US Vice President JD Vance said on Tuesday that Jeffrey Epstein and Donald Trump shared a mutual hatred, pushing back firmly against the notion that the president had any meaningful connection to the disgraced financier.
Ticketmaster parent company Live Nation holds an illegal monopoly over the concert and live event industry, a Manhattan federal jury found on Wednesday.
The FIFA 2026 World Cup tournament has opened our eyes to the complexities of implementing border intelligence and protection measures for a tri-nation event drawing six million visitors from around the world. With the Summer Olympics arriving in Los Angeles in 2028 ("LA28") and major international sporting events and concert tours unfolding, there's likewise opportunity to reassess how we handle security at major events themselves.
A person with measles passed through the busiest airport in Idaho, shedding one of the world's most infectious viruses in the state with the country's lowest measles vaccination rate. read more
South Carolina's measles outbreak, the worst in decades, is endangering babies as vaccination rates fall and anti-vaccine legislation gains momentum. read more
More ...
'He's a lot of fun to be with': Trump and Epstein were close friends for 15 years (2025)
www.theguardian.com
... As Trump tries to claim he was not a fan' of Epstein, photos, videos and anecdotes paint a picture of their relationship ...
It was a friendship that spanned three different decades. To Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein was a "terrific guy". Epstein believed himself to be Trump's "closest friend", and praised the future president as "charming".
The relationship would eventually break down, the men falling out over a bidding war on a property in Florida. And after Epstein was convicted of child sex offences in 2008, Trump distanced himself from the financier, claiming he was "not a fan" and wondering, in recent days, why his supporters would "waste time and energy" on demanding that FBI and Department of Justice files on Epstein be released.
But photos, videos and anecdotes paint a picture of a close friendship, of two middle-aged men who repeatedly partied together both alone and with their partners, including with Melania Knauss, who would go on to become Trump's third wife.
"I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy," Trump told New York magazine in 2002. "He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."
Trump's insight into Epstein's predilections would be proved true in macabre fashion, when Epstein was found guilty in 2008 of sexually abusing girls aged between 14 and 17 years old. When Epstein was charged with sex trafficking of minors, in 2019, Trump attempted to play down their relationship, insisting: "I knew him like everybody in Palm Beach knew him." Trump said the pair had fallen out years earlier, and claimed: "I was not a fan of his."
But during the 15 years that the men were friends, there were plenty of incidents that displayed Trump and Epstein's closeness.
The New York Times reported that ...
Jeffrey Epstein Calls 'Closest Friend for 10 Years' Donald Trump a 'Horrible Human Being' in Newly Released Audio (2024)
www.yahoo.com
... Jeffrey Epstein speaks candidly about Donald Trump in newly released audio from a 2017 interview with author Michael Wolff.
In the above recording, which was authenticated by The Daily Beast, Epstein claims he used to be Trump's "closest friend for 10 years." There are anecdotes about the two undergoing a similar procedure to address their male pattern baldness and their interest in women. ...
... Saudi Arabia is pressing the U.S. to drop its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz ...
OK, a short time ago ...
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman Tells Trump To 'Keep Hitting Iran Hard': Report (March 18, 2026)
www.news18.com
... Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged US President Trump to "continue hitting the Iranians hard" amid the US-Israel war, which has killed over 2,100 people. ...
... and speaking of TVs, Japanese Sony and Chinese TCL have been in the news lately ...
Sony just handed its TV business to TCL (January 2026)
www.tomsguide.com
... Sony is spinning out its TV and home audio business and has announced that Chinese company TCL will take a 51% controlling interest.
Sony will retain a 49% stake, and TCL will continue to use the "Sony" and "Bravia" branding as part of the deal.
"The joint venture will operate globally, handling the full process from product development and design to manufacturing, sales, logistics, and customer service for products including televisions and home audio equipment," Sony said in a statement ...
... The drone was listed in a new naval report on aviation "mishaps" as having "crashed" on April 9 ...
Donald Trump Says We Won' Iran War (March 11, 2026)
www.newsweek.com
... President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the war with Iran had already been decided in America's favor.
He told supporters in Hebron, Kentucky, that the conflict was effectively over almost as soon as it began. Trump said U.S. forces knocked out 58 Iranian naval vessels and eliminated the country's air force.
"Let me say we've won. You know, you never like to say too early you won. We won. We won, in the first hour it was over, but we won," the president said. ...
@#3
IMF cuts growth outlook, warns world already drifting toward more adverse scenario
www.reuters.com
...
IMF cuts 2026 global GDP growth 'reference forecast' to 3.1% assuming short-lived Iran war
World is drifting toward 'adverse scenario' of 2.5% 2026 growth, IMF chief economist says
Deeper, longer conflict would push global economy to brink of recession, IMF says
IMF chief economist says oil above $110 a barrel in 2026, 2027 would make inflation hard to control
War to cause steep GDP drops for Iran, several Gulf states
...
Trump says China has agreed not to send weapons to Iran
www.msn.com
... President Donald Trump said Wednesday that China has agreed not to send arms to Iran and is "very happy" with U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The claim was made as Washington and Beijing seek to maintain a dtente ahead of high-stakes talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The long-contentious relationship between the two countries has been tested further by U.S. accusations that China is covertly aiding Iran militarily and anger in Beijing that its vessels could be swept up in Trump's push to choke off traffic to Iranian ports amid halting talks over the war.
The two leaders are expected to meet in Beijing next month, after a planned March visit was postponed because of the intensifying conflict in Iran -- a crisis that has put Beijing, a key partner of Tehran, on a cautious footing.
"China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also -- the World,"
Trump said in a Truth Social post. "They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working together smartly." ...
New accuser alleges Swalwell drugged and raped her
www.scrippsnews.com
... Lonna Drewes said she was in a relationship at the time and would not have consented to a sexual encounter with Eric Swalwell. ...
Lonna Drewes said she met Swalwell in 2018 while living and working in Beverly Hills as a model. She said they met three times, during which Swalwell offered to connect her with contacts who could help her fashion software company.
"On the third occasion, I believe he drugged my drink. I only had one glass of wine," Drewes said. "We are supposed to go to a political event, and he said he needed to get paperwork from his hotel room. When I arrived at his hotel room, I was already incapacitated and I couldn't move my arms or my body. He raped me and he choked me, and while he was choking me, I lost consciousness, and I thought I died." ...
OK, another view (or listen, as the case may be..)
Any Trouble - Walking In Chains (1981)
www.youtube.com
Lyrics excerpt ...
...
For the girls it's knowledge beyond their years
And a half brass wedding dress
When the babies cry you wipe their tears
Forget that lifes a mess
For the boys it's brand new bank accounts
Money they can't afford
Saving for that first new house
Working too hard to be bored
No time to talk
(nothing to say)
Don't run don't walk
(all work no play)
Silver knife and fork
Find a cure for all their pain
Drive all thoughts from out their brains
Squeeze them dry and see just what remains
Walking in chains
Sleeping late just once a week
A headache every night
Trying hard to make ends meet
Old clothes feel so tight
Indiscretion from time to time
With a friend from out of town
You close your eyes it's not a crime
It's a shame to turn it down
Nothing to hide
(it's everywhere)
A one way ride
(don't pay the fare)
No sense of pride
(no one to care)
All night buses and empty trains
Walking home in the pouring rain
Look inside and see just what remains
Walking in chains
All night buses and empty trains
Walking home in the pouring rain
Look inside and see just what remains
You've got me walking in chains
...
@#8
What changed in Saudi Arabia's view?