The Megyn Kelly Show - Questions About "Sea Mines," Truth About Gas Prices, Family Sues CA City Over Crime: AM Update 3/11

Episode Date: March 11, 2026

U.S. casualties rise in the Iran campaign as intelligence warns Tehran may deploy sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz, threatening global oil shipments and pushing gas prices higher at home. Unprecedented volatility in global oil markets could drive U.S. gas prices to $4 a gallon or higher even if the conflict ends immediately - former oil trader Eric Bolling weighs in. The family of a California man stabbed while charging his Tesla outside a public library is suing the city of Downey, alleging officials ignored years of crime warnings and failures during the chaotic emergency response contributed to his death. A Daily Mail report alleges IRS filings show California Governor Gavin Newsom’s wife’s nonprofit paid millions over the past decade to her and her production company, raising new ethics questions about donors with ties to state contracts.   SelectQuote: Compare top‑rated life insurance options. Visit https://SelectQuote.com/megyn to get the right coverage at the right price.   Firecracker Farm: Visit https://firecracker.FARM & enter code MK at checkout for a special discount! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hey, good morning, everyone. Mark Kalprin here, host of Next Up and filling in for Megan Kelly. It's Wednesday, March 11, 2026, and this is your AM update. U.S. casualties rising in Iran as concerns grow over possible Iranian mines in a critical oil shipping route. Gasoline will hit a $4 average per gallon, even if the conflict ends tonight. With gas prices surging at home, former oil trader Eric Bowling weighs in on what comes next and a possible solution to the conflict. a long history of crime in this area. In fact, in the last four years, they had 675 calls for service at this particular area. A California family is suing its city after a man is stabbed to death, charging his Tesla outside a public library, and California Governor Gavin Newsom's wife is under scrutiny

as IRS filings reveal her charity paid millions to her company. All that and more coming up in just a moment here on your AM update. Are you numb to it yet? This wild ride of life we've lived lately. AI coming for our jobs, geopolitical changes, reshaping alliances, and the market bouncing around like a yo-yo. It's no wonder so many are hunkering down, saving more, looking for smart ways to protect their families and our futures. One thing people overlook, life insurance. And here's the part most people don't realize. It's often a lot more affordable than you think.

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Get the right life insurance for you for less and save more than 50% at selectquote.com slash Megan. Save more than 50% on term life insurance at SelectQuote.com slash Megan. today to get started. Approximately 140 U.S. service members wounded since the beginning of Operation Epic Fury targeting Iran, according to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell. Of the injured, Parnell, saying 108 already returning to duty while eight remain seriously injured. The update coming as the White House continues describing the operation as a major success

in degrading Iran's military capabilities. Press Secretary Caroline Levitt at the White House yesterday telling reports, orders that Iranian military retaliation dropping sharply saying ballistic missile attacks are down more than 90 percent and drone attacks are down roughly 85 percent since the beginning of the campaign. Attention now shifting to threats from the sea floor. U.S. intelligence assets now seeing signs that Iran is prepping to deploy mines within the Strait of Hormuz's shipping lanes. Report CBS News, the Iranians reportedly using smaller vessels carrying two to three mines each with estimates indicating the country possesses anywhere from 2,000 to 6,000 of the devices.

The development raising concerns Iran could endanger oil tanker traffic through the narrow strait, responsible for moving roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply. President Trump issuing a warning to Iran yesterday afternoon on true social, quote, if Iran has put out any mines in the Hormu Strait and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed immediately. If for any reason Trump continued mines were placed and they are not removed forthwith the military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before. Mr. Trump following up in another post shortly after, quote, I am pleased to report that within the last few hours we have hit and completely destroyed 10 inactive mine laying boats and or ships with more to follow.

With concerns growing about the potential impact on oil markets and gas prices here at home, Leavitt describing what victory will look like to President Trump. Does the president still want Iran's unconditional surrender? Well, when President Trump says that Iran is in a place of unconditional surrender, he's not claiming the Iranian regime is going to come out and say that themselves. What the president means is that Iran's threats will no longer be backed by a ballistic missile arsenal that protects them from building a nuclear bomb in their country. I could make an empty threat, but if I have no actions,

to back it up, then it's an empty threat. And so President Trump will determine when Iran is in a place of unconditional surrender, when they no longer pose a credible and direct threat to the United States of America and our allies. As Operation Epic Fury rages on, Americans beginning to feel the costs here at home, gasoline prices on the rise this week. The national average sitting at $3.54 per gallon for regular, a 43 cent increase compared to last week and a 62 cent increase from last month, according to AAA. Though higher than recent months, the national average still much lower than the pandemic era peak of just over five bucks per gallon. Crude oil prices at $86 per hour as of yesterday afternoon, California reporting the highest prices had an average of $5.29 per gallon,

Kansas, with the cheapest average at $2.96. The price increases adding new pressure on the president's affordability messaging ahead of November's midterms, Though, of course, much could depend on how long the spike lasts. Prolonged high-cost risk-fueling voter frustrations ahead of those crucial elections. CBS News speaking to Americans about the pain at the pump. The gas prices going up is very frustrating. I'm paying 40 bucks, but that doesn't get me a full tank anymore. Just watching the gas prices go from like 320 all the way up to 380 has been really scary.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, President Trump, casting higher prices as short-term pain for long-term gain. We're putting an end to all of this threat once and for all, and the result will be lower oil prices, oil and gas prices for American families. We've done that. We've done it. We've brought it very low. This was just an excursion into something that had to be done. We spoke to the host of The Edge on YouTube, Eric Bowling, who spent 35 years as an oil trader. He tells us he has never seen a situation this volatile.

I've never seen the volatility like it is right now. I've seen markets move up aggressively, and I've seen them move down aggressively. But we're seeing oil markets, specifically going up and down violently, 20, 30% of their value in minutes. I've never, ever seen it this nervous. I think it is a function of no one really knows what Trump is going to do.

no one really trusts what the Middle Eastern countries are going to do and the media is just hyping everything that comes out, every news piece, and that's just adding to the volatility. Bowling predicts gas prices are likely to keep going up. I will guarantee you based on just the information, the media, the rhetoric, the heightened rhetoric, gasoline will hit a $4 average per gallon, even if the conflict ends tonight, even if it's over just because like I said it takes 45 days to run a barrel of crude oil through a refinery and get it to the gas stations so whatever these prices are today the hundred and hundred and hundred and nineteen dollars yesterday or the 98 dollars the day before the day after those prices

will eventually make it to the pump even if things calm down let me tell you the middle east between the persians and the Arabs have a vested interest in higher prices so the the longer the conflict draws out, the higher the gasoline price will be. We won't top out at four. We could top out at $4.50. We could top out at even $5 a gallon. We asked polling if he thinks gas price increases will be temporary. I don't know if it's short-term pain. I don't know that anyone knows if it's going to be short-term pain or not. For the first time ever, the Iranians are bombing Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, other Arab countries. Persians bombing Arab countries. These are all producing nations. Like I said, it's going to be at least another 45 days of pain minimum,

based on what's already happened, before we can even start to think about calming down. Don't forget, a hundred dollar barrel of oil is much better for not only the Iranians, but the Saudis and the Abu Dhabis and the UAE's and the Kuwaitis and the Lomani's. So there's a good chance that they're going to keep this conflict going, even if they say they don't want it to because they didn't like a $55 barrel of oil. They're loving a $100 barrel of oil. And they may get it for some extended period of time if this thing continues. And I don't see anyone in the Middle East trying to calm it down or tone it down. Bowling weighing in also on the domestic political ramifications for the president, if gas prices do remain high. Yeah, unfortunately,

this is the one Achilles that conservatives have and Trump has a higher oil. prices. I believe inflation is going to go up based on this. And coming off, you know, four years of Biden administration where inflation was one of the main reasons why he had to step aside besides his dementia, but certainly the economy and inflation, it's going to be tough to kind of downplay inflation, if politically, because we made such a right has made such a big deal of it over the last four years. So I think this is very detrimental. And I think it's in the president's best interest and the conservative movement's best interest to solve this as quick as possible. Bowling tells us he has proposed a solution to the Trump administration, offering deals to

both Venezuela and Iran to create public private petroleum corporations like Saudi Aramco. Under this structure, the government owns the oil, but private companies extracted. Bowling explains, Venezuela produces a million barrels a day right now, but they've had the potential to produce three million, four million barrels a day. Now, in Iran, they produce about three million a day, but they can do up to seven or eight million barrels a day. So there's about a seven to nine million barrel increase that could be extracted from these two countries' grounds if they were able to get the oil out, but they haven't because they've been sanctioned and they've been, you know, corruption and whatnot. If Trump came in and said, look, I will take our boot off your neck right now, but you have

kind of deal with our oil company is that we're going to produce additional barrels of oil from your two reserves. And at market price, we will be the buyer of those barrels. So the most important thing it does is the gap between what we use 20 million barrels a day in America and what we produce 13 million barrels a day is 7 million barrels. That literally fills the gap between what we need and what we produce ourselves. So we would never, ever be dependent on one, of foreign oil ever again. Coming up, a California man stabbed to death while using a public charging station. Then the ambulance has stolen his family now suing the city.

And Governor Gavin Newsom's wife, also in California under scrutiny, as IRS filings reveal millions flowing from her charity to her company. Let's talk hot salt. Firecracker Farm, hot salt, to be exact, the gold standard for its flavor, quality, and heart. This is not just a great gift, which it is. It's the secret to making everyday meals special and quite frankly, delicious. If you are worried about it being too hot, look for vanilla heat. It's a wonderful mild blend created by the founder Alex and his daughter focused on gentle flavor over brute force. Alex and his family make every small batch on their farm

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during the emergency response contributed to his death. LaFantz charging his vehicle at an EV station outside the Downey City Library back on September 13th when police say he was stabbed and killed by Giovanni Navarro, a homeless man with 28 prior convictions, including brandishing a weapon, attempted burglary, criminal threats, and resisting arrest. According to the family's claim, Navarra had been arrested for trespassing in the same area less than 24 hours earlier. In the critical moments after the attack, the situation only growing more chaotic, paramedics arriving to treat Lafans when another homeless man, Nicholas DeMarco, allegedly stole the ambulance from the scene, leading police on a high-speed chase before crashing the vehicle and being taken

into custody. Court filings say the ambulance was not equipped with an anti-theft locking system used on many emergency vehicles and argues the delay in medical care costs Lafons. his life. The family now seeking $35 million in general damages and $5 million more in economic damages tied to lost financial support and funeral expenses. Attorney for the family, Alex Galindo, speaking to Fox News yesterday about the dangerous history of the city center where officials placed an electric vehicle charger. The city of Downey, this was a colossal failure on their behalf. They had known for quite some time. Back 10 years, another officer was murdered. in this same parking lot, one of its own police officers. They've had a long history of crime

in this area. In fact, in the last four years, they had 675 calls for service at this particular area. And the city's liability is based on the fact that they had helped create the danger in this area. They knew that this was a high crime area. They invited people such as Mr. LaFonse to come to this area, charge their vehicle, and charge for it. But they failed to protect the individuals who would come and use their services. And this happened right in front of the library, which and at Civic Center where the residents would come and seek the services of the city. So the basis of the liability is they created this danger by knowing that this was a dangerous area and invited people to come and use it as for commercial purpose.

Authorities charging Navarro with murder, along with a special allegation that he used a deadly weapon during the attack. He's scheduled to appear for a pretrial hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court on April 2nd. Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom's wife is now facing scrutiny over finances tied to her nonprofit. According to IRS filings reviewed by the Daily Mail, Jennifer Siebel Newsom paying herself in her company Girls Club LLC more than $3.7 million over the past decade through her gender advocacy nonprofit called the Representation Project, the organization saying online, its mission

is to challenge gender stereotypes through film, education, and activism, producing documentaries, including misrepresentation and the mask you live in, a documentary following boys and young men, quote, as they struggle to stay true to themselves while negotiating America's narrow definition of masculinity. Financial filings reviewed by the mail show the nonprofit bringing in between $1 million and $1.7 million a year in grants and donations with $300,000 going to Siebel Newsom and her company. that includes $150,000 in salary for her and another $150,000 paid to Girls Club LLC for filings as writer, director, and producer fees tied to the films. A daily mail analysis finding compensation as a nonprofit exceeds that of more than 95% of

charities of a similar size. Other executives also receiving six failure salaries, including the executive director and CFO for the fiscal year ending in March of 2024. The outlet noting not all of the 300,000 paid to the company necessarily goes directly to Siebel Newsom, as the business may have production costs and overhead. The Daily Mail also noting that several donors to the charity, including utility company PG&E and AT&T Comcast and Kaiser Permanente, also receiving state contracts or funding from the Newsom administration. Critics arguing this raises ethical questions, although Newsom and his wife maintained there is no impropriety in their dealings, the Representation Project declining to comment on the Daily Mail's reporting,

AM Update reached out to Governor's Newsom's office and the representation project for comment, but did not hear back. That's it for your AM Update. I'm Mark Cowper, host of Next Up. Catch the Megan Kelly Show today, live on SiriusXM's, the Megan Kelly Channel 11 at noon east or on YouTube.com slash Megan Kelly and all the podcast platforms.