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Four crew members were killed after a U.S. air Force refueling plane crashed in Iraq. That's where we're starting the seven from the Washington Post, I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Friday, March 13th. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories. The US Military this morning said that four of six crew members on board the plane had died. They have not yet been identified the aircraft had been supporting the war in Iran. In a statement, U.S. central Command said the crash was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire, but was an accident involving two tankers. The other plane landed safely. Refueling aircraft have been in high demand since the start of the US and Israel's war with Iran on February 28th 8th. The crash was the second apparent mishap reported by US military officials yesterday. Earlier in the day, the Navy said that an aircraft carrier in the region experienced an onboard fire, injuring two sailors. Meanwhile, the war against Iran has also engulfed Lebanon. A ferocious Israeli offensive against Iran's ally Hezbollah has displaced 800,000 people in the country. Lebanon has reported more than 680 people killed, at least 98 of them children. Lebanon's government has appealed to US and European leaders to intervene. President Donald Trump temporarily removed sanctions on Russian oil shipments. That's number two. The war on Iran has sent oil prices soaring. They have already reached the point where they are likely to push the average cost of a gallon of gas in the US past $4. So yesterday, the Trump administration took a step aimed at calming markets and stemming the economic fallout from the war. A general license issued by the Treasury Department allows Russia to begin selling oil that has already been loaded onto tankers that were previously sanctioned by the US the license expires after 30 days. But even though it's temporary, the lifting of sanctions positions Russian President Vladimir Putin as one of the main beneficiaries of the war on Iran. That's because the move will provide a huge financial boost to Russia. Three. Two violent attacks yesterday are being investigated by the FBI. Yesterday morning, a gunman opened fire in a classroom at Old Dominion University in Virginia. According to the FBI, he killed one person and injured two before students subdued him. The attacker was found dead when police arrived. Officials identified him as Mohammad Bailor Jalo, a former Army National Guard member who served prison time for attempting to supply support to the Islamic State terrorist group. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger identified the victim, who died as Lt. Col. Brandon Shaw, an ROTC instructor. Later in the day, there was another violent attack in Michigan. A driver rammed his car into a synagogue, starting a fire. The FBI said it was investigating the incident as a targeted attack on the Jewish community. Security guards shot at the attacker, who was then found dead in the car. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard praised the response of security staff.
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No children and no staff were hurt. So we know there's evil in the world and we know they only have to get it right once. And sometimes they do. They may not come on anybody's radar and they show up, but what happens when they show up? That's where training and preparation kicks in. The security staff did an amazing job. An amazing job.
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The country has seen a spate of high profile attacks against Jewish people over the past two years. President Trump is counting on someone he calls his favorite Mormon to deliver health care wins ahead of the midterm elections. That's number four. Trump wants Republicans to campaign heavily this year on issues such as lowering drug prices and fighting health care fraud. The White House has elevated Chris Klomp to make that happen. The healthcare entrepreneur was a political unknown a year ago, but now as chief counselor of the Department of Health and Human Services, he has control of the $2.6 trillion agency's sweeping operations. Every HHS division with missions including overseeing drug approvals, approving vaccines, and assessing public health risks. Answers to him. The White House has tasked Klomp with reining in the health agencies and aligning their messages. Since taking on his new role last month, Klomp delayed a planned vaccine announcement out of concern it would lead to more political headaches. And he has won. Trump's favorite. The President has taken to calling Klomp his favorite Mormon, or even the killer Mormon. Five. A record breaking heat dome is hitting the West. These are technically the final days of winter, but for millions of people it's going to feel a lot more like summer. Fueled by unusually warm waters, an initial heat wave arrived yesterday in the Southwest and will last last through the weekend. Then next week, a second heat wave will hit harder and reach wider Temperatures will soar into the triple digits in Los Angeles, Phoenix and possibly Las Vegas. The extraordinary heat will contribute to worsening drought conditions in the West. A Utah climatologist said snowpack in that state remains at record low levels. In our newsletter today, you can look up whether your city is about to see record temperatures. New sonar images show a wreck of a famous Civil War vessel in a new light. That's number six. The USS Monitor is most famous for its fight with the Confederate CSS Virginia on March 9, 1862. That battle changed the course of naval warfare. But 163 years ago, the famous ship sank in a gale and 16 sailors drowned. It has remained on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean 16 miles off the coast of North Carolina ever since. Now, thanks to an 8 foot long underwater robot, we can get a better look at it than ever before. At a depth of 200ft, the robot's high tech sonar scanned the wreck's remnants of and created what experts say are the best high resolution computer images of the wreck. If that's your kind of thing, head over to our newsletter to see them. And at number seven, the Earth has been talking to us for eons. And now we can finally listen to it. Brian House is a professor at Amherst College and a sound artist. He produces his art by recording sounds that are outside the range of human hearing, like the extremely long wave infrasounds from ocean currents, volcanoes, glaciers and even data centers. Those can travel hundreds to thousands of miles and are all around us, imperceptible. He also records incredibly high pitched ultrasounds such as the choruses of rats and the pulses of bats. He then speeds them up or slows them down so we can experience what had been inaudible. Here's one example. That was sound emitted by an erupting volcano in Tonga in 2021. Sped up so we can hear it. And here's another creepier example. This is how rats communicate with each other on the New York subway. Slowed down so we could eavesdrop. House has taken other recordings that are even more mysterious. They haven't been identified, even though they are constantly surrounding us. Together, these secret sounds can give us a new perspective on our place on the planet. That's the show for this week. The staff writers of the Seven are Jamie Ross, Izza Nakabow and me. Special thanks to Sharla Freeland for producing. John Taylor is our editor. Copyediting by Kendra Nichols and Rebecca Branford. Mixing and sound design is by Jim Briggs and Justin Gerrish. Our theme music is by Edith Mudge. I'm Hannah Jewell. Thanks for listening and have a great weekend. I'll meet you back here on Monday. Foreign.
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Safeway and Albertsons have made saving easier than ever with great savings on family favorites this week at Safeway and Albertsons. USDA Choice Beef boneless, tri tip, whole or flank and style ribs bone in are $6.99 per pound member price and asparagus or $1.99 per pound member price plus 16 ounce strawberries 6 ounce raspberries or blackberries are $1.97 each limit 3 member price with digital coupons Coupon Hurry in. These deals won't last. Visit safewayoralbertsons.com for more deals and ways to save.
Episode: Air Force crash in Iraq; synagogue and university attacks; Earth’s mysterious noises; and more
Host: Hannah Jewell, The Washington Post
Date: March 13, 2026
This episode of "The 7" with Hannah Jewell brings listeners up to speed on the seven most significant and intriguing news stories of the day. Today's topics range from a tragic military crash in Iraq and ongoing conflict in the Middle East, to alarming violent incidents in the U.S., the climate crisis, historical discoveries, and the mysterious sounds of our planet. Each segment is concise, insightful, and rooted in The Washington Post's robust reporting.
[00:36–02:00]
[02:00–03:21]
[03:21–05:11]
Old Dominion University (Virginia):
Michigan Synagogue Attack:
"The security staff did an amazing job. An amazing job."
— Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard [04:40]
The U.S. has experienced a wave of high-profile attacks against Jewish communities over the past two years.
[05:11–06:11]
President Trump is pushing Republicans to campaign on lowering drug prices and tackling health care fraud ahead of the midterms.
Chris Klomp, dubbed “his favorite Mormon” or even the “killer Mormon,” has been appointed as chief counselor at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), centralizing authority over its $2.6 trillion operation.
Klomp recently delayed a vaccine announcement to manage political fallout, and now oversees all HHS divisions.
“The White House has tasked Klomp with reining in the health agencies and aligning their messages.”
— Hannah Jewell [05:48]
[06:11–07:01]
[07:01–08:03]
[08:03–10:18]
Brian House, Amherst College professor and sound artist, records and manipulates “infrasounds” and “ultrasounds” beyond normal human hearing.
Examples played:
Some recordings remain unidentified, representing the ever-present, mysterious acoustics of our planet.
“Together, these secret sounds can give us a new perspective on our place on the planet.”
— Hannah Jewell [10:16]
On Synagogue Attack (Sheriff Mike Bouchard, 04:40):
“We know there's evil in the world and we know they only have to get it right once... what happens when they show up? That's where training and preparation kicks in. The security staff did an amazing job.”
On Aligning Health Agencies (Host, 05:48):
“The White House has tasked Klomp with reining in the health agencies and aligning their messages.”
On Earth’s Sonic Mysteries (Host, 10:16):
“Together, these secret sounds can give us a new perspective on our place on the planet.”
Hannah Jewell delivers the stories in a brisk, concise, and informative style, with an emphasis on clarity and relevance. The episode combines hard news with moments of curiosity and wonder, providing both gravitas and intrigue for the listener.
This summary captures all major topics, meaningful quotes, and the essential context for each story, providing a clear, engaging overview of the episode’s content for anyone who may have missed it.