NASA has confirmed that a loud “boom” reported across Northeast Ohio on Tuesday morning was a meteor.
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Emerson Miller/Paramount+
NASA confirms 'boom' in Ohio was 17,000-pound meteor
SANGUISUGABOGG Splits With Longtime Guitarist CEDRIK DAVIS
Sanguisugabogg is about to hit the road and they’ve got some unfortunate news about their lineup.
For fans worried about upcoming shows, the band confirmed that their current tour will continue with the same lineup used in Europe. Founding member and producer Cody Davidson will be handling guitar duties alongside Drew Arnold, while Eric Morotti drives the rhythm on drums.
This definitely sucks, but it seems like the decision was mutual – plus Sanguisugabogg sounds great live and I can’t imagine this is going to change that.
“Informing you that we have mutually decided to part ways with one of our long standing guitarists and friend Cedrik Davis. Ced leaves the band with an outstanding legacy that lasts almost 6 of the 7 years as a band. His contributions in our band will always be honored and never go unnoticed as well as all the laughs and memories we have made along the way. We wish Cedrik the very best in his life, for his child and all his future endeavors.
“On our current tour we will be performing our set with the same lineup we had used while in Europe. Our drummer, producer and founding member Cody Davidson will be holding it down on guitar alongside Drew Arnold and we have Eric Morotti hammering away on drums. This lineup is tight and sounds insane live so you are in for a treat if you catch us out!”
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Opinion | We Don’t Need a Strategic Petroleum Reserve
Far from helping, it stops the market from addressing price spikes.
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Liverpool’s next Champions League match may decide Slot’s fate
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Beth Lindop
Multiple Authors
Early in Arne Slot’s tenure as Liverpool head coach, a banner was unveiled at Anfield in his honour.
Emblazoned with a picture of the Dutchman alongside the words “Arne’s Slot Machine,” the banner has become a regular fixture on the Kop over the past two seasons and, for a long spell, seemed to perfectly encapsulate Slot’s Liverpool.
Last season, the Reds were a well-oiled freight train, steaming ahead of the chasing pack and rumbling ruthlessly toward a 20th league title. This term, however, Liverpool’s title defence has been derailed, and they now find themselves embroiled in a race for a top-five finish in the Premier League — and with it a UEFA Champions League qualification spot — against Chelsea, Aston Villa and a resurgent Manchester United. Where only 10 months ago “Arne’s Slot Machine” paid out the ultimate jackpot of a Premier League trophy, now the hardware is repeatedly malfunctioning.
– As fans boo, Liverpool running out of time to save their season
– Arsenal are making football worse, despite Dowman’s dream moment
– Inside Man United’s big decisions between now and next season
Liverpool’s 1-1 draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday was, on paper, not even Liverpool’s most embarrassing result this month — they lost 2-1 to bottom-placed Wolverhampton Wanderers only two weeks ago. But the utter despondency that greeted the full-time whistle from supporters suggested it was, perhaps, the most damaging of a truly miserable campaign.
Dominik Szoboszlai — who had opened the scoring before Richarlison equalised for Spurs in the 90th minute — stared off into space. An irate Mohamed Salah talked animatedly with fellow substitute Federico Chiesa while Slot dutifully applauded the dwindling number of fans who had eschewed the temptation to leave early.
Some of those who stayed behind booed the Dutchman and his players, having apparently grown tired of watching their team so frequently wilt in the face of adversity. It was not the first time Anfield had audibly voiced its frustration — there were also boos after Liverpool’s 4-1 defeat to PSV Eindhoven in November and their 1-1 draw with Burnley in January. However, the scale of the discontent was, at least in recent memory, unprecedented.
“I think it is understandable for fans to be frustrated because it has happened already so many times that they have seen the home team not picking up the points they’re expecting due to goals conceded in the last minute,” Slot said in Sunday’s postmatch news conference.
He added: “We are all frustrated — that is completely clear. It is now up to me and the players to take that frustration to Wednesday evening and show the fans the performance and result they deserve because the fans have been supportive all season for us.”
With Liverpool trailing Galatasaray 1-0 heading into the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie on Wednesday, Slot and his players have little time to dwell on the weekend’s disappointing showing. The meeting with the Turkish Super Lig champions is shaping up to be the most decisive fixture of Slot’s Anfield career, with opportunities to convince the fanbase of his long-term credentials now few and far between.
Anfield hostility could make Slot’s position untenable
Arguably the most damning aspect of Liverpool’s performance against Tottenham was its predictability. Richarlison’s late strike was the 10th goal the Reds had conceded in the 90th minute or beyond in all competitions this season — the most of any side in Europe’s big five leagues. All of those goals changed the outcome, resulting in dropped points for Liverpool.
With that abysmal record in mind, Anfield was understandably tense heading into the closing stages on Sunday, with most of the noise coming from the away end as Igor Tudor’s men pushed for a deserved leveller.
Many of the Spurs supporters in attendance will have made the trip to Spain last week to watch their side — still winless in 2026 — lose 5-2 in an error-strewn game at Atlético Madrid. And yet, they still seemed to have more belief in a positive result for their team than the fans of the Premier League champions. After the game, Szoboszlai questioned why so many home fans had opted to leave the stadium early, urging fans to “stick with” the team.
1:32
Slot: Liverpool owe ‘frustrated’ fans after late Tottenham draw
Arne Slot reacts to Liverpool’s 1-1 draw against relegation-battling Tottenham after conceding another late goal in the Premier League.
While the Hungary international’s queries were valid, it is a worry for Slot that some match-going supporters are starting to vote with their feet — and with their voices. Social-media criticism has been aimed at the Dutchman for months. However there has been no widespread mutiny in the stands, with Anfield largely having remained behind the team and its faltering head coach.
Sunday, though, felt like a turning point, with the toxicity levels likely to ratchet up another notch if Liverpool fail to progress past Galatasaray on Wednesday. Even if the Reds do make it to the quarterfinals of the Champions League, their likely showdown with title-holders Paris Saint-Germain — who knocked Liverpool out on penalties last year — seems an ominous prospect. Next month’s trip to Manchester City in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup also appears a tough assignment.
Confidence on Merseyside is so brittle, and allegiance to Slot so fractured, that it feels as if the Liverpool boss is only one bad result away from irretrievable crisis. While Slot has retained the support of the club’s hierarchy throughout the darkest days of this torrid season, there is a risk his position could become untenable should Anfield to continue to make its displeasure known.
Apathy a dangerous weapon for Liverpool
It is worth noting it was only last month that Liverpool posted a roundtable discussion between Slot, sporting director Richard Hughes and CEO Billy Hogan to the club’s social media channels. While the in-house nature of the video meant analysis of the Reds’ turbulent season was always likely to be sanitised, the symbolism of Slot sitting alongside two of the club’s most influential decision-makers felt significant. In some quarters, it was perceived as a public show of support for the under-fire head coach, demonstrating the strong behind-the-scenes relationship Slot shares with the Anfield hierarchy.
“You have to have an opinion,” Hughes admitted. “It was an opinion that got Arne into the position he is in, so you can’t shy away from that. But once you have the right person and believe in that person, the judgement isn’t something that is happening on a daily basis. You are working together to achieve something together.”
While Hughes’ words seemed like a pretty clear endorsement of Slot, it must be noted that the Dutchman is yet to be handed a new contract, with his current deal — alongside those of Hughes and Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of Football Michael Edwards — set to expire at the end of the 2026-27 season. Should Slot remain in post next season without extending his terms, debate over his long-term future — and the futures of those above him — is only likely to intensify.
1:46
Burley: Liverpool have had the same issues all season
Craig Burley believes Liverpool’s failure to improve has been something they’ve struggled with all season.
When assessing this season, Hughes conceded that last summer’s influx of new signings required a period of adaptation. Much has been made of Liverpool’s £450 million outlay, however Slot’s advocates would likely point to the fact that the most expensive of those signings, the £125 million Alexander Isak, has missed most of the season through injury, while Liverpool have also recouped £258.5 million (rising to £294.5 million with add-ons) from player departures during his tenure.
Despite showing undeniable flashes of quality, star midfielder Florian Wirtz has not yet lived up to his £116 million transfer fee, and former Bayer Leverkusen teammate Jeremie Frimpong has found his Liverpool career stunted by a succession of hamstring injuries.
The club’s decision to sanction the departure of forward Luis Díaz without sourcing a senior replacement now looks misguided, while the glaring underperformance of key players such as Salah and Alexis Mac Allister has massively hurt Slot’s cause.
All of the above mitigation, though, pales into insignificance beside to the fact the Liverpool boss has had to contend with the death of a much-loved first-team player — striker Diogo Jota, who died in a car accident last July. It remains an unquantifiable tragedy that, while in no way an excuse for Liverpool’s consistently poor form, nonetheless has framed their entire season.
Still, football is a results business and the importance of Champions League qualification is irrefutable, both reputationally and in terms of the club’s finances. The modern game is fickle, and the general consensus among supporters is that Slot’s credit in the bank from last season’s title win is in dangerously short supply.
Where last term the Dutchman was lauded for his calm persona and controlled style of play, he now finds himself accused of being the uninspiring coach of an uninspired team. It is a harsh and perhaps unjust assessment but, for a football club which thrives on emotion, apathy is critical weapon.
With so much at stake against Galatasaray this week, it feels imperative that Liverpool’s supporters rally behind their team. The power of Anfield on European nights has so often proved decisive. For Slot, it might just shape the course of his future.
Trump says China trip will be delayed because of Iran war
Washington — President Trump says he’s delaying his trip to China because of the war with Iran, now in its third week.
On Monday, he told reporters he had requested that his visit be delayed by a month or so, and on Tuesday, he said China was “fine” with that proposal. The president had been scheduled to arrive in China in early April.
“We’re resetting the meeting and it looks like it’ll take place in about five weeks,” he told reporters in the Oval Office in an event with Micheál Martin, the Irish prime minister. “We’re working with China. They were fine with it. I look forward to seeing President Xi; he looks forward to seeing me, I think.”
China has not yet confirmed the postponement. During another White House event on Monday, Mr. Trump indicated he’d “love to” go to China, “but because of the war, I want to be here. I have to be here, I feel.”
The president has urged Beijing and other countries to help the U.S. reopen the Strait of Hormuz to try to bring down oil prices that have surged since the Iran war began.
In an interview Sunday with the Financial Times, Mr. Trump said that China’s reliance on oil from the Middle East means it should help with a new coalition he’s trying to assemble to restart oil tanker traffic through the strait after Iran’s threats have throttled global flows of oil.
Relations with China have been fraught as both sides have threatened the other with steep tariffs over the past year.
Earlier Monday, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, said during a news conference Monday that China and the U.S. “are maintaining communication regarding President Trump’s visit to China,” but he didn’t address Mr. Trump’s pressure on NATO allies and China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to French news agency AFP.
Iran War clouds Federal Reserve’s outlook on rate cuts
The Iran War has scrambled the Federal Reserve’s outlook on inflation and unemployment and will likely further delay interest rate cuts this year, putting off any relief for consumers struggling with high borrowing costs for home and car purchases.The spike in oil and gas prices presents already-divided Fed officials with a worst-case scenario as they conclude a key meeting Wednesday: Costlier gas will raise inflation in the short run, which typically causes the central bank to raise borrowing costs — or at least leave them unchanged — to combat higher prices. Yet if the spike is high enough or lasts long enough, it could hammer the economy and push up unemployment, which the Fed would typically respond to by moving in the opposite direction, and cutting its key rate.For now, the clearest way forward for the 12-member rate-setting committee, led by Chair Jerome Powell, is to stand pat and wait to see which way the economy goes. The Fed is expected to keep rates unchanged Wednesday, and may remain on pause at their meetings in late April and June. Many economists now see the first rate cut this year not taking place until September or later.”With Iran and the oil shock, I think the committee’s room for maneuver here is pretty limited,” said Nathan Sheets, chief global economist at Citi and a former senior economist at the Fed. “I think they’ve got to wait and see how this plays through.”Yet the Fed also has to release a set of quarterly economic projections that will create its own set of pitfalls. In December, the committee forecast that inflation would cool to 2.6% by the end of this year, with core inflation excluding food and energy falling to 2.5%. But those figures were already rising before the Iran war, with core prices rising 3.1% in January from a year earlier, the biggest increase in more than two years.The Fed had also forecast in December that it would cut rates once this year, but that will be harder to maintain if the committee also raises its inflation outlook. The Fed cut three times last year before pausing in January.Tim Duy, chief economist at SGH Macro, argues that the Fed should raise its forecast for core inflation, using the metric it prefers, to at least 2.8% by the end of this year. An increase of that amount would argue against any cuts this year.”Any reasonable forecast for inflation now should not have a cut” in the Fed’s projections, Duy said. “And it’s almost ludicrous that it might.”Whether the Fed will continue to forecast a single rate cut this year, or pull back and project no cuts, is seen as a close call by most economists. Many leading members of the Fed — including governors Chris Waller, Stephen Miran, Michelle Bowman, and possibly Powell — are reluctant to give up on the idea of reducing rates. Waller, for example, has said in a television interview that inflation is heading back to the Fed’s 2% target, with the Iran War likely only a temporary disruption.Yet another group of Fed officials — including Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and Austan Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Fed — were already worried about the stubborn persistence of inflation even before the Iran War. The prospect of higher gas prices will likely only intensify their concerns.Mortgage rates have already risen in the wake of the conflict, likely because markets expect higher inflation will prevent the Fed from cutting anytime soon. The average 30-year mortgage rate jumped to 6.1% last week from 6%, though it is still down from nearly 6.7% a year ago.On top of all the economic disruptions, the Fed is nearing a major leadership transition. Powell’s term as chair ends May 15 and President Donald Trump has nominated a former top Fed official, Kevin Warsh, to replace him. Yet Warsh’s nomination has been delayed in the Senate because key Republican senators have objected to a Justice Department investigation of Powell over his testimony about a building renovation.Last Friday, a judge threw out a pair of subpoenas that the Justice Department had issued to the Fed, dealing a blow to the investigation, but U.S. Attorney Jeannine Pirro has said she will appeal the ruling.Also hanging over the Fed is the inflation spike from the pandemic. Typically, the Fed would essentially look past a supply shock like the disruption in oil supplies from the Middle East. Once it ends, any inflation it produces will likely fall back, without the Fed having to raise rates. As a result, it could leave rates unchanged — or even cut them to boost weak hiring.Yet as the economy emerged from the pandemic in 2021, inflation jumped as Americans sharply raised their spending, aided by stimulus checks and pandemic-era savings. Powell initially said that inflation would be “transitory” and would fade as the economy returned to normal. Instead it spiked to a four-decade high in June 2022.With inflation still elevated, many Fed officials are wary of repeating the mistake, making any cuts less likely as long as inflation is elevated.”I think they are a little scarred from the blowback they got from the word ‘transitory,'” said Derek Tang, an economist at Macro Policy Analytics, a consulting firm.
WASHINGTON —
The Iran War has scrambled the Federal Reserve’s outlook on inflation and unemployment and will likely further delay interest rate cuts this year, putting off any relief for consumers struggling with high borrowing costs for home and car purchases.
The spike in oil and gas prices presents already-divided Fed officials with a worst-case scenario as they conclude a key meeting Wednesday: Costlier gas will raise inflation in the short run, which typically causes the central bank to raise borrowing costs — or at least leave them unchanged — to combat higher prices. Yet if the spike is high enough or lasts long enough, it could hammer the economy and push up unemployment, which the Fed would typically respond to by moving in the opposite direction, and cutting its key rate.
For now, the clearest way forward for the 12-member rate-setting committee, led by Chair Jerome Powell, is to stand pat and wait to see which way the economy goes. The Fed is expected to keep rates unchanged Wednesday, and may remain on pause at their meetings in late April and June. Many economists now see the first rate cut this year not taking place until September or later.
“With Iran and the oil shock, I think the committee’s room for maneuver here is pretty limited,” said Nathan Sheets, chief global economist at Citi and a former senior economist at the Fed. “I think they’ve got to wait and see how this plays through.”
Yet the Fed also has to release a set of quarterly economic projections that will create its own set of pitfalls. In December, the committee forecast that inflation would cool to 2.6% by the end of this year, with core inflation excluding food and energy falling to 2.5%. But those figures were already rising before the Iran war, with core prices rising 3.1% in January from a year earlier, the biggest increase in more than two years.
The Fed had also forecast in December that it would cut rates once this year, but that will be harder to maintain if the committee also raises its inflation outlook. The Fed cut three times last year before pausing in January.
Tim Duy, chief economist at SGH Macro, argues that the Fed should raise its forecast for core inflation, using the metric it prefers, to at least 2.8% by the end of this year. An increase of that amount would argue against any cuts this year.
“Any reasonable forecast for inflation now should not have a cut” in the Fed’s projections, Duy said. “And it’s almost ludicrous that it might.”
Whether the Fed will continue to forecast a single rate cut this year, or pull back and project no cuts, is seen as a close call by most economists. Many leading members of the Fed — including governors Chris Waller, Stephen Miran, Michelle Bowman, and possibly Powell — are reluctant to give up on the idea of reducing rates. Waller, for example, has said in a television interview that inflation is heading back to the Fed’s 2% target, with the Iran War likely only a temporary disruption.
Yet another group of Fed officials — including Beth Hammack, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, and Austan Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Fed — were already worried about the stubborn persistence of inflation even before the Iran War. The prospect of higher gas prices will likely only intensify their concerns.
Mortgage rates have already risen in the wake of the conflict, likely because markets expect higher inflation will prevent the Fed from cutting anytime soon. The average 30-year mortgage rate jumped to 6.1% last week from 6%, though it is still down from nearly 6.7% a year ago.
On top of all the economic disruptions, the Fed is nearing a major leadership transition. Powell’s term as chair ends May 15 and President Donald Trump has nominated a former top Fed official, Kevin Warsh, to replace him. Yet Warsh’s nomination has been delayed in the Senate because key Republican senators have objected to a Justice Department investigation of Powell over his testimony about a building renovation.
Last Friday, a judge threw out a pair of subpoenas that the Justice Department had issued to the Fed, dealing a blow to the investigation, but U.S. Attorney Jeannine Pirro has said she will appeal the ruling.
Also hanging over the Fed is the inflation spike from the pandemic. Typically, the Fed would essentially look past a supply shock like the disruption in oil supplies from the Middle East. Once it ends, any inflation it produces will likely fall back, without the Fed having to raise rates. As a result, it could leave rates unchanged — or even cut them to boost weak hiring.
Yet as the economy emerged from the pandemic in 2021, inflation jumped as Americans sharply raised their spending, aided by stimulus checks and pandemic-era savings. Powell initially said that inflation would be “transitory” and would fade as the economy returned to normal. Instead it spiked to a four-decade high in June 2022.
With inflation still elevated, many Fed officials are wary of repeating the mistake, making any cuts less likely as long as inflation is elevated.
“I think they are a little scarred from the blowback they got from the word ‘transitory,'” said Derek Tang, an economist at Macro Policy Analytics, a consulting firm.
There’s Just One Thing Missing From Ep. 1-3
Taylor Sheridan‘s new show, The Madison, is just as actor Kurt Russell described it. Episodes 1-3 dropped on March 14, and if you watched, you’re likely enjoying this four-day cry break.
Russell — who plays Preston Clyburn — told EW that the Madison was a “female gaze-oriented show.” What’s that mean?
If it were a film, we’d say it’s a chick flick. There are soaring panoramic views, long moments of catharsis and very little violence. Heck, the tragedy that sets up the entire plot took place off camera — we didn’t even get to see the bodies!
READ MORE: 17 Most Stunning Yellowstone Franchise Deaths, Ranked
Consider that your spoiler alert.
- Ep. 4-6 of the Madison are expected to drop on Paramount+ on Saturday (March 21).
- Michelle Pfeiffer, Beau Garrett and Matthew Fox are other stars of the show.
- The Dutton Rules Podcast team will lead a discussion of Ep. 1-3 on Tuesday (March 17) at 1:30PM CT.
The Madison, Ep. 1-3 Recap:
Midway through Ep. 1, tragedy strikes. Preston (a wealthy Manhattan businessman) is visiting his brother Paul (Fox) in Montana.
We learn he makes the trip from New York City often and considers this a home away from home. For decades he’s wanted his wife and daughters to join him, but she’s always said that she’s a city mouse.
The two men fly to a remote part of the river and decide to stay as a storm presents itself. A few hours later, Paul decides they need to leave quickly. It’s too late.
The storm impacts visibility and his small plane crashes into the mountains of Idaho. Both men are killed.
If you watched the trailer, you likely guessed at this tragedy, and the bulk of the first season will zoom in on how Pfeiffer’s Stacy Clyburn handles her grief.
Her daughters, son-in-law and granddaughters fly to identify the bodies and hole up on Paul Clyburn’s sprawling property, where Stacy starts to make decisions about how the next chapters of her life will look.
What’s Missing on The Madison?
The Madison has a great tragedy, but no real antagonist. There’s no dangerous neighbor, prowling animal or even a storm to fight against. If anything, the friction is this shifting tension between Stacy and her two daughters, both spoiled rotten.
It’s hard to even argue that there is any kind of internal struggle. Fairly quickly, Stacy decides to bury Preston and Paul on a hillside Preston called Stacy’s Valley (the grass matches her hair), and then she announces her intentions to stay in Montana forever.
This feels like a wildly rash decision — and likely the center of the story arc — but if there is one thing Sheridan has gotten right, it’s the feral response to grief.
The Madison, Ep. 1-3 Review:
The Madison is missing an antagonist, but it’s no worse for it. While slower paced than every other Sheridan show, the acting is tremendous and the scenery is breathtaking.
Sheridan is going to be praised for his writing, but credit director Christina Alexandra Voros for decisions that turn just a handful of lines on paper into something that puts a lump in your throat.
One that comes to mind is from Ep. 2.
After paging through Preston’s journal, Stacy asks to see the third cabin on Paul’s property, which her daughter Abby (Garrett) and her granddaughters have been using. When she opens the door, we see old games and stuffed animals and immediately understand how badly Preston wanted to share this place with his family.
READ MORE: Yellowstone: Dutton Family Tree Updated After 1923 Season 2
Those games and stuffies were meant for his girls, who are now fully grown. He built it for them, but they never knew. That’s a devastating detail as impactful as the sequence in which Stacy learns that Preston has died.
The pace of this show signals that Sheridan could be aiming for three, four or five seasons of the Madison. We’ve only just met Abby’s love interest (Van, played by Ben Schnetzer) and Stacy’s best friend from NYC is just getting on the plane. Yet somehow, we’re halfway through Season 1.
The biggest tragedy this show offers is a brief release schedule — by next Wednesday, it will have lost the public consciousness. There’s sure to be a long tail as viewers catch up, but it would have been tremendous fun to peel this show apart every week for six or eight weeks.
If there’s one thing Sheridan and Paramount+ did wrong, it’s giving us too much too soon. The Madison deserves more than a long tail.
17 Most Stunning Yellowstone Franchise Deaths
No character is safe in Taylor Sheridan’s Yellowstone universe. Here are the 17 most stunning deaths from 1883, 1923 and five seasons of Yellowstone.
Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes
Tech, Media & Telecom Roundup: Market Talk
Find insight on Uber, Nvidia and more in the latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom.
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James Arviso/Rance Doyal tie team roping world record in Austin
For the second time in eight months, team roping heeler Rance Doyal found himself in the record books.
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2 found with hundreds of ants are charged with illegally dealing in wildlife in Kenya
NAIROBI, Kenya — A Chinese national and a Kenyan man were charged Tuesday with unlawfully dealing in wildlife species after they were found in possession of hundreds of live ants stored in specialized tubes.
The case was the latest focused on the alleged smuggling of ants in the East African country, where authorities last year described a growing trend in the trafficking of ants to markets in Europe and Asia. Officials have not said if the ants are sought after as pets or for other purposes.
The suspects, identified as Zhang Kequn and Charles Mwangi, appeared in a courtroom in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Tuesday. They were also charged with conspiracy to commit a felony.
Prosecutors say Kequn had been sourcing the ants from Mwangi, allegedly paying 60,000 Kenyan shillings ($463) for an initial batch of 600 ants and 70,000 shillings ($540) for another batch of 700.
The suspects were arrested on March 10 after authorities found them possessing 1,948 garden ants, stored in specialized tubes, and an additional 300 ants in tissue rolls. Prosecutors say the suspects did not have the permits required under Kenya’s wildlife conservation laws to handle or trade in such species.
Mwangi faces a separate charge after he was allegedly found with more live ants.
The suspects remain in custody.
David Lusweti, an attorney for Kequn, told The Associated Press that the suspects didn’t know they were breaking the law.
“They have seen potential that they are able to sell outside the country, they believe that they can make a living out of it,” he said.
Last year two Belgian teenagers were charged with wildlife piracy in what Kenyan authorities called part of a trend in trafficking smaller and lesser known species after they were found with 5,000 ants in test tubes. The insects were said to be destined for European and Asian markets, and Kenyan authorities valued the ants at 1 million shillings ($7,700).
At the time, the Kenya Wildlife Service said the illegal export of the ants “not only undermines Kenya’s sovereign rights over its biodiversity but also deprives local communities and research institutions of potential ecological and economic benefits.”
In a separate criminal case, also last year, a Kenyan man and a Vietnamese national were also charged with illegal trafficking for possession of 400 ants.