The selection of Bill Maher as this year’s Mark Twain Award recipient at the Trump Kennedy Center signals that art transcends partisan politics.
The Center confirmed on Thursday that Maher, a well-known actor, comedian, TV host, and political commentator, would be honored with the 27th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. A ceremony is scheduled for June 28 and will stream exclusively on Netflix at a later date.
The Mark Twain Award recognizes the &#8220;world’s greatest humorists&#8221; who have had an impact on American society, just like Twain did. 
“For nearly three decades, the Mark Twain Prize has celebrated some of the greatest minds in comedy,” Roma Daravi, Vice President of Public Relations for the Trump Kennedy Center, said in a statement. “For even longer, Bill has been influencing American discourse – one politically incorrect joke at a time.”
Maher is best known for hosting “Politically Incorrect” from 1993 until 2002, followed by “Real Time” on HBO for more than two decades. The comedian received 41 Emmy nominations, winning once for “VICE” in 2014. He also received nominations for two Grammy Awards and a Tony Award.
The podcast host is considered to be classically liberal, meaning he calls out his party for drifting too far into radical territory. Maher made waves last year for having dinner with Trump, saying at the time that he kept an open mind and was pleasantly surprised.
Maher has been critical of trans ideology, open borders, and leftists generally living in a “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-maher-bursts-patton-oswalts-bluesky-bubble-with-a-dose-of-reality">Bluesky bubble</a>.” He’s not fully red-pilled, however, and still fervently supports the legalization of marijuana. Maher also professes to be an atheist and had a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bill-maher-says-his-morality-isnt-bible-based-ben-shapiro-sets-him-straight">lengthy debate</a> with Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro on religion and morality last year.  
The comedian said the Mark Twain award was an honor.
“Thank you to the Mark Twain people: I just had the award explained to me, and apparently it’s like an Emmy, except I win,” Maher said in response to the news, per the <a href="https://www.kennedy-center.org/news-room/press-release-landing-page/bill-maher-27-mark-twain-prize/">press release</a>. “I’d just like to say that it is indeed humbling to get anything named for a man who’s been thrown out of as many school libraries as Mark Twain.”
Previous recipients of the Mark Twain Prize are: Richard Pryor (1998), Jonathan Winters (1999), Carl Reiner (2000), Whoopi Goldberg (2001), Bob Newhart (2002), Lily Tomlin (2003), Lorne Michaels (2004), Steve Martin (2005), Neil Simon (2006), Billy Crystal (2007), George Carlin (2008), Bill Cosby (2009; rescinded in 2018), Tina Fey (2010), Will Ferrell (2011), Ellen DeGeneres (2012), Carol Burnett (2013), Jay Leno (2014), Eddie Murphy (2015), Bill Murray (2016), David Letterman (2017), Julia Louis-Dreyfus (2018), Dave Chappelle (2019), Jon Stewart (2022), Adam Sandler (2023), Kevin Hart (2024), and Conan O’Brien (2025).

Bill Maher

Decades Of Offending Everyone Just Earned Bill Maher Comedy’s Highest Honor

Comedian Who Offends Everyone Earns High Honor at Trump Kennedy Center

Celebrities

Donald Trump

Entertainment

Kennedy Center

Washington D.C.

A manhunt continues for the gunmen who “ambushed” a pair of U.S. Park Police officers on Monday night, sending one to the hospital with a gunshot wound. 
The officers were traveling in an unmarked Tesla in southeast Washington, D.C., when someone opened fire into their vehicle, law enforcement said during a press briefing. The officers were conducting an ongoing investigation in the area, and officials believe the shooting was targeted. 
The injured officer was airlifted to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and released early Tuesday morning. 
“We can confirm that our officer who was shot last night was released from the hospital earlier this morning,” Park Police <a href="https://x.com/usparkpolicepio/status/2036415630190997755">said</a>. “Thank you for the thoughts and prayers!”
Park Police Chief Scott Brecht said that the officers “were ambushed by at least two gunmen” at 7:30 p.m. on Monday. The officer driving the vehicle was struck but managed to drive up the road, where he pulled over and was administered first aid. 
“We are seeking two suspects, two black males, one was wearing a white hoodie with blue jeans, the other was wearing all black, with [a] white stripe down the sleeve and down the pant leg,” Brecht <a href="https://x.com/usparkpolicepio">said</a>. 
Brecht did not specify what kind of law enforcement operation the officers were conducting. 
“This is an example of unnecessary gun violence in our city. There’s no reason that anybody, a police officer, not a police officer, should be shot just for being out here driving through the neighborhood,”  said interim D.C. Police Chief Jeffery Carroll.
Attorney General Pam Bondi was briefed on the shooting, and the FBI is assisting in the search for the suspects. 
“Praying for the Park Police officer shot in Washington, D.C. The FBI is actively supporting the investigation alongside our law enforcement partners and will bring those responsible to justice,” FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/2036244929668591826">said</a> Monday. “We will provide updates as we are able &#8211; please keep the officer and their family in your prayers.”
Park Police comes under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service and has field offices in D.C., San Francisco, and New York City.

US-POLITICS-INAUGURATION-TRUMP

Trump Admin Responds After Cops Ambushed In D.C.

Crime

Police

In what proved to be the kind of small divine intervention that gives one comfort the man upstairs is, indeed, looking out for them, I groggily awoke around 8:00 a.m. Sunday despite setting my alarm for 10:00 just a few hours before.
Southwest Airlines flight 1553 was scheduled to depart from New Orleans to D.C. at 12:35 p.m. This was the fourth time I was flying in six days, and I hadn&#8217;t had any TSA troubles yet. I planned to get to the airport a little earlier than usual, but nothing too crazy.
Before going back to sleep, I checked the bachelor party group chat, and everything changed. Our forward scout Will, who had booked a 5:50 a.m. flight home like an absolute psychopath, sent us photos from the TSA line around 4:00 a.m. Miles long. I quickly opened the Everything App (X) and searched &#8220;MSY&#8221;. Horror stories were quickly flooding in. I realized I had overlooked a key factor: spring break travelers.
Having been out on Bourbon Street until roughly 3:30 a.m. with the groom-to-be, my wits weren&#8217;t fully about me. I busted open the two tactical Excedrin Extra Strength packets I had stowed in my backpack for this very moment, swigged down the last bit of bottled drinking water I had, freshened up in the bathroom, and called my Uber.
I hurried downstairs and spotted one of my compatriots passed out face down on a couch. His flight was at noon. It was approaching 0845 CDT. It was over for him, so I left him behind — it&#8217;s what he would&#8217;ve wanted.
My Uber arrived and the real challenges began to stack up. My driver, pronouns stated in his Uber bio, was not aware there was a government shutdown affecting airport activity until I mentioned it.
&#8220;Are you f*cking sh*tting me? Again?&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/Dylan_Housman/status/2035717566815977677">he screamed</a>, immediately growing belligerent just moments after jovially asking me if we had gone to any &#8220;t*tty bars&#8221; (we did not).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
In Uber to the airport. I broke the news to my driver that there is a DHS shutdown. He immediately started yelling about Trump, &#8220;we gotta yank this guy out of office man, he&#8217;s fucking up our country!&#8221;
The best argument against democracy is a conversation with the average voter
— Dylan Housman (@Dylan_Housman) <a href="https://twitter.com/Dylan_Housman/status/2035717566815977677?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I explained to him it was just for DHS, which of course included TSA. &#8220;We gotta get this guy outta here man, he&#8217;s f*cking up our country!&#8221; he bellowed about President Trump. I didn&#8217;t have it in me to correct him. His blue delusion wouldn&#8217;t go far in deep red Louisiana anyway, and I was fighting for my life in the back seat of his Subaru.
We arrived at the airport. Southwest flight 1553 departed in three hours and 35 minutes. I entered the front door of the terminal and spotted the proverbial huddled masses, snaking in line after line around the floor. I glanced up to the second level, where the lines continued. I asked an employee where the line began, and she pointed me to the parking garage.
<div id="attachment_1064507" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1064507" class="wp-image-1064507 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016262-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016262-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016262-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016262-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016262-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016262-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016262-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" />Lines in the parking garage for TSA at the New Orleans airport. (Dylan Housman)</div>
I walked out to the garage and assumed my spot in the labyrinth. It snaked around floor P1 at least 4 times before making its way inside. I had received a heads-up about the garage situation from the groom, David, who had arrived a couple of hours prior for his 10:00 a.m. flight. He said he was still outside.
Despair and chaos have fully gripped the crowd. &#8220;My flight is boarding now,&#8221; I heard one man say to an airport employee nearby. &#8220;He&#8217;s a goner,&#8221; I turned around and said to the two men behind me. It turned out they would be in due course as well.
&#8220;Ground exfil is proceeding well,&#8221; read a text in the group chat from Hayden, who was making the eight-hour drive back to Nashville. Lucky bastard. There was no sign of the copious amounts of Ole Miss fraternity brothers and their dates we had met the night before, either. A six-hour drive back to Oxford sounded nice right about now.
One hour into the snake. Southwest flight 1553 departed in two hours and 10 minutes. I assume at this point I am thoroughly cooked and begin looking at alternative flight options.
Direct to DCA, Baltimore, or Dulles? Nothing.
One-stop connections? Nothing.
Flights from Baton Rouge, Mobile, or Lafayette? Nothing.
The reality of potentially spending my Sunday night at the New Orleans airport Hilton begins to set in.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve just got to make it through to the gates,&#8221; I say to myself. &#8220;So many people are gonna be missing flights, I&#8217;ll be able to get on something else on standby.&#8221;
Then David throws me yet another curveball. &#8220;They&#8217;re not letting anyone in who has missed their flight already,&#8221; he texted me. &#8220;I had to book a standby seat on a full flight just for TSA to let me through.&#8221;
There were no other flights for me to book, not even for standby. I hurriedly searched for the cheapest flight departing MSY that day in the evening, just so I would have a boarding pass to show the TSA legionnaire manning the scanner. $130 for a Frontier flight to LAX at 7:00 p.m., connecting via Midway, it was.
<div id="attachment_1064513" style="width: 442px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1064513" class="wp-image-1064513 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016265-432x576.jpg" alt="" width="432" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016265-432x576.jpg 432w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016265-225x300.jpg 225w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016265-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016265-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016265-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/1000016265-scaled.jpg 1920w" sizes=" (max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" />(Dylan Housman)</div>
Southwest flight 1553 departed in one hour and 20 minutes. I&#8217;ve reached the threshold of the airport terminal. A crying child snakes past me in the other direction with her family. Defeated passengers, left for dead, sit on the floor of the Hudson News shop inside. We get to the bottom of the escalator to head up to the *actual* TSA line, where I&#8217;m promptly cut off by a dreadlocked man with three small children. I decide not to call the police, for the sake of the children.
I can see the scanners. Maybe I actually will make it. The line is moving quickly.
&#8220;I need to see your boarding pass,&#8221; the TSA agent says. I show him. Southwest flight 1553, which is leaving in 40 minutes. I&#8217;m through. Bags in the bin. Water bottle poured out. Portable charger through the machine. On the other side, I emerge as my flight begins boarding.
I make it onto the flight as one of the last to board. Total time spent in the TSA line ended up at about two hours and 45 minutes. I spent the taxi time writing a letter to my senators, pleading for mercy to never experience this hell again.

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Drugs, Sweat, And Tears: My Fight Through Spring Break TSA Lines During The Democrat DHS Shutdown

Air Travel

Airports

New Orleans

Transportation

WASHINGTON—Polymarket’s “Situation Room” felt tailor-made for this town.
A pop-up bar where political operatives, journalists, and insiders could gather beneath glowing screens tracking real-time odds on elections, global events, and breaking news. It&#8217;s likely that whichever of the prediction market&#8217;s employees came up with the idea was inspired by a February 28 post on X, which outlined precisely this idea.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Idea: a bar called The Situation Room. Like a sports bar but for politics. Cable news and live feeds on the screens instead of football. Atlases and copies of Jane’s Defence Weekly on every table. Multiple sets of Risk and Diplomacy behind the bar.
— Henry Shevlin (@dioscuri) <a href="https://twitter.com/dioscuri/status/2027783152790606062?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">February 28, 2026</a></blockquote>
As of this writing, that post had 1.6 million views. Polymarket&#8217;s March 18 post announcing the bar opening has 37 million.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
We&#8217;re excited to announce &#8216;The Situation Room&#8217; by Polymarket is coming to Washington, D.C.
The world&#8217;s first bar dedicated to monitoring the situation. 🧵 <a href="https://t.co/UbdHUT5u2k" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/UbdHUT5u2k</a>
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) <a href="https://twitter.com/Polymarket/status/2034272538465841410?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">March 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
The concept was simple: bring the logic of prediction markets into a physical space. Surround patrons with screens, data, and live odds. Let them literally “monitor the situation,” maybe watch some March Madness — and, of course, use Polymarket to bet on everything they saw.
It was a perfect pitch for a city of power brokers and data nerds. And so, on Friday night, Hill staffers, media types, lobbyists, and the chronically online gathered in the rain outside of Proper 21-K, a stalwart watering hole that would, for the night, become The Situation Room. What could possibly go wrong?
As it turns out: everything.
When doors finally opened after several delays, guests entered a dimly lit space wrapped in blackout curtains, lit primarily by a glowing LED sphere in the center of the room dubbed “The Globe.” It looped imagery of Earth, Polymarket branding, and even a digital Magic 8 Ball message: “The future belongs to those who can see it.”
Ironically, no one could see much of anything. Thanks to &#8220;electrical issues,&#8221; the monitors remained off all night. One frustrated attendee loudly joked, &#8220;I can&#8217;t monitor like this!&#8221;
Fortunately, Polymarket had the good sense to hire a live band, which swung out tunes like &#8220;Just the Two of Us&#8221; by Bill Withers and Grover Washington Jr. and &#8220;Chameleon&#8221; by Herbie Hancock. But even with a good band, the much-hyped “Situation Room” was left without its core feature: information. The bassist told The Daily Wire he got the gig on Wednesday and was curious to see what the bar would be like. He never got the chance.
&#8220;This was weird,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I saw the TVs off and I wondered how much I had to drink before this!”
With nothing better to do, conversations drifted toward the rise of prediction markets, the ethics of betting on real-world events, and whether platforms like Polymarket represent the future of news consumption or simply a new form of gambling.
While prediction markets have gained traction as tools for forecasting everything from elections to economic trends, Polymarket has still struggled to gain a foothold in the United States. Its main competitor, Kalshi, is accessible to American users and fully regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which under President Donald Trump has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-assembles-financial-dream-team-in-high-stakes-america-first-move" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warmed</a> to predictive markets.
Unable to build a solid user base, Polymarket has resorted to stunts like The Situation Room, or <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/strapped-new-yorkers-swarm-chaotic-mamdani-inspired-free-grocery-store-pop-up-were-in-pain" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Polymarket</a>, a free grocery store pop-up in New York City.
If Polymarket&#8217;s goal was simply to garner attention, the night was a success. Instead of bar patrons monitoring the situation, one attendee joked, the entire internet was monitoring The Situation Room. The virality of the gaffe was perhaps more than the organizers could have hoped for on a smooth night.
And a smooth night it wasn&#8217;t. Security began ushering still-confused guests out around 9:00 p.m., well before the bar&#8217;s planned 11:00 p.m. last call.
“They’re getting tired of this, I guess,&#8221; one security guard told The Daily Wire while dispersing the crowd.
Asked whether the screens would be working the next day, he shrugged.
“Man, I hope so,” he said. “Otherwise it’ll be a long weekend.”

IMG_1822

‘I Can’t Monitor Like This!’ Inside Polymarket’s Disastrous DC Bar Opening

gambling

March Madness

Prediction

Restaurant

I do not personally know Joe Kent, the former director of the National Counterterrorism Center, so I cannot speak to his character or private motives. But as someone who has publicly claimed friendship with Director of National Intelligence (DNI) Tulsi Gabbard, I find it hard to see how detonating an <a href="https://x.com/C__Herridge/status/2034050521359634577?s=20">atomic bomb</a> on the eve of her testimony before Congress served anyone other than himself.
I sat next to Kent during Gabbard’s confirmation hearing before Congress last year as she showed the United States, our allies, and our adversaries exactly why she was capable of leading the greatest intelligence operation in the world. She handled herself with dignity and with the kind of steady resolve shown by someone who deeply desired to serve her country.
Kent, seated just behind her, wore a Hawaiian lei in a visible show of support for her leadership, her loyalty, and her judgment. That’s why his choice to resign publicly, and to communicate his dissent the way he did, raises an obvious question: where was that support for his friend when it mattered most?
Director Gabbard, for her part, got it exactly right. She has consistently pushed for exhausting diplomacy, but she also made clear that <a href="https://x.com/DNIGabbard/status/2033989780116033948?s=20">the president</a> is the one who decides what qualifies as a viable threat. That is how this works. A political appointee provides an assessment; the commander in chief makes the call. The Trump administration made its call based on the threat Iran posed to Americans and to our way of life.
And that is part of what makes Washington so maddening. This city is full of people who talk endlessly about loyalty, friendship, and principle, then abandon all three the moment public positioning becomes more useful. D.C. has earned its reputation as a town crowded with failed theater kids who routinely avoid demonstrating integrity or loyalty.
Again, I won’t pretend to know Mr. Kent’s intentions in releasing his letter, but his assessment contradicts both his own past <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1214960125200330752?s=20">statements</a> and the views of experts who have spent their lives studying the Middle East. People are free to change their minds, but that usually comes through deeper learning and self-correction. This does not seem to be that. I was not in the room for the threat discussions he now struggles to identify, though he seems to have no trouble tweeting about them, but I have studied Iran closely. And while I do not speak Farsi, I am confident “death to America” is not a warm salutation.
Isolationists fail to grasp a basic reality: this is not utopia. Our enemies, animated by a deep-seated hatred for everything America stands for, cannot be escorted hand-in-hand to peace and partnership. Meeting a threat on their doorstep is not a distraction from protecting the homeland — it is how you keep that threat from reaching ours.
The idea of shuttering our borders completely, allowing no one in or out, is both absurd and self-defeating. The world does not work that way. Plus, I would still like to plan my dream vacation to the South of France, for one thing, and for another, America would not have the power it now has to defend itself if it embraced that kind of isolation.
We are now 18 days into a military operation targeting a threat that has been at our doorstep for far too long. All Americans should support our warfighters and those standing with us against a regime that has terrorized the United States, our allies, our values, and its own people. We also have a duty to ask what our tax dollars are funding and why; questioning is good, because you learn things when you do.
Mr. Kent has every right, as a private citizen and taxpayer, to question and disagree with a military action. But the purpose of questioning is to educate, not to diminish American agency. The reflexive habit of crediting Israel, a nation the size of New Jersey, for every major policy decision made by the president of the United States undermines America’s military strength, economic power, and the very intelligence capabilities Mr. Kent supported. Sometimes the simplest explanation is the best: it had to be done.
To be clear, Iran’s leadership is the world’s number one sponsor of terrorism, a regime directly responsible for the loss of thousands of American lives. A regime that regularly murders its own people en masse and shuts down the internet for its 90 million citizens, cutting them off from telling the rest of the world the truth. A regime that bombs its own neighbors in the Middle East, just because it can. This is the same regime that sent representatives to the illegal, non-democratic swearing-in ceremony of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. A regime that aligns closely with China and Russia in order to enforce authoritarian rule throughout the world and displace American influence. Failing to recognize the imminent threat Iran poses to Americans is either a severe misunderstanding of the danger or an intentional deflection.
Joe Kent’s public <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/2033897242986209689?s=20">resignation letter</a> places him on a growing list of people whose judgment I have found deeply disappointing. Why? It is disappointing for several reasons. It is disappointing because Kent once spoke <a href="https://x.com/mtracey/status/2033955443010080897?s=20">clearly</a> about the <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1840425323743395853?s=20">threat Iran</a> poses to the <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/1838963575320412395?s=20">United States</a>, only to now cloud that reality. It is disappointing because, until yesterday, he occupied a high-consequence role charged with protecting the homeland from major threats, which makes his sudden uncertainty confusing. And it is disappointing because, at this moment, during an ongoing conflict, his public dissent undermines America’s national security posture and, in turn, the safety of the warfighters carrying out the mission.
* * *
Taylor Hathorn is a foreign policy and national security analyst specializing in U.S. defense strategy, Iran and China policy, cybersecurity, and geopolitical risk. She serves as a National Security Fellow with the Independent Women’s Center for American Safety and Security and an Iran Policy Fellow with The Hamilton Society/Public Interest Fellowship. As a Gold Star sister, she is committed to policies supporting veterans and military families and frequently speaks on national security issues affecting service members and their families. She has appeared on NEWSMAX and PBS, and her writing can be found in The Hill, RealClearDefense, RealClearWorld, Townhall, and Evie Magazine. Follow her on X @taylorhathorn.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

House Homeland Security Committee Hearing On Worldwide Threats

Joe Kent Built His Reputation On Iran Warnings — What Changed?

Director of National Intelligence

Iran

Joe Kent

Middle East

National Security

Opinion

Tulsi Gabbard

Update, March 14: The ground stop has been lifted at the affected airports, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy <a href="https://x.com/SecDuffy/status/2032619927387914503">said</a>. Firefighters traced the smell to an overheated circuit breaker, and determined that there was no threat to workers.
WASHINGTON—Planes have been grounded at all three Washington, D.C.-area airports after a strong chemical smell forced workers to evacuate the region’s air traffic control center.
Flights were abruptly grounded at Reagan National, Dulles, and Baltimore-Washington International Airports late Friday, and inbound flights were diverted, causing major delays at one of the nation’s largest air travel hubs. It is unclear what caused the smell, or how long the airports will remain locked down. Flights were also grounded at Richmond International Airport.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨BREAKING🚨 GROUND STOP CURRENTLY AT THE FOLLOWING AIRPORTS:
⚠️ Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) 
⚠️ Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) 
⚠️ Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI)⁰⚠️ Richmond International Airport (RIC)<a href="https://twitter.com/FAANews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FAANews</a> is working to…
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecDuffy/status/2032582233920307569?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
The FAA said the smell caused employees at the Potomac Consolidated Terminal RADAR Approach ​Control (TRACON) in Warrenton, Virginia, to evacuate the building, causing the delays. The agency is relocating controllers to a nearby facility, where they may begin diverting incoming flights due to congestion, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/flights-halted-dc-airports-after-chemical-smell-2026-03-13/">reported</a>.
&#8220;The FAA has temporarily stopped traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) because of a strong chemical smell at the Potomac TRACON that is impacting some air traffic controllers,&#8221; the agency said in a statement.
The D.C.-area airports will likely continue to experience delays even after operations resume.
Friday&#8217;s shutdown is the latest incident to put stress on the nation&#8217;s airports. Over 300 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mounting-frustration-as-senate-dems-dig-in-on-dhs-shutdown?author=Cameron+Arcand&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Hundreds+Of+TSA+Workers+Quit+As+Dems+Dig+In+On+Shutdown">TSA agents have quit</a> amid the ongoing partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which directly affects their pay. Even more are expected to begin calling out of work beginning Friday, the first day agents missed a paycheck since the shutdown began.
“Democrats, regrettably, have chosen to punish the American people with long TSA lines and withholding paychecks from workers who help protect our country,” the White House told The Daily Wire Friday afternoon, adding that the Trump administration remains “interested in continuing conversations with Democrats about ways to end this shutdown.”
This is a developing story, please refresh this page for more updates

Airport

Chemical Smell Suddenly Grounds Flights At Several Major Airports

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Sean Duffy

Virginia

The nation&#8217;s capital will celebrate fast cars and freedom this summer as IndyCar hosts the first-ever street race on the National Mall as part of America&#8217;s 250th anniversary celebrations.
The <a href="https://www.freedom250gp.com/">Freedom 250 Grand Prix</a> will host the best NTT INDYCAR drivers who will take on the 1.7-mile-long course that cuts through the nation&#8217;s historic landmarks in Washington, D.C.
The INDYCAR race celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and was made possible through an Executive Order signed earlier this year by President Donald Trump entitled &#8220;Celebrating American Greatness with American Motor Racing.&#8221;
The race course features a .4-mile front stretch along Pennsylvania Avenue, where INDYCAR fans can see the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol. Pit row will run adjacent to the track, on Pennsylvania Avenue. Other landmarks along the race course include the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the National Gallery of Art, and the National Archives. INDYCAR officials describe the course as &#8220;challenging&#8221; and &#8220;picturesque.&#8221;
&#8220;This circuit is unlike any other street race we’ve seen,&#8221; said two‑time NTT INDYCAR SERIES champion and back‑to‑back Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden.
The Nashville native toured the circuit Monday morning in Washington, D.C.
<div id="attachment_1056063" style="width: 1010px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1056063" class="size-full wp-image-1056063" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/indycar-map.jpg" alt="" width="1000" height="563" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/indycar-map.jpg 1000w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/indycar-map-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/03/indycar-map-768x432.jpg 768w" sizes=" (max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px" />Credit: INDYCAR</div>
&#8220;You’ve got a high‑speed section down Pennsylvania Avenue that will reward commitment and precision, mixed with technical corners around 9th Street that will demand respect,&#8221; Newgarden said. &#8220;Racing through the heart of American history, with those amazing landmarks lining the course, is going to be incredibly powerful. I can’t wait to be back here to race and celebrate America’s birthday at the Freedom 250 Grand Prix.&#8221;
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Fox Sports CEO Eric Shanks were alongside Newgarden and other race organizers Monday to kick off the countdown to race day.
&#8220;Freedom doesn’t ring, it revs! The Freedom 250 Grand Prix will showcase American ingenuity in engineering and technology along the backdrop of our historic capital in a spectacle that will leave the world in awe,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “President Trump and our partners at INDYCAR are preparing a historic celebration worthy of America’s 250th anniversary. The design of this unique and competitive track will deliver an exhilarating and safe experience for millions of Americans to enjoy and celebrate.&#8221;
Race course construction for the Freedom 250 Grand Prix circuit starts later this year, with the roads near the U.S. Capitol and around the National Mall expected to remain open and accessible throughout the majority of the course creation.
This race will take place after another historical sporting event planned in Washington, D.C., as part of the year-long America 250 celebrations. The Freedom 250 Grand Prix will take place in August, following the UFC Freedom 250 scheduled for June 14, live from The White House lawn.
It&#8217;s a summer full of firsts. Unlike the UFC fight, the INDYCAR race is free and open to the public.
The engines will rev throughout Washington D.C., August 22-23.

Illustration by Daily Wire staff

Fast Cars And Freedom Will Take Over The Nation’s Capital For America’s 250th Anniversary

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As schools and libraries nationwide kick off events for the beginning of National Reading Month, Second Lady Usha Vance joined in the celebration by reading to young patients at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C.
Vance held the event for patients ages 3 to 12 on Monday, March 2, per a press release from her office. The second lady selected “The Sneetches and Other Stories” by Dr. Seuss, which she mentioned was one of her favorite books to read with her own children. It was also the perfect choice for Monday, which happened to be Dr. Seuss’ birthday.
 “Childhood literacy is something that’s very important to me, both as a parent and as someone who grew up reading avidly,” Vance said. “In particular, when children are spending a lot of time in the hospital it’s important that they have access to books, both as entertainment and to ensure they develop the essential literacy skills they will need for the rest of their lives. It’s an honor to spend time with these children and to encourage them to keep reading after they complete their stay here at the hospital.”
The second lady further delighted the young patients by handing out puzzles, stuffed animals, and books after the event. She told the audience that she hosted the event because she loved reading as a child and hoped to encourage children to keep reading voraciously.
“The visit from Second Lady Usha Vance during National Reading Month beautifully reinforces the importance of reading and storytelling in a child’s development and healing journey,” said Elizabeth Wells, MD, MHS, executive vice president, chief clinical officer, and physician-in-chief at Children’s National, noting that the patients could enormously benefit from getting lost in the pages of books. 
“Books can provide comfort, connection and a sense of normalcy for children in the hospital. We are sincerely thankful for her time, her compassion and her commitment to supporting kids and families.”
Earlier this year, the Vance family <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/most-pro-family-administration-vances-announce-they-are-expecting-their-fourth-baby-in-july">announced</a> the happy news that they were expecting their fourth child together. The vice president, 41, and his wife, 40, have been married since 2014. 
With the birth of their new son expected in July, the couple will have joined a small club of presidents and vice presidents to have had a child while in office.

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Usha Vance Visits Children At Hospital For National Reading Month

Second Lady Usha Vance Reads To Children's Hospital Patients For National Reading Month

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President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani will have their second in-person meeting Thursday afternoon in Washington, D.C.
Both the president and the mayor kept the Oval Office encounter under wraps until Thursday afternoon—though The New York Times reports that people familiar with the matter said the two would discuss strategies to increase housing supply in New York City, an issue that has become a defining challenge for Mamdani’s administration.
It remains unclear whether a formal agenda has been finalized.
Mamdani and several of his top advisers reportedly traveled to Washington on Thursday morning. Unlike his previous visit to the White House in November, this trip was not publicly announced in advance.
The mayor posted a selfie from his flight to Washington in November, drawing attention to the high-profile meeting. Media outlets were aware of the November meeting days in advance, but as with Thursday’s meeting, few details about the agenda were released beforehand. When Mamdani landed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in November, he was swarmed by the press before departing for the White House.
Their first meeting surprised political observers from both parties. Despite significant policy differences, Trump and Mamdani appeared cordial, even allowing portions of the session to be open to the press. The two exchanged light-hearted remarks, with a memorable moment occurring when Mamdani was asked by a reporter if he still thought President Trump was a fascist. Trump responded: “Just say yes; it’s easier than explaining.”
On Tuesday, Trump brought up Mamdani during his State of the Union address, noting he was a “nice guy,” while adding that he disagrees with what he called the mayor’s “bad policy.”
The timing of Thursday’s closed-door meeting underscores the growing urgency of housing affordability in New York. Last week, Mamdani proposed raising property taxes by 9.5% to balance the city’s budget. The mayor has made tenant protections and expanded housing construction central pillars of his administration.
Later Thursday evening, the mayor is scheduled to kick off his &#8220;Rental Rip-off&#8221; series, a public forum designed to give renters across the city an opportunity to share concerns about rising rents, landlord practices, and housing conditions. City officials say testimony gathered during the series will help shape future legislative proposals.

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Trump And Mamdani’s ‘Secret’ D.C. Meeting Centers On A Defining NYC Fight

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The Daily Wire went to George Washington University to ask college students to grade President Trump’s performance giving his State of the Union address—without mentioning the speech actually hadn’t happened yet. The responses were eye-opening.
Many students were unaware that one of the biggest political events of the year was scheduled for the very next day. Even more surprising were those who confidently critiqued a speech that hadn’t even happened yet.
“He wasn’t articulate,” one student told The Daily Wire.
“He was all over the place,” said another.
One woman told us she watched a little bit of it, then turned it off. It was unclear what program she was watching.
We asked other students to rate the speech on a scale from one to ten, with one being the worst and ten being the best. Several added their own ranking system by saying, “Zero.” One man gave it a three. One woman said “negatives.” When we asked her to explain why, she paused and said, “I’m in a lot of organizations, so I can’t really speak in particular. But I think we all know … a lot of reasons.”
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Perhaps the most concerning aspect of the day was not simply that higher education students were unfamiliar with the timing of the State of the Union, but that these were students in Washington, D.C. — where the address takes place just miles from campus.
George Washington University’s undergraduate tuition is $69,780 per year. Including room and board, the total cost rises to approximately $84,000 annually. Yet many students did not know that one of the most prominent political events of the year was happening the following evening, a stone’s throw away from their campus.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/show/friendly-fire?utm_campaign=dwplus&amp;utm_content=20260224_sotu_aa_desktop&amp;utm_medium=website&amp;utm_source=banner" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-2315">Watch the State of the Union with The Daily Wire! Live coverage from the nation&#8217;s capital begins at 7:45 ET.</a>
Some conversations with students expanded beyond their opinion on Trump’s State of the Union speech. One student told us she was unhappy with Trump for attempting to pass legislation she believed would restrict women’s right to vote. She was referring to Democratic lawmakers’ characterizations of the SAVE Act, which has the backing of many Republican lawmakers in the Senate.
The SAVE Act would require voters to prove citizenship when registering to vote and show identification when they arrive at the ballot box.
When asked about the initiative, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA) responded, “So are you comfortable saying to women in this country who have been married and change their name that you now have to travel, go to your clerk, fill out affidavits, pay for a passport? Most people don’t have a birth certificate or a marriage certificate.”
Failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton also jumped in to criticize the initiative with a message for married women, telling them that Republicans in Congress want to make it harder for them to vote.
Supporters of the SAVE Act, however, argue that voter identification laws are designed to safeguard election integrity and ensure that ballots are cast by eligible voters.
Trump’s speech may address the SAVE Act tonight, but it will focus on affordability, and is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-a-day-before-the-state-of-the-union-washington-is-buzzing">expected</a> to bring a number of economic policy announcements.
Whether students at George Washington University will hear those announcements remains to be seen.

WATCH: University Students Grade Trump’s State Of The Union … 24 Hours Early

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WASHINGTON—Michael Knowles and Isabel Brown will attend the State of the Union on Tuesday, the latest sign of The Daily Wire&#8217;s growing influence in the nation&#8217;s capital.
Brown will join West Virginia Congressman Riley Moore (R), while Knowles will attend as a guest of House Speaker Mike Johnson.
“Michael Knowles is one of America’s most influential commentators on politics and culture and a major asset to the conservative movement,” Johnson said. “As an author, podcaster, and commentator, Michael has done exceptional work advancing our cause and speaking truth with clarity and conviction. It’s my distinct honor to host him at the Capitol for President Trump’s State of the Union address.”
This will be Knowles&#8217; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michael-knowles-to-attend-state-of-the-union-with-tennessee-congressman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">second time</a> attending the State of the Union, having previously been the guest of Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) in 2024. It&#8217;s the first State of the Union for Brown, whom Moore praised for her steadfast defense of conservative values.
“I am honored to announce that Isabel Brown will join me as my guest for President Trump’s State of the Union address,” Moore said. “Isabel is a devout Catholic who stands firm in her beliefs and works continuously to promote faith, family, and freedom in her work at The Daily Wire. Isabel inspires countless Americans to stand firm in their faith, and I am glad to welcome her as my guest.”
The Daily Wire&#8217;s presence at the State of the Union is the latest sign of the site&#8217;s growing cachet in Washington, D.C. Mary Margaret Olohan was named The Daily Wire&#8217;s first White House correspondent minutes after President Trump returned to office. Her reporting has brought her around the country with Trump and Vice President JD Vance, and earned The Daily Wire a<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-briefing-room-gets-facelift-daily-wire-gets-permanent-seat" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> permanent seat</a> in the White House Briefing Room.
Knowles and Brown have each participated in new media events at the White House, interviewing such figures as Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Brown has become a regular sight on Pennsylvania Avenue, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DUEZnQUj_Ht/?hl=en&amp;img_index=3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">moderating</a> a panel with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and others on Trump Accounts.
Outside the White House, Daily Wire reporters have interviewed figures including Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/thune-previews-major-hurdle-to-start-2026-after-momentous-first-year-as-majority-leader" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Thune</a> and Democratic Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-daily-wire-sits-down-with-john-fetterman-who-doesnt-hear-from-democrats-anymore?author=Tim+Rice&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=The+Daily+Wire+Sits+Down+With+John+Fetterman%2C+Who+Doesn%E2%80%99t+Hear+From+Democrats+Anymore" target="_blank" rel="noopener">John Fetterman</a>. In December, Brown joined Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Reagan National Airport to discuss the Trump administration&#8217;s efforts to improve air travel.
In addition to Knowles and Brown, Republican guests for the evening include members of the U.S. Men’s Olympic Hockey Team, whom President Trump invited personally shortly after their gold medal <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-mens-olympic-hockey-team-snags-win-in-overtime-thriller?author=Andie+Valdes&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=U.S.+Men%E2%80%99s+Olympic+Hockey+Team+Snags+Win+In+Overtime+Thriller">win</a> in Milan.
Democrats are taking a slightly different tack to the evening’s address, which has Washington abuzz. In addition to the usual opposition response, which this year will be delivered by Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger (D), Democrats are planning a day&#8217;s worth of events to protest the president.
The slate of Democrat counter-programming begins Tuesday morning with a &#8220;prebuttal&#8221; from New Jersey Rep. LaMonica McIver (D). The address will be streamed on the left-leaning site MeidasTouch, which is also hosting a &#8220;People&#8217;s State Of The Union&#8221; rally on the National Mall during Trump&#8217;s speech. Prominent Democrat lawmakers, including California Senator Adam Schiff, have said they will skip the State of the Union to attend the alternative event.
The Daily Wire will be broadcasting live from that rally, as well as from inside the Capitol and throughout Washington on Tuesday evening. Be sure to tune in to our live coverage beginning at 7:45 p.m. ET, and follow along all day with our live blog, where our reporters will be bringing you all the news you need to know before, during, and after the speech.

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Michael Knowles, Isabel Brown To Attend State Of The Union

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