March 20, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

The bond market is flashing a signal not seen since before the 2008 crisis

Troubling developments unfolded in the U.S. bond market on Thursday that had some investors drawing comparisons with the run-up to the 2008 financial crisis. The current problems start with rising oil prices as a result of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, which is raising the risk of stagflation and the prospect of a 2026 interest-rate hike by the Federal Reserve. Brent crude the global oil benchmark, briefly blew past $119 a barrel on Thursday as attacks escalated on oil-and-gas infrastructure in the Persian Gulf. West Texas Intermediate crude-oil futures briefly crossed $100 a barrel. But even as oil prices have spiked and stock prices come down, Treasurys, often seen as a haven during times of market unease, haven’t rallied on a continual basis.

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Instead, fears that the war in the Middle East could morph into a full-blown energy crisis pushed the policy-sensitive 2-year Treasury yield above the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate target on Thursday. Bond yields move inversely with prices and rise during selloffs. Thursday’s bond-market selloff caused the Treasury yield curve to exhibit what traders describe as a “bear-flattening” pattern. This actually began back in early February. Typically, the pattern emerges when bond traders are bracing for a difficult economic environment ahead. The confluence of these three developments — oil above $100 a barrel, a 2-year yield above the fed funds rate, and a bear-steepening dynamic in the bond market — is making some investors nervous. The last time all three things unfolded simultaneously was in the late spring of 2008, according to Bloomberg data. About four or five months later, Lehman Brothers collapsed, ushering in the most acute phase of the 2008 financial crisis. The S&P 500 declined 38.5% that year. Widespread mortgage defaults also resulted in many Americans losing their homes. The current environment includes both similarities and differences to that troubling time. Whereas the 2008 crisis was triggered by the bursting of a housing bubble and the subsequent collapse of the subprime mortgage market, investors are currently focused on the continued war with Iran, which began on Feb. 28, as well as signs of increasing stress in the private-credit industry. Already, investors have been impacted by twin declines in stocks and bonds, which amount to a double-whammy for anybody holding their retirement savings in a 60-40 portfolio.

‘Rage turnout’ ahead? Democrats are hopeful their primary bump fuels midterms

A turnout surge in the 2026 Democratic primaries continued this week in Illinois, as the party’s voters again cast ballots in far greater numbers than they did in the last midterm election. It’s a boomlet already reshaping the Democrats’ many intense primary contests — and boosting confidence among party strategists that Democrats could benefit from a big turnout wave in November’s general election. “Nobody shows up to a parade for losers,” said Caitlin Legacki, a Democratic strategist. “And the enthusiasm we’re seeing in Dem primaries vs. the lack of enthusiasm we’re seeing in Republican primaries is a pretty strong signal.” Parties traditionally enjoy a turnout boost in midterm years after they lose a presidential election. But Democratic operatives say they’ve been pleasantly surprised with the level of engagement in this year’s primaries, especially when the party’s image is at historic lows.

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In Tuesday’s Illinois primary, the Senate race saw a nearly 50% increase in participation compared to the last midterm election in 2022, jumping from 860,000 votes to a projected 1.28 million votes when all ballots are counted. The increase was even larger in some House races. Illinois’ 8th Congressional District saw a 63% increase relative to 2022, from 43,000 votes to a projected 70,000 votes. The 9th district saw a 71% hike, increasing from 77,000 in 2022 to 132,000 this week. Democrats offer a lot of explanations for why turnout has so significantly increased this year. But at the center of it, most of them say, is a visceral anger at President Donald Trump, motivating even voters who normally avoid politics to become involved. “I think there’s a strong likelihood of a rage turnout this year,” said Aviva Bowen, an Illinois-based Democratic strategist who worked on some of the contested House primaries in Chicago this week. The comparisons aren’t perfect. The Illinois Senate race in 2022 was an uncontested romp for Sen. Tammy Duckworth, for example, while this year’s contest featured three prominent candidates in a tight battle for the nomination.

Irving-based Nexstar closes $6.2 billion acquisition of TEGNA

The FCC and DOJ approved the $6.2 billion acquisition of broadcaster TEGNA by fellow television operator Nexstar Media Group. A release issued Thursday by Nexstar states in part: "Nexstar Media Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: NXST), today announced that it has closed its acquisition of TEGNA Inc." That announcement came after the approval of the transaction by the federal agencies. The proposed acquisition was announced in August 2025. “The FCC has been focused on empowering broadcast TV stations to serve their local communities, consistent with their public interest obligations. Today’s agency decision does exactly that as both the record and Nexstar’s enforceable commitments demonstrate," FCC chairman Brendan Carr said in a statement. "For too long, the FCC stood by while newspapers closed by the dozen in communities all across the country. Those trusted sources of local news and information shuttered while the FCC dithered. If you care about local news, you should care about the future of local broadcast TV stations."

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ICE raids adding to falling enrollment at RGV school districts

Ongoing ICE raids are impacting Rio Grande Valley school districts, forcing hundreds of U.S.-born students out of the country while straining tight budgets. Across the Valley, educators struggling to curb years of falling enrollment are pointing to months of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids as a growing factor behind dropping student numbers. As part of a formula, the Texas Education Agency is paying Valley school districts about $6,200 a year for each student in classrooms. In Weslaco, the school district’s enrollment’s dropped from 16,305 to 16,028 during the last year, Superintendent Richard Rivera said, blaming much of the loss of 277 students to what he describes as “the immigration scare.”

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“I have been a superintendent for about 30 years and this is the most I’ve ever seen a district losing for this reason,” he said in an interview. Of the students leaving the country, many were born in the United States, Rivera said. “It affects them deeply,” he said. “They were born here. They’ve adjusted here. Most are elementary kids. Most of them have been successful. They‘ve learned the language and were doing well in school. All of a sudden life is shattered. Now they are starting a new life. It’s going to impact their life.” For school districts, the students’ losses are eating into strained budgets reeling from years of falling enrollment amid the federal government’s cuts in Elementary and Secondary Emergency Relief Funds, or ESSER funds, aimed at helping school districts through the coronavirus pandemic. “It affects the district — the budget,” Rivera said of the latest factor behind dropping enrollment. “We’re overstaffed with these students gone. Now, as people resign or retire, we don’t fill the positions.”

State Stories

Williamson County GOP votes to return to countywide voting for May runoff

The Williamson County Republican Party has voted to return to countywide voting for the primary runoff set for May 26, a representative for the county confirmed. The party must amend their election contract with the county before the change can be finalized. Connie Odom, the communications director for Williamson County, said a meeting for that purpose is set for March 24. During the initial primary elections in early March, Williamson County voters had to visit assigned precincts to cast their ballots on Election Day, a change from previous elections when voters could stop by any polling place in the county.

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The change led to confusion on Election Day. Some voters faced long lines and two- to three hour long waits. A judge ordered two polling places to stay open for three extra hours, and election officials did not finish counting votes until the next day. Both Democrats and Republicans must agree for countywide polling places to be available during primaries. The shift to assigned voting locations came at the request of the Williamson County Republican Party. The GOP in Dallas County also chose to make the shift. State Democrats said they anticipated issues ahead of the election. "For more than two months, Democratic Party leadership has been warning Republican leadership every step of the way that a disaster was impending, but they refused to listen," the Texas Democratic Party said in a statement on Election Day. "Now, voters all across Dallas and Williamson Counties are being denied ballot access, being turned away at the polls, and facing outrageous wait times at their polling locations."

Harris County commissioners table resolution seeking to condemn Lina Hidalgo after rodeo dispute

Harris County commissioners punted a proposed resolution on Thursday that would have condemned Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s recent actions at the Houston rodeo and called for her resignation. Republican Commissioner Tom Ramsey’s resolution would have recognized the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s accomplishments and condemned Hidalgo for an incident in which she was removed by security from a rodeo concert last week at NRG Stadium. The delay comes after a rule change in February that moves resolutions from Harris County Commissioners Court’s regular bi-weekly meetings to business court meetings. Commissioner Rodney Ellis, a Democrat who directed the regular court meeting on Thursday because of Hidalgo’s absence, said Ramsey would have to make a motion to suspend the recent rule change in order to read the resolution.

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No other commissioner seconded Ramsey’s motion to temporarily suspend the rule change — which kicked the item to the next business court meeting on March 31. Ellis also suggested pausing the discussion until Hidalgo, who is in Europe on a trade mission, returned to commissioners court. “Just from the timing of it all, I think reading it here, and we can certainly talk about it again when she returns, her having missed the last three meetings, I’m not sure when she’s coming,” Ramsey said. The dispute between Hidalgo and security personnel at the rodeo happened after she and four other guests attempted to access the chute area — a premium seating area in NRG Stadium closest to the concert stage — without proper credentials. Hidalgo claimed she was threatened with arrest, shoved by security personnel and escorted out of a rodeo concert. Rodeo officials disputed her claims and said they were “very disappointed” in Hidalgo’s actions. The event’s board of directors also voted to strip Hidalgo of her role on the board, which was tied to her elected position as county judge.

Escobar denies ICE claims that staffer posed as detainee's attorney at Camp East Montana

U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar of El Paso is pushing back against allegations from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement involving a member of her staff. According to a report by Fox News, Benito Torres, a senior caseworker on Escobar's staff, allegedly lied at least 11 times about being an attorney for detainees at Camp East Montana in Fort Bliss and brought cellphones into the facility. The acting ICE director, Todd Lyons, said he informed Escobar about the staffer in a letter dated Thursday. Escobar, however, denied the claims. “I have every reason to believe these allegations are unfounded,” Escobar said. “I stand proudly by the members of my team who have demonstrated nothing but dedication and integrity to serving our nation and our community.”

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In his letter to Escobar, Lyons wrote, "The available evidence demonstrates your staffer... misrepresented himself as counsel for detainees in ICE custody, violated clear detention standards and security protocols prohibiting the use of cellphones inside ICE facilities, improperly met with multiple detainees, and falsely claimed to ICE personnel such use had been approved by the agency." Fox News' report features an image of a sign-in log that shows the staffer allegedly claiming to be a "lawyer" visiting a "client." The letter also states that during that visit, the staffer admitted he was not an attorney after he was confronted by a facility staff member after they became aware of someone passing a phone to multiple detainees.

Sen. John Cornyn: Force members of Congress to wait in TSA lines

Sen. John Cornyn wants to make sure members of Congress wait in the same airport security lines as everyone else. As a weekslong stalemate leaves Transportation Security Administration agents working without pay, Cornyn has introduced a bill to outlaw preferential screening treatment for members of Congress. Cornyn said the change would put lawmakers on equal footing with travelers and restore “democracy” to airport security lines. “Nobody should be above the rules and regulations imposed on the American people, and a member pin on your lapel should not give you carte blanche to skip airport screening lines while everyday Americans are forced to patiently wait their turn,” Cornyn said.

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The bill includes exceptions for programs such as TSA PreCheck and in cases of security concerns, he said. The proposal, which would have to clear both chambers, a slow process, comes as security lines have been growing at airports nationwide. That’s been blamed on a partisan impasse over Homeland Security funding that includes TSA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other agencies. Sen. Ted Cruz, Cornyn’s home state Republican colleague, offered a proposal in 2024 that would have made it easier for rank-and-file members of Congress to get airport escorts. Supporters said that proposal would only have applied to federal lawmakers facing credible security threats, which have spiked in recent years, but the idea was blocked after opponents said it could be abused. Public criticism at the time focused in part on Cruz’s widely derided decision to take his family to Cancun during a deadly February 2021 winter storm.

Proposed policy would enable Harris County employees to advocate for higher wages through a labor organization

Harris County could soon become one of the first major jurisdictions in Texas to establish a policy enabling labor organizations to advocate for higher wages and improved working conditions for government employees. The worker consultations policy — proposed by Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis — is set to be discussed and considered during a commissioners court meeting on Thursday. Though Texas law prohibits public employees from collective bargaining, the local program could make it easier for county workers to file grievances related to pay, workplace conditions and terminations.

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Under the policy, nonsupervisory employees in certain county departments could also file group grievances and request representation by labor organizations to lodge complaints. Harris County’s five-member commissioners court, which currently includes four Democrats, would retain final authority over personnel policies and recommendations. “This policy that we have creates a consultation process between county workers and county leadership,” Ellis said. “It gives workers a seat at the table to raise workplace concerns about wages, hours, promotions and working conditions. It creates a clear process so workers can make their case when problems arise. “ If the proposal receives approval by commissioners on Thursday, interested county workers could select a labor organization to represent them. An organization would be established as an agent when it receives support from 20% of eligible employees. If multiple organizations qualify for the title, employees would vote in an election to select one sole representative, according to the proposed policy.

Northside ISD has nearly $200 million in 2022 bond project 'on hold'

Nine school improvement projects totaling nearly $200 million from Northside Independent School District’s2022 bond issue are “on hold” with no indication of when the projects will be built. Just four years after its nearly $1 billion bond election,San Antonio’s largest school district intends to seek voter approval in November on a bond package for security upgrades and other improvements. Northside’s Building Committee got an update Wednesday on the $198.47 million in projects that were approved nearly four years ago but have not since been executed. Superintendent John Craft told a panel of trustees he wants to “be careful in not putting millions and millions of dollars into these facilities and then having to come back in a very short amount of time (and saying), 'Well, we really need more science labs.'

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The delayed projects were slated for elementary campuses across the district and meant to replace outdated school facilities and upgrade HVAC and ventilator systems. “I will still stand fast in saying by holding just a little bit until we have really clear visioning as to what needs to happen at the campuses, we’re going to be better off in the end,” Craft told board trustees who will soon nominate community members to serve on a Citizen Bond Committee. This committee will help shape the district’s ask to voters in an anticipated November election.The district is considering whether to ask voters Nov. 3 for a 3-cent increase to its tax rate, which is currently at $1.0049 per $100 valuation of property. Northside officials arealso studying the potential for a $400 million bond issue to target priorities in a facilities wish list that exceeds$2 billion in value. Craft emphasized that the nine schools with projects on hold are not “on the fringe” or at risk of closure. As Northside ISD grapples with a looming budget deficit and declining enrollment now at about 97,600 students, district officials have emphasized the need to “optimize” operations, something that may eventually result in campus closures.

UNT cuts and consolidates 85 degree programs, certifications amid $45 million deficit

The university will begin eliminating and consolidating 85 degree programs and certificates in response to its current $45 million deficit. University President Harrison Keller and Provost Michael McPherson sent an official notice to students via email on March 19 stating the majors, minors and certificates that will be phased out or merged with others. “As the university addresses financial challenges, the difficult decision was made to begin the process of closing or consolidating a selection of academic programs,” said Melisa Brown, senior director of university relations, in an email to the North Texas Daily. “Programs were selected after a thorough evaluation of many factors, including student demand and enrollment trends, time to value, resource efficiency, and alignment with our university’s mission.”

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Linked in the notice was the university’s Academic Programs Update that listed every upcoming degree program elimination or consolidation. It states “the most substantial change” is the Department of Linguistics merging with the Department of World Languages. With the merger of the two departments alongside other cuts, the College of Information recorded 15 total degree program changes. That is the second most among the university’s impacted colleges behind the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which saw 34 changes. Linguistics senior Sage Smith said they learned of their department being phased out in the email sent to all university students. Smith said when they opened the email, they were not expecting to see that their program will not exist in three years. “It just makes me really sad and disappointed,” Smith said. “So, just seeing that a program that means so much to me and to my friends, peers and my professors is just really upsetting. The university added the M.S. in Linguistics in the 2024-25 school year and it has since been removed in the recent department merger. Smith said they had planned to get their graduate degree at the university as it was one of the few universities in the state to offer the M.S. in Linguistics rather than only an M.A. The impacted programs will no longer accept new enrollments, though currently enrolled students will be able to complete their degrees. As for eliminations, there are 25 undergraduate minors and 21 graduate and 21 undergraduate certificates, three master's degree programs and the undergraduate Latino and Latin American Studies major.

Texas judge issues restraining order against utility district involved with Islamic development

The acting board of directors for a North Texas utility district has been stopped in their tracks by a judge after the state accused them of illegally acting in support of a controversial Islamic development. The temporary restraining order issued Thursday follows a lawsuit from the attorney general's office, accusing the utility district of helping East Plano Islamic Center developers duck state regulation.

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The TRO was issued by a district court in North Texas on Thursday, enjoining the Double R Municipal Utility District No. 2A of Hunt and Collin Counties ("Double R MUD") from taking actions in their board meeting scheduled for Friday, March 20. The defendants in the TRO, referred to as the "purported directs," are now barred from taking up or deciding on most of the agenda items they had planned. Those defendants, named as Yaneli Molina, Hatim Mahmoud Yusuf, Nadeem Ashraf Khan, Asim Hussain Khan, and Faisal Abbas, are accused of breaking portions of the Texas Water Code. The order says they "did not own taxable property within Double R MUD’s geographic boundaries as they existed prior to the purported annexation of lands on September 12, 2025." According to a previous state lawsuit, the MUD was inactive until September 2025, when developers involved in the Meadow, previously EPIC City, allegedly "engineered the takeover" of the district rather than creating a new one for the development. Paxton claimed this was to avoid state regulation, calling the actions "highly unusual."

At 40, The Wittliff Collections remains a true Texas treasure

In the heart of Texas State University’s campus, on the seventh floor of the Alkek Library, resides a Texas-size treasure known as The Wittliff Collections. Stepping off the elevator, a polished sea of saltillo tile leads visitors through a labyrinth of exhibitions, where vestiges of the state’s artistic history and heritage shine like crowned jewels. Spanning literature, photography, music, and film, The Wittliff has become a world-renowned research archive, library, and rotating gallery space dedicated to preserving and sharing the cultural and creative legacy of Texas, as well as Mexico and the American Southwest. Despite this international reputation, however, many Texans remain unaware of the creative riches safeguarded in this San Marcos institution. “I think everyone should know about The Wittliff, yet I’m always surprised not everybody does,” says Carrie Fountain, The Wittliff’s literary curator and the 2019 State Poet Laureate. “We don’t want to be the best kept secret in Texas.”

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Now, thanks to a monumental exhibition commemorating the 40th anniversary of The Wittliff, a new generation of Texans and travelers can come to know this revered site. The Spirit of The Wittliff in 40 Objects—on view through 2026—reveals 40 of the archive’s most unique and captivating objects that embody the collections’ storied soul, which originated from its founder and namesake, Bill Wittliff. Forty years ago, the late writer, photographer, and celebrated screenwriter of Lonesome Dove founded the Southwestern Writers Collection with his wife, Sally, after acquiring the literary estate of writer and folklorist J. Frank Dobie, including boxes of his personal papers, diaries, correspondence, and memorabilia, like his desk. Since donating their Southwestern literary manuscripts to the university in 1986, the archives have expandedto include the Southwestern and Mexican Photography Collection and the Texas Music Collection. Today, it comprises more than 500 collections, with writers like Sandra Cisneros, Larry McMurtry, Taylor Sheridan, Elizabeth Crook, and Stephen Harrigan, and musicians Jerry Jeff Walker and Willie Nelson among the many to have their works contained here.

San Antonio, Medina County continue to attract data centers

The San Antonio area, and a booming Medina County to the west of the Alamo City, continue to attract Amazon and Microsoft Data Centers. Recent filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation show Microsoft plans to construct two additional data centers at its location on County Road 381 in the community of Rio Medina at a cost of $52 million. Work on both additions starts this spring and should be completed within a couple of years. Combined, they will cover nearly half-a-million square feet.

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Meanwhile, similar filings find Amazon is expanding its data center presence in the San Antonio area with two of the facilities, both each well over 100,000 square feet. One will be built on the Southeast Side on Donop Road at a cost of $65 million and the other is planned on the West Side on Northwest Crossroads at a cost of $25 million. Their completion dates fall within the next two or three years. The demands such centers place on water for cooling and on electricity for power have become concerns for local residents, especially the demand on water in a time of drought. They are also known to be noisy to live around. The San Antonio City Council may formally address local policy for the industry this year. San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones told Texas Public Radio in February that such data centers are not going unnoticed at city hall. "We know these things are coming," she said. "That doesn't mean they can show up wherever they want to. We certainly have some say in that. And we want to make sure we are thinking about impact on utilities. And we're also thinking about what makes the best place in terms of location in the city."

Anderson County lands $16 billion gas power project in White House, Japan deal

President Donald Trump and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Thursday announced the building of a $16 billion natural gas generator to be located in Anderson County. This announcement was made during Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s visit to the White House and is one of three new energy infrastructures in a $550 billion investment package pledged by Japan in October.

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This natural gas-fired power generation hub operated by NextERA Energy Resources, is to have a capacity of up to 5.2 gigawatts of natural gas-fired generation, capable of serving up to 5 GW of large-load demand. In a statement on social media, Rep. Cody Harris, (R-Palestine) who was in Washington,D.C. for the meeting, said this project would bring 3,000 long-term, high paying jobs to the community and enable local taxing entities to slash property taxes. “This will be a massive investment in House District 8 which will have a multi-generational impact,” he stated. “Very exciting day for our area.” According to County Judge Carey McKinney, the Anderson County Commissioners Court had their first meeting with NextERA energy Tuesday and received preliminary information about the project. “We are still in the development stages, and we are going to have some more meetings and get more information, and talk about what this will do for the county,” McKinney said. The project is located in Precinct 2 Commissioner Rashad Mims portion of the Bethel Community which is split between Precinct 2 and Precinct 4.

Rep. Julie Johnson demands answers in death of her constituent in ICE custody

Rep. Julie Johnson visited ICE’s Dallas field office on Monday, March 16, to demand answers regarding the death of Mohammed Nazeer Paktiawal, 41, who lived in her district. Paktiawal was an Afghan immigrant who worked with U.S. forces since 2006 in Afghanistan. He and his family were evacuated when the U.S. pulled out of the country. He died at Parkland Hospital a day after ICE had taken him into custody. “Paktiawal has a known criminal history including an arrest by local authorities for SNAP fraud, a felony, on Sept. 16, 2025,” ICE wrote in a press release. “He was arrested a second time for theft on Nov. 1, 2025.” Paktiawal lived in Richardson and was the father of six.

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Chuck Norris, 86, rushed to the hospital in Hawaii after medical emergency

Chuck Norris was reportedly rushed to a hospital in Hawaii after suffering a medical emergency. The “Walker, Texas Ranger” alum, 86, was on the island of Kauai when the incident occurred, TMZ reported Thursday. However, the nature of the incident remains unclear. Norris bounced back immediately as insiders told the outlet that he is in good spirits. A rep for Norris wasn’t immediately available to Page Six for comment. The martial artist proved he’s still in great shape as he celebrated his birthday on March 10 with a private outdoor boxing lesson. “I don’t age. I level up,” he said in a video shared via Instagram. “I’m 86 today! Nothing like some playful action on a sunny day to make you feel young.”

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“I’m grateful for another year, good health and the chance to keep doing what I love,” Norris continued. The actor expressed his gratitude to the “best fans in the world,” concluding, “Your support through the years has meant more to me than you’ll ever know.” The “Way of the Dragon” star often shares his workouts online, and recently posted a photo of himself flexing his bicep while hitting the gym in November. “Here’s a photo I took several months ago,” he captioned the snap. “Progress isn’t measured by perfection, but by the courage to keep going.” Norris reassured his 2.8 million followers that he was “still setting goals, pushing forward and choosing discipline over comfort.” “No matter your age, keep striving for the best version of yourself,” he added. The “Invasion U.S.A.” star also posts footage of himself horseback riding, hiking and weight lifting.

National Stories

US weighs military reinforcements as Iran war enters possible new phase

President Donald Trump's administration is considering deploying thousands of U.S. troops to reinforce its operation in the Middle East, as the U.S. military prepares for possible next steps in its campaign against Iran, said a U.S. official and three people familiar with the matter. The deployments could help provide Trump with ?additional options as he weighs expanding U.S. operations, with the Iran war well into its third week. Those options include securing safe passage for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a mission that would ?be accomplished primarily through air and naval forces, the sources said. But securing the Strait could also mean deploying U.S. troops to Iran's shoreline, said four sources, including two U.S. officials.

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Reuters granted the sources anonymity to speak about military planning. The Trump administration has also discussed options to send ?ground forces to Iran's Kharg Island, the hub for 90% of Iran's oil exports, the three people familiar with the matter and three U.S. officials said. One of the officials said such an operation would be very risky. Iran has the ability to reach the island with missiles and drones. The United States carried out strikes against military targets on the island on March 13 and Trump has threatened to also strike its critical oil infrastructure. However, given its vital role in Iran's economy, controlling the island would likely be viewed as a better option than destroying it, military experts say. Any use of U.S. ground troops - even for a limited mission - could pose significant political risks for Trump, given low support among the American public ?for the Iran campaign and Trump's own campaign promises to avoid entangling the ?U.S. in new Middle East conflicts.

Trump invokes Pearl Harbor in front of Japanese prime minister to defend Iran attack secrecy

In an apparent awkward moment at the Oval Office on Thursday stateside, U.S. President Donald Trump referenced Pearl Harbor in his first meeting with Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after her landslide electoral victory. When asked by a Japanese reporter on why the U.S. did not inform allies such as Japan before carrying out the attacks against Iran on Feb. 28, the U.S. president said it was to maintain the element of surprise. "Who knows better about surprise than Japan ... Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor?" Trump was referencing the surprise Japanese attack on the U.S. Pacific Fleet in 1941, which saw the deaths of over 2,400 personnel and drew the U.S. into World War II. Takaichi appeared to draw a deep breath and lean back in her seat with an uneasy expression.

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Trump said that the surprise attack on Iran had helped the U.S., adding that it "knocked out 50% of what we anticipated" in the country within the first two days. During the meeting, Trump praised Japan for "stepping up" to assist in efforts to secure the Strait of Hormuz, "unlike NATO." Before the meeting, Japan, as well as Britain, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands had released a joint statement expressing their readiness to "contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait." Trump had called on Japan and other countries to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, but Takaichi had reportedly said Monday that there were no plans to dispatch naval vessels to escort boats in the Middle East. Her office also said in a post on X that there was "no specific request from the United States to Japan for the dispatch of vessels." Japan's prime minister on Tuesday said that the government was considering what could be done within the framework of the country's law. Japan's Self-Defense Forces are governed by its pacifist constitution, that renounces war and the threat or use of force for settling international disputes. Trump had taken aim at NATO allies earlier this week, saying that the alliance was "making a very foolish mistake" by not getting involved in the war. In response, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius reportedly said on Monday that "This is not our war, we have not started it," a stance that was also adopted by French President Emmanuel Macron. Subsequently, Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Thursday that "we have declared that as long as the war continues, we will not participate in ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait ?of Hormuz, for example, by military means," according to Reuters.

Woman charged with murder after allegedly taking abortion pills, going to hospital

A Georgia woman has been charged with murder after going to the emergency room with severe pain she experienced after allegedly taking abortion pills at home. Alexia Moore delivered a 22- to 24-week-old fetus “with cardiac activity” in December, according to an arrest warrant, which cited Moore’s medical records. The newborn, a girl, died within an hour. Police questioned Moore, 31, in the hospital and charged her this month with felony murder — the first such charging, abortion advocates said, since Georgia instated a six-week abortion ban after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. In the arrest warrant, police alleged that Moore’s pregnancy was “well beyond six weeks.” Other states have charged women who have abortions with murder or attempted murder since Roe’s fall in 2022, but few of those prosecutions have advanced far. In a similar case in Georgia, prosecutors in 2015 dropped a murder charge against a woman who took abortion pills.

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“This is just yet another attempt to criminalize abortion by avoiding the actual limits of the law,” said Karen Thompson, legal director of the abortion rights advocacy group Pregnancy Justice. Moore is being held in jail in Camden County, Georgia, according to jail records. The Georgia Public Defender Council’s Brunswick Judicial Circuit office, which is representing Moore, declined to comment. Moore was transported to the Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus in late December after complaining of abdominal pain, according to an arrest warrant. She told medical staff that she was pregnant and took misoprostol pills to terminate her pregnancy, the warrant alleges. She also allegedly took oxycodone, a painkiller. A hospital security guard allegedly told officers from the Kingsland Police Department details of Moore’s pregnancy and abortion, according to a police report. In addition to murder, police also charged Moore with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance and possession of dangerous drugs.

Father of service member killed in Iran war said he never told Pete Hegseth to 'finish' the job

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met privately Wednesday with the families of six service members who died in the Iran war and, in a press briefing the next morning, said the message he got was consistent and supportive. “What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve was the same from family after family. They said, ‘Finish this. Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done,’” Hegseth said. One of the people he met at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware was Charles Simmons. His 28-year-old son, Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, was among the six crew members killed when their refueling plane crashed in Iraq last week. Simmons recalled his exchange differently. “I can’t speak for the other families. When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about,” he told NBC News in an interview Thursday.

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Simmons said he spoke separately to Hegseth and President Donald Trump at Dover and was grateful for the warmth that both men showed him. He and Hegseth spoke mostly about Tyler, his impressive service record and the speed with which he had advanced in the military, Simmons recalled. He said he told the defense secretary, “I understand there’s a lot of peril that goes into making decisions like this, and I just certainly hope the decisions being made are necessary.” Asked if he said anything to Hegseth or Trump about the need to keep fighting the war, Simmons said, “No, I didn’t say anything along those lines.” A 60-year-old music teacher in Columbus, Ohio, Simmons told NBC News that he has “questions” about the war and isn’t able to draw “definitive conclusions when I don’t have all the data.”

Inside JB Pritzker’s power play in Illinois’ Senate primary – and what it means for a 2028 run

The Illinois state troopers’ code name for Juliana Stratton, the lieutenant governor and the new Democratic nominee for US Senate, is Sprinter. Their code name for JB Pritzker, the governor who put his political capital and upward of $10 million behind getting her there, is Believer. There was Believer outside a school on the corner of 24th Street and South Millard on a Tuesday morning that had warmed up to 19 degrees. Carefully standing on the legal side of the blue cone that marked the boundary for electioneering, Pritzker talked up his candidate to each voter who passed or the preschool teachers who popped out to ask for selfies, even after Stratton had already headed back to the car. There were many doubters of Stratton’s chances, people who cited her seeming discomfort on the campaign trail, the huge campaign donations collected by Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi and the candidacy of Rep. Robin Kelly potentially splitting the Black vote.

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“A lot of people have suggested that this election tonight was personal to me,” Pritzker, his voice hoarse from the final stretch, said as he introduced Stratton. “And I’m here to tell you all: They’re right, it was.” What played out in Tuesday’s Senate primary was more complicated than Stratton’s win being good news for Pritzker, though he can walk onto a future presidential debate stage and say he stood by the person who’d supported him for years, now on track to be only the sixth Black woman in the Senate ever. With many assuming Pritzker is at most a year away from launching a 2028 presidential campaign, this race was an early demonstration of what kind of larger operation he might run, with even eager “Pritzker for President” boosters worried he and his inner circle need to sharpen up ahead of a campaign when he won’t be the front-runner on his home turf. Pritzker and his aides push back on over-indexing on the Stratton campaign, but they argue it shows what he might carry forward into a presidential campaign: loyalty to those loyal to him among fellow politicians and operatives, a willingness from a hotel fortune heir to put his money to use, strength among less reliably blue voters and success despite early chatter about underperforming.

Judge rules that R.F.K. Jr. overstepped on transgender care

A federal judge in Oregon ruled on Thursday that Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overstepped his legal authority when he declared last December that providers of gender-transition medical treatments for minors “do not meet professionally recognized standards.” The decision, a setback for the Trump administration, gives temporary relief to hospitals, clinics and health professionals who provide such treatments. In the weeks after Mr. Kennedy issued his written declaration, the Department of Health and Human Services indicated that it would investigate institutions that continued to prescribe medication to minors for gender transitions and would potentially bar them from receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid funds. Twenty-one states, all led by Democrats, had filed a lawsuit over Mr. Kennedy’s issuing of the 12-page declaration, claiming that the statement interfered with the power of states to regulate the practice of medicine within their borders.

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The declaration states that it “supersedes” statewide or national standards of care and that “sex-rejecting procedures for children and adolescents are neither safe nor effective as a treatment modality for gender dysphoria, gender incongruence, or other related disorders in minors.” The states asserted that the federal government had attempted to unilaterally establish a national medical standard, violating the Administrative Procedure Act, which requires federal agencies to act within the bounds of authority delegated to them by Congress. The federal government countered that the states had failed to show they were harmed by Mr. Kennedy’s declaration, because no individual providers of gender-transition care have been barred from receiving Medicare and Medicaid at this point. In court documents, the federal government’s lawyers characterized Mr. Kennedy’s declaration as a “non-binding policy position” and likened it to an opinion piece in a publication: “Secretary Kennedy, just like anyone else, is entitled to articulate his opinion on the safety and efficacy of emerging and controversial medical practices,” the lawyers wrote. Gender transition treatments have been banned in 27 Republican-led states, but they are legal in the states bringing the lawsuit, which include Oregon, California, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York. In some of those states, health care institutions that fail to offer the treatments may run afoul of state anti-discrimination laws.

From Bush to Obama to Trump, White House faith office persists at 25 years

Influenced by a prominent pastor and a layman who led a prison ministry, George W. Bush in his first presidential administration embarked on an ambitious goal: to partner the federal government with faith-based groups. The concept already existed during the Clinton administration through a federal welfare reform provision known as “charitable choice” that permitted religious organizations to receive government funding if they allowed their beneficiaries to receive social services without religious coercion. But Bush codified it with what was initially called the Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives in the White House that included 11 Cabinet-level departments. “Government can hand out money, but it cannot put hope in a person’s heart or a sense of purpose in a person’s life,” became a Bush mantra.

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In his 2010 memoir “Decision Points,” the former president credited Tony Evans, then the pastor of a predominantly Black church in Dallas, and Chuck Colson, Watergate felon-turned-evangelical advocate for prisoners, with helping him see the value of faith-based programs receiving government support. Now, 25 years later, all the Democratic and Republican presidential administrations that have followed included some form of the so-called White House faith-based office. Though some critiqued the office as inappropriate mixing of church and state, Bush argued in his memoir that “government need not fear religion” even as it “should never impose religion.” The Republican president aimed to create a nonpartisan initiative, choosing Democrats as the first two leaders appointed to direct the office: John DiIulio, a University of Pennsylvania professor, and Jim Towey, a former lawyer for Mother Teresa.

Copyright March 20, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved