Ousted Border Patrol Officer Greg Bovino was revealed Tuesday to have claimed minority status, according to previously unreported legal documents obtained by The New York Times and despite his admission to having referred to undocumented migrants as "filth" and "trash." Bovino was moved out of his role at "commander at large" of the US Border Patrol in January following the deadly immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota that led to the killings of American citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Set to retire this week, Bovino spoke with the Times for a Tuesday report that uncovered a surprising revelation. "He identified his race as Native American' and his tribe as Cherokee," the Times report reads. "He testified that he had identified this way since he was 8 years old, but said he was not registered on any official tribal rolls.
LOS ANGELES -- A civil jury in California found Monday that Bill Cosby was liable for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman in 1972 and awarded her $59.25 million. After a nearly two-week trial in Santa Monica, jurors found Cosby, 88, liable for the sexual battery and assault of Donna Motsinger. They awarded her $17.5 million in past damages and $1.75 million for future damages, including "mental suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, inconvenience, grief, anxiety, humiliation, and emotional distress." Then in a second phase of the trial Monday afternoon, they awarded an additional $40 million in punitive damages. Read more
How's the economy?
Not bad if you're rich.
Demand for luxury yachts and private jets is surging thanks to last year's tax law. Sales of $10 million-plus mansions are booming as stocks hit new highs. And the wealthy and powerful will get to enjoy a new ballroom for galas at the White House.
Former Defense Secretary James Mattis offered a sobering take Monday on the Strait of Hormuz, criticizing the Trump administration for what he saw as a failure to think strategically about Iran. "We're in a tough spot, ladies and gentlemen, and I can't identify a lot of good options," the retired Marine general told attendees at the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference. If President Trump declares victory and pulls back the U.S. military, Iran "would now say we own the Strait." "I think that you could see a tax for any ship going through " something completely unsustainable in the international market," Mattis said.
Americans are feeling more pessimistic about the job market, a worrisome signal for the White House as it navigates economic blowback from the Iran war. Only 28% have confidence in the US job market, according to new Gallup polling, down from 70% in 2022. While 72% say it's a bad time to get a job, more than half of US workers are looking for a new or better one, or at least watching for opportunities. And more American workers say they are struggling in their lives opposed to thriving, representing a gradual decline over the past few years.
Donald Trump is searching for an exit strategy from his increasingly unpopular war with Iran, but Saudi Arabia's de facto leader is pushing hard in the opposite direction " pressuring the president to view the conflict as an opportunity to reshape the entire Middle East. According to the New York Times, controversial Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been aggressively urging Trump to intensify the war against Iran, according to people briefed by American officials on the private conversations. In discussions over the past week, Prince Mohammed has told Trump that he must accelerate efforts toward dismantling Iran's hard-line government, according to those familiar with the talks.
The richest households have been rapidly multiplying their wealth over the past year. They're buying real estate and plowing money into the stock market, including high-risk, high-reward investments. The returns have them sitting comfortably, as new tax benefits help protect their gains. People with a tighter budget, on the other hand, have been struggling to get ahead. Prices for grocery store staples are going up, job opportunities are decreasing and once-stable careers, like those in manufacturing, are shrinking. The idea of doing better than your parents, for many, feels increasingly out of reach.
President Donald Trump cast a mail ballot in an upcoming Florida special election, according to Palm Beach County records, as he publicly condemns the voting method as fraudulent. "Mail-in voting means mail-in cheating. I call it mail-in cheating, and we got to do something about it all," Trump said Monday.
In the Gaza Strip, IDF soldiers reportedly tortured one-year-old Karim Abu Nassar in front of his father to pressure him to confess to something by burning the toddler's leg with a cigarette and piercing his other leg with a nail.
A Revolting Moral Outrage'
During a costly, debilitating, and illegal war against the people of Iran, a horrific plane crash in NYC, news of a staggering US economic downturn, skyrocketing fuel and health insurance costs for everyday Americans, a spreading measles outbreak, and a partial government shutdown, the President of the United States took the time to make a tourist visit to Graceland, the estate of the late Elvis Presley.
Dummkopf Trumpf is America's Nero
Ranking Member of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform Rep. Robert Garcia (D-CA): "Corey Lewandowski, a Special Government Employee at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), reportedly attempted a pay-to-play scheme with the private prison company over DHS contracts. Lewandowski allegedly demanded kickbacks based on the value of GEO Group's new or renewed contracts with DHS. After Lewandowski rejected GEO Group's counteroffer to put him on retainer, Lewandowski allegedly told a senior DHS official not to award the corporation any more contracts in an apparent act of retaliation."
None of the people targeted in this congressional oversight investigation are good human beings
Russia is pushing its Max messenger -- a social media platform without encryption -- onto its citizens with a massive promotion campaign and the simultaneous blocking of Whatsapp and Telegram, the country's two most popular messenger apps.
For generations now, the GOP has been far more comfortable than its opponents in quoting Bible verses and talking about how Christianity informs its politics. Democrats, meanwhile, have largely shied away from public proclamations of faith -- such that critics say they have seemed apologetic about Christianity.
Not my favorite source, but well enough done to reflect what's actually in the Story.
Former reality TV star from Arkansas Joseph Duggar, 31, and his wife, Kendra Duggar, 27, were recently charged with four counts of endangering the welfare of a child and four counts of false imprisonment and arrested. Joseph Duggar is expected to be extradited to Florida, where the alleged crimes occurred. If this sounds familiar, it's because Joseph's older brother, Josh Duggar, was found guilty of similar crimes a few years ago. Josh Duggar is currently serving 12 years in a Federal Correctional Institution for downloading and possessing child pornography. Although Joseph was arrested in Arkansas, he is expected to be extradited to Florida to face the charges. He was arrested on Wednesday, March 18, and charged with "lewd and lascivious behavior involving sexual activity" with a 14-year-old female victim who was nine at the time of the alleged incident, according to the Bay County Sheriff's Office and USA TODAY.
OZARK, Ala. (WPEC) " An Alabama police officer discovered a Florida man hauling 81 gallons of moonshine during a routine traffic stop, an amount authorities say far exceeds what can legally be transported without a license. The Ozark Police Department said Officer Dylan Griffin with the Crime Suppression Unit pulled over 61-year-old Learndis Hamilton on January 9 for a traffic violation. Containers of clear liquid were reportedly visible inside the vehicle, prompting further investigation. Read more
