Hormuz Strait Standoff & CA’s Medicare Money Heist | 3.12.26

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Hormuz Strait Standoff & CA’s Medicare Money Heist | 3.12.26
Date: March 12, 2026
Hosts: John Bickley, Georgia Howe
Presented by: The Daily Wire

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Episode Overview

This episode of the Morning Wire dives into critical international and domestic news. Internationally, the focus is on the escalating conflict in the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran attempts a blockade in response to US and Israeli bombardments, causing a global energy crisis and sparking security concerns at home. Domestically, the episode investigates the country's largest hospice fraud scheme centered in Southern California, unraveling billions in Medicare losses and the possible involvement of organized crime. The episode concludes with coverage of heated legislative battles in Congress over the SAVE Act, which would require proof of citizenship for voter registration—a debate impacting both Capitol Hill and the campaign trail.

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1. Iran Conflict and the Strait of Hormuz Crisis

Segment Start: [00:28]

Key Points

• Escalation in the Strait:
  Growing US and Israeli military operations have diminished Iran’s military strength. Iran is now focusing on completely blockading the Strait of Hormuz to force concessions by threatening the world's energy supply.

  "In the last week, the Strait of Hormuz has become arguably the most important place on planet Earth."
  — Kevin ([03:02])

• Iranian Threats & Attacks:
  The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) struck three ships attempting to pass through the blockade, declaring any ship a legitimate target. Iranian officials threatened to push oil prices to $200 a barrel if the blockade continues.

  "...not a single liter of oil will pass through the strait for the benefit of the US, the Zionists, or their partners."
  — Quoting Iranian official ([03:18])

• Trump Administration Response:
  President Trump struck an optimistic tone, citing the destruction of most Iranian naval and mine-laying capabilities and encouraging oil companies to keep using the strait, offering insurance for ships.

  "Look, we took out just about all of their mine ships in one night."
  — President Trump ([03:59])

• Strategic Challenges:
  Options for reopening the strait are limited and problematic:

  • Insuring tankers is costly and time-consuming.
  • US military escorted convoys, as in the 1980s, would be slow and insufficient for the backlog.
  • International Energy Agency (IEA) is releasing 400 million barrels from strategic reserves—the largest release ever, but it only covers about 20 days of typical oil flow through the strait.

• Humanitarian Tragedy – School Explosion:
  New details emerged about a deadly explosion at an Iranian girls’ school, initially blamed on Iran but found by a Pentagon investigation to be caused by a US missile mistakenly targeting the building.

  "According to a New York Times report...the explosion was caused by an American Tomahawk missile."
  — Kevin ([05:28])

  "I don't know about that..."
  — President Trump expressing skepticism toward the report ([06:07])

  "I think it was a terrible, terrible mistake. I wish it hadn't happened. I'm sorry it happened."
  — Sen. John Kennedy ([06:22])

  "You ought to admit it."
  — Sen. Kennedy ([06:32])

• Homeland Security Alert:
  FBI warned of possible Iranian plans for retaliatory drone strikes along the US West Coast, adding a new layer of threat management for the White House.

  "The FBI has warned California police departments that Iran had aspirations for retaliatory drone strikes along the West Coast."
  — Kevin ([06:33])

• Follow-up:
  More to be discussed in the Wired In Live segment at 4:00pm Eastern.

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2. California’s Massive Hospice Fraud Investigation

Segment Start: [08:09]

Key Points

• Scope of the Fraud:
  Southern California, specifically Los Angeles County (with Van Nuys Blvd as "ground zero"), has become the epicenter of hospice provider fraud, accounting for 40% of all US hospice providers despite not having a corresponding elderly population.

  "About 40% nationwide of all hospice care providers are located in LA County."
  — Megan Basham ([08:42])

• Fraud Indicators:
  Out of 1,800 hospice agencies, 700 exhibited suspicious patterns:

  • Inflated billing
  • Shared addresses
  • Lack of actual patient care evidence
    Authorities suspect involvement of foreign organized crime, including Russian networks.

  "There was an increase, about a sevenfold increase in the available hospice in California. This doesn't make any sense. You don't have seven times more people dying. What's going on?"
  — Dr. Mehmet Oz, head of CMS ([09:13])

• How the Scam Works:
  Operators aggressively recruit elderly people, offering incentives in exchange for signatures enrolling them in hospice (often without informed consent). Once enrolled, these patients lose access to standard medical care, and providers bill Medicare for their care even if they’re not truly terminal.

  "Hospice...it's a very delicate time. They're very fragile, and you can trick them. You can get them to do things they probably shouldn't do."
  — Dr. Oz ([11:17])

• Human Cost:
  Seniors tricked into hospice can lose critical coverage; some have died as a result of being denied necessary treatment.

  "He doesn't have access to care because he gave up his insurance, and the man died."
  — Dr. Oz ([12:00])

• Government Response:
  Dr. Oz is urging CA Governor Gavin Newsom to impose a strict corrective action plan with a moratorium on new hospice licenses, aggressive enforcement, and data sharing.

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3. The SAVE Act: Proof of Citizenship for Voting

Segment Start: [13:13]

Key Points

• Legislative Battle:
  The Save America Act (SAVE Act) would require documentary proof of citizenship (e.g., birth certificate or passport) to register to vote and voter ID at the ballot box—an effort to counter perceived loopholes in states where undocumented immigrants may attain driver's licenses.

  "This bill to get documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration...would require a document like a birth certificate or a passport."
  — John Bickley ([13:40])

• Senate Gridlock:
  The bill lacks the 60 votes needed to break a filibuster in the Senate. Discussion around eliminating the filibuster has intensified, but leadership worries about unintended consequences.

  "He [Thune, Senate Majority Leader] has warned that...if they get rid of the filibuster...could very much change the way that chamber operates."
  — John Bickley ([14:54])

• Trump’s Ultimatum:
  President Trump is making the passage of SAVE Act his top legislative priority, threatening not to sign other bills until it passes.

  "This is priority number one for the president in Congress right now, saying that he's not even gonna sign any other bills until this gets done."
  — John Bickley ([15:34])

• Political Impact:
  The SAVE Act is a major issue in primary races, especially in Texas, where Sen. Cornyn and AG Ken Paxton have staked out strong positions. Similar voter ID and proof of citizenship initiatives are appearing in state-level proposals, such as in California.

  "We're also seeing similar actions taken in California as over a million signatures were submitted for a potential ballot initiative."
  — John Bickley ([16:56])

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4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the strategic importance of Hormuz:
  "In the last week, the Strait of Hormuz has become arguably the most important place on planet Earth."
  — Kevin ([03:02])

• On energy crisis escalation:
  "Any ship making the passage would be deemed a, quote, legitimate target by their military."
  — Kevin ([03:47])

• On the fallout from school tragedy:
  "I think it was a terrible, terrible mistake. I wish it hadn't happened. I'm sorry it happened. You ought to admit it."
  — Sen. Kennedy ([06:22 – 06:32])

• On the hospice fraud’s reach:
  "You don't have seven times more people dying. What's going on?"
  — Dr. Mehmet Oz ([09:13])

• On enrolling unwitting seniors:
  "Seniors are being tricked into giving up all their health care to go into hospice, and the man died."
  — Dr. Oz ([12:00])

• On the criticality of the SAVE Act:
  "This is priority number one for the president in Congress right now, saying that he's not even gonna sign any other bills until this gets done."
  — John Bickley ([15:34])

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5. Timestamps for Major Segments

• [00:28] – Strait of Hormuz crisis introduced
• [02:48]–[07:09] – In-depth on Hormuz situation, US response, and school bombing
• [08:09]–[12:40] – California’s hospice fraud investigation and its implications
• [13:13]–[17:47] – Legislative fight over the SAVE Act and its broader significance

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6. Tone and Style

The episode maintains the Morning Wire’s signature brisk, fact-focused delivery, underscored by a sense of urgency and skepticism. The tone is serious, with sprinkles of pointed commentary, especially on government malfeasance and political gridlock.

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7. Summary

This episode delivers comprehensive updates on the hazards of a potential global energy shock from conflict in Iran, exposes a stunning scale of Medicare fraud that endangers seniors and taxpayers in California, and tracks the political implications of voting rights legislation shaping the election-year landscape. Thought-provoking interviews and expert reporting provide listeners with sharp, timely insights on the news that matters most.

Transcript

[Megan Basham]

5:00am I'm up with a crisp Celsius energy drink running 12 miles today. Grab a green juice, quick change and head to work. Meetings, workshops. One more Celsius. No slowing down. Working late, but obviously still meeting the girls for a little dancing. Celsius Live Fit. Go grab a cold, refreshing Celsius at your local retailer or locate [e-mail].

[Georgia Howe]

As bombs continue to hammer Iran, the real pressure point may be in the Strait of Hormuz.

[John Bickley]

For years, the Iranian regime has threatened commercial shipping and US Forces in international waters. Our mission is to end their ability to project power and harass shipping.

[Cabot Phillips]

Meanwhile, here at home, the FBI puts the west coast on high alert.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe with Daily Wire executive editor John Bickley. It's Thursday, March 12th, and this is Morning Wire.

[Cabot Phillips]

A new investigation finds that Van Nuys, California, may be ground zero for the largest hospice fraud scheme in the country.

[Kevin]

We've been making noise about this for years. Nobody will listen.

[Georgia Howe]

And President Trump threatens a legislative blockade until Congress passes the SAVE Act. As the bill faces a tough road in the Senate, we're going to have

[Kevin]

the fight on the floor. And we'll give the Democrats the opportunity to cast their vote on whether or not they think noncitizens ought to vote in American elections.

[Cabot Phillips]

Thanks for waking up with MORNING wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, before we continue, I'm excited to give you some amazing news about an issue that we care about here at the Daily Wire. Our friends at Alliance Defending Freedom have just announced that the state of Vermont has agreed to change its policy that discriminated against Christian foster families. Families like the Wotes and Gantz were model foster parents. They had taken in siblings and even focused on caring for kids with struggles like fetal alcohol syndrome. And these parents had lost their foster licenses because they refused to compromise their faith by participating in a lie they were told. They had to agree to promote the state state's radical gender ideology, including by taking kids to pride parades following a victory in a similar case out of Oregon last year. This win in Vermont means we're winning the battle, folks. I can't tell you how inspiring it is to learn about the courage of these families, moms and dads who have answered the call to care for vulnerable children who deserve a loving home. Go to joinadf.com wire and find out more about this incredible victory and how Alliance Defending Freedom is standing up for everyday families and protecting our constitutional rights. That's joinadf.com wire or text wire to 83848 and celebrate this amazing victory with us. As the US and Israel continue their bombardment of Iran, the regime is desperately fighting to maintain their blockade in the Strait of Hormuz.

[Cabot Phillips]

Wired In Live host Cabot Phillips joins us now with more Morning, Cabot. So it feels like a really desperate, last ditch effort from the Iranians here to disrupt the energy supply globally. Where do things stand now?

[Kevin]

Yeah. In the last week, the Strait of Hormuz has become arguably the most important place on planet Earth. Iranians have seen their military capabilities rapidly diminish. They have gone all in on a blockade, hoping to disrupt the energy supply globally and more importantly, force the US to end the conflict to avoid an economic crisis. On Wednesday, the IRGC reportedly struck three vessels attempting to run the blockade as one Iranian official vowed, quote, not a single liter of oil will pass through the strait for the benefit of the US The Zionists or their partners. They went on to say that any ship making the passage would be deemed a, quote, legitimate target by their military. And eventually they said that oil prices would hit $200 a barrel. Now, for his part, President Trump expressed optimism Wednesday that the conflict would soon come to a close because in his words, quote, there is practically nothing left to target. He also urged oil companies to use the Strait of Hormuz anyway, despite this risk, and sort of downplayed the potential

[John Bickley]

danger I think they should use, look, we took out just about all of their mine ships in one night.

[Kevin]

Just about all of their navy is gone. Now, more broadly, from a strategic standpoint, there's little doubt that Iran blocking the strait is really their best and only hope at this point. And all of President Trump's options for reopening the strait have their downsides. It's important to note that first he's offered to cover the cost of insurance for the tankers if they're destroyed. But that's very expensive and takes time to set up. And obviously many tanker crews are less concerned about the financial threat here and more concerned about being killed. Second, he could order the American military to escort the tankers through the strait. That happened in the late 80s during the Iraq Iran war. But the convoys could only leave once a week and had to move very slowly. So at that pace, the current backlog of tankers would take over a year to clear out. And while he works to find a solution there, the International Energy Agency on Wednesday said that its 32 member states would help alleviate the backlog caused by this conflict by releasing 400 million barrels of oil from their Strategic reserves. That is the single largest release in history. But that will help prices in the short term. However, it's only going to account for about 20 days worth of oil that typically comes through the straits. So it's not a long term solution.

[Cabot Phillips]

Right now, throughout this conflict, one of the big stories was the explosion at a girls school in Iran. And we've learned more tragic details about that. Tell us what we've learned.

[Kevin]

Right, so for context, on the first day of the operation, an explosion was reported at an elementary school in Iran. It reportedly killed 175 people. Most of the victims were young children. President Trump initially said that Iran was responsible for the incident. But according to a New York Times report yesterday, a preliminary investigation from the Pentagon says the explosion was caused by an American Tomahawk missile. The school was directly adjacent to a military base that was being targeted. The building where the school was housed was at one point used by the military. But when the Defense Intelligence Agency provided the Pentagon with its target list ahead of the operation, the school building was mistakenly included. That led to this alleged mishap and tragedy. President Trump has continued to express skepticism, though on that report, he said Wednesday, quote, I don't know about that, but there are already Republicans who are starting to express regret for this apparent mistake. Here's Louisiana Senator John Kennedy, for example.

[John Bickley]

I think it was a terrible, terrible mistake.

[Cabot Phillips]

I wish it hadn't happened.

[John Bickley]

I'm sorry it happened.

[Cabot Phillips]

Yeah. I can assure you it wasn't intentional. And then when you make a mistake,

[John Bickley]

you ought to admit it.

[Kevin]

And one more nugget we learned yesterday. According to an ABC report, the FBI has warned California police departments that Iran had aspirations for retaliatory drone strikes along the West Coast. While it did not appear that there was an imminent threat, the FBI alert warned for the potential of an attack, quote, using unmanned aerial vehicles from an unidentified vessel off the coast of the United States state's homeland. So one more thing for the Trump administration to balance as they continue their operation in Iran.

[Cabot Phillips]

So many aspects to cover on that conflict. And we'll have more from you in Wired in live later today, correct? Yep.

[Kevin]

4:00pm Eastern. We'll be live from Daily YHQ.

[Cabot Phillips]

Kevin, thanks for reporting.

[Kevin]

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[John Bickley]

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[Kevin]

add Lean to your healthy diet and exercise plan. Visit takelean.com and enter wire for your discount. That's promo code [e-mail] Today, a sweeping

[Cabot Phillips]

investigation into the hospice care system in Southern California reveals that it's become a breeding ground for fraud. Authorities say criminal networks may be behind the explosion of hospice agencies that are exploiting vulnerable seniors and draining billions from Medicare.

[Georgia Howe]

Here with the details is Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham. So some listeners will remember we had Dr. Oz on this show when he first blew the whistle on this fraud. The New York Post was very early in reporting on this. Now finally we have CBS putting out their own reporting. What exactly has been uncovered?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, Georgia. So hospice fraud has been a known issue for a while across the country, but investigators started zeroing in on LA county because of the explosive rate of growth of those programs. So now about 40% nationwide of all hospice care providers are located in LA County. And Dr. Mehmet Oz, who is now the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, told Morning Wire that the rate of growth and the number of centers simply does not match the population.

[Kevin]

This is an example of what happens if you don't deal with fraud in a timely fashion. There was an increase, about a sevenfold increase in the available hospice in California. This doesn't make any sense. You don't have seven times more people dying. What's going on?

[Megan Basham]

So you know, that is what initially drew the attention of federal investigators and journalists. And what they found is pretty eye popping. CBS's analysis found that out of roughly 1800 hospice programs in LA county, more than 700 showed multiple indicators of fraud. So think of things like suspicious billing or shared addresses and no evidence of actually providing patient care. The New York Post zeroed in on Van Nuys Boulevard, calling it ground zero for this kind of fraud. They found nearly 500 hospice agencies crammed into just that three mile length boulevard. We don't have a total dollar figure for the fraud here, but Dr. Oz said that federal investigators have already found billions. And he said there is evidence that foreign organized crime based in Russia could be involved in the expansion of these fraudulent hospice centers.

[Georgia Howe]

So not only is it that 40% of hospice centers are in one county, but possibly that money is going to Russian crime rings. Is that the allegation?

[Megan Basham]

That's the allegation.

[Georgia Howe]

Okay, so how does this fraud work? What are these companies allegedly doing to take advantage of loopholes?

[Megan Basham]

Well, you know, it often starts with aggressive recruiting tactics. Hospice operators will approach elderly people and they will offer them things like groceries or rides or even just cash in exchange exchange for signing paperwork that enrolls them in a hospice program. But the patients often don't fully understand what it is that they're signing. And they don't realize that when they sign those documents, they're being tricked into giving up certain care that they would be entitled to if they were not in hospice. Medicaid then begins paying the hospice provider a daily rate for that patient. And Dr. Oz says that's what makes the hospice care system so ripe for exploitation.

[Kevin]

Hospice, which is designed for people at the very end of their life, it's a very delicate time. They're very fragile, and you can trick them. You can get them to do things they probably shouldn't do.

[Megan Basham]

In addition to that, investigators found that hospice operators continued billing Medicare even when the patient was not terminally ill or wasn't in their care anymore.

[Georgia Howe]

So what happens to these seniors if they do get an illness, but they've signed away their right to pursue medical care?

[Megan Basham]

Yeah, that's a question that Dr. Oz says is so alarming because he described meeting individuals who said that their loved ones were unknowingly placed in these programs. And in one case, a man signed paperwork believing that he was receiving assistance. But the documents again actually enrolled him in hospice.

[Kevin]

But the document said was that you're giving up all your health care to go into hospice. And lo and behold, he has a health problem. He doesn't have access to care because he gave up his insurance and the man died.

[Megan Basham]

Dr. Oz says that these kinds of scenarios are why his department is calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to initiate a formal corrective action plan with a 21 day deadline. So that plan includes things like aggressive licensing crackdowns, data sharing, prosecutions, and actually abiding by a moratorium on new hospice centers that was issued but has, you know, largely been ignored.

[Georgia Howe]

Well, I'm glad Even the mainstream media is starting to report on this because this story needs to get out. Megan, thanks for reporting.

[Megan Basham]

Yep, my pleasure.

[Kevin]

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[Georgia Howe]

The battle over the Save America act requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote has divided Capitol Hill and prompted the president to threaten not to sign any bills into law until it's on the books.

[Cabot Phillips]

Joining us now with more is Daily Wire political reporter Cameron Arcand. Morning, Cameron. So the Save act has become yet another line in the sand in D.C. trump really weighing in on this. Where does it stand now in the Senate?

[John Bickley]

So this is really getting to a serious boiling point here. I mean, this bill to get documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration and also to get voter ID at the ballot box has been pushed by conservatives in Congress for some time now. So what makes proof of citizenship different from voter ID is proof of citizenship at the time of voter registration would go beyond just checking a box on a form and it would require a document like a birth certificate or a passport. Now, Republicans have argued that because some states have had looser laws in the books regarding immigrants being able to get driver's licenses that that would not go far enough to prove citizenship, which is why they would want other documents included in that. But what's coming down to a breaking point here is the whether or not to use a talking filibuster or to get rid of the filibuster altogether in order to make this happen because it does not have enough support to get it through to break a 60 vote threshold that would obviously require some Democrats to sign onto this piece of legislation. Now, Thune, the Senate majority leader, he has warned that, you know, if they get rid of the filibuster, one, he doesn't think they have enough support for it and two, he thinks that could open the floodgates for certain policy proposals that the Democrats and maybe if there's some policies where some Democrats support and maybe a few Republicans do too, that that could pass the Senate, it could very much change the way that chamber operates. So that's what he's warned. We're expected to maybe see some action on this next week, but we don't really have any details on what that looks like as of yet.

[Cabot Phillips]

Now, Trump has gotten really involved in recent days. How important is this issue to him and what are we hearing from him now on it?

[John Bickley]

So this is incredibly important to the president. He's actually said, outside of ending the Department of Homeland Security shutdown, this is priority number one for the president in Congress right now, saying that he's not even gonna sign any other bills until this gets done. So the president is aligning himself with a lot of the more conservative members of Congress here, saying that this is critical to securing a midterm win, as this is such a huge priority for the president's base right now.

[Cabot Phillips]

Now, this proposal has also largely factored into the Texas Senate Republican primary, which you've been tracking for us here on the show and on the site. There's similar action going on in some other states, too, as well, as I understand it. How is this impacting the campaign trail?

[John Bickley]

So one of the big headlines this week was Texas Senator John Cornyn coming out with an op ed in the New York Post saying that he would be open to reforming the filibuster or even making some more serious rule changes in order to get this bill passed. This came after his opponent in that primary, Attorney General Ken Paxton, saying that he would even consider dropping out of the race if the Senate did pass the Save America Act. So Trump wants to play kingmaker in this race, and he has yet to make a decision publicly on who he plans to endorse. But the Save America act could become a major factor in all of this. But we're also seeing similar actions taken in California as over a million signatures were submitted for a potential ballot initiative, which would have similar proposal just at the state level, which would include voter ID as well as proof of citizenship. The big difference with that proposal is that you would be able to request an ID specifically for the purpose of voting, as that's worded right now. But obviously, we're seeing some nationwide proposals related to this. But obviously, if the Save America Acts does succeed, this would apply to federal elections in all 50 states.

[Cabot Phillips]

Well, this will certainly be a focus for Republicans and their voters ahead of the midterms, as you've laid out. Cameron, thank you so much for reporting.

[John Bickley]

Thank you.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with us. And if you're listening to the show now, you can watch for free on Daily Wire. Plus, we'll be back later this evening with more news you need to know.

[John Bickley]

A KFC tale in the pursuit of flavor. The greatest insult the Colonel ever suffered was being served a wrap that was just a snack by a friend. So he took two crispy tenders, lettuce, tomatoes and pepper mayo and wrapped them in a soft tortilla. It wasn't a snack, it was a meal. He called it a twister and never called that friend again. The Colonel lived so we could chicken the Twister. Now back at KFC Classic or with bacon. Also try it spicy. It's finger licking. Good.

[Kevin]

Prices and participation may vary.