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Trump lashes out at ‘sick’ Iranian leaders, confirms estimated timeline for ending war

Trump also rips NATO allies for only offering help ‘when the other side is annihilated’

By Eric Mack
Fox News

Published March 26, 2026 11:24am EDT

President Donald Trump acknowledged peacemaking with Iran is made difficult because their “sinister, sick” replacement leaders are hiding.

“One of the problems they do have when they deal with us is we deal with people and the people aren’t able to communicate with anybody else, because all of their leadership has been gone,” Trump said at the start of his second Cabinet meeting of 2026 on Thursday.

“The first level is gone. And they met to pick a new level, and they’re gone. They’re all gone because they didn’t make a deal.

“And because they’re sick people, they’re really sick. They’re they’re really sinister, sick people.”

NEW IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER ‘LIKELY DISFIGURED,’ HEGSETH SAYS

Regardless of the struggle to find a diplomatic off-ramp, Trump is pleased with the progress on the “military operation” against Iran, saying the conflict may end after four to six weeks of fighting.

“We estimated it would take approximately four to six weeks to achieve our mission, and we’re way ahead of schedule,” Trump said. “If you look at what we’ve done in terms of the destruction of that country, I mean, we’re way ahead.”

While the chokepoint of the Strait of Hormuz remains an issue — despite the removal of the Iranian military commander that had ordered it closed to the U.S. and its allies — Trump lamented the NATO allies are only now vowing to stand with the U.S.

WHITE HOUSE WARNS IRAN AGAINST BALKING AT DEAL: TRUMP READY TO ‘UNLEASH HELL’

“I said 25 years ago that NATO’s a paper tiger, but more importantly, that we’ll come to their rescue, but they will never come to ours,” Trump said. “And I want you to remember that we said this.: They didn’t come to our rescue.

“Now they all want to help when the other side is annihilated. They said, ‘We’d love to send ships.’ They actually made a statement, a couple of them, that ‘we want to get involved when the war is over.’

“You know, it’s supposed to get involved with the war’s beginning or even before it begins.”

TRUMP ORDERS WAR DEPT TO POSTPONE STRIKES ON IRANIAN ENERGY SITES, CITING ‘PRODUCTIVE’ TALKS TO END WAR

Ultimately, Trump warned, NATO failed a “test,” something that might loom down the road when peace negotiations in Ukraine and potential aspirations for Greenland resurface after Iran is off the top of Trump’s foreign policy agenda.

“Nobody’s a match for the United States,” Trump said, noting Iran’s heavy losses showing “they’re not a match for the United States. It’s small potatoes.

“That’s why I’m so disappointed in NATO, because this was a test for NATO. This was a test. You can help us. You don’t have to, but if you don’t do that, we’re going to remember.”

“Just remember, remember this in a number of months from now,” he continued. “Remember my statements. They have an expression, a great expression: Never forget. It can never forget.”

Eric Mack is a writer for Fox News Digital covering breaking news.

内坦亚胡：将继续打击伊朗政府目标

2026年3月26日 21:31 / 联合早报

以色列总理内坦亚胡说，以色列星期三（3月25日）夜间空袭炸死伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军司令坦格西里，是“我们与盟友美国为实现战争目标而开展合作的又一例证”。 （路透社档案照片）

以色列总理内坦亚胡指出，以色列“将继续以武力打击”伊朗政府的目标。

新华社报道，内坦亚胡星期四（3月26日）在办公室发布的一段视频声明中说，以色列夜间空袭炸死伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军司令坦格西里，是“我们与盟友美国为实现战争目标而开展合作的又一例证”。

当天早些时候，以色列国防部长卡茨声称，坦格西里和其他几名海军高级官员在这次袭击中丧生，并称这次袭击是“对美国重新开放霍尔木兹海峡的援助”，因为坦格西里“直接负责”封锁霍尔木兹海峡等事件。

以色列军方随后声称，伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军情报局局长雷扎伊也在袭击中丧生。

伊朗方面尚未证实以色列的说法。

以色列军方星期四早些时候说，已在伊朗中部城市伊斯法罕及其他地区完成一次“大规模空袭”。作为回击，伊朗数小时后向以色列发射多枚导弹，引发以色列全国范围内的空袭警报。

与此同时，真主党向以色列北部发射了数十枚火箭弹和无人机。据以色列红十字会称，至少有一枚火箭弹直接命中目标，碎片散落在包括特拉维夫在内的多个地点，造成至少八人受伤，以及建筑物受损。

Transgender women athletes banned from women’s Olympic events by new IOC policy

Updated on: March 26, 2026 / 11:10 AM EDT / AP

Transgender women athletes are now excluded from women’s events at the Olympics after the IOC agreed to a new eligibility policy on Thursday which aligns with President Trump’s executive order on sports ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

“Eligibility for any female category event at the Olympic Games or any other IOC event, including individual and team sports, is now limited to biological females,” the International Olympic Committee said, to be determined by a mandatory gene test once in an athlete’s career.

It is unclear how many, if any, transgender women are competing at an Olympic level. No woman who transitioned from being born male competed at the 2024 Paris Summer Games, though weightlifter Laurel Hubbard did at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 without winning a medal.

The eligibility policy that will apply from the LA Olympics in July 2028 “protects fairness, safety and integrity in the female category,” the IOC said.

“It is not retroactive and does not apply to any grassroots or recreational sports programs,” said the IOC, whose Olympic Charter states that access to play sport is a human right.

After an executive board meeting, the International Olympic Committee published a 10-page policy document which also restricts female athletes such as two-time Olympic champion runner Caster Semenya with medical conditions known as differences in sex development, or DSD.

The IOC and its president, Kirsty Coventry, have wanted a clear policy instead of continuing to advise sports’ governing bodies who previously have drafted their own rules.

“At the Olympic Games, even the smallest margins can be the difference between victory and defeat,” Coventry, a two-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming, said in a statement. “So, it is absolutely clear that it would not be fair for biological males to compete in the female category.”

IOC President Kirsty Coventry attends a final press conference with Executive Board members after visiting Olympic and Paralympic Village and various venues in Milan, Italy, Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. Antonio Calanni / AP

She set up a review of “protecting the female category” as one of her first big decisions last June as the first woman to lead the Olympic body in its 132-year history.

Female eligibility was a strong theme in a seven-candidate IOC election last year — held after a furor around women’s boxing in Paris — when Coventry’s main rivals pledged a stronger policy to leading on the issue.

Before the 2024 Paris Olympics, three top-tier sports — track and field, swimming and cycling — excluded transgender women who had been through male puberty. Semenya, who was assigned female at birth in South Africa and has high natural testosterone levels, won a European Court of Human Rights judgment in her years-long legal challenge to track and field’s rules which did not overturn them.

The IOC document details its research that being born male gives physical advantages that a working group of experts believes are retained.

“Males experience three significant testosterone peaks: In utero, in mini-puberty of infancy and beginning in adolescent puberty through adulthood,” the document said.

It added this gives males “individual sex-based performance advantages in sports and events that rely on strength, power and/or endurance.”

The IOC said its expert group agreed the current gene test is “the most accurate and least intrusive method currently available.” It screened for “the SRY gene, a segment of DNA typically found on the Y chromosome that initiates male sex development in utero and indicates the presence of testes/testicles.”

Still, the mandatory gender screening — already conducted by the governing bodies of track and field, skiing and boxing — is likely to be criticized by human rights experts and activist groups.

One of the two women’s boxing gold medalists at the center of the gender controversy in Paris, Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan, has passed her gene test and can return to competition, the World Boxing governing body said last week.

In the U.S., President Trump signed the executive order “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” in February last year, and pledged to deny visas to some athletes attempting to compete at the L.A Olympics. The order also threatened to “rescind all funds” from organizations that allowed transgender athletes to take part in women’s sports.

Within months, the U.S. Olympic body updated its guidance to national sports bodies citing an obligation to comply with the White House.

Low US weekly unemployment claims point to stable labor market

March 26, 2026 12:36 PM UTC / Reuters

By Lucia Mutikani

节点运行失败

Signage for a job fair is seen on 5th Avenue after the release of the jobs report in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., September 3, 2021. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary

• Weekly jobless claims increase 5,000 to 210,000
• Continuing claims drop 32,000 to 1.819 million

WASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) – New applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose slightly last week, suggesting the labor market remains stable and likely giving the Federal Reserve scope to hold interest rates steady while monitoring inflation risks from the conflict in ​the Middle East.

The report from the Labor Department on Thursday also showed the number of people collecting unemployment checks in mid-March was the lowest ‌in nearly two years. Part of the decline, however, was likely due to people exhausting their eligibility for aid, which is limited to 26 weeks in most states.

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The job market remains in what economists describe as a “low-hire, low-fire” state. Economists said it is too early to tell how the labor market would be affected by the surge in oil prices triggered by the ​U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

“It takes time for companies to recognize what a shock like this means for the economy, and then to have the ​conviction needed to start shedding workers,” said Carl Weinberg, chief economist at High Frequency Economics. “Things will decay, we are sure. However, ⁠they have not started to decay yet.”

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits increased 5,000 to a seasonally adjusted 210,000 for the week ended March 21. Economists ​polled by Reuters had forecast 210,000 claims for the latest week. Claims have been tucked in a 201,000-230,000 range this year amid low layoffs.

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Economists said lingering uncertainty caused ​by President Donald Trump’s aggressive import tariffs has undercut demand for workers, with private nonfarm payrolls averaging only 18,000 jobs per month in the three months through February. Reduced labor supply because of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown also is weighing on job growth, they said.

That situation has created what Fed Chair Jerome Powell this month called a “zero-employment growth equilibrium,” that has “a feel of ​downside risk.”

U.S. stocks were trading mostly lower. The dollar rose against a basket of currencies. The turmoil in the Middle East has sparked worries of a ​surge in inflation. Oil prices have jumped more than 30% since the war started at the end of February.

INFLATION RISKS RISING

Import and producer prices shot up in February, and economists expected the ‌hit from ⁠the war, which has also raised fertilizer prices, to be evident in consumer inflation data for March. Economists have been steadily raising their inflation forecasts for this year as the conflict drags on.

The U.S. central bank left its benchmark overnight interest rate in the 3.50%-3.75% range this month. In updated projections released alongside the decision, Fed policymakers anticipated only a single reduction in borrowing costs this year. Financial markets, however, see the odds of any rate cut fading.

The number of people receiving unemployment benefits after ​an initial week of aid, a proxy ​for hiring, decreased 32,000 to a ⁠seasonally adjusted 1.819 million during the week ended March 14, the lowest level since May 2024, the claims report showed.

The so-called continuing claims data covered the period during which the government surveyed households for March’s unemployment rate. Continuing claims fell between ​the February and March survey weeks.

Economists were split on what this meant for March’s unemployment rate, with some predicting ​a decline and others ⁠a rise. They noted that the data did not include young people who are out of work and are having a tough time finding employment. Members of this demographic typically have limited or no work history, disqualifying them from claiming unemployment benefits.

The Chicago Fed is forecasting the unemployment rate to be 4.46% this month, which would round up ⁠to 4.5%. ​The unemployment rate increased to 4.4% in February from 4.3% in January.

“The relationship between claims and unemployment ​is relatively weak from month to month, partly due to noise in the employment report’s household survey, but also because only around a quarter of those unemployed are eligible to claim, with the long-term ​unemployed and new entrants to the labor market generally excluded,” said Oliver Allen, senior U.S. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics.

Reporting by Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Paul Simao

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Reporter’s Notebook: Senate Republicans say SAVE America Act lacks the votes to pass | Fox News

By Chad Pergram | Fox News
Published March 26, 2026 10:25am EDT

Fox News chief congressional correspondent Chad Pergram reports on the Senate’s failure to reach a Homeland Security funding deal as Republicans accuse Democrats of moving the ‘goalposts’ on ‘Special Report.’

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7 min

Parents won’t admit that they have a favorite child.

But they do.

The same is true with lawmakers.

They won’t admit they have a favorite bill.

But they do.

That’s why the SAVE America Act is the favorite bill of Senate Republicans.

Until it isn’t.

TRUMP DEMANDS SAVE AMERICA ACT BE TIED TO DHS FUNDING AMID AIRPORT CHAOS

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, talks with a guest during a rally in support of the SAVE Act on Sept. 10, 2025.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

At some point, lawmakers will forge a deal to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). It could be today. Tomorrow. A week. A month. But it will happen. And until then, the Senate likely squats on the SAVE America Act, which requires proof of citizenship to vote.

The Senate is stalled here, partly because it lacks anything else to do. But mostly because the SAVE America Act is the “favorite child” of Republican senators — for now. It’s good optics for the Senate to look like it’s working on the hallmark of President Donald Trump’s legislative agenda — even if it has no viable path to passage.

And when the Senate eventually secures that DHS agreement, it will likely ditch its favorite child. The DHS bill will quickly matriculate in status to Republican senators.

It’s not that GOP senators loved the SAVE America Act less. But that they loved funding DHS more.

So why wouldn’t the Senate quickly revert to the SAVE America Act as soon as it passes DHS funding? Well, that’s because senators will acquire another favorite child: congressional recess. That’s right. If there’s a DHS deal, lawmakers will abandon Washington for about two weeks to observe Easter and Passover.

Senators will wrestle with the SAVE America Act again down the road. But the measure is likely relegated to the island of misfit toys for legislation. Something called “budget reconciliation.”

More on that in a moment.

Yes. Republicans relish talking about the importance of voter ID and securing elections so persons illegally in the country can’t cast ballots. But if enough Republicans really liked the SAVE America Act, they’d have the votes to pass the measure.

The Senate has incinerated more than a week of debate on the SAVE America Act. Republicans have little to show for their efforts. That is, unless you include the Senate blocking a proposed amendment to bar men from competing in women’s sports. That test vote secured a paltry 49 yeas Saturday afternoon.

Everyone has known where the vote count stands on this for weeks now.

“I’m telling you, the SAVE (America) Act is not going to pass,” said Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin, D-Ill. “They have to change the rules of the Senate for that to happen.”

THUNE ACCUSES CRITICS OF ‘CREATING FALSE EXPECTATIONS’ AMID BACKLASH OVER STALLED SAVE AMERICA ACT

Sen. Dick Durbin during a news conference outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on June 5, 2025.(Eric Lee/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

And, for the record, the Senate lacks the votes to alter the rules, too.

It’s not that Republicans didn’t embrace the SAVE America Act. It’s just that lines at the airports and the risk of terrorism worry them.

The SAVE America Act has emerged as a messaging exercise for Senate Republicans. They can get Democrats on the record about opposing bans on men in women’s sports and voter ID. The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) — the panel charged with electing GOPers to the Senate — is more than happy to document Democrats via a roll call vote how they feel about those subjects. However, the GOP simply lacks the votes to pass the bill.

Moreover, there is finally an opportunity to end the protracted government shutdown. There are only so many exits on the legislative interstate. You have to be able to read a map. Republicans don’t want to miss this exit. The limited interstate exits also apply to opportunities for congressional recesses.

Republicans are about to punt more than Ray Guy.

“We have had this battle now for two weeks,” said Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., on Fox. “This is going to continue after we get back. After the Easter break.”

Some advocates of the bill promise they won’t retreat.

“We’re busting our butt to do what the public wants us to do. We’ve got to secure our elections,” said Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.

“Then why haven’t we seen a 25-hour speech, Sen. Cory Booker [D-N.J.] style, by somebody to keep the Senate in session around the clock?” asked yours truly.

HOUSE CONSERVATIVES ERUPT OVER SENATE GOP, WHITE HOUSE DEAL AMID SAVE ACT FIGHT

Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey is interviewed by Fox News Digital at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics, in Manchester on Nov. 14, 2025.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

“I think we ought to do everything we can,” replied Scott.

Some Republicans say their side raised expectations too high.

“I think anytime you promise something you can’t possibly deliver, you’ve got to be held accountable,” said Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C. “It’s disingenuous to go out to the people and say ‘I’m fighting for you’ when you haven’t even entered the ring.”

So Republicans will try to shoehorn every possible component of the SAVE America Act into a “budget reconciliation” bill later this year. “Try” is the key word. Budget reconciliation is a special process, inoculated from a filibuster and only needs a simple majority to pass. Sounds great, right? But budget reconciliation is an elite Senate process for only money and tax matters. Not policy, like voter ID. And voter ID could be a target of the Senate’s umpire — Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough — if GOPers try to stuff it in that bill.

“Budget reconciliation, as I’ve said before, you have to have a reason to do it,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D. “Obviously, the parliamentarian has a role to play in that process. And in the past, we have respected it. And I would expect we would do that.”

If they’re being honest, few Republicans think budget reconciliation is feasible to salvage parts of the SAVE America Act.

“I don’t think under reconciliation we’re going to be able to pass voter ID,” said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

“The SAVE America act is not reconcilable,” said House Freedom Caucus Chairman Andy Harris, R-Md. “It will never fly past the parliamentarian because it really is predominantly a policy issue.”

“This is fake,” said Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Ohio, about any wing-and-a-prayer effort to wedge the SAVE America Act into budget reconciliation. “It isn’t going to work.”

“A talking filibuster is the most obvious and the most sure way of getting this thing passed,” said Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas. “This reconciliation is not an out for the Senate. They need to do their job and get this bill passed.”

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Rep. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, leaves the House Republican Conference caucus meeting in the Capitol on May 6, 2025.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

But Senate Republicans haven’t shown a willingness to hold the Senate in session until they wear down their opponents and pass the bill via a lengthy talking filibuster. Staying on the bill for now is a parliamentary convenience. Especially after the weekend vote on men playing women’s sports.

The Senate will eventually move on. And senators will eventually embrace yet another favorite legislative child.

Chad Pergram currently serves as Chief Congressional Correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC). He joined the network in September 2007 and is based out of Washington, D.C.

内坦亚胡：将继续打击伊朗政府目标 | 联合早报

发布/2026年3月26日 21:31

以色列总理内坦亚胡说，以色列星期三（3月25日）夜间空袭炸死伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军司令坦格西里，是“我们与盟友美国为实现战争目标而开展合作的又一例证”。 （路透社档案照片）

以色列总理内坦亚胡指出，以色列“将继续以武力打击”伊朗政府的目标。

新华社报道，内坦亚胡星期四（3月26日）在办公室发布的一段视频声明中说，以色列夜间空袭炸死伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军司令坦格西里，是“我们与盟友美国为实现战争目标而开展合作的又一例证”。

当天早些时候，以色列国防部长卡茨声称，坦格西里和其他几名海军高级官员在这次袭击中丧生，并称这次袭击是“对美国重新开放霍尔木兹海峡的援助”，因为坦格西里“直接负责”封锁霍尔木兹海峡等事件。

以色列军方随后声称，伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队海军情报局局长雷扎伊也在袭击中丧生。

伊朗方面尚未证实以色列的说法。

以色列军方星期四早些时候说，已在伊朗中部城市伊斯法罕及其他地区完成一次“大规模空袭”。作为回击，伊朗数小时后向以色列发射多枚导弹，引发以色列全国范围内的空袭警报。

与此同时，真主党向以色列北部发射了数十枚火箭弹和无人机。据以色列红十字会称，至少有一枚火箭弹直接命中目标，碎片散落在包括特拉维夫在内的多个地点，造成至少八人受伤，以及建筑物受损。

世贸总干事：全球贸易经历近80年最严重动荡 | 联合早报

发布/2026年3月26日 21:42

世界贸易组织总干事伊维拉星期四（3月26日）在雅温得举行的世贸组织部长级会议上发表讲话。 （法新社）

世界贸易组织总干事伊维拉说，全球贸易体系正经历“近80年来最严重的动荡”。

法新社报道，伊维拉星期四（3月26日）在世贸组织部长级会议开幕之际说：“我们过去所熟知的世界秩序和多边体系已经发生不可逆转的改变……我们不能否认当今世界面临的问题的严重性。”

她说：“即使在海湾冲突爆发之前，当今世界面临的诸多问题也已经破坏了能源、化肥和食品贸易的稳定。各国政府和国际机构都在努力应对日益加剧的地缘政治紧张局势、不断恶化的气候压力和快速的技术变革。”

在与中东战争相关的全球经济动荡的背景下，世界贸易组织的166个成员似乎存在严重分歧。在为期四天的会议中，世贸组织成员将努力重振这个因地缘政治紧张局势、谈判停滞和保护主义抬头而变得疲弱的机构。

世贸组织部长级会议通常每两年举行一次。这是继2015年在内罗毕之后，第二次在非洲举行。

世贸总干事：全球贸易经历近80年最严重动荡 | 联合早报

发布/2026年3月26日 21:42

世界贸易组织总干事伊维拉星期四（3月26日）在雅温得举行的世贸组织部长级会议上发表讲话。 （法新社）

世界贸易组织总干事伊维拉说，全球贸易体系正经历“近80年来最严重的动荡”。

法新社报道，伊维拉星期四（3月26日）在世贸组织部长级会议开幕之际说：“我们过去所熟知的世界秩序和多边体系已经发生不可逆转的改变……我们不能否认当今世界面临的问题的严重性。”

她说：“即使在海湾冲突爆发之前，当今世界面临的诸多问题也已经破坏了能源、化肥和食品贸易的稳定。各国政府和国际机构都在努力应对日益加剧的地缘政治紧张局势、不断恶化的气候压力和快速的技术变革。”

在与中东战争相关的全球经济动荡的背景下，世界贸易组织的166个成员似乎存在严重分歧。在为期四天的会议中，世贸组织成员将努力重振这个因地缘政治紧张局势、谈判停滞和保护主义抬头而变得疲弱的机构。

世贸组织部长级会议通常每两年举行一次。这是继2015年在内罗毕之后，第二次在非洲举行。

FIRST ON FOX: An unlikely bipartisan duo is teaming up to force defense contractors to prioritize military readiness over shareholder value.

Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., introduced legislation that would require major defense contractors to prioritize delivering weapons by fulfilling their contracts fueled by taxpayer dollars over rewarding shareholders, with stiffer guardrails and oversight on the companies.

Their bill, Prioritizing the Warfighter in Defense Contracting Act of 2026, would restrict stock buybacks, dividends and high executive pay unless companies meet Pentagon performance standards in their contracts.

[TRUMP OVERHAULS US ARMS SALES TO FAVOR KEY ALLIES, PROTECT AMERICAN WEAPONS PRODUCTION]

Sens. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., joined forces to introduce legislation that would crack down on underperforming defense contractors.(Al Drago/Getty Images; Rick Kern/Getty Images for Vox Media)

“America’s defense contractors should be focused on expanding production, not padding their bottom lines,” Hawley said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “But even as they make record profits, some firms have spent big on stock buybacks, dividend payouts and exorbitant executive salaries.”

The lawmakers argued that for several years, defense contractors have struggled to deliver weapons systems on time, on budget or in sufficient quantities for the military, and instead dumped the eye-popping sums of taxpayer money flowing to them into their own coffers, rather than invest in research and development that could speed up the process.

They pointed to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report published last year that found that defense acquisition programs were plagued by delays and cost overruns, with delays for major programs increasing “by 18 months” in just the last year, with combined cost estimates creeping over $49 billion during the same period.

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Aerial view of the Pentagon building in Arlington, Va., on Oct. 22, 2025.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc. via Getty Images)

Since 2021, the top four defense contractors — Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, General Dynamics and Boeing — have increased spending and spent $89 billion on stock buybacks and dividends. Two-thirds of that came from taxpayer dollars, according to Warren’s office.

“It makes no sense for the federal government to fork over billions in taxpayer dollars to giant military contractors while their executives buy back their own company’s stock instead of investing in our national defense,” Warren said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “This bipartisan bill will stop defense contractors from abusing the system at taxpayer expense and put our national security over Wall Street profits.”

The legislation also gives the Pentagon more oversight tools to identify underperforming defense contractors and require those contractors to submit a remediation plan.

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President Donald Trump speaks with the media before boarding Air Force One, Monday, March 23, 2026, at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida.(Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo)

It also grants the Department of War stronger enforcement powers for contractors that aren’t meeting the agency’s standards, including suspending contract payments, ending eligibility for progress payments or terminating contracts altogether.

Hawley and Warren’s bill would also require the Pentagon to provide public reports on the contractors subject to their law, which contractors were granted waivers from the change in requirements and which companies have violated the rules.

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The legislation would also codify an executive order President Donald Trump signed earlier this year that required a similar crackdown on underperforming defense contractors.

“Earlier this year, President Trump led the way with an executive order barring underperforming defense companies from engaging in these practices,” Hawley said. “Now, it’s time for Congress to act by codifying the president’s executive order into law, ensuring that America’s warfighters are prioritized over corporate profit.”

Alex Miller is a writer for Fox News Digital covering the U.S. Senate.

More than 100 daily high temperature records are expected through Sunday, forecasts show

By
Emily Mae Czachor

Emily Mae Czachor is a reporter and news editor at CBSNews.com. She typically covers breaking news, extreme weather and issues involving social justice. Emily Mae previously wrote for outlets like the Los Angeles Times, BuzzFeed and Newsweek.

March 26, 2026 / 11:05 AM EDT / CBS News

High temperatures are expected to continue baking large sections of the U.S. through the end of the week, potentially setting more than 100 new daily temperature records between Thursday and Sunday, forecasts show.

More than 50 of those possible record highs may be seen on Thursday alone, as a massive heat wave expands further into the western two-thirds of the country, said CBS News meteorologist Nikki Nolan. Temperatures were forecast to linger around 30 or 40 degrees above average in a number of southwestern and central states, continuing a trend that began earlier in the week and has already brought unprecedented heat to the region.

Daily temperature highs forecast for Thursday, March 26, 2026. CBS News

Some of the records anticipated for Thursday could be set in major cities and metropolitan areas like Dallas, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Louisville, Nashville and Phoenix, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Digital Forecast Database.

The hottest conditions were expected in Phoenix, where temperatures could reach 100 degrees Fahrenheit, potentially breaking a 40-year-old record and continuing a string of triple-digit days that may not be letting up just yet. This would be the Arizona capital’s second consecutive daily temperature record after it broke one on Wednesday when temperatures also hit 100 degrees.

In Dallas, temperatures could climb to 89 degrees, surpassing a daily record set in 2018. In Amarillo, Texas, they could soar to 99, which would top a 2020 record for the date by 11 degrees, said Nolan. Albuquerque could see an 88-degree day, a high for the day not seen since 1971.

Temperatures in El Paso, Kansas City, Las Vegas, Memphis, Nashville, Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Tulsa and Wichita were all forecast to potentially break daily records with possible high temperatures of more than 90 degrees.

Some of the potential daily temperature records that could be broken Thursday. CBS News

The latest wave of potential record highs follows records set in more than a dozen states on Wednesday, when many cities hit 90 degrees or higher. In Denver, it was the hottest March day ever recorded.

The heat wave that initially brought unusual warmth to the West last week has been slowly moving eastward, with forecasts indicating it would arrive on the southeastern coast by Friday. Along the way, it may fuel a series of potentially severe storms across parts of the Midwest.

Daily temperature highs forecast for Friday, March 27, 2026. CBS News