Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said Friday that Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, had been “wounded and likely disfigured” in recent American-Israeli attacks. Hegseth also warned that the United States is undertaking the most intense day of bombing yet in Operation Epic Fury.“We know the new so-called, not-so-supreme leader, is wounded and likely disfigured,” Hegseth told reporters during a press briefing. He described Khamenei’s first public statement since his elevation — delivered as a written message read aloud on Iranian state television — as “a weak one,” underscoring that the supreme leader did not appear on video or release an audio recording. Khamenei has remained out of view since his selection on Sunday by Iran’s clerical establishment. In his missive, he vowed to “avenge the blood” of Iranians killed in the strikes. Hegseth asserted American and Israeli forces have hit more than 15,000 targets since the war with Iran began, and he pledged the U.S. would escalate its bombing campaign even further on Friday.“Today will be, yet again, the highest volume of strikes that America has put over the skies of Iran,” he said. ”The number of sorties, the number of bomber pulses. Ramping up, and only up.”…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! President Donald Trump revealed more plans for the war with Iran, vowing to continue “decimating” the regime over the coming days and touting the mission as “ahead of schedule.””We had no idea it would be this far ahead. We’ve knocked out close to 90% of their missiles,” Trump said in an interview that aired Friday on the “Brian Kilmeade Show.”The president said the U.S. has taken out the majority of Iran’s missiles and drone manufacturing sites, adding that the military is “hitting them harder than anybody’s been hit since World War II.”BEFORE-AND-AFTER SATELLITE IMAGERY OFFERS A RARE LOOK AT DAMAGE INSIDE IRAN While Trump did not provide a specific timeline for the conclusion of what he called an “excursion,” he said the U.S. has “virtually unlimited ammunition.”The president also said the U.S. is prepared to escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz if necessary to protect oil shipments. The Iranian Navy has claimed responsibility for a series of strikes on commercial vessels transiting the strait.TRUMP WARNS OF IRANIAN ‘SLEEPER CELLS’ AS CANADA ACCUSED OF HARBORING REGIME OPERATIVESThe disruptions have sent oil prices soaring. Trump said the U.S. would escort the vessels “if…

In today’s review, Joe Kurtenbach evaluates the CORD Pandora PB-3 red dot sight. Suitable for performance pistols like the Springfield Armory Echelon, the PB-3 is a rugged sight with an IPx8 rating. The sight was loaned to the author for this review. We all know the saying, “if you want something done right, sometimes you’ve got to do it yourself.” Well, when a group of shooting-savvy engineers is challenged to design a robust and reliable enclosed red-dot optic, the results can be brilliant. The CORD Pandora PB-3 is designed to be extremely durable. The housing is made of 7076-T6 aluminum and sealed to prevent water intrusion. Shown topping an Echelon 5.4F 9mm. But let’s back up a bit. When The Armory Life asked me to review a new optic from CORD, I gave editor Mike Humphries my usual response, “Of course!” followed by, “Who is CORD?” The Backstory If your response to this article’s lead was similar to mine, don’t worry, it took me only a few seconds and an internet search to get back on track, and I’ll save your fingers the keystrokes this time. While you may not have heard of CORD, many will be familiar with the name Lead…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The Chicago Teachers Union is advocating for a day off for teachers and students on May 1, for the national May Day movement.May Day is also known as International Worker’s Day, which celebrates workers and advocates for labor rights.On Wednesday, the union approved a resolution to designate May 1 as the day of “Civic Action and Defense of Public Education,” and seeking support for this from Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Chicago’s Board of Education.”If we still want to have democracy in the midterms this November, public schools that provide our students with quality education, and unions to defend workers’ rights, then it is up to every Chicagoan to stand up for what we believe in and show the authoritarian billionaire in Washington that when he breaks every rule, we will not go along with business as usual,” CTU Vice President Jackson Potter said in a statement.TRUMP ADMIN RESPONDS AFTER SJSU SUES TO CHALLENGE TITLE IX INVESTIGATION INTO TRANSGENDER VOLLEYBALL SCANDALThe union claimed in the resolution that public education is under attack by “MAGA politicians,” seemingly referring to supporters of President Donald Trump. The resolution says “public education is facing an unprecedented national…

An estimated 137,000 civilians may soon receive bills for medical care they received at military treatment facilities over the last three years, according to Defense Health Agency officials. Those civilians, who aren’t eligible beneficiaries of military medical care, include a variety of people, from Department of Defense civilian employees to other civilians who received emergency and trauma treatment at any military treatment or clinic, both overseas and stateside, since June 21, 2023.Military medical facilities can provide care to individuals who aren’t eligible beneficiaries in certain circumstances, by law, usually on a reimbursable basis. But the high cost of medical care was putting some of these civilians in financial distress. So Congress passed a provision in the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act that gave DOD the authority to protect patients from financial harm, to apply a sliding fee scale and catastrophic fee waiver. The billing was paused in June 2023 in order for DOD to develop the new Military Health System Modified Payment and Waiver Program, to help these civilians who face financial difficulty. Once the patient receives a medical bill, if they face financial harm, they are encouraged to apply for the program, officials stated in an email response to…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said during a press briefing on Friday that the security officers at a Michigan synagogue targeted in an attack on Thursday were “heroes” who “saved lives.””They were selfless in their courage and they saved lives. These heroes threw themselves in harm’s way, engaging the suspect,” she said.This is a breaking news story and will be updated  Read the full article here

This is a developing story. Four U.S. service members were killed on Thursday when a U.S. Air Force KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed during ongoing combat operations against Iran, U.S. Central Command confirmed. Two more crew members have yet to be accounted for. “At approximately 2 pm ET on March 12, a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft went down in western Iraq,” a CENTCOM release on Friday stated. “Four of six crew members on board the aircraft have been confirmed deceased.” In a press briefing Friday alongside Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine stated the military is “still treating this as an active rescue.”“The incident occurred in friendly territory in western Iraq while the crew was on a combat mission,” Caine said. “[It] was not the result of hostile or friendly fire. … Four airmen have been recovered. The Air Force and U.S. Central Command will provide updates as information becomes available.” The circumstances of the crash are under investigation, CENTCOM added. Two aircraft were reportedly involved in the incident, with the second aircraft landing safely, officials said Thursday.Numerous KC-135s are currently deployed to the U.S. Central Command area of operations, where crews have provided aerial…

Shipping turmoil escalates as multiple vessels (at least six) were struck overnight Brent crude oil prices top $100 amid “the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market,” the IEA reports. Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the US Navy is not yet ready to escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, as military assets remain focused on degrading Iran’s offensive capabilities. Dubai suffers significant drone attacks Northern Israel hammered by Hezbollah, “largest wave” of missiles since war began IDF says it struck key Iranian nuclear development site US Intel assesses Iranian regime remains intact Oman port operations halted Trump proclaims, “We won.” *  *  * Brent crude futures in Asian trading jumped above $101/bbl overnight, despite news of a planned record emergency SPR release by the International Energy Agency’s 32 member countries, in an effort aimed at capping triple-digit oil prices. Today’s focus is on reports that IRGC forces struck two foreign oil tankers in the Gulf area, bringing the total to six vessels hit over the past 24 hours. Iranian kamikaze drones also struck an energy export hub in Oman, while IRGC naval mine threats in the Strait of Hormuz soared by midweek. The Wall Street Journal reported that two…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The Big 12 will return to a traditional hardwood court for the remainder of its men’s basketball tournament after a number of players slipped on the innovative, but controversial, LED glass court. Big 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark issued a statement Thursday night announcing the move, stating that the conference will change the court for the semifinal games in order to provide the “greatest level of comfort” for the players.  “After consultation with the coaches of our four semifinal teams, I have decided that in order to provide our student-athletes with the greatest level of comfort on a huge stage this weekend, we will transition to a hardwood court for the remainder of the tournament,” Yormark said. “We look forward to a great semifinals and championship game.”The Big 12 announced last month that it would be playing its men’s and women’s tournaments on the glass surface, which is produced by ASB GlassFloor and has been used at the NBA All-Star Game and in Europe but never during an official competition in the U.S. But the innovative courts received mixed reviews. “I will say it was a little slippery in some areas,” Kansas women’s player Elle Evans admitted.…

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! With another Team USA versus Team Canada matchup slated in major sports, Jack Hughes felt it was the perfect time to offer some encouragement. Team USA remained alive in the World Baseball Classic (WBC) thanks to Italy’s dominant win over Mexico on Wednesday night to finish undefeated in Pool B play in Houston, Texas. After breathing a sigh of relief, the U.S. looked at the schedule and saw a familiar opponent in terms of national competition – Canada and their Pool A-winning squad that went 3-1 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.  So, as they prepare for the rivalry matchup on Friday night at Daikin Park, Team USA manager Mark DeRosa revealed that Hughes reached out to the baseball players. “Jack Hughes sent the boys a nice little fire-up message that I put out on their group chat,” DeRosa said during a Thursday press conference ahead of the game.AARON JUDGE SAYS TEAM USA BASEBALL ‘FIRED UP’ AFTER HOCKEY GOLD, WANTS TO ‘COPY’ WHAT OLYMPIC TEAMS DIDDeRosa was asked if he was watching the men’s and women’s ice hockey games against Canada in the gold-medal games over in Milan, where Hughes provided the overtime game-winner just days…