00:00A 15-point U.S. plan to end the war.
00:04The terms are on the table, and Iran is already pushing back.
00:08Plus, American ground troops are moving in.
00:11A military buildup grows, even as talks play out.
00:14And it's more than one small step.
00:17NASA's new plan to build and stay on the moon.
00:23The stories that matter, clear and credible,
00:26from across the country to around the world.
00:29These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow News.
00:35Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli.
00:37We begin this morning with a new push from the Trump administration
00:40to end the war with Iran.
00:42President Donald Trump says he and his top aides,
00:46including Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio,
00:50are engaged in negotiations with Iran.
00:53Pakistani officials tell the Associated Press
00:55Iran has received a U.S. ceasefire proposal
00:58that lays out a 15-point framework to end the conflict.
01:02The plan touches on sanctions relief,
01:05limits on Iran's nuclear and missile programs,
01:08international inspections,
01:09and access through the Strait of Hormuz,
01:12though key details have not been made public.
01:14At the same time, U.S. Central Command says
01:17American forces have destroyed more than 9,000 military targets inside Iran.
01:22Iranian officials continue to deny any negotiations.
01:26A military spokesperson said on state-run television Wednesday
01:29that the U.S. is, quote,
01:31negotiating with itself.
01:33Fighting is still ongoing.
01:35Israel's military says it launched a new round of strikes
01:38targeting infrastructure across Iran.
01:41Iranian missiles have been intercepted over parts of Israel
01:45and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
01:47And in Kuwait, officials say drones hit a fuel tank
01:50at the International Airport overnight,
01:53sparking a fire, but no reported injuries.
01:56Same topic, the Pentagon is preparing to send American troops to the Middle East.
02:01And new reporting shows that move is already taking shape behind the scenes.
02:06Defense officials tell multiple news outlets
02:08the U.S. is expected to deploy elements of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division,
02:13adding to Marines already moving into the region.
02:16Officials say written orders have now been approved for elements of the division,
02:21including a combat brigade and headquarters unit based at Fort Bragg.
02:25Some of those troops could move within days.
02:32The U.S. has already carried out thousands of strikes inside Iran,
02:36targeting missile systems, military sites, and naval assets.
02:40Officials say no order has been given to send troops into Iran,
02:44but the buildup increases the chances of deeper American involvement.
02:49Despite all that, President Trump says talks are underway to end the conflict.
02:54We're in negotiations right now.
02:56They're doing it along with Marco, J.D.
02:59We have a number of people doing it.
03:01And the other side, I can tell you, they'd like to make a deal.
03:04At the same time, U.S. warships and additional forces remain positioned to cross the region
03:10as the military keeps its options open.
03:12The Pentagon has not announced a final decision on the deployment.
03:16The head of the NTSB says, quote,
03:19many things went wrong before the deadly crash between a passenger jet and a fire truck
03:24at LaGuardia Airport in New York on Sunday night.
03:27Investigators are now focused on several breakdowns leading up to the collision,
03:31including why a runway safety system failed to alert controllers to the danger.
03:37The NTSB says the fire truck did not have a transponder,
03:40a tracking device that could have triggered that warning.
03:44Transponders, by the way, are not required for emergency vehicles.
03:48Investigators are also looking at staffing inside the tower.
03:51Two controllers were working the late night shift, standard for that hour.
03:55But traffic in the air and on the tarmac remained heavy,
03:58with delays keeping the airport busier than expected after 10 p.m.
04:03We rarely, if ever, investigate a major accident where it was one failure.
04:09Our aviation system is incredibly safe.
04:13Because there are multiple, multiple layers of defense built in to prevent an accident.
04:19So when something goes wrong, that means many, many things went wrong.
04:24The NTSB's Jennifer Homendy says the investigation is still in its early stages,
04:29and the findings are preliminary.
04:31She adds that details could change as investigators verify the data.
04:36In a landmark verdict, a New Mexico jury has found Meta knowingly harmed children's mental health
04:43and failed to act when it knew about sexual exploitation on its platforms.
04:48Did Meta violate the Unfair Practices Act by engaging in an unconscionable trade practice?
04:54The jury's answer is yes.
04:57Did Meta act willfully by engaging in an unconscionable trade practice?
05:02The jury's answer is yes.
05:04After a nearly seven-week trial, jurors sided with New Mexico prosecutors who argued that Meta,
05:10which of course used to be Facebook, put profits ahead of safety.
05:14The state says the company made false and misleading statements
05:17and designed its platforms to be addictive, exposing young users to harmful content
05:23tied to eating disorders, self-harm, and sexual exploitation.
05:27Prosecutors also argued those design choices enabled child sexual exploitation.
05:34Meta must now pay $375 million in civil penalties to the state.
05:39This is historic. It's the first of its kind in the entire country.
05:43And I'm really excited that we can be an example for the rest of this country
05:48and frankly for people all around the world that are concerned about big tech and its impact on our kids.
05:54Meta says it will appeal, writing, quote,
05:56we respectfully disagree with the verdict.
05:59The company adds it will continue to defend its record on protecting teens online.
06:03A second phase of the trial is set for May, when a judge will decide whether Meta created a public
06:09nuisance
06:09and should fund programs to address the harm.
06:12In South Florida, a notable political shift in President Trump's backyard.
06:18Democrat Emily Gregory won a special election on Tuesday for a state House seat
06:23that includes Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort, flipping a district long held by Republicans.
06:28Gregory defeated Republican John Maples in the Palm Beach area district,
06:32which had been vacant since last August.
06:34Maples had Trump's endorsement, and Trump carried the district by more than 10 points in the 2024 election.
06:41This marks the 10th Republican-held seat Democrats have flipped in special elections
06:46since Trump returned to office last year.
06:48Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Freed said, quote,
06:52Democrats can run and win anywhere, including Donald Trump's backyard.
06:56And in North Carolina, a major upset in a Republican primary.
07:01State Senate leader Phil Berger conceded after losing by fewer than two dozen votes
07:06to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page.
07:08The race was so close, it triggered a recount.
07:11Page, who once led a group called Sheriffs for Trump,
07:15had turned down a role in the Trump administration.
07:17He now advances to the general election.
07:20Berger had led the North Carolina Senate since 2011.
07:24Finally this morning, NASA is scrapping part of its moon plan
07:28and going all in on building a base on the surface.
07:33Wow.
07:33The agency says it will spend about $20 billion over the next seven years
07:38to build out a permanent presence near the moon's south pole,
07:42complete with habitats, rovers, even nuclear power.
07:45Look at that.
07:46And the pace is picking up.
07:47NASA wants crewed landings happening as often as twice a year
07:52as it builds toward long-term missions and eventually all the way to Mars.
07:57The administrator says this isn't a quick win, but it is the goal.
08:01The moon base will not appear overnight.
08:04We will invest approximately $20 billion over the next seven years
08:07and build it through dozens of missions,
08:09working together with commercial and international partners
08:12towards a deliberate and achievable plan.
08:14To get there, NASA is dropping its planned Gateway Space Station
08:19and shifting those resources to the surface instead.
08:22The first missions under this new approach could start in 2027
08:26with a steady drumbeat of launches after that.
08:29This time, the mission is not just to land, it's to stay.
08:33And safe to say, this appears to be one giant leap
08:36for the American space program.
08:38Thank you, Neil Armstrong, for that partial quote
08:40dating all the way back to 1969.
08:43Wow.
08:45All right, before we head out, here's what we're tracking today.
08:47This morning, House Republicans and Democrats
08:49both stepped to the microphones after their caucus meetings
08:52with the battle over DHS funding front and center.
08:56At one, a Florida woman accused of firing a gun at Rihanna's home
09:00while she and her family were inside,
09:02faces arraignment in Los Angeles on multiple felony charges,
09:05including attempted murder.
09:07At two, the Chicago mayor unveils a controversial new city snowplow named
09:13Abolish ICE, hit by voters, an already drawing reaction.
09:18And tonight, President Trump headlines the National Republican
09:21Congressional Committee dinner, rallying Republicans as the campaign season ramps up.
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09:35Those are your unbiased updates for this Wednesday.
09:38We'll see you back here tomorrow.
09:39For all of us at Straight Arrow News, I'm Craig DeGrelly.
09:41Have a great day.
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