A New Phase of the War in Iran, and the Latest on the LaGuardia Plane Crash
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In theory, I knew that this kind of thing can happen in any family. Upstanding citizens are always turning out to be secret criminals, and I wouldn't even call my cousin Alan an upstanding citizen. But it's one thing to know and another thing to understand. Alan, murder me? What the hell was Alan thinking? From Serial Productions and The New York Times, I'm Em Gessen, and this is The Idiot. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
From The New York Times, it's The Headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford. Today's Tuesday, March 24th. Here's what we're covering. in the Middle East. A recent wave of attacks on energy infrastructure has marked a new phase in the war. And economists are raising the alarm that the damage to the global economy could be long-term. Until now, much of the attention has been on the Strait of Hormuz, whether oil tankers and other ships can get in or out. The idea is if that's resolved, things will get flowing again. Fuel prices will come back down. But with targets like refineries and gas fields coming under fire, the effects could be felt for years.
Let me explain to you how challenging the situation is.
Yesterday, the head of the International Energy Agency said the war is the biggest threat to global energy security in history.
At least 40 energy assets in the region are severely or very severely damaged.
One site that's been hit, for example, is a vast Qatari complex that produces roughly a fifth of the world's liquefied natural gas. That's used to heat homes, cook food, and power factories across Asia and Europe. An official said it could take up to five years to repair. All the disruptions like that could continue to drive up global energy prices, and high energy prices tend to slow economic growth, increase unemployment, and speed up inflation. One energy consulting firm is now warning that oil, which was about $73 a barrel before the war and has now crossed $100, could climb to as high as $200 a barrel by the end of the year. If that happens, one expert told The Times, quote, I couldn't fathom we would not start seeing economies fall into a recession.
Meanwhile, there's been a slew of conflicting signals on how long the war could last and whether any more energy infrastructure could come under fire. President Trump declared yesterday that the U.S. and Iran had had what he called productive conversations. An Iranian parliamentary leader dismissed that as fake news. The Times has learned that while some messages have been going back and forth, U.S. officials say the negotiations have not been substantive, despite Trump's claims.
Now, a few more quick updates on the Trump administration, from the Homeland Security shutdown to an extraordinary transfer of taxpayer dollars. First... It would have worked. We could have had TSA paid by the end of the week. But the president said no deal, so my plan... There was almost a bipartisan agreement in the Senate over the DHS shutdown, but President Trump has nixed it. GOP Senator John Kennedy told Fox News that he and other Republicans were prepared to accept a deal from Democrats that would have funded all of DHS except ICE for now. But when the president was looped in, he quashed it.
And I'm suggesting strongly to the Republican Party, don't make any deal on anything. The most important thing we can have is what's called the Save America Act. Don't make any deal on anything unless you include Voter ID.
Yesterday, Trump made clear he wants to leverage the funding standoff as a way to push his voter ID bill. Without a deal on DHS, TSA agents will continue to go unpaid, which has already caused widespread disruption to air travel in the U.S., as some passengers wait in hours-long security lines.
On this vote.
Also in the Senate.
The ayes are 54, the nays are 45.
What recent events mark a new phase in the war in Iran?
The nomination of Mark Wayne Mullen of Oklahoma to be Secretary of Homeland Security is confirmed.
Mark Wayne Mullen was confirmed as the next leader of DHS, taking over from Kristi Noem, who Trump fired after a string of controversies and national outrage over the killings of two U.S.
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Chapters
3 chaptersSpeakers
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