Washington and Tehran have blown past the ceasefire again—and now both sides are acting like the off-ramp never existed.
Iran Hits U.S. Targets After American Strikes, Ceasefire Looks All But Dead
Iran launched attacks on U.S. military sites in Kuwait, Qatar and Bahrain on Thursday after American strikes hit military and infrastructure targets across southern Iran, pushing the already shaky ceasefire to the brink.
With missiles flying, oil markets rattled and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s funeral underway, the conflict is looking less like a pause and more like the next chapter.
Iran said it targeted U.S. Patriot systems in Kuwait, an early warning site in Qatar and a fuel storage facility in Bahrain using drones. Kuwait reported intercepting cruise missiles, ballistic missiles and drones, while Jordan also intercepted missiles crossing its airspace. Meanwhile, explosions were reported in Bushehr and Bandar Abbas after fresh U.S. strikes, including an area surrounding Iran’s Russian-built nuclear power plant.
The latest U.S. operation followed attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz that Washington blamed on Iran. CENTCOM said roughly 90 Iranian military targets were struck, including air defenses, missile storage sites, naval assets and logistics infrastructure. President Donald Trump warned that further attacks on shipping would bring an even stronger response but insisted the confrontation would be short-lived.
Iran also prepared to bury Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Mashhad after he was killed in a U.S. airstrike at the start of the war on February 28. His funeral capped a week of nationwide processions as MiG-29 fighter jets patrolled overhead. Iranian negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf struck a defiant tone: “The U.S. has yet to learn that bullying and breaking its commitments no longer come without a cost. Let me be clear: If you strike, you will be struck back.”
Trump said he believes the ceasefire is effectively finished and questioned whether any future agreement with Tehran would last. Markets briefly sent oil prices higher before retreating as investors weighed whether the latest escalation is a limited exchange or the beginning of a much broader conflict.
Source: Reuters
Editor: Every time someone says they don’t expect escalation, another round of missiles seems to disagree. At this point, the ceasefire exists mostly as a historical footnote.
The courts are done waiting—Donald Trump is about to lose nearly $6 million that has been sitting in escrow since a jury ruled against him.
Judge Orders $5.8 Million Released to E. Jean Carroll After Trump Loses Latest Appeal
A federal judge has ordered nearly $5.8 million released to E. Jean Carroll after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the jury’s verdict against President Donald Trump to stand, ending another chapter in the long-running civil case.
After years of appeals and delays, the money is finally headed to Carroll unless Trump can somehow pull off a last-minute legal miracle.
The money has been sitting in escrow since a 2023 jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a Manhattan department store dressing room in 1996 and defaming her after she went public with the allegation. The original $5 million judgment has grown to roughly $5.8 million with interest.
Trump’s legal team immediately appealed Judge Lewis Kaplan’s order releasing the funds, arguing they are asking the Supreme Court to reconsider the case. But a federal appeals judge quickly rejected an emergency request to block the payment. Carroll’s attorneys argued she has already waited more than three years to collect on the jury’s verdict.
“It is time for this case to come to an end,” Carroll’s lawyers wrote in court filings.
The legal fight isn’t over. Trump is separately appealing an $83 million defamation judgment awarded to Carroll in a second trial, where jurors determined how much he owed for continuing to attack her after the first verdict. Judge Kaplan wrote that Trump “has been stalling this case for years” and that it was time for him to “do equity” by paying the judgment.
Source: AP News
Editor: Appeals are part of the legal system. Endless delay isn’t supposed to be. At some point, even the courts start looking at the calendar and saying, “Enough already.”
Even the Secret Service apparently decided this wasn’t the day to test-drive the president’s new plane in a potential war zone.
Secret Service Urged Trump to Skip Qatari Air Force One Over Iran Security Concerns
President Donald Trump reportedly left the NATO summit aboard the older Air Force One after the Secret Service advised against flying the newer Qatari-gifted aircraft amid heightened tensions with Iran.
When security professionals tell the commander in chief to take the older ride instead, you know somebody is taking the threat seriously.
According to The New York Times, officials recommended Trump avoid departing Ankara on the recently converted Boeing 747-8 gifted by Qatar out of an abundance of caution following renewed military exchanges with Iran. While no specific threat was identified, Trump instead flew on the older, battle-tested Air Force One before switching to the newer aircraft during a stop at RAF Mildenhall in England.
Trump disputed that security concerns drove the decision, posting on Truth Social that the Qatari aircraft had been sent ahead so service members at RAF Mildenhall could see it. Speaking with reporters, however, he acknowledged journalists were on a “dangerous flight because of the sleazebags that we have to deal with,” an apparent reference to Iran, which he also called “scum” earlier in the day.
The timing came just one day after Iran and the United States exchanged new military strikes tied to the escalating conflict around the Strait of Hormuz. The newer Air Force One, converted by defense contractor L3Harris in just 10 months, lacks some of the Cold War-era defensive systems carried by the older presidential aircraft, including the ability to defeat incoming missile threats.
Source: The Hill
Editor: New paint, new interior, and that unmistakable new-plane smell are nice. But when missiles are in the conversation, suddenly the older model with decades of defensive upgrades starts looking like the better bargain.
PLUS, what really scared Trump off is he got multiple tips about being on Iran’s assassination list… and it scared the shit out of him.
The Trump administration wants allies to treat far-left extremism as a growing global terror threat—but many of those allies aren’t buying the premise.
Rubio Pushes Global Crackdown on Far-Left Terrorism as Allies Question the Threat
Secretary of State Marco Rubio has invited officials from more than 60 countries to Washington for talks on what the Trump administration calls a resurgence of transnational far-left terrorism, but the effort is already drawing skepticism at home and overseas.
It’s difficult to build an international coalition when several of the invited countries are essentially asking, “Coalition against what?”
According to The Washington Post, the administration is exploring ways to strengthen international cooperation against violent far-left extremist groups, while internal discussions have included whether foreign terrorist designations could expand investigative tools against individuals linked to antifa. Career officials and some administration lawyers reportedly worry such moves could create precedents that future administrations might use against conservatives.
Several European governments reportedly questioned both the urgency and the premise of the July 16 meeting. One diplomat bluntly remarked, “We don’t have antifa,” while others said left-wing terrorism is not viewed as a major national security priority in their countries. Terrorism experts also argued that the administration’s focus overstates the current threat compared with other forms of political violence.
The White House rejected suggestions that counterterrorism powers are being politicized, pointing to its strategy stating such authorities will not be used against Americans simply because they hold different political views. The administration maintains the meeting is intended to improve intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation among allies as it places greater emphasis on combating politically motivated violence from the far left.
Source: The Washington Post
Editor: International diplomacy usually works best when everyone agrees on the problem before scheduling the meeting. That’s proving to be the hardest part here.
Madison Square Garden reportedly wasn’t just tracking celebrity guests—it was grading them, labeling them, and, in some cases, deciding who deserved the VIP treatment and who deserves ridicule and scorn.
Leaked MSG Database Tagged Celebrities by Risk, Sexual Orientation, and Loyalty
A leaked Madison Square Garden database reportedly tracked thousands of celebrities and VIPs with internal labels ranging from “LGBTQIA” and “DO NOT HOST” to risk ratings based in part on social media activity and public criticism of the organization.
When your favorite basketball arena starts looking like it has its own intelligence agency, it’s fair to ask whether someone took “know your customer” a little too literally.
According to WIRED, the database surfaced after the hacker group ShinyHunters released internal MSG records. Roughly 400 celebrities—including longtime Knicks fans—were assigned “low,” “medium,” or “high” risk ratings, while others were flagged as “DO NOT HOST,” meaning they shouldn’t receive complimentary tickets. The report says internal sources indicated social media criticism of owner James Dolan or the organization could influence those designations.
The database also reportedly identified 93 people with an “LGBTQIA” label, though no explanation was provided for why sexual orientation was tracked. It included celebrities, politicians and other public figures, while a separate leaked customer database allegedly contained millions of email addresses, phone numbers and other personal information following the cyberattack. Privacy advocates argued the leak exposed the risks of collecting far more data than necessary.
Madison Square Garden did not respond to WIRED’s requests for comment. The publication reported the hackers claimed they targeted MSG in part because of its extensive surveillance practices, including facial recognition technology at its venues. The incident has also fueled a class-action lawsuit alleging the company accumulated sensitive customer information it failed to adequately protect.
Source: WIRED
Editor: Fans expect courtside seats, overpriced concessions, and maybe a kiss-cam. They generally don’t expect to wind up in a secret spreadsheet with a behavioral score attached to their name. But hey, maybe not spend your time & money at a known bigot’s arena?
One candidate drops out, and suddenly half of Maine looks ready to run for the U.S. Senate.
Maine Senate Race Turns Into Free-for-All After Democratic Nominee Drops Out
Maine Democrats are scrambling to find a new U.S. Senate candidate after nominee Graham Platner withdrew, setting off a wave of interest from politicians, business leaders and even prompting speculation about actor Patrick Dempsey.
Nothing attracts potential candidates quite like an unexpectedly vacant spot on a statewide ballot.
Among those weighing campaigns are economist Nirav Shah, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, former state senator Troy Jackson and Maine Beer Company founder Dan Kleban, who officially jumped into the race Wednesday. The sudden opening has transformed what appeared to be a settled contest into a wide-open political scramble.
One name that generated buzz won’t be joining the field. “Grey’s Anatomy” star Patrick Dempsey ended speculation in an opinion piece, writing, “As I reflected on all of this, I kept coming back to one question: Do I truly want to serve in Congress?” He answered his own question: “After a lot of thought, I realized the answer is no.”
Governor Janet Mills, who previously suspended her Senate campaign despite support from Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, has not said whether she will re-enter the race. Platner won the Democratic primary in June after campaigning as a populist outsider, but it remains unclear how the party will regroup following his departure.
Source: BBC News
Editor: Political vacuums never stay empty for long. The only thing moving faster than campaign announcements right now is the rumor mill.