transcript

Speaker 1:
[00:00] Choice Hotels get you more of what you value. It's Thursday, April 23rd. You can declare a ceasefire all you want, but what if the other side wants to continue the war? We start here. Iran seizes more ships in the Strait of Hormuz, daring the US to stop them.

Speaker 2:
[00:30] I think Iranians feel very confident that they know they've got the US over a barrel.

Speaker 1:
[00:35] President Trump seems determined not to reignite this. We'll examine his options. This is throwing American summer plans up in the air.

Speaker 3:
[00:42] We're talking about thousands of canceled flights so they can conserve fuel.

Speaker 1:
[00:46] The oil shortage has become a jet fuel shortage. Now travelers are paying the price, and the debate over map making comes full circle.

Speaker 4:
[00:54] They ran a dishonest gambit to try to rig the system.

Speaker 1:
[00:58] Republicans are more nervous than ever about the midterms, but will these gerrymanders hold up in court? From ABC News, this is Start Here. I'm Brad Mielke. Earlier this week, we played you some voice memos from a seafarer on an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. Since this person is not authorized to speak publicly, we are altering their voice. But if this person was frustrated before, the last few days have kicked it up a notch.

Speaker 5:
[01:31] We are still one of the lucky ones, if we can call ourselves that. We spent the weekend of the Strait opening and closing exactly in the same location.

Speaker 1:
[01:48] It has now been a full month since President Trump gave Iran a deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz. 48 hours, he said. 48 hours or you will be obliterated. Well, those two days turned into several days. Several days turned into a two-week ceasefire deal. Those two weeks came and went. The US is now blockading ships going in or out of Iran, while Iran once again fires on commercial vessels. This week, President Trump has said he's optimistic enough to extend this ceasefire for how long? Well, speaking to Fox, he wouldn't say.

Speaker 6:
[02:20] He said then that there is no time pressure on this ceasefire extension.

Speaker 1:
[02:26] And to mariners like this one, that is the nightmare. Being told by one government, hey, you're good to go, we think, while another government's military might be taking aim at you.

Speaker 5:
[02:35] If there is no insurance covering us, us loaded tankers, to cross the straits, we will never cross the straits. This is very straightforward.

Speaker 1:
[02:46] Well, over the last 24 hours, Iran has started getting even more aggressive. Let's take you to the Middle East this morning. ABC's chief foreign correspondent, Ian Pannell, joins us from Tel Aviv. Ian, it was like hours after President Trump extended the ceasefire. We learned Iran has struck several ships. What is going on out there?

Speaker 2:
[03:03] Yeah, I mean, it's worth remembering that the Iranians have fairly consistently accused the US of violating the ceasefire. And in fact, an Iranian parliamentary MP made this point publicly that we will pursue a policy of an eye for an eye, a tanker for a tanker. And that's exactly what happened yesterday. We saw the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy, remember this is a Navy that President Trump has said has been obliterated on multiple occasions, conduct attacks using these fast boats in the Strait of Hormuz against three vessels, two of which were then taken back to Iranian ports, and there were ports of gunfire, the bridge being shot at, and obviously a very terrifying position for those civilian vessels who are transporting oil and other goods through the critical Strait of Hormuz.

Speaker 7:
[03:53] Right now we have a blockade. They're doing no business.

Speaker 2:
[03:57] Now the president has said repeatedly, we control the Strait of Hormuz. Well, the reality is, if you look at the map, you've got the Persian Gulf or the Northern Arabian Gulf, and it has countries like Kuwait, Iran, Iraq around it. Think of it like an old-fashioned light bulb at the top.

Speaker 1:
[04:12] It's like the dead end, the cul-de-sac there.

Speaker 2:
[04:15] Yeah, exactly. And then as it comes out, it snakes out through this narrow passageway that goes circling towards the Iranian coastline. And it's very narrow, and that's the Strait of Hormuz. And that is still effectively partly controlled by Iran. That was where the attacks took place yesterday. And Iran is clearly not just exerting its authority, it's showing its willingness to act in the area. It's a challenge to the United States. And they are insisting that this blockade has to be lifted by the US Navy, which is then further south in the Gulf of Oman. As that narrow passageway opens up again, that's where the US Navy is.

Speaker 8:
[04:56] Do not attempt to breach the blockade.

Speaker 3:
[05:00] Vessels may be boarded for interdiction and seizure.

Speaker 2:
[05:03] So they can put a blockade in that place, which basically says, OK, any ships leaving Iranian coastline or any ships trying to get into the Iranian coastline, we're going to stop. But all other vessels can pass there. But they've still got to get through the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran has shown its capability and its willingness to act there.

Speaker 1:
[05:20] Right, to even say we control the Strait of Hormuz, like obviously, obviously that's not the case. If Iran is able to continue to just launch attacks on ships there, but Ian, so if Iran is saying, US., you already broke the ceasefire, the blockade is an act of war, and now Iran is firing on ships there, is there a ceasefire to speak of at this point? And if not, what happens now?

Speaker 2:
[05:44] Yeah, I mean, I have yet to meet a military ceasefire that was ever complete, in the true sense of the word. I mean, broadly speaking, it is right, because you don't have Israeli and American warplanes bombing the ground in Iran, you don't have a hot open conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Speaker 1:
[06:04] Aggression towards maritime shipping and trading is a dangerous violation, because if this becomes common, basically maritime freedom will be in danger.

Speaker 2:
[06:12] They're playing hardball. They're saying, look, as long as you've got that blockade in place, it is a violation of the ceasefire. And therefore we haven't got anything to talk about. They're saying the opening of the Strait of Hormuz will be impossible with such a flagrant breach of the ceasefire. We saw President Trump on Tuesday night saying, look, Iran's losing $500 million a day through lost revenue because it can't get its ships into or out of its ports. Well, the damage to the world economy is considerably greater than that, and everybody is feeling the pinch. So it looks like an impasse. And despite the president telling the New York Post that he thinks, well, look, maybe there could be talks on Friday, at the moment it just doesn't look like it when you listen to the Iranians. I think the Iranians feel very confident that they know they've got the US over a barrel, and the trouble is President Trump thinks that he won the war, and therefore that Iran should exceed to all his requests.

Speaker 1:
[07:04] Well, that's the thing, Ian, that confuses me, because it almost seems as if the US and President Trump and the White House are like, we're ready to be done here. We would like to be done here. In fact, we're not planning on launching aggressions anymore. It's not in our interests at this point. So can everyone be done now? And Iran is like, no, or at least we're not conceding anything that you wanted us to concede. We'll just keep going like this. How long can that go on for, Ian? Because President Trump keeps claiming victories, but the IRGC keeps firing back.

Speaker 2:
[07:31] Yeah, I mean, in some senses, it's a game of economic chicken, right? Who is going to endure the most pain? The claim that's been made by President Trump and the Defense Secretary, Hegseth and others, that Iran's missile program has been obliterated and that it has no capabilities. Well, I've talked about the fact that it does still have some kind of naval capabilities. The Defense Intelligence Agency now is saying that Iran has thousands of missiles and drones and still has the capacity to launch. What it does show is that, yes, Iran retains some capability at sea, a capability to put a stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz and by extension, the world economy, and it shows that Iran also has the capability of going back to open warfare firing missiles and drones at US facilities and allies throughout this region.

Speaker 1:
[08:22] Right, if you got the weapons and you're willing to fire them, like you are still at war and we'll see what happens next year. Ian Pannell, they're in Israel right now. Thank you so much.

Speaker 2:
[08:31] Thanks, Brad.

Speaker 1:
[08:34] Now, Ian mentioned some of the economic concerns. And remember, it's been about a month since President Trump gave Iran this warning to open up the Strait. And remember, one of the reasons he gave that ultimatum at the time was the economists were telling him, this can get really bad. Maybe not today, maybe not next week, but the longer ships are stuck in the Strait, the more prices here are going to skyrocket. Some of the most concerned executives were from airlines. Jet fuel is made with crude oil, and it's not cheap, which is why there are lots of questions swirling right now about what a lengthened shutdown of that Strait means for air travel. ABC's lead transportation producer, Sam Sweeney, is with us. And Sam, I am asking because there are so many Americans making their summer plans and things. What is happening with air fuel, and how is that translating to air carrier costs right now?

Speaker 3:
[09:20] Fuel prices have pretty much doubled since the beginning of the Iran War, and ticket prices have sort of followed that. United said in the early days that their tickets have gone up 15 to 20% on some routes. CEO Scott Kirby said on Wednesday that flights could grow up an additional 15 to 20% this summer if prices and fuel continue to rise. They are passing that cost on to the customer. But what the major issue is right now that is really becoming a problem is the jet fuel shortage in Europe and Asia. And that's going to affect a lot of people. We're talking about thousands of canceled flights so they can conserve fuel. Just Lufthansa, German's airline alone, they've already planned to cancel 20,000 short haul flights across Europe this summer so they can save fuel. So the big impacts are gonna be on the smaller airports and those flights where if they do cancel them, those people, for the most part, can jump on a train and get to their destination. They're gonna try to save what fuel they have for those long haul flights. So talking about flights out of Heathrow to the US or to other parts of the world, or you know, Paris, Charles de Gaulle, Frankfurt and so on. It's also possible that US airlines could bring in more fuel on the inbound flight. So if it's going from New York to Paris and they typically need a certain amount of fuel, they'll bring in a little bit more than that, or maybe even double that, so they can get back to New York without doing a fuel stop.

Speaker 1:
[10:47] Oh, just to like avoid paying at the European pump at the airport or something?

Speaker 3:
[10:52] It's not so much paying at the pump, it's that there isn't the supply that's there. If they're not getting their oil from the Middle East coming through the Strait of Hormuz, there simply isn't fuel. So they're going to try to bring in as much as they can. But keep in mind, bringing extra fuel is very expensive. All of that extra weight costs money, so they don't want to do that. And look, they may say, hey, we have enough fuel for the long haul flights, don't worry about it, you don't have to bring in. Or in the worst case scenario, they could say, hey, look, you have to make a fuel stop. If you're going from Paris to San Francisco, you may have to stop in Canada or in the US on the East Coast to get fuel to get all the way over to San Francisco. Again, all of these are all possibilities. Nothing is set yet. We have to see how this all plays out.

Speaker 1:
[11:40] Well, and Sam, selfishly, I just booked a ticket to Scotland for a summer vacation. And I was like, this will be fun. Did I totally mess that up? Like, is there a way to time this for when the conflict hopefully ends sometime?

Speaker 3:
[11:53] Look, it's hard to predict the future right now, but we are expecting to see elevated prices for many, many months. And even if oil does begin to drop in the next couple of weeks or couple of months, don't expect airfare to drop right along with it. Airlines have been eating a lot of the cost on this elevated fuel because most people bought their tickets for right now before the war started, so at a lower price. So the airlines are losing a lot. They need to recoup those costs. So they're going to try to keep tickets elevated for as long as they have to to recoup those losses. So we're expecting to see higher fares over the next couple of months, possibly until the end of the year, depending on what happens. But what you can do is, if you have a ticket booked right now, keep checking it, keep going on the airlines app or their website and see how much it costs. If the fare drops, in most cases on most US airlines, other than basic economy tickets, you can call the airline and get the price difference credited back to your account.

Speaker 1:
[12:53] Right, and just kind of a microcosm of all these economic things we're hearing about, of how you got these big developed countries being like, okay, there's a shortage. We will pay whatever it takes to get these items, whether it's jet fuel or fertilizer or whatever. Countries lower down the economic totem pole then are like, well, now there's nothing that we can afford. And you just seen the strickle effect all over the world. All right, Sam Sweeney, thank you.

Speaker 3:
[13:13] Thank you.

Speaker 1:
[13:15] Next up on Start Here, Democrats won the redistricting war in Virginia, but do map makers need to examine their moral compass? We're back in a bit. This show is sponsored by Quince. This time of year, a lot of us are thinking about what's in our closets. Spring cleaning is an opportunity to pair down your wardrobe and have fewer things but better ones. Pieces that are well made and easy to wear all the time. Well, that you can get with Quince. Quince makes high quality everyday essentials using premium materials like 100% European linen and their super soft flow-knit activewear fabric. It's moisture-wicking, anti-odor and soft enough that you'll want to wear it all day. In fact, we have Quince products in our house that were always like, man, these last well, they don't carry that stank on them after they get out of the washing machine. Best of all, their prices are 50 to 60% less than similar brands, and that's because Quince works directly with ethical factories, so you're not paying a markup for middlemen. Refresh your wardrobe with Quince. Go to quince.com/start for free shipping and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too, go to quince, q u i n c e.com/start for free shipping and 365-day returns. quince.com/start. This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Did you know 88% of Americans reported feeling financial stress at the start of 2026? Yeah, at the start of the year, who knows what they're at now? And if you're feeling worried about money or your financial future, you're not alone. Those worries can turn into troubled sleep, feelings of failure, even relationship conflict. But therapy can help. One easy way to talk through your financial stress is with BetterHelp. BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform with a network of over 30,000 therapists. They make it easy to access therapy, even if you've never tried it before. Over BetterHelp's 12 years in business, they've served more than 6 million people worldwide. To get started, just fill out a short questionnaire about what you're looking for. BetterHelp will match you with a qualified licensed therapist who's trained to listen. Whether you're looking to unpack your relationships with money or build healthier coping strategies or just feel less alone. When life feels overwhelming, therapy can help. Sign up and get 10% off at betterhelp.com/start Here. That's BetterHelp, help.com/start Here. On Tuesday, voters in Virginia headed to the polls for a referendum about gerrymandering. Now, that used to be a dirty word in politics. A party might intentionally draw congressional districts to favor their own candidates, which in some cases is perfectly legal, but you would never admit to that. Well, this year, several states have passed openly gerrymandered maps. And if Republicans started this, some political observer said this was Democrats finishing it. Virginia voters narrowly passed this measure that will likely give this purple state 10 Democratic seats and only one certain Republican seat. But this might not be the end of the story politically or legally. Let's bring in Sarah Isger. She's former GOP campaign strategist and ABC News Supreme Court contributor. She's also the author of the brand new book Last Branch Standing about the high court. I read it. It's great, Sarah. First off, this whole mid decade redistricting tit for tat seemed to start off with with President Trump trying to orchestrate this thing where Texas would get more seats. What are you hearing from Republicans about how this whole gambit has played, especially since this result in Virginia?

Speaker 9:
[16:39] Republicans, especially those in the White House, were incredibly bullish and sort of a lack of imagination. They thought that they could bully Texas into doing mid 10 year redistricting, something that had really never been done, to pick up a partisan advantage. And they taunted the Democrats saying, and there's nothing you're going to be able to do about it.

Speaker 7:
[17:01] Just a very simple redrawing. We pick up five seats, but we have a couple of other states where we'll pick up seats.

Speaker 9:
[17:08] Well, Democrats took up the challenge, as you note, in California and now Virginia.

Speaker 10:
[17:13] And at all times approved by the voters.

Speaker 9:
[17:18] Of course, Republicans arguing that they were rigged maps.

Speaker 4:
[17:21] Because the Democrats are in charge of it, and they ran a dishonest gambit to try to rig the system.

Speaker 9:
[17:28] Democrats in the state saying this was about leveling fairness across the country. They have at least leveled the playing field against what Republicans have been able to do in red states. And maybe at this point, even gotten a partisan advantage in a year where Democrats were already heavily favored to take the House of Representatives.

Speaker 1:
[17:50] At this moment then, should Republicans be more nervous about the midterms than they were a few months ago? Or what's the sense?

Speaker 9:
[17:55] I mean, frankly, they shouldn't be nervous. They're going to lose the House of Representatives.

Speaker 1:
[18:01] Like that's just a fact you think at this point.

Speaker 9:
[18:02] At this point, I think it is. And frankly, that was the case with or without the redistricting. I actually don't think that the Texas redistricting would have allowed Republicans to keep the House. This has all of the earmarks of a wave election that we're heading to in the midterms for 2026.

Speaker 1:
[18:19] Well, is all of this fully legal? Because like, did voters in Virginia indeed have the final say over this? Or could there be legal challenges to stuff like this?

Speaker 9:
[18:28] So there is still a pending lawsuit at the Virginia Supreme Court about the process for the measure getting on the ballot, about the language of the ballot initiative itself.

Speaker 4:
[18:40] We are confident and calling upon the Virginia Supreme Court to do the obvious and right result, and that is to strike this thing down. Why? Because it was demonstrated again last night, this is a divided state, it's almost 50-50.

Speaker 9:
[18:52] I would give that a very, very low chance of success. Generally, anything like that has to be resolved ahead of time. After the voters have spoken, we don't really change outcomes except in the most egregious circumstances.

Speaker 10:
[19:04] The law is with us in Virginia. The facts are with us in Virginia.

Speaker 9:
[19:10] The other way that people have challenged these that will not be the case in Virginia, is to challenge them as racial gerrymanders. Because in 2018, the Supreme Court said that partisan gerrymanders were not going to be justiciable, meaning courts simply could not determine whether something was too partisan to violate the Constitution. There were no particular constitutional guidance points to look at, no text.

Speaker 1:
[19:37] They're like, we're staying out of the whole partisan thing. You guys can do what you want.

Speaker 9:
[19:41] But it is still the case that you cannot use race to draw your districts. And so a lawsuit was brought against Texas, arguing that that was a racial gerrymander. The California maps were challenged, arguing those were a racial gerrymander. In both cases, the Supreme Court allowed those maps to continue through the midterm elections, while those cases make their way through the court. So while those maps could still be struck down at some point, they will be the maps used for 2026.

Speaker 1:
[20:10] We should say last night, a county judge in Virginia ruled against a separate lawsuit that challenges this referendum. The state promised to appeal. Ultimately, you'd imagine the state supreme court will have the final decision here. And Sarah, either way, I got to imagine the average voter is like, ugh, gerrymanders. It just sounds ickey. Is there room for reform in any of these states or nationwide, or are we just in a different political moment right now?

Speaker 9:
[20:34] Well, what's kind of a bummer is a lot of states have tried to have bipartisan or nonpartisan commissions draw their maps. What's I think a little depressing about Virginia is this is a retrenchment back from that, a state that tried to have a bipartisan, nonpartisan commission draw its lines. It had originally been almost perfectly divided with Democrats with a one seat majority from its congressional delegation. As you say now, it will be completely lopsided, not representing very well the percentages that Virginia has in congressional or presidential elections. And we've certainly heard calls from Democrats saying they don't like this.

Speaker 11:
[21:15] Democrats have attempted and asked Republicans for 10 years to ban partisan gerrymandering.

Speaker 9:
[21:22] They would like a law from Congress that would ban partisan gerrymandering and that would give the Supreme Court and lower courts guidance on what factors to consider.

Speaker 11:
[21:32] We have the bill right here to end this all today, but they don't want to.

Speaker 9:
[21:37] Republicans have not yet gotten on board with that. I haven't really seen proposed legislation move very far, but maybe this is what we need to, at a minimum, say we're not going to redistrict every two years. We're going to continue to only do it every 10 years. At least that would be better than what we're doing now.

Speaker 1:
[21:56] In your book, you've described how the US Supreme Court, these justices don't necessarily just see the world through a liberal or conservative lens, that there are other angles to that. Does that affect how they could see gerrymandering cases? I know that we're still waiting on their decision on the voting rights act, right?

Speaker 9:
[22:12] Exactly, so this case called Calais comes out of Louisiana. It's on that racial gerrymandering question. And it was kind of interesting the way it came up, because Louisiana originally only drew one majority minority district. They were sued by black voters. And then they drew two majority minority districts, and they were sued by white voters for racially gerrymandering. And that's the question for the Supreme Court. Which racial gerrymander was the bad one?

Speaker 8:
[22:41] If we take Louisiana as one example, every congressional member who is black was elected from a VRA opportunity district.

Speaker 9:
[22:51] I think it's really hard to predict how the court is going to come out on this based on the oral arguments at this point. It really could be one of, if not the, last case we get this term. But what we've seen from the justices so far is a real exasperation with the gerrymandering process. As I mentioned, you know, the Supreme Court had this chance in both Texas and California to weigh in on those maps for this midterm election. And they defer to the legislatures in both of those states, a red state and a blue state. You see that a lot from the Supreme Court. The same happened in the partisan gerrymandering case. They had maps from North Carolina and Maryland, a red state and a blue state at that point. So especially in election cases, you will see them try to show a balance between the two parties and sort of what's good for the goose is good for the gander in the long term because Supreme Court justices do not decide cases, they decide questions, and they think very long term about the rules that they're setting for the country.

Speaker 1:
[23:55] And that's sort of what your book actually sort of re-schooled me on, is how often you see these justices kind of vote either unanimously or in packs that you wouldn't expect because of how committed they are to keeping these long-term things afloat. All right, Sarah Isger, author of the new book Last Branch Standing. Thank you so much.

Speaker 9:
[24:11] Thank you.

Speaker 1:
[24:15] Okay, one more quick break. Now, will there be another segment ahead? I predict yes. Now, pay up. One last thing is next. This show is sponsored by Found. Ask any small business owner, and they'll tell you finances get messy quick. A bank account here, quick books there, tax and invoicing apps stacked on top. Before long, you're buried in expensive tools behind on your books, and unsure where your business really stands. But Found can help you wrangle your finances once and for all. Found is a business checking solution that eliminates the clutter. With one tool, you can handle it all, from the banking to the bookkeeping, to the invoices, to the taxes. No more paying for multiple subscriptions and dealing with clunky outdated apps. Found has automated things like tracking expenses, finding write-offs, and budgeting for tax time. With Found, business finances are straightforward, so you can get back to doing what you love. Take back control of your business today. Open a Found account for free at found.com. That's found, found.com. Found is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services are provided by lead bank member FDIC. Join the hundreds of thousands who have already streamlined their finances with Found. This show is sponsored by DuckDuck AI, a new product from DuckDuck Go. They're all kinds of worthy uses for AI, but they shouldn't come at the cost of your privacy. So if you've ever hesitated before typing something into an AI chat, DuckDuck AI is here for you. At DuckDuck AI, you can chat privately with the same AIs you might already be using, ChatGPT or Claude, and your data stays yours, not theirs. Your chats aren't used for tracking, training or profiling you. There's no account required and no subscription required, and it's completely free. That is the kind of privacy you can expect from DuckDuckGo, a web browser and search engine that built its reputation on protecting your data, not collecting it. DuckDuckGo has been protecting privacy online since 2008, raising the standard for trust on the internet. If you want to use AI without giving up your privacy, go today to duck.ai/start. That's duck.ai/start, a private way to chat with AI from DuckDuckGo, where AI is always optional and private. duck.ai/start. And one last thing. You want to think politicians would need new creative ways of enriching themselves. In recent years, multiple lawmakers have stepped down after being accused of defrauding donors. But yesterday, several political candidates were reprimanded for a very 21st century type of transgression. Hey, Dan, have you heard of Kalshi?

Speaker 12:
[26:53] Yeah, the prediction market that lets you trade anything from sports to alien sightings.

Speaker 1:
[26:58] So you might have heard of prediction markets, which are like a cross between a sports book and a financial market. So instead of telling a bookie, I want to wager this much money that this team will win, he sets odds to make it worth every once in a while. Instead of that, this is more like a stock that refers to a specific question, like will the New York Yankees win tonight? You can buy shares in a specific outcome and sell them to others willing to buy them, similar to odds that price can move up and down until the game is over. Except prediction markets are not limited to sports. You can bet on whether it will rain tomorrow, whether oil will top 150 a barrel. One of the most popular markets here is betting on elections. Well, yesterday, Cal-She, one of the country's most popular prediction markets, announced it was suspending multiple politicians claiming they bet on themselves.

Speaker 2:
[27:51] Hello, Minnesotans, Matt Klein here, running for Congress in Minnesota too.

Speaker 1:
[27:54] Matt Klein is a state senator in Minnesota. He's a Democrat who is now running for Congress. And ahead of his primary, he said, he had heard about these prediction markets, and out of curiosity, placed 50 bucks on himself to win. That, Cal-She says, is against its rules. In a statement, a spokesperson called it political insider trading, to which you might say, who cares? Dude was betting on himself to win. He claims it was literally the only 50 bucks he's ever spent on the platform. He's apologized and paid a penalty. What do you want? But what if he didn't bet on himself to win? What if he had bet on himself to lose? Or what if he just bet on the very next action his campaign was going to take? Well, that, Cal-She says, is what happened in an even more troubling case of US. Senate candidate Mark Moran, an independent from Virginia. We're 250 years in.

Speaker 10:
[28:45] We have to have big, bold, beautiful ideas to change things.

Speaker 1:
[28:48] Cal-She says that Mark Moran put money on whether Mark Moran would run for Senate, which of course he knew the answer to. Moran yesterday put out a statement admitting yes, he had placed a hundred dollar bet because he claims he wanted to get caught. He wanted to draw attention to these apps that he says prey on people. Cal-She says the fact that he was caught and fined and suspended shows their system is working. But it does raise a very real issue with these prediction markets. To political pundits and weather forecasters, whoever these platforms present themselves as a kind of public service, that as the bets come in, we all get to see where the smart money is going. But for individuals, there is a real chance you are betting against people who already know what's about to happen. After all, you know what they say, if you can't tell who the sucker is at a poker table, you're the sucker. Mark Moran, the candidate, by the way, also was a contestant on the reality show F-Boy Island. I'm told he was banished a few episodes in for being a nice guy. I did not see this coming when we started digging through all this. More on all these stories on ABC News Live. In fact, I'll be on there this morning in the 9 a.m. Eastern hour talking about these prediction markets. I'm Brad Mielke. See you tomorrow. Today, I want to tell you about our friends at Icebox. And no, this is not a freezer to store all your frozen burritos. Icebox stands for in case of emergency box. No one likes to think about emergencies, but if something happened to you or your partner, take a second to think about what your family would need to have on hand. I'm talking about mortgage papers, bank account details, car keys, medical records, passwords, even the address of that storage unit. If that is stressing you out just to think about, Icebox is the solution you need. Icebox is an all-in-one emergency and estate organizer kit. Their easy-to-use system helps you organize your essential documents, keys, and account info in one place, all pre-sorted by category and editable as things change. Because you can never predict when an emergency will happen, but you can protect your family by preparing in case the day comes when you need those things most. Right now, Start Here listeners can get more than 60% off plus free shipping on the Icebox Emergency and Estate Organizer Kit. To get this great deal, go to abcsecretsavings.com/start Here. Again, that's abcsecretsavings.com/start Here.

Speaker 3:
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