Iran says the Strait of Hormuz is closed. U.S. Central Command just answered: No, it isn’t. Those two declarations cannot comfortably coexist, because the dispute is no longer about maps or diplomatic language. It is about who controls the passage of civilian ships through one of the most important waterways on Earth. Iran is trying to turn attacks, threats and fear into ownership. The United States has now drawn a very different line. The Strait of Hormuz is open to all vessels seeking to lawfully transit the international waterway. U.S. forces are positioned and prepared to ensure that freedom of navigation remains available despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, harassment, threats, and arbitrary… pic.twitter.com/FS3TUBOZEj — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 12, 2026 CENTCOM’s Sunday declaration was unusually direct: the strait is open to every vessel seeking lawful transit, Iran does not control the international waterway, and American forces are positioned to keep freedom of navigation available. The command said more than 800 ships carrying more than 400 million barrels of crude oil moved through the strait during the previous two months. More than 140 ships made the passage during the last seven days alone. That is the good news. The bad news is what happened to one of those ships. The Associated Press reports that Iranian forces attacked the Cyprus-flagged container ship M/V GFS Galaxy while it was traveling through the strait on Saturday. The strike started a fire, caused major damage in the engine room and left the ship unable to continue under its own power. Oman rescued 23 crew members, but one Indian national remained missing Sunday. This was not an empty threat fired across a television studio; a civilian merchant crew was placed directly in the line of fire. U.S. forces answered with a third round of strikes against Iran in one week. CENTCOM said the operation hit roughly 140 targets, including missile and drone launch sites, ammunition storage, communications equipment and other military infrastructure. Iran then launched attacks toward Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Oman, widening the danger around a waterway that the global economy cannot simply route around. President Trump said the United States had struck Iran hard overnight while maintaining that the strait remained open. At 7:15 p.m. ET today, U.S. Central Command forces began launching the third round of strikes this week against Iran after Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces blatantly attacked M/V GFS Galaxy, a Cyprus-flagged container ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz. A civilian crew… — U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) July 11, 2026 The military response makes CENTCOM’s meaning plain. Washington did not ask Iran to reconsider. It warned that the United States rejects Tehran’s attempted closure and is prepared to impose a price when Iranian forces attack civilian traffic. Axios details how the crisis escalated after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared the strait closed until further notice and struck the GFS Galaxy. The American counterstrikes targeted radar systems, missile-storage areas, launch sites and surface-to-air missile launchers across Iran. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Iran had made a poor choice and would now pay for it. The statement was backed by aircraft, drones and naval vessels rather than another round of carefully hedged diplomatic language. Oman has proposed reopening both shipping lanes, including the southern route inside Omani territorial waters and beyond any Iranian permission scheme. An Iranian delegation carried the proposal back to Tehran, while the regime continued claiming the power to decide who passes and under what conditions. That claim goes far beyond protecting Iran’s own coast. It would give Tehran a veto over ships serving countries around the Persian Gulf and over cargo destined for consumers thousands of miles away. There is an important distinction here, however. CENTCOM’s use of the word “open” does not mean traffic is normal, risk-free or commercially comfortable. It means ships retain the right to transit, some ships are still doing so, and U.S. forces are prepared to defend that access. Before the war, nearly 140 ships passed through the strait on an average day. CENTCOM now says more than 140 made it through in an entire week. That is roughly one-seventh of the earlier pace. Legally open is not the same thing as quiet water, affordable insurance or a crew willing to sail past a recent attack site. Iran does not need to win recognition of its closure to inflict enormous economic damage; it only needs enough captains, owners and insurers to believe the risk is too high. The scale of that leverage is difficult to overstate. The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that oil flows through Hormuz averaged 14.6 million barrels per day during the first quarter of 2026. That included 10.7 million barrels of crude oil and condensate plus 3.9 million barrels of petroleum products, along with 7.3 billion cubic feet per day of liquefied natural gas. The agency warns that vessel-location data have become less reliable since the fighting began, so current estimates are subject to revision. Ships can turn off or manipulate automatic identification signals, and wartime behavior makes a clean real-time count much harder. For scale, the same agency’s prewar baseline put first-half 2025 oil flows at 20.9 million barrels per day, roughly 20% of all petroleum liquids consumed worldwide. Only about 4.7 million barrels per day could be redirected through existing Saudi and Emirati pipelines that bypass Hormuz. In other words, there is no spare route large enough to make the strait irrelevant. A sustained disruption can raise crude prices, shipping costs and insurance premiums, and those pressures eventually reach gasoline pumps, airlines, manufacturers and household budgets far beyond the Middle East.

A packed summer street festival in Toronto descended into terror Saturday night when gunfire ripped through the crowd. Two men were killed and multiple others were wounded at Salsa on St. Clair, a popular celebration that had drawn thousands of people into the city’s west end. The first warning from police was blunt: active shooter, multiple injuries, stay away. Active ShooterSt Clair Ave W & Arlington Ave8:12pm-reports of a shooting -multiple injuries-police o/s-public advised to stay away from the area-further information to follow#GO1436736^av — Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) July 12, 2026 That alert went out while officers were still racing into a chaotic scene and frightened festivalgoers were running for cover. The Associated Press reported that emergency calls began around 8:12 p.m. near St. Clair Avenue West and Arlington Avenue. Two men were pronounced dead after the shooting, while four additional people were reported wounded in the police briefing covered by the outlet. Investigators later said the gunfire appeared to have been exchanged between two people who were targeting each other inside the crowded festival. Police said they did not believe a lone gunman was moving through the event firing randomly, despite the urgent language of the first public warning. That distinction explains how the response evolved. It does nothing to lessen the damage done when armed people opened fire in a place packed with families, dancers, vendors and children. Two firearms were recovered from the scene. Police had announced no arrests by the time of the late-night briefing, and the names of the dead and wounded had not been released. Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow condemned the violence and thanked the officers, paramedics and firefighters who rushed into the area. She called the shooting horrific and stressed that a family celebration had been shattered by gunfire. Video recorded inside the festival captures the panic as attendees hear shots and begin running through the street. The casualty figure written into the early post below was overtaken by later police updates, but the footage itself shows the terror that swept through the crowd: 2 are dead in Toronto and 3 others located with bullet wounds as attendees of the Salsa On St. Clair Avenue run for safety while hearing gunshots. Toronto has truly turned into a city that has emboldened its worst. pic.twitter.com/7eex2HoYXg — Leviathan (@l3v1at4an) July 12, 2026 CityNews Toronto, which continued updating its report into Sunday morning, said the public casualty count changed several times as officers worked through multiple scenes and hospitals reported additional victims. The outlet’s latest count listed seven people shot in total: two men dead and at least five others injured. The Associated Press had earlier reported four wounded, reflecting how quickly the tally was changing during the first hours of the investigation. Police issued the active-shooter warning at approximately 8:20 p.m. and said the immediate area had been secured shortly after 9 p.m. Deputy Chief Frank Barredo described an active and chaotic scene, with officers trying to find victims, preserve evidence and determine exactly how the shooting unfolded. Barredo said investigators believed two armed people had been firing at each other. The homicide squad and the city’s guns and gangs unit were both assigned to the case, with numerous shell casings and separate crime scenes left behind across the festival area. By Sunday morning, police still had not publicly identified a suspect or announced an arrest. Detectives were reviewing video, interviewing witnesses and asking anyone with footage from the crowd to preserve it. Global News reported that an estimated 13,000 people were attending Salsa on St. Clair when the shooting began. The size of that crowd helps explain both the initial fear of an active shooter and the enormous challenge facing investigators. One witness told the outlet that he heard roughly seven shots before seeing people sprint away. Others dropped to the pavement or hid behind whatever cover they could find as police and emergency crews poured into the neighborhood. Salsa on St. Clair has been held for more than two decades and bills itself as Canada’s largest Latino-themed cultural celebration. The weekend normally fills the street with live music, dancing, food and families from across the city. Instead, Saturday night ended with blood on the pavement, two families facing an unimaginable loss and several more waiting beside hospital beds. The festival’s final day was canceled while police continued processing the sprawling scene. #LATEST: The final day of Salsa on St. Clair has been cancelled as police continue to investigate a fatal double-shooting at the popular Latin street festival. https://t.co/DztY4k1rE2 — CityNews Toronto (@CityNewsTO) July 12, 2026 A street built for dancing is now a homicide scene. The people who fired into that crowd still have to be found, and the families whose night ended in horror deserve answers. This remains a developing story. This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here. The post BREAKING: Two Dead, Multiple Wounded In Mass Shooting At Packed Street Festival appeared first on 100PercentFedUp.com.

News broke overnight Saturday that 71-year-old U.S. Sen. Lindsay Graham (R-SC) died following a sudden illness. As details were still trickling out early Sunday morning, President Donald Trump was among the many public figures who shared their thoughts about the late long-time lawmaker. Close Trump ally and US senator Lindsey Graham has died aged 71 "from a brief and sudden illness", his office said. The day before he had met President Zelenskyy in Ukraine.https://t.co/lqmwUhIFSt pic.twitter.com/XunUlTdVBE — Sky News (@SkyNews) July 12, 2026   According to The Hill: “Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the greatest people and Senators I have ever known, is dead!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “He was always working, and was a true American Patriot. Lindsey will be greatly missed!!! DETAILS AND ARRANGEMENTS TO FOLLOW. So sad!” Graham’s office said the senator died following a “brief and sudden illness” on Saturday evening. Trump and the senator were longtime allies, though both were rivals during the 2016 Republican presidential primary election.  Graham warned in May 2016 that if Trump became the nominee, Republicans “will get destroyed…….and we will deserve it,” he wrote on Twitter, now the social platform X. The South Carolina Republican has since been a champion of Trump’s foreign policy toward Venezuela, Iran and Cuba in taking action against all three regimes. Graham regularly defended the Trump administration’s actions in his frequent appearances on cable news. Here’s a sampling of the other social media statements that surfaced early Sunday: RIP Sen. Lindsay Graham, whose sense of humor was as incisive as his foreign policy expertise. pic.twitter.com/WWsHpw1PDx — Michael Dickson (@michaeldickson) July 12, 2026     It is a shock that we have lost a great Senator for the United States, my friend Lindsay Graham. No one supported the military and America with more consistency or effectiveness. He was both consistent to his principles and able to be work with anyone willing to be rational. And… — Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) July 12, 2026 I disagreed with Senator Lindsey Graham on a number of issues, but this is how I am going to choose to remember him. Fighting for the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Lindsey 2.0 was something else. RIP. pic.twitter.com/HI4D9Eazzw — Thomas Hern (@ThomasMHern) July 12, 2026 And, of course, there was some circumstantial speculation: BREAKING: LINDSEY GRAHAM DEAD AT 71, HOURS AFTER RETURNING FROM UKRAINE Senator Graham passed after a “brief and sudden illness” following reports of a cardiac arrest at his home on Capitol Hill Coincidentally, a similar 911 call related to a cardiac arrest at Mitch… pic.twitter.com/nbmb1qFlwd — Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) July 12, 2026 Here’s the latest on Graham’s death, per NBC News: Emergency personnel responded to a call for “cardiac arrest” at Graham’s Capitol Hill home on Saturday night, according to police scanner audio obtained by NBC News. EMS audio later indicated CPR was in progress. Photographs from the scene reviewed by NBC News show paramedics carrying a person on a stretcher from Graham’s home to an awaiting ambulance. Police cars and fire trucks were also on site. A top staffer to Graham told NBC News early Sunday that there was no indication the lawmaker was feeling unwell prior to his death. He had been scheduled to appear on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday. Graham was a frequent guest on the broadcast, appearing a total of 63 times over the years. Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., paid tribute to a “strong advocate for the United States and a strong ally to freedom-loving countries across the globe,” while South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said Graham had been “the fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America — and a loyal and steadfast friend.” And here’s some additional coverage:     What are your thoughts? TAP HERE TO ADD YOUR VOTE This is a Guest Post from our friends over at WLTReport. View the original article here. The post President Trump Delivers Tribute To Sen. Graham As Details Emerge About His Sudden Death appeared first on 100PercentFedUp.com.

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) has passed away, his office confirmed early Sunday morning. He was 71. “On the evening of Saturday, July 11, U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham passed away from a brief and sudden illness,” a statement read. “Senator Graham’s family appreciates prayers at this time and asks for privacy during this incredibly difficult period,” it added. Statement from the Office of U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina). pic.twitter.com/CQ5yVvqTH1 — Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) July 12, 2026 NBC News shared further: Graham was chairman of the Senate Budget Committee and was seeking a fifth six-year Senate term in November. He was one of the most well-known members of the chamber and a key voice within the party on defense and international affairs. Emergency personnel responded to a call for “cardiac arrest” at Graham’s Capitol Hill home on Saturday night, according to police scanner audio obtained by NBC News. Photographs reviewed by NBC News show that paramedics carried a person on a stretcher from Graham’s home to an awaiting ambulance. Police cars and fire trucks were also on site. Graham was fresh off a trip to Kyiv, Ukraine, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. He had been scheduled to appear on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” on Sunday. His death comes as fellow Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell remains in the hospital after paramedics responded to a call at a known residence last month for an individual experiencing cardiac arrest. A McConnell spokesperson has said the former GOP majority leader is continuing to recover, but his team has not provided further details about his condition. “Peggy and I – and our children – are devastated. Lindsey Graham is irreplaceable. The fiercest of fighters for South Carolina and America – and a loyal and steadfast friend,” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster said. “We grieve with Darline, his family and his devoted staff. May God hold him gently in the palm of his hand. We shall not see his likes again,” he continued. My statement on the passing of Senator Lindsey Graham: pic.twitter.com/hbrjnMXIQd — Gov. Henry McMaster (@henrymcmaster) July 12, 2026 While in Ukraine, Graham visited the SkyFall defense tech facility to view the company’s advanced drones. According to the Kyiv Post, Graham said it would be a “huge mistake” for the United States not to cooperate with Ukraine in the area of drone warfare. “I believe that it would be a huge mistake for America not to cooperate with Ukraine in the field of drones. They are ready to help us because we were ready to support Ukraine in the hardest times. Today I visited a state-of-the-art enterprise that has huge capacities and produces technologies far more advanced than anyone on the planet. After all, necessity is the ‘mother’ of all inventions,” Graham said, according to the outlet. US Senator Lindsey Graham visited Ukraine's SkyFall defense tech facility, inspecting its advanced drones. Graham called it a “huge mistake” for the US not to partner with Ukraine, praising its tech as the most advanced on the planet.https://t.co/b10VjgSAfk — KyivPost (@KyivPost) July 11, 2026 More from the Kyiv Post: As part of his visit to Ukraine, US Senator Lindsey Graham visited one of the production locations of the Ukrainian technology-defense company SkyFall. The senator familiarized himself with the development and manufacturing processes of the heavy bomber drones Vampire, also known as “Baba Yaga”, first-person view (FPV) drones of various modifications, and “Shahed” interceptors – P1-SUN. The SkyFall team also presented new technological solutions that will soon appear on the battlefield. Separately, the senator was presented with the capabilities of the SkyFall Academy, which trains pilots, technicians, and instructors to work with unmanned systems. The parties discussed the prospects of Ukrainian-American cooperation in the field of defense innovations and possible directions for a technological partnership. This story is developing. Stay tuned for additional updates.  The post BREAKING: Sen. Lindsey Graham Dead At 71 appeared first on 100PercentFedUp.com.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is letting its three-year contract with Flock Safety, a company that operates license plate reader cameras around the city, expire. The LAPD will allow the contract to expire on Saturday due to “unresolved disputes over data ownership, data sharing, and privacy safeguards,” FOX 11 Los Angeles reports. Watch below: The Los Angeles Police Department is ending its contract with Flock cameras over civil liberties and civil rights concerns. Officials have confirmed that these cameras collect data on Americans. The contract is set to expire and will not be renewed. pic.twitter.com/fJkyLbUT7n — Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) July 11, 2026 FOX 11 Los Angeles has more: According to department officials, the two entities failed to come to terms on critical issues including data ownership, data sharing, and user privacy. Specifically, the LAPD is seeking to implement civil penalties against Flock if user data is shared with outside agencies that do not comply with local and state laws, such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The technology uses a network of cameras to log license plates, which the LAPD defends as a powerful tool for criminal investigations. The department maintains that it enforces strict internal policies and regular audits to ensure the network is only used for legitimate law enforcement purposes. However, the Stop LAPD Spying Coalition, which has previously sued the department over these cameras, views the suspension as proof that pushback against invasive surveillance is working. It’s unclear how many active Flock cameras will be immediately impacted or turned off due to the contract expiration. Flock license plate reader cameras have caused controversy in communities across the United States. For instance, a U.S. Air Force engineer is facing felony charges for allegedly damaging over a dozen Flock cameras in Virginia. “I Appreciate Everyone’s Right To Privacy” – U.S. Air Force Engineer Faces Felony Charges For Allegedly Damaging Flock Cameras Meanwhile, several Flock cameras in Houston, Texas, have been found damaged. Multiple Flock Cameras Found Damaged In Texas City, American Flag Planted In addition, five Georgia police officers were fired and arrested after authorities say they misused the city’s Flock camera license plate reader system. Multiple Police Officers Fired And Arrested For “Misuse” Of Flock Camera License Plate Reader System ABC7 Los Angeles shared further: Police said they are continuing discussions with Flock Safety about revising the agreement. LAPD wants updated language addressing privacy and data storage to be included in any new contract. Eyewitness News reached out to Flock Safety for a response on LAPD's decision. "Flock's position has been simple: if this technology is going to be used, it should be used with strong privacy protections, strict auditability, and clear oversight," a statement from Flock said in part. "While this latest development comes as a surprise, we remain committed to continuing our active and ongoing conversations with LAPD to find a path forward. We are proud of our partnership with LAPD and the results it has achieved for the city." The post Police Department In Major American City To Stop Use Of Flock Safety Cameras appeared first on 100PercentFedUp.com.