‘Betrayal of the Public Trust’: Seven Florida Police Officers Face Charges After High-Speed Chase That Killed Pregnant Woman and Her Mother— Three Fled the Scene
Just weeks before her daughter planned to announce her pregnancy, Marcia Pochette looked forward to becoming a grandmother. But on the evening of July 30, 2024, both their lives were violently cut short — and now, nearly a year later, seven West Palm Beach police officers are facing criminal charges in the tragic vehicle pursuit that claimed them.
On June 4, those officers turned themselves in for their alleged roles in a high-speed chase that crossed city lines and ended in a fatal crash in Boynton Beach.
The pursuit, which began when 23-year-old Neoni Copeland refused to stop for police, ended when he slammed his silver Kia Stinger into a Toyota Corolla at the intersection of North Congress Avenue and Meadows Boulevard — killing 57-year-old Pochette and her 27-year-old daughter, Jenice Woods, who was two months pregnant.
Marcia Pochette and Neoni Copeland (Facebook/True Crime Trending)Three of the officers — Austin Danielovich, Pierre Etienne, and Christopher Rekdahl — were charged with two counts of leaving the scene of a crash involving death and one count of official misconduct. Four others — Michael Borgen, William Loayza, Brandan Stedfelt, and Darien Thomas — were each charged with official misconduct.
“The police officers’ actions are a disturbing betrayal of the public trust,” said State Attorney Alexcia Cox. “Law enforcement officers have a duty to the public they swore to uphold. No one is above the law, and this office will pursue justice wherever the facts and the law lead.”
The charges stem from a police pursuit that began in West Palm Beach when Copeland refused to stop for a traffic violation. Surveillance footage and police reports show that three police vehicles — one marked and two unmarked — pursued Copeland south onto I-95 and out of their city limits, eventually exiting at Hypoluxo Road. The chase ended in Boynton Beach, miles away from where it started.
Just five seconds before the crash, Copeland was traveling at 108 mph, according to the Boynton Beach Police Department. Surveillance footage reviewed by investigators showed both Copeland and one of the pursuing officers “driving with no regard for traffic devices or human life.”
Copeland collided with Woods’ Corolla as she attempted to turn left into her neighborhood. Both she and her mother were pronounced dead at Delray Medical Center later that night.
“Two and a half lives were taken away from me. My daughter, my wife, my future grandchild,” said Junel Pochette, Jenice’s father and Marcia’s husband. “We were looking forward to a new grandbaby.”
Following the crash, Copeland fled the scene on foot. A 911 caller reported a disoriented, injured man banging on a door nearby. Officers arrived and found Copeland, who admitted to running because he was scared. He also told investigators he hadn’t seen the people in the car he struck.
He was treated at Bethesda Medical Hospital for minor injuries before being booked into the Palm Beach County Jail. He faces two counts of leaving the scene of a crash causing fatality and one count of resisting an officer without violence.
The crash immediately raised questions about the officers’ conduct. At issue: whether the officers violated pursuit protocol by continuing the high-speed chase across jurisdictional boundaries.
Internal Affairs at West Palm Beach PD launched an investigation the next day. The officers involved were placed on paid administrative leave last August, and a criminal probe was handed to the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Public Corruption Unit.
“This is a difficult time for everyone involved,” said the West Palm Beach Fraternal Order of Police. “As we grieve with the families, we also remain steadfast in supporting our members through the legal process, with a deep respect for the seriousness of this matter and the lives forever changed.”
They added: “These officers are entitled to the full protections of due process. We respectfully ask the public to allow the legal system to do its work fairly and without presumption.”
West Palm Beach Mayor Keith James also addressed the arrests: “We take even the appearance of injustice seriously and grieve with those affected by this incident. I remain committed to the safety of every resident, employee, and visitor in this city. There are no days off to ensure public safety and transparency.”
Former Police Chief Frank Adderley, who was still in office at the time of the crash, had pledged full cooperation with Boynton Beach investigators and emphasized the importance of letting the facts dictate the outcome: “While there are any questions and few answers at this time, we need to let the facts lead us to the outcome of the investigation.”
In the days following the crash, the community poured out in grief. Flowers and messages lined the crash site. Brentyn McKinney and his wife, Erika, remembered Jenice as a joyful friend.
“They just had their one-year anniversary last month,” McKinney said of Jenice and her husband. “We would go to their house and have brunch parties… we were just planning to go to SeaWorld all together.”
The tragedy has also reignited calls for traffic safety at the intersection where Woods and Pochette died.
“Accidents happen out there very frequently,” said Junel Pochette. “I wish this is something they take into consideration. I don’t want to see another life taken that way.”
‘This is a Reckoning’: Proud Boys Leaders Demand $100 Million in Lawsuit Claiming They Were the Real Victims of the Deadly January 6th Attack on the Capitol
In a move right out of President Donald Trump’s playbook, members of the Proud Boys, a right-wing extremist group, have filed a $100 million lawsuit against the U.S. government contending their rights were violated when they were arrested and convicted for crimes connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
Trump supporters were trying to overturn the 2020 presidential election of former President Joe Biden.
Trump should understand the move, given his long history of using the courts to retaliate against his perceived enemies. And his administration just settled a $30 million wrongful death lawsuit by the family of Ashli Babbitt. The 35-year-old was shot and killed while trying to climb through a broken window during the assault. Her family agreed to settle for $5 million.
Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, leader of The Proud Boys, holds a US flag during a protest showing support for Cubans demonstrating against their government, in Miami, Florida, on July 16, 2021. (Photo by Eva Marie UZCATEGUI / AFP) (Photo by EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/AFP via Getty Images)Now, five Proud Boys, who were part of the more than 1,500 Capitol attackers pardoned on the first day Trump took office, want their slice of the pie and see the possibility of a huge windfall. The group, including former leader Enrique Tarrio, who received a 22-year prison sentence for leading the attack, argues they were victims of “corrupt and politically motivated persecution” intended to punish Trump’s political allies, according to AFP.
In the suit filed in federal court in Florida, the plaintiffs argue they were victims of “egregious and systemic abuse of the legal system and the United States Constitution to punish and oppress political allies of President Trump,” by the FBI and the Biden-era Department of Justice.
They’re accusing the agency and DOJ of a range of charges, including “evidence tampering, witness intimidation, violations of attorney-client privilege, and placing spies to report on trial strategy.”
The suit also compares the prosecution of the Jan. 6 crimes to “the modern equivalent of placing one’s enemies’ heads on a spike outside the town wall as a warning to any who would think to challenge the status quo.”
The Proud Boy members are requesting a jury trial and $100 million in damages.
In a press conference Friday in Lafayette Park on the north side of the White House, former Proud Boys leader Tarrio announced the lawsuit, “This is not just a lawsuit. This is a reckoning,” according to a post about the event on X.
His attorney had even stronger words, claiming the Biden DOJ had “mortally wounded” the American legal system.
Social media reaction was quick and cutting.
Lawyer Fernando Oliver said the suit should be tossed out. “Proud Boys are a domestic ultra-right terrorist gang, the U.S. equivalent of Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua. They organized the storming of the capital and should not be allowed to sue.”
At least nine people died in connection with the Jan. 6 assault on the Capitol, according to the New York Times, and more than 100 police officers were injured. The rioters attacked after a fiery speech from Trump, falsely claiming he had won the 2020 presidential election and urging his followers to take action by marching to the Capitol.
‘I Was Expecting Real Keys’: Oprah Winfrey Blindsided by Cynthia Erivo’s ‘You Get a Car!’ Prank at the Tony Awards
Oprah Winfrey finally knows what it is like to be surprised in front of millions of viewers. The mogul, 71, was among the Hollywood A-listers dressed in their finest red carpet attire for the 78th annual Tony Awards held in Los Angeles on June 8.
The ceremony celebrating theater’s best and brightest talent on and behind the stage was hosted by actress Cynthia Erivo. But it is Winfrey, who was not nominated this year, that had some of the most-talked-about moments of the evening.
Oprah Winfrey accused of “upstaging” Cynthia Erivo from her opening sequence appearance to car giveaway prank at the 78th annual Tony Awards. (Photos: @oprhadaily/Instagram, Colbert Late Show/Instagram)At one point, the “Wicked” stunner found the OWN mogul as she was seated in the audience. Erivo told her, “I thought we should give you a gift,” and directed the journalist to check under her chair.
What Winfrey found was a small gold gift bag that contained a pack of HARIBO Goldbears, a box of Junior Mints, and a red toy car. “You get a car!” joked Erivo, sending the audience into roaring laughter.
Winfrey famously gave away 276 new Pontiac G-6 sedans during a 2004 taping of “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” “You get a car, you get a car, EVERYBODY is getting a CAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRR!!!!!!” an Instagram user commented on the clip reposted by E! News.
Two others said, “She was flabbergasted! I love it” and “This was the funniest moment of the night!!.” Someone else added, “I was expecting keys to a real car man.”
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Another moment that made the former TV host an integral part of the night happened at the start of the program.
Erivo was making her way from backstage at Radio City Hall when she was bombarded by multiple people offering unsolicited emcee tips. Winfrey was her last encounter before stepping into the spotlight.
“Oprah, what are you doing here?” Erivo asked. “It’s the Tonys. It’s you. I had to be here,” the OWN network founder responded. Her younger contemporary then asked, “What do you do when everyone is telling you what you need to do?”
Imagine being able to help that many people to that magnitude. Crazy. https://t.co/UdiXZvnf5z
— Finessa Hudgens (@AceandtheSpade) September 11, 2023The industry veteran told her, “The only thing you need to do is just be yourself” as she stuck out her right index finger for Erivo to grasp. The moment was a lighthearted mockery of the British-born artist and her “Wicked” co-star Ariana Grande’s closeness that became a media spectacle.
A less-than amused viewer snidely remarked, “I think as Oprah has aged she finds it difficult to be second to anyone. It’s called upstaging.” A second reaction read, “Oprah needs to sit and stay down. She’s had her come up. Let Cynthia and others have and enjoy theirs.”
View this post on InstagramWinfrey was part of a third jaw-dropping moment when she slyly addressed Broadway veteran Patti LuPone‘s fiery statements about her Black peer Audra McDonald, who has won more Tony awards than any other performer. It is the one instance where an overwhelming show of fans say the billionaire got it right during the ceremony.
While presenting the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical —McDonald, 54, being one of the nominees — Winfrey addressed the audience: “Tonight, we celebrate an astounding year in live theater, focusing on the women whose performances ignited lively conversations among theater fans.”
Winfrey paused on stage before she exchanged a knowing glance with the laughing crowd before adding, “Lot of talking going on!”
‘Come and Get Me, Tough Guy’: California Gov. Newsom Fires Back After Trump’s Border Czar Threatens to Arrest Him Over Immigration Unrest
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Sunday the state will sue the Trump administration over what he called an illegal and provocative deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles, following days of civil unrest sparked by aggressive immigration raids.
The move comes as former ICE director and President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan threatened the arrest of elected officials — including Newsom himself — for allegedly interfering with immigration enforcement operations.
Newsom, who did not request the federal intervention and later demanded that Trump call off the troop deployment, responded furiously on social media.
Trump’s border czar is threatening to arrest me for speaking out.
Come and get me, tough guy.
I don't give a damn.
It won’t stop me from standing up for California.pic.twitter.com/DvVQljAgir
“Trump’s border czar is threatening to arrest me for speaking out. Come and get me, tough guy,” Newsom fumed. “I don’t give a damn. It won’t stop me from standing up for California.”
The protests, now stretching into a fourth day, were triggered by ICE raids across the Los Angeles area. Demonstrators clashed with federal agents and local law enforcement across downtown, Paramount, and Compton.
Videos showed protestors swarming federal vehicles, lighting self-driving cars on fire, and hurling objects at officers. In return, police used flash-bangs, tear gas, and non-lethal rounds. During the mayhem, a rubber bullet struck a reporter from Australia, leaving her badly bruised. By Sunday night, authorities had arrested dozens and declared downtown Los Angeles an unlawful assembly zone.
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Despite pushback from city and state leaders, Trump ordered in 300 National Guard troops, with 2,000 more possibly on the way, and left the door open to deploying Marines as well. This marks the first time in decades that a president has sent the Guard into a state without the governor’s request or consent.
“Governor Gavin Newscum and ‘Mayor’ Bass should apologize to the people of Los Angeles for the absolutely horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots,” Trump ranted on Truth Social. “These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists. Remember, NO MASKS!”
Trump has repeatedly framed the situation as a law-and-order crisis fueled by “radical left protests” and “paid troublemakers.” Before departing for Camp David from his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club on Sunday evening, he reiterated his stance: “I think it was a riot. I think it was very bad. It was covered as a riot by almost everybody.”
Democrats have blasted Trump’s show of force, drawing a sharp contrast with his inaction during the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, accusing him of rushing to crack down on immigration protests while having all but sat on his hands as a mob stormed Congress four years ago.
Late Sunday, Mayor Karen Bass said Los Angeles had become a “tinderbox” as violence escalated around the Metropolitan Detention Center, where detained immigrants were being held. Demonstrators tried to block ICE transport vans and clashed with police outside the facility. One protester was reportedly struck by a car while attempting to halt its movement.
The LAPD arrested 11 people Saturday, and dozens more were detained throughout the weekend by both city and state law enforcement. The California Highway Patrol made 17 arrests on the 101 Freeway, and in San Francisco, police reported 60 arrests and three injured officers as solidarity demonstrations erupted.
ICE acknowledged the source of the unrest, revealing it had arrested 118 immigrants in L.A. during the past week. Though the agency said the focus was on public safety threats, Homan signaled a broader scope.
“I’ve said a thousand times that aperture will open,” Homan told NBC News. “And I said, if you’re in the country illegally, you’re not off the table.”
Raids targeted workplaces, Home Depot locations frequented by day laborers, and even scheduled court appointments. Homan defended the strategy while denying reports that ICE had conducted operations at schools, hospitals, or churches, calling those “misinformation.”
Still, the former ICE chief didn’t shy away from taking aim at California’s sanctuary policies and Newsom’s leadership.
“If [Newsom] cared about public safety in the state of California, he would not have a sanctuary for criminals, where criminals get released to the street in this state every day because of his policy,” Homan said, branding the governor an “embarrassment for the state.”
He also warned, “You cross that line, it’s a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to impede law enforcement doing their job.”
When asked if Newsom or Mayor Bass had crossed that line, Homan answered carefully.
“I’ll say it about anybody,” he said. “I don’t believe she’s crossed the line yet,” he added about Bass.
Tensions then exploded across the airwaves Monday morning when Homan lit into NBC News correspondent Jacob Soboroff during a fiery appearance on “Fox & Friends.” Homan didn’t hold back, calling Soboroff a “joke” and a “dishonest reporter” for how he handled the interview with Newsom over the weekend.
But the jab didn’t go unanswered. Newsom fired back later with a dare, challenging Homan to come arrest him in person. “Tom, arrest me. Let’s go,” the governor snapped.
The back-and-forth erupted after Soboroff questioned Homan during a Saturday interview, pressing him on whether his tough talk about arresting people who obstruct ICE operations included Newsom or Bass.
“There have been threats previously that if you stand in the way of your enforcement operations, you could be subject potentially to arrest,” Soboroff said. “Are you saying that about Mayor Bass and Gov. Newsom? Are they at risk of being arrested?”
“I’ll say it about anybody,” Homan replied. “You cross that line, it’s a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to impede law enforcement doing their job.”
Soboroff took that message straight to Newsom during an interview the next day. “Tom Homan, the Border Czar, said to me yesterday, he did not rule out arresting you nor Mayor Bass if you interfere,” he told the Governor, referring to the escalating immigration crackdown in Los Angeles and President Trump’s controversial use of National Guard troops.
Newsom bristled. He condemned what he saw as a show of brute federal power, warning that the Trump administration was veering toward authoritarianism.
“He’s a tough guy. Why doesn’t he do that? He knows where to find me,” Newsom said, eyes flashing. “But you know what? Let your hands off 4-year-old girls who are trying to get educated. Let your hands off these poor people. They’re just trying to live their lives, man. Trying to live their lives, paying their taxes. Been here for 10 years. The fear, the horror.”
Back on “Fox & Friends,” the morning segment cut to fiery street scenes — burning cars, crowds, chaos — and then played Newsom’s defiant words. Host Lawrence Jones turned to Homan for his response.
“Well, first of all, it’s just ridiculous,” Homan said, brushing off the governor’s remarks and doubling down on his earlier criticism of Soboroff. “That reporter from MSNBC? He’s a joke. He’s a dishonest reporter.”
Homan defended his stance, emphasizing that the issue wasn’t about protest but about action that crosses legal boundaries. “You can protest, you get your First Amendment rights. But when you cross that line, you put hands on an ICE officer, or you destroy property… that’s a crime. And the Trump administration is not going to tolerate it.”
He then made his point clear: “Then the reporter asked me, ‘Well, could Gov. Newsom or Mayor Bass be arrested?’ I said, ‘Well, no one’s above the law. If they cross the line and commit a crime, absolutely, they can.”
In reality, California’s Department of Corrections routinely works with ICE, notifying the agency of eligible detainees up to 90 days before their release. However, the state does not hold individuals beyond their scheduled release dates if ICE fails to pick them up.
Despite Homan’s warnings and Trump’s hardline stance, Democratic governors across the country issued a joint statement supporting Newsom.
“It’s important we respect the executive authority of our country’s governors to manage their National Guards,” they wrote, “and we stand with Governor Newsom who has made it clear that violence is unacceptable and that local authorities should be able to do their jobs without the chaos of this federal interference and intimidation.”
The protests, according to intelligence analysts, were largely sparked by immigration raids and the unexpected National Guard deployment. But officials also noted the presence of “professional rioters” and agitators in the crowd.
Homan himself sounded the alarm over the violence: “The rhetoric keeps rising and rising and rising — someone’s gonna get hurt,” he warned. “If this violence isn’t tamped down, someone’s gonna die, and that’s just a cold fact of life.”
While officials brace for more unrest, the political fight over immigration enforcement — and the broader clash between federal authority and state autonomy — appears poised to escalate. California, a sanctuary state at odds with the Republican administration, has long resisted federal efforts to crack down on cities that have offered shelter to migrants amid the ongoing immigration crisis.
‘She Has No Authority!’: Maxine Waters Accused of ‘Publicity Stunt’ As MAGA Revels at Officials Slamming the Door In Her Face at Los Angeles ICE Facility Amid Protests Over Immigration Raids
Violent protests unfolded over the weekend in Los Angeles after days of controversial immigration raids and arrests. Tempers flared even more after President Donald Trump deployed the California National Guard to the city; the first time a president has done that without the request of a governor in decades.
Government officials, including California Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA), are also getting caught up in the chaos as demonstrations against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement continue.
Immigration agents refused to allow Waters to enter the Metropolitan Detention Center on Sunday, slamming the door of the facility in her face. She was trying to visit David Huerta, the head of the Service Employees International Union, or SEIU, Los Angeles local, who was arrested at the weekend protests as he was observing the raids on Friday.
Maxine Waters speaks onstage at A New Way Of Life, a women’s re-entry program, gala hosted by Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy on December 03, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)“Hello, hello, hello. I just came to use my Congressional authority to check on David Huerta,” Waters told agents guarding the door at the Los Angeles facility in a CNN video posted to social media.
They turned their backs on her and quickly went inside the center, closing the door in her face.
“Excuse me, I need to get in,” Waters insisted. An agent told her to contact their public affairs office, something an officer would tell a journalist, not a sitting Congresswoman. Congress has broad authority over ICE because of its constitutional power to regulate immigration and foreign policy.
Waters tried pulling the door open, but agents slammed it in her face. “I just want to see David Herta,” Waters told a reporter as she turned away. Waters also said a member of Congress is normally able to enter federal immigration detention centers.
Charges need to be brought against these ICE officials immediately for denying her congressional authority.
— Lloyd Christmas (@4LloydChristmas) June 8, 2025“I don’t know why he was targeted. I don’t know what they’re doing with him. I don’t know whether they’re going to deport him. I want to report back to my caucus about what’s happening,” she said.
“Charges need to be brought against these ICE officials immediately for denying her congressional authority,” an X user posted after the incident.
But Trump’s MAGA base expressed glee that Waters was denied entrance. “It’s a publicity stunt,” another one posted.
“Sorry but just saying you have ‘congressional authority’ doesn’t give you congressional authority,” said one user.
“You’re right, but she does have congressional authority; the GOP-controlled Congress passed a law enabling members of Congress to show up at any government facility, without notice, and conduct inspections,” a supporter said.
“She has no more authority to force her way in there than you do.”
She has no authority there!
Learn your rights , moron.
“Individual congressional representatives have no authority to show up at executive branch facilities and demand access. Congress as a whole can do that, or vote to empower one or more to do that, but she can’t unilaterally claim oversight powers.”
According to the Appropriations Act of 2024, members of Congress can technically visit ICE detention facilities without prior notice. The law grants designated House and Senate lawmakers oversight and says they do not need prior notice to visit these facilities, but it also specifies that the Department of Homeland Security requires a 24-hour notice, which it does.
The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement to the Guardian that “at the time lawmakers tried to enter the federal building, more than 1,000 rioters had surrounded the building”.
The spokesperson said, in part, that “the lawmakers were turned away in the interest of their safety and the safety of our law enforcement”.
Waters also questioned Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops.
“I don’t know why we have guns!” Waters said in an interview with a CNN reporter. “What are those guns for? Are they to shoot protesters?”
She also called Trump “dishonorable.” “I mean, there’s no reason to be here with the National Guard,” she said. “The President of the United States is a cruel, dishonorable human being who would just assume they’ll shoot somebody down. But I don’t want that to happen.”
‘That’s What You’re Being Arrested for’: Alabama Cop Apprehended at Disney World Resort After Allegedly Kidnapping Man from Mississippi House Party
It all started May 24 at a house party in Mississippi. Before local police were called, the homeowner contacted David Cunningham, an off-duty Alabama police officer, who arrived in his patrol car to find the alleged dog shooter arguing with the homeowner.
Cunningham handcuffed the shooter and placed him in the back seat of his cruiser. He was gone before the local police were called.
Prichard Police officer David Cunningham was arrested and is facing a kidnapping charge. (Photo: YouTube screenshot/WKRG)Harrison County, Mississippi, deputies tracked down the Prichard police car soon afterward. Before they approached the vehicle, Cunningham emerged from it, wearing dark clothes, a badge and gun. He said he was a police officer, according to an arrest warrant.
The accused dog shooter was uncuffed and released. Cunningham was told he didn’t have the jurisdiction or authority to make an arrest but was allowed to leave, along with a female passenger who would not accompany him to his next stop:
Disney World.
In the meantime, the 21-year-old who allegedly shot the dog told authorities Cunningham took him against his will, and he feared for his life. A warrant was issued for the Alabama cop’s arrest.
Orange County, Florida, deputies and US Marshals tracked him down to an Orlando resort, where he was arrested June 3.
Appearing before a magistrate the next day, Cunningham learned he was facing a kidnapping charge.
“So that’s what you’ve been arrested for,” the judge said, “just to let you know. “
One day earlier, on June 2, the female passenger, Kristin Allen of Gulfport, Mississippi, turned herself in to the Harrison County Detention Center. Details of their relationship remain unclear.
Investigators said she helped Cunningham rationalize his unlawful actions and charged her with a felony count of hindering a prosecution.
According to Mobile’s NBC affiliate, Cunningham is being held on a $500,000 bond upon extradition from Florida. As of Thursday night, he remained in the Orange County Jail. There is no word on when he might be returned to Mississippi. However, WALA reports that Cunningham signed a waiver of extradition, which would allow Harrison County authorities to take him into custody.
Meanwhile, Prichard Police said in a statement they are “awaiting an investigative report from the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office to gain a clearer understanding of the circumstances.”
They’ve also initiated an internal probe “to review all policies that may have been violated in connection with this situation,” including operating a city vehicle across state lines.”
“We take these matters seriously and are committed to ensuring full accountability and transparency throughout the process, the Prichard police statement concluded.
Cunningham previously worked for the Mobile Police Department before resigning in February under “administrative investigation,” WALA-TV in Mobile reported.
‘Lauren Is Redecorating’: Lauren Sánchez Under Fire Over Jeff Bezos’ NYC Street Shutdown for Lavish Renovation to Penthouse Once Shared with Ex-Wife
Jeff Bezos‘ latest home upgrade didn’t just raise eyebrows—it brought an entire Manhattan block to a standstill, sparking outrage from locals who say the billionaire is treating the city like his personal playground.
When Bezos needs furniture delivered to his NoMad penthouse, he doesn’t settle for the typical moving truck experience that most New Yorkers endure. Nor does he use his Amazon delivery service.
Jeff Bezos shuts down major street in Manhattan to have furniture delivered, and his wife gets roped in by readers who can’t help by make fun of her. (Photo: @laurenwsanchez/Instagram)Instead, the billionaire tech mogul orchestrates a spectacle that transformed one of Manhattan’s busiest thoroughfares into his personal loading dock, complete with street closures, barricades, and a massive crane operation that leaves onlookers amazed.
Ironically, some people are blaming his soon-to-be wife for the chaos, without knowing if she ordered the delivery or not.
The extraordinary scene unfolded on May 31 along Fifth Avenue near 26th Street, where crews shut down a stretch of the iconic roadway to hoist what appeared to be an enormous piece of wrapped furniture to the top floors of 212 Fifth Avenue, according to a video that has gone viral on TikTok.
Bezos reportedly owns five apartments spanning the building’s top four floors, representing a staggering $119 million investment in prime Manhattan real estate. The 24-story neo-Gothic structure, which is some 110 years old, now serves as home to some of the city’s wealthiest residents, the New York Post reports.
Raffi Arslanian, owner of luxury candle company Thompson Ferrier, captured the remarkable delivery operation from his office just a block away.
His TikTok video, which has since garnered more than 983,000 views, shows dozens of workers directing traffic while a massive crane carefully maneuvers the mysterious cargo above the intersection lined with caution tape and moving company trucks.
“You want to see how Jeff Bezos delivers his furniture? Let me show you,” Arslanian narrated, adding with characteristic humor, “I think we all can relate to this. Now back to reality, where, when we move, we get a U-Haul and we do it ourselves, or at best, we get a company to do it — but we don’t close the street.”
The viral footage sparked thousands of comments from viewers who couldn’t help but marvel at the display of wealth and privilege.
Social media users quickly began speculating about what giant object required such an elaborate delivery method, with one person writing, “Talking about privilege! Jeff Bezos had 5th Ave in NYC shut down for a furniture delivery! Insane!”
Talking about privilege!
Jeff Bezos had 5th Ave in NYC shut down for a furniture delivery!
Insane! pic.twitter.com/Zh0lGbhEiG
New York Post readers chimed in.
“This is Mr. Amazon. Couldn’t the delivery people just incessantly hit his buzzer and bring his stuff up like they do with all of us?” one person wrote.
The speculation about the delivery’s contents took a particularly pointed turn toward Sánchez, with comments that ranged from playful to cutting.
“Stop… it wasn’t Furniture… It was a weeks worth of Botox,” wrote one social media user.
Another comment escalated the humor with an elaborate theory: “The hard part was installing Lauren Sanchez’s hyperbolic / hypersleep chamber because her cardiovascular system cannot withstand the nitrogen levels on earth’s surface.”
A third user kept the focus on Sánchez with the quip, “It’s Lauren’s next set of ta-ta’s being hoisted up.”
Mark Zuckerberg ‘likes’ photo of Lauren Sanchez on Instagram, hours after viral video showed him smiling after appearing to glance at her chest. pic.twitter.com/lGDh508oXm
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) January 21, 2025While the public marveled at this display of ultra-wealth, the crane delivery represents just the latest chapter in Bezos’ extensive renovation of his sky-high residence.
According to New York Post’s sources, Bezos currently owns four full floors that will be combined to create what insiders describe as a “mansion in the sky.”
This isn’t the first time Bezos has required street closures for his home improvements — he and Sánchez recently had trees trucked in and hoisted to the penthouse terrace by crane, shutting down West 26th Street in the process.
According to The Post, the building itself serves as a testament to extreme wealth concentration, with sources indicating that approximately half the owners are billionaires, including Texas financier Ed Bass. The property features an array of luxury amenities from concierge services and a state-of-the-art gym to a screening room, golf simulator, and specialized cold storage for those inevitable Amazon Fresh deliveries.
The viral nature of Arslanian’s footage underscores how such displays of privilege resonate in a city where most residents navigate cramped apartments, difficult moving logistics, and the constant challenge of urban living.
‘If They Could, They Would Throw Me Back In Chains’: Jasmine Crockett’s Provocative Allegation Against Republicans Triggers Racist Outburst from MAGA
Appearing on the podcast, “Outlaws with T.S. Madison,” Texas congresswoman Jasmine Crockett leveled some harsh accusations against Republicans in Washington.
The Democrat firebrand said the other party’s attacks on her are an outgrowth of the same mindset that enforced slavery and segregation.
“It is easier, in my opinion, to do what’s right every single day that I go in and serve and do right for everyone. Because at the end of the day, I know that there was a time and a place, and if they could, they would throw me back in chains,” Crockett said. “Somehow, those that came before us managed to break loose of the physical chains, even though we still have a bunch of systemic chains that we are still kind of wrangling with.”
Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) speaks onstage during the first day of the Democratic National Convention at the United Center on August 19, 2024, in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Whatever their motives, Crockett shouldn’t be surprised by the attacks from MAGA. She’s emerged as one of the left’s harshest critics of the Trump administration and gives as good as she gets, claiming at a recent town hall that “Republicans want poor people to die.”
“This lady is a disgrace,” commented one X user. “A race hustler and a total pos Jasmine Crockett accuses Republicans of wanting to put her back ‘in chains.’ “
The congresswoman’s remarks on “Outlaws” reflected many of her past statements on the Republicans and race. In February, she called President Donald Trump a “white supremacist” who is “backed up by other white supremacists” after he appointed a former speechwriter — fired after appearing at a white nationalist convention — as undersecretary of state for public diplomacy.
Her candor has made her a hero to the left and a pariah to the right. After MAGA denigrated her as a divider and racist, Crockett lashed out against the cult of white victimhood cultivated by Trump.
“I am tired of the white tears,” she said in February. “Listen, if you are competent, you are not concerned. When I walk into Congress every single day, you know why I don’t feel a way and why you can’t make me doubt who I am is because I know that I had to work 10 times as hard as they did just to get into the seat. When you look and you compare me to Marjorie Taylor Greene or me to Lauren Boebert, there is no comparison. And that is the life that we have always lived.”
Crockett said, “The only people that are crying are the mediocre white boys that have been beaten out by people that historically have had to work so much harder.”
Sometimes she goes too far, as when she refused to apologize for referring to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who uses a wheelchair, as “Gov. Hot Wheels.” And sometimes she surprises; in an interview last week, she claimed Republicans frequently tell her how much they like her.
Well, maybe not that much.
“Does Jasmine Crockett have any idea that it was REPUBLICANS who FREED her ‘people’ from the chains placed on them by DEMOCRATS?” wrote one critic on X. “Does she know that the KKK was formed by & still is run by Democrats? BTW, she apparently went to the same acting school as Kamila, terrible actors.”
Added another, “The problems don’t begin with Crockett, they begin with ignorant voters who vote for this moron and put empty headed morons like her in office!”
Those were some of the tamer responses to Crockett’s comments on Madison’s podcast. Many were too vulgar or racist to repeat here.
“I think about the fact that they also had this justification as if we were different, as if we didn’t all bleed the same and we weren’t the same,” she said. “And so, as the attacks seem new, they really are tired and old, and we’ve been through them before. And I can recognize the hate no matter if we’re talking about in the ’50s or if we’re talking about in 2025.”
A backlash is coming, Crockett vowed.
“And so with me, I know that we’ve persevered past them. We have still been able to accomplish so much despite them,” she said. “And I truly believe that as we walk into this next season — this losing season for the haters — I think that we will again be able to transgress and show that, like, we are great, we are normal. We are actually — if anything — we got superpowers, as far as I’m concerned.”
‘Where’s the Most Dangerous Place for a Black Baby?’: Oregon Jury Awards $275K to Black Firefighter After Years of Racist Jokes, Retaliation at Portland Fire Agency
An Oregon jury recommended this week that a judge grant a Black firefighter $275,000 for the racial discrimination he faced after he suffered years of racist comments and jokes from his supervisors and colleagues, and was denied a promotion opportunity.
Jason Wilson filed a lawsuit against the city of Portland in February 2024, alleging repeated racial discrimination, harassment, and retaliation within the Portland Fire Bureau. Wilson, 41, is a former U.S. Marine who joined the fire department in 2007 and became a fire inspector in 2019, the Oregonian reported.
His suit, cited by KOIN, states that a now-retired fire captain made inappropriate, racist comments regularly and also made derogatory remarks about Wilson’s daughter.
Jason Wilson was awarded $250,000 by a jury after he face discrimination. (Photo: YouTube screenshot/KOIN 6)The complaint noted one instance in which the former captain once called any Black person in a baseball cap a “gang member,” and once delivered a joke, asking, “Where’s the most dangerous place for a Black baby?” then finishing with the punchline, “In its mother’s belly.”
Wilson also included one incident in 2017 when a lieutenant allegedly said, “Black firefighters have ‘Black anger.’”
Wilson and five other Black firefighters also testified about these racist remarks to a jury.
“The insults and verbal attacks that we put up, that we have to deal with just to do our job, being told jokes that insult you, your mother, and your children,” Wilson remarked, likening the job to an experience of “having your dream job and hating to go to work.”
Wilson said when he reported the alleged misconduct in October 2023 to a fire marshal, he was removed from his job on the inspection, testing, and maintenance team four days later. He said he was told the decision was made to “avoid favoritism.”
He also alleged that the fire department was committing unlawful activity. He noted one instance in June 2023 when fire investigators asked to accompany him “into a private premises under the guise of performing a fire inspection so they could get the ‘lay of the land’ and look for stolen cars.”
Wilson reported the request to supervisors because he believed the activity would be illegal, but he said they ignored his concerns.
In July 2023, Wilson said he and a Black colleague were passed over for a specialized fire inspector position, classified as a “premium pay assignment.” Instead, the position was given to two of their white colleagues, one of whom was still on probation. Wilson said this was part of a pattern at the fire bureau in which white firefighters were often given training, promotions, and even answers to interview questions over Black firefighters.
The jury said the city’s hiring process for the specialised fire inspector position was potentially retaliatory due to Wilson’s previous complaints he made to supervisors, but wavered at finding Wilson was denied the promotion due to race.
Wilson’s suit sought $1.2 million in damages.
The Portland Fire Bureau has not commented on the trial outcome, and the city of Portland said it’s reviewing the Multnomah County jury’s June 2 decision.
Tony Freeman, the chair of legal redress for the Portland NAACP, stated that this case exemplifies systemic injustices that target Black communities:
“I attended the trial to support Jason Wilson, not only as a fellow veteran but also as Chair of Legal Redress for the Portland NAACP. Oregon has a documented history rooted in exclusion laws targeting Black and Brown communities, and while we recognize efforts toward progress, there remains a systemic fog that protects the status quo. My role in Legal Redress—and my oath to the NAACP—is to shine a light on these deeply rooted injustices. This case is not an outlier; it is a call to action.”
‘Almost Didn’t Recognize Her’: Resurfaced Photo of Kanye West’s Wife Bianca Censori Has Fans Saying ‘She Looks Even Better with Clothes On’
Bianca Censori’s attire is making her go viral again, but this time it’s because she’s actually wearing clothes.
Old images of the model predating her husband Kanye West are making their way around the internet and causing uproar because fans can’t believe how different (and good) she looks with clothes on.
Old photos of Kanye West’s wife Bianca Censori leave fans in shock. (Photo by Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)When Censori and West made their relationship public in January 2023, her barely there attire was chalked up to being West’s muse and inspiration behind his Yeezy brand. Over time, her partially-clothed outfits and shocking red carpet appearances became the norm and what fans expected.
When the old photos reemerged, the transformation left social media users stunned by the dramatic difference..
On Jun. 6, X account @traxstarrr posted a picture of the Australian beauty with long dark hair, wearing a black lace-up-style halter top.
Although the top is somewhat revealing, it’s pretty modest compared to the jaw-dropping fashion she wears now.
Several followers noted how refreshing and surprising it was to see Censori wearing clothes.
“She wear clothes?” one person asked on X.
“Almost didn’t recognize her cause she has clothes on,” wrote a second person, while another claimed, “She looks even better with clothes on.”
A fourth said, “She looks different with clothes on.”
kanye west wife, bianca censori pic.twitter.com/2GDo3IjHQL
— trax (@traxstarrr) June 6, 2025Several followers made comments about how, without the distracting clothing, they finally realized they never noticed Censori’s face before.
In Jan. 2023, shortly after her first public appearance as Mrs. West, a Ye fan account on Instagram shared several images of Censori from around the same era as the recent viral picture.
One of the flicks featured Censori with the same long brown hair, sporting a see-through tank top while smoking a cigarette. She can be seen Censori her assets in a strappy black bikini in another image; then a Yeezy two-piece with just a belt covering her chest in another.
The fifth image was a black-and-white headshot, and the sixth photo seemed heavily influenced by West, as the former architectural designer is seen wearing a black two-piece and black sunglasses with her hair pulled back in a sleek bun.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Yelover911 (@yelova911)
“How you gon try to level up on a ex and get a girl that look just like them? Kim wins again unfortunately,” said one fan, as many also pointed out how much Censori looked like West’s ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.
The reprise of Censori’s more modest images comes after a string of moments where she was seen sans clothing or alluding to being uncovered.
On Sunday, Feb. 2, Censori and West appeared on the red carpet for the 67th Annual Grammy Awards.
West wore an all-black ensemble while Censori strolled behind him clad in a black fur coat. At his command, she dropped the coat to reveal a mesh mini-dress with nothing underneath, giving the illusion that she was fully undressed.
Kanye West and his Wife Bianca Sensori kicked out of Grammys after showing up uninvited – Economic Times
Grammy Awards pic.twitter.com/W7loQS4O9w
In May, she caused another ruckus after appearing completely unclothed during one of Ye’s rant-filled livestreams.
In a clip that fans called “disgusting,” celebrity streamer Sneako, who was present during the broadcast, scrambles to cover the camera as Censori enters the room with West following behind her.
Lately, headlines have accused West of exploiting Censori and forcing her to dress and act in a manner that would increase shock value and gain attention. Now, with the recent resurfacing of old images showing Censori enjoying wearing clothes, it appears the whispers about the rapper’s controlling ways may be valid.
‘Should Have Known Better’: Ex-DC Cop Who Leaked Info to Proud Boys Leader Tells Judge He ‘Disagrees’ with Verdict and Is ‘Broken’, Gets 18 Months and a Stern Lecture Instead
A former Washington D.C. police lieutenant will serve less than two years behind bars for tipping off Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio about his impending arrest, then lying to federal law enforcement officials about their communication.
Former Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Lt. Shane Lamond was found guilty in Dec. 2024 of obstructing justice and making false statements to federal law enforcement officials.
Former Lt. Shane Lamond (left) was sentenced to 18 months in prison for lying about leaking info to Proud Boys leader (right). (Credit: NBC4 Video Screengrab/Getty)Federal prosecutors reported that Lamond was supposed to keep in touch with Tarrio about the Proud Boys’ planned activities in the District of Columbia as part of his job responsibilities. The two began regularly communicating in July 2019.
After the 2020 election, Lamond began using the messaging app Telegram to surreptitiously message Tarrio about law enforcement interests and activity connected to Proud Boys activities in D.C.
Lamond passed along confidential law enforcement information to Tarrio and other Proud Boys members, and warned Tarrio in January 2021 that police were planning to arrest him for the 2020 burning of a Black Lives Matter banner stolen from a historic D.C. church.
Investigators never found the messages on Lamond’s phone, but a search of Tarrio’s phone revealed the texts and the self-destruct timers that Lamond enabled on them.
When he was interviewed by federal authorities, prosecutors say Lamond made false and misleading statements about his correspondence with Tarrio.
“On June 2, 2021, during an interview with federal law enforcement, Lamond made at least three false and misleading statements regarding his communications and contacts that formed the basis for the false statements convictions,” prosecutors said. “These false and misleading statements related to (1) whether Lamond had notified Tarrio about the status of the MPD investigation into the banner burning; (2) whether Lamond notified Tarrio about Tarrio’s pending arrest warrant; and (3) the nature and scope of Lamond’s discussion with Tarrio prior to and after January 6.”
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who presided over Lamond’s case and convicted him, sentenced the ex-cop to 18 months in prison for his crimes. Prosecutors sought a four-year sentence for the retired police lieutenant, but the judge called the request “excessive.”
According to The Hill, Lamond told Jackson he “respectfully disagrees” with her verdict, but, “in retrospect,” agrees he erred in his communications with Tarrio. He testified in his own defense that his correspondence with Tarrio was part of an effort to gather intelligence on extremist groups, but the judge rejected the argument.
He said he believed that building rapport with Tarrio was part of his job, but described his efforts as “sloppy.”
“Frankly, I’m broken at this point,” added Lamond.
Jackson told Lamond his response was “quite the understatement,” and said his conduct was inconsistent with police practices, “unless you twist them until they’re unrecognizable.”
The judge also chastised Lamond for his conduct during the case, stating, “The entire attitude throughout has been, ‘How dare they bring these charges!'” WUSA reported.
During his trial, Jackson said Lamond “should have known better than this,” and added that he “repeatedly dishonored the badge.”
Tarrio called on President Donald Trump to pardon Lamond. Tarrio’s 22-year prison sentence for his plot and involvement in the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riot was commuted by the president shortly after he returned to office. The Proud Boys leader was also supposed to spend five months in prison for burning the BLM banner, but that sentence was also vacated by the blanket clemency.
Tarrio testified at Lamond’s trial, claiming that the former officer never warned him about his arrest, but prosecutors pointed to the self-destructing messages.
Lamond must surrender himself to law enforcement to start serving his sentence on Aug. 1.
‘Ben Affleck Punching the Air Right Now’: Jennifer Garner’s Heated Makeout Session with Longtime Boyfriend Fuels Rumors of Secret Engagement
Actress Jennifer Garner appears to be head over heels in love with her longtime boyfriend despite reports tying her to her ex.
The “Elektra” star was recently spotted by TMZ cameras in an intensely passionate moment with boyfriend, John Miller, outside his Los Angeles home. Judging by the photos, the two looked completely consumed by each other like teens riding the high of a first crush.
The intimate display of affection has sent a clear message to anyone still wondering about her relationship status or harboring hopes of a reunion with her ex-husband Ben Affleck.
Jennifer Garner caught making out with her boyfriend amid rumors about her and Ben Affleck reuniting. (Photos by Monica Schipper/Getty Images; Bauer-Griffin/GC Images)The candid moment captured by paparazzi showed Garner and Miller in their most natural state, far from the glitz and glamour of red carpet events.
TMZ readers couldn’t contain their excitement and support for the actress, flooding comment sections with praise for her relationship choices.
“Get a room already,” one reader enthusiastically wrote, while another said, “Ben Affleck punching the air right now.”
A few who did a double take thought Miller was Affleck writing, “Whewwww chile I thought that was Ben at first!!”
Another wondered, “Thought they broke up! They should get married and get rid of Ben hanging around except when he has to see the kids which should be at his house.”
A fifth person chimed in with admiration, stating, “I am really happy for her. She sets an example of how to deal with divorce, children, and exes. She is a real class act.”
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The sentiment was echoed by yet another fan who noted, “Finally. She needed to put boundaries in her relationship with Ben. Her boyfriend is one patient man.”
Rumors about her and Miller getting married have been swirling for months.
Back in October 2024, the actress was photographed wearing a gold ring with a turquoise-like gemstone on her ring finger while driving her BMW. When she noticed the paparazzi, she smiled — further fueling speculation that she and Miller are planning to marry.
Though the couple has not publicly confirmed an engagement, an alleged insider told Life & Style in February that they’ve “considered themselves informally engaged for well over a year, and everyone who needs to know has been aware of their intention to tie the knot.”
According to the person, a wedding could happen as early as this summer, adding Miller has “proven, without a doubt, that he’s willing to stand by Jen through anything.”
The question is will this put to rest persistent tabloid speculation about a potential reconciliation between Garner and Affleck, who have been spending considerable time together following his recent divorce from Jennifer Lopez?
The former couple, who share three children, have maintained an amicable co-parenting relationship since their 2018 divorce, but recent sightings had gossip mills working overtime.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner dropped off their daughter, Violet Affleck, at Yale.
The happy family went out for dinner near the campus, and Fin Affleck joined them to celebrate their big sister's journey to college!
@BackgridUS #backgrid #benaffleck #jennifergarner pic.twitter.com/YXH6noXDHi
In March, Affleck was spotted embracing Garner during a family outing at Combat Paintball Park in Castaic, California, with their children Fin and Sam present, leading some to wonder if their relationship had evolved beyond friendship.
However, those relaxed moments between the former spouses appear to be nothing more than the natural comfort between two people who share a deep history and mutual respect.
The “13 Going on 30” actress seems to be maintaining healthy boundaries while supporting Affleck through his personal struggles, particularly during his difficult split from Lopez.
Garner reportedly provided emotional support for Affleck during his marriage troubles, but sources indicate Miller had concerns about her relationship with Affleck.
Ben Affleck reunited with Jennifer Garner at a charity event for The Midnight Mission in downtown Los Angeles on Thanksgiving to help to feed the homeless.
The duo’s three children also participated at the event, as well as Sarah Paulson https://t.co/s8goUDXQ3U
(Instagram,… pic.twitter.com/pM1P6R8gEv
The relationship between Garner and Miller has been steadily building since 2018, weathering various storms, including constant media speculation about her relationship with Affleck.
Miller, who has largely stayed out of the spotlight, has shown remarkable patience and understanding throughout the years of scrutiny. Reports suggest that while he’s been supportive of Garner’s co-parenting responsibilities, he’s also been quietly hoping for clearer boundaries between his girlfriend and her ex-husband.
Despite past challenges, Jennifer Garner and John Miller appear stronger than ever.
‘Just Desperate for a Paycheck’: Sen. Tim Scott Mercilessly Mocked for Jumping In to Defend Trump Who ‘Abandoned His A–‘ to Take Shots At Elon Musk In Growing Billionaire Feud
South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, an outspoken Republican ally of President Donald Trump, is wading into the public war of words between Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk, defending the president and his “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” amid an escalating verbal brawl with Musk and other GOP critics of Trump’s massive legislative budget package.
Scott claimed in an interview on Fox News that the president has always been on the side of poor Americans and he urged Trump to stay the course.
Sen. Tim Scott defends Trump’s “Beautiful Tax Bill” during recent appearance on Fox News (Credit: Acyn Video Screengrab/X)“President Trump, continue to do what you have been doing,” Scott said
“You’ve been a strong powerful voice, consistently speaking on behalf of the most economically challenged people in the country. It’s that coalition that has made us a very strong party,” he said.
And he offered some advice for the angry Musk, who isn’t backing off his attacks on Trump, continuing to bash him on social media.
“Elon Musk you’ve brought cuts to the table, let’s get back to work, focus on the American people, and we’ll get the job done,” Scott advised.
Scott’s entry into the growing divide between Trump and Musk was not met with praise. Many on X criticized Scott for being an unwavering ally of the president while seemingly receiving little in return for his loyalty.
Trump recently gutted the Minority Business Development Agency — a signature initiative Scott long championed — and the senator said nothing. The office, once central to Scott’s efforts to boost minority entrepreneurs, lost all its staff under Trump’s budget cuts without so much as a word of protest from the South Carolina lawmaker.
Tim Scott continues to carry Trump's water after Trump has abandoned his a$$. Funny.
— marcus simmons (@mgstupelo) June 6, 2025One user wrote, “Scott’s got the audacity to call Trump a champion of the poor? Trump’s “strong voice” is really just billionaire speak disguised as populism—a con artist who’s been selling snake oil to the struggling. Scott must be drunk on the Kool-Aid or just desperate for a paycheck.”
Musk’s anger at Trump over his “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” started spilling into public view after an interview Musk did with CBS News last week where he said he was “disappointed” at the high cost of the legislation.
“I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,” Musk said.
“I think a bill can be big or it can be beautiful, but I don’t know if it can be both. My personal opinion,” he said.
Musk spent months earlier this year launching the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, in which he slashed and burned his way through longstanding government agencies, firing federal workers and cutting billions in government spending.
Trump said he was “very disappointed” by Musk’s angry social media posts aimed at Trump and the legislation while speaking to reporters Thursday afternoon, according to Fox.
Trump said Musk has seen the bill and knew what was in it and “had no problem with it” until the incentives to buy electric vehicles were cut.
“I’m very disappointed because Elon knew the inner workings of this bill better than almost anybody sitting here, better than you people. He knew everything about it.,” Trump said.
“All of a sudden, he had a problem. And he only developed the problem when he found out that we’re going to have to cut the EV mandate.”
Musk is the CEO of EV maker Tesla. After Trump won the 2024 presidential election with a mammoth influx of cash from Musk, Tesla stock gained 14 percent or about $110 billion. After the angry feud between Trump and Musk escalated this week, Telsa stock cratered 14-percent Thursday. Slate reported that Tesla was worth $1 trillion on Wednesday but only $892 billion by Thursday.
Trump continues to insist his huge bill is great for the country.
“I don’t mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago. This is one of the Greatest Bills ever presented to Congress. It’s a Record Cut in Expenses, $1.6 Trillion Dollars, and the Biggest Tax Cut ever given,” he said on his Truth Social platform Thursday.
The massive measure is now under debate in the Senate. The House passed it just before Memorial Day. The Congressional Budget Office just released an estimate showing the legislation, which extends Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and makes massive cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs, among many other provisions, would add $2.4 trillion dollars to the national deficit over 10 years.
‘Heartbreak Wouldn’t Have Happened’: Ralph Tresvant and Ricky Bell Tried to Block Johnny Gill from Joining New Edition—Almost Sabotoging Their Biggest Album
The late 1980s marked a pivotal moment for New Edition, as the Boston-bred R&B group faced a crossroads that would either make or break their future.
After Bobby Brown’s departure left a significant void in their lineup, the remaining members found themselves grappling with how to move forward while maintaining the chemistry that had made them stars.
The solution would come in the form of Johnny Gill, a powerhouse vocalist whose addition would prove both controversial and transformative.
)From left to right) “New Edition” band members Ronnie DeVoe, Michael Bivins, Ricky Bell, Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant. (Photo by Vinnie Zuffante/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)The story of how Johnny Gill became the sixth member of New Edition has remained largely untold until now, when producer Jimmy Jam recently revealed the behind-the-scenes drama that nearly prevented one of music’s most successful group makeovers.
During an appearance on Shawn Stockton’s “On That Note” podcast, the hitmaker behind over 100 gold, platinum, and diamond albums pulled back the curtain on the delicate negotiations that made it possible. He said it was Gerald Busby’s idea to sign Gill as a solo artist.
“I got the word that Johnny was going to be in the group from, I think, maybe Biv or somebody I ran into at a concert,” Jimmy Jam shared in a clip posted by Golden Era Stories.
The producer immediately recognized both the opportunity and the challenge ahead.
“For me, as producer, it was like, ‘Yeah, but it’s problem-solving now because how do we get Johnny into the group? Into a group that’s already so established with what they do, right? How do we do that?'” said Jimmy.
The solution required more than musical arrangements, it demanded a careful assessment of human psychology.
When the group convened in Minneapolis for what would become a make-or-break meeting, the divisions were clear. Ralph Tresvant and Ricky Bell were against bringing in the new member, while Mike Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe were all for Gill coming in.
“So they’re each sitting on opposite sides of the table. Johnny’s sitting at the end of the table I started the meeting by saying ‘Okay I just want to say Johnny you’re not going to do any singing on this record or you’re not going to sing any leads on this record is what I said,'” Jimmy continued.
The tension in that conference room could have derailed everything.
Jimmy Jam’s masterstroke came with him starting the meeting by telling Johnny directly that he wouldn’t be singing any lead vocals on the upcoming project.
Gill’s response revealed the character that would ultimately win over his skeptical future bandmates.
“That’s cool. I’m a team player, man. Whatever you need me to do,” he allegedly replied without hesitation.
That moment of selflessness shifted the entire dynamic.
The producer explained how Johnny’s willingness to take a back seat immediately eased tensions, making both camps comfortable with the arrangement. “If that meeting hadn’t happened, ‘Heartbreak’ wouldn’t have happened,” Jimmy Jam declared, emphasizing just how crucial that single conversation was to music history.
The strategy for introducing Johnny to the world was equally calculated. The team developed a three-single plan designed to gradually familiarize audiences with the group’s new sound in 1988.
The first single, “If It Isn’t Love,” would maintain New Edition’s established identity.
The second single, “Not My Kind of Girl,” would offer subtle hints of Johnny’s vocal presence.
The third single, “Can You Stand the Rain,” would showcase his full power.
Jimmy Jam wanted listeners to experience that same sense of discovery as hearing The Stylistics’ “You Make Me Feel Brand New” for the first time — when they introduced the deep voice of Arrion Love to fans and contrasted it to Russell Thompkins’ tenor. He likened this dynamic to that of Tresvant and Gill.
When Golden Era shared this revelation on Facebook, fans had plenty to say about the strategic integration.
One person observed, “Johnny literally took the group from boys to men.”
Another fan appreciated the broader implications: “That actually makes sense from a stylistic standpoint. Because the record that he’s talking about introduces New Edition new sound so it wasn’t only introducing Johnny. It was introducing the New Edition maturity.”
Someone else noted how the plan worked exactly as intended: “I remember watching the ‘If It Isn’t Love’ video going ‘who is that new dude?’ By the time ‘Can You Stand the Rain’ came out, I thought, oh, that is who that new guy is. Their plan worked on me for sure.”
The transformation wasn’t lost on others either.
“Johnny Gill’s voice actually took NE out of Bubbly Gum to legit R&B,” one wrote.
The calculated approach paid off.
“Heart Break” became both a critical and commercial triumph, earning double platinum status and establishing the group as serious R&B contenders rather than just another boy band.
New Edition, though it has had some ups and downs over the years — which found Tresvant and Gill actually allies in group disputes like the issue of who actually owns the name of New Edition — is still touring, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023.
‘Would Not … Surprise Me If He Cancelled’: Jeff Bezos’ Wedding to Lauren Sánchez Triggers Prenup Warnings as Expert Predicts Airtight Deal to Protect His Billions
Jeff Bezos is preparing for what promises to be one of the most extravagant wedding celebrations in recent memory, but tabloids are speculating that the Amazon founder and world’s third-richest man is not proceeding without taking extraordinary legal precautions first.
The 61-year-old billionaire and his fiancée Lauren Sanchez, 55, are set to exchange vows during a lavish three-day ceremony in Venice from June 24 to 26.
Tabloids are speculating the former news anchor finds herself at the center of what one legal expert is saying could become one of the most complex prenuptial negotiations in celebrity history.
Celebrity attorney reveals how a pre-nuptial agreement could hold up Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s nearly billion wedding. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/VF24/WireImage for Vanity Fair )Unlike typical celebrity unions, this agreement involves protecting assets that span multiple industries, international holdings, and business arrangements so intricate they rival major corporate mergers in their complexity.
“Jeff Bezos doesn’t just want a prenup, he wants a prenup that will survive any legal challenge,” longtime California lawyer Alphonse Provinziano, who frequently works with celebrities and other high-net-worth individuals, told RadarOnline.
The attorney emphasized that creating such a bulletproof agreement requires complete transparency and extensive documentation of Bezos’ sprawling business empire.
This cautious approach stems directly from Bezos’ previous marital experience. When he married MacKenzie Scott in 1993, Amazon was merely a fledgling online bookstore operating from a garage, and the young entrepreneur could never have predicted the retail giant it would become.
That decision to forgo a prenuptial agreement would prove financially devastating when the couple divorced in 2019. Scott walked away with a 4 percent stake in Amazon, instantly catapulting her into the ranks of the world’s wealthiest women, with Forbes now estimating her net worth at over $165 billion.
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The current prenuptial negotiations reflect lessons learned from that costly oversight.
Provinziano explained that for someone with Bezos’ wealth, the process involves “preparing documentation of the complex accounting arrangements and business deals he’s involved in so that she couldn’t later claim that he hid certain assets from her.” The attorney noted that in some states, prenups must also be “conscionable,” meaning they must be fair to the party with fewer assets.
Meanwhile, wedding preparations continue for what promises to be a spectacular celebration at a centuries-old Italian villa.
Someone allegedly close to the planning described an atmosphere of intense excitement, with water taxis and hotel concierges reportedly buzzing with anticipation. The guest list is expected to include the Kardashian-Jenners and other celebrity A-listers, befitting a ceremony that insiders predict will be the event of the century.
The prenuptial situation has sparked considerable discussion among observers, with many weighing in on the wisdom of such extensive legal protections.
Reality Tea readers have weighed in with their own observations about high-profile unions and financial security.
“Nothing says love like a prenup,” one person wrote.
Another questioned the relationship dynamics, with one observer noting, “”Prenup, over the top wedding ceremony, Hollywood friends in attendance, plastic surgery, both adulterers…what possibly could go wrong.”
Another said, “I had/have no doubt that Bezos will protect his fortune. It’s all about the dollars.”
When RadarOnline posted the latest about the Bezos prenup speculation on its Instagram, its followers were just as sharp.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by RadarOnline (@radaronline)
“Get your preup baby everyone needs one,” one wrote, while another joked, “Would not at all surprise me if he cancelled the wedding.”
Another added, “She will probably get 1 billion dollars.”
A third comment spoke directly to those who wondered about why he would get the contract done in the first place, writing, “Lmao! He ain’t stupid now is he.”
As the June wedding date approaches, all eyes remain on Venice, where love, luxury, and legal protection will converge in what promises to be an unforgettable celebration for Bezos and Sanchez’s nuptials.
‘Repo Man Is Undefeated’: Fans Are Not Buying Shemar Moore’s Claim About His Rolls-Royce Being Stolen While at His Daughter’s Mom’s House
Shemar Moore, 55, wants his fans in the Los Angeles area to be on the lookout for his stolen black, two-door Rolls-Royce Dawn.
The “S.W.A.T.” star shared news of the alleged theft in a video posted on social media. While dressed in a grey hoodie and sunglasses, Moore spoke directly to his followers.
“Hey, what’s good, y’all? Life is beautiful, but life can be kinda shady. Today was a shady day. In 2005, it’s been beautiful. My car got stolen,” Moore revealed in a clip uploaded to X on June 5.
Shemar Moore claimed his Rolls-Royce Dawn was stolen, but fans are skeptical about his story. (Photo: @shemarfmoore/Instagram)The Daytime Emmy Award winner then explained he was “doing family time” with his daughter and her siblings at the home of his ex-girlfriend, 41-year-old model Jesiree Dizon, at the time.
“We had a beautiful few hours. I walked outside to go home, and my car was gone,” Moore recalled. He also described the incident as “a violation,” “unnecessary,” and “disrespectful.”
The Oakland, California native added, “Maybe I’ll get it back, maybe I won’t. But whoever took it, karma’s a b—-h! So I went to the police station tonight and filed a report.”
If Moore was expected to receive overwhelming public sympathy for the situation, online trolls actually did the opposite. People had questions for “The Young and the Restless” alum.
"My car got stolen."
Actor Shemar Moore reveals his Black Rolls-Royce Dawn was stolen while he was at his daughter’s mother’s place, calling it a violation and disrespectful. pic.twitter.com/j8bhmgAf5Y
“How the f–k they steal a Rolls-Royce, what, did you leave the keys in it?” an X user asked, with one responder replying, “They [have] devices that can create key fobs on site.”
One person wondered, “That baby mama didn’t have [a] ring camera???” Jesiree faced dubious accusations, too. Someone suggested, “[Sounds] like the baby momma did it.”
Other unproven theories began to circulate. For instance, someone tweeted, “The REPO Man is undefeated.” Another joked, “Them monthly payments was whipping his ass. I ain’t mad at him!”
Even commenters on the X platform who believed Moore was robbed of his Rolls-Royce did not show compassion for the four-decade Hollywood veteran.
“You got insurance, big bro. It’s more important s–t happening [right now],” a fan offered. However, one supporter did express, “Sorry to hear that.” A second stated, “Damn, that’s foul.”
Moore’s name has been in the headlines for other reasons than his missing vehicle. CBS recently cancelled “S.W.A.T.” after eight seasons. The police drama ran from 2017 to 2025.
“S.W.A.T.” aired its final episode this year, but a spinoff series titled “S.W.A.T. Exiles” with Moore returning as Sgt. Daniel “Hondo” Harrelson Jr. is already in the works.
The announcment of “S.W.A.T. Exiles” did not sit well with one of Moore’s original “S.W.A.T.” co-stars. David Lim, who played police officer Victor Tan, spoke out about supposedly not being cast for the upcoming series.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by David Lim (@davidbradleylim)
“I’d be lying if I said the rollout of the new spinoff didn’t sting. It was tough to see it announced just two days after our finale — with no mention of the cast who helped build ‘S.W.A.T.’ from day one,” Lim wrote on Instagram.
The Bay Area native continued, “After 8 incredible seasons, it felt like we were brushed aside when there could’ve been a moment of reflection and recognition — for the people who built this show, and for the impact it had on so many.”
Moore seemed unbothered by the backlash directed at “S.W.A.T. Exiles” for not including more members of the initial “S.W.A.T.” cast in the forthcoming next chapter of the television franchise.
“I’m not going to apologize for nothing. I busted my ass for 31 years to do what I do. And I’m excited about the future,” Moore proclaimed after referring to himself as the “Tom Brady” of the show.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by j e s i r e e (@jesiree)
In January, Moore’s personal life became a trending topic when Dizon confirmed their “romantic journey” had ended. The mother of three made the breakup social media official.
“Although our reality has changed, what will ALWAYS remain is the love and respect Shemar and I both have for each other,” Dizon captioned an Instagram photo of her, Moore, and their daughter.
She also wrote, “Our commitment is not only to keep our love for each other alive and strong through the best friendship, but by also being the BEST co-parents in continuing to raise our daughter, Frankie, and Kaiden and Charli.”
Dizon called Moore an “amazing daddy” and labeled fatherhood his “best role yet.” Frankie Moore was born on Jan. 24, 2023. Dizon also has a daughter, Charli, and a son, Kaiden, from previous relationships.
‘I Absolutely Wish I Hadn’t Called’: Texas Deputies Unloaded Guns Into Innocent Black Woman After Neighbor Called 911 to Report Possible Break-in. Now, She’s Suing
It was 1:30 a.m. when Eboni Pouncy and her friend arrived at the friend’s apartment before the two Black women realized they had left the keys at the restaurant where they had been dining, which was about 30 minutes away within the Houston metropolitan area.
Rather than call a locksmith, they decided to remove a screen from the front window of the second-floor apartment and break a lower window pane to open the door so they could enter the apartment, then pay to repair the window the following morning.
However, a neighbor who heard the sound of shattering glass called 911 to report an intruder, which led to two Harris County sheriff’s deputies arriving at the apartment with their guns drawn about an hour later. One of the deputies banged on the door and announced “sheriff’s office” a single time before both deputies stepped off to the side.
Eboni Pouncy, left, was shot multiple times by Harris County sheriff’s deputies in Texas after they mistakenly confused her for a burglar. Since then, one of the deputies, Leslie E. Tovar (center), has been arrested for DWI. Neither deputy remains employed by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. (Body camera, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Facebook/ Attorney Crump)Meanwhile, Pouncy, who was 28 at the time, approached the door holding a legally owned firearm at her side, pointing it downwards, following basic gun safety protocol, according to a lawsuit filed Tuesday by civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Devon M. Jacob.
The two deputies, Christina E. Ray and Leslie E. Tovar, panicked and opened fire through the window, shooting multiple times while Ray yelled at Pouncy to “drop the gun.”
After shooting multiple rounds, both deputies reloaded their weapons with fully loaded magazines, and Tovar continued shooting, emptying the rounds from the second magazine.
Still in a panic, the two deputies then ran downstairs and away from the building. Neither deputy remains employed by the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, and Tovar was arrested for DWI in March in a case that remains pending.
Fortunately, Pouncy survived the shooting after being struck five times but was left with permanent injuries as well as post-traumatic stress syndrome, which has affected her mental health and is very common among police abuse survivors.
“What happened to Eboni Pouncy is a horrifying example of the dangers Black Americans face when interacting with law enforcement,” Crump said in a statement to the media.
“Eboni was lawfully inside her friend’s apartment, posed no threat, and never had the chance to understand what was happening before she was shot five times by deputies. We must hold these deputies and the department that empowered them accountable.”
The lawsuit accuses the two deputies of violating Pouncy’s Fourth and 14th Amendment rights and Harris County of negligence in training its deputies.
Last year, Crump compared the shooting to the shooting death of Breonna Taylor in Missouri, an innocent Black woman killed in a botched raid.
‘I Absolutely Wish I Hadn’t Called’The incident took place on Feb. 3, 2024, after Pouncy and her friend had dinner in Katy, a city just outside Houston.
After realizing they had left the keys at the restaurant, Pouncy’s friend chose to break into her apartment, knowing it would cost $60, which they believed is what a locksmith would have charged.
But the sound of breaking glass alarmed their neighbor, Robert Mitchell, who called 911, thinking a burglar had broken into the apartment, placing his neighbors in danger.
But he now regrets calling 911.
“I was sitting on my couch, and I just started hearing glass breaking,” Mitchell explained to WTRK-TV last year. “I heard (the sheriff’s office) knock on the door, nobody responded, and then maybe five seconds later I heard a gun.”
“I absolutely wish I hadn’t called, but at the same time, it’s like I really didn’t have a choice because I was thinking about not only my safety and my son. I was thinking about her safety and her son as well.”
Pouncy said they heard the knock but did not hear the deputy saying they were from the sheriff’s office, so she approached the door with her gun by her side as a safety precaution, which is not unusual in a state where 36 percent of residents own at least one gun.
“We got into the house. We were watching TV. There was a knock at the door at that time, and I got up, and I grabbed my gun, and I went to go greet who was at the door,” Pouncy told KTRK-TV last year.
“Because the window was broken, and I believed I was taking safety precaution at that time of night, and so I was just trying to do the right thing,” she added.
But she was shot multiple times within seconds. And her friend was handcuffed and forced to lie on the ground as rain poured down.
“I got up off the ground after I had prayed, and I walked to the door, and I held onto the rails, and I just made my way down,” Pouncy told KTRK-TV.
According to the lawsuit obtained by Atlanta Black Star:
Prior to and while being shot, POUNCY never saw, heard, or spoke to RAY or TOVAR.
Prior to and while being shot, POUNCY never threatened or otherwise indicated that she was a threat to anyone.
Prior to and while being shot, POUNCY never raised her handgun from its original position.
Prior to and while being shot, POUNCY never assumed a shooting stance.
Prior to and while being shot, neither RAY nor TOVAR had any information to determine one way or the other whether POUNCY was lawfully in the apartment.
Watch the video below.
No Charges Against DeputiesThe case went before a grand jury but no charges were filed, according to Jacob, one of the attorneys representing Pouncy.
“They were no billed by a grand jury,” explained Jacob in an email conversation with Atlanta Black Star.
“That does not mean that they were cleared of wrongdoing. It just means that they are not going to be criminally prosecuted.”
The two deputies are no longer employed at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, a spokesperson told Houston Public Media without elaborating when they stopped working for the agency.
However, they both made more than $63,000 last year which is more than they made in 2023, according to OpenGovPay, indicating they worked the entire year of 2024.
Meanwhile, Pouncy is still recovering from her injuries, including nerve damage and drop foot, a condition that makes it difficult to lift her foot, affecting her ability to walk.
Last year, local media reported she was using a walker to get around, making it difficult to care for her then-1-year-old baby.
“Breathing too hard, laughing. Everything hurts,” she told KTRK-TV at the time. “I’m not able to be as attentive with my baby. She’s only one. So that’s probably the hardest part.”
Pouncy still has a bullet lodged in her right thigh and has suffered mentally as well, the claim states.
The bullets that RAY and TOVAR shot into POUNCY’S body caused serious and disabling emotional injuries, including but not limited to PTSD; paranoia; stuck in the fight or flight mode; severe flashbacks; the constant smell of gun smoke; fear of law enforcement, loud noises and knocks at the door; feelings of self-doubt, unworthiness, and of being an outcast or freak show; distortion of reality in that POUNCY is unsure if she is alive or dead; social anxiety; an inability to trust people; a lack of ambition and hope; and self-neglect and depression.
“This is not just about two deputies, it’s about a department that trained them to respond with violence instead of restraint,” attorney Jacob said in the statement to the media.
“We are seeking justice not only for Eboni but to change the dangerous practices that put lives at risk every day.”
‘Turned Into a Nightmare’: Starbucks Faces Backlash After Employee Allegedly Tells Virginia Woman to ‘Get In Line’ to Get Ice Water for Husband Visibly Suffering Medical Emergency
Kevin Key and his wife were heading to a comedy show in Richmond’s Short Pump Town Center on March 30 when Key, 38, started exhibiting frightening symptoms from his Stage 4 kidney failure.
“He just started sweating. He’s like, ‘I don’t feel well,’ ” his wife, Nelisa Key, told WWBT-TV in Richmond. “He started leaning over, and then he started vomiting.”
She had seen it before and knew her husband needed ice water. Nelsia Key noticed a Starbucks only a short distance away and took off running, her husband trailing behind.
Kevin Key was facing a medical emergency when his wife said a Starbucks employee refused to provide ice water. (Credit: Video Screengrab/WWBT-TV)“I was frantic. I think I was crying at that point,” Nelisa Key said. She explained to a long line of customers that her husband was having a medical emergency and needed water.
They were all sympathetic, said Nelisa Key, allowing her to cut to the front of the line. But that didn’t carry over to the barista, she said.
“I pointed back, because you could see Kevin, and I was like, ‘That’s my husband right there. He’s in Stage 4 kidney failure. I just need water fast for him,’ ” she recounted. “And the employee looked at me and was like, ‘You need to get in line.’ And then I repeated what I said, I’m like, ‘but my husband, he’s in kidney failure, we just need ice water quickly.’ And he looked at me again and was like, ‘You need to get in line.’”
At this point, Kevin Key was struggling.
“I could have possibly blacked out. It could have had a more dramatic impact on my body. My kidneys could have possibly just shut down,” he said. “A situation that should have taken, like, less than probably 10 seconds to get water, turned into a nightmare instantly.”
Nelisa Key knew time was short. She ran across the street in the outdoor mall to the Capital One Cafe, where she said an employee acted promptly to get her husband a cup of ice water.
“She was like, no problem at all. I hope he feels better,” she said. “And when I got to Kevin and gave him the water, he almost instantly felt better.”
Kevin Key recently got to meet the Capital One Cafe employee, named Emma, and thanked her for “being a caring human being.”
“Capital One Café stepped in, and they were able to help out in a situation when I needed help the most,” he said.
In a statement to WWBT, Starbucks spokesman Sam Jefferies said the company contacted the Keys to apologize, “and we hope to welcome them back to a store of their choice to give them the Starbucks experience they should expect.”
But Nelisa Key said the Seattle-based company refused to take accountability, offering the couple a gift card to try and make amends.
“Starbucks had a decision that day, like I said before, to pick policy or humanity, and they chose policy,” she said.
That policy, announced in January, reversed the store’s open-door policy. People who enter Starbucks are now required to order something from the menu if they want to hang out or use the bathroom, according to the new rules, posted online.
Jeffries said the company continues to train its employees on the new code of conduct, adding “we are working to ensure that everyone who visits our store has a great experience and training partners to communicate openly and from a place of kindness, compassion, and consideration for other patrons when determining how to proceed when a guest makes a request outside of our policies.
“If a customer communicates a request related to restroom access or water due to a medical, health or accessibility issue, we are committed to providing appropriate accommodations,” he continued.
But Jeffries said part of the problem was where Nelisa Key asked for the water — in the pick-up area. That disrupts the workflow, the spokesman said.
“We’re simply asking that water is handled like other orders — at the point of sale,” Jefferies said.
Pam Bondi Has Made Clear She Plans to Use DOJ to Go After Political Opponents, Legal Nonprofit Says After Florida Bar Tosses Third Ethics Complaint Against the U.S. Attorney General
The Florida Bar has thrown out another misconduct complaint against U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, a bar member in the state and Florida’s first female attorney general, according to the Miami Herald.
The newspaper reported Bondi was accused of “serious professional misconduct” Thursday by a group of Florida liberal-leaning and moderate law professors, attorneys and Florida Supreme Court justices.
The coalition alleged Bondi violated her ethical duties as U.S. attorney general and that she has engaged in “serious professional misconduct that threatens the rule of law and the administration of justice,” the Herald reported.
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi stands on stage in an empty Mellon Auditorium while addressing the Republican National Convention on August 25, 2020 in Washington, DC. The novel coronavirus pandemic has forced the Republican Party to move away from an in-person convention to a televised format, similar to the Democratic Party’s convention a week earlier. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)The ethics complaint said she “has sought to compel Department of Justice lawyers to violate their ethical obligations under the guise of ‘zealous advocacy,’” which is detailed in a memo she sent to DOJ workers on Feb. 5, 2025, on her first day on the job.
The complainants also accused Bondi of intimidating staffers through threats of discipline or termination if they refused to “to zealously pursue the President’s political objectives.” And contended these actions are a violation of the Florida Bar and longstanding norms at the Justice Department, the Herald reported.
Bondi is a member of the Florida Bar in Good Standing.” However, opponents accuse her of weaponizing the Department of Justice for political payback. They say she’s behind numerous resignations and firings at the agency since she took office.
Bondi’s chief of staff, Chad Mizelle, in a statement to the Herald Thursday, lambasted what he called an ongoing campaign against the attorney general by “out-of-state lawyers to weaponize the bar complaint process.”
“This third vexatious attempt will fail to do anything other than prove that the signatories have less intelligence — and independent thought — than sheep,” Mizelle said.
In the previous efforts to disbar Bondi, two California congressmen wrote a letter to the Florida bar in May, accusing Bondi of “potentially serious violations” of the law and her “ethical obligations as an attorney,” the news outlet Florida Politics wrote.
They cited her “legally questionable positions and tactics in a case involving the deportation of Venezuelan nationals,” and statements that seem “designed to undermine the judiciary and potentially endanger judges.”
Florida Politics also reported FactPAC, a political action committee that supports Democratic candidates, demanded her disbarment in a campaign last month “due to potential violations of legal ethics and professional responsibilities.”
The watchdog group pointed to Bondi’s failure to report lobbying work she engaged in for foreign entities while part of Trump’s legal team and her work to overturn the results of the 2020 election, among other complaints against her.
The Herald reported that in rejecting the latest ethics complaint against Bondi, the Florida Bar issued a reason similar to why it threw out the other complaints, saying it “does not investigate or prosecute sitting officers” who are appointed under the U.S. Constitution.
“Since her first day on the job, Pam Bondi has made clear that she plans to use the Department of Justice for political pursuits, and she has done just that,” the executive director of the legal nonprofit advocacy group Democracy Defenders Fund, Norm Eisen, told the newspaper.
During her Senate confirmation hearing, Bondi remained uncommitted on whether the DOJ would remain politically independent, a longstanding norm at the agency before Trump’s second term, and whether she would stand up to the president. She said at the time only that “politics has to be taken out of this system.” That clearly hasn’t happened.
The Senate confirmed Bondi as U.S. attorney general in a split vote in February.
‘It’s Time for Bill Belichick to Fire His Girlfriend’: Bill Belichick’s 24-Year-Old Girlfriend Labeled a ‘Distraction’ While ESPN Reporter Slams Their Controversial Relationship
University of North Carolina head football coach Bill Belichick, 73, cannot escape the scrutiny of his relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson.
Belichick’s decision to date and essentially use Hudson as his manager, publicist, and advisor has become a point of contention among many sports fans and media figures.
Sportscaster Paul Finebaum, 69, is calling on the NFL coaching legend to separate his personal life from his professional life. Finebaum gave his take on Belichick and Hudson on ESPN’s “Get Up” show.
UNC head football coach Bill Belichick’s high-profile relationship with Jordon Hudson remains a hot-button topic among sports watchers. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Variety via Getty Images)“I’m going to go where I shouldn’t go, but then again, we’re talking about Bill Belichick,” Finebaum began his diatribe, according to Sports Illustrated.
The former newspaper columnist resumed, “He has fired coaches, gotten rid of great players, he separated from the greatest quarterback of all time. It’s time for Bill Belichick to fire his girlfriend.”
After leading the NFL’s New England Patriots to six Super Bowl championships between 2002 and 2019, Belichick took over head coaching duties at UNC in December 2024.
“Listen, I’m happy for them, but North Carolina hired him because he’s a great coach, not to be a distraction. He’s a major distraction right now in this game of football. I’m sorry,” Finebaum stated.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by UNC Tar Heels (@goheels)
Finebaum’s recommendation for Belichick to sack Hudson got co-signs on social media. An Instagram user commented, “Agreed!!!” A second Hudson critic speculated, “She’s robbing him blind.”
Another commenter advised, “She’s definitely controlling, considering that she’s involved in almost all of his business decisions. I don’t realize that Bill was so dependent. It’s almost as if he can’t take care of himself without her.” In contrast, one person wrote, “Or maybe everyone should mind their business and worry about their own relationship.”
Belichick has yet to call a play in an official game for the Tar Heels, but there have already been concerns about Hudson’s role in the management of the Atlantic Coast Conference program.
In March 2025, The Assembly reporter Matt Hartman exposed correspondence Belichick sent to UNC’s senior associate athletic director for external affairs and strategic communications, Robbi Pickeral Evans. Belichick had a special request involving Hudson.
bill belichick asked unc staff to copy his girlfriend on every email they send him pic.twitter.com/47OXH77DP4
— Matt Hartman (@themhartman) March 13, 2025“Robbi, thank you for the e-mail. I am including Jordon on this email so she can also keep up with our postings. Can you include her on anything you send to me? Thank you. BB,” Belichick wrote in an email.
In May, during an appearance on “The Pivot Podcast” with retired NFL players Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor, Belichick explained why he wanted his girlfriend looped into his messages from the athletics department’s public relations official.
Clark directly asked Belichick if being tied to Hudson was becoming a distraction from the game of football being the focus. At one point, the three-time AP NFL Coach of the Year referenced Hartman’s email report.
“I stay focused on football,” Belichick told Clark. “Some of the other opportunities that come along, Jordon looks at those and can dig into them a little bit deeper. But what she does helps me spend my time on football, and that’s what’s important to me.”
“I sent back an email can you copy Jordon on these requests…That was taken as Jordon was running the sports information department.”
Bill Belichick says his email about girlfriend Jordon was taking out of context. The person the world sees as a distraction actually allows Coach… pic.twitter.com/2nPzGwFKf7
The father of three then claimed that Hudson does not have any job responsibilities with the University of North Carolina. He did, however, corroborate the speculation around the former Bridgewater State University student setting up speaking engagements and interviews for Belchick.
On the UNC email controversy, he said, “I sent back an email, ‘Can you please copy Jordon on these requests?’ So she could at least filter through them because there was nobody. We didn’t have a sports information guy.”
“Because all emails are shared publicly, that was taken as Jordon’s running the sports information department. And that also led to a narrative… she’s not doing it. There was nobody to help me sort them out, so I was asking her to do that,” Belichick added.
Hudson exerted her authority as Belichick’s advocate during a “CBS Sunday Morning” interview. The televised sit-down with news anchor Tony Dokoupil went viral in April following an awkward moment.
When Dokoupil asked Belichick to provide more details about when he started seeing Hudson, the Miss Maine USA pageant contestant quickly shut down that line of questioning while sitting off-camera. The discussion was supposed to be centered around his “The Art of Winning” book.
That interruption ignited a firestorm of commentary fixated on Belichick and Hudson’s atypical relationship. Belichick’s daughter-in-law, Jennifer Belichick, reportedly suggested Hudson was unprofessional for her actions on set.
Apparently, Belichick initially met Hudson on an airplane flight from Massachusetts to Florida in February 2021 when Jordon was still enrolled at Bridgewater State. Their romantic entanglement became public in 2024.
Belichick dated Linda Holliday, the executive director of the Bill Belichick Foundation, from 2007 to 2023. Before Holliday, the winningest coach in NFL playoff history was married to Debby Clarke from 1977 to 2006. They have three adult children, including UNC defensive coordinator Steve Belichick.