Monday, March 30
Chaos, arrests at ‘No Kings' protests
Thousands of “No Kings” protests took place all over the country and in Europe on March 28, according to The Associated Press.
At a No Kings protest in Los Angeles, authorities deployed tear gas near a federal detention center. Los Angeles police said 74 people were arrested for failure to disperse following an order given after the rally ended. Some protestors threw rocks, bottles and broken concrete blocks at officers, according to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
A vast majority of the protests remained peaceful, with over 3,100 events registered in all 50 states. In Denver, at least eight people were arrested for throwing objects, the AP reported.
Tuesday, March 31
Gas prices surge nationwide, highest since 2022
Gas prices in the U.S. surpassed an average of $4 a gallon, the highest since 2022. The prices continue to soar as the war with Iran continues, the AP reported. The national average of $4.02 is more than a dollar more expensive than pre-war rates.
U.S. drivers have not paid this much at the pump in four years, when Russia began its invasion of Ukraine.
The Iran-U.S. conflict has brought heavy supply chain disruptions from the main oil producers in the Middle East. Crude oil also rose since the conflict began, according to the AP.
The war also brought higher prices to utility bills, caused by rising fuel costs. The recent conflict and rising prices have caused backlash from Americans, with 45% of adults being “extremely” or “very” concerned about being able to afford gas.
Gulf allies privately vie for continued U.S. attacks on Iran
U.S. allies in the Gulf, led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, are pushing President Donald Trump to continue the war against Iran. They are arguing Tehran is not weakened enough by the month-long strikes being waged against them, according to the AP.
Officials in allied countries are privately stating military operations should not cease until the Iranian leadership or behavior is significantly changed. The push from allies is met as Trump wavers between continuing to wage war or settling the conflict.
Support for the war in the U.S. is becoming increasingly rare as the global economy continues to suffer and 3,000 are dead across the Mideast. Gulf countries have hosted U.S. forces, becoming sites for offensive strikes, but have not joined in the war directly, the AP reported.
Wednesday, April 1
Trump creates national voter list
On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order that will establish a nationwide list of all verified voters. The order also restricts mail-in voting, according to the AP. Many law experts are saying those moves by the Trump administration violate the Constitution.
The order will organize the Department of Homeland Security to work with the Social Security Administration to compile the list. The order also stops the U.S. Postal Service from shipping absentee ballots to people who are not approved for it.
The moves by the Trump administration are part of their push to secure the election under the pretense that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump. Democratic states have threatened to sue the Trump administration for the acts, arguing they are infringing on states' rights to run elections.
Thursday, April 2
NASA rocket takes off to the moon
A NASA voyage took off Wednesday, set to reach the moon. The 32-story rocket is housing four astronauts and rose from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, according to the AP. Thousands of people gathered to watch the historic takeoff.
Many were scared as hydrogen fuel flowed into the rocket, after there were hydrogen leaks in tests earlier in the year. No leaks occurred, but the rocket had technical issues that were resolved quickly.
For the first 25 hours of the 10-day test flight, the astronauts will stay close to Earth before they fire the engine that will take them to the moon, the AP reported.
Friday, April 3
Happy Good Friday!
Sunday, April 5
Trump sends new threats to Iran
On Sunday, Trump threatened to escalate strikes on Iran if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened by his deadline. Iran did not show any sign of following those threats, continuing to strike infrastructure in neighboring countries in the Gulf, according to the AP.
In a TruthSocial post, Trump said he would strike power plants and bridges in Iran if they did not open the Strait, which is a major waterway used to transport large amounts of the world's oil. Similar deadlines have been issued before, but extended once there seemed to be progress with ending the war.
The possibility of war crimes is extended to both sides as Iran and the U.S. have hit civilian targets such as oil fields and desalination plants important for drinking water, the AP reported.
