by Joseph P. Farrell, Giza Death Star: Amid all the “grotesquerie” accompanying the re-arrangement of the goal posts on what the purpose (and end) of the war with Iran will be (which, you’ll note, has now been expanded to include the president’s intuitions and feelings as a military and operational bellweather,  a move that prompts […]

by S.E. Gunn, PhD, All News Pipeline: On March 17, 2026 we have reached Day 31 of the Democrat’s partial shutdown of the government. Over 100,000 employees of DHS will not receive a paycheck on Friday, March 20. And this is the 3rd time in 6 months that these employees will be missing yet another […]

When asked by a reporter why the United States didn’t tell Japan or other allies about attacking Iran prior to its operation, President Trump made a comparison to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941. “For one thing, you don’t want to signal too much,” Trump responded. “We went in very hard and we didn’t tell anybody about it because we wanted surprise,” he continued. “Who knows better about surprise than Japan? Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” Trump said. “You believe in surprise, I think, much more than us,” he added. Trump made the comments during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. When asked why the U.S. didn’t tell allies about attacking Iran prior to the strikes, President Trump says, “we wanted surprise.” “Who knows better about surprise better than Japan. Why didn’t you tell me about Pearl Harbor?” Trump says, alongside Japanese Prime Minister Sanae… pic.twitter.com/NNgQaxg6Wl — CBS News (@CBSNews) March 19, 2026 NBC News shared further: During the bilateral meeting, the president answered several other questions about U.S. military operations in Iran, including questions about an upcoming funding request from the Pentagon and rising oil prices that have stemmed from the ongoing war. The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the Defense Department plans to request $200 billion from Congress to support ongoing military operations in Iran. The president confirmed that number, but said the request for that amount is “for a lot of reasons, beyond even what we’re talking about in Iran.” “This is a very volatile world, and the military equipment, the power of some of this weaponry is unthinkable. You don’t even want to know about it. Oh, you could end this thing in two seconds if you wanted to,” Trump added. He also said that oil prices have not jumped as high as he anticipated they would after the war began. The president’s comments come as prices have surged in recent weeks as Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime passageway in the Middle East. “Everything was going great, the economy was great, oil prices were very low, gasoline was dropping too,” Trump told reporters. “And I saw what was happening in Iran and I said, ‘I hate to make this excursion, but we have to do it,’ and I actually thought the numbers would be worse.” “President Donald Trump urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to do more as he pressed allies for support over the war with Iran and rising oil prices, while defending the secrecy of the campaign by invoking Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor,” Reuters wrote. President Donald Trump urged Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to do more as he pressed allies for support over the war with Iran and rising oil prices, while defending the secrecy of the campaign by invoking Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor https://t.co/Ab1R5sX04c pic.twitter.com/7GNWMxAkDH — Reuters (@Reuters) March 19, 2026 The White House later shared a photo of Trump and Takaichi. President Donald J. Trump and Japanese Prime Minister @takaichi_sanae. pic.twitter.com/grhiffju8t — The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 19, 2026 CBS News has more: Japan and the U.S. have officially been allies since 1952, although the scars from World War II took longer to heal in many cases. In 2016, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a somber visit to the Pearl Harbor memorial site alongside then-President Barack Obama. Abe offered his “sincere and everlasting condolences” to the Americans who lost their lives in the surprise Japanese attack of Dec. 7, 1941, and in all of World War II. Abe said he was “rendered entirely speechless” by the deaths of so many U.S. service members. More than 2,400 Americans were killed in the Pearl Harbor attack. “On behalf of the Japanese people, I hereby wish to express once again my heartfelt gratitude to the United States and to the world for the tolerance extended to Japan,” Abe said at the time. “…Japan and the United States, which fought a fierce war that will go down in the annals of human history, have become allies with strong ties rarely found anywhere in history.” Mr. Trump also had strong ties with Abe, a friendship that hasn’t been matched with more recent prime ministers. Abe was assassinated during a speech in Japan in 2022.

Pittsburgh Public Schools announced it will transition to remote learning for three days next month because of the NFL Draft. “Our priority is maintaining continuity of learning while recognizing the extraordinary circumstances the city will experience during the NFL Draft,” Superintendent Dr. Wayne N. Walters said in a statement, according to The Independent. “Transitioning to asynchronous learning allows us to support students academically while helping families navigate the logistical challenges expected across the region,” Walters added. Pittsburgh Public Schools will be closed for three days, and compel "asynchronous" remote learning, because of the NFL Draft. Since the city will have a lot of visitors this will "ensure students can continue learning safely and effectively." Unreal.https://t.co/SFL3VDw86D — David Zweig (@davidzweig) March 19, 2026 More from The Independent: City officials anticipate up to 700,000 visitors traveling to Pittsburgh for the multi-day event at the end of April, which took place last year in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Schools will transition to remote learning for three days from April 22 to 24, in order to reduce transport challenges and disruptions to school operations, according to a news release from Pittsburgh Public Schools. The decision will affect around 19,000 students in the system. During the period of remote learning, students will complete assignments and learning activities provided by their teachers through established digital platforms and instructional materials. In the district’s release, officials did not offer any specific information regarding parents who work during the day, but advised all those with questions to contact their specific schools and teachers so that arrangements could be made. The change to the class schedule is the latest adjustment to be made ahead of the draft, which is now just 36 days away. “We know it’s not ideal, but it is a reality of a city hosting a big event where we’re expecting about 500,000-700,000 visitors into our city, and it will completely create sort of exciting time, but also some challenging times when we think about accessibility, transportation, and safety,” Walters said, according to WTAE. Pittsburgh Public Schools going remote during NFL Draft: 'We don’t take the decision … lightly' https://t.co/O5q3SlztIn — Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (@PittsburghPG) March 19, 2026 WTAE explained further: Each student will have a daily Homeroom section in Schoology where they should log in and respond to the discussion prompt between 10:00 a.m. and noon on the impacted days, the release said. Logging in during the designated time window will ensure students are marked present for the day and can access their assignments and instructions from their teachers. Parents like Jazlynn Worthy expressed support for the district’s decision to switch to remote learning, noting the potential confusion and challenges of navigating public transportation with the influx of visitors. “I’m actually happy that the district decided to do remote learning,” Worthy said. Parent Valerie Webb Allman, on the other hand, voiced concerns about the offline learning approach. “One day here and there for a snow day is one thing, but three days in a row, that’s a big gap when we don’t have a whole lot of time, and we’re not going to be making up any of that time,” Allman said. Walters explained that allowing students to complete assignments at their own pace was intended to give them the opportunity to enjoy the draft, which he described as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” He acknowledged the challenges this decision might bring but emphasized that the early announcement was made to prepare families for the transition. “We were the first to communicate publicly, but we anticipate many other schools who are in the area will be doing similar things,” Walters said. While Pittsburgh Public Schools have announced their plans, other city schools like The Ellis School and Winchester Thurston have indicated they plan to continue with their regular schedules during the draft.

The Iranian Islamic regime reportedly executed Saleh Mohammadi, a 19-year-old champion wrestler, in addition to two others, on Thursday through public hangings in the city of Qom in Iran.

Pennsylvania Democrat Sen. John Fetterman played a decisive role in a Republican win on Thursday, when a razor-thin 8–7 vote in the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee advanced the nomination of Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin to serve as the next secretary of Homeland Security.