Sen. Mitch McConnell in the news as Senate stalwart and GOP power broker amid ongoing party debates; KY senior senator since 1985, veteran lawyer.
The Pentagon has provided lawmakers with an updated estimate that the U.S. has spent about $5.6 billion in the opening phase of the war with Iran, nine days after the joint U.S.-Israel attack on Feb. 28. Officials have said about $4 billion was spent on munitions and interceptors; Congress is expecting a supplemental funding request in the coming days.
On March 17, 2026, Joe Kent, director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, resigned, opposing the ongoing war with Iran. Kent stated Iran posed no imminent threat and accused Israeli officials and American media of pressuring the US into conflict. His resignation marks the highest-profile dissent within the Trump administration over the Iran war.
President Donald Trump has met Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing for two days of talks over trade, Taiwan, Iran and energy. The leaders have discussed reopening the Strait of Hormuz, Chinas oil purchases from Iran and military assistance; the White House has said Xi pledged not to send Iran military equipment.
The Republican effort to redraw congressional districts has intensified, with Trump backing challengers in Indiana, Louisiana and Kentucky as part of a broader strategy to reshape the party and defend his influence ahead of midterms.
President-backed Ed Gallrein has defeated Thomas Massie in Kentucky's 4th District Republican primary, in a race that has become the costliest House contest in U.S. history as Trump seeks loyalty over independence. Voters in five other states also decide nominees for the November elections.
The U.S. is pausing a planned arms package to Taiwan as the administration weighs its broader strategy with Beijing and Iran. Acting Navy Secretary Hung Cao says the sale will resume once officials deem it necessary, while Taiwan says there has been no formal notification of any policy shift.