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Iran Attacks U.S. Navy Destroyers in Hormuz; Project Freedom Escalates as Trump Weighs Response

By Jake Smith  |  Tuesday, May 5, 2026  |  Live 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM ET

Navy Destroyers Repel Iranian Attack in Strait of Hormuz

The USS Truxtun and USS Mason transited the Strait of Hormuz under sustained Iranian fire Monday, encountering a barrage of small boats, missiles, and drones. Both destroyers were backed by fighter aircraft and AH-64 Apache helicopters during the encounter. Neither vessel was struck, with U.S. forces intercepting or deterring each threat. U.S. forces subsequently struck seven Iranian small boats during operations to move ships through the strait.

Sources: CBS News, Fox News, U.S. Central Command

F-16s Deployed to Support Project Freedom

U.S. Central Command confirmed that more than 100 land- and sea-based aircraft, including U.S. Air Force F-16 fighters, are now supporting Project Freedom, the defensive operation protecting U.S. forces and commercial shipping in the region.

Source: U.S. Central Command

Trump Rejects New Iranian Peace Proposal

President Trump rejected a new Iranian peace plan shortly after it was presented. The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that the President is weighing competing options, including additional strikes on Iranian targets and providing naval escorts for tankers transiting the strait.

Sources: The Epoch Times, The Wall Street Journal

Army Plans Drone Procurement Surge

The U.S. Army is planning to scale annual drone procurement from approximately 50,000 unmanned aerial vehicles per year to one million. The increase reflects lessons drawn from the Iran and Ukraine conflicts and is driving renewed focus on domestic supplies of graphite and battery materials critical to American defense manufacturing.

Source: ExecutiveGov

Cigna to Exit ACA Exchanges in 2027

Cigna announced it will withdraw from Affordable Care Act exchanges in 2027, adding to turmoil in the individual insurance marketplace following the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies. Family premiums on the exchanges have surpassed $25,000 annually, intensifying calls for structural reform.

Source: The Hill

Federal Magistrate Judge Faces Recusal Calls

U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui is facing calls to recuse himself from proceedings related to the recent White House Correspondents’ Dinner attack after reportedly apologizing to suspect Cole Allen for his treatment in the D.C. jail.

Maine Senate Race Set

Graham Platner has secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Maine, setting up a general election challenge to Republican incumbent Senator Susan Collins.

Schumer Launches Election Task Force

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has announced a new “Free and Fair Elections Task Force” following the apparent stall of the Save American Act. Former Attorney General Eric Holder and election attorney Marc Elias have been linked to the effort.

Iran Attacks U.S. Navy in the Strait of Hormuz

Guest: Ryan Morgan, Pentagon & Military Reporter, The Epoch Times

Ryan Morgan opens the show with on-the-ground reporting from the Pentagon. How the Truxtun and Mason came through a sustained Iranian barrage unscathed. What the U.S. response — including strikes on seven Iranian boats — signals about the next phase of Project Freedom.

Project Freedom and the F-16 Deployment

Guest: Ryan Morgan, Pentagon & Military Reporter, The Epoch Times

What does it mean that F-16 fighters are now supporting a maritime defensive mission? Why did President Trump reject Iran’s latest peace plan within hours? Ryan Morgan continues his analysis.

The Magistrate Judge and the WHCD Attack

Open phones with Jake Smith

Federal Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui is facing scrutiny after reportedly apologizing to the WHCD attack suspect over jail conditions. How are magistrate judges assigned to politically sensitive cases — and should there be a recusal standard?

Rethinking Cancer: A Biochemist’s Challenge

Guest: Dr. David Rasnick, Biochemist and Author, Outsider: A Personal Odyssey into the Essence of Cancer

Dr. David Rasnick joins Jake to discuss his new book, which challenges the dominant gene-mutation theory of cancer and revives the long-overlooked chromosomal-imbalance model first proposed by Theodor Boveri. A provocative look at how scientific dogma, funding pressures, and institutional politics can shape what gets researched — and what doesn’t.

Communism, the Courts, and Schumer’s Election Task Force

Guest: Tony Kinnett, National Correspondent & Syndicated Radio Host, The Daily Signal

Tony Kinnett joins the show to discuss the rise of socialist activism in American public life, the assignment of Trump-skeptical judges to high-profile federal cases, and the launch of Senator Schumer’s new “Free and Fair Elections Task Force” involving Eric Holder and Marc Elias.

Graphite, Drones, and America’s Critical Minerals

Guests: Anthony Huston, CEO & President; Dan McGroarty, Strategic Advisor — Graphite One

The U.S. Army is planning to scale drone procurement from 50,000 to one million units a year. That kind of buildup demands a secure, domestic graphite supply — and right now, China dominates the global market. Anthony Huston and Dan McGroarty of Graphite One discuss the company’s Alaska project and what America must do to secure its industrial base.

The Maine Senate Race

Open phones with Jake Smith

Graham Platner has won the Democratic nomination to challenge Senator Susan Collins. We open the lines for listeners on the policy contrast, the campaign dynamics, and the broader debate over how senators should be selected.

Israel Rearming and the Limits of U.S. Policy

Guest: Joan Leslie McGill, Executive Director, U.S.–Israel Education Association

Joan Leslie McGill walks us through the rearming process for Israel and why it didn’t require congressional approval. Her analysis of Project Freedom, Iran’s rejection of even the humanitarian framing, and the spreading conflict — including reports of activity in Azerbaijan and threats to UAE shipping.

Cigna Quits Obamacare: What Real Healthcare Reform Looks Like

Guest: Phil Kerpen, President, American Commitment

With Cigna exiting ACA exchanges in 2027 and family premiums north of $25,000, Phil Kerpen lays out a reform vision built on patient-controlled accounts, price transparency, and direct-pay medicine. Why the current insurer-government partnership has driven costs up — and what Congress could do to reverse it.

Gun Control After the WHCD Attack

Guest: Dr. John R. Lott Jr., President, Crime Prevention Research Center

Within hours of the attempted assassination at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, new gun control proposals were already on the table. Dr. John Lott — former senior advisor for research and statistics at the U.S. Department of Justice — explains in The Federalist why none of the proposed measures would have stopped this attack, and what the data actually show.

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About Your News Talk America: Hosted by Jake Smith, Your News Talk America is a daily three-hour national news and interview program produced by WGMD — The Talk of Delmarva — airing weekdays 9 AM to 12 PM ET on WGMD 92.7 FM, WUSX 98.5 FM, and streaming nationally at RealNewsTalk.com.