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Lead As the U.S.-led conflict with Iran continues into 2026, disruptions to fertilizer production and shipping have pushed prices higher and created supply bottlenecks that threaten crop planting this season. Key fertilizer shipments are delayed around the Strait of Hormuz, while plants in India, Algeria and Slovakia have reduced output because of surging natural gas … Read more

Lead Apple has ended production of its Mac Pro desktop, confirming to 9to5Mac in March 2026 that the M2 Ultra Mac Pro introduced in mid‑2023 will be the final Mac Pro for now. The move closes an on‑again, off‑again chapter that stretched back to the 2010s, including the controversial 2013 cylindrical design and a return … Read more

Lead: President Donald Trump announced a 10-day pause on plans to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure, extending a prior deadline in a conflict that has lasted almost four weeks. The move arrived minutes after Wall Street closed and follows ongoing US and Israeli strikes and reciprocal Iranian actions in the region. Washington says the pause gives … Read more

Lead: A special House Ethics subcommittee on Friday found Rep. Sheila Cherfilus‑McCormick (D‑Fla.) guilty on 25 ethics violations, concluding a three‑year inquiry into alleged misuse of pandemic relief funds. The panel reached its determination after a nearly seven‑hour public adjudicatory hearing that was followed by overnight deliberations and a secret vote. Cherfilus‑McCormick has denied wrongdoing … Read more

Lead Washington — Americans are growing more pessimistic about the U.S. economy as the Middle East conflict with Iran unsettles markets and pushes energy prices higher. The University of Michigan’s final March consumer sentiment index fell 6% to 53.3, the lowest reading since December, missing economists’ expectations of 54.2 from a FactSet poll. The slide … Read more

Lead: More than 3,100 anti-authoritarian demonstrations are scheduled across the United States and in at least 15 other countries for Saturday, March 28, 2026, under the single banner No Kings. The loose coalition formed in June to oppose the Trump administration’s policies has swelled quickly; organizers say the weekend could be the largest protest in … Read more

Lead: Savannah Guthrie’s emotional interview with Hoda Kotb has refocused national attention on the disappearance of her 84-year-old mother, Nancy Guthrie, missing since February 1 in Tucson, Arizona. Former FBI agent Jason Pack told media the segment is likely to unsettle anyone involved, and law enforcement says investigations continue with what they describe as “good … Read more

The complaint from a group of Jeffrey Epstein survivors was filed Thursday in the Northern District of California, alleging Justice Department documents released in late 2025 and early 2026 exposed roughly 100 victims by publishing identifying information. The plaintiffs say the disclosures followed hurried disclosures required by the 2025 Epstein Files Transparency Act and resulted … Read more

Since its opening weekend, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s Project Hail Mary — adapted by Drew Goddard from Andy Weir’s 2021 novel and starring Ryan Gosling as Ryland Grace — has generated unusually broad online discussion after grossing more than $80 million domestically in its first frame, an Amazon MGM Studios record. Social platforms have … Read more

Lead: Sony will raise global prices for PlayStation 5 consoles and the PlayStation Portal on April 2, marking the second aggregate increase in less than a year. The standard PS5 will move from $549.99 to $649.99, the PS5 Digital Edition from $499.99 to $599.99, and the PS5 Pro from $749.99 to $899.99; the Portal handheld … Read more

Lead On Friday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps publicly rejected President Donald Trump’s claim that Tehran had allowed oil tankers safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz, saying three container ships were turned back after IRGC warnings. The dispute comes as the U.S. reportedly offered a 15-point ceasefire proposal that would include Tehran relinquishing control … Read more

In San Jose, with 0.7 seconds remaining at the SAP Center, senior Trey Kaufman-Renn tipped home the decisive basket to lift No. 2 Purdue past No. 11 Texas, 79-77, in the Sweet 16. The finish gave Purdue a spot in Saturday’s Elite Eight against top-seeded Arizona (8:49 p.m. ET, TBS) and marked 117 wins for … Read more

Savannah Guthrie, the co-anchor of NBC’s Today programme, will resume hosting duties on 6 April, roughly two months after her mother, Nancy Guthrie, was reported missing near Tucson, Arizona. In her first broadcast interview since the disappearance, Guthrie said she feels compelled to return because of family obligations and acknowledged she may not feel the … Read more

Lead: Two people with direct knowledge told the Associated Press that Rex Heuermann, the 62-year-old former architect accused in the Gilgo Beach killings, plans to change his plea to guilty at the next scheduled court appearance on 8 April in Suffolk County, New York. Heuermann has been held since his arrest in July 2023 and … Read more

Federal rules known as Build America, Buy America (BABA), enacted under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, are delaying affordable-housing construction across the United States by requiring many building components to be made in the U.S. Developers and nonprofit builders report multi-month hold-ups as they await waivers or hunt for American-made parts, raising costs … Read more