March 17, 2026: All Newsclips

Lead Stories

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo attends Europe trade mission amid calls for her resignation over rodeo dustup

In the aftermath of her dustup at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which has prompted some to call for her resignation, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is on a trade mission to Europe with the Greater Houston Partnership, according to the economic development organization. The trip is meant to promote business opportunities in Harris County ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as Houston is hosting seven matches in June and July. The trade mission has stops in the Netherlands, Germany and Portugal — which are among the countries whose soccer teams will compete in Houston — according to Brina Morales, a spokesperson for the Greater Houston Partnership. She said The Netherlands is Houston’s closest trading partner. Morales and a spokesperson for Hidalgo on Monday confirmed her attendance on the trade mission along with the partnership.

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“The Greater Houston Partnership organized the trip in collaboration with other organizations in our region, company leaders, and other representatives of state and local government entities,” Morales said in a statement. “These leaders will work to showcase Houston internationally, with Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo participating in the mission.” The trip comes as Hidalgo is facing calls for her resignation after a dispute with security officials during a sold-out Megan Moroney concert at the rodeo last Tuesday. Hidalgo and her guests attempted to access the chute — a premium 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, subsequently posting several videos and an audio clip to her social media account detailing the incident. The board of directors for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo revoked Hidalgo's leadership role on the board after disputing her claims that she was “manhandled” during the encounter. In a social media post on Monday, Harris County Commissioner Tom Ramsey called for Hidalgo’s resignation in response to the rodeo incident.

NRCC chair to show new Hispanic voter data

NRCC Chair Richard Hudson will present the results of a new internal poll of Hispanic voters this morning, one of the largest research projects House Republicans has ever undertaken. The NRCC conducted regional polls and focus groups among Hispanic voters in 15 battleground seats across the country. The project cost “well into the six figures,” according to a party official, and was aimed at figuring out what messages resonated with Hispanic voters in 2024 and what could bring the group to the ballot box in 2026. This is a major challenge for the GOP this year.

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After months of ICE raids and restrictive immigration policies, President Donald Trump is firmly under water with Hispanic voters, a far cry from 2024. Hill Republicans have publicly backed Trump amid expansive nationwide ICE raids and a wave of deportations. So you have to use that backdrop in any analysis of the GOP’s 2026 prospects. But toplines that were notable to us: Republicans believe the best messages for Hispanic voters include economic opportunity, public safety and “standing up for working families.” The GOP believes they have an “education gap” on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and its tax cuts. This is problematic for Republicans since they have banked their entire majority on the tax bill bringing voters of all stripes to the ballot box for their party. And Hudson will urge Republicans to communicate “consistently” with constituents in English and Spanish.

Australian gambler The Joker confirms he bankrolled 2023 Texas Lottery operation

In the first public acknowledgement of his role in the 2023 scheme in which professional gamblers engineered a guaranteed Lotto Texas jackpot win, an enigmatic Australian gambler known as “The Joker” –— said to wager billions of dollars a year –— confirmed he was the main investor in the enterprise, which netted an estimated $20 million payday. “I was involved in the funding of the Texas lottery play,” Zeljko Ranogajec told the Sydney Morning Herald in a lengthy article published recently describing the operation. He stressed that the big buy had the full support of the Texas Lottery Commission, the agency charged with regulating the games. “It would not have been possible to operate at this scale without full cooperation,“ Ranogajec said.

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The article also provided more granular details about the colorful team of high-stakes gamblers behind the lottery play, which was the subject of an ongoing Houston Chronicle series that last year resulted in two pending investigations and the dissolution of the Texas Lottery Commission. With the Lotto jackpot at $95 million, on April 22, 2023, a single buyer purchased virtually all of the possible 25.8 million number combinations, guaranteeing that one of its tickets would be the winner. No other player guessed the correct six numbers, and two months later the State of Texas handed an entity called Rook TX a $57.8 million check. The operation was carried out at four licensed retailers –— in Round Rock; Spicewood, outside of Austin; Waco and Colleyville –— which processed millions of tickets over the 72 hours between Lotto draws. Yet it also was abetted by state lottery officials. Not only did the lottery agency provide dozens of extra official terminals and pallets of paper to process the tickets with no questions asked – including to three retailers that had sold barely any tickets in the months prior. Lottery officials also turned a blind eye to several apparent rules violations that made the scheme possible.

Flying in America is about to get more expensive and less fun

Major airlines and millions of travelers across the United States face a rare convergence of challenges this spring that together are making it both costlier and less convenient to fly. The Department of Homeland Security’s partial shutdown has created staffing shortages at domestic airport security checkpoints. Meanwhile, the Iran war has driven up jet fuel costs and forced many global carriers to reroute or suspend flights over the Middle East. In America, the busiest spring break week of the year kicked off Sunday, just days after tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration workers who conduct airport screenings missed their first full paychecks of the DHS shutdown — with no end in sight for the funding lapse. Federal airport security workers are considered “essential employees” during government shutdowns, so they are required to report to work even if they’re not being paid.

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More than 300 TSA workers have quit since the partial government shutdown began Feb. 14, the agency announced. At the same time, the number of employees calling out sick has more than doubled at several major airports, a senior TSA official confirmed. As a result, travelers are experiencing hourslong security lines at airports nationwide, and social media is flooded with videos of TSA screening lines that fill up entire terminals. Meanwhile, the Iran war and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz off Iran are driving up the price of oil worldwide and causing a surge in the cost of jet fuel. On Friday, the spot price of a gallon of jet fuel was $3.99, roughly double the price at this time last year, according to the Argus U.S. Jet Fuel Index. A Boeing 747 burns about 60 gallons of fuel per minute, or roughly 10,000 gallons for a three-hour flight, according to the aviation news site Simple Flying. The fuel price spike is testing the ability of airlines around the world to absorb financial shock and respond quickly to rapidly evolving situations.

State Stories

Court ruling settles Texas-Oklahoma border fight over Red River property rights

Texas has secured a court order to protect Texas land after an Oklahoma property owner attempted to claim a portion of Texas’s Red River property. The Oklahoman argued that the Texas-Oklahoma border had shifted. In August 2025, an Oklahoma property owner filed a lawsuit in Oklahoma state court seeking to "quiet title" and obtain a ruling declaring that the owner’s property included land belonging to Texas based on "alleged changes" to the lower bank of the Red River. The lawsuit named several Texas landowners, including the State of Texas. The Motion to Dismiss was granted on March 8, 2026, and the State of Texas was removed from the lawsuit.

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The case was dismissed on sovereign immunity grounds, arguing that the Oklahoma property owner could not sue Texas in Oklahoma state court, or anywhere else, without Texas’s consent. Dig deeper: The lawsuit relied on a 1923 U.S. Supreme Court opinion that identified the Texas-Oklahoma border as the lower bank of the Red River. However, the Texas Attorney General's Office states that the boundary between Texas and Oklahoma was determined by the 1999 Red River Boundary Compact between Texas and Oklahoma, which was approved by Congress in 2000. In a news release made by the Attorney General’s Office, Ken Paxton worked alongside the Texas Department of Transportation, which also utilized outside counsel to assist in filing out-of-state pleadings. "The full force of the law will come crashing down on anyone trying to seize Texas land. I will always defend our state’s sovereignty and will not allow erroneous theories to undermine Texas’s land ownership," said Attorney General Paxton. "The Red River Rivalry may be famous on the football field, but I won’t allow that term to extend to Oklahoma property owners unlawfully seizing Texas land in the courtroom."

Gooden is transferring $100,000 to the NRCC

Texas GOP Rep. Lance Gooden is transferring $100,000 to the NRCC. Gooden will announce the transfer at the closed House Republican political meeting this morning.

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'A legal legend': Roy Barrera Sr., first Hispanic man to serve as Texas Secretary of State, dies at 99

Roy Barrera Sr., a former Texas secretary of state, the first Hispanic president of the San Antonio Bar Association and the beloved patriarch of a family of noted San Antonio attorneys, has died. He was 99. Barrera practiced law for nearly seven decades and remained active in the courtroom until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when he was in his early 90s. Lawyers and judges across San Antonio remembered him as a formidable trial lawyer, mentor and public servant whose influence shaped generations of attorneys. He died peacefully in his sleep Saturday, his family said.

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U.S. District Judge Fred Biery said Barrera's influence spanned generations of lawyers. “Truly a legendary and heroic life. I had the pleasure of knowing and admiring him from my early childhood, when my father would take me to the courthouse,” said Biery, 79. “In adulthood, for the last 48 years, it was always a pleasure and learning experience to have him appear before me, though somewhat surreal to have him call me ‘Your Honor,’ remembering that in his eyes and mine I was still that little kid," Biery recalled. "We will do our best to carry on his traditions at the Bar and for the rule of law and the Constitution.” Charles A. Gonzalez, a San Antonio attorney, former Democratic congressman and former state district court judge, said Barrera was a towering figure in the legal community. In 1968, Gov. John Connally appointed Barrera Texas secretary of state. He was the first Hispanic man to hold the position. Henry Cisneros, a former San Antonio mayor who went on to serve as U.S. secretary of housing and urban development, said Barrera was part of the first generation of Mexican American leaders to gain prominence in the city. “In San Antonio of the 1950s and ’60s, when the Hispanic community was just coming into its own politically and publicly, Roy Barrera was one of the very first,” Cisneros said.

As North Texas school districts turn to virtual options, some hope it will bring back students

School districts across North Texas are rolling out full-time virtual and hybrid learning programs for high school students this fall. Frisco, Granbury, Denton and Argyle ISDs are among districts that have announced plans to offer new virtual options after a 2025 state law expanded pathways for students to attend school. Senate Bill 569 “gives us a little bit more freedom and how we meet the needs of our students,” said Frisco ISD Associate Deputy Superintendent Wes Cunningham. The district will start its Frisco Flex program this fall. After the pandemic, Frisco ISD was allowed by the state to teach through a modified online instruction for certain students in 2022. Now, the program is available for all high school students, including those outside the district, who apply.

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Frisco ISD is working with teachers to build courses from the ground up to align with the curriculum, Cunningham said. “We're trying to build in week to two-week chunks of learning has to be done within this timeline,” Cunningham said. “And the teachers will have check-ins with students on a fairly regular basis.” Cunningham said the program could help keep students within the district and bring back students who have left to go to other districts. Frisco ISD, once the fastest-growing district in the state, has lost hundreds of students in recent years as enrollment shifts across the region. “We’re trying to bring them back home; come back to the family,” Cunningham said. We want to increase those numbers over time, but these things take a little bit of time.” Like Frisco, Granbury ISD leaders hope their BridgeED virtual-hybrid program for high schoolers will keep student enrollment rates up. Superintendent Courtney Morawski told school board members earlier this year there’s a “sense of urgency” as enrollment dips. “We're down a hundred students and so I don't think this board, it would be smart for us to create a system where we are giving an opportunity for other students to leave our district,” Morawski said. “We need to be creating systems where students are staying or even being attracted into our school.”

Caldwell County feels overwhelmed by data center developers

The Austin metro's most rural yet fastest-growing county is also one of the most targeted for data center development. That's prompted leadership there to join a growing chorus calling on the state to give them more regulatory authority to handle them. The Caldwell County Commissioners Court on March 12 held an 80-minute workshop to discuss the scope of their regulatory authority with residents expressing concern about the boom in data center development and its impact on water and power, the environment and ultimately their way of life. Caldwell County, southeast of Austin with a population of 52,400 people, is the most rural county in its five-county MSA. Yet it is home to proposed large-scale data center campuses from Tract, Prime Data Centers LLC and Edged Energy.

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Caldwell County Judge Hoppy Haden gave a presentation to the small crowd about their limited regulatory authority. Counties in Texas don't have the same control as cities, and in some ways are the Wild West for development with no zoning. They also don't operate water and wastewater or electric utilities or even environmental standards. Like Hays County, which floated a temporary moratorium on large water users like data centers, he said that any sort of development moratorium would result in a lawsuit "15 minutes later," he said, adding that they have to issue development permits within 30 days if they check off all the boxes. “They appear on our doorstep and we have to deal with them," Haden said. He ultimately encouraged neighbors to lobby their state legislators and to start now ahead of the 2027 legislature to allow for more regulation on these types of developments. But he did simultaneously lay out some creative steps that the county is taking to ensure sensible development and said that the county can recoup much of the tax generation.

Residents join together to question data center proposal in west Fort Worth

A meeting room at the Benbrook United Methodist Church was filled with dozens of both Benbrook and Fort Worth residents on March 16 as they discussed a data center development aimed at the far southwest edge of Fort Worth. Across town, residents in southeast Fort Worth and the nearby city of Forest Hill have been protesting the development of another $10 billion data center that has raised questions about how nearby cities benefit when a data center comes to town, and about the potential health and environmental risks associated with data centers.

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Many of those same questions were asked Monday night as the group of Benbrook and Fort Worth residents — an autonomous group, loosely organized until something more formal is decided — discussed how to voice their concerns about a proposed $1.1 billion data center. In June 2025, the Fort Worth City Council approved the rezoning of 186 acres owned by PMB Capital Investments in the Veale Ranch development, near the intersection of Interstate 20 and Chapin School Road. Fort Worth is now considering a tax break for Edged Data Centers, a subsidiary of sustainable infrastructure company Endeavor, for a data center to be developed on that land. Council members discussed the proposal at the March 3 work session, and it is expected to be on the agenda at the council’s March 31 meeting. The data center would be in the city of Fort Worth, in District 3, near Benbrook’s southern edge.

Closure of UNT art show points to larger climate of fear on college campuses

The University of North Texas recently made national headlines for closing an art exhibition on campus days after it opened. But it’s not an isolated incident. It’s just one example of a growing climate of fear and censorship, and it’s happening at colleges across the country. “We're in a really chilling atmosphere at this very moment,” said Chloe Kempf, a lawyer for the ACLU of Texas. “But I would say, in general, over the course of our history, this is a very uncommon action.” The recent action isn’t the first art-related controversy on campus. Last year, five North Texas lawmakers sent a letter to UNT asking for the removal of an exhibit where “The murder of a people = genocide” was written in Hebrew. The lawmakers described the pro-Palestinian artwork as antisemitic and warned that the work might run afoul of a federal antidiscrimination law and an executive order from Gov. Greg Abbott. In that instance, two students — not the university — removed one piece of their exhibition early. The gallery in that incident is managed by the student union instead of the art school.

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Victor Quiñonez, also known as Marka27, is the artist whose show was abruptly shut down by UNT in February. Quiñonez was born in Mexico and raised in Dallas. His exhibition, “Ni de Aquí Ni de Allá (Not From Here, Not From There), explored the tension of living at the intersection of two cultures. The show included work from his I.C.E. Scream series. In it, a reworked seal for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement instead reads as “U.S. Inhumane and Cruelty Enforcement.” The seal appears on a pushcart for frozen treats - and the words are repeated on the popsicle sticks that poke out from colorful paleta sculptures. Some of the paletas also have handcuffs, guns and laser-etched images of border crossings inside. “I've always had experience with positive and negative feedback. But never in my 30-plus year career have I had an exhibition canceled or a large work of art censored,” Quiñonez said in a conversation with KERA News. Spokespeople for UNT did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Historic Congress Avenue building approved for demolition near Texas Capitol

809 Congress Avenue, a slender two-story building a stone’s throw away from the Texas Capitol, could soon be demolished to clear the way for future redevelopment. While a demolition plan for the building that is 3,082 square feet and was built in 1925, according to Travis Central Appraisal District, it is still awaiting approval from the city of Austin, Austin’s Historic Landmark Commission approved the demolition on March 4 meeting. Property owner Haidar 1919 LLC’s hasn't publicized plans for the property post-demo, but an approved redevelopment site plan from 2022 could hold clues as to what redevelopment could look like. The identity of Haidar 1919, which purchased the property from Wukasch Properties Ltd. LLP late last year, could not be verified through property records.

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Nelsen Partners, an architecture firm and the applicant listed on the demolition request, did not respond to a request for comment. 809 Congress has been a beauty shop, saloon, millinery, cafeteria and Subway fast food restaurant during its existence, and its most notable tenant was Stelfox Jewelers, according to the landmark commission meeting agenda. Wukasch Properties and other entities bearing the Wukasch name owned the property since 1994, and Haidar purchased it in December. While under Wukasch Properties’ ownership, a site plan application for redevelopment of 809 Congress was submitted in 2021 and approved in 2022. Those plans would have seen the property redeveloped into a four-story office and restaurant building totaling about 13,000 square feet. It is not clear if the new owner would follow the previously approved redevelopment plans, but the plans do serve as an example of what could be redeveloped at the slender site, with the first floor being a 3,195-square-foot restaurant, and the upper three floors being 3,264-square-foot offices. A few blocks south, another Congress Avenue property is facing a demolition and rebuild. Karlin Real Estate's 422 Congress Ave., the site of Shiner's Saloon, is working its way toward approval for demolition and redevelopment as well. That property is now under contract to be sold, per the website of JLL, the broker.

How 2 judges’ exit from an ages-old Bexar County court system is sowing discord

It’s been somewhat of a bumpy transition for two judges who pulled out of Bexar County’s more than six-decades-old Presiding Court system this month. Ahead of their March 1 exits, civil district Judges Christine Hortick and Nadine Nieto issued orders to District Clerk Gloria Martinez directing her to send certain cases to their courts. Hortick ordered the clerk to send her Department of Family and Protective cases that seek to remove a child from a home, while Nieto sought civil cases other than “family law cases and other matters.” Angelica Jimenez, the local administrative judge, though, challenged the orders. She argued they conflict with the Texas Government Code — the state’s rule book on how major areas of government, including the judicial branch, operate.

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Jimenez asked Sid Harle, the senior district judge who presides over the multicounty 4th Judicial Administrative Judicial Region, to rule on the dispute. On Thursday, Harle held a noon hearing in Jimenez’s courtroom before deciding that the orders should be held in “abeyance.” Harle ruled that “implementation of those standing orders would be unfair and unduly burdensome.” But he didn’t like the idea of leaving it up to the clerk’s office to decide what cases should be assigned to a judge. “I frankly am very concerned about the district clerk making these determinations,” Harle said at the conclusion of the hearing that lasted over an hour. “They’re not lawyers. When something is on the cusp of civil versus family, for instance, I don’t want them to be forced to make that decision. It puts them in a very bad position.”

Texas rare-earth project aims to curb US reliance on China, strengthen national security

Efforts to develop domestic rare-earth resources are gaining momentum in Texas as policymakers and industry leaders push to reduce U.S. reliance on China for minerals critical to defense and advanced-technology supply chains. Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham joined FOX Business' Maria Bartiromo on "Mornings with Maria," Monday to discuss how development of the Round Top rare-earth deposit could help strengthen U.S. national security while generating billions of dollars in revenue for Texas public schools.

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Round Top, located in West Texas, is considered one of the richest known deposits of heavy rare-earth minerals in North America. These materials are essential for defense systems, semiconductors and advanced manufacturing. The project has drawn increasing attention as the U.S. looks to challenge China’s long-standing dominance of the global rare-earth supply chain. Buckingham said the state's mineral resources could play a key role in reshaping that balance while delivering economic benefits in Texas. "There are 17 rare-earth minerals. We have 15... We're heavy in the heavies. Those are the really important ones," Buckingham said, "It's going to be billions of dollars into public education... We're breaking China's stronghold on this market. We are making Texas safer." As exploration expands across the region, officials are also focusing on the infrastructure needed to process the minerals domestically. "We have lots of rare-earth minerals all over the region. We are looking at those deposits right now," Buckingham said, "It's going to be billions of dollars to the schoolchildren of Texas, and it's going to make the United States and the whole world safer."

Casar, Cornyn debate Homeland Security funding outside Austin’s airport

The debate over how to fund the Department of Homeland Security spilled into the passenger drop-off area of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) when Democratic Congressman Greg Casar and Republican Senator John Cornyn publicly argued over different proposals. Cornyn was scheduled to speak with reporters Monday morning after he delivered Whataburger to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents at Austin’s airport. TSA agents have been working without pay for a month because the federal government partially shutdown after Congress failed to pass funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the TSA.

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As reporters waited for Cornyn to pull up to the airport in the passenger drop-off area, Congressman Greg Casar, D-Texas, walked up to the cameras and began delivering remarks about the partial shutdown. “I’m confused as to why Senator Cornyn would be here having a press conference at the airport about funding TSA, when it is him that has blocked the funding,” Casar said. As Cornyn’s truck pulled up to the impromptu press conference, Casar said, “Senator Cornyn should put his money where his mouth is.” Cornyn got out of the passenger side of the car and walked straight to Casar. “Why don’t you tell your Democrats to vote to pay these poor people,” Conryn asked Casar. “Let’s do it,” Casar responded. “No, you do it,” Cornyn said back.

Texas based ICON announces its Titan 3D-printing construction system for builders

Texas-based 3D-printed construction and architecture pioneer ICON announced the commercial rollout of new machines, described as a “multi-story robotic construction system.” The Titan is designed to build at “lower cost and with greater speed and quality.” Builders and construction companies can reserve a machine with a deposit of $5,000 and purchase one for a lean $899,000.

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Since ICON’s 2018 debut, the novel printing technology has seen major contracts with US Army and Martian application development with NASA. However, their aspirations with Titan seem to be much more far-reaching, and its deployment democratized. CEO Jason Ballard said in a statement on the release of the machine, “After nearly a decade of research, development, and field operations, we believe it’s time to put these technologies directly into the hands of other builders.” Titan precedes ICON’s previous 3D construction machine, the Vulcan. As previously reported by AN, the Vulcan printer was used to build 3D-printed homes in Austin and an expansive single-story barracks structure in Bastrop, Texas. The Titan, however, marks a jump in speed and efficiency: at 27 feet tall, it requires only two operators to maintain a single 2,500-square-foot printing area. Using ICON’s proprietary printing material, Reinforced Formcrete, the machine can print a home in under seven days. In 2022, the Vulcan I took three weeks to print something of a similar size, utilizing lavacrete as its material.

National Stories

Fed officials huddle under pressure from Iran war, Trump’s rage

The Federal Reserve will hold its March policy meeting under intense political pressure from President Trump and the economic blowback of the war with Iran. After keeping borrowing costs steady in January, members of the Fed’s rate-setting committee are set to meet Tuesday and Wednesday while facing a far more tumultuous economy and political climate. Prices for crude oil, gasoline, natural gas and fertilizer have skyrocketed since the U.S. and Israel began their bombardment of Iran more than two weeks ago, which could both slow the economy and push inflation higher. “The most important developments since the last FOMC meeting are the start of the war in Iran and the spike in oil prices,” wrote David Mericle, chief U.S. economist at Goldman Sachs global investment research, in an analysis.

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“For the Fed, the war increases both the risk that earlier rate cuts will be needed to address labor market softening and the risk that a higher inflation path will delay cuts.” At the same time, the Trump administration is ramping up its criminal investigation into the Fed — and its rage against Chair Jerome Powell — after suffering a key defeat last week. The swirling political and economic storms are unlikely to influence the Fed’s upcoming interest rate decision. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) was expected to keep rates steady again this month, and the odds of a cut dropped sharply as oil prices rose, according to futures markets. But those dual threats are raising tough questions for the Fed as it navigates the road ahead, along with growing uncertainty about who will be behind the wheel: Powell, or Trump’s nominee to replace him, former Fed board member Kevin Warsh.

A $50 million push hopes to make child care a top issue in the midterm elections

An advocacy group hoping to expand support for child and elder care plans to spend $50 million to back Democrats in congressional races, tying the costs of caregiving to the nation’s affordability debate. The Campaign for a Family Friendly Economy, created a decade ago, aims to make caregiver issues more salient in elections. The announcement comes as the cost of child care continues to rise and as waiting lists for federal child care subsidies, which support working families in poverty, continue to grow. Sondra Goldschein, executive director of the campaign and its political action committee, said child care and elder care are important to the affordability conversation, especially as child care costs exceed what families pay for housing.

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Then there is the pressure on the “sandwich generation,” composed of middle-aged people who are caring simultaneously for their own children and parents. “When child care can cost more than your rent or a mortgage, or you have to sacrifice a paycheck in order to be able to take care of a loved one,” that can motivate how people vote, said Goldschein. “Each election cycle, we see candidates recognizing that more and more.” She hopes the message will resonate as families face a slew of rising costs, including climbing gas prices driven by a war in the Middle East that is unpopular with many voters. The campaign plans to pour support for Democrats into Senate races in North Carolina, Georgia, Michigan, Maine and Ohio and into House races in Iowa and Pennsylvania. It is also slated to dispatch volunteers to talk with voters about caregiving. The National Republican Congressional Committee did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Republicans have begun to back child care as an issue crucial to growing the workforce, but their proposals tend to be less dramatic than those offered by Democrats. Last year, through President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, Republicans made an estimated 4 million more families eligible for a child care tax credit. The law also increased child care aid for military families and tax credits for employers who provide child care to their workers.

SEC prepares proposal to eliminate quarterly reporting requirement

The Securities and Exchange Commission is preparing a proposal to eliminate the requirement to report earnings quarterly and instead give companies the option to share results twice a year, according to people familiar with the matter. The regulator could publish the proposal as soon as next month, the people said. In preparation for the proposal, regulators have been talking to officials at the major exchanges to discuss how they may need to adjust their rules. Once the proposal is published, it will be subject to a public comment period. After that period, which typically lasts at least 30 days, the SEC will vote on it. There are no guarantees it will ultimately happen. The rule is expected to make quarterly reporting optional, not eliminate quarterly reports altogether.

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The push for semiannual reporting gained steam late last year. The Long-Term Stock Exchange petitioned the SEC to eliminate the quarterly earnings report requirement, The Wall Street Journal reported in September. Within days, President Trump and SEC Chairman Paul Atkins both said they supported the idea. Publicly traded companies in the U.S. have reported results every three months for the past 50-plus years. Trump briefly explored the idea of moving to semiannual earnings reports during his first term, but the effort went nowhere. Those in favor of less-frequent reporting requirements believe a switch could help boost the shrinking number of public companies in the U.S. Among the reasons companies cite as to why they remain private is the time-consuming and costly clerical work required to list and maintain publicly traded shares. Any change is likely to face opposition from investors who rely on the transparency of regular disclosures. Publicly listed European companies are no longer required to report quarterly financial results after a 2013 rule change. The U.K. also ended quarterly reporting requirements about a decade ago, though many companies still report quarterly.

CEOs want to be like Warren Buffett, right down to his shareholder letter

Warren Buffett’s advice on investing and business reached tens of millions of people during his long run at Berkshire Hathaway. But it is Buffett’s success in making shareholder letters sing that might have left the biggest mark on a particular cohort of his fans: fellow CEOs. Buffett retired as Berkshire’s CEO in December, handing off his role as top executive (and shareholder-letter writer) to Greg Abel. Executives say Buffett, who infused his letters with his wit and personal anecdotes that often veered from the requisite review of Berkshire’s operations, elevated a dreary convention of corporate America and set a new standard. For those willing to step up their own letter-writing game, it can mean a lot more work. “It’s hard,” said Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase and the writer of more than 20 shareholder letters. “I’m happy when it’s birthed.”

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Dimon read investors Benjamin Graham and David Dodd’s book “Security Analysis” as a young man, which featured a foreword written by Buffett. Later, he discovered the letters Buffett wrote annually to shareholders of Berkshire and the investing partnership he ran before he took over the company. What always struck him about Buffett’s writing, Dimon said, was his talent for explaining complex financial concepts in plain English. “I write it for people like my sisters,” Buffett told the Journal in 2016. “They’re smart, they read a lot, they have a lot invested in the company. They don’t know all the financial jargon, but they don’t want to be treated like 5-year-olds.” “I’ve always tried to emulate that,” Dimon said. Buffett’s letters could continue for more than a dozen pages, and their readership extended beyond Berkshire shareholders. Indeed, many of the Oracle of Omaha’s oft-quoted aphorisms found in past annual letters are applicable to investors in just about anything. His wise words included, “We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy only when others are fearful,” and “never bet against America,” among others.

Man charged with planting bombs near the Capitol claims he’s covered by Trump pardon

The man charged with planting pipe bombs at Democratic and Republican party headquarters on the eve of Jan. 6, 2021, says he’s protected from prosecution by the sweeping clemency President Donald Trump decreed for participants in the attack on the Capitol. Lawyers for Brian Cole Jr. filed the provocative motion Monday arguing that the felony charges he faces of transporting and maliciously using explosives should be dismissed because Trump granted clemency to anyone convicted of or charged with crimes “related to events that occurred at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.”

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“Applying governing law to the plain, unambiguous language of the President Trump’s Pardon demonstrates that the Pardon applies to Mr. Cole because his alleged conduct is inextricably tethered to the events at or near the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021,” Cole’s attorneys, Mario Williams and John Shoreman, wrote. While the wording of the proclamation Trump issued on his first day in office last year is extremely broad, it refers to cases that are pending and to people already convicted. It’s not clear from its face if it fends off future charges. Trump has said he intended his pardon to apply to people he says were treated unfairly when charged with committing crimes on Jan. 6 ranging from trespassing to committing grievous assaults on police officers. But Cole’s attorneys say the pardon “unequivocally” covers their client, as well.

Illinois voters pick a new generation of Democrats for House, Senate after near-record retirements

Illinois voters are deciding primaries Tuesday for six open U.S. House and Senate seats that will spur a new generation of leadership in the state’s heavily Democratic congressional delegation. The retirement of longtime Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat, has triggered a competitive campaign, drawing as candidates two sitting House members and the lieutenant governor, among others. Sharp elbows and furious fundraising have marked the race, which also is a test of the influence of Democratic Gov. JB Pritzker, a billionaire whose name is floated as a 2028 presidential contender. A spate of House retirements has led to open seats with crowded contests across the Chicago area. The stakes are high, with most primary winners in the Democratic stronghold expected to win in November.

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Ten Democrats and six Republicans are running after Durbin, the Senate’s No. 2 Democrat, announced his retirement after five terms. Three top Democrats have emerged: Chicago-area U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Robin Kelly and Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton. Krishnamoorthi has dominated fundraising and the airwaves and was the first on television with ads in July. He started 2026 with over $15 million on hand after spending more than $6 million and raising more than $3.5 million in the final three months of last year, according to campaign finance records. By comparison, Stratton started the year with $1 million after raising about the same amount and spending just under $1 million in the last three months of 2025. But last month Pritzker put $5 million in a super PAC largely aimed at helping get her elected.

Kennedy Center board approves two-year closure for $250 million renovation

The Trump-appointed board of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted unanimously Monday to shutter the arts mecca for two years for renovations. “Major renovations are required to keep the facility functional, and that will start right after July 4,” the center's vice president of public relations, Roma Daravi, said in a statement. “This project will transform the Center into a world-class destination worthy of the nation’s legacy and future — a landmark where every American is welcome to experience artistic excellence and premiere entertainment,” Daravi said. The board also voted to name Matt Floca as the center's chief operating officer and executive director, replacing interim head Richard Grenell, who President Donald Trump announced was stepping down last week.

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Trump touted the planned renovations on Truth Social ahead of the vote, saying the renovations will transform the center into "the finest performing arts facility" in the world. He said that “the fastest way to bring the Trump Kennedy Center to the highest level of success, beauty and grandeur is to cease the entertainment operations for a two-year period of time as we complete high quality, really high quality construction.” Rep. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, an ex-officio board member who sued to ensure she could attend the meeting, confirmed that the vote was unanimous. A judge ruled Saturday that she be allowed to attend but not necessarily permitted to vote. She was not allowed to vote Monday. Trump fired the center's board and named himself chairman in February 2025. Near the end of last year, the board voted to add his name to the center, which led some artists to cancel their performances.

Native Americans could be among the hardest hit by SAVE America Act

The voting bill that President Donald Trump wants Republicans to pass would make it harder for Native Americans who live on tribal land to vote, advocates and lawmakers say. The SAVE America Act, which is expected to get a vote in the Senate sometime this week, would have sweeping ramifications for many eligible voters if it becomes law. Native Americans, who often live hundreds of miles away from the closest polling place and have lower rates of passport ownership, could be among the hardest hit. “Tribes hate this. But you know, the truth is, everybody hates this. This is not voter ID. This is going to remove tens of millions of people from the voter rolls without even informing them, and without even giving them a chance to remedy it,” Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz, the vice chair of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, told NOTUS. “We’re a hard no, and I don’t think they will succeed.”

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Republicans say the SAVE America Act, which does not currently have the votes to pass in the Senate, is necessary to prevent noncitizens from voting in U.S. elections, despite the fact that data shows this rarely happens. In crafting their legislation, Republicans included provisions that would require voters to show proof of citizenship in person to register to vote and to cast mail-in ballots. Advocates are worried that the bill’s in-person requirement would disenfranchise many people who lack easy access to election centers. “All of those things are harder in Indian Country,” said Jacqueline De León, a senior staff attorney for the Native American Rights Fund, a legal assistance nonprofit. “Election services are too far, sometimes located at county seats that can be hundreds of miles away. On reservation, opportunities are extremely limited if they exist at all.” The bill contains language that says tribal IDs can be used as proof of citizenship, but must show “that the applicant’s place of birth was in the United States.”

Copyright March 17, 2026, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved