Wednesday March 11th, 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
Iran Strikes 3 Ships Near Strait of Hormuz
Three vessels have been hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of
Hormuz, maritime security agencies and sources said Wednesday, as one
of the strikes led to a fire onboard a ship and forced most of its crew
to evacuate it.
The Thailand-flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree was targeted and
damaged approximately 11 nautical miles north of Oman, two maritime
security sources said.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said later,
referring to the incident, that the fire had been extinguished and that
there was no environmental impact. Necessary crew remained on the
vessel.
US military wipes out entire class of Iranian warships
U.S. Central Command Commander Adm. Brad Cooper said Wednesday that
American forces operating in the Middle East have taken out "the last
of four Soleimani-class warships -- that's an entire class of Iranian
ships now out of the fight."
"To date, we have struck more than 5,500 targets inside Iran, including
more than 60 ships using a variety of precision weapons systems. Just
yesterday, we had strike waves nearly every hours from different
locations and directions going into Iran," Cooper said in a video
posted to X.
"U.S. combat power is building, Iranian combat power is declining,"
Cooper said. "Every day we are striking hard at Iranian ballistic
missiles and drones."
Cooper added that he continues to "be impressed with all the branches of the U.S. military."
Trump’s Middle East envoy reveals what led to breakdown in Iran talks before Operation Epic Fury
Steve Witkoff says Iran rejected US offer to provide free nuclear fuel for civil program
U.S. special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff described what he
said were early threats and demands from Iran during an interview on
"Hannity" Tuesday, as U.S. negotiators and Iranian counterparts
explored whether a deal could be reached before talks collapsed — a
breakdown that preceded the launch of Operation Epic Fury.
Witkoff offered a behind-the-scenes account of the opening exchanges in
the U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations. He said Iranian representatives
opened by asserting an "inalienable right to enrich" nuclear fuel — a
stance the U.S. delegation opposed by insisting that Iran should not
enrich uranium at all.
Witkoff said Iranian negotiators declared they controlled roughly 460
kilograms of enriched uranium to about 60% and that this material could
potentially be further enriched toward weapons-grade levels in about a
week to 10 days.
Trump Faces 3 Scenarios to End War as Hormuz Crisis Escalates
As tensions escalate around the strategic Strait of Hormuz, analysts
say President Donald Trump now faces only three realistic options in
his confrontation with Iran — two of which carry serious risks, while
the third is politically and militarily costly.
Iran's effective closure of the Strait has sent shock waves through
global markets. On Wednesday, Iran hit at least three ships near the
Strait.
According to analysis from Eurointelligence, Trump's original war
objective — forcing regime change in Tehran without deploying ground
troops — has effectively become unattainable.
Instead, the administration must choose between withdrawing early,
continuing a limited military campaign focused on reopening the Strait
of Hormuz, or launching a full-scale ground invasion.
Valerie Jarrett earned $740K as Obama insiders filled top roles during $850M presidential center build
Longtime Obama confidante's salary exceeds leaders at Bush, Carter, Reagan and Clinton foundations
As construction nears completion on the long-delayed $850 million Obama
Presidential Center, federal tax filings show the Obama Foundation paid
CEO Valerie Jarrett $740,000 in 2024 while several former Obama White
House officials collected six-figure salaries as foundation executives.
The Obama Foundation — which will operate the 19.3-acre center on
publicly owned Chicago parkland — paid its CEO more than any other
major presidential foundation. Salaries and benefits soared from $18.5
million in 2018 to $43.7 million in 2024, as staffing expanded to 337
employees and annual revenue reached nearly $210 million.
Jarrett, one of the Obamas’ closest advisors, took over as CEO in 2021
and is among six of the foundation’s 10 highest-paid executives who
previously held senior roles in the Obama administration or campaign,
according to a review of the foundation's tax filings from 2018 to 2024.
Sparks fly as GOP senator reacts to Biden advisor's ‘I don’t know’ answer on illegal immigration law
The heated exchange came during a Tuesday Senate Budget Committee hearing
A tense exchange unfolded during a Senate Budget Committee hearing
Tuesday when Republican Sen. Bernie Moreno pressed a former Biden
advisor on whether illegal immigration into the United States should be
considered a crime.
"I don't know anything about this law," Brendan Duke, a former senior
policy advisor in the Biden White House and now senior director for
federal budget policy at the Center for American Progress, told Moreno
when asked if the 1952 Immigration and Naturalization Act "made a
mistake" prohibiting people from entering the country illegally.
"Do you think it should be a crime to enter the country illegally?" Moreno followed up.
Trump Touts Economy on Ohio, Kentucky Trip, Backs GOP Challenger
President Donald Trump plans to visit Ohio and Kentucky on Wednesday to
argue that his policies can steady an economy facing shock waves from
the war on Iran and to campaign against one of the few congressional
Republicans who has opposed him.
In Cincinnati, the Republican president is touring Thermo Fisher
Scientific, a pharmaceutical company. There, he'll tout efforts to
lower prescription drug prices, a key part of his attempts to show his
administration is focused on making the cost of living more affordable
for many Americans ahead of November's midterm elections.
After that, Trump will visit a logistics packing facility in nearby
Hebron, Kentucky, part of the district of Rep. Thomas Massie. Trump is
backing a primary challenger to Massie.
Foreign Hacker in 2023 Compromised Epstein Files Held by FBI, Source and Documents Show
A foreign hacker compromised files relating to the FBI's investigation
of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein during a break-in at the
bureau's New York Field Office three years ago, according to a source
familiar with the matter and recently published Justice Department
documents reviewed by Reuters.
The details of who accessed a server at the FBI's New York Field
Office, including the allegation that a foreign hacker was involved,
are being reported here for the first time.
In a statement, the FBI said what it described as a "cyber incident" was "an isolated one."
The untold reason Kristi Noem’s alleged lover Corey Lewandowski did ‘whatever the f–k I want’ at DHS
Embattled Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s top aide and
alleged lover Corey Lewandowski bragged that he could do “whatever” he
wanted as a powerful federal official because he believed President
Trump would pardon him, The Post has learned.
The political pit bull made the remark on multiple occasions tied to
his work as a special government employee, sources revealed in the wake
of the DHS duo’s downfall.
“I’m not worried. I do whatever the f–k I want. DJT will pardon me,”
Lewandowski told one of The Post’s sources last year — making the
flippant aside during a discussion about official actions.
Another source said Lewandowski, who is expected to leave the
department this month alongside Noem, “was telling people he was going
to get [a] pardon so he didn’t have to worry.”
REPS FINE, SELF, HARRIS, Enough is enough: We'll block the Senate until the SAVE Act passes
Americans want real action to secure
our elections, but Senate Republicans are twiddling their thumbs on
feel-good fluff that would make a circus clown blush
By Rep. Randy Fine , Rep. Keith Self , Rep. Mark Harris
Wednesday marks one month since House Republicans took a bold stand for
the soul of our democracy by passing the SAVE America Act.
This common-sense legislation requires proof of citizenship to vote and
a voter ID — basic measures any American can support. Yet, in the
marble halls of the Senate, Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., is
playing games, refusing to even bring the bill to the floor for debate.
Enough is enough. It's time for House Republicans to draw a line in the
sand: We are prepared to vote no on any Senate legislation until the
upper chamber stops dragging its feet and passes the SAVE America Act.
Let's be crystal clear about what's at stake. In an era when our
elections are under constant threat from fraud, illegal votes and
shadowy influences, the SAVE America Act isn't just policy — it's a
lifeline for the republic.
Blue states are committing tax suicide — their mania is contagious
By Betsy McCaughey
It’s not just New York and California: All across the nation, blue
states are committing political and economic suicide by targeting
millionaires with high taxes.
Who will suffer most from this ideologically driven push to punish the wealthy? Wage workers and the poor.
Leftist Democratic pols demanding new state tax-the-rich measures are
ignoring economic reality: Wealthy residents can and do move in
response to unreasonable taxes — taking jobs, revenue and even
congressional representation with them.
In Washington state this week, a slim Democratic majority is on the verge of passing a 9.9% income tax on millionaires.
