The expansion Denver Summit's match against the Washington Spirit on Saturday broke the National Women's Soccer League record for attendance with its announced crowd of 63,004.

Fans at the Denver Broncos' home stadium broke the previous NWSL record of 40,091 who attended Bay FC's match against the Spirit last season at Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.

In 2024, the Chicago Stars drew 35,038 to a game against Bay FC that was played at Wrigley Field, home to the Cubs.

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This is a big deal, and its very important," fan Karmryn Eversole said. "And I think its a huge milestone for womens sports to prove that we want more womens courts. And this is what we want, and were here supporting it, and we want to show it.

The match was the Summit's first at home in Colorado. The team played its first three on the road, going 1-1-1. The game against the Spirit on Saturday ended in a scoreless draw.

Denver was awarded the 16th NWSL franchise in January 2025 for a reported expansion fee of $110 million. The Summit started play this season along with the Boston Legacy.

I mean, I think it means everything, fan Nicole DeLue said. If you look at the amount of Denver womens players that have gone to the World Cup, made the national team. Weve always been a strong feeder. So to finally have a home base here is just incredible.

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After the opener at Mile High, the Summit will play home games at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, home of the Colorado Rapids in MLS. In July, the team will move to the temporary 12,000-seat Centennial Stadium while a women's soccer stadium is built in downtown Denver.

The Summit announced earlier this week they had closed on land at Santa Fe Yards for the future stadium, which the club hopes will be complete by the 2028 season.

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday rejected claims that God justifies war and prayed especially for Christians in the Middle East during a Palm Sunday Mass before tens of thousands of people in St. Peters Square.

With the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran entering its second month and Russias ongoing campaign in Ukraine, Leo dedicated his Palm Sunday homily to insist that God is the king of peace who rejects violence and comforts those who are oppressed.

Brothers and sisters, this is our God: Jesus, King of Peace, who rejects war, whom no one can use to justify war, Leo said. He does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.

Leaders on all sides of the Iran war have used religion to justify their actions. U.S. officials, especially Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have invoked their Christian faith to cast the war as a Christian nation trying to vanquish its foes with military might.

RELATED STORY | Pope Leo suggests Christian leaders who start wars should go to confession

Russia's Orthodox Church, too, has justified Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a holy war against a Western world it considers has fallen into evil.

Palm Sunday marks Jesus triumphant entrance into Jerusalem in the time leading up to his crucifixion, which Christians observe on Good Friday, and resurrection on Easter Sunday.

In a special blessing at the end of Mass, Leo said he was praying especially for Christians in the Middle East who are suffering the consequences of an atrocious conflict. In many cases, they cannot live fully the rites of these holy days.

Earlier Sunday, the Latin Patriarchate said Jerusalem police prevented the Catholic churchs top leadership from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It was the first time in centuries church leaders were prevented from celebrating Palm Sunday at the place where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, the Patriarchate said.

Leo said that during Holy Week, Christians cannot forget how many people around the world are suffering as Christ did. Their trials appeal to the conscience of all. Let us raise our prayers to the Prince of Peace so that he may support people wounded by war and open concrete paths of reconciliation and peace, Leo said.

A Holy Week that recalls Pope Francis' suffering

When Holy Week opened last year, Pope Francis was still recovering at the Vatican after a five-week hospital stay for double pneumonia. He had delegated the liturgical celebrations to others, but rallied on Easter Sunday to greet the faithful from the loggia of St. Peters Square. Most poignantly, he then made what became his final popemobile loop around the piazza.

Francis died the following morning, Easter Monday, after suffering a stroke. His nurse, Massimiliano Strappetti, later told Vatican Media that Francis had told him: Thank you for bringing me back to the square for the final salute.

Leo is due to preside over this weeks liturgical appointments and is returning to tradition with the Holy Thursday foot-washing ceremony that commemorates Jesus Last Supper with his disciples.

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During his 12-year pontificate, Francis famously celebrated the Holy Thursday ritual by traveling to Rome-area prisons and refugee centers to wash the feet of people most on societys margins. His aim was to drive home the rituals message of service and humility, and he would frequently muse during his Holy Thursday homilies Why them and not me?

Francis gesture had been praised as a tangible evidence of his belief that the church must go to the peripheries to find those most in need of Gods love and mercy. But some critics bristled at the annual outings, especially since Francis would also wash the feet of Muslims and people of other faiths.

Leo restores Holy Week foot-washing tradition

Leo, historys first U.S.-born pope, is returning the Holy Thursday foot-washing tradition to the basilica of St. John Lateran, where popes performed it for decades. The Vatican hasnt yet said who will participate, though Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul II normally washed the feet of 12 priests.

On Friday, Leo is due to preside over the Good Friday procession at Romes Colosseum commemorating Christs Passion and crucifixion. Saturday brings the late night Easter Vigil, during which Leo will baptize new Catholics, followed a few hours later by Easter Sunday when Christians commemorate the resurrection of Jesus.

Leo will celebrate Easter Sunday Mass in St. Peters Square and then deliver his Easter blessing from the loggia of the basilica.

Top diplomats from key regional powers gathered in Pakistan on Sunday to discuss how to end the fighting in the Middle East, but there were few signs of progress as Israel and the U.S. kept up strikes on Iran, and Tehran responded by firing missiles and drones across the region.

Pakistan said foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt were participating in the talks in Islamabad. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held extensive discussions on regional hostilities.

More than 3,000 people have been killed throughout the monthlong war that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, triggering Iran's attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf Arab states.

RELATED STORY | War spreads across Middle East as Iran, Houthis target Israel and US forces

The U.S. and Israel were not participating in the Islamabad talks. Irans parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed the talks as a cover while the U.S. dispatches additional troops to the Middle East. He warned against any ground invasion and said Iran was ready to set American troops on fire and punish U.S. regional allies, according to Iranian state media.

Israel announced waves of incoming strikes from Iran on Sunday and explosions could be heard throughout Tehran.

Mideast leaders try to break impasse at weekend talks

Egypts Badr Abdelatty, Turkeys Hakan Fidan and Saudi Arabias Prince Faisal Bin Farhan were in Islamabad as part of talks scheduled days after the U.S. offered Iran a 15-point action list" as a framework for a possible peace deal. Abdelatty said the meetings were aimed at opening a direct dialogue between the U.S. and Iran, which have largely communicated through mediators during the war.

Yet during the talks, Iran has eased some restrictions on commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. It agreed late Saturday to allow 20 more Pakistani-flagged vessels to transit the critical passageway, Pakistani officials said, adding to the select few it has let through as Iran works to choke but not cut off the strait entirely.

The weekend provided little sign of the talks narrowing the disconnect between the U.S. and Iran. U.S. officials have insisted the war may be nearing an inflection point but Iranian leaders continue to publicly reject negotiations.

To the contrary, the United States has dispatched thousands of additional Marines and paratroopers to the region. And the Iran-backed Houthis, who govern parts of Yemen, announced their long-awaited entry into the war, launching missiles toward what they called sensitive Israeli military sites for the first time on Saturday.

Despite the deployments, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that Washington can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops as domestic opposition grows to expanding the war to a potential ground invasion, including among Republicans.

Yet Iranian officials have rejected the U.S. framework and in public dismissed the idea of negotiating under pressure. Still, Press TV, the English-language arm of Irans state broadcaster, reported last week that Tehran drafted its own five-point proposal, citing an anonymous official. The plan reportedly called for a halt to killing Iranian officials, guarantees against future attacks, reparations and Irans exercise of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

Tehran threatens retaliatory strikes on Israeli and US universities

Iran on Sunday warned of additional escalation after Israeli airstrikes hit several universities, including ones that Israel claimed were used for nuclear research and development.

The paramilitary Revolutionary Guard warned in a statement that Iran would consider Israeli universities and branches of American universities in the region legitimate targets unless offered safety assurances for Iranian universities, state media reported.

American colleges including Georgetown, New York University and Northwestern have campuses in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

If the U.S. government wants its universities in the region spared, it should condemn the bombardment of (Iranian) universities by 12 oclock Monday, March 30, in an official statement, the Guard said.

It also demanded the U.S. stop Israel from striking Iranian universities and research centers. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said on Saturday that dozens of universities and research centers have been hit, among them the Iran University of Science and Technology and Isfahan University of Technology.

Houthi involvement sparks concerns

Houthi Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said on the rebels' Al-Masirah satellite television station on Saturday that they launched missiles toward sensitive Israeli military sites in the south.

The group which controls parts of Yemen launched repeated attacks aimed at Israel and Red Sea shipping during the height of the Israel-Hamas war. Israeli strikes on Yemen last year killed the rebel-run government's prime minister and top military general.

If the Houthis again increased attacks on commercial shipping, it would further push up oil prices and destabilize all of maritime security, said Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group. The impact would not be limited to the energy market.

Bab el-Mandeb, at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is crucial for vessels heading to the Suez Canal through the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has been routing millions of barrels of crude oil a day through it because the Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed.

RELATED STORY | Iranian strike wounds at least 10 US troops and damages planes at Saudi air base, official says

Houthi rebels attacked more than 100 merchant vessels with missiles and drones, sinking two vessels, between November 2023 and January 2025. They have held Yemens capital, Sanaa, since 2014. Saudi Arabia launched a war against the Houthis on behalf of Yemens exiled government in 2015. They now have an uneasy ceasefire.

Death toll climbs

Iranian authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed in the Islamic Republic, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel.

In Lebanon, where Israel has started an invasion in the south while targeting the Hezbollah militant group, officials said more than 1,100 people have been killed in the country since the start of the war.

In Iraq, where Iranian-supported militia groups have entered the conflict, 80 members of the security forces have died.

In Gulf states, 20 people have been killed. Four have been killed in the occupied West Bank.

After weighing arguments for two months, a federal judge in Fort Myers has issued an opinion in the Alligator Alcatraz civil rights case.

Judge Sheri Polster Chappell ordered the facility, which is run by the Florida Division of Emergency Management, to publish its policy allowing attorneys to show up without scheduling a visit and see their client.

Judge orders changes at Alligator Alcatraz including better legal access to detainees

Alligator Alcatraz officials testified in January that the policy allowing unscheduled legal visits had been in place since November, but the policy had never been published and was not widely known to most detainees and their attorneys, who sued the state and federal government last summer, arguing that the lack of access violated their First Amendment rights.

RELATED STORY | 'Alligator Alcatraz' 2.0: Second migrant detention center planned in Florida Everglades

She also ruled that the facility must provide detainees with access to timely, free, confidential, unmonitored, unrecorded outgoing legal calls. They must have one operable phone for every 25 detainees at Alligator Alcatraz. Immigration attorneys and families of detainees have previously told me that detainees can only make outgoing calls on the monitored phones that are in their sleeping area. Theyve said there are typically 2-4 of these phones available inside a cage where dozens of men are held together, and calls are sometimes cut off.

Polster Chappell wrote that the facility must post and publish these policy changes regarding attorney-client communication in English, Spanish and Haitian Creole.

"Defendants may continue operating alligator Alcatraz, and ICE may continue to deport illegal aliens," the judge wrote. "But they must do so by respecting the most basic constitutional rights."

This article was produced by Jamie Ostroff for the Scripps News Group in West Palm Beach.

With spring break in full swing, airline passengers continued to wait it out at major U.S. airports after President Donald Trump signed an executive order to pay Transportation Security Administration officers aimed at alleviating long security lines.

Trump's executive order on Friday instructed the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA officers immediately, although it's unclear when the impact of that move will start to be felt at airports.

The signing came at a busy travel time of the year, with spring breaks at school districts and colleges and the upcoming Passover and Easter holidays.

RELATED STORY | TSA may now get paid, but Congress is still deadlocked on the root problem

Betty Mitchell arrived at Philadelphia International Airport at 12:30 a.m. Saturday for a 5 a.m. flight to visit family, but she said the airline desk did not open until 3 a.m. Once it did, there was a sudden influx of passengers to squeeze into the TSA screening lines.

All at once it became a mad house, Mitchell said.

She waited nearly three hours to get through.

It was crazy long lines, she said. Never have I seen it that long. If the airlines work with TSA in these trouble(d) times, maybe it would help the public.

Whats the current situation on the ground?

Some passengers with very early flights on Saturday reported having little problem getting through airport security lines. But that may have been an anomaly. Others at some of the busiest airports wrote on social media that security lines were growing exponentially longer by the hour.

We have not previously experienced checkpoint wait times similar to what we are seeing this morning, Baltimore-Washington International Airport said in a post Saturday on the social platform X. BWI officials recommended travelers arrive four hours before their scheduled departure time.

When will TSA employees be paid?

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said TSA personnel could get paid as soon as Monday, a relief for workers who have gone without pay since Feb. 14.

While that is welcome news to many, it remains to be seen whether that promise materializes on schedule and if it brings an immediate end to snaking lines at airports.

Caleb Harmon-Marshall, a former TSA officer who runs a travel newsletter called Gate Access, said the staffing crisis wont improve significantly until officers are confident that they wont be subjected to more skipped paychecks.

RELATED STORY | Homan says ICE will help fill TSA shortages at airports as travel delays persist

If its only for a pay period, thats not enough to bring them back, Harmon-Marshall said. It has to be an extended pay for them to come back or want to stay there.

He estimates longer lines could linger for another week or two.

How soon will this help with airport delays?

Its hard to tell. Airports that had passengers standing in screening lines that clogged check-in areas or showing up far too early for their flights will need to decide whether to reopen checkpoints or expedite service lanes they closed or consolidated due to inadequate staffing.

A handful of airports experienced daily TSA officer call-out rates of 40%. Nationwide on Thursday, more than 11.8% of the TSA employees on the schedule missed work, the most so far, DHS said Friday.

Nearly 500 of the agency's nearly 50,000 officers have quit since the shutdown started, according to DHS.

How do I monitor wait times before my flight?

Check airport conditions early and often, including official websites and social media accounts where airports share timely updates and guidance, according to experts.

Many airports on Saturday urged passengers to allow at least four hours for both domestic and international screenings.

Wait times can change quickly based on passenger volume and TSA staffing, according to an advisory posted Saturday morning on the website of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Wait times listed on the MyTSA mobile app may not be accurate because TSA isnt actively managing its sites during the shutdown. On third-party websites that track TSA lines, estimated wait times could be outdated during the shutdown if they rely on publicly available data, experts say.

A U.S. Secret Service agent assigned to protect former first lady Jill Biden accidentally shot himself in the leg at Philadelphia International Airport on Friday, authorities said.

Biden was not in the area when the agent was injured during a negligent discharge of his firearm Friday morning, Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi told The Associated Press. According to initial reports, the agent was traveling in an unmarked car when he accidentally discharged his gun shortly before 9 a.m., said Philadelphia Police Officer Tanya Little.

RELATED STORY | Secret Service agent under investigation for trying to bring his wife on trip

Other law enforcement officers came to assist the injured agent, who was taken to a local hospital. He is being treated for his injuries and was in stable condition, Guglielmi said.

Airport operations were not affected, said Heather Redfern, public affairs manager for the city's Department of Aviation.

Organizers of Saturday's No Kings rallies across the country are predicting that the protests against the actions of President Donald Trump and his administration could add up to one of the largest demonstrations in U.S. history, with Minnesota taking center stage.

Organizers say more than 3,100 events have been registered in all 50 states, with more than 9 million people expected to participate.

And theyve designated the rally at the Minnesota Capitol in St. Paul as the national flagship event, in recognition of how the state where federal agents fatally shot two people who were monitoring Trump's immigration crackdown became an epicenter of resistance.

RELATED STORY | 'No Kings Day' rallies under way across the US and Europe, with millions expected to join

Headlining that observance will be Bruce Springsteen, performing Streets of Minneapolis, which he wrote in response to the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and in tribute to the thousands of Minnesotans who took to the streets over the winter. Springsteen's Land of Hope & Dreams American Tour, which has a No Kings theme, kicks off Tuesday in Minneapolis.

Minnesota organizers have told state officials they expect 100,000 people could converge on the Capitol grounds, where last Junes event drew an estimated 80,000 people.

The St. Paul rally will also feature singer Joan Baez, actor Jane Fonda, Sen. Bernie Sanders and a long list of other activists, labor leaders and elected officials.

The White House dismissed the nationwide protests as the product of leftist funding networks with little real public support.

The only people who care about these Trump Derangement Therapy Sessions are the reporters who are paid to cover them, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement.

RELATED STORY | 'No Kings' protests against Trump bring a street party vibe to cities nationwide

Rallies are also planned in more than a dozen other countries, from Europe to Latin America to Australia, Ezra Levin, a co-executive director of Indivisible, a group spearheading the events, said in an interview. Countries with constitutional monarchies call the protests No Tyrants, he said.

For those unable to attend in person, another activist group, Stand Up For Science, is hosting a virtual and accessible event online.

On Saturday morning in Paris, several hundred people, mostly Americans living in France, along with French labor unions and human rights organizations, gathered at the Bastille.

I protest all of Trumps illegal, immoral, reckless, and feckless, endless wars, Ada Shen, the Paris No Kings organizer, said. It is clear he doesnt really have a plan. It is clearly that the abuse of power is the point. It is very clear that he is a strong man who is abusing the authority vested in him by the American people as our elected president.

National organizers told reporters in an online news conference Thursday that they expect Saturday's protests to be larger than the first two rounds of No Kings rallies, which they estimate drew more than 5 million people in June and more than 7 million in October.

This administrations actions are angering not just Democratic voters or folks in big blue city centers they are crossing a line for people in red and rural areas, in the suburbs, all over the country," said Leah Greenberg, the other co-executive director of Indivisible. "The defining story of this Saturdays mobilization is not just how many people are protesting, but where they are protesting,"

Two-thirds of the RSVPs have come from outside of major urban centers, Greenberg said, listing registration surges in conservative-leaning states like Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, South Dakota and Louisiana, as well in competitive suburban areas of Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona.

"Millions of us are rising up from all walks of life, from rural communities to big cities at No Kings, said Katie Bethell, executive director of MoveOn, another major organizer. And as we do so, we will send the loudest, clearest message yet that this country does not belong to kings, dictators, tyrants. It belongs to us.

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels claimed a missile launch toward Israel early Saturday, their first since the war in the Middle East started. The Israeli military said it intercepted the projectile.

The war, now marking its one-month anniversary, erupted after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, which retaliated with strikes against Israel and neighboring Gulf Arab states. The conflict has upended global air travel, disrupted oil exports and caused fuel prices to soar. Irans stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway, has also exacerbated the economic fallout of the war.

Israel struck Irans nuclear facilities hours after threatening to escalate and expand its campaign against Tehran on Friday. Iran vowed to retaliate and struck a base in Saudi Arabia, wounding more than a dozen U.S. service members and damaging planes.

RELATED STORY | Iran war diverts US attention as Russia launches spring offensive in Ukraine

Before Saturdays attack, there appeared to be a breakthrough as Tehran agreed to allow humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments through the strait.

Houthi involvement could further complicate the war

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesman for the Houthis, said in a statement aired Saturday morning on the rebels' Al-Masirah satellite television that the Houthis fired a barrage of ballistic missiles targeting what he described as sensitive Israeli military sites in southern Israel. The attack came hours after Saree signaled in a vague statement Friday that the rebels would join the war.

Sirens went off around Israels southern city of Beer Sheba and the area near Israels main nuclear research center as Iran and Hezbollah continued to fire on Israel overnight. Loud explosions also filled the air in Tel Aviv and Israels Fire and Rescue Service said it was responding to 11 different impact sites across the metro area.

Saturday's assault calls into question whether the Houthis will again target commercial shipping traveling through the Red Sea corridor, as they did during the Israel-Hamas war, upending traffic in the Red Sea through which about $1 trillion worth of goods passed each year before the war. The rebels also fired drones at Israel.

The potential involvement of the Houthis in the war would also complicate the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford, the aircraft carrier that first went to port in Crete for repairs and on to Split, Croatia, where it arrived on Saturday. Sending the carrier back into the Red Sea could draw it into the same high tempo of attacks seen by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in 2024 and the USS Harry S. Truman in the 2025 American campaign against the Houthis.

The Houthis have held Yemens capital, Sanaa, since 2014, and so far had stayed out of the war as the rebels have had an uneasy ceasefire for years with Saudi Arabia, which launched a war against the group on behalf of Yemens exiled government in 2015.

More than two dozen US troops have been wounded in Iranian attacks on Saudi base in the past week, AP sources say

More than two dozen U.S. troops have been wounded in Iranian attacks on Saudi Arabias Prince Sultan Air Base in the past week, according to two people who have been briefed on the matter. Iran fired six ballistic missiles and 29 drones at the base in the Friday attack that injured at least 15 troops, including five seriously, according to the sources who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

The base, about 96 kilometers (60 miles) from the Saudi capital of Riyadh, came under attack twice earlier in the week, including a strike that wounded 14 U.S. troops, according to the people briefed on the matter. The base is run by the Royal Saudi Air Force but is also used by U.S. troops.

Attempts at diplomacy as US troops build up in the Mideast

The latest attacks happened after Trump claimed that talks on ending the war were going very well and that he had given Tehran until April 6 to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran maintains that it has not engaged in any negotiations.

With the economic repercussions from the war extending far beyond the Middle East, Trump is under growing pressure to end Irans chokehold on the strait.

Pakistan said Saturday Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Egypt will send their top diplomats to Islamabad for talks aimed at ending the war.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said in a statement that Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Turkeys Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan and Egypts Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty will arrive Sunday for a two-day visit to hold in-depth discussions on a range of issues, including efforts to de-escalate tensions in the region.

RELATED STORY | Iranian strike wounds at least 10 US troops and damages planes at Saudi air base, official says

Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Saturday he spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian for more than an hour, holding extensive discussions on regional hostilities and efforts aimed at end the war.

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff has said Washington delivered a 15-point action list to Iran for a possible ceasefire, with a proposal to restrict Irans nuclear program and reopen the strait. Tehran rejected the proposal and presented its own five-point proposal that included reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the waterway.

Meanwhile, U.S. ships drew closer to the region carrying some 2,500 Marines, and at least 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne trained to land in hostile territory to secure key positions and airfields have been ordered to the Middle East.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops.

Death toll climbs

Iranian authorities say more than 1,900 people have been killed in the Islamic Republic, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel.

In Lebanon, where Israel has started an invasion in the south, officials said more than 1,100 people have been killed since the start of the war.

Meanwhile, at least 13 U.S. troops have been reported killed, while in Iraq, where Iranian-supported militia groups have entered the conflict, 80 members of the security forces have died.

In the Gulf states, 20 people have been killed and four others in the occupied West Bank.

The U.N.s International Organization for Migration also said Friday that 82,000 civilian buildings in Iran, including hospitals and the homes of 180,000 people, were damaged.

Israel strikes Iranian nuclear facilities

Israel focused its attacks Friday on sites in the heart of Tehran where ballistic missiles and other weapons are produced, the military said. It said it also hit missile launchers and storage sites in Western Iran, while witnesses in eastern Tehran reported a partial power outage following airstrikes.

Irans Atomic Energy Organization said the Shahid Khondab Heavy Water Complex in Arak and the Ardakan yellowcake production plant in Yazd Province were targeted, IRNA reported. The strikes did not cause casualties and there was no risk of contamination, it said.

Yellowcake is a concentrated form of uranium after impurities are removed from the raw ore. Heavy water is used as a moderator in nuclear reactors.

The Israeli military later said raw materials are processed for enrichment at the Yazd plant and the strike was a major blow to Iran's nuclear program. Tehran vowed to retaliate.

Possible breakthrough to allow aid and agricultural shipments through Hormuz

Iran agreed to allow humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments through the Strait of Hormuz following a request from the United Nations.

Ali Bahreini, the countrys ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, said Iran agreed to facilitate and expedite such movement.

The vital waterway usually handles a fifth of the worlds oil shipments and nearly a third of the worlds fertilizer trade. While markets and governments have largely focused on blocked supplies of oil and natural gas, the restriction of fertilizer ingredients and trade threatens farming and food security around the world.

The FAA lifted ground stops at five major Northeast airports Friday evening, after briefly closing traffic to each due to environmental issues.

The FAA grounded departures to Baltimore-Washington International, Charlottesville-Albemarle, Ronald Reagan Washington National, Washington Dulles International and Richmond International airports.

The FAA cited an environmental trigger in its ground stop alerts.

All ground stops had been lifted by 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Friday.

According to reporting from CNN, the disruption caused an evacuation at the region's key traffic control office.

EARLIER THIS MONTH | FAA lifts ground stops after 'strong chemical smell' affects Potomac air traffic controller facility

That office is the same one that was affected earlier in March by "a strong chemical smell" that disrupted flight controllers and caused brief ground stops at many of the same airports.

Scripps News has not yet independently confirmed the cause of Friday's disruption.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

At least 10 American service members were wounded in an Iranian attack on Prince Sultan Air Base Friday, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the situation.

Two of the troops were seriously wounded, one of the officials said. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.

Officials said the attack on Prince Sultan Air Base involved an Iranian missile and unmanned drones. It damaged several U.S. refueling aircraft.

The confirmation, reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, comes after satellite imagery that appeared to show the damage to the aircraft appeared online.

Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, died days after being wounded during a March 1 attack on the base.

U.S. Central Command said earlier in the day that more than 300 service members have been wounded in the conflict.

Also Friday, President Donald Trump said it will be time for Saudi Arabia and Israel to normalize ties after the war in Iran wraps up.

Its now time, Trump said at a Miami event sponsored by the Saudi sovereign wealth fund. Weve now taken them out, and they are out bigly. We got to get into the Abraham Accords.

Trump has been pressing Israel and Saudi Arabia, the two biggest powers in the Middle East, for years to normalize ties as part of his Abraham Accords efforts.

Significant headwinds remain, including Saudi Arabias insistence that there needs to be a credible path to a Palestinian state before it normalizes commercial and diplomatic ties with Israel.

Meanwhile the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said Tehran has agreed to facilitate and expedite humanitarian aid through the Strait of Hormuz, even as it endures strikes on its nuclear facilities.

Ali Bahreini said Tehran accepted a request from the U.N to let humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments move through the vital waterway, which usually handles a fifth of the worlds oil shipments and nearly a third of the worlds fertilizer trade.

The aid plan would be the first breakthrough at the shipping chokepoint after a month of war. While markets and governments have largely focused on blocked supplies of oil and natural gas, the restriction of fertilizer ingredients and trade threatens farming and food security around the world.

This measure reflects Irans continued commitment to supporting humanitarian efforts and ensuring that essential aid reaches those in need without delay, Bahreini said in a post on X. The U.N. earlier announced a task force to address the ripple effects the Iran war has had on aid delivery.

Israel strikes Iranian nuclear facilities

The announcement came just hours after Iranian state media said two nuclear facilities had come under attack. Israel, which had threatened to escalate and expand its campaign against Tehran, claimed responsibility, and Iran quickly threatened to retaliate.

Iran will exact HEAVY price for Israeli crimes," Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrote on X,

Irans Atomic Energy Organization said the Shahid Khondab Heavy Water Complex in Arak and the Ardakan yellowcake production plant in Yazd Province were targeted, IRNA reported. The strikes did not cause any casualties and there was no risk of contamination, it said. The Arak plant has not been operational since Israel attacked it last June.

Yellowcake is a concentrated form of uranium after impurities are removed from the raw ore. Heavy water is used as a moderator in nuclear reactors.

The Israeli military later said raw materials are processed for enrichment at the Yazd plant and that the strike was a major blow to Iran's nuclear program.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned Iran would retaliate, IRNA reported. Seyed Majid Moosavi, IRGCs Aerospace Force commander, posted on X that employees of companies tied to the U.S. and Israel should abandon their workplaces.

"This time, the equation will no longer be an eye for an eye, just wait, he said.

Late Friday, Israels military said Iran had launched missiles at the country. Sirens alerted people to seek shelter in and around the city of Beer Sheba and areas near Israels main nuclear research center, which were targeted by Iranian strikes that injured dozens last weekend.

US pushes diplomatic solution

Word of the attacks on Iran came after Trump claimed talks on ending the war were going very well and that he had given Tehran more time to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran maintains it has not engaged in any negotiations.

With stock markets reeling and economic fallout from the war extending far beyond the Middle East, Trump is under growing pressure to end Iran's chokehold on the strategic waterway.

A Gulf Arab bloc said Thursday that Iran has been exacting tolls from ships to ensure safe passage.

Trump envoy Steve Witkoff said Washington delivered a 15-point action list to Iran for a possible ceasefire, using Pakistan as an intermediary. It proposes restricting Irans nuclear program and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran rejected the U.S. offer and presented its own five-point proposal that included reparations and recognition of its sovereignty over the vital strait.

Trump has said if Iran doesn't reopen the strait to all traffic by April 6, he will order the destruction of Irans energy plants.

Uncertainty surrounding the conflict prompted a further drop in U.S. stocks Friday. The S&P 500 sank 1.7% to close out its worst week since the Iran war started and its 5th losing week in a row. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1.7%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 2.1%. Meanwhile, crude oil prices continued to soar.

With U.S. gas prices approaching $4 a gallon, members of Congress have been pushing to suspend the federal gasoline tax, set at 18.4 cents per gallon on gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon on diesel fuel. Trump said he has thought about suspending it but suggested states should look at suspending their taxes on fuel.

Attacks appear to intensify early Saturday

Witnesses in eastern Tehran reported a partial power outage following airstrikes, and in Israel, loud explosions filled the air in Tel Aviv and emergency crews responded to nearly a dozen impact sites.

An Associated Press journalist heard loud explosions in Tel Aviv, and Israels Fire and Rescue Service said it was responding to 11 different impact sites across the metro area. A man in his 60s was pronounced dead late Friday after suffering severe injuries amid the strikes, emergency services said.

Defense Minister Israel Katz had earlier vowed that Iran will pay heavy, increasing prices for this war crime.

Israel focused its attacks Friday on sites in the heart of Tehran where ballistic missiles and other weapons are produced, the military said. It said it also hit missile launchers and storage sites in Western Iran.

Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry meanwhile said it shot down missiles and drones targeting the capital, Riyadh. In Lebanon, the Health Ministry said two people were killed.

Kuwait said its Shuwaikh Port in Kuwait City and the Mubarak Al Kabeer Port to the north, which is under construction as part of Chinas Belt and Road initiative, sustained material damage in attacks. It appeared to be one of the first times a Chinese-affiliated project in the Gulf Arab states has come under assault in the war. China has continued to purchase Iranian crude.

Diplomatic wrangling endures even as US sends more troops to the Mideast

Diplomats from several countries including Pakistan and Turkey have tried to organize a direct meeting between U.S. and Iranian envoys. Separately, G7 foreign ministers meeting in France formally asked for an immediate halt to attacks against populations and infrastructure.

Meanwhile, U.S. ships drew closer to the region carrying some 2,500 Marines, and at least 1,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne trained to land in hostile territory to secure key positions and airfields have been ordered to the Middle East.

Nevertheless, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the U.S. "can achieve all of our objectives without ground troops. Rubio, speaking to reporters following the Group of Seven foreign ministers meeting Friday in France, said the new deployments are designed to ensure maximum opportunity to adjust to contingencies should they emerge.

Israel deployed the 162nd Division into southern Lebanon to support efforts to protect its northern border towns from Hezbollah attacks and uproot the militant group, the military said.

The U.N.'s International Organization for Migration said Friday that 82,000 civilian buildings in Iran, including hospitals and the homes of 180,000 people, are damaged.

If this war continues, we risk a far wider humanitarian disaster, Jan Egeland, secretary general of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said in a statement. Millions could be forced to flee across borders, placing immense pressure on an already overstretched region.

Death toll climbs, primarily in Iran and Lebanon

Eighteen people have died in Israel, while four Israeli soldiers have been killed in Lebanon. Two Israeli soldiers were severely injured in Lebanon on Friday during an operational accident, the military said.

Authorities said more than 1,100 people have died in Lebanon and over 1,900 people have been killed in Iran.

At least 13 American troops have been killed and four people in the occupied West Bank and 20 in Gulf Arab states have also died.

In Iraq, where Iranian-supported militia groups have entered the conflict, 80 members of the security forces have died.

President Donald Trump on Friday signed a memorandum directing DHS to pay TSA employees, after promising to address a grinding impasse that left airport security workers missing paychecks for weeks.

"If Democrats in the Congress will not act to honor the service of our TSA officers, who are now performing their critical public safety responsibilities without knowing whether they will be able to buy food for their families or pay their rent, then my Administration will take action," the memo read. "As President of the United States, I have determined that these circumstances constitute an emergency situation compromising the Nations security."

DHS confirmed the change on Friday, saying the first paychecks would reach TSA workers "as early as Monday, March 30."

The White House said money to pay checks will come from the president's One Big Beautiful Bill, signed in 2025.

Friday's memorandum says when regular funding for TSA is restored, DHS will readjust its funding to carry on its planned operations.

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More than 3,400 TSA officers had called out on Thursday, TSA reported. At airports in Houston, Texas, and Atlanta, Georgia, call out rates exceeded 40%.

In the meantime, Congress remains at an effective standstill over funding for the rest of DHS.

House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected a Senate-passed DHS funding measure, saying Friday he will instead bring a 60-day continuing resolution to fund the entire department to the floor.

The partial government shutdown has stretched past six weeks as Democrats push for reforms to Immigration and Customs Enforcement before agreeing to fund the Department of Homeland Security. The agency oversees ICE, TSA and several other federal operations.

Paychecks for TSA may take some immediate pressure off the shutdown impasse, said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), but it is a short term solution.

Legendary golfer Tiger Woods was released late Friday night, hours after he was arrested on suspicion of DUI following a rollover crash in South Florida on Friday afternoon, authorities said.

The crash occurred just after 2 p.m. near 281 Beach Road on Jupiter Island, according to the Martin County Sheriffs Office.

An image from the scene shows an SUV on its side. Authorities said Woods was able to climb out of the vehicle and was not injured.

"We really weren't suspicious of alcohol being involved in this case and that proved to be true at the jail," said Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek. "So, Mr. Woods did a breathalyzer test, blew triple-zeros, but when it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused. So he's been charged with DUI, with property damage, and refusal to submit to a lawful test."

The crash comes days after Woods appeared in the TGL final, competing for his Jupiter Links team. TGL is a technology-driven indoor golf league co-founded by Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Woods last appearance on the PGA Tour came at the 2024 Open Championship, where he did not make the cut.

Ive been trying to come back. But it just hasnt worked out that way, Woods said ahead of the TGL final. Ive had a bad run of injuries last year. I think its been a year and a few days since I blew out my Achilles. And so then Ive had two back operations. So its been a little rough go. But the guys here, this team, we have so much fun, I really dont want to screw up the lineup, I just want these guys to keep playing.

Woods has won 15 major championships, second behind Jack Nicklaus.

FROM 2021 | Tiger Woods Hospitalized After Los Angeles Area Car Wreck

Woods was also seriously injured in a 2021 crash in the Los Angeles area. Authorities said at the time he was driving at nearly twice the posted speed limit of 45 mph.

In 2017, Woods was arrested in Palm Beach County on suspicion of driving under the influence. He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving, agreeing to pay a $250 fine and attend DUI school.

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Nuclear sites in Iran came under attack on Friday.

A water treatment facility and a yellowcake uranium plant were struck, Irans state-run Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

Officials said no one was killed in the attacks and that radioactive materials were not released, posing no contamination risk to nearby residents.

The Israel Defense Forces took responsibility for the strike on the water facility, claiming it was a plutonium production site tied to Irans nuclear weapons program.

RELATED STORY | Trump reveals 'present' from Iran as ceasefire talks face uncertainty

"The IDF will not allow the Iranian regime to continue advancing its nuclear weapons program, which poses an existential threat to Israel and the entire world," the IDF said in a statement on X.

In response, a senior Iranian military official warned of retaliation.

"You tested us once before; the world saw again that you yourselves started playing with fire and attacking #infrastructure. This time, the equation will no longer be an eye for an eye; wait and see!" Seyed Majid Moosavi said. "Employees of industrial companies associated with the Americans and the Zionist regime should quickly leave their workplaces to avoid endangering their lives!"

The latest strikes come as the United States and Israel, which launched the operation a month ago, appear to be sending mixed public messages.

Israels defense minister said Friday that the country would ramp up strikes on Iran in the coming days. However, Donald Trump said Thursday that very good and productive conversations have taken place about a potential ceasefire.

Pakistan has positioned itself as a mediator in the conflict, and its foreign minister confirmed on the social media platform X that indirect talks between the U.S. and Iran are taking place.

The Justice Department is suing Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, SeaWorld, and other theme parks over a ban on wheeled walkers, alleging it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Justice Departments Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Middle District of Florida said the suit was filed against United Parks & Resorts Inc. (UPR) and its subsidiaries, alleging UPRs policy banning guests with disabilities from using wheeled walkers with seats violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

The release said UPR is a global theme park and entertainment company that owns, leases, or operates twelve parks and experiences in the United States, including SeaWorld Orlando, Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Discovery Cove Orlando, and Aquatica Orlando.

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The ADA prohibits discrimination based on disability by public accommodations, including UPR and its theme parks. The ADA requires UPR to permit individuals with disabilities to use manually powered mobility aids, including walkers, in areas open for pedestrian use, said the release.

The lawsuit seeks a court order requiring UPR to modify its policies to comply with the ADA and to train its staff on the ADA. It also seeks monetary damages for those who faced the alleged discrimination by UPR.

If you visited Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Sea World Orlando, Aquatica Orlando, or any of the other UPR-owned and operated parks and believe you were a victim of discrimination, the DOJ encourages you to file a complaint online here.

This article was originally produced by Kiley Vaughan Leilyn Torres for the Scripps News Group station in Tampa.

Looking back, gubernatorial candidate Dean Roy says his political ambitions started in the eighth grade. And by that he means, last year.

After working as a legislative page at the Vermont Statehouse, the 14-year-old freshman at Stowe High School now has his sights set on the corner office. In November, he'll be the first candidate for governor under age 18 to appear on the state's general election ballot.

I don't expect necessarily to win, he said. What I do expect is to start the movement, and get more young people to come in behind me and say, Yeah, we also want to make change.

Another eighth-grader, Ethan Sonneborn, sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 2018 but finished last in a four-way primary. Roy secured his spot in the general election by creating his own third party, the Freedom and Unity Party. Both were able to run because the state constitution sets no minimum age for gubernatorial candidates, requiring only that candidates have resided in the state for four years.

RELATED STORY | UK reduces voting age to 16, aims to boost electoral participation

I know it sounds crazy, a 14-year-old running for governor, but honestly, look at the people in charge right now, Roy said in a post on his campaigns Instagram page. Theyve been doing this forever and things still arent working.

Nearly all other states set minimum age requirements for governor, often 30 years old. In Kansas, lawmakers added a requirement that gubernatorial candidates be at least 25 years old in 2018 after six teenagers ran for office.

Peter Teachout, a professor at Vermont Law and Graduate School, has a different take than Roy on Vermont's constitution. He points to a section in the document referring to what qualifies someone to be entitled to the privileges of a voter, and that is that they must be 18 years of age. Even under Roy's interpretation, Teachout doesn't predict a win for the teenager.

In theory, a 4-year-old could run for governor. Should we be worried about it? No, he said. Vermonters can be a little cantankerous and provocative just for the fun of it, but it is not something they are likely to support in this context.

RELATED STORY | Young adults are less likely to follow politics: AP-NORC poll

But Roy's former history teacher, James Carpenter, said he thinks it's great that Roy is giving it his all. Though most 14-year-olds arent concerned with property taxes or health care, Carpenter describes Roy as an old soul with endless curiosity.

It just really shows what type of kid Dean is. Hes very earnest in what hes doing. Theres no gimmick behind this, he said. I think he blends that youthful optimism with some pragmatism that few kids have.

Roy, who said he doesn't identify with either major party, said housing is the most important issue facing the state. He's also thought about how he'd juggle school with a full-time job as governor, saying he'd consider online classes and would do his homework at night after work.

The current governor, Republican Phil Scott, applauds Roys interest in politics and public service but questions whether someone so young is ready for the responsibilities that come with running a state.

He believes its important for our youth to get involved, said press secretary Amanda Wheeler. But the Governor also believes that a teenager may not be best suited to serve in that role given the lack of experience and lived perspectives youth have at that point in their lives.

Roy disagrees that age has anything to do with whether a candidate is fit to run for office.

What Im aiming for is that these career politicians look at me and they say, Oh my God, he actually has a chance to disrupt things, he said. If I can get people to think that I am a threat to them, then I know thats been a success. Because what I want is to show them that the youth have a voice. Were gonna make change. The future is now.

Police in Port Arthur, Texas, asked residents to shelter in place on Monday evening following reports of an explosion at a Valero refinery in the community.

Local news outlets reported a large explosion had taken place, sending a plume of black smoke into the sky.

Port Arthur police later confirmed a Valero refinery as the scene of the explosion.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, according to officials who spoke to local news outlets.

Police asked residents on the west side of the city to shelter in place.

The shelter order would remain in effect until emergency personnel gave the all clear, the city's emergency management agency and mayor said.

The Texas state department of transportation directed drivers to avoid the area.

Local emergency officials said crews were en route to respond to the incident.

Further details about the cause or effects of the explosion were not immediately available.

The Valero refinery in Port Arthur is one of the largest in the U.S., capable of processing 360,000 barrels of oil a day.

This is a developing story. Stay with Scripps News for continued updates.

Sen. Markwayne Mullin has been confirmed as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security after the Senate voted 54-45 to approve his nomination.

Mullin was tapped to replace Kristi Noem, whom President Donald Trump moved to another role in the administration following bipartisan criticism of her leadership. That criticism included scrutiny over two fatal shootings involving immigration enforcement officers and her use of federal funds for an anti-immigration media campaign.

Mullin faced a contentious confirmation hearing last week, clashing with fellow Republican Sen. Rand Paul. Paul criticized Mullin for not condemning a man who attacked him in 2020.

RELATED STORY | Markwayne Mullin says ICE will need a judicial warrant to enter homes

Tell the world why you believe I deserved to be assaulted from behind, have six ribs broken, and a damaged lung. Tell me to my face why you think I deserved it, Paul said.

I did not say I supported it. I said I understood it, Mullin responded.

Other committee members also raised concerns about Mullins temperament, citing past public confrontations. However, his nomination was passed out of committee with the help of Democratic Sen. John Fetterman's vote.

Mullin leaves behind his seat in the Senate to take over the Department of Homeland Security as it faces a funding standoff. Democrats are pushing for changes to immigration enforcement policies before agreeing to a spending deal.

DoorDash on Monday announced a program to subsidize gas costs for DoorDash workers under certain conditions, as the war in Iran introduces turmoil in fuel prices worldwide.

DoorDash drivers using the DoorDash Crimson Visa Debit Card will receive 10% back on all fuel purchases any time they use the card, regardless of whether they are working on a delivery at the time.

DoorDash will also provide weekly fuel relief payments for drivers who accumulate 125 miles or more in deliveries per week. Payments will begin at $5 per week and reach as much as $15 per week, for 250 miles driven.

RELATED NEWS | Gas and travel prices could continue to spiral as tanker traffic stalls near Iran

The changes come as fuel prices climb worldwide due to the war in the Middle East, where Iran is striking petrochemical infrastructure in the Gulf. The attacks have damaged oil refineries and liquefied natural gas facilities.

Iran has also effectively blocked most traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, where roughly 20% of world oil supplies usually pass through.

Experts have warned the restrictions on supply will lead to continued higher prices on gasoline, jet fuel and other petroleum products.

On Monday AAA reported the U.S. national average price for a gallon of gasoline was $3.95, more than $1 higher than it was one month ago.

RELATED STORY | State leaders resist gas tax holidays as US gas price averages $3.79 a gallon

Some journalists at Voice of America charged in a lawsuit Monday that the Trump administration while largely shutting down the government-run outlet that provides news around the world has turned what remains into a voice for propaganda.

The lawsuit alleges that VOA transmissions to populations in Iran, China, North Korea and to Kurdish populations are not being run as objective news sources, as required by law. Instead, they parrot White House talking points and suppress news that the administration wishes to downplay, according to the lawsuit, filed Monday with the U.S. District Court in Washington.

In response, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which runs the Voice of America, said that taxpayer money must support broadcasting that reflects U.S. policy and the interests of the American people.

ICYMI | What is Voice of America, the news network Kari Lake will lead?

The latest dispute reflects differing views between journalists and President Donald Trump's administration, which has promoted friendly outlets that rarely offer more than gentle questioning most notably at the Pentagon.

A federal judge last week ordered hundreds of VOA journalists who had been placed on paid leave for the past year to be put back to work, saying Trump's pick to run the USAGM, Kari Lake, exceeded her authority. The administration is appealing that ruling.

Voice of America, which has beamed its broadcasts across the world since World War II, was designed to showcase freedom of the press to countries where there is no such tradition. But instead of operating that way, VOA journalists Barry Newhouse, Ayesha Tanzeem, Dong Hyuk Lee and Ksenia Turkova say Trump loyalists have been put in place to direct what is reported on the few VOA transmissions that remain.

For example, coverage of the Iran war sent into that country has not included any news of death tolls from U.S. air strikes or the perspectives of political and world leaders outside of the administration, while the bombing of an elementary school was "barely mentioned," the lawsuit said. The Lake-appointed official overseeing Persian, Kurdish and Afghan services has said all guest appearances on broadcasts must be approved by him, it said.

RELATED STORY | Judge sides with New York Times in challenge to policy limiting reporters access to Pentagon

"Through VOA's journalism, those living in authoritarian societies get a taste of democracy," the plaintiffs said in a statement. "Without editorial integrity, VOA will be no different than government mouthpieces our audiences already hear in their own country."

The administration has questioned whether taxpayers should foot the bill for transmission of opinions that go against American interests. Lake, in congressional testimony last year, suggested the traditional firewall between the government and journalists at agencies like Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty be eliminated. "We should be able to have control over what kind of content goes out," she said. "It should be in alignment with our foreign policy."

The Agency for Global Media "is responsible for oversight of its networks, including Voice of America, and for ensuring compliance with the VOA charter, which requires authoritative, accurate journalism that is reflective of and clearly presents U.S. policies," the agency said in a statement Monday.

The VOA journalists were supported in their lawsuit Monday by the organizations PEN America and Reporters Without Borders.