The woman who accused Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz of rape has passed away from suicide. It was related to severe injuries she sustained after an incident with a bus.
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.
Lifeline is a non-profit organisation that provides free, 24-hour telephone crisis support service in Australia. Volunteer crisis supporters provide suicide prevention services, mental health support and emotional assistance through methods via telephone, face-to-face communication and online.
The telephone service can be accessed by calling 13 11 14 within Australia.
Telephone crisis support is provided via a network of Lifeline Centres maintained by trained volunteers and some paid staff. Lifeline Centres are owned and operated by affiliate member organisations of Lifeline Australia, some of which are wholly owned subsidiaries of the national group, and some of which are local branches of the Uniting Church in Australia..
Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused the Duke of York of raping her numerous times while he visit the home of Jeffrey Epstein.
While living on a private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Epstein hosted powerful figures in the country. Several known figures included Dershowitz, former president Bill Clinton and President Donald J. Trump.
Epstein committed suicide in 2019. The Trump Administration released several documents in relation to Epstein. The feds had redacted the names of people on the flight and visitor logs.
Giuffre still fought to seek justice.
Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell and others were accused of sex trafficking, criminal conspiracy and lying to FBI agents.
Maxwell was convicted and sentenced to 22 years in federal time out in Tallahassee. She could be on the list of controversial pardons from Trump.
Israel has some ties to the Epstein issue. Maxwell's father was allegedly an agent of the Mossad. Epstein allegedly used the list to blackmail powerful figures.
Giuffre died by suicide Friday at her farm in Western Australia, her publicist confirmed.
“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors,” her family said in a statement. “Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.”
Her publicist Dini von Mueffling described Giuffre as “deeply loving, wise and funny.”
“She adored her children and many animals. She was always more concerned with me than with herself,” von Mueffling wrote in a statement. “I will miss her beyond words. It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her.”
Prince Andrew and Ghislaine Maxwell with Virginia.
The American-born Giuffre, who lived in Australia for years, became an advocate for sex trafficking survivors after emerging as a central figure in Epstein’s prolonged downfall.
The wealthy, well-connected New York money manager killed himself in August 2019 while awaiting trial on U.S. federal sex trafficking charges involving dozens of teenage girls and young women, some as young as 14. The charges came 14 years after police in Palm Beach, Florida, first began investigating allegations that he sexually abused underage girls who were hired to give him massages.
Giuffre came forward publicly after the initial investigation ended in an 18-month Florida jail term for Epstein, who made a secret deal to avoid federal prosecution by pleading guilty instead to relatively minor state-level charges of soliciting prostitution. He was released in 2009.
In subsequent lawsuits, Giuffre said she was a teenage spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago — President Donald Trump’s Palm Beach club — when she was approached in 2000 by Epstein’s girlfriend and later employee, Ghislaine Maxwell.
Giuffre said Maxwell hired her as a masseuse for Epstein, but the couple effectively made her a sexual servant, pressuring her into gratifying not only Epstein but his friends and associates. Giuffre she was flown around the world for assignations with men including Prince Andrew while she was 17 and 18.
The men denied it and assailed Giuffre’s credibility. She acknowledged changing some key details of her account, including the age at which she first met Epstein.
But many parts of her story were supported by documents, witness testimony and photos — including one of her and Andrew, with his his arm around her bare midriff, in Maxwell’s London townhouse.
Giuffre said in one of her lawsuits that she had sex with the royal three times: in London during her 2001 trip, at Epstein’s New York mansion when she was 17 and in the Virgin Islands when she was 18.
“Ghislaine said, ‘I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein,’” Giuffre told NBC News’ “Dateline” in September 2019.
Andrew categorically rejected Giuffre’s allegations and said he didn’t recall having met her.
His denials blew up in his face during a November 2019 BBC interview. Viewers saw a prince who proffered curious rebuttals — such as disputing Giuffre’s recollection of sweaty dancing by saying he was medically incapable of perspiring — and showed no empathy for the women who said Epstein abused them.
Virginia Giuffre was disfigured after a car accident.
Within days of the interview, Andrew stepped down from his royal duties. He settled with Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, agreeing to make a “substantial donation” to her survivors’ organization. A statement filed in court said that the prince acknowledged Epstein was a sex trafficker and Giuffre “an established victim of abuse.”
She also filed, and in at least some cases settled, lawsuits against Epstein and others connected to him. In one case, she dropped her claims against a prominent U.S. attorney, saying she might have erred in identifying him as one of the men to whom Epstein supplied her.
Epstein’s suicide put an end to his accusers’ hopes of holding him criminally accountable.
Maxwell was convicted in 2021 on federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison. She said said she wasn’t to blame for Epstein’s abuse.
Prosecutors elected not to include Giuffre’s allegations in the Maxwell case, but Giuffre later told the court that the British socialite had “opened the door to hell.”
Trump never saw these two in his life.
Giuffre, born Virginia Roberts, told interviewers that her childhood was shattered when she was sexually abused as a grade-schooler by a man her family knew. She later ran away from home and endured more abuse, she said.
She said she met her now-husband in 2002 while taking massage training in Thailand at Epstein’s behest. She married, moved to Australia and had a family.
Giuffre founded an advocacy charity, SOAR, in 2015.
Giuffre was hospitalized after a serious accident, her publicist said last month. She didn’t answer questions about the date, location, nature or other specifics of the accident and about the accuracy of an Instagram post that appeared to come from Giuffre. The post said she had been in a car that was hit by a school bus and her prognosis was dire.
She is survived by her three children, whom the statement described as the “light of her life.”
Sigrid McCawley, an attorney for Giuffre, said in a statement, “Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring. The world has lost an amazing human being today. Rest in peace, my sweet angel.”
The AP does not identify people who say they were victims of sexual assault unless they have come forward publicly.
President Donald J. Trump and former president Joe Biden will meet briefly while in Italy. The two will be in Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis.
Two figures won't be there.
Russian President Vladimir Putin
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Those ghouls face arrest if they set foot in Italy.
Pope Francis passed away on Monday after a stroke and declining health.
He was 88 years old. He delivered his Easter message and met with Vice President JD Vance before passing away.
He will be laid to rest at St. Peter's Basilica inside the Vatican City of the Holy See, the world's smallest country. It is a two block micro nation inside Rome, the national capital and largest city of Italy.
More than 250,000 people paid their last respects to Pope Francis over three days of public viewing by ordinary mourners, church and political leaders that ended Friday, when his coffin was sealed ahead of his state funeral in St. Peter’s Square and burial in a basilica outside the Vatican’s walls.
World leaders, including Trump and Argentine President Javier Milei, along with royalty, converged on Rome for the funeral. But the group of marginalized people who will meet his casket in a small crosstown basilica are more in keeping with Francis’ humble persona and disdain for pomp.
The Vatican said that 164 delegations are confirmed, including 54 heads of state and 12 reigning sovereigns. French President Emmanuel Macron, who will also attend the funeral, was among those who made it in time to pay last respects to the pope.
Pope Francis was a good leader.
Paying respects
Tens of thousands of mourners waited hours in line over three days to bid farewell to Francis, who died Monday after suffering a stroke at the age of 88. A higher-than-expected turnout prompted the Vatican to extend the basilica’s opening hours overnight.
Angele Bilegue, a nun, was among the last mourners. It was her third time to pay her respects, including once inside the Vatican at his residence in the Santa Marta Domus, where she said she spent six hours praying at his coffin.
“He was my friend, so I went one last time to say goodbye,’' she said. “I cried.”
A changing of the guards at Francis’ open coffin signaled the end of the viewing period of the pontiff, who was laid out in red robes, a bishop’s pointed miter and a rosary entwined in his hands. He was being buried with his well-worn black shoes, including scuff marks on the toe — emblematic of the simple life he espoused.
Cardinal Kevin Farrell presided over the closing and sealing of the coffin in his role of camerlengo, or interim Vatican administrator. According to photos released by the Vatican, a white cloth was placed over the pope’s face, and a bag containing coins minted during his papacy was put in the coffin along with a one-page written account of his papacy.
The account, called a rogito, summarized his whole life’s story, from his childhood in Argentina as the son of parents with Italian heritage through his priesthood and promotions eventually to archbishop and cardinal in Buenos Aires — and then pope. It highlighted his “defense of innocents,” his encyclicals and also his illnesses.
“He was a simple and much loved pastor in his archdiocese, who traveled far and wide, also by subway and bus,” read the text of the document, recounting his life as archbishop. “He lived in an apartment and he prepared dinner alone, so he could feel like an ordinary person.”
‘We will see each other again’
Roman neighbors and retired flight attendants Aurelia Ballarini and Francesca Codato came to pay respects to Francis on Friday with very different motivations. Ballarini, 72, was coming to terms with her grief, and Codato, 78, was seeking forgiveness.
For Ballarini, the pope’s death leaves a hole in her life. While only 16 years younger than Francis, she considered him a grandfather figure. Every morning, she would log on to Facebook for his daily greeting, and respond “with a couple of words.”
“He gave everything, gave all of himself, up to the end,” said Ballarini. “I spent the last two days crying. I was not well after his passing — I can’t even say the word. For me he flew away. One day, we will see each other again.”
Codato said that she feels tremendous guilt toward Francis, having forsaken him out of devotion to one of his predecessors, St. John Paul II. When Francis became pope “he was an outsider to me.”
“I feel guilty, because through videos I have seen in these days, I have understood he was a man of enormous humanity, close to the simple people,” she said. “So I came to ask forgiveness, because I feel guilty towards him, like a worm.”
Trump will face a cold reception when he attends the pope’s funeral.
Cardinals ‘are in discussions’
The work of the conclave to choose a new pope won’t start until at least May 5, after nine days of public mourning.
Cardinals have been arriving in Rome, with 149 meeting on Friday morning to discuss church business. They won’t meet again until next week, meaning a conclave date is unlikely to be set until after the funeral.
Cardinal François-Xavier Bustillo, who hosted Francis during his last papal trip to Corsica last year, remembered Francis as “a free man” who “humanized the church without desacralizing it.”
He described the atmosphere inside the meetings as “good,” but said that they weren’t yet “at the point of decisions; we are in discussions.”
Papal burial
In keeping with Francis’ embrace of the marginalized, the Vatican said a group of poor and needy people will meet the pope’s coffin to pay homage to him when it arrives at St. Mary Major Basilica for burial on Saturday. It has already become a point of pilgrimage.
The tomb is being prepared behind a wooden barrier within the basilica that he chose to be near an icon of the Madonna that he revered and often prayed before. The burial will take place in private, the Vatican said.
Photos released by the Vatican on Friday show the marble tombstone flat against the pavement, with the simple engraving in Latin that he requested in his last testament: “Franciscus.”
Cardinals will visit the St. Mary Major Basilica on Sunday. Entering through the Holy Door, they will visit the Salus Populi Romani icon, which was dear to Francis, and celebrate evening prayers, the Vatican said.
Security measures
Italy is deploying more than 2,500 police officers and 1,500 soldiers to provide security during the funeral, which is expected to gather about 200,000 mourners in St. Peter’s Square and up to 300,000 people along the 4-kilometer (2½-mile) route from the Vatican to the pope’s burial place across Rome.
The major security operation includes stationing an armed naval vessel off the coast, and putting squads of fighter jets on standby, Italian media reported.
Royals and leaders
Trump, who is traveling with first lady Melania Trump, is scheduled to arrive Friday, after Francis’ coffin has been sealed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s press office previously confirmed his presence, but he told reporters Friday evening on the site of a recent missile attack that he will attend if time permits, given obligations at home related to the ongoing war.
Among the other foreign dignitaries confirmed for the papal funeral are:
Scat Albert will be pardoned by Trump despite the theft. George Santos convicted of his campaign fraud and failure to disclose cases.
President Donald J. Trump will pardon George Santos, the former New York lawmaker who lied about his past and exploited funds from campaign coffers.
Robert Sylvester Kelly, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Matt Gaetz, Tara Reade, Maria Butina, Edward Snowden, Matt Gaetz, Steve Bannon and numerous others are likely to get Trump’s infamous pardons.
Santos, the only gay Republican elected to the U.S. House only served nine months before he was expelled by the House members. Republicans quickly turned on him after The Washington Post piggybacked on a local Long Island newspaper story about Santos past.
Zionist New York Democrat Tom Suozzi won his seat again.
Santos vows revenge against the New York Republicans who voted for his ouster.
He still have favorable ties to MAGAland Republicans Elise Stefanik and Claudia Tenney. They voted against his outer.
Santos is facing 20 years after he was found guilty.
He admitted to deceiving donors and stealing the identities of nearly a dozen people, including his family members, to fund his winning campaign. As part of a plea deal, Santos has agreed to pay roughly $580,000 in penalties in addition to prison time.
The first 100 days of Trump's second term has his job approval of 42%.
The 36-year-old didn’t respond to reporters’ shouted questions as he walked into a Long Island courthouse, but he told The Associated Press on Thursday that he’s resigned to his fate.
“I’m doing as well as any human being would be doing given the circumstances,” Santos wrote in a text message on Thursday, adding that he was “ready to face the music.”
Prosecutors are seeking seven years in federal prison for Santos, arguing in recent court filings that he “remains unrepentant” and has not shown genuine remorse, despite what he claims.
They cite recent comments Santos has made on social media in which he casts himself as a victim of prosecutorial overreach.
In a letter to the court this week, Santos stressed that he remains “profoundly sorry” for his crimes but said prosecutors’ proposed sentence is too harsh.
Santos’ lawyers have called for a two-year prison stint, which is the mandatory minimum sentence for aggravated identity theft.
They argue such a penalty is comparable to sentences handed to former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. and other political figures convicted of similar financial crimes.
Santos was elected in 2022, flipping a wealthy district representing parts of Queens and Long Island for the GOP.
Soon after, it was revealed that the political unknown had fabricated much of his life story, painting himself as a successful business owner who worked at prestigious Wall Street firms and held a valuable real estate portfolio.
Scat Albert.
In reality, Santos was struggling financially and even faced eviction. The revelations led to congressional and criminal inquiries into how he had funded his campaign.
As his sentencing approached, Santos was reflective in social media posts, thanking his supporters and detractors alike.
“I learned that no matter left, right or, center we are all humans and for the most part Americans (LOL) and we have one super power that I cherish and that is compassion,” he wrote Thursday on the social platform X. “To the trolls… well you guys are an impactful part of how people shape themselves, and y’all made me much stronger and made my skin thicker!”
He also made one final plug for his Cameo account, where he records personalized video messages for $100.
“Think ahead and of any celebration or event coming up later this year. Book them today,” Santos wrote, ending the post with a series of heart emojis.
Despite good ratings and comedy, CBS axes Poppa's House.
CBS has ended The Neighborhood and Poppa's House.
The Neighborhood starred Cedric the Entertainer, Tichina Arnold, Beth Behars and Max Greenfield. It is currently in syndication thanks to its strong ratings.
While The Neighborhood will get renewed for a final season, the tie-in show starring Damon Wayans, Sr., Damon Wayans, Jr. and Essence Atkins is officially cancelled.
The Wayans sitcom was actually funny. But the Monday spot was dominated by reality television and it was won by NBC and ABC.
CBS cancelled that along with SWAT, FBI: International, FBI: Most Wanted, Blue Bloods, After Midnight and The Summit.
CBS claims budget.
The show first aired in October 2024, with Damon Wayans playing Poppa Williams, a retired radio host adjusting to life with his adult son Junior (Wayans Jr.) back at home and working as his new co-host. The series blended workplace comedy with family life, exploring themes like reconciliation, career changes, and second chances.
Poppa’s House featured a solid supporting cast, including Essence Atkins as Ivy, Poppa’s longtime friend and producer, and Tetona Jackson as Janay, Junior’s ex-girlfriend. The season featured guest appearances from Marlon Wayans, Lamorne Morris, Vivica A. Fox, and Tommy Davidson.
What could go wrong? The show was funny but costly. Paramount bleeding money supposedly.
The show got a full-season order from CBS in November 2024, a sign of early confidence. But behind the scenes, budget concerns reportedly led to its cancellation. Even though it had consistent ratings, CBS decided not to move forward — possibly due to rising production costs and increased competition from streaming platforms, according to Rolling Out.
The series finale, titled Magic Shine Again, airs April 28, 2025, at 8:30 PM ET/PT. Fans can also stream all episodes on Paramount+.
Fans expressed disappointment on social media, praising the real-life father-son chemistry between the Wayans and the show’s heartfelt tone. Despite its short run, Poppa’s House left a strong impression and added another chapter to the Wayans family’s comedy legacy.
Damon Wayans, Jr. and Max Greenfield worked on Fox's New Girl. Wayans left in the first season when he got hired for Happy Endings. He returned for the final three seasons.
Damon Wayans, Sr. was a founding member of the sketch comedy series In Living Color. He also had roles in other television shows. My Wife and Kids was one of the best Black sitcoms in television history.
The former NFL star, ESPN commentator, podcaster and media personality sees his empire collapse. He still fighting to keep it in tact.
Israel is notorious for setting up celebrities. They use young white women to influence powerful men into sex. Black men face a larger and sometimes career ending engagement.
President Donald J. Trump is the prime example of white privilege.
Bill O'Reilly was supposed to be washed up. He now ends up on NewsNation, Newsmax and Real America's Voice for commentary.
Andrew Cuomo runs for mayor of New York City.
Rupert Murdoch still runs the media despite allegations of sexual misconduct.
Elon Musk still runs Tesla, SpaceX, X and is part of the Trump administration.
Pete Hegseth runs the Department of Defense.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. runs the Department of Health and Human Services.
White privilege at its best.
Don't forget Matt Schlapp, Matt Gaetz, Kimberly Guilfoyle, Jesse Watters, Rich McCormick, Dick Cheney, Ed Henry, James Rosen, Benjamin Netanyahu, James O'Keefe, Dana White, Conor McGregor, Hulk Hogan, James Woods and Sean "Softball" Hannity. They are a product of white privilege too.
Anyway, Club Shay Shay is over.
Shannon Sharpe, you should have listened to the warnings of Katt Williams and Mo'Nique. The comedians are blacklisted but never shy about telling the world the truth about the industry.
Don't get me wrong, love is love. Love shouldn’t be based on race. If you're attracted to a race or gender, it's not my business to judge.
What two consenting adults do in the bedroom is none of my business.
However, if a person says no to a certain engagement, respect that or face a court case. I mean what I say....
This is why you stay from clout-hungry pr*stitutes. Shannon Sharpe’s career is possibly OVER because he got caught up with an OnlyF*ns demon. Stay safe out here boys pic.twitter.com/3Ln0iHZ5Cc
Sources close to Shannon Sharpe say his relationship with his rape accuser was "purely" a consensual BDSM arrangement, allegedly meeting for rough sex about 100 times from late 2022 to Jan. 2025.
They claim she requested acts like choking, collars, and role-play in alleged… pic.twitter.com/DccdUWbtHX
Shannon Sharpe was accused of choking a female production assistant at FS1, per @FOS
“Before Sharpe’s time at ESPN, when he was the co-host of FS1’s Undisputed, he was accused of choking a female production assistant in the workplace, two sources with knowledge of the incident… pic.twitter.com/dh2HDILaRU
Gabriella Zuniga, also known as Jane Hoe, wanted money from Shannon Sharpe. She lied; she wanted to have sex and engage in other sexual acts with him. I hope he sues her. No one ever forgets an allegation of rape. It's time to make examples of these hoes. #shannonsharppic.twitter.com/Z5bWZqiVpy
Sharpe also faced a scandal surrounding a sextape.
Sharpe inadvertently made a sextape by starting an Instagram Live in which he was engaged in sexual intercourse, although only audio could be heard. Sharpe initially denied his involvement in the act, stating his account was hacked. Later that night, he admitted on Nightcap that the video was authentic and apologized for his actions.
Sharpe and his accuser Gabriella Zuniga are being dragged. However, Sharpe is the one who could fall because of it.
Sharpe was listed as a defendant in a civil lawsuit filed by a woman proceeding under the "Jane Doe" pseudonym and represented by Tony Buzbee. The 13-page complaint alleges Sharpe committed "assault, sexual assault, battery, and sexual battery" and engaged in the "intentional infliction of emotional distress," and seeks compensatory and punitive damages of more than $50 million from Sharpe. In response, Sharpe released a video in which he addresses the lawsuit, denying the accusations and calling the whole issue "a shakedown." Soon afterwards, the woman's legal team sent numerous text messages which were exchanged between her and Sharpe to Larry Brown Sports. Sharpe's legal team had also revealed some the text messages between Sharpe and the woman as well.
Sharpe's lawyer Lanny Davis conceded that Sharpe previously offered a $10 million settlement to the accuser. In a recording which was obtained by People, Sharpe threatened physical harm to the accuser, stating, “If you say that word one more time, I'm gonna f------ choke the s--- out of you when I see you.”
Sharpe has confirmed he will be stepping away from ESPN (likely fired out the cannon) and postponed his Club Shay Shay podcast.
The victim alleges she was raped and threatened by Sharpe during a “rocky consensual relationship” has filed a civil lawsuit against him seeking $50 million in damages.
Attorneys filed the lawsuit Sunday in Clark County, Nevada, for a woman listed in court documents as Jane Doe. The lawsuit also accuses Sharpe of using physical force on her and inflicting emotional distress.
The woman first met Sharpe at a gym in Los Angeles in 2023 when she was 20 and a nearly two-year relationship followed, according to court documents. Sharpe, 56, is accused of raping the woman in October 2024 and again in January, court documents said.
Boy I tried to warn your ass.
Sharpe on Monday posted a statement from his lawyer on X saying the relationship was consensual and calling the lawsuit a “blatant and cynical attempt to shake down” Sharpe for millions of dollars.
“It is filled with lies, distortions, and misrepresentations — and it will not succeed,” Davis said in the statement posted by Sharpe.
Sharpe is accused of becoming increasingly verbally abusive, controlling and violent over time, once threatening to kill her and recording their sexual encounters without consent, according to the complaint.
“Sharpe flew into fits of anger when Plaintiff noted his infidelity to their relationship, or called him out about his extraneous activities,” the lawsuit said. “Sharpe even figured out how to get into Doe’s apartment complex without her permission.”
Sharpe was a four-time All-Pro tight end who played on two Super Bowl champions with Denver and another with Baltimore over 14 seasons from 1990 to 2003. He was voted into the Hall of Fame in 2011.
Sharpe retired as the NFL’s all-time leader among tight ends in receptions (815), yards receiving (10,060) and touchdowns (62). Those records have since been broken.
Sharpe has been a staple on TV and social media since retiring. He left FS1’s sports debate show “Undisputed” in 2023 and joined ESPN soon afterward.
Michele Fiore "busted" out. The controversial figure got a pardon from Trump.
White privilege and Trump’s mushroom size.
Former Nye County justice of the peace and former Las Vegas/Clark County commissioner Michele Fiore gets the pardon from President Donald J. Trump.
The controversial president is expected to pardon other controversial figures such as Fiore.
Y'all voted for this.
Sooner or later, Sean "Puffy" Combs, Edward Snowden, Maria Butina, Tara Reade and others will get the call.
Fiore, who I've talked about on this blog became known for her support of far right extremists Cliven and Amnon Bundy. The Bundys had a standoff with the Bureau of Land Management when they violated federal laws when they allowed their grazing cattle stroll the pairies without vaccinations.
Fiore also poses with firearms along with her daughters, her sons-in-law, her late mother and grandchildren.
Fiore also dresses for attraction. She had plastic surgery and breast enlargement.
She went silent after she made a racial slur towards a woman.
Trump pardoned a Nevada Republican politician who was awaiting sentencing on federal charges that she used money meant for a statue honoring a slain police officer for personal costs, including plastic surgery.
Fiore, a former Las Vegas city councilwoman and state lawmaker who ran unsuccessfully in 2022 for state treasurer, was found guilty in October of six counts of federal wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She was out of custody ahead of her sentencing, which had been scheduled for next month.
In a lengthy statement Thursday on Facebook, the loyal Trump supporter expressed gratitude to the president while also accusing the U.S. government and “select media outlets” of a broad, decade-long conspiracy to “target and dismantle” her life.
The pardon, issued Wednesday, comes less than a week after Fiore lost a bid for a new trial. She had been facing the possibility of decades in prison.
Federal prosecutors said at trial that Fiore, 54, had raised more than $70,000 for the statue of a Las Vegas police officer who was fatally shot in 2014 in the line of duty, but had instead spent some of it on cosmetic surgery, rent and her daughter’s wedding.
Trump saw something in Fiore and it wasn't her politics.
Michele Fiore used a tragedy to line her pockets,” federal prosecutor Dahoud Askar said.
FBI agents in 2021 subpoenaed records and searched Fiore’s home in Las Vegas in connection with her campaign spending. Fiore was expected to see 15 years for her crimes.
In a statement, Nevada Democratic Party Executive Director Hilary Barrett called the pardon “reckless” and a “slap in the face” to law enforcement officers.
Fiore, who does not have a law degree, was appointed as a judge in deep-red Nye County in 2022 shortly after she lost her campaign for state treasurer.
She was elected last June to complete the unexpired term of a judge who died but had been suspended without pay amid her legal troubles. Pahrump is an hour’s drive west of Las Vegas.
In her statement Thursday, Fiore also said she plans to return to the bench next week.
Nye County said in an email to The Associated Press that it is awaiting an update from the state Commission on Judicial Discipline on Fiore’s current suspension. The AP sent emails seeking comment to the commission, as well as Fiore’s lawyer.
Fiore served in the state Legislature from 2012 to 2016. She was a Las Vegas councilwoman from 2017 to 2022.
While serving as a state lawmaker, Fiore gained national attention for her support of rancher Cliven Bundy and his family during armed standoffs between militiamen and federal law enforcement officers in Bunkerville, Nevada, in 2014 and Malheur, Oregon, in 2016.
This fight got serious when the aggressor became the victim.
Be warned there will graphic video and images.
The suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
A stabbing inside a Virginia high school...another moment in white nationalism and conservative outrage.
Or will this be ignored?
West Potomac High School in Virginia was the scene of a stabbing. A physical altercation between three teens led to one being stabbed.
Now the teen is in critical condition and the Alexandria Police are investigating.
Kids these days are little bitches. You got your ass beat in a one on one so you pulled out a knife and stabbed somebody. What a damn clown. Enjoy trying to not drop the soap you little bitch. Teen fighting for his life after being stabbed at West Potomac High School in Virginia pic.twitter.com/roQZKQxZcS
‼️NEW: A 16-year-old student was rushed to the hospital and is now in critical condition after being STABBED during a fight at West Potomac High School 🔪
📍Dumfries, Virginia
The incident—caught on video—involved a 15-year-old student as the alleged attacker who has been… pic.twitter.com/4eklLoRLfy
Kids these days are little bitches. You got your ass beat in a one on one so you pulled out a knife and stabbed somebody. What a damn clown. Enjoy trying to not drop the soap you little bitch. Teen fighting for his life after being stabbed at West Potomac High School in Virginia pic.twitter.com/roQZKQxZcS
Alexandria is seven miles from downtown Washington, DC.
Please note, X, Facebook and Rumble will remove it because it is graphic. I do not control the content.
The victim was the aggressor. Will this be self defense or aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
A 16-year-old is in the hospital with serious injuries after a stabbing at West Potomac High School in Alexandria, Virginia, on Wednesday morning, according to Fairfax County police.
The suspect was being pummeled by the victim. He ended up pulling out a knife.
A school resource officer rushed to help the teen who was stabbed just before 10 a.m., police said. Officers with Fairfax County responded to the school within minutes.
Police had earlier said the 16-year-old who was stabbed had suffered life-threatening injuries. But during a news conference Wednesday afternoon, police said the student was in stable condition at a nearby hospital.
A 15-year-old boy is in custody and will be charged with malicious wounding, police said. Officers have recovered the knife the suspect is accused of using in the stabbing.
Three students got into a fight in a hallway near some classrooms before the stabbing.
The third student involved in the fighting, a 15-year-old, is being interviewed by investigators but police do not expect that student will be criminally charged.
Authorities have not released the names of any of the teens. No other suspects are believed to be involved outside of the student who is in custody, police said.
Police Chief Kevin Davis acknowledged video of the fight that’s been posted on social media.
“We have the video, just like you have the video, but the video doesn’t tell the entire story,” Davis said.
A mother of one student said she’s concerned about her son’s safety.
“This is something that could have been had stopped,” Aellene told WTOP.
Graphic images warning!
Local leaders
In a joint statement Wednesday afternoon, Fairfax County School Board members Mateo Dunne, Ilryong Moon and Ryan McElveen called for local leads to take action to improve safety in schools in response to the stabbing.
The school board members said the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors should increase the number of school resource officers to ensure one or more officers are at every middle and high school.
The group also called on the public school system to take measures to prioritize safety such as increasing the number of security assistants, and installing weapons detection tech and video cameras.
Virginia Senate Majority Leader Scott Surovell urged those who are struggling to take advantage of the counseling services and reiterated elected leaders’ commitment to safety in schools.
“This hit even closer to home for me as a West Potomac parent whose son was at school today as the incident occurred and whose three other children and two other siblings graduated from West Potomac,” said Sen. Surovell in a statement.
“These students are so close to the end of the school year and for many, a graduation. This time for celebration is now marred by this ugly incident. These kids deserved so much better today.”
The Austin Metcalf challenge.
Parents pushback
Superintendent Michelle Reid said counselors will be available to students and staff at the school.
“While there’s a sense, obviously, of shock that this would happen at West Potomac High School, one of our high schools here in Fairfax County, I’m very proud of the response of our staff to this incident,” Reid said. “They responded quickly and admirably and may have saved a life today.”
The school was placed under a brief lockdown during the response, which has since been lifted. Parents were notified through the school’s alert system, and classes have resumed under heightened security.
School officials said the building is under “Secure the Building” status, during which students can move about inside the school but exterior doors are locked, according to the school system’s website.
Some parents at the school on Wednesday questioned the law enforcement and school officials about why they weren’t being allowed to pick up their students from school early.
The far right will claim its Karmelo Anthony all over again.
One father told WTOP the communication with parents was “unsatisfactory.” Bill Beal said he hasn’t been allowed to pick up his daughter who saw the stabbing happen.
“At the end of the day, I think that’s all these parents want, is to get their kids, hug their kids,” Beal told WTOP outside the school. “There’s more than one victim in this — people that witnessed it.”
The police chief tried to reassure parents by telling them the school system would “soon” communicate when students could be picked up.
“As all of our emotions are running high, we don’t want to let the school spill out into this residential community and have skirmishes, fights, altercations and maybe even additional crimes take place,” Davis told parents and reporters gathered outside the school. “All those considerations are something that we’re thinking about, just like you’re thinking about, and I’m sorry your children had to endure what they what they had to endure today.”
Meanwhile, the school system has been rolling out a pilot program that will place metal detectors in schools. Reid said the technology was in place at another school in Fairfax County on Wednesday morning, but not at West Potomac High School.
Chaos could put Elon Musk and Pete Hegseth in the cannon.
President Donald J. Trump have not spoken publicly about it but rumors are flying about the Department of Defense and Department of Government Efficiency.
Trump has had enough of Pete Hegseth and his fuck ups. After the Signalgate scandal, the Zionists are pushing for Trump to kick him out. Hegseth is not on board with striking Iran.
Israel is leaking everything.
Allegedly, Hegseth's brother and wife were on those Signal chats. Hegseth had fired his top leads and press secretary.
NPR wrote Monday that the White House was already searching for a replacement after it was reported that Hegseth again shared classified information with outsiders on an imminent military attack in Yemen. The group chat, allegedly the second on Signal that breached security protocol, included Hegseth’s wife, brother and lawyer.
“If the reports are true, the secretary of defense has failed at operational security, and that is unacceptable,” Bacon told Axios. “If a Democrat did this we’d be demanding a scalp. We should be Americans first when it comes to security.”
Bacon’s declaration would seem to put him at odds with President Donald Trump, who earlier dismissed concerns and the report of Hegseth’s second Signal briefing.
“He’s doing a great job. It’s just fake news,” Trump said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the anonymously sourced NPR report “total FAKE NEWS.”
Israel wants Hegseth gone.
But Bacon, a House Armed Services Committee member, appeared to directly urge Trump to can Hegseth in a separate interview with Politico.
“I’m not in the White House, and I’m not going to tell the White House how to manage this … but I find it unacceptable, and I wouldn’t tolerate it if I was in charge,” Bacon said.
Bacon is a staunch supporter of Israel and is pressing Trump to invade Iran.
Leavitt denied that there's an effort to replace Hegseth, posting on X that Trump "stands strongly" behind him. Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump backed Hegseth and said concerns over the Signal chats are a "waste of time."
"He's doing a great job — ask the Houthis how he's doing," Trump said.
Hegseth had denied wrongdoing at a White House Easter event earlier Monday.
"This is what the media does, they take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees, and then they try to slash and burn people, ruin their reputation. It's not going to work with me," he said.
Don Bacon wants Hegseth gone.
Hegseth was likely referring to four senior advisers who left the Pentagon abruptly last week. Former Defense Department spokesperson John Ullyot resigned and then published an opinion piece calling the past month at the Pentagon a "full-blown meltdown" of infighting that is hurting Trump.
Trump said Thursday that Elon Musk would likely leave his administration in “a few months,” the clearest sign that his most powerful and disruptive adviser will be wrapping up his work inside the government.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that “Elon is fantastic” but he has “a number of companies to run.”
“I want him to stay as long as possible,” he said. “There’s going to be a point where he’s going to have to leave.”
Musk has spearheaded the Department of Government Efficiency, which is playing a leading role in downsizing and overhauling the federal government. Trump said that work would continue within various agencies.
The Republican president’s comments came after a steady drumbeat of suggestions over the last week that Musk’s time was limited. Musk also faced a setback Tuesday in Wisconsin, where voters rejected his choice for a state Supreme Court candidate despite more than $21 million in personal donations and his campaign appearance over the weekend. There are more problems for the billionaire entrepreneur at Tesla, his electric automaker, which saw a 13% drop in sales in the first three months of the year.
The White House has not disclosed any timeline for closing down DOGE, and the government cost-cutting organization was never supposed to become a permanent fixture in Washington. But it could be reaching a conclusion faster than anticipated. DOGE was originally intended to operate until July 4, 2026.
Now there are signs that it already is winding down. DOGE employees have been shifted to various federal agencies, which are supposed to take the lead on cutting costs. Government-wide layoffs are underway to accomplish some of the goals laid out by Musk and Trump.
A feud with brewing.
“We think probably over the next two or three months, we’ll be pretty much satisfied with the people that are working hard and want to be members of the administration,” Trump said last week.
The potential end of DOGE does not mean Trump will stop shaking up Washington. But it appears the administration’s efforts will be entering a new phase that is less focused on Musk, whose chain saw-wielding work as a presidential adviser made him a political lightning rod.
DOGE was initially envisioned as an independent advisory panel, with Musk sharing leadership with Vivek Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur. Ramaswamy dropped out and is running for Ohio governor, and DOGE became part of the government. It was stocked with Musk’s allies, who were dispatched throughout the bureaucracy to cancel contracts, access sensitive data and push for cuts.
Musk presumably has a ticking clock on his tenure. He was hired as a special government employee, which means he can only work 130 days in a 365-day time period.
“I think we will have accomplished most of the work required to reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars within that time frame,” Musk told Bret Baier of Fox News on March 27. So far DOGE is well short of that target, according to its own calculations, which have been criticized as inflated and inaccurate.
Musk did not commit to leaving the administration by any particular date, and it is unclear how the administration is tracking Musk’s time. On May 30, it will be 130 days since Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20.
Trump told reporters on Monday in the Oval Office that “I’d keep him as long as I could keep him” and “he’s a very talented guy.”
The Republican president was known for explosive breakups with top advisers during his first term, but anyone hoping for such a split with Musk has been disappointed.
“I want Elon to stay as long as possible,” Trump said Thursday. “Number one, I like him, number two, he’s doing a great job. Number three, he is a patriot, that’s why he’s doing this.”
Once Musk leaves, Trump said “the secretaries will take totally over,” meaning the Senate-confirmed leaders of various agencies, but “DOGE will stay active”
That was a somewhat different message than Trump had on Monday. At that point, he said Cabinet officials have worked closely with Musk and may keep some of the DOGE people at their agencies.
“But at a certain point I think it will end,” Trump said.
Musk’s poll numbers lag behind Trump’s, which Democrats believe they were able to use to their advantage in Wisconsin.
Susan Crawford defeated Brad Schimel, who Musk supported, and ensured the state Supreme Court’s liberal majority.
In the closing days of that campaign, Musk described the race as “important for the future of civilization.” He struck a different tone afterward.
“I expected to lose, but there is value to losing a piece for a positional gain,” Musk wrote on X at 3:13 a.m.
Republican Diana Harshbarger calls Democrat Al Green a boy.
Tennessee lawmaker calls Texas lawmaker a boy.
White woman and Black man.
Y'all voted for this.
Hurricane Helene left mass destruction and it still affects the district of Republican Diana Harshbarger. She voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act but still seeks funds from it.
Former president Joe Biden’s most significant law is used to rebuilt our crumbling infrastructure.
We are literally losing to China on so many things.
One major infrastructure law can't solve the decades of failed conservative policies the Republicans laid out for our country. If we eliminated racism, religion, hatred and phobias, the United States will prosper.
The white woman used a word that is a code.
During an interview with the podcast FAME Ministries, Rep. Diana Harshbarger (R-TN) called Rep. Al Green (D-TX) “boy.”
Green was infamous for his removal from President Donald J. Trump's State of the Union address where he heckled the president multiple times and House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) had him removed.
Biden never had Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) removed when they heckled him during his State of the Union addresses.
Harshbarger shows constant hypocrisy whenever she opens her Karen ass mouth.
FAME Ministries posted the podcast to their Facebook page on Friday. During the podcast, she also referred to transgender people as “fairies” then said she wanted to “love them into the love of Christ.”
Around 35 minutes into the podcast, the interviewer asked about Congresspeople holding signs during the State of the Union. Harshbarger responded, “I wanted to go over there and grab a few of them, but Al Green was over here with his cane, and I’m like, ‘Gosh dang it, boy, put that…’ He does not need that cane. That cane is a prop. I swear it’s not real.”
During the event in question, Green was removed from the House after heckling Trump and shaking his cane at him.
Al Green.
Green held a press conference on Tuesday responding to Harshbarger’s comment where he called the words slurs. He said that his parents were often referred to as “boy” and “girl” when he was growing up.
“Friends, it’s not about Al Green,” he said. “It’s about whether Black people in this society are going to allow slurs such as this to be normalized. We cannot allow the normalization of these kinds of slurs.”
Green also quoted the 23 Psalm from the Bible saying that his cane was a “comforter” to him that would allow him to defend himself in a situation where the police were there to defend him. He also said it helped him with climbing stairs.
On Tuesday, Harshbarger posted the clip in question to Facebook and wrote the following:
“The weather is warming up, so naturally, the snowflakes are starting to melt!
I was discussing one of my colleague’s erratic behavior during President Trump’s Joint Address, and now he—along with the rest of the Radical Left—is blowing it out of proportion in a desperate attempt to get attention.
BOY oh boy, you just can’t catch a break between the FAKE NEWS and young men wielding canes!”
Representative Diana Harshbarger
Around 36 minutes into the video, the interviewer mentioned the Biden’s administration’s involvement with transgender people. Harshbarger responded, “I’ve never saw so many fairies in the White House dancing around. I’m like, ‘I don’t know where they got them.’ But look, my job is to love them into the love of Christ, and I’ve got to watch what I say.”
In the podcast, Harshbarger also discussed her Christian faith, the importance of families, federal spending and debt and flood relief in Northeast Tennessee and Western North Carolina. She represents Tennessee’s first Congressional district in Northeast Tennessee.