Iran threatens to ‘completely’ close

Strait of Hormuz after US ultimatum

ARAD, Israel — United States and Iran are threatening to target critical infrastructure as the war in the Middle East puts lives and livelihoods at risk. Iran on Sunday warned it would close the Strait of Hormuz immediately if the U.S. attacks Iranian power plants. President Donald Trump late Saturday set a 48-hour deadline to reopen the strait. Iran’s parliament speaker warned that Tehran would target regional energy and desalination sites in retaliation.

The war, now in its fourth week, has taken a dangerous turn after Iranian missiles hit near a nuclear research area in southern Israel and Iran said its main nuclear enrichment site was struck Saturday.

Trump’s changing course raises

questions about US war preparation

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump is cycling through what seems to be an increasingly desperate list of options as he searches for a solution to the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz.

After trying diplomacy, he’s now threatening Iran’s civilian power grid. On Saturday, he said he was giving Iran 48 hours to open the vital waterway or face strikes on major power plants.

Critics in Congress say he has no clear plan and is panicking.

Legal experts say attacks on power plants could qualify as war crimes.

Trump aides defend the threat as leverage to force Iran to back down.

California sheriff running for

governor seizes half million ballots

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — A California sheriff running for governor has seized more than half a million ballots cast in a November special election from county election officials, saying he’s investigating a ballot count discrepancy. County elections officials have disputed the claims by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, called Bianco’s move unprecedented and says it is designed to sow distrust in elections.

Bianco held a news conference Friday saying his office had launched the investigation after receiving a complaint from a local citizens group about the ballot count from a November 2025 special election on redistricting.

Family appeals to Arizona community

for clues on missing Nancy Guthrie

TUCSON, Ariz. — Savannah Guthrie is renewing pleas to neighbors, friends and residents of Tucson, Arizona, to jog their memories in hopes of sparking new leads in the disappearance of her mother Nancy. The “Today Show” co-host posted a new family statement on her Instagram account Sunday, hours after the show’s Instagram account shared it.

The Guthrie family expressed gratitude for the support its been given and said it believes someone in Tucson or in southern Arizona may “hold the key” to solving the case. Nancy Guthrie was reported missing on Feb. 1. Authorities believe the 84-year-old was kidnapped, abducted or otherwise taken against her will.

Democrats sharpen criticism of

Vance as they look to 2028 campaign

FAIRFIELD, Ohio — Democrats are starting to treat Vice President JD Vance, not Donald Trump, as their number one focus among Republican leaders. That was evident Saturday night, when Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear visited Vance’s home county in Ohio for a Democratic fundraiser.

Beshear spoke about Vance’s memoir and said “Hillbilly Elegy” leans on “tired stereotypes” about Appalachia.

Other Democrats have also sharpened their criticism of Vance, calling the vice president an extremist or a phony. Democratic strategists say the goal is to undercut Vance before he can consolidate support as Trump’s heir apparent for the White House in 2028.

The Associated Press