Friday March 20th, 2026
- "It Is Not A Question of Who Is Right Or Wrong But What Is Right Or Wrong That Counts."
- --Geoff Metcalf
- Providing an on line Triage of the news since 1998
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World & Nation
Trump Eyes Kharg Island Seizure to Reopen Hormuz
President Donald Trump reportedly is weighing a strategy to counter
Iran's chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, including the possible
seizure or blockade of Kharg Island, a key hub for Iran's oil exports.
The move, detailed by Axios, underscores the administration's effort to
restore stability to global energy markets after Tehran's actions sent
oil prices above $100 a barrel and disrupted a key maritime route that
carries roughly 20% of the world's oil supply.
Kharg Island, located just miles off Iran's coast, handles about 90% of
the country's crude exports, making it a critical pressure point.
Saudis Warn Oil Going to $180, Gasoline to $7 at Pump
Global energy markets are bracing for a potentially historic price
surge as Saudi officials warn that crude oil could spike to $180 per
barrel — or higher — if ongoing supply disruptions tied to the Iran
conflict are not resolved by late April.
At $180 a barrel, Americans would have to pay more than $7 a gallon, according to estimates.
According to projections cited by Gulf energy officials and the Saudi
national oil company, The Wall Street Journal reported that the
kingdom's base-case scenario now assumes a prolonged disruption to key
shipping routes and infrastructure.
While Saudi Arabia stands to benefit from higher oil revenues,
officials are increasingly alarmed at the broader economic consequences
such a spike could trigger, including demand destruction and a global
recession.
Spokesperson for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards killed in strike, state media reports
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps spokesperson Ali Mohammad
Naini has been killed in strikes launched by the US and Israel,
Iranian state TV reported on Friday.
Naini, also the agency’s deputy of public relations, was assassinated
just days after Israeli forces eliminated the clerical regime’s
de-facto leader, Ali Larijani, and its anti-protest enforcer Gholamreza
Soleimani.
Hours before his death, Naini insisted that Tehran was still able to
build missiles despite the US forces’ bombardment from Operation Epic
Fury.
US deploys A-10 Warthogs, Apache helicopters to secure Strait of Hormuz
The US has deployed A-10 Warthogs attack jets, Ah-64 Apache
helicopters, and 5,000-pound ground penetrator bombs to take out
Iranian drones, boats, and mines to help secure the Strait of Hormuz,
America’s top general said Thursday.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, vowed at a
Pentagon news conference that the US would “hunt and kill” all of
Tehran’s weapons facilities and assets being used against the strait, a
critical trade route through which 20% of the world’s oil supply is
transported.
“We continue to hunt and kill afloat assets, including more than 120
vessels and 44 minelayers,” Caine told reporters alongside War
Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“And the pressure will continue. We’re flying further to the east now
and penetrating deeper into Iranian airspace to hunt and kill one-way
attack gear.”
Dem senators make the case for the very bill they're trying to kill
Sens Schumer and Warnock acknowledged
noncitizen voting can occur while arguing against the SAVE America
Act's citizenship verification requirements
In trying to downplay its seriousness and scope, Sen. Chuck Schumer,
D-N.Y., and Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., tacitly acknowledged the
existence of a problem they've argued is immaterial: that illegal
immigrants may be able to unlawfully participate in federal elections.
"The evidence is that almost no illegal aliens vote," Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor.
Warnock similarly acknowledged the issue while listing statistics about voting records in his home state.
"8.2 million people are registered to vote in Georgia. The Republican
secretary of state found 20 instances of noncitizens who were
registered, and only nine had ever attempted to vote," Warnock said.
Democrats vow political reckoning if they win midterms as campaign season heats up
Sens Ruben Gallego and Chris Murphy
are among Democrats vowing to undo Trump-era mergers and launch
investigations if they retake Congress
Democrats have been stockpiling ideas for months on how to retaliate
against companies and figures that have aligned themselves closely to
President Donald Trump's political agenda, telegraphing that merger
breakups and committee investigations will play a central role in their
efforts to push back against the administration should they regain
power.
Most recently, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., took to
social media to highlight his most recent entry on that list.
"Brendan Carr is a corrupt political hack and fake chair of the FCC,"
Jeffries said in a post to X. "This guy (and the entities he promotes)
will find himself on the wrong side of a congressional investigation in
short order."
Jeffries' comments were made in response to a post from Carr,
suggesting the administration would more closely review license
renewals for broadcasters perpetuating "fake news."
CBS News set to lay off 6% of staffers today as Bari Weiss looks to reshape newsroom
CBS News has initiated its latest round of layoffs Friday as
editor-in-chief Bari Weiss moves to reshape the network under owner
David Ellison.
The Tiffany Network’s news division is cutting 6% of its workforce, a source close to the company told The Post.
A CBS source told The Post that the layoffs are likely to impact close
to 60 people. Previous reporting indicated that the network could be
laying off as much as 15% of its workforce. According to an insider,
numerous staffers have taken buyouts in the weeks leading up to
Friday’s cuts.
Weiss and CBS News president Tom Cibrowski told staffers that layoffs
were underway, writing in a memo on Friday: “Today we are reducing the
size of our workforce, and employees who are affected will be notified
by the end of the day.”
Trump calls NATO members ‘cowards’ over refusal to ‘help open’ Strait of Hormuz
President Trump has started his Friday with a broadside against NATO
members who have declined to help make the Strait of Hormuz safe for
shipping traffic.
“Without the U.S.A., NATO IS A PAPER TIGER!” Trump wrote on Truth
Social. “They didn’t want to join the fight to stop a Nuclear Powered
Iran.
“Now that fight is Militarily WON, with very little danger for them,
they complain about the high oil prices they are forced to pay, but
don’t want to help open the Strait of Hormuz, a simple military
maneuver that is the single reason for the high oil prices.
Chuck Norris dead at 86 following medical emergency
Legendary actor and martial artist Chuck Norris has died. He was 86.
The “Walker, Texas Ranger” star’s family shared the sad news with
“heavy hearts” on social media Friday, explaining that he died suddenly
Thursday morning.
“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know
that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the statement
began.
“To the world, he was a martial artist, actor, and a symbol of
strength. To us, he was a devoted husband, a loving father and
grandfather, an incredible brother, and the heart of our family.”
His family highlighted that “he lived his life with faith, purpose, and
an unwavering commitment to the people he loved” and “inspired millions
around the world and left a lasting impact” … “through his work,
discipline, and kindness.”
Trump Gets Approval for Gold Coin in His Likeness
An advisory commission appointed by President Donald Trump has approved
the design of a commemorative gold coin featuring his image, officials
said Thursday, in a move criticized by Democrat opponents.
The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts declined to comment when asked by AFP
after several media outlets showed the proposed design in reporting on
the approval.
The coin is intended to mark the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.
Trump turbocharges US economic comeback as socialism keeps failing worldwide
The lesson of the Heritage Foundation’s just released 2026 'Index of Economic Freedom' is that freedom still works
By Kevin D. Roberts
Around the world, nations stand at a crossroads. Whether they choose
the path of economic freedom — as President Donald Trump is doing in
the United States — or socialism will determine not only their material
prosperity, but the security and flourishing of their people.
That’s the core finding of the Heritage Foundation’s just-released
"2026 Index of Economic Freedom." Pro-growth policies are an investment
in the people who make nations strong, resilient and prosperous.
That is certainly the approach President Trump took in 2025. Setting
the stage for America’s comeback and paving the way for greater
economic dynamism, his policy choices arrested the precipitous decline
of America’s economic freedom. America’s Index score for President Joe
Biden’s final year in office was its lowest ever.
Deranged Tucker Carlson backstabs Trump
By Douglas Murray
In politics, it is often the people who you think have your back who end up stabbing you there.
Nobody knows that better than Donald Trump, who has been stabbed in the
back more times than Julius Caesar — yet has still survived.
This week, part of the noisy right-wing online podcast-sphere again turned on the president.
Leading the virtual charge, again, was Trump’s one-time cheerleader, Tucker Carlson.
The president’s strong Middle East policy seems to have particularly deranged his one-time supporter.
