Iran-Linked Cyber Attack
The war against Iran reached US soil the stealthy modern way: through a cyberattack.
Patrick Howell O’Neill and Ryan Gallagher report that a pro-Iranian digital activist group, Handala, has claimed responsibility for the crippling hack of a Michigan-based company — though neither the company, medical technology maker Stryker Corp., nor any cybersecurity agency has confirmed the perpetrator.
The company said in a regulatory filing that “the timeline for a full restoration is not yet known.”
Stryker, which focuses on orthopedics, surgical tools, neurotechnology and spinal products, counts the Defense Department among its customers. But the group claiming responsibility said the reasons were retaliation for a suspected US bombing of a school and connections to Israel. In 2019, Stryker acquired the Israeli company OrthoSpace. Read More
See Also:
- Trump Touts Oil Supply Moves, Vowing to ‘Finish the Job’ in Iran
- Newsom Aware of Potential for Iran Drone Raid in California
- Iran Escalates Attacks on Dubai and Shipping, Sending Oil Higher
Warrantless Surveillance
The Trump administration is pushing lawmakers to prevent a contentious spy law from expiring, Roxana Tiron and Ken Tran report. And to the frustration of lawmakers who want to make changes, what’s being discussed is only extending the sunset date — a clean extension, in Capitol Hill parlance.
The focus is on Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the law that permits warrantless collection of private messages as part of off-shore spying — even, in certain circumstances, messages from US citizens.
“We’ll definitely get FISA done,” Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.), the House Republican conference chair, told reporters Wednesday.
There are pockets of resistance in both parties to a straight renewal, and bipartisan efforts to add protections. Read More
New Tariff Targets
The administration is diving into the next phase of its trade war, Hadriana Lowenkron and Catherine Lucey report.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said his office is initiating probes into more than a dozen major economies, including China, the European Union, Mexico, India, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.
Investigations under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 typically take months to complete. In this case, they’re beginning as officials prepare for a planned summit in China between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping. The probes also will coincide with the review of the US-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement that Trump signed during his first term.
Also in the pipeline: plans to open a separate investigation related to a ban on imports made with forced labor that cover at least 60 countries. Read More
Refund Time?: As for the tariffs the Supreme Court struck down, government lawyers have a deadline today for telling US Court of International Trade Judge Richard Eaton how Customs and Border Patrol will go about refunding about $165 billion in duties.
Delivering the Receipts
Trump’s trade war gets another report card today when the Bureau of Economic Analysis updates data on the nation’s trade deficit.
The previous report, covering December, showed a $70.3 billion deficit, and a full-year tally of $901.5 billion—one of the largest in data back to 1960.
Economists surveyed by Bloomberg predict that the January trade deficit will be a little smaller. They’ll be looking beyond topline conclusions to see country-by-country changes. As 2026 began, the biggest imbalance was in trade with China, Mexico, and Vietnam.
Campaign ’26
As he approaches 86 years of age, Rep. James Clyburn has been saying for months that he’s been mulling whether to make his 17th term his final one in Congress.
A campaign announcement scheduled for later this morning will make the South Carolina Democrat’s decision official.
Clyburn recently told the Washington Post that he was leaning toward retirement — though not decided — and said when the time comes to pass the torch, he hopes it will be picked up by his daughter, Jennifer Clyburn-Reed.
Here’s the full list, so far, of lawmakers who won’t be returning to the House next year, either because they’re retiring, running for another office, or defeated in a primary.
See Also:
- Trump’s War, Falling Popularity Put GOP Senate Majority at Risk
- Trump Assails War Critic Massie as ‘Disloyal’ in Kentucky Visit
- Ex-DHS Lawyer Who Said ‘Job Sucks’ Launches Run for Congress
Before You Go
Can Congress Still Work? Housing Bill Puts Lawmakers to the Test
Lawmakers spent months carefully negotiating bipartisan housing legislation, but familiar hurdles threaten to derail the effort as it nears the finish line in one chamber.
Rand Paul Draws Line for Mullin’s DHS Hearing: ‘This Is America’
Cassidy Outlines Health Care Affordability Agenda for 2026
Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chair Bill Cassidy has a wide range of health care affordability priorities he wants to pursue in 2026, including addressing drug costs and price transparency.
Left Wing Answer to the Federalist Society Is Trying to Rebuild
There are skeptics who say the American Constitution Society has long been resistant to change and that the legal left is overly fixated on anti-Trumpism. Phil Brest is hopeful the group not only helps elevate strong judicial candidates but also fosters collaboration on legal challenges to the norm-shattering Trump administration.
Surging Air Fares Upend Global Travel as Peak Season Nears
The widening war with Iran that’s roiled global travel is hitting Asia–Europe routes especially hard, sending fares soaring and leaving travelers facing record prices ahead of the Easter rush.
Pam Bondi Role in Brother’s Work Needs Probe, Democrats Tell DOJ
Two Democratic lawmakers are asking the Justice Department’s watchdog to examine whether Attorney General Pam Bondi sufficiently distanced herself from matters involving her lawyer brother, Brad Bondi.
US Judge Calls Long ICE Detentions Absent Hearings ‘Shocking’
A Washington federal judge rebuked the Department of Homeland Security for detaining immigrants for a month or longer without bond hearings, calling the practice “shocking” and a “huge whopping statutory violation.”
Biden-Era Heat Rule Puts Workplace Safety Regulator in a Bind
Making a Biden-era heat protection proposal more business friendly, a major priority for the Trump administration, will trigger legal challenges that could force the nation’s workplace safety regulator to restart rulemaking, attorneys warn.
Lawsuit Challenges USDA Approval of Candy, Soda Food Stamp Bans
A group of low-income individuals reliant on federal food assistance sued the Trump administration Wednesday, alleging new restrictions to which foods they can buy using government benefits violate the law.
To contact the reporter on this story:
To contact the editors responsible for this story: