đď¸ Senate Republicans Set to Vote on SAVE Act as Thune Rejects Talking Filibuster Push
Senate Majority Leader John Thune has confirmed that the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a Republican-backed measure requiring proof of citizenship like passports or birth certificates for federal voter registration, will head to the Senate floor for a vote next week. Thune stated that Republicans lack the necessary support within their conference to pursue a âtalking filibusterâ tacticâpushed by President Trumpâto force Democrats into extended floor debate and potentially lower the passage threshold, calling it a simple matter of insufficient votes to proceed or sustain such a process. The bill, which passed the House earlier, faces unified Democratic opposition and is unlikely to advance under current Senate rules requiring 60 votes to overcome a filibuster.
Sources: The Post Millennial, The Hill
đ Slotkin Reverses Stance on DHS Funding After Michigan Synagogue Attack
Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, voted against a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security on Thursday amid a partial government shutdown, joining most Senate Democrats in opposition, tied to concerns over Immigration and Customs Enforcement practices. The very next day, following a terror attack at Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michiganâwhere a naturalized U.S. citizen born in Lebanon rammed a vehicle into the building and was killed by security personnelâSlotkin stated at a press conference that the DHS must be funded as an essential agency, while suggesting ICE issues be separated from core DHS missions. The incident, described by federal officials as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community with no injuries beyond the suspect, highlighted ongoing security debates amid the funding lapse that has affected TSA operations and other homeland security functions.
Sources: The Post Millennial, The Daily Wire
đ° Democrats Push $1.5 Trillion Tax Hike Ahead of Midterms
Democrats are entering the 2026 midterm elections and looking toward 2028 by advancing proposals to raise taxes by approximately $1.5 trillion over the next decade, primarily through a surtax on high earners. Led by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and cosponsored by figures like Kirsten Gillibrand, Cory Booker, and others, the Working Americansâ Tax Cut Act would impose tiered additional taxes of 5% to 12% on incomes above $1 million (with higher thresholds for couples), affecting adjusted gross income including capital gains, while using the revenue to eliminate federal income taxes for individuals earning up to $46,000 and provide cuts for those up to around $80,500. This surtax is estimated to generate about $1.46 trillion, framed by supporters as making the wealthy pay their fair share to benefit working families amid rising costs, though it would push top marginal rates well above current levels and draws union backing as a top priority.
Sources: The Washington Free Beacon, The Hill
đď¸ Senate Overwhelmingly Approves Temporary Ban on Fed-Issued CBDC in Bipartisan Housing Package
The U.S. Senate passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act on March 12, 2026, with a strong 89-10 bipartisan vote. This major housing legislation aims to boost affordability by easing regulations, expanding programs for new construction, and restricting large institutional investors from acquiring additional single-family homes beyond certain thresholds. Tucked into the bill is an unrelated provision prohibiting the Federal Reserve from issuing or creating a central bank digital currency (CBDC) or any substantially similar digital asset, directly or through intermediaries, until December 31, 2030. The measure exempts open, permissionless, and private dollar-denominated digital currencies like certain stablecoins. While the housing-focused elements drew broad support, the temporary CBDC moratorium reflects ongoing concerns about government overreach in digital finance, though some conservatives push for a permanent restriction as the bill heads to the House, where revisions are likely.
â ď¸ Ex-National Guardsman with ISIS Ties Kills One in Old Dominion University Shooting
A 36-year-old former Virginia Army National Guard member named Mohamed Bailor Jalloh, previously convicted and imprisoned for attempting to provide material support to ISIS, entered a classroom at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, on March 12, 2026, inquired if it was an ROTC class, shouted âAllahu Akbar,â and opened fire, killing a professor (a retired military officer) and injuring two ROTC students who were later reported in stable condition. Jalloh was killed by a student who stabbed him during the incident; the FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism, with Jalloh having been released from federal prison in December 2024 after serving an 11-year sentence (plus supervised release) for his 2016 guilty plea on the ISIS-related charges stemming from efforts to procure weapons and funds for the group.
Sources: The Daily Mail, US Justice Dept
đş CNN Airs Four Minutes of Uninterrupted Iranian State Media Amid Ongoing War
CNN broadcast four full minutes without interruption or commentary of a statement from Iranian state television, purportedly from the new Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on the 13th day of the U.S.-Iran war. The statement, read by a female anchor, emphasized avenging martyrs, including children killed in a U.S. missile strike on a girlsâ school, vowed broad retaliation, called for continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz impacting global oil flows, threatened attacks on Gulf neighbors hosting U.S. bases, and promised to seize or destroy enemy assets for compensation. CNN defended the decision as providing critical news value to help audiences understand the conflictâs direction. The White House sharply criticized the move via its Rapid Response account on X, calling CNN âfake newsâ for airing content from a regime long accused of hostility toward Americans.
Sources: The Washington Times, The Daily Mail
â ď¸ Armed Man in Tactical Gear Arrested After Entering Texas Elementary School
A 39-year-old man named Kyle Najm Chris, also known as Muhi Mohanad Najm, entered Zwink Elementary School in Spring, Texas, on Tuesday by slipping through an improperly secured front door while another visitor exited. Dressed in full green military-style tactical gear, including a load-bearing vest, he carried a holstered firearm and a taser but was stopped in the front office vestibule by a school employee who questioned him about entry and identification; he provided no valid ID, claimed to be a security guard, and then left in a dark blue Dodge Charger. The schoolâs double-door security system prevented further access to classrooms or students. Klein ISD notified parents the following evening, and authorities, including the FBI, investigated, leading to his arrest at home about four miles away on Wednesday, around 6:30 p.m. He faces a third-degree felony charge for possessing a prohibited weapon on school premises, with bond set at $75,000; records show he is unemployed with no security certifications.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, FOX26 Houston
â ď¸ Texas Democrat James Talarico Trained at Seminary Focused on Social Justice Preaching
Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, a Democrat who frequently cites Scripture to defend progressive stances on issues like abortion and transgender rights, completed theological training at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, a liberal institution affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) that emphasizes social justice activism in its curriculum. The seminary offers courses such as âCommunication for Ministries of Social Justice,â âTheatre of the Oppressed,â and âWomanist and Feminist Readings of the New Testament,â and frames faculty exploration of Christian faith around topics including racial justice, gender, sexuality, and immigration. Talarico earned a Master of Arts in Theological Studies there in May 2025 and continues toward a Master of Divinity; his views, including claims that God is nonbinary, the Bible supports abortion via consent themes, and transgender children are sacred, align with the progressive theology prevalent at the school and in mainline Protestant circles, which critics argue diverges from traditional Christian doctrine.
Sources: The Washington Examiner, The Christian Post
đŞ Green Groups Now Battle Carbon Capture Projects Despite CO2 Reduction Potential
Environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and Earthworks, are actively working to halt carbon capture and storage (CCS) initiatives, which trap CO2 emissions from industrial sources and inject them into underground formations for long-term sequestration. In Louisiana, a leading state for such projects due to its geology and infrastructure, local activists with Save My Louisiana and others are pushing back against Class VI injection wells through protests, lawsuits, and demands for more safety studies, citing risks like potential leaks from past incidents, such as the 2020 Satartia, Mississippi pipeline rupture that caused health issues. Critics of the opposition argue it stems from an ideological aversion to anything that prolongs fossil fuel use, even as CCS garners support from bodies like the World Economic Forum and both recent U.S. administrations for its role in cutting emissions, with the U.S. operating facilities that capture a fraction of CO2 and more in development.
Sources: The Washington Times, The Carnegie Endowment
đď¸ Cuban President Confirms Recent Talks with U.S. to Address Bilateral Differences
Cuban President Miguel DĂaz-Canel stated on March 13, 2026, that his government recently held discussions with U.S. officials aimed at finding solutions through dialogue to longstanding bilateral differences between the two nations. He described the talks as facilitated by international factors and focused on identifying key problems based on their severity, determining mutual willingness for concrete actions benefiting both peoples, and exploring cooperation on regional security and threats. DĂaz-Canel emphasized that the process remains highly sensitive, requiring significant efforts to reduce confrontation, and insisted it proceed on the basis of equality, respect for each countryâs political system, and Cubaâs sovereignty. The announcement comes amid Cubaâs severe energy crisis, including no petroleum imports for three months due to what he called a U.S. energy blockade, leading to widespread power shortages, blackouts affecting millions, and postponed medical procedures.
Sources: The Washington Times, NBC News
đĽ Dubai Financial Hub Struck by Iranian Drone Debris Amid Escalating Conflict
A building in Dubaiâs International Financial Centre sustained minor facade damage on March 13, 2026, when debris from a successfully intercepted Iranian kamikaze drone caused a fire and sent thick black smoke billowing over the cityâs business district. No injuries were reported, and authorities described the incident as limited despite the dramatic visuals. This comes as part of Iranâs ongoing retaliatory strikes across the region following U.S. and Israeli actions against Tehran, with the UAE emphasizing a preference for diplomatic resolutions while acknowledging the chaos spilling into neutral territories.
Sources: The New York Post, The Independent
đĽ Iran Deploys Explosive âSuicide Skiffsâ Disguised as Fishing Boats in Strait of Hormuz
Iran has escalated its maritime tactics in the ongoing conflict by deploying explosive-laden drone boats, dubbed âsuicide skiffs,â disguised as wooden fishing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. A defense expert highlighted the asymmetric threat these low-cost, remotely controlled or potentially swarming boats pose, capable of ramming and detonating against targets in the narrow waterway. This development follows recent attacks, including a March 1 strike on a Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker by an unmanned surface vehicle and March 11 incidents involving remote-controlled explosive boats hitting additional tankers, amid broader disruptions like mine deployments and vows from Iranâs leadership to block the strait as leverage. Such moves have contributed to stalled shipping, surging oil prices, and warnings about the challenges in defending against these disguised, hard-to-detect threats exploiting the straitâs geography.
đ¸ British Tourist in Dubai Faces Prison for Filming Iranian Missile Strikes
A 60-year-old British man from London, vacationing in Dubai, was arrested on Monday night and charged under the UAEâs cybercrime laws for allegedly filming Iranian missiles striking the city, an act authorities claim could disturb public security. He reportedly deleted the video immediately when confronted by police, but was still detained at Bur Dubai police station alongside 20 others facing similar accusations related to videos and social media posts about the recent Iranian attacks on the UAE. The chargeâbroadcasting or circulating material that might incite panic or disrupt orderâcarries a potential sentence of up to two years in prison, though the tourist maintains he had no intention of breaking the law and his family expresses deep concern over his situation. This crackdown reflects the UAEâs strict controls on sharing information during the ongoing conflict, where Iran has launched numerous projectiles, most of which were intercepted, but some caused damage, including at Dubaiâs airport and various districts.
Sources: The Daily Mail, The Guardian
â Kast Takes Office as Chile Swings Right in Major Post-Dictatorship Shift
Far-right leader JosĂŠ Antonio Kast was sworn in as Chileâs president on March 11, 2026, during a ceremony at the National Congress in ValparaĂso, marking the countryâs most pronounced move to the right since the return to democracy in 1990 after the Pinochet era. Kast, who won a landslide runoff victory in December 2025 against Communist Party candidate Jeannette Jara with over 58% of the vote, takes power amid voter frustration with rising crime, irregular immigration, and economic concerns under outgoing leftist President Gabriel Boric. His campaign promised tough action on security, migration controls, and deregulation for growth, and the inauguration drew international figures while sparking both supportive crowds and protests. Kast delivered a speech vowing no negotiations with criminals or border violators, signaling an âemergency governmentâ approach to restore order.
Sources: The Winnipeg Free Press, Reuters
đłď¸ Rapper-Turned-Politician Balendra Shah Claims Landslide Win as Nepalâs Next Prime Minister
A 35-year-old former rapper and Kathmandu mayor, Balendra Shah (known as Balen), is set to become Nepalâs youngest-ever prime minister after his Rastriya Swatantra Party secured a massive majority in the March 2026 general election. The party won around 124-125 directly elected seats out of 165, with projections for a total near two-thirds majority in the 275-seat parliament, including proportional seats, routing the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), which plummeted to just a handful of seats after dominating prior cycles. Shah personally crushed former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli in Oliâs own constituency by a roughly four-to-one margin, riding a wave of Gen Z support following 2025 protests that toppled Oliâs government over corruption and a social media ban that turned deadly. This marks a sharp rebuke to Nepalâs traditional left-leaning and establishment parties, handing a fresh centrist outfit an unprecedented mandate amid widespread frustration with old-guard politics.
Sources: The Independent Journal Review, BBC News