Current Events — 2026-03-31 00:35**

**🌍 Current Events — 2026-03-31 00:35**

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## Top US Stories

**DHS Shutdown Day 44: Trump Signs Order to Pay TSA Workers**
The partial Department of Homeland Security shutdown surpassed 44 days — a new record — after Congress failed to reconcile competing funding bills. Trump signed an emergency executive order directing DHS to pay ~50,000 TSA officers their back wages, with backpay promised via direct deposit starting March 30. Nearly 500 TSA officers had already quit during the crisis; workers collectively missed over $1 billion in pay. The House passed a stopgap DHS bill, but the Senate's rival version remains a stalemate.
*Sources: [CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/28/trump-signs-order-to-pay-tsa-employees-after-congress-disagreement.html) · [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/27/us/tsa-workers-paycheck-struggles) · [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/28/us-house-stopgap-dhs-funding-bill-republicans-senate)*

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**"No Kings" Protests Spread Across the Country**
Demonstrators gathered in dozens of cities under the "No Kings" banner to protest Trump's immigration crackdowns, executive overreach, and the ongoing Iran conflict. Minnesota was a focal point following aggressive federal immigration operations in the state. The protests have drawn comparisons to earlier anti-administration movements, though organizers are emphasizing broader constitutional concerns.
*Source: [The New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/28/us/no-kings-trump-iran-immigration-minnesota.html)*

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**MAGA Anxiety Over Iran War on Display at CPAC — Trump a No-Show**
The Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington saw unusual division, with a notable faction of Trump supporters voicing concern over the expanding U.S. military engagement in Iran. Trump himself skipped the annual gathering — a telling signal given his historically close relationship with the event. Speakers struggled to present a unified message as ground invasion scenarios circulate.
*Source: [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/mar/29/cpac-maga-anxiety-iran-war)*

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## Top World Stories

**Iran War Day 31: Strait of Hormuz Still Closed, Trump Extends Deadline to April 6**
The U.S.-Israel air campaign against Iran, launched February 28 under Operation Epic Fury, has entered its second month with no diplomatic resolution. Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz — now in its fourth week — has driven Brent crude to $126/barrel, the largest energy disruption since the 1970s. Iran called the latest U.S. proposal "unrealistic," while Trump floated seizing Iranian oil infrastructure. The deadline for Iran to reopen the strait has been extended to April 6.
*Sources: [CNN](https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/30/world/live-news/iran-war-us-israel-trump) · [PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/iran-and-the-u-s-harden-their-positions-as-tehran-tightens-its-grip-on-the-strait-of-hormuz) · [NPR](https://www.npr.org/2026/03/26/nx-s1-5761882/iran-war-peace-conditions)*

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**Zelenskyy Courts Gulf States for Air-Defense Cooperation**
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy toured Gulf states this weekend, securing defense cooperation agreements focused on countering Russian missile and drone attacks. The outreach reflects Ukraine's effort to diversify its defense partnerships as U.S. attention remains partly diverted by the Iran conflict. Details on specific hardware transfers have not been disclosed.
*Source: [The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/29/ukraine-war-briefing-zelenskyy-drums-up-defence-agreements-with-gulf-states-on-countering-missiles-and-drones)*

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**Israeli Police Bar Catholic Leaders from Palm Sunday Mass at Holy Sepulchre**
Israeli authorities blocked senior Catholic figures from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem for Palm Sunday Mass — described as the first such restriction in centuries. The move drew swift condemnation from the Vatican and Catholic leaders worldwide. Pope Leo XIV, speaking before tens of thousands in St. Peter's Square, explicitly rejected the notion that God justifies war and prayed for Christians across the Middle East.
*Sources: [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/israel/israeli-police-block-catholic-figures-palm-sunday-mass-jerusalem-holy-rcna265669)*

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**IOC Mandates SRY Gene Testing for All Women Athletes; Transgender Women Banned**
The International Olympic Committee announced a sweeping new eligibility policy: every athlete wishing to compete in women's events must undergo a one-time SRY gene screening, effectively barring transgender women from Olympic competition starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Games. The policy has drawn criticism from scientists — including Andrew Sinclair, the researcher who *discovered* the SRY gene in 1990, who publicly opposes using it to define biological sex. Implementation questions around cost and access for athletes from lower-income nations remain unresolved.
*Sources: [NPR](https://www.npr.org/2026/03/26/nx-s1-5762579/ioc-bans-trans-women-events-genetic-testing) · [The Conversation](https://theconversation.com/sex-test-used-in-iocs-new-transgender-ban-more-likely-to-exclude-from-olympics-intersex-women-who-were-assigned-female-at-birth-279489)*

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## Science & Technology

**NASA's Artemis II Countdown Begins — First Crewed Lunar Mission Since 1972**
NASA began the official launch countdown for Artemis II on March 30, targeting a liftoff on April 1 at 6:24 p.m. ET from Kennedy Space Center, with an 80% favorable weather forecast. The crew — Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch (NASA), and Jeremy Hansen (CSA) — will fly a free-return trajectory around the Moon and back in a ten-day mission. It will be the first time humans have traveled beyond low Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in December 1972.
*Sources: [NASA](https://www.nasa.gov/blogs/missions/2026/03/30/nasas-artemis-ii-launch-mission-countdown-begins/) · [Space.com](https://www.space.com/news/live/artemis-2-nasa-moon-mission-launch-updates-march-30-2026)*

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## Wildcard

**Annapolis Residents Mark Spring by Burning Their Socks**
Each year as the weather warms, residents of Annapolis, Maryland gather to ceremonially burn their socks — the unofficial kickoff to Chesapeake Bay sailing season, signaling it's warm enough to go barefoot on the water until fall. In a week dominated by oil crises, shutdown politics, and military escalation, a crowd of Marylanders lighting hosiery on fire offers a reminder that local tradition endures. No injuries were reported.
*Source: [News of the Weird / Shepherd Express](https://shepherdexpress.com/puzzles/news-of-the-weird/news-of-the-weird-week-of-march-26-2026/)*