This is America in the Morning from Westwood One. Good morning, I'm John Trout. It's Wednesday, April 22nd, 2026. Here's what's coming up on America in the Morning. President Trump extends the ceasefire with Iran, despite Iran's boycott of this week's expected peace talks. I'm John Stolnes in Washington. Virginia voters say yes to redistricting, but a court will have the final say. I don't think we'll ever have a president that will please everybody. I'm Jeff McKay. Congresswoman Sheila Scherf-Lewis McCormick is resigning. Mike Hempton, Washington. The Southern Poverty Law Center says it's the subject of a Justice Department criminal investigation. I'm Lisa Dwyer. On Wall Street, stocks are coming off two down days in a row as investors wait to see if peace talks are on with Iran. I'm Jessica Ettinger. A college student from China has been charged with illegally taking photos of U.S. military planes. I'm Haya Panjwani. All ahead on America in the Morning. The ceasefire between the United States and Iran was due to end Tuesday night, but on social media late Tuesday afternoon, President Trump extended the deadline until further notice, despite earlier in the day casting doubt on that prospect. John Stolmes has the latest from Washington. Speaking Tuesday morning on CNBC, the president was asked what would happen if no firm peace deal was agreed to by today's deadline. Well, I expect to be bombing because I think that's a better attitude to go in with. But we're ready to go. I mean, the military is raring to go. However, a few hours later on Truth Social, the president extended the ceasefire at the request of Pakistan and said it will remain in place until, quote, Iran's leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal. The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament dismissed the president's message, saying it had no meaning. Trump's decision to hold off on bombing comes as Iran announced they would be boycotting the peace talks with the U.S. in Islamabad that were supposed to get underway Wednesday. As a result, Vice President J.D. Vance's trip was canceled, and it's unclear if it will be rescheduled. Trump told CNBC he believes a deal will happen. What I think is that we're going to end up with a great deal. I think they have no choice. We've taken out their Navy. We've taken out their Air Force. We've taken out their leaders, frankly, which does complicate things in one way. But these leaders are much more rational. It is regime change, no matter what you want to call it. Trump maintained the blockade on ships going into or coming out of Iranian ports remains in effect and said that it's the U.S., not Iran, that controls the Strait of Hormuz right now. The blockade has been a tremendous success. They said two days ago, we will open the strait. They said, no, we're not going to open the strait. until we have a final deal. No, no, we want to open the strait. They said we're not opening. We totally control the strait, just so you understand, for all the fake news out there. However, traffic remains slow in the strait, and the threat of Iranian fire continues to discourage some ships from moving through. The U.S. Navy says they have turned around 28 ships as part of their blockade. The U.S. military also stopped and seized a second oil tanker, the latest in the Indian Ocean, carrying oil from Iran. The Pentagon released a video that appeared to show Navy SEALs landing on the ship from a helicopter. Iran threatened neighboring Arab countries they could, quote, say goodbye to oil production in the Middle East if they allow the U.S. to continue attacking Iran from their country. John Stolnes, Washington. Virginia voters have approved a controversial ballot proposal that will redraw the state's congressional map, giving Democrats an edge in the midterms. America in the Morning's Jeff McKay reports that despite being approved by the voters, the courts may get the final say. Virginia's referendum on a constitutional amendment is designed to give legislators the power to redraw the state's congressional map mid-decade. Under current Virginia law, these maps are meant to be redrawn every 10 years in line with the U.S. Census. However, the process took a turn after the GOP-led Texas legislature voted to redraw their maps at the urging of President Trump. I think we get five and there could be some other states. We're going to get another three or four or five. In addition, Texas would be the biggest one and that'll be five. Just a very simple redrawing. We pick up five seats. But we have a couple of other states where we'll pick up seats also. Seeing that five Democrat seats in redistricted Texas could flip Republican. Governor Gavin Newsom announced California would allow voters to decide to change the golden state's congressional map to favor Democrats. He doesn't play by a different set of rules. He doesn't believe in the rules. And as a consequence, we need to disabuse ourselves of the way things have been done. And we've got to meet fire with fire. Virginia voters approved a complete redrawing of the state's congressional maps that could transform Old Dominion's 11-member delegation from a 6-5 Democratic edge to an overwhelming 10-1 advantage. The vote did not come without controversy, which included reports of millions of dollars of out-of-state money and confusing ads to sway voters. South Hill Virginia voter Joanne Lucy voted no on the referendum. I'm wondering if maybe it's just because of Trump. You know, I don't think we'll ever have a president that will please everybody. Virginia voter Tangerine Gost voted yes to the change of the maps. I just want to even. I just hope all this mapping stuff be resolved on both sides. Voters may have approved the temporary amendment by a 51 to 48 vote, but that doesn't mean the changes are set in stone. The Virginia Supreme Court could weigh in. And as for the vote, it was northern Virginia that put the ballot measure over the top, an area where over 170,000 federal employees call home. I'm Jeff McKay. When America in the Morning continues, with an ethics case looming, Florida Congresswoman resigns after these messages. becomes moot. What matters from that point forward, upside gains. Any type of ownership stake or ownership potential, that's the money. Remember, you can afford anything, just not everything. Afford anything. Follow and listen on your favorite platform. for areas of the Pacific Northwest with the outlook. AccuWeather.com meteorologist Latroy Thornton. A storm continuing to press farther inland through the Pacific Northwest today takes more of a turn to the north and east after bringing some severe thunderstorms to interior portions of central California yesterday. While today is not expected to include a continued risk for severe weather in that area, rain showers should be fairly numerous from coastal northern California into western Oregon and Washington, with some steadier rain for eastern parts of both of those states and into Idaho as showers stretch into central Nevada and Utah. However, this storm pulls in enough cold air that AccuWeather winter weather experts are watching for a two-day snow event in the high ground from the Sierra Nevada of California into the Washington and Oregon Cascades, the Blue Mountains of Oregon, and the northern Rockies through the Wasatch Range of Utah. The heaviest snow is expected in the Rockies, where slow travel and reduced visibility are most likely. Travel impacts are also likely to develop farther to the east late today and tonight from the Dakotas southward to western Nebraska and northwestern Kansas, where thunderstorms may turn severe, with damaging wind gusts of at least 60 to 70 miles per hour and some hail. Showers and thunderstorms may also pop over the panhandles of Oklahoma and Texas, but are more likely from the Houston area into Louisiana, with much of the rest of the southeast, Midwest, and Great Lakes dry today. The same can't be said for the Ohio Valley, though, and there can be a thundershower from northern Kentucky and especially West Virginia into central Indiana and Ohio as showers spread to the north and east from there through the Virginia coast and even into much of Maine. In Earth, Texas, today looks hot with some sun, then perhaps a gusty late-day thunderstorm with hail, the high 92. For Blue Earth, Minnesota, today looks sunny, breezy, and warm, high 87. That's the nation's weather. I'm ACKIEWEATHER.com meteorologist Latroy Thornton. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts. Search America in the morning in your favorite listening app. A Florida congresswoman has resigned hours before being punished in an ethics case. Correspondent Mike Hempen reports on what led the Democrat to hand in her resignation, the third member of Congress, to do so within eight days. Congresswoman Sheila Shurf Lewis-McCormick is resigning. The Florida lawmaker is stepping down rather than be formally disciplined by the House as part of an ethics investigation into her use of campaign funds Sheriff Lewis McCormick says a House committee has denied her adequate time to prepare a defense Members of the House Ethics Committee had been set to weigh what punishment to recommend after they found Sheriff Lewis McCormick committed 25 violations of House rules and ethical standards. Sheriff Lewis McCormick also faces federal criminal charges accusing her of stealing five million dollars in coronavirus disaster relief funds. She has denied any wrongdoing. Mike Hemp in Washington. Bombshell indictment. The Department of Justice has charged the Southern Poverty Law Center with wire and bank fraud and alleges they secretly funded leaders and organizers of white supremacist and other hate groups. Lisa Dwyer reports. The Southern Poverty Law Center says it's the subject of a Justice Department criminal investigation and faces possible charges over its use of paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups. The Alabama-based civil rights organization says that the Trump administration appears to be preparing legal action against it or its employees. The center's CEO, Brian Fair, says they paid informants to infiltrate extremist groups and gather information on their activities, often sharing it with law enforcement. Fair says the information was used to monitor threats of violence, adding that the program was kept quiet to protect the safety of informants. I'm Lisa Dwyer. Confirmation hearings for Trump's Fed chair pick when America in the Morning continues after these messages. This is America in the Morning. Global tensions continue to create a roller coaster in the markets. Here's CNBC's Jessica Ettinger. Wall Street opens this morning after a down day yesterday for the major averages. Investors fear a breakdown in peace talks with Iran. Late yesterday, President Trump extended the ceasefire even without negotiations announced. We clearly don't have a definitive resolution. breakdowns and talks. I think the market is finally coming to the realization that, OK, maybe this isn't over yet. SoFi's Liz Thomas on CNBC. The Dow was down almost 300 points yesterday. The Nasdaq lost 144. Oil climbed while prices at the pump fell another two cents a gallon. Before the first missiles were sent into Iran, you were paying an average of $2.98 for a gallon of regular. AAA says you're still paying a dollar more now, on average, at $4.02. United Airlines out with better than expected quarterly results, but a lower outlook because of the U.S. war with Iran. It's worried about consumers balking at higher airfares, and it's dealing with higher jet fuel prices. Jet fuel, the cost alone, up 12.6 percent year over year. There's very little visibility when it comes to jet fuel, how high it will be and for how long. CNBC's Phil Lebeau. President Trump's Fed chair pick Kevin Warsh appeared at a Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing where Senator Tom Tillis said the DOJ investigation into the current Fed chairman, Jay Powell, is bogus. When Tillis says boss, he means President Trump. The boss said on the same night that I said, I can't go forward until this bogus investigation is done. We've said he didn't know anything about it. Let's get rid of this investigation so I can support your confirmation. Tillis is blocking Morsh from Fed chair confirmation. Current Fed chair Jay Powell's term is up May 15th. If Warsh is not confirmed, Powell says he'll stay in the job. Today is day three that companies can file for refunds for the Trump tariffs after the Supreme Court ruled they were illegally collected. President Trump told CNBC he will remember companies that decide not to ask for their money back. Here's the president with CNBC's Andrew Ross Sorkin. Mr. President, there's a whole number of very large companies, including Apple and Amazon, that have not sought reimbursements yet for the tariffs. And from what I understand, part of the reason that they have waited is because there is a worry about, frankly, offending you. Would you find it offensive for them to try to collect a refund? I think it's brilliant if they don't do that. Actually, if they don't do that, they got to know me very well. I'm very honored by what you just said. If they don't do that, I'll remember them. On today's watch list, we get more earnings from AT&T, Boeing, Southwest Airlines, IBM, Tesla, CSX, Texas Instruments, LAM Research and ServiceNow. Thank you. CNBC's Jessica Ettinger. A Chinese student detained for taking sensitive photos when America in the Morning returns after these messages. we're learning more about two u.s officials killed in a car crash in mexico correspondent clayton neville reports mexico's president is also demanding an explanation the two u.s embassy officials who died in a car accident in mexico on sunday reportedly worked for the CIA and had been collaborating with Mexican officials on expanded counter-narcotics operations. The officers are said to have been returning from a drug raid when their car crashed on the Chihuahua Ciudad Juarez Highway. Two Mexican officials who were part of the Chihuahua State Investigation Agency were also killed in the accident. This week, Mexican President Claudia Scheinbaum said that authorities are looking into what happened and that she's unaware of any direct collaboration between the state of Chihuahua and personnel from the U.S. Embassy in Mexico. The U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, worked for the CIA for two decades, and he said in a statement that the tragedy is a solemn reminder of the risks faced by those Mexican and U.S. officials dedicated to protecting communities. I'm Clayton Neville. A student from China was taken into custody at New York's Kennedy Airport. Correspondent Haya Panjwani reports the student traveled across the United States taking pictures including at two Air Force bases without permission. A college student from China has been charged with illegally taking photos of U.S. military planes. Tian Rui Liang was arrested on April 7th at a New York airport for taking photos of U.S. military planes in Nebraska during a multi-state road trip. Liang was trying to leave the U.S. for Glasgow, Scotland, where he attends school. The FBI says Liang admitted that he got out of a car on a public road in March and took photos of an RC-135, a reconnaissance aircraft, and an E-4B. The planes were at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha. The FBI said it's illegal to photograph or sketch defense installations without approval. Liang's attorney declined to comment. I'm Haya Panjwani. America in the Morning for Wednesday, April 22, 2026 is produced by Jeff McKay. I'm John Trout. This is Westwood One. This is America in the Morning from Westwood One. Coming up this half hour. President Trump's nominee to lead the Federal Reserve is pledging to fight inflation. A sock puppet in charge of the Fed. I'm Ed Donoghue. Amid backlash from some conservative Christians, President Trump reads the Bible from the Oval Office. I'm Clayton Neville. The chatbot advised the shooter. Open AI facing possible criminal charges. I'm Bob Brown. I'll have that story. President Donald Trump is nominating a University of Minnesota professor to lead his economic council. Hi, I'm Pajwani at the White House. Amazon Ring becomes your nosy neighbor. I'm the new old tech guy, Chuck Palm. Haverford High School teacher Leon Smith of Pennsylvania has been named the 2026 National Teacher of the Year. I'm Jennifer King. Back after these messages. Welcome back. You're with America in the Morning. Let's find out where the weather hotspots are today. Here's AccuWeather.com meteorologist Latroy Thornton. This week has been relatively quiet in terms of severe thunderstorms across the vast majority of the nation, with the major exception being Central California, where thunderstorms produced wind and hail damage, even a rare tornado yesterday afternoon. Storms also produced hail near and to the south of Milwaukee on Tuesday, but today's risk for severe weather becomes more widespread and focused as southerly flow sets up over the plains and strengthens ahead of a cold front, carrying in a deep layer of warmth and gulf moisture. As the cold front sweeps eastward, the clash of air masses will help to spark thunderstorms late today and into tonight that may be severe from northwestern Kansas into western and central Nebraska and much of the Dakotas with the chance for both hail and strong winds. Afternoon thunderstorms with a much lower chance for severe weather may also form over the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles with more widespread showers and storms from southeast Texas into western Louisiana Much of the southwestern U looks dry today helping to fuel a heightened fire risk that extends from the four-corner states into western parts of the plains during the day today. But a storm continuing to push inland across the northwest instead brings no shortage of rain showers and mountain snow from the San Francisco Bay Area to central Utah and northward through western Montana and Wyoming, with afternoon thundershowers extending into much of east-central Montana. A thundershower may also occur anywhere from Indiana to eastern West Virginia, as a separate cold front sags southward toward the mid-Atlantic, with much less of a risk for thunder within any of the rain showers from Pennsylvania and much of Virginia through central New York, southern New England, and mainly coastal portions of Maine. The southeast looks generally dry today with some sunshine. That's the weather across America. I'm AckieWeather.com meteorologist Latroy Thornton. Follow us wherever you get your podcasts. Search America in the morning in your favorite listening app. There were pointed questions Tuesday given by a Senate committee to the president's pick to become the next Federal Reserve chairman, including if he would be a sock puppet for Donald Trump. Ed Donahue reports on Kevin Warsh and his responses to the Senate Banking Committee. What's a human sock puppet? Isn't a human sock puppet somebody who will do what somebody else tells them to do? I think that's what the senator was trying to suggest. Are you going to be the president's human sock puppet? Senator, absolutely not. Are you going to be anybody's human sock puppet? No, I'm honored the president nominated me for the position, and I'll be an independent actor if confirmed as chairman of the Federal Reserve. President Trump's nominee to lead the Federal Reserve is pledging to fight inflation. Kevin Warsh is before the Senate Banking Committee. His inflation message comes as the president says he expects interest rate cuts once Warsh is confirmed. I heard two months ago President Trump say, he said, quote, what word have you not heard over the last two weeks? Affordability. Because I've won. I've won affordability. It sounds like you would disagree with that assessment that the fight for affordability for American families is over. So I think the trend is going in the right direction. But we still have more work to do. Well, the way I would describe it, Senator, is the cumulative increase in prices starting in early 2020 till now is between 25 and 35 percent. So I understand what hardworking Americans say. It's still a struggle. That's a legacy of a past policy error. Massachusetts Democrat Elizabeth Warren is worried about independence at the Fed. Having a sock puppet in charge of the Fed would also give the president access to the Fed's powerful authorities to enrich himself, his family and his Wall Street buddies. Warsh says the Fed will remain independent. But independence has to be earned and it's earned by delivering on the promises, the commitments that the Fed has made. And as the Fed hasn't delivered on those promises, we shouldn't be surprised that we hear politics that are entering the room at the Fed. And you get the politics out of it so the Fed can focus on its day job. President Trump has repeatedly attacked the current Fed chair, Jerome Powell, for not cutting rates. I'm Ed Donohue. President Trump took part in a week-long America Reads the Bible event. Tuesday evening. Correspondent Clayton Neville reports the president's virtual remarks came as he received criticism from some American Christians over recent rhetoric and comments about Pope Leo. The president pre-recorded a two and a half minute video for the America Reads the Bible event at the Museum of the Bible that was also streamed on the platform PureFlix. Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king's house. He read out of the book of Chronicles. And all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the Lord. The president It was seen sitting at a desk in the Oval Office reading the scripture. There shall not fail you as a man to be ruler in Israel. But if you turn away and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods and worship them, then will I pluck them up from the roots out of my land which I have given them. after the president deleted an AI-generated social media post that seemingly depicted him as Jesus healing a sick person. Some of Trump's closest religious leaders and some conservative Christian supporters backed away from their ally and leader, and Trump later claimed that he thought the image was a doctor with the Red Cross. Trump also made headlines in recent weeks for a beef with Pope Leo XIV over the war in Iran. I have nothing against the Pope. His brother's MAGA all the way. I like his brother, Lewis, so I can disagree with the Pope. I have right to disagree. Religion, specifically the Bible, has been a contentious topic surrounding the Trump administration this month, with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reading a fake Bible verse that was actually out of the movie Pulp Fiction. So the prayer is CSAR 2517, and it reads, and pray with me, please. The path of the downed aviator is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Hexith, along with Republican Senator Ted Cruz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, also tied to events for America Reads the Bible, which continues this week. I'm Clayton Neville. Artificial intelligence is now under criminal investigation in Florida in connection with a deadly shooting last year at Florida State University. Bob Brown reports that issue is whether OpenAI's chat GPT helped the shooter plot his rampage. Technology, AI, is supposed to support mankind. It is supposed to help mankind. It is supposed to advance mankind, not end it. Florida Attorney General James Upmeyer had a news conference Tuesday saying AI ChatGPT provided planning to the alleged gunman in the Florida State University mass shooting last April, killing two people. He says a criminal investigation is necessary. And unfortunately, what we've seen in our initial review is that ChatGPT offered significant advice to the shooter before he committed such heinous crimes. The communication between the shooter and ChatGPT revealed that the chatbot advised the shooter on what type of gun to use, on which ammo went with which gun, on whether or not a gun would be useful in short range. In addition, ChatGPT advised the shooter on what time of day would be appropriate for the shooting to interact with more people and where on campus would be the place to encounter a higher population. Utmeier saying his investigation would examine whether OpenAI or its employees should be held accountable. 21-year-old Phoenix Ichner facing multiple charges in the shooting. The family of one of the victims reportedly preparing to file charges against OpenAI. I'm Bob Brown. When we return on America in the Morning, among the stories we're covering next, the Ten Commandments in Classrooms upheld by a federal court after these messages. For the second time in as many days, the FAA is looking into another near miss of passenger jets near an airport. The Federal Aviation Administration said the crew of a Republic Airways flight performed a go-around after missing its intended approach path and flying dangerously close to an Air Canada Express jet, which had been cleared to land on a parallel runway at New York's Kennedy Airport. Both planes would later land safely. This comes after two Southwest Airline planes, both packed with passengers, came within 500 feet of one another after an air traffic controller directed the two planes onto a potential collision course at the airport in Nashville. In that case, the proximity warning bells sounded in both cockpits, and the pilots had to take evasive action. Shifting gears, a University of Minnesota professor is trading his classroom for the West Wing. Correspondent Haya Panjwani reports on President Trump's pick to become chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors. President Donald Trump is nominating a University of Minnesota professor to lead his economic council. Christopher Phelan will serve as the next chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors. The nomination was posted on the White House website on Tuesday. Phelan would succeed Stephen Marin, who joined the Federal Reserve Board of Governors last September. The council's vice chairman, Pierre Yarad, has been acting leader since then. Phelan's background shows a strong interest in central banks, aligning with Trump's focus on pressuring the Fed to cut interest rates. Phelan has worked as a consultant with the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Hayat Panjwani at the White House. A federal appeals court has upheld a Texas law requiring public schools across the state to display the Ten Commandments In a 9 ruling the 17 Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that Senate Bill 10 the law passed by Texas Republican legislature does not violate either the Constitution's Establishment Clause or the Free Exercise Clause. Proponents of the ruling are calling it a major victory for religious freedom advocates who've Long argued the biblical text is intertwined with America's legal, moral, and historical heritage. The case centered on a bill passed by Kentucky lawmakers that required hanging posters of the Ten Commandments in schools. In a statement, the ACLU condemned Tuesday's ruling and announced plans to appeal. America in the Morning continues. It was his dream to take the pitcher's mound in historic Fenway Park. A Major League pitcher is again receiving death threats ahead of his hometown debut in baseball's most hated rivalry. Correspondent Gethin Kuhlbaugh reports. New York Yankees right-hander Cam Schlittler says he's looking forward to his Fenway Park debut against Boston on Thursday night, even after revealing he and his family have received death threats from Red Sox fans. The 25-year-old overcame similar threats to Thrive against Boston in the postseason last year. Schlittler grew up a Red Sox fan in Walpole, Massachusetts. He told the New York Post that he and his family have received death threats leading up to the game. He says it's not necessary to get police involved. I'm Geffen Kuhlbaugh. Americans' doorbells don't just go ding-dong anymore. Amazon's ring will now be able to tell you who's at the door. The new old tech guy, Chuck Palm, reports. Starting this week, Amazon's Ring doorbells get a new trick. Your front porch now knows who's standing on it. It's called Familiar Faces, and rollout started across the U.S. on April 17th. Switch it on, and your Ring uses AI to build a catalog of up to 50 people. Family, neighbors, the FedEx driver, and it pushes a personalized alert when one of them shows up. not just someone's at your door. It's now mom's at your door. Amazon says it's currently opt-in and the data stays encrypted and any unnamed faces get deleted after 30 days. Illinois, Texas, and Portland, Oregon are locked out. Biometric privacy laws there are too tight. Civil liberties groups are not impressed. The Electronic Frontier Foundation and Senator Ed Markey point out that once you start tagging the neighbors, and the mail carrier without their consent, you've built a private surveillance database with a push notification wrapper. This tech could be genuinely useful, but the question Senator Markey wants you to be chewing on over your breakfast, is it useful for you or useful for everyone who watches over your shoulder? Major cryptos trending up with Bitcoin at 76,000 and Ethereum at 2,326. Visit thenewoldtechguy.com. I'm Chuck Palm. With sports, here's America in the Morning's Robert Workman. Baseball, the Twins topped the Mets 5-3. That's 12 straight losses for New York, which grabbed the lead on a three-run shot from Francisco Lindor. We used to didn't capitalize towards the end of the game. You know, we played a really good game in the first seven innings, and then after that, we didn't capitalize on the moments that we could capitalize. The Royals snapped their eight-game skid with a 6-5 walk-off over the Orioles, Giants down the Dodgers 3-1, while the Padres shut out the Rockies 1-0 to move into a tie with L.A. for a first in the NL West, and they share the best record in the bigs, Randy Vasquez and the Donuts with a three-hitter. Yankees blank the Red Sox 4-0 behind the four-hit pitching of Luis Heal and the deal. Cubs won their seventh straight, 7-4 over the Phillies. Reds clocked the Rays 12-6 for their fifth win in a row, Ellie De La Cruz, with two of Cincinnati's five home runs. Nationals ended the Braves' six-game run, 11-4. Guardians scored six times in the eighth to put down the Astros' 8-5, And the Brewers got seven in the eighth to tame the Tigers, 12-4. Wins for the White Sox, Blue Jays, Cardinals, A's, and Rangers. NBA playoffs first round in the East, the Sixers slash the Celtics 111-97. That ties that series at a game apiece, 30 points for Vijay Edgecombe, 29 for Tyrese Maxey. In the West, the Blazers even things up with the Spurs 106-103. Scoot Henderson a game-high 31. Victor Wimbanyama had to leave the game for San Antonio after a hard fall in the second quarter. He'll be in the concussion protocol for at least 48 hours. Game three is Friday in Portland. In the late game, the Lakers went up 2-0 on the Rockets with a 1-0-1-94 win. Shea Gilchrist-Alexander, a near-unanimous pick, is the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year. SGA is expected to get a lot more hardware this postseason, including a possible second straight MVP. On the ice, wins for the Lightning, Bruins, and Mammoth to square those series at 1-1, while the Avalanche rallied to beat the Kings 2-1 in overtime to take a 2-0 series lead. That's Wednesday Sports. When we return on America in the Morning, Teacher of the Year, how one educator stood out after these messages. Viewers of The Pit are preparing for Season 3 following record viewership and some high-profile awards. Details from entertainment reporter Kevin Carr. Even before it debuted last year, HBO Max's hospital drama The Pit was already making news. After a successful first season, there were high hopes for when it returned on January 8th. Tier 1 trauma, ETA, six minutes. And so it begins. Telling the story of trauma workers working through their own trauma, the new season's 15 episodes take place in real time over 15 hours on the 4th of July. And that premiere brought in 5.4 million U.S. viewers over the first three days. This bump in viewership was certainly helped by the significant Emmy wins in September. And the Emmy goes to... Catherine Lanasa! The Pit! Noah Wiley. The Pit! The series took home five awards, including Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, and Best Drama Series. It also didn't hurt that The Pit was renewed for a third season before the second one even premiered. The season finale dropped on April 16th, earning a series record of 9.7 million viewers on the first weekend. Oh, she's easing. Okay, showtime. We need to get this baby out right now. I'm fully capable of handling my... No, you are not fully capable, and you know it. Warner Brothers Discovery announced the show has averaged more than 15 million U.S. viewers per episode, up from about 10 million for season one. The pit now joins the ranks of other 15 million plus series like House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, The Last of Us, and It. Welcome to Derry. I'm Kevin Carr. A Pennsylvania educator has been named Teacher of the Year. Correspondent Jennifer King reports on what led to the history teacher's moment in the spotlight. Haverford High School teacher Leon Smith of Pennsylvania has been named the 2026 National Teacher of the Year. I just feel tremendously privileged to be able to continue that legacy of outstanding educators. His students describe him as inspirational, thoughtful, and kind. He describes himself as someone who sets high expectations while recognizing hidden talents. I think it's important to teach history the way it happened. I think it's important to certainly focus on the joy, the sadness, the struggles, the adversity, but also the wins. All of that is the accurate history in terms of what has happened. And it's important for our students to be able to grapple and see all of that because that's real life. Smith teaches AP History and African American Studies and starts each day with a community building exercise to help his students settle in. We want to make sure that our students see mirrors and windows. And ways that we can do that is to make sure that all students feel supported in the classroom. In addition to taking students to the state capitol each year to engage with policymakers, Smith also coaches freshman basketball. Smith will spend a year promoting the pivotal role educators play in shaping the next generation. All students, regardless of their background, we see you. You're important. Your voice matters. Come back to this community. The community needs you, and you can make a true impact by being an educator in this community for future generations. I'm Jennifer King. that's our show for today wednesday april 22nd 2026 america in the morning is produced by jeff mckay i'm john trout this is westwood one hi i'm joe salci hi host of the stacking benjamins podcast most economists agree small amount of inflation is actually good two percent is what you're going for but why is everybody freaking out oh because it's the fallout people don't track their budget you You have this slow slipping that happens every month. So all of a sudden you go, man, I don't have any money. The reason is now two people go to a restaurant. The bill is 60 bucks for two. Two guys walk into a restaurant. They start screaming. Isn't that hilarious? $60. Stacking Benjamins. Follow and listen on your favorite platform.
