French voters head to the polls in municipal runoffs with Paris, Marseille and Lyon in focus

PARIS (AP) — French voters are returning to the polls Sunday for the second and final round ofmunicipal electionsin over 1,500 communes.

France Municipal Elections

The vote is a test of the balance of power onFrance'slocal political map before the 2027 presidential race begins to take shape. It is also a measure of whether the far right can convert national momentum into control of major cities, where it has often struggled to break through.

The most closely watched contests are concentrated in major cities after a first round that left France's traditional left and right competitive, the far right strongly placed in several urban races, and PresidentEmmanuel Macron's Renaissance movement keeping a low profile in many of the most closely watched races.

After days of mergers, withdrawals and tactical deals between lists, three-way races remain common in the runoff.

Paris is one of the biggest prizes. Emmanuel Grégoire, heading a united left and green list, finished first in the opening round with 37.98% of the vote, ahead of conservative Rachida Dati on 25.46%, while La France Insoumise candidate Sophia Chikirou stayed in the race, setting up a volatile three-way contest.

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Marseille is another marquee battle, where incumbent left-wing Mayor Benoît Payan led with 36.70%, only narrowly ahead of far-right candidate Franck Allisio on 35.02%, with Martine Vassal of the right also still in play.

In Lyon, the runoff is shaping up as a direct duel after ecologist incumbent Grégory Doucet took 37.36% in the first round, just ahead of centrist challenger Jean-Michel Aulas on 36.78%.

Toulouse will test the appeal of LFI in a large city after François Piquemal joined forces with the broader left to try to unseat conservative Mayor Jean-Luc Moudenc, who led the first round with 37.23%.

Other large-city contests will also be watched closely.

In Nice, Eric Ciotti led the first round with 43.43%, ahead of Christian Estrosi on 30.92%, highlighting a split on the right between Estrosi's more mainstream conservative camp and Ciotti, who is aligned with the far right.

In Nantes, Socialist Mayor Johanna Rolland starts the runoff ahead of her right-wing challenger, while Bordeaux remains open after incumbent Pierre Hurmic topped a fragmented field.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 22, 2026

French voters head to the polls in municipal runoffs with Paris, Marseille and Lyon in focus

PARIS (AP) — French voters are returning to the polls Sunday for the second and final round ofmunicipal electionsin over ...

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Women's NCAA Fort Worth 1 roundup: No. 1 Connecticut opens title defense by routing UTSA

Sarah Strong scored a game-high 18 points Saturday and top-seeded Connecticut cruised to a 90-52 rout of 16th-seeded UTSA in the first round of the Fort Worth Region 1 in Storrs, Conn.

Three other players finished in double figures for the defending NCAA champion Huskies (35-0), who advanced to a second-round matchup Monday against No. 9 seed Syracuse. Blanca Quinonez came off the bench for 15, Ashlynn Shade added 14 points and Kayleigh Heckel chipped in 11 points plus five assists.

Ereauna Hardaway, Damara Allen and Cheyenne Rowe each scored 11 points for the Roadrunners (18-16). UTSA struggled to hit shots and take care of the ball against UConn's tough defense, hitting only 20 of 49 from the field and coughing up 27 turnovers that were cashed in for 35 points.

The Huskies opened up a 19-6 lead after one quarter that turned into a 48-14 advantage by halftime. They led by as many as 47 points in the fourth quarter.

No. 2 Vanderbilt 102, No. 15 High Point 61

Mikayla Blakes, the nation's leading scorer, racked up 30 points and the Commodores crushed the Panthers in Nashville.

Aubrey Galvan scored 17 points while Sacha Washington (10 points, 17 rebounds) and Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda (10 points, 11 boards) each had double-doubles for Vanderbilt (28-4), which led by double digits 2:28 into the game and by 17 after one quarter.

The second-seeded Commodores shot 48.7% from the floor and outrebounded 15th seed High Point 56-26 to win its first NCAA Tournament game since 2013. Vanderbilt will play seventh-seeded Illinois on Monday.

The Panthers (27-6) were led by Macy Spencer, who scored 27 points and accounted for seven of the team's eight made 3-pointers. High Point was held to 36.5% shooting and 33.3% from outside the arc.

No. 3 Ohio State 75, No. 14 Howard 54

Jaloni Cambridge scored 21 points and sister Kennedy Cambridge added 11 points with seven rebounds as the Buckeyes rolled to victory over the Bison in Columbus, Ohio.

Chance Gray and Ava Watson also scored 11 points each and Elsa Lemmila added 11 rebounds as the Buckeyes (27-7) advanced to face sixth-seeded Notre Dame on Monday.

Zennia Thomas scored 15 points and Ariella Henigan added 14 points with 10 rebounds as the Bison (26-8) saw their 14-game winning streak come to an end.

Ohio State shot 45.0% from the floor while holding Howard to 33.9% overall and 0 of 9 from 3-point range.

The Bison led 14-12 with less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter before the Buckeyes went on a 12-0 run between the first and second quarters. Ohio State added a 13-0 run just before halftime to lead 43-19 at the break and Howard never threatened in the second half.

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No. 6 Notre Dame 79, No. 11 Fairfield 60

Hannah Hidalgo flirted with a quadruple-double as the Fighting Irish pulled away from the Stags for the win in the first-round game in Columbus, Ohio.

Hidalgo scored a game-high 23 points while adding nine rebounds, eight steals and six assists as the Fighting Irish (23-10) advanced to a second-round game against Ohio State on Monday.

Iyana Moore added 18 points and Cassandre Prosper chipped in 17 points and eight rebounds for Notre Dame. The Irish sank 46.9% of their field-goal attempts and earned a 43-31 rebounding advantage. They also dominated paint points, doubling up the Stags 44-22.

Meghan Andersen scored 21 points for Fairfield (28-5). Jillian Huerter added 12 and Janelle Brown came off the bench for 10 points but it wasn't enough. The Stags hit only 38.3 % of their field-goal attempts and committed 19 turnovers that led to 22 points.

Notre Dame never trailed and led for all but 15 seconds of the game. It led by as many as 23 points in the third quarter.

No. 7 Illinois 66, No. 10 Colorado 57

Cearah Parchment, Berry Wallace and Destiny Jackson combined for 55 points to lead the Fighting Illini to a win over the Buffaloes in Nashville.

Parchment led the way with 21 points, buoyed by 18 from Wallace and 16 points with 11 rebounds from Jackson. Illinois (22-11) used an 8-1 run in the final 97 seconds to finally separate from Colorado, scoring 14 points off 14 turnovers. Illinois will take on No. 2 seed Vanderbilt on Monday.

Desiree Wooten led Colorado (22-12) with 17 points and a team-high seven boards, supplemented by Jade Masogayo's 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting. The Buffaloes held a 34-32 rebounding edge but made just 1 of 9 3-pointers.

No. 9 Syracuse 72, No. 8 Iowa State 63

A humongous second quarter helped the Orange take down the Cyclones in Storrs, Conn., despite a remarkable individual effort from Audi Crooks.

Led by Uche Izoje's 23 points and seven rebounds, Syracuse (24-8) -- which will face top seed UConn on Monday -- pulled away after facing an early deficit with a 30-point second quarter that included a 13-0 run. Olivia Schmitt hit three of her five 3s during this stretch, finishing with 15 points, while Laila Phelia chipped in 18 and Sophie Burrows paired 14 points with nine rebounds.

Crooks racked up 37 points on 17-of-25 shooting, but Iowa State (22-10) still lost its NCAA Tournament opener for the third time in the last four years after starting this season 14-0 and reaching 10th in the AP poll. The Cyclones held a sizable 42-10 edge in paint points but were 3-of-22 (13.6%) from outside the arc.

--Field Level Media

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 22, 2026

Women's NCAA Fort Worth 1 roundup: No. 1 Connecticut opens title defense by routing UTSA

Sarah Strong scored a game-high 18 points Saturday and top-seeded Connecticut cruised to a 90-52 rout of 16th-seeded U...

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Women's NCAA Fort Worth 3 roundup: No. 3 Louisville pulls away from No. 14 Vermont

Mackenly Randolph posted a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double, leading third-seeded Louisville to a 72-52 first-round victory over 14th-seeded Vermont on Saturday in a Fort Worth Region 3 game in Austin, Texas.

Laura Ziegler and Tajianna Roberts each added 12 points for the Cardinals (28-7), who outscored the Catamounts 23-10 in the third quarter to break open a close game. Imari Berry contributed 10 points and seven rebounds for Louisville, which will face Alabama on Monday.

Keira Hanson scored 22 points, Nikola Priede added 16 points, Jayden Weltz chipped in 12 and Malia Lenz grabbed 13 rebounds for Vermont (27-8), which had its five-game winning streak snapped. The Catamounts struggled offensively, shooting 40% from the field (20 of 50) and 30.4% from 3-point range (7 for 23).

Louisville led 32-28 at the half, then opened the third quarter on a 9-0 run and led by 17 entering the fourth quarter. Randolph thrived in the third, posting nine points and seven rebounds.

No. 5 Kentucky 71, No. 12 James Madison 56

Amelia Hassett scored eight of her 14 points in a 32-point first quarter as the Wildcats never trailed while eliminating the Dukes in Morgantown, W. Va.

Kentucky (24-10) hit 11 of 18 field goals, including 4 of 7 from 3-point range, to establish a 22-point lead after 10 minutes. The Dukes (26-9) trailed by as much as 29 in the second quarter, essentially ending the game's competitive phase before halftime.

Tonie Morgan added a game-high 18 points and seven assists for the Wildcats, who advanced to a second-round game Monday against either No. 4 West Virginia or No. 13 Miami (Ohio). Jordan Obi hit for 12 points and Clara Strack stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, two blocks and two steals.

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Ashanti Barnes scored 16 points to pace James Madison and Peyton McDaniel added 15 to go with seven rebounds. But the Dukes struggled to score all day, connecting on just 22 of 65 field goal attempts (33.8%). They also coughed up 16 turnovers that led to 16 points.

Kentucky earned a 46-38 advantage on the glass and outscored James Madison 24-9 from the 3-point line.

No. 6 Alabama 68, No. 11 Rhode Island 55

Jessica Timmons scored a game-high 21 points and the sixth-seeded Crimson Tide led for nearly 38 minutes of their win over the 11th-seeded Rams in Louisville, Ky.

In improving to 24-10, the Crimson Tide got 19 points from Essence Cody and 16 points from Diana Collins, who hit 7 of 9 shots from the field. Alabama earned a second-round matchup Monday in the Fort Worth 3 Region with Louisville.

Palmire Mbu and Ines Debroise each scored 11 points for the Rams (28-5), while Albina Syla added 10 points and nine rebounds. Rhode Island converted just 19 of 58 attempts from the field and was outscored 42-12 in the paint.

The Tide owned a 31-23 halftime lead and pulled away in the third quarter, when they outscored the Rams 22-12 to make the margin 53-35. Alabama increased the advantage to 21 early in the fourth quarter. The Tide canned 25 of 47 attempts from the field.

--Field Level Media

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 22, 2026

Women's NCAA Fort Worth 3 roundup: No. 3 Louisville pulls away from No. 14 Vermont

Mackenly Randolph posted a 20-point, 11-rebound double-double, leading third-seeded Louisville to a 72-52 first-round ...

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A strike on a hospital in Sudan killed at least 64 people, WHO says

CAIRO (AP) — At least 64 people were killed, including at least 13 children, in a strike on a hospital inSudan's western Darfur regionlast week, the World Health Organization said Saturday.

The strike on the Al Daein Teaching Hospital in East Darfur on Friday also injured at least 89 people and rendered the hospital non-functional, Tedros Ghebreyesus, the head of the WHO, said on X.

Sudanslid into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the rival paramilitary Rapid Support Forces exploded into war throughout the country.

The RSF has blamed the military for the strike on the hospital.

The army has denied the attack, but two military officials said the strike was targeting a nearby police station. They spoke on the condition of anonymity as they were not allowed to discuss the matter openly.

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Thedevastating warhas killed more than 40,000 people, according to U.N. figures, but aid groups say that is an undercount and the true number could be many times higher.

The WHO has said that over 2,000 people have been killed in attacks on medical facilities since the start of the war.

"Enough blood has been spilled. Enough suffering has been inflicted. The time has come to de-escalate the conflict in Sudan," said Ghebreyesus.

Associated Press reporter Yassir Abdalla in Shendi, Sudan, contributed to this report.

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 22, 2026

A strike on a hospital in Sudan killed at least 64 people, WHO says

CAIRO (AP) — At least 64 people were killed, including at least 13 children, in a strike on a hospital inSudan's west...

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How Ukraine's front line became a laboratory for drone innovation

KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — The night air in eastern Ukraine is crisp, and a myriad of stars scatter above a small crew of soldiers watching forIranian-designed Shahed dronesthat Russia launches in waves.

Russia Ukraine War Innovation

Such teams are deployed across the country as part of a constantly evolving effort to counter the low-cost loitering munitions that have becomea deadly weapon of modern warfare, from Ukraine to the Middle East.

While waiting, the crew from the 127th Brigade tests and fine-tunes their self-made interceptor drones, searching for flaws that could undermine performance once the buzzing threat appears. When Shahed drones first appeared in autumn 2022, Ukraine had few ways to stop them. Today, drone crews intercept them in flight with continually adapting technology.

In recent years, Ukraine's domestic drone interceptor market has burgeoned, producing some key players who tout their products at international arms shows. But it's on the front line where small teams have become laboratories of rapid military innovation — grassroots technology born of battlefield necessity that now draw international interest.

PresidentVolodymyr Zelenskyysays U.S. allies in the Middle East have approached Ukraine for help in defending against Iranian drones, the same type that Russia has fired by the tens of thousands in the 4-year-old war.

Iran has also used the same drones in retaliation forjoint U.S.-Israeli strikes, at times overwhelming far more sophisticated Western-made air defenses and highlighting the need for cheaper and more flexible countermeasures.

"It's not like we sat down one day and decided to fight with drones," said a pilot with Ukraine's 127th Brigade, sitting at his monitor after completing a preflight check. "We did it because we had nothing else."

How the drone war began

Moments earlier, the pilot carefully landed his interceptor drone to avoid damaging it. He spoke on condition of anonymity because military rules did not allow him to be quoted by name.

Though designed to be disposable, limited resources mean Ukrainian crews try to preserve every tool they have, often reusing even single-use drones to study their weaknesses and improve them.

"Just imagine — a Patriot missile costs about $2 million, and here you have a small aircraft worth about $2,200," the pilot said. "And if it doesn't hit the target, I can land it, fix it a bit and send it back into the air. The difference is huge. And the effect? Not any worse."

Ukraine's 127th Brigade is building an air defense unit centered on interceptor drone crews — a model increasingly adopted across the military.

Leading the brigade's effort is a 27-year-old captain, who previously served in another formation where he had already helped organize a similar system. He also spoke on condition of anonymity because military rules did not allow him to be quoted by name.

He clearly remembers the moment about two years ago when everything changed. He said he was assigned to lead a group of soldiers ordered to intercept Russian reconnaissance drones using shoulder-fired air-defense missiles.

The approach quickly proved ineffective. Agile drones equipped with cameras could easily maneuver away from the slower, less-flexible weapons, he said.

Determined to find a better solution, the young officer began searching for alternatives, asking fellow soldiers and volunteers supporting the front.

The answer turned out to be simple: another drone.

The captain still remembers the day a Russian Orlan reconnaissance drone hung above a Ukrainian position, transmitting coordinates to guide Russian artillery. A pilot from his unit downed it by using another drone, he added.

"That's when I realized — this is a drone war. It had begun," he said. "We had been moving toward it for some time, but that was the moment I saw it with my own eyes."

They never found the wreckage of the Orlan, which burned as it fell to the ground.

Downing Shaheds

Another challenge soon emerged: how tointercept the hundreds of fast, durable Shahed dronesflying far beyond the front line.

The young captain's search for a solution led him to the 127th Brigade in Kharkiv and to cooperation with a local defense company. Their joint efforts resulted in aircraft-style interceptor drones capable of matching the speed of the Shaheds.

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Kharkiv is not only where they work — it's where their families live, a city that regularly comes under Shahed attacks.

Working with the company allows soldiers to test interceptor drones in real conditions and quickly refine the technology through direct feedback.

The company's Skystriker drone differs from more widely known interceptor systems such as Sting or P1-Sun, which are based on modified first-person view, or FPV, drones. Instead, it resembles a small aircraft with wings, allowing it to stay aloft longer.

"Yes, this is a joint effort," said the director of the company, who spoke on condition he not disclose the name of the firm or his own identity for security reasons.

"It's not enough just to build it. It has to work — and work properly — and perform real combat tasks," he said. "That's why communication with the military is so important. They give us feedback and help us improve it every time."

Nonprofits and volunteers

In Ukraine, cooperation often goes beyond the military and manufacturers. Volunteers frequently act as intermediaries between the two, sometimes even helping them find one another.

The Come Back Alive Foundation, a nonprofit think tank and charity that raises money to equip Ukraine's forces, launched a project called "Dronopad," loosely translated as "Dronefall," in summer 2024.

The idea grew from battlefield reports that FPV drone pilots were occasionally able to track and intercept aerial targets — early cases that helped shape efforts to counter the Shaheds.

"At that moment it wasn't clear whether this was even a scalable solution or just isolated incidents," said Taras Tymochko, who leads the project. "Our goal was to turn it into a system — to help units that already had their first successful cases build the capability and scale what they had achieved."

The foundation worked with drone manufacturers to better understand what systems soldiers needed. As the project developed, the capabilities of interceptor drones evolved.

"At some point they were able to reach speeds of more than 200 kilometers per hour (124 mph), which made it possible to intercept targets like Shaheds in the air," Tymochko said.

The team closely monitored the rapidly growing drone market. A key factor, he said, was ensuring close cooperation between manufacturers and the military so that engineers could receive feedback quickly from battlefield tests.

"It's always action and counteraction," Tymochko said, noting both sides develop ways to counter enemy drones and improve their technology to neutralize each other's responses. "That cycle is what drives the evolution of drone warfare."

The technology itself, he said, is not especially difficult to copy. The real value lies in how it is used — and in the experience of the pilots who have learned to operate it effectively.

"People were very skeptical about the technology," Tymochko said of theearly days of interceptor drones. "Some thought it wouldn't work, that within a month the Russians would come up with countermeasures and the drones would become useless."

Nearly two years later, the results suggest otherwise.

"Many people called it air defense for the poor," he said. "But it turns out that air defense for the poor can sometimes be more effective than air defense for the rich."

Associated Press journalist Vasilisa Stepanenko contributed to this report.

Follow AP's coverage of the Ukraine war athttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 22, 2026

How Ukraine's front line became a laboratory for drone innovation

KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — The night air in eastern Ukraine is crisp, and a myriad of stars scatter above a small crew of so...

Read More

Another 'Big, Beautiful Bill' may be coming to pay for the Iran war

WASHINGTON − For weeks, speculation has grown on Capitol Hill about a second "Big, Beautiful Bill" as some Republicans push foranother big legislative swingahead ofa midterm cyclethat could cost them full control of Congress.

The talk is starting to get more serious, as lawmakers acknowledge that it may be the only way to pass as much as$200 billion in additional defense spendingfor theintensifying Iran war.

But the road through Congress for war cash is likely to be a tough one, with the GOP unable to afford losing few (if any) voteswithin already-thin margins in the Senate and House of Representatives. And it risks fracturing Republicans trying to present a unified party message as the November elections approach.

Read more:Trump says GOP lawmaker would have been 'dead by June' in awkward moment

See how Middle Eastern countries are caught in the crossfire of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran.
Bahrain
Smoke rises in the sky after blasts were heard in Manama, Bahrain, Feb. 28, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Syria
Syrian children stand on the wreckage of an Iranian rocket that was reportedly intercepted by Israeli forces in the southern countryside of Quneitra, near the Golan Heights, close to the town of Ghadir al-Bustan.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Iraq
A plume of smoke rises near Erbil International Airport in Erbil on March 1, 2026. Loud explosions were heard early on March 1 near Erbil airport, which hosts US-led coalition troops in Iraq's autonomous Kurdistan region, an AFP journalist said.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Iraq
Members and officers from the Iraqi Interior Ministry's Explosives Directorate inspect the fuel tank of a rocket that landed in a rural village in the Siyahi area near the city of Hilla in the central Babil province on March 1, 2026. Iraq, which has recently regained a sense of stability but has long been a proxy battleground between the U.S. and Iran, warned that it did not want to be dragged into the war that started on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Qatar
A prayer appealing to God for protection is projected on the dome of al-Hazm shopping mall in Doha on March 1, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Qatar
Motorists drive past a plume of smoke rising from a reported Iranian strike in the industrial district of Doha on March 1, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Bahrain
A building that was damaged by an Iranian drone attack, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Manama, Bahrain, March 1, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Saudi Arabia
The empty terminal at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh is pictured on March 1, 2026. Global airlines cancelled flights across the Middle East after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran on Saturday, plunging the region into a new conflict. In Saudi Arabia, Iranian missiles targeting Riyadh's international airport and the Prince Sultan Airbase, which houses U.S. military personnel, were intercepted, a Gulf source briefed on the matter told AFP.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> United Arab Emirates
A food delivery bike drive close to a plume of smoke rising from the Zayed Port following a reported Iranian strike in Abu Dhabi on March 1, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> United Arab Emirates
An oil tanker is pictured offshore in Dubai on March 1, 2026. Attacks have damaged tankers, and many ship owners, oil majors and trading houses suspended crude oil, fuel and liquefied natural gas shipments via the Strait of Hormuz.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Oman
Smoke billows from an oil tanker under U.S. sanctions, that was hit off Oman's Musandam peninsula, in this screen grab from a video obtained by Reuters on March 1, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kuwait
Smoke rises from a reported Iranian strike in the area where the U.S. Embassy is located in Kuwait City on March 2, 2026. Black smoke was seen rising from the U.S. embassy in Kuwait City on March 2 after the latest volley of Iranian strikes, an AFP correspondent saw,

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Saudi Arabia
A satellite image shows efforts to control a fire as smoke rises in the Ras Tanura oil refinery in Saudi Arabia after a drone attack, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Ras Tanura, Saudi Arabia March 2, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Turkey
People make their way after crossing from Iran into Turkey at the Kapikoy Border Gate in eastern Van province,Turkey, March 2, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> United Arab Emirates
Delivery persons ride motorcycles along a road as a tall smoke plume billows following an explosion in the Fujairah industrial zone on March 3, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> United Arab Emirates
Pieces of missiles and drones recovered after Iran's strikes are displayed during a press briefing by the UAE government held in Abu Dhabi on March 3, 2026. Iran stepped up its attacks on economic targets and US missions across the Middle East on March 3, as the US president warned it was "too late" for the Islamic republic to seek talks to escape the war. As drones and missiles crashed into oil facilities and U.S. embassies in the Gulf, Washington's ally Israel bombarded targets in Iran and pushed troops deeper into Lebanon to battle the Tehran-backed militia Hezbollah.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lebanon
Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli airstrike on the southern suburbs of Beirut on March 3, 2026. The Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for dozens of locations in Lebanon on March 3, including warning residents in two southern Beirut neighbourhoods to stay away from several buildings ahead of an imminent operation.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lebanon
Emergency personnel work at the site of an Israeli strike on Beirut's southern suburbs, following an escalation between Hezbollah and Israel amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, Lebanon, March 3, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Lebanon
Rescuers gather at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted the Jamaa Islamiya offices in the southern Lebanese coastal city of Sidon on March 3, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> United Arab Emirates
Tankers are seen off the coast of the Fujairah, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 3, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

See how the Iran war's fallout is hitting the Middle East

See how Middle Eastern countries are caught in the crossfire of thewar launched by the United States and Israel against Iran.BahrainSmoke rises in the sky after blasts were heard in Manama, Bahrain, Feb. 28, 2026.

While thepolitics of a Pentagon funding influx are complicated, the legislative logistics are relatively simple: Passing a big tax and spending law through a process known as "reconciliation" requires just a simple majority vote in the Senate.

That's how the so-called Big, Beautiful Bill — a behemoth piece of legislation that slashed Medicaid, eliminated taxes on tips and overhauled student loans — came into being last year. Virtually everything else necessitates 60 votes, which requires support from Democrats.

Both strategies have pros and cons. The math for reconciliation, theoretically, is easier. Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a hardline conservative, called it a "better approach" than wading into the territory of needing to court Democrats for votes.

He acknowledged the legislation could quickly balloon, complicating its feasibility of getting to PresidentDonald Trump's desk.

"Obviously, that raises a lot of questions in terms of what would go along with it, and what we would do," Roy told USA TODAY. "There are issues involving tax policy, health care policy. Everything starts opening up when you start going down the road of reconciliation."

Another potential reconciliation push was a big topic of debate at House Republicans' recent annual policy retreat in Doral, Florida. House SpeakerMike Johnson, R-Louisiana, told reporters on the trip that another such megabill would "not be as big, but it'd be just as beautiful."

While lots of ideas were floated during lawmakers' excursion to the Sunshine State, neither Republicans nor Democrats are as of yet entirely aware of what could end up included in another reconciliation package.

"Who would know?" Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Connecticut, the top Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee, told USA TODAY.

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Republicans, she argued, "just continue to skirt the process, to fly in the face of how government does business."

Read more:Trump may need billions for the Iran war. Congress stands in the way.

MAGA, Senate divisions

Two important Republican constituencies on Capitol Hill are already posing threats to another reconciliation bill's success.

For one thing, at least one anti-interventionist conservative isn't happy with the prospect of spending more money to support conflicts abroad instead of fixing problems at home.

"I am so tired of spending money on the industrial war complex," Rep. Lauren Boebert, R-Colorado, a stalwart MAGA acolyte, told reporters last week. "I have folks in Colorado who can't afford to live."

Some pragmatists in the Senate are also hesitant to fully endorse such a plan. While some Republicans, such as close Trump ally Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, already are saying they're "open" to approving war money through reconciliation, others don't want to get on board yet.

"There's no way to know actually what's in it, and the likelihood of it actually moving anywhere, if we don't have context," Sen. James Lankford, R-Oklahoma, told USA TODAY.

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, who cast the key vote last year for the "Big, Beautiful Bill," has been increasingly skeptical of the war effort. She's called in particular on the Trump administration to step up its communication with lawmakers before she can think about approving more Pentagon cash.

Read more:Murkowski skeptical about war cost estimates

The White House has "got to be able to provide us information as requested," she said. "Don't just take for granted that the Congress' role is basically just to write a check."

Zachary Schermele is a congressional reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@usatoday.com. Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @zachschermele.bsky.social.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:What the Iran war means for talk of another 'Big, Beautiful Bill'

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

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Another 'Big, Beautiful Bill' may be coming to pay for the Iran war

WASHINGTON − For weeks, speculation has grown on Capitol Hill about a second "Big, Beautiful Bill" as some Repu...

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Lakers' Luka Doncic faces suspension after receiving 16th technical foul

Luka Doncicand theLos Angeles Lakershave extended their win streak to nine straight games following a105-104road victory against theOrlando MagiconSaturday, March 21.

Doncic led the way for the Lakers, producing 33 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals against the Magic.

There's a chance that he might not be available for the Lakers' upcoming game on Monday.

Doncic earned his 16th technical foul after getting into an argument with Magic center Goga Bitadze. The Lakers were down 85-82 with 1:19 left in the third quarter when the guard was called for the technical foul. Referee Marat Kogut also charged Bitadze with a technical foul.

Crew chief Marc Davis stated in a pool report after the game that a warning had been issued before the technical fouls were initially called.

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The Lakers have already appealed to the NBA about rescinding Doncic's foul,according to ESPN.

"I'm definitely hoping (it is rescinded)," Doncic told reporters after the game. "I let my team down getting that last tech. But honestly, I wasn't trying to. (Bitadze) said at the free throw, he would (expletive) my whole family. And at some point, this is a basketball court. At some point, I just can't stand it. I got to stand up for myself. But I know I've got to do better."

If upheld, Doncic would have to serve a one-game suspension without pay.

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Bitadze offered a different account in a statement to ESPN about the exchanged words. The center claimed that the Laker first started cursing at him in Serbian.

"I have all the respect for Luka and what he has done," Bitadze told ESPN. "And I really respect everybody's family. Where I come from, it's really sacred and we really respect each other's families, and I would never directly say that. He just said some inappropriate things in the Serbian language, which, I played in Serbia, I understand."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Lakers' Luka Doncic faces 1-game suspension after 16th technical foul

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 21, 2026

Lakers' Luka Doncic faces suspension after receiving 16th technical foul

Luka Doncicand theLos Angeles Lakershave extended their win streak to nine straight games following a105-104road victory ...

Read More