News of the Week for March 29th, 2026
- 2026 Election
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Socialized Medicine
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
2026 Election
Democrat Emily Gregory flips long-held Florida GOP House seat that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
Florida Democrats on Tuesday flipped control of a long-vacant Republican-held state House seat in a Palm Beach-anchored district that includes Mar-a-Lago, President Donald Trump’s home turf.
Poll: Nevadans oppose nationalizing elections, split on narrowing mail voting law
Although there were some election policies with bipartisan support, deep partisan divides arose in other areas, particularly related to mail ballots.
Californians Have a Chance to Do the Funniest Thing . . .
I try not to write about California politics. Not just because I (1) am not from there, (2) don’t currently live there, and (3) feel no desire to ever go there, unless some wealthy benefactors feels like loaning out their deluxe condo for a week this summer (in which case please contact me discreetly). Until then, the Chicagoland region has more than enough gorgeous beachfront vistas and scenic hiking spots to satisfy me.
Meet the Has-Beens, Never-Weres, and Felon Locked in a Trumpy Primary
The race to win this House seat in Florida is really about posturing to the big guy.
Low Favorability? Fuhgeddaboudit. Democrats Are Crushing It at the Ballot Box
During Trump’s second term, Democrats have flipped 30 state legislative seats and ceded none.
Mike Lindell ‘served court papers’ during on-camera interview at CPAC — and hurls documents aside
Mike Lindell was accosted by a woman saying she was serving him legal papers while he was being interviewed at the Conservative Political Action Conference — a chaotic on-camera moment that saw the MyPillow founder and conservative commentator try to dodge the delivery before tossing the documents aside.
A Crude Ad About a Banana — And a Primary That Could Predict the GOP’s Future
Is the Republican base finally tired of the culture wars? Or just getting started? Oklahoma may reveal the answer.
Abortion
Court Cases & Legislation
New Hampshire Senate votes down bill to make abortion a right
A New Hampshire bill that would have codified abortion as a right in the state and protected abortionists was rejected in the state Senate by a 16-8 vote on March 5.
Force Pregnant Girls to Have Abortions, Says Ethics Article
The push for unlimited abortion access is now advancing beyond the issue of “choice.” A newly published article in Ethics, the University of Chicago Press’s prestigious peer-reviewed journal, argues that pregnant minors must abort — even if that requires coercion and force.
Gun Rights
Your 2A rights are on the chopping block as Virginia Dems plot insane gun bans
The Commonwealth of Virginia, once the cradle of American liberty and the home of the Bill of Rights, is witnessing a historic betrayal in real time.
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
Maryland Blocks Frivolous Climate Lawsuits
Breaking news out of Maryland’s highest court, a message that should resonate far beyond the state: judges, not activists or hired experts, control what counts as reliable science in the courtroom.
Socialized Medicine
Government in Healthcare
Inside the Turmoil at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s C.D.C.
Forty-three current and former C.D.C. employees on the changes they say are replacing science with ideology — and making Americans more vulnerable.
Euthanasia Claims More Humans Than Dogs in Canada
In a chilling echo of the 1970s science fiction movie Logan’s Run, Canada now euthanizes more humans through its Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) program than it does dogs in animal shelters each year. Recent figures indicate approximately 16,425 Canadians were euthanized in 2024, compared to around 7,644 dogs euthanized annually in shelters — a ratio exceeding 2:1. This underscores a broader trend: Since MAID’s legalization in 2016, the program has grown exponentially, raising questions about the perverse incentives of a society that values GDP over human life, the proper purpose of healthcare, and government involvement in death.
War & Terror
What Americans Want from the Iran War Isn’t What They Expect to Get
A useful CBS News/YouGov survey released over the weekend reveals a stark divide in American public opinion regarding the ongoing war against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Victories Need to Be Visible
War with Iran, to be worth it, needs to produce undeniable change that doesn’t require intelligence analysts to explain.
How Iran Is Setting Up the Starvation of the World’s Poorest People
Dear national media, I see that last night, a Florida state house special election in a district that includes President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club flipped from a Republican to a Democrat. I’m not saying that election result isn’t newsworthy at all. But we know that if that special election race had gone 51 percent to 49 percent the other way, no one outside of that district would care. Because of this election, the Republican majority in the state house will change from 85–34 to 85–35. Little in the Florida state government or laws is going to be altered because of this election. Last night’s election was for the remainder of the term; keep in mind, the Florida state house has finished its regular legislative session for the year; there will be a budget-focused special session in mid-April, and possibly a redistricting-focused special session as well. Democrat Emily Gregory will presumably run for reelection in November.
The Tide Turns for Ukraine
You’ve probably heard cynical observers of the U.S.-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic of Iran insist that the only true victor in this war will be Russia. If this is what victory looks like, though, Russia was better off mired in a stalemated quagmire.
‘The Venezuela Option Does Not Exist in Iran’
Back on March 8, my old traveling companion Kyle Orton wrote about the unlikelihood of a Venezuela scenario in Iran, and how it was doubtful that any Tehran version of Delcy Rodríguez was waiting in the wings, ready to steer Iran into a more conciliatory and less anti-American direction
Using a VPN May Subject You to NSA Spying
US lawmakers are pressing Tulsi Gabbard to reveal whether using a VPN can strip Americans of their constitutional protections against warrantless surveillance.
Can Taiwan Defend Itself as a Nation Without a National Identity?
Timothy Nerozzi has an excellent and compelling look in the Washington Examiner at how Western-style progressivism has suffused Taiwan (or at least, its ruling class), and what this may mean for the future of the self-styled Republic of China. As Nerozzi details, this includes a revisionist backlash against Chiang Kai-Shek, the founder of the modern Taiwanese state, as well as a broader rejection of the Chinese cultural heritage that came with the ROC’s original claim to be the legitimate government of China after 1949, and that reflects the more than 96 percent of Taiwan’s population that is Han Chinese.
JD Vance’s Allies Drive a Wedge Between Israel and America in Wartime
One month into the U.S.-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic of Iran, a theocracy soaked with American blood, as well as the viscera of so many Middle Easterners, Europeans, and, indeed, Iranians, U.S. political and military officials have a lot on their plate. But it’s apparently important that we spare a moment or two to contemplate Vice President JD Vance’s internal torment as he executes with soldierly dedication orders with which he seems to disagree.
Leading Chinese hypersonic aviation scientist Yan Hong dies at 56
Yan graduated from and worked at the Northwestern Polytechnical University, which frequently appears on US sanctions lists
Fertilizers: Russia Turns the Ratchet
It was always a certainty that serious trouble in the Gulf was going to mean a squeeze on fertilizer supplies, and thus prices. Natural gas is a key element in the production of nitrogen-based fertilizers. It is the primary feedstock for ammonia, the building block for all nitrogen fertilizers, and accounts for 70–90 percent of production costs. Unsurprisingly, Middle Eastern gas producers looking to move up the value chain have become major producers of fertilizers and typically now account for perhaps a third of global exports.
More than 3,500 U.S. Troops arrive in Middle East as Iran war strikes intensify
More than 3,500 U.S. troops, including the USS Tripoli with about 2,500 Marines, arrived in the Middle East, officials announced Saturday, as strikes in the Iran war intensified.
Russia took satellite images of U.S. air base in days before Iranian attack, Ukraine’s Zelenskyy says
Volodymyr Zelenskyy told NBC News it would be a “mistake” if American-made missile interceptors bound for Ukraine were diverted to Gulf countries being attacked by Iran.
Finland reports territorial violation by drones, at least one from Ukraine
Finland reported on Sunday a suspected territorial violation by unmanned aerial vehicles in the southeast of ?the country, which the Finnish prime minister said was likely linked ?to Ukrainian drone attacks against Russia.
U.S. Marines Arrive in Middle East, as Houthis Enter War
A U.S. official said that earlier an Iranian strike at a military base in Saudi Arabia injured around two dozen U.S. troops, one of the most serious breaches of American defenses since the war began.
National
Staff revolts, secret meetings: Inside the tense fight between Mike Pence and the Heritage Foundation
Now, sitting in offices with a great view of the National Archives and adorned by photos of Republican presidents, Pence is trying to find a way for his brand of conservatism to outlast Trump’s.
Supreme Court seems skeptical of allowing states to accept late-arriving mail ballots
The Supreme Court’s conservative majority sounds skeptical of state laws that allow the counting of late-arriving mail ballots, a persistent target of President Donald Trump.
Here’s How the Fatal La Guardia Collision Happened, Second by Second
Shortly before midnight on Sunday, Air Canada Express Flight 8646, a Canadair CRJ-900 operated by Jazz Aviation LP, collided with a firetruck after landing at New York’s La Guardia Airport.
Mysterious ‘hum’ heard across several US states as residents report vibrating homes and sleepless nights
A mysterious humming noise has been reported in neighborhoods across several US states, rattling homes and leaving residents struggling to sleep.
Half a billion dollars bet on oil minutes before Trump climbdown
Some 6,200 oil futures contracts changed hands before president announced energy strikes ceasefire, raising concerns about insider knowledge
Trump Administration Trying to Pressure Broadcasters Not to Schedule Football Game Broadcasts for Same Time as Army-Navy Game
The Executive Order thus seems to me not a faithful application of the public interest standard, but a reductio ad absurdum of that standard.
The historic verdict that will change social media forever
Ruling is likely to reshape how America’s legal system treats Silicon Valley’s tech giants
L.A. Jury Finds Social Media Companies Liable for User’s Depression
Like anyone who has kids in this day and age, I am sympathetic to families that must cope with youth depression and anxiety. But the notion that tech companies should be liable for those maladies because the kids and young adults blame their over-consumption of social media apps for their condition is crazy.
Here is NASA’s plan for nuking Gateway and sending it to Mars
Only one US-built nuclear reactor has ever flown in space, and that was more than 60 years ago.
Florida’s Intellectual Lifeboats
The Hamilton School’s new Ph.D. programs provide hope to education reformers.
Short Circuit: An inexhaustive weekly compendium of rulings from the federal courts of appeal
Permissible ingredients, mandatory detention, and burrowing mites.
Article Reporting on Jan. 6 as “Insurrection” Not Defamatory + Pardon Isn’t “Acquittal”
From Bitzer v. Tegna, Inc., decided today by Judge Thomas Varlan (E.D. Tenn.)
Hundreds of seats empty at major GOP conference as bored audience members fall asleep
A reporter with The Mirror US attending the Conservative Political Action Conference in Grapevine, Texas, stumbled upon a deserted conference room with seemingly hundreds of empty seats
‘Visibly upset and struggling’: Acting ICE head hospitalized twice over stress, officials say
Several current and former officials blame intense pressure from the White House.
Court Grants Anthropic Injunction Against Trump Admin’s ‘Supply Chain Risk’ Designation
A federal court in San Francisco has issued a preliminary injunction barring the Trump administration from designating the tech giant Anthropic as a “supply chain risk.” Judge Rita F. Lin, a Biden appointee to the Northern District of California court that covers Silicon Valley, issued the order in a 43-page ruling on Thursday.
Economy & Taxes
Industrial policy for dummies
The World Bank is not the most credible voice in this debate.
War hits global economy with OECD seeing 4.2% US inflation
The conflict in the Middle East is reviving the specter of inflation and hobbling the global economy just as it was showing signs of strengthening at the start of the year, the OECD said.
US Treasury plans to put Trump’s signature on new paper currency in first for sitting president
The U.S. Treasury Department plans to put President Donald Trump’s signature on all new U.S. paper currency, the agency announced on Thursday. The move would be a first for a sitting president, since traditionally, U.S. paper currency carries the signatures of the Treasury Secretary and the Treasurer, not the president.
A Downturn in Las Vegas Could Signal Tough Times for the Nation
The high rollers may still be crowding the tables, but high prices and pinched discretionary incomes are driving a sharp drop-off in visitors to Las Vegas as Nevada’s governor runs for re-election.
International
A Bad Order for Rail
The Railway Safety Act would drag the industry backward by prioritizing unions over technology.
Court rules KyoAni killer’s withdrawal of death sentence appeal was valid
The Osaka High Court ruled Tuesday that a defendant’s withdrawal of his appeal against a death sentence in the Kyoto Animation arson-murder case is valid.
Putin facing mutiny from biggest Ukraine war backers as impending coup fears soar
Fury and frustration is exploding close to Putin over Russia’s failure to get the upper hand in the war with Ukraine.
Opinion
If You’re Bombing Churches, You’re Not Defending Christianity
Anybody who still believes that Vladimir Putin’s Russia is a defender of Christian values is someone who wants to be fooled, and who is willfully blind to a not-so-small mountain of counterevidence, from the raiding, seizing, harassing, and takeover of Protestant churches in occupied Ukraine, to the torture of Christians, to the mass kidnapping of Ukrainian children, to the attempted systematic eradication of faiths other than the state-aligned Orthodox church.
Reaping the Whirlwind
Two weeks ago, I mentioned the problems with CPAC. The head of CPAC, Matt Schlapp, has been accused multiple times of inappropriate sexual behavior towards other men. Undeterred from running the Conservative Political Action Conference, Schlapp has invited Steve Bannon on stage. Bannon was one of Jeffrey Epstein’s friends and attempted to rehabilitate Epstein’s image.
Why My AI Writing Assignment Failed
Chatbots are not offering students what they need.
Can Anyone Tell the President to Stick to the Teleprompter?
It has been said so many times — and will be said again here, because it’s worth saying: The war against the Islamic Republic is a national project, and the American people need to be asked to support it.
A Consent Decree for Freedom of Speech
The plaintiffs in Missouri v. Biden have won and received a court order vindicating their free speech rights. The dire predictions after the Supreme Court found insufficient standing to support a preliminary injunction in Murthy v. Missouri have failed to materialize. On March 25, the district court in Louisiana signed a consent decree in Missouri v. Biden admitting that the government wrongfully squelched Americans’ speech for years by strong-arming social media companies to eliminate disfavored speech. The decree allows New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) plaintiffs Jill Hines and Aaron Kheriaty, along with Jim Hoft of Gateway Pundit and the Louisiana and Missouri attorneys general, to obtain sanctions should the surgeon general, CDC, or CISA attempt to do this again.
Playing the Blue States Blues
Bureausclerosis is a policy choice.
