Thousands more U.S. troops arrive in the Middle East. What to know.

Summary

Podcast Summary: Apple News Today

Episode Title: Thousands more U.S. troops arrive in the Middle East. What to know.
Host: Cecilia Ley
Date: March 30, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode provides a comprehensive update on escalating U.S. military involvement in the Middle East amid ongoing conflict, the complexities of the U.S. government shutdown affecting TSA workers, and the fallout from recent immigration crackdowns. The episode also touches on Cuba’s energy crisis, a judiciary controversy, and concludes with NCAA basketball updates. Leading journalists from Reuters, NBC News, and The Wall Street Journal provide expert context throughout.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. U.S. Troop Surge in the Middle East

[00:05–04:05]

• Troop Deployment:

  • Thousands more U.S. troops are arriving in the Middle East.
  • President Trump is considering “diplomatic and military ways to end the conflict.”
  • Pentagon prepares for possible weeks-long ground operations in Iran, awaiting presidential authorization.
    • Plans described as “falling short of a full-scale invasion” but possibly involving special operations and raids.

• Reuters’ National Security Correspondent Idris Ali:

  • Troop numbers are expected to increase, with the 82nd Airborne arriving soon.
  • The situation remains fluid:

    "President Trump, as far as we know, has not made a decision to send ground troops into Iran. That can happen quickly, but it does require a certain level of protection for these forces who might be in harm's way." (Idris Ali, [01:35])

• Regional Reaction & Missile Exchange:

  • Iranian officials accuse the U.S. of secretly planning a ground attack.
  • Despite Trump’s claims of Iranian missile depletion, Ali reports only about one-third of Iran’s missile launchers have been destroyed, with another third deep in protected storage.

    "Iran still has, you know, hundreds, potentially more, thousands of missiles left. So even…100 missiles might be too much for neighboring countries." (Ali, [03:02])

• Iran-backed Houthis Enter War:

  • Houthi rebels from Yemen have entered the conflict, firing missiles at Israel and threatening global shipping in the Red Sea.

    "If the Gulf and the Red Sea are choked off for oil, that could really lead to an increase in prices, which are already…skyrocketing." (Ali, [03:55])

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2. U.S. Government Shutdown & TSA Worker Payment

[04:05–07:38]

• TSA Staff Payment:

  • President Trump issued an executive order for TSA paychecks; partial DHS shutdown continues.
  • The shutdown is the longest in U.S. history.

• Congressional Stalemate:

  • Senate and House are on recess; no long-term resolution expected until at least mid-April.

    "I would expect not until mid April could we see a permanent long term solution to this mess." (Sahil Kapoor, NBC News, [05:01])

  • Senate passed a bipartisan bill to fund the TSA but not ICE; House Republicans rejected this plan.

    "This gambit that was done last night is a joke." (Speaker Mike Johnson, [05:50])

  • House pushed a 60-day stopgap including ICE and CBP, a nonstarter for Senate Democrats.

• President’s Role:

  • Trump has issued an executive order to fund TSA from alternative DHS margins, but its legality and duration are unclear.

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3. Minneapolis After ICE 'Operation Metro Surge'

[07:38–11:02]

• Flashpoint City:

  • Minneapolis was the site of mass ICE raids and a large-scale anti-Trump protest, headlined by Bruce Springsteen in tribute to those killed during ICE operations.

• Business Impact:

  • Joe Barrett (Wall Street Journal):

    "It was like a war zone. Many businesses were shuttered…volunteers with whistles and orange vests patrolling the sidewalks." (Barrett, [09:03])

  • Economic analysis suggests over $100M in lost wages for Minneapolis and $200M in state-wide economic damage.

  • Many businesses, particularly in Hispanic neighborhoods, struggle to recover despite partial reopening.

    "She's doing about 20 to 50% of the business that she used to do." (Barrett, [10:46])

  • State response includes proposed rental assistance and aid, but political divisions over fraud scandals block progress.

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4. Quick News Updates

[11:02–13:15]

• Cuba's Oil Crisis:

  • U.S. allows Russian oil tanker to Cuba, temporarily easing the blockade amid humanitarian and energy crises.
  • The UN and other critics highlight worsening conditions due to the blockade.

• 98-Year-Old Federal Judge Fights to Keep Her Job:

  • Judge Pauline Newman, suspended for refusing medical testing, appeals to the Supreme Court to fight forced retirement.
  • The case spotlights the aging judicial workforce; over 30% of federal judges are 75+ with no mandatory retirement.

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5. NCAA March Madness Update

[13:15–14:05]

• Final Four Set:
  • Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, and UConn move to Indianapolis for the national championship.
  • UConn’s Braylon Mullins hits a last-second three-pointer to upset Duke.

    "Two seconds. Mullins tosses it up. It's good…UConn freshman Braylon Mullins sunk a three pointer to pull the Huskies ahead of Duke, the tournament's top ranked team, leaving just four tenths of a second on the clock." (Apple News, [13:40])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "The reality is between 2,500 and 3,500 U.S. marines have arrived in the Greater Middle East region." (Reuters, [00:14])
• "It's sort of almost in the eye of the beholder...even if [Iran’s threat] is diminished, even one missile—or 100 missiles—might be too much for neighboring countries." (Idris Ali, [03:02])
• "The whole situation is, in a word, bizarre." (Sahil Kapoor, [06:37])
• "It was like a war zone. Many businesses were shuttered…doors locked...The place really felt like it was under siege." (Joe Barrett, [09:03])
• "She's doing about 20 to 50% of the business that she used to do." (Joe Barrett, [10:46])
• "No court has found [Judge Pauline Newman] to be incompetent and she has said she's fighting to stop others from being forced out against their will." (Apple News, [12:15])
• "Mullins tosses it up. It's good…UConn freshman Braylon Mullins sunk a three pointer…" (Apple News, [13:40])

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Timestamps of Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------------------|-------------| | U.S. troop surge in the Middle East | 00:05–04:05 | | TSA payment & government shutdown | 04:05–07:38 | | Minneapolis after ICE raids | 07:38–11:02 | | Cuba oil crisis & Judge Newman case | 11:02–13:15 | | NCAA Final Four drama | 13:15–14:05 |

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Conclusion

This episode weaves together international security, domestic political strife, immigration’s local toll, major legal questions, and American sports drama—offering a well-rounded snapshot of current affairs with insightful contributions from top journalists and direct voices from those most affected.

Transcript

[A]

Good morning. As thousands of troops arrive in the Middle East, Trump continues to weigh diplomatic and military ways to end the conflict. Reuters walks us through it.

[B]

I think it's important to see what they're doing rather than what they're saying. And the reality is between 2,500 and 3,500 U.S. marines have arrived in the Greater Middle east region.

[A]

TSA staffers should get paid this week, but the partial shutdown drags on. NBC News explains why Senate and House Republicans are at odds. And the 98 year old federal judge who wants her job back. It's Monday, March 30th. I'm Cecilia Ley and this is Apple News. Today. The war in the Middle east could enter a new phase this week, but the direction remains unclear. Diplomacy or escalation? Thousands of additional U.S. troops arrived in the region over the weekend. The Washington Post reports that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran as it awaits President Trump's order. Quoting anonymous official sources, the Post suggested the plans fall short of a full scale invasion, but involve raids by special operations and conventional forces. The administration has stressed that no decision has been made. And last week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that objectives could be met without any ground troops. Idris Ali is a national security correspondent for Reuters. He told us that thousands more troops have arrived in the Middle east and that's a number that could get even bigger very soon.

[B]

We have troops from the 82nd Airborne arriving soon into the Middle east as well. And so the number of troops is going to increase. That's probably a few weeks away. And President Trump, as far as we know, has not made a decision to send ground troops into Iran. So far. That can happen quickly, but it does require a certain level of protection for these forces who might be in harm's way.

[A]

Ali reports that there's now more than 50,000 troops in the region. This buildup hasn't gone unnoticed. On Sunday, hours after the Post's reporting, Iran's parliament speaker accused the US of secretly planning a ground attack. While the buildup escalates on the ground, in the air, missiles continue to fly in both directions. Trump has claimed Tehran has, quote, very few rockets left. But Ali said that among the people he's speaking to, there's a lot less certainty.

[B]

We asked our sources, how much of Iran's missiles does the United States believe it has actually destroyed? And from our understanding, essentially the United States can only determine with high confidence that one third of Iran's missile and missile launchers have been destroyed so far.

[A]

Ali reports Another third of Iran's missiles are either incapacitated or in underground tunnels and bunkers that can't be reached. And while missile and drone attacks on neighboring countries are much lower than last month's peak, Iran has still delivered a steady stream of aerial attacks and continues to pose a serious threat to the Gulf.

[B]

It's sort of almost in the eye of the beholder, right? Iran still has, you know, hundreds, potentially more, thousands of missiles left. So even if it's diminished, even one missile or two missiles or 10 missiles or 100 missiles might be too much for neighboring countries like the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia. And so I think it comes down to sort of what your definition, if you're a neighboring country is of diminished or less of a threat. In absolute terms, I think they are a diminished threat. But it doesn't take much to sort of bring some of the global hubs to sort of a San Sale.

[A]

Over the weekend, Gulf nations like Kuwait, the UAE and Bahrain all reported strikes. And Iran backed Houthi rebels in Yemen entered the war for the first time, launching missiles toward Israel and claiming responsibility for the attacks. Ali says the Houthis could also inflict further economic pain, especially if they target a vital shipping route in the Red Sea.

[B]

And then you've got two key waterways in the sort of the Gulf and the Red Sea choked off for oil coming out. And that could really lead to an increase in prices of oil, which are already sort of skyrocketing.

[A]

At the same time, nearby regional powers gathered in Pakistan to discuss how to mediate an end to the conflict. The Pakistani foreign minister declared they were ready to host the warring nations, but direct talks have yet to take place and a potential summit still looks a long ways away. TSA workers could finally get paid this week after President Trump's executive order last Friday directed paychecks to go out. Travelers are hoping for a quick relief to wait times as staffers return to work. But even if they do, the crisis has been delayed, not resolved. The partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, which has left airports severely understaffed, is still in effect and it's now the longest government shutdown in US History. As Sahil Kapoor from NBC News told us, it could drag on for a while yet.

[C]

Here's the situation. The Senate and the House are both on recess now, not expected to return for the next two weeks. So I would expect not until mid April could we see a permanent long term solution to this mess.

[A]

Lawmakers were in frantic last minute negotiations on Friday, but their efforts ultimately failed. The Senate managed to pass a bipartisan measure that funded parts of the dhs, including tsa, and leave negotiate over ICE for another day that would have put a more definitive end to the chaos that's been choking airports.

[C]

Republican leaders who control the House trashed that bill. They said it was essentially forced down the throats of Republicans by Senator Chuck Schumer, the minority leader, and Democrats, forgetting for a moment that it's Republicans who actually control the chamber. And the bill passed unanimously.

[A]

House Speaker Mike Johnson had strong words for his Senate colleagues, including those in his own party. This gambit that was done last night is a joke.

[D]

I'm quite convinced that it can't be

[A]

that every Senate Republican read the language of this bill. Instead, Johnson moved ahead with a different piece of legislation in the House, which

[C]

was a 60 day stopgap funding for all of DHS, including ICE and CBP, which they knew would not pass the Senate because this has been the fight all along for more than a month now, that Democrats would not agree to fund ICE and CBP without some reforms to the way immigration operations are conducted. Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority Leader, made clear that it was never going to get to the 60 votes it needed to pass the Senate. So, long story short, the stalemate continues.

[A]

Kapoor says the whole situation is, in a word, bizarre.

[C]

I put this down ultimately to two things. First, a communications breakdown between John Thune, the Senate Majority Leader, and Mike Johnson, the House Speaker. These two men were clearly not on the same page when Thune decided to proceed with that DHS funding bill that the Senate ultimately passed.

[A]

Kapoor told us that Trump has appeared disconnected from the process in Congress and hasn't pushed his party into a single direction. Instead, he intervened with an executive order late on Friday.

[C]

Now, what the President seems inclined to do here is to use funding from a separate pot of money that Republicans passed last year in the so called big beautiful bill that applied to dhs. This money seems to be designed for ICE and CBP as part of the President's mass deportation program. But the White House sees some flexibility in the way it can spend the money, and it has decided apparently to use it to pay TSA officers and agents.

[A]

Kapoor notes it's unclear how long Trump can reroute that money or how much he can spend and whether or not his executive order will face any legal challenges. The ICE operation may be winding down in Minneapolis, but its impact is still being felt. The spotlight was back on the city over the weekend when it hosted the flagship anti Trump no Kings rally, which drew 200,000 people and a protest performance by Bruce Springsteen. Minneapolis I hear your voice crying through the bloody mistake.

[D]

Remember the names of those who died

[A]

on the streets of Minneapolis. The song paid tribute to Renee Goode and Alex Preddy, two American citizens killed by federal agents during the so called Operation Metro surge. Over two months, thousands of ICE and Border Patrol agents conducted raids in businesses and public settings. Minneapolis quickly became a flashpoint in Trump's immigration crackdown, and now the economic hangover is starting to emerge. Joe Barrett from the Wall Street Journal has been looking into how that intense period affected local businesses. He told us what he saw on Eastlake Street, Hispanic business enclave of the city back during the peak of ice's operation.

[D]

It was like a war zone. Many businesses were shuttered. More businesses were closed than open. The few that were open had somebody guarding the front door. They had the doors locked. There were volunteers with whistles and orange vests patrolling the sidewalks. The place really felt like it was under siege.

[A]

Barrett says there was plenty of anecdotal evidence that economic activity has slowed down workers staying home and customers staying away due to safety concerns. There was also the massive general strike and economic blockout to protest ICE raids in late January. But calculating a precise cost of all of this could take time. Recent analysis suggested there were over $100 million in lost wages in the city of Minneapolis and at least $200 million in economic damages in the state. Democratic Gov. Tim Walz has proposed rental assistance and $10 million in forgivable loans, but that would require some Minnesota Republicans to back it. And several have already pointed to previous fraud scandals in the state as they ruled out their support. On a recent reporting trip, Barrett returned to Minneapolis. He told us that while many of the businesses, like small shops and taquerias, have reopened their doors, things haven't returned to what they were before the raids.

[D]

It looked like there was some normalcy coming back, but then when I started to talk to the different business owners, you know, some of them were still really struggling. They were glad to be back and working, but people just weren't really coming through the door because a lot of their customers were still concerned about ICE or they were still broke because they hadn't been working.

[A]

He told us about Araceli Orozco, the owner of a food stand that was closed during the surge, as well as a nearby restaurant bar that recently started serving food again. But like her neighbors, she's feeling the financial crunch.

[D]

She said, you know, it's good to be back working. She hadn't received any help so far from any organizations or the government. Nada Aouda, she said. When people do come in, the business is still really slow. She's doing about 20 to 50% of the business that she used to do.

[A]

In their statement, an ICE spokesperson told the Journal that removing criminals from the streets made it, quote, safer for everyone, including business owners and their customers. And finally, a few other stories we're following. A bit of relief may be coming for Cuba. The US Coast Guard is allowing a Russian tanker full of crude oil to approach the island nation, breaking the administration's three month long oil blockade. Cuba has been suffering from daily blackouts, gas shortages and deteriorating medical care since it lost access to Venezuelan oil. The New York Times reports that the tanker could arrive to Cuba by tonight and buy the country a few weeks before fuel reserves run out. It's not clear why the US didn't stop the Russian tanker, but the US blockade has attracted criticism from the UN as the humanitarian crisis worsens. A 98 year old federal judge who was sidelined over questions about her competency wants her job back and is asking the Supreme Court for help. Judge Pauline Newman was suspended back in 2023 when she refused to submit to medical testing over her mental fitness. As NPR reports, no court has found Newman to be incompetent and she has said she's fighting to stop others from being forced out against their will. So far, her case has been rejected at the federal level. Her situation raises questions over how the judicial system should be managing an aging workforce. Data suggests more than 30% of federal judges are 75 years or older, but there's no retirement age in place. And finally, the men's NCAA basketball Final Four is set. Arizona, Michigan, Illinois and UConn head to Indianapolis to compete for the national championship. Arizona, Illinois and Michigan all won their Elite Eight games relatively comfortably. But in true March Madness style, the final game of the weekend ended in dramatic fashion and stolen by Mullins Caravan. Two seconds. Mullins tosses it up. It's good. We're that's the moment. UConn freshman Braylon Mullins sunk a three pointer to pull the Huskies ahead of Duke, the tournament's top ranked team, leaving just four tenths of a second on the clock. Punching their ticket to the final four, UConn now takes on Illinois and Michigan will face Arizona to determine which two teams will play in the title game. Both Final Four games will be played Saturday and the championship game is a week from today. You can find all these stories and more in the Apple News app and if you're already listening in the news app, right now, we've got a narrated article. Coming up next, women's health reports on the role dads play in their kids, attitudes toward food and body image, and why they've escaped being called an almond parent. If you're listening in the podcast app, follow Apple News Narrated to find that story. And I'll be back with the news tomorrow.

[B]

Sam.