A federal judge on Friday again blocked the U.S. Postal Service from requiring states to follow new mail-ballot procedures developed under President Donald Trump&#8217;s executive order.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, who was appointed in 2014 by President Barack Obama, issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Postal Service from imposing the requirements ahead of the November midterms. The ruling replaces a temporary block Talwani imposed after Democratic-led states renewed their legal challenge.
States may voluntarily use the Postal Service&#8217;s new system, but none have announced plans to do so, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/election-2026-trump-mail-voting-postal-service-ce207ff2d0533de05cc2d299e91a0198">reported</a>.
Under the rule, state election officials would have to submit voters&#8217; names, addresses, and unique ballot-envelope barcodes through a federal portal before turning outbound ballots over to the Postal Service. The Postal Service could reject mailings that did not comply and return them to election officials.
Talwani said the timing would make compliance difficult as states begin distributing ballots. North Carolina mailed its first ballots Friday. Other states are expected to soon follow.
Talwani wrote that states are &#8220;unable to pivot this late in the election cycle, nearly guaranteeing significant disenfranchisement for eligible voters.&#8221;
The case reached the Supreme Court last month. On August 24, the justices paused an earlier injunction issued by Talwani, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-makes-decision-in-mail-in-ballot-fight-ahead-of-midterms">reported</a>, finding that the states had sued before showing that Trump&#8217;s executive order would actually harm them. The justices made clear that they had not ruled on whether the administration&#8217;s actions were legal.
Following that ruling, Talwani <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-scores-second-major-win-in-mail-in-voting-fight">lifted</a> her remaining injunction, temporarily clearing the way for the Postal Service to proceed. By then, the Postal Service had issued its final rule. That allowed the states to challenge the rule itself.
The states then sued over the final rule, and Talwani blocked it Friday.
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to lift Talwani&#8217;s temporary block. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson gave the states challenging the rule until 10 a.m. Tuesday to respond. Talwani replaced the temporary order with a preliminary injunction Friday, and the parties notified the Supreme Court of the new ruling. The justices have not indicated when they will act.

US-VOTE-WASHINGTON

Obama-Appointed Judge Throws Trump’s Mail-In Ballot Plan Into Limbo

2026 midterm election

donald trump

indira talwani

mail in voting

supreme court

us postal service

President Donald Trump on Friday weighed in on the mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy murder case, calling the deaths of her three young children a &#8220;horrible tragedy&#8221; and predicting that she would face another trial.
&#8220;It&#8217;s a shame. It&#8217;s a horrible tragedy,&#8221; Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. &#8220;Look, she did a horrible, horrible thing. Can&#8217;t be worse.&#8221;
Trump said the case, which has captivated the nation, had been difficult to avoid because it received so much television coverage. He said Clancy would face consequences and could end up confined in a psychiatric institution or prison.
&#8220;There&#8217;ll be a price,&#8221; Trump said, adding that he believes prosecutors would bring the case to trial again and called that scenario &#8220;too bad.&#8221;
Massachusetts Superior Court Judge William Sullivan declared a mistrial Friday after the nine-woman, three-man jury said they remained unable to reach a unanimous verdict following seven days of deliberations.
Clancy, 36, was charged with three counts of first-degree murder in the January 2023 deaths of her children: Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months, inside the family&#8217;s home in Duxbury. She pleaded not guilty.
Clancy acknowledged strangling the children with exercise bands, but her attorneys argued that severe postpartum mental illness left her unable to understand that what she was doing was wrong. Prosecutors say the killings were deliberate and that Clancy was criminally responsible.
The jury&#8217;s final note said members could not reach a unanimous decision.
&#8220;With a heavy heart we report we cannot come to a unanimous decision,&#8221; the jurors wrote.
Defense attorney Kevin Reddington said he believed the jury stood 11-1 in favor of finding Clancy not guilty by reason of insanity. The jury&#8217;s actual vote remains unknown.
Reddington unsuccessfully sought to remove the alleged holdout, arguing that jury notes indicated the juror was refusing to follow the law. He argued the juror was &#8220;biased&#8221; against those with &#8220;debilitating mental illness.&#8221; Sullivan rejected that request and gave the defense one hour to seek emergency intervention from the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court before declaring a mistrial. The state&#8217;s highest court declined to intervene.
Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz has not announced whether prosecutors plan to retry the case. Clancy will remain at a state psychiatric hospital, according to the Associated Press.

Trump Backs Beef Origin Labels, Eases Processing For Ranchers

Trump Drops Blunt Take After Lindsay Clancy Jury Deadlocks

insanity defense

lindsay clancy

massachusetts

mistrial

Vice President Vance Speaks At Event For Michigan Republican Candidates

LISTEN: JD Vance’s Closed-Door Interview In Front Of Republican Jews

antisemitism

israel united states relations

jd vance

politics

republican jewish coalition

A Las Vegas jury found Duane &#8220;Keffe D&#8221; Davis guilty of first-degree murder on Monday in the 1996 killing of rapper Tupac Shakur, bringing an end to one of the most infamous unsolved murders in hip hop.
The jury convicted Davis, 63, of murder with the use of a deadly weapon and the intent to promote further, or assist a criminal gang, after deliberating for roughly three hours following closing arguments.
Davis was the only person charged in Shakur&#8217;s murder and now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life in prison.
The killing took place against the backdrop of several overlapping rivalries, including a beef between Death Row Records and Bad Boy Records and between two Los Angeles-area gangs, the South Side Compton Crips and Mob Piru, a Bloods-affiliated gang.
Prosecutors did not accuse Davis of firing the shots that killed Shakur nearly 30 years ago. They argued the former leader of the South Side Compton Crips orchestrated the retaliatory attack and provided the gun used to kill Shakur.
Hours before Shakur was shot on September 7, 1996, Shakur and Death Row Records founder Marion &#8220;Suge&#8221; Knight were with a group captured on surveillance footage attacking Davis&#8217; nephew, Orlando &#8220;Baby Lane&#8221; Anderson, a member of the South Side Compton Crips, inside the MGM Grand following a Mike Tyson boxing match.
Prosecutors said Davis, Anderson, and two other men went &#8220;hunting&#8221; for Shakur and located Shakur and Knight while driving. Someone inside the white Cadillac opened fire, shooting Shakur four times while one bullet grazed Knight&#8217;s head. Shakur, who was 25, died six days later.
The decades-long case relied heavily on Davis&#8217;s own words.
Davis misunderstood the terms of a 2008 proffer agreement and repeatedly discussed the case publicly, placing himself inside the Cadillac in interviews, documentaries, and his 2019 memoir, &#8220;Compton Street Legend.&#8221; He also said he handed the gun to the men in the back seat.
Prosecutors and police described Davis as the &#8220;shot caller&#8221; who orchestrated the deadly shooting.
Davis&#8217; legal team argued that their client&#8217;s incriminating statements were essentially fiction. Defense attorney Michael Sanft told jurors Davis had not been charged years earlier because investigators &#8220;knew he was full of crap.&#8221; He said Davis had lied about his involvement to make money and boost his street credibility. They emphasized that prosecutors had no murder weapon, DNA, fingerprints, or physical evidence placing Davis at the scene.
Davis did not take the stand.
According to CNN, &#8220;there were no audible reactions&#8221; when the verdict was read, but Seiyiwa &#8220;Set&#8221; Shakur, Tupac&#8217;s sister, wept quietly.
Davis briefly raised his fist as he exited the courtroom.
Judge Carli Kierny ordered Davis to remain in jail until his sentencing on October 13.
&nbsp;

Tupac Shakur Live In Concert

Jury Reaches Verdict In Tupac Murder Trial 30 Years After His Death

death row records

duane keffe d davis

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Canada&#8217;s only WNBA franchise, the Toronto Tempo, unveiled two new official mascots this week, including a DJing snapping turtle that uses she/they pronouns.
Dot the Arctic Hare and Dez the Snapping Turtle made their debut Tuesday night during halftime of the Tempo&#8217;s game against the Indiana Fever. The timing was particularly notable because Fever star Sophie Cunningham has emerged as one of the WNBA&#8217;s most outspoken critics of biological males competing in women&#8217;s sports.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Tempo have officially unveiled their mascots. Yes, two!
Welcome Dez, the turtle and Dot, the hare. <a href="https://t.co/WRbSdu5vxm">pic.twitter.com/WRbSdu5vxm</a>
— Zulfi Sheikh (@zulfi_sheikh) <a href="https://x.com/zulfi_sheikh/status/2089865052757127311?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Dez and Dot have completely different personalities, but they&#8217;re better together,&#8221; said Whitney Bell, chief marketing officer for the Toronto Tempo. &#8220;One knows when to slow things down, the other knows when to turn the energy all the way up.&#8221;
According to the Tempo, Dez uses she/they pronouns and is a Borealis Blue Snapping Turtle from Muskoka, Ontario, who DJs in their spare time.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Leave the mascots alone!” 😭
Come behind the scenes of our Official Mascot Reveal on our YouTube channel: <a href="https://t.co/RrmRh3fg1j">https://t.co/RrmRh3fg1j</a> <a href="https://t.co/prKESxar58">pic.twitter.com/prKESxar58</a>
— Toronto Tempo (@TempoBasketball) <a href="https://x.com/TempoBasketball/status/2090848079742488675?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Their name is inspired by decibel, a nod to their love of music and role as the more measured half of the duo,&#8221; the team <a href="https://tempo.wnba.com/news/meet-the-official-tempo-mascots-dez-and-dot">said</a>. &#8220;Dez is calm, clever and always thinking a few steps ahead. A Taurus who spins the 1s and 2s in their spare time, Dez&#8217;s secret talent is snapping &#8211; they also have a particular fondness for soft shell tacos.&#8221;
The Tempo&#8217;s other new mascot, Dot, goes by she/her pronouns, loves cotton candy, and the team describes her as &#8220;the undisputed hype woman of the pair.&#8221;
Many have speculated that Dez identifies as &#8220;nonbinary,&#8221; which could be true, but the Tempo has not referred to it that way.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WNBA team Toronto Tempo unveils new non-binary mascot with She/They pronouns.
Dez the mascot, who uses She/They pronouns, identifies as a “borealis blue” snapping turtle from Muskoka. <a href="https://t.co/i1lFdfzWPO">pic.twitter.com/i1lFdfzWPO</a>
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) <a href="https://x.com/OliLondonTV/status/2090773357751144856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;The WNBA is virtue signaling so hard they&#8217;re going to break a wrist,&#8221; one social media user wrote.
LGBTQ-focused outlet Them also took notice, describing Dez as &#8220;butch&#8221; and saying the Tempo&#8217;s <a href="https://tempo.wnba.com/news/meet-the-official-tempo-mascots-dez-and-dot">press release</a> introducing the mascots &#8220;reads like a novella &#8211; a very queer novella.&#8221;
The outlet went a step further, speculating that Dez and Dot might be romantically involved. Them asked the Tempo to clarify both the mascots&#8217; relationship status and Dez&#8217;s gender identity.
A Tempo spokesperson told Them that Dez and Dot are &#8220;besties,&#8221; prompting the outlet to update its report.
Dez&#8217;s gender identity, however, remains a mystery.
&nbsp;

HQC1OQXWEAA6Z5w

WNBA Team’s New She/They Mascot Is A Taurus DJ Who Loves Tacos

gender identity

mascot

sophie cunningham

sports

toronto tempo

wnba

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley pulled off a stunning upset Tuesday in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, defeating socialist frontrunner Francesca Hong after polls showed him trailing by double digits just days before the election.
Decision Desk Headquarters called the race early Wednesday morning for Crowley, who reentered the contest only weeks before the primary and earned the backing of outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. With nearly all votes in, Crowley leads his socialist rival by a little over 3,000 votes. 
Hong, a dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America, significantly underperformed in white working-class parts of the state and failed to generate the margins she needed in deep-blue college towns like Madison.
It’s a narrow but significant victory for the establishment, which pulled off an 11th-hour campaign to stop Hong and ensure the party’s rebellious socialist summer surge hit a brick wall in the industrial battleground of Wisconsin. In the final stretch of the campaign, Crowley seized on Hong’s high-profile stumbles and rejected the establishment label as a racial slur.
“I&#8217;m trying to figure out who the establishment is, right? I think that when we talk about the establishment, I don&#8217;t know who that is. I&#8217;m a kid that grew up in 53206 zip code. My parents was drug addicts and suffered from mental health,” he <a href="http://Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley pulled off a stunning upset Tuesday in Wisconsin’s Democratic gubernatorial primary, defeating socialist frontrunner Francesca Hong after polls showed him trailing by double digits just days before the election. Decision Desk Headquarters called the race early Wednesday morning for Crowley, who reentered the contest only weeks before the primary and earned the backing of outgoing Democratic Gov. Tony Evers. With nearly all votes in, Crowley leads his socialist rival by a little over 3,000 votes.  Hong, a dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America, significantly underperformed in white working-class parts of the state and failed to generate the margins she needed in deep-blue college towns like Madison. It’s a narrow but significant victory for the establishment, which pulled off an 11th-hour campaign to stop Hong and ensure the party’s rebellious socialist summer surge hit a brick wall in the industrial battleground of Wisconsin. In the final stretch of the campaign, Crowley seized on Hong’s high-profile stumbles and rejected the establishment label as a racial slur. “I'm trying to figure out who the establishment is, right? I think that when we talk about the establishment, I don't know who that is. I'm a kid that grew up in 53206 zip code. My parents was drug addicts and suffered from mental health,” he told reporters. “So when people try to call me the establishment, I look at that as a slur, particularly as an African American candidate.”  “That's my foundation. That's what I'm going to continue to do as a county executive, and what I'm going to do as the governor of Wisconsin,” he added.  His message resonated with enough voters to deliver a comeback that defied a flurry of pre-election polls showing Hong with a commanding double-digit lead over the rest of the Democratic field. One of the final polls before Election Day had Hong leading Crowley 44% to 22%.">told</a> reporters. “So when people try to call me the establishment, I look at that as a slur, particularly as an African American candidate.” 
“That&#8217;s my foundation. That&#8217;s what I&#8217;m going to continue to do as a county executive, and what I&#8217;m going to do as the governor of Wisconsin,” he added. 
He also ran on a message of electability, arguing that Hong was far too extreme to win statewide in a swing state where Republicans are already facing national political headwinds.
“The Republican Governors Association is bankrolling millions right now, not to attack a Democrat, but to boost one, because they’ve decided which Democratic nominee they can beat in November,” Crowley <a href="https://www.crowleyforwi.com/">said</a>, explaining his decision to get back into the race. “That is a five-alarm warning sign. We cannot let the GOP choose the Democratic nominee for governor of Wisconsin.&#8221;
But Crowley’s comeback was not without its own vulnerabilities, as scrutiny of his past complicated his standing with leftist voters. 
<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/wisconsin-democrat-david-crowley-dirt-mcgirk-twitter-rcna588646">NBC News</a> uncovered old social media posts linking Crowley to a pseudonymous X account called “Dirt McGirk,” which the outlet said featured racist, sexist, and homophobic posts between 2010 and 2014. Crowley insisted other people had access to the X burner account and condemned the posts.
Still, Hong&#8217;s high-profile stumbles in the homestretch appeared to decisively shift the race in Crowley&#8217;s favor, delivering a comeback that defied a flurry of pre-election polls showing Hong with a commanding double-digit lead over the rest of the Democratic field. One of the final polls before Election Day had Hong leading Crowley 44% to 22%.
Evers, who backed Crowley after he reentered the race, had openly warned that Hong would face difficulty defeating Republican nominee Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI).
&#8220;I think she&#8217;s in a tough place. She has spent her entire campaign dealing not with the issues, but what&#8217;s on the Twitter, and I just find that that&#8217;s not a good way to beat Tom Tiffany,&#8221; Evers said in the campaign&#8217;s homestretch. &#8220;It&#8217;s going to be tough&#8230;but I think she&#8217;s at a real disadvantage, especially since she spends a lot of time talking about Twitter.&#8221;
Hong, a 37-year-old state representative and part-time bartender, had ridden a wave of leftist enthusiasm to become the race&#8217;s surprise frontrunner, setting off a late scramble among establishment Democrats to stop her.
Former Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes dropped out of the Democratic primary in late July as Hong surged in the polls, appearing to concede at the time that her nomination was inevitable.
“Last night I had a very difficult conversation with staff,” Barnes <a href="https://x.com/TheOtherMandela/status/2082894497839468849">said in a social media video</a>. “We’re incredibly proud of all the things that we’ve accomplished and all the resources that we have raised to spread our message. But it’s become very clear who our nominee is going to be.”
But Crowley&#8217;s late return to the race ultimately gave Democrats an alternative to Hong, who generated national headlines over a series of old social media posts and leftist policy positions.
“Cancel Thanksgiving. Should have done this in 1621,” she said in a deleted 2020 social media post. “If it takes a worldwide pandemic for us to realize we should stop celebrating colonialism and the original superspreader event that killed indigenous folx and women, so be it.”
Hong has also criticized other major American holidays, saying she doesn&#8217;t like fireworks ahead of Independence Day, dismissing Halloween as &#8220;not my thing,&#8221; and claiming Valentine&#8217;s Day brings out &#8220;the worst of humanity&#8221; on a day when &#8220;capitalism tells you how to show love.&#8221;
Hong&#8217;s rise drew national attention but did not result in endorsements from two of the country&#8217;s most prominent Democratic socialists, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Crowley will now face Tiffany, the Republican nominee, in November as both parties battle for control of the governor&#8217;s mansion after Evers decided not to seek another term.
Tiffany has centered his campaign on affordability and reducing the size and cost of state government.
“Let&#8217;s get control of our utility rates, which have been skyrocketing $2 billion plus in the last eight years. Let&#8217;s get control of the red tape and let&#8217;s also audit all of state government,” Tiffany <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2086575835759161785?s=20">said</a> on Fox News over the weekend. &#8220;It is one of the most popular issues amongst people that I&#8217;m talking to at this point. Boy, let&#8217;s root out the fraud and waste because we know what&#8217;s happening here in Wisconsin also.&#8221;

Wisconsin Gubernatorial Candidate David Crowley Holds Campaign Rally On Eve Of Primary Election

Socialist Frontrunner’s Stunning Collapse Hands Wisconsin Dems A November Lifeline

david crowley

francesca hong

tom tiffany

wisconsin

Wisconsin&#8217;s Democratic gubernatorial primary was too close to call late Tuesday, with socialist frontrunner Francesca Hong and Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley separated by a razor-thin margin after polls had projected Hong was headed for a decisive victory.
With 82% of the vote reported, Crowley held 39.96% of the vote to Hong&#8217;s 39.84%, a virtual tie in a race to determine who faces Republican Rep. Tom Tiffany in November.
The nail-biter marked a dramatic departure from pre-election polling, which showed Hong with a commanding lead over her Democratic rivals. One of the final pre-election polls showed Hong leading Crowley 44% to 22%.
Hong, a dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America, had ridden a wave of leftist enthusiasm to become the race&#8217;s surprise frontrunner, setting off a late scramble among establishment Democrats to stop her.
Crowley&#8217;s unexpectedly strong showing kept that effort alive late Tuesday, with neither candidate able to claim victory as outstanding ballots were still being counted.

IMG_5917

Socialist Frontrunner Suddenly Fighting For Survival In Wisconsin Governor Primary

democratic socialists of america

wisconsin governor election

Law enforcement released video on Friday of the deadly shooting last weekend at an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, Idaho, that left three people dead and several others wounded.
The gunman, 24-year-old Chad Williams, died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Twin Falls Police Department presented footage during a news conference reconstructing the mass shooting using video compiled from several surveillance cameras and accompanied by detailed narration.
&#8220;What happened here was violent, frightening and deeply traumatic,&#8221; Twin Falls Police Chief Matthew Hicks said while addressing reporters.
Hicks said ten people were shot during the rampage.
Portions of the video were muted, blurred, paused, or removed due to graphic images and privacy concerns.
The <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bej58mQ3smY">video</a>, which is more than nine minutes long, begins with the gunman approaching the drive-thru payment window in a white Honda Civic. He rolled down the window and shot employee Ashley Garibay, 23, who later died.
Williams then parked and exited his car with a handgun before shooting another victim, Christopher Claunch, who was sitting in his vehicle in the drive-thru lane. Claunch was pronounced dead at the scene.
Footage from another camera showed Austin James, a former police officer, running toward Williams before being shot. James drew his handgun intending to engage, but due to severe blood loss, he was pulled into a vehicle and given aid before being taken to a hospital for treatment. He survived.
The gunman was then seen walking back to the drive-thru payment window, where he fired into the restaurant. His handgun jammed, prompting Williams to return to his vehicle to retrieve a rifle.
An armed, off-duty Idaho state trooper inside the restaurant could be seen helping evacuate diners and employees.
Williams returned to the drive-thru lane armed with a rifle and fired at patrons outside before returning to the payment window for a third time.
The state trooper and Williams exchanged gunfire before Williams retreated. He then approached the payment window for a fourth time and fired into the restaurant again, wounding a bystander who was trying to assist the trooper and render aid to Garibay.
Williams then began walking away from the restaurant with the rifle in hand when he encountered a woman fleeing the chaos. She got behind his car, where she found his discarded handgun. She picked it up, then realized it was jammed. The gunman then started walking away from the restaurant.
He fired at cars stopped at a red light on Blue Lakes Boulevard, wounding three people.
As Williams fled toward the Tesla charging station, an armed civilian, widely reported to be Jordan Salinas, confronted him, and the two exchanged gunfire.
At the Tesla charging station, Williams shot Dale Schultz, 66, and Schultz&#8217;s wife. Schultz later died from his injuries, becoming the third person killed during the attack. His wife was critically injured. Terry Dudley was shot twice in the back while charging his vehicle.
Williams continued moving away from the restaurant as law enforcement converged on the scene.
Police said several people attempted to intervene.
Williams eventually made his way toward a trail near the Snake River Canyon, where he encountered another civilian, Braxton Steube. Authorities said Steube&#8217;s interaction with the gunman distracted Williams and may have helped protect others in the area.
&#8220;To that young man, you are a hero,&#8221; Hicks said. &#8220;Your courage, your composure, your selflessness in that moment likely gave others the time they needed to escape harm. This community is grateful for you, and we will never forget what you did that day.&#8221;
As officers closed in, Williams shot himself.
Authorities have not announced a motive for the attack and said the investigation remains ongoing.
&nbsp;

Image 8-7-26 at 4.24 PM

Police Release Chilling Video Showing In-N-Out Gunman’s Deadly Rampage

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in-n-out burger

mass shooting

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Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery have agreed to delay closing their proposed $110 billion merger until at least June 2027 as they battle a multistate antitrust lawsuit, extending uncertainty over a deal that could reshape the American media landscape.
The agreement allows both sides to avoid a court fight over a preliminary injunction while the case proceeds toward trial.
A coalition of 12 Democratic state attorneys general, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, sued to block the transaction. The lawsuit claims the merger would &#8220;extinguish competition&#8221; in the media and entertainment industries.
If approved, the merger would unite major media brands, including Paramount Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures, the Paramount+ and HBO Max streaming platforms, CBS News, and CNN under one corporate umbrella.
Rather than continue fighting emergency motions, the companies agreed not to close the transaction until June 2027 or until the court reaches a final decision.
Bonta celebrated the agreement as a major victory for the states challenging the merger.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Today’s agreement is great news for audiences, movie theaters, and the many people who write, build, and create the art, news, and entertainment so many of us enjoy.
We are eager to continue to make our case in court and celebrate another tremendous win in our effort to ensure… <a href="https://t.co/m4LFxiA5tP">pic.twitter.com/m4LFxiA5tP</a>
— Rob Bonta (@AGRobBonta) <a href="https://x.com/AGRobBonta/status/2080754504388259849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 24, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Today&#8217;s agreement is great news for audiences, movie theaters, and the many people who write, build, and create the art, news, and entertainment so many of us enjoy,&#8221; Bonta said. &#8220;We are eager to continue to make our case in court and celebrate another tremendous win in our effort to ensure this unlawful merger never sees the light of day.&#8221;
New York Democratic Attorney General Letitia James also praised the decision, <a href="https://x.com/NewYorkStateAG/status/2080742874610626683">calling</a> it &#8220;a critical victory in our efforts to uphold the law and protect the film and television industries.&#8221;
Paramount defended the merger and said the delay would allow the company to make its case in court.
&#8220;This is the fastest and clearest way to prove that this transaction is good for competition, good for consumers, and good for creators, a conclusion dozens of competition authorities around the world have already reached,&#8221; a Paramount spokesperson <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/paramount-skydance-agrees-halt-warner-bros-merger-june-2027-rcna589137">told</a> NBC News. &#8220;We look forward to proving our case at trial.&#8221;
The merger has attracted attention beyond Hollywood because Paramount is now controlled by Skydance founder and CEO David Ellison, 43, whose acquisition of Paramount was backed by his father, Oracle founder Larry Ellison, a longtime ally and supporter of President Donald Trump. Since Skydance took control of Paramount earlier this year, Ellison has overseen significant changes at CBS News, including bringing in journalist Bari Weiss to overhaul the network&#8217;s news division.
Ellison has drawn praise from President Trump, who has expressed optimism that new ownership could restore credibility to CBS News after years of criticism from conservatives and Republicans.
If this merger happens, one company will control CBS and CNN under ownership that conservatives believe is moving in a different editorial direction.

In this photo illustration, the Paramount logo is seen

One Of Hollywood’s Biggest Deals Just Hit A Wall

business

cbs news

david ellison

entertainment

HBO Max

hollywood

letitia james

media

paramount

Rob Bonta

warner bros

Warner Brothers

British prosecutors have issued 38 new criminal charges against Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan after the pair were arrested in Miami on Saturday by federal officials on rape charges and an outstanding warrant in the United Kingdom.
The additional charges pave the way for possible extradition proceedings across the pond as the pair now face a total of 59 charges, <a href="https://www.herts.police.uk/news/hertfordshire/news/2026/july-2026/andrew-and-tristan-tate-arrested-in-connection-with-uk-police-investigation/">according</a> to Hertfordshire Police.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Following the arrest of Andrew and Tristan Tate overnight in the US, our Assistant Chief Constable Karena Thomas has issued a statement.
The brothers were arrested as part of an ongoing investigation by our major crime unit into a number of sexual offences. <a href="https://t.co/wwsaXO3Muz">pic.twitter.com/wwsaXO3Muz</a>
— Bedfordshire Police (@bedspolice) <a href="https://x.com/bedspolice/status/2078772082679103634?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The Crown Prosecution Service last year charged Andrew Tate with 10 counts of crimes, including rape and human trafficking related to three women, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/andrew-and-tristan-tate-arrested-in-florida-on-rape-child-pornography-charges">reported</a>. His younger brother, Tristan, was charged with 11 counts of similar crimes tied to one woman. On Saturday, the Crown Prosecution Service announced additional counts for each brother, including 19 charges related to illegal child images and pornography for Andrew Tate.
“We can confirm the arrest of the Tate brothers today in Miami,” the U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement. “The warrant was sealed so we are unable to confirm the charges.” The office of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier — who last year opened an investigation into the Tate brothers — confirmed to The Daily Wire that the pair were taken into custody on an arrest warrant from the United Kingdom.
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Florida AG’s office tells <a href="https://x.com/realDailyWire?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDailyWire</a> the Tate brothers were taken into custody on a UK arrest warrant. <a href="https://t.co/6wDfk5xadK">https://t.co/6wDfk5xadK</a>
— Brent Scher (@BrentScher) <a href="https://x.com/BrentScher/status/2078633480489935109?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 19, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The Tate brothers continue to deny all wrongdoing and accuse British authorities of unfairly targeting them. Joseph McBride, a lawyer for the pair, said in a statement that &#8220;the world knows Andrew and Tristan are innocent&#8221; and described the additional charges as a &#8220;political hit,&#8221; per the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwymly9yd33o">BBC</a>. &#8220;Their enemies know it best of all. That is exactly why they have been attacked,&#8221; McBride said.
The pair have remained under criminal investigation in Romania for human trafficking since 2022, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/romanian-prosecutors-add-hate-speech-against-women-andrew-tate-investigation-2026-05-28/">according</a> to Reuters.

Tate Brothers Return To Romania After US Visit

Tate Brothers Slapped With 38 New Charges In Expanding Sex Trafficking Case

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Tate Brothers

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President Donald Trump on Friday blamed Canada for sending wildfire smoke into the United States and said the costs associated with the pollution &#8220;must of necessity be added&#8221; to tariffs on Canadian imports.
In a Truth Social post, Trump accused Canada of &#8220;willful negligence,&#8221; saying America is &#8220;being unnecessarily invaded by filthy, polluted, and unhealthy air.&#8221; The president said he planned to call Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney later Friday to figure out a solution.
&#8220;Canada has refused to engage in basic Forest Management and Debris Removal, knowing that such refusal will lead to exactly this result,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116936952365066409">wrote</a>. &#8220;This is Willful Negligence, and becoming a yearly occurrence, costing the United States Billions of Dollars, which cost of this pollution must of necessity be added to the TARIFFS Canada is currently paying.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s post comes as hundreds of Canadian wildfires sent smoke south, leading to air quality advisories for more than 100 million Americans in 18 states and Washington, D.C. Images of hazy, gray skies across much of the Midwest and Northeast flooded social media, blurring skylines, reducing visibility, and triggering some outdoor cancellations.
Nearly <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/canada-wildfire-smoke-response-d0d3613a">900 wildfires</a> are burning across Canada, forcing evacuations and threatening remote communities after a major wave of blazes erupted over the past two weeks.
The hardest-hit U.S. cities have been in the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, including Chicago, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Cleveland, where Major League Baseball <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wildfires-pirates-guardians-0a1b831efa3f58d79e560a4e867d83dd?utm_source=copy&amp;utm_medium=share">postponed</a> Friday night&#8217;s Guardians-Pittsburgh Pirates game after the air quality reached the &#8220;very unhealthy&#8221; category. The smoke has also raised questions about Sunday&#8217;s World Cup final between Spain and Argentina in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
&#8220;We want to be safe for our players,&#8221; Cleveland Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. &#8220;We want to make sure that it&#8217;s not too smoky and obviously for the fans as well. It&#8217;s just not safe to be out in that environment if it&#8217;s not playable.&#8221;
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Where did Lake Erie go? <a href="https://t.co/C1y4rFLYVg">pic.twitter.com/C1y4rFLYVg</a>
— News 5 Cleveland (@WEWS) <a href="https://x.com/WEWS/status/2078096444032987502?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
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As of Friday evening, Prime Minister Carney had not publicly responded to Trump&#8217;s comments or tariff threat. Canada is already subject to multiple rounds of tariffs from the Trump administration. Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who has pushed back against Trump&#8217;s trade agenda, fired back.
&#8220;If there&#8217;s some politicians out there chirping away, well maybe what you should do rather than complain, is send support, send help, because we have done the exact same thing for our American friends,&#8221; he <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/us-complaints-trump-widlfire-smoke-9.7274466">said</a>.

Chicago, July 17, 2026

Trump Says America Is Being ‘Unnecessarily Invaded’ By Canadian Wildfire Smoke

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A massive water main break near the Sunset Strip overnight flooded parts of West Hollywood early Thursday morning, sending a river of water rushing downhill through neighborhoods of one of Los Angeles County&#8217;s most leftist enclaves.
Crews responded to the rupture near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive around 3:55 am. The broken 36-inch water main was just steps from a <a href="https://www.weho.org/community/arts-and-culture/visual-arts/urban-art-program/city-owned-artworks/bill-oberlin-rocky-and-bullwinkle">15-foot, 700-pound Rocky &amp; Bullwinkle statue,</a> which suddenly found itself overlooking a roaring urban river instead of the usual Sunset Boulevard traffic.
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The streets of West Hollywood were flooded Thursday morning after a massive water main break. It looked like white-water rapids for a while and opened a sinkhole near the Sunset Strip. <a href="https://t.co/Jne9I8MnFF">pic.twitter.com/Jne9I8MnFF</a>
— KNX News 1070 AM (@knxnews) <a href="https://x.com/knxnews/status/2077804577420689779?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Reporters on the scene compared the rushing water to &#8220;white-water rapids&#8221; as it tore downhill and opened a sinkhole in an area better known for celebrity hotspots, restaurants, and luxury hotels.
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Several streets in West Hollywood are being inundated with fast-moving water following a water main break. Here&#8217;s a look at the widespread impact of the rushing water from AIR7. <a href="https://t.co/bUUdle70vp">https://t.co/bUUdle70vp</a> <a href="https://t.co/h4UNHVWd22">pic.twitter.com/h4UNHVWd22</a>
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) <a href="https://x.com/ABC7/status/2077737757871399383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The break unleashed a river of water that barreled downhill from the Sunset Strip, through residential streets, and ultimately flooded parts of Santa Monica Boulevard below. The steep terrain turned what might have been an ordinary water main break into dramatic footage that quickly went viral.
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West Hollywood now <a href="https://t.co/lMVjat1Dy6">pic.twitter.com/lMVjat1Dy6</a>
— Aurelia De La Costa (@AureliaLaCosta) <a href="https://x.com/AureliaLaCosta/status/2077731847887597627?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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All of Santa Monica blvd in weho is flooded rn 3am <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/weho?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#weho</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/flooding?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#flooding</a> <a href="https://x.com/hashtag/losangeles?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#losangeles</a> <a href="https://t.co/1lOUICwwoL">pic.twitter.com/1lOUICwwoL</a>
— padam? (@jigglypuffyyyy) <a href="https://x.com/jigglypuffyyyy/status/2077706992391799272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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ABC7 captured the tense moment when a person was briefly swept off their feet while trying to reach the sidewalk before regaining their footing.
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The sheer force of rushing water in West Hollywood temporarily swept away a person who was trying to get to the sidewalk. AIR7 caught the tense moment on video. <a href="https://t.co/lZzV7m9pZb">https://t.co/lZzV7m9pZb</a> <a href="https://t.co/SB6GgOH1Q7">pic.twitter.com/SB6GgOH1Q7</a>
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) <a href="https://x.com/ABC7/status/2077763592959426832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The floodwaters also inundated a Metro bus yard south of Santa Monica Boulevard, near the Los Angeles County Sheriff&#8217;s Department West Hollywood Station and the Pacific Design Center.
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Water main break floods West Hollywood streets, traps cars<a href="https://t.co/y3qIuvHZaf">https://t.co/y3qIuvHZaf</a> <a href="https://t.co/FZ3PpKT8bR">pic.twitter.com/FZ3PpKT8bR</a>
— KTLA 5 Morning News (@KTLAMorningNews) <a href="https://x.com/KTLAMorningNews/status/2077756431424770236?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 16, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Water crews shut down the damaged water main after several hours, leaving behind a massive sinkhole near the rupture.
&#8220;Obviously, a lot of people are still in a state of shock,&#8221; West Hollywood Mayor John Heilman <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/07/16/us-news/west-hollywood-water-main-break-floods-streets/">told</a> the California Post on Thursday morning. &#8220;They have had water damage to their sub-garages. Their cars have been significantly damaged. We also have a couple of units that have been impacted. Right now, people are just trying to assess the damage, get people out to help them with repairs and the remediation.&#8221;
Mayor Heilman and the Los Angeles County Fire Department <a href="https://x.com/LACoFDPIO/status/2077797539626246252">said</a> there have been no reports of injuries.
&nbsp;
<div id="attachment_1137009" style="width: 779px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-1137009" class="size-large wp-image-1137009" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285750339-769x576.jpg" alt="" width="769" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285750339-769x576.jpg 769w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285750339-300x225.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285750339-768x575.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2026/07/GettyImages-2285750339.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 769px) 100vw, 769px" />West Hollywood, CA &#8211; July 16, 2026: An aerial view of workers viewing a broken water main at Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive in West Hollywood that sent water gushing down many streets, closing several of them Thursday, July 16, 2026. The Los Angeles County Fire Department said at 4:37 a.m. that a major water main was broken in the area of Palm Avenue and Harratt Street. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)</div>
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP) owns the water main. Officials said the break occurred on &#8220;a riveted steel pipe from 1916,&#8221; <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-07-16/weho-water-main-break">according</a> to the Los Angeles Times. The City of Los Angeles owns the DWP, although the break occurred in the City of West Hollywood.
Los Angeles Democratic Mayor Karen Bass said the rupture was the consequence of aging infrastructure. &#8220;It is my understanding that these pipes are over 100 years old.&#8221;

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SEE IT: Century-Old Pipe Bursts, Sending A River Through One Of L.A.’s Most Leftist Enclaves

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