USS GRAVELY one of the ships protecting international shipping in the Red Sea

A joint retaliatory attack by American and British forces hit over a dozen locations in Yemen being used by the Houthis.
The attacks came after several days of attacks using drones and missiles against international shipping in the Red Sea.

“These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthis attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history,” President Joe Biden said in a statement.
Observers in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, said they heard five large explosions in that city, a stronghold of the Houthis, who are allied to Iran.

The attacks on shipping were supposedly a protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza, but many of the ships targeted appeared to have no special connection to Israel.

Closing arguments in Trump’s civil trial

CLOSING ARGUMENTS were made in Donald Trump’s civil fraud trial (Shutterstock).

The prosecution delivered closing arguments in the civil fraud trial of former president Donald Trump on Thursday in New York City.

Andrew Amer, representing the office of Attorney General, said that while other executives were involved, Trump “was one responsible for the preparation and the buck stops with him.”

Trump is accused of false statements about the value of his assets in order to get favorable terms in insurance and financing. He has replied that the prosecution is politically motivated and that claims of overstating his wealth are false.

Sports: Nick Saban retires from Alabama

NICK SABAN

After 17 seasons coaching football at the University of Alabama, Nick Saban announced his retirement on Wednesday. During his tenure, Crimson Tide teams won six national titles.

His career record was 292 victories, 71 losses and one tie. In addition to his half-dozen national crowns, he won a national title while coaching at LSU.

• Ducks lose: The Anaheim Ducks lost 6-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night. The Ducks’ record has fallen to 14-26-1, placing then seventh in the eight-team Pacific Division of the NHL. They will be in action next on Saturday visiting the Tampa Bay Lightning.

• Kings fall: In overtime on Thursday, the Los Angeles Kings lost 3-2 to the Florida Panthers. The Kings are 20-10-8 and in third place in the Pacific Division.

Weather: Partly  cloudy. What else?

If you like partly cloudy skies, you’re gonna love the weather in our West Orange County area for the next week or so. Those conditions should prevail through next Thursday. Daytime highs will be at 64 through Sunday with overnight lows in the 44 to 47 range. Winds will be from 6 to 7 miles an hour for the coming week.