KARAH RUCKER: TOP HEADLINES THIS MONDAY – THE U.S. AND SOUTH KOREA HAVE BEGUN MILITARY DRILLS ON THE HEELS OF NORTH KOREA FIRING MISSILES FROM A SUBMARINE. BUT FIRST — THE PRESIDENT IS EXPECTED TO ADDRESS THE SECOND LARGEST BANKING FAILURE IN U.S. HISTORY – AFTER TWO BANKS COLLAPSED IN THE PAST THREE DAYS.

THIS IS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. UNBIASED. STRAIGHT FACTS.

BIDEN TO ADDRESS BANK COLLAPSES

Stefan Kalb | Shelf Engine CEO: “We wired out the money yesterday, but Silicon Valley Bank did not honor our wire, so we were not able to move any of our cash out of our bank account. We will get access to $250,000 on Monday. But after that, trying to get access to the remaining capital is going to take months.”

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SAYS THEY ARE STEPPING IN “TO LIMIT THE FALLOUT” FROM THE LARGEST BANKING FAILURE SINCE 2008.

REGULATORS SAY THEY ARE TAKING EMERGENCY MEASURES TO MAKE SURE DEPOSITORS OF THE NOW-FAILED SILICON VALLEY BANK WILL HAVE ACCESS TO ALL OF THEIR FUNDS – STARTING TODAY. AND THEY SAY THEY’RE TAKING SIMILAR MEASURES FOR INVESTORS OF “SIGNATURE BANK OF NEW YORK” — WHICH COLLAPSED YESTERDAY.

REGULATORS INSIST THE PLAN WILL NOT INCLUDE USING TAXPAYERS DOLLARS…AS THE TWO FAILED BANKS HAVE NOT BEEN RESCUED.

BANK STOCKS AROUND THE WORLD HAVE REACTED TO THE DEMISE OF S-V-B – AND TO PREVENT A WAVE OF PEOPLE FROM PULLING MONEY OUT OF BANKS – THE FED ANNOUNCED LATE SUNDAY AN EMERGENCY LENDING PROGRAM. ESSENTIALLY LENDING FREELY TO BANKS SO CUSTOMERS CAN FEEL CONFIDENT IN HAVING ACCESS TO THEIR ACCOUNTS WHENEVER NEEDED.

NORTH KOREA SUBMARINE LAUNCHED MISSILES

TODAY – THE U.S. AND SOUTH KOREA MILITARIES LAUNCHED THEIR BIGGEST JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES IN YEARS – JUST AS NORTH KOREA LAUNCHED TWO MISSILES FROM A SUBMARINE ON SUNDAY.

THE MILITARY DRILLS COMING FROM THE SOUTH ARE EXPECTED TO INCLUDE FIELD TRAINING EXERCISES TO STRENGTHEN DEFENSE CAPABILITIES THROUGH AIR, LAND, SEA AND SPACE.PROTEST AND PUSHBACK IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FROM THE NORTH.

THE TWO MISSILES SHOT BY THE NORTH FROM A SUBMARINE FLEW FOR MORE THAN TWO HOURS WITH A DISTANCE OF MORE THAN 900 MILES. THE COUNTRY CALLED THEM STRATEGIC MISSILES WHICH IS OFTEN NUCLEAR CAPABLE WEAPONS.

THE U.S. AND SOUTH KOREA MILITARIES ARE EXPECTED TO HOLD DRILLS FOR ELEVEN DAYS.

U.S. IRAN NO PRISONER SWAP

OVER THE WEEKEND – IRAN’S FOREIGN MINISTER CLAIMED THAT A PRISONER-SWAP DEAL WITH THE U.S. HAD BEEN REACHED. FOLLOWING THE MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT –

WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS QUICKLY DENIED IRAN’S CLAIMS OF A PRISONER EXCHANGE AGREED UPON BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES.

THE U.S. HAS THREE AMERICAN CITIZENS IMPRISONED IN IRAN – ALL DESIGNATED AS WRONGFULLY DETAINED. THE STATE DEPARTMENT CALLED IRAN’S ALLEGED-DEAL AN ESPECIALLY CRUEL LIE THAT ONLY ADDS TO THE SUFFERING OF FAMILIES INVOLVED.

IRANIAN OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF MAKING SIMILAR FALSE ANNOUNCEMENTS LIKE THIS IN THE PAST – THE WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL SAYING IRAN DOES NOT HESITATE TO MAKE THINGS UP.

U.S. OFFICIALS SAID THEY ARE CONTINUOUSLY WORKING TO BRING THE THREE AMERICANS HOME BUT HAVE NO FURTHER INFORMATION TO PROVIDE AT THIS TIME.

MIGRANT BOATS CAPSIZE, 8 KILLED

James Gartland | San Diego Fire Chief of Life Guard Division: “So we work to recover those and my condolences to the family and those smuggling. This is the one of the worst maritime smuggling tragedies that I can think of in California, certainly here in the city of San Diego.” 

AT LEAST EIGHT PEOPLE HAVE DIED AFTER TWO FISHING BOATS INVOLVED IN A SMUGGLING OPERATION – CAPSIZED OFF THE COAST OF SAN DIEGO CALIFORNIA ACCORDING TO EMERGENCY OFFICIALS. LOCAL FIRE AND RESCUE CALLED IT ONE OF THE WORST SMUGGLING TRAGEDIES THEY’VE SEEN.

U.S. BORDER PATROL IN SAN DIEGO SAYS THIS WAS ONE OF A FEW HUNDRED MIGRANT SMUGGLING EVENTS RECORDED IN HIS JURISDICTION THIS FISCAL YEAR.

AND THAT MIGRANTS OFTEN ATTEMPT DANGEROUS CROSSINGS THROUGH SWIMMING, SURFBOARD, OR SMALL FISHING BOATS.

OVER THE WEEKEND – HAZARDOUS WEATHER CONDITIONS LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO THE BOATS CAPSIZING.

POPE FRANCIS 10-YEAR ANNIVERSARY

TODAY – POPE FRANCIS IS CELEBRATING THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY AS HEAD OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. A POSITION HE ONCE THOUGHT HE WOULD ONLY HOLD FOR TWO OR THREE YEARS HAS TURNED TO TEN-AND-COUNTING.

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS MADE MAJOR SHIFTS UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP – BECOMING MORE PROGRESSIVE – WHETHER IT BE MORE ACCEPTING TOWARD THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY, PROMOTING WOMEN, OR ALLOWING DIVORCED AND REMARRIED CATHOLICS TO RECEIVE COMMUNION.

BUT THE POPE CONTINUES TO TRY AND STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN ITS MOST CONSERVATIVE FELLOWSHIP AND PROGRESSIVES.

ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THE POPE HAS TACKLED IS THE PLETHORA OF SCANDALS OVER CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE BY PRIESTS THAT CONTINUES TO HINDER THE CHURCH’S NAME.

95TH ACADEMY AWARDS RECAP

THE 95TH ACADEMY AWARDS WENT OFF WITHOUT A HITCH LAST NIGHT —

“EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE” WAS THE BIG WINNER OF THE NIGHT – WINNING SEVEN AWARDS OF ITS 11 NOMINATIONS – INCLUDING BEST PICTURE.

BEST ACTRESS MICHELLE YEOH WAS THE FIRST ASIAN WOMAN TO EVER BRING HOME THE AWARD – WHILE KE HUY QUAN AND JAMIE LEE CURTIS WON BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR AND ACTRESS IN THEIR FIRST WINS OF THEIR DECADES-LONG CAREERS.

THE AWARD FOR BEST ACTOR WENT TO BRENDAN FRASER FOR HIS LEADING ROLE IN THE WHALE.

THESE ARE YOUR TOP HEADLINES ON THIS MONDAY MORNING. THANKS FOR WATCHING THE DAILY RUNDOWN WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS. WE’RE ON A MISSION TO BRING BACK TRUSTWORTHY JOURNALISM BY ONLY SERVING YOU — NOT AN AGENDA. WE’LL SEE YOU BACK HERE TOMORROW MORNING.

UNTIL THEN, I’M KARAH RUCKER…HAVE A GREAT DAY.