WORLD Radio News - WORLD Radio News: 3-17-26 (2/3)

Episode Date: March 17, 2026

The latest headlines in three minutes from WORLD updated three times throughout the day.Sign-up for the daily Sift email at thesift.org.Support sound journalism, grounded in facts and Biblical truth at wng.org/donate.Additional support comes from WatersEdge. Competitive rates and supporting churches. 4.55% APY on a 13-month term investment. WatersEdge.com/invest

With World Radio News, I'm Kent Covington. Cuba is in the dark, plunged into a nationwide blackout for the third time in just over four months as an American oil blockade squeezes the island. And President Trump is hinting that the U.S. may force a resolution soon. You know, all my life I've been hearing about the United States and Cuba. And when will the United States do it? I do believe I'll be the honor of having the honor of taking Cuba. The president did not spell out exactly what he means by taking Cuba. No oil has reached the island.

island since early January crippling its power grid and deepening an already dire economic crisis. And Havana may be looking for a way out. Cuba's deputy prime minister told NBC that the island is open for business and announced that Cuba will now allow Cuban Americans to invest in and own businesses there. Trump has confirmed that the two sides have begun talks. The Justice Department's Commission on Religious Liberty heard testimony on Monday about obstacles to faith in health care and social services. World's Harrison Waters has more now from Washington. Nurse practitioner Abby Senate was among the witnesses. She told commissioners that Colorado settled a lawsuit over treatments to reverse chemical abortions, but other states have not.

In states like California and New York, they're still targeting religious providers who would offer abortion pill reversal. Other witnesses and board members pointed at government policies violating freedom of religion, in issues tied to so-called transgenderism, abortion, and assisted suicide. President Trump formed the Commission last May to investigate the foundations of religious liberty in America and challenges facing it. Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick chairs the Commission. So many of our witnesses, they've been punished, and that is evil, and America better wake up. The Commission meets once more in April before submitting its final report in May. Reporting for World, I'm Harrison Water.

in Washington. Some schools and businesses across the East Coast are reopening this morning after extreme wind and rain from a powerful storm system slammed the region. Brian Hurley with the National Weather Service says millions from New Jersey all the way down to northern Florida were under high wind alerts and tornado watches on Monday. At the same time, Midwesterners were being buried under feet of snow. Put in half to 20 inches or so in parts of Upper Michigan, they could get another 20 inches over what's already fallen, which is almost 20 inches. So a lot of snow in the upper Midwest,

but especially parts of southeast Minnesota into Wisconsin and Michigan. The aggressive wind and snow knocked out power in many places and created treacherous driving conditions. Many outages and cleanup efforts are continuing into this morning. For World Radio, I'm Kent Covington. For more sound journalism grounded in facts and biblical truth, visit worldradiot.news. Additional support comes from Waters Edge, competitive rates, and supporting churches. 4.55% APY on a 13-month term investment, watersedge.com slash invest.