Thursday, March 12, 2026

March 12, 2026

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Iran's drone swarms challenge US air defenses as troops in Middle East face rising threats . . . A wave of low-cost Iranian drones is forcing the Pentagon to rethink how it protects thousands of U.S. troops across the Middle East, exposing the strain cheap aerial weapons can place on expensive missile defenses. The United Arab Emirates reported detecting nine ballistic missiles and 35 drones launched by Iran, intercepting most but still seeing several crash on its soil. The episode underscores how swarms of bargain drones are challenging traditional air defense systems built for far fewer, pricier threats. Fox News

Trump tells ship captains to use the Strait of Hormuz as U.S. conflict with Iran intensifies

Israel sees no certainty Iran's government will fall . . . Behind closed doors, Israeli officials concede there is no guarantee the war with Iran will collapse the country's clerical government, even as bombardments continue and hopes of an internal uprising remain absent. A senior official told Reuters that Israel sees no clear signs of regime-threatening unrest inside Iran. Despite President Donald Trump suggesting the conflict could end soon, Israeli assessments indicate Washington is not close to signaling an end to the war, according to two officials familiar with the discussions. Reuters

Trump declares that 'we've won' in Iran

Oh! Thank goodness!

Politics

MAGA base rallies behind Trump's Iran strikes in Operation Epic Fury . . . Claims of a major rift inside the Make America Great Again movement over President Donald Trump's Iran operation appear overstated. A March 4 NBC poll shows 90% of self-identified MAGA Republicans backing Operation Epic Fury, with only 5% opposed. Support among Republicans overall sits at 77%. The real divide emerges among Republicans who don't identify with the MAGA label, where backing for the strikes drops to 54%, revealing the strongest enthusiasm squarely within Trump's core base. Daily Signal

But, Joe Rogan Says Trump's Supporters Feel 'Betrayed' by Iran War

Justice Department review flags dead voters and noncitizens on rolls in 16 states . . . A Justice Department review of election records is uncovering what officials say are major voter-roll problems, including noncitizens, deceased individuals, and duplicate registrations. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said investigators have already identified tens of thousands of noncitizens and hundreds of thousands of dead people listed as registered voters. The findings come from an early review of records from 16 mostly Republican-leaning states, including Florida and Texas, that voluntarily complied with federal data requests. Daily Signal

GOP senators warn Trump tariffs and Iran war could sink November hopes . . . Republican senators are raising alarms that President Trump's tariff policies, coupled with shrinking global oil supplies, could spell trouble for the GOP this November. Soft jobs growth and stubborn inflation have already plagued his second term, but lawmakers say the twin threats of a full-scale Iran conflict and uncertainty over trade authority—after the Supreme Court curtailed a key tariff power—add fresh economic risks. The Hill

Former First Lady Jill Biden to Release Memoir in June 2026

Republican stuns in deep-blue Virginia county after racist posts surface . . . A Republican scored a surprise victory in heavily Democratic Prince William County, Virginia, after damaging revelations about her opponent's past. Jeannie LaCroix, 64, won the special election for the county Board of Supervisors seat over Democrat Muhammed Sufiyan Casim, a Pakistani immigrant whose decade-old social media posts containing racist, misogynistic, and antisemitic language resurfaced during the race. Daily Caller

Culture

Left-wing group lobbies judges with luxury climate indoctrination retreats . . . A secretive dark money operation is quietly shaping the judiciary on climate issues, hosting multi-day, all-expenses-paid seminars for judges in Napa Valley and Palm Beach. The Climate Judiciary Project trains judges to treat contested environmental claims as settled science, recruits them to ongoing programs, and pressures them to bring peers into the fold. Attendees aren't required to disclose the trips, turning what looks like luxury retreats into a covert network pushing activist agendas into the courtroom. Washington Free Beacon

National Security

Trump warns of potential Iranian sleeper cell attacks on U.S. soil . . . President Trump revealed Wednesday that he has been briefed on possible Iranian sleeper cells poised to strike Americans, citing an FBI memo warning law enforcement in California. The alert details a scenario in which Iran could launch drones from a vessel off the Golden State coast. "It is being investigated but you have a lot of things happening, and all we could do is take them as they come," Trump told reporters. New York Post

Trump Says Iranian 'Sleeper Cells' Came In Through Biden's 'Stupid Open Border'

Immigration detention cases decline amid Trump admin pullback from hardline tactics . . . The flood of emergency lawsuits from ICE detainees is beginning to slow as the Trump administration quietly dials back some of its toughest immigration enforcement pushes. For months, federal courts were inundated with habeas corpus petitions from migrants seeking release or a chance to challenge their detention. Filings remain unusually high, but the pace has eased since officials scaled down a sweeping enforcement operation in Minnesota. Politico

International

Giorgia Meloni, Trump's Friend in Europe, Seeks Distance on Iran . . . Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni once showcased her close ties with President Donald Trump, touting a "privileged relationship" after bonding over opposition to migration and woke ideology. But as the U.S. war with Iran sends economic shockwaves through Europe, that alliance is becoming politically costly at home. With a tight referendum on judicial changes looming, Meloni faces mounting pressure as critics question her handling of the crisis. New York Times

We've gone to war with Iran to prevent them from dropping nuclear weapons on Europeans' heads. That's where their missiles can reach right now. As usual, we'll get no help from Europeans. Nor thanks. Just The Finger.

Americans' opinions of Canada, Great Britain are lower than ever . . . American attitudes toward two longtime allies are slipping. A new Gallup poll shows favorability toward Canada falling to 80% and Great Britain to 76%, the lowest levels recorded since Gallup began tracking the countries in 1987 and 1989. The drop—11 points for Canada and 12 for Britain in just a year—comes as President Donald Trump has ramped up criticism of both governments. Much of the decline is driven by Republicans, whose views of the traditional allies have cooled most sharply. Politico

Money

Oil spikes above $100 as Gulf tanker attacks by Iran rattle markets . . . Global stocks tumbled Thursday after attacks on oil tankers in the Gulf dashed hopes of a quick end to the Middle East conflict, briefly pushing oil prices above $100 a barrel and reigniting inflation fears. Traders scrambled as earlier bets on de-escalation unraveled, with mixed signals from President Trump fueling caution. Reuters

Seven tankers and counting have been attacked, with some vessels set ablaze.

You should also know

CNN's Abby Phillip scrambles to correct anti-Mamdani terror claim . . . CNN host Abby Phillip issued an on-air correction after falsely telling viewers that an ISIS-inspired terror attack in New York City targeted Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The claim spread quickly online, forcing Phillip to acknowledge the mistake first on X and later during her broadcast. She said the bombs thrown by suspects last weekend were not directed at the mayor and accepted responsibility for failing to catch the error in real time. Fox News

Sure she made an error, and it's fine that she acknowledged it. What else could she do? But journalists like Abby Phillip are so desperate to draw a narrative of anti-Muslim right-wing terrorism that it leads to this kind of jump to a conclusion.

Guilty Pleasures

Hillary Clinton scolds husband Bill after he nudges her into busy NYC intersection: 'Don't do that' . . . A viral video captures the moment as former President Bill Clinton appears to nudge Hillary Clinton toward a busy New York City crosswalk Tuesday, prompting her to pull back and protest. The awkward encounter unfolded after the couple attended an event and visited their daughter, Chelsea. Footage shows Bill smiling while seemingly trying to steer Hillary into an adjoining crosswalk, in what appears to be an attempted jaywalk, sparking online attention and commentary. New York Post

It was attempted murder! And who can blame him? Or her if she tried it on him. Actually, it's a rather playful, tender moment, despite all the harrumphing on social media.