Kyrsten Sinema could be forced to shell out tens of thousands of dollars in damages for an affair she had with her former bodyguard after his estranged wife sued the former senator under a 19th century law that allows jilted spouses in a handful of U.S. states to sue for a broken heart.

The so-called “alienation of affection” lawsuits are currently recognized in just six U.S. states — including North Carolina, where Sinema’s former bodyguard, Matthew Ammel, had lived with his now-estranged wife, Heather Ammel, for roughly a decade. 

The complaint against Sinema accused her of engaging in “intentional and malicious interference” in Ammel’s marriage and sought $25,000 in damages from Sinema as a result of the allegedly “willful and wanton” conduct.

KYRSTEN SINEMA RIPS SENATE DEMOCRATS FOR APPARENT FLIP-FLOP ON FILIBUSTER NOW THAT THEY NEED IT

In order to succeed in the lawsuit, plaintiffs must satisfy a difficult burden of proof. First, that the marriage had real affection and a viable relationship before any third-party involvement; second, that the “love and affection” were destroyed, or significantly diminished; and third, that the defendant in question directly “caused the destruction of that marital love and affection.”

Perhaps for this reason, the complaint spares no detail: it ticks through an extemporaneous timeline of Ammel’s relationship with Sinema, as a member of her security detail, a member of her staff, and later, as her romantic partner.

According to the complaint, Sinema sent suggestive messages to Matthew Ammel repeatedly over Signal, the encrypted messaging app, months before he and his wife officially split.

“I keep waking up during my sleep and reaching over for your arms to hold me,” Sinema told Ammel via Signal in June 2024, according to the complaint — around the same time Ammel allegedly stopped wearing his wedding ring.

On another occasion, Sinema offered to “work on” Ammel’s back with a Theragun, and allegedly suggested that he bring MDMA on a work trip and offered to “guide him through a psychedelic experience,” though Sinema said she has “no recollection” of those messages. 

KYRSTEN SINEMA’S SWITCH TO INDEPENDENT DESCRIBED AS ‘GUT PUNCH’ TO DEMOCRATS: ‘NO WIGGLE ROOM’

At times, Heather was herself a party to the relationship, before and after the affair allegedly began. In 2023, she traveled to Las Vegas to attend a U2 concert with her husband and Sinema where they drank Dom Pérignon wine in Cindy McCain’s suite, according to the lawsuit. 

The two also traveled to Miami for a Taylor Swift concert in October 2024 — which the three attended out of “concern” for Ammel’s children, according to copies of the affidavit reviewed by Fox News Digital. 

It was the same month that Heather Ammel allegedly confronted Sinema directly by responding to one of her Signal messages. 

“Are you having an affair with my husband? You took a married man away from his family,” she wrote, according to the complaint. Sinema has since acknowledged having received the message.

The lawsuit accuses Sinema of acting with “deliberate” interference in the marriage of her bodyguard and his now-estranged wife, who argued that the former lawmaker seduced him and thus “wrongfully and maliciously” deprived her of the “warmth, companionship” and love of their marriage.

The relationship between the two is not in dispute: Sinema, who served in the Senate from 2019 to 2025, has since acknowledged her relationship with her former bodyguard, though she argued the case should be dismissed for a lack of jurisdiction, since the affair in question took place “exclusively outside” the boundaries of the Tar Heel state, according to her lawyers.

While these lawsuits have become increasingly rare in the 21st century, they are not unheard of — and plaintiffs in the state have at times won eye-popping payouts for such claims. 

In 2010, a jury in North Carolina awarded plaintiff Cynthia Shackelford a total of $9 million in compensatory and punitive damages for an “alienation of affection” lawsuit brought against her husband’s alleged mistress. More recently, 2018, a Durham County judge ordered some $8.8 million in damages be paid out to BMX show owner Keith King from the man he said stole his wife — and ruined his company.

TRUMP-BACKED AFFORDABLE HOUSING OVERHAUL CLEARS SENATE, WHILE HOUSE GOP RAISES RED FLAGS

Sinema, for her part, says the relationship between the two became “romantic and intimate” beginning in May 2024, during a trip to Sonoma, California, and said they were subsequently “physically intimate” in the months that followed, including in Phoenix, Arizona; Aspen, Colorado; and New York City. 

They were not, her lawyers stressed, intimate within the physical bounds of North Carolina prior to the dissolution of Ammel’s marriage.

The judge presiding over the case ordered the plaintiff, Ammel, to file a response to Sinema’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit by mid-April.

Matthew Ammel filed for divorce from his wife earlier this year.

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Vice President JD Vance has long been seen as the heir apparent to President Donald Trump and his MAGA and America First base. While Vance remains the hypothetical clear front-runner ahead of the start of the 2028 White House race, which won’t ignite until after this year’s midterm elections, Secretary of State Marco Rubio appears to be on the rise.

Thanks to an increase in his responsibilities and public profile, most recently around the U.S. operation in Venezuela and the month-long strikes against Iran, Rubio has seen his support for a possible presidential bid soar in recent weeks.

The latest example — Rubio’s strong second-place finish this weekend in the 2028 Republican presidential nomination straw poll at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).

WHITE HOUSE RACE UNDERWAY: WITH 2026 LOOMING, BOTH PARTIES ARE ALREADY PLAYING FOR 2028

Rubio, who was one of more than a dozen Republican contenders who ran and lost to Trump in the tumultuous 2016 presidential race, grabbed 35% of the vote at CPAC when the straw poll results were announced this past weekend, up from a mere 3% a year earlier.

Vance, who is popular with MAGA and America First groups, finished first at 53%. While the vice president saw his support slightly edge down from 61% last year, Vance’s numbers are higher than any one else in CPAC presidential straw poll history other than Trump.

All the other potential Republican 2028 White House candidates in the new straw poll scored in the low single digits in the informal survey of CPAC attendees.

HILLARY CLINTON’S RETURING TO NEW HAMPSHIRE – BUT NOT FOR 2028

The CPAC straw poll follows recent numbers from the Saint Anselm College Survey Center in New Hampshire, the state that has long held the first primary in the GOP presidential nominating calendar, that also showed Rubio surging. And a handful of national polls have also pointed to a rise in support for a hypothetical Rubio bid.

The results are fuel for intrigue over what some in the Republican Party see as a budding rivalry between Rubio and Vance, who describe each other as friends.

“His overall favorability is going up because voters see him as a capable and steady person in the president’s cabinet, and Trump supporters are reacting,” New Hampshire Institute of Politics Executive Director Neil Levesque, who oversees the Saint Anselm poll, told Fox News Digital.

Partially fueling Rubio’s rise is Trump, who has lavishly praised his secretary of state.

The president recently declared that Rubio would go down as “the greatest secretary of state in history.”

Trump has also promoted a Vance-Rubio ticket — calling it “unstoppable” a few months ago—but has not said who should be at the top of the ticket.

But the president did say last year that Vance is “most likely” his heir apparent. “In all fairness, he’s the vice president,” Trump added.

While Vance has demurred when questioned about 2028, he has built a political team of advisers who, if he runs as expected, would quickly build out a presidential campaign.

Rubio, who is crisscrossing the globe as part of job requirements, doesn’t have a similar group of political aides. And Rubio has said he’ll back Vance if the vice president launches a 2028 campaign.

“If JD Vance runs for president, he’s going to be our nominee, and I’ll be one of the first people to support him,” Rubio told Vanity Fair late last year.

Regardless, Republican sources confirm to Fox News that a group of GOP donors who support the secretary of state are quietly working on ways to boost Rubio’s political profile.

That’s not sitting well with some in the president’s political orbit.

“Vice President Vance is the future of the Republican Party and Marco Rubio is one of his closest friends in the administration,” an operative in Trump’s political orbit told Fox News.

“The divisive stories from some donors trying to cause chaos are not helpful,” the operative, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, emphasized.

Vance has also weighed in, telling Fox News’ Martha MacCallum last month that “Marco is my closest friend in the administration.”

And the vice president, in his interview on Fox News’ “The Story,” added, “I think it’s so interesting the media wants to create this conflict where there just isn’t any conflict.”

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A growing standoff between President Donald Trump and a key NATO ally escalated Monday after Spain blocked U.S. military aircraft involved in the Iran conflict from using its airspace, marking the latest rupture between Washington and Madrid over defense policy and the war in the Middle East.

Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles confirmed the move, saying Spain has denied both airspace access and the use of joint U.S.-Spanish bases for any operations tied to the Iran conflict.

“This was made perfectly clear to the American military and forces from the very beginning,” Robles said. “Neither the bases are authorized, nor, of course, is the use of Spanish airspace authorized for any actions related to the war in Iran.”

Spain already had refused to allow U.S. forces to use the strategically critical Rota and Morón bases in southern Spain, installations long viewed as key hubs for American military operations into Europe, Africa and the Middle East. The expansion of that restriction to Spanish airspace effectively cuts off another logistical pathway for U.S. operations and signals that Madrid is willing to directly limit U.S. military movement despite its NATO membership.

NATO HEAVYWEIGHTS BALK AT HORMUZ MISSION AS TRUMP WARNS ALLIANCE AT RISK

The dispute has increasingly become a direct clash between Trump and Spain’s left-wing government under Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, which has taken one of the most outspoken positions in Europe against U.S. and Israeli military action.

Sánchez has described the Iran war as “illegal,” “reckless” and “unjust,” and his government has framed its refusal to cooperate as a matter of international law and national sovereignty.

“This decision is part of the decision already made by the Spanish government not to participate in or contribute to a war which was initiated unilaterally and against international law,” Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said in a radio interview when asked whether the move could further strain ties with the United States.

IRAN BACKLASH FORCES GULF ALLIES TOWARD WASHINGTON AS REGIONAL TENSIONS RISE

Trump previously lashed out at Spain after it denied base access, saying, “We’re going to cut off all trade with Spain” and “We don’t want anything to do with Spain.”

A White House official downplayed Spain’s latest move. 

“The United States Military is meeting or surpassing all of its goals under Operation Epic Fury and does not need help from Spain or anyone else,” the official told Fox News Digital.

The U.S. maintains a significant military presence in Spain under long-standing bilateral agreements, including Naval Station Rota and Morón Air Base, which serve as key hubs for American forces moving between the United States, Europe and the Middle East. Naval Station Rota, in particular, supports U.S. Navy operations in the Mediterranean and hosts warships tied to the U.S. Sixth Fleet, some of which have been operating in the broader Iran conflict.

Spain’s earlier decision to bar the use of those bases for Iran-related operations forced U.S. aircraft, including refueling tankers, to relocate to other European bases such as Germany and France.

The standoff also reflects broader, long-running friction between Trump and Spain over defense spending and burden-sharing inside NATO, where Madrid has lagged behind alliance targets — an issue Trump has repeatedly used to pressure European allies.

Spain’s decision underscores a deeper divide within NATO over how to respond to the Iran conflict, with Madrid emerging as one of the clearest dissenting voices willing to translate political opposition into operational limits on U.S. military activity.

Robles reiterated that position Monday, calling the war “profoundly illegal and profoundly unjust,” underscoring Spain’s continued resistance despite pressure from Washington.

The Spanish embassy and NATO could not immediately be reached for comment. 

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A Michigan Democrat running for U.S. Senate is facing backlash after a report on leaked audio showing him explaining why he shouldn’t take a public position on the death of former Iran Supreme Leader Khamenei because of people in Dearborn, Michigan, who are “sad.”

Progressive Democrat Abdul El-Sayed, according to a report from the Washington Free Beacon, was recorded in a staff meeting strategizing about how to address the Iranian leader’s death after he was killed during U.S. and Israel’s military action in the country.

“I’m just gonna go straight to pedophilia, frankly,” El-Sayed is heard saying about his response if pressed by a reporter. “I’ll just be like, ‘Pedophile president decides that he doesn’t like the front page news, so he decides to take us into another war.’”

El-Sayed also told his team, in reference to the significant Muslim population in Dearborn, “I also want to remind you guys that there are a lot of people in Dearborn who are sad today. So, like, I just don’t want to comment on Khamenei at all. Like, I don’t think it’s worth even touching that.”

SANDERS-ENDORSED SENATE CANDIDATE KNOCKED FOR ALLEGED FLIP-FLOP TO ‘HAVE IT BOTH WAYS’ ON KEY ISSUE

The report sparked immediate backlash from Republicans and conservatives on social media.

“Speaks volumes about the level of extremism within the El-Sayed coalition here,” Fox News radio political analyst Josh Kraushaar posted on X.

“Democrats have an abundance of riches to choose from when selecting which one of their Senate candidates is the craziest, most radical, and most anti-American,” GOP Sen. Bernie Moreno posted on X.

“Beyond parody,” conservative communicator Steve Guest posted on X.

“Well this is insane,” GOP adviser Nathan Brand posted on X.

TLAIB-BACKED SENATE CANDIDATE IN THE HOT SEAT AFTER DELETING ‘DEFUND THE POLICE’ SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS

“Anyone who is sad that the Ayatollah is dead should be deported,” Heritage Foundation Senior Research Fellow Jason Bedrick posted on X.

“Disgraceful,” the Republican Jewish Coalition posted on X.

In a post on X, former Biden-Harris surrogate Kevin Walling called the news “disqualifying.”

Fox News Digital reached out to El-Sayed’s campaign for comment.

In a statement to the Washington Free Beacon, campaign lawyers at the Sandler Reiff law firm said the recording was “obtained without the campaign’s permission” and “without knowledge that individuals were being recorded.”

“The campaign is considering its legal options against the individual in question,” the statement added.

El-Sayed, who is Muslim, recently faced controversy for agreeing to team up with Hasan Piker, a far-left streamer who once said “America deserved 9/11.”

Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary will be held on Aug 4 as El-Sayed squares off against Michigan state Sen. Mallory McMorrow and Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens to replace outgoing Sen. Gary Peters. 

The Cook Political report ranks the race as a “toss up” heading into November’s consequential midterms.

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As artificial intelligence expands into classrooms, workplaces, and homes, a new coalition warns that risks to children and workers are growing faster than efforts to control the new technology.

The newly formed Alliance for a Better Future (ABF) is pushing for AI safeguards as Washington debates regulation.

“We know that we’ve got to decide, is this great new technology going to be something that propels kids into the future or something that causes harm to them?” ABF CEO Janet Kelly told Fox News Digital. 

JOSEPH GORDON-LEVITT SLAMS BIG TECH FOR SEXTORTION, THREATS TO CHILDREN WHILE CALLING FOR KEY INTERNET REFORM

“We are on the side of families who want to make sure that it is done well and that it is good for kids, and we believe that that is possible,” Kelly added.

The group is launching as AI spreads quickly into everyday life with little oversight, even as Washington scrambles to catch up. Supporters warn the decisions being made now will shape whether the technology protects families or puts them at risk.

ABF debuted with a striking video featuring congressional testimony from parents whose children were harmed, some driven toward suicide, after interacting with AI chatbots. 

NEW PRO-AI GROUP BACKED BY TRUMP ALLIES PLANS $100M MIDTERM SPENDING PUSH

Positioning itself as both pro-innovation and pro-family, ABF argues AI can deliver enormous benefits but only if developed responsibly. 

“We believe that it’s possible to make great AI with American values, not just Silicon Valley values,” said Kelly, a mother of three.

She added that policymakers must focus on the interests of children, workers and creators, not just the companies building the technology. 

ABF plans to engage aggressively at both the federal and state levels, equipped with targeted ads and public education campaigns. The group expects to spend at least eight figures this year to elevate the voices of concerned parents and workers.

The organization builds on earlier battles over online child safety, bringing multiple groups under one umbrella. 

Its policy council is chaired by Dr. Brad Littlejohn of American Compass and includes representatives from the Family Policy Alliance, National Center on Sexual Exploitation, Institute for Family Studies, Heritage Foundation, and American Principles Project.

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EXCLUSIVE: The Trump administration is launching a new effort to “make government cool again” by hiring Gen Z workers to rebuild the federal talent pipeline after a year of Department of Government Efficiency cuts and to compete more aggressively with the private sector, Fox News Digital has learned.

Officials told Fox News Digital that only about 7% of the federal workforce is under age 30 — something Trump administration officials want to change, saying it “poses long-term risks to government readiness and institutional strength.”

That 7% is compared to about 22% of the non-government workforce.

“By a factor of 3:1, the federal government is massively under-indexed on early career talent,” an official said.

FLASHBACK: DOGE’S GREATEST HITS: LOOK BACK AT THE DEPARTMENT’S MOST HIGH-PROFILE CUTS DURING TRUMP’S FIRST 100 DAYS

The focus on hiring is a shift from this time last year, when OPM was part of the Department of Government Efficiency’s efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

Last year, more than 75,000 federal employees accepted a deferred resignation program—with more than 280,000 layoffs of federal workers and contractors.

Officials defended the new hiring move as one focused on competing with the private sector, explaining the number of DOGE reductions among younger employees was minimal.

“DOGE helped cut back where government was too large or inefficient,” an administration official told Fox News Digital. “This focus is on hiring—rebuilding the federal workforce with skilled early-career talent who can help tackle the challenges facing our country.”

DOGE SLASHES ‘WASTEFUL’ ‘PROBLEM-SOLVING’ CONTRACT WORTH $50K IN LATEST ROUND OF ELIMINATIONS

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management, in partnership with the White House, is launching a new “Early Career Talent Network” designed to connect emerging professionals with full-time career opportunities across the federal government.

The cross-agency, early career talent network can be found at Earlycareers.gov — where officials are encouraging young people to apply as they seek to bring a “broad cohort of full-time employees into the federal workforce.”

Officials say they are starting with five categories where they see current demand for early career talent— finance, human resources, engineering, project management and procurement.

Individuals will be hired “based on demonstrated talent,” not on where or whether they went to college or how long they have been in a job, Fox News Digital learned. 

“Building a strong pipeline of early-career talent is essential to the future of the federal workforce,” OPM Director Scott Kupor said. “We are making it easier for talented individuals to connect with meaningful careers in public service while helping agencies efficiently identify the talent they need to deliver results for the American people.” 

BEN CARSON POINTS TO GEN Z CHURCH REVIVAL AS YOUNG AMERICANS PUSH BACK ON SECULAR CULTURE

An official told Fox News Digital that Kupor wants to “get the word out that folks early in their career can come to government, work on critically important, unique projects where they learn skills that will be marketable to both the private and public sector in the future.”

“He wants to make government cool again,” the official said.

Officials plan to visit college and university campuses later this year to expand their recruitment efforts.

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Everyman host Mike Rowe called out late-night host Jimmy Kimmel for his “tone-deaf” comments mocking new Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin for being a former plumber, admitting he is a “tad butt hurt” by the dig.

The “Dirty Jobs” veteran ripped into Kimmel over his remarks, which some have called elitist. Rowe said he took offense at the “suggestion that skilled workers should never evolve into something new,” asking if Mullin’s career progression from plumbing business owner to Congress and then to a top Cabinet official is “not the embodiment of the American Dream?”

“Being offended is always a choice, and I don’t choose to be offended by a joke, even one that comes at the expense of the skilled tradespeople my foundation tries to elevate,” Rowe wrote on X. “But I am a tad butt hurt by the suggestion that skilled workers should never evolve into something new, and that competence is somehow limited to one vocation.”

He continued, “Obviously, expertise and skill are important,” adding, “If I need a new kidney, I’d prefer a doctor do the surgery, not a late-night talk show host. But if the doctor in question used to host a talk show, why would I hold that against him?”

JIMMY KIMMEL REFUSES TO BACK DOWN AFTER MOCKING SECRETARY MULLIN OVER PLUMBING BACKGROUND

Kimmel, a regular critic of the Trump administration, took flak last week for using Mullin’s prior experience as a plumbing business owner as evidence that he is unqualified to lead DHS.

“Trump’s got a whole new generation of thinkers lined up, including his newly confirmed secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne ‘Chuck Mike Bruce Dave’ Melon — Mullin. Maybe melon’s better,” Kimmel said. “He’s the now former senator of Oklahoma. Before he was elected to the Senate, Markwayne Mullin was a low-level MMA fighter and a plumber. That’s right. We have a plumber protecting us from terrorism now. It worked for Super Mario. Why not Markwayne?”

He continued, “But honestly — I mean, if Trump is going to keep picking these unqualified people to run the department, why not have more fun with it? I mean, next time, instead of Markwayne, how about Lil Wayne for Homeland Security? At least we can get a concert out of it, right?”

Kimmel later doubled down, saying, “I’m not upset that the head of Homeland Security used to be a plumber. I’m upset that he isn’t still a plumber.”

The late-night host added, “I wouldn’t put a plumber in charge of Homeland Security for the same reason I wouldn’t call a five-star general to pull a rat out of my toilet… We all have our areas of expertise.”

WATCH: TRUMP GOES VIRAL FOR ILLUSTRATING HOW TO CUT GOVERNMENT WASTE WITH HIS FAVORITE WHITE HOUSE PEN

Kimmel’s remarks were viewed as elitist by many commentators on X, who accused the comedian of mocking working-class professions. Among those offended by the joke was Rowe, who runs a nonprofit to promote skilled trade jobs called mikeroweWORKS.  

He emphasized that “the shortage of skilled tradespeople is now headline news and that closing it is nothing less than a matter of national security.”

“The only sensible thing to do in the wake of a moment this tone deaf is remind America that the skills gap is wide and getting wider,” Rowe wrote. “What we really need in this country are more welders who can talk intelligently about Aristotle, and more philosophers who can run an even bead. More generals, in other words, who can fix their own toilets, and more plumbers who can hold a powerful government job.”

“This is what Mullin did,” he continued.   

JIMMY KIMMEL SLAMMED FOR DIG AT NEW DHS SECRETARY

“He was a private citizen who mastered an essential skill and then turned that skill into a multimillion-dollar company that employed a lot of people and served a lot of customers. That gave him the freedom to do other things with his life, including a career in public service, which got him into Congress, where he’s spent the last 11 years doing whatever congressmen do. Now, he has a very consequential position in the Cabinet of the current administration.”

“Is that not the embodiment of the American Dream?” he asked.

“I get that Jimmy Kimmel might have a problem with Mullin’s politics, but what possible objection could he have about the trajectory of his career, or his desire to do more than one thing with his life?”

Rowe concluded, “I’d love to chat but I’ve gotta pull a rat out of my toilet.” 

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Israeli officials are warning that Iran’s ongoing internet blackout is shaping the battlefield in ways that extend far beyond cyberspace, limiting visibility into the impact of U.S. and Israeli strikes while tightening the regime’s grip on its own population.

Multiple Israeli sources told Fox News that the blackout is not only restricting information from leaving Iran but also preventing citizens from organizing internally, at a time when pressure on the regime is mounting. Attempts by civilians to access the internet through satellite services such as Starlink have been disrupted through jamming, according to Israeli officials, while hundreds of individuals suspected of using such terminals have been detained.

“This is a blackout on truth,” a senior Israeli intelligence official told Fox News. “The regime is hiding reality from its own people. They don’t want the Iranian people to see how badly they’re getting hit.” 

ISRAEL HAMMERS IRANIAN INTERNAL SECURITY COMMAND CENTERS TO OPEN DOOR TO UPRISING

The information vacuum inside Iran is being filled by state-controlled narratives, according to the official. 

“Iranians only know what they see on TV channels controlled by the Islamic regime, which falsely shows the U.S. and Israel being destroyed,” the Israeli official said.

But the impact goes beyond perception. The blackout is also affecting behavior on the ground. 

“And it’s not just about what people see, it’s about what they can do,” the official said. “Cutting the internet stops people from communicating, from sharing what’s really happening, and from organizing.” 

The restrictions come as the Iranian regime faces both external military pressure and lingering internal unrest following a brutal crackdown earlier in 2026. In January, security forces opened fire on nationwide protests, with reports suggesting the toll could be more than 30,000 killed in a matter of days. 

Against that backdrop, Israeli officials say the blackout reflects the regime’s fear of renewed unrest. 

“The Iranian people are one of the things the regime fears most,” the official said. “That’s why this blackout was such a priority.”

IRAN REGIME HIDES IN BUNKERS AS CIVILIANS LEFT EXPOSED WITHOUT ADEQUATE BOMB SHELTERS OR SIRENS

The result, according to Israeli officials, is a war that is unfolding largely out of public view. 

“This is one of the least visible wars in modern history because very little footage is coming out,” the official said. “When this blackout is lifted, the full extent of the damage to the regime will become clear. Right now, we’re only seeing a small glimpse of just how badly they’re being decimated.” 

Israeli sources also linked the blackout directly to high-value military targets. 

The U.S. and Israel, the official claims, “have taken out 25 senior commanders from the MOIS,” referring to Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence. 

“The majority (were) eliminated in the opening strike when they gathered for a meeting,” the official said, adding that those targeted were involved in managing the blackout.

The official identified Esmail Khatib as among those killed, describing him as “the minister of Intelligence who was the guy who signed off on the blackout.”

A senior U.S. administration official told Fox News Digital that, “President Trump wants a better life for the Iranian people — including unimpeded access to information. Unfortunately, the terrorist Iranian regime has a long, brutal history of oppressing its own people, but Operation Epic Fury continues to meet or surpass all of its benchmarks, and the entire region will be safer and more stable once these actions are complete.”

IRAN MOVES HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS IN CRYPTO DURING NATIONWIDE INTERNET BLACKOUT, REPORT REVEALS

U.S. analysts say the information domain is becoming a central front in the conflict. 

John Spencer, executive director of the Urban Warfare Institute, wrote on X that “Iran has repeatedly shut down internet access to control its population. That capability can be reversed.”

Spencer argued that external actors could shift the balance by targeting regime communications while enabling civilian connectivity. 

“Disrupt regime command networks while enabling connectivity for the population through external systems. Information becomes a weapon,” he wrote. “Control of narrative, coordination, and awareness shifts away from the regime.”

He also pointed to underlying instability inside Iran, noting that the country’s population is “over 85 million, young, urban, and repeatedly discontent,” with protest activity suggesting that a significant portion opposes the regime.

“Until now, civilians have largely been told to shelter,” Spencer wrote. “That could change.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the Iranian mission to the United Nations, which responded, “no comment.”

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A watchdog group filed a federal election complaint alleging Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., improperly used campaign funds to pay nearly $19,000 to Boston-based psychiatrist Dr. Brian Boyle for what her campaign reported as “leadership training and consulting.”

The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) alleged in a March 27 complaint to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and the Office of Congressional Conduct (OCC) that Ocasio-Cortez, her campaign committee and its treasurer should be investigated over three 2025 payments to Boyle totaling $18,725.

“NLPC alleges that AOC’s expenditure of almost $19,000 of campaign funds in 2025 to psychiatrist Dr. Brian W. Boyle ostensibly for ‘leadership training and consulting’ was expended instead for personal psychiatric services provided to AOC or members of her campaign staff,” NLPC counsel Paul Kamenar wrote in the complaint. “Accordingly, those expenses were also misreported by the campaign committee with the FEC.

“NLPC requests that the FEC and OCC immediately investigate the facts and circumstances of these payments and impose appropriate penalties and disciplinary sanctions against AOC.”

INDICTED DEMOCRAT REP SHEILA CHERFILUS-MCCORMICK ONE STEP CLOSER TO EXPULSION

Boyle is an “interventional psychiatrist” who specializes in treating depression, PTSD and anxiety, specifically through ketamine therapy.

“Nowhere does Dr, Boyle advertise offering ‘Leadership Training’ or ‘consulting’ services to candidates or their campaign,” the letter added. “Communications to Dr. Boyle and AOC’s campaign to comment on these expenditures went unanswered.”

JEFFRIES DECLINES TO BREAK WITH INDICTED DEMOCRAT AFTER ETHICS PANEL’S GUILTY VERDICT

According to the complaint, the payments were made on March 10, May 15 and Oct. 1, 2025, and were disclosed as “Leadership Training and Consulting.” On page 2, the filing lists those payments as $11,550, $2,800 and $4,375, totaling $18,725.

The complaint, citing federal election law and House ethics guidance, contends campaign money cannot be used for personal expenses and argues the key question is whether the expense would exist regardless of candidacy. It says that if the services were therapeutic rather than campaign-related, they could amount to prohibited personal use. On pages 5 through 7, the filing quotes FEC and House standards requiring campaign expenditures to be both bona fide and verifiable.

“There is reason to believe that AOC’s use of campaign funds to pay for a psychiatrist who has no experience in ‘leadership training’ was not for a ‘bona fide campaign or political purpose,’ but rather for personal psychiatric therapy for AOC or her campaign staff,” Kamenar wrote.

AOC SPENT OVER $53K IN CAMPAIGN FUNDS ON LUXURY HOTELS IN 2025: ‘CARPETBAGGER’

The allegations follow reporting by the New York Post, which noted Boyle is known for interventional psychiatry and as “a leading authority on ketamine” — the controlled substance that was given to late “Friends” star Matthew Perry.

The complaint itself does not establish wrongdoing, but asks regulators to determine whether the payments were misreported and whether any campaign-finance or House rules were violated.

Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign or office has not yet responded to Fox News requests for comment.

AOC SAYS POLITICIANS, ESPECIALLY DEMOCRATS, SHOULD PROMISE NOT TO ACCEPT ‘AI MONEY’

Ocasio-Cortez has in the past spoken publicly about needing therapy.

“Oh yeah, I’m doing therapy but also I’ve just slowed down,” Ocasio-Cortez told People in 2021.

She has in the past been an advocate for reviewing Schedule I drugs to remove barriers to scientific research and promote the therapeutic potential of psychedelic substances like marijuana, psilocybin and MDMA.

“Right now our law says these drugs have zero medical application but the science says something else,” Ocasio-Cortez said last week during a House Health Subcommittee hearing. “Not only that, but the wealth of medical research shows that these are potential treatments for treatment resistant PTSD, traumatic brain injuries, but the schedule classification really prevents researchers from continuing to do work on this.”

She argued that increasing Schedule 1 prohibitive drugs and criminal penalties has not slowed overdoses, but has doubled them in the state of Florida.

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