Show notes
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
----------
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.
Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands
Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy 
Our TOPPODCAST Picks 
Stay Connected
