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Oilers even series with dramatic OT win vs. Panthers: Game 4 highlights

The Edmonton Oilers have tied the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final after a major comeback that hadn’t happened in more than 100 years.

They had to overcome a 3-0 first-period deficit and a tying goal by Florida’s Sam Reinhart with 19.5 seconds left in regulation of Game 4 before Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl scored in overtime for a 5-4 victory and 2-2 series tie.

The Oilers are the first road team since the 1919 Montreal Canadiens to win a Stanley Cup Final game after trailing by three goals.

The Panthers appeared to be in command early in Game 4. Matthew Tkachuk had his first goals of the series, Aleksander Barkov had his first points and Anton Lundell scored in the final minute of the first period for a 3-0 lead.

‘We were kind of lollygagging around a little bit,’ Draisaitl told reporters. ‘It’s certainly not the time to lollygag around, especially after getting spanked in Game 3.’

How did the Oilers turn it around?

First, veteran Corey Perry spoke up during the intermission.

‘It was just honesty,’ Perry said. ‘We just had to realize where we were in the moment and kind of look ourselves in the mirror and how we were playing, what we were doing.’

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch also made the decision to pull Stuart Skinner and put backup goalie Calvin Pickard in net for the start of the second period.

If the goal was to shake things up, it worked. The Oilers stormed back to tie the game by the end of the second period.

‘We were a little too passive, watching the play develop too much,’ Reinhart said.

Pickard did his part, stopping Lundell on a breakaway after a turnover when it was 3-1 following a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal. In Game 3, Sam Bennett scored in a similar situation against Skinner to allow the Panthers to pull away.

‘He’s been nothing but spectacular for us,’ Draisaitl said of Pickard.

Darnell Nurse and Vasily Podkolzin tied the game and Jake Walman scored in the third period for a 4-3 lead. But Reinhart tied the game with Sergei Bobrovsky out for an extra skater. That was the only goal Pickard allowed on 23 shots as he improved to 7-0 in the playoffs.

Draisaitl, the runner-up to Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck, gave Edmonton the win with his record-setting fourth overtime goal of the 2025 playoffs

‘He always scores big goals at big times and we’re going home with the momentum,’ Pickard said of Draisaitl.

The series heads to Edmonton, Alberta, after a long flight for Game 5 on Saturday, June 14.

‘The team that moves on from this and the team that recovers the fastest is going to have the bigger advantage on Saturday,’ Tkachuk said.

Highlights from Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers:

Oilers vs. Panthers highlights

Game 4 recap

Final score: Oilers 5, Panthers 4

Leon Draisaitl scores his fourth overtime goal of the 2025 playoffs, a record. He throws it one-handed toward the net and it goes in off Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola at 11:18. Series is tied 2-2.

Sam Bennett hits crossbar

Calvin Pickard gets his glove on Bennett’s shot and the puck clangs off the crossbar. Score still tied.

Overtime underway

Leon Draisaitl and Brad Marchand have the OT goals in this series.

End of third period: Panthers 4, Oilers 4

Jake Walman gives Edmonton the lead, but the Oilers can’t close it out. The Panthers press with Sergei Bobrovsky out of the net for an extra skater and Sam Reinhart scores from a tough angle to force overtime.

Score update: Panthers 4, Oilers 4

Sam Reinhart ties the game with 19.5 seconds left as the Panthers finally beat Calvin Pickard. We’re headed to overtime for the third time this series.

Sergei Bobrovsky on the bench

Panthers have extra skater. About two minutes left.

Score update: Oilers 4, Panthers 3

Defenseman Jake Walman rips a shot to Sergei Bobrovsky’s glove side for Edmonton’s first lead of the game at 13:36 of the third period.

Oilers power play

Sam Bennett goes off for tripping. Sergei Bobrovsky stretches out to make a pad save on Corey Perry in tight. Penalty is killed. About 10 minutes left in the third period.

Third period underway

Panthers have 89 seconds of a power play to start the period. Oilers kill it off.

End of second period: Oilers 3, Panthers 3

The Oilers had no answers for the Panthers in the first period. The opposite happened in the second period as the Oilers storm back to tie the game. Sergei Bobrovsky doesn’t look good on the second goal. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch’s decision to insert backup goalie Calvin Pickard pays off as he stops Anton Lundell after a turnover when the score was 3-1. Shots were 17-10 Edmonton in that period.

Panthers power play

Leon Draisaitl goes off for elbowing. Calvin Pickard makes a save on Aaron Ekblad and 1:29 of the power play will carry into the third period.

Carter Verhaeghe hit

Evan Bouchard goes down after he’s hit from behind by Carter Verhaeghe. No penalty called. TNT reports that Bouchard heads to the dressing room.

Score update: Oilers 3, Panthers 3

Vasily Podkolzin ties it up after Darnell Nurse goes behind the net and throws the puck in front. Oilers have all the momentum.

Oilers power play

Aleksander Barkov, a penalty killer, is called for delay of game after putting the puck over the glass. Florida kills it off but Sergei Bobrovsky has to make a pad save as Connor McDavid enters the zone with speed and gets around Aaron Ekblad.

Score update: Panthers 3, Oilers 2

Darnell Nurse beats Sergei Bobrovsky up high from the left faceoff circle.

Calvin Pickard save

The Oilers goalie hasn’t been tested much since entering the game at the start of the second period, but he comes up big after an Anton Lundell steal and breakaway.

Oilers power play

Dmitry Kulikov called for holding the stick. Edmonton can pull within a goal here. The Oilers get some good looks but Sergei Bobrovsky stops Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Penalty is killed.

Score update: Panthers 3, Oilers 1

Oilers strike quickly on the power play on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl get assists after being held off the scoresheet in Game 3.

Oilers power play

Sam Bennett slashes Evan Bouchard as he breaks in toward the net.

Second period underway

3-0 Panthers. Oilers will need to stay out of the penalty box.

Oilers goalie change

Stuart Skinner is out. Calvin Pickard is in. Skinner wasn’t at fault there, but Oilers must be trying to shake things up.

End of first period: Panthers 3, Oilers 0

Dominant period by Florida, and penalties again cost the Oilers as Matthew Tkachuk gets two power-play goals. The first was on a 5-on-3. The Anton Lundell goal with 42 seconds left was a killer. Tkachuk gets his first goals of the series and Aleksander Barkov picks up his first points. Shots were 17-7 Florida. Stuart Skinner played well but it’s too much of a barrage.

Score update: Panthers 3, Oilers 0

Carter Verhaeghe checks Troy Stecher and feeds Anton Lundell in front. Did the referees miss a high stick there by Verhaeghe?

Score update: Panthers 2, Oilers 0

Matthew Tkachuk scores again on the power play. He passes to Sam Reinhart and then puts in the rebound of a Reinhart shot. Another assist for Aleksander Barkov.

Panthers power play

Mattias Ekholm high sticks Brad Marchand.

Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce in the building

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are in their hockey era.

Kelce, star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Swift, a 14-time Grammy winner, traded in a football for a hockey puck on Thursday and traveled to Sunrise, Florida, for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers.

The duo was spotted walking to their suite at Amerant Bank Arena as nearby fans applauded. Kelce donned a red long-sleeve shirt and matching shorts, which he paired with a baseball cap and pair of white sneakers. Swift opted for an all-white, two-piece getup that she paired with white heeled boots and her signature red lip. – Cydney Henderson

Score update: Panthers 1, Oilers 0

The Panthers need just four seconds to score on the 5-on-3. After an Aleksander Barkov faceoff win, Mathew Tkachuk gets in position and beats Stuart Skinner through a screen at 11:42. That’s Barkov’s first point of the series. Oilers kill off second penalty.

Panthers power play

Evander Kane is called for high-sticking A.J. Greer. Kane got into penalty trouble in the last game. And it will be a 62-second 5-on-3 after Darnell Nurse takes down Aleksander Barkov.

Panthers dominate early

Shots are 8-1 Florida early. Stuart Skinner is keeping Edmonton in the game.

Stuart Skinner save

Stuart Skinner robs Sam Bennett. He’s looking good early.

Game 4 underway

Connor McDavid line vs. Aleksander Barkov line. Connor Brown, new to the McDavid line, sets up his captain for a good opportunity but Sergei Bobrovsky stops him.

When is Stanley Cup Final Game 4? Panthers vs. Oilers game time

The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will face off Thursday, June 12, at 8 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.

What TV channel is Panthers vs. Oilers Game 4 on?

TNT and truTV are broadcasting Game 4 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final. Kenny Albert will provide play-by-play, while Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher, Darren Pang and Jackie Redmond will provide analysis and reporting.

Stream the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Sling

How to watch Panthers vs. Oilers Game 4

  • Date: Thursday, June 12
  • Location: Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET
  • TV: TNT, truTV
  • Streaming: Max, Sling TV

Starting lines

The NHL roster report shows that Edmonton will start the Connor McDavid line and Florida will counter with the Aleksander Barkov line.

Oilers lines

Panthers lines

Oilers line changes

In addition to adding Jeff Skinner and Troy Stecher to the lineup, the Oilers are moving Connor Brown to the top line and moving Corey Perry down. The defense pairings will also be changed.

Goaltending matchup

Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky (14-6, 2.15 goals-against average, .916 save percentage) vs. Oilers’ Stuart Skinner (7-6, 2.84, .894). Skinner, who was pulled in Game 3, is 6-0 in Game 4s during his playoff career.

Connor Hellebuyck wins Hart Trophy; Leon Draisaitl is runner-up

Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets became the first goalie to win the Hart Trophy since Carey Price in 2014-15. His 47 wins ranked tied for second all-time and he had a league-best 2.00 goals-against average and eight shutouts. He finished second with a .925 save percentage.

Hellebuyck, who also won the Vezina Trophy, received 81 first-place votes and 1,346 total points. Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl was runner-up with 53 first-place votes and 1,209 points. Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (973 points) was the other finalist.

Florida Panthers’ leading scorers

The Panthers have 11 players with double-digit points, led by Sam Bennett (20), Carter Verhaeghe (19) and Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk (18 each). Bennett is the playoffs’ leading goal scorer with 14.

Edmonton Oilers’ leading scorers

The Oilers have the top three scorers in the series: Connor McDavid has a league-best 31 points, followed by Leon Draisaitl (29) and Evan Bouchard (22).

Kris Knoblauch on lineup changes

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch is adding forward Jeff Skinner and defenseman Troy Stecher to the lineup. Forward Viktor Arvidsson and defenseman John Klingberg are coming out.

‘We felt like we could use a change and have those guys come in and give us a boost,’ he said. ‘We’ve seen it through the playoffs where we’ve made alterations to our lineup and it’s benefited us.’

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins injury update

Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had been considered a game-time decision on June 11 but indications are that he is in. ‘I still feel good right now,’ he told reporters in the morning. He played a little more than 15 minutes in Game 3.

Stanley Cup Final Game 4 odds: Panthers vs. Oilers betting lines

  • Spread: Panthers by 1.5
  • Moneyline: Panthers -145; Oilers +125
  • Over/Under: 6.5

Odds to win 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final

  • Oilers +200
  • Panthers -250

2025 Stanley Cup Finals schedule

All times Eastern; (x-if necessary)

  • Game 1: Oilers 4, Panthers 3 (OT) | Story
  • Game 2: Panthers 5, Oilers 4 (2OT) | Story
  • Game 3: Panthers 6, Oilers 1 | Story
  • Game 4: Thursday, June 12, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
  • Game 5: Saturday, June 14, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
  • x-Game 6: Tuesday, June 17, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
  • x-Game 7: Friday, June 20, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
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Donna Kelce set to appear on ‘The Traitors’ Season 4

Donna Kelce, the mother of Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, is having a busy NFL offseason.

‘The Traitors’ is reality competition show following a group of contestants in a Scottish castle who are secretly split into two groups: traitors and faithfuls. The faithfuls must determine who the traitors are and banish them from the game in order to win a grand cash prize.

The American version of the show, which airs on Peacock, has racked up several accolades since premiering in 2023, including an Emmy Award and, as NBC touted, being named the most-watched unscripted series in the country.

Here’s what to expect from Donna Kelce’s appearance on the show.

What is ‘The Traitors’? Why Donna Kelce was cast

‘The Traitors’ features a lineup of reality stars and other public figures on its cast. The first season of the American version consisted of a combination of regular people and big name stars, but the previous two seasons have strictly included the latter.

While the cast generally includes fan favorites from shows like ‘The Real Housewives,’ ‘Survivor’ and several other reality TV programs, there have also been a few wild card picks − which helps explain how Donna Kelce may have ended up in the group.

For example, last season saw a few celebrity relatives on the cast. Dylan Efron, the brother of actor Zac Efron, was one of Season 3’s winners. Sam Asghari, the ex-husband of pop star Britney Spears, was also on the show.

Who is Donna Kelce?

Donna Kelce is the mother of Travis and Jason Kelce, who are both known for their NFL careers.

While she has long been in the spotlight as a two-time NFL parent, her prominence rose in 2023 when her sons competed against each other in Super Bowl LVII, during which ‘Mama Kelce’ wore her signature split jersey.

Since then, she has appeared in ads for brands like Pillsbury and Ziploc and even made cameos in two Hallmark films last year.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. She can be reached at melina.khan@usatoday.com. 

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Second federal judge sides against Trump’s election executive order

A second federal judge on Friday blocked an executive order from President Donald Trump aimed at overhauling elections in the U.S.

Trump’s March 25 executive order sought to compel officials to require documentary proof of citizenship for everyone registering to vote for federal elections, accept only mailed ballots received by Election Day and condition federal election grant funding on states adhering to the new ballot deadline.

‘The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,’ Judge Denise J. Casper of the U.S. District Court in Massachusetts said in Friday’s ruling.

A group of Democratic state attorneys general had challenged the executive order as unconstitutional. 

The attorneys general said the directive ‘usurps the States’ constitutional power and seeks to amend election law by fiat.’

The defended the order as ‘standing up for free, fair and honest elections’ and called proof of citizenship a ‘commonsense’ requirement.

‘Despite pioneering self-government, the United States now fails to enforce basic and necessary election protections employed by modern, developed nations, as well as those still developing,’ Trump wrote in the executive order, titled ‘Preserving and protecting the integrity of American elections.’

‘India and Brazil, for example, are tying voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship. In tabulating votes, Germany and Canada require use of paper ballots, counted in public by local officials, which substantially reduces the number of disputes as compared to the American patchwork of voting methods that can lead to basic chain-of-custody problems,’ he continued.

‘Further, while countries like Denmark and Sweden sensibly limit mail-in voting to those unable to vote in person and do not count late-arriving votes regardless of the date of postmark, many American elections now feature mass voting by mail, with many officials accepting ballots without postmarks or those received well after Election Day,’ he also said.

Casper also noted that, when it comes to citizenship, ‘there is no dispute (nor could there be) that U.S. citizenship is required to vote in federal elections and the federal voter registration forms require attestation of citizenship.’

Casper cited arguments made by the states that the requirements would ‘burden the States with significant efforts and substantial costs’ to update procedures.

The ruling is the second legal setback for Trump’s election order. A federal judge in Washington, D.C., previously blocked parts of the directive, including the proof-of-citizenship requirement for the federal voter registration form.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Iran claims right to nuclear prowess following Israel strikes, but remains silent on negotiations with US

Iran on Friday confirmed it will not end its nuclear programs despite the overnight attacks by Israel on its atomic facilities and apparent continued U.S. efforts to meet with Iranian counterparts on Sunday.

In a statement released by the Iranian government, Tehran claimed Israel’s attack proved it has a ‘right to enrichment and nuclear technology and missile capability.’

‘The enemy has caused our victimhood and legitimacy to be proven as to who is the aggressor and which regime threatens the security of the region,’ the statement said.

The comments not only followed Israel’s strike that killed seven top officials – including four military commanders, one official allegedly involved in the nuclear talks with the U.S., and two nuclear scientists – but also after the board of governors from the U.N.’s nuclear watchdog on Thursday declared Iran is in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in nearly 20 years.

Despite the formal rebuke over its nuclear violations, including its substantial stockpiles of near-weapons-grade uranium, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed Tehran would continue to enrich uranium – the core hiccup in ongoing U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations. 

‘The cowardly nocturnal operation while the diplomatic process on the nuclear issue of Iran was underway is a sign of this regime’s fear of Iran’s power of persuasion and defense for the world,’ Tehran said Friday. 

Iranian political heads have claimed that the overnight strikes mean Tehran will not continue with nuclear negotiations with Washington, D.C., and that a meeting set with Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman on Sunday was off. 

However, the Trump administration has not confirmed these claims and neither has the Iranian regime. 

When asked if Iranian officials have notified the U.S. that Iran is withdrawing from nuclear negotiations, a US official said, ‘We still hope to have talks.’

Neither the White House nor the State Department immediately responded to Fox News Digital’s questions regarding the talks. 

President Donald Trump is set to hold a security meeting at 11 a.m. on Friday, when the future of the talks is expected to be addressed. 

Rich Edson contributed to this report. 

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IAEA chief calls Israeli president, reportedly says Iran nuclear facility was severely damaged

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi called Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Friday following airstrikes on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility, an Israeli presidential spokesperson told Fox News. 

Grossi told Herzog that the facility was severely damaged in the strikes, according to Israeli media reports. 

‘We are currently in contact with the Iranian nuclear safety authorities to ascertain the status of relevant nuclear facilities and to assess any wider impacts on nuclear safety and security,’ Grossi said in a statement. 

‘At present, the competent Iranian authorities have confirmed that the Natanz enrichment site has been impacted and that there are no elevated radiation levels. They have also reported that at present the Esfahan and Fordow sites have not been impacted.’ 

‘This development is deeply concerning. I have repeatedly stated that nuclear facilities must never be attacked, regardless of the context or circumstances, as it could harm both people and the environment. Such attacks have serious implications for nuclear safety, security and safeguards, as well as regional and international peace and security,’ Grossi continued. 

‘As Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and consistent with the objectives of the IAEA under the IAEA Statute, I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation. I reiterate that any military action that jeopardizes the safety and security of nuclear facilities risks grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region, and beyond,’ he also said. 

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that ‘Overnight, Israeli Air Force fighter jets, guided by precise intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate, struck the Iranian regime’s uranium enrichment site in the Natanz area.’ 

‘This is the largest uranium enrichment site in Iran, which has operated for years to achieve nuclear weapons capability and houses the infrastructure required for enriching uranium to military-grade levels. As part of the strikes, the underground area of the site was damaged. This area contains a multi-story enrichment hall with centrifuges, electrical rooms, and additional supporting infrastructure,’ according to the IDF. 

‘In addition, critical infrastructure enabling the site’s continuous operation and the Iranian regime’s ongoing efforts to obtain nuclear weapons were targeted,’ it said. 

Fox News’ Yael Rotem-Kuriel contributed to this report. 

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Marjorie Taylor Greene launches probe into Planned Parenthood’s use of taxpayer funds

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and her DOGE subcommittee are launching an investigation into Planned Parenthood on Friday.

Greene is sending a letter to Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson, questioning whether the nonprofit is commingling ‘federal funds and using them for unpermitted purposes.’

Federal funds are barred from being used for abortions under a measure called the Hyde Amendment. President Donald Trump has also taken executive action toward affirming the Hyde Amendment and blocking federal dollars from organizations that provide transgender healthcare to youth.

However, Greene’s letter suggested she is accusing Planned Parenthood of doing both.

‘Despite receiving 39 percent of its annual revenue from federal funds intended for essential health services, such as cancer screenings and wellness exams, Planned Parenthood is increasingly using its resources to offer abortions to its patients,’ Greene wrote.

Greene said the data show that the ‘latest Planned Parenthood annual report shows that it performed more than 400,000 abortions, an increase of 23 percent over the last 10 years.’

The letter also accused Planned Parenthood of providing ‘gender-affirming care’ with ‘allegedly little to no medical or psychological evaluation.’

An annual report by Planned Parenthood, cited by Greene, showed 45 ‘affiliate health centers’ providing hormone therapy for so-called ‘gender-affirming care.’

However, Greene said other gender transition services were reported as ‘other procedures,’ including pediatric care and infertility services as well, which she said obscured the ‘true number of transgender services provided.’

‘Planned Parenthood’s official policy varies by state, but some Planned Parenthood health centers will provide cross-sex hormones to minors as young as 16 years old with parental consent,’ Greene wrote, while also accusing the group of ‘not consistently adhering to its own parental consent policies.’

To assist her probe, Greene is seeking Planned Parenthood’s non-public financial statements from between January 2020 through June 2025, as well as a list of its independent affiliate health centers, informed consent documents, and other documentation.

Notably, that period includes when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and sent the issue of abortion back to the states in June 2022.

Republicans have long targeted Planned Parenthood, accusing the nonprofit of misusing federal dollars despite the longstanding anti-abortion funding measure.

The group’s supporters, meanwhile, have held it up as a key nationwide provider of women’s healthcare – which they believe has only gotten more critical after the high court’s June 2022 decision.

Greene’s panel, which is under the House Oversight Committee, is opening the probe weeks after House Republicans passed their version of Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill,’ which includes a provision to block federal funds from organizations that provide abortions.

Fox News Digital reached out to Planned Parenthood for comment but did not immediately hear back.

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‘War criminal Netanyahu’: ‘Squad’ members erupt over Israel’s ‘reckless’ strike on Iran

Far-left House Democrats are hammering Israel for its Thursday night strikes on Iran.

Members of the House’s progressive ‘Squad,’ already critical of Israel’s war on Gaza, are denouncing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as a ‘war criminal’ after his government launched attacks on Tehran and surrounding areas.

‘Israel has once again bombed Iran, a dangerous & reckless escalation. The war criminal Netanyahu wants to ignite an endless regional war & drag the US into it,’ Rep. Summer Lee, D-Pa., wrote on X. ‘Any politician who tries to help him betrays us all. The American people do not want this.’

Reps. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., claimed Israel would drag the U.S. into war in the Middle East.

‘The Israeli government bombing Iran is a dangerous escalation that could lead to regional war. War Criminal Netanyahu will do anything to maintain his grip on power,’ Tlaib wrote.

‘We cannot let him drag our country into a war with Iran. Our government must stop funding and supporting this rogue genocidal regime.’

Omar said, ‘Regardless of what [President Donald Trump] thinks, Israel knows America will do whatever they want and feels confident about their ability to get into war and have the American government back them up. Israel also knows they can always rely on getting America to protect and serve its needs.’

‘Everyone in America should prepare themselves to either see their tax dollars being spent on weapon supplies to Israel or be dragged into war with Iran if this escalates,’ Omar said.

Washington and Tehran have been engaged in talks about a new Iran nuclear deal aimed at reining in the Islamic republic’s uranium enrichment.

Trump posted on Truth Social Friday morning that Iran now had a ‘second chance’ to come to the table after Israel’s strikes.

Democrats, meanwhile, were more concerned.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said on MSNBC’s ‘Morning Joe’ that he thought Israel’s strikes, which it called preemptive, were a bid to scuttle those talks.

‘It appears as if this was an attempt by Israel to scuttle Donald Trump’s negotiations with Iran. Of course, our preferred pathway here to keep Iran from getting a nuclear weapon is diplomacy,’ Murphy said.

U.S. officials have been warning Iran not to respond to what Israel has said will be a multi-strike operation.

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AL ace still untouchable as 12-start streak reaches historic heights

And finally, he pounded his mitt and strutted off the mound to punctuate one of the most dominant stretches of pitching in major league history.

The Detroit Tigers left-hander won both the American League Cy Young Award and its pitching triple crown last season, yet somehow, in the season after, has only built upon those august accomplishments. Thursday night at Camden Yards, he capped a 12-start span in which he’s been virtually unhittable while driving the Tigers to the best record in the AL.

He shut out the Baltimore Orioles over seven innings, his fourth straight start of at least that length, and Detroit improved to 45-25 with a 4-1 victory.

Baltimore loaded its lineup with right-handed batters, yet advanced just one batter into scoring position. The Orioles did goad Skubal into showing his human side, however: He walked two batters for the first time in more than two months, yet in reality, was never in anything but full control.

While Skubal’s body of work is just coming together this season, his 12 starts dating from April 8 are historically surgical: He’s struck out 101 batters and walked just five. Since 1893, only Los Angeles Dodgers stalwart Clayton Kershaw – in 2015 and 2016 – and New York Mets ace Jacob deGrom in 2021 had similar stretches of precision and dominance.

On a night that felt like the first of summer, with the temperature touching a season-high 88 degrees, Skubal admitted to battling himself from the jump, when leadoff batter Jordan Westburg nearly took him out of the park to right field.

Seven innings, six strikeouts and three hits later, Skubal had conquered yet another foe – the Orioles and the elements.

“Listen, he’s one of the best in the league and will counter whatever they’re doing and stays in the fight a ton,” says Tigers manager A.J. Hinch. “He didn’t quite have the command he normally has, which doesn’t mean he had bad command tonight.

“It just means it was not perfection. If that’s your off day and it’s seven scoreless? Pretty good pitcher.”

Indeed, Skubal has been so good for so long – he’s earned the right to consider two so-so starts to begin this season the outlier – that any critiques of his work come off as so much nitpicking.

“I’ll go and work on my command in my bullpen,” Skubal deadpanned.

But seriously. If this is his worst of late?

“Twenty-four balls? How many throws?” asked Skubal, who was then informed he made 98 pitches.

“That’s pretty good. It just felt like my misses were bigger. But it’s two walks. It’s not the end of the world.”

Especially when the Tigers are just getting started. They’ve built an eight-game lead in the AL Central, are well on course to earn a first-round playoff bye and suddenly have a group seasoned by 2024’s stunning run to a wild card berth and trip to the AL Division Series.

Sure, Skubal is just a starting pitcher, albeit one with a 7-2 record, a 1.99 ERA, and a generational 111-9 strikeout-walk ratio. Yet there’s really no way to oversell his contributions to the Tigers, not when they’ve lost rookie Jackson Jobe to Tommy John surgery and still enjoy deploying Hinch’s “chaos” pitching plans that can zap the bullpen.

A Skubal start provides oxygen that can last the whole week, a benefit that’s immeasurable even within his 3.1 WAR entering Thursday, tops among AL pitchers.

“We can use the bullpen aggressively on both ends of his starts because he’s been so reliable,” says Hinch. “Now, he doesn’t have to be perfect. He doesn’t have to carry any more than his share of the responsibility.

“But I get to react accordingly to how he does for the next couple of days. So when he pitches well and deep into the game, we feel that benefit for two and three and four games until he gets on the mound again.”

That’s what made Thursday’s start so instructive. Skubal needed to wriggle out of a first-and-third jam in the second and was up to 48 pitches after three innings.

And then what? Consecutive nine-pitch innings in the fourth and fifth, all six outs coming on ground balls.

That’s value.

“That’s probably what I’m most proud of. I’m prouder of the grind-it-out than when you’re on early,” says Skubal, who nonetheless leads the AL in strikeouts.

His ERA over these dozen starts is 1.47, though Skubal stops short of calling it the greatest stretch of his career. He puts his ’24 finish – including three postseason starts – above this stretch.

“That’s the best I’ve thrown a baseball,” he says, “and I’ll continue to chase that and elevate my game.”

For now, he’s chasing deGrom and Kershaw and by the end of this season certainly looks like he’ll catch them in one regard: Multiple Cy Young awards.

Those trophies come as a result of the dominant days, the 13-strikeout shutouts like the one he authored four starts ago.

They also come on the nights that are a relative struggle, that end with 98 mph past rookie Coby Mayo and an exultation worthy of the toil.  

“I felt like I finished stronger than I started,” says Skubal. “That’s why the emotion came out.”

And summer’s just getting started.

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Fetterman calls for US to supply anything Israel needs for Iran attack: ‘Military, intelligence, weaponry’

Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., expressed staunch support for Israel’s assault against Iran, calling for the U.S. to back Israel’s efforts by providing the ally with anything it needs.

‘Our commitment to Israel must be absolute and I fully support this attack. Keep wiping out Iranian leadership and the nuclear personnel. We must provide whatever is necessary—military, intelligence, weaponry—to fully back Israel in striking Iran,’ Fetterman asserted Thursday night in a post on X.

The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs reposted the senator’s post. 

It also shared a post in which U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson expressed support for the U.S. ally. 

‘Israel IS right—and has a right—to defend itself!’ Johnson declared.

Sen. Lindsey Graham suggested that if Iran targets U.S. interests, America should execute ‘an overwhelming response’ that annihilates the foreign country’s oil infrastructure.

‘People are wondering if Iran will attack American military personnel or interests throughout the region because of Israel’s attack on Iran’s leadership and nuclear facilities,’ Graham noted Thursday night in a post on X. 

‘My answer is if they do, America should have an overwhelming response, destroying all of Iran’s oil refineries and oil infrastructure putting the ayatollah and his henchmen out of the oil business.’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement on Thursday night that the U.S. was ‘not involved in strikes against Iran’ and declared that ‘Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.’

Israeli forces have been ‘putting on a masterclass’ with Iran campaign, says Nathan Sales

President Donald Trump issued a Truth Social post on Friday morning in which he urged Iran to agree to a deal, apparently referring to a nuclear deal.

‘I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done. I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it. Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!’ Trump warned in his post.

‘There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!’

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​​Trump says Israel’s next Iran attack will be even more brutal: ‘Make a deal’

President Donald Trump promised that Israel’s next round of attacks on Iran would be ‘even more brutal’ in a Truth Social post pressuring Iran to cut a deal on its nuclear activity. 

‘There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end,’ Trump said. 

‘Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.’

Trump said he warned Iran that ‘the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it.’

‘Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!’

The U.S. and Iran have another round of nuclear talks scheduled for this weekend in Muscat, Oman, while the two sides remain on opposite ends over whether Iran should have the capacity to enrich uranium at all, even for civil energy purposes. 

It is not clear whether those negotiations will carry on in light of the attack. Trump had urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to let talks play out before launching any strikes. 

 ‘I think it would blow it,’ Trump said earlier yesterday of the prospect of a premature Israeli attack. But then, he mused, it ‘might help it actually, but it also could blow it.’ 

After the attack, Secretary of State Marco Rubio put out a statement insisting the U.S. had no part in the strikes and urged Iran not to attack U.S. positions. Earlier, non-essential embassy staff in Iraq had been evacuated in light of the prospect of an attack. 

Tehran fired over 100 drones toward Israel on Friday morning in a counter-move, which Israel intercepted. 

Netanyahu revealed the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) struck a key nuclear site, Natanz, during the attack on the regime.

Among those killed were top nuclear scientists and top military leaders: General Hossein Salami, the commander-in-chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Major General Mohammad Bagheri, Iran’s highest-ranking military official and chief of staff of the IRGC, along with most of the IRGC air force high command, who were convened in an underground bunker at the time. 

The first wave of strikes hit over 100 targets with 200 Israeli fighter jets dropping ‘330 different munitions,’ the IDF said, adding the strikes will carry on for days. 

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