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Mar 27, 2026

Friday, March 27, 2026 · 8:00 a.m. ET

Federal Level

Senate Votes to Fund Most of DHS in Overnight Session, Ending Bulk of 42-Day Shutdown

The Senate unanimously approved a bill early Friday morning that funds most of the Department of Homeland Security, a significant step toward ending the 42-day partial government shutdown that has disrupted airports and left thousands of federal workers without pay. The measure covers agencies including TSA, FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, but excludes Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Customs and Border Protection. The bill now moves to the House, which has already passed full DHS funding three times. Hours before the vote, President Trump signed an executive order directing that TSA officers be paid immediately.^1,2,3

Trump Extends Pause on Iran Energy Strikes to April 6, Cites Ongoing Talks

President Trump announced Thursday that the United States will extend its pause on strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure by 10 days, pushing the deadline to April 6. Trump said the extension came at the request of the Iranian government and described the talks as going “very well,” though Tehran has publicly denied that any negotiations are taking place. The Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed to oil shipments, and Brent crude was trading near $100 per barrel on Wednesday. The Pentagon is also preparing to deploy additional troops from the 82nd Airborne Division to the region.^4,5,6

Trump Renews Call to Send Federalized Troops to Los Angeles and San Francisco

President Trump said Thursday at a Cabinet meeting that he wants to deploy federalized troops to Los Angeles and San Francisco to address crime and immigration enforcement, pointing to what he described as successful operations in Washington, Memphis, and New Orleans. A federal judge previously ruled that an earlier deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines in Los Angeles was unlawful and ordered control returned to the governor. Trump criticized both the judiciary and the Supreme Court for blocking his deployment authority, saying the courts “have really hurt our country.”^7,8

Justice Department Investigates Admissions Practices at Three Major Medical Schools

The Justice Department on Wednesday opened investigations into possible racial discrimination in medical school admissions at Stanford University, Ohio State University, and the University of California, San Diego. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced the investigations and said the schools have until April 24 to turn over seven years of applicant data, including test scores, race, and home ZIP codes, or face potential disruptions to federal funding. A separate coalition of 17 state attorneys general is already challenging a related federal demand for admissions data from colleges across the country.^9,10,11

House Ethics Panel Holds Rare Public Hearing on Fraud Charges Against Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick

The House Ethics Committee held a rare public hearing Thursday to examine 27 counts of alleged ethical violations against Representative Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, a Florida Democrat who is also facing federal charges for misappropriating $5 million in FEMA funds. Committee investigators presented what they described as “a mountain of evidence” that the congresswoman used laundered disaster relief money to fund her 2022 campaign. It was the first public ethics hearing involving a sitting House member since the 2010 proceedings against Representative Charles Rangel. Some Republicans have called for her expulsion.^12,13

Senate Rejects Photo ID Voting Amendment as SAVE Act Debate Continues

A proposed amendment requiring voters to show photo identification in federal elections failed to advance in the Senate on Thursday, falling short of the 60 votes needed with a final tally of 53 to 47. The amendment was offered during the second week of debate over the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and is facing a Democratic filibuster. President Trump has urged Republican senators to change filibuster rules to pass the legislation with a simple majority, but Senate leadership has indicated the votes to change those rules are not there.^14,15

State Level

Thousands of No Kings Protests Planned Across All 50 States for Saturday

More than 3,000 demonstrations against the Trump administration are scheduled for Saturday in what organizers expect could become the largest single day of political protest in American history. The rallies, organized under the No Kings banner, will take place in every state and follow two earlier rounds of nationwide protests in June and October 2025. Organizers in St. Paul, Minnesota, alone are expecting 100,000 participants, with appearances from Bruce Springsteen, Joan Baez, and Jane Fonda. The demonstrations are fueled by rising gas prices, the Iran conflict, and ongoing airport disruptions from the DHS shutdown.^16,17,18

Coalition of 21 State Attorneys General Sues Trump Administration Over USDA Funding Conditions

Twenty-one state attorneys general have filed a lawsuit challenging new conditions the U.S. Department of Agriculture attached to federal grants late last year. The conditions require states to certify compliance with broad federal policies on immigration, gender identity, and diversity in order to continue receiving funding for programs including SNAP, WIC, school lunches, and emergency food assistance. The coalition, led by the attorneys general of New York, California, Massachusetts, and Illinois, argues that the requirements are unconstitutionally vague and exceed the agency’s legal authority.^19,20

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