Trump's voting bill ultimatum adds to pressure on Congress

By: The Hill

Published on: March 9, 2026, 10:36 am

Morning Report is The Hill's a.m. newsletter. Subscribe here. In today's issue: ▪ Trump puts pressure on Thune ▪ Iran chooses new supreme leader ▪ Trust in public health institutions drops ▪ Officials investigate U.S. Embassy explosion President Trump’s declared refusal to sign any legislation until Congress passes a key bill that would add new voting requirements...

String of legal wins offers hope to college protesters

By: The Hill

Published on: March 9, 2026, 10:00 am

College protesters are riding high after a series of legal victories. After thousands of arrests and fierce pushback from schools during the 2024 pro-Palestinian demonstrations, many of those detained by the Trump administration have been released, and last week, the courts vacated school punishments against one of the most prominent groups: the activists who took over a...

Buttigieg leans on combat experience to criticize Trump’s ‘war of choice’ in Iran

By: The Hill

Published on: March 9, 2026, 10:00 am

The Iran war has given former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg an opening to lean hard on his military background, blasting President Trump's “war of choice” in a series of public appearances. As one of the few potential 2028 Democratic presidential contenders with combat-zone experience, Buttigieg is emerging as one of Trump's loudest critics as foreign...

Iran’s World Cup status falls in doubt as war with U.S. widens 

By: The Hill

Published on: March 9, 2026, 10:00 am

U.S. military operations in Iran are placing the country’s status for the 2026 World Cup in doubt, creating a logistical and political crisis for FIFA as the latest conflict in the Middle East stretches into a second week. Iran is slated to play its three group stage games in the U.S., which is hosting the soccer tournament with Mexico and Canada. Two...

Noem’s ouster could pave way to reopen shuttered Homeland Security Department

By: The Hill

Published on: March 9, 2026, 10:00 am

The ouster of Kristi Noem opens the path for a potential deal to reopen the Department of Homeland Security, according to Senate sources familiar with negotiations. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said Noem’s departure from Homeland Security is a “major step” that he said should move the negotiations closer to a deal. A Senate...

RFK Jr. losing battle to boost trust in public health agencies

By: The Hill

Published on: March 9, 2026, 10:00 am

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has defended some of his controversial moves as being part of his effort to restore faith in public health agencies. It doesn’t seem to be working. Polling from the start of this year shows that public trust in government health institutions has continued to decline during...

Hegseth says ‘there will be more casualties’ in Iran operation

By: The Hill

Published on: March 9, 2026, 2:52 am

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that “there will be more casualties” in the ongoing U.S. operation against Iran, with seven American service members having died so far in the fighting. “The president's been right to say there will be casualties. Things like this don't happen without casualties,” Hegseth said in an interview that aired on...

Former Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio posts photo with Rubio at 'Shield of the Americas' summit

By: The Hill

Published on: March 9, 2026, 12:34 am

Enrique Tarrio, a far-right activist and former Proud Boys national chair, posted a photo of himself with Secretary of State Marco Rubio taken at the inaugural "Shield of the Americas" summit in Florida on Saturday. Tarrio posted the photo on Saturday on the social platform X with a caption that read, in part, "Proud of...

Trump says rising oil prices 'a very small price to pay' for 'safety and peace'

By: The Hill

Published on: March 8, 2026, 11:30 pm

President Trump said Sunday that increasing prices of oil are “a very small price to pay” for “safety and peace” amid the U.S. conflict with Iran. “Short term oil prices, which will drop rapidly when the destruction of the Iran nuclear threat is over, is a very small price to pay for U.S.A., and World,...

Centcom issues safety warning to Iranian civilians 

By: The Hill

Published on: March 8, 2026, 10:49 pm

U.S. Central Command (Centcom) has issued a safety warning to Iranian civilians amid the U.S.’s current conflict with Iran, stating that the country’s government “is using heavily populated civilian areas to conduct military operations.” “U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is issuing a safety warning to civilians in Iran, March 8, as Iran’s terrorist regime blatantly disregards...

Former Joint Chiefs chair on Iran conflict: 'I worry about this getting drawn out'

By: The Hill

Published on: March 8, 2026, 10:14 pm

Former Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Mike Mullen said Sunday that he has anxiety around the potential for a lasting U.S. conflict in Iran — which has led to the deaths of seven U.S. service members as of Sunday. “We've got friends and allies out there. We've got the economy of the world, in great...

Iran 'capable enough' to defend itself if US sends ground forces: Foreign minister

By: The Hill

Published on: March 8, 2026, 10:04 pm

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday his country could feasibly defend itself in the event of a U.S. ground incursion. “For the time being we are capable enough. We have very brave soldiers, who are waiting for any enemy who enters into our soil to fight with them, and to kill them and destroy...

Iran clerics choose Khamenei's son as next supreme leader

By: The Hill

Published on: March 8, 2026, 9:43 pm

Iranian clerics elected the son of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as the next leader of the country, Iranian state media reported Sunday, as the U.S. and Israel continue to pummel the country with military strikes. Mojtaba Khamenei was elected by a body of 88 Iranian clerics in the wake of the death...

Jeffries declines to say whether he'll block Pentagon funding: 'We'll cross that bridge when we get to it'

By: The Hill

Published on: March 8, 2026, 9:33 pm

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.) on Sunday did not commit to either supporting or opposing additional funding for the Pentagon amid the war in Iran. “We'll cross that bridge when we get to it in terms of if the administration makes a request to Congress to consider additional funding,” Jeffries told host Kristen Welker...

Democrats make political bet on DHS demands, despite GOP's Iran warnings

By: The Hill

Published on: March 8, 2026, 9:00 pm

A week after President Trump launched strikes against Iran, Democrats are digging in against reopening the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) without significant reforms to the agency.  Party leaders are amplifying their demands for tougher rules governing agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Rank-and-file Democrats appear to...