The Big Story Big Headlines: Trump threatens to "take" Cuba, while two key Iranian officials have reportedly been killed in the Middle East war
Mar 17, 2026
Coverage of Cuba’s island-wide blackout and an oil cutoff tied to a provocative U.S. comment. Reports that two Iranian officials may have been killed amid expanding Israeli operations in Lebanon. A slowdown in Canadian home sales and the Vatican returning Indigenous items to Canada. A federal probe into possible illegal crab fishing and a tease about AI-generated children’s content.
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Cuba Blackout Tied To U.S. Oil Cutoff
- Cuba faces an island-wide blackout after 90 days without oil shipments, which the country blames on a U.S. blockade.
- Virjesh Dave reports hospitals cutting services, food and water shortages, suspended flights, and collapsing tourism as immediate impacts.
Trump Suggests He Could 'Take' Cuba
- President Trump said he believes he will have "the honor of taking Cuba," hinting at possible U.S. action amid the crisis.
- The podcast notes Trump said he might "free it" or "take it" but gave no concrete plan for how a takeover would occur.
War Expands As Iran And Israel Exchange Strikes
- The Middle East conflict is widening: Israel claims to have killed two senior Iranian figures while Iran has struck other regional targets.
- Reports include explosions near the U.S. embassy in Iraq and Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon against Hezbollah.