Trump News for Monday, March 16, 2026

Federal judge halts RFK Jr.'s changes to children's vaccine policies

Rob Stein, NPR

In a rebuke, a federal district court judge blocked the administration's reduction in the number of immunizations recommended for kids and also changes to an influential vaccine committee.

America’s Diminished Place In The World And The Consequences Of Not Impeaching

Cathy Gellis, Techdirt

It has long been clear: Trump needs to be removed from office before he can inflict even more damage than he already has. But he doesn’t just need to be stopped; for America to have a future he also needs to be repudiated. Impeachment speaks to each need, to …

Death by Tariffs: Volvo Discontinuing Entry-Level EX30 EV in the US

Antuan Goodwin, CNET

Volvo is canceling the EX30 electric SUV in the US market after the 2026 model year, just one full year after its arrival.

J. D. Vance Learns What Mike Pence Already Knows

David A. Graham, The Atlantic

The vice president is realizing that signing on with Donald Trump might seem like a shortcut to the top, but it’s actually a guarantee of humiliation.

Trump claims strikes on Iran prevented nuclear war

Al Jazeera English

Donald Trump claimed he ordered strikes on Iran to prevent a nuclear conflict that would have turned into World War III.

Trump Advisors Warn of Nuclear Spiral in Iran, Push to Nuke a New Canal for Shipping

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Some MAGA fans are encouraging an off-ramp. Newt Gingrich thinks nukes are the answer.

Trump seeks to delay meeting with China’s Xi by ‘month or so’ amid Iran war

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

The US president delays March 31-April 2 trip to China to focus on the escalating war against Iran.

Teens sue Elon Musk’s xAI over Grok’s AI-generated CSAM

Emma Roth, The Verge

Three Tennessee teens are suing Elon Musk's xAI over claims that the company's Grok AI chatbot generated sexualized images and videos of themselves as minors, as reported earlier by The Washington Post. The proposed class action lawsuit, filed on Monday, accu…

Trump’s Hormuz problem, 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: Donald Trump is looking for help with the war he start…

Rubio orders US diplomats to push countries to act against Iran amid 'risk of attack'

Shannon K. Kingston, Abcnews.com

Secretary of State Marco Rubio wants U.S. diplomats to urge foreign governments to move swiftly to diminish Iran and its proxies' capability to attack.

‘Fourth world nation’: Trump slams Somalia, Ilhan Omar

Al Jazeera English

Speaking at the Oval office, US President Donald Trump stated that Somalia is a “fourth world nation.”

Can Starmer Keep Saying No To Trump?

BBC News

Trump "not happy" with the UK as Starmer says it won't be drawn into wider Iran war.

Who is answering Trump’s call for help with Strait of Hormuz?

Al Jazeera English

Trump has criticised the response to his call to help protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz during the war on Iran.

US startup Reflection AI is working with South Korea's Shinsegae Group to build a 250MW data center in South Korea, sources say in a several-billion-dollar deal (Amrith Ramkumar/Wall Street Journal)

Techmeme.com

Amrith Ramkumar / Wall Street Journal: US startup Reflection AI is working with South Korea's Shinsegae Group to build a 250MW data center in South Korea, sources say in a several-billion-dollar deal  —  The Trump administration is using AI chips and models a…

Cuba electric grid collapses amid US oil blockade causing national blackout

Al Jazeera, Al Jazeera English

Cuba has not received oil shipments since early January amid US pressure, worsening humanitarian crisis on the island.

BBC files motion asking US court to throw out Trump’s $10bn lawsuit

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US president sued BBC over 'Trump: A Second Chance?', seeking $5bn for defamation, $5bn for unfair trade practices.

Benjamin Netanyahu is struggling to prove he’s not an AI clone

Jess Weatherbed, The Verge

Social media platforms are currently awash with conspiracy theories claiming that Benjamin Netanyahu has been killed or injured and replaced by AI-generated deepfakes. Between clips that supposedly show the Israeli Prime Minister sporting extra fingers and dr…

How big of a problem is the Strait of Hormuz for Donald Trump?

Al Jazeera English

US president frustrated with unenthusiastic response after appealing for help wresting control of key strait from Iran.

Judge temporarily blocks key parts of RFK, Jr.’s effort to overhaul U.S. childhood vaccines

Claire Cameron, Scientific American

A federal judge on Monday issued a stay on the CDC’s move to reduce the number of routinely recommended childhood vaccines

Trump Says U.S. Doesn’t Need Allies’ Help … After He Demanded It

Nikkimccannramirez, Rolling Stone

The president is lashing out at the media over poor coverage while continuing to offer nonsensical justifications for attacking Iran

Strength Means Owning Our Mistakes

Jeff Flake, The Atlantic

Anyone can claim credit for success. A true leader knows how to handle failure.

WATCH: War with Iran: What to watch for next

ABC News, Abcnews.com

Around 5,000 U.S. Marines and sailors are being deployed to the Middle East as the U.S. and Israel say their air campaign has greatly degraded Iran's military.

Trump Gets $10 Billion Kickback To The Treasury For Offloading TikTok To His Billionaire Buddies

Karl Bode, Techdirt

We’ve discussed at length how Trump’s “fix” for TikTok’s problems basically involved forcing the sale of the platform to his greedy billionaire buddies (with the help of pathetic Democrats). The deal fixed none of the real issues Trumpland pretended to be con…

Trump says Hormuz Strait help ‘on the way’ as allies reject military action

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

US president refuses to identify which countries he says are responding to call for naval coalition to open trade route.

FCC Chairman Threatens to Revoke TV Licenses Over Iran Coverage

Ece Yildirim, Gizmodo.com

Here's the latest in the FCC's quest to keep American media on a tight leash.

Americanswers… on 5Live! Will Trump lose his MAGA base over Iran?

BBC News

And should the US have been better prepared over the Strait of Hormuz?

Outrage as Afghan asylum seeker who fought alongside US dies in ICE custody

Joseph Stepansky, Al Jazeera English

Family, advocates call for full probe after Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal dies less than 24 hours after being detained.

Cuban officials report an island-wide blackout as country struggles with energy crisis

The Associated Press, Abcnews.com

Ministry reports a "complete disconnection" of the country’s electrical system.

Afghan man dies in ICE custody one day after being detained

Laura Romero, Luke Barr, Armando Garcia, Abcnews.com

Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, whom ICE said died March 14 after one day in custody, worked with U.S. forces in Afghanistan, advocacy group says.

ICE Officers Admit To Arrest Quotas During Court Testimony

Tim Cushing, Techdirt

It’s not that arrest and ticket quotas don’t exist. They do. They always have. They always will. It’s that they’re illegal. Courts have repeatedly criticized quotas because they create incentives so perverse they’d make /b/ board denizens uncomfortable. Since…

Washington Post’s Surveillance Pricing Under Fire From Dems Who Want to Ban the Practice

Matt Novak, Gizmodo.com

Can Jeff Bezos squeeze a little more money out of his dying newspaper?

Landmark offshore wind farms come online in the U.S.

Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American

Revolution Wind and Vineyard Wind are two of several wind farm projects that have come under fire from the Trump administration in recent months

Elizabeth Warren asks Meta, Amazon, and others why they're laying workers off despite tax perks

Emma Ockerman, Yahoo Entertainment

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is grilling several major employers, including Amazon, Target, and UPS, about their recent spate of layoffs amid tax perks to...

Iran live updates: Trump says countries 'on the way'

Kevin Shalvey, Abcnews.com

President Donald Trump announced "major combat operations" against Iran on Feb. 28, with massive joint U.S.-Israel strikes.

Turns Out The DOGE Bros Who Killed Humanities Grants Are Kinda Sensitive About It

Mike Masnick, Techdirt

Much of last week I had been working on a different article than the one this became. The American Historical Association, the Modern Language Association, and the American Council of Learned Societies — all plaintiffs in a lawsuit against the National Endowm…

Transcript: Matt Cherwin, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Marek Capital

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

The transcript from this week’s MiB: Matt Cherwin, Co-Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Marek Capital, is below. You can stream and download our full conversation, including any podcast extras, on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube (video), YouTube (audio…

Splinter: Even Joe Rogan's "Scientist" Guests Are Accused of Sexual Assault

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

Michael Raul Bilecky, a recent Joe Rogan podcast guest and archaeology researcher, was reportedly arrested in Maryland facing rape charges.

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles diagnosed with breast cancer: Trump

ABC NEWS, Abcnews.com

She will begin treatment immediately, the president said.

What Happens Now to Kristi Noem’s Warehouse Jails?

Nick Miroff, The Atlantic

DHS’s next leader will inherit a fast-moving $38 billion plan for industrial-scale immigrant detention.

With Midterms Looming, Trump’s Pick for Surgeon General Suddenly Thinks Measles Vaccines Are a Good Idea

Ed Cara, Gizmodo.com

At her nomination hearing last month, Casey Means avoided directly endorsing vaccines for measles and other preventable diseases.

The U.S. Is So Over World Peace It Erased the Olive Branch from the Dime

Danielle Han, Jezebel

The new coins, which have been in circulation since January, got rid of the olive branch because it was too woke. This is just absurd.

Wary allies show there's no quick fix to Trump's Iran crisis

BBC News

European leaders are hesitant to help Trump secure the Strait of Hormuz, but they know inaction on the Iran war isn't really an option.

Iran officials tout ‘Trump-burning’ celebration amid battle of narratives

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Iranian state media calls for turning fire festival into a symbolic protest by burning figures of Trump and Netanyahu.

EU leaders reject military involvement in Strait of Hormuz amid war on Iran

Al Jazeera Staff, Al Jazeera English

Pushback comes as US President Donald Trump says NATO allies should help secure key waterway amid soaring oil prices.

BBC argues Florida has no jurisdiction over January 6 doc that didn't air in the U.S.

Drew Gillis, Jezebel

The British broadcaster seeks to dismiss the lawsuit brought by Donald Trump over a 2024 episode of its documentary series Panorama.

AI is nearly exclusively designed by men – here's how to fix it

Catherine de Lange, New Scientist

With the Trump administration’s attacks on so-called woke AI it is becoming even harder to make the technology we use fairer and more diverse. Leading voices are speaking out, reports Catherine de Lange

Strait of Hormuz: Which countries’ ships has Iran allowed safe passage to?

Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

Tehran allows a small number of ships from certain countries to pass through waterway.

China’s Axis of Autocracy Isn’t Looking So Hot

Michael Schuman, The Atlantic

Perhaps inadvertently, Trump is revealing the limits of Beijing’s friendship.

South Korean protesters criticise Trump over Hormuz security demand

Al Jazeera English

Activists in South Korea have staged a protest against Donald Trump’s request for help securing the Strait of Hormuz.

The College-Educated Working Class

George Packer, The Atlantic

Can a generation of graduates frustrated by their economic prospects change American labor politics?

'We're at war' - Ecuador deploys 75,000 soldiers and police to combat drug gangs

BBC News

Citizens of the most violent-wracked provinces have been warned the government is "at war" with the gangs.

MoD sources warn Palantir role at heart of government is threat to UK security

Charlie Young, Thenerve.news

Experts say that claims UK data remains under government ownership miss the point that the company has the capability to build its own detailed picture of the British population, and even infer state secrets. Report by Charlie Young and Carole Cadwalladr

Trump Tariffs Have Made This the Worst Time for American Wine in Literally Decades

Jim Vorel, Jezebel

An American winery closed almost every day of 2025, as Trump tariffs resulted in an almost 80% drop of Canadian consumption of U.S. wine.

Senate prepares to vote on Trump's SAVE Act. And, takeaways from last night's Oscars

Brittney Melton, NPR

Senate Republicans are gearing up to vote on President Trump's controversial voting overhaul, the SAVE America Act. And, key takeaways from the 2026 Oscars.

No, MAGA is not divided on the Iran war

Andrew Mitrovica, Al Jazeera English

Trump’s supporters remain loyal, even if there are a few loud dissenting voices.

10 Monday AM Reads

Barry Ritholtz, Ritholtz.com

My back-to-work morning train WFH reads: • Barron’s 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance: Our annual list honors women helping their companies, clients, and country through volatile markets and challenging times. Meet this year’s 28 new additions. (Barr…

What’s Behind Trump’s New World Disorder?

Daniel Immerwahr, The New Yorker

A foreign policy freed of liberal pretenses and imperial ambitions could lead to restraint—or, as the Iran attack shows, simply license hit-and-run belligerence.

Oil shock, nuclear doubts, climate‑change-driven hail, and new insights on the aging-gut-brain connection

Kendra Pierre-Louis, Dan Vergano, Fonda Mwangi, Alex Sugiura, Scientific American

From emergency oil reserves to nuclear scrutiny, bigger hail, and research on a connection between the aging gut and the brain

The F-35 Program Can’t Seem to Pull Off a Needed Software Update While Its Jets Fight a War

Mike Pearl, Gizmodo.com

The Pentagon says F-35s received no new combat upgrades last year, and that attempts to replace old software have stalled.

As parents clamor for a treatment touted for autism, doctors hesitate to prescribe it

Michal Ruprecht, NPR

After the leucovorin got public attention as a potential autism treatment, families rushed to get it. Many doctors are torn about prescribing an unproven drug but don't want to lose patients' trust.

Javier Bardem Explains Why He Spoke Up About War, Palestine at Oscars

Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone

"You can be part of the movie-making community, which is an important community, and also be a citizen," the actor said

Morning news brief

A Martínez, NPR

The war with Iran enters its third week, as Trump and his top aides refocus their messaging on "winning" to regain faltering support, in the Senate, Republican lawmakers take up the SAVE Act this week.

Iran war: What is happening on day 17 of US-Israel attacks?

Sarah Shamim, Al Jazeera English

Dubai contained a fire near its airport and temporarily suspended flights, while Trump claimed Iran wants to negotiate.

5th member of Iranian women's soccer team gives up asylum in Australia

The Associated Press, NPR

The player's departure shortly before midnight on Sunday leaves two of an initial seven squad members in Australia.

Jimmy Kimmel calls out CBS over free speech at the Oscars

Amanda Goh, Business Insider

"Oh, man, is he going to be mad his wife wasn't nominated for this?" Jimmy Kimmel joked while presenting the award for best documentary feature.

Oil prices keep rising as Trump seeks coalition to reopen Strait of Hormuz

John Power, Al Jazeera English

Brent crude tops $106 a barrel as markets see no end in sight to the halt of traffic through the critical waterway.

Trump Demands Death Penalty for Reporters in Unhinged War Rant

Yahoo Entertainment

Trump warns NATO, presses China to help reopen Strait of Hormuz, FT reports

Reuters, Yahoo Entertainment

President Donald Trump warned NATO of a “very bad” future if allies do not help open up the Strait of Hormuz and said he may also delay a planned summit ‌with...