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柯文哲涉京华城案今下午宣判 刑期若判十年以上2028总统梦碎

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台湾在野的民众党前主席柯文哲涉及京华城容积率收贿等罪案，被求刑28年六个月，台北地方法院星期四（3月26日）下午将进行一审宣判。 （柯文哲脸书）

台湾在野的民众党前主席柯文哲被诉京华城容积率收贿等罪案，被求刑28年六个月，台北地方法院预定在星期四（3月26日）下午一审宣判。台媒报道，若柯文哲被判处超过十年有期徒刑，根据法律规定，他将不得参选正副总统，等同提前宣告2028年总统大选梦碎。

综合《自由时报》、《联合报》、《中国时报》等报道，柯文哲被控收受威京集团主席沈庆京1710万元（新台币、下同，69万新元）贿赂，护航图利京华城取得价值121亿余元的20%不法容积奖励，另涉公益侵占民众党政治献金、背信挪用众望基金会资金用以支付民众党党工薪水，台北地检署依四大罪起诉柯文哲并求刑28年六个月。案经台北地方法院审理一年多，订于星期四下午2时30分宣判。

根据台湾《总统副总统选举罢免法》规定，若被判处死刑、无期徒刑或十年以上有期徒刑，在判决尚未确定前，依法不得登记为总统、副总统候选人。因此，柯文哲被控四罪，无论几件被判有罪，只要被宣告应执行十年以上，他就不能登记为2028年的正副总统候选人。

台湾法律界有人认为，柯文哲案合议庭过去对审理案件的量刑不轻，绝少出现无罪判决，过去也曾判过比检方求刑还重的情况；但也有人指出，检方在此次侦办过程中，不仅程序出现诸多争议、多名关键证人在法庭上翻供，证据是否足够恐有争议。

民众党主席黄国昌星期三（3月25日）说，这是一场长期抗战，民众党唯一的武器是真相与价值，“我们会清楚告诉社会大众，柯文哲清清白白，民众党绝对不会屈服于政治胁迫”。

台北市警方预估可能有百名柯文哲支持者“小草”星期四在法院外集结声援，已规划40名警力维持秩序，另有40名警力待命因应突发状况。

王毅：中东战事是非曲直十分清楚 当务之急是积极劝和促谈 | 联合早报

发布时间：2026年3月26日 07:54 | 来源：联合早报

中东局势持续紧张，中国外长王毅星期三（3月25日）分别与土耳其和埃及两国外长通电话。王毅与土耳其外长通话时强调，中东战事的是非曲直十分清楚，并说当务之急是积极劝和促谈，推动战火平息。

中国外交部在官网公布，王毅应约同土耳其外长费丹通电话时强调，中东战事的是非曲直十分清楚，国际社会有必要对此秉持客观公正立场。目前战事正迅速外溢，蔓延至整个地区。当务之急是积极劝和促谈，抓住和平机会，推动战火平息。

王毅也说，中国支持地区国家保持冷静，从长远和根本利益出发理性应对当前危局，坚持通过对话化解矛盾分歧，支持土耳其为推动恢复谈判发挥建设性作用。

王毅也应约同埃及外长阿卜杜勒阿提通电话。王毅说，中国和埃及都是负责任大国，都反对未经联合国安理会授权的军事行动，反对袭击平民和民用设施，不赞成波及海湾国家。

他也说，中东局势变化很快，美国和伊朗都在释放谈判信息，出现了一线和平的曙光。这场战争再打下去只会带来更多伤亡和无谓损失，导致局势进一步外溢。国际社会应积极推动冲突当事方开启对话，只要谈起来，和平就有希望。

王毅强调，安理会的行动要有助于缓和局势并推动对话，有助于防止战火扩大，而不能给使用武力开通行证。中国支持埃及继续发挥斡旋作用，推动恢复和谈、停止战争，中国也愿为此继续作出建设性努力。

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USPS to add temporary fuel surcharge, raising some postage prices as transportation costs jump

March 25, 2026 / 6:09 PM EDT / CBS News

The U.S. Postal Service is temporarily hiking postage prices to account for surging fuel costs caused by the Iran war, the agency announced on Wednesday.

The USPS said it will impose an 8% surcharge on select postage prices, beginning April 26, pending approval by the Postal Regulatory Commission. The extra charge will remain in place through Jan. 17, 2027, when the Postal Service will reevaluate its costs.

“This temporary price adjustment will provide needed flexibility for the Postal Service by helping to ensure that the actual costs of doing business are covered, as required by Congress,” USPS said in the announcement.

The 8% price increase applies to Priority Mail Express, Priority Mail, USPS Ground Advantage and Parcel Select services. It does not affect the price of first-class stamps or any other products or services.

The USPS, a self-financed federal agency, noted that it typically receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and funds its operations by selling postage, products and services.

“We have steadfastly avoided surcharges, and this charge is less than one-third of what our competitors charge for fuel alone, so even with this change, the Postal Service continues to offer great value in shipping with some of the lowest rates in the industrialized world,” it said.

The average U.S. gas price is nearing $4 a gallon, up more than $1 from a month ago, according to AAA. The cost of diesel has jumped even more and now averages $5.37 a gallon, up from $3.75 a month ago.

Earlier this month, U.S. Postmaster General David Steiner said in a congressional hearing that the agency wants to raise first-class stamp prices to between 90 cents and 95 cents, up from the current rate of 78 cents.

The USPS has long struggled with high costs and declining mail volume, resulting in a $9 billion loss in 2025. While the Postal Service has a 10-year plan to reduce expenses and restore profitability, the agency still faces major financial challenges, with Steiner telling the House Oversight Committee that the USPS is at risk of running out of cash in 12 months.

Edited by Alain Sherter

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/cbs-news-poll-shows-majority-of-americans-dont-approve-of-iran-war-as-gas-prices-rise/

Trump boosts GOP war chest as House Republicans gear up for high-stakes midterm fight

NRCC Chair Richard Hudson beefing up fundraising as Republicans defend their razor-thin 218-214 House majority in midterm elections

By Paul SteinhauserFox News

Published March 25, 2026 5:06pm EDT

WATCH LIVE: President Trump speaks at NRCC Annual Fundraising Dinner

President Trump delivers the keynote address at the event in D.C., outlining the Republican strategy to expand their House majority in 2026.

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House Republicans are expecting a major boost from President Donald Trump on Wednesday as they build resources to defend their razor-thin congressional majority in November’s midterm elections.

Rep. Richard Hudson, the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) chair, is expected to announce a major haul at the group’s annual fundraising dinner in the nation’s capital, which will be headlined by Trump.

The fundraising is much needed, with Republicans aiming to not only defend but expand their current 218-214 House majority in the midterms.

SCOOP: HOUSE CAMPAIGN ARM LAUNCHES ‘MAGA MAJORITY’ TO BOOST TRUMP-ALIGNED CANDIDATES

President Donald Trump helped the National Republican Congressional Committee haul in a record $36.8 million as he headlined the House GOP campaign arm’s annual fundraising dinner.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Republicans are battling stiff political headwinds as the party in power in the nation’s capital traditionally loses seats in the midterms, and a rough political climate fueled by economic concerns over persistent inflation, an unpopular war with Iran and Trump’s underwater approval ratings.

CASH SURGE: HOUSE GOP SHATTERS FUNDRAISING RECORD

And public opinion polling suggests the economy and immigration, winning issues for Trump and Republicans in the 2024 elections, may be liabilities now.

An exterior view of the House side of the U.S. Capitol Jan. 12, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Paul Steinhauser/Fox News)

The NRCC is neck and neck with the rival Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) as it raked in $117.2 million last year, its best-ever off-election year haul other than 2021, when Democrats controlled the White House and Congress. While the DCCC out-raised the NRCC last month by nearly $4 million, both committees had roughly the same amount of cash in their coffers.

HOUSE DEMOCRATS EXPAND REPUBLICAN TARGET LIST IN MIDTERM SHOWDOWN

“We know Republicans have seemingly infinite money that they have been raising,” DCCC Chair Rep. Suzan DelBene of Washington State told Fox News Digital.

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“We’re neck and neck with our Republican counterparts, and it’s because people know how important it is that we take back the House and that we have a check on this administration.

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“I think that we have an incredible opportunity because the American people understand we have great candidates, and we’re going to have the resources to get their message out.”

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.”

US Postal Service seeks temporary 8% price hike to address fuel costs

2026-03-25T21:08:06.061Z / Reuters

By David Shepardson

March 25, 2026 9:08 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago

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WASHINGTON, March 25 (Reuters) – The U.S. Postal Service said on Wednesday it is seeking ​approval for a temporary 8% price hike for priority mail and ‌package deliveries, effective April 26, to deal with rising transportation fuel costs.

The USPS, which needs approval from the Postal Regulatory Commission for the temporary price increase, said the surcharge ​will provide a “bridge to a permanent mechanism to reflect market conditions ​in prices for competitive products” and comes as USPS has ⁠warned it could run out of money as soon as October.

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The hike ​will not affect the price of first-class stamps.

USPS said FedEx (FDX.N), opens new tab and UPS (UPS.N), opens new tab have ​imposed fuel surcharges of 25% to 28% for ground and air deliveries since the start of the Iran war as a result of the jump in oil prices, including sharp rises ​in jet fuel and diesel.

“Transportation costs have been increasing, and our competitors ​have reacted with a number of surcharges,” USPS said. “We have steadfastly avoided surcharges and this ‌charge ⁠is less than one-third of what our competitors charge for fuel alone.”

USPS plans for the surcharge to be in effect through January 17 of next year, by which time the agency will determine whether a different long-term approach ​is needed.

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U.S. Postmaster ​General David Steiner ⁠told Congress earlier this month that hiking first-class mail stamp prices to 95 cents or $1 or more, up from ​the current 78 cents, would provide added revenue and ​help it ⁠cut losses.

Stamp prices are up 46% since early 2019, when they were 50 cents, but Steiner said they are still far lower than in other countries. ⁠USPS has ​reported net losses of $118 billion since 2007 ​as first-class mail, its most profitable product, has fallen to its lowest volume since the late ​1960s.

Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington, Editing by Franklin Paul and Matthew Lewis

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White House turns down Elon Musk’s offer to pay TSA workers during DHS shutdown

March 25, 2026 / 5:25 PM EDT / CBS News

The White House has rejected an offer from billionaire Elon Musk to pay TSA workers during a partial government shutdown that has disrupted airport travelers across the country, several sources told CBS News.

The suggestion was taken seriously by Trump administration officials, but there could be legal challenges for Musk to cover the pay, even indirectly, because of Musk’s various government contracts, one source said.

Another reason: White House officials believe the partial shutdown is likely to end soon, according to sources.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt blamed Democrats for the shutdown and called for the restoration of funding.

“It’s the Democrats who have led to this stalemate over the past six weeks,” Leavitt said Wednesday. “The president and the Republicans’ position has been very clear — fund the Department of Homeland Security.”

In a post on X Saturday, Musk wrote, “I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country.”

President Trump told reporters Monday, “I’d love it. I think it’s great. Let him do that.”

The cost would be about $250 million, two sources said.

Homeland Security spokespeople didn’t immediately comment; neither did Musk.

Administration officials had debated whether Musk could give the money to the government’s general fund, which could then be used to pay the workers. An outside individual is legally barred from paying government employees directly, according to the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson told CBS News, “We greatly appreciate Elon’s generous offer,” but she added, “This would pose great legal challenges due to his involvement with federal government contracts. The fastest way to ensure TSA employees — and all DHS employees — get paid is for Democrats to fund the Department of Homeland Security.”

TSA workers are about to miss their second full paycheck since the partial shutdown began. The only paycheck they have received was for half pay near the beginning of the shutdown.

The acting head of the TSA said Wednesday that as of Friday, agency employees will have lost a billion dollars in income over this 40-day shutdown and the 43-day shutdown last fall.

Kristin Brown and Kathryn Krupnik contributed to this report.

https://www.cbsnews.com/video/white-house-rejects-elon-musk-offer-pay-tsa-workers/

Fox News Poll: Voters oppose action in Iran but give US military positive marks

March 25, 2026 6:00pm EDT / Fox News

Voters are split on what role the United States should play in the world, while attitudes on the military action in Iran reflect sharp partisanship, according to a new Fox News national survey.

Forty-two percent support the current U.S. military action against Iran, and 58% oppose it, including nearly 4 in 10 who are strongly opposed.

The partisan divide is stark: 77% of Republicans support the effort compared to 12% of Democrats and 28% of independents. Within the GOP, support ranges from 90% among MAGA supporters to 52% of non-MAGA Republicans.

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The gender divide is less pronounced, with support at 38% among women and 45% among men.

Support is tempered by doubts about the long-term outcome, as more voters believe it will make the United States less safe rather than safer (44% vs. 33%). Another quarter think it won’t make much difference.

On the broader question of what U.S. foreign policy should be, half (50%) say the U.S. should be more engaged and take the lead in world events, while 48% prefer a less engaged, more reactive approach. Republicans favor engagement (72%), while Democrats prefer a less-engaged posture (64%). MAGA supporters are the most pro-engagement (80%), followed by voters who have served in the U.S. military (70%).

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Voters largely agree that the most important U.S. objectives in Iran should be reducing its ability to support terrorism in the region (70%), ending Iran’s nuclear weapons program (69%), and protecting the flow of oil from the region (66%). A slim majority says the same about bringing about regime change (53%).

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Some 64% of voters disapprove of how President Trump is handling Iran, up from 57% disapproval in January. On foreign policy, 62% disapprove, up from 60% last month.

Trump’s overall job rating stands at 41% approve and 59% disapprove. For comparison, former President Barack Obama’s job rating at this same point in his second term was 40% approve vs. 53% disapprove (March 2014).

The president’s 59% disapproval rating is the highest for either term. Nearly half, 47%, strongly disapprove. Last month, his rating was 43% approve vs. 57% disapprove. A year ago, his marks were underwater by only 2 points: 49% vs. 51%.

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Approval of Trump among Republicans has slipped to a second-term low of 84%, down from 92% last March. At the same time, an all-time high 16% of Republicans disapprove. This shift can be attributed, at least in part, to declining support among non-MAGA Republicans, as approval dropped 11 points in the last year among this group (70% in March 2025 to 59% today). Virtually all MAGA Republicans continue to approve of Trump, with 98% approving a year ago and 97% now.

Among Democrats, 95% disapprove — marking the fourth time this term disapproval of Trump reached a record high. Among independents, 25% approve, 75% disapprove.

Evaluations of the U.S. military’s performance in the Iranian conflict are more positive than negative: 58% rate it as excellent or good, but a substantial 41% say only fair or poor.

When asked how things are going in Iran, 47% of voters say the effort is going well, while a larger 52% disagrees. Only one in five say things are going “very” well (19%).

Most Democrats say things are going badly in Iran (79%) and rate the military negatively (63% only fair or poor), while most Republicans say things are going well (81%) and rate U.S. forces positively (86% excellent or good).

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“Historically, foreign policy attitudes have been notoriously context dependent,” says Republican Daron Shaw, who conducts Fox News polls with Democrat Chris Anderson. “Today, it seems many partisans rate the Iranian conflict based on their broader perceptions of Trump. Facts on the ground are interpreted to conform to partisan predispositions.”

As the conflict enters its fourth week, few expect the swift conclusion Trump predicted. Only 13% believe it will be over in a matter of weeks, while 37% expect it to last months, and 15% anticipate a full year. Some 35% think the end is more than a year away.

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Republicans are more likely to expect a quick resolution, while Democrats think it will be a long haul.

On specific goals of the operation, half or more voters gave the U.S. positive marks for disrupting Iran’s leadership structure (55% excellent/good), reducing its ability to develop nuclear weapons (53%), and limiting U.S. troop casualties (50%). At the same time, majorities are more negative on setting clear goals for the operation (54% only fair/poor), limiting civilian casualties (55%), and gaining support from key countries (61%).

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Veterans are more supportive than voters overall. They back the current action in Iran (61%), say it is going well (67%), and more of them think it will make the country safer (45%) than less safe (31%). Veterans are also more likely to approve of the president’s job performance overall (55%) and on Iran (53%).

Poll-pourri

How do voters view the White House’s current approach to world affairs? By a 20-point margin, more say it is focused on issues outside of U.S. security than on U.S. national security.

Concern about Iran obtaining nuclear weapons stands at 66%, back to where it was in April 2025, after rising to 78% following the U.S. strikes on Iran in June 2025.

For comparison, more voters are worried about attacks in the U.S. by non-Islamic (70%) and Islamic terrorists (73%). Even larger numbers are concerned about political divisions within the country (80%), gas prices (80%), and healthcare (81%). And of course, inflation remains the biggest worry, with 86% expressing concern about high prices.

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Conducted March 20-23, 2026, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,001 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (104) and cellphones (641) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (256). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

As head of the polling unit, Dana Blanton runs the Fox News Poll and oversees the Fox News Voter Analysis election survey.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6391656182112

Appeals court lets Trump administration hold many immigration detainees without bond

March 25, 2026 / 5:55 PM EDT / CBS News

A panel of appeals court judges handed the Trump administration a major legal victory on Wednesday in its quest to detain large swaths of immigrants living in the country illegally, saying that people who entered the United States without inspection and admission can be detained without bond.

The 2-1 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit marks the second time that a federal appellate court has sided with the administration on the issue, even as hundreds of lower court judges across the country have taken the opposite view. The conservative Fifth Circuit issued a similar ruling earlier this year.

Wednesday’s ruling could impact more than 1,000 immigration detention cases in Minnesota alone, according to a source in the U.S. Attorney’s office in that state. The Eighth Circuit also oversees six other states stretching from North Dakota to Arkansas.

The case involved a man named Joaquin Herrera Avila, a citizen of Mexico who was apprehended by the Department of Homeland Security in Minneapolis last August. DHS detained him without bond and brought removal proceedings against him.

His lawyers filed a petition of habeas corpus seeking his release, and the U.S. District Court in Minnesota granted the request. Wednesday’s decision reversed the lower court’s ruling.

The majority opinion was drafted by Judge Bobby Shepherd, a George W. Bush appointee, and joined by Judge L. Steven Grasz, a Trump appointee. Judge Ralph R. Erickson, who was appointed during President Trump’s first term, dissented.

“Except for a single DUI, for nearly 20 years, Joaquin Herrera Avila had been living a law-abiding life in the United States,” Erickson wrote. “For the past 29 years, Avila would have been entitled to a bond hearing during his removal proceedings. The court now holds that Avila—and millions of others—are subject to mandatory detention.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi lauded the ruling in a post on X.

“MASSIVE COURT VICTORY against activist judges and for President Trump’s law and order agenda!” she wrote. “The Eighth Circuit has held that illegal aliens can be detained without bond — following a similar ruling from the Fifth Circuit last month. The law is very clear, but Democrats and activist judges haven’t wanted to enforce it. This administration WILL.”

In the past, undocumented immigrants who lived in the U.S. for years had typically been eligible for bond hearings where they could ask an immigration judge to let them fight their deportation cases without remaining detained.

But the Trump administration has argued that anyone who entered the U.S. illegally is subject to mandatory deportation, unless immigration authorities grant them parole on humanitarian or public interest grounds.

Last fall, a Justice Department-run immigration court made a sweeping determination that the government could essentially detain a large swath of immigrants indefinitely while their removal proceedings are pending.

Since then, federal courts across the United States have been crushed by a tidal wave of cases filed by immigrants challenging their detention. In most cases, U.S. District Courts have sided with the immigrants and ruled against the government. According to a tally from Politico, more than 400 judges have ruled against the government in more than 5,000 cases.

The federal court district in Minnesota, where the case taken up by the Eighth Circuit originated, has had an especially challenging time handling immigration detention cases, in part due to staffing shortfalls. Attorneys from other units of the federal government, including military Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) officers and ICE lawyers, have been shifted to assist the Justice Department in Minnesota.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Minnesota Daniel Rosen said in a court filing earlier this year that his staff were facing “an enormous burden.”

“This office has been forced to shift its already limited resources from other pressing and important priorities,” Rosen wrote. “Paralegals are continuously working overtime. Lawyers are continuously working overtime.”

Jonah Kaplan and Camilo Montoya-Galvez contributed to this report.

GOP lawmakers vent frustration over Trump administration’s lack of info on Iran war

2026-03-25T23:51:35.355Z / CNN

By Annie Grayer, Sarah Ferris, Lauren Fox, Ted Barrett

15 min ago

PUBLISHED Mar 25, 2026, 7:51 PM ET

Donald Trump National security The Middle East Federal agencies

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An Iranian firefighter walks on the rubble of a destroyed residential building in Tehran, Iran, on March 23, 2026.

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A key group of House Republicans are growing increasingly wary of the US war with Iran after a briefing with Department of Defense officials on Wednesday left some unsatisfied with what they were told about the objectives and length of the war effort.

Briefers faced questions by Democrats and Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee about the Trump administration’s overall strategy, end game and whether the US would put military troops on the ground in Iran, but many left with concerns over what they said was a lack of clarity provided.

The reaction to the closed-door briefing is the latest example that cracks are emerging among congressional Republicans over the Iran war as lawmakers are growing increasingly skeptical about spending billions of dollars to prolong the conflict. Several Republicans have said they will refuse to support any more money for the war without a clear White House strategy.

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House Armed Services Chairman Mike Rogers described “frustration on both sides of the aisle in the last few briefings” — including the one Wednesday — with the war now in its fourth week and a major funding request on the way. Rogers said members did not receive adequate information about plans for ground troops, the end goal or the expected price tag, among other questions.

“They’re moving troops into the CENTCOM and the combatant command, and we want to know more about what options they’re considering. And we aren’t given any details,” Rogers said. “This is one in a series where we feel like the administration needs to be more forthcoming when they send folks over here. That’s good that they finally started sending people over here, but they have to tell us meaningful things while they’re here.”

Rogers said lawmakers made their concerns clear to the Pentagon officials, who “took the message,” adding: “My hope is that the next briefing and those thereafter will be more fruitful.”

GOP Rep. Nancy Mace told CNN she stormed out of the briefing exasperated by the lack of clarity and would be a “no” on any requests for additional funding until she gets answers to her questions about just how long the US may be engaged in the conflict in Iran. She even argued that all lawmakers would be against approving more money for the war effort if they heard the briefing Armed Services Committee members received on Wednesday.

“I felt like the House Armed Services Committee was misled during that briefing. They didn’t have a lot of answers,” Mace said following the meeting. “Every day this drags on the less support on the Republican side.”

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement to CNN, “President Trump’s administration has briefed Congress throughout Operation Epic Fury and before the military action began. To date, the Department of State, Department of War, and Intelligence Community have conducted 20 bipartisan briefings for Members of Congress, including two briefings for the House Armed Services Committee. The President’s team will continue to work closely with the Hill while completely demolishing the Iranian regime’s ballistic missile capabilities, navy, ability to arm proxies, and dreams of possessing a nuclear weapon.”

CNN has reached out to the Department of Defense.

While GOP Rep. Clay Higgins said he personally was happy with the briefing, he described it as the “most contentious” Armed Services Committee briefing he has seen.

“I believe members kind of went in there determined to not be satisfied with the administration,” Higgins said. “I didn’t find it any less professional or complete than previous briefings. This is a delicate thing, an ongoing military operation and some of the questions that my Democratic colleagues were asking … they were like designed to be unanswerable.”

GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson said some of his colleagues wanted the Pentagon officials to elaborate more than the briefers felt like they were able to.

“I guess some people wanted them to elaborate more than they felt like they were able to,” Jackson said.

House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the Trump administration in response to members’ growing frustrations.

“They’ve given member briefings at the classified level. Every member is privy to whatever information they need and I’m not sure how much more transparent they can be,” he said.

Lawmakers on the Senate Armed Services Committee were also briefed Wednesday, but Republicans in that chamber seemed less concerned about the information provided.

When asked by CNN if he was satisfied by the briefing from the administration, GOP Sen. Mike Rounds said that “any information we can get helps. Naturally, we always want more.”

“We’re trying to do our due diligence. Our oversight responsibilities are important, and as part of that, we continue to remind them that we expect to get good answers, and in some cases, they can do a very good job of that. In other cases, we sometimes ask for more,” he said.

GOP Sen. Dan Sullivan said he asked the Pentagon representatives how much progress they had made in satisfying the goals that Trump has defined as his objectives and said he walked away feeling good about the progress made.

“I have no doubt it was accurate,” Sullivan said.

CNN’s Zack Cohen, Kylie Atwood, Haley Britzky, Samantha Waldenberg contributed to this report.

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U.S. strike on alleged drug boat kills 4 in the Caribbean Sea, military says

March 25, 2026 / 6:19 PM EDT / CBS/AP

The U.S. military said it carried out a strike Wednesday on a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the Caribbean Sea, killing four people, as the Trump administration pushes forward with a monthslong campaign against alleged traffickers in Latin America while waging a war against Iran.

The latest attack brings the number of people who have been killed in boat strikes by the U.S. military to at least 163 since the Trump administration began targeting those it calls “narcoterrorists” in early September. Some 47 boats have been struck in the Caribbean Sea and the eastern Pacific Ocean.

As with most of the military’s statements on the dozens of boat strikes, U.S. Southern Command said it targeted the alleged drug traffickers along known smuggling routes. The military did not provide evidence that the vessel was ferrying drugs. A video posted on X showed a boat moving across the water before it was engulfed in a bright explosion.

The military said the boat was operated by a designated foreign terrorist organization. It didn’t name the group, but the Trump administration has labeled several Latin American drug cartels as terrorist groups.

President Trump has said the U.S. is in “armed conflict” with cartels and has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and fatal overdoses claiming American lives. His administration has described the individuals aboard the boats as “unlawful combatants,” the same designation used by President George W. Bush’s administration to describe members of al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.

“Applying total systemic friction on the cartels,” U.S. Southern Command said Wednesday.

Critics have questioned the overall legality of the boat strikes as well as their effectiveness, in part because the fentanyl behind many fatal overdoses is typically trafficked to the U.S. over land from Mexico, where it is produced with chemicals imported from China and India.

The boat strikes have continued in Latin America even as the U.S. military has focused on operations in the Middle East, where American warships and planes have been pounding Iran with strikes. Additional Marines and soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division are either preparing to deploy or on their way to the region.

The tempo of boat strikes has slowed somewhat since early January, when U.S. forces captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and flew him to New York to face drug charges. Since that operation, 12 alleged drug boats have been struck, eight of which were traveling in the Pacific rather than the Caribbean.