← The NewsWorthy
The NewsWorthy
Massive Energy Strikes, Cesar Chavez Allegations & Historic WNBA Deal - Thursday, March 19, 2026
00:14:25
Loading summary
Transcript1 lines
- [00:00]
A
Today is Thursday, March 19th. We'll tell you about the latest massive strikes in the Middle east targeting Iran's leadership, energy facilities and surrounding areas as top American intelligence officials are questioned over the rationale for starting the conflict in the first place. Also, shocking new allegations against Cesar Chavez uncovered just before celebrations honoring his legacy were set to begin. Plus, a new rule that could make the airspace around major airports safer, details on what could be a pivotal moment in women's sports history and the pros and cons of owning the most popular dog breed of the year. Those stories and even more news to know next. Welcome to the Newsworthy all the days news in less than 15 minutes. I'm Erica. Mandy. Thanks so much for being here. Let's do this. The Middle east has seen some of the most significant attacks on energy facilities since the start of this latest conflict. First, airstrikes yesterday damaged Iranian facilities connected to the world's largest natural gas field under the Persian Gulf. Then Iran vowed retaliation and drone and missile strikes targeted major energy facilities in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Most were intercepted, but extensive damage has been reported, at least in Qatar. These ongoing attacks have stoked fears of a widening war with countries that so far have not taken any offensive action against Iran. Plus, there are growing fears of a worsening global fuel crisis. Iran has reported energy shortages and Iraq, which gets a third of its natural gas from Iran, said flow had been completely cut off. Once again, oil and natural gas prices have spiked all around the world. So here in the US The Trump administration keeps looking for more ways to boost oil supplies. To that end, the Treasury Department eased sanctions on Venezuela yesterday, saying American companies will be allowed to do business with the country's state owned oil and gas company. President Trump also waived a century old US Shipping law that says all goods traveling between US Ports should be moved only on American made and American crewed ships. Now foreign flagged vessels will also be able to make those trips for the next couple of months. Beyond the attacks on the energy sector, Israel also kept up its attacks on high ranking Iranian officials yesterday and an airstrike killed Iran's intelligence minister Ismail Khatib just one day after Israeli strikes also killed two other influential Iranian leaders. And Iran says in retaliation it struck Israel. At least a couple of missiles appeared to get through air defenses and turn deadly. And both Israel and Iran have vowed to keep fighting. President Trump has also threatened even more American attacks, especially if Iran continues to target US Allies and interests. And Reuters report the US Is considering sending thousands more US Troops to reinforce the operation in the Middle east as the Pentagon prepares its possible next steps for the first time since the launch of the war in the Middle east, top U.S. officials publicly testified about the underlying intelligence behind the Trump administration's decision to attack Iran. Lawmakers heard from leaders like Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and there were a few times they contradicted what President Trump has said about the war. For example, Trump has said Iran had been trying to rebuild its nuclear program in recent months. But Gabbard's prepared opening statement said the U.S. obliterated Iran's nuclear enrichment program last summer and that there have been no efforts since then to try to rebuild it. Also, in Trump's State of the Union address, he said Iran was building intercontinental ballistic missiles that would soon reach the U.S. gabbard clarified to say Iran could use existing technology to start developing an intercontinental ballistic missile before 2035 if Iran wanted to. Later, when asked whether the intelligence showed an immediate threat, Radcliffe said yes, citing Iranian backed attacks on Americans in the Middle East. But none of the leaders described Iran as an immediate threat to the US Homeland. As for where the war stands now, Gabbard told lawmakers that even though Iranian leadership has been largely degraded, the government is still intact. But both Gabbard and Radcliffe conveyed trust in President Trump's leadership and said the president is briefed on the intelligence multiple times a day as he makes decisions as the nation's commander in chief. To be continued. The Republican senator who's been tapped to become the next Homeland Security secretary, faced a tense confirmation hearing this week. Senator Mark Wayne Mullen told lawmakers he planned to make changes at dhs. For example, he wants immigration officers to have court ordered warrants to enter homes, something Democrats have been demanding. He also promised to do away with the last secretary's policy of needing to personally approve any grant above $100,000, which has been criticized for slowing much needed relief. And overall, Mullen said he would work to bring peace of mind and confidence to dhs. This comes as the department has been under a shutdown for more than four weeks since. Lawmakers still struggle to agree on how the agency should enforce immigration laws. And at yesterday's hearing, some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle seemed unconvinced Mullen was the right person to take on the responsibility. For example, Republican Senator Rand Paul brought up past comments in which Mullen said he understood why one of Paul's neighbors attacked him back in 2017. He asked Mullen to explain why the Public should, quote, trust a man with anger issues. Mullen defended those comments by emphasizing that his understanding the attack didn't mean supporting it. Mullen also has some bipartisan support. For example, Democratic Senator Ruben Gallego said Mullen was qualified for the job and called him an upstanding person and colleague. Mullen is widely expected to be confirmed. An iconic labor leader is now accused of sexual abuse that spanned decades. The New York Times has been working on an investigation for five years that found extensive evidence Cesar Chavez groomed and sexually abused women and girls connected to his national farm workers movement. That includes longtime activist Dolores Huerta, who's a legend of the movement in her own right. And some women, including Huerta, are now sharing their stories publicly for the first time. Huerta says she had sexual encounters with Chavez against her will and that she secretly gave birth to two of his children, but arranged for others to raise them. Huerta says she decided to come forward more than a half a century later after learning from the Times that other women said they were also victims and that previously she didn't want Chavez's actions to get in the way of the cause they were fighting for. Chavez died in 1993. His family is now calling the allegations deeply painful, but also that, quote, we honor the voices of those who feel unheard and who report sexual misconduct. This is a huge turnaround for a man long revered as being a champion of human dignity. He rose to national prominence as a champion of fair wages, humane treatment, and safer working conditions, leading nonviolent marches, boycotts, and hunger strikes on behalf of California's farm workers. And he was one of the Latino community's most prominent civil rights icons. Events had been scheduled for Cesar Chavez Day, which is observed every year on March 31st. Now they're being canceled. Officials also say they're considering renaming many schools and streets named in his honor. 1.6 billion Muslims around the world are marking an end to the holy month of Ramadan. They're celebrating Eid Al Fitr. The name is Arabic for Feast of Breaking the Fast. During Ramadan, Muslims don't eat or drink anything during daylight hours and instead focus on reflection and prayer. But when it's over, people typically celebrate by feasting with friends and family. Eid al Fitr is one of the holiest occasions in the Islamic calendar, but the exact timing depends on the side of the moon. So some Muslims will start celebrating today, while others will mark the occasion tomorrow. More news is still ahead, but first, a break to tell you about our sponsor, Home Chef. We all have enough to think about, right? So why not have someone else help you figure out what's for dinner? Having Home Chef deliver fresh pre portioned meals is the easiest way to feel more organized, well fed and less stressed. In fact, there are lots of options with Home Chef, from easy oven ready meals to hearty satisfying recipes that still feel effortless and even quick microwave lunches if you want. And no matter what, you're getting delicious meals. For example, we got the one pot pork ragu farfalle with kale and asiago and it was so good even my sometimes picky 4 year old ate some kale with his dish and my husband and I really enjoyed it. And it's not just us. Other people really love Home Chef. It is rated number one by users of other meal kits for quality, convenience, value, taste and recipe ease. And for a limited time, Home Chef is offering my listeners 50% off and free shipping for your first box plus free dessert for life. Go to homechef.com newsworthy that's homechef.com newsworthy for 50% off your first box and free dessert for life. Homechef.com newsworthy. You must be an active subscriber to receive free dessert. Now back to the news. The Federal Reserve has decided once again to keep interest rates right where they are, at a range of 3.5 to 3.75%. Of course, this comes against the backdrop of a lot of economic uncertainty, since the conflict in the Middle east has the potential of reigniting higher inflation. And even before war broke out, prices for many everyday services like car insurance and medical care were still rising. Plus, the labor market hasn't seen a lot of job growth, even though the unemployment rate is rising only slightly. So Fed Chair Jerome Powell did not make it seem like interest rate cuts might be around the corner either. That does go against what President Trump wants, which is much lower interest rates as soon as possible. This week a suspicious package was found at a Florida Air Force base, and now the FBI says there were possible energetic materials inside. As the AP explains it, energetic materials store a large amount of chemical energy. They can include explosive materials, fuel or propellants. The FBI has not said exactly what kind of material was in the package outside the MacDill Air Force Base Visitor center, just that the analysis hasn't been completed just yet. The same base also received a threat this week, and now it remains on high alert. It's worth noting the MacDill base is the headquarters of U.S. central Command that's responsible for U.S. military operations in the Middle East. Central Asia and parts of South Asia. But it's also not clear yet if these threats have anything to do with the ongoing war. The FAA is tightening up the safety rules for helicopters. From now on, air traffic controllers will use radar to make sure helicopters keep a safe distance from airplanes instead of just relying on pilots visual checks the change is going into effect at more than 150 of the country's busiest airports. The change has come more than a year after the deadly crash near Washington, D.C. involving a military helicopter that crashed into an American Airlines passenger jet. There have also been multiple near misses that have happened more recently, including two in the last month, but the FAA says this change should make the airspace safer. Women's Basketball Players Will Soon Be Paid More Than Ever the WNBA and its players union have reached a new agreement, at least in principle, that includes raises for all players. It's said to better reflect how much the league is growing, since viewership, attendance and investment have all reached historic levels in the past few years. Under the new deal, the average WNBA player's salary will go from $120,000 to $600,000 a year, and some WNBA salaries will reach a million dollars for the first time. Players will also get a larger chunk of revenue. Granted, it's still nothing compared to what the men's players make. The average NBA salary is nine to $10 million a year. In other words, roughly 16 times more than the women before endorsement deals. Still, the WNBA's union vice president called the deal transformational, while the WNBA commissioner says it's a fair win win for all that will allow the season to begin on time. WNBA training camp is set to kick off at the end of next month. That's it for the main news. So now it's time for Thing To Know Thursday. But first, this episode is brought to you by Blueland. I really want to use products in my home that are sustainable, clean and actually work so that I can do right by my family and the planet at the same time. That's why I love Blueland cleaning products. I've now used their full clean suite kit and genuinely love everything in it. It's such a simple switch that makes my cleaning routine feel more intentional. Without adding any extra work from their cleaning sprays to their toilet tablets, everything feels thoughtfully designed and easy to use. The sprays work really well across different areas of my home and I've especially appreciated how convenient the dishwasher tablets are. No measuring, no mess, just drop one in and go. Blueland is trusted in over 1 million homes, including mine. Now and their products are independently tested to perform alongside major brands. Blueland is a certified B Corp and Leaping Bunny Cruelty Free certified. Their formulas are EPA Safe for Choice certified and many products have also earned Cradle to Cradle's Gold Material Health Certificate. Blueland has a special offer for listeners right now. You can get 15% off your first order by going to blueland.comnewsworthy. you won't want to miss this blueland.comnewsworthy for 15% off. That's blueland.comnewsworthy to get 15% off. Now back to Think to Know Thursday for the fourth year in a row, the French bulldog has been named the top dog in the US The American Kennel Club once again put Frenchies on the top of its most popular breeds list, and it's not hard to see why, especially if you live in a city since French bulldogs are small, have apartment friendly personalities and and don't require much exercise or grooming. Plus, it's hard to resist that smushed face and wide smile. But not everyone supports breeding Frenchies since they come with some health issues. Their shortened skulls and snouts make them more prone to breathing, eye, skin and spinal problems. Still, there are plenty of Americans willing to care for them. After Frenchies, Labrador retrievers are now in the number two spot, followed by golden retrievers and German shepherds. Dachshunds, AKA Weenie dogs round out the top five. Of course, the AKC rankings only account for purebred dogs, not beloved mutts or trendy hybrids like Goldendoodles and Pomskies. And the AKC reminds dog lovers everywhere to not just get a dog because it's popular, but to do your research and make sure that pooch fits your lifestyle. There are hundreds of breed options and every dog is unique. Thank you so much for listening today. We so appreciate your support, whether it's sharing the show, leaving a review or becoming a newsworthy insider. We'll catch you up on more news to know tomorrow. Until then, have a great day. Sam.