News - Friday, March 27, 2026

“Building a business in Chattanooga just got a little easier,” Mayor Tim Kelly said March 20, standing at the front of a bright, newly finished classroom where rows of chairs had filled quickly with city officials, entrepreneurs and community advocates.

While the Small Business Resource Center is designed as a single point of entry, the support it offers is powered by a coalition of local, state and national organizations that together form Chattanooga’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Rather than duplicating services, the center brings these groups under one roof, making it easier for business owners to access specialized expertise without navigating a fragmented system.

An ongoing tour through Chattanooga’s culinary tuck-ins leads to Hungry Mother, an artisanal breakfast and lunch spot offering a seasonal menu of bagels, sandwiches, espresso and coffee. It’s the kind of place you’re glad to find, even if it has a foible or two.

For Dawn Lemaitre, food is about nourishing the body as well as feeding the soul through family.

That philosophy is at the heart of Dishin’ with Dawn, her Chattanooga-based business that blends catering, private dining, family-style meals and hands-on cooking classes into something more personal than traditional food service.

Judicial temperament: The cornerstone of public trust in the federal courts

In a recent column, we wrote about judicial restraint and its critical role in retaining public respect and support for the federal judiciary. In this column, we will write on a related topic: judicial temperament.

School assignments matter to families. They shape daily routines, long-term planning and often where people choose to buy a home. But imagine purchasing a home only to learn later that your child may be bused to a school 30 minutes away, even though the neighborhood school is less than a mile from your front door.

Officials have broken ground on Phase 2 of the seven-phase One Westside redevelopment project, marking another step in a sweeping effort to transform the city’s historic College Hill neighborhood.

The latest phase will bring 144 new mixed-income apartments to downtown Chattanooga, providing housing for residents relocating from College Hill Courts public housing as well as new tenants seeking affordable and moderately priced options. Construction is underway, with completion expected by the end of 2027.

A UTC nursing professor has received national recognition for her work improving health care access and education. Kristi Wick, a UC Foundation associate professor and the Vicky B. Gregg Chair of Gerontology, was named the 2026 recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Practice Award from the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties.

The national ambassador for young people’s literature will visit the Chattanooga Public Library’s downtown branch (1001 Broad Street) April 9 at 5:30 p.m. as part of his nationwide tour, “Behold, The Picture Book! Let’s Celebrate Stories We Can Feel, Hear and See.” Barnett will explore how words, illustrations and even page turns create a uniquely engaging reading experience for children and adults alike. The free event is open to the public.

Rising prices might not dominate headlines the way they did a year or two ago, but retirees are probably still feeling them. Even when overall inflation cools, the costliest expenses – health care, utilities, insurance and property taxes – tend to rise faster than broad inflation numbers suggest. That creates a squeeze that can make you question whether your income plan is built to last.

By Rhiannon Potkey

Any momentum generated by the University of Tennessee women’s basketball team in head coach Kim Caldwell’s debut last season has completely evaporated. The Lady Vols ended one of the most disappointing seasons in the program’s storied history with a first-round exit in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.

You do it with your stocks. Your entire investment portfolio, in fact, is diversified. As an investor and a businessperson, you know how important that is for your bottom line. You also know what a benefit diversity is in your customer base and your workforce and how homogeneity isn’t necessarily a good thing in the long run. So now read more and get ready to grow….

It’s pretty common for new-car shoppers to look at what they can afford and go from there. Typically, that means focusing on vehicles from mainstream brands, even though owning a luxury vehicle is something many people aspire to. 

But there’s a right-now alternative that could be intriguing: For about the same price of a new mainstream car, you could get a used luxury car instead.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has opened investigations into how race is considered in admissions at three medical schools, ratcheting up its pressure campaign against colleges and universities.

The Justice Department opened the investigations Wednesday into possible discrimination at the medical schools of Stanford University, Ohio State and the University of California, San Diego. Harmeet Dhillon, the Justice Department's assistant attorney general for civil rights, announced the investigations on X.

As the Trump administration wages war on Iran, it's citing national security to seek an exemption from the Endangered Species Act for expanded oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico — a move alarming environmental groups who say it could set a dangerous precedent for future fossil fuel projects.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Iran appears to be setting itself up as the gatekeeper for the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important artery for oil shipments. The move could cement Tehran's de facto chokehold over the crucial waterway and formalize its ability to keep its own oil flowing to China.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Thursday announced it had eased restrictions on a group of Belarus-linked financial and potash companies in the latest sign of improving ties between the country's autocratic leader, Alexander Lukashenko, and Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP) — With pressure mounting, senators moved quickly Thursday to debate a "last and final" offer to end the funding impasse that has jammed airports and put the livelihoods of Transportation Security Administration workers in jeopardy as Republicans try to address Democratic demands for changes to President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement changes.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump may believe the adage that the pen is mightier than the sword — as long as it's a Sharpie.

During a Cabinet meeting Thursday that discussed the war in Iran, record-long security lines at many of the nation's top airports, rising oil prices and skittish stock markets, the president interjected by holding up a custom-made black and gold Sharpie and offering a long story about how his preferred marker came to be a White House fixture.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Mikayla Blakes thinks of her Sweet 16 showdown with Hannah Hidalgo more as Vanderbilt against Notre Dame than a matchup of two of the nation's top three scorers.

Commodores coach Shea Ralph would expect exactly that mentality from the Division I scoring leader, even during March Madness and the Fort Worth Regional 1 semifinals on Friday.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Nashville Predators never doubted they could be a playoff team. Proving it took far longer than expected.

A franchise that ranked dead last in the NHL standings as late as Dec. 8 goes into the final 10 games of the regular season sitting in the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. Even better, Nashville is just three points back of Utah for the first wild-card berth with a game in hand.

NASHVILLE (AP) — Nico Hischier scored two goals to lead the New Jersey Devils to a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night.

Jesper Bratt scored a goal and added two assists, Timo Meier scored an empty-net goal, and Jacob Markstrom made 16 saves for the Devils, winners of five of six. Jack Hughes and Jonas Siegenthaler had two assists apiece.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge has ruled in favor of artificial intelligence company Anthropic in temporarily blocking the Pentagon from labeling the company as a supply chain risk.

U.S. District Judge Rita Lin on Thursday said she was also blocking enforcement of President Donald Trump's social media directive ordering all federal agencies to stop using Anthropic and its chatbot Claude.

ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge plans to hear arguments Friday on a demand by officials in Georgia's Fulton County that the FBI return seized ballots and other materials from the 2020 election.

U.S. District Judge J.P. Boulee wrote in a scheduling order that the hearing was needed after the two sides failed to reach an agreement in court-ordered mediation.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minneapolis woman who confronted federal immigration officers alongside Alex Pretti in January was among a group of potential litigants who spoke out Thursday about alleged excessive force against people protesting or monitoring the enforcement surge in Minnesota.

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 7 million student loan borrowers who have been enrolled in a Biden-era repayment plan will receive notices beginning Friday with instructions to seek a new plan to repay their debt, the Education Department said.

Borrowers enrolled in the SAVE plan, which was struck down by a federal court earlier this month, have been in forbearance since July 2024 as a legal battle played out in courts.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Makers of dietary supplements are pushing the Food and Drug Administration to expand the types of ingredients they can put in their products, a change that could open the door to more marketing of peptides, probiotics and other trendy wellness offerings.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Internet trailblazer Yahoo is exploring technology's next frontier with Scout, an answer engine powered by artificial intelligence. Scout seems insightful, based on its response to a question posed by The Associated Press about why one of Silicon Valley's brightest stars faded away a decade ago.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vital Arctic sea ice shrank to tie its lowest measured level for the winter, the season when ice grows, as a warming Earth shattered records across the continents.

Arctic sea ice levels, especially in the summer, are crucial to Earth's climate because without the ice reflecting sunlight, more heat energy goes into the oceans. Ice of all kinds around the poles acts as Earth's refrigerator. Wildlife, such as polar bears and seals, also depend on sea ice. Lack of sea ice in the Arctic creates new shipping routes and in doing so causes geopolitical disruptions, making once-ignored places such as Greenland, more desirable.

Six years ago, Google was confident that by 2030 it would power all operations with electricity generated from clean sources, including wind and solar power, and remove as much pollution as it produced. Today it calls those goals a "moonshot." Microsoft says it's still aiming to remove more carbon than it creates by 2030 but now describes the effort as "a marathon, not a sprint."

WASHINGTON (AP) — A pro-Iranian hacking group claimed Friday to have hacked an account of FBI Director Kash Patel and has posted online what appear to be years-old photographs of him, along with a work resume and other personal documents. Many of those records appeared to be more than a decade old.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing a convulsing stock market, President Donald Trump on Thursday moved to buy himself more time and hold off, once again, on carrying out a threat to obliterate Iran's energy plants over the Islamic Republic's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) — Farmers around the world are feeling the squeeze of the Iran war. Gas prices have shot up and fertilizer supplies are waning due to Tehran's near shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for U.S. and Israeli bombing.

The fertilizer shortage is putting the livelihood of farmers in developing countries — already troubled by rising temperatures and erratic weather systems — further at risk, and could lead to people everywhere paying more for food.

It has a catchy name — Build America, Buy America — and the lauded goal of bringing manufacturing jobs back to the United States.

But the law has spurred a bottleneck for affordable housing.

Nearly everything from HVACs and lighting to sink hooks and ceiling fans in affordable housing projects that get federal dollars must carry the Made in the USA label. But, developers say, numerous products do not, as they have long been imported from overseas markets with cheaper labor costs.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President JD Vance on Friday held the inaugural meeting of a new anti-fraud task force he's leading as the Trump administration seeks to show it's cracking down on potential misuse of social programs.

Vance, speaking Friday before the task force held a closed-door meeting, said that the federal government for decades had not taken the issue of fraud seriously and that it needed to be tackled with "a whole-government approach."

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate early Friday approved Department of Homeland Security funds to pay Transportation Security Administration agents and most other agencies but not the immigration enforcement operations at the heart of the budget impasse that has jammed airports, disrupted travel and imposed financial hardship on workers.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he would sign an order instructing the Homeland Security secretary to immediately pay Transportation Security Administration agents, while senators worked late into the night trying to end a budget impasse that has jammed airports and left workers without paychecks.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thea Price anticipated changes under the second Trump administration, but she never expected her life to be thrown into such disarray.

Along with the 300 other employees of the United States Institute of Peace, Price was fired, rehired and then fired again as part of President Donald Trump's crusade to shrink the federal government, a chaotic effort that cut tens of thousands of jobs and shrank or dismantled entire agencies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democratic Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick of Florida committed numerous violations of House rules and ethics standards, the House Ethics Committee found Friday in a ruling that could add weight to Republicans' potential push to expel her from Congress.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Treasury Department plans to put President Donald Trump's signature on all new U.S. paper currency, the agency announced on Thursday.

The move would be a first for a sitting president, since traditionally, U.S. paper currency carries the signatures of the Treasury Secretary and the Treasurer, not the president.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Education Department will relocate from its headquarters to a smaller Washington office as part of the Trump administration's dismantling of the agency, officials said Thursday.

The agency has seen its ranks thinned by mass layoffs since President Donald Trump took office, and its headquarters building has been 70% vacant, the Education Department said. In its place, the Energy Department will assume the lease in the building.

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Hannah Hidalgo had 31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals and the assist on the go-ahead bucket in the final minute, leading Notre Dame to a 67-64 victory over higher-seeded Vanderbilt in the Sweet 16 on Friday.

The junior sparkplug made a leaping grab between two defenders and fed a bounce pass to Cassandre Prosper for the go-ahead bucket with 22 seconds to go.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A New York appeals court on Friday struck down a $16.1 billion judgment against Argentina, overturning a lower court's order to compensate former shareholders of the nationalized energy giant YPF, a decision that was celebrated by Argentine President Javier Milei.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chuck Redd, the musician who canceled a Christmas Eve performance at the Kennedy Center in protest of President Donald Trump's influence over the venue, is asking a judge to dismiss a lawsuit the performing arts institution brought against him.

NEW YORK (AP) — When stock markets are as manic as they've been recently, it's natural to want to do something to protect your retirement savings. Historically, though, staying calm has usually been best.

The U.S. stock market has a track record of recovering from every steep drop it's taken. Whether it's a global financial crisis, a trade war or a military war, the S&P 500 has so far always recouped its losses to push toward more records. Of course, that can take years, but anyone who moved their 401(k) investments out of stocks risked missing out on the recovery and further gains.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the war in Iran pushes U.S. gas prices toward $4 a gallon nationally, some lawmakers are pushing to suspend the federal gasoline tax in the latest attempt to try to control surging energy costs.

Lawmakers say the action would provide much-needed relief for families and businesses that rely on their cars and trucks to get to work and school and run everyday errands.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks deepened their drops Friday as Wall Street finished off a fifth straight losing week, its longest such streak in nearly four years.

The S&P 500 fell 1.7% to close its worst week since the war with Iran began. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 793 points, or 1.7%, and fell more than 10% from its record set last month, while the Nasdaq composite sank 2.1%.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — New U.S. House districts in Missouri backed by President Donald Trump can be used ahead of the midterm elections, despite the potential for a voter referendum on the new map, a judge ruled Friday.

The decision by Cole County Circuit Judge Brian Stumpe marked a triumph for Republicans, who hope the districts will help them win an additional congressional seat in the November midterm elections.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Friday signed a promised executive action that will pay Transportation Security Administration employees, after a deal that sought to do the same stalled in Congress.

Trump signed the action with an eye toward easing long security lines at many of nation's top airports.

CHICAGO (AP) — Ja'Kobi Gillespie threw down a thunderous right-handed dunk over Yaxel Lendeborg on a fast break and stared at the All-American.

It was the sort of play that might have energized Tennessee, except Michigan had the game in hand. The Volunteers were well on their way to yet another Elite Eight exit.

CHICAGO (AP) — It was Yaxel Lendeborg, Elliot Cadeau and Aday Mara. Morez Johnson Jr., Trey McKenney and Nimari Burnett, too. The list goes on and on.

Michigan got it done together, just like it has all season long.

"The biggest focus is playing team basketball," Lendeborg said. "We thrive off of that."

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists while Corey Perry broke a third-period tie to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 victory against the Nashville Predators on Sunday to move into first place in the Atlantic Division.

WASHINGTON (AP) — One of the first things an Argentine emigre did after her son was born in Florida last year was get him a U.S. passport.

She saw the passport as tangible evidence that he's an American. But now people like her are in a legal fight over President Donald Trump's executive order that would deny U.S. citizenship to children born in the United States to people who are in the country illegally or temporarily.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal courts have uniformly blocked President Donald Trump's order seeking to end birthright citizenship for children born in the United States to someone in the country illegally or temporarily.

The Supreme Court is hearing arguments Wednesday in the Trump administration's appeal of a ruling by a federal judge in New Hampshire who concluded that the executive order the Republican president signed on the first day of his second term "likely violates the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution" and federal law.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Certain names will be familiar to the Supreme Court in the latest case involving a Black death row inmate from Mississippi, with arguments set for Tuesday.

Doug Evans, a now-retired prosecutor with a history of dismissing Black jurors for discriminatory reasons, knocked all but one Black person off the jury that tried and convicted Terry Pitchford.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened widespread destruction of Iran's energy resources and other vital infrastructure, including desalination plants that supply drinking water, if a deal to end the war is not reached "shortly."

PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — Kushtrim Ajvazi is proud to be part of a successful business in one of the poorest countries in Europe. The company where he is a manager produces potato chips and other snacks that can be found in almost every shop in Kosovo and are exported abroad.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran have driven up prices, darkened the outlook for the world economy, sent global stock markets reeling and forced developing countries to ration fuel and subsidize energy costs to protect their poorest.

NEW YORK (AP) — Sysco, the nation's largest food distributor, will acquire supplier Restaurant Depot in a deal worth more than $29 billion.

The acquisition would create a closer link between Sysco and its customers that right now turn to Restaurant Depot for supplies needed quickly in an industry segment known as "cash-and-carry wholesale."

CHESSY, France (AP) — A 118-foot mountain of ice rose over the suburban Paris countryside this weekend as Disney opened its Arendelle kingdom to the world — Elsa's palace glowing at the summit, a "Frozen" Nordic fishing village below, and the company's new CEO standing before a crowd of celebrities.

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — Hundreds of employees at one of the U.S. Navy's biggest shipbuilding contractors voted Saturday to approve a contract deal with Bath Iron Works, ending a weeklong strike.

Members of the Bath Marine Draftsmen's Association ratified a new four-year collective bargaining agreement that goes into effect immediately, the shipyard said. That followed an hourslong union meeting at a high school.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Army has launched an administrative review after two AH-64 Apache helicopters on a training run hovered near the hillside home of Kid Rock as the outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump saluted their crews.

Kid Rock posted two videos on social media on Saturday. Each shows a helicopter hovering alongside his swimming pool while the entertainer claps, salutes and raises his fist in the air. The Nashville skyline can be seen in the background.

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Trump administration sued Minnesota and its school athletics governing body on Monday, carrying out a threat to punish the state for allowing transgender athletes to compete in girls sports.

The lawsuit is part of a broader fight over the rights of transgender youth. More than two dozen states have laws prohibiting transgender women and girls from participating in certain sports and some have barred gender-affirming surgeries for minors. Courts have blocked some of those policies.

NEW YORK (AP) — The leader of a sex-focused women's wellness company that promoted "orgasmic meditation" was sentenced Monday to nine years in federal prison on forced labor charges, federal prosecutors said.

Nicole Daedone, co-founder of OneTaste Inc., was also ordered to forfeit $12 million during the hearing in Brooklyn. That was the amount she sold the California-based company for, according to John Marzulli, spokesperson for the Office of U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon has flouted a court order blocking it from enforcing a policy limiting news reporters' access to the Defense Department's headquarters, a New York Times attorney asserted Monday in urging a federal judge to compel the government's compliance with the 10-day-old order.

WASHINGTON (AP) — About 100 of the nation's most contaminated toxic waste sites are in areas prone to flooding and wildfires, a potential public health threat to millions of Americans in surrounding communities, the internal watchdog at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has found.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened widespread destruction of Iran's energy resources and other vital infrastructure, potentially including desalination plants that supply drinking water, if a deal to end the war is not reached "shortly."

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Monday that it is important to closely monitor inflation amid a spike in energy prices from the Iran war.

Powell, who spoke before nearly 400 students at Harvard University as gas prices inched toward an average of $4 per gallon in the U.S., said there wasn't a lot Fed policymakers could do since energy shocks "tend to come and go pretty quickly" and monetary maneuvers work over the longer-term. But a series of energy shocks, nevertheless, could be concerning.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks swung Monday as oil prices kept climbing because of uncertainty about when the war with Iran could end.

The S&P 500 slipped 0.4% and deepened its loss since the war began to pull 9.1% below its record set early this year. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 49 points, or 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 0.7%.

It might be an understatement to say the Vanderbilt baseball team has a flair for the dramatic.

The Commodores swept their home weekend series against in-state rival Tennessee with all three wins coming in walk-off fashion. Vandy, in fact, has won seven of its last 10 home Southeastern Conference games on walk-offs.

N.C. State has an agreement with Tennessee assistant coach and former Wolfpack player Justin Gainey to lead its men's basketball program, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Monday.

The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the school has yet to make a formal announcement. The deal requires approval by the school's board of trustees to become official, with trustees scheduling an emergency meeting for Tuesday to "consider a personnel matter."

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled against a law banning "conversion therapy" for LGBTQ+ kids in Colorado, one of about two dozen states that ban the discredited practice.

An 8-1 high court majority sided with a Christian counselor who argues the law banning talk therapy violates the First Amendment. The justices agreed that the law raises free speech concerns and sent it back to a lower court to decide if it meets a legal standard that few laws pass.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Jurors in an Ohio corruption trial said Tuesday that they couldn't reach a verdict in the case against two fired FirstEnergy Corp. executives for their alleged role in a $60 million bribery scheme.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit against Fox News, which was sued by a fired journalist who had accused the network of violating sick leave law and also targeting him for political views.

Jason Donner lost the sick leave claim Monday, the last remaining issue in his lawsuit in federal court in Washington.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Three fired FBI agents sued on Tuesday to try to get their jobs back, saying in a class action lawsuit that they were illegally punished for their participation in an investigation into President Donald Trump's efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat.

MATANZAS, Cuba (AP) — A Russian tanker docked Tuesday at the Cuban port of Matanzas laden with 730,000 barrels of oil, marking the first time in three months that an oil tanker reached the island.

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump had allowed the Anatoly Kolodkin to proceed despite an ongoing U.S. energy blockade.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. gas prices jumped past an average of $4 a gallon for the first time since 2022 on Tuesday, as the Iran war pushes fuel prices to soar worldwide.

According to motor club AAA, the national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is now $4.02 — over a dollar more expensive than before the war began. The last time U.S. drivers were collectively paying this much at the pump was nearly four years ago, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian nations are increasingly competing for Russian crude oil as an energy crisis mounts amid the month-old war by the U.S. and Israel against Iran, which has choked off roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply.

Much of the oil from the mostly shut Strait of Hormuz was headed for Asia, hit hardest by recent energy shocks. Over the weekend, Iran-backed Houthi rebels entered the conflict, further threatening shipping.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — It's humanity's first flight to the moon since 1972.

In a throwback to Apollo, NASA's Artemis II mission will send four astronauts on a lunar fly-around. They'll hurtle several thousand miles beyond the moon, hang a U-turn and then come straight back. No circling around the moon, no stopping for a moonwalk — just a quick out-and-back lasting less than 10 days.

NEW YORK (AP) — Jon Stanley considers himself fortunate among bipolar disorder patients. He eventually responded to the right drug cocktail after self-described "full-brained mania" almost 40 years ago left him naked in a New York City deli, convinced electricity coursed through the floor.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump expressed frustration Tuesday with allies who have been unwilling to do more to support the U.S. war effort, telling them to "go get your own oil" as the conflict with Iran and its closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent average U.S. gas prices past $4 a gallon.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As the Iran war intensifies, President Donald Trump has prioritized efforts to calm the financial markets — trying to keep oil prices from exploding upward, stocks from cratering and interest rates from surging.

When the markets have flashed danger, Trump has been quick with a social media post or a remark to claim the war he launched last month could soon end. He's publicly declared that the markets are doing better than he expected, even with the S&P 500 stock index declining over the past five weeks and the global oil benchmark up roughly 60%.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Gulf allies of the United States, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are urging President Donald Trump to continue prosecuting the war against Iran, arguing that Tehran hasn't been weakened enough by the monthlong U.S.-led bombing campaign, according to U.S., Gulf and Israeli officials.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is threatening to deploy ground troops to seize critical oil infrastructure on Iran's Kharg Island, a military gambit that experts say would risk American lives and could still fail to end the war.

If Trump wants to hobble Iran's oil industry for leverage in negotiations, a better option might be setting up a blockade at sea against ships that have filled up at Kharg Island's oil terminals, the experts said.

ATLANTA (AP) — Over the past three decades, the collection of DNA from convicted criminals has become standard in the U.S. justice system, and many states now also swab people arrested for serious crimes.

Legislation awaiting a final vote in Georgia would take that a step further by collecting DNA from people charged with less serious misdemeanors — but only if federal immigration authorities want them detained. That could include immigrants not ultimately deported.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. job openings fell last month to 6.9 million and hiring was weak, more signs of sluggishness in the American labor market.

The Labor Department reported Tuesday that job vacancies slid from 7.2 million in January.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence inched higher in March despite soaring energy prices brought on by the war in Iran.

The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose modestly to 91.8 in March from 91 in February.

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Europe's inflation rate rose to 2.5% in March as the Iran war sent fuel prices sharply higher, official figures showed Tuesday. And that is leading analysts to pencil in interest rate increases by the European Central Bank later this year.

HONG KONG (AP) — China's factory activity expanded in March, ending two months of contraction, the government said Tuesday, but analysts say prolonged impacts of the Iran war could weigh on growth.

The official manufacturing purchasing managers index rose to 50.4 from 49 in February, the National Bureau of Statistics reported, beating economists' expectations and notching the strongest reading in a year. PMI is measured on a scale of 0 to 100 and a reading above 50 indicates expansion.

NEW YORK (AP) — Spice and flavorings company McCormick announced on Tuesday that it's combining with Unilever's foods division, which includes household names like Hellmann's and Knorr.

The combined company will maintain McCormick's name and leadership. But upon closing, Unilever and its shareholders are expected to own 65% of the food company's outstanding equity, amounting $29.1 billion. Unilever would also get $15.7 billion in cash. Meanwhile, McCormick shareholders will own 35.0%.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats' hopes of reclaiming the U.S. Senate are colliding with a fight within their own party.

In Maine, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has thrown his weight behind Gov. Janet Mills in a crucial race, but some of his Senate colleagues are backing insurgent candidate Graham Platner in a rebuke of his strategic vision. A similar dynamic is playing out in other battlegrounds, including Michigan and Minnesota, where progressives senators are endorsing non-establishment candidates.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Florida airport was cleared to be renamed after President Donald Trump on Monday, hours before the president separately revealed plans for a Miami skyscraper planned to house his presidential library.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill allowing Palm Beach International Airport to be renamed the President Donald J. Trump International Airport. The change is set to take place in July, formally rebranding the airport near Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawyers for Rep. Eric Swalwell demanded Monday that FBI Director Kash Patel immediately end any effort to release records from a decade-old investigation involving the California Democrat and a suspected Chinese operative that resulted in no criminal charges.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The crews of two AH-64 Apache helicopters that hovered next to Kid Rock's swimming pool while he clapped and saluted on Saturday have been suspended from flying pending a investigation of their actions, a U.S. Army spokesperson said on Tuesday.

NASHVILLE (AP) — A Tennessee library board has fired the county's top librarian for refusing to comply with its vote to move more than 100 LGBTQ books from the children's to the adult section over its claims that they promote "gender confusion."

WASHINGTON (AP) — Citing the First Amendment, a federal judge on Tuesday agreed to permanently block the Trump administration from implementing a presidential directive to end federal funding for National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service, two media entities that the White House has said are counterproductive to American priorities.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to suspend its construction of a $400 million ballroom where it demolished the East Wing of the White House, barring construction work from proceeding without congressional approval.

NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — Skyrocketing oil and gas prices in Europe as a result of the ongoing Iran war won't return to normal levels any time soon, even if peace is declared tomorrow, the European Union's energy commissioner warned Tuesday.

Commissioner Dan Jørgensen said although there are no immediate oil and gas supply shortages in the 27-member bloc, there's pressure on diesel and jet fuel supply as well as "increasing constraints" in global gas markets that are resulting in higher electricity prices.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — President Donald Trump expressed frustration Tuesday with allies who have been unwilling to do more to support the U.S. war effort, telling them to "go get your own oil" as the conflict with Iran and its closure of the Strait of Hormuz sent average U.S. gas prices past $4 a gallon.

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks surged to their best day since last spring, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average soared 1,125 points on Tuesday as doubt swung back to hope on Wall Street about a possible end to the war with Iran.

The S&P 500 leaped 2.9% for its largest gain since May. Just a day before, worries about the war had sent the main measure of Wall Street's health more than 9% below its all-time high set early this year.

NASHVILLE (AP) — The Army pilots who hovered two helicopters near Kid Rock's Tennessee home during a training run while he clapped and saluted have had their suspension lifted, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday.

"No punishment. No Investigation. Carry on, patriots," Hegseth said in a social media post.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A lawsuit says Taylor Swift's "The Life of a Showgirl" stole the spotlight from the life of a real one.

Maren Wade says in the trademark infringement lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in California that the glittery branding of Swift's 2025 album comes too close to the aesthetic of her own "Confessions of a Showgirl." That was the name of a column she wrote on backstage Sin City life in the Las Vegas Weekly starting in 2014, which she turned into a live show that she took on a national tour.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is not immune from civil claims that he incited a mob of his supporters to attack the Capitol on Jan, 6, 2021, a federal judge has ruled in one of the last unresolved legal cases stemming from the riot.

U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta ruled Tuesday that Trump's remarks at his "Stop the Steal" rally, held on the Ellipse near the White House shortly before the siege began, "plausibly" were inciting words that are not protected by the First Amendment right to free speech.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is taking up one of the term's most consequential cases, President Donald Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship declaring that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens, and he was in the courtroom on Wednesday for some of the arguments.

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court panel agreed Tuesday to suspend a federal judge's order for the Trump administration to bring hundreds of Voice of America employees back to work from paid leave.

The three-judge panel from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a stay pending the government's appeal of the lower court's March 17 ruling. More than 1,000 employees of Voice of America will remain on administrative leave while the appeals court weighs the case, a process that could take months.

NEW YORK (AP) — Global leaders have been scrambling to contain the rising cost of oil and gasoline since the start of the Iran war, which took a record amount of oil off the market when tankers full of crude were stranded in the Persian Gulf and military strikes damaged refineries, pipelines and export terminals.

CUPERTINO, Calif. (AP) — A scrawny hippie and a nerdy engineer who became prank-playing friends vowed to change the world when they founded a Silicon Valley startup on April Fools' Day 50 years ago and then — no joke — pulled it off.

The improbable odyssey began April 1, 1976, when a then-shaggy Steve Jobs and his gadget-tinkering friend Steve Wozniak signed a two-page partnership document that created Apple Computer Co.

When pollution gets bad enough in the rivers supplying Iowa's largest city with drinking water, it costs Des Moines around $16,000 a day to run a special system to filter out dangerous nitrates. It's a fact of life in the agriculture-dependent state — and climate change is making the water quality problem even worse.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer American service members died by suicide in 2024, with the number of deaths falling by 11% to 471 from a year earlier, according to a Pentagon report released Tuesday.

The rate of suicides per 100,000 service members also dropped that year compared to 2023, the report said. The decrease emerged under Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during the Biden administration and followed a rise in the number of military suicides in 2023.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Department of Homeland Security is pausing the purchase of new warehouses intended to house immigrants as it scrutinizes all contracts signed under former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, according to a senior Homeland Security official.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran kept up its attacks on Persian Gulf neighbors on Wednesday as airstrikes pounded Tehran, while U.S. President Donald Trump again made contradictory statements about whether he was ready to wind down the war or escalate it.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran hit an oil tanker off the coast of Qatar and Kuwait's airport on Wednesday, while airstrikes battered Tehran even as U.S. President Donald Trump said he was nearly ready to wind down the war and claimed that Iran's president wanted a ceasefire.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump entered his war of choice against Iran without consulting global allies, but as he weighs an exit from the conflict, he is making it clear that he is expecting the world to help him fix the unintended damage that it has caused.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Thousands of additional U.S. troops are heading to the Middle East as the Trump administration has insisted that progress has been made in talks with Iran and has threatened to escalate the war if a deal is not reached soon.

The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush deployed Tuesday and is slated to go to the Middle East along with three destroyers, two U.S. officials said. The carrier strike group consists of more than 6,000 sailors.

WASHINGTON (AP) — As President Donald Trump assembled his Cabinet last week, he asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance to give an update on the Iran war.

NEW YORK (AP) — Shoppers increased their spending in February, particularly on cars and clothing, after pulling back at the start of the year due to severe winter storms.

Retail sales rose a better-than-expected 0.6% in February, from a revised 0.1% decline in January, the Commerce Department said Wednesday.

TOKYO (AP) — Business sentiment among major Japanese manufacturers rose to 17 in March from 16, according to the Bank of Japan's quarterly survey released Wednesday.

The improvement in the key so-called diffusion index in the closely watched "tankan" report, recorded for the fourth quarter straight, comes even as worries grow about Japan's economic growth and oil supplies because of the war in Iran.

NEW YORK (AP) — Financial markets muddled through the first two months of the year. Then came the war.

The price of a barrel of Brent crude oil is above $100 for the first time since the summer of 2022 and gasoline prices have soared. That followed an extended period where the price of oil largely stayed between $60 and $70.

WASHINGTON (AP) — TMZ built its brand tracking celebrities. Now it's turning its attention to Congress, chasing down paparazzi-style shots of lawmakers on break from Washington during a record-long partial government shutdown.

Videos and photos posted by the tabloid website showing lawmakers in airports, Las Vegas and even Disney World have racked up millions of views and fueled a growing backlash. With travel disruptions persisting and some federal workers going without pay, pressure is mounting on Congress to cut short its regularly scheduled recess.