DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and other vital infrastructure if a deal to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-03-30-2026">end the war</a>&nbsp;with Tehran is not reached soon.

In a social media post, Trump said “great progress is being made” in talks with Iran to end military operations but bristled that if a deal is not reached and and if the strategic Hormuz Strait is not immediately reopened, the U.S. would broaden its offensive by “completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!).”

On the ground, the war showed no sign of letting up: Tehran struck a key water and electrical plant in Kuwait, and an oil refinery in Israel came under attack. Israel and the U.S. launched a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">wave of strikes on Iran</a>.

Trump’s social media post and earlier comments in an interview with the Financial Times that suggested American troops could seize the country’s Kharg Island export hub highlight how he has repeatedly said that talks with Iran are ongoing — and even going well — though Tehran denies negotiating directly. But at the same time, he has continually ramped up his threats, as thousands more Marines and other U.S. troops&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-american-casualties-wounded-troops-ea713e7850053d8670b062e6b11a6e39">pour into the Middle East</a>.

It remains unclear where the diplomatic effort&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-us-iran-war-emerging-peace-mediator-f4e809dd3f93b3d67b54f9d75d33d55c">facilitated by Pakistan</a>&nbsp;stands. Iran’s attacks on its Gulf neighbors could add another element of uncertainty to any talks. The United Arab Emirates — which has long&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-dubai-emirates-tourism-attack-b256f514b290c987b3004cc87744f038">billed itself as a beacon of safety and stability</a>&nbsp;in a volatile region — has been hard hit in the war, and increasingly is signaling it wants Iran disarmed in any ceasefire. Iran’s theocracy likely won’t accept that.

Trump says diplomacy is going well but suggests military expansion is possible

In the interview with the FT, Trump said his preference would be to “take the oil in Iran” — a move that would require seizing Kharg Island — the terminal through which nearly all of Iran’s oil exports pass.

“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t,” he continued. “We have a lot of options.”

Also in the interview, Trump said that the U.S. had about 3,000 targets that it would still like to hit in Iran, but adding: “A deal could be made fairly quickly.”

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One late Sunday that the U.S. was negotiating “directly and indirectly” with Iran.

“We’re doing extremely well in that negotiation but you never know with Iran because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up,” Trump said.

Twice during Trump’s second term, the U.S. has attacked Iran while in the middle of negotiations, once with the strikes on Feb. 28 that started the current war and also in June.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei on Monday acknowledged Tehran had been given a 15-point proposal from the Trump administration, but said there had been no direct negotiations with Washington so far.

Earlier, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed the talks in Pakistan as a cover to get more U.S. troops into the area. He said Iranian forces were “waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever,” according to state media.

The U.S. already launched airstrikes once that targeted military positions on Kharg. Iran has threatened to launch its own ground invasion of Gulf Arab countries and mine the Persian Gulf if U.S. troops land on its territory.

To get an amphibious invasion force to Kharg would mean transiting the Strait of Hormuz and most of the Persian Gulf. Experts say that holding the island would also be a challenge, because in addition to its missiles and drones, it would be well within artillery range from the Iranian mainland.

Iran launches attacks on Israel and hits more infrastructure targets in Gulf states

Sirens sounded at dawn near Israel's main nuclear research center, a part of the country that has been targeted repeatedly in recent days. Israel's military also said it had taken out two drones launched from Yemen, where the Iranian-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-houthis-yemen-dba2e2e2309f08547a3cbfdc2c367897">Houthi rebels entered the war</a>&nbsp;on Saturday with their first missile attack.

Later, a fire broke out at an oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa, one of only two in Israel, either from a missile strike or from debris falling from an interception. The blaze was quickly extinguished.

Iran kept up the pressure on its Gulf Arab neighbors, as Saudi Arabia intercepted five missiles targeting its oil-rich Eastern province, Bahrain sounded a missile alert, and a fireball erupted over Dubai as an incoming missile was taken out by defenses.

In Kuwait, an Iranian attack hit a power and desalination plant, killing one worker and injuring 10 soldiers, the state-run KUNA news agency reported.

Desalination plants are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-desalination-water-oil-middle-east-12b23f2fa26ed5c4a10f80c4077e61ce">crucial to water supplies</a>&nbsp;in the Gulf Arab states, and an Iranian attack previously damaged a desalination plant in Bahrain during the war. The facilities are typically paired with power plants, because of the large amount of energy required to remove salt from the water to make it drinkable.

Israel’s military launched a new wave of attacks on Iran, saying it was striking “military infrastructure” across Tehran, and explosions were heard in the Iranian capital. Iranian state media reported a petrochemicals plant in Tabriz, in the north, sustained damage after an airstrike and firefighters had to put out a blaze.

Iran confirmed on Monday that the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s navy, Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, as Israel claimed last week.

In Lebanon, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-journalists-killed-israeli-airstrike-ali-shoeib-almayadeen-almanar-6e94c7ecc0366d1a8952c9b44f95c513">Israel has invaded by ground</a>, an Indonesian peacekeeper was killed and three others were wounded when a projectile exploded near a village in the south.

Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military will widen its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-lebanon-invasion-attack-war-ap-style-2e22f39ce455f859483463550c0725f0">invasion</a>, expanding the “existing security strip” in that country’s south as it targets the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group.

In Iran, authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel.

Two dozen people have been killed In Gulf states and the occupied West Bank. In Lebanon, officials said more than 1,200 people have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-journalists-killed-israeli-airstrike-ali-shoeib-almayadeen-almanar-6e94c7ecc0366d1a8952c9b44f95c513">killed</a>, and more than 1 million have been displaced.

Six Israeli soldiers have died in Lebanon, while 13 U.S. service members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-american-casualties-wounded-troops-ea713e7850053d8670b062e6b11a6e39">have been killed</a>&nbsp;in the war.

Oil prices rise again as concerns of global energy crisis grow

Iran's attacks on the energy infrastructure of the region and its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is shipped in peacetime, has sent oil prices skyrocketing and given rise to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-global-economy-oil-1bcb0c616c5ca2e1b6a903c2cd64a4e4">growing concerns</a>&nbsp;about a global&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-war-israel-iran-middle-east-egypt-economy-oil-aa25e671bcb27bf03b401ae138f36dc9">energy crisis</a>.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-war-oil-trump-iran-1aef947ecb395c3bb97fcdb5ed3826f1">In early trading</a>, the spot price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, was around $115,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kosovo-iran-war-fuel-prices-63d431a82c5fe28b967e41308a382662">up nearly 60%</a>&nbsp;from when the U.S. and Israel started the war with attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.

As pressure has grown on Trump to bring an end to the conflict, the U.S. has presented Iran a 15-point plan that includes it agreeing to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Iran, meantime, has produced a five-point plan with its own terms, including maintaining its sovereignty over the key waterway.

Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One, Melanie Lidman, Tel Aviv, Israel, Giovanna Dell'Orto in Miami, Florida and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this story.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday threatened widespread destruction of Iran’s energy resources and other vital infrastructure if a deal to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/iran-war-israel-trump-03-30-2026">end the war</a>&nbsp;with Tehran is not reached soon.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><a href="https://t.co/UlLuMXs6SQ">pic.twitter.com/UlLuMXs6SQ</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2038578956895486118?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>In a social media post, Trump said “great progress is being made” in talks with Iran to end military operations but bristled that if a deal is not reached and and if the strategic Hormuz Strait is not immediately reopened, the U.S. would broaden its offensive by “completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!).”On the ground, the war showed no sign of letting up: Tehran struck a key water and electrical plant in Kuwait, and an oil refinery in Israel came under attack. Israel and the U.S. launched a new&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/iran">wave of strikes on Iran</a>.Trump’s social media post and earlier comments in an interview with the Financial Times that suggested American troops could seize the country’s Kharg Island export hub highlight how he has repeatedly said that talks with Iran are ongoing — and even going well — though Tehran denies negotiating directly. But at the same time, he has continually ramped up his threats, as thousands more Marines and other U.S. troops&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-american-casualties-wounded-troops-ea713e7850053d8670b062e6b11a6e39">pour into the Middle East</a>.It remains unclear where the diplomatic effort&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/pakistan-us-iran-war-emerging-peace-mediator-f4e809dd3f93b3d67b54f9d75d33d55c">facilitated by Pakistan</a>&nbsp;stands. Iran’s attacks on its Gulf neighbors could add another element of uncertainty to any talks. The United Arab Emirates — which has long&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-dubai-emirates-tourism-attack-b256f514b290c987b3004cc87744f038">billed itself as a beacon of safety and stability</a>&nbsp;in a volatile region — has been hard hit in the war, and increasingly is signaling it wants Iran disarmed in any ceasefire. Iran’s theocracy likely won’t accept that.<h2>Trump says diplomacy is going well but suggests military expansion is possible</h2>In the interview with the FT, Trump said his preference would be to “take the oil in Iran” — a move that would require seizing Kharg Island — the terminal through which nearly all of Iran’s oil exports pass.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &quot;We&#39;re ahead of schedule with Iran. We&#39;re weeks ahead of schedule... and we have a group, it&#39;s really a new regime. It&#39;s a new group of people — people that we&#39;ve never dealt with before, that are acting very reasonable.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/fcTLiAKnNx">pic.twitter.com/fcTLiAKnNx</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2038430439937900767?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“Maybe we take Kharg Island, maybe we don’t,” he continued. “We have a lot of options.”Also in the interview, Trump said that the U.S. had about 3,000 targets that it would still like to hit in Iran, but adding: “A deal could be made fairly quickly.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> on Iran: We destroyed many targets today, and we&#39;re negotiating with them directly and indirectly. They gave us 20 big boats of oil going through the Hormuz Strait, and that‘s taking place starting tomorrow morning, over the next couple of days. <a href="https://t.co/EC3EVUExAr">pic.twitter.com/EC3EVUExAr</a>&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/2038429374697951562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 30, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One late Sunday that the U.S. was negotiating “directly and indirectly” with Iran.“We’re doing extremely well in that negotiation but you never know with Iran because we negotiate with them and then we always have to blow them up,” Trump said.Twice during Trump’s second term, the U.S. has attacked Iran while in the middle of negotiations, once with the strikes on Feb. 28 that started the current war and also in June.Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei on Monday acknowledged Tehran had been given a 15-point proposal from the Trump administration, but said there had been no direct negotiations with Washington so far.Earlier, Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed the talks in Pakistan as a cover to get more U.S. troops into the area. He said Iranian forces were “waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever,” according to state media.The U.S. already launched airstrikes once that targeted military positions on Kharg. Iran has threatened to launch its own ground invasion of Gulf Arab countries and mine the Persian Gulf if U.S. troops land on its territory.To get an amphibious invasion force to Kharg would mean transiting the Strait of Hormuz and most of the Persian Gulf. Experts say that holding the island would also be a challenge, because in addition to its missiles and drones, it would be well within artillery range from the Iranian mainland.<h2>Iran launches attacks on Israel and hits more infrastructure targets in Gulf states</h2>Sirens sounded at dawn near Israel's main nuclear research center, a part of the country that has been targeted repeatedly in recent days. Israel's military also said it had taken out two drones launched from Yemen, where the Iranian-backed&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-israel-us-houthis-yemen-dba2e2e2309f08547a3cbfdc2c367897">Houthi rebels entered the war</a>&nbsp;on Saturday with their first missile attack.Later, a fire broke out at an oil refinery in the northern city of Haifa, one of only two in Israel, either from a missile strike or from debris falling from an interception. The blaze was quickly extinguished.Iran kept up the pressure on its Gulf Arab neighbors, as Saudi Arabia intercepted five missiles targeting its oil-rich Eastern province, Bahrain sounded a missile alert, and a fireball erupted over Dubai as an incoming missile was taken out by defenses.In Kuwait, an Iranian attack hit a power and desalination plant, killing one worker and injuring 10 soldiers, the state-run KUNA news agency reported.Desalination plants are&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-desalination-water-oil-middle-east-12b23f2fa26ed5c4a10f80c4077e61ce">crucial to water supplies</a>&nbsp;in the Gulf Arab states, and an Iranian attack previously damaged a desalination plant in Bahrain during the war. The facilities are typically paired with power plants, because of the large amount of energy required to remove salt from the water to make it drinkable.Israel’s military launched a new wave of attacks on Iran, saying it was striking “military infrastructure” across Tehran, and explosions were heard in the Iranian capital. Iranian state media reported a petrochemicals plant in Tabriz, in the north, sustained damage after an airstrike and firefighters had to put out a blaze.Iran confirmed on Monday that the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s navy, Rear Adm. Alireza Tangsiri, had been killed in an Israeli airstrike, as Israel claimed last week.In Lebanon, which&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-journalists-killed-israeli-airstrike-ali-shoeib-almayadeen-almanar-6e94c7ecc0366d1a8952c9b44f95c513">Israel has invaded by ground</a>, an Indonesian peacekeeper was killed and three others were wounded when a projectile exploded near a village in the south.Over the weekend, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the military will widen its&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-lebanon-invasion-attack-war-ap-style-2e22f39ce455f859483463550c0725f0">invasion</a>, expanding the “existing security strip” in that country’s south as it targets the Iran-linked Hezbollah militant group.In Iran, authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel.Two dozen people have been killed In Gulf states and the occupied West Bank. In Lebanon, officials said more than 1,200 people have been&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-journalists-killed-israeli-airstrike-ali-shoeib-almayadeen-almanar-6e94c7ecc0366d1a8952c9b44f95c513">killed</a>, and more than 1 million have been displaced.Six Israeli soldiers have died in Lebanon, while 13 U.S. service members&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-war-american-casualties-wounded-troops-ea713e7850053d8670b062e6b11a6e39">have been killed</a>&nbsp;in the war.<h2>Oil prices rise again as concerns of global energy crisis grow</h2>Iran's attacks on the energy infrastructure of the region and its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is shipped in peacetime, has sent oil prices skyrocketing and given rise to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-war-global-economy-oil-1bcb0c616c5ca2e1b6a903c2cd64a4e4">growing concerns</a>&nbsp;about a global&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-war-israel-iran-middle-east-egypt-economy-oil-aa25e671bcb27bf03b401ae138f36dc9">energy crisis</a>.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/stock-markets-war-oil-trump-iran-1aef947ecb395c3bb97fcdb5ed3826f1">In early trading</a>, the spot price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, was around $115,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/kosovo-iran-war-fuel-prices-63d431a82c5fe28b967e41308a382662">up nearly 60%</a>&nbsp;from when the U.S. and Israel started the war with attacks on Iran on Feb. 28.As pressure has grown on Trump to bring an end to the conflict, the U.S. has presented Iran a 15-point plan that includes it agreeing to open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. Iran, meantime, has produced a five-point plan with its own terms, including maintaining its sovereignty over the key waterway.___Rising reported from Bangkok. Associated Press writers Darlene Superville aboard Air Force One, Melanie Lidman, Tel Aviv, Israel, Giovanna Dell'Orto in Miami, Florida and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this story.

🎥President Trump issues new threat to Iran over oil blockade

By JOHN RABY, MATT SEDENSKY and RIO YAMAT &nbsp;Associated Press

Even after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;ordered emergency pay for Transportation Security Administration agents to ease&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-houston-airport-travel-impact-c46f4d6f49383bc9a457f3ebe001fbc1">long security lines</a>, major U.S. airports on Sunday were still urging travelers to arrive hours early — and federal immigration officers brought in to help may not be leaving anytime soon.

Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-tsa-homeland-security-airports-trump-672467393ae043e47938874e7aaddcd6">executive order</a>&nbsp;on Friday instructed the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA officers immediately, though it's unclear how quickly travelers will see an impact. The move comes during a busy travel stretch, with spring breaks underway and Passover and Easter approaching.

Tens of thousands of TSA employees have been working without pay since DHS funding lapsed on Valentine's Day. The department's shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, eclipsing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopen-update-house-returns-5771f2befb15f4ab45e327369f2e98d9">record 43-day shutdown</a>&nbsp;last fall that affected all of the federal government.

Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airport-screening-lines-ice-trump-shutdown-dhs-9c36ce9cc31647b59867fd2b62f9379d">deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents</a>&nbsp;to some airports a week ago to help with security as TSA callouts rose nationwide — the same officers who may now remain in place if TSA staffing strains continue.

When will ICE's deployment at airports end?

Making the rounds on Sunday morning news shows, White House border czar Tom Homan said it depends on how many TSA employees would be returning to work after they start receiving their pay.

“ICE is there to help our brothers and sisters in TSA. We’ll be there as long as they need us, until they get back to normal operations and feel like those airports are secure,” he told CBS' “Face the Nation.”

Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Homan said it also depends on how many TSA agents “have actually quit and have no plan on coming back to work.”

Nearly 500 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown started, according to DHS.

Homan, in his CNN interview, said he hopes TSA officers will be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-tsa-executive-order-trump-c3c57b642efa1f29307e12e038c554d0">paid by Monday or Tuesday</a>.

“It’s good news because these TSA officers are struggling,” Homan said. “They can’t feed their families or pay their rent.”

Also on Sunday, Charlotte Douglas International Airport said in a post on X that backpay could arrive for TSA agents beginning Monday.

“While this action provides critical relief, CLT supports&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-tsa-agents-pay-shutdown-81eabb42d06e17db4d6952b27f112ff7">long-term solutions</a>&nbsp;to ensure continued stability for this essential workforce,” the airport said.

Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees' TSA chapter, said Sunday that he has heard from workers worried they may not receive their full back pay because TSA management was given very short notice to begin processing payments. He also said TSA agents are concerned they could miss pay for time they were unable to work because they couldn't afford to report for duty.

“It is a disaster in progress,” Jones said.

What’s the current situation on the ground?

Some of the busiest airports in the United States continued to ask travelers to arrive hours before their departure time in order to get through security lines.

Houston's main airport, George Bush Intercontinental, warned Sunday evening that TSA wait times could reach four hours or longer. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport also told passengers to arrive at least four hours early for both domestic and international flights.

LaGuardia Airport posted an alert Sunday evening on its website that “TSA lines are currently longer than usual.” A separate advisory on its site said wait times “can change quickly.”

Baltimore-Washington International Airport said Sunday that “wait times have greatly subsided on this Spring Break Sunday.” But the airport still asked passengers to show up several hours early. Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans offered the same guidance on Sunday.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a post on X Saturday evening that more ICE agents were being deployed to BWI to assist at TSA security checkpoints to “speed up the clearance process for passengers — not immigration enforcement.”

How soon will this help with airport delays?

Caleb Harmon-Marshall, a former TSA officer who runs a travel newsletter called Gate Access, said the staffing crisis won’t improve significantly until officers are confident that they won’t be subjected to more skipped paychecks.

“It has to be an extended pay for them to come back or want to stay there,” he said, estimating longer lines could linger for another week or two.

Jones, the TSA union leader, offered a more optimistic outlook on Sunday, saying he's hopeful that passengers could see wait times ease closer to typical levels once workers are able to afford basic expenses like gas to get to work.

TSA will also have to decide whether to reopen checkpoints or expedite service lanes they closed or consolidated at airports due to inadequate staffing, which led to passengers standing in screening lines that clogged check-in areas or showing up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airport-delays-security-lines-tsa-6fb45976ea952c0c825d8c3c7c507953">far too early</a>&nbsp;for their flights.

A handful of airports have experienced daily TSA officer call-out rates of 40% or higher. Nationwide on Thursday, more than 11.8% of the TSA employees on the schedule missed work, the most so far, DHS said Friday.

Sedensky reported from New York, Yamat from Las Vegas and Raby from Charleston, West Virginia. Associated Press journalist Julie Walker contributed from New York.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1774230364544.png" alt="File photo TSA" />
 <figcaption>File photo TSA</figcaption>
 </figure>By JOHN RABY, MATT SEDENSKY and RIO YAMAT &nbsp;Associated PressEven after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">President Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;ordered emergency pay for Transportation Security Administration agents to ease&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-houston-airport-travel-impact-c46f4d6f49383bc9a457f3ebe001fbc1">long security lines</a>, major U.S. airports on Sunday were still urging travelers to arrive hours early — and federal immigration officers brought in to help may not be leaving anytime soon.Trump's&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/senate-tsa-homeland-security-airports-trump-672467393ae043e47938874e7aaddcd6">executive order</a>&nbsp;on Friday instructed the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA officers immediately, though it's unclear how quickly travelers will see an impact. The move comes during a busy travel stretch, with spring breaks underway and Passover and Easter approaching.Tens of thousands of TSA employees have been working without pay since DHS funding lapsed on Valentine's Day. The department's shutdown reached 44 days on Sunday, eclipsing the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/government-shutdown-reopen-update-house-returns-5771f2befb15f4ab45e327369f2e98d9">record 43-day shutdown</a>&nbsp;last fall that affected all of the federal government.Trump&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airport-screening-lines-ice-trump-shutdown-dhs-9c36ce9cc31647b59867fd2b62f9379d">deployed Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents</a>&nbsp;to some airports a week ago to help with security as TSA callouts rose nationwide — the same officers who may now remain in place if TSA staffing strains continue.<h2>When will ICE's deployment at airports end?</h2>Making the rounds on Sunday morning news shows, White House border czar Tom Homan said it depends on how many TSA employees would be returning to work after they start receiving their pay.“ICE is there to help our brothers and sisters in TSA. We’ll be there as long as they need us, until they get back to normal operations and feel like those airports are secure,” he told CBS' “Face the Nation.”Speaking on CNN’s “State of the Union,” Homan said it also depends on how many TSA agents “have actually quit and have no plan on coming back to work.”Nearly 500 TSA officers have quit since the shutdown started, according to DHS.<h2>When will TSA officers get paid?</h2>Homan, in his CNN interview, said he hopes TSA officers will be&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/shutdown-tsa-executive-order-trump-c3c57b642efa1f29307e12e038c554d0">paid by Monday or Tuesday</a>.“It’s good news because these TSA officers are struggling,” Homan said. “They can’t feed their families or pay their rent.”Also on Sunday, Charlotte Douglas International Airport said in a post on X that backpay could arrive for TSA agents beginning Monday.“While this action provides critical relief, CLT supports&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/congress-tsa-agents-pay-shutdown-81eabb42d06e17db4d6952b27f112ff7">long-term solutions</a>&nbsp;to ensure continued stability for this essential workforce,” the airport said.Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the American Federation of Government Employees' TSA chapter, said Sunday that he has heard from workers worried they may not receive their full back pay because TSA management was given very short notice to begin processing payments. He also said TSA agents are concerned they could miss pay for time they were unable to work because they couldn't afford to report for duty.“It is a disaster in progress,” Jones said.<h2>What’s the current situation on the ground?</h2>Some of the busiest airports in the United States continued to ask travelers to arrive hours before their departure time in order to get through security lines.Houston's main airport, George Bush Intercontinental, warned Sunday evening that TSA wait times could reach four hours or longer. Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport also told passengers to arrive at least four hours early for both domestic and international flights.LaGuardia Airport posted an alert Sunday evening on its website that “TSA lines are currently longer than usual.” A separate advisory on its site said wait times “can change quickly.”Baltimore-Washington International Airport said Sunday that “wait times have greatly subsided on this Spring Break Sunday.” But the airport still asked passengers to show up several hours early. Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans offered the same guidance on Sunday.Maryland Gov. Wes Moore said in a post on X Saturday evening that more ICE agents were being deployed to BWI to assist at TSA security checkpoints to “speed up the clearance process for passengers — not immigration enforcement.”<h2>How soon will this help with airport delays?</h2>It’s hard to tell.Caleb Harmon-Marshall, a former TSA officer who runs a travel newsletter called Gate Access, said the staffing crisis won’t improve significantly until officers are confident that they won’t be subjected to more skipped paychecks.“It has to be an extended pay for them to come back or want to stay there,” he said, estimating longer lines could linger for another week or two.Jones, the TSA union leader, offered a more optimistic outlook on Sunday, saying he's hopeful that passengers could see wait times ease closer to typical levels once workers are able to afford basic expenses like gas to get to work.TSA will also have to decide whether to reopen checkpoints or expedite service lanes they closed or consolidated at airports due to inadequate staffing, which led to passengers standing in screening lines that clogged check-in areas or showing up&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/airport-delays-security-lines-tsa-6fb45976ea952c0c825d8c3c7c507953">far too early</a>&nbsp;for their flights.A handful of airports have experienced daily TSA officer call-out rates of 40% or higher. Nationwide on Thursday, more than 11.8% of the TSA employees on the schedule missed work, the most so far, DHS said Friday.___Sedensky reported from New York, Yamat from Las Vegas and Raby from Charleston, West Virginia. Associated Press journalist Julie Walker contributed from New York.

TSA pay may be coming but airport delays will continue

HOUSTON (AP) — Gary Woodland won the Houston Open on Sunday, an emotional moment that seemed so improbable 30 months ago&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gary-woodland-brain-surgery-sony-open-af85283245984c62f181f528b1af8f17">when he had brain surgery</a>, and even two weeks ago when he opened up about his frightening struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Woodland looked better than ever at Memorial Park, taking a one-shot lead into the final round and stretching it to seven shots until coasting home to a trophy that felt as big as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/gary-woodland-wins-us-open-at-pebble-beach-c9ef7886e89d48febc971b4565d0f5dc">his U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach in 2019.</a>

He closed with a 3-under 67 to win by five shots over Nicolai Hojgaard. The gallery paused chanting his name so Woodland could roll in a 5-foot par putt. He stretched both arms, exhaled and looked to the blue sky before his tears began pouring.

“We play an individual sport out here, but I wasn't alone today,” Woodland said, his voice quivering with emotion. “Anyone struggling with something, I hope they see me and don't give up. Just keep fighting.”

Woodland has been a popular figure and powerful player since he left a two-sport college career and joined the PGA Tour. But he began to struggle in 2023, only to learn he had a lesion on the part of his brain that caused unfounded fears that he was dying.

Surgery in September 2023, which involved a baseball-sized hole cut from the side of his head, removed much of the lesion. His return in January 2024 looked fine on the outside, particularly last year when he was runner-up at the Houston Open.

But he was hurting badly with PTSD, once rushing to a portable bathroom to break down in tears when he was overcome with emotion. He chose two weeks ago&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gary-woodland-island-green-mcilroy-justin-thomas-efcc869a372f29ee8546f097e9cc5d31">to share his struggles in a Golf Channel interview.</a>

“I appreciate that love and support. But inside, I feel like I’m dying, and I feel like I’m living a lie,” he said in the interview. “I want to live my dreams and be successful out here. But I want to help people, too. I realize now I’ve got to help myself first.”

He said this week going public made him feel “1,000 pounds lighter.” He still has moments, such as fans getting too close to him on the ninth tee Friday that made him hypervigilant. He said he was in tears in scoring after the second round before he reset and got on with his routine.

“Coming out, talking and asking for help, I didn’t do that last year. I didn’t do that early this year,” Woodland said. “I'm in a fight. With the love and support I have around me, I have hope.”

His physical strength sure didn't leave him. Woodland reached 196 mph ball speed on one tee shot Sunday, and more striking was the smooth control he showed over every shot.

He finished at 21-under 259 for his first victory since the U.S. Open, and the fifth of his career. This one came with a big bonus — it makes him eligible for the Masters in two weeks.

Hojgaard fell back with a double bogey on the par-3 seventh hole when it took two shots to get out of a bunker. He closed with a 71 and a consolation prize. He secured his position inside the top 50 in the world — going from No. 47 to No. 36 — to earn his invitation to the Masters.

Hojgaard and defending champion Min Woo Lee (67) chose to stay back on their way to the 18th green to give Woodland the stage to himself, a gesture rarely seen outside the majors. It spoke to Woodland's standing on the PGA Tour.

“We thought it was appropriate to let him have his moment,” Hojgaard said. “It was a pretty cool moment for Gary and it was cool to see. I’m really happy for him.”

Woodland felt huge relief by sharing his PTSD struggles, and he had some technical help with his golf. He went to a new putter to help his alignment, and he consulted coach Randy Smith before going to stiffer shafts in his irons because his speed had returned and that helped him have better control of his shots.

There was no chance controlling his emotions, certainly over the last hour when the outcome was obvious and the 18th hole when it became reality.

But he said it's still golf, and there's still a battle with his recovery from brain surgery.

“It's just another day. Today was a good day,” Woodland said with a smile and a short laugh. “But I've got a big fight ahead of me, and I'm going to keep going. But I'm proud of myself right now.”

His wife, Gabby, was with him all 18 holes with their three children at home. Woodland has said his wife was key to get him through surgery and what followed. “This has been hard on me. It's been a lot harder on her,” he said.

The victory moves him to No. 51 in the world — his highest ranking in five years — and makes him eligible for all the PGA Tour's remaining elite events this season.

Michael Thorbjornsen was in position to move into the top 50 and get into the Masters until he made three bogeys in a four-hole stretch on the back nine and stumbled to a 72 to finish well outside the top 10. ... Shane Lowry made a hole-in-one on the second hole, his fourth on the PGA Tour. The others came on No. 7 at Pebble Beach, No. 17 at the TPC Sawgrass and No. 12 at Augusta National. Adam Scott also made an ace on the 11th hole. ... PGA Tour rookie Johnny Keefer shot 64 and tied for third.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1774839486883.jpeg" alt="Gary Woodland celebrates after sinking his final putt on the 18th green to win the Texas Children's Houston Open golf tournament Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)" />
 <figcaption>Gary Woodland celebrates after sinking his final putt on the 18th green to win the Texas Children's Houston Open golf tournament Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke)</figcaption>
 </figure>HOUSTON (AP) — Gary Woodland won the Houston Open on Sunday, an emotional moment that seemed so improbable 30 months ago&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gary-woodland-brain-surgery-sony-open-af85283245984c62f181f528b1af8f17">when he had brain surgery</a>, and even two weeks ago when he opened up about his frightening struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder.Woodland looked better than ever at Memorial Park, taking a one-shot lead into the final round and stretching it to seven shots until coasting home to a trophy that felt as big as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/gary-woodland-wins-us-open-at-pebble-beach-c9ef7886e89d48febc971b4565d0f5dc">his U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach in 2019.</a>He closed with a 3-under 67 to win by five shots over Nicolai Hojgaard. The gallery paused chanting his name so Woodland could roll in a 5-foot par putt. He stretched both arms, exhaled and looked to the blue sky before his tears began pouring.“We play an individual sport out here, but I wasn't alone today,” Woodland said, his voice quivering with emotion. “Anyone struggling with something, I hope they see me and don't give up. Just keep fighting.”Woodland has been a popular figure and powerful player since he left a two-sport college career and joined the PGA Tour. But he began to struggle in 2023, only to learn he had a lesion on the part of his brain that caused unfounded fears that he was dying.Surgery in September 2023, which involved a baseball-sized hole cut from the side of his head, removed much of the lesion. His return in January 2024 looked fine on the outside, particularly last year when he was runner-up at the Houston Open.But he was hurting badly with PTSD, once rushing to a portable bathroom to break down in tears when he was overcome with emotion. He chose two weeks ago&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/gary-woodland-island-green-mcilroy-justin-thomas-efcc869a372f29ee8546f097e9cc5d31">to share his struggles in a Golf Channel interview.</a>“I appreciate that love and support. But inside, I feel like I’m dying, and I feel like I’m living a lie,” he said in the interview. “I want to live my dreams and be successful out here. But I want to help people, too. I realize now I’ve got to help myself first.”He said this week going public made him feel “1,000 pounds lighter.” He still has moments, such as fans getting too close to him on the ninth tee Friday that made him hypervigilant. He said he was in tears in scoring after the second round before he reset and got on with his routine.“Coming out, talking and asking for help, I didn’t do that last year. I didn’t do that early this year,” Woodland said. “I'm in a fight. With the love and support I have around me, I have hope.”His physical strength sure didn't leave him. Woodland reached 196 mph ball speed on one tee shot Sunday, and more striking was the smooth control he showed over every shot.He finished at 21-under 259 for his first victory since the U.S. Open, and the fifth of his career. This one came with a big bonus — it makes him eligible for the Masters in two weeks.Hojgaard fell back with a double bogey on the par-3 seventh hole when it took two shots to get out of a bunker. He closed with a 71 and a consolation prize. He secured his position inside the top 50 in the world — going from No. 47 to No. 36 — to earn his invitation to the Masters.Hojgaard and defending champion Min Woo Lee (67) chose to stay back on their way to the 18th green to give Woodland the stage to himself, a gesture rarely seen outside the majors. It spoke to Woodland's standing on the PGA Tour.“We thought it was appropriate to let him have his moment,” Hojgaard said. “It was a pretty cool moment for Gary and it was cool to see. I’m really happy for him.”Woodland felt huge relief by sharing his PTSD struggles, and he had some technical help with his golf. He went to a new putter to help his alignment, and he consulted coach Randy Smith before going to stiffer shafts in his irons because his speed had returned and that helped him have better control of his shots.There was no chance controlling his emotions, certainly over the last hour when the outcome was obvious and the 18th hole when it became reality.But he said it's still golf, and there's still a battle with his recovery from brain surgery.“It's just another day. Today was a good day,” Woodland said with a smile and a short laugh. “But I've got a big fight ahead of me, and I'm going to keep going. But I'm proud of myself right now.”His wife, Gabby, was with him all 18 holes with their three children at home. Woodland has said his wife was key to get him through surgery and what followed. “This has been hard on me. It's been a lot harder on her,” he said.The victory moves him to No. 51 in the world — his highest ranking in five years — and makes him eligible for all the PGA Tour's remaining elite events this season.<h2>Divots</h2>Michael Thorbjornsen was in position to move into the top 50 and get into the Masters until he made three bogeys in a four-hole stretch on the back nine and stumbled to a 72 to finish well outside the top 10. ... Shane Lowry made a hole-in-one on the second hole, his fourth on the PGA Tour. The others came on No. 7 at Pebble Beach, No. 17 at the TPC Sawgrass and No. 12 at Augusta National. Adam Scott also made an ace on the 11th hole. ... PGA Tour rookie Johnny Keefer shot 64 and tied for third.

⛳ Gary Woodland wins the Houston Open for first PGA Tour title since brain surgery

PAWNEE COUNTY– Miguel Angel Gil, 36 of El Paso, appeared in custody Thursday afternoon, and co-defendant, Omar Gustavo Trejo, 25 of El Paso, appeared in custody Friday morning in the Pawnee County District Court before Magistrate Judge Julie Cowell for First Appearances on felony drug charges, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.

Gil is charged with Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute over 1.0 kilograms; Conspiracy to Distribute over 1.0 kilograms of Cocaine; Possession of Cocaine for personal use; Unlawful Use of Telecommunication Facility and Failure to Use Turn Signal.

Trejo is charged with Conspiracy to Distribute over 1.0 kilograms of Cocaine, and&nbsp; Unlawful Use of Telecommunication Facility.

The charges stem from separate traffic stops conducted by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department in the early morning hours on March 23, 2026. The Federal Drug Enforcement Administration had alerted local law enforcement on March 22, 2026, of suspected drug trafficking moving in tandem through Central Kansas. 

The Flock license plate reader system identified the suspect vehicles as they entered Pawnee County. Once identified, both suspect vehicles were observed committing moving violations within the City of Larned. The Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Larned Police Department, a Barton County Sheriff’s Office K9, and an Ellinwood Police Officer. K9s were deployed at both traffic stops. The searches resulted in the seizure of approximately 2 kilograms of cocaine.

Trejo was previously stopped by the Pawnee County K9 Deputy for a moving violation on January 4, 2026. The K9 was deployed after the Deputy smelled the odor of marijuana. The search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 1 pound of raw marijuana and over $49,000.00 in US currency. Trejo was subsequently charged with (1) Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute; (2) Unlawful Act Involving Proceeds from a violation of the Controlled Substance Act; (3) Unlawful Use of Telecommunication Facility; and (4) Possession of Drug Paraphernalia for Personal Use. He was later released from custody after posting a $10,000 bond. Those charges are still pending.

Both men are being held in the custody in lieu of $100,000 cash or surety bond.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1774648497171.png" alt="Trejo photo Pawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Trejo photo Pawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY– Miguel Angel Gil, 36 of El Paso, appeared in custody Thursday afternoon, and co-defendant, Omar Gustavo Trejo, 25 of El Paso, appeared in custody Friday morning in the Pawnee County District Court before Magistrate Judge Julie Cowell for First Appearances on felony drug charges, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1774648527636.png" alt="Gil photo Pawnee County" />
 <figcaption>Gil photo Pawnee County</figcaption>
 </figure>Gil is charged with Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute over 1.0 kilograms; Conspiracy to Distribute over 1.0 kilograms of Cocaine; Possession of Cocaine for personal use; Unlawful Use of Telecommunication Facility and Failure to Use Turn Signal.Trejo is charged with Conspiracy to Distribute over 1.0 kilograms of Cocaine, and&nbsp; Unlawful Use of Telecommunication Facility.The charges stem from separate traffic stops conducted by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department in the early morning hours on March 23, 2026. The Federal Drug Enforcement Administration had alerted local law enforcement on March 22, 2026, of suspected drug trafficking moving in tandem through Central Kansas. The Flock license plate reader system identified the suspect vehicles as they entered Pawnee County. Once identified, both suspect vehicles were observed committing moving violations within the City of Larned. The Pawnee County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Larned Police Department, a Barton County Sheriff’s Office K9, and an Ellinwood Police Officer. K9s were deployed at both traffic stops. The searches resulted in the seizure of approximately 2 kilograms of cocaine.Trejo was previously stopped by the Pawnee County K9 Deputy for a moving violation on January 4, 2026. The K9 was deployed after the Deputy smelled the odor of marijuana. The search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 1 pound of raw marijuana and over $49,000.00 in US currency. Trejo was subsequently charged with (1) Possession of Marijuana with Intent to Distribute; (2) Unlawful Act Involving Proceeds from a violation of the Controlled Substance Act; (3) Unlawful Use of Telecommunication Facility; and (4) Possession of Drug Paraphernalia for Personal Use. He was later released from custody after posting a $10,000 bond. Those charges are still pending.Both men are being held in the custody in lieu of $100,000 cash or surety bond.

Two alleged SW Kansas cocaine dealers face a judge

KEARNEY, Neb - The Fort Hays State men's and women's track and field teams posted numerous standout performances Sunday at the Central Nebraska Challenge, breaking two school records, posting nine national qualifying marks and winning nine events.

Avrey Albright broke a 21-year-old record in the 400m dash, completing one lap around the track in 46.80 to finish in first place. He is the first Tiger to break the 47-second mark, breaking the old record by 0.22 (47.02, Zach Brown, 2005). That time currently ranks sixth on the DII national qualifying list.

Emma Slade won the discus throw with a school-record heave of 162-9 on her fifth attempt of the day, breaking her own record of 160-2 set at the same meet last season. She ranks eighth in DII so far this season.

Annabeth Baalmann won the pole vault with a national-qualifying clearance of 13-1.5, currently fourth-best in the country.

Dean Clark finished first in the long jump with a top leap of 24-7 on his first attempt of the day, ranking second in Division II this season and ranking third at FHSU during the DII era.

Bradley Nkosi won the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.26, the fastest time at FHSU during the DII era and 13th-best in Division II this season.

Josiah Ball won the pole vault with a top clearance of 16-2.75, ranking 17th in Division II this year.

A trio of Tiger men posted national qualifying performances in the javelin, with Jackson Rumford finishing fifth with a heave of 212-9 to rank sixth at FHSU during the DII era and 19th in the country. Dalton Meyers was sixth with a mark of 206-7, while Guy Tubbs finished seventh with a top performance of 198-8.

Jayden Michaelis won the 400m hurdles after crossing the line in 53.40, second-best at FHSU during the DII era.

Katie Linenberger topped the high jump competition with a top jump of 5-5.75, ranking 10th on the FHSU DII era outdoor chart.

Drew Tolar was the final Tiger victor, winning the 200m dash with a time of 21.16.

The Tigers will return to action on Saturday (April 4) at the David Suenram Gorilla Classic in Pittsburg, Kan.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1774865800687.png" alt="FHSU Athletics photo/Kelly Meyer" />
 <figcaption>FHSU Athletics photo/Kelly Meyer</figcaption>
 </figure>FHSU AthleticsKEARNEY, Neb - The Fort Hays State men's and women's track and field teams posted numerous standout performances Sunday at the Central Nebraska Challenge, breaking two school records, posting nine national qualifying marks and winning nine events.Avrey Albright broke a 21-year-old record in the 400m dash, completing one lap around the track in 46.80 to finish in first place. He is the first Tiger to break the 47-second mark, breaking the old record by 0.22 (47.02, Zach Brown, 2005). That time currently ranks sixth on the DII national qualifying list.Emma Slade won the discus throw with a school-record heave of 162-9 on her fifth attempt of the day, breaking her own record of 160-2 set at the same meet last season. She ranks eighth in DII so far this season.Annabeth Baalmann won the pole vault with a national-qualifying clearance of 13-1.5, currently fourth-best in the country.Dean Clark finished first in the long jump with a top leap of 24-7 on his first attempt of the day, ranking second in Division II this season and ranking third at FHSU during the DII era.Bradley Nkosi won the 110m hurdles with a time of 14.26, the fastest time at FHSU during the DII era and 13th-best in Division II this season.Josiah Ball won the pole vault with a top clearance of 16-2.75, ranking 17th in Division II this year.A trio of Tiger men posted national qualifying performances in the javelin, with Jackson Rumford finishing fifth with a heave of 212-9 to rank sixth at FHSU during the DII era and 19th in the country. Dalton Meyers was sixth with a mark of 206-7, while Guy Tubbs finished seventh with a top performance of 198-8.Jayden Michaelis won the 400m hurdles after crossing the line in 53.40, second-best at FHSU during the DII era.Katie Linenberger topped the high jump competition with a top jump of 5-5.75, ranking 10th on the FHSU DII era outdoor chart.Drew Tolar was the final Tiger victor, winning the 200m dash with a time of 21.16.The Tigers will return to action on Saturday (April 4) at the David Suenram Gorilla Classic in Pittsburg, Kan.

👟 Tigers shatter two school record in Kearney

LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) — Two teenage boys who used artificial intelligence to create fake nude photos of their classmates at an exclusive private school in Pennsylvania received probation Wednesday after dozens of victims described the images' traumatizing effect on them.

The boys were 14 at the time. They admitted this month that they made about 350 images, showing at least 59 girls under 18, along with other victims who so far have not been identified.

Authorities said the boys took images of the girls from school photos, yearbooks, Instagram, TikTok and FaceTime chats in 2023 and 2024, and morphed them with images of adults depicting nudity or sexual activity.

More than 100 students and parents from Lancaster Country Day School were in court to hear victims describe the shock of having to identify their own faces in pornographic photos to detectives. Juvenile proceedings in Pennsylvania are normally closed, but this was opened by the judge, providing an unusual opportunity for the community to be seen and heard.

The girls described the fallout — anxiety attacks, a loss of trust, problems focusing on schoolwork and a fear that the images may someday surface in unexpected ways.

The two young men stood stone-faced throughout, flanked by their lawyers and parents, as they were called pedophiles, “sick and twisted” and perverted.

“I will never understand why they did this,” one victim told Judge Leonard Brown, saying it “destroyed my innocence.”

One young woman told Brown “how excruciating it is to bring these feelings up again and again.” Another choked back tears as she excoriated one of the defendants for expressing “fake empathy” as girls confided with him about their pain, before it became known that he had been part of creating and disseminating the images. Still another said all of her friends transferred schools, and that she “needed trauma therapy to even walk around my neighborhood.”

The defendants declined several opportunities to comment to the judge, who said he had not heard either boy take responsibility or apologize.

“This has been a regrettable, long, torturous process for everyone involved,” said Heidi Freese, defense attorney for one of the defendants. “There were very interesting, underlying legal issues surrounding the charges in this case and those will be decided on a different day in a different case.”

Brown ordered each to perform 60 hours of community service, have no contact with the victims and pay an unspecified amount of restitution. If they don’t have any additional legal problems, Brown said, the case can be expunged after two years.

As he imposed his sentence, Brown said that if they were adults, they probably would be headed for state prison. He said they should “take this opportunity to really examine” themselves.

The resolution of the Pennsylvania case comes days after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-xai-grok-child-sexual-abuse-59e58fa581e4f53138738e8936b7c59f">three teenagers in Tennessee sued Elon Musk's xAI,</a>&nbsp;claiming the company’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grok-elon-musk-deepfake-x-social-media-2bfa06805b323b1d7e5ea7bb01c9da77">Grok tools morphed their real photos into explicitly sexual images</a>. The high school students are seeking class-action status to represent what the lawsuit says are thousands of people who were similarly victimized as minors.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-deepfake-lancaster-280a2959356c65e0c3d40e7e212b9db8">The scandal in Pennsylvania led to a student protest</a>, criminal charges against the two teenagers and the departure of leaders at the school, which says it has about 600 students K-12, class sizes averaging just 12 kids, and “an endowment in excess of $25 million.”

Nadeem Bezar, a Philadelphia lawyer who represents at least 10 of the victims, said Tuesday he expects to file a claim “against the school and anybody else we think has culpability in these deepfakes being created and disseminated.”

He said he has not yet seen the photos but expects the legal process to determine “exactly when and where and how the school knew, how the boys created these images, what platforms they used to create these images and how they were disseminated.”

As AI has become accessible and powerful, lawmakers across the country have passed laws aimed at barring deepfakes.

President Donald Trump signed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/take-it-down-deepfake-trump-melania-first-amendment-741a6e525e81e5e3d8843aac20de8615">Take it Down Act</a>&nbsp;last year, making it illegal to publish intimate images including deepfakes without consent, and requiring websites and social media sites to remove such material within 48 hours of being notified by a victim.

Forty-six states now have laws addressing deepfakes, with legislation introduced in the remaining four -- Alaska, Missouri, New Mexico and Ohio -- according to the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. ____

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/1/1706036605430.png" alt="Post photo" />
 <figcaption>Post photo</figcaption>
 </figure>LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) — Two teenage boys who used artificial intelligence to create fake nude photos of their classmates at an exclusive private school in Pennsylvania received probation Wednesday after dozens of victims described the images' traumatizing effect on them.The boys were 14 at the time. They admitted this month that they made about 350 images, showing at least 59 girls under 18, along with other victims who so far have not been identified.Authorities said the boys took images of the girls from school photos, yearbooks, Instagram, TikTok and FaceTime chats in 2023 and 2024, and morphed them with images of adults depicting nudity or sexual activity.More than 100 students and parents from Lancaster Country Day School were in court to hear victims describe the shock of having to identify their own faces in pornographic photos to detectives. Juvenile proceedings in Pennsylvania are normally closed, but this was opened by the judge, providing an unusual opportunity for the community to be seen and heard.The girls described the fallout — anxiety attacks, a loss of trust, problems focusing on schoolwork and a fear that the images may someday surface in unexpected ways.The two young men stood stone-faced throughout, flanked by their lawyers and parents, as they were called pedophiles, “sick and twisted” and perverted.“I will never understand why they did this,” one victim told Judge Leonard Brown, saying it “destroyed my innocence.”One young woman told Brown “how excruciating it is to bring these feelings up again and again.” Another choked back tears as she excoriated one of the defendants for expressing “fake empathy” as girls confided with him about their pain, before it became known that he had been part of creating and disseminating the images. Still another said all of her friends transferred schools, and that she “needed trauma therapy to even walk around my neighborhood.”The defendants declined several opportunities to comment to the judge, who said he had not heard either boy take responsibility or apologize.“This has been a regrettable, long, torturous process for everyone involved,” said Heidi Freese, defense attorney for one of the defendants. “There were very interesting, underlying legal issues surrounding the charges in this case and those will be decided on a different day in a different case.”Brown ordered each to perform 60 hours of community service, have no contact with the victims and pay an unspecified amount of restitution. If they don’t have any additional legal problems, Brown said, the case can be expunged after two years.As he imposed his sentence, Brown said that if they were adults, they probably would be headed for state prison. He said they should “take this opportunity to really examine” themselves.The resolution of the Pennsylvania case comes days after&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/musk-xai-grok-child-sexual-abuse-59e58fa581e4f53138738e8936b7c59f">three teenagers in Tennessee sued Elon Musk's xAI,</a>&nbsp;claiming the company’s&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/grok-elon-musk-deepfake-x-social-media-2bfa06805b323b1d7e5ea7bb01c9da77">Grok tools morphed their real photos into explicitly sexual images</a>. The high school students are seeking class-action status to represent what the lawsuit says are thousands of people who were similarly victimized as minors.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-deepfake-lancaster-280a2959356c65e0c3d40e7e212b9db8">The scandal in Pennsylvania led to a student protest</a>, criminal charges against the two teenagers and the departure of leaders at the school, which says it has about 600 students K-12, class sizes averaging just 12 kids, and “an endowment in excess of $25 million.”Nadeem Bezar, a Philadelphia lawyer who represents at least 10 of the victims, said Tuesday he expects to file a claim “against the school and anybody else we think has culpability in these deepfakes being created and disseminated.”He said he has not yet seen the photos but expects the legal process to determine “exactly when and where and how the school knew, how the boys created these images, what platforms they used to create these images and how they were disseminated.”As AI has become accessible and powerful, lawmakers across the country have passed laws aimed at barring deepfakes.President Donald Trump signed the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/take-it-down-deepfake-trump-melania-first-amendment-741a6e525e81e5e3d8843aac20de8615">Take it Down Act</a>&nbsp;last year, making it illegal to publish intimate images including deepfakes without consent, and requiring websites and social media sites to remove such material within 48 hours of being notified by a victim.Forty-six states now have laws addressing deepfakes, with legislation introduced in the remaining four -- Alaska, Missouri, New Mexico and Ohio -- according to the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen. ____

Teens sentenced for using AI to create fake nudes of classmates

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🎙 Post Podcast: Grow Hays discuss Hays USD 489 possible land sale

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflecto</a>r

TOPEKA — Senate President Ty Masterson ignited fury among House Democrats when he rang a ceremonial bell Friday outside the House chamber to celebrate a veto override.

Masterson, who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor, offered “no apologies.”

Video obtained by Kansas Reflector shows Masterson lurked by the House door as Republicans led an 87-37 override of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb368/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 368</a>, which offers&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/03/27/kansas-governor-vetoes-bill-offering-tax-breaks-to-people-using-nontraditional-health-plans/">a tax break for using health care sharing ministries</a>. As Rep. Blake Carpenter, R-Derby, announced the vote, Masterson walked over to the ceremonial bell, flipped it to make it ring, and headed back toward his chamber.

Inside the House, Democrats demanded to know who had made the noise.

“We have heard this before,” said Rep. Stephanie Sawyer Clayton, D-Overland Park. “I get it. I know that you guys love how difficult it is to override a veto, but ringing a bell, whether it is in the chamber or outside the chamber, is in violation of rules and decorum, especially because we can’t even look like we might be impugning your motives or hurting your feelings.”

She was referring to the way House Republicans frequently admonish Democrats for making pointed comments during heated debates.

“This is a problem. Where was it?” Sawyer Clayton said, pausing for several seconds. “Seriously, you guys. Knock it off.”

It was at least the second time this year that the ringing of the bell interrupted House action. Although it wasn’t clear whether Masterson was involved in the earlier instance. Masterson’s spokesman responded to Kansas Reflector questions by pointing to a social media post.

“We won for families. We won for lower healthcare costs,” Masterson&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/tymastersonks/status/2037630919259893985?s=46" target="_blank">wrote on X</a>. “We will ring that bell every time we put more money back in Kansans’ pockets. No apologies.”

Democrats complained in February when someone rang the bell after the House overrode Kelly’s veto of an anti-trans law. Sawyer Clayton told Kansas Reflector that someone also rang the bell after veto overrides last year.

On Friday, Rep. John Carmichael, D-Wichita, demanded to make a point of order on the House floor.

“There have been repeated violations of this same nature, violations of decorum, and I ask that the speaker posts the sergeant at arms outside the door to keep watch, and if, in the event, the offenders can be identified, I ask that they be called to account,” Carmichael said. “I want this stopped.”

Carpenter, who was presiding over the House floor proceedings at the time, said there was nothing in the House rules that “addresses the issue of the bell outside the House chamber.”

“So at this point in time,” Carpenter said, “we are going to move on with business.”

“Based upon your previous ruling, am I correct that there is no prohibition against members or others ringing the bell?” Carmichael said. “Because if there’s not, I intend to stand out there and ring the bell with great frequency, but I do not want to be in violation of the rules.”

Carpenter told him: “There is no rule.”

Later, Carpenter announced that “even though I think he thoroughly enjoyed ringing it earlier,” Carmichael had pointed out where the rules prohibit disturbances.

Carpenter noted that they were in the final hours of the session and recommended they consider adopting a rule to specifically address the bell ringing next year.

“Hey, if it’s a Republican governor next year and we override him, I think you guys might find that pretty fun,” Carpenter said. “But that being said, we’re going to cease ringing the bell, and we will make every effort to have that stop for the rest of the session.”

The Democratic governor announced another veto several hours later.

“I look forward to ringing in another override soon,” Masterson said.

In the waning hours of the session Friday night, which was disrupted by heckling from within the chamber, the House debated legislation that would honor the slain political activist Charlie Kirk by bolstering free speech protections on college campuses.

Rep. Kirk Haskins, D-Topeka, said the tragic killing of Kirk “should serve as a turning point to recommit ourselves to the timeless principle, American principle, of liberty governed by truth and the virtues of peaceful dialog.”

But, Haskins pointed out, the bill had been championed by Masterson, “the one that went out into the hall and rang the bell to gloat.”

“Seems like this is pandering to a base,” Haskins said.

Carpenter renewed his plea for the House to maintain order and decorum.

“I know it’s getting late. This the last day of the regular session,” Carpenter said. “I, before I came in here, asked the sergeant at arms to not let anybody ring that bell. The problem has been fixed since it was addressed earlier in the session today.

“As for the heckling that is going on, I do not want to hear it from either side. That is unacceptable. Members have a right to come down to this well and make their thoughts on the legislation known. We need to maintain decorum.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1774749634947.png" alt=" Senate President Ty Masterson, seen here during a March 26, 2026, session of the Senate, offered “no apologies” for ringing a bell outside the House to celebrate a veto override. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption> Senate President Ty Masterson, seen here during a March 26, 2026, session of the Senate, offered “no apologies” for ringing a bell outside the House to celebrate a veto override. (Photo by Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/sherman-smith/">SHERMAN SMITH</a> <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2025/01/03/kansas-state-garden-city-cc-striving-to-shrink-bachelors-degree-educational-desert/?emci=8e6f56cf-3bca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;emdi=a9416bb1-82ca-ef11-88d0-0022482a9b45&amp;ceid=115039">Kansas Reflecto</a>rTOPEKA — Senate President Ty Masterson ignited fury among House Democrats when he rang a ceremonial bell Friday outside the House chamber to celebrate a veto override.Masterson, who is seeking the GOP nomination for governor, offered “no apologies.”<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Today the KS GOP rang the bell outside the House Chamber to celebrate their veto override. Gloating over political wins is childish when such serious issues are at hand and this is an embarrassment to the state <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ksleg?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ksleg</a> <a href="https://t.co/2Wr4y6uFXr">pic.twitter.com/2Wr4y6uFXr</a>&mdash; Kansas House Democrats (@KSHouseDems) <a href="https://twitter.com/KSHouseDems/status/2037620803634688312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 27, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Video obtained by Kansas Reflector shows Masterson lurked by the House door as Republicans led an 87-37 override of Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of&nbsp;<a href="https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/sb368/" target="_blank">Senate Bill 368</a>, which offers&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2026/03/27/kansas-governor-vetoes-bill-offering-tax-breaks-to-people-using-nontraditional-health-plans/">a tax break for using health care sharing ministries</a>. As Rep. Blake Carpenter, R-Derby, announced the vote, Masterson walked over to the ceremonial bell, flipped it to make it ring, and headed back toward his chamber.Inside the House, Democrats demanded to know who had made the noise.“We have heard this before,” said Rep. Stephanie Sawyer Clayton, D-Overland Park. “I get it. I know that you guys love how difficult it is to override a veto, but ringing a bell, whether it is in the chamber or outside the chamber, is in violation of rules and decorum, especially because we can’t even look like we might be impugning your motives or hurting your feelings.”She was referring to the way House Republicans frequently admonish Democrats for making pointed comments during heated debates.“This is a problem. Where was it?” Sawyer Clayton said, pausing for several seconds. “Seriously, you guys. Knock it off.”It was at least the second time this year that the ringing of the bell interrupted House action. Although it wasn’t clear whether Masterson was involved in the earlier instance. Masterson’s spokesman responded to Kansas Reflector questions by pointing to a social media post.“We won for families. We won for lower healthcare costs,” Masterson&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/tymastersonks/status/2037630919259893985?s=46" target="_blank">wrote on X</a>. “We will ring that bell every time we put more money back in Kansans’ pockets. No apologies.”Democrats complained in February when someone rang the bell after the House overrode Kelly’s veto of an anti-trans law. Sawyer Clayton told Kansas Reflector that someone also rang the bell after veto overrides last year.On Friday, Rep. John Carmichael, D-Wichita, demanded to make a point of order on the House floor.“There have been repeated violations of this same nature, violations of decorum, and I ask that the speaker posts the sergeant at arms outside the door to keep watch, and if, in the event, the offenders can be identified, I ask that they be called to account,” Carmichael said. “I want this stopped.”Carpenter, who was presiding over the House floor proceedings at the time, said there was nothing in the House rules that “addresses the issue of the bell outside the House chamber.”“So at this point in time,” Carpenter said, “we are going to move on with business.”Carmichael wasn’t satisfied.“Based upon your previous ruling, am I correct that there is no prohibition against members or others ringing the bell?” Carmichael said. “Because if there’s not, I intend to stand out there and ring the bell with great frequency, but I do not want to be in violation of the rules.”Carpenter told him: “There is no rule.”Later, Carpenter announced that “even though I think he thoroughly enjoyed ringing it earlier,” Carmichael had pointed out where the rules prohibit disturbances.Carpenter noted that they were in the final hours of the session and recommended they consider adopting a rule to specifically address the bell ringing next year.“Hey, if it’s a Republican governor next year and we override him, I think you guys might find that pretty fun,” Carpenter said. “But that being said, we’re going to cease ringing the bell, and we will make every effort to have that stop for the rest of the session.”The Democratic governor announced another veto several hours later.“I look forward to ringing in another override soon,” Masterson said.In the waning hours of the session Friday night, which was disrupted by heckling from within the chamber, the House debated legislation that would honor the slain political activist Charlie Kirk by bolstering free speech protections on college campuses.Rep. Kirk Haskins, D-Topeka, said the tragic killing of Kirk “should serve as a turning point to recommit ourselves to the timeless principle, American principle, of liberty governed by truth and the virtues of peaceful dialog.”But, Haskins pointed out, the bill had been championed by Masterson, “the one that went out into the hall and rang the bell to gloat.”“Seems like this is pandering to a base,” Haskins said.Carpenter renewed his plea for the House to maintain order and decorum.“I know it’s getting late. This the last day of the regular session,” Carpenter said. “I, before I came in here, asked the sergeant at arms to not let anybody ring that bell. The problem has been fixed since it was addressed earlier in the session today.“As for the heckling that is going on, I do not want to hear it from either side. That is unacceptable. Members have a right to come down to this well and make their thoughts on the legislation known. We need to maintain decorum.”

🎥Kansas Senate president celebrates veto override by ringing bell outside House, angering Democrats

By MARK VANCLEAVE, STEVE KARNOWSKI, TODD RICHMOND and JOHN HANNA Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Large&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/no-kings-minnesota-springsteen-immigration-war-b4ce14b0ab16d148f4fdbe642c20fdb2">crowds protested</a>&nbsp;Saturday against the war in Iran and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-democracy-turkey-hungary-venezuela-d7b0fac7c5e135bf75b3c125e8335a5d">President Donald Trump's actions</a>&nbsp;in “No Kings” rallies across the U.S. and in Europe. Minnesota took center stage, with thousands of people standing shoulder-to-shoulder to celebrate resistance to Trump's aggressive immigration enforcement.

Minnesota's flagship event on the Capitol lawn in St. Paul drew&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/springsteen-trump-politics-new-jersey-3bbeb077e9e5de03f9d47c2121933f26">Bruce Springsteen</a>&nbsp;as its headliner. He and other speakers praised the state's people for taking to the streets over the winter in opposition to a surge of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents.

Springsteen performed “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bruce-springsteen-song-minneapolis-2f4232553bef164d02b1474627dd3b5f">Streets of Minneapolis</a>,” the song he wrote in response to the fatal shootings of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/renee-good-ice-shooting-minneapolis-f766260ec7cfbb2b158d6b8eb3403607">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-ice-alex-pretti-videos-861a0d8f3ee182f3b5909b3613900e2e">Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;by federal agents. Springsteen lamented Good and Pretti’s deaths but said the state's pushback against ICE has given the rest of the country hope.

“Your strength and your commitment told us that this was still America,” he said. “And this reactionary nightmare, and these invasions of American cities, will not stand.”

People rallied from New York City, with almost 8.5 million residents in a solidly blue state, to Driggs, a town of fewer than 2,000 people in eastern Idaho, a state Trump carried with 66% of the vote in 2024.

U.S. organizers have estimated that the first two rounds of No Kings rallies drew more than 5 million people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/no-kings-protest-trump-us-b5de52994b7c592034fb19b7d3e9d577">in June</a>&nbsp;and 7 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-kings-protests-trump-immigration-first-amendment-f04e7a4728c10b694f540bcef0646370">in October.</a>&nbsp;This week they told reporters they expected 9 million participants Saturday, though it was too early to tell whether those expectations were met.

Organizers said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-kings-protest-alex-pretti-minneapolis-immigration-0b34386da0bb3eeac939d9f934680b6c">more than 3,100 events</a>&nbsp;— 500 more than in October — were registered, in all 50 states.

In Topeka, Kansas, a rally outside the Statehouse had people impersonating a frog king and Trump as a baby. Wendy Wyatt drove with “Cats Against Trump” sign from Lawrence, 20 miles to the east, and planned to drive back to her hometown for a later rally there.

Wyatt said “there are so many things” about the Trump administration that upset her, but “this is very hopeful to me.”

In Los Angeles, demonstrators marched beneath a floating inflatable caricature resembling a baby Trump wearing a diaper. They also carried signs with slogans such as “War Crimes don’t hide sex crimes” and “Immigrants make America Great.” Outside the federal building in downtown, a crowd faced a line of California National Guard soldiers.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson characterized them as the product of “leftist funding networks” with little real public support.

The “only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them,” Jackson said in a statement.

The National Republican Congressional Committee was also sharply critical.

“These Hate America Rallies are where the far-left’s most violent, deranged fantasies get a microphone,” NRCC spokesperson Maureen O’Toole said.

Trump's immigration enforcement push, particularly in Minnesota, was just one item on a long list of protester grievances that also included the war in Iran and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transgender-rights-lawsuit-e0c462aeb4662576e3569dfdf91b0a9c">rollback of transgender rights</a>. Speakers at the Minnesota rally decried billionaires' economic power.

In Washington, hundreds marched past the Lincoln Memorial and into the National Mall, holding signs that read “Put down the crown, clown” and “Regime change begins at home.” Demonstrators rang bells, banged drums and chanted “No kings.”

Bill Jarcho was there from Seattle, joined by six people dressed as insects wearing tactical vests that said, “LICE” — spoofing ICE — as part of what he called a “mock and awe” tour.

“What we provide is mockery to the king,” Jarcho said. “It’s about taking authoritarianism and making fun of it, which they hate.”

About 40,000 people marched in San Diego, police there said.

In New York, Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said during a news conference that Trump and his supporters want people to be afraid to protest.

“They want us to be afraid that there’s nothing we can do to stop them,” she said. “But you know what? They are wrong — dead wrong.”

Organizers said two-thirds of RSVPs for the rallies came from outside of major urban centers. That included communities in conservative-leaning states like Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, South Dakota and Louisiana, as well in electorally competitive suburbs in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona.

Organizers designated the rally there as the national flagship event.

Before Springsteen took the stage, organizers played a video in which actor Robert DeNiro said he wakes up every morning depressed because of Trump but was happier Saturday because millions of people were protesting. He also congratulated Minnesotans for running ICE out of town.

The bill also included singer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joan-baez">Joan Baez</a>, actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jane-fonda-first-amendment-cold-war-4b7d8e2b30a27f3ff6d8ba76d9ee08e4">Jane Fonda</a>, Vermont U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-billionaires-bernie-sanders-gavin-newsom-democrats-87a1e54f463aad49a2093382969e5cca">Sen. Bernie Sanders</a>&nbsp;and a long list of activists, labor leaders and elected officials.

Protesters held up a massive sign on the Capitol steps that read, “We had whistles, they had guns. The revolution starts in Minneapolis.”

“Donald Trump may pretend that he’s not listening, but he can’t ignore the millions in the streets today,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

Demonstrations were also planned in more than a dozen other countries, from Europe to Latin America to Australia, according to Ezra Levin, a co-executive director of Indivisible, a group spearheading the events. In countries with constitutional monarchies, people call the protests “No Tyrants,” he said.

In Rome, thousands marched with chants aimed at Premier Giorgia Meloni, whose conservative government saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/italy-referendum-justice-meloni-4d2092517ce3fff84b35a99c81b75fff">its referendum for streamlining Italy's judiciary</a>&nbsp;fail badly this week. Protesters also waved banners protesting Israeli and US attacks on Iran.

In London, demonstrators held banners with slogans such as “Stop the far right” and “Stand up to Racism.”

And in Paris, several hundred people, mostly Americans living in France, along with labor unions and human rights organizations, gathered at the Bastille.

“I protest all of Trump’s illegal, immoral, reckless, and feckless, endless wars,” organizer Ada Shen said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1774729451201.png" alt="No Kings Rally in Minneapolis -image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>No Kings Rally in Minneapolis -image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>By MARK VANCLEAVE, STEVE KARNOWSKI, TODD RICHMOND and JOHN HANNA Associated PressST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Large&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/no-kings-minnesota-springsteen-immigration-war-b4ce14b0ab16d148f4fdbe642c20fdb2">crowds protested</a>&nbsp;Saturday against the war in Iran and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-democracy-turkey-hungary-venezuela-d7b0fac7c5e135bf75b3c125e8335a5d">President Donald Trump's actions</a>&nbsp;in “No Kings” rallies across the U.S. and in Europe. Minnesota took center stage, with thousands of people standing shoulder-to-shoulder to celebrate resistance to Trump's aggressive immigration enforcement.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1774729797201.png" alt="Kansas City area rally -photo courtesy KCTV" />
 <figcaption>Kansas City area rally -photo courtesy KCTV</figcaption>
 </figure><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">New York state Attorney General Letitia James (D) speaks at a news conference in New York City organized by protesters on &quot;No Kings&quot; Day against the Trump administration. <a href="https://t.co/HcaStkR4Tf">pic.twitter.com/HcaStkR4Tf</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2037972515260158288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Actor Robert De Niro on trump at &quot;No Kings&quot; Day event in New York: &quot;He can&#39;t do all the fucked-up things that he&#39;s been doing without the collusion of Congress and the goons in his administration.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/p9mDN91Mr5">pic.twitter.com/p9mDN91Mr5</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/2037972379826061639?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2026</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Minnesota's flagship event on the Capitol lawn in St. Paul drew&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/springsteen-trump-politics-new-jersey-3bbeb077e9e5de03f9d47c2121933f26">Bruce Springsteen</a>&nbsp;as its headliner. He and other speakers praised the state's people for taking to the streets over the winter in opposition to a surge of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement agents.Springsteen performed “&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/bruce-springsteen-song-minneapolis-2f4232553bef164d02b1474627dd3b5f">Streets of Minneapolis</a>,” the song he wrote in response to the fatal shootings of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/renee-good-ice-shooting-minneapolis-f766260ec7cfbb2b158d6b8eb3403607">Renee Good</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-ice-alex-pretti-videos-861a0d8f3ee182f3b5909b3613900e2e">Alex Pretti</a>&nbsp;by federal agents. Springsteen lamented Good and Pretti’s deaths but said the state's pushback against ICE has given the rest of the country hope.“Your strength and your commitment told us that this was still America,” he said. “And this reactionary nightmare, and these invasions of American cities, will not stand.”People rallied from New York City, with almost 8.5 million residents in a solidly blue state, to Driggs, a town of fewer than 2,000 people in eastern Idaho, a state Trump carried with 66% of the vote in 2024.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1774729400633.png" alt="At the rally in Minneapolis-image courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>At the rally in Minneapolis-image courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Biggest crowds yet expected</h2>U.S. organizers have estimated that the first two rounds of No Kings rallies drew more than 5 million people&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/photo-gallery/no-kings-protest-trump-us-b5de52994b7c592034fb19b7d3e9d577">in June</a>&nbsp;and 7 million&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-kings-protests-trump-immigration-first-amendment-f04e7a4728c10b694f540bcef0646370">in October.</a>&nbsp;This week they told reporters they expected 9 million participants Saturday, though it was too early to tell whether those expectations were met.Organizers said&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/no-kings-protest-alex-pretti-minneapolis-immigration-0b34386da0bb3eeac939d9f934680b6c">more than 3,100 events</a>&nbsp;— 500 more than in October — were registered, in all 50 states.In Topeka, Kansas, a rally outside the Statehouse had people impersonating a frog king and Trump as a baby. Wendy Wyatt drove with “Cats Against Trump” sign from Lawrence, 20 miles to the east, and planned to drive back to her hometown for a later rally there.Wyatt said “there are so many things” about the Trump administration that upset her, but “this is very hopeful to me.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2026/3/1774734124101.jpeg" alt="No Kings rally in Hays, Kansas -Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post" />
 <figcaption>No Kings rally in Hays, Kansas -Photo by Tony Guerrero/Hays Post</figcaption>
 </figure>In Los Angeles, demonstrators marched beneath a floating inflatable caricature resembling a baby Trump wearing a diaper. They also carried signs with slogans such as “War Crimes don’t hide sex crimes” and “Immigrants make America Great.” Outside the federal building in downtown, a crowd faced a line of California National Guard soldiers.<h2>GOP officials dismissive of protests</h2>White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson characterized them as the product of “leftist funding networks” with little real public support.The “only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them,” Jackson said in a statement.The National Republican Congressional Committee was also sharply critical.“These Hate America Rallies are where the far-left’s most violent, deranged fantasies get a microphone,” NRCC spokesperson Maureen O’Toole said.<h2>Protesters have a long list of causes</h2>Trump's immigration enforcement push, particularly in Minnesota, was just one item on a long list of protester grievances that also included the war in Iran and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-transgender-rights-lawsuit-e0c462aeb4662576e3569dfdf91b0a9c">rollback of transgender rights</a>. Speakers at the Minnesota rally decried billionaires' economic power.In Washington, hundreds marched past the Lincoln Memorial and into the National Mall, holding signs that read “Put down the crown, clown” and “Regime change begins at home.” Demonstrators rang bells, banged drums and chanted “No kings.”Bill Jarcho was there from Seattle, joined by six people dressed as insects wearing tactical vests that said, “LICE” — spoofing ICE — as part of what he called a “mock and awe” tour.“What we provide is mockery to the king,” Jarcho said. “It’s about taking authoritarianism and making fun of it, which they hate.”About 40,000 people marched in San Diego, police there said.In New York, Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union, said during a news conference that Trump and his supporters want people to be afraid to protest.“They want us to be afraid that there’s nothing we can do to stop them,” she said. “But you know what? They are wrong — dead wrong.”Organizers said two-thirds of RSVPs for the rallies came from outside of major urban centers. That included communities in conservative-leaning states like Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, South Dakota and Louisiana, as well in electorally competitive suburbs in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona.<h2>Main event at the Minnesota Capitol</h2>Organizers designated the rally there as the national flagship event.Before Springsteen took the stage, organizers played a video in which actor Robert DeNiro said he wakes up every morning depressed because of Trump but was happier Saturday because millions of people were protesting. He also congratulated Minnesotans for running ICE out of town.The bill also included singer&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/joan-baez">Joan Baez</a>, actor&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/jane-fonda-first-amendment-cold-war-4b7d8e2b30a27f3ff6d8ba76d9ee08e4">Jane Fonda</a>, Vermont U.S.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/california-billionaires-bernie-sanders-gavin-newsom-democrats-87a1e54f463aad49a2093382969e5cca">Sen. Bernie Sanders</a>&nbsp;and a long list of activists, labor leaders and elected officials.Protesters held up a massive sign on the Capitol steps that read, “We had whistles, they had guns. The revolution starts in Minneapolis.”“Donald Trump may pretend that he’s not listening, but he can’t ignore the millions in the streets today,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.<h2>Rallies overseas</h2>Demonstrations were also planned in more than a dozen other countries, from Europe to Latin America to Australia, according to Ezra Levin, a co-executive director of Indivisible, a group spearheading the events. In countries with constitutional monarchies, people call the protests “No Tyrants,” he said.In Rome, thousands marched with chants aimed at Premier Giorgia Meloni, whose conservative government saw&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/italy-referendum-justice-meloni-4d2092517ce3fff84b35a99c81b75fff">its referendum for streamlining Italy's judiciary</a>&nbsp;fail badly this week. Protesters also waved banners protesting Israeli and US attacks on Iran.In London, demonstrators held banners with slogans such as “Stop the far right” and “Stand up to Racism.”And in Paris, several hundred people, mostly Americans living in France, along with labor unions and human rights organizations, gathered at the Bastille.“I protest all of Trump’s illegal, immoral, reckless, and feckless, endless wars,” organizer Ada Shen said.___Richmond reported from Madison, Wisconsin, and Hanna from Topeka, Kansas. Associated Press journalists Nicholas Garriga in Paris, Mike Pesoli in Washington, Colleen Berry in Milan and Amy Taxin in Santa Ana, California, contributed.