Here are today's featured stories, posted by DU members and curated by the Administrators. More news items can be found in our Latest Breaking News forum, and for all the most up-to-the-minute stories that are being talked about by DU members, visit the Latest Discussions page.
March 20, 2026
Millions More Americans Uninsured After Lapse Of Premium Subsidies
(Huff Post) Millions of Americans have lost health insurance after lawmakers let enhanced federal subsidies for Affordable Care Act plans expire following last year’s government shutdown battle, a study released Thursday found. About 1 in 10 Americans who were enrolled in an ACA plan last year now have no health coverage, according to surveys by the health care research nonprofit KFF. That amounts to around 2 million people.
Go to discussionFather of service member killed in Iran war said he never told Pete Hegseth to 'finish' the job
(NBC News) Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth met privately Wednesday with the families of six service members who died in the Iran war and, in a press briefing the next morning, said the message he got was consistent and supportive. “What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve was the same from family after family. They said, ‘Finish this. Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done,’” Hegseth said. One of the people he met at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware was Charles Simmons. His 28-year-old son, Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, was among the six crew members killed when their refueling plane crashed in Iraq last week. Simmons recalled his exchange differently. “I can’t speak for the other families. When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about,” he told NBC News in an interview Thursday.
Go to discussionBoebert Comes Out Swinging Against Trump Admin. Request for Iran War Money: 'I'm Not Doing That'
(Mediaite) Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) said she will not support any supplemental funding bill to pay for the Iran war, no matter what the price tag is. The Department of Defense is seeking $200 billion in supplemental funds to keep paying for the war on Iran, which President Donald Trump launched on Feb 28. The war is costing American taxpayers about $1 billion a day, to say nothing of skyrocketing gas prices.
Go to discussionGOP senator warns gutting Senate filibuster to pass SAVE America Act is a 'foolish and lazy idea'
(CNN) Sen. Thom Tillis on Thursday blasted talk of ending the Senate filibuster to pass the “SAVE America Act” as a “foolish and lazy idea” and warned his party that pushing the president’s priority through the so-called talking filibuster would hand control to Democrats. “I have made it crystal clear that I will never vote to do this. Eliminating the filibuster is a foolish and lazy idea pushed by politicians seeking short-term gain at the expense of causing irreparable long-term harm to our nation,” Tillis said in a statement.
Go to discussionAmericans Think Trump Will Send Troops Into Iran And Really Don't Like It: Poll
(Huff Post) Some 65% of Americans believe U.S. President Donald Trump will order troops into a large-scale ground war in Iran and just 7% support that idea, a Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Thursday found. The Trump administration has mulled deploying thousands of U.S. troops to reinforce its operation in the Middle East, Reuters reported on Wednesday. The possible deployments could use air and naval forces to secure safe passage for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, or could involve deploying U.S. troops to Iran’s shoreline.
Go to discussionMajor allies think it's better to depend on China than on the US under Trump
(Politico) Four key allies are growing wary of the United States — and disruption from President Donald Trump appears to be to blame, according to a new poll. Results from the poll from Politico, released Sunday, found that a growing portion of the public in Canada, France, Germany and the United Kingdom increasingly believe that China is a more dependable partner than the United States. The poll, however, revealed that movement toward China appears to be driven by Trump’s policies, and not stability of the geopolitical rival.
Go to discussionIran says it will show 'zero restraint' if energy infrastructure is targeted again
(The Guardian) Iran said on Thursday it would show “zero restraint” if its energy infrastructure was targeted again as Qatar revealed that almost a fifth of its liquefied natural gas export capacity had been knocked out in an Iranian strike that is likely to have a years-long impact.
Go to discussionLabor secretary's security staffer resigns amid misconduct investigation
(Politico) A member of Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer’s security team who figured prominently in an internal investigation that has roiled the agency resigned last week, according to two department officials who granted anonymity to discuss the matter. Brian Sloan was one of four people placed on leave by DOL as its inspector general’s office probes allegations of misconduct by Chavez-DeRemer and her top aides. Sloan was sidelined amid claims that he was involved in a romantic affair with the married Labor secretary.
Go to discussionGeorgia woman charged with murder after police say she took pills to induce abortion
(The Guardian) A 31-year-old Georgia woman has been charged with murder by police who say she took pills to induce an illegal abortion. If state prosecutors decide to move forward with the murder charge brought by local police against Alexia Moore, her case would be one of the first instances of a woman being charged for terminating a pregnancy in Georgia since it passed a 2019 law banning most abortions.
Go to discussionThe Trump administration is putting millions into a minerals company backed by the president's son
(The Independent) A start-up focused on building rare-earth magnets used in key technologies has seen its valuation skyrocket thanks to two investors: the Trump administration and a venture capital firm that counts the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr., as a partner. Vulcan Elements, which aims to shore up U.S. access to key materials for high technology, has gone from a $200 million valuation to a potential $2 billion one, according to a Bloomberg analysis.
Go to discussion