The terrorist who rammed a car filled with explosives into a Michigan synagogue and opened fire has officially been identified as a Lebanese migrant named Ayman Mohamad Ghazali. According to the DHS, Ghazali entered our country on a visa in 2011 and was granted citizenship by Obama’s administration five years later. He lived in Dearborn, Michigan, which has a dominantly Muslim population. BREAKING: DHS CONFIRMS the Michigan synagogue attacker was an immigrant from LEBANON, Ayman Mohamad Ghazali He arrived in the US in 2011 on a visa and was quickly granted citizenship by the Obama admin in 2016 President Trump needs to bring back the MUSLIM IMMIGRATION BAN… pic.twitter.com/vmBEz3xwOJ — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 13, 2026 Bill Melugin of Fox News shared a statement from Homeland Security: BREAKING: DHS confirms to @FoxNews that the Michigan synagogue attacker has been ID’d as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a Lebanese national who first entered the U.S. in 2011 on an IR1 immigrant visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen. He was naturalized into a U.S. citizen in 2016 during… pic.twitter.com/hsXvFKP2FZ — Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) March 13, 2026 Reportedly, several of Ghazali’s family members were killed during Israeli strikes on Lebanon. Per The Detroit News: A Dearborn Heights man whose relatives were recently killed in a military strike in Lebanon is the suspected assailant in Thursday’s attack on the Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield Township, two sources apprised of the investigation told The Detroit News. Ayman Ghazali, 41, a restaurant worker in Dearborn Heights, is suspected of driving his truck into the synagogue just after noon Thursday and opening fire, before he was shot and killed by security, the sources said. They spoke only on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose the details publicly. Late Thursday night, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Ghazali was the individual who carried out the attack. Ghazali, a native of Lebanon, was granted U.S. citizenship more than 10 years ago, under the Obama administration, according to the department. He entered the U.S. through Detroit on May 10, 2011, on an immigrant visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen, a DHS statement said. He applied for naturalization on Oct. 20, 2015, and was granted citizenship on Feb. 5, 2016. Ghazali’s ex-wife filed for divorce in Wayne County Circuit Court in August 2024, records show. The couple had at least one child, according to court records, and a divorce was granted seven months later, in March 2025. Mohammad Ahmad Moussa, the ex-wife’s divorce lawyer, declined comment when contacted by The News on Thursday. A search was expected to be executed on his Dearborn Heights home Thursday, according to one of the sources, but there was no activity there when The News visited on Thursday evening. The residence is about 25 miles from Temple Israel, where the attack took place. Contacted by The News about the investigation into the West Bloomfield Township attack, Dearborn Heights mayor’s office responded that it was “monitoring this incident very closely and staying in contact with local and regional partners.” Here are some photos from his social media: NEWS: The man who rammed his explosives-laden truck into a Michigan synagogue today was named Ayman Ghazaleh, according to a source familiar with the situation. Ghazaleh posted photos overnight of his family members, including young children, who were killed in a recent Israeli… pic.twitter.com/KEBeJPAZsD — Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) March 12, 2026 NEWS: The man who rammed his explosives-laden truck into a Michigan synagogue today was named Ayman Ghazaleh, according to a source familiar with the situation. Ghazaleh posted photos overnight of his family members, including young children, who were killed in a recent Israeli attack on the town of Mashghara, Lebanon. This is a developing story. #BREAKING: Suspect identified as Ayman Ghazaleh in vehicle ramming and shooting attack on Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan today. Ghazaleh crashed an explosives-laden truck into the building, opened fire, and was fatally shot by synagogue security; one guard… https://t.co/ySht9bCTj2 pic.twitter.com/O5HgYpBoG3 — Breaking News (@TheNewsTrending) March 12, 2026 #BREAKING: Suspect identified as Ayman Ghazaleh in vehicle ramming and shooting attack on Temple Israel synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan today. Ghazaleh crashed an explosives-laden truck into the building, opened fire, and was fatally shot by synagogue security; one guard injured, no children or congregants harmed amid K-12 school on site. He posted on his WhatsApp status social media posts mourning a family killed in an Israeli airstrike on Mashghara, Lebanon. Both terror attacks today were carried out by Muslim migrants. In case you missed it, here’s everything we know about the gunman in the Old Dominion University shooting: BREAKING: Old Dominion University Sh**ter Identified as Ex-National Guard Soldier With Ties to ISIS We also saw an attempted terror attack at an anti-Islam protest in New York City over the weekend. Needless to say, this recent spike is highly concerning… SLEEPER CELLS AWAKENED? TWO ISLAMIC TERROR ATTACKS TODAY • Virginia: Mohammed Jalloh opened fire at Old Dominion University — 1 dead, 2 wounded.• Michigan: Ayman Ghazaleh rammed an explosives-packed truck into a synagogue. Authorities say both suspects were legal… pic.twitter.com/xczdAAu5Cd — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 12, 2026 SLEEPER CELLS AWAKENED? TWO ISLAMIC TERROR ATTACKS TODAY • Virginia: Mohammed Jalloh opened fire at Old Dominion University — 1 dead, 2 wounded. • Michigan: Ayman Ghazaleh rammed an explosives-packed truck into a synagogue. Authorities say both suspects were legal immigrants. What are your thoughts?

President Trump’s administration has filed a lawsuit against California over its zero-emission vehicle mandates that aim to phase out the use of gasoline cars within the next decade. The Trump administration claims that California’s policies are illegal because federal law is supreme. This clip from Fox News explained further: NEW: The Trump administration has SUED California, asserting that the state's zero-emission vehicle mandates and tailpipe greenhouse gas emission standards are ILLEGAL and preempted by federal law. This action targets California's Advanced Clean Cars II program, which aims to… pic.twitter.com/od5iZU6feR — RedWave Press (@RedWavePress) March 12, 2026 NEW: The Trump administration has SUED California, asserting that the state’s zero-emission vehicle mandates and tailpipe greenhouse gas emission standards are ILLEGAL and preempted by federal law. This action targets California’s Advanced Clean Cars II program, which aims to phase out the sale of new gasoline-powered vehicles by 2035. Last year, President Trump signed legislation to get rid of policies mandating electric vehicles. However, California is refusing to reverse their illegal regulations. The Hill provided more background: California’s Air Resources Board adopted its Advanced Clean Cars II regulations in 2022, which build on earlier laws limiting vehicle emissions and seek to eliminate new gasoline-powered cars in the state by 2035. Normally, states are prohibited from adopting fuel economy regulations under the 1975 Energy Policy and Conservation Act, with the right to establish such rules limited to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. However, California received several waivers to implement and enforce its clean car rules from the Environmental Protection Agency under the Biden administration. Last year, President Trump signed a law overturning ACC II, which his administration has referred to as an “illegal electric vehicle mandate.” The federal government’s new lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court of California, looks to ensure all of the state’s zero-emission vehicle mandates are declared unlawful. Sue them into oblivion, Mr. President! It’s great to have an administration that stands up for the people against crazy, left-wing policies like California’s electric vehicle mandate. California thinks it’s above the Constitution. Trump just reminded them who’s boss. — Galaxy (@Galaxy_Keyboard) March 13, 2026 Your thoughts?

Senator John Cornyn wasn’t too happy with a few of the questions he endured this morning about his loyalty to President Trump. He was so upset, in fact, that he outright accused the reporter who dared to ask those questions of being on Ken Paxton’s payroll! The interaction happened as Cornyn walked through the halls of the Capitol, a gaggle of reporters in tow. One of the reporters broached an apparent touchy subject with the Senator, who first attempted to derisively laugh off the question. Cornyn initially tried — and failed — to delegitimize Alison Steinberg’s pointed questions about his lackluster support for the President’s agenda. He bristled even before she was able to get the full question out. Then scoffed at the idea that a legitimate number of Americans might be concerned about his track record of betrayal against President Trump. Steinberg, a DC correspondent for Lindell TV, didn’t back down. Cornyn looked like he was frantic to find an off ramp along the corridor as she pressed him on several of his positions taken against President Trump’s agenda. Here’s a clip of the conversation shared by Nick Sortor via X: HOLY CRAP! John Cornyn just started SPIRALING when a reporter asked him why he deserves Trump’s endorsement REPORTER: Why should President Trump endorse YOU when many say you've been VEHEMENTLY against his agenda? Borderline pro-amnesty, red flag laws… CORNYN: Do you speak… pic.twitter.com/2sM3MXzhxb — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) March 12, 2026 Here’s a full screen version of that clip for convenience:

You don’t see this happening too often. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was unable to complete his most recent interview. As Bessent was in a sit-down interview with Sky News, the interview was suddenly broken up after Bessent received word that President Trump needed him in the Situation Room. The Independent reported more on the interview being interrupted: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was called to the Situation Room by President Trump mid-way through a TV interview on Thursday. Bessent was being asked a question by Wilfred Frost of Sky News in the UK when an off-camera voice called for the treasury secretary. “The president wants you right away,” the voice said. Bessent began rapidly looking around the room as an aide rushed to remove his microphone. He left the interview at 10.22 am and returned almost two hours later at 12.07 pm. “Mr. Secretary, it’s a first, I’m sure a last as well, that an interviewee has been pulled away to go to the Situation Room,” Frost said upon Bessent’s return. “How’s the president? Is he stressed?” Frost continued. Bessent began stuttering while answering Frost’s question. “Uh, no, the president is in great spirits,” Bessent began. “The Iranian mission is proceeding well ahead of schedule and I have to tell you, well, that I have a teenage…teenager who is considering military service.” Praising both President Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Bessent added, “I would trust my child’s life in their hands. Bessent and his husband, John Freeman, have two children, Cole and Caroline. Following the interruption, Frost asked Bessent about tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. The flow of oil tankers through the shipping lane, one of the busiest in the world, has been severely restricted amid the ongoing conflict. However, Bessent told Frost that he believes the Islamic Republic’s forces have not placed mines in the Strait of Hormuz as reports have suggested. Here’s the moment it happened: Watch the moment a call from the White House situation room interrupts U.S. treasury secretary Scott Bessent's interview with Sky's @WilfredFrost pic.twitter.com/4XNNvRuHJX — Sky News (@SkyNews) March 12, 2026 New Jersey reported that once Bessent returend he discussed the cost of the Iran War: Later in the interview, Bessent was asked about the running cost of the war — leading him to point to $11 billion, a number that he said has been made public. While acknowledging it is “a lot of money,” he said he was not concerned about the state of U.S. finances. “We have cushions built in, and it’s not something that we have to worry about over this horizon,” Bessent said. When asked if he would have to eventually ask Trump to pause the war, Bessent replied “absolutely not.” Bessent was also pressed on the spike in oil prices since Operation Epic Fury was launched on Feb. 28. He noted that it was his “belief” that the U.S. Navy, and potentially an international coalition, will begin escorting vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route that contains about a fifth of the world’s daily oil supply.

You Already Know Something Is Wrong With How Much You’re Paying in Interest.  You’ve done the math. Maybe not on paper, maybe not with a spreadsheet, but somewhere in the back of your mind you’ve felt it: the money you’re sending to your credit card company every month isn’t paying down what you owe. It’s going to interest. You’re paying to stand still. And you’re smart enough to know that there’s a better way. You’ve just been waiting to find an option that actually makes sense before you do anything about it. This Isn’t a Trick. Here’s Exactly What’s Available Right Now.  Several major credit card issuers are currently offering 0% introductory APR periods of up to 21 months, meaning every dollar you pay goes directly toward your balance, not toward interest. Two of the top-rated cards on FinanceBuzz’s current list offer 0% intro APR for a full 21 months on both purchases and balance transfers, with no annual fee. That’s nearly two years to pay down what you owe without the balance growing. There’s no catch buried in the structure. The rate is 0%, the annual fee is $0, and the math works in your favor from day one. The Reason You Haven’t Done This Yet Is Completely Understandable.  Financial products and credit cards have a long history of sounding good in the headline and hiding the problem in paragraph six. Late fees that spike your balance. Penalty APRs that kick in if you miss one payment. Transfer fees that eat a chunk of your savings before you’ve even started. So if you’ve looked at offers like this before and felt skeptical, that instinct was protecting you, and it was right more often than it was wrong. What’s different here is specificity: one of the cards on FinanceBuzz’s current list explicitly charges no late fees, no penalty rate, and no annual fee, ever. That’s not marketing language. That’s a commitment to not punishing you when life gets complicated. You Are Allowed to Prioritize Getting Out of Debt.  This is the part that doesn’t get said enough. There’s a quiet cultural pressure to deprioritize financial moves that are “just for you,” to put the household budget, the kids’ needs, the emergency fund first, and deal with the interest later. But carrying high-interest debt costs you real money every single month, money that could be redirected toward every other thing on that list. Choosing a card with a 0% intro period isn’t a luxury. It’s the most practical financial decision you can make right now, and you don’t need anyone’s permission to make it. If You’ve Tried to Get Ahead Financially Before and It Didn’t Stick, That’s Not on You.  You may have transferred a balance before and watched the interest come back because the window was too short, or because something unexpected hit the budget in month four. You may have opened a card with a good intro offer and then found the ongoing terms weren’t what you expected. Those experiences are data, not failures. The cards on this list were specifically selected for people who’ve been through that loop. Two of them offer full 21-month windows precisely because real paydown takes real time, and every card on the list carries no annual fee, so you’re not penalized for keeping one once the intro period ends. Here’s What Each Card Actually Does and Who It’s Best For.  If eliminating existing debt is your primary goal, the two cards offering 21 months at 0% on both purchases and balance transfers are the clearest tools. No rewards complexity, no annual fee, just a long runway to make a dent. If you want your everyday spending to work for you while you pay down debt, one card earns up to 5% cash back on purchases, includes a $200 bonus after modest early spending, and gives you 15 months at 0% APR. If you travel and want miles building quietly in the background, another option earns miles on every purchase and significantly more on hotels and rental cars. And if you want the longest possible balance transfer runway with the simplest terms, two cards on the list offer 21 months on balance transfers with no annual fee and no penalty rate, ever.  What Happens After You Apply. Walk Through It Before You Decide.  You apply through a secure website. If approved, your new card arrives within 7 to 10 business days. You can typically initiate a balance transfer online within the first few months of account opening. The transferred balance starts accruing 0% interest immediately. You make monthly minimum payments, or more, ideally much more, and watch the principal decrease without interest working against you. After the intro period ends, the regular variable APR applies, which is why the goal is to have the balance meaningfully reduced or gone before that date. Most cards on this list also include free credit score monitoring, so you’re watching your financial picture improve in real time. The Fine Print You Should Actually Read.  Balance transfer fees typically range from 3% to 5% of the amount transferred. On a $5,000 balance, that’s $150 to $250, still a fraction of what you’d pay in interest over 21 months at a typical 20%+ APR. Most cards require you to initiate the transfer within the first three to four months of account opening to qualify for the intro rate. These offers require good to excellent credit, generally a FICO score of 670 or above. And minimum monthly payments are required, because missing one can affect your rate and your credit. These aren’t warnings designed to talk you out of it. They’re the information you need to make this work exactly as planned. The People Using These Cards Aren’t People With Perfect Finances.  They’re people who got into debt during a hard year, or a medical situation, or during the stretch when everything cost 30% more and the budget didn’t stretch the way it used to. They’re people who are tired of watching the interest number on their statement and are ready to make a move that actually changes the trajectory. One card on the list was clearly built with real household spending in mind, offering high cash back at grocery stores, restaurants, and gas stations, with a full cash back match at the end of your first year. It’s designed for someone managing a life, not just making purchases. You Don’t Have to Decide Everything Today.  Take the time you need. Look at your current balance and your current interest rate. Calculate what you’d save in interest over 21 months. Compare it to the transfer fee. Look at which card fits the way you actually spend. The offers aren’t going anywhere before you’ve had time to think them through, and making a thorough decision is how you make a good one. Every card on this list has been independently reviewed and rated by FinanceBuzz editors. You’re not relying on a single company’s marketing pitch. You’re looking at side-by-side evaluations built for someone who asks questions before she commits. This Is the Kind of Decision That Compounds. In the Right Direction.  When you stop paying interest, that money stays in your hands. When it stays in your hands, you can direct it toward the balance itself, which accelerates the payoff. When the balance is paid off, your credit utilization drops, which typically improves your credit score. When your score improves, better financial options become available. The whole thing moves in a different direction than it’s been moving, and it starts with one application. That’s not a sales pitch. It’s the actual math of what a 0% APR period does when you use it with intention. When You’re Ready, Here’s Where to Go.  All seven cards are available to review and compare on FinanceBuzz’s independently maintained page. You’ll find the full terms, current rates, credit score requirements, and direct links to each card’s secure application. There’s no pressure, no countdown timer, and no version of this that requires you to decide in the next 10 minutes. Just clear information, laid out honestly, for someone who takes her finances seriously and makes decisions when she’s ready. Not before. View and compare all seven 0% intro APR cards by clicking here →  (Note: Thank you for supporting businesses like the one presenting a sponsored message in this article and ordering through the included links, which benefits WLTReport. We appreciate your support and I truly hope this can help make your life better!  MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!)

The United States has temporarily lifted sanctions on Russian oil “currently stranded at sea,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said. “@POTUS is taking decisive steps to promote stability in global energy markets and working to keep prices low as we address the threat and instability posed by the terrorist Iranian regime,” Bessent said. “To increase the global reach of existing supply, @USTreasury is providing a temporary authorization to permit countries to purchase Russian oil currently stranded at sea. This narrowly tailored, short-term measure applies only to oil already in transit and will not provide significant financial benefit to the Russian government, which derives the majority of its energy revenue from taxes assessed at the point of extraction,” Bessent continued. “President Trump’s pro-energy policies have driven U.S. oil and gas production to record levels, contributing to lower fuel prices for hardworking Americans. The temporary increase in oil prices is a short-term and temporary disruption that will result in a massive benefit to our nation and economy in the long-term,” he added. .@POTUS is taking decisive steps to promote stability in global energy markets and working to keep prices low as we address the threat and instability posed by the terrorist Iranian regime. To increase the global reach of existing supply, @USTreasury is providing a temporary… — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) March 12, 2026 The Hill shared further: The action comes almost a week after the administration lifted restrictions allowing India to buy Russian oil for 30 days. On Wednesday, Trump said he would tap into the U.S.’s stockpile, releasing 172 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. A group of Democratic senators on the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs sent a letter earlier this week to the committee’s chair, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), demanding answers on the Trump administration’s moves to ease sanctions on Russian oil reserves. The minority members on the committee, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), requested a congressional hearing with Bessent by the end of March. Energy prices have spiked since the U.S. began its strikes on Iran, which straddles the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping channel. A statement attributed to the newly selected Iranian supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, on Thursday asserted that the strait will remain closed until the war is over. “The United States is effectively acknowledging the obvious: Without Russian oil, the global energy market cannot remain stable,” said Vladimir Putin’s special envoy Kirill Dmitriev, according to NBC News. “The EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia needs to be unblocked, especially in light of the U.S. decisions to partially ease sanctions on Russian oil that is currently sitting on tankers at sea,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy commented. “Even this single easing by the U.S. could give Russia roughly ten billion dollars for its war. And that definitely does not help peace. Lifting the sanctions will, in any case, strengthen Russia’s position. We hear signals that this is intended to stabilize the situation, but in my view, the logic is completely different – what matters is that Russia is spending this money on weapons, primarily drones, which target Ukrainians on a massive scale,” he continued. “And as we already see from intelligence reports, these same drones are also used against Iran’s neighbors, countries in the Middle East, and against Europeans and Americans present at various bases there. So lifting sanctions only to end up with more drones flying at you, in my opinion, is simply not the right decision,” he added. The EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia needs to be unblocked, especially in light of the U.S. decisions to partially ease sanctions on Russian oil that is currently sitting on tankers at sea. Even this single easing by the U.S. could give Russia roughly ten billion… pic.twitter.com/GrFKNeBD0W — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 13, 2026 NBC News has more: On X early Friday, Dmitriev posted a waving Russian flag alongside the caption: “Buy Russian oil and gas to maintain a balanced energy supply.” Dmitriev had been in the U.S. meeting with Trump’s team earlier in the week. Putin’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, meanwhile, told reporters that Russia recognized Washington’s “attempt to stabilize energy markets,” and “in this respect, our interests coincide.” Sergei Markov, a former Putin adviser turned commentator, said “the minor easing won’t achieve much” but as a reversal of a wider trend — from tightening sanctions to easing them — “it’s significant.” The Ukraine government “is in mourning” at the news, he wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Later Friday, during a visit to Paris, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said easing sanctions on Russia was “not the right decision” and “does not help peace” as it would “lead to a strengthening of Russia’s position.” This Russian positivity was not shared across Europe, however. The British government was among those saying Friday that it will keep its own sanctions against Russian oil, while fearing the consequences of the Trump administration’s decision.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt labeled a CNN report on the Pentagon and National Security Council underestimating “Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to U.S. military strikes” as fake news. “This story is 100% FAKE NEWS. CNN decided to run this garbage based on three anonymous ‘sources familiar with discussions.’ This is despite the fact that myself, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of State, and multiple lawmakers (who were actually present for the recent classified briefing) have directly disputed this false reporting,” Leavitt said. “THE TRUTH: The Pentagon has been planning for Iran’s desperate and reckless closure of the Strait of Hormuz for DECADES, and it has been part of the Trump Administration’s planning well before Operation Epic Fury was ever launched. The idea that Chairman Cain and Secretary Hegseth weren’t prepared for this possibility is PREPOSTEROUS. The President was fully briefed on it, and a goal of the Operation itself, to annihilate the terrorist Iranian regime’s navy, missiles, drone production infrastructure, and other threat capabilities is quite literally intended to deprive them of their ability to close the Strait,” Leavitt continued. “President Trump will not allow rogue Iranian terrorists to stop the freedom of navigation and the free flow of energy. Wiping out these terrorists who indiscriminately target civilians and attempt to hold the global economy hostage is part of the ongoing noble U.S. mission. The Fake News is working overtime to discredit President Trump, his Administration, and our U.S. Military, all of whom are working 24/7 to eliminate the threat of the Iranian regime. It’s a complete disgrace to witness this from the media, and we will keep fighting back against it,” she added. This story is 100% FAKE NEWS.  CNN decided to run this garbage based on three anonymous “sources familiar with discussions.”   This is despite the fact that myself, the Secretary of War, the Secretary of State, and multiple lawmakers (who were actually present for the recent… pic.twitter.com/IchmwpDnO7 — Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) March 13, 2026 Read what CNN wrote below: The Pentagon and National Security Council significantly underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to US military strikes while planning the ongoing operation, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter. President Donald Trump’s national security team failed to fully account for the potential consequences of what some officials have described as a worst-case scenario now facing the administration, the sources said. While key officials from the Departments of Energy and Treasury were present for some of the official planning meetings about the operation before it started, sources said, the agency analysis and forecasts that would be integral elements of the decision-making process in past administrations were secondary considerations. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Energy Secretary Chris Wright have been key players throughout the planning and execution stages of the conflict, the sources acknowledged. But Trump’s preference of leaning on a tight circle of close advisers in his national security decision making had the effect of sidelining interagency debate over the potential economic fallout if Iran were to respond to US-Israeli strikes by closing the strait. And now it may be weeks before the administration’s efforts to alleviate the intensifying economic fallout take hold, officials said Thursday, including high-risk naval escorts of oil tankers through the strait that the Pentagon believes are currently too dangerous to conduct. The president, meanwhile, has continued to downplay the tumult in energy markets and the danger. He told Fox News that oil tanker crews should “show some guts” and go through the strait. The reality in the strait has left diplomatic counterparts, former US economic and energy officials and industry executives who spoke with CNN in a state of confusion and disbelief. “More fake news from CNN reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran war’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz,” Hegseth said. “Patently ridiculous, of course. For decades Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This is always what they do, hold the strait hostage. CNN doesn’t think we thought of that. It’s a fundamentally unserious report. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better,” he continued. Footage below: Hegseth: No quarter, no mercy for our enemies. Yet some in the press just can't stop. More fake news from CNN reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran war's impact on the strait of hormuz. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better. pic.twitter.com/BehjVYK0Hy — Acyn (@Acyn) March 13, 2026 The Hill shared further: CNN later added a clarification to the story that reads: “This story has been updated to reflect additional developments and clarify that top Trump administration officials briefed lawmakers on long-standing military plans to address a major disruption to the Strait, according to one official, but that multiple sources familiar with the session said there was no indication there were any near-term solutions.” Leavitt reacted to the clarification and called it “pathetic.” “Still waiting on @ZcohenCNN to delete his completely inaccurate post,” she wrote, referring to one of the story’s co-authors, senior national security reporter Zachary Cohen. White House communications director Steven Cheung reacted to a post from the X account PatriotTakes asking if it is “normal for the military to be commenting on how news networks should be ran?” “Yes 100%,” Cheung wrote in his post. “When Fake News outlets like CNN publishes verifiably false information, it is completely appropriate to comment on how sh***y outlets are run.” White House principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly also blasted the reporting. She reacted to CNN media analyst Brian Stelter sharing the outlet’s statement that it supports the reporting. “No one cares, Brian,” Kelly wrote on X. “This story was always wrong and we said so on the front end. CNN wrote anyway because they’re more interested in pushing a dishonest narrative critical of the Administration than accurately reporting the facts.”

After disappearing during a powerful winter storm, a beloved dog was missing for nearly a week. Against the odds, the determined pup was finally reunited with its relieved and overjoyed family.

After disappearing during a powerful winter storm, a beloved dog was missing for nearly a week. Against the odds, the determined pup was finally reunited with its relieved and overjoyed family.