The Trump Oil Prices Situation is Crazy, Iran War Updates, & The ISIS-Inspired Gracie Mansion Attack
PDS Published 03/09/2026
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A seventh American service member has been killed and the civilian death toll continues to rise in Iran and across the region.
With new video adding to the evidence that the US is responsible for killing 175 people, most of them children, at an Iranian girls’ school on the first day of the war.
And that’s not all…we also gotta talk about Iran officially naming its new supreme leader, oil prices reaching their highest levels in years, and Donald Trump now demanding “total surrender.”
But let’s start with this new video…it was published by a semiofficial Iranian news agency but it has been verified by outlets like The New York Times and Bellingcat.
It shows a Tomahawk cruise missile striking a naval base beside the school on February 28th—with the camera then panning to the right and showing what was left of the school (BROLL).
And the reason this is such crucial evidence is that the US is the only force in this war that uses Tomahawk missiles.
It has already launched dozens of them over the course of the conflict starting from the very first day it began.
At least, that’s according to videos published by US Central Command, as well as statements by General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who said at press briefing on March 2nd (BROLL: 0:00-0:05):
“The first shooters at sea were Tomahawks unleashed by the United States Navy, closed in on Iranian naval forces, and began to conduct strikes across the southern flank in Iran.” (BYTE: 21:52-22:04)
But with all that—even before this new video was released—evidence pointing to US responsibility had been piling up.
The Times, for example, had already looked at satellite imagery, social media posts and other verified videos to conclude that the strike appeared to have been part of an American attack on the naval base.
Other outlets figured the same.
And there have been reports that the US military’s own investigation is approaching the same conclusion—although it notes that it didn’t target the school on purpose.
Instead, it may have hit it by accident, possibly thanks to faulty intelligence wrongly identifying the school building as part of an Iranian military installation.
Right, and with that, satellite images show that the building had been part of the naval base as late as 2013— but that, by 2016, it had been walled off from the installation. []
And so with that change being more than a decade ago it still leaves the question of how the US could’ve ended up relying on such outdated intel.
And, of course, none of this explains why Trump, despite officials saying the investigation is ongoing, and despite having no evidence, is telling reporters that Iran is responsible:
"We think it was done by Iran, because they're very inaccurate with their munitions, they have no accuracy whatsoever, it was done by Iran,"
“No. In my opinion and based on what I’ve seen, that was done by Iran.”
“They’re very inaccurate, as you know, with their munitions.” (SOUNDBITE)
But how accurate is the US with its weapons?
Right, because besides this school strike, the Iranian Red Crescent has said roughly 10,000 civilian structures across the country had been damaged overall—including homes, schools and almost three dozen health facilities. []
And while no outside organization has been able to verify that, you have had the World Health Organization confirming more than a dozen attacks on health infrastructure —leading to the deaths of at least four healthcare workers.
And the BBC has documented damage during US and Israeli strikes to at least two schools, a hospital, and even a UNESCO world heritage site.
With the group Human Rights Activists In Iran reporting that the civilian toll has passed 1,200—compared to only 187 in the military—with more than 300 deaths still unclassified. []
And with all that, you’ve had the Defense Department defending itself.
With US Central Command issuing what it called a warning to Iranian civilians yesterday on social media, saying it comes “as Iran’s terrorist regime blatantly disregards the safety of innocent people”—and adding:
“The Iranian regime is using heavily populated civilian areas to conduct military operations, including launching one-way attack drones and ballistic missiles.”
“This dangerous decision risks the lives of all civilians in Iran since locations used for military purposes lose protected status and could become legitimate military targets under international law.”
Of course, to be clear, just being military targets in civilian areas doesn’t give an attacker free rein to let loose—international law is more complicated than that.
And Iran has also now accused the US of attacking civilian infrastructure with no military purpose.
With the country’s foreign minister writing in a statement on Saturday that the US committed a “blatant and desperate crime by attacking a freshwater desalination plant”—claiming:
“Water supply in 30 villages has been impacted”—and adding;
“Attacking Iran's infrastructure is a dangerous move with grave consequences. The U.S. set this precedent, not Iran.”
And with that, the next day, Bahrain announced that an Iranian drone had “caused material damage” to a desalination plant there—although there was reportedly “no impact on water supplies or water network capacity.”[]
But the potential impact if there was more damage is massive—wIth one expert telling the Times:
“In the Gulf, desalination facilities are not merely infrastructure.”
“They are essential lifelines that supply drinking water to millions. Striking them risks turning a military confrontation into a direct threat to civilian survival.”[]
So that situation is definitely one to keep an eye on but for now Iran’s focus mostly seems to be on other targets.
Today, for example, you had NATO air defenses shooting down what Turkey said was an Iranian missile heading its way—with this being the second time this has happened.
And so again this has raised concerns about the possibility of NATO getting roped into this conflict.
But as far as other Iranian strikes, some today reportedly wounded more than 30 people in Bahrain and sparked a fire near a petroleum refinery.
And at least one person was killed in Israel.
And Saudi Arabia actually reported its first deaths recently—saying a military projectile fell onto a residential area and killed two people of Indian and Bangladeshi nationality.
And, overall, the hundreds of missiles and drones that tIran has fired at not only military targets but also civilian infrastructure including airports, hotels and energy facilities in nearly a dozen countries has killed at least twenty people killed so far.
And among those killed, of course, are American service members.
And Trump actually attended what’s known as a dignified transfer ceremony for six of them on Saturday—all of whom were killed after an Iranian drone strike in Kuwait just one day after the war began (BROLL)
But you had Trump pissing some people off for keeping his hat on during the ceremony—with California Governor writing:
“Take your hat off, you disgusting little man.”
And former RNC chairman Michael Steele adding::
“This fool has ABSOLUTELY no sense of dignity of appreciation for the moment.”
But what sparked even more backlash than Trump wearing a hat was Fox News apparent attempts to hide it.
Right, because Fox News viewers were shown an old video of Trump at a similar ceremony in December—when he had not worn a hat to salute troops who had died in Syria (BROLL).
And when the network finally aired a report that included footage from Saturday, it was edited to avoid showing Trump wearing his hat. []
Although, notably, Trump was photographed yesterday wearing the same hat—which is currently sold by the Trump organization for $55—while golfing in Florida.
And also yesterday the Pentagon revealed that a seventh US service member has been killed.
This individual hasn’t been publicly identified yet but he or she was reportedly seriously injured on March 1st when Iran struck a Saudi military base where American troops were stationed.
This person then died from those injuries on Saturday night while officials were preparing a transfer for more advanced medical care at an American military hospital in Germany.
Israel only reported its first soldier deaths this weekend—saying two were killed in fighting Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Where hundreds of thousands have been displaced, the death toll is approaching 400, and Israel has now been accused of illegally using white phosphorus over residential areas.
With this being considered illegal because of the indiscriminate and long-lasting harm it can cause to civilians.
And notably as that’s happening people in Iran may also be getting exposed to dangerous chemicals thanks to Israel.
And that’s because it hit 30 Iranian fuel depots on Saturday, including four in and around Tehran—sparking a massive fire that could be seen throughout the city and blanketing the city in heavy smoke (BROLL)
WIth the Iranian Red Crescent society warning that the toxic chemicals now in the air could lead to acid rain.
And one UK-based Iranian doctor telling the Guardian that the toxic gases and fine particulate matter could irritate the eyes and airways, worsen asthma, pulmonary conditions and heart disease, and increase the risk of some cancers.
And notably, the Israeli strikes reportedly sparked the first significant disagreement between Israel and the US since the war began.
With sources telling Axios that the US is worried Israeli strikes on infrastructure that serves ordinary Iranians could backfire strategically, rallying them around the regime and even driving up oil prices.
But, of course, oil prices are already being driven up.
Right, prices have been climbing since the war broke out and Iran effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz — which normally transits 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas — threatening to attack tankers that travel through the essential waterway.
But today, the situation escalated dramatically, with oil prices briefly surging to nearly $120 per barrel overnight, before falling to around $100 early this morning.
That’s absolutely massive: we’re talking about the highest prices since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, making oil almost 50% more expensive than it was before Israel and the U.S. started attacking Iran less than two weeks ago.
And Americans are already paying higher prices at the pump — according to AAA, average gas prices have jumped 50 cents per gallon just in the last week alone, surging from under $2.98 to $3.45.[]
With analysts predicting that gas will reach $4 per gallon this week, which is the price you can usually expect to see when the cost per barrel reaches $100.[]
And it could go even higher than that if barrel costs continue to rise, with some experts warning that we could actually see oil prices hitting an all-time high of $148 this week, surpassing the previous record set in 2008.
And those surging prices could set off a chain reaction of sweeping economic consequences.
Right, rising fuel costs impact the entire global supply chain, and when operating becomes more expensive for businesses, they pass those costs on to consumers.
And while the effects will be most felt in Asia and Europe, which rely more heavily on the Middle East for oil and natural gas, this is still very much a global issue — which is already clearly evidenced in the skyrocketing prices we’re seeing worldwide today.
With the managing director of the IMF also warning that a prolonged conflict in Iran could push global inflation higher.
Meanwhile, you also have analysts in the U.S. specifically raising concerns about stagflation as inflation increases and growth slows.
With these fears also coming at a time when many Americans are already worried about the economy and rising prices.[]
Right, and all of those worries are also being reflected in global stock markets, which absolutely tanked upon opening this morning, with the Dow, Nasdaq, and S&P 500 all down about 1%, Japan’s index fell a whopping 5%, and European markets shed 1 to 2%.[]
But in addition to the economic impacts, the rising oil prices are also significant because of the signal they send about the war itself.
Right, while prices have been rising since the war broke out, they were more modest because traders calculated that markets could easily absorb a short disruption. []
But the surges we’re seeing today indicate that traders are worried that the war will drag on.
Meanwhile, Trump has repeatedly sought to downplay those concerns, telling reporters last week that he isn’t concerned and that prices will go up, but promising that they will “come down very fast.”[]
But prices have continued to do the exact opposite, and yesterday, you had Trump trying to address concerns by basically saying that anyone who is concerned about the price of oil is an idiot, writing on Truth Social:
“Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World, Safety and Peace. ONLY FOOLS WOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY!”[]
But, of course, the massive market reaction we saw this morning says differently…
Now, that said, oil prices did rebound slightly after French President Emmanuel Macron said that some members of the Group of Seven industrial nations could meet this week to consider a joint release from their strategic reserves to help relieve some of the pressure.
And Trump himself also indicated over the weekend that he was open to that idea, but experts say that wouldn’t actually do very much in the long-term if the Strait remains closed for an extended period of time.
Right, and to that point, you did have Macron also saying that France will launch a joint effort to escort container ships in the Strait of Hormuz once the initial conflict has calmed down some.
And Trump, too, has also previously floated the idea of dispatching the U.S. Navy to do the same, though administration officials have downplayed that possibility, at least for now.
But Trump and other members of the administration have been so inconsistent and out of step with each other throughout this whole thing who really knows what they’ll do.
Right, Trump first suggested the attack was meant to create the conditions for the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow their government.
But then Marco Rubio argued the strike had been necessary because Iran posed an imminent threat—suggesting Israel was going to attack with or without the US and Iran would retaliate against American forces.
But there’s reason to believe the administration could’ve held Israel back but chose not to — right, the US actually actively took part in planning the attack, and Trump himself said that, if anything, he “might have forced Israel's hand”—not the other way around.
And so Rubio backtracked—while both he and Pete Hegseth also downplayed Trump’s initial suggestion that regime change had been an objective.
With them arguing the real goal was to permanently destroy Iran’s nuclear program and eliminate its ability to launch missiles at Israel, nearby Arab countries, or the United States in the future. []
Although, notably, American intelligence have assessed within the past year that Iran wasn’t actively building nuclear weapons and is years away from developing missiles capable of reaching the US.
And in any case, while his cronies make that argument, you’ve just had Trump keep going back to regime change.
Right, on Friday, you had him telling CNN he’s not worried about whether Iran becomes a democracy, but he is gonna get someone of his choosing in power, saying:
“It’s going to work very easily. It’s going to work like in Venezuela.” ASSET []
And that’s even as those around him have reportedly told him repeatedly that this is an entirely different situation, and have been since before this began.
With the Washington Post reporting on a classified intelligence report completed about a week before the war that even a large-scale assault would be unlikely to get rid of the regime.
And, to that point, Iran has officially named its new supreme leader, with Iran’s Assembly of Experts electing Mojtaba Khamenei, (Mowsh-Taba Huh-Men-Nay - here’s pronunciation), the 56-year-old son of the previous supreme leader, who was killed in the initial strikes.
And now, the new leader will have final say over all matters of state, serving as commander-in-chief of the military and powerful paramilitary Revolutionary Guard.
Additionally, he’ll also have authority over a stockpile of highly enriched uranium that could be used to build a nuclear weapon.
But beyond his official role and title, the younger Huh-Men-Nay is a relative unknown — even within Iran.
Right, according to reports, he has been an influential figure operating in the shadows, coordinating military and intelligence operations for his father.
He is also a hard-liner with very close ties to the Revolutionary Guards Corps and was reportedly considered to be their candidate of choice.
But while the new leader has largely remained somewhat of a mystery, Vladimir Putin has offered his “unwavering support” for the new leader, Israel has already threatened to kill him, and Trump has previously said that Huh-Men-Nay’s son would be “unacceptable” to him as Supreme Leader.[]
You also had Trump making more comments recently suggesting he’ll do whatever it takes to get his way—writing on social media on Friday:
“There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” —and adding:
“After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader, we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before."
“IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. “MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN!”
And when you had reporters on Air Force One asking what he meant, he said this:
“It's where they cry uncle or when they can't fight any longer — there's nobody around to cry uncle. That could happen, too, because, you know, we've wiped their leadership numerous times already.” (SOUNDBITE)
But with that, you’ve had White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, as usual, trying to qualify Trump’s statement.
With her saying that when Trump “determines that Iran no longer poses a threat to the United States of America and the goal of Operation Epic Fury has been fully realized, then Iran will essentially be in a place of unconditional surrender.”
But others have interpreted what "unconditional surrender” means very differently, including Tucker Carlson:
“Unconditional surrender means foreign troops get to rape your wife and daughter if they want. And everyone knows that. And that has been, if there's one consistent lesson of history, it means unconditional surrender means foreign troops get to rape your wife and daughter. Everyone can feel that. That's like the most atavistic instinct there is. And so to avoid that, people will do anything. And so that's why it requires that level of force to get a population subdued to the point of unconditional surrender. That's why. And so in this case, of course, we don't have the ground force necessary. I don't think Americans would voluntarily participate in it. I just don't think we can do that. It would require weapons of mass destruction. It would require, presumably, nuclear weapons in order to do that. And let’s stop, let’s not lie to ourselves. We’re moving toward that.” 23:04-23:59
And now while there’s a lot that Carlson is saying there that’s just wild there’s maybe some logic hidden there, in that Trump has presented the only acceptable outcome as the end of the regime, and that means they have no reason to compromise.
And despite the US and Israel’s military advantage, it may take them more than 3 to 4 weeks to take down a government that’s fighting for its life, and it may only be opening the door to further escalation.
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Getting back into the news, there was a bombing outside of Mamdani’s residence in New York, and we have to talk about it.
Unintelligible audio - Video of suspect being arrested. (1:03-1:20)
Federal authorities are looking into an attempted bombing that took place during a counter-protest conflict outside of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s mansion on Saturday. Here’s what happened. []
Jake Lang, who outlets are describing as a “right-wing provocateur,” planned an "Americans Against Islamification" demonstration on Saturday. []
“We’re going to make sure that America knows this is a white, Christian country, and we’re going to keep it that way. We’re going to make sure Mamdani knows he’s not welcome in New York City.” (2:47-2:57)
Now, you may remember Lang from, well, getting his ass kicked at a previous demonstration a few months ago.
He was also a rioter on January 6th who was arrested and later pardoned by Trump.
“It sounds like J6, which is the most American thing in history. We have the power. We are the people, and if we want to get someone out of prison, this is our country. We have the right to self-determination.” (17:20-17:31)
The demonstration he planned on Saturday was pretty flagrant, using images of what many have recognized as dogwhistles that call back to the Klan, aiming directly at who he describes in his post as the “Number one Muslim worldwide: Zohran Mamdani”. [] []
Reports say that Lang initially only showed up with about 20 followers, but the counter-protestors grew to a crowd of more than 100. [] (BROLL- 1:01-1:13)
As tensions grew, reports show that one of Lang’s followers sprayed mace at a group of protestors, fistfights broke out and that’s when two, quote, “smoking objects” were thrown. [] [] []
18-year-old Emir Balat (Em-EAR Ball-OT, pronunciation :56) is accused of throwing the devices. []
19-year-old Ibrahim Nikk (EE-bruh-him Nick, pronunciation :59) has also tentatively been accused of supplying at least one of those devices. [] (BROLL - :22-:31, 3:19-3:24)
Both suspects were reportedly arrested on Saturday. Thankfully, no injuries were reported in relation to the incident.
As of right now, their charges are unknown.
Things kept developing on Sunday, when officials reportedly roped off an area a few blocks from Gracie Mansion. []
There, they found a car belonging to one of the suspects. []
An anonymous source who spoke to the New York Times said that they didn’t recover additional explosive devices from the car, but another source reported that there were materials to make one inside. []
Following the conflict, NYPD’s Bomb Squad sent both devices to the FBI’s Quantico lab for analysis.
They reportedly found that at least one of the devices wasn’t just some hoax or a simple smoke bomb.
“They were improvised explosive devices that could’ve caused serious injury or death. Our analysis showed that one of the devices deployed by the suspects contained the substance known as TATP. TATP is a dangerous and highly volatile homemade explosive that has been used in IED attacks around the world.” (:13-:18, :26-:47)
They confirmed that at least one of the smoking objects failed to detonate but contained shrapnel that could’ve done serious damage as well. [] []
As the story has developed, authorities have also had to explore what could have motivated the attack.
Reports show that at least one of the people arrested expressed that he held sympathy for ISIS videos he had seen online and that they were at least partially motivated by the disrespect Lang has shown to the Muslim community. []
“There are 53 Muslim-majority countries, and in all of them, it is tyranny, destruction – it is shithole living. We have to call it what it is. You guys don’t live like we do. We don’t want you in our country. We’ll come and eat your shawarma in Somalia. Respectfully, get the fuck out of my country.” (1:30-1:46, 2:16-2:19)
However, there still hasn’t been any concrete updates on the suspects’ true motivations.
Mayor Mamdani spoke out about the attempted bombing, saying it was “not only criminal,” but also "reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.” []
“This was a vile protest rooted in White Supremacy. I am the first Muslim mayor of our city. Anti-Muslim bigotry is nothing new to me, nor is it anything new for the one million or so Muslim New Yorkers who know this city as home. While I found this protest appalling, I will not waiver in my belief that it should be allowed to happen.” (:07-:10, :14-:31)
Lang has been flagrantly against Muslims in the country, often citing Replacement Theory ideology, pushing the idea that a white society being eroded by other races and ethnicities’. []
However, as it relates to Mamdani, his resume is definitely growing while these types of protests have popped up.
For one, polls show that his approval rating is as high as ever. []
He also organized the hell out of New Yorkers for the shoveling program that dug them out of some really dangerous winter storms this year. []
And somehow, he seems to have worked some magic to keep the president relatively cooperative with Mamdani’s efforts around the city related to issues like affordable housing.
So, while polls show that 68% of New York Republicans still haven’t been convinced with Mamdani, there has been clear progress around the city on his part.
As for the investigation, it’s being headed by the F.B.I.-N.Y.P.D. Joint Terrorism Task Force, as well as federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. []
We’re expected to hear updates from authorities this afternoon, but in all honesty, this is a sad and dangerous situation that seems to just be a microcosm of larger sentiments in our political landscape.
On one side, you have what are often right-wingers convinced that there is some Black or Brown boogeyman coming to destroy their way of life.
On the other side, you have various cultures feeling ostracized and cornered, which is leading to more concentrated reports of people taking things into their own hands and going to extreme measures to fight back.
And all of these flames are constantly being fanned by an administration who has continued to skew facts and fearmonger as this war – that they aren’t really calling a war – continues.
Right now, the only thing to do is to be cautious at these demonstrations and be aware that bombs and bullets don’t have a name or a political party on them.
Your safety is more important than how frustrating witnessing these types of protests can be.
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And selling the Trump administration’s story about the war in Iran may be harder than they expect both at home and abroad, and they have Kari Lake to thank for that.
That is, unless a federal judge in DC has his way.
Right, Judge Royce Lamberth of the US District Court for the DC just ruled that Kari Lake’s leadership of the US Agency for Global Media is unlawful. []
And with this ruling, Lamberth has invalidated everything Lake has done during her time - including laying off hundreds of people and the cuts to broadcasters both here in the states and around the world.
So now the question is whether this ruling is actually going to stick.
But let’s back up a bit - the US Agency for Global Media is the umbrella for many news outlets including Voice of America.
Which began broadcasting in 1942 during World War II to combat Nazi and Japanese propaganda.
And it also includes Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty - which kicked off in the 50s as a part of a CIA-backed initiative to stir up dissent against communism in the Soviet Union.
Though the CIA notably stopped being involved in the 70s.
There’s also Radio and Television Martí (Mar-tee), a network established in 1983 to break through Cuban censorship, and Radio Free Asia, created as a response to the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing.
And then there’s the Middle Eastern Broadcasting Networks, which was created in 2004.
Which notably includes Radio Farda (Far-duh) as the Iranian branch.
Right, all of these are fully funded by the USAGM - delivering the news in dozens of languages and reaching hundreds of millions people around the world. []
And bringing news to places with incredibly limited press freedoms.
And, despite how they started, they had full editorial independence for decades - with the agency’s charter requiring its journalists deliver actual news and information.
Rather than being just a government mouthpiece.
With the so-called “firewall” referring to policies that insulate them, their content, and their staff from political influence.
But that firewall first came under attack during Trump’s first administration - with Trump’s hand-picked leader doing his best to chip away at the agency’s editorial independence by punishing journalists who wouldn’t fall in line to back Trump.
Which, naturally, led to some lengthy court battles and, eventually, a federal inquiry that found Trump’s hand-picked leader had, at least in some cases, violated the law.
And because history and the Trump administration repeat itself, we’re back in that same place again - this time with Kari Lake as Trump’s chosen.
Right, Kari Lake is a former television anchor who unsuccessfully ran for both a US Senate seat and for governor in Arizona.
And she’s, very notably, a die-hard Trump believer.
And because he rewards loyalty like that, Trump placed her in charge of the USAGM when he came back into office and charged her with bringing it down.
Right, a year ago, he issued an executive order demanding the drawdown of the agency which prompted Lake to put most staffers on administrative leave and cut hundreds of contractors. []
That, among other actions, has led to her largely dismantling Voice of America.
Which has in turn led to several legal challenges - and even defeats - for the Trump administration.
In fact, Judge Lamberth’s ruling came from a case brought against Lake and the USAGM by several employees who were laid off - including Voice of America’s White House bureau chief and other journalists.
With a statement from the plaintiffs reading,
“The judge’s ruling that Kari Lake’s actions shall have no force or effect is a powerful step toward undoing the damage she has inflicted on this American institution that we love.”
“Even as we work through what this ruling means for colleagues harmed by her actions, it brings renewed hope and momentum to the next phase of our fight: restoring VOA’s global operations and ensuring we continue to produce journalism, not propaganda.” []
Now, it is important to note that Lake doesn’t technically hold the position of CEO of USAGM - which is the part that requires Congressional approval.
Technically, she was named senior adviser to acting chief executive Victor Morales, who then delegated his authorities to her.
Though she has repeatedly referred to herself as “acting CEO” or “deputy CEO” which has led to some confusion about what title she actually has. []
But that wasn’t enough for Lamberth - he rejected the argument saying, quote, “allowing the president to circumvent Congress’s carefully crafted limitations” through delegations would violate the spirit of the Constitution.
As you can imagine, Lake wasn’t exactly thrilled with Lamberth’s ruling - saying in her response,
“The American people gave President Trump a mandate to cut bloated bureaucracy, eliminate waste, and restore accountability to government. An activist judge is trying to stand in the way of those efforts at USAGM. … We strongly disagree with this decision and will appeal.” []
So now it’s just a matter of whether or not this is going to live through the appeals process.
Especially if it makes its way all the way to the top.
If it is upheld, it would allow more than 1,000 journalists and support staff members to go back to their jobs. []
But another question is what exactly Kari will be doing from now to whenever this gets resolved and if not her, who is going to be in charge?
And to that, we may have an answer later this week - with Lamberth requesting the government provide clarity on who is the acting CEO of the agency by March 11th and also lay out a “succession plan” for that position. []
So we’ll have to watch out for that.
In the meantime, let me know what you’re thinking in those comments down below.
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But then, back to our last bit of news for the day, Trump is threatening to not sign any legislation until the SAVE Act becomes law.
Writing yesterday:
“It must be done immediately. It supersedes everything else. MUST GO TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE. I, as President, will not sign other Bills until this is passed.”[]
And the SAVE Act, as you likely know, mandates stricter voter registration and ID policies,
Requiring voters to prove their citizenship with documents like a passport or birth certificate, even though it is already illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal elections.[]
And no matter how much Trump tries to peddle conspiracies about it, noncitizen voting is incredibly rare, so some fear that not only will this not even help election integrity, it could actually hurt it.
Because it would just make it harder for eligible citizens to vote.
Right, only half of Americans have a passport, and the process to get one can be lengthy and costly.[]
But still, it passed the House last month, and now sits in the Senate’s hands.
And Trump is making it clear that he wants the Senate to move, telling the chamber to to focus “exclusively” on the act if necessary.[]
He previously even said that he would “close government” over the SAVE Act because it is such a high priority. []
With him adding yesterday:
“AND NOT THE WATERED DOWN VERSION - GO FOR THE GOLD: MUST SHOW VOTER I.D. & PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP: NO MAIL-IN BALLOTS EXCEPT FOR MILITARY - ILLNESS, DISABILITY, TRAVEL: NO MEN IN WOMEN’S SPORTS: NO TRANSGENDER MUTILIZATION FOR CHILDREN! DO NOT FAIL!!!”[]
And those last provisions there regarding trans athletes and gender reassignment surgery were notably not even in the version signed by the House, so he’s asking to load even more into it.[]
Which is a pretty big ask considering its odds in the Senate are tough, right, Democrats largely do not support it and Republicans only have a razor thin majority, but need 60 votes to get it passed.[]
And while Trump has previously urged his party to get rid of the filibuster to pass it, Majority Leader John Thune has pushed back on those calls.
On top of that, some Republicans have even spoken out against the act, saying they are unwilling to pass it in its current form.
So you had minority leader Chuck Schumer seeing Trump’s legislative threat and writing:
“The SAVE Act is Jim Crow 2.0. It would disenfranchise tens of millions of people. If Trump is saying he won’t sign any bills until the SAVE Act is passed, then so be it: there will be total gridlock in the Senate. Senate Democrats will not help pass the SAVE Act under any circumstances.”[]
With other lawmakers slamming Trump for putting this so high on his to-do list, arguing:
“Nothing to lower grocery prices. Nothing to lower gas prices. Nothing to lower housing prices.The President says he won’t make life easier until he’s made it harder for you to vote.”[]
With some even arguing Trump’s post could mean a longer shutdown for the Department of Homeland Security…
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Right, you may have forgotten because this has kind of faded to like, a background C-plot, but there has been a partial government shutdown impacting DHS for a few weeks now.
Funding ran out in mid-February as Democrats refused to line the department’s pockets any more until there are meaningful reforms to ICE’s operations.
But TSA also falls under the DHS umbrella.
And while TSA staff are considered essential and work during the shutdown, they are not getting paid.
And this weekend, we saw tons of travel issues tied to shortages of security staff, with major airports reporting incredibly long lines.
As of this morning New Orleans said wait times could be up to two hours. []
And Houston’s website estimates its security line to be 3 hours. []
So some people have missed their flights because of the chaos, and airports are warning passengers to get to the airport incredibly early to handle these wait times.
For its part, the Trump administration has blamed Democrats for the shutdown and any effects it has.
Accusing the “Radical Left” of “playing politics with our homeland security.”
But one, Democrats have defended their choice, saying it is on Republicans to agree to ICE reforms, which American citizens largely support.
And two, you also have people arguing that Trump and Republicans are playing politics just the same, especially now that Trump is threatening to not sign any legislation until the SAVE Act passes.
With some wondering where he draws the line there, and if he would go so far as to not sign any potential future DHS funding if the SAVE Act is still sitting in the Senate.
And as this shutdown has lingered, we have seen the travel industry urging both sides to get back to negotiating, arguing that TSA should not have to work without pay so soon after the nation’s longest government shutdown.
Especially since many cannot afford to miss paychecks, which is forcing some to call out so they can take other gigs just to pay their bills in the meantime.
With the CEO of the U.S. Travel Association saying:
"It's not just unfair. It's reckless. You can't run an industry with $3 trillion in economic impact on IOUs."
And the CEO of Airlines for America also arguing:
“We are in spring break travel season and expecting record numbers of people to take to the skies.Airlines have done their part to prepare; now Congress and the administration must act with urgency to reach a deal that reopens DHS and ends this shutdown.
“America’s transportation security workforce is too important to be used as political leverage.”
So we will have to see if all these travel disruptions force Congress to negotiate further, if Republicans will agree to any ICE reforms, how long Democrats hold out.
And then, if a deal is reached between both parties for funding, will Trump sign it, right, is it kind of an exception to his threat?
Or will he actually make it wait until he gets the SAVE Act on his desk?
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