đ¨ Senate Democrats âGoing in Circlesâ; Block Latest DHS Funding Attempt After Rejecting GOP Offer
Senate Democrats on March 25, 2026, blocked a Republican-led procedural vote to advance a Department of Homeland Security funding bill aimed at ending the partial shutdown that began in mid-February. Senate Majority Leader John Thune forced the vote after quickly dismissing Democratsâ counteroffer as unserious and not close to a genuine proposal, accusing Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of going in circles by repeating demands already rejected. Republicans had put forward a framework that would fund most DHS components, including the Transportation Security Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency, while carving out certain Immigration and Customs Enforcement enforcement and removal operations. Democrats insisted on additional reforms such as requiring judicial warrants for ICE agents and banning masks for DHS personnel, which Republicans viewed as nonstarters that would weaken immigration enforcement. The impasse continued amid growing airport delays and concerns over unpaid workers, with both sides trading blame for the prolonged stalemate now stretching beyond a month.
âď¸ Eighth Circuit Overturns District Judge, Upholds Ice Authority to Detain Illegal Aliens Without Bond
The Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a Minnesota district judgeâs order that had required a bond hearing or release for Joaquin Herrera Avila, a Mexican national who entered the country illegally on multiple occasions. The appellate panel ruled that aliens present in the United States without lawful admission qualify as applicants for admission under 8 U.S.C. § 1225(b)(2)(A), subjecting them to mandatory detention without bond during removal proceedings. This interpretation aligns the Eighth Circuit with a prior Fifth Circuit decision and rejects the lower courtâs view that the statute applies only to those encountered at the border rather than long-term unlawful entrants. Judge Shepherd authored the majority opinion, while Judge Erickson dissented on grounds that the reading represented a novel approach for individuals inside the country for years. The outcome reinforces federal immigration enforcement by limiting catch-and-release practices and taxpayer-funded bond hearings for repeat illegal entrants.
Sources: The Washington Times, The Gateway Pundit
đŞ Senate Democrats Spurn GOP Compromise on Homeland Security Funding
Senate Democrats turned away a Republican offer to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security while carving out Enforcement and Removal Operations funding from ICE. The proposal matched elements of deals Democrats had floated twice earlier in the year before backing off in January. Republicans framed the move as a clean way to keep TSA, Coast Guard, and other operations running without extra immigration language. Democrats countered with enforcement cuts across multiple DHS units and insisted on broader reforms before any deal. Talks continue with both sides trading offers, and no resolution is in sight amid growing airport delays.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, The Hill
đď¸ Senate Budget Committee Advances Second Reconciliation Bill for Security Priorities
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham announced on March 25, 2026, that the panel will begin drafting a second budget reconciliation bill. The measure targets increased funding for homeland security, defense, and election integrity measures. Graham consulted with President Trump and Senate Majority Leader John Thune before moving forward. He stressed that national security ranks as the federal governmentâs chief duty and noted that even modest budget shares for law enforcement can deliver significant results. Additional resources would help agencies carry out public safety initiatives more effectively.
Sources: US Senate Budget Committee, The Epoch Times
â Democrats Score Narrow Win in Florida Special Election Near Mar-a-Lago
Democrats flipped a Republican-held Florida state House seat in Palm Beach Countyâs District 87 during a special election on March 24, 2026. The district includes President Trumpâs Mar-a-Lago residence and had backed him by about 10 points in 2024, while the prior GOP incumbent won by 19 points. Army spouse and fitness center owner Emily Gregory defeated Trump-endorsed financial planner Jon Maples by roughly 2.4 percentage points or about 800 votes. The vacancy stemmed from former GOP Rep. Mike Carusoâs resignation in August 2025 to become Palm Beach County clerk. Republicans maintained overall control of the Florida legislature despite the upset. Democrats pointed to concerns over affordability and costs while Republicans downplayed the low-turnout result as unrepresentative of broader trends.
đš Skid Row Signature Forgery Scheme Exposed in Undercover Video
A new undercover video from the OâKeefe Media Group and Citizen Justice League shows homeless individuals on Los Angelesâ Skid Row being paid two to three dollars per form to forge signatures using the names and addresses of actual registered voters from lists provided by petition circulators. One participant explained he took part because the money helped him as a broke person, and he had signed five or six such forms. Circulators instructed signers on exactly what to write and skipped any voter registration process for the homeless. Journalists visited addresses tied to forged names, where residents confirmed no one by those names lived there and expressed discomfort over receiving ballots or potential fraud implications. The practices appear to violate California Elections Code provisions against signing another personâs name on petitions and broader forgery statutes. Governor Gavin Newsomâs office called the alleged activity a felony warranting full investigation and prosecution.
Sources: The Post Millennial, The OâKeefe Media Group
đ Illinois Democrat Joins Calls to Deport Venezuelan Illegal Alien Charged in Loyola Student Shooting
An 18-year-old Loyola University Chicago freshman named Sheridan Gorman was shot and killed early on March 19, 2026, while walking with friends near a beach in the Rogers Park neighborhood as she viewed the northern lights. Jose Medina-Medina, a 25-year-old Venezuelan national who entered the United States illegally in 2023 under the prior administration and had a prior shoplifting arrest in Chicago from which he was released, faces first-degree murder charges in the incident. Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza, a Democrat, publicly thanked investigators, expressed condolences to the family, and stated that Sheridan deserves justice with the suspect held, prosecuted, and deported to prison in El Salvador. Federal officials lodged a detainer requesting local authorities not release him, citing his status as a criminal illegal alien, while the case has renewed debate over sanctuary policies and prior releases despite immigration enforcement requests.
Sources: Legal Insurrection, ABC7 News Chicago
đ DNI Tulsi Gabbard Set to Declassify Top Secret Document Adam Schiff Locked in Capitol SCIF
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard plans to declassify an explosive top secret document that former House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff stored in a Capitol Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility several years ago. Investigative reporter Paul Sperry reported the development on March 25, 2026. The document relates to events surrounding the 2019 Ukraine whistleblower complaint handled by then-Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson. That complaint, filed by CIA officer Eric Ciaramella over a July 2019 phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky, sparked the first impeachment effort against Trump. Changes to the whistleblower complaint form allowed second-hand information, and Atkinson accepted the filing despite rules that appeared to bar it for matters involving the president. Schiff publicly denied direct contact with the whistleblower, though later details emerged showing staff interactions. On March 24, 2026, the House Intelligence Committee voted to release transcripts from 2019 hearings with Atkinson to promote transparency and address public mistrust in the intelligence community over past overclassification.
Sources: US House Intelligence Committee, The Gateway Pundit
𤥠California Gubernatorial Debate Scrapped Over All-White Candidate Field
The University of Southern California canceled a planned gubernatorial debate less than 24 hours before it was set to take place on Tuesday. Organizers had used polling and fundraising criteria that qualified only six candidates, all white, including Republicans Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, along with Democrats Tom Steyer, Katie Porter, Eric Swalwell, and Matt Mahan. Prominent Democrats of color such as former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, state Superintendent Tony Thurmond, and former state Controller Betty Yee fell short of the thresholds and were left out, sparking accusations of bias and calls for a boycott. USC cited the resulting distraction from voter issues and an inability to agree on expanding the field with co-sponsor KABC as reasons for pulling the plug while promising other ways to inform the public about the race to replace Gavin Newsom.
Sources: The Los Angeles Times, The OC Register
đš Senator Chris Murphy Admits Democrats Prioritize Undocumented Immigrants Over Americans
Senator Chris Murphy told MSNBC host Chris Hayes in a 2024 interview that Democratsâ long-standing immigration strategy had failed for decades to deliver results for the people they care about most, the undocumented Americans in this country. The Connecticut Democrat made the remark while discussing why his party resisted tying border security measures to a path to citizenship during past funding talks. A clip of the exchange resurfaced this week on social media and drew fresh attention amid ongoing disputes over Department of Homeland Security funding and immigration enforcement priorities.
Sources: The Gateway Pundit, FOX News
â ď¸ Army Paratroopers From 82nd Airborne Headed to Middle East Amid Iran Tensions
The Pentagon issued written orders on March 24, 2026, for roughly 2,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Divisionâs 1st Brigade Combat Team and headquarters elements at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, to deploy to the Middle East. Many belong to the divisionâs Immediate Response Force, which can mobilize within 18 hours for tasks such as seizing airfields or reinforcing embassies. The move comes as the Trump administration considers further steps in the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, including potential operations on Iranian territory, though no final decision has been made on sending troops there. Officials also noted the simultaneous approach of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group with about 4,500 Marines and sailors, as well as planning discussions around objectives such as Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export point.
Sources: The Detroit News, Reuters
đ Iran Dismisses US Ceasefire Proposal Delivered Via Pakistan
Iran has rejected a 15-point ceasefire proposal from the United States that Pakistani officials transmitted on its behalf. The plan included sanctions relief, civilian nuclear cooperation, limits on missiles, a rollback of Iranâs nuclear program with IAEA monitoring, and reopening shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. An informed source told Iranâs state-run Fars news agency that Tehran does not accept a ceasefire because it sees no logic in dealing with parties that violate agreements. Pakistani intermediaries confirmed receipt of the document. Iranian state television quoted an anonymous official saying Iran will end the war on its own timeline and conditions. Meanwhile, Iranian forces continued strikes on Israel and Gulf targets, including one that caused a major fire at Kuwait International Airport. US officials have prepared additional troop deployments to the region even as talks remain in question.
đĽ Israel Expands Ground Operations Against Hezbollah In Southern Lebanon
Israel has stepped up its limited targeted ground operations in southern Lebanon using the 91st Division to hit Hezbollah strongholds and dismantle weapons caches while reinforcing a forward defense area near the border. No major direct clashes with Hezbollah fighters occurred on the day in question, yet Israeli airstrikes killed seven Lebanese civilians, including two children and two medics, adding to a running total of 886 deaths and more than 2,100 injuries since early March fighting resumed. Defense Minister Israel Katz made clear that hundreds of thousands of displaced Shiite residents would not return south of the Litani River until northern Israel felt secure. Leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Britain jointly called for de-escalation, immediate talks, and Hezbollah disarmament, warning that a wider ground push could worsen the humanitarian crisis already affecting over one million internally displaced Lebanese, roughly 15 percent of the population.
Sources: The Globe & Mail, Reuters
đ˘ď¸ Iranian Blockade of Gulf Shipping Prompts South American Energy Ramp-Up
Iran has disrupted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for roughly 20 million barrels per day from Persian Gulf producers. South American nations have responded by increasing their own hydrocarbon output to help fill potential gaps in global supply. Brazil saw hydrocarbon production rise more than 15 percent year-over-year in January, with hundreds of projects under development. Argentina has boosted output from the Vaca Muerta shale formation, which holds significant reserves, and generated billions in exports. Guyana has multiplied its production tenfold since 2020, while other countries such as Colombia and Peru also contribute. Analysts describe this as a gradual move toward greater Western Hemisphere energy cooperation, though experts caution that infrastructure limits and market realities mean it offers only partial relief from Middle East disruptions in the near term.
Sources: The Epoch Times, Bloomberg
𩸠India Snaps Up Millions Of Barrels Of Russian Oil Amid Middle East Supply Crunch
Indian refiners have purchased around 60 million barrels of Russian crude for April delivery at premiums of five to fifteen dollars above Brent, a volume matching recent months and more than double February levels according to Kpler data. This buying spree helps offset shortages triggered by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, following a temporary US waiver that permitted imports of already-loaded Russian cargoes. Refiners such as Mangalore Refinery and Hindustan Mittal Energy have resumed deals after cutting back late last year under prior US pressure. At the same time, Indian processors are shifting settlements away from the dollar by routing rupees through overseas accounts that convert into UAE dirhams or Chinese yuan, with some banks also eyeing Singapore or Hong Kong dollars. The waiver expires April 11, yet officials anticipate extensions while Russia enjoys elevated export revenues not seen since early 2022.
Sources: ZeroHedge, First Post