Friday March 13th, 2026
- "It Is Not A Question of Who Is Right Or Wrong But What Is Right Or Wrong That Counts."
- --Geoff Metcalf
- Providing an on line Triage of the news since 1998
My son has narrated the last book I wrote.
Please consider listening to it and encouraging others to do so too.
(Click on Book Cover)
World & Nation
Iran's New Supreme Leader Wounded, Disfigured
War Secretary
Pete Hegseth on Friday confirmed reports Iran's new supreme leader was
wounded during the U.S.-Israeli military action, adding that Mojtaba
Khamenei likely has been "disfigured."
In a forceful
Pentagon briefing shown live on Newsmax, Hegseth said the Iranian
regime is reeling after nearly two weeks of sustained U.S. and Israeli
strikes, with its leadership in hiding and its military capabilities
rapidly collapsing.
"We know the
new so-called not so supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured,"
Hegseth said, arguing that the absence of a public video or voice
message from Khamenei spoke volumes.
He described Iran's ruling class as "desperate and hiding," saying the regime can barely communicate, let alone coordinate.
Iran Laying Mines in Strait of Hormuz
Iran has begun
laying naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, the critical Persian Gulf
channel that carries about 20% of the world's oil, according to U.S.
officials, raising concerns about global shipping and energy supplies.
U.S.
intelligence indicates Iran started deploying the mines Thursday using
small boats after the U.S. military destroyed larger Iranian naval
vessels capable of quickly laying mines in the narrow waterway, a U.S.
official briefed on the intelligence said, according to The New York
Times on Friday.
Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps can deploy hundreds, even thousands, of small
boats it has long used to harass larger vessels, including ships
operated by the U.S. Navy.
Iran announced
shortly after the United States and Israel began attacks on Feb. 28
that it was closing the strait, disrupting global shipping and pushing
oil prices sharply higher.
6 US service members confirmed dead following aircraft crash in western Iraq, CENTCOM says
U.S. Central
Command announced Friday that the death toll in a refueling aircraft
crash in western Iraq on Thursday has risen to six.
"All six crew
members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in
western Iraq are now confirmed deceased. The aircraft was lost while
flying over friendly airspace March 12 during Operation Epic Fury," it
said in a statement.
"The
circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the
loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,"
CENTCOM added. "The identities of the service members are being
withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified."
Walz in the hot seat as critics' predictions on his controversial new law come true: 'Concerning trends'
Two GOP Minnesota lawmakers told Fox News Digital the law is hurting employers
As Minnesota’s
fraud scandal continues to make headlines, signature legislation signed
by Gov. Tim Walz extending the amount of paid leave available to
Minnesota workers is already causing major headaches and concerns from
critics worried about potential abuse of even more dollars.
The
legislation, which took effect on January 1, allows Minnesota workers
up to 12 weeks a year off with partial pay to care for a newborn or a
sick family member, and up to 12 weeks to recover from their own
serious illness. Benefits are capped at 20 weeks a year for employees
who take advantage of both.
Two months in,
the legislation is already receiving pushback, including from the
state's largest, non-partisan business advocacy organization.
Michigan synagogue security 'heroes' 'saved lives' during Temple Israel attack, governor says
'Yesterday's attack was antisemitism,' Whitmer said
Michigan Gov.
Gretchen Whitmer said during a press briefing on Friday that the
security officers at a Michigan synagogue that was 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.
"Yesterday's
attack was antisemitism. It was hate, plain and simple. We will fight
this ancient and rampant evil. We will stand together as we do it. And
we will call it out," she said.
Old
Dominion terrorist Mohamed Bailor Jalloh was released from prison early
— despite admitting to helping plot attack against US
Old Dominion terrorist Mohamed Bailor Jalloh had been serving time in
federal prison until 2024 for helping plot a heinous attack against the
US — but ended up being cut loose early, records show.
The 36-year-old ISIS-linked maniac — who was killed after he opened
fire at the Virginia university Thursday — was sprung from federal
custody Dec. 23, 2024, after serving roughly eight years of his 11-year
sentence.
Jalloh, who was a former member of the Virginia National Guard, was
originally sentenced in 2017 after confessing to providing material to
the Islamic State.
Japan to Join US Golden Dome Missile Defense Initiative
Japan plans to
inform the United States of its intention to join the next-generation
missile defense initiative known as the Golden Dome during a summit
this month, Yomiuri reported Friday, citing government officials.
Prime Minister
Sanae Takaichi will announce the plan when she meets President Donald
Trump in Washington, D.C., on March 19, the newspaper reported. The
initiative aims to bolster defenses against threats such as hypersonic
glide vehicles being developed by Russia and China. The U.S. envisions
deploying interceptors in space with operations beginning by January
2029.
Judge denies restraining order for conservative media figures who sought press passes
Washington state lawmakers were within their rights when they declined
to issue press passes to three conservative media figures, a federal
judge ruled Tuesday in a case that echoes a national discussion over
who qualifies as a journalist.
The Democratic-controlled Washington House of Representatives early
this year declined to issue press credentials that would have granted
the three access to parts of the Capitol in Olympia that are off-limits
to the general public. The body said they were not bona fide
journalists because they are participants in the political arena —
advocating for certain agendas and hosting or speaking at rallies.
The three asked the court for an emergency temporary restraining order
that would force the House to give them passes in the closing days of
the session. The group includes Ari Hoffman, host of “The Ari Hoffman
Show” on conservative Seattle talk radio station KVI-AM; Brandi Kruse,
host of the podcast “unDivided”; and Jonathan Choe, a senior fellow at
the Discovery Institute, a conservative think tank.
Calif. law enforcement responds to 'unsubstantiated' reports of Iranian drone strikes
Law enforcement agencies across the Bay Area and California said they
are coordinating with federal authorities after reports surfaced of a
potential Iranian drone threat targeting the state.
The concern stems from an FBI alert circulated to law enforcement
partners warning about an unverified report that Iran considered
launching drones from a vessel positioned off the U.S. coast.
In a post shared online by FBI assistant director for public affairs
Ben Williamson, the warning said the information was acquired in early
February.
King Charles has 'washed his hands' of Prince Harry and Meghan amid royal crisis
King Charles has “washed his hands” of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle,
as they announced their second pseudo-royal trip in just a few months.
Earlier this week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced that they
would be heading to Australia for the first time in over seven years,
just weeks after returning from a whirlwind two-day trip to Jordan.
While in Australia, Harry and Meghan will travel to Sydney and
Melbourne for a series of “private, business and philanthropic
engagements,” according to their spokesperson. Now, a royal expert has
shared their thoughts on how this trip would be impacting King Charles.
Trump's Operation Epic Fury proves Reagan-style peace through strength is back
In a just world, Epic Fury would put
an end to the GOP Establishment’s habit of smearing the America First
Right as 'isolationist'
By Dr. Kevin Roberts
In just a few days, Operation Epic Fury has eliminated Iran’s
leadership, degraded its capacity to terrorize the West, and — for the
moment — united the Middle East and most of the world around a vital
American interest.
It’s still early, of course. But so far, President Donald Trump has
achieved a strategic masterstroke. He has done so by reviving America’s
oldest, simplest and best national security policy: peace through
strength.
Yet Washington Democrats are blasting the president for ordering the
attacks at all. They still cling, bitterly, to President Barack Obama’s
delusion of pacifying the ayatollahs through diplomacy and appeasement,
not only lifting sanctions but literally delivering pallets of cash to
one of America’s most dangerous enemies. On the other side of the
aisle, some principled MAGA conservatives are understandably wary of
another forever war in the Middle East.
But both critiques misapprehend this mission, this commander in chief, and his national security strategy.
Trump’s decision to fight Iran is historic — but he needs to finish the job
By Douglas Murray
For years excitable figures have warned that any attack on Iran would
start World War III. The fact that the regime in Iran has spent decades
trying to develop a nuclear weapon was always a problem for these
people. After all, if a terrorist regime is developing a nuclear weapon
and says it is going to use that weapon, what exactly is the world
meant to do? Sit back and let it happen?
That’s what much of the world seemed happy to do. Or rather, they hoped
that someone would take the problem off the world’s hands for them.
And so it fell to the governments of Israel and the United States of
America to step up. To do what the German chancellor recently called
the world’s “dirty work” for the rest of the planet.
But there are reasons why World War III has not remotely kicked off.
