'No Kings' rallies, Pope Leo, DHS funding deal

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By Elizabeth Both

March 29, 2026

By Elizabeth Both

March 29, 2026

 
 

Good morning and welcome to the Sunday edition of Morning Wire, where we give you the weekend rundown to get ready for the week ahead. Today, a look at the nationwide "No Kings" protests against the Trump administration that unfolded Saturday, how the DHS funding deal unraveled in Congress and Pope Leo's first Palm Sunday at the Vatican. 

But first, Iran warns the U.S. against a ground invasion. 

 

UP FIRST

AP Morning Wire

Residents inspect their home after it was struck by an Iranian missile in Eshtaol, central Israel on Saturday. (AP Photo/Maya Levin)

Iran warns US against ground invasion as regional diplomats seek an end to the war

A top Iranian official warned the U.S. against a ground invasion, saying American troops would be set “on fire,” as regional diplomats gathered in Pakistan on Sunday in a push to broker an end to the monthlong war.

Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, dismissed weekend talks as a cover while the U.S. dispatches additional troops to the Middle East. He said Iran was prepared to confront any American forces on its soil and would respond harshly against both U.S. troops and Washington’s regional allies, according to Iranian state media. Read more. 

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

  • Hacked hospitals, hidden spyware: Iran conflict shows how digital fight is ingrained in warfare
  • Worries about global economic pain deepen as the war in Iran drags on
  • One month into the war, Iranians wrestle with lost livelihoods, bombs and worries of the future
 

TOP STORIES

Demonstrators rally in front of the Lincoln Memorial during the No Kings protest in Washington on Saturday. (AP Photo/Tom Brenner)

‘No Kings’ rallies draw crowds across US, in Europe. Springsteen headlines Minnesota demonstration

Large crowds protested Saturday against the Trump administration in “No Kings” rallies across the U.S. and in Europe. Minnesota took center stage, with thousands of people standing shoulder-to-shoulder to celebrate resistance to President Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement. Read more. 

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

  • ‘No Kings’ protests held to rally against Trump administration, in photos

Pope Leo XIV rejects claims that God justifies war in Palm Sunday Mass message

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday rejected claims that God justifies war and prayed especially for Christians in the Middle East during a Palm Sunday Mass before tens of thousands of people in St. Peter’s Square. With the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran entering its second month and Russia’s ongoing campaign in Ukraine, Leo dedicated his Palm Sunday homily to insist that God is the “king of peace” who rejects violence and comforts those who are oppressed. Read more. 

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

  • Jerusalem heads into a subdued Passover and Easter under the shadow of the Iran war
 

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IN OTHER NEWS

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, speaks while House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, right, and House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain, left, listen during a news conference on Capitol Hill, Friday, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

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Moon mission: Apollo vs. Artemis: What to know about NASA’s return to the moon

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Sports: Tiger Woods is facing an uncertain future off the golf course after his DUI arrest in Florida

Film actor dies: Actor James Tolkan of ‘Top Gun’ and ‘Back to the Future’ fame dies at 94

Religion: In wrangling dark matter, some scientists find inspiration in the Torah, Krishna and Christ

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Today in History: In 1973, the last United States combat troops left South Vietnam, ending America’s direct military involvement in the Vietnam War 

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