Pentagon denies that Hegseth’s broker sought investment before Iran war
US Department of Defense demands retraction of report alleging broker sought multimillion-dollar investment for Hegseth. Published On 31 Mar 202631 Mar 2026 The United States Department of Defense has demanded the retraction of a newspaper report alleging that a broker for defence chief Pete Hegseth attempted to make a large investment in weapons companies in the run-up to the war on Iran. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell demanded the “immediate” retraction on Monday after The Financial Times reported that a wealth manager for the defence secretary contacted BlackRock about making a multimillion-dollar investment in a defence-related fund in the weeks leading up to the war. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Hegseth’s broker at Morgan Stanley ultimately did not go ahead with the investment in the exchange-traded fund, whose holdings include Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, because it was not yet available for purchase at the time, The Financial Times reported, citing three unnamed sources. “This allegation is entirely false and fabricated. Neither Secretary Hegseth nor any of his representatives approached BlackRock about any such investment,” Parnell said in a post on social media. “This is yet another baseless, dishonest smear designed to mislead the public.” Hegseth and his department “remain unwavering in their commitment to the highest standards of ethics and strict adherence to all applicable laws and regulations,” Parnell said. Al Jazeera could not independently confirm the Financial Times report. The Defense Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment sent outside of usual business hours. The Financial Times and Morgan Stanley also did not immediately respond to inquiries. Advertisement BlackRock declined to comment. The report comes amid scrutiny of well-timed trades in financial and prediction markets that have fuelled speculation that figures with insider knowledge may be profiting off of US President Donald Trump’s war plans. While The Financial Times reported that the attempted investment by Hesgeth’s broker did not go ahead, the defence chief would not have made money on such a purchase in the month since the war began. While the iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF has risen more than 25 percent over the past year, it has fallen nearly 13 percent since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on February 28. Adblock test (Why?)
Activist Nerdeen Kiswani: ‘I feel more threatened than ever before’
NewsFeed Days after the FBI foiled an alleged assassination plot, Palestinian-American activist Nerdeen Kiswani says she feels ‘more threatened than ever before’. But she’s vowed to continue her advocacy because the Palestinian ‘struggle for justice and liberation matters’. Published On 31 Mar 202631 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
What we learned from Al Jazeera’s interview with Marco Rubio
NewsFeed US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Al Jazeera that the US war on Iran will be over in a matter of ‘weeks’, but some experts cast doubt on that timeframe along with other claims he made in our exclusive interview. Published On 31 Mar 202631 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Federal trial over air conditioning in Texas prisons starts with dispute over alleged heat-related deaths
The plaintiffs are asking for the entire Texas prison system to be air-conditioned by the end of 2029 in a trial that is expected to last two weeks.
Student shoots a teacher and then fatally shoots himself at a Texas high school, authorities say
No other injuries were reported in the Monday morning incident at Hill Country College Preparatory High School in Bulverde.
Fugitive illegal alien convict on the run after attempting to strike ICE officer with vehicle: DHS
An illegal alien with a long criminal history remains on the run after he attempted to hit a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer with his vehicle in California as authorities were trying to arrest him, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said Monday. ICE was attempting to take Xa Lee, a fugitive and Laotian citizen, into custody on March 25 in Sacramento. Lee was driving when he was pulled over, according to DHS. LEAVITT CALLS ON CONGRESS TO END EASTER RECESS TO WORK ON DHS SHUTDOWN During the vehicle stop, Lee attempted to flee and tried to strike an ICE officer with his car. “The officer, thankfully, did not sustain injuries. During the incident, ICE officers deployed their tasers. He fled the scene and remains at large,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said. “This is just the latest in a disturbing trend of vehicle attacks.” COLLEGE STUDENT’S ALLEGED MURDER BY ILLEGAL WENT EXACTLY AS DEMS ‘INTENDED,’ HOUSE SPEAKER SAYS A federal immigration judge issued a deportation order for Lee in 2010. His criminal record includes convictions for vehicle theft, stolen property, conspiracy, petty theft, two DUIs, resisting an officer, battery, and felony possession of a firearm. DHS noted that Lee’s evasion of arrest came amid a history of webinars by Democratic elected officials who advised undocumented immigrants on how to evade ICE and report encounters with federal immigration authorities. The agency cited California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, and U.S. Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Dan Goldman, both Democrats. All four politicians have repeatedly called for the Trump administration to halt its deportation campaign targeting criminal illegal immigrants. “DHS is once again calling on sanctuary politicians, agitators, and the media to turn the temperature down and stop calling for violence and resistance against ICE law enforcement,” the agency said. DHS requests that if the public has any information about Lee’s whereabouts, contact the ICE tip line at 866-347-2423 or online.
DHS slams California ‘sanctuary’ county after mom allegedly murdered by 2 Honduran nationals
FIRST ON FOX: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) slammed a California county for not honoring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer requests for two illegal aliens accused of murdering a 24-year-old mother earlier this month. Franquin Inestroza-Martinez, a Honduran national, and Gerzon Jose Chirinos-Munguia, also of Honduras, were arrested in Santa Clara County for allegedly killing Kembery Chirinos-Flores with a shotgun in early January. Chirinos-Munguia is the father of Chirinos-Flores’ 5-year-old son, and was previously arrested in 2018 for battery and false imprisonment, and subsequently in 2019 for domestic battery and threatening crime with the intent of terrorizing, DHS said. He was released back into California without ICE being notified in both 2018 and 2019, according to DHS. ANGEL MOM, GOP BLAME SPANBERGER AFTER ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WITH 30 ARRESTS CHARGED IN KILLING “A man lost his life, and a child is now without a mother. These illegal aliens should have never been able to commit these horrific killings and must NEVER be released from jail into American communities,” DHS Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis told Fox News Digital in a statement. Inestroza-Martinez, the alleged accomplice of the boy’s father, also had an outstanding arrest warrant from New Jersey for the homicide of a 55-year-old in March 2025, according to DHS. DHS said he was deported from the U.S. in 2013, then again in 2018. He illegally re-entered the country at an unknown date and time before allegedly murdering both the man in New Jersey and Chirinos-Flores. ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ACCUSED OF FATAL HIT AND RUN THAT KILLED NORTH CAROLINA MOTORCYCLIST DHS pointed to the California Value Act (CVA), a “sanctuary” law which prohibits local police from asking suspects about immigration status and limits cooperation between federal immigration agents and local authorities. “Instead of cooperating with ICE, Santa Clara sanctuary politicians REFUSED to honor ICE’s arrest detainer and will not notify ICE when these murderers are released from jail,” Bis added. “This insanity of refusing to turn cold-blooded killers over to ICE must end.” The CVA was signed into law in 2017 in response to the immigration efforts of President Donald Trump during his first term. DHS CALLS RAPE OF AUTISTIC TEEN ‘MOST HEINOUS WE’VE SEEN’ AS ICE DETAINER TESTS CALIFORNIA SANCTUARY LAWS The Trump administration sued California over the law throughout 2017-18, though the suit was dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California. The suit failed again during appeal and the Supreme Court declined to hear the case in 2020. CBS News reported that the child was not harmed in the incident and has since been placed in the custody of child protective services. “Kembery was in the prime of her life. She was working two jobs, and she was the loving mother of a 5-year-old son,” Santa Clara Department of Public Safety Chief Dan Pistor said at a press briefing following the arrests. Fox News Digital reached out to the Board President of Santa Clara County but did not receive a response. The Santa Clara County Board president did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Jayapal floats reparations for illegal immigrants impacted by Trump crackdown, demands prosecutions
Amid President Donald Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown, one congressional Democrat is calling for reparations for foreign nationals who are affected. “We are going to have some form of reparation for the kids and the families that have been traumatized through all of this,” Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., said Friday during a congressional hearing, referring to illegal immigrants. “You talked about how there’s no support for people even once they’re released. We need to make sure that we are funding that kind of work to continue to provide relief.” Jayapal, the former chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), made the comments during the seventh installment of a hearing series titled “Kidnapped and Disappeared: Trump’s Attack on Children.” The left-wing lawmaker said reparations for illegal immigrants affected by Trump’s crackdown efforts would be just one item in a series of reforms she would push Democrats to pursue if they retake House control in November. HOUSE DEM COMPARES TRUMP’S ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION CRACKDOWN TO ‘TERRORISM,’ VOWS TO ABOLISH ICE Jayapal, who was born in India and became a U.S. citizen in 2000, also said she wants “offensive action” regarding those who are carrying out Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown. “We need real accountability, because at the end of the day, the people that have been inflicting this harm need to be prosecuted,” Jayapal said. “They need to be brought before us, and they need to be held to account for the trauma that they have created.” A spokesperson for Jayapal did not respond to a Fox Digital inquiry about who specifically she wants to see prosecuted or who would be eligible for reparations. Reparations refer to financial compensation for a specific group intended to address reputed economic harms. Many progressive Democrats have long advocated for reparations for the descendants of American slaves. JAYAPAL DOUBLES DOWN ON ANTI-ICE TERROR CLAIMS AS DHS SHUTDOWN TRIGGERS HISTORIC TRAVEL CHAOS Throughout the hearing, congressional Democrats repeatedly called attention to the children of deported illegal immigrants, while saying little about the victims of illegal immigrant crime. The group of Democratic lawmakers did not discuss 18-year-old Sheridan Gorman, who was allegedly shot and killed by a Venezuelan national illegally living in the United States in Chicago earlier this month. Jayapal’s comments came during the record-breaking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) that has continued to drag on with no end in sight. She and nearly all House Democrats have refused to fund the department until the Trump administration agrees to various proposals that could rein in immigration enforcement. “I have been clear since the start of the appropriations process: I will not vote to give Trump’s ICE or CBP another cent without major reforms,” Jayapal said Friday following her vote against a two-month DHS funding extension. Though Democrats have been willing to fund the non-immigration parts of DHS, most Republicans have rejected that idea because it would effectively defund law enforcement. Zeroing out appropriations for ICE and the Border Patrol would continue to force support staff employed by those agencies — have not received a full paycheck during the seven-week funding lapse — to keep working without pay.
Rep Rashida Tlaib moves to block US operations in Lebanon but ignores Hezbollah
Amid Democrats’ failed attempts to block President Donald Trump’s military action in Iran, some progressive lawmakers are turning their focus to another target. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., recently unveiled a resolution that would prevent Trump from participating in or assisting Israeli military operations in Lebanon absent congressional approval. The progressive lawmaker could force the House of Representatives to take up the measure when the chamber resumes session in mid-April. Progressive Reps. Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., and Nydia Velazquez, D-N.Y., are co-sponsoring the measure. Tlaib’s resolution notably does not mention the Iranian-backed terror group Hezbollah, who joined the war against Israel after the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamanei. DEMOCRATS PRESSURE MIKE JOHNSON TO KEEP HOUSE IN WASHINGTON OVER ‘RAPIDLY DEVELOPING’ IRAN OPERATION The Lebanon-based terror group has launched rocket attacks on Israel since the start of the Iran conflict, including a coordinated strike with Iran involving cluster munitions earlier in March. Hezbollah’s attacks were met with Israeli counterstrikes and a major ground offensive by the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in southern Lebanon, aimed at pushing the militant group out of range of Israeli communities. The United States military has not joined the conflict. “This ethnic cleansing campaign is only possible because of U.S. support, funded by our tax dollars,” Tlaib, the sole Palestinian-American serving in Congress,” said. “We must act now to stop these crimes against humanity and illegal invasion of Lebanon.” A spokesperson for Tlaib did not respond to a Fox inquiry about whether she condemned Hezbollah and the Iran-backed group’s strikes on Israel. Tlaib’s war powers push comes after a bipartisan resolution targeting Trump’s military authority in Iran failed to pass the House earlier in March. HOUSE VOTES TO LET TRUMP’S OPERATION EPIC FURY CONTINUE IN IRAN Tlaib also rolled out a separate resolution that would order the Trump administration to call on Israel to end its military campaign in Lebanon and cut off all weapons transfers to Israel. The measure similarly does not mention Hezbollah but accuses Israel of plotting “crimes against humanity and genocide” in Lebanon. “[T]he United States is coauthoring this destruction through the weapons, intelligence, logistics, and diplomatic cover it provides the Israeli Government,” the resolution says in part. Tlaib is a vocal critic of Israel and has previously faced scrutiny for possible ties to foreign terrorist entities. Israel severely weakened Hezbollah after the terror group repeatedly attacked the country in support of Hamas after the Oct. 7 attacks. However, the Iran-backed militia has still proven to be a threat in the current conflict. Hezbollah rocket fire killed two Israelis in northern Israel earlier in March.
Pentagon cites ‘meritocracy’ as reported officer promotion removals draw Democratic criticism
War Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly removed multiple officers from a military promotion list — a decision that diverges from standard practice and is now under review at the White House, a U.S. official told Fox News Digital. The list included candidates for dozens of senior roles, but four were removed after they had been approved by a promotions board. The U.S. official said the officers were not under investigation and were not facing misconduct allegations, and that no formal explanation for the decision was provided to military leadership. PETE HEGSETH TOUTS HIGHER PHYSICAL STANDARDS FOR MILITARY, SAYS ‘SO BE IT’ IF IT EXCLUDES WOMEN Fox News Digital has learned that Army Secretary Dan Driscoll initially declined to remove the officers from the promotion list before Hegseth ultimately intervened to strike their names. The disagreement caught the attention of the White House, an official said, which reviews the revised promotion list before it is sent to the Senate. Initial New York Times reporting and congressional criticism have focused in part on claims that some of the officers removed were women and minorities, prompting military officials to question whether they were singled out on account of race or gender — an assertion Pentagon officials have strongly disputed. Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in response: “This story, like many others at the failing New York Times is full of fake news from anonymous sources who have no idea what they’re talking about and are far removed from actual decision-makers within the Pentagon.” “Under Secretary Hegseth, military promotions are given to those who have earned them,” he went on. “Meritocracy, which reigns in this department, is apolitical and unbiased.” Pentagon chief of staff Ricky Buria added: “This is completely false. Whoever placed this made up story is clearly trying to sow division among our ranks and within the department and the administration. It’s not going to work, and it never will work when this department is led by clear-eyed, mission driven leaders unfazed by Washington gossip.” The Pentagon has not publicly detailed the specific rationale behind the reported removals. The reported move has drawn scrutiny on Capitol Hill, where senior military promotions require Senate confirmation. Individual lawmakers can delay or block nominations through procedural holds. Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that if the reports are accurate, removing officers after a promotion board already has selected them based on merit and performance would be “outrageous” and potentially unlawful. Military promotions to senior ranks typically are vetted through formal boards and approved as a group, with limited intervention at the individual level. According to multiple reports, one of the officers removed from the list served in a logistics role during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, while another had previously authored academic work examining why Black service members are more likely to serve in support roles. The U.S. official said those explanations had not been formally communicated as justification for the decision. PETE HEGSETH SLASHES MILITARY ‘FAITH CODES’ FROM OVER 200 TO 31 IN PENTAGON CHAPLAIN CORPS OVERHAUL Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said: “Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth have launched an unprecedented politicization of the military promotion process, most recently, reportedly blocking promotions for Black and female officers,” Wyden said. Wyden on Wednesday placed holds on the promotions of Marine Lt. Col. Vincent Noble, Col. Thomas Siverts and Navy Lt. Cmdr. Thomas MacNeil, citing past wartime controversies and concerns about judgment. The White House could not immediately be reached for comment.