Democrats cheered her departure but said it wasn’t enough to end the DHS shutdown that will soon enter its fourth week. “This is a problem of policy, not personnel,” Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) told reporters Thursday. Congressional Democrats have swapped offers with the White House, but an agreement remains elusive. Noem’s chosen replacement, former House member and now-Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), is a known quantity to both chambers. “The White House and Republicans have been willing to codify reforms and changes that Democrats have asked for, but right now it’s never enough,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-South Dakota).

Eight players were ejected and a referee was knocked to the ground during an altercation between South Alabama and Coastal Carolina players. ›A brawl broke out during a Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament game between South Alabama and Coastal Carolina, leading to the ejection of eight players and an injured referee. Coastal Carolina forward Tracey Hueston has been suspended for the rest of the postseason, while three South Alabama players received one-game suspensions. The detailsThe brawl occurred with 5:39 remaining in the fourth quarter of the game, which South Alabama won 80-70. Amyah Sutton A South Alabama player who was ejected from the game and received a one-game suspension from the Sun Belt Conference.

Mullin would need to be confirmed by the Senate, but under federal law is allowed to serve as acting Homeland Security secretary while his nomination is pending. “President Trump should have made it explicit, rather than disguising it with another position of public trust.”Noem was also criticized over how her department spent billions of dollars allocated by Congress. Early criticism of Noem came last June, as DHS was scaling up raids throughout Los Angeles. Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles, said Noem’s departure was long overdue. ___Andrea Castillo and Ana Ceballos; Los Angeles Times; (TNS) ; ©2026 Los Angeles Times.

For months, former residents of the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates have feared the uncommunicative owners of the property would seek to displace them in favor of a more lucrative development deal after the Palisades fire destroyed the rent-controlled, roughly 170-unit mobile home park. A confidential memorandum listing the Bowl for sale indicates the owners intend to do exactly that. Fire debris at Pacific Palisades Bowl in January 2026. Ross said she approached the owners with independent mobile home park developers who were interested in buying the fire-destroyed lot and letting residents rebuild within months. She also approached the owners with a proposition that the former residents band together to buy the park.

The strike was part of attacks by Iran on energy infrastructure in Qatar and fellow U.S. ally Saudi Arabia. Qatar Energy, which produces and exports LNG, said in a statement Monday that it “ceased production” at the facility. It is unclear how long it will take Qatar Energy to repair the plant. In India, the second-largest importer of Qatari LNG, gas supplies to industrial users are being cut, according to local media reports, leading ceramics manufacturers in that country to pause operations. “Any wind farm, any solar installation in Europe is less natural gas they have to import.”“Europe is the only major economy in the world using less natural gas today than they did a decade ago,” he said.

Trump announced the decision on social media and said Noem would be replaced by Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Oklahoma), effective at the end of this month. In his post, Trump praised Noem as having “served us well” and praised her for “numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border! Noem was attending a conference in Nashville when Trump made the announcement, delivering the keynote address at the Sergeant Benevolent Association Major Cities Conference. She mentioned that she would join Trump and two other Cabinet secretaries Saturday to announce an agreement to combat drug cartels. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) — another Trump ally — praised the announcement, saying “it was time for a change.”Democrats were more circumspect.

President Trump declared he would be “personally involved” in selecting Iran’s next leader as U.S. and Israeli forces continued their bombardment of its government Thursday, even as officials in Tehran insisted they could withstand the ongoing war. Iran continued retaliatory missile and drone attacks against Israel and U.S. military sites across the region. People arrive to sign a condolence book in memory of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the Embassy of Iran in New Delhi, India, on Thursday. The conflict threatens to stoke longstanding tensions between Tehran and Kurdish groups opposed to the Iranian government. Iranian forces have already launched missile and drone strikes against Kurdish-controlled areas in northern Iraq following the initial U.S.–Israeli assault on Iranian targets.

Iran said the U.S. would “bitterly regret” torpedoing an Iranian warship near Sri Lanka a day earlier. AdvertisementAll the while, the U.S. and Israel battered Iran with nationwide strikes, targeting their military capabilities, leadership and nuclear program. “Or you’ll face absolutely guaranteed death.”AdvertisementIn the Axios interview, Trump derided 56-year-old Mojtaba Khamenei, who has never been elected or appointed to a government position, as “a lightweight.”“We want someone that will bring harmony and peace to Iran,” Trump said. Ambassador Mojtaba Ferdousi Pour denied comments by Trump that Iran wants to negotiate. AP Photo/Konstantin ToropinThe war keeps expandingThe U.S. military said early Friday that an Iranian drone carrier was attacked and set ablaze.

NationalDog reunited with owner after going missing for 43 daysMarch 5, 2026 | 9:01 PM GMTA 10-year-old dog named Rocky was rescued and reunited with his owner after surviving 43 days alone in Summit County, Colorado.

PoliticsNoem defends her usage of a $200 million ad campaignMarch 5, 2026 | 8:55 PM GMTDHS Secretary Kristi L. Noem defended a $200 million ad campaign, which starred the secretary, when she testified in front of the Senate on March 3.

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The story of the Dodgers and Andrew Toles is one of a franchise trying to do the right thing by one of its former players struggling with mental health challenges. The Toles family has asked that Andrew’s privacy be respected. But an ACL tear in early May ended his season after 31 games, and he appeared in 17 games with the Dodgers during the 2018 season. At last report, Toles was in the care of his father, Alvin, who said Andrew is in a “zombie-like” condition. Just to be healthy, live a normal life.”MLB’s restricted list is used to place a player who is unavailable due to non-baseball reasons, such as personal issues.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGWASHINGTON ― In a stunning move, President Donald Trump announced Thursday he fired Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and is tapping Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) to replace her at the end of the month. Advertisement“The current Secretary, Kristi Noem, who has served us well, and has had numerous and spectacular results (especially on the Border! Kristi Noem, out. Markwayne Mullin, in. Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.) is Trump's pick to replace Kristi Noem as DHS secretary.

LOADING ERROR LOADINGWASHINGTON ― House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) on Thursday called on Rep. Tony Gonzales to drop his reelection campaign after the Texas Republican admitted he had an affair with a staffer. Advertisement“In the meantime, Leadership has asked Congressman Gonzales to withdraw from his race for re-election,” Johnson said in the statement with Reps. Steve Scalise (La. Text messages showed Gonzales asked for “a sexy pic” and made other sexual advances late at night in 2024. And my faith is as strong as ever.”Several of Gonzales’ Republican colleagues have said he should outright resign rather than just quit his campaign.

Hezbollah Deploys Elite Fighters to South Lebanon in Renewed Border ConflictRenewed Tensions and Military Deployments in Southern LebanonBy Laila BassamHezbollah's Strategic MovementsBEIRUT, March 5 (Reuters) - Hezbollah has deployed elite fighters to confront Israeli forces in southern Lebanon, sending them back into the border region from which they withdrew after a war in 2024, three Lebanese sources familiar with the deployments said, as the Iran-backed group wades deeper into the conflict in the Middle East. Casualties and Military ActionsHezbollah and Israeli ForcesReported Losses and InjuriesTHOUSANDS OF HEZBOLLAH FIGHTERS KILLED IN 2024An Israeli military spokesperson said they were checking but didn't immediately provide comment on the sources' accounts. An Israeli military spokesperson said on Wednesday the military was "positioning troops a little farther" into Lebanon than before, "to prevent any attacks against the northern communities" in Israel. Some 5,000 Hezbollah fighters were killed in the 2024 war with Israel, many of them members of the Radwan force. Hezbollah said it respected the ceasefire south of the Litani, but that it didn't apply to the rest of Lebanon.