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This bust follows other recent SNAP fraud crackdowns across California.

A firefighter in Alabama is counting his lucky stars after he was struck by lightning exactly one year after a firework exploded in his face.

The pop star is currently on her "Eternal Sunshine" tour.

The pop star is currently on her "Eternal Sunshine" tour.

An apartment building clinging to the side of a San Francisco cliff is looking for a buyer, and its $8 million price tag comes with panoramic bay views, a famously quirky layout and a surprising artistic pedigree.

Saturday Deadline: US Orders Iran To Declare Hormuz Open, Toll-Free...Or Else

Update(1855): The US is back to setting deadlines, coupled with new military threats, apparently. Judging by this week, which marked a dangerous return to guns-a-blazing in the Persian Gulf, it seems Trump is ready to back these warnings with new bombing raids. The only question will be the extent to which the Islamic Republic escalates in return. So far it has shown willingness to 'answer' US attacks with its own missile and drone launches, against US and allied bases and facilities among the Arab Gulf states.

Axios newly reports (...just after market-closing on Friday, it should be noted), that if Tehran doesn't declare the complete opening of the Strait of Hormuz and safe passage to all ships by close of Saturday, then the... or else!

"The Trump administration is demanding that Iran publicly acknowledge that the Strait of Hormuz is open and pledge to stop firing on commercial ships," the report says. The US has also renewed calls for Iran to immediately hand over its "nuclear dust" - amid the warnings. Axios reports the message was conveyed "directly" and "through regional mediators" - citing three officials.

Both sides have already accused the other of severely violating the terms of the MoU. And US Treasury issued fresh sanctions on Tehran Friday, which violates the 'no new sanctions' clause of the memorandum. So the MoU is clearly on life support as it is. Diplomacy is still moving on some fronts: "Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr al-Busaidi are expected to meet Saturday in Muscat to discuss the Hormuz crisis," Axios continues. But here's the deadline:

The U.S. officials said they expect Iran to issue a statement after Saturday's meeting in Oman.

Iran has not appeared in the mood to 'compromise' or admit defeat on any level, and so the world might witness yet more waves of US attacks by Saturday night and into Sunday. A big question remains is whether Israel will continue sitting on the sidelines. Recent reports suggest Washington has been behind the scenes pressuring the Israelis not to act against Iran unilaterally. But the Netanyahu government remains a big wild card in all this.

*US OFFICIALS SAY EXPECT IRAN TO SAY HORMUZ WILL BE TOLL-FREE

*US OFFICIALS SAY EXPECT IRAN TO ANNOUNCE IT WON'T FIRE AT SHIPS https://t.co/lFMO4xiK6r

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) July 10, 2026

*  *  *

The guns have actually been silent in the Middle East overnight, after two days of deadly strikes between the United States and Iran, amid a general return to premarket open headlines of 'peace imminent again' as mediators desperately work to get diplomacy back on track. The White House position is that the ceasefire is over but that Washington has agreed to reengage Tehran in mediated talks.

Trump indicates US has agreed to Iran talks, but United States has stated to them, in no uncertain terms, that cease fire is over.

The New York Times writes early Friday that "Qatar, which helped broker the U.S.-Iran truce last month, has been in talks with Washington and Tehran to de-escalate the crisis, according to two officials with knowledge of the matter, who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy. In recent days, several other regional countries — Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan, all of which host U.S. military facilities — said they have come under Iranian attack."

via Shutterstock/National Interest

The same report further says, "Even as the fighting appeared to subside on Friday, it remained unclear whether the latest mediation efforts could prevent that cycle from repeating." The situation has devolved into a "dangerous test of wills, with each side trying to show that it can absorb the other’s attacks and respond forcefully, without tipping the conflict back into full-scale war," NYT continues.

And separately Bloomberg also reports, "Talks between the US and Iran on a permanent peace deal are continuing, according to a US official, despite two days of clashes that threatened an already fragile ceasefire. The renewed hostilities risk undermining efforts to rebuild depleted global oil inventories, the International Energy Agency said."

Bloomberg continues: "Oil prices steadied on Friday after a bumpy week. While gasoline prices have fallen since the fragile ceasefire, they’ve lagged crude’s sharp decline, prompting one asset manager to buy protection against stickier-than-expected US inflation."

There appears real movement on this, given also that Reuters is freshly reporting that Qatar negotiators are currently in Iran to meet Iranian officials, as part of the effort to immediately de-escalate tensions and create conditions for broader negotiations.

Still, the crisis is on edge and full-scale war could return at any moment, also as the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency is once again alerting global vessels security threat in the Strait of Hormuz remains at its highest level.

In Iran, the burial of the slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has finally concluded, and the IRGC's top commander, Brigadier-General Ahmad Vahidi, has pledged vengeance against the US and Israel for the assassination, saying it won’t "be erased from the historical memory."

The Revolutionary Guard chief called for the "full realization of justice and a fitting response to the criminals, especially the child-killing American army." An estimated 41-43 million people attended the six-day funeral for the late Khamenei, according to Iranian media.

NEW: Iran warns it will retaliate against infrastructure attacks and strike Israel in response. pic.twitter.com/JmkyZ7Zeyy

— Clash Report (@clashreport) July 10, 2026

In the meantime we commented overnight on who is not seeking permanent Iran peace at this point, on lingering concerns about the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. The Wall Street Journal in a Thursday evening report says that Israel has provided fresh intelligence to the White House indicating just such a Tehran-linked plot.

The timing is quite curious and interesting given it comes just as the warring sides standing on the brink of returning once again either to talks, or to full-scale war:

Israel shared new intelligence with the U.S. that it said indicated a fresh Iranian plan to kill President Trump, people familiar with the matter said, a finding that would mark an escalation in the war between Washington and Iran.

Iran for years has vowed openly to retaliate against Trump for the assassination of Qassem Soleimani, who was a top general in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, in the president’s first term. 

The Israeli embassy in Washington declined to comment. Iran’s Mission to the United Nations didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The White House referred The Wall Street Journal to comments the president made on Wednesday. 

The Israelis have remained deeply dissatisfied with terms laid out in the previously agreed-to MoU, and so have every incentive to goad Washington further into the conflict. Certainly many within the US administration know this, and so might be taking this new 'intelligence warning' - which was leaked rather quickly to major media - with the appropriate degree of skepticism. 

The US has still - somewhat surprisingly - affirmed it remains engaged in 'technical talks' with Iran, despite the prior days of tit-for-tat bombings. "Technical talks between the US and Iran are continuing, according to a US official, following two days of clashes that threatened to shatter an already fragile ceasefire between the two nations," reports Bloomberg, also late in the day Thursday. "The US is still committed to finding a solution with Iran, the official said Thursday, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the matter."

Israel says ready to attack Iran for 'third time if necessary' pic.twitter.com/KDkJ62iEfJ

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) July 10, 2026

So it appears there's still hope that things might not spiral further. As for the alleged assassination plot, this isn't the first time Iran has faced such accusations, and each time Tehran officials have vehemently denied them.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/10/2026 - 19:00

Teachers spent hours advising each other how to bring anti-Israel activism into public school classrooms — thanks to wide-open state education standards.

Advanced US Nuclear Battery Deal Targets 3000 MW Power With $22.5 Billion Pipeline

Authored by Aman Tripathi via Interesting Engineering,

Energy project facilitator GridMarket and nuclear technology developer Deployable Energy have formed a commercial agreement to deploy modular microreactors across the United States. The 40-year contract carries an estimated total value of $145 billion.

The collaboration follows a recent successful operational test by Deployable Energy.Deployable Energy 

The initiative intends to install more than 3 gigawatts (GW) of electrical capacity by 2035, focusing primarily on data centers, cloud infrastructure facilities, and industrial manufacturing plants.

"Demand for dependable, continuous power is growing faster than traditional infrastructure can support," said Bobby Gallagher, Co-Founder and CEO at Deployable Energy.

The collaboration follows a successful operational test by Deployable Energy. The company recently achieved criticality with its prototype system, known as the Unity Nuclear Battery. This initial test reactor reached a self-sustaining nuclear reaction 150 days after the project began.

Speeding up domestic nuclear power deployment

The development occurred under the US Department of Energy's Nuclear Energy Launch Pad program, which operates in accordance with a federal executive order designed to speed up domestic nuclear power deployment.

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence applications and cloud computing infrastructure has created an unprecedented demand for baseload electrical power. Finding locations with sufficient grid capacity has become a primary obstacle for technology companies building new facility hubs.

Under the new agreement, GridMarket will use its database of evaluated commercial sites and current corporate clients to establish a pipeline for the new power systems.

The companies plan to install 500 megawatts (MW) of power capacity annually between 2030 and 2035. According to GridMarket executives, corporate clients are actively looking for alternatives to traditional electrical grid connections because standard power infrastructure cannot keep pace with the power requirements of modern computing facilities.

To shorten construction timelines

The Unity system differs from conventional utility infrastructure because it is manufactured in components at a factory rather than built entirely on-site. This modular design is intended to shorten construction timelines and allow installation directly at the site of demand, bypassing local electrical transmission bottlenecks. The microreactor operates as a combined utility system.

"Unlike the power and cooling systems running today's data centers, the Unity Nuclear Battery delivers electricity, heat, and cooling in a single system - dramatically reducing the water intensity that has strained local communities hosting large-scale compute infrastructure," said GridMarket in a press release.

The immediate priority for the two entities involves selecting a host location for a physical pilot installation. This initial project will serve to verify the technology under real-world operating conditions before beginning wider commercial production. Deployable Energy has committed to giving GridMarket's client base priority scheduling for subsequent reactor deliveries.

Corporate leadership from Deployable Energy noted that current infrastructure cannot support the growth rate of digital data systems. The companies intend to publish specific details regarding the pilot site selection, regulatory approval tracking, and the initial group of commercial participants as the engineering program moves closer to the manufacturing phase.

"We believe advanced nuclear technology can become an important part of the energy mix supporting the next generation of digital and energy infrastructure," concluded Bobby Gallagher, Co-Founder and CEO at Deployable Energy.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/10/2026 - 18:55

Apple said in a Friday lawsuit that OpenAI’s nascent hardware business is “rotten to its core.”

On top of feeding crime and straining social services around the country, all those illegal migrants were doing direct damage to affordability for average Americans.

The Bay Area teen who shot up his high school graduation last month has been found in Texas.

SAN FRANCISCO — A weekend that has quietly become one of the most important of the season for the Giants is upon us. No, not that series for fourth place against the Rockies. The draft room is where the real action is taking place, beginning Saturday morning. In a season where almost none of Buster...

A scruffy Northern California man is accused of swiping a 12-inch juvenile bearded dragon from a Capitola pet store.

Cranmer was laughing in the footage while she allegedly sexually assaulted the child, who police said was younger than 13.

Hopkins' enormously successful run in Hollywood includes two Academy Awards and two Emmys.

Hopkins' enormously successful run in Hollywood includes two Academy Awards and two Emmys.

You would think Pennsylvania’s two US senators would be sworn enemies with the Senate’s leadership up for grabs this fall.

Trump Left Orders To Obliterate Iran If Assassinated: 'Bomb Them At Levels Never Seen Before'

The Iran war saga has seen its fair share of bizarre and wild twists, and Friday has brought yet another - with the NY Post reporting that President Trump said he "left instructions" for a massive bombing campaign against Iran in the event he's assassinated by Iranian operatives.

"I’ve been on their list for a long time. That’s what we’re dealing with," he told New York Post. Then he followed with: "The only thing is, I've left instructions - if anything happens, to just literally bomb them at levels that they've never seen before."

The provocative comment, which has unleashed a flurry of commentary and memes on social media, comes on the heels of Trump stating while at the NATO summit in Turkey this week that the Iranians were seeking to kill him.

He had quipped while in Turkey, "And so far, I guess I’ve been a little bit lucky, but that maybe doesn’t last very long."

It seems Israel has been seizing on the opportunity for escalation of the crisis, given its leaders have made no secret of being deeply dissatisfied with the terms of the MoU.

Just as Tehran and Washington stand on the brink of returning once again to full-scale war, The Wall Street Journal reported the following late Thursday:

Israel shared new intelligence with the U.S. that it said indicated a fresh Iranian plan to kill President Trump, people familiar with the matter said, a finding that would mark an escalation in the war between Washington and Iran.

But then in the latest NY Post interview, Trump seemed to downplay if not outright deny the Israeli intelligence. He said instead, "No, no. Israel came up with nothing. No, no." He then clarified that these are old and persisting, vague threats: "I've been No. 1 [on Iran’s kill list] for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know," he said, before adding, "I hope you'll miss me." From the NY Post in fuller context:

Asked about recent reports that Israel this week flagged intel of a plot to take out the US president, Trump indicated there was no fresh plan from Iran — but said Tehran has wanted him dead for years.

“No, no. Israel came up with nothing. No, no,” he said. “I’ve been No. 1 [on Iran’s kill list] for a long time, and it’s the way life is, you know.”

As for leaving "instructions" for the US government to bomb Iran "at levels that they've never seen before"... it seems that in Trump's mind the Executive is some kind of hereditary office, as if a 'last will and testament' can be acted upon in the name of the United States merely because a prior president instructed that's what he personally wants to see done.

The interview also highlights how far away we've come from the Constitutional principle of the presidency seeking Congressional approval - or even so much as notifying congressional members - of plans to start major wars.

REPORTER: “Last month you said Iranian leaders were very rational people, nice to deal with, strong and smart. Today you said they're scum, sick people, and being led by sick people. What changed?”

TRUMP: “I got to know them” pic.twitter.com/KZVbKTbpFl

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) July 8, 2026

But it remains that the media will eat it up, and web traffic and clicks will be generated, fearmongering over Iran will increase, and perhaps that's what it's all about. The threat has to always be inflated at peak levels, especially in the middle of a hot conflict in the Middle East.

Tyler Durden Fri, 07/10/2026 - 18:30

Erling Haaland has spent the World Cup looking like EA Sports built a novelty Viking player and maxed out every slider.

Meta’s Superintelligence Labs on Tuesday introduced Muse Image, a bot meant to compete with OpenAI’s ChatGPT Images 2.0 and Google’s Nano Banana 2.