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Vice President JD Vance alleged Friday that Rep. Ilhan Omar committed immigration fraud, claiming she married her brother in order to help him remain legally in the United States, reigniting accusations that have followed the Minnesota lawmaker for years.

Speaking on a podcast hosted by Benny Johnson, Vance said he believes Omar engaged in wrongdoing tied to her immigration history.

“We actually think that Ilhan Omar definitely committed immigration fraud against the United States of America,” Vance said.

Omar’s office quickly rejected the accusation, with her chief of staff issuing a sharp response.

“This is rich coming from someone who literally said they were willing to ‘create stories’ to redirect the media,” said Omar’s chief of staff Connor McNutt. “This is a ridiculous lie and desperate attempt to distract from the pedophile protection party’s unpopular war of choice, increasing gas prices, and rapidly dropping polling numbers.”

The claims referenced by Vance date back to before Omar’s successful run for Congress in 2018 and have been widely circulated but remain unproven.

Omar has been married twice. She first entered into a religious marriage with Ahmed Abdisalan Hirsi in 2002, though the two did not formalize their union under state law until January 2018, according to prior reports.

Before that legal marriage, Omar had wed Ahmed Nur Said Elmi, a British citizen, in February 2009 during a ceremony officiated by a Christian minister in Minnesota. She later dissolved that marriage in December 2017, shortly before legally marrying Hirsi.

Omar has described her relationship with Elmi as brief, noting that they were largely separated during the marriage, aside from a period between 2009 and 2011. There are no records indicating the two had children together.

She and Hirsi, however, have three children, born in 2003, 2005, and 2012. Around the time of the birth of their third child, social media activity reportedly drew attention after a photo appeared to show Elmi holding a newborn, accompanied by a caption referencing “nieces.” The image was later removed.

Allegations that Omar and Elmi were related first surfaced on online forums and blogs, though those posts were also subsequently deleted.

In 2016, while serving as a Minnesota state legislator, Omar addressed the matter, saying her marriage to Elmi was “a difficult part of my personal history that I did not consider relevant in the context of a political campaign.”

Claims about her relationship with Elmi were further amplified in 2020 when Somali community member Abdihakim Osman told a media outlet that Omar had introduced Elmi as her brother during the late 2000s.

Omar, who immigrated from Somalia, became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2000 at age 17.

Marriage fraud is a federal offense that can carry penalties of up to five years in prison and fines of up to $250,000.

Vance said he has been discussing potential legal avenues with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, raising questions about how such a case could be investigated and pursued.

“How do you go after her? How do you investigate her? How do you actually build the case to actually get some justice for the American people?” Vance said.

He also claimed that Omar has been connected to broader issues within the Somali-American community, suggesting further scrutiny may be warranted.

“I’m worried about the immigration,” Vance said. “I’m also worried about: What did Ilhan Omar know about what was happening in the Somali-American community? And why was nobody looking into it until, frankly, Donald Trump came along?”

President Trump has previously made similar accusations, calling for legal action against Omar over alleged ties to fraud cases involving Somali community networks in Minnesota.

Federal and congressional investigations have since examined alleged misuse of funds in social service, childcare, and Medicaid programs in the state, with potential losses reaching into the billions.

Separate scrutiny has also focused on Omar’s financial disclosures, including her reported net worth alongside her husband, Tim Mynett. Public filings indicated a significant increase in their assets in recent years.

Omar and Mynett married in March 2020 after his prior marriage ended, following a relationship that began while he was working on her political campaign.

{Matzav.com}

Former national security adviser John Bolton said today that he supports President Donald Trump’s goal of bringing about regime change in Iran, while cautioning that success will require sustained effort beyond the battlefield.

Speaking on Newsmax’s “Saturday Agenda,” Bolton said he has long advocated for replacing Iran’s leadership and believes the current U.S. military campaign is a step toward achieving that objective.

“I think it’s a worthwhile objective,” Bolton said. “I think the military side of it seems to be going very well. Other parts of it are not.

“I think he needs to have patience and persistence if he wants regime change, because this is a moment to get it. The regime has never been more unpopular inside Iran than since it took power in 1979.”

Bolton pointed to a January message from Trump encouraging anti-government demonstrators in Iran, arguing that it signaled regime change had been an underlying aim of the operation from the outset.

Looking ahead, Bolton said the immediate focus should be securing the Strait of Hormuz to allow safe passage for international shipping while cutting off Iran’s ability to export oil.

“My impression now is our military is increasingly confident that they can make it safe for tankers to go through,” he said. “And in the meantime, I would make sure Iranian tankers or tankers carrying Iranian oil are not exiting the Strait of Hormuz.

“It’s not a gift to the United States for our enemy to be selling oil and having the purchase price of that oil going into the coffers of the ayatollahs in Tehran to use against us.”

He said he was surprised that U.S. forces had not prioritized the waterway earlier, though he now believes the military is moving toward establishing control over it.

Bolton added that targeting Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal is not essential at this stage, though he acknowledged there could be other strategic reasons for doing so.

“I don’t think we need to hit Kharg Island. There may be other reasons for that. I think we blockade the strait, make sure no Iranian oil goes in or out,” he said.

Over the longer term, Bolton emphasized the importance of supporting internal opposition within Iran, describing it as widespread but lacking organization. He said external assistance could play a critical role.

“If we’re not going to put boots on the ground in any substantial number, it’s going to be up to the people of Iran working with defectors from the regime, hopefully from the regular army, to pull the regime apart,” Bolton said.

President Donald Trump on Friday sharply rebuked NATO member nations, accusing them of failing to back the United States during its recent military campaign against Iran and raising the possibility that Washington could rethink its role in the alliance.

Speaking at an investment conference in Miami Beach sponsored by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, Trump said European allies did not stand with the U.S. when assistance was sought, calling their response a major failure.

“NATO just wasn’t there,” Trump said, describing the lack of support as “a tremendous mistake” by European nations.

“We spend hundreds of billions of dollars a year on NATO, protecting them, and we would have always been there for them,” Trump said. “But now, based on their actions, I guess we don’t have to be.”

He emphasized the significance of his remarks, calling them “breaking news,” and added, “Why would we be there for them? If they’re not there for us.”

Trump’s comments followed a post he made a day earlier on Truth Social, where he wrote that NATO countries had “done absolutely nothing” to assist in confronting Iran, which he described as a “lunatic nation” that has now been “militarily decimated.”

He further stated that while the United States “needs nothing from NATO,” allied nations should “never forget” the situation.

The remarks prompted renewed questions about whether U.S. policy toward NATO could shift, though White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said there has been no formal change, describing Trump as simply being “very vocal and honest about his displeasure with NATO.”

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte responded by defending European allies, noting they were not given advance notice of the U.S. strike on Iran, which limited their ability to respond immediately.

Speaking in Brussels, Rutte said the lack of prior coordination—intended to avoid leaks—delayed any European reaction, though he stressed that efforts to respond were already underway.

At the same time, Rutte voiced support for the U.S. campaign, describing Iran as “an exporter of chaos” and saying American military actions were weakening that threat.

Trump’s latest remarks underscore ongoing friction between Washington and its NATO partners, particularly regarding burden-sharing and coordination in major military operations.

{Matzav.com}

An Iranian missile and drone attack struck a U.S. military installation in Saudi Arabia on Friday, injuring American service members and damaging multiple aircraft, as the war in the region continued to intensify on several fronts.

A U.S. official familiar with the situation said the strike targeted Prince Sultan Air Base and involved both missiles and unmanned aerial systems. Several refueling aircraft sustained damage, though the number and severity of injuries among troops were not immediately clear.

The report followed the emergence of satellite images appearing to show damage at the base. The attack comes after Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, died from wounds suffered in a March 1 strike on the same installation.

U.S. Central Command said earlier that more than 300 American personnel have been wounded since the conflict began.

At the same time, President Donald Trump said Friday that the end of the Iran war could pave the way for diplomatic normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel.

“It’s now time,” Trump said at a Miami event sponsored by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. “We’ve now taken them out, and they are out bigly. We got to get into the Abraham Accords.”

Trump has long pushed for ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia as part of the Abraham Accords framework, though major obstacles remain, including Saudi demands for a clear path toward a Palestinian state.

Meanwhile, Iran signaled a limited opening on humanitarian issues, with its ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva announcing cooperation on aid shipments through the Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing hostilities.

Ali Bahreini said Tehran had agreed to “facilitate and expedite” humanitarian aid through the strategic waterway following a request from the United Nations, allowing shipments of aid and agricultural goods to pass.

The move could mark the first easing of restrictions at the chokepoint since the war began, even as disruptions to oil and fertilizer supplies have raised global concerns about energy markets and food security.

“This measure reflects Iran’s continued commitment to supporting humanitarian efforts and ensuring that essential aid reaches those in need without delay,” Bahreini said in a post on X.

The announcement came shortly after Iranian state media reported that two nuclear-related facilities had been struck. Israel confirmed responsibility after warning it would escalate its campaign, while Iran vowed retaliation.

”Iran will exact HEAVY price for Israeli crimes,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X,

Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization said the Shahid Khondab Heavy Water Complex in Arak and the Ardakan yellowcake production facility in Yazd Province were targeted. Officials said there were no casualties and no risk of contamination, noting that the Arak facility has been inactive since a previous strike last year.

Yellowcake is a processed form of uranium used in enrichment, while heavy water plays a role in nuclear reactor operations.

The Israeli military said the strike on the Yazd facility targeted a critical stage in uranium processing, describing it as a significant blow to Iran’s nuclear program.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that retaliation would follow, with senior commander Seyed Majid Moosavi issuing a warning directed at those connected to U.S. and Israeli interests.

“This time, the equation will no longer be ‘an eye for an eye,’ just wait,” he said.

Later Friday, Israel reported incoming missile fire from Iran, with sirens sounding in and around Be’er Sheva and near sensitive strategic locations. Those areas had already been targeted in previous strikes that injured dozens.

The escalation followed Trump’s comments earlier in the day that negotiations to end the conflict were progressing and that he had granted Iran additional time to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, though Iranian officials have denied entering talks.

As global markets react to the instability, pressure has mounted on the administration to restore free passage through the waterway, which remains critical to global energy supplies.

A Gulf Arab coalition said Iran has been imposing tolls on vessels seeking safe transit through the strait, further tightening its grip on the route.

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff said the U.S. has presented a 15-point proposal aimed at ending the war, using Pakistan as an intermediary. The plan calls for curbs on Iran’s nuclear program and reopening the strait.

Iran rejected the proposal and offered its own five-point plan, which includes demands for reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the waterway.

Trump has warned that if Iran does not fully reopen the strait by April 6, the U.S. will move to destroy Iran’s energy infrastructure.

Markets continued to decline Friday amid the uncertainty. The S&P 500 dropped 1.7%, marking its worst week since the war began, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.7% and the Nasdaq declined 2.1%. Oil prices continued to rise.

With gasoline prices nearing $4 per gallon, lawmakers in Washington have urged a temporary suspension of the federal gas tax. Trump said he has “thought about” the idea but suggested states should consider suspending their own fuel taxes.

On the ground, witnesses in eastern Tehran reported power outages following airstrikes, while in Israel, explosions were heard across Tel Aviv as emergency teams responded to multiple impact sites.

An Associated Press journalist reported hearing blasts in the city, and Israeli fire and rescue services said crews were dispatched to 11 locations. A man in his 60s later died after sustaining severe injuries in the attacks.

Defense Minister Israel Katz had earlier warned that Iran “will pay heavy, increasing prices for this war crime.”

The Israeli military said its strikes on Friday focused on weapons production sites in central Tehran, as well as missile launchers and storage facilities in western Iran.

Elsewhere in the region, Saudi Arabia reported intercepting missiles and drones aimed at Riyadh, while Lebanon’s Health Ministry said two people were killed in related strikes.

Kuwait said two of its key ports sustained material damage, including a facility linked to China’s Belt and Road initiative, marking a rare instance of a Chinese-connected project being hit in the conflict.

Diplomatic efforts have continued alongside the fighting, with countries including Pakistan and Turkey attempting to broker direct talks between Washington and Tehran. G7 foreign ministers meeting in France called for an immediate halt to attacks on civilians and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, additional U.S. forces are moving into the region, including naval assets carrying approximately 2,500 Marines and more than 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division.

Despite the buildup, Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintained that U.S. objectives can still be achieved without a large-scale ground deployment.

The Israeli military also announced it had deployed the 162nd Division into southern Lebanon to reinforce defenses against Hezbollah and disrupt the group’s operations.

Humanitarian concerns are growing as the war continues. The U.N.’s International Organization for Migration reported that 82,000 civilian structures in Iran have been damaged, affecting approximately 180,000 people.

“If this war continues, we risk a far wider humanitarian disaster,” Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said in a statement. “Millions could be forced to flee across borders, placing immense pressure on an already overstretched region.”

{Matzav.com}

American Marines and Army paratroopers stationed in the Middle East are undergoing preparations for potential chemical or nuclear scenarios as tensions with Iran continue to rise, according to a report published Friday.

As part of those preparations, Marine units are conducting drills focused on chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, practicing rapid-response procedures in the event of an attack.

“The CBRN unit can also be scaled up in size, but the conventional Marine forces will have their CBRN gear and be drilling on it, with 15 seconds to get mask and MOPP [ on when someone shouts ‘Gas, gas, gas,’ ” Hackett said, referencing the chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear gear and mission-oriented protective posture gear.

Officials and analysts warn that the likelihood of a chemical or nuclear incident could grow if the conflict escalates further or if Iran finds itself under increasing pressure.

Experts say Iran has the technical capability to produce chemical weapons if it chooses to do so.

“Iran has a very well-established chemical and pharmaceutical industry, so if they decide to change to something else it is fairly straightforward to do,” Phillips said. “So, when it comes to the chemical weapons side, I think this is the area of concern.”

There are also concerns that chemical weapons previously located in Syria may have been relocated before the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime.

“They may well still be on bases somewhere, but it’s stronger than hearsay that some of these chemical weapons actually moved eastwards and are now either in Iraq or Iran,” Phillips told The National.

The report adds that U.S. officials must clearly signal that any use of such weapons would trigger a severe response in order to deter Iran from pursuing that path.

“There needs to be a Trump red line, which means something, which would be the most effective way of stopping these weapons being used,” chemical warfare specialist Hamish de Bretton-Gordon told The National.

Bretton-Gordon also warned that Iran’s past experience in warfare could influence its decisions if the conflict reaches a critical point.

“My concern is that if the Iranians run out of road, what do they do then, because this is in their psyche from the Iran-Iraq War,” Bretton-Gordon said.

Vice President JD Vance emerged as the top choice among conservatives for the next Republican presidential nominee, according to the results of a straw poll conducted at this year’s Conservative Political Action Conference.

Roughly 53% of the more than 1,600 participants selected Vance in the informal survey, giving him a commanding lead among likely contenders for the party’s 2028 nomination.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio finished in second place with 35% support at CPAC, a major annual gathering that draws Republican lawmakers, activists, and potential presidential candidates.

The conference, held this year in Grapevine, Texas, is known for reflecting the views of the party’s conservative wing.

While the event’s straw poll is not considered a reliable predictor of the eventual nominee, it offers insight into where enthusiasm is concentrated within the Republican base.

The results provide a snapshot of support among core backers of President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again movement, as attention increasingly turns toward the post-Trump era.

Because Trump is serving his second term, he will not be eligible to run again in 2028.

At last year’s CPAC gathering in Oxon Hill, Maryland, Vance also led the straw poll, capturing 61% of the vote, followed by Steve Bannon with 12% and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis with 7%.

Rubio, who received just 3% support in last year’s poll, has since gained prominence during Trump’s second term, particularly due to his role in major international developments, including military operations in Venezuela and Iran.

This year’s results suggest that support among conservatives is increasingly consolidating around Vance and Rubio as the leading figures in the field.

No other candidate in the poll managed to receive more than 2% of the vote.

{Matzav.com}

A 12-year-old Israeli girl, Tamar Haberfeld, was killed in a tragic accident at a ski resort in the French Alps when a bus carrying Israeli tourists lost control and overturned.

The vehicle, which was transporting a group of 15 Israelis, had departed their hotel en route to the airport when the incident took place in the Savoie region. The accident occurred shortly after 12:30 a.m. as the bus was leaving the Val Thorens ski area.

According to reports, the driver exited the bus to address a mechanical problem. Moments later, the vehicle began rolling backward, plunged approximately ten meters down a slope, and flipped over.

In addition to the fatality, eight passengers sustained light injuries and were taken to a hospital in Albertville for treatment, local authorities said. The rest of the group was treated at the scene.

The Israeli Foreign Ministry confirmed that it is actively assisting those affected and maintaining contact with the family of the victim.

“The Israeli consul in France and the Foreign Ministry are in contact with the girl’s family, as well as with the other victims, and are assisting in every way possible.”

{Matzav.com}

A six-year-old boy suffered serious burns during a communal Shabbos meal at a shul in Beitar Illit after accidentally falling into a pot of boiling soup.

Emergency responders from United Hatzalah treated the child at the scene before he was transported to a hospital, where he was listed in moderate condition.

According to Yoni Meller, a United Hatzalah volunteer on duty over Shabbos, the incident took place on Rechov Hamagid MiMezritch in the city. He described the situation upon arrival: “We were told that the child fell into a pot of boiling soup during the shul meal, and as a result suffered burns on most of his body,” Meller said.

“With the assistance of additional medics, we provided him with medical treatment at the scene, after which he was evacuated to the hospital in moderate condition,” he added.

In the aftermath of the incident, United Hatzalah urged the public to take extra precautions, stressing the importance of keeping young children away from kitchens and hot cooking areas to prevent serious injuries and avoid similar tragedies.

{Matzav.com}

A man in his 60s was killed Friday night in Tel Aviv after being struck by shrapnel from an Iranian cluster missile that targeted central Israel.

Emergency responders from Magen David Adom arrived at the scene and were forced to declare the victim dead shortly after assessing his condition.

MDA Senior EMT Shai Bachar said, “When we arrived at the scene, we saw a man in his 60s lying on the ground, unconscious and suffering from very severe injuries. We provided him with medical treatment, but his injuries were critical and we had no choice but to pronounce him dead at the scene. At the same time, additional MDA teams are searching the scene to ensure there are no other casualties.”

אחת הפגיעות במרכז | תיעוד@hadasgrinberg pic.twitter.com/BJL43SDAFo

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 27, 2026

Police officials later confirmed that the man had not been inside a protected shelter when the missile struck.

Elsewhere in central Israel, two additional individuals sustained light injuries and were treated by paramedics before being transported to hospitals. They were taken to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv and Wolfson Hospital in Holon for further care.

MDA Medicycle Unit EMT Anwar Sharkawi said, “When we arrived at the scene, we rescued two men in their 50s from a residential building in mild to moderate condition, suffering from blast injuries and facial trauma. They told us the impact was on the roof of the building, which caused damage to the apartment, and they were injured while on their way to a shelter. We provided them with medical treatment, and evacuated them to the hospital in stable condition.”

תיעוד רגע אחת הפגיעות בתל אביב@hadasgrinberg pic.twitter.com/tov62d9hao

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 27, 2026

Authorities reported at least 11 separate impact locations across central Israel from the cluster missile, including one in Petach Tikva where a building sustained damage.

The attack, which occurred at approximately 11:45 p.m., set off warning sirens across central Israel, as well as in Yerushalayim and the Ashdod region.

נזק בפגיעה בפתח תקווה | תיעוד@hadasgrinberg pic.twitter.com/TihgVMmMeN

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) March 27, 2026

Earlier in the evening, a separate Iranian launch triggered alarms in southern Israel. That missile was successfully intercepted, though falling debris from the interception caused additional incidents on the ground.

In those earlier strikes, MDA teams treated two people for minor shrapnel-related injuries, including a 37-year-old man and a woman in her 20s. Both were transported to Soroka Hospital in Be’er Sheva for treatment.

President Donald Trump said Friday that recent U.S. actions against Iran have dramatically altered the balance of power in the Middle East, declaring that Tehran no longer holds its longstanding position of dominance in the region.

Speaking at the FII Priority Summit in Miami, Trump said the region is now on the verge of a major transformation.

“Tonight, we’re closer than ever to the rise of the Middle East that is finally free at last from Iranian terror,” Trump said. “For 47 years, Iran has been known as the bully of the Middle East – but they are not the bully any longer.”

.@POTUS at the FII Priority Summit in Miami: "Tonight, we're closer than ever to the rise of the Middle East that is finally free at last from Iranian terror… For 47 years, Iran has been known as the bully of the Middle East — but they are not the bully any longer." pic.twitter.com/rFLJ9Gicyg

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 27, 2026

Trump also pointed to his earlier decision to eliminate Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, who led the Quds Force of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, suggesting that even Iran’s leadership may have quietly welcomed the move.

“He was so powerful that I really think that the leadership of Iran was extremely happy when I took him out, but they don’t say that – but nobody’s going to be asking them anymore because they’re not here either,” Trump said.

Addressing ongoing diplomacy, Trump said negotiations with Iran are currently underway, while making a tongue-in-cheek remark about the Strait of Hormuz.

“We’re negotiating now, and it would be great if we could do something, but they have to open it up. They have to open up the Strait of Trump, I mean Hormuz… the fake news will say that I said it accidentally. There are no accidents with me,” Trump said.

Trump also made pointed comments about Iran’s leadership, asserting that former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is no longer in power and casting doubt on the status of his successor.

On the military front, Trump indicated that U.S. operations in Iran are ongoing and far from complete.

“We have another 3,554 targets left, and they will be done pretty quickly.”

Earlier at the same event, Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, said the administration is awaiting a response from Iran to a comprehensive proposal aimed at ending the conflict, and expressed optimism that talks could begin soon.

“My definition of real negotiating would be right here, and we don’t live until we’re done. And we’ve offered that, we think there will be meetings this week. We’re certainly hopeful for it. The President wants a peace deal,” Witkoff said at the FII Priority summit in Miami.

“We have a 15-point deal on the table that the Iranians have had for a bit of time. We expect an answer from them and it would solve it all,” he stated.

{Matzav.com}

The United States has expended a large number of Tomahawk cruise missiles during the opening weeks of its war with Iran, prompting concern among military officials about dwindling supplies and the pace at which they can be replaced.

Reports indicate that more than 850 Tomahawk missiles have been fired within the first month of the conflict, reflecting an intense reliance on precision-guided weapons in ongoing operations.

The rapid rate of use has sparked unease inside the Pentagon, where officials are closely tracking how quickly inventory is being depleted and what that could mean for future missions.

Tomahawk missiles, launched from both naval vessels and submarines, have been a cornerstone of U.S. strike capabilities for decades. However, annual production is limited to only a few hundred units, making it difficult to quickly rebuild reserves once they are used at such a high rate.

Officials say that continued usage at current levels may require diverting missile stockpiles from other global regions, alongside longer-term efforts to ramp up manufacturing. At the same time, defense leaders are evaluating how consumption trends could affect operational readiness going forward.

One official described stock levels in the Middle East as “alarmingly low,” while another warned that without immediate steps, the military is approaching a “Winchester” state – a military term for running out of ammunition. However, a Pentagon spokesperson told the Washington Post that the military “has everything it needs to execute any mission at the time and place of the President’s choosing and on any timeline.”

Administration officials have pushed back on concerns about shortages, insisting that U.S. forces retain sufficient weaponry to sustain combat operations. The report also noted that more than 1,000 interceptor missiles have been deployed to defend against Iranian counterstrikes, placing additional strain on available supplies.

Much of the missile usage occurred during the initial phase of the campaign, according to estimates. With each Tomahawk costing roughly $3.6 million and taking up to two years to produce, replenishing the stockpile presents a significant logistical and financial challenge.

[COMMUNICATED]

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed an antitrust lawsuit against the NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital system, accusing it of leveraging its dominant position in New York City to push insurers into accepting significantly higher prices and limiting access to more affordable health coverage.

According to the complaint, filed in Manhattan federal court, the hospital system allegedly entered into “unlawful contracts” with insurance companies that restrict patients from being offered lower-cost insurance plans.

“Americans deserve the benefits of vigorous competition,” the lawsuit states, arguing that the hospital system’s “anticompetitive conduct” has left families with fewer choices and higher costs.

Federal prosecutors are seeking to halt these practices and reestablish “access to budget-conscious health insurance plans.”

The filing notes that NewYork-Presbyterian controls roughly 30% of the hospital market in Manhattan and operates more than 4,000 inpatient beds across eight campuses throughout the city.

Because of its size and reach, the lawsuit argues that insurers “cannot viably do business in New York City” without including at least some of the system’s facilities in their networks.

However, instead of allowing insurers to selectively include certain hospitals, NewYork-Presbyterian is accused of insisting on “all-or-nothing” agreements. Under these arrangements, insurers must include every facility in the system — including the most expensive ones — if they want any access at all, the lawsuit claims.

This approach comes despite allegations that the system’s prices are higher than those charged by competitors such as NYU, Mount Sinai, and Northwell.

The DOJ argues that these restrictions shield the hospital system from “price competition,” leading to “reduced choice of insurance plans, higher healthcare costs and less competition for high-quality healthcare for employers and patients who purchase healthcare in New York City,” the suit claims.

“Rather than offer consumers choice, New York-Presbyterian uses its market power to protect its margins, impede competition from rival hospitals, and prevent employers and unions from creating these plans,” said Omeed A. Assefi, acting assistant attorney general from the DOJ’s anti-trust office.

The lawsuit also includes a specific example in which NewYork-Presbyterian allegedly intervened to block an insurer from shifting outpatient colonoscopy procedures to a less expensive provider.

“NYP observed that even stopping a single payor from moving outpatient colonoscopies out of NYP’s hospitals was ‘worth ~250k [dollars] to [a physician group in NYP’s system] and multiples more to [NYP],’” the suit claims.

In addition, the filing references a “recent strategic planning document” in which the hospital system allegedly expressed concern that offering patients lower-cost alternatives could create “pricing pressure” and negatively “impact [NYP’s] margins.”

In response, NewYork-Presbyterian said it was “disappointed” by the lawsuit and rejected the allegations, stating that the claims are “without merit” and noting that discussions with the DOJ had already been underway.

“We do not seek to exclude any other hospital from any insurer’s network,” said hospital spokesperson Angela Karafazli. “Nor do we require more favorable treatment than any other hospital.”

“The obligation of insurance companies is to their shareholders, while ours is to our patients,” she said. “We believe all New Yorkers should be able to choose their health care provider.”

President Donald Trump announced new loan guarantees for farmers and food suppliers, a bid to bolster US agricultural communities squeezed by the impact of the Iran war, tariffs and other challenges.

Trump said the loan guarantees would cover farmers and food suppliers, including vegetable, grain and seed farmers, cattle, pig and poultry producers, as well as grocery wholesalers and others. The Small Business Administration will administer the guarantees, according to a White House official who provided details on the plans ahead of the formal announcement.

Trump did not specify a dollar amount for the guarantees. The White House argued that the moves will help reduce input costs for growers and wholesalers and bring down grocery costs for American consumers.

“You’re very, very special people,” Trump said Friday at the White House, where he hosted a group of US farmers to celebrate National Agriculture Day. “You voted for me. I will never forget that.”

American farmers have been one of the president’s most loyal constituencies, but their businesses have been rocked by volatile market conditions that have been caused in part by Trump’s own policies. The administration’s efforts are aimed at shoring up their support ahead of November midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.

Trump on Friday said his administration would also update renewable fuel standards for 2026 and 2027, a boost to biofuel producers. He said the new standards will “generate over $10 billion of rural economic benefit, create an estimated 100,000 new jobs and massively increase our nation’s energy supply.”

“What they’ve done to the country is just incredible,” Trump said. “The environmentalists, I mean, they are terrorists.”

The president also touted new guidance for the Diesel Exhaust Fluid requirement, which affects diesel trucks and other agricultural equipment. The president called existing DEF rules “ridiculous” and said his changes would be “saving farmers and consumers billions and billions of dollars.” And he said he had spoken to Deere & Co., manufacturers of John Deere farm equipment, to work on producing cheaper tractors.

The guidance is aimed at making it easier to switch sensors for those vehicles, according to the White House, cutting costs. The SBA estimates the switch will help save Americans $13.8 billion.

The Iran war, which is nearing its one-month mark, has sent the costs of fertilizer and fuel — both crucial inputs for growing crops — skyrocketing. Those challenges come with growers already worried that a record corn crop and disruptions in export markets spurred by Trump’s tariff agenda will weigh on profits.

Any erosion of support among rural voters threatens to have damaging consequences for Republicans who are already facing an uphill battle in an election dominated by public discontent over Trump’s economic policies, specifically the cost of living. Added expenses for farmers could ripple through the rest of the economy as well, potentially leading to rises in food costs.

Among the industries that will be eligible to access the loan guarantees Trump is announcing Friday are oilseed, grain, vegetable, melon, fruit and tree nut farmers, as well as cattle ranchers, hog, pig, sheep and goat farmers and poultry and egg producers. The loans will also be accessible to those in fishing as well as wholesalers of farm and garden machinery, refrigerated truckers, and those dealing in warehousing and storage.

The administration has already been trying to curb price spikes for fertilizer. The agriculture industry has been warning that a lack of availability and rising costs for the vital crop nutrients are hitting farmers just as growers are starting to plant crops for the year. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said in an interview earlier this week that officials are “looking at every single tool” to alleviate the stress on farmers.

That includes steps to temporarily waive a shipping mandate so foreign-flagged vessels can carry fuel, fertilizer and other goods between US ports. Farm groups are lobbying to remove duties on phosphate fertilizers from Morocco, which holds some of the world’s largest reserves.

The American Farm Bureau Federation has also urged Trump to deploy the US Navy to escort fertilizer shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday said a US insurance program meant to boost shipping through the strait, a crucial waterway that has been effectively shuttered since the start of the war, will be ready soon.

Trump has previously thrown his support behind expanding sales of higher-ethanol E15 gasoline. The industry has been working to pass legislation that would allow year-round, nationwide sales of the fuel for more than a decade. This week, Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency announced it will waive E15 from US volatility requirements this summer but farm groups still say they need permanent legislation.

The US Department of Agriculture has been tapping a $12 billion aid program to bring relief to farmers.

Dissatisfaction with Trump’s agenda has been simmering within the agriculture community throughout the president’s second term, particularly over tariffs that restricted access to key economies like China, a major export market for soybeans.

Beijing had avoided buying US soybeans as a tariff fight between the countries escalated last year and began resuming purchases after a trade detente. Trump is set to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in May with trade a focal point of those talks.

(c) Bloomberg

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Friday that the United States is on track to achieve its military goals against Iran without deploying ground forces, even as additional American troops are being sent to the region.

“We are going to destroy their navy, we are going to destroy their air force, and we are going to significantly destroy their missile launchers so they can never hide behind these things to get a nuclear weapon,” Rubio said, as quoted by CNN. “We are achieving all of those objectives, we are ahead of schedule on most of them, and we can achieve them without any ground troops, without any.”

Marco Rubio on Iran:

This is not going to be a prolonged conflict.pic.twitter.com/QsjLw6XZ0J

— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 27, 2026

Addressing the recent decision to send more than 1,000 additional U.S. service members to the Middle East, Rubio said President Donald Trump must be ready for different possible scenarios, though he did not elaborate on what those might entail.

Rubio also predicted that the conflict would wrap up relatively quickly.

“As the Department of War has consistently outlined, we are on or ahead of schedule in that operation and expect to conclude it at the appropriate time here, in a matter of weeks, not months,” Rubio said.

Following a meeting of G7 foreign ministers in France, Rubio urged allies in Europe and Asia to prepare for securing the Strait of Hormuz after the war ends.

“Immediately after this thing ends and we are done with our objectives, one of the immediate challenges we are going to face is an Iran that may decide that they want to set up a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz. Not only is this illegal, it is unacceptable, it is dangerous to the world, and it is important that the world have a plan to confront it,” Rubio said.

He emphasized that while the United States will play a role in maintaining stability, other nations also have a major interest in the outcome.

Rubio said the U.S. would be a “part of” the effort but stressed that countries in Europe and Asia “have a lot at stake and should contribute greatly,” adding that allies appeared receptive to his appeal.

On the diplomatic side, Rubio said Washington is still waiting for a formal Iranian response to the Trump administration’s 15-point proposal aimed at ending the war.

“We haven’t gotten it yet,” Rubio told CNN. “Look, we’ve got messages. We’ve had an exchange of messages and indications from the Iranian system, whatever is left of it, about a willingness to talk about certain things.”

He noted uncertainty over who would represent Iran in any negotiations, following strikes by the United States and Israel that eliminated key figures in the Iranian leadership.

“Who was it that we would be talking to? What will we be talking about, and when? When will we be talking?” Rubio said.

He added that clarification could come soon, possibly within days.

Rubio said Iran would need to demonstrate seriousness by identifying its representatives, outlining the topics for discussion, and setting a timeline for talks.

Meanwhile, President Trump announced Thursday that planned strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure would be delayed for another 10 days to allow negotiations to continue, setting a new deadline of April 6.

“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

In an interview with Fox News later that day, Trump said Iranian officials had asked for more time through intermediaries ahead of a potential escalation.

“They asked for seven, and I gave them 10,” he said, adding that talks were ongoing and “going fairly well.”

Trump warned that if Iran does not meet U.S. demands, additional strikes could target key infrastructure, including power plants.

He also said that U.S. forces have already dealt a significant blow to Iran’s military capabilities.

Trump told Fox News that the United States “knocked out” most of Iran’s missile capabilities and key military systems during the strikes.

Earlier Thursday, Trump described the progress of Operation Epic Fury during a cabinet meeting, emphasizing the scale of the campaign.

“Over the past three weeks, we’ve been hitting Iran’s military capabilities at a level that few people have ever seen before. It’s a display of force and precision and skill like nothing the world has really witnessed.”

“We’re crushing their missile and drone stockpiles, destroying their defense industrial base, we’ve wiped out their navy completely, their air force completely. We’ve wiped out a large percentage of their missiles and missile launchers. Without the launchers, the missiles don’t do any good. We’ve wiped out probably close to 90 percent of the launchers [and] probably, more than 90 percent of the missiles themselves,” he added. “We’ve also destroyed a lot of the factories where they manufactured the drones and the missiles.”

Trump further stated that Iran is “begging to make a deal, not me. They’re begging to make a deal. And anyone who saw what was happening over there would understand why they want to make a deal.”

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, warned Friday that Israel will face serious consequences following strikes on major Iranian nuclear-related facilities.

In a social media post, Araghchi said the attacks targeted critical infrastructure and accused Israel of acting alongside the United States. “Israel has hit 2 of Iran’s largest steel factories, a power plant and civilian nuclear sites among other infrastructure. Israel claims it acted in coordination with the U.S.,” he wrote, adding that the “attack contradicts [President Trump’s] extended deadline for diplomacy.”

He further declared, “Iran will exact HEAVY price for Israeli crimes.”

The warning came after the IDF confirmed that Israeli forces carried out strikes on a heavy water facility in Arak and a uranium extraction plant in Yazd.

According to the IDF, the Arak site had previously been targeted during Operation Rising Lion last June, and intelligence had since detected attempts by Iran to rebuild the facility. “repeated reconstruction attempts by the Iranian terror regime have been identified. Therefore, the IDF has now struck the facility once again.”

Regarding the facility in Yazd, the IDF said it plays a key role in processing raw materials that are later used in uranium enrichment, an essential step in nuclear development.

The escalation comes as President Donald Trump announced Thursday that the United States would delay planned strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure for an additional 10 days to allow more time for negotiations, setting a new deadline of April 6.

“As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

In a subsequent interview with Fox News, Trump said the extension was granted after Iranian officials sought more time through intermediaries ahead of a potential escalation.

“They asked for seven, and I gave them 10,” he said, adding that talks were ongoing and “going fairly well.”

Trump cautioned that if Iran does not meet U.S. expectations, additional strikes could be carried out, including against key infrastructure such as power plants.

Transportation Security Administration employees are expected to begin receiving overdue pay as early as Monday, according to the Department of Homeland Security, following emergency action taken by President Donald Trump.

The payments come after Trump signed an order on Friday invoking emergency powers to ensure TSA personnel are compensated after weeks without pay during the ongoing funding standoff.

A DHS spokesperson confirmed that the process to issue payments is already underway and that funds will begin reaching workers shortly.

“Today, at the direction of President Trump and the Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, TSA has immediately begun the process of paying its workforce. TSA officers should begin seeing paychecks as early as Monday, March 30,” a DHS spokesperson told The NY Post.

The department also expressed appreciation for the move, noting the impact it will have on workers who continued reporting to duty despite not receiving pay.

“TSA is grateful to the President and Secretary for their leadership to put money back into the pockets of TSA employees who worked without pay during the ongoing Democrat DHS shutdown.”

{Matzav.com}

One who studies this letter will develop a unique appreciation for the Haggadah, and is promised incredible reward by HaRav Shimshon zt”l

View the full PDF HERE or below.

House Republicans on Friday blocked a Senate-approved measure to fund most of the Department of Homeland Security, extending a six-week shutdown as they push for legislation that would fully restore funding to the entire agency.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said lawmakers would act quickly to advance a temporary funding bill that would cover DHS for 60 days, after the Senate proposal allocated “zero” funding for federal immigration enforcement.

“It is unconscionable to me that the Democrats would force some sort of negotiation at three o’clock in the morning and try to foist this upon the American people and then get on their jets and go home for their holiday — and pretend and think that we’re going to go along with that,” Johnson fumed.

“It can’t be the case that every Senate Republican read this bill,” he added.

Johnson said President Donald Trump supports the House approach and is separately moving forward with an executive order to ensure Transportation Security Administration agents receive full pay, aiming to ease weeks of disruption at U.S. airports.

Earlier in the day, Rep. Chip Roy said the Senate compromise would not pass in its current form, calling it “not going to pass as it is,” and describing it as “absolutely offensive” to Border Patrol personnel and other federal workers who have gone without pay.

Another Republican lawmaker criticized the Senate for leaving Washington for a two-week Easter and Passover recess before sending a final bill to the president.

“PSA to senate schedulers: may want to book a return flight for your boss,” Rep. Lauren Boebert posted on X. “Our work here isn’t finished.”

The Senate-passed bill would have funded all DHS operations except Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol.

Republicans note that those agencies already received billions in funding under President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill signed into law in July, though some lawmakers are seeking additional funding through a future reconciliation package.

Senate Democrats have delayed DHS funding for 42 days in response to fatal shootings earlier this year in Minnesota involving ICE and Customs and Border Protection officers.

“They ended up getting no reforms but, you know, we’re going to have to fight some of those battles another day,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune said of Democrats.

Amid the stalemate, the administration has taken steps to address staffing shortages at airports. Earlier this week, Trump ordered ICE agents to assist at airports to compensate for missing TSA personnel, and he announced plans to use emergency authority to ensure TSA workers are paid.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats had prevailed in the standoff, declaring that they “held the line” against providing a “blank check” to what he described as “lawless” ICE and CBP.

The impact of the shutdown has been severe. More than 480 TSA officers have resigned, and absentee rates at some airports have reached as high as 50%, a senior TSA official told Congress on Wednesday. Some agents, struggling without pay, have resorted to selling blood or sleeping in their cars.

Travelers have faced the longest security wait times in the agency’s 25-year history, the official added, with warnings that smaller airports could be forced to shut down if the funding impasse continues.

Even former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr was seen Wednesday waiting alongside thousands of passengers at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, where delays have stretched to four hours or more.

{Matzav.com}

A new U.S.-backed proposal presented to Hamas outlines a phased disarmament process over eight months, requiring the group to dismantle its extensive tunnel system and surrender its weapons as part of a broader plan to stabilize Gaza.

The proposal, put forward by President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace,” sets out a structured timeline beginning with a U.S.-supported body of Palestinian technocrats assuming control of Gaza’s security, and ending with a full Israeli withdrawal contingent on “verification that Gaza is free of weaponry.”

Efforts to implement the plan are complicated by Hamas’ longstanding refusal to disarm, a central obstacle in negotiations aimed at solidifying an October ceasefire that ended two years of intense conflict. Much of Hamas’ arsenal is believed to be stored within its underground tunnel network, and Israel has insisted it will not withdraw unless Hamas relinquishes its weapons.

A Palestinian official involved in the discussions described the proposal as flawed, saying it was “unfair,” and predicted Hamas would demand changes.

Speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the talks, the official also warned that the plan lacks assurances that Israel will fulfill its commitments. He added that tying reconstruction and humanitarian improvements to political conditions such as disarmament could risk reigniting the conflict.

The full proposal, initially reported by Al Jazeera, was shared with Reuters by two Palestinian officials participating in the negotiations, and a Hamas official confirmed its authenticity.

According to those familiar with the matter, the plan was formally presented to Hamas last week.

Hamas has not issued an official public response, though a representative said the group is reviewing the details. On Thursday, three additional Palestinian factions, including Islamic Jihad, released statements criticizing the plan, arguing it places too much emphasis on disarmament while neglecting key issues such as rebuilding Gaza and securing an Israeli withdrawal.

The proposal is divided into two main parts: a 12-point framework titled “Steps to Complete the Implementation of Trump’s Comprehensive Peace Plan for Gaza,” and a five-phase schedule for disarmament over an eight-month period.

The document stipulates that all armed factions in Gaza, including groups like Islamic Jihad, must participate in the disarmament process under the supervision of a civilian administrative body known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza.

“Gaza will be governed under the principle of one authority, one law, one weapon, whereby only individuals authorized by [NCAG] may possess weapons, and all armed factions will cease military activities,” the document says.

Oversight of the disarmament effort will be carried out by a body identified as the Weapons Collection Verification Committee, which the plan says will be established by Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s chief envoy.

The plan also specifies that reconstruction will only proceed in areas designated as demilitarized zones.

Following the October ceasefire, Israel maintains control over more than half of Gaza, while Hamas continues to govern the remainder of the territory and its roughly 2 million residents, most of whom have been displaced by prolonged fighting.

While Hamas has publicly rejected disarmament in recent months, sources indicate that in private discussions, some within the group have shown willingness to consider it as part of a broader political process leading to Palestinian statehood. However, the current proposal does not address the issue of independence or the establishment of a state.

Under the proposed timeline, the first phase, lasting 15 days, would involve the National Committee assuming control over Gaza’s security and administrative functions while preparing for the collection of weapons.

In the second phase, Israel would remove heavy military equipment from areas under its control, including artillery and tanks, while an international security force would be deployed.

The third phase represents the most significant step, requiring Hamas to surrender its heavy weapons and equipment to the governing committee and “will allow the destruction of all tunnels, explosives, and military infrastructure.”

During the fourth phase, police forces under the committee would collect and register all remaining small arms, including rifles and handguns, as Israeli forces begin a gradual withdrawal.

The final phase calls for complete disarmament verification, after which “Israeli forces withdraw completely from Gaza, except for a presence in a security perimeter, and the start of comprehensive reconstruction efforts.”