March Madness games today: Breaking down Sunday's men's NCAA Tournament matchups

Selection Sundaywas just one week ago, but the men'sNCAA Tournamenthas already seen 44 teams eliminated from the field of 68. And by the end of Sunday, we will have our Sweet 16 locked in after eight second-round matchups take place across the country.

There's plenty of storylines to watch. No. 1 seeds Florida and Arizona hoping to avoid the upset bug that has typifiedprevious editions of March Madness. Likewise, there's some potential danger for No. 2 seeds Purdue and Connecticut.

So how will the day unfold and where should you be focusing your attention with 12 hours of action on tap? We ranked all eight games and broke down each of the matchups. Enjoy the drama sure to unfold.

1. No. 4 St. John's vs. No. 5 Kansas

Time/TV:5:15 p.m. ET, CBS

These are the classic matchups in the second round that match traditional powerhouses with teams capable of making deep tournament runs. And you've got one of the best coaching matchups of the second round with Rick Pitino facing off against Bill Self. Only one get advance to the regional round. St. John's, which has won 20 of its last 21 games, made light work of Northern Iowa with a balanced effort. Kansas got a needed big game for freshman standout Darryn Peterson, which could bode well for their hopes of advancing.

2. No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 5 Texas Tech

Time/TV:9:45 p.m. ET, TBS

Both teams with be without standout players with the Crimson Tide missing point guardAden Holloway after his arrest earlier this weekand the Red Raiders dealing with aseason-ending injury to forward JT Toppin. This game should be played at a frenetic pace with both teams shooting first and asking questions later. The depth of Alabama could play a critical role, but Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson has the ability to carry his team to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.

CINDERELLA'S TIME:Ranking the most likely upsets in the second round

3. No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 7 Kentucky

Time/TV:2:45 p.m. ET, CBS

The Wildcats were seconds away from being out of the tournament beforeheroics by Otega Owehforced overtime and they got past Santa Clara. The challenge will be much greater now with the Cyclones playing their best basketball of the season. Iowa State blew away Tennessee State in its opener with role players Killyan Toure and Nate Heise doing much of the damage. Veteran guard Tamin Lipsey may have more of the heavy lifting against Kentucky with forward Joshua Jefferson dealing with an ankle injury suffered in the first round.

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4. No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 6 Tennessee

Time/TV:6:10 p.m. ET, TNT

Orange will be the color of the day in Philadelphia with these border-state schools squaring off. The Cavaliers had a bumpy start against Wright State before pulling away late. They've not faced many teams of the caliber of the Volunteers in their ACC schedule, so a more-complete effort is needed. Ja'Kobi Gillispie was outstanding in Tennessee's blowout of Miami (Ohio) and will need to be on point again with freshman Nate Ament struggling to play effectively due to an ankle injury.

University of Akron:
Yvette Nicole Brown, Alexa Bliss, Dominique Moceanu, The Black Keys and George Wallace

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> California Baptist University: Brent Kutzle, Dustin-Leigh Konzelman, Kay Warren, Rick Warren and Marissa Figueroa (not pictured)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> University of Hawaii: Bette Midler, Larry Beil, Jason Elam, Ken Niumatalolo and Barack Obama, Sr.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> High Point University: Austin Dillon, Tubby Smith, Donna Fargo, Cody Allen and Charles F. Price (not pictured)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Howard University:
Chadwick Boseman, Thurgood Marshall, Anthony Anderson, Taraji P. Henson and Gus Johnson

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Kennesaw State University: Bron Breakker, Jasmine Burke, ReesaTeesa, Larry Nelson and theRadBrad (not pictured)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> University of Maryland, Baltimore County: Kathleen Turner, Duff Goldman, Stavros Halkias, Young Mazino and Scott Seiss

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> University of Pennsylvania: Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Elizabeth Banks, John Legend and Maury Povich

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Prairie View A&M University: Megan Thee Stallion, Mr. T., Loni Love, Terry Ellis and Cecil Cooper

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

Actors, athletes and icons: Famous alumni from every NCAA men's tournament team

University of Akron:Yvette Nicole Brown, Alexa Bliss, Dominique Moceanu, The Black Keys and George Wallace

5. No. 2 Connecticut vs. No. 7 UCLA

Time/TV:8:45 p.m. ET, TNT

It was a smooth start for the Huskies against pesky Furman in the first round, but aremarkable 31-point, 27-rebound effort by Tarris Reedcarried them through. The bid for third national title in three years gets more difficult against the Bruins, who are playing their best basketball of the season. Others stepped up after an off night by Donovan Dent in the first round. Dent's ability to control the game will be critical as UConn will be forced to defend a group of five scorers that all average double figures.

6. No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 7 Miami (Fla.)

Time/TV:12:10 p.m. ET, CBS

Riding the momentum of their Big Ten tournament title, the Boilermakers look to get back into the Sweet 16 for the third year in a row. They have the enough veterans, including Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn, that know not to overlook the Hurricanes. It's been a resurgent year for Miami under first-year coach Jai Lucas. Showing resolve in a hostile environment, Malik Reneau and sub Tru Washington led the way in a first-round defeat of Missouri. Point guard Tre Donaldson, who previously played at Michigan, will know Smith well, and that matchup could prove pivotal.

7. No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 9 Utah State

Time/TV:7:50 p.m. ET, truTV

It was an easy day for the Wildcats in their opener against Long Island. After their recent tournament disappointments, they should be focused against the Aggies, who have been consistent NCAA participants but haven't put together a run to the Sweet 16 since 1970. The task of taking down Arizona will fall to the veteran backcourt of Mason Falslev and MJ Collins Jr. But the interior defense must also do its part against the bigger Wildcats.

8. No. 1 Florida vs. No. 9 Iowa

Time/TV:7:10 p.m. ET, TBS

The quest to be the second Gators to defend a national title got off to easy start with seven players scoring double figures. Frontcourt stalwarts Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon will look to assert themselves more in this round. Finally past the first round for the first time since 2021, the Hawkeyes are playing with house money. They'll look to slow the tempo and limit possessions. Bennett Stirtz should attract much of the attention from the Florida defense, meaning secondary scorers Tavion Banks and Alvaro Folgueiras will have to take advantage of openings.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:March Madness schedule: Ranking best NCAA Tournament Round 2 games today

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 22, 2026

March Madness games today: Breaking down Sunday's men's NCAA Tournament matchups

Selection Sundaywas just one week ago, but the men'sNCAA Tournamenthas already seen 44 teams eliminated from the fiel...

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An injured star, dominant top seeds and Hall of Fame coaches face off. Here’s what to know for Sunday’s March Madness action

We've had buzzer-beaters,upsets, top seedsnarrowly survivingand national title contenders looking like, well, national title contenders.

It's been a mad, mad weekend and the Sweet 16 in the men's and women's NCAA tournament is starting to take shape.

With eight more games scheduled for Sunday, the men's tournament will wrap up its first two rounds on Sunday. The women, meanwhile, are just getting started with the Round of 32, finishing up their first weekend action on Monday.

Here's what you need to know for Sunday's action.

Iowa State and its injured star

The Midwest No. 2 seed Iowa State Cyclones looked like Final Four contenders on Friday as they eclipsed the century mark with a resounding 108-74 win over the Tennessee State Tigers.

But the joy was tempered by an injury to the Cyclones' second-team All-American Joshua Jefferson. The senior forward landed awkwardly after a layup and rolled his ankle. Jefferson left the court with assistance from athletic trainers and later returned with a boot on his injured left leg.

The 22-year-old was taken for an x-ray, which came back negative, and was diagnosed with a left ankle sprain, team head coach TJ Otzelberger told reporters after the game.

"We will continue to reevaluate over the next day or two and just see where things are when we get to Sunday and we figure out what time we play," Otzelberger added.

Iowa State will face the No. 7 seed Kentucky Wildcats in St. Louis, Missouri, in the second round. Kentucky is in the game thanks to the standout moment of the tournament,a buzzer-beating 3-pointerthat sent their game against Santa Clara into overtime, where they eventually pulled away.

Florida and Arizona look to cruise

The top seeds playing on Sunday barely broke a sweat in their opening games on Friday.

Florida put the hurt on Prairie View A&M on Friday, more than doubling them up with a 114-55 win. Arizona, meanwhile, barely had to get out of second gear against Long Island University, sending the viral 16-seed home after a 92-58 beatdown.

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The Gators and Wildcats are Final Four picks for many bracketologists (professional and amateur alike), and it's likely that they'll not exactly face huge tests on Sunday. The Gators take on Iowa and Arizona takes on Utah State.

If either the Hawkeyes or the Aggies pull off the major upset, ignore everything you just read.

Bill Self vs. Rick Pitino

What a tasty matchup of coaches we'll get in the Kansas-St. John's game.

Two Hall of Fame coaches with multiple national titles going up against each other for a spot in the Sweet 16 – there are few things better.

Self and Kansas have been to 11 Sweet 16s during their time together, which began in 2003, but are looking to get to the second weekend for the first time since winning the 2022 national title. Kansas put together a 24-10 record this year and escaped California Baptist with an eight-point victory on Friday in a game that the Jayhawks would have liked to be a little less stressful.

Pitino and St. John's, meanwhile, had that stressless experience. The Johnnies – smarting at being chosen as a 5-see despite being the Big East regular season and tournament champions – smacked Northern Iowa 79-53 and are looking to go further than they did in last year's tournament. In that Round of 32 defeat to Arkansas, Pitino was defeated by another Hall of Fame contemporary, John Calipari and Arkansas.

Pitino has been to the Sweet 16 with three different schools – Providence, Kentucky and Louisville – and will be looking to take St. John's to the second weekend for the first time this century; the last time St. John's made it to the tournament's second weekend was 1999.

Will there be any upsets in the women's tournament?

Friday was the chalkiest day possible in the women's bracket as not a single upset took place in the Round of 64. With those same teams taking to the court on Sunday, the question remains: Can any of the underdogs pull off a win?

With three different 4 vs. 5 matches, it's possible that one of those teams (Ole Miss, Maryland and Michigan State, which narrowly avoided an upset in its opening game) could pull off the mini upset and advance. But they'll face the unique challenge in the women's tournament that the opening rounds are played in the highest-seeded team's home arena so all three of those teams will playing road games against Minnesota, UNC and Oklahoma respectively.

Otherwise, expect more dominant performances by the tournament's top teams. Michigan, LSU, Duke, TCU and Texas all rolled in their opening games. The closest contest was Duke's 17-point win over the College of Charleston, and most of those games were decided by 30 or more points.

Men's schedule

• No. 2 Purdue vs. No. 7 Miami at 12:10 p.m. ET on CBS

• No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 7 Kentucky at 2:45 p.m. ET on CBS

• No. 4 Kansas vs. No. 5 St. John's at 5:15 p.m. ET on CBS

• No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 6 Tennessee at 6:10 p.m. ET on TNT

• No. 1 Florida vs. No. 9 Iowa at 7:10 p.m. ET on TBS

• No. 1 Arizona vs. No. 9 Utah State at 7:50 p.m. ET on truTV

• No. 2 UConn vs. No. 7 UCLA at 8:45 p.m. ET on TNT

• No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 5 Texas Tech at 9:45 p.m. ET on TBS

Women's schedule

• No. 4 UNC vs. No. 5 Maryland at noon ET on ESPN

• No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 7 NC State at 1 p.m. ET on ABC

• No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Ole Miss at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN

• No. 2 LSU vs. No. 7 Texas Tech at 3 p.m. ET on ABC

• No. 3 Duke vs. No. 6 Baylor at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN

• No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 Oregon at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN

• No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Michigan State at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN

• No. 3 TCU vs. No. 6 Washington at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN

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byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 22, 2026

An injured star, dominant top seeds and Hall of Fame coaches face off. Here’s what to know for Sunday’s March Madness action

We've had buzzer-beaters,upsets, top seedsnarrowly survivingand national title contenders looking like, well, nationa...

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Former, current NBA players sound off on NBA expansion as vote looms

It seems like a foregone conclusion that theNBA will lean toward adding more teams to its league.

The league's board of governors will meet next week to further discuss an expansion to a 32-league team and approve moving forward on bid offers for a future market in Las Vegas and returning to Seattle,according to ESPN.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said during a February news conference that in the March meeting the league won't be officially voting, but "will likely come out of those meetings ready, prepared to take a next step in terms of potentially talking to interested parties."

"It doesn't have to be a two-team expansion. Frankly, it doesn't have to be any number of teams. I think the logical next move would be to say, all right, we've had those discussions internally, we've made decisions about cities to focus on and what the opportunity is, and now we've got to go out into the marketplace," Silver said. "I think that's probably the most important step, to find out who is potentially interested in owning a franchise in particular cities, what's the value of that franchise. There's some work to do in terms of potential conference realignment. That's the next step there."

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

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

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

When is the vote and how does it work?

If passed, it potentially would bring NBA franchises to Las Vegas and back to Seattle, for the assumed return of the SuperSonics, starting in the 2028-29 season.

"I think in fairness to the cities, Seattle and Las Vegas in particular, I've been very clear I don't want to tease teams, I don't want to tease cities or mislead anyone," Silver said. "I think we wanted to get through collective bargaining, national television deals. We've done that, and now we've turned to it as a league."

The meeting is expected to take place March 24 or 25.

Although an official decision won't come until July, it gives reassurance to potential suitors and bidders that an NBA team could come to a city near them.

To make it happen, 23 of the 30 league owners would need to agree to add teams to the Association. Additionally, bids would cost anywhere between $7 and $10 billion per team, according to ESPN.

Seattle-raised NBA players building excitement

Just the thought of the possibility has brought excitement to many within the NBA community whom were raised in Seattle.

Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero was born and raised in Seattle. He was a five-star power forward out of O'Dea High School, which he led to a Class 3A state title as a sophomore.

Banchero was 5 years old when the team relocated to Oklahoma City. Although he has no recollection of Sonics basketball, he understands the magnitude of a return and what that'd do for the city.

"If that was to happen that would be a crazy experience just for me. I never got to watch the NBA in Seattle so I don't know what that's like but I know that the city loves basketball," Banchero told USA TODAY Sports. "Big basketball town, even when the NBA did leave, obviously I grew up in that culture. Everyone's been talking about it for going on 10 years about them coming back so if the NBA was to make that happen then I'm sure that the city would be really excited."

Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II, another Seattle native, already has his sights set on suiting up for the same franchise that drafted his dad, Gary Payton Sr., with the second pick of the1990 NBA Draft.

"I would probably request a trade immediately," Payton said,joking with reporter Brian "Scoop B" Robinson. "Even though I love where I'm at, it's about being able to throw on that Sonics jersey before my career is over. I really hope they end up getting that done so I can go hoop for the hometown one time."

Playing NBA games in your hometown is special

There's a special feeling that comes with playing in your hometown as you see all your family members, old teammates and friends that you grew up with.

Memphis Grizzlies second-year guard Jaylen Wells still gets a joy out of going home to play the Sacramento Kings. The Grizzlies visited California's capital twice this season, winning both, most recently on Feb. 4 when Wells had nearly 100 people − fans, friends, you name it − waiting to greet him after the game.

"Never gets old man, just seeing familiar faces after a game. Can't complain," Wells, a Sacramento-native, told USA TODAY Sports. "It's fun. It kind of like, reminds me, kind of like a high school game where you kind of just know a lot of people in the crowd, so kind of just feels like a second home game."

Wells graduated from Folsom (Calif.) High School, where he averaged 26.3 points and 3.2 rebounds as a senior. He said he made some of his best memories in Sacramento at Folsom and at Sacramento Country Day School, a private, co-ed college preparatory school which has served pre-kindergarten to 12th graders since 1964.

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Whether he knows it or not, he's a hometown hero and a positive example to those who come from the same city, or even play on the same high school or AAU teams as he did growing up.

"I hope that's what I could be labeled as," Wells said. "I feel a lot of people kind of leave Sacramento to get the spotlight, so I was happy to be able to stay in Sacramento, go to Sacramento trainers and play on Sacramento teams just to make a name for myself in Sacramento instead of having to leave."

That homecoming feel that Wells gets at least twice a season is a feeling that Banchero would absolutely welcome given the opportunity.

Hypothetically, maybe in a venue in Uptown Seattle such as Climate Pledge Arena, in front of its capacity-filled 18,300 attendees who would be there to cheer on the SuperSonics but also show love to one of their many homegrown hoopers.

"For me to get to go back and play there one day, that would be a hell of an experience for me and my family. So if that was to happen I would definitely excited for that," Banchero told USA TODAY Sports.

SuperSonic significance in Seattle

If anyone knows how special the Sonics are to Seattle, it's Kings head coach Doug Christie.

Christie is born and raised in Seattle, having attended Rainier Beach High School after spending time in Longview, Washington. He saw the positive effects of the city's lone NBA championship in 1979, and he's seen the team leave for Oklahoma City in 2008.

He told USA TODAY Sports that he'd be "crazy excited" for the Sonics return.

"As a kid, growing up in the inner city of Seattle, that's what probably in many ways saved my life was the Sonics," Christie said. "Gus Williams and DJ [Dennis Johnson], and Jack Sikma and the '79 team that beat the Bullets. Like all of a sudden, you got hope that there's a greater capacity for your life than just what you're seeing everyday."

A city's sports team can have that affect. They breathe life and inspiration. Their presence allows some kid watching them to see a version of themselves they've never imagine.

It gives an opportunity for them dream. For the everyday working person to have a moment where they forget about the problems in their life but instead fraternize amongst fellow sports fans -alike.

"Those people in Seattle are rabid, they want a team," Christie told USA TODAY Sports. "There is everything that is built in there to make it happen. So I would be very excited, on top of the fact that, you know, Portland, Seattle, it just makes a lot of sense. A lot of money there. I would be super excited for that."

It's time that the NBA pays its debt to the city of Seattle andbring back the SuperSonics.

The team left after the city wouldn't renovate KeyArena or build an arena. The owner then decided to take the team to Oklahoma and rename them the Oklahoma City Thunder, taking their history with them in 2008.

The league pump faked the town with discussions of relocating the Kings to Seattle and rebranding them as the Sonics, howeverthe vote was rightfully denied by the board of governors in 2013.

Years later, KeyArena is now Climate Pledge Arena and has since been redeveloped with private financing and reopened as of 2021.

It's one of the state-of-the-art facilities which house the four-time WNBA champion Seattle Storm and NHL's Seattle Kraken. The best part is it's co-owned by Seattle and a group known as Oak View Group.

Let bygones be bygones. Bring back Seattle's NBA team.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NBA expansion sparks thoughts from former and current NBA players

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 22, 2026

Former, current NBA players sound off on NBA expansion as vote looms

It seems like a foregone conclusion that theNBA will lean toward adding more teams to its league. The league...

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The war on Iran is in its fourth week. Here’s what to know

Three full weeks of the war the US and Israel launched against Iran have shocked the world oil market, pierced a sense of safety in parts of the Middle East, and claimed the lives of US service members and civilians in multiple countries.

Most recently, the Trump administration asked for, and then said it didn't need, outside help securing a key shipping lane threatened by Iran — and then called NATO allies "cowards" for not helping clean up the mess. Israel said it killed more top Iranian leaders, and both Israel and the US started attacking Iran's oil infrastructure. A top US intelligence official resigned in protest over the war, thousands more US sailors and Marines areheaded to the Middle East, but, despite the destruction of most of its military, Iran's regime remains intact.

Get up to speed on the war as it enters its fourth week:

Trump wants to wrap things up in Iran; the Israelis have other ideas

There are the beginnings of some disagreement between the allies. President Donald Trump has suggested he wants to wrap up the war soon, although he has been noncommittal on a timeline.

"It will soon be over," Trump told reporters Thursday at the White House.

The Israelis have previously said they want to keep striking thousands of targets in Iran over the course ofanother three weeksor more, and on Saturday vowed to"increase significantly"the number of strikes in the coming week. Separately, Israel is trying to expel Iran-backed Hezbollah fighters from its northern border with Lebanon. The US has not been dragged into that conflict, but more than a million people in Lebanon have been displaced.

CNN spoke this week with former US Ambassador to Israel Daniel Shapiro for his analysis of what the US wants versus what Israel wants from the war.Read that here.

The Middle East's energy infrastructure is a new front in the war

The US and Israel began striking at Iranian oil and natural gas production facilities in the third week of the air campaign, including Israel's strike on South Pars, the world's largest liquefied natural gas field, which Iran shares with Qatar. Iran responded by striking at energy production in other countries in the Middle East, including Qatar.Read more.

On Thursday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that "unsanctioning" some Iranian oil is one of the many ways the US could go about addressing the oil pinch in the coming days.

Things are getting $200 billion more expensive for US taxpayers

While the Pentagon and the White House controversially did not inform Congress before the war, the administration needs Congress to pay for it. The administration is set to request an additional $200 billion in taxpayer money to fund the war, although it did not offer specifics on how the money would be spent. The request came as the US national debt exceeded $39 trillion.

"It takes money to kill bad guys," Hegseth said at a Pentagon press briefing Thursday.

Related: Why doesn't Congress declare war any more?

The US and Israel say they have already largely destroyed Iran's missile capabilities, its air force and its navy

The US and Israel launched the war to destroy Iran's military capabilities and, for the second time in a year, destroy its nuclear program.

Iran is a massive country — about the size of Alaska — and has more than 90 million residents.

The US claims to have struck more than 7,800 targets, flown more than 6,500 combat flights and damaged or sunk more than 100 ships, including the first sinking of a ship by US torpedo since World War II.

US Central Command has deployed a large portion of the entire alphabet of the American arsenal, including B-1, B-2 and B-52 bombers, and F-15, F-16, F-18, F-22 and F-35 fighter jets. It has not one, but two US Navy carrier strike groups in the region. It has employed a "bunker-buster"5,000-pound bomband also relied heavily on lower cost drones.

Israel continues to assassinate Iranian leaders

In the opening moments of the war, Israeli strikes killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei. Multiple other ranking officials were killed.

Since then, Israel has continued to target and kill remaining senior Iranian regime leaders, including key defense and intelligence figures such asAli Larijani, the longtime public face of the regime, and Esmaeil Khatib, the intelligence minister.

And yet Iran's government continues to survive

A multi-layered matrix rather than a top-down organization, Iran continues to show organization and a willingness to fight, a fact that suggests there will ultimately need to be a political rather than a military solution to this war.

The US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Wednesday that the regime "appears to be intact but largely degraded."

The Ayatollah's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, is said to have beenappointed by Iran's 88-member Assembly of Expertsto take over the country after the killing of much of his family in airstrikes, though hemay have sustained injuries, including a fractured foot, and has not been seen in public since the war began. He still has not appeared in person or on video since the war began, butissued a new statement Friday.

Iran's war strategy is to threaten the world oil supply

The country sits on a strategic choke point between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. Some 20% of the world's oil travels through this waterway, the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has attacked some oil tankers and threatened those that would pass without its position. The US either misunderstood or miscalculated Iran's willingness to threaten the worldwide market.

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It's a larger shock to the world energy system than the 1973 oil embargo, when oil producing countries stopped selling to the United States over US military support for Israel after the Arab-Israeli war.

Today the US has become the world's largest oil producer and its economy is less dependent on foreign sources, but the oil market is a worldwide thing.

The US began targeting Iranian oil production facilities with military strikes in the third week of the war.

The price of oil has skyrocketed

Oil has shot past $100 per barrel and is frequently above $115 per barrel. Skyrocketing gas prices, which Trump used to brag about lowering, have made Americans feel the pinch. Somewhat surprisingly given the shock oil prices have placed on the economy, Trump said Thursday he was surprised oil prices haven't gone up more.

Iran has also attacked most of its neighbors

Rather than simply strike at US assets and Israel, Iran has responded by attacking more than a dozen of its neighbors with drones and missiles, threatening the perception of relative safety in Gulf neighbors like Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries that have relationships with the US and Israel.

A few US ground troops are on the way, but…

While the US has consistently said it plans this to be an air war, it has not ruled out the use of ground forces. A Marine Expeditionary Unit is en route to the region, according to CNN's reporting. It could be used to facilitate special operations commandos, secure oil fields, or do other tasks in Iran. A second MEU has had a planned deployment rerouted to the Middle East region, but it's not clear where or when it could move. It is unlikely such a small force to be the tip of the spear of a ground invasion. The US has not mustered its Army for deployment, for instance.

On Thursday, Trump said he has no intention of putting troops on the ground in Iran, but he added he wouldn't say if he did have such plans.

US service members have died in an attack and an accident

Multiple Americans have died so far in the war, primarily in two incidents. A makeshift operations center was struck by a suspected Iraniandone strike in Kuwait, killing six. A refuelingaircraft crashed over Iraq, killing another six American service members.

The economic impacts are far-reaching

The price of diesel and energy costs in general could drive up costs for consumer goods, airline tickets and food, which would be unwelcome news for Americans who still aren't used to prices following pandemic-era price hikes.

Trump has tried to bully the Federal Reserve into lowering interest rates to unlock capital and potentially lower home and car borrowing costs. But with prices rising,Fed cuts are less likely.

And the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 are all down, to varying degrees, since the war started.

The US is feeling more alone

Trump called on European and some Asian countries to help the US patrol the Strait of Hormuz. But those countries, who feel burned by Trump on tariffs and who weren't warned that the US would attack Iran in the first place, and who are worried that the war violated international law, have so far declined. Trump now says he doesn't need the help, but he's clearly angry he hasn't gotten any.

NATO chief Mark Rutte, who often speaks highly of Trump, said Thursday the allies are all talking about ways to secure the route.

"I'm confident that allies as always will do everything in support of our shared interest as we always do — so we will find a way forward," hesaid in Brussels, according to Politico.

Russia is emboldened and Trump's meeting with China is delayed

To get oil into the world market, the Trump administration has eased sanctions against Russian oil in place due to its invasion of Ukraine. Russia is also reported to be giving Iran intelligence for drone strikes.

Trump perhaps wanted to enter his planned April meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping from a position of strength on the world stage, but now he is more isolated on the world stage and has had to delay the meeting to focus on Iran.

The US intelligence on Iran discussed publicly is unclear

Trump has said Iran was close to restarting a nuclear program he previously said the US destroyed last June. He has said he had a feeling Iran would soon attack the US, but has not pointed to evidence. Other administration officials have said the war was necessary to destroy Iran's conventional weapons capabilities.

But the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, a former Special Forces commando, resigned in protest last week, declaring that the intelligence did not support the idea that Iran posed an imminent threat, and questioning the US alliance with Israel. Gabbard said the president gets to decide when a threat is imminent.

Civilian sites, including a school, have also been destroyed

A military investigation continues, but a CNN analysis found at least one strike missed the mark when, apparently using old intelligence, it took out a girls' school near an Iranian military base. Iran says more than 150 girls were killed. Trump has tried to point the finger at Iran for the strike, but the evidence suggests it was a US-made Tomahawk that took out the school.

The US has been hit by four attacks that are being investigated as terrorism

Federal authorities are investigatingfour incidents— shootings in Virginia and Austin, a car attack on a Michigan synagogue and an attempted bombing in New York City — as acts of domestic terrorism.

Misinformation is rampant online

Americans increasingly get information from their social media feeds, but those are plagued withfalse and misleading information.

Related:Fact check: Trump's barrage of false and unproven claims about the Iran war

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byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 22, 2026

The war on Iran is in its fourth week. Here’s what to know

Three full weeks of the war the US and Israel launched against Iran have shocked the world oil market, pierced a sense of...

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What’s ahead as Trump threatens to send ICE agents to airports while TSA workers go unpaid during shutdown

As a shrinking number of Transportation Security Administration agents work to keep hourslong security lines moving despite not being paid, President Donald Trump stepped into the fray Saturday,announcinghe will send Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to airports by Monday if Congress doesn't agree to a plan to end the partial government shutdown.

The Trump administration has not clarified what shape ICE agents' roles would take at airports since they're not trained to perform security screenings, and TSA screeners are required to undergo months of training. CNN has reached out to the White House and the Department of Homeland Security, which includes TSA, for comment.

"The president can have (ICE agents) come there but I don't see how that helps us in getting through this time period," Atlanta TSA officer and union steward George Borek told CNN, reiterating the need for proper training.

As leaders in both parties try towork out a dealto fund DHS, which includes 61,000 TSA employees who have been workingwithout paychecks, there are few signs the impasse will break soon on Capitol Hill before a scheduled recess.

Trump's threat comes as hundreds of TSA agentshave quitamid the funding lapse, frustrated travelers are facingdizzying security checkpoint linesat some major airports, andofficials are warningit could get worse if the standoff between Republicans and Democrats over federal immigration enforcement continues.

By early Sunday, delays were already mounting. At Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the TSA wait time stretched beyond two and a half hours, according to aCNN tracker. Meanwhile, travelers at LaGuardia, Houston's George Bush Intercontinental and John F. Kennedy International airports faced waits of more than 40 minutes.

Here's what lies ahead as chaos and uncertainty continue to cast a shadow over airports across the country:

What's ahead for travelers

It's not clear what — if any — relief ICE agents could provide for lengthy security wait times, should the president deploy them. The agents could potentially help in limited roles, like managing lines, directing passengers or helping move people through the checkpoint process, to free up trained TSA officers for critical security functions.

Trump's announcement also did not specify to which airports ICE agents might be headed.

Bringing in untrained personnel could pose its own problems, Borek said.

"If you bring people in there, they are not trained, they don't know what they're looking for, then certainly it could be a problem," he said. Even trained TSA officers must be recertified after taking medical leave from work for 30 days, Borek said.

And as financial strain and low morale push TSA agents off the job, travelers may expect to see continuing lines weaving through some airports.

For six straight days last week, TSA callout rates hovered above 9% — with arecord 10.22% absentee rateset on Monday — as employees continue working without pay.

Impacts for travelers due to the callouts have varied wildly by airport, and unpredictability could continue. More than athird of screenersat Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport were absent last week, forcing passengers to wait in security lines for up to two hours. On Friday,more than halfof TSA workers called out at Houston's William P. Hobby International Airport.

The Department of Transportation secretary says without a funding bill to end the shutdown, the upcoming week of travel will be worse than ever before.

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"These are going to be good days compared to what's going to happen a week from now as America tries to travel," Secretary Sean Duffy told CNN's Jake Tapper Friday. The travel woes amid hourslong security wait times will look like "child's play," he said.

If the shutdown doesn't end by Friday, which marks the next payday for TSA workers, the situation "is going to be a lot worse in the weeks to come" as even fewer officers come to work, Borek said.

"I am actually apologizing to passengers as they come through," he said.

What's ahead for airports

If the shortage of TSA workers gets worse, it is possible some airports mightclose completely.

"It's not hyperbole to suggest that we may have to quite literally shut down airports, particularly smaller ones, if callout rates go up," TSA acting Deputy Administrator Adam Stahl said Tuesday.

TSA doesn't have the power to unilaterally close an airport. But passengers and crews must get screened before they fly, and if there's no one to do it, travelers will stay grounded.

TSA has not stopped all screening at any airport so far during the shutdown, and experts said the agency will exhaust every other possible option before it does.

Meanwhile, some airports have been largely untouched by the effects of the latest shutdown. At20 airportsin the US, security screening is handled not by TSA but by private companies, and their checkpoints are not seeing long lines.

Airports like San Francisco International, Kansas City International, Orlando Sanford, and 17 smaller facilities participate in TSA'sScreening PartnershipProgram, which uses contractors at the checkpoints.

What's ahead for TSA agents

The partial government shutdown is among three lapses in funding resulting in missed pay for TSA staff over the past six months, shortly following the historic 43-day shutdown late last year and a brief lapse in January.

TSA agents working without pay during the busy spring break travel season are poised to continue facing a domino effect of financial hardship behind the scenes, including eviction, empty fridges and overdrawn bank accounts.

They remain caught in the middle as Congress is locked in a stalemate over funding. Tens of thousands of TSA employees are making the choice each day to either stay home or show up to work without pay and usher frustrated travelers through their airports.

DHS said more than 400 officers have chosen a third option since the start of the shutdown: quitting altogether.

Union leaders said some TSA workers chose to quit and many others have taken unscheduled time off since they cannot afford gas or child care needed to go to work.

CNN's Aaron Cooper, Alexandra Skores, Holly Yan, Alaa Elassar, Rebekah Riess, Taylor Romine and Hanna Park contributed to this report.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 22, 2026

What’s ahead as Trump threatens to send ICE agents to airports while TSA workers go unpaid during shutdown

As a shrinking number of Transportation Security Administration agents work to keep hourslong security lines moving despi...

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'Completely lawless': Why this congresswoman wants Pam Bondi impeached

A sophomore in Congress watched with growing concern as the Justice Departmentfired a top ethics official,ousted investigators of the Jan. 6, 2021 attackon the U.S. Capitol, and openedinvestigations into the president's political opponents.

As the transformations at the DOJ mounted, she concluded the nation's top law enforcement official wasn't fit to serve.

"This is an administration that is out of control and that is completely lawless," Rep. Summer Lee, D–Pennsylvania, told USA TODAY March 18, as she explained her decision to introduce articles of impeachment the day before againstAttorney General Pam Bondi.

Lee's impeachment measure, drafted with the help of anti-corruption nonprofit groupFree Speech for People, points to investigations and prosecutions that she says demonstrate the Justice Department is being politicized. Those include charges broughtat the president's urgingagainst some of his longtime critics,former FBI Director James ComeyandNew York Attorney General Letitia James.

A judgedismissed the chargesin November.

"When we think about the authoritarianism that the Trump administration is actively pursuing, this is what we will look at in the end. These are the actions that we will, in history, look back on and say that that was a glaring red flag," she said.

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) (R) talks with Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) as they arrive for a hearing with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi on Feb. 11, 2026 in Washington, DC.

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Pam Bondi faces Congress amid concerns over DOJ Epstein files release

Lee introducedthe articles, which were co-sponsored by several other Democrats, includingMichigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib.

She faces an uphill battle. A majority of the House of Representatives – currently controlled by Republicans – would need to vote for impeachment. An actual conviction in the Senate to oust Bondi from office would require a two-thirds majority in the upper chamber.

This might make observers wonder why Lee even bothered to introduce the measure. But she says there is a growing appetite for accountability, and building more pressure matters.

The articles essentially accuse Bondi of allowing her department to become a personal law firm to servePresident Donald Trump's political interests and carry out his vendettas.

"The real overarching message is that the train is flying off the rails right now," she said.

The articles also accuse Bondi of breaking the law by failing to turn overfiles related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Lee sees those parts of the articles as a potential avenue for helping bring in Republican support.

The Republican-led House Oversight Committeevoted March 4 to subpoena Bondifor testimony on the Justice Department's handling of the Epstein files.

"There is a growing appetite here for some sort of accountability, particularly where it comes to the part of this that is the handling of the Epstein files and the Epstein investigation," Lee said. "We're going to have to build on that momentum."

Trump indicated earlier this month that he plans to stick by his attorney general.

Bondi is a "terrific person," Trumpsaid at a March 5 White House eventcelebrating the 2025 Major League Soccer Champions. "And she's proving how tough she is and I think the next three years she's going to really prove it."

The Justice Department didn't respond to USA TODAY's request for comment.

"Attorney GeneralPam Bondihas worked tirelessly to successfully implement the President's law and order agenda. Attorney General Bondi is doing a great job." White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told USA TODAY in a statement.

Earlier in March, Rep. Shri Thanedar, D–Michigan,introduced his own impeachment articlesagainst Bondi, without any co-sponsors. Those articles separately accuse Bondi of weaponizing the Justice Department against political opponents and obstructing Congress' investigation into Epstein's circle.

Politicizing the DOJ?

The impeachment articles lay out a host of ways that Lee says Bondi has abused her powers by targeting Trump's critics for investigations and prosecutions.

That includes through complying withTrump's request to appoint Lindsey Halligan, a lawyer with no prosecutorial experience, to a top prosecuting role in Virginia. Halligan then heededTrump's callto seek charges from grand juries against Comey and James. A judgelater dismissed the charges.

The impeachment articles note other investigations of people disfavored by Trump, such asSen. Adam Schiff, D–California, Federal Reserve ChairJerome Powell, Federal Reserve Board MemberLisa Cook, andsix members of Congresswho urged military service members not to obey illegal orders.

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"This is something that we cannot accept in our political system," Lee said. "It sets a precedent that our systems, our agencies, our departments are all political footballs."

In aMarch 11 court opinion, afederal judge blocked subpoenasthat are part of a DOJ investigation into Powell's handling of building renovations, writing that the government "produced essentially zero evidence to suspect Chair Powell of a crime; indeed, its justifications are so thin and unsubstantiated that the Court can only conclude that they are pretextual."

The articles also hold Bondi responsible for her department's moves to close investigations and dismiss prosecutions and lawsuits into Trump allies or potential allies, includingborder czar Tom Homan, formerNew York City Mayor Eric Adams, and major Trumpcampaign donor Elon Musk.

"It is not the job of the DOJ to protect or to in any other way run cover for the president of the United States, or run cover for any of (the Trump administration's) friends," Lee said.

The White House has sometimes suggested the Justice Department was weaponized for political purposes underPresident Joe Biden, and that the current administrationis reversing that course.

However, those prosecutions against Trump were brought by a special counsel,Jack Smith, in a role designed to establish greater-than-normal independence from DOJ leadership, and special counsels were also appointed to handle sensitive investigations into then-Democratic President Joe Bidenas well ashis son, Hunter.

The cases against Comey and James were brought by Halligan after the previous official responsible for deciding whether to prosecutereportedly expressed skepticismabout both cases.

Bondi accused of shielding Epstein associates

The impeachment articles also target Bondi's handling of the Epstein files, whichhave earned her criticsonboth sides of the aisle in Congress.

In March 2025, Bondistoked expectations that her Justice Department would be releasing incriminating informationagainst associates of Epstein, who died in a Manhattan jail while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

But just four months later, Bondi's DOJ releaseda memosaying a systematic internal review of the files failed to turn up any incriminating list of clients of Epstein and "(n)o further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted."

Since then, both Republican and Democratic members of Congress have accused the DOJ of illegally withholding documents in the face of, first, a congressional subpoena, and later, a bipartisan transparency law.

Bondi has defended the department's actions, saying it missed a legal deadline for releasing documents because reviewing and redacting the files was a monumental task.

"We had 30 days to redact and release, under the law that was passed, three million documents," Bonditold reporters March 18. "If you stack those up, that's the height of the Eiffel Tower."

Bondi's deputy, Todd Blanche, has said many documents have been withheld in order to protect victim privacy, which is permitted under the transparency law. However, hehas also saidthe DOJ withheld documents for some reasons the law didn't permit, such asto shield internal DOJ deliberationsrelated to Epstein.

Lee criticized the failure of Bondi's DOJ to take new action against Epstein associates, even as theUnited Kingdom has made arrestsbased oninformation in the latest releases of files. She said it shows elites in the U.S. enjoy protections that working class Americans don't get.

"People in America are tired of seeing that two-tiered system of justice," Lee said.

"If we had information ... about men who abused women, we would prosecute them," Blanchesaid Jan. 30.

'The attacks are coming from every angle'

Bondi isn't the only Trump official accused of defying the law and weakening ethical norms within government. Democrats in Congress have alsosought to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, accusing her of directing Immigration and Customs Enforcement to violate the public's constitutional rights in its enforcement actions.

Judges have sometimes backed claims that administration officials are defying the law, and even defying direct court orders.

Minnesota federal Judge Patrick J. Schiltz, a George W. Bush appointee, wrote in aFeb. 26 court order, for instance, that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had violated 210 orders in 143 separate cases, describing the "continued violation" of orders as "beyond the pale."

Lee believes the administration is demonstrating a pattern of dismissing the checks and balances that are imposed by Congress and the court system under the Constitution.

"The attacks are coming from every angle," Lee said. "And that is a fundamental and inherent existential threat to our democracy and to our democratic institutions."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:'Completely lawless': Why this lawmaker wants AG Pam Bondi impeached

byVaclavien Pynzarien

in

March 22, 2026

'Completely lawless': Why this congresswoman wants Pam Bondi impeached

A sophomore in Congress watched with growing concern as the Justice Departmentfired a top ethics official,ousted investig...

Read More

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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