Iran ceasefire and seized ships; Wembanyama injury; Virginia redistricting explained

[0:00] Hey, happy hump day. I'm Gio Benitez. It's Wednesday, April 22nd. You've got questions, [0:04] we've got answers. This is Searched, where we're breaking down what you're asking right now in [0:08] real time. So let's get right to it. Maya Ephraim is right here. She oversees our online search [0:13] trends. So Maya, what are people searching for right now? Hi, Gio. Starting with Iran war, [0:19] it was a volatile night in the Middle East, ending in a last minute reprieve after President [0:23] Trump officially extended the ceasefire. But the situation remains incredibly fluid. Today, [0:28] interest is searching for the ship seized by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz and whether Iran has [0:33] actually accepted the ceasefire extension. There's also massive speculation regarding Iran's leadership [0:38] as people try to figure out who is actually calling the shots in Tehran right now. Search [0:43] interest is also skyrocketing after Spurs star Victor Wimpanyama was placed in concussion protocol [0:48] following a fall in Game 2 against the Trailblazers. Fans are now flooding Search lookup, [0:53] is Wimby okay, and to find a video of exactly how the hit happened. With the series moving to Game [0:58] 3, the big question right now is whether he'll be cleared in time. And finally, election results [1:03] from Virginia have sparked national interest. Following the latest special elections and court [1:08] rulings, redistricting has now become a breakout topic. People are searching for the new Virginia [1:13] congressional map to see how their districts have shifted, alongside a breakout for searches for [1:18] why is gerrymandering legal? Now, Gio, while the Supreme Court has ruled on this in the past, [1:23] the 2026 cycle has reignited a heated debate over whether these new maps are truly constitutional. [1:28] Some really big stories there, Maya. All right, we'll see you again very, very soon. [1:32] Let's dive a little deeper now into one of the top search stories today, that extended [1:36] ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran. We've got our Ian panel reporting for us in the Middle East. [1:41] He's tracking it all from Tel Aviv right now. All right, Ian, good to see you. So there's a lot [1:45] going on in the region. People want to know, why did Trump extend that ceasefire? [1:50] I mean, the short answer is because Iran refused to go to the peace talks, and so he was left with [1:58] this simple choice. Either he extended the ceasefire, or he had to go back to a state of complete [2:03] war, which I don't think the administration wants. Why did Iran say they wasn't going to go back to [2:08] talks? Well, because it regards this U.S. naval blockade that's been in place now for well over a [2:14] week as a breach of the ceasefire. And it's saying, look, while you're blackmailing us and blackmailing [2:19] the economy and putting this blockade in place, then we don't have anything else to talk about. [2:23] President Trump said Iran has to come to the talks because it lost the war. Well, [2:28] Iran sees things very differently, and he said it wasn't going to the talks, and it didn't. [2:33] Ian, what's the response been like? Because people are searching for [2:36] whether Iran rejected President Trump's ceasefire extension. So did they? [2:43] No, they haven't formally responded. I think the reason why people are asking this very [2:48] legitimate question is because we keep reporting on what looked like violations of a ceasefire, [2:53] kind of military action by the U.S. Navy against Iranian flag vessels, action by the Iranians [2:59] against other vessels in the area. So I think people quite rightly wonder, hey, is this really [3:04] a ceasefire or not? In actual practice, the ceasefire is still largely in place. The U.S. and Israel are [3:10] not bombing Iran, for example. Israel and Hezbollah have stopped firing on each other, [3:15] and Iran has stopped attacking countries in the Gulf in the way that it was before. But it is a very [3:20] imperfect ceasefire. But for now, it's still in place. And I think it's kind of, in some sense, [3:26] it's a game of economic chicken. The president says, look, this blockade that's in place is costing [3:30] around something like $500 million a day. And it can't withstand that without making concessions [3:36] and coming back to talk. Well, I think the view of Iran is the cost to the world economy [3:41] is far greater. Look at aviation fuel. Look at the price of gas at the pump. Food prices are [3:46] expected to go up. And so the impact of what Iran is doing, stranglehold on this Strait of Hormuz, [3:52] where so much oil and other goods pass through, is, of course, having a much wider global impact. [3:57] And it's really a question of who blinks first. [4:00] Who's making the decisions right now in Iran? Where is the supreme leader? [4:05] Yeah, well, where is the supreme leader? You're not the only one asking that question. I can tell [4:09] you that a few military people here in Israel asking that question, as well as in America. [4:15] I mean, Mushtaba Khamenei, who's the son of Ali Khamenei, who was the old supreme leader, [4:20] is in charge, but is believed to be in hiding. And, of course, nobody knows where. [4:24] For security's sake, it appears that the Iranians are limiting how many people have access to him. [4:30] In fact, it's been suggested that it's down to just a handful or even less. [4:34] But the three people I think people should bear in mind is Mushtaba Khamenei, who is the supreme leader. [4:41] The head of the IRGC. This is, in some sense, is the armed wing of the regime, [4:46] the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Commander Vaidi. [4:50] And the third person is Galibaf, who is the speaker of the parliament. [4:55] He was also the chief negotiator and a former leading military figure. [4:59] It's really those three figures. [5:01] Now, there have always been differences in Iran between the civilian leadership, [5:05] which has never really had complete power, and the supreme leader, [5:09] the military leadership, and the Islamic leadership. [5:12] That's really where power lies. [5:15] But as far as intelligence sources here are telling us, [5:18] they believe it is still Mushtaba Khamenei who's making those decisions. [5:22] But it's taking a while for that to filter through. [5:25] All right. Ian Pannell there, following it all for us in Tel Aviv. [5:28] Ian, thank you so much. [5:29] All right. Let's get to this story that's now blown up online. [5:32] Spurs star Victor Wembenyama injured in last night's game against the Trailblazers. [5:36] We've got ESPN NBA analyst Danny Green on the line to talk about this. [5:41] And really, who better to talk about this than the former San Antonio Spur [5:44] and three-time NBA champ? [5:46] Danny, it is good to see you. [5:47] We caught you at the airport. [5:49] Thank you so much for calling in. [5:51] So tell us what happened with Wembe. [5:54] Thanks for having me, first and foremost. [5:56] Sorry that I'm in transit right now. [5:58] It's just bad timing. [5:59] But what I saw last night, I mean, they played a hard-fought game. [6:02] It was a good game to watch. [6:04] He was intense. [6:05] Everybody was getting after it. [6:06] He was making a move and somebody pulled the chair on him. [6:09] And that's the term we use in basketball when somebody kind of removes himself [6:12] when your momentum is going forward. [6:14] And he couldn't stop his momentum. [6:15] Kind of tripped over himself and hit the ground really hard. [6:18] His face hit the ground. [6:19] So for me, I was like, it doesn't look too bad. [6:22] It doesn't look too serious. [6:23] I think that's a win. [6:25] I hope it's not a concussion. [6:26] If it is a concussion, it means he's going to be out for a little bit longer. [6:29] But I thought it was just more like a face plant and then being cautious of what was [6:33] happening in the moment. [6:34] So I don't expect him to miss a lot of time. [6:36] But again, I'm not a doctor. [6:37] I don't know what the extremities are of the injury. [6:40] So we'll see and find out soon, I'm sure. [6:42] Yeah, we all hope that it's not a concussion. [6:44] So there's a lot of searches for right now asking what is the NBA's concussion protocol? [6:52] It depends. [6:52] It's different depending on how bad it is. [6:53] Usually it's like a week. [6:55] You have to sit out for a couple days. [6:57] You have to retake the test. [6:58] They test you after the game or when it happens. [7:00] And they retest you, I guess, a couple days later to see where you're at. [7:04] It depends on how extreme the situation or the concussion is. [7:09] But to me, the way he fell, it wasn't like the back of the head or the top of the head [7:12] or his skull. [7:13] It was more of his face and his jaw. [7:14] So I'm hoping and thinking that it's not that extreme or not that serious and that he comes [7:20] back with no time missed. [7:22] What's that test actually like? [7:25] It's a computer test. [7:26] So you get on a computer, you got your memory based on cards. [7:29] Do you remember this red card or black card or diamonds or hearts or a ten of clubs? [7:34] It's kind of just memory and trying to click them through and also asking questions that [7:39] most normal people would know or remember of the day, the time of the month you wake up. [7:42] What month is it? [7:43] What time of day is it? [7:44] Where are you at? [7:45] Where are you? [7:46] And then, yes, mostly it's remembering cards in that fashion of what you've seen before [7:51] or after. [7:52] So it's kind of a memory game on the computer. [7:55] So as a former San Antonio Spur yourself, do you think this changes anything for the [7:59] team? [8:01] It shouldn't. [8:02] They're a very good team if they play like it. [8:05] Portland is a good team, too. [8:05] I'm not trying to disrespect them. [8:06] But they are the superior team. [8:09] They're a better team. [8:10] They're a deeper team. [8:11] They have enough pieces, which they were up 14 in that game before they end up losing. [8:15] They have enough pieces to get it done and win. [8:18] So, yeah, even if he does take a week off, he will be back by second round. [8:21] And they should be able to hold down the fort while he's out. [8:25] All right. [8:25] Danny Green from ESPN. [8:26] Thank you so much for calling in while you're traveling. [8:29] I hope you have smooth travels. [8:31] Thank you so much. [8:32] Appreciate it, man. [8:33] Thank you. [8:34] And remember, the game four of the San Antonio Spurs versus Portland Trailblazers will air [8:38] live on ESPN this Sunday at 3.30 p.m. Eastern. [8:42] All right. [8:43] Time to tee up now. [8:43] Our third search story. [8:44] Virginia approving a new redistricting plan. [8:49] And I've got our political director, Avery Harper, right here in our D.C. Bureau to break [8:52] it all down for us. [8:53] All right, Avery. [8:54] Thankfully, you happen to be a professor yourself. [8:57] So tell us, what does redistricting mean? [9:00] So redistricting just means that this is a redrawing of congressional district lines. [9:06] Typically, every 10 years after the census, we see states across the country redraw those [9:11] lines or in response to some sort of court order. [9:15] What we're seeing now is actually very different. [9:18] This is partisan reasons behind redrawing these lines. [9:23] It's all about trying to squeeze out an advantage for one party or the other as we see the election [9:29] on the line. [9:30] So what is gerrymandering and why is it legal? [9:34] So gerrymandering is trying to redraw those district lines for a strategic reason to benefit [9:41] one party or the other. [9:43] It's about grouping opponents in one district to strengthen the voice of that district or diluting [9:50] them by spreading them out over multiple districts. [9:53] And the Supreme Court has ruled in the past that the federal courts cannot police gerrymandering. [9:59] And so that's why you see both parties do it in states across the country. [10:03] As long as it doesn't violate federal voting rights laws, it's perfectly legal to do. [10:09] People are actually searching what President Trump is saying about this Virginia redistricting. [10:14] So what's he saying? [10:15] Yeah, so we've seen him lash out via social media. [10:17] He posted that he believes, without evidence, that the election yesterday in Virginia was [10:24] rigged. [10:24] He says that he believes that the referendum was deceptive purposefully to confuse voters. [10:30] And he says he hopes that the courts weigh in. [10:33] Are there other states that are redistricting in 2026? [10:36] Yeah, Virginia's just one front in this larger redistricting battle. [10:39] We've seen seven states now redistrict in places across the country, four Republicans. [10:44] We've seen Texas, North Carolina, Missouri, and Ohio. [10:48] And for Democrats, we've seen California, Utah, and now Virginia all redistrict in favor [10:54] of Democrats. [10:55] And so this fight isn't really even over. [10:58] Next week, we're going to see Florida lawmakers weigh whether or not to redraw districts there [11:02] in favor of Republicans. [11:04] Avery, I guess the bottom line is, what does this mean for the midterms overall? [11:08] It means that the margins are very narrow. [11:11] And so we're seeing both parties really try to fight with every tool in their arsenal to [11:17] get as many points on the board as possible. [11:21] We know that midterms overall are less favorable to the party in power. [11:24] In this case, it is Republicans. [11:27] And we're going to see Democrats try to rally support behind redistricting as a show of [11:32] enthusiasm and organizing ahead of November. [11:35] I love having a poli-sci professor on our team. [11:37] Avery Harper, thank you so much. [11:39] Appreciate it. [11:40] Okay, so we just ran through your top searches, but what else is on the timeline right now? [11:44] Let's get back over to Maya. [11:45] So Maya, what else is trending? [11:47] Well, Gio, let's go green. [11:48] Happy Earth Day. [11:49] Today marks the 56th anniversary of Earth Day, and it's now become the world's largest [11:54] civic event with over a billion participants. [11:57] This year's theme is Our Power, Our Planet, and it focuses on climate literacy and local [12:01] impact. [12:02] It's worth noting that the very first Earth Day led directly to the creation of the EPA. [12:06] Today, the movement is focusing on the 25% revolution. [12:11] It's the idea that if just a quarter of the population commits to social action, it can [12:15] permanently change global norms. [12:17] We all hope it does, Gio. [12:18] That's right. [12:19] Go green and love that little blue dot in the universe. [12:22] Thank you so much, Maya. [12:23] Appreciate it. [12:24] Thank you.