Iran mines US troops’ social media as military considers seizing cellphones

2026-07-29 4:27pm EDT / Fox News

CENTCOM’s Adm. Brad Cooper warned that online posts give Tehran near-real-time battle-damage assessments

By Morgan Phillips Fox News

Some U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East may soon be ordered to surrender their cellphones as military leaders warn that Iran is using photos and videos posted online to assess where its strikes landed and potentially improve follow-up attacks, Reuters first reported Wednesday.

Some service members stationed in Jordan have been told their phones will be confiscated in the coming days, two sources familiar with the matter told the outlet. A third source said cellphone restrictions were being considered more broadly across the region because of operational security concerns but did not describe the move as certain.

Any crackdown would force U.S. military commanders to balance operational security against troops’ reliance on cellphones to communicate with their families during wartime.

Some U.S. troops deployed to the Middle East may soon be ordered to surrender their cellphones as military leaders warn that Iran is using photos and videos posted online to assess where its strikes landed and potentially improve follow-up attacks.(Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images)

TWO US SERVICE MEMBERS KILLED IN IRANIAN STRIKES ON JORDAN, CENTCOM SAYS

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), the military command that leads U.S. military operations in the Middle East, confirmed to Fox News Digital that commander Adm. Brad Cooper sent the internal message described in the report but declined to release it publicly.

“The message is a general reminder to our service members on the importance of maintaining operational security,” CENTCOM spokesperson Capt. Tim Hawkins said. “This is one of many opportunities Admiral Cooper has used to convey operational priorities.”

A defense official declined to tell Fox News Digital whether personnel had been ordered to surrender their phones or whether wider restrictions were under consideration, saying CENTCOM does not discuss force-protection tactics and techniques for operational security reasons.

SECRET SERVICE AGENT ON JD VANCE’S DETAIL INVESTIGATED FOR ALLEGEDLY LEAKING OPERATIONAL SECURITY INFO

The message warned that online posts were giving Iran near-real-time information about whether its missile and drone attacks had succeeded, according to Reuters, which obtained a copy.

Iran can search news reports and social media for reactions, photos and cellphone footage showing where its weapons landed, Cooper reportedly wrote.

“The direct, unavoidable cost of this open-source intelligence could be measured in the lives of American service members,” Cooper warned.

U.S. Central Command confirmed to Fox News Digital that commander Adm. Brad Cooper sent the internal message described in the report but declined to release it publicly.(Win McNamee/Getty Images)

THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERA ON YOUR STREET CORNER: LAWFUL SPYING OR CONSTITUTIONALLY PROBLEMATIC?

Cooper reportedly pointed to footage posted online during the July 17 Iranian attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, which killed Pvt. Isabella Gonzales and fatally wounded 1st Lt. Tyler Feehan. Sgt. Angel Rampersad also is believed to have been killed in the attack.

The footage, captured using a service member’s Meta smart glasses, showed troops running for shelter and where the individual evacuated.

Without such information, Iran could have difficulty determining whether its weapons missed, struck an empty area or hit a populated facility, Cooper wrote. Publicly available details can effectively provide Iran with a battle-damage assessment and help it plan more devastating follow-up attacks, he warned.

Cellphone rules vary widely across the military. Personal devices already are prohibited during some sensitive missions and inside classified areas, while sailors at sea often lack ordinary cellular service. Many troops stationed at established overseas bases, however, often retain use of their phones.

The concern raised in Cooper’s message is distinct from another cellphone-related vulnerability reported by Fox News Digital in June — adversaries’ potential access to commercially available location data generated by smartphones, apps and advertising networks.

CENTCOM told lawmakers it had received “multiple threat reports concerning adversary exploitation of commercial location data to target or surveil U.S. personnel in theater.”

A bipartisan group led by Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., subsequently accused the Pentagon of failing to take basic precautions against the threat posed by data brokers, which collect and sell information about users’ movements.

The lawmakers said adversaries could potentially use that information to identify military installations, monitor troop movements or track individual service members. They urged the Pentagon to disable advertising identifiers on government-issued smartphones and direct personnel to take similar precautions on personal devices.

Justin Sherman, CEO of research and advisory firm Global Cyber Strategies, previously told Fox News Digital that foreign adversaries could obtain cellphone location data through brokers, digital advertising networks and other commercial systems.

People stand on a bridge destroyed after a strike in Hormozgan province, southern Iran, July 18, 2026.(Amirhosein Khorgooi/Iranian Students’ News Agency via AP)

“The sale of location data, in particular on Americans’ devices, puts military personnel at risk,” Sherman said, calling it “a serious national security threat.”

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While the earlier warning focused on information collected and sold by commercial companies, Cooper’s message addressed material posted publicly, including footage that can reveal where troops sought shelter and whether Iranian strikes hit their intended targets.

The Pentagon referred Fox News Digital to CENTCOM when asked for comment. Iran’s Mission to the United Nations in New York could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Fetterman brands new socialist favorite ‘Pontiac Platner’ after ‘ogre’ dig

2026-07-29 5:13pm EDT / Fox News

Abdulrahman El-Sayed called for putting an ‘ogre’ on a ‘pike’ during a donor Zoom call, widely understood to target Fetterman

By Charles Creitz, Fox News

Published July 29, 2026 5:13pm EDT

Abdul El-Sayed faces backlash over ‘ogre on a pike’ remark targeting Fetterman

Democratic strategist Al Mottur and former U.S. Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley discuss the backlash against Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed after he referred to Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., as an ‘ogre on a pike’ during a donor call.

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Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa., branded Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdulrahman El-Sayed “Pontiac Platner” after the left-wing upstart called for the “ogre” to be put on a “pike” at a campaign event in comments widely understood to reference the Pennsylvania lawmaker.

A recording from a Zoom call with donors obtained by Politico appeared to depict El-Sayed railing against those who have criticized his far-left policy platform, while singling out Fetterman and allegedly envisioning his head on a stake.

Fetterman later responded to CNBC’s Joe Kernen by blessing El-Sayed with a new nickname.

“I never worked out in male modeling. You know, you could call me ‘Senator Shrek’ — whatever — but this guy is really the Pontiac Platner, and now he’s really running to be, be the head of our emerging pro-Hamas wing here in the party,” Fetterman said of El-Sayed.

DEM SENATE HOPEFUL UNDER FIRE FOR RESURFACED COMMENTS CALLING COPS ‘OPPORTUNISTIC COWARDS’

U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to reporters outside the Senate chamber during votes Nov. 10, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Pontiac is a well-known name in Michigan, stemming from the 18th century Odawa chief to his namesake city and the now-defunct General Motors brand that was discontinued following the 2008 financial crisis.

El-Sayed has routinely criticized the Israeli government, and some of his policy positions overlap with those of Maine oyster farmer Graham Platner, who dropped his Senate bid after a series of allegations of sexual misconduct involving women.

“Politically, some of the things that he said or done are unacceptable to me. I’m not really sure what I’ve really done or voted for that that has offended the little guy so much,” Fetterman added.

BERNIE SANDERS, DSA REVEAL DEMANDS FOR DEM PARTY AFTER SOCIALISTS SWEEP NEW YORK ELECTIONS

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., and Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images; Sarah Rice/Getty Images)

He added that Democrats are engaging in a “serious game” by allowing people in the “Bernie Sanders” wing of the party who “created the Platner disaster” some policy oxygen.

During El-Sayed’s Zoom call, the millennial left-winger spoke out specifically against Fetterman.

“In the interim need to be organizing downward and outward. So, a big pickup for us could be that John Fetterman seat [in Pennsylvania]. I’m like a lot of folks — they’re going to ‘F’ around and give me carte blanche to go take them out,” El-Sayed said.

“Y’all came at me, so now I get to come at you and primary people like John Fetterman, and I have no problem with that. I’m looking forward to it.”

El-Sayed dismissed the longstanding custom against primarying sitting senators, a norm recently broken in the GOP when Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn in their primary.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402297039112

“Then, what happens is, ideally, you put one ogre on a pike, and then everyone else gets the message and all of a sudden starts to sound a lot different,” El-Sayed said.

The 6-foot-9 Fetterman took the insult in stride in his interview with Kernen, alluding to El-Sayed’s barb being his latest comparison to Mike Myers’ beloved green ogre that has cropped up in memes and elsewhere over the years.

“It’s incumbent on us, Republican and Democrat [alike], to police your own ranks. So, that’s what I’m willing to do,” Fetterman said, adding he is warning fellow lawmakers against eliminating the filibuster in one example.

El-Sayed and Platner also share several policy positions, including support for a single-payer, government-run Medicare-for-all system, anti-corporate housing policies, higher taxes on wealthy Americans and alignment with Sanders, a Vermont socialist.

While El-Sayed says he is neither a Democratic Socialists of America member nor a democratic socialist, he has a history of speaking at DSA events.

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https://www.foxnews.com/video/640059414112

Between 2017 and 2020, El-Sayed attended and spoke at six events held by the DSA, including a 2019 fundraiser he headlined. Despite the longstanding relationship, El-Sayed has distanced himself from the DSA when interviewed by the press and outright rejected being labeled a “socialist.”

“I’m not technically or practically DSA,” El-Sayed told The Wall Street Journal earlier this month. In an interview with CNN, he similarly stated, “I am not somebody who is a socialist. I believe in capitalism. I just believe that capitalism has to be regulated.”

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Fox News Digital reached out to Fetterman and El-Sayed for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Robert Schmad contributed to this report.

Elephants that died in Kenya likely poisoned by cyanide-tainted tomatoes, authorities say

July 29, 2026 / 5:21 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Fifteen elephants that died over the past month in southern Kenya are suspected to have been poisoned by tomatoes contaminated by cyanide, wildlife authorities told local media Wednesday.

Authorities did not say who they suspected in the contamination of tomatoes from farms neighboring the Amboseli National Park. In the past, farmers have been suspected of deliberately poisoning elephants to prevent them from eating crops.

The park in southern Kenya borders an area where farming and the raising of livestock are prevalent.

Kenya Wildlife Service Director General Erustus Kanga said preliminary laboratory tests detected cyanide. “Cyanide is a highly toxic chemical, particularly for elephants,” Kanga told local media.

The Kenya Wildlife Service warned that the contamination could have wider consequences because livestock also graze in the area.

“Other than the elephants and the wildlife that may be feeding in those fields, we have the local livestock. We have the goats. We have the cattle that are there. Eventually, if this is truly what is in the system, then we are going to see a bigger impact,” Kanga said.

Wildlife authorities said the toxic substances found in the deceased elephants pose no immediate threat to human health.

Kenya has previously recorded incidents of elephants being poisoned as a result of poaching and human-wildlife conflict. But officials say it’s the first time in decades the region has recorded elephant deaths on this scale, according to CBS News’ partner networkBBC News.

Schumer dodges question on whether DSA belongs in Democratic Party

July 29, 2026 4:30pm EDT / Fox News

Schumer declined to address the DSA’s call to abolish the Senate, keeping his message focused on Trump

By Adam Pack, Kelly Phares

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., declined to answer whether the DSA platform’s call to abolish the Senate has a place in the Democratic Party.

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As the Democratic Party’s socialist wing racks up primary victories, one top Democrat is emphasizing that the party remains a big tent.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., dodged a question from Fox News on Wednesday about whether the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) platform has a place in the Democratic Party.

“The bottom line is Democrats from one end of the spectrum to the other are going to be working to defeat Trump, to bring down costs, to go after his corruption and to end the chaos,” Schumer replied at a leadership news conference.

The Senate minority leader did not elaborate on whether he agreed with the DSA’s call to abolish the Senate.

Senate Minority Leader, Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., speaks during a news conference following a weekly policy luncheon with Senate Democrats at the U.S. Capitol on June 2, 2026, in Washington, D.C.(Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

WATCH: HOUSE DEMS DODGE QUESTIONS ON SOCIALIST AGENDA THAT THREATENS TO ABOLISH KEY INSTITUTIONS

The Senate has frequently drawn criticism from socialists for giving equal power to all states and its 60-vote threshold requiring bipartisan consensus to pass most legislation.

The Senate abolition proposal is part of the DSA’s recent platform, “Workers Deserve More,” which also calls for scrapping the presidency and the Supreme Court in favor of representatives “chosen by” and “subordinate to” a unicameral Congress.

In the manifesto, the far-left group also calls for abolishing the police and prisons, defunding the Department of War, and dismantling capitalism.

https://www.foxnews.com/video/6402289926112

DSA co-chair Megan Romer outlines socialist agenda

The exchange comes as Schumer’s path to political power is increasingly colliding with the socialist movement’s growing strength.

After upsetting Democratic incumbents in New York City and Colorado this year, the DSA is attempting to keep its winning streak alive by electing more socialist candidates in upcoming primaries in Missouri and Michigan.

If Michigan Senate hopeful Abdul El-Sayed, a far-left candidate who has rejected the “socialist” label, wins the hotly contested Democratic primary, Schumer’s hopes of becoming Senate majority leader could depend on his victory in November.

The New York Democrat has thrown his support behind Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., who has consolidated support among the party’s establishment wing, in the key Senate race.

Schumer could also face a primary threat from the Democratic Party’s far-left flank if he seeks reelection in 2028.

Michigan Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed poses for a portrait in Grand Rapids, Mich., on Feb. 21, 2026.(Evan Cobb for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

DSA MEMBER LEADS DEM PRIMARY IN MIDWEST BATTLEGROUND BUT TRAILS LIKELY GOP NOMINEE: POLL

Some moderate Democrats have called on the party to take a harder line in rejecting the DSA.

“This isn’t a big tent—it’s anarchy,” Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., wrote on social media earlier this week. “Why can’t Dems call out the DSA?”

DSA co-chair Megan Romer affirmed the group supports many of these policy ideas during a recent interview with “Fox News Sunday.”

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks to reporters outside the Senate chamber during votes on Nov. 10, 2025, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.(Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

“[You’re advocating for] abolish[ing] the Senate?” Fox News’ Shannon Bream asked.

“True,” Romer responded.

“Replace the presidency and Supreme Court as we now know them?” Bream followed up.

“Yep,” Romer replied.

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“Abolish ICE?” Bream pressed.

“Absolutely,” Romer said.

Whether Democratic leaders embrace or distance themselves from the DSA will be a defining question heading into the November midterms.

FTC sues Hims & Hers, alleging it shared people’s health data with Meta and Snap

July 29, 2026 / 5:20 PM EDT / CBS News
By Mary Cunningham

The Federal Trade Commission sued Hims & Hers on Wednesday, alleging the telehealth platform shared customers’ health information with third-party platforms, including Meta and Snap, without their consent.

The complaint, filed in federal court in the Northern District of California, alleged that Hims & Hers shared the data despite promising to protect consumers’ privacy.

“Hims was only able to create audiences with such specificity because it flouted the promises it made to its users about treating their medical conditions ‘privately’ or keeping their health information private,” the FTC said.

Hims & Hers, which was founded in 2017 and is publicly listed, allows users to connect virtually with health care providers and get prescription drugs for sexual wellness, weight loss and other issues. The company’s shares fell nearly 15% on Wednesday.

Hims & Hers dismissed the allegations regarding its practices as “baseless” and vowed to defend itself in court.

“Our customers have the information they need to make informed decisions about their care and the use of our services,” the San Francisco-based company said in a statement on social media. “And our Privacy Policy makes clear that they may choose how their data is used, and that information patients share with their healthcare providers is used only in providing care.”

The FTC alleged that Hims & Hers disclosed user information through tracking technologies “offered by Meta” that monitor people’s actions on its website and by sharing lists of some customers with third parties. The health service also shared information with other advertising platforms, according to the consumer protection agency.

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The FTC also accused Hims & Hers of failing to clearly disclose when consumers are charged for prescriptions purchased through the service and making it difficult for users to cancel subscriptions.

“The FTC’s complaint lays out a troubling scenario — consumers unknowingly locked into recurring subscriptions and the disclosure to third parties of consumers’ most private health information without their consent,” Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said in a statement.

Edited by Alain Sherter

Fox News Poll: Democratic enthusiasm shapes North Carolina Senate race

Cooper benefits from stronger favorable ratings, while Whatley remains less well known

July 29, 2026 6:00pm EDT / Fox News

By Dana Blanton

Midterm polls show razor-thin margins 100 days out

Fox News’ power rankings reveal tight races in both the Senate and House, with 100 days remaining until the midterm elections. Four Senate seats and 16 House seats are toss-ups, indicating a highly competitive midterm election landscape.

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In North Carolina, more Democrats than Republicans say they are extremely interested in the midterm elections (51% vs. 42%), and more Democrats also say they are extremely motivated to vote (58% vs. 50%). This enthusiasm advantage creates an edge in the Senate matchup.

Democrat Roy Cooper leads Republican Michael Whatley by 53% to 44% in the race to fill the state’s open Senate seat, according to a Fox News poll of North Carolina voters.

Cooper’s gap widens to 15 points among those saying they’re extremely interested in the election (57% vs. 42%) and 13 points among those extremely motivated to vote (55% vs. 42%). The race is unchanged among those saying they’re “certain” to vote (53% to 44%).

FOX NEWS POLL: COOL YOUR SERVERS! VOTERS REJECT DATA CENTERS

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Whatley is the former chair of the Republican National Committee, while Cooper served as North Carolina’s governor from 2017-2025. The candidates are vying to fill the seat held by retiring Republican Senator Thom Tillis.

Cooper receives high support from moderates, voters under age 30, independents, voters with a college degree, and women. He also captures support from about one in five non-MAGA Republicans and conservatives.

Whatley performs best among very conservative voters, White evangelical Christians, White voters without a college degree, and rural voters.

There’s also an enthusiasm gap when voters are asked why they back their candidate. Some 52% of Whatley’s supporters say they’re voting for him, while 46% say it’s mainly against Cooper. By contrast, 84% of Cooper supporters say they’re voting for him rather than against Whatley (13%).

FOX NEWS POLL: SIGNIFICANT SUPPORT FOR BOTH VOTER ID LAWS AND MAIL-IN BALLOTS

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Most voters are committed to their choice: 81% of Cooper’s backers say they’re certain to vote for him and it’s 77% among Whatley supporters. Overall, one in five voters say they could switch their pick.

President Trump complicates the contest for Whatley. Forty percent of North Carolina voters view the president favorably and 58% unfavorable. That’s net negative by 18 points, while his ratings were underwater by just 6 points two years ago (47-53%).

And Whatley’s ties to Trump concern 48% of voters, with worry extending across the spectrum, including more than half of moderates, more than 4 in 10 independents, and about 3 in 10 non-MAGA Republicans. Meanwhile, concern about Cooper’s ties to the Democratic establishment is more partisan. Overall, 42% are concerned, including 7 in 10 Republicans, but just 3 in 10 independents and moderates.

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“Recent data put the average Republican advantage in North Carolina statewide races at about 3 points,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who conducts the survey with Democrat Chris Anderson. “Cooper’s edge rests on almost unanimous Democratic support and commanding numbers among independents. To win, Whatley must stop the bleeding with non-MAGA Republicans and improve his standing with disaffected, less partisan Carolinians.”

Personal popularity also sets the candidates apart. Cooper’s 54% favorable rating is significantly higher than Whatley’s at 40%. In addition, Cooper is more popular than the Democratic Party by a 12-point margin, while Whatley trails the GOP by 4.

Whatley is less well known overall, as 14% of voters say they’re unable to rate him or have never heard of him, including about 1 in 10 Republicans.

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Tar Heel voters share equally negative views of the Republican Party (44% favorable vs. 54% unfavorable) and the Democratic Party (42% vs. 56%).

Negative partisanship is strong, as more Democrats view the GOP negatively (94%) than view their own party positively (83%). The reverse is also true: more Republicans (92%) hold an unfavorable opinion of the Democratic Party than view the GOP positively (85%).

Among the small subgroup viewing both parties negatively, Cooper draws twice as much support as Whatley (64% to 32%).

Inflation is the top issue for North Carolina voters, with 36% saying it will be most important to their vote for Senate. Next, it’s political divisions within the country at 14%, followed closely by healthcare and immigration at 13% each.

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Half describe their financial situation as stable, 12% say they’re getting ahead, and 38% say they’re falling behind, which is 6 points lower than it was two years ago.

North Carolina’s recent voting history points in different directions. Cooper won reelection in 2020 by almost 5 percentage points. In fact, Democrats have won 8 of the state’s last 10 gubernatorial elections. The last Republican to win was Pat McCrory, by about 11 points in 2012.

At the same time, Republicans have won the state in 11 of the last 12 presidential elections. The last Democrat to carry the state was former President Obama, who won by 0.3% in 2008.

In the 2024 presidential election, Trump won North Carolina by 3 percentage points.

Conducted July 23-27, 2026, under the joint direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News Poll includes interviews with a sample of 1,005 North Carolina registered voters randomly selected from a statewide voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (115) and cellphones (654) or completed the survey online after receiving a text message (236). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ± 3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Sources used to develop weight targets include the most recent American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis, and voter file data. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Results among subgroups are only shown when the sample size is at least N=100.

Fox News’ Victoria Balara contributed to this report.

As head of the polling unit, Dana Blanton runs the Fox News Poll and oversees the Fox News Voter Analysis election survey.

Salman Rushdie attacker convicted in federal terrorism trial over 2022 stabbing

2026-07-29T17:45:00-0400 / CBS/AP

A man was convicted Wednesday of federal terrorism charges in the 2022 stabbing of Salman Rushdie, the author who has faced a decades-old death threat over his novel “The Satanic Verses.”

A jury found Hadi Matar guilty of all the charges against him, including engaging in an act of transnational terrorism.

A message from The Associated Press seeking comment was sent to Matar’s attorneys.

Matar, 28, is already serving a 25-year New York state prison sentence on an attempted murder conviction in the August 2022 attack on an amphitheater stage. The federal conviction carries a potential life sentence.

Rushdie, who was about to speak on writers’ safety, was slashed 15 times in front of a stunned audience. He was gravely wounded and lost sight in his right eye.

“I can still read,” Rushdie told “CBS Sunday Morning” in 2025, “but I do find that I use iPads in a way that I never used to. Because there’s light, and because I can adjust the size of the type. So, I never, ever, read a book on an iPad, but now I do.”

His left hand and liver were badly damaged, but he lived, which he considers “a miracle.”

Prosecutors asserted that Matar was motivated by the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s 1989 call for Rushdie’s death because of “The Satanic Verses.” Defense lawyer Nathaniel Barone countered that the government had no proof of what was in Matar’s head.

Matar himself declined to testify. Rushdie did, telling jurors: “I can’t say what his ambitions or his aim was, but the wounds were dispersed across my body.”

Rushdie won Britain’s prestigious Booker Prize for his 1981 novel “Midnight’s Children,” about his native India. “The Satanic Verses,” a novel of magical realism about the lives and dreams of two actors who survive a plane explosion, followed in 1988.

It drew critical acclaim in the United Kingdom but engendered protests around the Muslim world over what some believers saw as blasphemous suggestions about Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, particularly in a dream sequence. Over the ensuing years, at least 45 people were killed in riots over the book, a Japanese translator was stabbed to death, an Italian translator was attacked and survived, and the book’s Norwegian publisher survived a shooting.

Rushdie, who was born into a Muslim family, has said the dream sequence was just that. But he went into hiding for years, gradually emerging after Iran’s government distanced itself in 1998 from Khomeini’s fatwa, or religious edict.

Rushdie was living in London when he went into hiding, and for the next 10 years, the British government provided him with 24-hour police protection.

“For two decades or more, I led a public life without a hint of trouble,” Rushdie testified at the trial in Buffalo, New York.

Yet the fatwa was never rescinded; indeed, Khomeini’s successor, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, indicated in 2017 that it remained in effect. An Iranian foundation has offered a more than $3 million bounty for killing Rushdie.

Matar repeatedly broached the fatwa with contacts in messaging apps in 2021 and 2022, according to exhibits shown in court. The messages showed Matar fuming that he felt Rushdie had attacked Islam and, by surviving, emboldened others to insult the faith. Matar alluded to a 2006 comment along those lines by the late Hezbollah militant group leader Hassan Nasrallah, the messages showed.

Born in the U.S., Matar also holds citizenship in Lebanon, where Hezbollah is based. Prosecutors said that photos in Matar’s New Jersey bedroom and on his computer indicated his support for Hezbollah, which the U.S. has designated a terrorist organization.

Matar aimed to fulfill the fatwa and “wanted everyone to know he was doing this for Hezbollah,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Lynch said in an opening statement July 22.

The messages showed Matar initially talked about wanting to “expose” Rushdie, then about taking his life. In a private note to himself, he wrote: “We need to kill him ASAP,” according to Lynch. The prosecutor said Matar framed the planned killing as part of what he considered a jihad, or holy war.

By spring 2022, the electronic chats showed, Matar wrote that he had discerned where Rushdie lived and was tracking his public appearances, eventually pointing out his scheduled August 2022 talk at the Chautauqua Institution, a western New York arts and intellectual center.

As Rushdie was being introduced, his attacker climbed on stage behind him, then stabbed him 15 times as the audience gasped. Spectators and another speaker, Henry Reese, scrambled to aid Rushdie. Law enforcement officers, assigned to the event, arrested the attacker — soon identified as Matar — after civilians restrained him.

Rushdie told “60 Minutes” in 2024 that while the attack didn’t make him feel like a different person, it did leave a lingering shadow.

“I think that shadow is just there. You know, and some days it’s dark and some days it’s not,” Rushdie said.

Rushdie published a 2024 memoir about the attack, then returned to fiction with last year’s “The Eleventh Hour.” The author, who was knighted by Britain’s late Queen Elizabeth II, received a Dayton Literary Peace Prize lifetime achievement award in November.

Trump unveils gleaming gold makeover of iconic DC horse statues

July 29, 2026 4:13pm EDT / Fox News

Trump shared photos on Truth Social as workers dismantled scaffolding hiding the golden horses near the Lincoln Memorial

By Jasmine Baehr Fox News

WATCH: Massive gold horse statues finally revealed after months behind scaffolding

Crews unveiled the newly regilded Arts of War statues near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. after months of restoration.

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President Donald Trump offered Americans a first look at the newly regilded Arts of War sculptures in Washington, D.C., as crews began removing the towering scaffolding that concealed the iconic golden horses during months of restoration work.

“Taking down the scaffolding around the regilded Arts of War sculptures!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, sharing photographs of workers carefully dismantling the structure surrounding the massive monument near the Lincoln Memorial.

Exclusive Fox News video captured workers removing the final sections of scaffolding, revealing the gleaming gold horses and figures that crown the monumental granite pedestals.

The Arts of War sculptures flank the eastern entrance to Arlington Memorial Bridge just west of the Lincoln Memorial, while their companion Arts of Peace sculptures sit nearby along Parkway Drive. Each monument features gilded bronze horses and human figures mounted atop massive granite bases, according to a study by MTFA Design.

TOP TRUMP OFFICIAL TOUTS HOW DC MAKEOVER IS PROOF AMERICA IS REJECTING ‘DECLINE BY CHOICE’

A worker stands between the newly regilded legs of an Arts of War horse statue as scaffolding is removed during restoration work near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., in this image shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social.(President Donald Trump/Truth Social)

The restoration is part of an ongoing National Park Service preservation project. According to the same 2018 study, the granite pedestals had developed extensive purple staining caused by copper runoff from the aging bronze sculptures, prompting specialized cleaning and stabilization work in addition to regilding.

The agency temporarily closed surrounding lawn and turf areas beginning July 2 to protect visitors, workers and the historic monuments while construction continues. The restrictions are scheduled to remain in effect through Sept. 30, though the National Park Service said areas will reopen as soon as the work no longer requires them to remain closed.

‘DERANGED’ VANDALS FUEL MALL SABOTAGE TREND, FROM BLOOD WRITING TO REFLECTING POOL DAMAGE

Workers dismantle scaffolding surrounding a newly regilded Arts of War horse statue near Arlington Memorial Bridge in Washington, D.C., in this image shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social.(President Donald Trump/Truth Social)

Sidewalks bordering the restoration area and those leading onto Memorial Bridge remain accessible, and the project has not required any road closures, according to the agency.

The surrounding parkland will remain partially restricted while crews complete the broader rehabilitation project and remove the remaining construction equipment.

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Scaffolding remains around a newly regilded Arts of War statue during ongoing restoration work near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., in this image shared by President Donald Trump on Truth Social.(President Donald Trump/Truth Social)

For months, the towering monuments were almost entirely hidden behind scaffolding, tarps and fencing.

Trump’s photos and Fox News’ exclusive video now offer one of the clearest looks yet at the restored sculptures are unveiled with a renewed gold finish just in time for America’s 250th anniversary.

The White House did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.

Jasmine Baehr is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital, where she covers politics, the military, legal debates surrounding life and family policy, as well as faith and culture.

USDA to fund Arizona facility to fight flesh-eating livestock pest

July 29, 2026 9:30 PM UTC / Reuters

By Tom Polansek

Cattle roam a field adjacent to Texas State Highway 163 after the confirmed number of U.S. cases of New World screwworm, a parasitic fly that eats warm-blooded animals alive, rose to 15 after three more animals tested positive in two Texas counties, south of Ozona, Texas, U.S. June 22, 2026. REUTERS/Joel Angel Juarez/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab

CHICAGO, July 29 (Reuters) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture will spend $25 million on a facility in Arizona to disperse sterile flies used to ​combat the flesh-eating livestock pest New World screwworm, the agency said on ‌Wednesday.

The facility will expand Washington’s efforts to control the spread of screwworms as the USDA plans to lift a ban on imports of Mexican cattle that it imposed more than a year ago in ​an attempt to keep the pest out of the U.S.

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The ban on ​Mexican cattle helped push U.S. beef prices to record highs, hurting consumers ⁠and putting pressure on Donald Trump’s administration to lower costs. However, the decision to resume ​imports drew criticism from some U.S. cattle producers, who said it would increase the ​risk for screwworm infestations.

The most effective tool against screwworm is sterile flies, according to the USDA. Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs sent a letter to the agency on Wednesday that proposed a dispersal facility for them ​in Douglas, Arizona, according to a post on X.

The USDA said on Friday that ​it planned to resume importing Mexican cattle at a port of entry in Douglas on August ‌24, and ⁠then eventually open two additional ports of entry in New Mexico.

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“The continued threat of New World screwworm, prolonged disruptions to livestock trade, and additional costs for producers could keep beef prices elevated and further strain household grocery budgets,” Hobbs said.

Screwworms are parasitic flies ​whose females lay eggs ​in open wounds ⁠and mucous membranes on any warm-blooded animal. Once the eggs hatch, hundreds of screwworm larvae use their sharp mouths to burrow through ​living flesh, eventually killing their host if left untreated.

The pest has ​moved north ⁠through Central America and was detected in June on Texas farms and in New Mexico.

The USDA has said it needs many more sterile flies to push the pest back to the ⁠geographic ​boundary of the Darien Gap, the stretch of rainforest ​between Panama and Colombia. The agency is constructing a $750 million production plant for sterile flies in Texas.

blob:https://www.reuters.com/1e7479a5-c19f-48a2-b57c-b8b234cbe712

Reporting by ​Tom Polansek in Chicago; Additional reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington; Editing by Bill Berkrot

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Workers at leading AI companies call for a slowdown in AI development

July 29, 2026 6:14 PM EDT / CBS News

By Megan Cerullo Reporter, MoneyWatch
Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News 24/7 to discuss her reporting.

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The people who best understand what artificial intelligence is capable of are the very workers calling for its rapid development to be reined in, as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman meets with government officials in Washington, D.C., this week.

Altman’s meetings follow the release of a public letter signed by more than 1,000 AI staffers across leading firms calling for the industry to be more tightly regulated.

“To realize AI’s potential, industry, government, and society at large may need the option to buy time to address emerging risks, develop security measures, and strengthen oversight,” read the letter, whose signatories include Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Meta executives, OpenAI researchers and more.

Slowing AI’s development runs counter to firms’ business goals as they compete with one another. “And today, the world lacks the technical and governance tools to deliberately pace frontier-wide progress,” the letter added.

The letter, and Altman’s meetings with national cyber director Sean Craincross, commerce secretary Howard Lutnick and other high-ranking officials, follow a high-profile cybersecurity incident during internal testing of an OpenAI model that went rogue and hacked into another startup, called Hugging Face, compromising customer data.

Altman described the incident on a recent podcast as “a kind of extremely sci-fi cyber incident,” which he said set off alarm bells. “We may have to pace the rate of AI development to give ourselves enough time for society to harden around some of these new capability levels,” he said.

Altman did not sign the letter calling for the pacing of AI development, but told reporters on Capitol Hill Wednesday that “we agree on a lot of the principles of that.”

In 2023, Altman called on the federal government to regulate AI companies so that they wouldn’t become dangerously capable without appropriate guardrails in place. And yet, the company continues to improve its own models’ capabilities.

“He’s really good at saying the right thing in the right moment. But it’s important to point out that OpenAI has not actually slowed down the pace,” senior TechCrunch reporter Rebecca Bellan told CBS News. “They can be worried about this on a personal level. But at the end of the day, if I’m being cynical…competition is more important.”

Edited by Kierra Frazier