Mark Carney, the former governor of the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, has won the race to become Canada’s new Prime Minister, succeeding Justin Trudeau at a crucial time for the nation.

The country is embroiled in a trade war with its long-time ally, the United States.

And the new man in town has wasted no time in hitting back at Donald Trump.

Quickly reversed his decision
The trade war between Canada and the United States began after President Trump imposed a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico as part of his ”America First” agenda. On Tuesday afternoon, President Donald Trump quickly reversed his decision to double tariffs on steel and aluminum from Canada to 50%, just hours after announcing the increase.

The sudden change, which caused chaos in financial markets, followed a Canadian official’s decision to back off plans for a 25% surcharge on electricity.

But the trade war is expected to continue, and no one knows exactly what will happen in the coming days. For U.S. citizens, this trade dispute could mean higher costs for everyday goods like groceries and gas.

On Truth Social, Trump once commented on the situation, stating, “WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!). BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID.”

He has also suggested that the only way Canada could avoid the tariffs would be by becoming the 51st state of the United States. Trump criticized Canada, claiming it had failed to stop the flow of harmful drugs into the U.S.

“What I’d like to see: Canada become our 51st state. We give them protection, military protection. We don’t need them to build our cars,” Trump said Feb. 3 from the Oval Office. “If people wanted to play the game right, it would be 100% certain that they’d become a state. But a lot of people don’t like to play the game.”

“America is not Canada”
In response, both Canada and Mexico pledged to retaliate with similar tariffs on U.S. goods.

It’s no secret that Trump and Justin Trudeau haven’t always seen eye to eye, and it seems his successor shares a similar lack of admiration for the U.S. president.

During his victory speech on March 9, Mark Carney, the newly elected leader of Canada’s Liberal Party and Trudeau’s successor, pledged to prevail in the trade war with Trump.

He wasted no time in hitting back at Trump.

“There’s someone who’s trying to weaken our economy—Donald Trump,” he said. “Donald Trump has imposed unjustified tariffs on what we build, what we sell, and how we earn a living.”

In the powerful speech, he continued, “America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape or form. The Americans want our resources, our water, our land, our country. Think about it. If they succeed, they will destroy our way of life. He’s attacking Canadian workers, families and businesses. We can’t let him succeed and we won’t.”

Carney also declared, ”Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves. So the Americans, they should make no mistake in trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.”

Carney also expressed the gravity of the situation: “I know these are dark days. Dark days brought on by a country we can no longer trust.”

He emphasized the importance of unity, saying, “We’re getting over the shock, but let us never forget the lessons: we have to look after ourselves and we have to look out for each other. We need to pull together in the tough days ahead.”

In the election, Carney triumphed in the first round, securing 85.9% of the vote within the Liberal Party and defeating his closest rival, former Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. Carney, 59, a former central banker, has served as the governor of two G7 banks: the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England.

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The news for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appears to have gone from bad to worse in recent weeks following a fall in Europe that led to emergency hip replacement surgery.

As Pelosi continues recovering from her accident — she was seen using a walker on the House floor just last week — she now faces a primary challenge from a far-left former aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), according to a Thursday report.

Saikat Chakrabarti, former chief of staff for AOC, announced that he would challenge Pelosi in the primary. He cited the former speaker’s efforts to block the progressive New York congressmember from becoming the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee as his reason for running, Politico reported.

“I respect what Nancy Pelosi has accomplished in her career, but we are living in a totally different America than the one she knew when she entered politics 45 years ago,” Chakrabarti, a 39-year-old former tech worker, posted on the X platform. “America is stuck, and Americans want real solutions that are as big as the problems we face.”

Pelosi, who stepped down as speaker in 2022 after nearly 20 years in the role, easily won reelection to her solidly Democratic San Francisco seat last year. Her office declined to comment on Chakrabarti’s announcement.

She has filed paperwork to run for re-election in 2026 but has not publicly confirmed whether she intends to seek another term. State Sen. Scott Wiener has long been expected to run for the seat if Pelosi were to step down. Local political observers have also speculated that Pelosi’s daughter, Christine, might run for the seat if her mother were to retire.

Whoever wins the primary is likely to secure the general election and hold the seat for a long time in a city that remains a Democratic stronghold, Politico added.

A new political candidate looking to challenge Rep. Nancy Pelosi for her California congressional seat, Saikat Chakrabarti, says “Democrat have got to do things completely differently.”

“People are voting for change over and over again,” adds Saikat, former chief of staff for… pic.twitter.com/FQ7f9R4idt

— CBS News (@CBSNews) March 5, 2025

Meanwhile, Pelosi’s husband, Paul Pelosi, made $38 million worth of stock trades in the weeks leading up to President Donald Trump’s inauguration, which will no doubt lead to further calls for stock trading bans for members of Congress and their immediate families.

The New York Post reported that the tens of millions in trades included “an investment in a once-obscure artificial intelligence firm whose shares have soared nearly 50% in the past week.”

Paul Pelosi sold $24 million worth of Apple stock and $5 million worth of shares in AI chip maker Nvidia.

Both of these significant transactions were completed on New Year’s Eve, according to government filings. Nancy Pelosi is legally obligated to disclose her husband’s stock trades, The Post added.

Paul Pelosi, who survived a brutal hammer attack inside the couple’s San Francisco home roughly two years ago, has also taken a new role with Tempus AI, a Chicago-based health technology company that deploys artificial intelligence to analyze clinical and molecular data.

According to filings, Paul Pelosi purchased $100,000 worth of call options in Tempus AI on January 14. Since the disclosure of his involvement, the company’s stock has surged.

When the market opened on January 14, Tempus AI stock was trading at approximately $32 per share. However, as of Thursday, The Post noted that shares of Tempus AI— which went public last June with an IPO price of $37 per share— were trading at around $50.50 per share, marking a 60% increase.

All the while, Nancy Pelosi continues to recover from her hip surgery.

“Earlier this morning, Speaker Emerita Pelosi underwent a successful hip replacement and is well on the mend,” spokesperson Ian Krager said in a statement sent to HuffPost in mid-December.

The statement added that the former House Speaker was “grateful to U.S. military staff at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center at Landstuhl Army Base and medical staff at Hospital Kirchberg in Luxembourg for their excellent care and kindness.”

California Sen. Adam Schiff acknowledged on ABC News Sunday that his Democratic Party lost the 2024 election because they failed to stay “laser focused” on the high cost of living while also critiquing President Donald Trump’s economic policies.

During former President Joe Biden’s tenure, inflation peaked at 9 percent in June 2022—a dramatic rise from the 1.4 percent when he took office. Despite this economic crisis, both Biden and the Democrats consistently downplayed the situation, with the then-former president repeatedly touting his economic achievements even as Americans grappled with soaring living costs.

On ABC’s “This Week,” co-host Jonathan Karl pressed Schiff about a Democrat being removed from the House Chamber Tuesday after attempting to interrupt Trump’s speech. Citing an X post by Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, who criticized the disruption as more damaging to the party, Karl asked if Fetterman had “a point.”

“Well, I think the lack of a coordinated response to the State of the Union was a mistake,” Schiff said. “Frankly, it took the focus off of where it should have been, which is on the fact that the president spoke for an hour and 40 minutes and had nothing to say about what he would do to bring down costs.”

Schiff went on to state how Trump’s speech did not offer Americans help to “afford a new home, pay the rent or afford health care or child care,” adding how Democrats need to keep their “focus” on the economy — despite the fact that they refused to campaign heavily on the issue ahead of the November elections.

“They’re destroying the economy, and they’re making it harder and harder for Americans to afford things. That’s where we need to keep the focus,” Schiff claimed about Trump and his Republican Party, without evidence. “That’s why we lost the last election, because we weren’t laser-focused on the high cost of living, and what they’re doing now is just making it so much worse in the administration, and that’s really what we need to emphasize.”

Karl did not press Schiff to expound upon what Trump and Republicans were doing to make things “worse.”

During the Biden administration, Republicans attempted to caution fellow lawmakers about the state of the economy, but the White House repeatedly assured Americans that the economy was growing under Biden—even as lower-than-expected job creation, inflation, and record immigration numbers curtailed opportunities.

While some Democrats have conceded that their pursuit of unfavorable policies may have cost them the 2024 election, others, such as Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, argued that voters simply didn’t “realize how much” the party had accomplished for them.

As for Trump’s economic policies, early signs are positive. On Tuesday, the Labor Department reported that inflation cooled to 2.8 percent in February versus the 3 percent rate recorded in January, Biden’s final month in office. The news drove Wall Street higher ahead of the opening bell, reports noted.

Also, while the price of eggs remains well above their levels from a year ago, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said Tuesday that on average, prices have fallen about $2 for a dozen.

“A good piece of news we just got in the last day or two is that the average cost of eggs has now gone down $1.85 since we announced our plan about a week-and-a-half ago,” she said, referencing a $1 billion initiative aimed at increasing egg supplies which will reduce prices.

In addition, interest rates continue to fall after Trump’s January inauguration. CNBC reported Wednesday that home mortgage rates have fallen for the sixth straight week to their lowest levels since October of last year. Rates fell on average last week from 6.67% to 6.73%, the outlet reported.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis addressed former President Joe Biden’s preemptive pardons for Dr. Anthony Fauci, suggesting that the move could backfire on the former COVID czar.

During a press conference, DeSantis reflected on the situation after a reporter pointed out that while Fauci is shielded from federal prosecution, he could still face legal action at the state level.

DeSantis acknowledged the “good” question before turning attention to recent revelations, including findings from Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

“I don’t know if you saw this Elon Musk stuff,” DeSantis began. “They identified 180,000 for a commemoration of Fauci at NIH headquarters. What the hell are they commemorating about Fauci? I mean, at best, you can say, you know, you have the Super Bowl of public health, a pandemic, and he totally botched it. That’s the best you can say, without even getting involved in gain of function, research and all the things that went into that treachery, how you can venerate him.”

“At best, you have to admit he got it wrong when this country was looking for leadership. He was on TV … I’ve never seen anyone do more TV interviews,” he added. The GOP governor then quipped: “I was like, why isn’t he looking at the data? And I was like, because he’s always giving interviews. That’s why he’s not looking at the data.”

Regarding Biden’s pardon, DeSantis said that actually drew more scrutiny on Fauci. “But the issue — so Biden did a preemptive pardon of him, which is odd, because, you know, if he didn’t do anything wrong. So the question is, what about a state action? And I think the pardon made it more likely that states are going to look into it,” said the governor.

He went on to say that had Biden not pardoned Fauci, then state attorneys general would likely not have made any effort to investigate the former top immunologist.

“I do think had Biden not pardoned him, I don’t think you would have seen the states really do this,” said DeSantis.

“I think they would have deferred to the Trump administration,” DeSantis said. “The reason why this could backfire on Fauci is because even if the, say, Biden didn’t pardon him, if the Trump administration had pursued charges against Fauci in say, DC, you’re not going to prosecute someone from the swamp. If the jury is comprised of the swamp, they will acquit. They protect the swamp.”

He then concluded: “If you start looking at some of these other states, those jury pools gonna be a lot different potentially. So I don’t think we’ve seen the end of it. I do think that it’s very possible that the new Ag in Florida looks and pursues this type of investigation, but I would also anticipate some other states would also do it, so it may end up boomeranging against Fauci. Biden intended to shield him from accountability, that it may have actually sparked state-based efforts to ensure his accountability.”

Journalist Matt Taibbi said during an interview with former Fox News star Tucker Carlson on his podcast last month that former Biden’s preemptive pardons for Fauci, former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), and others could wind up backfiring under certain circumstances.

“The thing is, about these pardons, they’re a mistake. If you want to know what’s happening, they just made it a lot easier for us to find out,” Taibbi said regarding suspicions that Biden preemptively pardoned several individuals who likely were involved in some form of criminal activity.

After Carlson asked for an explanation, Taibbi said that according to legal experts he has spoken with, the pardons would not, for instance, allow the recipients to plead the Fifth Amendment if Congress called them to testify.

“Now, once the pardon’s delivered, the person can’t plead the Fifth. If they are brought before a grand jury, they can’t take the Fifth anymore, or if they’re brought before a congressional committee, they can’t evoke their right against self-incrimination, so they have to say something,” the journalist said.

A government watchdog has accused the Biden administration of employing an autopen to sign nearly all of former President Joe Biden’s executive orders, sparking questions about who was truly making key decisions during his tenure.

An autopen is an electromechanical device that precisely replicates a person’s signature. High-ranking officials, including U.S. presidents, sometimes use it to sign large volumes of documents without their direct input.

Although legally acceptable in some cases, its use for signing critical legal documents—especially without transparent oversight—has raised concerns about authenticity and accountability.

A report from the Oversight Project, which is a division of the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, claims that every document featuring Biden’s signature—aside from the letter announcing his withdrawal from the 2024 race—seems to have been produced using an autopen.

These findings have sparked concerns about Biden’s cognitive state and raised questions over whether unelected officials were effectively making decisions on his behalf.

“WHOEVER CONTROLLED THE AUTOPEN CONTROLLED THE PRESIDENCY,” the Oversight Project declared on X, along with images comparing Biden’s signatures. The watchdog alleged that during Biden’s presidency, important executive actions—such as orders, pardons, and directives—were likely signed without his direct involvement.

Amid increasing pressure from Republicans and transparency advocates, there are growing calls for Congress to investigate who controlled Biden’s presidential signings and whether the American public was misled about who was truly running the country.

This month, Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey urged the U.S. Department of Justice to examine whether aides to former President Biden concealed his cognitive decline to promote a far-left agenda.

In a public letter, Bailey claimed that much of Biden’s final policies are “legally void” and that staffers may have taken advantage of his condition to issue orders without his informed consent.

“By now, Biden’s mental decline is famous,” Bailey wrote to Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz. “Under the 25th Amendment, his inability to make decisions should have meant a succession of power.”

He further claimed Biden’s staffers issued “aggressively much farther to the left” orders that should be invalid.

“Who has been running the country for the last few years?” Bailey asked in his letter. “I fear that Mr. Biden… was a mere puppet for far-left, unelected staffers. The people deserve to know the truth.”

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) recalled an incident earlier this year that also fueled speculation that Biden wasn’t in charge of his own administration and wasn’t signing his own orders.

Johnson said that during a meeting at the Oval Office with Biden in 2024, the then-commander-in-chief did not remember he signed an executive order pausing the sale of liquified natural gas (LNG) to Europe.

Johnson recounted the story publicly for the first time during an episode of Bari Weiss’ podcast “Honestly” for The Free Press. He explained that, based on his “personal observation” in dealing with Biden, the president “has not been in charge for some time.”

His account was originally reported by the Wall Street Journal in June, although that report was based on anonymous sources.

When Weiss pressed Johnson for more details, he recounted how Biden’s staff continually dismissed his attempts to schedule a meeting with the president in January 2024, amid “big national concerns” that, as he put it, kept him awake at night.

Johnson said that after media pressure, Biden’s staff eventually relented and invited him to the Oval Office to meet the president. However, he noted that the meeting did not begin as anticipated.

“I show up and I realize it’s actually an ambush ’cause it’s not just me and the president,” Johnson said. “It’s also Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer, Hakeem, you know, The CIA Director.”

Johnson said that when Biden requested to have the room to himself, the group began grilling him on Ukraine funding—a move that visibly unsettled the president’s staff. Once they were alone in the Oval Office, Johnson asked the president about his pause on LNG exports.

“I cannot answer this from my constituents in Louisiana,” Johnson recalled telling Biden. “Sir, why did you pause LNG exports to Europe? Liquefied natural gas is in great demand by our allies. Why would you do that? Cause you understand we just talked about Ukraine, you understand you are fueling Vladimir Putin’s war machine, because they gotta get their gas from him.”

Biden replied: “I didn’t do that” — which Johnson said left him stunned.

“He genuinely did not know what he had signed,” Johnson said. “And I walked out of that meeting with fear and loathing because I thought, ‘We are in serious trouble—who is running the country?’ Like, I don’t know who put the paper in front of him, but he didn’t know.”

Everyone has experienced the discomfort of trying to sleep in a stuffy, hot environment. It is more difficult to fall asleep, difficult to go deeper into a deep slumber, and impossible to remain comfortable during the night when sleeping in a stifling, scorching room.

If you want to sleep better on hot summer evenings, you might want to think about using a fan rather than air conditioning. A fan, though, might not be the best option, as we think it is. Even though a fan seems straightforward, it cannot offer the comfort we anticipate.

Study: New research indicates that a lower body temperature (preferably between 65 and 68°F, but as low as 60°F) in the bedroom encourages more restorative sleep. [1]

In order to help you have a deeper, more rejuvenating sleep, we’ll go over the main arguments against using a fan to keep cool in bed as well as provide a better alternative.

Is sleeping with a fan bad for you?

A lot of individuals, particularly in warmer climates or during the summer, sleep with a fan on all night long. Still, only a few people are aware of the various health hazards associated with this seemingly innocuous method of staying cool.

Even though the majority of these problems are very small and usually cause more annoyance than harm, they are significant enough to make you reconsider depending on a fan for comfort at night.

1. Heighten Allergies

Because fans move dust, pollen, pet dander, and other allergens in the air, they can exacerbate allergies and respiratory conditions. Allergies may worsen when the fan is switched on because it may release allergens that become lodged in the air filter or fan blades.

Without your knowledge, dust mites and household allergens may accumulate over time on the ceiling fan blades.

This may result in symptoms including congestion, itchy eyes, coughing, and sneezing. It is advised that the fan blades and air filter be routinely cleaned to decrease allergens and lessen typical allergy symptoms.

Did you know that studies have linked seasonal allergies to snoring, poor sleep quality, and sleep disorders? [2]

2. Increase Sinus Irritation

Your fan’s air can dry out your mouth, throat, and nose, irritate your sinuses, and cause your body to generate too much mucus, which can cause congestion and headaches.

In addition, sleeping with a fan might cause sore throats. If you’re allergic, the continual breeze could be uncomfortable for you. The continuous airflow from the fan may exacerbate your symptoms if you are already ill, making you feel worse than before.

Use a humidifier or put a glass of water next to your bed if you plan to use a fan. By doing this, you can lessen the drying effect of the fan and avoid any potential pain.

3. Result in Stiff or Sore Muscles

It’s not uncommon to wake up with sore muscles or a stiff neck, and, strangely enough, using a fan to circulate air while you sleep might actually make your muscles tense. Muscle strain can result from a fan’s nighttime continuous air circulation, particularly in areas that are immediately exposed to the airflow.

If the fan is placed near your face or neck, this issue is more serious. Long-term exposure to a cool breeze can cause the muscles to stiffen up from the steady blast of air, making it difficult to move and causing you to wake up hurting or with a stiff neck.

You can solve this problem by repositioning the fan so that air doesn’t blow straight into your face while you sleep. You might try angling the fan so that air flows around the space without coming into close contact with your body.

4. Cause Dry Skin and Can Irritate Eyes

For people who already have a tendency toward dryness, the constant wind from a desk or ceiling fan at night can cause dry skin and eyes.

The constant airflow from the fan accelerates the evaporation of moisture from the skin and eyes, depriving them of their natural lubricant. As a result, there is uncomfortable dryness, tight or flaky skin, and itchy or inflamed eyes.

The severity of these symptoms may be increased in those with eczema or sensitive eyes. Furthermore, using a fan on a regular basis over time may cause irritation or even more severe eye issues if you wear contact lenses, increasing pain.

When deciding whether to use a fan while you sleep, it’s crucial to take these factors into account, particularly if you already have dry skin or eyes.

5. Increased Congestion

A fan’s airflow can dry up your throat, nose, and mouth, which may cause your body to generate more mucus. This may cause symptoms including headaches, stuffy noses, or even louder snoring.

While using a fan by itself won’t likely get you sick, it can make your current symptoms worse if you’re not feeling well. Congestion may be reduced by drinking plenty of water and using a humidifier in addition to a fan.

6. Potential Noise Disruption

For light sleepers or those who prefer an entirely silent sleeping environment, even a low hum from a fan might cause major disruptions to their sleep.

Even if some fans are made to run softly, they nevertheless provide a steady background noise that is audible in the serenity of the evening. This noise, which can range in volume from a soft buzzing to a loud humming, can disrupt the sleep-wake cycle and cause trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.

This can lead to a reduction in the quality of sleep for those who are sensitive to auditory disruptions because they may experience less deep sleep or more fragmented sleep. Furthermore, it can be difficult for people who are used to sleeping in complete silence to get used to the sound of a fan, which could cause longer-term sleep difficulties.

Did You Know: The Chilipad Dock Pro noise reduces background noise to 41–46 decibels, so you won’t even notice it’s on. Furthermore, regardless of the temperature in your bedroom or the heat your body produces, it is guaranteed to maintain your ideal sleeping temperature, which is between 55 and 115 °F.

7. Interrupted Sleep

Did you know that nighttime air movement might cause you to wake up and worsen sleep disturbances? Thus, the things you use to enhance your sleep can interfere with it.

Fans may exacerbate or cause health problems while providing little help in keeping you cool at night. Using our cooling mattress pad is one way to stay cool at night and fall asleep instead of using a fan.

They are made to keep you cool, comfy, and free from overheating throughout the entire night. Normal mattresses make it hard to stay cool since they retain your body heat and reflect it back towards you.

To avoid overheating and sleeping too hot, hot sleepers can control their body temperature with our cooling mattress pads.

8. Limitations in Temperature Control

It’s critical to recognize a fan’s limitations when it comes to room cooling. A fan only moves air around, even if it may seem as though it is lowering the temperature in the space.

When the air flows over your body, this movement produces a breeze or wind chill effect, which makes you feel colder. But neither the room’s real temperature nor your body’s core temperature are being lowered by the fan.

This distinction becomes more important when the weather is exceptionally hot. A fan only circulates the heated air already present in the room, not removing any of the heat, hence, it is useless if the ambient air temperature is already high. This suggests that even while the breeze may provide you with some short-term respite, the room’s temperature remains constant overall.

Because they are unable to lower the temperature like an air conditioner can, fans are comparatively useless in hot weather.

How to Sleep Cooler at Night

Although the Chilipad sleep system has already been discussed, there are further options for sleeping in a cooler environment.

• Breathable, cool bedding
• Take a warm shower
• Hydrate before bed
• Use blackout curtain
• and more

Are you looking for additional strategies to keep cool and sleep through the night? Discover practical advice and methods for maintaining your composure at night and enhancing the quality of your sleep by reading our blog.

Final Thought

It’s evident that fans have drawbacks despite being a common way to stay cool and decorate your space. There are a number of negative consequences to sleeping with a fan on, including the ability to aggravate allergies, dry up your skin and eyes, and induce muscular stiffness and sleep disturbances due to noise.

It’s critical to balance these considerations with your unique requirements and sleeping habits. Other solutions that can provide comfort without the drawbacks of a fan include permeable bedding, cooling mattress toppers, and keeping the temperature of the room lower.

To ensure continuous, deep sleep, keep in mind that the perfect sleeping environment strikes a balance between comfort, temperature, and personal choice.

Cancer is a complex group of diseases with many possible causes.

In all types of cancer, some of the body’s cells begin to divide without stopping and spread into surrounding tissues.

Cancer can spread almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. In normal functioning human conditions, human cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old or become damaged, they die, and new cells take their place.

When cancer develops, however, this orderly process breaks down. As cells become more and more abnormal, old or damaged cells survive when they should die, and new cells form when they are not needed. These extra cells can divide without stopping and may form growths called tumors.

Medical experts note that it can be triggered by various factors, including:

• Smoking and Tobacco
• Sun and Other Types of Radiation
• Viruses and Other Infections

According to researches, following an unhealthy diet and being physically inactive could elevate your possibility of developing cancer.

It has been estimated by The World Cancer Research Fund that nearly 20% of the total American cancer cases are associated with poor diet, physical inactivity, weight gain, and excess consumption of alcohol.

However, like many other diseases, cancer is also a preventable disease. So, you can greatly lower your risk of cancer by:

• Eating a healthy diet rich in organic veggies and fruits;
• Quit smoking;
• Exercising regularly;
• Maintaining a healthy body weight.

Here is the list of top 8 foods that can increase your cancer risk:

1. Refined and Artificial Sugary Foods

It is a well-known fact that the excess intake of foods containing refined sugar and artificial fructose sweeteners, like high-fructose corn syrup can lead to the development of a wide range of health issues.

In general, this type of foods can quickly raise the levels of insulin and boost cancer cell growth.

In 2006, the American Society for Clinical Nutrition journal published a study suggesting that the participants who consumed higher amounts of sugar-sweetened foods had a greater chance of developing pancreatic cancer than control group.

Hence, consider substituting these unhealthy food choices with natural options such as maple syrup, raw honey, stevia, blackstrap molasses, or jaggery.

2. Red and Processed Meats

There are a lot of harmful preservatives and chemicals in processed meats, including bacon, sausage, ham, etc. Moreover, this type of meat also possesses extremely high amount of salt.

A study shows that the excess processed meat consumption could be linked to the development of colorectal cancer.

That’s not all, high read meat consumption can also elevate the persons risk of developing prostate and colorectal cancer.

So, you should exclude these foods from your diet. You should only eat grass-fed meat since it is a much healthier alternative than processed ones.

3. Smoked and Pickled Foods

The regular consumption of these foods is not good for your overall health.

Namely, the smoking process of smoked meats leaves many toxic ingredients in the meat, which can contribute to various health issues. Also, there are a lot of nitrates in pickled foods that are transformed into N-nitroso. Additionally, this ingredient can significantly elevate the possibility of developing cancer.

What’s more, smoked and pickled foods are loaded with preservatives. They are added in these foods in order to prolong their shelf life. But, the excess intake of preservatives can trigger cellular damage, thus resulting in cancer development.

Therefore, it is recommended to exclude these foods from your diet.

Must Read: The Truth about Cancer: What You Need to Know about Cancer’s History, Treatment, and Prevention

4. White Flour

Nowadays, there are a great number of processed food products containing refined white flour. However, refined white flour possesses high amounts of carbohydrates, which have negative impact on your health. Also, they can elevate the risk of developing cancer.

According to studies, women who consumed too much carbohydrates had a raised breast cancer risk. It has been also found that white flour consumption can cause increased sugar levels in the blood very quickly.

That is why you should replace refined white flour with other healthier alternatives such as quinoa, almond, whole-wheat, or barley flour.

5. Hydrogenated Oils

This type of oils are actually turned into poisons through their processing and manufacturing.

They are chemically extracted from vegetables to prolong their shelf life as well as preserve processed foods. Moreover, they are abundant in omega–6 fatty acids and trans fats.

To explain you more deeply, small amount of omega–6 fatty acids can be beneficial for your overall health. But, high intake of these fatty acids can negatively affect the cell membrane’s structure and flexibility. It can elevate your risk of developing many cancer types, particularly skin cancer.

Plus, the trans fats can raise your chance of developing colorectal, prostate and breast cancer.

As you can see, hydrogenated oils can do a lot of harm to your health, so replace them with extra-virgin coconut and olive oil.

5. Microwave Popcorn

Did you know that there is a chemical known as perfluorooctanoic acid present in the microwave popcorn bags that is extremely toxic?

There are a few studies conducted on the harmful effects of this chemical. In addition, researchers revealed that those people who had PFOA exposure at work had a greater risk of developing kidney and bladder cancer.

Another study found that this chemical can also result in impaired fertility in women.

Unluckily, microwave popcorn also possesses many GMO products and preservatives, including propyl gallate.

6. Farmed Salmon

There is a huge difference between farmed and wild salmon. In other words, unlike the farmed salmon, the consumption of wild variety offers many health benefits.

Furthermore, farmed salmon consumption has been found to increase the chance of cancer development.

There’s a study confirming that there are greater amounts of harmful chemicals and cancer-promoting ingredients in farmed salmon than wild one. Some of these ingredients include toxaphene, mercury, dioxins, flame retardants, and polychlorinated biphenyls. These ingredients are not good for your health and can lead to many other health problems.

In case you want to purchase wild salmon, please read its labeled ingredients. Keep in mind that farmed salmon is cheaper than wild variety.

7. Potato Chips

The manufacturing process of potato chips requires very high temperatures. It leads to the creation of acrylamide, which is a popular carcinogen.

The National Cancer Institute published a study proving that this ingredient found in potato chips increases the possibility of developing breast, prostate, ovarian, and digestive tract cancer.

All of us know that potato chips are loaded with calories and fats that can lead to obesity, high blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and so on. Also, they possess many artificial preservatives and flavors. But, why are you still eating this type of food?

Considering all these findings, you should prepare potato chips at your home by using olive oil, rather than purchasing commercial potato chips. Plus, consider preparing baked banana or apple chips because they are healthier alternatives than potato chips.

Learn which drinks can harm your blood pressure and how to avoid them.

Hypertension, commonly known as high blood pressure, is a serious health condition that  can lead to serious complications. And one of  the often overlooked aspects of blood pressure control is what we drink. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the drinks that can negatively impact your blood pressure, providing valuable information that goes beyond what you’ve heard before. Let’s get started!

Why Beverages Matter for High Blood Pressure

Hypertension is a chronic condition in which the force of blood against the walls of the arteries is consistently high. This excessive pressure leads to health problems such as heart disease, stroke and organ damage. One important way to control blood pressure is through diet, and the beverages we choose play a key role in this process.

Many people focus on reducing their sodium intake as part of a strategy to combat hypertension, which is important. However, the amount of sodium we consume through beverages is often underestimated. In addition, the amount of sugar and caffeine in many beverages can also temporarily raise blood pressure. Therefore, it is important to be mindful of what we drink and consider the healthier alternatives available.

Energy Drinks: The Powerful Boost You Should Avoid

Energy drinks have become popular among those seeking an instant boost of energy. However, these drinks often contain significant levels of caffeine and sugar, which can result in a temporary increase in blood pressure. Caffeine is a stimulant that causes blood vessels to constrict temporarily, raising blood pressure. Additionally, excessive consumption of energy drinks leads to dehydration, which is also detrimental to blood pressure.

Therefore, it is a wise choice to limit or completely avoid energy drinks if you suffer from hypertension. Instead, opt for healthier alternatives such as mineral water, caffeine-free teas or even electrolyte-based drinks to keep your body hydrated and your blood pressure under control.

Carbonated beverages: the sugar and sodium villains

Sparkling beverages, especially sugary sodas, are notorious for their high added sugar content. Regular consumption of these beverages leads to weight gain, which in turn contributes to high blood pressure. In addition to sugar, some carbonated beverages also contain high levels of sodium, a mineral that plays a critical role in regulating blood pressure.

Excess sodium leads to water retention and increased pressure in the arteries. Therefore, avoiding carbonated beverages is essential for those who want to maintain healthy blood pressure. Instead, choose healthier options, such as sparkling water or water flavored with fresh fruit. This will keep your taste buds satisfied and your health in check.

Alcohol: The Delicate Balance Between Pleasure and Risk

Excessive alcohol consumption is also a concern when it comes to hypertension. Alcohol stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for regulating blood pressure. As a result, alcohol consumption leads to constriction of blood vessels and an increase in blood pressure.

In addition, alcohol can negatively interact with medications used to treat hypertension, reducing their effectiveness. Therefore, if you suffer from hypertension, it is essential to limit your alcohol consumption. It is important to note that specific recommendations regarding safe alcohol consumption vary from person to person, depending on several factors, such as age, gender, and individual health conditions. Therefore, it is advisable to consult your doctor for personalized guidance.

Caffeine: Blood Pressure’s Friend and Foe

Caffeine is a stimulant commonly found in coffee,  tea, and  energy drinks. While caffeine has been shown to have some health benefits when consumed in moderation, it can also temporarily raise your blood pressure, especially if you’re not used to drinking it regularly.

Caffeine works by increasing the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for controlling the body’s fight-or-flight response. If you are sensitive to caffeine or have high blood pressure, it’s a good idea to limit your intake of caffeinated beverages or opt for decaffeinated versions.

Choosing Healthier Drinks for High Blood Pressure

By now, you’ve learned about the drinks you should avoid if you have high blood pressure. However, it’s important to consider healthier alternatives that benefit your blood pressure and overall health. Here are some wise beverage choices you may want to incorporate into your diet:

Still water

Water is the healthiest beverage you can choose. Staying hydrated is essential for cardiovascular health, and still water is an excellent option.

Caffeine-free herbal teas

Herbal teas, such as chamomile, peppermint, and lavender, are great alternatives to caffeinated drinks. They are caffeine-free and have relaxing properties.

Unsweetened fruit juices

Fruit juices are a delicious way to get essential nutrients. Choose options without added sugar to avoid raising your blood pressure.

Unsweetened plant-based drinks

Plant-based milks, such as almond, soy, and oat, are excellent substitutes for traditional milk. Choose varieties without added sugar.

The Importance of Diet for Hypertension

In addition to choosing your beverages wisely, your diet plays a significant role in controlling hypertension. It’s important to adopt a balanced approach to eating, including nutrient-rich foods that help keep your blood pressure at healthy levels. Here are some general guidelines for a healthy diet for hypertension:

Fruits and Vegetables

Opt for a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, as they are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals that promote cardiovascular health.

Whole Grains

Replace refined grains with whole grain options, such as whole-grain bread and brown rice. This helps maintain stable blood sugar and blood pressure levels.

Lean Proteins

Choose lean protein sources, such as chicken breast, fish, and legumes. Avoid processed meats, which tend to be high in sodium.

Low-Fat Dairy

Opt for low-fat dairy products to reduce your intake of saturated fats.

Limiting Sodium

Reduce the amount of salt in your diet. Pay attention to food labels and avoid processed foods, which are often high in sodium.

Australia’s Ally Langdon couldn’t hide the sadness bubbling inside when she spoke with a mom and dad, who were forced into the painful decision of taking the life of the young girl whom they had given life to only 13 years before.

The young girl died after falling prey to a viral craze called chroming, and Langdon, also a mom, struggled to hold back her tears.

Appearing on A Current Affair with host Ally Langdon, Andrea and Paul Haynes shared their story of how their 13-year-old daughter Esra Haynes died after following a social media trend called chroming, that involves inhaling toxic chemicals through the mouth or nose to get high.

Referred to as “determined, fun, cheeky and talented” by the Montrose Football Netball Club that she co-captained, Esra was a young athlete who raced BMX bikes with her brothers, and led her team to a national aerobics’ championship in Queensland.

On March 31, Esra went to a friend’s home for a sleepover and, for what would be a fatal high, she sniffed a can of aerosol deodorant and went into cardiac arrest, sustaining irreparable brain damage.

“It was just the regular routine of going to hang out with her mates,” her mom Andrea, told Langdon in the interview.

Her father Paul added: “We always knew where she was and we knew who she was with. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary…To get this phone call at that time of night, (it) was one of the calls no parent ever wants to have to receive, and we unfortunately got that call: ‘Come and get your daughter.’”

Langdon explains that Esra’s friends thought she was having a panic attack, “but after inhaling deodorant, her body was actually starting to shut down, she was in cardiac arrest and no one at the sleepover used cardiac arrest.”

When Andrea arrived at Esra’s side, paramedics were trying to revive Esra and told mom that her daughter had been chroming, something she had never heard of until that moment.

Esra was taken to hospital held onto the hope that their baby girl would recover. After all, her heart and lungs were strong so maybe she would make it through.

After eight days on life support, Paul and Andrea were told that Esra’s brain was damaged “beyond repair and we had to have that decision to turn off the machine.”

Struggling with their words, and reliving their worst day, her parents explained the pain of ending their daughter’s life.

Asked to bring family and friends to the hospital for their final goodbyes, Esra’s dad said: “It was a very, very difficult thing to do to such a young soul. She was put onto a bed so we could lay with her. We cuddled her until the end.”

Overwhelmed by the parent’s heartache, and a mother of two young children, Langdon was unable to contain her emotions and teared up.

Victorian teen’s chroming death

The shattered siblings of a Year 8 student who died from chroming say their mission is now to save others from the same fate.Don Valley teenager Esra Haynes went into cardiac arrest after inhaling deodorant.#9News | WATCH LIVE 6pmPosted by 9 News on Wednesday, April 12, 2023

After Esra died in early April, Paul says the family is completely “broken,” and Esra’s siblings, Imogen, Seth and Charlie are “shattered.”

“It was really devastating, devastating for everyone involved, all her friends as well,” Paul said. “It’s been the most difficult, traumatic time any parent could go through. We haven’t been sleeping, we’ve hardly been eating, we haven’t been smiling–we’re not ourselves…But it’s not just affected us, it’s the community as well.”

Never having heard of chroming until it killed their daughter, Paul and his wife are on a crusade to bring awareness to the deadly viral craze–easily achieved with store-bought products like deodorant, paint, hairspray or even permanent markers–that’s increasingly popular among teens.

Speaking with a local news station, Paul said he wished he knew of chroming when Esra was still alive, so he could have warned her of the dangers: “If we were educated and the word had been put out there, we would have had the discussion around our kitchen table for sure.”

“We need to ramp it up and let these kids find out the information first-hand, and not through friends, and not through social media–then they’re given the right advice off the bat.”

Paul plans to educate parents, allowing them the opportunity of educating their children, and hopefully saving their lives. their children.

“(Parents) need to sit and have a chat to their children, and just open that conversation up gently with them. We certainly didn’t know what was going on.”

Since 2009, the alarming trend of chroming is responsible for the deaths of multiple children across Australia, and around the world.

Chroming–that can lead to seizures, heart attack, suffocation, sudden sniffing death, coma, and organ failure–is attractive to young people as a method to get an immediate short-term high.

“We’ve got the pictures in our mind which will never be erased, you know, of what we were confronted with,” Paul told Langdon. “Our gut was ripped out.”

We cannot imagine how painful it is for a family to make the decision of taking their young child off life support. Our hearts go out to the Haynes family and to all the loved ones that Esra left behind.

Share this story with everyone you know and help parents save the lives of their children by educating them on the dangers of this fatal trend.  

Getting diagnosed with stage 4 cancer is not something anyone wants for themselves or their family members. To avoid such a thing, it is a good idea to keep getting regular checkups.

However, even apart from regular health check ups, it is also important to do self checks. This means keeping an eye on signs that could be a warning sign.

Keep reading to learn about a few signs that should ring the alarm bells in your head.

A UK-based content creator, Georgie Swallow, is raising awareness about Hodgkin lymphoma. The cancer attacks the lymphatic system, a part of the immune system. Swallow wants to talk about some signs that could cause concern, which she herself had found in herself.

She was diagnosed at 28 years old. Because of her treatment for the cancer, she went into early menopause before she was able to have children.

The symptoms she wants to raise awareness about are ones she ignored in herself, thinking she was experiencing them because of stress. And going to a doctor would only be “wasting everyone’s time.”

She did not think it was serious even she even noticed a lump in the side of her neck.

Swallow is now 32 years old and has confessed that her cancer did not just impact her physical health but also her mental health. The three symptoms she had that she ignored were itchy legs, nocturnal sweats, and general fatigue.

“I would itch until I broke the skin which would keep me up all night. I went to the doctor and they thought it could be stress, allergies or urticaria but no cream or lifestyle change would make it go,” she shared.

“During this time I was losing weight, having night sweats, constantly exhausted and a never-ending stream of colds and flus but I just thought I was on the go too much and wearing myself out.”

The content creator wanted to highlight these symptoms because often people will shrug them off as irrelevant. However, these symptoms could lead to a cancer diagnosis being delayed.

Her early menopause, according to her, feels like “being hit by a bus.”

“Cancer can take quite a lot away from you but losing my fertility before I’d had a chance to have children was difficult,” she shared.

“The menopause at any age can be difficult, but at 28 I didn’t have anyone my age to talk to about it,” she went on, “None of my friends understood what I was going through, and as supportive as they were, it’s hard to comfort and relate to something you don’t understand.”

She wants to raise awareness about these symptoms and hopefully help others identify them and perhaps get a diagnosis much earlier than she did.

Share this with others who might benefit from knowing more about these symptoms as well. Let us know what you think in the comments.

If you’ve ever cooked a chicken and noticed that it’s purging a white jelly-like substance, don’t worry! The gross goo may look unappetizing, but it’s actually a natural phenomenon caused by protein escaping the bird as it cooks.

You pull your perfectly seasoned chicken breast out of the oven, and there it is – a strange, oozing white goo. You wanted a juicy, golden-brown masterpiece, but now your chicken looks like it’s melting.

But don’t worry, this poultry predicament happens to chicken lovers everywhere, from casual home cooks to professional chefs, according to personal chef, Drew Curlett.

 “It might not be pretty, but it’s pretty normal to see white stuff come out of chicken, especially when baked or roasted,” the culinary instructor tells Reader’s Digest.

What is the goop?

Despite its strange appearance, the white stuff oozing from chicken isn’t anything to panic about. It’s a combination of protein and water that coagulates when the chicken is cooked at high temperatures.

Chicken meat, especially the breast, is rich in protein, and when you cook it, the heat causes the protein to transform or “denature” – the same way an egg white turns solid white when cooked. This process forces water out of the meat, and as the proteins clump together, they create that white, slightly sticky, semi-solid goo you see on the surface.

This phenomenon is most common when you:

• Cook boneless, skinless chicken breasts (since they contain less fat and more protein). “It’s really common when cooking at high heat without much in the way of liquid or fat, like if you’re baking plain, boneless, skinless chicken breasts,” Curlett said.
• Use high heat methods like roasting, baking, or pan-searing. Cooking chicken at too high of a temperature too quickly can cause proteins to rapidly contract, forcing out more liquid and forming that gooey layer.
• The best way to minimize this effect is by using medium heat and allowing the chicken to rest after cooking. Resting helps redistribute the juices back into the meat rather than letting them leak out immediately.
• Cook frozen chicken that hasn’t been fully thawed (the excess moisture contributes to the effect). This happens because freezing causes ice crystals to form within the muscle fibers, damaging their structure. When thawed, the broken-down fibers release more moisture and proteins during cooking, increasing the likelihood of seeing the white substance.

Is white goo safe to eat?

While it might look unappetizing, this white substance is perfectly safe to eat. It’s just cooked protein and water – completely edible and doesn’t affect the taste of your chicken.

However, if your chicken has an odd smell, slimy texture, or discoloration before cooking, that’s a sign of spoilage. The white substance itself is harmless, but if your chicken has other signs of going bad, it’s best to discard it.

Reduce the goop

If you’d rather not have your chicken oozing out the goo, there are ways to reduce its appearance.

• Cook at a lower temperatures: High heat speeds up the coagulation process, making the white goo more noticeable. Try baking at 350°F (175°C) instead of 400°F (205°C) for a more gradual cook.
• Brine your chicken: Soak your chicken in a simple saltwater solution for 30 minutes to an hour helps retain moisture and reduces the amount of protein loss during cooking.
• Sear before baking: Searing the chicken in a hot pan before transferring it to the oven locks in juices and can minimize the white protein leakage.
• Let the chicken rest: Cooking cold chicken straight from the fridge (or worse, partially frozen chicken) increases the amount of white stuff that appears. Let it sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes before cooking.
• Use premium chicken: Factory-farmed chicken tends to contain more water due to processing, making the white goo more pronounced. If possible, opt for organic or air-chilled chicken, which contains less excess moisture.

Just remember you can minimize it, but unless you’re cooking low and slow, some protein leakage is natural.

The white stuff coming out of your chicken is just protein and water reacting to heat and it’s totally natural and safe to eat. While it may not be the prettiest sight, it doesn’t affect the taste or safety of your meal.

US Vice President JD Vance’s cousin has publicly condemned him and President Donald Trump for what he described as their “belittling” treatment of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a tense Oval Office meeting in February.

Nate Vance, who spent three years volunteering with the Ukrainian military following Russia’s full-scale invasion, expressed his disappointment in an interview with the BBC.

“There’s a certain level of decorum that I expect from political leaders, especially in front of cameras,” he said, adding that the meeting’s handling left him “not happy.”

His remarks follow earlier comments in which he accused Trump and JD Vance of acting as “useful idiots” for Russian President Vladimir Putin in their approach to the war, as reported by The Guardian.

The February meeting, which was broadcast live, quickly turned contentious. Trump threatened to withdraw US support unless a deal was reached, warning Zelensky against “gambling with World War Three.” Meanwhile, JD Vance accused Zelensky of being “disrespectful” by raising concerns in front of the media and suggested that the Ukrainian leader had failed to show gratitude for American aid.

However, Nate Vance rejected that claim. “Zelensky does a daily or nightly address where he thanks everyone who supports Ukraine,” he pointed out. He acknowledged that Zelensky may not have shown “enough deference to Donald Trump” but argued that expecting such deference was unreasonable given that “my cousin and Donald Trump have been actively working against his initiatives for the past three years.”

The situation escalated to the point where Zelensky was asked to leave the White House, and a planned news conference was abruptly canceled. In the aftermath, the Trump administration halted military aid, satellite imagery, and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine.

Another controversy arose when a reporter criticized Zelensky for not wearing a suit during the meeting. Since the war began, the Ukrainian president has consistently worn military-style clothing as a sign of solidarity with his soldiers. Nate Vance dismissed the criticism as petty.

“Everyone knows why he dresses that way—it’s symbolic. Who cares? It’s a silly hill to die on,” he said. He also pointed out the double standard in allowing Elon Musk to frequently visit the Oval Office in casual attire, often wearing a baseball cap and T-shirt.

In a separate interview with Le Figaro, Nate Vance described his cousin as “a good guy, intelligent,” but called the Oval Office encounter “an ambush of absolute bad faith.”

He admitted that his stance was unusual given his long-standing Republican affiliation. “I’ve been a Republican my whole life, so this is an odd position for me to take. But I’m passionate about it, and I think we’re handling this issue the wrong way,” he said.

When asked about how other Americans viewed the exchange, he estimated that 20% would be “disheartened” by the incident. He warned against growing isolationism, stating, “The last time we took an isolationist approach, we ended up with World War One and World War Two.”

Zelensky later described the heated discussion as “regrettable” and called for a renewed effort to mend relations. Meanwhile, the US remains engaged in diplomatic efforts with both Ukraine and Russia, hoping to negotiate an end to the war.

Last week, Trump claimed he was “doing very well with Russia” but admitted that dealing with Ukraine was proving to be “more difficult.”

When 58-year-old Paul Skinner was cycling with a friend, he saw something from the corner of his eyes that had him immediately slam on his breaks.

Something was moving in a ditch.

As he approached, he discovered a tired and almost lifeless cocker spaniel that had clearly been abandoned.

The dog also had a plastic bag in his mouth — and when Paul realized what was inside, the hair on his spine began to rise.

Jumped off his bike

“I was out cycling with my friend at the time. We spotted on the verge something that looked like a dead bird, but as we passed it it moved,” Paul told British paper Metro. 

The dog, obviously deserted, was discovered in Lincolnshire, England.

“The dog was on its own, sitting licking the contents of a fish and chips carrier bag,” Paul adds. 

Paul jumped off his bike and approached the dog. He could see no owners nearby.

That’s when he discovered the bag she held in her mouth.

Paul bent over the bag to see what was inside.

“The bag contained four dead pups. It was heartbreaking. She had tears in her eyes. I could not believe anybody could be so devoid of humanity to do something like this,” he says.

Paul immediately contacted an animal rescue group and and a local animal shelter.

Volunteers from the animal shelter soon arrived and tried to rescue the puppies — but it was too late.

One veterinarian examined the puppies and assessed that they’d probably been born that same day.

It appeared they may have been alive when they were placed in the bag and were dumped in the ditch together with their mother.

“We don’t know whether the puppies were stillborn or whether they died because of the cold,” the police said. “We would like to thank the cyclist who found the dog and raised the alarm and to Fen Bank Greyhound Sanctuary who got her to the vets.”

A microchip was found on the mamma dog but could only be traced back to the original breeder.

The momma dog was taken care of by the dog shelter and named Carly. Fortunately, she will never be treated badly again — and serve as an example of why we should never stop standing up against people who treat animals badly.

Carly clearly has 100 times more heart than her irresponsible owner. She refused to abandon her kids, even when they were no longer alive.

Her strong reaction and maternal instinct really shows that animals have the ability to feel just as much as we humans do. 

I hope Carly has a long and happy life moving forward, and perhaps new puppies in the future! Like if you agree!

In an impassioned interview with ABC’s Jonathan Karl on Sunday, Senator Adam Schiff (D–Calif.) expressed deep frustration over what he perceives as the Democratic Party’s failure to present a unified, coordinated response to President Donald Trump.

Schiff’s critique centered on the party’s inability to focus on the core issues affecting American families—most notably, the soaring cost of living.

As he pointed out, during the State of the Union address, President Trump spent nearly two hours on stage without offering any concrete proposals to alleviate the financial burdens faced by everyday Americans.

An illegal immigrant who previously served as an aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has reportedly self-deported to Colombia, praising the “freedom of movement” in the South American nation after working in Congress despite his unauthorized status.

Diego de la Vega, born in Ecuador, arrived in the United States at age 7 in 2001 on a visitor’s visa that he eventually overstayed, according to Migrant Insider. He became a recipient of then-President Barack Obama’s DACA — Deferred Action on Childhood Arrivals — program, which was essentially an amnesty that the Supreme Court later upheld during the first Trump administration.

This development raises difficult questions about his employment status with the Queens-based congresswoman, Fox News reported.

“It’s bittersweet. I hadn’t left the country in 23 years — from age seven to age 30,” de la Vega told Migrant Insider. “Now, I can’t go back to the U.S. It feels like exile. It’s a very permanent move. But my wife and I are confident we made the right decision. And, after some time, it’s been a real pleasure to be here.

“It feels surreal to not be illegalized anymore. I don’t have to live in the shadows or constantly worry about paperwork,” he added. “That freedom of movement is incredibly satisfying.”

After the Dream Act narrowly failed in 2010—falling short in the Senate by just five votes—de la Vega became politically engaged. After a stint with an immigrant rights organization, he served as communications director for Robert Rodriguez, a former New York State Assembly member who now leads the New York State Dormitory Authority, according to his LinkedIn profile.

In 2021, de la Vega joined Ocasio-Cortez’s re-election campaign and eventually rose to the role of deputy communications director, Fox added.

“Diego is amazing,” Ocasio-Cortez told the news outlet. “We love him.”

Despite not being a U.S. citizen, de la Vega worked for Ocasio-Cortez. It’s important to note that DACA recipients are prohibited from holding paid positions in congressional offices.

“We were always honest with voters in New York City,” de la Vega said of working with Ocasio-Cortez. “We didn’t dumb it down or tell them what they wanted to hear. We engaged with them honestly. We listened, then explained that Alexandria was fighting for reform, but Republicans were blocking it.”

He expressed his frustration with the direction the immigration movement was taking.

“Protections are going away, regardless of who is in the White House. The strategy hasn’t adapted to the modern era,” he said. “Biden had a trifecta — the House, Senate and White House, but dropped the ball.”

De la Vega shared that, as a child, he experienced fear, but he ultimately had a good childhood in New York. He said he may not be able to return to the U.S. “for many years” but that “it feels fulfilling to be home.”

Last month, Ocasio-Cortez came under fire for holding a webinar that critics say provided information to illegal immigrants in the U.S. about how to avoid being caught by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and deported.

The webinar caught the eye of President Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, who referred the situation to the Justice Department seeking an opinion as to whether the Bronx Democrat’s actions were criminal in nature.

Subsequently, Ocasio-Cortez wrote a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi asking if she was the subject of such an investigation.

“I’m writing to ask if the Department of Justice (DOJ) has given in to political pressure and tried to use the DOJ against elected officials whose speech they don’t agree with,” she said in her letter. “In the past two weeks, ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan has threatened to prosecute me politically on several occasions, citing materials I sent out telling my constituents and the American public about their legal and constitutional rights.”

She added: “It’s been 14 days since Mr. Homan first said he would use your agency as a weapon, but I still haven’t heard anything from the federal government.”

Former NBC “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd said on Friday that Democratic leaders Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Chuck Schumer appeared to be acting “paralyzed” due to divisions between two distinct wings of the party.

“Jeffries and Schumer are acting paralyzed because they have two different constituencies. They have ones who are worried about a left-wing tea party, and they should be worried about that, because I do think this anger inside the base is real,” Todd said during an appearance on CNN.

Todd recently left NBC News after several years as the moderator of “Meet the Press.” He now hosts a podcast titled “The Chuck Toddcast.” On the panel, they discussed the Democratic response and the protests that occurred during President Donald Trump’s address to Congress.

“Then you have others who are like, hey, I won, and Trump carried my state. So I’ve got to do this. So, I think that’s why Jeffries and Schumer come across as paralyzed because they’re trying to placate a coalition party that doesn’t know which direction to go to,” Todd continued.

“This really they should be having a loud argument the way Bill Clinton and Jesse Jackson did in 1989 and 1990 after a thrashing in 1988 where Republicans won,” Todd said. “And the problem is, the Democrats right now are afraid of having a public debate because they don’t want to help out Trump, but I do think it’s stifling their ability to figure out what to do next.”

Republican strategist Brad Todd stated that for Democrats to regain control of the House, they needed to win over Trump voters.

“Democrats can’t take the House unless they appeal to people who voted for Donald Trump. That‘s their challenge,” Todd said, according to Fox News.

During a recent podcast interview, Todd described former President Joe Biden as a “craven political animal.” In his Sunday appearance on Lincoln Project co-founder Steve Schmidt’s podcast “The Warning,” Todd explored the reasons behind the Democrats’ loss in the 2024 election and examined what he sees as the media’s relationship with the second Trump administration.

“You know, Joe Biden never should have been there in the first place, right? Number one, he shouldn’t have run for president [in 2020],” Todd remarked.

“I completely got so angry at Joe Biden, the man, when I read the transcript of the Hunter Biden trial, and when I realized that not one, not two, but three Biden children, and I count Beau’s widow, were all dealing with drug problems in 2018. And Joe Biden said, ‘Now’s a perfect time to run for president, because who cares about our family?’”

“I have to tell you something about Joe Biden. There’s this mythology about Joe Biden, that the man cared so much, it’s all bulls—,” he continued.

Todd said Biden had “created this myth,” over his 40-year career, that he was an “incredible family man.”

Ironically, Todd regularly defended Biden — and most Democrats — during the former president’s term and throughout his career in journalism.

Last month, meanwhile, a former official in Biden’s administration admitted that he and others “gaslit” the American people about the condition of the elderly leader, practically throughout the duration of his term.

Michael LaRosa, who served as the press secretary to former first lady Jill Biden, spoke to Puck reporter Tara Palmeri at the Sine Institute of Policy and Politics at American University, where he admitted to the efforts they took to protect the former president from the media spotlight.

He said that they had been aware of Biden’s cognitive issues from “Day One” and also admitted that they downplayed his crash in the polls.

“There are some things that are true. I mean, like the gaslighting, there was a lot of denial of the polling. And I will use the term gaslight because that’s what they were doing, the campaign, former colleagues,” he said.

Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard will all visit the United States’ southern border on Wednesday as illegal border crossings are at all-time lows.

This comes as the Trump administration continues to use the “whole of government” approach to deal with the crisis at the border and move deportation efforts forward. Vance, Hegseth, and Gabbard will visit a federal facility that handles immigration in Eagle Pass, Texas, the Daily Wire reported.

During Trump’s first month in office, the number of people crossing the border illegally has dropped to levels not seen since the 1960s.

According to the Border Patrol, about 359 migrants are processed every day at the southern border. This is 90% less than at the same time last year, when Biden was president.

During the Biden administration, the border town caused a lot of trouble when Texas police took over a park that had been used to process and release immigrants coming into the US.

The Trump administration has promised to support the mass deportation effort with the “full might” of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Department of Defense (DOD), and the Department of Justice (DOJ). This visit comes at the same time.

“In 30 days, the president sealed the border shut, declared the cartels to be terrorist organizations, has increased ICE deportations to levels not seen in decades, and we are shortly on the verge of achieving a pace and speed of deportations this country has never before seen,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller recently remarked.

According to internal data obtained by Axios, the number of people crossing the U.S. southern border illegally dropped to its lowest level in decades in February.

Since Trump started enforcing and talking about his broad crackdown on immigration, the numbers have dropped sharply.

“The Invasion of our Country is OVER,” Trump wrote in a Saturday Truth Social post celebrating the decline.
The drop represents an overlap of Trump’s sweeping changes in policy and rhetoric with trends that began months before he returned to the White House, said the Migration Policy Institute’s Colleen Putzel-Kavanaugh, who closely tracks border data.

In February, the Border Patrol caught about 8,300 people who crossed the border illegally between ports of entry.

According to CBP data, the Border Patrol had about 29,100 encounters in January, which is less than the 47,300 they had the month before.

The numbers for February are the lowest they’ve been since FY2000, which is the first year that monthly data was made public.

Around 130,000 people met each other in February 2023 and 2024.

There was a “really key” reason for the downward trend “that often goes a bit under the radar,” according to Putzel-Kavanaugh.

The Trump administration initiated its long-promised crackdown on the first day of his term, causing significant disruptions throughout the immigration system.

Officials shut down an app that helped some migrants legally cross the border, used military planes to deport people, and made a big deal out of a plan to deport a lot of people.

Thousands of people were stuck in Mexico when the CBP One mobile app stopped working. Their appointments for asylum screenings had to be canceled.

“The calculus was really starting to shift [prior to the app being shut down] where people were waiting in Mexico to get those appointments and be able to be processed that way, because there would still be access to humanitarian protection,” Putzel-Kavanaugh said.

And since Mexico is a big part of keeping the number of people crossing the border low, it’s not clear how the tense cross-border diplomacy and the growing trade war will affect talks about immigration enforcement.

The problem of drooling while sleeping should not be ignored, as it may be a sign of some diseases.

Xiao Liang, 25 years old (China), is a programmer, due to the heavy workload, he often has to work overtime, and even after tiring work hours, he stays up late to play games for a while.

This also makes him very sleepy every morning and only waits until lunch break to start sleeping.

Xiao Liang discovered that he was drooling while sleeping, which made him very embarrassed. In order to solve this problem, Xiao liang decided to see a doctor.

After the doctor learned that Xiao liang often drooled in the same direction, he asked him to have a CT scan of the brain first.

Unexpectedly, the examination showed that Xiaoliang’s cerebral blood vessels showed signs of blockage. Fortunately, it was detected early, avoiding the risk of cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage for Xiao liang

Where does human saliva come from?

The process of salivation is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, so the process of salivation is involuntary, like the heartbeat.

The glands in the mouth that secrete saliva are the salivary glands, which can be divided into major salivary glands and minor salivary glands, of which there are 3 pairs of major salivary glands, which are the sublingual glands, the parotid glands, and the submandibular glands. There are many minor salivary glands, distributed on the oral mucosa.

The salivary glands work continuously, in addition to keeping the oral environment moist, saliva also has the function of disinfecting, cleaning the mouth, and helping digestion.

In general,  healthy adults secrete about 1-1.5 liters of saliva per day, an average of about 30 ml per hour.

Saliva secretion increases when we eat or when the nerves in the brain are stimulated.

Mouth breathing, stress, fatigue, and unbalanced sleeping positions can all cause drooling while sleeping.

In general, drooling while sleeping is common in children because their lips are still weak, and their oral cavity does not have the function of controlling drooling and swallowing saliva.

If adults suddenly and frequently drool while sleeping, they need to be alert to the following diseases:

1. Oral diseases

Pharyngitis, maxillofacial inflammation, gingivitis can stimulate the secretion of salivary glands, leading to drooling.

In addition, crooked, loose teeth, and discomfort when wearing dentures can also cause drooling while sleeping. After straightening your teeth, your drooling will improve.

2. Facial paralysis

Facial paralysis is a condition of paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face. Due to the asymmetrical strength of the muscles on both sides, it is difficult to hold saliva on the paralyzed side and it is easy to drool whether you are sleeping or not.

If accompanied by symptoms such as crooked corners of the mouth, you need to see a doctor immediately.

3. Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Abnormal gastric acid can increase the salivation reflex, and some patients with gastroesophageal reflux may have drooling symptoms, accompanied by common symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease including acid reflux, heartburn, and chest pain.

4. Parkinson’s disease

In Parkinson’s disease, due to poor swallowing function, saliva is often not swallowed in time. In addition, due to damage to some nerves, saliva secretion also increases, leading to drooling.

5. Cerebral thrombosis

If there is a blockage in the cerebral blood vessels, some of the muscles that control the throat may be dysfunctional, and the patient cannot actively control the muscles while sleeping, causing drooling.

If accompanied by symptoms such as crooked mouth corners, saliva often flowing in one direction, and eyes not closing tightly, it is time to be extremely vigilant.

6. Arteriosclerosis

If you have atherosclerosis, it will lead to ischemia and lack of oxygen to the brain, the facial muscles will relax, and the swallowing function will also decrease, making it easy to drool.

In particular, middle-aged and elderly people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes need to be very vigilant.

To improve drooling while sleeping, there are 3 ways:

1. Change your sleeping position

Sleeping on your back can reduce drooling, balance the development of different organs in the body, and even make breathing easier. Try not to sleep on your stomach, you can use a U-shaped neck pillow to reduce discomfort.

2. Keep your mouth clean

Keep your mouth clean every day, pay attention to rinsing your mouth as soon as possible after meals, brush your teeth in the morning and evening, use fluoride toothpaste, and use dental floss at least once a day to clean between your teeth.

If you find that you have a dental problem, you should adjust it promptly, otherwise it may cause your teeth to loosen and damage your gums.

3. Alternative medicine

If you find that your drooling is related to the medicine you are taking, you can talk to your doctor and ask if you can switch to another medicine, but remember not to change or stop taking the medicine on your own.

Born in 1897 in Shanghai, and passed away in 2003 in the United States at the age of 106, Ms. Meiling is an important witness to modern and contemporary Chinese history. Although she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40, she lived to be 106 years old thanks to the secrets of preserving her beauty and health with science.

Before her death, My Linh also said many times: “A person’s life and death are determined by nature, and the health of the body is largely related to whether the diet is reasonable or not.” Accordingly, to help the body recover quickly and stay healthy, she often maintains the following healthy eating habits:

Vegetables that prevent 6 types of cancer

In the health and beauty care secrets that Ms. Tong shared, she emphasized eating celery. This is a food that contains a lot of flavonoids, a biological activity that has the effect of fighting free radicals in the body and destroying cancer cells. In addition, the polyacetylenes compound in celery has the effect of strengthening the immune system, reducing the proliferation of mutated cells and causing the formation of tumors. According to research, celery can help the body fight against 6 most common cancers: breast cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, rectal cancer, pancreatic cancer and leukemia. In addition, experts also believe that adding them to the diet not only helps reduce the risk of cancer but also brings many health benefits as follows:

– Nourishing blood: Celery contains high iron content, can supplement the amount of iron lost during women’s menstruation, helps eyes bright, hair black and shiny, avoids the situation pale skin, rough skin, dark skin.

– Cooling and detoxifying: Celery is good for the liver, people who are prone to mouth sores, shortness of breath, discomfort, regularly eating celery can help cool, detoxify, and nourish the body.

– Prevent psoriasis: Celery contains psoralen, which can prevent psoriasis.

– Good for the stomach: Celery is a food rich in fiber, which can speed up the digestion and excretion process in the stomach, then through the diuretic function of celery, toxins will be excreted through urine, reducing pressure on the stomach and protecting the stomach.

3 TYPES OF WATER

1. FILTERED WATER

After entering menopause, My Linh pays more attention to detoxifying her body using different methods, including the habit of drinking filtered water in the morning.

Every morning when she wakes up, she often drinks a lot of filtered water, then walks a lot to eliminate the toxic substances accumulated in her body through urine and sweat. Thanks to that, her skin is always detoxified, becoming radiant and shiny despite her old age. In addition, drinking water before meals will also help women increase metabolism, thereby the digestive system will process food smoothly and quickly, limiting the risk of fat accumulation.

2. Drinking green tea

Drinking green tea is one of the beauty and longevity secrets of Ms. Tong My Linh. She often asks the staff to help her make enough green tea for the whole day. Mrs. Tung values ​​green tea leaves because of their health benefits: helping to prevent cancer, regulating the spirit when in a good mood, and reducing the risk of blood vessels in the brain being blocked or ruptured. Polyphenol in green tea is a water-soluble substance, has strong antioxidant and physiological activity, not only anti-aging, skin care can reduce the loss of ultraviolet radiation on the skin, for radiation diseases, cancer, also has a very good effect.

3. Lemon juice

Tung My Linh started drinking lemon juice at the age of 40 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She believes that lemon can nourish the skin, regulate the breath, detoxify, soften blood vessels and clean the stomach, so she often drinks lemon juice for breakfast. This drink helps to detoxify, purify the intestines and improve acidity in the body. That’s why, at the age of 70, My Linh is still very beautiful and healthy. In 2001, she turned 104 years old but her skin was still rosy and had few wrinkles. When asked by American doctors about her beauty secrets, Ms. Tung did not hesitate to answer that she often drank lemon juice to maintain her beauty. At the age of 106, she passed away naturally, not at all due to cancer.

There are 14 main meridians that run through the body, 12 of which are aligned with the 24-hour clock. This means that there are two hours a day when a meridian – which runs through a certain part of your body – becomes the main one.

The meridians are related to body parts and processes, as well as emotions and experiences. In fact, the time you wake up can tell you which meridian is disturbed.

The time of night greatly determines what happens when you wake up. It is also important to consider how often you wake up at night. If you wake up every night between 3 and 5 a.m., it may mean that you are experiencing a spiritual awakening.

This is especially true if you never wake up during the night and there is no obvious reason (like going to the bathroom) why you woke up.

Spiritual significance of waking up at 1:00 a.m.

Physical: You may have circulation problems (especially your heart) or your gallbladder.

Mental: It means you have too much worry in your heart and mind. And these worries and resentments are now testing you.

Spiritual: You need energy. You are giving more than you are getting, and it is wearing you down. You may not be open to receiving, but you also may not know how to make yourself happy, so you rely on the idea of goals or the approval of others to do it for you.

Spiritual Significance of Waking up at 2 a.m.

Physical: You may be having digestive problems, either related to your small intestine or your liver. You may be eating or drinking too much or too little.

Mental: This is usually due to unresolved pockets of energy that you accumulated in early or middle childhood. When you were young, your inability to process what they meant made you either avoid or resist the circumstances in which they arose. Even today, it still has an impact on you.

Spiritual: You need to eliminate those old, limiting, inherited beliefs and ideas you have about yourself that you acquired before you were even aware of what was going on.

Spiritual meaning of waking up at 3 a.m.

Physical: You may have problems with your lungs. It may simply be an inability to breathe deeply and relax.

Mental: You need guidance and direction. Although you are beginning to have an awakening in your life, many things are still very new to you, so you are literally waking up in the spiritual “witching hour” (which is not necessarily a bad thing) to absorb more of the information you need.

Spiritual: Since 3am is the time when the veil between dimensions is at its lowest, it is possible that energies are trying to communicate with you (past loved ones, guides, etc.). It is also possible that, because you are becoming more sensitive to subtle energies, your body is waking up when there is more going on in the physical world. Stay awake and write down any messages you receive or ideas that pop into your head at this time.

Spiritual significance of waking up at 4 a.m.

Physical: You may have bladder or sweating problems. This is the time when your body temperature is lowest, so you may be too hot or too cold.

Mental: you may be too “hot or too cold” in your personal life, feeling both very fulfilled and sidelined by doubt. Know that this is part of the process, and will help you understand balance and duality.

Spiritual: You are in a time of ascension, upliftment and great change in your life. As you usher in the new, you must strive to accept letting go of the old.

Spiritual significance of waking up at 5am.

Physical: You may be having problems with your large intestine, or with your diet and nutrition.

Mental: You may not be convinced that you deserve the love of others or your own well-being. You are probably too caught up in your self-critical state of mind to really embrace all the amazing things you have built for yourself.

Spiritual: You are reaching a high point in your life where you are finally empowered, positive and thriving.

Waking up between 3 and 5 am can be a sign of a spiritual awakening.

The U.S. Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a lower court order that directed the Trump administration to release nearly $2 billion in foreign aid payments by midnight on Wednesday.

The dispute revolves around the administration’s retention of U.S. Agency for International Development funds.

According to an emergency filing by the Justice Department, the administration requires additional time to evaluate outstanding payments for fraud and abuse. The department cautioned that adhering to the expedited timeline could result in irreparable financial damage, the Washington Examiner reported.

The Supreme Court instructed the parties to submit additional responses to their chambers by Friday, without providing any commentary on the case’s merits, as per a concise order issued by Chief Justice John Roberts.

“The order does not limit its abrupt deadline to respondents’ own invoices or letters of credit, instead apparently compelling the government to pay requests from any organization that has asked for such funds,” acting Solicitor General Sarah Harris wrote.

The fight started when aid groups and contractors sued Trump over his order to stop sending money to other countries for 90 days so that the order could be looked over.

U.S. District Judge Amir Ali, who was appointed by President Donald Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, had already said that the freeze was illegal and had given the government until February to lift it. The plaintiffs say they still haven’t been paid, though.

Ali made a new order on Tuesday giving the administration until Wednesday at 11:59 p.m. to release the funds. He criticized officials for not following his first order. Indraneel Sur, a lawyer for the government, couldn’t say what steps were taken to process the payments during a hearing.

In Ali’s most recent decision, he told the government three times to release foreign aid funds that had been frozen after Trump told all foreign aid to stop for 90 days.

Trump asked for more time, but the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia wouldn’t extend the deadline until Wednesday night at midnight. The three-judge panel said that the Trump administration has “not shown that the enforcement orders disrupt the status quo by requiring them to do anything more than they would have had to do absent the temporarily restrained agency actions, which are the subject of ongoing preliminary injunction briefing.”

Plaintiffs in the case say that Trump’s broad aid freeze, which includes the stop-work orders that stopped USAID’s work around the world, has made it impossible for people to get help.

But the administration says that the order’s broad nature—it affects all foreign aid recipients—inadvertently limits the president’s freedom and gets around normal review processes.

Alaila Everett has shared her perspective after a shocking moment at a high school track event went viral, showing an opponent being struck in the head with a baton.

The incident took place on March 7 during a 4×200 meter relay at Liberty University in Virginia. Kaelen Tucker, a sprinter from Brookville High School, suffered a concussion and a possible skull fracture after being hit on the back of the head with a baton.

The video of the moment quickly spread across social media, with many viewers assuming the strike was intentional.

Tucker, running the second leg of the relay, had just passed Everett, a runner from I.C. Norcom High School, on the bend of the track when the incident occurred. Spectators audibly gasped as Tucker collapsed to the ground from the impact. The clip prompted an outcry online, with many calling for Everett to be banned from competition.

However, Everett has now spoken out, claiming the incident was an accident. In an emotional interview with WAVY TV 10, she defended herself, saying she never meant to harm her competitor.

“Everybody has feelings,” she said tearfully. “You’re physically hurt, but you’re not thinking about my mental [health], right? They are going off of one angle.”

Describing what happened from her perspective, Everett explained: “After a couple times of hitting her with my baton, I got stuck behind her back like this and it rolled up her back. I lost my balance, and when I pumped my arms again, she got hit. I know my intentions, and I would never hit somebody on purpose.”

Everett’s parents have stood by her, maintaining that their daughter had no malicious intent. They also revealed that Tucker’s family has now taken legal action, serving them with court papers in an effort to obtain a protective order.

For their part, the Tuckers have expressed disappointment in the lack of an apology at the event. Speaking to local news, they said: “They were beside us at the event. They were watching the video at the event, but no one apologized or came to check on her. Even if it was a fluke or freak accident, you still would check on her.”

Everett claims she has attempted to apologize and reach out to Tucker, but says Tucker has not been ‘receptive’ to communication.

Meanwhile, Tucker’s mother, Tamarro, has contacted the sport’s governing body, which has reportedly launched an official investigation into the incident.

As tensions remain high, the controversy continues to unfold, with many awaiting the results of the inquiry to determine whether Everett’s actions were indeed accidental or if further consequences should follow.

A former Biden White House official has claimed that his colleagues deliberately “gaslit” the public and journalists who raised concerns about former President Biden’s age and cognitive abilities.

Speaking at a Wednesday seminar hosted by Puck reporter Tara Palmeri at the Sine Institute of Policy and Politics at American University, Michael LaRosa, a longtime press secretary for former First Lady Jill Biden, revealed efforts within the administration to shield Biden from media scrutiny, Fox News reported.

Throughout the 2024 presidential race, many media pundits and commentators rushed to Biden’s defense amid speculation about his mental acuity. This included reactions to Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report describing Biden as well-meaning but forgetful, viral videos of him appearing confused, and a Wall Street Journal report detailing concerns about his behind-the-scenes demeanor.

While LaRosa was reluctant to label these efforts as a “cover-up,” he acknowledged that the White House had been aware from “day one” that former President Biden’s age was a concern.

He also disclosed that his colleagues actively downplayed and dismissed data indicating that Biden’s poll numbers had stagnated leading up to the 2024 election.

Despite polls showing that the majority of Americans believed Biden was too old to serve a second term, many journalists dismissed concerns about his health as a right-wing conspiracy.

These worries reached a breaking point after Biden’s shaky debate performance in June, which led to mounting pressure for him to withdraw from the race.

“There are some things that are true. I mean, like the gaslighting, there was a lot of denial of the polling. And I will use the term gaslight because that’s what they were doing the campaign, former colleagues,” LaRosa told Palmeri.

“The message to everybody was to make sure that you tell people it’s too early. It’s too early. These polls don’t mean well; it became too early, and these polls don’t mean anything,” he continued.

According to LaRosa, the White House eagerly touted favorable polling data when Biden was ahead but suddenly dismissed its significance once his lead began to slip.

He also criticized the administration’s aggressive stance toward left-leaning outlets like The New York Times, which came under fire after it began covering Biden’s polling struggles and age concerns in mid-2024, Fox noted.

Reports from The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and other outlets have since revealed that some of Biden’s closest advisers had expressed concerns about his health since the early days of his administration. However, the White House repeatedly brushed off questions about his cognitive abilities, even dismissing viral videos of Biden appearing confused or out of step as “cheap fakes.”

“I think if you were watching MSNBC, you probably believed [the White House] and were probably pretty shocked. But if you were, if you were consuming information, consuming data and looking at it objectively and trying to interpret it and process it objectively, then none of it was surprising,” LaRosa said.

The former White House official also claimed that Biden’s team was “scared to death” about allowing the then-president to engage in impromptu and unrehearsed press conferences. He told Palmeri that Biden simply “couldn’t compete for the attention economy.”

“They just couldn’t do it. They didn’t have any idea. And they didn’t have the vessel either in Biden, by the way, who would have done anything. He loves TV. He loves doing stuff. It was the orbit that did not trust their own candidate,” he added.

Former White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre reflected on the “shocking” nature of Democratic Party leaders turning against Biden, ultimately pressuring him to step aside from the race at an event this week.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Institute of Politics at Harvard University, Jean-Pierre was asked to share insights into the challenges she faced during the three weeks following the debate, leading up to Biden’s decision to step down, as well as whether he should have run for reelection in the first place.

“I had never seen anything like it before. I had never seen a party do that in the way that they did, and it was hurtful and sad to see that happening,” the former White House press secretary added. “A firing squad around a person who I believe was a true patriot, a person who I believe did everything that he can for this country.”

President Donald Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform on Friday that he is planning to issue Major League Baseball legend Pete Rose a posthumous pardon.

“Major League Baseball didn’t have the courage or decency to put the late, great, Pete Rose, also known as ‘Charlie Hustle,’ into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Now he is dead, will never experience the thrill of being selected, even though he was a FAR BETTER PLAYER than most of those who made it, and can only be named posthumously,” Trump wrote.

“WHAT A SHAME! Anyway, over the next few weeks I will be signing a complete PARDON of Pete Rose, who shouldn’t have been gambling on baseball, but only bet on HIS TEAM WINNING. He never betted against himself, or the other team. He had the most hits, by far, in baseball history, and won more games than anyone in sports history. Baseball, which is dying all over the place, should get off its fat, lazy ass, and elect Pete Rose, even though far too late, into the Baseball Hall of Fame!” the president added.

Rose, who passed away last year at the age of 83, was permanently banned from baseball. In 2004, he admitted to betting on games but maintained that he never wagered against his own team. In 2015, Commissioner Rob Manfred denied Rose’s request for reinstatement, ESPN reported.

Trump did not specify the details of the pardon. Rose served five months in prison after pleading guilty to tax evasion in 1990.

In a statement to ESPN, John Dowd, who conducted the investigation into Rose on behalf of MLB in 1989 and served as Trump’s lawyer seven years ago, noted that MLB is “not in the pardon business nor does it control admission to the HOF.”

Rose, who spent the majority of his career with the Cincinnati Reds from 1963 to 1986, won three World Series titles and still holds Major League Baseball records for career hits, games played, at-bats, singles, and outs, ESPN reported.

“Rose was league MVP in 1973, a 17-time All-Star, three-time batting title winner, Rookie of the Year and World Series MVP,” Fox News added.

Rose sought reinstatement in both 2020 and 2022, particularly as legalized sports betting expanded nationwide. However, Commissioner Rob Manfred rejected both requests, deferring any Hall of Fame considerations to the Veterans Committee. In 2023, Manfred again dismissed speculation about Rose’s reinstatement, citing the league’s partnerships with sportsbooks as a complicating factor.

Though he remains excluded from the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Cincinnati Reds honored Rose by inducting him into their team’s hall of fame in 2016 and retiring his No. 14 jersey. Before his passing, he continued to make appearances at MLB ballparks in recent years, Fox noted further.

Meanwhile, Trump signed an executive order on Friday declaring English the official language of the United States.

According to a White House official, the order overturned a 2000 mandate from President Clinton requiring federally funded entities to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.

The Washington Times reported that the U.S. will formally designate an official language for the first time in its 249-year history.

According to a White House summary of the order obtained by The Wall Street Journal, agencies will still have the option to provide documents and services in languages other than English. The summary states that the purpose of establishing English as the national language is to promote unity, improve government efficiency, and create a pathway to civic engagement.

During the recent presidential campaign, Trump warned that non-English-speaking migrants were being “dropped” into communities like Springfield, Ohio. He also expressed concerns that migrant students who don’t speak English are struggling to communicate in classrooms.

“We have languages coming into our country. We don’t have one instructor in our entire nation that can speak that language,” Trump said last year. “These are languages—it’s the craziest thing—they have languages that nobody in this country has ever heard of. It’s a very horrible thing.”

A member of President Donald Trump’s administration traded barbs online with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton regarding Department of Government Efficiency boss Elon Musk’s work in identifying wasteful spending associated with USAID.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy responded to a jab by Clinton online after he said that DOGE personnel under Musk were going to help the department upgrade its aviation systems following a pair of deadly plane crashes during Duffy’s short tenure.

Clinton claimed that the department has “deteriorated” under Duffy’s leadership—ignoring all of the transportation infrastructure accidents and mishaps during former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s four-year tenure.

Clinton also claimed that DOGE personnel don’t have the “relevant experience” to tackle an aviation system upgrade.

“Most of them aren’t old enough to rent a car. And you’re going to let them mess with airline safety that’s already deteriorated on your watch?” She questioned in a Wednesday post on X.

Duffy responded that it was the “experienced Washington bureaucrats” that were behind the problems in the federal government and why the “nation’s infrastructure is crumbling.”

“You need to sit this one out,” he noted further before going on to reveal that Musk’s team had also uncovered “extreme grifting” by both Bill and Hillary Clinton via USAID.

“I know you’re lashing out because DOGE is uncovering your family’s obscene grifting via USAID, but I won’t let you lie and distort facts,” Duffy, a former Fox News host, wrote in a Thursday post. “I’m returning this department to its mission of safety by using innovative technology in transportation and infrastructure.

“Your team had its chance and failed. We’re moving on without you because the American people want us to make America’s transportation system great again. And yes, we’re bringing the 22-year-olds with us,” Duffy continued.

In addition to rail accidents, such as a massive chemical spill near a small town in Ohio under the Biden-Harris administration, aircraft manufactured by Boeing were involved in several in-flight incidents and emergencies, including the sudden loss of a cabin door and issues with the latest version of the aircraft maker’s 737. Also, Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft has faced a host of serious problems and issues on its maiden crewed flight, stranding two astronauts on the International Space Station.

During his confirmation hearing last month, Duffy told the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that, if confirmed, he would prioritize aviation safety, including restoring confidence in Boeing, according to The Hill.

“I think we have to … push the FAA [Federal Aviation Administration] to make sure they are implementing their safety plan,” Duffy told the panel, saying that he would work with the FAA and Congress to “restore global confidence in Boeing and to ensure our skies are safe … In one of my meetings, someone said they need tough love, which is what they do need.”

Duffy, a former five-term GOP congressman from Wisconsin, also confirmed that he would allow the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to proceed with its investigation into the safety of Tesla’s advanced driving technology. Tesla is led by Musk.

“Yes, I commit to this committee and you that I will let NHTSA do their investigation,” Duffy said.

A senior Biden administration official pushed back on Buttigieg after he appeared to blame Trump for the derailment of a train in East Palestine, Ohio, in February that led to a massive environmental disaster.

The fact check of sorts by an official with the NTSB came after Buttigieg responded to Trump’s visit to the small community to deliver water and other supplies and to show his support for the people affected by the spillage of highly toxic chemicals.

The official blasted Buttigieg’s attempt to politicize Trump’s visit and blame him for the disaster by noting that the responsibility for the accident lay with the rail carrier Norfolk Southern.

The Trump administration has responded to an incident over the weekend involving Vice President JD Vance and his three-year-old daughter, both of whom were surrounded and screamed at by pro-Ukraine liberals in Vermont.

Video shared by WCPO 9 News, which covers Cincinnati, Ohio, showed protesters chanting that “people are dying” and accused the Trump administration of “selling out” Ukrainians. The footage did not show how the confrontation began.

“Today while walking my 3 year old daughter a group of ‘Slava Ukraini’ protesters followed us around and shouted as my daughter grew increasingly anxious and scared,” Vance wrote on X Saturday afternoon.

“I decided to speak with the protesters in the hopes that I could trade a few minutes of conversation for them leaving my toddler alone. (Nearly all of them agreed),” he added. “It was a mostly respectful conversation, but if you’re chasing a 3-year-old as part of a political protest, you’re a sh*t person.”

“Slava Ukraini” is the national salute of the Ukrainian armed forces and translates to “Glory to Ukraine.” The phrase, used by those harassing Vance, has been widely adopted by pro-Ukrainian protesters throughout the United States.

As activists waved Ukrainian flags, voiced concerns about the ongoing conflict and hollered at the vice president that “people are dying,” he responded calmly and thoughtfully, addressing their fears about Russia and expressing hope for a resolution to the war.

“Russia certainly invaded Ukraine in 2022, but there needs to be a settlement,” Vance told the protesters as one woman began shouting over him. As he continued to speak respectfully, more protesters joined in, accusing the vice president of having “no integrity.”

Vance responded: “Ma’am, I am with my 3-year-old daughter now, and I told you, I would talk to you for five minutes,” adding that he did not take his child out “have people run around and yell at her.”

Vance’s communications team responded to the incident, including his communications director, William Martin, who clapped back at Jimmy Rushton, a self-described journalist and Kyiv-based foreign policy/security analyst.

In an X post, Rushton posted a video of what looks to be an intersection in the Vermont community where the incident took place, writing, “Video of the protest has emerged and it’s pretty clear Vance is lying; the protest was at the bottom of Vance’s street, which was closed by police. It would have been impossible for the protesters to ‘follow’ Vance and his family around as he claimed.”

But Martin responded: “Anyone that’s ever been here knows Jimmy is full of shit because the video of these Slava Ukraini scumbags harassing the Vice President’s daughter takes place on a completely different street nearby, as someone who grew up 2 miles from here I knew instantly where it happened.”

He added: “Notice the awning of the storefront right behind him? It actually confirms the VP’s tweet because they would have had to follow him in order to have this encounter in the first place. Jimmy might have paused to consider some of this if he weren’t such a dumb f**k.”

Also, video clips of the incident clearly show that Vance was harassed and yelled at by some of the demonstrators.

The back-and-forth between Vance, his daughter, and the protesters comes a few weeks after the vice president, along with President Donald Trump, engaged in a public spat with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenesky in the Oval Office.

The Ukrainian leader, according to reports, refused to sign a rare earth mineral rights agreement with the U.S. as promised and demanded more in terms of security guarantees from Trump.

After becoming chair of the Kennedy Center last month, President Donald Trump announced that he is adding Fox News hosts Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo to the board of the center.

“I am thrilled to announce that Laura Ingraham and Maria Bartiromo will be joining our Kennedy Center Board – This completes our selection,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “We look forward to restoring the Center to Greatness, and ushering in America’s Golden Age. Together, we will Make the Arts Great Again!”

Trump made the appointments after taking over the Washington, D.C., performance space not long ago. Trump chose to run the Kennedy Center himself last month, firing several long-time board members and putting his envoy for special missions, Richard Grenell, in charge of the center temporarily, The Hill noted.

“We will make The Kennedy Center a very special and exciting place!” he said at the time.

Several famous people have said they will not go back to the venue because of the move. One of these is comedian and TV host Whoopi Goldberg, who promised not to go back now that Trump is in charge.

The producers of the popular Broadway show “Hamilton” canceled shows at the Kennedy Center this week. Lead producer Jeffrey Seller said the center is a “sacred” place that should be “protected from politics.”

“Given the recent actions, our show simply cannot, in good conscience, participate and be a part of this new culture that is being imposed on the Kennedy Center,” Seller said in a statement.

This comes as Trump has picked several Fox News hosts and guests to serve in his administration, particularly Pete Hegseth to lead the Department of Defense.

Trump chose noted civil rights attorney Leo Terrell to serve as senior counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Department of Justice, Harmeet Dhillon.

“I am pleased to announce that Leo Terrell will be Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the United States Department of Justice,” Trump wrote. “He will work alongside Harmeet K. Dhillon, a fellow Californian, and our incredible Nominee for United States Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights in the Justice Department.

“Leo is a highly respected civil rights attorney and political analyst. He received his law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and has defended many high profile cases throughout his incredibly successful career. Leo will be a fantastic advocate for the American People, and ensure we will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” Trump added.

Trump has also selected:

Nominations have included former Fox & Friends Weekend co-host Pete Hegseth for secretary of defense, Fox News contributor and Fox Business host Sean Duffy for secretary of transportation, former Fox News contributor Dr. Janette Nesheiwat for surgeon general, former Fox News contributor Dr. Marty Makary for head of the Food and Drug Administration, and former general-turned-Fox News contributor Keith Kellogg for special envoy to Ukraine and Russia.

Trump has also tapped Tammy Bruce, a longtime Fox News contributor, as the next spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State.

“It is my great honor to announce that Tammy Bruce will be joining our incredible Nominee for United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as Spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State,” Trump said in a statement.

“Tammy is a highly respected political analyst who understood the power and importance of ‘MAGA’ early on. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science at the University of Southern California and, after being a liberal activist in the 1990s, saw the lies and fraud of the Radical Left, and quickly became one of the strongest Conservative voices on Radio and Television,” he added.

“As one of the longest serving News Contributors, Tammy has brought TRUTH to the American People for over two decades. I know she will bring that same strength of conviction and fearless spirit to her new position as State Department Spokesperson,” Trump said, adding: “Congratulations Tammy!”

Bruce, an accomplished author and former talk radio host, has been a regular presence on Fox News since 2005. She is set to succeed Matthew Miller as the State Department spokesperson, Mediaite reported.

Bruce addressed her appointment on social media.

“So proud of this man,” she wrote. “For so many years he stood up to them, took everything they had, stayed standing FOR US, and PREVAILED. 2025 is just the beginning. There will be ups and downs, and we will continue to have to fight for our future, but it will be the beginning of a glorious return of our country.”

Economist and former Bank of England Governor Mark Carney has been elected to succeed Justin Trudeau as leader of Canada’s Liberal Party and the country’s next prime minister.

His election comes at a pivotal moment in U.S.-Canada relations, as both nations implement historic tariffs and brace for a potential trade war, Variety noted.

Carney secured a commanding victory, winning 85.9 percent of the Liberal Party vote. More than 150,000 members participated in the election, according to The New York Times.

It didn’t take long for Carney to take a veiled jab at President Donald Trump.

“America is not Canada. And Canada never, ever, will be part of America in any way, shape or form,” Carney said Sunday in his acceptance speech, referencing Trump’s jibes about making the country America’s 51st state.

“We didn’t ask for this fight, but Canadians are always ready when someone else drops the gloves,” he added. “So Americans should make no mistake. In trade, as in hockey, Canada will win.”

Carney’s inauguration is expected to take place as soon as this week. Since he does not currently hold a seat in Parliament, he is likely to call for federal elections shortly after taking office. “Carney spent 13 years as an investment banker with Goldman Sachs in 1990s and 2000s,” Variety reported.

Trump has implemented a range of tariffs on Canada — and Mexico — for their inability to stop the flow of fentanyl into the U.S. But also, Trump has said, in the case of Canada in particular, that many tariffs are actually reciprocal, meaning American duties for certain goods will match what U.S. companies are charged by Canada for imports.

And not all Canadians are against that approach.

The CEO of Canada’s second-largest publicly traded company stated early last month that many in his country support the actions Trump is calling for and criticized Trudeau for not averting the trade war.

“Canada thrives when it works with America together. Win by helping America win. Trump believes that Canada has not held its side of the bargain,” Tobi Lutke, who co-founded Shopify, wrote on the X platform.

“These are things that every Canadian wants its government to do, too. These are not crazy demands, even if they came from an unpopular source. These tariffs are going to be devastating to so many people’s lives and small businesses,” he added.

Lutke’s scathing critique came in response to a clip of Trudeau announcing 25% retaliatory tariffs on $107 billion worth of U.S. goods and advocating for policies targeting red states, the New York Post reported.

Shopify, the e-commerce giant co-founded in 2006, is valued at around $150 billion. It is Canada’s largest tech company and the biggest startup in the country’s history, second only to the Royal Bank of Canada in size, The Post added.

Lutke, who is worth around $10 billion, is Canada’s richest citizen, the report noted further.

“Leadership is about doing what’s right, not what is popular. And hitting back will not lead to anything good. America will shrug it off. Canada will decline,” Lutke said regarding Trudeau’s planned counter-tariffs. “It’s simply the wrong choice in a possibility space where much better options would have been available.”

In 2023, Canada was America’s largest overall trading partner, with over $900 billion in goods and services exchanged between the two nations.

According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, last year, the U.S. imported approximately $377 billion worth of goods from Canada while exporting $322 billion.

The tariffs are expected to impact Canada particularly hard, as roughly 75% of its exports are directed to the U.S., while only about 13% of American exports go to its northern neighbor, The Post said, citing Census data.

One day, I was working at a fast food restaurant when this lady left her Louis Vuitton bag on the table.

I waited about 20 minutes yet remembered seeing her depart, so I grabbed it and placed it in the lost and found. I never glanced inside. A month passed by.

My manager asked, “Hey, it’s been a month…do you want that bag?”

I answered yes and went into the rear to collect it. I opened the top and was surprised to find nothing but a piece of paper.

I opened the piece of paper to find a receipt for the bag.

On the receipt was a message that read, “To the girl who needed a new purse during the holidays.”

Whoever this lady was planning to do this in the first place. I looked at the receipt—$1700 for this bag!?

I carefully packed my belongings in it, took it home, and said nothing further about it. That purse helped me seem nice in a lot of job interviews.

I still have the bag because it reminds me of those humble days when I didn’t have much and encourages me to give back to others.

Eventually, her marriage ended, and she and the actor married in 1994, raising two sons together.

The couple’s deep connection was evident early on, with the describing an undeniable chemistry between them that carried through to their performances.

Even the actress said herself years later that she was unfazed that the actor was known for being a ladies man, commenting: “I’m pleased that women fall in love with him because I know why,” per Country Living.

Their love only grew stronger after marriage, and they embraced parenthood, welcoming their first son in 1995, followed shortly by a second son 18 months later.

However, heartbreak struck when the actress, Natasha Richardson, sustained a head injury while skiing in 2009. Initially dismissing the fall, she soon deteriorated, and doctors determined she was brain dead.

Neeson, recalling a pact they’d made, made the difficult decision to take her off life support after allowing family and friends to say their goodbyes.

Their eldest son, Micheál, later followed in her footsteps in acting, appearing in movies and TV series like Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Vox Lux, Big Dogs, Broken Symphony, and Paradise.

Years later, Micheál also decided to pay tribute to his mother by changing his surname to Richardson.

He explained: “It was mainly like a homage to my mother, a way to carry her with me,” per The Times.

This touching gesture earned the admiration of his father, who said: “It was a lovely gesture. Natasha’s family, mother, and sisters were very touched by it. I’m proud of it.”

Neeson, proud of his son’s decision, found comfort in how Micheál carries on Natasha’s legacy through his name and career.

Micheál has since carved his path in the acting world, working alongside his father in several films, including Cold Pursuit and Made in Italy, continuing the family tradition of powerful performances while keeping his mother’s spirit close to his heart.

What a lovely story! I just know Natasha Richardson would be so proud of her son and all that he has achieved!

With the way the world is today, it’s hardly a surprise many people are forced to work their fingers to the bone just to get by.

You’ve likely heard plenty about those individuals who try to take advantage of the system; the small few who seem to glide by without working, somehow managing to stay afloat without working, benefitting from the kindness of others.

Yet for every ‘freeloader’, there are hundreds of honest, down-to-earth folk who strive to make ends meet by putting the hours in. Some such people may struggle financially, but they still show up, day in, day out, taking on as many hours as possible in a bid to pay their way in life.

If reports are to be believed, Bethany Provencher is one such individual. A hardworking, single mom with an 11-year-old son, a few years ago she packed up their things and moved to St. Charles, Illinois for a fresh start after 18 years in Miami.

Bethany signed a lease for a new apartment in The Magic City, and was able to secure a job at a local IHOP thanks to her 25 years in the customer service industry.

Even so, she knew times were set to be tight for a while – by all accounts, she hadn’t been able to furnish her new apartment properly for lack of funds.

Then, one day close to the turn of the year, a celebrity couple strolled into the IHOP where Bethany was working and sat down in her section of the restaurant.

Bethany quickly recognized the man as none other than singer-songwriter Donnie Wahlberg, accompanied by his wife, Jenny McCarthy.

As per reports, Bethany could hardly contain her excitement. New Kids on the Block, the band Donnie was in, was one of the waitresses favorites, and she had always had a special fondness for Donnie himself.

As a result, Bethany was over the moon to be serving him. What she didn’t know, was just how much of an impact that day was set to have on her life.

When Donnie and his family had finished their lunch, the singer paid their $35.27 check, and left a message for Bethany to read on the receipt. Beside a hand-drawn smiley face, it read: “Thanks, Bethany, Happy New Year. 2020 Tip Challenge.”

Donnie reportedly asked Bethany not to open the receipt until he and his wife had left the IHOP. Bethany did as she was told, but was left absolutely stunned when she eventually unfolded the receipt to see that Donnie had left her and her coworkers a tip to the tune of $2,020!

See more on Donnie’s generosity in the video below:

Wow! What a beautiful gesture, and one that I’m sure went a long way for Bethany after her big move to Illinois!

Share this article on Facebook if you want to praise Donnie Wahlberg for his act of kindness.

Attorney General Pam Bondi ended federal lawsuits that the Biden administration had filed against local police and fire departments over their merit-based hiring policies.

Under the Biden administration, the DOJ’s Office of Civil Rights had sued local first responders for prioritizing merit in hiring rather than making decisions based on race, Just the News reported on Thursday.

“Despite no evidence of intentional discrimination – only statistical disparities – the prior administration branded the aptitude tests at issue in these cases as discriminatory in an effort to advance a DEI agenda,” the DOJ said in a news release.

“And it sought to coerce cities into conducting DEI-based hiring in response and spending millions of dollars in taxpayer funds for payouts to previous applicants who had scored lower on the tests, regardless of qualifications,” the news release added.

President Donald Trump signed executive orders ending Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies within the federal government, and Bondi’s decision this week marks the latest development in the ongoing effort to roll back DEI initiatives under the new administration.

Bondi’s office stated that DEI policies pose a threat to public safety and indicated that dismissing the cases represents an “an early step toward eradicating illegal DEI preferences across the government and in the private sector.”

“American communities deserve firefighters and police officers to be chosen for their skill and dedication to public safety – not to meet DEI quotas,” Bondi said.

The proposed consent decrees typically acknowledged that the departments used neutral selection criteria, such as credit checks, written exams, and physical fitness tests, to evaluate candidates for open positions. However, White men tended to achieve higher scores or perform better on these assessments, Fox News added.

For instance, a lawsuit filed in October against the City of Durham, North Carolina, alleged “unintentional” discrimination against Black applicants, citing that they failed to meet the required 70% passing score on the written exam at a lower rate than White candidates, resulting in fewer Black hires.

As a remedy, the complaint proposed eliminating the neutral written test and providing “back pay and/or preferential hiring” for Black candidates who were not selected due to their exam performance. The estimated cost of these measures was approximately $980,000 in monetary relief.

In a separate case filed against the Maryland State Police in October 2024, it was proposed that the agency discontinue its current selection methods, which included a written test requiring a score of 70% or higher and a physical assessment consisting of push-ups, sit-ups, a flexibility reach, a trigger pull, and a 1.5-mile run, Fox added.

“Because Black applicants passed the test less often than White applicants and because women passed the physical test less often than men, the Civil Rights Division concluded that Maryland was illegally discriminating against Black applicants and women,” a filing in the case said.

The proposed changes called for eliminating the previous selection criteria and allocating $2.75 million in monetary relief to Black candidates who were not hired due to written test results and women who were not hired due to physical test performance. The DOJ stated that similar lawsuits had also been filed against the cities of South Bend, Indiana, and Cobb County, Georgia, Fox noted further.

Also Thursday, Bondi shockingly revealed that the FBI’s New York field office was concealing crucial documents about Jeffrey Epstein.

In a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel, Bondi asked for immediate compliance and an investigation into how the FBI handled the case from within the agency.

This comes after earlier reports that the FBI may have been destroying Epstein-related documents in secret, which led to more rumors about corruption in the government and attempts to obstruct justice.

Bondi, in her letter, said that her office had only received a small portion of the documents it had requested about Epstein’s criminal enterprise.

“I repeatedly questioned whether this was the full set of documents responsive to my request and was repeatedly assured by the FBI that we had received the full set of documents,” Bondi wrote. “Late yesterday, I learned from a source that the FBI Field Office in New York was in possession of thousands of pages of documents related to the investigation and indictment of Epstein.”

She then issued a direct order: “By 8:00 a.m. tomorrow, February 28, the FBI will deliver the full and complete Epstein files to my office, including all records, documents, audio and video recordings, and materials related to Jeffrey Epstein and his clients.”

Iowa GOP Sen. Joni Ernst pushed back on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s criticism of SpaceX, Tesla, and Starlink founder and CEO Elon Musk after she claimed the billionaire entrepreneur had no qualifications to identify and cut government fraud and waste.

During a Fox News appearance on Thursday, anchor John Roberts played a clip of the Bronx Democrat’s remarks before asking Ernst to respond.

“Elon Musk is not a scientist. He is not an engineer. He is a billionaire con man with a lot of money. He does not have this kind of good background,” Ocasio-Cortez said, per the clip.

“You met with Elon Musk earlier today,” Roberts said, asking: “What would you say to the good congresswoman?”

“I would ask what her background is,” Ernst began. “I think it takes a lot of different talents and abilities to go in, and obviously, Elon Musk when he went into the role of the Department of Government Efficiency, he brought with him a lot of technical expertise that allows him and his team to go in and work with the agencies, and that’s key. They’re working with the agencies to query through the systems where there might be waste.

“So, I would say I’m going to push back on that because, again, here is someone who maybe doesn’t have the same talents and abilities to be a congressman or a congresswoman than anybody else. So, I don’t see where she’s going with that. But obviously, Elon Musk has the right skills and ability to ferret out waste in the federal government,” Ernst continued.

“She forgot to mention he’s a guy who can catch rocket boosters too. That’s a pretty impressive skill,” Roberts added.

“Yes, exactly,” the GOP senator responded. “You know, it’s who you surround yourself — it’s who you surround yourself with.”

Musk spoke about his efforts to cut government waste as overseer of the Department of Government Efficiency during President Donald Trump’s first Cabinet meeting this week.

“DOGE is a support function for the president and for the agencies and departments, to help achieve those savings and to effectively find 15% in reduction in fraud and waste,” Musk said.

“I’m taking a lot of flak and getting a lot of death threats, by the way. I can, like, stack them up,” Musk added. “But if we don’t do this, America will go bankrupt. That’s why it has to be done.”

Trump, at one point, lightened the mood a bit during the meeting. “Is anybody unhappy with Elon?” he asked his secretaries after a reporter asked the president if any Cabinet members were dissatisfied with Musk’s role. “If you are, well, throw them out of here,” he said to laughs and applause.

Trump added: “Some disagree a little bit, but I will tell you, for the most part, I think everyone’s not only happy, they’re thrilled.”

Trump, alongside Vice President J.D. Vance, met with his Cabinet for over an hour, addressing a variety of questions from reporters in attendance. During the meeting, Trump announced that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will visit the White House on Friday to sign an agreement requiring Ukraine to allocate a portion of its mineral resource revenue to repay the U.S. for the financial support it has provided in defense efforts since Russia’s invasion three years ago.

Trump also said he would be announcing 25% tariffs soon on vehicles and other imports from countries in the European Union. “They’ve really taken advantage of us,” Trump said of EU’s leadership. “They don’t accept our cars. They don’t accept, essentially, our farm products. They use all sorts of reasons why not.”

President Trump is set to sign an executive order on Friday declaring English the official language of the United States.

According to a White House official, the order would overturn a 2000 mandate from President Clinton requiring federally funded entities to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.

The Washington Times reported that the U.S. will formally designate an official language for the first time in its 249-year history.

According to a White House summary of the order obtained by The Wall Street Journal, agencies will still have the option to provide documents and services in languages other than English. The summary states that the purpose of establishing English as the national language is to promote unity, improve government efficiency, and create a pathway to civic engagement.

Cracking down on illegal immigration has been a central focus of Trump’s presidency, with his administration promising the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history.

During the recent presidential campaign, Trump warned that non-English-speaking migrants were being “dropped” into communities like Springfield, Ohio. He also expressed concerns that migrant students who don’t speak English are struggling to communicate in classrooms.

“We have languages coming into our country. We don’t have one instructor in our entire nation that can speak that language,” Trump said last year. “These are languages—it’s the craziest thing—they have languages that nobody in this country has ever heard of. It’s a very horrible thing.”

In a 2015 presidential debate, Trump criticized former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush for speaking Spanish during his campaign. “This is a country where we speak English, not Spanish,” Trump said at the time.

Shortly after taking office, the Trump administration removed the Spanish-language version of the White House website. Additionally, the official Spanish-language social media account on X, @LaCasaBlanca, has been discontinued.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 78% of Americans speak only English at home. However, millions primarily speak other languages, including Spanish, Chinese, and Tagalog, while dozens of Native American languages are also in use across the country.

More than 30 states have enacted laws designating English as their official language, the WSJ added.

Since the civil rights movement of the 1960s, various laws have been passed to ensure services and equal opportunities for non-English speakers in the U.S. Meanwhile, Republicans in Congress have repeatedly attempted—but failed—to pass legislation making English the national language.

Vice President J.D. Vance previously introduced the English Language Unity Act during his tenure as a U.S. senator from Ohio. Co-sponsored by Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), the bill proposed requiring the federal government to conduct all official business in English and establishing a language-testing standard as part of the citizenship process, the WSJ reported.

Meanwhile, the president continues to remake the entirety of the federal government. Earlier this week, Trump said that at least a million federal workers are “on the bubble” because they haven’t replied to an email asking them to explain why they should keep their jobs.

During his first Cabinet meeting of this second term, Elon Musk, an adviser to Trump and the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), was asked about the emails sent.

“We’re going to send another email,” Musk said. “But our goal is not to be capricious or unfair. We want to give people every opportunity to send an email. And the email could simply be ‘What I’m working on is too sensitive or classified to describe.’ Like, literally just that would be sufficient. You know, I think this is just common sense.”

Moments later, Trump interjected and said the consequences could indeed be more dire for the non-respondents.

“Those million people that haven’t responded though, Elon, they are on the bubble,” Trump said. “You know, I wouldn’t say that we’re thrilled about it. You know, they haven’t responded. Now, maybe they don’t exist. Maybe we’re paying people that don’t exist. Don’t forget we just got here. This group just got here. But those people are on the bubble, as they say. Maybe they’re gonna be gone.”

Democrat California Sen. Adam Schiff had a meltdown on video railing against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

The senator lamented the fact that they call him a “criminal” and said that the Democrats need to “fight” and be “courageous.”

“We need to speak out. We need to be courageous. They come after me all the time. Elon Musk and Donald Trump, they call me a criminal, they call me a traitor. Their MAGA minions online come after me to try to intimidate me, to create fear,” the senator said in a video posted to Musk’s X platform.

Schiff then got vulgar and compared his fight with the president and Musk to members of the military who engage in actual combat.

“I’ll tell you my response. My response to that is ‘screw you and the horse you rode in on.’ I hope that is your response, too. We must not give in to this climate of fear. We are Americans. If our troops can face the bullets and the missiles and the dangers of combat, then sure enough, we can be courageous at home,” he said.

What the senator did not mention was the reason that the president and Musk, among others, refer to him as a criminal.

Conservatives are ramping up their calls for the California Democrat to be held legally accountable for his role in pushing a now well-debunked claim that Trump was a dupe for Russian President Vladimir Putin during his first term.

The so-called “Russian collusion” narrative, which Schiff and many others in the media pushed for years during Trump’s first term, was the subject of multiple investigations by the House and by independent prosecutors, including John Durham, a former U.S. attorney, and Robert Mueller, a former FBI director.

But all of them concluded that there was zero evidence supporting the claim, while other investigators discovered that a plot to saddle Trump with the false claim in order to hamper his presidency and his ability to carry out his foreign policy vision for the country.

“REMINDER: Adam Schiff was ONLY pardoned for J6 committee-related offenses NOT the Russia hoax. Not election interference. Nothing else. Kash is going to take this criminal down. Watch. The Hammer of Justice is coming, Pencil Neck Schiff,” conservative influencer Nick Sorter noted on his X account Monday.

In addition, former conservative broadcaster and Secret Service agent Dan Bongino, whom Trump has picked to serve as the FBI deputy director, had a cryptic message for Schiff during one of his last broadcasts ahead of the president’s announcement.

“Why is Adam Schiff so worried? I strongly encourage you to go back and take another look today at the Russia collusion hoax,” Bongino began during a segment late last month.

After noting that the story is now several years old, Bongino added: “I’m gonna be straight with you. I don’t wanna move on.”

Continuing, he said, “We had the FBI in conjunction with the Department of Justice, officials in Congress, foreign governments and intel people fabricate a story, invent a story that could have caused and done serious long-term harm to international relations with a nuclear-powered foe. It’s kind of a big freakin’ deal.”

“Listen to me — this is gonna be very important in the coming days,” he went on, perhaps dropping a hint that he was about to be appointed to the FBI. “I’m not letting this go. I wanna find out what happened because it can never happen again. Not to a Democrat. Not a Republican. Not to a Libertarian. Not to any United States citizen,” Bongino said.

“You do not get to alter or try to change the course of electoral politics by fabricating a story hijacking the justice system then to give the patina of truth to a fake story,” he continued. “You don’t get to do that. Why do I bring that up now? Because who was the ringmaster of that circus? Yes, Adam Schiff, and no, I’m not letting it go,” he added.

The U.S. Secret Service shot a man during an armed confrontation near the White House on Sunday, the agency said in a release, noting that the incident occurred just after midnight.

Officers encountered the armed man about a block away from the White House on the west side of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Fox News reported.

In a statement, the agency explained that on Saturday, police had provided information about a suicidal individual who was believed to be traveling to Washington, D.C., from Indiana.

At approximately midnight, Secret Service members discovered a parked car matching the man’s description near 17th and F Streets, NW, and observed a person fitting that description nearby.

“As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel,” the agency wrote in a statement. “The suspect was rushed to an area hospital and his condition is unknown.”

No Secret Service personnel were injured, the agency said, according to Fox.

The Secret Service stated that the Metropolitan Police Department will lead the investigation into the shooting, as it is the primary agency responsible for use-of-force incidents within the District of Columbia.

President Donald Trump was not at the White House during the incident, according to his official schedule. The president is scheduled to depart from his Mar-a-Lago estate today at 5 p.m. and return to Washington, D.C.

The incident comes as Trump announced plans on Friday to release reports on the prior two assassination attempts against him, pledging transparency about the attacks that nearly took his life during the 2024 presidential campaign.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump voiced frustration over the limited information made available to the public and vowed to disclose further details soon.

“It’s been seven months. Why do you think we don’t know more about the guy who shot you in the ear?” Fox News’ Peter Doocy asked Thursday.

“We can no longer blame Biden for that one,” Trump responded. “He should have released that a long time ago. So they are giving me a report next week sometime and I do believe I’ll be releasing. I want to release the report, a lot of people have asked that question.”

Trump was the target of two assassination attempts in 2024. The first took place on July 13 at a campaign rally near Butler, Pennsylvania, when 20-year-old gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks opened fire from an elevated position 400 feet away. Trump was grazed in the upper right ear, while one attendee was killed and two others sustained critical injuries.

Secret Service counter-snipers responded within seconds, killing Crooks on the scene. A bipartisan Senate report later determined that technical failures and security lapses contributed to the attack.

The second attempt occurred on September 15 at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida. A Secret Service agent spotted suspect Ryan Wesley Routh armed with a rifle and concealed in the bushes near the golf course. The agent opened fire, prompting Routh to flee before being captured while attempting to drive away.

Routh has pleaded not guilty, and his preliminary trial is set for September 8, 2025.

Trump highlighted unusual details about both suspects, especially regarding their access to foreign technology and their legal representation.

“You had one who had three apps, two of which were foreign supposedly and who has the biggest white shoe law firm in Pennsylvania, even though they don’t live in necessarily a white shoe area,” Trump said, referring to Crooks.

He raised additional questions about Routh, pointing out the number of phones he had.

Trump also commended the Secret Service for stopping a potential second shooting at his golf club, although he reiterated concerns about unresolved questions.

The Trump administration has recently removed 20 “midnight” immigration judges that the Biden administration had attempted to appoint in its final days, according to The Washington Times. This move involved the dismissal of 13 immigration judges appointed in late December and early January, as well as seven assistant chief immigration judges, all of whom were ousted on Friday, a Justice Department source revealed.

In a development that mirrors the earlier actions taken by the Biden administration upon its assumption of power in 2021—when it removed a number of last-minute Trump-appointed immigration judges—the Trump Justice Department has now undertaken a similar purge. Among those dismissed was Kerry Doyle, whose career trajectory is particularly notable. Previously a vocal critic of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Doyle was later appointed as ICE’s principal legal adviser. During her tenure, she championed policies that favored a more lenient approach toward illegal immigrants. However, when the Biden administration attempted to convert her political appointment into a regular civil service position, it ultimately proved controversial.

As of Friday night, Doyle’s name remained on the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) court roster. EOIR, which has long been considered a politically neutral body responsible for overseeing immigration judges, has seen significant changes under the Biden administration. By 2023, the administration had removed six of the ten senior executive positions within EOIR, further signaling its intent to reshape the organization according to its policy priorities. Additionally, more than ten immigration judges appointed during the Trump era were either dismissed at the end of their probationary periods or opted to resign rather than face termination.

A senior official at the Trump Justice Department explained that the recent dismissals were consistent with a precedent established by the Biden administration. “The Biden administration set a precedent by terminating numerous immigration judges during their term or trial periods for the first time in EOIR history. So, it’s not surprising that EOIR is following that precedent,” the official stated.

It is important to note that immigration judges, unlike those in the traditional judicial system, are employees of the EOIR. The judges and assistant chief judges who were recently dismissed had not yet undergone their full training programs or presided over any cases. Their removal appears to be part of a broader effort to recalibrate the agency’s leadership and operational standards during a period of intense political transition.

These firings come just weeks after the Trump administration removed the leadership team appointed by President Biden at EOIR. In January, the acting director, the chief immigration judge, the general counsel, and the head of policy were all ousted by the Trump Justice Department. This series of actions underscores a fierce and ongoing battle over the direction and independence of the agency, as both administrations vie to shape immigration enforcement in line with their respective ideologies.

President Trump ran on an aggressive immigration enforcement platform that included promises of “mass deportations”—a stance that continues to resonate with a significant portion of the American public. Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reveals that border crossings have fallen dramatically, with a reported 90 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. According to The New York Post, CBP processed an average of only 359 illegal migrants per day, suggesting that the nation is on track to record the lowest monthly border crossings in at least 25 years. Should this trend persist, the total number of illegal migrants could soon reach levels not seen since 1968—a period nearly 60 years ago.

Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, remarked that the current figures represent the lowest levels of border crossings in “almost a lifetime.” For example, data through February 11 indicates that only 3,953 illegal migrants have been encountered at the southern border. If these numbers continue, the monthly total could approach 10,000—a benchmark that has remained elusive since CBP began tracking data in 1999. In contrast, the closest the nation came to this figure was in April 2017, during President Trump’s first term, when monthly crossings just exceeded 11,000. Meanwhile, the Pew Research Center noted that last year, southern border crossing encounters averaged around 4,850 per day.

This comprehensive sequence of dismissals and administrative maneuvers reveals much about the current state of U.S. immigration policy and the broader political landscape. In what follows, we provide an in-depth analysis of these developments, exploring their historical context, legal implications, and potential long-term effects on both the EOIR and the nation’s immigration enforcement apparatus.

I. Background: The Role of Immigration Judges in the U.S.

A. The Function of EOIR and Its Judges

The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) is a critical component of the U.S. Department of Justice, responsible for adjudicating immigration cases. Unlike traditional judges in the federal court system, immigration judges are not appointed for life but serve as employees of the EOIR. They preside over removal proceedings, asylum claims, and other immigration-related cases, playing a central role in determining the fate of individuals seeking to remain in or be removed from the United States.

EOIR has long prided itself on being a politically neutral body that ensures fair and impartial decisions. However, the political winds have shifted dramatically in recent years. With successive administrations attempting to imprint their policy preferences on the agency, the role of immigration judges has become increasingly politicized.

B. Political Appointments and Their Implications

Under the Trump administration, numerous immigration judges were appointed in the final days of the presidency—a practice often referred to as “midnight” appointments. These judges, while qualified, were seen as representatives of the outgoing administration’s hardline policies. When the Biden administration took office in 2021, it embarked on its own purge, removing many of these judges as part of its effort to reorient immigration policy toward a more humane and flexible approach.

Now, the Trump administration’s recent actions represent a reversal of this trend. By dismissing 20 immigration judges and assistant chief judges that the Biden administration had attempted to install at the very end of its term, the Trump Justice Department appears to be asserting a continuity of its own immigration enforcement agenda. The removal of these judges, along with the ouster of senior leadership at EOIR, highlights the intense partisan struggle over the control of immigration policy in the United States.

II. The Recent Dismissals: A Closer Look at the Numbers

A. The Scope of the Purge

According to a Justice Department source, 13 immigration judges appointed in late December and early January were dismissed on Friday. In addition, seven assistant chief immigration judges were also removed. This combined action affects a total of 20 judicial employees at EOIR, representing a significant shake-up within the agency. The fact that these judges had not yet completed their training or presided over cases suggests that the purge was swift and far-reaching.

B. The Case of Kerry Doyle

Among the dismissed judges was Kerry Doyle, whose career trajectory had been particularly notable. Once a vocal critic of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Doyle later served as ICE’s principal legal adviser. During her tenure, she was known for advocating lenient policies toward illegal immigrants—a stance that generated both support and controversy. The Biden administration, recognizing her unique position, attempted to transition her from a political appointee to a permanent civil servant within ICE. Despite these efforts, Doyle was among those removed by the Trump Justice Department.

At the time of her dismissal, Doyle’s name remained on the EOIR court roster. Her case underscores the complex interplay between political ideology and the administrative processes that govern immigration adjudication. Her removal has been cited as evidence of the ongoing effort by both administrations to shape EOIR according to their respective policy priorities.

C. Comparison with Biden’s 2021 Purge

The recent dismissals by the Trump administration mirror similar actions taken by the Biden administration during its early days in office. In 2021, the incoming administration removed a number of immigration judges appointed by Trump, arguing that the judges did not align with the new policy direction. By drawing a parallel between the two purges, a senior official at the Trump Justice Department noted, “The Biden administration set a precedent by terminating numerous immigration judges during their term or trial periods for the first time in EOIR history. So, it’s not surprising that EOIR is following that precedent.”

This comparison reveals a broader pattern in which each administration, upon taking office, seeks to recalibrate EOIR in line with its own immigration policy goals. The pendulum of change swings from one extreme to the other, reflecting the deep-seated partisan divide over how immigration should be managed in the United States.

III. Legal and Institutional Considerations

A. The Nature of “Midnight” Appointments

“Midnight” appointments refer to those made in the final days of an outgoing administration. These appointments are often controversial, as they can be seen as an attempt to cement a particular policy direction before the transition of power. The judges appointed by Trump during this period were widely perceived as champions of a strict immigration enforcement policy. Consequently, the Biden administration’s efforts to remove these judges were met with both political and legal challenges.

The recent dismissal of 20 immigration judges and assistant chief judges is a continuation of this pattern. It reflects an ongoing struggle over whether immigration judges should be politically appointed or whether they should be insulated from political influence altogether. The debate touches on fundamental questions about the independence of the judiciary and the role of political ideology in the administration of justice.

B. The Role of EOIR in U.S. Immigration Policy

EOIR plays a vital role in the implementation of U.S. immigration policy by adjudicating cases related to deportation, asylum, and other immigration matters. The judges and administrators within EOIR make decisions that can have profound effects on the lives of millions of people. As such, ensuring that these decisions are made fairly and impartially is of paramount importance.

The dismissals and restructuring at EOIR highlight the tension between political influence and judicial independence. When administrations attempt to reshape the agency by removing judges or altering its leadership structure, they risk undermining the credibility and neutrality of the institution. Such actions can lead to broader questions about the integrity of the immigration system and whether it is being used as a tool to further partisan objectives rather than to administer justice.

C. The Broader Debate on Judicial Appointments

The controversy over the removal of immigration judges is part of a larger debate about how judges are appointed and retained in the United States. Unlike federal judges who are appointed for life, immigration judges are appointed through a process that is often influenced by political considerations. This system has led to frequent purges and turnover when administrations change, as each new administration seeks to align EOIR with its policy objectives.

Critics argue that this politicization of judicial appointments can compromise the fairness of immigration proceedings, while supporters contend that it is necessary to ensure that judges are in step with current policy directions. The ongoing battle over immigration judges at EOIR is a vivid illustration of these broader issues and underscores the challenges inherent in balancing the need for judicial independence with the demands of political accountability.

IV. The Political Context: Immigration Policy in a Divided Nation

A. Trump’s Hardline Immigration Platform

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump made immigration a central pillar of his platform, promising mass deportations and stringent enforcement measures. His policies on immigration resonated with many Americans, and his administration implemented a series of hardline measures aimed at curbing illegal immigration. The appointment of judges who were aligned with these policies was an integral part of his strategy to enforce a strict immigration regime.

The recent dismissal of immigration judges can be seen as a continuation of that legacy. By removing judges that the Biden administration attempted to install, the Trump administration is reinforcing its commitment to a tough immigration policy. This move is likely to be welcomed by those who favor a strict approach to immigration enforcement and who view the previous appointments as essential to maintaining order at the border.

B. The Shifting Landscape Under the Biden Administration

When President Biden took office, he sought to shift U.S. immigration policy toward a more lenient and humane approach. One of his early actions was to purge EOIR of many judges appointed by the previous administration, signaling a departure from the Trump-era policies. The Biden administration’s efforts to remove last-minute Trump-appointed judges were driven by a desire to reshape the agency in line with its own vision of immigration reform.

However, the Trump administration’s recent actions complicate this narrative. By dismissing 20 immigration judges that the Biden administration had tried to install at the last minute, the Trump Justice Department appears to be challenging the Biden administration’s efforts and reasserting its own policy priorities. This tug-of-war over EOIR reflects the deep partisan divide over immigration policy and the role of judicial appointments in shaping enforcement practices.

C. Public Opinion and Border Statistics

Immigration policy remains a hot-button issue in American politics, and recent statistics highlight the ongoing challenges at the southern border. According to Customs and Border Protection data, the number of illegal border crossings has fallen dramatically, with only 359 illegal migrants processed each day—a figure that represents a 90 percent decrease from the same period last year. This decline has positioned the U.S. to record the lowest monthly border crossings in at least 25 years. Analysts have noted that if this trend continues, the total number of illegal migrants could soon reach levels not seen since the late 1960s.

These statistics have become a point of contention, with some viewing them as evidence that strict immigration policies are working, while others argue that such low numbers might indicate other systemic issues at the border. Regardless of one’s perspective, the data underscores the significance of immigration policy in the current political debate and provides context for the broader actions being taken by the Trump administration regarding EOIR.

V. Comparing Administrative Purges: Biden vs. Trump

A. The Biden Administration’s Early Actions

In the wake of President Biden’s inauguration in 2021, his administration embarked on an aggressive purge of immigration judges appointed during the Trump era. This effort was intended to realign EOIR with the new administration’s priorities and to remove judges whose views were seen as incompatible with a more humane immigration policy. The purge involved dismissals and resignations, with more than ten Trump-appointed immigration judges leaving the agency either at the end of their probationary periods or by choosing to resign rather than be fired.

These actions were met with mixed reactions. Supporters of the Biden administration argued that the purge was necessary to overhaul an institution that had long been politicized, while critics contended that it disrupted the stability and impartiality of EOIR. The removal of judges was viewed as a significant step in the broader effort to reshape U.S. immigration policy, setting the stage for the dramatic developments that followed.

B. The Trump Administration’s Response

The Trump administration’s recent dismissal of 20 immigration judges and assistant chief immigration judges is a direct response to the Biden purge. A senior Justice Department official explained that the Trump administration was following the precedent set by Biden, noting that it was not unprecedented to terminate immigration judges during their trial periods. By removing these judges, the Trump administration is effectively attempting to reestablish its own vision of immigration enforcement—a vision that prioritizes strict measures and a tough stance on illegal immigration.

This tit-for-tat approach highlights the intense partisan battle over EOIR. Each administration’s actions reflect deeply held ideological differences regarding how immigration laws should be enforced, how judges should be appointed, and what role the EOIR should play in the broader national security framework.

C. The Legal and Institutional Ramifications

The ongoing purge of immigration judges raises critical legal and institutional questions. The frequent turnover of judges—often driven by political considerations—can have a destabilizing effect on EOIR and, by extension, on the fairness and consistency of immigration adjudications. As administrations come and go, the constant reshuffling of personnel undermines the perception of neutrality and professionalism within the agency.

This instability is particularly concerning given the vital role that immigration judges play in determining the fate of individuals seeking asylum, facing deportation, or contesting removal orders. A politicized and unstable EOIR risks compromising the integrity of the immigration system, potentially leading to inconsistent rulings and a loss of public trust in the judicial process.

VI. The Broader Implications for U.S. Immigration Policy

A. Policy Shifts and Their Long-Term Effects

The dismissal of these “midnight” immigration judges is not merely a procedural adjustment—it signals a broader shift in U.S. immigration policy. Under the Trump administration, immigration enforcement has been characterized by a strict, hardline approach that emphasizes border security and mass deportations. By contrast, the Biden administration initially sought to pivot toward a more humane and measured strategy, though it too engaged in its own form of purge.

The current actions by the Trump Justice Department suggest that the pendulum of immigration policy may continue to swing back and forth between these extremes. Such volatility in policy direction can have long-lasting effects on the lives of millions of immigrants, as well as on the broader social and political fabric of the nation. Consistency and fairness in immigration adjudication are crucial for upholding the principles of justice and equality, and any disruptions in the functioning of EOIR risk undermining these values.

B. The Role of Political Appointments in Shaping Immigration Outcomes

Immigration judges, unlike their counterparts in other areas of the judiciary, are appointed through processes that are often influenced by political considerations. This reality means that shifts in administration can lead to rapid and significant changes in the composition of EOIR. The removal of judges who were seen as sympathetic to one approach to immigration policy—and the appointment of those aligned with another—can have a direct impact on the outcomes of immigration cases.

This dynamic creates a scenario in which the fate of immigrants is, in part, determined by the political leanings of the judges who preside over their cases. It raises important questions about the balance between political influence and judicial independence, and whether the current system adequately safeguards against partisan bias in the adjudication of immigration matters.

C. Public Perception and the Human Element

Beyond the legal and institutional implications, the ongoing political maneuvering within EOIR has significant ramifications for public perception. Immigration is a deeply emotive issue that touches on fundamental questions about national identity, human rights, and the rule of law. When the public observes that key personnel within the immigration system are subject to political purges, it can erode confidence in the fairness and impartiality of the process.

Moreover, the frequent turnover of judges and the overt politicization of the appointment process serve to reinforce negative stereotypes about the administration of immigration law. For immigrants and advocacy groups, this instability is not merely an abstract concern—it affects real lives, determining who is allowed to remain in the country and who is sent back. In this way, the current controversies at EOIR have a direct, tangible impact on the nation’s most vulnerable populations.

VII. Responses from Across the Political Spectrum

A. Republican Support for the Dismissals

Among Republicans, there has been considerable support for the Trump administration’s decision to dismiss the Biden-appointed immigration judges. Many conservative lawmakers view the purge as a necessary corrective measure—a way to ensure that the judges overseeing immigration cases are aligned with a strict enforcement agenda that prioritizes national security. For these supporters, the removal of judges who might favor leniency is seen as an affirmation of the hardline immigration policies that were central to Trump’s campaign promises.

Republican voices have argued that the dismissal of these judges is justified by the need to maintain strong borders and to enforce immigration laws effectively. They point to the significant drop in border crossings, as reported by Customs and Border Protection, as evidence that strict enforcement policies are working. In their view, ensuring that judges have a clear mandate to enforce the law is critical for preserving the rule of law and safeguarding American security.

B. Democratic Criticism and Legal Challenges

Conversely, many Democrats have strongly criticized the dismissals as politically motivated and as an example of executive overreach. Democratic lawmakers have expressed concern that such actions undermine the independence of the immigration judicial system and set a dangerous precedent for the politicization of judicial appointments. They argue that the removal of judges on the basis of political alignment, rather than any documented misconduct, compromises the integrity of the EOIR and endangers the principle of impartial justice.

Legal experts and advocacy groups have also weighed in, suggesting that the frequent turnover of immigration judges due to partisan purges could lead to inconsistencies in the adjudication of cases and a loss of public confidence in the system. For these critics, the current administration’s actions represent a troubling trend, one that prioritizes short-term political victories over the long-term health of the immigration judiciary.

C. Media Coverage and Public Discourse

The media has played a crucial role in amplifying the debate over these dismissals. Conservative outlets have highlighted the need for accountability and the importance of maintaining a judiciary that is committed to strong immigration enforcement. In contrast, liberal media have focused on the potential dangers of politicizing the judicial system, emphasizing the risks to fair and impartial decision-making.

Public discourse on social media has been equally polarized. Hashtags and trending topics reflect the intensity of opinions on both sides of the aisle. While many supporters see the purge as a necessary step to uphold national security, critics warn that such actions could undermine the foundational principles of democratic governance. The debate underscores the complex and deeply contentious nature of immigration policy in today’s America.

VIII. Looking Ahead: The Future of EOIR and Immigration Policy

A. The Need for Reform in Judicial Appointments

The controversies surrounding the dismissal of these “midnight” immigration judges highlight a broader need for reform in the way judges are appointed to EOIR. The current system, which is heavily influenced by political considerations, leaves the agency vulnerable to rapid shifts in policy direction with each change of administration. Many experts argue that establishing more objective criteria for judicial appointments could help stabilize the system and ensure that immigration judges are able to operate with the independence necessary for fair adjudication.

Proposals for reform include implementing standardized performance reviews, enhancing training programs, and creating clear guidelines for the tenure and removal of immigration judges. Such measures could help mitigate the effects of political purges and ensure that the agency remains a reliable and impartial arbiter of immigration law.

B. Balancing National Security and Judicial Independence

A key challenge for future administrations will be balancing the need for robust national security with the imperative of judicial independence. The recent dismissal of judges based on their perceived alignment with specific policy agendas underscores the tension between these two priorities. As the debate over security clearances for former presidents and the politicization of the EOIR continues, it will be essential for policymakers to find a middle ground that upholds the principles of justice while also addressing legitimate concerns about national security.

This balancing act will likely require a reevaluation of existing policies and the implementation of new safeguards to protect the integrity of the immigration judiciary. The goal is to create a system that is both resilient and responsive—one that can adapt to changing political climates without sacrificing the fundamental rights of individuals seeking justice.

C. The Role of Public Accountability and Media Oversight

In today’s highly connected world, public accountability and media oversight play a critical role in shaping government actions. The intense media scrutiny of the recent dismissals has underscored the importance of transparency in government operations, particularly in areas as sensitive as immigration policy. As the Trump and Biden administrations continue to clash over EOIR, the role of the media in holding public officials accountable cannot be overstated.

By bringing these issues to light, the media helps ensure that decisions affecting the lives of millions are made in a transparent and accountable manner. This oversight is essential for maintaining public trust in the institutions that govern our nation, and it serves as a check against potential abuses of power. In the case of the immigration judges, sustained media attention may spur further reforms and encourage lawmakers to take a closer look at the processes that govern judicial appointments.

IX. Historical Perspectives and Lessons Learned

A. Past Precedents for Judicial Purges

The practice of appointing and then dismissing immigration judges in the final days of an administration is not entirely new. Historical analysis reveals that both the Trump and Biden administrations have engaged in similar practices, each seeking to shape the EOIR in line with their respective policy goals. The “midnight” appointments made by Trump, and the subsequent purge by Biden in 2021, reflect a longstanding tension between political expediency and the need for an impartial judiciary.

Understanding these past precedents is crucial for contextualizing the current dismissals. They offer insight into the cyclical nature of political appointments and the inherent instability of a system that is too susceptible to partisan shifts. This historical perspective can inform future efforts to reform the appointment process, ensuring that immigration judges are selected based on merit and competence rather than political allegiance.

B. The Impact on Immigrants and the Justice System

The frequent turnover of immigration judges has direct consequences for the millions of immigrants whose cases are heard by EOIR. When judges are dismissed or replaced due to political purges, it can lead to delays, inconsistencies in rulings, and a general erosion of trust in the system. For individuals facing deportation or seeking asylum, the uncertainty surrounding the adjudication process is not just an abstract policy issue—it is a matter of life and death.

By stabilizing the appointment process and ensuring that judges are insulated from political interference, the government can help safeguard the rights of immigrants and promote a more just and reliable immigration system. This is an area where reform is urgently needed, and the current controversies may serve as a catalyst for long-overdue changes.

C. Broader Lessons for Democratic Governance

The disputes over EOIR and the dismissal of immigration judges are symptomatic of larger challenges facing American democracy. They raise fundamental questions about the role of executive power, the independence of federal institutions, and the importance of maintaining a system of checks and balances. When political considerations overshadow the principles of fairness and justice, the entire democratic system is at risk.

The ongoing debate serves as a powerful reminder that democratic governance requires constant vigilance. It is essential for citizens, lawmakers, and the media to hold public officials accountable and to demand that decisions affecting the public interest are made transparently and impartially. The lessons learned from these controversies can help guide future reforms and ensure that our institutions remain robust and resilient in the face of political pressures.

X. Conclusion: Charting a Course Toward a More Stable Future

In summary, the recent dismissal of 20 “midnight” immigration judges by the Trump administration, in an effort to counter moves made by the Biden administration, is a multifaceted issue that touches on everything from national security to the integrity of our judicial institutions. These actions, which include the removal of 13 immigration judges and seven assistant chief immigration judges, are part of a broader partisan battle over the direction of U.S. immigration policy and the politicization of the EOIR.

The controversy has ignited fierce debates among lawmakers, legal experts, and the public. On one side, supporters argue that these dismissals are necessary to enforce a strict immigration policy and to maintain national security. On the other, critics contend that such moves undermine the impartiality of the immigration system and set dangerous precedents for executive overreach. At the heart of the issue lies a complex interplay between political ideology, legal processes, and the human consequences for millions who depend on a fair and stable immigration system.

Looking to the future, it is clear that reform is needed. The process of appointing and dismissing immigration judges must be insulated from partisan whims, ensuring that those who hold the power to decide the fate of immigrants are selected on the basis of merit and integrity. At the same time, policymakers must address the broader challenges of national security and public trust, balancing the need for strong enforcement with the principles of fairness and due process.

As we navigate these turbulent political waters, the lessons learned from the current controversies will be invaluable. They serve as a stark reminder that the health of our democracy depends on the careful stewardship of power and the unwavering commitment to the rule of law. By fostering transparency, accountability, and independence within our institutions, we can build a more resilient future—one that honors the values of justice and equality for all.

In this new era of political accountability, the decisions made by administrations on both sides of the aisle will have lasting implications for the way we govern, the way we enforce the law, and the way we treat the individuals who seek justice through our immigration system. The story of these recent dismissals is not just about a political purge; it is about the ongoing struggle to uphold democratic ideals in a complex and rapidly changing world.

Ultimately, the path forward requires a commitment to reform, a willingness to learn from the past, and a collective effort to ensure that our institutions remain strong, independent, and true to the principles that define our nation. As the debate over immigration policy and judicial appointments continues, it is imperative that all stakeholders work together to create a system that is both fair and effective—one that respects the rights of immigrants, maintains national security, and upholds the ideals of justice for future generations.

This puzzle isn’t just about counting squares; it’s about how you approach the problem and how that might reveal aspects of your personality.

Why It Triggers Overconfidence: Narcissists often have an overconfidence bias—they trust their initial judgments without second-guessing them. So, when asked to count the squares, someone with narcissistic tendencies may rush to a conclusion, believing their first guess is correct.

On the other hand, people who are open-minded and self-reflective tend to take more time to reconsider their answers, showing a willingness to acknowledge that they might be wrong.

Fox News host James, who joined the network in 2018, recently commented on a rare public display of affection between Donald and Melania Trump.

Noting Melania’s unusually warm demeanor, James highlighted her radiant smile and confident posture, a stark contrast to her previously reserved persona.

Body language expert Judi James observed that Melania appeared more engaged and self-assured, aligning with her latest official portrait, which presents her as an active and influential partner.

At the event, Trump praised her dedication to causes like foster care, further enhancing her glowing presence.

This shift suggests Melania is stepping into a more visible and engaged public role, moving beyond the detached image she once held.

As the Trump family remains in the political spotlight, her evolving public persona signals a newfound confidence and purpose, shaping perceptions of her role in their partnership.

The United States Supreme Court recently decided not to take up challenges involving state and local government lawsuits directed at oil companies over damages linked to climate change.

Many people have been keeping an eye on these legal battles, given their potential to influence the entire industry.

These cases, initiated by states and local governments, energy producers, oil companies, and related industry organizations, aim to obligate oil companies to financially compensate for the consequences of climate change. The debate around these lawsuits is highly polarized.

On one hand, critics of the lawsuits argue that these legal actions are part of an agenda against fossil fuel industries. They express concerns that if the lawsuits succeed, it could significantly increase energy costs for consumers due to the financial strain on oil companies. Such increases could affect everyday consumers, leading to escalating bills and increased costs of goods and services reliant on energy.

On the other hand, proponents of the lawsuits believe these efforts are crucial. They argue that holding companies financially responsible is a fundamental step in making sure they are accountable for their contributions to environmental degradation. For these advocates, it’s about justice and ensuring that the companies take responsibility for their impact on our shared planet.

The legal strategy is based on state-level nuisance laws—these are laws used traditionally for resolving local disputes. By employing these laws, plaintiffs hope to make a significant point about the responsibility of large corporations in contributing to climate change. If the courts agree, it may set a precedent and pave the way for similar lawsuits against other big industries perceived to be harming the environment.

There’s concern in some circles that these lawsuits, which seem to be supported by liberal advocacy groups, could lead to indirect policy changes. This would happen through the judiciary rather than through legislative means, potentially affecting how future energy regulations are shaped across the country.

As these cases proceed in various lower courts, many people are watching closely. The debate continues to rage over the best ways to address climate change and the role of major corporations in contributing to environmental issues.

This situation reflects broader societal tensions, with calls for more responsible corporate behavior on one side and fears of economic impact on the other.

Ultimately, the decision by the Supreme Court not to hear these cases leaves a significant matter unresolved at the federal level. It ensures that the debate continues to play out in state courts across the nation, with each jurisdiction making its own determinations regarding the validity and impact of the lawsuits. For now, the conversation about climate change accountability remains a dynamic and evolving issue.

In sum, this outcome highlights the ongoing discourse surrounding environmental responsibility and the potential for legal actions to shape the future of how industries operate.

Both sides of the argument bring forward compelling points, leading to a complex debate that doesn’t have simple solutions, but instead requires careful consideration and collaboration across various sectors of society.

Dolly Parton has shared something deeply personal with the world—an emotional tribute that speaks to love, loss, and memory. Fans were left in tears after hearing the heartfelt dedication to the man who stood by her side for decades.

Dolly Parton has honored her late husband, Carl Dean, with a heartfelt musical tribute. The country music icon shared a special song, “If You Hadn’t Been There,” in memory of her lifelong partner.

A fan comment dated March 7, 2025 | Source: Instagram/dollypatron

Parton announced the tribute on Instagram, posting a nostalgic photo of herself and Dean from their younger years. Alongside the image, she shared a touching message. “Carl and I fell in love when I was 18 and he was 23, and like all great love stories, they never end. They live in memory and in song, and I dedicate this to him.”

The post featured Parton’s emotional rendition of the song, moving many fans to tears. The comments section quickly filled with messages of support and admiration.“Awww Dolly, I cried. Such a great man. My boss was friends with Carl. What a gracious man he was. 🙏💔,” one fan shared.

Someone else commented, “Dolly, I am sobbing at the dinner table 🥹. What a beautiful, soul-baring tribute to a man who shared you in all your joy, humor, and light with all of us. You and Carl are so so loved🤍.”

The song, “If You Hadn’t Been There,” carries a sentimental yet uplifting tone. Despite the sorrowful occasion, its melody remains hopeful.

“I wouldn’t be here, if you hadn’t been there, holding my hand, showing you care, you made me dream, more than I dared, and I wouldn’t be here, if you hadn’t been there,” Parton sings.

Dean, known for his private nature, was married to Parton for nearly six decades. His passing marked the end of a long and enduring love story.

The renowned singer first shared the news of her husband’s passing on March 3, 2025, via social media. The couple was married for nearly 60 years and did not have children together.

In a March 6, 2025, Instagram post, Parton thanked family, friends, and fans for their support and shared that she had found peace in her faith, “He is in God’s arms now and I am okay with that. I will always love you.”

Parton’s tribute came after the reveal of Dean’s funeral arrangements, marking another step in honoring his memory. According to information shared with the Associated Press by her publicist, Carl will be honored in a private funeral service attended solely by his immediate family.

Dolly Parton attends “Dolly: An Original Musical” fireside chat and press conference on January 28, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee. | Source: Getty Images

Parton herself offered a heartfelt statement, expressing the profound grief that comes with losing her husband of almost 60 years. “Carl and I spent many wonderful years together. Words can’t do justice to the love we shared for over 60 years. Thank you for your prayers and sympathy,” the country legend shared.

While the family has not disclosed further details regarding the location or specifics of the ceremony, the desire for privacy aligns with Dean’s well-known aversion to public attention.

As the family prepares to say their final goodbyes in a private ceremony, Parton’s sister, Stella, took to X on March 4, 2025, to acknowledge the outpouring of love and support from the public. “On behalf of my sister Dolly, our family and Carl’s family, we appreciate your prayers at this time,” she penned.

Dolly and Stella Parton at the premiere of “Dolly Parton’s Coat of Many Colors” in Hollywood, California on December 2, 2015. | Source: Getty Images

Details surrounding his funeral and the message shared by Parton’s sister follow initial reports about the death of the man who captured the “9 to 5” singer’s heart. Dean is survived by Parton and his siblings, Sandra and Donnie.

The family, who has not shared Dean’s cause of death, has requested privacy during this difficult time as they grieve the loss of a man who remained a steadfast presence in Parton’s life since their wedding in 1966.

Parton crossed paths with Dean on her very first day in town, two years before they tied the knot. She had just arrived in Nashville to stay with her Uncle Bill, who had moved there two weeks earlier.

While helping out by babysitting his son, she took a trip to a local laundromat, the Wishy‐Washy, to clean the clothes she had brought with her. As she walked down the street, taking in her new surroundings, a man called out to her.

Coming from a small town, she was used to greeting everyone, so she waved back. That man turned out to be Dean. The singer was 18 when they met, and Dean was 21. “I was surprised and delighted that while he talked to me, he looked at my face (a rare thing for me). He seemed to be genuinely interested in finding out who I was and what I was about,” noted Parton.

Although they had a friendly exchange, Parton initially refused to go out with him, sticking to the lessons she had been taught about safety. Instead, she invited him to visit her uncle’s house while she babysat. He took her up on the offer and came by every day that week, spending time with her on the porch. She didn’t even allow him inside the house.

Eventually, when her aunt had a day off and could watch the baby, she finally agreed to go somewhere with Dean. “He drove me straight to his folks’ house and introduced me to his mother and daddy. Cause he said he knew right the minute he saw me that that’s the one he wanted,” Parton gushed.

They got married on Memorial Day 1966 in Ringgold, Georgia, when Parton was 20 and Dean was 23. The small and private ceremony was attended by Parton’s mother, Avie Lee, the preacher of the ceremony, and his wife.

Over the years, Parton has spoken about her marriage to Dean, including how it lasted decades. She credited the success of her long-lasting marriage to the differences between them, noting that their opposite personalities kept things exciting.

Parton described Dean as a loner, a trait that made their marriage work despite her demanding career. Their home was always bustling, with five of her younger siblings living with them, creating an atmosphere she likened to a busy depot.

Given his loner trait, Dean didn’t mind when she traveled for work, especially since she often took most of the kids with her. Their arrangement suited them both as she thrived on being on the move, and he appreciated the space. The time apart only added to the excitement whenever they reunited.

Furthermore, due to his love for privacy, people speculated that Parton’s husband was imaginary. She addressed this long-standing speculation, attributing the rumors to his deliberate avoidance of the spotlight.

She explained that Dean preferred a quiet, private life and had no interest in public attention. According to her, he knew that stepping into the public eye would mean sacrificing his peace, and he had no desire for that kind of scrutiny.

“I’ve always respected and appreciated that in him and I’ve always tried to keep him out of the limelight as much as I can. He said, ‘I didn’t choose this world, I chose you, and you chose that world. But we can keep our lives separate and together.’ And we do and we have,” Parton explained.

The “Let It Be” crooner also described Dean as a kind and dependable man who constantly surprised her, making their relationship both fun and enduring. “He’s a deep person, but he has a great and warped sense of humor. He makes me laugh and entertains me. He’s very secure within himself,” shared Parton.

The “Wildflowers” singer also divulged what she and Dean loved to do for fun. The pair enjoyed simple pleasures together, often taking short trips in their RV where they could relax and unwind. Parton loved reading, cooking, and spending quiet time with her husband, embracing a laid-back routine.

While Dean preferred staying close to home, appreciating his independence, Parton was the opposite as she was always eager to explore and stay busy. Their differences, she noted, balanced their relationship and contributed to its lasting strength.

Here is the song…….

Cavities grow when bacteria break down tooth enamel, leading to decay. While harsh cavities demand professional treatment, early-stage decay can sometimes be handled naturally by boosting enamel and enhancing remineralization. Here are some effective ways to help repair and prevent cavities—naturally!

1. Boost Your Diet with Tooth-Strengthening Nutrients

What you eat directly impacts your dental  health. Focus on foods that enhance remineralization:

✔ Calcium-high foods (cheese, yogurt, almonds) – Promote enamel

✔ Vitamin D (sunlight, fatty fish, egg yolks) – Helps calcium absorption

✔ Magnesium (spinach, nuts, seeds) – Encourage tooth structure

✔ Phosphorus (fish, eggs, lentils) – Helps refresh tooth enamel

❌ Avoid: Sugary snacks, acidic sodas, and processed foods that destroy enamel.

2. Oil Pulling for Natural Detoxification

Oil pulling helps remove harmful bacteria and reduces plaque buildup, preventing further decay

👉 How to Do It:

• Swish 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in your mouth for 10-15 minutes.
• Spit it out (do not swallow) and soak with warm water.
• Repeat daily for best results.

3. Use a Natural Remineralizing Toothpaste

Fluoride-free  toothpaste with natural remineralizing ingredients can help refresh enamel. Find:

✔ Hydroxyapatite – A natural enamel-refreshing mineral

✔ Calcium carbonate – Gently waxes and enhances teeth

✔ Baking soda – Neutralizes acids and gets rid of stains

4. Swith Mineral-Rich Herbal Mouthwash

A DIY mouth rinse can support healing and reduce bacteria.

🔹 Recipe:

✔ ½ teaspoon sea salt (rich in minerals)

✔ ½ teaspoon baking soda (neutralizes acidity)

✔ 1 cup warm water

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✔ Optional: 2 drops clove or peppermint oil (for antibacterial benefits)

👉 Swish for 30 seconds, then spit it out.

5. Boost Teeth with Herbal Remedies

Certain herbs have incredible antimicrobial and enamel-protecting consequences:

✔ Clove oil – Natural pain relief and antibacterial properties

✔ Neem – Fights bacteria and supports oral health

✔ Licorice root – Lessens plaque and strengthens gums

👉 Apply diluted clove oil directly to the affected tooth for relief.

6. Stay Hydrated & Improve Saliva Production

Saliva naturally remineralizes teeth and washes away bacteria.

✔ Drink plenty of water

✔ Chew sugar-free gum with xylitol to stimulate saliva

✔ Avoid dry mouth triggers like smoking and alcohol

Final Thought

While natural methods can lessens minor enamel repair and prevention, deep cavities or severe pain require professional care. The best solution is prevention—maintain a mineral-rich diet, practice good oral hygiene, and apply natural remedies to protect your smile! 😁✨

Feeling cold feet is common, especially on colder days. Sometimes, all it takes is putting on a pair of socks or wrapping yourself in a blanket to solve the problem. However, when this sensation is constant or happens for no apparent reason, it is a warning from your body.

In this article, I explain in simple terms the six main problems that can be behind this discomfort and how to identify the signs.

Why do feet get cold?

The human body is intelligent and prioritizes keeping vital organs warm. When we are exposed to the cold, blood is redirected to the torso, leaving the extremities, such as hands and feet, less warm.

However, cold feet are not always related to the environment. Problems with blood circulation, nerves, or even hormonal changes can affect the temperature of the extremities.

If you notice that your feet are often cold, even in warm places, it is worth paying attention to other symptoms.

1. Poor circulation: The most common culprit

Poor circulation is one of the most common causes of cold feet. When blood does not circulate efficiently throughout the body, the extremities, such as the feet, do not receive enough heat.

This problem occurs for a variety of reasons, such as a sedentary lifestyle, smoking, obesity, or even cardiovascular disease.

To improve circulation, simple activities such as walking or stretching can help a lot. In more serious cases, it may be necessary to see a doctor to investigate the cause.

2. Anemia: When the body lacks iron

Anemia is another common factor linked to cold feet. This condition occurs when the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen. With less oxygen circulating, the feet and hands may feel colder.

Causes of anemia include a lack of iron or vitamin B12 or even chronic diseases.

3. Diabetes: Watch out for neuropathy

Diabetes is a disease that affects the way your body processes blood sugar. When it is not well controlled, excess sugar can damage your nerves, especially in your extremities, such as your feet.

This condition, called diabetic neuropathy, can cause abnormal sensations such as tingling, numbness, or a feeling of intense coldness in the feet.

4. Hypothyroidism: Slow metabolism, cold feet

The thyroid is a small gland in the neck that produces hormones that regulate metabolism. When the thyroid is working less than it should, the entire body slows down, including the body’s ability to maintain its temperature.

If you suspect hypothyroidism, see a doctor. Diagnosis is made through blood tests, and treatment is usually simple, with hormone replacement therapy.

5. Raynaud’s phenomenon: Fingers that change color

Raynaud’s phenomenon is a condition that affects the blood vessels in the hands and feet, causing them to constrict in response to cold or stress. This reduces blood flow, leaving the fingers pale, blue, and, in some cases, even numb.

After the episode, the fingers may become red and painful as the blood returns to the bloodstream. Although not serious, Raynaud’s can be associated with other diseases, such as lupus or rheumatoid arthritis.

Protecting your hands and feet from the cold and avoiding stressful situations helps control symptoms.

6. Multiple sclerosis: An impact on the nerves

Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, interfering with communication between the brain and the body. One of the symptoms is dysesthesia, or abnormal sensations such as intense heat or cold in the feet and hands.

This type of discomfort occurs because damaged nerves have difficulty transmitting temperature signals.

Treatment varies depending on symptoms and may include medications to relieve discomfort.

When to seek medical help?

If cold feet are persistent and accompanied by other symptoms, such as pain, swelling, or changes in skin color, it’s time to see a doctor.

While cold feet are often nothing to worry about, identifying the underlying cause can help prevent more serious problems and improve your quality of life.

Conclusion

Cold feet are more than just a nuisance: they can be a warning sign of health conditions that deserve attention. Knowing the possible causes is the first step to taking better care of yourself and seeking help when necessary.

Whatever the reason, the important thing is to listen to your body and take action to maintain your health. After all, no one deserves to spend the whole day with frozen feet, right?

Coat hooks have several uses. They may be used to keep keys, clothes, umbrellas, and headphones.

However, you wouldn’t think they would be put to any evil or immoral purpose, would you? Before hearing this, I didn’t know that they were able to accomplish such a thing.

Some coat hooks in hotel rooms and public facilities have concealed cameras in them. Similar gadgets have been spotted in public areas including women’s restrooms and hotel facilities.

Recently, three occurrences have been reported by Floridians. As stated in the MCSO report:

“In the women’s toilets, tiny cameras concealed in coat hooks were discovered fixed on the walls in all three occurrences. On May 26, they were discovered at Anne’s Beach; on May 28, they were discovered in the women’s restroom at Harry Harris Park in Tavernier; and on May 31, they were discovered at the Circle K Store at the 99.8 mile marker on Highway U.S. One.

In 2011, in a Kansas YMCA locker room, a lady unintentionally knocked a camera that was attached to a clothes hanger to the ground.

The investigators of the event found that the hook had a sticky underside.

Lt. Randy Reynolds of the $:e::x Crimes Unit of the Wichita Police Department stated, “The device is not something that would stand out.” “Anywhere could be a changing room for them.”

The most terrifying aspect is that these devices can be purchased for as little as $20 to $50.

The business even uses the catchphrase “No one will suspect a clothes hook of concealing a camera” to promote its products.

The hooks are compatible with MicroSD cards, which have a maximum recording time of two hours at 16 GB.

I can understand how having this on hand may be useful if you suspected someone in your office was stealing from you. But a far higher proportion of users are misusing them for s:3::x and using them to snoop on defenseless women and children.

How would you recognize one?

It’s easy to identify one of these devices. All that separates them from being ordinary plastic coat hangers is a little aperture on top. The lenses are those. (Red highlights added)

In certain cases, the motion sensor may even include a side button that you must press to activate it.

On a white coat hanger, some people’s lights are dazzlingly bright and easy to see, yet on a black one, others may be harder to see.

Please tell your family and friends about this post!

It was several years ago and I was working on a documentary that would eventually be called, “There But For The Grace of God…”, trying to understand the epidemic of homelessness that had gripped Seattle and so many other places.

I was wandering the streets of Seattle with my cameraman Doug, going to the places where broken people sought refuge. I walked into a men’s shelter called Lazarus Day Center, run by Catholic Community Services. I don’t know what I was looking for. I just wanted to talk to somebody and learn.

I introduced myself to a woman who was working there. She had long hair and seemed tired. She was being pulled in about five different directions and seemed a little suspicious, but she stepped outside and talked to me for a few minutes.

We talked about drugs and addiction and homelessness. About the men at Lazarus. And then she excused herself and went back inside.

I sensed that there was more, that there were things she was holding back.

And, for some reason that I still don’t understand, I couldn’t stop thinking about her. Again and again, over the course of many months, my instinct told me that there was something about the woman at the men’s shelter, something special. At the time I couldn’t articulate what it was.

Years later now, I realize what “the something” was: an honest and profound truth born of a life lived authenticity.

Her name is Ginny Burton.

Two years later I was working on another project, and I called Lazarus, but Ginny no longer worked there. They gave me the number of someone who knew her, though, and that person relayed my message.

When she called I said, “I don’t know why, but I think I need to talk to you again…”

And so we talked. Many times. And there was trust and eventually friendship. When she told me the story of her life, I was heartbroken and devastated. But I was also enthralled because I believed that the human suffering on our streets was unnecessary, that the addiction and death we had become so comfortable with didn’t need to be so. That there was a path to freedom and redemption. And that here, before me, was living proof.

This is Ginny’s story. She is my Hero.

Ginny as a baby with her mother, who was a drug addict and drug dealer. (Photo: Ginny Burton)

She was born in Tacoma in 1972. She was one of seven children born to a mother who was a drug addict and a drug dealer who suffered from mental illness.

Her father was sent to prison when she was four for a string of armed robberies.

Her mother introduced her to marijuana at the age of six.

She got her using meth at age 12.

By 14 she was smoking crack.

Childhood photo of Ginny Burton. (Photo: Ginny Burton)

At 16 she was raped by a man who bought drugs from her mother.

By 17 she’d attempted suicide for the first of many times.

She got pregnant and the baby’s father was shot and killed.

She eventually had two children and married into an abusive relationship.

At 21 she started shooting heroin. By 23 she was a full-on, hardcore heroin addict.

Ginny Burton, a little girl surrounded by squalor, addiction, and violence, had become a grown woman surrounded by squalor, addiction, and violence. She never had a chance.

Ginny and a guy named Jack used to feed their addiction by robbing Mexican drug dealers at gunpoint. They knew that they wouldn’t go to the cops because they were undocumented.

She was hell on wheels.

She said to me once:

I am that person. I have 17 felony convictions. I am the person you used to clutch your bag when I walked by you. I am the person that would randomly attack somebody in public. I was not a savory person. Everybody was a victim, and everybody was prey.

The pictures of Ginny in those days tell the story of a young woman who was reeling out of control, a swirling, churning blur of chaos and self-destruction. Jail cells, guys that hit her, self-loathing, criminal behavior. She stole cars. She shot somebody. Her children were taken away. And drugs. Always, there were drugs.

I asked her what it was like in those days, what she saw when she looked in the mirror. And when she answered, her voice rose and she talked faster and faster, as if the memory was something she was trying to drive from her mind forever. And her words… her words have never left me.

When you’re stuck on the street and you smell like feces and you haven’t showered in forever and you can’t make it into a social service during working hours because you’re too busy trying to feed your addiction, and your addiction is bigger than you… and you’ve compromised your integrity a number of times over and over and over again, and you’re starting to be victimized by the people on the street… you’re hopeless. You can’t stand your life. You would rather be dead than alive. I spent most of my addiction wishing that somebody would just blow me away.

Ginny Burton mugshot. (King County Jail)

Three times she went to state prison. And she says that each time she got clean and had time to think and contemplate what she wanted to change about her life.

It really afforded me the ability to stop and think about what I wanted my life to look like. It gave me the opportunity to let the fog clear.

The problem was that she didn’t have the tools to make that happen, and so she would get out of prison and go back to the same people, the same lifestyle.

“This beast woke up,” she says now. “This beast that was so much bigger than I was. I would tell myself, ‘I am not going to use tomorrow. I am not going to use,’ but at the latest by 2 p.m. the next day I was always using.”

And she describes a “drug vortex” that she could never escape.

When I was clean I thought about using, and when I was using I thought about getting clean.

And so it went, on and on. Her last trip to prison was in 2008. She was in for 33 months, and she stayed clean for six months after she got out. But she relapsed for the umpteenth time and was arrested one last time on Dec. 5, 2012, and she says it saved her life.

She’d been committing forgery crimes in Tacoma and had been up all night, high on meth and heroin. She was heading to Walgreens.

I was in a stolen truck. A really slow one. I pulled out and a cop turned on the lights to pull me over for a light that was out. I took off and he chased me. I almost crashed into a tree in front of an apartment building. And that was it. that was the end.

Ginny Burton mugshot from 2005. (King County Jail)

She recalls sitting in the back of the police car, handcuffed and happy. Relieved.

I knew I was OK. I knew when he put the handcuffs on me and put me in his car, I knew my life was going to change and it was then, in that moment, that I made the decision to turn it around no matter what it took.

Her charges were transferred to King County, and she begged to be put into the Drug Diversion Court program. She went through a treatment program at the Regional Justice Center. She got clean and stayed clean.

Ginny never looked back.

She did social service work for the Post Prison Education Program, and at Lazarus for seven years. And she watched and learned. She told me something that nobody wants to hear. She said that in those seven years, working with hundreds of addicts, she knew of exactly two people who were able to voluntarily get clean and who stayed that way. Two.

And she started going to school.

In the beginning, she took classes at South Seattle College, a grown woman taking classes with kids, feeling out of place and awkward, but also inspired and awakened.

It made me recognize how much time I had wasted in my life. And I also recognized that I was actually good at learning. something I enjoyed.

She applied to the University of Washington and was accepted. In 2019 she was awarded a Martin Honor Scholarship to the UW and there before her the path opened up.

She studied political science. And maybe it was then, at the age of 47, surrounded by kids from nice homes with nice parents who attended college parties on weekends and whose paths had been laid out for them since birth, maybe it was then, perhaps for the first time in her life, that Ginny Burton realized just how smart she really was.

I was entering into a bunch of areas I had never experienced before,” she says now. “I had a lot of insecurity at first, I was significantly older than the majority of people I was sitting in classrooms with. And i was reading up to 350 pages a week in a field I had no understanding of.

But she did it, and she excelled.

She made the all-academic team at the university.

She was the 2020 Truman Scholar for the state of Washington.

While all of this was happening, she was working on reconciling her relationship with her husband, Chris Burton, who had been incarcerated and was recently released.

Chris, like Ginny, is clean now, and he has watched and learned as his wife has proven over and over again that for some people, there are no limitations.

He says:

I see a lot of the things behind the scenes, the hard work she puts in, the passion, her fire. She really genuinely wants to help people. She wants to help those at the bottom rise to the top, and I believe that she will.

And she posted to Facebook two stunning before and after photos.

One was taken in a red King County jumpsuit in 2005. Her head was shaved and there were sores from picking at her face during her addiction. She’d been using a quarter ounce of heroin per day when the picture was taken. She looked sad and strung out and infinitely tired.

In the other picture, taken that day with the cap and gown, she looked happy and beautiful and proud and full of bright, endless possibilities.

Next to the two pictures, she wrote these words:

Today I’ve let go of feeling insecure about my age, the lines on my face, my genetics, my failures, and imposter syndrome to recognize that no matter what, if I’m still breathing, I can do anything I set my mind to. Graduating at 48 from the Political Science department at the University of Washington Seattle is a real accomplishment for this former quitter.

She and Chris have moved away from Seattle to the small town of Rochester, Wash. They are adding an apartment to the home of Chris’s grandparents. There is peace and solitude around them. And flowers and trees.

Ginny and her husband Chris, both living clean. (Photo: Ginny Burton)

Ginny wants to change the world and believes she can. She wants to get her master’s degree and use it to save lives by changing prisons, so that addiction is tackled head-on on the inside, but also out in the world, where she sees what she calls a “learned helplessness” that she considers a death sentence. And, she knows. Ginny says she’s been to more than 20 funerals in the last seven years, funerals for friends who were drug addicts, people who she believes have been loved to death by Seattle and King County, and a culture of tolerance at all expense.

Nobody wants to hurt anybody’s feelings,” she says, “everybody wants to be loving and supportive, which means we don’t hold up a mirror to people. We don’t want to tell anybody they can’t do this, we’re just going to support them to death. We’re gonna love them to death.

Sitting on the lawn with rhododendrons in full bloom behind her, she continues”

It’s not love. I am grateful the Pierce County Sheriff’s loved me enough to arrest me. I am grateful that the judges loved me enough to incarcerate me because those incarcerations gave me an opportunity to work myself into changing my life.

To know Ginny Burton’s story is to believe that no soul is irredeemable. To look at her before-and-after pictures is to understand that truly, anything is possible.

My story isn’t an accident,” she told me. “I think it will be used for everybody else. Maybe I can be some kind of Pied Piper, to help people recover their own lives. That’s what I care about. There are some days that I wish I could just slip away here, with a garden, and open up a little cafe. But in reality I know it’s my job to continue to create hope.

Will she pull it off? I believe she will. The force of this woman’s will is indisputable. Her story is undeniable, her particular truth irrefutable. And now she understands these things. It’s what I sensed that first day at the men’s shelter, but couldn’t quite put my finger on… Ginny Burton is the truth.

President Trump reassured astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been stranded aboard the International Space Station for nearly a year, saying, “We’re coming up to get you,” as Elon Musk reportedly prepares to launch a SpaceX capsule in about two weeks.

On Thursday, Trump, 78, joked about the possibility of personally launching a rescue mission to help bring the astronauts back to Earth, and he criticized former President Joe Biden for the mission, which started as an eight-day trip but has now stretched to nine months and counting, the New York Post reported.

“Biden left them up there,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “We have two astronauts that are stuck in space. I have asked Elon, I said, ‘Do me a favor. Can you get them out?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ He is preparing to go up, I think in two weeks.”

The president said that “Biden was embarrassed by what happened, and he said, ‘leave them up there.’ I would have said, ‘If you’re embarrassed, you got to get them out.’ Elon is right now preparing a ship to go up and get them.”

In an exchange with Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy, Trump noted that his message to the stranded U.S. astronauts was: “We love you, and we’re coming up to get you, and you shouldn’t have been up there so long.”

He added: “The most incompetent president in our history has allowed that to happen to you, but this president won’t let it happen.”

They’ve been left up there — I hope they like each other, maybe they love each other, I don’t know,” he mused. “But they’ve been left up there. Think of it. And I see the woman with the wild hair, good, solid hair she’s got. There’s no kidding, there’s no games with her hair.”

The two astronauts became stranded in June when an issue was discovered with Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which returned without them, The Post noted.

In September, Musk’s SpaceX launched a Crew Dragon capsule to rescue the pair, and it successfully docked at the space station. However, NASA chose to delay their return.

In December, NASA announced that the astronauts would have to wait for another SpaceX rescue vehicle to arrive with replacement scientists, which would not occur before late March. Afterward, they would need to go through an unspecified handover period before finally returning to Earth.

The two astronauts became stranded in June when an issue was discovered with Boeing’s Starliner capsule, which returned without them.

In September, Musk’s SpaceX launched a Crew Dragon capsule to rescue the pair, and it successfully docked at the space station. However, NASA chose to delay their return.

In December, NASA announced that the astronauts would have to wait for another SpaceX rescue vehicle to arrive with replacement scientists, which would not occur before late March. Afterward, they would need to go through an unspecified handover period before finally returning to Earth, the outlet added.

At one point, Trump then asked attending officials and journalists jokingly: “Should I go on that journey just to be on the ship when we stop?”

“If that’s an option, yes,” Doocy responded, noting he would be the “first president in space.”

But, The Post said, Trump didn’t seem completely sold on the idea.

“When they come back, I’ll greet them, how about that?” he asked.

On Thursday, Musk’s SpaceX program suffered another setback, however, when a Starship rocket exploded after lift-off in Texas, which caused multiple flights in Florida to be temporarily grounded.

A live stream showed the engines cutting off from the rocket about eight minutes into the launch, shortly after the booster was successfully caught back at the tower.

“We just saw some engines go out. It looks like we are losing altitude control of the ship,” explained SpaceX communications manager Dan Huot during the webcast.

Before flight controllers lost communication, the spacecraft appeared to spin.

Police in Florida arrested a man for allegedly threatening to kill President Donald Trump with a nuclear bomb during a recorded 9-1-1 call, reports said on Friday.

Justin Blaxton, a resident of Loxahatchee, Florida, made the call on February 26, identifying himself as “Justin Blaze” and repeatedly stating his intention to kill the president, according to authorities, the Daily Caller reported.

According to a probable cause affidavit filed by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), Blaxton claimed to be a revenge-driven Confederate soldier who had hacked into missile silos and was preparing to launch bombs to destroy New York. “My missiles are attracted to Donald Trump’s towers,” he allegedly added.

PBSO’s affidavit claims that Blaxton stated he wanted a ride to the airport to assassinate Trump at the White House. In another statement, according to the police report, Blaxton allegedly said, “I want Donald Trump at my house. Tomorrow is his last day on earth.”

In adding, police said, Blaxton made additional threts, including “burning some houses down.”

“I’m a mass murderer come and get me,” he proclaimed, according to authorities.

Blaxton has been charged with threatening to use a destructive device, making a false report of a bomb or explosion, and making a false 911 call. His bond has been set at $35,000. According to CBS 12 News, Blaxton made his first court appearance for these charges on Wednesday.

The probable cause affidavit states that Blaxton has an “extensive history of mental illness.” On March 2, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO) filed a Petition for Temporary Ex Parte Risk Protection Order against Blaxton, which was granted the following day.

John Russell, a former U.S. Secret Service agent, told CBS 12 News that mental illness was the most likely cause of the incident. He called Blaxton’s phone calls “probably the idle rant of somebody who’s mentally deranged.”

This is not Blaxton’s first encounter with the law. A PBSO booking document from June 2024 reveals that he was previously arrested on charges of larceny, battery, and resisting an officer, the Caller reported.

Then-GOP nominee Trump was nearly assassinated shortly after he began speaking at a rally in Butler, Pa., in July. The shooter, Thomas Crooks, nicked the 47th president’s right ear after he fired several rounds before being killed by a Secret Service counter-sniper team.

Crooks’ bullets killed one person and severely wounded another who were seated behind Trump at the venue.

In addition, Secret Service agents thwarted a second alleged attempt at Trump’s golf course in Palm Beach, Fla., less that two months later.

After he won the election, Trump announced that Secret Service agent Sean Curran, who had been the head of his department for years, would be the new director of the agency.

Curran, who had been with the agency for over two decades, led a team of about 85 agents dedicated to protecting the president. He has served in this role for the past two and a half years during Trump’s presidential campaign.

Curran developed the closest relationship with Trump of any current agent and was often positioned closest to him in the innermost ring of Secret Service security, tasked with safeguarding the reelected president on a daily basis, RealClearWire reported.

Curran was also one of the first agents to jump on top of Trump during the assassination attempt on the then-Republican nominee at a rally in Butler. He can be seen in the iconic photo of Trump, blood-stained and pumping his fist in the air, surrounded by agents and an American flag in the background.

Donald Trump Jr. on Friday responded quickly to a report published online claiming that he was considering a run for president in 2028 to follow in the footsteps of his term-limited father, President Donald Trump.

Citing unnamed sources, Mediaite reported that Don Jr. was actively considering vying for the GOP nomination after noting that last month his father pointedly did not endorse his vice president, JD Vance, as his successor, saying that it was “too early” to do so.

“No, but he’s very capable,” the president said at the time. “I mean, I don’t think that it, you know, I think you have a lot of very capable people. So far, I think he’s doing a fantastic job. It’s too early, we’re just starting.”

Trump’s willingness to distance himself from his vice president so easily surprised many observers who had expected Vance to be the heir to the MAGA movement after Trump leaves office in about four years, Mediaite reported.

However, several members of Trump’s inner circle, speaking to Mediaite on condition of anonymity, said the remarks were unsurprising and reflected the president’s intent to keep his political dynasty alive beyond his own second term.

Three high-level sources told Mediaite that Donald Trump Jr., the president’s eldest son and a prominent MAGA figure online, is seriously considering a run for the White House in 2028.

“Don has been the most politically involved of all the Trump kids and has always kept the lanes open for a presidential run,” one White House insider and close friend of the Trump family said. “He is a valued voice for his father, and a real possibility to be a contender in 2028.”

“Don Jr. has long been a key voice in influencing cabinet picks, policy, and potential endorsements,” the Trump insider added. “He has also consistently been the most active on the campaign trail for the president as well as his endorsed candidates.”

The site went on to quote “another Trump family friend.”

“One hundred percent he will run, but only for president not VP,” they said. “He is older and more experienced than JD. In about a year, real conversations will start about him running. At this point, it’s too soon, and he doesn’t want to start a battle with JD, especially since they are friends.”

But Don Jr. quickly dispelled the report and chastised Mediaite for apparently being duped.

“I accurately predicted that my buddy JD would be an instant power player in national GOP politics, so your theory is that I worked my ass off to help get him the VP nomination because I want to run for president in 2028?” he said in a statement to the site.

“Are you f**king retarded? I’m actually glad you’re printing this bullshit though because at least now the rest of the press corps will see how shitty your ‘sources’ are and how easily you’re played by them. Congrats, moron,” he added, per Mediaite.

In January, Donald Trump Jr. traveled to Greenland with Sergio Gor, now the director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, shortly after President Trump expressed his desire for the United States to annex the autonomous territory.

Last week, he hosted Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on his Rumble show, Triggered, just as President Trump tightened restrictions on the Nicolás Maduro regime’s oil production.

A source also told Mediaite that additional major international trips are being planned for Trump Jr. in the near future.

Don Jr. also mocked the outline in an X post.

“LOL A lot of fake stories have been written about me over the years, but this might be the most obviously fake one yet. Congrats to @dianafalzone & @Mediaite for embarrassing themselves. You guys got played and now all your friends in the press are mocking you behind your back,” he wrote.

The Democrat Party has changed so drastically from what it used to be and represent that some longtime members are reexamining their relationship.

That is the case for former Clinton pollster Doug Schoen, who appeared on Fox News on Thursday after President Donald Trump’s popular address to a joint session of Congress.

After Democrats refused to stand for the moms of two girls who were viciously murdered by illegal aliens and for DJ Daniel, a 13-year-old brain cancer survivor who was made an honorary Secret Service agent, at the address, Schoen said that he could see many Democrats start to leave the Party, including Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman.

“I certainly think that is possible if you look at what he’s said and what he’s done. It’s clear he’s uncomfortable in the Democratic Party, as frankly, I am,” he told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. “I disagree with the Republicans on a lot of things. They go further than I would go. So I cling to my membership in the Democratic Party, but it’s not the same party.”

“It isn’t the party of John F. Kennedy or Bill Clinton. Moderates are really not welcome. And I wish we could have the kind of discussion about issues that most of us want, that President Trump, I think, was inviting from the opposition, that is sadly absent,” he said. “It’s a woke, far-left party that I really have very little in common with, with the party that I helped build and [helped] re-elect, proudly, Bill Clinton.”

“I disagree with many of the policies that President Trump so articulately outlined, and I think he’s gone too far. But that being said, my party is not doing what Bill Clinton did when the Gingrich revolution came in 1994, which is to offer a set of alternatives that recognize the American people want border security, a reduction in inflation, tougher policies on crime, and immigration reform. Until we do that as a party, we Democrats remain irrelevant, sadly,” Schoen added.

Democratic lawmakers may have bristled at Trump’s triumphant return to the Capitol, but new polling suggests their constituents felt differently.

A CBS News/YouGov survey, conducted immediately after Trump’s joint address to Congress, polled a nationally representative sample of speech watchers—and the results are likely to delight the poll-conscious president.

The poll shows an overwhelming 76 percent of Americans viewing the speech approved of Trump’s remarks, with only 23 percent — less than a quarter — disapproving.

Sixty-eight percent of viewers described Trump’s speech as “hopeful,” with a majority also describing it as “presidential,” “inspiring,” “unifying,” and “entertaining.”

A clear majority of Americans who watched President Trump’s address felt he focused on issues that mattered to them, according to the CBS News/YouGov survey.

More than two-thirds of viewers said Trump has a clear plan to tackle inflation, which began under President Joe Biden. Additionally, over three-quarters of respondents supported Trump’s proposals on reducing government waste, immigration, and border security. Despite negative press coverage leading up to the speech, nearly one-quarter of viewers approved of Trump’s approach to handling Ukraine and Russia, Breitbart News reported, citing the polling results.

While presidential address audiences typically lean toward the sitting president’s party, the survey found that only 51% of viewers identified as Republicans, suggesting that Trump’s message resonated beyond his base.

Finally, more than three-quarters of viewers approved of Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) ordering the Sergeant at Arms to remove Rep. Al Green (D-TX) from the chamber after he disrupted President Trump’s speech despite multiple warnings.

Trump also won praise from members of the Republican Party and many in the media.

“Tonight, President Trump made his triumphant return to Congress to share his bold, optimistic vision for renewing the American Dream,” Johnson noted on the X platform.

“This is the fifth State of the Union address I’ve seen Trump give — it was by far his best,” Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) added.

A new jobs report is fantastic news for President Donald Trump as it shows manufacturing jobs are coming back and native-born workers are benefitting the most.

“Today’s jobs report shows American manufacturing is on the rebound thanks to President Donald J. Trump and his administration,” the White House said in a press release.

“The country gained 10,000 manufacturing jobs in President Trump’s first full month in office — a swift turnaround after losing an average of 9,000 manufacturing jobs per month, or 111,000 total, in the final year of the Biden Administration,” the press release added.

“The rebound in manufacturing jobs was led by the automobile sector, which gained 8,900 new jobs in February — after losing 27,300 auto jobs in Biden’s final year — showing that firms are reshoring production and positively responding to President Trump’s trade policies,” it said.

“The manufacturing turnaround has been confirmed by S&P Global’s own U.S. manufacturing survey, which surged last month to its highest level since June 2022, and the Manufacturing ISM Report On Business, which returned to expansion territory after 26 consecutive months of contraction,” the release noted further.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt touted the new jobs report as a victory for the Trump administration.

 “In one month under President Trump, the American economy is soaring back to greatness after the economic calamity left by Joe Biden. The manufacturing industry is already rebounding as there were 9,000 new auto jobs created — the most auto jobs added in 15 months! Under President Trump, the private sector is leading the way — 93% of the job gains in February were in the private sector. This is great news for American workers and families. The Trump Administration will continue to work hard to implement pro-growth policies and push Congress to enact the Trump Economic Agenda,” she said.

The report showed that the automobile manufacturing industry added 8,900 jobs in February after it lost around 27,000 jobs the previous year under former President Joe Biden.

A whopping 93 percent of the new jobs came from the private sector, not the federal government, as regulatory burdens on businesses have already been relaxed through a series of executive orders and actions directed by President Trump since taking office Jan. 20.

For native-born American workers, the news was particularly promising, as numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that 284,000 native-born workers got new jobs last month, while 87,000 foreign-born workers lost jobs.

It also showed that 367,000 native-born workers joined the workforce while 66,000 foreign-born workers left it.

Juxtapose those numbers with January’s numbers, the last of the Biden administration: The United States added fewer jobs than anticipated in January as the Federal Reserve waits to see labor market and inflation data before deciding on whether or not to adjust interest rates, Fox Business reported.

Also, the unemployment rate was at 4 percent, which was lower than what was anticipated by economists — another good sign for Trump.

“The number of jobs added in the prior two months were both revised, with job creation in November revised up by 49,000 from a gain of 212,000 to 261,000, while December was revised up by 51,000 from a gain of 256,000 to 307,000. Taken together, 100,000 more jobs were created in those two months than previously reported,” the report said.

The private sector was expected to add 141,000 jobs but only added 111,000, according to government data, though these numbers could be revised upward over the next few weeks.

There was also some good news regarding wages, which grew half a percent from the previous month and 4.1 percent from the same time a year prior.

The retail industry added 34,300 jobs in January, while general merchandise retailers added 31,200 jobs and furniture retailers added 5,300.

Electronics and appliance retailers saw a decrease in jobs of 7,000.

“Social assistance added 22,300 jobs, led by individual and family services (+20,100) with gains also occurring in community food and housing, emergency and other relief services (+4,400). The sector grew by an average of 20,000 jobs a month last year,” the report said.

“The mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction industry lost 7,700 jobs in January, with losses concentrated in mining support activities. The sector experienced little net change in 2024,” it said.