00:01Iran says it launched its heaviest attack of the war. Missiles fired, drones falling near Dubai's international airport.
00:09Plus, Iran accused of laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. military moving fast to take out
00:15the boats before they can deploy them.
00:17And a new search at Jeffrey Epstein's former ranch in New Mexico as investigators dig into what may have happened
00:24on the remote property.
00:27The stories that matter, clear and credible from across the country to around the world.
00:33These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow News.
00:39Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli. We begin this morning with Iran claiming it has launched its, quote,
00:45most intense and heaviest operation yet in the ongoing war in the Middle East.
00:50Interceptions and air raid sirens were reported in Israel and across the Gulf overnight.
00:55Video released by Iran's state-run news agency shows what it says are missiles being launched.
01:01The United Arab Emirates says its air defenses were attempting to intercept incoming Iranian fire.
01:07And in Dubai, officials say four people were injured when two drones fell near Dubai International Airport,
01:14the world's busiest airport for international travel.
01:17Meanwhile, Israel says it has begun an additional wave of strikes targeting Tehran.
01:22Explosions were reported near Mirabad International Airport, with major nighttime air raids also reported in northern Iran.
01:31Israel is also continuing strikes against the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah in Lebanon.
01:37Lebanon's health ministry says Israeli strikes in eastern and southern Lebanon killed 14 people
01:42and wounded more than two dozen others overnight.
01:45The ministry also said an Israeli strike on an apartment building in central Beirut earlier this morning wounded four people.
01:54Same topic.
01:55The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical energy choke points,
01:59is now a focal point in the U.S. conflict with Iran.
02:03President Trump is warning Iran not to attempt to plant mines in the waterway,
02:08saying if it does, the consequences will be severe.
02:11The president said on Truth Social Tuesday, if Iran has placed mines in the strait, they must be removed immediately,
02:18warning any attempt to disrupt shipping there would trigger military consequences at a level never seen before.
02:25His threat comes, as U.S. intelligence indicates, Iran has begun placing a limited number of mines in the narrow
02:32channel,
02:32though officials say the effort is not extensive so far.
02:36The Strait of Hormuz carries roughly one-fifth of the world's oil.
02:40Late last night, the Pentagon said U.S. forces have now struck at least 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near
02:47the strait.
02:48U.S. Central Command also posted this video on X showing munitions striking several of the boats right there.
02:55The White House says the U.S. Navy has not yet escorted oil tankers through the strait,
03:00despite a now-deleted social media post from Energy Secretary Chris Wright that suggested otherwise.
03:06Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt cleared up the confusion Tuesday.
03:11Yes, I was made aware of this post.
03:13I haven't had a chance to talk to the Energy Secretary about it directly.
03:17However, I know the post was taken down pretty quickly,
03:19and I can confirm that the U.S. Navy has not escorted a tanker or a vessel at this time,
03:25though, of course, that's an option the president has said he will absolutely utilize,
03:29if and when necessary, at the appropriate time.
03:31Meanwhile, a projectile hit a cargo ship early this morning, setting the vessel on fire.
03:37The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations Center says the crew was forced to evacuate.
03:42Ship traffic through the strait has largely stalled, leaving millions of barrels of oil
03:47effectively stranded in the Gulf and sending energy markets on a volatile ride.
03:52To politics now, the race to replace former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene in Georgia
03:58is heading to a runoff.
04:00After a crowded special election in Georgia's 14th District,
04:04former District Attorney Clay Fuller and retired Army Brigadier General Sean Harris
04:09are advancing to the final round.
04:11Neither candidate cleared the 50 percent threshold needed to win outright,
04:15setting up a head-to-head runoff on April 7th.
04:17For Republicans, the race was a test of President Trump's influence.
04:22Clay Fuller resigned his post as district attorney to run
04:26and quickly emerged as the frontrunner after Trump endorsed him in February.
04:30Georgia Governor Brian Kemp also backed Fuller,
04:33urging Republicans to rally behind him in the runoff.
04:36Democrat Sean Harris is also moving on.
04:39The retired Army general and cattle rancher has raised more than $4 million for his campaign.
04:44Harris lost to Greene in 2024, but says Tuesday's results show
04:49a Democrat can still compete in what he calls a ruby-red district.
04:53The seat opened in January after Greene's very public break with Trump
04:58over foreign policy and the release of the Epstein files.
05:01Whoever wins the runoff will serve the remainder of Greene's term,
05:05which runs through January of next year.
05:08New Mexico investigators are now combing through the sprawling ranch
05:12once owned by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein,
05:15part of a reopened state investigation into what may have happened there.
05:20Authorities began searching the property known as Zorro Ranch earlier this week,
05:25about 30 miles south of Santa Fe,
05:27after newly released federal files prompted the state attorney general
05:30to take another look at allegations tied to the estate.
05:34The search is being led by New Mexico Attorney General Raul Torres
05:37with help from state police and the local sheriff's office.
05:41The ranch, a massive compound with a private runway
05:44and hilltop mansion, was one of Epstein's most secluded properties,
05:48and victims have said some abuse and trafficking took place there.
05:52But the site was never examined as closely as Epstein's homes
05:56in New York, Florida, or the Caribbean.
05:58Now investigators say new information in recently unsealed Justice Department files,
06:04including previously unknown allegations tied to the property,
06:07has renewed interest in what may have happened there years ago.
06:12Authorities have not said what they may be looking for specifically
06:15or how long the search could last.
06:18It's been nearly a month since the partial government shutdown began
06:22at the Department of Homeland Security,
06:24and the impact is now showing up at airports across the country
06:28as spring break travel picks up.
06:30But this shutdown may be different from others.
06:33CBS News reports more than 300 TSA employees have quit since the shutdown began on February 14th,
06:40and call-out rates among TSA officers have climbed into double-digit percentages at some airports.
06:47At Houston's Hobby Airport, CBS reports half of all screeners called out of work over the weekend,
06:53prompting the airport to warn passengers to arrive as many as four hours before their flights.
06:59Internal numbers obtained by CBS show 305 TSA employees resigned between February 14th and March 9th.
07:07In Indiana, a local union says about half a dozen TSA officers at Indianapolis International Airport
07:14have also quit since the shutdown began.
07:17TSA officers are considered essential workers,
07:21meaning roughly 50,000 employees are still required to work without pay
07:26until Congress passes a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security.
07:30And right now, there's no sign that will happen anytime soon,
07:34as lawmakers remain locked in a stalemate over limits on ice and Customs and Border Protection.
07:40Finally this morning, look at this.
07:42What a sight in Hawaii.
07:44The Kilauea Volcano putting on another incredible show,
07:48this one bigger and brighter than the last.
07:50This time, two lava fountains shot bright red molten rock,
07:54you see right here, more than 1,000 feet into the air.
07:58It's the 43rd eruption episode since activity resumed in December of 2024.
08:04Tuesday's episode forced the closure of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
08:09near Kilauea's summit and a major highway as ash fell across parts of the island.
08:14The National Weather Service even issued an ash fall warning.
08:18Fortunately, no homes or buildings were directly threatened,
08:22but in past episodes, nearby communities have had to deal with
08:25thick ash residue coating homes and roofs.
08:29It is a pretty sight.
08:31All right, before we head out, here's what we're tracking today.
08:33At 8.30 this morning, the Labor Department releases the February Consumer Price Index,
08:38the latest snapshot of inflation and a key signal for interest rates and the broader economy.
08:43At 3.00, NASA holds a press conference with an update on preparations for the Artemis II mission,
08:49the first crewed flight in the Artemis lunar program.
08:53Then at 5.00, President Trump delivers remarks at a logistics facility in Cincinnati,
08:58highlighting supply chain operations and the administration's economic agenda.
09:03Start your day a little smarter.
09:04Our all-new Unbiased Updates newsletter launched this week.
09:08If you have not signed up yet, what are you waiting for?
09:10Go to SCN.com slash newsletters.
09:13Those of your Unbiased Updates for this Wednesday, we'll see you back here tomorrow.
09:17For all of us at Straight Arrow News, it's good to be back on the Anchor Desk.
09:20I'm Craig DeGrali. Have a great day.
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