The Latest: 03/12/2026 12:59pm ET

0:00This is an I Heart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. Run a business and not thinking about podcasting? Think again. More Americans listen to podcasts than add supported streaming music from Spotify and Pandora. And as the number one podcaster, I Heart's twice as large as the next two combined. Learn how podcasting can help your business. Call 844-844-I Heart. This is your 24-7 News Update. The latest views this hour in just four minutes. The war against Iran is nearing two weeks. The new Iranian Ayatollah Mojabahomani released his first message since becoming supreme leader that still hasn't been seen in public since being appointed. Hamani said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed and Iran will ramp up attacks on its neighbors in the Gulf. Kier Simmons reports Iran is continuing to threaten ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. There are reports that unmanned boats filled with explosives have been sent towards ships as Iran aims to target the economy of the Gulf where many of America's allies and partners are, of course,

1:03and many U.S. bases are. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important waterway that typically sees a fifth of the world's maritime oil traffic. Iran is warning that oil prices could reach $200 a barrel as the war with the U.S. in Israel continues. Prices spike briefly again over $100 a barrel before dropping back down into the 90s. Stocks are sinking on Wall Street as oil prices continue to rise. The Dow has been down over 600 points at times today. The S&P 500 and the NASDAQ have also been down over 1%. Meanwhile, the U.S. plans to release 172 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as the war against Iran rages on. The two people are hurt after a gunman opened fire at Virginia's Old Dominion University this morning. Officials said the gunman is dead. The shooting happened just before 11 a.m. local time at the university's constant hall. The school said the two people injured were taken to the hospital, but the extent of their injuries have not yet been released.

2:05Old Dominion has canceled classes and operations on its main campus for the remainder of the day. Millions across the Midwest are bracing for winter weather conditions today. Again in the Dakotas before moving into northern Minnesota and Michigan, up to 8 inches are expected to accumulate north of Interstate 94. I'm Lisa Carton. Police in Norway say they've arrested three men in connection to an explosion that damaged the U.S. Embassy there last weekend. Mark Mayfield has more. Police say the three men are in Norwegian citizens of Iraqi descent. They added it's not clear if they were acting on their own or under orders from a state actor or criminal gang. There were no injuries in the incident. The arrest came after multiple shots were fired at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto on Tuesday. Canadian police are still on the hunt for these suspects in that case. As the war with Iran continues, a California politician says more needs to be done to lower gas prices. Tammy Trujillo reports. Zett Martinez-Valadara wants to pause you regulations that she argues will cause more gas refineries to close.

3:06Yes, the geopolitical conflict in Iran is contributing to the prices and gas. But if you look at the prices in other states, California is still double. Currently, Triple A says the statewide average for a gallon of self-serve regular is $5.34. Yesterday in Mono County, gas broke $6 a gallon. New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani is bashing landlords at his own rental ripoff hearing. Kitchens played by cockroaches, vents filled with mold tiles that peel off the walls and landlords that make no effort to fix any of these problems. Mamdani was among dozens to speak last night in the Bronx about poor building conditions and landlord complaints. Public housing residents spoke as well, talking about unstable heating, mold, and broken elevators. The Mamdani administration is expected to release a housing plan with improvement recommendations after the series of rental ripoff hearings finish up. Two new polls say Americans are rationing medicine and postponing retirement,

4:06so they can afford health care. About one-third of the adults who responded to a new Gallup poll said they had to make compromises to afford health care, including rationing medicine. In a second poll, about one-third of the adults say they put off retiring because of health care costs. I'm Lisa Karten.