← The NewsWorthy
The NewsWorthy
Iran's New Leader?, Noem Under Pressure & Future of Phones - Wednesday, March 4, 2026
00:14:59
Loading summary
Transcript1 lines
- [00:00]
A
Today is Wednesday, March 4th. We'll tell you about the newest strikes in the Middle east, the targets hit, the rising death toll and what the US Is planning next. Also, the US Military's first land mission against South American drug cartels and the tense hearing pitting both Republicans and Democrats against the secretary of Homeland Security. Plus, where millions of Americans face a severe weather threat, who won the first primary elections of the year and how devices of the future could be unlike anything we've ever seen. Those stories and even more news coming up. Welcome to the Newsworthy. All the day's news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica. Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this. The war pitting the US And Israel against Iran has now entered its fifth day, and it only seems to be expanding further. As of this morning, none of the countries have formally declared war, and here in the US that would require an act of Congress. But many experts, news outlets, and even President Trump have called this a war. An American human rights group says more than 1,000 people have been killed in Iran alone, including the long standing Iranian leadership as well as others Trump says he'd considered as possible future leaders of the country. The top US Military commander in the Middle east says American forces have struck nearly 2,000 targets in Iran since the war began. President Trump says Iran's air force and Navy have been knocked out. Israel has also hit Iranian missile launchers, a nuclear research site and a building where clerics were set to meet to pick the new supreme leader. The New York Times is now citing sources who say the former supreme leader's son is a clear frontrunner right now, which would be seen as a continuation of the hardline regime. Already, Iran has increased its retaliatory drone and missile strikes all across the region. Some of them have been deadly. Others have inflicted catastrophic damage. The American Embassy in Saudi Arabia and the US Consulate in the United Arab Emirates came under drone attacks, as have CIA sites in Iraq and Saudi Arabia. The U.S. state Department says it's now preparing military and charter flights for Americans wanting to leave the Middle east, including the more than 1,500 US citizens who have formally asked for help. Other countries are also arranging flights for their citizens, with much of the region's airspace still closed. Yesterday, President Trump again defended his decision to launch the war with Iran, now saying there would have been a nuclear war without intervention. Though exactly how close Iran was to actually being able to deploy a nuclear weapon is debated. Congress was also briefed yesterday. Top Trump administration officials told lawmakers in classified briefings to expect an overwhelming and bigger wave of military strikes on Iran in the coming days. Some Republicans say they expect the White House to request a supplemental funding package on Iran from Congress. Meanwhile, the consequences are also growing for the economy. Oil and natural gas prices are jumping while stock markets are tumbling, since the Middle east is a major producer of both oil and natural gas. But its energy exports have now been largely cut off from the rest of the world. So President Trump ordered US Insurance and guarantees for ships traveling through the Gulf, and he said the US Navy would escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary. To be continued, the U.S. and Ecuadorian militaries have teamed up on a drug trafficking crackdown. As of this morning, the Pentagon has not shared many details, but the New York Times says it seems to be a major expansion of the US Military strikes against suspected drug boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific. Except this time the crackdown is on land. The Times cites an official source who said US Special Forces are supporting Ecuadorian commandos on a series of raids across the country. For context, Ecuador is the world's largest exporter of cocaine. It doesn't produce the drug, but serves as a trafficking route for criminal groups. Of course, a drug trafficking crackdown has been a top priority of the Trump administration's national security policy, and the White House has a close relationship with Ecuador's leadership. This week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem faced a grilling from both sides of the aisle. They got into everything from the immigration crackdown to her use of executive jets to her spending on TV ads. One of the most contentious parts of the hearing came when Republican Senator Thomas Tillis called Noem's tenure a disaster. He said he'd block any Trump administration nominees and bring Senate business to a halt until Noem answers his questions and addresses his concerns about stonewalling internal investigations. Tillis also called for her resignation. Democrats mostly focused on her response to the deaths of American citizens Alex Preddy and Renee Good, who were shot and killed by federal agents in Minneapolis. At the time, Noem had said they engaged in acts of domestic terrorism, which has since been contradicted. Well, at the hearing, the secretary said she was just relaying information that was given to her by agents on the ground. She declined to retract her comments and declined to apologize to the families. Other Republican senators did come to Noem's defense, pointing out how the Homeland Security Department under her leadership has curbed border crossings and removed undocumented immigrants with criminal records. And some criticize the previous administration for letting the border policy be too relaxed. All of this comes while the Homeland Security Department is still shut down and Democrats insist upon an overhaul of federal immigration enforcement. As of this morning, there's no vote scheduled to get it fully reopened. A jury decided to convict the father of an accused school shooter. The son is accused of killing two classmates and two teachers at a Georgia high school in 2024. His case is still pending, but yesterday his dad was found guilty of murder, manslaughter and other charges. He testified in his own defense saying he gave his 14 year old son a rifle as a Christmas present, that he had no idea his son was capable of carrying out a mass shooting. The jury sided with the prosecution that argued he should have noticed the danger his son posed. Both of them could now spend the rest of their lives in prison. This marks the first time in Georgia history a parent of a school shooting suspect was charged with the crime. But parents in other parts of the country have faced similar charges and convictions over the last couple of years. Now legal experts say this could encourage more prosecutors to pursue similar cases starting today. Millions of Americans are facing the first severe weather threat of meteorological spring this afternoon. The most likely area for storms spans from Texas to Ohio. These ones could bring large hail, strong winds and even tornadoes. The same states could be in the path of severe storms tomorrow too. Then on Friday, the severe weather threat is expected to be more widespread with multiple supercell thunderstorms popping up as far south as Texas and as far north as Minnesota. Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri could get the worst of it. So people are being told to prepare now and get ready for what's expected to be an active, volatile spring storm season ahead. We have more news for you still coming up, but first I want to take a moment to talk about our sponsor. Look on my bathroom counter right now and you'll find at least three one skin products. The face moisturizer, the eye cream and the lip mask. Three of my favorite products that I use both morning and night every day. And I love how all three of them feel on my skin as well as how they make my skin feel and look and how easy and simple the routine is so I can stay consistent. It's not just me either. Oneskin has more than 10,000 5 star reviews where people consistently mention smoother, firmer, healthier looking skin and how easily these products fit into their daily routines. Editors have named Oneskin a leader in skin longevity with recognition from Fast Company, mindbodygreen, Bloomberg and the Today Show. Born from over a decade of longevity research OneSkin's OS1 peptide is proven to target the visible signs of aging, helping you unlock your healthiest skin now and as you age. And for a limited time, try OneSkin with 15% off using code Newsworthy and at Oneskin co newsworthy. That's 15% off at OneSkin Co with the code Newsworthy. After your purchase they'll ask you where you heard about them. So please support our show and tell them we sent you The Newsworthy is also brought to you by Quints I have enough decisions to make every day that I don't want to decide between a million things in my closet when I'm just trying to get dressed. Instead, I'm now focused on having versatile, well made pieces that make getting dressed simple. And several of those items in my closet are from Quince, from a soft cashmere sweater to a washable silk tank that somehow works year round to my diamond bracelet that's great for daily wear. Quince makes high quality wardrobe staples using premium fabrics and now is the time to check out their seasonal colors and prints for spring too. Plus, I appreciate that Quince works directly with safe, ethical factories and cuts out the middlemen so you're not paying for brand markup or fancy retail stores. You don't need a closet full of options. You you need pieces that work. And right now go to quince.com newsworthy for free shipping and 365 day returns. That's a full year to wear it and love it. And you will now available in Canada too. Don't keep settling for clothes that don't last. Go to Q U I n c-e.com newsworthy for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com newsworthy now back to the news. The 2026 midterm season has officially begun with several high Prof. Races that will set the tone for November. One of the most closely watched races was just called early this morning. Texas State Rep. James Talarico defeated Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett to become the Democratic nominee for Senate, but it's not clear who he'll go up against since the Republican race is too close to call. Four term incumbent Senator John Cornyn and conservative State Attorney General Ken Paxton will head to a runoff in May. Also in Texas, Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw became the first incumbent this year to lose a primary in a race that saw both candidates trying to prove their MAGA credentials. But it's worth noting Crenshaw did not vote to overturn the 2020 election, and he was the only gop House member running for reelection in Texas who did not get President Trump's endorsement. Now state Rep. Steve Toth, who was previously a pastor at a megachurch, will be running for his seat in North Carolina. Results confirmed a November matchup for the US Senate seat that many expected. Former RNC Chairman Michael Whatley will face the state's former governor, Roy Cooper. Of course, those are just a few of several races that were decided yesterday, and political operatives all around the country are going to be analyzing these results, preparing for dozens more contests ahead. New York City's first in the nation, congestion pricing is staying put since this week a federal judge ruled against the Trump administration's attempt to shut it down. Remember, this program charges Most drivers about $9 to enter Manhattan below 60th street during peak hours. The goal? Reduce traffic and pollution while also raising money for public transit. The Trump administration tried to cancel the program when it went into effect last year, arguing the federal government had the authority to revoke its earlier approval, but the court ruled this week those efforts were illegal. The U.S. transportation Department says it disagrees, arguing it makes federally funded roads inaccessible to commuters and is considering a possible appeal. And the program still faces several other lawsuits, including from New Jersey and a trucking industry group. But so far, the program appears to be having an impact. About 73,000 fewer vehicles are entering the zone each day, and reports say businesses have not been negatively impacted like some critics had feared. Also, the tolls have already generated more than half a billion dollars for transit improvements. OpenAI says it's changing its contract with the Pentagon in the face of intense backlash. The original deal seemed to allow for mass surveillance in some circumstances, which prompted criticism from AI researchers and OpenAI customers. So now OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says the company is adding language to the agreement to prevent the government from using its systems to spy on Americans, along with other changes. But Altman did not mention whether OpenAI tech could be used for making fully autonomous weapons, which was another red line for OpenAI's competitor, Anthropic. Of course, Anthropic had a falling out with the Pentagon over that and other issues, after which OpenAI and the Pentagon quickly announced their own deal. Now, Altman says the timing of that announcement was a mistake, but he stands by the decision to work with the military, saying he wanted to give the company a seat at the table in shaping future decisions. Still, the backlash continues. One market intelligence firm says the daily average uninstall rate for OpenAI's ChatGPT is is up by 200% and Anthropic's Claude has overtaken it as the most popular app in Apple's App Store. The world's biggest trade show just for mobile devices and services is happening in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress. There were a lot of big advances revealed in smartphones, laptops and robotics, along with some new wild concepts. For example, Lenovo revealed a concept for a handheld device that's like a gaming console with a screen attached to, but the controller part can be taken off and you can fold the screen into a case with a built in keyboard, trackpad and stand, effectively turning it into a laptop too. There's also a phone meant for the outdoors with a speaker, a light and a fire starter. And there's a concept device that's as one CNET reporter described it, like a Lego phone. It starts off super slim, but you can build it up however you want with an attachable camera, wallet, speaker, charger and more. Most of these products and services are not available to actually buy yet, but the companies say they're working to roll them out to the market soon. That's it for the main news today. So now it's time for Work Wednesday when we break down one interesting career or work related news story every Wednesday and today we're talking about what's perhaps the most striking example so far of a tech company slashing its workforce in favor of AI. The financial technology firm Block recently announced it's cutting 40% of its workforce because of the shift to artificial intelligence. Block is the company behind Square, Cash, app and title, and a 40% cut means about 4,000 job cuts. Block CEO Jack Dorsey explained that AI has fundamentally changed what it means to build and run a company. He also doesn't think Block is the first company to realize this and that it won't be the last. Of course, that explanation has tech workers talking to and many not knowing what to believe, since at this point most other business leaders have framed AI as a tool rather than a replacement. Some, like Amazon's CEO, say it roles will just change, that companies don't need humans doing the same jobs they've been doing the last 20 or 30 years, but that there will eventually be a raft of new jobs available. The Wall Street Journal spoke with an accountant to compare this era to the Industrial Revolution. Back then, people went from farmland into factories, but as of now, we don't know what the new factories might be. Thank you so much for listening today. We'll be back tomorrow with the latest news. Until then, have a great day.