‌

War Confusion: Trump Backs Off From Iran Threat, Citing Talks to End War (Bloomberg)

‌

US President Trump postponed threatened strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure and power plants for five days, pending the outcome of what he said were talks with Iran to end the 24-day war.

‌

The two sides have allegedly held “VERY GOOD AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATIONS REGARDING A COMPLETE AND TOTAL RESOLUTION OF OUR HOSTILITIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST,” Trump posted on social media on Monday. He added that the suspension of plans to escalate the campaign is subject to the success of ongoing discussions.

‌

However, Iran reports no “direct or indirect communication with Trump,” the country’s semi-official Fars news agency stated, citing an anonymous Iranian source.

‌

Oil plunged more than 14% after Trump’s comments, which came out of the blue as fears were growing of an escalation in the conflict. Crude pared about half those losses after the Fars report, with some traders skeptical about the accuracy of Trump’s statement.

‌

Various Middle Eastern countries, including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Oman, have been involved in backchannel talks with Iran in the past two weeks to try to contain the war and, ideally for them, to get the Islamic Republic and the US-Israeli coalition to agree to a truce.

‌

Regional Impact: Israel’s War to Crush Hezbollah Leaves a Weakened Lebanon Near Ruin (Bloomberg)

‌

With international attention focused on the US-Israel military campaign in Iran, Lebanon has emerged as a major theater in the ensuing regional war.

‌

According to local health officials, more than 1,000 people, including around 118 children, have been killed in airstrikes that Israel says target Hezbollah and its military and financial networks.

‌

The Israeli military has so far issued evacuation orders for around 14% of the country, according to the United Nations, which estimates that 1.3 million people will need help with housing, food and medical attention over the next three months. 

US Extreme Weather

‌

Thousands Evacuated as Hawaii Faces Worst Flooding in 20 Years (New York Times)

‌

Thousands of Hawaiian residents on Oahu’s North Shore were forced to evacuate their homes after intense rains flooded the area and threatened to overwhelm a local dam over the weekend, the New York Times reports. 

‌

For more than a week, Hawaii has been pounded by back-to-back storms forecasters call a Kona low — a type of seasonal storm that moves slowly and drenches the same location over extended periods.

‌

Roadways and buildings remain submerged. Some homes have been swept away. And emergency crews have conducted at least 200 rescues on Oahu, Hawaii’s most populous island, which has experienced its worst flooding in 20 years.

‌

Record-Breaking Temps: US Southwest Heat Wave Tumbles Records, Raises Fire Risk (Bloomberg)

‌

Nearly 9.5 million people across the US Southwest face extreme high temperatures, as an ongoing heat wave continues to topple records and raise the risk of wildfires as far away as the Great Plains.

‌

Las Vegas reached 96F (36C) Saturday, a record for the date, while the nearby local National Weather Service office hit 97F for the second day in a row, an all-time high for March. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport hit 105F for its third day in a row, which also is the highest March temperature recorded there.

‌

The heat isn’t stopping. Both Las Vegas and Phoenix will likely break or tie records for the rest of the week and may extend beyond then, said the US Weather Prediction Center. Downtown Los Angeles may also set new daily records in the coming week.

‌

Climate Signals: The Southwest Smashing Heat Records in March 'Is What Climate Change Looks Like' (PBS)

‌

The dangerous heat wave shattering March records all over the US Southwest is more than just another extreme weather blip. It's the latest next-level weather wildness that is occurring ever more frequently as Earth's warming builds.

‌

In Memoriam

‌

Robert Mueller, Who Investigated Russia-Trump Campaign Ties, Dies at 81 (Bloomberg)

‌

Robert S. Mueller III, the FBI director who transformed the nation's premier law enforcement agency into a terrorism-fighting force after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and who later became special counsel in charge of investigating ties between Russia and Donald Trump's presidential campaign, has died. He was 81.

‌

Mueller was maligned throughout the two-year investigation by Trump, who regularly derided it as a “witch hunt.” But the patrician Princeton graduate and Vietnam veteran who walked away from a lucrative midcareer job to stay in public service remained silent throughout the criticism, exhibiting an old-school, buttoned-down style that made him an anachronism during a social media-saturated era.

‌

Trump posted on social media after the announcement of Mueller's death: “Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead.” The Republican president added, “He can no longer hurt innocent people!”

‌

Republican President George W. Bush, who nominated Mueller, said in a statement that he was “deeply saddened” by Mueller's death and praised him for having “dedicated his life to public service” and for overhauling the FBI's mission.

‌

Democratic President Barack Obama, who kept Mueller on even after his 10-year term had expired, called him “one of the finest directors in the history of the FBI” who saved “countless lives” after transforming the bureau. “But it was his relentless commitment to the rule of law and his unwavering belief in our bedrock values that made him one of the most respected public servants of our time," Obama added.

What I'm Reading

‌

Aviation Tragedy in NYC: LaGuardia Crash Kills Two After Air Canada Jet Hits Vehicle (Bloomberg)

‌

An Air Canada Express plane with 76 people aboard collided with a fire truck shortly after landing at New York’s LaGuardia Airport late Sunday, killing the two pilots.

‌

The US National Transportation Safety Board is sending a team Monday to investigate, it said in a post on X. The airport will stay shut until at least 2 p.m. local time Monday.

‌

TSA Escalation: Trump Says He’s Ready to Deploy ICE to Airports on Monday (Bloomberg)

‌

Travelers are suffering through lengthy delays at major US airports in recent weeks due to the Department of Homeland Security's budget impasse. Employees of TSA, which the Department oversees, haven’t been paid for five weeks because of the partial shutdown, prompting some to call in sick. 

‌

President Trump posted on social media on Saturday that he was directing ICE agents to airports where “they will do Security like no one has ever seen before,” and added that they would conduct “immediate arrests” of any undocumented immigrants with an emphasis on Somalis.

‌

Ukraine Watch: Zelenskiy Sends Negotiators to the US, Hoping to Revive Peace Talks (New York Times)

‌

Havana on Guard: Cuba Says Its Military Is Prepared as Trump’s Threats Multiply (Bloomberg)

‌

🔊 New Episode Alert: Today's Daily Read Podcast just dropped, featuring an AI-powered breakdown of today’s biggest headlines. We go beyond the scroll with key takeaways, smart context, and the “why it matters” behind each story—so you can stay ahead in less time. Listen now on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

‌

In Memoriam: Chuck Norris, Black-Belt Action Star of Movies and Television, Dies at 86 (New York Times)

‌

Box Office High: ‘Project Hail Mary’ Becomes Amazon’s Highest-Grossing Film Debut (Bloomberg)

‌

Project Hail Mary, from Amazon.com Inc.’s Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio, was the No. 1 film at the US and Canadian box office this weekend with $80.5 million worth of tickets, scoring the highest-grossing debut of any movie this year.

‌

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film is adapted from the novel of the same name by Andy Weir. It follows the adventure of biologist-turned-teacher-turned-astronaut Ryland Grace, played by Ryan Gosling, who wakes up with amnesia aboard a spacecraft.

‌

British TV Debut: ‘Saturday Night Live’ Arrives in London. Can It Make the Brits Laugh? (New York Times)

‌

As a London-based version of “Saturday Night Live” premiered this weekend, British viewers had a few reservations. Will the humor translate? Can the show attract A-list hosts? Can any cast member do a decent impression of Prime Minister Keir Starmer?

‌

The new edition of NBC’s late-night comedy sketch show premiered in a country that hasn’t seen a breakout success in the format in roughly a generation, despite a strong history of sketch comedy. The big question, then, is whether “Saturday Night Live” can flip the script and become a hit in a land where American humor can sometimes be the butt of jokes.

‌

The new show, which aired Saturday in Britain and Sunday in the United States via Peacock, has an initial run of eight episodes. It has Lorne Michaels, the show’s creator, as executive producer, and it follows a similar format to the American version.

‌

The writers and cast, however, are British. The 11 cast members, announced last month by Sky, which is broadcasting the show in Britain, include Emma Sidi, Ania Magliano, Ayoade Bamgboye and Paddy Young.

‌

Watch the premiere episodes on Sky One and NOW for UK viewers and on Peacock for US viewers. 

Best of Late Night

‌

On the Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi visiting the White House last week:

“President Trump praised the Japanese prime minister’s understanding of English and added, ‘I haven’t picked up your language.’ Oh, nobody thought you had picked up Japanese. You already have your hands full with English.”

-- Seth Meyers

‌

On the college basketball tournament known as March Madness happening across the US:

‌

“The NCAA men's basketball tournament will whittle down to 16 teams and then eight, then the final four, and then the finals, and the winner goes to the White House to hand their trophy over to President Trump.” 
-- Jimmy Kimmel

‌

“In the tournament, the teams go from 64 to 32, to 16 to eight to four. Or as it’s also known, Trump’s approval rating.”
-- Jimmy Fallon

‌

And from SNL UK: Tina Fey’s very British education in her monologue of the very first episode of Saturday Night Live UK. Click the photo below to watch. 
‌