Trump Puts Plan In Motion To Open The Strait Of Hormuz

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Issue: 3/16/2026

$10B TikTok Fee for White House

The Trump administration is set to collect roughly $10 billion from investors who took control of TikTok’s U.S. operations, according to reports from the Wall Street Journal, a near-unprecedented fee for a government’s role in brokering a private deal.

Oracle, Silver Lake, and Abu Dhabi investor MGX paid the Treasury about $2.5 billion at the deal’s close in January, with additional payments scheduled to continue until the total reaches $10 billion.

Vice President JD Vance has said the new U.S. entity is valued at about $14 billion, a figure some analysts say dramatically undervalues the platform and its 170 million American users. The deal adds to a growing list of administration moves extracting value from the private sector, including a 10% stake in Intel and a cut of Nvidia chip sales to China.★★★
Iran Rejects Talks with US

President Trump said Saturday that Iran wanted to make a deal but that the terms weren’t good enough, demanding Tehran abandon its nuclear ambitions and adding that he’s hearing the new supreme leader may “not be alive”.

Iran’s foreign minister fired back Sunday, saying Tehran has never asked for a ceasefire and insisting the new leader is in “good health,” though he has yet to appear publicly.

Israel said it struck more than 200 targets across Iran on Sunday alone, expanding operations into western and central Iran, while Gulf states reported fresh waves of Iranian drone and missile attacks.

Germany became the first major ally to publicly decline Trump’s call for warships in the Strait of Hormuz, though South Korea, Britain, and Japan said they were reviewing the request.★★★
Trump Rallies World on Hormuz

President Trump is building an international coalition to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, telling reporters aboard Air Force One he’s spoken to “about seven” countries about sending warships to secure the critical waterway.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is deploying the USS Tripoli and its Marine expeditionary unit to the region as Brent crude hovers near $105 a barrel.

Trump posted on Truth Social that the U.S. has “destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability” but acknowledged lingering threats from drones and mines, vowing to keep “bombing the hell out of the shoreline” until the Strait is open.

He also spoke on Sunday by phone with U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer about reopening Hormuz to end the disruption to global shipping.
Texas Runoff Heats Up

MAGA voters are pressuring Trump not to endorse Sen. Cornyn in his May 26 runoff against AG Ken Paxton, who offered to drop out if the Senate kills the filibuster to pass the SAVE Act. Trump has yet to pick a side.

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Senate Map: GOP Plays Offense

Fox News Digital’s new breakdown of the top 10 Senate battlegrounds shows Republicans eyeing flips in Georgia and Michigan while defending open seats in Maine, North Carolina, Iowa, and Alaska.

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Wiles Diagnosed, Staying on the Job

President Trump announced Monday that Chief of Staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and will begin treatment immediately while continuing to work full-time at the White House. Trump called her prognosis “excellent.”

ICE Scales Up Detention

ICE plans to boost detention capacity to 92,600 beds under a $38 billion overhaul, including eight mega-centers and 16 processing sites, funded through the One Big Beautiful Bill.

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Mullin Hearing Wednesday 

Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s confirmation hearing to lead DHS is set for March 18 before the Senate Homeland Security Committee, chaired by Sen. Rand Paul. Trump wants him in the job by month’s end.

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SAVE Act Floor Takeover

Trump allies led by Sen. Mike Lee are planning a Senate floor takeover this week to force a marathon debate on the SAVE America Act, modeling it after the 60-day battle that preceded the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

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  1. Trump Approval Jumps to 44% — Trump at 44% approve, 54% disapprove, with a Presidential Approval Index of -15. Thirty percent strongly approve while 45% strongly disapprove.
  2. Senate Battleground — Fox News Digital’s analysis of the top 10 Senate races shows Republicans defending seats in Maine, North Carolina, and Alaska while eyeing flips in Michigan and Georgia.
  3. SAVE Act Popular — A Harvard CAPS/Harris poll found 71% of registered voters support the SAVE America Act’s voter ID and proof-of-citizenship requirements — yet every Senate Democrat has vowed to filibuster it.
  4. Iran War Successful — Sixty-one percent of likely voters say Operation Epic Fury has been successful so far, including 35% who call it “very successful.” Just 29% disagree.
  1. Art of the Deal, TikTok Edition
    The White House is pocketing $10 billion just for brokering a deal that saved 170 million users’ favorite app and kept American data on American soil. Try getting that kind of return from a government program.
  2. Iran’s Phantom Leader
    Trump openly questioned whether Mojtaba Khamenei is even alive. The new supreme leader hasn’t appeared publicly, hasn’t spoken on camera, and his “first statement” was read by a news anchor holding a framed photo. Not exactly a show of strength from Tehran.
  3. Obama’s Own Guys Say Dems Are Cooked
    Two former Obama campaign managers told Axios the Democratic Party is a directionless mess. Jim Messina admitted the party’s midterm strategy is “85-90% driven by opposition to Trump” with no affirmative message. David Plouffe warned Dems can’t win “in what are now red states.” When Obama’s brain trust says you’re lost, you’re lost.
  4. Cuba Is Next
    While Iran burns, Cubans are torching Communist Party headquarters as Trump’s diplomatic moves spark hope across the island. House Intel Chair Rep. Rick Crawford says flat-out: “Cuba is done. It’s just now a question of when, not if.” The dominoes are falling.
  5. Michigan Synagogue Attack: The Threat Is Here
    The attacker who stormed a Michigan synagogue and kindergarten last week was a Lebanese national who lost family members in Israeli strikes on Lebanon. The FBI is investigating it as a targeted act of violence against the Jewish community. This is exactly the kind of threat Trump warned about when he secured the border.

“Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet.”
-President Donald Trump, NBC News interview, March 14, 2026

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Published by RJ Hamster

I was born on 6 August 1956 in San Francisco, California to Janet and (the late) Richard Hovis. I grew up in Santa Monica, California where I attended elementary, junior high school, and high school (graduating in 1974), in addition to involvement in sports and recreation (Little League +, the Boy’s Club ++). Further, it was in elementary school – St. Augustine’s By-the -Sea Parish School that I found, and made the choice to truly journey with God. I attended Arizona State University from 1974 to 1977 – seeking to become an architect, however, I was not accepted, and, as such, I graduated with a Liberal Arts degree. Upon graduation from Arizona State University, I attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and studied City and Regional Planning at the Master’s level. I successfully completed one (1) year in a two (2) year program – I did not complete the Master’s degree in City and Regional Planning – due to personal reasons. I returned to Santa Monica where I started (October 1979) my career as graphic designer with Exxon Company, USA. I spent five years with Exxon Company, USA. While working with Exxon Company, USA I was accepted into architectural school – Sci-Arc in Southern California, however, I did not attend preferring to stay with Exxon.. In 1982 I married Laura Flosi and in April 1983 we had our one and only child – Lauren Alain Hovis – a gift from God. We moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1984 from Los Angeles, where I went to work as a graphic designer with Kitchell CEM (from 1985 -1987). From 1987 – 1995 I was an independent contractor, and a registered representative in mortgage finance, financial management, graphic design, and drafting. Further, I attended the University of Phoenix and successfully obtained a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in 1982. I was also a member of the Scottsdale Jaycees, where I became very involved in community events and projects. In 1994, I accepted a cartography position with the Defense Mapping Agency in Reston, Virginia. As such, I relocated from Phoenix to Reston. In 1998, I was accepted and worked as a Visual Information Officer with the Central Intelligence Agency. In 2002, I worked as a Support Officer until my retirement (due to a need for shoulder surgery) in September 2018. Away from my Federal Government service, I have been involved in various organizations and activities in Northern Virginia. In November of 2011, I married Rebecca Ouellette in Santa Monica, California. I reside in San Tan Valley, AZ with my two hamster - Jess and Timothy, our fish, our lizard - RJ Lizard., and our cats - Pearl and Grey. As to hobbies, I enjoy playing sports, attending sporting events, mentoring individuals from financial management to hamsters, building models, photography, travel, multimedia design, managing partner for RJ Hamster, and jazz – smooth jazz to a samba or a bossa nova. Love and God Bless, Peter – aka RJ Hamster Jo hi

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