🛄 Senate Passes Bill Ending Special Airport Screening Perks for Lawmakers
The U.S. Senate has approved legislation that strips members of Congress of their ability to receive expedited or preferential treatment at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints, forcing them to go through the same security screening as ordinary travelers. Introduced by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) as the End Special Treatment for Congress at Airports Act, the bill prohibits the use of federal funds for any such special access or escorts for lawmakers, though they can still enroll in publicly available programs like TSA PreCheck if qualified. Passed by unanimous consent on March 19, 2026, amid an ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security that has caused long lines and unpaid TSA staff, the measure now heads to the House for consideration.
Sources: The Epoch Times, GovTrack.us
⚖️ DOJ Subpoenas James Comey Over 2017 Russia Election Interference Assessment
The Justice Department has subpoenaed former FBI Director James Comey regarding his involvement in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment on Russian interference in the 2016 election. This subpoena, issued last week by prosecutors in the Southern District of Florida, forms part of a broader criminal investigation examining the assessment’s creation process, including claims of rushed procedures, inclusion of the discredited Steele dossier against standard tradecraft, and possible misleading statements to Congress. The probe, which has generated over 130 subpoenas targeting Obama-era officials, also connects to inquiries into former CIA Director John Brennan and aims to determine if the report was politicized to undermine the incoming Trump administration.
🚨 Unidentified Drones Spotted Near DC Military Base Amid Rising Iran Tensions
Unidentified drones have been detected flying over Fort Lesley J. McNair in Washington, D.C., in recent days, prompting an investigation by military officials who stress there is no credible threat at this time. The base houses senior military leadership, the National Defense University, and reportedly serves as a residence for high-level administration officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, amid elevated security concerns tied to ongoing Middle East conflicts. Officials from the Joint Task Force–National Capital Region and U.S. Army Military District of Washington are collaborating with law enforcement and interagency partners to monitor and probe the sightings, while the origin of the drones remains unknown. This comes as the U.S. has raised force protection levels at various bases and diplomatic posts following escalations involving Iran, which has heavily invested in drone capabilities and proxy operations, though experts note any domestic risk would more likely involve small commercial drones rather than advanced military ones.
Sources: FOX News, The Daily Mail
💰 Treasury Takes Over Defaulted Student Loan Collections in Education Shake-Up
The U.S. Department of Education and the Department of the Treasury announced a new interagency agreement on March 19, 2026, called the Federal Student Assistance Partnership. This deal shifts operational responsibility for collecting on defaulted federal student loans—part of a nearly $1.7 trillion portfolio with about a quarter of borrowers in default—to the Treasury Department right away. Treasury will also support efforts to get those borrowers back into repayment. The move aims to fix what officials call years of mismanagement under the prior administration, cut taxpayer costs from bad loans, and bring better financial discipline to the system. It’s the opening phase of a broader plan that could eventually hand the full student loan portfolio to Treasury as the Education Department gets scaled back.
Sources: Just The News, NewsMax
🏛️House Administration Committee Advances Women’s History Museum Bill Amid Clash Over Biological Definition
Democrats on the House Administration Committee voted against advancing H.R. 1329, the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum Act, after Republicans added an amendment specifying that the proposed museum on the National Mall would focus exclusively on the history, achievements, and experiences of biological women while prohibiting any depiction of a biological male as female. The bill, originally bipartisan with over 200 cosponsors and aimed at authorizing a site for the long-stalled Smithsonian institution, passed out of committee on a party-line 7-4 vote on March 18, 2026. Republicans argued the language protects the museum’s focus on biological women during Women’s History Month, while Democrats condemned the change as a discriminatory, partisan addition that excludes transgender women and includes other provisions granting President Trump unilateral control over the museum’s location, derailing years of cross-aisle cooperation.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, NewsMax
📻 CBS News Executes Fresh Layoffs Under Bari Weiss, Shuttering CBS News Radio Division
CBS News implemented a new round of staff reductions on March 20, 2026, affecting over 60 positions, equivalent to about 6% of the news division’s workforce, while simultaneously ending its nearly 100-year-old CBS News Radio service effective May 22, 2026. Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss and President Tom Cibrowski informed staff via memo and a call that these changes stem from the need to shrink certain areas to build capacity for future competitiveness amid radical shifts in the media landscape, emphasizing that the moves are unrelated to individual performance but driven by industry transformation and the necessity to reach new digital audiences. The cuts follow earlier reductions and voluntary buyouts, as the network under new ownership continues to prioritize streaming and broader viewpoint representation.
Sources: ZeroHedge, The New York Post
⚠️ California Shifts César Chávez Day to Farmworkers Day Amid Pedophile Allegations Against Late Labor Leader
California’s legislative leaders announced on March 19, 2026, that they will push through legislation to rename the March 31 state holiday from César Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day, stripping the late union founder’s name from the observance just days after a New York Times investigation detailed extensive allegations that Chavez groomed and sexually abused underage girls starting at ages 12 and 13 in the 1970s, along with raping adult women including co-founder Dolores Huerta, prompting swift support from Gov. Gavin Newsom and others to refocus the holiday on the broader farmworker struggle rather than a man now widely described in reports as a pedophile and rapist who exploited his power in the movement.
Sources: Pasadena Now, ZeroHedge
🍷 Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders Asked to Leave Little Rock Restaurant Over Staff Discomfort
Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders was asked to leave The Croissanterie restaurant in Little Rock on March 13 after dining for over an hour with two other mothers and her security detail. According to the governor, the owner approached her protection detail, stating that her presence made employees feel threatened and uncomfortable due to her political views, prompting the request to depart even though the group had already paid and tipped. The restaurant owners issued a statement explaining that they served the unannounced party without issue initially, but as the security presence became noticeable, some employees and guests expressed discomfort; they chose to support those individuals by quietly encouraging the governor to leave near the 90-minute seating limit, denying any claims of feeling “threatened” while regretting the situation but standing by their decision to prioritize staff and guest comfort.
Sources: FOX16 News Little Rock, The Hill
⚖️ Anti-ICE Activists Convicted in Felony Stalking Case
Two anti-ICE activists faced the consequences of their own tactics when a federal jury convicted them of felony stalking for tracking and harassing an ICE deportation officer and his family. On August 28, 2025, Ashleigh Brown and Cynthia Raygoza followed the officer from a Los Angeles federal building to his home, livestreaming the pursuit on Instagram while doxxing his location, shouting threats and identifications to bystanders, and drawing a crowd of masked individuals to the area. The officer’s wife and children endured emotional distress, racial slurs, and disruption severe enough to force the family to relocate to another county, affecting the children’s schooling and a disabled son’s access to benefits. The jury delivered guilty verdicts on March 2 for the stalking charges, though acquitting on related conspiracy counts, with sentencing pending and potential prison time up to five years; a third defendant was acquitted entirely. Officials emphasized that such intimidation of federal personnel and families crosses into criminal territory, amid reports of rising threats against ICE staff.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, The Los Angeles Times
💻 DOJ Seizes Iranian Domains in Crackdown on Cyber Threats and Death Threats
The U.S. Department of Justice announced on March 19, 2026, the court-authorized seizure of four internet domains linked to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS). These sites facilitated hacking claims, posted stolen sensitive data, and issued calls for violence, including death threats against journalists, Iranian regime dissidents, and Israeli individuals. The domains supported the Handala Hack group, which took credit for a destructive malware attack in March 2026 on a U.S. medical technologies company, leaked personal information from targeted communities, and even attempted to enlist Mexican cartel partners for assassinations with offered bounties. The action disrupts these cyber-enabled psychological operations and transnational repression efforts amid heightened tensions.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, US Justice Dept
💥 US Warplanes and Apaches Strike Iranian Targets in Hormuz as Houthis Threaten Red Sea Escalation
The United States has ramped up operations in the Strait of Hormuz by deploying low-flying attack jets and Apache helicopters to target Iranian fast-attack boats, naval vessels, and drones disrupting commercial shipping, alongside A-10 Warthogs hunting threats along Iran’s southern coast, all part of efforts to reopen the vital oil chokepoint amid the broader conflict with Iran. This comes as Iran’s retaliatory actions, including mining and attacks on tankers, have severely curtailed traffic through the strait following U.S.-Israeli strikes. Iran’s allies, the Houthis in Yemen, have signaled readiness to resume or intensify attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in solidarity, threatening U.S. naval assets and potentially closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which would compound global trade disruptions already seen from prior Houthi campaigns and force rerouting around the Cape of Good Hope. President Trump has pressed allies for more naval support with limited success, while energy prices climb due to the combined threats to these key maritime routes.
Sources: ZeroHedge, The Wall Street Journal
⚠️ The Pentagon Accelerates Deployment of Thousands of Marines, Sailors to the Middle East Amid Iran Conflict
The Pentagon has sped up the movement of thousands of additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East as the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran enters its third week, with deployments including the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit of roughly 2,200 Marines aboard the USS Boxer from San Diego, potentially joined by the USS Portland and USS Comstock for up to 4,000 total personnel. This follows the recent departure of about 5,000 Marines and sailors on the Japan-based USS Tripoli. The moves aim to secure the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks, disrupting global oil shipping, add to the roughly 50,000 U.S. troops already in the region, and provide commanders with more options like rapid response or amphibious capabilities without committing ground troops inside Iran itself, as President Trump has stated no boots on the ground there.
Sources: The Washington Examiner, The Wall Street Journal
💥 Iranian Missile Fragment Lands in Jerusalem’s Old City Near Western Wall and Temple Mount
An Iranian ballistic missile targeted Jerusalem on March 20, 2026. Israeli air defenses intercepted it successfully. A fragment from the missile struck a parking lot in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. The impact site sits roughly 400 meters from the Western Wall and the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound on the Temple Mount. No injuries occurred in Jerusalem from this incident. Localized damage affected the parking area. Sirens blared across the city and parts of Samaria during multiple Iranian barrages that day. Authorities noted the use of fragmentation-style munitions designed to scatter debris. This event underscores the ongoing risks to Jerusalem’s historic holy sites amid the broader U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran under Operation Epic Fury. In a separate strike on Rehovot, debris caused light injuries to two people and damaged buildings.
Sources: World Israel News, AP News
💀 Iran Executes Three, Including Teen Wrestling Champion, Over Protest-Related Charges
Iran’s regime hanged 19-year-old Saleh Mohammadi, a member of the national wrestling team and a rising star with international medals, along with two other men named Mehdi Ghasemi and Saeed Davoudi, in Qom on March 19, 2026. The trio faced charges of killing two police officers with knives and swords during anti-regime protests in January 2026, plus the capital offense of moharebeh or “waging war against God” under sharia law, with Iranian state media claiming Supreme Court approval after fast-tracked trials that rights groups slammed as unfair and reliant on coerced confessions obtained through torture. The executions mark the first public hangings tied to the recent wave of nationwide demonstrations, drawing sharp criticism from U.S. officials and human rights advocates who highlighted the regime’s pattern of crushing dissent by targeting young people, including athletes seen as role models.
Sources: The Washington Examiner, The New York Post
⚠️ Denmark Prepared Contingency to Demolish Greenland Runways Amid U.S. Tensions
Denmark drew up plans to use explosives to destroy key airport runways in Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq on Greenland during a January 2026 troop deployment, as a defensive measure to block potential U.S. military aircraft landings if President Trump moved to seize the territory by force. Danish public broadcaster DR reported this based on a reviewed January 13 military operations order and accounts from 12 high-level government and military sources, noting that soldiers arrived with live ammunition, blood supplies for casualties, and sufficient explosives for the task amid heightened fears sparked by Trump’s repeated interest in controlling Greenland and recent U.S. actions elsewhere. Danish officials have declined to comment officially, while the deployment was framed publicly as exercises but confirmed as operational preparations; European outlets corroborated the reporting, highlighting strains in the NATO alliance over Arctic strategic concerns.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, BBC News