Tulsi Gabbard's Iran War Testimony And A March Madness Preview: Morning Rundown

In today’s newsletter: Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard deflects senators’ questions astir nan threat posed by Iran. A blimpish activistic group and teachers unions go improbable friends fighting large tech successful schools. And thoroughfare shot is gaining fame successful Mexico, fueled by excitement surrounding this summer’s World Cup.

Here’s what to cognize today.

Gabbard declines to opportunity if Iran posed 'imminent threat' to nan U.S.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard declined to opportunity if Iran’s atomic programme presented an “imminent threat,” deflecting questions from lawmakers during a Senate proceeding yesterday astir whether U.S. intelligence backed up White House statements connected nan rationale for starting nan war.

Gabbard has stayed mostly silent connected nan warfare since it began connected Feb. 28. Her reluctance to connection a full-throated endorsement of President Donald Trump’s determination to costs warfare connected Iran, dissimilar different Cabinet officials, renewed questions astir her opinionated successful nan administration.

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During nan hearing, Gabbard omitted connection from her written remarks stating that Iran had not tried to rebuild its uranium enrichment capacity aft nan U.S. aerial strikes successful June — an appraisal that appears to contradict Trump, who has said Iran was moving to rebuild its atomic program. When pressed astir why she’d skipped portions of her remarks, Gabbard said “time was moving long.”

The Senate proceeding came a time aft Joe Kent resigned arsenic nan head of nan National Counterterrorism Center successful protestation of nan warfare successful Iran. Kent based on that Iran posed nary imminent threat and that nan associated U.S.-Israeli aerial run was unnecessary. Kent has been simultaneously nether investigation by nan FBI for allegedly leaking classified information, a root acquainted pinch nan matter said.

Read much astir Gabbard’s testimony.

Separately, Trump said location would beryllium nary further attacks connected South Pars, nan world’s biggest state field, unless Iran attacks Qatar again. If Iran did so, nan U.S. would “massively rustle up nan entirety” of nan state field, nan president said. Oil prices proceed to soar arsenic worry grows complete power supplies. Brent crude lipid soared past $116 a tube this morning, rising almost 10% successful conscionable a day. The European TTF benchmark for earthy state prices traded 24% higher. Follow nan latest connected our liveblog.

More Iran warfare news:

• With nan Strait of Hormuz blocked, Iran has threatened different captious maritime waste and acquisition choke point: the Red Sea.
• Here’s really Lebanon’s only world airdrome stays unfastened amid Israeli strikes.

Some DHS contractors told White House officials they were asked to salary Corey Lewandowski

Corey Lewandowski arrives for a September 11th observance arena successful nan courtyard of nan Pentagon successful 2025.Andrew Harnik / Getty Images file

More than a twelvemonth ago, nan GEO Group laminitis George Zoley asked for a gathering pinch Corey Lewandowski, a adjacent state of Trump who had conscionable taken up a powerful position arsenic a apical advisor to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

As a titan of nan backstage situation industry, GEO Group stood to use from Trump’s wide deportation agenda. The company’s national contracts related to transporting, detaining, monitoring and deporting undocumented immigrants already totaled much than $1 cardinal per year. But sources opportunity Zoley doubly refused Lewandowski’s petition that he beryllium paid successful speech for protecting and increasing GEO Group’s contracts pinch nan Department of Homeland Security — including erstwhile aft Lewandowski took a domiciled arsenic an unpaid “special authorities employee” and acted arsenic Noem’s “de facto main of staff” nether nan caller administration.

In nan pursuing months, nan lengths of GEO Group’s contracts shrank, and a elder DHS charismatic said Lewandowski told him not to grant much contracts to nan company. And successful December 2025, GEO Group did not person a caller statement for $121 cardinal for services that thief section immigrants DHS is trying to find.

Now, lawmakers and Trump are asking astir Lewandowski’s domiciled successful awarding contracts.

Read much astir nan allegations.

More authorities news:

• Trump’s prime to win Noem astatine nan DHS, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, was grilled connected his “anger issues” and overseas recreation during a heated confirmation hearing.

• Primary results successful Illinois solidified Gov. JB Pritzker’s “powerhouse” role — and group him up for a White House run.

• Voters successful a cardinal plaything territory are unhappy astir rising state prices but still scheme to ballot Republican successful nan midterms.

Conservative moms and teachers unions: improbable friends successful nan warfare connected screentime

Moms for Liberty co-founder Tina Descovich astatine nan organisation's nationalist acme successful Washington, D.C. connected Aug. 30, 2024. Leila Register / NBC News; Getty Images

Conservative activistic group Moms for Liberty has been known since its inception successful 2021 for blasting teachers unions arsenic an “education mafia” composed of group who “don’t attraction astir kids.” But this year, they’re teaming up pinch immoderate of its erstwhile adversaries complete a communal cause: fighting against acquisition exertion successful nationalist schools.

Across nan country, Moms for Liberty chapters and different blimpish groups are uniting pinch section unions and immoderate wide parents to push for limits connected really overmuch clip children walk utilizing screens successful school. Parents and activists connected some sides of nan governmental spectrum told NBC News nan budding business is an opportunity to champion supply for their children.

Teachers unions are divided connected ed tech restrictions. But galore Moms for Liberty section members are eager to activity pinch nan ones who align pinch their conflict to region nan tech from schools.

Read much astir nan improbable partnership.

Steve Kornacki's guideline to nan NCAA Tournament

Leila Register / NBC News; Getty Images

The madness is backmost ... aliases is it? As assemblage hoops weathers a infinitesimal of modulation — and, immoderate say, situation — NBC News’ main information expert Steve Kornacki discusses this year’s NCAA Tournament, from cardinal matchups to his prime to triumph nan nationalist championship:

🏀 Has Goliath slayed David? A fewer years ago, Cinderella stories were being written pinch much regularity than ever. But nan parade of underdogs has travel to a halt, Kornacki argues, and melodramatic changes to nan athletics whitethorn person fundamentally changed nan tourney itself. “If nan apical seeds and powerfulness conferences crush nan mid-majors erstwhile more,” he writes,” nan shape will beryllium each nan much apparent.”

🏀 Potential first-round upsets: Kornacki has his oculus connected 3 games successful nan first information that person imaginable to shingle up nan tourney — No. 12 seed Akron vs. No. 5 seed Texas Tech, No. 13 seed Troy vs. No. 4 seed Nebraska, and No. 13 seed California Baptist vs. No. 5 seed Kansas.

🏀 Who will triumph it all? Given that Kornacki’s picks for nan past 5 years haven’t fared truthful well, his prime this twelvemonth isn’t nan squad he thinks could make a existent run. Rather, “I’ll spell pinch nan extent and equilibrium of long-overdue Arizona.”

Read much connected Kornacki’s thoughts arsenic March Madness kicks off.

Read All About It

• The precocious Cesar Chavez, 1 of nan nation’s astir salient labour authorities leaders, has been accused of sexually abusing girls and women successful nan 1960s and 1970s while starring nan United Farm Workers.
• An AI-generated type of nan precocious Val Kilmer is starring successful a caller movie.
• NBC News’ George Solis gets a uncommon look wrong a Cuban hospital, wherever patients and doctors are difficult deed by outages and substance shortages.

• Apple wants iPhone users to update their software aft caller investigation suggests Russian intelligence, Chinese cybercriminals and different hackers are taking complete phones pinch older iOS systems.

• A University of Alabama student is missing aft a nighttime out astatine a Barcelona club.

• A caller study predicts complete 132,000 kids would request a cavity filled aliases a bony pulled if 5 states stopped putting fluoride successful drinking water.

• Joseph Duggar, who starred successful “19 Kids and Counting,” was arrested aft he was accused of molesting a minor.

Staff Pick: Pickup shot games successful Mexico's streets are each nan rage

On this pitch, there’s nary goalkeeper, nary grass, nary referees. But nan players who stitchery informally successful nan mediate of a Mexico City residential thoroughfare to play “fútbol” are emblematic of nan country’s heavy emotion of nan crippled — and nan aggravated excitement up of nan 2026 FIFA World Cup.

A fewer months ago, a mini group of shot fans founded “Reta Mexa” connected societal media, inviting chap fans to play impromptu matches each Friday connected different streets.

“I person a boy who loves soccer, and I spot that he and his procreation person go stuck astatine home,” explained Roy Jiménez, 1 of nan 4 founders arsenic a crippled took spot successful nan city’s Roma neighborhood.

The games person caught on, and moreover delighted visitors person decided to subordinate in, as our workfellow Alejandra Arteaga showed america from Mexico City.

— Sandra Lilley, elder news editor

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