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- [00:00]
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Hannah Jewell
President Trump said the U.S. would be done with the Iran war in two or three weeks. That's where we're starting the seven from the Washington Post, I'm Hannah Jewell. It's Wednesday, April 1st. Let's get you caught up with today's seven stories. Trump took questions from reporters in the Oval Office yesterday. When asked about the war in Iran, he said, we'll be leaving very soon.
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President Donald Trump
Specifically, I would say that within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three.
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Hannah Jewell
He also said the US Would have nothing to do with trying to secure the Strait of Hormuz. That's a vital shipping lane, which Iran has brought to a standstill, leading to an energy crisis that has rippled across the world. Instead, Trump said other countries could handle the strait.
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President Donald Trump
If France or some other country wants to get oil or gas, they'll go up through the strait and almost straight. They'll go right up there and they'll be able to fend for themselves. I think it'll be very safe, actually. But we have nothing to do with that. What happens to the strait we're not going to have anything to do with, because these countries, China, China will go up and they'll fuel up their beautiful ships and they'll leave and they'll take care of themselves. There's no reason for us to do it.
- [01:51]
Hannah Jewell
European countries have limited their support for the Iran war in different ways. France has said it is allowing the use of its bases for US Operations such as refueling, but not for aircraft carrying out attacks. And Italy in recent days denied landing rights to US Warplanes at a base in Sicily. Trump has lambasted allies as cowards and has suggested their reluctance means Washington should not feel obligated to help defend Europe. Tonight, the president is set to address the nation with what has been billed as an important update on the war. A federal judge ordered a halt to construction of President Trump's White House ballroom. That's number two. Trump has made this project a top priority, saying that presidents have long needed a permanent space to entertain VIP guests. The plans represent the most significant change to the White House campus in decades. But the future of the ballroom is now uncertain. Yesterday, a judge ruled that Trump lacks the authority to fund the estimated $400 million project through private donations or to change the White House without congressional approval, as Trump has claimed. The judge paused his order for two weeks and said crews can continue construction necessary to ensure the building's safety and security. The Trump administration said it would appeal the decision, which the White House called egregious. Number three the Supreme Court will hear arguments today on limiting birthright citizenship. Later this morning, justices will consider an executive order that Trump signed on his first day back in office. It declared that children born to parents who are in the US Illegally or temporarily are not American citizens. The citizenship clause of the 14th Amendment grants citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof. It was ratified after the Civil War to ensure that formerly enslaved people and their children could become citizens. If justices side with Trump, it could render hundreds of thousands of children born to immigrant parents stateless. Trump plans to attend the hearing today. It would be the first time a sitting president has attended oral arguments. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth exonerated helicopter crews over a flyby at Kid Rock's house. That's number four. Yesterday I told you about a bizarre incident from over the weekend. On Saturday, two Apache helicopters flew close to Kid Rock's mansion in Tennessee in an apparent tribute to the Trump supporting musician. The helicopter crews also flew by anti Trump protests in Nashville. Military officials opened a disciplinary review of the soldiers involved. But yesterday, Pete Hegseth intervened in a post on social media. He wrote that the soldiers would face no punishment and no investigation, adding, carry on, Patriots. The intervention raised immediate questions about whether the military can hold its own accountable for actions that Hegset Seth approves of. Number five retirees receive six times more in federal dollars than young people. A new analysis from Penn Wharton Budget Model is great fodder for intergenerational grievances. It revealed that the federal government spends significantly more on retirees than on any other age group in the U.S. americans age 65 and older received an estimated $2.7 trillion in federal funds last year. Americans under 26 years old, on the other hand, received $449 billion. The big spending on our esteemed elders is mostly in the form of Social Security and Medicare for children and young adults. The report found that Medicaid was the largest spender, followed by SNAP food benefits. As the population ages, the gap in spending is only expected to grow. You might be experiencing allergy symptoms earlier than ever this year. That's number six. If you're one of the 82 million Americans with seasonal allergies, then I have some bad news that you might already be aware of. Your stuffy nose, itchy eyes and scratchy throat might strike sooner than you expect. That's because global warming may be leading to more pollen in the air. Spring allergies are triggered when temperatures rise and trees start releasing that pollen. But there are things you can do to suffer less. The Post asked experts for their tips on the best way to tackle allergies. They suggest taking medication before you have any symptoms because some take a while to kick in. It's also a good idea to strategically plan your time outside, depending on what you're allergic to. If tree pollen or grass is the problem, it might be best to plan outdoor activities before midday. And to reduce the amount of allergens inside your home, you should consider showering, washing your face and changing your clothes when you get inside. For more helpful advice, head over to Today's newsletter. You can find a link to that, as always, in our show Notes. And at number seven, NASA will try today to send astronauts back to the moon, or at least close to it. If all goes according to plan, four astronauts could become the first humans to make it as far as the moon in over 50 years. The astronauts won't land on the moon, but will trace a figure 8 around it. The 10 day Artemis mission will mark the first time humans have left low Earth orbit in more than half a century. It will break the Apollo 13 record for how far humans have traveled into space and lay the groundwork for a future moon landing and exploration of deep space. One of the astronauts is Jeremy Hansen. He spoke to the Post about preparations for the mission back in 2024.
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Astronaut Jeremy Hansen
Sometimes people think I'm joking, but it's a lot harder than I thought. And I knew getting to the moon was hard, but gosh, it's even harder than I would have imagined. And I know that now because I live and breathe it every day with the crew. We go and we meet with these people, these experts and the stuff they're thinking of and all the details. You're like, many times I've been like, wow, I'm really glad you thought of that because that seems suddenly seems really important to me and I hadn't thought of it yet. So there's a lot of details.
- [09:01]
Hannah Jewell
The launch is planned for this evening with a two hour launch window opening at 6:24pm at Kennedy Space center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. If bad weather scrambles liftoff plans, there are additional opportunities on each of the next five days. All right, you're all caught up. Aren't you glad we didn't try to April Fools? You return the favor and leave us a nice genuine positive review or rating wherever you are listening. It helps us grow the show and gives us a warm, fuzzy feeling. But let me know if you do have any good pranks lined up for today. I could use one. I'm Hannah. Jewel. I'll meet you back here tomorrow. Foreign.
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