By LISA MASCARO, AP Congressional Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) — Key members of Congress are demanding a swift vote on a war powers resolution that would restrain President Donald Trump’s military attack on Iran unless the administration wins their approval for what they warn is a potentially illegal campaign that risks pulling the United States into a deeper Middle East conflict.

Both the House and Senate, where the president’s Republican Party has a slim majority, had already drafted such resolutions long before the strikes Saturday. Now they are ready to plunge into a rare war powers debate next week that will serve as a referendum on Trump’s decision to go it alone on military action without formal authorization from Congress.

“Has President Trump learned nothing from decades of U.S. meddling in Iran and forever wars in the Middle East?” said Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., a leader in the bipartisan effort. He said the strikes on Iran were “a colossal mistake.”

In the House, Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Thomas Massie, R-Ky., are demanding Congress go on record with a public vote on their own bipartisan measure. “Congress must convene on Monday to vote,” Khanna said, “to stop this.”

Massie blasted Trump’s own presidential campaign slogan and said: “This is not ‘America First.’”

But most Republicans, particularly their leaders, welcomed Trump’s move against Iran. Many cited the longtime U.S. adversary’s nuclear programs and missile capabilities as requiring a military response.

“Well done, Mr. President,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. “As I watch and monitor this historic operation, I’m in awe of President Trump’s determination to be a man of peace but at the end of the day, evil’s worst nightmare.”

War powers debate tests Congress

The administration’s decision to launch, with Israel, what appears to be an open-ended joint military operation aimed at changing the government in Tehran is testing the Constitution’s separation of powers in deep and dramatic ways. Nearly two months earlier, Trump ordered U.S. strikes that toppled Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

While presidents have the authority as the commander in chief to conduct certain strategic military operations on their own, the Constitution vests Congress with the power to wage war. Before the Iraq War began in March 2003, Republican President George W. Bush made a monthslong push to secure congressional authorization. No such vote was attempted on Iran, and an earlier Senate effort to halt Trump’s actions after last summer’s strike on Iran failed.

The congressional debate over war powers would mostly be symbolic. Even if a resolution were to pass the narrowly split Congress, Trump likely would veto it and Congress would not have the two-thirds majority needed to overturn that rejection. Congress has often failed to block other U.S. military actions, including in a Senate vote on Venezuela, but the roll calls stand as a public record.

Republican leaders back Trump’s action

The response by House Speaker Mike Johnson reflected the party’s long-standing views. Iran, he said, is facing “the severe consequences of its evil actions.”

Johnson, R-La., said the leaders of the House and Senate and the respective intelligence committees had been briefed in detail earlier in the week that military action “may become necessary” to protect U.S. troops and citizens in Iran. He said he received updates from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and will stay in “close contact” with Trump and the Defense Department “as this operation proceeds.”

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., commended Trump “for taking action to thwart these threats.”

Thune said he looked forward to administration officials briefing all senators — a signal that lawmakers are seeking more answers to their questions about Trump’s plans ahead.

Democrats warn strikes are illegal

Many Democrats are calling the operation illegal, saying the Constitution gives Congress alone the power to declare war. To them, the administration has failed to lay out its rationale or plan for the military strikes, and the aftermath.

Sen. Chris Van Hollen, who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the president has undertaken “illegal, regime-change war against Iran.”

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“This is not making us safer & only damages the US & our interests,” Van Hollen, D-Md., said in a social media post. “The Senate must immediately vote on the War Powers Resolution to stop it.”

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said while Iran is a “bad actor and must be aggressively confronted” for its human rights abuses and the threat it poses to the U.S. and allies, the administration “must seek authorization for the preemptive use of military force that constitutes an act of war.”

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader, demanded that Congress be briefed immediately on the administration’s plans.

“Iran must never be allowed to attain a nuclear weapon but the American people do not want another endless and costly war in the Middle East when there are so many problems at home,” he said.

Associated Press writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Matt Brown contributed to this report.

By BRIAN MELLEY

The U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Saturday in what President Donald Trump said was a massive operation to destroy the country’s military capabilities and eliminate the threat of it creating a nuclear weapon.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said it would defend its homeland and its Revolutionary Guard said it launched counterattacks, firing drones and missiles at Israel and strikes aimed at U.S. military installations in Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar. The exchanges of fire continued into the night, and Iranian state media, citing the Red Crescent, said on Saturday evening that at least 201 people had been killed and more than 700 injured.

The strikes came after Trump has pressured Tehran for a deal to constrain its nuclear program, building up a fleet of American warships in the region as the country struggles with growing dissent following nationwide protests.

More than 80 people were reported killed and dozens wounded at a girls’ school in southern Iran in the Israeli-U.S. strikes, the local governor told Iranian state TV. Shrapnel from an Iranian missile attack on the capital of the United Arab Emirates killed one person, state media said.

Ayatollah’s compound was one of the first targets

Israel announced it had launched an attack on Iran shortly after explosions were heard in Tehran on Saturday morning. The U.S. military said targets in Iran included Revolutionary Guard command facilities, air defense capabilities, missile and drone launch sites, and military airfields.

One of the first strikes hit near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Later Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a nationally televised address that there were “growing signs” that Khamenei had been killed.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told NBC News that Khamenei and President Masoud Pezeshkian are alive “as far as I know.”

Iran strikes back at Israel and U.S. bases

Bahrain said a missile attack targeted the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in the island kingdom. Witnesses heard sirens and explosions in Kuwait, home to U.S. Army Central. Explosions could also be heard in Qatar, where Al Udeid Air Base hosts thousands of service members.

Saudi Arabia said on state-run media that it had repelled attacks by Iran on its capital and eastern region, and sirens sounded in Jordan.

An apartment building in northern Israel was damaged and shrapnel fell in multiple sites, according to media and police. But Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani said there had been no significant hits in Israel and rescue services said there were no serious injuries reported from missile barrages across the country.

Kuwait’s health ministry said a dozen people were injured in strikes.

Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, meanwhile, have vowed to resume attacks on Red Sea shipping routes and on Israel, according to two senior Houthi officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because there was no official announcement from leadership.

Trump tells Iranians it’s time to topple their government

It took over an hour for Trump to make an official announcement on the U.S. involvement in what he termed “major combat operations.”

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In an 8-minute video on social media, Trump indicated the U.S. was striking for reasons far beyond the nuclear program, listing grievances stretching back to the beginning of the Islamic Republic following a revolution in 1979 that turned Iran from one of America’s closest allies in the Middle East into a fierce foe.

Trump told Iranians to take cover but urged them to later rise up and topple the Islamic leadership.

“When we are finished, take over your government,” Trump said. “It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.”

The attacks came a day after Trump voiced frustration over lack of progress in negotiations to stop Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons.

U.S. military has been building up its war machinery in the area

Israel said it had worked with the U.S. for months to plan the attacks.

Before U.S.-Iran negotiations were underway in Geneva, the U.S. had assembled a vast fleet of fighter jets and warships in the region to try to pressure Iran into a deal over its nuclear program.

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and three guided-missile destroyers arrived in January to bolster the number of warships in the region. The world’s largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, and four accompanying destroyers later were dispatched from the Caribbean to head to the Middle East and are now in the Mediterranean.

The fleet has added more than 10,000 U.S. troops to the region.

Fighting grounds flights and disrupts commercial air travel

The fighting disrupted air travel in the region.

Major airlines based in the Middle East canceled hundreds of flights while many other travelers were unexpectedly diverted to airports across Europe or flown back to departure airports.

It was unclear how long the disruption to flight operations could last, and airlines urged passengers to check their flight status online before heading to the airport.

It’s probably difficult for Minnesota’s women’s basketball team to stop from dreaming about an NCAA tournament berth.

With one regular-season game left, they’re ranked No. 22 in the AP and USA Today polls, and No. 8 in the NET Rankings used to seed the NCAA tournament. So they’re likely to earn their first ticket to the Big Dance since 2019.

Minnesota point guard Amaya Battle drives on Ohio State’s Kennedy Cambridge during the Gophers’ 74-61 victory Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026, at Williams Arena. Battle’s five assists moved her into second place on the Gophers’ career assists list. (Claudia Staut/Gophers Athletics)

Yet there is work to be done, still, and coach Dawn Plitzuweit and her staff just had an entire week to prepare the Gophers for what will be a huge week for the program, starting with Sunday’s 1 p.m. tip at Illinois.

The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network.

“Some coaches either love the bye week or don’t love the bye,” Plitzuweit said, “but I think our bodies need some of that.”

And some practice. Riding a nine-game win streak that included a convincing win over then-No. 10 Ohio State, the Gophers ran into a wall last Sunday against No. 15 Michigan State, losing 75-61 in front of a large Williams Arena crowd on Senior Night.

Two things stuck out for Plitzuweit. The Gophers didn’t capitalize on their chances at the rim — outscored 38-30 in the paint — and the country’s best team taking care of the ball, averaging fewer than 10 turnovers a game, finished with 13.

“We’ve got to go back and clean some of those things up,” Plitzuweit said.

The goal, as always, is to score efficiently. That will be important for Minnesota (21-7, 12-5 Big Ten) from here on out. The Illini (19-9, 9-8) aren’t ranked, but a road win in Champaign will help the Gophers’ NET rating and secure the 4 seed, and two byes, in the conference tournament March 4-8 in Indianapolis.

The Spartans delivered a bit of a wake-up call by attacking the Gophers’ strong points and making them react.

“I think there’s a very good chance that we see them again,” post Sophie Hart said. “They’re a very good team. So going back, that’s why it’s fun to play in the Big Ten: Everyone has a different style of play, and that will prepare us for when we get into the Big Dance and the Big Ten tourney.

“So, we’ve got to learn from this game, but I still think we’re focused right now on Illinois. We’ve got one more conference game; I think after that, we’ll really turn our eyes (forward). It’s just (about) learning and growing. It’s kind of nice that they throw it at you now versus tourney time.”

The Gophers just missed out on the NCAAs last year but aren’t without positive tournament experience. Playing almost exclusively on the road, they won the postseason Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament, coming back with a trophy and a program-best 25 wins.

For now, the focus is squarely on what’s next. The rest, sophomore guard Tori McKinney said, “is just noise.”

“We need to focus on each other and our program, and honestly just look at it game by game,” she said. “Michigan State was our focus; now we’ve got Illinois.”

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One of the reasons the pro hockey leagues let their players compete in the Olympics is simple marketing. When the teams in your market come back with a pair of gold medals, the effects are tangible.

Because a lot of people watch the Olympics.

According to NBC Universal’s ratings of the Feb. 19 gold medal game between the United States and Canada — home to all eight of the Professional Women’s Hockey League teams — the game averaged 5.3 million viewers throughout. By the time Megan Keller won it with an overtime goal, that had peaked to 7.7 million.

Once the Games officially wrapped on Feb. 22, the PWHL started to see its highest ticket sales of the season.

“The Olympics have drawn significant interest to the PWHL’s restart,” the league said in a statement, “with February 24 and 25 seeing the two biggest home venue ticket sales days” since the season began on Nov. 22.

The players are feeling it, as well.

“There were a few people that said, ‘I’m looking for a new market to support, give me your best thoughts,’ ” said Taylor Heise, one of six Minnesota Frost players to compete for Team USA. “I sent my love to a few people, for sure. But any fan of the PWHL is a fan of us, and we’ll take that … and just get excited for new fans in our base.”

Heise, Britta Curl-Salemme, Kelly Pannek, Kelly Coyne Schofield, Lee Stecklein and Grace Zumwinkle were all part of the U.S. team that sliced the gauntlet of the world’s best players, outsourcing opponents by a combined score of 37-2.

The championship game was a nail-biter. With the goalie pulled for an extra attacker, Hilary Knight tied it with a goal at 17:56 of the third period. Keller then won it in the 3-on-3 overtime.

“I think we’re only going to be seeing a big spike in people watching games,” Curl-Salemme said. “You get connected personally to players during the Olympics, and teams, just because of how cool it is, and then they get to find them in the PW and find different rivalries and different teams.”

The PWHL, which expanded into Seattle and Vancouver this season, sent 61 players to the Olympics. The league has also made it easy to access their games online, often livestreaming them on their YouTube channel for free.

The Frost, the two-time PWHL champions, return to league play on Sunday against the Victoire in Montreal. Puck drop is set for noon.

The league’s first game of the re-start, between Montreal and the New York Sirens, had only 3,488 fans in attendance and 569 views on YouTube on Thursday. But ticket sales have shown that should be an outlier in what’s to come for the rest of the regular season.

“I think that was a great display of women’s hockey, and it’s great there were 61 players in Italy that are coming back to play in the PWHL,” Pannek said. “And for the fans that were tuning in, they know where they can watch their favorite player and continue to grow the game. And that’s something we’re all really excited about.”

Heise is hoping the gold medal win could help expand hockey in her hometown of Lake City, Minn. She said Wednesday the town is looking to make upgrades to its ice rink, and a Lake City official confirmed the town is applying for funding through a Minnesota DNR grant.

If they can secure the grant, it will open a door for more youth hockey opportunities for Lake City children looking to follow Heise’s Olympic dreams.

“We still don’t have a hockey program down there,” said Heise, who played high school hockey for Red Wing. “But I do think our rink is getting a little renovation, so that is something I am hopeful for.”

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