Director Michael Bay is on tap to direct a movie based on the epic rescue mission to retrieve two downed American airmen in Iran.
Bay, in partnership with Universal Pictures, is developing a feature-length film based on an upcoming 2027 book by author Mitchell Zuckoff. The book — and by extension, the movie — will tell the story of the two U.S. airmen who went down behind enemy lines in Iran during Operation Epic Fury.
The project will describe how their F-15E Strike Eagle operating under the call sign &#8220;Dude 44&#8221; was shot down over Iranian territory in early April, just weeks after the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation in Iran.
According to the planned adaptation, the pilot, known as Dude 44 Alpha, was located and extracted within hours. But the plane&#8217;s weapon systems officer, Dude 44 Bravo, remained stranded in the rugged Zagros Mountains.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/daily-wire-explains-the-world-ep-8">DON&#8217;T WAIT FOR HOLLYWOOD: WATCH THE DAILY WIRE&#8217;S &#8220;RACE TO RESCUE&#8221; NOW!</a>
For nearly two days, the injured Dude 44 Bravo actively evaded capture by Iranian forces, hiding in the mountains and ravines while he waited for the rescue mission he knew was coming.
That eventual rescue came in the form of a daring night raid that included dozens of aircraft and hundreds of American special operations forces, all coordinating to fight off the Iranian forces — who were still desperately trying to locate the downed American first — and safely extract Dude 44 Bravo.
Bay may have gotten his start directing music videos — for everyone from Styx and Donny Osmond to Vanilla Ice and Meat Loaf — but he is no stranger to bringing heroic military stories to the silver screen. In 2016, he directed &#8220;13 Hours,&#8221; a film based on the siege of the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, that took place on September 11, 2012.

TOPSHOT-IRAN-US-ISRAEL-CONFLICT

One Of America’s Most Dangerous Rescue Missions Is Becoming A Movie

Hollywood

Iran

Iran war

Media

Military

Movies

Pedestrians could be seen running in all directions as a vehicle caught fire, then exploded during rush hour on Tuesday evening, just a block away from New York City&#8217;s famous Charging Bull statue.
Several videos caught the wild blaze as it quickly engulfed the car — which appeared to be affiliated with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) — and the ensuing explosion that sent onlookers scattering to get away from the billowing smoke.
&#8220;Dramatic moment car explodes in huge fireball near Wall Street&#8217;s iconic Charging Bull statue,&#8221; The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/20/us-news/car-explodes-near-wall-streets-charging-bull-video/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_source=twitter">captioned</a> a video shared via X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Dramatic moment car explodes in huge fireball near Wall Street&#8217;s iconic Charging Bull statue <a href="https://t.co/mkhlN6eZjq">https://t.co/mkhlN6eZjq</a> <a href="https://t.co/3c01DpqX9G">pic.twitter.com/3c01DpqX9G</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/2057118321057689853?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Several other videos shared across X showed the blaze from different angles.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Story here 👉️ <a href="https://t.co/iAyKRfJO1I">https://t.co/iAyKRfJO1I</a> A car caught fire and exploded Tuesday evening in Lower Manhattan, sending thick black smoke into the air near the Charging Bull. Videos from the scene show the car, which appeared to be MTA-affiliated, parked on the side of the road before… <a href="https://t.co/bGVe9JRg3l">pic.twitter.com/bGVe9JRg3l</a>
— Eyewitness News (@ABC7NY) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABC7NY/status/2057081277979693440?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;
The vehicle initially caught fire while parked outside the MTA&#8217;s headquarters on Broadway near Stone Street. The New York City Police and Fire Departments responded to reports about a car on fire at 5:42 p.m., according to local reporting, and firefighters reportedly extinguished the flames by around 7 p.m.
No injuries were reported despite the magnitude of the blast, and city officials are investigating the cause of the fire.
The New York Post confirmed that the vehicle did belong to the MTA, but said that all questions about the ongoing investigation should be directed to the FDNY.

US-NEWS-NYC-ROOSEVELT-ISLAND-EXPLOSIONS-NY

WATCH: Pedestrians Run For Their Lives As Flaming Vehicle Explodes In Massive Cloud Of Smoke

Pedestrians Flee As Flaming Vehicle Explodes In Massive Cloud Of Smoke

Explosion

Fire

New York City

Police

Far-left Senate candidate Graham Platner (D-ME) has once again landed in hot water over a now-deleted Reddit post that appears to mock a wounded soldier.
The <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/platners-deleted-reddit-sparks-outrage-appears-mock-wounded-soldier-didnt-deserve-live">post</a>, written in 2019, was a brutal takedown of a viral video from the helmet-cam of Pfc. Ted Daniels during a 2012 firefight with the Taliban. Daniels received a Purple Heart after being shot four times during that firefight — but Platner argued in a post attributed to his old account, &#8220;P-hustle,&#8221; that Daniels did not &#8220;deserve to live&#8221; because he&#8217;d made &#8220;sh*t&#8221; decisions in combat.
&#8220;This video never gets old,&#8221; the commentary began. &#8220;Dumb motherf*cker didn&#8217;t deserve to live. At least his stupidity and fat-*ss wheezing are available for all future infantrymen to witness and hold in contempt. Poor marksmanship on the Taliban&#8217;s part is the only reason this mouth breather made it home, he managed to make every possible sh*t decision possible when it comes to small unit combat.&#8221;
Daniels, in later interviews, has explained that the actions he took were not tactically the best ones he could have made, but said that he had to make decisions in the moment he believed would &#8220;draw fire&#8221; away from others in his unit.
&#8220;I put my *ss on the line for other guys,&#8221; he said, even as he conceded it was not &#8220;a sound thing to do.&#8221;
Army Ranger veteran and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) minced no words in his response to Platner&#8217;s comment: &#8220;Graham Platner is a lying, antisemitic fraud who has no business serving in the Senate.&#8221;
&#8220;Let’s see the courageous Democrat vets defend this one … can’t wait to hear it,&#8221; Navy SEAL veteran and Senator Tim Sheehy (R-MT) added.
Rep. and retired Navy SEAL Derrick Van Orden (R-WI) unloaded on Platner as well, saying, &#8220;This Nazi tattooed raging a*shole should be resoundingly condemned by every active duty military member and veteran. He is a disgrace to the uniform he previously wore and should be mocked and shamed.&#8221;
Platner has faced criticisms over a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nazi-tattoo-dem-blames-u-s-army-culture-for-ink-nasty-social-media-posts">Nazi tattoo</a> — which he recently had covered — as well as several offensive and vulgar social media posts, but still managed to rise as the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in Maine. He will face longtime incumbent Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) in November.

Maine Democrat Graham Platner Is Winning Voters All ‘Pissed At The Same Thing’

Platner Mocks Purple Heart Recipient In Resurfaced Post: ‘Didn’t Deserve To Live’

Far-Left Maine Candidate Says Wounded Soldier 'Didn't Deserve To Live'

graham platner

Maine

Soldiers

Susan Collins

Veterans

Outgoing Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) topped off his concession speech with a swipe at Jews in a comment about his Republican primary challenger Ed Gallrein.
Massie spoke to supporters on Tuesday evening after his campaign went down in flames, claiming that he was late to deliver his remarks because he&#8217;d first had to track down Gallrein in Tel Aviv to offer his concession personally.
&#8220;I would have come out sooner, but I had to call my opponent to concede and it took awhile to find Ed Gallrein in Tel Aviv,&#8221; Massie said, prompting laughter from his supporters as he suggested that his opponent was beholden to Israeli interests.
&#8220;I did give the call, though. I have called and conceded the race,&#8221; Massie continued, claiming, &#8220;We&#8217;ve been honorable the whole time, and we&#8217;re gonna stay that way.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Even in his concession speech, Thomas Massie had to take a shot at Jews" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Y36L9lgn_Y?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The Kentucky Congressman&#8217;s campaign leaned into antisemitic advertising as the heated contest drew to a close.
One ad, created by pro-Massie PAC Hold the Line, claimed that &#8220;the gay mafia&#8221; would &#8220;own&#8221; Gallrein if he won, and pointed to Gallrein&#8217;s billionaire Jewish donor Paul Singer as the prime example. The ad featured the LGBTQ+ flag overlaying the Star of David, called Singer a &#8220;pro-gay, pro-trans activist working with far-Left, hardcore Democrats,&#8221; and claimed that Singer would &#8220;bring his trans madness to Kentucky.&#8221;
In the final hours of the campaign, Massie&#8217;s team <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/massie-rolls-out-fake-trump-endorsement-with-hours-to-go-before-polls-close">fired off</a> a text blast that featured an endorsement from President Donald Trump. The endorsement was a real one, but it was from 2022 — and Massie&#8217;s campaign removed the date to make it appear as if it were current.
President Trump fired off a quick response via social media, demanding that Massie withdraw the &#8220;FAKE STATEMENT&#8221; immediately.
&#8220;Horrible Congressman Thomas Massie put out an old Endorsement, from many years ago, of him by me long before I found out that he was the Worst Congressman in the History of our Country,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://x.com/realDonaldTrump/status/2056827052851105947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E2056827052851105947%7Ctwgr%5E2b8df505d2491211326c6d5292d3f5ee21d905f3%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fmassie-rolls-out-fake-trump-endorsement-with-hours-to-go-before-polls-close">posted</a>. &#8220;I endorsed Ed Gallrein, a true American Patriot, which Massie knows full well, so the statement that he put out is fraudulent, just like HE is fraudulent. WITHDRAW YOUR FAKE STATEMENT, MASSIE, RIGHT NOW.&#8221;
CNN Republican commentator Scott Jennings laid into Massie over the &#8220;nasty, gutter politics&#8221; on display, saying, &#8220;There was an undercurrent of antisemitism in this race on the Massie side. There&#8217;s been an undercurrent of it in his career, unfortunately, and it really came out in an ugly way tonight, and I think it needs to be stated, acknowledged, and condemned.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨 NEW: Scott Jennings blasts Thomas Massie on his way out the door: “Despicable, anti-Semitic, nasty, gutter politics… it needs to be condemned.”
“What a way to go out. He said, ‘I’d have called Gallrein but I had to find him in Tel Aviv.’.. it needs to be stated, acknowledged… <a href="https://t.co/2TlzBF8syJ">pic.twitter.com/2TlzBF8syJ</a>
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) <a href="https://twitter.com/TVNewsNow/status/2056939356393263128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Rep. Thomas Massie Holds Primary Election Night Event In Hebron, Kentucky

Massie Just Couldn’t Help Himself In Concession Speech

Donald Trump

Ed Gallrein

Kentucky

Politics

Thomas Massie

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) attempted to muddy the waters in Kentucky&#8217;s primary election on Tuesday, sending out a text blast with a 2022 endorsement message from President Donald Trump as though it were current.
Massie, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/team-trump-goes-all-out-to-oust-thomas-massie">fighting</a> for his political life against Trump-endorsed primary challenger and retired Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, cropped the date out of the old endorsement message before texting it to voters in Kentucky&#8217;s 4th Congressional District.
Journalist Salena Zito shared a screenshot of the text message on X, accusing the Massie campaign of misleading voters about Trump&#8217;s current position in the race.
&#8220;Kentucky election day shenanigans; Massie campaign sends out to KY 4 voters via text a 2022 Trump statement making it look like the president supports Massie today where he clearly supports Gallrein. Text ends with &#8216;Paid for by Thomas Massie for Congress Reply STOP to opt-out.'&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Kentucky election day shenanigans; 
Massie campaign sends out to KY 4 voters via text a 2022 Trump 
statement making it look like the president supports Massie today where he clearly supports Gallrein
Text ends with &#8220;Paid for by Thomas Massie for Congress
Reply STOP to opt-out&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/cJwFB75Dkk">pic.twitter.com/cJwFB75Dkk</a>
— ZitoSalena (@ZitoSalena) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZitoSalena/status/2056792127028261307?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The screenshot contained Trump&#8217;s full 2022 endorsement of Massie, but omitted the original posting date.
&#8220;Congressman Thomas Massie is a Conservative Warrior for Kentucky’s 4th Congressional District!&#8221; the endorsement read in part. &#8220;An MIT graduate and a first-rate Defender of the Constitution, Thomas fights hard to Protect your Liberties, especially the First and Second Amendments, which are under siege by the Radical Left. Strong on the Border and our Military and Vets, Thomas Massie has my Complete and Total Endorsement!&#8221;
Massie&#8217;s text blast prompted an angry response from Trump — and a rare post on X.
&#8220;Horrible Congressman Thomas Massie put out an old Endorsement, from many years ago, of him by me long before I found out that he was the Worst Congressman in the History of our Country,&#8221; Trump posted. &#8220;I endorsed Ed Gallrein, a true American Patriot, which Massie knows full well, so the statement that he put out is fraudulent, just like HE is fraudulent. WITHDRAW YOUR FAKE STATEMENT, MASSIE, RIGHT NOW! President DONALD J. TRUMP.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Horrible Congressman Thomas Massie put out an old Endorsement, from many years ago, of him by me long before I found out that he was the Worst Congressman in the History of our Country. I endorsed Ed Gallrein, a true American Patriot, which Massie knows full well, so the…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/2056827052851105947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The president followed that with a second post on his Truth Social platform, adding, &#8220;Can you imagine &#8216;Congressman&#8217; Thomas Massie putting out a many years ago Endorsement of him, by me, when he knows that he wasn’t endorsed, but that I proudly endorsed Ed Gallrein? The reason is that Massie has turned out to be the Worst Congressman in the Republican Party. This shows what a totally dishonest and desperate guy Massie is, and I hope the Voters aren’t fooled by his deception!&#8221;
The battle between Massie and Gallrein also brought about a rare campaign stop from War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-pete-hegseth-recreates-trump-pep-talk-word-for-word">ripped</a> into Massie on Monday as he promoted Gallrein as the kind of fighter Republicans need in Congress.

Representative Thomas Massie

Massie Rolls Out Fake Trump Endorsement With Hours To Go Before Polls Close

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) may have ended the political aspirations of San Francisco&#8217;s favorite gay liberal when she weighed in Monday on the race to fill her soon-to-be-vacated seat in Congress.
Pelosi chose to back City Supervisor Connie Chan over state Senator Scott Wiener and tech entrepreneur Saikat Chakrabarti ahead of the June 2 primary, the latter of whom previously worked for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez but failed to snag her endorsement in the race.
WATCH:
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BREAKING: Nancy Pelosi endorses SF Supervisor Connie Chan to succeed her in Congress, saying Chan &#8220;stands above&#8221; all the other candidates.
The Speaker Emerita’s backing is one of the most coveted in San Francisco politics. Pelosi has held the seat for nearly 40 years. <a href="https://t.co/9osp5FpboM">pic.twitter.com/9osp5FpboM</a>
— Monica Madden (@themonicamadden) <a href="https://twitter.com/themonicamadden/status/2056495042613895512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I know and love this district, I know the Congress, and I know Connie. I’m proud to endorse Democrat Connie Chan and ask you to join me in electing her to Congress,&#8221; Pelosi said, appearing alongside Chan in a video endorsement.
Pelosi followed that with an additional statement, adding, &#8220;Connie understands San Francisco — our values, our diversity, our communities, and our responsibility to lead with both compassion and strength. She’s a mom who knows her power and knows her why. I am confident Connie is ready to bring clarity and purpose to the work ahead — For The Children.&#8221;
But Pelosi&#8217;s choice appears to have left some scratching their heads.
Wiener, who has consistently <a href="https://x.com/IAPolls2022/status/2038981239407854060">polled</a> as the top contender, represents a State Senate district that overlaps substantially with Pelosi&#8217;s Congressional District — but several reports suggest that Pelosi&#8217;s issues with Wiener are more personal than political.
It&#8217;s been no secret, for example, that the openly gay senator has been waiting for the 20-term congresswoman to retire so that he could make the move to the U.S. House. He also may have angered the former House Speaker more recently when, knowing that her daughter Christine Pelosi was eyeing a run at his state senate seat, Wiener opted not to resign his seat while running for Congress.
&#8220;Nancy Pelosi hates Scott Wiener on a personal level, and Saikat tried to unseat her; she’s trying to settle scores. The idea that this means Connie Chan is some kind of insider trading mega Zionist is silly. Pelosi also endorsed a DSA candidate. San Francisco is weird!&#8221; comedian Kate Willett <a href="https://x.com/katewillett/status/2056560038047608948">observed</a>, adding, &#8220;Pelosi hates the creepy SF tech bro sh*t Wiener embodies more than she hates having the odd progressive in power. She loved what San Francisco was. She resents her beautiful, gay city being turned into an incel fiefdom.&#8221;
While some more moderate Democrats have voiced concern over Chan&#8217;s far-left positions on many issues, Wiener&#8217;s legacy in California may be more troubling. He has consistently supported laws like California&#8217;s transgender shield laws, creating a sanctuary state for those seeking cross-sex hormones and sex-change surgeries, and mandating that foster families recognize and accommodate trans-identifying children in their care. He was also behind a push to reduce the mandatory sentence guidelines for people who knowingly exposed others to HIV.
Wiener also <a href="https://x.com/ICANAction/status/2010648955500077532">sparked backlash</a> when he, as co-chair of the California Jewish Caucus, accused Israel of &#8220;committing genocide&#8221; in Gaza.
A recent campaign event featured a drag queen pig in frilly pink attire singing, &#8220;Scott Wiener is a girl&#8217;s best friend.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Creepy Scott Wiener campaign event featured drag queens including one mocking women while dressed as a pig singing “Wiener is a girl’s best friend” in front of kids
This is one the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen <a href="https://t.co/Ceaz5oSWfT">pic.twitter.com/Ceaz5oSWfT</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://twitter.com/libsoftiktok/status/2056407589206847885?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Pelosi&#8217;s endorsement is likely to open the donor floodgates for Chan, who has been trailing Wiener in terms of cash on hand, and should give her a much-needed boost in the polls as well.

53rd Annual San Francisco Pride Parade And Celebration

Pelosi Shatters Dreams Of San Francisco’s Favorite Gay Liberal

Pelosi Shatters Dreams Of San Francisco's Favorite Gay Liberal

California

Nancy Pelosi

San Francisco

Scott Wiener

With the 2026 midterm elections fast approaching, Democrats are still at odds over whether to go public with the party&#8217;s internal post-mortem on the 2024 election.
Democrats in Congress, many of whom are up for reelection, appear to favor releasing the information — as does former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lost spectacularly to Donald Trump after being thrust into the nomination when then-President Joe Biden bowed out with just over 100 days to go.
The Democratic National Committee has opted not to release the report, prompting some skepticism from within the ranks.
DNC Chair Ken Martin referred to the 2024 autopsy as a &#8220;distraction,&#8221; saying in mid-December that the party should be fully focused on winning the 2026 midterms.
&#8220;Here&#8217;s our North Star: Does this help us win? If the answer is no, it&#8217;s a distraction from the core mission,&#8221; he said <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/12/19/dnc-2024-election-autopsy-backlash">at the time</a> — and he&#8217;s been facing criticism ever since over the decision to keep the post-mortem, for lack of a better expression, buried.
But the autopsy, which reads a bit like a military after-action report, as it breaks down what went right and what went wrong in any given election cycle, is supposed to be a tool that can help current and future campaigns avoid the mistakes and capitalize on the positives from past campaigns.
&#8220;Why haven’t we put it out?&#8221; Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-MD) asked before answering his own question. &#8220;Because we got our butts kicked. I think it’s going to be embarrassing, apparently, to some people.&#8221;
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) argued that the report was being scuttled in order to hide mistakes, saying, &#8220;They don’t want people to know the truth. They messed up. They didn’t listen to their Democratic base.&#8221;
Jeff Weaver, who served as campaign manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in 2016, suggested that the move might be an attempt to set the stage for Harris to run again in 2028: &#8220;Kamala Harris certainly benefits from not having an open discussion.&#8221;
Others have also argued that Harris stands to benefit the most if the autopsy never sees the light of day, primarily because it could help her avoid renewed scrutiny of any mistakes she may have made during her abbreviated campaign. The DNC also stands to benefit from no one looking too closely at how, without a single primary vote, Harris was crowned the de facto nominee after Biden&#8217;s abrupt exit.
But Harris herself, according to a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/dems-demand-release-hidden-dnc-autopsy-2024-collapse-got-butts-kicked?lid=mj809drs5uvi">report</a> from Fox News Digital, has signaled support for the post-mortem&#8217;s publication.
&#8220;I’ve said they should release it, and there’s no question,&#8221; Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA) agreed. &#8220;The report got done. I think it’s good to always review why things were successful or not.&#8221;
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) was slightly more diplomatic in his approach, saying that he had no idea why the full report was still under wraps — and what&#8217;s more, he couldn&#8217;t speak to whether or not the DNC should release it.

2024 Democratic National Convention: Day 4

Democrats At Each Other’s Throats Again Over Infamous 2024 Autopsy

2024

Democrats

Kamala Harris

A California federal jury nixed billionaire Elon Musk&#8217;s lawsuit against OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Monday, concluding that Musk filed his claims after the statute of limitations had expired.
The jury <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/05/18/nx-s1-5822366/musk-altman-openai-jury-verdict-claims-dismissed">returned its verdict</a> after deliberating for just 90 minutes following a three-week trial in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, who presided over the case, said that she agreed with the jury&#8217;s unanimous decision.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve always said I would accept the jury&#8217;s verdict. I think there&#8217;s a substantial amount of evidence to support the jury&#8217;s finding,&#8221; Gonzalez Rogers said.
Legal experts said the jury likely focused on whether Musk waited too long to file suit under California law.
Vincent Joralemon, a senior fellow at UC Berkeley law school, told <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/18/business/elon-musk-loses-lawsuit-against-openai-in-unanimous-verdict/">The New York Pos</a>t that California imposes a three-year statute of limitations for breach of charitable trust claims and a two-year limit for unjust enrichment claims.
&#8220;I’m guessing the jurors got into their room and said, ‘Does it seem like Musk knew about this in 2019?’ and everyone said ‘yes’ and then they go, ‘we’re done,'&#8221; he said.
Musk brought the case in 2024, accusing Altman and OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman of betraying the organization&#8217;s original nonprofit mission by changing OpenAI to a profit-driven enterprise.
OpenAI was founded in 2015 as a nonprofit focused on developing artificial intelligence in a manner that would benefit humanity. Musk, who helped launch the organization and donated roughly $38 million before ultimately leaving the board in 2018, said OpenAI&#8217;s leadership abandoned that principle for financial gain.
The SpaceX founder asked for $150 billion in damages — and promised to appeal when the jury decided against him.
&#8220;Regarding the OpenAI case, the judge &amp; jury never actually ruled on the merits of the case, just on a calendar technicality,&#8221; Musk said in an X post on Monday.
&#8220;There is no question to anyone following the case in detail that Altman &amp; Brockman did in fact enrich themselves by stealing a charity,&#8221; he added. &#8220;The only question is WHEN they did it! I will be filing an appeal with the Ninth Circuit, because creating a precedent to loot charities is incredibly destructive to charitable giving in America.&#8221;
Musk&#8217;s attorney Marc Toberoff also vowed to appeal the decision: &#8220;I have a one-word reaction: Appeal. This war is not over.&#8221;
Toberoff argued that OpenAI improperly raised money as a publicly subsidized nonprofit before later restructuring into a for-profit operation &#8220;where the officers and directors of the charity enrich themselves to the tune of billions.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Elon Musk’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, on today’s verdict in the OpenAI case:
“I have a one-word reaction: Appeal. This war is not over. We firmly believe what happened with OpenAI was wrong on a very basic level that you can&#8217;t raise millions of dollars in a publicly subsidized… <a href="https://t.co/D6x1Ja43mB">pic.twitter.com/D6x1Ja43mB</a>
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) <a href="https://twitter.com/SawyerMerritt/status/2056477364134044055?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Elon Musk and OpenAI

Jury Nixes Elon Musk’s OpenAI Lawsuit In Under Two Hours

Jury Nixes Elon Musk's OpenAI Lawsuit In Under Two Hours

Artificial Intelligence

Charity

Courts

Elon Musk

OpenAI

Sam altman

The latest ad for Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt is a send-up of the theme song from the 90s sitcom, &#8220;The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.&#8221;
The hit show, which first aired in 1990, followed Will Smith&#8217;s character as he moved from the dangerous streets of West Philadelphia to live with his well-off aunt and uncle in their Bel-Air mansion. The new ad followed Pratt on a slightly more political journey.
Pratt&#8217;s long-shot campaign to unseat Democratic Mayor Karen Bass has seen a dramatic groundswell of support, thanks in part to a number of AI-generated viral ads and a televised debate, and the former reality star posted his latest effort with the caption, &#8220;Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down &#8230;&#8221;
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Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down <a href="https://t.co/Zes4VRdZxX">pic.twitter.com/Zes4VRdZxX</a>
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) <a href="https://twitter.com/spencerpratt/status/2056406022680715435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;&#8230;And I had to take a minute to run for mayor, I&#8217;ll tell you how I became the prince of a town called Bel-Air,&#8221; Pratt said, stepping out of the Airstream trailer that has replaced his Palisades home that burned to the ground in early 2025.
&#8220;In West Los Angeles, Palisades, in my backyard is where I spent most of my days,&#8221; Pratt sang. The graffiti on the fence behind him screamed &#8220;THEY LET US BURN!&#8221; in reference to the deadly Palisades fire. &#8220;Feeding hummingbirds, relaxing all cool, avoiding all the bums outside of the school, when a couple politicians that were up to no good, started making trouble in my neighborhood.&#8221;
&#8220;I got in one little fire, my mom got scared, and said, &#8216;You&#8217;re moving in with Harvey Levin in Bel-Air,'&#8221; Pratt continued, name-checking the founder of entertainment site TMZ.
&#8220;I pulled out from my lot about seven or eight, and I yelled to the rubble, &#8216;Yo home, smell ya later,'&#8221; he added. &#8220;I moved to my kingdom, I was finally there, to sit on my throne as a prince of Bel-Air.&#8221;
The scene finished with Pratt, sitting on the bumper of his trailer as it was parked outside in front of the Hotel Bel-Air, in another dig at TMZ over a recent hit piece about the former star of MTV&#8217;s &#8220;The Hills.&#8221; The piece had criticized Pratt, who has been vocal about the issues he and others have had getting approvals and permits to rebuild in the Palisades, for living in a hotel instead of the trailer he said he was living in.
Pratt pointed out the recent threats against him had made living in the trailer — along with his wife and two young boys — an unacceptable risk. He also reminded everyone that the fire that destroyed his home, in addition to prompting his run for office, was the only reason he wasn&#8217;t still living there.

Screenshot/Spencer Pratt

Spencer Pratt Ad Channels 90s Sitcom Royalty

New Spencer Pratt Ad Riffs On 'Fresh Prince' Theme Song

Los Angeles

political ad

Television

Will Smith

Comedian and HBO host Bill Maher ripped into Democrats he said were too chicken to appear on his program, telling guest will.i.am that many in the party avoid any show unless they know beforehand they&#8217;ll be met with admiration rather than scrutiny.
The Black-Eyed Peas frontman asked Maher who, of all the people he hadn&#8217;t been able to sit down with, he&#8217;d most like to interview — and Maher explained that he&#8217;d found it far more difficult to book Democrats for his show lately.
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💥NEW: <a href="https://t.co/vbvHjsGjXV">https://t.co/vbvHjsGjXV</a>: “Who haven’t you interviewed that you want to interview?”
Bill Maher: “Ironically, mostly Democrats — because they’re such p*ssies they won’t come on the show … Democrats are p*ssies about going anywhere that they’re not already pre-adored.” <a href="https://t.co/IDcyRN3obT">pic.twitter.com/IDcyRN3obT</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/2056323059775045648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 18, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Maher began with a story about a guest from earlier that evening — a Republican congresswoman — and said that if he&#8217;d only read what was said about her in the media, he would have believed that she was stupid or &#8220;a hot head.&#8221;
&#8220;She&#8217;s not any of those things,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We don&#8217;t agree on many issues, but you know what? I always say it, everybody&#8217;s a monster till you talk to them.&#8221;
The rapper interjected then, asking, &#8220;Who haven&#8217;t you interviewed that you want to interview?&#8221;
&#8220;Mostly — ironically, mostly Democrats — because they’re such p*ssies they won’t come on the show. Like the Clintons. After — I mean, you know — Kamala. I voted for you,&#8221; Maher replied.
&#8220;Really? You haven&#8217;t interviewed them yet?&#8221; will.i.am said, clearly taken aback by the revelation.
&#8220;I would love to,&#8221; Maher said. &#8220;They — you know — Democrats are p*ssies about like going anywhere that they’re not already pre-adored. Not all of them, but some of them — Kamala Harris, I mean, I always say to my woke friends, &#8216;We voted for the same person, you&#8217;re just why she lost, okay? You&#8217;re a little too precious.'&#8221;

Bill Maher

‘They’re Such P*ssies’: Bill Maher Says He Can’t Find Democrats To Come On His Show Anymore

'They're Such P*ssies': Bill Maher Says He Can't Find Democrats To Come On His Show Anymore

comedian

Regular CNN commentator Scott Jennings exposed what he believed was the accused assassin&#8217;s flaw in targeting Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk.
In a speech that was originally given in February and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KCxZqSUJfs&amp;t=1s">posted publicly</a> by Hillsdale College on Friday, Jennings told a crowd at Hillsdale College&#8217;s National Leadership Seminar in Amelia Island, Florida, that he thought the gunman&#8217;s ultimate goal was not just to kill Kirk himself, but to put an end to the movement he&#8217;d started — and that he&#8217;d failed because the ideas Kirk stood for could never be killed.
WATCH:
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💥Scott Jennings👏
“I think when the shooter pulled the trigger in Utah, he thought he was ending a movement. He thought if he could kill someone like Charlie Kirk, he could kill what Charlie stood for.”
“That the rest of us would get the message, that we would heed the… <a href="https://t.co/FfDgeh6wTs">pic.twitter.com/FfDgeh6wTs</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/2056120753339138321?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Jennings began by pointing to some of the things being taught on college campuses across the United States — namely that the nation was built on racism, the traditional family unit was a tool of oppression, and capitalism was rooted in evil — and commended Kirk for seeing that and trying to make a difference.
&#8220;I think when the shooter pulled the trigger in Utah, he thought he was ending a movement. He thought if he could kill someone like Charlie Kirk, he could kill what Charlie stood for,&#8221; Jennings continued. &#8220;That the rest of us would get the message, that we would heed the warning: &#8216;Silence yourselves or we will do it for you.&#8217; That’s what they thought.&#8221;
&#8220;But in trying to silence one voice, I believe they’ve created thousands. And in trying to end one conversation, they have started millions,&#8221; he added, and applause began to break out around the room. &#8220;Ultimately, what Charlie stood for was faith and freedom. And here’s the thing about those two items: You can’t kill them. You can try to suppress it, and throughout our history people have tried to silence it, but they always find a way, like water finding cracks in a dam.&#8221;

Political Activist Charlie Kirk Shot Dead At Utah Valley University

Scott Jennings Exposes How Charlie Kirk Assassin Failed In His Ultimate Mission

Scott Jennings Exposes The Flaw In Charlie Kirk Assassination

assassination

Charlie Kirk

Scott Jennings

In an effort to smear Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, The New York Times relied on input from a supposedly impartial authority on ethics in government. Supposedly.
The article targeted Duffy&#8217;s recent Department of Transportation project, a YouTube series titled &#8220;The Great American Road Trip.&#8221; Kathleen Clark, an attorney and law professor at Washington University in St. Louis, was described by the NYT simply as someone &#8220;who specializes in government ethics.&#8221;
Weighing in on the fact that Duffy&#8217;s family members were brought along for the ride and featured in the YouTube series, Clark argued that because those family members were not officially contracted to the DOT and were taking part in the project anyway, they were essentially receiving &#8220;gifts&#8221; from the series sponsors.
&#8220;Gifts to the secretary’s family are absolutely not gifts to the department,&#8221; she said. &#8220;This is really gift laundering &#8230; This is an incredibly corrupt endeavor, and it’s dangerous, because it affects public safety.&#8221;
But the NYT left out a few key details when describing Clark&#8217;s credentials.
Clark, in her capacity as an attorney, served as counsel for the Senate Judiciary Committee from 1991-1993 — during then-Sen. Joe Biden&#8217;s (D-DE) tenure as committee chair (1987-1995).
The Washington University Professor has also served on the board of directors (as Secretary) of American Oversight, Inc. — a nonprofit organization that also claims to be nonpartisan but has a clear bias against President Donald Trump — since its formation in 2017.
The group&#8217;s listed &#8220;priorities,&#8221; according to <a href="https://americanoversight.org">its own website</a>, are described as follows: &#8220;We were founded in 2017 in response to the unprecedented challenges that the Trump administration posed to our nation’s democratic ideals and institutions.&#8221;
Headlines posted on the American Oversight Inc.&#8217;s website in the last several weeks read like a typical left-leaning advocacy group:
<ul>
<li>ICE&#8217;s work with local police departments is being kept secret</li>
<li>American Oversight launches investigation into Trump admin&#8217;s politicized prosecution of the Southern Poverty Law Center</li>
<li>Statement from American Oversight and historians on today&#8217;s hearing to block Trump&#8217;s efforts to evade presidential records law</li>
</ul>
Clark&#8217;s page on Washington University&#8217;s website adds another layer to the story: while her history up to 2017 includes several ethics-based academic publications, she has none listed since that year. In addition, she has no media listings prior to 2025. But beginning in February of 2025, she has been sought out several times to provide comments to various outlets. Every one came after President Trump was sworn in to begin his second term. Every one is an attack either on someone serving in Trump&#8217;s administration or on the president himself.
<ol>
<li><a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-04/kash-patel-s-800-000-trump-media-award-raises-conflict-questions-for-fbi-pick?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTczODY5MDQ1NywiZXhwIjoxNzM5Mjk1Mj" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Kash Patel’s $800000 Trump Media Award Raises New Conflict Questions (opens in new tab)">Kash Patel’s $800000 Trump Media Award Raises New Conflict Questions</a></li>
<li><a href="https://contrarian.substack.com/p/musks-inexcusable-conflicts" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Musk’s Inexcusable Conflicts (opens in new tab)">Musk’s Inexcusable Conflicts</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.npr.org/2025/02/13/nx-s1-5293124/special-government-employee-trump-musk-doge" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Trump Hired Musk as a ‘Special Government Employee.’ Here’s What That Means (opens in new tab)">Trump Hired Musk as a ‘Special Government Employee.’ Here’s What That Means</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/02/14/elon-musk-public-financial-disclosure-form/78533975007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Elon Musk Has to Fill Out a Public Financial Disclosure Legal Experts Say. Where Is It? (opens in new tab)">Elon Musk Has to Fill Out a Public Financial Disclosure Legal Experts Say. Where Is It?</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/24/health/dr-oz-medicare-finances-conflicts.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&amp;referringSource=articleShare" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Dr. Oz: How His Millions Collide With Medicare (opens in new tab)">Dr. Oz: How His Millions Collide With Medicare</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.wsj.com/sports/golf/augusta-national-masters-emails-tickets-643b189b?st=JLy9Qe&amp;reflink=mobilewebshare_permalink" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="A Masters Tradition Unlike Any Other: Gifting Tickets to Government Officials (opens in new tab)">A Masters Tradition Unlike Any Other: Gifting Tickets to Government Officials</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/qatar-gifting-trump-400m-luxury-jet-raises-ethical-and-legal-concerns" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Qatar gifting Trump $400M luxury jet raises ethical and legal concerns (opens in new tab)">Qatar gifting Trump $400M luxury jet raises ethical and legal concerns</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/21/trump-ballroom-donor-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Trump fought to keep the ballroom fundraising contract secret. Here’s what’s in it. (opens in new tab)">Trump fought to keep the ballroom fundraising contract secret. Here’s what’s in it.</a></li>
</ol>
And Duffy brings her count up to nine.
And while one might be able to excuse away some of that by pointing out the fact that even some Republicans raised ethical questions about some of those same topics, Clark&#8217;s social media footprint is &#8230; just the Left foot.
Her X handle, which hasn&#8217;t posted since 2024, directs would-be followers to lefty-haven BlueSky — but her old posts include a slew of criticisms aimed at Trump ally Elon Musk. One <a href="https://x.com/clarkkathleen/status/1829953371601846524">thread</a> from August 2024 bashes Vice President JD Vance over a 2021 interview. She reposted several comments comparing Trump to former President Richard Nixon and trashing the Supreme Court over its ruling on presidential immunity. And she criticized Justice Samuel Alito for <a href="https://x.com/WashULaw/status/1796897053101916369">refusing to recuse himself</a> from January 6-related cases over his wife&#8217;s decision to hang a Revolutionary War-era flag at their home.

The New York Times Co. Post An 82 Percent Decline In 2nd Quarter Profi

New York Times ‘Impartial’ Ethics Expert Is Anything But

Ethics

New York Times

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Virginia Kruta