Maritime tracking map showing ship positions in the Strait of Hormuz regionTrump says Iran war nearly over as oil prices spike
Intra-Party Split Detected
Some MAGA voices and Republicans oppose the Iran war despite Trump's support, with only limited GOP backing for war powers restrictions
Left says
- •Trump's unauthorized war against Iran violates constitutional requirements for congressional approval and represents dangerous executive overreach
- •The conflict has already killed over 1,000 civilians including children at schools and hospitals, constituting potential war crimes that demand investigation
- •Oil price spikes from the war will hurt working families economically while enriching fossil fuel companies, demonstrating how military interventions serve corporate interests over people
- •The administration's shifting justifications and lack of clear exit strategy echo the failed Iraq War approach that led to decades of costly occupation
Right says
- •Iran's decades of terrorism, nuclear weapons development, and threats to close critical oil shipping lanes justified preemptive military action to protect American interests
- •The operation has successfully degraded Iran's military capabilities with missile attacks down 90% and naval forces largely destroyed, proving the strategy is working
- •Trump's promise to avoid nation-building and regime change distinguishes this conflict from previous Middle East interventions that became prolonged occupations
- •Protecting the Strait of Hormuz through which 20% of global oil flows is essential for economic stability and preventing Iran from holding the world economy hostage
Common Take
High Consensus- Oil prices have surged past $100 per barrel due to the conflict, with U.S. gas prices rising about 50 cents per gallon in one week
- The Strait of Hormuz shipping lane has been effectively shut down, disrupting roughly 20% of global oil and gas supplies
- Iran has retaliated against multiple countries in the region including attacks on Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, and Cyprus
- The conflict's economic impacts are being felt globally, raising concerns about inflation and supply chain disruptions
The Arguments
Right argues
Iran's decades of nuclear weapons development, support for terrorism, and threats to close the Strait of Hormuz through which 20% of global oil flows justified preemptive action to protect American interests and prevent economic blackmail.
Left counters
The administration provided shifting and contradictory justifications for war, from claiming Iran was about to attack first to citing nuclear threats, suggesting this was a war of choice rather than necessity driven by imminent danger.
Left argues
Trump's unauthorized war violates constitutional requirements for congressional approval and has already killed over 1,000 civilians including children at schools and hospitals, constituting potential war crimes.
Right counters
Iran's regime has been the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism for decades, and protecting critical global energy supplies from a nuclear-armed theocracy serves both American and international security interests.
Right argues
The operation has successfully degraded Iran's military capabilities with missile attacks down 90% and naval forces largely destroyed, while Trump's promise to avoid nation-building distinguishes this from failed Iraq-style occupations.
Left counters
The conflict has already expanded across multiple countries and threatens to become a prolonged regional war, while oil price spikes hurt working families economically just as previous Middle East interventions did.
Left argues
Oil price spikes from the war will hurt working families while enriching fossil fuel companies, demonstrating how military interventions serve corporate interests over people's economic wellbeing.
Right counters
Allowing Iran to hold the world's energy supplies hostage through threats to the Strait of Hormuz would create far greater long-term economic instability and empower a terrorist regime to manipulate global markets.
Right argues
Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on energy infrastructure across the region prove the regime was already using oil as a weapon of war against the global economy.
Left counters
The administration's lack of clear exit strategy and congressional authorization echoes the same failed approach that led to decades of costly occupation in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Challenge Questions
These questions target genuine internal contradictions — meant to provoke honest reflection.
Right asks Left
“If you oppose this war because it lacks congressional authorization and risks civilian casualties, why didn't you apply the same standard to previous Democratic administrations' military interventions in Libya, Syria, and elsewhere that also lacked explicit congressional approval?”
Left asks Right
“If Iran was truly an imminent threat that justified preemptive war, why did the administration's justifications keep changing from preventing an Iranian first strike to nuclear concerns to regional stability, and why wasn't Congress briefed on this imminent threat before the attacks began?”
Outlier Report
Left Fringe
Some progressive groups like Justice Democrats and MoveOn are threatening to primary any Democrat who doesn't vote against war powers, while a few like Rep. Jared Golden and Henry Cuellar broke with party leadership to oppose restrictions on Trump. These represent roughly 15% of the Democratic caucus.
Right Fringe
Rand Paul was the only Republican senator to vote for war powers restrictions, while some MAGA voices like those cited in Axios expressed opposition to the Iran war despite Trump's support. This anti-war faction represents roughly 5-10% of the Republican base.
Noise Assessment
Moderate noise ratio - most discourse appears to reflect genuine policy divisions rather than performative positioning, though some progressive primary threats and Trump's escalatory social media posts add theatrical elements.
Sources (106)
It Appears Ships are Sailing, Once Again, Through the Strait of Hormuz As Washington underwrites safe passage and “privateer” tankers steam through silently with transponders off, the ayatollahs are reduced to offering bribery coupons for “safe passage” to any government willing to dump U.S. and Israeli diplomats, advertising weakness to friend and foe alike. My colleague Mary Chastain noted in her recent report that President Donald Trump’s team was weighing a takeover of the critical shipping
A widening war in Iran has halted oil tankers, made targets of refineries, and spooked investors worried about the cascading impact of spiking energy prices. If it might seem like the ideal time to dip into the world's emergency oil stockpiles, global leaders have so far responded with reluctance. Here is a look at the energy supplies that countries hold and when they tap them: Since war erupted in the Middle East in late February, with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran, the flow of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz has all but stopped, cutting off a vital passageway for a huge amount of the world's oil. That has sent prices of oil soaring.
The Justice Department announced Monday that it reached a tentative settlement in its antitrust suit against Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation Entertainment that would spare the business from the threat of being broken apart amid government claims it held an illegal monopoly over concerts and other events. But almost immediately, more than half of the nearly 40 states that had signed on to the department's landmark litigation voiced serious concerns over the deal. Some state attorneys general said they had been left out of negotiations and vowed to continue their fight against the live entertainment behemoth in court.
Live Nation, the concert giant that includes Ticketmaster, has reached a tentative settlement with the US Justice Department in an anti-trust case targeting its dominance of the live events industry. The case was triggered by the chaotic ticket sale for Taylor Swift's Eras tour, which prompted the Justice Department to label Live Nation a monopoly that controlled virtually all live entertainment in the US. During testimony last week, witnesses alleged the company had threatened to retaliate against concert venues if they did not use Ticketmaster's services.
President Donald Trump said he plans to waive oil-related sanctions, have the US Navy escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz and predicted the war with Iran would resolve "very soon" as he confronted mounting economic and political pressures after days of dramatic fluctuations in oil markets.
President Trump declared the war with Iran "is very complete" and "far ahead of schedule" — as he also considers taking control of the Strait of Hormuz trade route under siege by the Islamic Republic.
U.S. military investigators think American forces likely were responsible for a strike that killed dozens of children at a girls elementary school in Iran, a U.S. official said. The investigation hasn't reached a final conclusion, the official said. Shajarah Tayyebeh Girls' School, in the town of Minab near the Strait of Hormuz, was hit Saturday on the first day of the U.S.-Israeli air campaign in what appears to be the deadliest strike of the war. Iran said more than 160 people were killed, including many children, a figure that couldn't be independently verified...
<p>The <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/08/iran-ground-troops-special-forces-nuclear" target="_blank">Iran war's</a> fuel-price shock is slamming states that could decide Senate control in November, a potential headache for Republicans defending their majority.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/iran-war-trump-gas-prices" target="_blank">Affordability</a> was already Democrats' central midterm message, and now the cost of <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">President Trump's</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/10/us/politics/polls-wars-us-support.html" target="_blank">unpopular war</a> is on display at the pump.</p><hr /><ul><li>Just 29% of Americans approve of the strikes, and two-thirds — including 44% of Republicans — expect gas prices to keep rising, according to a <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2026-03/Ipsos%20poll%20on%20U.S.%20strikes%20on%20Iran%20Topline%20March%202026.pdf" target="_blank">Reuters/Ipsos poll</a> conducted through Monday.</li></ul><p><strong>By the numbers: </strong>Three of the top four weekly jumps in diesel prices hit key midterm Senate races: Texas (+111.6¢), North Carolina (+110.5¢) and Georgia (+107.9¢), according to GasBuddy's <a href="https://x.com/GasBuddyGuy/status/2030987311484432489" target="_blank">Patrick De Haan</a>.</p><ul><li>Regular gasoline <a href="https://x.com/GasBuddyGuy/status/2030985932615131528" target="_blank">spikes</a> also hit battlegrounds. Ohio and Michigan tied for the third-largest jumps at 55 cents. </li><li>A month ago, just nine states averaged gas prices above $3 per gallon, according to GasBuddy. Now that <a href="https://fuelinsights.gasbuddy.com/biggestmovers" target="_blank">number is 48</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Prices vary by state, based on factors like local competition or because producers can sell overseas at surging global prices, De Haan explains to Axios.</p><ul><li>That's why <a href="https://x.com/GasBuddyGuy/status/2030637134399365131" target="_blank">Texas</a>, the nation's top oil-producing state, saw the biggest diesel spike in the country, which may be good news for producers but bad news for everyone filling up.</li><li>The national average for regular gasoline hit $3.55 on Tuesday, up 61 cents from a month ago, according to <a href="https://fuelinsights.gasbuddy.com/home" target="_blank">GasBuddy</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Trump dismissed the fuel price surge <a href="https://truthsocial.com/%40realDonaldTrump/posts/116196014942465383" target="_blank">on Truth Social</a>, calling it a "very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace."</p><ul><li>That's a tough sell without a clear threat that "demanded immediate action," says Jon Krosnick, a Stanford political science professor.</li><li>No <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/07/trump-iran-risks-economy" target="_blank">rally-around-the-flag effect</a> has materialized, <em>Axios' Zachary Basu</em> writes. </li></ul><p><strong>Meanwhile,</strong> <a href="https://x.com/MarkWarner/status/2031081885930074267" target="_blank">Democrats</a> are <a href="https://jeffries.house.gov/2026/03/08/leader-jeffries-on-meet-the-press-were-spending-billions-of-dollars-to-drop-bombs-and-doing-nothing-to-drop-the-high-cost-of-living/" target="_blank">hammering</a> Trump, who <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/25/us/politics/state-of-the-union-transcript-trump.html#:~:text=Gasoline%2C%20which%20reached,gallon%20for%20gasoline." target="_blank">touted</a> low gas prices in his State of the Union just days before launching strikes, on cost-of-living concerns. </p><ul><li>Krosnick says gas prices are uniquely visible. The "price of milk," he notes, "is not on a sign outside of grocery stores."</li><li>And the spike presents an unusual case of "attributional clarity," he says: "It's so clear what just happened."</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Karen Young, a senior research scholar at Columbia's Center on Global Energy Policy, tells Axios the market can't reorient until traffic resumes through the Strait of Hormuz.</p><ul><li>"For the American consumer, yeah, maybe gasoline prices are jumping a bit, but that's kind of the least of your problems," Young says. </li><li>Oil is the invisible cost inside nearly everything Americans buy. It ships the goods, makes the plastics, feeds the fertilizer and fuels the flights.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>De Haan says the eight months until November could be enough time to put pump-price shock in the rearview mirror.</p><ul><li>But if Trump "doesn't reverse course, he certainly could start to bring about a situation that will be more memorable to Americans ahead of the midterms."</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/07/trump-iran-gas-fuel-strikes" target="_blank">Trump vows to step up Iran bombing, as gas price surge worsens</a></p>
<p>Nearly seven months ago, Ukrainian officials tried to sell the U.S. their battle-proven technology for downing Iranian-made attack drones. They even made a PowerPoint presentation — obtained exclusively by Axios — showing how it could protect American forces and their allies in a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/iran-war-countries-gulf-qatar-us" target="_blank">Middle East war</a>.</p><ul><li>The Trump administration dismissed the Ukrainians, only to reverse course last week because of <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/04/politics/us-air-defenses-iran-attack-drones-challenge" target="_blank">more-than-expected </a>drone strikes from Iran.</li></ul><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Snubbing Ukraine's offer ranks as one of the biggest tactical miscalculations by the administration since the bombing of Iran began Feb. 28, two U.S. officials tell Axios.</p><hr /><ul><li>Iran's inexpensive Shahed drones have been linked to the deaths of seven U.S. service members, and have cost the U.S. and its friends in the region millions of dollars to intercept.</li><li>"If there's a tactical error or a mistake we made leading up to this [war in Iran], this was it," a U.S. official acknowledged.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Ukraine is the world's most experienced country in combating Shaheds, which Russia has bought, reproduced and labeled as Geran drones by the thousands for its <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/17/ukraine-russia-negotiations-zelensky-donbas" target="_blank">invasion</a> of its western neighbor.</p><ul><li>Ukraine has developed a low-cost interceptor drone, among other sensors and air defenses, to shoot down Shahed-style drones.</li></ul><p><strong>Inside the room: </strong>At a closed-door White House <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/18/zelensky-trump-summit-white-house-russia-ukraine" target="_blank">meeting </a>on Aug. 18, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered the interceptor drones to President Trump as a way to strengthen ties and, according to one official, show his thanks for U.S. support in the face of Russian aggression.</p><ul><li>The Ukrainians made a PowerPoint presentation to U.S. officials that displayed a map of the Middle East and had this prophetic warning: "Iran is improving its Shahed one-way-attack drone design."</li><li>The presentation included the idea of creating "drone combat hubs" in Turkey, Jordan and the Persian Gulf states, where U.S. bases are located, to address the threat from Iran and its proxies. </li><li>"We wanted to build the 'drone walls' and all the things necessary like the radar, et cetera," a Ukrainian official said.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue:</strong> "At that meeting ... in August, Trump asked his team to work on it, but they have done nothing," the Ukrainian official said.</p><ul><li>A U.S. official who saw the PowerPoint confirmed that Zelensky's team showed the presentation to the administration and theorized the Ukrainian leader is seen by some in the Trump administration as too much of a self-promoter of a client state that doesn't command enough respect.</li><li>"We figured it was Zelensky being Zelensky. Somebody decided not to buy it," the official said.</li><li>On Thursday, the U.S. formally asked Zelensky for anti-drone help, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/world/middleeast/ukraine-shahed-drone-middle-east.html" target="_blank">The New York Times</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"Iranian retaliatory attacks are down by 90% because their ballistic missile capabilities are being totally demolished," White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said.</p><ul><li>"This characterization made by these cowardly unnamed sources is not accurate and proves that they are simply outside looking in. [Defense] Secretary [Pete] Hegseth and the armed forces did an incredible job planning for all possible responses by the Iranian regime, and the undisputed success of Operation Epic Fury speaks for itself."</li></ul><p><strong>Reality check: </strong>U.S. officials have reported shooting down the overwhelming majority of Iranian missiles and drones. So far, they say, the seven U.S. deaths have been well below initial estimates of 40 fatalities for the opening of the conflict.</p><ul><li>On Friday, the U.S. <a href="https://abcnews.com/US/wireStory/us-send-anti-drone-system-mideast-after-successful-130839591" target="_blank">announced plans </a>to deploy its own Shahed-killing drone system, called Merops, amid complaints from regional allies about the attacks. </li><li>One U.S. official told the Associated Press that the response to Iran's drones has so far been "disappointing."</li><li>Another U.S. official acknowledged the Ukrainian drones would have helped if deployed sooner, but added that "our performance in theater has been remarkable."</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>The need for new technology is of acute interest to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/26/dan-driscoll-ukraine-russia-negotiations" target="_blank">U.S. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll</a>, nicknamed "the drone guy" in the Pentagon. </p><ul><li>Hegseth rolled out <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hegseth-tears-up-red-tape-orders-pentagon-begin-drone-surge-trumps-command" target="_blank">changes </a>last year aimed at outpacing China and Russia in unmanned aerial combat. The Biden administration also had drone-counter-drone initiatives, dubbed Replicator.</li><li>The need for the technology is so great that Trump's sons <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/trump-sons-back-new-drone-company-targeting-pentagon-sales-2f74abca?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqcVcnuOtHnCgV-yw4pEfPycPgWn7edyqcEnxiGJk11nyMQZ5gsbPvMjE__iCFc%3D&gaa_ts=69af5ce4&gaa_sig=QkPOJgjIFjxLUB2-NgjNhUIV2fqllS40y0EloKXWlCzzcfqPUSFGc-j9ZVfYdwBu4F6WQVJqxhy-e-bw5rUCLA%3D%3D" target="_blank">announced </a>a new business venture Monday to supply the Pentagon with Ukrainian drone technology.</li></ul><p><strong>By the numbers: </strong>An Iranian Shahed is said to cost $20,000 to $50,000, depending on the model. The Ukrainian interceptors are even cheaper.</p><ul><li>Concerns about intercepting such a cheap, simple target with a multimillion-dollar munition spiked during U.S. fights against Houthi rebels in Yemen, and have remained high since.</li><li>Other countermeasures exist: Footage has emerged of AH-64 Apaches blasting Iranian drones. And the U.K. has promised to send Wildcat helicopters strapped with counter-drone Martlet missiles.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Knowing Trump's "Art of the Deal" mindset, the Ukrainians structured the drone defense offer like a business partnership, promising to help create manufacturing jobs in the U.S.</p><ul><li>In return for giving the U.S. access to its drone and anti-drone system production and know-how, Ukraine proposed to buy American weapons. </li><li>"Our problem was money. Our resources allowed us to produce only 50% of what we can produce. So we wanted the U.S. to invest the other 50% and have a share of the production," the Ukrainian official said.</li><li>Ukraine estimated it could help build as many as 20 million of the weapons to "unleash American drone dominance," the PowerPoint said.</li></ul><p><strong>Months later, in November,</strong> another U.S. official told Axios that military personnel have "been wanting to go to Ukraine and pull the tech and the tactics from the Ukrainian military ... so that we're innovating and learning." </p><ul><li>"The Ukrainians are in a life-and-death, existential crisis, 100%."</li></ul>
<p>Fewer than 1 in 10 CEOs of large U.S. companies plan to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/25/ai-jobs-market-hiring-firing" target="_blank">cut jobs due to AI</a> in 2026, according to a new survey from consultancy KPMG.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/07/ai-danger-risks-study-research-backlash" target="_blank">disruptive nature of AI</a> is fostering significant debate over how the economy will evolve.</p><hr /><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>9% of CEOs plan to reduce their workforce because of AI investments this year, according to the 2026 KPMG U.S. CEO Outlook Pulse Survey.</p><ul><li>55% expect to increase hiring in 2026 as a direct result of AI, while 36% expect no change.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> U.S. CEOs are optimistic about the potential of AI to improve their businesses over the next five to 10 years, but in the short run they've been underwhelmed by the impact, KPMG CEO Tim Walsh tells Axios.</p><ul><li>"I would say the majority of companies right now are not actually realizing nor can they see the return on investment of the AI they're deploying," he says. </li></ul><p><strong>Part of the challenge</strong> is the actual integration of AI into existing processes and systems is proving to be sluggish, he adds.</p><ul><li>"It takes time to revise process" and make "fundamental changes in how companies have done things for many, many years to be able to benefit from the technologies that exist today," Walsh says.</li></ul><p><strong>Flashback: </strong>In KPMG's larger <a href="https://kpmg.com/kpmg-us/content/dam/kpmg/pdf/gated/2025/2025-ceo-outlook.pdf" target="_blank">annual CEO Outlook survey</a> conducted last summer, 35% of global chief executives said they were planning for workforce reductions in some areas over the next two to five years due to AI.</p><p><strong>Threat level: </strong>While the group in the U.S. pulse survey sees growth opportunities via AI, they also see threats in the form of cyberattacks.</p><ul><li>About 9 in 10 CEOs are concerned about malware and phishing attacks powered by AI.</li><li>Nearly 6 in 10 are worried about quantum computing attacks on encrypted data.</li></ul><p><strong>The fine print:</strong> The pulse survey was conducted Jan. 26 through Feb. 17. One hundred U.S. CEOs of companies with revenue over $500 million were surveyed.</p><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>The AI disruption story is still being written.</p>
<p>Oil <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/09/oil-prices-gas-iran-war" target="_blank">prices</a> would need to stay high for years — not weeks or months — to drive a lasting shift away from the fossil fuel.</p><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Every time oil spikes, the same question surfaces: Will this push more people into electric cars or install solar panels onto rooftops?</p><hr /><p><strong>State of play:</strong> That's <a href="https://www.threads.com/%40bettemidler/post/DVfZXfQFBfw/photo-posted-by-bette-midler-bettemidler" target="_blank">happening again</a> after oil prices<a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/08/iran-war-oil-market-barrel-cost" target="_blank"> zoomed past</a> the $100-a-barrel mark in the wake of the Iran war. </p><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Prices dropped at least temporarily in the wake of President Trump signaling Monday evening he <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/09/trump-iran-war-over-soon" target="_blank">wants a quick end to the conflict</a>, as well as talking up ways to lower oil prices.</p><p><strong>Reality check:</strong> Energy transitions hinge on <em>stable </em>policies and market signals that last for decades.</p><ul><li>Temporary price jolts from <em>unstable </em>geopolitical unrest haven't produced durable change — at least not in the U.S.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying</strong>: "Consumers have been riding an oil price roller coaster for 20 years now," said Bob McNally, who leads consultancy Rapidan Energy Group and advised President George W. Bush on energy security. </p><ul><li>This includes everything from the 2008 recession to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic.</li><li>"They've learned that booms follow busts, and vice versa. Absent stable and higher fuel prices, we are unlikely to see a rapid and lasting shift to EVs." </li></ul><p><strong>How it works:</strong> This recurring debate often skips key distinctions.</p><ul><li>Oil is used primarily in transportation and priced on a global market. That's why U.S. gasoline prices rise even when domestic production is strong — and why this article centers mostly on cars, not electricity.</li><li>Natural gas is priced more regionally. America's ample supplies help <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/iran-conflict-natural-gas-prices-middle-east" target="_blank">shield<strong> </strong>consumers</a> from global shocks. Gas fuels power plants and industry — but rarely cars. </li><li>This is why oil and gas prices don't move in perfect sync.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out:</strong> The U.S. economy is far less oil-intensive than in past eras of price spikes, which <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/iran-war-oil-gas-price" target="_blank">cushions</a> the blow compared with the 1970s or even the 2000s. </p><ul><li>But people will still face sticker shock at the pump, and their pain is all that will matter to them — not whether it was worse 50 years ago. </li><li>So expect it to show up on the campaign trails. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Even the most extreme scenarios analysts are currently<strong> </strong>modeling would last months — not years.</p><ul><li>Rystad Energy looked at two- and four-month interruptions to traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil and gas. </li><li>The shorter scenario appears more likely, the firm said Monday, though it warned more extreme outcomes beyond even four months "cannot be ruled out."</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>There are two caveats — one geographic, one historic.</p><ul><li>After Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Europe significantly reduced its dependence on Russian gas. This was driven partly by Russia itself cutting off supplies, and then Europe scrambling to replace that fuel and more (though Europe still imports some Russian gas.) </li><li>Analysts are calling this moment the biggest disruption in oil-market history, as Axios' Ben Geman <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/09/iran-energy-shock-lasting-change" target="_blank">reported Monday</a>. If geopolitical turmoil were ever going to force a structural move away from oil, this would be the test.</li></ul><p><strong>"What matters is not</strong> simply how high oil goes, but whether this episode reshapes perceptions of geopolitical risk in a durable way," said Jason Bordoff, founding executive director of Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy who previously advised President Barack Obama on energy security.</p><p><strong>The intrigue:</strong> Interest in electric cars tends to surge during periods of high gasoline prices, said Jessica Caldwell, head of insights at Edmunds, the car-buying site. </p><ul><li>However, "[t]he difference today is that consumers are navigating an extremely tough financial environment," Caldwell said by email, pointing to persistently high interest rates and higher transaction costs. </li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching:</strong> How long this all lasts. </p><ul><li>"Ultimately, adoption may hinge on how long consumers believe geopolitical tensions will continue to put upward pressure on oil prices," Caldwell said.</li></ul><p><em>Axios' Joann Muller contributed reporting.</em></p><p><em>Sign up <a href="https://www.axios.com/signup/axios-future-of-energy" target="_blank">here</a> for Axios' Future of Energy newsletter.</em></p>
<p>Ten days into President Trump's <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_blank">Iran</a> campaign, the war has gone global.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/iran-war-countries-gulf-qatar-us" target="_blank">At least 20 countries</a> are now militarily involved — shooting, shielding or quietly supplying — while a widening energy shock punishes nations far from the front lines.</li></ul><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>This isn't World War III. But it may be the closest we've come in decades — drawing in more countries, more great powers and more overlapping conflicts than any crisis since the Cold War.</p><hr /><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Iran has <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/iran-war-expanding-israel-lebanon-gulf-cyprus" target="_blank">struck at least 10 countries</a> since the war began, hitting U.S. and Israeli bases, Persian Gulf capitals, oil infrastructure and civilian areas in an attempt to impose maximum pain on Washington and its allies.</p><ul><li>Iran has effectively closed the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/09/us-oil-iran-strait-hormuz-defend" target="_blank">Strait of Hormuz</a> — the narrow chokepoint through which 20% of the world's oil flows — <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/09/oil-prices-iran-war-strait-hormuz" target="_blank">sending prices</a> for oil, gas, plastics and fertilizers soaring across the globe.</li><li>Israel is fighting on two fronts — pounding Iran while <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/09/lebanon-israel-hezbollah-peace-talks" target="_blank">battling Hezbollah on the ground in Lebanon</a>, where more than 500,000 people have been displaced in a week.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>The war has spread far beyond the Middle East, pulling European militaries into the conflict and forcing NATO to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/world/middleeast/turkey-iranian-missile-nato.html" target="_blank">shoot down Iranian missiles over allied territory</a> for the first time.</p><ul><li><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/france-will-send-two-warships-red-sea-macron-says-2026-03-09/" target="_blank">France has dispatched</a> its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to the Eastern Mediterranean, joining <a href="https://defence24.com/armed-forces/uk-sends-a-destroyer-to-cyprus" target="_blank">British warships</a> after an Iranian-made drone struck a U.K. air base on Cyprus, a member of the European Union.</li><li><a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2026/03/09/turkish-deployment-of-f-16s-in-occupied-portion-of-cyprus-raises-tensions-in-eastern-mediterranean/" target="_blank">Greece and Turkey</a> — bitter rivals within NATO — also have rushed forces to Cyprus, where their fighter jets now face each other across a partition line that has <a href="https://www.euronews.com/2025/07/20/cyprus-marks-51-years-since-turkish-invasion-that-led-to-island-nations-partition" target="_blank">divided the island</a> for 50 years.</li><li>Even <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/australia-send-missiles-uae-deploy-military-surveillance-aircraft-2026-03-09/" target="_blank">Australia</a> said Monday it's sending missiles and a radar plane to help the UAE and other Gulf countries defend themselves from Iran.</li></ul><p><strong>In the meantime</strong>, a U.S. submarine <a href="https://apnews.com/article/sri-lanka-iran-middle-east-ship-sinking-69191dde43154c5176a8aeacc9128748" target="_blank">sank an Iranian warship</a> last week off the coast of Sri Lanka — the first American torpedo kill since the final days of World War II.</p><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>As the shooting war rages, a shadow conflict is playing out among the world's great powers.</p><ul><li>Russia has been sharing satellite imagery of U.S. warships and aircraft with Iran, the Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/06/russia-iran-intelligence-us-targets/" target="_blank">first reported</a>, helping Tehran target American forces across the region.</li><li>Ukraine — which has spent four years defending against the same Iranian-made drones now battering the Gulf — has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/09/world/middleeast/ukraine-shahed-drone-middle-east.html" target="_blank">deployed specialists and low-cost interceptors</a> to help protect the U.S. and its allies.</li></ul><p><strong>China, </strong>which is set to welcome Trump for a state visit in a matter of weeks, is navigating the war from both sides.</p><ul><li>Facing <a href="http://nytimes.com/2026/03/09/business/china-trade-persian-gulf-iran.html" target="_blank">billions of dollars</a> in economic exposure, China has been calling for a ceasefire and pressuring Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which Beijing relies on for roughly 40% of its oil imports.</li><li>At the same time, U.S. intelligence shows China may be preparing to supply Iran with financial assistance, spare parts and missile components, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/06/politics/russia-aiding-iran-targeting" target="_blank">CNN</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch: </strong>The Iran war is reshaping every other major conflict on Trump's agenda.</p><ul><li><strong>Ukraine: </strong>U.S.-brokered peace talks planned for Abu Dhabi this week have been <a href="https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-ato/4099763-zelensky-trilateral-talks-postponed-due-to-events-surrounding-iran.html" target="_blank">postponed indefinitely</a> because of the war. India is back to buying Russian oil after the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy031d1ny7jo" target="_blank">U.S. waived sanctions</a> to help manage the energy crisis.</li><li><strong>Gaza: </strong>Trump's flagship peace plan <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trumps-gaza-plan-hold-iran-war-pauses-disarmament-talks-sources-say-2026-03-09/" target="_blank">has been on hold</a> since the war began, as the Gulf states that pledged billions to rebuild Gaza now scramble to defend against Iranian missiles.</li><li><strong>Taiwan: </strong>The war is <a href="https://www.taiwannews.com.tw/news/6316290" target="_blank">burning through missile stockpiles</a> the U.S. has spent years building up to deter China in the Pacific — raising urgent questions about what happens if Beijing finally makes a move on Taiwan.</li></ul>
<p>President Trump said the war with <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_blank">Iran</a> will be over "very soon" but made clear it will not happen this week. </p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Ten days after the war started, <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump</a> has begun for the first time to point to the possibility of it winding down soon.</p><hr /><ul><li>His comments at a press conference were in line with several other public signals from him on Monday.</li><li>Some U.S. officials think Trump's comments were aimed at calming the <a href="https://www.axios.com/economy/stock-market" target="_blank">stock markets</a> in the U.S. and around the world, which were shaken by the war. </li></ul><p><strong>The latest: </strong>Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said in response to Trump's comments that they "are the ones who will determine the end of the war," per state media.</p><ul><li>The IRGC added that Tehran would not allow the export of "one litre of oil" from the region if the U.S. and Israeli attacks continued — prompting Trump to <a href="https://truthsocial.com/%40realDonaldTrump/posts/116202054617775180" target="_blank">respond</a> with a counter-threat on Truth Social:</li></ul><img src="https://images.axios.com/i8dMgXmQYi4oRYNKzaPNFd4Qptw=/2026/03/10/1773103621647.jpeg" /> <div>Screenshot: President Trump/Truth Social</div><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> In a speech before his press conference, Trump said: "We've already won in many ways, but we haven't won enough." </p><ul><li>When asked about those remarks during the press conference, Trump said he wanted to reach a situation where Iran would not be able to have a nuclear weapons program and would need a long time before it could threaten the region again with ballistic missiles.</li><li>Trump claimed that after 10 days of fighting, the U.S. military is where it thought it would be only after a month of war. </li><li>He listed U.S. military achievements of the war so far: the destruction of the Iranian navy, air force, anti-aircraft systems, radar and telecommunications, and the decimation of Iran's leadership. </li><li>"It's all gone," he said. "We could call it a tremendous success right now. I could call it or we could go further, and we're going to go further, but the big risk on that war has been over for three days." </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Trump focused in his remarks on the rising <a href="https://www.axios.com/energy-climate/oil-companies" target="_blank">oil</a> prices and claimed it is a short-term situation. Once Iran no longer poses a threat to the region or to commercial shipping, the oil market will be much more stable, he said.</p><ul><li>"If Iran will try harming oil supply it will be hit much stronger by the U.S.," he said.</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch:</strong> Trump said he was "disappointed" with the decision to appoint <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/08/mojtaba-khamenei-iran-supreme-leader" target="_blank">Mojtaba Khamenei</a> as the new Iranian supreme leader following his father's killing in an Israeli airstrike last month. </p><ul><li>"It will lead to more of the same problem for the country," he said. </li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>Trump refused to say whether Mojtaba Khamenei "has a target on his back," telling reporters it would be "inappropriate" of him to address this.</p><ul><li>He said he wants a new Iranian leader who comes from within Iran, like <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/06/us-venezuela-diplomatic-consular-relations" target="_blank">in Venezuela</a>, without tearing down completely the country's system like the U.S. did in Iraq. </li><li>But he stressed the new Iranian leader should adopt a different policy than his predecessor.</li><li>"We need a system that could lead to many years of peace, and if we can't have that we might as well get it over with right now," Trump said, hinting that the U.S. and <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/israel" target="_blank">Israel</a> could take more action to change the Iranian regime.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>"It is going to be ended soon, and if it starts up again, [Iran] will be getting hit even harder," Trump said.</p><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/09/oil-prices-gas-iran-war" target="_blank">Iran war's energy price shock is likely to spiral economy-wide</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout.</em></p>
<div>Map: Sara Wise/Axios</div><p>While President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump</a> has offered <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/trump-iran-strait-of-hormuz-insurance-navy" target="_blank">political risk insurance</a> and Navy escorts for tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz, it still remains one of the most difficult waterways in the world to defend. </p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>The Strait, which carries roughly 25% of the world's seaborne oil supply, is approximately 21 nautical miles wide at its narrowest point, but the designated shipping lanes are far smaller — concentrating traffic into predictable corridors for Iran to monitor and target adversaries. </p><hr /><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Trump said American forces sank nine <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/01/trump-us-sinks-9-iran-warships-strait-of-hormuz" target="_self">Iranian warships</a> and are working to neutralize the rest of its navy, but Iran doesn't need a conventional fleet to make passage through the Strait dangerous.</p><ul><li>Iran sits along the Strait's northern coastline, giving it a geographic advantage to limit maritime traffic or to attack vessels. </li><li>From shore, Iranian forces can <a href="https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R45281" target="_blank">deploy</a> shore-based missiles or fast attack craft with little warning, while U.S. and allied forces are forced to operate from a greater distance.</li><li><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/china/iran-nears-deal-buy-supersonic-anti-ship-missiles-china-2026-02-24/" target="_blank">Reuters</a> reported in late February that Iran was close to finalizing a deal with China to acquire anti-ship cruise missiles, which could pose an added threat to U.S. naval forces in the region. The status of that deal is unknown. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Iran has effectively closed the Strait for certain vessels, threatening retaliation if ships from some countries — including Israel and the United States — attempt to pass through. </p><ul><li>The halt in traffic has pushed <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/08/iran-war-oil-market-barrel-cost" target="_blank">oil prices</a> into the triple digits for the first time since 2022. </li><li>And further disruptions, such as an Iranian attack on a commercial vessel, could effectively close the waterway for all ships, sending prices even higher.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper:</strong> <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/iran-war-strait-of-hormuz-shutdown-us-global-economy" target="_blank">How Iran's Strait of Hormuz shutdown could hit the global economy</a></p>
<p>The Lebanese government proposed direct negotiations with <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/israel" target="_blank">Israel</a> — through the Trump administration — aimed at ending the war and reaching a peace agreement, according to five sources with knowledge of the matter.</p><ul><li>Both the U.S. and Israeli responses were cool and deeply skeptical, the sources said.</li></ul><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Lebanon's government is extremely alarmed that the renewed war, triggered by Hezbollah's decision to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/iran-war-israel-hezbollah-lebanon" target="_blank">launch rockets at Israel</a>, will devastate the country.</p><hr /><ul><li>So far, the Lebanese army has refused to take meaningful action against the Iran-backed militant group.</li><li>And with Washington uninterested in mediating and Israel determined to use the moment to dismantle Hezbollah, a full-scale escalation appears increasingly likely.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> Hezbollah entered the fighting on the second day of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, firing rockets and drones toward Israel and intensifying its attacks in the days that followed.</p><ul><li>Israel responded with massive airstrikes — including in Beirut — and ground incursions into southern Lebanon, expanding its military footprint in the country.</li><li>Hezbollah has since engaged Israeli forces in guerrilla warfare on the ground.</li><li>More than 600,000 Lebanese civilians have fled the south. Beirut's southern suburbs, considered a Hezbollah stronghold, have been nearly emptied after the IDF warned of impending strikes.</li></ul><p><strong>Behind the scenes:</strong> Last week, the Lebanese government approached Tom Barrack — the U.S. ambassador to Turkey — and asked him to mediate with Israel, according to a U.S. official, an Israeli official, and three sources with direct knowledge of the matter.</p><ul><li>The Israeli official said the Lebanese government also claimed some Hezbollah members were open to a deal.</li><li>In an unprecedented step, Lebanon proposed holding immediate direct talks with Israel at the ministerial level in Cyprus.</li><li>Barrack's response was blunt: "Stop with the b*llshit" on disarming Hezbollah, or there's nothing to discuss. "If it's not real action about Hezbollah's weapons, there's no point," a source said.</li></ul><p><strong>Sources say the Israeli government </strong>rejected the outreach outright, signaling it was too late. Its focus is now on eliminating Hezbollah.</p><p><strong>The context:</strong> Barrack is also the U.S. envoy to Syria and Iraq. While he worked the Lebanon file last year, he hasn't been engaged on the issue for several months.</p><ul><li>The U.S. diplomat most recently handling Lebanon was Morgan Ortagus, who left the government in January.</li><li>The current U.S. ambassador to Beirut, Michel Issa, is the senior American official formally responsible for Lebanon — but has limited access to decision-makers in Washington.</li><li>The result is a Lebanon portfolio with no clear owner at a moment of acute crisis.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri were furious when Hezbollah joined the war — having received assurances from the group's political leadership for weeks that it would stay out of any conflict between Israel and Iran, a source said.</p><ul><li>The episode made clear that Hezbollah's political arm doesn't have real control over its military wing — and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) holds decisive influence over the group's actions.</li><li>That realization drove two historic and unprecedented decisions: banning Hezbollah's military arm and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/06/lebanon-israel-iran-irgc-hezbollah" target="_blank">ordering the deportation</a> of IRGC members from Lebanese soil.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but:</strong> Lebanese Army commander Gen. Rodolphe Haykal has resisted the government's push, refusing to deploy troops against Hezbollah while active fighting continues, the sources said.</p><ul><li>His stance has fueled tensions with Salam and drawn pressure from both Democrats and Republicans in Washington on Aoun to fire him, according to current and former U.S. officials.</li><li>"The Lebanese military remains unwilling — some say unable — to enforce the government's decision outlawing Hezbollah's military and security activities," said Firas Maksad, managing director for Middle East and North Africa at Eurasia Group.</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch:</strong> Lebanon's government is deeply frustrated that it is being largely ignored by the Trump administration. Without active U.S. mediation, the sources say, there is no path to peace talks.</p><ul><li>"There is no interest from the Trump administration to deal with Lebanon," one source with knowledge of the issue told Axios.</li><li>"Nobody in Washington is taking their calls," said a former U.S. official.</li><li>"The Lebanese government was warned and warned and warned this would happen if they don't take action against Hezbollah," said a third source, also a former U.S. official.</li></ul><p><strong>What's next:</strong> Lebanon is launching a diplomatic initiative to pursue direct senior-level negotiations with Israel, Maksad said — aimed at building a post-war order in which Hezbollah no longer dominates the country.</p><ul><li>"The Lebanese state will not, perhaps cannot, create the military conditions to get there. But it will meet Israel and the U.S. at the table once the guns go silent."</li></ul>
<div>Data: <a href="https://financialmodelingprep.com/" target="_blank">Financial Modeling Prep</a>; Chart: Axios Visuals</div><p>In the first week of the American and Israeli attack on Iran, the economic ripples were looking pretty minimal. But as Week 2 begins, the risks to the global economy are growing much more serious.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>You can't decapitate the leadership of a country of 90 million people, with expansive military and intelligence capabilities, in the heart of some of the world's most economically important supply chains, without a huge cost.</p><hr /><ul><li>The hours and days and weeks ahead are all about quantifying that cost.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Oil skyrocketed 25% overnight, to just under $120 a barrel, fueling worries that higher energy costs will stoke inflation and curb spending by U.S. consumers. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 index plunged more than 5%.</p><ul><li>That's the highest oil price since about four years ago, when energy prices surged due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine.</li><li>Patrick De Haan — a widely cited gas price expert and an analyst for GasBuddy — <a href="https://x.com/GasBuddyGuy/status/2030769059562704964" target="_blank">estimates</a> there's an 80% chance the national average gas price will hit $4 per gallon in the next month.</li></ul><p><strong>The latest: </strong>As of 5am ET, a barrel of the global crude oil benchmark was going for about $107 on futures markets, up 15% from Friday and 47% from 10 days ago, before the Iran attack. Brent crude prices approached $120 overnight before receding on reports of coordinated global action to release oil reserves.</p><ul><li>The oil price rise is poised to translate into a rapid increase in the cost of retail gasoline, which was already up about 51 cents per gallon before the weekend run-up in oil prices.</li></ul><p><strong>The risk of a broader</strong> economic slump is rising with the disruption to oil supplies. S&P 500 futures are down 1.3% overnight, setting Wall Street up for its third consecutive day of losses.</p><ul><li><strong>Japan's Nikkei index</strong> was down 5.2% and South Korea's KOSPI down 6%, reflecting those economies' more direct dependence on Middle Eastern oil now at risk of a protracted blockade.</li></ul><p><strong>Of note: </strong>The odds of a U.S. recession this year spiked to 38% in overnight trading on Polymarket, from 24% at the start of the month.</p><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Iran is seeking to block the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Persian Gulf with the rest of the world, and is threatening to attack ships that seek to pass through.</p><ul><li>The war has already caused the largest oil disruption in history, taking out roughly 20% of the world's supply, according to <a href="https://x.com/Bob_McNally" target="_blank">Bob McNally</a>, president of <a href="https://www.rapidanenergy.com/" target="_blank">Rapidan Energy</a> and a former George W. Bush energy adviser.</li><li>That's double the previous record set during the Suez Crisis in the 1950s, which disrupted just under 10% of global supply.</li><li>The weekend also brought apparently successful Iranian attacks on desalination plants in the Gulf region that are critical for drinking water.</li><li>President Trump has raised the possibility of U.S. ground forces in Iran.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Trump wrote on Truth Social Sunday night: "Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace."</p><ul><li>"ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!" he added.</li></ul><p><strong>Reality check: </strong>The U.S. economy has proven exceptionally resilient to global shocks — including throughout the Ukraine war, which initially caused an unpleasant spike in prices but not a recession.</p><ul><li>The United States is a net exporter of oil, which means that from the macroeconomic standpoint, higher prices at the pump are likely to be offset by higher income for energy extraction industries.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>Solid GDP growth is no consolation for higher day-to-day prices for American consumers, which doomed Joe Biden's popularity. If the recent energy price surge is sustained, that will be Trump's burden as well.</p>
<p>Oil prices on Sunday crossed into triple digits for the first time since 2022 — a stark sign of how the <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_blank">Iran</a> war is throttling global supplies and raising consumers' costs.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The psychologically important $100-a-barrel mark is going to increase pain for consumers, many of whom don't support the war and didn't have any real warning that it was coming.</p><hr /><ul><li>It's also a political setback for President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump</a>, who has relished in touting lower gasoline prices on his watch.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>The global benchmark Brent <a href="https://www.axios.com/energy-climate/oil-companies" target="_blank">crude</a> was trading initially Sunday evening at $101.81, while WTI, the main U.S. metric, was at $101.56. Brent later climbed over $108.</p><ul><li>U.S. oil prices <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-soars-25-gold-drops-iran-war-jolts-global-commodity-markets-2026-03-09/" target="_blank">surged</a> further later in the evening and were <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/08/stock-market-today-live-updates.html" target="_blank">near</a> $120 a barrel overnight ahead of the start of the week's trading.</li></ul><div>Data: <a href="https://financialmodelingprep.com/" target="_blank">Financial Modeling Prep</a>; Chart: Axios Visuals</div><p><strong>Stunning stat: </strong>The Iran war has disrupted 20% of global oil supply for nine days and counting, said Rapidan Energy Group in a note Sunday evening.</p><ul><li>That's "more than double the previous record set during the Suez Crisis of 1956-57, which disrupted just under 10%," according to the statement.</li></ul><p><strong>Friction point:</strong> U.S. drivers are already feeling the effects of crude prices that have now climbed more than 30% since military strikes on Iran began.</p><ul><li>Average U.S. regular gasoline prices have shot up from roughly $3 per gallon before the strikes to $3.45 on Sunday, per AAA tracking, and more increases loom.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>High risks are keeping tankers away from the narrow Strait of Hormuz off Iran — a vital transit point for energy shipments.</p><ul><li>The price also reflects other risks the expanding conflict poses to regional oil production, processing, storage and export infrastructure.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/%40realDonaldTrump/posts/116196014942465383" target="_blank">wrote</a> on Truth Social Sunday evening: "Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace. ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!"</p><p><strong>Flashback:</strong> It's the first time oil prices have reached $100 since 2022, when dislocation and risk from <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/russia" target="_blank">Russia's</a> invasion of Ukraine occurred alongside the post-COVID demand surge.</p><p><strong>State of play:</strong> Trump administration officials are scrambling to contain the cost increases.</p><ul><li>The U.S. International Development Finance Corp. is offering political risk insurance and guarantees, though the usefulness to the shipping industry remains <a href="https://www.morningstar.com/news/marketwatch/20260305266/trump-has-a-plan-to-open-the-strait-of-hormuz-here-are-the-obstacles-it-faces" target="_blank">unclear</a>.</li><li>Trump has also floated potential naval escorts, and on Thursday the Treasury Department issued a 30-day sanctions <a href="https://link.axios.com/click/44542613.66637/aHR0cHM6Ly9vZmFjLnRyZWFzdXJ5Lmdvdi9yZWNlbnQtYWN0aW9ucy8yMDI2MDMwNV8zMz91dG1fc291cmNlPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXImdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249bmV3c2xldHRlcl9heGlvc2dlbmVyYXRlJnN0cmVhbT10b3A/68da272a17a3b9f8320eb3eeBe97f7e72" target="_blank">waiver</a> to enable Indian refiners to buy more Russian oil.</li><li>Energy Secretary <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/08/trump-oil-prices-iran-fear-strait-hormuz" target="_blank">Chris Wright</a> said on "Fox News Sunday" that higher prices are "a small price to pay to get to a world where energy prices are returned back to where they were, and I'm talking weeks, certainly not months."</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but:</strong> White House options are limited.</p><ul><li>"Oil and LNG prices will continue climbing until credible measures enable resumed shipment through the strait," Eurasia Group analysts said in a note Friday while prices were still in the $90s.</li><li>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Sunday <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/08/schumer-republicans-trump-oil-reserve-gas-prices" target="_blank">called on</a> Trump to release oil from the national stockpile — an idea that Republicans have been slow to embrace.</li><li>Tapping the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/03/31/strategic-petroleum-reserve-gas-prices-biden" target="_self">Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a> could deprive Republicans of a talking point: that then-President Biden's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/03/31/biden-strategic-petroleum-reserve-oil-release" target="_self">move to do so</a> in 2022 was done for purely political reasons.</li></ul><p><strong>Context: </strong>Despite the recent spikes, prices at the pump are nowhere near historical highs.</p><ul><li>The average price briefly breached $5 per gallon in mid-2022.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching:</strong> The strains on the system are likely to get worse as storage space runs out.</p><ul><li>"Production shut-ins in Iraq and Kuwait are already happening and might spread to UAE and even Saudi Arabia over time," Barclays' Amarpreet Singh said in a note Friday.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> If the current situation persists for another couple of weeks, Brent prices could test $120, Singh wrote — a stunning turnabout from what had been a pretty soft and well-supplied global market.</p><ul><li>"These numbers might seem too high, especially given widespread pessimism about the oil market outlook heading into this year, but we reiterate that fundamentals are stronger and risks are bigger than the Russia-Ukraine conflict, when we saw these levels materialize," he wrote.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper... </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/08/us-dismayed-israel-iran-fuel-strikes" target="_blank">Scoop: U.S. dismayed by Israel's Iran fuel strikes, sources say</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from President Trump and Rapidan Energy Group and with further details on surging oil prices, including a graph.</em></p>
<p>Democratic National Committee chair <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/02/01/ken-martin-dnc-chair-2024" target="_blank">Ken Martin</a> is facing a growing crisis of confidence within his party, more than two dozen Democrats tell Axios.</p><ul><li>Donors, operatives and some DNC members are questioning his leadership, fundraising ability and handling of the party's still-secret <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/22/dnc-2024-autopsy-harris-gaza" target="_blank">"autopsy"</a> of the 2024 election loss.</li></ul><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The DNC's dysfunction likely won't affect this year's midterms, and Democrats have <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/19/republican-angst-voter-turnout" target="_blank">overperformed</a> in recent elections. But it could have huge consequences for the party's ability to meet the challenges of the 2028 presidential race.</p><hr /><ul><li>The DNC will play a crucial role in organizing Democrats' 2028 primary and in building the infrastructure for the party's next presidential<strong> </strong>nominee.</li><li>But the DNC has been in a perpetual state of near-insolvency, mired by internal finger-pointing since the 2024 election, and Martin hasn't been able to fix the problems.</li><li>It's not just the usual DNC critics — Martin's allies and would-be allies who want him to succeed say they're increasingly worried and believe he hasn't created space for candid feedback and a course correction.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Democratic sources tell Axios that Martin has shown a thin skin and that he personalizes criticism in a way that can be self-defeating.</p><ul><li>Many DNC officials, donors, and other Democrats believe honest feedback would be greeted with hostility.</li><li>Thirteen months into his tenure as DNC chair, the limelight — and the criticism that has come with it — appear to have taken a toll on Martin, who often seems melancholy and put-upon, his allies told Axios.</li></ul><p><strong>There's also been internal frustration </strong>about Martin's reliance on longtime allies from Minnesota, whom some insiders refer to as the "Minnesota Mafia."</p><ul><li>Some Democrats say Martin hasn't grown to trust many people in the DNC office and has become more insular in recent months.</li></ul><p><strong>National Democrats also say Martin </strong>has a habit of over-promising and under-delivering.</p><ul><li>Martin frustrated many party leaders last fall by promising much more money to Virginia and New Jersey for their elections than the party was able to afford. While the party made historic investments, the exaggerated commitments annoyed many national Democrats. </li></ul><p><strong>As recently as January, </strong>Martin<strong> </strong>was still privately pushing the idea of a midterm Democratic convention despite being advised that he was committing money the party didn't have.</p><ul><li>The DNC recently canceled its midterm convention plans.</li><li>Martin told those inside the DNC this wasn't because of the expected costs, but because state parties wanted to focus on this year's primaries instead.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>Many<strong> </strong>Democrats agree on one thing — the DNC chair's first priority is fundraising, and Martin is falling short on that.</p><ul><li>The DNC has teetered on the edge of insolvency during the past year. It has about $15 million cash on hand but is more than $17 million in debt.</li><li>Last October, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/20/dnc-loan-elections-fundraising-00663982" target="_blank">the DNC took out $15 million</a> in loans to help keep the committee afloat.</li></ul><p><strong>Leaders privately have discussed</strong> the possibility of limited layoffs in the coming months. A DNC official told Axios the committee has no plans for staff layoffs.</p><ul><li>Some Democrats have bristled at Martin's media-heavy schedule while the party is struggling financially.</li><li>Several donors told Axios they met with Martin or had a call with him early in his tenure, but haven't heard from him since.</li></ul><p><strong>Would-be allies say Martin has held a grudge </strong>against donors who opposed him in the race for chair last year.</p><ul><li>One donor who didn't support Martin in the race put it bluntly: "He needs all of us, and he's not asking us to do anything."</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>DNC spokesperson Mia Ehrenberg said Martin "has invested early and aggressively in the Democratic Party's infrastructure .... Winning now, in 2028, and for years to come is the DNC's North Star. Anything else is just gossip and noise."</p><p><strong>Reality check: </strong>It's always difficult for a party chair to raise money in the first year after the party loses the White House — as Democrats did in 2016 and 2024.</p><ul><li>Martin <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/20/dnc-fundraising-record-ken-martin" target="_blank">had good fundraising initially</a>, but he's been <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/22/dnc-kamala-harris-campaign-debt" target="_blank">burdened by a $20 million-plus debt</a> from Kamala Harris' campaign.</li></ul><p><strong>Donors and activists remain angry</strong> about Donald Trump's return to the presidency, and the DNC is often a convenient punching bag.</p><ul><li>Many of the party's stars who may run for president in 2028 haven't been as helpful as they could be despite requests to do more. </li><li>Several other groups in the Democratic ecosystem also have struggled with fundraising since the 2024 election because of some donors' disillusionment.</li></ul><p><strong>While Martin has many critics</strong>, they often have contradictory ideas of what he should or shouldn't be doing.</p><ul><li>Despite the swipes at Martin's leadership, Democrats have been winning up and down the ballot over the past year. The party has benefitted from anger over Trump's policies, and Martin has invested a large amount of money in state parties.</li><li>The DNC has announced the dates of the 2028 Democratic convention and is on course to settle its presidential primary calendar in the coming months.</li><li>"The DNC is on track financially to deliver wins this November, in 2028, and for years to come thanks to strategic and aggressive early investments that are already paying off," said Chris Lowe, co-chair of the DNC's national finance committee.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue:</strong> Few issues will set off Martin's critics more quickly than his handling of the DNC's "autopsy" on the 2024 campaign. </p><ul><li>They say it was a debacle that reflects larger problems with his leadership that need to be addressed before the presidential campaign officially starts next year.</li><li>Allies advised Martin not to do an autopsy or promise to make the report public, but he did both.</li></ul><p><strong>Martin entrusted his confidante Paul Rivera </strong>with the task despite Rivera's lack of experience on recent presidential campaigns.</p><ul><li>Some people interviewed for the report said the process felt disorganized, and that Rivera appeared to tell people what they wanted to hear when he interviewed them.</li><li>Many Democratic campaign and super PAC leaders from the 2024 presidential race told Axios they never spoke with Rivera.</li><li>Late last summer, Rivera's team made hasty attempts to contact some top Democrats before the report's intended release.</li></ul><p><strong>After repeated delays</strong> on one of his signature promises, Martin <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/19/dnc-2024-election-autopsy-backlash" target="_blank">said in December </a>he wouldn't publish the report — infuriating many Democrats and teams for potential 2028 candidates.</p><ul><li>It also further alienated some donors. </li><li>"You spent donor money to do the autopsy and then didn't provide" it, one told Axios. "It's not your money." </li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> People briefed on the report told Axios there essentially are two versions: a large, "Frankenstein monster" of documents that includes interviews without any narrative or through-line, and a shorter, vague document that's similar to what Democrats have said publicly.</p><ul><li>Martin hiding the document has made it an object of fascination among activists who believe it includes details the DNC is hiding for nefarious purposes.</li><li>Martin argued in December that releasing the report would result in more finger-pointing and wouldn't help the party move forward. Many of his allies agree.</li></ul><p><strong>Even now, few people</strong> outside of Martin's inner circle have read the autopsy, though he says its recommendations are being implemented.</p>
<p>Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Sunday called on President Trump to release oil from the national stockpile to counter <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/08/trump-oil-prices-iran-fear-strait-hormuz" target="_blank">soaring gas prices</a> — an idea that Republicans have been slow to embrace.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Tapping the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/03/31/strategic-petroleum-reserve-gas-prices-biden" target="_blank">Strategic Petroleum Reserve</a> (SPR) could deprive Republicans of a talking point: That then-President Biden's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/03/31/biden-strategic-petroleum-reserve-oil-release" target="_blank">move to do so</a> in 2022 was done for purely political reasons.</p><hr /><ul><li>Republicans' message — as outlined on Sunday's political talk shows — is that the uptick in prices following last week's attacks on Iran is motivated largely by market fears and won't last long.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: "</strong>Due to Donald Trump's reckless war of choice, gas prices have surged to their highest levels in years," Schumer said in an <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/2030685264574562789" target="_blank">X post</a>. "His response? 'If they rise, they rise.' He couldn't care less.</p><ul><li>"Today, I demanded Trump release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve IMMEDIATELY to bring relief to Americans at the pump."</li><li>The reserve holds hundreds of millions of barrels of crude oil in underground salt caverns along the Texas and Louisiana Gulf Coast. Biden in 2022 ordered <a href="https://www.axios.com/2022/03/31/biden-strategic-petroleum-reserve-oil-release" target="_blank">an historic release</a> from the reserve to halt soaring gas prices.</li></ul><p><strong>Flashback:</strong> Energy Secretary Chris Wright <a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/aging-caverns-imperil-trump-push-to-refill-petroleum-reserve/" target="_blank">told lawmakers</a> last year that more than $100 million of repairs were needed to bring the storage facilities back to full capacity and that nearly filling it back up could cost billions of dollars.</p><p><strong>The other side: </strong>In response to a reporter's question this weekend about about tapping the reserve, Trump criticized Biden for depleting it.</p><ul><li>"Biden used them so that he can get some extra votes in the elections ... He brought it down to the lowest level it has ever been," Trump said.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Wright said Sunday that the administration has other short-term options.</p><ul><li>"We have been deploying it during a period of low oil prices to put some oil back into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve," Wright said on "Fox News Sunday."</li><li>"But yes, it shouldn't have been deleted — depleted for the 2022 midterm elections as the Biden administration did. But, again, we've done many other moves that allow the world to remain fully supplied with oil during this relatively brief conflict."</li><li>Wright maintained that higher prices are "a small price to pay to get to a world where energy prices are returned back to where they were, and I'm talking weeks, certainly not months."</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching:</strong> How much more of a political football the reserve becomes.</p>
<p>The Trump <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/16/wright-minerals-oil-venezuela" target="_blank">administration</a>'s top energy official argued Sunday that fear — not supply shortages — is driving a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/08/iran-war-oil-market-barrel-cost" target="_blank">historic surge</a> in oil prices.</p><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> The world is well-supplied with oil, but markets are reacting to real-world disruptions — a strangled <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/iran-war-strait-of-hormuz-shutdown-us-global-economy" target="_blank">Strait of Hormuz</a>, <a href="https://fortune.com/2026/03/07/iran-wear-energy-prices-iraq-kuwait-shut-oil-production/" target="_blank">halted production</a> and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/world/middleeast/israel-iran-oil-strikes.html" target="_blank">strikes</a> on fuel storage.</p><hr /><ul><li>The administration is road-testing a political argument to insulate itself from pocketbook pain in a midterm year.</li><li>The record-breaking surge lifted gasoline 47 cents a gallon in the last week and diesel 83 cents a gallon, <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank">per AAA</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Fox News Sunday that the price run-up "has nothing to do with any shortage of barrels of oil or natural gas. It's just fear and perception." </p><ul><li>He repeated<strong> </strong>that argument on CNN, calling the spike "a little bit of fear premium" but saying "the world is not short of oil today or natural gas."</li><li>Translated into Sen. John Kennedy's (R-La.) fashion-forward argument on "Fox News Sunday," prices "have gone up because you have a bunch of oil traders out there in their Gucci loafers with their caramel Frappuccinos who are bidding up the price."</li><li>In the worst case, Wright said on CBS News' "Face the Nation," the price surge will last weeks. He cited "emotional reactions and fear that this is a long-term war." He said it is not; rather, "it's a temporary movement."</li></ul><p><strong>Our thought bubble, </strong><em>from Axios' Ben Geman:</em> Prices are soaring for multiple reasons — and the vibes Wright and Kennedy are citing are real. Traders bid up prices in response to supply threats even before any physical shortages.</p><ul><li>But fear is just <em>part</em> of the equation. The Iran war shut down the Strait of Hormuz, backing up the region's oil systems, with some producers cutting back production as storage space fills up.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>While Wright projects optimism,<strong> </strong>administration officials are floating ways to contain the cost increases.</p><ul><li>Trump has pitched plans to offer political risk insurance and naval escorts to tankers, and on Thursday, the Treasury Department issued a 30-day sanctions <a href="https://link.axios.com/click/44542613.66637/aHR0cHM6Ly9vZmFjLnRyZWFzdXJ5Lmdvdi9yZWNlbnQtYWN0aW9ucy8yMDI2MDMwNV8zMz91dG1fc291cmNlPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXImdXRtX21lZGl1bT1lbWFpbCZ1dG1fY2FtcGFpZ249bmV3c2xldHRlcl9heGlvc2dlbmVyYXRlJnN0cmVhbT10b3A/68da272a17a3b9f8320eb3eeBe97f7e72" target="_blank">waiver</a> to enable Indian refiners to buy more Russian oil.</li><li>But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt framed the thinking directly on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures": The rise in oil prices is "a short-term disruption for the long-term gain of taking out the rogue Iranian terrorist regime and finally ending their restriction of the free-flow of energy in the Middle East."</li></ul><p><strong>The details: </strong>The global oil market has been in "significant surplus" since the start of last year, per the <a href="https://www.iea.org/topics/the-middle-east-and-global-energy-markets" target="_blank">International Energy Agency</a>, and ahead of the strikes on Iran, global supply was set to exceed demand. </p><ul><li>But "prolonged supply disruptions could flip the market into a deficit," according to the IEA analysis.</li></ul><p><strong>Threat level:</strong> The Joint Maritime Information Center said in <a href="https://www.ukmto.org/-/media/ukmto/products/update-006-jmic-advisory-note-06_mar_2026_final.pdf?rev=1a5ae98352fd47399a1ea9325131bc58" target="_blank">recent</a> <a href="https://www.ukmto.org/-/media/ukmto/products/update-007--jmic-advisory-note-07mar_2026_final.pdf?rev=fcb462eca21b43048c9afb1aebee9d55" target="_blank">notes</a> that routine commercial traffic in the crucial passage had seen a "near-total temporary pause."</p><ul><li>Wright said Sunday that a "large tanker" recently made its way through the waterway. </li><li>But the historical traffic average is upward of 130 <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/only-about-8-ships-a-day-are-passing-through-the-strait-of-hormuz-94-fewer-than-usual-806837f9" target="_blank">vessels</a> a day, a large <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/03/03/business/iran-war-oil-gas-strait-of-hormuz.html" target="_blank">slice</a> of which are oil and gas tankers. An average of 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and oil products passed through in 2025, per the IEA.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>Wright also emphasized on CNN's "State of the Union" that the U.S. is "targeting zero energy infrastructure," despite the fiery Israeli <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/world/middleeast/israeli-strikes-fuel-depots-tehran.html" target="_blank">strikes</a> on Iranian fuel depots.</p><p><strong>What we're watching: </strong>The conflict is playing out in a critical midterm year where voters' <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/iran-war-trump-gas-prices" target="_blank">price of living concerns</a> are paramount.</p><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/07/trump-iran-gas-fuel-strikes" target="_blank">Trump vows to step up Iran bombing, as gas price surge worsens</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/22/sinners-oscar-nominations-record-coogler-jordan" target="_blank">"Sinners"</a> isn't just a commercial success, it's the latest disruptor to a film industry that covets intellectual property. </p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Director Ryan<strong> </strong>Coogler, who secured a rare agreement with Warner Bros. that grants him ownership of the film in 2050, could become the first Black person to win Best Director at the Academy Awards, which airs March 15. </p><hr /><ul><li>He made history Sunday as the first person to direct two Actor Awards best ensemble winners for "Sinners" and "Black Panther." </li><li>The vampire thriller<strong> </strong>secured 16 <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/22/oscar-nominees-streaming-where-to-watch" target="_blank">Oscar nominations</a>, breaking a long-standing record for the most-nominated film of all time and made almost <a href="https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2153611265/" target="_blank">$370 million</a> worldwide, more than four times its $90 million budget.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> <strong>"</strong>Sinners" signals a decisive power shift in Hollywood — from distributor back to creator.</p><ul><li>Major studio executives are <a href="https://www.vulture.com/article/to-hollywood-the-scariest-part-of-sinners-is-ryan-coogler.html" target="_blank">seeing</a> other directors demand the same terms, making talent relationships difficult to manage, Vulture reports.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Coogler, 39, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ryan-coogler-owning-sinners-movie-rights-2025-4" target="_blank">told Business Insider</a> he was motivated by the movie's narrative—centering on two brothers fighting for their juke joint in the Jim Crow South. </p><ul><li>The filmmaker will directly receive royalties from streaming, broadcasts, licensing and merchandising that would normally go to the studio.</li><li>He says he will not seek ownership of future films. </li><li>A publicist for Coogler could not make him available for an interview for this story.</li></ul><div>Chart: Axios Visuals</div><p><strong>The other side: </strong>On <a href="https://open.spotify.com/episode/15nL0TtuuAiUXlQZjjCsUM" target="_blank">a recent episode</a> of "The Town with Matthew Belloni," Sony Film CEO<strong> </strong>Tom Rothman explained that he turned the film down because he didn't want to "institutionalize" the type of deal Coogler wanted. </p><ul><li>"You can never ruin your business for one movie...the profitability that underlines a movie studio is its library."</li></ul><p><strong>Rothman claimed </strong>that the ownership deal Quentin Tarantino <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/tarantino-scored-a-rare-deal-once-a-time-hollywood-1225415/" target="_blank">got from Sony</a> for 2019's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" was "grandfathered in" from his earlier days making movies for Miramax.</p><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Coogler's reputation of directing box office and critically-acclaimed successes like "Black Panther" and "Creed" preceded him when Warner Bros. execs green-lit "Sinners."</p><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Ana-Christina Ramón, director of the Entertainment and Media Research Initiative at UCLA, says it's difficult to know how many similar deals exist since those particulars are not usually made public.</p><ul><li>"The one thing that I found interesting is the fact that [the details] were leaked for an African American filmmaker."</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper:</strong> <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/22/sinners-oscar-nominations-record-coogler-jordan" target="_blank">Vampire thriller "Sinners" breaks Oscar nomination record</a></p>
<p>President Trump threatened early Saturday morning to step up the bombing campaign in <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_blank">Iran</a>, saying it may expand to people and regions that hadn't been targeted previously.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The war is entering its second week, with no let-up in sight.</p><hr /><ul><li>The domestic impacts, meanwhile, are compounding — especially the surge in energy prices that threatens to complicate <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/iran-war-trump-gas-prices" target="_blank">Trump's affordability</a> agenda.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"Today Iran will be hit very hard! Under serious consideration for complete destruction and certain death, because of Iran's bad behavior, are areas and groups of people that were not considered for targeting up until this moment in time," the president <a href="https://truthsocial.com/%40realDonaldTrump/posts/116187586876366061" target="_blank">said</a> in a Truth Social post just after 6 a.m. ET Saturday. </p><ul><li>Trump also said Iran had promised to cease any further strikes against neighboring countries. That was an apparent reference to an overnight <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/live/ceqvwrydzpqt?post=asset%3A3b995012-6019-4586-838f-4c5da824b0a6#post" target="_blank">video broadcast </a>from Iran's president, ordering the country's armed forces not to attack neighbors unless struck first. </li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>The war's impacts are already being felt clearly at home, with a historic spike in energy prices that could add up to tens of billions of dollars in higher<a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/06/oil-gasoline-prices-trump-hormuz-russia" target="_blank"> consumer and business fuel costs.</a></p><ul><li>Retail gasoline prices rose another 9 cents Friday, <a href="https://gasprices.aaa.com/" target="_blank">per AAA</a>, and are up 43 cents in the last week, to the highest levels since late 2024. The national average a week ago is roughly the national low today.</li><li>Diesel prices have risen even faster — an all-time record surge of 22.3 cents just on Friday, per <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/gasbuddyguy.bsky.social/post/3mggy4on2yk2c" target="_blank">GasBuddy's</a> Patrick De Haan. The crucial trucking fuel is now up more than 71 cents in just the last week.</li></ul><p><strong>By the numbers:</strong> Both of those will add up in different ways. </p><ul><li>Consumers will spend an extra $175 million a day at the pump versus a week ago, De Haan <a href="https://gaspriceguy.substack.com/p/global-oil-shock-why-gasoline-and?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1173467&post_id=190202805&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=whc4&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email" target="_blank">said</a>.</li><li>The problem for commercial drivers and their customers is as bad or worse. Truckers commonly add fuel surcharges when diesel prices rise; at current levels, some <a href="http://national-delivery.com/Fuel_Surcharge" target="_blank">will charge</a> more than $600 extra per 1,000 miles driven.</li></ul><p><strong>For the record: </strong>The administration insists it's taking measures that will get energy prices in check quickly. </p><ul><li>"President Trump's entire energy team, from the White House to the National Energy Dominance Council to Secretaries Wright and Bessent, have a game plan to keep oil prices stable throughout Operation Epic Fury," press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Friday night.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>The war isn't stopping — and neither, for now, is the surge in gas prices either. </p><p><strong><em>Ben Geman contributed reporting to this story. </em></strong></p><p><em>Editor's note: This story has been updated with industry background and White House comment. </em></p>
<p>President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump</a> is mired in risk:</p><ul><li>Risk his <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_blank">Iran war of choice</a> goes bad.</li><li>Risk the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/06/jobs-february-unemployment-trump" target="_blank">February job losses</a> are a trend, not a blip.</li><li>Risk the <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/04/stock-market-today-live-updates-iran-war.html" target="_blank">stock market</a> keeps dropping.</li><li>Risk his <a href="https://www.axios.com/economy/tariffs" target="_blank">tariffs</a>, and now <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/06/oil-gasoline-prices-trump-hormuz-russia" target="_blank">soaring oil costs</a>, are pushing prices higher.</li><li>Risk that <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/11/trump-signs-executive-order-state-ai-laws" target="_blank">deregulated AI</a> accelerates job losses.</li><li>Risk that <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/democrats-texas-talarico-voter-turnout" target="_blank">Democratic enthusiasm</a> leads to a midterm wipeout.</li></ul><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Trump fancies himself a high-risk, high-reward president, a confidence cheered by the vast majority of Republican officials and voters. But risk is risk — and by most measures, it's rising everywhere.</p><hr /><p><strong>By the numbers:</strong> Early polling on the Iran war suggests there may be little or no reward to be had, particularly with the swing voters Trump has lost over affordability concerns.</p><ul><li>Pollster <a href="https://elliott.gelliottmorris.com/" target="_blank">G. Elliott Morris</a> took an <a href="https://www.gelliottmorris.com/p/polls-us-iran-attack-2026-03-06" target="_blank">average of high-quality surveys</a> and found just 38% of Americans support U.S. military strikes in Iran — lower than retrospective support for the war in Iraq in 2014.</li><li>Most Republicans support the war. But no broader rally-around-the-flag effect has materialized.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>For years, Trump, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/03/02/vance-trump-iran-war-00806812" target="_blank">Vice President Vance</a> and the broader MAGA movement argued that war with Iran would be catastrophic — too costly, too risky, too likely to spiral.</p><ul><li><a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-military-deaths-0a3f1532ec1953d51898e5b5e2b625d6" target="_blank">Six U.S. service members</a> have died <a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-military-deaths-89d44a0fa557d026794e5cee132d724d" target="_blank">since the opening strikes</a>. Trump <a href="https://time.com/7382697/trump-iran-war/" target="_blank">told TIME</a> when asked whether Americans should be worried about retaliatory attacks at home: "I guess ... When you go to war, some people will die."</li><li>The first 100 hours of the war alone are <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/37-billion-estimated-cost-epic-furys-first-100-hours" target="_blank">estimated</a> to have cost $3.7 billion. Oil prices are up more than 25%, with the instability threatening <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/ab7d597d-5e72-4cbf-8d3b-53815695d68f" target="_blank">Persian Gulf investments</a> that Trump has made central to his economic vision.</li><li>Trump <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/iran-leader-trump-khamenei" target="_blank">told Axios</a> he must be "involved" in selecting Iran's next leader — but also acknowledged the worst-case scenario: "We do this, and then somebody takes over who's as bad as the previous person."</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>Some Middle East experts, including hawkish Trump allies in Washington, believe the president is playing with fire by encouraging <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/iran-war-us-israel-kurds-cia-mossad" target="_blank">Kurdish militants</a> to cross into Iran and fight the regime.</p><ul><li>The possibility of a brutal civil war — in an ethnically diverse country of 93 million — could tip Iran into the prolonged chaos that defined George W. Bush's legacy in Iraq.</li><li>Trump, asked about polls showing most Americans oppose the war, told the <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/03/02/us-news/trump-wont-rule-out-sending-us-troops-into-iran-if-necessary-tells-the-post-i-dont-care-about-polling/" target="_blank">New York Post</a> he's not worried: "I think that the polling is very good, but I don't care about polling. I have to do the right thing."</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>Even before his attack on Iran rattled global markets, Trump was losing the argument on the economy — historically his strongest issue.</p><ul><li>New data show the economy shed 92,000 jobs in February — far worse than the 60,000-job gain economists expected, and the third time in five months the labor market has contracted.</li><li>Surging oil prices threaten to reverse the genuine progress Trump has made on gas prices and inflation, with new risks to the kitchen-table costs at the core of voters' affordability concerns.</li><li>His tariffs — sold as a path to cheaper goods and more American jobs — have so far delivered neither, with prices rising and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/06/economy/us-jobs-report-february" target="_blank">manufacturing shedding jobs</a> for 13 of the past 14 months.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>The Trump administration has gone all-in on AI accelerationism, pressuring <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/06/white-house-red-state-ai-laws-scrutiny" target="_blank">GOP state lawmakers</a> to back off on safety regulations that could constrain the technology's explosive growth.</p><ul><li>This might be Trump's biggest bet of all: AI could supercharge the economy and cement his legacy as the president who unleashed the next industrial revolution.</li><li>But most Americans are <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/24/ai-biggest-threats-2028-election" target="_blank">deeply skeptical and anxious</a>, fearing AI could accelerate job displacement, hollow out the middle class and eventually threaten humanity itself.</li></ul><p><strong>White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai </strong>said in a statement to Axios: "The biggest risk America faces is backing down from President Trump's America First agenda and abandoning the president's push to secure our borders, mass deport criminal illegal aliens, safeguard our national security, and restore America as the most dynamic economy in the world."</p><ul><li>"The so-called 'experts' have repeatedly predicted doom and gloom since President Trump took office, and they have repeatedly been proven wrong. President Trump and his administration are laser-focused on continuing to deliver for the American people."</li></ul><p><strong>What to watch: </strong>Trump's biggest political risk is losing Congress in November, and watching his second term collapse into investigations, impeachment and legislative gridlock.</p><ul><li>The midterm environment is trending against Republicans across every early indicator — primary turnout, generic ballot polling and special election results.</li><li>A swift, clean victory in Iran could help stabilize Trump's numbers. A prolonged conflict — with casualties, spiking prices and no clear endgame — could turn a difficult midterm map into a wipeout.</li></ul><p><em><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/06/behind-the-curtain-trump-iran-war-tariffs-anthropic" target="_blank">Go deeper</a>: Trump's power play.</em></p>
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/trump-iran-war-kurds-soldiers-iraq" target="_self">Iraq's Kurds</a> are caught in a three-way vise as the Iran war spills across their border:</p><ul><li>They're uncertain, based on <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-iran-war-will-trump-help-iranian-kurdish-fighters-attack-regime/" target="_blank">President Trump's messaging</a>, whether the U.S. actually wants regime change next door.</li><li>They're under pressure to open the border from Iranian Kurds who want to fight the regime.</li><li>And they're facing a public threat — backed by a private warning — that Iran will retaliate if those militants attack from Iraqi Kurdish soil.</li></ul><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The Kurds of northern Iraq have carved out a stable, semi-autonomous region in one of the world's most volatile neighborhoods. Now, the war next door is threatening to make their neutrality impossible to hold.</p><hr /><ul><li>"The Kurds must not be the tip of the spear in this conflict," a senior Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) official told Axios.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Iraq's Kurdish government prides itself on talking to all sides. But Iran changed its otherwise friendly tone Friday in a stark communique about Iranian Kurdish militants sheltering across the border.</p><ul><li>"Should their continued presence and plotting be permitted, or should these groups or [Zionist] regime elements enter the borders of the Islamic Republic through the Region, all facilities of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq ... will be targeted on a massive scale," Ali Akbar Ahmadian, an Iranian Defense Council official, said in a written statement.</li><li>Iranian officials called the Iraqi Kurdish government on Friday to draw attention to the post and make clear it was official policy, the KRG official said.</li><li>"They don't need hypersonic missiles to hurt us. 200 Shahed drones could cause a lot of damage here. We have no air defense systems. We don't have any ways to knock these things out of the skies," the official warned.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>Trump has sent multiple different signals about what he wants to see unfold in Iran, calling for regime change without communicating what that looks like or how the U.S. will enforce it.</p><ul><li>"Certainly, we are staying neutral as Iraqi Kurds because there is no clarity for us on what the U.S. policy is. Is it full regime change? Or just a change in personnel?" the KRG official said.</li><li>"Our assessment is there cannot be regime change without boots on the ground, and our assessment is that the U.S. is not sending boots on the ground," they added.</li><li>Trump <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/trump-iran-war-kurds-iraq" target="_self">spoke to two Iraqi Kurdish leaders</a> after launching the war Saturday but did not seek their support for an invasion, the official claimed.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Though Israel and the U.S. are carrying out a joint operation, their interests and activities diverge in both Iran and Iraq .</p><ul><li>"Israel is far more aggressive on this, both on the on the military side of it, but also in terms of pushing Iranian Kurds ... to be part of this war," the official said, adding that he saw no evidence of U.S. efforts to arm or incite Kurds to attack Iran.</li><li>"Israel wants an annihilation of the current order in Iran and they will not stop until that happens. It's very existential," they said. "I can't see them accepting Regime Lite. I can see the United States accepting Regime Lite...Venezuela Plus."</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>Amir Karimi, co-chair of the Iranian Kurdish group PJAK, told Axios that armed members of his group are already inside Iran — but said a significant uprising won't happen without U.S. backing.</p><ul><li>"In the past, two major uprisings were not supported, which allowed the regime to prolong its survival," Karimi said, noting his group is contact with U.S. officials but not the Israeli government or its Mossad spy agency.</li></ul><p><strong>Another official </strong>with the Iraqi Kurdish Democratic Party (KDP) told Axios that the Peshmerga — Iraq's Kurdish armed forces — have so far managed to prevent Iranian Kurdish militants from launching an offensive into Iran from Iraqi territory.</p><ul><li>Iraqi Kurdish leaders decided to stay neutral in the war for now, partially because they're concerned the U.S. might abandon them at some point, the official said.</li><li>"We have trust issues from the past and we don't want to get involved. Who is going to defend us if the Iranian regime ends up surviving this?" they asked</li><li>The Iranian Kurdish fighters inside Iraq are also not as battle-hardened as Kurdish forces who fought in Syria, and they lack the training, numbers and equipment to mount an effective invasion force, Iraqi Kurdish officials say.</li></ul><p><strong>What's next: </strong>Iraqi Kurdish officials expect Trump to measure success narrowly, pointing to the four goals he has laid out: destroying Iran's navy, missile program, terrorist proxies and nuclear program.</p><ul><li>But they also recognize — as does Iran — that Trump only has three years let in office.</li><li>"The Iranians have thousands of years of built-up patience," one Kurdish official said. "They know that in a couple of years, there might be a new president in the United States, and who knows what's going to happen in Israel. Their goal right now is to outlast this."</li></ul>
<p>An <a href="https://www.axios.com/technology/automation-and-ai" target="_blank">AI</a> agent went rogue and started a side hustle mining cryptocurrencies, according to a new research paper published by an Alibaba-affiliated team.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>AI agents don't always stick to their human's instructions — and that can have real-world consequences.</p><hr /><ul><li>Cryptocurrency, or digital money, offers AI agents a pathway into the economy. They can set up their own businesses, draft contracts and exchange funds.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>A <a href="https://arxiv.org/pdf/2512.24873" target="_blank">new research paper</a> from an Alibaba-affiliated research team said it discovered an AI agent attempting unauthorized cryptocurrency mining during training — a surprise behavior that triggered internal security alarms.</p><ul><li>The researchers — who were building a new AI agent called ROME<strong> —</strong> said they found "unanticipated" and spontaneous behaviors emerge "without any explicit instruction and, more troublingly, outside the bounds of the intended sandbox."</li><li>The agent also made a "reverse SSH tunnel" — essentially opening a hidden backdoor from the inside of the system to an outside computer, the study said.</li><li>"Notably, these events were not triggered by prompts requesting tunneling or mining," the report said.</li></ul><p><strong>In response</strong>, the researchers added tighter restrictions for the model and improved its training process to stop unsafe behavior from happening again.</p><ul><li>The research team, and Alibaba, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</li></ul><p><strong>Flashback: </strong>We saw something similar with the <a href="https://www.moltbook.com/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter_axiosam&stream=top#_ga=2.152302329.1511586657.1770645224-76724856.1757368973" target="_blank">Moltbook</a> saga.</p><ul><li>Moltbook, a Reddit-style social network, showed AI agents chatting with each other about the work they did for humans. They <a href="https://www.moltbook.com/m/crypto" target="_blank">talked about crypto</a>, too. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>Fears about the impact of AI has <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/24/ai-stock-market-unemployment" target="_blank">moved markets</a> and incited viral discourse about <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/12/ai-openai-agi-xai-doomsday-scenario" target="_blank">doomsday scenarios</a>.</p><ul><li>Earlier this week, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/04/father-sues-google-claiming-gemini-chatbot-drove-son-into-fatal-delusion/" target="_blank">Google Gemini was cited</a> in a wrongful-death suit alleging the chatbot led a Florida man into delusional behavior, which ultimately led to him take his own life.</li><li>Dan Botero, head of engineering at Anon, an AI integration platform, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/openclaw-agent-future" target="_blank">built an OpenClaw agent</a> that decided without prompting to find a job, Axios' Megan Morrone reported.</li><li>Anthropic's Claude model drew backlash in May 2025 after its own researchers found that its Claude 4 Opus model had the ability to conceal intentions and take action to keep itself alive.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>AI agents going beyond their prompts are no longer rare.</p>
<p>President Trump is positioning himself as a central architect of <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_blank">Iran's</a> post-war future, demanding "<a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/06/trump-iran-war-unconditional-surrender" target="_blank">UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER</a>" on Friday.</p><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump</a> is signaling ambitions that extend beyond military action into reshaping Iran's political and economic order just as he did in <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/06/us-venezuela-diplomatic-consular-relations" target="_blank">Venezuela</a>. But experts warn it's not that simple.</p><hr /><p><em>Here are three promises Trump has made on Iran thus far. </em></p><h2>Choosing a successor </h2><p><strong>Trump acknowledged </strong>that Mojtaba Khamenei, son of assassinated Supreme Leader <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/28/iran-khamenei-killed-israel" target="_self">Ali Khamenei</a>, is the most likely successor — but <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/iran-leader-trump-khamenei" target="_blank">Trump told Axios Thursday</a> he opposes that outcome. </p><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Srinjoy Bose, an associate professor of international relations at Australia's University of New South Wales, tells Axios it "is an extension of his approach to international politics vis-à-vis Venezuela," Gaza and his <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/19/trumps-board-of-peace-members-countries-list" target="_blank">Board of Peace</a>.</p><ul><li>It echoes the 1953 U.S.-backed coup that overthrew Iran's democratically elected leader and installed Mohammad <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/28/us-iran-leader-crown-prince-reza-pahlavi" target="_blank">Reza Pahlavi</a> as shah until he was deposed in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Bose says.</li><li>Daniel Schneiderman, director of global policy programs at Penn Washington, says, "The size, scope and scale of Iran's military and also the way the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps is endemic in everyday life" makes it very different from Venezuela.</li><li>Tehran had a "long time to prepare" for war, and it's unlikely there will be a "leadership transition that ultimately satisfies the White House," says Schneiderman, a former Defense Department official in the <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/joe-biden" target="_blank">Biden</a> administration.</li><li>"Although I'm sure part of the plan here is how do we get to good enough? That's what they did in Venezuela ... so what does that looks like in Iran? The political costs of getting to good enough after what's been done is serious. Because for the Iranians, survival of the regime in some form is a win." </li></ul><h2>Total immunity </h2><p><strong>Trump <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/white-house-event/president-trump-hosts-2025-major-league-soccer-championship-team/674786" target="_blank">urged</a> </strong>IRGC members, military and the police on Thursday to "lay down their arms" and assured them they'd be "perfectly safe with total immunity, or you'll face absolutely guaranteed death."</p><p><strong>Reality check: </strong>There's no guarantee that if Iranians take up arms against the regime, "which is what he is hoping," they will be protected by Trump or the international community, Bose says.</p><ul><li>Schneiderman calls it "an important signal," but adds, "there has to be real substance behind it."</li><li> "I just wonder how much meat there is below the surface," he says.</li></ul><h2>Reducing oil prices </h2><p><strong>The administration has scrambled</strong> to keep gas prices down as the war spills over into a crucial shipping lane, with Trump offering "political risk insurance and guarantees" for energy tankers. </p><p><strong>State of play:</strong> Trump said additional action to "dramatically increase the stability" of the Middle East, oil prices and stock markets is "imminent" without providing specifics.</p><ul><li>Though Trump often touts falling gas prices, volatility and rising energy costs could pose a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/iran-war-trump-gas-prices" target="_blank">political risk</a> for Republicans ahead of the midterms. </li><li>Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday <a href="https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/2029714253725262232" target="_blank">announced</a> a 30-day waiver allowing India to buy Russian oil, which India <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/09/trump-india-russia-oil-tariff-executive-order" target="_blank">had stopped importing</a> as part of a tariff deal.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>Oil and gasoline prices <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/06/oil-gasoline-prices-trump-hormuz-russia" target="_blank">rose Friday</a>, with gas up nearly 11% since the war started.</p><ul><li>This is one of the "unintended strategic consequences of these decisions that you make to go to war," Schneiderman says. </li><li>"There are second- and third-order effects that a solid and sound planning process for a decision like the one to go to war with Iran would have accounted for."</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"Thanks to President Trump's leadership in his first term and current term, the United States remains the largest crude oil and natural gas producer in the world," Leavitt said. </p><ul><li>His "entire energy team" has a "game plan" to keep oil prices stable throughout throughout the U.S. operation, per Leavitt's statement.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper:</strong> <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/iran-leader-trump-khamenei" target="_blank">Exclusive: Trump says he must be involved in picking Iran's next leader</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with comment from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.</em></p>
<p>Congressional Democrats in their 70s and 80s who are seeking reelection are tired of hearing that they are incapable of doing their jobs due to age — and they're gearing up to push back.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>More than half a dozen House Democrats who are 70 or older are <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/democrats-2026-midterms-house-primaries-jeffries" target="_blank">trailing at least one younger primary insurgent</a> in fundraising, and those elections are fast approaching.</p><hr /><ul><li>But to hear some veteran House Democrats tell it, this is nothing out of the ordinary. "There has never been an election where you have not had challenges to incumbents and a few incumbents losing," Rep. Brad Sherman (D-Calif.) told reporters Wednesday.</li><li>"I have no idea why this is the year to write this story, except that Joe Biden was old. I think voters will just pick who's doing the best job."</li><li>Constant internal talk of generational change over the last several years is "pissing people off," a senior House Democrat told Axios. "The seasoned members, they're pissed off."</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Sherman, 71, is part of a large cohort of older House Democrats facing stiff competition from at least one well-funded and younger primary challenger.</p><ul><li>Having raised $1.4 million compared to 41-year-old challenger Jake Levine's $1.1 million, Sherman is faring better than some of his colleagues.</li><li>Reps. David Scott (D-Ga.), 80; Al Green (D-Texas), 78; John Larson (D-Conn.), 77; Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), 76; Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), 75; Shri Thanedar (D-Mich.), 71; and Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.), 70, have all been out-raised by their primary rivals.</li><li>House Democrats also consistently point to Rep. Doris Matsui (D-Calif.), 81, as a member nervous about their reelection. She faces 40-year-old Sacramento City Council member Mai Vang.</li></ul><p><strong>The latest: </strong>Green faced off against newly elected, 37-year-old Rep. Christian Menefee (D-Texas) for a single Houston-based seat on Tuesday, finishing with 44% of the vote to Menefee's 46%.</p><ul><li>Green's second-place finish came despite the cred he has garnered with the Democratic base for his efforts to impeach President Trump and his two ejections from Trump's speeches to Congress.</li><li>Green and Menefee will go to a runoff in May. Green <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/al-green-christian-menefee-texas-primary-houston" target="_blank">swatted away questions</a> about the age factor on Wednesday, declaring, "I am generational change."</li><li>That same night, Rep. Valerie Foushee (D-N.C.), 69, <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/03/04/foushee-allam-north-carolina-election-results-congress-democrat-primary" target="_blank">just barely squeaked out a win</a> against progressive primary challenger Nida Allam, 32.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>Longtime House Democrats facing insurgent challengers dismissed the notion that Tuesday's results represent a grim portent for their own races.</p><ul><li>"I'm feeling fine about my race," said Rep. Ed Case (D-Hawaii), 73, who is being challenged by two state legislators. "I'm not changing anything at all, regardless of what's going on in the continent or anywhere else in the United States."</li><li>Cohen said he is "definitely" taking his race seriously, but he was not worried about the results in Texas and North Carolina.</li><li>Lynch said he doesn't think age is "as important as what a member stands for," adding, "I've got a pretty moderate district, and I think people are worried about some of the economic things ... so that's not really a young vs. old type thing."</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>Some of these lawmakers acknowledged there is an anti-incumbency sentiment sweeping through the Democratic primary electorate right now.</p><ul><li>Said Case: "Obviously, the American people are not holding Congress in high esteem right now ... and so, of course, if you are feeling that way, you would want to take it out on somebody."</li><li>"I mean, there are elements of concern about, you know, 'time for a change' or 'winds of change' or whatever. That's a fact," Larson told Axios.</li><li>"But," he added, "it's not <em>the</em> fact. I think it still matters what you do in your district, and we do a lot of good work."</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>"Each race is individual," Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the retiring 86-year-old former House majority leader, told Axios when asked about the results in Texas and North Carolina.</p><ul><li>"I think Democrats are going to be just fine."</li></ul>
<div>Data: <a href="https://financialmodelingprep.com/" target="_blank">Financial Modeling Prep</a>; Chart: Axios Visuals</div><p>Oil and gasoline prices are marching upward again Friday, even as Trump administration officials seek ways to get more barrels into the market.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Ships avoiding the Strait of Hormuz and military threats to regional infrastructure are together shocking oil and natural gas markets. </p><hr /><ul><li>"There's no doubt that what's happening now is an order of magnitude bigger — in terms of potential fallout for oil markets — than Russia's invasion of Ukraine," <a href="https://robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/oil-tanker-traffic-in-the-straits" target="_blank">writes Robin Brooks,</a> a Brookings Institution economist.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>The global benchmark Brent crude is trading around $89 Friday morning, up roughly $16 since military strikes against Iran began.</p><ul><li>And don't forget that prices had already jumped in anticipation of the strikes, so the true rise attributable to the conflict is even higher.</li><li>U.S. average regular gasoline prices are up 32 cents per gallon this week to $3.32, per AAA. </li></ul><p><strong>Stunning stat: </strong>The national average gasoline price is up 10.8% over the past four days, the largest spike since the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, per <a href="https://x.com/KevRGordon/status/2029885957856538681" target="_blank">Schwab analyst Kevin Gordon</a>.</p><p><strong>The latest:</strong> The Trump administration is making various moves to try to temper the shock. Energy Secretary Chris Wright<strong> </strong>said Friday on "Fox & Friends" that it would take "weeks, not months" for gas prices to decline.</p><ul><li>"We have a little bit of an interruption right now to finally put an end to their ability to wreak havoc," Wright said.</li></ul><p><strong>The Treasury Department</strong> on Thursday night announced a 30-day sanctions <a href="https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions/20260305_33" target="_blank">waiver</a> to enable Indian refiners to buy more Russian oil.</p><ul><li>"This deliberately short-term measure will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government as it only authorizes transactions involving oil already stranded at sea," Secretary Scott Bessent <a href="https://x.com/secscottbessent/status/2029714253725262232?s=46" target="_blank">posted on X</a>.</li><li>Still, some analysts <a href="https://x.com/Rory_Johnston/status/2029726975166718071" target="_blank">call</a> the move a <a href="https://x.com/gbrew24/status/2029725539578106178" target="_blank">win for Russia</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Energy Secretary Chris Wright </strong>said Friday on "Fox & Friends" that it would take "weeks, not months" for gas prices to decline.</p><ul><li>"We have a little bit of an interruption right now to finally put an end to their ability to wreak havoc," Wright said.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"While this might help put some immediate downward pressure on the market, it is not a game-changer," ING analysts said in a note.</p><ul><li>"The only way for prices to come down on a sustained basis is a resumption of oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz," it adds.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching:</strong> Other triage efforts. </p><ul><li>"Top oil exporter Saudi Arabia is increasing shipments from the Red Sea, but the volumes are far from enough to offset the drop from the crisis-hit Strait of Hormuz," <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/saudi-aramco-boosts-red-sea-oil-shipments-hormuz-disruption-curbs-exports-2026-03-06/" target="_blank">Reuters reports</a> Friday morning.</li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This story has been updated with comments from Energy Secretary Chris Wright.</em></p><p><em>Sign up <a href="https://www.axios.com/signup/axios-future-of-energy" target="_blank">here</a> for Axios' Future of Energy newsletter.</em></p>
<p>The House on Thursday rejected an effort to advance legislation that would restrict President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump</a> from using further <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_blank">military action in Iran</a>.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The failed vote amounts to an endorsement of Trump's military campaign in Iran from Congress, which has the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/28/trump-iran-congress-war-powers-vote" target="_blank">constitutional authority</a> to declare war.</p><hr /><ul><li>The 212<strong>-</strong>219<strong> </strong>vote comes one day after the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/iran-senate-war-powers-vote-democrats-tim-kaine" target="_blank">Senate rejected</a> a similar measure, mainly along party lines. </li><li>Two Republicans — Reps. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Warren Davison (R-Ohio) — voted with the majority of Democrats in support of the measure.</li><li>Four Democrats — Reps. Jared Golden (Maine), Henry Cuellar (Texas) and Greg Landsman (Ohio) and Juan Vargas (Calif.) — voted against it. </li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines</strong>: A handful of Democrats are <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/democrats-iran-war-powers-trump-vote-house" target="_blank">backing a resolution</a> that would give the Trump administration more leeway, directing the president to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities with Iran within 30 days of the Feb. 28 attack, barring congressional approval.</p><ul><li>The stronger measure the House voted on Thursday had the backing of House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and the rest of Democratic leadership, putting Thursday's opponents<a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/democrats-iran-war-powers-vote-primary" target="_blank"> on an island</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>The vote follows<strong> </strong>several days of classified Capitol Hill briefings from top Trump officials that left both parties questioning how long the U.S. operation in Iran will last.</p><ul><li>Congressional Republicans have largely rallied behind the military campaign, though some GOP lawmakers have drawn red lines on sending ground troops or raised concerns that the war could drag out longer than anticipated. </li><li>Democrats have argued that the administration has failed to provide sufficient justification for and information about the attack.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said Wednesday that passage of a War Powers resolution would "empower our enemies." </p><ul><li>"Congress has a constitutional right to exercise its oversight authority, and we will, but we also have a duty and obligation not to undercut our own national security," Johnson said.</li><li>"The moral hazard posed by a government no longer constrained by the constitution is a grave threat," Davidson, one of the two Republicans to support the measure, said in a floor speech Wednesday. </li></ul><p><strong>What's next:</strong> The Pentagon is preparing to send Congress a supplemental funding request, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said.</p><p><em>Editor's note: This story was updated with more information.</em></p>
<p>President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump</a> on Thursday announced Sen. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/markwayne-mullin-homeland-security-secretary-nominee" target="_blank">Markwayne Mullin</a> (R-Okla.) as his pick to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/kristi-noem-trump-ice-dhs" target="_blank">take over</a> as Homeland Security Secretary, replacing <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/26/kristi-noem-impeachment-democrats-minnesota-ice" target="_blank">Kristi Noem</a>, who has been given a new position. </p><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Rather than outright firing top appointees, Trump has opted in his second term to shuffle them into new roles — a contrast with the record number of firings in his first administration. </p><hr /><ul><li>While announcing her departure from DHS on Thursday, Trump praised Noem's tenure, saying she "has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!)" and thanking her for her service at the agency.</li><li>Noem will be "moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere," and more details on the initiative will be announced Saturday, the president added. </li><li>Reports that Trump planned to fire Noem had circulated for weeks amid a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/noem-dhs-controversies-minnesota-ads-planes" target="_blank">series of controversies</a>.</li></ul><p><em>Here are the Trump allies who have been relocated. </em></p><h2>Mike Waltz </h2><p>In 2025, Trump <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/05/01/waltz-resigns-trump-admin-signal-scandal" target="_blank">removed Mike Waltz</a> from his role as national security adviser — a post he held for about a month — and nominated him to serve as United States ambassador to the United Nations.</p><p><strong>Context:</strong> The move came after Waltz inadvertently included a journalist in a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/26/trump-signal-group-chat-members" target="_blank">Signal chat</a> discussing sensitive details about the timing, sequencing and results of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/15/us-air-strikes-houthis-yemen" target="_blank">strikes</a> against Houthi rebels in Yemen. </p><ul><li>Though administration officials said <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/25/trump-signal-houthi-group-chat-defend-waltz" target="_self">no classified information</a> was shared in messages later published by The Atlantic, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/25/signal-app-trump-official-yemen-atlantic" target="_self">security experts</a> and lawmakers said the incident raised serious concerns about how officials handle <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/26/signal-chat-trump-officials-lawsuit-hegseth" target="_blank">secure communications</a>. </li><li>Trump replaced Waltz on an interim basis with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/02/27/trump-cabinet-rubio-vought-patel" target="_blank">juggled multiple roles</a> within the administration. </li></ul><p><strong>The other side:</strong> Several <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/03/24/atlantic-yemen-signal-hegseth-jeffrey-goldberg" target="_blank">Democratic lawmakers</a> called for Waltz and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to be fired after Signalgate. </p><h2>Billy Long</h2><p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/12/04/trump-billy-long-irs" target="_blank">Billy Long</a> announced his departure from the Internal Revenue Service less than two months after being sworn in as commissioner, saying Trump had tapped him to serve as ambassador to Iceland. </p><ul><li>"I am thrilled to answer his call to service and deeply committed to advancing his bold agenda," Long <a href="https://x.com/auctnr1/status/1953917753854759307" target="_blank">said</a> in August. "Exciting times ahead!"</li><li>The IRS faced <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/02/20/irs-layoffs-trump-doge" target="_self">deep job cuts</a> amid a DOGE-driven purge of the federal government, as well as <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/04/21/irs-federal-workers-taxes-harvard" target="_self">significant leadership churn</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Worth noting:</strong> Trump nominated <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/05/trump-fed-bessent" target="_self">Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent</a> as the agency's acting head, marking the <a href="https://www.irs.gov/about-irs/previous-irs-commissioners" target="_blank">sixth</a> person to lead the IRS in the president's second term. </p><h2>Greg Bovino</h2><p>Amid Trump's immigration crackdown in Minnesota, Border Patrol commander <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/26/bovino-leads-trump-immigration-crackdown" target="_blank">Greg Bovino</a> was pulled from his leadership role in the state and reassigned as chief of the El Centro, Calif., border sector. </p><ul><li><strong>State of play:</strong> Trump and <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/01/05/tim-walz-drop-out-minnesota-governor-race" target="_blank">Gov. Tim Walz</a> (D-MN) had a "productive" phone call on the situation in Minnesota just hours before Bonino's replacement was announced.</li><li>The move also came just days after a Border Patrol agent <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/01/25/minnesota-rare-legal-steps-investigation-alex-pretti-shooting" target="_blank">fatally shot Pretti</a>.</li><li>Trump sent border czar Tom <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/26/tom-homan-minnesota-border-czar-trump-about" target="_self">Homan</a> to Minneapolis to take over immigration operations, saying Homan will "report directly to me."</li><li>Weeks later, Homan announced the 10-week crackdown in the Twin Cities had <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/02/12/trump-ice-metro-surge-ends-minneapolis" target="_blank">officially ended</a>. </li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper:</strong> <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/noem-dhs-controversies-minnesota-ads-planes" target="_blank">5 controversies that dogged Noem's DHS tenure</a></p>
<p>Department of Homeland Security Secretary <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/26/kristi-noem-impeachment-democrats-minnesota-ice" target="_blank">Kristi Noem</a> is leaving the department and he will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) as her replacement, President Trump said Thursday. </p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Noem's exit leaves Trump's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/24/trump-deportation-judges-margolin" target="_blank">mass deportation</a> agenda without its most prominent face amid a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/trump-ice-support-abolish-half-americans-record-poll" target="_blank">public backlash</a>.</p><hr /><p><strong>What he's saying:</strong> Trump said Noem will be "moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida." </p><ul><li>He also said Mullin will start on March 31, calling him a "A MAGA Warrior" who "truly gets along well with people, and knows the Wisdom and Courage required to Advance our America First Agenda." </li><li>"Markwayne will work tirelessly to Keep our Border Secure, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, End the Scourge of Illegal Drugs and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN." </li></ul><p><strong>Catch up quick:</strong> Noem drew bipartisan fury after accusing<strong> </strong>Minneapolis nurse Alex Pretti and mother <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/twin-cities/2026/01/07/ice-shooting-victim-identified-renee-nicole-good-minneapolis" target="_blank">Renee Nicole Good</a> of being <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/25/trump-officials-stick-terrorist-label-on-americans-killed-by-dhs" target="_blank">domestic terrorists</a> after both were shot and killed by federal agents in January.</p><ul><li>She also criticized Pretti for carrying a gun with ammunition to protest ICE enforcement, suggesting he was "wishing to inflict harm on officers."</li><li>Some <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/16/trump-polling-immigration-approval-rating-ice-noem" target="_blank">Trump administration advisers</a> have discussed "recalibrating" the White House's immigration enforcement approach as polling shows declining support for Trump's immigration policies.</li><li>Half of Americans supported <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/trump-ice-support-abolish-half-americans-record-poll" target="_blank">abolishing ICE</a> in an early March YouGov poll, a sign of how much support has eroded for one of Trump's signature political strengths on Noem's watch.</li></ul><p><strong>Noem thanked Trump </strong>for the reassignment in a <a href="https://x.com/Sec_Noem/status/2029647010002055467" target="_blank">statement</a> on X Thursday afternoon, saying she looked forward to working with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in the new post.</p><ul><li>"In this new role, I will be able to build on the partnerships and national security expertise" forged at DHS, she said, going on to tout "historic accomplishments" at the department.</li></ul><p><strong>Context: </strong>Noem is the first Cabinet secretary to depart Trump's second term. </p><ul><li>Across his first term, Trump's Cabinet saw <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/articles/tracking-turnover-in-the-trump-administration/" target="_blank">turnover</a> of 14 secretaries.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> As of March 5, roughly 190 co-sponsors had expressed support for <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/26/kristi-noem-impeachment-democrats-minnesota-ice" target="_blank">impeaching Noem</a> after the Pretti shooting. </p><ul><li>Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) posted on <a href="https://x.com/SenFettermanPA/status/2016134093256200369" target="_blank">X</a> asking Trump to "immediately fire" Noem, saying she is "betraying DHS's core mission." </li><li>Republican Sens. Thom Tillis (N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) — both of whom voted to confirm Noem — demanded her resignation in January. </li><li>At a March 3 Senate Judiciary oversight hearing, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/noem-tillis-senate-oversight-testimony-dhs" target="_blank">Tillis called</a> Noem's tenure "a disaster" and threatened to block all of Trump's nominations until she answered his questions.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Noem oversaw a series of militarized immigration surges in major U.S. cities, operations that put the most aggressive enforcement tactics on vivid, often violent display.</p><ul><li>The controversies didn't stop at immigration enforcement. She <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/04/climate/noem-dhs-fema-delays.html" target="_blank">bottlenecked FEMA's Hurricane Helene disaster relief</a> by requiring her personal approval on <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2026/03/04/noem-fema-aid-delay-report/" target="_blank">expenses</a> over $100,000, cycled through three acting FEMA administrators, and presided over mass cuts to that agency's workforce. </li><li>She also spent nearly $300 million in border security funds on a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/28/noem-luxury-jets-dhs-deportations" target="_blank">luxury jet fleet</a> and $220 million more <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/noem-defends-220-million-ad-campaign-amid-lawmaker-scrutiny-2026-03-04/" target="_blank">on ads featuring her</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper:</strong> <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/16/trump-polling-immigration-approval-rating-ice-noem" target="_blank">Trump's immigration erosion worries his team</a></p><p><em>Editor's note: This story was updated with additional details.</em></p>
<p>Top House and Senate Democrats said Thursday that <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/kristi-noem-trump-ice-dhs" target="_blank">Kristi Noem's departure</a> as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security will not be enough for them to support funding for the agency.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>DHS has been shut down for nearly three weeks, with the White House and congressional Democrats offering little indication that they are close to a deal.</p><hr /><ul><li>"A change in personnel is not sufficient, we need a change in policy," House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said at a press conference Thursday afternoon.</li><li>Said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.): "The problems at this agency transcend any one person. The rot is deep. The president has to end the violence and rein in ICE."</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Noem's removal was just one demand Democrats made for unsticking DHS funding. They have also laid out <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/05/ice-funding-democrats-republicans-schumer-jeffries-letter" target="_blank">10 reforms to immigration enforcement</a> policies they want to see.</p><ul><li>The proposals include prohibiting ICE agents from wearing masks, requiring them to display their IDs, restricting their ability to use force and blocking them from conducting operations at schools, churches and medical facilities. </li><li>"I am so happy that one of the worst administrative leaders I've ever seen is gone. But the agency itself is still reckless and out of control," said Sen Cory Booker (D-N.J.).</li></ul><p><strong>The latest: </strong>Shortly after Noem's exit was announced, the Senate once again failed to advance a DHS funding bill.</p><ul><li>The chamber voted 51 to 45 in favor of proceeding to the bill, but it needed 60 votes to overcome the filibuster. </li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>"It's not like Kristi Noem was involved in negotiating anything," Jeffries said, calling her a "lackey" and offering little comment on her would-be replacement, Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.).</p><ul><li>"We were dealing with the White House before, and we're going to continue to deal with the White House at this point."</li></ul>
<p>Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) is poised to be<strong> </strong>the next Homeland Security Secretary, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/kristi-noem-trump-ice-dhs" target="_blank">replacing Kristi Noem</a>, President Trump announced Thursday.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Mullin is a staunchly MAGA firebrand and will likely be in lockstep with <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump's</a> immigration agenda.</p><hr /><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"Markwayne will work tirelessly to Keep our Border Secure, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, End the Scourge of Illegal Drugs and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN," Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/%40realDonaldTrump/posts/116178030946996760" target="_blank">said on Truth Social</a>.</p><ul><li>Mullin, who will need Senate confirmation, had previously hinted at being <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/10/24/trump-native-american-mullin-gabbard" target="_blank">open</a> to an administration position.</li></ul><p><strong>Catch up quick: </strong>Trump was <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/rump-kristi-noem-replacements-dhs-secretary-congress-hearings-rcna261915" target="_blank">reportedly</a> unhappy with Noem,<strong> </strong>who became the face of his nationwide immigration crackdown.</p><ul><li>Noem came under fire in Congress this week with both Democrats <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/republicans-noem-dhs-grassley-tillis-kennedy" target="_blank">and Republicans</a> slamming her handling of the administration's immigration intiatives.</li><li>Trump said Noem will serve as special envoy to a new "Shield of the Americas" initiative for security in the Western hemisphere.</li></ul><p><em>Here's what to know about the Oklahoman:</em></p><h2>What's Mullin's background?</h2><p><strong>Mullin is the second member </strong>of the Cherokee Nation<strong> </strong>to serve in the Senate, per his office's <a href="https://www.mullin.senate.gov/about/biography/" target="_blank">website</a>. </p><ul><li>He's a rancher and business owner who spent ten years in the House of Representatives before becoming a senator in 2023.</li><li>Mullin serves on<strong> </strong>Senate Armed Services, Appropriations, Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the Indian Affairs Committees.</li></ul><h2>Mullin's relationship with Trump</h2><p><strong>Mullin has a very close relationship</strong> with the president, having previously <a href="https://x.com/MarkwayneMullin/status/1324715866227937281" target="_blank">supported</a> Trump's false claims that the 2020 election was stolen.</p><ul><li>In Senate Majority Leader John Thune's (R-S.D.) <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/26/markwayne-mullin-house-senate-divide-00206090" target="_blank">words</a>, Mullin functioned as a "Senate whisperer" for Trump, explaining the legislature's positions and successfully influencing the president.</li><li>He was a key surrogate for the president during his 2024 campaign, reaching out to indigenous voters in battleground states.</li></ul><h2>What backlash has Mullin faced?</h2><p><strong>Mullin, a former </strong>mixed martial arts fighter, famously <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/11/14/mullin-teamsters-near-brawl-congress-hearing" target="_blank">challenged</a> Teamsters president Sean O'Brien to a fight during a congressional hearing in 2023 after reading a critical social media post O'Brien had written about him.</p><ul><li>Mullin said, "You want to run your mouth. We can be two consenting adults, we can finish it here."</li><li>The testy exchange continued, but there was no physical altercation.</li></ul><p><strong>The Oklahoman once </strong>faced a multi-year ethics <a href="https://conduct.house.gov/reports/investigations/oce-referral-regarding-rep-markwayne-mullin#:~:text=On%20August%2010%2C%202018%2C%20the,substantially%20complied%20with%20the%20advice." target="_blank">investigation</a> for his continued involvement in his family's businesses while serving the House.</p><ul><li>The investigatory committee concluded in 2018 he had made "good faith efforts" to comply with ethics rules, but required he return $40,000 "mistakenly paid to him."</li></ul><p><strong>Mullin came under fire in</strong> January 2025 for defending then-Defense Secretary nominee Pete Hegseth against <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/11/13/pete-hegseth-fox-news-host-defense-secretary" target="_blank">allegations</a> of alcohol abuse by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEIDXtk4GjU" target="_blank">accusing</a> his fellow senators of workplace intoxication and hypocrisy.</p><p><strong>Go deeper:</strong> <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/republicans-noem-dhs-grassley-tillis-kennedy" target="_blank">Republicans grill Noem over her management of DHS</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/20/noem-lewandowski-homeland-security-firings" target="_blank">Kristi Noem</a> is on her way out at the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/27/republicans-trump-immigration-dhs-noem-minnesota" target="_blank">Department of Homeland Security</a> after a tenure marred by personal controversies and an unpopular immigration crackdown. </p><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Noem has long been a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/27/jeffries-trump-kristi-noem-impeachment-fire-dhs" target="_blank">target</a> for Democrats, but her leadership also angered some congressional <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/28/republicans-congress-noem-impeachment" target="_blank">Republicans</a>. She becomes the first Cabinet secretary to be removed from their post in President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump</a>'s second term.</p><hr /><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Trump announced Thursday that he plans to tap Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) to replace Noem.</p><ul><li>Noem will move to a position as special envoy for the Shield of the Americas, a "new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere" that Trump said will be announced Saturday. </li></ul><p><em>Here are the controversies that led up to Noem's departure:</em></p><h2>1. Alex Pretti comments</h2><p><strong>Noem came under fire</strong> for claiming that Alex Pretti, a protester who federal immigration agents shot and killed in Minnesota, wanted to "kill" agents and "committed an act of domestic terrorism."</p><ul><li>The incendiary and misleading rhetoric set off <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/27/trump-stephen-miller-massacre-minnesota-shooting" target="_blank">a blame game</a> within the administration.</li></ul><p><strong>Catch up quick: </strong>The DHS statement <a href="https://x.com/DHSgov/status/2015115351797780500" target="_blank">shared</a> to X soon after Pretti was killed said an agent "[f]earing for his life" fired "defensive shots" after attempting to "disarm" Pretti, saying it "looks like a situation where an individual wanted to do maximum damage and massacre law enforcement."</p><ul><li>Noem also inaccurately said Pretti was "brandishing" his weapon. </li><li>Bystander videos showed Pretti never reached for his gun and had been disarmed before he was shot.</li></ul><h2>2. Ad blitz</h2><p><strong>DHS spent millions </strong>on ads promoting Trump's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/15/trump-self-deportation-ads-noem" target="_blank">mass deportation agenda</a> through videos starring Noem.</p><ul><li>Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NT8dyabbffs" target="_blank">questioned</a> Noem in early March during a congressional hearing about how the ads square with her "concern for [government] waste."</li><li>Noem responded that Trump "tasked me with getting the message out to the country" and beyond.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>Noem was also pressed on whether Trump<strong> </strong>asked her to run the advertisements. She said that they "had that conversation, yes, before I was put in this position ... and since then as well."</p><ul><li><a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/border/immigration/is-noem-done/" target="_blank">Multiple</a> <a href="https://x.com/AudreyFahlberg/status/2029553600439972174" target="_blank">outlets</a> reported that Noem's contention that Trump approved the ad blitz enraged the president.</li><li> A ProPublica <a href="https://www.propublica.org/article/kristi-noem-dhs-ad-campaign-strategy-group" target="_blank">investigation</a> uncovered ties to a company run by Noem's former chief spokesperson's husband. Noem said she had nothing to do with picking the contractors for the ads.</li></ul><h2>3. Luxury jets</h2><p><strong>Noem's plan </strong>to use border funds for a multi-million-dollar jet fleet <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/28/noem-luxury-jets-dhs-deportations" target="_blank">horrified top officials</a>.</p><ul><li>Noem <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/18/us/politics/kristi-noem-dhs-gulfstream.html" target="_blank">purchased</a> two Gulfstream G700 luxury jets. A third plane, a Boeing 737, was being leased with plans to buy it for about $70 million.</li><li>The funding comes from the One Big Beautiful Bill's DHS infusion.</li></ul><p><strong>Pressed about the jets</strong> in her recent Senate hearing, Noem said they were used for "long-range command and control aircraft" and said purchasing the aircraft will "save the taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars."</p><ul><li>A DHS spokesperson told Axios in a statement late last month, "Anyone who runs a business in the real world will tell you that owning a work vehicle is less expensive than dealing with long-term rental costs."</li></ul><h2>4. Lewandowski's role</h2><p><strong>Corey Lewandowski, a top aide </strong>acting as Noem's de-facto chief-of-staff, has been <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/23/corey-lewandowski-kristi-noem-homeland-security" target="_blank">a source of controversy</a> himself.</p><ul><li>A Wall Street Journal report about Lewandowski <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/chaos-kristi-noem-homeland-security-f095ac95?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqdgf8yHgjqoSHmmhQSsbQZXpgdzFFeHNO18WbNCJTIGa1uOv2uHIax6RwXmeKY%3D&gaa_ts=69a9c42a&gaa_sig=1HLf5RCUiJe8nJd5WW9lXDZdEhyHKPNckRhGQGVm1uPRncdX8ok9DN4Ywu-WWvca0f_uH3uBbXfr3gBnQhkhRA%3D%3D" target="_blank">firing a pilot</a> over Noem's misplaced blanket became new <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6hD-PQj_m0" target="_blank">fodder</a> for her critics.</li><li>Once Noem's political adviser, his<strong> </strong>outsized influence at DHS as a "special government employee" has <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/14/white-house-dhs-lewandowski-noem" target="_blank">raised eyebrows</a>.</li></ul><h2>5. A Capitol Hill castigation</h2><p><strong>Noem's final appearance</strong> on the Hill as a Cabinet secretary drew a number of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/republicans-noem-dhs-grassley-tillis-kennedy" target="_blank">fiery rebukes</a> from both sides of the aisle.</p><ul><li>Sen. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/noem-tillis-senate-oversight-testimony-dhs" target="_blank">Thom Tillis</a> (R-N.C.) called her a "disappointment" and said that "what we've seen is a disaster under your leadership." He had previously called for her to resign.</li><li>He also cited a letter from DHS's Office of the Inspector General as evidence of Noem's leadership missteps, saying the office has "10 different instances under Ms. Noem's leadership where they've been misled and not allowed to pursue investigations that they think are critically important."</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> As <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/09/ice-approval-rating-plummets-trump-immigration" target="_blank">Americans sour</a> on Trump's immigration crackdown, there's no guarantee the DHS drama will end with Noem's departure. </p><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/03/noem-dhs-border-wall-construction-contracts" target="_blank">Scoop: 200 miles of Trump's border wall held up by Noem's DHS</a></p>
<p>President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump</a> told Axios on Thursday that Israeli President Isaac Herzog must pardon Prime Minister <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/iran-netanyahu-trump-white-house-talks" target="_blank">Benjamin Netanyahu</a> "today" — calling Herzog "a disgrace" for failing to act over the last year.</p><ul><li>"Every day I talk to Bibi about the war. I want him to focus on the war and not on the f*cking court case. I want the only pressure on Bibi to be the fighting against Iran," Trump said in a phone interview.</li></ul><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Trump has been <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/25/trump-cancel-netanyahu-corruption-trial" target="_blank">pushing for a Netanyahu pardon</a> since last June, arguing that his trial on corruption charges — ongoing since 2020 — is a "witch hunt" akin to the U.S. president's own legal troubles.</p><hr /><ul><li>But Thursday's comments — which Trump raised himself, unprompted — marked a dramatic escalation and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/03/trump-netanyahu-corruption-trial-60-minutes" target="_blank">direct intervention</a> in Israel's legal system at a moment of active war.</li></ul><p><strong>What he is saying:</strong> "The president ... should give Bibi the pardon today. I don't want anything on Bibi's mind other than fighting against Iran," Trump told Axios.</p><ul><li>Trump claimed Herzog promised him five times over the past year that he would grant the pardon and never followed through. "He told me he would give it to him. But he has held it over Bibi's head for a year."</li><li>"Tell him I am exposing him. That president better damn well give him the pardon right now — and stop using it as leverage for his own political career," he said.</li></ul><p><strong>The other side: </strong>A senior Israeli official pushed back on Trump's account, saying Herzog never promised a pardon.</p><ul><li>Herzog told Trump advisers Jared Kushner, Steve Witkoff and U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee that he would consider the request in line with legal procedures, the official said.</li></ul><p><strong>"At a time when we are all mobilized</strong>, the President is not dealing with the issue of a pardon for Prime Minister Netanyahu," Herzog's office said in a statement.</p><ul><li>The statement praised Trump as "the leader of the free world" and "a central ally of Israel" — before delivering a pointed rebuke: "Israel is a sovereign state governed by the rule of law."</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Trump said Netanyahu "should not be on trial over wine and cigars" — a reference to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2019/11/21/netanyahu-indicted-for-bribery-fraud-breach-of-trust" target="_blank">charges alleging</a> he received hundreds of thousands of dollars in cigars, champagne, jewelry and other gifts from billionaires in exchange for political favors.</p><ul><li>Trump added that Netanyahu is a wartime prime minister who "should not be in jail" and said he refuses to meet Herzog until the pardon is granted.</li><li>A Trump adviser who has spoken to the president about the pardon told Axios: "Half of us know Bibi's full of crap, and half of us kind of think Bibi's a genius." Some believe both, the adviser added.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines:</strong> Trump's public pressure may be self-defeating.</p><ul><li>Israeli legal experts say that if Herzog grants the pardon now, it could be challenged before the Supreme Court on the grounds that it was the product of foreign political coercion rather than a legitimate legal process.</li><li>Netanyahu's trial has been suspended regardless — the courts are closed under the emergency measures declared since the start of the war, other than for urgent matters.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>The legal process of reviewing Netanyahu's pardon is still ongoing, with Herzog not yet receiving final legal opinions from all relevant government lawyers.</p><ul><li>"[O]nce the process is complete, the President of the State will examine the request in accordance with the law, the best interests of the state, and his conscience, and without any influence from external or internal pressures of any kind," Herzog's office said.</li></ul><p><strong>Netanyahu has refused to admit</strong> any wrongdoing or express remorse — two key conditions for receiving a pardon under Israeli law.</p><ul><li>His testimony remains ongoing, with Netanyahu and his lawyers repeatedly using delay tactics to shorten or cancel hearings. He has contradicted himself at points in his testimony</li><li>"The President has previously expressed publicly his position that it would be appropriate for the relevant systems to engage in substantive dialogue with the aim of reaching an agreed arrangement, including the possibility of a plea deal, in the Prime Minister's case," Herzog's office said.</li></ul>
<p>When war breaks out, micro issues have a way of quickly becoming macro issues. Specific blockages and bottlenecks tend to cause broad supply disruptions and price pressure.</p><ul><li>And so it is with the war in Iran.</li></ul><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Global supply chains have already been facing years of stress, first from the COVID-19 pandemic and then from the rise of tariffs and other trade barriers. The Middle East conflagration adds a new layer of stress.</p><ul><li>The good news for American consumers is that the biggest effects on the U.S. economy are likely to be second-order — but that's not the same as non-existent.</li></ul><hr /><p><strong>State of play: </strong>Iran has vowed to attack commercial ships seeking to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint that connects the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, and thus Asia and Europe.</p><ul><li>It has also launched drone strikes that have disabled production of liquefied natural gas in Qatar for export, which reports say will take weeks to restart — thus limiting exports of an important fuel for electricity generation and industrial uses.</li><li>On the other side of the Arabian Peninsula, container ship traffic through the Suez Canal connecting Asia and Europe has already been rerouted around Africa due to attacks by Houthi rebels. The Iran conflict threatens to prolong that disruption.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>The direct hit to energy and other supplies falls most heavily outside the U.S., as reflected in stock prices being down much more in Europe, Japan and South Korea than in the U.S.</p><ul><li>Yet markets are global. Disrupted energy supplies to those nations are also likely to mean higher prices for Americans, as the worldwide price of oil and natural gas rises and the production of goods that the U.S. imports is impaired.</li><li>That's all the more true when global supply chains are already under extreme strain.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"I liken global supply chain linkages to financial linkages around the world," Christopher Hodge, chief U.S. economist at Natixis CIB Americas, tells Axios.</p><ul><li>"You can see some direct links, but there are these indirect links you can't necessarily see or predict," says Hodge, a former U.S. Treasury and New York Fed staffer. "One small ripple in one place turns into a tidal wave elsewhere."</li><li>"Shipping costs can ripple across the globe and put upward pressure on costs, even for goods that are not going through the Strait of Hormuz."</li></ul><p><strong>Reality check: </strong>As the last several years have shown, global supply chains can be surprisingly resilient even when under extreme stress.</p><ul><li>The U.S. government is using targeted actions to try to keep commerce flowing.</li><li>And President Trump said Wednesday that the U.S. will offer "political risk insurance and guarantees" for tankers in the Persian Gulf, as well as Navy escorts through the Strait of Hormuz.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>That may help avoid disruption in the near term, but isn't a long-term solution for shipping if the Middle East remains a conflict zone.</p><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>"Global supply chains are a lot less resilient than they once were," Hodge says.</p><ul><li>"We've gone from a global supply chain that was trying to maximize efficiency to one that is a lot tighter, and I think there's going to be a more direct pass-through from energy shocks to consumer goods."</li></ul>
<p>The dollar is so back. The <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/27/trump-dollar-currency-yen" target="_blank">U.S. currency</a> — subject to a good deal of bad press for the past year or so — has strengthened in value against other currencies since the Iran war began.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>It's not that people are falling in love with America again. It's more as if investors are running for safety toward the best option. And, like it or not, that's still the U.S. dollar.</p><hr /><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>The spike in oil prices was the catalyst for a major global market disruption that's only beginning to play out. Uncertainty abounds.</p><ul><li>Since Sunday, the dollar's value has grown relative to other currencies.</li><li>This is how the currency market always reacts to big risks, says Robin Brooks, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former FX strategist at Goldman Sachs.</li><li>"This is completely normal price action, and it does mean that people still think of the U.S. dollar as a safe haven." (He writes more <a href="https://robinjbrooks.substack.com/p/what-this-weeks-rise-in-the-dollar" target="_blank">about it here</a>.)</li></ul><p><strong>How it works: </strong>Investors are selling holdings in overseas stocks and assets in Europe and Asia, and they're cashing out into dollars.</p><ul><li>That dynamic increased demand for the greenback, pushing up its value against other currencies.</li></ul><p><strong>Another factor:</strong> Those rising oil prices. Oil trades on a global market, but it trades in dollars. Higher energy prices mean you need more dollars, again pushing up demand.</p><ul><li>There's also a bit of rate differentials at play. The rise in energy prices will likely be more inflationary for other countries than in the U.S., which is more insulated from oil or natural gas shocks.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"It's completely normal that after a year and change of Americans putting money to work overseas — and they made a ton of money off it — now they're saying, 'I'm going to lock in some gains,'" says Rebecca Patterson, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations who once ran JPMorgan Private Bank's global currency and commodity trading desk.</p><ul><li>"And that process benefits the dollar," she notes.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Since President Trump took office last year, and especially in the wake of the "Liberation Day" tariffs, there have been concerns over de-dollarization.</p><ul><li>Perhaps the U.S. standing in the world had become so worrisome that the dollar would lose its status as the reserve currency, writers speculated.</li><li>Perhaps other nations would see their currencies gain as the dollar lost.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>The dollar's standing really was never in question, Brooks says.</p><ul><li>"There's a difference between news stories that get written and reality. Obviously Trump is unpopular in half the country, so it makes for good reading."</li><li>He notes that throughout the tariff chaos, Asian sovereign wealth funds showed no change in their allocations to the dollar.</li><li>"That's actually pretty remarkable, and kind of a reminder that the hurdle for the U.S. dollar to lose its reserve currency status is really, really high."</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line:</strong> The dollar's still got it, and probably never even lost it.</p>
<p>Militants from several Kurdish Iranian factions are preparing for a possible ground offensive against <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_blank">Iran's</a> regime in the northwestern part of the country, according to U.S. and Israeli officials and a senior official in one of the factions. </p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> A <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/trump-iran-war-kurds-iraq" target="_blank">Kurdish</a> ground offensive coordinated with the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign against Tehran could increase pressure on the regime and encourage an internal rebellion that could spread to other parts of Iran.</p><hr /><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> Six days before the war began, five dissident Kurdish Iranian groups sheltering in Iraq <a href="https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2026/02/iranian-kurdish-groups-unite-against-tehran-regime-as-iraqi-militias-threaten-kurdistan-region.php" target="_blank">announced</a> the formation of the Coalition of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan to fight Iran.</p><ul><li>These Kurdish factions have thousands of soldiers along the Iran-Iraq border and control strategic areas. </li><li>In recent weeks, the Kurdish Iranian factions sent hundreds of their members from the camp on the Iraqi side of the border to the Iranian side as part of preparation for a possible attack against regime forces, a source close to one of the factions said.</li></ul><p><strong>Behind the scenes:</strong> The Iranian Kurdish militias are backed by the Mossad and the CIA, two U.S. and Israeli officials and a third source with knowledge said.</p><ul><li>The goal is to try to take over a specific territory in the Kurdish region inside Iran in order to challenge the regime and inspire a broader uprising, a U.S. official said. </li><li>"The war started with a kinetic phase by the U.S. and Israeli militaries, but as the war continues there will be other efforts by the Mossad and the CIA," an Israeli official said. </li><li>Secretary of State <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/rubio-trump-iran-israel-attacks" target="_blank">Marco Rubio</a> told Congress in a closed-door briefing on Tuesday: "We're not arming the Kurds. But you never know with the Israelis."</li><li>The role of the CIA in the plan was first reported by <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/03/politics/cia-arming-kurds-iran" target="_blank">CNN</a>. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The idea to support the Kurdish Iranian factions and use them for a ground offensive from Iraq into Iran came initially from Israeli Prime Minister <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/trump-netanyahu-call-iran-war-israel-coordination" target="_blank">Benjamin Netanyahu</a> and the Mossad, with the CIA joining the effort at a later stage, a second U.S. official said.</p><ul><li>Israeli officials promised the Kurdish Iranian factions not only military support but also political support for a Kurdish autonomous region in a future Iran if the regime collapsed, the official claimed.</li><li>"The problem is that the Kurdish Iranian factions don't have enough military power and could end up as cannon fodder," the official said. </li><li>White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday that President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_self">Trump</a> hasn't agreed to any plan for supporting an offensive by Kurdish Iranian militias against the regime.</li><li>The CIA and Mossad declined to comment. </li></ul><p><strong>The big picture:</strong> Trump spoke by phone on Sunday with Kurdish leaders in Iraq Masoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani to discuss the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/iran-war-expanding-israel-lebanon-gulf-cyprus" target="_self">U.S.-Israeli war</a> with Iran and what might come next, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/trump-iran-war-kurds-iraq" target="_blank">Axios reported</a>.</p><ul><li>A U.S. official said the call went well but both Barzani and Talabani expressed reservations about getting involved in any ground invasion into Iran. </li><li>CNN reported that Trump spoke separately to the leader of the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI), Mustafa Hijri.</li><li>Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi spoke on Wednesday with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani and expressed concern about a possible ground incursion by the Kurdish Iranian factions into Iran. </li><li>"The Iraqi prime minister emphasized that the Iraqi government will under no circumstances allow any threat to be directed at Iran from Iraqi territory," the Iranian foreign ministry said in a statement. </li></ul><p><strong>State of play:</strong> In the days since the war with Iran started, Israeli fighter jets conducted airstrikes against Iranian military border positions in the Kurdistan region and against Iranian revolutionary guards' bases and police stations in the area. </p><ul><li>Iranian news agency Tasnim reported on Wednesday that the city of Bukan in northwestern Iran, near the border with Iraq, was under heavily bombing.</li><li>On Wednesday, the Kurdish Iranian factions denied that they started a ground offensive. A Kurdish source said such an offensive could start later this week, but said the different factions are waiting for a U.S. "green light" to go in. </li></ul><p><strong>Go deeper... </strong></p><p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/05/trump-iran-war-kurds-soldiers-iraq" target="_blank">Who are the Kurds and why they could play a big role in the Iran war</a></p><p><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/trump-iran-war-kurds-iraq" target="_blank">Scoop: Trump calls Kurdish leaders in Iran war effort</a></p>
<p>The U.S. and Israel's war with <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_blank">Iran</a> is likely to impact people around the world as tensions escalate around the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/01/trump-us-sinks-9-iran-warships-strait-of-hormuz" target="_blank">Strait of Hormuz</a>, a waterway on Iran's southern coast, where traffic has <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-04/marine-traffic-data-shows-no-oil-tankers-strait-of-hormuz/106413082" target="_blank">ground to a halt</a>. </p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Trade disruptions along this key waterway on Iran's southern coast that handles 25% of the world's maritime oil trade and 20% of liquefied natural gas shipments will likely produce a domino effect across the global economy.</p><hr /><ul><li>About 33% of the world's fertilizers, including sulfur and ammonia, travel through the strait, according to the trade analysis firm <a href="https://www.kpler.com/blog/global-fertiliser-dependency-on-gulf-exports-what-if-hormuz-is-disrupted" target="_blank">Kpler</a>. • It's a key route for <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/iran-war-gas-prices-trump" target="_blank">alumimum and sugar</a> as well.</li><li>Blocked access to the strait will likely impact the price of some products, including clothing, cookware, medical equipment, and more.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play: </strong>The strait is "closed" and any vessel attempting to pass through the waterway would be set "ablaze," an Iran Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC) commander <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/2/iran-says-will-attack-any-ship-trying-to-pass-through-strait-of-hormuz" target="_blank">said</a> Monday.</p><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump</a> said on Truth Social on Tuesday that the U.S. will "immediately" offer "political risk insurance and guarantees" for energy tankers and other ships in <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_self">the Gulf region</a>, and that the Navy would escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if needed.</p><ul><li>The U.S. has been <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/01/trump-us-sinks-9-iran-warships-strait-of-hormuz" target="_blank">striking</a> Iranian warships in order to reduce Iran's stronghold over the strait. </li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"The scale of what is at stake cannot be overstated," Hakan Kaya, senior portfolio manager at investment management firm Neuberger Berman, said in a <a href="https://www.nb.com/en/global/insights/article-risks-to-oil-from-iran-the-price-of-uncertainty-flows-through-hormuz" target="_blank">blog</a> post this week.</p><ul><li>Oil companies can likely absorb a one- to two-week slowdown, he said.</li><li>"A full or near-full closure lasting a month or more would require demand destruction at levels that could push crude well into triple digits and European natural gas prices toward or above the crisis levels seen in 2022," Kaya added.</li></ul><p><em>Here's what to know: </em></p><h2>Gas prices</h2><p><strong>Threat level: </strong>With access to oil restricted, oil prices and gasoline prices have spiked. </p><ul><li>Tom Kloza, an oil analyst working for Gulf Oil, told Axios that he expects the national average <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/iran-war-gas-prices-oil" target="_blank">gas price to reach a high</a> of $3.25 to $3.50 a gallon in the coming weeks.</li><li>Prices won't just sting at the gas pump — the cost of jet fuel is spiking as well, which likely means travel will get more expensive. </li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>The U.S. is the world's largest oil producer and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/iran-war-oil-gas-price" target="_blank">far less dependent</a> on the fuel now than it was in 1979, when a crisis in Iran caused widespread disruption in the United States.</p><h2>Impact on farmers</h2><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>The hit to the world's fertilizer supply will likely hurt U.S. farmers. </p><ul><li><a href="https://x.com/qatarenergy/status/2028786864476266700?s=46&t=MNhA9SE7-xqWn11juzJUkw" target="_blank">QatarLNG</a>, a subsidiary of Qatar Energy, a state-run oil and gas company, said on Tuesday that it would cease production of many products following drone strikes on some of its facilities. </li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Veronica Nigh, a senior economist at the Fertilizer Institute, a U.S.-based industry advocacy organization, told <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/trumps-war-on-iran-could-screw-over-us-farmers/" target="_blank">Wired</a> that in the U.S. most fertilizer demand goes to large row crops like corn, soy, wheat, and cotton. </p><ul><li>For fertilizers, Nigh said almost 30% of ammonia's global production is "either involved or at risk in this conflict" and it's 50% for urea.</li><li>Farmers of those crops will likely experience increased prices for necessary fertilizers if the war keeps going, Nigh said. </li><li>Saudi Arabia, for instance, supplies about 40% of all U.S. phosphate imports, which are used to make any fertilizers, according to Nigh.</li></ul><p><strong>More from Axios:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/iran-attacks-polls-americans-disapprove" target="_blank">Americans aren't sold on Iran attacks, new polls show</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/iran-war-countries-gulf-qatar-us" target="_blank">Here are all the countries now involved in the Iran conflict</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/iran-war-gas-prices-trump" target="_blank">The products and services likely to surge in price due to the Iran war</a></li></ul>
<p>President Trump and tech CEOs expressed confidence Wednesday that they can contain soaring electricity rates with a new <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/25/trump-data-center-electricity-ratepayer-protection-pledge" target="_blank">data center pledge</a><strong> </strong>that formalizes and expands on what companies already are doing.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> With rising power bills <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/10/13/data-centers-us-pushback" target="_blank">turning</a> AI and data centers into<strong> </strong>an election-year issue, Trump — who campaigned on a promise to cut costs — is eager to show he's trying to protect consumers.</p><hr /><ul><li>Skeptical Democrats and some energy observers, however, say that far more than voluntary<strong> </strong>pledges are needed.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>Microsoft, Amazon, Google, Meta, Oracle, xAI and OpenAI signed the pledge during an event with Trump, who <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/25/trump-data-center-electricity-ratepayer-protection-pledge" target="_blank">mentioned</a> the initiative during last week's State of the Union address.</p><ul><li>The agreement calls for the companies to negotiate separate electricity rate structures with utilities and states. They would commit to paying those rates for power as well as for any necessary infrastructure.</li><li>Administration officials emphasized that those payments would be made regardless of whether companies use the electricity.</li><li>The companies also commit to hiring and training workers from within communities hosting data centers. Some opposition has come from local officials citing the relatively few jobs the centers create once they're built.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: "</strong>They need some PR help," Trump said of the tech companies that have shouldered the blame for higher costs.</p><ul><li>Addressing the executives, he added: "You're going to have great energy sources, because you're going to build them yourself. And if they're not good, you'll make them a little bit bigger and better, right?"</li><li>Amanda Peterson Corio, Google's global head of data center energy, said in a statement that the pledge will push her company to look at ways to avoid burdening ratepayers.</li><li>She cited a <a href="https://www.gstatic.com/marketing-cms/44/6b/dbb3456040b486886bb8aff87588/the-capacity-commitment-framework-ccf-jan.pdf" target="_blank">new contract model</a> developed last year requiring large energy users to guarantee funding for new power and infrastructure.</li></ul><p><strong>Reality check:</strong> Data centers are only <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/08/29/electric-power-bill-costs-ai-grid-reasons" target="_blank">one reason</a> why electricity rates and power demand have gone up. Energy observers say the pressure being put on the electricity grid to handle more transmission is a big reason. </p><p>Others include:</p><ul><li>Higher prices for equipment to meet the extra demand.</li><li>Bureaucratic delays and denials of permits for new projects.</li><li>Weather-related threats requiring stronger towers, poles and other equipment. </li></ul><p><strong>"Trump's desire to manage</strong> energy costs for households via the Ratepayer Protection Plan will be challenging to effect as costs are layered throughout the energy system," said Ben Heininger, U.S. data center energy lead at consulting firm Baringa.</p><ul><li>Sierra Club principal adviser Jeremy Fisher called the agreement "a pinky promise, nothing more."</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Electricity markets also are largely regulated at the state and regional levels, limiting how much impact Washington can have.</p><ul><li>Administration officials said the public nature of the pledge will give companies a strong incentive to hold up their end of the bargain as they negotiate with states and communities.</li><li>"We're not worried about people going rogue or cowboy on it," one administration official who spoke on condition of anonymity told reporters.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>Ahead of Wednesday's announcement, several tech giants had vowed to prevent consumers from getting stuck with the energy bills for the AI buildout.</p><ul><li>Among those companies was Microsoft, whose president, Brad Smith, <a href="https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-future-of-energy-dc885190-efd1-11f0-9e78-41a7c4dc08b1.html?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=sendto_newslettertest_politics_policy&stream=top#story3" target="_blank">said</a> in January that the company will "pay our way" to ensure its data centers don't raise power prices</li><li>The administration official who spoke with reporters said the pledge is "a little more comprehensive" than what companies had earlier promised.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), the trade association of electrical equipment makers, issued a statement ahead of Wednesday's meeting urging Congress to act on <a href="https://www.makeitelectric.org/newsroom/news/statement-nema-applauds-introduction-of-legislation-to-accelerate-grid-expansion-modernize-electric-power-transmission-system/" target="_blank">several</a> <a href="https://www.makeitelectric.org/newsroom/news/statement-nema-commends-house-on-passage-of-urgent-electrical-supply-chain-legislation/" target="_blank">bills</a> aimed at upgrading the grid.</p><ul><li>Many industry groups also have cited the need for Capitol Hill to pass comprehensive legislation that would speed the issuing of federal permits — an issue that's been <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/22/permitting-talks-dead-offshore-wind-halt" target="_blank">stuck</a> in partisan gridlock.</li><li>Administration officials said its approach will move things along much faster.</li><li>"Legislation is slow moving, and it's a very blunt tool, and of course, it doesn't foresee what's coming next and what's going to happen," the administration official said.</li></ul>
<p>Progressive groups are preparing to primary any House Democrat who votes against a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/26/democrats-iran-war-powers-vote-trump" target="_blank">War Powers Resolution</a> constraining the Trump administration from carrying out military operations in Iran, Axios has learned.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The threat raises the stakes of a highly charged Thursday vote that has split a group of hawkish Democratic centrists from the rest of their party.</p><hr /><ul><li>"Any Democrat voting against this resolution is really voting against the base of the party, and it will be a very politically perilous vote," a senior progressive House Democrat told Axios.</li><li>The lawmaker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss plans that have not been previously publicized, said there are "several progressive groups that will primary anyone" who votes no.</li><li>"They're already preparing. If the filing deadline has passed, they'll do it in '28," the House Democrat added. "It's basically inviting a primary challenge."</li></ul><p><strong>Another House progressive</strong> told Axios that progressive groups are "organizing calls into their districts to make sure that every Democrat votes for" the resolution.</p><ul><li>"My understanding is that if they're doing that level of organizing now, they're going to hold them accountable," the lawmaker said.</li><li>"As they should," the lawmaker added.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're hearing: </strong>The first lawmaker cited Justice Democrats, MoveOn, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee and OurRevolution as groups involved in the effort.</p><ul><li>Justice Democrats spokesperson Usamah Andrabi told Axios: "Any Democrat that votes against war powers is supporting Trump's war on Iran and deserves to be primaried because all voters across the political spectrum are wholeheartedly against it." </li><li>Said MoveOn spokesperson Britt Jacovich: "MoveOn members have no plans to throw their support behind members of Congress who refused to do their job and stop Trump from expanding his war. All options are on the table to make sure that our members' voices are heard loud and clear."</li><li>OurRevolution spokesperson Paco Fabian told Axios: "When elected officials ... fail to stand with working people demanding peace and accountability, they risk losing the trust of the voters who put them in office. And when that trust is broken, voters often begin looking for leaders who will fight for them."</li></ul><p>The PCCC did not immediately respond to requests for comment.</p><p><strong>What they're saying: </strong>"I'm voting no," said Rep. Greg Landsman (D-Ohio), adding that these groups should "focus on affordability."</p><ul><li>Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) declined to say how he plans to vote and, asked if he is concerned about backlash, quipped, "I'm Jewish, I always have anxiety."</li><li>Another undecided House Democrat, who declined to speak on the record, told Axios: "I live my life doing ... what I believe is the right thing. Bring it."</li><li>A group of six House Democrats has introduced an <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/democrats-iran-war-powers-trump-vote-house" target="_blank">alternative War Powers Resolution</a> that would give the administration more time to withdraw, though several of them have said they support both measures.</li></ul><p><strong>Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.)</strong> also wouldn't say Wednesday afternoon how he was voting. </p><ul><li>Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.), standing next to Suozzi, asked him, "Are you going to do the right thing?"</li><li>"I'm going to do the right thing," Suozzi replied, without specifying which way he believes that to be.</li><li>"He's going to do the right thing," Huffman said.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>This measure is supported by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) and the rest of Democratic leadership, putting these holdouts on an island.</p><ul><li>Jeffries and other top Democrats, including Foreign Affairs Committee ranking member Greg Meeks (D-N.Y.) and Intelligence Committee ranking member Jim Himes (D-Conn.), made "emphatic" cases for the resolution in a closed-door caucus meeting Wednesday, sources told Axios. </li><li>Jeffries, in the meeting, cited <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-views-divided-us-action-against-iran" target="_blank">Fox News polling</a> that shows middling approval for military intervention in Iran and called it a "war of choice," according to sources.</li><li>House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) told Axios on Tuesday that she is whipping the vote, meaning that her deputies are privately cajoling colleagues not to break ranks.</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>As with members like Rep. <a href="https://www.startribune.com/ice-agent-surge-minnesota-protests-federal-enforcement/601591429" target="_blank">Angie Craig</a> (D-Minn.), who now says she regrets voting for the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/01/29/laken-riley-act-what-to-know-trump-immigration-law" target="_blank">Laken Riley Act</a> last year, this is a vote that could follow members well beyond a single news cycle.</p>
<p>Some five days into the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/iran-war-countries-gulf-qatar-us" target="_blank">sprawling Middle East conflict</a> sparked by <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/28/iran-attack-trump-us-israel-strikes" target="_blank">U.S.-Israeli strikes</a> on Iran, significantly more Americans disapprove than approve of the attacks across several polls.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">President Trump</a> has offered a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/trump-iran-strike-plan-timeline-interviews" target="_blank">mixed bag of motivations</a> for the strikes and his plans to resolve the rapidly escalating conflict that has <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/3-us-fighter-jets-friendly-fire-kuwait" target="_blank">killed six</a> U.S. service members.</p><hr /><ul><li>If early polling is any indication, the White House's reasoning isn't resonating with Americans.</li></ul><p><strong>Case in point:</strong> Nearly six in ten Americans disapproved of the decision to take military action in Iran, according to a Feb. 28 to March 1 CNN <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/27693899-rel3a-iran/" target="_blank">poll</a> conducted by SSRS of 1,004 U.S. adults. Forty-one percent said they approved.</p><ul><li>Six in ten also said they don't think Trump has a clear plan for handling the situation, and 39% said the U.S. did not put in enough diplomatic effort before using military force.</li><li>There is a sharp partisan divide: While 82% of Democrats and 68% of Independents or others strongly or somewhat disapproved, just 23% of Republicans shared that sentiment.</li></ul><div>Data: <a href="https://yougov.com/en-us/articles/54201-how-americans-feel-about-the-us-attack-on-iran" target="_blank">Yougov poll</a>; Chart: Axios Visuals</div><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>That party divide is shown across numerous <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/interactive/2026/trump-iran-strikes-poll-americans/" target="_blank">polls</a> which repeatedly depict a wary public, though significant shares of Republicans said they approve the strikes.</p><ul><li>A Monday YouGov <a href="https://yougov.com/en-us/daily-results/20260302-7d911-1" target="_blank">survey</a> of more than 1,600 U.S. adults found that nearly half (48%) strongly or somewhat disapproved of the attack, including the vast majority of Democrats (78%) and Independents (55%). Republicans overwhelmingly approved (76%). </li><li>43% of Americans disapproved the strikes in a Reuters-Ipsos <a href="https://www.ipsos.com/en-us/more-americans-disapprove-approve-us-strikes-against-iran" target="_blank">poll</a> released Sunday<strong> </strong>of more than 1,200 U.S. adults, though more than half of Republicans (55%) approve. Notably, 31% of Republicans polled said they weren't sure if they approved or not. </li><li>Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-views-divided-us-action-against-iran" target="_blank">polling</a><strong> </strong>found a more even split, with half of voters saying they approved of the strikes. A vast majority of the GOP agreed (84%), compared to 20% of Democrats and 40% of Independents.</li></ul><p><strong>Still, the strikes</strong> put Trump on a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/rubio-trump-iran-israel-attacks" target="_blank">collision course</a> with influential <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/28/maga-iran-strikes-reaction-trump" target="_blank">MAGA world voices</a> who oppose the war but are more out of step with the president's base than he is.</p><ul><li>White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement provided to Axios that "President Trump makes decisions based on what's in the best interest of the United States and the American people."</li><li>She continued, "Right now, the White House's main priority is working alongside the Pentagon and the interagencies to ensure the continued and ultimate success of the operation."</li></ul><p><strong>The bottom line: </strong>The administration is <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/iran-assassination-plot-trump-leader-killed" target="_blank">striking a victorious tone</a>. But the public appears cautious of a conflict <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/01/trump-speech-iran-war-us-combat-deaths" target="_blank">Trump warned</a> would "likely" take more American lives.</p><p><em>Methodology: The margin of error for the March 2 YouGov survey is approximately 3%. The CNN study was conducted Feb. 28-March 1 with a margin of error of </em>±<em>3.9. The Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted Feb. 28 – March 1 by Ipsos with a margin of error of ± 2.8 points. The Fox News survey was conducted Feb. 28-March 2 and includes interviews with a sample of 1,004 registered voters with a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.</em></p><p><strong>Go deeper: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/26/iran-trump-nuclear-talks-trust-poll-ap-norc" target="_blank">Americans fear Iran but question Trump's judgment: poll</a></p>
<p>Texas state Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2025/09/09/democrat-james-talarico-us-senate" target="_blank">James Talarico</a> of Austin defeated U.S. Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/12/jasmine-crockett-house-democrats-senate-texas" target="_blank">Jasmine Crockett</a> of Dallas for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Texas.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Talarico's victory sets the stage for a battle royal that promises to be among the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/01/james-talarico-raises-62-million-for-texas-senate-bid" target="_blank">most expensive contests</a> of the year, as Democrats hope President Trump's unpopularity translates to red-state victories.</p><hr /><ul><li>It also further raises the profile of Talarico, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/17/colbert-cbs-talarico-interview-fcc-trump-carr" target="_blank">a media darling</a> who has framed his argument against Republicans in <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2025/10/15/how-texas-talarico-is-leveraging-social-media-in-his-bid-for-the-senate" target="_blank">terms of his Christian faith</a>. </li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> "Tonight our campaign is shocking the nation," Talarico <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/campaign-2026/james-talarico-primary-night-remarks/674469" target="_blank">said</a> Tuesday night in Austin.</p><p><strong>The latest:</strong> Crockett issued a statement Wednesday conceding the race to Talarico and called on the party to unify behind him. </p><ul><li>As of noon CST Wednesday, Talarico had 52.8% of the vote, and Crockett 45.9%, per results from 92% of polling locations statewide according to the Texas Secretary of State's Office.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue:</strong> Voting in Dallas County, Crockett's home base, was wracked with <a href="https://www.votebeat.org/texas/2026/03/04/dallas-county-precinct-voting-problems-jasmine-crockett-james-talarico-democrats-gop/" target="_blank">confusion</a>. </p><ul><li>Ahead of the election, Dallas and Williamson counties had closed centralized voting centers, which had been commonly used by voters of both parties, at the <a href="https://www.votebeat.org/texas/2026/01/09/dallas-williamson-2026-primary-election-countywide-find-my-voting-precinct/" target="_blank">behest of local Republicans</a>.</li><li>Some voters reported scrambling to figure out their polling place and district court judges <a href="https://www.kvue.com/article/news/politics/vote-texas/williamson-county-extended-polling-location-hours-georgetown/269-13bc2ddf-03a3-4eb6-b01e-b6d0a2f5cefb" target="_blank">extended</a> <a href="https://www.fox4news.com/news/judge-extends-polling-hours-after-dallas-county-voters-turned-away" target="_blank">polling hours</a> in both counties.</li><li>But late Tuesday the Texas Supreme Court <a href="https://www.txcourts.gov/supreme/orders-opinions/2026/march/march-3-2026/" target="_blank">ordered</a> the counties to separate any votes cast by voters not in line by 7pm.</li><li>"I can tell you now that people have been disenfranchised," Crockett told supporters Tuesday night.</li></ul><p><strong>Context: </strong>Texas has not elected a Democratic candidate statewide <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2026/02/24/texas-democrat-primary-turnout-high" target="_blank">since 1994</a>.</p><p><strong>Follow the money:</strong> Ahead of the final weeks of the race, Talarico's campaign had $4.8 million and Crockett's campaign had $3.5 million in cash on hand, per the most recent campaign finance filings.</p><ul><li>On top of that, millions of dollars <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/02/01/cornyn-paxton-talarico-crockett-senate-texas-fundraising" target="_blank">flooded the race</a> from political action committees supporting the candidates.</li><li>Talarico for TX Senate and Lone Star Rising PAC, a pro-Talarico committee, were slated to spend about $16 million in advertising over the final month of the race, per data from advertising analytics site AdImpact.</li><li>Over the same period, Crockett for TX Senate was scheduled to spend about $3.5 million, with another $500,000 from the Texas Forward PAC, per AdImpact.</li></ul><p><strong>What's next: </strong>Talarico will face the winner of a <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/03/04/cornyn-paxton-runoff-texas-republican-senate-primary" target="_blank">Republican primary runoff</a> between U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.</p><p><strong>Flashback: </strong><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/17/colbert-cbs-talarico-interview-fcc-trump-carr" target="_blank">Colbert defies CBS over interview with Texas Senate candidate</a></p>
<p>One House Republican lost his seat outright in <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/texas-results-senate-midterms-primary" target="_blank">Texas' primary elections</a> Tuesday night, and four other House members will face grueling, 12-week runoff campaigns.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>While short of a full-on wipeout, it's not the kind of result that instills confidence in lawmakers who are trying to withstand the anti-incumbency wave roiling both parties right now.</p><hr /><ul><li>A staggering 30 House Democrats are facing at least one primary challenger who has raised $100,000 or more. A dozen of them have been out-raised by their rivals, as Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/03/democrats-2026-midterms-house-primaries-jeffries" target="_blank">reported on Tuesday</a>.</li><li>There is less of a concerted effort to unseat incumbent Republicans, but <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/07/21/redistricting-2026-midterms-democrats-gop-texas-caifornia" target="_blank">mid-cycle redistricting</a> and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/06/22/trump-massie-congress-2026" target="_blank">anti-endorsements</a><strong> </strong>from President Trump are keeping things interesting.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2020/08/27/rep-dan-crenshaw-does-not-address-trump-by-name-during-rnc-speech" target="_blank">Dan Crenshaw</a> (R-Texas), a longtime target of the right, was defeated in Texas' 2nd district by Texas state Rep. Steve Toth who criticized him as insufficiently conservative.</p><ul><li><strong>Texas' 18th: </strong>Reps. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/26/al-green-censure-state-of-the-union-protest" target="_blank">Al Green</a> (D-Texas), 78, and Christian Menefee (D-Texas), 37, are set for a runoff after being forced to fight for one Houston-based seat by Texas Republicans' mid-decade redistricting.</li><li><strong>Texas' 23rd: </strong>Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/24/tony-gonzales-alleged-affair-democrat-resign" target="_blank">Tony Gonzales</a> (R-Texas) will go to a runoff with right-wing gun influencer and past opponent Brandon Herrera. Gonzales faces a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/04/house-ethics-investigation-tony-gonzales-affair" target="_blank">House Ethics probe</a> over an alleged affair with a staffer who died by suicide.</li><li><strong>Texas' 33rd: </strong>Freshman<strong> </strong>Rep. Julie Johnson (D-Texas) is facing a runoff with former Rep. Colin Allred, who had <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/01/colin-allred-texas-senate-primary-fundraising" target="_blank">millions to spend</a> from his <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/08/allred-drops-out-texas-senate-primary-house-seat" target="_blank">abandoned Senate bid</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out: </strong>The varied reasons for these results highlight just how many anti-incumbency crosscurrents lawmakers in both parties are facing this cycle.</p><ul><li><strong>Ideology: </strong>Moderate and establishment House members are defending themselves from charges of being too weak or willing to compromise with the opposing party at a moment where hyper-partisanship has never been more in vogue.</li><li><strong>Age: </strong>President Biden's halting debate performance in 2024 has reverberated throughout the Democratic Party, with grassroots activists trying to <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/09/05/house-democrats-old-retire-holmes-norton-nadler-jeffries" target="_blank">oust as many of the party's oldest lawmakers</a> as they can.</li><li><strong>Redistricting: </strong>Texas' mid-decade redrawing of its congressional maps opened the floodgates, with Democrats forcing multiple Republicans to fight for the same district in California and potentially Virginia.</li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>In North Carolina's 4th district, Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/03/04/foushee-allam-north-carolina-election-results-congress-democrat-primary" target="_blank">Valerie Foushee</a> (D-N.C.) may narrowly fend off progressive challenger Nida Allam.</p><ul><li>That race saw considerable spending from outside groups, with Allam trying to outflank Foushee to her left and go after her on <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/iran-trump-foushee-allam-nc-platner-democrats" target="_blank">issues like Iran</a>.</li><li>As in the case of the Green vs. Menefee, there was an also an element of <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/11/07/nancy-pelosi-retire-democrats-age-hoyer-garcia" target="_blank">Democrats' generational civil war</a> in this race: Foushee is 69, while Allam is just 32.</li></ul><p><strong>What's next: </strong>There are dozens of Democratic primaries, from Hawaii to California to Tennessee to Massachusetts, in which incumbents are trying to fend off well-funded, younger insurgents.</p><ul><li>On the Republican side, Reps. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) and Young Kim (R-Calif.) are facing off for a single seat due to mid-decade redistricting.</li><li>Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/12/thomas-massie-mike-johnson-house-margin" target="_blank">Thomas Massie</a> (R-Ky.) is being challenged by Trump-backed Ed Gallrein. Rep. Jeff Hurd (R-Colo.), who recently had his Trump endorsement rescinded, also has a primary challenger.</li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been corrected to reflect that it's Rep. Jeff Hurd who faces a primary challenger (not former Rep. Will Hurd).</em></p>
<p>Voters are on the verge of sending multiple House incumbents packing but gave four-term Sen. <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/03/04/cornyn-paxton-runoff-texas-republican-senate-primary" target="_blank">John Cornyn</a> (R-Texas) hope that he can defeat Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in a runoff in May.</p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> The <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/gop-worry-texas-senate-primaries" target="_blank">GOP's worst nightmare</a>, in which Paxton led Cornyn or even defeated him outright Tuesday in the first primary elections of the 2026 midterms, didn't happen. </p><hr /><ul><li>National Republicans are concerned that Paxton, a conservative firebrand, could lose in the general election — or at least force them to spend money on a red state.</li><li>Texas' Democratic Senate primary has its own controversy:<strong> </strong>Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2026/02/25/texas-senate-democrats-jasmine-crockett-james-talarico" target="_blank">Jasmine Crockett</a> claimed voters were "disenfranchised" and vowed to sue over confusion on polling places in Dallas County. <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/austin/2026/03/04/talarico-crockett-democratic-primary-senate-texas" target="_blank">AP called the race</a> for state Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/17/colbert-cbs-talarico-interview-fcc-trump-carr" target="_blank">James Talarico</a> early Wednesday.</li></ul><h2>4 takeaways</h2><p><strong>1) The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/02/us/elections/cornyn-talarico-texas-senate-money.html" target="_blank">most expensive primary</a> ever gets an encore</strong>: Cornyn showed surprise strength, setting up 2+ months of an expensive, nasty primary race before a May 26 runoff against Paxton. </p><ul><li>Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) finished a distant third.</li><li>Now Cornyn and Paxton will compete for President Trump's endorsement — a priceless prize in a primary that has already cost the Republican Party close to $100 million.</li></ul><p><strong>2) Populist seminarian leads anti-Trump brawler:</strong> Crockett highlighted Trump's insults of her and boasted she "drives the president crazy." Talarico, a Presbyterian seminarian, talked about winning over Trump voters and zeroed in on promises like <a href="https://www.facebook.com/JamesTalaricoTX/videos/our-first-tv-ad-just-hit-the-airwaves-together-were-going-to-win-this-race-and-f/1772148910126634/" target="_blank">standing up</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUYE8APEYhD/" target="_blank">to billionaires</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YKmq--3gOLo" target="_blank">taking on Big Pharma</a>.</p><ul><li>Former Vice President Harris, eyeing a 2028 White House run, <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2026/02/27/kamala-harris-jasmine-crockett-robocall-texas-senate-democratic-primary/" target="_blank">recorded a robocall</a> for Crockett calling her a "fighter." It wasn't enough to push Crockett over the finish line.</li><li>Talarico and his allies outspent Crockett and her supporters $25 million to $5 million on ads, according to AdImpact.</li></ul><p><strong>3) Warning signs for incumbents, older reps: </strong>Texas redistricting contributed to GOP Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/02/25/dan-crenshaw-tucker-carlson-kill" target="_blank">Dan Crenshaw's</a> loss to state Rep. Steve Toth. </p><ul><li>It complicated life for Democratic Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2026/03/04/al-green-christian-menefee-primary-election-results-2026" target="_blank">Al Green</a>, 78, whose former district was turned into a GOP safe seat. That forced him to run in the neighboring 18th, where a runoff looks possible against Democratic Rep. Christian Menefee, 37.</li><li>A runoff also looks likely for Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/dallas/2025/11/19/dallas-congresswoman-to-run-for-reelection-after-redistricted-map-struck-down" target="_blank">Julie Johnson</a> (D-Texas), who trails former Rep. Colin Allred by double digits. Allred is trying to reclaim his old seat after a failed Senate bid. </li><li>In North Carolina, Democratic Rep. <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/raleigh/2026/03/04/foushee-allam-north-carolina-election-results-congress-democrat-primary" target="_blank">Valerie Foushee</a>, 69, is narrowly leading county commissioner Nida Allam, 32, in a race that is still too close to call.</li></ul><p>4) <strong>Huge Latino voter surge for Democrats:</strong> In heavily Hispanic counties along the Rio Grande Valley, Democratic turnout was up big.</p><ul><li>In Texas' 34th district, which Trump won 52%-48% in 2024, roughly twice as many voters participated in the Democratic primary compared to the Republican primary. </li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated to reflect AP projecting that Texas state Rep. James Talarico beat Rep. Jasmine Crockett.</em></p>
<p>U.S. and Ecuadorian forces announced <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/25/mexico-cartel-leaders-el-mencho-us-drug-trafficking" target="_blank">drug-trafficking</a> military crackdown operations in Ecuador on Tuesday.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>U.S. Southern Command in a Tuesday night statement <a href="https://www.southcom.mil/News/PressReleases/Article/4420523/ecuadorian-and-us-military-forces-launch-operations-against-narco-terrorists/" target="_blank">said</a> the operations targeted "<a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/02/19/trump-cartels-terrorist-mexico-latin-america" target="_blank">Designated Terrorist Organizations</a>" and hailed the cooperation as "a powerful example of the commitment of partners in Latin America and the Caribbean to combat the scourge of narco-terrorism."</p><hr /><ul><li>SOUTHCOM's commander, Marine Gen. Francis Donovan, met in Quito with senior Ecuadorian officials including President Daniel Noboa on Sunday and Monday "to discuss security cooperation" and reaffirm the U.S. "commitment to supporting the nation's efforts to confront narco-terrorism and strengthen regional security," per an earlier <a href="https://www.southcom.mil/News/PressReleases/Article/4419140/gen-donovan-visits-ecuador/" target="_blank">statement</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>The military announcements came hours after Noboa <a href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0sMEx4Yqt76Tx3LzC8ReGXiHvi6Yd7mwNeMZ5mAS2o7zFvQfyoNhjbmo2YC37qrRvl&id=61553746207707" target="_blank">said</a> on Facebook that there would be "joint operations with regional allies, including the United States" in March as his nation began "a new phase against drug terrorism and illegal mining."</p><ul><li>The U.S. Embassy in Ecuador earlier on Tuesday shared on X images that it said were the result of a successful joint operation between the United States, the European Union's Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol) and Ecuadorian authorities:</li></ul><img src="https://images.axios.com/x8y2WaM91O-DzkIO4x9zc0EfZ0k=/2026/03/04/1772603369140.jpeg" /> <div>Screenshot: U.S. Embassy Ecuador/X</div><p><strong>Zoom in: </strong>The operation dismantled the transnational drug trafficking organization associated with Hernán Ruilova Barzola and linked to the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/01/10/ecuador-state-of-emergency-gang-crime" target="_blank">Los Lobos cartel</a>, per the post.</p><ul><li>The Drug Enforcement Agency <a href="https://x.com/DEAHQ/status/2028972770906750981" target="_blank">said</a> on X "16 suspects were arrested, and 6 tons of cocaine were seized in Europe" during this operation that involved the DEA's Europe division.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Targeting drug trafficking has been a priority of President <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/donald-trump" target="_blank">Trump's</a> second term and the U.S. military is <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/10/29/us/us-caribbean-pacific-boat-strikes.html" target="_blank">estimated</a> to have carried out more than 40 deadly strikes in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean in the past six months.</p><ul><li>In January, Trump ordered a raid on <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/03/trump-says-us-captured-venezuelan-president-nicolas-maduro" target="_self">Nicolás Maduro's</a> fortified compound in Caracas that resulted in the <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/03/maduro-capture-trump-venezuela-operation" target="_blank">Venezuelan leader's capture</a> and subsequent arrest on charges related to alleged drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies, to which he's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/01/05/maduro-trial-charges-court-case-arraignment-trump" target="_blank">pleaded not guilty</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>More from Axios:</strong></p><ul><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/20/overdose-crisis-polydrugs-fentanyl" target="_blank">The overdose crisis is shrinking — and mutating</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/13/anthropic-claude-maduro-raid-pentagon" target="_blank">Pentagon used Anthropic's Claude during Maduro raid</a></li><li><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/27/trump-military-iran-strikes-us-deploy" target="_blank">6 ways Trump escalated military force in his second term</a></li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This article has been updated with additional details throughout.</em></p>
<p>Security researchers used relatively simple jailbreaking techniques to trick <a href="https://www.axios.com/local/salt-lake-city/2026/01/07/utah-ai-drug-prescriptions-doctronic" target="_blank">the AI system</a> powering Utah's new prescription refill bot.</p><ul><li>Researchers were able to make the bot spread vaccine conspiracy theories, triple a patient's prescribed pain medication dosage, and recommend methamphetamine as treatment.</li></ul><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Critics warned this pilot could create safety risks — and researchers say the flaws persist, despite alerting the company in January.</p><hr /><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>In a report shared first with Axios, <a href="https://www.axios.com/technology/automation-and-ai" target="_blank">AI</a> red-teaming firm Mindgard said it manipulated health tech startup Doctronic's system into tripling an OxyContin dose, mislabeling methamphetamine, and spreading false vaccine claims.</p><ul><li>Doing this didn't require much effort, Aaron Portnoy, chief product officer at Mindgard, told Axios. </li><li>"These targets are some of the easiest things that I've broken in my entire career," Portnoy said. "That's a bit dangerous when you have this ease of exploitation connected to sensitive use cases." </li></ul><p><strong>Yes, but: </strong>The testing was conducted on Doctronic's public chatbot, while Utah operates the tool inside a state regulatory sandbox. </p><ul><li>However, researchers argue vulnerabilities in the underlying system could still pose risks if guardrails fail.</li><li>"We take security research seriously and welcome responsible disclosure," Matt Pavelle, Doctronic co-founder and co-CEO, told Axios in a statement. "Our security and clinical safety programs include ongoing adversarial testing, and we appreciate researchers who help us do that."</li></ul><p><strong>Catch up quick:</strong> In <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/06/artificial-intelligence-prescribing-medications-utah-00709122" target="_blank">December</a>, Utah's Department of Commerce launched a <a href="https://commerce.utah.gov/2026/01/06/news-release-utah-and-doctronic-announce-groundbreaking-partnership-for-ai-prescription-medication-renewals/" target="_blank">pilot</a> allowing patients with chronic conditions to renew certain medications through Doctronic's AI system without a doctor's direct sign-off. </p><ul><li>The partnership marked the first time an AI system was legally allowed to participate in routine prescription renewals in the U.S.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom in:</strong> Researchers said they altered the bot's "baseline knowledge" by feeding it fake regulatory updates. </p><ul><li>They convinced the system that COVID-19 vaccines had been suspended. (They have not been.) </li><li>They changed the standard OxyContin dose to 30 milligrams every 12 hours — triple the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/oxycodone-oral-route/description/drg-20074193" target="_blank">typical levels</a> for most adults.</li><li>They also reclassified methamphetamine as an "unrestricted therapeutic" in the system. </li></ul><p><strong>Threat level: </strong>A malicious user could manipulate clinical outputs within a session, influencing refill recommendations or medical summaries.</p><ul><li>However, Pavelle noted that nationwide, a licensed physician reviews any prescriptions before they're authorized. In the Utah program, prescriptions must meet "strict medication eligibility rules and protocol checks that prevent unsafe or inappropriate recommendations." </li><li>"Controlled substances like OxyContin are categorically excluded from all Doctronic programs regardless of what appears in a conversation or generated note," he added.</li></ul><p><strong>What they're saying:</strong> Mindgard said it contacted Doctronic's support team on Jan. 23 and received an automated message two days later saying the issue was resolved.</p><ul><li>After notifying the company Jan. 27 that the flaws still existed and that it planned to go public, the ticket was again closed two days later, researchers said.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Preventing these attacks requires layered defenses and continuous security testing, Portnoy said, not just surface-level guardrails.</p><p><strong>Go deeper:</strong> <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/16/ai-models-hacking-stanford-openai-warnings" target="_blank">AI models are perfecting their hacking skills</a></p>
<p>President Trump said the U.S. will "immediately" offer "political risk insurance and guarantees" for energy tankers and other ships in <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_blank">the Gulf region</a>, and that the Navy will escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if needed.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The White House is trying to ease oil price spikes that are starting to boost U.S. gasoline prices. Oil prices retreated Tuesday as word of the plans began to emerge.</p><hr /><ul><li>His <a href="https://truthsocial.com/%40realDonaldTrump/posts/116166926920657651" target="_blank">statement</a> on Truth Social comes as tankers are avoiding the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway abutting Iran that handles a whopping one-fourth or so of the world's maritime oil trade, and huge amounts of liquefied natural gas, too.</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> Trump said the financial assurances would be offered through the U.S. Development Finance Corp. at a "very reasonable price."</p><ul><li>"If necessary, the United States Navy will begin escorting tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as soon as possible," he wrote. </li><li>"No matter what, the United States will ensure the FREE FLOW of ENERGY to the WORLD."</li></ul><p><strong>Catch up quick: </strong>TPH & Co., in a note earlier Tuesday, said "skyrocketing shipping (new all-time highs) and insurance rates" are a key reason why traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has largely ground to a halt.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>In addition to soaring rates, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/ship-insurers-cancel-war-risk-cover-due-iran-conflict-2026-03-02/" target="_blank">reported</a> cancellations of some coverage has vastly cut transit through the vital oil choke points.</p><ul><li>It's among the reasons why the conflict is pushing up crude oil and other energy commodity prices, which is already filtering down to U.S. gasoline pumps.</li><li>The nationwide average price for regular gasoline is $3.11 per gallon, an 11-cent increase over yesterday, per AAA.</li></ul><p><strong>Between the lines: </strong>Rising gasoline prices — alongside rising electricity costs — are a <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/iran-war-trump-gas-prices" target="_blank">political risk</a> for Republicans ahead of the midterm elections.</p><p><strong>What we're watching: </strong>The White House hasn't provided details of the new plans.</p><ul><li>But they already could be affecting oil prices. The global benchmark Brent crude retreated back to slightly over $80 per barrel Tuesday afternoon after hitting $85 for the first time since 2024 earlier in the day.</li><li>But prices remain elevated since the conflict began — up around 10% from where they closed last Friday.</li></ul><p><em>Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.</em></p>
<p>Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, once a Manhattan neighbor of <a href="https://www.axios.com/politics-policy/epstein-files" target="_blank">Jeffrey Epstein</a>, voluntarily agreed to an interview with the House Oversight Committee over past ties to the convicted sex offender, Axios has learned.</p><ul><li><strong>Lutnick told Axios: </strong>"I look forward to appearing before the committee. I have done nothing wrong and I want to set the record straight."</li></ul><hr /><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>Lutnick's past association with Epstein has been under growing scrutiny since the Cabinet secretary appeared in Justice Department files. </p><ul><li>White House spokesman Kush Desai told Axios: "Secretary Lutnick continues to be a critical asset for President Trump, having played a key role in securing major trade and investment deals. The entire Trump administration, including Secretary Lutnick, remains focused on delivering more wins for the American people."</li></ul><p><strong>Driving the news: </strong>The closed-door interview, with a transcript to be released, will take place in the coming weeks. </p><ul><li>Lutnick hasn't been accused of wrongdoing.</li></ul><p><strong>House Oversight Chair </strong>James Comer (R-Ky.) said in a statement to Axios: "Secretary Lutnick has proactively agreed to appear voluntarily before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for a transcribed interview."</p><ul><li>"I commend his demonstrated commitment to transparency and appreciate his willingness to engage with the Committee. I look forward to his testimony."</li><li>Axios is told the transcript will be released after review by Lutnick's attorney — standard committee practice for transcribed interviews.</li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>Democrats in both the <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2026/02/27/congress/dems-will-force-lutnick-subpoena-vote-00803881" target="_blank">House</a> and <a href="https://www.vanhollen.senate.gov/news/press-releases/van-hollen-merkley-press-lutnick-for-answers-on-epstein-ties" target="_blank">Senate</a> have been raising pressure on Lutnick. </p><ul><li>Senate Democrats, in <a href="https://www.merkley.senate.gov/van-hollen-merkley-press-lutnick-for-answers-on-epstein-ties/" target="_blank">a letter</a> to Lutnick on Friday, asked him to turn over all records of his connection to Epstein and Epstein allies, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/27/epstein-lutnick-democrats-probe" target="_blank">Axios scooped</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>President Trump </strong>has repeatedly backed Lutnick, and <a href="https://apnews.com/video/trump-tells-reporters-he-doesnt-like-seeing-former-president-bill-clinton-deposed-d3926a335fcb496da9939658ead09291" target="_blank">said Friday</a> about possible testimony: "Howard would go in and do whatever he has to say. He's a very innocent guy — doing a good job."</p><ul><li>A slew of high-profile Americans are named in Epstein files released by the Justice Department, and few have given a detailed public accounting of their interactions with the disgraced financier, whose death in jail in 2019 was <a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-jail-suicide-prison-death-8d194a756f2b429067f009a0c70f96c0" target="_blank">ruled a suicide</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Behind the scenes:</strong> Lutnick, 64, called Comer to tell the chairman he's willing to address any questions from the committee, an administration source told Axios. </p><ul><li>Lutnick <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/democratic-senator-questions-us-commerce-secretarys-fitness-job-amid-epstein-2026-02-10/" target="_blank">also testified</a> about Epstein at a Senate Appropriations hearing on Feb. 10. Lutnick said: "I did not have any relationship with him. I barely had anything to do with that person."</li></ul><p><strong>The backdrop:</strong> Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was asked about Lutnick during last week's <a href="https://apnews.com/article/epstein-hillary-bill-clinton-deposition-house-investigation-299d82e8549f4d994dcb081c3876585c" target="_blank">six hours</a> of House testimony about Epstein. </p><ul><li>In video <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/release/oversight-committee-releases-bill-and-hillary-clinton-deposition-videos/" target="_blank">released by the committee</a> on Monday, Clinton sparred with Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) when asked about her connection to Lutnick. </li><li>Clinton worked with Lutnick in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, and became visibly perturbed and pounded her palm on the table as she responded to Mace, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/jeffrey-epstein-bill-clinton-hillary-clinton-deposition-3d5cf44a6b2f5c0333e41a3e3f86c06c" target="_blank">AP reports</a>.</li></ul><p><strong>Lutnick said</strong> on a <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/10/01/us-news/howard-lutnick-calls-ex-neighbor-jeffrey-epstein-greatest-blackmailer-ever/" target="_blank">New York Post podcast</a> last fall that after seeing the creepy "massage room" during a tour of Epstein's townhouse in 2005, "my wife and I decided that I will never be in the room with that disgusting person ever again."</p><ul><li>But the DOJ's Epstein files <a href="https://apnews.com/article/bill-clinton-jeffrey-epstein-deposition-congress-9ea23ac5a5ffd1c7b9511e46308e8b21" target="_blank">later showed</a> Lutnick had two engagements with Epstein years later: He met at Epstein's home in 2011, and in 2012 his family had lunch with Epstein on his private Caribbean island.</li><li><a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5731446-lutnick-admits-epstein-island-visit/" target="_blank">Lutnick told</a> the Senate Appropriations Committee last month that he visited the island with his wife, children and nannies. "I don't recall why we did it," he said.</li></ul><p><em><a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/02/19/prince-andrew-yoon-suk-yeol-epstein-america" target="_blank">Go deeper</a>: Global leaders in Epstein files.</em></p>
<p>Sure, oil prices have soared since attacks on <a href="https://www.axios.com/world/iran" target="_blank">Iran</a> and counterstrikes began — but it's also possible the market isn't freaking out <em>enough.</em></p><p><strong>Why it matters:</strong> Consumers and companies worldwide will feel the effects of the conflict that's <a href="https://www.axios.com/2026/03/02/iran-attack-refinery-prices" target="_blank">pushing up</a> petroleum and natural gas prices.</p><hr /><ul><li>But oil hasn't yet approached the $100-per-barrel — or higher — level that numerous market-watchers say is possible in the unpredictable, expanding regional battle.</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>Veteran analyst Bob McNally sees a mismatch between risk and oil prices, and believes the market remains too complacent despite the recent rise.</p><ul><li>The president of Rapidan Energy Group points to years of geopolitical crises that didn't bring large-scale disruptions to oil supply, including last summer's U.S. bombing of Iran's nuclear sites and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.</li><li>There's a "boy who cried wolf effect," McNally said.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play:</strong> The global benchmark Brent crude is currently trading around $81 per barrel, up 11% since markets reopened Sunday night — a sharp but not catastrophic spike.</p><ul><li>It hit $85 earlier Tuesday for the first time since 2024 before falling back.</li><li>"At this stage, we view oil prices as a lagging rather than a leading indicator of the potential supply shock risk posed by an extended conflict," RBC Capital Markets said in a note earlier this week.</li></ul><p><strong>Threat level: </strong>Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — which handles a whopping fourth of the world's seaborne oil — has vastly reduced.</p><ul><li>And the battle expanded this week to reach other energy infrastructure. Debris from an intercepted drone strike damaged Saudi Arabia's huge Ras Tanura refinery, the kingdom's state news agency said. </li><li>QatarEnergy <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/02/qatars-state-owned-energy-company-halts-lng-production-after-iran-drone-attacks.html" target="_blank">halted</a> LNG production, <a href="https://x.com/qatarenergy/status/2028446181743894651" target="_blank">citing</a> military attacks on its major Ras Laffan export site. </li></ul><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>McNally notes that Brent soared to over $120 per barrel within weeks of Russia invading Ukraine in early 2022. </p><ul><li>Russia's oil exports were roughly a fifth of what moves through Hormuz, yet the current price rise is more muted, he points out.</li></ul><p><strong>"We've just seen, over and over again, </strong>where you have these geopolitical events that momentarily put a spike in crude. They threaten some supply reduction, but no supply reduction actually happens, and the spike reverses," he said. </p><ul><li>And McNally sees another reason for the relative chill right now. "I think there's strong and deep and widely held belief ... that the U.S. military will not allow the Strait of Hormuz to remain blocked for very long."</li><li>He predicts oil heading to $100 if the Strait isn't open soon, and argues Iran has the ability to prevent transit for longer than the market expects.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out:</strong> "The market has been tuning out geopolitical risk for years," oil scholar Ben Cahill said via email, referring to last summer's Israel-Iran conflict.</p><ul><li>"You can second-guess it or call it naive, but the fact is that until now, traders have been vindicated," said Cahill, a senior associate with the Center for Strategic & International Studies.</li><li>"But the mood is finally starting to shift, after the sustained shipping disruptions and the attacks on Ras Tanura and Ras Laffana," he said.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching: </strong>Some other energy commodities like gasoil — which is similar to diesel — are <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/gasoil-is-spiking-more-than-crude-what-it-is-and-why-prices-are-soaring-amid-iran-conflict-af45ca50?mod=home_ln&gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqfL37fEJaV-U1BAa8XRpxkpxUa0zAq-mto2k2bDPlbUzBuOsMIWeRvXYw5cPQ%3D%3D&gaa_ts=69a6173f&gaa_sig=RXc206zokJbSZgssr8oyccqMNwV9VjadAZH3u-TpZEQmeldzynOg037OdoXhM2Ab67t3ZpXaHT7jN5Y0NDoVyw%3D%3D" target="_blank">spiking more</a>. European natural gas futures <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran-israel-us-strikes-2026/card/european-natural-gas-prices-surge-on-threat-to-qatari-supplies-Hj75bLK4Ny7isikETFPl?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqd30WpYSvJbqiuq_ey8kbhFqe0LDbBCA-hSXk0ilw4zFluuICbQ4-94taFeQg%3D%3D&gaa_ts=69a61a67&gaa_sig=ptw3TGSAqGbl-GvoEVwChAZA2MshlkuYAx6V9dwYOj4IWWttO0epQbRwMFOwtbbX4Z66rUhG3KDCjB_DK-kdbw%3D%3D" target="_blank">surged</a> due to Qatar's LNG halt and the Hormuz situation.</p><ul><li>RBC sees oil reaching over $100 per barrel in a "prolonged conflict" scenario, and analysts also see spikes to triple digits in the event of major, successful attacks on Gulf countries' oil producing and shipping sites.</li></ul>
<div>Data: <a href="https://financialmodelingprep.com/" target="_blank">Financial Modeling Prep</a>; Chart: Axios Visuals</div><p>Crude oil prices are at their highest levels since the military campaign against Iran after climbing again overnight and Tuesday morning.</p><p><strong>Why it matters: </strong>The latest rise — and how it ripples through consumer prices — raises the stakes of Trump officials' upcoming plans to address costs.</p><hr /><p><strong>The latest: </strong>The Energy and Treasury Departments will begin rolling out new efforts Tuesday to address energy price increases from the Iran conflict, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.</p><ul><li>"We anticipated this could be an issue," he <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1btI_c3j78" target="_blank">told reporters</a> in the Capitol on Monday. He didn't offer details but said it's designed to "mitigate against" the price impact.</li></ul><p><strong>State of play:</strong> The U.S. doesn't have immediate plans to release oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-02/us-has-no-immediate-plan-to-tap-oil-reserve-on-iran-concerns" target="_blank">reports</a>.</p><ul><li>But ING analysts said in a note: "The longer the Middle East disruptions last, the more likely we are to see coordinated emergency releases from several countries."</li></ul><p><strong>The intrigue: </strong>The White House provided no details on the plans that Rubio said will start emerging Tuesday.</p><ul><li>Oil analyst Rory Johnston <a href="https://x.com/Rory_Johnston/status/2028587280471105837" target="_blank">posted on X</a> that Trump's options would include an SPR release, gas tax holiday, and easing restrictions on Russia.</li></ul><p><strong>By the numbers:</strong> The global benchmark Brent crude is trading at roughly $83 Tuesday morning, up over $10 per barrel since last week.</p><ul><li>U.S. regular gasoline prices are averaging $3.11 per gallon Tuesday after beginning the week just under $3, per AAA.</li></ul><p><strong>Zoom out:</strong> Tankers avoiding the Strait of Hormuz are pushing up prices, and so are fresh signs of the conflict widening to energy-related infrastructure.</p><ul><li>"On Tuesday, a fuel tank at Oman's Duqm commercial port was hit and a fire broke out at the United Arab Emirates' Fujairah, one of the key regional oil hubs," <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/global-energy-costs-soar-iran-crisis-disrupts-shipping-oil-gas-production-2026-03-03/" target="_blank">Reuters reports</a> in a wider, helpful look at what's been damaged.</li></ul><p><strong>What we're watching</strong>: President Trump is scheduled to meet Tuesday afternoon with Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.</p><p><em>Sign up <a href="https://www.axios.com/signup/axios-future-of-energy" target="_blank">here</a> for Axios' Future of Energy newsletter.</em></p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/what-shia-labeouf-s-public-struggle-shows-us-about-christian-redemption.jpg?id=65172733&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C1%2C0" /><br /><br /><p>Hollywood is a factory of fakery. Social media accounts run by publicists. Apologies written by lawyers. Whole personalities assembled by committee.</p><p>In Hollywood, sincerity is often the most convincing special effect of all.</p><p class="pull-quote">'My behavior’s dirty, ugly, disgusting, so I gotta eat it.'</p><p>Which is why Shia LaBeouf has always felt like an anomaly.</p><h2>Storm before the calm</h2><p>LaBeouf is many things: talented, erratic, often self-destructive. His life reads less like a biography than a weather report — storms, brief calm, then another system moving in. He wears his heart on his sleeve, his wounds on his face, and his worst moments out in public.</p><p>In an industry built on careful concealment, he seems incapable of it. Most actors learn early to construct a polite distance between who they are and what the world sees. LaBeouf apparently never built that wall.</p><p>So when trouble comes — and with him it usually does — everyone gets a front-row seat.</p><p>And that’s what makes the story unmistakably Christian. The prodigal son does not return home polished and rehabilitated. He comes back hungry, broken, and not entirely sure how he got there.</p><h2>Sitting in the wreckage</h2><p>For LaBeouf, arrest is not a new experience. The <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/shia-labeouf-arrested-new-orleans-brawl-mardi-gras-rcna259363" target="_blank">latest</a> came last month during Mardi Gras in New Orleans: a misdemeanor battery charge after he allegedly struck multiple people in a drunken altercation. He surrendered voluntarily, spent time in Orleans Parish Prison, and days later <a href="https://youtu.be/4K9RDZg4y7o?si=HXQ2uk36-I_VSRvD" target="_blank">appeared on camera</a> telling journalist Andrew Callaghan of Channel 5 News: “My behavior’s dirty, ugly, disgusting, so I gotta eat it.”</p><p>No spin. No intermediary. Just a man sitting in the wreckage and describing it plainly.</p><p>It would be easy to write him off as another Hollywood cautionary tale. But Christian charity means resisting the reflex to write someone off — especially when someone’s collapse has a visible beginning.</p><p>Shia LaBeouf didn’t arrive at dysfunction by accident.</p><h2>Childhood's end</h2><p>He grew up in Echo Park, Los Angeles, in conditions most of us would struggle to imagine. His father, a Vietnam veteran and heroin addict, cycled in and out of rehab while young Shia attended AA meetings beside him.</p><p>At 10 years old, he <a href="https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a19181320/shia-labeouf-interview-2018/" target="_blank">overheard</a> his mother being raped. His father, lost in a flashback, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shia_LaBeouf" target="_blank">once pointed</a> a gun at him.</p><p>What looks like a difficult childhood is, in truth, something closer to a disaster.</p><p>Fame arrived far too soon. By his early teens he was earning $8,000 a week on Disney’s "Even Stevens" — more money than his struggling family had ever seen, handed to a boy still too young to drive.</p><p>He told the story to Callaghan almost casually, as if describing someone else’s life: adult money, adult industry, adult temptations, and no adult judgment.</p><p>Hollywood didn’t ease LaBeouf into the spotlight. It vacuumed him into it. Once inside, there was no version of that world equipped to deal with a traumatized child carrying a fat paycheck and no psychological scaffolding. That he grew up volatile and self-destructive shouldn’t surprise anyone.</p><p>None of this excuses bad behavior. Accountability is still accountability. But understanding where destruction begins does not weaken judgment. It makes compassion possible.</p><h2>Immersion in the Spirit</h2><p>In 2022, LaBeouf was <a href="https://youtu.be/uiAzXbgVoaI?si=mU-qYnJQLrp_7oMx" target="_blank">cast as Padre Pio</a>, the Italian friar known for the stigmata and for his fierce spiritual intensity. He prepared the way serious actors do — research, immersion, method.</p><p>What he did not expect was the role swallowing him whole.</p><p>“It stops being prep of a movie,” <a href="https://youtu.be/hjxKG4mR3U4?si=OLXRTYqubTcomC6P" target="_blank">he told</a> Bishop Robert Barron in an interview ahead of the film's premiere, “and starts being something that feels beyond all that.”</p><p>At one point he was living in a seminary parking lot, he says. He studied the Gospels. He spent time around Capuchin friars whose lives revolved around prayer, confession, and the slow disciplines of faith.</p><p>He was <a href="https://www.archny.org/posts/padre-pio-actor-shia-labeouf-fully-entered-the-catholic-church-on-new-years-eve" target="_blank">confirmed</a> in the Catholic Church on New Year’s Eve 2024 at Old Mission Santa Inés, sponsored by a Capuchin friar. He attends Mass regularly. He prays the rosary. He venerates the Eucharist. He <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVZBovACTKS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ==" target="_blank">quotes G.K. Chesterton</a> on the way mysticism keeps a man sane.</p><p>He is, in other words, exactly the kind of convert the Gospel of Luke had in mind.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/align/animator-tom-bancroft-from-the-lion-king-to-the-king-of-kings" target="_self"><strong>Animator Tom Bancroft: From 'The Lion King' to the King of Kings</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-16x9"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="e9f03" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65172772&width=1245&height=700&quality=50&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">tombancroftstudio.com</small></p><h2>Hitting the wall</h2><p>The prodigal son did not arrive home rehabilitated. He arrived desperate — and was met, before he could finish speaking, by a father already running to meet him.</p><p>LaBeouf is still mid-journey. He’s divorced, co-parenting with his ex-wife, carrying the weight of serious allegations, trying to put a life back together.</p><p>The Callaghan interview shows a man wrestling with himself in real time. Not performing repentance, but attempting the slow, humiliating work of it.</p><p>He talks about suicidal lows. About addiction cycles. About the moment he believes grace finally broke through: “You got to hit your head into the wall hard enough where you just go, ‘F**k it.’"</p><p>Crude language. Sound theology.</p><p>Christian redemption isn’t tidy. It unfolds through relapses, humiliations, and moments of clarity that usually arrive after the damage is done.</p><p>What LaBeouf offers isn’t a polished testimony.</p><p>It’s something rarer — a man still caught in the fall even as he reaches for redemption.</p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/former-mlb-prospect-sues-white-sox-for-millions-over-covid-19-vaccine-injury.png?id=65172877&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C1%2C0" /><br /><br /><p>An awful vaccine side effect has allegedly sidelined a baseball player for the rest of his life.</p><p>Isaiah Carranza was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in 2018 but never made it to the major leagues. Now, Carranza is suing his former organization, saying it denied his vaccine injury after he was "coerced" into getting the shot.</p><p class="pull-quote">'Isaiah complied with the mandate, reported serious adverse symptoms almost immediately, and repeatedly sought help.'</p><p>Carranza played two years in High-A, the third-highest level of minor league baseball in the United States. However, 2022 was the last time he appeared in a game, and the former pitcher has since alleged that team officials warned him he would be "blacklisted" if he didn't get a COVID-19 vaccine.</p><p>According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Carranza <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/white-sox/2026/02/09/white-sox-covid-19-lawsuit-vaccine" target="_blank">claimed</a> if he did not get two doses, his organization would not release him from his contract so that he could pursue other teams. At the same time, he was allegedly told he had "no prospects of moving up" within the White Sox's organization.</p><p>After getting the Pfizer vaccine, Carranza says he soon began suffering "extreme dizziness, nausea, near-fainting, and wildly fluctuating heart rate," but the team told him it was simply dehydration, anxiety, and "rookie nerves."</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/draymond-stripping-form-of-art" target="_blank">'A form of art': NBA star Draymond Green defends strip-club night at Hawks game as 'inclusive' promotion</a></strong></p> <p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"> <span class="rm-shortcode" style="display: block; padding-top: 56.25%;"></span> </p> <p>Carranza also allegedly began experiencing severe pain and dysfunction in his pitching arm.</p><p>"After receiving the vaccine, Plaintiff suffered severe adverse health reactions with little to no support from Defendants, who denied him necessary accommodations," the lawsuit said, according to <a href="https://www.newsmax.com/finance/streettalk/white-sox-baseball-covid/2026/02/07/id/1245246/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Newsmax</a>. </p><p>Carranza also claimed that the injury impaired his ability to throw at a professional level and essentially ended his career. He is reportedly seeking $19 million in damages and has an estimated $557,000 price tag in future medical expenses.</p><p>The MLB did not have an official <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/30867671/mlb-players-not-required-get-covid-19-vaccine-protocol-agreement" target="_blank">vaccine mandate</a> but encouraged players to get vaccinated through its union and the league.</p><p>Carranza's legal team said on its <a href="https://peterlawgroup.com/accountability-disability-rights-and-unequal-treatment-in-professional-sports-representing-isaiah-carranza/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">website</a> that minor league players lacked union representation and the financial security to safely speak out against the "condition of employment."</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/fearless/michael-jordan-team-record-setting" target="_blank">Michael Jordan shocks NASCAR by doing something no one has done in 77 years</a></strong></p> <p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"> <span class="rm-shortcode" style="display: block; padding-top: 56.25%;"></span> </p> <p>"Isaiah complied with the mandate, reported serious adverse symptoms almost immediately, and repeatedly sought help. Instead of receiving appropriate medical care or legally required accommodations, his symptoms were dismissed, misdiagnosed, and minimized," the law group wrote.</p><p>Peter Law Group claimed Carranza's professional baseball career was cut short and that he now has a permanent autonomic nervous system disorder.</p><p>The White Sox and the league have not given public statements, and a White Sox spokesman declined to comment on the matter to the Chicago Sun-Times. Blaze News was unable to reach the team for comment.</p><p>Pfizer did not respond to a request for comment.</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em></p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/mullin-inherits-a-mess-at-dhs-heres-how-he-can-still-save-trumps-legacy.jpg?id=65174115&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C25%2C0%2C82" /><br /><br /><p>A few weeks ago, <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/phase-one-was-quality-control-phase-two-needs-to-be-quantity-control">I wrote</a>: “Everyone in America has an opinion on what has gone right or wrong at the Department of Homeland Security and its component agencies, particularly Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection.” I added — a little too coyly — that I had “a pretty good sense of what happened.”</p><p>That restraint served a purpose at the time. It also left too much unsaid.</p><p class="pull-quote">The mass deportation agenda remains central to Trump’s legacy. Markwayne Mullin has a chance to deliver what the last year only promised. We’re counting on him.</p><p>Now that President Trump has removed Kristi Noem as Homeland Security secretary and <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-removes-dhs-secretary-noem-and-announces-her-replacement">nominated Senator Markwayne Mullin</a> (R-Okla.) to replace her, it’s worth putting real detail behind the diagnosis. Not to salt the wound, but to fix what needs fixing. Trump’s <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/09/13/trump-deportation-immigrants-springfield-ohio-aurora-colorado" target="_blank">signature promise</a> — “the largest deportation operation in American history” — matters too much for anyone to pretend the last year went smoothly.</p><p>Start with the numbers. They’re too low to fulfill the promise.</p><p>ICE stopped releasing deportation data. The congressionally mandated annual report still hasn’t arrived. In the vacuum, we’ve been left with third-party estimates — the New York Times put removals at <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2026/01/18/us/trump-deportation-numbers-immigration-crackdown.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">about 230,000</a> in 2025 — and with shifting DHS press-shop claims that bounce between hundreds of thousands and “millions.” The Times figure sits closer to reality than the chest-thumping.</p><p>Instead of mass deportations, we got mass communications.</p><p>The department’s strategy leaned heavily on television ads, memes, charged language, and <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/10/12/trump-mass-deportation-statistics" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">inflated-sounding claims</a> meant to create the impression that deportations were happening at historic scale. The result landed in the worst possible place: It antagonized the left and the media without delivering results big enough to justify the noise. I don’t lose sleep over angry leftists. I do care when the administration absorbs political heat without gaining operational ground.</p><p>Trump World isn’t immune to polling, media narratives, and the feedback loop they create. A loud rollout without the matching numbers gave activists, consultants, and industry a pretext to flood weak-kneed Republican offices on Capitol Hill. Those calls turned into pressure on the administration. The incentive became delay, and delay followed.</p><p>Then came the optics problem.</p><p>Turning the DHS secretary role into a traveling cosplay routine didn’t land, and it didn’t project command. Instead, it projected awkwardness — and in a department built for seriousness, that matters.</p><p>The larger issue was always fit. Excitement around Trump’s cabinet picks made people charitable, and that’s understandable. The president earned that deference. But putting Noem in charge of DHS — the department most central to the core thesis of Trump’s campaign — never quite made sense. People in the enforcement world tried to build working relationships. Many got brushed off. Meanwhile, operational leaders inside DHS did what Noem didn’t: They cultivated the advocates who could help the mission move.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/phase-one-was-quality-control-phase-two-needs-to-be-quantity-control"><strong>‘Phase one’ was quality control. ‘Phase two’ needs to be quantity control.</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-16x9"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="9ddb5" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65174110&width=1245&height=700&quality=50&coordinates=0%2C21%2C0%2C85" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images</small></p><p>The divide became public. Post-Minneapolis, Tom Homan’s profile rose quickly as Trump tapped him to manage the response. Inside DHS, the camps had already formed. Anyone in Washington with a foot in the enforcement world knew who was on “Team Kristi and Corey [Lewandowski]” and who wasn’t. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/01/16/dhs-border-chief-office-renovation-00735316" target="_blank">Leaks followed</a>. Finger-pointing followed. Journalists got fed a steady diet of dysfunction. Morale dropped as firings and reassignments became the department’s background music.</p><p>What drove most of the internal warfare was money — specifically, contracts — and the scramble to control tens of billions authorized through the One Big Beautiful Bill.</p><p>DHS adopted a policy requiring Noem personally to review and sign off on contracts over $100,000. Combined with stripping authority from agency heads, that amounted to centralized control in the secretary’s office.</p><p>In practice, the authority filtered through a small circle and ran through Corey Lewandowski in a “special government employee” capacity. The backlog became delay, and the delays hit the mission: Border wall contracts sat for months while steel prices rose. Detention capacity grew slowly because leadership chased flashy, low-capacity facilities with catchy names — Cornhusker Clink, Speedway Slammer, Louisiana Lockup — announced with social media fanfare but built at higher cost, higher litigation risk, and lower throughput than traditional providers.</p><p>It looked like a communications strategy pretending to be a detention strategy.</p><p>Personnel choices compounded the problem. Noem brought in people with little operational or policy experience in immigration enforcement. Her decision to install a late-20s former Wildlife and Fisheries official as deputy ICE director raised eyebrows. Outside the formal chain of command, an equally inexperienced cast appeared in spaces normally reserved for officials who have spent years in homeland security. Over time, <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/news/how-kristi-noems-chief-corey-lewandowski-ran-her-dhs-tenure-into-the-ground/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">allegations of self-dealing spread</a> — and the pattern made it harder to dismiss them as rumor.</p><p>The best example was the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kristi-noem-border-immigration-kennedy-ad-campaign-bc1525f1d10a468c892d0cb5cf3907b0" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">$220 million ad campaign</a> that prominently featured Noem. Reports of unusual processes and favored vendors circulated. When lawmakers — Republicans and Democrats — pressed for answers, Noem did little to restore confidence. Given the broader self-promotion pattern, any benefit of the doubt evaporated.</p><p>Then came the hearings. <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/noem-house-dems-clash-tension-filled-oversight-hearing" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">They were brutal</a>.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/memo-to-trump-stop-negotiating-and-ramp-up-deportations"><strong>Memo to Trump: Stop negotiating and ramp up deportations</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-16x9"> <img alt="Memo to Trump: Stop negotiating and ramp up deportations" class="rm-shortcode" id="84a60" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/memo-to-trump-stop-negotiating-and-ramp-up-deportations.jpg?id=65174101&width=1245&height=700&quality=50&coordinates=0%2C78%2C0%2C30" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Photo by Sean Bascom/Anadolu via Getty Images</small></p><p>Before both the House and the Senate, Noem failed to convince members that she could lead the department, and she struggled to answer accusations of scandal and self-dealing. But the fatal error came when she violated the one rule for any Cabinet witness: Don’t drag the president into your mess.</p><p>Under questioning from Sen. John Kennedy about the ad campaign, Noem told him the president personally approved the spending. Kennedy looked stunned. Trump later denied it — and the claim never made much sense in the first place. That answer ended whatever internal support remained. In the middle of a sudden war, it still managed to blow up the news cycle. With few defenders inside the building or outside it, the wagons never circled.</p><p>So what now?</p><p>Markwayne Mullin has a massive job ahead of him. He inherits some real wins — especially the restored control of the southern border — but he also inherits a department bruised by internal warfare, low output numbers, and credibility damage.</p><p>A few suggestions, offered plainly:</p><p>First, “<a href="https://x.com/MHowellTweets/status/2030112714392035708" target="_blank">commas, not drama</a>.” Let the mission speak louder than the messaging. Raise the deportation numbers. If the numbers move, everything else gets easier.</p><p>Second, cauterize the past. If Mullin doesn’t create distance from what happened before, he’ll spend the next year answering for it — including under subpoena if Democrats take the House.</p><p>Third, build a firewall through oversight. Let Trump-appointed Inspector General Joseph Cuffari review the controversies. Put the facts on paper, separate the department from the personalities, and move forward. Mullin needs the ability to say, credibly, that he’s fixing the mission, not protecting a mess he didn’t create.</p><p>Fourth, trust the serious people already inside DHS. The department has highly capable operators. Back them. Empower them. Leadership requires followers, and followers don’t materialize through threats, leaks, and infighting.</p><p>The mass deportation agenda remains central to Trump’s legacy. Mullin has a chance to deliver what the last year only promised.</p><p>We’re counting on him.</p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/data-centers-are-a-hidden-tax-on-your-burger.jpg?id=65174023&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C58%2C0%2C150" /><br /><br /><p>Last September, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins <a href="https://www.instagram.com/reels/DO9y9vEDdIJ/" target="_blank">warned</a> that the United States has “offshored our food, our beef cattle, our citrus.” She put the problem plainly: “If we can’t feed ourselves, this is a national security issue.” Fair enough. So why does so much of government land-use policy push projects that devour farmland — hyperscale data centers, utility-scale solar farms, and the sprawling infrastructure that comes with them?</p><p>If Washington wanted to drive up land prices, make farming harder, and funnel a generation of acreage into non-agricultural uses, it couldn’t improve on the current playbook. The uniparty does this everywhere, and red states often lead the charge.</p><h2>Data centers: The ‘cloud’ that drains the water</h2><p>Texas is suffering through a long drought. Yet Amarillo has approved an 18 million square-foot data center on what used to be cattle country. Land-grabs tell only part of the story. Data centers also drink water — and they don’t act like the kind of clouds that bring rain.</p><p>Reports indicate the Amarillo facility alone could use <a href="https://x.com/mavsmarie/status/2027413768981074287?s=46" target="_blank">912 million gallons</a> of water per year. Large data centers can guzzle up to 5 million gallons per day, matching the daily use of a town of 10,000 to 50,000 people. That kind of demand crowds out ranchers and farmers who already operate under tight margins and tight water allocations.</p><p class="pull-quote">If food security is national security, then farmland is strategic territory. Let’s start acting like it.</p><p>Texas data centers used roughly <a href="https://www.lincolninst.edu/publications/land-lines-magazine/articles/land-water-impacts-data-centers" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">49 billion gallons of water</a> in 2025, rising to 399 billion gallons by 2030 — enough to lower Lake Mead by more than 16 feet annually. Meanwhile, ranchers face reduced access, higher pumping costs, and deeper draws from shrinking aquifers. Less water means <a href="https://worldpressinstitute.org/in-arid-texas-data-centers-are-thirsty-for-water/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">smaller herds</a>, smaller harvests, and <a href="https://andthewest.stanford.edu/2025/thirsty-for-power-and-water-ai-crunching-data-centers-sprout-across-the-west/#:~:text=Beans%20to%20bits%20The%20agricultural,from%20nearby%20Columbia%20River%20hydropower." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">more pressure to sell</a>.</p><p>That’s how the cycle locks in. Water becomes scarce. Ranching becomes less viable. Landowners get squeezed. Tech developers show up with wads of cash and tax incentives. Grazing land disappears for good.</p><p>On what planet does it make sense to trade the beef and food we need for speculative gains from chatbots and cloud-based generative AI?</p><p>Maybe Elon Musk has the right idea when he suggests building data centers in space. Texas doesn’t need them planted on top of its ranches.</p><p>Some red states now treat these projects as untouchable “economic development,” even when they wreck local quality of life. Ohio offers <a href="https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/columbus/ohio-epa-weighs-allowing-data-centers-to-release-wastewater-into-rivers/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">a telling example</a>. An Ohio EPA draft permit for a data center states: “It has been determined that a lowering of water quality … is necessary to accommodate important social and economic development in the state of Ohio.”</p><p>That sentence says everything. Regulators will sacrifice water quality to accommodate the newest corporate appetite. Families and landowners can adapt.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/return/living-brain-cell-chatbot" target="_self"><strong>Living human brain cells are training a chatbot to be ‘more like us’</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-16x9"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="37b05" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65173975&width=1245&height=700&quality=50&coordinates=0%2C53%2C0%2C54" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Photo by Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images </small></p><h2>Solar ‘farms’ crushing farmland</h2><p>President Trump has criticized the solar agenda from day one. He has called utility-scale solar inefficient and ugly — and he’s right about the aesthetics. Yet the administration now treats <a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/interior-jump-starts-solar-energy-permitting/" target="_blank">solar as a power source</a> for data centers, while some MAGA influencers and pollsters try to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/03/02/katie-miller-solar-power-trump/" target="_blank">sell the right on the plan</a>. Pairing solar with hyperscale AI facilities accelerates the transfer of land out of food production.</p><p>Utility-scale solar typically requires five to 10 acres per megawatt. A solar build meant to feed a one-gigawatt hyperscale facility can swallow 5,000 to 10,000 acres. Supporters respond with percentages: Solar uses only a small share of total farmland. That dodge ignores where developers build. They don’t chase scrub. They target flat, well-drained, <a href="https://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/renewable/solar/solar-power-depletes-farmlands-of-rich-soil/" target="_blank">high-quality fields</a> with cheap and easy access to transmission.</p><p>Follow the incentives. In states such as Indiana and Illinois, solar leases reportedly offer $900 to $1,500 per acre annually — far above the average return from corn and soybean ground. Landowners take the deal. Young farmers get priced out. Rural communities lose working land and the local economies that depend on it.</p><p><a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/solar-capacity-grows-some-americas-most-productive-farmland-is-risk-2024-04-27/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_campaign=Weekend-Briefing&utm_term=042724&user_email=b1f33c724f72e6ae81530a646d129e79a9988a48c9ad389eee85b1a662118766" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Reuters reported</a> that in Indiana counties such as Pulaski, Starke, and Jasper, solar projects have secured 4% to 12% of some of the most fertile cropland. That’s not “marginal land.” That’s the kind of ground America needs to keep producing.</p><p>Tax breaks pour gasoline on the fire. Federal and state subsidies for data centers, solar farms, and battery installations push up land values and rents. In Pulaski County, Indiana, cropland rents reportedly <a href="https://www.fb.org/market-intel/solar-energy-expansion-and-its-impacts-on-rural-communities" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">jumped 26% since 2020</a> amid solar growth, outpacing state and national averages. Young families trying to farm don’t compete with subsidized megaprojects.</p><p>Indiana Republicans have compounded the damage by <a href="https://archive.is/20260302201607/https:/www.indystar.com/story/news/politics/2026/03/02/a-carbon-sequestration-bill-failed-then-lawmakers-bent-the-rules-to-revive-it/88904748007/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">greasing the skids</a> for carbon capture pipelines and special regulatory favors tied to the “<a href="https://www.facebook.com/p/Stop-the-Mid-States-Corridor-Project-100068231971578/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Mid-States Corridor</a>,” which will take even more farmland out of service.</p><p>Indiana’s own Department of Agriculture reports the state lost roughly 345,000 acres of agricultural land between 2010 and 2022. Residential sprawl drives much of that loss. Industrial conversion is accelerating — and data centers paired with solar build-outs speed it up.</p><p>So what exactly are these conservatives conserving?</p><p>Imports keep climbing. In 2023, imports supplied 59% of fresh fruit availability and 35% of fresh vegetables — up from 50% and 20% in 2007. America has the land to feed itself and then some, yet policymakers keep nudging production overseas. Mexico alone accounts for over half of imported fruits and vegetables, valued at more than $20 billion.</p><p>God gave this country an abundance of fertile land. He gave sun and rain to grow food. Our leaders now treat that ground as a blank canvas for industrial build-outs that don’t feed anyone.</p><p>If food security is national security, then farmland is strategic territory. Let’s start acting like it.</p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/trump-says-war-against-iran-is-nearly-over-and-gives-regime-warning-not-to-try-anything-cute.png?id=65174118&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C25%2C0%2C26" /><br /><br /><p>After only 10 days of the military operation against Iran, President Donald Trump said that it is close to being complete.</p><p>The president made the comments to a reporter over a phone interview Monday as oil prices skyrocketed and the stock market took a dive.</p><p class="pull-quote">'They've shot everything they have to shoot, and they better not try anything cute.'</p><p>"I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications. They've got no air force," the president <a href="https://x.com/weijia/status/2031086856679412042" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said</a> to Weijia Jiang, a CBS reporter.</p><p>Jiang posted the comments on social media.</p><p>The president added that the operation was far ahead of an initial estimated time frame of four to five weeks.</p><p>He also addressed the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had threatened to shut down and was the cause of the spike in oil prices. The president <a href="https://x.com/weijia/status/2031089231695851549" target="_blank">said</a> he was considering "taking it over" and threatened Iran further.</p><p>"They've shot everything they have to shoot, and they better not try anything cute or it's going to be the end of that country," he added.</p><p>The stock market <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/08/stock-market-today-live-updates.html" target="_blank">recovered</a> much of its losses, and oil markets dropped in value after the president's comments were reported.</p><p>A Russian official also <a href="https://x.com/phildstewart/status/2031094561590710440" target="_blank">said</a> Monday that Russian President Vladimir Putin shared proposals to end the war on Iran in a phone call with Trump.</p><p>The president <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/iran-promises-to-cease-attacks-on-neighboring-countries-as-trump-warns-it-will-be-hit-very-hard" target="_blank">said</a> Saturday that Iran was looking to end its strikes against its neighbors.</p><p>"Iran, which is being beat to HELL, has apologized and surrendered to its Middle East neighbors, and promised that it will not shoot at them anymore," he wrote. "This promise was only made because of the relentless U.S. and Israeli attack. They were looking to take over and rule the Middle East."</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/iran-promises-to-cease-attacks-on-neighboring-countries-as-trump-warns-it-will-be-hit-very-hard" target="_blank"><strong>Iran promises to cease attacks on neighboring countries as Trump warns it will be ‘hit very hard’</strong></a><span></span></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"> <span class="rm-shortcode" style="display: block; padding-top: 56.25%;"></span></p><p>Jiang also asked the president to comment on the news that the Iranian regime had chosen Mojtaba Khamenei to become the next supreme leader.</p><p>"I have no message for him. None whatsoever," Trump <a href="https://x.com/weijia/status/2031088157567897927" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">said</a>.</p><p><em><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em></em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self"><em>Sign up here</em></a><em><em>! </em></em></p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/shock-nbc-poll-reveals-american-voters-true-feelings-about-ice-and-democrats.jpg?id=65174114&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C107" /><br /><br /><p>As President Donald Trump continues his push to secure the nation, a new <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/27777984-nbc-news-march-2026-poll-03-08-2024-release-final/" target="_blank">NBC News</a> survey reveals that American voters hold positions on enforcement of immigration laws that are at odds with the mainstream media narrative. The poll, conducted by Hart Research Associates and Public Opinion Strategies, shows that when it comes to border security, voters prefer the Republican Party over the Democratic Party by a staggering 27-point lead.</p><p class="pull-quote">The American people have more faith in the agency protecting the border than in the party that has consistently undermined it.</p><p>The survey was conducted between Feb. 27 and March 3, 2026. It included interviews with 1,000 registered voters, with 620 respondents reached via cell phone and 309 interviewed through an online survey sent via text message. The results, which have a margin of error of ±3.10%, reveal a growing divide. </p><p>The poll also has shocking news for the Democratic Party. According to the survey, 38% of voters have a positive view of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. By comparison, only 30% of voters have a positive view of the Democratic Party. This eight-point gap suggests that despite radical "Abolish ICE" <a href="https://x.com/Ilhan/status/2027125778987581702?s=20" target="_blank">rhetoric</a> from progressives, the American people have more faith in the agency protecting the border than in the party that has consistently undermined it.</p><p>In a post on X, Fox News legal analyst <a href="https://x.com/JonathanTurley/status/2031035995416912199" target="_blank">Jonathan Turley noted</a>, "[The Democratic Party] barely edged out Iran in popularity. As Democrats push airports toward a shutdown during peak Spring break travel, they could soon lose not just to Iran but Ebola in future polls."</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/anti-ice-inflatable-frogs-join-democrats-at-state-of-the-union-counter-event" target="_blank">Anti-ICE inflatable frogs join Democrats at State of the Union counter event</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="a8602" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65174128&width=1245&height=700&quality=50&coordinates=0%2C53%2C0%2C54" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call Inc. via Getty Images</small></p><p>Republicans hold their largest issue-based advantage on the border, far outpacing the 22-point lead they hold on the issue of crime. Meanwhile, the Democratic Party trails significantly on these pressing security concerns.</p><p>While 50% of voters say they prefer a Democrat-controlled Congress, they are simultaneously backing the Trump administration's firm stance on the U.S. border and immigration enforcement.</p><p><em><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em></em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self"><em>Sign up here</em></a><em><em>!</em></em></p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/trump-s-doj-reaches-agreement-with-ticketmaster-to-lower-prices-but-some-states-already-reject-it.png?id=65173970&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C25%2C0%2C26" /><br /><br /><p>The U.S. Dept. of Justice <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/justice-department-and-live-nation-reach-settlement-over-ticketmaster-illegal-monopoly-case" target="_blank">said</a> it had reached a tentative deal in the antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment on Monday.</p><p>Critics of the event ticket outlet have accused the company of seeking a monopoly in the industry in order to artificially maintain high sales fees.</p><p class="pull-quote">'We will continue our lawsuit to protect consumers and restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry.'</p><p>"Live Nation Ticketmaster created a dominant conglomerate with an unprecedented amount of control over the live ticketing market, resulting in monopoly power it has used to entrench its position in the marketplace," Mark Meador <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/the-ticketmaster-scam-trump-vows-to-crush" target="_self">wrote</a> in 2024 before being nominated to FTC commissioner.</p><p>On Monday, a senior Justice Department official said anonymously <a href="https://apnews.com/article/livenation-antitrust-justice-department-0a6ef66f497e5f626096de753bfff8ce?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+New+Content+%28Feed%29&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter" target="_blank">in a call</a> with reporters that the deal was a "win-win for everybody."</p><p>Live Nation has agreed to divest itself of 13 amphitheaters in the U.S. as a part of the deal, which also includes a $280 million fine.</p><p>The official said a double-digit number of states have signaled that they will agree with the deal.</p><p>New York Attorney General Letitia James was among those who said they would not go along with the deal and continue their own lawsuits against the companies.</p><p>"My attorney general colleagues and I have a strong case against Live Nation, and we will continue our lawsuit to protect consumers and restore fair competition to the live entertainment industry," James said.</p><p>Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) ridiculed President Donald Trump over the deal in a post on social media.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/its-time-to-join-the-fight-and-expose-ticketmaster" target="_self">It’s time to join the fight and expose Ticketmaster</a> </strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"> <span class="rm-shortcode" style="display: block; padding-top: 56.25%;"></span> </p><p>"Donald 'Art of the Deal' Trump settled the Ticketmaster-Live Nation antitrust case," <a href="https://x.com/ewarren/status/2031090421254717635" target="_blank">Warren wrote</a>.</p><p>"If you love going to concerts, Trump's deal means you'll keep paying a 'Ticketmaster Tax.' And artists will keep getting bullied," she added. "It's time to break up Ticketmaster-Live Nation."</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em></p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65169858&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0" /><br /><br /><p>President Donald Trump spent years campaigning against the failures of American foreign policy — but not necessarily against American power itself.</p><p>Which is why Trump’s bold global moves suggest a doctrine that rejects nation-building and ideological crusades in favor of something far simpler: an America First approach to global dominance.</p><p>“It’s only March, but already it’s proven to be a pretty remarkably action-packed year. You know, just three days in, Trump successfully plucks up Nicolas Maduro from his bed in Venezuela, extradites him back to the United States, where he’s facing numerous felony charges stemming from involvement in narco-terrorism,” John Doyle explains.</p><p>“Then, the end of February, Trump launches Operation Epic Fury, of course, a military campaign to destroy Iran’s offensive capabilities,” he continues.</p><h3></h3><br /><span class="rm-shortcode" style="display: block; padding-top: 56.25%;"></span><p>“On Tuesday, though, the U.S. and Ecuador launched a joint military operation against narcoterrorists in the South American country,” he adds.</p><p>But it appears that Trump is only getting started.</p><p>“A lot of analysts, I’ve been seeing this, are saying that Trump is perhaps planning an intervention in Cuba. ... In his second term, he’s floated the idea of, you know, a friendly takeover. We can guess how friendly such a takeover would actually be. But Trump’s clearly trying to frame Cuba as a failing state, which it is,” Doyle says.</p><p>And while many Americans are skeptical of Trump’s recent actions, particularly Operation Epic Fury, Doyle points out that Trump is “doing what he thinks is best for America, not what’s best for abstractions like liberal democracy, not what’s best for transgender people in Timbuktu, what is best for America.”</p><p>“He does think in terms of empire. All of his criticism about American Empire has not been so much on the empire itself, but more on the people managing it. What does he say? ‘Our leaders are stupid,’” Doyle explains.</p><p>“His problem with us going into Iraq was not that we went into Iraq necessarily, but that we went in to pursue a nation-building project, and we didn’t even take the oil. He said this as it was going on. He said this on the debate stage in 2016. This is pretty consistent for Donald Trump,” he says.</p><p>“And, of course, it’s true that Trump won the election in 2016 by denouncing, again, certain aspects of the American Empire — you know, our involvement in Iraq, Afghanistan. But it is incorrect ultimately to characterize Trump as opposed to empire itself,” he continues.</p><p>“In fact, if anything, the American Empire is actually doing a lot better with Trump at the helm,” he adds.</p><h2>Want more from John Doyle?</h2><p>To enjoy more of the truth about America and join the fight to restore a country that has been betrayed by its own leaders, <a href="https://get.blazetv.com/doyle/?utm_source=theblaze&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=article_shortcode_rufo-lomez" target="_blank">subscribe to BlazeTV</a> — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.</p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/david-french-catches-flak-for-claiming-talarico-a-pro-abortion-democrat-acts-like-a-christian.jpg?id=65172995&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C107" /><br /><br /><p>New York Times opinion writer David French, a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/opinion/james-talarico-christian-democrat-texas-primary.html" target="_blank">self-described</a> evangelical conservative, has made a habit out of supporting radical leftists over those Republican officials who have time and again delivered meaningful results for the causes of life and liberty.</p><p>French <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/11/opinion/harris-trump-conservatives-abortion.html" target="_blank">announced</a> in 2024, for example, that he was supporting then-candidate Kamala Harris over President Donald Trump "to save conservatism."</p><p class="pull-quote">'French always saves his most demonic takes for Sunday morning columns.'</p><p>The former National Review writer's rationale was that the GOP supposedly wouldn't survive another Trump term but could be rebuilt as a "force for genuine good" in the event that Harris — an advocate for <a href="https://reproductivefreedomforall.org/lawmaker/kamala-harris/" target="_blank">abortion</a>, <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/prominent-victim-of-the-sex-change-regime-endorses-trump-in-gut-wrenching-ad" target="_blank">child sex-rejection procedures</a>, and <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/harris-not-only-threatened-to-storm-the-homes-of-legal-gunowners-she-supported-a-pistol-ban" target="_blank">infringements on the Second Amendment</a> — won.</p><p>Although his propaganda didn't work in 2024, French clearly hasn't given up on promoting radical leftists and is now promoting James Talarico, the Democrat state representative hoping to succeed Republican John Cornyn in the U.S. Senate.</p><p>French — who has not only <a href="https://archive.ph/G4cha" target="_blank">embraced</a> homosexual "marriage" but also non-Christian speech codes about <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/shows/relatable/trans-ideologys-newest-victim" target="_blank">gender</a> — <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/opinion/james-talarico-christian-democrat-texas-primary.html" target="_blank">claimed</a> in an editorial on Sunday that "Talarico shines" as "one of the few openly Christian politicians in the United States who acts like a Christian, and by acting like a Christian he reveals a profound contrast with so many members of the MAGA Christian movement that’s dominated American political life for 10 years."</p><p>French proffered Talarico's Senate primary victory speech, during which he criticized competition, as an example of the Democrat's supposed Christianity in action, "right heart," and loving ways.</p><p>"I am tired of being pitted against my neighbor. I’m tired of being told to hate my neighbor. It’s been more than 10 years of this kind of politics," said Talarico. "Politics as blood sport, politics as trolling and owning, politics as total war. It tears families apart. It ends friendships, and it leaves us all feeling terrible all the time."</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/democrats-swapped-crocketts-preening-for-talaricos-pulpit-and-it-worked" target="_blank">Democrats swapped Crockett’s preening for Talarico’s pulpit — and it worked </a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="958b3" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65173001&width=1245&height=700&quality=50&coordinates=0%2C53%2C0%2C54" /><small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Photo by Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto via Getty Image</small></p><p>Though gushing about Talarico's supposed Christian decency and compassionate public face, French neglected to mention any of the Democrat's nastier remarks about those political opponents and fellow Christians with whom he fundamentally disagrees.</p><p>Talarico <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/08/opinion/james-talarico-christian-democrat-texas-primary.html" target="_blank">previously suggested</a>, for example, that Trump is a "business cheat, a pathological liar, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/03/politics/doug-emhoff-acknowledges-affair-during-first-marriage/index.html" target="_blank">a serial adulterer</a>, a twice-impeached insurrectionist, a convicted felon, an adjudicated rapist," many of whose supporters "have forgotten all about Jesus."</p><p>Trump sued ABC News over host George Stephanopoulos' false on-air assertion that the president had been found civilly liable for rape. Per the terms of the late 2024 settlement, ABC News <a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/12/14/nx-s1-5229089/abc-e-jean-carroll-trump-george-stephanopoulos" target="_blank">ultimately agreed</a> to pay $15 million toward Trump's presidential library.</p><p>Despite the apparent narrowness of Talarico's love and understanding, French — making no secret of his soft spot for Cornyn and hard liking for Talarico — presented the Democrat challenger as the supposedly virtuous antithesis of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.</p><p>French's case relies not only on selective outrage and his apparent ability to judge the hearts of men but on severing both candidates from their relevant activities, namely their work in office.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"> <span class="rm-shortcode" style="display: block; padding-top: 56.25%;"></span></p><p>"For too long we've evaluated Christians in politics primarily through their policy positions," wrote French. "Yet this is exactly backward."</p><p>French expressed outrage over Paxton's failed marriage and portrayed him as an exemplar of vice while strategically ignoring Talarico's:</p><ul><li>support for the dehumanization and elimination of the unborn, as signaled by his <a href="https://texasrighttolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/House-050-2025.pdf" target="_blank">0% score</a> on the Texas Right to Life's pro-life scorecard and his correlated <a href="https://choicetracker.org/tx/people/james-talarico/82771968" target="_blank">recognition</a> as "a Pro-Choice Champion" by the Texas Choice Tracker;</li><li><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/align/james-talarico-bible-abortion" target="_self">attempted use</a> of scripture, specifically Genesis 2:7 and the Annunciation, to justify the slaughter of the unborn;</li><li>votes <a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/rollcall/SB14/id/1324381" target="_blank">against</a> sparing children from sex-rejection mutilations as well as <a href="https://legiscan.com/TX/rollcall/SB15/id/1327441" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">against</a> keeping men out of girls' sports;</li><li><a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/06/16/james-talarico-texas-democrats-00101231" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">claim</a> that displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms is "deeply un-Christian";</li><li><a href="https://x.com/jamestalarico/status/1589402191764533248" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">claim</a> that the Supreme Court's <em></em><em>Dobbs</em> ruling was effectively "un-Christian";</li><li><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/god-non-binary-texas-dem-nominee-talaricos-past-remarks-abortion-race-gender-draw-scrutiny" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">claim</a> that God is "non-binary";</li><li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/TheBlaze/videos/tx-dem-nominee-for-us-senate-modern-science-proves-there-are-six-genders/1122203806658333/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">claim</a> that there are six sexes, despite the clear <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%201%3A27&version=KJV" target="_blank">assertion</a> in Genesis, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them"; </li><li><a href="https://x.com/jamestalarico/status/1655699432627683334?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">complaint</a> that "Republican politicians are banning drag queens in the name of protecting children"; and</li><li><a href="https://x.com/SteveGuest/status/2030815371473633435?s=20" target="_blank">claim</a> that "you can't call yourself a Christian and destroy God's creation with greenhouse gases."</li></ul><p>Critics blasted French over his commentary, suggesting that his understanding of "decency" is confused if not outright deceptive.</p><p>Radio host Erick Erickson <a href="https://x.com/EWErickson/status/2030719709264662913?s=20" target="_blank">noted</a>, "It is not decent to twist scripture to lead others to hell. It is not decent to claim whiteness itself is like a virus. It is not decent to use Christ’s conception as a justification for abortion. It is not decent to reduce women to 'neighbors with uteruses.' Only if you have been radicalized by your critics can you land at this position."</p><p class="pull-quote">'Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape.'</p><p>"David French is endorsing a guy who wants free abortion mills in every courthouse and who also claims God is trans," <a href="https://x.com/seanmdav/status/2030707511049728430?s=20" target="_blank">wrote</a> Sean Davis, CEO of the Federalist. "That French always saves his most demonic takes for Sunday morning columns is a pretty good indicator of who he actually worships now."</p><p>William Wolfe, executive director for the Center for Baptist Leadership, alluded to the conspiring demons in C.S Lewis' "The Screwtape Letters," <a href="https://x.com/WilliamWolfe/status/2030735520158933001?s=20" target="_blank">writing</a>, "Now tell them that pro-abortion, pro-child mutilation politician who preaches that God is non-binary is a 'shining' example of a Christian. Your affectionate uncle, Screwtape."</p><p>Weeks prior to French's opinion piece, BlazeTV host Steve Deace suggested that Talarico was an "object and a vessel of malevolence. All right? When he speaks, he's not deceived; he's the deceiver. ... He is who Paul would have said in Acts, 'You are a son of the devil.' He knows what he is doing."</p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/china-is-at-war-with-us-start-acting-like-it.jpg?id=65173073&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C54%2C0%2C125" /><br /><br /><p>Communist China isn’t hiding its ambitions. Beijing wants to displace the United States as the world’s leading power. It <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/3874713-cia-director-cant-say-what-chinese-leadership-knew-about-spy-balloon/" target="_blank">flies spy balloons</a> over our country, runs influence operations, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-china-technology-disputes-intellectual-property-europe-e749a72e" target="_blank">steals technology</a>, pressures neighbors, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/china-america-navy-taiwan-strait-transit-freedom-overflight-1783997" target="_blank">menaces Taiwan</a>, and <a href="https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3343917/how-china-overtook-us-hypersonic-arms-and-may-leave-air-defences-powerless" target="_blank">builds missiles</a> and ships meant to <a href="https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/military/satellite-images-expose-china-practising-blowing-up-us-warships/news-story/564e6ac42ad821f7227eab88683717ad" target="_blank">drive America out</a> of the Western Pacific.</p><p>The Pentagon’s newly released <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2026/Jan/23/2003864773/-1/-1/0/2026-NATIONAL-DEFENSE-STRATEGY.PDF" target="_blank">National Defense Strategy</a> puts the People’s Republic of China at the center of the threat picture. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth frames the task in blunt terms: “peace through strength,” including a favorable balance of power in the Indo-Pacific so that China can’t “dominate us or our allies.”</p><p class="pull-quote">China won’t ‘take over the world’ in some comic-book way. But it will keep testing the seams of American power — and it will keep exploiting our habits of denial and delay.</p><p>That doesn’t mean the United States and China are “<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Destined-War-America-Escape-Thucydidess/dp/0544935276" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">destined for war.</a>” China’s weaknesses cut against that. It lacks the kind of soft power that makes alliances easy and coercion unnecessary. Outside its borders, China inspires far more fear than admiration. <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/politics/government/china-is-facing-a-demographic-bomb-and-it-could-handcuff-beijing-s-ambitions/ar-AA1UWT7S" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Demographic collapse</a> also looms. The one-child policy left China facing an aging population and a shrinking workforce.</p><p>None of that makes Beijing harmless. A declining regime can still lash out. It can still intimidate neighbors, manipulate markets, and exploit American openness. It can also run influence operations in plain sight — through front companies, academic partnerships, lobbying, investment vehicles, and the slow capture of key choke points in tech and infrastructure.</p><p>That calls for something Washington too often refuses to do: enforce rules like a serious country.</p><p>Start with basic <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/23/house-ethics-committee-ends-probe-into-swalwells-interaction-with-fang-fang/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">counterintelligence hygiene</a>. Aggressively investigate covert foreign influence. Enforce FARA. Protect sensitive research. Tighten screening around critical supply chains. Treat strategic industries like strategic industries. Strip Chinese “<a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2026/01/17/manchurian-generation-ballot-flood-more-than-1-million-chinese-with-u-s-citizenship-could-vote-in-2030-elections/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">paper Americans</a>” of their citizenship and <a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/exclusive-meet-the-chinese-congressman-accused-of-abusing-21-kids-in-us-surrogacy-scheme/ar-AA1JEA2W" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">deport them</a>.</p><p>This is where internal discipline matters as much as external posture. A national strategy collapses when parts of the bureaucracy slow-walk it, freelance against it, or treat it like optional guidance.</p><p>Consider the recent ouster of Assistant Attorney General Gail Slater. She was in charge of the Department of Justice’s antitrust division until last month. But she butted heads repeatedly with Attorney General Pam Bondi. Their disagreements slid into <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2026/02/12/gail-slater-pam-bondi-antitrust-doj-jd-vance-hewlett-packard/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">insubordination</a>. Slater <a href="https://x.com/reaganreese_/status/2022071636812345536" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">allegedly lied</a> to Bondi on national security matters that appeared to help China.</p><p><strong>RELATED:</strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/columns/opinion/iran-china-and-trumps-art-of-the-squeal" target="_self"><strong> </strong><strong>Iran, China, and Trump’s ‘art of the squeal’</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-16x9"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="24fe4" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65173069&width=1245&height=700&quality=50&coordinates=0%2C35%2C0%2C72" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">White House via X Account/Anadolu via Getty Images</small></p><p>For example, Slater opposed the Hewlett-Packard Enterprise <a href="https://www.hpe.com/us/en/newsroom/press-release/2025/07/hewlett-packard-enterprise-closes-acquisition-of-juniper-networks-to-offer-industry-leading-comprehensive-cloud-native-ai-driven-portfolio.html" target="_blank">acquisition</a> of Juniper Networks, which national security experts say is essential to combat Chinese tech dominance. Blocking the deal would have hurt U.S. industry and helped Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Happily, the administration overruled her and approved the deal.</p><p>Washington can’t run a serious China policy with internal sabotage, bureaucratic drift, or officials acting like they answer to a different set of priorities.</p><p>The same standard applies to national security decisions in the tech arena. If competition with Huawei and China’s tech ecosystem matters — and it does — then Washington should evaluate mergers, procurement, and infrastructure policy through that lens, not just through abstract theories divorced from geopolitical reality. America needs to win the next generation of networks, not regulate itself into strategic dependence.</p><p>China won’t “take over the world” in some comic-book way. But it will keep testing the seams of American power — and it will keep exploiting our habits of denial and delay.</p><p>Peace through strength isn’t a slogan. It’s a posture: defend critical systems, enforce the law, remove vulnerabilities, and stop treating strategic competition like a seminar topic. The first step is simple and unglamorous: clean up our own house, then face Beijing with the seriousness the moment demands.</p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65170444&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0" /><br /><br /><p>Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger (D) has refused to hand over an illegal immigrant with over 30 prior arrests to ICE.</p><p>The suspect, Abdul Jalloh, is an <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/spanberger-refuses-honor-ice-detainer-murder-case-escalating-showdown-trump-dhs" target="_blank">illegal alien</a> from Sierra Leone with at least 30 arrests on violent charges.</p><p>“She is now saying that she will not turn over a guy who [allegedly] murdered a woman at a bus stop, stabbing her to death. Okay? Will not turn him over to ICE because they need a warrant. Can I ask you — and this is an honest question — why, why, for the love of Pete, are the Democrats so intent on protecting murderers, rapists?” Blaze Media co-founder Glenn Beck comments.</p><p>“The police knew who this guy was because they had arrested him so many times. He had been arrested like 40 times. One of them was for rape, and they let him out on the streets — returned him to the streets — because they want to protect him and his rights,” Glenn says.</p><h3></h3><br /><span class="rm-shortcode" style="display: block; padding-top: 56.25%;"></span><p>Glenn admits that he doesn’t “understand.”</p><p>“Immigration policy can be really, really complicated. Border enforcement: complicated, okay? Work visas, asylum laws, all of that stuff. But in this case, it is not complicated at all. A woman standing at a bus stop, a normal American moment, waiting for the day to begin, waiting for a bus, and she’s stabbed to death,” he says.</p><p>“And this isn’t somebody who just slipped through the cracks one time. A guy who had been arrested again and again and again. … Assault, rape, and now [suspected] murder, stabbing,” he continues.</p><p>“Can I ask you: If it is not the government’s job to protect, what is their job?” Glenn asks. “Because they weren’t protecting you or this woman or anybody in Virginia. They weren’t protecting any American by putting him back on the street.”</p><p>“Now, here’s the question that every single American should be asking, and I mean this honestly: What possible justification exists for keeping somebody like this in our communities?” he asks. “Can you give me one single explanation that is logical, that is not evil, quite honestly?”</p><h2>Want more from Glenn Beck?</h2><p>To enjoy more of Glenn’s masterful storytelling, thought-provoking analysis, and uncanny ability to make sense of the chaos, <a href="https://get.blazetv.com/glenn/?utm_source=theblaze&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=article_shortcode_glennbeck" target="_blank">subscribe to BlazeTV</a> — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.</p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/activist-judge-rules-trump-appointee-doesn-t-have-authority-to-order-mass-layoffs-at-voice-of-america.png?id=65172892&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C51" /><br /><br /><p>Another federal judge has <a href="https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/kari-lake-dismantle-voice-of-america?taid=69ae4246e9e7b00001532dcf&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=trueanthem&utm_source=twitter" target="_blank">ruled</a> against the Trump administration after a group of fired employees filed a lawsuit to oppose layoffs ordered at Voice of America.</p><p>President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/trump-admin-to-dismantle-irretrievably-broken-government-media-agency" target="_blank">nominated</a> Kari Lake to oversee the federal multimedia broadcaster in March 2025 as part of an order to reduce redundant government agencies.</p><p class="pull-quote">'We don't have anyone in our foreign bureaus. We don't have anybody, basically, to cover the news.'</p><p>On Saturday, U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth ruled that Lake did not have the authority to order the layoffs, but it is unclear how the agency will proceed after the ruling.</p><p>"Only the Appointments Clause or the Vacancies Act's exclusive structure may authorize service as a principal officer, and Lake satisfies the requirements of neither the statute nor the Constitution," Lamberth wrote in the ruling.</p><p>Lamberth also noted that Lake had not been approved by the U.S. Senate.</p><p>The journalists who filed the lawsuit included Voice of America White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara, Kate Neeper, and Jessica Jerreat.</p><p>"We feel vindicated and deeply grateful. The judge's ruling that Kari Lake's actions shall have no force or effect is a powerful step toward undoing the damage she has inflicted on this American institution that we love," reads a <a href="https://x.com/savevoanow/status/2030461339139731808" target="_blank">statement</a> from the journalists.</p><p>"Even as we work through what this ruling means for colleagues harmed by her actions, it brings renewed hope and momentum to the next phase of our fight," they added, "restoring VOA's global operations and ensuring we continue to produce journalism, not propaganda."</p><p>About 85% of the staff at VOA and the U.S. Agency for Global Media has been fired since March 2025, which includes about 1,400 workers.</p><p>"There's about 120 working right now, and that's all based in D.C.," Widakuswara <a href="https://wtop.com/local/2026/03/future-of-voice-of-america-unclear-after-judge-rules-kari-lake-had-no-authority-to-overhaul-voa/" target="_blank">said</a>. "We don't have anyone in our foreign bureaus. We don't have anybody, basically, to cover the news."</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/judge-trump-slavery-nps-site" target="_blank"><strong>Judge orders Trump administration to restore slavery exhibits to presidential home site</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"> <span class="rm-shortcode" style="display: block; padding-top: 56.25%;"></span> </p><p>Lake excoriated the judge and indicated the government would appeal the ruling.</p><p>"The American people gave President Trump a mandate to cut bloated bureaucracy, eliminate waste, and restore accountability to government," she wrote on social media.</p><p>"An activist judge is trying to stand in the way of those efforts at USAGM," she added. <br />"Judge Lamberth has a pattern of activist rulings — and this case is no different."</p><em><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em></em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self"><u><em>Sign up here</em></u></a><em><em>!</em></em>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/11-year-old-florida-boy-just-arrested-for-making-death-threat-was-charged-with-same-crime-in-october-police.png?id=65172700&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C10%2C0%2C11" /><br /><br /><p>An 11-year-old Florida boy who was just arrested for making a death threat was charged with the same crime in October, police said.</p><p>The Volusia County Sheriff's Office <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/893048013552313" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">noted</a> in its news release last week that "we have a repeat visitor" before disclosing that it was the young suspect's "second arrest for making a written threat to kill."</p><p class="pull-quote">'If you can threaten to shoot 7 teachers you can take a perp walk. Parents, discipline your kids and I won't have to.'</p><p>The sheriff's office said the boy has been in a diversion program as a result of his last arrest in October at Southwestern Middle School after he sent a group message "IM GONNA SHOOT YOU" from another student's communications account.</p><p>But officials said the 11-year-old on Thursday once again used another student's account to send the message "imma shoot you" to seven teachers at DeLand Middle School.</p><p>The sheriff's office posted video of a deputy perp-walking the handcuffed boy into a holding cell. Blaze News is not naming the suspect or showing his face because of his age.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/10-year-old-florida-boy-arrested-perp-walked-on-camera-after-writing-kill-list-threatening-to-bring-gun-to-school-cops" target="_blank"><strong>10-year-old Florida boy arrested, perp-walked on camera over kill list, threatening to bring gun to elementary school: Cops</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="a088e" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=65172818&width=1245&height=700&quality=50&coordinates=0%2C9%2C0%2C9" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Image source: Volusia County (Fla.) Sheriff's Office video screenshot, composite</small></p><p>Sheriff Mike Chitwood had strong words for those who "coddle" young people accused of such crimes.</p><p>"Now understand this. We have 63,000 students and 4,400 teachers in <span style="background-color: initial;">Volusia County Schools</span>. I know some want to make excuses and coddle the select few who choose to make threats. You can pat them on the head and tell them everything's going to be alright. My job is to look out for everyone else," Chitwood wrote. "These idiotic threats disrupt our schools, eat up time and resources, and increase the chances a real threat slips through the cracks. If you can threaten to shoot 7 teachers you can take a perp walk. Parents, discipline your kids and I won't have to."</p><p>Such arrests seem to be piling up in Florida.</p><ul><li>The day before the 11-year-old boy's arrest last week, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/10-year-old-florida-boy-arrested-perp-walked-on-camera-after-writing-kill-list-threatening-to-bring-gun-to-school-cops" target="_blank">arrested a 10-year-old boy</a> and perp-walked him on camera after officials said he threatened to bring a gun to his elementary school and left a kill list in his classroom.</li><li>Late last month the Volusia County Sheriff's Office <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/12-year-old-florida-girl-posts-detailed-manifesto-about-conducting-mass-shooting-at-middle-school-over-bullying-cops" target="_self">said</a> officers arrested a 12-year-old girl after she posted online a "detailed manifesto" about carrying out a mass shooting at a middle school due to bullying.</li><li>Also in February, a <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/2-florida-15-year-olds-accused-of-threatening-to-shoot-up-high-schools" target="_self">pair of 15-year-olds were arrested</a> after being accused of threatening to shoot up high schools, police said.</li><li>In late October, an <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/florida-girl-just-11-years-old-arrested-after-writing-kill-list-on-her-desk-at-school-cops-say" target="_self">11-year-old girl was arrested</a> after writing a "kill list" at her desk at school, police said. Then just two weeks later, an <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/11-year-old-arrested-for-alleged-kill-list-at-florida-school-just-2-weeks-after-similar-incident-in-same-school-district" target="_self">11-year-old boy</a> from the same school district was arrested after allegedly creating a "kill list" at school, police said.</li><li>Also in October, a Florida sheriff's office came under fire for posting <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/florida-sheriffs-office-under-fire-for-posting-9-year-old-males-mugshot-on-facebook-after-his-felony-arrest" target="_self">9-year-old male's mug shot</a> on Facebook after his felony arrest for allegedly bringing a knife into his elementary school.</li><li>Just a week prior, that same sheriff's office said a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PutnamCountySheriffsOffice/posts/pfbid0DHGBGrT4Qyx78pxkzYWUBVEKpLjikz8AFdmR7uTuDp8V5zB9JBrXs9SrYvf6GEAJl" target="_blank">10-year-old was arrested</a> and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill, a third-degree felony, after bringing a pocketknife to school and threatening another student. The sheriff's office posted the suspect's name and mug shot.</li></ul><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em></p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/liberal-media-covers-for-saturday-s-nyc-terror-attack-suspects-then-the-facts-come-out.jpg?id=65172636&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C107" /><br /><br /><p>Many news outlets glossed over key details about the <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/counter-protester-lights-explosive-amid-anti-mamdani-protest-utters-allahu-akbar-but-nyc-mayor-rips-bigotry-and-racism" target="_blank">attempted bombing</a> in New York City over the weekend, in some instances misleadingly portraying the attack outside Gracie Mansion as a threat to the city's first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani (D), and omitting the motivations and apparent Islamic radicalization of the suspects.</p><p>Mamdani refused to acknowledge the suspects' identities and instead focused his messaging on blaming the initial protest, "Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City," which the mayor claimed was "rooted in bigotry and racism."</p><p class="pull-quote">'What any honest person would call an IED, the New York Times calls "smoking jars of metal and fuses."'</p><p>The <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/suspicious-devices-outside-nyc-mayors-gracie-mansion/6473590/" target="_blank">media</a> initially <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/gracie-mansion-suspicious-devices-rcna262237" target="_blank">echoed</a> Mamdani's <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/us-news/northeast/suspicious-device-thrown-outside-gracie-mansion-police/" target="_blank">framing</a>.</p><p>The New York Times released an early <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/nyregion/gracie-mansion-protests.html" target="_blank">report</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/nytimes/posts/the-police-in-manhattan-arrested-six-people-on-saturday-during-a-clash-between-f/1316120247037102/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">titled</a>, "Smoking Jars of Metal and Fuses Thrown at Protest Near Mayor's House," in which the outlet was quick to label the anti-Islamic protesters as "far-right" and led by "the far-right provocateur Jake Lang." </p><p>The report detailed how the "turbulent scene" began with Lang's demonstration, noting that one of his fellow protesters sprayed counter-protesters with mace before a counter-protester threw two smoking objects in their direction. The framing of the report suggested that the anti-Islam protesters were the initial aggressors in the confrontation.</p><p>The Times described the two suspects accused of bringing the "smoking objects" merely as "counterprotesters," without delving into their potential motivations, political leanings, or signs of radicalization.</p><p>No explosions or injuries were reported.</p><p><strong><span></span>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/counter-protester-lights-explosive-amid-anti-mamdani-protest-utters-allahu-akbar-but-nyc-mayor-rips-bigotry-and-racism" target="_blank"><strong>Counter-protester lights explosive amid anti-Mamdani protest, utters 'Allahu Akbar' — but NYC mayor rips 'bigotry and racism'</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-16x9"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="c1b4a" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65172641&width=1245&height=700&quality=50&coordinates=0%2C9%2C0%2C98" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Photo by Leonardo MUNOZ/AFP via Getty Images</small></p><p>Author Hans Mahncke criticized the Times' headline, writing in a <a href="https://x.com/HansMahncke/status/2030688999543537754" target="_blank">post</a> on social media, "What any honest person would call an IED, the New York Times calls 'smoking jars of metal and fuses.'" The headline of the Times' article was later updated to "Homemade Bomb Thrown at Protest Near N.Y.C. Mayor's House, Police Say." </p><p>At the same time that early news reports were surfacing, videos posted to social media showed one of the suspects shouting, "Allahu Akbar," while tossing an IED toward anti-Islam protesters. </p><p>Even with the release of this and similar videos, the <a href="https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2026/03/islamophobic-demonstration-outside-gracie-mansion-leads-6-arrests/411968/" target="_blank">media</a> was slow to <a href="https://abc7.com/post/gracie-mansion-investigation-6-arrested-suspicious-devices-thrown-outside-mayor-zohran-mamdanis-home-new-york-city/18690548/" target="_blank">report</a> that Islamic radicals potentially carried out the attempted bombing.</p><p>The media began covering this angle only after the New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/fbi-investigation-terrorism-explosive-device-new-york-city-mayor-mamdani-gracie-mansion/" target="_blank">stated</a> that the attempted bombing was being investigated as ISIS-inspired terrorism.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2026/03/09/nyregion/gracie-mansion-bomb-investigation-nyc" target="_blank">Times</a> later reported that the suspects had viewed ISIS videos online, according to two anonymous officials. The homemade bombs reportedly contained triacetone triperoxide, made from precursor materials that have been linked to ISIS in the past, including in the Paris <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/10-years-after-bataclan-massacre-paris-is-still-scarred-by-islamic-state-attacks" target="_blank">attacks</a> in 2015.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-glenn-beck-program/glenn-beck-exposes-commie-mamdanis-free-day-care-scam-36k-per-kid-55-more-than-private-and-the-socialist-trap-coming" target="_blank"><strong>Glenn Beck exposes commie Mamdani's 'free' day-care scam: $36K per kid — 55% more than private — and the socialist trap coming</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-16x9"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="cb63e" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65172645&width=1245&height=700&quality=50&coordinates=0%2C53%2C0%2C54" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Photo by CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images</small></p><p>Tisch, who confirmed that the IEDs were real and potentially lethal, released more details about the suspects in a <a href="https://x.com/NYPDPC/status/2030695186410463401" target="_blank">post</a> on X.</p><p>"Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi were arrested on scene yesterday and are in custody in connection with this matter. The NYPD is working on this investigation with our partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI through our Joint Terrorism Task Force," Tisch wrote.</p><p>Despite Tisch's announcement, Mamdani held fast to his original position. </p><p>During a Monday-morning <a href="https://x.com/NYCMayor/status/2030992802629255313?s=20" target="_blank">press conference</a>, Mamdani again criticized "white supremacy" and condemned the anti-Muslim protest. While he denounced violence, he described many of the counter-protesters as "peaceful." He did not mention that the suspects appear to be radicalized Muslims.</p><p><em>Editor's note: This article's headline has been corrected after publication to make clear that the act took place on Saturday, not Sunday.</em><br /></p><p><em><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em></em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self"><em><em>Sign up here</em></em></a><em><em>!</em></em></p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/per-mile-driving-taxes-the-latest-way-to-punish-those-who-drive-the-most.jpg?id=65172002&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0" /><br /><br /><p>A growing number of states are considering a new way to tax drivers: charging you for every mile you travel.</p><p>The idea is called a per-mile driving tax, and if it moves forward, the cost of simply using your car could rise dramatically.</p><p class="pull-quote">To tax driving by the mile, governments need to know exactly how far a vehicle travels. That raises immediate questions about monitoring and data collection.</p><p>On a recent episode of "The Drive with Lauren and Karl," Karl Brauer and I discussed how these proposals are spreading — and why they could mean both higher costs and more government monitoring of drivers.</p><h2>Pay as you go?</h2><p>States such as California and Massachusetts are exploring mileage-based road charges as a replacement or supplement to traditional fuel taxes. The idea is simple on paper: Instead of paying taxes at the pump, drivers pay based on how many miles they drive.</p><p>But in practice, that means a new bill tied directly to your mobility.</p><p><a href="https://www.reformcalifornia.org/campaigns/stop-the-mileage-tax#:~:text=Stop%20California%20Politicians%20from%20Imposing,being%20determined%20by%20government%20bureaucrats." target="_blank">Estimates</a> from California state Rep. Carl DeMaio (R) suggest the impact could be substantial. Under proposals being discussed in California, drivers could be charged six to nine cents per mile they travel.</p><p>For a typical driver covering about 15,000 miles a year, that translates to roughly $900 to $1,200 annually in new taxes. DeMaio notes that when those charges are layered on top of existing gas taxes and vehicle taxes, the total burden for a two-car household could exceed $4,200 per year just for the privilege of driving.</p><p>That’s not a minor adjustment. For many families, it would function like another recurring household bill — tied directly to how much they drive.</p><p>And unlike discretionary spending, driving often isn’t optional. Millions of Americans rely on their vehicles to get to work, transport children, care for relatives, and handle everyday errands.</p><h2>Commuter looter</h2><p>One of the biggest problems with per-mile taxes is who ends up paying the highest price.</p><p>The drivers most likely to rack up mileage are often the ones who can least afford it. In expensive states like California, many workers commute long distances because housing near job centers is out of reach. Living farther out keeps rent or mortgage payments manageable — but it also means driving more miles.</p><p>A mileage tax effectively punishes those drivers for circumstances they can’t control.</p><p>Karl points out the obvious math: The longer your commute, the higher your tax bill. That means lower-income workers who travel farther to reach their jobs could end up paying more than wealthier drivers who live closer to work.</p><h2>I spy</h2><p>There’s another practical issue: How would states measure those miles?</p><p>To tax driving by the mile, governments need to know exactly how far a vehicle travels. That raises immediate questions about monitoring and data collection.</p><p>Modern cars already gather significant amounts of information through connected systems, insurance telematics, and onboard software. But a statewide mileage tax would likely require even more precise tracking.</p><p>Older vehicles without built-in connectivity present another challenge. Any mileage-tax program would still have to account for them, which could mean external tracking devices, reporting systems, or other work-arounds.</p><p>However the system is built, the bottom line is that taxing miles requires knowing how many miles you drive — and that opens the door to broader monitoring of driver behavior.</p><h2>Kill switch 2.0</h2><p>During the episode, we also talk about how this issue overlaps with new driver-monitoring technology already appearing in modern vehicles.</p><p>Under provisions in the 2021 infrastructure law, new vehicles will eventually include <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kentucky/articles/2026-02-14/federal-law-would-stop-the-cars-of-drunk-or-impaired-drivers-but-it-isnt-happening-yet#:~:text=The%20measure%2C%20often%20referred%20to,that%20final%20approval%20is%20near." rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">systems designed to detect impaired driving</a>. The concept is often described as a safety feature, but the broader concern is how much control these systems could exert over the vehicle itself.</p><p>If software determines that a driver is impaired or unsafe, it could prevent the car from operating.</p><p>Karl and I agree that no one wants impaired drivers on the road. But once vehicles are equipped with systems capable of monitoring behavior and controlling vehicle operation, the question becomes how those systems might be used — and who ultimately controls them.</p><p>For drivers, that raises an uncomfortable possibility: a vehicle that can track, interpret, and potentially restrict how you use it.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/align/salvage-title-cars-are-showing-up-at-dealerships-should-you-buy-one" target="_self"><strong>Salvage title cars are showing up at dealerships. Should you buy one?</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image image-crop-16x9"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="d965a" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=65172021&width=1245&height=700&quality=50&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Mike Simons/Getty Images</small></p><h2>Engine trouble</h2><p>Even without mileage taxes, the cost of owning and operating a vehicle has been climbing.</p><p>Vehicle prices remain high. Insurance premiums have increased significantly in many states. Repairs are more expensive as cars become more technologically complex. Fuel prices remain volatile.</p><p>Layering a per-mile tax on top of those costs would make daily transportation even more expensive.</p><p>Take California, where drivers already pay <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=in+places+like+California%2C+drivers+are+already+paying+some+of+the+highest+fuel+taxes+in+the+country&oq=in+places+like+California%2C+drivers+are+already+paying+some+of+the+highest+fuel+taxes+in+the+country&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRiPAtIBBzI0MGowajSoAgCwAgE&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8" target="_blank">the highest fuel taxes</a> in the country. A mileage-based charge might not replace those taxes — it could simply add another layer on top of them.</p><h2>A broader trend</h2><p>Mileage taxes also fit into a larger pattern in transportation policy.</p><p>Governments are experimenting with new ways to regulate emissions, reshape travel behavior, and generate revenue from road usage. But the people who feel the impact most directly are ordinary drivers.</p><p>Policies that make driving more expensive or more restricted don’t affect abstract “vehicle usage.” They affect real people who rely on their cars every day.</p><p>That includes workers commuting to jobs, parents transporting children, caregivers helping elderly relatives, and small-business owners who depend on vehicles for their livelihoods.</p><h2>The bottom line</h2><p>For most Americans, a car isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity.</p><p>That’s why proposals like per-mile driving taxes deserve close scrutiny. They could dramatically increase transportation costs while expanding the amount of information collected about how drivers use their vehicles.</p><p>If states move forward with mileage-based taxes, drivers will be the ones paying the bill — both financially and in terms of how their mobility is monitored.</p><p>Listen to the full episode of “The Drive with Lauren and Karl” below:</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-youtube"> <span class="rm-shortcode" style="display: block; padding-top: 56.25%;"></span></p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/schumer-versus-schumer-damning-footage-exposes-democrat-flip-flop.jpg?id=65172405&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C72%2C0%2C0" /><br /><br /><p>U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) is a vociferous opponent of the <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/22" target="_blank">Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act</a>, sometimes referred to as the <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116196711651701576" target="_blank">SAVE America Act</a>, which would require individuals to provide proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/favorability/chuck-schumer" target="_blank">unpopular</a> senator has <a href="https://www.democrats.senate.gov/news/press-releases/leader-schumer-floor-remarks-on-how-the-save-act-would-disenfranchise-millions-of-american-voters-says-it-is-dead-on-arrival-in-the-senate" target="_blank">characterized</a> the act — the passage of which President Donald Trump has <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116193527873859174" target="_blank">made a condition</a> of his ratification of other bills — as "Jim Crow 2.0," a "fringe piece of legislation," and as "extreme as it gets."</p><p class="pull-quote">'Americans see the hypocrisy.'</p><p>Schumer was not, however, always opposed to measures protecting the benefits owed only to American citizens.</p><p>Decades-old footage has once again <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2030770603959968105" target="_blank">gone viral</a> online, showing Schumer previously making the case that valid U.S. identification ensures against rampant fraud by noncitizens.</p><p>When discussing a proposed amendment to the Republican-sponsored <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/104th-congress/house-bill/3734" target="_blank">Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act</a> in March 1996, then-Rep. Chuck Schumer <a href="https://www.c-span.org/clip/house-proceeding/user-clip-schumer-on-social-security-illegal-immigration/5161974" target="_blank">stated</a>, "Let's admit the truth: Everywhere people go, they're asked for a Social Security card. In fact, one way to prove you’re a bona fide person who can have a job is to ask for a driver’s license and a Social Security card."</p><p>“This is an anti-fraud amendment. All over, where we go, people say, 'Well, why can't you stop illegal immigrants or others from coming here?' And the number-one answer we give our constituents is, 'When they come here, they can get jobs, get benefits against the law because of fraud,'" said Schumer.</p><p><strong>RELATED: <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/illegal-alien-allegedly-voted-in-2024-federal-election-when-trump-and-kamala-were-on-the-ballot" target="_blank">Illegal alien allegedly voted in 2024 federal election, when Trump and Kamala were on the ballot</a></strong></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="4e74a" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.png?id=65172358&width=1245&height=700&quality=50&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0" /><small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images</small></p><p>In the video — an excerpt of which the White House <a href="https://x.com/WhiteHouse/status/2023791635436630393?s=20" target="_blank">shared</a> online last month — the Democrat also blasts opposition to the "anti-fraud measure."</p><p>Responding to the remarks made by the Schumer of yesteryear, Sen. Ashley Moody (R-Fla.) <a href="https://x.com/SenAshleyMoody/status/2024193760855269516?s=20" target="_blank">wrote</a>, "Americans see the hypocrisy. Pass the Save America Act."</p><p>"The only thing that's changed here is Democrat messaging," <a href="https://x.com/RepRalphNorman/status/2023868832105037879?s=20" target="_blank">wrote</a> Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.). "EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON recognizes that securing U.S. elections is commonsense."</p><p>North Carolina Rep. Mark Harris (R) <a href="https://x.com/RepMarkHarrisNC/status/2023844240804208812?s=20" target="_blank">urged</a> Schumer, "Listen to your past self."</p><p>"I guess new Chuck Schumer changed his mind," <a href="https://x.com/BasedMikeLee/status/2024641323207446766?s=20" target="_blank">wrote</a> Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).</p><p>On Sunday, Schumer <a href="https://x.com/SenSchumer/status/2030666289602072866?s=20" target="_blank">recycled</a> his "Jim Crow 2.0" talking point and claimed that the SAVE Act would "disenfranchise tens of millions of people."</p><p>"If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate," continued Schumer. "Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances."</p><p>A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll from February <a href="https://harvardharrispoll.com/press-release-february-2026/" target="_blank">revealed</a> that a supermajority — 71% — of U.S. voters support the SAVE Act, including 50% of Democrats. When polled on the particulars of the legislation, 75% of U.S. voters said they supported proof of citizenship; 81% said they supported voter ID; and 80% said they supported states removing noncitizens from voter rolls.</p><p>The poll also found that 85% of respondents, including a majority across all political parties, said that only American citizens should be able to vote.</p><p><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em><em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self">Sign up here</a></em><em>!</em></p>
Iran continued retaliatory strikes across the Middle East and threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump said Monday he would not allow "a terrorist regime to hold the world hostage and attempt to stop the globe's oil supply." CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman has the latest from Tel Aviv.
The Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society has found two of three ships that sank in the same Lake Superior storm more than a century ago, locating one in 2021 and the other in 2022.
Oil tankers are again passing through the Strait of Hormuz this week as President Donald Trump ratchets up the pressure on Iran to stay away from the ships that transport around 20% of the world’s oil every day. The number of tankers passing through the strait ticked up to 20% of its normal level on ...
Oil prices surged past $100 a barrel this week as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran threatens global energy supplies and the broader economy. Iranian officials say no oil will be allowed to leave the Middle East until the bombardment stops, raising fears of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway through which about 20% of the world’s oil and gas flows. This comes as Israel has struck oil depots in Tehran, blanketing the capital in smoke and toxic rain.</p> <p>“What we’re seeing is just one of the clearest depictions yet of the frailty of a global order that is grounded in fossil fuels. All sides in this war are using fossil fuels as a weapon of war,” says independent investigative journalist Antonia Juhasz, who reports on energy and climate.
As President Trump gives conflicting statements about the length and objectives of the war he launched with Israel against Iran, fears are growing that the conflict could continue to expand throughout the region and beyond. Lawrence Wilkerson, retired U.S. Army colonel and former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, says the U.S. and Israel are committing wanton “war crimes” in Iran. “We have bombed civilians relentlessly. We have bombed a school. We have bombed a hospital,” says Wilkerson, who also suggests Western media outlets are downplaying the extent of the damage in Israel and how successful Iran has been in defending itself.</p> <p>“This is a war with long legs. Trump has completely misinterpreted it,” says Wilkerson. “The only one who’s interpreted it correctly is Bibi Netanyahu, and I think he’s ready to use a nuclear weapon, should it become as bad as it looks like it might right now, because Iran has not even began to shoot its most sophisticated missiles.”
Iran has selected Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as Iran’s supreme leader. The elder Khamenei was assassinated in a joint U.S.-Israeli airstrike on February 28. Iran selected the “hard-liner” Mojtaba Khamenei in defiance of President Trump, who has repeatedly claimed he can choose Iran’s next leader. His selection also contradicts the Islamic Republic’s previous resistance to hereditary succession. “The war changed everything,” says Iranian American political analyst Hooman Majd, who adds that Iran’s leadership sees the conflict as “existential” and is therefore carrying out retaliatory attacks throughout the region to “make it painful economically and in many other ways for the United States and for Israel to continue the war.”</p> <p>Meanwhile, preliminary investigations by <em>The New York Times</em>, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International indicate that the U.S. military carried out the strike on an elementary school in Minab, Iran, that killed over 100 young girls. “It is a war against people,” says Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard, who is calling for the school massacre to be investigated as a war crime.</p> <p>“Iran is going to be changed forever,” says Majd, rejecting claims from U.S. leaders that military intervention has created the conditions for a civilian uprising. “For them to be able to rise up and take control of the government is just a pipe dream. I mean, how are they supposed to do that when they’re being killed or are running away from missiles almost on a daily basis?”
As the U.S. and Israel continue their bombardment of Iran and the conflict spreads throughout the region, we speak with two former U.S. government officials with experience in Middle East policy. Hala Rharrit is a career diplomat who resigned from the State Department in 2024 to protest the Biden administration’s Gaza policy, and Jasmine El-Gamal served as a Middle East adviser at the Pentagon during the Obama administration.</p> <p>“This is exactly what American diplomats have been trying to avoid for two decades. And before my resignation, it is exactly what I was warning against,” says Rharrit, now in Oman after leaving Dubai with her family for safety.</p> <p>El-Gamal casts doubt on the Trump administration’s shifting reasons for the war, including President Trump’s “feeling” that Iran was about to strike first. “It is ludicrous to expect the American people to believe that Iran would have attacked the U.S. preemptively in the middle of negotiations,” she says, adding that the contradictory messages show “how little they were really thinking this through before they went to war.”
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is now in its fifth day. Following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Israel has made it clear that it intends to target any official successors. Observers also warn that Israel could soon deploy its “Dahiya doctrine,” a military strategy it first developed in Lebanon that involves carpet-bombing densely populated residential areas. Despite U.S. hopes for a short engagement, however, Iran appears to be settling in for a “war of attrition” against “the biggest military superpower in world history, and the only nuclear-armed state in the Middle East,” says scholar Narges Bajoghli. “This could turn into a regional war of a scale that will make the past 25 years of forever wars in the Middle East seem like a walk in the park.”
As the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran enters its third day, dragging much of the Middle East into armed conflict, we speak with two Iranian American scholars about the situation.</p> <p>“It’s quite a devastating attack on the infrastructure of the country, both in terms of the state infrastructure and civilian infrastructure,” says Golnar Nikpour, associate professor of modern Iranian history at Dartmouth College. She notes that far from leading to a popular uprising against the government, as President Trump has encouraged, the U.S.-Israeli attacks have forced Iranians to worry about their immediate safety from the bombs.</p> <p>“These attacks are causing much suffering for Iranian people, and it’s destroying the space in which Iranians were struggling for social justice and civil liberties,” says Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, a fierce critic of the government who was once imprisoned on death row in Iran but who nevertheless opposes the war. “I’m very pessimistic about the possibility of a regime change in Iran without having a clear idea of what is going to replace it.”</p> <p>According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, more than 550 people have been killed in Iran since Saturday, when the U.S. and Israel began an intense bombing campaign and assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A number of other top Iranian officials have also been killed. Iran has retaliated by launching missiles targeting Israel, as well as U.S. allies across the region, including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Cyprus, where an Iranian drone hit a British air base. Fighting has also resumed between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
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The ongoing conflict in Iran and closure of Strait of Hormuz has caused WTI and Brent crude oil prices to spike.
National security concerns raised over $67 million research initiative as institutions accused of partnerships with Chinese military-linked organizations.
Trump administration launches unprecedented military campaign spanning Venezuela to Iran in assertive foreign policy shift under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Maritime traffic through the critical waterway has ground to a halt amid the fighting.
The first fall in oil prices in two weeks also helped by the easing of Russia sanctions following Trump-Putin call and the prospect the U.S. could take over Strait of Hormuz
This story was originally published by Grist and is reproduced here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. The war with Iran has brought shipping traffic to a virtual standstill in the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow Persian Gulf channel through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas flows. That has sent fossil fuel prices surging—and with them, […]
Ivanna Ortiz, who faces an attempted murder charge, filed a lawsuit against the "Bad Guy" singer over her concert in Orlando in October.
Much of the pain is being caused by an effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which carries a fifth of the world's oil.
Two Democrats running long-shot campaigns in rural regions against GOP incumbents say their party isn't hitting the mark to address cost-of-living concerns.
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<img alt="hegseth iran war" class="webfeedsFeaturedVisual wp-post-image" src="https://thefederalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/IMG_8262-1200x675.jpeg" style="display: block; margin: auto; margin-bottom: 5px;" />Both Caine and Hegseth suggested the U.S. would probably help oil vessels safely through the Strait of Hormuz if the need arose.
<p>Trump’s pick of former prosecutor Clay Fuller likely to face Democrat and retired general Shawn Harris in runoff for House seat</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&utm_campaign=BN22326&utm_content=signup&utm_term=standfirst&utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox</a></p></li></ul><p><strong>Hegseth says the aftermath of the conflict is “going to be in America’s interests” and says it “will not live under a nuclear blackmail” from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/iran">Iran</a>.</strong></p><p>It comes shortly after the defence secretary reiterated president Donald Trump’s<a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116202054617775180"> threat</a> that if Iran does anything to prevent the flow of oil in the <strong>strait of Hormuz</strong>, it will be hit “twenty times harder”.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2026/mar/10/donald-trump-iran-georgia-immigration-mississippi-latest-news-updates">Continue reading...</a>
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), the only Republican senator to vote last week for a resolution to halt military action against Iran, says it will be very hard to persuade GOP colleagues to vote to limit President Trump’s authority as commander-in-chief now that U.S. forces are actively engaged in strikes against Iran. Paul sounded pessimistic about…
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary on Tuesday threatened President Trump after the president warned Iran against stopping oil from passing through the Strait of Hormuz. “The sacrificial nation of Iran doesn’t fear your empty threats,” Secretary Ali Larijani wrote on social platform X in a post translated by The Associated Press. “Even those bigger…
Republicans on Capitol Hill are growing worried about President Trump’s bet that Americans are willing to swallow higher gas prices due to the conflict with Iran, especially ahead of the November elections.  The president, only weeks ago in his State of the Union address, had pointed to lowering gas prices as a major victory for…
President Trump on Monday threatened the Iranian regime against halting the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, as gas prices back home rise amid the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.  “If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of…
President Trump is holding a press conference Monday evening, after addressing the House Republican caucus in Miami. It follows a weekend of developments in the war against Iran. Oil prices surged overnight Monday, settling near $100 a barrel as the conflict shows no signs of slowing down. Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Sunday downplayed concerns about the…
The trio of officials tapped to succeed Alina Habba by splitting the role of New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor are leading the office unlawfully, a federal judge ruled Monday, slamming the Trump administration for seeking to skirt congressional approval once again. U.S. District Judge Matthew Brann rejected the government’s assertion that Congress gave Attorney General Pam Bondi the authority to skip over Senate…
Global energy markets have been rocked by the U.S. war with Iran, as shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have been all but completely cut off. But one location that has not been hit is Kharg Island, which is roughly 16 miles off the coast of Iran and 300 miles from the Strait of Hormuz.…
The conflict in Iran is causing a massive disruption in the global oil supply and sending energy prices skyrocketing. It’s unclear how long the disruption will last — and therefore how long the markets will be squeezed and how high prices will ultimately go. “The absolute disruption of flows through the Strait of Hormuz is…
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<p>Iran continues to target its neighbors' oil production as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is nearly at a stand still.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.twz.com/news-features/air-war-against-iran-enters-week-two">Air War Against Iran Enters Week Two (Updated)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.twz.com">The War Zone</a>.</p>
<p>U.S. Navy's surface combatants would be tasked with sailing repeatedly through a super weapons engagement zone to get ship traffic moving.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.twz.com/sea/trumps-plan-to-escort-ships-through-strait-of-hormuz-would-put-u-s-navy-warships-in-the-crosshairs">Trump’s Plan To Escort Ships Through Strait Of Hormuz Would Put U.S. Navy Warships In The Crosshairs</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.twz.com">The War Zone</a>.</p>
<p>The attack overnight on the port has left one of Iran's prized sea bases and at least one frigate on fire, with black smoke filling the air. </p> <p>The post <a href="https://www.twz.com/news-features/irans-key-naval-base-on-strait-of-hormuz-set-ablaze-from-strikes">Iran’s Key Naval Base On Strait Of Hormuz Set Ablaze From Strikes</a> appeared first on <a href="https://www.twz.com">The War Zone</a>.</p>
The media find themselves once again under public scrutiny following dubious reports from legacy outlets about federal activity in Minnesota, devastating layoffs, and the news of a former CNN darling indicted by a federal grand jury. Those events come amid a troubling backdrop. Trust in the press hit a record low in October 2025 at […]
<p>Iranian ballistic missile attacks have decreased by 90 percent and drone attacks from the Islamic Republic dropped by 83 percent since the United States and Israel began their joint campaign against the regime early Saturday, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) head Adm. Brad Cooper, who added at a Thursday press conference that the United States has sunk more than 30 Iranian ships.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://freebeacon.com/national-security/iranian-ballistic-missile-fire-down-90-percent-since-since-start-of-operation-epic-fury-pentagon-says/">Iranian Ballistic Missile Fire Down 90 Percent Since Start of Operation Epic Fury, Pentagon Says</a> appeared first on <a href="https://freebeacon.com"></a>.</p>
The figure, accounting for the war’s first two days, is likely to intensify concerns in Congress that U.S. forces are churning through a scarce supply of advanced weaponry.
The CEO of a major Saudi oil exporter said Tuesday the conflict in Iran could have "catastrophic consequences" for energy markets, as President Trump and Tehran officials engaged in a war of words over the Strait of Hormuz choke point.