Democrats and Republicans are preparing for the onslaught of campaign spending, acknowledging that the money could remake key races. What makes the AI industry different is, first, the sheer amount of money, and second, the way that disagreements within the industry are driving the spending. Leading the Future strongly opposes state-based attempts to regulate the AI industry. In total, AI interests have spent $2.2 million on U.S. House primaries in Illinois and about $500,000 on state House races. Send a replyToday, we wrote about the way AI interests are influencing the 2026 midterms.

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›Duke's Malibu, a popular oceanfront restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, will reopen on Friday after a 14-month closure due to mudslide damage following the Palisades fire over a year ago. The newly renovated Duke's Malibu will reopen with a limited menu but plans to gradually increase staffing and operations as customer demand returns. Duke's Malibu is scheduled to reopen this Friday, March 12, 2026. The players Duke's Malibu An iconic oceanfront restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, California, celebrating 30 years in operation this year. Jimmy Chavez The general manager of Duke's Malibu.

Today, nearly 43 million Americans have accrued roughly $1.7 trillion in federal student loans. As a beneficiary of federal student loan funding, institutions have a moral and legal obligation to support the students whose borrowing sustains their operations. To remain eligible for federal student loans, institutions must counsel borrowers on repayment. Those with cohort default rates above 40 percent risk losing access to federal student loans — a threshold more than 1,100 schools are above or approaching. Student loans exist to serve students — not institutions.

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is once again spreading misinformation about the abortion pill mifepristone, and has taken his campaign a step further by introducing legislation to ban it. Advertisement“We are here today to issue a call to action,” Hawley said at a press conference announcing the bill. AdvertisementIt makes sense that anti-abortion advocates have set their sights on the pill: Medication abortion (the combination of mifepristone and another drug, misoprostol) now accounts for at least 63% of all abortion care since the Supreme Court repealed Roe v. Wade. Yet again, Hawley pointed to a junk science report published last year by the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank and advisory board member of Project 2025. Last year, he introduced a law to ban the mailing of abortion pills and pushed the FDA to review the safety of mifepristone, citing the EPPC’s junk science report.

Council president Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who chairs the ad-hoc committee on the LA28 Games, has not included the human rights report on the committee’s agenda. Advertisement“As per our Games Agreement with the City, LA28 completed the Human Rights Strategy at the end of 2025,” said Jacie Prieto Lopez, the group’s vice-president of communications and public affairs, in LA28’s first public statement on the report. FIFA is producing its own report on human rights and human trafficking around this summer’s World Cup, which will feature eight games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. “In each host city, human rights teams are working towards tailored FIFA World Cup Human Rights Action Plans in consultation with local human rights stakeholders and in line with FIFA guidance,” a FIFA spokesperson said in a written statement. A spokesperson for assemblywoman Celeste Rodriguez, who represents the eastern San Fernando Valley, said Rodriguez was “unavailable to talk on this issue.”

Every hint, nudge and outright answer you need to complete today's NYT Strands puzzle. Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you dot your Is and cross your Ts. NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal? Today's NYT Strands spangram is diagonal. NYT Strands spangram answer todayToday's spangram is Dyed in the Wool.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGWASHINGTON (AP) — Since starting a war with Iran caused oil and gasoline prices to spike, President Donald Trump has pivoted from a focus on keeping energy prices low to painting high oil prices as a positive. Trump has said that high gas prices helped him defeat his predecessor, Joe Biden. Benchmark oil prices have swung violently with Trump’s shifting statements and as most tankers avoid traversing the Strait of Hormuz. The coordinated release among countries is unlikely to bring down oil prices, so much as stabilize the market. Advertisement“Such a move will slow rather than stop rising oil prices and offer a temporary salve to the searing burn of rising gasoline prices,” said Joe Brusuelas, chief U.S. economist at the consultancy RSM.

›Researchers have detected the H5N1 bird flu virus in sea otters and sea lions along the San Mateo County coast, after the virus was first discovered in elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park. While the outbreak appears to be contained to the San Mateo area so far, wildlife officials are closely monitoring the situation. Why it mattersThe spread of the H5N1 virus to marine mammals is concerning, as it could have significant impacts on vulnerable populations like the southern sea otter. The detailsAfter the H5N1 virus was first detected in elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Park in late February, researchers have now confirmed cases in a sea otter and several California sea lions. In late February, researchers found the H5N1 virus in 7 dead elephant seal pups at Año Nuevo State Park.

California and 16 Democratic states are suing to challenge a Trump administration policy requiring higher education institutions, including University of California and California State University campuses, to collect data — including student grade-point averages — to prove they don’t illegally consider race in admissions. In that case, justices said colleges may still consider how race has shaped students’ lives if applicants share that information in their admissions essays. UC and UCLA have said they follow California state law, which has banned considering race as a factor in admissions since 1997. “The Department’s efforts will expand an existing transparency tool to show how universities are taking race into consideration in admissions. The universities agreed to give the government data on the race, grade-point average and standardized test scores of applicants, admitted students and enrolled students.

Brown will start Thursday's game against the Suns, Tony East of Forbes.com reports. Brown will draw his first start since Feb. 11 with the Pacers running out a depleted squad Thursday evening. He's struggled to get much going through five games off the bench in March, as he's averaging 7.0 points and 2.8 rebounds in 20.0 minutes per appearance.

Huff will come off the bench for Thursday's game against the Suns, Tony East of Forbes.com reports. Ivica Zubac is making his Pacers debut Thursday evening, which will result in Huff heading to the second unit, where his value figures to take a hit. As a reserve this season, Huff has posted averages of 6.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.0 three-pointers and 1.7 blocks per game.

The chaos kicked off on Frontier flight 2089 from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport as the plane cruised toward the mainland. Instead of apologizing, police say Harper allegedly reached out and began "touching" Baker’s face with her hands. (Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office) ExpandLakisha told Harper to back off her husband and Harper allegedly began "touching" the wife’s face too, police said. Lakisha reportedly struck Harper, and Harper began swinging back. She told police that Harper turned toward her and began "striking her numerous times with a closed fist" directly in the face.

The U.S. housing market is experiencing a significant supply-demand imbalance, with housing starts reaching a one-year high even as existing home inventory remains sluggish and prices face upward pressure. New inflationary pressures from a 15% global tariff and surging energy prices due to the war in Iran are threatening to derail consumer purchasing power and the anticipated 2026 housing recovery. This week, the U.S. housing market has taken center stage with a flurry of data releases and a critical earnings report from homebuilder Lennar. The U.S. Census Bureau’s report on Housing Starts showed new US residential construction improved for the third consecutive month to the fastest pace since February 2025. Housing starts increased 7.2% in January, to an annual pace of 1.49M homes.