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Long Island Teacher in Student Rape Case Arrested for Stalking

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A former Long Island art teacher who was fired after being accused of raping a student in his classroom has been arrested again — this time for allegedly stalking the same young woman.

The former Bay Shore High School student dialed 911 Thursday morning after she allegedly saw 53-year-old John Kennedy following her when she left her Bay Shore home and traveled to an undisclosed location in Selden, Suffolk County police said.

“Suffolk County Police today arrested a high school teacher for stalking a former student that he had sexual affairs with previously,” a department spokesperson said. Kennedy was taken into custody Thursday evening at his home in St. James, authorities said.

John Kennedy, 53, was arrested for stalking a former student that he is accused of grooming and raping. Suffolk County Police Department

The alleged stalking incident involving the now-18-year-old accuser came just over a week after she filed a blistering lawsuit against the Bay Shore school district. In court papers, she accused school administrators of failing to shield her from a “serial sexual predator” who allegedly raped her repeatedly inside his own classroom.

Kennedy, once described by many current and former students as their “favorite” teacher, was first identified by The Post in October after allegations surfaced that he had sex with the then-17-year-old senior in his art class. He had been placed on administrative leave amid the scandal before his firing.

The girl was of the legal age of consent in New York at the time of the alleged abuse, and a Suffolk County police probe was initially closed after finding no evidence of criminal conduct.

But her lawyer, Andrew Silvershein, claimed Kennedy occupied a position of power as a teacher that made the relationship inherently exploitative, regardless of the age of consent.

The lawsuit also alleged the school district had an obligation to protect the former student from being sexually groomed by the teacher — and ignored warning signs along the way. 

Bay Shore High School in Bay Shore, NY, with a sign announcing closures for Yom Kippur and Columbus Day, and a board meeting.

Bay Shore High School. Google Maps

Bay Shore Superintendent Steven Maloney has maintained that the district acted swiftly once it learned of the allegations and immediately placed Kennedy on administrative leave, barred the creep from campus and alerted Suffolk police.

The scandal marks the third high-profile incident involving possible sexual misconduct by Bay Shore teachers.

In November 2024, the district was ordered to pay $25 million in damages tied to a case involving Thomas Bernagozzi, a retired third-grade teacher who was accused of sexually abusing students for more than three decades.

A Suffolk County jury found the district ignored repeated warning signs about the child predator, whose abuse spanned the 1970s through the early 2000s — and over 50 former students have since come forward.

Marcus Johnson, a teacher’s assistant at the high school, was also charged with raping a 15-year-old student in 2017.

The Post was unable to find a working phone number for Kennedy.

Longest-Serving Female Prisoner Back Behind Bars Weeks After Release

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Britain’s longest-serving female prisoner has been sent back to jail only weeks after being released.

Maria Pearson, 70, who was branded an “evil psychopath,” walked free in July after spending nearly four decades in prison for the 1986 fatal stabbing of her love rival, Janet Newton.

Her release was approved by the Parole Board at the tenth time of asking, following nine failed attempts to secure freedom — even though there had been warnings she could still present a “high risk” of causing “serious harm”.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, relatives of Ms Newton said they “dreaded” what might happen next and insisted they believed Pearson was still “dangerous”.

It has now emerged that Pearson has been recalled to prison, apparently after breaching a condition of her licence.

In response, Ms Newton’s sister Lynn said it was the ‘most positive update that myself and my family could have hoped for’.

Calling for ‘lessons to be learnt,’ she added that she now hopes Pearson will spend the rest of her life behind bars.

‘I don’t believe she should have been released after the prison psychologist recommended an open prison first as she was highly likely to reoffend,’ the 59-year-old told Teesside Live. 

Maria Pearson (pictured), now 70, who stabbed her ex-boyfriend's new partner to death,has been recalled to prison just weeks after spending nearly 40 years behind bars

Maria Pearson (pictured), now 70, who stabbed her ex-boyfriend’s new partner to death,has been recalled to prison just weeks after spending nearly 40 years behind bars

Building society worker Janet Newton (pictured) was murdered by Pearson in 1986

Building society worker Janet Newton (pictured) was murdered by Pearson in 1986

‘The Parole Board need to take accountability that they dismissed recommendations and made the wrong decision. 

‘A lesson needs to be learned. 

‘I hope with all my heart that she stops in prison until the day she dies, there is no place in society for her, she has proven that by being recalled only two weeks after release.’ 

Pearson, from Hartlepool, married welder Malcolm Pearson bigamously in 1986 – days after the birth of their daughter. 

Their ‘doomed’ relationship was ‘intense and stormy’ and their baby was taken into care after a serious incident at their home.

After the couple split, the welder began a relationship with building society worker Ms Newton – leaving Pearson consumed with jealousy.

She stalked her rival and sent hate letters to her mother.

Finally on October 19, 1986, two days after her ex became engaged to Ms Newton, she plunged a knife 17 times into her chest after confronting her in the street.

The knife penetrated 23-year-old Ms Newton’s heart and she was left lying in a pool of blood, Teesside Crown Court later heard.

Pearson's 'doomed' relationship with Malcolm Pearson (pictured) was 'intense and stormy' and their baby was taken into care after a serious incident at their home

Pearson’s ‘doomed’ relationship with Malcolm Pearson (pictured) was ‘intense and stormy’ and their baby was taken into care after a serious incident at their home

Aged 31, Pearson was found guilty of murder in 1987 and ordered to serve a minimum 12 years of a life sentence before being considered for parole.

However her requests to be released were repeatedly turned down, leading to campaigners labelling her the UK’s ‘forgotten inmate’.

In 2006, then Home Secretary John Reid rejected a Parole Board recommendation for Pearson to be moved to an open prison and prepared for release.

She was later twice moved to an open prison before being returned to higher-security jails amid concerns over her behaviour. 

Finally in June 2026, the Parole Board approved her release on licence – despite offender managers assessing that she ‘posed a high risk of causing serious harm’.

It said the ‘finely balanced decision’ was made on the basis that once Pearson is freed, she would have to abide ‘strictly’ by conditions including being tracked by GPS for 12 months and follow a curfew.

The decision comes after she has served almost 39 years – longer than notorious Moors Murderer Myra Hindley, who had been locked up for 36 years when she died in November 2002.

In response, Ms Newton’s sister told the Daily Mail she ‘dreaded’ to think what would happen now Pearson was free.

‘I just hope another family doesn’t have to go through what we have gone through,’ she added.

‘I don’t think she will be able to cope in the outside world.’

Following Pearson’s recall to prison, a spokesman for the Prison and Probation Service told Teesside Live: ‘Prisoners released on licence are kept under tight supervision. 

‘As this case shows, we do not hesitate to put them straight back behind bars if they break the rules.’ 

The Ministry of Justice was approached for comment. 

It is understood that a recall review will now be referred back to the Parole Board to decide if Pearson must stay locked up.

How David Oiaknin Builds Companies for Sustainable Growth

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In many industries, complexity is treated as an obstacle to be simplified or avoided. David Oiaknin sees it differently. For him, the most durable business opportunities often sit inside complicated systems that others overlook. A real estate developer and entrepreneur working across real estate, manufacturing, and technology, Oiaknin has built his career around connecting sectors that are often viewed in isolation. His perspective is straightforward: modern construction relies on manufacturing efficiency, and that efficiency increasingly depends on technology, coordination, and disciplined execution. The businesses that understand those connections can find a meaningful competitive edge.

The Problem With Short-Term Thinking

Real estate and construction are not typically industries short on capital or potential projects. What they often lack, however, is the kind of long-term infrastructure that supports sustainable growth. Companies may expand rapidly when demand is strong, only to face strain when conditions shift. Partnerships are frequently built around individual deals rather than shared operating systems. As businesses grow, the complexity of financial planning, regulatory compliance, procurement, and supply chain management can quickly exceed the systems in place to handle it.

That dynamic leaves many companies in a familiar position: busy, but not necessarily building lasting value. Momentum can look like growth from the outside, but activity without structure is difficult to sustain. In construction and real estate development, the difference between what gets completed and what endures often comes down to the systems behind the work.

Where Execution Becomes Strategy

Oiaknin’s answer to that challenge is not simply another product or short-term fix. It is a methodology centered on creating scalable organizations with repeatable processes, operational discipline, and growth models built to withstand changing market cycles. Rather than optimizing only for favorable conditions, his approach emphasizes performance through volatility as well as expansion.

Within real estate, Oiaknin’s focus includes ADU development and modular construction, two areas where construction technology can help shorten delivery timelines and reduce per-unit costs when it is effectively integrated into the building process. In advanced manufacturing, he applies operational optimization methods more commonly associated with high-output industrial settings to construction-related businesses that have historically been slower to embrace systematized growth.

Across both, technology is not being deployed for its own sake. It is used to potentially enable better decisions, reduce waste, improve transparency, and create organizations that may be capable of consistent performance, even at scale. 

The Disciplines That Set Him Apart

What makes Oiaknin’s profile unique is his mix of expertise in strategic business development, real estate and construction knowledge, manufacturing optimization, and technology integration. That convergence wasn’t accidental. His business growth strategy reflects the belief that the most valuable opportunities in real estate and construction lie outside conventional deal flows. 

They are found in the seams between industries, where manufacturing inefficiency can limit construction output, where technological adoption lags behind operational needs, or where fragmented supply chains prevent otherwise strong businesses from scaling. By structuring companies to address those “in-betweens,” he strives to position them to generate value not just for initial investors, but for partners and customers over the years.

An Optimistic Future

Oiaknin’s focus spans far into the future. His vision is to expand technology-driven real estate platforms, advance off-site and modular construction methods, and build strategic partnerships with investors and operators who share a long-term goal. 

His belief is that sustainable businesses are built through trust, operational excellence, and repeatable actions, not through the pursuit of scale alone. For those looking to learn more about companies designed to compound over time, David Oiaknin’s work is a model worth a look. 

China Threatens America’s AI Lead With an Overlooked Advantage

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China is accelerating its push to build the data centers and power networks needed to fuel artificial intelligence, a rapid expansion that is drawing fresh attention in Washington. While the United States still holds a major advantage in the physical backbone of the AI boom, Beijing’s ability to deliver enormous infrastructure projects at speed has raised questions about how quickly that gap could narrow.

For now, America’s lead remains substantial. The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence’s 2026 AI Index, citing Cloudscene data, reported 5,427 data centers in the U.S. in 2025, compared with 449 in China. Stanford noted, however, that the figures do not reflect key differences such as facility size, computing power or how intensively the sites are used.

Still, the pace of China’s buildout is difficult to ignore.

People visit the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai

Visitors attend the World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai, China, on July 18, 2026. (Go Nakamura/Reuters)

“We know that China is far behind, but we also know that they are moving at great speed,” China expert Gordon Chang told News Media.

Chang argued that Beijing understands the U.S. advantage will be difficult to erase if America continues building at the same pace and said growing opposition to data-center development could slow that expansion.

President Donald Trump made a similar argument this week, warning communities fighting new projects that China stands to benefit.

“China could not be happier with this anti Data Center movement,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Actually, they can’t believe it is happening!” Trump also argued that communities embracing data centers would gain jobs and tax revenues.

Vice President JD Vance sharpened that warning Thursday, telling Fox Business there was “a very good chance” the U.S. could lose the AI race to China if Democrats regain control of Congress.

Vance said the broader problem is America’s ability to build enough power to support data centers and other major infrastructure. “We cannot be a country that says we’re not going to build more power,” Vance said, arguing that the administration is trying to make it easier to construct power plants alongside data centers while protecting residential ratepayers from higher electricity costs.

He also pointed to the widening US-China electricity gap, saying China now generates roughly three times as much power as the United States. “We’ve got to build more power plants. We’ve got to make the regulatory state easier to work with.”

Asked about China’s rapid infrastructure expansion, the Chinese Embassy in Washington rejected the premise that AI should primarily be viewed as a geopolitical contest.

“AI should not be owned by major countries, still less dominated by contests and rivalry,” Embassy spokesperson Liu Chang told News Media.

Liu pointed to China’s 2025 Global AI Governance Action Plan, which calls for accelerating construction of clean power, next-generation networks, computing capacity and data centers. He said China advocates cooperation with the U.S. and wants AI development to benefit both countries and the broader international community.

Behind that diplomatic message, Beijing is undertaking a massive geographic reorganization of its computing infrastructure.

Under China’s “East Data, West Computing” initiative, Beijing is directing more computing capacity toward western regions where land is available and wind and solar resources can help reduce energy costs.

Five of China’s eight national computing hubs are located in western China, according to a June 25 report from the government-backed Digital China initiative. More than 30 data centers were under construction within a three-kilometer area in Horinger, Inner Mongolia, while intensive construction was also underway in Zhongwei, Ningxia.

Huawei Technology Co.’s new data center is seen under construction in Guian New Zone, in southwestern China’s Guizhou province May 14, 2019. Picture taken May 14, 2019. (Reuters)

That buildout caught the attention of members of the bipartisan US-China Economic and Security Review Commission during a recent fact-finding trip to China.

“I left with an intense belief that the Chinese see this as the frontier in terms of competition,” Commission Vice Chairman Mike Kuiken told News Media, describing AI as increasingly intertwined with robotics, biotechnology, advanced materials and manufacturing.

Kuiken said China has one significant advantage when it comes to constructing the infrastructure needed to support that technology.

“The Chinese, because they write the rules as they go, and the rule of law largely does not exist, are able to just move faster in terms of building things,” he said.

But Kuiken also identified a major Chinese weakness: access to the most advanced chips.

“The constraints that are real though, the Chinese do not have the ability to procure advanced chips,” he said, while describing Beijing’s ability to rapidly construct coal plants and other infrastructure as “quite incredible.”

Service technicians work to install the foundation for a transmission tower at the CenterPoint Energy power plant on June 10, 2022 in Houston, Texas.

The AI boom is accelerating demand for data centers across Texas as companies seek more space, power and infrastructure to support increasingly intensive computing needs. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

The U.S. retains major advantages beyond its data-center lead. The Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence’s 2026 AI Index found that America produced 59 notable AI models in 2025 compared with 35 from China, and U.S. private AI investment reached $285.9 billion, compared with $12.4 billion in China. Stanford cautioned that private investment figures understate Beijing’s overall spending because of Chinese government-backed funds.

At the same time, Chinese models have rapidly narrowed the performance gap. Stanford’s 2026 AI Index found that as of March 2026, the top U.S. model led the top Chinese model by just 2.7%.

Chang also alleged that Beijing is seeking to exploit American opposition to data centers and claimed China-linked networks have helped support protests against projects in the US. “These protests are not entirely organic,” Chang told News Media.

Kuiken was cautious about portraying those local disputes as part of a broader anti-China fight, saying genuine U.S. opposition to data-center projects has also emerged over concerns including electricity costs, water use, noise and land development.

“We are building things in the U.S. faster than we have in a long time,” he said, adding that policymakers are working through infrastructure constraints. “Usually there are local issues that are driving those things.”

The emerging competition, therefore, is not simply over who develops the smartest AI model.

Robots fight during an MMA-style performance at Engine AI booth at the 2026 World Robot Conference, in Beijing, China,

Robots fight during an MMA-style performance at Engine AI booth at the 2026 World Robot Conference, in Beijing, China, August 19, 2026. (Maxim Shemetov/Reuters)

It is increasingly a race over who can build the electricity, data centers, chips and networks needed to run those models at enormous scale — and how quickly they can build them.

Trump Trade Official: Britain Choosing Brussels Over America

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A senior trade figure in Donald Trump’s administration has delivered a sharp message to Britain, claiming the UK is squandering the opportunities of Brexit and effectively picking “Brussels over America.”

Jamieson Greer, the United States trade representative, said the UK had not made the most of leaving the European Union, arguing that ministers were continuing to shadow EU regulations while keeping parts of the British market difficult for American exporters to access.

Speaking to the Financial Times, Greer said that was the conclusion Washington had drawn from its dealings with London. He recalled telling UK officials: “You’re free of the EU. Why don’t you liberalise a little bit, accept goods made to American standards, accept agricultural goods made to American standards?”

But, according to Greer, the response from the British side has often been cautious. He said officials had indicated they needed to “wait and see what the EU says about it,” adding that such an approach was “a problem” for the United States and made trade talks more difficult.

When asked directly whether Britain was using Brexit to strengthen its trade position, Greer gave a terse answer: “No, they’re not.”

Six years after the UK formally left the European Union, both sides have been pushing for a deeper relationship with each other. 

All the while, Trump has been rattling longstanding allies by threatening to impose harsh tariffs on the EU, seize the Danish territory of Greenland and curb America’s support for Nato. 

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has signalled his intent to get closer to the EU, telling parliament on Wednesday that Brexit has hurt the UK. 

Donald Trump announcing his initial round of tariffs at the White House in April last year

Donald Trump announcing his initial round of tariffs at the White House in April last year

At a London meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday, he promised to work on the ‘UK’s drive to get closer to Europe’.

Mr Burnham has promised to sign a deal that would remove border checks on UK food and drink exports to the EU, as part of the UK’s ‘reset’ with the continent. 

These rules require Britain to comply with strict EU food standards that the US has long seen as protectionist and against their interests. 

Many US products, including chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-raised beef, cannot be sold in the UK, meaning that Mr Burnham’s deal would effectively block the UK from importing American food items. 

On top of this, the UK has also pushed back on US demands that the government recognise American industrial goods standards. 

Despite these problems, Mr Greer said he has a ‘good relationship’ with UK business secretary Jonathan Reynolds, and that an early trade deal between Washington and London was ‘beneficial to both sides’ and a ‘good early harvest’.

But he said that the main ‘sticking points’ in talks between the two Western nations were over agricultural and farm goods. 

He said: ‘The UK has had free access into the US agricultural market, where we’ve had very limited access on the US side into the UK agricultural market.’

Jamieson Greer, the United States trade representative, (pictured, centre) has accused the UK of failing to take advantage of Brexit by aligning with EU rules

Jamieson Greer, the United States trade representative, (pictured, centre) has accused the UK of failing to take advantage of Brexit by aligning with EU rules

Last week, sources told the Mail that Canada is looking to expand its trade links with Britain as its latest trade war with the US pushes it to other allies and wean itself off its southern neighbour.   

‘I think if you asked anyone in the government, they would all say they are very supportive of this CANZUK idea,’ one source said, adding the UK and Canada had a ‘historic opportunity’ to bolster trade ties, saying both had become ‘estranged’ from their largest trading partners, the US and EU respectively.

While the change of Prime Minister and cabinet reshuffle had made trade discussions ‘difficult’, Canadian diplomatic sources were upbeat, saying: ‘Burnham’s government is relatively new and finding its feet, but in preliminary discussions we’re sensing a real openness and desire to move on that.’

Britain is Canada’s third-largest trading partner but talks to ramp up that co-operation have taken on fresh urgency after Donald Trump announced a fresh wave of tariffs on the country after a previous spate of levies last year.

RHOC Recap: Tamra’s Divorce Bombshell, Vicki’s Ring Fury

RHOC Recap: Tamra Reveals Eddie Threatened Divorce Amid Fight, Vicki Lashes Out Over Engagement Ring Rumor as Shannon Declines One-on-One Meeting With Tamra

On this episode of The Real Housewives of Orange County, the women are juggling birthday celebrations, bruised feelings, and the ongoing work of repairing friendships. Of course, with this cast, nothing stays simple for long. The Tres Amigas are still not completely back on solid ground, and Heather finds herself needing to answer for behavior the group sees as judgmental.

Getting older is also becoming a hot topic among the ladies. Emily, Gina, and Tamra get candid about menopause, with Tamra revealing that she is planning a “night of seduction” with Eddie after admitting their sex life has been going through a bit of a dry spell.

Carmella, Jenn, and Heather connect over the emotional milestone of sending children off to college before the conversation shifts to Heather’s tension with Emily. Heather feels as though criticism is coming at her from every direction, though she insists she is not being overly sensitive. As Heather grows closer to Carmella, the rest of the group starts questioning what is really behind the sudden friendship.

The confusion stems from Heather previously making comments about Carmella to Tamra, only to now turn to Carmella for real estate advice. Gina, who is also a real estate agent and considers herself a stronger friend to Heather, cannot make sense of the shift. She is especially unwilling to let it slide after recalling that a drunk Heather called Carmella trashy in Vegas — and now appears eager to become her new best friend.

Vicki is not really being herself lately and the ladies wonder if Vicki is editing herself because of her boyfriend, Michael. Vicki is very clearly hiding him from the group, but why?

Gina goes on to say that Vicki told her Mike has the ring, but there is one stipulation:  he told her, “you’ve got 90 days to not piss me off” and then he will propose. If she makes him mad before 90 days, the countdown starts all over.  Talk about a threat! Her boyfriend is dictating the terms of this relationship and it’s weirding everyone out. Now they are questioning if he really is this good guy Vicki claims he is and Tamra wonders if perhaps he DID already propose, but took it back.

Vicki is focused on taking care of her life so she can whoop it up more with her boyfriend. According to Vicki, they talk about their future often, but because she is still working, it’s becoming hard. Michael calls her out for “talking a big game” about slowing down with work.  Vicki questions their life plan and Michael runs off from the camera at that exact moment. Interesting…

Because Shannon mentioned she was lonely, the ladies have decided to throw her a birthday surprise.  Heather and Jenn are the first to arrive at Shannon’s house with balloons in tow.  Gina, Emily, and Carmella enter posing as pizza delivery and Vicki and Tamra round out the surprise.  Shannon is feeling extra special (especially since she did just have a random make-out sesh with a guy) and she is hopeful for a great year.

It comes to everyone’s attention that Shannon is going to lunch with ONLY Tamra (dos amigas?- gasp!) and Shannon becomes a little uneasy.  In the past, one on one time with Tamra never ended well for Shannon and so she begins to question this plan that she agreed to.

Jenn visits with her sons and tries to uplift them as they try to navigate their feelings.  Her sons do a great job advising one another, which is refreshing to see.

Tamra’s seduction weekend is underway.  In an attempt to spice things up, she has reserved a hotel room for her and Eddie to rekindle their flame. Tamra is working hard to save her marriage, especially since Eddie did mention that it might be time to file for divorce.  She is promising not to let this marriage go and Eddie is open for time to focus on each other. 

Later, Shannon admits to Tamra that she is not comfortable having a one-on-one with her, and so she is trying to get Vicki to join the date.  Tamra is annoyed because Shannon is being wishy-washy, but agrees to a tres amigas lunch to celebrate Vicki’s birthday.

Shannon is not trying to push this rekindled friendship with Tamra too quickly, so she is looking forward to being with Vicki on her birthday with Tamra.   But, instead of going to lunch with them, Tamra joins Jenn, Heather, and Emily for lunch. Tamra is annoyed that she tried with Shannon, so she just sent flowers from “Tamra Grudge” to Vicki.  Tamra did not even tell Shannon and Vicki she was not coming.  Shannon now realizes that Tamra truly has not changed.

Over at the dos amigas lunch, Vicki learns that the rumor is swirling about her ring.  Vicki is aghast that anyone would think that Michael gave her an engagement ring, but then took it back…and she is more annoyed that Tamra is giving this rumor life. Vicki knows that Michael would never put up with this kind of drama.

It’s time for Heather to fess up for sh*t talking Carmella.  Sure, she likes Carmella now, but Emily demands Heather admit to calling her trashy.  Heather claims she pre-judged Carmella and feels badly for talking negatively.  Emily explains that Heather’s extreme behaviors toward Carmella are weird and Heather is adamant that she will talk to Carmella about using this word trashy,

Jenn is hosting a garden party and has invited an intuitive reader along for the ride. Vicki explains that her birthday was good, but quiet…and things are awkward once Shannon arrives, considering Tamra blew her off the day before. 

The reader begins her spiritual journey with the group and of course there are naysayers amongst them.  Jenn believes the universe gave her the word fearless and Shannon thinks that it told her to stop worrying.  Emily wrote down guilt and Heather wrote down confident, particularly about her friendships. And Gina is beyond irritated about Heather using Carmella as her realtor, but is trying to hold back.

Heather takes Carmella aside to admit that she f*cked up by being judgmental and calling her trashy. Heather apologizes for pre-judging and they decide to move past things. That was almost too easy! 

The ladies sit down for some snacks and toast Vicki, the birthday girl. Tamra addresses the elephant in the room: Shannon is still not comfortable with Tamra. Tamra still believes that Shannon is the one who started the demise of their relationship and in the midst of their fight, Shannon falls into a sneezing frenzy. Shannon acknowledges that Tamra has been kind to her, but she needs time to heal. 

Gina blurts out that she told Vicki about the engagement rumor. Vicki gets insanely defensive and is also mortified because Michael is going to freak once he learns the ring has become a topic of conversation. Vicki makes it clear that he is private and that she is sick of Heather constantly interrupting her while she is trying to make a point.

However, at the end of the day, why is Vicki’s boyfriend hanging onto a ring and not proposing? Vicki tries her best to diffuse the situation as the party wraps up.  But before they leave, Carmella gifts Shannon and Vicki with some VERY generous treats…but this time, no vibrators…

TELL US – THOUGHTS ON THIS EPISODE OF RHOC?

Lindsay Clancy’s Secret Wheelchair Message Sparks Fury

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Why Mamdani’s Equity Agenda Could Put NYC’s Kids at Risk

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New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services deserves one thing: consistency.

For years, the agency has argued that “systemic racism” is the core problem undermining its work. Now, under Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s newly released citywide Racial Equity Plan, ACS is leaning even harder into that claim.

The trouble is that agency leaders have yet to produce solid evidence backing that diagnosis — while the solutions being promoted risk leaving more children, regardless of race, exposed to serious harm.

The plan, released Tuesday, states that “racism and biases” against black and Hispanic families “influence the reports made to the Statewide Central Register,” arguing that racial disparities appear “at the earliest stages of child welfare contact.”

Its proof? Last year, black and Hispanic families accounted for 36.1% and 46.2% of SCR intakes, respectively, while white children represented 6.3% and Asian children 3.6%.

But the fact that black kids are reported at higher rates is not prima facie evidence of racism: Black children are more than twice as likely nationwide to be the victims of maltreatment as their white peers and 12 times as likely as Asian children.

More From Naomi Schaefer Riley

Nationwide, black children die as a result of abuse and neglect at more than three times the rate of white children.

In other words, one would expect families to be reported for abuse and neglect at higher rates if they actually are abusing and neglecting (not to mention killing) their children at higher rates.

In response to these disparities, ACS proposes to make race and ethnicity a central focus of its function, by classifying cases finely and releasing more data disaggregated by race.

The one piece of information it doesn’t intend to disaggregate by race is data on child victims of abuse and neglect.

Moreover, the agency’s extensive list of “Racial Equity Goals” includes not a single mention of lowering child maltreatment rates.

Reducing racial inequity trumps reducing abuse and neglect every time.

The plan says: “There are many instances where a family is reported to the state unnecessarily . . . as a child is not in danger of maltreatment, and the family would be better served by supportive services or concrete resources rather than a child protection response.”

How many instances? It gives no answer — but the agency is nevertheless committed to reducing these reports.

ACS will promote “a citywide culture shift among mandated reporters” — teachers, nurses, cops and others — “from ‘when in doubt, call the SCR’ to ‘you can support a family without having to report a family,’ when a child is not in danger of maltreatment.”

But as the spate of tragic deaths in families known to ACS has shown, the agency seems to have no idea when a child is in danger of maltreatment.

By 2034, ACS pledges also to “ensure that more than 30% of cases are diverted to the CARES program,” its “non-investigatory” child-protection pathway.

It calls CARES “a core strategy for combating racial disparity and promoting social justice . . . by shifting low-to-moderate risk cases away from a traditional investigation to a collaborative and less intrusive response for families.”

But again, it’s not clear that ACS knows which cases are low-risk.

Meanwhile, by telling teachers and others not to report problems like chronic absenteeism, or kids coming to school hungry or without being bathed, ACS is blinding itself to kids in danger.

These are often signs of serious dysfunction in a family, commonly resulting from addiction or untreated mental illness

By suppressing reports, ACS cannot make proper decisions about when a family needs intervention.

Instead, ACS plans to give families more “concrete supports.”

They want to open more Family Enrichment Centers, for instance, stocked with resources like laundry facilities.

Yet parents engaged in chronic abuse or neglect of their children are unlikely to voluntarily walk into an FEC — and free washing machines won’t stop their behavior.

Finally, ACS’s goals for the city’s juvenile-justice population, of which it’s also in charge, are equally wrongheaded.

The agency promises to strengthen “restorative justice” practices in secure detention facilities — that is, have perpetrators sit down with the victims of their crimes to talk it out, instead of imposing real consequences.

Again, the purpose of this ACS plan is to reduce racial disparities in punishment; that’s why the agency nowhere acknowledges that restorative-justice techniques are ineffective in reducing recidivism.

Indeed, over the last half-decade when these tactics have been employed, juvenile recidivism in the city is either up or stable.

ACS has been plagued by woke and ineffective policies for years now.

Now it has a mayor who is equally committed to them.

Naomi Schaefer Riley is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Holly Willoughby’s Fall From Grace: How She Lost Her TV Crown

Monday April 17 2023

Phillip Schofield and his This Morning co-host Holly Willoughby had been expected to return to the sofa together after Schofield took time away from the programme to give evidence as a witness in the trial of his brother, Timothy, who was convicted of child sex offences.

Addressing the case, Schofield says he “no longer has a brother” in response to the charges against Timothy.

Although Schofield returns to This Morning as planned, Willoughby is missing from the ITV daytime show after contracting shingles, keeping her off air for a week.

Wednesday May 10 2023

The Sun reports Schofield and Willoughby are ‘barely speaking’, as ‘insiders’ claim their relationship had ‘cooled’ and issues had ‘rumbled for some time’. 

Thursday May 11 2023

Schofield hails Willoughby as his ‘rock’ while admitting ‘the last few weeks haven’t been easy for either of us’.

Monday May 15 2023 

Schofield and Willoughby continue to present This Morning together, but viewers are worried by an apparent loss in chemistry between the pair, who continue  discussing headlines, with neither making statements regarding an apparent ‘feud’. 

Saturday May 20 2023 

Schofield confirms his departure from This Morning with immediate effect, having hosted the show for more than 20 years. 

Sunday May 21 2023 

Following Schofield’s departure, ITV confirms that Dermot O’Leary and Alison Hammond will take over presenting duties for the next instalment of This Morning on Monday May 22. 

Meanwhile, Holly Willoughby takes early half-term leave. She is expected to return to the show on Monday June 5. 

In his departing statement, Schofield said that This Morning had 'become the story'

Holly Willoughby thanked Schofield for his 'knowledge, his experience and his humour' in her reaction to his exit

The pair both commented on Schofield’s departure from the show, with Holly Willoughby saying: ‘The sofa won’t be the same without him’

Monday May 22 2023

In the first This Morning show since Schofield’s departure, his former colleagues Hammond and O’Leary praise him for being ‘one of the best live television broadcasters this country has ever had’. 

Friday May 26 2023

Schofield admits to having a relationship with a much younger man who worked with him on This Morning, and later lying about it.

In a bombshell statement to the Daily Mail, the veteran TV presenter admitted that he and the man began a relationship that was more than a friendship. The ex-TV presenter describes this as ‘unwise but not illegal’.

He also admitted lying to The Mail on Sunday, the Daily Mail’s sister paper, which first exclusively described his relationship with the younger man earlier this month.

In his grovelling apology, Schofield said: ‘I am making this statement via the Daily Mail, to whom I have already apologised personally for misleading, through my lawyer who I also misled, about a story [sic] which they wanted to write about me a few days ago. 

The Mail is aware of the younger man’s identity, but has chosen not to name him. 

Saturday May 27 2023 

Responding to Schofield’s statement regarding his affair, an ITV spokesperson said: ‘Further to our statement last night, ITV can confirm that when rumours of a relationship between Phillip Schofield and an employee of ITV first began to circulate in early 2020 ITV investigated.

Willoughby takes to Instagram to vent her anger about the situation, saying Phillip lied to her about the affair. ‘When reports of this relationship first surfaced, I asked Phil directly if this was true and was told it was not,’ she wrote on Instagram. ‘It’s been very hurtful to now find out that this was a lie.’

Sunday May 28 2023

Former This Morning resident doctor Ranj Singh says ‘the issues with This Morning go far beyond’ Schofield and describes it as ‘toxic’. 

He states he ‘took his concerns right to the top of ITV’, with a spokesperson responding that, although the broadcaster was ‘sorry’ to hear his comments, an investigation found there was no evidence of bullying.

Willoughby replaced Fern Britton as This Morning host in 2009, and had worked alongside Schofield until his departure from the show in May 2023 

Monday May 29 2023

Elaborating on his claims regarding the antics of Schofield, Mr Holmes said: ‘Thursday was playtime when he and Phillip would hit the town and then he obviously stayed overnight. There are records to show that he was brought in the next day separately in cars paid for by ITV.’ 

Schofield subsequently took to social media to defend himself and the show he presented for more than 20 years

Posting on Instagram, Schofield stated: ‘Now I no longer work on This Morning I am free to say this. I hope you have noticed that it is the same handful of people with a grudge against me or the show who seem to have the loudest voice. This Morning is the best show to work on, with the best people. In all the years I worked there, there was no toxicity’. 

Tuesday May 30 2023 

Claims emerged that Schofield’s younger lover received a financial settlement from ITV. 

The Daily Mail is told that he was given a payment following the end of the on-off relationship, which Schofield described as ‘unwise but not illegal’.

ITV insiders said bosses at some level must have known about any payment. One added: ‘There have been numerous pay-offs at ITV and they have always had to be arranged and sanctioned by people of some seniority.’ 

Wednesday May 31 2023

A clip of Schofield downing whisky with his younger lover on the set of This Morning reemerges. 

The Christmas-themed segment, which aired in 2016, saw Schofield and Willoughby trying out alternative advent calendars while Schofield’s lover – w as a runner on ITV – was in the background dressed as an elf.

With Schofield delighted by the ‘smooth’ drink, he turned to his festively dressed lover and asked, ‘Do you want some?!’

After the younger man took a sip, he joked: ‘Let’s get the elf smashed!’

On May 31, ITV were forced to call in investigators to get to the heart of the Phillip Schofield scandal.

In a humiliating climbdown after a crisis staff meeting, the broadcaster said it was bringing in a barrister to ‘carry out an external review to establish the facts’, plunging the future of This Morning into doubt.

Thursday June 1 2023 

Jane McDonald is announced as Schofield’s replacement to present the British Soap Opera Awards at The Lowry in Salford. 

Meanwhile, it is revealed that Schofield is selling the flat where he used to spend ‘Playtime Thursdays’ with his younger lover, it has been claimed.

Schofield would take his junior colleague for secret trysts at the property before the studio runner left the next morning in a taxi paid for by ITV, Eamonn Holmes has claimed

Schofield would take his junior colleague for secret trysts at the property before the studio runner left the next morning in a taxi paid for by ITV, Eamonn Holmes has claimed

The former This Morning presenter, 61, and his wife Stephanie, 59, are said to have put the ‘immaculate’ two-bedroom penthouse in south London on the market for £1.2million – the same price they paid in 2012 when it had just been built. 

A listing appears to show the asking price has now been reduced by £100,000.

It is also revealed that the former This Morning star’s eldest daughter Molly only found out about her father’s statement to the Daily Mail in which he admitted lying over the relationship with the man just minutes before the story broke. 

Friday June 2 2023 

Phillip Schofield says he is too frightened to go out as he fears he will be spat on in the street following his departure from the show, in a lengthy sit-down BBC interview. 

He also reveals that he will not use social media again following the fallout from the affair. 

Monday June 5 2023 

Holly Willoughby returns to This Morning for the first time since the affair, saying she felt ‘shaken, troubled, let down and worried’ about the events that led to Phillip Schofield’s departure from the ITV programme.

Eamonn Holmes launches a fresh attack on Phillip Schofield, insisting he doesn’t believe the former ITV star’s claim that he has made ‘one mistake’ in his 40-year career.

Speaking on his GB News programme, Phillip’s former colleague Eamonn called for ‘anyone watching today who has kissed Phillip Schofield, let us know’.

Holly returned to This Morning on Monday June , marking the first time she presented on the show since Phillip Schofield's admission of an affair with a 'much younger man'

Holly returned to This Morning on Monday June , marking the first time she presented on the show since Phillip Schofield’s admission of an affair with a ‘much younger man’

Tuesday June 13 2023

Willoughby appears to snub her former This Morning co-host in a string of social media posts.

The presenter, 42, uses her Instagram Stories to post a beaming selfie with temporary co-host Dermot O’Leary.

Wednesday June 14 2023 

ITV boss Dame Carolyn McCall admits she failed to launch a formal investigation into Schofield’s affair when rumours emerged within the network. The chief executive is among three broadcast bosses grilled by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee in the wake of the presenter’s departure. 

Saturday August 26 2023

Reports say Holly has spoken to the barrister in charge of the independent inquiry into the Schofield scandal.

Saturday September 2 2023

A trailer for the channel’s new daytime schedule, which starts on Monday, shows Ms Willoughby smiling for the cameras as she prepares to take to the famous This Morning sofa. 

Monday September 4 2023

Holly returns to This Morning following her long break, with viewers calling the moment ‘cringeable’.   

Coast Guard Seizes 47 Bales of Suspected Marijuana Worth $2.4M From Go-Fast Vessel

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The U.S. Coast Guard seized more than a ton of suspected marijuana valued at over $2.4 million after crews stopped a suspicious high-speed vessel during a patrol, military officials said.

According to Joint Interagency Task Force South, crews later recovered 47 bales along the boat’s suspected route. The packages weighed a combined 2,082 pounds.

Four people were detained following the interdiction, JIATF-S said.

Officials said the operation began as a routine patrol when the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba spotted what they described as “a suspicious go-fast vessel” and deployed a boat crew to take a closer look.

Coast Guard crews recovered 47 bales of suspected marijuana

Coast Guard crews recovered 47 bales of suspected marijuana weighing a combined 2,082 pounds and valued at more than $2.4 million, according to Joint Interagency Task Force South. (Joint Interagency Task Force South)

“The vessel stopped without further incident,” JIATF-S said.

During follow-on operations, Coast Guard crews discovered what officials described as a “bale field” along the vessel’s prior track and recovered the suspected marijuana, valued at more than $2.4 million.

“This mission required vigilance, professionalism, and seamless coordination from detection and pursuit to evidence recovery and search-and-rescue support,” JIATF-S said.

Suspected marijuana seized during drug bust

Coast Guard crews discovered what officials described as a “bale field” along the vessel’s prior route before recovering 47 bales of suspected marijuana. (Joint Interagency Task Force South)

JIATF-S did not specify where the incident took place, but thanked the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba and Joint Rescue Coordination Center Haiti for their “timely support, search assistance, and coordination throughout the operation.”

The drug seizure comes amid the Trump administration’s ongoing campaign targeting narcotics trafficking networks in the Western Hemisphere.

U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) touted the operation, saying the “bust is another demonstration of the United States’ resolve to stop the flow of dangerous drugs into the homeland.”

This week, SOUTHCOM said it conducted two operations in which U.S. forces intercepted and sank vessels in the Eastern Pacific that the military said were tied to Los Choneros, which it described as a violent narco-terrorist organization.

More than $2.4 million worth of suspected marijuana

More than $2.4 million worth of suspected marijuana was recovered during a Coast Guard operation involving a suspicious go-fast vessel, according to military officials. (Joint Interagency Task Force South)

The U.S. military has also been involved in a monthslong campaign launched by the Trump administration aimed at dismantling cartel-linked trafficking networks, including dozens of strikes in the Eastern Pacific and Caribbean targeting vessels it says are connected to “narco-terrorists.”

U.S. officials said the Coast Guard operation disrupted another suspected maritime drug-trafficking effort

U.S. officials said the Coast Guard operation disrupted another suspected maritime drug-trafficking effort as authorities target narcotics networks across the Western Hemisphere. (Joint Interagency Task Force South)

The latest seizure follows another major Coast Guard drug bust off the coast of Puerto Rico last month.

The Coast Guard intercepted a suspected smuggling boat nearly 50 miles off the coast of the U.S. territory and discovered more than 7,000 pounds of cocaine worth about $54.5 million.

Five people aboard the suspected smuggling vessel were detained and taken into custody as part of that investigation.