Florida man charged with making threatening calls to Air Force base

A Florida man has been charged with "making a threat by means of fire or an explosive" to a U.S. Air Force base about two days after asuspicious package was foundoutside a gate, court documents show.

Jonathan James Elder, 35, is accused of making threatening phone calls to the MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, according to a federal criminal complaint filed on Friday, March 20. He was arrested on Monday, March 23, an arrest warrant obtained by USA TODAY showed.

In the complaint, an agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation wrote that Elder called the base twice on the morning of March 18 and allegedly made threats against the base to employees. Military officialspreviously reportedthat the base was placed under a shelter-in-place order, which waslifted several hours later, after a threat was received on March 18.

Smoke rises following an explosion, after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Smoke rises following an explosion after the U.S. and Israel reportedly launched an attack against Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026, in this screen grab taken from video.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> A plume of smoke rises following a reported explosion in Tehran on February 28, 2026. Two loud blasts were heard in Tehran on February 28 morning by AFP journalists, and two plumes of thick smoke were seen over the centre and east of the Iranian capital.

Israel's defence ministry announced it had launched a "preemptive strike" on Iran as sirens sounded in Jerusalem and people across the country received phone alerts about an "extremely serious" threat.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> U.S. President Donald Trump pumps his fist after disembarking Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S., February 27, 2026. Hours later, Trump made live comments about the military strikes he launched against Iran.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Buildings inin Tehran stand after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, February 28, 2026.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Latest photos capture US and Israeli strikes against Iran

Smoke rises following an explosion,after Israel and the U.S. launched strikes on Iran, in Tehran, Iran, February 28, 2026.

During a call, Elder allegedly referred to the suspicious package that had been discovered on March 16 at the base's visitor center near a gate, according to the complaint. A call was made to the main phone line of the base at around 9:11 a.m. local time on March 18 and was routed to the 6th Medical Group.

The caller allegedly asked an employee, "How did you like the surprise at the MacDill Visitor Center?" and then yelled, "tick tick boom, it's gonna be between your eyes," the complaint states.

Investigators then traced the caller's phone number and obtained call records, cell-site data, Meta account records, and information about an address associated with an assisted-living facility in St. Petersburg, Florida, according to the complaint. Investigators were able to link the phone number and address with a Facebook account under the name "Jon Elder," the complaint states.

After locating Elder at the assisted-living facility, the complaint states that Elder later admitted to calling the base but told investigators that his statements were "meaningless" and denied making any weapons. Further investigation revealed that Elder has a history of making similar threats and had searched for the base's phone number after reading news articles related to the suspicious package.

Elder was taken to a mental health provider under Florida's Baker Act, which allows a person to be held involuntarily for up to three days, according to the complaint.

FBI says package at Air Force base had 'possible energetic materials'

After the package had been discovered at the base, military officials closed nearby roadways, blocked access to public businesses, and shut down the base's main entrance for about seven hours, according to the complaint.

Following a preliminary investigation, theFBI's Tampa field officesaid on March 18 that field screening was conducted on the package's contents and identified "possible energetic materials." The FBI did not provide further details on the material found in the package.

Advertisement

"Final lab analysis is not yet complete," the FBI said ina statementon March 18. "The investigation remains active and ongoing. No further details can be shared at this time."

Energetic materials are substances that store large amounts of chemical energy and rapidly release it when triggered by heat, shock, or friction, according toSafety Management Services. Common energetic materials include explosives, propellants, and fuel.

Iran war updates:Trump says Iran wants deal but is 'afraid to say it'

MacDill Air Force Base under heightened alert amid war in Iran

The MacDill Air Force Base is located on the southwestern tip of the interbay peninsula of Florida. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is headquartered at the base and is responsible for military operations in 20 nations across the Middle East, Central Asia, and parts of South Asia.

Since the war in Iran began on Feb. 28, U.S. military bases, including the MacDill Air Force Base, and federal counterterrorism agencies have been onhigh alertfor a potential retaliatory attack in the United States.

USA TODAYpreviously reportedthat bases have shut down in response to reports of active shooters, suspicious packages, and other unidentified threats. A growing number of military bases in the country have also clamped down on security, banning visitors and ordering service members to change out of uniform when they leave the premises.

On Tuesday, March 17, the MacDill Air Force Base announced it was operating under Force Protection Charlie, referred to as "FPCON CHARLIE." The FPCON level is the second-highest alert level and indicates that a threat is likely, according to theDefense Logistics Agency.

"This posture allows us to implement deliberate security measures proactively," the base said ina statement. "All personnel should remain vigilant, follow the direction of security forces, and report any suspicious activity immediately. Everyone plays a role in base defense – if you see something, say something."

Contributing: Cybele Mayes-Osterman, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Florida man charged with making threatening calls to US Air Force base

byAdministrator

in

22:34

Florida man charged with making threatening calls to Air Force base

A Florida man has been charged with "making a threat by means of fire or an explosive" to a U.S. Air Force base...

Read More

Indian Health Service is digging out of decades-old construction backlog for medical buildings

SANTA ANA PUEBLO, N.M. (AP) — An empty lot between a fire station and a soccer field just outside Albuquerque soon will be the home of a federal medical center first promised to Native American patients more than 30 years ago.

Native American Health

Earlier this month, Santa Ana Pueblo Gov. Myron Armijo took officials from the U.S. Indian Health Service and the Department of Health and Human Services on a tour of the location where patients are to receive everything from dialysis and diabetes care to optometry services.

"This will definitely change the game for healthcare in our area," Armijo said.

Set to break ground in 2027, the 235,000-square-foot (22,000-square-meter) center will be run by the IHS, the U.S. agency that provides healthcare to Native Americans. Tribal leaders hope it will relieve pressure on the aging and overextended Albuquerque Indian Health Center, a federal facility originally built 90 years ago where some patients report waiting months for an appointment.

The Albuquerque facility was among more than 60 clinics and hospitals the agency identified for replacement in 1993 due to their age, condition and inability to serve a growing population. It remains on the list along with six other projects scattered around Arizona and New Mexico. IHS officials say it will eventually be replaced by two new facilities in the Albuquerque area, including the center planned at Santa Ana Pueblo.

In February, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pledged $1 billion toward those long-delayed projects, including $22 million for the Santa Ana Pueblo center. The agency estimates $8 billion is needed to tackle all remaining projects on the 1993 list that, under federal law, must be complete before the IHS can address other major construction needs.

A.C. Locklear, CEO of the nonprofit National Indian Health Board, said the $1 billion is the single largest financial investment by any administration in addressing the aging facilities. Yet, he said, it also shows the federal government has neglected its legal duty to provide adequate healthcare to tribal nations.

"It's a drop in the bucket in terms of what's needed to modernize these facilities," Locklear said.

Aging infrastructure impacts access, quality of care

The IHS serves 2.8 million Native American and Alaska Native patients at 21 hospitals and 78 smaller health centers nationwide. The average age of those facilities is around 40 years old and one-third are in "poor" physical condition, according to a 2023 U.S. Government Accountability Office report.

That isn't lost on Theresa Nelson, a 62-year-old Navajo Nation citizen who started relying on the Albuquerque Indian Health Center after retiring and losing her health insurance.

"It felt like going back in time," she said, describing everything from the X-ray machines to exam rooms and waiting room furniture as outdated.

Advertisement

Nelson said the center relies on a complex system of outside referrals for treatments and tests that were easier to access in the private sector. She has been waiting for eight weeks for IHS to approve a referral for a 3D mammogram, a tool the Mayo Clinic says is offered at most U.S. healthcare facilities.

The Indian Health Service said appointment wait times at the Albuquerque center are less than 14 days for patients who are established with a primary care provider. But Nelson and other patients report going years without being assigned a doctor and waiting months to be seen for preventative care.

Farther west, the Gallup Indian Medical Center operates out of a mashup of modular buildings and piecemeal renovations. The hospital, which opened over six decades ago and is on the 1993 list, serves a population that includes the Navajo Nation. Tribal lawmaker Vince James said constant construction and a disjointed layout make it difficult for elderly and disabled patients to navigate the hospital and for providers to do their jobs.

"These are Band-Aid fixes," James said. "Eventually the GIMC campus will become unsafe."

An "unacceptable" backlog

Senior HHS adviser Mark Cruz urged Congress to make a special appropriation to complete the remaining projects that are in various stages of planning and design.

Without that funding, he said, it could take another 40 years to get through the priority list.

"It's really unacceptable that we're still working off of that 33-year-old construction list," Cruz said during the Santa Ana Pueblo tour.

Federal law requires the Indian Health Service to complete that list before replacing clinics and hospitals that have fallen into disrepair since 1993. That includes two nearly 90-year-old hospitals in Montana and Minnesota. The agency also can't build new facilities to meet patient demand, which has grown and shifted geographically in recent decades.

"I can't get to additional projects that have merit across Indian Country or Alaska because I have a statutory obligation to get through the 1993 list first," Cruz said.

In 2023 the IHS crossed a project in Rapid City, South Dakota off its priority list. The replacement of the aging and troubled Sioux San Hospital has been "transformational," said Jerilyn Church, CEO of the Great Plains Tribal Leader's Health Board.

The renamed Oyate Health Center is three times larger than the former hospital and equipped with far more modern medical equipment. But demand for care at the new center is already outstripping available space.

"That's what happens when you work from a backlog," Church said. "In the time between identifying the need and the money finally becoming available, the population grows."

byAdministrator

in

22:34

Indian Health Service is digging out of decades-old construction backlog for medical buildings

SANTA ANA PUEBLO, N.M. (AP) — An empty lot between a fire station and a soccer field just outside Albuquerque soon will b...

Read More

Panel wants prosecution of ousted Nepal PM over violence in Gen Z protests

By Gopal Sharma

KATHMANDU, March 26 (Reuters) - A Nepali panel set up to investigate the violence during anti-corruption protests in September last year has recommended that ‌former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli be prosecuted for "negligence" for failing to prevent ‌dozens of deaths.

The report comes two days before rapper-turned politician Balendra Shah is sworn in as the new ​prime minister after winning a landslide in the parliamentary election following the protests.

The panel held Oli, 74, responsible for not taking any action to stop hours of firing that killed at least 19 Gen Z protesters on the first day of anti-corruption demonstrations that forced him ‌to resign.

A total of 76 ⁠people were killed and 2,522 wounded during two days of unrest, the panel said in its report released late on Wednesday night. The ⁠government had earlier said 77 people had died.

"As the executive head ... Oli should be held responsible for anything good or bad," the 970-page report said in Nepali.

The report also held Oli's ​home minister ​Ramesh Lekhak and the then police chief Chandra ​Kuber Khapung responsible and said they ‌should be prosecuted. None of them could be immediately reached for comment.

LENGTHY JAIL TERMS

Advertisement

If prosecuted as recommended by the panel, and found guilty by the court, all three could face up to 10 years in jail.

But legal experts said the government must hold criminal investigations before formally charging them in court.

"It is not a charge sheet and they cannot ‌be jailed on the basis of this report," said ​Dinesh Tripathi, a senior independent lawyer.

"There has to ​be a criminal investigation by police ... ​The government can file the case in the court only after that," ‌he said, adding that the process ​could take at least ​a couple of months.

Analysts say whether or not to take forward the recommendations is the responsibility of Shah, 35, and his Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP).

The panel also recommended ​action against dozens of other ‌officials and security personnel for the crackdown.

Families of the victims of the ​protests have been demanding punishment for those who were responsible for the crackdown.

(Reporting ​by Gopal Sharma; Editing by Saad Sayeed)

byAdministrator

in

22:34

Panel wants prosecution of ousted Nepal PM over violence in Gen Z protests

By Gopal Sharma KATHMANDU, March 26 (Reuters) - A Nepali panel set up to investigate the violence during anti-...

Read More

Barry Bonds tells a curious George Steinbrenner story in Netflix MLB debut

Along with the rest of the Netflix crew, Barry Bonds made his MLB streaming debut with the service forthe MLB Opening Night game between the New York Yankees and San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

The MLB all-time home run leader be working as an analyst for the Netflix pre- and post-game shows this season, and he also made an appearance in the booth during the sixth inning.

During that interview alongside Matt Vasgersian, CC Sabathia and Hunter Pence, Bonds recalled an interesting story about his free agency following the 1992 season, when he left the Pittsburgh Pirates for the Giants.

The Yankees were one of Bonds' other suitors at the time, and he claims it wasn't money that ended up pushing him away from the Bronx. He said it was Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season

Bonds' recollection:

Advertisement

"George isn't here anymore, so I can tell the truth. I would have been a Yankee, but Steinbrenner got on the phone and he called us. They told me, 'Barry, we're going to give you the money' — the highest-paid player at that time — 'but you have to sign the contract by 2 o'clock this afternoon.'

"I said, 'Excuse me?' And I just hung the phone up. I went to go get lunch and Dennis Gilbert, my agent, was like, 'Do you know what you just did?' I'm like, 'Do you know what he just said?' By the time I walked down the street to go get lunch — I said, 'Let me just think about this' — the Giants called me and I said, 'I'm going home.'"

There are a few things going on in this story, so let's take this one-by-one.

• Bonds is apparently comfortable telling this story only because Steinbrenner is dead, which has been true since 2010.

• The Yankees were allegedly set on giving Bonds the largest contract in MLB, but supposedly only if he would meet an arbitrary deadline to sign a contract the day they made the offer.

• George Steinbrenner supposedly reached out to Bonds personally, despite the fact he was quite famously banned from baseball from 1990 to 1993.

That latter point is certainly worth pondering. Steinbrenner accepted a lifetime ban from then-MLB commissioner Fay Vincent for paying a known gambler for dirt on Dave Winfield andwasn't officially reinstated until March of 1993. Bonds signed with the Giants in December of 1992.

So we have a case where either Bonds is lying/misremembering or Steinbrenner was openly shirking a ban from baseball to talk to the biggest free agent in baseball. You can be the judge on what's most likely.

You can also choose whether to believe Bonds or the newspaper of record at the time.As The New York Times reported, the sticking point between Bonds and the Yankees wasn't so much respect as the club's refusal to add a year to their five-year, $36 million offer. The Yankees reportedly gave him a two-day window to accept their offer and withdrew from the proceedings when he turned them down.

As then-Yankees general manger Gene Michael explained:

"We wanted him and now it's off," Michael said in a phone interview from Tampa, Fla. "We're going for pitching. Maybe it's the right thing to do. We will not have Barry Bonds with a sixth year."

"We have to draw the line somewhere … I have no regrets saying we did not offer him a sixth year. We offered him a fantastic contract for five years. We really went out of our way to make a nice offer."

The article does not mention Steinbrenner.

The Giants ended up giving Bonds that sixth year on a then-record $44 million contract and kept him through 2007. In return, they received some spectacular baseball,then spectacular scandal.

byAdministrator

in

21:06

Barry Bonds tells a curious George Steinbrenner story in Netflix MLB debut

Along with the rest of the Netflix crew, Barry Bonds made his MLB streaming debut with the service forthe MLB Opening Nig...

Read More

Led by Reese and Riley, Wizards snap 16-game losing streak, beat Jazz 133-110

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Juju Reese had 26 points and 17 rebounds, Will Riley added 19 points and 10 boards, and the Washington Wizards snapped a 16-game skid with a 133-110 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.

Wizards Jazz Basketball

It was Washington's first win since Feb. 20 against Indiana.

Cody Williams scored 24 points for the Jazz, who have lost 15 of 18. Blake Hinson added a career-high 21 points and John Konchar had 14 rebounds.

Reese and Riley are the first Wizards rookie pair to have double-doubles in the same game since John Wall and Jordan Crawford on March 23, 2011 at the Los Angeles Clippers, according to Sportradar.

In a matchup of teams widely believed to betankingin order to improve their draft prospects, the Wizards never trailed and pulled ahead by 37 late in the third quarter. But Utah went on a 23-2 run in the fourth and pulled within 13 midway through the period.

Reese — the brother of Angel Reese of the WNBA's Chicago Sky — and Sharife Cooper hit key buckets down the stretch to keep Washington in control.

The Wizards outrebounded the Jazz 56-40.

Advertisement

The Wizards said before the game that Kyshawn George has a partial tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. George will be reevaluated in a week, the team said.

Utah won the previous meeting between the teams, beating the Wizards 122-112 on March 6.

Up next

Wizards: Visit Golden State on Friday night.

Jazz: At Denver on Friday night.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided byData Skriveand data fromSportradar.

byAdministrator

in

21:06

Led by Reese and Riley, Wizards snap 16-game losing streak, beat Jazz 133-110

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Juju Reese had 26 points and 17 rebounds, Will Riley added 19 points and 10 boards, and the Washing...

Read More