00:01President Trump extends the ceasefire, but now talks are on ice.
00:05Iran stays away, and the U.S. leans on that Hormuz blockade.
00:09Plus, Virginia voters approve a new congressional map,
00:12and it could hand Democrats a major edge heading into the midterms.
00:16And 11 scientists dead or missing.
00:19Now the FBI steps in to find out if any of it is connected.
00:26The stories that matter, clear and credible.
00:29From across the country to around the world,
00:32these are your unbiased updates from Strait Arrow News.
00:37Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli.
00:40This morning, the newly extended ceasefire between the United States and Iran
00:44is already in question after at least two cargo ships have been fired on in the Strait of Hormuz.
00:50Iran's Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a container ship without warning,
00:55causing heavy damage to the bridge, according to a U.K. maritime agency.
01:00The agency says a second incident was reported just west of Iran,
01:04where an outbound cargo ship reported it was fired upon and, quote,
01:09is now stopped in the water.
01:10An Iranian news outlet is reporting the Revolutionary Guard's navy said it seized two so-called
01:17violating vessels and transferred them to the Iranian coast, according to CNN.
01:21The Guard had previously warned it could shut down traffic through the Strait
01:26unless the U.S. lifts its blockade of Iranian ships and ports.
01:30The incidents come just hours after President Trump extended the temporary ceasefire,
01:36which had been set to expire today.
01:38In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the extension came at the request of Pakistan
01:44and will remain in place until Iran submits a proposal and talks conclude.
01:49Despite the attacks, Iran is warning that if fighting resumes with the U.S. or Israel,
01:55it will deliver what it calls crushing and unimaginable blows to remaining targets in the region.
02:01Meanwhile, efforts to restart peace talks are faltering.
02:04Vice President J.D. Vance's planned trip to Islamabad has been put on hold after Iran failed to send a
02:11delegation.
02:12Iranian officials say they will not negotiate under pressure, pointing to the U.S. blockade.
02:17But President Trump now says if he gives up the blockade, there will never be a deal with Iran.
02:23The war in Iran is rattling energy and financial markets.
02:28One day the Dow jumps, the next it drops.
02:31Oil has been swinging sharply, at times topping $100 a barrel, then falling back below $95.
02:38Gas prices are also climbing, putting added pressure on household budgets.
02:42Earlier, I spoke with Peter Rashan, CEO of Rashan Planning in North Carolina.
02:47He says markets will settle, but it won't happen overnight.
02:51And for investors, he says patience matters.
02:55Investors need to back up and look at this in perspective of the long term.
03:00Over one month, two months, we've seen a lot of volatility.
03:03But over a year or five or ten years, we've made incredible progress in the market and continue to have
03:09very strong financials for continued profits and earnings from some of the market and sector leaders.
03:17Peter, there used to be an old adage, buy and hold.
03:21Does that still hold today, or should investors be paying more attention and not just buy and hold, but react
03:32a little more quickly?
03:34No, I believe in the buy and hold methodology.
03:37And investing is a long-term, time horizon kind of proposition.
03:42Now, today's market is more accessible and faster moving.
03:46I am not as much of an advocate of day trading.
03:52I know some are, but I believe in the power of the market long term.
03:57And so I still do believe in a buy and hold methodology and the fact that we need to look
04:03over the long term, maybe not react to short-term volatility or headlines because the market has proven resilient.
04:10We've seen these kind of events throughout our history.
04:14I mean, we could go back 76 years to the 1950s, the Korean War, the Gulf War I and II,
04:219-11, Afghanistan.
04:23We have seen international conflict impact the market, but the market has resiliency and has not only always come back,
04:32Craig, but always surpassed previous highs.
04:35So if you've got the time horizon to stay invested, I think that access to and utilization of the market
04:43still remains one of our most powerful wealth-building tools.
04:47Virginia's redistricting fight is now a national battle over control of the House.
04:52The Associated Press called it Tuesday night.
04:54Virginia voters have approved a constitutional referendum that gives map-drawing power to the state's Democratic-controlled legislature.
05:02The move sidelines the state's independent commission through the 2030 election.
05:08If the new maps hold up in court, they could shift the state's House delegation from a 6-5 split
05:14to as much as a 10-1 Democratic advantage.
05:18House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries celebrated the win, saying, quote,
05:22Democrats did not step back, we fought back. When they go low, we hit back hard.
05:28National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson said the result, quote,
05:33can't redraw reality, calling Virginia a purple state that shouldn't be defined by a partisan gerrymander.
05:40Former Governor Glenn Youngkin is now urging the state Supreme Court to step in, calling the vote a power grab.
05:46With Republicans holding a razor-thin majority in Washington, all eyes now shift to Florida,
05:52where Republicans are expected to launch their own redistricting move as early as next week.
05:58Congressman Sheila Scherfilis-McCormick has resigned just moments before the House Ethics Committee was set to vote on expelling her.
06:06The Florida Democrat had already been found by the committee to have committed multiple ethics violations,
06:12including allegations she used millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds to support her 2021 campaign.
06:19In a statement, Scherfilis-McCormick denied wrongdoing and called the process unfair.
06:25She said she chose to step down rather than, quote, play these political games,
06:29and plans to continue serving her community outside of Congress.
06:33Her resignation now triggers a special election to fill her seat.
06:37She still faces a federal trial in the case, now scheduled for late February.
06:41Meanwhile, another Florida lawmaker is not stepping aside.
06:45Republican Congressman Corey Mills says he will not resign,
06:49despite a House ethics investigation and bipartisan calls for him to do so.
06:54Mills is facing allegations of sexual misconduct and campaign finance violations.
07:00He has denied any wrongdoing.
07:01And this is now getting a lot of attention.
07:04Federal investigators are now looking for answers in a series of deaths and disappearances involving scientists tied to sensitive U
07:13.S. research.
07:14The FBI says it is now spearheading efforts to determine whether any of the cases are connected.
07:20The mysteries span several years and involve people linked to nuclear, aerospace, and defense work.
07:26Some are homicides.
07:27Others are missing persons cases, with no clear signs of foul play.
07:32Many had ties to places like NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory.
07:39Among them, a retired Air Force general who disappeared from his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
07:44William Neal McCasland has not been seen since February, since going out for a walk in the foothills of the
07:50Sandia Mountains.
07:51Another case, Stephen Garcia, also missing in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
07:56Authorities say that investigation is still active.
07:59President Trump said last week he's been briefed and expects more answers soon.
08:04Online speculation has focused on whether the cases are connected, including theories about foreign involvement.
08:12Lawmakers are now seeking briefings, calling the situation a potential national security concern.
08:18But investigators and experts say there's no evidence linking the cases.
08:22In a statement on X, a NASA spokesperson said, quote,
08:26nothing related to NASA indicates a national security threat.
08:30For now, investigators are working case by case, trying to determine whether any of these incidents are connected or not.
08:38Finally this morning, a federal appeals court says Texas can require public schools to display the Ten Commandments.
08:46In a narrow 9-to-8 decision, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the state,
08:51reversing a lower court ruling that had blocked some districts from putting up the displays.
08:57Conservatives call it a win for bringing religion back into the classrooms.
09:00Opponents say it crosses a constitutional line, calling it government-sponsored religious instruction.
09:07But the court said the policy does not violate students' rights, writing in the decision, quote,
09:13no child is made to recite the commandments, believe them, or affirm their divine origin.
09:19The ruling is expected to face another legal challenge, with the ACLU signaling it will take the case to the
09:25U.S. Supreme Court.
09:26A busy day ahead in politics. Here's what we're tracking.
09:30At 10, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. heads back to Capitol Hill for a second day of hearings.
09:35At 11, the California governor's race takes center stage.
09:39Six candidates meet for a debate just weeks before ballots go out in the mail.
09:44At 7, a prayer vigil is planned in Shreveport for the eight young children killed by a Louisiana father.
09:51And tonight, Turning Point USA makes a stop in Texas, with border czar Tom Holman headlining a speaking tour event
09:58at Baylor University.
10:00We're the fastest, fairest few minutes of news.
10:02Watch Unbiased Updates anytime at san.com or on the app.
10:06You can also stream us on Spotify.
10:09Those are your Unbiased Updates for this Wednesday.
10:11We'll see you back here tomorrow.
10:12For all of us at Straight Arrow News, I'm Craig DiGrelli.
10:15Have a great day.
10:16I'm Craig DiGrelli.
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