering the U.S. via Canada and Mexico, citing risks from data collection and remote tampering. AI Propaganda Watch: A Spanish-English site (“La Tilde”) was reportedly set up by U.S. Special Operations Command South to push pro-American messaging across Latin America using AI-written content. Music Tech for LATAM: Feature.fm and SonoSuite will embed marketing automation (pre-saves, smart links, fan data workspaces) into white-label music distribution infrastructure. Disaster & Safety: A magnitude 8.2 quake struck off Mindanao, triggering tsunami warnings across the Philippines and Indonesia; at least 15 deaths reported. Healthcare Breakthrough: An Indian surgeon completed a robot-assisted cardiac procedure remotely from Guyana—about 20,000 km—setting a new telesurgery distance record. Crypto Payments: Kraken and MoneyGram launched Bitcoin-to-cash withdrawals across 100+ countries via nearly 500,000 MoneyGram locations. Peru Politics: Peru’s presidential runoff remains a technical tie after quick counts, with uncertainty extending. World Cup Tech & Diplomacy: Iran’s team reached Mexico amid visa disputes affecting some officials. Coral Science: USC Beaufort’s Kim Ritchie won an Eminence in Research award from the International Coral Reef Society for coral “probiotics” research. Wellness Industry: Aker BioMarine kicked off Vitality Month 2026, expanding science-backed wellness events into Europe and Latin America.