‘OK, That Wasn’t Public’

Good afternoon. This is the Final NOTUS newsletter for March 16, 2026. You can get it in your inbox every day by signing up here — it’s free!

The Latest

Donald Trump said the U.S. doesn’t ‘need anybody’ to help its operation in Iran, while also claiming that other countries have agreed to assist in securing the Strait of Hormuz. “Numerous countries have told me they’re on the way,” the president said at a press conference today. He later declined to name which nations.

• The U.S. is allowing Iranian tankers through the Strait of Hormuz in order to increase the global supply of oil, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC. The U.S. Navy has not yet escorted any commercial ships through the strait, though Bessent signaled that as a possibility later on.

• Trump also said he does not know whether Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is alive or dead: “A lot of people are saying that he’s badly disfigured. They’re saying that he lost his leg — one leg — and he’s, you know, been hurt very badly. Other people are saying he’s dead.”

The threat of tornadoes that shut down much of D.C. today has so far turned out to be a whole lot of nothing. Airports canceled flights, the House and Senate canceled votes and schools shut down for what has so far been mostly light or moderate rain.

The Hill

‘He would be dead by June,’ Trump said at a Kennedy Center board meeting today of Rep. Neal Dunn. “OK, that wasn’t public, but yeah, OK,” House Speaker Mike Johnson replied.

• Dunn’s current health status is unknown. But Johnson said, “He has a new lease on life, he has more energy than a man half his age.” Dunn is not seeking reelection in Florida’s 2nd District, but has said he won’t resign before his term ends.

The Administration

Susie Wiles has early-stage breast cancer, Trump announced today. He said she’ll stay in her job as White House chief of staff while she undergoes treatment.

• “I am grateful to have an outstanding team of doctors who detected the cancer early and are guiding my care, and I am encouraged by a strong prognosis,” she told The New York Times in a statement.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s effort to change U.S. vaccine policy hit a snag today when a federal judge blocked key aspects, Reuters reports. A Biden-appointed judge sided with the American Academy of Pediatrics and other medical groups who say regulators acted unlawfully in executing the policy.

The Kennedy Center’s board voted to approve Trump’s two-year closure for renovations, CNN reports. This was widely expected: Last year, Trump removed several board members and replaced them with his allies. The new board later voted to rename the center the “Trump-Kennedy Center.”

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(Stay tuned.)

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