Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sundaydefended U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran's infrastructure, saying "sometimes you have to escalate to de-escalate."

His comments came just hours after President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he wasgiving Iranian leadership 48 hours to open the Strait of Hormuzor risk strikes that "will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!"

Bessent defended Trump's rhetoric, saying it's "the only language the Iranians understand."

Earlier Sunday, a spokesperson for Iran's military command headquarters warned that if the U.S. strikes oil infrastructure, Tehran willrespond in kind with further escalation.

"If Iran's fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked, then fuel, energy, information technology systems and desalination infrastructure used by America and the regime in the region will be struck," Col. Ebrahim Zolfaqari said, according to the IRNA state news agency.

More news on the Iran war:

• A warning: Iranian missile strikes injured 115 people in Israel, officials said, puncturing air defenses in two towns close to a nuclear site.

• Price hikes: The war has already hit your gas budget. Here's what it's coming for next.

• Long-range attack: Iran fired missiles at remote U.K.-U.S. base, claiming long-range capabilities it previously denied.

• Energy crisis: The U.S. eased Iranian oil sanctions in a scramble to contain energy prices, handing Tehran a boost.

Robert Mueller, former special counsel who led Trump-Russia probe, dies at 81

Robert Mueller III, thelong-serving FBI director who later served as the special counseloverseeing the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, died at 81.

Mueller took his post just days before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He worked under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who credit him with transforming the bureau in the wake of the tragedy.

A decorated Marine, Mueller became a frequent target of Trump's after his probe found that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in a sweeping and systematic fashion, including efforts to boost the now-president's campaign.

'Meet the Press'

Cuba's deputy foreign minister said Saturday that the nation's military ispreparing for "the possibility of military aggression" from the U.S.and that it would be "naive" for Cuba's leaders to ignore the possibility of conflict.

"Our military is always prepared, and in fact it is preparing these days for the possibility of military aggression," Carlos Fernández de Cossío told NBC News' "Meet the Press" in an interview that aired Sunday.

Fernández de Cossío said the country's leaders "truly hope that it doesn't occur. We don't see why it would have to occur, and we find no justification whatsoever."

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The ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Cuba come as the island nation beganrestoring its energy systemSunday, a day after a nationwide collapse of the entire grid left millions of people in the dark for the third time this month.

Politics in brief

• ICE at airports: White House border czar Tom Homan said agents will assist with security at airports where lines have been particularly long because of TSA shortages and the partial government shutdown.

• 'Not a done deal': Virginia Democrats are starting to sweat over their redistricting referendum as they face challenges ahead of next month's special election.

• Trump administration sued: An Underground Railroad museum in New York is alleging the government canceled its grant on the basis of race.

• When seeing isn't believing: AI-generated campaign ads are stoking concerns of voter deception ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Children's entertainer Ms. Rachel has a new cause: Freeing kids from ICE detention

Rachel Accurso, the popular children's entertainer known as Ms. Rachel, has become a prominent voice speaking out on the plight of kids in war-torn Gaza and Sudan.

Now, she's embarking on a mission closer to home: working with lawyers and immigration rights activiststo close the family detention center in Dilley, Texas, and "make sure that kids and their parents are back in their communities where they belong," she told NBC News.

Last week, Accurso heard directly from children held there, including 9-year-old Deiver Henao Jimenez, who won his school spelling bee and is worried he'll miss New Mexico's state competition in May.

"We're just trying to get a child out of a jail to do a spelling bee," Accurso said. "I just never thought those words would go together."

Russia is killing Telegram, its most popular messaging app, despite fears of pushback

The Kremlin's tightening grip on Russian life has a new target: the country's most popular messaging app.

Ordinary Russians and even pro-Kremlin hawks have offered rare public pushback againstthe campaign to throttle Telegram, warning it could backfire, not just at home but for Russia's military in Ukraine.

The app is woven into the daily existence of those who support and oppose the government alike. But the Kremlin is instead pushing people to its new "national" messenger MAX, which many fear could be used to surveil them as part of a deepening crackdown on freedoms since the invasion of Ukraine.

"I can only assume that there is a lofty goal of making everything sovereign, but what's happening right now is just sabotage," said pro-Kremlin gamer and activist Grigory Korolyov, who uses the app to help fundraise for the Russian army.

Two jobs, $75,000 in student debt: How one Florida woman works to get by

Some days for Rachel Jordan start at 5 a.m. and don't end until midnight — sometimes for multiple days in a row.

"I'm just exhausted, honestly," she said.

The Florida resident, 43, is one of the millions of Americans whowork two jobs to get by as they try to pay down debtsthey incurred early in life. With about $75,000 in outstanding student loan debt, Jordan often works 70 hours a week, but worries she's still financially behind.

Notable quote

It just looked like a rock, and ain't no rocks got no business falling out of the sky.

Houston-area resident Sherrie James on a meteor fragment crashing into her home

A bright fireball that was spotted Saturday afternoon in the skies over southeastern Texas wasconfirmed to be a meteorthat likely broke apart over the Houston area, according to NASA.

In case you missed it

• The Guthrie family said they were "deeply grateful" for the Tucson community where their missing mother Nancy lived before her disappearance and suspected abduction seven weeks ago.

• The much anticipated opening of a new bar in Washington, D.C., by the prediction platform Polymarket was botched by a power outage.

• Chappell Roan addressed outrage from fans after Brazilian soccer player Jorginho Frello accused the pop star's security team of treating his 11-year-old daughter in a way that left her in tears and "extremely shaken."

• The first episode of "Saturday Night Live UK" aired, with reviewers calling it "shockingly competent."

• Jessi Pierce, a beloved National Hockey League reporter for the Minnesota Wild, died in a house fire along with her three young children. She was 37.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

March 22, 2026

Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sundaydefended U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran's infrastructure, saying "so...

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Evacuation orders lifted, flood watch remains for much of Hawaii

Evacuation notices Hawaii have lifted aftercatastrophic flooding prompted evacuation alertsin parts of the state, but flood watches remain in place for most of March 22.

Much of the stateremains under a flood watchinto the evening of March 22, including Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island, according to the National Weather Service, following what authorities described as the worst flooding the state has seen in 20 years.

Excessive rain caused torrents of water to wash out homes, damage roads and threaten to bust through a dam, sparking an emergency evacuation of thousands in Oahu on March 20. TheHawaii Emergency Management Agencylater clarified that the 120-year-old dam had not failed but "is at imminent risk of failure."

Haleʻiwa and Waialua also saw evacuations on March 21 as an alert warned that all roads out are at risk of "imminent failure," though those alerts have since been lifted. Most recently, flash flood warnings were issued through the morning of March 22 in parts of Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and are set to expire at 8:30 a.m. local time,according to the Honolulu National Weather Service office.

Additionally, the National Weather Service in Honoluluwarned of potential excessive rainfall and flash flooding later in the dayas the forecast showed possible heavy rain and showers continuing through March 22 into the work week, including in Oahu, Maui, Molokai, Lanai, Kahoolawe and the Big Island.

"Significant flooding may occur due to the overflow of streams and drainages," the weather service said. "Roads in several areas may be closed, along with property damage in urban or low lying spots due to runoff. Landslides may also occur in areas with steep terrain." The March 22 forecast includes rain showers and possibly a thunderstorm, with new rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

A flooded neighborhood in Waialua on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii is seen during a crew flyover with a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point in Kapolei, on March 20, 2026. Officials in Hawaii on March 20 ordered some 4,000 people living near an aging dam on the island of Oahu to evacuate the area immediately, following severe rains that have battered the region. The century-old Wahiawa dam, located in the north of Hawaii's third largest island, which is home to the state capital Honolulu, "is at imminent risk of failure," the local emergency management agency warned.

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See floodwaters overwhelm communities across Hawaii

A flooded neighborhood in Waialua on the north shore ofOahu, Hawaiiis seen during a crew flyover with a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter assigned to Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point in Kapolei, on March 20, 2026. Officials in Hawaii on March 20 ordered some 4,000 people living near an aging dam on the island of Oahu to evacuate the area immediately, following severe rains that have battered the region. The century-old Wahiawa dam, located in the north of Hawaii's third largest island, which is home to the state capital Honolulu, "is at imminent risk of failure," the local emergency management agency warned.

Worst flooding in 20 years hits Hawaii;Evacuations say 'LEAVE NOW'

Gov. Josh Green: 'Make sure your family has a plan'

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said there have been no deaths or people unaccounted for during the flooding, USA TODAY previously reported, but called it the worst the state has seen since the early 2000s. Some 200 people have been rescued from the flooding and about 10 presented at hospitals with hypothermia, he said.

"This is a major threat to our people and to our state," Green said at a news conference March 20.

Green said some areas of Hawaii received between 40 and 50 inches of rain in a March 21update posted to X, adding that while storms are moving away from Oahu and over to Maui, 4 to 12 inches of rain are expected and could produce flooding.

"Don't drive through heavy water, make sure that you're kind of laying low…everyone please be safe," Green warned in the post. "You've done a wonderful job. No loss of life so far, a few serious injuries, but don't take this storm lightly. There's still more storm force out there, though it does appear to finally be clearing somewhat on Oahu."

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Pictures:See floodwaters overwhelm communities across Hawaii

Hotels are also available at discounted rates for residents needing to move locations, Green added in asecond post on X, directing people to go toready.hawaii.govand call hotels directly to make reservations.

"Check on your neighbors and make sure your family has a plan," Green wrote. "We will continue to provide updates throughout the day. Stay safe and take care of one another."

March has seen series of severe storms in Hawaii

The flooding and rain are a result of a series of low pressure systems that have struck Hawaii throughout the month.

They're a winter phenomenon, often calledkona lows or kona storms, for the Hawaiian word "kona" for leeward. The winter storms typically impact the leeward side of the islands that are usually sheltered from tradewinds and intense rains, according to Steven Businger, a professor in the meteorology department at the University of Hawaii.

On average, one to two kona storms impact Hawaii during the November-to-March season, but it's very rare for two to form within the same month, let alone within a week, AccuWeather meteorologists said.

The first round of stormsimpacted the islands from March 10 to March 16, and brought local rainfall totals of over 4 feet. These storms have raised water levels, with one stream rising more than 10 feet,spiking fears about flooding and the structure of aging dams and reservoirsin the state.

Damage from the March flooding could total $1 billion, Green said. That includes damage to numerous homes, roads, schools, airports and a hospital on Maui, he said. Flooding from the most recent batch of storms have swept away a house in Mokuleia andclosed multiple roads in the state, part of a road in Makaha Valley on Oahu in both directions March 20 after part of it collapsed, sending vehicles over the edge, USA TODAY previously reported.

Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver and Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY

Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or on X @katecperez_.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Flood watch extended for parts of Hawaii after historic storms, flooding

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

March 22, 2026

Evacuation orders lifted, flood watch remains for much of Hawaii

Evacuation notices Hawaii have lifted aftercatastrophic flooding prompted evacuation alertsin parts of the state, but flo...

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Groundbreaking study finds a natural way to fight climate change

Forgetgroundhogs and their weather predictions. Now, fellow critters — beavers — are actually doing their part tocombat climate change, one dam at a time, anew studysays.

The new research, published March 18 in the journalCommunications Earth & Environment, has for the first time calculated the carbon dioxide emitted and sequestered due to engineering work done by beavers in suitable wetland areas.

"Our findings show that beavers don't just change landscapes: they fundamentally shift how carbon dioxide moves through them," said study lead authorJoshua Larsen, of the University of Birminghamin the U.K., in a statement.

By slowing water, trapping sediments, and expanding wetlands, the beavers turn streams into powerful carbon "sinks," which are a key part of the planet's carbon cycle. Carbon dioxide is the greenhouse gas most responsible for human-caused global warming.

This first-of-its-kind study represents an important opportunity and breakthrough for future nature-based climate solutions across Europe, Larsen said.

What is a carbon sink and why they are important?

A carbon sink is any system that stores more carbon than it releases, according to study co-authorLukas Hallberg of the University of Birmingham. "So instead of carbon going into the atmosphere, it gets locked away in soils, sediments or vegetation."

"That matters because gases like carbon dioxide and methane drive climate warming. If we can store carbon in landscapes for long periods, it reduces how much ends up in the atmosphere. So carbon sinks act as a kind of natural buffer against climate change," Hallberg said in an email to USA TODAY.

Where was the study conducted?

Led by several European universities and numerous international partners, the study was conducted in a stream corridor in northern Switzerland, which has seen more than a decade of beaver activity.

Beavers are 'powerful agents of carbon capture and adsorption'

"Our research shows that beavers are powerful agents of carbon capture and adsorption," said study co-authorAnnegret Larsen, assistant professor in the soil geography and landscape group at Wageningen Universityin the Netherlands. "By reshaping waterways and creating rich wetland habitats, beavers physically change how carbon is stored across landscapes."

When scaled across all floodplain areas suitable for beaver recolonization in Switzerland, researchers estimate that beaver wetlands could offset 1.2–1.8% of the nation's annual carbon emissions: delivering climate benefits without active human intervention or financial cost, according to astatement from the University of Birmingham.

How were beavers chosen as a species to study?

"Beavers are a unique wildlife species that like no other animal have the capacity to reshape entire river valleys, in terms of hydrology and ecology," Hallberg told USA TODAY.

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Overall, according to the study, beavers are increasingly returning to rivers and other natural landscapes across Europe, following decades of collaborative conservation efforts.

"Their prolific damming activities are in many cases providing similar ecosystem benefits as we humans try with our engineering approaches (creating wetlands, floodplains, etc)," Hallberg said.

"The ongoing resurgence of beavers, especially in Europe, presents us with an opportunity to further assess how and where these environmental benefits can be realized or not, and to provide further decision-support for wildlife management."

Were the researchers surprised by the findings?

"Yes, we were very surprised," Hallberg said. He said that at the annual scale, "we knew the system might vary in being a source vs sink of carbon, but we did not appreciate the degree to which the water flow and extent controlled this, with wetter conditions making it more of a sink and drier more of a potential source."

"In terms of the long-term carbon storage, we were very surprised about the scale of this," he said. "We went to so much effort to make sure we could get as good as estimate as possible and wouldn't risk overstating the amount."

More:This endangered wildflower does something scientists didn't expect

Are there other examples of wildlife helping combat climate change?

Most natural carbon storage is driven by plants, so forests, peatlands and wetlands all store carbon because of plant growth and the build-up of organic material. In some cases, organisms like peat-forming moss actually build entire landscapes that store carbon over long timescales, Hallberg said.

"What makes beavers unusual is that, as an animal, they actively reshape the landscape in a similar way. By building dams, they create wetlands that trap and store carbon," he said.

"So they're a rare example of wildlife directly engineering new carbon storage, rather than just being part of the system," he concluded.

In an email to USA TODAY, study co-author Annegret Larsen provided additional perspective, noting that "ecosystem engineers (like beavers) are key to maintaining well-functioning ecosystems, thereby enhancing environmental resilience and supporting climate change mitigation.

"The beaver is a prominent example, but others exist. For instance, caddisfly larvae stabilize riverbeds, earthworms are essential for soil fertility, and burrowing animals enhance soil infiltration. The range of such ecosystem engineers is extensive."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Groundbreaking climate change study says beavers have big impact

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

March 22, 2026

Groundbreaking study finds a natural way to fight climate change

Forgetgroundhogs and their weather predictions. Now, fellow critters — beavers — are actually doing their part tocombat c...

Read More

What to know as war with Iran enters its 4th week

TheU.S. and Israeli war with Iranentered is fourth week on Sunday, marking 23 days of continued conflict. Here's a look at what happened in the third week and what to watch in the week ahead:

Time and money

At the start of the conflict, the White House said Americans should expect the war to last as few as four to six weeks. Now in week four, the next steps will be watched closely.

President Donald Trump said Friday night that the U.S. is "getting very close" to meeting its military objectives "as we consider winding down" those efforts.

There is no question the U.S. has overwhelmed Iran militarily. U.S. Central Command says it has struck 8,000 military targets (including Iranian missiles and attack drones) and destroyed 130 Iranian naval vessels.

Yet Trump's own intelligence leaders testified on Capitol Hill last week that the Iranian regime, though battered, is still "largely intact." And while its capacity to build nuclear weapons is set back, it is not eliminated. Questions remain if the operation can wind down amid these realities.

Iran live updates

Not long after suggesting operations could wind down this week, the president threatened Iran with attacks on its power infrastructure.

"Sometimes you have to escalate to de-escalate," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday.

The White House also confirmed it is seeking a whopping$200 billion in wartime supplemental fundingfrom Congress. It's an enormous sum for the American taxpayer that far exceeds the cost and pace of a four- to six-week conflict. Defense Department officials told Congress it had spent just over $11 billion in the first week.

By that measure, $200 billion would be the cost of a four-month war, not four weeks.

The president told reporters the money is needed to replenish and rebuild stockpiles of military equipment beyond the scope of the Iran war.

"Our manufacturers of military equipment are building at a level they've never seen before," Trump said Thursday. "It's a "small price to pay" to stay "tippy top."

Alliances crack

Week 3 will also be remembered for Trump's failure to strong-arm allies into the war.

Key European alliances in Germany, France and the United Kingdom allpublicly rebuffedthe president's demand for help securing critical passage of commerce in theStrait of Hormuz, leaving the president to lash out at his allies and make escalatory threats against Iran.

GOP Sen. Tillis says objectives of Iran war unclear: 'It's a real problem'

On Saturday night, Trump declared that if Iran doesn't "fully open" the strait within 48 hours, he will "obliterate" Iran's power plants.

But Yechiel Leiter, Israel's ambassador to the U.S., had reservations about the ultimatum.

"Here's the issue. If we're going to take down this regime, we want to leave everything in the country intact so that the people who come after this regime are going to be able to rebuild and reconstitute," Leiter told CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday.

Trump called the decision of his NATO allies a "foolish mistake" and said "We don't need their help." He also called it a test of their loyalty to the U.S., seeming to confuse the body's commitment to mutual defense under Article 5 of the NATO charter, which is applied when one nation is attacked, not when it starts a war.

With the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed, alternative routes pose little help

When a Japanese reporter asked the president on Thursday why he didn't give U.S. allies, including Japan, a heads up before the attack, the presidentequated his decisionto the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II.

Who knows better about surprise than Japan," he said. "Why didn't you tell me about Pearl Harbor, OK?"

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The remark made for an awkward moment in the Oval Office with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and left many struggling to unravel the connection.

Not on the same page

Trump broke publicly with Israel for the first time during the three weeks of coordinated strikes, blaming the Israelis for conducting devastating strikes on Iran's South Pars gas field on Wednesday. Those strikes led to retaliatory attacks on Qatari oil infrastructure.

Trump said Washington "knew nothing about this particular attack," in a post on his social media platform on Wednesday. Israel has said the U.S. was given advance warning.

Pentagon seeking $200B more for Iran war, official says

Trump has expressed reluctance to strike Iranian oil infrastructure for risk of escalating the war and sending gas prices at home surging even higher.

And to combat those rising prices, The white House took the remarkable step Friday of lifting sanctions against Iranian oil already at sea and ready to be delivered.

Senior White House officials made the case Sunday that the aim was not to benefit Iran's war effort, but to ease pressure on global markets.

A notable defection

Week 3 also saw the first public defection from Trump's team from one of his most senior national security officials over objections to the war .

Joe Kent, director of the Counterterrorism Center,announced his resignationin an open statement arguing the U.S. was "deceived" by Israel and that Iran never posed an imminent threat to the United States. It was a direct affront to the White House'sstated case for war.

The following day, Kent's boss, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, testified in front of Congress as part of the annual assessment of worldwide threats and declined to state publicly that Iran posed an imminent threat.

Questions about the urgency of the threat Iran posed and accusations that Trump was led into war by Israel have surrounded the White House since the start. So it was significant that the head of the U.S. intelligence community would not make the case herself that Iran posed an imminent threat.

"It is not the intelligence community's responsibility to determine what is and is not an imminent threat,"Gabbard told Congress. "That is up to the president based on a volume of information he receives."

It was also apparent from the testimony this week that the intelligence community had a different view about the current state of Iran's nuclear program and its ability to launch a long-range attacks.

US targets mine-laying vessels in the Strait of Hormuz amid blockade disrupting global oil markets

In his case for war, the president said Iran was attempting "to rebuild their nuclear program and to continue developing long-range missiles." He added those missiles "could soon reach the American homeland."

But in her written testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee, Gabbard said Iran had shown "no efforts" to rebuild its nuclear program after Operation Midnight Hammer last June.

"Iran's nuclear enrichment program was obliterated," she wrote in her opening testimony. "There have been no efforts since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability."

Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe agreed in his testimony.

"They have been unwilling and incapable of enriching uranium to 60% as a result of Operation Midnight Hammer," he said of Iran.

As for whether Iran was creating missiles that could "soon" reach the U.S., Gabbard testified the Defense Intelligence Agency believes Iran won't been able to produce a missile with the range that could reach the U.S. until 2035.

The fallen

13 American service members have been killed during the war.

Last week, Trump attended the dignified transfer of six fallen airmen who died when their KC-135 refueling tanker crashed over northern Iraq. The crash is still under investigation, but the Pentagon says it was not the result of enemy fire.

ABC News' Nicholas Kerr contributed to this report.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

March 22, 2026

What to know as war with Iran enters its 4th week

TheU.S. and Israeli war with Iranentered is fourth week on Sunday, marking 23 days of continued conflict. Here's a lo...

Read More

Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sundaydefended U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran's infrastructure, saying "sometimes you have to escalate to de-escalate."

His comments came just hours after President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he wasgiving Iranian leadership 48 hours to open the Strait of Hormuzor risk strikes that "will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!"

Bessent defended Trump's rhetoric, saying it's "the only language the Iranians understand."

Earlier Sunday, a spokesperson for Iran's military command headquarters warned that if the U.S. strikes oil infrastructure, Tehran willrespond in kind with further escalation.

"If Iran's fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked, then fuel, energy, information technology systems and desalination infrastructure used by America and the regime in the region will be struck," Col. Ebrahim Zolfaqari said, according to the IRNA state news agency.

More news on the Iran war:

• A warning: Iranian missile strikes injured 115 people in Israel, officials said, puncturing air defenses in two towns close to a nuclear site.

• Price hikes: The war has already hit your gas budget. Here's what it's coming for next.

• Long-range attack: Iran fired missiles at remote U.K.-U.S. base, claiming long-range capabilities it previously denied.

• Energy crisis: The U.S. eased Iranian oil sanctions in a scramble to contain energy prices, handing Tehran a boost.

Robert Mueller, former special counsel who led Trump-Russia probe, dies at 81

Robert Mueller III, thelong-serving FBI director who later served as the special counseloverseeing the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, died at 81.

Mueller took his post just days before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. He worked under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who credit him with transforming the bureau in the wake of the tragedy.

A decorated Marine, Mueller became a frequent target of Trump's after his probe found that Russia interfered in the 2016 election in a sweeping and systematic fashion, including efforts to boost the now-president's campaign.

'Meet the Press'

Cuba's deputy foreign minister said Saturday that the nation's military ispreparing for "the possibility of military aggression" from the U.S.and that it would be "naive" for Cuba's leaders to ignore the possibility of conflict.

"Our military is always prepared, and in fact it is preparing these days for the possibility of military aggression," Carlos Fernández de Cossío told NBC News' "Meet the Press" in an interview that aired Sunday.

Fernández de Cossío said the country's leaders "truly hope that it doesn't occur. We don't see why it would have to occur, and we find no justification whatsoever."

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The ongoing tensions between the U.S. and Cuba come as the island nation beganrestoring its energy systemSunday, a day after a nationwide collapse of the entire grid left millions of people in the dark for the third time this month.

Politics in brief

• ICE at airports: White House border czar Tom Homan said agents will assist with security at airports where lines have been particularly long because of TSA shortages and the partial government shutdown.

• 'Not a done deal': Virginia Democrats are starting to sweat over their redistricting referendum as they face challenges ahead of next month's special election.

• Trump administration sued: An Underground Railroad museum in New York is alleging the government canceled its grant on the basis of race.

• When seeing isn't believing: AI-generated campaign ads are stoking concerns of voter deception ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

Children's entertainer Ms. Rachel has a new cause: Freeing kids from ICE detention

Rachel Accurso, the popular children's entertainer known as Ms. Rachel, has become a prominent voice speaking out on the plight of kids in war-torn Gaza and Sudan.

Now, she's embarking on a mission closer to home: working with lawyers and immigration rights activiststo close the family detention center in Dilley, Texas, and "make sure that kids and their parents are back in their communities where they belong," she told NBC News.

Last week, Accurso heard directly from children held there, including 9-year-old Deiver Henao Jimenez, who won his school spelling bee and is worried he'll miss New Mexico's state competition in May.

"We're just trying to get a child out of a jail to do a spelling bee," Accurso said. "I just never thought those words would go together."

Russia is killing Telegram, its most popular messaging app, despite fears of pushback

The Kremlin's tightening grip on Russian life has a new target: the country's most popular messaging app.

Ordinary Russians and even pro-Kremlin hawks have offered rare public pushback againstthe campaign to throttle Telegram, warning it could backfire, not just at home but for Russia's military in Ukraine.

The app is woven into the daily existence of those who support and oppose the government alike. But the Kremlin is instead pushing people to its new "national" messenger MAX, which many fear could be used to surveil them as part of a deepening crackdown on freedoms since the invasion of Ukraine.

"I can only assume that there is a lofty goal of making everything sovereign, but what's happening right now is just sabotage," said pro-Kremlin gamer and activist Grigory Korolyov, who uses the app to help fundraise for the Russian army.

Two jobs, $75,000 in student debt: How one Florida woman works to get by

Some days for Rachel Jordan start at 5 a.m. and don't end until midnight — sometimes for multiple days in a row.

"I'm just exhausted, honestly," she said.

The Florida resident, 43, is one of the millions of Americans whowork two jobs to get by as they try to pay down debtsthey incurred early in life. With about $75,000 in outstanding student loan debt, Jordan often works 70 hours a week, but worries she's still financially behind.

Notable quote

It just looked like a rock, and ain't no rocks got no business falling out of the sky.

Houston-area resident Sherrie James on a meteor fragment crashing into her home

A bright fireball that was spotted Saturday afternoon in the skies over southeastern Texas wasconfirmed to be a meteorthat likely broke apart over the Houston area, according to NASA.

In case you missed it

• The Guthrie family said they were "deeply grateful" for the Tucson community where their missing mother Nancy lived before her disappearance and suspected abduction seven weeks ago.

• The much anticipated opening of a new bar in Washington, D.C., by the prediction platform Polymarket was botched by a power outage.

• Chappell Roan addressed outrage from fans after Brazilian soccer player Jorginho Frello accused the pop star's security team of treating his 11-year-old daughter in a way that left her in tears and "extremely shaken."

• The first episode of "Saturday Night Live UK" aired, with reviewers calling it "shockingly competent."

• Jessi Pierce, a beloved National Hockey League reporter for the Minnesota Wild, died in a house fire along with her three young children. She was 37.

byCristiano Ronaldo

in

March 22, 2026

Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sundaydefended U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran's infrastructure, saying "so...

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