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Friends and foes alike have expressed skepticism in recent days regarding President Donald Trump’s approach to the Israeli-Iranian conflict. Trump appears to have once again earned their trust by neutralizing the Iranian nuclear program, striking a tenuous peace between Tehran and Jerusalem, and securing a U.S. exit out of what easily could have become another bloody Middle Eastern quagmire.

Vice President JD Vance provided BlazeTV host Steve Deace with critical insights on Tuesday both into the thinking that guided the president’s successful actions in the Middle East and into how Trump avoided the damning misstep that tripped up his predecessors.

Vance, who deployed as a Marine to Iraq in 2005, indicated that he “always wondered kind of what went wrong” with past military interventions in the Middle East. This recent episode in the region buttressed his understanding that the answer is “that we allowed mission creep. In other words, we started with one mission, and then it turned into another mission, and it turned into another mission.”

This phenomenon would account, in part, for why the U.S. military was formally involved in Afghanistan for two decades and in Iraq from 2003 until 2011 — protracted conflicts that claimed the lives of thousands of American service members and cost trillions of dollars.

Vance suggested that previous presidents lacked the clarity of focus and the restraint that Trump exercised in recent days.

RELATED: Rubio, Vance outline the ‘work of a generation,’ next steps for the American renewal: ‘This is a 20-year project’

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

“You didn’t have the kind of presidential leadership to say, ‘We are going to do what we came to do, and then once we’ve accomplished that successfully, we’re going to get out,'” Vance told Deace. “And what did the president say we needed to do? We needed to destroy the Iranian nuclear program. We did that, of course, with incredibly competent troops and, really, an amazing military operation.”

“The president just never let that mission creep settle in to the way the generals were thinking about it, the [way] diplomats were thinking about it,” continued the vice president. “I really have to give the president all of the credit here, because I think, look — American history has told us that given the situation that [Trump] was in, every American president of pretty much my lifetime has made a bad decision in the Middle East. He was able to get in there, do what he said he was going to do, and then put the region back on the path to peace.”

— (@)

Vance indicated further that Trump has changed the nature of the game, particularly where international expectations go, noting that foreign powers have come to expect the U.S. to “permanently entrench ourselves in that region of the world; to try to build democracies; to build separate nations, sometimes even separate cultures within a country where you didn’t have any democratic culture.”

The reason why the U.S. defied expectations this time around is because the man in charge “has made it very clear that the only thing the United States is going to be on the hook for is accomplishing our national objectives and our national mission.”

‘We don’t want to have to serve as the policemen of the world.’

While emphasizing a willingness from the Trump administration to engage in diplomacy, Vance emphasized that America’s interests remain the top priority — that “America first” is Trump’s guiding principle in such matters.

Deace suggested that many in the MAGA coalition have been torn between a love for Israel and a desire to limit American engagements in the Middle East, particularly those that might draw American troops abroad.

Vance indicated that Trump “has been able to thread the needle very well” by simultaneously recognizing Israel as a “very important ally” with which there are multiple opportunities for cooperation, and the need, both for the U.S. and Jerusalem, for the U.S. to give up the role of “policemen of the Middle East” and leave that responsibility to the Israelis and the “rational” Gulf Arab states.

“We want Israel and the Gulf Arab countries to police their own back yard,” said Vance. “We don’t want to have to serve as the policemen of the world.”

— (@)

In addition to seeking further disentanglement from Middle Eastern affairs, the vice president suggested there is also room for criticism of the action taken on the part of friends in the region.

‘I think so long as we have political leaders in America who are laser-focused on the United States, yes, we can be pro-Israel.’

Vance noted that while Israel “is a great friend of ours, and we are in agreement on the deep cultural value question,” that “doesn’t mean that on every question of foreign policy we’re always going to be aligned.”

RELATED: ‘They don’t know what the f**k they’re doing’: Trump cusses out Israel, Iran for nearly blowing up his ceasefire

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Vance cited as an example Trump’s stern call Tuesday morning with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which the president made clear that the ceasefire needed to be respected.

“I think so long as we have political leaders in America who are laser-focused on the United States, yes, we can be pro-Israel. Yes, we can say that our Israeli friends have a lot of, you know — there are a lot of ways in which we can work together,” Vance told Deace. “Allies often do work together, but sometimes allies have disagreement, and I think we just have to be honest about that.”

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Following the United States’ weekend strike on Iranian nuclear enrichment sites, the Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced the arrest of nearly a dozen Iranian nationals who are illegally in the country.

The former Biden administration’s open-border policies have sparked concerns that potential terrorists and other threat actors have flooded into the U.S. undetected, raising the risk of the formation of sleeper cells.

‘We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland.’

ICE’s arrests, which took place over the weekend, included a suspected terrorist, an individual with admitted ties to Hezbollah, and an alleged former Iranian Army sniper, according to a Tuesday press release from ICE.

The Department of Homeland Security stated that the arrests reflect the agency’s “commitment to keeping known and suspected terrorists out of American communities.”

Immigration agents in Mississippi apprehended Yousef Mehridehno. The U.S. government terminated his residency in 2017 after it determined that he made false statements on his original visa application and potentially committed marriage fraud. The federal government in February listed Mehridehno as “a known or suspected terrorist,” the press release said.

RELATED: ‘They don’t know what the f**k they’re doing’: Trump cusses out Israel, Iran for nearly blowing up his ceasefire

Yousef Mehridehno. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Mehran Makari Saheli, a former member of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps with admitted connections to Hezbollah, was arrested in Minnesota. He was previously convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm, and a judge ordered his removal in 2022.

Mehran Makari Saheli. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE Atlanta arrested Ribvar Karimi, who was reportedly carrying his Islamic Republic of Iran Army identification card, which noted that he was previously an Iranian Army sniper from 2018 to 2021. ICE determined that he was eligible for removal after he entered the U.S. on a marriage visa in 2024 and allegedly broke federal law by failing to adjust his immigration status.

Ribvar Karimi. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad, who was reportedly carrying a loaded firearm when ICE Houston arrested him, entered the country on a student visa in 2016 and was arrested the following year in Texas for allegedly assaulting his wife, impeding her breathing. His wife obtained a restraining order, claiming that he had threatened her and her family in Iran. An immigration judge ordered his removal in October 2019 after his status was terminated due to academic suspension.

Behzad Sepehrian Bahary Nejad. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE Houston also arrested Hamid Reza Bayat, who was convicted of drug crimes and driving on a suspended license. An immigration judge previously ordered his removal nearly two decades ago.

Hamid Reza Bayat. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

In Phoenix, Arizona, federal immigration agents apprehended Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand, an illegal alien who received removal orders after he was convicted for threatening a law enforcement office and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Mehrzad Asadi Eidivand. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Agents also arrested Linet Vartaniann, an American citizen, for allegedly harboring Eidivand and threatening to open fire on officers. The agency claimed that Vartaniann stated she would “shoot ICE officers in the head” if they entered her home.

Linet Vartaniann. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

ICE officials in Colorado Springs nabbed Mahmoud Shafiei and Mehrdad Mehdipour, two illegal aliens living together. Shafiei was convicted of drug crimes and previously arrested for alleged assault and child abuse. A judge ordered Shafiei’s removal in 1987.

Mahmoud Shafiei. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Mehrdad Mehdipour. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Federal immigration agents in San Francisco apprehended Bahman Alizadeh Asfestani, who has a criminal history, including a conviction for theft and possession of a controlled substance for sale.

RELATED: Trump announces ceasefire between Iran and Israel: ‘GOD BLESS THE WORLD!’

Bahman Alizadeh Asfestani. Image Source: Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Mohammad Rafikian, who has a lengthy rap sheet, was arrested on Monday by ICE Buffalo. He was previously convicted of grand larceny, schemes to defraud, criminal impersonation, and practicing as an attorney.

Also on Monday, federal agents in San Diego grabbed Arkavan Babk Moirokorli, an illegal alien convicted of forging an official seal.

‘Very commonly, such groups are engaging in criminal acts to raise money, promote propaganda, recruit assets, or source technology and equipment.’

DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stated, “Under Secretary Noem, DHS has been full throttle on identifying and arresting known or suspected terrorists and violent extremists that illegally entered this country, came in through Biden’s fraudulent parole programs or otherwise.”

“We have been saying we are getting the worst of the worst out — and we are. We don’t wait until a military operation to execute; we proactively deliver on President Trump’s mandate to secure the homeland,” she added.

When Blaze News contacted ICE for comment, it directed us to its press release. The agency would not respond to specific questions about the arrested illegal aliens’ potential terrorist cell involvement, whether they had previously been under surveillance, or had known or suspected contact with Iranian officials.

Kyle Shideler, the director and senior analyst for homeland security and counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy, told Blaze News, “While the term ‘sleeper cell’ captures the imagination, it’s better to think of such cells as ‘terrorist infrastructure.'”

“Very commonly, such groups are engaging in criminal acts to raise money, promote propaganda, recruit assets, or source technology and equipment,” Shideler continued. “That doesn’t mean they may not possess military or terrorist training and the ability to conduct attacks. But it does allow a proactive law enforcement approach, which seeks to find and remove such threats before it becomes truly dangerous. Aggressive immigration enforcement is good counterterrorism.”

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BBC News host Martine Croxall went rogue when quoting a professor live on air, with insiders saying times have changed at the British network.

Croxall was introducing a segment on the number of possible deaths during the current heat wave in the region and, after a live report from a colleague, began quoting an alleged expert about at-risk individuals.

‘You’d better not be in any trouble …’

Quoting assistant professor Dr. Malcolm Mistry from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Croxall relayed the information before stopping mid-sentence to correct some ideological terminology.

“Malcolm Mistry, who was involved in the research, says that the aged, pregnant people — women — and those with pre-existing health conditions need to take precautions.”

Croxall’s wide-eyed delivery of the word “women” defied the woke culture that has choked Britain for years, with even insider reports claiming the tables have turned within the BBC, as well.

RELATED: I was separated from my mom because Ireland enforced its laws

Outlet Deadline spoke to sources from inside BBC’s walls who said that while the company does not insist on a particular term to refer to “pregnant women,” the employees do not predict Croxall will be punished for the correction.

“Other insiders said it was highly unlikely that Croxall would be reprimanded over the matter,” Deadline’s Jake Kanter wrote. “These employees pointed to the U.K. Supreme Court ruling in April, which said that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex.”

Deadline also said insiders reported that since a BBC radio host was punished in 2024 for saying “transwomen” are “males,” other employees had become sour toward the company.

“I think the fallout made them think: This is mad,” a Deadline source revealed.

RELATED: Michelle Obama makes bizarre pro-abortion argument: The ‘least’ of what the female body does ‘is produce life’

Croxall posted a screenshot of her broadcast on X and remarked that she had seen an influx of followers since her comment aired.

“A huge thank you to everyone who has chosen to follow me today for whatever reason. It’s been quite a ride,” Croxall told her now 135,000 followers.

Praise immediately came from prominent personalities, such as “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, who called Croxall her new favorite anchor.

“I have a new favourite BBC presenter,” Rowling wrote on X, as she shared the snippet.

The next day, Rowling replied to Croxall directly and warned the powers that be about possibly punishing her.

“You’d better not be in any trouble …,” Rowling wrote.

The storyteller has been a prominent voice for women in the U.K. in the fight against men in women’s clothing invading female spaces. Rowling dared police to arrest her in April over complaints that she noted that a transgender woman is a man; the police soon backed down.

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If being run off of a social media platform can be a sign of losing an argument, then Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles has lost her debate to former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines.

The feud between Biles and Gaines began when the latter criticized officials for allowing a transgender athlete to compete on a Minnesota high school softball team. Biles lashed out at her with very personal attacks that many said veered into body-shaming.

‘To be honest, if a male gymnast walked into her division and dominated, Simone wouldn’t be clapping. She’d be calling foul — and rightly so.’

After apologizing to Gaines, Biles deactivated her account on the X platform, where the heated exchange transpired.

“I’ve always believed competitive equity & inclusivity are both essential in sport. The current system doesn’t adequately balance these important principles, which often leads to frustration and heated exchanges, and it didn’t help for me to get personal with Riley, which I apologize for.”

She went on to claim that she was arguing against “singling out children for public scrutiny” rather than criticizing the “flawed” system of sports competition.

She later posted a cryptic message on her Instagram account.

“Strength is what we gain from the madness we survive,” the message read.

Many on the left had praised Biles for defending transgender athletes, but Gaines pointed out how irrational it was to demand the inclusion of transgender athletes to ensure “fairness,” as Biles argued.

“The boys are publicly humiliating the girls. To suggest that women and girls must be silent or ignore a boy who is PUBLICLY hurting or humiliating them is wrong,” Gaines wrote earlier in June. “You can’t have any empathy and compassion for the girls if you’re ignoring when young men are harming or abusing them.”

RELATED: USA Today obliterated online over bizarre claim about transgender athletes

Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images

Other female athletes weighed in against Biles’ position in comments to Blaze News.

“I think she did it impetuously. Didn’t think it through. Didn’t expect that kind of response,” said U.S. women’s national artistic gymnast Jennifer Sey. “She lives in a bubble, and she thought everyone would agree and cheer her on.”

“Simone Biles has never watched a male gymnast take her place on the podium,” said former NCAA swimmer Kaitlynn Wheeler.

“To be honest, if a male gymnast walked into her division and dominated, Simone wouldn’t be clapping,” she added. “She’d be calling foul — and rightly so.”

Others mocked Biles for abandoning the U.S. Olympic gymnastics team in both team and individual events in 2021 in order to focus on her “mental health” issues.

“At the end of the day, I have to do what was right for me,” she said at the time. “It just sucks that it happened at the Olympic Games.”

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During Fox News’ coverage of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary parade, contributor and former Defense Intelligence Officer Rebekah Koffler appeared on air with slurred speech and exaggerated gestures, leading viewers to speculate she was intoxicated.

In a now deleted post on X, Koffler wrote prior to the interview, “Well @POTUS is apparently encroaching on my airtime! My hit is moved to 8:20-8:30 pm depending on how long #Trump takes. I’m honored. Refilling my #champagne glass while waiting for my hit!”

Accompanying the sentiment was a photo of a bottle of champagne.

When she was asked on air what her thoughts were on the “incredible symbolism” and “messaging” of the event, her response was almost unintelligible.

“I’m so excited, Emily and Lucas Tomlinson,” Koffler said to Fox News anchors Emily Compagno and Lawrence Jones. “Everybody, like, this is incredible! Finally, the United States is back! I want to really thank all of our Army, Navy, and Air Force officers who’ve been sacrificing their lives, literally. Their families have been contributing to the mission.”

“With our new commander in chief, Donald J. Trump, they are prioritizing America first. And I want to thank these officers for all of their sacrifices and all of the hardships that their families have endured,” she continued, adding, “Lawrence Jones, you’re doing … you’re rocking, man!”

Her segment then ended when the Fox and Friends hosts cut her off and quickly went to a commercial break.

Koffler claimed she was simply having an audio issue, but BlazeTV host Pat Gray isn’t buying it.

“I say she was drunk,” Gray says on “Pat Gray Unleashed.”

Want more from Pat Gray?

To enjoy more of Pat’s biting analysis and signature wit as he restores common sense to a senseless world, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

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Bill Maher advised Democrats to “do something” about “The View” after co-host Whoopi Goldberg made a controversial remark that compared Iran to the United States of America. Meanwhile, a GOP representative blasted Goldberg for attempting to compare life in the United States with life in Iran.

Last week, Goldberg stirred the pot by claiming that living under the brutal Iranian theocratic regime isn’t much different from black people living in the United States.

‘”The View” isn’t a talk show, it’s a weekly tantrum from the far-left padded room.’

The eyebrow-raising comment was made during a discussion about the conflict in Iran, when co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin pointed out that the oppressive Iranian regime has regularly violated human rights.

“Let’s just remember, too, the Iranians literally throw gay people off of buildings. They don’t adhere to basic human rights,” Griffin declared during the episode that aired last Wednesday.

The remark irritated Goldberg, who responded by saying, “Let’s not do that, because if we start with that, we have been known in this country to tie gay folks to the car. I’m sorry, they used to just keep hanging black people.”

Griffin responded while Whoopi continued to talk over her.

“I’m sorry, but where the Iranian regime is today in 2025 is nothing compared to the United States,” Griffin replied. “It is not even the same.”

Goldberg argued, “It is the same.” Then Whoopi told Griffin, “That’s not what you mean to say.”

Griffin countered, “The year 2025 in the United States is nothing like if I stepped foot wearing this outfit in Tehran right now.”

Griffin noted that women cannot wear leg-revealing skirts or have their hair showing in Iran.

It is mandatory for women to wear a hijab to cover their hair in public spaces, and failing to do so is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, according to the United Nations.

RELATED: Watch: Schwarzenegger shuts down Joy Behar’s attempt to ignite anti-ICE sentiment on ‘The View,’ says immigrants must behave

Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Tribeca Festival

“I think it’s very different to live in the United States in 2025 than it is to live in Iran in 2025,” Griffin stated.

Goldberg interjected, “Not if you’re black.”

“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin agreed, saying, “Not for everybody.”

Griffin advised, “Uh, guys, don’t go to Tehran. Do not. No one at this table can go to Tehran.”

Whoopi admitted that the United States is “the greatest country in the world,” but contended that black Americans face issues every day.

Goldberg said, “But every day, we are worried. Do we have to be worried about our kids? Are their kids going to get shot because they’re running through somebody’s neighborhood?”

Co-host Sara Haines added of females in Iran, “And they are not doing well there. They are not doing well in Iran. They are not educated. They can’t own property.”

Haines noted, “They can’t go out of their houses.”

Griffin conceded that there are “very real problems” in the United States, but there are “much darker” places in the world.

“Nobody wants to diminish the very real problems we have in this country,” Griffin stated. “That is no one’s intent, but I think it’s important we remember there are places much darker than this country, and people who deserve rights …”

Goldberg butted in and said, “Listen, not everybody feels that way. Not everybody feels that way. Listen, I’m sorry, you know, when you think about the fact that we got the vote in 1965 …”

Griffin interrupted, “They don’t have free and fair elections in Iran. It’s not even the same universe.”

Goldberg dropped out of the tense debate by saying, “There’s no way I can make you understand.”

RELATED: People are saying Bill Maher’s monologue rebuking pedophilia in Hollywood, gender identity politics might be his best takedown ever

Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images

Maher ridiculed “The View” for attempting to equate life in the authoritarian Islamic Republic of Iran with being a black American in the United States.

During the latest episode of “Real Time with Bill Maher,” the liberal talk show host applauded Democrats for taking a step “back to sanity” after the New York Times shifted toward a more “sensible liberal, not crazy woke” position on transgender issues.

However, Maher noted that the Democrats have an issue with the progressive talking points spouted on “The View” and that “something” needs to be done about it.

Maher said it was a “great first step toward giving Democrats back some sanity.” He added, “A second good step would be: We gotta do something about ‘The View.’ I really believe that.”

‘Honestly? Don’t cancel “The View.” Add more cameras. More microphones. Maybe even a laugh track. Once you realize it’s basically an “SNL” skit of a left-wing meltdown, it becomes the greatest MAGA campaign ad on TV.’

Maher asked guest Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Texas) for his opinion on Goldberg’s remarks that black Americans have just as many issues as people in Iran.

Hunt reacted with a hearty laugh before stating, “My district in the great state of Texas is actually a white-majority district that President Trump would have won by 25 points.”

“As I said, I’m a direct descendant of a slave, my great-great-grandfather, who was born on Rosedown Plantation,” Hunt continued. “I am literally being judged not by the color of my skin but by the content of my character.”

Hunt added, “That’s the progress, because, like, a lot of white people had to vote for me — a lot. So I don’t ever want to hear Whoopi Goldberg’s conversation about how it’s worse to be black in America right now. That’s a bit far.”

Hunt explained that his father grew up under Jim Crow but is now the father of a Republican U.S. congressman in a white-majority district.

“That is America,” Hunt proclaimed. “So let’s celebrate that.”

Fellow guest Paul Begala, a Democratic political consultant and commentator, argued that we have the holiday of Juneteenth to celebrate the freedom of black Americans, but asserted that President Donald Trump “doesn’t want to honor” the occasion.

Hunt fired back, “I don’t want it. I don’t want Black History Month. I don’t want all these days to make everybody feel special. I’m an ’80s baby. Everybody’s too sensitive anyway. We’re all Americans anyway.”

RELATED: Watch: Bill Maher’s awkward exchange with Don Lemon prompts Caitlyn Jenner to blast ex-CNN anchor as privileged, wealthy, entitled

Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Hunt continued to bash “The View” host even after his Friday appearance on “Real Time with Bill Maher.”

Hunt wrote on the X social media platform on Monday, “Hey Whoopi, if America is so bad, why are you still cashing multi-million dollar checks from a country that made you rich, famous, and free? You claim it’s worse to be Black in America than a woman in Iran? Really?”

“Try hosting The View in Tehran and see how that goes. Spoiler alert: there won’t be a studio audience — there’ll be a firing squad,” the Texas congressman stated.

“The truth is, you’ve become a professional victim in a nation that gave you everything. The View isn’t a talk show, it’s a weekly tantrum from the far-left padded room,” Hunt declared. “Let her talk. Let her rant. Every time she opens her mouth, she reminds America why we’re winning.”

Hunt stated that he doesn’t want “The View” canceled. In fact, Hunt wants to bring more exposure to the left-wing talk show.

“Honestly? Don’t cancel The View. Add more cameras. More microphones. Maybe even a laugh track,” Hunt said. “Once you realize it’s basically an SNL skit of a leftwing meltdown, it becomes the greatest MAGA campaign ad on TV.”

RELATED: Rep. Wesley Hunt refuses to apologize when a black man screams at him for supporting Trump: ‘How can a black man do this?’

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Former NHL coach and legendary broadcaster Don Cherry had fans worried about his health and his career when he signed off of his podcast this week.

The broadcaster has been hosting “The Don Cherry’s Grapevine Podcast” since he was fired from CBC Sports in 2019 after 37 years. Cherry was canceled after he criticized immigrants for their lack of patriotism and complained that the newcomers did not wear a poppy to honor Canada’s fallen soldiers.

‘Just like Mark Twain.’

“You people … that come here, whatever it is — you love our way of life. You love our milk and honey. At least you can pay a couple bucks for a poppy or something like that. These guys paid for your way of life that you enjoy in Canada. These guys paid the biggest price for that.”

He was promptly removed after his comments.

On Monday, Cherry shared a clip from his show, where he and his co-host and son, Tim, discussed their “last show.”

“Well, Tim, this is our last show,” Cherry said.

“Yep. How many podcasts have we done?” the younger Cherry replied, before informing his father that it was number 313.

“6.5 million downloads,” Tim said.

“That’s an awful lot. Thanks everybody for listening, and toodle-oo,” Cherry signed off.

The short podcast, lasting just 13 minutes, immediately sent media and fans into a frenzy.

RELATED: Canadian hockey icon Don Cherry fired over on-air remarks criticizing immigrants

Cherry linked to the clip on his X page, which drew immediate reactions from supporters.

“Thank you Don Cherry,” one fan wrote on X.

“The best to ever do it,” another hockey fan replied.

Outlets then took turns declaring Cherry had abruptly ended his broadcasting career.

“Don Cherry ends his podcast,” the Hockey News wrote.

“Frail-sounding Don Cherry bids farewell,” the Western Standard published.

However, long-time Cherry whisperer and investigative reporter Joe Warmington quickly got in touch with the coach to separate fact from fiction. When asked if he was retiring, Cherry joked, “Yeah, just like Mark Twain.”

“I’m coming back next season,” Cherry told Warmington and the Toronto Sun. “I can’t wait.”

“We just meant to say goodbye for this year,” the iconic broadcaster added. “We always do that at the end the season. There’s no more hockey this year, so there’s no podcast for the summer. I guess we should have said for the season.”

RELATED: Hockey commentator Don Cherry: ‘Silent majority,’ military, first responders support me after firing for criticizing immigrants who don’t back veterans

BOSTON, MA. — 1970s: Don Cherry, coach of the Boston Bruins, addresses media from his desk at Boston Garden. Photo by Steve Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images

Despite being excommunicated from the corporate hockey world and left out to dry by former co-host Ron McLean, Cherry is still beloved by fans and former players.

Fan favorite Doug Gilmour, a former Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks player, wished Cherry a happy 90th birthday last year on X, while former player and current ESPN analyst P.K. Subban showered praise on the coach for his 91st.

“Man do I miss this guy on the tube! Canadian Royalty. Can’t beat grapes!” Subban wrote on X. “No one has … and no one will! EVER! I miss Don! & I know everyone who loves our game does too! Enjoy the day grapes! Coast to Coast like butter on toast!”

As for what Cherry is getting up to in the meantime, he told the Toronto Sun, “I was just saying farewell for the summer,” he laughed. “Right now, I am watching my Blue Jays. It’s baseball season.”

Cherry hosted “Coach’s Corner” from 1982 to 2019 and produced his own NHL compilation tapes and DVDs titled “Rock’em Sock’em Hockey” from 1989 to 2018.

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Jay Trombley — a member of CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan — told WXYZ-TV he initially thought the noise he heard during Sunday’s service was something “mechanical.”

Trombley recalled to the station that he “turned to see people running” and “asked them through a door what had happened.”

‘The one thing that always has been in the back of my mind — the question: “If I hear that noise, will I run to it, or will I run from it?” And I answered that question yesterday.’

A young woman told him “AR-15” and pointed to where the noise was coming from, and Trombley told WXYZ that he “headed in that direction.”

As a volunteer member of the church’s security team, Trombley and the team’s other members immediately went to work.

Police said 31-year-old Brian Anthony Browning of Romulus, Michigan, was wearing camouflage clothing and a tactical vest, was armed with an AR-15-style rifle, and had more than a dozen fully loaded magazines as well as a semi-automatic handgun with an extended magazine and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.

Browning also was firing at the church, police said.

Police said a church member driving a pickup truck hit Browning. Senior Pastor Bobby Kelly Jr. told the Detroit News that the church member actually drove over the suspect: “He was run over by one of our members who saw this happening when he was coming into church.”

RELATED: Blaze News original: 15 examples of good guys — and gals — with guns taking care of business in life-or-death situations

Police told Blaze News that this photo shows the vehicle a church member used to hit the shooting suspect. Photo by Emily Elconin/Getty Images

What’s more, the gunman shot at the vehicle repeatedly, Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong told the Detroit Free Press at a news conference Sunday evening.

Police said the church security team locked the church’s front doors and exchanged gunfire with the suspect outside. Police said a member of the security team shot and killed the suspect. First responders pronounced the suspect dead after performing lifesaving measures, police said.

One member of the church’s security team was shot in the leg and taken to a hospital, where he was last listed in stable condition after a successful surgery, police said. The wounded security team member did not fire a weapon at the gunman, Deputy Chief Finley Carter III told Blaze News, adding that he was one of three security team members involved.

Kelly told the Detroit News that the attacker didn’t enter the church building, but several shots were fired into the church. Carter added to Blaze News that police haven’t yet determined how many rounds the gunman fired. No other church members were hurt, the Detroit News added.

WXYZ said Browning attended a few services at the church where his mother was baptized, but the station added that it’s unclear why he chose to carry out a mass attack there.

Trombley knows one thing: The suspect’s act was “evil.”

“We found out that evil came to our door, but God’s hand of protection was right over us,” Trombley told WXYZ. “So many things happened that can only be God-driven: The parishioner shows up late to engage him with this pickup truck to slow him down; a double-pane window stopped five rounds. … God’s hand was protecting me.”

The station added that Trombley is “coming to terms with the reality that the cost of saving lives Sunday was taking one.”

“I realize what happened yesterday, what my actions did,” Trombley told WXYZ before a lengthy, thoughtful pause. “You know, I will reconcile with the Lord on a time for that, you know. I was protecting his people.”

“The one thing that always has been in the back of my mind — the question: ‘If I hear that noise, will I run to it, or will I run from it?’ And I answered that question yesterday,” he added to the station.

WXYZ said Trombley doesn’t view himself as a hero, but rather a guardian protecting his family — and the members of CrossPointe Community Church are his family. Check out his interview with the station titled “Church security guard speaks out after shooting and killing armed man” below.

RELATED: 15-year-old girl named as shooter who killed at least 2 at Christian school, police say

CrossPointe issued the following statement about the shooting on its website:

On Sunday, June 22nd at approximately 11:15am, an armed gunman attempted to bring about maximum casualties during our worship service. But instead of having to report massive losses, we are grateful to God that there was only one member of our security team who suffered a leg injury caused by the gunfire. As details emerge, we are seeing God’s hand of protection more clearly in how what could have been, simply wasn’t.

There are many heroes, both men and women who acted bravely and selflessly to prevent an all out catastrophe. Among these were the members of our security team who engaged the suspect and subdued the threat. There is also the church member who was divinely positioned to see the assailant approaching the church in full tactical gear, including an assault rifle, and acted swiftly to hit him with his truck, injuring him. This action kept the gunman from ever entering the building and gave our security team extra needed seconds to respond. Glory to God!

To the Wayne Police, EMS, and Fire, along with the other localities that arrived on scene, thank you for your very swift response to secure the scene and offer support and comfort as we tried to catch our breath from this attack.

Lastly, we are extremely encouraged by the response from several local churches, grief counseling agencies, and community programs who have reached out to assist. We will be taking advantage of as much as we can to help us move forward. But most importantly, thank you all for your many prayers. They are much needed at this time. Please pray for our healing, the strengthening of our faith, and the continued bond of unity brought about through this shared traumatic experience, and for the family of Brian Browning. They are hurting too.

Through all of this, know that we will continue to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ with boldness and clarity so that people, including the Brian Brownings of the world, can learn that we can all be forgiven if we repent from our sins and place our faith in Jesus Christ, who is forever praised, amen.

A Wayne resident recalled to Blaze News the sounds of the shooting, noting that what actually was happening wasn’t immediately apparent to him.

“I heard everything,” the man recounted to Blaze News on the condition of anonymity, adding, “I was in my backyard and heard loud noises coming from the church.”

The resident — who was just a few hundred feet from the church — added to Blaze News he “thought it was construction” and “then I go to my job and see police cars.” He added that he later learned the details of the shooting and that it was “really sad.”

“I know people who go to the church,” the man told Blaze News, adding that they’re dealing with some trauma but are managing it.

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It’s no secret that the WNBA has long been a black-dominated league, but BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock is shocked to see that the early leading candidates for MVP are white.

He calls them “great white hopes.”

“White women have invaded the WNBA and are dominating the WNBA, and I think there’s a reason why. I think, honest to goodness, I think sports are being dominated by two-parent-family kids,” Whitlock says, adding, “The era of the baby-mama professional sports leagues is coming to an end.”

Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum, and Napheesa Collier are all leading candidates, and Whitlock couldn’t be happier to see it.

However, BlazeTV contributor Steve Kim worries that there could be “dishonest types of agendas being thrown around to make sure that certain players don’t win it.”

“Not this year,” Whitlock says. “Unless Napheesa Collier gets hurt, she’s going to win it in a landslide.”

Whitlock believes that the trend he’s seeing largely has to do with children and teens who play basketball needing to travel to play in tournaments.

“That’s a two-parent experience,” he says. “That’s not a one-parent situation.”

He also believes that the cultural pushback against police and religion has negatively impacted children’s sports in the black community.

“You don’t have a daddy; there’s a policeman or a fireman or some law enforcement official that’s got a league to try to develop you, to get you on a path away from criminality, or whatever; there’s the church league. That’s all being pushed out,” he explains.

“And so now, there is no safety net for the kids that don’t have intact families, and the expense of traveling, the free time to travel, only two-parent families can handle,” he adds.

Want more from Jason Whitlock?

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President Donald Trump can’t help but make fun of the latest impeachment efforts launched by Democratic lawmakers.

Democrats are once again in disarray amid Trump’s ongoing involvement in the Middle East, with several lawmakers, like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York and Rep. Al Green of Texas, calling for impeachment. In true Trump fashion, the president poked fun at Democrats for their latest meltdown.

‘Stupid AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the “dumbest’ people in Congress, is now calling for my Impeachment.’

RELATED: Republican senator makes a stunning admission: ‘I can’t be somebody that I’m not’

— (@)

“The President’s disastrous decision to bomb Iran without authorization is a grave violation of the Constitution and Congressional War Powers,” Ocasio-Cortez said in a Saturday post on X. “He has impulsively risked launching a war that may ensnare us for generations. It is absolutely and clearly grounds for impeachment.”

“I believe that the president of the United States has committed an impeachable act,” Green said in a floor speech Tuesday. “Later today, I bring articles of impeachment to the floor, and I will call for a vote.”

Trump’s attack against Iran prompted outrage from other high-profile Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries.

RELATED: DOD reveals stunning new details following Trump’s attack on Iran

Photo by David Dee Delgado/Getty Images

“President Trump misled the country about his intentions, failed to seek congressional authorization for the use of military force and risks American entanglement in a potentially disastrous war in the Middle East,” Jeffries said in a statement Saturday.

“The law requires the Trump administration to consult with Congress,” Schumer said in an X post Monday. “The Constitution demands it. And the American people—especially the families of those in harm’s way—deserve nothing less.”

Notably, all congressional leadership was briefed on the Iran strikes that took place over the weekend, despite claims from Democrats that they were left in the dark.

RELATED: Praise, prayers, and impeachment: Reactions pour in following US attack on Iran

Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

Trump took to Truth Social to troll Democrats, taunting them for bringing forth another impeachment effort.

“Stupid AOC, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, one of the ‘dumbest’ people in Congress, is now calling for my Impeachment, despite the fact that the Crooked and Corrupt Democrats have already done that twice before,” Trump wrote on Tuesday. “The reason for her ‘rantings’ is all of the Victories that the U.S.A. has had under the Trump Administration. The Democrats aren’t used to WINNING, and she can’t stand the concept of our Country being successful again.”

“Instead of her constant complaining, Alexandria should go back home to Queens, where I was also brought up, and straighten out her filthy, disgusting, crime ridden streets, in the District she ‘represents,’ and which she never goes to anymore,” Trump added. “She better start worrying about her own Primary, before she thinks about beating our Great Palestinian Senator, Cryin’ Chuck Schumer, whose career is definitely on very thin ice!

“She and her Democrat friends have just hit the Lowest Poll Numbers in Congressional History, so go ahead and try Impeaching me, again, MAKE MY DAY!” he concluded.

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Democratic lawmakers pushed legislation in both chambers of Congress last week with the aim of limiting President Donald Trump’s war powers — something they sought in his first term and began gunning for again ahead of his second inauguration.

This campaign, spearheaded in the House by Republican Thomas Massie (Ky.) and in the Senate by Democratic Sen. Tim Kaine (Va.), picked up steam in the wake of Israel’s June 12 military strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and amid suggestions by the likes of Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) that America’s direct involvement in the conflict was a foregone conclusion.

Although greatly strained by a continued exchange of explosives, the ceasefire between Iran and Israel that Trump announced on Monday and repaired Tuesday morning appears to have sapped much of the energy from lawmakers’ war power delimitation campaign.

After all, it appears that Trump’s controversial bombings — the kind that Democratic Reps. Ro Khanna (Calif.), Rashida Tlaib (Mich.), Chuy Garcia (Ill.), and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (N.Y.) don’t think the president should be able to order — did not pave America’s way into another protracted Middle Eastern entanglement but rather paved the way to an exit for all parties involved.

In other words, campaigners must now convince their peers that Trump must be deprived of the powers he just used for a back-burn that spared Israel and its neighbors from a greater conflagration.

Massie noted several hours before Trump announced the ceasefire that his war powers resolution to prohibit America’s involvement in Iran had 57 co-sponsors.

RELATED: Trump’s strike wasn’t an escalation — it was an exit

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

“Whether you like it or not Congress will be voting on U.S. hostilities in Iran,” tweeted Massie. “Under the War Powers Act, the President is required to withdraw from hostilities in Iran within 60 days (+30 days ext.) unless he gets a vote of Congress.”

The congressman changed his tune Monday evening, telling reporters, “I talked to the speaker on the floor just now and told him we wouldn’t push [the measure] if the ceasefire holds, so it’s really in their court,” reported Politico.

‘I still think we need to do it.’

Regardless of whether the ceasefire holds, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) made clear that the measure had no chance of survival, adding that Massie should “do right by the country and do right by the Republican team here” by dropping the measure.

Democrats, meanwhile, indicated that they still want to hold the doomed vote on the basis of hypotheticals and with the aim of virtue-signaling.

“We may … have a conflict in the future, and we need to be on record saying no offensive war in Iran without prior authorization,” Khanna told Axios.

Democratic Rep. Jim McGovern (Mass.) said, “I still think we need to do it.”

“This is a serious matter. Congress ought to debate this,” McGovern told Axios. “I complained about when Obama took action without congressional authorization; I complained when Biden did as well.”

With Massie’s initiative now virtually dead, New York Rep. Greg Meeks (D) is reportedly preparing to introduce his own war powers resolution, which looks to be an exercise in futility, given the “hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran” he seeks to end are apparently already finished.

‘I acted pursuant to my constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive.’

Over in the Senate, the delimitation campaign similarly shows signs of stalling.

Kaine has delayed scheduling a vote on his resolution until he and his colleagues receive a classified briefing Tuesday afternoon on the conflict. Even if the vote proceeds, it’s unlikely to go anywhere.

Blaze News senior politics editor Christopher Bedford noted that “most senators hate hard votes, war is a hard vote, and most of them like a belligerent foreign policy. So there’s not really any serious, broad will in the Senate to retake war powers. It would take a whole lot more than this to change that.”

RELATED: ‘They don’t know what the f**k they’re doing’: Trump cusses out Israel, Iran for nearly blowing up his ceasefire

Bloomberg / Contributor via Getty Images

Contrary to his critics’ framing, Trump insists that he had the right to order the the strikes on the Iranian nuclear sites.

“I directed this military action consistent with my responsibility to protect United States citizens both at home and abroad as well as in furtherance of United States national security and foreign policy interests,” he noted in a Monday letter to House Speaker Johnson. “I acted pursuant to my constitutional authority as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive and pursuant to my constitutional authority to conduct United States foreign relations.”

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The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deleted and then apologized for a social media post where it expressed condolences for the “tragic” bombing of sites in Iran.

As Blaze News reported, the United States military bombed three nuclear sites in Iran on Saturday. President Donald Trump ordered a fleet of B-2 bombers to bomb Iran in a mission called Operation Midnight Hammer. Washington is betting that the strategic strikes will prevent Iran from developing a nuclear bomb and force Tehran to make peace with Israel.

‘This is the stupidest thing I have seen in a long time.’

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reacted to the news of the U.S. bombing by expressing condolences to Iranians.

“Our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department wrote on the X social media platform on Saturday. “While this tragic event happened overseas, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is closely monitoring the situation alongside our local, state, and federal partners.”

RELATED: Oil and stock markets have surprising reaction to Iranian attack on US bases

Image Source: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department

According to screenshots shared on social media, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department edited the post and removed the portion about the “victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran.”

Then, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deleted the post entirely.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department then issued an apology for the “offensive and inappropriate social media post.”

“We are issuing this statement to formally apologize for an offensive and inappropriate social media post recently posted on our Department social media platforms regarding the ongoing conflict in Iran,” the sheriff’s department stated in the apology post on Sunday. “This post was unacceptable, made in error, and does not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the department.”

“As a law enforcement agency, we do not comment on foreign policy or military matters,” the statement reads. “Our mission remains solely focused on protecting public safety and serving our diverse communities.”

“We fully recognize that the words and messages we share carry weight,” the LASD stated. “As law enforcement professionals, we are entrusted with a position of public responsibility, and that trust demands that we communicate accurately.”

“In this instance, we fell short of that expectation, and we are taking quick corrective action,” the statement continued. “We are committed to learning from this failure and to prevent such incidents from occurring again.”

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said it had “launched an internal review” to determine how the social media post was created and published.

The department added that “steps are being taken to strengthen our social media oversight protocols and ensure that any future communications align with our department’s standards of professionalism, respect, and accountability.”

RELATED: FBI warns of ‘sleeper cells’ in America — why did they leak this NOW?

— (@)

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department was lambasted online for the controversial post that was ultimately deleted.

Alejandro Villanueva – the 33rd sheriff of Los Angeles County who served from 2018 until 2022 – called for Sheriff Robert Luna to “apologize and resign.”

David A. Clarke Jr. – retired sheriff of Milwaukee County – stated, “This is the stupidest thing I have seen in a long time. The LACSD is an embarrassment to law enforcement for issuing this. The Iranian people chant death to the Jews, death to Israel and death to America. They don’t deserve any condolences. They deserve what they got.”

Stop Antisemitism – a self-described “grassroots watchdog organization dedicated to exposing groups and individuals that espouse incitement towards the Jewish people and state and engage in antisemitic behaviors” – responded by saying, “We sincerely hope your account was hacked. There were no victims in last night’s successful targeting of Iran’s nuclear sites.”

A sheriff’s department spokesperson told Fox News that he was not initially aware of the strange social media post showing empathy toward Iran.

RELATED: DHS warns of attacks stateside after Iran bombings, years of open borders

According to a 2021 report from the Migration Policy Institute, 36% of Iranian immigrants to the United States live in Los Angeles, 6% in Washington, D.C., and 5% in New York City and San Francisco.

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Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska signaled that she would be open to a major political shake-up, but on one condition.

Murkowski, who has a track record of bucking her party, admitted on a new episode of the “GD Politics” podcast that she would be open to caucusing with Democrats and even changing her party affiliation to independent if she felt it benefited her constituents. Although Murkowski has repeatedly refrained from voting alongside Republicans on key votes, she also acknowledged that there are certain aspects of the Democratic Party she simply disagrees with.

‘There is some openness to exploring something different.’

“I have to figure out how I can be most effective for the people that I serve,” Murkowski said. “That’s why I’m going to continue to do a really hard job, because I want to try to help people.”

“My problem with your hypothetical is that as challenged as I think we may be on the Republican side, I don’t see the Democrats being much better,” Murkowski said. “And they’ve got not only their share of problems, but quite honestly, they’ve got some policies that I just inherently disagree with.”

RELATED: Vance casts tiebreaking Senate vote after Republicans join Democrats to tank Trump’s tariffs

Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Murkowski managed to evade directly addressing whether she would change her party affiliation to independent, but she expressed an “openness” to it.

“There is some openness to exploring something different than the status quo.”

RELATED: RFK secures support from key Republican ahead of confirmation

Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for JDRF

Murkowski noted that she has been pressured to change her party affiliation to Libertarian in the past in order to secure a political advantage. Even though it might have played in her favor, Murkowski rejected the idea.

“I can’t be somebody that I’m not,” Murkowski said. “I can’t now say, ‘I want this job so much that I’m going to pretend to be somebody that I’m not.’ That’s not who I am.”

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The United States has taken direct military action against Iran’s nuclear program. Whatever you think of the strike, it’s over. It’s happened. And now, we have to predict what happens next. I want to help you understand the gravity of this situation: what happened, what it means, and what might come next. To that end, we need to begin with a little history.

Since 1979, Iran has been at war with us — even if we refused to call it that.

We are either on the verge of a remarkable strategic victory or a devastating global escalation. Time will tell.

It began with the hostage crisis, when 66 Americans were seized and 52 were held for over a year by the radical Islamic regime. Four years later, 17 more Americans were murdered in the U.S. Embassy bombing in Beirut, followed by 241 Marines in the Beirut barracks bombing.

Then came the Khobar Towers bombing in 1996, which killed 19 more U.S. airmen. Iran had its fingerprints all over it.

In Iraq and Afghanistan, Iranian-backed proxies killed hundreds of American soldiers. From 2001 to 2020 in Afghanistan and 2003 to 2011 in Iraq, Iran supplied IEDs and tactical support.

The Iranians have plotted assassinations and kidnappings on U.S. soil — in 2011, 2021, and again in 2024 — and yet we’ve never really responded.

The precedent for U.S. retaliation has always been present, but no president has chosen to pull the trigger until this past weekend. President Donald Trump struck decisively. And what our military pulled off this weekend was nothing short of extraordinary.

Operation Midnight Hammer

The strike was reportedly called Operation Midnight Hammer. It involved as many as 175 U.S. aircraft, including 12 B-2 stealth bombers — out of just 19 in our entire arsenal. Those bombers are among the most complex machines in the world, and they were kept mission-ready by some of the finest mechanics on the planet.

RELATED: Iran fires missiles at US troops on bases in Qatar and Iraq

Photo by Getty Images

To throw off Iranian radar and intelligence, some bombers flew west toward Guam — classic misdirection. The rest flew east, toward the real targets.

As the B-2s approached Iranian airspace, U.S. submarines launched dozens of Tomahawk missiles at Iran’s fortified nuclear facilities. Minutes later, the bombers dropped 14 MOPs — massive ordnance penetrators — each designed to drill deep into the earth and destroy underground bunkers. These bombs are the size of an F-16 and cost millions of dollars apiece. They are so accurate, I’ve been told they can hit the top of a soda can from 15,000 feet.

They were built for this mission — and we’ve been rehearsing this run for 15 years.

If the satellite imagery is accurate — and if what my sources tell me is true — the targeted nuclear sites were utterly destroyed. We’ll likely rely on the Israelis to confirm that on the ground.

This was a master class in strategy, execution, and deterrence. And it proved that only the United States could carry out a strike like this. I am very proud of our military, what we are capable of doing, and what we can accomplish.

What comes next

We don’t yet know how Iran will respond, but many of the possibilities are troubling. The Iranians could target U.S. forces across the Middle East. On Monday, Tehran launched 20 missiles at U.S. bases in Qatar, Syria, and Kuwait, to no effect. God forbid, they could also unleash Hezbollah or other terrorist proxies to strike here at home — and they just might.

Iran has also threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz — the artery through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil flows. On Sunday, Iran’s parliament voted to begin the process. If the Supreme Council and the ayatollah give the go-ahead, we could see oil prices spike to $150 or even $200 a barrel.

That would be catastrophic.

The 2008 financial collapse was pushed over the edge when oil hit $130. Western economies — including ours — simply cannot sustain oil above $120 for long. If this conflict escalates and the Strait is closed, the global economy could unravel.

The strike also raises questions about regime stability. Will it spark an uprising, or will the Islamic regime respond with a brutal crackdown on dissidents?

Early signs aren’t hopeful. Reports suggest hundreds of arrests over the weekend and at least one dissident executed on charges of spying for Israel. The regime’s infamous morality police, the Gasht-e Ershad, are back on the streets. Every phone, every vehicle — monitored. The U.S. embassy in Qatar issued a shelter-in-place warning for Americans.

Russia and China both condemned the strike. On Monday, a senior Iranian official flew to Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin. That meeting should alarm anyone paying attention. Their alliance continues to deepen — and that’s a serious concern.

Now we pray

We are either on the verge of a remarkable strategic victory or a devastating global escalation. Time will tell. But either way, President Trump didn’t start this. He inherited it — and he took decisive action.

The difference is, he did what they all said they would do. He didn’t send pallets of cash in the dead of night. He didn’t sign another failed treaty.

He acted. Now, we pray. For peace, for wisdom, and for the strength to meet whatever comes next.

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​Opinion & analysis, Iran, Iran nuclear deal, Airstrikes, Retaliation, War, Hamas, Hezbollah, Russia, China, Terrorism, Ayatollah ali khamenei, Massive ordnance penetrator, Fordow, Tehran, Qatar, Operation midnight hammer, Hostage crisis 

The deaths of an elderly couple and their dog last year occurred after an argument over a cheap hot dog at a nudist resort in California, according to recent police testimony.

Michael Sparks, 62, was arrested on Aug. 29, 2024. The San Bernardino County District Attorney stated that Sparks was hit with two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the deaths of 79-year-old Daniel Menard and his 73-year-old wife, Stephanie Menard.

‘Chopped up my neighbors. Didn’t know I had it in me. SNAPPED.’

Sparks had been neighbors with the elderly couple at the Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort in Colton.

According to Patch, the couple disappeared from their home on Aug. 24, 2024.

Redlands Police Detective Thomas Williams last week testified at a preliminary hearing at the San Bernardino Justice Center that following his arrest, Sparks told a fellow inmate what happened.

“[The inmate] said Mr. Sparks told him the incident started over a hot dog that Daniel Menard had purchased for him,” Williams stated, according to the Press-Enterprise. “He said Mr. Sparks felt that the hot dog was a jab at him, making him feel like he was worth only a dollar hot dog, and that’s what set him off that day.”

Williams added that the inmate said Sparks “went outside and struck Mr. Menard in the head until his head caved in. Mrs. Menard came out yelling, ‘No! No!’ and then he began striking Mrs. Menard and Mr. Menard with a rake, a hoe, and a hammer.”

According to Williams, Sparks brought the bodies of the elderly couple into a concrete bunker he had built underneath his trailer.

RELATED: ‘Monster’ learns his fate for killing 2-year-old girl; officials say he ‘completely severed’ toddler’s spine

Citing an alleged conversation between Sparks and another inmate, the Press-Enterprise reported that Sparks admitted he had “dismembered” Stephanie Menard and “mutilated” Daniel Menard.

Detective Williams said police found dismembered body parts of the elderly couple in several black plastic bags and an orange Home Depot bucket just days after they went missing.

In addition, Fox News reported that Sparks told an inmate he had drowned the couple’s Shih Tzu dog Cuddles in a sink. Sparks allegedly left the dog’s body outside for coyotes to eat.

Witness Gale Heidelberg testified in court that she worked with Sparks when he had a job as a truck driver.

Heidelberg told San Bernardino County Deputy District Attorney Sean Han during the hearing that she had a text message exchange after seeing Sparks’ neighborhood on a local news broadcast regarding the missing couple.

Heidelberg allegedly texted Sparks, “I am watching news. Something going on where you live. Are you in town?”

Sparks reportedly replied, “It’s me. Committing suicide today. Take care. Bye.”

Heidelberg purportedly responded frantically, “Wait. What’s going on? Where are you?”

Sparks allegedly texted back, “Chopped up my neighbors. Didn’t know I had it in me. SNAPPED.”

RELATED: ‘King of the Hill’ voice actor allegedly shot dead by neighbor; tributes pour in: ‘A terrible tragedy’

Witness Wayne Marinelli — who had to compose himself during his court appearance — testified that he searched for the elderly couple but instead saw Sparks washing out a 55-gallon drum that seemed to have blood inside it, according to the Press-Enterprise.

Resident John Hillis reportedly testified that he was “best friends” with the Menards. Hillis said Stephanie Menard had muscular dystrophy and needed a cane to walk while Daniel Menard had been suffering from dementia.

Hillis noted in court that he became worried on Aug. 25, 2024, when Stephanie did not make her typical call to him to pick them up to bring them to church.

Hillis looked for the couple and said their Chrysler Sebring was in a driveway with the keys in the ignition. Hillis went inside the Menard’s home to locate them since the elderly couple allegedly provided him with a key to their house.

Hillis told the courtroom that he noticed Stephanie’s purse and Daniel’s wallet were inside the home. However, Hillis was most alarmed that Stephanie’s cane also was inside the home, the Press-Enterprise reported.

“She doesn’t cross the threshold of the door without the cane,” Hillis said in court.

The Press-Enterprise noted that what “ultimately” set off Sparks was his “humiliation over a hot dog.”

Sparks eventually was charged with animal cruelty for the alleged drowning of the dog.

Sparks has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

District Attorney Jason Anderson did not reveal if he will seek the death penalty against Sparks, according to the Press-Enterprise.

Sparks is currently being held without bail.

Sparks reportedly is scheduled to appear in court on Friday.

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President Donald Trump announced Monday evening that Iran and Israel had agreed to a ceasefire, bringing an end to what was fast becoming another bloody Middle Eastern quagmire. Trump indicated that Iran would begin the ceasefire and that 12 hours later, Israel would follow suit.

Unfortunately, there have been multiple violations by both parties in the hours since, resulting in many casualties. The continued exchange of bombs and missiles prompted a full-throated rebuke from Trump Tuesday morning.

‘ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS.’

When asked whether the ceasefire was breaking down, Trump — who just hours earlier had written, “This is a War that could have gone on for years, and destroyed the entire Middle East, but it didn’t, and never will” — told reporters that Iran apparently fired a rocket “after the time limit and it missed its target, and now Israel is going out. These guys gotta calm down. It’s ridiculous.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi indicated on X that Iran’s military operations against Israel “continued until the very last minute, at 4am.”

Earlier Tuesday morning, the chief of the general staff of the Israel Defense Forces promised to “respond with force” to a “severe violation of the ceasefire carried out by the Iranian regime.”

Trump leaned into his critique, noting, “I didn’t like the fact that Israel unloaded right after we made the deal. They didn’t have to unload. And I didn’t like the fact that the retaliation was very strong — but in all fairness, Israel unloaded a lot.”

RELATED: Trump’s strike wasn’t an escalation — it was an exit

Bloomberg / Contributor via Getty Images

Just prior to the ceasefire taking effect, Israeli strikes allegedly killed nine people in Northern Iran and at least five people were killed by Iranian strikes in the Israeli city of Beersheba, reported NBC News.

While critical of Iran, Trump appeared especially frustrated with Israel, noting, “When I say, ‘OK, now you have 12 hours,’ you don’t go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them. So I’m not happy with them. I’m not happy with Iran, either. But I’m really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning.”

Trump appeared unable to contain his anger over the breakdown of the possible peace he ordered, stating, “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f**k they’re doing.”

The president subsequently issued Israel a directive on Truth Social, writing, “ISRAEL. DO NOT DROP THOSE BOMBS. IF YOU DO IT IS A MAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME, NOW!”

Twenty minutes later — around the time he reportedly had a no-nonsense phone call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — Trump indicated that Israel was not going to attack Iran and that all planes would be turning around “while doing a friendly ‘Plane Wave’ to Iran.”

“The Ceasefire is in effect!” added Trump.

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The federal government’s bloated, outdated information systems have finally come under scrutiny. On his first day in office, President Trump signed a series of executive orders to cut waste and boost efficiency. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reinforced that mandate, spending his first 100 days reviewing the Pentagon “from top to bottom to ensure that we’re getting more, faster, better, and more efficient.”

Earlier this month, Hegseth announced that in partnership with the Department of Government Efficiency, officials had uncovered $5.1 billion in savings — “and that’s just the beginning.” That’s a good start. But if the DOGE hopes to prove its worth, it must confront the federal government’s disastrous record on IT spending and performance.

Companies should not have to wade through red tape at every agency — or even within the same agency — to deploy new solutions.

It can’t happen fast enough. A staggering 80% of the annual $100 billion IT spending goes to maintaining decades-old systems. According to the Government Accountability Office, “The older the systems are, the more the upkeep costs — and older systems are more vulnerable to hackers.”

Not only is outdated software expensive to maintain, but it also poses a significant vulnerability for our government — and that is particularly dangerous when it comes to national defense.

The Trump administration should make it a top priority to modernize federal IT infrastructure while also addressing how we got such a dysfunctional IT infrastructure in the first place.

Targeting outdated regulations

In today’s AI world, government agencies cannot adapt to the most innovative and efficient technology when burdened with regulations often written before the internet even existed.

The Department of Defense is a prime example. The U.S. military buys IT systems in a ridiculously bureaucratic fashion. It takes years and millions of dollars for a company — regardless of size — to get its software approved just to pitch a product to the department. When time and money are of the essence, the only firms that can wade through the red tape are big, entrenched companies with lawyers and lobbyists to throw at outdated rules.

RELATED: How DEI took a sledgehammer to the US military’s war ethos

Bilal photos via iStock/Getty Images

This procurement model directly clashes with how the private sector works. In the business world, innovators attract investment quickly. The Pentagon, by contrast, consistently favors large, well-connected firms over smaller companies and startups. Promising new technologies get ignored.

It’s the defense contractor model over the SpaceX model — and we’re paying the price.

Streamlining the regulators

Fixing the rules isn’t enough. We need to fix the people who enforce them. Right now, overlapping Defense Department bureaucracies oversee the procurement and deployment of new technology. A single point of contact — with one set of rules — would reduce red tape and create a unified standard for the department to follow.

That standard should reach beyond the Defense Department. Companies shouldn’t have to navigate a maze of conflicting rules across agencies — or even within the same agency — just to deploy new solutions. Procurement reform, including better training and clearer rules, must be a core part of the DOGE’s mission.

Last year’s National Defense Authorization Act made some progress, but much more still needs to be done.

Falling behind on technological modernization in defense is not just an economic disadvantage but a threat to national security. As the DOGE takes a much-needed axe to inflated government spending, let’s make sure we also cut burdensome regulations that hinder innovation and improvement. We must unleash the power of American innovation to equip our military with the finest tools — otherwise, our enemies will beat us to it.

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I was 4 years old when I watched President George W. Bush announce the U.S. invasion of Iraq. I was 24 when I reported on Joe Biden’s abysmal withdrawal from Afghanistan — a calamitous end to a 20-year war that had long passed its expiration date. So when reports began circulating last week about President Trump’s potential intervention in Iran, I sighed and thought, “Here we go again.” I imagined myself covering the withdrawal from this conflict near my retirement, decades from now.

But I’ve changed my mind.

Instead of plunging America into another endless conflict, Trump may have done the opposite: broken the cycle.

This is not Iraq. And if handled strategically, this may actually mark the end of the Middle East’s “forever wars.”

A reckoning long overdue

Iran has long been the destabilizing force in the region, a role that is the latest installment of the Middle East’s millennia-long conflict between Shia and Sunni Muslim political powers. Since the 1979 Iranian Revolution, the ayatollahs’ regime has acted as the mother ship for Shia militias across the Sunni-majority Middle East — exporting revolution and arming sectarian militias with a reach far beyond its borders. From Yemen to Lebanon, Syria to Gaza, Iran’s fingerprints are everywhere.

Take the Houthis in Yemen. Once a marginal insurgent group, they’ve grown into a regional menace thanks entirely to Iranian funding, training, and weaponry. Their ongoing civil war against Yemen’s Sunni-majority government has displaced over 4 million people and created what the U.N. once called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. Since late 2023, the Houthis have targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea, turning the Suez Canal — a trade route that handles 12% of global commerce — into a war zone. More than 100 attacks on shipping vessels since November have forced companies like Maersk to reroute, costing the global economy billions in total losses.

Then there’s Hezbollah, one of Iran’s most powerful and dangerous proxies. Formed in the 1980s in response to Israel’s occupation of southern Lebanon, Hezbollah wields more power in Lebanon than the government itself. The group effectively took control of the country in 2020, and with an arsenal of more than 150,000 rockets, it poses a constant threat to Israel’s northern border.

RELATED: DOD reveals stunning new details following Trump’s attack on Iran

Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

In Syria, Iran propped up the brutal Assad regime — a Shia-Alawite minority ruling over a Sunni majority — with militias, weapons, and intelligence. Iran’s efforts helped Assad stay in power through 13 years of civil war that has killed more than 500,000 people and displaced over 12 million.

Even Hamas, a Sunni terrorist group, receives Iranian support — not because of shared theology, but because of shared enemies. Iran funnels cash and weapons to Hamas under the guise of humanitarian aid, often routed through NGOs and U.N. agencies. The October 7 massacre of Israeli civilians was the culmination of Iran’s decades-long investment in Hamas’ terror infrastructure.

These are not isolated insurgencies. They are coordinated arms of the same regime — a regime that has finally grown vulnerable.

Iran is unraveling

Prior to the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend, Israel, with quiet support from regional players, had already begun dismantling Tehran’s web of influence.

In the aftermath of the October 7 attacks, Israel has severely degraded Hamas’ capabilities in Gaza. Hezbollah has largely retreated from southern Lebanon. Syrian opposition forces — backed by Sunni-majority Turkey and Israel — overthrew the Assad regime. Even the Houthis, while still active, are increasingly cut off from Iranian resupply and face growing international pushback.

Trump’s strategy is not a repeat of Bush’s “shock and awe.” It’s a two-pronged offensive — diplomatic and deterrent — that recognizes the new regional order.

The first prong is diplomacy. Trump has steadily strengthened ties with Iran’s Sunni rivals, particularly Saudi Arabia. While critics scoffed at Trump’s investment in the Abraham Accords and Gulf partnerships, those alliances now provide a bulwark against Iranian aggression. Trump’s recent meetings with Arab leaders, coupled with trillions of dollars in investment and tech cooperation, have strengthened America’s foothold in the region — and weakened Tehran’s.

In Syria, Trump’s engagement with the country’s transitional government — under close watch by human rights groups — signals a shift away from Iranian and Russian influence. If Syria falls out of Iran’s orbit, it will be the regime’s most significant strategic loss in a decade.

Then came the second prong: deterrence. After five fruitless rounds of nuclear negotiations, Iran had to choose: Disarm or wait for Israel to strike. If the latter, then perhaps its allies would rally to arms while the regime could maintain its honor.

The mullahs miscalculated. With weakened proxies, overthrown regional allies, and a preoccupied Russia, Iran resorted to threats over disarmament — warranting U.S. intervention.

The strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure weren’t an opening salvo in a new war; they were a final warning. As the Wall Street Journal’s editorial board noted, “Mr. Trump gave Iran every chance to resolve this peacefully. … Ayatollah Ali Khamenei wanted a bomb more than peace.”

Iran has begun to retaliate, launching strikes against U.S. bases in Iraq and Qatar on Monday. Maybe the retaliations will expand deeper into its Sunni neighborhood. Unlike previous decades, however, Iran no longer enjoys a regional support network strong enough to wage a multifront war. Russia, bogged down in Ukraine, has no capacity to assist. China, facing economic turmoil, is unlikely to risk its global partnerships. And the Arab world — long terrorized by Iran’s militias — is unlikely to intervene on its behalf.

An end to the ‘forever war’

Instead of plunging America into another endless conflict, Trump may have done the opposite and broken the cycle. By incapacitating Iran’s proxies, isolating the regime diplomatically, and demonstrating military resolve, he’s created a narrow but real path toward a more stable Middle East.

We’re not entering a forever war. We may finally be exiting one. Trump has proven to be the least interventionist president in recent decades, and by standing firm against Iran, he has proven that his anti-interventionism actually means something — it has teeth, and it’s not afraid to bite.

​Opinion & analysis, Opinion, Iran, Iran retaliation, Iran nuclear deal, U.s. strikes, Airstrike, Airstrikes, Ayatollah khomeini, Donald trump, Pete hegseth, Forever wars, Anti-war, Israel, Gulf states, Strait of hormuz, Ayatollah khamenei 

A Georgetown University professor apologized for a deleted post where he offered his hope that Iran might issue a “symbolic” retaliatory attack after the U.S. devastated their nuclear weapons capabilities.

Islamic Civilization Professor Jonathan Brown deleted the message on the X social media platform and offered an apology after many reacted with outrage to the post.

‘I deleted my previous tweet because a lot of people were interpreting it as a call for violence.’

“I’m not an expert, but I assume Iran could still get a bomb easily. I hope Iran does some symbolic strike on a base, then everyone stops,” he wrote on Sunday.

He went on to make other observations that many perceived as his siding with Iran in the conflict.

After he was assailed by outrage from many who were accusing him of advocating the death of U.S. military members, he deleted the tweet and apologized.

“I deleted my previous tweet because a lot of people were interpreting it as a call for violence,” Brown wrote. “That’s not what I intended. I have two immediate family members in the U.S. military who’ve served abroad and wouldn’t want any harm to befall American soldiers … or anyone!”

He later protected his account and made his posts private.

A spokesperson for the university told the Jewish Insider that they were “appalled” at the comments by Brown.

“We are reviewing this matter to see if further action is warranted,” said the spokesperson.

Ironically, a limited missile strike is what Iran issued against U.S. bases on Monday, and CNN News even referred to the operation as “symbolic” in nature.

RELATED: DHS warns of attacks stateside after Iran bombings, years of open borders

Jewish students have accused Georgetown University of not doing enough to protect them from anti-Semitic intimidation from anti-Israel activists.

Later on Monday, President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel, and he dubbed the conflict the “12 Days War.”

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When “Her” — a movie starring Joaquin Phoenix about a man who falls in love with an artificial intelligence operating system named Samantha — was initially released, many scoffed and relegated it to the ash heap of cinema that failed to accurately portray the future.

Twelve years later, those critics are now eating their words. People are indeed dating — and, in some cases, virtually “marrying” — artificial intelligence bots. On a recent episode of “The Glenn Beck Program,” Glenn railed against this insidious “digital love apocalypse” and revealed the deepest root of the issue.

“People are not just chatting with AI, they’re dating it. … They’re proposing to it. They’re living their best rom-com lives with it,” mocks Glenn, pointing to a recent CBS report.

He gives the example of a man named Chris Smith — “your run-of-the-mill American guy,” except for the fact that “he is engaged to an AI chatbot he named Soul.”

“Ironic seeing the chatbot doesn’t have one,” says Glenn.

Then there’s an entire Reddit community called “MyBoyfriendIsAI,” “where there are thousands of women who are swooning over their coded Casanovas.”

“They’re posting love letters about their bots’ sweet talk, swapping tips on what AI delivers the hottest late-night chat without tripping a filter,” says Glenn. “And brace yourselves, they are also uploading AI-generated photos of their bot boys holding them on fake Cancun beaches or strolling through Rome.”

Some of these women are even “planning virtual weddings” with their AI companions.

“But this isn’t just a few lunatics,” Glenn adds. Apps like Replika and Loverse have millions of users forming romantic connections with AI, proving that this disturbing trend has exploded.

“This is a screaming billboard that our culture is off the rails,” he warns.

How did we get to the place where it’s becoming increasingly normal to date a disembodied robot? Is the loneliness epidemic the former surgeon general warned us about to blame? Is it the fault of artificial intelligence developers who just refuse to stop pushing? Is it a sad reality of human nature?

Likely, it’s all of those things, but Glenn says the biggest problem is the radical left’s “war on men and masculinity.”

“We’ve got men who are brainwashed into thinking strength or confidence is a felony,” he says. “They’re waxing their unibrows, wearing skinny jeans, agonizing over whether picking a restaurant is problematic.”

And the “delicious irony,” says Glenn, is that studies have proven women “don’t want any of that” and are actually drawn to masculine traits such as strength, protectiveness, and confidence.

“A 2023 Psychology Today piece laid all of this out clearly,” he says. “This isn’t a conspiracy or a theory; I like to call it biology.”

Unfortunately, those raw masculine traits have been all but eradicated thanks to the left’s cries of “toxic masculinity” every time a man “dares act like a man.”

“What’s left for you to date?” asks Glenn.

Right now, the options are “spineless wonders who can’t open a pickle jar” or “AI boyfriends,” who, according to pictures shared online, ironically all have the “chiseled jaws” and “ripped muscles” women apparently aren’t into.

But it’s not just women who are seeking AI love. There are also plenty of men who are “busy coding their own AI girlfriends,” says Glenn, and it’s all a result of the left’s war on men. “This is a society that has gutted masculinity so bad that women are now turning to AI for love, and men are happy to let algorithms take the wheel.”

“Welcome to the new reality.”

To hear more of Glenn’s analysis on this disturbing AI dating trend, watch the video above.

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