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U.S. Blocks Iran, Trump vs. Pope Leo & Fluoride Study - Tuesday, April 14, 2026
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Today is Tuesday, April 14th. We're talking about a showdown at sea involving the US military and the effort to get peace talks going again before the ceasefire in Iran expires. Also, what's behind a war of words and images between President Trump and Pope Leo. Plus, the findings from a first of its kind long term study about fluoride in American drinking water, the earthquake that was felt in at least two states last night, and the new previews for some of the most highly anticipated upcoming movies. 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. American and Iranian officials are reportedly talking about a second round of face to face peace talks before the current ceasefire ends next week. Pakistan has offered to host again and mediate, saying even though the first talks did not end with an agreement, that they were part of an ongoing diplomatic process. Details are also coming out about exactly what was discussed. For example, Iran says it offered to suspend uranium enrichment for up to five years, but that the Trump administration insisted on 20 years instead. There are several other issues being negotiated, like Iran's support for militant groups like Hamas and Hezbollah and free passage in the Strait of Hormuz. But it's not clear where negotiators landed on those issues. Over the weekend after those talks broke down, President Trump announced a blockade on Iranian ports and said other countries would join in, while the US did start blocking ships from trying to enter or leave Iranian ports yesterday with more than 15 warships. But several European leaders rejected the idea. Some news outlets say at least one tanker linked to Iran appeared to defy the blockade. The Trump administration's goal is to keep Iran from profiting off oil exports and to put pressure on its leaders to accept American conditions for ending the war. Iran had threatened to retaliate, though as of this morning, there haven't been any major countermeasures. Meanwhile, the Israeli military has kept up attacks on Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and says it intercepted more than 10 drones launched toward Israel. But there is some hope for that conflict to end. Today, the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to the U.S. are scheduled to meet in Washington, D.C. for rare direct talks. Stay tuned. The war in Iran has sparked a back and forth between the two most influential Americans, President Trump and Pope Leo. This kind of direct feud is extremely rare for a US President and a pontiff, and as of this morning, neither is backing down. It all started on Easter Sunday when President Trump threatened to bring hell upon Iran if its leaders didn't open the Strait of Hormuz and included a religious message, praise be to Allah. The pontiff seemingly responded by writing on his own social media channel that, quote, God does not bless any conflict. Fast forward to this week and things got more personal. Some insults Trump used to describe the Pope were that he's too liberal, weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy. Leo had also said quite a bit. And then at the start of his trip to Africa, he told reporters he wasn't afraid of the Trump administration and that, quote, I don't think the message of the gospel is meant to be abused in the way that some people are doing. And he kept speaking out against the war in Iran. While back in the U.S. president Trump has faced new criticism from a wide range of people, including some of his own evangelical supporters. It's partly for his back and forth with the leader of the Catholic Church, and also for an AI generated image he shared on social media depicting himself as a Jesus like figure. It showed him in the clouds, wearing a white robe, holding a glowing orb in one hand and using his other hand to touch a seemingly sick man on the forehead. Trump blamed the fake news for sparking outrage over the image, and he defended himself for posting it, saying the image did not portray him as Jesus, but as a doctor making people better. The post has since been deleted from his account. Two lawmakers, both accused of sexual misconduct, have decided to leave Congress rather than face expulsion. We're talking about Democratic Congressman Eric Swalwell out of California and Republican Congressman Tony Gonzalez out of Texas. They both still insist the worst allegations against them are not true. But Swalwell says he made the decision to resign because the controversy has distracted him from his duties and. And he says that's not fair to his constituents. Shortly after, Gonzalez said, quote, there is a season for everything and God has a plan for us all. As he announced his own retirement. Other lawmakers were already planning to introduce resolutions to expel the congressmen had they not stepped down themselves. Remember, Swalwell has been accused of sexual assault by a former staffer and several other women have come forward alleging sexual misconduct. Whereas Gonzalez is being investigated for an inappropriate relationship with a staff member who. Who later died by suicide. Now the governors of California and Texas will get to call special elections to fill their seats. In the meantime, two other lawmakers are still facing calls for expulsion. Florida Republican Corey Mills, who faces multiple allegations, including domestic violence, and Florida democrat Sheila Sherfilis McCormick, who is accused of stealing pandemic relief funds. To be continued the country's second largest school district may be closing all campuses today for nearly 400,000 students and because workers might be going on strike. Last month, labor unions representing tens of thousands of LAUSD employees warned they'd go on strike if agreements were not reached by today. Since then, two of the three unions did make deals. But as of early this morning, one representing support staff like bus drivers, cafeteria workers and custodians, is still negotiating with administrators. It's calling for higher raises and more stable work schedules since many members have had their hours slashed because of budget cuts. The district says it's already been making some of the highest offers in the state, but that it still has to deal with the reality of the budget. Either way, if a deal is not reached soon, all three unions say they'll strike. District officials have been preparing for the possibility. They launched a website where students, parents and others can find available resources, including alternative childcare options, food distribution sites, learning and mental health resources. Families will be notified by 6am People in Nevada were shaken by a 5.7 magnitude earthquake last night. The tremor hit just before 6:30pm local time near the town of Silver Springs and east of Reno, but people reported feeling it across northern Nevada and into California. Some minor to moderate damage has already been reported. Seismologists say the region has felt some aftershocks, with more possible Also last night, multiple tornadoes were confirmed in Minnesota, Kansas and Missouri, along with strong winds and baseball sized hail. At least dozens of homes and businesses have reported damage, but the full picture is still coming into focus as officials are still out there assessing just how much damage was done. But the severe threat is not totally over yet. In fact, today it widens across much of the central US Covering millions of people from Texas through the Great Lakes. The area facing the highest risk includes parts of Iowa, Wisconsin and Illinois. More news ahead in just a moment, but first, thanks to our sponsor Gainbridge, we hear a lot about building wealth or planning for the future. But for a lot of people, the hardest part is just figuring out where to start. Gainbridge makes it simple. Gainbridge is a digital platform that offers financial products with a guaranteed rate over a term you choose, which means you're not constantly wondering what's happening with your money. You set the amount, pick the timeline, and from there your money grows at a fixed rate, there are no hidden fees or commissions, and the whole process is designed to be straightforward, more like setting a plan than managing an ongoing strategy. They offer two main options, one that works well for shorter term goals like saving for something specific, a home travel or a big milestone, and another built for longer term planning like retirement. It's really designed for people who want a clear, predictable way to move toward their goals. If you're looking for a more straightforward approach to saving, you can learn more@gainbridge.com gainbridge let your money work for you. Now back to the news. A highly anticipated long term study found fluoride in American drinking water has no measurable effect on IQ or brain function. The new research, published this week, is the first to measure American community fluoride exposure through water during childhood and any potential impact up to age 80. Specifically, it looked at more than 10,000 people in Wisconsin who first took IQ tests at 16 years old, then again at ages 53, 64, 72 and 80. And researchers found no difference at any stage of life between people who grew up with water fluoridation and those who didn't. The fact that this research was done in the US Is key. Opponents of water fluoridation have often pointed to small studies done in other countries like China, where the water has much higher fluoride concentrations than what's allowed here in the US and it's shown a clearer link between fluoride and brain function. Utah and Florida have already enacted bans. Several other states are still considering doing the same, though major public health groups like the cdc, American Academy of Pediatrics, and American Dental association still support fluoridated water, since tooth decay is still the most common chronic disease affecting American children. Now, this new research could solidify that and calm some fears, though the lead researcher says there should be more studies done. You might remember a couple of months ago we told you the pride flag was removed from Stonewall National Monument in New York City. Well, now it's back and allowed to fly. To recap, it was taken down in response to a directive from the Trump administration that said non agency flags could not be displayed on flagpoles managed by the National National Park Service. But several nonprofit groups sued, saying the flag was important to reflect the history of Stonewall, which for many is seen as the birthplace of the modern day LGBTQ rights movement. Now, this week, the federal government agreed not to take down the rainbow flag again, settling the lawsuit. Advocates say this ruling could have a national impact on other places where the Trump administration has also tried to remove diversity initiatives. For example, it removed an exhibit on George Washington's ownership of slaves from Independence National Historical park in Philadelphia. It stopped showing films about immigrant and women textile workers at Lowell National Historical park in Massachusetts, and it dismantled a plaque about climate change at Muir Woods National Monument in California. For now, the Trump administration is standing by all of those changes, saying it's corrected partisan or anti American ideology. Some of Hollywood's biggest stars are lining up against Paramount's merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. More than a thousand writers, actors and directors released a letter this week saying the deal would hurt the entertainment industry and shrink production jobs jobs among those who signed include Bryan Cranston, Ben Stiller, Jane Fonda, Joaquin Phoenix, Don Cheadle, Glenn Close, Jason Bateman, Ted Danson and many, many more, the letter says. Overall, the merger will mean fewer opportunities, higher costs and less choice for audiences. Paramount has defended the merger, though, saying it plans to give creators more avenues for their work, not fewer. Specifically, it promised to Release at least 30 movies in theaters every year and invest in both studios. Warner shareholders will still need to decide whether or not to approve the merger, which they plan to do later this month. Then Paramount says it expects to wrap up the deal by this summer. Movie studios, movie stars and movie theater owners are all getting together this week in Las Vegas for CinemaCon, and the studios are using the occasion to preview many of their upcoming releases. The first ones kicked things off yesterday. For example, Sony offered a sneak footage of what's expected to be the biggest live action pick of the summer, the Brand New Day, and it showed a new clip from an upcoming Jumanji movie coming out on Christmas. It also previewed the Social Reckoning that's based on the 2021 Facebook leak by a whistleblower, among other things. Today, it will be Warner Bros. Turn. The studio is expected to show a full trailer for Digger, starring Tom Cruise. There could also be reveals related to other big blockbusters like Supergirl Part 3 and J.J. abrams new sci fi movie the Great beyond and more. Then tomorrow, it's Universal and Focus Features, as well as Amazon MGM Studios. And on Thursday, it's Paramount and Disney. Of course, there are plenty of other Hollywood heavy hitters there, and many other announcements are expected. That's it for the main news today. So now it's time for Trivia Tuesday, when we ask a different trivia question every week. But first, I want to take a moment to tell you about our sponsor, Rosetta Stone. There's something about spring that gives me more energy. Maybe it's the additional daylight or the blooming flowers, but it's that time where I start to really feel motivated to do a bit more for myself. And this year, learning a language is on my list for several reasons. First, it's just an interesting hobby. Plus my son seems really interested in learning some Spanish, so it's something we can learn more of together and it's good for my brain health and for future travel. So I'll be turning to Rosetta Stone. With 30 years of experience, millions of users and 25 languages to choose from, including Spanish, French, Ger, German, Japanese and more, Rosetta Stone is the go to tool for real language growth. They use an intuitive method that helps to immerse you in your new language naturally, helping you think and communicate with confidence. Plus it allows you to learn anytime, anywhere in a way that will fit into your busy lifestyle with on the go learning. Ready to start learning a new language this spring? Visit rosettastone.com newsworthy to explore Rosetta Stone and choose the language that's right for you. Go to rosettastone.com newsworthy and begin your language learning journey now. Now back to Trivia Tuesday and today's trivia question is who holds the world record for being the most portrayed human character in film and tv? Listen again next Tuesday for the answer and explanation. As for last week's trivia question, what does Nevada mean? The answer is snowy. In Spanish. The name references the snow capped Sierra Nevada range. When the mountains were first named, it was the 1500s and Spain claimed the whole area until Mexico gained its independence in 1821. Then less than 30 years later, at the end of the Mexican American War, the US Took it over and kept the name. Flash forward another few years and gold and silver were found in the region, so thousands of settlers rushed there in hopes of getting rich. Nevada became the 36th state in 1864. Now it's nicknamed the Silver State. Thank you for joining us to get caught up on the news today. We'll be back tomorrow with the latest. Until then, have a great day.