PBS News Hour full episode, March 18, 2026

Israel's expanded efforts to destabilize Iran, including strikes on the world's largest natural gas field (South Pars) and the killing of Iranian intelligence minister Esmail Khatib, have provoked significant Iranian retaliation. These actions have caused extensive damage to major energy hubs in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, leading to a surge in Brent crude oil prices and fueling concerns of a global oil crunch. The U.S. Federal Reserve cited this uncertainty as a reason for cutting rates only once this year, and the Treasury Department eased sanctions on Venezuela's state-owned oil company to help tame rising oil prices.

Israel expanded its effort to collapse the Iranian state. An Israeli strike targeted South Pars, the world's largest natural gas field. And Israel continued its decapitation campaign, killing Iranian intelligence minister Esmail Khatib. In response, Iran issued unprecedented evacuation warnings for energy facilities across the Gulf. And, tonight, there are multiple explosions reported in Saudi Arabia, and Qatari admitted to -- quote -- 'extensive damage' to a major energy hub. Brent crude oil prices, a key benchmark, are nearing a 52-week high. The U.S. Federal Reserve expects to cut rates once this year after leaving rates unchanged for a second straight time today. In its statement, the Fed cited uncertainty brought on by the war with Iran. The Treasury Department is easing sanctions on Venezuela's state-owned oil company, trying to tame the rise in oil prices brought on by the Iran war.

There is a significant divergence between President Trump's public statements and the intelligence community's assessments regarding Iran's capabilities and threats. DNI Tulsi Gabbard's prepared testimony, confirmed by her staff, stated that Iran's nuclear enrichment program was 'obliterated' by 'Operation Midnight Hammer' and not rebuilt, directly contradicting President Trump's State of the Union address. Furthermore, the intelligence community had predicted a regional war if conflict with Iran began, a fact President Trump publicly denied knowing. Senator Chris Murphy criticized the administration's 'incoherent' approach and lack of evidence for an 'imminent threat' from Iran prior to the war.

DNI Tulsi Gabbard also made this assessment of Iran's nuclear ambitions. But in her prepared testimony confirmed by her staff to PBS 'News Hour,' Gabbard wrote instead -- quote -- 'As a result of Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran's nuclear enrichment program was obliterated. There has been no effort since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability.' That directly refutes President Trump's State of the Union. DONALD TRUMP: 'Nobody expected that. We were shocked.' NICK SCHIFRIN: 'In fact, four weeks before the war, then Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei posted on X in English: 'The Americans should know, if they start a war, this time, it will be a regional war.'' SEN. CHRIS MURPHY: 'The administration has no plan on how to end this war. They don't even try to present evidence that there was some independent, imminent threat against the United States. There wasn't, and they can't even pretend there is.'

Senator Markwayne Mullin's confirmation hearing to lead the Department of Homeland Security was contentious, with senators questioning his temperament and past statements. He was challenged on calling Senator Rand Paul a 'freaking snake' and understanding why Paul was attacked, as well as a near fistfight in a committee in 2023. Mullin admitted to responding 'too fast' without facts in a past incident but refused to apologize to victims' families. He also doubled down on election denialism and did not rule out sending federal officers to polling places, a stance previously dismissed by DHS.

SEN. RAND PAUL: 'Explain to the American public why they should trust a man with anger issues.' LISA DESJARDINS: 'In February, Mullin called Paul a freaking snake for not always voting with Republicans and said he understood why someone attacked Paul in 2017.' SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN: 'I went out there too fast. I was responding immediately without the facts. That's my fault. That won't happen as secretary.' SEN. ELISSA SLOTKIN: 'Who won the 2020 election?' SEN. MARKWAYNE MULLIN: 'Ma'am, we know that President Joe Biden was sworn into office.' LISA DESJARDINS: 'Refusing to say that President Trump lost the 2020 election. Mullin did not rule out sending federal officers to polling places.'

New allegations of sexual abuse and rape against the late civil rights and labor leader Cesar Chavez have emerged, including a public statement from co-founder of the United Farm Workers, Dolores Huerta, alleging Chavez raped her in the 1960s and fathered children raised by other families. Two other women also accused Chavez of abuse starting when they were 12 and 13. These revelations have led to the cancellation of Chavez Day events and prompted a reevaluation of his legacy, with historian Miriam Pawel noting a 'cult-like' period of the union and a long-standing ethos of silence to protect the movement.

In a public statement today, Dolores Huerta alleged that Chavez assaulted her in a vehicle. She said she stayed silent then and for decades after because -- quote -- 'I believed that exposing the truth would hurt the farmworker movement I have spent my entire life fighting for.' The two other women who spoke to The Times were daughters of longtime organizers for the union. Both said Chavez's abuse went on for several years, starting at the ages of 12 and 13. MIRIAM PAWEL: 'There had been suggestions that sex played a role in his efforts to control the movement at a period of time in particular when it became what some people have compared to a cult.'