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Top Iranian Leaders Killed, Senate's Marathon Debate & Banksy Unmasked - Wednesday, March 18, 2026
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Today is Wednesday, March 18th. We're talking about a critical moment in the war in the Middle east and why a high ranking Trump administration official has resigned in protest. Also, a bitter debate now underway as Congress considers a controversial election bill and the goals of a new government hiring push barely a year after massive government downsizing. Plus, what was behind a rare fireball seen above several states, how new shipping options work for Amazon customers, and who made history at the shocking World Baseball Classic championship. Those stories and even more news to know coming up. 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 latest attacks in the Middle east have been called the most damaging blows to Iran since the first day of the war. Israeli strikes killed influential Iranian leaders, including top security official Ali Lerijani. He was a strong force in Iran's theocracy and was believed to be leading the current war effort. The strikes also killed Gholam Reza Soleimani, who led Iran's powerful plainclothes militia. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says the killings now give the Iranian people the chance to remove the regime for good. But there have been no signs of anti government protests since the war began. And experts say the latest deaths could embolden more hardline Iranian officials who who think the Islamic Republic can survive only through fighting. Already this morning, Iran has responded with new missile and drone attacks on Israel and its Gulf Arab neighbors. And another strike reportedly hit inside the US Embassy compound in Baghdad, Iraq, early this morning. Meanwhile, the US still seems concentrated on the Strait of Hormuz, which is considered the world's most important energy transfer route. The US Military says it fired multiple bombs on Iranian missile sites along Iran's coastline near the strait. The bombings were announced hours after President Trump confirmed NATO and other allies rejected his calls to help secure the passageway. Trump called that a very foolish mistake and said the US should rethink its membership in NATO. But for now, he says he has no plans to retaliate against NATO allies for holding back. Also yesterday, a Trump administration official quit over the president's decision to attack Iran in the first place. The director of the National Counterterrorism center said in his resignation letter that Iran posed no imminent threat to the US and he called Middle east wars a trap that risked the lives of American patriots and drain America's wealth. He's the first senior official to openly break ranks with the White House over this conflict. But President Trump responded to say he was weak on security anyway. And other White House officials say the idea that Iran was not a threat to the US Was wrong, since they believe Iran would have targeted US Assets as soon as Israel attacked, even if Israel did so without America's help. Today, American lawmakers are set to hear from the Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, when she testifies on Capitol Hill with other top US Intelligence officials. Children who were once found to have been abused and neglected are now reportedly being detained and deported. NBC News got a hold of a letter from the Homeland Security Department that got into the details. It reportedly says Last year the ICE detained 265 young people and deported 132 of them with Special Immigrant Juvenile status, aka SIJS. Congress created SIJS as a pathway to legal residency for minors who have been victims of abuse, abandonment or neglect in their home countries. And it gave them a way to stay in the US and get green cards. It only applies to people younger than 21 years old. And in order to get it, state courts must find the young person cannot safely live with one or both of their parents. But DHS told NBC News the program is plagued with fraud. And the 132 who were deported were accused of immigration violations like not having visas. Only one was listed as having committed a crime. Now the National Immigration Project says more than 150,000 young people with SIJs are still waiting to get their green cards and their status is unclear. The Senate has kicked off what's expected to be a marathon debate over one of President Trump's top priorities. We're talking about the Save America Act. That's the bill that would require voters to show ID and proof of US Citizenship in person when registering to vote in all federal elections. And because of an amendment, it would ban voting by mail in most cases. President Trump says he will never endorse any Republican who votes against it, saying, quote, only sick, demented or deranged people would do so. And he still says he won't sign any other legislation until Congress passes this bill. So Senate Republicans advanced it in an initial 51 to 48 procedural vote yesterday. But even GOP leaders say it's ultimately destined to fail in the face of united opposition from Democrats as well as a handful of Republicans. Supporters say it's only about making elections more secure, while critics say it would make it more difficult for or even prevent millions of legitimate voters from casting ballots. It would also impose immediate requirements that would be hard for states to implement. Now senators are allowed to hold the floor and debate the package until they exhaust themselves. Reports say that process could extend through the weekend. A rare fireball bright enough to be seen during broad daylight could be seen across several eastern states yesterday, and it actually triggered a sonic boom that could be heard over Cleveland, Ohio. NASA has since confirmed it was a nearly six foot meteor that sped across the sky at 45,000 miles an hour and when it broke apart, it unleashed an energy of 250 tons of TNT causing the boom. At this point, there aren't any reports of debris being found. The National Weather Service says it's likely most of it burned up in the atmosphere. We have much more news for you still coming up, but first let's take a quick break. 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 the news. Venezuela has won its first World Baseball Classic. It was a shocking victory against Team USA that was widely seen as the favorite, complete with one of the best rosters ever assembled. The final score was 3 2. After the final pitch, the mostly Venezuelan crowd in Miami erupted as Venezuelan players and coaches broke down in tears. Many reports called it a moment of catharsis for a country that's been dealing with political upheaval, economic uncertainty and more. Now they have a moment to celebrate their heritage and their victory. While baseball fans get ready for MLB's opening day happening one week from today, some small American airports may soon have to shut down. That's what a top Trump administration official is telling news outlets more than a month into the shutdown that's halted paychecks for airport security officers. The problem is many airports are already dealing with severe shortages that are expected to get worse the longer the shutdown drags on. Nationwide, it's been about 10 or 11% of TSA workers who have not shown up for work, as many have decided to take other jobs to make ends meet. In some places, the absentee rate is more like 30 to 40%, and hundreds of TSA officers have quit altogether. Large airports are more likely to be able to continue security operations by clicking closing all but a few checkpoints. But small airports with a single checkpoint might not, in which case there would be closures and tons of flight disruptions. Of course, this all changes if Congress reaches a deal to fully fund the Homeland Security Department. At this point, it's still not clear when that might happen, but talks are inching along with Democrats still demanding changes to federal immigration enforcement. This week, Dems sent their most recent proposal to the White House. It's not clear what exactly is in it, but the White House separately detailed some concessions it's willing to make, for example, limiting immigration enforcement at hospitals and schools, more oversight requirements for detention facilities, and more visible officer identification. Democratic leaders have said those concessions still fall short since they still want to see mandatory warrants for arrests, among other things. So one senior White House official told the New York Times, the Trump administration is open to more discussion and more compromise. Stay tuned. The price of diesel fuel has now surged above $5 a gallon in the U.S. that's up nearly 40% in just the last month. And this is actually only the second time ever the average diesel price has gotten this high, the first time being in 2022 when Russia first invaded Ukraine. It threatens new inflation on almost anything Americans buy, since the trucks that transport goods run on diesel. This isn't expected to mean immediate price increases, but it's likely to shape pricing decisions companies make in the weeks ahead. Meanwhile, gas prices have also gone up 30% in the last month. They're now averaging about $3.80 a gallon, and they could get even higher soon because of the seasonal switch to more expensive summer blend fuels. Refineries have already begun that transition. Amazon customers can now get orders even faster. The the retail giant rolled out new one hour and three hour delivery options on more than 90,000 products, including Pantry items, cleaning supplies, over the counter medicines, clothing and toys. The three hour delivery is now available in about 2,000American cities and towns, and the one hour delivery is available in hundreds of them. Amazon says it plans to roll out these options to even more areas in the coming months. No matter where you live, one hour delivery comes with a $10 delivery fee for prime members, and it's $5 for the three hour delivery, unlike standard same day delivery that's still free on qualifying orders. Of course, this comes as the shopping giant is facing increased competition from apps like Instacart, DoorDash and Uber that also offer products from several stores, all within a couple of hours. Legendary but elusive street artist Banksy has apparently been unmasked Banksy's closely guarded anonymity has captivated the art world for decades almost as much as his actual artwork. But Reuters published a lengthy investigation last week in which it claims to have determined his true identity. It identifies him as a man born Robin Gunningham, who actually changed his name to David Jones back in 2008 to avoid identification. The Reuters investigation relies on a police report and court filing from 2000, when Gunningham was arrested for disorderly conduct in New York. Banksy's manager at the time said the artist was arrested while trying to paint over a billboard. Reuters also confirmed Gunningham had traveled to Ukraine at the same time Banksy unveiled a series of murals there in 2022. Banksy's company declined to confirm or deny Reuters conclusion issuing a statement in which the artist, quote, has decided to say nothing. In recent years, Banksy's work has drawn huge crowds and fetched millions of dollars at auction. And now that his identity has been revealed, many collectors say they expect prices to rise. But it's not clear how it will impact his future artwork and his ability to freely make street art without being punished as a vandal. Either way, the art world will be looking closely at what he's able to create next. And 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. But first, a message from our sponsor. 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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 work. Wednesday 2025 was all about downsizing in the federal government, aka the nation's largest employer. And now it seems 2026 is all about remaking that government. By the end of last year, the Office of Personnel Management said more than 317,000 employees stopped working for the federal government. Flash forward a few months and the head of that office tells the Washington Post there are some skills the government is now lacking. So there's a hiring push, but it's unfolding under some new rules. As the Post reports, the Trump administration created job classifications that make it easier to hire employees aligned with President Trump's priorities and fire those who aren't. Some job postings even specifically ask applicants to explain how they would advance the president's agenda. Also, political appointees now have a greater role in recruitment, and there's no longer an emphasis on diversity initiatives adopted under previous administrations. Supporters believe all these changes make it so government workers and agencies will follow the direction of elected officials more closely, and they say that means a government that better serves the American taxpayer. But critics warn they are losing expertise and weakening protections meant to keep the civil service nonpartisan. Even with the new hiring, officials expect the federal government to stay much smaller than it was when President Trump took office for the second time. And the Trump administration says more departments could still decide to downsize later this year. Thank you so much for listening today. We'll be back tomorrow with the latest news. Until then, have a great day.