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The city of Las Vegas is going all in on March Madness as it tries to reignite tourism and reverse a growing slump. Resorts across the Strip are rolling out large-scale watch parties, sportsbook events and themed experiences tied to the NCAA men’s and women’s tournaments — drawing crowds for one of the busiest betting periods of the year, according to reports.It is estimated that Americans will wager $3.3 billion on this year’s tournaments — with Nevada historically seeing hundreds of millions in bets during the event, the American Gaming Association said.LAS VEGAS CASINO OWNER OFFERS UNIQUE DEAL TO ENTICE VISITORS BACK AMID SLUMPTravel advisor J.R. Longstaff, based in Florida, told Fox News Digital that the tournament continues to be a major draw for visitors.”Las Vegas is the ultimate sports fan playground to watch the NCAA tournament,” he said. “The city draws groups of fans to watch the games together on a grand scale, which helps boost tourism and sales around the city.””Las Vegas does everything bigger and bolder than just about anywhere else,” Longstaff added.He pointed to large viewing venues and all-day experiences centered around the games.TOURISTS IN LAS VEGAS PAY $1,000 FOR DINNER ON THE STRIP WHILE SHARKS EAT LIKE ROYALTYMajor venues across the city are leaning into that approach.Resorts World is opening its theater for large-scale viewing, while the Cosmopolitan is hosting its “Hoops and Hops” watch parties with stadium-style screens and games. Fontainebleau is also offering a massive viewing experience with an 80-foot LED screen and on-site betting stations, the website noted.The push comes as Las Vegas faces broader challenges in attracting visitors.CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIESAbout 38.5 million people visited the city in 2025 — down 7.5% from the year prior, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.Gaming revenue on the Strip has also declined, falling more than 11% year over year in early 2026, the Nevada Gaming Control Board said.TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZFox News Digital previously reported that the slowdown has coincided with changing travel and gambling habits.In-person betting has become less common among younger visitors, many of whom now prefer online platforms.Some traditional attractions are also disappearing, as casinos adjust to shifting demand.A Resorts World representative confirmed to Fox News Digital that its poker room is closing at the end of March, leaving just eight poker rooms operating on the Las Vegas Strip.Robby Starbuck, host of “The Robby Starbuck Show,” previously told Fox News Digital that younger generations are moving away from traditional casino experiences.”Now nearly everyone under 40 who bets seems to do it online,” he said. “I don’t know one person under age 40 who goes to Vegas regularly to bet or play slots.”CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTERAshley DiMella of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.

Houthis protest against airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition on Sana’a in September 2015.
Iranian-backed Houthi militants in Yemen are preparing to officially join the war against the United States and Israel as early as Monday.
Security officials cited by Israeli media indicate that Tehran and Hezbollah are actively pressuring the Yemen-based terror group to escalate and join the fight,” KAN reported.
The news outlet reported:
Security sources in the region told Kan News that pressure from Iran and Hezbollah is increasing on the Houthi rebels in Yemen to join the campaign, and that it is not impossible that this will happen in the coming days, with the end of Eid al-Fitr on Monday.
Declaratively, the Houthis continue to emphasize that they stand on Iran’s side and that they will join the campaign when developments require it.
Sources in the ranks of the forces opposing the Houthis in Yemen told Here News that in recent days the Houthis have increased their forces in the area of ​​the port city of Al-Hodeidah, which could indicate that they are preparing to join the campaign soon. 
An Iranian military official briefed local media today on the Houthis’ possible joining of the campaign in the maritime arena – blocking the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the Red Sea – in the event of an American ground invasion of Iran. 
The Houthi Foreign Ministry warned any foreign power against sending forces to the region and expanding the “circle of aggression.” The statement said that the Americans “have put themselves in a major strategic dead end” and are trying to involve others and drag them into the quagmire they have sunk into, but “the free elements among the nation in the region will not allow any foreign intervention.” It also said: “The Republic of Yemen is monitoring the developments and will take the appropriate step regarding them, and will not stand idly by.
Analysts warn that if the Houthis officially enter the war:

Red Sea shipping lanes could be targeted immediately, choking off one of the world’s most critical trade routes
Oil tankers and U.S. naval assets could come under direct attack
Saudi and Gulf energy infrastructure may be hit again, triggering a global energy crisis

Experts have long warned that the Houthis act as a strategic “force multiplier” for Iran, capable of stretching U.S. and Israeli defenses across multiple fronts simultaneously, The Soufan Center reported.
Nearly 30 oil tankers are already sitting vulnerable near key shipping routes, effectively becoming floating targets if the Houthis pull the trigger, according to The Times.
New York Post reported:

The Houthis have missile and drone capabilities which they used to harass shipping after Israel’s war with Hamas following the Oct. 7, 2023 attack inside the Jewish state.
Houthi spokesman Abed al-Thawr told Iran’s state-run Press TV “all options are on the table” and threatened a naval blockade against the US and Israel.
Iran and its allies are “going up the ladder of escalation, quite methodically, whatever is being done to them they’re, in turn, doing to the Gulf states” and other tactics, said Amir Handjani of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
That is what Iran did in a revenge attack on two Gulf neighbors, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, after Israel struck its main natural gas field last week.
The post Iranian-Backed Houthis Poised to Join War Against U.S. and Israel as Early as Monday appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

Seemingly every day, one side issues a new threat against the other, so as it enters its fourth week, the Iran-U.S.-Israel war doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon.This week, U.S. President Donald Trump drew a line in the sand, warning Israel not to repeat its attacks on Iran’s natural gas infrastructure after it bombed one of Iran’s major gas fields. Iran responded by bombing Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, which processes about a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas.Despite the president’s claim that he told Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu, “I told him, ‘Don’t do that’, and he won’t do that,” the escalation represents a turning point in the war that could do major damage to the domestic economy.”The spike in oil and gas prices due to the conflict in the Middle East challenges our optimistic outlook for the U.S. economy, yet we see underlying resilience,” said Andrew Husby, senior economist at BNP Paribas, in a recent note reviewed by TheStreet.In recent years, the U.S. has become a net exporter of energy products, a fact that the firm says will help mitigate the direct negative impact of rising prices on economic growth. The U.S. economy is well-positioned to withstand oil shock, says BNP ParibasBrent crude oil hit an all-time high of $147 in 2008, rising from about $30 a barrel in 2003 to more than $100 by early 2008, reportedly spurred by increased demand from China, according to Trading Economics. But just as abruptly, Brent prices fell back down to earth, only breaking $100 per barrel again in 2022 during the Covid pandemic.Though analysts at BNP Paribas say a prolonged shock with a moderate price rise would “probably” prompt minor adjustments to its growth outlook, the firm is still bullish on the U.S. economy. “We see the US economy as well-positioned to absorb the shock, as it is now the world’s largest producer of crude and a net energy exporter. The sensitivity of the economy to changes in oil prices has fallen, while monetary and fiscal policies ex-tariffs appear stimulative,” Husby said.BNP has had an above-consensus view of the U.S. economy for some time, saying it takes a “glass-half-full” view of the job market and expects the unemployment rate to hold at current levels.For the firm to change its outlook, it says oil prices would have to rise well above $150 per barrel.

BNP Paribas sees signs of resilience in the U.S. economy.Photo by Olga Rolenko on Getty Images

Opening the Strait of Hormuz is the key to stabilizing oil pricesIran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil flows, is presenting a big problem for the world’s economy.Goldman Sachs estimates that oil supply could be low for longer if production potential is further damaged in the war, but OPEC countries could alleviate that by deploying spare capacity.”Oil prices will likely continue to trend higher while Hormuz flows remain very low,” Goldman Head of Oil Research Daan Struyven and his team said in a note reviewed by TheStreet. “[There may be] risks to long-term prices from the Iran war beyond uncertainty around the timing of Hormuz reopening, in light of recent strikes on energy infrastructure. Oil supply could be low for longer if production potential is damaged.”Related: Americans pay at the pump in fastest gas price increase in 20 yearsLooking back at history, the firm estimates that the five prior largest supply shocks in the past 50 years yielded an average production hit of 42% after four years, “often due to infrastructure damage and low investment.”Iran and the seven other Persian Gulf countries produced about 30% of global crude last year, according to Goldman and OPEC, which could deploy its spare capacity should prices really start to get out of control.”The Hormuz shock and lingering uncertainty may cause faster strategic stock building from 2027 because end-2026 reserves will likely be low and because countries may raise SPR targets,” Goldman says.Gas prices rise in the largest one-day increase since 2005Monday, March 2, was the last time crude prices traded rationally as the price of a gallon of petrol jumped 11 cents overnight, rising to $3.11 per gallon on average, per AAA.The next day, as it became clear that the Iran war wasn’t going to end as quickly as we had been led to believe, prices saw their largest one-day increase since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.Related: Watch the road: these 5 states have the most irresponsible driversIranian oil is already heavily sanctioned by the U.S, and as of this year, China buys more than 80% of the estimated 1.9 million barrels of crude Iran ships out daily, Reuters reported.In addition to making the Strait of Hormuz impassable for the majority of cargo ships in the region, Iran has also targeted the oil infrastructure of the Gulf states that house U.S. military bases, where up to 40,000 troops are stationed in the region, according to NPR.Iran has sent drones and bombs to oil refineries in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.While no one knows how long the current conflict will last, Saul Kavonic, head of energy research at MST Marquee, recently weighed in.“If the status quo is maintained, where the majority of volumes from the Strait of Hormuz remain unable to flow, then prices are very low compared to the impact that will have on supply, demand of the market,” Kavonic told CNBC.Every week this conflict continues, about 100 million barrels of crude won’t reach the market, he added. That type of change will inevitably lead to triple-digit prices.“The disruption creates a dual supply shock: Not only are current exports through the Strait halted, but OPEC+ additional volumes and ultimately most of OPEC’s spare capacity — typically a key lever for balancing the global oil market — are inaccessible while the waterway remains closed,” WoodMac analysts said in a recent note, according to Reuters.Related: Tesla LiDAR stance accelerates NHTSA investigation into FSD

The proposed tax would classify some crypto transactions as foreign exchange operations, subject to rates ranging to as high as 3.5%.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday said he would order the military to postpone strikes on Iran’s power plants and energy infrastructure for five days.

NBC personality Savannah Guthrie pictured with her mother, Nancy. (@TODAYshow / X)
Savannah Guthrie could return to NBC’s Today show as early as next month, according to a report.
Sources told

Musk Plans To Appeal After Jury Finds Him Liable To Twitter Shareholders

Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

A federal jury on March 20 found tech billionaire Elon Musk liable for misleading Twitter shareholders by driving down the social media platform’s stock price months before acquiring it for $44 billion in 2022.

The decision follows a civil class action lawsuit filed by Twitter investors in October 2022. Musk agreed to buy Twitter at $54.20 per share in April 2022 but later tried to back out of the deal, leading the company to take legal action to enforce it. He ultimately completed the acquisition in October 2022 and rebranded Twitter to X.

The shareholders alleged that Musk made misleading statements after agreeing to buy Twitter in April 2022, leading them to sell their shares. They alleged that he published the statements to drive down Twitter stock prices in a bid to renegotiate the deal.

In a verdict on March 20, jurors found Musk liable for misleading investors through two social media posts. The first post said the deal was “temporarily on hold” pending verification that bots accounted for less than 5 percent of users on the social media platform.

In the second post, Musk suggested the percentage of bots could exceed 20 percent and said the buyout of Twitter could not ​go forward until he received confirmation that it was less ⁠than 5 percent.

However, the jury found that the plaintiffs failed to substantiate claims that Musk had engaged in a scheme to defraud investors.

The plaintiffs’ attorney, Mark Molumphy, called the verdict an “important victory” for both Twitter investors and the public markets.

“I think the jury’s verdict sends a strong message that just because you’re a rich and powerful person, you still have to obey the law, and no man is above the law,” Molumphy told The Associated Press.

Musk’s legal team at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan said in a statement to multiple news outlets that they plan to appeal the verdict.

“We view today’s verdict, where the jury found both for and against the plaintiffs and found no fraud scheme, as a bump in the road. And we look forward to vindication on appeal,” his legal counsel said.

Musk also faces a lawsuit from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which alleged that he violated federal securities laws by delaying disclosure of his acquisition of Twitter stock in March 2022, before making an offer to buy the company.

The SEC said the delay had allowed Musk to buy more shares at lower prices, allowing him to “underpay by at least $150 million for shares he purchased after his beneficial ownership report was due,” according to the January 2025 filing. Musk has sought dismissal of the suit.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Tyler Durden
Mon, 03/23/2026 – 07:45

Well-respected economists Krugman and Brooks believe we are near to the peak in oil prices because demand destruction takes place if it goes much higher

A major player in the U.S. grocery supply chain is delivering difficult news to hundreds of workers as it restructures its logistics network.In a rapidly changing food retail landscape, consumers are also changing what and how they eat, placing greater emphasis on a healthier diet and a visible increase in the consumption of natural and organic foods.According to data from the Organic Trade Association (OTA), sales of organic food products reached $65.4 billion in 2024, up from $38.6 billion in 2012, marking the first increase since its 2020s peak.Fresh fruits and vegetables remain the top category of organically grown products, underscoring continued demand for healthier food options.United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI), a 50-year-old company and a pioneer in the health food space, has played a key role in supplying this demand. The Rhode Island company is one of the largest grocery distributors in North America and supplies major retailers, including Whole Foods.But even as the organic food market grows, the company is now making major operational changes that will affect 443 workers.Grocery distributor UNFI plans layoffsUnited Natural Foods plans to lay off 443 workers as part of the closure of a distribution facility in Sturtevant, Wis., according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) filing.The job cuts will take place in phases beginning in late June 2026 and continuing through early August, with the layoffs being permanent.More Layoffs:Walgreens widens job cuts amid store closuresUPS clears major legal hurdle amid job cutsLuxury retail giant cuts more than 1,200 jobs after bankruptcy filingThe filing shows that the reductions will impact a wide range of logistics and warehouse positions, including drivers, supervisors, lift operators, and selectors. Some affected employees are represented by General Teamsters Local Union No 200.The layoffs are tied to a broader restructuring of UNFI’s supply chain network. The company plans to shut down the Wisconsin center and shift operations to a larger facility in Joliet, Illinois.UNFI is expanding its operations in Illinois and installing new automation technology to increase capacity and improve efficiency, Grocery Dive reported. 

UNFI’s stock is up 15% year to date.Shutterstock

UNFI rolls out AI-powered supply chainThe restructuring also comes as UNFI continues to modernize its supply chain and improve profitability.During its Q2 2026 earnings call, management said that the company is rolling out an AI-powered supply chain planning platform across its entire network as part of its next-generation logistics strategy.CEO Sandy Douglas pointed out that progress in implementation has helped the company “improve customer service, fill rates, and inventory management,” boosting the company’s free cash flow.The company reported mixed financial results earlier this month, reporting adjusted earnings per share of $0.62, a significant increase from last year’s $0.22.Net sales were around $8 billion in the quarter, down 2.6% year over year. But despite softer sales, the company’s profitability improved significantly. Adjusted EBITDA was up  23% to $179 million, driven by reduced debt and lower depreciation expense.Free cash flow was also up around 25% year over year at $243 million.Douglas noted that the execution of value-creation strategies has lifted profitability and free cash flow ahead of projections, and this will continue into the year.For United Natural Foods, the restructuring comes during a milestone year as the company celebrates 50 years in business and adapts to changing consumer demand and rising costs through AI optimization, network consolidation, and streamlining operations.Related: 96-year-old grocery chain acquires 18 stores from rival

On Monday’s Morning Joe on MS NOW, Mika Brzezinski refused to read Donald Trump’s reaction to the death of former FBI Director Robert Mueller.

Brzezinski had been delivering a recap of Mueller’s life and career when she turned to Trump’s social media post. After beginning to quote it, she abruptly stopped mid-segment:

“I can’t even read this. I’m not doing it.”

It was on screen for viewers to see. Trump had written: “Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!”

Even by Trump standards, the remark was jarring. Fox’s Brit Hume tweeted: “This is the kind of stuff Trump does that makes people not just oppose him but hate him.”

Instead of informing viewers, Mika made her reaction the story, substituting a visible display of distress (see screencap) for the basic journalistic task of conveying what Trump had actually written. Performance for the base comes first, not reporting.

Co-host Joe Scarborough declined to engage the substance of Trump’s remark, saying he would “rather respond to a man who committed over eight decades of his life to this country.” It’s a little overstated to assert Mueller was serving the country as a child. Then came the Russia-probe boasting:

SCARBOROUGH: Robert Mueller’s life speaks for itself. And history will judge both Robert Mueller and Donald J. Trump for what happened during the Russian investigation. And people can run around waving their arms on, other networks saying Russia hoax, Russia hoax. I’m quite confident that history will judge both of those actors through that time period. And they will not find Robert Mueller lacking.

WATCH: Mika Refuses to Read Trump Statement — “I’m Not Doing It” pic.twitter.com/MnSnh1dEg8
— Mark Finkelstein (@markfinkelstein) March 23, 2026

Brzezinski then suggested the show could read more favorable reactions instead: “The other two presidential statements were nice. We could read one of those.” George W. Bush and Barack Obama issued more typical statements of appreciation.

In Trump’s first term, MSNBC belonged to the red-hot Collusion Caucus, led by Rachel Maddow, who channeled every shaky claim in the Steele dossier. . Lawrence O’Donnell falsely claimed “The President is a Russian operative.” After Mueller failed to indict, Scarborough was still insisting “There is more of that onion to unpeel.”

But it could be argued, as a political and media matter, the Mueller probe ate much of Trump’s first term in terms of public attention. Whatever Trump sought to achieve as president was submerged under an obsession over the notion that he was illegitimately elected by a foreign power. As Rich Noyes laid out here at NewsBusters from January 20, 2017 through March 21, 2019, the last night before Mueller sent his report in to the Attorney General: 

The ABC, CBS and NBC evening newscasts produced a combined 2,284 minutes of “collusion” coverage, most of it (1,909 minutes) following Mueller’s appointment on May 17, 2017.

That’s an average of roughly three minutes a night, every night, for an astonishing 791 days…In fact, TV reporters devoted more airtime to the Russia investigation than any of the Trump administration’s policy initiatives — immigration, tax reform, trade, North Korea, ISIS, the economy, veterans’ affairs, the opioid epidemic, to name but a few.