What’s next for Kristi Noem? 2026 Senate chatter grows after DHS exit
President Donald Trump cut short Kristi Noem’s tenure at the Department of Homeland Security after weeks of internal turmoil. Now headed to a new envoy post, the onetime conservative star faces a pressing question: Can she stage a political comeback? Noem was fired as the nation’s immigration chief after a turbulent stretch marked by internal clashes and two contentious congressional hearings where even some Republicans pressed her over leadership missteps. Trump announced on Truth Social that Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., will replace her effective March 31, while Noem shifts to a newly created envoy role the president says he’ll detail this weekend. An administration source told Fox News “it was time” to move on from Noem, citing internal feuding, staff mismanagement and controversies — including a $200 million ad campaign and fallout in Minnesota — that “overshadowed” Trump’s immigration agenda. “Kristi’s drama sadly overshadowed and distracted from the Administration’s extremely popular immigration agenda, which will continue full force,” the source said. KRISTI NOEM OUSTED FROM HOMELAND SECURITY POST AMID RECENT TURMOIL Trump said Noem will be named “Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas,” a newly created role he described as part of a broader Western Hemisphere security initiative. The White House has not yet detailed the scope of the position. The reassignment comes as speculation grows in South Dakota over whether Noem could mount a primary challenge against Sen. Mike Rounds in 2026 — a move that would test whether her standing with Trump and GOP voters has truly eroded. Rounds, who is seeking a third term, secured Trump’s “complete and total endorsement” last year and is backed by Senate Republican leadership — a formidable barrier to any challenger. “He will never let you down,” Trump wrote in his endorsement, calling Rounds an “America First Patriot.” Fox News Digital reached out to Rounds’ office for comment. Noem would enter any race with statewide name recognition and a deep political network, having served eight years in Congress before winning two terms as governor. But some Republican operatives question whether her abrupt exit from DHS weakened her standing within Trump’s inner circle at a critical political moment. One GOP strategist involved in Senate races, who acknowledged that Noem was once a MAGA rock star, described a potential Senate bid at this time as a “suicide mission.” The clock is already ticking. South Dakota’s filing deadline is March 31 at 5 p.m. CT, and candidates must gather roughly 2,200 petition signatures in just over three weeks to qualify for a June 2 primary. NOEM SLAMS DEMS BLOCKING DHS FUNDING BILL CITING TSA, FEMA, COAST GUARD: ‘I HOPE THEY COME TO THEIR SENSES’ The speculation has drawn national attention. The Atlantic reported that pollsters in South Dakota were surveying a potential Rounds-Noem matchup, with one Republican source telling the magazine that the senator would “handily win” if challenged. Rapid City’s ABC affiliate reported on the rumors of Noem’s ambitions in February, saying Republicans in her home state are watching to see if she would challenge Rounds. Still, Noem has a fair share of powerful allies back home. Gov. Larry Rhoden, Noem’s successor in Pierre, commented Thursday that “Kristi is a dear friend and the toughest person I know.” “When she shut down the border in record time, others were shocked, but I wasn’t. I knew what she was capable of.” “She’ll deliver in her next role just as capably. I thank her for everything she’s done to keep South Dakota — and all America — strong, safe, and free,” Rhoden said. As governor, Rhoden worked with Noem’s DHS to make South Dakota one of the first states to enter a 287(g) agreement allowing state-level cooperation with ICE. Under the arrangement, the South Dakota Highway Patrol has been authorized to assist with immigration enforcement, and National Guard personnel have supported administrative functions — a record that could bolster her standing with conservative primary voters as speculation about her next move intensifies. Fox News’ Peter Doocy contributed to this report.
WATCH: Capitol Hill debate erupts over whether Trump’s Iran strikes amount to ‘war’
Debate on Capitol Hill continues to rage over whether President Donald Trump started a “war” with the strikes he carried out against Iran last weekend, a key consideration for whether the president must look to Congress for authority to continue Operation Epic Fury. Where Republicans see a narrowly-tailored attack designed to prevent a U.S. adversary from securing nuclear capabilities, Democrats see a conflict that could easily spill into a broader conflict. “Congress is not supposed to be an after-the-fact spectator, the Constitution makes plain,” Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., told Fox News Digital. “President Trump has not said, like in Venezuela, ‘this is a police operation,’ that it’s ‘an arrest,’” Kaine said, comparing the strikes to the January capture of Nicolás Maduro. OPERATION EPIC FURY SURVIVES SENATE CHALLENGE AS REPUBLICANS CLOSE RANKS BEHIND TRUMP Democrats like Kaine have blasted Trump for dragging the U.S. into a conflict that, in their view, looks a lot like a war — something only Congress has the power to declare. It is that determination that makes them believe lawmakers should use the War Powers Act of 1973 to curb Trump’s powers in Iran. That law prevents the president from continuing hostilities against a foreign power that extends past 60 days. Republicans like Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., see no reason to invoke the War Powers Act, given the scope of the current conflict. A measure to kill a Democrat-led war powers resolution aimed at handcuffing Trump’s military operations in Iran passed on Wednesday in a 53-47 Senate vote. “I mean, even if you disagree with this, I just don’t think you can dispute [that] they’re complying with the statute. The president has the authority under Article II to do what he has done so far,” Hawley said, referring to the Constitution’s military power granted to the country’s commander in chief. Last Saturday, the U.S. conducted a series of strikes in collaboration with Israel, targeting the country’s military leadership and killing the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The Trump administration has framed the attack as a necessary campaign to halt Iran’s work towards obtaining a nuclear weapon. Although Hawley supports the administration’s work so far, he has a firm red line in mind for where the conflict would require Congressional say-so. “Ground troops would be a different deal,” Hawley said. “But [Trump] just said, ‘We’re not going to do ground troops,’ so, I just say to my Democrat friends — I think they’re just looking for something to vote against the president on.” REPUBLICANS HAND TRUMP THE WHEEL ON IRAN — BUT ONE RED LINE EMERGES Democrats remain unconvinced. Some Democrats noted that the language the administration has used suggests it views the conflict as something more than isolated strikes. “The president and the secretary of state have called it a war. So have the generals. If we’re at war, Congress has to provide authorization,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said. Other Democrats, like Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., attacked the administration’s stated reason for the attack. “There was no imminent threat to the United States. There were threats to Israel, but in terms of an imminent threat, there was not one. Consequently, this is the president’s war of choice,” Warner said. NIKKI HALEY SLAMS DEMOCRATS WHO SAY IRANIAN REGIME ‘WAS NO THREAT TO AMERICA’: ‘ABSURD’ “You have to come before Congress,” Warner added. To Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., the consideration should deal less with technicalities and more with consideration of the cost that could come with Trump’s attacks. “The American people make the decision on going to war because it’s their sons and daughters that will lose their lives. I still think that’s the case, regardless of who the president might be,” Durbin said.
Massive explosions, fires from US-Israeli strikes on Tehran
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Massive explosions and fires were seen across Tehran as US-Israeli strikes pummelled targets in the Iranian capital.
Anti-aircraft fire seen in eastern Lebanon amid Israeli incursion
NewsFeed Apparent anti-aircraft fire was seen in the Bekaa Valley of eastern Lebanon amid reports of an attempted landing by Israeli forces. Clashes have been reported between Israeli commandos and Hezbollah fighters in the town of Nabi Chit. Published On 7 Mar 20267 Mar 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share plus2googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Why Yemen’s Houthis are staying out of Israel-US fight with Iran – for now
Sanaa, Yemen – The Israel-US attacks on Iran have plunged the wider Middle East region into turmoil. From Tehran, tensions have spread, affecting multiple Arab cities, including Abu Dhabi, Doha, Kuwait City, Manama, and Beirut. Amid this wave of military escalation hitting several countries, Yemen has remained – perhaps surprisingly – quiet. The Houthi movement, the Iran-allied de facto authority in northwestern Yemen, has made repeated attacks on US and Israeli targets since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza in October 2023. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list But in the week since the US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28, the Houthis have limited their support for Tehran to rhetoric and a mass protest denouncing the strikes. Whether they will continue to remain detached from the conflict remains uncertain. Analysts say the rebel group’s involvement is still possible, and its current restraint appears part of a strategy of patience. “Houthi intervention remains a possibility, and it could take the form of a phased escalation,” Luca Nevola, senior analyst for Yemen and the Gulf at the ACLED conflict monitor, told Al Jazeera. “At the current stage, the main Houthi priority remains avoiding direct US and Israeli retaliation.” Last August, Israeli strikes killed at least 12 Houthi high-ranking government members, including Prime Minister Ahmed al-Rahawi and chief of staff Mohammed al-Ghumari, in air strikes in Sanaa. The losses were among the heaviest the group has endured during its confrontation with the US and Israel. Advertisement That incident, coupled with other attacks last year, has left the Houthi leadership more careful and wary of risking a heavy aerial campaign on areas under its control. “The group seems to fear Israeli intelligence and the possibility of leadership decapitation,” Nevola said. Despite the losses the Houthi group endured last year, it is not entirely incapacitated, and it could launch assaults on adversaries. Nevola explained, “The Houthis would likely resume attacks if they were directly drawn into the conflict, either through US or Israeli strikes or through a renewed domestic advance by anti-Houthi forces in Yemen.” Houthi chief Abdel-Malik al-Houthi said this week that “Yemen stands clearly with the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Muslim Iranian people.” He emphasised that “hands are on the trigger” regarding military escalation, adding that his group’s engagement in the war could occur at any moment depending on developments. Holding a card in reserve Sadam al-Huraibi, a Yemeni political commentator, said Yemen’s Houthis will enter the war if Iran requests it to. “Tehran does not want to use all its cards at once, and it aims to save the Houthi group for the coming phase,” Huraibi told Al Jazeera. “I believe that the Houthis’ entry into the war is only a matter of time,” he added. “If the Israeli-American attacks on Iran do not stop, the Yemeni group will not stand idly by endlessly. The Houthis are preparing for war in Sanaa and the provinces they control.” The Houthis are still capable of creating chaos in the Red Sea – where they have launched repeated attacks on shipping as part of a campaign they say was in support of Gaza – and can launch drones and missiles towards Israel, said Huraibi. “This move will likely materialise, and this depends on the timing set by the Houthis and Iran.” Nevola agreed with Huraibi, saying, “Now that all axis [of resistance, or pro-Iran regional groups] actors are under direct attack, ensuring long-term operational continuity from Yemen – and preserving the Houthi regime as a safe haven – may have become a strategic priority.” Adel Dashela, a Yemeni researcher and non-resident fellow at Mesa Global Academy, said that the Houthis do not want to officially declare war at the present time in order to portray themselves as an independent faction, not subject to Tehran’s directives. Dashela told Al Jazeera, “In practice, the group is part of the axis of resistance, and the war could reach it. The Houthi leadership is still waiting to see how the situation develops. It does not want to take rash decisions on the involvement in the US-Israel war on Iran.” Possible targets The Houthis are capable of striking multiple targets with missiles and drones. Advertisement “Should the conflict persist, and the Houthis feel threatened by direct attacks, they could expand their target set to include Israeli territory, US warships and military assets in the region, and Israel’s partners in the region, such as the UAE and Somaliland,” said Nevola. The continued barrage of Iranian missiles on Israel and the Gulf states may have compromised interception systems over the past week. Houthi attacks could therefore become more destructive. Nevola explained, “Houthi long-range drone and missile attacks against Gulf states and Israel could prove more effective at a later stage of the conflict, when air defence systems may face resupply constraints. The opening of an additional southern front could place further strain on Israel’s air defence.” From late 2023 to 2025, the Houthis carried out a military campaign of attacks on ships through the Red Sea corridor. The campaign killed at least nine mariners and sank four ships, disrupting shipping in the Red Sea, through which about $1 trillion of goods passed each year before the war. The US-Israel strikes have wiped out many of Iran’s political and military leaders within a few days. The killing of senior figures could weaken the Iranian regime, whose fall remains a priority for US and Israeli leadership. Whether weakened or ousted, the fallout would be “detrimental” to the Houthi group in Yemen, said al-Huraibi. He added, “The group will be militarily affected as the flow of smuggled Iranian weapons to Yemen will shrink or entirely cease. This is a formidable challenge for the group.” In 2022, the United Nations found thousands of weapons seized in the Arabian Sea likely came from a single port in Iran. A report by a UN Security Council panel of experts on Yemen indicated that boats and land transport were used
Noida International airport gets DGCA nod, receives key licence, flight operations to begin soon, check details here
The aerodrome licence has been issued in accordance with civil aviation rules for domestic flights and cargo operations, said Shailendra Bhatia, nodal officer of NIAL.
How Jasmine Crockett slipped from Democratic frontrunner to decisive defeat in the Senate primary
Crockett embarked on her primary bid with a makeshift operation that lacked a campaign manager, a developed fundraising strategy and comprehensive infrastructure for a ground game.
After years of gains, Republicans in Congress push to roll back chemical regulations
In Texas, environmental activists and experts raise the alarm about the potential impact on public health if the Toxic Substances Control Act is weakened.
Rep. Dan Crenshaw says culture of misinformation fueled his primary loss: “The truth didn’t matter”
The fourth-term congressman, who lost decisively to state Rep. Steve Toth, said baseless attacks about his alleged insider trading and gun stances fueled the upset.
Paxton targets Austin ISD in what appears to be Texas’ first enforcement of the “bathroom bill”
The complaint was filed via a state tip line alleging an Austin High School student used a bathroom not aligned with their sex at birth, according to the attorney general.