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In a discussion regarding the ongoing "war" with Iran, a former high-ranking U.S. military officer made a point which left me momentarily speechless. That point being: "The UAE and our other allies in the Middle East are better protected via U.S. air defense systems from Iran’s Shahed Drones than the state of Florida."

The reason Florida was brought up was because of Cuba. Much in the news lately as the Trump administration seeks to free the people of that communist nation from decades of totalitarian rule.

As those negotiations go on, the logical question regarding Cuba – which is less than 90 miles off the coast of Florida – becomes: "Has Iran – or any other terrorist organization or U.S. adversary – successfully placed any of its Shahed attack drones within that Communist Island nation?"

As was recently reported on this site in a piece headlined: "Pentagon jumps from $225M to $55B on drones as cheap attacks overwhelm US defenses," the United States and our Department of War might be on the wrong end of the "World War Drone" spectrum.

PENTAGON JUMPS FROM $225M TO $55B ON DRONES AS CHEAP ATTACKS OVERWHELM US DEFENSES

As the lead paragraph of the article rightfully – and shockingly – pointed out: "The Pentagon is seeking roughly $55 billion for drone and autonomous warfare programs in its fiscal year 2027 budget, as battlefield conflicts from the Middle East to Ukraine expose a growing problem: cheap drones are increasingly able to overwhelm costly U.S. defenses."

A "growing problem" indeed. One that is no doubt on the minds of the commanders of the over 20 military bases in Florida potentially in striking distance from Cuba. Most especially those in the Tampa area which is home to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

Is the U.S. truly behind the curve in this exponentially evolving theater of battlefield operations? And, if so, by how much?

AI ARMS RACE: US AND CHINA WEAPONIZE DRONES, CODE AND BIOTECH FOR THE NEXT GREAT WAR

More importantly, where does the People’s Republic of China – arguably our No. 1 adversary – stand with its own military drone technology? A China that has already infiltrated operatives – and operations – throughout Central and South America and … Cuba. Countries which could house enemy drones well within striking distance of the United States.

It has been reported that both China and Russia are making massive advances with their autonomous warfighting capabilities. Of major concern is that both adversaries are developing larger "carrier" drones capable of launching smaller attack drones mid-flight.

Carrier drones which would greatly extend the range of such attack drones. Should such carrier drones be infiltrated into the Western Hemisphere, the direct line flight path math to the continental United States is not complicated. It is chilling.

US COULD BURN THROUGH KEY MISSILES IN 'A WEEK' IF WAR WITH CHINA ERUPTS, TOP SECURITY EXPERT WARNS

The good news is that if our military and the Pentagon are behind the drone-warfare curve, they won’t be for very long. Not only has the budget for this cutting-edge technology dramatically increased, the Trump administration seems to be adopting a "Manhattan Project" strategy to catch and then greatly surpass our adversaries.

As they do this, a logical conclusion to be made is that the evolving threat from China is the driving force behind much of the U.S. strategy. With China specifically in mind, critically important questions quickly emerge.

As the just completed talks between President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping highlighted, the subject of Taiwan and its potential defense, is a very contentious subject between our two nations. If a conflict breaks out in that area, do we currently have the heavy-lift drone capability to deal with China and its powerful Navy?

UKRAINE CRUSHES PUTIN’S BOMBERS, BUT CAN CHINA AND RUSSIA DO THE SAME TO THE US?

What deterrents are we developing to give China pause from initiating future actions harmful to U.S. interests? Our Navy has already demonstrated that its warships can shoot down Shahed-class drones, but it’s not cost-effective. But drones from Iran or a small terrorist organization are one thing. How will the United States deploy a cutting-edge deterrent to China’s rapidly advancing Navy? Is the Pentagon focusing on the development of its own fleet of UAS (unmanned aircraft system) Carrier drones that can deliver long-range ship-killing missiles capable of getting the attention of the leadership of China?

Next, as this drone warfare technology advances, we must develop drone fleets capable of protecting Air Force bombers – and their human crews -- which will be at increased risk from the drones being developed by China and Russia. But as we do this, we must not lose sight of any threats to the United States right off our coast or emanating from within the Western Hemisphere.

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For that threat, the Pentagon needs to be asking itself what critical lessons can be learned from the ongoing "Drone War" between Ukraine and Russia? Both nations – like Iran – have built millions of relatively cheap, but increasingly more lethal, attack drones. Drones which are not only being acquired by terrorist organizations, but drones which could be launched from Cuba, Mexico or a Central American country into the United States. Or from ships offshore.

By jumping the budget from $225 million to $55 billion, Trump and the Pentagon have demonstrated that they are all over this challenge. But with China and Russia both developing – and potentially placing -- "carrier drones" capable of airlifting long-range missiles off our coast or within our hemisphere, time is clearly of the essence.

Effective drone countermeasures, along with our own fleet of modernized UAS capable of carrying large JASSM missiles, can’t be created fast enough. "Science fiction" has now become a war-fighting fact.

The United States military must become the preeminent drone-fighting force in the world. Our safety depends upon it.

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A Brooklyn woman who drowned her three children in the Atlantic Ocean near Coney Island’s famous boardwalk will spend decades behind bars.

Erin Merdy, 34, was sentenced Wednesday after pleading guilty earlier this year to first-degree murder charges in the 2022 deaths of her 7-year-old son Zachary, her 4-year-old daughter Liliana and her 3-month-old son Oliver.

"No sentence can fully measure the loss of a seven-year-old, a four-year-old and a three-month-old baby, or the grief their loved ones will carry forever," Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said in a statement.

"We sought the strongest possible accountability in this devastating case, and while nothing can bring these children back, this sentence ensures the defendant will be held responsible for taking their lives," he added.

JUDGE SENTENCES NEVADA MOM FOR DROWNING YOUNG SON, DAUGHTER: 'I WILL REMEMBER YOUR CASE FOREVER'

Gonzalez said the children’s lives were taken "in the most heartbreaking and unthinkable way."

The children were found the morning of Sept. 12, 2022, after one of Merdy’s relatives called 911 expressing concern the children might be in danger.

Prosecutors said Merdy left the beach around 1:25 a.m. and began walking toward the apartment of the father of her youngest child.

COLLEGE STUDENT ACCUSED OF LETTING NEWBORN DROWN – POLICE REVEAL PHONE PHOTOS OF ‘HATED MOM’ CASEY ANTHONY

Authorities later found Merdy barefoot and soaking wet about two miles from where the children were discovered.

According to prosecutors, Merdy repeatedly said the children were gone and that she was sorry.

The children’s bodies were recovered hours later along the shoreline just steps from the boardwalk.

MELODEE BUZZARD’S GRANDMOTHER SHREDS POSSIBLE INSANITY DEFENSE FOR ACCUSED KILLER MOM: ‘PLANNED EVERYTHING’

The city medical examiner ruled the deaths homicides caused by drowning.

Prosecutors said surveillance video showed Merdy walking toward the ocean with the children shortly before 1 a.m.

Merdy’s mother told the New York Daily News at the time that her daughter had recently struggled with mental health issues and may have been experiencing postpartum depression.

"I reached out to her yesterday and she said she was doing laundry and I said I wanted to speak to the kids," Jacqueline Scott, 56, told the outlet. "I tried to call her twice on the phone after that and there was no answer."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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FORT HOOD, Texas — The Army is embracing state-of-the-art technology to adapt to the evolving demands of the modern battlefield. 

‘Operation Hood Strike’ brought units from the Army's active duty, reserves and National Guard to Fort Hood, Texas for a rigorous, hands-on stress test. Canadian troops joined the training too.

"We're a total Army. We're a total engineer regiment. And we will fight with them in wartime. So we have to train with them here in peacetime," Col. Justin Pritchard, 36th Engineer Brigade Commander, said. 

Troops were thrown into a realistic combat scenario. Their mission was to cross Lake Belton and close in on enemy territory. 

US RAMPS UP NUCLEAR WEAPONS PRODUCTION TO COLD WAR LEVELS AS CHINA PURSUES ‘UNPRECEDENTED’ BUILDUP

Engineers built a seven float raft consisting of two ramps and five bays. Capt. Bruce Burgener, 43rd Multi-Role Bridge Company Commander, said it's the standard ramp and bay configuration to move M1 Abrams tanks. 

"Anything less than that won't move them," Burgener said. "Our goal is to get as much throughput as possible for friendly forces."

Burgener said his company has received "a lot of new troops," and that the training gives his higher-ranked troops the opportunity to work with the newer ones. He broke this training into three phases: ‘crawl, walk, run.’ 

"At this stage, we're about at the walk stage for our company," Burgener said. "So we're slowly working towards getting to a run stage where we'd be able to work a lot more efficiently with our new soldiers."

‘NOBODY SHOULD GO ALONE’: 1,500 STRANGERS HONOR WWII VETERAN WITH NO KNOWN FAMILY

Once all the equipment and personnel are in place, the assault across the water begins. The Texas National Guard swooped in with Chinook helicopters to provide recon and dropped sections of a bridge into the water. 

Lt. Col. Travis Shahan, 961st Engineer Battalion Commander, said air assets are crucial to dropping large payloads in hard-to-reach areas.

"Sometimes, when you build a bridge, there's a little bit of difficulty getting all the equipment you need to the water," Shahan said. 

Troops crossing the bridge already know what the enemy territory looks like because it's been mapped out at the tactical command center. The map allows every soldier, from the highest rank down to line infantry, to know how they fit into the mission. 

"If you're working in an office, it's pretty easy to plan this stuff. But when you're out here and the aircraft are flying here overhead at midnight... It's much harder when you're when you're out here trying to execute," Maj. Salem Maud, the Battalion Executive Officer, said. 

'Operation Hood Strike’ happens every year at Fort Hood, but each year is different since the modern battlefield is constantly changing. While Col. Adam Rasmussen, 420th Engineer Brigade Commander, said the Army is trying to get soldiers out of harms way, he said war is "still a very much a human endeavor."

"We want soldiers who can innovate, and there's no better person to innovate how to get a human out of the breach than a human who has been through the pain of a breach," Rasmussen said. "That human knows how important it is to get an automated system or an unmanned or an AI system into the breach instead of a human."

PENTAGON'S NEW UFO FILE RELEASE LOGS NEAR-MISS AS ‘SUPER-HEATED’ ORBS APPROACH US HELICOPTER

In 2025, the Army set a goal to recruit 60,500 active duty troops, according to the Army Recruiting Command. They cracked their goal by 103.47% and recruited 62,050 soldiers. 

The Recruiting Command reported the Army Reserves aimed to recruit 14,320 troops in 2025. The Reserves fell short, only meeting 86.76% of their goal with 12,426 recruits. 

"The way we recruit and retain is that we get them out here doing very challenging but rewarding training. They may not enjoy it 100% that minute, but by the end of the day, they think they have just done the coolest thing in the world," Rasmussen said.  

"They signed up to do just this," Pritchard said. "Anytime we can get out and do what they signed up for the Army to do… That just encourages you, like, this is why I served. This is why I want to stay in the army and continue serving the nation."

The units involved in ‘Operation Hood Strike’ are not preparing for a specific deployment. Rasmussen said the training is still critical to bring the newer soldiers up to speed. 

"Every hour these soldiers are on the battlefield, they become more lethal," Rasmussen said. 

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Donald Trump is a master of revisionist history.

He can argue that TikTok is a national security threat and then that it’s crucially important to society.

Reminds me of when he famously said I could shoot someone on Fifth Avenue and not lose support and I thought he’s probably right – now, at least, among the MAGA diehards.

And he does it through the sheer power of repetition.

TRUMP PULLS BACK CURTAIN ON WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM'S FORTRESS-LIKE DEFENSES ABOVE AND DEEP BELOW

How many times have you heard that the Jan. 6 rioters, who he summoned to the Capitol, are great patriots? Despite the fact that they attacked and injured police officers, invaded members’ offices and were calling for Mike Pence’s hanging?

When that happened, even many Republicans thought Trump was finished. Big-name members of the GOP, along with the Democrats, denounced him in harsh terms.

'SHARK TANK' STAR BACKS TRUMP'S WHITE HOUSE BALLROOM PLAN AMID SECURITY CONCERNS: ‘IT’S BIPARTISAN’

But Trump gave the same answer again and again. Flipping his usual law-and-order stance, he argued it wasn’t really a riot. It wasn’t that big a deal. After hearing him say that hundreds of times, some people thought, well, there must be something to it. He wouldn’t just be making it up. For all his unscripted digressions, Trump has an uncanny ability to stay on message.

He’s like the boisterous guy in the Home Depot parking lot, using a megaphone to shout at anyone within earshot.

But hey, this is a guy who’s still arguing about the 2016 election – which he won. Trump still says the 2020 election was stolen from him – though that’s never been substantiated in court, and he was the one making calls to try to flip votes.

The latest uproar is about Trump settling his IRS lawsuit by creating a $1.7 billion fund that would be used for the benefit of the Jan. 6 protestors, even those convicted of serious crimes.

RELATED: APOLOGIES AND CASH HEADED TO ALLEGED WEAPONIZATION VICTIMS IN BILLION-DOLLAR TRUMP SETTLEMENT

During his out-of-office years, Trump battled four criminal investigations, which everyone now agrees actually helped him by looking like political persecution. And that obviously fed his unquenchable desire for retribution.

During the first impeachment, the president, according to a transcript, asked Volodymyr Zelenskyy to announce an investigation of Joe Biden and his son Hunter. This was after Trump personally ordered a freeze on nearly $400 million in congressionally approved aid to Ukraine. 

"I heard you had a prosecutor who was very good and he was shut down and that’s really unfair," a transcript has Trump saying. "A lot of people are talking about that, the way they shut your very good prosecutor down and you had some very bad people involved…

"There’s a lot of talk about Biden’s son, that Biden stopped the prosecution and a lot of people want to find out about that, so whatever you can do with the attorney general would be great. Biden went around bragging that he stopped the prosecution, so if you can look into it... It sounds horrible to me."

TRUMP WARNS IRAN'S 'CLOCK IS TICKING': MOVE 'FAST' OR 'THERE WON'T BE ANYTHING LEFT'

Problem? Nah. The president kept calling it a "perfect phone call." Got that?

The Senate did not convict on the House impeachment charges.

Which brings us to the war in Iran.

The president has gone back and forth in his rhetoric so many times it’s downright dizzying. Trump said "a whole civilization will die tonight." Then he kept extending the deadline. He said Tehran’s response was "garbage" and didn’t bother to read it.

The resumed bombing campaign was set for yesterday – but Trump agreed to a brief pause at the urging of the heads of three Middle East countries.

In terms of message discipline, Trump has said perhaps hundreds of times that the war is over, that he can get out anytime, that our military crushed Iran’s defenses, wiping out its navy and air force, and that’s all true.  

Bursting with sarcasm, the president said on Truth Social that the "entire Military walks out of Tehran, weapons dropped and hands held high, each shouting ‘I surrender, I surrender’ while wildly waving the representative White Flag, and if their entire remaining Leadership signs all necessary ‘Documents of Surrender,’ and admit their defeat to the great power and force of the magnificent U.S.A." that the press would still write Iran achieved a ‘Masterful and Brilliant Victory.’"

I don’t doubt that some of the negative coverage is driven by anti-Trump hostility in the media, but I have to defend the press to some degree here. No journalist or commentator would dispute the breadth of America’s military victory, though it could be mentioned more frequently. But with dueling blockades and the Strait of Hormuz still unopened, that is the story right now.  There’s no way to avoid focusing on that, since the ceasefire hangs in the balance, with no apparent progress on getting the mullahs to give up on developing nuclear weapons.

Trump was so determined to hammer that home that he got into this exchange before leaving for China.

A reporter asked whether the president was motivated to make a deal with Iran because of "Americans’ financial situations."

"Not even a little bit," Trump said — and then it happened.

TRUMP MEETS NETANYAHU, SAYS HE WANTS IRAN DEAL BUT REMINDS TEHRAN OF ‘MIDNIGHT HAMMER’ OPERATION

"The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran — they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody. I think about one thing — we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. That’s all."

That was such a rare linguistic blunder by Trump – he repeated the offending sound bite rather than framing the question in more favorable terms, as he usually does.

Democrats, the press and other detractors denounced the comments, with television and online sites replaying his words again and again.

"That’s a perfect statement. I’d make it again," Trump told Fox’s Bret Baier.

Perfect. There’s that word again. None of this "I regret that my words were misinterpreted" or any loser talk like that. It was sheer perfection.

Despite his involvement with two foreign wars and sinking polls at home, Trump doesn’t let go of past obsessions.

As the New York Times reports, Trump’s aides have been holding secret talks with Greenland and demanding a much larger U.S. role on the island. Greenland’s leaders are worried about the tactics.

Greenland again? Really?

Donald Trump makes news about everything. We have all been living in Trumpworld for a decade. He’ll generate a dozen controversies between now and Memorial Day. And that’s a perfect prediction.

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Federal immigration officials blasted California’s sanctuary policies Tuesday after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested an illegal immigrant accused of critically injuring a 4-year-old boy in a hit-and-run crash.

Aman Kumar, an Indian national living in the U.S. illegally, was arrested by ICE on May 13 after previously being released from local custody.

According to the Fresno Sheriff’s Department, Kumar was initially arrested last month after allegedly being involved in a hit-and-run crash. He was charged with felony hit-and-run causing death or injury.

Police said Kumar was driving a vehicle that struck a 4-year-old boy in Fresno, California, KSEE reported.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT TRUCKER ACCUSED IN FATAL CALIFORNIA CRASH RELEASED BY BIDEN ADMIN AFTER 2022 BORDER CROSSING

The child had been playing on a swing set in a nearby backyard before leaving through a gate and entering the roadway, authorities said.

Investigators said several vehicles stopped after seeing the child in the street, but Kumar allegedly drove around the stopped traffic using the bike lane before hitting the boy.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the child was hospitalized in critical but stable condition and is expected to survive.

TRUMP ADMIN URGES NEWSOM TO HONOR ICE DETAINERS FOR MORE THAN 33K CRIMINAL ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

DHS criticized California’s sanctuary policies after Kumar was later released from jail.

"This monster who almost killed a 4-year-old boy has been charged with a felony hit-and-run," DHS acting assistant secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement. 

"Sanctuary politicians in California released this criminal illegal alien from jail back onto the streets," she continued. "Thanks to the brave men and women of ICE law enforcement, this criminal illegal alien was arrested outside a criminal court."

NEWSOM'S SANCTUARY POLICIES UNDER FIRE AFTER DRUNK ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT KILLS ELDERLY MAN

According to DHS, Kumar illegally entered the United States in 2023 and was later released under the Biden administration.

The department also pointed to a letter ICE Director Todd Lyons sent in February to California Attorney General Rob Bonta urging the state to honor ICE detainers involving more than 33,000 undocumented immigrants in custody across California.

"DHS is calling on Governor Gavin Newsom and his fellow California sanctuary politicians to stop putting American lives at risk by releasing criminals into our communities to commit more crimes and hurt more innocent people," Bis said.

DHS said California’s failure to honor ICE detainers has resulted in the release of 4,561 undocumented immigrants with criminal charges or convictions since Jan. 20.

The department said those individuals were accused of crimes including homicide, assault, burglary, drug offenses, weapons offenses and sexual offenses.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Newsom’s office for comment.

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In the Sandhills of Nebraska, some grazing pastures look more like the Sahara Desert. The Morrill Fire — the largest wildfire in Nebraska history — scorched vast stretches of land in mid-March.

Farmers and ranchers across western Nebraska are now trying to recover, but severe drought conditions are making matters worse.

"The wind was screaming, maybe 70 mph. They said in 10 minutes it traveled 14 miles," said Joe Van Newkirk, owner of Van Newkirk Herefords Ranch. "We heard that there was a fire in Angora, which is about 50 miles north-west of our headquarters, we just kind of looked at the map and there was just no way that this place was not going to get burned."  

The ranch, located in Oshkosh, Nebraska, has been in the Van Newkirk family for 140 years. The operation holds an annual bull sale, selling 250 to 300 bulls to ranches across the country.

Thankfully, the Van Newkirk home was spared. It sits miles away from grazing pastures that are now almost unrecognizable after the fire.

"We didn't have any cattle on here, or any buildings to speak of. So we were very lucky in that respect," said Van Newkirk. Around a third of his summer range burned in the fire. 

LARGEST WILDFIRE IN NEBRASKA HISTORY LEAVES 1 DEAD, SCORCHES OVER 640,000 ACRES AS CONDITIONS BEGIN TO EASE

There is still extensive cleanup work ahead. Livestock watering tanks are now completely filled with sand.

"We could probably come up here and shovel them out but who says it's not going to blow right back in," said Van Newkirk. "We're gonna let this country heal, let the wind go down. Maybe next spring, winter, we'll come up here and fix this stuff." 

While surveying the ranch, Van Newkirk said he recently noticed the first signs of improvement since the fires erupted in March.

"This fire was the 13th, 14th of March, and by the 1st of May, it didn't look a whole lot different up here. The grass hadn't started," he said. "But just since then, four or five days, it's made a difference. We haven't received any moisture to speak of."

The Morill fire burned 642,029 acres, according to NOAA. Severe drought conditions are compounding the damage. The latest U.S. Drought Monitor shows more than 90% of Nebraska is experiencing drought, with growing portions of the state classified under severe, extreme and exceptional drought conditions.

But the Morrill Fire was not the only wildfire burning in Nebraska at the time.

"It burned down the shop, and my corrals, and all the hay in my yard ended up going," said Owen Johnson, Operator of Bearded Lady LLC. 

The Cottonwood Fire also tore through Nebraska, scorching 129,253 acres. The blaze hit Bearded Lady Ranch in Brady, Nebraska, which raises registered quarter horses.

"I have a dozer at the house, and I tried to bulldoze a fire break on the north and west sides of the house," Johnson said. "So that, essentially, once the fire hit that line, my hope was that it would save at least the house, the buildings around the house, the farmstead."

"I actually dozed about 120 or 130 feet, but the wind was just too strong. It actually jumped that bare ground and burned up to the house," he added.

THE SURPRISING REASON WHY AMERICANS COULD FACE HIGH BEEF PRICES FOR YEARS

Although his home survived, Johnson said the ranch still faces major challenges.

"I know I need to rebuild my shop, so that I have somewhere to put the stuff that I need to make it through the days. But we just haven't got any rain," Johnson said. "We don't have any fences. All my horses are in dry lots, which is not typically how I do things."

Johnson also said he has noticed behavioral and reproductive changes in his horses since the fires and drought.

"I don't know if it's from the drought or the stress, but usually after they foal, they have a pretty routine cycle for when they come back into heat," Johnson said. "You can start breeding those mares back again, and my mares just aren't coming into heat."

"So now you're sitting here going, man, when are we gonna get the fencing done, and when's it gonna rain? And even if everything else happens, if we don't get mares to where they're going to have us foals for next year, how are we going to make it through the next year?" he added.

Despite the hardship, Johnson said volunteers and donations from across the country have helped keep the ranch operating.

"The outreach from people, it almost gives you a different view of society," Johnson said. "There were people coming from all over the United States."

"There was hay from Georgia and Wisconsin, and I don't even know all the states, but there were literally people driving 12 or 13 hours to bring hay out — not just to us, but to other neighbors and other people that were affected by the fires," he added.

THE SINGLE CRUSHING PROBLEM AMERICAN CATTLE RANCHERS WISH TRUMP WOULD FIX INSTEAD

Van Newkirk shared a similar sentiment about the support pouring into ranch country.

"You know, that's where that really chokes me up, all the outpouring of people nationwide to help this cattle community. It's a tight-knit community, our hometown," said Van Newkirk. "The day of the fire, our fire department looked like a commissary. I mean there was just so much food, Gatorade, palettes of water. There was a bushel basket full of chapstick for these firemen."

But both ranchers said recovery ultimately depends on rainfall.

"It's just miles upon miles of drought and it's affecting everybody. I would feel pretty confident to say there's not very many farmers or ranchers right now that don't have some sort of stress or concerns about the lack of precipe," said Johnson. 

"This country's dry, and we could use all the prayers that you could have us," said Van Newkirk.  

Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen has requested that President Donald Trump issue a major disaster declaration related to the wildfires. The funding would assist with covering the cost of damage to public infrastructure.

Pillen said in a statement, ""As Nebraska faced historic wildfires, the people of our state came together to jumpstart the recovery process. I’m submitting my request for a disaster declaration to the White House and FEMA. We appreciate President Trump’s attention to this matter and his long-standing support of our state when we have requested disaster recovery funding."

There are currently several relief funds and GoFundMe pages to help those impacted stay afloat. 

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HEBRON, KY - Six states from coast-to-coast hold primary elections on Tuesday in one of the busiest and potentially most consequential days of the 2026 midterm calendar.

Voters in Alabama, Georgia, Idaho, Kentucky, Oregon, and Pennsylvania will cast ballots in Democratic and Republican primaries for the U.S. House, Senate and governor, as well as in down-ballot races. The nominating showdowns tee up this autumn's midterms, when Republicans will defend their slim Senate and razor-thin House majorities.

Meanwhile, some of Tuesday's most high-profile primary ballot box face-offs will serve as the latest tests of President Donald Trump's immense grip over the Republican Party and the strength of his endorsements in GOP nomination races.

Two weeks after purging five state senators in Indiana's primary who had opposed his push for congressional redistricting, and three days after helping to oust Sen. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana - as the senator who, five and a half years ago, voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial lost his bid for renomination - Trump has a new target: Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky.

DEFENSE SECRETARY HEGSETH JOINS TRUMP'S POLTICAL WAR AGAINST MASSIE

Massie, who for 14 years has represented Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, in the northeastern part of the red-leaning state, has long been one of Trump's most vocal GOP critics in Congress. The libertarian-minded lawmaker has repeatedly taken aim at the president over foreign policy, including the Iran war and unconditional U.S. military aid to Israel. And he's also been a thorn in Trump's side for successfully pushing for the release of government files related to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Trump repeatedly targeted Massie in social media posts in the closing days of the primary campaign and praised Kentucky farmer and former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein, who the president is backing, as "a great guy" and "a great patriot."

Gallrein grabbed some last-minute support and additional firepower on the eve of the primary, as he teamed up at an event with War Secretary Pete Hegseth.

DEMOCRACY ’26: STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE FOX NEWS ELECTION HUB

The president said in a video posted to Truth Social on Monday that he hoped Kentucky voters would put Massie "out of business" and that "we’re in a fight against the worst congressman in the history of our country."

Massie said in a Fox News Digital interview on the eve of the primary that Trump's taunts on social media may backfire.

"It shows he's losing sleep, his reputation is on the line. He really shouldn't have got involved in this race," Massie said.

The race has become the most expensive in House history in terms of ad spending, with over $32 million spent, according to the nationally known ad tracking firm AdImpact.

Much of that money has been shelled out by Trump's allies and pro-Israel groups.

"Here's the thing, I've got nothing against Israel. I just have never voted for foreign aid. When I said America First, I meant it. I don't vote for foreign aid to Egypt, to Syria, to Ukraine. I've got a flawless record on this, and I'm not going to ruin it by sending foreign aid to one country," Massie said as he defended his stance on Israel.

The race has grabbed outsized attention across the country.

"It's basically a national race at this point, the most expensive race primary in congressional history, and that's because, you know, I'm up there, I'm getting things done. I got the Epstein files released, I'm getting legislation in the farm bill, I'm getting legislation passed on the floor, and they want to shut me down," Massie emphasized.

TRUMP SCORES MAJOR PRIMARY VICTORY AS CASSIDY OUSTED IN LOUSIANA

But Gallrein, speaking with Fox News Digital, charged that Massie's "running against President Trump, and the agenda that has been put forward by the Republican Party."

The primary winner will be considered the overwhelming favorite in the general election in a district Trump carried by 36 points in his 2024 White House win.

Trump's endorsement is also on the line in Kentucky's Republican Senate primary, in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Mitch McConnell, the former longtime GOP leader in the chamber.

Among the 11 Republican candidates are Rep. Andy Barr, who recently landed Trump's backing, and former state Attorney General Daniel Cameron, a former McConnell aide who was the GOP's 2023 gubernatorial nominee. Seven Democrats, including 2020 Senate nominee Amy McGrath, are running for the Democratic nomination.

Here's a look at other key races to watch on Tuesday.

Georgia

Trump's endorsement powers will also be tested in the GOP gubernatorial primary in the southeastern battleground of Georgia.

The president is supporting Lt. Gov. Burt Jones in the race to succeed popular conservative Gov. Brian Kemp, who is term-limited.

Jones is considered one of the two front-runners in the race, along with health care executive and billionaire businessman Rick Jackson, who launched his campaign in February and has spent more than $80 million of his own money on behalf of his bid.

State Attorney General Chris Carr and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger are also running.

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, former state Sen. Jason Esteves, state Rep. Derrick Jackson, and former state labor commissioner and former DeKalb County CEO Mike Thurmond, are among the candidates seeking the Democratic nomination.

Trump remains neutral in competitive and combustible Republican Senate primary.

Reps. Mike Collins and Buddy Carter, and former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley, the son of University of Georgia head football coach legend Vince Dooley, who is strongly backed by Kemp, are considered the frontrunners in a crowded field of candidates.

The winner of the GOP nomination will challenge Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff. The first-term senator is being heavily targeted by Republicans, who view him as the most vulnerable Democrat in the chamber seeking re-election this year. But Ossoff has built an extremely formidable war chest.

Alabama

The president is backing Sen. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama as a Trump ally and two other Republicans seek their party's gubernatorial nomination in the race to succeed term-limited GOP Gov. Kay Ivey. Among the candidates for the Democratic nomination is former U.S. Sen. Doug Jones.

Meanwhile, only three of Alabama's seven congressional districts will hold primaries on Tuesday. Elections in the other four districts are being postponed until this summer, in the wake of a key Supreme Court ruling that sparked Republicans in a handful of southern states to redraw their congressional district lines.

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