Iran Seizes Commercial Ships: What You Need to Know - April 23, 2026

[0:05] This is what you need to know now. [0:08] Wildfire emergency across the southeast. [0:10] Homes destroyed and thousands evacuating across Georgia and Florida. [0:14] That car there destroyed this trailer, completely burnt out. [0:18] Pentagon shake up. [0:19] The Secretary of the Navy fired just weeks after Pete Hegseth ousted the Army Chief of Staff. [0:25] The standoff in the Strait of Hormuz. [0:27] Iran seizing two commercial ships. [0:30] The first American pope wraps up his historic tour of Africa. [0:33] And a win for Harry Styles fans. [0:37] Ticketmaster cracks down on ticket scalpers. [0:41] We have much more What You Need to Know now. [0:47] I'm James Longwin from ABC News. [0:49] It's Thursday, April 23rd, and this is What You Need to Know. [0:52] We'll show you the congressional candidates placing bets on their own races [0:56] and the ping-pong robot with superhuman reflexes. [1:00] But first, the big story. [1:01] The wildfire emergency forcing thousands to evacuate across the Georgia-Florida border. [1:06] Bone-dry conditions are fueling these fast-moving fires, [1:10] which have now burned more than 50 homes to the ground. [1:12] There are large fires outside Jacksonville and in the Florida Everglades. [1:16] And at least 90 wildfires have ignited across Georgia since last Saturday. [1:21] This fire has shifted, and it's been a major movement in the fire. [1:25] So we have more fire going on right now than we had this morning when we started. [1:29] I will be very honest with you and say it's a miracle that we have not had any life slaughter. [1:35] Matt Rivers is in the fire zone. [1:37] James, we're here in southeastern Georgia, right near the Florida border, [1:40] just one of several fires. [1:42] The fire closest to where we are right now has grown roughly 10 times in size [1:46] in the last 36 hours or so. [1:48] We know that dozens of homes have been destroyed so far. [1:51] We spoke to one person who said that he managed to save his home [1:54] only because a fire truck happened to get close enough to his house [1:56] when those flames were approaching to douse the home with water and save it. [2:00] We have seen so many examples of homes that have been lost, [2:03] extreme drought conditions, some of the worst we've seen in decades [2:06] are what is fueling all of this. [2:08] The next chance for rain, not until the weekend. [2:10] The Secretary of the Navy has been fired [2:13] in the midst of President Trump's naval blockade of Iranian ports. [2:16] John Phelan was asked to step down after months of reported clashes [2:20] with Defense Secretary Pete Hexeth. [2:21] The Pentagon said Simply Phelan is departing the administration, [2:25] effective immediately. [2:26] This is just weeks after Hexeth ousted the army chief of staff. [2:29] No explanation was given for either departure. [2:32] And nearly two months into the war with Iran, [2:34] no new peace talks are scheduled. [2:36] Mary Bruce has more from the White House. [2:39] Well, James, after President Trump extended the ceasefire with Iran, [2:42] Iran is now asserting its control over the Strait of Hormuz, [2:45] seizing two cargo ships, Iranian state TV releasing these dramatic images, [2:50] an Iranian speedboat seen racing towards one of the massive vessels, [2:54] masked soldiers climbing onto the deck, brandishing long guns, going door to door. [2:59] The White House, though, is downplaying this defiance, [3:01] saying the president does not feel this is a violation of the ceasefire [3:05] because they were not U.S. or Israeli ships. [3:08] It comes as here at home gas prices are now averaging $4 a gallon, [3:11] up more than a dollar since the war began, [3:14] and it's unclear when they might come back down. [3:17] The president has extended this ceasefire with Iran, but with no deadline, [3:21] saying he's putting, quote, [3:22] no time pressure on Iran to return to the bargaining table. [3:25] But Iran insists they won't return to talks [3:28] until the U.S. lifts its naval blockade on Iranian ports. [3:33] Lebanon's prime minister has accused Israel of war crimes [3:36] after a strike killed one journalist [3:37] and wounded another in the south of the country on Wednesday. [3:40] Amal Khalil worked for a Lebanese newspaper. [3:43] Her funeral takes place today. [3:44] Officials in Lebanon say she and her colleague were deliberately targeted [3:48] as they took shelter in a building after a strike on a car in front of them. [3:52] They also accuse Israel of targeting the ambulance that was sent to the scene. [3:55] Khalil is the eighth journalist killed in Lebanon in the last two months. [3:59] The IDF has denied this and says it does not intentionally target journalists. [4:03] A 10-day ceasefire is meant to be in effect between Hezbollah and Israel. [4:06] Israel says as part of that agreement they can continue to make what they call defensive strikes. [4:10] Talks are expected today in Washington between Israel and Lebanon. [4:14] Hezbollah is not part of them. [4:16] Airlines are cutting even more flights because of rising jet fuel prices [4:20] and shortages triggered by the war with Iran. [4:22] Jet fuel has jumped 70 percent since the war began. [4:25] European airlines have been hit especially hard. [4:28] Lufthansa says it is cutting 20,000 flights over the next six months. [4:32] And United Airlines says it may raise fares by up to 20 percent this summer. [4:35] We need about 15 to 20 percent increase in airfares to recover, ultimately to recover 100 percent of that fuel price. [4:42] In the face of higher fuel prices, there will be less demand and so we need to supply less to the market. [4:47] And sources say the Trump administration is close to reaching a deal to rescue Spirit Airlines with a $500 million loan. [4:53] President Trump suggested it may be time for the government to step in. [4:56] This is the budget airline's second bankruptcy in two years. [5:00] But some high-profile Republicans have their doubts on a bailout. [5:03] Texas Senator Ted Cruz said, quote, [5:05] The government doesn't know a damn thing about running a failed budget airline. [5:09] And Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton said it's not the best use of taxpayer dollars. [5:14] An appeals court has struck down a California law that banned immigration agents from wearing masks. [5:19] This means agents will continue wearing masks while on operations, [5:23] which the DHS says protects them against threats and doxing. [5:26] In January, they said their law enforcement officers were facing an 8,000 percent increase in death threats against them and their families. [5:33] A mom in California is now facing felony charges after prosecutors say her teenage son crashed into an 81-year-old man while illegally riding an electric motorcycle. [5:43] The veteran remains hospitalized in critical condition. [5:46] Authorities say she acknowledged buying the bike for her 14-year-old son, [5:50] even though he's two years under the minimum age of 16, and say she'd already been warned. [5:55] We have her on body-worn camera talking about and understanding the dangers and the illegality of this particular vehicle. [6:06] The mom has not yet commented or entered a plea. [6:08] She faces more than six years in prison if convicted. [6:11] And some history on the auction block. [6:13] A gold pocket watch belonging to Titanic victim John Jacob Astor has just sold for $800,000. [6:20] He bought his Patek Philippe watch, which was engraved with his initials, at Tiffany's flagship store in New York. [6:25] Aster, the richest man on the Titanic, was wearing it when the ship sank in 1912. [6:31] He died and his body was found among the 330 retrieved from the North Atlantic. [6:36] And the pocket watch still works, keeping good time. [6:39] And we have much more what you need to know. [6:41] Now to take three, the stories that you'll be talking about today. [6:55] Number three, popular prediction market platform Kalshi has suspended three accounts belonging to congressional candidates [7:00] after allegations they bet on their own races, which is a violation of the platform's rules. [7:05] Ezekiel Enriquez in Texas, Mark Moran in Virginia, and Matt Klein in Minnesota were all named in regulatory filings. [7:11] Kalshi says the accounts were banned and financial penalties were enforced. [7:16] The company says Enriquez and Klein bet on their own races, [7:19] while Moran also placed bets on his candidacy announcement before formally entering the race. [7:24] Mark Moran says he was trying to prove how elections can be bought. [7:27] Matt Klein has issued an apology. Enriquez has not yet commented. [7:31] Number two, Mr. Beast, the YouTube superstar with more than 470 million subscribers, is facing some legal trouble. [7:38] A former employee, Lorraine Mavramatis, is suing his production company, [7:42] claiming a toxic workplace where she was sexually harassed and faced gender bias. [7:46] She says she was fired after returning from maternity leave. [7:49] Mr. Beast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, and his company deny the claims, [7:53] calling the lawsuit clout chasing, and they say they have receipts to prove it. [7:57] And number one, a win for Harry Styles fans. [8:00] Ticketmaster is taking on Ticket Scalpers for his two-month residency at Madison Square Garden. [8:06] They say they're cancelling tickets bought by resellers, and they're going to re-release them to fans. [8:11] You'll be able to request this limited batch of tickets starting next week, [8:14] with prices at face value for under $130. [8:17] Ticketmaster says tickets bought directly through its platform were not affected. [8:21] New today, Pope Leo concludes his four-country tour of Africa with his visit to Equatorial Guinea. [8:26] He's celebrating Mass at Malabo Stadium before going home. [8:30] The first American pope also visited a prison, speaking to 600 detainees in the pouring rain. [8:35] Huge crowds chanted El Papa as he addressed young people and families in the Bata Stadium. [8:40] He's been there in part to highlight the growing number of Catholics in Africa. [8:44] And before you go, we've shown you fast robots, smart robots, and even dancing robots. [8:50] Well, how about a ping-pong robot with superhuman reflexes? [8:53] Sony's AI research unit named their autonomous robot Ace, which is a perfect name because it is now able to compete with, [8:59] and sometimes even beat, top-level human players at table tennis. [9:03] The project leader says ping-pong-playing robots have been around for decades, [9:07] but AI and new robotics technology have made this player a record-breaker. [9:12] And that's what you need to know for breaking news and live updates throughout the day. [9:15] Check out ABC News streaming on Disney+. [9:17] New episodes streaming every day only on Disney+.