Lanterns Episode 3, “OutKast,” shifts gears for the HBO series, turning its focus to the story behind John Stewart (Aaron Pierre) and why the Guardians ultimately saw him as the ideal choice to succeed Hal Jordan (Kyle Chandler) as Green Lantern.

**Spoilers for Lanterns Episode 3 “OutKast,” now streaming on HBO Max**

At first, viewers may have read the show’s cold open as proof that John Stewart Sr. (J. Alphonse Nicholson) shaped his son’s unusual upbringing — the apple-shooting tests, the intense conditioning, the effort to raise a boy without fear so he might someday wear a Green Lantern ring. But Lanterns Episode 3 complicates that assumption. The episode reveals that John’s mother, Bernadette (Jasmine Cephas Jones), was the real force behind that path. After discovering that her husband once had the potential to become a Green Lantern, she makes an emotional plea to a visiting Guardian, who appears in the form of Laura Linney, asking that young John be given his own chance in the future. With that promise in hand, Bernadette sets out to raise young John (Cairo Cash Lee) into the steady, fearless figure seen across the 2016 and 2026 timelines.

That revelation raises one of the episode’s most intriguing questions: how much of John Stewart’s fearlessness is innate, and how much was carefully cultivated?

“I believe that John was born fearless and then his parents, arguably through very questionable methods, managed to keep that fearlessness instilled in him through his childhood, through his adolescence, and into his adulthood,” Lanterns star Aaron Pierre told DECIDER. “At which point he takes the reins and he continues keeping himself fearless.”

Pierre then changed the subject, calling attention to a key scene in this week’s Lanterns that he thinks fuels the “raging sea” churning inside of his adult version of the character.

“There’s a moment in Episode 3 that really breaks my heart every time I watch it,” Pierre said. “It’s where John’s mother tells John that essentially the Guardians are not impressed with his progress and that the birds have relayed that. And he says, ‘Well, the birds are lying.’”

MORE STORY: California Mom Loses Both Legs After Suspected Impaired Driver Crashes Into Restaurant Table

“It breaks my heart because this kid is maybe this high [mimes short height] and he believes that the birds are the narrators and the storytellers and the direct ear to the Guardians. And he feels betrayed by the birds. How could they lie and say that I am not giving everything that I possibly can? I’m having guns aimed at me routinely. An inch south and I’m out of here, I’m out of here! Like how can they say I’m not pouring myself into this?”

Pierre then said, “I think that is what is the beginning of this raging sea that stays with John all the way through his adulthood. And I believe has not — even when the series ends — [it] is still there and he’s still contending with it.”

“He has a very excellent way of outwardly making it seem that everything is smooth sailing, but he’s a raging sea internally, and he wrestles with that relentlessly.”

Lanterns Episode 3 “OutKast” underlines how John Stewart grew up to become a man without fear, but that only means he’s a man full of fury.

Lanterns will return on Sunday, September 6 at 9 PM ET on HBO and HBO Max.

WASHINGTON — U.S. forces carried out strikes Sunday on Iranian rocket launchers near the Strait of Hormuz, marking the American military’s first action in a month and ending a pause in fighting in an intermittent conflict now stretching beyond six months. Iran quickly pledged retaliation, denouncing the strikes as a deadly attack.

Tim Hawkins, a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, said forces from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps had been seen preparing to fire rockets armed with sea mines into the strait, one of the world’s most important shipping corridors. The U.S. military had finished clearing sea mines from the strait’s international shipping lanes last week.

Iranian semiofficial media reported hearing explosions near Larak island in the Strait of Hormuz. In a statement broadcast by Iranian state television, the Revolutionary Guard referred to “the martyrdom and injury of several of our fighters and compatriots.”

Hours later, Iranian state TV aired footage it described as ballistic missiles launched by Iran toward U.S. bases in Jordan in response to the American strikes. Jordan’s armed forces said early Monday that they had intercepted eight missiles that entered the country’s airspace.

Any renewed slide into open warfare would raise the stakes across the region. Since the war began Feb. 28, Iran has targeted U.S. military bases and infrastructure in Gulf countries, underscoring the risk of a broader confrontation.

The last time the U.S. military confirmed targeting Iran was on July 29, when it announced a “heavy wave of strikes” on dozens of Revolutionary Guard targets including coastal surveillance and defense sites. On Aug. 1, President Donald Trump said he would order the military to hold off on new strikes at the urging of Gulf allies Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The US had turned to economic pressure

The attack comes just days after the Trump administration said it would turn its focus to increasing economic pressure – rather than military action – to try to end its war with Iran. The shifting strategy centers on threats to punish any country or entity that continues to conduct business with Tehran.

Sunday’s attack was a “fatal mistake by the Trump regime during the economic war” and the enemy will pay the consequences militarily and economically, a Guard spokesperson, Gen. Hossein Mohebi, said in a statement carried by Iranian media.

The U.S. turn to using sanctions came as the administration weighs diminished munitions stockpiles after months of war, sparking concerns that the prolonged conflict could undermine U.S. military readiness in other parts of the globe.

As the conflict grinds on, Trump’s talk of finding a quick end to the war also appears to be fading. He stressed last week that he’s “not in a hurry” to get Iran back to the negotiating table, and he continues making the case that the Islamic Republic’s leadership is on the ropes.

Appointments to Iran’s senior security leadership in the past month, however, have signaled Tehran’s defiance after weathering decades of sanctions as well as a lack of tolerance for dissent at home.

MORE STORY: 5 Must-Watch Sci-Fi Movies That Outshine Project Hail Mary

Trump has consistently emphasized that the U.S. and Israel campaign has been devastating for Iran’s navy and air force. Iranian officials have said the country has suffered $270 billion in direct and indirect damage. Israeli military strikes in the first weeks of the war wiped out much of the theocratic government’s leadership structure.

Iran leans on the strait for leverage

But Iran has found leverage through its strikes against vessels on the Strait of Hormuz, where relatively few ships carrying oil and liquefied natural gas are risking passage. Iran still has enough drones and missiles to fire at vessels transiting the waterway through which 20% of the world’s oil normally flows.

Crude oil prices rose Sunday in response to the U.S. attack. The price for a barrel of U.S. oil went up 1.8% to $84.94, while the price for a barrel of Brent crude, the international standard, rose 1.9% to $89.79.

Tehran continues to assert that even after it works out a management plan for the strait with Oman, its neighbor on the other side of the waterway, the U.S. can’t use it until it fulfills its obligations under the memorandum of understanding the countries signed in mid-June.

Trump has repeatedly declared that the “Strait of Hormuz is open,” saying 24 vessels passed through last week. But that’s a fraction of the roughly 130 vessels that transited daily before the war began.

Earlier on Sunday, a multinational coalition overseen by the U.S. Navy said commercial traffic through the strait remained at “reduced levels.”

And a monitoring agency run by the British military said an unknown projectile struck a tanker ship on Saturday north of Khasab, Oman, in the strait. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organization said no casualties or environmental impact had been reported, and cited unspecified military authorities. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The U.S. military said that as of Sunday, it had redirected 83 commercial vessels and disabled three under its blockade of Iranian ports.

___

Toropin reported from Nuremberg, Germany. Anna reported from Lowville, New York. Associated Press journalists Christopher Weber in Los Angeles and Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit contributed to this report.

Randy Quaid has publicly objected to Anne Hathaway’s reported casting opposite Tom Cruise in Days of Thunder 2, taking aim at the decision in a string of posts shared Saturday on X.

The 75-year-old Houston native weighed in after news emerged that Hathaway is set to co-star in the follow-up to the 1990 racing drama.

Quaid, who appeared in the original film as Tim Daland, argued that Hathaway’s Democratic-leaning political views would not align with what he described as the NASCAR audience for the sequel.

‘Anne Hathaway is a leftist, woke, horrible choice for DAYS OF THUNDER NASCAR audience who are MAGA,’ Quaid wrote of the Oscar-winning actress, who has previously supported Democratic presidential candidates including Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris.

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for both Hathaway and Quaid seeking additional comment.

Quaid said that the better choice for a love interest for the sequel would be Cruise’s ex-wife Nicole Kidman, who played Dr. Claire Lewicki in the first film.

The former couple, who met making the movie in 1989, were wed from 1990-2001. Prior to their split, they had appeared in films together including 1992’s Far and Away and 1999’s Eyes Wide Shut.

‘The sexy older chick for Tom in this film needs to be Nicole,’ Quaid said. ‘That’s the casting that would sell the idea.’

Quaid initially said that ‘we need Nicole back,’ adding, ‘Don’t be a p***y, @TomCruise. You need the original girl. It’s not personal; it’s filmmaking.’

‘Anne isn’t sexy, because and if you haven’t noticed, she’s pregnant.’ 

In the social media clip, Hathaway – who is pregnant with her third child – said she planned to ‘have this baby, then make the movie.’

Quaid said that reuniting Cruise and Kidman on the silver screen would draw audiences into theaters.

ALSO READ: Leslie Mann Shares New Update on Judd Apatow’s Ozempic Journey

‘If I were in control of production, a real sequel worth watching for DAYS OF THUNDER would be seeing Tom and Nicole together on screen again,’ Quaid said. 

He added, ‘We don’t need a new girl; we need a new race car!’

Quaid said he felt the movie was being rushed into theaters, citing his experience making the initial film.

‘It’s interesting because when we made the first one there was also a rush to get it out; editors slept in the cutting room on shifts,’ Quaid said. ‘This is a weird thing, like they want it to come out and tank.’

Hathaway has been seen in a number of high-profile films over the past few months, including The Odyssey, The Devil Wears Prada 2 and The End of Oak Street.

She is slated to play the role of an engineer-racing team owner opposite Cruise, who returns to the role of Cole Trickle in the sequel, which Jonathan Levine is directing.

The initial movie, which the late Tony Scott directed, arrived in theaters in June of 1990, taking in $82.6 million in domestic box office revenue and $157.9 million worldwide.

Days Of Thunder 2 is slated to arrive in theaters June 2, 2028. 

An 81-year-old California woman lost both of her legs after authorities say a suspected impaired driver slammed into a restaurant’s outdoor dining area while she was having lunch.

Cristina Vargas was seated at a sidewalk table outside Los Cinco Puntos in Los Angeles’ Boyle Heights neighborhood with her daughter, Gabriela Vargas, and a male friend when an SUV crashed into the group at about 3:30 p.m. on July 7.

Surveillance video obtained by KTLA captured the vehicle swerving onto the sidewalk before barreling into the restaurant’s outdoor seating area.

Moments before impact, the sound of screeching tires could be heard as the SUV struck the diners, scattering people, tables and debris across the patio area.

“I remember I just heard screeching and I was lifting up my head and I just saw headlights and a bumper and I heard a big boom,” Gabriela told KTLA. “The next thing I knew, I was airborne.”

Cristina’s lower body was pinned under the vehicle and Gabriela suffered a head injury and a deep laceration on her knee. The two women and their male friend were rushed to a hospital for treatment.

Gabriela and the male friend have since recovered from their injuries, but Cristina’s injuries were significantly worse and faces a long road to recovery.

Cristina underwent three surgeries and later had both of her legs amputated. She said she is thankful to be alive and has maintained a positive mindset.

She has been undergoing physical therapy at a rehabilitation center and will soon be allowed to go back home.

Cristina, a widowed mother of two, said she is looking forward to being surrounded by her family and friends.

“My goal is to give her the best quality of care from here on out,” Gabriela said of her mother.

A police report alleges that the driver was impaired at the time of the crash. The unidentified woman was arrested and charged with multiple felonies, according to KTLA.

A GoFundMe created by a friend for the Vargas family has raised more than $30,000 as of Sunday night. The fundraiser said the family is facing massive medical bills, ongoing rehabilitation and daily living expenses.

“Cristina will need significant support to adapt to her new disability, including making their home accessible and covering the costs of specialized care. The road ahead is long and challenging, but with your help, they can focus on healing rather than the overwhelming financial stress,” the fundraiser reads.

The fundraiser described Cristina as a “vibrant and social person with a true lust for life.”

“She loved to dance and was a regular at events at the senior center, bringing joy and energy wherever she went,” the GoFundMe reads. “Her vivacious spirit and love for connecting with others made her a beloved member of the community. This sudden change is especially heartbreaking for someone who has always embraced life so fully and actively.”

In an Aug. 17 update, Gabriela thanked supporters and said the recovery was progressing slowly.

“Thank you everybody for your love and support. We greatly appreciate it. It’s a slow recovery but day by day we’re getting through it. My mom’s spirits remain hopeful as do mine. Recovery is very painful but she’s giving it her all,” Gabriela said.

Sean McVay has Aaron Donald back in the middle of his defensive front at last, but the Rams coach’s immediate response was not centered on pass-rush numbers, championship memories or the blockbuster possibilities of lining Donald up alongside Myles Garrett.

“He means a lot to me,” McVay said Sunday after Donald’s return to the Los Angeles Rams became official. “And it’s way bigger than football.”

For anyone who has followed their bond, that message was familiar.

When Donald stepped away from the NFL in March 2024, McVay praised him as “one of one” — a tribute that went far beyond his dominance as a player. The Rams coach has often called their connection one of the most meaningful relationships of his career, even saying Donald “changed my life for the better.”

What McVay has rarely done, however, is spell out what that change truly looked like.

The football answers are easy enough to imagine. Donald was about as close to the ideal McVay player as exists — relentlessly prepared, demanding of himself and others, and essentially another coach on the field.

Donald once even demanded McVay fine him for being 30 seconds late to a meeting after a morning trip to the team restroom ran into overtime.

For a head coach with famously exacting standards, Donald spent a decade helping establish and uphold them without McVay needing to say much at all.

MORE STORY: Scottie Scheffler’s Heartfelt Moment After Tour Championship Win

But McVay keeps making clear that isn’t the part he means.

“It’s family with us,” McVay said while discussing Donald earlier this summer, praising “the husband, the father, the son” rather than rattling off his awards or sacks.

That makes their reunion about something different than simply putting an all-time great next to Garrett for another Super Bowl run.

Their connection was just as apparent when Donald originally walked away. After the Rams’ playoff loss to Detroit in January 2024, Donald entered McVay’s office and summed up his decision to retire with two words: “I’m full.”

McVay understood.

McVay didn’t feel the need to sell Donald on another season then, and two years later, he apparently doesn’t need to explain why having him back means so much now.

Donald’s return gives the Rams one of the greatest defensive players ever for another run.

For McVay, though, the bigger reunion appears to be with the person underneath No. 99.