In this episode, retired U.S. Army veteran Tom Spooner discusses his 21 years in the 82nd Airborne, 7th Special Forces Group, and Delta Force, and how he was an alcoholic who still crushed it in the 82nd. He explains how a sponsor, a notebook, and a very different idea of God helped him get sober. He also covers the Gulf War, going through Delta selection right around 9/11, and the 2006 mortar strike that left him with an undiagnosed brain injury, along with the moral injury that came with it. The conversation also explores Iran, whether the Iraq War was worth it, and the work Spooner is doing now as co-founder and president of Warriors Heart.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made an unannounced visit to an Israeli air base that hosts U.S. tankers and fighter jets, as the U.S. and Israel discuss resuming major combat operations against Iran.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 20 OCTOBER 2026

Hegseth met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at Ovda Air Base in southern Israel, with UAE officials present, according to Axios. Mike Ritland breaks down why a trip like this usually means plans are already in motion, why any decision lands on U.S. troops in the region first, and whether the U.S. should finish the job in Iran now or keep up the economic pressure.

Also covered: Iran's claim that it shot down a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper over the Strait of Hormuz, and Britain sending fighter jets to defend Saudi Arabia after a Houthi missile strike killed dozens of Yemeni soldiers.

Finish the job in Iran now, or keep the pressure on and wait? Tell us in the comments.

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00:00 Hegseth's unannounced trip to Israel

00:45 What it means for U.S. troops

01:40 Why go in person, and why now?

02:30 Finish the job or keep the pressure on?

05:00 Is Iran comparable to World War II?

06:30 Iran claims it shot down a U.S. Reaper

09:10 Houthi strike kills dozens; Britain sends jets to Saudi Arabia

11:15 Will the U.S. get pulled in?

11:40 Wrap-up

Iran says the Strait of Hormuz reopens only if the U.S. lifts its naval blockade and leaves the region, as attacks on ships near the strait hit a record for the war.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 19 OCTOBER 2026

Iran's foreign minister laid out Tehran's conditions on Sunday: lift the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, lift oil sanctions and end hostilities, while an Iranian army spokesman said the strait opens when U.S. forces leave. Mike Ritland breaks down whether the blockade still serves the goal of a non-nuclear Iran, and what it costs to keep U.S. sailors in range of drones, fast boats and mines while the war drags on.

Also covered: the State Department's warning to Americans across the Middle East as the Houthi-Saudi fight widens, the airman killed in a rappelling demonstration before the Navy-UTSA game, and the rioting sweeping France.

Is the Hormuz blockade still worth it? Tell us in the comments.

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00:00 Iran: Hormuz reopens when the U.S. leaves

00:58 Is the blockade still necessary?

03:30 Waiting until after Nov. 3

04:45 U.S. troops in range of drones, boats and mines

05:50 State Department warns Americans across the Middle East

08:40 Airman killed in Alamodome rappelling demonstration

12:25 Rioting sweeps France

14:30 Immigration and capacity

19:30 Wrap-up

Iran's new defense minister, a veteran of its missile program, says the U.S. will take casualties if strikes resume, as new details emerge about the Kuwait attack that killed six American troops.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 18 OCTOBER 2026

Iran's parliament confirmed Mehrdad Akhlaghi Ketabchi, a U.S.-sanctioned veteran of its missile program, as defense minister, and his first message was a threat aimed at American troops in the region. Mike Ritland breaks down why that threat deserves attention, and what the Kuwait strike that killed six U.S. troops says about the countermeasures still protecting our bases. His take: it's not a reason to back off, but leadership can't leave gaps in force protection again.

Also covered: two more tankers burning in the Strait of Hormuz as the U.S. and Iran disagree on what hit them, $10 gas and $110 oil, and President Trump's order exempting Russia from new sanctions as Washington looks for relief at the pump.

Are U.S. bases in the region better protected now than they were in March? Tell us in the comments.

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00:00 Iran's new defense chief threatens U.S. troops

01:25 The Kuwait strike: a husband's question for JD Vance

02:50 How seriously to take Iran's threats

03:45 Force protection can't have gaps

04:30 Two more tankers burning in Hormuz

05:20 $110 oil and $10 gas

07:25 Trump exempts Russia from new sanctions

10:25 "It's the economy, stupid"

11:40 Your take

Iran just attacked a record number of ships in the Strait of Hormuz while U.S. forces wait in range, and the Pentagon is openly talking up the MOAB for Pickaxe Mountain.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 17 OCTOBER 2026

Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland breaks down the record week of attacks on ships near the Strait of Hormuz, the talk of using the MOAB (Massive Ordnance Air Blast) on Iran's Pickaxe Mountain, and Iran's threats to expel U.S. forces from the region. Mike's take: the MOAB is the wrong tool for a deep bunker, the bunker buster is built for that job, and announcing the target for months only gives Iran time to prepare. Meanwhile tens of thousands of American sailors and Marines stay in range while we wait out negotiations and the midterms. If we're going to do it, do it, and stop talking about it.

Also covered: France sending troops and air defenses to Saudi Arabia as Houthi attacks mount, Iranian state media's claim that the U.S. asked permission to strike Pickaxe Mountain, Russia's attacks on Ukraine's power grid and the shift in U.S. tone toward Kyiv, the nearly $2 trillion federal deficit, and a wave of Gen Z Americans returning to faith.

Would you use the MOAB as a warning shot, or the bunker buster with no warning at all? Tell us in the comments.

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00:00 Correction: what MOAB actually stands for

00:50 MOAB vs. the bunker buster: the wrong tool for Pickaxe Mountain

02:05 Why announce the target at all?

03:00 Devil's advocate: watching how Iran reacts

03:58 Record ship attacks near the Strait of Hormuz

05:50 Sitting ducks: U.S. sailors and Marines in range

07:05 Houthis keep hitting Saudi Arabia, France moves in

08:15 Why isn't Europe doing more?

09:50 "We will expel U.S. forces": Baghdad Bob or Tehran Tim?

10:20 Iran's claim the U.S. asked permission to strike

10:52 Russia's attacks knock out power across Ukraine

15:52 The U.S. deficit nears $2 trillion

18:30 Gen Z's return to faith

20:20 Wrap-up

U.S. officials say the military has built plans to drop the 21,600-pound MOAB on Iran's nuclear sites if the war resumes, with Trump saying no strikes before the Nov. 3 midterms.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 16 OCTOBER 2026

Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland breaks down the Pentagon's MOAB strike plans for Iran and whether hitting the same targets again will work this time.

Mike asks the question the headlines skip: if last summer's strikes knocked Iran's nuclear program back years, why are U.S. crews being asked to hit Pickaxe Mountain and the same sites again? He says the back-and-forth on timing helps nobody, and the smartest play is to say nothing and let the troops do the job. He also responds to viewer comments comparing the B-2 leak to the Hegseth Signal chat, drawing the line between intentional and careless.

Also covered: Trump kills the Fort Hood execution livestream, Ukraine defies the U.S. on refinery strikes and the unconfirmed claims about Starlink, an OpenAI suspect with ties to Saudi Arabia, a new cancer-fighting drug, Tesla's 230-mph Roadster, and Mike's plans for live streams.

Will the MOAB do what last summer's strikes didn't? Tell us in the comments.

Subscribe for daily breakdowns from a former Navy SEAL on the stories that matter to America's military.

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0:00 U.S. builds MOAB strike plans for Iran

0:50 Why Mike would say nothing about the timing

1:40 The MOAB, and why we're hitting the same sites again

3:45 Trump kills the Fort Hood execution livestream

4:30 Ukraine defies the U.S. on refinery strikes

5:20 Did Trump throttle Ukraine's Starlink? What's actually confirmed

9:05 Your comments: the B-2 leak vs. the Signal chat

12:05 OpenAI suspect kept ties to the Saudis

15:10 A new kind of cancer drug

16:15 Tesla's 230-mph Roadster

17:10 KFC switches to Coke

17:30 Live streams are coming: tell Mike how often

U.S. Navy sailors pulled the crew off an Iranian-linked spy boat watching American warships in the Gulf of Oman, then attack helicopters fired missiles and set it ablaze.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 15 OCTOBER 2026

Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland breaks down the strike on Iran's spy boat and why boarding it first was worth the risk.

Mike has done boarding and maritime operations in the region, and he explains the trade-off: pulling the crew off first is a treasure trove of intelligence, but a boat rigged with explosives can turn into another USS Cole the moment sailors step aboard. He also takes on President Trump's claim that a leak of B-2 departure times let Iran see a raid coming, and asks whether leakers should face the firing squad. And he says it plainly: Iran and the Houthis are sinking ships and hitting Saudi targets while the U.S. waits for the Nov. 3 midterms. Take the gloves off, or bring the troops home.

Also covered: a Ukrainian special forces veteran on trial for blowing up the Nord Stream pipeline (and what a 250-foot sabotage dive really takes), and the Pentagon's expanding fight against cartels in Latin America.

Should the Navy pull the crew off first, or just take the boat out? Tell us in the comments.

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0:00 U.S. helicopters destroy an Iranian spy boat

0:50 Pull the crew off first, or just take it out?

2:05 The suicide-boat risk: remember the USS Cole

3:20 Trump: B-2 raid leak meant Iran was waiting

4:10 How leaks get troops killed

7:05 Should leakers be shot?

8:20 Iran and the Houthis ramp up attacks while the U.S. waits

11:15 Take the gloves off or pull them out

12:05 Ukrainian commando on trial for Nord Stream

14:10 A combat diver on a 250-foot sabotage dive

16:20 U.S. troops vs. the cartels in Latin America

19:55 Cut the demand, not just the supply

20:45 Wrap-up

President Trump says a decision on Iran is coming "very soon," the Pentagon has asked for new strike options, and Iran is reportedly fortifying its nuclear sites.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 14 OCTOBER 2026

Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland breaks down what a second round of U.S. strikes on Iran would look like and who would be flying it.

With the USS Abraham Lincoln gone, a fresh set of pilots and crews would carry out any new strikes. Mike asks the hard question: if Iran still has bunkers to fortify after months of strikes, why did the U.S. pause? He says the lesson learned in blood in Iraq and Afghanistan applies here: if you're going to do it, give the troops the mission and the support, and let them finish the job. He also bets the timing lands right before the Nov. 3 midterms.

Also covered: how drones turned the Houthi threat into a real danger to U.S. ships and bases, a Tim Kennedy update, Britain's intelligence agency bracing for Iran and Russia, and new research showing AI models that can copy themselves onto everyday smart devices.

Will the U.S. strike Iran before or after Nov. 3? Tell us in the comments.

Subscribe for daily breakdowns from a former Navy SEAL on the stories that matter to America's military.

0:00 Trump: Iran decision coming "very soon"

0:50 Something is about to happen, before or after the midterms?

1:35 Fresh crews: the Lincoln is gone

2:30 If Iran can still fortify, why did we stop?

4:10 Iraq and Afghanistan lesson: let the troops do their job

5:25 The Houthi threat and how drones changed warfare

7:55 What Mike would do with a carrier group

9:10 Tim Kennedy update

9:50 Britain's spy agency braces for Iran and Russia

11:30 AI models that can copy themselves

13:30 Hackers cook a grocery chain's freezers

15:50 How smart is your home?

16:15 Wrap-up

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 13 OCTOBER 2026

The Houthis are warning of a "swift and painful response" if the U.S. joins Saudi strikes in Yemen, and American troops across the Gulf are already within reach.

Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland breaks down the Houthi threat and whether striking them now would put more U.S. troops in danger.

Mike explains why the U.S. held off on Iran during the Iraq War, even with proof Iran was helping kill American troops, and why the same math applies to the Houthis today. With the Pentagon's Iran war toll now at 21 U.S. service members dead and 865 wounded, he asks every viewer a hard question: is this fight worth it, and would you say yes if it were your son or daughter?

Also covered: retired Green Beret Tim Kennedy shot in a Congo ambush and the shadow war of private contractors, Europe deporting migrants back to the Taliban, and the bipartisan pushback on Trump's Russia-Ukraine energy deal.

Should the U.S. hit the Houthis now, or let Saudi Arabia handle it? Tell us in the comments.

Subscribe for daily breakdowns from a former Navy SEAL on the stories that matter to America's military.

0:00 Houthis threaten America if the U.S. joins Saudi strikes

0:50 Why threaten us at all?

2:05 Why we didn't hit Iran during the Iraq War

3:45 Would striking the Houthis put more troops at risk?

4:35 Your call: hit the Houthis or let Saudi Arabia handle it?

5:00 Pentagon raises the Iran war toll: 21 dead, 865 wounded

6:40 Is it worth it? The existential-threat test

8:20 A question for every parent

10:30 Tim Kennedy shot in Congo and Erik Prince's shadow war

11:15 Why special ops vets end up as contractors

13:15 No air support, no medevac: the contractor's risk

15:15 Europe deporting migrants back to the Taliban

19:15 Congress pushes back on the Russia-Ukraine energy deal

21:10 Wrap-up

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Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland reads the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times so you don't have to. No cable news spin, no recycled talking points, just the actual front pages and a straight take on what they mean for you.

On Mike Drop Newsroom, Mike picks the day's biggest headlines, compares how two of the country's largest papers cover them, and says what he thinks. That covers everything from AI and national security to the economy, foreign policy and the stories cable TV skips. He's not here to push a party line. As Mike puts it, if you want to put a label on him, he's an American who wants to see America succeed.

Every episode ends with a question for you. Tell us where you land in the comments, because Mike reads them and your answers shape what we cover next. Subscribe so you don't miss a morning.

Roman historian and creator of The Roman Pattern, Jeremy Ryan Slate, breaks down the rise and fall of the Roman Empire and the troubling parallels to modern America.

From corrupt political leaders and the execution of Rome's most capable generals to military decline, currency debasement, and failing institutions, Slate explains how one of history's most powerful empires weakened from within. He also explores Julius Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, military loyalty, and the warning signs he believes America is repeating today.

MIKE DROP NEWSROOM | 12 OCTOBER 2026

A Houthi strike on Riyadh’s airport killed an American, the attacks haven’t stopped, and President Trump says the U.S. “may” join Saudi Arabia’s fight.

Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland breaks down what the Houthis mean for the war with Iran and why the U.S. response has been so quiet.

Mike doesn’t think the American was targeted for being American, but he says the Houthis’ escalation demands a response if the goal is to crush Iran and its proxies. Then Iran says it’s done answering Washington and threatens undersea cables, data centers and AI facilities. Mike explains why undersea threats fall squarely in Naval Special Warfare’s lane, and whether Tehran can actually deliver or this is more “Baghdad Bob.”

Also covered: Trump’s push for a Russia–Ukraine energy ceasefire as senators call his export plan illegal, the rush to fix things before the midterms, and Gov. Newsom’s reversal on wealth taxes.

Should the U.S. go after the Houthis now? Tell us in the comments 👇

Subscribe for daily breakdowns from a former Navy SEAL on the stories that matter to America’s military.

0:00 Houthis kill an American at Riyadh airport

0:50 Targeted, or wrong place at the wrong time?

2:05 The Houthis' role in the war with Iran

3:20 Why hasn't the U.S. hit the Houthis harder?

4:30 Your call: how should we handle the Houthis?

5:25 Iran stops talking, threatens undersea cables and data centers

6:15 A SEAL's view: the undersea threat

8:45 Real threat or "Baghdad Bob"?

10:45 Trump's Russia energy ceasefire push

12:50 Scrambling before the midterms

13:30 Newsom's wealth-tax reversal

14:55 Wrap-up

----------

Former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland reads the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times so you don't have to. No cable news spin, no recycled talking points, just the actual front pages and a straight take on what they mean for you.

On Mike Drop Newsroom, Mike picks the day's biggest headlines, compares how two of the country's largest papers cover them, and says what he thinks. That covers everything from AI and national security to the economy, foreign policy and the stories cable TV skips. He's not here to push a party line. As Mike puts it, if you want to put a label on him, he's an American who wants to see America succeed.

Every episode ends with a question for you. Tell us where you land in the comments, because Mike reads them and your answers shape what we cover next. Subscribe so you don't miss a morning.