Hello readers and welcome back to On Politics! Kathryn Palmer here. We've got another midterm primary this week, but unlike the last few weeks, it's only one state going to the polls: Illinois. Then we get a break before nearly a dozen states vote in May. Here's what to know this Monday. |
Trump demands Strait of Hormuz backup, allies demur |
Trump demanded that additional countries send reinforcements to secure the Strait of Hormuz for international shipping, as concerns over rising oil prices squeeze the administration. U.S. gas prices climbed higher over the weekend, with the average price at $3.69, up more than 70 cents from three weeks ago, according to the American Automobile Association. As of Monday, prices hovered just below $100 a barrel. Iran's Foreign Ministry today said the country's armed forces are in control of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow shipping passage that snakes between Iran and Oman and ferries nearly 20% of the world's oil, and that the trade route will remain closed to the United States, Israel and their allies. Trump has so far been unsuccessful in his attempts to call for backup to try to reopen the passage. Officials in Japan, Australia, Germany, Italy, Spain and the U.K. have either demurred or downright refused to send ships. | Oman The Callisto tanker sits anchored in Port Sultan Qaboos as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 12, 2026. Benoit Tessier, REUTERS |
Illinois votes tomorrow. What's at stake? |
Voters in Illinois head to the polls tomorrow for primary elections in a variety of state and national contests. The results will determine which candidates face off in November. The state's House races open up the possibility of several new faces in Congress next year, with two congressmembers retiring and two others running for U.S. Senate seats. There's also an open race for one of the state's two U.S. Senate seats, with Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, 81, retiring. But the excitement doesn't stop there. The state's high-profile governor, progressive Democrat JB Pritzker, is hoping to become the state's first-ever third-term Democratic governor. Pritzker has positioned himself as a formidable opponent to the administration, placing Chicago at the front lines of resistance against Trump's federal immigration enforcement efforts. Voter opinion on immigration is expected to play a major role in elections tomorrow. |
Senator takes aim at Amazon, questions 'Melania' movie deal |
Amazon spent millions on first lady Melania Trump's documentary. Now, Democratic lawmakers are questioning the media giant over concerns that its deal for the film failed to comply with federal anti-bribery laws. In a March 15 letter to Amazon CEO Andy Jassy, exclusively shared in advance with USA TODAY, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts and other lawmakers called on Amazon to answer questions about how the deal came to be. The group asked in the letter whether Amazon paid the "extraordinary sum" (reported by the New York Times to be $40 million plus another $35 million in marketing) in order to gain favor with the administration. More on that here. | | The president announced that Wiles was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in a social media post. | | As the war against Iran enters its third week, the White House says ground troops are "not part of the plan." Seasoned Kurdish fighters disagree. | | | | The U.S. Postal Service faces massive losses and may run out of money next year, prompting a congressional hearing and debate over its priorities. | | | | FCC Chair Brendan Carr said news broadcasters coverage of Iran war could impact their license renewal. | | | | "Cuba also wants to make a deal, and I think we will pretty soon either make a deal or do whatever we have to do," Trump told reporters on March 15. | | | | | Sign up for the news you want | Exclusive newsletters are part of your subscription, don't miss out! We're always working to add benefits for subscribers like you. | | | | | |
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