The Latest: 03/20/2026 05:00pm ET

0:00This is an iHeart 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, iHeart's twice as large as the next two combined, learn how podcasting can help your business, call 844-844-iHeart. This is your 24-7 News Update, the latest views this hour in just four minutes. The Pentagon is reportedly working on plans to deploy ground forces into Iran should President Trump request it. CBS News reports Trump has been deliberating whether to position ground forces in the region in response to the report White House Press Secretary Caroline Levit said it's the job of the Pentagon to provide options to the Commander-in-Chief. And it does not mean the president has made a decision. Wall Street is closing sharply lower to cap another negative week, Stocks Fell, with the Dow Jones and the Nasdaq near correction territory as Iran launched new attacks against energy sites in the Persian Gulf region, selling ramped up following reports

1:02that the Pentagon is sending thousands of additional Marines to the Middle East at the closing bell. The Dow lost 443 points to 45,577. The S&P 500 fell 100 points and the Nasdaq dropped 443 points. Records setting heat is set to impact millions across the Southwest this weekend. Records melted away again yesterday in parts of California. Riverside saw its hottest March 19th on record as temperatures hit 101. Meanwhile, near the California Arizona border, it was 110 degrees in the Yuma Desert. Prices at the gas pump are now up almost $1 a gallon since the start of the war in Iran. In Charlotte, North Carolina, landscaper, Billy Provit says it's become a lot more expensive for workers to travel to and from jobs. Five trucks times twice a week and you're talking thousands of dollars, I mean, it just adds up really fast. And that doesn't include the gas or diesel needed to operate landscaping equipment. Triple A says the average nationwide price for a gallon of regular grade gas today is at $3.91. A week ago, it was $363 a gallon. A month ago, just before the start of the war,

2:04prices were hovering around $2.93 a gallon. Drivers in California are paying the most at $5.65 on average today. The Oklahoma City Thunder will not visit the White House to celebrate last season's championship. That's according to the athletic, which cited a statement provided by the team. The statement said a timing issue will prevent them from making the customary White House visit. Of Chris Garagio. An attorney who worked with Jeffrey Epstein says he didn't know anything about his client's crimes. Darren Indike is also an executor of Epstein's estate until the House Oversight Committee yesterday that no woman ever told him of any abuse by the late sex trafficker. Indike worked with Epstein going back to the 1990s, helping him put together his network of businesses and properties until the committee he had never socialized with Epstein. Spring arrives today, the Vernal Equinox, as it's properly known, is the moment when the center of the apparent disc of the sun crosses the celestial equator and moves from the southern hemisphere into the northern hemisphere of the sky. A lot of people refer to the annual of Vernal Equinox as equal night.

3:04This means an equal amount of daylight and darkness due to the sun's position over the equator. An anchorage man is facing charges after allegedly robbing a bank while armed only with the power and authority of Jesus Christ. Monica Nelson reports. An affidavit filed in Alaska District Court says 35-year-old Dishallon Jelkes walked into a credit union one late last month and handed the teller a note at red. I have a weapon and that weapon I am armed with is the power and authority of Jesus Christ. Empty the drawer into an envelope do not set off the alarm. So the teller gave Jelkes the money in an envelope that included a tracker. Police located the suspect at a Costco across the street. Cops say he then asked arresting officers if he'd be getting any of the stolen money back. ABC is pulling the newest season of the Bachelorette amid domestic violence allegations against Taylor Frankie Paul. This comes after season five of the secret lives of Mormon wives paused filming due to allegations of domestic violence made both by Paul and her partner Dakota Mortensen TMZ also posted a video yesterday

4:06of alleged domestic violence that Paul was arrested for in 2023. During the argument, she seemingly attacked Mortensen and threw multiple chairs at him in which one hit their daughter. A spokesperson with Disney Entertainment television says we have made the decision to not move forward with the new season and our focus is on supporting the family. I'm Chris Caragio.