Top Items:
Axios:
Trump mulls risky Kharg Island takeover to force Iran to open strait — The Trump administration is considering plans to occupy or blockade Iran's Kharg Island to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, four sources with knowledge of the issue tell Axios. … In the meantime, global energy prices are surging.
Discussion:
HotAir, Wide World of News, New York Times, NewsMax.com and NPR
RELATED:
Wall Street Journal:
In Nearly 90 Truth Social Posts, Trump Narrates the War in Iran — Three weeks into the conflict, the president has used social media to conduct his own unique form of online diplomacy — WASHINGTON—At 10:05 p.m. on Wednesday, President Trump unleashed a fiery post on social media …
New Republic:
Transcript: Trump War Takes Dark Turn as Leaks Unnerve Dems: “Madness” … Greg Sargent: This is The Daily Blast from The New Republic, produced and presented by the DSR Network. I'm your host, Greg Sargent. — Everything we're learning now strongly suggests that Donald Trump's war is about to get worse.
Discussion:
Washington Post
Joshua Keating / Vox:
Here's how Iran could become a “forever war” — The Trump administration's end goals for the war in Iran, never particularly well-defined to begin with, appear to be narrowing. — While President Donald Trump once spoke ambitiously about regime change and insisted that he should play …
Discussion:
Washington Examiner, The Atlantic and Washington Times
David E. Sanger / New York Times:
Trump's Complaint About Israeli Strike on Gas Field Exposes Divergent Strategies
Discussion:
Raw Story, Metro.co.uk, BBC, UPI, Daily Mail, Semafor, WISH-TV, Jewish Insider and The Guardian
New Republic:
Trump War Takes Darker Turn as Leaked Plans Unnerve Experts: “Madness”
Trump War Takes Darker Turn as Leaked Plans Unnerve Experts: “Madness”
Discussion:
Raw Story, Reuters, Washington Examiner, Bloomberg and Axios
Bloomberg:
Iran Leaves an Isolated Trump Grappling With Historic Oil Crisis
Iran Leaves an Isolated Trump Grappling With Historic Oil Crisis
Discussion:
NBC News, New York Times, France 24, Politico and Fortune
Scott Waldman / Politico:
Trump is poised to take Iran's Kharg Island. Here's what could unfold next.
Trump is poised to take Iran's Kharg Island. Here's what could unfold next.
Discussion:
The US Sun, Modern Diplomacy, Axios, The Hill and Responsible Statecraft
Darlene Superville / Associated Press:
US Mint can begin producing Trump commemorative gold coin after arts commission approves design — A federal arts commission on Thursday approved the final design for a 24-karat gold commemorative coin bearing President Donald Trump's image to help celebrate America's 250th birthday on July 4.
Discussion:
Straight Arrow News, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, NewsMax.com, CNN, The Independent, ABC News, Newsweek, Raw Story, Al Jazeera, The Hill, Washington Examiner, Forbes, New Republic and New York Sun
RELATED:
Julianne McShane / MS NOW:
Fine arts panel urges Mint to make Trump gold coin ‘as large as possible’
Fine arts panel urges Mint to make Trump gold coin ‘as large as possible’
Discussion:
NBC News, New York Times, New York Post, Newsweek and Washington Post
Catherine Rampell / The Bulwark:
The Worst-Case Economic Outcome of Trump's Iran War — THE IRAN WAR HAS BROUGHT the dreaded r-word—recession—back into play amid a deeply fractured global energy market. To be clear, a massive downturn is not inevitable, nor can we even say it's more likely than not.
Discussion:
Raw Story, Straight Arrow News, HuffPost, The Independent, Associated Press and The Atlantic
RELATED:
John Liu / CNN:
Oil rises to $110. Goldman Sachs says we'll be in the triple digits for years
Discussion:
Straight Arrow News, Fortune, Michael-In-Norfolk, KVIA-TV, Bloomberg, Washington Examiner, NewsMax.com, MS NOW, WTOP News and CBS News
Emily Peck / Axios:
U.S. weighs lifting Iranian oil sanctions to keep price in check
U.S. weighs lifting Iranian oil sanctions to keep price in check
Discussion:
Bloomberg, Washington Post, NOTUS, UPI, The Hill, New York Post, New Republic and Semafor
Politico:
Republicans balk at going it alone on Iran war funding … “It's such a contortion to make things fit in reconciliation that there's probably a preference for regular order,” Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) said in an interview. — The fresh doubts come on top …
Discussion:
Axios, CNN, Forbes and New Republic
RELATED:
Politico:
Capitol agenda: Senate heads into a weekend grind — Get ready for a rare working weekend in the Senate with no break in sight. Majority Leader John Thune is keeping senators at the Capitol the next few days to continue debating an all-but-doomed elections bill and advance nominees.
Discussion:
Democracy Docket, The Gateway Pundit, Raw Story, Semafor, Washington Examiner, Los Angeles Times, MS NOW, New York Times, Forbes and NBC News
Peter Nicholas / NBC News:
Father of service member killed in Iran war said he never told Pete Hegseth to ‘finish’ the job — Hegseth said “family after family” of service members killed urged the administration to “not stop until the job is done.” President Donald Trump made a similar claim earlier this month.
Discussion:
Wonkette, Raw Story, The Independent, New York Post, TMZ.com, Daily Mail, Fox News, Mediaite, The Daily Wire, The Floridian and Washington Examiner
Financial Times:
Denmark was ready to blow up Greenland runways if US invaded — Danish soldiers sent to Arctic island in January were also given blood supplies in case of combat — The Danish military sent explosives and blood supplies to Greenland in January as part of contingency planning for a US attack …
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Bluesky announces $100M Series B after CEO transition — Social network Bluesky is gearing up for big changes with today's news that the company raised $100 million in Series B funding. The round, led by Bain Capital Crypto, was closed in April 2025 but had not been disclosed until now.
Discussion:
GeekWire and Bluesky, more at Techmeme »
Evan Mealins / The Tennessean:
Arrested Nashville journalist released from ICE custody on bond — Estefany Rodriguez, a Nashville Noticias journalist whose March 4 arrest drew nationwide attention, has been released from custody while the deportation case against her proceeds, according to an immigrants' rights group.
Discussion:
New York Times, Reuters, KEYT-TV and Scripps News
RELATED:
Mikeie Honda Reiland / Nashville Banner:
Nashville Journalist Estefany Rodríguez Released from Louisiana Detention Facility
J.D. Wolf / MeidasTouch News:
Trump Announces Extended 4-Day Weekend in Palm Beach — Trump will enjoy the amenities of his Mar-a-Lago resort as prices continue to rise — The White House announced that Donald Trump will depart Friday afternoon for another extended trip to Palm Beach, marking a four-day stretch away from Washington.
Discussion:
Wall Street Journal
Amy Harmon / New York Times:
Judge Rules That R.F.K. Jr. Overstepped on Transgender Care — The ruling provides temporary relief for 21 states seeking to stop the Trump administration from ending federal funding to hospitals that provide gender-transition care. — A federal judge in Oregon ruled on Thursday …
Discussion:
Politico, Associated Press, PinkNews, NewsMax.com, WKZO and STAT
Tiffany Stanley / Associated Press:
Pete Hegseth's Christian rhetoric draws renewed scrutiny after the US goes to war with Iran — Since becoming defense secretary, Pete Hegseth has found no shortage of ways to bring his strand of conservative evangelicalism into the Pentagon. He hosts monthly Christian worship services for employees.
Discussion:
twitchy.com
Marc Caputo / Axios:
James Comey subpoenaed in alleged “grand conspiracy” against Trump — Former FBI Director James Comey has been subpoenaed in the wide-ranging “grand conspiracy” case against the ex-officials who investigated and prosecuted President Trump, two sources with knowledge of the situation tell Axios.
NPR:
An immigration court few have heard of is quietly shaping policy behind the scenes — The Trump administration has reshaped a lesser-known corner of the Justice Department to set immigration policy and escalate mass detentions and deportations. — An administrative court known as the Board …
Discussion:
CBS News
Shifra Dayak / NOTUS:
The Trump Administration Is Turning the U.S. Census on Its Head — The changes could cloud the government's understanding of what the United States population looks like and the resources it needs. — Copy — The 2030 U.S. census is poised to look very different than the one released in 2020.
Tom Schaller / Public Notice:
House Republicans are heading for the exits — PN is supported by paid subscribers. Become one ⬇️ — 📜 Subscribe to PN 📜 — Earlier this month, four more Republicans announced their pending retirements from the House of Representatives: Darrell Issa …
Bryan Walsh / Vox:
The pain from the Strait of Hormuz crisis will be felt far beyond the pump — The gas prices are unmissable. — Since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28, Brent crude oil has surged past $100 a barrel for the first time in four years, briefly topping $119 on March 19.
Discussion:
Straight Arrow News, Associated Press, BusinessDay and Adventus
Wall Street Journal:
Trump Told Inner Circle Some Mass Deportation Policies Went Too Far — President directs a new approach as some advisers believe immigration is no longer as strong a political issue for Trump — WASHINGTON—President Trump is seeking to lower the profile of his mass deportation effort …
Discussion:
The Independent, Newsweek and Raw Story
Wall Street Journal:
U.S. War Planes and Helicopters Kick Off Battle to Reopen Hormuz — Effort takes on new urgency nearly three weeks into the war with Iran as oil prices soar
Discussion:
Semafor
CNN:
A top FEMA official has history of violent rhetoric and said he once teleported to Waffle House — Federal agencies Fighting disinformation Election security Media — As millions of Americans braced for a series of brutal storms this winter, the senior official in charge …
TMZ.com:
Chuck Norris Hospitalized After Medical Emergency — EXCLUSIVE — Chuck Norris has been hospitalized in Hawaii ... TMZ has learned. — Sources with direct knowledge tell us ... some medical emergency occurred in the last 24 hours on the island of Kauai that landed Chuck in the hospital.
Discussion:
twitchy.com, RedState, Breitbart, Washington Times, The Gateway Pundit, Page Six, The Post Millennial, Daily Mail, IJR, The Daily Caller, The US Sun, WNYW-TV and Not the Bee
Caitlin Dewey / Vox:
What everyday life is like for Iranians right now — The war in Iran will enter its fourth week on Saturday, with no real end in sight. The Pentagon is reportedly requesting $200 billion to fund the ongoing military operation, even as it unsettles the world economy.
Discussion:
The Intercept and New York Times
Sophie Brams / The Hill:
TSA official: Airport security problem ‘going to get worse before it gets better’ — A senior Transportation Security Administration (TSA) official warned Thursday that the growing backlog at airport security checkpoints nationwide is likely “going to get worse before it gets better” …
Discussion:
Politico, NewsMax.com, Al Jazeera, Forbes and The Post Millennial
Andrew Solender / Axios:
AOC won't rule out endorsing against fellow House Dems — Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) told Axios she is keeping the door open to endorsing challengers to her House Democratic colleagues “if someone crosses some huge line.” … - But, asked in an interview at the Capitol on Wednesday …
Bloomberg:
An Underdog Trump Ally in Latin America Becomes an Investor Magnet — Entrepreneurs flock to Paraguay from across the region as sleek towers rise above the once-sleepy capital and its conservative president cozies up to the US. — Wedged between South American heavyweights Argentina and Brazil …
Reed Abelson / New York Times:
How New Mexico Became an Obamacare Success Story — Affordable Care Act enrollment has dropped across the United States since the enhanced federal subsidies expired. But New Mexico has record numbers of people signing up. — When Congress did not extend the Obamacare subsidies …
Discussion:
HuffPost, The Hill and Wall Street Journal
Punchbowl News:
3/20/26☀️ AM: … Everyone in the House Republican Conference is publicly confident that the GOP will keep the majority despite the many problems they face, including the Iran war. But privately, the candid assessment is much more grim — Republicans are likely to lose their razor-thin majority.

