SmartHERNews

This episode covers a shooting incident at the Washington Hilton Hotel during a major annual dinner that brings together top politicians, press, corporate sponsors, and celebrities, featuring firsthand details from attendee Mary Katharine Ham.

Mary Katharine explains the event’s layout and security, emphasizing the confrontation occurred a full floor above the ballroom, not outside its doors, and describes Secret Service ag...

Can AI be held responsible for a crime?

In this episode, Jenna breaks down a surprising move by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who announced a criminal investigation into OpenAI and ChatGPT following a tragic shooting at Florida State University.

At the center of the case: a new legal theory — if an AI chatbot “aids, abets, or counsels” a crime, could a company be held criminally liable?

Jenna explain...

Jenna previews an unpredictable news week, highlighting uncertainty over planned U.S.-Iran talks in Pakistan as the ceasefire deadline nears. 

Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to climb after U.S. forces stopped and seized an Iranian vessel following hours of warnings, and questions about who is currently leading Iran’s government. 

She flags a Louisiana domestic shooting that’s received national att...

 "The suburban dad next door who was also a serial killer"

A serial killer admits to his crimes, but is justice served?

We tackle that question and others in a wide-ranging conversation with investigative journalist Alexis Linkletter, who has covered this case for more than a decade and has poured several years into developing a podcast series on the mystery called, "Unraveled."

Alexis recounts being in court as Rex Heuermann ent...

Jenna previews a busy week of major stories, framed by Artemis astronaut Jeremy Hansen’s “Joy Train” message about teams regaining perspective and joy. 

Internationally, she clarifies reports about a U.S. “blockade” in the Strait of Hormuz, explaining Central Command describes actions focused on ships entering or exiting Iranian ports rather than blocking international waters, and notes the move follows failed U.S.-Iran...

The President says he wants to go after those who leaked information about a rescue operation in Iran - Can he?

Jenna takes you to a portion of a White House press conference that drew attention after the president blamed press reporting and a leaker for revealing a second missing airman during a rescue operation in Iran, saying the media company should give up the source “or go to jail.” 

She clarifies that whi...

Jenna recaps a 90-minute White House press conference that provided the first on-the-record details about the rescue of two U.S. Air Force crew members after an F-15 went down in hostile Iranian territory late Thursday/early Friday. 

Officials said both airmen ejected and landed separately; the pilot (Dude 44 Alpha) was located and rescued first, while the weapons systems officer (Dude 44 Bravo) was injured, evaded capt...

Two months after the disappearance of Nancy Guthrie, key questions remain unanswered.

In this episode, Jenna interviews law enforcement and crime expert Morgan Wright to examine the biggest unknowns in the case, what investigators may be focusing on now, and why certain details continue to raise questions.

We discuss:
• what investigators may be prioritizing two months later
• why a $1.2 million reward has not l...

Jenna interviews space journalist Kristin Fisher of Endless Void Studios about why NASA’s Artemis II mission matters, framing it as a choice to lead or follow as China and others pursue the Moon.
 
The daughter of two NASA astronauts, Fisher says success is simply returning the four astronauts safely, calling it NASA’s riskiest human test flight since Apollo because this rocket has flown only once and, after a certain p...

Jenna previews a consequential week of news heading into Easter weekend from the space race to social media company lawsuits and the headlines in between (including sharks ... on painkillers).

On The Middle East: Pres. Trump expresses optimism about a deal with Iran, references a 15-point plan, claims Iran is shipping large amounts of oil, and loosely characterizes leadership changes as “regime change,” while escalation indicators i...

Jenna highlights the breaking news from Pres. Trump about new talks with Iran - a shift in the roughly three-week conflict from a prior 48-hour timeline to open up the Strait of Hormuz to a five-day window for diplomacy.

In worldwide threats hearings, CIA Director John Ratcliffe disputes a resigning counterterrorism chief’s claim that Iran is not an imminent threat, and Senator Angus King presses whether objectives like elim...

Note: We’re resharing this conversation as Saturday marks the anniversary of Alcatraz Island closing as a federal prison in 1963. This interview originally aired in May 2025, when President Donald Trump publicly floated the idea of reopening the island.

Could Alcatraz reopen today? And what was it really like to live there?
In this episode of SmartHER News, Jenna sits down with Jolene Babyak — one of the leading experts o...

Jenna interviews supermarket expert Phil Lempert, the “Supermarket Guru” on the latest on food prices AND trends in good shopping that may change your next trip to the grocery store.

From chocolate, to coffee, to frozen fruits and snacks, we discuss the prices you've been most curious about and unfortunately, Pihl says grocery prices are up nearly 30% since the pandemic and likely won’t fall until agriculture problems are so...

Benham Ben Taleblu, Senior Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Iran program, joins Jenna for a look at Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, and what his rise could mean during wartime. 

Taleblu says the regime is hardening under a national security deep state and has moved closer to a military dictatorship, arguing the most important institution is the armed apparatus rather than the clergy.&n...

Is China at the center of all current global conflict? Is the risk of war rising?

Whether we take a closer look at Venezuela or Iran, we find roads that lead to China. Why? And what should we know about the state of the largest communist nation in the world?

Jenna interviews author and analyst Gordon Chang about China’s growing instability and global posture amid shifting events involving Venezuela, Iran, and potentia...

01:05 Dignified Transfer Explained

03:23 Media Access and Family Consent

04:54 Steve Witkoff Emotional Moment

07:44 Jobs Report Breakdown

11:02 Oil Prices Surge and Inflation

16:21 Strait of Hormuz Shipping Crunch

18:22 War Risk Insurance Explained

22:07 CENTCOM Warning to Iran

24:39 Ayatollah Succession on X

25:13 Iran Hardliner Continuity

26:10 What Winning Looks Like

27:03 School Strike Claims

27:57 New York Times Evidence

31:26 Civilian Shi...

00:00 How Safe Are We

01:49 Economic Ripple Effects

02:22 Strait of Hormuz Map

04:18 Suez Canal Shipping Risks

06:38 Prices and Supply Chains

07:54 Iran Ship Sunk

10:07 Pentagon Strategy Shift

14:11 White House Safety Message

17:41 DHS Shutdown Stakes

21:48 Child Exploitation Hearing

27:24 Refocus on What Matters

28:19 Closing and Next Updates

Love nonpartisan news? Want a bigger serving of the serious headlines?  Here’s how you can becom...

War correspondent and writer Hollie McKay joins us to provide unique insight and perspective, to this rapidly developing story in the Middle East. We highlight the latest news, hear from multiple points-of-view and tackle tough-to-report on stories like the Iranian reports of a bombing of a girl's school.

00:00 Breaking News Overview

01:08 Meet War Correspondent Holly

02:38 Austin Shooting Fallout

04:29 Pentagon Briefing Detail...