00:01Peace talks or no talks? President Trump says the Iranians called and want to make a deal.
00:07Iran says that's not true. Plus, a jet racing down the runway, a fire truck in its path,
00:14how this deadly crash at LaGuardia unfolded. And long lines, ice at the airports. But now,
00:20real movement toward ending the shutdown.
00:25The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world.
00:31These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow News.
00:36Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli. This morning, Iran is pushing back on President Trump's claim
00:42that talks are underway to end the war, saying there are no negotiations. The denial comes after
00:48Trump said he's holding off on strikes targeting Iran's power infrastructure, a response he
00:54threatened if Iran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's foreign ministry says the Trump
01:00administration delay is, quote, part of efforts to reduce energy prices and buy time for military
01:06action. Pakistan is now emerging as a go-between, with NBC News reporting an in-person meeting could
01:13happen in Islamabad in the coming days. Iran is also continuing its attacks, striking residential
01:19areas in Tel Aviv, Israel, early Tuesday. U.S. Central Command says the pattern of attacks
01:25has shifted, with fewer missiles and more strikes on civilian targets.
01:30My overall operational assessment is they're operating in a sign of desperation. At the beginning
01:36of the conflict, you saw large volumes in the dozens of drones and missiles. You no longer see that.
01:42It's all one or two at a time. So that has dramatically shifted. And the desperation you've seen is
01:49they've shifted from military targets in the last couple of weeks. They've attacked civilian targets
01:54very deliberately more than 300 times. 300 times. Israel's National Emergency Service says four
02:01impact sites were identified across Tel Aviv, with six people slightly injured. Delays are expected to
02:09last for the end of the week at LaGuardia Airport in New York, as investigators work to pin down what
02:14led to a deadly runway collision. New audio and video are now giving a clearer picture of what
02:20happened. Newly released video captures the moment an Air Canada passenger jet collided with the fire
02:27truck on the runway. What led up to the deadly collision is still under investigation. You see it right
02:33there. Wow. Early details point to a chain of events involving another flight. The fire truck was
02:40responding to a United plane after the crew reported a strong odor in the cabin and passengers
02:46feeling sick. At the same time, an Air Canada Express flight coming in from Montreal was approaching
02:52the runway. Passengers say the crew warned of an emergency landing just before touchdown, then the
02:58massive impact. Air traffic control audio shows a controller clearing the fire truck to go ahead
03:04and cross the runway, then urgently trying to stop it.
03:26In other recordings, an air traffic controller is heard saying they were, quote, dealing with an
03:32emergency earlier and, quote, I messed up. It's not clear if that voice is from the same controller.
03:39The incident comes as the U.S. faces a shortage of air traffic controllers. But Transportation
03:44Secretary Sean Duffy says staffing was not the issue at LaGuardia.
03:49This airport has a target of 37 controllers at LaGuardia. We have 33 controllers employed,
03:59certified at LaGuardia. And we have six that are seven actually that are in training. So as our
04:05airports go, LaGuardia is a very well-staffed airport. We're a couple controllers short in total,
04:13but it is a well-staffed airport. A CNN review found pilots have flagged miscommunication at LaGuardia.
04:21At least a dozen reports were filed last summer with NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System,
04:26including one describing a close call involving multiple aircraft. One report even compared
04:32conditions at LaGuardia to those at Reagan National Airport before a deadly midair collision last
04:38January between an American Airlines plane and a military helicopter. On this vote, the eyes are 54,
04:46the nays are 45. The nomination of Mark Wayne Mullen of Oklahoma to be Secretary of Homeland Security
04:51is confirmed. Mark Wayne Mullen is now officially leading Homeland Security,
04:57stepping into a department already under intense pressure. The Senate confirmed Mullen on Monday
05:02in a 54 to 45 vote. Two Democrats joined Republicans in support, while Republican Senator Rand Paul voted no.
05:10Mullen will be sworn in later today. President Trump nominated the Oklahoma Senator earlier this month
05:16after removing Kristi Noem from the post, following bipartisan criticism over her handling of the
05:22department. Mullen takes over as DHS deals with a partial shutdown, airport delays and growing backlash
05:29over the administration's immigration crackdown. During his confirmation hearing, Mullen acknowledged
05:35he spoke too quickly after the deadly ice shooting of Alex Preddy in Minneapolis. He told senators,
05:41quote, that's my fault. That won't happen as secretary. Mullen also said he wants to bring more
05:47stability to the department and keep it out of the daily political spotlight. After ICE agents showed up
05:53at airports Monday, the political fight behind it seemed to be escalating. But now there are signs of
05:59movement after late night talks at the White House. President Trump is telling Republicans to hold the line
06:05in this standoff over Homeland Security funding and tie any deal to his voting bill, the Save America Act.
06:12Senators met with Trump at the White House late Monday and say they worked through the night on a new
06:17proposal. Negotiators are expected to present a written plan later today. Senate Democratic leader Chuck
06:23Schumer says talks are continuing, but blames Trump for stalling a deal that would get TSA workers paid
06:29and ease long airport lines. So Donald Trump, the more you keep ICE agents at our airports,
06:37the more you will be reminding people of how much chaos and fear ICE has already caused.
06:43It's a terrible idea that could backfire on the country and on Donald Trump. It's a simple solution,
06:50Donald Trump. Pay the TSA workers. The partial shutdown has left tens of thousands of Homeland Security
06:58workers, including TSA officers, working without pay for more than a month. At the same time,
07:05ICE has continued operating with separate funding. The White House says immigration agents are now
07:10helping at airports to move security lines and support TSA staffing shortages. The proposal now
07:16under discussion would fund most of Homeland Security, including TSA, but leave out ICE's enforcement
07:23and removal operations. It would also add new limits on immigration enforcement, including
07:28requirements for body cameras and identification. Democrats say they're willing to fund most of
07:34Homeland Security, but not immigration enforcement without policy changes. Republicans say everything
07:40needs to be funded together. And Trump is urging Republicans not to cut any deal unless it includes his
07:46election bill. And we want the public to know we're not going to let them out of this trap that
07:51they created
07:52for themselves. And I'm suggesting very strongly that the Republicans in going for the Save America Act that
08:01you you welded into exactly this because voter ID is part of Homeland Security. You don't have to take a
08:09fast vote.
08:09Don't worry about Easter going home. In fact, make this one for Jesus. OK, make this one for Jesus.
08:17That's what I tell him. For now, talks are active, but with no deal yet, the shutdown and the airport
08:24disruptions are still ongoing. This morning, there is now a deal to fill the U.S. attorney role in New
08:30Jersey after a year of back and forth. State district judges and the Trump administration have agreed on
08:36Robert Fraser, a longtime prosecutor in that office, to take over the role. The announcement was posted
08:43on the chief judge's website. Trump appointee Alina Hobbit, who you see here, was never confirmed by the
08:48Senate, and a federal judge later ruled her installment unlawful. She resigned, leaving the position vacant
08:55for months. Hobbit, now a senior advisor to Attorney General Pam Bondi, praised the pick, saying Fraser will be
09:02a strong advocate for the office. New Jersey's two Democratic senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim,
09:08who blocked her nomination, also backed the move. In a joint statement, they said the office can now,
09:13quote, move past the chaos and partisanship of the past year and return to its critical mission.
09:20Finally this morning, DoorDash is putting more money in drivers' pockets as gas prices climb.
09:26The company is rolling out a temporary relief program in the United States and Canada,
09:30with gas now pushing $4 a gallon up fast over the past month. Drivers using the DoorDash debit card
09:37will now get 10 percent cash back at the pump, five times the usual rate. And if you're putting in
09:43serious miles, there's more. Drivers who log at least 125 miles on deliveries can earn extra weekly
09:49payments, starting at five bucks and topping out at 15. DoorDash says more than half its drivers
09:55already have the card. So many will see the boost right away. In Canada, drivers can get up to $36
10:01a
10:02week based on mileage. The program runs through April. DoorDash has done this before when gas prices
10:08jump, but this time it's out first. Grubhub says it is watching the situation. Uber has not said if it
10:16will follow. Hey, that's a nice gesture. Every little bit helps, right? All right, before we head out,
10:20here's what we're tracking today. At nine, NASA lays out how it plans to move forward with the
10:25administration's space policy, including its timeline to return Americans to the moon by 2028.
10:31At 10, First Lady Melania Trump convenes leaders from dozens of countries and tech groups at the
10:37State Department, focusing on education and technology for children. This afternoon, President
10:42Trump swears in Mark Wayne Mullen as Secretary of Homeland Security. New look, new format, same unbiased
10:48updates. Sign up for our all-new Unbiased Updates newsletter. Go to san.com slash newsletters.
10:54Those here are Unbiased Updates for this Tuesday. We'll see you back here tomorrow.
10:58For all of us here at Straight Arrow News, I'm Craig DeGrelli. Have a great day.
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