U.S.-Iran Strikes, Tech Money, and the Week's Best Sports Moment

On today's episode of The Morning Rundown, we cover a fast-moving Thursday morning with major developments across geopolitics, technology, and sports culture. The U.S. struck Iran for a second consecutive night, Oracle's AI debt load is raising investor concern, and the New York Knicks made NBA Finals history.This episode breaks down what each story means in plain terms — from the strategic logic behind continued U.S. strikes on Iran, to how China-based operatives are using AI tools to influence American policy debates, to why the upcoming SpaceX IPO is being read as a test of Elon Musk's personal brand.U.S.-Iran escalation: Defense Secretary Hegseth described the campaign as "negotiating with bombs." Iran retaliated against U.S. assets in three countries. Three Indian sailors were killed near Oman after a U.S. missile struck their vessel, pulling a third country into the conflict.Oracle earnings: The company beat estimates but its stock fell as investors grew concerned about the debt load required to fund accelerating AI infrastructure spending.AI and influence operations: Axios reported that China-based operatives used ChatGPT to run coordinated influence campaigns targeting U.S. debates on AI infrastructure and tariff policy.SpaceX IPO: Market analysts are framing the offering as a referendum on Elon Musk himself, not just the company's fundamentals.Knicks make Finals history: New York erased a 29-point deficit in Game 4 of the NBA Finals — confirmed by NBA.com as the largest comeback in Finals history. Also covered: a new lawsuit against Sean Combs and Shakira and Burna Boy's Dai Dai named best World Cup song ever by Billboard readers.Subscribe and follow The Morning Rundown wherever you get your podcasts to stay current on the stories that matter most.