Skywatchers across much of the world prepared for a striking celestial event early Tuesday, March 3, 2026: a total lunar eclipse that turned the full Worm Moon a dramatic copper-red hue, often called a “blood moon.” This was the only total lunar eclipse visible anywhere in 2026, marking the third in a near-tetrad sequence and the last until late 2028.
The eclipse unfolded over the night of March 2-3 depending on time zones, with the Moon passing fully into Earth’s umbral shadow. Unlike solar eclipses, lunar ones are visible from the entire night side of Earth where the Moon is above the horizon, making this one accessible to millions in North America, Central America, parts of South America, Asia, Australia and the Pacific.
Key times were given in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and major zones:
– **Penumbral eclipse begins** — 8:44 UTC (March 3) / 3:44 a.m. EST / 12:44 a.m. PST / 8:44 p.m. KST (March 3 in Korea) / 7:44 p.m. AEST (March 3 in eastern Australia). The Moon entered Earth’s faint outer shadow, causing subtle dimming.
– **Partial eclipse begins** — 9:50 UTC / 4:50 a.m. EST / 1:50 a.m. PST.
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– **Totality begins** — 11:04 UTC / 6:04 a.m. EST / 3:04 a.m. PST / 8:04 p.m. KST / 9:04 p.m. AEST. The entire Moon immersed in the dark umbra, appearing reddish due to sunlight refracted through Earth’s atmosphere.
– **Greatest eclipse (maximum totality)** — 11:33 UTC / 6:33 a.m. EST / 3:33 a.m. PST. The peak moment, with the Moon at its deepest in shadow.
– **Totality ends** — 12:03 UTC (approximately) / 7:03 a.m. EST / 4:03 a.m. PST. The Moon began exiting the umbra.
– **Partial ends** — 13:17 UTC / 8:17 a.m. EST.
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– **Penumbral ends** — 14:23 UTC / 9:23 a.m. EST.
Totality lasted about 58-59 minutes, with the full eclipse spanning roughly 5 hours and 38 minutes. The Moon’s apparent size was near average, occurring about a week from perigee and apogee.
Visibility varied by location. In North America, western regions enjoyed the best views of totality under dark skies. Eastern U.S. observers saw the start of totality around sunrise, with the Moon setting mid-eclipse in many places — a phenomenon where the rising Sun and setting eclipsed Moon appeared simultaneously. Central and Mountain time zones caught more of totality before dawn. NASA noted early morning viewing in North and Central America, with far western South America also in range.
In Asia and Australia, the eclipse occurred during evening hours on March 3 local time. Eastern Asia and Australia saw full totality in the evening sky, while Pacific islands had it overnight. Europe and Africa missed visibility entirely, as the Moon was below the horizon during key phases.
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The reddish color resulted from Earth’s atmosphere scattering shorter blue wavelengths, allowing longer red ones to reach the Moon — the same process that tints sunsets. Clouds or atmospheric particles could alter the shade from deep copper to brick red or even grayish.
No special equipment was needed; the naked eye sufficed, though binoculars or small telescopes enhanced crater details and color variations. Photographers used tripods for long exposures to capture the dim scene. Safe viewing applied — unlike solar eclipses, lunar ones posed no eye risk.
Astronomers highlighted this as part of a series: following totals on March 14, 2025, and September 8, 2025, with a partial on August 28, 2026. The next total arrives December 31, 2028–January 1, 2029, dubbed a New Year’s blood moon.
The March event coincided with the Worm Moon, traditionally named for earthworm activity signaling spring in some cultures. It peaked near 6:38 a.m. EST, close to maximum eclipse.
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Communities organized watch parties, planetariums streamed views and apps like Stellarium or Sky Tonight helped locate the Moon. Clear skies were crucial; forecasts varied regionally.
The eclipse offered a reminder of celestial mechanics: Earth’s shadow extends far into space, and the Moon’s orbit aligns perfectly twice yearly for eclipses. This alignment at the descending node produced the total phase.
As dawn broke in many viewing areas, the Moon exited shadow, returning to normal brightness. For those who missed it, recordings from NASA and observatories circulated widely.
This rare astronomical spectacle captivated observers, blending science, beauty and a moment of shared wonder across continents.
Special Report executive editor Bret Baier has the latest on Netflix dropping its bid to buy Warner Bros.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said Sunday he knew “right away” he would decline to counter Paramount’s winning attempt to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, admitting rival chief executive David Ellison made a superior offer.
Netflix dropped its bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery on Thursday after the company announced Paramount’s latest bid to buy all of its assets, including CNN, was “superior.”
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“We had a very tight range that we’d be willing to pay and made that offer back when we closed this deal. We hadn’t moved much from that, except for moving to cash, which served to move the deal faster. I’m happy where we got in and happy where we got out,” Sarandos told Bloomberg.
“We knew right away, when we got the notice on Thursday that they had a superior offer and the details of that deal,” he continued. “We knew exactly what we were going to do.”
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said he knew “right away” he would decline to counter Paramount’s latest attempt to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. (David Benito/FilmMagic via Getty Images / Getty Images)
In December, Warner Bros. announced it had reached a deal with Netflix to buy the Hollywood studio and HBO for $83 billion, prompting Paramount to launch a $108 billion hostile takeover bid for the entire company, including all of its cable assets like CNN, which would have been spun off into a separate company under the Netflix deal.
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Sarandos suggested that President Donald Trump was largely interested in the deal because of CNN, the news network that he has long criticized.
“Once it was clear that we weren’t in the CNN business, it was a lot less interesting. He didn’t care that much more about our deal,” he said.
Sarandos predicted that Paramount Skydance Corp. will ultimately need to slash a significant number of jobs. His comment came after CNN insiders told Fox News Digital that staffers feel “a mix of despair, apprehension and curiosity” as they await details.
“It would be less production, less people working,” Sarandos told Bloomberg.
Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos told Bloomberg he was “happy where we got out” of the bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. (Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix / Getty Images)
Paramount’s revised offer raised WBD’s value to $31 per share, putting the company’s valuation at $111 billion. Paramount will additionally pay the $2.8 billion termination fee to Netflix after WBD backed out of their deal.
Ellison’s billionaire father, Larry Ellison, is personally backing Paramount’s bid, committing $45.7 billion in equity through the Ellison Trust, while Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Citi and Apollo will provide a $57.5 billion debt commitment.
The Netflix honcho also said Paramount has major regulatory hurdles to clear.
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“Even when we were thinking about keeping these businesses together and running, we knew that we had a difficult task ahead of integration. I can’t imagine doing all that and trying to cut billions and billions of dollars. Today, Paramount has half of the people that they had one year ago. So that gives you some sense of where this is heading for the town and for the business,” Sarandos said.
Last month, Trump called on Netflix to fire board member Susan Rice immediately or “pay the consequences” after the former Obama official warned that corporations she said had “taken a knee” to Republican pressure should not expect forgiveness from Democrats if they return to power.
President Donald Trump largely lost interest in the Netflix deal once CNN wasn’t involved, according to Ted Sarandos. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Sarandos told Bloomberg he spoke with Rice but never considered removing her from the board.
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CNN has largely embraced anti-Trump programming for much of the last decade, and the president has responded by publicly criticizing the network on a regular basis. Last year, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ellison told Trump officials that he’d make sweeping changes to CNN if he became its owner.
One CNN insider said they were trying to keep an “open mind” but said it’s easy to understand why staffers are upset given the reporting on Ellison and Trump discussing changes.
“It’s existential for the brand to be owned by an individual who has personal allegiance to a political figure and is not even answering to public markets,” they told Fox News Digital.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (EW) TD Cowen 46th Annual Health Care Conference March 2, 2026 9:50 AM EST
Company Participants
Scott Ullem – Corporate VP & CFO
Conference Call Participants
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Joshua Jennings – TD Cowen, Research Division
Presentation
Joshua Jennings TD Cowen, Research Division
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We’re going to get started here as we’re moving down the medical devices company presentation, fireside chat track at the 46th Annual TD Cowen Healthcare Conference. I’m Josh Jennings from the TD Cowen Medical Devices team, and we are honored to have Edwards’ CFO, Scott Ullem, joining us making the track out from the West Coast. Scott, thanks so much for being here.
Scott Ullem Corporate VP & CFO
That’s our pleasure, and I’m here with my colleague, Gerianne Sarte, who’s going to be taking over as Head of Investor Relations in April.
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Joshua Jennings TD Cowen, Research Division
Thank you for introducing her. I’m sorry, I didn’t introduce you, myself. I’ve got mixed emotions here at this — you’ve been the regular attendee and your team of the TD Cowen Healthcare Conference. And this may be the last time we get to have a chat up here on stage.
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Scott Ullem Corporate VP & CFO
Well, I haven’t been here for all 46 of your annual investor conferences, but it’s always a pleasure to be here. Thanks, Josh.
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Question-and-Answer Session
Joshua Jennings TD Cowen, Research Division
Thanks, Scott. And maybe to start, just maybe the succession path and the process, any updates there? I mean it seems like there has been some restructuring in the — some of the big executives at Edwards over the past couple of years with Mike Mussallem leaving, Larry Wood leaving and now you’re departing as well. But I think in each instance, the executive’s departure was — the basis was you’re leaving the company in a good position and you have a strong team
NEW YORK — The S&P 500 (^GSPC) extended losses into early March 2026 trading, pressured by escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran, which sent oil prices sharply higher and prompted a flight to safe-haven assets.
The benchmark index closed at 6,878.88 on Feb. 27, down 29.98 points or 0.43%, capping a volatile week that saw broader market retreats amid renewed inflation concerns from surging energy costs. On March 2, futures indicated further downside, with S&P 500 contracts sliding around 1% pre-market before opening lower, trading near 6,855-6,856 levels in early sessions with intraday ranges dipping to approximately 6,796 before partial recovery attempts.
S&P 500 index
The pullback reflects a classic risk-off environment triggered by weekend military actions. U.S. and Israeli forces targeted Iranian sites in what has been described as “Operation Epic Fury,” prompting fears of prolonged conflict, potential disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz — through which about one-fifth of global oil flows — and retaliatory measures. Brent crude surged as much as 8-13% at peaks, trading near $79-$82 per barrel early in the week, while West Texas Intermediate climbed toward $72-$73, marking multi-month highs and amplifying worries about sticky inflation.
Gold futures rallied over 3%, surpassing recent levels as investors sought protection, while the U.S. dollar strengthened against major currencies. The VIX, Wall Street’s fear gauge, elevated toward 20, signaling heightened volatility as traders braced for developments.
“The combination of geopolitical escalation and an oil shock is forcing a rapid repricing of risk,” one market analyst commented in a Monday note. “Higher energy prices threaten to delay any Federal Reserve easing cycle, putting pressure on valuations across equities, especially in growth-sensitive sectors.”
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The S&P 500 has shown resilience earlier in 2026, with year-to-date performance modestly positive in some calculations around 0.5% to 1% despite February’s softness. The index ended the prior month lower overall, influenced by softer sentiment in AI and technology names amid broader rotation. However, the latest catalyst has accelerated the defensive shift, with energy and select industrial names providing relative outperformance while consumer discretionary, tech-heavy constituents and airlines faced headwinds from elevated fuel costs.
Broader indices mirrored the caution. The Dow Jones Industrial Average futures dropped over 500 points at one point, while the Nasdaq Composite — already under pressure from prior sessions — saw amplified declines due to its growth orientation. European and Asian markets opened sharply lower, with some benchmarks down 1-2% as the conflict’s global implications rippled outward.
Analysts noted that persistent oil elevation could complicate the economic soft-landing narrative that buoyed stocks through much of the cycle. Recent Producer Price Index data had already introduced hotter-than-expected inflation readings, and the energy spike risks reinforcing those trends ahead of key labor market reports and corporate earnings.
Despite the near-term turbulence, longer-term optimism lingers for some observers. The S&P 500 remains above key technical supports, including its upward-sloping 10-month exponential moving average in certain analyses, suggesting the broader uptrend intact unless escalation materially worsens. Defensive sectors like consumer staples have shown relative strength in recent rotations, while international exposure via emerging markets or Europe has outperformed in spots amid diversification plays.
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Investors continue monitoring diplomatic channels for de-escalation signals, alongside upcoming economic releases that could influence Fed policy expectations. Any stabilization in the Middle East or cooling in oil markets might support a rebound in risk assets, though prolonged uncertainty keeps caution front and center.
The index’s valuation, trading at levels reflecting forward earnings growth tempered by macroeconomic risks, appears balanced for total return seekers willing to weather volatility. Consensus views maintain a constructive stance on U.S. large-caps, with emphasis on quality names resilient to energy shocks and potential rate path adjustments.
As March trading unfolds, the S&P 500’s performance will hinge on the trajectory of the conflict, commodity prices and incoming data. For now, the market digests the geopolitical shock, balancing growth potential against immediate headwinds from higher costs and uncertainty.
Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to address the deadly Austin shooting, warn of potential sleeper cells and sound the alarm on border-related security threats.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott warned that Iranian “sleeper cells” operating inside the United States pose a serious threat following Operation Epic Fury, saying the danger must be taken “seriously” as the Lone Star State ramps up security efforts.
“You oftentimes see when there’s a war breaking out like this, where the United States may be going against a country like Iran, that you could have either sleeper [cells] or lone wolves acting,” Abbott told “Mornings with Maria” on Monday.
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“That’s exactly why we increased the number of Texas Department of Public Safety officers to be patrolling the streets and patrolling sensitive areas and why I deployed the Texas National Guard to do the same thing,” he said.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott speaks during a news conference with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins at the Texas Capitol in Austin on Aug. 15, 2025. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Heightened tensions followed a deadly shooting in Austin early Sunday, when suspect Ndiaga Diagne, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Senegal, opened fire near a bar in the downtown area, killing two and injuring 14 others.
Diagne wore a sweater reading “PROPERTY OF ALLAH” during the attack.
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According to media reports, law enforcement officials found the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran and photos of its leaders in his home.
A demonstrator holding portrait of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei reacts outside the City Hall during a protest against U.S. and Israeli attacks on multiple cities across Iran on February 28, 2026, in Los Angeles, Calif. (Qian Weizhong/VCG/Getty Images / Getty Images)
“There are other details that will be coming out about the shooter and his connections to terrorism that will make clear [that] this was a lone wolf activity where this shooter intended to wreak havoc here in Texas, here in the United States, because of his ties and sympathies with Iran,” Abbott said.
Abbott and other Republicans have long cautioned against the consequences of open borders under the Biden administration. He echoed those warnings during his FOX Business appearance, telling Maria Bartiromo the shooting raises other questions.
Versant signage on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange on July 21, 2025.
Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Versant Media Group will release its first earnings report as a public company on Tuesday, giving Wall Street its first glimpse inside a company made up primarily of pay-TV networks.
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The Comcast spinoff — comprised of CNBC, MS Now, USA Network, Golf Channel, Syfy, E! and Oxygen, as well as digital properties including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and Sports Engine — debuted on the Nasdaq in January after one of the media industry’s most significant transactions in recent years.
The company’s first-ever quarterly results will provide more detail into a portfolio of assets that were long embedded in Comcast’s NBCUniversal TV results. They will also test Wall Street’s appetite for cable TV at a time when the market has faced deep pressures.
Ahead of going public, Versant released financials that showed declining revenue in recent years. Versant’s assets generated $7.1 billion in revenue in 2024, down from $7.4 billion in 2023 and $7.8 billion in 2022, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.
Versant’s stock has dropped about 25% since its January debut, weighed down by expecting selling related to the spinoff. The company’s market capitalization stands at roughly $4.8 billion.
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Pay-TV pressure
It’s a rarity these days to see pure-play media stocks going public — especially those made up solely of TV networks. Last year Newsmax, the conservative cable news network, began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Its shares initially soared before falling precipitously since its debut.
Versant makes more than 80% of its overall revenue from pay-TV distribution. While that business is still profitable, the longtime cash cow for the media industry has been declining as customers flee the bundle for streaming alternatives.
“At Versant, 62% of our audience comes from live programming across sports and news,” CEO Mark Lazarus said during the company’s investor day in December.
“We feel very confident in our position. And the last year, the deals we’ve done, I think bears that out,” he added.
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Versant’s sports- and news-heavy content slate has been a key part of its pitch to investors — as has its light debt load and its emphasis on digital properties as future drivers of revenue and earnings growth.
Mark Lazarus, CEO of Versant, visits the floor at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York City, U.S., July 21, 2025.
Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters
“Sports and news focus is positive, as Versant has far fewer of the lower-value general entertainment networks that some peers do,” Raymond James analysts wrote in a research note earlier this year. “While Versant lacks ‘Tier One’ sports like NFL, NBA, college football, etc., we think its sports lineup (significant golf rights, WWE, NASCAR, etc.) combined with MS NOW, CNBC, and other networks, supports VSNT’s value to distributors.”
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Prior to its spinout, NBCUniversal negotiated carriage agreements with most major distributors, like Charter Communications and Google’s YouTube TV, that included Versant’s networks. Those agreements hold for at least the next two years even after the spinout — an important cushion as these negotiations have become increasingly fraught and can lead to content blackouts.
“More than half of our pay TV subscribers are governed by agreements that go through 2028 and beyond … many of our sports agreements … go well past 2030,” said Anand Kini, Versant COO and CFO, during the investor day. “We view this as really important because the long-term nature of these partnerships highlights the stability of our business and also provides great visibility in the years to come.”
Versant networks will face the first test on their own at the negotiation table this year when two distribution agreements come up for renewal, according to people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to speak publicly. A Versant spokesperson declined to comment on the upcoming discussions.
Typically, news and sports networks hold more weight during such negotiations, but blackouts are becoming more common, even for those with top tier rights such as the NFL.
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‘Business model transition’
Yet the traditional TV bundle has shown a glimmer of stability recently, despite the focus on streaming.
Charter, one of the largest distributors of the bundle in the U.S., reported an addition of cable customers in the quarter ended Dec. 31 — its first quarterly gain since 2020.
Comcast and other distributors, however, still reported customer losses — albeit at a slower rate than recent declines. That’s a sign of possible stabilization, according to Craig Moffett, analyst at MoffettNathanson.
In light of its weight toward traditional TV networks, Versant’s leadership has told Wall Street it’s in the midst of a pivot.
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“We view 2026 as the first year of our business model transition,” Kini said in December.
Versant executives told Wall Street of their intention to invest in its direct-to-consumer products and ad-supported TV expansion, among other growth initiatives.
Long term, executives are targeting a future in which 50% of Versant’s revenue is derived from pay TV and the other 50% comes from digital, platform, subscription, ad-supported and transactional businesses.
M&A is another part of the equation, although bulking up on linear TV networks is not in the plan, executives have said. Already, the company has announced deals such as the acquisition of Free TV Networks, a provider of free over-the-air digital broadcast networks, and Indy Cinema Group, a cloud-based cinema operating system, which was folded into Fandango.
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The question, however, is whether Wall Street has the patience to see the business evolve past its focus on the bundle.
Analysts that have initiated coverage of Versant list the various highlights of the business, from strong free cash flow to a portfolio heavy on sports and news, while still voicing some hesitation.
“We are Neutral-rated on VSNT given the secular challenges in the linear networks business, while [remaining] encouraged by the company’s efforts in the platforms business,” Goldman Sachs analysts said in research note in January.
