A (0:00)

Today is Monday, March 30th. What to know about possible plans to start a ground operation in Iran as thousands more American troops arrive in the Middle east and several more have been hurt. And Iran linked hackers have targeted the head of the FBI. Also, we have an update about efforts to fund DHS and pay TSA workers. Plus, we'll tell you about Tiger woods latest car crash, which new women's sports team just set an all time record for attendance. And the movie shaping up to be this year's first true blockbuster. Those stories and even more news to know 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 US Is now preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran. At least that's according to news outlets like the Washington Post that say this could become a dangerous new phase of war should President Trump choose to escalate. Thousands more American troops started arriving in the Middle east over the weekend, including Marines, Army Rangers and Navy Seals. Reports say they haven't been assigned specific missions yet. Yesterday, President Trump told the Financial Times his preference would be to take Iran's oil. And in the past he said his objectives have to do with Iran's nuclear power and ballistic missiles. So some reports say an option on the table includes a risky ground assault to seize Iran's enriched uranium and that some American officials say could one day be used in a nuclear weapon. On the other side, Iran says whatever Trump decides, its country's military is ready and waiting and that it will, quote, rain fire on any American troops trying to enter Iranian territory. It's also launched a campaign that's name translates to sacrificing life to recruit volunteers to fight U.S. forces. For now, the U.S. and Israel are continuing to attack Iran, mostly from the sky and the sea. And Iran's retaliation has continued in several Gulf countries. At least 15American service members were hurt Friday when Iran struck an air base in Saudi Arabia. And at last check, at least five are in serious condition. The attack also damaged some crucial American aircraft. At this point, about a month into this war, more than 3,000 people have been killed, 4 million have been driven out of their homes and oil prices have surged by 50%. Outside of Iran, conflict is still growing in the Middle East. In Lebanon, the Israeli military widened its invasion hoping to neutralize the Iranian backed Hezbollah militants. In Yemen, the Iranian backed Houthis also joined the war with an unsuccessful missile attack on Israel. And that's considered especially concerning since The Houthis could potentially threaten ships passing through the nearby Red Sea, further jeopardizing global shipping that's already been slowed by Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, diplomats from all around the Middle east have been trying to spearhead talks aimed at ending this conflict, though so far no comment from the US Or Iran. President Trump still says his administration has already been negotiating with Iranian officials, even though Iran still denies any talks are happening. In fact, Trump says Iran agreed to release 20 more cargo ships of oil through the Strait of Hormuz starting today. In what Trump said was a tribute to the US Iran linked hackers have targeted the head of the FBI. A hacking group says it broke into FBI Director Kash Patel's personal email inbox. It published documents and photos of him online doing things like smoking a cigar, writing in an antique convertible, and taking a picture of himself in the mirror holding a large bottle of rum. But the FBI says there was no government information taken. The same group claiming responsibility for the Patel hack was also behind the one we told you about that hit the US Based medical device and services provider Stryker, and it claimed to have published the personal data of dozens of American employees who work for defense company Lockheed Martin. U.S. national security officials have long warned that Iran could respond to military strikes with cyber attacks against American businesses, so companies have been encouraged to beef up their cybersecurity. Now, the funding lapse at the Homeland Security Department is now officially the longest shutdown in U.S. history. And right now both the House and Senate are on a two week recess. As we've told you, the current standoff has led to a shortage of TSA officers at security checkpoints and chaos at some airports. But the Trump administration says TSA agents should start getting paid today since the president signed an order to free up some cash. The president said last night he would pay them as long as it's needed, but he still urged Congress to pass a funding bill. The Senate actually did pass a compromise bill last week to partially fund the dhs. It just left out more money for ICE and parts of Customs and Border Protection since lawmakers still cannot agree on how immigration laws should be enforced. But Republican leaders in the House rejected it because it didn't include money for immigration agencies and because they wanted it to include voter ID requirements, as President Trump has been pushing for. So they didn't even bring the Senate bill up for a vote in the House. Instead, they approved a short term measure that funded the department in its entirety until the end of May. Well, Democrats aren't on board with that one since it still funds ICE without any of the reforms they've been pushing for. So they say it's dead on arrival in the Senate. But again, lawmakers are out of town for the next two weeks anyway, so no deal is expected soon. It seems the US Is reversing course on the Cuban oil blockade. A sanctioned Russian tanker loaded with crude oil is nearing the island and is expected to reach port today. And President Trump said he has no problem with it. Remember, the US Cut off Venezuelan oil exports to Cuba, and Trump threatened tariffs on any other country that sent crude their way. Because of that, Cuba has not received an oil tanker in three months, and it's been facing an energy crisis that's led to strict gas rationing and widespread blackouts. There's also now a health crisis caused by power outages at health facilities, a transportation breakdown and food and water supply disruptions. Plus, many businesses can't operate, especially those that rely on tourism. So the Russian tanker could be a huge relief since it's expected to bring up to a month worth of oil to Cuba if it continues rationing. And Trump now says it's okay if any country wants to help since, as he put it, Cuba is finished. President Trump has said multiple times as recently as this weekend that he'll turn his attention to Cuba after dealing with Iran, but he hasn't specified what exactly he plans to do with the island nation. And Trump's administration has opened up negotiations with Cuba in recent weeks in an attempt to avoid potential military action. Relentless heat is still baking the southwestern US More high temperature records for this time of year could be broken today in places like Las Vegas and Phoenix. And some fire danger is lingering in the Rockies and Great Plains. But later this week, as the calendar changes, months record breaking heat could start to shift eastward. The Central and Eastern US can expect multiple days in the 80s. And the west may finally get at least a little bit of relief with cooler weather and some rain. But later into April, hotter than usual, temperatures are likely to return to the western US as will concerns about a drought. Stay tuned. We have much more news for you still ahead. But first, this episode is brought to you by Birch Mattress. As we wrap up the month of March, which is Sleep awareness Month, it's worth talking about the importance of sleep. I'm sure we've all felt the impact of sleep, or lack thereof, since sleep restores and repairs our bodies, strengthens memory and learning, and regulates our mental health and emotions. And the mattress we sleep on can make a big difference. That's why I'm thrilled to now have a Birch Natural mattress. It's super comfortable, it gives me all the support I need and is also super breathable. Not only does it help me have a great night's sleep, but it's also crafted with responsibly sourced materials and that is just as important to me as the comfort piece. Since we spend so much time in our beds, Birch sources only the finest quality materials like organic fair trade cotton, organic wool and natural latex. And get this, Birch offers a 120 night risk free trial to see how your body adjusts. I want all my listeners to enjoy a deep, restful night's sleep with a new mattress. From Birch go to birchliving.com newsworthy for 27% off site wide and this is a flash sale exclusive to the newsworthy listeners for Sleep Awareness Month. So it only lasts through the end of March, which means today and tomorrow. That's birchliving.com newsworthy to get 27% off sleep. Birchliving.com newsworthy now back to the news. The newest team in the National Women's Soccer League has just set an all time record in its very first home game. In fact, it shattered it. More than 63,000 fans showed up to watch Denver Summit play the Washington Spirit. That's the most people who have ever turned up to watch a women's soccer league match by about 20,000. One big reason for the record? It happened at the Broncos Stadium since the Summit's home field isn't built yet. But also, Denver is a strong sports market and momentum is growing in all of women's soccer. The league has actually been breaking records year after year already, especially for big events like this one that happen in larger venues. And there were some pretty big names in the crowd, including 1999 World cup winner Brandi Chastain and Olympic gold medal winning gymnast Ali Raisman. The game ended in a 00 tie, but many of the players and fans still say it's one they'll cherish forever. Over the weekend, legendary golfer Tiger woods was involved in his fourth high profile car crash and for the second time he was arrested for driving under the influence. Investigators don't believe he was drunk, but on some kind of drug or medication. They say he clipped the back of a truck with his SUV when he tried to speed around it, causing his Land Rover to roll over on its side. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Of course, woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time and he had only just returned to competitive action last week. Yesterday, fans at a PGA Tour event wore T shirts with his mugshot on it with the hashtag free Tiger. Though woods was actually released from jail late Friday after posting bail. Millions of protesters turned out in thousands of cities over the weekend to voice their opposition to President Trump and his policies. This was the third installment of the so called no Kings protests, and this was by far the largest one. There were massive rallies in places like Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Washington. In fact, New York City saw a crowd that stretched more than 10 blocks in Midtown Manhattan. Thousands of people also attended a Dallas event, but there were clashes there between no Kings demonstrators and counter protest groups, including one led by the former leader of the far right organization the Proud Boys. There were also some arrests in Los Angeles, but most of the events were peaceful. It's also worth noting 2/3 of the rallies actually happened outside of major cities. Organizers also say a surge of events in deeply Republican states like Idaho, Wyoming, Montana and Utah, as well as competitive suburban areas in Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona. But the National Republican Congressional Committee criticized the protests, saying, quote, these hate America rallies are where the far left's most violent, deranged fantasies. Get a microphone. Ryan Gosling's new sci fi movie project, Hail Mary, is a hit at the box office. In fact, it's shaping up to be the year's first true blockbuster. It was easily the most popular movie for the last two weekends in theaters. It's already brought in more than $164 million in the US and Canada alone. And it's the biggest movie Amazon, MGM has ever had, at least so far, as it's investing heavily into more theatrical movie releases. Next weekend, it will start to face some more competition, though. That's when the Super Mario Galaxy movie comes out, and that one is expected to have the biggest opening of the year. That's it for the main news. So now it's time for Money Monday when we talk about one interesting Money related news story. But first, a message about our sponsor. We spend a lot of time thinking about what's happening right now in the news. But when it comes to money, one of the most powerful things you can do is think a little further ahead. And that's where Gainbridge can help. Gainbridge is a digital platform designed to make savings simpler and more predictable. Instead of guessing what the market might do, Gainbridge offers financial products with a guaranteed rate for a term you choose, so you know exactly what you're getting from the start. No hidden fees, no commissions, just a straightforward way to grow your money over time. There are options designed for different goals. So you can save for something like a home travel or another big milestone or plan ahead for retirement. In fact, if you choose Gainbridge Save Retirement, you can roll over Your Roth or 401k penalty free. You choose how much to deposit and for how long and from there it's a set it and forget it approach. If you're looking for a simpler, more transparent way to think about long term savings, you can learn more@gainbridge.com gainbridge let your money work for you. Okay, now back to Money Monday. Expect big chocolate bunnies to cost more this Easter and the government's most recent inflation report. Candy prices, including chocolate, were up nearly 12% compared to last year. But RetailMeNot has some advice for anyone who wants to save a little money. For starters, it recommends not going for the seasonal candy, but for the chocolate that tastes the same, just isn't in the shape of bunnies or eggs. And you can always mix in less expensive candies like Peeps and jelly beans with the pricier chocolate. Also, when it comes to Easter dinner, it suggests choosing a cheaper cut of ham. Granted, not a lot of families are actually expected to cut back. The National Retail Federation says spending will actually rise to nearly $25 billion this Easter holiday. Per person. That breaks down to nearly $200, which is an all time record by the way. Jewish families are also expected to spend more this Passover, which also begins later this week. The unleavened bread Jews eat, called matzah, will cost more this year, but there are still some stores offering deals, especially if you buy in bulk. Thank you so much for joining us today and for supporting our show. We'll be back with even more news tomorrow. For now, have a great day.