The Pentagon has released the identities of six U.S. Air Force members who died last week when a military refueling tanker plane crashed in western Iraq during a mission in support of Operation Epic Fury.

Maj. John A. Klinner, 33, of Auburn, Alabama; Capt. Ariana G. Savino, 31, of Covington, Washington; Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, 34, of Bardstown, Kentucky; Capt. Seth R. Koval, 38, of Mooresville, Indiana; Capt. Curtis J. Angst, 30, of Wilmington, Ohio; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, 28, of Columbus, Ohio, were killed when their U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft was lost over Iraq on Thursday, according to U.S. officials.

Klinner, Savino and Pruitt were assigned to the 6th Air Refueling Wing at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. Koval, Angst and Simmons were assigned to the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Columbus, Ohio.

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Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine said the crew members were on a combat mission over "friendly" territory at the time their plane went down and that the incident was not not the result of hostile or friendly fire. U.S. Central Command said in a statement that a second plane involved in the operation was able to land safely. The incident remains under investigation.

The tanker is the fourth U.S. plane to go down since the war against Iran began. Earlier this month, U.S. ally Kuwait mistakenly downed three F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets. All six crew members aboard those jets safely ejected and were recovered.

Israeli soldiers fired on a car carrying a family in the northern West Bank, killing four people including two children, the Palestinian Authoritys Health Ministry said.

The official Palestinian news agency said the family was shot late Saturday after going out to buy new clothes for Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan this week. Israel said it was investigating the shooting.

The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said that Ali and Waed Odeh, and two of their four children, were shot in the head. The Odehs two surviving children had shrapnel wounds that were examined by first responders once they were granted access, the group said, accusing Israel of delaying ambulances dispatched to the scene.

RELATED STORY | Israel sends tanks into West Bank for first time in decades, says fleeing Palestinians can't return

Israels military and police said in a joint statement Sunday that forces opened fire after a car accelerated toward them in Tammun. They said the forces were pursuing suspects accused of terrorist activity and that the shooting was under investigation.

The members of the Odeh family were the latest casualties in the occupied West Bank, where Israeli settlers and soldiers had previously shot and killed at least eight Palestinians since the start of the Iran war.

Since Israel and the U.S. attacked Iran on Feb. 28, Israeli authorities have restricted movement across the West Bank, intermittently closing hundreds of gates and checkpoints on roads used by residents, ambulances and commercial traffic. The barriers have tightened movement and made emergency response significantly more difficult, the Red Crescent told The Associated Press last week.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Gaza's border crossing to Egypt reopens but few Palestinians can cross

Israeli rights group Yesh Din said on Wednesday that it had documented 109 incidents of settler violence in the occupied West Bank in dozens of Palestinian communities since the start of the war.

The toll is lower than at this point in 2025 a record year for violence that began with Israel invading northern West Bank cities that the military said were militant strongholds. Israeli forces still maintain a presence there.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has recorded 18 Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank since the start of 2026, including eight by Israeli settlers. Metz reported from Ramallah, West Bank.

Representatives from Beijing and Washington began their economic and trade talks in Paris on Sunday, paving the way for U.S. President Donald Trumps state visit to Beijing to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in about two weeks.

The delegations, led by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, convened in the French capital in the morning, China's official news agency Xinhua reported. The White House has said that Trump will travel to China from March 31 to April 2, though Beijing has not officially confirmed it.

Bessent said on Thursday that his team will continue to deliver results that put America's farmers, workers and businesses first. The U.S. Treasury Department said Bessent will meet He on Sunday and Monday.

Chinas commerce ministry said Friday the two sides are set to discuss trade and economic issues of mutual concern.

RELATED STORY | Trump holds wide-ranging call with Xi, touching on Iran, Taiwan and trade

Trumps visit to China will be the first for a U.S. president since he went in his first term in 2017. It will come five months after the two leaders met in the South Korean city of Busan and agreed to a one-year truce in a trade war that temporarily saw tit-for-tat tariffs soar to triple digits before the two sides climbed down.

Still, trade remains a source of tensions. The commerce ministry on Friday hit back against the Trump administrations new trade investigation into 16 trading partners, including China. The investigation which came after a Supreme Court ruling struck down Trumps sweeping global tariffs that were imposed last year could pave the way for new tariffs.

Another issue that could be discussed is the Iran war, especially when global anxiety is soaring over oil prices and supplies. Trump said Saturday that he hopes China, France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and others will send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and safe.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | Trump asks allies to deploy warships as Iran vows to block oil flow

Before Sunday's talks, Gary Ng, a senior economist at French bank Natixis and a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies, said the Paris meeting is likely the most important bilateral one before the Xi-Trump summit.

The key issue is "whether China and the U.S. can agree on what is agreed and manage disagreement. Iran is a new factor, but Beijing is more concerned about the flip-flopping of U.S. policies, he said.

Last week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said it would be a big year for China-U.S. relations. While he did not confirm the state visit, Wang said that the agenda of high-level exchange is already on the table.

Bessent and He have led trade negotiations between the countries since last year, having met in Geneva, London, Stockholm, Madrid and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Hundreds of thousands of people were left without power Saturday after high winds raked eastward from the Great Lakes region, leaving trees down and substantial property damage in their wake. Further west, at least one person died in a massive wind-driven wildfire in Nebraska.

Nearly 450,000 customers were still affected by midafternoon in Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan, according to PowerOutage.us, which tracks outages nationwide.

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A 66 mph gust at Pittsburgh International Airport on Friday was deemed its fourth-strongest on record that was not caused by a thunderstorm, according to the National Weather Service. Cleveland Burke Lakefront Airport saw winds hit 85 mph Friday afternoon.

Winds took down a gas station canopy in New Franklin, Ohio, and an auto parts store sign in Baldwin, Pennsylvania. Trees and tree limbs fell into or onto homes and cars from Cleveland to Pittsburgh. The roof of a school building in the Chicago suburb of Niles, Illinois, was severely damaged by wind.

High winds fueled multiple wildfires across a broad swath of Nebraskas range and grassland, causing one death in Arthur County, officials said. The victim was not immediately identified and the sheriffs office did not disclose other details about the death.

What state officials have dubbed the Morrill County fire has burned at least 735 square miles across four counties since Thursday. At least 12 structures have been destroyed, according to the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency.

Chelle Ladely of Sidney said her home is currently safe, lying about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of the nearest fire. But she worries for other friends and family in the area.

Smoke is filling the air and at night, I can see the burn of the fires on the horizon, Ladely said. My father is a crop agronomist, and his company as well as other local farmers are all gathering their water trucks to help aid with the fires, and truckloads of bottled water and food is being supplied by our good patrons for our volunteer firemen trying to extinguish the blazes.

Several other wildfires being pushed by winds of up to 65 mph burned another 225 square miles for a total of nearly 938 square miles by midday Saturday. The strong winds have kept firefighters from containing any of the fires, the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency said. Gov. Jim Pillen on Saturday toured areas burned by the Morrill County fire.

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In Chicago, thousands of revelers turned out to see the city's namesake river dyed bright green and a downtown parade celebrating the St. Patrick's holiday, despite the threat of snow and stiff winds that drove the feels-like temperature to well below freezing.

Dangerous winds are but one piece of a wild weather mosaic that includes heavy rains in Hawaii, triple-digit heat ahead in Phoenix and the return of winter cold to the Midwest and Northeast. Chicago was expected to approach the single digits Fahrenheit by Tuesday, with Minneapolis seeing lows around zero.

Several Minnesota cities have already declared snow emergencies starting Sunday, when what could be the seasons largest snowfall is expected to hit. Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula are also in the crosshairs.

AccuWeather is describing conditions as a potent triple-threat March megastorm from Sunday into Monday.

Its definitely a very active weather weekend, thats for sure, AccuWeather senior meteorologist John Feerick said. Its a highly amplified pattern, which means you get a lot of extremes. Also, not just the Lower 48, but Hawaiis getting hit hard right now with some very heavy rain.

Feerick said people along the Wisconsin-Iowa border might see some ice as travel conditions become dangerous in large parts of the Upper Midwest.

The federal government has responded to a judge's order on why ICE detained Nashville Noticias reporter Estefany Rodriguez.

Attorneys for the government say that Rodriguez entered the US on a valid B-2 visa on March 10, 2021 and was authorized to stay through September 9, 2021.

The government claims she remained in the U.S. illegally and did not obtain any paperwork to allow her to remain in the country.

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Attorneys say Rodriguez was ordered in January and February to report to the Nashville ICE field office, but they say a warrant was issued when Rodriguez did not show up.

According to court documents, the government states that a G-56 letter to report was issued to Rodriguez on January 8, directing her to report on January 26 to the Nashville ICE Field Office.

On February 10, they added that another G-56 letter to report was issued to the petitioner, directing her to report on February 25, 2026.

Rodriguez's husband, Alejandro Medina III, who was with her when ICE agents surrounded the couple in the Nashville Noticias news vehicle, said that a massive winter storm shut down practically all of Nashville on the same day as the first scheduled meeting. A second meeting in February was also rescheduled when he said ICE officials could not find anything related to a scheduled meeting in their system.

"There was a valid warrant for her arrest as an alien issued on March 2, 2026, two days prior to her arrest," the court document reads. "The arrest warrant clearly marked the cause of her arrest."

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She was detained on March 4th and was sent to a detention center in Alabama.

Attorneys for Rodriguez argue her First and Fifth Amendment rights were violated when ICE agents detained her and believe her detention was retaliation for her reporting on ICE activity through Nashville.

A hearing between her attorneys and the government is set for next Monday.

This article was originally published by Kelly Broderick for the Scripps News Group station in Nashville.

Math nerds and dessert enthusiasts unite to celebrate Pi Day every March 14, the date that represents the first three digits of the mathematical constant pi.

Representing the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter, pi is approximately equal to 3.14159 but its digits go on forever. In school, you might have used it to calculate the area of a circle or the volume of a cylinder. But the applications of pi are endless and part of every corner of our world.

The holiday was created in 1988 by Larry Shaw, a physicist at the Exploratorium science museum in San Francisco.

He had a very open and expansive view of the world and saw an opportunity with this number, mathematical concept, to invite people into the joy of mathematical learning, said Sam Sharkland, program director of public programs at the museum, who worked with Shaw before he died in 2017.

While it began as a small staff celebration featuring pie, it soon turned into a grand procession where hundreds of visitors marched around the pi shrine, each carrying a digit. Attendees often show up early to claim their favorite digit for the parade. One woman who has the symbol tattooed on her neck comes every year and marches near the front with a pi flag, Sharkland said.

RELATED STORY | 10 fascinating things to know about pi on Pi Day

The celebration begins at 1:59 p.m., signifying the next three digits of pi.

Here are a few ways pi is being used on the cutting edge of science.

Pi in outer space

In Artur Davoyan's field of mechanical and aerospace engineering, pi is so fundamental that it would be hard to pinpoint one use case for it, he said.

Pi is part of literally every single formula that you would use to do any calculation, like for spacecraft motion, for materials and how they work, or propulsion systems, said Davoyan, a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Anything that is round or has cyclical or repeating properties such as radio waves involves pi. Even squares or irregular blobs can be broken down into a series of progressively smaller circles and calculated using pi, Davoyan said.

Davoyan's research looks at how to create new propulsion systems to send spacecrafts more quickly to the far reaches of the solar system to gather and send back information to Earth. He pointed to NASAs Voyager 1 and 2, which launched in 1977 but didn't reach interstellar space until 2012 and 2018.

To send a signal to those space probes, NASA must calculate Earth's exact position in orbit around the sun and design antennas for communication using pi. Then scientists use pi once more when receiving and breaking down complex signals that are being beamed back to Earth.

Say aliens send something to us, something that we dont know how to deal with, Davoyan said. So the very first thing that you would do, you would try to split it into simple functions... and turns out that when you do this operation, you will naturally have pis in it.

Tiny droplets of pi

Pi also comes up frequently when studying small amounts of fluids.

Dino Di Carlo, chair of the bioengineering department at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, conducts research that involves creating little particles out of polymers that act as tiny test tubes for cells. This is used as an important tool to examine cells closely and learn about their functions and what's inside them.

The pi constant is used in calculating how to form those droplets, surface tension calculations that define how droplets can break up, and how researchers can control the size of those volumes, Di Carlo said.

Di Carlo is using this technique to find antibodies small proteins that fight diseases in your body that could block signals put out by cancer cells.

Pi is also an important part of calculations when looking at how liquids flow through tubes and barriers. One example is when the fluid sample slowly flows sideways in a take-home COVID-19 test.

Di Carlo used these properties to devise a new test for Lyme disease that can be completed in 20 minutes, rather than days or weeks like previously.

As an engineer and scientist, (pi) is just a part of life, Di Carlo said. Maybe Ive taken it for granted.

President Donald Trump said the U.S. destroyed military sites on an island vital to Irans oil network and warned that its oil infrastructure could be next if Iran continues to interfere with the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump said U.S. forces on Friday obliterated targets on Irans Kharg Island, which is home to the primary terminal that handles the countrys oil exports. The speaker of the Iranian parliament had warned that such strikes would provoke a new level of retaliation.

Meanwhile, an American official said 2,500 more Marines and an amphibious assault ship are being sent to the Middle East nearly two weeks into the war with the Islamic Republic.

RELATED STORY | Trump says war in Iran is 'won,' but administration expects fighting to continue for weeks

Iran has continued to launch widespread missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf states, and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the worlds traded oil passes, even as U.S. and Israeli warplanes pummel military and other targets across Iran.

The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon deepened, with nearly 800 people killed and 850,000 displaced as Israel launched waves of strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and warned there would be no let up.

Marines and assault ship will add to US forces

Elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have been ordered to the Middle East, according to the U.S. official, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

Marine Expeditionary Units are able to conduct amphibious landings, but they also specialize in bolstering security at embassies, evacuating civilians, and providing disaster relief. The deployment does not necessarily indicate that a ground operation is imminent or will take place.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the new Marine deployment.

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, as well as the Tripoli and other amphibious assault ships carrying the Marines, are based in Japan and have been in the Pacific Ocean for several days, according to images released by the military. The Tripoli was spotted by commercial satellites sailing alone near Taiwan, putting it more than a week away from the waters off Iran.

Earlier in the week, the Navy had 12 ships, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and eight destroyers, operating in the Arabian Sea. Should the Tripoli join this flotilla, it would be the second-largest ship behind the Lincoln in the region.

RELATED STORY | Oil market sees its worst disruption ever as Iran war threatens supply

While the total number of U.S. service members on the ground in the Middle East is not clear, Al-Udeid Air Base alone, one of the largest in the region, typically houses some 8,000 U.S. troops in Qatar.

US strikes Persian Gulf island after Iranian warning

The U.S. strikes on Irans Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf targeted military sites but left its oil infrastructure alone for now, Trump said in a social media post.

But he warned that if Iran or anyone else interferes with the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, he will reconsider his decision not to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure.

Iranian parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned on Thursday in a social media post that attacks on the islands on Irans southern maritime frontier would cause Iran to abandon all restraint, underscoring how central they are to the countrys economy and security.

On Saturday, Irans joint military command reiterated its threat that it will attack the U.S.-linked oil and energy facilities in the region if the Islamic Republic's oil infrastructure is hit.

Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned they will target all oil, economic, and energy infrastructures belonging to oil companies across the region that have American shares or cooperate with America.

The joint military command also threatened to attack cities in the United Arab Emirates, saying the U.S. used ports, docks and hideouts within UAE cities to launch strikes on the islands, without providing evidence. It called on people to evacuate those areas where it said U.S. forces were sheltering

Irans semiofficial Fars news agency Saturday said the U.S. strikes caused no damage to oil infrastructure on the island.

It reported at least 15 explosions followed the strikes, which it said targeted an air defense facility, a naval base, the airport control tower and an offshore oil companys helicopter hangar.

Missile strikes inside US Embassy compound in Baghdad

A missile struck a helipad inside the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad, two Iraqi security officials said.

Associated Press footage showed a column of smoke rising Saturday morning over the embassy compound.

The sprawling embassy complex, one of the largest U.S. diplomatic facilities in the world, has been repeatedly targeted by rockets and drones fired by Iran-aligned militias.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad. On Friday, the embassy renewed its Level 4 security alert for Iraq, warning that Iran and Iran-aligned militia groups have previously carried out attacks against U.S. citizens, interests and infrastructure, and may continue to target them.

The U.S. military Friday bombed new targets on Kharg Island, a primary terminal for Iran's oil exports.

According to a social media post from President Donald Trump, the strikes targeted Iranian military installations on the island but left oil infrastructure untouched.

"For reasons of decency, I have chosen NOT to wipe out the Oil Infrastructure on the Island," the president wrote. "However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision."

RELATED STORY | Iran disrupts shipping routes near Strait of Hormuz as Israel, Hezbollah exchange attacks

The escalation comes as Iran has targeted shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

This week, two tankers linked to Western interests were struck and set ablaze in Iraqi waters. One sailor was reported dead, and 37 crew members were pulled from the water. One of the vessels is owned by an American company.

Iran has also threatened to deploy sea mines in the waterway, which prompted the U.S. to strike and destroy much of its mine-laying fleet earlier in the week.

Commercial traffic in the strait remains effectively closed. The International Energy Agency on Thursday described the situation as the largest supply disruption in the history of the global oil market.

The Pentagon on Friday ordered 2,500 U.S. Marines and at least one amphibious assault ship to the Iran theater.

Speaking about the growing crisis in the strait on Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said we have been dealing with it and dont need to worry about it.

President Trump said in an interview on Friday the conflict with Iran would end "when I feel it in my bones."

RELATED NEWS | US strikes Iranian minelayers as it warns Iran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open

Flights were briefly halted at several Washington-area airports Friday after a strong chemical smell was reported at a nearby air traffic control facility, the Federal Aviation Administration said.

"The FAA has temporarily stopped traffic at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Baltimore-Washington International Airport (BWI) because of a strong chemical smell at the Potomac TRACON that is impacting some air traffic controllers," the FAA told Scripps News in a statement.

Ground stops at the airports began shortly after 5:30 p.m. Eastern Time and were lifted about two hours later.

Affected airports were still experiencing flight delays on Friday evening that could extend for hours, according to the FAA.

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A separate ground stop was in effect for Austin-Bergstrom International Airport due to staffing issues.

Arriving flights at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport were also briefly stopped earlier on Friday due to snowy and icy conditions.

As of Friday afternoon, there had been close to 7,000 delays affecting U.S. flights and 647 cancellations, according to FlightAware.

This is a developing story and will be updated.

Mixed martial arts fans will have a chance to watch a historic UFC fight card near the White House on June 14.

UFC CEO Dana White said about 85,000 tickets for the event will be given away.

You should plan on going to Washington, D.C., for this event, White said, adding that details about how to register for free tickets will be announced soon.

White said the tickets will allow fans to gather outside the White House grounds, where they will be able to watch the fights on large screens and, in some areas, potentially see the octagon.

The card is expected to feature six fights, including two championship bouts.

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The main event will feature American Justin Gaethje against Georgian-Spanish fighter Ilia Topuria for the undisputed lightweight championship.

The co-main event will feature UFC superstar Alex Pereira facing Ciryl Gane for the interim heavyweight championship.

Other fighters on the card include American stars Sean OMalley, Bo Nickal and Michael Chandler.

The event is part of celebrations marking the 250th anniversary of the United States.

President Donald Trump is a longtime UFC fan and has attended numerous events, often receiving a warm welcome from fans. White has been a prominent supporter of Trump and campaigned for him during the 2024 election.

A federal judge has blocked subpoenas seeking records from the Federal Reserve as part of a criminal investigation involving Chair Jerome Powell.

Chief U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said prosecutors failed to show evidence that Powell committed a crime.

The investigation is said to have focused on cost overruns tied to renovations of Federal Reserve buildings and Powells testimony to Congress about the project.

RELATED STORY | Trump demands Fed lower interest rates amid steady inflation, rising mortgage costs

The Federal Reserve was served with grand jury subpoenas in January. Powell said the probe appeared to center on his congressional testimony last summer regarding renovations to the Federal Reserves headquarters in Washington. But in a recorded statement, he suggested the investigation could be broader.

The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the president, Powell said.

RELATED STORY | Fed cuts interest rate for third time this year, signals only one cut in 2026

Although President Donald Trump appointed Powell during his first term, the two have repeatedly clashed over interest rate policy during Trumps second term.

On Thursday, Trump continued his criticism of Powell.

Where is the Federal Reserve Chairman, Jerome Too Late Powell, today? He should be dropping interest rates, IMMEDIATELY, not waiting for the next meeting! Trump wrote on Thursday on Truth Social.

Trumps comments came hours after the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the consumer price index rose 2.4% in the 12 months ending in February. The rate has remained relatively steady but is slightly above the Federal Reserves 2% inflation target.

Roughly 2,500 Marines and at least one amphibious assault ship are headed for the Middle East, a U.S. official told The Associated Press.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans, said elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have been ordered to the Middle East. The move marks a major addition of troops to the region.

Iran has continued to launch widespread missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighboring Gulf states, and has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's traded oil passes, even as U.S. and Israeli warplanes pummel military and other targets across Iran.

The humanitarian crisis in Lebanon deepened, with nearly 800 people killed and 850,000 displaced as Israel launched waves of strikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah militants and warned there would be no let up.

With growing global concerns about a possible energy crisis, the price of Brent crude oil, the international standard, hovered around $100 per barrel. Brent prices are about 40% higher than when Israel and the United States launched the war on Feb. 28.

In an interview with Fox News, U.S. President Donald Trump said the war would end when I feel it in my bones.

Explosion rocks area of mass demonstration

An explosion in Tehran rocked the Ferdowsi Square area midday, where thousands had gathered for an annual Quds Day rally in which they chanted death to Israel and death to America.

Israel had issued a warning on a Farsi-language X account for people to clear the area shortly before the blast. But few Iranians would have seen it, as authorities have almost completely shut down the internet since the start of the war. Footage from the scene showed people chanting God is greatest, as smoke rose in the area.

The Israeli military later posted a second message in Farsi, noting the head of Irans judiciary was at the rally and criticizing Iran for blocking many from seeing their warning.

The hard-liner who leads Irans judiciary, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, had been giving an interview on state television at the demonstration when the strike happened. His bodyguards encircled him, as he raised his fist and said Iran under this rain and missiles will never withdraw.

US says 15,000 targets struck in Iran since the start of the war

Israel had earlier announced another wave of strikes in Iran targeting infrastructure, and said its air force had hit more than 200 targets in the last 24 hours, including missile launchers, defense systems and weapons production sites.

In Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that over 15,000 enemy targets have been struck, which is more than 1,000 a day since the war began.

He also sought to address concerns about the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, telling reporters: We have been dealing with it and dont need to worry about it.

Irans Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Thursday vowed to continue the attacks and keep the strait closed in his first public statement since succeeding his father, who was killed in the opening day of the war. Khamenei has not been seen in public since taking over leadership and released a written statement.

Hegseth said Khamenei is wounded and likely disfigured, without providing evidence or elaborating. Israel suspects Khamenei was wounded at the start of the war.

All six crew of US refueling plane confirmed dead after crash

The U.S. military confirmed on Friday that all six crew members of an American KC-135 refueling plane were killed when it crashed in Iraq, bringing the U.S. death toll to at least 13 service members.

U.S. Central Command said the crash wasnt related to friendly or hostile fire, and that two aircraft were involved, including one that landed safely.

The KC-135 is the fourth publicly acknowledged aircraft to crash as part of the U.S. militarys operations against Iran. Last week, three American fighter jets were mistakenly downed by friendly Kuwaiti fire.

New Iranian attacks across the region

Iran continued its daily attacks on oil and other infrastructure across the Gulf. In Oman, two people were killed when two drones crashed in the Sohar region, the Oman News Agency reported.

The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Oscar Austin shot down an Iranian ballistic missile over Turkey on Friday, a U.S. official said on condition of anonymity in order to discuss ongoing military operations. It was the third such interception over the NATO member in the last two weeks.

Residents in the southern Turkish city of Adana reported hearing a loud explosion and sirens sounding at Incirlik Air Base, which is used by U.S. forces.

In the latest sign of unease from some close U.S. allies, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for a convincing plan on how to end the war. He spoke alongside the prime ministers of Norway and Canada at military exercises in Norway.

Fighting escalates between Israel and Hezbollah

At least eight people were killed in an Israeli strike on Lebanon's southern coastal city of Sidon, Lebanons Health Ministry said Friday. Nine others were wounded, the ministry added. The toll could rise as rescuers search the rubble.

The ministry said 773 people including more than 100 children and 62 women have been killed since fighting erupted between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants 10 days ago. More than 1,900 people have been wounded, it said.

Some 850,000 have been internally displaced in Lebanon, according to United Nations Secretary-General Antnio Guterres, who launched a $325 million humanitarian appeal during a surprise visit to the country.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam urged Israel to halt strikes on his country and criticized Hezbollah for firing rockets at Israeli targets.

There is no justification in holding an entire nation hostage, he said.

Earlier, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said strikes so far were just the beginning and warned that Lebanons government will pay an increasing price for the damage to Lebanese national infrastructure used by Hezbollah.

Salam pushed back on the criticism, saying the Lebanese army had dismantled more than 500 Hezbollah military positions and weapons depots.

The Israeli military said its strikes have killed more than 350 Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, including what it called key commanders.

Iranian authorities say that more than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran, and Israel has reported 12 deaths.

A man who opened fire in a classroom at Virginias Old Dominion University had been granted an early release from federal prison in 2024 after completing a drug treatment program, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. The person was not authorized to speak publicly and did so on the condition of anonymity.

Mohamed Bailor Jalloh was sentenced to 11 years in prison after pleading guilty in 2017 to providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, the Islamic State group, and was released about 2 years early, according to prison records.

It wasnt clear how Jalloh qualified for a prison drug treatment program, which allows inmates to shave up to a year off their sentences. Inmates serving sentences for terrorism-related offenses typically arent eligible for such programs or other sentence-reducing credits.

RELATED NEWS | Old Dominion shooter previously convicted of trying to support ISIS

Jalloh, a former member of the Virginia Army National Guard, killed one person and injured two other people in Thursdays shooting before ROTC students subdued and killed him.

A message seeking information about Jallohs incarceration and release was left with the federal Bureau of Prisons.

Some elected officials questioned how someone with known ties to the Islamic State group was able to carry out such an attack.

The horrific tragedy that occurred today on ODUs campus never should have happened, U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans, who represents the congressional district neighboring the university, wrote on Facebook.

After Jalloh pleaded guilty in October 2016 to providing material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization the Islamic State group a federal judge sentenced him in 2017 to an 11-year prison term with credit for time served retroactive to his July 2016 arrest.

He was on supervised release, which is comparable to probation, when he carried out the attack on Thursday. Based on his release date, that wouldve run into 2029.

Confessions to undercover agents

Jallohs October 2016 plea came after a three-month sting operation in which he, then 26, confessed to an undercover FBI agent that he was thinking about carrying out an attack similar to the 2009 shootings at Fort Hood, which left 13 people dead. Authorities launched the 2016 operation after Jalloh made contact with members of the Islamic State group in Africa earlier that year.

Jalloh later told the informant that the Islamic State group had asked if he wanted to participate in an attack. He tried to donate $500 to the group, but the money actually went to an account controlled by the FBI, according to court documents.

Jalloh then tried to buy an AR-15 assault rifle from a Virginia gun store but was turned away because he lacked the proper paperwork. The affidavit says he returned the next day and bought a different assault rifle. Prosecutors said the rifle was rendered inoperable before Jalloh left the store, unbeknownst to Jalloh. He was arrested the following day.

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Debate over sentencing

The Justice Department in 2017 requested a 20-year prison sentence for Jalloh, noting that he had made multiple attempts to join the Islamic State group and had attempted to acquire a gun to carry out a murder plot.

The defendant was fully aware of what he was doing, and the consequences of those actions. His only misgivings seemed to be a fear that he would waver at the critical moment, prosecutors wrote in a sentencing memorandum.

They added: By putting the idea of this murder plot into religious terms, and by suggesting that murdering members of the US military would be a path to heaven, the defendant showed how strongly committed he was to the deadly ideology of the Islamic State group.

Jallohs lawyers asked for a sentence of 6 years in prison and requested that he be placed in a facility that provides residential drug treatment for inmates with addiction and substance abuse issues.

U.S. District Judge Liam OGrady, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, sentenced him instead to 11 years in prison.

The judge also ordered Jalloh to participate in a program for substance abuse testing and treatment and mental health treatment, and requested that he be evaluated for the federal prison systems residential drug program.

Completing the Residential Drug Abuse Program can reduce an inmates prison sentence by up to a year, according to the federal Bureau of Prisons. It wasnt immediately clear if Jalloh qualified for the program. Normally, inmates serving sentences for terrorism-related offenses arent eligible.

In addition, some inmates who stay out of trouble in prison can reduce their sentence by earning up to 54 days of good conduct time credit for each year of their sentence. However, under the 2018 prison reform law known as the First Step Act, inmates convicted of terrorism-related offenses are not eligible for such credit.

Troubled shooter lured by radical cleric

Little is publicly known about Jalloh, who was a naturalized citizen from Sierra Leone. But court documents depict him as a troubled man who was radicalized by Anwar al-Awlaki, a well-known American imam who became an al-Qaida propagandist.

The Virginia Army National Guard confirmed he served as a specialist from 2009 until 2015, when he was honorably discharged. Jalloh told a government informant he quit the National Guard after hearing lectures from al-Awlaki, according to a 2016 FBI affidavit filed in his criminal case.

In a letter to the federal judge that presided over his sentencing, Jalloh wrote: I feel deep regret in having been driven by my emotions rather than my intellect and becoming involved with such an evil organization. I reject and deplore terrorism and any groups associated with it, especially ISIL.

He wrote that he started using drugs after his girlfriend ended their six-year relationship.

The pain I felt internally was unbearable, and drugs and alcohol were the only things that took that pain away, Jalloh wrote. I started doing marijuana, coke and mushrooms using one of them at least on a daily basis in order to kill the pain I was in and to fill in the void I felt internally.

The letter itself remains under seal, but his lawyer included excerpts of it in his sentencing memorandum.

Pope Leo XIV said Christian leaders who bear responsibility for armed conflicts should examine their consciences and seek confession.

"Do those Christians who bear serious responsibility in armed conflicts have the humility and courage to make a serious examination of conscience and to go to confession?" Leo said during a speech on Friday.

The pope did not name any specific conflict or individual, but he has repeatedly appealed for peace in Iran and the Middle East, describing the situation as "deeply disturbing." In January, Leo lamented that "war is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading."

The recent comments come as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has framed the United States' military intervention as supported by God. Some Christian leaders were recently seen praying over President Donald Trump in the Oval Office during the Iran war.

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Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are Catholics.

Prominent figures in the U.S. Catholic Church have also spoken out against the Iran war. Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago described a video posted on the White House's X account about the war as "sickening."

Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C., said the US-Israeli strikes are "not morally legitimate" as they don't meet the criteria in Catholic teaching for a just war.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Incendiary internal messages in which a Live Nation employee mocks customers as so stupid and says the company is robbing them blind, baby have been made public as over two dozen states weigh whether to continue their antitrust trial against the entertainment giant and its subsidiary Ticketmaster.

The messages from late 2021 through early 2023 on the online work messaging platform Slack were highlighted late Wednesday in a filing by government lawyers released in the public court record. The lawyers insist the messages should be evidence in the week-old trial in Manhattan federal court against Live Nation and Ticketmaster.

At the trial, lawyers for the federal government and 39 states and the District of Columbia say Live Nation and Ticketmaster were squelching competition and driving up prices for fans through threats, retaliation and other tactics to suffocate the competition by controlling virtually every aspect of the industry, from concert promotion to ticketing. The companies insist that artists, sports teams and venues set prices and decide how tickets are sold.

RELATED STORY | Government says Live Nation bullied venues, artists in ticketing market

The government lawyers wrote that the statements should be part of the trial because they are candid, internal messages" in which Ben Baker calls fans so stupid, explains that he gouge(s) them, and brags that Live Nation is robbing them blind, baby."

In the submission to Judge Arun Subramanian, the lawyers noted that Baker made the statements while he was a regional director of ticketing with responsibility for a large amphitheater in Florida but has since been promoted to head of ticketing for Venue Nation with responsibilities relating to all of Live Nation's venues.

They said the employees were discussing Live Nation's price for access to the VIP area of a show at the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa when Baker wrote that the prices are outrageous, that these people are so stupid and that I almost feel bad taking advantage of them before writing, BAHAHAHAHAHA.

Live Nation wants the exhibits disqualified from the trial, saying the messages reflect off-the-cuff banter, not policy between two personal friends who do not work together.

RELATED STORY | Live Nation to limit all Ticketmaster users to one account after FTC lawsuit

The company's lawyers wrote that the exhibits don't relate to the antitrust claims. They said the employees were making passing references to non-ticket ancillary products such as VIP club access, premier parking, or lawn chair rentals sold to concertgoers at two amphitheaters in Florida and Virginia.

But lawyers for the plaintiff states and U.S. government wrote that excessive prices for ancillary services are directly relevant to their claims and that ancillaries are a significant way that Live Nation monetizes its monopoly position in the amphitheater market.

In a statement Thursday, the company said the Slack exchange from one junior staffer to a friend absolutely doesn't reflect our values or how we operate.

The company added: Because this was a private Slack message, leadership learned of this when the public did, and will be looking into the matter promptly.

The arguments regarding the exhibits were made after Bloomberg News, The New York Times and MLex, a publication which covers legal and regulatory matters, and Inner City Press requested their release.

The trials status is up in the air after the federal government announced this week it was settling with Live Nation in a deal that would give Live Nation's competitors some access to ticket sales they are currently excluded from.

Lawyers for more than two dozen states have asked that the ongoing trial be scrapped and that a new jury be chosen in the weeks ahead. A jury that began hearing evidence last week was told to stay home this week with the expectation the trial would resume on Monday.

Meanwhile, Subramanian encouraged lawyers for the states and Live Nation to negotiate this week before telling him late Friday whether they've reached a deal.

Although the parties were not speaking publicly about the progress of any talks, a lawyer for Live Nation indicated at a court hearing Tuesday that there was no realistic chance of a fast deal with all states.

In a letter to the judge Thursday, a states' lawyer signaled the trial was likely to resume, saying the judge needed to rule on whether the Slack message exhibits can be shown to the jury because his decision will have a material impact on which witnesses the states call to testify as the states prepare to resume trial next week.

The man who was killed in Thursday's deadly shooting at Old Dominion University in Virginia was identified by the school as Lt. Col Brandon Shah, a retired Army officer and professor of military science at the school.

Police said a gunman opened fire in a campus building around 10:40 a.m., killing Shah and injuring two others. It is being investigated as an act of terrorism, the FBI said. The gunman was also killed.

Students killed ODU shooter, who shouted 'allahu akbar' before opening fire: FBI

Old Dominion University President Brian O. Hemphill identified Shah in a tribute message posted on the school's website, describing him as "a dedicated Monarch, public servant, and true hero."

Shah was a native Virginian from Staunton who enlisted in the army in 2003 as an aviation operations specialist and graduated from ODU in 2007, according to Hemphill.

"He fulfilled his dream to be an Army pilot, flying an AH64 Apache over Iraq, Afghanistan, and Eastern Europe during Operations Enduring Freedom, Iraqi Freedom, and Atlantic Resolve," said Hemphill. "Lt. Col. Shah logged more than 1,200 hours, 600 of them on combat missions, in three aircraft. In his last position before joining Old Dominion University, he served as Director of Operations for the 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade in Savannah, Georgia, where he oversaw day-to-day operations, training, modernization and long-range plans."

Dead ODU gunman with ISIS ties ID'd, one victim killed, two hurt

Shah also had an MBA from the University of Georgia, and an MS in engineering management from the University of Kansas.

Some of his individual awards include the Senior Army Aviator Badge, Combat Action Badge, Parachutist Badge, and Air Assault Badge, according to ODU's website.

"Brandon is an advocate for minority and veteran business education and involvement and holds a variety of accolades including combat heroism awards and diversity and inclusion honors," his ODU alumni profile stated. "Brandon also volunteers his time to support the less fortunate."

Shah returned to ODU as an instructor in the summer of 2022 to lead the Army ROTC Monarch Battalion.

Gov. Abigail Spanberger called Shah a devoted instructor who led a life of service to the country.

"A devoted ROTC instructor, Lt. Col. Shah didnt just lead a life of service to our country, he taught and led others to follow that path," Spanberger said. "I am grateful for his example, deeply saddened by his death, and praying for his family. Amid this tragedy, I thank the brave students, first responders, and law enforcement officers who responded quickly to todays horrific attack."

Sen. Louise Lucas, the president pro tempore of Virginia's Senate and a Portsmouth native, said Shah will be "missed terribly" by the Hampton Roads community.

"He was a beloved ROTC leader at ODU in a program he was once enrolled in as a young man," Lucas wrote on X. "He will be missed terribly by our community and our hearts are broken tonight."

This story was originally published by Sarah Hagen with the

Scripps News Group station in Norfolk.

The House Oversight Committee has requested testimony from a prison guard who was on duty the night Jeffrey Epstein died.

In a letter to Tova Noel, committee Chairman James Comer said the panel believes she may have information relevant to its investigation into the convicted sex offender.

"Due to public reporting, documents released by the Department of Justice, and documents obtained by the Committee, the Committee believes you have information that will assist in its investigation," Comer stated.

RELATED STORY | Epsteins former New Mexico ranch searched in criminal investigation

Comer asked Noel to appear for a transcribed interview on March 26.

In 2019, prosecutors charged Noel with conspiracy and falsification of records, accusing her and another guard of failing to conduct required inmate checks during an overnight shift at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in New York. Authorities said the two later signed false records indicating they had completed the rounds, leaving Epstein unobserved for hours before he died by suicide.

RELATED STORY | Bill Gates asked to testify in House panel's probe of Epstein

Noel later entered into a deferred prosecution agreement that allowed her to avoid jail time.

The House Oversight Committee is conducting its own investigation into Epstein and the events surrounding his death. The inquiry is separate from the Justice Departments document releases, though some of those records are being used by the committee as part of its investigation.

When Kyle Boreing's son, Ashton, was walking their family dog on Gallia Drive in Ohio's Miami Township on Wednesday, he came across something that stopped him in his tracks.

Just feet from the sidewalk, he saw nearly a dozen dead coyotes.

"I just thought, wow, that's a lot of dead coyotes," Ashton Boreing said.

Ashton immediately went back to their home and told his dad.

Kyle Boreing said he was instantly concerned.

"It looks like someone, or something, poisoned them and they all kind of dropped in the same area," Boreing said.

Group of dead coyotes found in Ohio sparks concern from residents nearby

Boreing said he's lived off Gallian Road for seven years, but has never seen anything like it.

It wasn't just the sight that was troubling, but also the smell.

"(Smells like) rotten meat," Boreing said.

"It's alarming, because if it can take out that many animals all at once, seemingly at the same time, what kind of impact can it have on somebody else or some other animal coming through here?" Boreing said.

Hamilton County Wildlife Officer Jacob Losekamp went out to look at the coyotes.

He said it's unlikely the coyotes were poisoned, but he believes they were shot and illegally dumped.

Losekamp said he will continue to investigate what may have happened.

He didn't remove the coyotes because they are on private property. Losekamp said the landowner is responsible for their removal, but adds that they can also let the coyotes naturally decompose if they want.

Still, Boreing said he'd like the coyotes to be tested. He said he wants to confirm it isn't poison and make sure the coyotes weren't carrying any diseases.

"I'm hoping they do more than just try to clean it up," Boreing said. "I hope they test either the animals or the area where the animals were found, to make sure there's not something else going on."

Miami Township Administrator Jim Brett said that as they continue to investigate what happened, he recommends any resident who may find more dead coyotes call his office.

This story was originally published by Alex Null with the

Scripps News Group station in Cincinnati

.

A retired Air Force general living in New Mexico has been missing for two weeks.

The Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office on Thursday released a timeline showing a repairman arrived at William Neil McCaslands home in Albuquerque around 10 a.m. on Feb. 27. McCaslands wife left the home about an hour later, authorities said. When she returned at about 12:04 p.m., McCasland was gone.

After searching for him for several hours, she reported him missing, investigators said.

Authorities said several of McCaslands personal items were also missing from the home, including his hiking boots, wallet and a .38-caliber revolver with a leather holster.

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While there is currently no evidence indicating foul play, investigators are examining all available information as the case remains active, the sheriffs office said in a statement.

Investigators are asking people in and around the 68-year-olds neighborhood to review security camera footage from Feb. 27 and Feb. 28, particularly between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m., and contact authorities with any relevant video or information.

A statewide Silver Alert remains active. The alerts are used for missing people age 50 or older when there is a clear indication of irreversible deterioration of intellectual faculties, such as Alzheimers disease or dementia. Authorities, however, declined to release information about McCaslands medical condition.

A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, McCasland holds bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees in aerospace and astronautical engineering, including a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During his career, he worked on a range of space and defense programs, including GPS systems and other space acquisition efforts.