Iran stalls talks, threatens Hormuz fees; GOP blocks DHS deal

Trump says Iran wants a deal. Iran says there are no talks. So who's blinking and what happens next

Plus, as the U.S. ramps up, support is dropping. New numbers show the war is losing the public

We break down what's shifting. And four-hour lines missed flights, TSA workers not showing up without pay

And the problem is only getting worse. The stories that matter, clear and credible, from across the country to around the world

These are your unbiased updates from Straight Arrow News. Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli

This morning, the United States and Iran appear to be at a stalemate with no clear path to a ceasefire

Fighting across the region continued overnight, sirens blaring in Jerusalem as multiple waves of missile attacks hit Israel, with interceptions reported over the West Bank

even as far as the United Arab Emirates. In Abu Dhabi, two people were killed and three others wounded by falling debris from an intercepted ballistic missile

In Israel, two people were hurt in a blast north of Tel Aviv in Kfar Qasim

as rescue crews responded to one of several barrages. Meanwhile, Israel is expanding its strikes inside Iran

New video shows damage in the port city of Bandar Abbas, with additional targets hit in Isfahan, according to the Israeli military

Despite President Donald Trump's claims, Iran wants to make a deal, quote, so badly they're afraid to say it, signs this morning point the other way

Iran's parliament is now moving to formalize fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a move that could shake global oil supply

And a state-run outlet reports Iran-backed Houthis are ready to enter the fight

Behind the scenes, the Trump administration is trying to find an off-ramp

Officials tell CNN they're working to set up talks as early as this weekend

with Vice President J.D. Vance expected to travel, possibly to Pakistan or Turkey, though plans remain fluid

The White House is escalating its warning. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt says if Iran does not accept that it has been, quote

militarily, Trump is prepared to act. But the president's preference is always peace. There

does not need to be any more death and destruction. But if Iran fails to accept the reality of the

current moment, if they fail to understand that they have been defeated militarily and will

continue to be, President Trump will ensure they are hit harder than they have ever been hit before

President Trump does not bluff and he is prepared to unleash hell Markets are reacting Oil prices climbed again Thursday after Iran rejected the 15 Trump administration plan

Brent crude, the global benchmark, is up about 1.5 percent, just over $98 a barrel after sitting below $95 a day ago

U.S. crude is also rising more than 2 percent to top $92 a barrel

As the fighting continues, a new poll shows many Americans think the United States is overstepping its bounds

An AP Nork poll finds about 6 in 10 Americans, 59 percent, say the military action against Iran has gone too far

Support for escalating the conflict is limited, and most Americans oppose sending American ground troops into Iran

At the same time, Americans are still focused on what this war could mean at home, especially at the pump

Take a look here. Forty-five percent of U.S. adults say they're extremely or very worried about gas prices rising again

with concern highest among Democrats and independents at 57 percent and 49 percent, respectively

When it comes to priorities, though, there's rare agreement. About two-thirds of Americans, 67%, say stopping Iran from driving up oil and gas prices is a top goal

A similar number say preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon is also critical

Far fewer say protecting Israel or replacing Iran's government should be a priority

President Trump's overall approval rating remains at around 40%, largely unchanged. His ratings on foreign policy and Iran are slightly lower, but also steady

The poll also finds about half of Americans have little or no trust in Trump to make the right decisions on the use of military force abroad

With just two days before Congress is set to leave for a two-week recess, there's still no deal to end the partial government shutdown

Airport lines are getting worse nationwide. TSA officers still working without pay are calling out in large numbers, while ICE agents step in to help with basic duties

And both parties continue to blame each other. In Washington, Senate Majority Leader John Thune is dismissing the Democrats' latest proposal

rejected early Wednesday as, quote, not even close to being real, saying it included multiple non-starters

The plan did include some measures the White House has signaled it could accept

including body cameras for ICE agents, ID requirements for immigration officers, and higher training standards

But Thune says other provisions like banning masks for agents and requiring judicial warrants have quote never been on the table And with tens of thousands of DHS employees set to miss another paycheck tomorrow the White House is now rejecting an offer from billionaire

Elon Musk to pay TSA workers during the shutdown, citing potential legal problems

A top Trump administration official is now targeting New York Attorney General Letitia

James with new criminal referrals. Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Bill Palt

sent letters to prosecutors in Florida and Illinois alleging James submitted false information

on homeowners insurance applications. In Florida, Pult says the information was sent to Universal

Property Insurance. In Illinois, he alleges similar false statements were made to Allstate

President Trump amplified the move on Truth Social, writing that James had been referred

for prosecution over alleged insurance fraud. James has faced federal scrutiny before

Last year, prosecutors brought bank fraud charges tied to a property in Virginia

alleging she provided false information to secure a mortgage. A judge later dismissed that case

Her attorney, Abby Lowell, told CBS News the new referrals are politically motivated

calling them a, quote, desperate effort at retaliation. The conflict between Trump and James goes back years

As New York Attorney General, she sued Trump over the value of his real estate assets

A judge found him liable for fraud and ordered him to pay hundreds of millions of dollars

That financial judgment was later overturned on appeal. To a separate legal matter, the Justice Department has reached a settlement with former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn

ending his lawsuit over what he called a wrongful prosecution. Flynn sued the Justice Department in 2023, seeking at least $50 million

and arguing he was improperly targeted during the Russia investigation. He had been charged in 2017 with lying to the FBI about contacts with the Russian ambassador

later pleaded guilty, and was pardoned by President Trump in 2020. The lawsuit claimed Flynn was, quote, falsely branded as a traitor

and said he lost tens of millions of dollars in business opportunities while spending heavily on his defense

Court filings show both sides agreed to drop the case, with Flynn receiving settlement funds

Documents do not list a dollar amount, but the Associated Press reports the payout is about $1.2 million

The Justice Department says the settlement helps address what it calls a historic injustice tied to the Russia investigation

Flynn had been a central figure in that probe which examined contacts between Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election He cooperated with the late special counsel Robert Mueller before later trying to withdraw his guilty plea arguing prosecutors acted in bad faith

Flynn served less than a month as national security advisor before getting fired in 2017

but has remained a close ally of President Trump. Finally this morning, the East Room has seen a lot

over the years, but this time the guest didn't need a pulse. First Lady Melania Trump welcomed

an American-made humanoid robot to the White House during her AI and education summit

I'm figure three, a humanoid built in the United States of America. I am grateful to be part of this historic movement to empower children with technology and education

Welcome. The appearance was meant to make a point. AI isn't just on your phone anymore

The first lady terming it personified and saying the next step is humanoids

that can actually help in the real world. She also called it the first American-made humanoid guest in the White House

The robot thanked her, greeted the room in multiple languages, then made a very orderly exit

Our mission to empower children through technology and education is achievable. I encourage each of you to take a proactive step after this inaugural summit

The First Lady also asked the audience to imagine a future with humanoid teachers, even floating the name Play-Doh

The robot, called Figure 3, was introduced last year as a third-generation model designed to handle everyday tasks at home

So, it'd be like this, right? Figure 3, light the grill. And then, for me, Figure 3, oh, while you're at it, turn on the hockey game

Please. Wouldn't that be something? All right. If you're listening to us, you should really see this on our website. It's great video

A busy day ahead. Here's what we're tracking. At 10 this morning, President Trump hosts a cabinet

meeting at the White House. His 11th meeting of this term. We'll watch for news. At 11

former Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores appear in federal court as their

criminal case moves forward. At noon, California lawmakers take up a vote to rename March 31st

from Cesar Chavez Day to Farm Workers Day. At four, the president marks Greek Independence Day

with an event at the White House. Hey, thanks for making Unbiased Updates

part of your morning routine. We're the quickest, clearest few minutes of news. Watch us at san.com or on the app

or you can listen to us on Spotify. Those are your Unbiased Updates for this Thursday

We'll see you back here tomorrow, Friday. We love that. For all of us here at Straight Arrow News

I'm Craig DeGrelli. Have a great day