The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet headquarters in Bahrain has been reduced to “mission critical” staffing ahead of potential U.S. strikes on Iran, multiple U.S. officials told Fox News.
There are now fewer than 100 personnel remaining at the facility. Ahead of Operation Midnight Hammer last June, when the U.S. struck Iranian nuclear sites, the 5th Fleet headquarters was evacuated in a similar manner.
The U.S. has been surging military assets to the Middle East in recent weeks as discussions have been ongoing between the U.S. and Iran over the future of Tehran’s nuclear program.
U.S. Central Command said this week that sailors and Marines aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln — one of the ships in the region — have reguarly been performing maintenance to “keep aircraft mission-ready.”
U.S. Central Command released this photo on Feb. 24, saying, “Sailors and Marines aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) regularly perform maintenance to keep aircraft mission-ready.”(CENTCOM)
“Their experience and skills allow Abraham Lincoln to sustain continuous airpower and conduct over 100 sorties per day,” CENTCOM said on X.
President Donald Trump warned in his State of the Union address earlier this week that Iran has “sinister ambitions” with its nuclear program and that the U.S. has not yet heard from Tehran that it will “never have a nuclear weapon.”
“After Midnight Hammer, they were warned to make no future attempts to rebuild their weapons program and, in particular, nuclear weapons. Yet they continue starting it all over. We wiped it out, and they want to start all over again and are at this moment again pursuing their sinister ambitions,” Trump said Tuesday, referencing the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last summer.
“We are in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words, ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon,’” Trump added. “My preference is to solve this problem through diplomacy. But one thing is certain, I will never allow the world’s number one sponsor of terror, which they are by far, to have a nuclear weapon. Can’t let that happen.”
RIGHT AFTER THE NATIONAL ANTHEM ON SUNDAY, THE AIR FORCE AND NAVY TOGETHER WILL FLY OVER LEVI STADIUM FOR THE BIG GAME. IT’S THE FIRST TIME THEY’VE EVER DONE THIS. A JOINT SUPER BOWL FLYOVER AND AN OAKDALE NATIVE IS ONE OF THE PILOTS. HIS NAME IS LIEUTENANT DALTON STEWART. HE IS A NAVY PILOT AND FLIES AN F, A 18 SUPER HORNET. HE’S BASED OUT OF THE NAVAL AIR STATION IN LEMOORE THAT’S JUST SOUTH OF FRESNO. AND HE SAYS A FLYOVER LIKE THIS, IT TAKES A LOT OF PREPARATION AND HAS A BIG FOOTBALL FAN. HE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO SUNDAY CALLING IT A ONCE IN A LIFETIME EXPERIENCE, EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO REPRESENT THE NAVY AND REPRESENT MY HOMETOWN AND WHERE I’M FROM, WHERE I GREW UP, WHAT MADE ME INTO WHAT I AM TODAY TO ON A WORLD STAGE, REALLY. ALL RIGHT, SO HE DIDN’T WANT TO SPOIL
Oakdale native to pilot in historic Super Bowl LX flyover
The Air Force and Navy will perform their first-ever joint Super Bowl flyover at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, with Oakdale native Lieutenant Dalton Stewart among the pilots.Stewart, a Navy pilot who flies an F/A-18 Super Hornet, is based at the Naval Air Station in Lemoore, south of Fresno. He noted that a flyover like this requires significant preparation. As a big football fan, he is looking forward to Sunday, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”I’m excited to be able to represent the Navy and represent my hometown and where I’m from, where I grew up, what made me into what I am today on a world stage, really,” Stewart said.He did not want to spoil what’s planned for the flyover but said it should be cool.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel
SANTA CLARA, Calif. —
The Air Force and Navy will perform their first-ever joint Super Bowl flyover at Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, with Oakdale native Lieutenant Dalton Stewart among the pilots.
Stewart, a Navy pilot who flies an F/A-18 Super Hornet, is based at the Naval Air Station in Lemoore, south of Fresno. He noted that a flyover like this requires significant preparation.
As a big football fan, he is looking forward to Sunday, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
“I’m excited to be able to represent the Navy and represent my hometown and where I’m from, where I grew up, what made me into what I am today on a world stage, really,” Stewart said.
He did not want to spoil what’s planned for the flyover but said it should be cool.
On a not-so-white Christmas Day, 50 recruits from Naval Station Great Lakes walked into a roaring welcome at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights, a tradition embraced by the community for 13 years.
The sailors arrived in a yellow school bus escorted by police cars and veterans zipping ahead on motorcycles to the front steps of the school, where neighbors and volunteers on either side of the stairs held American flags up high, waving them ecstatically.
The annual celebration was once again hosted by Bob Stack and his wife, Linda. They lost their 20-year-old son, Marine Lance Cpl. James Stack, when he was killed in combat in Afghanistan on Nov. 10, 2010. Stack was a science teacher at Christian Liberty Academy for 24 years before retiring in June.
“Perhaps the most difficult thing you’ve ever done is (be) sequestered from the world, away from your families,” Stack said to the recruits sitting on chairs in front of the gymnasium stage. “Soon, you will have earned the title “United States Navy sailor,” a title for which you can be very proud of. As I look at you, fit and squared away in uniform, you remind me of my son. At his boot camp graduation a long time ago, I couldn’t have been prouder of him that day.”
Navy recruits and volunteers bow their heads in prayer before lunch, Dec. 25, 2025, at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
Thursday’s celebration started with doughnuts, fruit and coffee in the foyer, followed by a noon lunch in the school cafeteria, which was filled with food tables, bag-toss games, foosball and a sprawling table of red and green cookies, fudgy brownies, cakes and sodas. Stack said the spread was the ultimate “cheat day” for the self-disciplined troops. Then after an evening dinner, the recruits head to the bus and back to base.
For many of the recruits at the event Thursday, home is a long way from Naval Station Great Lakes, the Navy’s only boot camp and largest training installation, located on over 1,600 acres overlooking Lake Michigan.
At the station, they’re allotted four phone calls during the duration of boot camp, which lasts a little over eight weeks. For the current group, graduation is Jan. 8, and they haven’t seen their families since November. So in the spirit of Christmas cheer, organizers at Christian Liberty Academy arranged cellphones so recruits could not just hear their loved ones’ voices – but see them too.
“My fiance hasn’t seen me without facial hair and short hair. She does not like short hair – the clean shave, either. I’ve had a mustache the entire time we’ve been together,” laughed Michael Fredrickson, a 23-year-old recruit of Naval Station Great Lakes. Along with having to shave every single day, Navy recruits have a meticulously strict schedule that begins around 4 a.m.
Thursday’s Christmas event was freeing in that sense, Fredrickson said, noting that recruits rarely even slouch or walk around slurping coffee.
Fredrickson, who grew up in Florida, but was born in Wisconsin, said many recruits got to speak to family over the phone the day before – their third phone call of camp – so Thursday’s video call would be a total surprise for his fiance.
Amber Rens of Wisconsin, right, introduces her friend Rae Inting, of Florida, to her parents on the phone, Dec. 25, 2025, at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
Next to him, Edgar Garcia, 32, who was born and raised in the Chicago area, was about to call his mom. Though his family isn’t physically that far, Garcia said it feels even farther since they’re cut off from the world, news, social media – and sports.
“Our (division commander) told me about the Bears and how they’ve been dominating and that they beat the Packers in an overtime touchdown!” Garcia said. “I was like of course they’re good when I can’t watch any of the games.”
Sports woes aside, Garcia said enlisting in the Navy has changed his life and may have been an easier transition for him than it has been for some of the younger recruits, or the recruits who have small children at home. The first few days of boot camp were emotional for many, he said, as they adjusted to a new normal without cellphones and music and family.
For Georgia native Akierra Pedro, 28, enlisting in the Navy meant being away from her two daughters, who are 6 and 2.
“It’s really hard being away from them for Christmas, but my older one tells me she’s proud of me every time we get to talk – it’s really hard, but they are also my motivation to get to the end,” Pedro said.
She gets to see her daughters in two weeks at graduation. Then after an overnight stay at home, Pedro will begin “A school,” which is the specialized technical training sailors attend after boot camp to learn the specific job they qualify for. Pedro’s A school is in Mississippi, where she’ll specialize in computers.
After writing her name on the sign-up sheet for a phone and charger, Pedro video-called her daughters.
Stack said the organizers have partnered with Verizon Wireless for several years to provide recruits with a phone for the day.
A couple hours into the morning, almost every recruit was deep into conversation with loved ones or friends. Some walked and talked with their phones, some searched for a quiet spot, others sat shoulder to shoulder introducing their families to each other, and some just sunk into the bleachers, smiling gently at the screen.
Navy recruits talk to loved ones on the phone, Dec. 25, 2025, at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights. Recruits are not allowed unlimited phone calls on base but were allowed to use the phones for the day to talk to loved ones.(Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)Phones lay on a table before being given to Navy recruits to use for the day. Recruits are not allowed unlimited phone calls on base but were allowed to use the phones for the day to talk to loved ones. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
The organizers were short a few phones, so Tonya Aiello, a volunteer and staff member at Christian Liberty Academy, handed her own phone to one of the recruits to use for the day.
“When they first started, they would only get about 10 phones and there were so many troops, so my husband and I would just use our phones for them to use, too,” Aiello explained. “And then when we got our phones back, we’d go through and see where people were calling… Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Maryland – wherever. It was really fun. We’d be like, where did your phone call today?”
Aiello said the Christmas Day tradition has become something she looks forward to each year. It’s a way to offer recruits the feeling of home despite how far they are from it, she said.
It also offered them a taste of normalcy, said Naomi Soles, 21, a recruit from Jacksonville, Florida.
“Just seeing the outside world – being on the road even was exciting, we’ve been marching everywhere,” Soles laughed. “Two months doesn’t sound like a long time, but it felt like a long time.”
Soles said she was born and raised in Jacksonville and lived five minutes between both of her parents. Enlisting and being away was a big jump for her, she said. And after graduation, she’ll enroll at an A school in San Antonio, Texas, for a career as a Navy Hospital Corpsman, an enlisted medical specialist providing healthcare, emergency treatment, and preventative care for Navy and Marine personnel and families.
Navy recruits Cynthia Choong, of Maryland, left, and Naomi Soles, of Florida, talk to volunteer Tonya Aiello, of Arlington Heights, Dec. 25, 2025, at Christian Liberty Academy in Arlington Heights. It was the 13th year that the school hosted recruits from the Naval Station Great Lakes on Christmas. (Dominic Di Palermo/Chicago Tribune)
While in line to grab coffee and pastries, Soles was telling her friend, fellow recruit Cynthia Choong, 24, from Maryland, what Christmas typically looks like in Florida.
“Me and my mom usually make ornaments, like styrofoam balls and sequins, then we’ll open gifts,” Soles explained, happily. “All my family would be there eating good food. We usually do apple fritters in the morning. And then we have a back porch. It’s Florida, so it’s not this cold – we’d probably be sitting on the back porch and drinking coffee. It’d be a slow morning, but those are the best kind.”
Explore the best cocktails for holiday day drinking with sparkling, cozy, and easy seasonal drink recipes everyone loves.
Holiday season doesn’t always mean late-night parties and champagne at midnight—some of the best celebrations happen long before sunset. Whether it’s a cheerful luncheon with friends, a family gathering that starts early, or simply a quiet afternoon wrapped in a blanket, day drinking calls for cocktails that are lighter, festive, and easy to enjoy over conversation. With bright flavors, warm spices, and a touch of holiday sparkle, these drinks add effortless joy to daytime merrymaking.
Here are the best cocktails for holiday day drinking. Each recipe balances flavor with seasonal flair, offering options from bubbly and refreshing to rich, warm, and indulgent.
The mimosa, born in 1920s Paris, became a brunch icon for its simplicity: citrus + bubbles. For the holidays, cranberry adds a tart pop and antioxidants, making it a festive and slightly healthier sip.
Ingredients
3 oz chilled Prosecco or Champagne
2 oz cranberry juice (100% juice preferred)
Fresh cranberries & rosemary sprig
Create
Fill a flute halfway with cranberry juice.
Top with sparkling wine
Garnish with cranberries that float like ornaments and a rosemary sprig for aroma and elegance
Boozy Hot Chocolate
Few drinks are as comforting as hot chocolate, and adding Baileys transforms it into a grown-up treat ideal for fireplace lounging. Baileys Irish Cream, originally introduced in the 1970s, blends Irish whiskey, cream, and cocoa, giving this cocktail its smooth dessert-like character.
Ingredients
1 cup milk (whole or oat for creaminess)
2 tbsp high-quality cocoa powder or hot chocolate mix
1–2 oz Baileys Irish Cream
Whipped cream & chocolate shavings (optional)
Create
Warm milk in a saucepan (do not boil).
Whisk in cocoa until velvety.
Remove from heat, stir in Baileys,
pour into a mug. Top with whipped cream and shaved chocolate for extra indulgence
Optional Variant – Baileys Double Chocolate Swap cocoa for a dark chocolate melt and add a splash of Baileys Chocolate Liqueur for deeper flavor. Rich, silky, and perfect for snowy afternoons.
Gingerbread Old Fashioned
A merry twist on a 19th-century classic, this version adds warm gingerbread syrup for nostalgic cookie-like spice.
A creamy winter riff on the 1940s vodka-Kahlúa original. Light peppermint makes it refreshing enough for daytime.
Ingredients
1 oz vodka
1 oz coffee liqueur
1 oz peppermint schnapps
1 oz cream or milk
Create
Pour ingredients over ice and gently stir
Add crushed candy cane rim for holiday sparkle
Spiced Apple Spritz
Like a holiday orchard in a glass. Effervescent, fruity, and perfect with lunch.
Ingredients
Create
Combine cider and rum over ice
Top with Prosecco,
Garnish with a thin apple fan
With a balance of merry flavors and easy preparation, these cocktails turn daytime gatherings into something special. Whether you lean creamy, sparkling, or spiced, mix one up, pour into a festive glass, and toast to the season—sometimes the best holiday memories are made before sunset. Cheers!
Wild business fact: can you believe Pepsi used to own a navy and once held military power in the Cold War?
Most people know Pepsi and Coca-Cola as the titans of the soft-drink world, locked in an advertising and market rivalry for over a century. But can you believe Pepsi used to own a navy from one of the world’s largest military powers. Yes, for a short moment in history, Pepsi actually owned a one. Not a promotional rental, not a sponsorship deal—an actual naval fleet of warships and submarines.
The story begins with Pepsi’s rise in the 20th century. Founded in 1893 and renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1898, the brand spent decades competing fiercely against Coca-Cola. Coke entered the international market first and dominated early advertising, food-service, and restaurant sales. Pepsi had to innovate just to survive, pioneering new bottle sizes, aggressive price competition, and lifestyle-driven marketing. By the 1960s and 70s, the “Cola Wars” were underway—celebrity endorsements, Super Bowl ads, and global brand campaigns turned soda into a cultural commodity.
And this is where one of the strangest corporate-military stories ever recorded begins.
In the 1950s and 60s, Pepsi was trying to break into new international markets. The United States and the Soviet Union were locked in global economic, political, and cultural competition. Coca-Cola, heavily associated with America, was unwelcome in the USSR—but Pepsi found a clever way around it: barter.
The Soviet Union didn’t want to pay for cola in dollars, so they traded vodka instead. Tons of it.
But the deal grew even stranger in 1989. When the USSR needed to renew Pepsi’s distribution agreement and vodka wasn’t enough as payment, another asset was offered—military ships scheduled for decommission. In exchange for Pepsi syrup, Pepsi temporarily took possession of:
Several warships
A small fleet of submarines
A cruiser
For a brief moment, Pepsi owned what became the sixth-largest navy in the world. Pepsi quickly sold the vessels for scrap, but not before the company’s CEO reportedly joked to U.S. officials: “We’re disarming the Soviet Union faster than you are.”
The naval fleet is long gone, but Pepsi’s global presence remains one of the most powerful in modern corporate history. Today Pepsi products are sold in more than 200 countries and territories. Billions of people worldwide consume their beverages and foods each year, from Pepsi and Mountain Dew to Doritos, Gatorade, and Lay’s.
For a company who once bartered soda for warships, the growth of its global business shows just how far a brand can stretch. The Cola Wars may have calmed, but the legacy remains: clever marketing, ambitious expansion, and one of the wildest business deals ever made.
Next time you crack open a can of cola, remember—there was a time when Pepsi wasn’t just battling Coke in grocery stores. It was once a player in Cold War naval strategy.
CALI, Colombia—They see themselves as the cowboys of the drug trade, highly experienced crews that ferry narcotics on small boats across the open seas, running on a mix of bravado, skill and dreams of a massive payday.
Now, designated as terrorists by the Trump administration, they face not only the perils of a capricious sea but the new danger of getting blown out of the water by the U.S. military. The trade’s unofficial motto—“deliver or die”—has never rung so true.
Two of the U.S. military’s top leaders will visit Puerto Rico on Monday to meet with troops and express gratitude for their work supporting missions across the Caribbean and Latin America.
Pentagon officials announced the visit in a memo on Sunday, saying the trip will include meetings with service members stationed in Puerto Rico and sailors operating in the Caribbean.
“Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and SEAC David L. Isom are visiting Puerto Rico on November 24, 2025, for the second time to engage with service members and thank them for their outstanding support to regional missions,” the media advisory read. “They will also visit and thank Sailors operating at sea for their dedicated, unwavering service in the SOUTHCOM area of responsibility.”
Caine and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth marked the first visit in September, when they stopped by on behalf of the Trump administration to show support for troops training on the island.
Hegseth addresses a formation of U.S. troops at Muñiz Air Base in Carolina on Sept. 8, 2025, amid an expanded military buildup in the Caribbean.(Credit: Puerto Rico Gov. Jenniffer González-Colón)
The meeting took place at Muñiz Air Base in Carolina, outside San Juan, and drew top brass including Puerto Rico National Guard Adjutant General Carlos José Rivera-Román, Public Safety Secretary Brig. Gen. Arthur Garffer, and other senior military leaders.
Hegseth spoke to nearly 300 soldiers at the base, thanking and describing them as “American warriors.” The secretary of war also affirmed that those serving in the Armed Forces will be the best equipped and prepared in the world.
Fox News confirms Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Cain will host European military counterparts to discuss Ukrainian security guarantees Tuesday.(Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Earlier this month, Hegseth announced the official launch of Operation Southern Spear, a mission targeting narco-terror networks across Latin America.
Hegseth said on X at the time that U.S. Southern Command and Joint Task Force Southern Spear will lead the mission to defend the homeland and dismantle narco-terrorist networks across the Western Hemisphere.
“This mission defends our Homeland, removes narco-terrorists from our Hemisphere, and secures our Homeland from the drugs that are killing our people,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth said the vessel was trafficking narcotics.(Department of War)
Since early September, U.S. military forces have carried out numerous lethal strikes against narcotics vessels operated by designated terrorist organizations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific, destroying dozens of ships tied to Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang and Colombia’s Ejército de Liberación Nacional. The attacks have killed an estimated 82 suspected narco-terrorists, with three survivors.
The campaign began Sept. 2 with a strike that killed 11 alleged members of Tren de Aragua and continued through October and November with a series of targeted operations that eliminated dozens more across known trafficking routes.
U.S. forces have hit submersibles, fishing boats and high-speed vessels, including one ELN-affiliated craft that drew criticism from Colombia’s president after three men were killed.
Several strikes took place near Venezuela’s coast, while others occurred in the eastern Pacific, where most recent operations have been concentrated.
Greg Wehner is a breaking news reporter for Fox News Digital.
Story tips and ideas can be sent to Greg.Wehner@Fox.com and on Twitter @GregWehner.
North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson (8) soars above the rim for a dunk during the second half, for two of his game high 23 points, in the Tar Heels’ 73-61 victory over Navy on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Robert Willett
rwillett@newsobserver.com
Chapel Hill
A good portion of the Navy bench was already standing and applauding before 5-foot-11 Austin Benigni drilled a 3-pointer to cut the Midshipmen’s deficit to single digits entering halftime at North Carolina. Two more Navy buckets to start the second half made it an even closer affair.
But a Jarin Stevenson dunk soon opened up scoring for UNC and the Tar Heels kept rolling to an 73-61 win over Navy (2-3) at the Dean E. Smith Center on Tuesday night. With the victory, UNC (5-0) ended its five-game, season-opening homestand and became the third NCAA men’s basketball program with 2,400 wins, joining Kansas (2,417) and Kentucky (2,425).
The Tar Heels entered Tuesday night on the heels of a historic defensive performance against N.C. Central on Friday. UNC blocked 14 shots against the Eagles, the most single-game blocks by the Tar Heels since the 2013-14 season.
North Carolina’s defensive showing against the Mids was far less dominant.
Navy rattled off a 15-0 run in the game’s final minutes — a stretch that saw the Mids score half of their second-half points in three minutes. That flurry cut Navy’s deficit to nine points before a Stevenson 3-pointer put UNC back ahead by double digits.
North Carolina coach Hubert Davis directs his team on offense in the first half against Navy on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com
This is the first time UNC has started its season with five consecutive wins since 2022-23. The Tar Heels return to play on Nov. 25 when they take on St. Bonaventure in the first of two games at the Fort Myers Tip-Off in Florida.
Here’s what we learned from North Carolina’s latest win:
Caleb Wilson. That’s the takeaway.
After Wilson recorded his second consecutive double-double — and first career 20-point double-double — against N.C. Central on Friday, NCCU head coach LeVelle Moton called the freshman “absolutely incredible.”
“If there’s anyone better in the country, I’ve got to see that for myself,” Moton said. “Because that kid is remarkable.”
And Tuesday night’s 23-point, 12-rebound performance was a reminder that he’s not slowing down anytime soon.
North Carolina forward Caleb Wilson (8) dunks over Navy forward Donovan Draper (11) in the first half on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com
After being hamstrung by two first-half fouls, Wilson recorded 15 points in the second half on six-of-eight shooting.
One second-half stretch saw Wilson dunk the ball four times, sink two jumpers, hit two free throws and assist on a lob to Henri Veesaar. The Wilson show powered a 17-5 UNC run in that nine-minute stretch.
Only one of the points during that period, a free throw from Luka Bogavac, wasn’t scored by or assisted by Wilson.
Stevenson attacking rim, Wilson soaring high
When an Aidan Kehoe layup cut Navy’s deficit to four points early in the second half, Stevenson responded by soaring to the rim for a putback dunk — throwing the ball down with a bit more flair than we’re used to seeing from the Alabama transfer.
He got the dunk party going. Wilson, of course, was the first guest to arrive. The freshman scored his next three buckets on dunks — the trio of slams took less than two minutes — to complete a 10-3 run for UNC. After the third slam, the second of two straight dunks in transition, Wilson and Stevenson found each other and bumped chests in celebration.
The Tar Heels recorded 10 dunks on the game.
According to Bart Torvik, North Carolina ranked third in the nation in dunks as a team, behind Georgia and Kentucky, entering Tuesday. Dunks made up approximately 24.3% of UNC’s offense, per Bart Torvik.
That mark ranks second in the nation and should increase after this game.
North Carolina center Henri Veesaar (13) drives to the basket against Navy guard David Burnett (7) and center Aidan Kehoe (99) in the first half on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. Robert Willett rwillett@newsobserver.com
Do the Tar Heels have a solid option at backup post?
While North Carolina’s guards have shown plenty of depth from Derek Dixon to Jonathan Powell, UNC’s backup forwards haven’t been as convincing through the team’s first five games.
In October, head coach Hubert Davis said the return of sophomore Zayden High would be a “huge benefit” for the team.
“He’s a big, versatile big that can do a number of things for us,” Davis said at the 2025 ACC Tipoff in Charlotte. “Defensively, he can guard multiple positions. He’s an excellent rebounder. He’s a great offensive rebounder. He has the ability to shoot the ball from the outside, but also he’s a willing and instinctive passer. And so you bring all those different things alongside his size.”
Entering Tuesday night, High — who is back on to the team this year after serving a suspension last season — had recorded as many field goals this season as he had fouls: four. He also entered the Navy game showing 30.8% from the field.
James Brown, the other reserve forward UNC’s gone to, hasn’t posted much better numbers. Brown has recorded five points in 18 total minutes this season. He’s also drawn four fouls.
On Tuesday, Brown and High combined for two points and 10 minutes of playing time.
Iran seized a Cyprus-registered fuel tanker Friday, its first such interdiction in the Strait of Hormuz in more than a year.
The seizure of the tanker Talara, which was carrying diesel fuel from the United Arab Emirates to Singapore, comes amid a still unresolved standoff between Tehran and the West over Iran’s nuclear program.
The president heaped praise on Japan’s first female prime minister as the two leaders pledged to renew their countries’ alliance aboard a U.S. aircraft carrier.
WASHINGTON—The Pentagon said it is sending the Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier to the Caribbean in a major escalation of the Trump administration’s military campaign to target drug smugglers and threaten governments in Latin America.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford carrier, which is currently deployed in the Mediterranean, to the Caribbean, bringing dozens more fighter and surveillance aircraft, along with other Navy warships that accompany a carrier, officials said.
The U.S. is transferring two alleged drug traffickers to Colombia and Ecuador for detention and prosecution after they were briefly held on a U.S. Navy warship in the Caribbean, President Trump announced on Saturday.
The two people survived an attack on a submersible Thursday and were rescued by the U.S. military. They were taken to the USS Iwo Jima, which has been operating in the region and has a full medical staff, according to defense officials.
If you’ve ever been out at sea, you may be aware that it’s near impossible to catch a good signal on your phone. Instead, seafarers rely on radio-frequency-based systems to communicate with other ships—a method with many advantages but potential shortcomings for more discreet, sensitive missions.
But a new technology developed by Astrolight, a Lithuanian space and defense tech company, proposes to switch out radio for lasers, which the company calls a “secure, optical” tool for marine operations. In an emailed press release, Astrolight reported that its installation and testing of POLARIS, a laser-based system, successfully handled communications for REPMUS 2025, NATO’s largest annual naval exercise.
“We installed two POLARIS terminals on different ships, which sailed through a relatively rough Baltic Sea that day with some rain as well, and were still able to establish and maintain a communication link between the ships,” explained Astrolight CEO Laurynas Maciulis in a release. Their customers, the Lithuanian Navy, were also “very satisfied with the results,” he added.
Lasers at sea
According to Astrolight, POLARIS is a “small, gimballed free space optical (FSO) communication solution for large naval vessels” weighing about 35 pounds (16 kilograms). Essentially, an FSO device converts data into a binary format, which is then transmitted to the receiving end in the form of a light signal.
Ordinary remote controls use a very simplified version of this technology, which allows data to travel through “free space,” whether that is air, outer space, or a vacuum. That flexibility potentially makes it useful for a variety of applications.
In this case, POLARIS achieved “a radio-silent, unjammable, and undetectable communication link between the ships,” reported DIANA, a NATO initiative for contracting the private sector to deliver technological solutions to security issues. Impressively, the terminals established a secure, private connection between two ships over a 9-mile (15-kilometer) range, “exceeding their initial targets by 200%,” DIANA stated in a LinkedIn post.
In addition, the terminals successfully processed gigabytes of data for “more than 10 concurrent, real-time HD video streams, even through rain and fog, during the day and night,” according to Astrolight’s statement.
Lasers in space?
“With persistent and rising GPS jamming attacks in NATO territories, we needed to test [POLARIS] in real-life conditions as soon as possible,” added Astrolight CTO Dalius Petrulionis in the same release. “Exercise results showed that our laser technology is a reliable and operable alternative to radio frequency-based communication—now it’s time to scale.”
With the success of POLARIS, Astrolight hopes to first expand the use of its terminals on ships. It’s also reviewing whether similar systems could work for research operations in harsh, cold environments, such as the Arctic.
But the company’s grandest goals appear to be in outer space. Across the different media posts, it noted its upcoming plans for ATLAS-2, an optical terminal meant to support satellite communications in and out of Earth. The terminal’s launch is currently slated to take place in early 2026.
Venezuela is moving troops into position on the Caribbean coast and mobilizing what President Nicolás Maduro asserts is a millions-strong militia in a display of defiance against the biggest American military buildup in the Caribbean since the 1980s.
The strongman’s regime has cranked up its propaganda machine. On state television, radio and social media, announcers are telling Venezuelans that the U.S. is a rapacious Nazi-like state that wants to dig its claws into the country’s oil wealth but that the Venezuelan military, the National Bolivarian Armed Forces, are positioning to repel any invasion.
Mary Anastasia O’Grady wonders about President Trump’s motivations for sending military assets to the Caribbean (“Trump’s War Drums in Venezuela,” Americas, Oct. 13). Interception of drug smugglers? Unseating Nicolás Maduro from power? Perhaps another, simpler answer: The ships are there to dissuade the Venezuelan regime from invading oil-rich Guyana next door.
Albert Lee Soto. (Photo courtesy of Atoria Elem/GoFundMe)
A man who fatally shot an 18-year-old Navy sailor in East Village was sentenced Monday to 10 years in state prison.
Ta’Kari Terell Benness, 21, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and a gun allegation for the Aug. 31, 2024, killing of Albert Lee Soto, an operations specialist seaman apprentice who was assigned to the San Diego-based destroyer USS Pinckney. Soto, a native of Queens, New York, had reported to San Diego for military service in April of 2024, six months after enlisting, according to the Navy.
At Benness’ arraignment, a prosecutor said the shooting stemmed from a fight between two groups of people at a local nightclub, which spilled into an argument outside.
Deputy District Attorney Matthew Carberry said Benness and/or members of his group said something to the effect of, “I will air this (expletive) out. I’ve got my gun in the car.”
The prosecutor said Soto left, but later returned, “demanding a one-on-one fight in retribution for the fight that took place in the club.”
Benness then pulled out a gun and shot the victim, according to the prosecutor.
Soto was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Carberry said Benness then fled California on a Greyhound bus. He was arrested nearly two months later in St. Cloud, Minnesota.
At his sentencing hearing, Benness apologized and said, “I don’t like the fact that I took another man’s life.”
However, he also claimed Soto followed him and “put me in a weird position,” drawing anger from several of Soto’s family members who attended court or viewed the hearing remotely.
Some of Soto’s loved ones alleged Benness bragged about the killing on social media.
A letter read in court from the victim’s mother, Sarria Soto, called the 10-year sentence “a slap in the face” and “a number that allows (Benness) to start over someday, but my pain will remain for a lifetime.”
Her letter, directed toward Benness, also read, “I don’t want sympathy. I want you to feel the weight of what you did. You took something you can never give back.”
The pro-Palestine activists and others aboard the flotilla of boats heading for Gaza were off the coast of Crete when their marine radios crackled to life in the night. Abba hits including “Dancing Queen” took over channel 16, the international frequency used by vessels for safety or distress calls.
“I thought it was a prank. Instead, it was the start of the operation,” said Italian lawmaker Arturo Scotto, who was on night duty on one of the boats. Suddenly the sky lighted up with flashes followed by loud bangs as low-flying drones hovered above. One of the boats suffered damage to its mast and had to abandon the voyage.
A Virginia grandmother who used ChatGPT to help pick her Powerball numbers struck big — and then donated it all to charity.
Carrie Edwards, of Midlothian, matched four of the first five numbers plus the Powerball in the Sept. 8 drawing, winning $50,000. But because she purchased the Power Play option, her prize tripled to $150,000, according to the Virginia Lottery.
Edwards said she knew instantly what she wanted to do with the unexpected windfall.
“I knew I needed to give it all away, because I’ve been so blessed, and I want this to be an example of how other people, when they’re blessed, can bless other people,” she said during a news conference.
Her first donation went to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD), which supports research, education and family resources for those affected by the early-onset dementia.
Carrie Edwards, seen with Virginia Lottery Executive Director Khalid Jones, won a $150,000 Powerball prize.(Virginia Lottery/Multi-State Lottery Association)
Edwards’ late husband, Steve, a firefighter and father, died from the disease. She said she wanted the gift to shine a light on other families fighting frontotemporal degeneration and the researchers working toward a cure for it. Her donation coincided with World FTD Awareness Week, which took place from Sept. 21-27.
“This cause is deeply personal,” Edwards, a retired PR executive, said.
Edwards also gave to Shalom Farms, a nonprofit farm and food justice organization in Richmond that distributes over 400,000 servings of fresh produce annually.
“Her gift will ensure that families throughout Richmond continue to have access to high-quality, affordable fresh produce,” Anna Ibrahim, executive director of Shalom Farms, said in a statement.
Choosing the Power Play option tripled Edwards’ $50,000 prize to $150,000.(iStock)
Her third contribution went to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS), which provides financial, educational and emergency assistance to active-duty service members, veterans and their families.
The gift honored her father, Capt. Peter Swanson, a Navy fighter pilot remembered for his “life of service and generosity.” “He and his wife instilled in their children the importance of giving back, making giving to NMCRS a family tradition,” the group wrote in a Facebook post. “Now, with Carrie’s extraordinary gift, the Swanson family’s commitment grows even stronger — ensuring Sailors, Marines, and their families receive the vital support they deserve,” it continued.
Edwards said the three organizations, which she works closely with, represent healing, service and community for her. “Shalom Farms heals through food and soil, AFTD brings hope through research, and Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society carries forward the tradition of supporting military families in times of need,” she said.
“All of us at the Lottery are delighted to see this prize being shared with worthy causes, due to the wonderful generosity of Carrie Edwards,” said Khalid Jones, executive director of the Virginia Lottery.
Edwards said she turned to ChatGPT to help her choose her Powerball numbers.(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Lottery profits go toward supporting K-12 public education in the Commonwealth, Jones noted.
At the news conference, Edwards revealed that she turned to artificial intelligence for help picking her numbers. “I’m like, ‘Hey, ChatGPT, talk to me … Do you have numbers for me?’” she recalled.
It responded that it’s all about luck, but Edwards went for it anyway. “Two days go by, and I’m sitting in a meeting and I look at my phone, and it says, ‘Please collect your lottery winnings,’” she said.
She thought it was a scam until she logged into her online account at home.
Edwards, who said she doesn’t play lotto often, had bought her ticket online for the first time, using the Virginia Lottery’s mobile app. “I feel blessed that this unexpected lottery win could serve a greater purpose,” she said.
Deirdre Bardolf is a lifestyle writer with Fox News Digital.
FIRST ON FOX:The Navy is taking bold steps to cut red tape and sharpen its focus on the fight.
A new memo signed by Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan orders a 35% cut to civilian Public Affairs Officer (PAO) billets and moves all hiring and contracting decisions under tighter control.
Leaders say the goal is to make the force leaner, faster and more disciplined while saving taxpayer money.
“The memo was signed with the intent to make a more lethal and agile force, placing the most capable people in the right positions to support the warfighter,” a Navy official told Fox News Digital on background. “It seeks to prioritize warfighting readiness, reinforce standards and discipline, as well as accelerate decision-making.”
Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan shakes hands with a Navy officer while touring a ship. On Wednesday, Phelan ordered a 35% cut to civilian Public Affairs Officer (PAO) billets.(Courtesy of the Secretary of the Navy)
“The Department of the Navy must ensure public affairs resources are aligned to warfighting readiness, standards and discipline, and rapid decision-making,” the memo states.
From now on, any civilian public affairs hiring must be approved by the Navy’s Chief of Information (CHINFO) or the Marine Corps Communications Directorate (CD). Contracts for media and messaging support will also be pooled into one system so commands across the fleet can use the same process.
The memo directs that “civilian public affairs billets in headquarters, staff support, and non-operational environments shall be reduced or eliminated.”
Secretary of the Navy John C. Phelan greets sailors during a visit. On Wednesday, the Navy announced it is slashing civilian public affairs jobs.(Courtesy of the Secretary of the Navy)
The changes come after a review found the civilian public affairs workforce had grown far beyond what was needed. The study flagged overlapping jobs, inconsistent messaging and inefficient spending.
Navy leaders say the overhaul will not only trim costs, but also ensure that every communication effort supports readiness and the men and women on the front lines.
The Marine Corps is not included in the cuts because it is already going through a separate review.
For the Navy, the memo notes that “some billets may be realigned to active-duty or reserve Public Affairs Officers,” putting more uniformed leaders in charge of telling the Navy’s story.
The directive also requires CHINFO and CD to “document projected cost savings and assess opportunities to reinvest in fleet support and uniformed public affairs capacity.”
“This is about discipline, efficiency and lethality,” a senior Navy official told Fox News Digital. “Every resource we save here is a resource we can put back into readiness and the fight.”
Jasmine Baehr is a Breaking News Writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, faith and culture.
