Trump News for Wednesday, March 11, 2026

Epstein's longtime accountant testifies he was 'not aware' of sex offender's crimes

Ava Berger, NPR

Richard Kahn testified to the House Oversight Committee that he did not know about Epstein's crimes. He said monetary gifts that Epstein made did not raise any red flags.

U.S. Company Taken Offline by Cyberattack as Revenge for Missile Strike on Iranian School

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Devices were remotely wiped by the hacking group. The company says the attack is now over.

Trump: ‘I don’t know’ about report US at fault in school strike

Al Jazeera English

Donald Trump denied knowledge of a military investigation finding the US responsible for the Minab girls' school strike.

South Africa summons new US ambassador over ‘undiplomatic remarks’

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US President Trump has claimed South Africa is engaged in a campaign of white persecution, which Pretoria denies.

The Police Report Complicating a White House Endorsement

Michael Scherer, The Atlantic

A woman’s allegations of rape against a Republican House candidate have put Trump in a bind.

Trump’s AI-Powered World Wars

The Intercept Briefing, The Intercept

Nick Turse and Hooman Majd discuss war on Iran and other U.S. conflicts, and Sam Biddle breaks down how AI is being used. The post Trump’s AI-Powered World Wars appeared first on The Intercept.

How Trump has addressed the deadly Iran school bombing

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The US president denies knowledge of findings that the US military was behind the deadly strike amid calls for a probe.

Dubai’s Army of Influencers Gets Back in Line

Ali Breland, The Atlantic

After briefly playing war correspondents, their tune changed.

Iran Includes American Tech Giants on List of New Targets

Ece Yildirim, Gizmodo.com

State-aligned media released a list naming the offices of Microsoft, Palantir, and more as potential targets of military action.

A US atrocity in Iran, briefly explained

Cameron Peters, Vox

This story appeared in The Logoff, a daily newsletter that helps you stay informed about the Trump administration without letting political news take over your life. Subscribe here. Welcome to The Logoff: A US strike killed nearly 200 children on the first da…

The Republican Who Wants to Banish His Own Constituents

Russell Berman, The Atlantic

Representative Andy Ogles wrote on Monday that “Muslims don’t belong in American society.” He represents thousands of them in Congress.

Ecuador prepares for attack on ‘criminal economy’ with Trump backing

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Interior Minister John Reimberg warned for residents in four provinces to obey a curfew to avoid 'collateral damage'.

The Members of Congress Openly Attacking Muslim Americans

David A. Graham, The Atlantic

The United States is experiencing a resurgence of the attacks on Muslims and Islam that were common at that time—but this time with a president who has encouraged them.

The U.S. Built A Blueprint To Avoid Civilian War Casualties. Trump Officials Scrapped It.

Hannah Allam, Techdirt

This story was originally published by ProPublica. Republished under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 license. Images from the missile strike in southern Iran were more horrifying than any of the case studies Air Force combat veteran Wes J. Bryant had pored over in his miss…

Why does Iran war pose more dilemmas for Europe?

Al Jazeera English

Europe faces stiff competition with Asia for energy supplies as Russia profits.

WATCH: Car smashes into Texas barbershop

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Surveillance footage captured the moment a car smashed into a Texas barbershop earlier this month, narrowly missing several people.

WATCH: Baby’s ‘first tornado watch’ is a doozy

ABC News, Abcnews.com

A family was staying at a hotel in downtown Oklahoma City with their three-month-old daughter when a towering tornadic supercell moved through the area.

WATCH: FBI warns Iran could attack California with drones: Alert

ABC News, Abcnews.com

The FBI has warned police departments in California that Iran wants to retaliate for American attacks by launching offensive drones against the West Coast, according to an alert reviewed by ABC News.

States sue the Trump administration to challenge policy requiring colleges to collect race data

MICHAEL CASEY, Yahoo Entertainment

A coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general filed a lawsuit Wednesday challenging a Trump administration policy that requires higher education...

Pentagon probe points to U.S. missile hitting Iranian school

Tom Bowman, NPR

A military assessment suggests a U.S. Tomahawk cruise missile was responsible for at least 165 deaths at an Iranian girls' school, according to a U.S. official who was not authorized to speak publicly.

How Putin Views Trump’s War in Iran

Joshua Yaffa, The New Yorker

Russia’s President is profiting from rising oil prices, but he’s also facing a hard new reality: he’s no longer the lead disruptor of the postwar global order.

Iran was nowhere close to a nuclear bomb, experts say

Dan Vergano, Scientific American

Although President Trump has claimed Iran was weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon, much more work was needed for the country to do so

32-nation group to release 400M barrels of reserve oil, its largest ever

Max Zahn, Abcnews.com

The 32-nation group will release 400 million barrels of oil from its reserve.

What’s left in Iran ‘could be taken out in an hour’, says Trump

Al Jazeera English

President Trump has told reporters that the US has destroyed Iran’s navy, anti-aircraft systems, radars and leadership.

Outdated Targeting Data Blamed for Strike on Iranian School as Pentagon Fights for Autonomous Weapons

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

At least 175 people were killed in the U.S. strike.

A DOGE Bro Allegedly Walked Out Of Social Security With 500 Million Americans’ Records On A Thumb Drive And Expected A Pardon If Caught

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

From the very beginning of the DOGE saga, many of us raised alarms about what would happen when a bunch of inexperienced twenty-somethings were handed unfettered access to the most sensitive databases in the federal government with essentially zero oversight …

Yu-Gi-Oh Wants You To Know It Wasn’t Involved In The White House’s Propaganda

Kenneth Shepard, Kotaku

The Trump administration used Yugi’s face and voice to celebrate killing people in Iran

FBI warns Iran aspired to attack California with drones in retaliation for war: Alert

Josh Margolin, Aaron Katersky, Alex Stone, Abcnews.com

The warning came in a bulletin that was reviewed by ABC News.

The world doesn’t have enough ammo for the Iran War

Joshua Keating, Vox

President Donald Trump has suggested that the US-Israeli air campaign in Iran will continue until “they cry uncle, or when they can’t fight any longer.” Iran’s foreign minister has said their own military will fight “as long as it takes” and that they have li…

Trump says Iran war to end ‘soon’ as Israel claims no time limit

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US president hails war progress as Iran continues to block Hormuz Strait and launch attacks across the region.

Pentagon Report: U.S. Military Fired Missile at Elementary School in Iran

Nick Turse, The Intercept

Despite attempts by Trump to claim otherwise, the U.S. military was responsible for killing at least 175 in a strike on a school in Iran. The post Pentagon Report: U.S. Military Fired Missile at Elementary School in Iran appeared first on The Intercept.

Bowen: Trump has called for an Iran uprising but the lessons from Iraq in 1991 loom large

BBC News

The US president might learn that starting wars is much easier than ending them, writes the BBC's international editor.

Immigration Officers Continue To Lie About Their Murders

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

Flooding cities with federal officers more used to dealing with border crossings and customs enforcement has led to multiple killings by these officers. They’re not trained to do what they’re being ordered to do. And their new hires aren’t being given the tra…

Cabinet 'scared to take them off'...

Somaiyah Hafeez, Jack Hobbs, Themirror.com

Cabinet 'scared to take them off'... (First column, 2nd story, link) Related stories:Rubio Mocked for Oversized Shoes After Trump Gifts Footwear...

Iranian minister says country will not play in World Cup

Pooria Jafereh, BBC News

Iran is not in a position to participate in the 2026 World Cup, says the country's Minister of Sports and Youth.

Everything Marco Rubio Is Hiding in That Giant Gap at the Back of His Shoes

Claire Guinan, Jezebel

Daily affirmations? His dream of becoming president? A travel-size ointment for Trump’s neck rash? He’s got a big gap to fill.

Microsoft Backs Anthropic in Pentagon Fallout Despite Heated Rivalry

Ece Yildirim, Gizmodo.com

Microsoft is asking for a pause on the "supply-chain risk" designation.

US military confirms use of ‘advanced AI tools’ in war against Iran

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Admiral Brad Cooper says artificial intelligence is helping process data, but humans are making final decisions.

Why it's so important to make sure your boarding pass says 'TSA PreCheck' right now

Sean Cudahy, The Points Guy

The U.S. government remains partially shutdown. If you're flying and have TSA PreCheck access, make sure all of your information is good to go.

The FDA approves leucovorin for rare genetic condition and not for autism

Claire Cameron, Scientific American

The FDA on Tuesday approved leucovorin as a treatment for a rare genetic condition, not for autism, as the Trump administration had suggested

Could the US deploy troops to Iran, and how could that play out?

Shola Lawal, Al Jazeera English

Experts say Iran’s vast, mountainous terrain would make invasion difficult but a small, precise mission is possible.

Sudan’s devastating war rages on as regional rivalries deepen

Shewit Woldemichael, Al Jazeera English

Yet the fallout from the Iran war could push Gulf rivals to cooperate, opening space for diplomacy on Sudan.

Jill Biden’s Memoir ‘View From The East Wing’ To Be Published In June

Ted Johnson, Deadline

Former First Lady Jill Biden will publish her memoir, View from the East Wing, on June 2, in which she she will give her reflections on her husband Joe Biden’s decision, after much pressure, to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race. Gallery Books, a divisi…

Countries agree to historic release of stockpiled oil to ease the global shortage

Camila Domonoske, NPR

Members of the International Energy Agency have announced a coordinated release of 400 million barrels of stockpiled oil in an attempt to counter the disruption in oil trade triggered by the Iran war.

I Look Forward to Receiving My Government-Funded Ice Cream Machine & Bucket of Crab Legs

Danielle Han, Jezebel

On Monday, a federal watchdog revealed that the Defense Secretary burned through $93 billion to use up the Pentagon’s budget by the end of the fiscal year in 2025. Must be nice!

Iran can 'under no circumstances' participate in 2026 World Cup - sports minister

Sky Sports

Iran's sport minister has ruled out Iran's participating in the men's football World Cup co-hosted by the US this summer.

Iran tells world to get ready for $200 a barrel

By Parisa Hafezi and Alexander Cornwell, Yahoo Entertainment

By Parisa Hafezi and Alexander Cornwell DUBAI/TEL AVIV, March 11 (Reuters) - Iran's military command said on Wednesday the world should be prepared for oil...

Attacks from all sides: Why Iraq was dragged into US-Israel war on Iran

Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

Iraq has seen attacks from both sides of the conflict: Iran and its proxies on the one side and the US on the other.

Military Investigation Confirms: U.S. Responsible for Iranian School Bombing, Leaving 175 (Mostly Children) Dead

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

The preliminary findings indicate that the U.S. is indeed responsible for the deadly missile strike that hit a school in Iran.

Things Going Great At Ellison’s Paramount As President Gets Mired In Accusations Of Press Manipulation And Leaking Company Info

Karl Bode, Techdirt

The President of Larry Ellison’s “new and improved” Paramount, Jeff Shell, has been conspicuously absent from recent events heralding the company’s problematic acquisition of Warner Brothers. The reason? Shell is being accused by a “whistleblower” and former …

Three more vessels hit by projectiles in Strait of Hormuz, showing merchant ships remain in firing line

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

DUBAI, March 11 (Reuters) - Three vessels have been hit by unknown projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, maritime security and risk firms said on Wednesday...

12 days: How 2025 Iran blueprint trapped US, Israel in longer war

Mohammad Mansour, Al Jazeera English

Unlike the truce from last year's 12-day war, "decapitation" strikes have locked US and Israel in a war of attrition.

Iran welcome to compete in FIFA World Cup, Trump tells Infantino

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

FIFA's Infantino says US president 'reiterates that the Iranian team is welcome' to participate in the tournament.

Iran’s strategic patience tactic failed, what comes next could be far worse

Sina Toossi, Al Jazeera English

Restraint didn't prevent war; new Iranian leadership may now look to much more dangerous approach to build a deterrent.

For Millennials Like Me, the Iran War Feels Horribly Familiar

Jill Filipovic, Slate Magazine

Most Americans, it seems, have learned something from our recent history, even if this administration has not.

Pam Bondi Quietly Moved to U.S. Military Base After Threats

TMZ Staff, TMZ

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi was quietly moved to a Washington D.C. military base after receiving threats from drug cartels and people pissed about her handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, according to the New York Times. Bondi was spirited out…

Analysis: Iran war becomes a contest of who can take the most pain

JON GAMBRELL, Yahoo Entertainment

The war with Iran, for all its complexity and global effects, boils down to a single question: Who can take the pain the longest? A surge in oil prices...

Former Climate Hero Wins Permit for 41 Gas Turbines in Mississippi

Mike Pearl, Gizmodo.com

xAI can power data centers at the cost of greenhouse gas pollution. Elon Musk used to speak out against this sort of thing.

Americans are split on wanting the National Guard to monitor voting, a new poll finds

Miles Parks, NPR

Nearly half of Americans support the National Guard monitoring November's elections, potentially signaling an openness to the sort of nationalizing of elections that President Trump says he wants.

The Trump DOJ is giving guns back to felons, including one alleged fake elector

Jaclyn Diaz, NPR

The Department of Justice is quietly restarting a decades-dormant program to restore gun rights to felons. One of them was an alleged fake elector in 2020.

Federal oversight protects student borrowers. Some of it has stopped, watchdog says

Cory Turner, NPR

Without this Education Department oversight, borrowers could "be placed in the wrong loan repayment status, billed for incorrect amounts" and more, the U.S. Government Accountability Office says.

Europe’s hard right fractures over US-Israel war on Iran

Nils Adler, Al Jazeera English

Far-right forces are split over nationalism, foreign policy and ties to US President Donald Trump.

Iranian Armed Forces spokesman urges Muslims to reveal US, Israeli military assets

FRAIDY MOSER, The Jerusalem Post

He added that “such cooperation can establish security in the region,” and urged people in the region not to shield US forces. Iranian Armed Forces...

Trump will welcome Iran at World Cup - Infantino

BBC Sport, BBC News

US President Donald Trump has said Iran are "welcome" to take part in this summer's World Cup despite the countries being at war, according to Fifa president Gianni Infantino.

Iran fires missiles, drones at Gulf nations as ship hit in Strait of Hormuz

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Tehran keeps up daily pressure as UNSC readies vote on GCC bid urging Iran to halt attacks on neighbours.

WATCH: Pentagon releases new video as U.S. airstrikes intensify in Iran

ABC News, Abcnews.com

The Pentagon released new video Tuesday showing the U.S. unleashing massive air attacks on Iranian targets.

Qatar’s foreign minister says ‘regional countries are not an enemy of Iran’

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Mohammed bin Abdulaziz al-Khulaifi also says Qatar and Oman cannot act as mediators while under attack.

Trump has one prescription for midterms. House Republicans have another

Yahoo Entertainment

Oil prices swing wildly amid mixed messages over Iran war

John Power, Al Jazeera English

Crude oil prices fall sharply as energy markets remain on tenterhooks over effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

N Korea ‘respects’ Iran’s selection of Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson condemns the US and Israel's 'unlawful military attack against Iran'.

DOJ Lawyer: RFK Jr.’s Authority Shall Not Suffer Any Checks & Balances From The Courts

Timothy Geigner, Techdirt

I’ve spent a lot of digital ink detailing just how bad RFK Jr. has been in his post at HHS. Everything from his attempts to entirely remake vaccine policies in the country, to his neutered response to the ongoing measles outbreak in the country, up to and inc…

BREAKING: Global Entry will resume Wednesday, Trump administration confirms

Sean Cudahy, The Points Guy

Global Entry will return on Wednesday after being suspended last month in the midst of the partial government shutdown.

Trump Administration Won’t Rule Out Further Action Against Anthropic

Paresh Dave, Wired

The White House is preparing an executive order targeting the AI startup, even as its earlier actions against the company face a major test in court.

‘No endgame’: Why US Democrats say Iran war hearing has them worried

Elizabeth Melimopoulos, Al Jazeera English

Lawmakers say the White House has not clearly explained why the US entered the conflict, or how long it may last.

Scotiabank Lowers Oracle (ORCL) Price Objective, Sees Strength in AI-Accelerated Cloud

Vardah Gill, Yahoo Entertainment

Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) is included among the 14 Best American Dividend Stocks to Invest in. On March 9, Scotiabank lowered its price recommendation...

One Iranian football team member changes mind after Australia grants asylum

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

The player was advised by teammates and encouraged to contact the Iranian embassy, Australian minister says.

Australia grants asylum to 2 more members of Iranian women’s football team

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Australia's home affairs minister says a total of seven members of the Iranian women's team have been granted asylum.

Press freedom declines in Americas, with US seeing sharpest drop: Report

Brian Osgood, Al Jazeera English

A press freedom index has given the Americas its lowest ranking since it started recording results six years ago.

China pledges billion-dollar spending boost for science

Xiaoying You, Nature.com

Funding for national laboratories and important research projects would increase under the government’s plans.

National statistics are in crisis around the world — and the impacts will be severe

Ehsan Masood, Subhra Priyadarshini, Lucila Pinto, Nature.com

Some researchers are sounding the alarm over the official data sets that track crucial aspects of life in the United States, Argentina, the United Kingdom and India.