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West Virginia can ban Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming surgery, US court rules

By Daniel Wiessner
March 10, 2026 6:20 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago

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A person holds a flag as the Capitol is seen in the background during a Transgender Day of Visibility rally on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 31, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary

• Ban on specific surgeries not discriminatory, court says
• Case is part of broader battle over transgender rights
• Ruling follows US Supreme Court upholding Tennessee law

March 10 (Reuters) – A U.S. appeals court on Tuesday upheld West Virginia’s ban on Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming surgeries, the latest victory for Republican-led states seeking ​to curb the procedures amid an ongoing national battle over transgender rights.

In a unanimous ruling, opens new tab, a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. ‌Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Virginia, overturned a judge’s decision that the 2004 statute violated anti-discrimination protections under two federal laws as well as the U.S. Constitution’s promise of equal protection under the law.

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The 4th Circuit panel wrote that the law applies to specific procedures and not to specific individuals, and so it does not unlawfully discriminate ​against transgender people.

Republican President Donald Trump’s administration has joined Republican-led states in seeking to curb gender-affirming treatment and transgender rights more broadly.

More than ​a dozen U.S. states prohibit or limit Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming care. Medicaid is the joint federal-state health insurance ⁠program for low-income people.

The 4th Circuit became the first federal appeals court to uphold such a law, and did so after the U.S. Supreme Court ​last year rejected a challenge to a Tennessee law that bans gender-affirming treatment for minors.

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The full 4th Circuit in 2024 had struck down West Virginia’s law as ​discriminatory, but the Supreme Court last year directed it to reconsider this case and a separate one involving North Carolina, in light of its decision in the Tennessee case.

The three judges on the panel that ruled on Tuesday were appointed by Republican presidents, two by Trump and one by George H.W. Bush. All three had dissented in 2024 ​when the full 4th Circuit in an 8-6 ruling declared West Virginia’s law invalid. They laid out similar reasoning on Tuesday while citing the Supreme Court ​ruling 70 times over 35 pages.

“It is not irrational for a legislature to encourage citizens to appreciate their sex and not become disdainful of their sex by refusing ‌to fund ⁠experimental procedures that may have the opposite effect,” Judge Julius Richardson, a Trump appointee, wrote for the court.

The type of surgeries at issue in the West Virginia law generally alter physical characteristics to align with a person’s gender identity, including chest reconstruction, genital alteration and facial procedures.

West Virginia Attorney General John McCuskey, a Republican, said the state should not be subsidizing “unproven, non-essential medical procedures.”

“Every dollar spent on these unproven procedures takes away funding that could be ​used to treat cancer, heart disease ​and diabetes,” McCuskey said.

Lambda Legal, an ⁠LGBT rights group that represents plaintiff Shauntae Anderson, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

U.S. District Judge Robert Chambers, an appointee of Democratic former President Bill Clinton, had ruled in favor of Anderson in 2022.

The 4th ​Circuit last year sent the case involving a similar North Carolina law back to a lower court for ​further proceedings. At ⁠least seven other states including Florida, Georgia and Arizona have faced lawsuits for banning or limiting insurance coverage for gender-affirming care.

Trump has issued a series of executive orders on transgender rights including a proclamation that there are only two sexes, male and female, and a person’s sex cannot change. Trump also banned transgender people from ⁠the U.S. ​military.

The Trump administration has proposed barring providers from receiving funds under the Medicare and Medicaid ​government insurance programs if they provide gender-affirming treatment to minors, prompting lawsuits that are pending.

The Federal Trade Commission, which enforces consumer protection laws, is investigating medical groups over their support for gender-affirming ​treatments, an action the groups call unlawful retaliation for constitutionally protected speech.

Reporting by Daniel Wiessner in Albany, New York; Editing by Will Dunham and Alexia Garamfalvi

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Measles cases in South Carolina rise by 2 to 993, state health department says

March 10, 2026 5:07 PM UTC / Reuters

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A sign stands outside a South Carolina Department of Public Health Mobile Health Unit in Spartanburg, South Carolina, U.S., February 6, 2026. REUTERS/Jayla Whitfield-Anderson/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

March 10 (Reuters) – Measles cases in South Carolina rose to 993 on ​Tuesday, state health data showed, including two ‌cases since the last update on Friday.

Officials have warned that the widening outbreak could last weeks or months amid lagging ​vaccine uptake.

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• At least 42 people are in quarantine ​after being exposed to the virus, and ⁠another two people are in isolation.
• Of those infected, 927 ​were unvaccinated, 19 were partially vaccinated, 26 were fully ​vaccinated and 21 had unknown vaccination status.
• The outbreak, which began in October, has been centered in the northwest part of ​the state, which includes Greenville and Spartanburg.
• Most cases ​were reported in children in the five-to-17 age group, followed by ‌those ⁠below five years of age.
• Three “disease detectives” from the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control’s Epidemic Intelligence Service are scheduled to arrive in the state this week to ​help analyze data ​collected during ⁠the outbreak, according to state health officials.
• Deployment of CDC staff comes after the ​agency’s new acting director, Jay Bhattacharya, urged Americans ​to ⁠get vaccinated against measles, saying it was the best protection against the disease.
• There were 1,281 confirmed measles cases ⁠reported ​in the United States in ​2026, as of March 5, CDC’s latest data showed.

Reporting by Padmanabhan Ananthan ​in Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore and Alan Barona

US Senate confirms National Security Agency director, ending long vacancy

March 10, 2026 6:29 PM UTC / Reuters

WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) – The U.S. Senate confirmed General Joshua Rudd on Tuesday to lead the National Security Agency and the ​nation’s Cyber Command, filling a position that had been vacant ‌since President Donald Trump abruptly fired his predecessor in a national security purge.

The Senate voted 71-29 to confirm Rudd, making him a four-star general.

Trump nominated Rudd, then ​a lieutenant general and No. 2 at the military’s ​Indo-Pacific Command, for the so-called dual-hat position in December.

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The NSA ⁠monitors, collects and processes information and data for global intelligence ​and counterintelligence purposes. Cyber Command conducts offensive and defensive cyber operations, ​an increasingly important part of military campaigns including the current Iran war.

The agency was shaken up in April, when Trump fired General Timothy Haugh along with Wendy ​Noble, his deputy.

No reason was given for the firings, which took ​place after the Republican president had an Oval Office meeting with Laura Loomer, ‌a ⁠far-right political activist known as a conspiracy theorist, who said on X that she had given Trump a list of officials she considered disloyal to him.

In a statement, Republican U.S. Senator Tom Cotton ​of Arkansas, chairman ​of the Senate ⁠Intelligence Committee, praised the confirmation.

“General Rudd is a war hero with a lifetime of service to ​our nation. He is the right choice to lead ​the ⁠protection of our nation from cyberattacks by Iran, Russia, and China,” said Cotton, who criticized Democrats for not acting more quickly.

Senator Ron Wyden of ⁠Oregon, a ​senior member of the intelligence panel, ​said in a letter to Trump that he did not feel Rudd was qualified and ​blocked efforts to fast-track his confirmation.

Reporting by Patricia Zengerle Editing by Bill Berkrot

Trump ally endorses Paxton over Cornyn as GOP Senate primary heads to high-stakes Texas runoff

Rep Eric Burlison said in a statement that he is ‘proud to wholeheartedly endorse’ Ken Paxton’s Senate campaign

By Alex Nitzberg
Fox News
Published March 10, 2026 2:49pm EDT

Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., is endorsing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton for U.S. Senate.

Paxton is facing off against incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in the Lone Star State’s GOP U.S. Senate primary runoff.

“Ken Paxton is a proven conservative fighter who will be a champion for the people of Texas in Washington,” Burlison, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, said in a statement obtained by Fox News Digital.

CORNYN, PAXTON READY TO GO FOR THE THROAT IN 2ND ACT OF BRUTAL PRIMARY CAMPAIGN

Left: Rep. Eric Burlison, R-Mo., leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference in the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, June 4, 2025; Right: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton campaigns as a Republican candidate for U.S. Senate at an event on Feb. 28, 2026 in Fort Worth, Texas.(Left: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; Right: Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)

“During the Biden Administration, Ken led the national legal charge to stop the Biden Border Crisis and stop the far-left agenda. He’s fought for Texans’ rights against woke corporations and the Austin political establishment. In the Senate, he will continue to be a fearless conservative who will never back down. That’s why I’m proud to wholeheartedly endorse his campaign,” Burlison added.

While Cornyn and Paxton were the top finishers in the primary, no candidate won a majority, so the two men will go head-to-head in a runoff primary election later this year.

President Donald Trump indicated that he plans to endorse one of the two men but has held off on choosing. Trump notably endorsed Burlison for reelection last year, describing him as a “warrior” for the MAGA movement.

PAXTON VOWS HE’S ‘STAYING IN THIS RACE’ EVEN IF TRUMP BACKS CORNYN IN TEXAS GOP CLASH

President Donald Trump takes questions from the media during a bilateral meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office of the White House on March 3, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“The Republican Primary Race for the United States Senate in the Great State of Texas, a State I LOVE and won 3 times in Record Numbers (the HIGHEST vote ever recorded, by far!!!), cannot, for the good of the Party, and our Country, itself, be allowed to go on any longer. IT MUST STOP NOW! We have an easy to beat, Radical Left Opponent, and we have to TOTALLY FOCUS on putting him away, quickly and decisively!” Trump declared in the Truth Social post.

“Both John and Ken ran great races, but not good enough. Now, this one, must be PERFECT! My Endorsements within the Republican Party have been virtually insurmountable! It is such an honor to realize and say that almost everyone I Endorse WINS, and wins by a lot, especially in Texas! I will be making my Endorsement soon, and will be asking the candidate that I don’t Endorse to immediately DROP OUT OF THE RACE! Is that fair? We must win in November!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” the president added in the post.

‘THE RIGHT THING’: PAXTON, CORNYN TRADE BLOWS IN TEXAS PRIMARY BUT UNITE FOR TRUMP’S IRAN STRIKES

Texas state Rep. James Talarico defeated U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett in the Texas Democratic U.S. Senate primary.

Alex Nitzberg is a writer for Fox News Digital.

Delays with SpaceX’s Starship risk NASA moon landing timeline, watchdog says

March 10, 2026 5:01 PM UTC / Reuters

By Joey Roulette

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SpaceX logo is seen in this illustration taken, March 10, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary
• Companies

• NASA watchdog expects more delays in SpaceX’s Starship development
• Starship in-space refueling a major challenge before moon landing
• NASA still studying plans to speed up moon lander development

WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) – SpaceX’s Starship has accumulated ​at least two years of development delays since NASA picked the rocket as an astronaut moon lander ‌in 2021, and is expected to require more time to clear remaining hurdles before landing on the moon, NASA’s inspector general said Tuesday as the agency studies plans to speed up the program.

NASA has been working with an array of companies, most prominently Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin, in ​its multibillion-dollar Artemis program to kickstart routine astronaut missions to the moon, pressed to do so before China sends ​its own crews to the lunar surface by around 2030.

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But mounting delays in SpaceX’s development of ⁠Starship, tapped as the program’s first lander to deliver NASA astronauts to the lunar surface, have gradually pushed back what was ​originally a 2024 target moon landing – though officials at the time treated 2024 with skepticism.

Among the most challenging steps in Starship’s ​path to become an astronaut-rated lunar lander, the inspector general said in its Tuesday report, is the rocket’s requirement to refuel itself in space before journeying the rest of the way to the moon, a risky and delicate process that has never been attempted at such a scale.

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For one ​Starship to land a crew of astronauts on the moon, SpaceX will first need to launch over 11 other Starships into ​Earth’s orbit that will act as refueling tankers. One of those Starships will be a propellant storage depot requiring more than 10 Starships to ‌fill with ⁠enough fuel that will be transferred to the moon-landing Starship.

Taller than a 15-story building, Starship is fueled by roughly 1,200 metric tons of liquid methane and liquid oxygen, two highly explosive propellants that must be kept at cryogenic temperatures, or temperatures below −238 °F (−150 °C).

Docking Starships together and carefully transferring super-cooled propellants at least 10 times in low-Earth orbit, a politically and commercially vital region of space ​with a soaring level of ​satellite traffic, would be among ⁠the riskiest challenges for a company that has routinized orbital rocket landings and astronaut launches to the International Space Station.

NASA officials overseeing SpaceX’s Starship development

Iran regime cited as Trump admin set to designate Sudan’s Muslim Brotherhood a terror group

State Department says Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood received ‘training and other support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’

By Paul Tilsley
Fox News

Published March 10, 2026 1:56pm EDT

JOHANNESBURG: The Trump administration, citing Iran, is taking more action against the Muslim Brotherhood—this time in one of the world’s worst conflicts: the civil war in Sudan.

On Monday, the State Department declared the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood (SMB) to be a “Designated Global Terrorist and intends to designate the group as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, effective March 16, 2026.” The statement also contained a warning to Iran regarding its meddling in the conflict.

“The SMB has contributed upwards of 20,000 fighters to the war in Sudan, many receiving training and other support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps,” the statement noted.

It added, “As the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism, the Iranian regime has financed and directed malign activities globally through its IRGC. The United States will use all available tools to deprive the Iranian regime and Muslim Brotherhood chapters of the resources to engage in or support terrorism.”

TRUMP ADMIN RAMPS UP SUDAN PEACE EFFORT AS CIVIL WAR LEAVES TENS OF THOUSANDS DEAD

Fighters of the Sudan Liberation Movement, a Sudanese rebel group active in Sudan’s Darfur State which supports army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, attend a graduation ceremony in the southeastern Gedaref state on March 28, 2024.(AFP via Getty Images)

In November, the State Department sanctioned the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, declaring it to be a terrorist organization in those countries.

The organization, the State Department noted, is “composed of the Sudanese Islamic Movement and its armed wing – the al-Baraa Bin Malik Brigade (BBMB), (and) uses unrestrained violence against civilians to undermine efforts to resolve the conflict in Sudan and advance its violent Islamist ideology.”

FILE- Members of the Iranian revolutionary guard march during a parade. The IRGC is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the State Department. A large part of its work is to covertly operate outside of Iran.(Reuters)

The statement added that the group’s “fighters have conducted mass executions of civilians in areas they captured, and repeatedly and summarily executed civilians based on race, ethnicity or perceived affiliation with opposition groups.”

Edmund Fitton-Brown, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital that the Muslim Brotherhood’s links within the Sudanese government’s Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) are deep and contribute aggressively in the war against the Rapid Support Forces.

Sudanese army soldiers take part in a military parade in Sudan’s capital Khartoum on Aug. 23, 2025(Ebrahim Hamid AFP via Getty Images)

Fitton-Brown, a former U.K. ambassador to Yemen, added that the Brotherhood has a “strong component” in the Sudanese regular army.

Adding that the Brotherhood in Sudan has historical links with Osama Bin Laden, responsible with al Qaeda for the 9/11 terrorist attack, Fitton-Brown stated that the State Department’s move is significant. “It is the first concrete indication that the November executive order was only the start of a process.”

ANOTHER CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY AT RISK IN AFRICA AS EXTREMISTS AND WAR TAKE THEIR TOLL

Sudanese displaced people gather at the Zam Zam refugee camp outside the town of El-Fashir in the Darfour region of Sudan, during a visit by U.N. officials. The U.N. humanitarian aid and refugee agencies appealed Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, for $4.1 billion in international support for embattled civilians in Sudan amid signs that some may be dying of starvation after nearly a year of war there between the forces of rival generals.(AP Photo/Karel Prinsloo, File)

On the sanctioning of the Brotherhood in several countries in the region, he said, “I expect there will be many more, possibly starting with al-Islah in Yemen.” He said the move “puts Sudan under political pressure because it is effectively associating its government with a terrorist entity.”

The effects of the nearly three-year-long civil war on the people of Sudan are dire. Last month, the Council on Foreign Relations’ global conflict tracker stated the “death toll estimates vary widely, with the former U.S. envoy for Sudan suggesting as many as 400,000 have been killed since the conflict began on April 15, 2023. More than 11 million have been displaced, giving rise to the worst displacement crisis in the world.

On Monday, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho., posted on X, “This is a vital step to curb the Muslim Brotherhood’s influence in the region, especially as hardline Islamists seek to reassert themselves. Now, we must also seriously consider the same FTO designation for the genocidal Rapid Support Forces and their terror campaign in Sudan.”

Fitton-Brown said the State Department’s designation against the Brotherhood in Sudan “is good because it objectively targets a group of people who have brought untold misery to Sudan over decades. It is not a statement of support for the RSF. It is potentially empowering of democratic forces inside Sudan, although it will not be sufficient to change the way Sudan is governed or end the civil war, without much more proactive external involvement in the country.”

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Nicholas Coghlan, a former Canadian diplomat in Khartoum, was not as hopeful, telling Toronto’s Globe and Mail that hardline factions within leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan’s government alliance “will push him now to ignore the U.S. and other potential mediators and go all out,” adding “they have nothing further to lose by holding back.”

Paul Tilsley is a veteran correspondent who has reported from four continents for more than three decades. Based in Johannesburg, South Africa, he can be followed on X @paultilsley.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6385349451112

Team USA’s Oksana Masters wins 11th Paralympic gold medal: “On top of the world right now”

March 10, 2026 / 1:02 PM EDT / CBS/AP

[Oksana Masters’] 11th Paralympic gold medal was “redemption” for the [most decorated] American Winter Paralympian.

And it was clear just how much it meant to her.

Masters screamed loudly several times in delight after winning the women’s sprint sitting discipline in Para cross-country skiing on Tuesday at Milan Cortina in Italy.

She finished second in the event four years ago.

“It was just such a relief and redemption from Beijing. It was the one that got away. I love sprints and I hate sprints because there’s so much stress,” Masters said.

“I struggle with believing in myself and that was a big thing. The team believed in me, so I wanted to show up for my team.”

Oksana Masters of Team USA celebrates after winning gold in the Para cross-country skiing sprint sitting final at the Paralympics, March 10, 2026, in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Marco Mantovani/Getty Images

Masters was 40 meters behind leader Yunji Kim at the start of the final incline but powered up the ascent to overtake her rival as they crested the summit.

“I hate chasing. I would rather be chased, but I do realize that I do well with chasing and reeling people in, one by one, staying smooth and relaxed,” Masters added.

It was a second gold medal at Milan Cortina for Masters, who won the women’s sprint sitting discipline in Para biathlon on Saturday. The 36-year-old was coming off a difficult season that included surgery, a bone infection and a concussion.

“I feel absolutely on top of the world right now, just in complete shock, and so, so happy,” she added.

Oksana Masters of Team USA celebrates during the medal ceremony for the Para cross-country skiing women’s sprint sitting at the Paralympics, March 10, 2026, in Val di Fiemme, Italy. Luke Hales/Getty Images for IPC

Masters now has seven Winter Paralympic gold medals to go along with her four victories at the Summer Paralympics. She has competed in every Paralympics since 2012, earning medals in Para cross-country and Para biathlon in the winter and Para cycling and Para rowing in the summer.

Her total medal haul stands at 21 — 16 in the Winter Games and five in the Summer Games.

Masters was born in Ukraine with birth defects believed to be related to the Chernobyl nuclear accident. She had to go through orphanages at an early age in Ukraine before being adopted.

Gay Masters, a professor at the University of Louisville, adopted her when she was 7 years old and raised her as a single parent, [according to Team USA].

She had her left leg amputated at age 9, and her right leg amputated at age 14.

According to Team USA, Masters won the Laureus World sportsperson of the year with a disability award in 2020 and was the first Para athlete to earn a nomination in the best athlete category for women’s sports at the ESPYs.

McIntosh: Midterms a choice between Trump’s ‘great progress’ and ‘socialists back in’

Published March 10, 2026 3:17pm EDT | Fox News

PALM BEACH, Fla. — As Republicans aim to hold their fragile House and Senate majorities in the 2026 midterm elections, they’ve got an ally in the politically potent and deep-pocketed fiscally conservative group Club for Growth.

Framing the midterms, Club for Growth President David McIntosh emphasized in an exclusive Fox News Digital interview on the sidelines of the group’s annual economic conference “what’s at stake” in the midterms.

“It’s the difference between all the great progress, the jobs, the good economy, turning America around,” that McIntosh said President Donald Trump and Republicans on Capitol Hill have accomplished over the past year, “versus letting the socialists back in, they’ll shut it all down.”

For a quarter-century, the club has been one of the biggest backers of Republican candidates and causes, as it pushes its pro-growth and limited-government conservative agenda.

SENATE REPUBLICAN CAMPAIGN CHIEF REMAINS OPTIMISTIC DESPITE ROUGHER MIDTERM CLIMATE

McIntosh, in a presentation to major donors to the group, highlighted that the club spent more than $160 million in the GOP primaries and general election during the 2024 election cycle, “and won nearly 80%” of its races.

In 2026, the group aims to raise and spend $175 million in the midterms, and says it’s already brought in $65 million from donors.

The club plans to spend $75 million on Senate races, $55 million on House showdowns, $20 million in ballot box battles for governors, and $20 million — mostly already spent — on issue advocacy in support of Trump’s tax cuts, school choice efforts and the push for congressional redistricting.

CASH SURGE: HOUSE GOP SMASHES FUNDRAISING RECORDS AS REPUBLICANS GEAR UP TO DEFEND SLIM MAJORITY

“I think the House is the most vulnerable,” McIntosh said as he pointed to the GOP’s fragile 218–214 majority.

“So we’ve already started raising money for the general. I’ve got a House fund, an ambitious goal of $40 million to help our guys win,” he added as he spotlighted a fund for vulnerable House Republican incumbents.

As the party in power, Republicans are facing traditional political headwinds which usually result in the loss of congressional seats in the midterms. And Democrats are energized, thanks to a slew of ballot box victories and overperformances in off-year and special elections in the 14 months since Trump returned to the White House, as they stay laser focused on affordability amid persistent inflation.

But the GOP also is dealing with a low propensity midterms issue that it didn’t have to worry about before Trump upended the political order: MAGA voters who don’t always go to the polls when Trump’s name isn’t on the ballot.

“We’ve got to get the folks who voted for President Trump,” McIntosh said. “They don’t necessarily come out in the midterms. We have to share with them what’s at stake.”

“We’re going to work with President Trump on that so they know he wants them to vote,” he said. “He wants them to come out. He needs them so he can keep going.”

McIntosh said the Club will highlight that “Republicans have a plan that will help make things more affordable. It will keep cutting taxes. They will see the benefits.”

“But the bigger message is going to be, you can’t let the Democrats back in, because they’ll shut everything down,” he claimed. “It’ll be back to the Biden days, high inflation, higher taxes, fewer jobs. That’s what’s at stake, and our job is to tell the voters, we need you to vote because it makes all the difference.”

The economy, and specifically inflation, was a key issue that boosted Trump and Republicans to sweeping victories in 2024. But affordability boosted Democrats at the ballot box in 2025 and so far in 2026.

STRATEGY SESSION: TRUMP TEAM HUDDLES ON MIDTERM MESSAGING

And with oil and gas prices surging since the start of the U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran a week and a half ago, Republicans face more potential political headaches.

But McIntosh predicted that “by the end of the year, we’re going to be back to a robust economy because the Trump tax cuts are going to kick in. People will keep more of their money. There’s a huge incentive for companies to build factories back here in America again, and that will kick in. People will say, ‘Yeah, I like the direction we’re going. Things are turned around. We can’t let the Democrats ruin that.’”

Most Democrats obviously disagree with the political narrative coming from the club.

And the Democratic National Committee has long criticized the group for its “extreme positions on banning abortion and cutting Social Security and Medicare.”

While the club is ramping up for the general election showdowns, it’s already playing in this year’s GOP primaries.

In the battle for the Senate, the club recently made a major endorsement, backing Rep. Mike Collins of Georgia, who’s involved in an ugly three-way fist fight for the Republican nomination in the race to take on Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff in the southeastern swing state.

“We’re definitely going to be there in Georgia to help Mike Collins win,” McIntosh pledged.

FORMER NAVY SEAL TOPPLED IN REPUBLICAN HOUSE PRIMARY IN TEXAS

The club enjoyed a major victory March 3, as the candidate it was backing, Texas state Rep. Steve Toth, toppled high-profile incumbent U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, a former Navy SEAL officer, in the GOP primary for a Houston-area congressional seat.

But in this case, the club kept quiet its efforts to support Toth, as it put its funding in an aligned startup PAC.

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McIntosh said he “knew if Club for Growth came in guns blazing, then the Washington money would come in to help Crenshaw.”

“We don’t need the glory. We don’t need to take credit for it,” McIntosh said. And pointing to Tosh, he added, “He did the job, but we were able to bring the funds in that let the voters know what their choice was.”

Paul Steinhauser is a politics reporter based in the swing state of New Hampshire. He covers the campaign trail from coast to coast.

How the Iran war has put the small island of Cyprus abruptly on Europe’s security radar

March 10, 2026 / 1:13 PM EDT / CBS News

French President Emmanuel Macron visited the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus on Monday to discuss regional security after a British military base there was targeted in an Iranian drone attack.

France quickly joined other European nations to stress that an attack on Cyprus was an attack on all of Europe. Paris joined several other European capitals to announce that additional warships would be deployed to the Mediterranean, along with anti-drone and anti-missile defenses, to help defend Cyprus.

Cyprus is a small island, roughly the size of Yellowstone Park in the U.S. and with a population of less than 1.5 million. But its location in the far eastern Mediterranean, only about 100 miles from the shores of Lebanon and Syria in the heart of the Middle East, makes it strategically invaluable soil — and explains why the British have maintained two sovereign military bases there, Akrotiri and Dhekelia, for decades.

A map shows the Mediterranean Sea region, with Cyprus visible in the far east of the sea, near the coasts of Lebanon and Syria. Getty

Cyprus has seen itself thrust to the forefront of international security concerns since the U.S. and Israel launched their strikes on Iran on Feb. 28. Most of Iran’s retaliatory ballistic missile and drone launches have targeted Israel and its Persian Gulf neighbors, but a few drones did take aim at the U.K.’s air base in Akrotiri, and one lightly damaged a runway.

The small island is not new to military tension, however.

Since 1974, the island has been split along the so-called “Green Line,” created by the United Nations after a clash between Greek Cypriots — some of whom sought union with Greece after the island gained independence from Britain — and the minority Turkish Cypriots.

The internationally recognized Republic of Cyprus (RoC) roughly forms the south portion of the island. It joined the European Union as a member state in 2004, while the Turkish-controlled north is recognized as an independent entity only by Ankara.

Both sides remain heavily militarized, with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently reinforcing northern Cyprus with additional military assets amid concerns over the regional security situation.

The Type 45 air-defense Destroyer HMS Dragon sets sail from Portsmouth Harbor in England, March 10, 2026, after being deployed to Cyprus to bolster regional air defenses in the Eastern Mediterranean. Leon Neal/Getty

Throughout the island’s internal tumult, the U.K. has retained control of two key sovereign military bases, the one in Akrotiri and another not far away in Dhekelia. The bases have long served as strategic hubs for NATO military operations, and used often by the U.S. military as a close British ally.

U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, under intense public pressure from President Trump after denying the U.S. military use of British bases for the initial offensive against Iran, later granted access to three British bases — Akrotiri in Cyprus, Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and the vital Fairford Air Station in England, where the U.S. has strategic bombers based.

A map shows the U.N. “Green Line” dividing the Republic of Cyprus, in the south of the island, from the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and the sovereign British military territories of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in the south of the Mediterranean island. Getty

But Starmer said that permission was granted for a “specific and limited defensive purpose” only, and that U.K. bases were not being used to facilitate strikes on Iran.

Cyprus’ government has been even more reluctant to get involved in the war. President Nikos Christodoulides has reiterated his commitment to deescalation in the conflict, to safeguard regional stability.

The attacks targeting the U.K. base sparked protests on the island, with some citizens warning that the British presence could increase risks for Cyprus and undermine efforts to push for a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

Another factor fueling tension on the island is the growing relationship between the Republic of Cyprus, Greece and Israel. In December, the leaders of all three nations met in Nicosia to finalize a trilateral cooperation plan for 2026.

The agreement they signed includes military coordination and joint exercises between their respective armed forces, as well as cooperation on broader regional security challenges.

At the time, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned ambiguously that, “those who fantasize they can reestablish their empires and their dominion over our lands should forget it.”

Southern Cyprus has become an increasingly popular vacation destination for Israelis in recent years, with many buying properties on the island. Holiday homes, retirement residences and tourism facilities have been built, creating a community estimated at around 11,000 people, according to the Commonwealth Jewish Council.

Despite Trump push, New York opposes reopening Indian Point nuclear power plant

By Laila Kearney and Timothy Gardner
March 10, 2026 5:16 PM UTC Updated 2 hours ago

The Indian Point Energy Center nuclear power plant, which New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced will shutdown as planned, is pictured along the eastern shore of the Hudson River in Buchanan, New York, U.S., April 30, 2021. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

• Summary
• Companies

• Indian Point nuclear power plant shut in 2021
• Data center power demand is reviving interest in nuclear energy
• New York governor wants new nuclear plants in upstate New York, farther from city

NEW YORK, March 10 (Reuters) – New York Governor Kathy Hochul ​opposes the Trump administration’s campaign to restart a nuclear power plant just north of New York City, her office ‌told Reuters this week, days after the U.S. energy secretary visited the plant to urge its reopening.

U.S. power demand is rising for the first time in decades on the boom in AI data centers and a rush to electrify everything from industry and buildings to transportation. To help meet the demand ​President Donald Trump has set a goal for the U.S. to quadruple nuclear power capacity by 2050.

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“The governor has emphatically ​stated she will not support the reopening of Indian Point and is instead pushing for a significant ⁠expansion of round-the-clock, emission-free advanced nuclear power in upstate New York communities that want it,

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