U.S. Allies Reject Trump’s Demands for Warships, and Bovino to Retire From Border Patrol

0:00This podcast is supported by Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Here's a story that's not getting nearly enough attention. Defunding Planned Parenthood has already caused chaos and harm, and access to essential reproductive care is plummeting. Right now, the Trump administration's backers in Congress want to permanently defund Planned Parenthood, forcing even more health centers to close, and millions at risk of losing access to care. It takes less than a minute to help. Go to plannedparenthood.org slash defend and make a gift of any size. From the New York Times, it's the headlines. I'm Tracy Mumford.

0:38Today's Tuesday, March 17th. Here's what we're covering.

0:45While taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war. Across Europe and around the world, U.S. allies are drawing a line on the war with Iran. This war started without any consultations before, a war which we didn't start. After President Trump put out a call this weekend for countries to send warships to escort traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, many declined. Germany, Japan, Italy and Australia. Other nations, including Britain and South Korea, were noncommittal. I said, for you, I mean, for 40 years we're protecting you and you don't want to get involved in something that is very minor.

1:29Very few shots going to be taken. Trump has lashed out in response, complaining that the U.S. has been defending other countries for decades. He insisted some had agreed to help and said he was thinking of his request as a loyalty test. We have the strongest military by far in the world. We don't need them. But it's interesting. I'm almost doing it in some cases not because we need them, but because I want to find out how they react. Since the war started, the Strait of Hormuz has been all but closed to traffic as 17 ships have been attacked in or near the waterway, including one this morning.

2:04That's cut off a key supply route for not just oil, but also fertilizer and other products that help fuel the global economy. Beyond the U.S.'s allies, Trump also called on China to send naval support. But Beijing has little incentive to jump in. It gets oil from Iran, and Iran has been letting those ships pass safely through the strait.

2:29Meanwhile, here's a real headline for you for an actual patriotic press. How about Iran shrinking, going underground? The Trump administration is pushing back on coverage of the war. Recently, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth criticized how CNN has covered the conflict. The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better. Hegseth said he was looking forward to the outlet being under the control of the tech Zion David Ellison, who is friendly with Trump and currently trying to buy the network. And over the weekend, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Brendan Carr, threatened to revoke broadcasters' licenses over their coverage of the war, his latest move in a campaign to stomp out what he sees as liberal bias in media.

3:14Carr accused broadcasters of running hoaxes and news distortions and warned them to, quote, correct course. Previous administrations also complained about news coverage, but this White House's attempts to shame journalists or try to limit how they do their work has fueled comparisons to the demands of authoritarian leaders. Carr's comments, in particular, drew criticism from the president's own party, with Republican Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin telling Fox News he thought they went too far. Yeah, I'm a big supporter of the First Amendment. I do not like the heavy hand of government, no matter who's wielding it.

3:51Really, the federal government's role is to protect our freedoms, protect our constitutional rights.

4:07Now, a few other quick updates on the Trump administration. I do believe I'll be the honor of having the honor of taking Cuba. That's a big honor. Taking Cuba? Taking Cuba, in some form, yeah. At the White House yesterday. Whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it. You want to know the truth? President Trump publicly raised the possibility of what he called taking Cuba. It comes as his administration has ramped up its pressure campaign against the island. It's effectively cut off all oil supplies for the past few months, which has wreaked havoc. Yesterday, the entire island was plunged into a blackout.

4:47Cuba has been trying to negotiate with the U.S., and the Times has learned that the White House is demanding that Cuba push its president, Miguel Diaz-Canel, out of power. U.S. officials think that would be a win for them, even if it doesn't completely remake the communist government. Also, in immigration news, Greg Bovino, the combative Border Patrol official who became one of the most high-profile figures in the administration's deportation campaign, tells The Times he plans to retire. Over the past year, Bovino oversaw aggressive operations in L.A., Chicago, New Orleans, and Minnesota, often posting about it on social media.

5:25Those operations sparked lawsuits and allegations of racial profiling. And Bovino was sidelined after backlash to the killing of two U.S. citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis. Bovino says he'll step down from his post in the coming weeks. And last update, a federal judge has dealt a major blow to some of the controversial vaccine policies rolled out under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The judge's ruling puts a stop to Kennedy's efforts to cut down on the number of recommended shots, as well as his push to limit COVID vaccines. The judge also reversed all decisions made by the vaccine advisory panel that Kennedy handpicked.

6:06picked. In his ruling, he noted that less than half appeared to have, quote, any meaningful experience in vaccines. A lawyer for the medical groups that had challenged the administration called Monday's ruling a significant victory for public health, evidence-based medicine, the rule of law, and the American people. A spokesman for the Department of Health and Human Services said the agency wanted to see the decision overturned, saying it was one of many, quote, attempts to keep the Trump administration from governing.

6:41Across the U.S., the Times has been covering a significant new policy shift that's helping people transition smoothly into life outside prison. It has to do with Medicaid coverage. When Medicaid was established back in the 1960s, the program's policy was to drop health coverage for anyone who was sent to jail. They then needed to re-enroll after they were let out. That process could take months, and it left people coming out of prison, many of whom have substance use disorders or mental health issues, vulnerable. One study found that a person's risk of death in the first two weeks after their release from prison was nearly 13 times higher than the general population.

7:22But about a decade ago, advocates, local officials, and law enforcement started pushing to change that system. They eventually got Congress to pass a law that's paved the way for more than two dozen states to move towards getting Medicaid to kick back in before a prisoner is released. One of those states is California, where more than 50 ,000 inmates have now received pre-release services paid for by the state's Medicaid program. That includes John DeSantis, a 37-year-old in San Jose, who told The Times he was able to meet with a county health care worker a month before completing his sentence.

7:57He then walked out of jail with a 30-day supply of medications at the ready, and a case manager was waiting to set him up with appointments with a psychiatrist. Supporters of the expanded services say it's not just a good thing for the inmates themselves, but also for the entire community. One California sheriff told the Times, quote, if you can stabilize people, you are going to have a more safe and peaceful environment all the way around.

8:29And finally. When I mentioned death, because that's so scary, people don't want to talk about it, which is very silly, I think, because that's the only thing that is coming to us. Margareta Magnussen, who made the concept of Swedish death cleaning a global phenomenon, has died at 91. And if she lived by what she preached, no one is going to be sorting through boxes and boxes of her dusty knickknacks and heirlooms to figure out what to do with her stuff. In 2018, when she was in her 80s, Magnussen published a book introducing people to the Swedish concept of da stedning, or tidying up before you die.

9:08She wrote the book after hearing about someone in the U.S. dreading the idea of trying to sort through his dad's possessions. It became a manifesto, urging people to make sure they weren't leaving their loved ones a mess. There's a message here about how to live, isn't there? Yes, I hope so. Get rid of the abundance and have fun. To Magnussen, death cleaning was a way of making the end of life seem less overwhelming and scary, and a way to share the joy of your belongings while you still can. She encouraged readers to invite friends and family over to rummage through books and treasures and take what they want, saying it was a chance to tell the stories that go along with those objects.

9:48The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning was eventually published in more than 30 countries, And people clearly responded to the wisdom she shared, which she boiled down to, quote, a loved one wishes to inherit nice things from you, not all things from you. Those are the headlines. Today on The Daily, a deep dive on Iran's new supreme leader and what his appointment means for the war and the future of the country. You can listen to that in The New York Times app or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Tracy Mumford. We'll be back tomorrow.

10:28This podcast is supported by Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Here's a story that's not getting nearly enough attention. Defunding Planned Parenthood has already caused chaos and harm, and access to essential reproductive care is plummeting. Right now, the Trump administration's backers in Congress want to permanently defund Planned Parenthood, forcing even more health centers to close and millions at risk of losing access to care. It takes less than a minute to help. Go to plannedparenthood.org slash defend and make a gift of any size.