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Australian Teen Tourist Seriously Wounded in Brutal Unprovoked McDonald’s Stabbing Near Times Square [WATCH]
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Australian Teen Tourist Seriously Wounded in Brutal Unprovoked McDonald’s Stabbing Near Times Square [WATCH]

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A 19-year-old Australian tourist was seriously injured during an early-morning attack inside a McDonald’s near Penn Station in Midtown Manhattan, according to police and law enforcement sources.

The incident happened around 2 a.m. Monday, Aug. 17, 2026, inside the fast-food restaurant on Eighth Avenue near Penn Station. The tourist was seated and eating when he was attacked, as reported by The New York Post.

Police said the teenager suffered injuries to his rib cage and back before officers responded to the scene.

Although the victim and the alleged attacker exchanged words before the incident, law enforcement sources described the confrontation as largely unprovoked.

Police arrested 25-year-old Juan Mercedes at the scene and charged him with second-degree assault.

Mercedes is from Port Charlotte, Florida. He remained in custody pending an arraignment later Monday.

The tourist was not immediately identified publicly. Emergency personnel transported him to Bellevue Hospital following the incident, where he was listed in stable condition.

The attack occurred at a busy location near Penn Station, one of Manhattan’s major transportation hubs. The McDonald’s on Eighth Avenue and 35th Street was the scene of the police response early Monday morning.

Authorities continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the confrontation after making the arrest.

According to law enforcement sources, there was an exchange of words between the two men before the attack. However, investigators characterized the incident as largely unprovoked.

The circumstances leading up to the confrontation remained under investigation Monday. Police had not publicly released additional details about what prompted the exchange or what led to the alleged assault.

Mercedes was charged with second-degree assault, but the charge represents an allegation and does not establish guilt. His case was expected to proceed through the Manhattan court system following his arrest.

The victim’s condition was described as stable after he was transported to Bellevue Hospital. His identity had not been released at the time of the report.

The incident comes in the early morning hours at a location that serves travelers, commuters, and visitors passing through Midtown.

Penn Station and the surrounding Eighth Avenue corridor remain heavily traveled areas, making the reported attack notable to those in the area.

Police officers remained at the restaurant while investigators worked to establish the sequence of events.

The investigation was continuing as authorities prepared for Mercedes’ arraignment. Investigators were expected to review available evidence and determine the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.

No additional suspects were identified in the report.

The tourist was visiting New York City from Australia when the incident occurred. Authorities have not released additional information about his travel plans or whether he was visiting Manhattan alone.

The arrest took place at the scene, allowing police to quickly identify and take Mercedes into custody.

The second-degree assault charge is the initial criminal allegation against Mercedes arising from the incident. Further developments in the case will depend on the investigation and subsequent court proceedings.

For now, the tourist remains in stable condition at Bellevue Hospital, while Mercedes remains in custody awaiting arraignment.

The incident serves as another reminder that even ordinary stops at businesses in heavily traveled parts of Manhattan can unexpectedly become police matters.

In this case, a late-night meal near Penn Station ended with an arrest and a criminal case that will now move through the courts.

Police and prosecutors will determine what additional charges, if any, are appropriate as the investigation continues.

Fresno Teacher Placed on Leave After Social Media Militia Videos [WATCH]
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Fresno Teacher Placed on Leave After Social Media Militia Videos [WATCH]

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A special education teacher in Fresno has been placed on leave and is under investigation after posting social media videos in which she discussed creating a “black militia” and displayed firearms, as reported by The New York Post.

Kenisha Daily, who works as a special education teacher for Madera Unified School District, posted the videos over the weekend. The recordings showed Daily discussing the formation of an armed group and displaying both a shotgun and a pistol.

“Starting today, I’m starting a black militia. So if you’re black, if you want to shoot some guns, come find me,” she said in one video.

“We’re going to rob some white people.”

The posts quickly attracted attention from people who were concerned about the statements and the appearance of firearms in the videos.

Concerned followers reportedly notified Madera Unified on Saturday night after viewing the material.

District officials then contacted Fresno authorities over concerns involving Daily and the surrounding community, according to a statement released by Madera Unified School District, commonly known as MUSD.

Law enforcement subsequently went to Daily’s home. According to the district, the visit resulted in a temporary restraining order. Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding Daily’s social media activity.

Daily has been placed on leave from her position while the investigation continues.

Madera Unified also took steps to address safety concerns at Lincoln Elementary School. District officials and Madera police conducted a safety review at the school, and additional security was put in place following the incident.

The district said it is working with police and other local agencies to determine longer-term safety measures related to the situation.

“Our Board of Trustees adamantly believes that students, families, and staff all deserve a safe and welcoming school environment. Furthermore, we believe that no staff member has the right to compromise others’ sense of safety,” the district said.

The district has not said that Daily actually carried out any of the conduct described in her videos.

The investigation is instead examining the social media posts, the circumstances surrounding them, and whether the statements or firearms displayed in the recordings created a safety concern.

Authorities have not announced whether criminal charges will be filed.

The incident began with material posted online but quickly moved beyond social media after members of the public alerted school officials.

Madera Unified contacted law enforcement rather than handling the matter solely through its internal personnel procedures.

Daily’s videos included footage of her handling firearms while discussing the proposed militia. One recording showed a shotgun, while another showed a pistol.

The temporary restraining order and Daily’s placement on leave are part of the response to the incident, while the law enforcement investigation remains ongoing.

Those actions do not by themselves establish that Daily committed a crime.

The district’s response has focused heavily on school safety. Lincoln Elementary underwent a safety review, additional security was provided, and officials began coordinating with local agencies regarding possible longer-term measures.

The situation has also raised questions about how schools respond when an employee’s statements outside the workplace generate concerns involving students, staff, or the surrounding community.

Social media can turn what might once have remained a private matter into an issue requiring an institutional response, particularly when firearms and statements about criminal conduct are involved.

Daily remains on leave as authorities continue reviewing the posts and circumstances surrounding them.

Madera Unified has emphasized that students, families and staff are entitled to a safe school environment. The district’s statement did not indicate that any students or employees were harmed as a result of the videos.

The investigation is expected to determine whether the social media posts violated any laws or created grounds for further action. Until that process is complete, the allegations and concerns surrounding the videos remain under review.

For now, Daily remains away from her teaching duties, a temporary restraining order is in effect, and law enforcement and school officials are continuing to assess the situation.

The case demonstrates how quickly a social media post can bring police and school administrators into the picture when firearms and statements about potential criminal activity are involved.

In this instance, concerned viewers alerted the school district, officials contacted authorities, and security measures were put in place at Lincoln Elementary.

No criminal charges had been announced in connection with the incident at the time of the report.

Detroit Anchor Caught Calling Boss a B*tch in Explosive Profanity Soaked Newsroom Meltdown [WATCH]
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Detroit Anchor Caught Calling Boss a B*tch in Explosive Profanity Soaked Newsroom Meltdown [WATCH]

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Former Detroit television anchor Taryn Asher was captured on video using profanity and referring to a colleague as a “bitch” during a tense newsroom dispute at WJBK-TV Fox 2 Detroit, as reported by The New York Post.

The confrontation occurred while Asher was recording a public service announcement, with the discussion apparently involving scripts and the process for reviewing them before broadcast.

Asher was pulled from the air in November 2025. She is now suing Fox Television Stations and New World Communications of Detroit, the owner and operator of WJBK-TV, alleging sex discrimination and retaliation.

Fox disputes those claims and says her removal was based on what the station characterizes as repeated workplace outbursts and unprofessional conduct.

The video was first flagged by FTVLive and Deadline Detroit. In the footage, Asher appears to be responding to someone off camera as a disagreement develops over scripts and the timing of the PSA recording.

“I am. I’m in Amy’s script, the Amy’s Angels one,” Asher says.

“There was—the second thing didn’t make sense, so I was just trying to fix that part and…”

Asher then explains that she was waiting for scripts to be reviewed while simultaneously preparing for the broadcast.

“I know, but I didn’t have time because we have to do this, so I was still reading it,” she continues.

She went on to describe the difficulty of waiting for colleagues to complete their review before beginning her own work.

“See, I mean, I can’t wait for you to go through them all and then I go through them, because then I’m already getting ready by then,” she says.

“But this time we had to do the PSAs, so…”

The disagreement escalated from there.

“I don’t think you are. You’re walking out really angry,” Asher says.

“Bitch.”

Moments later, Asher asked to finish her point before making another frustrated remark.

“Can I please finish what I’m going to say?”

“What the f–k. Grow up.”

She then complained about the colleague involved in the disagreement.

“I’m so done with her antics, telling on me every five seconds. I’m done.”

The video has surfaced as part of the legal dispute between Asher and Fox 2 Detroit.

In an Aug. 14 response to Asher’s lawsuit, Fox said multiple employees had complained about her behavior during the week before she was placed on paid leave on Nov. 5.

According to Fox, those complaints involved alleged shouting over guest-interview assignments, repeated profanity toward colleagues, and what the station described as “confrontational and disrespectful interactions” with other employees.

The station also alleged that Asher confronted an employee whom she believed had complained about her conduct to management.

Fox separately disputed Asher’s account of disagreements involving guest interviews.

The station said she frequently failed to attend editorial meetings where assignments were discussed, despite being encouraged and sometimes asked to participate.

Fox cited an Oct. 30 incident involving an interview Asher had booked. According to the station’s filing, Asher mistakenly believed her male co-anchor, Roop Raj, had been given the assignment.

Fox said the interview had actually been assigned to Asher, but alleged that she subsequently raised her voice and at times shouted at two colleagues over the misunderstanding.

Another dispute allegedly occurred during election coverage on Nov. 4.

Fox acknowledged that producers initially assigned Raj both guest interviews during the 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. newscasts.

The station said the producers made those decisions independently and had not coordinated the assignments beforehand.

One interview was later reassigned to Asher, according to Fox. The station alleges that Asher then confronted Raj and accused him of receiving preferential treatment.

Asher told Raj words to the effect of, “You don’t own politics,” according to Fox’s filing.

The following day, Fox placed Asher on paid leave while it investigated complaints about her workplace behavior.

Fox said Raj also spoke with human resources around the same time. According to the station, Raj said he believed Asher was “jealous” of him and appeared to have an issue with “men versus women.”

After its investigation, Fox said management informed Asher on Nov. 21 that she would not return to the station.

The company said the decision was based on her “repeated outbursts in the newsroom and multiple instances of unprofessional conduct with her colleagues.”

Asher disputes that account.

Her lawsuit alleges that Fox treated male employees accused of misconduct more leniently than it treated her and that the station retaliated after she complained about sex discrimination. Fox disputes those allegations.

Asher’s attorney also rejected Fox’s characterization of her conduct.

“We strongly disagree with Fox’s characterization of Ms. Asher’s workplace behavior,” an attorney for Asher told The Post.

“Ms. Asher is an award-winning journalist who served Fox 2 Detroit since 2007. Fox’s own filing admits that shortly prior to her firing she repeatedly raised internal concerns that she believed Fox treated male employees, including her male co-anchor, more favorably, including with respect to schedule flexibility and guest-interview opportunities.”

The attorney further argued that the newly surfaced footage does not provide the full context surrounding the dispute.

“The video you referenced does not tell the full story, involved an issue that occurred years ago, was addressed at the time, and did not result in Ms. Asher’s termination.”

The attorney said the footage was being highlighted only after Asher raised discrimination and retaliation allegations.

“It is only being raised now after Ms. Asher made complaints of gender discrimination and retaliation. Fox’s own filing admits that multiple male employees accused of serious misconduct were not terminated and, in some instances, were later promoted.”

Asher is suing Fox Television Stations and New World Communications of Detroit under federal and Michigan civil-rights laws.

The lawsuit alleges sex discrimination and retaliation after she complained about what she believed was unequal treatment.

The dispute remains contested, with Asher denying that her conduct justified discipline or termination and Fox maintaining that its decision was based on workplace conduct rather than her gender or discrimination complaints.

Fox 2 has been asked for comment.

Detroit Anchor Crumbles as Co-host’s Risqué Survival Question Hijacks Live Broadcast [WATCH]
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Detroit Anchor Crumbles as Co-host’s Risqué Survival Question Hijacks Live Broadcast [WATCH]

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A Detroit television anchor struggled to maintain his composure during a live broadcast after his co-host asked an unexpectedly risqué question while discussing survival techniques and wildlife, as reported by The New York Post.

Ryan Ermanni, co-anchor of Fox 2’s “Good Day Detroit,” was discussing the History Channel survival series “Alone” with co-host Deena Centofanti and meteorologist Derek Kevra on Thursday when the conversation took an unexpected turn.

Centofanti was explaining how contestants on the program search for wildlife that can provide food, including animals that contain more fat.

“And, um, you’re looking for fat in the beaver,” Centofanti said.

“Yeah,” Kevra replied.

Centofanti continued explaining why the animal is considered desirable by contestants on the survival program.

“The beaver is the — the beaver is the most sought-after,” Centofanti said.

“It is,” Kevra responded.

Centofanti then turned her attention to Ermanni and asked him a question that sounded considerably different outside the context of a discussion about wilderness survival.

“Ryan, would you — do you think you could eat beaver? ’Cause it’s fat and then it’s meat.”

Ermanni immediately began laughing at the apparent double entendre. He put his head in his hands as Centofanti continued with the conversation.

The exchange left Ermanni struggling to regain his composure while the discussion returned to the survival show.

“It made them all sick, though. They all got sick after it,” he managed.

“Well, you have to — you can’t eat diseased animals,” Centofanti replied.

Ermanni then brought up another animal featured in discussions about survival and hunting.

“Oh. Oh, God. What about a moose?” Ermanni said.

Centofanti answered, “Yeah.”

By that point, Ermanni acknowledged that he had not been following much of the discussion about the show.

“I don’t know. I don’t know anything about this show, Deena, but you’re really funny,” he said.

“Okay,” Centofanti replied.

“You are a really funny gal,” Ermanni added.

The exchange occurred during Thursday’s broadcast of “Good Day Detroit” on Fox 2. The discussion centered on “Alone,” a History Channel series in which contestants attempt to survive in remote environments while finding food and other necessities.

The moment quickly drew attention online, with Ermanni later sharing the clip on social media.

Centofanti also addressed the exchange on Facebook, writing that “you learn stuff” while watching “Alone.”

The segment was not presented as a planned comedy routine. Instead, the laughter came from the wording of Centofanti’s question and Ermanni’s reaction to it during the live broadcast.

The Detroit anchors continued the segment after Ermanni recovered enough to return to the discussion.

Centofanti’s comments had been focused on the practical realities of finding food while participating in the survival competition, including the importance of fat and meat.

Ermanni’s reaction turned an otherwise routine television discussion about wildlife and survival into an awkwardly funny moment that viewers quickly noticed.

The clip also offered a reminder of one of the hazards of live television: Even an ordinary question can sound very different when delivered without much warning in front of a studio audience and viewers at home.

For Ermanni, the question was apparently enough to derail his train of thought for several moments. He ultimately recovered and complimented his co-host on her sense of humor before the segment moved on.

Centofanti’s Facebook comment about learning from “Alone” suggested that the survival show had provided plenty of material for the unexpected conversation.

The incident took place as part of Fox 2’s “Good Day Detroit” programming on Aug. 13, 2026. The original report was published Aug. 17, 2026, at 12:09 a.m. ET.

No elaborate setup was necessary. A survival show, a discussion about food, and one question to a co-host were enough to leave a Detroit news anchor laughing on live television.

Kentucky Farmer Tells AI Company to Kick Rocks Despite Stunning $26 Million Offer [WATCH]
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Kentucky Farmer Tells AI Company to Kick Rocks Despite Stunning $26 Million Offer [WATCH]

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A Kentucky mother and daughter have turned down a multimillion-dollar offer for their family farmland after learning the property could be used for an artificial intelligence data center.

Delsia Bare and her mother, Ida Huddleston, had initially agreed to sell their respective properties in Maysville for a combined $26.48 million, according to reporting by The Wall Street Journal cited by the New York Post.

The offer came from representatives of an unidentified AI company that wanted to acquire the land for a data center. The property had remained in Bare and Huddleston’s family for roughly 200 years.

Bare and Huddleston later changed their minds after learning more about the proposed development.

Bare, who described herself and her mother as “country hicks,” gave the company representatives a blunt response after the deal was called off.

“Kick rocks and don’t come back,” Bare told the representatives, according to the Journal.

The proposed sale would have paid substantially more than ordinary farmland prices. Bare was offered $48,000 per acre for 463 acres, while Huddleston was offered $60,000 per acre for 71 acres.

Together, the properties would have generated approximately $26.48 million.

Bare said her decision was also influenced by her belief that she would be held accountable for what happened to the property after a sale.

“If I step off of this piece of property and it becomes something for an AI hub, then I have failed to occupy and I can be held accountable for that on the Judgment hour,” she told the outlet.

The proposed data center project has become a contentious issue in Maysville, with residents divided over the potential economic benefits and the impact of converting farmland for industrial use.

Some property owners in the area have agreed to sell their land for millions of dollars, according to the Journal.

Others, including Bare, have opposed the project and pursued legal action challenging construction of the proposed centers.

The opposition has reached the courts, including a lawsuit that could put some neighbors on opposite sides of litigation.

“Some of those people would have gone their entire lives without being brought into a courtroom,” Tyler McHugh, an economic development director who liaisons with the unnamed AI company, told the publication.

The company behind the proposal has not been publicly identified. Meta has been linked to the potential project, but the company told the Journal that no decision has been made about working in the area.

The dispute comes as communities across rural America face growing interest from technology companies seeking land and infrastructure for data centers supporting artificial intelligence.

For Bare and Huddleston, however, the issue is personal.

Their land has been part of their family for generations, and the prospect of replacing that property with an AI facility ultimately outweighed the financial incentive.

Bare, who is nearly blind, and Huddleston, who walks with a cane, said they were surprised to find themselves opposing a major development project.

“I never thought I’d be in a battle with a data center,” Bare said. “I thought I was about as far out in the boondocks as you could get.”

The decision leaves the future of the proposed Maysville data center project uncertain as legal challenges and disagreements among local property owners continue.

U.S. Bases and Troops Once Again Exposed by Strava Security Failure
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U.S. Bases and Troops Once Again Exposed by Strava Security Failure

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Eight years after fitness applications exposed American troop locations and sensitive base layouts, service members are still broadcasting location data across the Middle East.

Despite military restrictions and repeated operational security warnings, hundreds of personnel continue leaving digital breadcrumbs that hostile governments can study.

A Sky News investigation found that more than 1,300 Strava users recorded workouts at military sites within the United States Central Command area.

Those activities stretched across several countries, and many of the identified locations were later struck by Iran, including attacks that killed American troops.

Strava allows users to record workouts, routes, distances, and locations, sometimes in real time. That may be convenient for tracking a morning run, but around an active military installation it can also hand adversaries a remarkably detailed picture of daily life.

The danger has been public knowledge since 2018, when Strava activity maps revealed a previously undisclosed American base in Niger.

The same data exposed air defense positions, firebases, installation layouts, and predictable routes created by troops running around base perimeters.

Following those revelations, the Department of War prohibited troops and civilian personnel from using geolocation features on work and personal devices in operational areas.

Yet personnel continued logging workouts before Operation Epic Fury began and while combat operations against Iran were underway.

At Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, troops regularly posted running routes through Strava.

Activity paused in March, then resumed in April with routes concentrated near barracks, effectively highlighting where American personnel were housed.

That housing area was targeted when fighting resumed in July, killing three soldiers.

The available reporting does not establish that Strava data directed the strike, but publicly displaying troop patterns near a target under active threat is an operational security failure that requires no elaborate explanation.

Strava and CENTCOM did not immediately answer requests for comment regarding the exposed information. Strava told Sky News that it provides privacy controls and expects “people working in sensitive professions to leverage the controls available to them.”

That response places responsibility squarely on users who knowingly work around sensitive facilities.

Privacy settings are not much of a safeguard when personnel ignore them, and a written policy is little more than paper armor when commanders fail to ensure compliance.

Since the war began, 18 American service members have been killed. Pentagon casualty figures also show 696 troops wounded in action during Operation Epic Fury or in “overseas operations,” the War Department term for hostilities occurring on or after July 7.

Sky News also examined Strava information associated with a Navy contractor in Manama, Bahrain, home to the United States Fifth Fleet headquarters.

The contractor departed the base after it was attacked during the opening hours of the war, but days later the hotel where the contractor was staying was also targeted.

Again, the reporting does not prove the fitness data caused either strike. Still, an application that can trace a person from a military headquarters to temporary lodging creates exactly the kind of pattern enemy intelligence services are paid to exploit.

In May, 14 members of Congress warned the Pentagon that foreign powers were using commercially available location information to track or target American troops in the Middle East.

The lawmakers called on the Department of War to establish stronger safeguards protecting service members and their privacy.

Their letter cited CENTCOM guidance issued on Dec. 4, 2025, directing troops to disable unnecessary geolocation services and regularly review device privacy settings.

The policy included escalating restrictions, with the highest level taking effect on Feb. 28, 2026, when Operation Epic Fury began.

CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper later warned that Iran was studying “reactions, photos, and footage from the cellphones of our troops” to evaluate strike results and improve targeting. Reuters reported that tighter enforcement could include requiring personnel to surrender their phones in some circumstances.

This is not exclusively an American problem, either.

In March, a sailor aboard the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle revealed the flagship’s precise location during a voyage by posting running activity through Strava.

The recurring exposure shows that issuing another memo will not solve a discipline problem. Troops operating within reach of Iranian missiles should not be advertising barracks, routes, schedules, or relocation patterns to anyone with an application and an internet connection.

America’s enemies do not need spies inside every installation when careless users publish usable intelligence for free.

The War Department and commanders in the field must treat unauthorized location sharing as the serious security breach it is, before another workout map becomes part of an enemy targeting folder.

CENTCOM Chief Boards USS Abraham Lincoln as Quality of Life Concerns Intensify
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CENTCOM Chief Boards USS Abraham Lincoln as Quality of Life Concerns Intensify

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The commander of United States Central Command visited the USS Abraham Lincoln on Saturday as military leaders confronted mounting questions about living conditions, morale, and mental health aboard the aircraft carrier.

The crew has spent months at sea while supporting demanding combat operations in the Middle East.

Adm. Brad Cooper boarded the Lincoln during a ten day regional tour that included meetings with American troops, senior commanders, and allied officials.

A CENTCOM spokesperson said Cooper spent several hours aboard the carrier, the only ship he visited during the trip.

His visit came after relatives of sailors and Marines reported food shortages, water problems, broken showers, unreliable laundry facilities, and other quality of life concerns.

Families have also described morale as low and said the prolonged deployment has placed serious pressure on the crew.

Military Times and Stars and Stripes separately reported incidents involving sailors attempting to jump overboard.

Those reports intensified scrutiny of conditions aboard one of America’s most important deployed warships.

The Lincoln is now in the ninth month of its deployment after leaving port in late November 2025. Initially sent to the Pacific, the carrier was redirected to the Middle East at the beginning of the year as regional tensions escalated.

Its most recent port call was a brief two day stop in Guam. The ship has spent more than 250 days away from home and has remained at sea throughout 2026, a grueling operational schedule even for a battle tested carrier crew.

Since the war with Iran began on Feb. 28, the Lincoln has participated in combat missions and helped enforce the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Multiple USS Lincoln Sailors Try to Go Overboard as Extended Deployment Takes Brutal Toll
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln sails in support of Operation Epic Fury, March 3, 2026. (U.S. Navy)

That is critical work at the sharp end of American power, but even the toughest sailors require functioning equipment, decent food, and reliable support.

Cooper arrived one day after the military confirmed that the Lincoln would soon head home. The USS George Washington is scheduled to deploy as its replacement, bringing long awaited relief closer for the Lincoln crew and their families.

Acting Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao pushed back Friday against what he called “dishonest” media coverage of the carrier. However, he acknowledged that “a small number of mental health cases were treated” aboard the ship, marking the most senior public recognition of such incidents.

The White House and Pentagon also disputed portrayals of a ship overwhelmed by failing services and collapsing morale. War Secretary Pete Hegseth said conditions aboard the Lincoln had been “completely misrepresented.”

At the same time, the Navy confirmed that more assistance is being dispatched. In a statement to Task and Purpose, the service said it is sending “additional resiliency counselors and social workers to augment” existing support aboard the carrier.

Cooper previously visited the Lincoln in February, before combat operations against Iran began. During his latest stop, he addressed “the entire Lincoln team,” thanked the crew for its service, and presented awards to several service members.

Video released by CENTCOM showed Cooper meeting sailors and Marines from units assigned to Carrier Air Wing 9. Those included Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 14 and Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314, both central to the carrier’s operational mission.

Cooper offered his own assessment Sunday in an opinion article for The Wall Street Journal. He wrote that the crew is “tired, but they continue to fire on all cylinders.”

The CENTCOM commander also challenged the freshness of some allegations, writing that “many elements of those stories are old news.” He directly addressed reports concerning basic services that families said had contributed to frustration aboard the ship.

“Issues related to food, hot water and other concerns raised months ago were addressed by leadership and resolved,” Cooper wrote. His account presents a crew under understandable strain but still carrying out the mission, rather than the picture of unchecked collapse promoted in some reports.

Cooper’s regional trip also included stops in Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

With the Lincoln preparing to return home, commanders now face the responsibility of completing the transition safely while ensuring the sailors and Marines who carried the burden receive the support they earned.

U.S. Bases Dangerously Ill Equipped to Crush Drone Swarm Attacks, NORAD Deputy Warns
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U.S. Bases Dangerously Ill Equipped to Crush Drone Swarm Attacks, NORAD Deputy Warns

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American military bases remain dangerously vulnerable to swarms of small, inexpensive attack drones, according to one of the senior commanders responsible for defending the homeland.

Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Jarrard warned that domestic installations are currently “ill-equipped” to stop the kind of coordinated drone strikes already being used around the world.

Jarrard serves as deputy commander of U.S. Northern Command and vice commander of the American contingent of North American Aerospace Defense Command.

Speaking Thursday at the annual Space and Missile Defense Symposium, he said the military is developing new tactics but is “not there yet” on reliable base protection.

The most immediate problem is not merely shooting drones down after they arrive.

Military forces must first detect, identify, and track potentially large swarms before those systems reach runways, aircraft, ammunition sites, command facilities, or other critical targets.

“We don’t have the sensors, and depending on where that swarm is going to attack, it depends on whether we have any sensors at all, and also whether we’ve got any effectors to go after that problem,” Jarrard said. That is a blunt admission about a threat that offers commanders little room for error.

A drone warfare guide released this summer by Joint Interagency Task Force 401 delivered an equally stark assessment. It warned that “once a drone is overhead, the most important decisions about protection and countermeasures have already been made or, as it were, missed.”

That reality makes early warning essential because a small drone can approach at low altitude, maneuver around obstacles, and strike with little notice.

A swarm makes the challenge worse by overwhelming sensors and forcing defenders to engage numerous inexpensive targets at once.

The military is testing several approaches to counter the growing danger, including directed energy weapons, specialized ammunition, and compact missile launchers designed to destroy fast moving drones.

American forces are also working to incorporate small unmanned systems into offensive operations, recognizing that drones are now central to modern warfare rather than some battlefield novelty.

The cost problem remains brutal for defenders because launching an expensive interceptor against a cheap drone is not a sustainable formula.

Adversaries can therefore use numbers to exhaust defensive magazines, distract security teams, and punch holes in protection around high value military infrastructure.

Ukraine demonstrated the destructive potential last year during Operation Spider’s Web, which carried dozens of one way attack drones deep into Russian territory aboard commercial trucks.

Once positioned, the drones emerged from containers and inflicted extensive damage on Russian military facilities far from the expected front lines.

That operation offered another warning to American planners: hostile drones do not necessarily need to cross an international border under military control.

They can be concealed, transported near a target, and launched from inside the country, making traditional perimeter defenses look painfully outdated.

Iranian forces also targeted American positions in the Middle East with missiles and drones during this year’s Iran war.

In March, small first person view drones operated by an Iranian backed militia attacked an American air base in Baghdad, with militia video showing one system surveying the installation before slamming into its target.

“We are ill-equipped right now to handle something like that, and obviously we’ve seen it used,” Jarrard told the audience. He added, “We’re seeing it used on a daily basis around the world, and we’ve got to figure out how to mitigate that threat.”

The Army is expected to add laser weapons to its base defense arsenal soon, according to a source familiar with the effort.

The War Department plans to place lasers and other directed energy systems at no fewer than five bases by the end of the year.

Laser systems could give defenders a less expensive way to engage repeated drone attacks without burning through limited missile inventories. However, weather, power requirements, tracking limitations, and the sheer number of possible targets mean no single piece of technology will solve the entire problem.

The warning from Northern Command should light a fire under military planners and congressional appropriators alike.

America cannot afford to protect billion dollar aircraft and vital installations with security arrangements designed for yesterday’s threats while cheap drones circle overhead looking for an opening.

Kentucky ‘Moderate’ Andy Beshear Unmasks Himself with Push to Abolish the Electoral College [WATCH]
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Kentucky ‘Moderate’ Andy Beshear Unmasks Himself with Push to Abolish the Electoral College [WATCH]

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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear called for eliminating the Electoral College and replacing it with direct elections for president and vice president during an appearance Sunday on CBS’s “Face the Nation.”

As reported, Beshear made the remarks while discussing what he described as his “big ideas” for addressing the economy and government.

The Democratic governor has presented himself as a moderate and has been mentioned as a potential contender for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028.

During the interview, the host asked Beshear what he considered his “biggest, boldest idea” for the future.

Beshear responded by outlining proposals involving housing, government reform, congressional redistricting, term limits, and presidential elections.

“Well, I’ll give you two because people want you to fix the darn economy, and they want you to fix the darn government. On the economy, it is time for an aspirational investment in housing that can bring down the cost of especially first-time home ownership. People can actually see that progress all over the country.”

“We ought to tie the federal dollars to speed. You’ve got to break ground, and you’ve got to do it quickly. Get through the overregulation and the NIMBY-ism. But I tell you what, people also think this government is broken. So, fix the darn government. Constitutional amendment. It is time.”

“It should outlaw partisan redistricting and enshrine part of the Voting Rights Act right there in the Constitution. It should create term limits for Congress and the Supreme Court. No more gaming those appointments.”

“It should also overturn Citizens United, and I think call for direct elections of the president and the vice president. That could actually make things work. A big idea that would, yes, change government, but in a way enshrined in the Constitution where people would know it’s going to get better.”

The host then asked Beshear to clarify whether his proposal for direct presidential elections meant that he supported abolishing the Electoral College.

“I didn’t realize you support abolishing the Electoral College. If you’re saying direct election of the president and vice president.”

Beshear confirmed that he has previously expressed support for the idea and explained his reasoning in terms of Kentucky’s role in presidential elections.

“Yeah, I’ve said it a number of times, and it’s because in Kentucky we will never see a candidate for president or vice president unless they’re from here.”

“Why? Because people just expect that it’ll go one way or the other. It’s the idea that someone would get elected not just knowing about seven states, but having to earn votes all over the United States. I certainly think it’s time.”

Beshear’s proposal would require a constitutional amendment because the Electoral College is established by the U.S. Constitution.

His comments therefore went beyond simply advocating changes to campaign strategy or election administration and called for a fundamental change to how the nation’s president and vice president are chosen.

The governor also proposed several other constitutional changes during the CBS interview.

His list included a prohibition on partisan redistricting, placing part of the Voting Rights Act in the Constitution, congressional and Supreme Court term limits, and overturning the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision.

Beshear’s comments come as Democratic politicians and potential presidential contenders begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2028 election cycle.

Although he has not formally announced a presidential campaign, his name has been discussed as a possible Democratic candidate.

The Kentucky governor was also among the candidates considered by former Vice President Kamala Harris as a potential running mate during her presidential campaign.

Harris ultimately selected Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

Kamala Harris Snags Posh Mansion in Nearly All White Enclave After Diversity Sermons

Beshear has served as Kentucky’s governor while maintaining a political identity that emphasizes his appeal in a state that regularly supports Republican presidential candidates.

His comments on the Electoral College highlight one of the challenges facing candidates from states that typically do not determine presidential outcomes under the current system.

Beshear argued that a direct-election system would require presidential candidates to seek support throughout the country rather than concentrating their campaigns on a limited number of closely contested states.

The proposal is one part of a broader package of government changes Beshear presented during the interview.

His call for a constitutional amendment would require approval through the federal constitutional amendment process before any of the proposed changes could take effect.

AOC and the Squad Are Still Pushing Radical Fantasies While Pretending They’ve Grown Up [WATCH]
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AOC and the Squad Are Still Pushing Radical Fantasies While Pretending They’ve Grown Up [WATCH]

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Journalist Batya Ungar-Sargon argued that prominent progressive figures are not abandoning the ideas associated with the “woke” movement but are instead changing the language they use to present those ideas to voters ahead of future elections.

During a recent commentary, Ungar-Sargon focused much of her analysis on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, whom she described as a leading figure within the Democratic Party’s progressive wing.

“It was the week of AOC, the New York City Congresswoman and socialist standard bearer.”

Ungar-Sargon began by discussing Ocasio-Cortez’s announcement that she is freezing her eggs and documenting the process publicly.

“It started with an announcement: the 36-year-old is freezing her eggs, and she is live streaming every injection of the process on Instagram.”

She then played remarks from Ocasio-Cortez explaining why she chose to discuss the subject publicly.

“We are not taught about our bodies. We are not prepared for our own lives, whether that is in puberty, whether that is in pregnancy, whether that is in perimenopause, menopause.”

According to Ungar-Sargon, the announcement comes as Ocasio-Cortez is widely viewed as a potential future presidential candidate.

“It’s the clearest indication yet that the congresswoman plans to spend the next two years running for president.”

Ungar-Sargon noted that Ocasio-Cortez did not rule out a presidential campaign during a recent interview.

She then shifted to another topic from that interview—Ocasio-Cortez’s explanation for declining to endorse Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong.

“Something she did not deny in an interview this week, but she made an even bigger headline during that interview when she was discussing her decision not to endorse the socialist Francesca Hong, who just lost a primary in Wisconsin for governor.”

Ungar-Sargon argued that Hong’s positions represented an example of what she called “Woke 1.”

“What was it about Hong that made her a bridge too far for AOC? She was too woke. Yes, really.”

She described Hong’s past positions as follows:

“Hong advocated abolishing prisons, defunding the police, and canceling Thanksgiving, and she complained about her proximity to whiteness through her own biracial son.”

Ungar-Sargon argued that similar ideas had previously been embraced by many progressives.

“This stuff is, of course, nuts, but it’s also the kind of thing that leftists like AOC herself gleefully embraced until, well, this election cycle.”

She then reflected on what she described as the dominant progressive messaging between 2016 and recent years.

“From 2016 until very recently, a leftist mania around race and gender took the nation hostage, enforcing an orthodoxy that said that white people are all racists, people of color are all oppressed victims, and this country is to this day ruled by white supremacy.”

According to Ungar-Sargon, that movement also targeted policing.

“The wokes insisted that institutions like the police were racist and had to be defunded.”

She argued that those debates carried significant real-world consequences.

“And it wasn’t just vibes. There were casualties. People lost their livelihoods, others were excommunicated by friends and family if they dared suggest that working people actually need the police to arrest criminals. Neighborhoods burned to the ground during riots that were state-sanctioned. Dozens of people died.”

Ungar-Sargon then discussed Ocasio-Cortez’s comments regarding Hong.

“Now they are rushing to disavow the views they held until very recently, casting these views as some kind of crazy, cringy relic of a long-distant, long-forgotten bygone era.”

She quoted Ocasio-Cortez’s explanation.

“Here is AOC on Hong’s woke views: My understanding is that Francesca Hong has made clear her present stances to her electorate. She’s moved away from it, and I have a local city councilman that has this saying: Woke 1 was crazy.”

Ungar-Sargon noted that Ocasio-Cortez laughed immediately afterward.

“And then AOC laughed. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!”

Ungar-Sargon argued that the comments did not address past controversies.

“Never mind that people lost their lives and their jobs! That was so 2020! Today we know the truth: we were never at war with East Asia.”

She continued by criticizing what she described as a lack of accountability.

“No accountability, no explanation for how she and her fellow comrades got things so wrong about the police and why the other side got it so right, no apology for the lives ruined by a mania she participated in pushing. Just laughter.”

According to Ungar-Sargon, Ocasio-Cortez is now teaching fellow progressives how to repackage their message rather than abandon it.

“AOC, a brilliant communicator, is not just evading responsibility, she’s teaching the left how to move on from cultural messaging that normie voters found deeply alienating.”

Ungar-Sargon labeled that strategy “Woke 2.0.”

“She’s teaching them how to reach for the stars, which, turns out, is Woke 2.0.”

She argued that the rhetoric has changed while the underlying ideology has not.

“Forget defund the police. That’s so woke 1. In woke 2, we believe in defunding ICE. Today, we don’t say Latinx anymore, that’s so 2020. Today, we believe no human is illegal and no deportation is moral. We don’t say America is racist anymore, just that it’s racist to police its borders from people who break our laws. Today, we don’t say decenter whiteness, we say globalize the intifada.”

Ungar-Sargon concluded by arguing that the underlying objectives remain unchanged despite the shift in messaging.

“Welcome to woke 2, same as woke 1. It’s still about sneering at and trying to destroy everything that makes America exceptional, and it is just as alienating to working-class voters. That’s what we learned about America this week. The left still believes in the same woke garbage. AOC is just teaching them how to hide it better.”

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