ICE at airports; unusual wildfires; Alzheimer’s study; and more

Summary

Podcast Summary – The 7

Podcast: The 7
Host: Hannah Jewell
Date: March 24, 2026
Episode Title: ICE at airports; unusual wildfires; Alzheimer’s study; and more

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Episode Overview

This episode of "The 7" from The Washington Post, hosted by Hannah Jewell, delivers concise updates on the seven most pressing and interesting news stories shaping the morning of March 24, 2026. Topics include U.S.-Iran war diplomacy, a fatal airport crash, Supreme Court debate on mail-in ballots, the impact of ICE officers at airports, rural healthcare innovation efforts, unseasonal wildfires in the Great Plains, and a promising new study linking exercise to Alzheimer’s risk reduction.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. U.S.-Iran Negotiations and War Diplomacy

[00:02–01:29]

• President Donald Trump claimed "the US is negotiating with Iran to end the three week old war," highlighting "two days of very good and productive conversations" expected to continue throughout the week.
  • Trump quote [00:42]:
    "We have had very, very strong talks. We'll see where they lead. We have points, major points of agreement. I would say almost all points of agreement."
• The announcement caused markets to rise and energy prices to fall, as investors believed Iran's shipping blockade in the Strait of Hormuz might end.
• Previously, Trump had threatened strikes on Iran’s power plants unless Iran reopened the shipping lane within 48 hours.
• Trump has since postponed any strikes by five days in response to ongoing negotiations.
  • Trump quote [01:19]:
    "We're doing a five day period. We'll see how that goes. And if it goes well, we're going to end up with settling this. Otherwise we'd just keep bombing our little hearts out."
• Iran’s Response: Contradicted U.S. claims, insisting no direct or indirect talks had taken place and demanding an end to attacks by the U.S. and Israel before any negotiations could begin.

2. Fatal Plane Crash at LaGuardia Airport

[01:29–03:00]

• On Sunday night, an Air Canada Express passenger jet collided with a firefighting vehicle at LaGuardia Airport, killing two pilots and hospitalizing 41 people (most since released).
• Air traffic control audio posted online revealed the controller pleading for the emergency vehicle driver to stop moments before the accident.
  • Controller quote [02:32]:
    "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, truck one, stop, stop, stop, stop, truck one. Stop, stop, truck one, stop."
• A controller was later heard expressing regret and explaining efforts to prevent the crash:
  • Controller quote [02:47]:
    "Yeah, we got stuff in process for that man. That was, that wasn't good to watch. Yeah, I know. I was here. I tried to reach out to my stuff and we were dealing with an emergency earlier. The best you could."
• Federal aviation officials rejected claims that the airport was ill-equipped for current air and ground traffic.

3. Supreme Court and Mail-in Ballots

[03:00–04:10]

• The Supreme Court appears likely to impose tighter restrictions on counting mail-in ballots post-Election Day.
• Republican groups in Mississippi challenged a law allowing late-arriving (but properly postmarked) ballots to be counted.
• Most justices seemed to support the challenge; a ruling could impact election processes nationwide as the midterms approach.
• Donald Trump continues to assert (without evidence) that mail-in ballots are fraudulent—while, ironically, casting his own special election ballot by mail in Florida.

4. ICE Officers at Airports and TSA Lines

[04:10–05:22]

• In response to a partial government shutdown causing TSA staffing shortages, ICE officers were sent to over a dozen U.S. airports to help.
• Their presence has not significantly reduced security line wait times—some as long as five hours in Houston.
• ICE personnel often weren’t assigned to screen passengers and, reportedly, did very little to alleviate delays.
• TSA employees continue working unpaid, whereas ICE agents remain funded through a recent Republican-backed bill.

5. Rural Healthcare Innovation and AI

[05:22–06:56]

• The Trump administration plans to invest $50 billion over five years to improve rural healthcare.
• Robert F. Kennedy Jr., now Health Secretary, proposes AI-powered nurses as part of the solution; Dr. Oz, now a senior health administrator, suggests robots could provide ultrasounds.
• Some question the impact, given much of the funding won’t reach high-mortality states and rural areas face far larger deficits (projected $137 billion loss in Medicaid over a decade).
• Alaska’s health commissioner cautioned: "AI is not going to solve everything."

6. Early and Unusual Wildfires in the Great Plains

[06:56–07:50]

• Large wildfires are burning across the Great Plains, including Nebraska (over 500,000 acres), South Dakota, and Wyoming—much earlier in the season than usual.
• Arizona and Colorado also report out-of-season wildfires, fueling concern about an intense fire season.
• Record high temperatures, lack of rain and snow, and dry grasslands are contributing factors.

7. New Research: Exercise and Alzheimer’s Risk

[07:50–09:22]

• Recent research (in mice) suggests the liver releases a protein during and after exercise that repairs the blood-brain barrier, improving memory and learning.
• "When there’s an exciting new study that took place in mice, you have to be absolutely clear that it was in mice. And mice are different from humans." –Hannah Jewell [07:50]
• Encouragingly, the same protein was found in physically active humans, though more research is needed.
• Hannah Jewell closes with:
  "If you want to feel like a cognitively nimble mouse today, try and find the time to take a brisk walk."

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Donald Trump on negotiations:
  "We have points, major points of agreement. I would say almost all points of agreement." [00:42]
• Air Traffic Controller, pleading to avoid disaster:
  "Stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, truck one, stop, stop, stop, stop, truck one. Stop, stop, truck one, stop." [02:32]
• Hannah Jewell on scientific caution:
  "When there’s an exciting new study that took place in mice, you have to be absolutely clear that it was in mice. And mice are different from humans." [07:50]
• Hannah Jewell’s closing advice:
  "If you want to feel like a cognitively nimble mouse today, try and find the time to take a brisk walk." [09:22]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• U.S.-Iran Peace Talks: 00:02–01:29
• LaGuardia Plane Crash: 01:29–03:00
• Supreme Court and Mail-in Ballots: 03:00–04:10
• ICE Officers at Airports: 04:10–05:22
• Rural Healthcare and AI Solutions: 05:22–06:56
• Unseasonal Wildfires in the Plains: 06:56–07:50
• Exercise and Alzheimer’s Study: 07:50–09:22

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This summary covers all the significant stories and insightful moments from the episode, delivering the day’s news as engagingly and succinctly as The 7 itself.

Transcript

[Hannah Jewell]

President Donald Trump said the US Is negotiating with Iran to end the war. But Iran had a different take. That's where we're starting the seven. From the Washington Post, I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Tuesday, March 24th. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories. The President said yesterday that the US Is negotiating with Iran to end the three week old war. He said the sides had two days of very good and productive conversations that will continue throughout this week. Here he is speaking to reporters in Florida.

[Donald Trump]

We have had very, very strong talks. We'll see where they lead. We have points, major points of agreement. I would say almost all points of agreement.

[Hannah Jewell]

The announcement set markets up and energy prices down as investors bet Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz could end soon. On Saturday, Trump had threatened Iran with a 48 hour deadline, originally set to run out last night to reopen the critical shipping lane. Otherwise, he said he would launch strikes on the country's power plants. Now he says those strikes have been postponed for five days.

[Donald Trump]

We're doing a five day period. We'll see how that goes. And if it goes well, we're going to end up with settling this. Otherwise we'd just keep bombing our little hearts out.

[Hannah Jewell]

Iran's take was not quite so rosy. Iran publicly insisted there were no direct or indirect conversations between the US And Iran and that it was uninterested in having them. Tehran has demanded that attacks by the US And Israel stop before any talks could begin. Air traffic control audio captured the moments before and after the deadly plane crash at LaGuardia. That's number two. On Sunday night in New York, a collision between a landing Air Canada Express passenger jet and a firefighting vehicle left two pilots dead. 41 people were taken to the hospital, some with serious injuries. Authorities said that most of them have been released. A recording of air traffic control communications was posted on liveatc.com that's a website that hosts live air traffic control broadcasts. A controller can be heard pleading with the driver of an emergency vehicle to

[Air Traffic Controller]

stop, stop, stop, stop, stop, truck one, stop, stop, stop, stop, truck one. Stop, stop, truck one, stop.

[Hannah Jewell]

Then just over 15 minutes after the crash, the controller tells a pilot that he tried to prevent the collision.

[Air Traffic Controller]

Yeah, we got stuff in process for that man. That was, that wasn't good to watch. Yeah, I know. I was here. I tried to reach out to my stuff and we were dealing with an emergency earlier. The best you could.

[Hannah Jewell]

Federal aviation officials rejected suggestions that the airport was not properly equipped to handle its air and ground movement. Number three the Supreme Court appears ready to limit mail in ballots ahead of the midterms Yesterday, justices heard arguments over a conservative challenge to mail in ballots that arrive after Election Day. Republican groups in Mississippi want to get rid of a state law that allows officials to count mail in ballots received up to five days after polls close as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. A majority of justices appeared to agree with them. If they rule in favor of the challenge, it could upend election procedures in states across the country as voters prepare to cast ballots in November's midterm elections. Trump has railed against mail in balloting, asserting without evidence that it's riddled with fraud. He blamed the votes for his election defeat in 2020. Despite that, public records show that Trump voted by mail in today's special election in Palm Beach County, Florida. ICE officers at airports don't appear to be helping shorten security lines. That's number four. Yesterday, immigration officers deployed by the Trump administration arrived at more than a dozen US Airports. They were sent there to try and ease TSA staffing shortages during a partial government shutdown, but their presence seems to have had a limited effect in reducing security lines. So far. Passengers reported wait times as long as five hours in Houston and long delays in other cities. Officials in some locations said the ICE personnel were not assigned to help with security screening. According to some passengers, they didn't appear to be doing much at all. TSA staffers are working without pay during the partial shutdown, but ICE agents are still getting paid thanks to a massive funding increase in a Republican backed bill last year.

[Air Traffic Controller]

Foreign.

[Hannah Jewell]

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Wants to use AI to help save dying rural hospitals. Over the next five years, the Trump administration will spend $50 billion to help improve rural health. Some states have proposed to use the money on drones to deliver lab samples and even prescriptions. Health Secretary Kennedy has suggested AI nurses could be deployed. And Dr. Oz, who now holds a senior government health job, has suggested robots could give ultrasounds. Some health experts have expressed concern about how much difference the $50 billion will make. Some pointed out that the funds will not target states with high death rates among their rural populations. And Alaska's health commissioner has warned that AI is not going to solve everything. The rural healthcare industry has long faced tight budgets, doctor shortages and challenges reaching patients in remote areas. The Kaiser Family foundation estimated that rural areas will lose $137 billion in Medicaid funding over the next decade. That's a lot more than the $50 billion in funding they're expecting to receive. Wildfires are ripping through an unusual part of the country. That's number six. Forests and grasslands are burning across the Great Plains. In Nebraska, a historic wildfire event has burned more than a half million acres. In South Dakota and Wyoming, strong dry winds are flaring up and big blazes. Arizona and Colorado have also seen fires popping up remarkably early in the season. That has firefighters concerned these early fires could be a sign of a bad fire season ahead, and Western states have been baking under record hot temperatures after a balmy and dry winter. The lack of seasonal rain and snow has drastically dried out grasslands in places like Nebraska. And at number seven, scientists may have figured out why exercise can lower Alzheimer's risk twice so far in my journalistic career, I have had the pleasure of sitting next to science journalists in newsrooms. And if there's one thing they taught me, it's that when there's an exciting new study that took place in mice, you have to be absolutely clear that it was in mice. And mice are different from humans. Nevertheless, here's what we learned from an exciting new study in during and after exercise, the liver releases a protein that travels to the brain and helps repair the protective blood brain barrier. At least when we're talking about mice, which we are. In humans, the blood brain barrier typically weakens with age, which contributes to health problems, including a heightened risk of of dementia. For these mice in the study, though, memory and learning abilities improved substantially when levels of the protein rose in their brains. And there's reason for humans to celebrate, too. The researchers found the same protein in the bloodstreams of physically active people. So if you want to feel like a cognitively nimble mouse today, try and find the time to take a brisk walk. Alright, you're all caught up. It's a great time to subscribe to the Washington Post during our spring sale. Right now, you can get a core subscription for just 50 cents a week for the first six months. After that, it renews at $14 every four weeks. But you can cancel anytime. A core subscription gets you unlimited access to the Post on the web and on our apps, and it's the best way you can support the work of Post journalists and this podcast. I'm Hannah Jewell. I'll meet you back here tomorrow.

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