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Donald Trump Abruptly Exits ‘Meet the Press’ Interview Following Intense January 6th Questioning

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Donald Trump Abruptly Exits ‘Meet the Press’ Interview Following Intense January 6th Questioning

President Donald Trump continues his ongoing feud with the media, as evidenced by his sudden departure from an interview on Meet the Press.

“I’ve had enough, so let’s call it quits,” said the 79-year-old Trump to Meet the Press host Kristen Welker on Sunday, January 7. This came after Welker pressed him about the controversial “weaponization” fund intended to compensate those imprisoned following the January 6 Capitol riot.

The president also appeared frustrated by questions challenging his repeatedly disproven assertions that the 2020 election, which resulted in his loss to former President Joe Biden, was “rigged.”

As he left, Trump reportedly remarked, “Thank you, darling, have a good time,” and crushed his lapel microphone underfoot, according to CNBC.

Promo Gavin Newsom Wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom Slams Trump Disturbing Treatment of 60 Minutes Anchor

Meanwhile, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of California Governor Gavin Newsom, expressed her dismay over Trump’s recent 60 Minutes interview. “My family and I watched Donald Trump with Norah O’Donnell last night, and we were shocked,” Siebel Newsom, 51, wrote on X on Monday, April 27, reflecting the reaction of many viewers.

Before storming out, the president claimed that the current race for Los Angeles mayor is also being “rigged.” (Voters are waiting to see if Democrat Nithya Raman or Republican reality TV star-turned-politician Spencer Pratt will take on incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in November.)

NUP_210999_00006donaldtrumpwalksoffmeetthepress.jpg
(Adam Bettcher/NBC)

“The election was rigged, it was a dirty election and it’s happening again right now in California,” the president claimed, despite never producing any evidence to back up the allegation that the 2020 election or any election to follow has been “rigged.”

“They’re cheating on the election,” he continued, claiming that “all I have to do is look” and to “listen to people” in order to prove his claims, adding “let’s see what happens.”

He added, “Do you think it’s appropriate that they have an election and five days later, they’re nowhere close to picking a winner? They’re crooked, just like you’re crooked, your press is crooked and Meet the Press is crooked.”

Of course, this is far from the first time the president of the United States has attacked members of the press — particularly women reporters. During an Oval Office press conference on Wednesday, June 3, the president criticized CNN’s chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins, calling the news organization a “very corrupt organization” before personally attacking the reporter.

“She’s a young beautiful woman. Never smiles. I never see a smile off her face,” he told her colleagues and those in attendance. “I see her standing there with hatred in her eyes, like she has hatred, because we had borders, because we have a strong military, because we cut our taxes, because we do things that everybody wanted, and then we win our election in a massive landslide.”

He continued, “And you should be ashamed of yourself. You used to be a conservative. She was a conservative from Alabama, can you believe it?”

Inside Megyn Kellys Complicated History With President Donald Trump

Megyn Kelly and President Donald Trump have had their fair share of ups and downs over the years. Before Trump first ran for office, he and Kelly were cordial. However, things began to fracture after the pair got into a disagreement following the 2015 republican primary debate, where Trump criticized Kelly for how she handled […]

Before ending his Sunday interview on Meet the Press, the president also defended the controversial January 6 “weaponization” fund.

“If it was up to me, I’d pay them the kind of money that they deserve,” Trump said of the pardoned insurrectionists, some of whom were found guilty of physically assaulting police officers in an attempt to overthrow the government. “People have been destroyed. Lives have been destroyed. Many suicides, think of it.”

The president, like his claims of rigged elections, has provided no such evidence to back up his claims that the insurrection was “peaceful” and that those found guilty for their role had their lives “ruined.” As of December 2025, at least 40 pardoned insurrectionists have since faced other, non-related criminal charges, including child abuse and possession of child pornography.

Alexander Zverev Breaks Through: Captures His First Grand Slam Title

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Alexander Zverev Breaks Through: Captures His First Grand Slam Title

After years of near-misses and challenges, Alexander Zverev has finally claimed his place as a Grand Slam champion. Once a teenage sensation, Zverev has traversed a path filled with ups and downs to reach this pinnacle of his career.

For a long time, it seemed an elusive dream, especially as Jannik Sinner dominated the tennis scene. However, a wrist injury sidelined Carlos Alcaraz, and Sinner’s unexpected early exit cracked open the door to opportunity. With Novak Djokovic also out of contention, Zverev seized the moment, taking advantage of a field suddenly devoid of its usual titans.

Despite the apparent ease of his path, the final match was far from simple. Zverev had to face not only his opponent but also the mental scars from past disappointments. Yet, in a grueling battle that stretched over four hours and five sets, Zverev triumphed over first-time finalist Flavio Cobolli with a score of 6-1, 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1.

For some in the tennis community, Zverev’s victory is bittersweet. The phrase “anyone but Zverev” echoed across social media following Sinner’s departure, reflecting ongoing controversy surrounding Zverev. He has faced serious allegations of domestic violence, first brought forward by his former partner Olya Sharypova in 2020. Despite these accusations, an ATP investigation did not find enough evidence to substantiate the claims.

Regardless of the divided opinions, Zverev’s victory marks a significant moment in his career, showcasing resilience and determination in the face of both personal and professional hurdles.

Then in 2024, during this very tournament, there was a hearing in Germany over claims from Brenda Patea, the mother of Zverev’s daughter Mayla, of physical violence. A settlement was agreed between the parties, with the court stressing this was ‘not a verdict and it is not a decision about guilt or innocence’. Zverev has always maintained his innocence and claimed this as total vindication.

Alexander Zverev won the French Open after beating Flavio Cobolli in five sets in the final

Alexander Zverev won the French Open after beating Flavio Cobolli in five sets in the final

It was an emotional moment for Zverev as he finally became a Grand Slam champion

It was an emotional moment for Zverev as he finally became a Grand Slam champion

So where does that leave him? The presumption of innocence must be upheld but it is easy to understand why many tennis fans, especially those who have suffered domestic violence, were disturbed by the sight of Zverev receiving his laurels on Court Philippe Chatrier.

To return to the tennis, this title is the crowning glory of a fine body of work. Circa 2016 Zverev was the next big thing, a 6ft 6in demon server who was freakishly fleet of foot for a man his size, and with an effortless double-handed backhand which Andre Agassi – who had a good one himself – has described as the best of all time. There have been 23 titles plus an Olympic gold and few would have predicted it would take so long for a first major title to materialise.

He choked spectacularly in the 2020 US Open final against Dominic Thiem – who was in the crowd here – and has been banging his head against the Sinner Alcaraz duopoly ever since. He lost narrowly to Alcaraz in the 2024 final here and was demolished by Sinner in last year’s Australian Open final, part of a nine-match losing streak against the Italian.

Many – including this reporter – believe he needs to move away from his essentially conservative gameplan to have a hope of dethroning those two. But this fortnight he has not had to do so.

The old failings were there against Cobolli. His second serve – so much improved since it did for him in that final against Thiem – coughed up seven double faults and when the match was there for Zverev to grasp he retreated into his shell like an escargot. The brutal truth is he was simply not facing an opponent with the requisite class to expose those failings; to reopen that scar tissue.

Indeed, early doors the nerves were all on the other side of the court. Cobolli, the No 10 seed, sprayed errors in a dreadful opening set. This is when an apex predator like Sinner would have brought down the hammer but that is not Zverev’s way, and in his passivity he allowed the 24-year-old Italian time to settle.

Zverev served two double faults to be broken for 4-3 in the second set and at last Cobolli’s vibrant shotmaking emerged. By coming to the net and employing his flamboyant drop shot he exposed Zverev’s deep court positioning.

Having worked his way back into the match, at 30-15, 4-5, Cobolli struck three awful forehands in a row to concede the break and the third set.

As the fourth-set tiebreak approached Zverev, for the first time this tournament, looked to be struggling physically, receiving medical treatment to his knee. Cobolli was the one grasping the nettle and he pulverised a forehand down the line to take the breaker and roared, wild-eyed, towards the crowd.

After his semi-final win, Zverev joked that tennis players’ heads are thought-free vacuums but surely the demons were screaming as he left the court before the fifth set. 

But for Cobolli, it was as if that manic celebration had sapped his energy and he utterly subsided. One more wretched Cobolli smash – he struggled overhead all match – and Zverev was home at last.

Now the major milestone has been reached, perhaps he can start to play the kind of assertive tennis his towering frame demands.

If he does then more Grand Slam titles could follow – whether the tennis world likes it or not.

Authorities Conduct Manhunt for Suspects in Ohio Shooting Injuring 12 at Nearby Street Festival

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Authorities Conduct Manhunt for Suspects in Ohio Shooting Injuring 12 at Nearby Street Festival


Authorities continued their search for suspects on Sunday following a shooting incident over the weekend that left 12 people injured near a street festival in Ohio. The chaotic scene unfolded in a bustling neighborhood of Toledo, leaving festival-goers in a state of panic.

According to Toledo Deputy Police Chief Joe Heffernan, the initial investigation suggests that at least two individuals exchanged gunfire on Saturday close to the Old West End Festival. The shooters were likely targeting each other, he noted.

Social media platforms were flooded with videos capturing the frantic moments as attendees fled amidst the sound of gunfire. Emergency responders could be seen providing aid to those who had been injured in the melee.

As the pursuit of the gunmen continued, Lucas County Prosecutor Julia Bates promised decisive action. “Justice will be swift and strong,” she declared.

Bates expressed her personal connection to the community affected by the violence. “For those who suffered fear, trauma, or injury, our commitment is unwavering,” she stated. “I have felt outrage before, but this strikes close to home. These are my friends and neighbors, and this is unacceptable.”

Authorities say a search for the shooters was ongoing and had not identified any potential suspects. They urged festivalgoers to come forward with any photos or videos.

“As far as violence, this is over the top, right?” Toledo police Lt. Dan Gerken said. “Twelve people being shot, that’s the most I’ve been to a scene. I’ve been to a lot of scenes, but this is way over the top.”

Hundreds of people were at the festival, an annual two-day celebration in Toledo’s historic district that includes live music, food vendors, home tours and shopping.

The remainder of the festival was canceled Sunday. Organizers said “it would not be compassionate, responsible or possible to continue.”

“We are heartbroken about those that were injured at the Old West End Festival,” the festival said in a statement.

Two of the victims were in critical condition on Saturday, Heffernan said. The ages of the victims ranged from 14 to 61, with most of them in their early 20s.

Fire Chief Allison Armstrong said it was difficult for emergency responders to get the injured to the hospital due to closed roads and traffic from people leaving the festival, but all were transported within an hour.

Kevin Berry was sitting in the neighborhood arboretum listening to live music with friends when he heard gunshots ring out.

“Everybody hit the deck,” he said.

When Berry looked back up, he saw a gun being tossed to the ground less than 50 feet (15 meters) away from him. Officers who were already on site for the festival responded immediately.

Berry, who has medical training and served in the Navy, walked around looking for anyone who might need help and saw at least five people with gunshot wounds.

“The folks who were hit were spread out around the arboretum area,” he said.

George Kral, the city’s safety director, said the Old West End Festival is one of the most iconic festivals in Toledo.

“And it’s a shame that something like this had to ruin it,” Kral said.

Tragic Rachel Nickell Case: The Heartbreaking Story of a Toddler Found Beside His Murdered Mother

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Tragic Rachel Nickell Case: The Heartbreaking Story of a Toddler Found Beside His Murdered Mother

Alex Hanscombe was on the brink of celebrating his third birthday when a routine outing to a London park with his mother turned into a nightmare.

A stranger approached, forcefully knocked the young boy to the ground, and then horrifically attacked 23-year-old Rachel Nickell, stabbing her more than 40 times before making a swift escape.

Alex was discovered desperately clutching his mother’s lifeless body in this heart-wrenching murder case from 1992, which was later explored in the Netflix documentary, The Murder of Rachel Nickell.

“It was a case that gripped the nation,” explained forensic expert Angela Gallop to Metro. “A mother and her toddler, attacked in broad daylight on Wimbledon Common—it’s the kind of horror you never imagine happening. The public was deeply moved.”

With little Alex as the sole witness, investigators were left piecing together scant evidence, mistakenly arresting an innocent man before finally tracing the crime back to a serial rapist. This predator went on to claim the lives of another mother and her child before being apprehended, ending his reign of terror.

Here’s everything to know about Rachel Nickell’s tragic murder and the disturbed killer behind the violence:

Who Was Rachel Nickell?

Rachel was just 19 and working as a lifeguard when she met semi-professional tennis player André Hanscombe, according to The Guardian. 

Just months into the couple’s romance, they found out Rachel was pregnant and they set out to create a life together in south London, where they lived with Alex and their rescue dog Molly.

While André worked as a motorcycle carrier, Rachel stayed home to care for their son. 

“Rachel and Alex…they were a unit,” André recalled in The Murder of Rachel Nickell. “He was the center of Rachel’s attention every day. She wasn’t at all drawn to the sparkly things, you know, she just really enjoyed the simple things of life, enjoying the company of the people she really cared about.” 

What Happened to Rachel Nickell?

The 23-year-old—who André said could “squeeze fun” out of anything—often spent her days taking walks with Alex and Molly in Wimbledon Common, a 1,140-acre wooded park not far from their home.

On the morning of July 15, 1992, André remembered Rachel and Alex waving to him from the apartment window as he prepared to get on his motorcycle for another day of work. Then the mother and son headed to Wimbledon Common, where they walked along a wooded path.

It was there that Rachel was attacked by a man carrying a black bag.

“It really was the worst crime scene. It just looked like a frenzied attack,” Met Police forensic detective Ron Turnbill recalled in the documentary. “The victim had been attacked, dragged, stabbed 49 times in and around the neck and chest area and she lay with her hands sort of up in front of her face as if she was still trying to protect herself. It was monstrous.”

Alex was found, caked in mud and blood, clinging to his mother’s body and, according to André, police had to pry him away from her.

André learned of Rachel’s fate from a police officer after calling home to check on his young family.

He explained, “I was in a state that you can only describe as bordering on the edge of insanity.”

What Did Alex Hanscombe Remember About His Mother’s Murder?

Alex was rushed to the hospital, but was uninjured other than some cuts and bruises.

André reunited with his son at the hospital and told him that his mom had an accident, died and was not coming back. Though his son didn’t respond, André said he had an “intense” look in his eyes. 

“It was clear that he was telling me, ’I already know that. That’s something you really don’t have to explain to me,’” André remembered in the documentary. “He never asked again where his mother was. Not once.”

 As the only eyewitness, Alex provided police with some details through the help of a child psychologist. The 3-year-old described a “bad man” who came up behind him, shoved him down, attacked his mother and then washed his hands in a stream, per The Murder of Rachel Nickell. 

He described the killer as a younger white man with a white shirt, blue trousers, brown shoes and a belt over his shirt. 

In another discussion at home captured on video by André in July of 1993, Alex told his father he saw the man—carrying a knife inside a bag—before his mom.

When Andre asked what the man did, Alex replied, “He knocked me over…The bad man was sticking his things in her.”

He went on to tell his father he “saw it all.” 

Years later, in 2017, Alex, now an adult, provided a more detailed account.

“It’s not like it happens in the movies,” Alex told The Guardian. “It was so quick, and everything was silent. There was this strange polarity—even though it was hectic and violent and there was blood, at the same time, there was this big feeling of peace and tranquillity. To me, my mother just looked like she was lying there, ready to wake any moment, like in the imaginary games we used to play.”

Though Alex tried to wake his mother, she never responded. 

“That’s what I remember most,” he said, “the particular moment I knew she was gone. That feeling of losing someone you love, how everything can change in a matter of seconds.”

Colin Stagg Arrested and Falsely Accused in Murder of Rachel Nickell

Hoping to escape the media attention and intense child psychology sessions, André and Alex moved to France, where his father tried to give him a normal life.

“All the time, you see the headlines, you hear the whispers, everyone’s watching Alex, saying he’ll never recover,” André explained to The Guardian. “I just felt it was impossible for a child to grow up like that. Rachel and I were always going to leave the country—again, it was being true to her values.”

Meanwhile, investigators honed in on a possible suspect after getting tips that a sketch of the attacker resembled Colin Stagg, who lived near Wimbledon Common. They arrested him twice, but Colin was eventually released after police found no evidence to link him to the crime.

What Happened to Samantha Bissett?

A year after Rachel’s murder, another London mother was attacked. Samantha Bissett, 27, was discovered dead inside her Plumstead home in a case that continues to haunt the seasoned detectives who investigated it.

“When we walked in,” retired Detective Sergeant Roger Boydell-Smith recalled in The Murder of Rachel Nickell, “it became apparent that Samantha had been possibly stabbed to death in the hallway, dragged through to the living room and placed on a large cushion in a star formation, and she’d been mutilated.”

Her daughter Jazmine was found dead in bed under a comforter. The 4-year-old had been sexually assaulted and suffocated to death, according to Metro.

Finger prints at the scene were eventually linked to Robert Napper. Between 1989 and 1993, years before Rachel and Samantha’s murder, Robert had been suggested as a possible suspect in a string of brutal rapes in southeast London known as the Green Chain rapes, the outlet reported. He was dismissed, however, after detectives believed he didn’t match the physical description of the suspect. 

“That was a catastrophic decision because he went on then to murder the Bissetts,” Roger said, per Metro. “He could have been caught quite easily. The officers involved will have to live with that for the rest of their lives.”

Robert was convicted of the killings and sexual assaults in 1995 and sent to a psychiatric hospital. 

Who Killed Rachel Nickell?

Robert wasn’t linked to Rachel’s murder until 2004, when advances in technology allowed investigators to identify a DNA profile of her killer. After entering the profile into a crime database, it matched to Robert. 

André was devastated to learn of Robert’s other victims.

“At that moment in time was when our worst possible scenario had proved to be played out, somebody else has been murdered by the same person and the same circumstances. Another family’s been destroyed,” he said in the Netflix doc. “So if I didn’t know how blessed I’d been that Alex survived, when we found out what happened to Samantha and Jazmine, I thank God everyday because it’s only by the grace of God that we’ve survived together.” 

Robert pleaded guilty to the manslaughter for Rachel’s death in 2008 and is continuing to serve out a life sentence at a psychiatric hospital, Tudum reported.

Where is Rachel Nickell’s Son Alex Hanscombe Today?

After spending years in France, Alex and André moved to Barcelona. They continue to remember Rachel’s legacy.

“My parents believed in the infinity of the spirit, that my mother would be with me always, wherever I went,” Alex said in the documentary. “My father sacrificed everything for me and for what he believed in, without any guarantees of how it would turn out. He was brave enough to do what he felt was right in his heart. I’m forever indebted to him for that.”

Donald Trump Returns to NYC: Former President Cheers on Knicks at 2026 NBA Finals in Madison Square Garden

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Donald Trump Returns to NYC: Former President Cheers on Knicks at 2026 NBA Finals in Madison Square Garden

NEW YORK — Once upon a time, Donald Trump was a familiar face courtside at New York Knicks games, enjoying the spotlight of celebrity without the security detail that now accompanies him. Back then, he was well-known, but not yet a figure polarizing enough to divide opinion in his native city through politics.

Fast forward to the present, and Trump is set to make a rare return to New York City as sitting president, marking his first visit to Madison Square Garden in over a decade. Invited by Knicks owner James Dolan, Trump will witness Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday night, making history as the first president to attend an NBA Finals game.

The Knicks are striving for their first NBA championship since 1973, a year that saw a young Trump, then just 26, beginning to carve a path in the family real estate empire. Shortly after that victory, the team’s owners enlisted Trump’s expertise as a consultant during their efforts to sell the arena.

Trump’s attendance at major sporting events surpasses that of any previous president. His presence has been noted at the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500, and the Ryder Cup in the nearby New York City suburbs, where he was met with cheers. However, his appearance at last year’s U.S. Open men’s tennis championship in Queens drew boos and complaints about lengthy security delays.

As Trump approaches his 80th birthday on June 14, amidst challenges such as the conflict with Iran, economic concerns, and judicial decisions curtailing his policies, he plans to host a UFC fight at the White House. Additionally, he has shown interest in attending the upcoming soccer World Cup, which will be held across the United States, Mexico, and Canada starting this week.

New Yorkers love the Knicks more than they love Trump

Trump is an avid sports fan, but the affinity he professes for the Knicks is different.

It speaks to the Republican president’s identity as a New Yorker and harkens to a bygone era where a front-row seat at a Knicks game was a chance for him and other boldface names to see and be seen.

In a city whose wealthy gatekeepers largely turned their noses at Trump’s brash personality and playboy image in the 1990s and 2000s, the Garden’s Celebrity Row was one club where he felt at home.

“I’ve been a Knick fan for a long time,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office last week, a day after New York rallied to win Game 1. “I watched that end of the game and they were dominant – really amazing.”

After another win Friday in San Antonio, the Knicks head home with a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. They have won a remarkable 13 straight playoff games and last lost on April 23, uniting the city in a way unseen since the Knicks went to the NBA Finals twice in the 1990s.

Enter Trump. He returns to the Knicks zeitgeist not as the tabloid curiosity who once sat shoulder to shoulder with the late John F. Kennedy Jr. at a game in 1999, but as a president who is disliked by a majority of the city’s Democratic voters.

Trump, who gave up his lifelong New York residency for Florida in 2019, is making his first trip to New York City since he spoke at the United Nations in September. In 2024, he went on trial in the city and was convicted of 34 felony counts related to hush money paid on his behalf during his 2016 campaign.

Knicks fans, though, do not seem to be concerned so much with his politics, but that his attendance – and the hoopla accompanying it – could mess up the team’s momentum. The Knicks said people going to the game should arrive at least two hours before tipoff for airport-style security screening.

“Why does Donald Trump always have to ruin a good thing?” U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, an avid Knicks fan and the House Democratic leader, told CNN. “Like, literally, the Knicks haven’t been in the NBA finals for 27 years. The city is trying to celebrate this. We’ve embraced this team, and this guy has to inject himself.”

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat who struck up a cordial relationship with Trump after the two met in November, was more inviting.

“We’re excited to welcome anyone and everyone who’s rooting for the Knicks in this moment,” said Mamdani, who will also be at the game – albeit, not with Trump.

Last week, as Trump began floating the idea of attending a game, New York magazine published an article, “Is Trump Really a Knicks Fan? An Investigation.” The story, filled with pictures of Trump at Knicks games from 1991 to 2014, described him as a “textbook example of a celebrity bandwagon fan.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver disagrees.

“Before he ever ran for office, he was a big Knicks fan,” Silver told reporters last week. “I’ve been with the league for a long time. I was there at many Knicks games with him in the old days.”

FILE - Actor Elliott Gould joins Donald Trump and Marla Maples at courtside during an NBA basketball game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, March 6, 1991.
FILE – Actor Elliott Gould joins Donald Trump and Marla Maples at courtside during an NBA basketball game between the Phoenix Suns and the New York Knicks, March 6, 1991.AP Photo/Steve Freeman, File

A courtside regular in the 1990s

Trump and the Knicks came into existence the same year, 1946.

His affiliation with the team – at least in the public record – dates to 1975 when he acted as a real estate adviser to the then-owners of the Knicks and Madison Square Garden, who were looking to sell the building known in a bit of Trump-style branding as “The World’s Most Famous Arena.”

Trump claimed to reporters at the time that two groups of “Arab oil interests” were interested in paying $50 million to $75 million. But the arena’s leadership passed on the idea, saying it was “not conceivable” to make such a deal during the Middle East oil crisis raging at the time.

Trump was not much of a known entity when the Knicks won their only championships in 1970 and 1973.

By the time they rebounded in the 1990s, Trump was front and center, taking his then-wife Marla Maples to Game 3 of the NBA Finals in 1994 and his current wife, first lady Melania Trump, to Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals in 1999. In between, he added to his Knicks fan bona fides with a cameo in the Knicks-themed Whoopi Goldberg film “Eddie” in 1996.

Back then, Trump was a more of a mythic figure than a consequential one, known as much for the women he dated and married as the buildings he built.

But just as those Knicks came up short in the NBA Finals against Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets and David Robinson and the Spurs, Trump was running into problems of his own. His business empire was in disarray after his casinos fell into financial trouble and his airline, Trump Shuttle, went out of business.

Like the Knicks, Trump went into rebuilding mode and charted a new course: reality TV with NBC’s “The Apprentice” and “Celebrity Apprentice,” and then, politics. On a Knicks TV broadcast in 2010, he hinted at a possible presidential run.

That same year, as the Knicks struggled to recapture the magic of the 1990s, Trump recorded a video trying to persuade LeBron James to join the team.

“The real winners of the world want to be here,” Trump told him.

Copyright © 2026 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Teen Tragically Shot Outside NYC Home by Assailants on Moped, Police Report

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Teen Tragically Shot Outside NYC Home by Assailants on Moped, Police Report

In a tragic incident early Sunday morning, an 18-year-old man lost his life after being shot by a group of individuals on scooters outside a public housing complex in Queens, as reported by police.

The victim, identified as Jafre Waugh, was standing near his residence at the Woodside Houses of NYCHA when four assailants approached and fired multiple shots, striking him in the chest and back. The attack occurred around 12:15 a.m. on 49th Street, close to 31st Avenue in Woodside, authorities stated.


crime scene
Jafre Waugh, 18, was shot dead outside NYCHA’s Woodside Houses. Kyle Mazza/Shutterstock

photos of evidence markers
Five bullet casings were recovered outside NYCHA’s Woodside Houses. Kyle Mazza/Shutterstock

Emergency medical technicians quickly transported Waugh to NYC Health and Hospitals/Elmhurst, where he was pronounced dead.

The suspects fled the scene on their scooters and remained at large by Sunday afternoon, according to police reports.

The New York Police Department reported finding five shell casings at the crime scene.

Five Comedy Films That Earned Roger Ebert’s Coveted Perfect Rating

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Five Comedy Films That Earned Roger Ebert’s Coveted Perfect Rating



Roger Ebert’s enduring legacy as one of the most revered film critics stems from the broad spectrum of films he appreciated. While his list of top 10 movies is predictably filled with cinematic masterpieces, Ebert was also known for his appreciation of more mainstream, entertaining films, particularly comedies.


20th Century Fox

Ebert’s love for comedic classics was well-documented; titles like “Annie Hall,” “Dr. Strangelove,” and “Fargo” were among those he held in high esteem. His top 10 list even included the timeless Buster Keaton comedy “The General.” Yet, Ebert was not just a fan of universally acclaimed comedies. He frequently gave four-star ratings to films that might have surprised some, showcasing his varied taste and willingness to champion overlooked gems that brought him genuine joy.

While not every comedy on Ebert’s list might surprise you, they collectively reflect his appreciation for a diverse range of humor. Ebert’s ability to embrace comedies that did not always receive critical acclaim from his peers, and his knack for overlooking minor flaws if a film made him laugh, highlighted his unique approach to film criticism.

Among the more predictable yet noteworthy selections is “This Is Spinal Tap.” This mockumentary about a struggling rock band on a disastrous tour has long been celebrated as a must-see cult classic. Ebert called it “one of the funniest films ever made” in a 2001 retrospective review, when he added it to his list of Great Movies.

In his original review, Ebert was full of praise for “This Is Spinal Tap,” lauding its innovative documentary style and the way it trusted audiences to grasp its subtle satire. So impressed was he that he ranked it higher than the Oscar-nominated “The Killing Fields” on his 1984 year-end top 10 list.

This Is Spinal Tap


Clayton Call/Getty Images

We start off with what might be the least shocking inclusion on this list. It isn’t tough to find a critic who loved “This Is Spinal Tap” — the mock rockumentary about a washed-up band trying to push through a tour that is falling apart, a fact that is obvious to pretty much everyone but them — and it’s generally hailed as a cult classic movie everyone needs to watch. But we included it because Ebert proclaimed it “one of the funniest films ever made” in a retrospective review in 2001, when he added to his list of Great Movies. 

In his original four-star review, Ebert was no less effusive with praise for “This Is Spinal Tap.” He commended the film for its then-novel approach to presenting itself as a documentary, and appreciated that the movie trusts the audience to get what it’s trying to do and pick up on the sometimes quite subtle satire on display. On his year-end top 10 for 1984, he not only included “This Is Spinal Tap” but even ranked it above the best picture Oscar nominee, “The Killing Fields.” 

L.A. Story


Columbia Tristar/Getty Images

When considering the film career of Steve Martin, most people either default to early classics like “Three Amigos” and “Planes, Trains and Automobiles,” or they associate the comedian more with bigger box office hits like “Father of the Bride” and “Cheaper by the Dozen.” As such, some of his greatest movies get overlooked — such as 1991’s rom-com satire “L.A. Story,” which Martin wrote and stars in as an unlucky-in-love TV weatherman. We put it right in the middle of our ranking of Martin’s best movies — not a bad showing, but seemingly not befitting a film that Roger Ebert deems worthy of four stars.

In his review, Ebert says “L.A. Story” represents Martin finally finding “the right comic presence for the movies,” toning down the chaotic energy of his earlier performances for a more effortless — but still hilarious — charm. For context, Ebert hated “Three Amigos” and wasn’t crazy about “The Jerk” either. Ebert also points out that Martin’s working on the script for “L.A. Story” for seven years was time well spent, resulting in an expertly crafted and tightly polished comedy gem. “There’s never the feeling that anything is being punched up, or made to carry more than its share,” Ebert writes.

Silent Movie


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Mel Brooks has been so prolific in the spoof genre that we included four of his films on our list of the best spoof movies of all time — “Young Frankenstein” and “Spaceballs” are two of his most popular; “High Anxiety” is an underrated send-up of Alfred Hitchcock thrillers; and cult favorite “Robin Hood: Men in Tights.” And that isn’t even all of his great spoofs. Another of his lesser-known entries, “Silent Movie,” is a favorite of Roger Ebert — far more so than “High Anxiety,” “Men in Tights,” or “Spaceballs,” which he liked far less, based on his reviews.

“Silent Movie” didn’t half-ass its premise, with only one word spoken audibly in the entire film. The movie’s very meta concept is that silent-era filmmaker Mel Funn (Brooks) wants to make a new silent movie in the 1970s. And he becomes convinced that a studio will fund the film if he can get big stars to be in it — cue an impressive procession of Hollywood royalty playing themselves in cameos.

Ebert loved the movie, saying in his review, “On the Brooks-Laff-O-Meter, I laughed more than in ‘Young Frankenstein’ and about as much as in ‘Blazing Saddles.’” High praise indeed. Much of the last paragraph of his review is just listing what he deems “classic” moments in the movie, coming up with six of them before having to stop himself, clearly having more in mind. 

Withnail and I


HandMade Films

One of the funniest comedies you’ve never seen is “Withnail and I,” a 1987 dark buddy comedy that Roger Ebert added to his Great Movies list. The semi-autobiographical film based on writer/director Bruce Robinson’s life stars Paul McGann as Robinson’s stand-in, Marwood, and Richard E. Grant as his pal, Withnail. They’re two struggling actors who lazily fumble their way into wild misadventures in both urban and rural England.

Ebert actually got pretty personal in his 2009 review (he didn’t review it upon its original release) of “Withnail and I,” relating to the film’s protagonists by admitting that he and his friends also thought they had the world figured out as they’d hang out and drink — and of course, knowing now that nothing could’ve been further from the truth. “‘Withnail and I’ […] conveys the experience of being drunk so well that the only way I could improve upon it would be to stand behind you and hammer your head with two-pound bags of frozen peas,” he wrote.

Elsewhere, Ebert asks, “Why does the film, which I have made sound so depressing, remain so popular after more than 20 years?” To which he answers his own query thusly: “It achieves a kind of transcendence in its gloom. It is uncompromisingly, sincerely, itself. It is not a lesson or a lecture, it is funny but in a consistent way that it earns, and it is unforgettably acted.” 

Rango


Rango posing near a cactus in Rango (2011)

Paramount

As you are no doubt aware, Roger Ebert passed away in 2013 from the thyroid and salivary gland cancer that took away his ability to speak seven years prior. But Ebert continued to write movie reviews until the end, with his final review actually being published posthumously. With all that in mind, we wanted to include a comedy he raved about in the final stretch of his life and career. “Rango” would end up being one of his final 4-star reviews of a comedy.

“Rango” was an odd film indeed, marketed as a typical kids’ animated romp but actually best appreciated by older audiences who will get all the references to movies of the ’60s and ’70s. To be sure, there are many things only adults notice in “Rango,” the story of the shy titular anthropomorphic chameleon (voiced by Johnny Depp) who somehow finds himself the sheriff of a frontier town. After attempting to get by just cosplaying as a lawman, Rango is soon left with no choice other than to actually become the brave hero he was always meant to be.

Ebert was completely smitten with “Rango,” calling it “some kind of a miracle” in his review because it is “wonderfully made, great to look at, wickedly satirical.” He also clearly had a bone to pick with 3D movies, all the rage when “Rango” was released, as he mentions several times how great it is that “Rango” didn’t have a 3D version, and hoped it would convince more people how unnecessary 3D is. 



Upcoming Changes to SNAP Regulations: Essential Information Before Implementation

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Upcoming Changes to SNAP Regulations: Essential Information Before Implementation


Related video above: News coverage from when the SNAP restrictions on soda and candy were being debated in 2025.

(NEXSTAR) – An increasing number of states, nearly a dozen to be exact, are planning to implement stricter limitations on what can be purchased with SNAP benefits in the coming months.

This trend is part of a broader initiative aimed at encouraging healthier eating habits among recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The Trump administration has described this shift as a move towards “real food.”

In recent months, numerous states have started to enforce new guidelines regarding SNAP expenditures. These updated policies predominantly prohibit the purchase of items such as soda, energy drinks, and candy with SNAP funds.

Chilling Last Photograph: Inside the Mind of the Infamous Truck Stop Killer Before His Heinous Act

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Chilling Last Photograph: Inside the Mind of the Infamous Truck Stop Killer Before His Heinous Act

At first glance, these images might seem like those of a young girl simply avoiding the camera, but a closer look reveals a far more chilling story.

The distressing photos capture 14-year-old Regina Kay Walters, her eyes filled with terror, as serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades, infamously known as the ‘Truck Stop Killer,’ documented what are believed to be her final moments.

Rhoades, notorious for his gruesome crimes, had forced Regina into a black dress and heels, shaved her head and pubic hair, and even pierced her with fishhooks, turning the ordeal into a macabre photoshoot, according to former FBI investigator Mark Young.

Taken in a barn in Illinois, these haunting images are thought to have been captured in March 1990, just moments before Rhoades tragically ended Walters’ life.

Regina went missing while traveling with her 18-year-old boyfriend, Ricky Lee Jones, after the pair accepted a ride from the truck driver Rhoades.

Investigators believe Jones was murdered shortly afterward, while Walters was held captive, tortured and killed inside the rural barn.

The photographs were recovered from his belongings after Rhoades’ arrest and later became one of the most powerful pieces of evidence against him.

As well as Walters’ murder, Rhoades was convicted of killing hitchhiking newlyweds Patricia Walsh and Douglas Zyskowski, though investigators believe he may have been responsible for as many as 50 deaths. 

Robert Ben Rhoades photographed 14-year-old Regina Walters inside an abandoned Illinois barn shortly before her murder in 1990

Robert Ben Rhoades photographed 14-year-old Regina Walters inside an abandoned Illinois barn shortly before her murder in 1990

He had bought the black dress and heels he made her wear in the photos. The pictures were recovered from his belongings after his arrest

He had bought the black dress and heels he made her wear in the photos. The pictures were recovered from his belongings after his arrest 

Walters (pictured) had run away from her home in Pasadena with her 18-year-old boyfriend Ricky Lee Jones to start a new life in Mexico when the pair accepted a ride from Rhoades

Walters (pictured) had run away from her home in Pasadena with her 18-year-old boyfriend Ricky Lee Jones to start a new life in Mexico when the pair accepted a ride from Rhoades

He was arrested on April 1, 1990, after an Arizona state trooper discovered a naked woman chained inside a hidden compartment in his truck.

Regina Kay Walters and Ricky Lee Jones’ murders

Walters was just 14 years old when she ran away from her home in Pasadena, Texas, with Jones in February 1990.

Friends later described Jones, who had spent much of his childhood in foster care, as a quiet teenager devoted to Walters. The couple planned to hitchhike to Mexico and start a new life together and accepted a ride from Rhoades.

But things took a tragic turn. Police believe Rhoades killed Jones soon after picking them up but kept Walters captive for at least two weeks before eventually murdering her. 

Young also said Rhoades taunted Walters’ father during her captivity, allegedly telling him: ‘I made some changes. I cut her hair.’ In another call, he reportedly suggested she had been left in a barn. 

Former FBI investigator Young previously told GQ that the photographs recovered from Rhoades’ possession appeared to document changes in Walters’ appearance and injuries over time, leading investigators to conclude she had been held captive before her murder.

Investigators believe Walters was strangled with a garrote fashioned from baling wire and said the wire used to kill her had been twisted repeatedly beyond what was necessary to cause death, suggesting the killing itself was part of the torture, Young said. 

Her decomposed body was discovered on September 29, 1990, in the loft of a barn near Stockton, Illinois, nearly six months after Rhoades was arrested in Arizona.

Months earlier, the partial skeleton of Jones was found near Harleton, Texas, on May 26, 1990. He had been shot in the head. Rhoades has never been charged or convicted of Jones’ murder due to lack of evidence.

Serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades was a long-haul truck driver who was dubbed the 'Truck Stop Killer'

Serial killer Robert Ben Rhoades was a long-haul truck driver who was dubbed the ‘Truck Stop Killer’

Who is Robert Ben Rhoades? 

Born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1945, Rhoades had accumulated a lengthy criminal record long before his name became linked to one of America’s most notorious serial killer investigations.

He was arrested as a teenager for offenses including fighting and vehicle tampering before joining the Marines. His military career ended with a dishonorable discharge following a robbery conviction.

By the 1970s, Rhoades was working as a long-haul truck driver, a job that gave him access to highways spanning the country.

Much of his life during the 1980s remains unclear. While driving cross-country, he was reportedly active on Houston’s BDSM and swinger scene but maintained what appeared to be a conventional life with his wife, Debra Davis, even as investigators suspect he was already targeting victims.

Former investigators said many of the women Rhoades preyed upon were runaways, hitchhikers and others living on the margins of society. Davis later recalled to GQ writer Vanessa Veselka that he referred to such women as ‘invisible people.’

After his arrest, Rhoades reportedly claimed he had been ‘doing this’ for 15 years. If true, this would place the beginning of his crimes in the mid-1970s.

Investigators also uncovered a disturbing family history. Rhoades’ father had been arrested for sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl before taking his own life ahead of trial.

Authorities ultimately concluded that Rhoades was a sexual sadist who kidnapped women, held them captive and subjected them to prolonged torture and sexual abuse before killing them – otherwise known as the ‘kidnap, torture, kill’ method.

Robert Ben Rhoades maintained a secret life on the BDSM scene before becoming a serial killer

Robert Ben Rhoades maintained a secret life on the BDSM scene before becoming a serial killer

The victims who came before Walters 

Investigators later determined Walters was not Rhoades’ first known victim.

In 2012, he pleaded guilty to the murders of newlyweds Walsh, 24, and Zyskowski, 28.

The couple had hitchhiked to Georgia from Seattle to attend a religious convention in November 1989.

After beginning their return trip west, investigators believe they accepted a ride from Rhoades near El Paso, Texas, in January 1990.

Prosecutors said Rhoades killed Zyskowski shortly after picking up the couple and held Walsh captive for about a week before torturing and murdering her. 

His body was found along Interstate 10 in Texas later in January 1990, but he was not identified until 1992.

Meanwhile, Walsh’s remains were discovered in Millard County, Utah by deer hunters in October 1990.

Her DNA remained unidentified for years before advances in forensic technology linked her in 2003.

The guilty plea spared Rhoades from a possible death sentence and added two more murder convictions to his record.

Patricia Walsh was traveling across the country with her husband Douglas Zyskowski when the newlyweds disappeared after accepting a ride from Rhoades in 1990

Patricia Walsh was traveling across the country with her husband Douglas Zyskowski when the newlyweds disappeared after accepting a ride from Rhoades in 1990

Deer hunters found Douglas Zyskowski's skeletal remains in Utah in 1990 after he vanished during a cross-country hitchhiking trip

Deer hunters found Douglas Zyskowski’s skeletal remains in Utah in 1990 after he vanished during a cross-country hitchhiking trip

The survivor who almost stopped him 

Not every woman who encountered Rhoades was killed.

Young recalled survivor Shana Holts, an 18-year-old who authorities said escaped from Rhoades in January 1990, just days before Walters was abducted.

According to Young, Holts had been picked up at a truck stop and held her captive inside his truck where he allegedly tortured and raped her. She escaped when he stopped at a brewery in Houston and had left her unchained.

Young said Holts led police back to Rhoades’ truck, but authorities were ultimately forced to release him after she declined to press charges.

Holts later said she feared she would not be believed despite what had happened to her.

The close call meant Rhoades remained free when Walters and Jones crossed his path days later.

How he was captured 

Rhoades’ crimes and dark past did not begin to emerge until April 1, 1990 when an Arizona state trooper stopped to investigate his tractor-trailer parked at the side of a road.

Retired FBI agent Robert F Lee found a naked woman chained inside the truck. She was still alive.

When they searched the truck further they uncovered a hidden compartment concealed behind the driver’s seat.

Prosecutors would later describe it as a ‘mobile torture chamber.’

Hidden from view except through a narrow opening between the truck’s seats, the compartment contained restraints mounted to the ceiling, along with chains, cords, whips, leashes, sex toys, pins and fishhooks.

Handcuffs dangled overhead, where victims were bound and tortured with what investigators described as Rhoades’ ‘murder kit.’ 

Investigators said the space allowed Rhoades to keep victims captive while continuing to travel the country’s highways.

Sick photos

The FBI released this photograph of an unidentified woman found among evidence linked to Robert Ben Rhoades

The FBI released this photograph of an unidentified woman found among evidence linked to Robert Ben Rhoades

Decades after Rhoades’ arrest, investigators were still trying to identify who the women were in photographs recovered from his apartment.

One mystery was solved in 2019 when Canadian woman Pamela Milliken came forward after claiming to recognize herself in a photograph released by investigators.

‘I knew right away that it was me,’ Milliken told APTN News at the time.

According to Milliken, she was hitchhiking from Saskatchewan to Winnipeg in the spring of 1985 when she waved down a truck driver she later identified as Rhoades.

She said he introduced himself as ‘Robert’ and photographed her moments after she climbed into the truck, telling her it was for security purposes in case she stole from him.

During the journey, Milliken said he pointed to a bumper sticker that read: ‘Cash, Grass or Ass – Nobody rides for free.’

‘I didn’t have any money. I didn’t smoke pot, so I knew which one it would be,’ she said.

Milliken said the pair later had consensual sex before he dropped her off unharmed in Winnipeg.

Young had previously told Veselka that the photograph was found alongside images of Regina Walters despite the encounter occurring years earlier.

Unlike many women who crossed paths with Robert Ben Rhoades, Pamela Milliken survived the encounter and was ultimately released

Unlike many women who crossed paths with Robert Ben Rhoades, Pamela Milliken survived the encounter and was ultimately released 

Pamela Milliken came forward after recognizing herself in an FBI-released photograph recovered from Robert Ben Rhoades' belongings

Pamela Milliken came forward after recognizing herself in an FBI-released photograph recovered from Robert Ben Rhoades’ belongings

Investigators said they believe Rhoades may have been responsible for far more murders than the three he has been convicted of

Investigators said they believe Rhoades may have been responsible for far more murders than the three he has been convicted of

Veselka later recounted her own a frightening run-in with a truck driver she suspected may have been Rhoades.

She wrote that the man allegedly pulled a knife on her before ultimately telling her to run.

She escaped unharmed but has never definitively identified the driver as Rhoades.

How many did he kill? 

Investigators have long suspected the true number of Rhoades’ victims was much higher than the three murders he has been convicted of.

Former FBI agents and law enforcement officials compared his trucking routes with missing persons reports and unsolved murders across multiple states.

According to former investigators interviewed by GQ and All That’s Interesting, Rhoades may have killed as many as 50 women during his years on the road, though that estimate has never been proven.

Rhoades, now 80, remains imprisoned at Menard Correctional Center in Illinois, serving multiple life sentences without the possibility of parole.

Tragic Discovery: Missing American Student Located Deceased in Japan’s Remote Mountain Area

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Tragic Discovery: Missing American Student Located Deceased in Japan’s Remote Mountain Area

A family trip to Japan turned tragic when a volunteer search team located the body of an Auburn University student in a mountainous forest region, one week after his disappearance.

The student, James “Weston” Higginbotham, aged 20, was found lifeless near Kyoto, his family revealed through a post on social media.

This discovery followed the conclusion of the official search by police the previous day.

“Our hearts are shattered,” the family from Birmingham, Alabama, expressed in their online announcement. “The depth of our sorrow is beyond words.”

Kyoto authorities informed CNN that volunteers uncovered Higginbotham’s body at approximately 2:35 p.m. on Saturday in the Yamashina area’s mountainous terrain.

Police in Kyoto told CNN that Higginbotham was discovered around 2:35 p.m. Saturday by volunteers searching the mountains in the city’s Yamashina area.

What happened to Higginbotham remains a mystery, at least to the many Americans and local Japanese residents who have been following the case, which was covered by major broadcast networks and went viral on social media.

No foul play is suspected, police told the cable news network, but inexplicably said they will not disclose a cause of death.

Described as a “passionate naturalist,” the young man vanished May 29 after leaving his parents and brother to explore Kyoto on his own.

The young Higginbotham, who was “anti AI,” argued with his mother over her use of ChatGPT, which he believed depleted natural resources such as water, she said in an interview with CBS Mornings.

“It’s a sore subject with us,” she said.

Using an app called Life360 to track his movements, his parents saw he boarded a train and went to several stores. His location was turned off shortly after his family texted him to ask where he was headed.

That was not typical of him, his mother said.

Weston also reportedly was spotted on CCTV footage walking in the city’s Yamashina area, traveling a path that led to a hiking trail in the nearby woods.

Police decided on June 2 to search the forest area, but wind and heavy rain in the region hindered their search. That search, which involved K-9 tracking dogs, helicopters, and more than 100 police officers, concluded Friday.

On Saturday, the family hired their own search-and-rescue team and marshaled a group of local residents who volunteered to help, according to CBS Mornings.

The volunteer group reportedly focused on areas of the forest that police did not search.

Following the discovery of Weston’s body, the family expressed their gratitude to everyone who helped and supported them.

They wrote:

We are deeply grateful to the countless people across the United States, Japan, and around the world who shared Weston’s story, prayed for our family, offered encouragement, and helped in the search efforts. The outpouring of kindness and support has carried us through the darkest days of our lives.

There was also no word from the family about a suspected or determined cause of death.

“We shared our story here and in the media in the hope of finding Weston,” the statement said. “We now ask for privacy as we begin to navigate this unimaginable loss.”

“We will always love you, Weston,” the statement concluded.

Contributor Lowell Cauffiel is the author of the New York Times true crime best seller House of Secrets and nine other crime novels and nonfiction titles. See lowellcauffiel.com for more.
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