The Shutdown Will Continue Until Morale Improves

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for March 30, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

THE LATEST

Donald Trump threatened to “completely obliterate” Iran and hit civilian infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz isn’t reopened immediately. In a Truth Social post, Trump said “great progress had been made” with a “new and more reasonable regime,” but then immediately threatened a wide-ranging “retribution” campaign.

• Meanwhile, the cost of energy continues to rise: The average gas price in the U.S. is $3.99 a gallon, according to AAA, up about a dollar from before the war.

THE HILL

DHS is still shut down and no one is in a rush to open it. The Senate met today for a brief pro forma session, and Republicans didn’t bring up the House’s 60-day stopgap spending bill or any other measure to fund the agency, NOTUS’ Al Weaver reports. (Any attempt would have been blocked, as Democratic Sen. Chris Coons was present for the brief chamber meeting).

Sen. John Hoeven, the Republican who presided over the session, said Republicans didn’t bring it up because negotiations are ongoing, despite the two-week recess ahead.

• It’s hard to see where negotiations might go. Hoeven told reporters that the GOP is seeking to fund DHS for three years in a potential budget reconciliation bill, which can be approved by a simple majority. “We’re not going through this with the Dems, OK?” he said. “We’re working on reconciliation now. We’re taking this off the table. That’s enough of this with the Democrats.”

Most TSA agents got paid today after weeks of chaos stemming from the shutdown, and the worst bottlenecks at major airports like Baltimore and Houston have eased significantly, The Associated Press reports.

THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL

Mark Sanford filed to run for his old seat, South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, The Post and Courier reports. He’s entering the crowded primary to replace Rep. Nancy Mace (who’s running for governor), but has high name ID due to his, erm, storied career in South Carolina politics.

Winning could be a tough trail to hike: Besides the personal baggage, Trump is really not a fan — Sanford lost in a primary to a Trump-backed challenger in 2018.

THE ARMY

An Apache helicopter flew by the Tennessee home of Kid Rock and near No Kings rallies in the state, The Washington Post reports, an incident the Army is now investigating.

• The musician posted a video Saturday of himself saluting and clapping for the helicopter as it flew just off his pool. Publicly available flight-tracking data shows the helicopter spending three minutes circling the home at least four times.

• “Army aviators must adhere to strict safety standards, professionalism, and established flight regulations,” an Army spokesperson told the Post. “An administrative review is underway to assess the mission and verify compliance with regulations and airspace requirements. Appropriate action will be taken if any violations are found.”

THE MAGIC OF DISNEY

It’s a small world, after all.