Shohei Ohtani’s knee injury persists, raising red flags about the Dodgers’ championship aspirations.

As the MLB season progresses, the Dodgers’ ambition for a third consecutive World Series title might run into an unexpected hurdle—Ohtani’s unyielding knee issue.

This conundrum is the focal point of discussion for California Post baseball analysts Dylan Hernandez and Jack Harris in their recent Dodgers Post podcast episode. The dialogue follows Sunday’s announcement that the two-way star will be sidelined indefinitely, with his comeback to the mound uncertain due to ongoing knee troubles.

In the latest podcast, the duo delves into the weekend’s developments, where Ohtani was again withheld from a planned start after undergoing a knee injection during the All-Star break. Their conversation explores the implications of his injury for the remainder of the season. They contemplate whether the Dodgers should rely on Ohtani returning to his dual-role duties this year or if they should reconsider their strategies at the trade deadline, possibly scouting for another pitcher to reinforce their lineup.

Later, the pair break down the rest of the Dodgers’ weekend series win over the Yankees, including Roki Sasaki’s breakthrough start (which was highlighted by a fastball that averaged over 100 mph), Will Smith’s continued absence (which could also give the Dodgers a need to address at the trade deadline) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s Cy Young chances (after his complete game at Yankee Stadium).

Finally, they engage in serious debate about whether New York is the best road city in MLB, take audience questions and comments, and finish as always with predictions and trivia (where Jack’s scores continued to reach unthinkable depths).

All that and more on the latest episode of Dodgers Post. Subscribe on YouTube or follow along on Apple and Spotify.

In a bold move intensifying international stakes, President Donald Trump has sanctioned airstrikes on Iran for the ninth consecutive evening. This decision came mere hours after the U.S. military confirmed the loss of a third soldier in recent combat operations.

The U.S. Central Command, via a social media statement late Sunday, stated that their forces commenced operations against Iran at 7 PM EST. This action arose following the unfortunate confirmation of a soldier’s death at a military installation in Northern Iraq.

CENTCOM assured continued efforts to weaken Iranian military strength, particularly targeting their capabilities involved in the assaults on commercial vessels and civilian seafarers navigating the critical Strait of Hormuz.

When speaking with the press on Sunday night, President Trump expressed his deep condolences regarding the American lives lost.

“It’s a tragedy,” he remarked, “but these brave patriots were on the front lines to ensure Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon,” highlighting the gravity of the mission undertaken by the fallen soldiers.

‘Iran has been very, very badly damaged,’ the commander-in-chief continued. ‘They’ve lost everything almost militarily… We control the Strait; they don’t control anything.

‘So we’ll see what happens, but we hit them very hard again tonight, and we did that in honor of the…  three great patriots.’ 

American forces have already devastated Iranian missile depots, drones and air defenses in a barrage of airstrikes over the weekend, as the US military promised ‘swift punishment’ for the deaths of two service members.

Those US strikes concluded at 11.30pm on Saturday and were targeted at the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) forces responsible for the fatal attack on US assets in Jordan on Friday.

But on Sunday, CENTCOM announced that a third service member was then killed during a ‘controlled detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian one-way attack drone’ in Northern Iraq during action on Saturday. 

Trump called the deaths ‘a very sad thing’ in an interview with NewsNation’s Hannah Brandt on Sunday, but said their sacrifice was ‘in service to our country’ as he reaffirmed that ‘we’re never allowing Iran to have a nuclear weapon.’

In addition to the two fatalities, one service member is missing in action, and four others were medically evacuated to Jordanian hospitals in the attack. The troops have since been discharged, CENTCOM said in a statement on Saturday. 

The military has not released any of the soldiers’ identities out of respect for the families, as more than 50,000 soldiers were deployed across the Middle East.

Those troops were described as ‘highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready.’

But Seyed Mohammed Marandi, an Iranian-American academic who has been labeled a ‘mouthpiece’ for the Islamic regime, said Tehran has spent decades preparing for a US ground invasion.

‘The Americans are planning an invasion. I’m not saying it will necessarily happen. I’m not saying it will necessarily happen in the next few days. But they have plans for an invasion,’ Marandi, a former advisor to Iran’s nuclear negotiation team, said in an interview with political analyst Glenn Diesen.

‘Whether they carry them out or not, we’ll see. But the Iranians, as you pointed out, the focus of Iranian strikes is on Bahrain and Kuwait, and that’s because that’s where most American assets have been placed for a ground invasion,’ Diesen replied. 

The remarks came as Iran taunted the US with chilling billboards that have fueled conspiracy theories about Senator Lindsey Graham’s death and hinted at a possible assassination plot against President Trump. 

A massive red billboard popped up in Valiasr Square in Tehran this week, with an eerie message reading: ‘Who is D nexT one? #lindseygraham.’

It appeared to hint that Trump, 80, is Tehran’s next target, as the slogan in English had the unusual capitalization of the letters ‘D’ and ‘T’ appearing to reference the 47th US President.

In Enghelab Square, in central Tehran, a gigantic corner billboard displayed an image of the US President, his body dressed in a suit peeking out from an open black coffin. Written underneath, in graffiti-style in Persian and English, were the words: ‘We will kill Trump.’

These political billboards are the latest in a series targeting the US President. Earlier this week, a mural with individual, framed images of Trump, his children and Melania set above US flag-draped coffins and a backdrop of the White House, was unveiled in Palestine Square in Iran. 

The newest billboards have also fueled conspiracy theories that the Middle Eastern country may have been involved in Graham’s mysterious death at the age of 71 last weekend, as the politician was in Ukraine just days before, leading people to speculate Tehran may have orchestrated it. 

There has been no confirmation or evidence suggesting Iran had anything to do with the senator’s death.  

A video making the rounds on the internet seemingly captures the moment Iranian missiles struck an air base in Jordan, resulting in the tragic deaths of two American soldiers. In the aftermath of this assault on Friday, another service member is still unaccounted for. Meanwhile, a separate incident claimed the life of a U.S. soldier in Iraq on Saturday, underscoring the dangerous reality soldiers face, even without being directly stationed in Iran.

On Monday, U.S. gas prices surged once again, hitting an average of $4 per gallon. Concurrently, the price of Brent crude oil exceeded $90 a barrel, intensifying the already pressing global energy crisis triggered by escalating conflicts in the region.

Here’s what’s happening now:

How the Tate brothers’ extradition process could play out

Staunch supporters of former President Trump are currently in federal custody, where bail is a rarity in the context of international extradition cases. Their attorney has indicated that they are likely to remain behind bars for the immediate future.

A U.S. district judge is set to evaluate whether they satisfy the criteria for extradition, yet the final call lies with Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Although the State Department has some flexibility to reject requests, historically, nearly all British extradition requests have been approved since the enhanced treaty was ratified in 2007.

The Tates flew to Florida on a private jet last year despite a U.K. extradition request from Romania, where they also face charges. Romania’s foreign minister said at the time that a Trump administration official had expressed interest in the brothers’ legal case.

Trump said he knew “nothing about” the case when asked if his administration had pressured Romania to release the Tates.

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Tate brothers to appear in Miami court. UK wants them extradited

Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate are scheduled to appear before a federal magistrate in Miami on Monday after they were arrested to face rape and sex trafficking charges in the United Kingdom.

Their attorney Joseph McBride said the charges are “filth and slander” and that he’s confident the extradition request would be denied.

The Tates’ social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny has made them among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities.

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Why Yemen seeks to close Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea access

There were few details, but the deputy head of the Houthi media office, Nasruddin Amer, said on X that the Bab al-Mandeb strait will be closed to Saudi vessels in response to what he called Saudi Arabia’s “unjust blockade on Yemenis for over 10 years.”

The Houthis are key to Iran’s regional influence and they have a large stockpile of drones, but several Houthi members previously told the AP that the group’s weapons stockpile is running low after its attacks during the Israel-Hamas war. The Iran war has further impeded the flow of weapons, said the officials, who at the time spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to talk to the media.

Gulf nations warn of incoming Iranian fire

Bahrain sounded its missile alert sirens Monday afternoon to warn of a possible Iranian fire, while Kuwait said its air defenses were responding to incoming Iranian missiles and drones. No damage was immediately reported in either country.

Senators want answers on ICE policies

Dozens of Democratic senators and Maine’s Independent Sen. Angus King want more details on Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s vetting practices and vehicle pursuit policies following more deaths in ICE shootings.

In a letter spearheaded by King and sent to the Department of Homeland Security, the senators listed new measures to increase accountability at the agency tasked with carrying out immigration enforcement.

They said ICE should immediately start wearing uniforms or vests that clearly identify them as “ICE” instead of the more generic “POLICE” or “POLICE ICE.”

The senators also want to know whether ICE considers records of domestic violence or abuse when vetting new recruits. In Maine, the AP reported that the ICE officer who opened fire and killed a man from Colombia had a history of violent behavior detailed in family court records.

As student loan defaults surge, Trump is making borrowers pay more

Defaults are reaching record levels as borrowers struggle to pay.

The numbers have spiked since payments came due again following a lengthy pause intended to provide relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, around 9.5 million people — 1 in 5 federal student loan borrowers — are in default, meaning their wages or Social Security payments could be garnished. The Trump administration has held off on such involuntary collections for now.

And still another wave of defaults could be coming. The Trump administration eliminated the most generous income-driven repayment plan, Saving on a Valuable Education, or SAVE, as part of its overhaul of the federal student loan system. Millions who had been enrolled in SAVE now must pay more each month.

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Yemen’s Houthis announce a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia

A Houthi military spokesperson described the embargo on Monday, effective immediately, as an “eye for an eye” response.

Attacks by the Houthis and the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen last week damaged Sanaa International Airport and Abha airport in Saudi Arabia, threatening a truce that began in 2022.

Imposing an embargo could put new pressure on Saudi Arabia, which is sending oil through pipes to the Red Sea as a way of avoiding the chokehold in the Strait of Hormuz.

Houthis attacked more than 100 ships over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. It’s unclear whether the Houthis will keep up that level of attack now against Saudi Arabia.

US launches ninth night of Iran strikes

The U.S. military’s Central Command said Monday’s strikes targeted “Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and communications networks.”

Iranian authorities on Sunday said at least 50 people have been killed and 517 wounded in the latest rounds of U.S. strikes. Since the war began on Feb. 28, 17 U.S. service members have been killed.

The U.S. military said the latest service member was killed in Iraq on Saturday during the “controlled detonation” of a downed Iranian drone.

“We hit them very hard again tonight,” Trump said. “And we did that in honor” of the soldiers killed.

Another vessel is ablaze in the strait as Iran targets tankers

As the strikes began, a vessel caught fire early Monday in the Strait of Hormuz after being hit by a projectile near the coastline of Oman, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said. The crew abandoned the vessel, which was adrift and still ablaze hours later, the UKMTO said.

The route around Oman has been the one the U.S. military has encouraged ships to travel to avoid Iran’s control. The Guard later claimed it was targeting tankers in the strait.

US bombing of Iran expands as American troops killed and Tehran retaliates

The United States targeted Iran with a new round of airstrikes early Monday after announcing the death of another American service member, hitting areas around a city believed to house underground missile bases. Iran responded by attacking Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, and Kuwait.

Step by step, the U.S. and Iran have inched closer to all-out war. Last month’s interim deal meant to permanently end the fighting has crumbled. Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has largely stalled. Both sides have targeted civilian infrastructure relied on by millions of people.

Meanwhile, benchmark Brent crude rose Monday above $90 a barrel, further fueling a global energy crisis sparked by the conflict. An average gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S. rose to $4, putting more pressure on American wallets ahead of midterm elections this fall.

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In a notable shift reflecting evolving perspectives on incarceration, the New York City Board of Correction is set to eliminate the term “inmate” from its jail regulations. The move involves substituting it with “person in custody” as part of a long-standing initiative aimed at emphasizing that being imprisoned should not become a person’s sole identity.

This latest measure takes inspiration from a 2021 effort which originally started phasing out the use of “inmate” from the Board’s Minimum Standards. Officials back then determined that individuals should not be solely characterized by their time in custody.

“Individuals held by the Department of Correction are first and foremost human beings, and their incarceration does not solely define them,” stated the Board in 2021. “Thus, we are committed to using person-first language consistently in our Standards and communications moving forward.”

Continuing with this initiative, the Board has methodically begun replacing “inmates” with more inclusive terms such as “people,” “persons,” and “individuals in custody.” The newest proposal seeks to expand these revisions to additional segments of the regulations.

The changes are reflected throughout the rulebook.

A section formerly titled “Classification of Prisoners,” for example, was renamed “Classification of People in Custody,” while numerous references to “prisoners” and “inmates” were rewritten. The regulations also define a “person in custody” as “any person confined in a facility.”

The proposal says the amendments are intended to continue the Board’s earlier work.

“In 2021, the Board made a commitment to employ person-first language in its Minimum Standards and communications by deleting references to ‘inmates’ in favor of person-first terms such as ‘people in custody,'” the proposal states. “The Board proposes continuing this vital effort in Chapters 2 and 3.”

The city is not alone in moving away from the word “inmate.”

In 2022, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation replacing references to “inmate” throughout state law with “incarcerated individual.”

The measure amended dozens of provisions across New York law to adopt the new terminology, though New York City instead chose the phrase “person in custody.”

The terminology debate has resurfaced as New York City’s correction system has drawn renewed public attention following a FIFA World Cup semifinal watch party at Rikers Island attended by Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani.

During the event, Mamdani told attendees, “These are New Yorkers, and they will be New Yorkers when they get out of Rikers.”

The city’s terminology changes do not alter jail operations, housing policies or disciplinary procedures.

Instead, the Board has characterized the revisions as an effort to modernize its regulations and ensure the language reflects its longstanding philosophy that people should not be defined solely by their incarceration.

News Media reached out to the New York City Board of Correction asking why it chose “person in custody” instead of “incarcerated individual,” the term adopted by New York state, and whether the Board received public feedback on the proposal.

Requests for comment were also sent to the Correction Officers’ Benevolent Association, which represents New York City’s correction officers, and the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit criminal justice reform organization.