Friday, March 20, 2026

THURSDAY WAS A SAD DAY ..... A GREAT AMERICAN DIED

86-yeqr-old Chuck Norrie dies in Hawaii

 

By Howie Katz

 

Chuck Norris as Walker, Texas Ranger

 

Chuck's family announced that he died in Hawaii on Thursday morning, a truly sad day.

Chuck was not only a martial arts champion and long-time actor, but he was also a great Texan and American. His work with youths to keep drugs out of America in his Kickstart Kids program will always be gratefully remembered. 

 

No photo description available.

Chuck with some of the youths in his Kickstart Kids program.


My late wife and I e looked forward to watching him in TV's Walker, Texas Ranger and we enjoyed every episode. I also enjoyed his movies, especially The Delta Force with him and Lee Marvin.

To paraphrase Kinky Friedman's "They Ain't making Jews like Jesus anymore": They ain't making them like Chuck Norris anymore.

Rest in peace Chuck.  

AND NOW THERE ARE REPORTS THAT TRUMP IS PLANNING TO PUT BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN IRAN

Trump’s approval rating sinks to lowest EVER as Americans turn on Iran war and skyrocketing gas prices

 

By Nikki Schwab

 

Daily Mail

Mar 20, 2026

 

 

President Donald Trump's approval rating has taken a hit amid the Iran war, with 42 percent of registered voters saying they approve of the job that he is doing in the latest poll from the Daily Mail and JL Partners

President Donald Trump's approval rating has taken a hit amid the Iran war, with 42 percent of registered voters saying they approve of the job that he is doing in the latest poll from the Daily Mail and JL Partners

 

President Donald Trump's approval rating has sunk to the lowest ever, with voters expressing displeasure with the war with Iran and the cost of living

A new Daily Mail/JL Partners poll found that Trump's approval rating has slipped to 42 percent.

That is down from the 44 percent approval he received on March 3, just days into the Iran conflict. Trump held a 48 percent approval rating as recently as late January.

Trump's performance in the Middle East is partially driving the disappointment. 

Twenty-eight percent of respondents cited the war as the top reason they disapprove of the job the President is doing. This is up from the 20 percent who selected the Middle East in early March. 

The President continued to cheer on the Iran war on Friday, telling guests at the White House, 'We're doing extremely well in Iran.'  

An even larger section of the population, 44 percent, said they disapproved of Trump due to inflation - up from 38 percent at the start of March. 

The Iran war has already created pain at the pump for Americans, with gas prices up to $3.90 a gallon nationally, compared to the $2.90 a gallon Americans were paying before US strikes started on February 28. 

A staggering 54 percent said they'd blame Trump if gas prices rose as a result of the conflict, with only 20 percent pointing a finger at Iran.  

Among Trump's voters, 27 percent would blame Trump, while 38 percent answered Iran. 

There is also very little appetite for gas price hikes to guarantee a military victory. 

Only 19 percent said they would tolerate gas prices increasing by $1, with 12 percent saying they would be OK with gas prices rising $2 to win the war in Iran. 

In 2024, Trump ran on curbing inflation and improving President Joe Biden's post-COVID economy, as well as keeping the US out of 'forever' wars.

Now, economic sentiment is at its worst since the inauguration, with 54 percent of registered voters saying they believe the economy is worsening, up from 44 percent last month. 

Just 16 percent believe the economy is improving - a 14 percent drop from last month. 

The war has also grown increasingly unpopular. 

 

President Donald Trump attended a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday as the remains of six more US troops killed in the Iran war made it back from the Middle East

President Donald Trump attended a dignified transfer at Dover Air Force Base on Wednesday as the remains of six more US troops killed in the Iran war made it back from the Middle East

An explosion is seen over Saudi Arabia's capital city of Riyadh, as Iran has taken to attacking Gulf nations in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes

An explosion is seen over Saudi Arabia's capital city of Riyadh, as Iran has taken to attacking Gulf nations in retaliation for US and Israeli strikes 

 

Just days into the conflict, 40 percent of registered voters supported the military action, while 39 percent opposed. 

Now 33 percent support the Iran war, while nearly half - 49 percent - oppose. 

The President can still count on his base, but by a reduced margin. 

In the Daily Mail's March 3 survey, 75 percent of Trump voters supported the war, while 10 percent were against. 

Two weeks later, 61 percent of Trump voters support the Iran war, with 22 percent against. 

Thirteen US troops have been killed in the war, while more than 200 have been left injured. 

Voters had little tolerance for a high-casualty conflict. 

Only 13 percent said up to 100 American fatalities would be acceptable. 

 

Vice President JD Vance spoke to troops based at Fort Campbell in Kentucky in November. Vance's approval rating hasn't taken a hit since the advent of the Iran war, and he's now more popular than President Donald Trump

Vice President JD Vance spoke to troops based at Fort Campbell in Kentucky in November. Vance's approval rating hasn't taken a hit since the advent of the Iran war, and he's now more popular than Trump 

An explosion erupts from a building following an Israeli strike in central Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday, March 18

An explosion erupts from a building following an Israeli strike in central Beirut, Lebanon, on Wednesday, March 18

 

When the 1,000 fatalities were floated, just 9 percent said that would be acceptable, with only 7 percent expressing that they would be OK with up to 10,000 deaths. 

Not surprisingly, Democrats have become more opposed to the war, with current numbers standing at 76 percent against and just 11 percent in support.

And independents, who Republicans will need if they hope to survive the midterm elections, oppose the war two-to-one - 50 percent to 24 percent.

Around a third of voters, 36 percent, agreed that striking Iran was the right thing to do, while 48 percent argued it was the wrong thing to do. Another 15 percent of registered voters said they were unsure. 

One in four Trump voters now think striking Iran was the wrong thing to do. 

A glimmer of good news comes for Vice President JD Vance, whose approval rating remained stable at 47 percent - and is now five points higher than Trump's. 

Pollsters surveyed 1,037 registered voters online from March 18 to 20, giving the poll a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent. 

THIS LOOKS LIKE A PLOT BY THE MAGA-CRAZIES TO DESTROY CORNYN'S CHANCES AGAINST THAT CROOK KEN PAXTON ... TRUMP NOMINATED JEFFREY ANDERSON IN THE FIRST PLACE AND LATER EVEN RESUBMITTED THE NOMINATION

Trump ally unleashes furious attack on Texas senator John Cornyn over 'devious' plot to help Dem donor

 

By Ross Ibbetson 

 

Daily Mail

Mar 20, 2026

 

 

Trump, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L), responds to a question from the news media as he walks to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday

Trump, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio (L), responds to a question from the news media as he walks to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on Friday

 

Texas Senator John Cornyn is under fire for undermining the MAGA agenda just as he desperately courts Donald Trump's endorsement in a brutal Republican primary fight.

The loyalty breach allegation centers on his backing of Jeffrey Anderson, a Democratic donor nominated in July to serve as US ambassador to the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization. 

The post is Senate confirmed, with Anderson's nomination requiring a hearing before the powerful Foreign Relations Committee. 

Cornyn is accused of trying to help Anderson sail through the nomination process without scrutiny over his liberal political leanings.

Cornyn called early reports of the hearing 'fake news' on Friday, but the committee later announced one will take place next Thursday, without listing nominees, fueling accusations he is behaving like a 'DC swamp rat.' 

A Trump official told the Daily Mail: 'The devious tricks being pulled in order to sneak in this guy's hearing belong in a Netflix drama.

'Isn't this the guy that donated to the Democrats and complained that the President should hurry up his nomination?' 

Anderson's nomination has languished since July 2025, returning to Trump's desk in January under a procedural Senate rule before the President resubmitted it days later. 

 

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asks a question during the Senate Committee on Intelligence hearings to examine worldwide threats on Capitol Hill on Wednesday

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, asks a question during the Senate Committee on Intelligence hearings to examine worldwide threats on Capitol Hill on Wednesday

 

The former Delta Air Lines pilot and US Navy veteran backed Nikki Haley's 2024 campaign and has donated to Democratic candidates, including one who ran against Marjorie Taylor Greene. 

The administration backed him as 'highly qualified' and a 'great choice to represent the President's America First foreign policy agenda in the international aviation community' when his Democratic donations were first reported last year. 

The battle over his nomination comes as Cornyn is being targeted by pro-Trump voices who claim that he is a RINO - a 'Republican in name only.'

Cornyn edged Ken Paxton in the Texas GOP Senate primary on March 3, taking 42.5 percent to Paxton's 40.8, with neither hitting the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff. 

Both men had jostled for a Trump endorsement that has so far been withheld, with allies of each warning the White House not to damage the eventual nominee as Democrats build momentum nationally. 

The history between Trump and Cornyn is loaded.

The President called Cornyn 'weak, ineffective, and very bad for the Republican Party, and our Nation' in 2023, while Cornyn said ahead of last year's election, 'I think President Trump's time has passed him by.' 

Cornyn and the White House have been contacted for comment.

WHAT IS GOING ON THERE?

Mystery drone swarm breaches US nuclear bomber base in chilling 'waves'

 

By Chris Melore 

 

Daily Mail

Mar 20, 2026

 

 

                     May be an image of ‎text that says '‎ורתבן NEWS 'MULTIPLE WAVES' OF UNAUTHORIZED DRONES RECENTLY SPOTTED OVER STRATEGIC US AIR FORCE BASE WORLDSTAR.COM‎'‎

 

The home of the US Air Force's nuclear bomber fleet was repeatedly invaded by a swarm of mysterious drones that could not be stopped by the military's jamming technology.

Officials at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana confirmed to the Daily Mail that the base detected 'multiple unauthorized drones' entering restricted airspace between March 9 and March 15.

The first incident involving a single 'unmanned aerial system' triggered a shelter-in-place order and terror alert amid reports from the FBI of potential drone attacks on US soil.

However, an internal military briefing document has reportedly revealed that later incidents involved swarms of 12 to 15 drones entering the base's no-fly zone.

The drones were described as being long-range devices using special signals that are not used by regular consumer drones. Moreover, they were reportedly able to resist attempts to jam or block the signals controlling the unmanned aircraft.

Barksdale Air Force Base is home to the military's fleet of B-52 bombers, capable of delivering nuclear strikes around the world.

A Barksdale AFB spokesman said: 'Flying a drone over a military installation is not only [a] safety issue, it is a criminal offense under federal law.'

'We are working closely with federal and local law enforcement agencies to investigate these incursions. The security of our installation and the safety of our people are top priorities, and we will continue to vigilantly monitor our airspace.'

 

Personnel at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana were ordered to shelter in place on March 9 due to a potential hostile drone in the area

Personnel at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana were ordered to shelter in place on March 9 due to a potential hostile drone in the area

Barksdale AFB is home to three squadrons of B-52s, a long-range bomber that can carry out global nuclear strikes

Barksdale AFB is home to three squadrons of B-52s, a long-range bomber that can carry out global nuclear strikes 

 

Although the Air Force did not elaborate on the number of drone incursions over Barksdale, the confidential report from March 15 revealed that the unidentified drones came in waves and flew over several key facilities at the base.

According to ABC News, which reviewed the document, military officials wrote: 'BAFB Security Forces observed multiple waves of 12-15 drones operating over sensitive areas of the installation, including the flight line.'

The leaked report added that the drones appeared to be 'custom-built' and those operating them remotely had a knowledge of advanced radio signals, which prevented the base from disabling the intruders using anti-drone technology.

'After reaching multiple points across the installation, the drones dispersed across sensitive locations on the base,' the document stated.

These swarms were spotted on multiple days last week, but the confidential report noted that no drones were spotted on March 13 or March 14.

Officials reportedly revealed that the drone invasions forced Barksdale to close its runway to incoming and outgoing planes, potentially putting aircraft preparing to land at the air base in danger.

US military bases use radio-frequency (RF) and electronic warfare (EW) jamming to bring unauthorized drones down when they stray into restricted airspace or threaten public safety.

This equipment broadcasts interfering signals to break the link between a drone and its operator or scrambles the aircraft's GPS navigation.

 

A leaked military document claims attempts to jam the unauthorized swarms failed, meaning they likely were not commercial drones

A leaked military document claims attempts to jam the unauthorized swarms failed, meaning they likely were not commercial drones. Barksdale AFB officials said the multiple drone incidents during the week of March 9 are still under investigation by the military and the FAA

 

The idea is to make the drone lose control, land, crash or fly away harmlessly.

It is unclear what type of signals the drone swarms over Barksdale were using that made them impervious to jamming devices.

A spokesman from Barksdale did not confirm the details of the internal military briefing document on Friday.

It is also unknown what installations at the strategically vital base were being spied on by the drone swarms.

The B-52H Stratofortress is one of the country's most terrifying aircraft, especially as tensions in the Middle East spark rhetoric of nuclear escalation.

It is a long-range, heavy bomber capable of flying at high subsonic speeds at altitudes of up to 50,000 feet.

The B-52 also has a range of approximately 8,800 miles without refueling, meaning it can take off from Barksdale and reach Europe, the Middle East or Asia without needing to land.

The bomber has become famous for its ability to carry up to 70,000 pounds of ordnance for both conventional and nuclear strikes and its round-the-clock patrols during times of extreme crisis, like during the Cold War.

 

The B-52s can fly from Barksdale Air Force Base to targets in Europe, the Middle East or Asia without needing to refuel or land

The B-52s can fly from Barksdale Air Force Base to targets in Europe, the Middle East or Asia without needing to refuel or land

 

In July 2025, airmen from Barksdale's legal office worked with Louisiana state lawmakers to update the state's drone law, expanding restrictions on unauthorized flights to include Barksdale, US Navy ships, ports and other facilities across the state.

US Air Force Staff Sergeant Ramiro Valero said in a 2025 statement: 'People who try to fly near a military base might have malicious intent. With the harsher punishments, they might think twice before trying it.'

The updated penalties covering the airspace over Barksdale now call for a fine of up to $250,000 and at least one year in prison for the drone flyer, according to the Air Force.

However, Louisiana state law states that a person convicted of flying an unauthorized drone over federal or military installations could also face 'five years of hard labor imprisonment and court-ordered forfeiture of the drone.'

HE'S PROBABLY RIGHT ... HE ALSO SAYS AN INVASION IS 'EXTREMELY RISKY' AS TRUMP SENDS MORE MARINES TO THE REGION

Retired US general: "Neither Israel nor the US will topple the Iranian regime"

Against the backdrop of the war in Iran and US involvement, retired Lt. Gen. Mark Schwartz rules out a coup from within, dismisses a ground invasion, and outlines the next threat in the regional arena.

 

 
Israel Hayom
Mar 19, 2026
 
 
 U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Mark C. Schwartz, commander of

Retired US Lieutenant General Mark Schwartz 


Against the backdrop of the war in Iran and US military involvement, retired US Lieutenant General Mark Schwartz believes that neither Israel nor the United States will succeed in toppling the regime in Tehran. In a conversation with Israel Hayom correspondent Itay Ilnai, Schwartz explained why an internal coup is unlikely, ruled out a ground invasion, addressed security cooperation with Israel, and outlined what he sees as the next major threat in the regional arena.

"In my professional assessment, neither Israel nor the US will fully succeed in replacing the Iranian regime. The main reason is that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of Iranian religious leaders who can replace the Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah, if he is eliminated. No matter how many successors you kill one after another, there will always be another one in line. Iran's intelligence and security apparatus, the Revolutionary Guards, and the Iranian military also have depth. They are capable of replacing the top of the organization if it is destroyed."

Q: What about the possibility of toppling the regime from within? Israel's defense minister recently called on the Iranian people to take to the streets and "save Iran." President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have made similar statements in the past.

"That won't happen. To stop a coup, the regime in Tehran needs weapons, the will, and the directive to kill protesters. The Iranian leadership has already proven it has all of these, and in abundance. For them, the most important thing is the regime's survival. They have no problem killing another 30,000 protesters if the regime is threatened from within. I think Israel has understood this, and the US has not yet fully internalized it. You must never underestimate the survival capacity of a state or a society driven by fundamentalist religious fervor, or their ability to endure. We saw this with Hezbollah, with Hamas, and now with Iran as well. At the same time, you also shouldn't overestimate the ability of a popular movement to bring down a regime. I don't buy the possibility of a coup."

Invasion? "Extremely risky"

Q: What about an American ground invasion? In the US, you call it "boots on the ground."

"Even if the US were to send ground forces into Iran, it wouldn't help. Look at what happened in Iraq, for God's sake. Even now, years after Iraq was supposedly 'liberated,' there are Iranian-backed Shiite militias that largely control Iraq's security apparatus in practice."

Q: So you don't see any chance of an American ground invasion.

"Absolutely not. It would be extremely risky of us to do that."

The speaker is retired US Lieutenant General Mark Schwartz, who served 33 years in the United States Armed Forces. It is particularly interesting to speak with Schwartz at this moment – and not only because he holds the rank of lieutenant general.

Schwartz spent most of his career in the Green Berets and is intimately familiar with the full range of capabilities of the world's most powerful military and its methods of operation. Having served at the most sensitive junctions of the American national security system – on the seam between military force and statecraft – and having led vast operations involving multiple countries, he knows a thing or two about the dynamics of war, regime change, and navigating the competing interests of leaders, states, and armies.

Beyond all of this, Schwartz has an intimate familiarity with – and a warm spot in his heart for – the Israeli defense establishment. In his last posting, he served as the US security coordinator between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, a three-year assignment during which he was based in Israel and worked closely with senior Israeli officers. "I worked mainly with then-Central Command chief Major General Nadav Padan and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Ghassan Alian," Schwartz said. "Two great guys. Another person I greatly respected was M., from the Shin Bet, who at the time was head of the Judea and Samaria district within the service and who recently retired from the Shin Bet after serving as deputy to Ronen Bar. It was a pleasure working with him." The person who earned the most praise from Schwartz was Zohar Palti, a former Mossad official who at the time served as head of the security-diplomatic division at the Defense Ministry. "I can definitely call Zohar a friend," Schwartz said.

Exceptional cooperation

Schwartz's knowledge of the Middle East extends well beyond his time in Israel. Before arriving there, he commanded commanded US, coalition and select NATO elements Afghanistan, which included dozens of countries. Over the course of his long career, he also served in senior positions at NATO and at US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), where he worked alongside Israeli counterparts on counterterrorism.

The conversation with Schwartz – who comes across as a particularly warm personality – took place last week by phone from Colorado, where he has lived since retiring from active service in 2021.

Schwartz, who now serves as a security adviser to the prestigious RAND Corporation and as a consultant to American security bodies, said he was not surprised that his country joined Israel "all in" in its war against Iran. "I was not surprised at all," he said. "We share the same strategic objectives – Israel and the US – and I am very proud of the strategic relationship between our two countries. I was very pleased with the support America provided to Israel throughout the war, and especially now. The current US president is more hawkish in his desire to eliminate the threat Iran poses. From the moment he took office, he expressed his commitment to returning the hostages and reaching a ceasefire in Gaza, so I was not at all surprised when the US entered the war."

Something else that pleased Schwartz was seeing American F-22 fighter jets land on Israeli soil in the days leading up to the surprise strike on Iran. "During the force buildup for the Iran campaign, Israel allowed the US to station fighter jets on its soil for the first time for operational purposes," he said. "That is unprecedented. We are used to operating in the region from aircraft carriers, from Jordan, and from other countries in the area, but we were never able to take off directly from Israel for operational missions. To be honest, we never had a need for it either – at least not in my time."

What a coalition looks like

One of Schwartz's past roles was commanding the US-led multinational force sent to Afghanistan to stabilize the country following the American war there – a combined force drawn from NATO, additional countries, and local Afghan forces. "A massive coalition that at its peak included more than 50 countries," he said. "In fact, I have been involved in 'coalition warfare' since September 11."

Today, we are seeing a military coalition operating against Iran, led by the US and Israel but also incorporating other countries – Gulf states and certain European nations. As someone with deep firsthand experience, what does it take for different militaries to work well together?

"The first thing you need is a deep understanding of your partner's capabilities – but no less importantly, the areas where your partner is limited. You have to understand that every country has constraints on the use of military force, based on what its political leadership permits and what it does not permit. Operational plans, chains of command, and use of force must all be built around those constraints. Even the US has diplomatic constraints – everyone has different rules of engagement."

Q: According to media reports, Israel has carried out many targeted killings in Iran – including that of Khamenei – while the US has preferred to avoid them. Is that what you mean?

"It is probably true that Israel carried out those assassinations, but not necessarily because of diplomatic constraints. In my view, it is because Israel has exceptional intelligence and an extraordinary ability to locate senior figures and operatives, thanks to the phenomenal intelligence network it has built over decades against its enemies. Historically, the United States has not pursued individuals at the level Israel has."

From his home in Colorado, Schwartz watched with astonishment as the US assembled a massive military force around Iran. "We have sufficient forces and capabilities to achieve the objectives the president has directed the military to carry out," he said. "The first objective is destroying Iran's ability to deploy ballistic missiles – striking launchers, weapons stockpiles, and all the infrastructure required to produce missiles and launchers. We can do that through long-range strikes using both manned and unmanned aircraft.

"We have the same capability against drone production. Many of the stockpiles we need to reach are underground, which makes it very difficult, but we have the ability to strike them and destroy the current command-and-control infrastructure, communications infrastructure, the physical infrastructure of the Basij, the Revolutionary Guards, and the Iranian military. Another thing we have proven we can do is sink Iran's conventional navy. But there are still a significant number of sea mines in the area, small boats, and especially shore-based missiles positioned along the coastline, all of which pose a threat. We have the military capabilities to strike all of these, and it is mainly a matter of time. The US also has the backing of the military-industrial complex, which allows us to continue producing munitions and resupplying forces deployed in the field."

Between past and present

Q: On a personal level – as a veteran who until recently was still an active-duty combat officer – what does it feel like to watch all of this from the sidelines?

"I am still in very close contact with my unit and my former comrades in arms, and I know the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, well – we served together in the early 2000s. I absolutely trust them to manage the fighting, lead the forces in the field, and provide good recommendations to the political level. At the same time, it is obvious that you want to help and be part of what is happening, as any former officer surely feels."

Q: What is the conversation in the US around the war against Iran?

"If you asked Americans whether they oppose a nuclear Iran or want to see Iran's proxies disappear, you would get a lot of affirmative answers, regardless of which political side you asked. But according to polls in the US, the war is unpopular. One of the reasons is that we have seen many contradictions between the president, the secretary of state, and the secretary of defense regarding the war's objective. Many members of Congress believe the administration was not fully transparent about the war's goals and the circumstances behind the decision to launch the operation, and that is why there is a great deal of dissatisfaction among many people in the US."

Schwartz, who will soon celebrate his 61st birthday, grew up in Colorado and enlisted in the military after graduating from the University of Idaho. "For three years, I served as a tank commander, because you cannot transfer to the Special Forces until you reach the rank of captain," he said. Only upon receiving that promotion did he fulfill his dream and join the Green Berets. He traveled the world – from Africa through the Netherlands to Afghanistan – and in 2019 was appointed as the US security coordinator between Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

An inside view

When the correspondent admitted to Schwartz that he had not been aware that such a position existed, Schwartz was almost offended.

"Of course it exists. The fact that you are unaware of it is definitely concerning," he laughed. "The main purpose is to serve as the senior envoy and coordinator between the IDF and the Israeli defense establishment, and the Palestinian Authority in Judea and Samaria. At the same time, you also oversee all the American security assistance flowing to the Palestinian Authority, with the aim of training and developing Palestinian security forces. By the way, I had no connection whatsoever to what was happening in the Gaza Strip during my time in the role."

Q: What did you learn about Israel during that period?

"A great deal. I think the main thing I was glad to see was the level of intelligence coordination among the Shin Bet, the IDF, and senior figures in the Palestinian security establishment. The Palestinians do not want to highlight their cooperation with Israel, for reasons of optics, and the Israelis do not like to talk about their close relationship with the Palestinian Authority either – mainly because of pressure from settlers and the Israeli right. None of this I knew, of course, when I arrived in the role, but I learned it very quickly."

"I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the Israeli security community," he said. "But in the same breath – just as happens in the US military – mistakes have been made along the way. Ideally, you learn from those mistakes and correct them."

Q: Such as?

"I think the number of uninvolved civilian casualties in Gaza during the current war is a subject that needs to be examined. And, more specifically, in every strike, you need to assess how significant the target is and whether it justifies harming civilians. I am not talking about targeted killings, but about the destruction of block after block, street after street, of civilian infrastructure in Gaza. As a commander who has led soldiers in combat and has also lost subordinates, I understand the IDF's need to protect its fighters in the field. But I also think there have been many cases in which civilians in Gaza lost their lives unnecessarily. That kind of approach does not contribute much to your ability to advance a reconciliation process with the Palestinians, which is something Israel will be forced to do at some point in the future, because it has no choice but to live alongside the Palestinian people."

The Hormuz scenario

Q: If a ground invasion is not on the horizon, and a coup is not realistic, what does Schwartz expect to see in Iran in the near term?

"Here is what I think will happen," he said. "We have severely limited Iran's ability to fire ballistic missiles and drones, and now all eyes are on the Strait of Hormuz. If Iran blocks the Strait, it will affect them too. More than 80% of the Iranian economy is based on oil exports, so blocking the strait does not serve their short-term interests. But Iranians have no problem absorbing damage to the economy – they have largely grown accustomed to it, after years of suffering under international sanctions."

"Iran has patience and a willingness to sacrifice. So I think it is reasonable to assume that we will see Iranian attacks on ships – and primarily oil tankers – in the Strait of Hormuz, alongside the mining of shipping lanes. As a result, I think there is a real chance of a maritime coalition being formed, along the lines of Operation Prosperity Guardian – the international maritime task force established in December 2023 under US leadership to protect shipping in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks – in the Strait of Hormuz, against Iran."

Q: And then what?

"In my view, at some point we will return to the negotiating table, once Iran is ready to reach agreements. I do not see the possibility of a large-scale ground invasion of Iran. I do not know what that would achieve, apart from putting the lives of American soldiers at risk."

ISLAMOPHOBIA IS USED TO WORK TOWARD A FINAL SOLUTION OF ELIMINATING JEWISH CIVILIZATION

The Islamophobia narrative is about erasing Jews 

As was the case after the 9/11 attacks, the liberal media is trying to convince us that Muslims are under siege, instead of focusing on Islamist Jew-hatred and terrorism.

DEMS KISS PRO-IRANIAN IMAM'S ASS ... INCLUDING KAMALA HARRIS

Top Dems brush off ties to Imam who held memorial for Iranian leader who vowed 'Death to America'

Photos showed radical Imam with top Democrats, including folks currently running for office, before they vanished from social media

 

By Alec Schemmel  

 

Fox News

Mar 20, 2026

 

 

Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi

Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi eulogized the death of Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei by "the most wretched hands on Earth." He leads services at the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, a mosque known for being a purveyor of Iranian propaganda. 

 

Legacy Democrats and a slew of Michigan Democratic Party lawmakers dismissed concerns over their connections to a radical Imam who eulogized the death of Iran's Ayatollah Khamenei by "the most wretched hands on Earth" and works at a mosque known for being a purveyor of Iranian propaganda. 

Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi's social media pages were a who's who of Michigan Democratic Party politicos and also included a slew of photos of him with legacy Democrats and Democratic Party officials from other states, before they were deleted. The photos, many of which come from various political and religious-oriented events, were removed from the Imam's social media after Fox News Digital reached out to him and his Michigan-based Islamic House of Wisdom (IHW). 

However, screenshots retained by Fox News Digital and other photos that remain publicly available on the Imam's social media sites show him posing alongside legacy Democrats like former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Kamala Harris and former Secretary of State John Kerry.

 

Is Kamala Harris friendly with Iranian operative Elahi, a supporter of Hezbollah? New report reveals...

United States Vice President Kamala Harris with Imam Mohammad Ali Elahi in July 2021.

 

Other Democrats the Imam was pictured with on his social media pages included current candidates for office in Michigan and some of the state's highest-ranking leaders, such as Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, whose 2023 inauguration included a Muslim prayer tribute from Ali Elahi, Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, and Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich. One post on his socials included a flyer highlighting an event the IHW helped sponsor that was headlined by Dr. Anthony Fauci, while others included photos of the Imam interacting with out-of-state Democrats, such as Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. 

In addition to the public photos of Ali Elahi, with a slew of various Democrats, he has also donated to several of these same lawmakers as well, including candidates running for office this year in his state of Michigan, according to Michigan's campaign finance database. Current Michigan U.S. Senate candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, featured in at least one of the Imam's photos, received over $800 from him in 2017. Gilchrest, pictured numerous times with the Imam on his social media pages, received over $1,000. 

Ali Elahi has also, for years, made many small-dollar donations through Act Blue to various Democrats and Democrat institutions.

"The unwillingness of public officials to distance themselves from someone so controversial would be troubling enough under normal circumstances, but doubly so during a time of conflict when Americans' lives hang in the balance and voters expect their leaders to rally around the flag," said GOP strategist Colin Reed. "For nearly 40 years, the leaders of the Iranian regime have pushed ‘death to America’ and exported terror around the world. It shouldn’t be a close call to want to put daylight between someone so sympathetic to their cause."

When asked, following Ali Elahi and IHW's Khamenei tribute, if any of the Democratic Party figures regretted attending events alongside the Iranian-born Imam living in Michigan, or whether they planned to reconsider interactions with him going forward, those Democrats seen with him in photos at various events either did not respond or downplayed their ties to the Imam. A staffer for Michigan gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Benson initially got in touch after Fox News Digital reached out, but then ignored Fox News Digital's inquiries after they were told the story was not only about Benson.    

Khamenei, who was killed by an Israeli airstrike last month, has repeatedly attacked the United States and Israel on social media, including saying, "Death to America."

"Yes, it will happen. Death to America will happen," Khamenei declared in 2022, the Middle East Media Research Institute reported at the time. "Some people say: By chanting ‘Death to America,’ you bring America's animosity upon yourself. I say that this is not true. When America began its hostility towards Iran, nobody had been chanting ‘Death to America.’"

"Senator Peters routinely attends events with his constituents across Michigan. Peters has long said that Iran and its leaders, like Ayatollah Khamenei, are bad actors, and he strongly believes that we must ensure Iran never has nuclear weapons," a spokesperson for the Michigan senator said.

"Georgians are concerned about an illegal war that’s costing taxpayers $1 billion a day and spiking gas prices," a Warnock spokesperson told Fox News Digital. "The Senator believes Ayatollah Khamenei was a brutal dictator, and this President should be focused on problems at home instead of entangling our country and service members in another endless war."

"It was 60 seconds of social niceties at a funeral. Shaking someone’s hand isn’t a connection or an endorsement," said a Clinton spokesperson. "They don't know each other."

"The press corps often sprints after Republicans in office to ask them about why someone took a picture with them and how quickly will they distance themselves from that individual, but that same level of scrutiny is not remotely applied to Democrats," lamented Republican strategist Mark Bednar. "For the good of the country, elected Democrats and candidates must explain to their constituents and to the media where exactly do they stand regarding cheerleaders of the world's largest state sponsor of terrorism."

Former Detroit Mayor and current Independent candidate for governor, Mike Duggan, who initially told local Michigan news outlet The Michigan Enjoyer that he "had no recollection" of photos they shared of him with the Imam, told Fox News Digital that the candidate for governor did not know Ali Elahi personally when asked if he planned to reconsider interacting with him in the future. Fox News Digital uncovered multiple photos of Duggan attending events alongside Ali Elahi that were on the Imam's Facebook page, including one where the two are seen embracing each other. 

"In his 12-year tenure, Mayor Duggan constantly reached out to congregations of all faiths, visiting 40-50 churches, mosques, and synagogues each year," a spokesperson for Duggan's gubernatorial campaign said. "He attended close to 1,000 political events in that time and greeted and took photos with people at each of them. The Mayor does not know Imam Elahi any more than the many others across the political spectrum he encountered over the years."

As recently as September, Ali Elahi was seen pictured with Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian at the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. 

The gathering was also attended by the co-founder of the left-wing activist group CODEPINK, which has been accused of having close ties to China, and former U.S. intelligence official and U.N. weapons inspector Scott Ritter, whose house was raided by the FBI for what Ritter himself described as violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

The Imam similarly met with Pezeshkian at the U.N. Assembly in 2024, a photo on the Imam's Facebook and Instagram shows, which also includes a caption praising the regime leader and slamming Israel and the media. Ali Elahi has photos of himself meeting with antisemite Louis Farrakhan, who infamously compared Jews to termites in one of his sermons.

"The numerous photographs of Elahi with high-level Iranian politicians and religious leaders that he regularly publishes on his social media networks speak to his ties to the Islamic Republic," a report from George Washington University's Program on Extremism states. The same report points out that Ali Elahi served as the head of the Iranian Navy's "political ideological office" in 1982, an allegation the Imam addressed but did not deny in a 2023 speech.     

Meanwhile, U.S. lawmakers have accused Ali Elahi's mosque of being "a significant purveyor of extremist propaganda, in line with the Iranian regime’s views," in a 2023 letter to then-U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, calling on him to investigate various Iranian regime-backed mosques in the United States. As recently as 2023, Ali Elahi traveled to Iran, sharing photos and video of his trip in 2023 on social media. 

WE SHOULD NOT LET THE CHINESE AND RUSSIANS BEAT US IN ADVANCED NUCLEAR TECNOLOGY

NEWT GINGRICH, TED ELLIS: There's a nuclear solution to recharging American industry

Bureaucracy is stalling nuclear power as Moscow and Beijing use state-backed financing to lock in deals

 

By Newt Gingrich and Ted Ellis  

 

Fox News

Mar 20, 2026

 

Graphic of a microreactor inside of a truck

nuclear microreactor 

 

In February, the United States airlifted a nuclear microreactor for the first time. It was more than a technical achievement – it was a symbol of transformation, akin to the launch of the first steam-powered sailing ships that reshaped global commerce. And just as we couldn’t build the progress of the 20th century on the back of wind-powered ships, we can’t power the 21st-century economy with unreliable, weather-dependent energy sources. America’s future prosperity requires abundant, affordable and reliable power to complement America’s vast reserves of fossil fuels. The solution is clear: a new generation of advanced nuclear reactors.

America is entering a new era of industrial revival, powered by a surge in domestic manufacturing and the rise of artificial intelligence. This surge is creating an unprecedented thirst for electricity. After a decade of flat demand, America’s industries are roaring back to life. But grid operators are warning of a looming "reliability crisis" as reliable power plants are retired far faster than they are replaced. 

Meanwhile, the demand from AI, electrification and resurgent manufacturing is projected to add as much as 166 gigawatts (15 times what New York City requires) of new peak load by the end of the decade – an unprecedented surge that will strain existing infrastructure.

For decades, nuclear power has stood as an unassuming giant in the power sector, providing nearly 20% of America’s electricity with unparalleled reliability. Today, a new generation of advanced reactors – small modular reactors (SMRs) and microreactors – is poised to expand nuclear energy’s role. These reactors are designed to be built in factories and assembled on-site, dramatically reducing construction times and costs.

Their smaller size allows them to be deployed in more places, including at retiring coal plants to reuse existing grid infrastructure and skilled workforces. A single SMR module can power a large data-center campus or a cluster of factories.

Beyond electricity, these advanced reactors can provide high-temperature heat needed to make steel and fertilizer, a crucial industrial input that solar and wind cannot meet. SMRs can even power desalination plants to turn arid landscapes into thriving communities. Microreactors are already being developed to provide secure, resilient power to remote military bases like Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska, freeing them from dependence on the grid.

The primary obstacle to this promising future isn’t physics or engineering; it’s a half-century of suffocating government bureaucracy. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s (NRC) licensing framework was designed for the large reactors of the 1970s and is inadequate for today’s advanced designs.

Congress ordered the NRC to create a modern, streamlined process, known as Part 53. But instead of a clear path forward, the draft rule is becoming another layer of complex, burdensome requirements that could delay innovation rather than enable it. This moves us further from, rather than closer to, the energy dominance agenda. Instead, we should end local bans on nuclear power and lower barriers to startups seeking to increase competition and innovation.

We must also reject outdated fears about nuclear energy. Today’s advanced reactors are not our grandparents’ power plants. They possess inherent safety features that make accidents exceedingly unlikely, if not physically impossible.

They also help us steward our environment responsibly: they produce immense quantities of energy from a tiny amount of fuel, with a minimal physical footprint, and no air pollution. This stands in stark contrast to solar and wind, which require vast tracts of land and large-scale mining for their construction and deployment.

Public perceptions must also evolve. There are some that still raise concerns about nuclear safety and waste. But the entire amount of used fuel from America's nuclear industry over 60 years could fit on a single football field.

This material, far from a crisis, is a manageable byproduct and can even be reprocessed to yield valuable minerals and re-usable uranium. The far greater crisis is a lack of energy, which consigns billions of people to poverty globally and threatens the stability of our own economy.

This is not just an economic issue – it is a national security imperative. While America’s nuclear industry is tangled in red tape, Russia and China are aggressively moving to export their own reactors across the globe, using state-backed financing to create decades-long dependencies.

Every market we concede to them is a loss for American influence and security, and every time an American SMR developer is stalled by bureaucracy, it is a victory for Moscow and Beijing. We can either lead the world in setting the gold standard for safety and non-proliferation, or we can cede the future of global energy to authoritarian regimes.

America has always thrived when it embraced bold technologies and rejected complacency.  So now is the time to be bold.  The AI boom and the return of manufacturing represent a historic opportunity. But to seize it, we must have the energy to power it. The servers processing complex algorithms and the factories forging new products all depend on a simple input: energy that is always powered on.

DEFERRED ADJUDICATION? ... THIS DOESN'T PASS THE SMELL TEST

Galveston County DA criticizes sentence in fentanyl-related death case

 

By  

 

KGTX 7

Mar 19, 2026 

 

DA Kenneth Cusick, at a Galveston press conference in February.

 

GALVESTON — Galveston County District Attorney Kenneth Cusick is speaking out after a judge sentenced a defendant in a fentanyl-related death case to deferred adjudication, calling the punishment insufficient and not reflective of how such cases will be prosecuted moving forward.

During Thursday’s press conference, Cusick addressed the case of Kamron Zaheri, who he said delivered heroin laced with fentanyl the day before Thanksgiving 2023. The substance was purchased and used by Wade Potter, resulting in that person’s death.

Cusick said Zaheri initially appeared for a bench trial but ultimately pleaded guilty and allowed the court to determine sentencing. On March 13, the defendant was sentenced to 10 years deferred adjudication and is expected to serve up to six months.

“I’m here to tell you that that is not the treatment that murders due to the selling and peddling of fentanyl in this county or any other drugs is going to get,” Cusick said. “I’m not happy with the result.”

According to Cusick, the final plea offer extended by prosecutors was 25 years in prison. He said a prison sentence was appropriate and would have been pursued during sentencing, but the judge ultimately decided on deferred adjudication.

Cusick emphasized that his office will continue to pursue strict prosecution of drug-related cases, particularly those involving fentanyl or other substances that can result in death.

“Minimal sentences for drug peddlers in this county is not going to be tolerated,” he said. “Much less peddling substances that are known and will kill somebody readily, such as fentanyl.”

He added that even in cases not involving fentanyl, substances like heroin or cocaine can be deadly, particularly if they are tainted or lead to overdose.

“These are not pharmaceuticals that are bought down at CVS or Walgreens,” Cusick said. “These are drugs, especially the fentanyl, that’s produced in China and Mexico and is smuggled into the United States.”

Cusick also pushed back on the idea that defendants can avoid responsibility by claiming they were unaware of what substances they were selling.

“Just because somebody sells this stuff and claims they don’t know what they sold the person… you’re going to get the fullest measure of law enforcement that I can bring to you,” he said.

While stressing that his office does not control sentencing decisions, Cusick said prosecutors will continue working with law enforcement agencies to investigate, charge, and prosecute drug cases to the fullest extent possible.

“I don’t get to sentence the persons, but I get to do everything up to that point,” he said. “And I want to bring pressure to bear to try to get as strong a sentence as we can to deter this activity.”

Cusick said the press conference was held in part to address repeated media inquiries about the case and to clarify that the sentence was determined by the court, not the District Attorney’s Office.

“We prosecuted him, got the conviction,” Cusick said. “It was the court that sentenced him.”

Brandi McKnight, ex-girlfriend to the victim Wade Potter, said she’s asking for Cusick to reach out to her, as she feels an appeal is warranted.