Good evening everyone. I hope you had a peaceful Sunday. I made pancakes and spent some good time with my family, but there are major developments tonight. The family of a service member killed in the Iran war is condemning the conflict and urging Americans to vote in November. Crude oil prices are surging as former Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich suggests using nuclear explosions to carve a new canal to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. China and Russia are providing military support to Iran while China ramps up pressure around Taiwan.
At the same time, after carrying out mass deportations of migrant farmworkers, the Trump administration is now changing course and moving to bring more migrant labor back into the country.
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Here’s the news:
- After conducting mass deportations, the Trump administration is now changing rules in the H-2A agricultural visa program to increase the number of foreign farmworkers entering the U.S., making it cheaper and easier for farms to hire temporary migrant labor as the industry faces severe labor shortages. Officials acknowledged to the New York Times that immigration raids, deportations and tighter border enforcement have worsened the shortage of workers in agriculture. The new rules lower wage requirements for H-2A workers in many states and allow housing to count as part of compensation, a move farmers support but critics say could reduce pay for U.S. farmworkers and deepen reliance on migrant labor.
- According to the Daily Beast and NBC4, family members of Tech Sgt. Tyler Simmons, one of six U.S. airmen killed when a refueling aircraft crashed during operations tied to the Iran war, criticized the conflict as unnecessary and said his death could have been prevented.
- Their comments came as President Donald Trump spent the weekend golfing, drawing attention to the growing toll of the war, which has killed 13 U.S. service members and injured more than 140 since it began Feb. 28. This is from an Instagram post from one of his close friends:
- The New York Times has confirmed that Jared Kushner, serving as President Trump’s Middle East envoy, has been seeking to raise at least $5 billion for his private equity firm Affinity Partners from foreign governments and sovereign wealth funds in the region, including Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund. The fundraising effort has drawn scrutiny because it overlaps with his diplomatic role in the Middle East, raising concerns about potential conflicts between public duties and private business interests.
- American oil executives warned the Trump administration that the energy crisis triggered by the Iran war could worsen, citing rising global prices and supply disruptions tied to instability in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
- U.S. oil prices rose above $100 a barrel as the Trump administration threatened strikes on Iran’s key oil export facilities on Kharg Island, escalating tensions in the war and raising fears of further supply disruptions. Analysts warn that attacking the island, which handles about 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports, could trigger severe retaliation and worsen the global energy crisis already driven by the near shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz.
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed because the vital shipping route runs directly along Iran’s coastline, responding to questions about why the administration had not prevented the disruption despite saying it had prepared for the possibility.
- Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich suggested using nuclear explosions to create a new shipping route as an alternative to relying on the Strait of Hormuz, proposing that a series of thermonuclear detonations could carve a canal through allied territory that would be wider and deeper than major existing waterways and protected from Iranian interference.
- The Trump administration plans to announce as soon as this week that several countries have agreed to form a maritime coalition to escort commercial ships and oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz along Iran’s coast, according to U.S. officials cited by The Wall Street Journal. The proposed coalition would aim to protect shipping through the critical oil transit route, which has been heavily disrupted during the war with Iran.
- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canada will not take part in offensive military operations by the United States and Israel against Iran, declaring the country “will not, ever” join the attacks. His remarks come amid broader international distancing from the conflict, including protests in Japan, restrictions affecting U.S. shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and signs that several allies are reconsidering their support for American military actions.
- FCC Chair Brendan Carr faced criticism from Republicans and Democrats after warning that broadcasters could lose their licenses if they air what the agency considers “fake news” about the Iran war. Republican Sen. Ron Johnson said the government should not interfere with free speech, while Democrats including Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Chris Murphy called the threat unconstitutional.
- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Russia and China are providing Iran with political, economic and military cooperation during its war with the United States and Israel, describing both countries as strategic partners. He also said Iran has restricted the Strait of Hormuz to U.S. and Israeli ships and their allies, while allowing other vessels to pass despite rising global oil prices and tensions in the region.
- Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran will likely end within weeks and predicted that oil and gas prices will fall afterward, despite a recent surge caused by Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz. The Trump administration is taking steps to stabilize energy markets, including releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and easing some sanctions on Russian crude, while working with international partners to reopen the strait.
- The U.S. identified six Air Force crew members killed when a KC-135 refueling plane crashed in Iraq during operations related to the Iran war: Maj. John A. Klinner, Capt. Ariana G. Savino, Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, Capt. Seth R. Koval, Capt. Curtis J. Angst and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons. Officials said the crash was not caused by hostile fire and remains under investigation, and their deaths bring the number of U.S. service members killed since the conflict began Feb. 28 to 12, with one additional death linked to a medical issue.
- Taiwan reported 26 Chinese military aircraft and seven naval ships operating near the island on Saturday, with 16 planes entering parts of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone. The surge follows an unusual two week drop in Chinese military flights, which analysts say could be linked to China’s legislative meetings, shifts in military training, or possible efforts to ease tensions ahead of a potential visit by U.S. President Donald Trump to China.
- According to CNN, the disappearance of retired Air Force Maj. Gen. William Neil McCasland, a former commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, has renewed attention on the Ohio installation long linked to UFO speculation and advanced military research. The base became central to UFO lore after rumors that debris from the 1947 Roswell crash was secretly transported there for analysis, and it has since remained a hub for aerospace intelligence and research, though the U.S. military has repeatedly denied possessing extraterrestrial technology.
- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his daughter were shown observing missile tests that destroyed a target island during a military demonstration, as the regime showcased its advancing rocket and strike capabilities.
- Leaked data from the Department of Homeland Security’s technology incubator shows the agency funding AI projects that could significantly expand surveillance, including airport passenger monitoring, phone based biometric scanning and systems that analyze nationwide 911 data to predict crime trends. The records reveal more than $845 million in contracts over two decades with hundreds of companies developing technologies critics warn could enable predictive policing and broader government surveillance.
- Hundreds of people protested in Burlington, Vermont after a chaotic ICE raid in nearby South Burlington that led to the detention of three immigrants even though the man agents were seeking was not found. Demonstrators demanded the detainees’ release and criticized local police for helping clear protesters with tear gas, flash bangs and force, while officials said officers were trying to maintain order during the confrontation.
- Long security lines formed at major U.S. airports after TSA agents missed their first full paycheck during the Department of Homeland Security funding shutdown, with staffing shortages and more than 300 workers quitting since February worsening delays. Travelers reported waits of up to two hours at airports including Atlanta, Chicago, Austin and Philadelphia as agents continue working without pay while Congress remains deadlocked over funding.
- Israeli forces killed a Palestinian father, mother and two of their young children in the occupied West Bank after troops fired on their vehicle during an operation in the village of Tammun, according to Palestinian health authorities, while the Israeli military said soldiers shot after perceiving the car as an immediate threat. Two other children survived with injuries, and the military said the circumstances of the incident are under review as violence in the West Bank and Gaza has increased amid the ongoing Israel Iran conflict.
- CEOs of major U.S. airlines urged Congress to end the 29 day partial government shutdown that has left about 50,000 TSA officers working without pay, warning that staffing shortages are causing long security lines and travel disruptions during the busy spring break season. The executives also called for legislation to ensure aviation personnel are paid during future shutdowns as more than 300 TSA officers have already quit since the funding lapse began.
See you soon.
— Aaron
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