The Latest: 03/19/2026 09:59am ET

0:00This is an iHeart podcast, Guaranteed Human. From the creators of Jury Duty comes a new installment full of high jinks, hilarity, and hot sauce. This season we're taking the comedy out of the courthouse and into the mountains for an annual company retreat. The catch? Everyone but the new guy is an actor. Oh yeah, and the company is fake. Season 2 arrives with bigger laughs, higher stakes, and the same heart that made season 1 a cultural phenomenon. Such Jury Duty presents company retreat, now streaming on Prime Video. This is your 24-7 News Update, the latest views this hour in just four minutes. This is now day 20 of Operation Epic Fury and the war in Iran is showing no sign of winding down. President Trump says Israel attacked a major Iranian gas field on Wednesday out of anger without giving the U.S. the heads up. That sand oil prices further up and gas is still climbing right along with it.

1:03At the Pentagon this morning, joint chiefs of staff chairman General Dan Cain claimed the mission Operation Epic Fury is going according to plan. Each day we continue to attack deeper into Iranian territory. As reported by U.S. Central Command yesterday, the U.S. military dropped 5,000-pound penetrator weapons into underground storage facilities. Japan's first female Prime Minister will be in the United States today to visit President Trump at the White House. The President will be meeting with the Prime Minister as U.S. calls on its allies to help secure the straight-up war moves during the Iran War. A former senior intelligence official is being investigated for allegedly leaking classified information more from Mark Mayfield. NBC News is reporting that Joe Kent, a longtime Trump ally who resided in protest over the war with Iran, is now under FBI investigation. Kent announced Tuesday he was stepping down as the director of the National Counterterrorism

2:06Center. He served under director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, and said on Tuesday that he opposed the decision to launch military action against Iran, arguing the regime did not present an imminent threat. The FBI has declined to comment on Mark Mayfield. The nation's unemployment lines are a little shorter as fewer Americans than expected found themselves filing for first-time jobless benefits last week. The Labor Department says it received 205,000 initial requests in the week ending March 14. That's down 8,000 from the previous week's revised total. I'm Michael Casner. Lawyers for a suspected health insurance CEO killer, Luigi Mangione, want to push back his federal trial to 2027, more from Andrew Whitman. That's because Mangione faces a June date in New York State Court for killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside of Midtown Hotel in December 2024 and a September court date in federal court.

3:07Mangione's lawyers told the federal court Wednesday they can't prepare for two trials at the same time. They also argue the schedule violates Mangione's rights. While prosecutors oppose a delay, Mangione had faced a possible death sentence in his federal trial, that charge was dismissed in January. In New York, I'm Andrew Whitman. Here's a reminder, charitable donations are deductible and could save you money this tax season, more from Wendy Swanson. As taxpayers get ready for filing season, the IRS is reminding Americans that charitable donations can still lower your tax bill, but only if you follow the rules. CPA Lisa Green Lewis with TurboTax talks about the most important rule. If you can itemize your deductions, you can claim charitable contributions. Though an itemizer is someone that doesn't claim the standard deduction. Green Lewis says cash donations are generally deductible up to 60% of your adjusted gross income while non-cash gifts like clothing, furniture, or vehicles must be valued fairly

4:13and documented. If you donate non-cash items over $250, then you should get an acknowledgement from the organization that you donate to. To claim a deduction, contributions must be made to a qualified charitable organization, and you'll need to itemize your deductions on schedule A. And don't forget, the tax filing deadline is Wednesday, April 15th at midnight.