Wednesday Afternoon News Updates: More Troops to the Middle East – 4/15/26

Hi all, Ben here. It’s Wednesday afternoon. It’s been a big day already. MeidasTouch Chief Washington D.C. Correspondent Scott MacFarlane has been in the Capitol asking lawmakers questions you wanted answers to. Meanwhile, MeidasTouch host Katie Phang is testifying before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the First Amendment and speaking out about the proposed merger between Paramount-Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery. Be sure to like and restack to spread the word.

Let me run through the top stories we’re tracking right now, then dig into the big picture for our paid subscribers.

Here are the top stories we’re following:

• U.S. deploys thousands more troops to the Middle East, including the George H.W. Bush carrier strike group and the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit

• Iran threatens to shut down the Red Sea if the U.S. blockade of the Persian Gulf continues

• Iranian supertanker openly defies U.S. blockade, sailing through the Strait of Hormuz with its transponder on

• Trump’s unhinged Bartiromo interview in which he brags about the war, Xi’s “beautiful letter,” and wanting to rename the Strait of Hormuz after himself

• Pentagon reportedly planning for a potential Cuba operation

• Mike Johnson says the Pope had it coming

• Big progressive win in NYC: Mayor Mamdani secures deal to tax ultra-wealthy out-of-state second home owners

• New studies debunk Trump and RFK Jr. junk science on Tylenol, autism, and fluoride

Before I go any further, I want to thank all our paid subscribers. At MeidasTouch, you know we don’t care about access. We don’t care about offending power. We care about getting you the truth. If you’re already a Meidas+ Substack member, thank you. If not, join us today and support our unapologetic reporting.