In a decisive move, President Trump has fulfilled his pledge to take action against Iran, signaling his intent to “go big” merely a day after American soldiers were targeted at a Jordanian base.

On Wednesday, following President Trump’s intense warning to “beat the f****** s*** out” of Iran, the U.S. military launched a powerful wave of strikes across the Islamic Republic.

Through a statement on social media, U.S. Central Command announced that it targeted “dozens” of locations controlled by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps in an operation that spanned two hours.

The offensive focused on strategic objectives including military command centers, missile and drone facilities, and coastal surveillance and defense sites.

This recent surge of U.S. strikes could be the preliminary phase of a significant military campaign under consideration at The White House.

The head of Central Command, Admiral Brad Cooper, has reportedly presented Trump with an option of intense strikes to totally wipe out Iran’s missile stock.  

Cooper believes the US must embrace a ‘go big’ approach to end the constant back and forth strikes between the two countries, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The intensified US strikes were reported to potentially last up to two weeks. 

Other military leaders, like General Dan ‘Raisin’ Caine, were worried about the US supply of defensive weapons after constant attacks from Iran. 

A Pentagon spokesperson said that the military was united on how to execute the months-long conflict in the Middle East. 

‘Secretary Hegseth, CENTCOM Commander Admiral Cooper, and Chairman Caine stand completely aligned and are united in mission, strategy, and resolve regarding overseas operations involving Iran,’ Spokesman Sean Parnell told WSJ. 

It’s unclear if this is the path Trump has chosen but his rhetoric has indicated a taste for ratcheting things up. 

The announcement from CENTCOM came hours after President Trump threatened to ‘beat the f****** s*** out of’ Iran after US troops in Jordan were attacked.

‘[They’re] going to get a beating,’ Trump told Fox News.

Trump followed it up later Wednesday by threatening to slap tariffs on Iran in addition to sanctions and saying their time to be attacked was at hand.

‘We’re gonna be hitting them very hard because it’s our turn to hit them. They know it’s coming. They’re asking us not to do it. It’s our turn,’ Trump said. 

Trump’s threat of escalation on Wednesday comes the day after Iran launched ballistic missiles at US forces in Jordan in what US Central Command described as an ‘attempted surprise attack.’

The US successfully intercepted all of the Iranian missiles, according to CENTCOM.

The US, in conjunction with Saudi Arabia, struck Iranian-backed militias in Iraq last night, CENTCOM said, saying this action was retaliation for a series of drone strikes and not the missile attack in Jordan.

Trump said that the US-Saudi strikes were coordinated with the Iraqi government.

Before Iran’s missile attack, both the regime and the US had observed a multi-day lull in the fighting, the first pause in nearly two weeks.

Relative quiet on Saturday and Sunday broke a string of 13 consecutive days of fighting after the breakdown of a June memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran.

The monthslong conflict with Iran has seen frequent pauses as the US tries to maneuver Tehran into reopening the Strait of Hormuz. 

Trump has frequently threatened major escalation against Tehran, including last Thursday when he said he was considering a ‘bigger than ever before’ attack on the regime. 

Reporting has raised questions about whether escalation in Iran could stretch too far the US’s diminishing supply of some types of air defense munitions, such as Patriot missile interceptors.

Earlier this week, Trump revisited the idea of striking a possible Iranian nuclear facility known as Pickaxe Mountain while rebuking Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for bringing up the site in public.

Elsewhere, drone strikes ignited fires on two natural gas vessels at the Egyptian port of Damietta, according to British maritime security firm Ambrey. 

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the strikes on a US-owned floating storage facility and a Greek-owned tanker. No injuries were reported. 

The flare-ups on multiple fronts after several days of relative calm raised the risk of a return to all-out war. It also underscored the difficulty of winding down a five-month conflict that has jolted the world economy and is unpopular among Americans. 

The fighting was also likely to add to concerns that the US is further drawing down already diminished stockpiles of sophisticated munitions needed to defend its bases and allies.

Egypt, a close US ally and regional mediator, is one of the only countries in the Middle East to have been spared direct military action during the war. A strike by Iran or its allies, if confirmed, would mark a significant widening of the conflict.

The Strait of Hormuz has been a major flashpoint in the conflict. Iran’s deputy foreign minister said his country had rejected a proposal from Oman, which lies on the other side of the strait, to jointly manage ship traffic.

In an interview with Iran’s state-run television, Kazem Gharibabadi said Oman’s proposal included dividing the strait into two routes.

Iran offered a counterproposal with a temporary plan for the transit of vessels through its territorial waters, he said, adding that Tehran’s policy is for the strait ‘never to return to its prewar situation,’ when ships moved freely.

This is a developing story. 

On Sunday, the U.S. Army announced an innovative step forward in modern warfare technology, unveiling a revolutionary system that can discreetly interfere with navigation signals. This cutting-edge technology is designed to thwart enemy long-range precision weapons, making it increasingly challenging for adversaries to pinpoint and attack targets without being detected.

Known as the “Hammer of the Gods,” this electronic warfare marvel was put to the test for the first time at sea off the U.S. West Coast in mid-July. This event was part of the ambitious Project Convergence Capstone 6 (PC-C6) experiment, marking a significant milestone in military technological advancements.

While the Army has already showcased land-based versions of this system over the past couple of years, this exercise celebrated the official introduction of its maritime variant. The deployment at sea signifies a crucial expansion in the system’s versatility and operational capabilities.

This highly portable signal disruptor reportedly has the capability to effectively blind the enemy’s precision-guided weaponry. This includes long-range artillery, guided missiles, and cruise missiles, enhancing defensive measures against potential threats from across distances.

The radio signals specifically jam positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) signals, including GPS data, that precision weapons rely on to navigate accurately.

Without reliable PNT data, weapon accuracy drops sharply, increasing the likelihood of delayed missions and missed targets.

The system also creates a resilient communications network that allows friendly forces to stay connected despite heavy electronic jamming.

It links military devices together, so troops can continue to “shoot, move and communicate” even while operating in degraded environments.

Army officials said the experiment demonstrated the counter-PNT system could be successfully launched, operated and recovered in real-world maritime environments.

The testing brought together the U.S. Army, Navy and Space Force, alongside U.S. Space Forces Pacific, Naval Base San Diego and the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, to integrate space, cyber and conventional capabilities during the exercise.

1. Defund the Colleges: An In-Depth Analysis

by Mike Solana, Editor-in-Chief

Recent insights from analyst Nate Silver reveal a phenomenon that many have intuited: the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), a group advocating for radical changes such as the dismantling of government branches and centralizing industry, finds its strongest supporters among highly-educated individuals. But this isn’t just any group of scholars.

The data highlights that individuals with bachelor’s degrees earning less than $60,000 annually are the most enamored with the ideologies reminiscent of Mao Zedong.

This raises a compelling question: are our institutions of higher learning molding these descending elites into communists? Or is there something inherent in the individuals themselves—those expecting a societal escalator to wealth that never arrives—that drives them to dismantle a system that has left them with a PhD in queer theory but without a home in the Hamptons like their predecessors?

Who knows. Who cares! Just defund the colleges already.

2. Democracy dies in laughter

by Riley Nork, writer

At last week’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner, President Trump slipped into a rare Bodhisattva-like comedic flow state, waxing poetically about Chris Christie fighting for cheesecake at the next UFC event, a hostile regime now being run by a gay dictator (CBS News and Bari Weiss, respectively), and CNN’s Kaitlan Collins bearing an uncanny resemblance to trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

It was all in good fun, but the press had a decidedly different reaction: To them, Trump’s riffs were cause for ending the WHCD altogether.

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Per the Washington Post, critics are now citing the president’s “broadsides” against the media to call for permanently ending the dinner, since it was supposed to be a serious event honoring the serious work of serious mainstream journalism.

Funny… I don’t remember these calls when Obama and Colbert were the ones making the jokes! But hey, nothing says “winning back trust in media” like “don’t roast us or we’ll pack up and cry.”

3. Exciting new birth control method called ‘socialism‘

by Max Weiner, head of operations

The socialist city may promise to care for every child — but increasingly, it just doesn’t contain any.

A new Wall Street Journal analysis finds that, over the past decade, American cities lost children six times faster than the country overall.

Some cities that grew still lost kids, replacing families with trust-fund singles, yuppies, and people too poor to leave. Meanwhile, the five fastest-growing American cities in 2025?

Well, they were all exurbs in Texas. To state the obvious revealed preference: Middle-class moms and dads do not want to raise their kids amongst dangerous fentanyl addicts while spending 70% of their income on housing, all while sending little Johnny to chaotic public schools (with the fent addicts’ dealers’ kids), so they leave.

In that void, the DSA happily agitates for class warfare, because the actual solution (building housing) requires motivated capitalists — whom DSA leaders hate more than their dads.

Nicole Kidman dazzled at the Lioness premiere in New York City on Wednesday night, casting a radiant spell at the glitzy event.

The acclaimed 59-year-old actress, who has been fueling romance rumors with a wealthy businessman lately, chose a bold outfit for the star-studded red carpet gathering, where she mingled with other luminaries like Zoe Saldana.

Kidman is set to reprise her role as Kaitlyn Meade in the Paramount+ series, Lioness, crafted by creator Taylor Sheridan. Fans can anticipate the third season of this gripping spy thriller to premiere on the streaming service come August 2.

Commanding attention, the star donned a pair of flowing white trousers paired with a sheer silver top, adorned with intricate lace and stunning embellishments that glittered under the lights.

Completing her ensemble, Kidman wore stylish tan open-toed heels and added a gold hand chain and a striking watch as her accessories of choice.

Kidman’s long blonde locks were parted in the middle and cascaded down past her shoulders in light waves. 

The Babygirl actress opted for a classic makeup look which comprised of a layer of mascara to her lashes and a shimmering shadow around her eyes. 

A warm blush was added to her cheekbones while a satin pink tint was worn on her lips for a finishing touch. 

Kidman flaunted her fashionable ensemble as she paused for a brief photo session upon arriving at the event. 

Other cast members in the upcoming third season of Lioness include Saldana, Jill Wagner, Laysla De Oliveira, Ian Bohen and Morgan Freeman. 

Daily Mail has reached out to reps for Kidman for comment, but has yet to hear back. 

Kidman’s latest red carpet outing comes shortly after she was seen getting cozy with private equity businessman Michael Reinstein in exclusive photographs obtained by the Daily Mail. 

The Hollywood actress was seen sipping on an Aperol Spritz while sitting poolside with the silver fox in the Italian Riviera. 

The pair shared lighthearted conversations and at one point, Reinstein was seen playfully lifting up her hat which protected her from the bright sunshine. 

A source close to Kidman told the Daily Mail, ‘After everything she went through with Keith, she deserves to find happiness.’ 

The insider added, ‘She never thought her marriage wouldn’t work out and she tried as best as she could to keep her family intact.

‘Her daughters are her best friends, and she seems really content in her life. She’s so easy to get along with and kind. She keeps her personal life extremely private.’

Last month in June, reports surfaced that Kidman was romantically linked to a ‘high-profile businessman.’ 

According to online gossip site DeuxMoi, the pair have been taking things slow. 

A source told DeuxMoi at the time that ‘the relationship has been quietly developing for the past few months and the pair have been keeping things extremely low-key and largely out of the public eye.’

The Moulin Rouge! actress had also been joined by daughters Sunday Rose, 18, and Faith, 15, during the Italian getaway. 

Kidman shares the teenagers with ex-husband Keith Urban.

Last year in September, the Oscar winner and Urban’s separation came to light following 19 years of marriage, with the divorce being officially finalized in January.

It came after the pair had hit a rocky path in summer 2025, with the separation being reportedly a long-term development, according to Daily Mail sources.

Not long after ringing in the new year, the former couple reached a settlement agreement to finalize the divorce.

During an interview with Variety in March, Kidman opened up about the split and how she is now ‘moving forward.’

‘What I’m grateful for is my family, and keeping them as is, and moving forward. That’s that.’

The Big Little Lies star added, ‘I’m staying in a place of, “We are a family,” and that’s what we’ll continue to be. My beautiful girls, my darlings, who are suddenly women.’

When questioned if she was ‘doing all right’ after the split, the actress replied, ‘I am, because I’m always going to be moving toward what’s good.’

Other stars were also in attendance at the Lioness premiere in NYC this week, including Zoe Saldana. 

The actress put on a stylish display wearing a long-sleeved, black dress with a plunging neckline on the front. 

Saldana slipped into a pair of sheer black tights as well as closed-toed black heels. 

She accessorized the look with a chunky necklace and a few silver rings on each of her hands. 

The star’s darker locks were parted in the middle and effortlessly flowed down in elegant waves. 

Laysla De Oliveira wowed wearing a dark yellow dress that clung to her figure and contained hooded material over her head.

She opted for minimal accessories to allow the outfit to be the main focal point, and added a pair of small silver earrings as well as a dainty bracelet. 

Jill Wagner was fashionable wearing a black dress with a corset-styled bodice and puffy sleeves with black and white hues. 

Her hair was swept up into a chic updo, allowing loose wavy strands to border the sides of her face. 

For a finishing touch, the actress also donned a pair of open-toed, black pumps to complete the red carpet ensemble. 

Elizaveta Neretin was glamorous in a strapless black dress that contained sheer material on the skirt and a fitted bodice. 

Her locks were parted in the middle and pulled back into a sleek updo. For a final touch, the star also opted for black pumps.  

Kidman was seen crossing paths with De Oliveira and the pair shared a friendly embrace. 

The duo also paused for a snap with Saldana and Wagner during the starry premiere in the Big Apple.  

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — A prominent film producer in Hollywood has been taken into custody following accusations from federal prosecutors in Illinois, who allege he orchestrated a Ponzi scheme swindling investors out of over $100 million. This dramatic arrest unfolded earlier this week, casting a spotlight on the high-stakes world of celebrity finances.

Jason Cloth, a 60-year-old resident of Beverly Hills, faces seven counts of wire fraud. These charges were revealed in an indictment unsealed on Tuesday at the U.S. District Court in Chicago. According to an official statement from the Justice Department, Cloth was apprehended in the Los Angeles area, where he made his initial court appearance on the same day.

The indictment identifies Cloth as the principal operator of Creative Wealth Media Finance Corp., a financial entity based in Canada.

From 2019 to 2026, Cloth purportedly persuaded several clients, including an investment advisor from Illinois, to back supposed film and entertainment ventures as well as a gaming entertainment investment platform. According to accusations detailed by the Department of Justice, Cloth deceitfully amassed more than $100 million by misleading the Illinois advisor, the advisor’s clients, and various other investors about the true value and performance of their investments.

Prosecutors argue that Cloth was fully aware that the funds would be redirected for different purposes, which reportedly included the development of a real estate project in Canada.

Cloth is listed on IMDb as a producer of films including “Joker” and “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.” He is accused of engaging in a Ponzi scheme by using some investor funds to repay prior investors.

“The indictment seeks forfeiture from Cloth in the amount of at least $12.25 million for the projects identified in the indictment,” the news release said.

Each count of wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, according to the Justice Department.

Anyone who believes they are a victim of Cloth’s alleged fraud scheme is urged to contact the FBI’s Chicago Field Office by completing a form at fbi.gov/jasonclothvictims.

A staff member from a high school in Maryland is under fire for allegedly recording female students in a changing room. Authorities have announced new charges after uncovering eight additional victims as part of a broader investigation.

James Mulhern III, who works at Walter Johnson High School in Montgomery County, is now charged with 12 counts of abusing minors. This follows the discovery of videos featuring 12 female students in various states of undress.

The investigation kicked off when two students found a hidden camera in the theater control booth at Walter Johnson High School on April 7, according to Montgomery County police.

Upon checking the camera’s memory card, one of the students uncovered recordings from the girls’ changing room, prompting them to notify school officials.

Police said the footage showed an adult male placing the camera inside the room before leaving. The school’s principal identified the man as Mulhern, a media services technician at the school.

Detectives executed search warrants at the high school and Mulhern’s Clarksburg home, where they recovered items of evidentiary value and seized several electronic devices, according to police.

Authorities said evidence recovered during the investigation led detectives to identify eight additional alleged victims and videos dating back to 2015, expanding the case from the four victims identified when Mulhern was first charged in April.

Mulhern appeared in court Wednesday on the additional charges. A judge ordered his release on a $100,000 unsecured personal bond with conditions that he stay away from Walter Johnson High School, have no contact with minors and have only supervised contact with his 4-year-old son.

Montgomery County State’s Attorney John McCarthy said the newly uncovered evidence heightened prosecutors’ concerns in the case.

Each count of abuse of a minor carries a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison under Maryland law. If convicted on all 12 counts, Mulhern could face up to 300 years behind bars.

News Media has reached out to the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office for additional comment.

In a dramatic escalation of an already heated campaign, Republican gubernatorial hopeful Steve Hilton has launched a series of fresh allegations against his Democratic opponent, Xavier Becerra. Hilton accuses Becerra of dangerously mishandling the welfare of countless migrant children held within the state.

The California Post recently released a video from Hilton’s campaign team featuring a whistleblower, who anonymously claims to have been employed at the Pomona Fairplex.

Pomona Fairplex was one of three facilities in California designated as emergency intake sites amid a nationwide response to the surge of unaccompanied migrant children. This surge occurred under the Biden administration when Becerra was the Secretary of Health and Human Services.

In the footage, the whistleblower asserts that those who voiced concerns for the well-being of migrant children faced retaliation.

One particularly alarming allegation from the whistleblower involved the case of a 13-year-old from El Salvador. The sponsor set to receive the child was reportedly wanted by international authorities. A federal worker probing the situation was allegedly escorted off the premises, a scenario The Post has not yet corroborated independently.

“Mind you, she’s working for the government. She’s trying to protect these children,” she said in the video, “and she got escorted out. She got fired.”

“That was the, I guess you could call it the culture at the Pomona Fairplex,” she added.

In another case, another worker was doing a background check on an address that over 200 migrant children had been sent to, the whistleblower alleged. The worker saw on Google Maps that location had no homes, just a bunch of containers, and called an anti-trafficking number.

That worker was terminated the next day, the whistleblower claimed.

Becerra knew about all this, she alleged, but he would visit the Fairplex only to do photo ops.

“They knew exactly what was going on. Their concern was speed,” she said. “They wanted the children out right away rather than the concern for safety of the child. So it’s speed over safety.”

She said after a visit by Becerra, the center put even more pressure on workers to release migrant children so cases can be resolved. Workers would wait on a crucial piece of verification but instead were berated.

The Hilton campaign had already surfaced more shocking allegations this past Monday by a whistleblower claiming some children were later trafficked for sex or labor. 

Becerra has been dogged by his performance under Biden as far back as the primary, and fellow Democrats had particularly pounced on his handling of the migrant child crisis.

A February 2023 investigation by The New York Times found that thousands of unaccompanied minors were funneled into exploitative labor situations after being released from federal custody.

Becerra was infamously caught on video making remarks that “if Henry Ford had seen this in his plants, he would have never become famous and rich. This is not the way you do an assembly line.”

Hilton is now seizing on that attack line for the general election, where he faces an uphill battle in a predominantly blue state.

“These children were trafficked as a direct result of Becerra’s personal instructions to eliminate proper vetting of the adults these migrant children were being sent to,” Hilton had said Monday.

Becerra had told Congress that his agency’s legal authority over unaccompanied migrant children ends once they are placed with an approved sponsor unless Congress granted him that authority.

A spokesperson for the Becerra campaign told The Post that Hilton should instead be scrutinizing one of his biggest supporters — President Donald Trump.

“Where Sec. Becerra rebuilt the child protection systems Trump gutted, Steve Hilton has proudly allied himself with the president who put those children in harm’s way — who illegally sent a father to a foreign prison, whose separation policies continue to take children away from their parents, and whose ICE agents shot two fathers dead this month.”