WASHINGTON — Usha Vance, the second lady, has addressed rumors swirling about her husband, hinting at a possible 2028 presidential run.

As a mother of four, she expressed her support for any such decision by her husband, emphasizing, however, that Vice President JD Vance is currently zeroed in on the upcoming midterm elections, where the Republicans face tough odds in their quest to maintain control of the House.

“I approach this one step at a time,” she revealed on “Fox & Friends” during a Wednesday broadcast. “At the moment, his primary focus is on the midterms.”

She further explained, “For me, it’s about concentrating on the opportunities I have in this four-year tenure. I aim to remain open-hearted and adaptable to whatever the future may hold, having witnessed our ability to navigate various changes.”

Vice President Vance has also downplayed the presidential buzz, reiterating that his current emphasis lies squarely on the midterm elections.

Just last month, Usha gave birth to the second family’s fourth child, Alex.

“He’s a great newborn,” she remarked. “He must know his place in the world because he’s a fourth child. He has been so relaxed compared to a couple of his siblings. So we’re actually sleeping pretty well and feeling pretty good.”

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She revealed that JD has been reading the “Hobbit” to their children before bedtime and touted her campaign to boost child literacy

The veep joked earlier this week that Usha previously suggested it might be difficult to have both a fourth child and pursue the vice presidency.

“The second lady said, ‘Well, you can have one of two things. You can be VP, or you can have a fourth child.’ Ladies and gentlemen, I must be pretty persuasive, because I got both,” JD quipped at an event in Maine.

Many recent presidents have had young children. During President Trump’s first term, his youngest son, Barron, was just 10 years old. Former President Barack Obama took office with a 10- and 7-year-old.

JD has routinely been polled as the 2028 GOP presidential frontrunner, followed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Trump has mused publicly about whether JD or Rubio would be stronger as the party’s standard-bearer.

Usha hinted that she will be supportive of her husband’s 2028 decision.

“Whatever it is that he feels is the right thing for him to do, we’re going to have a good time doing it,” Usha said of her husband’s potential presidential prospects. “We will make the best of it in the best possible way.”

In a dramatic turn of events, three senior Secret Service officials, including the agency’s chief spokesperson, have been escorted out of their offices due to an internal misconduct investigation.

Communications director Anthony Guglielmi and two others in his department left on Monday, sources told Real Clear Politics.

These officials have been placed on administrative leave. In the process, their security clearances have been revoked, and their work-related devices seized, as reported by CNN.

While the Secret Service remains tight-lipped about the specific details of the investigation, it’s been revealed that both the CIA and the FBI are involved in the matter.

The investigation coincides with FBI Director Kash Patel’s ongoing efforts to identify the source of a media leak concerning former President Donald Trump’s secretive airplane switch at the Ankara tarmac post-NATO summit last month.

Reports detailed that during the incident, the President made a discreet exit from Air Force One via a catering cart, leaving some Cabinet members behind while departing with only his closest aides, including personal secretary Natalie Harp, due to a threat from Iranian operatives.

The Secret Service has faced mounting scrutiny in recent years following several high-profile security lapses while protecting Trump.

FBI agents reportedly questioned several Secret Service officials after it was first revealed that the President did not leave Turkey aboard the Qatari-gifted plane. 

Guglielmi has overseen the Secret Service’s communications department since the Biden administration, including during the fallout from the attempted assassination of Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, which led to the agency director’s resignation.

He previously served as the communications chief for the Chicago and Baltimore Police departments during times of civil unrest. 

Last month, Guglielmi announced that an agent assigned to Vice President JD Vance was facing a criminal inquiry over a suspected media leak.

The case erupted after agents were quoted complaining about last-minute travel requests from Vance and his family, raising concerns that operational details had been compromised.

It followed disciplinary action against six agents over the Butler assassination failures, marking a turbulent year in which director Sean Curran has tried to rebuild an agency battered by security lapses and internal mistrust.

The suspensions were imposed in February 2025 but were not made public until five months later.

Curran is a longtime member of Trump’s protective detail who helped shield him during the Butler shooting before the president personally selected him to lead the agency.

He has since pushed to overhaul training, equipment and coordination with local law enforcement while imposing greater accountability for security failures. 

The agency has also recorded recent successes after agents stopped an armed gunman before he could reach the ballroom where Trump was attending the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in April. 

Two months later, the Secret Service worked with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies to thwart an alleged drone-and-sniper attack targeting the UFC Freedom 250 event at the White House.

A high-ranking dean from Rutgers University in New Jersey finds himself entangled in legal troubles after accusations of covertly filming “up-skirt” videos during his tenure at the institution.

Joshua Kohut, a 51-year-old resident of Cranberry, is now facing a charge of “fourth-degree invasion of privacy.” This accusation emerged following an investigation that uncovered the damning footage on electronic devices seized from him under a search warrant.

Kohut, who holds a prominent role as a Dean of Research within the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences, is prominently featured on online platforms for the University as well as on LinkedIn.

On his professional profiles, Kohut describes his involvement in diverse research and education ventures, including studies dedicated to storm intensity, offshore wind energy, and polar ecosystems in Antarctica, among other significant scientific inquiries.

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Kohut has a Ph.D. in Physical Oceanography from Rutgers and has decades of experience and according to his CV. He a professor of marine and coastal sciences, earned his Ph.D. in 2002 and has been a faculty member there since 2008.

“The defendant is alleged to have used his mobile phone to record ‘upskirt’ videos without his victim’s knowledge. An invasion of privacy like this is not just disturbing, it is also a criminal act. We will prosecute accordingly,” Attorney General Davenport said.

If convicted, Kohut faces up to 18 months behind bars and a fine up to $10,000 for the alleged crimes.

In a statement sent to News Media a spokesperson for the university said, “The university placed Josh Kohut on administrative leave after being informed of the extremely disturbing charges. The research dean also is banned from campus pending the outcome of an investigation.”

News Media has reached out to Kohut for comment.

WASHINGTON — On Wednesday, President Trump dismissed rumors swirling around CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s unexpected journey to Moscow, clarifying that the visit was not about warning President Vladimir Putin against testing NATO’s resolve or making threats towards England. Ratcliffe’s unannounced four-hour meeting on Tuesday had set off a flurry of speculations.

During a conversation with radio host Glenn Beck, Trump was asked whether Ratcliffe’s visit was centered on discussions about Iran sanctions or delivering a cautionary message to Putin.

“None of the above,” Trump responded. “He’s there on what you might call a semi-routine mission. I hate to let people down with that,” he added.

The president hinted that Ratcliffe’s discussions might have been related to the long-standing efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“We are eager to see the end of the war in Ukraine. It’s a conflict that should never have begun, Glenn,” Trump elaborated.

“If I were president … you wouldn’t have had the war with Ukraine, and you wouldn’t have had 25 million people coming into our country like they did. Just come in like we were a bunch of fools. It was so sad,” Trump said.

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“John Ratcliffe is a fantastic guy. He’s the head of the CIA, and he is not in there for any of the things that you said. Now something may come out, you know, out of it. We’re working very hard to get that war ended, and frankly, they both want to see it ended at this point.”

Ratcliffe’s visit was the first known trip to Russia by a CIA director since William Burns visited in late 2021 as US intelligence indicated Russia intended to invade Ukraine, which it did the following February.

That history spurred speculation that the US might be warning Russia against some looming action.

There also were theories that Ratcliffe wanted to discuss the newly launched Operation Economic Outcast, which aims to sever Iran’s economic ties with countries such as China and Russia to force a nuclear deal to end that war.

Ratcliffe is one of Trump’s most trusted advisers and has been heavily involved with the Iran conflict, winning the president’s praise for secretive CIA operations in the early phase of fighting.

Russia-Ukraine peace efforts have been, to date, handled primarily by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law, who traveled to Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin in January.

Speculation over Ratcliffe is heightened due to secrecy around Trump’s departure from the annual NATO conference in Turkey last month — with a publicly announced plane swap purportedly to let US troops tour the new Air Force One followed by a second secret transfer due to intelligence on Iranian threats.

CHICAGO (WLS) — In Edgewater, Chicago, an evolving tribute at the feet of a Dolly Parton mural is attracting admirers who insist that her impact surpasses her illustrious musical journey.

Bouquets and flickering candles now adorn the area in front of The Lytle House on Broadway. Fans are gathering to honor the beloved country star, actress, and philanthropist, who passed away at 80 in Nashville after a brief cancer fight, as confirmed by her representatives.

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“Dolly was a woman who courageously voiced her thoughts, standing firm on her beliefs without sowing discord,” shared Michelle Lytle, the owner of The Lytle House.

For those who cherished her, Parton embodied a legacy of warmth and empathy.

“Love and kindness were Dolly’s guiding lights. She truly exemplified what it means to be loving, and her absence is profoundly felt,” expressed admirer Curtis Kimberlin.

For some, memories of personal encounters with Parton have resurfaced following news of her death.

David Hernandez said he met Parton by chance at O’Hare International Airport when he was 9 years old.

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In a heart-wrenching incident that rocked a serene Montana community, a man fatally shot eight relatives, including four children, during what should have been a peaceful Sunday dinner. According to a family member, the shooter’s parents had requested that he vacate the family’s property several weeks prior to the tragedy.

Brad Ireland informed The Associated Press that the perpetrator, Alan Smith, aged 44, was responsible for the brutal act that claimed the lives of Ireland’s former wife and their two children. The Billings Police Department has labeled the massacre as an “unimaginable tragedy.” Smith reportedly ended his life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, leaving investigators to piece together the motives behind this dark event.

The Associated Press identified the victims as Brad Ireland’s ex-wife, Megan Ghekiere, along with their children, 13-year-old Owen and 7-year-old Chloe. Tragically, Megan’s stepchildren—Landon Ghekiere, 15, and Charlotte Ghekiere, 12—also perished, along with Smith’s parents, Dana and Barb, and his grandmother, Evelyn.

“What we know for sure is that Charlotte was a hero,” shared Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor and close family friend who has initiated an online fundraiser to help cover the funerals and related expenses. Mercer emphasized the importance of recognizing Charlotte’s brave actions. “Charlotte called 911 and attempted to save her family. It’s crucial that people know her courageous efforts.”

The Billings Police Department said it responded to a 911 call of an active shooting at 6:01 p.m. Sunday and heard shots fired from the back of the house. Minutes later, the property was fully engulfed in flames.

Firefighters ultimately fought the blaze until around 1 a.m. Monday, according to Billings Fire Department Chief Matt Hoppel. The home is in a subdivision outside of city limits that’s not required to have fire hydrants.

“Due to the condition and structural integrity of the residence, recovery and investigative efforts must be conducted carefully and methodically,” the Billings Police Department said Tuesday, adding that, “we extend our sincere and heartfelt condolences to the families and loved ones affected by this unimaginable tragedy.”

Mercer described the family as “very loving and close,” and said the children all got along and that their parents remained amicable even after divorcing.

The Smith family was originally from the Seattle area. Ireland said that after he and Megan Ghekiere divorced six years ago, she moved to Montana with their children and met the man who would become her second husband, Adam Ghekiere, who was working and not at the home when the shooting occurred.

She and Alan’s parents, Dana and Barb Smith, soon followed, buying a house in Billings near their daughter’s home. Evelyn Smith, their grandmother, lived in a nearby retirement community, Ireland said.

Alan Smith, who also moved in with his parents in Montana, was described by Ireland as a “hermit” who spent most of his days in his room on his computer.

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“No one knew what he did in there 24/7,” he said.

Smith’s parents had asked Alan to move out weeks ago after he stayed with them for years, Ireland told the AP.

Alan Smith had attended Eastern Washington University but had been unable to find or hold a job, the AP reported. Ireland told the news agency that to his knowledge, Alan Smith had never been violent, though he could be verbally abusive.

Adam Ghekiere, who works at the airport in Billings, told the AP that he heard over a dispatch radio about an active shooting. After calling each member of his family, he raced across town to the Smith home.

When he got there, the house was ablaze, and two hours later, he learned his wife and children had been killed. His children weren’t supposed to be there because family dinner was usually on Friday, he said.

“I don’t think he expected my kids to be there,” Ghekiere said, referring to his brother-in-law. “Monster isn’t even enough to describe what he did.”

A GoFundMe page said Adam Ghekiere’s 15-year-old son Landon, who was set to enter his sophomore year of high school, was “looking forward to getting his driver’s license this week and was a patient, protective, and loving big brother.”

“Charlotte was 12 and preparing to begin seventh grade. Funny, precocious, and adorable — with just the right amount of stubborn — Charlotte had an angelic smile and loved posing for pictures,” it added.

A heartbreaking report has surfaced, confirming that Emilie Kiser, a prominent mommy influencer, tragically lost her 3-year-old son, Trigg, to an anoxic brain injury resulting from drowning. This revelation comes over a year after the devastating incident rocked the family.

The tragic incident occurred in May 2025 when Trigg fell into the family’s unfenced swimming pool located in Arizona. At the time, Kiser’s husband, Brady, was alone at home, caring for their two children.

According to a report from the Maricopa County medical examiner, released this Tuesday and detailed by People magazine, Trigg’s death has been classified as an accident.

In his statement to the police, Brady recounted losing sight of young Trigg after the child ventured outside following their evening meal. Brady admitted he was preoccupied with the couple’s newborn, who was just five weeks old, when the incident occurred.

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Investigators disclosed that Trigg had been left unattended for nearly 10 minutes and was submerged in the pool for approximately seven minutes before being rescued.

He died on May 18, 2025 — six days later.

Kiser has since revealed that she has forgiven her husband.