Former NATO analyst Patrick Bury says President Trump’s push for a naval blockade on Iran and a 20% tariff on cargo in the Strait of Hormuz would require a huge military operation. He argues Iran retains an asymmetric advantage in the strait.
Published On 13 Jul 2026
UPDATED, with comment from AG: Oregon‘s attorney general has dropped a civil investigative demand for Paramount to turn over records related to its efforts to secure federal approval for its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.
Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield also had asked a state circuit court judge to order Paramount to turn over the materials and to delay Paramount’s closing of its proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by 60 days so the documents could be reviewed. A hearing has been scheduled for Monday in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
A Paramount spokesperson said, “We are pleased that the Oregon Attorney General has withdrawn its motion to delay this transaction. It was the right decision and avoids an unwarranted effort to delay a lawful, pro-competitive merger.
“Antitrust authorities around the world have carefully reviewed this transaction, clearing it or concluding that it does not violate any competition laws. That regulatory record underscores what the facts, the law and the economics make clear: this transaction will create a stronger challenger to dominant global streaming and technology platforms, expand consumer choice, increase investment in premium content and theatrical distribution, and create more opportunities for creators and workers. We look forward to completing the transaction and delivering those benefits.”
Jenny Hansson, communications director for Rayfield, said in a statement, “Paramount made it clear that they weren’t going to comply with the investigative demand, and that they think they’re above the law. We’re not going to let them waste Oregonians’ resources on these games. We’ve withdrawn the motion to consider our next steps.”
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state attorneys general are said to be considering a legal challenge to the transaction.
Rayfield sought Paramount records of lobbying of federal officials, as well as its role in a statement that the DOJ released in support of the transaction. The attorney general also sought documents “related to the formulation and execution of lobbying strategies aimed at obtaining regulatory approval of the proposed merger, which Respond as internally named ‘Project Warrior.’”
In a court filing, Paramount has objected to the document requests, arguing, among other things, that they impose “burdens and demands which are disproportionate” to the Oregon investigation and are “of such marginal relevance that the value of any materials sought is outweighed by the burden imposed on Paramount in having to provide such information.”
“Lobbying activities and related communications are wholly irrelevant to whether the proposed acquisition ‘violates Oregon’s antitrust laws,’” the company’s legal team wrote.
A Tahoe-area man who reported someone had been living in his house knew sheriff’s deputies were on the right track when they showed him video of a Safeway shopper.
The stranger was wearing the homeowner’s clothes.
The sheriff’s office in Nevada’s Douglas County is now seeking the public’s help identifying the “person of interest.”
A report last week from the agency said the case began when the homeowner returned from a three-week vacation and found that somebody had been inside his house, near Lake Tahoe’s east shore. Among the indications: Food was missing and personal property had been disturbed — including the man’s birth certificate, which was gone.
Sheriff’s investigators searching the home for clues found a recent receipt for the purchase of two packs of Camel cigarettes from the Safeway at the Round Hill Shopping Center, on Highway 50 north of Stateline.
They obtained the store’s surveillance video for the time of the purchase, and zeroed in on a specific shopper.
The homeowner didn’t recognize the man but recognized the clothes: a plaid shirt and a trucker hat from his own wardrobe.
The sheriff’s office has released an image of the shopper, to whom deputies would like to speak, and asks that anyone who has information on the case contact its Stateline office, (775) 586-7253.
If you’re ready to upgrade your binge-watching sessions, this is the deal for you. Amazon has the premium LG 65-inch C6 OLED Evo AI TV on sale for $1,999.99, down from its standard $2,699.99 price. This epic, limited-time discount saves you 26% on a flagship powerhouse packing over 8.3 million self-lit pixels, a blistering 165-hertz gaming refresh drive, a cutting-edge Alpha 11 AI Processor Gen3, and an advanced webOS platform integrated with Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot.
Bringing home a state-of-the-art 65-inch OLED display panel with an instantaneous 0.1ms response time and advanced automated panel care for under $2,000 is a great find. This flash promotion makes it the ideal time to upgrade your premier media room or build an elite next-generation gaming setup.
This deep discount completely sweeps away the steep premium barrier typically guarded by flagship display technology, giving cinephiles, extreme esports players, and smart home curators the ultimate opportunity to capture true theatrical video quality. This deal won’t last long.
AMAZON DEAL ALERT
The LG 65-inch C6 OLED TV elevates your living space with 8.3 million self-lit pixels delivering Perfect Black contrast and intelligent Brightness Booster illumination. It coordinates extreme esports fluidity with a 165Hz refresh rate matrix and near-instant 0.1ms response tracking. Powered by a heavy-duty Alpha 11 AI processor and webOS, backed by Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot, it will effortlessly rule your home theater landscape. But if you wish to see the competition, check out PCMag expert Will Greenwald’s list of the best 65-inch TVs for 2026.
The LG 65-inch C6 OLED Evo pairs infinite black contrast with unmatched 165Hz interactive gaming response mechanics. With a $700 discount, it completely deconstructs the luxury pricing wall of premium home cinema gear. Movie nights will never be the same again.
However, if you absolutely need an even bigger screen for your movie marathons, check out this 85-inch Hisense U7 Smart TV deal, which currently saves you over $1,000.
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
If you have a pool, chances are you have a World Cup watch party or backyard barbecue on the books this summer. But pool ownership isn’t all fun and games — you have to keep it clean. Beatbot robotic pool cleaners are an easy and solid summer upgrade. From AI-powered tools and multi-surface cleaning capabilities to a handy app and an automatic water-clarification system, Beatbot will keep your pool sparkling so you can skip the manual labor.
Now through July 19, you can even score up to 38% off a cordless Beatbot pool cleaner. Here are just a few standouts that are on sale.
The Sora 10 automated pool cleaner (normally $699, now $449) is a three-zone machine that tackles floors, walls, and the waterline. Its powerful 6,800 gallons per hour (GPH) suction gulps up gunk and debris in a single pass.
The 7,800 mAh battery can handle up to 5 hours of floor-cleaning per charge, and the large, five-liter collection basket lets you focus on browning the burgers instead of constantly cleaning out the filter. It works with every type of home pool and on all surfaces. Snatch it up during the $250 price drop.
The Sora 70 (normally $1,499, now $1,149) is a feature-packed powerhouse that lets you enjoy your clean pool whenever you want. Its four-zone cleaning scrubs your pool’s floor, walls, water surface, and waterline. Featuring SonicSense AI obstacle avoidance, it’s also a keen navigator that touts a six-liter debris capacity.
Powerful 6,800 GPH suction lifts up both ground-in dirt and debris. Additionally, it excels at navigating shallow tanning ledges, making it an excellent pick for complex pool layouts. The massive 10,000mAh battery runs for up to seven hours on a single charge.
If you’re looking for the pinnacle of hands-off pool maintenance, the AquaSense 2 Ultra (normally $3,150, now $2,199) is it. Its five-zone system and industry-first side brushes excel at multi-level floor cleaning, wall, waterline, and corner scrubbing, and surface skimming. HybridSense Pool Mapping utilizes 28 sensors — including an AI camera and ultrasonic and infrared sensors — to map your pool’s unique layout, scan for debris, and clean uninterrupted.
A built-in ClearWater Clarification System dispenses a skin-friendly water purifier that clumps fine debris together so the vacuum can easily collect it. It cleans for up to 10 hours on one charge.
Ready to have a legendary summer? Jump on Beatbot’s summer sale and score up to 38% off a cordless pool vacuum until July 19.
Can I be honest? Ever since I got a taste of a remote lifestyle, every hour spent in an office feels like an eternity. But leveling up your digital nomad game isn’t about hoarding every gadget on the internet; it’s about scoring compact tech upgrades that keep you moving with zero friction. Walmart’s Deals of the Day are here to help you optimize your on the go persona by running epic discounts on essential tech. I have rounded up my top picks for you, so you can spend more time planning your next work-cation.
We are leading with a massive 53% discount on the HP 14-Inch AMD Athlon laptop, a nimble, travel-ready workstation rocking a 12.5-hour battery lifespan. Next up is an incredible 52% off the Fitbit Charge 6 fitness tracker, a slim health navigator engineered to beam Google Maps directions right to your arm while you explore a new timezone. Finally, we are locking in a 28% price cut on the Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE Android tablet to give you an ultra-rugged secondary touchscreen that can handle tropical splashes flawlessly. Let’s see what they’re made of.
The HP 14-inch laptop delivers responsive daily computing for simple workflows using an AMD Athlon Silver processor and 4GB of LPDDR5 RAM. It includes a dedicated Microsoft Copilot AI key for intelligent assistance, 256GB of fast SSD storage, a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Personal, and an HD webcam with a physical privacy shutter. Plus, with a battery that runs up to 12.5 hours, you’re always connected. At $259 right now, down 53% from its actual value of $559, this deal is nothing short of wonderful.
However, if you need more options, check out our PCMag expert’s list of the best budget laptops for 2026, and take your pick.
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
The Fitbit Charge 6 tracker upgrades your health routine with heart rate tracking that is 60% more accurate during intense activities. It features built-in GPS, YouTube Music controls, Google Maps, and Google Wallet integrations on a vibrant color touchscreen. You get a water-resistant band that tracks over 40 sports, monitors sleep profiles, and delivers seven days of battery life.
It got an “Outstanding” rating from PCMag expert Angela Moscaritolo, and also won our Editors’ Choice award for the best fitness tracker. As Angela said in her in-depth review, “With improvements like the new Google lifestyle apps, Bluetooth integration with gym equipment, and a refreshed companion app, the affordable Fitbit Charge 6 remains the best fitness tracker on the market.” You can get it now for $75.99, which is a huge 52% off its actual price of $159.95. Take charge of your health, and get one now.
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE features a spacious 10.9-inch display paired with an included, responsive S Pen for real-paper writing precision. Built tough with IP68 water- and dust-resistance, it packs smart tools like Handwriting Assist to clean up sloppy notes and a Math Solver, and gives you up to 20 hours of continuous battery life. Right now, it’s available for $395, which is 28% lower than its actual price of $549.99. Feel the power of the Galaxy with this deal.
And for more options, check out PCMag expert Iyaz Akhtar’s list of the best Android Tablets for 2026.
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Keep the savings coming with more tech deals on Walmart today.
Of all the ways in which people have decided to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, few are as left-field as a sketch comedy collaboration between Larry David and President Barack Obama.
Jeff Schaffer, David’s frequent writing partner and showrunner of Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness, seems as aware of this as anyone. But when the Obamas and their Higher Ground productions company expressed an interest, who was he to turn them down? The fruits of their labor, a seven-episode exploration of American history through David’s curmudgeonly eyes, is already halfway through its HBO run. And, yes, it’s even a little educational. “I enjoy history, but I like ancient history — Greek and Roman stuff,” says Schaffer. “But Larry’s American history knowledge was astounding. He wanted to do something on winning the popular vote but losing the election, and he goes ‘You know, like Samual J. Tilden.’ Who? He could have been a country music star for all I knew.”
During a recent episode of The Hollywood Reporter podcast, I’m Having an Episode (Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple), Schaffer talked about collaborating with a former president and making a production schedule that would accommodate the erratic behavior of the sitting one. (And, for good measure, he discussed one of the more unlikely gems of his long comedy career: “Scotty Doesn’t Know.”)
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You and Larry David were in conversation at South by Southwest earlier this year, and you compared a series celebrating the country right now to “throwing a birthday party for your friend that’s in rehab.”
He’s at the methadone clinic right now. He’s all fucked up, but we still love him. So we’re gonna celebrate him and we hope he gets better soon.
Especially before they shut down the methadone clinics.
I hope our friend doesn’t live in a rural area.
For many, this was not a “rah rah” Fourth of July. But, also, it’s a time to acknowledge the country’s history and you’re working with a beloved former president. [The series is produced by Barack and Michelle Obama via their production company, Higher Ground.] How does that mix of variables color the experience?
That’s the yin and the yang of the American experience, right? Larry’s there to grouse about it, and President Obama’s there to say, “Hey, no matter how sticky things get, we can still find inspiration in each other.” It’s a comedy, so there’s a lot of Larry in here. But there are also times, especially in the beginning and the end, where we want to make sure that we’re actually saying something, too. We can get through this. And this messy, weird experiment in democracy is still is still working. We’re celebrating America, warts and all. And right now there’s a saggy orange wart that we wish would go away as quickly as possible. But the body’s still okay.
So, Larry and President Obama know one another, but this is still such a strange pairing. How did this happen?
Higher Ground and the Obamas wanted to do something to celebrate the 250th. Larry — who says “no” to everything, like you and I breathe — he’s such an American history buff. It intrigued him. I think really the the genesis of Larry’s interest starts four years ago, when Larry and I did a commercial where he played someone who was basically crapping all over the best inventions of humanity. We did it for FTX. I wonder whatever happened to them. They were so nice. (Laughs.) Anyway, remembered how much fun he had being in costume — and he forgot how much he hated being in wigs. So we just started talking about events and other things and we had some funny ideas.
I realize the president wasn’t in the writers room with you two, but what was the dynamic when the three of you were talking about the series?
The most amazing part of this was getting to see Larry and President Obama together. The first meeting we had — I’ve never met the president before — and he just says, “Do you play golf?” Not really. Then he he points to Larry and he goes, “This guy’s better than you’d think he’d be, but he wears so much sunscreen.” Obama’s just crapping all over Larry. And Larry goes, “I’m sorry my dad’s not from Kenya.” And this is minute one. These two are so funny together. So my big mission was just like, I just need to get them on screen together. That’s all I want. And when you see them on screen together, they’re so funny. It’s a very interesting odd couple.
How contemporary did you want to get with this? I think the closest to today that I’ve seen was Rosa Parks.
We go all the way up to almost today, but one thing that we really tried to do was talk about things that are happening now through a historical lens. There’s a sketch where we talk about vaccinations, but we’re not talking about vaccination issues that are happening right now. We’re talking about when the polio vaccine first came out. When you look at the history of America is that we’ve made a lot of the same mistakes again and again. We really have learned very little.
Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld in Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness: An Almost History of America.
HBO
Was that helpful for you to realize, given our current strife?
We’re still around! There was a a tremendous amount of suspicion about polio vaccine when it came out. And now we’re doing that again? It’s a two steps forward, one step back progress — this American experiment. Selfishness and pettiness are not twentieth century inventions.
There are cracks at Trump in there, without any direct hits. One sketch in particular has Jimmy Kimmel playing a man who can’t fathom a president trying to seek more than two terms. Were jokes like that cathartic?
We shot that sketch in November 2025, and we knew that Trump was going to do more insane evil things between when we shot and when we aired. So we basically left spaces so we could come back and chronicle each new horror of the madness of King Trump. We know that if you give this guy a few months, he’s gonna do something else completely diabolical and stupid that we weren’t even expecting: things like sending troops into American cities to harass and even kill American citizens. That was in between starting wars with foreign countries to deflect from the fact that you’re best friends with a pedophile. We left space to come in and and refill.
You and Larry work with a lot of artistic liberty, but you’re still making this with another production company on this. What is an Obama note like?
We had one meeting, and President Obama had read roughs of the sketches. He was very complimentary. And I remember he had a note about a particular sketch and Larry just goes, “Yeah, yeah, we’ll we’ll take care of it.” And Obama just goes, “I see how this is gonna be. You know, when I was in the Oval Office, I like to think that I listened to my advisors and I took advice from them. And I was president of the United States. That’s when Larry just goes, “Yeah, but I’m president of this.” Obama spent a half an hour telling [him] how funny I think this is. One note and [he] gets into a defensive crouch.” But they did give very good notes. And for certain sketches, which we haven’t gotten to yet, they were their knowledge was instrumental.
Looking at your long résumé, what is something that you worked on that you thought should have hit bigger than it did?
There are things like like EuroTrip. Alec Berg and Dave Mandel and I wrote that, and I directed. When it came out, not that many people saw it. But thanks to DVD, it has had this life. The song “Scotty Doesn’t Know” is like having some sort of renaissance that I don’t understand. A lot of my friends’ kids are in college, and they’re sending me stuff of bars singing “Scotty Doesn’t Know” when it comes on. I guess that we were disappointed that more people didn’t see it when it came out. But it’s had the life that we wanted it to have. We wanted to make a movie for teens to watch together in their parents’ basement while stealing their parents’ liquor. That’s happened.
That movie came out when I was mid-college and, by senior year, “Scotty Doesn’t Know” was playing at most parties.
There’s a gold record right here. We got a gold record from the single.
We’ve never spoken about this, so can you tell me how that all came together? Matt Damon making a cameo as a pop-punk frontman was an unexpected way to start that movie.
Alec, Dave and I, along with the band Lustra, wrote the lyrics. Obviously, the band came up with an amazing hook. We were shooting this movie in Prague during SARS and the [Iraq] war. We didn’t have a lot of money. We couldn’t be flying people in. Matt was shooting The Brothers Grimm in Prague. His head was shaved because he was wearing a wig the whole time. He’d quit smoking, so, in his words, he had swelled up like a tick. So we were like, “Hey, do you want to do this?” He had one one night available, which was the shortest night of the year. It was literally June 21st. There’s like five hours of nighttime to get this thing done. But he was so fun, and we just raced to get it. It’s crazy that it even existed. If Matt hadn’t been there. If he hadn’t looked like that. It just all came together. I was talking to Matt a little while ago, and he was like, “I was Private Ryan and Saving Private Ryan. I was Ripley and The Talented Mr. Ripley. I was Will Hunting in Good Will Hunting. And I walk down the street, and people just go, “Scotty Doesn’t Know!”
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Life, Larry and the Pursuit of Unhappiness releases new episodes Fridays on HBO Max.
One of the breakout stars for the U.S. at this year’s FIFA World Cup has secured new representation for his off the pitch endeavors.
Folarin Balogun, the striker for the U.S. men’s national team and the Ligue 1 club Monaco, has signed with Klutch Sports Group. Balogun was a breakout for the U.S., scoring three goals to help lead the team to the round of 16.
“Folarin Balogun is one of the most talented and influential players in global football today. His relentless ambition and cultural impact represent the standard of excellence we hope to continue to bring to the sport,” said Rich Paul, Founder and CEO of Klutch Sports Group. “We are incredibly proud to welcome him to KLUTCH and excited about everything we can build together.”
Klutch first entered the global soccer business when it acquired the football-focused European agency ROOF two years ago. Balogun however is the first soccer star to sign with Klutch directly.
The high profile of the World Cup and a newfound excitement for soccer could lead to new opportunity for the 25 year old, who also found himself at the center of one of the tournament’s more memorable storylines after President Donald Trump called FIFA chief Gianni Infantino in an effort to get a red card issue to Balogun reviewed. He was ultimately allowed to play in the round of 16 matchup against Belgium.
With athletes becoming many of the worlds biggest celebrities, the opportunities for off the field work continues to grow. That includes entertainment in the form of docuseries and scripted fare, but also high-profile endorsement deals across seemingly every category.
It’s an area that Klutch, which counts superstars like LeBron James and Jalen Hurts on its roster, knows well.
Jay-Z fans were caught on video rushing an entrance to Yankee Stadium on Sunday night ahead of the veteran rapper’s third and final performance of three shows at his hometown stadium, which was delayed roughly three hours as security navigated the massive crowd that had gathered outside, admitting those with tickets, as the already packed audience within the venue were told Jay-Z was waiting to take the stage until everyone who had purchased a ticket could get in.
Early in his performance, which was scheduled for Sunday night but began after midnight on Monday, Jay-Z apologized for the delay and told the sold-out crowd at the 46,000-seat stadium in the South Bronx that, “like, 10,000 people” were outside, so security “closed all the doors, and somebody rushed the door. They closed the door for you guys’ safety and everyone’s safety outside.”
Video posted to X seems to confirm the breach of at least one turnstile at the stadium. In footage posted by users @HipHopKlipz36 and @TheRocSupremacy, several young concertgoers are seen breaching a turnstile, and a bottleneck quickly forms, with several individuals becoming stuck in the entryway as a heaving crowd seems to be pushing them forward.
While certain elated fans jump up and down, excited to have gotten past the turnstile, several others are soon in peril behind them. It’s unclear if those seen in the video are ticketholders or if they are unticketed fans attempting to gain entry.
After about a minute of this dangerous situation unfolding, security and New York Police Department officers are seen rushing over to the entrance to stop a potential stampede. There have been no injuries reported during the concert.
It is unclear if this was an isolated incident or if reported similar breaches of security did in fact occur around the stadium’s many entrances.
Sunday night’s show was the third and final performance of Jay-Z’s historic three-night Yankee Stadium run, a celebration of the 30th anniversary of his seminal album Reasonable Doubt and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint, with the third night more of an overarching career retrospective. Like the first two nights, it was a star-studded event. Beyoncé, Rihanna, Teyana Taylor, Usher and Pharrell Williams all graced the stage at the show, which wrapped at 2:45 a.m. Monday.
On Monday, the baseball team, Jay-Z’s company, and the promoter of the event released a joint statement after the show, saying: “The Yankees, Roc Nation and Live Nation express our deep gratitude to the NYPD and to Yankee Stadium security personnel for their leadership and direction throughout the evening, putting the welfare of attendees above all other considerations.”
