In a breathtaking twist of events, a Florida mayor has found himself in hot water after being discovered driving a police vehicle and deploying its flashing blue lights to secure a VIP-like passage through traffic. This incident has raised eyebrows far beyond the sunshine state’s borders.

Recently unveiled body camera footage reveals the moment when Hialeah Mayor Bryan Calvo, age 28, is pulled over by a Miami police officer. The encounter occurred after Calvo allegedly executed an improper left turn in the upscale area of Coconut Grove, Miami, around 11:30 a.m. on June 14.

What appeared at first to be a routine traffic stop quickly became more serious when Officer Yasmani Gonzalez spotted that the black Chevrolet SUV Calvo was navigating was equipped with flashing red and blue police lights, a feature typically reserved for law enforcement vehicles.

The officer, his curiosity piqued, asked pointedly, “Is this a police car? Is this your personal?” The confrontation was captured in the footage, highlighting the striking nature of the scenario.

Calvo, unfazed, responded, “I’m an elected official,” noting that his role as mayor is non-partisan. This remark, however, did little to clarify why he had access to such a vehicle and the authority to use its emergency features.

The response did little to impress the officer.

‘You turned on your police lights,’ the officer told him. ‘That’s a criminal offense, and I can easily take you to jail.’

The tense roadside exchange continued as the officer delivered a reminder that holding an elected office position does not entitle him to lawless behavior.

‘I don’t care if you’re the mayor,’ Gonzalez slammed. ‘If you’re not a police officer, don’t activate police lights.’

The officer then warned Calvo that he was driving a police vehicle despite not being a sworn law enforcement officer. 

Gonzalez proceeded to threaten jail time, saying, ‘that right there could be a third-degree felony.’

However rather than making an arrest, the officer issued Calvo two citations – one for the improper left turn and another for having prohibited emergency lights on the vehicle. 

Court records show the mayor has pleaded not guilty to both violations. It also remains unclear whether Calvo is still driving the SUV.

The footage has also launched fresh questions over why the city’s mayor was driving a police-issued SUV equipped with functioning emergency lights.

Florida law generally limits the use of blue lights to authorized emergency vehicles and does not provide a specific exemption for mayors. Although municipalities may authorize rare vehicle assignments or equipment for operational purposes, local policies do not supersede state law.

Driving a city vehicle equipped with police-style equipment could be interpreted as the impersonation of a police officer, even if emergency lights were not activated and is a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Persistently denying any wrongdoing, Calvo has insisted the SUV belonged to the Hialeah Police Department and that the emergency equipment had been installed long before he took office.

In a statement he penned, ‘One citation relates to a traffic maneuver and the second concerns equipment that was installed on a vehicle owned by and registered to the Hialeah Police Department, a vehicle that was refitted before I took office and before the vehicle was assigned to me.’ 

The blue lights incident was not Calvo’s first run-in with the law. 

In July 2023, while serving as a Hialeah council member, Calvo was stopped by a Hialeah Police officer for allegedly failing to stop at a traffic signal while driving a red Tesla, according to Hialeah Police Department records.

The case bore a civil penalty of $277. However, Miami-Dade Clerk of Court records reveal the case was swiftly dropped at the request of the citing officer.

While the earlier citation did not involve allegations as serious as those raised during the June stop, the repeat run-in is likely to fuel mounting scrutiny over the driving conduct of one of South Florida’s highest-profile elected officials.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the Miami Police Department and the City of Hialeah Mayor’s Office for comment.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has opted to pause a race-specific grant initiative following the commencement of a compliance review by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), as announced by the DOJ on Tuesday.

According to the DOJ, this grant program, known as the Capacity Strengthening Initiative, was designed to include only organizations that served communities of color. It offered “strategic consideration” and prioritized proposals from organizations headed by leaders from these communities.

Furthermore, the DOJ claimed the program favored distributing more funds to communities identified as “Black or African American” and “nonwhite Latino(a).”

The Grant Portal, an independent third-party source, described the 2023 Capacity Strengthening Grant as aiming to bolster the effectiveness of metropolitan and rural community-based and faith-based groups that assist communities of color, American Indians, LGBTQIA+ individuals, and people with disabilities.

The strict race-based language, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division explained, was a violation of the Civil Rights Act.

“Recipients of federal dollars cannot decide who benefits from those funds on the basis of race, color, or national origin,” Dhillon said in a DOJ statement. “The Department appreciates that the State of Minnesota has recognized this foundational principle and has repealed the statute governing the program.”

MDH withdrew the grant program after the DOJ initiated a review based on Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, the DOJ statement claimed. Title VI prohibits any recipient of Federal financial assistance — a group that includes MDH — from discriminating on the basis of race, color, or national origin.

News Media contacted the DOJ and MDH for further comment and confirmation.

Erewhon, the trendy lifestyle brand, now offers a new twist on luxury with their very own holy water.

Known for catering to influencers, celebrities, and wellness enthusiasts, this upscale grocery chain has unveiled its exclusive ‘Sacred Water,’ priced at $12, promising a premium and refined beverage experience.

Marketed as a purifying elixir, Sacred Water combines grape juice, coconut milk, coconut water, jasmine tea, basil, anise, cardamom, and raw honey into a delightful mix.

Served in a 12 oz cup, each ounce of this drink costs $1, translating to around $0.50 per mouthful.

The creation of this unique beverage was a collaboration with the hair-care company Jolie Skin Co.

In an Instagram post celebrating the release, Jolie shared that the nectar was inspired by the ancient understanding of water as “a symbol of renewal, ritual, and transformation” and that they wanted ingredients to feel “historic and revered.”

While the price may be off-putting, there is a membership workaround that gets guests “free” Sacred Water.

For the aspirational, an annual base-level “Select” Erewhon membership is relatively reasonable at $100 and includes tonic bar perks such as free Sacred Water.

As with most things sold at Erewhon, influencers are all over it, and the drink is eliciting both reverie and rage.

“Wow,” exclaimed Lydia Grace, an LA-based chef on Instagram. She described the drink as “floral coconut water” and called out the green cardamom for elevating the flavor profile.

“Ok, obsessed, $12 water, make it my new routine,” raved influencer Annie Sharp in another social video.

Among other influencers who tried — and loved — the Kool-Aid is flight attendant and fitness coach Troy Manandic.

“I totally get why they call this Sacred Water,” he said in an Instagram post that reads like a sponsored religious conversion, “This flavor is like nothing I’ve ever had; it’s super light and so hydrating. I never thought water could taste this good.”

Despite some rave reviews, many commenters were less convinced.

“What a scammmmm,” one wrote.

“They are bulls—ting all the richies to spend their money on nothing special,” added another.

“Not worth it, but yet again, everything in that store isn’t worth it,” quipped someone else.

The nectar of the 1 percent is available now through the end of September at all Erewhon locations in Los Angeles, so get the good while you can, folks.

Erewhon, which started in the 1960s as a niche health food store and has since grown into a cultural phenomenon, is no stranger to price controversy.

In 2024, the store caught heat for the price of ice as the luxury market was peddling a bag of eight large, Penny Pound Ice “ballz” for a staggering $32.

Erewhon has also been ridiculed for its $20 strawberries and $11 bone-broth hot chocolate.

Of late, Erewhon also partnered with Simplehuman, the premium home brand best known for its sleek, high-tech trash cans and sensor makeup mirrors, to launch a limited-edition beverage called, wait for it, Liquid Steel.

Also, $12, the Liquid Steel smoothie is inspired by the stainless steel used in the brand’s iconic trash cans and kitchen accessories.

It blends coconut water, watermelon, and lime with electrolytes, creatine, collagen, magnesium, and potassium — a combo designed to support hydration, recovery, and daily performance.

Charlie Kirk’s family, represented by their attorney, passionately appealed to the judge during Tyler Robinson’s preliminary hearing. They sought the release of an uncut video from his lover’s police interview.

Today, it is anticipated that the court will hear a partially-censored audio recording. This features Lance Twiggs, aged 23, who was Robinson’s transgender former roommate and partner, discussing Kirk’s murder, which occurred on September 10.

The recorded interview took place in April in Utah. However, the judge mandated the redaction of 15 minutes to prevent influencing potential jurors. The specifics of the omitted content are unknown.

The defense has contested the idea of playing the entire recording, arguing it could be perceived as a confession, thus jeopardizing Robinson’s right to a fair trial.

In a dramatic turn of events on Wednesday, Jeffrey Neiman, attorney for the Kirk family, broke his silence to urge the judge to unveil the complete, unaltered footage.

‘I’ve been very hesitant to speak up at these proceedings,’ he said. ‘But I want to be clear on the Kirk family’s position is on all of this. 

‘The Kirk family believes strongly that if it is admitted in this preliminary hearing, it should be made public for the world to see. No redactions.’

He continued, ‘To not be transparent, to not be open, to not let the world see what happened will create doubt and distrust in the judicial system, and that’s not what anybody wants.

‘That’s not what any of us believe should happen here and we’d ask the court to consider the position of the family and making this decision.’ 

On Thursday, the judge ruled that only part of the recorded testimony will be played in court and some audio would only be played for those in attendance, while some other exhibits would not be visually displayed to the gallery at all. 

Following Neiman’s impassioned plea to the judge, Erika Kirk also issued a scathing legal filing pressing the importance of ‘transparency’ in the case. 

‘To not be transparent here, to not be open, to not let the world see what happened, will create doubt and distrust in the judicial system,’ Neiman reiterated in the filing. 

Graf said he viewed the Twiggs interrogation footage in its entirety, and while part of it would be withheld, he would consider the entire video in his determination of whether prosecutors can bring Robinson to trial. 

Twiggs was vaulted into national infamy after prosecutors alleged that Robinson left his roommate and lover a handwritten confession after assassinating Kirk, and texted him about plans to hide the murder weapon. 

Authorities said Twiggs quickly cooperated with investigators and offered his DNA for testing, as well as providing text messages from Robinson in which the alleged murderer said he believed Kirk ‘spread too much hate.’ 

Prosecutors pushed to release Twiggs’ police interview video as they allege Robinson assassinated Kirk because he was upset over the influencer’s conservative political views.

The video led to a lengthy back-and-forth as Robinson’s defense attempted to block Twiggs’ recorded statements and force the suspect’s former lover to testify in-person, which would have allowed him to be cross-examined. 

On Wednesday, Utah District Judge Tony Graf said he would allow the video to be played, but 15 minutes of the video would be redacted. 

The footage to be played in court was taken in Twiggs’ second police interview in April 2026, but the suspect’s roommate was also interviewed in the aftermath of the shooting in September 2025 as well. 

Twiggs was granted limited immunity in the case, meaning his statements in the police interview cannot be used against him by prosecutors. 

Twiggs was living with Robinson in a townhouse in St. George, Utah at the time of Kirk’s assassination. Twiggs has not been charged with any crime related to the assassination. 

The 23-year-old went into hiding following the assassination and was not seen for five months, until the Daily Mail tracked down the elusive roommate in Texas in February. 

Those who knew Twiggs before the shooting say he was kicked out of his strictly Mormon home when he was 18 over disagreements over religion, drugs and gaming, but he appeared to have reconciled with his family after Kirk’s assassination. 

In the aftermath of the shooting that shocked the nation, prosecutors say Robinson sent a number of texts to Twiggs, including one telling him to look under his computer keyboard to find a handwritten confession note. 

The note read: ‘I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,’ according to court filings.  

When Twiggs responded in disbelief and asked how long Robinson had been planning the shooting, he responded, ‘A bit over a week, I believe’, prosecutors said. 

Robinson said he believed Kirk ‘spread too much hate,’ and texted Twiggs about his rush to flee the scene and contain evidence, according to court filings.

‘If I am able to grab my rifle unseen, I will have left no evidence,’ Robinson allegedly wrote.

‘Going to attempt to retrieve it again… I might have to abandon it and hope they don’t find prints.’

Authorities said when they found Robinson’s rifle, they discovered unspent shell casings engraved with political messages, including one that read, ‘Hey Fascist! CATCH!’

In his alleged texts, Robinson referenced these engravings, writing: ‘If I see ‘notices bulge uwu’ on Fox News I might have a stroke.’

Robinson capped off his messages by warning Twiggs, ‘Don’t talk to the media please… if any police ask you questions ask for a lawyer and stay silent,’ the filings said.

Authorities said Twiggs showed the messages to investigators when questioned, and has cooperated with the case.

Twiggs also voluntarily provided a mouth swab of his DNA to help the investigation, which has been raised in Robinson’s pre-trial hearings this week as his DNA was found on a towel wrapped around the alleged murder weapon. 

PROVO, Utah — In a highly anticipated court session this Thursday, Utah prosecutors aim to showcase audio recordings of law enforcement officials questioning the roommate of the suspect in the death of conservative figure Charlie Kirk.

The defense team has strongly opposed the public dissemination of statements made by Tyler Robinson’s roommate and romantic partner, Lance Twiggs. They argue that presenting these statements as admissions could prejudice public opinion, thereby infringing upon Robinson’s right to an impartial trial if aired by the media.

Facing an aggravated murder charge, Robinson has yet to submit a plea. He surrendered to authorities a day following the shooting that claimed Kirk’s life. Kirk, a prominent supporter of former President Donald Trump, was instrumental in energizing young voters for Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Prosecutors claim that Robinson left a note for Twiggs allegedly confessing, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it.” Moreover, it’s alleged Robinson texted Twiggs, indicating Kirk was targeted out of a personal vendetta against his “hatred.”

Twiggs provided statements to law enforcement on September 12, just two days after Kirk was killed during an event at Utah Valley University, and again on April 20. With immunity granted for these interviews, Twiggs’ comments are protected from being used against him in any legal proceedings.

State District Judge Tony Graf will decide at the conclusion of this week’s preliminary hearing if prosecutors have enough evidence to bring Robinson to trial.

Robinson’s attorneys have not commented on his guilt or innocence but have sought to get the death penalty taken off the table, so far unsuccessfully.

Attorneys for Kirk’s family and the media had urged the judge to make Twiggs’ statements and other evidence public.

“To not be transparent, to not be open and let the world see what happened will create doubt and distrust in the judicial system,” Kirk family lawyer Jeffrey Neiman told Graf.

Investigators say Robinson went to a rooftop near where Kirk was speaking and shot him once through the neck as the activist was taking questions from a crowd of several thousand people. Kirk was declared dead after being taken to a hospital.

Investigators found the suspected murder weapon – a bolt-action rifle with one spent round – wrapped in a towel in a wooded area near where Kirk was shot.

Robinson’s lawyers earlier this week questioned the reliability of DNA testing used to link the defendant to the towel and gun.

A member of Tyler Robinson’s defense team interrogated a DNA analyst from the FBI about the techniques she used to connect Robinson to the evidence. Defense lawyer Michael Burt cast doubt on the analyst’s conclusions.

“She can’t match Mr. Robinson to the questioned samples,” Burt argued.

But forensics expert Lawrence Quarino said law enforcement agencies use “extremely reliable” tests to determine the probability that a person matches with DNA found at a crime scene.

DNA testing “is the gold standard in forensic science,” said Quarino, a professor and director of the forensic science program at Cedar Crest College in Pennsylvania.

Brown reported from Billings, Montana.

The Air Force has admitted that a human error involving an outdated test answer key has compromised this year’s technical sergeant selection process. This mistake led officials to revoke 135 promotions, reallocating these positions to other troops who were rightfully entitled to them.

The incident impacted only the security forces career field of the service. After discovering the outdated scoring key was used for the Specialty Knowledge Test, officials rescored all 2,285 eligible airmen to rectify the situation.

“We owe it to those affected to address it immediately,” explained Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David R. Wolfe in a statement. He acknowledged the difficulty of the situation for all involved.

Upon completing the rescoring, the Air Force found that 451 airmen would retain their promotions, although 135 others no longer met the required cutoff score. Consequently, these positions will be offered to another 135 airmen who were initially overlooked in the original process.

Air Force officials said the error was discovered after the promotion list was released and an enlisted promotions team member at the Air Force Personnel Center identified the outdated scoring key. Officials described the mistake as an isolated and unprecedented human error, adding that no other Air Force specialty codes were affected.

Officials said they verified the correct answer key with subject matter experts before rescoring every eligible exam. The total number of promotions did not change, remaining at 586.

“We promote Airmen based on merit, which is established in federal law and policy,” Lt. Gen. Jefferson O’Donnell, the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for manpower, personnel and services, said in a statement. “Who we are as an Air Force, defined by our core values, demands integrity in the meritocratic promotion system.”

The Air Force Personnel Center plans to announce the 135 newly selected technical sergeants in a supplemental promotion release during the week of July 13. Officials said the new selectees will receive adjusted line numbers that will not affect when they are promoted.

The Air Force said it has tightened its review process and is examining how the error occurred to prevent a similar mistake in future promotion cycles. Leaders are notifying affected airmen directly and have set up a hotline to answer questions.

Officials said the mistake was caused by human error, not artificial intelligence.

Lena Dunham recently shed light on her past relationship with Jack Antonoff, making surprising comments just months before details of his separation from wife Margaret Qualley became public.

In her 2026 memoir titled “Famesick,” the “Girls” creator reflected on her nearly six-year romance with the music producer, whom she dated from 2012 to the end of 2017. She mentioned that Antonoff often spent time with an unnamed “teen pop star.”

Within the pages of her memoir, Dunham described an instance when she video-called Antonoff while visiting her grandmother. She found him in the recording studio at their apartment, collaborating with the young pop star, who she admits she didn’t feel threatened by.

The 40-year-old Golden Globe winner recounted that Antonoff, now 42, frequently stayed cloistered in a room with the teen star. She noted how this young artist, whose needs seemed as significant and intricate as her own, affectionately referred to her as “Aunt Lena” when she would make her way to the kitchen with her walker to grab more green tea.

Dunham also shared an anecdote about returning from a doctor’s appointment to find the young pop star emotionally vulnerable on their sectional couch, sobbing on Antonoff’s lap. He comforted her lovingly, saying, “your teens are for experimenting,” in a manner so soothing it nearly moved Dunham to tears.

“It had been so long since he’d spoken to me with that kind of expansive generosity,” she recalled in the book.

Though Dunham never named the woman in question, fans suspected it was Lorde.

Antonoff worked with the “Royals” singer, now 29, on her second studio album, “Melodrama,” in 2015 and 2016. At the time, Lorde — born Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor — was 18 and 19 years old.

The hitmaker denied rumors that he cheated on Dunham with Lorde, saying on X in 2018 that he was not “seeing anyone.”

“Normally i would never address rumors but i resent having the most important friendships and working relationships in my life reduced to dumb hetero normative gossip,” he wrote at the time.

“Those relationships are deeply important and sacred. with that said, im not seeing anyone. lol.”

Lorde also shut down the allegations, telling fans on Instagram Live that she and Antonoff were “not dating.”

“For the last time… I love him, he’s awesome. But we’re not dating. Please!” she said in February 2018.

In the memoir, Dunham revealed that Antonoff allegedly threw her pain medication down the toilet after they got into the “worst fight” of their relationship.

The “Too Much” alum said the couple argued when she spoke to Antonoff about her growing reliance on pain medication following her recent hysterectomy.

Dunham wrote that Antonoff’s response “was to go to the bathroom and angrily flush all my pills down the toilet, which necessitated a call to the doctor and a late-night trip to the pharmacy to get more so that I wouldn’t go into withdrawal — from any one of the drugs — overnight.”

Dunham’s memoir revelations resurfaced after news broke that Antonoff and his wife, Qualley, were calling it quits just weeks shy of their third wedding anniversary.

Page Six exclusively reported that the couple — who tied the knot in August 2023 — had challenges in their marriage.

“Jack could be very particular about how he liked things,” a source told us. “He’d often prefer for things to be done the way he thought was best, and Margaret didn’t always feel like her perspective was being heard or given the same weight.”

“Communication was definitely a challenge between him and Margaret,” the insider added.

Ahead of their breakup news, the “Maid” actress, 31, quietly deleted photos of Antonoff off her Instagram page. Qualley also did not accompany her husband to Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s New York City wedding on July 3.