The briefing for Sunday, March 8.

The U.S.-Israel war on Iran entered its ninth day with Israeli strikes hitting an oil storage facility in Tehran late Saturday, sending flames into the night sky. Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian apologized to neighboring Gulf states for attacks on their territory, even as Iranian missiles and drones continued striking targets across the region. An Iranian drone damaged a desalination plant in Bahrain, and facilities in Kuwait and the UAE also reported damage from strikes or debris.

The conflict has exposed critical vulnerabilities in Gulf states' water supply systems. About 90% of Kuwait's drinking water comes from desalination, along with 86% in Oman and 70% in Saudi Arabia. Analysts warn that prolonged attacks on these facilities could trigger humanitarian crises within days, as most major cities cannot sustain current populations without desalinated water. More than 90% of the Gulf's desalinated water comes from just 56 plants, many located near ports and power stations that have already been targeted.

Iran's apology appears contradicted by continued military action and internal divisions within Tehran's leadership. While Pezeshkian called for diplomatic solutions, hard-line judiciary chief Gholam Hossein Mohseni-Ejei suggested strikes would continue on any territory used by U.S. forces. U.S. intelligence officials believe Russia is providing Iran with targeting information to help hit American military personnel and assets, though President Trump downplayed the significance of such intelligence-sharing. The conflict has already killed more than 300 people in Lebanon and disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries 20 million barrels of oil daily.

U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth ruled Saturday that Kari Lake, President Trump's appointee to lead the U.S. Agency for Global Media, lacked legal authority to dismantle the Voice of America. The decision found that Lake did not meet constitutional requirements to serve as a principal officer because she has not received Senate confirmation and does not satisfy requirements under the Vacancies Act.

Voice of America, which has transmitted news coverage globally since World War II, is currently operating with a skeleton staff in only a handful of languages after Lake terminated contracts and laid off most employees. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed by VOA White House bureau chief Patsy Widakuswara and colleagues Kate Neeper and Jessica Jerreat, who were among those laid off. Lake has called the decision "bogus" and promised to appeal, arguing the administration has a mandate to cut bureaucracy and eliminate waste.

The immediate effect of the ruling on VOA operations remains unclear. Proponents of Voice of America call it an example of U.S. "soft power" offering unbiased news to countries where governments control information, while Lake has contended the outlets are wasteful and should promote administration views. Reporters Without Borders said the decision affirms the administration acted unlawfully but noted more work is needed to ensure journalists can return to work.

Nepal's Rastriya Swatantra Party is set for a landslide win in the country's first parliamentary election since Gen Z protests toppled the government last September. The RSP, formed just four years ago and led by former rapper Balendra Shah, had won 103 of 165 directly elected seats and led in 21 other constituencies as of Sunday morning, with the party capturing about 51% of proportional representation votes as well.

The election tested whether youth-led demands for change could translate into national political power. Shah, 35, who resigned as Kathmandu mayor in January, defeated former Prime Minister Sharma KP Oli in his constituency with 68,348 votes to Oli's 18,734. The RSP has unseated the two long-dominant parties—the Nepali Congress and the Communist Party of Nepal—that have alternated control for decades. Local papers called it a "shift in political paradigm."

The youth uprising that preceded the election was triggered by Oli's social media ban and escalated into broader protests against corruption and inequality. A BBC investigation revealed police fired on unarmed protesters, killing 77 people. Shah's campaign promised to create 1.2 million jobs, reduce forced migration, double per capita income to $3,000 within five years, and provide universal healthcare insurance. Despite the sweeping victory, RSP officials asked supporters to refrain from celebrations out of respect for lives lost in last year's protests.

Newly released videos call into question Department of Homeland Security assertions that a driver intentionally rammed a federal agent before being fatally shot in Texas last year. Body camera footage and law enforcement records released Friday show the March 2025 shooting of Ruben Ray Martinez, 23, during a beach trip to South Padre Island. A Texas grand jury declined last week to file criminal charges against the HSI agent who fired the shots.

The videos, taken from behind Martinez's car, do not clearly show the vehicle striking an agent, contradicting DHS claims that the driver "intentionally ran over" an agent, "resulting in him being on the hood of the vehicle." Joshua Orta, riding with Martinez, told investigators his friend had "panicked" because he feared arrest for drunk driving. "He didn't know what to do. Like he definitely didn't want to go to jail," Orta said. "But as far as like running over an officer... he wouldn't do that."

The shooting occurred as Martinez approached a traffic accident scene where South Padre police and three HSI agents were directing traffic. Body camera footage shows Martinez's car slowly approaching, nearly stopping for pedestrians, then crawling into the intersection as agents approached. The car began slowly moving forward when Supervisory Special Agent Jack Stevens reached toward the door. In his written statement, Stevens said he fired to protect fellow agents and the public from what he feared was a terrorist attack. DHS did not publicly disclose its agents' involvement until after media reports last month.

Ford issued two recalls affecting nearly 1.74 million vehicles in the U.S. due to rearview camera display issues that could increase crash risk. According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notices this week, an internal component in the infotainment system of certain 2021-2026 Ford Broncos and 2021-2024 Ford Edges may overheat and shut down, preventing the rearview image from displaying when drivers reverse.

A separate recall covers 2020-2022 Ford Escapes and Lincoln Corsairs, plus 2020-2024 Lincoln Aviators and Explorers, which may show a flipped or inverted rearview image. The recalls affect 849,310 Broncos and Edges and 889,950 Escapes, Corsairs, Aviators and Explorers. Ford estimates all vehicles have the defects but is not aware of any injuries or accidents stemming from either issue.

Ford is offering a free software update for affected Bronco and Edge owners, available either at dealers or through over-the-air updates. Owner notification letters will be mailed by month's end. However, a remedy for the Escape, Corsair, Aviator and Explorer recall is still under development, with interim notification letters set to go out in coming months. Drivers can check recall status on the NHTSA website or Ford's online lookup using their VIN number.