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Israel and Iran attack gas facilities. And, Cesar Chavez accused of sexual abuse, rape

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Brittney Melton

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A wave of attacks from Iran today has hit the world's largest liquefied natural gas complex in Qatar. Iran also targeted a gas field and facility in the United Arab Emirates and fired missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia. The attacks come after Israel bombed Iran's South Pars gas field yesterday. Energy prices surged immediately, driving oil up to around $110 a barrel, which is about $40 higher than before the conflict began. President Trump said on social media late yesterday that Israel acted independently when it struck the gas field in Iran.

US President Donald Trump walks to the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, as he returns from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware after attending a dignified transfer solemn event on March 18, 2026. Oliver Contreras/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Cesar Chavez, the renowned union leader and advocate for farmworker rights, has been accused of sexually abusing two girls in the 1970s and assaulting Dolores Huerta, his United Farm Workers co-founder, in the 1960s. These revelations emerged from an investigation published by the New York Times. In the report, two women alleged that Chavez began grooming and abusing them during his time as UFW president. One woman said he raped her in a motel room when she was 15 and Chavez was 47. Another woman shared with the Times that she was only 13 when Chavez began groping her in his office at the union's headquarters. Huerta accused Chavez of pressuring her into sex and later raping her. Both encounters led to pregnancies that she concealed. After the children were born, she arranged for other families to raise them.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced yesterday that it is tightening safety rules in busy airspace around major airports. The agency will suspend the use of visual separation between helicopters and planes. Visual separation is a procedure where air traffic controllers warn pilots about nearby aircraft and instruct them to avoid other craft through visual observation. The agency's decision comes more than a year after the collision of a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter with an American Airlines regional jet near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people. The FAA also identified two recent close calls that prompted this policy change.

A Honda dealership is seen on March 12, 2026, in San Marcos, Texas. About 60% of the Honda vehicles sold in the U.S. last year were assembled in the United States, according to Honda, which means they could be eligible for a new tax provision allowing buyers to deduct the interest paid on their auto loans. Brandon Bell/Getty Images hide caption

Taxpayers who purchased a new vehicle in 2025 may qualify for a new deduction this filing season. It comes from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which also removes taxes on tips and overtime for qualifying workers, but eliminates the tax credit for electric vehicle purchases. Here's what you should know:

Adam Gopnik, author and staff writer for The New Yorker, joins pianist Lara Downes to explore the story of American music and its immigrant roots. hide caption

This year marks the 250th anniversary of the United States. Pianist Lara Downes is traveling across the country, capturing conversations about our history through music. Her latest stop is New York City, where she met with Adam Gopnik, a staff writer for The New Yorker who is passionate about American history and music. The two discuss and explore how immigrants have shaped patriotic music. American music has showcased "new perspectives and sounds of everyone who comes here," Downes says. Gopnik emphasizes that as long as the U.S. remains open to new voices, American music will continue to evolve. Listen to how immigrants have shaped American music or read more about their conversation.

2026 Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race champion Jessie Holmes arrives at the 1,000-mile race's finish line in Nome the evening of Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Gabby Hiestand Selgado/KYUK hide caption

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.

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