*By Conor White*
President Trump's decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal makes it more difficult for the United States to negotiate a new understanding with Tehran, or any deal with other foreign governments, said Laura Secor, a journalist and author who has written extensively on Iran.
"The message not only is the United States is walking away from an agreement limiting the nuclear program in Iran, but that the United States is willing to walk away from its commitments negotiated under previous administrations" Secor said in an interview Wednesday with Cheddar.
Despite the White House's expressed confidence a better deal could be struck, Secor, author of "Children of Paradise: The Struggle for the Soul of Iran," said she doesn't see a way forward for another agreement with Iran.
"The Trump administration has not unveiled any Plan B here," she said. "There was talk they would get a bigger, better deal, but the idea that you would have a country whose commitment you have just abrogated agree to make a bigger, deeper, longer commitment to you, is delusional."
America's European allies, including France, which is a party to the Iran deal, have insisted the deal can survive even without the United States and have encouraged Iran to continue in good faith.
For the full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/fallout-from-president-trumps-iran-decision).
While Donald Trump stated he would be willing to pardon Capitol Hill insurrectionists should he return to the presidency, the January 6 Committee issued subpoenas to 14 individuals who cast bogus electoral votes for the former president in seven states won by Joe Biden in 2020. Molly Jong-Fast, editor-at-large at The Daily Beast, joined Cheddar News to discuss the ongoing congressional investigation. "It is kind of crazy that every time Trump speaks, he kind of confesses a little more of what he was up to, but you really have to have proof," said Jong-Fast.
Natalie Fertig, federal cannabis policy reporter at Politico Pro, joins Cheddar News to discuss a new YouGov poll that looks at how Americans feel about marijuana and politics.
Alex Ward, National Security Reporter at Politico, joined Wake Up With Cheddar to discuss the latest in a looming international threat as Russia continues aggression against Ukraine, in defiance of Western nations.
The recent Virginia and New Jersey elections are making one trend line pretty clear: voters in this climate will vote on education, and it could be a winning tactic for Republicans.
Virginia's race for governor was defined by, as the Republican candidate and eventual winner described it, "school-choice." Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is taking a page out of Governor Youngkin's playbook for his upcoming reelection bid, over-indexing on themes of education. John Kennedy, Florida capital reporter at Gannett, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
North Korea launched its sixth missile test this month, equaling the total number performed in all of 2021. Cheddar News speaks with Bruce Klinger of the Heritage Foundation on why the regime is suddenly ramping up its weapons testing program.
More than 80 lawmakers are calling for President Biden to release a memo outlining the legal pros and cons regarding the president's authority to cancel student loan debt, the total of which sits around $1.75 trillion. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.), joined Cheddar to discuss the memo and support the push to forgive student debt that could potentially have a massive positive impact on the U.S. economy. "I think that would be really helpful for all of us to be able to see as we figure out how we can go forward," she said. "It seems like a simple thing to do, and I hope that the administration will release this memo." For her part, Sen. Smith said she believes the president does have the authority to abolish student loan debt.
