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Iran Strikes, Wildfires, and LeBron's Last Decision

  • Jul 25, 2026
  • 8 min

Show notes

What the episode covers

This episode of The Morning Rundown covers a widening global crisis as Iran escalates strikes on U.S. bases, prompting the Trump administration to weigh a stronger response amid thinning interceptor stockpiles. The hosts also break down mass wildfire evacuations near Madrid and across France, and Ukraine's targeted strikes on Russia's largest online retailer, Wildberries, as part of a broader war strategy.

Listeners will also get up to speed on major U.S. headlines, including a leaked Biden-era memo revealing plans for a large-scale TPS expansion, the ongoing legal battle over Trump's new tariffs, a 35-year high in measles cases, and a significant egg recall. The episode wraps with entertainment news, from LeBron James's surprise move to the Philadelphia 76ers to serious legal updates involving Chris Brown, Diddy, and the D4vd case.

  • Iran expands strikes on U.S. bases as American interceptor supplies run low
  • Wildfires trigger mass evacuations in Spain and France
  • Leaked Biden-era memo shows plans to expand TPS to millions
  • Measles cases hit their highest level in 35 years
  • LeBron James announces a move to the 76ers, calling it his 'last decision'

Tune in for a fast-paced rundown of the day's most important national and global stories.

Timeline

In this episode

5 moments worth skipping to. The timecodes match the player above.

  1. 0:13Introduction
  2. 1:02War Rooms and Wildfires: The World on Edge
  3. 3:29Outbreaks, Recalls, and a Bombshell Memo
  4. 5:30LeBron's Last Decision and Hollywood's Rough Week
  5. 7:14Outro

Quick answers

Straight from the episode

The questions this one settles, without the listen.

Why are U.S. interceptor stockpiles running low during the Iran conflict?
David explains that continuous Iranian strikes on U.S. bases have depleted interceptor supplies faster than they can be replenished, raising concerns as Trump weighs a larger military response.
How many people have been evacuated due to wildfires near Madrid and in France?
Maya details that wildfires have forced mass evacuations across multiple areas near Madrid and in France, with the scale described as significant amid ongoing containment efforts.
What did the leaked Biden-era memo reveal about TPS expansion?
David explains the memo showed plans from the Biden administration to expand Temporary Protected Status (TPS) to millions of people right before leaving office.
Is Trump's tariff lawsuit expected to succeed or fail?
The hosts frame the outcome as genuinely uncertain, rather than a clear win or loss for either side, contrary to some assumptions that it's doomed to fail.
Why did LeBron James call his move to the 76ers his 'last decision'?
LeBron James announced his surprise move to the 76ers, referring to it as his 'last decision,' signaling it may be the final major career move of his playing days.
What happened in the Chris Brown bottle attack case?
Chris Brown pleaded guilty to a 2023 bottle attack on a music producer that occurred in London.

Transcript

The full conversation

Every word of the episode, 1,258 of them, in the order they were said.

Read the transcriptHide the transcript

MayaGood morning, everybody. Welcome back to the morning rundown.

DavidAnd it's a heavy one today.

MayaYeah, no kidding. Iran's widening strikes on U.S. bases and Trump's cabinet is weighing how hard to hit back.

DavidPlus wildfires forcing mass evacuations outside Madrid and across France.

MayaOh, Ukraine's targeting Russia's biggest online retailer. That's wild, right?

DavidWe'll get into that. Then closer to home, there's a leaked... elite Biden-era memo on immigration that's raising eyebrows.

MayaAlong with Trump's new tariffs already facing a lawsuit.

DavidOf course they are.

MayaRight? And later, LeBron's stunning move to Philly.

DavidStill can't believe that one.

MayaPlus some tougher entertainment stories we need to get to as well.

DavidWe've got a lot to cover, so let's not waste time.

MayaGlobal crisis straight ahead. Okay, explosions near a U.S. base in Iraq, and Iran says it's now hitting targets in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait too.

DavidCBS News had that this morning, Frank Andrews and Mark Osborne reporting live. And get this, we're 21 weeks into this war now.

MayaTwenty one weeks; that's not a skirmish any more.

DavidAnd the part that stopped me-the same report says U.S. interceptor stockpiles are actually running low!

MayaWait, we're running out of the things that stop missiles?

DavidThat's the read,

MayaWow.

DavidFollow the money. Every intercept costs way more than the missile it's shooting down-you can't restock that fast.

MayaSo the longer the strags the thinner our defense gets.

DavidRight, the New York Times is reporting Trump's huddled with his cabinet right

Speaker 3now.

DavidThe cabinet right now deciding whether to hit Iran harder or pull back.

MayaA massive attack is the phrase floating around.

DavidThat's the phrase, and I'm not thrilled about our odds if this stretches into month six with interceptors already thin.

MayaSwitching continents though honestly not switching the mood much Reuters is reporting wildfires have merged outside Madrid and thousands are fleeing a tourist town in France.

DavidHow many are we talking?

MayaThe Guardian's got it at north of 180,000 people fleeing or locked down across both countries. AP had families escaping by boat.

DavidBy boat.

MayaBy boat. And BBC quoted Spain's emergency chief, Carlos Novillo, as saying, putting these fires out is flat out beyond what his crews can handle.

DavidThat's a rough thing for an official to say out loud.

MayaIt is. You've got families just grabbing what they can. grabbing what they can and going. Before I forget, there's a fourth front nobody's talking enough about. Ukraine's been hammering Russia's biggest online retailer.

DavidWildberries.

MayaThat's the one. AP's Dasha Litvinova reported drones hit warehouses over the weekend, then five more this week. Nine people killed.

DavidAnd it's not random. Ukraine alleges Wildberries supplies gear to the Russian military.

MayaSo this isn't just a war zone story anymore. It's hitting regular Russians' deliveries, their small sellers, their everyday stuff.

DavidWhich tells you the strategy's shifting. Make the war cost ordinary people something they actually feel.

MayaFour fires burning at once, basically.

DavidAnd somehow there's a whole pile waiting for us back home, too.

MayaOh, don't even, because if the world abroad looks like this, wait till you hear what's... Stacking up domestically. Shifting gears, home front now, and it's a lot.

DavidYeah, this one's going to make some people mad, so buckle up.

MayaSo Fox News got hold of a memo Senator Eric Schmitt released showing the Biden White House planned to expand a program called TPS to over 3 million people right before leaving office.

David3.1 million, yeah. And TPS is supposed to be for actual crises abroad. Earthquakes,

MayaMm-hmm.

Davidwar. Not a parting gift on the way out the door.

MayaWait, so they knew the border mess was worse than they were letting on?

DavidThat's what the memo suggests, planning this in the final days knowing exactly who inherits it. Follow the paperwork on this one.

MayaThat's just not a good look for anybody involved.

DavidSpeaking of messy handoffs, Trump's new tariffs. Twenty five percent on Brazilian imports, fifty percent threatened on Canada. And CNBC says he got sued with an hour's notice. Hours of them taking effect.

MayaHours?

DavidHours. CNBC quotes legal experts saying the suit might actually have legs. Courts have pushed back before on using emergency powers this way.

MayaSo we don't know how this shakes out.

DavidNope. I'd watch this one play out before calling it either direction.

MayaFair enough. Okay, quick pivot, health stuff, and none of it's great.

DavidYeah, measles are back in a big way. BBC reported this week the U.S. just hit its high- hit its highest case count in 35 years, 2,318 confirmed, Wow. and there's still five months left in the year.

MayaWait, that's already more than all of last year?

DavidAlready. Dipping vaccination rates get most of the blame, though that's its own conversation.

MayaAnd piling on eggs, the Washington Post has a recall out, 1.5 million cartons, six states, over possible salmonella.

DavidCheck your fridge, basically.

MayaCheck the carton dates before you scramble anything this weekend.

DavidRough stretch of headlines all around.

MayaYeah, we could use a breather. Good news is, the next stuff's lighter. Sort of.

DavidSort of is generous. LeBron's involved.

MayaOh, we'll get there. Okay, LeBron James just announced he's heading to the Philadelphia 76ers.

DavidWait, seriously? I thought retirement was on the table.

MayaRight? He said he considered walking away after last season, but he's calling this move his last decision.

DavidLast decision. Nice callback to 2010.

MayaI know! And AP's Dan Gelston reported he wants to help make the Sixers a championship. contention team, and energize a new fan base.

DavidCurious, though, why the Sixers? They just missed the playoff picture last year.

MayaWho knows? Maybe he just wants a fresh chapter before he's done for good.

DavidFair enough. Bold move this late in a career.

MayaHonestly, I love it for Philly. That fan base deserves some fun.

DavidThey do. All right, from something fun to something less fun, Chris Brown just pled guilty.

MayaThe London night club thing.

DavidAP reported he hit a music producer back in 2023, caught on camera. Prosecutors dropped the more serious assault charges in exchange for the plea.

MayaSouthwark Crown Court,

DavidMm-hmm.

Mayaright?

DavidThat's the one entered the plea Friday.

MayaMoving quick here, Diddy is reportedly in solitary confinement after some kind of fight behind bars, according to NewsNation.

DavidNot exactly shocking at this point.

MayaAnd there's new detail in the D4vd case. The Guardian's reporting the teenager he's accused of killing, The Guardians reporting the teenager he's accused of killing, Celeste Rivas Hernandez, had actually been pregnant with him,

DavidWow.

Mayaand text messages point to an abortion.

DavidShe was 13.

MayaYeah, that one's heavy no matter how you look at it.

DavidIt is. Let's leave it there for now.

MayaOn the lighter side, though, go Sixers, I guess?

DavidThere it is, bringing it back up before we go.

MayaGotta end somewhere hopeful. All right, that's a lot to sit with today.

DavidYeah, from Iran's interceptor math to those wildfire numbers out of Spain and France.

MayaOver 180,000 people fleeing or locked down? That stat's gonna stick with me.

DavidSame. And the takeaway for me, follow the money and the paperwork on every one of these stories and the real story shows up.

MayaTotally. So if you liked digging into this with us, subscribe and drop a review. It actually helps.

DavidIt does. Tell a friend, too.

MayaWe'll be back tomorrow with whatever chaos the world's cooked up.

DavidCan't wait. Thanks for hanging out with us.

MayaSee you next time.

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