
'Lord of the Rings' has always been beloved. The pandemic reminded us just how great it is
CNN
Twenty years ago, "The Fellowship of the Ring" was released in theaters, introducing legions of new fans to Middle-earth. The pandemic reminded us just how powerful the story in the "Lord of the Rings" books and films is.
But when a mission that would determine the fate of their little world and the much wider one was foisted upon them, they heeded the call. They journeyed through the most treacherous terrains of Middle-earth for years on the word of a wizard. They joined a band of bellicose strangers who'd become their brothers. They looked evil in the eye more than once. They made dangerous mistakes and witnessed innumerable tragedies.
They persevered and ultimately made good on their promise, returning home, forever changed by what they'd seen and done

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth risked compromising sensitive military information that could have endangered US troops through his use of Signal to discuss attack plans, a Pentagon watchdog said in an unclassified report released Thursday. It also details how Hegseth declined to cooperate with the probe.

Two top House lawmakers emerged divided along party lines after a private briefing with the military official who oversaw September’s attack on an alleged drug vessel that included a so-called double-tap strike that killed surviving crew members, with a top Democrat calling video of the incident that was shared as part of the briefing “one of the most troubling things” he has seen as a lawmaker.

Authorities in Colombia are dealing with increasingly sophisticated criminals, who use advanced tech to produce and conceal the drugs they hope to export around the world. But police and the military are fighting back, using AI to flag suspicious passengers, cargo and mail - alongside more conventional air and sea patrols. CNN’s Isa Soares gets an inside look at Bogotá’s war on drugs.

As lawmakers demand answers over reports that the US military carried out a follow-up strike that killed survivors during an attacked on an alleged drug boat in the Caribbean, a career Navy SEAL who has spent most of his 30 years of military experience in special operations will be responsible for providing them.









