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.

U.S. Military Ramps Up to Clear Strait of Hormuz  —  Warplanes and attack helicopters are “hunting and killing” Iran's fast-attack watercraft in contested sea lanes, Gen. Dan Caine said.  —  U.S. warplanes and attack helicopters are ramping up assaults against Iranian drones and naval vessels …

U.S. Prosecutors Investigate Colombia's President, a Onetime Trump Foe  —  The Justice Department is examining whether President Gustavo Petro of Colombia has ties to drug traffickers.  —  President Gustavo Petro of Colombia, who has had a volatile relationship with President Trump …

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 …

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 …

The Number of Families Being Held at Dilley Detention Center Has Plummeted  —  The number of parents and children booked into the country's only immigrant family detention center, in Dilley, Texas, plummeted in February by more than 75% compared with a month earlier, according to Immigration …

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.

US to deploy thousands of additional troops to the Middle East, officials say  —  The United States military is deploying thousands of additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East, three U.S. officials told Reuters on Friday.  —  The deployments of the USS Boxer, along …

Saudi Arabia Sees a Spike to $180 Oil if Energy Shock Persists Past April  —  Prices at such a level could trigger a recession or consumer changes that crush demand  —  Saudi Arabia's oil officials are working frantically to project how high oil prices might go if the Iran war and its disruption …

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.

As Trump Demands Voter Data, This Fiercely Independent Red State Says No  —  States were on notice from the U.S. Department of Justice that if they didn't fall in line, the federal government would force them into compliance.  —  It wasn't President Donald Trump's administration applying pressure.

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.

March 19, 2026  —  After yesterday's revelation that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is blocking the release of a memo related to a Drug Enforcement Agency investigation into sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein and 14 co-conspirators, Attorney General Pam Bondi added more evidence to the idea …

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.

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 …

Thousands have swooned over this MAGA dream girl.  She's made with AI. … The beautiful Army blonde Jessica Foster has posed with an F-22 Raptor fighter jet, donned camouflage in the desert and walked a tarmac with President Donald Trump on the first day of the strikes on Iran.

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 …

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 …

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 …

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.

Scoop: Moderate Senate Dems endorse Stevens in divisive Michigan primary  —  ModSquad, a group of nearly a dozen moderate Senate Democrats, is endorsing Rep. Haley Stevens in Michigan's Democratic primary, Axios has learned. … - Honorary ModSquad, Sen. Chair Catherine Cortez Masto …

Scenes from the Death of the Pax Americana  —  No real post today.  I don't have it in me.  Just a few scenes from the accelerating collapse in America's reputation and influence.  —  Item: The Danish Broadcasting Corporation, roughly speaking Denmark's equivalent of the BBC …

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 …

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 …

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.

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.

Trumps, on a Deal-Making Spree, Turn Next to Transylvania  —  The president's company is eyeing a site for a golf course and luxury apartments.  Will a huge landfill and a troubled project history stand in the way?  —  The Trump Organization has for decades planted the family name …

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.

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 …

Ramble On: Real Fake  —  Morning thoughts on the Joe Kent/Tucker Carlson interview; Bibi Netanyahu, the Schrödinger's Prime Minister; the Simulation; and navigating the increasingly blurry line between actual and artificial. … Here is a transcript, edited for clarity:  —  Good morning.

New poll: 58% of voters say the war in Iran is a bad use of taxpayer dollars  —  This is a free article for Strength In Numbers, my newsletter on politics, polls, and election data.  If you enjoy it and want to support this type of independent, data-driven political journalism …