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Friday, March 20, 2026
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Good Morning! On this day in 1854, the Republican Party was established in Ripon, Wisconsin, when a group of men came together to form an anti-slavery coalition to meet the growing danger it posed to the country.
On a remote island, thousands of king penguins are creating an ear-splitting chorus that researchers managed to capture on video, offering a rare glimpse into one of nature’s loudest gatherings. We have the remarkable footage in Science below.
Today’s sponsor, Lemonade Pet Insurance, helps pet owners manage rising vet costs with affordable plans starting around $10/month and flexible coverage designed to protect both your pet’s health and your budget.
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 Pentagon Seeks $200B for Iran War
The Pentagon is asking Congress for roughly $200 billion to fund the war in Iran and restock its weapons supply.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth confirmed the request Thursday, telling reporters, “Obviously it takes money to kill bad guys,” as the U.S. has now struck more than 7,000 targets and sunk dozens of Iranian vessels since the conflict began Feb. 28.
The war’s economic toll deepened Wednesday after Iran launched retaliatory strikes on energy facilities in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, hitting the world’s largest liquefied natural gas terminal and sending global oil prices surging.
Meanwhile, Iran’s regime hanged 19-year-old champion wrestler Saleh Mohammadi and two other men for protesting against the government, ignoring pleas from the U.S. State Department and sparking calls for an international sports boycott.
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Historic Heat Wave Bakes the West
An unprecedented March heat wave is baking the western United States, with more than 400 temperature records broken since March 11 and temperatures running up to 35 degrees above normal.
Phoenix hit 102 on Wednesday, its earliest triple-digit reading ever, while a station in North Shore, California, tied the all-time national March high at 108 degrees.
The heat is expected to intensify through Saturday and spread east into Texas, Nebraska, and Oklahoma, with Las Vegas potentially seeing its first 100-degree day in March.
Meteorologists warn that the early melt is also draining western snowpacks that serve as a critical summer water source, potentially extending the 2026 wildfire season by weeks.
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IRS Warns Taxpayers of Top 12 Scams
The IRS released its annual list of the top 12 tax scams to watch for this filing season, with an emphasis on AI-powered phone scams.
Fraudsters are now using artificial intelligence to spoof caller IDs and generate realistic voices that impersonate IRS agents, while viral “tax hack” posts on social media are pushing people to file false returns or claim credits they don’t qualify for.
The list also flags fake charities that exploit tragedies and disasters to collect donations and personal information, as well as “ghost preparers” who file returns but refuse to sign them, leaving the taxpayer on the hook.
The agency reminded taxpayers that the IRS generally makes first contact by mail and will never call demanding immediate payment or threatening arrest.
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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:
➤ A Las Vegas sheriff is refusing a judge’s order to release a repeat offender with 35 arrests. (Hear More)
➤ More than 40% of TSA officers called out sick at one Houston airport on Tuesday. (Hear More)
➤ The national debt crossed $39 trillion on Tuesday. (Hear More)
  
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➤ The FBI is investigating former counterterrorism chief Joe Kent, who resigned this week over the Iran war, over allegations that he leaked classified information. The agency said the probe began weeks before Kent resigned. (More)
➤ Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s nomination to lead DHS narrowly cleared committee 8-7 on Thursday after Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., crossed party lines to cast the deciding vote. (More)
➤ Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. may lift sanctions on roughly 140 million barrels of Iranian oil currently at sea to help ease surging energy prices. (More)
➤ California’s top lawmakers announced plans to rename Cesar Chavez Day to Farmworkers Day following allegations that the late labor leader sexually abused women and girls. (More)
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➤ Soccer legend Lionel Messi scored his 900th career goal this week during a Concacaf Champions Cup match in Miami. He’s the second player to ever score 900, trailing only Cristiano Ronaldo, who has 965. (More)
➤ Major League Baseball is partnering with Polymarket to offer a “comprehensive integrity framework” for traders, banning potentially compromising bets such as individual pitch predictions, umpire calls, and manager decisions. (More)
➤ The World Baseball Classic could be moved to the middle of the baseball season in future years to incentivize teams to allow their pitchers to play in the tournament. (More)
➤ Colin Dorgan, the Rhode Island high school hockey player whose father fatally shot three family members and wounded two others during a game last month, scored a game-tying goal to help his team win the state championship. (See Story)
➤ Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer | Golf | Tennis
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| Today’s March Madness section is brought to you by:
➤ Day one of March Madness wrapped up with multiple upsets, plenty of busted brackets, and a few last-second finishes. The second half of the Round of 64 continues today with another full slate of games. (See All Scores)
➤ No. 12 High Point stunned the Wisconsin Badgers with a come-from-behind win to advance to Round Two of the tournament. Chase Johnston’s layup—his first two-point make of the entire season—won the game for the Panthers. (See Highlight)
➤ Nebraska sharpshooter Pryce Sandfort drained seven three-pointers (and five in the first half) to give the Huskers their first March Madness victory ever. Before yesterday’s game, Nebraska was the only Power Four program to have zero wins in the Big Dance. (See Highlights)
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Curious if your contract could be canceled for good? Take our quick quiz and get answers in minutes!
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 Daily Market Report 03/19/2026
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NASDAQ
National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations |
22,090.69 |
-0.28%
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SPX
S&P 500 |
6,606.49 |
-0.27%
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DJI
Dow Jones Industrial Average |
46,021.43 |
-0.44%
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BTC
Bitcoin |
$70,390.99 |
-1.20%
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GOLD
Per Ounce |
$4,659.80 |
-4.71%
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SILVER
Per Ounce |
$72.75 |
-5.81%
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OIL
West Texas Intermediate Crude |
$94.45 |
-1.94%
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AXTI
AXT Inc. |
$58.09 |
+19.13%
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Bitcoin, gold, silver, and oil are traded 24 hours a day.
➤ Big Stock Move: AXT Inc. stock rose over 19% on Thursday, driven by positive market sentiment and robust performance indicators for the material science company. (More)
➤ Meta plans to open a five-story flagship store on New York’s Fifth Avenue, where the tech giant will showcase and sell its AI glasses and VR headsets. (More)
➤ Uber will invest up to $1.25 billion in electric-vehicle manufacturer Rivian to deploy up to 50,000 autonomous robotaxis across 25 cities in the U.S., Canada, and Europe by 2031. (More)
➤ Mortgage rates on the 30-year fixed loan jumped to 6.22%, the highest level in nearly four months, as rising energy prices and trade uncertainty push borrowing costs higher. (More)
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Flying together with our sponsor
Don’t wait for a $10,000 veterinary bill
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➤ A sprawling king penguin colony on the remote South Atlantic island of South Georgia was captured on video, with thousands of birds creating an ear-splitting chorus. (See Video)
➤ Hyundai donated firefighting robots to South Korean fire stations that can roll into burning buildings first, withstand nearly 1,500-degree heat, and send live video back to crews outside. (See Robot)
➤ Meta is offering popular creators up to $3,000 a month to start posting on Facebook, the latest sign the platform needs outside help to stay relevant. (See Details)
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➤ Your brain cuts off your hearing when you lack this mineral. More and more doctors are changing the way we treat hearing loss. After a 2021 study uncovered that 98% of your hearing issues are caused by the lack of THIS CRUCIAL MINERAL! Click here to find out all about: Add this crucial mineral to your diet and fix your hearing problems.
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Friday Entertainment is brought to you by:
➤ Warner Bros. released the first trailer for Dune: Part Three, starring Timothée Chalamet, set 17 years after Part Two, with Denis Villeneuve’s finale. The movie premieres in theaters on Dec. 18. (See Trailer)
➤ Fans are clamoring for the promotional bright red satchel-style handbag popcorn buckets adorned with a pitchfork-heel stiletto for The Devil Wears Prada 2 ahead of the film’s May 1 release. (See Handbag)
➤ Deceased actor Val Kilmer will appear in the indie film As Deep as the Grave through generative AI, with his estate’s approval, after illness prevented him from filming before his death in April 2025. (More)
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➤ Unlock more value from your everyday spending with the Chase Amazon Prime Visa. Earn generous cash back on Amazon purchases, plus rewards on gas, dining, and more. Plus, get a $150 Amazon gift card instantly upon approval, with no annual fee and exclusive perks for Prime members. (LEARN MORE)
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➤ Kristin Cabot, the tech executive caught on Coldplay’s viral kiss cam last summer, gave an in-depth interview about the fallout, including career loss, death threats, and discovering the CEO she was with had been lying to her. (See Interview)
➤ Artist Adam Hillman arranges everyday objects like fruit slices, paperclips, and candy into mesmerizing geometric patterns, all by hand. (See Art)
➤ Over a third of engaged couples are now using AI for wedding planning, including drafting their vows, with one viral Reddit story detailing a bride who walked out after realizing the groom’s vows were bot-written. (See Debate)
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➤ Discover a smarter approach to weight loss with doctor-prescribed GLP-1 treatments delivered right to your door from DirectMeds. Designed to reduce appetite, boost metabolism, and support lasting results. With online consultations, ongoing medical support, and all-inclusive pricing, this convenient program helps you achieve real, sustainable progress without the hassle. (LEARN MORE)
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 Daily Quote
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“My heart is broken for this young wrestler. Anyone who still shows sympathy for the Islamic Republic should understand—this is only a small glimpse of its brutality.”
— Sardar Pashaei, former Iranian youth wrestling champion, on the execution of 19-year-old wrestler Saleh Mohammadi in Qom.
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Today’s Trivia
