More U.S. troops are killed as the Iran conflict deepens

Summary

Apple News Today – Episode Summary

Episode: More U.S. troops are killed as the Iran conflict deepens
Date: July 20, 2026
Host: Gideon Resnick (in for Shumita Basu)

---

Episode Overview

This episode focuses on escalating violence in the U.S.-Iran conflict, particularly the recent deaths of American service members and growing regional instability. The show also examines police accountability following controversial ICE shootings, celebrates Spain’s World Cup triumph, and wraps up with highlights of the UK's shifting politics, Maine’s Senate race, and a historic track record.

---

Key Discussion Points

1. Escalation of the U.S.–Iran Conflict

Timestamps: 00:32–04:40

• Recent U.S. Military Deaths
  • At least three American service members killed since Friday, marking the deadliest stretch in months ([00:32]).
    • One died during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone in northern Iraq; two others killed in Jordan ([00:49]).
• U.S. Retaliation and Regional Strain
  • U.S. blamed Iran, launching retaliatory strikes on its coastal and air defense sites ([00:57]).
  • President Trump responded:
    “We feel very badly, but you know those great people, those great patriots are out there fighting that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Iran has been very, very badly damaged. They've lost everything almost militarily.” – President Trump ([01:08])
  • Ninth consecutive night of U.S. strikes; conflict expanding ([01:24]).
• Wider Middle East Impact
  • Iran has attacked U.S. allies: Kuwait (desalination plant hit), Jordan (attacked), Bahrain (missile interceptions) ([01:31]).
  • Regional concern that escalation could draw in additional countries.
    “The Americans are bringing in apparently dozens more warplanes into the region, parking them in Israel for the moment. And it's all, as I said, looking very grim... It’s very, very dangerous because they (the UAE) know they would be really in the front line if it gets much worse.” – Jim Muir ([01:51])
• Background & Ongoing Risks
  • Conflict reignited after Iran attacked commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz ([02:11]).
  • Iran suspends its commitments to a weekend interim peace deal, threatening future shipping routes ([02:12]).
• Political Critique
  • Senator Mark Warner critiques U.S. strategy:
    “Regime change. Well, the guys in charge now are worse than the prior crowd... Gas is now back up to four bucks... And there is no plan on how we keep the strait open.” – Sen. Mark Warner ([02:40])
• Energy and Global Markets
  • U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright disputes figures and insists oil is flowing at about two-thirds previous rates ([03:10]).
  • “There’s flow complicit with Iran... and then there’s flow through the southern route protected by American infrastructure... we're flowing larger tankers now to keep the world markets as well supplied as we can.” – Chris Wright ([03:21])
• Military Options
  • Admiral James Stavridis lays out President Trump's three options:
    1. Walk away
    2. Large-scale return to combat (possible U.S. boots on the ground)
    3. Increase kinetic activity, sanctions, and try to keep negotiation open
       “Some have called this... escalate to de-escalate, to force them back to the table.” – Adm. Stavridis ([04:00])
  • President Trump: “I couldn't care less that Iran would no longer abide by the terms of their agreement.” ([04:25])

---

2. ICE Shootings and Officer Accountability

Timestamps: 04:41–08:31

• Recent Incidents
  • Two fatal ICE shootings in a week: Houston (July 7) and Maine (July 14) ([04:50]).
• Body Camera Debate
  • Lack of body cameras on agents; Trump’s border czar Tom Homan promises at least one camera per stop moving forward ([05:04], [05:16]). “Now we have the funding... the cameras have been purchased... they’re training the trainer in deploying... nationwide.” – Tom Homan ([05:20])
• Focus on Maine Shooting and David Brulette
  • Per AP, shooter in Maine identified as David Brulette, reportedly with a history of violent behavior ([05:36]).
  • Reporter Jack Brook:
    “Everyone said that he had no business being handed a gun and a badge... court records indicated... a pattern of him attacking and harassing women in his life over the years.” ([05:47])
  • Ex-wife Ashley Brulette on abuse and ICE hiring:
    “I've waited years to speak my truth, I've been silenced long enough, and now I need to come out with everything because a man lost his life.” – Ashley Brulette ([06:55])
  • Family, court records surface mental health issues, allegations of stalking, abuse, temporary protective orders, no criminal convictions ([07:06], [07:10]).
  • “I think everyone that knows him is saying he was not mentally fit... his pattern of violent and abusive behavior should have been a red flag...” – Jack Brook ([07:36])
• Broader Criticism
  • Critics claim rapid expansion of DHS since Trump’s second term came at the cost of vetting ([07:55]).
  • ICE denies lack of training and vetting; officers in both shootings placed on administrative leave ([08:29]).

---

3. Spain’s World Cup Triumph

Timestamps: 08:41–12:00

• Tournament Recap
  • Spain wins second-ever World Cup after a grinding, strategic final against Argentina ([08:54]).
  • “Spain, as the winners, didn't have as many superstars as the other teams... but they were collectively better.” – Dermot Corrigan ([00:21], [11:37])
  • Argentina failed to get a shot in regulation, played for penalties, persistent fouls, red card ([09:12]).
  • Ferran Torres scored the decisive goal in extra time ([09:28]).

• Analysis of Spain’s Style

  “Spain are just so good at controlling the game, they're so good at keeping the ball... Their passing is excellent... they don't make mistakes in possession, and when they lose the ball they're really good at winning it back.” – Dermot Corrigan ([10:01])
  • Spanish football culture emphasizes understanding the game and team play, not individual superstars ([10:25]).
• World Cup Changes & Legacy
  • Notable changes: more teams, hydration breaks, an American-style halftime show ([10:50]).
  • FIFA President Gianni Infantino booed while entering the stadium with President Trump but seems secure in his position ([11:08], [11:14]).
  • “It’s still a team sport... Spain didn't have as many superstars as other teams... But they were collectively better. They played for each other and were able to win it.” – Dermot Corrigan ([11:37])
  • Next World Cup co-hosts: Spain, Morocco, and Portugal ([12:00]).

---

4. Other Notable Stories

Timestamps: 12:12–13:56

• UK Political Shakeup: Andy Burnham becomes the UK’s seventh prime minister in a decade, promising utility reform and social housing ([12:12]).
• Maine Senate Race: Maine Democrats consolidate behind Troy Jackson after other key candidates drop out ([12:39]).

• Track Record Broken: Josh Kerr sets a new mile world record—3:42, beating a 27-year-old mark ([13:08]).

  *“It's going to be mighty fast and surely he's going to break the world record. He does.”* – President Trump ([13:12])
  

  • Kerr credits his training and team support for his achievement ([13:50]).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We feel very badly, but you know those great people, those great patriots are out there fighting that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon...” – President Trump ([01:08])
• “Gas is now back up to four bucks... there is no plan on how we keep the strait open.” – Sen. Mark Warner ([02:40])
• “Escalate to de-escalate, to force them back to the table.” – Adm. James Stavridis ([04:00])
• “I've waited years to speak my truth... now I need to come out with everything because a man lost his life.” – Ashley Brulette ([06:55])
• “Spain, as the winners, didn't have as many superstars as the other teams... but they were collectively better.” – Dermot Corrigan ([00:21], [11:37])
• “He obliterates the world record. Josh Kerr takes down what he has been predicting since late March.” – President Trump ([13:12])

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:32–04:40: U.S.-Iran escalation & regional dynamics
• 04:41–08:31: ICE shootings, police vetting, family allegations
• 08:41–12:00: Spain’s World Cup victory & analysis
• 12:12–13:56: Headlines roundup & mile record

---

Conclusion

The episode offers a sweeping look at the mounting military and diplomatic crisis between the U.S. and Iran, accountability issues within federal law enforcement, and the cultural significance of Spain’s World Cup win—all presented through sharp reporting, expert quotes, and direct perspectives from those on the frontlines of each story.

Transcript

[News Anchor]

Good morning. The war with Iran claims more US

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

Soldiers lives as the fighting deepens.

[News Anchor]

Relatives of the ICE agent allegedly behind the fatal shooting in Maine say that

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

he had a history of violent behavior

[News Anchor]

and how Spain proved their doubters wrong

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

and won the World Cup.

[Dermot Corrigan]

Spain, as the winners, didn't have as many superstars as the other teams, didn't have that one huge outstanding guy, but they were collectively better.

[News Anchor]

It's Monday, July 20th.

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

I'm Gideon Resnick in for Shamita Basu.

[News Anchor]

This is Apple News today. At least three American service members have

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

been killed in the Iran conflict since

[News Anchor]

Friday, making it the deadliest few days

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

for US Forces in the region in months.

[News Anchor]

The latest service member was killed in

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone. Two others were confirmed dead after a strike in Jordan.

[News Anchor]

The US Blamed Iran and carried out

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

retaliatory strikes on Iranian coastal surveillance and air defense facilities.

[News Anchor]

Yesterday, President Trump was asked about the US Casualties.

[President Trump]

We feel very badly, but you know those great people, those great patriots are out there fighting that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Iran has been very, very badly damaged. They've lost everything almost militarily.

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

Last night marked the ninth consecutive night of US Strikes. The conflict now appears to be deepening in scale and scope.

[News Anchor]

US Allies like Kuwait have borne the

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

brunt of Iran's attacks, where a desalination plant was struck.

[News Anchor]

Jordan has now been hit, too, and

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

Bahrain has intercepted several missiles.

[News Anchor]

Now, nearby countries are becoming increasingly concerned

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

about getting dragged back into the conflict. As Jim Muir, the BBC's former Middle east correspondent, told the broadcaster, the Americans

[Jim Muir]

are bringing in apparently dozens more warplanes into the region, parking them in Israel for the moment. And it's all, as I said, looking very grim. The uae, the Arab Emirates put out statements saying this escalation has got to stop. It's very, very dangerous because they know they would be really in the front line if it gets much worse.

[News Anchor]

This round of fighting initially broke out

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

after Iran attacked commercial ships attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz. Since then, retaliatory back and forth strikes have brought the war back to a familiar state. Prior to the interim peace deal on Saturday, Iran said it had suspended its commitments to that deal, leaving the future of the vital waterway unknown.

[News Anchor]

Democratic senator and Vice Chair of the

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, told CBS's Face the Nation that he believed none of the president's goals had been met.

[Senator Mark Warner]

Regime change. Well, the guys in charge now are worse than the prior crowd. Getting the enriched uranium. No progress on that. It'll take 15,000 troops on the ground. Nobody wants to do that. We said we were going to degrade their ability to use missiles and drones. Obviously, we've not been successful. And then finally, the Strait of Hormuz, you know, gas is now back up to four bucks. That's $1.20 more than it was at least in Virginia when the war started. And there is no plan on how we keep the strait open.

[News Anchor]

Energy Secretary Chris Wright spoke to ABC

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

News on Sunday and insisted that oil was flowing at about two thirds the rate that it was compared to March shortly after the war began. Began.

[News Anchor]

He even said that public data on

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

how much crude was moving through the strait is inaccurate.

[Energy Secretary Chris Wright]

There's flow through two routes through the Strait of Hormuz. There's up near the Iranian islands. That's flow complicit with Iran, but that's not nothing. And then there's flow through the southern route that's protected by American infrastructure. And we count the volume of oil that goes through the ship. Numbers are down more dramatically. But of course, we're flowing larger tankers now to keep the world markets as well supplied as we can.

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

Admiral James Stavridis, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, told CNN on Sunday that Trump has three options before him.

[News Anchor]

The first is to walk away. The second is a large scale return

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

to combat with the possibility of US Boots on the ground.

[Admiral James Stavridis]

Or option three, which is what you're seeing, increasing to some degree, the kinetic activity, the bombs increasing economic sanction, pain, hopefully getting our allies on side and above all, keeping the door open for negotiation. Some have called this, and I think it's accurate, escalate to de. Escalate to force them back to the table.

[News Anchor]

President Trump told News Nation in an

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

interview that he, quote, couldn't care less that Iran would no longer abide by the terms of their agreement.

[News Anchor]

Just a quick heads up.

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

This segment describes domestic violence and abuse and might be disturbing to some listeners.

[News Anchor]

Scrutiny on ICE agents has continued to

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

grow in recent days after two fatal shootings within a week. Lorenzo Salgado Araujo was killed in Houston July 7th. And then last Monday, Johan Sebastian Duran Guerrero was shot in Maine, both during vehicle stops.

[News Anchor]

It's hard to know exactly what happened

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

as agents weren't wearing body cameras. On Sunday, President Trump's border czar Tom Homan confirmed that during future vehicle stops, at least one officer would wear a body camera.

[News Anchor]

He also suggested the partial government shutdown

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

had held up the rollout nationwide.

[Tom Homan]

Now we have the funding. After reconciliation, the cameras have been purchased. Right now they're training the trainer in deploying the cameras nationwide.

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

In the more recent Maine shooting, the

[News Anchor]

Department of Homeland Security said the officer

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

discharged his weapon after the vehicle attempted to flee.

[News Anchor]

They haven't released the agent's name, but he's been identified in various outlets as David Brulette. The Associated Press has spoken to several

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

relatives who describe him as an individual with a violent history.

[Jack Brook]

Everyone said that he had no business being handed a gun and a badge to patrol the streets as an ICE officer. They said that they all had experienced fear of him throughout their lives, and court records indicated that there's a pattern of him attacking and harassing women in his life over the years.

[News Anchor]

Jack Brook is a reporter with the

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

AP who broke this story.

[News Anchor]

He spoke with Ashley Brulette, David's high

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

school sweetheart and first wife.

[News Anchor]

Ashley said that she and David divorced

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

in 2009 after he'd become violent with her while she was pregnant. She said that even after they separated, the abuse continued.

[Jack Brook]

She shared a voicemail that he had sent to her late last year in which he said someone should slit her throat. And so, you know, those are the kind of experiences that she has had with this man. And so when her ex husband told her late last year that he had joined ice, she didn't believe him. She thought he was having a psychiatric episode.

[News Anchor]

She also told the AP that he

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

had asked her not to share details of this alleged history.

[Ashley Brulette]

I told him that I was not going to lie for him, that I've waited years to speak my truth, I've been silenced long enough and now I need to come out with everything because a man lost his life.

[News Anchor]

Other relatives that Brooke spoke to pointed

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

to a long history of mental health issues.

[News Anchor]

In interviews and family court records, Brulette's second wife alleged that he had stalked,

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

harassed and physically abused her and was granted a temporary protective order for her

[News Anchor]

daughter back in 2021, according to CBS,

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

court records show a history of reciprocal abuse and harassment allegations, but no criminal convictions. In the court filings, Brulette said that he had been slandered.

[News Anchor]

Brooks said the people they spoke to

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

felt that this should have come up in the screening process.

[Jack Brook]

I think everyone that knows him is saying he was not mentally fit to be in this position and his pattern of violent and abusive behavior should have been a red flag for anyone doing a background check.

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

According to his relatives, Brulette is a military veteran, but he only joined ICE last year.

[News Anchor]

He was part of a wave of

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

more than 12,000 new DHS recruits brought in since Trump began his second term.

[News Anchor]

Critics say the speed of that expansion

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

has come at a cost of training and proper vetting.

[News Anchor]

ICE denies those reports, and a spokesperson

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

told the AP that Brulette had nearly a decade of federal law enforcement experience with required training, including use of force training. They wouldn't confirm Brulette's role in the shooting and told AP we will never confirm or deny attempts to dox our law enforcement officers. Brulette didn't respond to AP's requests for comments.

[News Anchor]

The officers involved in both the Main

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

and Houston shootings have been placed on administrative leave.

[News Anchor]

After 104 games, 308 goals and 15

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

red cards, one nation was left standing

[News Anchor]

and celebrating, and when Rodri's ready, here we go.

[President Trump]

Spain have won the World Cup.

[News Anchor]

It was a deserved win for the Spanish, who broke down Argentina in more

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

of a grind it out game than a classic.

[Dermot Corrigan]

Expected Spain to dominate possession, to have more of the ball to push Argentina back, and that's how it was.

[News Anchor]

That's Dermot Corrigan, who covers Spanish soccer for the Athletic. Argentina failed to muster a single shot

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

in 90 minutes, seemingly wanting to take the game to penalties, and their persistent fouls eventually led to a red card.

[Dermot Corrigan]

Argentina got more and more desperate and then in extra time, it was one way, traffic the whole way and eventually

[News Anchor]

they broke through Poro chance to cross, hooks it in.

[President Trump]

Williams battling, knocks it down. It's free. It's a goal. It's Ferran Torres.

[News Anchor]

It's Spain's second World cup win and

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

it comes after securing the European Championships only two years ago.

[News Anchor]

They had an incredible tournament, especially in

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

the knockout stages where they didn't concede a single goal and yet the result is still something of a surprise.

[News Anchor]

Going into the tournament, Spain wasn't always among the most talked about countries, they lack a proven superstar like Messi and they got off to a bit of

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

a slow start, but they showed their talent as the tournament went on.

[Dermot Corrigan]

Spain are just so good at controlling the game, they're so good at keeping the ball when they have it. Their passing is excellent, their positioning on the pitch is excellent, they're really calm, they don't make mistakes in possession and when they lose the ball they're really good at winning it back as well.

[News Anchor]

And Corrigan notes that when they're ahead

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

they don't become too defensive as England did when they crumbled to Argentina.

[News Anchor]

The country's soccer culture runs deep and

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

they produce an extraordinary number of world class stars.

[Dermot Corrigan]

Kids in Spanish system are just taught really well how to play football. It's quite basic but it's not about being the guy who scores the most goals or being the biggest guy, the strongest guy on the team. It's about understanding the game which passes to make. It's a collective thing. That's what's great about soccer from my point of view anyway. In Spain are a really great example of that.

[News Anchor]

Their win brings the most watched sporting

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

event in the world to a close.

[News Anchor]

And this was a World cup that brought a lot of different changes, more countries than ever, contentious hydration breaks and

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

a distinctly American halftime show that smashed through the allotted 15 minute allocated break.

[News Anchor]

Corrigan said that some of these changes

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

might be here to stay.

[News Anchor]

As for FIFA President Gianni Infantino, he

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

found himself getting booed last night as he walked in with President Trump.

[News Anchor]

But Corrigan doubts that he's in any real trouble.

[Dermot Corrigan]

I don't think it's going to affect his position at FIFA too strongly. He's up for re election next year. That seems like he has that pretty much sewn up at this stage. Some of the European nations weren't happy about what happened, but Infantino will probably just ride it out pretty, pretty easily, it looks like.

[News Anchor]

And when it comes to the takeaways for the game itself, Corrigan said that

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

last night demonstrated that in the end it's the team that matters the most.

[Dermot Corrigan]

Maybe it's because it was in America or maybe it's just the way things are in modern football, but this was a tournament that a lot of the narrative was around the superstars. It was the Mbappe's, the Messi's, the Cristiano Ronaldo's. The flip side of that is that it's still a team sport and that Spain didn't have as many superstars as the other teams didn't have that one huge outstanding guy. But they were collectively better. They played for each other and they were able to win it.

[News Anchor]

And along with Morocco and Portugal, they'll

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

be co hosting the next World cup. Just four years to go.

[News Anchor]

Here are a few other stories we're following today. The UK gets its seventh prime minister

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

in the span of 10 years today as Andy Burnham formally takes the helm.

[News Anchor]

Dubbed King of the north for his

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

time as the mayor of Manchester, Burnham

[News Anchor]

won over the Labour Party as a

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

more popular alternative to Keir Starmer and helped to force him out the door.

[News Anchor]

He's promised to bring utilities under more

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

public control, provide relief to gas bills and build more social housing in the

[News Anchor]

U.S. maine Democrats are beginning to consolidate

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

around a candidate as their nominee against Republican Susan Collins.

[News Anchor]

Maine Secretary of state Shannon Bellows and

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

physician Nirav Shah, the former head of the state cdc, announced that they would be dropping out yesterday.

[News Anchor]

It comes as Troy Jackson, the former

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

state Senate president, has been gathering support.

[News Anchor]

Next week, delegates will formally select a

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

candidate to replace Graham Platner, who exited the race following a sexual assault allegation that he denies.

[News Anchor]

It was a record that stood for

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

27 years until Saturday.

[President Trump]

It's going to be mighty fast and surely he's going to break the world record. He does. He obliterates the world record. Josh Kerr takes down what he has been predicting since late March.

[News Anchor]

That's the sound of Kerr finishing a

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

mile in the blistering time of 3 minutes and 42 seconds.

[News Anchor]

The Scottish 28 year old beat the

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

previous record by nearly half a second,

[News Anchor]

and he had set out to do this for months, training in high altitude

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

in New Mexico and working with the company Brooks on custom spikes and a speed suit.

[News Anchor]

And he had two training partners that

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

kept him on pace to beat the record.

[News Anchor]

Kerr did say it was a little silly to say that he planned to

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

break it so early, but he also added that his team got him through the challenge.

[News Anchor]

You can find all these stories and

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

more in the Apple News app.

[News Anchor]

And if you're already listening to the News app right now, we've got a

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

narrated article coming up next.

[News Anchor]

New York Magazine reports on how Vanderbilt University, a private college in Tennessee, executed

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

a decades long reputational makeover and why some are calling it the new Harvard.

[News Anchor]

If you're listening to the podcast app,

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

you can follow Apple News Narrated to

[News Anchor]

find that story and I'll be back

[Co-Anchor Gideon Resnick]

with the news tomorrow.

[Sam]

Sam.