Mashadipati: Iran rejects US peace plan

Iran said it rejected a US ceasefire proposal and maintained attacks on Israel and Gulf Arab states, delivering a blow to Washington's efforts to end a war the Trump administration started alongside Israel almost a month ago.

America's 15-point peace plan stipulates that the Islamic Republic dismantle its main nuclear facilities and use a reduced missile arsenal in self-defense only, according to several people familiar with the matter. Iran would get certain concessions in return, including sanctions relief.

But Tehran has its own conditions for a ceasefire. Iran wants guarantees that the US and Israel won't resume their attacks, alongside reparations for war damages and recognition of its authority over the Strait of Hormuz, it said.

The White House insisted that peace talks with Iran are ongoing, even as Tehran publicly rejected US overtures. Vice President JD Vance may travel to Pakistan for Iran talks this weekend, CNN reported. Trump has said he hopes to reach an agreement by the end of the week. —Jordan Parker Erb

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Meta and Google were found liable and must pay damages to a 20-year-old woman who alleged that her addiction to the companies' social media platforms caused her to suffer a mental health crisis, a jury said. In the first case of its kind to go to trial, the 12-person jury in California state court was asked to decide whether Meta and Google were negligent in the design and operation of their platforms and should have warned that their products might be dangerous for minors. Jurors said Meta must pay at least $2.1 million in damages, and Google must pay at least $900,000.

In more Meta news, the company is cutting several hundred jobs as part of a restructuring effort that's had an impact on teams including sales, recruiting and the Reality Labs hardware division. The layoffs are said to affect fewer than 1,000 of Meta's 79,000 employees, both in the US and internationally. Some of the personnel impacted will be offered other jobs, or a chance to move to another location to stay at the company. Meta has already trimmed its ranks this year: Its Reality Labs division cut more than 1,000 people in January.

Barclays Pulls Back on Asset-Based Loans After MFS, Tricolor

Barclays is scaling back its asset-based lending to smaller borrowers, according to people with knowledge of the matter, after the collapses of Market Financial Solutions and Tricolor Holdings left the firm facing losses.

US mortgage rates climbed to a five-month high of 6.43%. Mortgage Bankers Association data released Wednesday showed the contract rate on a 30-year mortgage rose 13 basis points in the week ended March 20, pushing home-financing costs to the highest level since October and dealing a blow to both purchasing and refinancing activity. In the last three weeks, the rate has climbed 34 basis points, the most since November 2024.

Attendees wear Alberta and American flags during the Alberta Independence Town Hall event in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, on Monday, Jan. 26, 2026. A petition has been started by separatist activists in Alberta for a referendum on independence from Canada, driven in part by a belief that the government in Ottawa hasn't done enough to accelerate projects to expand oil production, such as new pipelines. Photographer: Leah Hennel/Bloomberg

In Oil-Rich Canadian Province, a Long-Shot Secession Bid Gains Traction

A separatist drive in Alberta could split a country that Trump wants to make the 51st US state.

Airports are facing the "highest wait times in TSA history." Acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill told lawmakers Wednesday that the agency has already lost more than 480 transportation security officers during the Department of Homeland Security funding shutdown. The staffing crunch is worsening as the funding lapse continues, with as many as 40% to 50% of officers calling out, resulting in some wait times of more than 4.5 hours, McNeill said.

Oil Theft Is Burning a Billion-Dollar Hole in the West Texas Economy

When it was $65 a barrel, crude was already going missing from Permian oil fields at record rates. Now that it's almost $100, authorities are bracing for more pain.