Noem's departure caps a tumultuous tenure overseeing immigration enforcement tactics that have been met with protests and lawsuits, as well as a wave of criticism over the response to deadly Texas floods. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appears for an oversight hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, at the Capitol in Washington, March 3, 2026. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem testifies during a House Committee on the Judiciary oversight hearing of the Department of Homeland Security on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, March 4, 2026, in Washington. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, March 5, 2026. Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla. speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Jan. 14, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington. ▶ Follow live updates on the firing of Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Thursday fired his embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, after mounting criticism over her leadership of the department, including the handling of the administration's immigration crackdown and disaster response. Trump, who said he would nominate in her place Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin, made the announcement on social media two days after Noem faced a grilling on Capitol Hill from GOP members as well as Democrats. Noem took the stage in Nashville, Tennessee, to address a law enforcement event moments after Trump's announcement but made no immediate mention of her Department of Homeland Security ouster. Noem is the first Cabinet secretary to leave during Trump's second term. Her departure caps a tumultuous tenure overseeing immigration enforcement tactics that have been met with protests and lawsuits. Her tenure looked increasingly short-lived after hearings in Congress this week where she faced rare but blistering criticism from Republican lawmakers. One particular point of scrutiny was a $220 million ad campaign featuring Noem that encouraged people in the country illegally to leave voluntarily. Noem told lawmakers that Trump was aware of the campaign in advance, but Trump disputed that in an interview Thursday with Reuters, saying he did not sign off on the ad campaign. Her department, DHS, has also been shut down for 20 days, although many of the employees are continuing to work, often without pay. The former South Dakota governor was also criticized over the way her department has spent billions of dollars allocated to it by Congress. She faced blistering criticism from Democrats, and some Republicans, in the Congress hearings this week. Mullin would need to be confirmed by the Senate, but under a federal law governing executive branch vacancies, he would be allowed to serve as an acting Homeland Security secretary as long as his nomination is formally pending. Voting in the Senate just after Trump's announcement, Mullin said he has “no idea” how quickly his nomination will move. So we look forward to working closer with the White House, and obviously I'm gonna be over there a lot more,” he said.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Kristi Noem delivers remarks in Nashville, Tennessee after reports surfaced that President Donald Trump had fired her as DHS secretary. Kristi Noem, the former South Dakota congresswoman and governor who has led President Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security in his second term, was ousted from her position on Thursday. Trump announced on Truth Social that he will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to replace Noem, effective March 31. "The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border! ), 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. I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland. '"Trump said Mullin has done a "tremendous job" in Congress and cited his resume as a former undefeated MMA fighter. 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 said.Mullin is the first Native American senator in decades, following Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado. "I think I need to talk to my wife first," Mullin said.Mullin currently does not serve on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, the panel that will be responsible for confirming him. But, he does have a strong relationship with Trump. And I'm more excited about just getting ready to get started," Mullin said. "There's a lot of work we can do to get our Homeland Security working, you know, working for the American people." Noem, 54, will likely be at least temporarily replaced by Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar, a Navy veteran and former mayor of Los Alamitos, California, in the line of succession for the agency. Noem's tenure marked a distinct reversal of the open-border policies permitted by predecessor Alejandro Mayorkas during the Biden administration, and DHS has notched record drug interdictions totaling more than half a million pounds of illegal drugs in her first year. Her management of Trump's mass deportation agenda has also led to more than 2 million reported self-deportations in 2025 and about 670,000 removals of illegal immigrants, a figure supporters have hailed as the most successful immigration enforcement operation in history. Her agency has also been unafraid to hit back at high-profile critics, including California Gov. Tim Walz; and 2026 midterm candidate David Trone of Maryland, who accused DHS of "executing people in the streets" as he filmed a protest ad outside a Williamsport compound recently purchased for use as a detention facility. Such criticisms of her mass deportation operations, particularly in Minneapolis, appeared to somewhat sour public sentiment on the administration's handling of the immigration issue, as U.S. Border Patrol Cmdr. Gregory Bovino — a DHS subordinate — was replaced in the Twin Cities by border czar Tom Homan amid the firestorm. Meanwhile, reports surfaced Thursday that Trump is "furious" with Noem over her performance in bicameral Judiciary Committee hearings this week, particularly over a contract for an advertisement that Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., and others grilled her on. Trump reportedly took issue with her suggesting to Kennedy that he approved a taxpayer-funded ad subcontracted to a firm connected with her inner circle, according to National Review, which also reported that Mullin was being considered a top candidate for her replacement. A White House official confirmed to Fox News that Trump did not know about the ad and did not approve it, despite her claims to the contrary at the hearings. "It was a combination of her many unfortunate leadership failures. When confronted by reporters on the Capitol steps, Mullin indicated he had only short notice of Trump's decision to pick him as Noem's successor. "No, the president and I still have to communicate so we'll talk about it moving forward," Mullin said. In Wednesday's House hearing, Noem was questioned by Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., over rumors of an affair with DHS "special government employee" Corey Lewandowski, a top figure in Trump's 2016 campaign. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem speaks in front of the border wall amid political pressure and calls for her resignation. Noem criticized Kamlager-Dove in response, as her husband, insurance company owner and former South Dakota first gentleman Bryon Noem, sat just feet behind her. Kamlager-Dove asked Noem if at any time during her tenure she had "sexual relations with Corey Lewandowski," before slamming the longtime Trump aide as a "failed campaign manager" and someone lacking military experience. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, D-Fla., followed up, pressing Noem on Lewandowski while wearing a Justice for Cricket pin, referencing the dog Noem once wrote she had to euthanize on her farm. "I really think you need to say the word 'no' into the record so that you can clear that up," Moskowitz said. Noem pushed back hard on both Democrats, saying what they were implying is "offensive" and telling Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, that she was "shocked that we're going down and peddling this tabloid garbage in this committee today." I am neither of those," Noem fumed at Moskowitz. Through the recent turmoil, many Republicans remained highly complimentary of Noem's tenure. An astonishing 97% decrease in illegal crossings isn't a coincidence; it's leadership. Know that this committee has your back," Higgins said. When Swalwell pressed her on the ad campaign and contract, Noem shot back that while the Alameda Democrat was "focusing on photo-ops and luxury jets, I'm focused on the fact that the Coast Guard might not get paid because your party is choosing not to fund them." Fox News' Jacqui Heinrich contributed to this report. Charles Creitz is a reporter for Fox News Digital. He joined Fox News in 2013 as a writer and production assistant. Charles covers media, politics and culture for Fox News Digital. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez attends a session of parliament in Madrid, Wednesday, July 9, 2025. BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain's Pedro Sánchez has once again emerged as Europe's most consistently vocal critic of U.S. President Donald Trump, drawing his ire for refusing to allow the American military to stage operations for its attacks on Iran from Spanish military bases. Trump lashed out at the Spanish prime minister on Tuesday, saying he would “ cut off all trade with Spain " in retaliation for the affront. While denouncing the repressive government in Tehran, Sánchez said he would not back a war that he said was an unjustified assault. “We are not going to be complicit in something that is bad for the world and is also contrary to our values and interests, just out of fear of reprisals from someone,” Sánchez said, using the slogan “No to the war” in a speech this week. The tussle over the Spanish military bases is likely more a diplomatic question than one of military consequence. Sánchez, 54, first took power in 2018 and is one of Europe's most prominent left-leaning leaders. He has stuck by the pillars of progressive politics, defending feminism, authorized immigration, human rights, the rules-based international order and the importance of climate change — all topics that have become punching bags of Trump's MAGA movement and far-right politicians in many European neighbors. Even before the Iran war, Sánchez has stood out as an ideological rival to Trump on a number of issues. Sánchez has been among the most vocal critics of Israel's military action in Gaza. He has consistently criticized the massive civilian causalities from Israel's campaign following Hamas' surprise attack on Israeli territory in 2023. “This is not self-defense, it's not even an attack — it's the extermination of a defenseless people,” he said, while touring Europe and the Middle East to try to broker a peace deal. Sánchez secured a last-minute exemption in a NATO meeting last year, saying that Spain will only spend up to 2.1%, which he called “sufficient and realistic.” That has so far remained a veiled threat. While many European countries raised barriers at their borders and the Trump administration broadened an immigrant crackdown in the U.S., Spain is in the process of granting work and residency permits to half a million foreigners already in Spain. Sánchez has pointedly alluded to Trump as he extolled the benefits of migration for the country's strong economy. “MAGA-style leaders may say that our country can't handle taking in so many migrants — that this is a suicidal move, the desperate act of a collapsing country,” he wrote in a recent New York Times op-ed. Under Sánchez, Spain has joined countries like Australia and France in trying to curb the use of social media among younger teens. Elon Musk, X's owner, lashed out at the Spanish leader last month, calling Sánchez “the true fascist totalitarian” after he announced a plan to prohibit under 16-year-olds from accessing social media accounts.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. There is at least one Canadian who is a big fan of Jack Hughes despite breaking the country's heart. Roughly a week and a half after the New Jersey Devils star gave the United States their first gold medal in men's hockey since 1980, it was reported that he and Canadian pop star Tate McRae are "exclusively" dating. The two were spotted several times in New York City late last year, and McRae even attended one of Hughes' games in New Jersey when he returned from a hand injury back in January. Jack Hughes and Tate McRae are "exclusively" dating, according to Us Weekly. "They started casually seeing each other late last year, so it's still new, but they are exclusively seeing each other," a source told Us Weekly. "She thinks he is a really cool guy and they have been having a lot of fun together. She has been so supportive of his career and has been loving going to the games and cheering him on." McRae was born in Calgary and attended Western Canada High School. United States' Jack Hughes (86) poses with teammates after a men's ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. Hughes became an American hockey hero when, just minutes after losing teeth from a high stick, he found the back of the net in overtime, sneaking a puck past Canada goaltender Jordan Binnington to break a 46-year drought for the United States. In the days after, Hughes and his teammates partied in Miami and visited President Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., along with an invitation to the State of the Union. This is not McRae's first hockey player — she dated Cole Sillinger of the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2021 to 2023 before getting into a relationship with Australian music artist The Kid Laroi. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. Fox News Flash top sports headlines are here. Pro wrestling legend Dustin Rhodes has held a championship belt in almost every organization he stepped foot in, including most recently being a tag team champion at Ring of Honor. Rhodes was a fan favorite in WWE, when he was known as Goldust, and was one of the first wrestlers to join All Elite Wrestling when the company started up in 2019. Beast, a mastiff, with American professional wrestler Dustin Rhodes at Crufts 2026 on March 5, 2026. Rhodes' mastiff, named Beast, has emerged as one of the top show dogs on the circuit in recent years, and he added to his resume on Thursday when he took home third place in the working group open category at Crufts in the United Kingdom – the world's largest dog show. "I guess this is the world's largest dog show, so, we decided to go big or go home. Dogs in the working group are meant to assist and protect their owners. Dustin Rhodes celebrates the AEW TNT Championship win at All In: Texas on July 12, 2025. "Beast is really good with seeing somebody who has high blood pressure or low blood pressure, and we'll go check them out. I would never own another breed besides a mastiff, and I've had all kinds of dogs over my life and mastiffs are just everything – pure, loyal, loving, just crawling on your lap, hurt your bones." Rhodes said Beast weighs more than him at a whopping 250 pounds, and with that comes a hefty diet. He revealed on X that he spends about $200 a month on food, as Beast enjoys about eight cups a day with dry food, chicken, rice and steak in his diet. The wrestler said he "never thought" he'd ever get into the dog show business but has found immense success about two years into the endeavor. Beast, a Mastiff, came third in the Class 234 Open Dog, with owner by American Professional Wrestler Dustin Rhodes on March 5, 2026. "Go for the (best in show) record," he told Fox News Digital when asked about long-term goals. So, we're gonna do our best in the next year and a half, two years, really campaign the dog and advertise the crap out of it. Rhodes' team includes his wife, Ta-rel Runnels, and handler Terry Smith. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. By entering your email and clicking the Subscribe button, you agree to the Fox News Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, and agree to receive content and promotional communications from Fox News. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by LSEG. ADF attorney John Bursch reacted to an argument that sex should not be defined, by ACLU attorney Joshua Block during a Supreme Court hearing on trans athletes in women's sports. Colorado District Judge Kato Crews deferred ruling in motions to dismiss former San Jose State volleyball co-captain Brooke Slusser's lawsuit against the California State University (CSU) system until after a ruling in the B.P.J. v. West Virginia Supreme Court case, which is expected to come in June. Slusser filed the lawsuit against representatives of her school and the Mountain West Conference in fall 2024 after she allegedly was made to share bedrooms and changing spaces with trans teammate Blaire Fleming for a whole season without being informed that Fleming is a biological male. case went to the Supreme Court after a trans teen sued West Virginia to block the state's law that prevents males from competing in girls' high school sports. "We hope the ruling from the Supreme Court will affirm that Title IX was designed to guarantee equal opportunity for women, not to let male athletes displace women and girl in competition. It is crucial that sports be separated by sex for not only the equal opportunity of women but for safety and privacy. Title IX should protect women's right to compete in their own sports. Allowing men to compete in the female category reverses 50 years of advancement for women," ADF Vice President of Litigation Strategies Jonathan Scruggs said. Slusser's attorney, Bill Bock of the Independent Council on Women's Sports, expects a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the legal defense representing West Virginia, thus helping his case. Blaire Fleming #3 of the San Jose State Spartans, right, looks on during the third set against the Air Force Falcons at Falcon Court at East Gym on October 19, 2024 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. "I believe that the court is going to find that Title IX operates on the basis of biological sex, without regard to an assumed or professed gender, and so just like the congress and the members of congress that passed Title IX in 1972, allowed this specifically provided for in the regulations that there had to be separate men's and women's teams based on biological sex, I think the court is going to see that is the original meaning of the statute and apply it in that way, and I think it's going to be a big win in women's sports." The Supreme Court's conservative majority appeared prepared to rule in favor of West Virginia after oral arguments on Jan. 13. Slusser spoke on the steps of the Supreme Court on Jan. 13 while oral arguments took place inside, sharing her experience with a divided crowd of opposing protesters. With Fleming on its roster, SJSU reached the 2024 conference final by virtue of a forfeit by Boise State in the semifinal round. SJSU lost in the final to Colorado State. The eating disorder became so severe, that Slusser said she lost her menstrual cycle for nine months. President Donald Trump's Department of Education determined in January that SJSU violated Title IX in its handling of the situation involving Fleming, and has given the university an ultimatum to agree to a series of resolutions or face a referral to the Department of Justice. Among the department's findings, it determined that a female athlete discovered that the trans student allegedly conspired to have a member of an opposing team spike her in the face during a match. ED claims that "SJSU did not investigate the conspiracy, but later subjected the female athlete to a Title IX complaint for ‘misgendering' the male athlete in online videos and interviews." SJSU trans player Blaire Fleming and teammate Brooke Slusser went to a magic show and had Thanksgiving together in Las Vegas despite an ongoing lawsuit over Fleming being transgender. SJSU Athletic Director Jeff Konya told Fox News Digital in a July interview that he was satisfied with how the university handled the situation involving Fleming. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter. Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions.

Britney Spears was arrested Wednesday night in Southern California and booked early the following morning, though the charge was not clear, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's office website. Britney Spears arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” on July 22, 2019. VENTURA, Calif. (AP) — Britney Spears was arrested Wednesday night in Southern California and booked early Thursday, according to the Ventura County Sheriff's office, which didn't say what charge she faces. Spears was arrested around 9:30 p.m. in Ventura County and released on Thursday, sheriff's office records show. She has a May 4 court date scheduled. Spears, 44, born in Mississippi and raised in Louisiana, was a teen pop phenomenon who became a defining superstar of the '90s and 2000s. She rose to fame from Disney Channel's “The Mickey Mouse Club” to MTV and beyond, with such era-defining hits like “… Baby One More Time,” “Oops! A pop icon has been arrested. Most of her albums have been certified platinum, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, with two diamond titles: 1999's “ … Baby One More Time” and 2000's “Oops! … I Did It Again.” Her last full-length album, “Glory,” was released in 2016. Spears became a focus of tabloids in the early 2000s, and a source of public scrutiny, as she battled mental illness and paparazzi documented the details of her private life. In 2008, Spears was placed under a court-ordered conservatorship, run primarily by her father and his lawyers, that would control her personal and financial decisions for well over a decade. Two years later, she released a bestselling, tell-all memoir, “The Woman in Me.”

Officers from Israel's Home Front Command inspect a damaged apartment building after an Iranian missile strike in Petah Tikva, Israel, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Large fire and plume of smoke is visible after, according to the authorities, debris of an Iranian intercepted drone hit the Fujairah oil facility, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Debris cover the site of Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV headquarters after it was hit in an Israeli airstrike on Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. This satellite image provided by Vantor shows firefighting crews working to contain a fire and damage after a drone attack at Ras Tanura oil refinery, in Saudi Arabia, Monday, March 2, 2026. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — For years, Iran's theocratic government warned it would blanket the Middle East with missile and drone fire if it felt its existence was threatened. Iranian fire has even been directed over its borders with Turkey and Azerbaijan. Iran's basic strategy is to instill fear about the dangers of a widening war in hopes that allies of the U.S. will apply enough pressure to halt their campaign. A protracted conflict, along with American and Israeli casualties, could also work in Iran's favor. The U.S. joined Israel last June in a 12-day war, targeting nuclear enrichment sites. Iran maintains its program is peaceful, though its officials had threatened to pursue a bomb while enriching uranium to near-weapons-grade levels. Iran's leaders believe that by inflicting casualties and disrupting energy production to drive up oil and gas prices, America's allies or an unsettled public back home will pressure U.S. President Donald Trump to ease back. “The Iranians are banking on basically out-stomaching him, and exhausting him and his allies to the point where they would basically have a diplomatic off-ramp,” Geranmayeh said. Trump is unpredictable, Geranmayeh said, but for now he appears to be pressing for “unconditional surrender to his demands, rather than a negotiated settlement.” Despite being greatly outgunned, Iran has continued to fire ballistic missiles into Israel, killing 11 people and disrupting life for millions of Israelis. After more than two years of war in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli public appears to have little appetite for another lengthy round of fighting. Polls suggest the U.S. public is leery of a protracted conflict. Trump said Monday his four objectives were to destroy Iran's missile capabilities, wipe out its navy, prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon and ensure that it cannot continue to support allied armed groups. But now Oman has been dragged into the conflict. An Omani port and ships off its coast have been targeted by Iranian missiles. Oman's port at Duqm helped the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier with pre-deployment logistics. Saudi Arabia, which has maintained a detente with Tehran since 2023, also came in the crosshairs this week. Its Ras Tanura oil refinery has been repeatedly attacked and the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh got hit by drones — an embarrassing moment for Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who has worked to cultivate a close relationship with Trump. There's a grim math equation at play as the war goes on. Iran has a finite number of missiles and drones, just as the Gulf Arab states, the U.S. and Israel all have a limited number of interceptor missiles capable of downing the incoming fire. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday that thousands of Iranian missiles and drones have been “intercepted and vaporized” during the war. The Israeli military says it has destroyed dozens of missile launchers. Both countries had to shoot down Iranian missiles during the war in June and multiple times in the Israel-Hamas war. A senior Western official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said Iran has several days' worth of ballistic missiles if it continues firing at current rates, but it may hold some back to wage a longer campaign. The Israeli military says there have been far fewer Iranian missiles launched in recent days as a result of the airstrikes — though warning sirens often wailed across Israel on Wednesday into Thursday. Iran's strategy of trying to threaten energy security, drive a wedge between Gulf and Western states and raise costs is “backfiring,” said Hasan Alhasan, a Middle East expert with the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. “The Gulf states can't simply sit idle and continue absorbing indefinite attacks to their critical infrastructure and to civilians in Gulf cities,” Alhasan said. Iran's foreign minister has suggested his country's military units are now isolated and acting independently from any central government control, a possible excuse for Iran's increasingly erratic fire. “They are acting based on instructions — you know, general instructions — given to them in advance,” Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera on Sunday. But after a Wednesday phone call with Araghchi, Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, “categorically rejected” his assertion that Iranian missiles were only directed at American interests and not intended to target Qatar. Associated Press writers Danica Kirka and Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.

At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today? It's not necessarily the guys you might expect, Apollo Knapp told me. “They're the type of people that are friends with everybody, who get dapped up in the hallway every two feet,” said Knapp, an 18-year-old high school senior in Ohio and a board member at sexual violence prevention nonprofit SafeBAE. They'll paste their texts into ChatGPT for feedback before sending, he said. Worse, they've grown up on a steady diet of media telling them that “if you say the wrong thing” to a girl, “she's going to accuse you of something,” Knapp said. Even if those messages aren't accurate, they get inside teen boys' heads, making them feel like they have to screen everything through ChatGPT to make sure it's okay. The drift of boys and young men away from everyone else in American society has been an enduring theme of the last few years. But in talking to teens and experts about AI and relationships, I did get the sense that boys need better outlets for their feelings than we're giving them. And while ChatGPT might help some kids in some circumstances, teens of all genders need a more reliable support system — one that doesn't require an electricity-guzzling data center to answer a question. It's hard to know exactly how many young people are talking to ChatGPT about relationship problems, since research on youth and AI is in its infancy. In one recent Pew survey, 57 percent of teens said they had used AI “to search for information,” while 12 percent said they'd used the tools “to get emotional support or advice.” It's possible to imagine dating inquiries falling in either category. Anecdotally, experts and teens alike say young people are turning to ChatGPT with everything from low-stakes questions about texting to serious concerns about what might constitute sexual assault. Val Odiembo, 19, mentors their fellow college students about healthy relationships. As a peer educator, they're used to getting questions like, “what do I do when my girlfriend says this?” or “is this consent?” Odiembo, a nursing student and SafeBAE board member, thinks students are now asking ChatGPT, instead. Some young people are using chatbots “to test out being flirty or being romantic or being a little bit sexy and seeing how the chatbot responds to that,” Megan Moreno, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin Madison who studies technology and adolescent health, told me. Using technology to experiment with flirting and romance isn't new. Millennial teens turned to chat rooms and AOL Instant Messenger for this purpose. This could be risky — my classmates spent a lot of time catfishing each other avant la lettre — or outright dangerous if teens ended up chatting with adults. Chatbots, by contrast, “are programmed to be incredibly receptive and sycophantic,” Moreno said. That's even more problematic when the subject is sexual violence. Young people are increasingly turning to chatbots after sexual encounters to ask if they might have committed assault, Drew Davis, director of strategic initiatives at SafeBAE, told me. SafeBAE is developing an interactive tool that helps young people think about sexual situations that may have been confusing for them, such as those in which both parties were drinking, and connects them with resources to help them take responsibility and apologize if needed. The goal is “giving them language, giving them tools to be able to do this, that's not coming from AI,” Davis said. It's possible to imagine AI pushing young people even farther apart from one another than they already are. It's not hard to see why teenagers (or adults, for that matter) might be drawn to a voice that always has answers but never criticizes. When talking about thorny issues like sex and consent, “I think there's a lot of shame,” Odiembo said. But some teens also see value in the inevitable challenge and friction of human relationships. “You need to be called out occasionally,” Knapp, the Ohio senior, said. For example, a chatbot could be trained to help kids with social skills. Part of me wonders how much less awkward my adolescence might have been if I'd been able to workshop my jokes with a bot before taking them to the crucible of middle-school homeroom. It's also worth noting that AI models are constantly changing and, in some ways, improving. Both models did a decent job, at least on first response, posing follow-up questions about the situation and encouraging me to take responsibility. But the young people I spoke with for this story don't want better chatbots; they want to see humans get better, instead. They want teachers who are better-trained to discuss difficult issues like consent and assault. They want coaches and other adults who can model healthy masculinity for boys, rather than reinforcing stereotypes. “I wish people were a little more comfortable having uncomfortable conversations,” Odiembo said. Families continue to report disturbing conditions at the Texas immigration center where 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos was held, including a worm in a child's food, water that causes rashes and stomachaches, and staff withholding medical care. The New York Times did a deep dive into AI slop videos aimed at kids. It is unclear as yet whether endless clips of adult mammals hatching out of eggs are harmful for children, but they are certainly bizarre. My older kid is currently obsessed with the Ham Helsing series, graphic novels about a pig who hunts vampires. After I wrote about kids' recent obsession with the phrase “chicken banana,” one reader wrote in to let me know about a much earlier coinage. “Sorry to crush the illusion of today's uniqueness of Chicken Banana, but we ancient folks were using the term ‘chicken banana' a l-o-n-g time ago,” he added. As always, if you have a question or want to share a story about kids today or in the past, you can reach me at anna.north@vox.com. Are Claude and ChatGPT helping the US fight a war?

John Andrews, a South Carolina-based chef who runs a meal delivery service, estimates he drives over 100 miles every week to deliver fresh home-cooked meals to his clients. “The economy is killing me on food prices. And gas prices are tough now, too,” Andrews said. After several years of higher operating costs and softer consumer demand, gas prices are climbing as the war with Iran escalates. The average US gas price hit about $3.25 a gallon on Thursday, according to AAA, up more than 36 cents from last month's $2.89 average. Diesel, which powers big trucks that deliver the world's goods, has risen even more: According to AAA, diesel prices are up about 11% from last week's average, surging to $4.16 a gallon from $3.76 a week ago. For companies that rely on driving and deliveries, like Andrews', the conflict in the Middle East is already cutting into margins as gas prices climb. Although Iran has long operated under sanctions, its oil continued flowing to buyers such as China. Andrews, whose company offers two-portion pre-made meals, like lemon garlic chicken and pepper steak, for $17 each, said it's only a matter of time before he raises prices, something he hasn't had to do since inflation hit food prices hard two years ago. “My clientele is more elderly than not, and I can't just keep hitting them with price increase after price increase. They're not going to accept that,” Andrews said. “But now I'm simply not making any money.” Many small businesses were already under strain, even before the war with Iran started. In 2025, they were more likely to report declining revenues than rising ones compared with a year earlier, and expectations for revenue and hiring growth over the next 12 months have fallen to their lowest levels since 2020, according to a Federal Reserve small business report released this week. In Burbank, California, Kim Williams, owner of the Enchanted Florist, carefully plans her flower delivery routes to save on gas. Over the past year, a few of her suppliers raised prices due to tariffs. “I think it's just normal, everything goes up,” Williams said. “All of our costs have gotten greater, like insurance and workman's comp.” Her experience reflects a broader trend: The Fed's study found that small businesses most often cited higher expenses for goods, services, and wages as their top financial challenge, with many passing those costs on to customers. Nearby, Hollywood Bus Tours winds through Los Angeles' famous movie lots and upscale neighborhoods, a must-do for many visitors. But founder Chris Leschinger has seen a slowdown. Fires in the area and a federal immigration crackdown last year have reduced tourism, leaving his 12 buses carrying fewer passengers. “You sometimes get locals or staycationers, but most come from farther away.” So far, he hasn't raised ticket prices, choosing instead to absorb some of the expense. So the gas coupled with that is pretty scary.” His vehicles, like the overwhelming majority of large trucks, run on diesel fuel. “I've seen diesel prices fluctuate, but never spike that quick. Miller estimates the recent jump in fuel prices has already added about $100 to his gas bill this week. His company mostly hauls construction materials, and if diesel keeps climbing, he says he'll have little choice but to raise his transportation rates. Many small businesses depend on trucking companies like his to move goods across the country. Because that's going to affect the whole economy,” Miller said. US market indices are shown in real time, except for the S&P 500 which is refreshed every two minutes. Dow Jones: The Dow Jones branded indices are proprietary to and are calculated, distributed and marketed by DJI Opco, a subsidiary of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC and have been licensed for use to S&P Opco, LLC and CNN. Standard & Poor's and S&P are registered trademarks of Standard & Poor's Financial Services LLC and Dow Jones is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC. Market holidays and trading hours provided by Copp Clark Limited.

Approval for President Donald Trump's massive East Wing ballroom project – from a government commission that oversees planning for federal buildings and land in the nation's capital – is delayed after it received over 32,000 comments from the public overwhelmingly opposing the construction. “We're going to take the time to deliberate, and we're going to have a final vote on April 2,” NCPC chairman and Trump aide Will Scharf said as the meeting began. Some 9,000 pages of public comments to the NCPC released ahead of the meeting detailed major objections from Americans who expressed concerns about the project's size and scope, cost and destruction of history, among other complaints. That expected approval would come weeks after the Commission of Fine Arts, another federal agency where Trump installed political allies, voted to approve the design and days after a federal judge rejected the nation's top historic preservation group's attempt to block it. Eventual approval by the NCPC would mean that any further attempt to halt construction would require intervention from the courts. The most serious legal challenge comes from a case brought by historical preservationists, who argue that Trump needs congressional approval to carry out the construction. The remarkable speed with which the multi-million-dollar project has progressed has underscored an emboldened Trump's personal interest in unveiling a finished ballroom before the end of his second term, part of a broader effort to remake the White House and Washington to suit his style and taste. The former real estate developer has been intimately involved in the plans – even referencing it at length, unprompted, this week at a Medal of Honor ceremony that marked his first public comments after launching war with Iran. Part of the NCPC's review process requires a public comment period, and more than 32,000 people wrote in from around the country with digital or handwritten notes to express their opinions. These comments revealed deep unease and astonishment about Trump's ballroom plans. Again and again, harsh terms like “gaudy,” “garish,” “ostentatious,” “glitzy,” “obscene,” “hideous,” “disgusting,” “vulgar,” “cheap,” “low class” and a “soulless hotel conference space” showed up in the feedback. There were many concerns about how the plans run counter to what America's founders had envisioned for a humble, modest White House. Another described the plans as “more reminiscent of a monarchical folly than a genuine conception of The People's House.” Kate Schwennsen, former national president of the American Institute of Architects, said: “If any of my previous students had submitted the proposed Ballroom addition to the White House as currently designed, I would have given them a failing grade.” CNN used artificial intelligence to evaluate the submitted comments and categorize whether each supported or objected to the East Wing ballroom project by identifying explicit sentiments expressed by the writers. Ambiguous or neutral comments were evaluated as unclear. While AI may generate some errors, reporters manually checked a random sample of 2% of the results – over 640 comments – and found that the AI classification was 99% accurate for that sample. More than 8,000 comments included a suggested form statement that had spread on social media: “I oppose the spending of $300 million on this project, which was initiated without the proper authorization, permits, or design review.” Asked for comment on the breadth of public opposition to the project, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt lambasted what she described as “Trump deranged liberals” lacking taste. “These nasty comments are clearly stemming from an organized campaign of Trump deranged liberals who clearly have no style or taste. It's a shame that some people in this country are so debilitated with Trump Derangement Syndrome, they can't even recognize or respect beauty when they see it,” Leavitt said in a statement to CNN, going on to describe the planned ballroom as “extraordinary” and emphasizing that it is being privately funded. The Trump administration notched a temporary win last week after a lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation's attempting to block ballroom construction was rejected. In a new report, the group alleges that Trump's installation of a trio of top allies to the commission – staff secretary Scharf as chair, Office of Management and Budget associate director Stuart Levenbach as vice-chair, and deputy chief of staff James Blair as a commissioner, violates the law. Thursday's NCPC meeting is likely to be a lengthy one, and though it begins at 10:00 a.m. EST, discussions about the ballroom aren't expected to begin until at least 1:00 p.m. EST. More than 100 people are registered to speak about the ballroom plans, including National Trust for Historic Preservation president and CEO Carol Quillen, historic preservationist and former NCPC member Bryan Clark Green, and DC Preservation League executive director Rebecca Miller. The commission normally meets in-person, but Thursday's events will be online-only, which, it says, is “due to the anticipated agenda length.” Protesters assembled outside the NCPC's most recent meetings and are expected to gather again on Thursday. The commission said in a press release that more information on plans for the vote would be announced during Thursday's meeting. This story has been updated with additional information.

At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today? But what of those 9 million babies born to dairy cows each year? Many get carted off — sometimes over great distances, typically at not more than a few days old — to live out their calfhoods at a place like Grimmius Cattle Company. Spanning hundreds of acres across its two main locations in Tulare County and Kings County, California, in the heart of California's Central Valley, Grimmius provides a transient home for close to 200,000 calves at any given time in their first months of life. Each of the newborn calves that populate this miniature city occupies what Grimmius calls “apartments” — individual outdoor hutches, less than one-tenth the size of a typical parking spot. The Central Valley is America's top milk-producing region, known for its dense concentration of mega dairies. Instead, its work — and that of similar calf-ranching companies — is a little-known but essential component of industrial-scale dairy: It raises calves on dairy farms' behalf during the fragile infant stage in which they're too young to bring in any revenue. Dairy farming revolves around constant reproduction, since cows, like humans and other mammals, must give birth in order to lactate. And so, on dairy farms across the country, calves are constantly being born. Increasingly over the last few decades, dairy farms have been outsourcing the raising of these calves, including those destined for both dairy and beef production, to specialized, large-scale facilities known as “calf ranches” or “calf nurseries.” Farm animal advocates have, over the last few decades, successfully drawn public attention to and meaningfully reduced the caging of egg-laying hens, pregnant pigs, and calves being raised for veal. It's a stark reflection of how little dairy farming resembles the picture that many Americans have in their minds of free-roaming cows on pasture. Understanding the dairy industry can teach us a lot about how animal agriculture shapes the life cycle of animals and optimizes them for profit. Last year, I wrote a comic about the life of a dairy cow, from birth to death, exploring how cows are treated at each life stage, usually at the expense of animal welfare. To grow up on a calf ranch, newborn calves must first make the journey there — and that itself is no small obstacle. The fragile newborn animals are loaded into semi-trailers, which can be high in disease-carrying pathogens, for hours-long journeys often without food, water, or temperature control; they're jostled around, often overcrowded, and frequently handled roughly by workers who must quickly load and unload them. A 2024 investigation by the nonprofits Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) and Animals' Angels found that dairy farms across the country were shipping neonatal calves, umbilical cords still attached, to calf ranches on stressful journeys of hundreds or even upwards of a thousand miles away. Public records obtained by AWI show that in 2022, Grimmius received calves from as far away as Fair Oaks, Indiana, a more than 30-hour drive away. And since then, the calf-raising industry has, by all accounts, expanded significantly. In California today, a very large share of dairy calves are sent to be raised on calf ranches. Calf sickness and death, for example, is a routine part of calf rearing: In one clip from DxE's footage of Grimmius, sick calves are tossed in a pile and killed by rifle. “One of the first things we saw there was calves being dragged out of a truck bed and shot in the head,” King said. Calf ranches often advertise their unique ability to care for young animals. Because dairy farms are focused on adult, milk-producing cows, they may lack the expertise to raise calves, whereas a dedicated calf ranch can ideally provide more specialized attention. But some of the footage of Grimmius taken by DxE shows disturbing conditions that appear to be at odds with the calf-raising industry's own animal care standards. In another, workers are seen unloading calves from a truck and moving them into hutches. A few, however, pointed me to a manual by Calf Care and Quality Assurance (CCQA), an industry program that publishes guidelines on the appropriate treatment of calves. According to that document, hitting calves is an “unacceptable” handling practice, as is “pulling by the ears, tail, hair, neck, or a single limb.” “Calves can be fearful, unsteady on their feet, uncoordinated, and unsure of your expectations of them…These animals must be handled calmly, gently, and with great patience,” the guidance reads. “Loading and unloading can be the most stressful process for calves,” it continues, adding that “a zero-tolerance policy for unacceptable handling must be in place.” In a statement, Josh White, senior executive director for producer education at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, told me that “​​The practices seen in this video are not representative of Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) guidelines and standards. The BQA program stands by our mission to guide producers towards continuous improvement, using science-based practices to assure cattle well-being, beef quality and food safety.” The Beef Quality Assurance program, which co-created CCQA, gave Grimmius an award last year for its work. Revelations of cruelty to dairy cows and their babies have emerged in investigation after investigation into dairy farms of all sizes and styles, including those that call themselves organic, humane, raw, and all manner of other labels. Cows and calves are large, heavy animals, making it difficult for workers under pressure to move them around and get them to do what they want. “There are so many animals on these sites, and they only have so many people that are there to take care of those animals,” Adrienne Craig, a senior policy associate and staff attorney at AWI who led the organization's research on calf transportation, told me. “These workers are under time constraints to do the work in short periods of time, and I think that that necessarily translates into rough handling in a lot of cases.” But the greatest animal welfare problem for calves at Grimmius and across the dairy industry may be their confinement in tiny stalls where they have nothing to do and scant ability to express natural behaviors, something evident in footage of company facilities. But dairy farming disrupts the normal rhythms of bovine life, beginning with the near-immediate separation of mother cows from their babies after birth. Without the opportunity to nurse, be groomed, and receive round-the-clock care from their mothers, dairy calves in the US, on both dairy farms and calf ranches, are most commonly housed in solitary hutches. And many of those hutches, especially in the Western US, really are exceptionally small. Standard wooden calf hutches provide about 13 square feet of space per calf, which is enough for them to stand up, lie down, and usually to turn around, but little else. The calves can see and make some nose-to-nose contact with other calves in adjacent hutches, but there is little to no group socializing until they are moved from their hutches to group dirt pens at around two months old. An older, archived version of Grimmius's site stated that calves are moved out of individual living areas at 60 days old, which is an industry standard and corresponds to the age at which calves are typically weaned, though there can be variation in that threshold; its site now says that calves are moved after weaning. Many dairy operations and calf ranches use a different, plastic hutch style that provides more space, but smaller wooden hutches, like those used at Grimmius, are particularly common across California and the Southwest. Nationally representative statistics on the use of different hutch types are hard to come by, but one small survey of calf ranches in a peer-reviewed study found that about half allotted calves less than 15 square feet each. Los Angeles-based veterinarian and animal rights advocate Crystal Heath, who spends much of her time in the Central Valley documenting the conditions of farmed animals there, has filmed many frustrated calves in wooden crates at dairies and calf ranches across the region, engaging in behaviors that signal boredom, such as rolling their tongues and licking at their surroundings. These are “well-recognized coping behaviors associated with early extreme confinement,” Heath, who is the executive director of the nonprofit Our Honor, told me. “The intense boredom, sensory and social deprivation these calves face at the critical period during brain development leads to heightened fear in new environments, social dysfunction, [and] lifelong abnormal behaviors.” (The calves no longer have access to their mothers' milk, which is reallocated for human consumption.) Although the industry often argues that solitary hutches are best for calf welfare because they allow them to get individual care, it would probably be more accurate to say that hutches optimize calf health exactly to the extent that it benefits the industry's bottom line. Dairy farms are businesses: They may care very much if a calf gets sick and loses value, but they may have little incentive to care if a calf is depressed from social isolation and lack of exercise. I contacted Western United Dairies, a trade group for California dairy farming, for the industry's perspective on hutches, and received this statement from Michael Payne, a livestock veterinarian at UC Davis's veterinary school and dairy outreach coordinator for the university's Western Institute of Food Safety and Security: “Individually housing calves for the first six to eight weeks of life is an essential management tool for dairy and beef calves,” he wrote. A robust body of scientific literature demonstrates that the use of good sanitation practices — including hutches — improves health, reduces morbidity and mortality, and has no effect on behavior or later productivity.” In recent years, however, there's been a turn against solitary hutches even among many industry-affiliated veterinarians and animal welfare experts, who argue that housing calves in pairs is far better for them and does not need to come at the expense of their physical health. Research into the preferences of calves themselves has found that they value social contact so dearly that they will choose to endure conditions like heat stress to remain with their peers. And anyone who has had the pleasure of seeing calves with space to roam freely knows how eager they are to sprint and buck across open pasture. Calf ranches and industrial dairy farms aren't cruel to cows merely because they're big — their treatment of animals in many ways is better than the practices on small dairy farms, where it's not uncommon to tie up cows by their necks. “Laws like Prop 12 give both the public and prosecutors a false sense that the problem of egregious harms to animals has been remedied and no further action is necessary.” For decades, the animal advocacy movement has focused on a singular, clear-cut goal: ending extreme confinement. Passed by ballot measure in 2018, Prop 12 bans eggs and pork from animals raised in tiny cages, as well as veal from calves raised in “veal crates” — very small crates, often reported at around 12 square feet, that allow little room for movement. Under the law, veal calves must be allotted at least 43 square feet each. Several states have passed similar laws banning extreme confinement — part of a wave of such legislation championed by animal advocates in the 2000s and 2010s. As a result, bans on veal crates don't actually protect very many animals in practice. And, meanwhile, state crate-free laws don't offer any protection to the millions of other dairy calves kept in tiny hutches, even though they are often similar in size to veal crates. Following the collapse of veal production, raising calves for beef has rapidly become a core part of the dairy industry's business structure, with the majority of dairy farms now cross-breeding dairy cows with Angus beef genetics to produce offspring that are more valuable on the beef market (a service that Grimmius supports by selling bull semen). “The public is against these practices overwhelmingly,” DxE's King said. “And I think the public's just been deceived and thinks that they voted to ban this, but in reality, there's this massive loophole” for dairy calves. In the conventional beef industry, newborn calves typically stay with their mothers and graze on pasture for their first several months of life. But the growing prevalence of beef sourced from dairy industry calves is changing that picture significantly. Around 20 percent of US beef now comes from cattle born in the dairy industry. States have many other individual laws pertaining to animal health and welfare at their disposal. In November, DxE sent a criminal complaint to Sarah Hacker, the district attorney for Kings County, California, where one of the Grimmius facilities that they filmed is located. They alleged, among other things, that Grimmius's confinement of calves in hutches violates a California law, separate from Prop 12, that requires confined animals to be allotted an “adequate exercise area.” But in a letter replying to the complaint, Hacker did not reference the “adequate exercise” law. In a statement to Vox, Hacker did not directly respond to a question about how an “adequate exercise area” is defined, but wrote that an investigation into Grimmius's facilities in response to DxE's complaint found that the company “maintains its calf raising program in compliance with the law and industry standards,” and that it “worked closely with veterinarians and state officials to provide a safe and healthy environment for their calves.” But there is an obvious absurdity to basing an animal's right to movement not on their biological needs, but on their eventual market destination. “Laws like Prop 12 give both the public and prosecutors a false sense that the problem of egregious harms to animals has been remedied and no further action is necessary,” Justin Marceau, a professor at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and a Vox contributor, told me. The success of state animal confinement laws, including Prop 12 and others, represented tremendous progress for millions of animals and a rare political victory for the tiny animal rights movement. And now, the era of passing new anti-confinement laws has mostly passed, Josh Balk, a veteran animal advocate who was a key strategist in the state-by-state movement to ban extreme confinement, told me. Amending them to cover all dairy calves would be an enormous undertaking, and it's not clear whether it would be the best use of animal advocates' limited resources. Still, that strategic math does not make it easy to ignore the misery of millions of sensitive baby cows trapped in small wooden crates. By becoming a Vox Member, you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth, independent reporting that drives meaningful change. Apply here to receive a free annual Membership, made possible by another reader. Every detail matters in puzzles, and details are where AI art often falls short. How scientists (and the rest of us) are finding 16,000 new species a month.

Rep. Eugene Vindman is among a generation of young Democrats who ran for Congress, in part, because of their experience fighting a forever war in the Middle East. I understand the threat but I also understand that wars are easy to start and hard to finish,” Vindman, a 25-year Army veteran, said Wednesday morning outside the US Capitol, standing shoulder to shoulder with a half-dozen fellow Democratic veterans. “When elites in Washington bang the war drums, pound their chest, talk about the costs of war and act tough, they're not talking about them doing it,” added Rep. Jason Crow of Colorado, who served three tours in Iraq. Party leaders, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, are amplifying those voices as Democrats seek to navigate the fallout from the quickly escalating war. While Vindman and his fellow Democratic veterans know they have little chance of blocking Trump's actions in the GOP-led Congress, they're trying to speak to a skeptical American public – arguing that the Trump administration has betrayed a core promise with the midterms just months away. But it's a difficult line for Democrats to walk. Party leaders are navigating sharp divisions within their ranks, particularly among a pro-Israel bloc that is expected to defy leadership in a key House vote on Thursday that will attempt to curb Trump's military powers overseas. For now, most Democrats are firmly condemning Trump's decision to strike Iran without first seeking congressional approval. But the party will also soon be forced to contend with the reality of supporting US troops in the conflict in Iran, including questions about whether to spend billions of dollars more to shore up US operations. Party leaders are eager not to repeat history and sow divisions that plagued them over the Iraq war more than 20 years ago. They also know it is just the beginning of a conflict that could go on for weeks, if not months or even longer, that will test Democrats' ability to stay united. In a closed-door meeting Tuesday night, Jeffries met with a bloc of roughly a half-dozen pro-Israel Democrats to make his case for backing the war powers measure, spending nearly an hour hearing the opposition from his fellow members, according to two people familiar with the meeting But that meeting ended without a commitment from those members to get in line behind the measure. We will be safer as a result,” Landsman said, though adding that Congress should have a say if the Iranian conflict “goes beyond” its current aims. Across the Capitol, Fetterman has gone even further, accusing his party of silencing their support for Trump's operation because they're “afraid” of the base. “Why can't we all just say, ‘The world is safer'?” Fetterman told reporters, when asked about most Democrats' opposition of the strikes. “If I hear one more chicken hawk who's never served a single day in uniform sitting in a gold plated office in DC or Mar-a-lago or anywhere else, try to talk tough having never seen what war is about, I'm going to lose my mind,” New York Democrat Rep. Pat Ryan, a combat veteran who was deployed twice to Iraq. Democratic leaders firmly dispute Fetterman's accusations that they are pandering to a liberal base. Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, warned Democrats should be careful not to overthink the politics of this. “I think this is a strategic mistake in the geopolitical sense, I think it's morally questionable and it's politically incredibly unpopular, so don't outsmart yourself,” he said generally about Democrats who are on the fence about the war powers resolution. It is one thing for Democrats to stay united on a question of whether Congress should have more say over initiating a conflict with Iran in the first place, it is an entirely different question for Democrats to confront the reality that a prolonged battle in Iran may force them to contend with bigger questions over supplying US forces in the region. Already, there is a signal that Congress may need to pass legislation in the coming weeks or months to provide more funding and weapons to at the very least restock diminished ammunitions used in the conflict so far. That question could further divide Democrats just months before the midterm elections. “I want to make sure our service members and US citizens in the region are protected to the extent we could possibly do that,” Sen. Mark Kelly, a Democrat from Arizona and veteran said. “We gotta be able to protect our troops and there are a lot of people in harm's way right now so we will take a close look at what they propose.” Arizona Democratic Sen. Ruben Gallego, a Marine Corps combat veteran who served in Iraq, said he will have to look at any supplemental funding request closely but contends it is a difficult question for lawmakers and veterans in particular. “There is one side of me that wants to make sure that all the equipment our troops need to be protected is there, at the same time funding a war of choice for $50 billion when there is already a trillion dollar budget when they have already added another $175 billion to the DHS budget, it makes it very difficult,” he said.

At the 2011 White House Correspondents' Association annual dinner, former President Barack Obama delivered withering jokes against then-businessman Donald Trump. Now, I know that he's taken some flak lately, but no one is happier, no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than the Donald,” Obama joked. “And that's because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter — like, did we fake the moon landing? Trump sat silently as the crowd laughed at his expense. The moment could provide Trump a captive audience made up of the media outlets he's long lambasted as “Fake News.” “I'm sure he'll roast the press,” said Ford O'Connell, a GOP strategist. Matt Dole, a GOP strategist, put it even more bluntly, noting that Trump's love-hate relationship with the press has been a factor for decades. “I think he still anticipates a tough night,” Dole said. “And so I don't think he will feel restraint in sharing what he really feels about the press corps. But that doesn't mean Trump is in for an easy night. “I don't think anybody's going to take it light on him, because he's there in person or in the coverage the next day,” Dole said. WHCA president Weijia Jiang said in a statement that the group is “happy the president has accepted our invitation and look forward to hosting him.” The administration also immediately took over assignment duties for press coverage inside the White House beginning last year, including adding a New Media pool, which allows newer or untraditional outlets and influencers to cover Trump. Trump infamously appeared to call Catherine Lucey, Bloomberg's White House correspondent, “piggy” on Air Force One last year. The president has also sued multiple media outlets. “President Trump showing up to the WHCD is the most on-brand plot twist imaginable,” added a GOP operative who has worked on past presidential campaigns. And you can bet he'll remind every reporter there of it.” “In honor of our Nation's 250th Birthday, and the fact that these ‘Correspondents' now admit that I am truly one of the Greatest Presidents in the History of our Country, the G.O.A.T., according to many, it will be my Honor to accept their invitation,” he wrote on Truth Social. And it will likely give him a chance to blast the media, with whom he has regularly sparred. “It's a pivotal midterm election year,” O'Connell said. “And he is the nation's marketer in chief, and he recognizes that this is an opportunity to not only showcase his influence, but shake the national conversation while celebrating a milestone in a high-level event.”

The Department of War has identified the remaining two American service members killed in an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait on March 1, completing the release of the names of all six troops who died in the deadly retaliatory attack. The War Department identified Maj. Jeffrey R. O'Brien, 45, as one of the casualties, and believed Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan, 54, to be the other casualty, but a medical examiner will need to confirm his identity. The soldiers were killed when a drone struck a tactical operations center at Port Shuabia, a logistics hub in Kuwait used by U.S. forces to move equipment and supplies across the region. The attack also wounded at least 18 other service members. Their names were released a day after the Pentagon identified four other soldiers killed in the strike: Capt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39; and Sgt. All of the Army Reserve soldiers killed as a result of the strike were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, Des Moines, Iowa. The drone struck a command-and-control building at the port facility where U.S. personnel were operating. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth acknowledged on Monday morning that the U.S. air defenses did not stop it, nor did the center's fortifications save the service members inside. Senior military officials offered their condolences to the families of the fallen service members, describing them as dedicated soldiers whose sacrifice will not be forgotten.

The Department of Justice has quietly closed an investigation into former President Joe Biden's use of an autopen to sign official documents, according to multiple reports citing officials familiar with the matter. The inquiry examined whether aides may have used the signature device without Biden's full knowledge or authorization as his cognitive abilities declined late in his presidency. However, a spokesman for Pirro's office complicated the matter after indicating it is still under an active investigation, saying “we cannot comment on ongoing investigations.” Trump ordered a sweeping review of Biden's use of an autopen in June, directing the DOJ to investigate whether aides used the device to conceal what he described as Biden's “cognitive decline.” Trump has repeatedly claimed that some executive orders signed with an autopen should be considered invalid. Last year, the House Committee on Oversight and Reforms spent months dragging former White House officials into closed-door testimonies to press them about the former president's use of the autopen and whether they observed signs of his cognitive decline. The committee released a 90-page report in October finding that Biden's staff exercised presidential powers without authorization, and referred three key members of Biden's Cabinet, including his physician Kevin O'Connor, for a DOJ investigation. It remains unclear how frequently Biden used an autopen during his presidency, as there is no official government record tracking when the device is used. However, a group that shed light on Biden's autopen use, the conservative nonprofit group known as the Oversight Project, said last year it identified three distinct signatures Biden used throughout his term as president and claimed it was used on eight separate dates in 2022 while the former president was staying at the White House. Notably, a 2005 DOJ memo found that presidents can use the autopen for official documents, though it was previously rarely used by presidents until former President Barack Obama used it to sign legislation in 2011 while he was abroad. Biden denied the allegations of his widespread autopen use in a June statement responding to Trump's claims. “Let me be clear: I made the decisions during my presidency,” Biden said. Any suggestion that I didn't is ridiculous and false.” The development comes as some Republican officials continue exploring legal avenues tied to Biden's late-term clemency actions.

Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) will not run for a third term in the Senate, a shock decision that came minutes before the filing deadline in Montana. Daines, who served a single term in the House before his election to the Senate in 2014, announced on Wednesday that he will retire in January, giving another Republican a chance to vie for his Senate seat. He quickly endorsed Kurt Alme, a U.S. attorney for Montana who filed to run shortly before the 7 p.m. It is time for … new leaders like Tim Sheehy to spearhead the fight for Montana in the United States Senate.” The decision is a surprise turn of events in Montana's Senate race, where Daines, 63, was facing challenges from several Democrats and one independent. Polling favored Daines in the race, and as recently as this week, he was sending fundraising appeals for his campaign. So far, seven GOP senators have announced their retirement. His decision comes two days after another Montana Republican, Rep. Ryan Zinke, announced he would step down at the end of his term. President Donald Trump quickly rallied behind Alme, joining Daines and Montana's other senator, Tim Sheehy (R-MT), in offering his “Complete and Total Endorsement.” Senate Republicans voted to confirm Alme as the U.S. attorney for the District of Montana in October. “Kurt Alme is an exceptional person, and will do a fantastic job as your next United States Senator from the Great State of Montana — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Days later, the House voted to reprimand Garcia after a fellow Democrat brought a censure resolution to the floor. He worked for more than two decades in the private sector before entering politics, leveraging his time in China to advocate on behalf of the president on foreign policy. Daines is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.