We end the month of February with a bad jobs report, thousands of federal workers out of work, Elon Musk being a dick, our president posts an ethnic cleansing video showing Gaza being a resort, JoAnn Fabrics out of business, Roberta Flack passed away, 51 mass shootings, inflation souring, egg prices over $10, an economic blackout to protest retailers ending DEI, Joy Reid fired, Jim Acosta fired, Lester Holt fired, Ayman Moyhadian fired, Israel violating the damn ceasefire, tensions between the U.S. and our allies, measles outbreak, bird flu becoming deadly and the end of the penny.
Chaotic second month, eh!
President Donald J. Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a very heated exchange at The White House.
World leaders are shocked by the encounter.
Russian Federation President Vladimir Putin is probably happy about this.
As explained, Israel, the United States and Russia are losing value and the world is getting really tired of these countries.
China may end up the No. 1 superpower.
Trump and Vance talk disrespectful towards Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of Great Britain, French President Emmanuel Macron and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum.
But when it comes to a real slimeball like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump is pulling out a chair and letting that motherfucker sit comfortably.
Trump is a bitch to Putin and Netanyahu.
Trump berated Zelenskyy for being “disrespectful” Friday in an extraordinary Oval Office meeting, then abruptly called off the signing of a minerals deal that Trump said would have moved Ukraine closer to ending its war with Russia.
The astonishing turn of events could scramble affairs in Europe and around the globe. During his visit with Trump, Zelenskyy was expected to sign the deal allowing the U.S. greater access to Ukraine’s rare earth minerals and hold a joint news conference, but that plan was scrapped after the heated engagement between the leaders in front of the news media.
It’s unclear what the blowup could mean for the deal that Trump insisted was essential to repay the U.S. for the more than $180 billion in American aid sent to Kyiv since the start of the war. And it remains to be seen what, if anything, Trump wants Zelenskyy to do to get the deal back on track.
The Ukrainian leader was asked to leave the White House by top Trump advisers shortly after Trump shouted at him, showing open disdain.
“You’re gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have,” Trump told Zelenskyy.
Zelenskyy will not sign off Trump’s extortion deal.
The last 10 minutes of the nearly 45-minute meeting devolved into a tense back and forth between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Zelenskyy, who had urged skepticism about Russia’s commitment to diplomacy, citing Moscow’s years of broken commitments on the global stage.
Zelenskyy’s main objective going into the sit-down had been to press Trump not to abandon his country and to warn against moving too close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Instead he got shouted at while Trump appeared to play up the drama for the cameras.
At one point, Zelenskyy said Putin had broken “his own signature” 25 times on ceasefires and other agreements and could not be trusted. Trump responded that Putin had not broken agreements with him and ducked questions about offering security guarantees to Ukraine, saying he thought the minerals deal — which is now on-hold — would effectively end the fighting.
Things first got testy after Vance challenged Zelenskyy, telling him, “Mr. President, with respect, I think it’s disrespectful for you to come to the Oval Office to try to litigate this in front of the American media.” Zelensky tried to object, prompting Trump to raise his voice and say, “You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people.”
At another point, Trump declared himself “in the middle” and not on the side of either Ukraine or Russia in the conflict. He went on to deride Zelenskyy’s “hatred” for Putin as a roadblock to peace.
“You see the hatred he’s got for Putin,” Trump said. “That’s very tough for me to make a deal with that kind of hate.”
Trump later told reporters, shortly before departing for his Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida for the weekend, that he wanted an “immediate ceasefire” between Russia and Ukraine but expressed doubt that Zelenskyy was ready to make peace.
Zelenskyy made an appearance on Fox News on Friday evening in which he said his public spat with Trump and Vance was “not good for both sides.” But Zelenskyy said Trump — who insists Putin is ready to end the three-year grinding war — needs to understand that Ukraine can’t change its attitudes toward Russia on a dime.
Zelenskyy added that Ukraine won’t enter peace talks with Russia until it has security guarantees against another offensive.
“It’s so sensitive for our people,” Zelenskyy said. “And they just want to hear that America (is) on our side, that America will stay with us. Not with Russia, with us. That’s it.”
Following the meeting, Trump posted on his social media site that he had “determined” that Zelenskyy “is not ready for Peace.”
“He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace,” Trump wrote.
Democrats immediately criticized the administration for the breakdown.
Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer said Trump and Vance “are doing Putin’s dirty work.”
The testy discussion was especially surprising since it came a day after Trump struck a more conciliatory tone toward Ukraine, calling America’s support against Russia’s invasion “a very worthy thing to do” and disclaiming any memory that he had called the Ukrainian leader a “dictator.”
Trump and Zelenskyy spoke politely, even with admiration, of each other for the first half hour of the meeting. But, when the Ukrainian leader raised alarm about trusting any promises from Putin to end the fighting, Vance offered his strong rebuke for airing disagreements with Trump in public.
Vance tries to throw jabs at Zelenskyy.
That instantly shifted the tenor of the conversation as Zelenskyy grew defensive and Trump and his vice president blasted him as ungrateful and issued stark warnings about future American support.
“It’s going to be a very hard thing to do business like this,” Trump said to Zelenskyy as the two leaders talked over each other about past international support for Ukraine.
Vance then interjected, “Again, just say thank you.”
Zelenskyy pushed back on Vance, telling him he’s offered his appreciation “a lot of times” to the American people and the president. The Ukrainian leader after leaving the White House expressed his gratitude on social media.
“Thank you America, thank you for your support, thank you for this visit,” Zelenskyy wrote. “Thank you @POTUS, Congress, and the American people. Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that.”
But administration officials were not satisfied with Zelenskyy and perceived a “hostility” with him and his body language in the Oval Office, according to a White House official. Trump also objected to the Ukrainian leader bringing up the issue of security guarantees when Trump made clear he wanted to focus on the minerals deal, said the official, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.
Former President Joe Biden had also grown frustrated at moments with Zelenskyy for being insufficiently grateful of American support, according to former administration officials. But unlike Trump, Biden expressed his displeasure with Zelenskyy privately.
Biden and Trunp don't get upset with Netanyahu who literally ignores them.
Those two old men are fucking ridiculous.
Trump also suggested that Zelenskyy should not be demanding concessions.
“You’re not in a good position. You don’t have the cards right now,” Trump said pointing his finger toward Zelenskyy.
Shortly before the meeting ended, Trump said, “This is going to be great television.”
As Ukrainian forces hold out against slow but steady advances by Russia’s larger and better-equipped army, leaders in Kyiv have sought to ensure any potential U.S.-brokered peace plan would include guarantees for the country’s future security.
Many Ukrainians fear that a hastily negotiated peace — especially one that makes too many concessions to Russian demands — would allow Moscow to rearm and consolidate its forces for a future invasion.
Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Trump ally who has advocated to keep up American support for Ukraine, said he wasn’t confident that the Trump-Zelenskyy relationship could be repaired.
“I don’t know if you can ever do a deal with Zelenskyy anymore,” the South Carolina Republican said.
Fears that Trump could broker a peace deal with Russia that is unfavorable to Ukraine have been amplified by recent precedent-busting actions by his administration.
Trump held a lengthy phone call with Putin, and U.S. officials met with their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia without inviting European or Ukrainian leaders — both dramatic breaks with previous U.S. policy to isolate Putin over his invasion.
European leaders were quick to reinforce their support for Ukraine after the contentious Oval Office meeting.
In a post on X, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Zelenskyy’s “dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people.”
“Be strong, be brave, be fearless,” she added. “You are never alone, dear President.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni proposed “an immediate summit” between the United States and European allies “to speak frankly about how we intend to face today’s great challenges, starting with Ukraine.”
“Every division of the West makes us all weaker and favors those who would like to see the decline of our civilization,” she said. “A division would not benefit anyone.”
Rev. Al Sharpton, the Color of Change and BuyBlack are engaged in a boycott of national retailers on Feb. 28.
After several companies ended associations with companies sponsored by people of color and their diversity, equality and inclusion policies, Black leaders call for a pause on buying.
An “economic blackout” promoted on social media was underway Friday but with no clear indication of how many people took part or whether national retailers and restaurant chains noticed any effect from the grassroots protest.
A fledgling activist group encouraged U.S. residents to refrain from spending for 24 hours as an act of resistance against what the group’s founder described as the malign influence of billionaires, big corporations and both major political parties on the lives of working Americans.
The planned blackout started at 12 a.m. EST and was set to run through 11:59 p.m. EST.
As of midday, any retrenchment on the part of consumers wasn’t visible, according to Marshal Cohen, chief retail advisor at market research firm Circana. The assessment was based on phone calls with retail executives and reports from his network of analysts monitoring malls and stores, Cohen said.
“It doesn’t look like anybody’s really pulling back,” he said. “If you get 5% or 10% of the people that don’t shop, that could happen on any given day because of the rain.”
Other groups and individuals are organizing longer boycotts to protest companies that have reduced their diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and to oppose President Donald J. Trump’s moves to abolish all federal DEI programs and policies.
Who’s behind the ‘24-hour Economic Blackout?’
The People’s Union USA, which takes credit for initiating the no-spend day, was founded only recently by John Schwarz, a meditation teacher who lives in the Chicago area, according to his social media accounts. The Associated Press did not receive a reply to requests for comment sent this week to the email address on the organization’s website.
The website includes a link to a crowdfunding site where Schwarz requested help funding The People’s Union USA. As of late Friday afternoon, it showed well over $95,000 in donations, the vast majority in amounts $50 and under.
The New York Times reported Friday afternoon that a biography in the “Meet the Founder” section of the website omitted information about Schwarz that many potential donors would have found off-putting: in 2007, a Connecticut judge sentenced him to 90 days in jail and five years’ probation for disseminating voyeuristic material.
The AP could not immediately reach the Middlesex County criminal court clerk’s office to verify the court records the newspaper cited. The Times said Schwarz did not admit guilt with the plea he entered at the time but agreed the state had enough evidence to convict him and did not contest the charge.
“This whole thing was a big scam,” he told the newspaper Friday. “It’s going to be expunged. ... I did not do anything inappropriate to anybody.”
The term “Blackout” previously was applied to a 2020 protest initiated by two Black women who wanted the music industry to take a day to talk about racism and how the industry profited off Black artists. They created a campaign under the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused. Social media users joined in by posting black squares and pausing their feeds to show support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
The People’s Union USA plans another broad-based economic blackout on March 28. It is also promoting weeklong consumer boycotts of specific retailers — Walmart and Amazon — as well as global food giants Nestle and General Mills.
Are people participating?
For his economic blackout, Schwarz advised participants to refrain from making any purchases either in stores or online, to shun fast food and to avoid filling their car gas tanks. Shoppers with emergencies or in need of essentials should support a local small business, he said.
Many research firms weren’t tracking the event’s immediate impact on sales. Companies may comment eventually if the various boycotts have material business consequences.
Some people posted videos on social media saying they weren’t making any store purchases Friday. Some users said they brewed their morning coffee at home, packed a lunch to take to work or bought items they needed ahead of time.
Rachelle Biennestin, a first-grade teacher and TikTok content creator who lives near the Boston area, accepted the invitation not to shop Friday. She already was participating in “No Buy 2025,” a social media-driven trend that encourages participants to reduce personal over-consumption.
Biennestin said she wanted to spend less money because major companies, such as Walmart, Amazon and Target, have backed away from their DEI commitments. She redirected her business to Costco, which has stood behind its diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
“I’m not going to forget that they rolled back on DEI,” Biennestin said. “I’m going to remember that, and so will my wallet.”
The no-spend day also received plenty of criticism online and inspired snarky suggestions for counter-protest shopping sprees. However, small businesses may have benefited from shoppers who decided to visit independent shops.
Mischa Roy, who owns a tea and home goods shop in Northampton, Massachusetts called Spill the Tea Sis, had reduced staffing in case the blackout made Friday slow. Instead, sales were brisk, Roy said.
“We are definitely seeing brand loyalty and small business loyalty,” she said.
Will there be more economic blackouts?
What other boycotts are in the works?
A number of boycotts are in the works. An Atlanta-area pastor, the Rev. Jamal Bryant, organized a website called targetfast.org to recruit Christians for a a 40-day Target boycott starting March 5, which marks Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. Other faith leaders have endorsed the protest.
Target announced in January that it was ending its hiring, supplier recruitment and promotion goals for women, members of racial minority groups, LGBTQ+ people, veterans and people with disabilities. The discount retailer headquartered in Minneapolis previously had a reputation as an inclusion ally.
The Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, announced in late January that the civil rights organization would identify two companies in the next 90 days that will be boycotted for abandoning their DEI pledges.
Will the events have any impact?
Some retailers may feel a slight pinch from Friday’s broad “blackout.” Renewed inflation worries and Trump’s threat of tariffs on imported goods already have had an effect on consumer sentiment and spending.
Anna Tuchman, a marketing professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, thinks the economic blackout will likely make a dent in daily retail sales but won’t be sustainable.
“I think this is an opportunity for consumers to show that they have a voice on a single day,” she said. ”I think it’s unlikely that we would see long-run sustained decreases in economic activity supported by this boycott.”
Other boycotts have produced different results.
Tuchman studied the impact of a boycott against Goya Foods during the summer of 2020 after the company’s CEO praised Trump. Her research, based on data from research firm Numerator, found the brand saw a sales increase driven by first-time Goya buyers who were disproportionately from heavily Republican areas.
However, the bump proved temporary; Goya had no detectable sales increase after three weeks, Tuchman said.
It was a different story for Bud Light, which spent decades as America’s bestselling beer. Sales plummeted in 2023 after the brand sent a commemorative can to a transgender influencer. Bud Light’s sales still haven’t fully recovered, according to alcohol consulting company Bump Williams.
Social media is lit over a Georgia man being killed by his girlfriend. The victim is Black and the suspect is white. The suspect is the daughter of a county sheriff and it was almost swept under the rug (in Ahmad Arbery fashion).
The victim had posted on social media some very disturbing things about Black women. Not discounting the circumstances, his social media was catnip to the so-called FBA crowd.
For those who don't know what FBA means, it's called Foundational Black American [Ancestors]. It is a group of Black extremists who align themselves with the ADOS camp. They are Black separatists who side with President Donald J. Trump on issues that involve racism.
Tariq Nasheed, Umar Johnson, Candace Owens, even pretend Black white Muslim Jeffrey Shaun King grift off this cult of lack of self awareness.
Don't get me wrong, I am all for Black liberation and a right of return for all of our ancestors hard work. But given the Congress, Trump, their love of apartheid ethnostates like Israel and the need to vilify Blackness (i.e. DEI, critical race theory, etc.), the wait for our "40 acres and a mule" are as long as a "Free Palestine."
In Burke County, Georgia a national controversy.
Telvin Osborne, a Black man was shot and killed in Burke County by his girlfriend, Hannah Cobb. The tragedy became a prominent story on social media on Tuesday (Feb. 25), two days after he was found in a bedroom of his and Cobb’s home in Waynesboro with a chest wound. The father of two was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
Deputies were notified of the shooting at 5:45 a.m. on Feb. 23. In a bulletin released to the public, Cobb was described as cooperating with officials. On Tuesday, the 28-year-old was arrested and charged with felony involuntary manslaughter. Sheriff Alfonzo Williams told the media, “Through this investigation and interviews with family members, it is evident that both sides, that both families, are deeply concerned for the well-being of all parties involved. The case is truly heartbreaking,” during a press conference.
Let this Telvin Osborne killing be a lesson to all the self-hating men and women of the Black community. You come out here on social media or in the real world proclaiming how much you hate the people of your community and, in his case, his hate of Black women, please know we… pic.twitter.com/eOyvnhajLu
My cousin’s girlfriend Hannah Cobb killed him Sunday morning and is claiming that she got drunk at the club and came home to clean her gun at 5am and it “ accidentally” went off. Her dad is a cop and currently she has not been charged. Thoughts 💭 ⁉️ pic.twitter.com/C5HS54E9Dq
Burke County, Georgia, Feb 23, 2025—5:45 a.m., the witching hour, and the air’s thick with booze and bad juju. Telvin ‘Telbo Rackins’ Osborne, 30, Black, a father, a man, takes a slug to the chest from his white girlfriend, Hannah Grace Cobb, 25, in a booze-soaked brawl that’d… pic.twitter.com/z2vDYX98Tb
Hannah Cobb of Burke County has been arrested for involuntary manslaughter after allegedly accidentally fatally shooting her boyfriend, who was also the father of her children, following a night out. pic.twitter.com/nukAImhTox
I feel like Telbo Rackins wouldn't want Roderick coming for his white queen Hannah Grace Cobb. He said he was willing to die behind ha. He wouldn't want her in there it was an accident she said. pic.twitter.com/vahFXBoVxg
The couple was reportedly involved in a heated dispute when the deadly shot rang out. Officials said that alcohol was a factor, as both adults had been drinking during a night of partying.
On social media, countless posts have rehashed a tale that Osborne was wounded while the mother of his children was cleaning the weapon. Williams said that detail is false. “It is important for us to clarify that at no point during the investigation was there any information about a person cleaning a weapon,” he told the media. As reported by WRDW News 12, the incident report revealed that Cobb told officers her partner was fatally wounded while she was checking her weapon. The woman claimed she thought the gun was in safety mode.
At this time, the investigation is still in process and various questions are still unanswered, but the shooting has not been classified as an accident at this time. According to Sheriff Williams, “The offenses committed leading up to the discharge of the firearm included simple battery, family violence, and reckless conduct.” He explained, “It is reckless to go out and get drunk and then introduce a firearm into an argument. It is reckless to engage in an argument where there’s pushing and shoving going on, and those are the predicate charges for the charge of involuntary manslaughter.” Search warrants to retrieve phone records and more information have been issued, and additional charges may be forthcoming.
Love cost them their lives.
Currently, Cobb is being held in the Burke County Detention Center without bond.
The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
These murderers don't have mental illness. They are calculated and prepared. It happened to be a moment where they have the opportunity to take out lives.
There's no sickness in the head. Most mass shooters legally obtain their assault rifles without little background checks. They have likely no criminal history and they are willing to use the assault weapon in the only thing it's good for: Killing numerous lives.
I dismiss this ridiculous notion that criminals are the problem, not the guns.
Firearms are often obtained through legal purchases.
Again, having more security, teachers being armed and offering safe rooms are not solving the problem. The problem is lawmakers not willing to stop gun violence.
According to the far right: White shooters are mentally ill. Black shooters are unrepentant thugs and criminals. Gay shooters are active groomers. Muslim shooters are terrorists. Hispanic and Asian shooters are illegal immigrants. According to the far right, almost all white [or non-white] mass shooters are registered Democrats [or some progressive activist] because they have liked or done one thing common to the left. Of course, they often share or post disinformation by using the "Sam Hyde" meme or make bogus social media platforms with the shooter's image as a way to denounce most mass shooters being white or associated with conservative causes. The far right says a white person should "protect" themselves from thugs, terrorists or protesters. They believe the use of firearms are "justified" if they are protesting or even instigating a conflict. The far right believes if a shooter is a police officer, an active military member, a veteran or a citizen who supports conservative causes, they are considered a "heroes" and use of firearms are justified. If the shooters are teens in urban communities, the far right automatically assumes the gunmen are Black.
The Republicans usually amplify white victims. Anytime a person of color kills a white victim, it is often wall-to-wall coverage on Fox, Twitter and they force it into national news. They make the case to blame Black Lives Matter, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Democrats, Rev. Al Sharpton and rap music for Black on whatever violence. Republican legislators who do not live in urban neighborhoods often troll social media to talk about gun violence or crime in Chicago, Baltimore, Milwaukee and New York City while not doing a damn thing to stop it. If a white person shoots a Black person, the shooter is given the benefit of doubt. White shooters are given glowing profiles about their perfect lives and how friends noticed something but refused to do something. When it comes to Black shooters, automatic vilification. They don't see mental illness. They see it as gang violence, allegedly fatherless homes, Democratic policies or the need for more firearms.
Hannah Grace Cobb
The far right and Republicans exploit gun violence in the Black community for culture wars and racism.
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.
The call number to the White House and US Capitol is now going to be used. This is the official White House numbers 202-456-1111 and 202-456-1414. This is the Congress official phone number, 202-224-3121. Please be respectful to operators, staff members and elected leaders. Your calls are monitored by the US Secret Service and US Capitol Police.
Let them know that "thoughts and prayers," "hearts going to" and "good guys with guns" are no longer acceptable and you want legislation to curb gun violence. Let them know that we are tired of police officers using immunity when committing death of suspects in custody. Let them know that you are tired of private equity firms getting away with destroying small businesses and long established companies. Let them know that you are tired of your taxpayer money going to foreign nations like Israel. You are tired of hearing about "Israel having a right to..." and the bogus claims of being anti-Semitic or in support of terrorism.
We have bigger issues at home and our tax dollars should solve the housing crisis, lowering food prices, fixing roads, bridges, helping reinvest in struggling urban and rural communities. We have hospitals closing, big box retailers leaving communities and television programs dying. There are bigger issues in the country than Israel. You want an immediate ceasefire and accountability for war crimes done by Israel. You want no more foreign influence in American elections. You also want to make sure future presidents and legislators avoid influence from lobbyists.
The United States must end its police partnership program with Israel.
This was classic.
Be warned the video footage is disturbing.
Israeli police have been notorious for violently abusing Palestinians by shoving them and hitting their heads with the barrels of their firearms. When they are released, they often spit on them, curse at them and push them out of facilities violently.
I believe the Sacramento Police and County Sheriff’s Department have gotten training from the Israelis.
A video that was released on social media shows the physical assault of a woman with mental health issues in Sacramento.
Think about Stephon Clark and how he was treated by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department.
The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office is releasing the disturbing video of a deputy and a few others violently removed a woman.
On camera, they shoved her out of the Sacramento County lockup.
This asshole enjoyed the actions.
This happened back in October as the woman was being processed for release. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office released footage of what happened from a camera outside the jail and from the deputy's body camera.
The sheriff's office shared few details but said the incident is now being investigated internally and by the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office.
We reached out to the sheriff's office to ask what charges that woman was facing but haven't heard back.
In an unrelated incident, another Sacramento sheriff's deputy was also placed on administrative leave this week after being arrested in Citrus Heights.
That deputy has not been formally charged with any crimes but was initially accused of resisting arrest, loitering on someone's property with intent to commit a crime, and driving under the influence.
If the man was smart, he should have gotten a better toupee.
If you are caught smuggling narcotics into the Republic of Colombia, you could face a sentence from 15 to LIFE.
The Cartanega Metropolitan Police arrested a man who stashed over 10,000 euros worth of cocaine inside his toupee.
The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Police said the suspect was detained at Cartagena’s airport on Monday as he prepared to board a flight to Amsterdam. A scanner revealed the hidden cargo: 220 grams of cocaine packaged in small bags, strategically placed under what authorities described as a “narco wig.”
Police estimate the street value of the drugs at approximately 10,000 euros in European markets.
A police video released on Monday captured the moment an officer, wearing blue gloves, carefully removed the suspect’s wig with scissors, revealing approximately a dozen packets of cocaine. Further police statements confirmed the suspect’s prior criminal record, which included two previous drug trafficking convictions.
The 40 year old was detained at Cartagena’s airport on Monday as he prepared to board a flight to Amsterdam. A scanner revealed the hidden cargo: 220 grams of cocaine packaged in small bags, strategically placed under what authorities described as a “narco wig.”
You can't fix stupid.
Police estimate the street value of the drugs at approximately 10,000 euros in European markets.
A police video released on Monday captured the moment an officer, wearing blue gloves, carefully removed the suspect’s wig with scissors, revealing approximately a dozen packets of cocaine. Further police statements confirmed the suspect’s prior criminal record, which included two previous drug trafficking convictions.
“Organized crime groups are exploiting young people, falsely suggesting they can easily bypass our security measures,” said Cartagena Police Commander Gen. Gelver Yesid Peña. “However, this case demonstrates that is not true.”
Cocaine production in Colombia has been rising since 2013, according to the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime.
A report published in October by the international organization found that the cultivation of coca bushes increased by 10 percent in Colombia in 2023, while potential cocaine production increased 53% from the previous year.
While a 2016 peace agreement with the FARC rebels aimed to curb coca cultivation in rural areas, smaller armed groups have filled the power vacuum, actively promoting the lucrative cocaine trade.
The brothers Tate are heading to Florida. The two extremists escaped Romanian custody after Trump pressured their release. Sexual predators get a pass.
Andrew and Tristian Tate, two controversial far right Black misogynistic influncers were released from custody. They are now heading back to the United States.
The two are extremists and sexual predators.
It appears the two will be forbidden from ever coming to Romania.
The two who are charged with human trafficking in Romania, have left for the U.S. after a travel ban on them was lifted, an official said Thursday.
The brothers are also charged with forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. Andrew Tate also faces an additional charge of rape.
It wasn’t clear under what conditions the Tates — who are avid supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump and boast millions of online followers — were allowed to leave Romania.
An official at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorized to discuss the case, said that the decision was at the discretion of prosecutors.
Romania’s anti-organized crime agency, DIICOT, said in a statement Thursday that prosecutors approved a “request to modify the obligation preventing the defendants from leaving Romania,” but that judicial control measures remained in place. The agency didn’t say who had made the request.
This is a cult. Someone made a portrait of sexual predators.
“These include the requirement to appear before judicial authorities whenever summoned,” the statement read. “The defendants have been warned that deliberately violating these obligations may result in judicial control being replaced with a stricter deprivation of liberty measure.”
Andrew Tate, 38, and Tristan Tate, 36 — who are dual U.S.-British citizens — were arrested near Romania’s capital in late 2022 along with two Romanian women. Romanian prosecutors formally indicted all four last year. In April, the Bucharest Tribunal ruled that a trial could start but didn’t set a date. All four deny all of the allegations.
The Tates’ departure came after Foreign Minister Emil Hurezeanu said this month that a U.S. official in the current Trump administration had expressed interest in the brothers’ legal case in Romania at the Munich Security Conference. The minister insisted it didn’t amount to pressure.
While it is unclear whether the request to lift the brothers’ travel ban came from the U.S., Cristi Danilet, a former judge in Romania’s northern city of Cluj, said that such an agreement would be unprecedented.
“I have never heard of a foreign government asking Romania to lift preventive measures to allow some suspects to leave the country,” he told The Associated Press. “If I had been a judge, this would not have happened.”
“If it is true, it means that there is no more rule of law and sovereign countries,” he added.
In December, a court in Bucharest ruled that the case against the Tates and the two Romanian women couldn’t go to trial because of multiple legal and procedural irregularities on the part of the prosecutors.
Sexual predator Andrew Tate is heading to Florida again.
That decision by the Bucharest Court of Appeal was a huge setback for DIICOT, but it didn’t mean the defendants could walk free. The case hasn’t been closed, and there is also a separate legal case against the brothers in Romania.
Last August, DIICOT also launched a second case against the Tate brothers, investigating allegations of human trafficking, the trafficking of minors, sexual intercourse with a minor, influencing statements and money laundering. They have denied all of the charges.
Andrew Tate, a former professional kickboxer and self-described misogynist who has amassed more than 10 million followers on X, has repeatedly claimed that prosecutors in Romania have no evidence against him and that there is a political conspiracy to silence him.
The Tates brothers’ legal battles, however, aren’t limited to Romania.
Late last year, a U.K. court ruled that in a separate case against the Tate brothers, police can seize more than 2.6 million pounds ($3.3 million) to cover years of unpaid taxes from the pair and froze some of their accounts. Andrew Tate called it “outright theft” and called it “a coordinated attack on anyone who dares to challenge the system.”
Last March, the Tate brothers appeared at the Bucharest Court of Appeal in a separate case after U.K. authorities issued arrest warrants over allegations of sexual aggression in a case dating back to 2012-2015.
The appeals court granted the U.K. request to extradite the Tates, but only after legal proceedings in Romania have concluded.
Gene Hackman and wife Betsy Arakawa were found deceased in New Mexico home.
The Hollywood Reporter got information on the legendary actor Gene Hackman.
The Drudge Report splashes Hackman, wife Betsy Arakawa and their dog found dead, no foul play.
AP also reported that the couple were found dead in their New Mexico home.
The Oscar-winning actor, his wife and their dog were found dead in their New Mexico home, authorities said Thursday.
Foul play was not suspected, but authorities did not release circumstances of their deaths and said an investigation was ongoing.
Hackman, 95, Betsy Arakawa, 63, and their dog were all dead when deputies entered their home to check on their welfare around 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Denise Avila said.
The gruff-but-beloved Hackman was among the finest actors of his generation, appearing as villains, heroes and antiheroes in dozens of dramas, comedies and action films from the 1960s until his retirement in the early 2000s.
He was a five-time Oscar nominee who won for “The French Connection” in 1972 and “Unforgiven” two decades later. His death comes just four days before this year’s ceremony.
Hackman met Arakawa, a classically trained pianist who grew up in Hawaii, when she was working part-time at a California gym in the mid-1980s, the New York Times reported in 1989. They soon moved in together, and by the end of the decade had bought their home in Santa Fe.
The large Southwestern-style ranch in a gated community just outside New Mexico’s capital city sits on a hill with views of the Rocky Mountains.
In 2024, paparazzi took pictures of the Hackmans while at a Speedway gas station in New Mexico. The couple were seen in Santa Fe.
Hackman was often seen around town and served as a board member of the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in the 1990s, according to the local paper, The New Mexican.
Aside from appearances at awards shows, he was rarely seen in the Hollywood social circuit and retired about 20 years ago. His was the rare Hollywood retirement that actually lasted.
In his later years, he wrote novels.
Hackman had three children from a previous marriage, but he and Arakawa had no children together. In 1999 they had adopted three German shepherds, according to the Baltimore Sun.
Hackman told the film magazine Empire in 2020 that he and Arakawa liked to watch DVDs she rented.
“We like simple stories that some of the little low-budget films manage to produce,” he said.
An email sent to his publicist was not immediately returned early Thursday.
Michelle Trachtenberg passed away from complications of a liver transplant.
If you grew up in the 1990s, young remember this actress. Her passing is shocking.
Michelle Trachtenberg, a former child star who appeared in the 1996 “Harriet the Spy” hit movie and went on to co-star in two buzzy millennial-era TV shows — “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Gossip Girl” — has died. She was 39.
Police responded to a 911 call shortly after 8 a.m. at a 51-story luxury apartment tower in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood where officers found Trachtenberg “unconscious and unresponsive,” according to an NYPD statement.
Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. No foul play was suspected and the New York Medical Examiner is investigating the cause of death, police said.
“The family requests privacy for their loss,” Trachtenberg’s representative, Gary Mantoosh, said in a statement Wednesday.
Trachtenberg was 8 when she began playing Nona Mecklenberg on Nickelodeon’s “The Adventures of Pete & Pete” from 1994 to 1996 and then starred in the title role in the film adaptations of “Harriet the Spy” and “Inspector Gadget,” opposite Matthew Broderick.
“Michelle comes off as genuine because she really is a genuine kid. Everyone can identify with her,” said Debby Beece, president of Nickelodeon Movies in 1996.
In 2000 Trachtenberg joined the cast of “Buffy,” playing Dawn Summers, the younger sister of the title character played by Sarah Michelle Gellar between 2000 and 2003.
Trachtenberg thanked Gellar for speaking out against Joss Whedon in 2021, following abuse allegations made against the “Buffy” showrunner. “I am brave enough now as a 35-year-old woman to repost this,” she wrote on social media, and alluded to “his not appropriate behavior” she experienced as a teenage actor.
In 2001, she received a Daytime Emmy nomination for hosting Discovery’s “Truth or Scare.” Trachtenberg went on to recurring roles on “Six Feet Under,” “Weeds” and “Gossip Girl,” where she played the gang’s scheming nemesis, Georgina Sparks.
For her fan-favorite role, she was nominated as a TV villain at the Teen Choice Award in 2012. “It’s definitely a lot more fun than playing the good girl,” she told Seventeen in 2009. I love the reaction you get. I never understood why some actors don’t want to play villains or evil characters.”
She was one of the original series’ stars to return for a pair of guest appearances in the 2021 “Gossip Girl” revival.
Blake Lively on Instagram on Tunesday honored her “Gossip Girl” co-star: “The world lost a deeply sensitive and good person in Michelle. May her work and her huge heart be remembered by those who were lucky enough to experience her fire.”
As if to cement herself in millennial culture, Trachtenberg made a cameo in Fall Out Boy’s music video for the “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” alongside Seth Green.
Hollywood took to social media to mourn one of their own, one who had made the transition from kid star to teen queen to adult actor. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” co-star David Boreanaz said on Instagram it was “so very sad.. horrible news.” Melissa Gilbert, who starred with Trachtenberg in the 1996 film “A Holiday for Love,” wrote on Instagram: “My heart aches for your family and all those who loved you so.”
Trachtenberg’s other credits included “Ice Princess” in 2005, playing a math prodigy and aspiring figure skater. The AP said it had “a good, though feeble, heart and the best of intentions” and said Trachtenberg was “mining the same nervous twitter from her kid-sister days on ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer.’”
The New York City-born Trachtenberg also appeared in the 2004 teen sex comedy “EuroTrip,” she co-starred with Zac Efron and Leslie Mann in 2009’s “17 Again” and played a murderous stalker and abductor on an episode of “Criminal Minds.”
For “Killing Kennedy,” the 2013 film in which she played the wife of Lee Harvey Oswald, around 80% of Trachtenberg’s dialogue was in Russian. She had learned the language from her mother growing up.
Other credits included supporting roles in the films “Mysterious Skin” in 2004 and “Black Christmas” in 2006. She also starred on the NBC medical series “Mercy” (2009–2010) opposite Taylor Schilling. More recently, she hosted the true-crime docuseries “Meet, Marry, Murder” on Tubi.
Chilling like a couple of villians. Trump posted an AI video of his plans to violently seize Gaza and make it into an Israeli resort community.
The Ceasefire Is Over.....
Worldwide condemnation.
President Donald J. Trump posted on X and Truth Social, "Trump Gaza" which is a colonialist propaganda video using AI to depict him, Elon Musk and Benjamin Netanyahu lounging and lavishing in the "Riveria of the Middle East."
The 33-second video, which the president shared on Truth Social, starts with a shot of the city in ruins after the Israeli military’s 15-month bombardment campaign. Text on the screen then reads “Gaza 2025 — What’s next.”
The AI footage then pans to a scene of presumably tech billionaire and senior advisor Elon Musk enjoying a meal and laughing, as the sun shines and people dance around him.
“No more tunnels, no more fear,” the voice in the video sings. “Trump Gaza is finally here. Trump Gaza shining bright, golden future, brand new light.”
The video also features children holding gold balloons also made to look like Trump and a renovated beachfront with luxury hotels and money flying in the air.
It also had bearded women belly dancing......
It also shows a shot of a “Trump Gaza” building and toward the end, the U.S. president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seem to be enjoying drinks in the sun, shirtless.
The AI film comes as Trump has doubled down in recent weeks on a plan for the U.S. to take responsibility for the enclave, currently controlled by Palestinian militant group Hamas. The president has proposed turning the Strip into a “Riviera of the Middle East.”
He has also suggested that Palestinians in be permanently relocated after the war between Israel and Hamas is over.
The plan invited a bevy of criticism from Arab American and Muslim leaders, heads of Western countries and leaders of nations in the Middle East.
During an interview on Fox News, Trump also suggested that Palestinians would not have the right to return to Gaza.
“In other words, I’m talking about building a permanent place for them, because if they have to return now, it’ll be years before you could ever — it’s not habitable,” Trump said during the interview earlier this month. “It would be years before it could happen.”
Elon Musk and Trump balloons in the Trump Gaza video.
Israel and Hamas are currently under a fragile ceasefire agreement, which brought an end to the conflict that began on Oct. 7, 2023. The second phase of the deal is expected to begin soon after the remaining hostages and Palestinian prisoners are exchanged.
Y'all voted for this.
Trump’s job approval is at 43% as of Feb. 2025.
His handling of the economy is 35%.
The U.S. House passed a budget that made cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, SNAP and U.S. Social Security. This was done without any insight to what's in the bill and it offsets more tax cuts to the elite.
Trump, Musk, Jeff Bezos, Mark Zuckerberg, Rupert Murdoch, Richard Branson, Charles Koch, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, Miriam Adelson and other billionaires will get a bigger tax cut.
Only one month in.
Complete chaos.
So do you want your taxpayer money to go to Israel so they can ethnic cleanse Palestinians out?
Do you actually support the U.S. seizing the Gaza Strip and remake it into a resort community for Israelis?
And what are those bruises on the president’s hand?
Trump posted a deranged AI snuff film glorifying the genocide in Palestine with the US stealing Gaza and colonizing it with Trump statues and hotels. pic.twitter.com/QgH2Nogofr
— Secular Talk (KyleKulinskiShow@bsky.social) (@KyleKulinski) February 26, 2025
Many people are outraged by “Trump Gaza” video but I think it’s good he features DEI dancers. pic.twitter.com/o7yk9zG6eY
Trump posted the most disturbing post of any president
An AI video showing:
- a real estate project development in a Gaza Strip (presumably ethnically cleansed of Palestinians) - men dancing in bikinis - sipping drinks next to Netanyahu pic.twitter.com/00t9cTtieR
Trump tells you exactly what he wants to do and this video clearly shows he wants to make Gaza into a vacation destination with resorts and condos. The “Uncommitted” people look so stupid right now. https://t.co/r7Wy4JdbDI
The supporters of former president Joe Biden and former vice president Kamala Harris are playing on this "We tried to warn you" nonsense. How can you morally stand on principles of being a progressive and back Israel?
First and foremost, Americans have a right to vote for whomever they chose.
Second, Harris failed to win over voters. She stuck with former president Joe Biden on the economy, Israel, Ukraine, immigration and inflation. The former president failed to listen to voters and his base.
Belly dancing bearded ladies in this AI video.
The former president gave unilateral support and cover. We knew Trump would be worse. We demanded that Biden put pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel to stop killing and invading other countries.
That shows the "tone deafness" within the party.
It is not Rep. Rashida Tlaib's (D-MI) fault for Biden and Harris' missteps. She warned them that Arab Americans did not like being ignored.
Those fucking hypocrites sat in silence as Israel is killing women and children.
They can fuck themselves.
Israel has killed Americans. No one was held accountable.
The killing of Rachel Corrie did not move George W. Bush to cut Israel loose.
The deaths of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, Tawfiq Abdel Jabbar, Mohammad Khdour, Omar Assad, Shireen Abu Akleh, Jacob Flickinger and Kamel Ahmad Jawad were never investigated by the U.S. Justice Department.
Mask off.
Resistance is not terrorism.
Occupation of oppressed people is not peace.
A two state solution is "separate but equal" and a de facto apartheid.
Telling other countries to take Palestinians is ethnic cleansing.
A sovereignty seizing land in a violent conflict is a war crime.
The double standard in media coverage is the Israelis are hostages and the Palestinians are prisoners. Some of the Palestinians held in Israeli custody are children under the age of 14.
When Russia seized Ukrainian land and Crimea, the U.S. pushed for sanctions.
When Israel seized Lebanese and Syrian land, the U.S. recognized it as Israeli sovereignty. They have actively rejected sanctions imposed on Israel.
Hamas stated the reasons for the attack on occupation forces. It has nothing to do with the Jewish religion or Iran.
The IDF has the weapons to destroy everything. All on the American taxpayer, Israel has killed civilians, their own citizens and the status quo.
Holding these lawmakers accountable is not just a pledge, but a promise. You need to learn who represents your community. Your local community member, your school board member, your mayor, your state representative, your state senator, your governor, your U.S. Representative, your U.S. Senator and the president need to be held accountable for their actions.
Israel must be held accountable for war crimes and the U.S. must end its aid. Our taxpayer money should not help Israel any further.
Israel is the red line. If any lawmaker, entertainer, athlete or social media influncer backs the apartheid ethnostate, they face a boycott.
Trump is a taxpayer burden. How much did this cost? DOGE better investigate.
Regardless of political affiliation, if you are supporting Israel, you are not getting donations or a vote from me.
I will hold President Donald J. Trump and Vice President JD Vance accountable.
The call number to the White House and US Capitol is now going to be used. This is the official White House numbers 202-456-1111 and 202-456-1414. This is the Congress official phone number, 202-224-3121. Please be respectful to operators, staff members and elected leaders. Your calls are monitored by the US Secret Service and US Capitol Police.
Let them know that "thoughts and prayers," "hearts going to", "illegal immigrants" and "good guys with guns" are no longer acceptable and you want legislation to focus on ending gun violence, lowering costs, improving healthcare and building relationships with other nations. Let them know that we are tired of police officers using immunity when committing death of suspects in custody. Let them know that you are tired of private equity firms getting away with destroying small businesses and long established companies. Let them know that you are tired of your taxpayer money going to foreign nations like Israel. You are tired of hearing about "Israel having a right to..." and the bogus claims of being anti-Semitic or in support of terrorism.
We have bigger issues at home and our tax dollars should solve the housing crisis, lowering food prices, fixing roads, bridges, helping reinvest in struggling urban and rural communities. We have hospitals closing, big box retailers leaving communities and television programs dying. There are bigger issues in the country than Israel. You want an immediate ceasefire and accountability for war crimes done by Israel. You want no more foreign influence in American elections. You also want to make sure future presidents and legislators avoid influence from lobbyists.