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We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
We have a curated list of the most noteworthy news from all across the globe. With any subscription plan, you get access to exclusive articles that let you stay ahead of the curve.
Lara Trump, at 43, has sparked a social media buzz with her impressive physique, showcasing defined arms and chiseled abs. Recently, she unveiled the key to her fitness success in a candid discussion on The Riley Gaines Show. During the July 21 episode, host Riley Gaines noted one of the most common inquiries from her audience centered on Lara’s sculpted body. Lara eagerly shared, “I do a little bit of everything,” expressing her delight over the growing focus on fitness and health. Praising the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement, she credited it with encouraging a shift from pharmaceutical reliance to wellness-focused lifestyles. Lara emphasized, “I’ve always worked out, making it a priority for myself, even if it’s only for 30 to 45 minutes.”
Mixing Up Workouts
“Sometimes that’s all I have, often very early in the morning, but I try to make it happen,” she remarked, underscoring the mental and physical benefits of her regimen. A fan of Pilates when her schedule allows, Lara believes that diversity in workouts keeps the body guessing. “I do a little bit of everything,” she reiterated. Her training includes prepping for triathlons and extensive biking, though Lara noted a reduction in her running. “If I can, I love a good run,” she admitted to Gaines, a former swimmer from the University of Kentucky.
Early morning workouts set the tone
Lara’s exercise routine is dynamic, encompassing weightlifting and CrossFit as well. She encourages variation in workouts to prevent stagnation. Rising at 5 a.m. on most days to hit the gym, she confessed there are occasions she starts as early as 3:45 a.m. to fit in a session before a flight. “I aim to get my workout done in the morning so I can avoid thinking about it throughout the day,” Lara explained.
Prioritizing Protein
On the diet side, Lara opened up about the challenges of maintaining a healthy eating plan amidst her frequent travels for work. “When you’re on the road, it’s tough to eat well, but I make protein a priority,” she noted. Typically, she isn’t a breakfast enthusiast but makes an effort to consume high-protein foods like egg whites. “I sometimes have a protein shake to kickstart my day right,” she shared with Gaines.
Lara emphasized the satiating and muscle-building benefits of protein, highlighting its role in burning calories. “I urge everyone to focus on protein intake and weightlifting; that’s the transformative combo,” she declared. During the insightful chat, Lara also revealed her and husband Eric Trump’s affinity for saunas and cold plunges, appreciating the mental challenge the latter presents. “If I can endure cold water despite the discomfort, I believe I could tackle many difficult tasks,” Lara reflected.
‘People don’t realize that the benefit of these things goes far beyond the physical.’ Her interview with Gaines comes just weeks after fans were left so stunned by her bulging biceps after she shared a snap showing them off on Instagram. Back in June, she posted a photo on Instagram modeling her clothing line, Lara Trump Collection, which left her toned arms and ripped abdominals in full view. Her followers were so impressed by her arms that some even wondered if it was AI-generated. ‘Are those guns legal in America?’ one user joked, while another simply wrote: ‘Insane muscles.’ Someone else typed: ‘Is your body real or AI generated?’ Lara launched her fitness apparel brand, Lara Trump Collection, in November 2024. Inspiration for the brand, she said, came from a desire to show that women ‘could do anything the guys could do.’
During a rally on Wednesday, President Donald Trump promoted a new initiative that allows parents to open special accounts for their babies, offering a $1,000 start-up fund. Dubbed “Trump Accounts,” this initiative is designed to help children get a head start on the path to achieving the American dream.
The accompanying video comes from a previous news report.
“Think of that. The government is finally giving money back to our children,” Trump exclaimed to the enthusiastic crowd assembled at a high school in Georgia.
However, some parents who initiated these accounts earlier this month reported they are still awaiting their funds. The accounts officially became active on July 4, just two days before Trump ceremonially rang the opening bells for both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq from the Oval Office.
These tax-advantaged accounts are available for any child under 18, with Trump announcing that over 7 million accounts are already active. Babies born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, will receive a $1,000 grant from the U.S. Treasury. According to the Treasury Department, most families receive their funds within one or two days.
After the Trump Accounts are set up, parents, relatives, friends and employers can contribute to them. Some billionaires have also
In a gripping legal battle unfolding in Massachusetts, the ex-husband of a woman charged with the harrowing murder of her three children is pushing to shield certain sensitive evidence from the public. This comes as potential jurors are fervently requesting to be excused from the harrowing trial.
Lindsay Clancy, 35, stands accused of fatally strangling her three young children—Cora, aged five, Dawson, aged three, and eight-month-old Callan—an unthinkable tragedy that occurred in January 2023.
While Clancy has admitted to the killings, she maintains a plea of not guilty, attributing her actions to a debilitating episode of postpartum psychosis, which she argues absolves her of culpability.
As jury selection began on Monday for this high-stakes case, Clancy’s former husband took decisive action by filing a motion with Judge William Sullivan. According to WPRI, he is seeking to restrict access to his 911 call made the day of the tragic incident.
Patrick Clancy, now remarried, further requested that the court prevent the public dissemination of photos of his children. This includes images captured before their deaths, at the crime scene, and during autopsies, to ensure the family’s privacy is respected during the ongoing trial.
‘The potential harmful and everlasting emotional impact to Mr. Clancy and his family of any public dissemination of such graphic and sensational evidence and exhibits related to his three children is immeasurable,’ his attorney David Meier explained in the motion.
‘Likewise, the disrespect for the dignity and memory of the three child victims that would inherently be occasioned by such dissemination speaks for itself.’
Meier noted that Patrick is ‘not seeking to close the courtroom.’
Lindsay Clancy, 35, is on trial for the ruthless murder of her three children. She has pleaded not guilty and claimed she is not responsible for her actions because she was suffering postpartum psychosis
Her ex husband, Patrick Clancy (pictured with their children), has stood by her side and asked the judge to block the public from seeing sensitive evidence
‘Mr. Clancy seeks a narrowly circumscribed order limiting the recording, display, and disclosure by the media (or any other persons) of certain graphic and sensational items of evidence related to his three young children, which, if disseminated, would only serve to perpetuate the already severe emotional harm to Mr. Clancy and his family,’ he wrote.
Jury selection entered its fourth day on Thursday as the prosecution and the defense struggled to find jurors willing to sit through the trial.
On Wednesday, one man who had previously been selected to serve on the jury told the judge: ‘I just don’t know if I can handle being on the jury,’ The Boston Globe reported.
The judge dismissed the man, adding him to the more than 250 potential jurors who have already been excused from the case.
On Thursday, lawyers began their search for one more juror after that man was dismissed.
However, the case took another turn when two more jurors asked to be dismissed and the judge granted their request.
In total, eighteen jurors, including six alternates, are expected to be chosen over several days for the trial in Plymouth, which is near the family’s home in Duxbury, an upscale coastal suburb about 30 miles south of Boston.
The judge said he expects the trial to last six to eight weeks.
Prosecutors are planning to argue the killings were intentional and well planned, not the work of someone who had lost control.
Clancy strangled her children – Cora, five, Dawson, three, and eight-month-old Callan – back in January 2023, then attempted to kill herself
Patrick is expected to testify in her defense after he filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing multiple doctors and healthcare providers of overmedicating his wife and causing her to spiral out of control
She was paralyzed after falling from the home’s second-story window and is being held at a state hospital
On the day of the killings, Clancy asked her husband to leave their home to get takeout food and to pick up something at a pharmacy.
Clancy strangled the children with exercise bands, then used multiple methods to try to end her own life.
She was paralyzed after falling from the home’s second-story window and is being held at a state hospital.
Patrick is expected to testify in her defense after he filed a wrongful death lawsuit accusing multiple doctors and healthcare providers of overmedicating his wife and causing her to spiral out of control.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
Maintaining a robust lower body is vital as we grow older, supporting our independence and enhancing our quality of life.
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Reaching your sixties is a perfect time to step up your fitness game. Keeping muscle and bone strength intact becomes crucial for maintaining your vitality and well-being. Integrating squats into your exercise routine is a fantastic start. Squats are exceptional for building leg strength, enhancing mobility, and promoting healthy joint function. This single exercise targets key muscle groups such as the calves, core, glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings. These muscles play crucial roles in essential activities like standing, walking, balancing, and climbing stairs. Once you make squats part of your routine, there are numerous ways to push your limits. According to Dr. Andrew Gorecki, PT, DPT, FAFS, the Owner of Superior Physical Therapy in Traverse City, MI, and co-founder/CEO of MovementRx, being able to perform a significant number of squats post-60 is an indicator of exceptional leg strength.
Is Squat Count a Reliable Measure?
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When it comes to those over 60, squat repetitions are a fantastic gauge of lower-body functionality. However, Dr. Gorecki clarifies that while it tests endurance, coordination, balance, and cardiovascular capability, it doesn’t specifically measure absolute strength. This test offers insight into the body’s comprehensive operative system, including hip and ankle mobility.
“That comprehensive view is precisely why this assessment is so valuable,” Dr. Gorecki emphasizes. “It evaluates the entire physiology that ensures someone remains capable in everyday activities, which is far more critical than a single attribute. Clinicians favor tests like the 30-second chair stand not for its precision in strength measurement. It’s that decline in repetition count signifies a systemic issue, closely linked to risks of falling, hospital stays, and a diminishing independence,” he explains.
Essentially, if you’re able to perform a lot of squats with solid form, you have functional lower-body strength that translates to real-life movement.
“If you can’t do many, the reason might be strength, mobility, balance, cardiovascular capacity, or knee pain from bad form. Sorting out which one it is matters for how to fix it,” Dr. Gorecki adds.
3 Daily Movements That Keep Your Body 10 Years Younger After 44
Why Are Squats a Valuable Assessment of Aging Function?
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The squat pattern is embedded in basically everything older adults need in order to move seamlessly and remain independent.
“Getting off the toilet is a squat. Getting out of a chair is a squat. Getting out of a car is a squat. Picking up something off the floor is a squat plus a hinge. If any part of the squat pattern breaks down (ankle mobility, knee control, hip strength, core stability), all of those daily movements get harder,” Dr. Gorecki explains.
Squats also load the whole lower-body chain at the same time—the glutes, quads, hamstrings, core, hips, knees, calves, spine, and ankles. Testing the squat pattern serves as a solid functional test of the entire system.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e
“That’s why it’s so predictive of outcomes clinicians care about like fall risk and independence, and why it’s more useful than isolated strength tests like a leg extension max,” Dr. Gorecki notes.
If You Can Pass These 3 Drills, You’re Moving Better Than Most People at Any Age
What Squat Number Counts as Top-Tier After 60?
While there isn’t a universal squat benchmark for individuals over 60, we do have some numbers to work with.
According to Dr. Gorecki, “The 30-second chair stand test, developed by Rikli and Jones as part of the Senior Fitness Test battery, has actual normative data across age groups. That’s the closest thing to a legitimate benchmark.”
Here’s what to strive for, inspired by those norms as an anchor. In the 30-second chair stand test, the following serves as the “top range”:
Ages 60-64: 16 or more for men; 14 or more for women
Ages 65-69: 15 or more for men; 13 or more for women
Ages 70-74: 14 or more for men; 12 or more for women
Ages 75-79: 13 or more for men; 11 or more for women
Ages 80-84: 11 or more for men; 10 or more for women
Ages 85-89: 10 or more for men; 8 or more for women
Elite After 60?
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“If someone can do 20 or more chair stands in 30 seconds at any age over 60, that’s elite. That number is roughly what fit adults in their 40s produce,” Dr. Gorecki explains. “If we’re talking about deep bodyweight squats (down to thighs parallel to floor, back up, no assistance), the counts are lower because the range of motion is bigger. A rough estimate for top-tier bodyweight squats in 60 seconds would be 25 to 30 for men, 20 to 25 for women. But I want to be honest, that’s an extrapolation, not a validated number.”
The goal shouldn’t be chasing a certain squat number. What matters more is whether the squat pattern is effective. For instance, if you’re able to get up from a seated position without pushing off with your hands, do 10 to 15 consecutively, and still feel stable, your lower body is working just fine.
“If you can’t, that’s not just a fitness problem. That’s an independence issue you want to address before it gets worse,” Dr. Gorecki adds.
This article contains references to family and domestic violence.
On Monday, 27 July, a vast number of mobile phones throughout Australia will ring out with a loud emergency alert as the country initiates a test of its new AusAlert system.
This comprehensive test aims to confirm that Australians can receive essential and potentially lifesaving warnings in cases of emergencies, ranging from natural disasters to public safety concerns and biosecurity threats.
The Immigrant Women’s Speakout Association in Western Sydney expresses significant concern that the alert could expose women relying on concealed emergency phones as a vital safety tool.
Its CEO, Maria Kissouri, says: “They need that phone in case of an emergency to be able to contact Triple Zero if they felt their life was threatened — that those women’s safety might be compromised as an unintended consequence of the AusAlert system.”
The organisation has supported migrant women experiencing domestic and family violence for more than 40 years.
A 2021 national study of migrant and refugee women conducted by Monash University’s Migration and Inclusion Centre and the Harmony Alliance found one in three respondents had experienced family and domestic violence in the previous five years, rising to 40 per cent among temporary visa holders, who also reported much higher patterns of migration-related abuse and threats.
“What they experience after arriving in the country is abuse from their fiancé, their partner, or the person that they’ve just married,” Kissouri tells SBS News.
As the nationwide test alert approaches, advocates are working to contact victim-survivors who may face risks from the alert — but say they cannot contact some people directly because doing so could compromise their safety.
They’re also concerned the authorities haven’t provided information about the alert in enough languages.
“Where it’s safe to do so, [we’ve been] calling every woman that we’re aware of that has a safe phone and letting her know to have it switched off well before the alert is scheduled, or to give the phone to somebody else, if that’s possible,” Kissouri says.
“It’s often not possible, often people don’t have a safe person that they’ve disclosed the abuse to; many women share with us that we’re the first person that really knows just what’s going on for them in their home and for their children as well.”
A ‘direct and discreet’ approach
Katarina Carroll, deputy coordinator general for emergency management and response with the National Emergency Management Agency, says the agency has worked with community organisations to reach people who may be at risk, including through information translated into 19 languages.
“What people don’t see, and it is probably some of the most important work, is that work through our peak bodies of going to the victims directly and discreetly and having the conversation with them personally,” Carroll tells SBS News.
“That is incredibly important, and probably the safest way of doing this with victims of domestic violence.”
The alert test will take place at 2pm AEST on Monday, sending a critical alert to compatible mobile phones and smartwatches across Australia.
How AusAlert works
AusAlert is Australia’s new national emergency warning system, developed in response to a recommendation from the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements following the devastating 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.
Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain says the bushfires exposed limitations in the previous SMS-based warning system, which relied on mobile coverage and the delivery of individual messages.
Under AusAlert, there will be two levels of warnings: priority and critical.
Priority alerts are used for serious threats where conditions are changing. They will not override a phone’s Do Not Disturb or Silent settings, and users can choose to disable them.
The highest level, a critical alert, is reserved for situations where people face an immediate threat and urgent action is required.
The 27 July test will use this highest-level alert.
Because critical alerts are designed for life-threatening situations, they override silent mode or Do Not Disturb settings.
However, there are ways users can avoid receiving the test, McBain says.
If you don’t want that alert to disrupt or cause anyone in your family to feel unsafe, then turn off your device or switch it to airplane mode before the scheduled test time.
“We recommend you leave your device off for at least an hour after that scheduled test time as well.”
Concerns beyond the test
The Queensland-based charity DV Safe Phone has provided more than 20,000 phones to victim-survivors of domestic and family violence since it was established six years ago.
Founder and CEO Ashton Wood says the phones provided by the organisation are supplied switched off, and users are encouraged to keep them that way until they are needed.
“We suggest the safe phone is always turned off until you need it, so we’re not worried about the AusAlert for those types of conditions because the phones will be shut down, and AusAlert cannot get to a phone that’s been shut down,” he tells SBS News.
However, Wood says there is still a risk for victim-survivors who have a hidden phone that is switched on without the perpetrator knowing it exists.
“That phone will definitely make a noise if it’s turned on and it’s not in flight mode, so even if it’s in silent mode or do not disturb or standard mode, it will make a noise,” he says.
DV Safe Phone says it has contacted the service providers through which it distributes phones, and that information about AusAlert is being included with phones as they’re handed out.
Advocates say the alert may also be distressing for other groups, including people living with disabilities, dementia or autism, to name a few.
AusAlert rollout
AusAlert is expected to be fully operational from October, ahead of the summer period when Australia typically records an increase in severe weather events, including bushfires, storms and floods.
The system will enable emergency services to send millions of messages in near real time.
“It’s one of a range of methods that emergency services will use to alert the community about incidents that are happening near them, in particular natural disasters,” McBain says.
“We obviously would recommend people keep in the loop with their local emergency services for a range of information.”
Balancing safety and access
Wesnet, the national peak body for domestic and family violence services, has provided 50,000 phones through its Safe Connections program.
Wesnet CEO Karen Bentley says people who may be concerned about receiving a critical alert will need to consider their own circumstances once the AusAlert system is operational.
“I think each person’s got to make their own decision about that,” she tells SBS News.
“Certainly, I think that if you’re in a risky situation, having access to a phone so that you can make a call to either emergency services or something is going to outweigh the risk, the possibility that there might be a critical alert.”
If you or someone you know is impacted by family and domestic violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732, or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au. In an emergency, call 000.
In a heated exchange of words, Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman labeled New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani a “clown” following Mamdani’s bold yet controversial call to detain Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to the Big Apple. Fetterman criticized Mamdani’s International Criminal Court-endorsed threat as sheer theatrics and urged the mayor to focus on pressing local matters instead of escalating international tensions.
Images capture a busy day in politics: Sen. John Fetterman, dressed for dialogue, converses with journalists in the Senate subway of the U.S. Capitol on June 2, 2026. Meanwhile, Mayor Mamdani is seen in New York City on May 12, 2026, before addressing the fiscal year 2027 budget. (Images provided by Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images; TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP via Getty Images)
Mayor Zohran Mamdani of New York City made headlines by calling for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of war crimes and insisting the federal authorities respond to an International Criminal Court mandate.
In a coinciding development, the Israeli Defense Forces disclosed that they had intentionally targeted Palestinian soccer players. According to the IDF, these individuals—comprising players, referees, and coaches—were collaborating with Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants. The forces named 11 deceased players, with allegations linking some to the horrific October 7 massacre, and criticized the portrayal of these figures as innocent sports personalities while allegedly masking their terror affiliations.
The Israeli Defense Forces they deliberately targeted innocent Palestinian soccer players, exposing killed athletes, referees, and coaches as covert Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists. The IDF revealed the identities of 11 dead players—including three allegedly tied to the brutal October 7 massacre—accusing critics of using sports stars to hide deadly terror ties.
A resurfaced clip of NYC’s socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani has sparked furious online backlash. Critics blasted the anti-Israel Mayor as “deranged” and out-of-touch, as he continues taking heat for skipping the city’s Israel parade and plotting a wild scheme to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in New York.
: A movie theater outside Portland, Oregon, is after it displayed a marquee advertising Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” with a provocative message critics are calling antisemitic. The Lake Theater and Cafe’s marquee read, “Before there were the Jews, there was… The Odyssey.” The marquee sparked outrage in the Jewish community, and critics claimed the message was historically inaccurate.
: Warren Cohn, CEO and founder of Rocketship PR and media adviser to the American Middle East Press Association, writes that Zohran Mamdani’s obsession with Israel is . “New Yorkers elected a mayor to obsess over New York, over crime, over housing, over sanitation, over schools,” not a country 6,000 miles away, Cohn writes.
“He’s just a clown to even say that, so he won’t try that. Just sit down and focus on other problems that they have in New York. That’s really not your purview. You and I know that. Sit down.” – Sen. John Fetterman on New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
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Courtney Stodden is calling for more than just an apology from “Seinfeld” alum Jason Alexander after he expressed regret for his actions during a 2012 sketch that involved inappropriate contact with her when she was a minor.
In an interview with Variety on Wednesday, the 31-year-old reflected on the moment Alexander, 66, issued his public apology. Stodden admitted feeling “very taken aback” by his remorse as she noted, “It’s not often that adults take accountability for their actions.”
“When I first heard about his public apology, I felt grateful,” Stodden revealed. “Recognizing a mistake is the first step toward meaningful change.”
Nonetheless, Stodden believes that real change demands more than words. She suggested that Alexander could demonstrate his commitment through concrete actions, such as advocating for anti-child marriage legislation.
To that end, Stodden encouraged Alexander to support AB 1267, a bill currently under consideration in the California Assembly that seeks to ban child marriage. Additionally, she urged him to consider donating to Unchained at Last, a nonprofit dedicated to ending child marriage.
Stodden — who was famously underage when she married 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchinson in 2011 — also called it “really frightening” that California allows minors to marry.
Earlier this week, Stodden put Alexander on blast for a controversial 2012 “Funny or Die” sketch, where the comedian repeatedly rubbed his phone across Stodden’s breasts while she was dressed in a skimpy bikini.
“Looking back now, I don’t see comedy,” Stodden wrote on Instagram Monday. “I see a 17-year-old girl whose body became part of an adult joke.”
In response, Alexander told Page Six he “truly regret[s]” participating in the “inappropriate” sketch.
“But more importantly, I am deeply sorry for any harm or distress it has caused Ms. Stodden,” he added. “I offer her my sincerest apologies.”
Stodden told Variety she realized she was offended by the sketch years later while watching the scene from “Pretty Woman” where Alexander’s character assaults prostitute Vivian Ward, played by Julia Roberts.
“I was in shock,” Stodden said of seeing the scene. “It felt very close to home, and like he pulled from ‘Pretty Woman’ and thought it would be funny to recreate that with a child. I didn’t know he was going to be feeling me up on set.”
Stodden added that she “was very manipulated” into being groped in the skit when she was only a “child.”
“I really just trusted the adults around me, and this is the effect of that,” she shared. “Looking back on it, it’s really damaging.”
In a statement to Page Six about the sketch, Stodden said her reason for speaking out about her experience with Alexander “isn’t about revisiting the past for its own sake.”
Instead, Stodden said her goal is to “create a future where children are better protected and where adults in positions of power are held to a higher standard.”
A conscientious widower found himself at odds with the Internal Revenue Service after they mistakenly issued him a hefty $20,000 refund. His attempt to rectify the error has instead spiraled into a bureaucratic nightmare.
Seventy-six-year-old Wilson Perry Kirby from Coopertown, Tennessee, faces the daunting prospect of losing his $930,000 farm. The IRS is threatening to seize it unless he forks over $2,575 in interest linked to their erroneous refund.
The ordeal started in May 2022 when Kirby received the unexpected check. Acting promptly, he enlisted an accountant to return the money and alert the IRS to their mistake.
Kirby, who struggles with technology, initially had the assistance of his late wife, Norma Jean, to try resolving the issue. Unfortunately, Norma Jean passed away in 2024, leaving Kirby to continue the battle alone.
Now, four years later, Kirby finds himself stuck in a seeming bureaucratic maze with no resolution in sight. However, steadfast in his conviction, he refuses to concede because he knows he has done nothing wrong.
‘She didn’t make a mistake,’ Kirby said of his accountant during an interview with WTVF. ‘I didn’t make a mistake, they made a mistake!’
Wilson Perry Kirby, 76, a Tennessee farmer, was accidentally sent a $20,000 refund from the IRS in May 2022. He immediately tried to return the funds but has not been able to
Kirby has been warned he faces losing his $930,000 farm in Cooperstown, Tennessee, if he does not pay the IRS what he supposedly owes
IRS bosses withheld Kirby’s most recent $1,800 tax refund and put it towards the total $4,300 interest they claim he owes on the wrongful refund.
They also sent him a threatening letter claiming the farmer still owes $2,575 they say is ‘due immediately.’
‘You must pay your balance immediately or we may levy [seize] your property,’ the document stated. ‘If you don’t make your payment now, we’ll consider your noncompliance an active choice and you could face a levy.’
Kirby said he cried when he saw that his refund had been withheld and that ‘it hurt me.’
The desperate farmer says he has reached out to every lawmaker he can think of for help, without success.
‘I’ve tried the president, governor, mayor. They don’t mind asking you to vote for them, but when you need help you can’t get ahold of nobody. You have to talk to a dang computer,’ he said.
The IRS recently sent Kirby this notice demanding he pay interest on the refund the agency accidentally sent him and threatening to seize his property if he does not
The widowed farmer has been driven to despair and frequently cries at the thought of losing the home where he has lived for decades
Kirby said his wife, Norma Jean, was more tech-savvy than him and was helping him with his IRS dispute, but since she died in August 2024, he has been handling it largely on his own
An old family portrait of Kirby with his wife and their son
Kirby reached out to WTVF in May to plead for help, with Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn calling him after to say the tax fiasco ‘was settled.’
But then Kirby had his tax refund withheld and received the threatening letter warning he faced losing his home. He contacted WTVF again to share an update on the seemingly unwinnable David versus Goliath battle that he is fighting.
The farmer tried going to the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service in downtown Nashville earlier this month, but he said the appointment did not advance his case.
‘I wish they would get it straightened out. And get one person to work on it,’ Kirby told WTVF.
‘I’ve cried, I’m ’bout to cry right now. I don’t know what I’m going to do,’ he added.
The IRS stonewalled the Daily Mail when contacted about the misery its officers continue to inflict on Kirby.
A spokesman said they couldn’t comment on the fiasco because of federal disclosure regulations and federal privacy laws.
On Thursday, global oil prices soared past the $100-a-barrel mark amid intensifying conflicts in the Middle East. This escalation follows Iran-backed Houthi rebels from Yemen launching attacks on Red Sea shipping routes.
Brent crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, briefly reached $100.64 per barrel at 10:05 a.m. ET. This marked a notable jump of $6.57, or 7%, based on FactSet’s data. Meanwhile, West Texas Intermediate, the main U.S. crude benchmark, increased to $91.83 per barrel, reflecting a 5.8% rise.
Fuel prices at the pump are following the upward trend, with the national average for gas climbing to $4.09 per gallon on Thursday. This is a rise from $3.94 recorded just a week prior, according to statistics from AAA.
The stock markets reacted sharply to these developments, with both the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average experiencing a 1% drop shortly after trading began on Thursday, shedding 74 points and 514 points, respectively. The Nasdaq Composite, known for its technology stocks, fared worse, losing 1.8%.
The Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for attacks on two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea on Wednesday. This action heightened threats to maritime shipping in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical channel for approximately 7% of the global oil supply, as reported by Oxford Economics. This strait serves as a crucial passageway linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, facilitating sea trade.
The surge in oil prices complicates the outlook for the Federal Reserve, which is set to make its next interest rate decision on July 29. Resurgent oil prices threaten to push inflation higher, which could place pressure on the Fed to keep rates steady — or even introduce a hike – to counter rising prices, experts say.
“Rate cuts investors were counting on for later this year look a lot less certain today than they did even a week ago, and then they were on shaky ground,” said Nigel Green, the CEO of investment firm deVere Group, in an email.
There’s now a 36% probability the Fed could increase its benchmark rate on July 29, according to CME FedWatch, which uses 30-day Fed Funds futures prices to estimate the central bank’s interest rate decisions. A week ago, that probability stood at about 11%, its data shows.
The war also showed other signs of intensifying, with the U.S. upping the number of refueling aircraft deployed to Israel. Open-source flight-tracking data also showed American B-1 bombers leaving the U.K. The U.S. has launched 12 consecutive nights of strikes on targets across Iran.
Treasury yields rose amid higher oil prices, with the 10-year Treasury climbing to 4.71%.
The last time global oil prices settled above $100 was on May 22, data from FactSet shows.
!['Sometimes [that] is all I get, sometimes very early in the morning, I try to take it.' She shared that not only has working out been physically good for her, but also mentally. 'I'm also into Pilates whenever my schedule allows, but I try to do a little bit of everything, and I think that keeping your body guessing is always the key,' she said. 'I do a little bit of everything. I train for triathlons, I try to stay kind of ready in case something comes along, so I do a lot of biking,' Lara revealed to former University of Kentucky swimmer Gaines. 'I do less running than I used to, but I love to go for a run if I can.](https://i.dailymail.com/1s/2026/07/21/21/110162019-0-_Sometimes_that_is_all_I_get_sometimes_very_early_in_the_morning-a-237_1784664555780.jpg)
