“Fire, fire, fire!” echoes the command from a Kibbutz Bror Hayil security member as he directs his weapon at a volunteer pretending to be a threat. This kibbutz, situated close to the Gaza border, was near the route used by thousands of Hamas-affiliated Palestinians who entered Israel and were responsible for the tragic loss of around 1,200 lives on October 7, 2023.

The training, covered by News Media, marked the eighth such drill organized by Magen48 in collaboration with the Israel Defense Forces. This comprehensive exercise involved local civilian defense teams and aimed to reinforce readiness in southern Israeli settlements for emergencies akin to those experienced on October 7.

Within one scenario, the response to a mock terrorist intrusion at the kibbutz kindergarten was tested. As IDF units were en route, the civilian defense group had to act swiftly, balancing the presence of children, low visibility conditions, and the dual objectives of tackling the threat and facilitating a secure evacuation. During the simulation, a mock grenade explosion resulted in a pretend injury to the leg of one defense squad member, while others successfully subdued the attackers.

In earlier sessions, participants learned to operate weapons from behind cover while sitting, lying down, standing and moving. They are also trained to work in pairs and larger groups while developing communication skills. The exercises grew increasingly complex, with teams conducting drills inside buildings and responding to continuous emergency alerts.

Because the exercise took place inside a civilian community, no live ammunition was used. All weapons and equipment were secured to prevent accidental discharge. Residents were notified in advance of the drill.

Among the 47 participants were IDF soldiers and medical personnel from the Gaza Division’s Northern Brigade.

Magen48 instructor T., who could not reveal his full name for security reasons, said the Bror Hayil program initially presented significant challenges.

“The civil defense squad was made up of soldiers who had served in special forces alongside others who had never held combat roles in the military. Some were issued weapons they had never used during their service. Training begins with weapons familiarization, covering the basics of firearm operation and how to manipulate the weapon’s safety mechanisms,” he said.

One lesson drawn from Oct. 7 was that many members of civilian security squads responded alone. “Whoever ran alone was not able to fend off terrorists,” T. said, explaining that the training emphasizes locating another squad member before engaging whenever possible.

“The idea behind this project is to establish a unified operational language, so that if an incident occurs, nearby communities can join the response and coordinate effectively,” he said.

“The idea is that they are able to manage the event until forces arrive, then hand over control in an orderly manner while continuing to work together. They know the kibbutz, they work well as teams and they have undergone high-quality training that sharpened their skills.”

Magen48, established in July 2024 and named for the 48 first responders killed on Oct. 7, has trained 1,500 civilians to respond to life-threatening emergencies, equipping them with the knowledge, skills and resources to contend with scenarios including terrorist attacks, medical emergencies and fires.

Counterterrorism expert Ehud Dribben, who has 30 years of experience in the field, co-founded the organization with Ari Briggs and Mike Aron. As the three began planning to create a training facility, the IDF approached them to develop a program providing each of the 67 Gaza Envelope communities with 12 full training days annually. To date, Magen48 has conducted more than 550 training sessions.

The training exercise began with the community command center issuing an alert about eight terrorists infiltrating the kibbutz, prompting members of the civil defense squad to mobilize to their assigned defensive positions.

Briggs and Dribben designed the exercise around five key locations where the defense squad would ultimately need to concentrate its forces. Response times are measured, and every step — from alerting residents to engaging the terrorists and evacuating casualties — is closely monitored.

“The reports that emerged after Oct. 7 showed that civilian first responders were incredibly brave. They were prepared to do anything to protect their families, friends and communities, but they were not trained adequately and lacked the equipment they needed,” Briggs said.

“Strong, well-trained civilian response teams don’t just improve security — they help bring communities back together, strengthen resilience and ensure these towns grow and have an amazing future,” he added.

Retired British Col. Richard Kemp, who observed the training exercises, said the primary objective is to prevent another Oct. 7.

“I was in the British army for 30 years, so I understand the importance of defense and security for a country like Israel,” he told News Media. “If you know that your enemy has a capability of any sort to endanger you, you have to be ready to deal with that capability through the kind of work that Magen48 is doing.”

Kemp called the drill one of the most complex exercises he had witnessed.

“It’s really important that these drills take place to give the local community confidence that its security is a top priority and that forces are doing everything they can to prepare for another terrorist attack like the one we saw on Oct. 7,” he said.

Following an incident at a Texas lake involving the drowning of a high school swimmer, authorities have detained two teenagers who are accused of discarding his belongings.

Eighteen-year-old Daniel Erving, a distinguished swimmer and honor roll student, tragically lost his life after he and two friends leaped off a railroad bridge into Lake Ray Hubbard, located in the eastern suburbs of Dallas.

Four days post-incident, Erving’s body was retrieved from the lake. A medical examiner confirmed that the cause of death was accidental drowning.

According to the Dallas Police Department, Lucas Roper, 19, along with a 17-year-old juvenile, allegedly neglected to report their friend’s tragic demise and subsequently disposed of Erving’s clothing and cellphone.

The Dallas police informed ABC News on a Monday that both individuals were taken into custody and face third-degree felony charges for tampering with physical evidence.

After the teen drowned, Roper and the juvenile fled the scene, and Roper allegedly threw Erving’s clothing into a tree line near the bridge, according to an arrest affidavit seen by the outlet.

The juvenile also threw Erving’s cellphone from the vehicle on Roper’s orders, the affidavit alleges.

Roper allegedly deleted communications with Erving from his cellphone because he “was aware that there would be an investigation into Daniel Erving’s death and he did not want to get into trouble,” the affidavit states.

Roper allegedly admitted he “panicked” after Erving drowned during a voluntary interview with detectives.

The case remains under investigation. 

Folarin Balogun has revealed that FIFA’s contentious decision to delay his suspension—partly due to an intervention by Donald Trump—impacted the USMNT’s performance in their World Cup loss to Belgium.

The 25-year-old found himself at the heart of a global controversy when news broke that the former president had urged FIFA President Gianni Infantino to reassess Balogun’s red card. The dismissal came during a match in which the USA triumphed over Bosnia and Herzegovina, leading to an automatic suspension that initially kept Balogun out of the last-16 clash with Belgium.

Despite the initial ruling, efforts from US Soccer authorities and the White House resulted in the ban being lifted less than a day before the match. This move ignited allegations of favoritism and meddling in sports affairs. Ultimately, the USMNT’s campaign ended with a heavy 4-1 defeat to Belgium.

On Tuesday, Balogun appeared on CBS Mornings and he admitted: ‘My initial reaction was that I was happy to be back in the team. But when I started to reflect, I knew it was going to cause a lot of controversy.

“I could sense a certain level of anxiety among my teammates because it was such an unusual situation,” Balogun reflected. “As the game drew near, I tried my hardest to stay focused, but it was challenging with all the outside distractions.”

He continued, “It was baffling as the team had been preparing without me, and I found myself in more of a supportive role, aiming to keep spirits high.”

Balogun’s comments come just days after Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House’s World Cup Task Force, conceded that the scandal surrounding the red card could have impacted US players.

Giuliani insisted he ‘stands by’ the decision to intervene, maintaining that – given all the money the US spent on the tournament – they wanted to ensure the World Cup was ‘fairly administered on the pitch.’

But when asked by the Daily Mail whether the whole saga could have distracted Mauricio Pochettino’s team, he said: ‘Potentially.’ 

Balogun, who has signed with Klutch Sports – the agency which represents the likes of LeBron James and Jalen Hurts – was shown a straight red card after a collision with Bosnian player Tarik Muharemovic. As he tussled for the ball, the USA striker landed on the back of his opponent’s leg, raking down his calf before landing on the defender’s ankle.

‘It wasn’t even a tackle so I was totally in shock,’ Balogun told CBS on Tuesday. ‘I think you could see my reaction but I just had to accept the decision and just try and be there for my team.’

He added: ‘When something is not intentional it should never be a red card – it was just an unfortunate situation and I think it put a lot more pressure on us than we needed.’

Balogun also gave CBS viewers an insight into the atmosphere within the USMNT as the saga played out.

‘My teammates are like my brothers so they gave me a lot of reassurance: it wasn’t something I could change, it was just the situation that was unfortunate – which gave me confidence,’ he said. 

‘But it was confusing because the team was practicing without me in the team, I’m almost just playing a supporting role to keep morale high… we found out [that his ban was suspended] on the team bus – everybody was screaming and shouting, it was a pretty intense bus ride to the practice field.

He continued ‘It’s more [about] being able to separate the emotion from the job at hand – we’re all professionals so it’s not something I think was too difficult to be able to separate once we got over the initial announcement that I’d be back in the team. 

‘But you saw definitely it was a difficult game against Belgium and that can overshadow whether we were focused or not. But from me being inside the camp and inside the setup, I know we had full concentration going into the game.’ 

Balogun was the USA’s top scorer at the World Cup with three goals and news of his reprieve was seen as a huge boost heading into the clash with Belgium.

But Pochettino’s team struggled badly in the last-16 clash in Seattle. ‘The feeling of disappointment is very difficult to put into words,’ Balogun said at the time.

‘To not have the energy in a round-of-16 World Cup game, it’s difficult to explain. So I can only tell you my emotions which are disappointment and a lot of sadness.’

USA captain Tim Ream insisted after the game that all the noise surrounding the red card ‘had no impact’ on the team but, even that night, Balogun suggested he would have more to say on the matter once the dust had settled on the USA’s loss.

‘The situation I’ve been involved in is also going to present different challenges,’ he said. ‘So it’s just important, for me, to be able to gather my thoughts and then at the right time, I’m sure I’ll be able to speak on the topic.’

On Tuesday, Balogun told CBS it ‘has been nice to step out’ of the ‘tough, high-pressure’ bubble of a World Cup campaign. But he added: ‘It was amazing to be a part of it – I really felt we were able to unite the country. 

‘That was an aspiration of mine and the team before we set out and I definitely felt that. You could how many fans and how many young kids were captured by it.’

A haunting 911 call from Conor Hanlon, the husband of tragically murdered New Jersey therapist Brooke Hanlon, has captured widespread attention as online detectives eagerly dissect it for potential leads.

The gripping audio from the call reveals the harrowing moment Conor discovered his wife covered in blood, offering a troubling glimpse into the horrific scene he encountered.

On June 6, 35-year-old Brooke Hanlon was discovered fatally stabbed in her home in Chester, New Jersey. As the investigation progresses, no charges have been filed, and Conor Hanlon remains unaccused of any wrongdoing.

Attempts to contact Conor Hanlon by the media for comment have gone unanswered, as calls have not yet been returned.

Following the call’s release, theories circulated online about a possible suspect. One of the nation’s top forensic linguists is warning those following the case not to jump to conclusions.

“You can’t tell from a 911 call,” Dr. Robert Leonard, a forensic linguist and Hofstra University professor, said to News Media.

“People very often try to,” he goes on to say.

Dr. Leonard’s blunt breakdown comes amid social media speculation. 

Internet sleuths are dissecting Hanlon’s frantic tone of voice and his word choice, like referring to one of Brooke’s wounds as a “laceration” in the nearly seven-minute call.

That’s exactly the kind of analysis that has led to devastating mistakes, Dr. Leonard said.

He pointed to multiple murder investigations where innocent people were publicly vilified because of how they sounded while calling 911.

One case he references is that of the father of Isabel Celis, Sergio Celis. He reported his six-year-old daughter missing from their Tucson, Arizona home in 2012.

Investigators discovered her remains five years later; leading up to this discovery, Mr. Celis was branded a killer, Dr. Leonard says.

“For six years all of the supposed amateur experts said he did it,” Leonard said.

Ultimately, Christopher Clements , a convicted sex offender, was also convicted of young Isabel’s murder and kidnapping.

In another notorious case, then-teenager Marty Tankleff, of Long Island, New York spent 17 years in prison, wrongfully convicted.

Prosecutors zeroed in on his alleged calm demeanor following the killings of his parents; that conviction was eventually overturned.

“Everybody is so different,” Leonard said. “There are no reliable markers.”

He goes on to say, “We should not rush to judgment.”

As for the call itself, he said, “You don’t do a murder investigation with one bit of data,” he said.

The investigation into Brooke Hanlon’s killing is ongoing, The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office is leading the investigation.

There is still a $1,000 reward for anyone who can provide information in the case.