Salem News Channel

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump says oil prices that spiked because of the Iran war likely won’t come down until after the US midterm elections. Oil prices jumped more than 3% today, pushing international Brent crude past the $100 threshold for the first time since July as salvos between the U.S. and Iran escalated. Trump, in an exchange with reporters before traveling to Dallas for the midterm Republican convention, added that he believes Iran will finally relent after the pivotal elections are held in the U.S.

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The Department of Justice is going after the infrastructure behind massive foreign scam networks. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's "Scam Center Strike Force" seized Chinese-run Telegram channels and restrained $52 million in crypto tied to a network allegedly providing scam websites, money laundering and trafficking services.

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Sept 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday told reporters the inflatable slide on the Qatar-gifted Air Force One was being checked and it would take about 15 minutes. Trump added that he was sure that it was safe to fly on the jet and shortly afterwards boarded the aircraft. Trump started flying aboard the jumbo jet on July 1 after accepting the plane as a gift last year. There was an accelerated effort to renovate the Boeing 747 before Trump started using it.

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Isabel Brown of the Daily Wire joins Scott Jennings to discuss the recent developments in the Lindsay Clancy case. The trial concluded in a mistrial due to one juror's refusal to convict, despite Clancy's admission in a civil trial to killing her children. Jurors have since given media interviews, with some making controversial claims about the trial process. Brown and Jennings explore the reasons behind the formation of a cult-like following around Clancy and the broader implications of radical left-wing ideologies influencing public perception in such cases. They also consider the generational impact of these ideologies on how society views and rationalizes heinous crimes. This discussion highlights the complexities and troubling trends in contemporary American justice and public opinion.

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In the lead-up to the 2028 presidential election, the Democratic Party faces internal strife as progressive factions push for more extreme policies. The year 2027 will see candidates jockeying for position in the "invisible primary," where they build support behind the scenes. If Democrats win a House majority, a small coalition of progressives, including many new members, will drive the agenda, potentially leading to contentious debates over issues like Medicare for All. This internal conflict within the party may influence the path to the presidential nomination and the party's overall direction. The struggle between progressives and more moderate Democrats will play out prominently in the coming year, setting the stage for the 2028 elections.

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On the Hugh Hewitt claims are discussed about James Talarico’s childhood church, including its members’ reported views on religion and the assassination attempt against President Trump. The hosts examine what the allegations could mean for Talarico’s campaign and his appeal to Christian voters.

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2 people are dead after a small plane crashed in San Diego, California. The FAA says the plane crashed while landing at Montgomery-Gibbs Executive Airport Monday. The FAA and NTSB are investigating.

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HONOLULU (AP) — Damaging winds and heavy rains from Hurricane Lowell have pelted Hawaii’s western islands, causing widespread power outages. The storm's center passed west of the islands early Tuesday and now is moving away from Hawaii. There's still the threat of floods and mudslides. The island of Kauai has widespread power outages. Officials there are asking everyone to stay off the roadways so emergency crews can get out. One resident on Kauai says a beachside road was ripped apart and a friend's house had been destroyed. On Oahu, crews are clearing sand and rocks from a major route along the island's western edge.

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CAIRO/WASHINGTON/DUBAI, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Iran said on Wednesday it had attacked 10 ships near the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. sank five Iranian oil tankers, in the biggest declared wave of tit-for-tat attacks on shipping by both sides since the start of the six-month-old war. The attacks sent the price of oil surging, with benchmark Brent crude futures breaching $100 a barrel for the first time since July. At least one seafarer aboard a tanker was reported killed and another listed as missing. Iran also said it had fired ballistic missiles at a base used by U.S. forces in Jordan. Attacks by both sides since the end of August have shattered a month of relative calm, with the U.S. and Iran hitting military, shipping and energy assets. The Revolutionary Guards said they would sharply escalate their response to any further attacks, hitting 20 targets if the enemy struck two or three. Iran would soon release maps of a new, enlarged off-limits zone at sea that would extend as far as Chabahar on the far reaches of Iran's coast near Pakistan, the Guards said. Recent days have also seen an escalation in fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis in Yemen, a second theatre of war that threatens global energy supplies from the Middle East. VIDEO SHOWS IRANIAN TANKERS ABLAZE The Americans said they destroyed five Iranian oil tankers overnight, releasing video of ships ablaze before they sank. The U.S. military's Central Command called its attacks a response to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps targeting a U.S. Navy warship twice with ballistic missiles over the previous two days. No Americans were harmed, the U.S. said. Washington has announced a new policy of attacking Iranian tankers in retaliation for fire that threatens its warships, and says it has hit 10 so far over the past week. "Iran continues to try to hit U.S. naval ships, and for every time they do that or try to do that, they're going to lose tankers," U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters during a visit to Colombia. Iran said it fired on two U.S. ships and eight tankers in response. One seafarer was killed aboard the oil products tanker Hercules Star while at anchorage off Dubai and another crew member was missing, the vessel's charterer, Peninsula, said. Maritime security sources said it may have been hit by a drone. The British maritime security agency UKMTO described a vessel in the vicinity that was listing, possibly taking on water after being struck by a projectile. Reuters could not immediately determine whether this referred to the same ship.Two Iraqi port officials said a tanker carrying 2 million barrels of fuel oil, the New Andros, had caught fire after being struck by a drone in Iraqi waters. There were no reports of casualties among the 22 crew. The Iraqi government confirmed the incident and said the tanker had been used for storage. The UKMTO said it had received reports of several merchant ships struck by disabling fire in the northern Gulf and Gulf of Oman, on either side of the strait. Iran also threatened oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini ports, according to a statement carried by state media. A maritime security source reported a liquefied natural gas tanker was damaged in the Emirati port of Khor Fakkan. The IRGC also said on Wednesday it had fired ballistic missiles at a base used by U.S. forces near Al Azraq, in eastern Jordan. Jordan said its air defences had intercepted 18 of the 20 Iranian missiles, with two falling harmlessly in unpopulated areas. A U.S. official said Iran’s strikes in Jordan were ineffective and all American troops were accounted for. STRAIT CHOKED OFF In recent weeks Washington had boasted of increasing success guiding tankers through the strait, which carried a fifth of oil supplies before the war. But any such gradual reopening appears to have been set back by a resumption of fighting this month. Claudio Galimberti, chief economist at consultancy Rystad Energy, said flows through Hormuz had fallen back as low as 2 million barrels per day, having reached as high as 8 million to 9 million bpd in the week before fighting resumed on August 30. Even more severe than the rise in crude prices has been a surge in the cost of the fuels refined from it. The politically sensitive average retail price of U.S. diesel hit a fresh all-time high on Wednesday above $5.94 a gallon. Gasoline is also more expensive than ever at this time of the year. Escalating combat between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-aligned Houthi movement that controls most populated parts of Yemen has created additional uncertainty for energy markets. On Tuesday, the Houthis launched an attack on four cities in Saudi Arabia, causing huge fires visible from space at oil installations. Saudi authorities said 73 people were wounded. The Saudi Press Agency released footage showing homes damaged and injured patients in hospital. Saudi authorities announced alerts on Wednesday in two of the cities hit the previous day, but later said the threat had passed. A Saudi-backed government based in the south of Yemen has launched a multi-pronged assault on areas controlled by the Houthis, who have threatened Saudi shipping in the Red Sea.

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WASHINGTON, Sept 8 (Reuters) - The November battle for an open U.S. Senate seat in New Hampshire will pit former Republican Senator John Sununu against Democratic Representative Chris Pappas, in a race that could determine which party controls the chamber. Sununu and Pappas swamped their respective primary opponents on Tuesday night and were projected winners within an hour of polls closing in the small northeastern state. Pappas, a moderate, had been the Democratic frontrunner since entering the race in April 2025, shortly after three-term incumbent Senator Jeanne Shaheen announced her retirement at the beginning of January. He easily extinguished a late surge by progressive challenger Karishma Manzur, a medical scientist who is a member of the local Democratic Socialists of America chapter. Sununu, who garnered President Donald Trump's endorsement in February, served a single six-year Senate term starting in 2003 before losing to Shaheen in 2008. He previously held a U.S. House seat for six years. Sununu is the son and brother of former New Hampshire governors. He defeated several Republican candidates, including Scott Brown, who served a short stint as a U.S. senator representing Massachusetts several years ago. But for all his name recognition across the state, Sununu could be hampered by the declining political fortunes of Trump, whose approval ratings have been hurt by inflation and the war with Iran. Pappas and Sununu each have millions of dollars in their campaign coffers, and with one of only a handful of open Senate seats up for grabs, the race is likely to attract plenty of outside spending. THE BIG PICTURE Meanwhile, Stefany Shaheen, the daughter of the retiring senator, eked out a victory against ex-Marine Captain Maura Sullivan in the Democratic primary to replace Pappas in his House seat. Shaheen bested Sullivan by 1,701 votes out of 76,675 votes cast among nine Democratic candidates and write-ins. Shaheen, a former member of the Portsmouth, New Hampshire, cit council will face Anthony DiLorenzo, an auto dealer who was projected by media outlets to win the Republican primary. New Hampshire's Democratic and Republican primaries were among the last in this election cycle, setting the stage for a frenzied final two months of campaigning across the nation. Currently, Republicans hold a 53-47 edge over Democrats in the Senate and are clinging to an even narrower advantage in the House of Representatives. In taking on Pappas, Manzur had hoped to build on the momentum of progressive Democrats, who have scored a string of upsets in primaries in Michigan, Colorado, Florida and elsewhere. But Pappas skated to victory with the backing of Democratic establishment figures, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, Shaheen and Senator Maggie Hassan. New Hampshire voters, notorious for their close attention to elections, have split their party allegiances. The state's two Senate seats and two House seats are held by Democrats while the governor's post and state legislature are in Republican hands. In the 2024 presidential race, Democrat Kamala Harris beat Republican Donald Trump, 50.9% to 48.1%, in New Hampshire. But with 31.9% of voters registered as Republicans, 28.1% as Democrats and 39.9% as independents, according to the Independent Voter Project, elections in the state can be suspenseful. In the state's other congressional Democratic primary race, Representative Maggie Goodlander defeated state legislator Paige Beauchemin. Goodlander's fall opponent will be Republican Lily Williams, a real estate investor who is running for the seat for a third time. New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte easily defeated two opponents to win the Republican primary and is favored to defeat Democrat Cinde Warmington, running unopposed in the Democratic primary, in the general election.

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In this reflective program, Mark Davis takes a moment to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, examining how they are remembered and discussed today. He discusses the significance of the event and its impact on American culture and history. Davis questions how the event is taught and remembered, emphasizing the importance of truthful and respectful discourse. He reflects on the current political climate and the election of a Muslim mayor in New York City, highlighting the ongoing challenges in addressing the legacy of 9/11. The program includes a poignant look back at President Bush’s visit to Ground Zero, underscoring the importance of unity and vigilance in the face of tragedy.

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For years after 9/11, saying goodbye stopped at the checkpoint. A limited new program called "Gateside by TSA PreCheck" now lets vetted family members go all the way to the plane—so a child flying to grandma doesn’t have to leave mom and dad at security. It’s a small, overdue step back toward the ordinary life airports used to allow.

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GOP organizers are betting a first-of-its-kind midterm convention and the president’s unmatched political showmanship can drive turnout the way a recent targeted rally delivered a 70% local win. Mainstream networks appear uninterested (and football is on), even as supporters argue the event is part of a years-ahead plan to hold Congress—and avoid the chaos they say Democrats have already previewed.

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This discussion marks 25 years since the September 11th attacks, featuring insights from Nick Freitas, a Green Beret combat veteran and former Virginia delegate. Freitas shares his perspective on America's current mindset regarding the jihadist threat, emphasizing a growing awareness of the ideological opposition to Western values. He highlights the emergence of public discourse articulating the nature of the threat, despite ongoing challenges. Freitas also addresses the issue of cultural infiltration and the dangers of friendly immigration, which he believes seeks to undermine American values. He discusses the relationship between leftist ideologies and Islamist movements, pointing out how leftists often enable radicalization without facing consequences. Freitas calls for honest conversations and the reassertion of American ideals, advocating for a return to the principles of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to ensure the nation's safety and integrity.

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In this discussion, Congressman Andy Harris from Maryland addresses the recent Maryland Supreme Court ruling that allows a redistricting amendment to proceed to voters in November. The court also ordered changes to the ballot language, which they found could mislead voters. Harris argues that the Democrats on the Supreme Court are attempting to subvert the Maryland Constitution by suspending the Declaration of Rights to facilitate partisan redistricting. He emphasizes the fundamental nature of individual liberties and the government's role in serving the people. Harris points out that this partisan gerrymandering could result in illegal redistricting under federal law, potentially leading to legal action in federal courts. He also discusses the potential for mid-cycle redistricting and the inadequacy of the last census data, which could affect the accuracy of future district boundaries. Harris concludes by expressing hope for a pushback against such partisan practices and a move towards non-partisan redistricting.

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This week marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, a pivotal moment in American history. On this somber day, we reflect on the nearly 3,000 lives lost at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and on flight 93. Over the past quarter-century, America has undergone significant changes, including military engagements, enhanced intelligence and security frameworks, and a steadfast commitment to preventing another large-scale attack. Though the threat landscape has evolved, it persists. Dr. Sebastian Gorka, Senior Director for Counterterrorism at the National Security Council, joins the discussion to provide insights into the current state of America's counterterrorism efforts. Dr. Gorka discusses the significant strides made under recent administrations, including the rescue of over 110 American captives and the elimination of numerous high-profile terrorists. The conversation also delves into the evolving nature of threats, highlighting the complex alliance between traditional terrorist groups and leftist extremists. Dr. Gorka emphasizes the importance of public awareness and understanding of these threats, advocating for continued vigilance and support for ongoing counterterrorism initiatives.

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Cal Thomas reflects on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, sharing his personal experiences and insights. Living near the Pentagon in Alexandria, Virginia, he vividly recalls the moment he realized America was under attack, witnessing the first plane hitting the New York tower and later seeing the smoke from the Pentagon. His son, a firefighter at the time, was involved in the rescue efforts, emphasizing the personal toll of that day. Thomas discusses how the attacks served as a wake-up call, leading to changes in security measures such as the establishment of Homeland Security and TSA. However, he argues that the nation has not fully grasped the gravity of the religious war at play. He criticizes the perception of Islam as solely peaceful and highlights the need to confront the intentions of Muslim extremists. Additionally, Thomas touches on political topics, including the Republican midterm convention, the potential for party unity, and the challenges of addressing the national debt and entitlement programs. He advocates for a shift in mindset towards personal responsibility and the role of government, emphasizing the need for practical solutions rather than empty promises.

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In this discussion, Mike Gonzalez, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, critiques the Smithsonian's approach to American history. He argues that the institution has focused excessively on the nation's negative aspects, such as slavery and oppression, overshadowing its positive achievements. Gonzalez highlights the influence of Lonnie Bunch, the former head of the Smithsonian, who he believes has led the institution astray by embracing movements aiming to dismantle American heritage. Gonzalez sees hope in recent developments, such as the departure of Bunch and a pushback against what he calls "wokeness." He suggests that reclaiming American history in educational institutions and museums is crucial for preserving the nation's values and exceptionalism. The conversation emphasizes the importance of presenting a balanced view of history to maintain America's identity and global leadership.

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Larry Elder discusses the absurdity of contemporary societal beliefs and the challenges of engaging with those who hold opposing views. In a conversation with a caller from St. Paul, Minnesota, Elder reflects on personal anecdotes, including an encounter with two elderly Jewish women who voted for Gavin Newsom despite their concerns about the state's policies. He emphasizes the importance of dialogue and understanding across political divides, sharing a story of a pleasant interaction with strangers who had never spoken to a Republican before. Elder’s insights touch on the broader issue of societal divisions and the potential for meaningful conversations to bridge gaps.

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