Actress Daveigh Chase, who broke into the film industry as the voice of Lilo in Disney&#8217;s animated feature &#8220;Lilo &amp; Stitch,&#8221; has died at the age of 35.
Chase, who also gave a terrifying performance as the ghostly Samara Morgan in &#8220;The Ring,&#8221; had been struggling with addiction for years and had recently been hospitalized in Los Angeles due to malnutrition, according to entertainment news site <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2026/06/17/daveigh-chase-dead/">TMZ</a>. The outlet reported that Chase&#8217;s boyfriend Roy Hernandez said she had contracted meningitis and an infection in her blood that led to sepsis.
Chase had numerous credits to her name — and had <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/17/entertainment/lilo-stitch-actress-daveigh-chase-reportedly-had-millions-in-residuals-at-time-of-death/">millions</a> in uncollected residuals, according to her longtime manager John Ryan. Ryan told The California Post that the deal Chase had signed when she got the role of Lilo — at just eight years old — had included residuals and a cut of any future toys or theme park attractions that featured her voice. That money, which has continued to roll in, was apparently left uncollected as she was &#8220;too far gone&#8221; to accept her payments.
Ryan managed Chase&#8217;s career for more than ten years, and said that based on the number of residual checks he&#8217;d been notified about suggest that the actress likely left millions untouched. Believing that she was hooked on fentanyl and heroin, <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/17/entertainment/video-allegedly-shows-lilo-stitch-actress-daveigh-chase-living-on-skid-row/?_gl=1*1hy794b*_ga*MzUzMDc0NzE0LjE3NzczOTczMjM.*_ga_0DZ7LHF5PZ*czE3ODE3NDEzNTgkbzEyOCRnMSR0MTc4MTc0NDI2OCRqNjAkbDAkaDA.">Ryan</a> and Chase&#8217;s stepsister Gaia Brown attempted to find her — and even brought in a private investigator to help them.
When a 2025 video on social media purported to show her, emaciated and barely conscious on Skid Row, they went to get her in the hopes of putting her in treatment. Ryan said he even spoke to her briefly by phone, but when they got to Skid Row, she was already gone.
&#8220;We were so close to finding her. Daveigh was the sweetest and brightest light in Hollywood. I can’t believe this is real. Her legacy and work will live on forever,&#8221; Ryan said.
Chase&#8217;s final role was in 2016&#8217;s &#8220;American Romance.&#8221;

‘Lilo & Stitch’ Voice Actress Dead At 35 After Addiction Struggles

'Lilo & Stitch' Voice Actress Dead At 35 After Addiction Struggles

addiction

Disney

Drugs

If Vice President JD Vance decides to run for the nation&#8217;s top office in 2028, he already has one unlikely endorsement — albeit an unofficial one — from Joy Behar.
When Vance appeared on Tuesday&#8217;s broadcast of &#8220;The View,&#8221; no one expected him to get along with the decidedly liberal and vocally anti-Trump hosts of the ABC talk show — and certainly, no one expected him to walk away from the table with one of them encouraging him to run for president — but that is what happened.
WATCH:
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Joy Behar admits she&#8217;s smitten for JD Vance and asked him to run for President backstage &#8220;because he has a good vibe&#8221; and is &#8220;intelligent&#8221; after his appearance on The View:
&#8220;I don&#8217;t believe that he&#8217;s a bad guy.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/MOvQM5eTZ6">pic.twitter.com/MOvQM5eTZ6</a>
— Danny De Urbina (@dannydeurbina) <a href="https://x.com/dannydeurbina/status/2067276383374455162?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Following Tuesday&#8217;s broadcast, Behar sat down with longtime executive producer Brian Teta for the &#8220;Behind the Table&#8221; podcast — and they jumped right into a conversation about Vance&#8217;s appearance and how he&#8217;d surprised them by being genuinely funny.
&#8220;Listen, he talked about his giant head for a while. I enjoyed that,&#8221; Teta smiled, referencing Vance&#8217;s claim that people often only saw his big head and didn&#8217;t notice he was tall. &#8220;He sat down with a joke, I thought that was pretty good, his press team told him that this was a table of MAGA Republicans —&#8221;
&#8220;Yeah, that was funny,&#8221; Behar agreed.
&#8220;And apparently — oh, I&#8217;m getting a note here — you told him during the break that he should run for president because he has a good vibe,&#8221; Teta said then, turning to Behar for a response.
&#8220;I think that even though — for a Republican, mind you, I&#8217;m not a Republican,&#8221; Behar said. &#8220;I think possibly I voted for Michael Bloomberg once for mayor, who was supposedly — supposedly he was a Republican. I don&#8217;t mind a Republican on the city level because it needs a little discipline. But on the national level, I want somebody with a good heart, and those are more in the Democratic Party in my opinion.&#8221;
&#8220;They care about the poor, they help people,&#8221; Behar continued, adding, &#8220;The Republican Party is more about saving taxes for rich people, so I&#8217;m not a Republican.&#8221;
Teta interjected then to say that Vance had admitted backstage that appearing on &#8220;The View&#8221; had made him more nervous than preparing for his vice presidential debate against Governor Tim Walz (D-MN).
&#8220;He should be,&#8221; Behar shot back, arguing that the ladies with whom she shared the table brought &#8220;many receipts&#8221; when they presented their questions. &#8220;Truthfully, as I said to you in the beginning of this conversation, I don&#8217;t think that he&#8217;s a bad guy. So if he runs against, say, [Governor] Gavin Newsom (D-CA), that will be an interesting debate to see those two because they&#8217;re both intelligent.&#8221;
During the podcast, Behar and Teta also revealed that Vance had set no ground rules for the interview — meaning that they could ask him absolutely anything and he had no advance knowledge of what they might want to talk about — and that he&#8217;d agreed to those terms without contest.
Teta then said the most important thing about the interview was the &#8220;bar&#8221; it set — meaning that any future presidential or vice presidential candidate would be unwise to refuse an appearance on &#8220;The View.&#8221;
&#8220;They all will. They have to stop here. They want the female vote,&#8221; Behar declared, suggesting that candidates could only access American female voters through their show.
Teta said he&#8217;d like to invite Secretary of State Marco Rubio to appear, and Behar shot back, &#8220;We&#8217;ll put him on with Ana Navarro, that will be interesting to watch. Talk about a cage match.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
On their podcast, The View proclaims that &#8220;the bar is set&#8221; and presidential candidates NEED to come on the show like VP Vance. 
Joy Behar Suggests The View is the gatekeepers to &#8220;the female vote.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/7oIlQK0Uzc">pic.twitter.com/7oIlQK0Uzc</a>
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) <a href="https://x.com/NickFondacaro/status/2067255767900504185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 17, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Vice President Vance Speaks On Fraud Crackdown

Joy Behar Urges JD Vance To Run For President

JD Vance

Joy Behar

Media

Politics

The View

George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley laid into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, saying that her recent comments on voter identification belied her &#8220;contempt&#8221; for everyday Americans.
&#8220;Having Hillary Clinton talk about the lives of &#8216;real people&#8217; is about as authentic as a Chuck Schumer lesson on backyard grilling,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/JonathanTurley/status/2066129927250804868">Turley began</a>, adding a jab at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) for good measure. &#8220;Despite 83% of Americans favoring voter ID, Hillary declared, &#8216;most real people don’t have, and most older people, and most rural people don’t have&#8217; such IDs.&#8221;
Turley went on to argue that Clinton&#8217;s comments didn&#8217;t reveal anything other than her apparent belief that those &#8220;rural people&#8221; and real Americans would be lost without the political class acting — and making decisions — on their behalf.
&#8220;The only value of these interviews is the insight of how the establishment and elite view the rest of the United States as knuckle-dragging, childlike creatures who are helpless without their guidance. It is not the inherent conceit but the contempt that is so striking,&#8221; Turley explained.
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&#8230;Last week, I spoke with a former California poll worker who said that most people still automatically produce their IDs. They were trained to tell people not to show any identification and told to refuse to look at the IDs when they were offered.
— Jonathan Turley (@JonathanTurley) <a href="https://x.com/JonathanTurley/status/2066133442530615803?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Last week, I spoke with a former California poll worker who said that most people still automatically produce their IDs. They were trained to tell people not to show any identification and told to refuse to look at the IDs when they were offered,&#8221; Turley added.
During the interview Turley referenced, Clinton claimed that Republicans were trying to &#8220;undermine voting&#8221; and to &#8220;kick people off voting rolls.&#8221; She then went on to argue that rural and older Americans did not have the kind of identification that President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration wanted to require — and insinuated that they would struggle to obtain it.
&#8220;They&#8217;re trying to demand forms of identification that most real people don&#8217;t have, and most older people, and most rural people don&#8217;t have,&#8221; she said.
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HILLARY CLINTON INSULTS RURAL &amp; OLDER VOTERS AGAIN
&#8220;They&#8217;re trying to demand forms of identification that most real people don&#8217;t have, and most older people, and most rural people don&#8217;t have.&#8221;
Deplorables 2.0? Hillary still hates everyday Americans. <a href="https://t.co/cOtL7C9Dkg">pic.twitter.com/cOtL7C9Dkg</a>
— Mr Producer (@RichSementa) <a href="https://x.com/RichSementa/status/2065862369247363074?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;They&#8217;re certainly redistricting to make it difficult to elect black representatives or Latino representatives or Democrats,&#8221; she continued, making no mention of the gerrymandering being done in blue states like Illinois, where Republicans have been shut out of congressional seats almost entirely despite Trump winning just over 43% of the vote in 2024. &#8220;So that means we have to be even more intentional in showing up and voting.&#8221;

Former Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton’s Portrait Unveiled At The State Department

Jonathan Turley Slams Hillary Clinton Over ‘Contempt’ For Everyday Americans

Jonathan Turley Slams Hillary Clinton Over 'Contempt' For Everyday Americans

Americans

Hillary Clinton

Jonathan Turley

Voter ID

The UFC fights scheduled to take place at the White House on Sunday evening had to be pushed back an hour due to approaching thunderstorms.
The seven scheduled fights are expected to go on for approximately four hours, and the UFC is prepared to enforce 30 minute delays for lightning — but the likelihood of thunderstorms in the area was high enough that the organization opted to <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/14/sports/ufc-freedom-250-delayed-for-an-hour-due-to-looming-thunderstorms/">push everything back</a> one hour. Live coverage was still set to begin at 8p.m. ET, but the first fight was delayed until 9p.m.
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UFC calls for Freedom 250 delay due to looming thunderstorms <a href="https://t.co/sEFx6Mz3aH">https://t.co/sEFx6Mz3aH</a> <a href="https://t.co/b3s1JMupZg">pic.twitter.com/b3s1JMupZg</a>
— New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://x.com/nypost/status/2066294430147981473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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As The New York Post reported, &#8220;Weather Channel projections called for a 57 percent chance of scattered thunderstorms in the 8 p.m. hour and a 100 percent certainty of thunderstorms in the 9 p.m. hour.&#8221;
Dana White addressed the possibility of weather-related delays earlier in the week, saying, &#8220;I don’t care if it snows, rains, whatever; we’re going. And even lightning. You guys all played sports when you were growing up — whenever there was lightning, you’d sit the lightning out, and then when it was over, you played. That’s what we’ll do.&#8221;
The Weather Channel posted the forecast earlier on Sunday, prompting a defiant response from the White House: &#8220;Rain or shine, we’re celebrating our great country no matter what. GOD BLESS AMERICA!&#8221;
Eric Trump gave fans a sneak peek of the UFC set-up from the roof of the White House just hours ahead of the event: &#8220;All right, guys, UFC starts in a couple hours. Here&#8217;s what it looks like from the top of the White House.&#8221;
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<a href="https://t.co/NNvczB02Nr">pic.twitter.com/NNvczB02Nr</a>
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) <a href="https://x.com/EricTrump/status/2066251995925594228?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://t.co/NNvczB02Nr">pic.twitter.com/NNvczB02Nr</a>
— Eric Trump (@EricTrump) <a href="https://x.com/EricTrump/status/2066251995925594228?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Once the fights <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/14/sports/ufc-freedom-250-live-updates-full-card-highlights-and-winners/">get started</a>, any lightning strikes within an eight-mile radius of the White House will trigger an automatic 30-minute delay.

President Trump Hosts UFC Freedom 250 Fight Topuria v Gaethje At The White House

White House UFC Fights Delayed As Storms Threaten

White House UFC Fight Delayed As Storms Threaten

America 250

Donald Trump

Weather

White House

Former MTV reality star Spencer Pratt jabbed at incumbent Mayor Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) when he learned that the mayor&#8217;s own brother had joined a class-action lawsuit against the city over the Palisades fire.
Pratt announced that he and his wife, fellow reality star Heidi Montag, were suing Los Angeles almost immediately after the deadly fire destroyed their home — but he responded on Sunday to the news that Kenneth D. Bass was also joining the suit over the loss of his multi-million-dollar Malibu home.
&#8220;I am proud to be teaming up with Karen Bass&#8217; brother in suing his sister for her reckless negligence that led to the destruction of our homes,&#8221; Pratt captioned a clip from a local news report. &#8220;I hope their Thanksgiving dinner isn&#8217;t too awks. I know ours hasn&#8217;t been the same since last year &#8230;&#8221;
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I am proud to be teaming up with Karen Bass&#8217; brother in suing his sister for her reckless negligence that led to the destruction of our homes. I hope their Thanksgiving dinner isn&#8217;t too awks. I know ours hasn&#8217;t been the same since last year&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/d8YyGjJ775">pic.twitter.com/d8YyGjJ775</a>
— Spencer Pratt (@spencerpratt) <a href="https://x.com/spencerpratt/status/2066200731909021757?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 14, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The ABC affiliate revealed court documents that showed Kenneth D. Bass as a plaintiff in a case filed in May, in which he joined the class-action suit and claimed to have suffered from &#8220;smoke inhalation, severe emotional distress, mental anguish and annoyance&#8221; in addition to the loss of his home.
&#8220;As part of the mass tort legal process, Mr. and Mrs. Bass’ names were formally added as some of the nearly 40,000 victims who suffered losses. Their family connections are irrelevant, and as non-public citizens they are entitled to respectful privacy as they pursue their legal rights along with all represented victims,&#8221; attorneys for Kenneth Bass and his wife told <a href="https://nypost.com/2026/06/11/us-news/karen-bass-responds-to-brothers-lawsuit-over-palisades-fire-home-loss/">The New York Post</a>.
The home in question has not been rebuilt, and Bass sold the 1.5-acre lot — that still includes a putting green, a pool, and a guest house that were not lost in the fire — for $2 million last May.
The suit blames the city&#8217;s failure to respond to the fire on the reservoirs that were depleted: &#8220;The Palisades Fire has been a traumatic event for its victims, who through no fault of their own, went from homeowners to homeless in a matter of hours.&#8221;
During a recent campaign event, Mayor Bass — who is facing a run-off challenge in November from Democratic-socialist city councilwoman Nithya Raman — was clearly avoiding the question when she was asked three times about her brother&#8217;s addition to the suit.
&#8220;We’re not talking about that!&#8221; an aide pushed back as Bass was pressed on the issue.

Spencer Pratt Visits “Fox & Friends”

Karen Bass’ Brother Teams Up With Spencer Pratt In Lawsuit Against The Mayor

Karen Bass

Lawsuit

Palisades Fire

Spencer Pratt

George Washington University law professor emerita W. Burlette Carter declared on Thursday that Karmelo Anthony was entitled to a new trial.
Anthony, 19, was convicted of murder in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf, 17, and sentenced to serve 35 years in prison. Carter argued that because &#8220;minorities are not interchangeable,&#8221; Anthony was not provided with &#8220;a jury of his peers&#8221; at trial — and she said that alone was grounds for him to receive a new trial.
Carter, a black woman who describes herself on X as a &#8220;descendant of slaves,&#8221; prefaced her <a href="https://x.com/ProfWBCarter/status/2065283542414705051">statement</a> by admitting that she had not yet read a full transcript of the trial — but then immediately argued that she didn&#8217;t need to because it was already clear to her that Anthony had not been granted a fair trial.
&#8220;I have not yet read the full trial transcript. But so far, I do know this. Karmelo Anthony was entitled to a jury of his peers. He did not get that,&#8221; she claimed. &#8220;On that ground alone, he is entitled to a new trial. Minorities are not interchangeable. The prosecutor’s reported proffered reasons for striking all black jurors  — that they were teachers — appears to be pretext.&#8221;
But by law, a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/race-narrative-kicked-into-overdrive-after-jury-selected-in-austin-metcalf-murder-trial">jury</a> does not have to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-race-card-karmelo-anthonys-father-is-playing-gets-scorched-by-facts">reflect the race</a> of the defendant — rather, it must be made up of a reasonable cross section of the community, and both attorneys and judges are to do their best to ensure that the jury is made up of individuals who will decide the case based on the facts presented rather than preexisting biases.
The jury in Anthony&#8217;s case was made up of multiple ethnic minorities — in spite of claims made by Anthony&#8217;s father and others that the jury was &#8220;all white&#8221; — including Asian, Indian, and Hispanic. The prosecution did challenge several potential jurors who were black because they were educators and the murder had happened on school grounds. The judge accepted those challenges as valid.
&#8220;Anthony needs a new lawyer on appeal and in a new trial,&#8221; Carter continued, arguing that Anthony&#8217;s court-appointed attorney had not done a good job. She left out the fact that, after raising some $600,000 via GiveSendGo, Anthony&#8217;s family had gone with a court-appointed lawyer after claiming that he was unable to afford a private attorney.
&#8220;His trial lawyer allowed in opinion evidence that should have been struck. He also seemed unable to appreciate and counter the impact of racial overtones in that case. Those overtones are clear even on Twitter commentary as folks seek to paint Metcalf as having no culpability in what happened and Karmelo as a complete monster,&#8221; she insisted. &#8220;The facts on how the matter escalated are more complicated than that. He and they had no such authority. They are also apparent in the statements that seek to deputize Metcalf and other kids with authority to remove Anthony. They had none and initiated the conflict. That does not mean they should have been killed but it means they have explaining to do. The lawyer for Anthony apparently did not require that explaining. It is fair to ask how the Anthonys ended up selecting that lawyer.&#8221;
Her final jab was aimed at the trial judge, and she claimed that he should &#8220;be disqualified&#8221; because he gave an interview that could have &#8220;negatively affected the appeal rights of the defendant.&#8221;

Karmelo Mugshot

The Flaw In A Professor’s Race-Based Defense Of Karmelo Anthony

Austin Metcalf

Courts

Crime

Karmelo Anthony

Murder

The New York Knicks clinched the series with a Game 5 win on Saturday evening in San Antonio, winning their first NBA Finals in more than half a century when they edged out the San Antonio Spurs with a score of 94-90.
They ended the first quarter down 10 points, with 13 to the Spurs’ 23, but by halftime, they had cut their deficit in half. They began the second half with 37 to the Spurs’ 42 — and trailed them until the final moments of the fourth quarter, finally tying up the score at 83-83 with 4:25 left in the game. The Spurs didn’t make it easy for them, scoring almost immediately — but the Knicks pulled ahead with 3:40 left, 86-85, and the two teams traded blows until the clock ran out.
Going into Saturday night’s game, New York was already leading the series three games to one. They won their first matchup on June 3 (105-95) and the second on June 5 (105-104). The Spurs notched a win on June 8 (115-111), but the Knicks delivered a record-setting comeback in Game 4 to win (107-106).
After the first quarter of Game 4, the Knicks were already down by 19 — the biggest first-quarter disadvantage in NBA Finals history for the home team — and by halftime things were looking bleak. Another record-setting deficit, this time at 27 points — and then in the second half, the Spurs widened their lead to 29 points. 
The comeback — driven largely by power forward OG Anunoby and guard Jalen Brunson — delivered the final basket with just 1.2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. San Antonio did not even have time to attempt one last shot.
And so the Knicks headed to Texas for Game 5. If they had not pulled out the victory on Saturday, they would have returned to their home court at Madison Square Garden for Game 6.
The last time the Knicks won the NBA finals was 1973, when they bested the Los Angeles Lakers four games to one.

Knicks Fans Gather Around NYC To Watch Game 4 Of The NBA Finals Against The San Antonio Spurs

Knicks Run Away With First NBA Finals Win In 53 Years

Basketball

New York Knicks

Sports

Spurs

Vanessa Trump shared an update Saturday on her cancer treatment and what the next steps down that road would be for her.
Trump, who announced her breast cancer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vanessa-trump-reveals-breast-cancer-diagnosis">diagnosis</a> publicly on May 20, said in a Saturday morning <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DZh9jmATYMZ/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&amp;igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==">Instagram post</a> that she&#8217;d spent the last several weeks recovering from surgery and was preparing for the next phase of treatment.
&#8220;I wanted to share an update on my cancer journey,&#8221; she began. &#8220;Over the past four weeks, I&#8217;ve been recovering from surgery and I&#8217;m grateful to be healing and moving forward. Soon, I&#8217;ll be starting the second stage of my treatment. Sending love, strength, and hope to everyone fighting this battle.&#8221;
Trump, who has five children from her previous marriage to Donald Trump Jr., did not give any further details about the surgery or what the next step in her treatment might be, although she had briefly mentioned a &#8220;procedure&#8221; when she first shared her diagnosis.
&#8220;I am staying focused and hopeful while surrounded by the love and support of my family, my kids, and those closest to me,” she wrote at the time, adding, &#8220;I kindly ask for privacy as I focus on my health and recovery.&#8221;
Ivanka Trump, her former sister-in-law, showed her support in a statement saying, &#8220;Praying for your continued strength and a swift recovery. Love you mama.&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s cancer update comes just two weeks after her former husband, Trump Jr., tied the knot for a second time, marrying <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/donald-trump-jr-offers-an-intimate-peek-inside-his-wedding-day">Bettina Anderson</a> in a Memorial Day Weekend ceremony in the Bahamas — and one day after her boyfriend, golf legend Tiger Woods, left his rehab facility in Switzerland.
Woods, 50, has been in rehab since his DUI arrest in late March — but he did take a brief break in order to be with Vanessa as she faces her cancer treatment.

Vanessa-Trump-052026-8e8868f8a875469f8ecdca3a5438fd1a

Vanessa Trump Shares Cancer Update

Breast Cancer

Donald Trump Jr.

Kai Trump

Trump

Kate Bedingfield said that prominent Democrats refusing to disavow Maine Senate Candidate Graham Platner — over several scandals and allegations — amounted to an &#8220;indictment&#8221; of the party.
Bedingfield, who served as communications director for former President Joe Biden, addressed the issue on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;The Arena,&#8221; telling host Kasie Hunt that she believed at least part of the problem could be chalked up to sexism.
WATCH:
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💥NEW: Former Biden Official Kate Bedingfield on Graham Platner: “I think it’s demoralizing that his transgressions are being overlooked … I think it’s an indictment of our party that we’re willing to look the other way on this.” <a href="https://t.co/ATAWk3nDZT">pic.twitter.com/ATAWk3nDZT</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://x.com/JasonJournoDC/status/2065873209073742080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I personally — I think it’s demoralizing that his transgressions are being overlooked,&#8221; Bedingfield said. &#8220;However, I&#8217;m not overly stunned in part because I think that the gender breakdown on how people are reacting to what they&#8217;ve read about him is very telling.&#8221;
She pivoted quickly to point out why that disparity could cause political problems for Platner in Maine — namely the fact that the electorate there skews toward women and older voters — and argued that he would have to win over some of the split-ticket voters who had chosen Biden and incumbent Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) in 2020.
&#8220;He&#8217;s got to pull some Biden-Collins voters from 2020 over his way, and Donald Trump continuing to attack him is one way that some of those people, you know, may come along,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;So, you know, listen, I personally don&#8217;t love it, but the people of Maine, you know, I don&#8217;t live there so they probably don&#8217;t really — they don&#8217;t really care what I think.&#8221;
&#8220;But I think it&#8217;s — I&#8217;m going to just say it and I have said it consistently, I think it’s an indictment of our party that we’re willing to look the other way on this, personally,” Bedingfield concluded.
Bedingfield&#8217;s assessment aligns almost perfectly with that of Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), who has also been very critical of Platner throughout the campaign. When Fox News host Laura Ingraham asked Fetterman directly whether he would campaign against Platner and for Collins — who by record and by most accounts is a moderate — he drew a <a href="https://x.com/Acyn/status/2065577500294713769">hard line</a> and reminded her that at the end of the day, he is a Democrat.
President Donald Trump officially endorsed Collins in the Maine Senate race several days earlier despite conceding that the two are definitely not &#8220;best friends.&#8221;

White House Director Of Communications Kate Bedingfield Holds Press Briefing

Biden Spox Goes Scorched Earth On Platner: To Accept Him Is ‘An Indictment’ Of Dems

Biden Spox Goes Scorched Earth On Platner: To Accept Him Is 'An Indictment' Of Dems

Democrats

graham platner

Joe Biden

Maine

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has confirmed that an employee has been terminated over her remarks about Karmelo Anthony in the wake of his murder conviction and subsequent 35-year prison sentence.
The TDCJ confirmed to <a href="https://www.dallasnews.com/news/courts/article/karmelo-anthony-parole-supervisor-facebook-comment-22302990.php">The Dallas Morning News</a> that Donna Robinson was no longer with the department after she posted on Facebook about the case, saying that she believed Anthony was likely to be &#8220;protected&#8221; in prison. She also added, &#8220;I&#8217;m just glad we didn&#8217;t have to bury another Black child. Let them start burying some of theirs for a change. FK&#8217;em I said what I said.&#8221;
Libs of TikTok shared screenshots of the post on Friday, following up later with a post stating that Robinson had been let go.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This woman claims to be on the Board of Pardons and Parole in Texas
She allegedly posted this after Karmelo Anthony was found guilty.
We reached out to <a href="https://x.com/TDCJ?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TDCJ</a> but they declined to respond <a href="https://t.co/OBxn2rRsdg">pic.twitter.com/OBxn2rRsdg</a>
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) <a href="https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/2065245530058330465?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I am a parole supervisor at TX DCJ Karmelo will be ok he I can almost assure you will be protected on the inside. I for one don&#8217;t give fk about the family&#8217;s loss. It&#8217;s about time these fking bigots feel the pain tha they have inflicted on other people since the beginning of time!&#8221; she posted.
&#8220;I&#8217;m just glad we didn&#8217;t have to bury another black child. Let them start burying some of theirs for a change. FK&#8217;em I said what I said,&#8221; she added.
The TDCJ said in a statement to The Dallas Morning News that Robinson&#8217;s comments undercut the department in a way that was deemed unacceptable, and after a review of her public statements, she was fired.
&#8220;These statements are incompatible with TDCJ policy and values. They demonstrate bias and a lack of the impartiality essential to the fair administration of justice in Texas,&#8221; the statement said, noting that employees were expected on a regular basis to make decisions in the workplace that had to be free from bias. &#8220;Discriminatory or inflammatory conduct that erodes public confidence in the criminal justice system will not be tolerated.&#8221;
Anthony, 19, was convicted for the murder of Austin Metcalf, 17 — whom he fatally stabbed at a high school track meet — and was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

karmelo_behind_bars__720

The Karmelo Anthony Post That Ended A Prison Official’s Career

Racism

Thus United States joined with Venezuela in a joint strike targeting Tren de Aragua leader Niño Guerrero, marking a new era of cooperation in the wake of former dictator Nicolàs Maduro&#8217;s arrest.
Trump shared details of the strike late on Friday evening — along with footage — touting the cooperation with Venezuela and saying that he was making good on his promise to eradicate the gangs no matter where they chose to hide.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
FROM <a href="https://x.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> — At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Niño Guerrero, the infamous leader of Tren De Aragua, one of the most bloodthirsty Terrorist Organizations on Planet Earth. Before I returned to… <a href="https://t.co/2dXhF5IWoH">pic.twitter.com/2dXhF5IWoH</a>
— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) <a href="https://x.com/DOWResponse/status/2065609709139140889?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;At my direction, the United States Southern Command delivered a swift and lethal kinetic strike to successfully execute Niño Guerrero, the infamous leader of Tren De Aragua, one of the most bloodthirsty Terrorist Organizations on Planet Earth,&#8221; Trump posted, and then quickly pivoted to blame Biden.
&#8220;Before I returned to office, Joe Biden opened our Southern Border to millions of Illegal Criminals, and allowed this foreign army to rape, maim, and murder American Citizens with total impunity,&#8221; he said. &#8220;During my Campaign, I pledged to expel these monsters from our Country, and bring Justice to the families of those they slaughtered, including the precious 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray, 22-year-old Laken Reilly, and countless other beautiful souls.&#8221;
&#8220;With this action, the United States Military has brought retribution for them, their families, and their loved ones,&#8221; Trump continued. &#8220;Early in my Administration, I delivered on my promise to designate Tren de Aragua as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, deport thousands of evil criminals, and wage war against the Cartels, who have long been waging war against our Citizens, while weak leaders left America helpless and defensive.&#8221;
Trump concluded his post by touting the cooperation between the United States and Venezuela, saying that because the two nations were working together, there was no safe place for such violent gang members to hide: &#8220;This action was coordinated closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well. As a result, Tren de Aragua terrorists no longer have safe haven in Venezuela or anywhere else and, under my leadership, we will find these vicious murderers and drugs lords anytime, anyplace, and send them to the depths of hell where they belong. GOD BLESS AMERICA!&#8221;
General Francis L. Donovan, head of U.S. Southern Command, also praised the joint operation with Venezuela: &#8220;We extend our gratitude to the Venezuelan security forces for their support to the successful joint operation against a Tren de Aragua compound that resulted in the death of the narco-terrorist organization’s leader &#8230; Guerrero was a wanted fugitive charged by the U.S. Department of Justice with ordering, directing, and facilitating acts of terrorism and violence in the United States.&#8221;
War Secretary Pete Hegseth describe the operation as proof that the United States and Venezuela were committed to taking the fight to those who would participate in narco-terrorism and &#8220;deny them any safe haven.&#8221;
&#8220;TdA founder &amp; leader Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, aka &#8216;Niño Guerrero,&#8217; was confirmed killed during the strike. The operation underscores the shared U.S. and Venezuelan commitment to take the fight to narco-terrorists and deny them any safe haven in our hemisphere. We will continue to work closely with security partners, like Venezuela — and counties in the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition (A3C) partners — to take the fight to our enemies,&#8221; Hegseth posted.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Earlier this week, the <a href="https://x.com/DeptofWar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DeptofWar</a> — in full collaboration with Venezuelan security forces — conducted a kinetic strike on a Tren de Aragua (TdA) compound in Venezuela. TdA founder &amp; leader Hector Rusthenford Guerrero Flores, aka “Niño Guerrero,” was confirmed killed during the…
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://x.com/SecWar/status/2065613430074065246?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Screenshot/War Department

U.S. Teams With Venezuela In Strike To Take Out Tren De Aragua Leader

Border Crisis

gangs

Tren De Aragua

Embattled former First Son Hunter Biden offered an extensive defense of Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner, arguing that his critics should be the first to reveal the contents of their own phones.
Biden, speaking with Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA), explained away everything from Platner&#8217;s Nazi-inspired tattoo to his apparent history of troubling behavior with women before arguing that he made up for any shortcomings by taking appealing political positions. Biden also suggested that Platner&#8217;s issues were irrelevant anyway, since the people raising concerns about him were probably equally dirty.
WATCH:
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Newsom raised the question about Platner, who has faced a number of controversies since he rose to the top of the heap in Maine, asking Biden what he made of the way things had played out in recent weeks.
&#8220;What do think in the context of authenticity versus the audacity frame of Platner as a — as, you know, an example?&#8221; Newsom asked, referencing Platner&#8217;s tattoo and vulgar comments he&#8217;d made on social media.
Biden began by attributing Platner&#8217;s previous behavior to his military service and his struggles with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, alluding to his own troubled history as a drug addict and suggesting that he of all people would recognize someone who was trying to right his own course.
&#8220;He&#8217;s not saying something new today that he wasn&#8217;t saying four months ago,&#8221; Biden said. &#8220;Or five months ago, which is this: he was a veteran, a combat veteran, and when he came back he had some real issues with PTSD, and that trauma, and whatever way that he was working it out, I think he has been really open about &#8230; he wasn&#8217;t a good person.&#8221;
Biden then compared Platner&#8217;s struggles to his own, saying that he knew how much &#8220;stamina&#8221; and &#8220;courage&#8221; it took to turn things around.
He went on to declare that he was &#8220;99% certain that Graham Platner is no Nazi,&#8221; and argued that people should stay out of the Maine Democrat&#8217;s relationship with his wife.
&#8220;I always say to people, like, show me your phone,&#8221; Biden continued, and Newsom laughed. &#8220;Give me access to your iCloud. Let&#8217;s go through it and pull everything that we can that is inappropriate, that is off-color, that is — you know, that selfie that you took when you were drunk off your ass and you sent it to your blah, blah, blah. Like, show me your phone!&#8221;
Biden argued that, by that standard, no one would ever be qualified to hold public office — and appeared to suggest that for that reason, people should ignore the furor around Platner.
In his final defense, Biden said he did not believe Platner was abusive, and he was worth supporting because no matter what his personal issues might be, he supported things like government-provided free healthcare and sticking it to billionaires.

Jury Deliberates In Hunter Biden Gun Trial

Hunter Biden Defends Graham Platner With A ‘Show Me Your Phone’ Challenge

Hunter Biden Defends Graham Platner With A 'Show Me Your Phone' Challenge

Hunter Biden

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Virginia Kruta