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Jul 20, 2026 - World

President Donald Trump's war in Iran is not going the United States' way, former Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling told MS NOW's Nicolle Wallace on Monday's edition of "Deadline: White House."This came after the Pentagon announced yet another round of servicemember deaths, as the ceasefire of a few weeks ago becomes a distant memory and the administration has not mapped out any public endgame for the war — a development Hertling mourned as "tragic.""You've got to take a look at the operational campaign of both nations," said Hertling. Specifically, the U.S. has shifted its strategy from attacking weapons to "attacking the systems and encircling the cities that allow Iran to regenerate military power." "That's also an attempt to reduce their societal will, because the Trump administration believes there's a split between the Republican Guards and the Ayatollah and the citizens," Hertling added. "So, they are bombing places like Bandar Abbas and Isfahan, transportation hubs, bridges, fuel distribution sites."The whole idea, he said, is to "force a strategic decision" that would force Iran "back to the negotiating table."The problem, said Hertling, is that Iran has its own strategy underway."They're keeping the Strait [of Hormuz] closed," said Hertling. "They're continuing to deplete U.S. defense capabilities, especially the rockets or the air defense systems that we have in the region. They're dividing the U.S. from their allies in the region, as we've seen in Jordan and Qatar and Kuwait and the U.A.E. They are hurting us tactically because they know that the U.S. will focus on individual combat deaths, as we did this weekend." And all the while, he said, "they're opening new fronts for the proxies ... especially the Houthis in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait that could close another waterway and could cause even more economic problems."In short, he said, while the U.S. continues to strike targets, Iran is "trading space for time, and they're putting our allies and internal elements in the United States against us." And ultimately, he said, Iran has the "upper hand." - YouTube www.youtube.com

Jul 20, 2026 - World

A former Republican strategist said Monday that Stephen Miller, one of President Donald Trump's top aides, has gambled on stifling free speech and using fear to maintain power — but there's a chance it won't work.In a Substack video, Steve Schmidt called out the White House deputy chief of staff, whom he referred to as "the architect of fear." Schmidt referred to Miller as the "most psychotic and unhinged advisor, a man with the blood of many on his hands, including Alex Pretti and Renee Good, including all of these people who lost their lives under the weight of his viciousness and his insanity."The co-founder of the anti-Trump group The Lincoln Project made it clear that he views Miller as "an empty little Nazi" and "Little Goebbels of Santa Monica." He also identified how Miller doesn't have unchecked political power."We have the right to speech, and we have the right to faith, and we have the right to dissent, and we have the right to oppose this whack job with the full weight of our convictions," Schmidt argued.Schmidt pointed to Trump's confusion on stage after Spain's FIFA World Cup win as an example of how "he's not capable psychologically of stepping away from power" — and that Miller is part of the problem."There are people around Donald Trump who encourage this, who stoke it, who provoke it," Schmidt added. "They believe that they're going to benefit from it. I think it's the worst bet ever made because for those who have placed it, my opposite wager is on their ruination because the survival of the American Republic depends on it. What these people have done and threatened, the thousands they have abused, the money they have stolen, the crimes they have committed cannot be gotten away with." "If they are gotten away with, then that will mean Trump has won. If Trump wins, then the Republic dies. It's as simple as that. And the choice has always been as simple as that: America or Trump," he added.

Jul 20, 2026 - World

Conservative commentator and journalist Saagar Enjeti sounded the alarm Monday over the United States’ dwindling supply of crude oil reserves, which, should the U.S. war against Iran continue, could bring about “literal shortages” in a matter of weeks, he warned.The U.S.-Iran ceasefire collapsed earlier this month, and both sides have exchanged fire over the past week, with analysts increasingly doubtful a diplomatic resolution is still possible. As a result, the cost of oil surged this past week by more than 15%, and, according to the financial data company Barchart, the U.S. supply of crude oil has reached a 45-year low with just “43 days” of supply remaining.“You need that slack to have confidence in the market that it'll be there when you order what you have – when all that gets taken away, and if it runs to zero, that's when stuff gets absolutely bonkers,” Enjeti said Monday on his political video podcast “Breaking Points.” “It would be basically no confidence in the market – that's when export bans might come into play, literal shortages. This is the reason the Strategic Petroleum Reserve exists in the first place, and to now be at the lowest level since 1983, you just have no runway!”Exacerbating fears of economic turmoil further, the Yemeni military organization the Houthis announced a new maritime blockade Monday on Saudi Arabia, putting at risk “the flow of millions of barrels” of oil. And China, which significantly reduced its oil imports after the United States first attacked Iran in February, is expected to “resume buying soon as it draws down its stockpiles.”“There are two main reasons why gas is still not at catastrophic levels, although as of this morning, gas is right back to $4 a gallon nationally. One was Saudi Arabia: approximately 4.5 million barrels per day were coming out of the Bab Al Mandeb strait. That's roughly 3-4% of the world's oil supply, which the Houthis now say they will blockade,” Enjeti said.“And then secondary is China: Chinese imports are beginning to rebound sharply. China was importing roughly 12 million barrels per day right before the war began. That plummeted below 6 million barrels per day after the outbreak of the war. A resumption means it will put significant pressure on the global oil market.”Enjeti continued, “So, if you have two primary shocks that are already coming into a shocked system – the five-month closure of the Strait of Hormuz – things can get catastrophic very quickly.”

Jul 20, 2026 - World

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega has announced that the country won’t hold elections anytime soon, a statement that reflects his effort to extend his nearly 20-year rule

Jul 20, 2026 - World

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega said his country won't be holding elections anytime soon, a statement underscoring the strongman's efforts to extend his nearly 20-year rule and dashing hopes by the opposition that he might heed their demands for a democratic vote.