Salem News Channel

President Donald Trump showed off new renderings of the White House ballroom, calling it a long-awaited project and emphasizing that all costs are being covered by himself and private donors, with no government money involved. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump described the ballroom as “the same height as the White House” and said it will accommodate large gatherings, including visits from foreign dignitaries like China’s President Xi. He also noted that a “massive” military complex is being built underneath the ballroom. The project has faced legal and political hurdles, including a lawsuit from the National Trust for Historic Preservation alleging that required reviews and public input were bypassed. A federal judge is expected to decide by the end of March whether to issue an injunction to halt construction. No official completion date has been set, though the White House says it will be finished well before the end of Trump’s term. The ballroom will feature high-grade, bullet-proof glass and a drone-proof roof, the president added.

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President Donald Trump said Sunday that negotiations with Iran are progressing “extremely well,” with Tehran preparing to allow oil tankers to pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that Iran initially sent eight tankers, then added two more, and on Sunday gave 20 additional tankers carrying oil, describing the move as “out of a sign of respect.” He said the transit is set to begin Monday morning. “I would only say that 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 added. The remarks follow his statement on March 26 that Iran was permitting 10 oil tankers to transit the key global shipping route as a goodwill gesture. The president has been pushing Iran to agree to a deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz and limit its nuclear program. Earlier, on March 24, Trump hinted that Iran had made an “expensive, energy-related concession,” though he did not provide details at the time.

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President Donald Trump has ordered emergency pay for Transportation Security Administration officers who have been working without pay during the ongoing government shutdown. Despite the move, airports across the country are still advising travelers to arrive several hours early due to persistent long security lines. Officials say it remains unclear how quickly the pay order will ease delays. Federal immigration officers brought in to assist TSA operations could remain in place until staffing levels return to normal, as airports prepare for a busy travel period with spring break and holiday travel underway.

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President Donald Trump is escalating rhetoric against Iran, warning of potential strikes on key civilian infrastructure if a deal is not reached soon. In a social media post, Trump said his administration is in “serious discussions” with what he described as a “new and more reasonable regime,” but cautioned that military action remains on the table. He specifically threatened to target Iran’s electric generating plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island — and even suggested desalination facilities could be hit if talks fall apart. Trump also demanded that the Strait of Hormuz remain open to shipping, calling it a key condition in ongoing negotiations. The comments come as tensions remain high in the region, despite signs of progress in early ceasefire talks. Experts warn any strike on critical infrastructure could have widespread humanitarian and economic consequences.

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Dozens of people were arrested in Los Angeles after a “No Kings” rally escalated over the weekend. Police say 74 individuals were taken into custody for refusing to leave following a dispersal order. Officers deployed tear gas near a federal detention center to clear the crowds. One person was also arrested for allegedly carrying a dagger, and federal officials reported that two officers were injured by concrete thrown during the unrest. The rally was part of nationwide protests against President Donald Trump’s actions and the ongoing conflict in Iran, though most gatherings across the U.S. remained peaceful.

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Spain has closed its airspace to U.S. military planes involved in operations related to the Iran conflict. The decision prevents American aircraft from flying over the country during missions in the Middle East. Spanish officials said the move reflects the country’s opposition to what it calls a unilateral conflict. The restriction does not apply in emergencies, but it could further strain diplomatic relations between Madrid and Washington.

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President Donald Trump said he has “no problem” with a Russian oil tanker delivering fuel to Cuba, despite the ongoing U.S. blockade. The shipment comes as the island faces severe shortages of gasoline and electricity, with widespread blackouts affecting hospitals, public transportation, and daily life. Trump framed the decision as a humanitarian measure, saying the delivery is meant to help the Cuban people survive and that other countries could also send aid if needed.

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Senate Refuses to Fund ICE

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We're learning tonight that an Iranian missile attack has wounded several U.S. troops and damaged several planes at Saudi air base. This is a developing story as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran continues.

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Review of the first month of the Iran War

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Tiger Woods Arrested for DUI!

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President Donald Trump announced new measures on Friday to support U.S. farmers who are reeling from the administration's trade policies and the Iran war and suggested farm equipment makers cut prices - a call that sent their shares lower. "I want John Deere and Case and all of - they're great companies, Caterpillar... I want these companies to give it to you in the form of lower tractor and equipment costs," Trump told hundreds of farmers and ranchers gathered under drizzle at an event on the South Lawn of the White House. Deere & Co shares dropped 2% after the statement. Case IH manufacturer CNH Industrial NV fell 1% while Caterpillar Inc was down nearly 1.2% in late-session trading. In a statement to Reuters, Deere said it will keep working with the Trump administration, lawmakers, producers and other stakeholders to ensure accuracy about its affordability, technology and repair policies, while collaborating with regulators to support farmers and keep U.S. agriculture competitive. Farm equipment maker AGCO Corp, which had one of its tractors parked on the South Lawn for the event, said it welcomed policies that helped reduce farmer costs and was committed to working with the administration. CNH Industrial and Caterpillar did not respond to requests for comment. Trump called for lower prices in an aside during a speech that otherwise focused on shoring up support among the Republican president's loyal constituency of rural voters, who have backed Trump in all three of the last presidential races. For the fourth straight year, U.S. crop producers are facing tight margins, high production costs and low commodity prices - and are struggling financially - despite near-record government payments. The Trump administration is distributing $12 billion in aid to U.S. farmers - a move that farm trade groups and agricultural economists have said is helpful in the short-term but will not fully compensate farmers for financial losses that have topped $30 billion in recent years. On Friday, Trump said he would seek even more such aid for farmers from Congress. More than 50 farm-interest groups, such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, are urging Congress to approve additional aid in a military funding package. The event happened as the administration finalized new biofuel blending mandates for U.S. oil refiners, requiring them to mix more of the fuels made from corn and other agricultural products into the nation's gasoline and diesel than initially proposed, in an apparent win for farmers. Trump also said the U.S. Small Business Administration would open up new loan guarantees for farmers and food suppliers. Farmers are entering the critical spring planting season under a cloud of uncertainty as the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran disrupts global trade, causing fertilizer and diesel costs to spike. The long-term U.S. trade relationship with China also remains unclear amid the ongoing trade war launched by Trump's administration with the country, the world's top soy importer. Rural voters constitute a fifth of the U.S. electorate, and they favored Trump by a two-to-one margin over Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election.

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President Donald Trump says the American air travel system has reached a "breaking point." Trump signed an executive order Friday afternoon that should pay TSA employees next week. Trump's action came after a Homeland Security funding measure collapsed in Congress. The measure passed the Senate early Friday morning but was swiftly rejected by House Republicans. TSA workers were set to miss a second consecutive paycheck Friday with hundreds of airport security screeners no-showing, leading to massive lines at multiple airports

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Tiger Woods showed signs of impairment Friday at the scene of a car crash in which he struck another vehicle and rolled his Land Rover, authorities said. Woods was arrested on suspicion of DUI. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office said Woods was not injured. The crash occurred just after 2 p.m. not far from where Woods lives on Jupiter Island. Woods' manager at Excel Sports did not immediately respond to a text message seeking information. This was at least the third time Woods has been involved in a car crash, most recently in February 2021 when his SUV ran off a coastal road in Los Angeles at a high rate of speed, leading to multiple leg and ankle injuries. Woods said later doctors considered amputation. Woods has played 11 tournaments since that 2021 crash, not finishing closer than within 16 shots of the winner the four times he finished 72 holes. He also was arrested on a DUI charge in 2017 when south Florida police found him asleep behind the wheel of his car that was parked awkwardly with damage to the driver's side. Woods said he had taken a bad mix of painkillers. He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving. Woods won his fifth Masters, and 15th major, in 2019. He has 82 wins on the PGA Tour, tied for the all-time record with Sam Snead. Woods, 50, had been working his way back to golf from a seventh back surgery in September. He had not decided whether he could play in the Masters on April 9-12. His last official tournament was the British Open in 2024. Woods ruptured his Achilles tendon in March 2025 and that kept him off the course all season even before the back surgery. He managed to play in his indoor TGL golf league on Tuesday night. He has kept deeply involved in PGA Tour affairs as chairman of the Future Competition Committee that is restructuring the model of the tour. Woods also faced a soft deadline at the end of the month to decide whether to become U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2027 matches in Ireland. Woods was offered the job for the last Ryder Cup and did not turn it down until June. The PGA of America wants a decision much sooner this time.

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House Speaker Mike Johnson has rejected a Senate-passed bill to fund Homeland Security as a ‘joke’ and plans a vote on an alternative. The House was considering whether to approve funds to pay Transportation Security Administration agents and most other Homeland Security agencies after the Senate unanimously passed the measure early Friday morning. The deal does not include funding for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but the package puts no new limits on immigration enforcement, which has continued uninterrupted during the shutdown. TSA workers were set to miss a second paycheck Friday. Prior to the Senate bill’s passage, President Donald Trump said he would sign a separate order to pay the TSA agents immediately, but nothing has been signed yet.

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NEW YORK (AP) — Federal law enforcement officials disrupted a plot to fire bomb the New York City home of a prominent Palestinian activist. Nerdeen Kiswani, co-founder of the group Within Our Lifetime, said she was informed by an FBI official late Thursday that “a threat on my life that was about to take place.” She said she was told that the man, Alexander Heifler, had been apprehended. According to a criminal complaint, Heifler, a New Jersey resident, was arrested in his New Jersey home late Thursday after an undercover operation revealed that he planned to throw a dozen Molotov cocktails at Kiswani’s home. He had spent weeks discussing the plot with an undercover law enforcement official, the complaint said.

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An Iranian envoy says Tehran will “facilitate and expedite” humanitarian aid through the Strait of Hormuz. Ali Bahreini, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, said Friday that Tehran has accepted a request from the world body to allow the safe passage of humanitarian aid and agriculture shipments through the critical waterway. He says the “measure reflects Iran’s continued commitment to supporting humanitarian efforts and ensuring that essential aid reaches those in need without delay.” Bahreini's post on X came hours after the U.N. announced a task force to address the ripple effects the Iran war has had on the passage of aid.

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Former world number one Tiger Woods was involved in a rollover crash in Florida on Friday afternoon, ABC News reported, citing the local sheriff's office. The 50-year-old 15-times major champion's condition was not immediately clear, ABC News said. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters contacted his agent but did not immediately receive a response. Woods was involved in a serious car crash in February 2021, suffering severe right leg fractures. His injury history spans more than two decades and includes multiple back microdiscectomies, ACL reconstruction, Achilles tendon ruptures, various spinal procedures, and chronic left knee issues — all of which have significantly limited his competitive schedule in recent years. Woods had only just returned to action, leading his Jupiter Links Golf Club in a TGL Finals match on Tuesday, his first appearance since missing the cut at the 2024 British Open. The American had not yet confirmed whether he planned to compete at this year's Masters, which starts on April 9 in Augusta.

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How goes the war? Is “victory creep” setting in

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