Stories Speak Volumes: Mar 2-Mar 6
A Round-Up of National and International News
Compiled by
There are so many stories making up the mosaic of national/international news that we can’t cover them all every week. The biggest stories now seem to be: Israel and Iran, the Trump presidency (lawfare and judges), immigration (migrants and illegals), wars, weaponization of government (the deep state) against Trump and conservatives, our nation’s debt, massive inflation, climate change controversy and related expenses of government, industry attempting to address these issues, the Chinese threat, national security, abortion, taxpayer cuts, Ukraine peace, and hatred and violence against Christians. Here are just a few:
Melania Trump Makes History, Pushes For ‘Peace Through Education’
March 2: Fox News by Brooke Singman
First lady Melania Trump presided over the United Nations Security Council meeting Monday, declaring that the United States “stands with all of the children throughout the world,” in a historic speech calling for “peace through education,” amid the U.S. military involvement in Iran.
The speech marked the first time a first lady from any country — and the first time a sitting U.S. first lady — presided over the Security Council as its members consider education, technology, peace and security.
The United States assumed the United Nations Security Council presidency Monday, just days after the U.S. and Israel launched a massive joint military operation against Iran over the weekend known as “Operation Epic Fury.” But the first lady’s appearance at the United Nations was scheduled before Operation Epic Fury began.
The U.N. Security Council consists of 15 member states, with five permanent members: the United States, China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and 10 nonpermanent members elected for two-year terms, including Bahrain, Colombia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama and Somalia.
Supreme Court Blocks California’s School Gender Secrecy Policy in Victory for Parental Rights
March 3: Breitbart by Katherine Hamilton
The Supreme Court on Tuesday blocked California schools from hiding students’ “gender transitions” from parents as litigation continues over the state’s “gender secrecy policy” in lower courts.
The conservative-leaning High Court ruled 6-3 in favor of concerned parents and reinstated a December district court ruling permanently halting the state’s school transgender policy — a ruling that was steamrolled by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit the following month.
The majority wrote in their opinion that religious parents, as well as parents who object purely because they believe they have the right to direct the upbringing of their children, are likely to succeed on the merits of their case and face irreparable harm if the policy is not halted during the lengthy litigation process. The court also cited its June 2025 decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor, in which justice sided with religious parents who sued their Maryland school board over its refusal to allow K-5 children to opt out of LGBTQ+ curriculum.
CA Taxpayers — Did You Know You’re Footing the Security Bill for Kamala’s International Book Tour?
March 3: Red State by Bob Hoge
We all know that Gov. Gavin Newsom’s California is home to rampant waste, fraud, and abuse, and that the state regularly encounters major budget crises. That’s because the Golden State funded healthcare for illegal immigrants and a bullet train to nowhere, and regularly throws money at leftist social projects while our quality of life drips, drips, drips into the Pacific.
But did you know, California residents, that your hard-earned tax dollars get used to pay for the security of a private citizen while she goes on a book tour, a tour that will make her money but has nothing whatsoever to do with governing the state?
The Political Director at KCRA 3 (Sacramento) news outlet, Ashley Zavala, is one of the few reporters in the far-left state that actually asks questions and brings people to account.
Zavala summed up her findings with an article posted to the KCRA 3 website: “California taxpayers have been paying for former Vice President Kamala Harris’ security detail as she travels out of state and, in some cases, out of the country to promote her book.
“Multiple sources who were unauthorized to speak publicly about security matters told KCRA 3 that dozens of California Highway Patrol officers have been traveling with her for all of the former vice president’s book tour appearances. State officials will not say exactly how many officers are assigned to her, how long the arrangement will last and how much taxpayer money is being used.”
Speaker Blasts Dems for Shutting Down DHS Amid Iranian Threats
March 4: Red State by Ward Clark
On Wednesday morning, the Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson (LA-04), delivered remarks to the press on topics including Operation Epic Fury and the ongoing partial government shutdown.
The Speaker said: “There is a misconception that Operation Epic Fury is in any way a diversion from Republican demands for peace. It’s the opposite. Peace is not secured through appeasement. And it’s certainly not secured by airdropping off billions of dollars in terrorist regimes, which is what previous Democrat administrations have done. Peace is secured through strength. That is the principle that our party has stood for my entire life. And on principle before that, articulated the idea of peace through strength. That’s what this administration is demonstrating. And that is why America is the last great superpower on the planet. And all freedom-loving people around the world are grateful to God for that.”
On the ongoing partial government shutdown, which includes parts of the Department of Homeland Security, the Speaker said: …when at home, we want to ensure all of our doors are locked, so to speak. Obviously, everyone understands that, it’s a heightened threat environment. Global tensions are high. Threats are constantly evolving. America’s adversaries are watching for any sign of weakness on our part. We cannot show them that. And yet, all this is happening, we have Democrats running around here playing political games in Congress. It’s infuriating. They’ve shut down the very agency that is responsible for securing the homeland. The Democrats have shut down the agency that is responsible for keeping Americans safe. Unbelievably, they’ve already instructed their members to block funding, they sent out a whip notice, to tell House Democrats, to instruct them, to give them the order to vote down Homeland Security funding. That’s a bipartisan consensus bill that had already been prepared by the House, it will be on the floor tomorrow for yet another vote, and you’d better watch that board, and everybody in America better watch that board. Anybody who votes to block funding for the homeland, it is shameful. I don’t know how else to describe it. It speaks to a long record of Democrats deliberate efforts to undermine America’s safety and the essential operations of DHS.
Chevron Warns of Irreversible Harm to California’s Economy and Energy Security in Letter to Gov. Newsom
March 4: The Globe by Katy Grimes
Democrats and Gavin Newsom stubbornly cling to carbon taxing – not because they are true believers – because it’s a revenue-generating tax.
Chevron just sent a letter to California Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Air Resources Board warning them of deep concerns and strong opposition to the CARB- proposed amendments to the Cap-and-Invest (formerly cap and trade) regulation, that the state’s few remaining refineries can’t survive, and the California economy could be crippled.
“The proposed regulation will cripple the survivability of the state’s remaining refineries, which will result in California losing the entire industry to this misguided program. This regulation will increase transportation and aviation fuel prices for consumers. It will risk significant job losses, including many high-paying union jobs, while reducing funding for essential public services. It will upend California’s fuels market and threaten critical energy and national security assets.”
Over the weekend, the Globe reported that PBF Energy Inc. also warned CARB about “the stark reality the impacts the current CARB Cap & Investment program would have because of the state’s remaining 7 refineries. And, CARB’s “Proposed Amendments will only worsen the current state of the program, making costs skyrocket further. If enacted as written, the Proposed Amendments will inevitably drive in-state refining capacity to zero.”
The gist of Chevron’s message to the governor and Air Resources Board is that California’s economy and energy security cannot survive another refinery shutdown.
Kristi Noem Ousted from Homeland Security Post Amid Recent Turmoil
March 5: Fox News by Charles Creitz
Kristi Noem, the former South Dakota congresswoman and governor who has led President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security thus far in his second term, was ousted from her position on Wednesday. President Donald Trump announced on Truth Social that he will nominate Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., to replace Noem, effective March 31.
“The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border!), will be moving to be Special Envoy for The Shield of the Americas, our new Security Initiative in the Western Hemisphere we are announcing on Saturday in Doral, Florida. I thank Kristi for her service at ‘Homeland.’”
Trump said Mullin has done a “tremendous job” in Congress and cited his resume as a former undefeated MMA fighter. “As the only Native American in the Senate, Markwayne is a fantastic advocate for our incredible Tribal Communities. Markwayne will work tirelessly to Keep our Border Secure, Stop Migrant Crime, Murderers, and other Criminals from illegally entering our Country, End the Scourge of Illegal Drugs and, MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN,” Trump said. Mullin is the first Native American senator in decades, following Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado.
Noem’s tenure marked a distinct reversal of the open-border policies permitted by predecessor Alejandro Mayorkas during the Biden administration, and DHS has notched record drug interdictions totaling more than half a million pounds of illegal drugs in her first year. Her management of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda has also led to more than 2 million reported self-deportations in 2025 and about 670,000 removals of illegal immigrants, a figure supporters have hailed as the most successful immigration enforcement operation in history.
Nancy Mace Confirms RINOs Teamed Up with Democrats to Kill Her Subpoena on Ilhan Omar’s Immigration Fraud Records
March 6: Gateway Pundit by Jim Hoft
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) has confirmed that spineless RINOs joined forces with radical Democrats to torpedo her bold subpoena effort targeting Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-MN) shady immigration records. Mace, who has been leading the charge to uncover the blatant immigration fraud involving Omar and her alleged “brother-husband,” didn’t mince words in a recent interview, declaring, “That’s Congress for you, nothing will happen!”
Mace made waves back in January during a House Oversight Committee hearing on massive Somali-linked fraud schemes draining Minnesota taxpayers under the disastrous watch of Gov. Tim Walz. She officially moved to subpoena Omar’s immigration documents, including those of Ahmed Elmi, whom Omar is accused of marrying in a fraudulent scheme to game the U.S. immigration system.
In February, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon dropped bombshells on “The Benny Show,” highlighting “serious questions” about Omar’s naturalization paperwork and affirming that fraud in citizenship applications is grounds for stripping it away. Dhillon left no doubt: if the allegations hold, Omar could be denaturalized.
Squad Members, Dozens of Other Dems Refuse to Vote Aye on Basic Iran Terror Resolution
March 6: Red State by Bob Hoge
Dozens of Democrats have voted against a nonbinding resolution in the House that reaffirms Iran as the “largest state sponsor of terrorism.” The resolution, put forward by Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., passed by a 372-53 vote on Thursday, with all those voting no being Democrats… Among those who voted against the measure were all the members of the “Squad,” such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., Rep. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.
Mike Hernandez is co-founder of the Citizens Journal–Ventura County’s online news service and writes for CitizensJournal.net and MountainTopMedia.com. He is a former Southern California daily newspaper journalist and religion and news editor, writer of “Prayer Over News Daily” and edits the weekly “Stories Speak Volumes” and other columns. Mr. Hernandez mentors citizen journalists with trainings held every other month (on Saturdays at Shasta Bible College and online) and can be contacted at MikeHernandezMedia.com.