Trump ramps up Iran fight with ‘shoot to kill’ order; US soldier charged in Maduro bet

No rush on Iran. President Trump says he's in no hurry to end the war and is not racing into any deal

Plus, betting on a takedown. A U.S. soldier cashes in on inside intel tied to the Maduro operation and now faces serious charges

And the Epstein files back under review. A federal watchdog steps in to audit how the Justice Department handled the release

the stories that matter clear and credible from across the country to around the world

these are your unbiased updates from straight arrow good morning i'm craig de grelli we begin this morning with a new directive from president

donald trump ordering u.s forces to shoot and kill iranian boats laying mines in the

Strait of Hormuz. Military officials are now drawing up options to target Iran's capabilities

in the strait if the ceasefire breaks down. That's according to a CNN report. Officials say those

plans could include strikes on infrastructure like energy facilities, a move aimed at forcing

Iran back to negotiations on a peace agreement. That stands in contrast to what the president said

on Thursday, telling reporters he's not under any pressure to reach a deal, even as the war

stretches beyond the timeline he originally set. I don't want to rush it because you guys are

you know, trying to make us look as bad as possible. I don't want to rush it. I want to

take my time. We have plenty of time and I want to get a great deal. I want to get a deal where

our nation and the world is safe from lunatics with nuclear weapons. Iran's top diplomat says

he's been in contact with Pakistani officials about the ceasefire, but offered no details

Meanwhile, the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is now extended for another three weeks, but fighting continues

Israel says it struck a missile launcher after a rocket was fired into its territory

Hezbollah claimed responsibility. Lebanon's health ministry says an Israeli strike killed three people

Israel says those killed were militants involved in the attack. An American soldier is under arrest accused of using classified information to make hundreds of thousands of dollars betting on a military operation

Federal prosecutors say U.S. Army Master Sergeant Gannon Ken Van helped plan the American capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January

then used that inside knowledge to place bets on when it would happen

Investigators say he wagered about $33,000 on the prediction market known as Polymarket

betting that Maduro would be removed from power. Those bets paid off, netting more than $400,000 once the operation was announced

Prosecutors say Van made the trades while working on the mission and having access to classified details about its timing

He now faces multiple charges, including fraud and unlawful use of government information

ABC News first reported the arrest. Authorities say after the bets drew attention, he tried to cover his tracks

attempting to delete accounts and move the money. President Trump was asked about the case on Thursday at the White House and said he had not heard about it

Was he betting that they would get him or they wouldn't get him? It sounds like he was betting on his removal from office, that Maduro would be removed

That's interesting. He was involved in the operation. That's like Pete Rose betting on his own team

The Justice Department says this is the first case of its kind involving insider trading tied to a prediction market

The soldier, Van , is expected in court in North Carolina. Down south, one person is dead and five others are hurt after a shooting inside the mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge

Police say two groups got into an argument in the food court. Then somebody opened fire hitting bystanders caught in the middle of it all

The police chief says it started around 1.30 Thursday afternoon and does not appear to be random

Early reports put the number of victims higher, but police now confirm one person was killed and five others injured

One of them is in critical condition. Officers have five people in custody for questioning, but no arrests yet

Detectives are reviewing security video and working to determine how many shooters were involved

Back in Washington the Justice Department watchdog is stepping in launching a review of how the administration handled the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files DOJ Office of Inspector General says it will audit how the department identified redacted and released documents tied to Epstein under a law that required those files be made public

In a statement Thursday, it said the review will look at how officials decided what to release, what to withhold and how they handled issues after those documents went public

The Justice Department released millions of pages earlier this year, but missed its original deadline, then pulled thousands of files back offline

drawing criticism from lawmakers and victims. The law itself was pushed by a bipartisan group in Congress

including Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Thomas Massey, who have called for a full accounting of how those records were handled

The controversy also contributed to President Trump removing Attorney General Pam Bondi

Her successor, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, has defended the department's handling of the release

while also signaling a desire to move past the issue. Epstein's longtime associate, Chalene Maxwell, is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence

The inspector general says it will release a public report once that review is complete

President Trump says he's taking on another major renovation in Washington, the reflecting pool at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall

He says the project is already underway with plans to coat the pool, which he described as leaking like a sieve

with an industrial-grade finish in a color he calls American flag blue

Trump told reporters Thursday the idea came after a visit from a friend from Germany who called the pool filthy dirty

The president says he and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum went to see it themselves and decided upgrades were needed

He said one proposal would have removed the granite and replaced it with stone

a three-year project costing about $300 million. But Trump says he found a cheaper option

And I said, no, there's a better way of doing it. I said, what we're going to do is I'm going to call all three of these people

that have worked for me in the past doing swimming pools. That all they can do is a swimming pool And I said give me a good price we can do it for maybe a million and a half to million as opposed to million The landmark known for historic moments like this

one, Martin Luther King Jr.'s I Have a Dream speech, stretches more than 2,000 feet and was

built in 1922. Trump says crews have already cleaned and re-grouted the original granite

He says once finished, the new coding could last 40 to 50 years without leaks

Finally this morning, this anchor and sports fan is a little bleary-eyed this morning

after staying up late to watch most of the first round of the NFL draft from Pittsburgh

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza went first overall to the Las Vegas Raiders

Mendoza capped off a remarkable run, winning a national championship at Indiana

the Heisman Trophy, and now becoming the top pick in the draft, a trifecta, if you will

The Jets took pass rusher David Bailey with the second pick, and Notre Dame running back Jeremiah Love went third to Arizona

The biggest surprise of the night, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson going to the Los Angeles Rams at number 13

The Rams already have Matthew Stafford and high expectations to contend, and now they add what they hope is their quarterback of the future

And that's when I went to bed. Rounds two and three are tonight, with plenty of talent still on the board and trades likely

Before we head out, here's what we're tracking today. At 9 this morning, a 27-foot Buddha sculpture will be unveiled on New York City's High Line

a modern piece inspired by the Bamian statues destroyed in 2001. At 12.30, Kari Holford is sentenced in Colorado in a case tied to the mishandling of nearly 200 bodies at a funeral home she owned

The next hour, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp holds a press conference on the wildfires tearing through the state

At 7, President Trump attends the RNC Spring Retreat at Mar-a-Lago. Less noise, more clarity, the all-new Unbiased Updates morning newsletter

Sign up now at san.com slash newsletters. Those here are Unbiased Updates for this Friday

We'll see you back here on Monday. For all of us here at Straight Arrow, I'm Craig DeGrelli

Have a great day and a wonderful weekend