March 31, 2026

U.S., ISRAEL, IRAN WAR | Day 32.

• Israel and the U.S. are reported to have carried out large-scale strikes early today outside the Iranian city of Isfahan, which is home to one of Iran's three uranium enrichment sites and where other military assets are thought to be located. [more]
• An Iranian drone hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker in the water off the city of Dubai, UAE, today, sparking a fire that was later contained. Reports cite authorities as saying there is no evidence of oil leakage from the tanker following the attack. [more]
• The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to hold an emergency session today after three U.N. peacekeepers were killed in southern Lebanon over the past 24 hours amidst ongoing Israel military operations in the region. [more]
• Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said today that all homes in Lebanese villages near the border with Israel will be destroyed and that some 600,000 people who have fled the region will not be allowed back into southern Lebanon until northern Israel is secure. [more]
• U.S. President Donald Trump claimed yesterday that "great progress" is being made in talks with Iran to end military operations, but reiterated his threat of destroying Iranian energy facilities and other infrastructure if a deal to end the war is not reached soon. [more]
• The Associated Press cites unnamed U.S., Gulf nation, and Israeli officials as saying some Gulf allies of the U.S., including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are urging President Donald Trump to continue the war against Iran to destroy Tehran's ability to project military power and ensure the strategic Strait of Hormuz remains open. [more]
• In his latest statement condemning countries that did not join or support the U.S. in its war against Iran, President Donald Trump said in a social media post that "the U.S.A. won't be there to help you anymore, just like you weren't there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!" [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1,494 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here is your update:

• Reports say Ukrainian drones struck Russia's Baltic Sea port of ‌Ust-Luga for the fifth time in 10 days today, hitting an oil loading terminal in what has become a continuing policy of targeting Russian energy infrastructure. [more]

U.S. GUN VIOLENCE | Authorities in Bulverde, Texas, say a 15-year-old student shot a teacher and then fatally shot himself yesterday at the city's Hill Country College Preparatory High School. The incident remains under investigation. [more]

U.S. TERRORISM | The FBI announced yesterday that it has determined the vehicle-ramming incident at a major Detroit-area synagogue and child-care center earlier this month was a "Hezbollah-inspired act of terrorism purposely targeting the Jewish community." [more]

U.S. ENVIRONMENT | The Endangered Species Committee – a cabinet-level committee chaired by the Secretary of the Interior – is scheduled to meet today for the first time since 1992 to consider exempting oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico from provisions of the Endangered Species Act. According to related court filings, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth notified Interior Secretary Doug Burgum earlier this month that such an exemption was necessary for unspecified "reasons of national security." [more]

U.S. FUEL PRICES | According to motor club AAA, the average price for a gallon of gasoline in the U.S. is now $4.02 per gallon and the average price for diesel is $5.45 per gallon – up from $2.98 and $3.76 per gallon, respectively, before the Middle East war began. [more]

U.S. AIR TRAVEL | Security wait times at airports around the U.S. are reported to be decreasing significantly as TSA officers begin receiving backpay after President Donald Trump ordered workers be paid amidst the ongoing Department of Homeland Security partial shutdown. [more]

FLORIDA | Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law yesterday clearing the way for Palm Beach International Airport to be renamed the President Donald J. Trump International Airport. [more]

U.S. AND U.K. | Buckingham Palace has confirmed that Britain's King Charles III will make a state visit to the U.S. in late April. [more]

HAITI | Humanitarian rights group Defenseurs Plus says at least 70 people were killed in a large-scale gang attack near Petite-Riviere, Haiti, earlier this week – a significantly higher number than the 16 deaths estimated by Haitian officials. [more]

GLOBAL EXTREMISM | Reuters cites unnamed sources as saying the U.S. Trump administration is organizing an international summit for later this year to discuss strategies and urge intelligence sharing for countering antifa and other left-wing groups. Analysts note that antifa, or "anti-fascism," is generally considered more of an ideology than a cohesive entity in that it has no clear structure, command hierarchy, or leader. [more]

EUROPEAN ECONOMY | Inflation in the 21 nations that use the euro currency rose to 2.5% in March, according to European statistics agency Eurostat – up from 1.9% in February – with the increase attributed largely to price increases linked to the ongoing Middle East war. [more]

ISRAEL | Amidst internal and external opposition, the Israeli parliament passed a law yesterday that makes the death penalty the default punishment for West Bank Palestinians convicted of nationalistic killings. The law also gives courts the option to impose the death penalty on Israeli citizens convicted on similar charges, but language in the bill effectively limits the punishment to Palestinians. Civil rights activists in Israel have indicated they plan to legally challenge the new law. [more]

AUSTRALIA | In a follow-up to Australia's December law banning children under the age of 16 from having accounts on major social media platforms, the country's online safety watchdog says Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube are not doing enough to keep children off their platforms, and that new court action against the companies are being considered. [more]

SPACE | NASA's Artemis II mission is set to launch tomorrow evening, carrying four astronauts – three U.S., one Canadian – on a 10-day flight that will travel around the moon before returning to Earth. [more]

COLLEGE BASKETBALL | South Carolina beat TCU and Texas beat Michigan last night to advance to the Final Four of the NCAA women's basketball tournament where they will play UConn and UCLA, respectively, in the tournament semifinals on Friday. [more]

ENTERTAINMENT | Ahead of this year's 70th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest, organizers have announced an Asian edition of the contest to be held in Bangkok, Thailand, with a finale planned for November. Countries confirmed to be taking part in the Asian contest so far include Thailand, South Korea, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 1889, the 984-foot (300-meter) Eiffel Tower, a wrought iron technological masterpiece created by Gustave Eiffel to commemorate the centenary of the French Revolution, was officially inaugurated in Paris. [more history]