Wednesday, March 18, 2026

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The Daily Briefing

YOUR MORNING NEWS ROUNDUP

Wed Mar 18 2026

Nicole Fallert
Newsletter Writer & SEO Editor

Welcome to the Daily Briefing. Start with these stories:

•	Spring break arrests are climbing.
•	Princess Kate says cancer changed her alcohol habits.
•	The next Caitlin Clark? Players to watch in women's March Madness.

Nicole Fallert here, bringing you the news to know on Wednesday, from a Trump administration official stepping down to Team USA's sadness following a World Baseball Classic loss.

Why Joe Kent just resigned

The first top Trump administration official has quit over the U.S. war in Iran.

After less than a year on the job, Joe Kent, head of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center resigned March 17, saying he "cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran."

"Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby," Kent, a decorated former Army Ranger and CIA paramilitary officer, wrote in a letter to President Donald Trump, who slammed Kent for his words.

In the letter, Kent invoked the death of his wife, Shannon Kent, who was killed in an ISIS suicide bombing in Syria in 2019, saying: "I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives."

More news to know now

•	The spring break we stayed home. Your local airport could get shut down if Congress doesn't agree on funding for the Department of Homeland Security. And be careful of bacteria at the beach.
•	Senate talking fight. Egged on by President Trump, senators will be bickering over voting restrictions for the foreseeable future. But an eventual vote on his top legislative priority is almost certain to fail.
•	Find your local EV charger. Drivers looking for deals amid rising car and gas prices are increasingly turning to electric vehicles.

2026 midterm elections

Stratton wins Illinois Senate primary

Illinois Democratic Senate candidate Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton greets supporters as she celebrates her primary win at an event on March 17, 2026 in Chicago.

Scott Olson/Getty Images

Democrat Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton won the Illinois Senate primary to fill longtime Sen. Dick Durbin's open seat. The progressive now heads to the November election and could become the sixth Black woman to serve in the Senate.

World Baseball Classic

Team USA whiffs

Team USA lost 3-2 to Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic title game Tuesday night. Several players were so angry that when they were given their silver medals on the field, they yanked them off their neck before even getting back to the locker room. The USA players conceded afterwards that as badly as they wanted to win, they didn't deserve to. USA TODAY Sports columnists think either way, this was the best WBC tourney ever.

Kyle Schwarber reacts after receiving his silver medal.

Megan Briggs, Getty Images

Before you go

•	We're listening to Hannah Montana this morning.
•	Here's how Gen Z is fixing their attention spans.
•	This woman survived brutal cold for back-to-back Iditarod titles.

Have feedback on the Daily Briefing? Shoot Nicole an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.

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