The median U.S. housing payment slipped to $2,413, with mortgage rates at their lowest level in more than three years.
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More than 3,500 U.S. sailors and Marines aboard the USS Tripoli have arrived in the Middle East as the Pentagon continues to build up forces in the region.
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| “Well done is better than well said.” |
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| Ivan Pentchoukov
National Editor |
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| Ivan Pentchoukov
National Editor |
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Good morning. It’s Sunday. Here are today’s top stories: |
- More than 3,500 U.S. sailors and Marines aboard the USS Tripoli have arrived in the Middle East as the Pentagon continues to build up forces in the region.
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Iran has agreed to allow 20 Pakistani-flagged ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz unharmed, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said, calling the development “a meaningful step toward peace.”
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A month has passed since U.S. and Israeli forces jointly launched a surprise attack on Iran, delivering the opening blow in an ongoing effort the U.S. military has dubbed Operation Epic Fury. Here’s where things stand after four weeks of fighting.
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American Family farms face tough challenges in today’s economy, but some young farmers are finding success—and believe their kids will, too.
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🍵 Health: This overlooked organ is linked to longevity, new research suggests.
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U.S. Marines conduct a hike during a simulated amphibious assault on March 24, 2026. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Maksim Masloboev) |
More than 3,500 U.S. sailors and Marines aboard the USS Tripoli have arrived in the Middle East as the Pentagon continues to build up forces in the region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on March 29 that the USS Tripoli had entered its area of responsibility. The amphibious assault ship is serving as the flagship of the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group and the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, a combined force that includes ground, air, and naval elements.
One of the newest and most capable amphibious assault ships in the U.S. fleet, the USS Tripoli is designed to accommodate a larger air wing, including F-35 stealth fighter jets, V-22 “Osprey” tiltrotor aircraft, and other warplanes. It had been based in Japan before receiving orders nearly two weeks ago to deploy to the Middle East.
CENTCOM said the Tripoli brings transport aircraft, strike fighters, and amphibious assault capabilities to the region in addition to the Marines aboard. The USS Boxer, another amphibious assault ship, along with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, has also been ordered to the region from San Diego.
CENTCOM did not disclose more details on where the additional U.S. forces will be positioned, though they are likely to operate within striking distance of Iran, including near key locations such as Kharg Island, a major Iranian oil export terminal off the country’s coast.
In its most recent update on March 25, marking the fourth week of the campaign, CENTCOM said that more than 11,000 targets had been struck since the United States and Israel launched joint operations against Iran on Feb. 28. (More) |
- A spokesman for the Iran-aligned Houthi terrorist organization in Yemen said that the group had entered the Middle East conflict, launching a missile attack against Israel that Tel Aviv said was intercepted.
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President Donald Trump said Friday that the United States likely doesn’t have to be there for NATO, noting that the alliance has provided little to no material support to U.S. military efforts against the Iranian regime.
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A packed crowd at the Conservative Political Action Conference roared their approval as Iranian Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi urged President Donald Trump to reject leaving any faction of the Islamic regime in power.
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- The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security tied for the longest shutdown in U.S. history on March 28.
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The Idaho legislature on Friday passed a bill that would make it a crime for anyone to use a public restroom or changing room of the opposite sex.
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Europe is going to need a “Trump-style revolution” to turn back the tide of illegal immigration that has changed the face of Europe, according to two former prime ministers.
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The United States accused China of detaining Panama-flagged vessels in response to Panama’s termination of Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison’s concessions for two key ports.
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The Chinese Communist Party has unveiled a long-term care insurance program that will require pensioners to continue contributing premiums, marking a significant shift in the country’s social welfare system and sparking public backlash.
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OPINION: Charge Iran and China for Increasing US Gas Prices—by Anders Corr (Read) |
🇺🇲American Thought Leaders: He Ran the World’s Biggest Payment Processor; Now He’s Taking on Social Security—Frank Bisignano (Watch) 🍿Film Review: “Wardriver” (Read) 🎵 Music: Junyi Tan: "Who Shall Find" (Listen)
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Many of the most memorable April Fools' Day hoaxes rely on careful storytelling, convincing details, and just enough plausibility to make audiences hesitate before laughing. (Robert Couse-Baker/CC BY 2.0) |
On April 1, 1957, the usually staid British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) reported that a Swiss region bordering Italy had produced an “exceptionally heavy spaghetti crop” that season due to the mild winter and the eradication of the spaghetti weevil. The camera panned farmers and gardeners picking spaghetti from trees, then sitting down to enjoy a supper of delicious pasta.
To be fair, spaghetti was unfamiliar to many Brits at the time. Other viewers immediately realized that the broadcasting giant had put together an elaborate April Fools’ Day joke, with a few in the audience upset that the BBC had broken character to run such nonsense. Yet many others swamped the station with phone calls, looking for details on how to grow their own spaghetti. BBC wits replied to these requests: “Place a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce and hope for the best.”
Older Americans will remember the Sidd Finch prank. The April 1, 1985, edition of “Sports Illustrated” ran George Plimpton’s “The Curious Case of Sidd Finch.” In this lengthy article, the well-known sportswriter reported the story of British orphan Hayden Siddhartha Finch, a 28-year-old versed in foreign languages, talented on the French horn, a Harvard dropout, and an aspirant Buddhist monk to boot, who might soon be pitching for the New York Mets. His throws across the plate were clocked at superhuman speeds as high as 168 mph.
Plimpton gleaned fictitious reactions from the team’s batters, whom Finch had supposedly pitched against in secret, and cited numerous conversations with Finch’s former fellow students and with Mets staff. The Mets went along with the gag, giving Finch a number and a locker. (More) |
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Thanks for reading 🙏 Have a wonderful day! |
—Ivan Pentchoukov, Madalina Hubert, and Kenzi Li. |
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