If you are more concerned about words than actions, vote for the establishment. If want your lawmakers to continue to fund Israel, tell you that we don't have the money for ideas that improve working class Americans's life or you want to continue to just mind you business and not worry about the issues, vote for the establishment.
The Democratic Party is fighting within itself. The progressive wing is mounting a fierce challenge against longtime members who continue to push the status quo.
While Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Tom Suozi (D-NY), Laura Gillen (D-NY) and Ritchie Torres (D-NY) will likely continue to be headaches within the Democratic Party, Reps. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), Jared Moskowitz (D-FL), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Adirano Espaillat (D-NY) are at serious risk of being defeated in their primaries.
Today is the New York primary.
This will decide whether Gov. Kathy Hochul gets a third term. This will also be a pushback against members who did not back New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Mamdani endorsed three candidates for the House. He endorsed Brad Lander, Clarke Valdez and Darializa Avila Chevalier.
AIPAC and the Democratic Party establishment are aggressively targeting these candidates.
Harlem: “Big Papi!” Washington Heights: “Big Papi!” The Bronx: “Big Papi!” Darializa: “Red Sox player.” ๐ฉ๐ด๐ https://t.co/ztpLchwW7y
— Anna Ommen๐ฎ๐ฑ๐บ๐ธ✡️๐✝️๐ณ️⚧️๐ณ️๐ (@OmmenAnna20273) June 22, 2026
Let's send this transplant back to wherever the fuck she came from.... your DSA people have spread so much hate that new york is not even the same anymore... https://t.co/M9wew864nt
Say NO to NY gentrifiers. Vote Jordan and Espaillat! “Mamdani’s involvement has already alienated black and Latino progressives, powerful labor unions and the left-leaning Working Families Party, all of which helped him get to City Hall and partnered with him as mayor.” https://t.co/EDqge9hKik
Disgusting, out of control, and feels like a legitimate paid agitator situation. Espaillat is running a despicable campaign, welcoming the dirtiest tactics deployed by dark money groups. https://t.co/BKUzHhbLFk
lots of young people feel apathy after they go out, protest, get arrested & vote every 4 years & their lives don’t change. no change takes place because these old relics keep winning their comfortable seats in primaries when no ones paying attention. all this investment is what… https://t.co/cXd0lZ3lgJ
How come no one is talking about this insane racist smear campaign being run against Darializa by Espaillat supporters (I’m sure he has nothing to do with it! ๐)
I guess racism against Haitians only matters when it’s Trump doing it. https://t.co/wq1WUQgwGy
— Marwa Nashashibi ๐ต๐ธ (@MarwaNasha99112) June 23, 2026
Of course AIPAC jumped in to save Espaillat. He's been one of their most reliable allies, even when it meant abandoning the people he was elected to represent. https://t.co/qLD9P7LdkZ
Activist Darializa Avila Chevalier is facing a smear campaign from Zionist, the establishment Democrats and the KHive.
Avila Chevalier is an Afro Latina and Muslim. She vehemently opposes American taxpayer money going to Israel. She withheld her vote to support former president Joe Biden and later former vice president Kamala Harris over their support for Israel as they were conducting a genocide in Gaza.
She wants to prioritize American affordability, housing, efficiently with New York services, affordable healthcare, ending ICE and opposing President Donald J. Trump's misuse of federal resources.
You don't hear much of this because the topics that I've heard on social media is mostly about her race and the allegations that she hates Jews.
Again that comes from the Zionists who are trying desperately to intimidate people of color.
On Sunday, Avila Chevalier and her mother were early voting when she was accosted by a small group of provocateurs.
Rusking Pimentel, who is currently on unpaid leave from Espaillat’s congressional office, accused Avila Chevalier, who identifies as Afro-Dominican and Muslim, of working with Mayor Zohran Mamdani to replace Dominicans in Washington Heights with Muslims and Haitians.
“Mamdani, who is also Muslim, his goal is to change the demography of Washington Heights, that Washington Heights no longer be a bastion of the Dominican community, that it rather become a bastion of the Haitian, Muslim community allied to him,” Pimentel said in Spanish on the “Entre Lรญneas” podcast.
“And for Darializa Chevalier, who is the candidate running against Adriano, Washington Heights cannot continue to be Dominican,” he added. “For them, Washington Heights must follow the same pattern in Brooklyn. That is because since Haitians are converting to Islam in high numbers, they must be moved to the Dominican district.”
In another interview, with the YouTube channel “Las Exclusivas de Josรฉ Peguero,” Pimentel cast suspicions on Avila Chevalier’s Dominican identity. “She came from Florida, a young woman that identifies as an Afro-Latina, and she says that supposedly she has Dominican parents, and that now says she wants the opportunity to represent this community,” he said.
Avila Chevalier has been brigaded with anti-Haitian racism in the final weeks of the campaign, as anonymous Espaillat fans have also inundated Avila Chevalier’s social media posts with comments accusing her of being Haitian.
Former rapper Michael Tyler, 55 will officially be in a Louisiana iron college after he was convicted of another sexual abuse crime.
Formerly known as Mystikal, the sexual predator received multiple Grammy nominations in the early 2000s, will serve 20 years in prison for raping a woman at his Louisiana home in 2022.
Michael Lawrence Tyler pleaded guilty to third-degree rape in March with a sentencing cap of 20 years, five years less than the maximum punishment for the crime. His plea deal reduced the charge from first-degree rape, which carries an automatic life sentence.
Days before his Tuesday sentencing hearing, he asked a judge to withdraw his guilty plea, saying he “did not have sufficient opportunity to fully consider the consequences,” according to ABC affiliate WBRZ.
The victim spoke in court before sentencing and asked the judge to give Mystikal the maximum sentence, WBRZ reported. She reportedly said the rapper had punched her, choked her, pulled out her braids and forcibly raped her at his home in Prairieville, about 18 miles (29 kilometers) from Baton Rouge.
“If I did that to you, I deserve the max sentence,” he tearfully said in response, according to the local TV station.
A lawyer for the rapper did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Mystikal has been held without bond at the Ascension Parish Jail since his arrest in 2022.
The Louisiana rapper rose to national recognition in the 1990s and is known for his 2000 hit “Shake Ya A(asterisk)(asterisk),” which was nominated for a Grammy in the best rap solo performance category.
In 2003, he pleaded guilty to sexual battery and was sentenced to six years in prison. That same year he was a Grammy nominee in two categories: best rap album for “Tarantula” and best male rap solo performance for his single “Bouncin’ Back (Bumpin’ Me Against The Wall).”
Mystikal was associated with No Limit Records. He signed to the label in 1995 and became a major success when he released Unpredictable and Ghetto Fabulous which went platinum.
He released his two final albums Let’s Get Ready and Tarantula before heading to the iron college for the 2003 conviction.
He ended up briefly signing to Cash Money/Rich Gang. He ended up leaving in 2016 and was an independent artist until his second conviction.
He and C-Murder will not see the light of day.
No Limit Records and Cash Money Records are launching a reunion tour. Master P, Silkk The Shocker, Mia X, Mac, KLC, Romeo will join Juvenile, Birdman, Mannie Fresh and B.G. on a New Orleans style rap tour.
Clive Davis, the man who made Whitney Houston an iconic pop star has passed away.
The music industry loses a legend. A controversial legend.
The man who gave us Whitney Houston, Alicia Keyes, Bruce Springsteen, Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana, Diddy and so many others has passed away.
Clive Davis, 94 the record company lawyer who became one of the music industry’s most powerful figures, launching or resurrecting the careers of such superstars has died. His family confirms it.
Davis died in his Manhattan apartment, weeks after being hospitalized for an upper respiratory issue, his publicist Aliza Rabinoff said.
“To the world, our father was the iconic music legend whose vision, instincts, and relentless pursuit of excellence shaped the soundtrack of countless lives. He discovered, mentored, and championed the greatest artists in modern music history, leaving an indelible mark on culture that will endure for generations,” the statement read.
Many artists mourned his passing on Monday. Carlos Santana called him “a visionary.” Michael Bublรฉ said the music executive “believed in people and their dreams.” Patti Smith thanked Davis for a half century of “love and support.”
Unlike other record moguls whose influence waned as they got older, Davis’ might only seemed to grow, spanning multiple genres and labels. Into his later years, he was directing the careers of everyone from Barry Manilow to “American Idol” winners Carrie Underwood and Kelly Clarkson. And his exclusive pre-Grammys gala, held the Saturday night before the Sunday award show every year since 1975, continued to be an institution.
“Clive’s talent has always been seeing and hearing what other people don’t,” former President Barack Obama said in a video message played at this year’s gala.
A Brooklyn background
Clive Jay Davis was born on April 4, 1932 in Brooklyn, New York, where he grew up in the Crown Heights neighborhood. His father was an electrician and traveling salesman. He attended New York University and then Harvard Law School, eventually landing a job as an in-house lawyer at Columbia Records.
Davis always had a knack for business, and by 1967, became president of the company, just seven years after being hired as an attorney. He cited attending the Monterey International Pop Festival that year as pivotal; it eventually led him to bringing Bruce Springsteen, Chicago, Neil Diamond and many other groups to the label — bringing a counterculture spirit to a company that had resisted rock ‘n’ roll.
Davis took big swings in the music industry, particularly in his support for Black artists, beginning when he signed Gamble and Huff’s Philadelphia International Records in 1971.
In 2015, the NAACP recognized Davis for his groundbreaking work by presenting him with the Vanguard Award. And last summer, Davis was presented with the Apollo Theater’s Apollo Legacy Award and inducted onto its Walk of Fame.
An unrivaled career
His success stories were staggering, with Houston a crowning achievement and devastating tragedy: Davis signed her to his Arista record label when she was just a teen and turned her into America’s reigning pop princess.
Houston racked up multiple No. 1 hits and became one of the top-selling artists in pop history before drug abuse hobbled her career. She died in a Beverly Hills hotel room in 2012, hours before she was to appear at Davis’ annual pre-Grammy Awards gala. He had been convinced she was turning her life around.
“Maybe I should have been more skeptical,” Davis wrote in his 2013 memoir, “The Soundtrack of My Life,” “but I’ve always been optimistic, and I felt hopeful. It felt like old times.”
He also launched the career of multiplatinum, multiple-Grammy winner Keys — and was quick to note other talents he signed, including Joplin and Billy Joel, Blood Sweat & Tears and other “all-timers,” as he so often put it.
“I signed Patti Smith, the great Renaissance woman ... I signed Lou Reed ... I signed the Grateful Dead,” he proudly touted in an interview with The Associated Press in 1999.
He also signed the then up-and-coming producer Sean “Diddy” Combs to a label deal with his Bad Boy Records. Under Davis, the label would have some of its biggest successes, most notably with late rap icon the Notorious B.I.G. That was long before the hip-hop mogul Diddy would be incarcerated, convicted of violating the federal Mann Act, which bans transporting people across state lines for any sexual crime.
An exec who built lifelong careers
Davis didn’t simply have an eye for new talent — he also knew how to keep veterans relevant, decades after their first hit. Aretha Franklin, whose legend was made at Atlantic Records, flourished in her later years at Arista, as did Luther Vandross, who made his last albums for another Davis label, J Records.
It was Davis who conceived of the 1999 album “Supernatural,” which paired guitar god Santana with some of the day’s hottest talents. The record won a record-tying eight Grammys and gave Santana more success than he had ever enjoyed in his decades-long career.
And he had middle-aged star Rod Stewart trade in his rock hits for standards from “The Great American Songbook.” The album, released in 2003, sold millions and was so successful it spawned four titles in all.
Davis didn’t always make the right choices; he turned down a chance to sign up Meat Loaf. And he and his collaborators didn’t always agree.
He and producer David Foster fought bitterly over the arrangement for Houston’s all-time hit, a cover of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You.” Davis won that fight — and the song was published with its iconic a cappella intro.
And Manilow strongly objected to recording “I Write the Songs,” noting that he didn’t even write the song, a Bruce Johnston ballad that became a signature hit for Manilow, who would have similar latter-day success mining the music of the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
“He’s just brilliant at picking ideas he thinks the public will connect,” raved Manilow, who had worked with Davis since he was a budding singer at Columbia Records.
But not an infallible figure
Davis also had his struggles. Though he became president of Columbia Records in 1967 after joining the label in 1960 as a lawyer, by 1973 he was gone in a bitter fallout. The label accused him of mismanagement of funds and he was fired. Although Davis says he was later cleared, it wasn’t the end of his problems; he later was indicted on tax evasion charges, pleaded guilty to one count and had to pay a $10,000 fine.
However, Davis would declare victory: He says Columbia gave him the money to start Arista to resolve the dispute, and the label would become a huge success with artists like country superstars Brooks & Dunn, sassy R&B group TLC, Babyface, Houston, Franklin and others.
Legends don't die.
The label had huge success with a debut act — Milli Vanilli. But the male pop duo would become the embarrassment of the industry when, after winning a Grammy, it was revealed that they weren’t actually singing their songs (Davis blamed the debacle on the label’s European division, which he said signed them; the group was later stripped of its best new artist Grammy).
In 1999, as Arista was celebrating its 25th anniversary, Davis faced another crisis: The label’s then-parent company, BMG Entertainment, a division of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann, wanted him to retire; most of its executives were eased out by 60, and Davis was in his mid-60s.
In 2000, despite support from his superstar roster, the company ousted him in favor of producer and songwriter Antonio “L.A.” Reid, who would later become chairman of Island/Def Jam.
Still, Davis’ successes were many
However, instead of severing its ties with Davis, BMG helped him launch J Records in what BMG has described as the largest record company startup ever created. Vandross was one of his initial artists, along with forgettable acts like the boy-band O-Town.
J Records was a success from the start, though, and only grew in stature with the arrival of a young singer named Keys, a piano-playing singer-songwriter with powerful pipes and dramatic R&B songs. Keys’ albums would go on to sell millions and win several Grammys.
His influence grew even more when Davis was tapped for BMG’s U.S. division.
Clive Davis and his partner Greg Schriefer.
He became a key backer of the careers of the winners of “American Idol,” guiding many albums to platinum status. The show’s link to Sony BMG came through a deal between Davis and 19 Recordings Unlimited, the label managed by “Idol” creator Simon Fuller.
In 2007, however, Davis disagreed with the direction of Clarkson’s “My December,” and she publicly criticized him. The album was a flop, and she later apologized.
In 2008, Sony BMG replaced Davis as chairman and chief executive officer of the BMG label group, giving him the title of chief creative officer.
He was serving as worldwide chief creative officer at Sony Music Entertainment up until his death.
A love-filled personal life
In his memoir, Davis confirmed longtime rumors that he was bisexual and had been living with a man in recent years.
“Do I feel I could have been similarly attracted to a woman?” Davis wrote. “The answer is yes.”
He is survived by his four children, sons Fred, Doug and Mitchell, daughter Lauren, and his eight grandchildren Austin, Charlie, Matthew, Hayley, Harper, Sloane, Billie and Cody, two great grandchildren, cousin Jo Schuman and partner Greg Schriefer.
His family shared a loving statement on Monday.
“Through every chapter of his remarkable life, family remained Clive’s greatest pride and deepest joy. Today, we celebrate not only a towering figure whose influence changed music forever, but the man who led our family with grace, generosity, and kindness. We will miss him greatly, cherish him always, and carry his love with us for the rest of our lives.”
Out you go. Keir Starmer forced out of British leadership.
Zionism is not popular.
Israel is not popular.
The royalty of the British Empire is unpopular.
The U.S. president is unpopular.
White leadership is unpopular.
Need I say more.
Keir Starmer has resigned today. He informed King Charles III and his Labour Party leaders. His focus on protecting Israel, not focusing on the financial crisis, the cost of living and being tone deaf cost him.
Just like many before him, his support for Israel doomed him.
He said Monday he will resign, forced out by his own party after missteps and mistakes soured voters’ goodwill following a landslide election victory two years ago on a promise of steady leadership and economic growth.
Starmer says he will remain caretaker prime minister until his Labour Party chooses a new leader — with expectations growing that it will be former Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
Burnham confirmed on social media that “I will put myself forward as part of this process.” Former Health Secretary Wes Streeting, who was considered his main rival for the top job, said he will back Burnham.
It was Burnham’s victory in a special parliamentary election last week that triggered Starmer’s decision to resign, as Labour lawmakers flocked to the charismatic former mayor in the hope he can revive the party’s fortunes. After nearly a decade as mayor of the northwestern city, Burnham returned Monday to Parliament, where he took the oath of office in the House of Commons.
Only members of Parliament are eligible for the party leadership.
Streeting’s statement makes it more likely that Burnham will be selected without a leadership contest.
Britain’s next election does not have to be held until 2029. Asked if he would call an early vote if he becomes prime minister, Burnham said: “You’re jumping several hurdles ahead there.”
Starmer is the sixth prime minister in a decade to stand outside No. 10 Downing St., and announce a premature departure. His statement came the day before Britain marks the 10th anniversary of its vote to leave the European Union, a decision that still roils the country’s economy and politics.
After weeks of insisting he would fight to keep his job, Starmer conceded to growing pressure to hand over to a new leader who can try and revive the government’s flagging fortunes. He led Labour to a landslide election victory in July 2024, but since then his popularity and that of the party have plummeted.
A new leader in place within weeks
Starmer made the announcement outside his official residence, where he delivered his first speech as prime minister two years ago. His voice choked with emotion near the end of the brief statement, which was watched by his staff, Cabinet ministers and scores of journalists.
“The question my party is asking now is whether I am best placed to lead us into the next general election,” Starmer said. “I have heard the answer of my parliamentary party to that question, and I accept that answer with good grace.”
He said he spoke to King Charles III, Britain’s constitutional monarch, to inform him of the decision.
Starmer spent the weekend pondering his future following Burnham’s special election victory.
Starmer said nominations for a leadership contest will open July 9, and the new leader will be in place by the time Parliament returns from its summer break on Sept. 1.
If Burnham is the only candidate, the change could come by mid-July.
Starmer struggled to fulfill election pledges
Starmer has struggled to deliver promised economic growth, repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living. He has been hamstrung by repeated missteps, including his decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a scandal-tarnished friend of Jeffrey Epstein, as U.K. ambassador to the United States.
Replacing a Zionist with another one.
Labour is losing liberal voters to the growing Green Party and facing a rising Reform UK, the Nigel Farage -led anti-immigration party that consistently leads in nationwide opinion polls.
U.S. President Donald Trump weighed in even before an announcement, linking Starmer’s exit to two of the Republican leader’s recurring grievances: immigration and renewable energy.
“Keir Starmer will resign as Prime Minister of The United Kingdom. He failed badly on two very important subjects- IMMIGRATION AND ENERGY (OPEN NORTH SEA OIL!). I wish him well! President DJT,” Trump posted on his social media platform.
Starmer’s initially warm relationship with Trump has soured in recent months over issues including the Iran war, which the U.K. didn’t join.
Praised on the world stage
In contrast to missteps domestically, Starmer has won praise for his international role, notably in rallying European support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion, and working to mitigate the economic and political turmoil unleashed by the Iran conflict.
A NATO summit in Turkey next month may be his last foray on the world stage as Britain’s leader.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, posting on X, thanked Starmer for his support and cooperation “that have helped make our Europe and our protection of life stronger.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen praised Starmer’s legacy.
“It can take many leaders years to grow into the statesman you became in just two years,” she said on X. “European and Ukrainian security is stronger because of you. Thank you, dear Keir.”
While many Labour lawmakers have rallied behind Burnham, some have said that Starmer had been treated unfairly. London legislator Neil Coyle railed on X against “the prospect of an utter stitch-up & the media circus being rewarded.”
Many hope Burnham can connect with voters
Burnham is the front-runner to succeed Starmer because many people see him as the best person to defeat the anti-immigration Reform Party at the next election, said Olivia O’Sullivan, an analyst at London’s Chatham House think tank.
Burnham appeals to Labour Party lawmakers who were frustrated by the way Starmer has governed, O’Sullivan said. Many hope that he will set out a “clearer vision” and connect with voters in parts of the country that are in danger of turning to Reform.
Still, O’Sullivan cautioned that may not translate into genuine change.
“It’s absolutely correct that that is not the same thing as offering a radically different set of policies or even a particularly clear policy program,” she said.
Alan Greenspan, the former Fed chairman who served four presidents passed away at 100.
The former federal finance chief and husband of NBC News contributor Andrea Mitchell has passed away.
Alan Greenspan, the influential economist who steered U.S. monetary policy during his five terms as chairman of the Federal Reserve under four presidents, died Monday, according to his wife, NBC News correspondent Andrea Mitchell.
He was 100.
Greenspan helped define modern American capitalism from the final years of the Cold War-era through the dawn of the digital age. He presided over the Fed during one of the longest economic expansions in U.S. history, a boom stretching from 1991 to 2001. But he was also faulted for decisions that critics say created the conditions for the global financial crisis of 2007-08, such as advocating for deregulation of the financial sector.
Mitchell, the chief Washington correspondent and chief foreign affairs correspondent for NBC News, announced her husband’s death in a statement. They were married for 29 years.
“Alan passed away at our home this morning at the age of 100 from complications of Parkinson’s disease,” Mitchell said in a statement. “He was a giant of a man who helped shape the U.S. economy for decades under presidents of both parties, but was always honest in acknowledging his mistakes,” she said.
“To me he was my husband, who shaped my life from our very first date in 1984. He had ‘irrational exuberance’ for baseball, the Washington Commanders, tennis, golf and music, especially jazz,” Mitchell added. “He will be remembered for his brilliance and his kindness. Being his life partner was the joy of my life.”
In a statement, the Fed extended condolences to Mitchell and said Greenspan’s “contributions to monetary policy and economic thought left a lasting mark on this institution, on the broader field of economics, and on the country.”
Greenspan was born March 6, 1926, in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City, where he showed mathematical acumen from a young age. In his early years, he attended the Juilliard School and played jazz saxophone and clarinet in a band.
He studied economics at New York University, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1948 and a master’s in 1950, and then started work on a doctorate at Columbia University under economist Arthur F. Burns, a future chairman of the Federal Reserve.
In the early 1950s, Greenspan became an associate of the “Atlas Shrugged” writer Ayn Rand, whose “objectivist” philosophy of self-interest and laissez-faire capitalism inspired future generations of political libertarians and conservatives. Greenspan embraced some of her beliefs and paid tribute to her in his 2007 memoir.
“Ayn Rand and I remained close until she died in 1982, and I’m grateful for the influence she had on my life. I was intellectually limited until I met her,” Greenspan wrote in “The Age of Turbulence: Adventures in a New World.”
Greenspan left Columbia in 1953 and joined an economic consulting firm that became known as Townsend-Greenspan Co., Inc. Five years later, he became president and chief owner of the firm.
Greenspan’s initial foray into the political world came in 1967 when he served as an adviser on Richard Nixon’s 1968 presidential campaign. He assisted with Nixon’s transition to the Oval Office but turned down an official role in the administration.
He advised Nixon on an informal basis and, following Nixon’s resignation in 1974, took a position in President Gerald Ford’s administration as chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, serving until 1977. He pursued policies that, together with tighter monetary policy from the Paul Volcker-led Federal Reserve, helped reduce inflation from 11% to 6.5%.
In 1977, at the dawn of Jimmy Carter’s presidency, Greenspan returned to his consulting firm in New York and accepted an adjunct professorship at New York University, where he received a Ph.D. in economics.
Greenspan returned to government service when President Ronald Reagan appointed him to fill Volcker’s term as chairman of the Federal Reserve. Greenspan’s nomination was confirmed by the Senate on Aug. 11, 1987, during Reagan’s second term.
On Oct. 19, 1987, or “Black Monday,” when the Dow Jones Industrial Average plummeted by more than 22% — the blue-chip index’s largest one-day percentage fall ever — Greenspan moved swiftly to keep the markets liquid. From then on, Fed moves to support financial markets through episodes of instability became known as the “Greenspan put.”
He drew praise for steering the economy through what was then the longest expansion in U.S. history, running roughly from March 1991 to the first quarter of 2001, a transformative period that saw the acceleration of globalization and the rise of the internet. Greenspan navigated the Fed through seminal events, including the “dotcom” bubble burst and the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
He achieved celebrity status when stocks soared to record levels under President Bill Clinton. The writer Christopher Hitchens called him “America’s least-likely celebrity,” The Economist magazine dubbed him a “rock star,” and his admirers called him “the maestro.”
Greenspan, who served five consecutive four-year terms, retired Jan. 31, 2006. He has the second-longest tenure as Fed chair, behind William McChesney Martin, who served from 1951 to 1970.
In the wake of the financial collapse of 2007-08, Greenspan drew scrutiny for decisions that some critics believe set the stage for the meltdown. Despite his infamous warning in 1996 that “irrational exuberance” was unduly inflating stock prices, he was faulted for missing the early-2000s housing bubble.
In 2011, the bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission determined that the crisis was triggered in part by Greenspan’s failure to discourage trade in securities backed by subprime mortgage loans amid an unsustainable housing boom and his promotion of financial industry deregulation.
“More than 30 years of deregulation and reliance on self-regulation by financial institutions, championed by former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan and others, supported by successive administrations and Congresses, and actively pushed by the powerful financial industry at every turn, had stripped away key safeguards, which could have helped avoid catastrophe,” the report said in part.
In testimony to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in October 2008, Greenspan referred to the financial crisis as a “once-in-a-century credit tsunami.”
“The crisis, however, has turned out to be much broader than anything I could have imagined,” he acknowledged.
After leaving the Fed, Greenspan started his own consulting company in Washington and authored several books.
He shared his impressions of the presidents he had worked with in his memoir “The Age of Turbulence” and in interviews. Nixon was smart but paranoid, he said. Ford “was a genuinely nice man who was not ruthlessly ambitious,” he said in a 2009 interview.
Alan Greenspan with wife, NBC host Andrea Mitchell.
Reagan, the president who nominated him, “fervently believed in, and acted on, a small number of important principles,” he said in remarks at the Reagan Library in 2003.
Despite being a lifelong Republican, Greenspan had a strong relationship with Clinton, a Democrat, and praised his intelligence and fiscal discipline. Clinton, he joked, “was the best Republican president we’ve had in a while.”
His relationships with George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush were more complicated. The elder Bush blamed Greenspan publicly for the poor economy that likely contributed to his election loss, which Greenspan said in his book “surprised” him.
Greenspan said he was disappointed in the younger Bush for failing to rein in the budget with a GOP-controlled Congress, and that Republicans deserved it when they lost control of both chambers in the 2006 midterms. “The Republicans in Congress lost their way. They swapped principle for power. They ended up with neither,” he wrote in his book.
Greenspan’s successors as Fed chair include Ben Bernanke, Janet Yellen, Jerome Powell and, as of May, Kevin Warsh, who was appointed by President Donald Trump.
Greenspan received various national and international accolades: In 2000, the French government awarded him the Legion of Honor; and in 2002, Queen Elizabeth II named him an honorary Knight of the British Empire. He was awarded the U.S.’ highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by the younger Bush in 2005.
The Fed, in its statement on Greenspan’s death, said he “brought rigorous analytical discipline to monetary policymaking and helped establish the credibility that remains” one of the central bank’s “most important assets.”
“Chairman Greenspan’s legacy endures at the Federal Reserve—in those he mentored directly, in the economists and public servants he inspired, and in the frameworks and practices he helped shape,” the Fed added.
Tay Keith found dead on Friday. Mega producer made hits for Drake, 21 Savage, Gunna and others.
A longtime Tennessee producer for Future, Drake, Travis $cott, Sexyy Red, 21 Savage, Gunna and Young Thug has passed away.
America has a mental health problem. It has affected millions. Especially those who work in the entertainment industry. Being an iconic music producer and a rapper drove this entertainer to mental health and drug abuse.
Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (Lifeline) at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 988, or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). Both services are free and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The deaf and hard of hearing can contact the Lifeline via TTY at 1-800-799-4889. All calls are confidential. Contact social media outlets directly if you are concerned about a friend’s social media updates or dial 911 in an emergency. Learn more on the Lifeline’s website or the Crisis Text Line’s website.
You can get help if you, a loved one or friend is dealing with drug abuse.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline is a free, confidential, 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service (in English and Spanish) for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.
Grammy-nominated record producer Tay Keith was found dead in his home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday, police said.
Police performing a welfare check found the prolific hitmaker, whose real name is BryTavious Chambers, unresponsive in his Martin Street apartment in Nashville on Thursday afternoon, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department said.
No foul play is suspected, police said. He was 29.
The cause of Keith’s death is pending autopsy results.
His family confirmed his passing in a statement Friday.
“BryTavious was a visionary producer, songwriter, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and cultural force whose work helped define the sound of a generation,” the statement said. “From Memphis to the global stage, he shaped countless hit records and left a lasting mark on music and culture.”
Keith hailed from Tennessee and worked with music’s biggest stars, including Beyoncรฉ and Drake. His career included four No. 1 records on the Billboard Hot 100, including Travis Scott’s 2018 single “Sicko Mode” and Drake’s 2023 hit “First Person Shooter.”
He was nominated for a Grammy in 2019 for “Sicko Mode,” which he helped produce while he was a student at Middle Tennessee State University, and again in 2024 for “Rich Flex” by Drake and 21 Savage.
He also frequently collaborated with rapper Sexyy Red, including on “Get It Sexxy” and “Pound Town.”
His family said Keith was dedicated to creating opportunities for emerging artists through his company Drumatized.
“A proud graduate and honorary professor of Middle Tennessee State University, BryTavious remained an active alumnus, mentor, and advocate for young creatives. He was also a passionate supporter of mental health awareness and cancer-related causes in honor of his late mother,” the statement said.
“Above all, BryTavious was a beloved son, brother, uncle, family member, and friend. While the world knew him as Tay Keith, his family knew him as BryTavious—a source of love, strength, laughter, and guidance,” it continued. “We take comfort in knowing that his legacy will live on through the music he created, the opportunities he provided, and the lives he touched.”
The comedian's arch rival 50 Cent once again trolls his financial burdens. I didn't catch this but I am starting to realize that 50 has issues with Black people.
50 is the biggest Black entertainer out here cooning.
Faizon Love is a comedian and actor who had roles in Friday, The Player's Club, Elf, The Parent 'Hood and numerous others projects was held in Hillsborough County, Florida on the allegations of failing to pay child support.
The 58 year old entertainer is out of jail after serving 16 days in a child support case, following a contentious hearing in a Hillsborough County courtroom.
Love, known for roles in "Friday," "Elf" and "Couples Retreat," was arrested in California just over two weeks ago after failing to surrender to police on two contempt of court charges.
During the nearly two-hour hearing, attorneys sparred over child support payments as Love appeared in court seated in a wheelchair.
At the center of the dispute was whether Love is hiding income from Tiffany Lee, the mother of his child.
Love repeatedly expressed frustration as he defended his record as a father, telling the court, “I’ve always taken care of my daughter.” He added that he recently saw his daughter and gave Lee money when she dropped her off.
Big problems for legendary
His attorneys argued he is struggling financially, and Love testified that he is living with a friend who pays his bills. When asked about the balance in his bank account, Love said, “Right now, probably $99.”
Lee’s attorneys painted a different picture, arguing Love earns about $20,000 per comedy show and does several shows in a weekend. Meanwhile, Love’s attorney denied that Love has performed recently.
Lee testified that Love has threatened to stop working altogether to keep her from collecting child support.
“He’s not making payments and hasn’t, and he told me he’s going to stop working and canceling shows so I won’t get anything,” Lee told the court. “It’s not as if he was providing before.”
The hearing grew even more heated when Love interrupted Lee’s testimony to ask about her citizenship. Lee told the court the comment echoed previous threats.
“He referenced that he was angry and he would have ICE raid my home for continuously taking him to court,” Lee testified.
After nearly two hours of testimony, the judge ruled the 16 days Love already served was sufficient punishment. The judge suspended the remainder of a 180-day sentence and ordered Love to provide updated financial records to the court.
Love now has until July 1 to compile an accurate financial affidavit about his income and what he can pay, or he could be sent back to jail.
American sitcom creator James Burrows has passed away.
If you watched the NBC sitcoms, Friends, Will and Grace and Cheers, creator James Burrows was the genius behind those classic hits.
James Burrows, who helped create volumes of laughter as director of more than a thousand episodes of such classic television comedies as “Cheers,” “Taxi,” “Friends” and “Will and Grace,” died Friday. He was 85.
His family confirmed his death in a statement to People, saying he “passed away peacefully today surrounded by his family.” No location or cause of death was provided.
Burrows spent his career behind the camera specializing in situation comedies. Few viewers recognized him or knew his name, other than to see it flash quickly on the screen in the opening credits. But they knew his work.
Burrows got his start in television relatively late at age 35 in 1974, directing episodes of “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” “The Bob Newhart Show,” and “Laverne & Shirley.”
He cocreated “Cheers,” directing 243 of the 273 episodes, as well as all 246 episodes of “Will and Grace.”
He also helmed multiple episodes of such hits as “Frasier,” “Friends” and “Mike & Molly” and the pilots of “Two and a Half Men” and “The Big Bang Theory.”
Sweet spot of script, performance and chemistry
“When I direct a television show, I try to reach that sweet spot where the best script meets the best performance and the best chemistry between performers,” Burrows wrote in his 2022 memoir “Directed by James Burrows.” “Hitting that exact moment, where these factors land in combination, results in the sweetest and most enduring laugh.”
His family said, “Burrows understood that great comedy was never simply about laughter. It was about humanity, connection, and truth. That understanding became the foundation of a career that forever changed television.
“But beyond his remarkable achievements, Burrows will be remembered for something even greater: his kindness, generosity, and unwavering belief in the people around him. He possessed a rare ability to make everyone better and was known for remembering every person he met by name, making colleagues at every level feel seen, valued, and appreciated,” the family statement said.
David Schwimmer, Matt LaBlanc, James Burrows, Jennifer Anniston, Courteney Cox and Lisa Kudrow.
The majority of Burrows’ shows aired on NBC, whose “Must See TV” slogan promoted its Thursday night lineup in the early 1990s that included “Friends” and “Frasier.”
“Jimmy Burrows was the man behind the curtain. He knew how to make us laugh, what buttons to push and was the absolute master of getting the most out of every joke,” NBC said in a statement. “His loss to the television comedy world is immeasurable. Every time you have a smile on your face watching ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show,’ ’Taxi, ‘Cheers,’ ‘Will & Grace,’ ‘Friends’ and countless others, think of Jimmy and know he made all our lives funnier.”
Following in his father’s path
Born James Edward Burrows on Dec. 30, 1940, in Los Angeles, he moved to New York when he was 5 years old. He spent five years in the Metropolitan Opera Children’s Chorus until his voice started to change. He attended LaGuardia High School of Music & Art.
His father was writer, director and producer Abe Burrows, whose Broadway hits included “Guys and Dolls” and “Can-Can.” The elder Burrows also mentored Larry Gelbart, future creator and producer of the TV show “MASH.”
The younger Burrows spent hours of his youth in theaters and studios watching his father work, dining with him at such famed New York haunts as Sardi’s and Gallagher’s and meeting celebrities who attended his father’s New Year’s Eve parties.
After earning a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College, Burrows attended the graduate program of the Yale School of Drama, where his classmates included actor-comedian Robert Klein, playwright John Guare and film director John Badham.
At Yale, he was required to take directing classes and he got hooked.
Burrows’ first sitcom experience was as Burl Ives’ dialogue coach on “O.K. Crackerby!” which was directed by his father and ran for one season on ABC in 1965.
From there, he was an assistant on “The Patty Duke Show.” He moved back to New York and worked for Broadway producers Lee Guber, Frank Ford and Shelly Gross. He first met actor Moore while working on the Broadway production of “Holly Golightly,” an adaptation of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” that was directed by his father.
Burrows eventually worked as a stage manager for various road productions, where he met such actors as Hugh O’Brien, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Julie Harris.
Catching a break with Mary Tyler Moore
By 1974, after working in dinner theater and summer stock, he turned on his television and saw Moore’s eponymous TV show. He wrote her a letter asking if there was any opening “small or smaller” at her production company that he could fill, according to his memoir.
Moore’s husband and business partner, Grant Tinker, invited Burrows to Los Angeles to direct an episode of the comedy. He apprenticed for MTM Enterprises, which had four sitcoms on the air at the same time.
Burrows cited his theater background for learning how to give actors direction and block out scenes. He’s credited for being one of the first sitcom directors to increase the typical multicamera television shoot from three to four cameras.
The common thread between Burrows’ shows were the bonds between friends and unrelated families, whether it was the motley crew of regulars meeting at the bar in “Cheers” or the drivers working toward a better life in “Taxi” or the 20-somethings sharing the same apartment building in “Friends.”
“The best sitcoms transcend the screen and reach out and grab the audience by the throat and by the heart,” Burrows wrote in his memoir.
Actors Danny DeVito and Rhea Perlman worked with Burrows over 16 seasons between “Taxi” and “Cheers.”
“He was the very best at his craft. His positive spirit, boundless energy, and tireless work defined what it takes to run a show and keep people laughing,” they said in a statement. “He will always be in our hearts.”
Burrows relished discovering new acting talent while directing more than 75 pilots that were picked up as series.
“Having directed over a thousand shows means that almost any night you can turn on your television or go online and find a show that I directed. I’m very proud of that,” he wrote in his memoir.
In 2019, Burrows was an executive producer on live productions of “All in the Family” and “The Jeffersons” with famous actors re-creating episodes of those 1970s comedies.
“Jimmy was the greatest comedic television director in the history of the medium,” his agent Rick Rosen said in a statement. “He directed the most iconic, defining shows of generations. Always a gentleman, it was an absolute honor to represent him.”
Burrows was married in 1997 to Debbie Easton, whom he met when she worked as a hairstylist on “Frasier.” Daughters Kat Schatzow, Ellie Gluck and Maggie Burrows, who followed her father into directing, are from his first marriage to Linda Solomon, who died in 2004. His stepdaughter Paris is from his wife’s previous marriage. He has a sister, Laurie Burrows Grad, and seven grandchildren.
