Top World News

Mar 23, 2026 - World

The Trump administration was reportedly looking for ways to drop gas prices at the pump, according to a Bloomberg report on Monday. President Donald Trump has touted lowering oil prices throughout his campaign and first year of his second term, but as the Iran war hits its fourth week and oil prices skyrocket, his allies are aiming to make new moves ahead of the midterms this fall, Bloomberg's Nancy Cook reported. "I’m told Cabinet members like Energy Secretary Christopher Wright, staff at the National Economic Council and the National Energy Dominance Council as well as other White House aides are soliciting ideas from policy experts, donors and energy executives as they struggle to limit the economic damage inflicted by the war," Cook wrote. "Today, Trump himself backed down from threats he made over the weekend to begin hitting Iran’s energy infrastructure in 48 hours after allies and Gulf countries warned the president about the consequences and oil prices spiked," Cook explained. Trump allies were apparently tasked with sharing potential remedies. "Among the myriad ideas floated to the administration for consideration are asking Congress to suspend the federal gas tax; releasing more oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve once the current release is finished and fast-tracking drilling permits, according to people familiar with the internal discussions," Cook reported. "A White House official said while there are many options on the table, the administration at this time isn’t pursuing a gas tax holiday or an additional SPR release.""One Trump ally acknowledged a lot of this was 'gimmicky' but said the White House has to show it’s taking action before the midterms, which inevitably will turn on the economy," Cook added. "With Republican control of Congress at risk, Trump has put his political team in a bit of a quagmire with ostensibly no clear strategy or timeline for ending the war."

Mar 23, 2026 - World

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tried to deflect responsibility on Monday after two pilots were killed and dozens more people were injured in a collision at LaGuardia Airport — calling on Congress to increase their funding for air traffic control workers at airports. Duffy was speaking at a news conference with several New York state and New York City leaders discussing the new details revealed around the moments that led to the fatal collision, which was still under a National Transportation Safety Board investigation. He dodged multiple questions about what happened and attempted to shift the blame. "Congress needs to do their job," said Duffy, who cited multiple requests to lawmakers to fund air traffic controllers. "I've been asking the Congress for additional money," Duffy said. "Many of you have reported that we need more money for air traffic control. We are modernizing our system, but we can't fully modernize it until the Congress gives us additional money. It's not a partisan issue. Both Democrats and Republicans agree, but they have to have the will to finish the funding. I'm not saying that this crash would have been prevented if we had all the equipment deployed, but it's important if we care about air travel safety, we care about having a brand new air traffic control system the best in the world with the best equipment, virtually all of it developed here in America." Duffy described the staffing conditions at LaGuardia Airport. "This airport has a target of 37 controllers at LaGuardia," Duffy said. "We have 33 controllers employed and certified at LaGuardia and we have six — seven actually in training, so as our airports go, LaGuardia is a very well-staffed airport. We are a couple controllers short in total, but it is a well-staffed airport."He added that the air traffic controller was apparently not the only person on the job at the time, although the NTSB investigation is expected to provide more information. "I did want to clarify, I've heard the rumor that there was only one controller in the tower, and that is not accurate," Duffy said. This was the second fatal crash under Duffy's leadership and in President Donald Trump's second administration. Duffy has been accused of putting safety at risk by not addressing the low staffing among air traffic controllers in the United States as calls have grown for his resignation.

Mar 23, 2026 - World

Vice President JD Vance's special adviser for the Middle East has left the Trump administration to take a new role at a lobbying firm, Bloomberg Government reported on Monday. Wesam H. Hassanein has joined Continental Strategy LLC, a firm connected to the Trump administration and the Republican Party, the outlet reported. The native Arabic speaker said he had apparently planned to leave the White House when the U.S.-Israeli joint strikes started on Iran on Feb. 28. “I’m not leaving because I oppose the president’s decision on Iran — I’m 100% supportive of President Trump’s decision to deny Iran nuclear weapons,” Hassanein said. “We should have done what President Trump is doing years ago.”Hassanein previously worked for the State Department before joining the Trump administration. He said he had been mulling over several offers before selecting the firm founded by Carlos Trujillo, former Ambassador to the Organization of American States. “Continental really, really stood out as family oriented, a family culture, with an excellent client base,” he said. “They are in total lockstep with the administration, working to advance America First policies.”Several people reacted to the news of the latest White House exit. "Rats, sinking ships...," Mehdi Hassan, editor-in-chief and CEO of Zeteo, wrote on X. "VP Vance's special adviser for the Middle East, Wesam H. Hassanein, leaves role for the private sector," Jonathan Guyer, Program Director of Institute for Global Affairs, wrote on X. "Why do they all leave when it gets hot in the kitchen?? Very weak appointees doing the Bongino," political commentator Johnny Law wrote on X."Why stay when POTUS does the bidding of another country to lie us into war. Get off the sinking ship," copywriter John Bethel wrote on X.

Mar 23, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump blamed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for pushing him into the war in Iran.During an event in Memphis, Tennessee, on Monday, Trump bragged about past gains in the stock market, which have recently taken a hit because of Operation Epic Fury."You know, our economy was fantastic. We had a Dow at 50,000," the president explained. "And then, unfortunately, I came -- I called Pete, I called General [Dan] Caine, I called a lot of our great people. We have great people. And I said, 'Let's talk. We got a problem in the Middle East. We have a country known as Iran, that for 47 years has been just a purveyor of terror, and they're very close to having a nuclear weapon."Trump noted that his success in the stock market would have continued if not for the war."We can keep going and get that 50,000 up to 55 and 60," he remarked. "Or we can take a stop and make a little journey into the Middle East and eliminate a big problem.""And, Pete, I think you were the first one to speak up. And you said, 'Let's do it,'' because you can't let them have a nuclear weapon," Trump added.The president went on to predict that the war could be over soon because of "very good discussions" with Iran.For their part, Iranian officials have denied having discussions with the Trump administration.

Mar 23, 2026 - World

A congenial interview with Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) grew tense Monday morning when MS NOW host Joe Scarborough became increasingly impatient with the Senate Minority leader — and snapped at him with “you don’t understand me.”Schumer, who has been the subject of stories that some Democrats want him to step away from his leadership position, was asked about Donald Trump’s decision to back off on some of the attacks on Iran. That led to the “Morning Joe” co-host lecturing his guest on the public’s perception of the unprovoked war.“First of all, is it a good thing that we're degrading Iran's military infrastructure?” the New York Democrat was asked, which led Schumer to focus on the closing of the Strait of Hormuz and the high cost of gasoline.“No, no, no, hold on a second,“ the MS NOW host protested. “You've got to answer my question first. Is it a good thing that Iran, I think you would agree with me, the epicenter of terrorism in the world since 1979, is it good that their military infrastructure is being degraded to the degree that it is? Yes or no?”“You can't, because it's a premature question. What's going to happen in the next several months?” Schumer replied.Scarborough cut him off with, “No, no, I can ask that question. You have the military side. You have the political side. I'm simply asking on the military side, is it good? Regardless of whether we agree with going in or not, is it good that Iran's military infrastructure has been seriously —.”“Again, I have to tell you, Joe, first, you can't,” the lawmaker interrupted. “What's going to happen three months from now? Is it worth it? What's going to happen? Will the world economy collapse? Will something happen even worse? Will the whole energy infrastructure of the world go up in smoke?” “Let me answer the question for everybody in America,” the exasperated Scarborough shot back as he held up his hands to the entire silent panel. “The answer is ‘yes’ it's good that that terrorist regime, their military has been and capabilities have been degraded radically. The question though, is political. It's the political question. What is the political impact? What's the impact in the streets? What's the impact in the region?”“In all due respect, if you ask the American people if you have the choice of degrading the military, the military structure in Iran, but having gasoline be $6 a gallon, and our economy falling into a deep recession where millions lose their job," Schumer protested.“Senator, you're not listening to me,” the MS NOW host shot back. “That's the political side.” - YouTube youtu.be