March 27, 2026

Polls, Graphs, and Ongoing War

Good morning, everyone!

Welcome to our new readers. It is an honor to have you here.

Each day, we will strive to learn something new about the world, both its past and present. Through maps, graphs, photos, and videos, I seek to equip you with the single most comprehensive snapshot of the world as humanly possible.

Today, we will look at the ongoing war in the Middle East, public opinion polling, and other news spanning the globe.

Let’s get to it.

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United States

-The House of Representatives passed a Republican-backed bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security amid ongoing negotiations to reopen the shuttered agency. Its passage marks the third instance in which the House has approved such a measure in nearly six weeks since funding lapsed for several of the Department’s agencies.

Late last night, the Senate failed to advance a funding bill for the seventh time, likely prolonging the shutdown as lawmakers are set to begin a two-week Easter recess this weekend.

Congressional Democrats have demanded major reforms to the administration’s immigration enforcement policies as part of any agreement to reopen the Department.

Earlier this week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents deployed to 14 airports across the country amid rising numbers of Transportation Security Administration (TSA) workers calling out of work due to the funding lapse.

Currently, approximately 50,000 TSA officers are required to work without pay. The officers screen passengers, baggage, and cargo at over 440 airports to ensure secure U.S. air travel.

President Donald Trump has demanded that Republicans do not agree to a deal to end the funding standoff until Democrats agree to pass the “SAVE America Act”, a sweeping bill that would require a birth certificate to register to vote and a photo ID to cast a ballot.

Trump said yesterday that he would sign an order instructing the Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to pay TSA workers.

Mullin, who served as Oklahoma’s junior senator, was sworn into office on Tuesday.

View the ceremony here:

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt appointed energy executive Alan Armstrong to replace Mullin. He was sworn in on the same day.

View his ceremony here:

-Trump held a Cabinet meeting at the White House yesterday.

View it here:

-Over two-thirds of Americans believe that the Trump administration should prioritize preventing gas prices from rising, while nearly as many say it is important to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, according to a new AP/NORC poll.

According to a new Fox News poll, only 42% of voters support the “current U.S. military action against Iran.”

Meanwhile, the average U.S. gas price stood at $3.81 yesterday amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, according to AAA.

Major stock indexes slid yesterday as traders expressed concerns over the ongoing war.

-According to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, Trump’s approval rating has reached a new low of 36%.

-The Treasury Department announced that Trump’s signature will appear on future paper currency, a first for a sitting U.S. president.

The move comes amid efforts to create two coins that bear his image.

-Trump has reportedly discussed converting the White House Treaty Room into a guest bedroom.

-Former Vice President Kamala Harris is planning to attend several Democratic Party events across four southern states next month, fueling speculation over a potential 2028 presidential bid.

Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom, another prospective Democratic candidate, said that he regretted past remarks referring to Israel as an “apartheid state” in an interview with Politico.

View the full interview here:

-Wind and solar energy generated a record 17% of electricity in the United States last year, according to the Energy Information Administration.

-According to new research, approximately 111 million Americans are carrying credit card debt, a 17% jump from five years ago.

-The University of Virginia’s Miller Center released the first installment of its oral history series on President Barack Obama’s time in office.

The Center has conducted oral histories on every president since Gerald Ford, with the school boasting it as “the nation’s premier program” in the field.

-Anti-Trump “No Kings” protests will be held across the country tomorrow.

-On this day in 1865, President Abraham Lincoln met with Union generals Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman in City Point, Virginia, to plan out the final stages of the Civil War.

In 1917, Cyrus Vance Jr. was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia.

He would go on to serve as the 57th Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter.

Other Links:

G.O.P. Senator Weighs Forcing Congress to Vote to Authorize the Iran War - The New York Times

Trump makes public call for clean 18-month FISA 702 extension - The Hill

Trump admin attempting to revive legal pursuit of Letitia James - CNN

Minnesota sues Trump administration for access to evidence in Alex Pretti, Renee Good killings - Politico

Epstein survivors sue Trump administration and Google over release of private information

Judge orders Trump administration to bring back DACA recipient deported to Mexico - Politico - NBC

Pete Hegseth’s pastor says he wants James Talarico ‘crucified with Christ’ - Houston Chronicle

Democrat Emily Gregory Wins Florida Special Election in Mar-a-Lago’s District - The New York Times

Talarico hits back at Hegseth pastor who called for his death: ‘I still love you’ - The Hill

Poll: Talarico leads Cornyn and Paxton in general election matchups - Politico

California governor debate canceled after criticism of criteria that excluded candidates of color - NBC

Justice Department agrees to pay ex-Trump adviser Michael Flynn in settlement over wrongful prosecution lawsuit - CNN

House Democrat accused of misspending covid-19 money could be expelled - Washington Post

Melania Trump pitches robots as potential educators for American schoolchildren - CBS

Bill Maher to receive Mark Twain Prize at Kennedy Center after White House denied reports - CNN

Newsom signs law renaming Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day - Politico

Judge Orders Arrest of Matt Bevin, Former Kentucky Governor, for Contempt - The New York Times

Jewish communities boost security and continue observances amid rise in hateful incidents - AP

Jeff Webb, cheerleading entrepreneur and a mentor to Charlie Kirk, dies after accident at 76 - NBC

Meta and YouTube found liable on all charges in landmark social media addiction trial - CBS

OpenAI puts erotic chatbot plans on hold ‘indefinitely’ - Financial Times

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Africa

-Kenyan President William Ruto announced yesterday that his country had finalized a trade agreement with China that will grant the East African country duty-free access to the Chinese market.

Kenya, which boasts the continent’s sixth largest economy, has for years sought closer relations with Beijing.

Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Ruto for a state visit, where they vowed to deepen bilateral ties.

In recent years, the United States has sounded the alarm over China’s growing economic influence in Africa.

Today, China is the continent’s largest trading partner.

-Ghana became the first African country to ink a security and defense pact with the European Union on Tuesday.

-A spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said yesterday that France had disinvited Johannesburg from the upcoming Group of 7 (G7) leaders’ summit in June, citing pressure from the United States to do so.

France denied the accusation.

Since President Trump’s return to office last year, relations between the United States and South Africa have deteriorated, with Trump accusing the government of allowing a genocide of Afrikaner farmers, a claim it denies.

-On this day in 1963, President John F. Kennedy hosted Moroccan King Hassan II in Washington, D.C., for a state visit.

In 1998, President Bill Clinton and South African President Nelson Mandela visited the prison where Mandela spent 18 of 27 years as a political prisoner during apartheid rule.

Other Links:

UN votes to recognise enslavement of Africans as ‘gravest crime against humanity’ - BBC

UN calls for reparations to remedy the ‘historical wrongs’ of trafficking enslaved Africans - AP

Kenya’s flower industry loses millions of dollars weekly due to the Iran war - AP

Zimbabwe says 15 nationals killed after being lured to fight for Russia - NPR

Algeria and Spain in talks to increase gas supply - Reuters

Protesters in South Africa call for stricter immigration laws and border controls - Africa News

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Americas and the Caribbean

-Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro appeared in a New York court yesterday on criminal charges related to narcoterrorism.

In January, President Trump ordered an operation to capture Maduro after months of tensions between Washington and Caracas.

Yesterday at the White House, Trump said that he hoped that Maduro would also face charges for allegedly sending prisoners from his country to the United States, telling Attorney General Pam Bondi “I hope that charge will be brought.”

Maduro has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.

-The U.S. has ramped up oil exports to Cuba amid its pressure campaign on the island nation, according to Reuters.

-Canada met its NATO military spending goal for the first time last year, spending 2% of its gross domestic product on defense.

-The Argentine government designated a cartel as a terrorist organization, a move similar to the approach taken by the Trump administration.

-Brazil unveiled a supersonic fighter jet assembled in the country, becoming the first Latin American nation to build the stealth aircraft.

-On this day in 2009, Vice President Joe Biden attended the Progressive Governance Leaders Summit in Vina del Mar, Chile.

The meeting, organized by a British think tank, sought to serve as a forum for center-left world leaders to coordinate a unified response to the global financial crisis.

Leaders from Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Chile, Italy, Norway, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Uruguay participated.

Other Links:

Migrants march from southern Mexico, protesting delays and seeking papers to work - AP

Mexico president says will uphold Cuban doctor agreement - Reuters

Colombia issues arrest warrants for rebel group members for Miguel Uribe killing - AP

Death toll from Colombian military plane crash rises to 69 as search ends - BBC

Brazil’s Bolsonaro gets temporary house arrest for ill-health - BBC

Flavio Bolsonaro Inches Ahead of Lula in Brazil Election Poll - Bloomberg

Milei’s Approval Rating Hits New Low as Argentina Unemployment Rises - Bloomberg

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Asia/Indo-Pacific

-China reiterated its call for peace talks to end the ongoing war in the Middle East yesterday.

Since President Trump launched the first wave of attacks against Iran last month, Beijing has heavily criticized Washington’s actions, describing them as “unacceptable.”

-Trump said yesterday that he plans to visit China in mid-May.

Earlier this month, Trump postponed an earlier scheduled trip, which was slated for March 31 through April 2, citing the ongoing war in the Middle East.

-North Korean leader Kim Jong Un hosted Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in Pyongyang yesterday, where the two authoritarian leaders signed a friendship agreement, according to North Korean state media.

The visit by Lukashenko is the first for a Belarusian leader since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1992.

Both countries face stiff international sanctions, and both have significantly aided Russia’s war effort against Ukraine. According to press reports, Pyongyang has sent around 14,000 troops to Russia to aid its war against Ukrainian forces, while Belarus allowed Moscow to use its launchpads as part of its initial invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

-Pakistan resumed military operations against Afghanistan yesterday after a temporary pause.

Fighting between the neighboring countries commenced last month as Islamabad accused the Taliban-led government in Kabul of harboring the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist group.

Efforts by Turkey, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to mediate the conflict have so far been unsuccessful.

Other Links:

Southeast Asia revisits nuclear power plans for AI data centers as Iran war disrupts energy supplies - AP

Taiwan wary that China could exploit US distraction over Middle East war - Reuters

Korea’s Lee Urges Less Power Use, Driving to Avoid Energy Crunch - Bloomberg

China threatens Mexico with trade reprisals over 50% import duties - South China Morning Post

China demands Japan punish military officer who breached embassy in Tokyo - Reuters

Taliban releases U.S. citizen Dennis Coyle over a year after he was detained - CBS

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Europe

-Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yesterday that his forces were using long‑range strikes on Russia’s energy infrastructure to maintain pressure on Moscow after the U.S. eased oil sanctions amid rising oil prices due to the war in Iran.

-European Union Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas said yesterday the 27-member bloc is “concerned” that Ukraine will agree to land concessions in negotiations with Russia to end their four-year-long war, citing U.S. pressure to do so.

-U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend a gathering of G7 foreign ministers today in France, where he is expected to discuss the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

-France said it is holding talks with some 35 countries on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz following the conclusion of the war in the Middle East.

-Lawmakers in Norway voted to temporarily ease gas taxes as fuel prices soar amid the war. Trump said Iran allowed 10 oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

-Hungary’s center-right opposition Tisza party continues to hold a commanding lead over Prime Minister Victor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz, according to a new poll.

The country is slated to hold parliamentary elections on April 12.

Orbán, a close ally of President Trump, has been in power since 2010 and has sought to rein in the country’s judiciary while battling with the European Union.

As the vote nears, Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to visit the Central European nation on April 7 in a bid to boost support for Orbán.

-France’s education ministry reported social media platform TikTok to the Paris prosecutor’s office, citing possible links between excessive time spent on the video app and mental health challenges.

-England’s King Charles III will make a state visit to the United States next month.

-Pope Leo will visit the microstate of Monaco tomorrow.

-On this day in 1958, Nikita Khrushchev became premier of the Soviet Union, consolidating power as the country’s dominant leader following the death of Joseph Stalin five years earlier.

He would lead the Soviet bloc until his ouster in 1964.

In 2014, Pope Francis hosted President Barack Obama at the Vatican for their first meeting.

Other Links:

Iran allowing Malaysian vessels to pass in Strait, PM says after talks with regional leaders - Reuters

Pentagon considers diverting Ukraine military aid to the Middle East - The Washington Post

Denmark’s PM Frederiksen suffers election setback after standing up to Trump over Greenland - CNBC

European Parliament gives conditional approval to EU-US trade deal - BBC

Russia is helping Iran with intel to target and kill Americans, says top EU diplomat - CBS

UNESCO heritage site came under Russian attack in Ukraine’s Lviv, PM says - Reuters

EU lawmakers vote to make it easier to set up migrant detention centers outside the bloc - AP

EU trustbuster deepens ties in California, brushes off Trump demands - Politico

WTO chief calls for trade overhaul to meet new world order - Reuters

Finland’s Supreme Court fines MP for calling homosexuality ‘developmental disorder’ - Reuters

‘Here I am’: Mullally enthroned as first female Archbishop of Canterbury - Reuters

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Middle East

-The Trump administration has offered Iran a 15-point ceasefire proposal as its joint military campaign with Israel nears the one-month mark. The development comes as Washington prepares to deploy at least 1,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the region.

Currently, there are approximately 50,000 U.S. service members in the region.

On Wednesday, Iran issued its own ceasefire proposal, calling for war reparations and control over the Strait of Hormuz.

Yesterday, President Trump said he would extend an ongoing pause on strikes against Iran’s energy infrastructure for 10 days at the request of the Iranian government. Tehran has denied making the request.

-Iran is pushing to cement its control over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint where 20% of the world’s oil passes through.

Following attacks on oil tankers that traverse the waterway in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli attacks, Iran has begun to demand vessels seeking to pass to pay tolls, provide detailed information, and detour into Iranian waters.

Yemen-based, Iranian-backed Houthi rebels are reportedly ready to join Tehran in targeting ships transiting the Strait.

-Hardliners in Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps are reportedly ramping up calls to seek a nuclear bomb in defiance of the U.S.

-President Zelenskyy traveled to Saudi Arabia yesterday as he seeks to bolster Kyiv’s ties with Gulf nations amid the ongoing regional war.

Since hostilities in the region commenced on February 28, Ukraine has deployed experts to Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Qatar to help bolster their defenses, with Zelenskyy saying that he hopes to receive aid in return.

-A United Nations Security Council resolution backed by Bahrain calling for countries to use “all necessary means” to open the Strait of Hormuz is being met with pushback as some fear it would require a multilateral security force.

-Former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who served under President Joe Biden, sat for a rare interview at Harvard’s Kennedy School this week to discuss the situation in Iran and the Gaza Strip.

View it here:

Other Links:

Rubio Says Allies Should Help Secure Strait by Iran for Oil and Gas Ships - The New York Times

IRGC naval commander killed in Israeli strike was hardliner who understood power of strait of Hormuz - The Guardian

Trump reveals Iran’s ‘present’: 10 oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz - Politico

Two Israeli soldiers killed in south Lebanon combat, military says - Reuters

Photos show destruction in northwest Iran after strike hits a residential building - AP

“They’ll get mowed down”: Trump rebuffed Netanyahu idea to call for Iran uprising - Axios

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That’s all for today. See you next week.