‘Largest Patriot engagement in history’ defended by skeleton crew of 20-somethings
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine revealed details of the young skeleton crew who were left to defend Al Udeid Air Base as they faced an incoming barrage of Iranian missiles on Monday.
“We believe that this is the largest single Patriot engagement in U.S. military history,” Caine said, referring to the U.S. surface-to-air missile defense system. “We were joined in this engagement by the Qatar Patriot cruise.”
Caine said the 44 soldiers left on base after it was evacuated ranged in age from 21 to 28. They were left with only two Patriot systems to defend the base, which is a major headquarters in the Middle East and home to 10,000 deployed American soldiers.
“Imagine you’re that young first lieutenant. You’re 25 or 26 years old, and you’ve been assigned as the tactical director inside the command and control element. You, at that age, are the sole person responsible to defend this base,” Caine said.
IRAN LAUNCHES ATTACK ON US BASE IN QATAR
He did not say if any of the Iranian missiles got through the Patriot defense systems. The Qataris have claimed one missile penetrated air defenses.
“There was a lot of metal flying around. And yet our U.S. air defenders had only seconds to make complex decisions with strategic impact.”
“Simply stated, they absolutely crushed it,” he concluded.
Iran launched a missile attack on the Qatari-based U.S. base in response to U.S. attacks on its nuclear facilities. President Donald Trump revealed that Iran had given the U.S. a heads-up on the attack, in an effort to symbolically hit back at the strikes without escalating the situation.
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Iran used short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles to attack Al-Udeid Air Base, but no casualties were reported.
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The Al-Udeid base serves as a hub for logistical operations for the U.S. mission to fight ISIS in Iraq and Syria. It also hosts Central Command’s forward headquarters, as well as its air forces and special operations in the region. It has also been used as a headquarters for British involvement in airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq.
NATO video set to Usher hit divides internet as White House steps up meme game
The White House social media team stepped up its meme game with a new spoof on a viral moment from the NATO Summit in which Secretary General Mark Rutte called President Donald Trump “daddy.”
A video set to the Usher hit “Daddy’s Home” showed Trump arriving home aboard Air Force One being cheered on by supporters. It also showed clips from the summit, the president arriving at the Dutch palace, his meetings with world leaders and his handshake with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Like the moment when Rutte made the comment one day earlier, the White House clip set social media ablaze.
“Presidential meme game reaching unprecedented levels,” internet personality Mario Nawfal wrote X.
WORLD LEADERS FLOCK TO MEET WITH TRUMP AT NATO SUMMIT
“This is easily the best thing on the internet,” added political commentator Benny Johnson.
Others were less enthused.
“An official product of the WH communications office —” ABC News correspondent Jonathan Karl wrote along with the clip.
“This is super straight and super alpha male. Uh huh,” wrote former Rep. Adam Kinzinger, an anti-Trump Republican.
RUBIO CRACKS UP AT TRUMP’S REACTION TO NATO LEADER CALLING PRESIDENT ‘DADDY’
During a bilateral meeting with Trump in The Hague, Netherlands, Rutte defended Trump’s use of an expletive to criticize Israel and Iran as they threatened the ceasefire he brokered.
“Daddy has to sometimes use strong language.”
Outside the White House Tuesday morning, a frustrated Trump told reporters Israel and Iran “have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f— they’re doing.”
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio cracked up laughing when a reporter asked about the comment during a news conference at the summit Wednesday.
Rutte and Trump have found common cause in pushing NATO allies to increase defense spending. During the summit, the alliance agreed to Trump’s longtime demand that each member state boost defense spending to 5%.
Celebs flock to Venice for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s lavish wedding
The stars are aligning for Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez.
On Thursday, celebrities such as Orlando Bloom, Tom Brady, Kim Kardashian, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kylie Jenner and more were seen boarding water taxis at various luxurious hotels in Venice, Italy ahead of the couple’s extravagant wedding celebrations.
Sánchez gave onlookers a wave as she boarded a boat with her soon-to-be husband by her side outside the Aman Hotel. The couple shared a sweet kiss while aboard the boat.
JEFF BEZOS AND LAUREN SÁNCHEZ ARRIVE IN VENICE AS WEDDING FESTIVITIES BEGIN
According to People, the couple hosted a welcome party for their guests in a closed cloister adjacent to the Madonna dell’Orto church on Thursday night.
Sánchez wore a golden, satin dress — a look from Schiaparelli’s Spring-Summer 2025 Haute Couture collection — according to the outlet.
Guests reportedly arrived in a convoy of about 30 boats. According to the outlet, guests will be eating pizza cooked onsite by a famous Neapolitan chef.
Throughout the day, baskets of white and purple-colored flowers were brought in to decorate the venue, along with a piano, People reported.
SEE IT: CELEBS FLOCK TO VENICE FOR JEFF BEZOS AND LAUREN SÁNCHEZ’S WEDDING
The party is reportedly being held in the Sant’Alvise complex, which is a 14th century church, monastery, and Barco. Per Vanity Fair, Bezos will be escorted by 10 bodyguards during the kick-off party and the Italian government has recruited reinforcements to maintain the privacy and safety of all attendees amid recent protests.
On Wednesday, the soon-to-be newlyweds were seen out and about in Venice.
According to multiple reports, the couple decided to change one of their wedding venues in Venice because of security concerns and possible protests.
The couple had planned to hold a wedding party at the historic Scuola Grande della Misericordia in the Cannaregio section of the city, but are now said to be moving it to the harder-to-reach Arsenale, a former shipyard, which is completely surrounded by water and only reachable by boat when connecting bridges are raised, BBC News and Reuters reported.
A number of other celebrities are invited to the wedding festivities, which remain a secret but are expected to kick off on Thursday and end Saturday in the picturesque Italian city.
Despite ongoing protests from local Venetians, Mayor Luigi Brugnaro told The Associated Press that the city is “very proud” to be hosting the couple’s wedding.
Brett Cooper defends first lady Melania after ‘offensive’ attack from Joy Behar
“The View” host Joy Behar criticized the women in President Donald Trump’s life, claiming he surrounds himself with women who stroke his ego and are “obedient.” Her remarks prompted pushback from many conservative women, including Fox News contributor Brett Cooper.
“The accusation is completely ridiculous,” said the host of “The Brett Cooper Show” podcast during an appearance on “Fox & Friends” Thursday.
“Trump’s entire administration is filled with strong, intelligent women
Behar suggested that Trump “doesn’t really like strong women,” saying he only wanted those around him who were “dutiful, obedient women who compliment him
She also recounted a time Trump lashed out at her for criticizing his hair, something she believes he didn’t do to male comedians who made similar jokes.
JOY BEHAR HOPES TO ‘ACTUALLY INFLUENCE PEOPLE’S THINKING’ WITH HER CRITICISM OF THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
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“Every male comedian did jokes about his hair, but he went after me in particular,” Behar said, suggesting his response was driven by sexism.
But Cooper pushed back, saying the president’s criticism may have had less to do with Behar’s gender and more to do with her nature.
“Maybe it’s not the fact that you’re a woman, Joy, but it’s just that you are Joy, and he doesn’t want to deal with you,” Cooper said. “It’s less about you being a woman and just about who you are.”
The young conservative influencer, who signed this week as a Fox News Media contributor, went on to defend prominent women in Trump’s orbit, including the impact of first lady Melania Trump.
“It’s so offensive to say that about her,” Cooper said of how Behar’s comments paint conservative women like Mrs. Trump.
“You’ve seen the incredible work that she has done, the books that she’s written, the languages that she speaks, and the fact that she actively pushes back against him [Trump] on a daily basis, and they still have a great marriage.”
Other women with high-ranking roles in the Trump White House include Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, DNI Tulsi Gabbard, Attorney General Pam Bondi, press secretary Karoline Leavitt and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, who earlier this year became the first woman to hold the title.
ANNOYED WHOOPI GOLDBERG HAS TO PROMOTE ABC’S TRUMP INTERVIEW ON ‘THE VIEW’
This isn’t the first time Trump’s relationships with women have been scrutinized on “The View.” Last year, billionaire Mark Cuban also took aim.
“Donald Trump, you never see him around strong, intelligent women. Ever,” Cuban said in October. “It’s just that simple. They’re intimidating to him. He doesn’t like to be challenged by them.”
Those remarks, too, drew sharp criticism from Trump allies. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt at the time called Cuban’s comments “insulting” to the many women who work with and support the former president.
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Judge confronts feds over MS-13 suspect’s fate as wife alleges abuse
Federal prosecutors on Thursday told a judge that the Trump administration will begin removal proceedings against Kilmar Abrego Garcia to deport him a country other than his native El Salvador if he is released from a Tennessee jail.
When U.S. Magistrate Judge Paula Xinis asked about the timing of the removal: “30 seconds or 30 days or 30 months…,” a federal prosecutor answered that he could only say the removal was not “imminent.”
Xinis has scheduled a hearing on the matter for July 7.
JUDGE SETS STRICT CONDITIONS FOR ABREGO GARCIA’S RELEASE AS TRUMP OFFICIALS PURSUE CASE AGAINST HIM
At issue is whether the judge has the jurisdiction to order Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s return to Maryland. Abrego Garcia’s attorneys want Xinis to order the government to return their client to Maryland and to bar U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials from deporting him while his criminal case in Tennessee proceeds.
Abrego Garcia is currently in federal custody and has been indicted on human smuggling charges, which he denies.
The lawyers for Abrego Garcia filed an emergency motion on Thursday asking a judge to order his return to Maryland, and to block immigration officials from deporting him while his criminal case in Tennessee continues to play out.
They told Judge Xinis that they have concerns “that the government may try to remove Mr. Gregor Garcia quickly over the weekend.”
ABREGO GARCIA LAWYERS ASK US JUDGE TO ORDER RETURN TO MARYLAND AMID ONGOING CRIMINAL CASE
Another federal judge in Nashville has ruled that Abrego Garcia has a right to be released while awaiting trial. However, on Wednesday, she decided to keep him in custody for at least a few more days over concerns that U.S. immigration officials would swiftly try to deport him again.
“If this Court does not act swiftly, then the Government is likely to whisk Abrego Garcia away to some place far from Maryland,” Abrego Garcia’s attorneys wrote in their request to Xinis in Greenbelt, Md.
Abrego Garcia was living in Maryland with his American wife and children when he was deported to El Slavador in what the Trump administration called an administrative error. He had been in the United States for over a decade.
KILMAR ABREGO GARCIA SUSPECTED OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING IN REPORT OBTAINED BY FOX NEWS
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Meanwhile, the Trump administration maintains that Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang, an accusation that he denies. In addition, his wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, filed a protective order against her husband in August 2020.
The order said their shared son and stepchildren needed protection from Abrego Garcia, accusing him of verbal and physical abuse against her and mental abuse against her children.
Earlier this month, Abrego Garcia pleaded not guilty to smuggling charges.
Senator probes Biden’s final days in office after aide reveals White House signature system
FIRST ON FOX: A Senate Republican wants to build a paper trail of former President Joe Biden’s autopen usage with the end goal of calling more hearings, passing legislation or amending the Constitution to best address “a mentally incapacitated president.”
Sen. Eric Schmitt, chair of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, is requesting special access under the Presidential Records Act to a trove of Biden-era documents and memos that chronicle his usage of an autopen.
In a letter to Secretary of State and Acting National Archivist Marco Rubio exclusively obtained by Fox News, Schmitt argued that creating a paper trail of key directives made toward the end of his presidency would help in “deciding which legislative remedy is most appropriate.”
TOP BIDEN AIDE ADMITS TO CONGRESS SHE DIRECTED AUTOPEN SIGNATURES WITHOUT KNOWING WHO GAVE FINAL APPROVAL
“In particular, the increased use of the autopen to sign pardons, executive orders, and other documents as his Presidency progressed became a poignant symbol of President Biden’s mental decline and has created questions about the validity of those orders and pardons if President Biden did not direct the use of the autopen,” he wrote.
Schmitt requested access to a slew of documents, including memos about procedures for usage of the autopen, who was granted authority to use the autopen and emails from staff authorizing or requesting authorization for autopen usage.
SENATE HEARING ON WHO WAS ‘REALLY RUNNING’ BIDEN WHITE HOUSE KICKS OFF WEDNESDAY
He also requested access to all White House records after Nov. 1, 2024, that refer or relate to presidential pardons; that prioritize briefing books, memos and decision memos for pardons; and, eventually, access to all White House records after Nov. 1.
“With that information, the subcommittee will be better positioned to ensure that any potential proposed amendment will be sufficiently comprehensive so as to address any plausible contingency concerning a mentally incapacitated President,” Schmitt wrote.
“It would be challenging enough to amend the Constitution once — much less more than once if it then subsequently turned out not all contingencies around presidential incapacity were adequately considered.”
Schmitt’s letter comes after the Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on Biden’s alleged mental decline while in office and how the autopen could have played a central role in his inner circle’s alleged attempt to skirt the Constitution while continuing to carry out the duties of the office.
EX-WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS TO TESTIFY ON WHO ‘REALLY RAN THE COUNTRY’ DURING BIDEN ERA
It also explicitly mentions the closed-door, transcribed hearing with Biden’s former director of the Domestic Policy Council, Neera Tanden, conducted by the House Oversight Committee this week.
A source told Fox News Digital that during the transcribed interview, which lasted five hours, Tanden testified she had “minimal interaction with President Biden” in her role as staff secretary and that to obtain autopen signatures, she would send decision memos to members of Biden’s inner circle.
She said during the interview she was not aware of what actions or approvals happened between the time the memo was sent out and returned with approval.
However, Tanden’s opening statement, shared with Fox News Digital by her lawyer, Michael Bromwich, said that, as staff secretary, she was responsible for “handling the flow of documents to and from the President” and that she was authorized to direct that autopen signatures be “affixed to certain categories of documents.”
“We had a system for authorizing the use of the autopen that I inherited from prior Administrations,” Tanden said. “We employed that system throughout my tenure as Staff Secretary.”
She was later named director of Biden’s Domestic Policy Council and said she was no longer responsible for the flow of documents and was no longer involved in decisions related to the autopen.
“I would note that much of the public discussion on the subject matter of this hearing has conflated two very different issues: first, the president’s age and second, whether President Bident was in command as President,” she said. “I had no experience in the White House that would provide any reason to question his command as President. He was in charge.”
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Schmitt requested that access to the swathe of memos and communications be granted no later than July 16.
“It is important for this subcommittee to have a clear picture of President Biden’s decision-making capacity at the end of his presidency and to know the extent to which members of his inner circle possibly usurped the President’s decision-making authority,” he wrote.
Viral video shows tourist handling shell of ‘world’s deadliest’ animal at beach
A woman visiting a local beach was walking along the tide admiring shells when she picked up one that could have had deadly repercussions.
Sharing her story on TikTok, the woman shows herself finding a spotted, cone-shaped shell and picking it up. She was in Okinawa, Japan, when this happened.
“She doesn’t know it yet, but she’s about to pick up the world’s deadliest shell that leads to full paralysis in minutes,” the text on the video says.
BEACHES WITH MOST SHARK ATTACKS AS AMERICANS PAY TRIBUTE TO ‘JAWS’ AND ACTIVIST WEIGHS IN
The woman picked up a cone snail shell with coils spotted in brown and white.
Cone snails are one of the most venomous animals on Earth, with approximately 600-700 species of slugs in existence, according to the Ocean Conservancy (OC).
Most venom in the snails will “cause tingling or numbness at the injection site, then spread to the impacted limb and eventually the entire body,” according to OC.
In a follow-up video that garnered millions of likes, the woman shared that she did research on the shell and its usual inhabitant, finding out even “worse” information about it.
“My brain kept convincing me that I had been stung and just didn’t realize it. By the fourth day of panic, my husband was sick of reassuring me I was indeed going to live,” she said.
Cone snails are marine predators. They use venom to immobilize their prey by using their “harpoon-like teeth” to inject victims, according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
The video garnered nearly one million likes, with TikTokers weighing in on the incident.
“This is why life should have an instruction manual,” said one woman.
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A user commented, “Don’t touch anything pretty.”
“I wonder if my mother-in-law would like a cone shell collection,” joked one TikToker.
Another user said, “I grew up in Hawaii and they taught me this in fourth grade.”
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The person added, “But I don’t think it’s common knowledge.”
Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson’s cause of death revealed by medical examiner
Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson‘s immediate cause of death was due to respiratory arrest, according to documents obtained by Fox News Digital. He was 82.
The County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s office determined “respiratory arrest” as Wilson’s main cause of death. The “Good Vibrations” singer died Wednesday, June 11.
Respiratory arrest occurs when breathing stops while the heart continues to beat. The most common cause of cardiac arrest is respiratory arrest, according to the American Heart Association.
’60S TEEN IDOL BOBBY SHERMAN DEAD AT 81
Sepsis and cystitis were both listed as contributing factors associated with Wilson’s death, the report cited.
In addition to chronic respiratory failure and chronic kidney disease, neurodegenerative disorder and obstructive sleep apnea were also listed in the report.
An autopsy was not performed, according to the death report.
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Wilson’s family confirmed his death on social media earlier this month. “We are heartbroken to announce that our beloved father Brian Wilson has passed away,” they wrote. “We are at a loss for words right now.”
They added, “Please respect our privacy at this time as our family is grieving. We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world.”
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Last year, Wilson was placed under a conservatorship following a dementia diagnosis.
The diagnosis, coupled with the death of Brian’s wife, Melinda Wilson, led his family and doctors to make the decision.
“Following the passing of Brian’s beloved wife Melinda, after careful consideration and consultation among Brian, his seven children, Gloria Ramos and Brian’s doctors (and consistent with family processes put in place by Brian and Melinda), we are confirming that longtime Wilson family representatives LeeAnn Hard and Jean Sievers will serve as Brian’s co-conservators of the person,” the family said in a statement to Fox News Digital at the time.
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“This decision was made to ensure that there will be no extreme changes to the household and Brian and the children living at home will be taken care of and remain in the home where they are cared for by Gloria Ramos and the wonderful team at the house who have been in place for many years helping take care of the family,” the statement continued. “Brian will be able to enjoy all of his family and friends and continue to work on current projects as well as participate in any activities he chooses.”
According to a doctor’s declaration submitted to the court, Wilson was unable to self-administer his own medication or adhere to his medication scheduling. He also struggled with his ability to control his mood or emotions.
Wilson was previously placed under a conservatorship in the ’90s after being involved with psychologist Eugene Landy.
The Beach Boys began with Brian and his two brothers, Carl and Dennis. Eventually, they were joined by their cousin, Mike Love, and a friend from school, Al Jardine. The band is one of the most commercially successful groups of all time, selling over 100 million records worldwide. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988.
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Rosie O’Donnell blames Trump for her ‘overdrinking’ and ‘overeating’ after 2016 win
Rosie O’Donnell told former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo that she was “very depressed” and “overdrinking” following President Donald Trump’s first election victory in 2016 on “The Chris Cuomo Project” podcast on Tuesday.
O’Donnell revealed that she left the United States for Ireland out of a sense of “self-preservation” after Trump’s second election victory, considering the difficulties she experienced after his first win in 2016.
“During his first go-round, it was very difficult, and I got myself into some bad places. You know, I was very, very depressed. I was overeating. I was overdrinking … I was so depressed, Chris,” she told the former cable host.
ROSIE O’DONNELL WAS ‘SHOCKED’ THAT TRUMP’S ELECTION MADE ELLEN DEGENERES FLEE THE US
She also shared that it hurt her heart to know that Americans “believed the lies” of Trump and, furthermore, that she worked in a business that “sells those lies for profit.”
Another reason O’Donnell listed for leaving the U.S. was to ensure that she could be a “good parent” to her 12-year-old child.
“Coming to Ireland was totally a way to take care of myself and my non-binary autistic child, who’s going to need services and help and counseling and all the things that he’s [Trump is] threatening to cut in his horrible plan of the big, beautiful bill,” she stated.
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Later in their discussion, Cuomo recalled telling O’Donnell after Trump’s first victory that “this is going to affect you a lot more than it’s going to affect him,” and asked how moving to Ireland has impacted her life.
She told Cuomo that she enjoys the fact that people in Ireland typically don’t approach celebrities the way they do in America, and also noted that she feels safe considering there’s no “MAGA support” in the country.
O’Donnell related an experience she had in Ireland where an older man bought her a pint of Guinness after she told him that she had left the U.S. because of Trump being elected. She contrasted this with a story from the U.S., where the entertainer and her child were allegedly mocked in a CVS store after Trump won the 2024 election.
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“One cursed at us, and she’s like, ‘Why are they cursing at us?’ And I’m like ‘Honey you know the bad guy? They’re all bad guys too,'” she detailed.