Gulf Energy Fight, World Happiness Report, & First Day of Spring

News without the noise

Adam Rogers
March 20, 2026

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Iran bombed energy infrastructure across the Gulf yesterday in retaliation for Israel's strike on South Pars — the world's largest gas field — triggering global economic consequences. Tehran hit Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, the world's largest liquified natural gas processing complex, a Saudi Red Sea refinery, and two Kuwaiti oil refineries. Brent crude spiked to $119 a barrel, and European natural gas prices jumped 25%.
Qatar, whose Ras Laffan facility sustained significant damage, is furious — both at Iran and at the US and Israel for setting its infrastructure ablaze. Trump said the US "knew nothing" about Israel's strike, but Axios reported Trump had green-lit and coordinated it with Netanyahu. Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan said "what little trust there was has been completely shattered."
Economists warn the disruption could trigger global price rises and shortages, while analysts said Iran emerged with the upper hand. Trump vowed to destroy South Pars entirely if Iran bombs Qatar again.

A newly published investigation accuses Cesar Chavez — the labor leader who spent decades organizing farmworker strikes and boycotts that won landmark labor protections for agricultural workers — of raping and sexually abusing girls and women in the 1960s and 1970s. Civil rights icon Dolores Huerta, 95, his co-founder of the United Farm Workers, said Chavez raped her and coerced her into sex on separate occasions.
Two other women revealed they were 12 and 13 when Chavez first molested them. Huerta said both encounters led to pregnancies she kept secret for decades to protect the farmworker movement. The Chavez family acknowledged he had "engaged in sexual impropriety with women and minors."
Chavez, who died in 1993, has schools, streets, and a federal holiday named after him. California Gov. Newsom said the state will reflect on renaming them.

The World Happiness Report 2026, published Thursday by Oxford University's Wellbeing Research Centre, found heavy social media use is contributing to a stark decline in well-being among young people. Life evaluations among under-25s in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand dropped by nearly one point on a 10-point scale over the past decade, with teenage girls in English-speaking countries and Western Europe hit hardest.
Fifteen-year-old girls using social media five or more hours daily reported the sharpest drops in life satisfaction. Algorithmic feeds, influencer content, and visual platforms drive the worst outcomes by encouraging social comparisons. Adolescents average 2.5 hours daily.
Finland is the happiest country for the ninth straight year. The US ranked 23rd, the second consecutive year no English-speaking country made the top 10. Costa Rica jumped to fourth, up from 23rd in 2023, driven by strong family and social bonds.

Pete Hegseth confirmed the Pentagon will ask Congress for over $200 billion for the Iran war, on top of its existing $1 trillion budget, though he said the figure could change. (More)

A Senate committee narrowly advanced Trump's DHS nominee Sen. Markwayne Mullin 8-7, with Democrat John Fetterman providing the deciding vote over Republican Rand Paul's opposition. (More)

A Florida hospital is suing a patient who has refused to leave her room since being discharged last October, and is asking a judge to order her out. (More)

Hong Kong opened a public inquiry yesterday into a November apartment fire that killed 168 people, examining whether unsafe renovation work helped the blaze spread through seven towers. (More)

Britain is slashing foreign aid to Africa by 56% and cutting all aid to most G20 countries, redirecting over £6 billion to fund higher defense spending. (More)

Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed to pause fighting through Tuesday for Eid al-Fitr, days after a disputed airstrike on a Kabul hospital killed at least 289 civilians. (More)

US stock markets closed lower on Thursday (S&P -0.27%, Nasdaq -0.28%, Dow -0.44%). All three indexes finished lower for the second day in a row. (More)

Major League Baseball named Polymarket its official prediction market partner on Thursday. (More)

The FCC approved Nexstar's $6.2 billion buyout of rival Tegna, waiving a household reach limit to create the country's largest local TV station owner despite a multistate lawsuit. (More)

No. 12 seed High Point stunned No. 5 Wisconsin 83-82 in the NCAA tournament Thursday when reserve guard Chase Johnston hit a go-ahead layup with 11 seconds left. (More)

Pistons star Cade Cunningham was diagnosed with a collapsed lung and will miss at least eight games, though the team hopes he'll return before the playoffs start April 18. (More)

Kevin Spacey settled civil suits with three men who accused him of sexual assault in England spanning 2000 to 2013, though Spacey denies any wrongdoing. (More)

Polish researchers built the first tool to measure post-video game depression, the emptiness players feel after finishing an immersive game, and found role-playing game fans are most at risk. (More)

Women who start menopause before 40 face about a 40% higher lifetime risk of heart disease than those who don't, according to a large new study published in JAMA Cardiology. (More)

NASA's Hubble telescope stumbled onto a comet breaking into four pieces while pointed at a last-minute substitute target, the first time it has caught a fragmentation so early. (More)

Study shows how hungry mosquitoes reach their targets.

Spring officially arrives today at 10:46 am ET.

…and the allergy capitals of the US.

Penguin groups have a fake face on in the Falkland Islands.

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