Trump and Hegseth blame Biden for Iran war costs
President Trump and his Defense Secretary Hegseth have both blamed former President Biden for their having to seek another $200 billion in funding for the war Trump started against Iran. Both of them falsely claim that Biden depleted the supplies of U.S. armament by giving the supplies to Ukraine and not building new ones. They make no mention of the arms that have been used in the Iran war and other military actions under the Trump administration. Key lawmakers — including some Republicans — appear skeptical about approving $200 billion, particularly since the Trump administration did not obtain congressional approval for the war. Several are also refusing to support any money without a clear White House strategy. Trump on Thursday but did not offer specifics on what the Pentagon needed the funding for.
Oil prices keep going up
Oil prices rose today as energy infrastructure in the Middle East was damaged and the vital Strait of Hormuz was still largely shut. Goldman Sachs has suggested that the spike could stretch into 2027. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 1.4% to $110.2 a barrel. WTI, the U.S. benchmark, was up 0.3% at $95.9. President Trump, meanwhile, has sought to reassure Americans grappling with the highest gas prices in nearly two and a half years, saying “it’s going to be over with pretty soon.” But three weeks in, the conflict shows no sign of abating. And, gasoline prices have a history of rising quickly and then being very slow to come down.
ICE releases reporter it had arrested
The Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has released from custody a Nashville, Tennessee, reporter it had arrested. The reporter is Estefany Rodríguez, who works for a Spanish language newspaper in Nashville. She was held by ICE for two weeks at a detention facility in Louisiana after having been held at a Tennessee jail for a week and a half and not being allowed to contact lawyers or her family. Her release came after lawyers arranged for her to post a $10,000 bond.
Body of U.S. college student found in Spain
James Gracey, a 20-year-old American college student who was reported missing in Spain earlier this week, has been found dead. A junior at the University of Alabama, Gracey had arrived in the city on Monday to visit friends for spring break. He was reported missing after he went to a nightclub and failed to return to his short-term rental, his family said. His body was later found in shallow waters at Somorrostro Beach, near the Shoko club, where police had been searching. Gracey, the eldest of five, was an avid hockey player and a responsible young man, according to his uncle, David Gracey, who is a CNN senior producer in Washington, D.C. Authorities say the investigation is ongoing, with officers reviewing surveillance footage.
Moon mission closer to launch
Crews at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida are rolling out the Artemis II rocket to the launch pad as they prepare it for liftoff as early as April 1. The high-stakes mission will send four astronauts on a 10-day journey around the moon — without landing — marking NASA’s first crewed trip beyond low-Earth orbit in decades. But the push comes amid mounting urgency: China’s state-run space program is rapidly advancing toward a crewed lunar landing by 2030, intensifying a new space race and increasing the pressure on the U.S. to keep pace.
Treasury Department to take over defaulted student loans
The Trump administration is getting ready to go after people whose student loans are in default. Treasury Department will begin to manage federal student loans in default, taking over from the Education Department, which the Trump administration is shutting down. The Treasury Department will try to get borrowers to resume paying their loans. Treasury will eventually take over control of the entirety of the Education Department’s nearly $1.7 trillion loan portfolio. Some consumer advocates quickly slammed the new move. National Consumer Law Center staff attorney Kyra Taylor said it would increase confusion and create a “new set of obstacles and uncertainty with no plan in place to resolve them.”
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