Plus: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the U.S. “will not relent” until Iran is defeated. And oil prices fall on the suggestion that the conflict could end soon. Alex Ossola hosts.
An artificial-intelligence tool assisted in the making of this episode by creating summaries that were based on Wall Street Journal reporting and reviewed and adapted by an editor.
In this episode, we look at the impact of the ongoing US–Israel war with Iran on neighbouring Middle Eastern countries. Africans in the region are caught in the crossfire, some have been evacuated by their governments, while others remain stranded. We speak to a young Ghanaian still in Bahrain and a Ugandan who has just returned home.
We also explore Lesotho’s annual three-day Moshoeshoe Walk, where thousands retrace King Moshoeshoe I’s historic route. What began as a tribute to his legacy has grown into a heritage-tourism event celebrating history, wellness and community, while raising funds to support girls’ education.
Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Keikantse Shumba and Ayuba Iliya
Technical Producer: Jonathan Mwangi
Senior Producer: Bella Twine and Blessing Aderogba
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
On this episode of The Federalist Radio Hour, John Tillman, CEO of the American Culture Project and the Hall of Giants, joins Federalist Senior Elections Correspondent Matt Kittle to discuss his book The Political Vise: How the Radical Left Controls America and the Path to Regaining Our Libertyand outline the "battle plan" conservatives can use to put political power back in the hands of Americans.
The Federalist Foundation is a nonprofit, and we depend entirely on our listeners and readers — not corporations. If you value fearless, independent journalism, please consider a tax-deductible gift today at TheFederalist.com/donate. Your support keeps us going.
A recent survey of 100 CEOs at major companies by the audit, tax, and advisory firm KPMG finds that AI and policy uncertainty around tariffs are top of mind. Today, we'll dig into the survey's findings. But first, oil markets have been on a rollercoaster ride as of late. We'll discuss why markets have recovered a bit this morning and what impact a potential presidential waiver of oil sanctions could have.
The US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has insisted America's war aims are clear, at a Pentagon press conference. We'll hear from those inside Iran caught up in the bombardment, and from our correspondent, Tom Bateman, who attended that news conference.
Also on the programme: Authorities in the US state of New Mexico have launched a search of a ranch previously owned by the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; and the German carmaker Volkswagen has said it will cut 50,000 jobs in Germany by 2030 as its profits fell by over 40 percent in 2025.
(Photo: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks during a press conference at CENTCOM headquarters in Florida on the 5th of March 2026. Credit:
DEK - Plus: Chinese EV-maker NIO reports first-ever net profit. And Uber expands feature that allows female users to request rides from women drivers. Julie Chang hosts.
Just to get you up to speed on oil prices: Brent Crude is at $92 a barrel this morning. Yesterday morning, it was at $117. While prices have dipped, they're still higher than they were before the Middle East war began. That means more money for oil producers. So will domestic producers use that extra cash to drill more? Also: the latest in Anthropic’s dispute with the Pentagon and what to make of last year’s big jump in product recalls.
Trump declares progress in Iran war. Arrests in New York terror case. Top realtor brothers convicted. CBS News Correspondent Steve Kathan has those stories and more on the World News Roundup podcast.
President Trump declared victory in Iran at his first press conference since the war began, but said the U.S. could still go further and compared the endgame to Venezuela, walking back earlier calls for unconditional surrender. The war is widening as Israel keeps striking Tehran and Beirut, Iran continues to hit back in the Gulf, and Lebanon's president publicly accuses Hezbollah of betraying the country while signaling he's ready for direct talks with Israel. And in New York City, two Pennsylvania teenagers are charged with terrorism after throwing explosive devices at an anti-Muslim protest, with investigators saying they were inspired by ISIS.
Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Rebekah Metzler, Hannah Block, Alfredo Carbajal, Mohamad ElBardicy and Alice Woelfle. It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas. Our director is Christopher Thomas. We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange Our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.
(0:00) Introduction (01:58) Trump Declares Early Victory (06:15) Lebanon Asks Israel To Talk (10:14) New York Protest Attack
To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.