September 13, 2026. Day 198. Last night nobody had said where the drones that closed Saudi Arabia's East-West pipeline came from. Today Baghdad said it: they were launched from Maysan province, on the Iranian border. Iraq has fired the provincial operations commander and the police chief, closed three crossings into Iran — and approved a joint investigation with Iran. Riyadh says it will not retaliate. And the Houthis have taken Mayun island, which sits in the Bab al-Mandeb itself.

Tonight's report:

• Iraqi PM Ali al-Zaidi confirms the drones that struck the Saudi pipeline were launched from Maysan province, and dismisses the operations commander and police chief• Baghdad closes three border crossings with Iran while simultaneously approving an Iranian request for a joint investigation into the launch platforms• An umbrella group of Iran-aligned Iraqi militias denies involvement. Nobody has claimed the attack• Asked whether Iran was behind it, Trump says "Well, I think they are" — offered as a belief, not a finding. No U.S. agency has published an attribution• The distinction that matters: Iraq has confirmed where the drones took off from, not who put them there• Saudi Arabia says it will not retaliate, to give Baghdad "an opportunity to take the necessary measures" — a state whose main export artery was cut Thursday declining to strike back on Saturday, in public• Kuwait, the UAE, Oman and Egypt all condemn the attack• The IEA reports Saudi oil exports through the Red Sea port at the pipeline's end have more than doubled since the war began• The Houthis take Mayun island (Perim), which sits in the Bab al-Mandeb rather than near it. Displaced families arrive in Aden from Mokha and al-Khokha• Holding an island is not closing a strait, and the Houthis say it remains open — but straits close by insurance premium, not by decision• Explosions reported on Qeshm Island; Pezeshkian accuses the U.S. of war crimes; Iranian media report a ship attacked in Hormuz — all Iranian accounts, none independently confirmed• Two tables: GCC states are to meet a senior Iranian official Monday, no Gulf state yet confirming — and Lebanon and Israel will hold direct talks next month• BRICS closes its 18th summit with a declaration condemning "any instance of unilateral war" without naming a country, signed by both Iran and the UAE

Followed by "From the Homefront" — Dorothy Wilson makes chicken pot pie from Sunday's bird, and the rule will start an argument: do not put a bottom crust in it. About $7 for four.

This is a news presentation — not opinion or editorial. Where accounts conflict, both are given.

The "Winrad Broadcasting Service" is fictional. All voices are AI-generated. No affiliation with any actual news organization.

SOURCES:

AP via US News — Iraq confirms the attacks originated in Maysan, IEA export figure, Mayun island — https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-09-12/iraq-confirms-attacks-on-saudi-pipeline-originated-from-iraqi-territory-and-other-mideast-newsAl Jazeera — three crossings closed, joint investigation approved — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/12/iraq-probes-drone-strikes-on-saudi-arabia-shuts-three-crossings-to-iranAP via CBC — Saudi refusal to retaliate, militia denial, Arab condemnations — https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/iraq-saudi-pipeline-9.7341679Iraqi News — police chief dismissed, security directors transferred — https://www.iraqinews.com/iraq/iraq-pm-dismisses-maysan-police-chief-saudi-pipeline-drone-attack-2026/Jerusalem Post — Qeshm Island explosions, Pezeshkian war crimes accusation — https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/2026-09-12/live-updates-908405ABC News — Trump call with MBS, Iranian ship attacked, Monday GCC meeting — https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-tehran-plans-new-restricted-zone/?id=136249116

Full source list is in the Substack edition.

September 12, 2026. Day 197. Saudi Arabia has shut the East-West pipeline after multiple attacks Thursday — the line whose entire purpose is to move crude across the kingdom so it need not pass through the Strait of Hormuz. It has been the world's principal workaround for six months. There is no second pipe. Meanwhile Houthi forces took the whole of Yemen's Red Sea coast, and the Saudi Crown Prince phoned the President twice asking for American strikes.

Tonight's report:

• Saudi Arabia shuts the East-West (Petroline) pipeline as a precaution after multiple attacks Thursday, with injuries reported; a Planet Labs satellite image shows an installation burning southeast of Medina along the route• Riyadh has not said who attacked it and no party has claimed responsibility — we are not supplying an attribution the Saudi government has declined to make• The pipeline runs from the eastern oil fields to Yanbu on the Red Sea, and has been the principal means of mitigating Hormuz's closure since February• Houthi forces take the port of Mocha and the whole Yemeni Red Sea coastline, roughly 47 miles north of Bab al-Mandeb — though the Houthis say the strait remains open, and analysts note closing it would invite a far heavier response• Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman phoned Trump twice Thursday seeking direct U.S. military intervention against the Houthis and was refused; Washington is offering intelligence and targeting assistance instead• Officials add two complications: MBS did not call the request "absolutely critical," and Riyadh has signaled willingness to act alone• Iran says a regional meeting with Gulf states will be held Monday on the Oman safe-route talks — which would be the first GCC-Iran foreign-minister meeting since February. No Gulf state has confirmed• Hegseth says the U.S. controls the Strait of Hormuz and "we will finish the fight"• At the Pentagon 9/11 ceremony, Trump turns to the Iran war, saluting those ensuring "the world's number one sponsor of terror" never has a nuclear weapon• The IRGC says it struck an unmanned Saildrone-type vessel at the strait's entrance; UKMTO reports four projectiles hitting two ships west of Khasab, one afire — four unattributed attacks in four days• Reuters independently confirms the A-10 that lost a wing and eight lightly damaged F-15s in Jordan, which the President denied Thursday• At the BRICS summit in New Delhi, members agree a declaration condemning "any instance of unilateral war" without naming a country — with Iran and the UAE both signing

Followed by "From the Homefront" — Dorothy Wilson makes bread pudding, and explains why stale bread is the required ingredient rather than the excuse. About $3, and the thirty-minute soak is not a suggestion.

This is a news presentation — not opinion or editorial. Where accounts conflict, both are given.

The "Winrad Broadcasting Service" is fictional. All voices are AI-generated. No affiliation with any actual news organization.

SOURCES:

ABC News — pipeline shutdown, MBS calls, Gulf meeting, Hegseth, Pentagon ceremony — https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-tehran-plans-new-restricted-zone/?id=136249116GlobalSecurity — Houthi capture of Mocha and the coastline, Saildrone claim, UKMTO report, Reuters on aircraft damage — https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iran-war-oprep.htmTimes of Israel — BRICS declaration, Pezeshkian remarks — https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-september-12-2026/CBS News — oil, gasoline and diesel levels — https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-strait-of-hormuz-oil-gas-price-strikes/

Full source list is in the Substack edition.

September 11, 2026. Day 196, and the twenty-fifth anniversary. Thursday morning the President said no American aircraft had been damaged by Iranian fire in Jordan — "None whatsoever. No damage. No nothing." Thursday evening two sources told ABC News that an A-10 lost a wing at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base and about eight F-15s took light damage. Thursday night he said there is "not even a chance" this war lasts the rest of his term.

Tonight's report:

• The sequence in order: Trump denies any aircraft damage Thursday morning; ABC reports Thursday evening that an A-10 was hit and lost a wing and roughly eight F-15s took light damage at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. No American was reported hurt
• Trump: "no there's not even a chance" the war runs to the end of his term — an estimate that began at four to six weeks, then "immediately after the election," then "maybe sooner," then "could end before the election"
• He says fuel will fall to "less than $2 a barrel, $2 a gallon," correcting himself mid-sentence. Gasoline stands near $4.15
• The Wall Street Journal reports, and a U.S. official confirms, that Iran has resumed limited ballistic missile production underground using pre-war components — at a significantly slower rate, with no certainty it can continue once the shelf is empty
• Trump says "movement" detected at Pickaxe Mountain and threatens new strikes — the fifth such threat — the same day CSIS satellite analysis finds more road activity there than at any point in its history
• No IAEA inspectors have been in Iran since February 28, and the Agency cannot account for more than 200 kg of 60% enriched uranium
• Trump claims nine Iranian ships taken out; independent counts find ten hulls since September 1; CENTCOM has published no cumulative figure at all
• Five days on, Tehran's announced exclusion zone and its Oman safe route still have no published terms
• Yemen: Saudi airstrikes intensify. Lebanon: a drone kills a motorcyclist at Zebdine, and a tunnel demolition registers as an earth tremor
• A correction on Missouri: after we reported the older map would govern November, Kavanaugh denied the state's appeal and a federal judge revived the GOP map hours later. The secretary of state faces a contempt motion

Also tonight: twenty-five years since September 11, and the FDNY's own accounting of what came after.

Followed by "From the Homefront" — Dorothy Wilson makes Welsh rarebit, and explains the small scandal in its name. The rule is absolute: the pan comes off the heat before one crumb of cheese goes in. About $4, fifteen minutes.

This is a news presentation — not opinion or editorial. Where accounts conflict, both are given.

The "Winrad Broadcasting Service" is fictional. All voices are AI-generated. No affiliation with any actual news organization.

SOURCES:

ABC News — Trump remarks, aircraft damage sources, missile production, casualty database — https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-tehran-plans-new-restricted-zone/?id=136249116GlobalSecurity — Pickaxe threats, CSIS analysis, tanker count, Lebanon strikes — https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iran-war-oprep.htmCBS News — IAEA referral, exclusion zone, Oman route, oil prices — https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-strait-of-hormuz-oil-gas-price-strikes/Al Jazeera / Reuters / AP — Kavanaugh denies the Missouri emergency application — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/9/us-supreme-court-rejects-missouri-bid-to-reactivate-gop-backed-voting-mapABC News — Judge Clark's temporary restraining order — https://abcnews.com/Politics/kavanaugh-denies-missouri-republicans-appeal-preserve-gop-friendly/story?id=136287286Democracy Docket — the 14-day TRO and Eighth Circuit appeal — https://www.democracydocket.com/news-alerts/federal-judge-revives-missouri-gop-gerrymander-right-after-supreme-court-rejects-states-emergency-bid/

Full source list is in the Substack edition.

September 10, 2026. Day 195. The President told reporters Wednesday that the war will end "immediately after the election" because Iran "can't hold out any longer" — the plainest statement of timing he has given. The IAEA Board has reported Iran to the UN Security Council, the first such referral in twenty years. And two merchant ships were struck in Gulf waters this morning by what maritime authorities can only call unknown projectiles.

Tonight's report:

• Trump: "I think the war is going to end immediately after the election," and gas prices will fall after the midterms — a prediction that lines up with last week's Reuters reporting that aides urged no escalation before November 3• The arithmetic beside it: the election is 54 days off, and in the five days just past U.S. forces destroyed or disabled eight Iranian tankers while the Pentagon added 53 names to its wounded list• The IAEA Board refers Iran to the Security Council over undeclared-site uranium traces; the resolution was brought by the U.S., Britain, France and Germany• Iran's deputy foreign minister calls the resolution a construction of "fabrications," arguing the same powers bombed safeguarded facilities, disrupted verification, then used that disruption as the pretext• The Agency still cannot verify the location of well over 200 kg of 60% enriched uranium, and says attacks on safeguarded facilities "should never take place"• UKMTO reports a tanker struck by an "unknown projectile" southeast of Al-Faw, Iraq, and a second vessel listing off Port Rashid in the UAE — neither attack attributed by anyone• Iran's foreign ministry calls the U.S. tanker strikes "an outright threat to regional and international peace and security" and calls its own strikes on Jordan and U.S. vessels defensive• The running figures: eight Iranian tankers in five days, 94 vessels redirected since mid-July, at least 511 Iranian missiles and drones since July 8, 820 American wounded and 18 killed• Tehran's exclusion zone and its Oman safe route, both announced Monday, still have no published terms four days on• Lebanon: 12 killed in Israeli strikes, 11 at Kfar Rumman. Yemen: Houthi and Saudi exchanges, the heaviest since their truce four years ago• After Canada's 50% retaliatory tariffs took effect Tuesday, the administration moves Wednesday to bar many Canadian goods outright — a tariff is a price, a prohibition is a wall• Reuters reports Iran has used an oil-for-credits barter arrangement with China to buy billions in goods, including military gear, citing anonymous Iranian sources

Also tonight: tomorrow marks twenty-five years since September 11.

Followed by "From the Homefront" — Dorothy Wilson makes corned beef hash, and the rule is simply this: do not stir it. Press it flat and leave it alone eight minutes, which is the hardest eight minutes in cooking. About $6 for four.

This is a news presentation — not opinion or editorial. Where accounts conflict, both are given.

The "Winrad Broadcasting Service" is fictional. All voices are AI-generated. No affiliation with any actual news organization.

SOURCES:

ABC News — Trump on the election timeline, IAEA referral, UKMTO reports, Iranian foreign ministry statement — https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-tehran-plans-new-restricted-zone/?id=136249116ABC News — administration moves to bar Canadian goods — https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-ratchets-trade-war-moves-ban-canadian-goods/story?id=136289929AP via Yahoo News — Canadian tariffs, Carney, Collins, export figures — https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/canadas-retaliatory-tariffs-set-hit-172040351.htmlReuters via Times of Israel — Iran-China oil-for-credits barter — https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-september-10-2026CBS News — Grossi remarks, exclusion zone, Oman route, Lebanon, Yemen, oil prices — https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-strait-of-hormuz-oil-gas-price-strikes/

Full source list is in the Substack edition.

September 9, 2026. Day 194. American forces destroyed five Iranian oil tankers on Tuesday — four in the Gulf of Oman, one near Kharg Island — after Iranian missiles were fired at a U.S. warship for a second straight day. That makes eight Iranian vessels in four days. The Pentagon's casualty database was revised the same afternoon to 820 American wounded, up 53 since Friday.

Tonight's report:

• CENTCOM destroys five IRGC oil tankers, one identified as the M/T Riesco; crews were directed to abandon ship first, and the targeted U.S. warship evaded with no American harmed• Iranian state media reported the Kharg strike about three hours before Washington confirmed it — the pattern every time this week• The Pentagon casualty ledger jumps to 820 wounded and 18 killed: 758 on Aug. 28, 767 on Sept. 4, then 53 more in four days• The IRGC says it fired on U.S.-related targets in Jordan including a hangar at the Azraq base; a U.S. official calls the attack "ineffective"• The IRGC warns oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahraini waters to evacuate — the first such warning aimed at third countries' waters• Iran claims it seized an American underwater drone; Washington has not confirmed it and there is no independent account• Tanker for tanker: three Iranian vessels Saturday, five Tuesday, crews warned off each time, no reported deaths on either side• JINSA counts at least 511 Iranian missiles and drones since July 8 — only seven of them between Saturday and Tuesday• Two announcements from Monday still unspecified: Iran's promised "exclusion zone," and the Iran-Oman safe route that was to be registered with the IMO "within days"• The barrel dispute widens: an official assessment puts Hormuz flow at "a little over nine million barrels a day," against the Energy Secretary's claim of 17 million in a single day• Yemen: Houthis hit Saudi oil facilities and Saudi Arabia strikes back — the worst exchanges since their truce four years ago. Qatar warns of an "industrial catastrophe"• Canada's retaliatory tariffs take effect at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, up to 50% on hundreds of U.S. goods; Carney says they "are necessary," Sen. Susan Collins warns of harm to border-state businesses• Markets: Brent $97 Tuesday afternoon after a $96.78–99.46 day range, WTI above $92, gasoline $4.15, diesel still at a record $5.85

Followed by "From the Homefront" — Dorothy Wilson makes stuffed cabbage, the dish that became American by arithmetic: half a pound of meat won't feed four, but half a pound with rice and a head of cabbage feeds six. Boil the head whole and peel the leaves as they loosen. About $7 for a dozen rolls.

This is a news presentation — not opinion or editorial. Where accounts conflict, both are given.

The "Winrad Broadcasting Service" is fictional. All voices are AI-generated. No affiliation with any actual news organization.

SOURCES:

ABC News — CENTCOM tanker strikes, casualty database, IRGC claims — https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-tehran-plans-new-restricted-zone/?id=136249116CNN — Saturday's three tankers — https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/05/middleeast/iran-us-tanker-kharg-intlJINSA Iran War Update — munitions tally, Brent day range, barrel-flow assessment — https://jinsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Iran-War-Update-9.8.26.pdfCBS News — Brent, exclusion zone, Iran-Oman talks, Yemen — https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-strait-of-hormuz-oil-gas-price-strikes/Al Jazeera — Qatar warning — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveblog/2026/9/8/iran-war-live-qatar-warns-of-industrial-catastrophe-if-crisis-continuesAP via Yahoo News — Canadian tariffs, Carney remarks, export figures — https://www.yahoo.com/news/us/articles/canadas-retaliatory-tariffs-set-hit-172040351.html

Full source list is in the Substack edition.

September 8, 2026. Day 193. Brent crude hit $99 a barrel this morning, a seven-week high, hours after the President predicted oil would "drop precipitously" when America wins the war. Iran raised the price of gasoline on its own heaviest users — the same measure that brought people into the streets in 2019. And transits of the Strait of Hormuz fell to their lowest level since May: two vessels on Saturday.

Tonight's report:

• Trump late Monday: oil will "drop precipitously... when we WIN the war with Iran." Brent answered Tuesday at $99, a seven-week high after an 8% weekly rise; WTI above $92• Iran doubles the price of gasoline above the monthly ration of 110 liters, the second increase since December; the announcement cites "the current situation" and never mentions the war• The figures alongside it: the change hits 15% of consumers, August consumption set a record 145 million liters a day against capacity of 122 million, and the dollar traded at 2.22 million rials• When Tehran last raised this price in 2019, protests broke out nationwide and the crackdown reportedly killed more than 300• Strait traffic at its lowest since May: Kpler counted two vessels Saturday and six Sunday — against a pre-war baseline sources put at either 130 or 138• CENTCOM's blockade tally reaches 94 vessels redirected, three disabled, two boarded• Iran says talks with Oman on a temporary safe route are in their "final stage" and will be registered with the IMO within days; both sides have floated transit fees, which Washington opposes• IAEA chief Grossi: there is "no engagement" with Iran, whose NPT obligations "do not disappear"; Iran has still not accounted for its nuclear material after the attacks• Qatar says Gulf states cannot rely on the U.S. alone for security; a UAE adviser says "geography leaves us no alternative to engagement" with Iran• Iran warns South Korea that joining U.S. operations would have "serious consequences"• Lebanon: 12 killed in overnight Israeli strikes, 11 at Kfar Rumman; Israel says it hit Hezbollah infrastructure and remains committed to the ceasefire• Yemen: Houthi strikes wound 73 in Saudi Arabia; the Houthis accuse Riyadh of bombing a prison at Al-Hazm, killing seven. More than 300 dead near the Red Sea coast• Oman's navy evacuated 16 of 25 crew from the Saudi-flagged tanker struck a week ago• At Miami, an Amazon Air Boeing 767 overran a 9,000-foot runway and struck two vehicles, killing five on the ground. NTSB Chair Homendy called it "utter devastation"

Followed by "From the Homefront" — Dorothy Wilson makes apple dumplings, the Pennsylvania German dish eaten as often at breakfast as after supper. Everything turns on using a firm baking apple. About $5.50 for four, twenty minutes of work and forty-five in the oven.

This is a news presentation — not opinion or editorial. Where accounts conflict, both are given.

The "Winrad Broadcasting Service" is fictional. All voices are AI-generated. No affiliation with any actual news organization.

SOURCES:

CBS News — Trump on oil, Iranian gasoline increase, Grossi, Gulf forum, Lebanon, Yemen, Oman rescue — https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-strait-of-hormuz-oil-gas-price-strikes/ABC News — Ghalibaf on targeting US oil facilities — https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-tehran-plans-new-restricted-zone/?id=136249116GlobalSecurity — Joint Maritime Information Center pre-war baseline — https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ops/iran-war-oprep.htmABC News — Miami crash, flight and aircraft details — https://abcnews.com/US/cargo-plane-overruns-runway-miami-international-airport-faa/story?id=136242081CBS Miami — NTSB briefing, recorders recovered, aircraft age — https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/amazon-cargo-plane-crash-miami-ntsb-investigation-9-7-2026/

Full source list is in the Substack edition.

September 7, 2026. Day 192. Labor Day. Iran's new national security chief says Tehran will shortly declare an "exclusion zone" outside the Strait of Hormuz. The speaker of parliament says the era of proportionate responses is over — in the same speech where he named Iran's inflation, unemployment and collapsing exchange rate. Brent closed within a nickel of $97. Gasoline hit $4.14, the dearest Labor Day ever recorded.

Tonight's report:

• Mohsen Rezaei, Iran's new national security secretary, says Tehran will declare an exclusion zone beginning at the US blockade line and running into the Gulf — with no detail on whether it is a legal claim or a shooting instruction• Ghalibaf: "the era of proportionate responses has come to an end," with any aggression to receive a "faster, more intense and more painful" response — while conceding Iran's inflation, unemployment and exchange-rate instability in the same speech• Iran's foreign ministry rejects Vance's framing, calling the conflict "overt aggression"• CBS obtains an August 7 Air Force email telling personnel to stop saying "Operation Epic Fury"; the Pentagon says the operation ended May 5, yet its own casualty database still lists five wounded in June and one killed in July under that name• The Justice Department revives a dormant body of prize law to claim Iranian tankers outright; the WSJ reports deployments extended into 2027 even as Trump privately weighs declaring the war over• The counting problem: the Joint Maritime Information Center puts the pre-war average at 138 vessels a day, found single-digit independent counts against 20-plus in US naval data; Kpler counted four on September 3; the White House says 30 escorted• CENTCOM's blockade tally reaches 92 vessels redirected, three disabled, two boarded• Canada backs the US, France and Britain effort to reopen the strait; Iran sends a delegation to Qatar over three missing pilots; a drone hits an Iranian Kurdish refugee camp at Sulaymaniyah• In Lebanon, Israeli strikes kill at least four and destroy an out-of-service hospital; President Aoun calls it a dangerous escalation reaching state institutions• Markets closed for the holiday. Brent $96.95, gasoline $4.14, diesel still at a record $5.85

Followed by "From the Homefront" — Dorothy Wilson makes butterscotch pudding, and explains why cooking the brown sugar first is the whole difference between butterscotch and sweetened milk. About three dollars, twenty minutes on the stove, two hours in the icebox.

Also tonight: what Labor Day actually commemorates. Cleveland signed the holiday into law on June 28, 1894 — days before he sent federal troops to break the Pullman strike, not after.

This is a news presentation — not opinion or editorial. Where accounts conflict, both are given.

The "Winrad Broadcasting Service" is fictional. All voices are AI-generated. No affiliation with any actual news organization.

SOURCES:

CBS News — Rezaei exclusion zone, Ghalibaf speech, oil and gas prices — https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-strait-of-hormuz-oil-gas-price-strikes/CNBC — Ghalibaf on proportionate responses and economic pressure — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/06/iran-us-response-oil-tanker-strikes.htmlCBS News — Operation Epic Fury guidance and casualty database — https://www.cbsnews.com/news/military-operation-epic-fury-may-5/CBS News — CENTCOM blockade tally, Lebanon strikes, Aoun — https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-trump-diesel-gas-prices-labor-day/Iran International — Canada, Qatar delegation, Sulaymaniyah, Sistan and Baluchestan — https://www.iranintl.com/en/liveblog/202609050975Britannica — Pullman Strike and the June 28, 1894 Labor Day act — https://www.britannica.com/event/Pullman-StrikeHistory.com — Cleveland signing before troops were sent; the 1882 parade — https://www.history.com/articles/labor-day-pullman-railway-strike-origins

Full source list is in the Substack edition.

September 6, 2026. Day 191. Iran's Revolutionary Guard fired ballistic missiles at an American aircraft carrier and a guided-missile destroyer on Saturday. Both evaded; no American was hurt. Within hours CENTCOM had disabled two Iranian crude carriers and destroyed a third, which sank in the Gulf of Oman this morning. Tehran claims six vessels in reply and promises more severe reprisals.

Tonight's report:

• CENTCOM says the IRGC fired ballistic missiles at a US aircraft carrier and destroyer; both evaded and no personnel were injured• US forces disable the M/T Downy off Kharg Island and the M/T Stark 1 near Jask, and destroy the unladen M/T Kylo in the Gulf of Oman — CENTCOM says she sank today• Adm. Brad Cooper: "we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours"; Hegseth says the U.S. will "destroy (and sink)" Iranian tankers if Iran shoots at U.S. ships• Tasnim reported the Kharg strike first: four missiles in the anchorage, no casualties, crew evacuating. CNN verified audio of a U.S. aircraft giving the Stark 1's crew ten minutes to clear the stern• Kharg is the terminal through which Iran shipped roughly 90% of its crude before the war• The IRGC Navy claims it then hit three tankers on an "unauthorized route" plus three U.S.-linked vessels — none confirmed by CENTCOM or any independent party• Trump calls the war "small potatoes," comparing 18 American dead here with "100,000" in Vietnam; the AP notes the actual Vietnam figure is 58,220• Kuhestak toll rises to five as a 22-year-old woman dies of her wounds; Adm. Cooper orders an internal review; the Iranian Red Crescent asks the ICC to investigate• Treasury sanctions Istanbul's Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi, the second bank under "Operation Economic Outcast"; Iranian officials tell Reuters crude loadings ran 220,000-260,000 bpd in August against 1.7 million a year ago• The New York Times reports roughly 50 Joint Staff officers and civilians were polygraphed in August over munitions-shortage leaks• The U.S., Britain, France and Germany draft an IAEA resolution to report Iran to the Security Council — the first referral in twenty years• In Yemen, a Houthi offensive toward Bab al-Mandeb kills 81 in two days; two chokepoints are now contested at once• Markets closed Monday for Labor Day. Brent up 7.6% on the week, diesel at a record $5.85, gasoline $4.15 — the dearest Labor Day on record

Followed by "From the Homefront" — Dorothy Wilson makes beef stew, and settles the argument about how it differs from a pot roast. It all turns on drying the meat and browning it in three batches. Two and a half hours, twenty-five minutes of it hands-on, about eight dollars for four.

This is a news presentation — not opinion or editorial. Where accounts conflict, both are given.

The "Winrad Broadcasting Service" is fictional. All voices are AI-generated. No affiliation with any actual news organization.

SOURCES:

CNN — CENTCOM strikes, Cooper quote, verified aircraft audio — https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/05/middleeast/iran-us-tanker-kharg-intlABC News — vessel names, shadow network statement, live updates — https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-centcom-targeted-iranian-forces-posed/?id=136080582Jerusalem Post — Hegseth statement — http://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-907641Al Jazeera — Trump "small potatoes" and the Vietnam figure — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/4/small-potatoes-us-president-trump-downplays-war-on-iranU.S. Treasury — Golden Global Yatirim Bankasi designation — https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/treasury-severs-iranian-regime-s-financial-lifelines-turkiyeAFP via Dawn — Houthi offensive toward Bab al-Mandeb — https://www.dawn.com/news/2027458/81-dead-in-yemen-clashes-as-houthis-push-towards-key-strait-sources

Full source list is in the Substack edition.

September 5, 2026. Day 190. The President told reporters Friday the war is "small potatoes" and that America has "essentially" taken over Iran — two days after the Pentagon revised its casualty database to 767 wounded. The Labor Department reported 162,000 jobs added in August against a forecast of 53,000, and stocks fell on the news. Diesel set an all-time record at $5.85.

Tonight's report:

• Trump in the Oval Office: the war is "small potatoes," "not a big thing," and the U.S. has "essentially" taken over Iran; he backs Vance's claim it isn't a war and says it doesn't matter what anyone calls it• Asked whether he would send the CIA into Iran to arm protesters, the President declined to say• August payrolls come in at 162,000 against a 53,000 forecast; unemployment holds at 4.1%; June and July revised up a combined 55,000, with July flipping from a loss to a gain• Wages still rising more slowly than prices, per NBC — a strong hiring month is not automatically a better month for households• Stocks fall because the news was good: Dow -272 to 53,414, S&P -0.38%, Nasdaq -0.29%, 2-year Treasury yield at its highest since January 2025• The counting problem sharpens: Trump says ~30 escorted ships a day and the Energy Secretary claims 17 million barrels Monday, while Kpler counted six vessels Tuesday and NBC finds traffic far below the pre-war 100-plus• Kuhestak: the Red Crescent reports four dead — two women, two children — and 60+ wounded, but no independent party has verified the figures and Washington has not confirmed the strike• Iran strikes Kuwait and Bahrain again; Kuwait calls it a "flagrant violation," and Tehran acknowledges striking Qatar as "defensive"• Diesel hits an all-time record $5.85 a gallon, past the $5.82 set in June 2022; gasoline at $4.14 makes this the dearest Labor Day weekend ever recorded• Two wars, one pump: the strait drives crude, while Russia — the world's second-largest diesel exporter — has banned diesel exports after Ukrainian strikes on its refineries• The WMO warns the forming El Niño may be "stronger than anything since our monitoring began," with a near-100% chance it persists through February 2027

Followed by "From the Homefront" — Dorothy Wilson makes scalloped potatoes and ham, the dish that turns the end of a baked ham into supper. It all turns on slicing the potatoes an eighth of an inch thick and even. About an hour and a half, mostly the oven's work, roughly seven dollars for four.

This is a news presentation — not opinion or editorial. Where accounts conflict, both are given.

The "Winrad Broadcasting Service" is fictional. All voices are AI-generated. No affiliation with any actual news organization.

SOURCES:

ABC News — Trump "small potatoes," casualty database, Gulf condemnations — https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-centcom-targeted-iranian-forces-posed/?id=136080582Bureau of Labor Statistics — August employment situation — https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htmNBC News — jobs report, revisions, wages against inflation — https://www.nbcnews.com/business/economy/august-jobs-report-trump-inflation-rcna595974CNBC — Friday market close and Treasury yields — https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/03/stock-market-today-live-updates.htmlTIME — Kpler vessel counts — https://time.com/article/2026/09/02/trump-suggests-renaming-strait-of-hormuz-after-himself-iran-war/Al Jazeera — Kuhestak, Red Crescent photographs, Baghaei — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/2/iran-us-exchange-new-attacks-who-was-hit-in-latest-strikesMS NOW — diesel record, Russian export ban — https://www.ms.now/news/news-analysis/us-diesel-gas-prices-record-labor-day-vanceAl Jazeera — WMO El Niño forecast — https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/9/3/un-warns-el-nino-could-be-off-the-charts-strongest-in-decades

Full source list is in the Substack edition.

September 4, 2026. Day 189. Vice President Vance told the White House briefing room he would not call this a war — "right now, there is no active shooting." Within the same 24 hours the Pentagon updated its casualty database to 767 American wounded and 18 dead. Diesel hit $5.85 today, the highest price ever recorded in the United States.

Tonight's report:

• Vance: "I wouldn't call it a war," says major combat operations lasted about six weeks; one condition for talks — Iran must stop firing on commercial shipping
• Vance "extremely skeptical" of the wedding-strike reports because they come from Iranian state media; says the U.S. never targets civilians, but "sometimes things happen"
• Iran's foreign ministry accuses the U.S. of "deliberately attacking civilian targets," and acknowledges strikes on Qatar as defensive and confined to U.S. bases
• Pentagon casualty database now shows 767 U.S. wounded, up from 758 on Aug. 28, with 18 killed — after Commerce Secretary Lutnick said publicly there had been no American deaths
• Trump excuses Lutnick as having "Venezuela on his mind," and calls reporting on dwindling munition stockpiles "actually treasonous"
• Kuhestak figures converge: the Iranian Red Crescent says four killed — two women, two children — and more than 60 wounded; CENTCOM says it is "looking into" the reports
• Iran strikes Gulf partners a second consecutive night; Kuwait calls it a "flagrant violation," joined by Bahrain and the UAE
• NBC's daily transit count finds Hormuz traffic back down, nowhere near the 100-plus ships a day before the war, against the administration's claim of 30 escorted ships daily
• Reuters: aides push to avoid escalation before the midterms, with options weighed after; Axios reports an unannounced Witkoff meeting in Sardinia
• Democratic senators demand a review of conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, photographed this week docking in Thailand with visible rust
• Missouri Supreme Court unanimously blocks the Trump-backed House map and orders a statewide vote; the AG will appeal, calling it a "constitutional crisis"
• Diesel sets an all-time record at $5.85 a gallon, up from $5.78 Thursday; gasoline $4.15 against $2.98 pre-war, though inflation-adjusted both 2008 and 2022 were dearer
• Markets: S&P +81 to 7,747, Dow +624 to 53,686, Nasdaq +366 to 26,584 as bond yields ease; Fed rate-hike odds fall to 50.4% from 63.2%

Followed by "From the Homefront" — Dorothy Wilson makes shepherd's pie, and settles the argument about whether it ought to be called cottage pie. The trick is a thick, cooled filling: mash on hot loose gravy sinks straight through. About an hour and a quarter, roughly seven dollars for four.

This is a news presentation — not opinion or editorial. Where accounts conflict, both are given.

The "Winrad Broadcasting Service" is fictional. All voices are AI-generated. No affiliation with any actual news organization.

SOURCES:

ABC News — Vance briefing, casualty database, Lutnick, Kuwait condemnation — https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates-centcom-targeted-iranian-forces-posed/?id=136080582Just Security — Kuhestak figures, Hawkins, Reuters and Axios reporting — https://www.justsecurity.org/156150/early-edition-september-3-2026/NBC News — Strait of Hormuz daily transit tracking — https://www.nbcnews.com/data-graphics/strait-of-hormuz-ports-traffic-trump-us-iran-war-rcna331507AP via ABC News — Missouri map ruling — https://abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/missouri-court-blocks-trump-backed-us-house-map-136188582Associated Press — Thursday market close, Waller, FedWatch odds — https://www.local10.com/news/2026/09/03/tech-stocks-lead-a-rally-on-wall-street-as-bond-yields-ease-some-more/Associated Press — diesel record, gasoline, inflation adjustment — https://www.local10.com/business/2026/09/04/us-diesel-prices-hit-a-record-high-of-585-on-average-as-the-iran-war-disrupts-the-flow-of-fuel/

Full source list is in the Substack edition.