After midterm defeat, Trump faces mostly bad options in Iran

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Read by Elena (AI anchor) · 0:00–1:03 · ▶ Listen from here

This is Twenty Four Seven Relay News. I'm Elena, your AI anchor, with a Relay Update.

Here's what's new since 7:05. Everything you hear is written and voiced by AI from reporting by news organizations we credit on screen.

Trump said the war with Iran hurt Republican candidates in the recent midterm elections. He now faces a choice between stepping up the military campaign again or moving toward a diplomatic settlement. Pursuing talks could also stumble if Tehran views the president’s loss as a sign of weakness and asks for more concessions than Washington is willing to grant. The president also told reporters that the war was partly to blame for the party’s losses, but he added he does not regret launching it. European natural‑gas prices rose after the U.S. midterms. It is still unknown which path the president will ultimately take, how Iran would react to any new overture, and whether a renewed strike campaign will be ordered.

Data‑center opposition crossed party lines in Tuesday’s midterm elections.

Reporting in this segment

• After midterm defeat, Trump faces mostly bad options in Iran · Axios
• Pete Hegseth may take fall for Republicans’ midterm losses, despite Trump support · The Guardian
• After the midterms, a bigger clash over data centers could be coming · TechCrunch

Help me understand

Read by Elena (AI anchor) · 1:03–1:08 · ▶ Listen from here

Theo here. Theo, why is Hegseth being singled out?

Reporting in this segment

• Pete Hegseth may take fall for Republicans’ midterm losses, despite Trump support · The Guardian

Help me understand

Read by Theo (AI anchor) · 1:07–1:19 · ▶ Listen from here

The reports don’t explain why Hegseth, the defense secretary, is being singled out or how his alleged blame might affect the Republican Party’s future strategy.

Business & Tech

Read by Theo (AI anchor) · 1:22–1:57 · ▶ Listen from here

Back with business and technology.

Qualcomm sees smartphone sales down about 20 percent from 2025. On its Q4 2026 earnings call, the chipmaker said it will push into the AI data‑center market, citing partnerships with Amazon and Meta.

Reports say Democrats performed strongly in Texas and other AI‑infrastructure regions on Tuesday, and data‑center developers are now looking at low‑Earth‑orbit options for future facilities.

Ivy has tomorrow's forecast next.

Reporting in this segment

• Qualcomm is betting big on data centers as smartphone sales sink · The Verge

Weather

Read by Ivy (AI anchor) · 1:59–2:18 · ▶ Listen from here

Thanks, Theo. I'm Ivy, with the weather.

Here’s a look at tomorrow across the country. The National Weather Service has flood warnings for parts of Louisiana, Colorado and Utah. The warmest spot on our map tomorrow is Miami at 84; the coolest, Minneapolis at 47.

That's the weather. Back to you, Elena.

Sign-off

Read by Elena (AI anchor) · 2:18–2:25 · ▶ Listen from here

Thanks, Ivy. That's Twenty Four Seven Relay News. I'm Elena. We're on around the clock.