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Inside the Revolution: How a Tycoon and Activist Transformed the House of Singham into a Powerhouse of Change

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In Part 1 of a comprehensive Fox News Digital series, we delve into the financial foundations of a transnational network accused of conducting psychological warfare against Americans, purportedly on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.

As radical American activists rally in Cuba to bolster its struggling communist government, U.S. authorities have launched an extensive probe into a nonprofit network with anti-American and pro-China leanings. This network reportedly came into existence during a wedding celebration in late February 2017, set against the scenic backdrop of Runaway Bay on Jamaica’s northern shores.

Under the rustling palm trees, a select group of activists, academics, celebrities, and political strategists gathered to honor the “Revolutionary Love” between two prominent figures, both aged 62: Neville Roy Singham, a tech magnate of American origin residing in Shanghai, and Jodie Evans, a seasoned activist with fiery red hair and co-founder of CodePink Women for Peace.

Much like the seminal scene in “The Godfather,” where influential families consolidate their influence, this wedding was about far more than personal vows. 

Spanning four days of lively dancing, thought-provoking lectures, and late-night discussions at locales such as the Flavor Beach Bar and Sharkey’s Seafood, the gathering in honor of “Roy and Jodie” forged alliances destined to influence protests, civil unrest, and political movements over the coming years. From the intense demonstrations in Minneapolis in 2020 to current rallies supporting the Cuban and Iranian regimes, the impact is evident.

That weekend, Vijay Prashad, an academic described in the official wedding itinerary as a “Marxist intellectual,” spoke on a panel, “The Future of the Left.” Medea Benjamin, Evans’ friend and CodePink co-founder, danced barefoot at the wedding in a bright Indian outfit.

Jodie Evans and Neville Roy Singham

On Feb. 14, 2018, Jodie Evans, co-founder founder of CodePink, and Neville Roy Singham, founder of Thoughtworks, attend “V20: The Red Party,” a 20th anniversary celebration of V-Day and The Vagina Monologues, featuring a performance by playwright Eve Ensler and an after-party at Carnegie Hall in New York City. (Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images)

Mao’s Blueprint for the ‘People’s War’

According to sources, the wedding attendees invoked the teachings of Mao Zedong, the 20th century Chinese Communist Party leader who ruled China with an iron fist, inspired by Karl Marx and Vladimir Lenin, and they discussed how to mobilize the masses to wage a Maoist “People’s War.” 

“The revolutionary war is a war of the masses,” Mao said in 1934.

Many were themselves relics of the Cold War, growing up before the Soviet Union was dismantled in 1989.

A months-long Fox News Digital investigation pinpoints the Jamaica wedding as a starting point for launching a network of organizations that is today waging a new “People’s War” on America, aligned with the Chinese Communist Party’s geopolitical ambitions to eclipse the U.S. as a superpower through economic programs like the “Belt and Road” initiative, realizing the vision of China’s ideological godfather, Mao, through trade partnerships, economic deals and pro-China propaganda.

National security experts call it cognitive warfare.

Over almost a decade, Fox News Digital has learned, Singham and Evans have activated a global network that now numbers an estimated 2,000 hard-left organizations that parrot anti-U.S. propaganda supporting autocratic regimes leading China, Russia, Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Venezuela and Gaza. Within activist circles, far-left critics refer to leftists who align with authoritarian regimes as “tankies.” Many groups and leaders from Singham’s network, including Evans and Benjamin, are part of the pro-communist convoy now in Cuba.

Fox News Digital has established a documented $278 million that flowed from Singham into organizations that “sow discord” in the U.S., as House Ways and Means Chair Jason Smith put it recently at a hearing on foreign malign influence in the nonprofit industry.

According to the data, Singham created a base from which the U.S. is now one of the world’s most prolific exporters of radical pro-China communist ideology. Singham and Evans didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Xi Van Fleet survived the Cultural Revolution

Writer Xi Van Fleet survived Mao’s brutal Cultural Revolution. (Xi Van Fleet)

‘Mao’s Dream for a People’s Army’

Xi Van Fleet, a Chinese American who survived Mao’s purge of innocents during the Cultural Revolution, told Fox News Digital that Singham and Evans are following the communist dictator’s playbook.

“Neville Roy Singham and his wife, Jody Evans, are bringing into the 21st century Mao’s dream for a People’s War,” Van Fleet said.

Mao’s doctrine of the People’s War emphasized long-term struggle through decentralized networks, ideological indoctrination and the mobilization of civilian institutions rather than direct military confrontation. 

“They are bringing to the streets America’s worst nightmare of a Red Army that is seeking to destroy the United States and make China more competitive on the world stage,” said Van Fleet, the author of “Made in America: The Hidden History of How the U.S. Enabled Communist China and Created Our Greatest Threat.”

Neville Roy Singham and Mao

Neville Roy Singham advocates the communist ideology of Mao Zedong, founder of the Chinese Communist Party. (Jim Spellman/WireImage)

‘Adorable Troublemaker’

Singham grew up familiar with Mao’s dictates.

He was born in mid-May 1954 in Middletown, Conn., the son of Archibald Singham, a Marxist-Leninist scholar of Sri Lankan heritage, and Shirley Hume, who also adhered to far-left ideology. By his own account, he joined the League of Revolutionary Black Workers as a teenager and worked at a Chrysler assembly line in Detroit. 

FBI agents once attempted to interview him at the Chrysler Eldon Avenue Plant, noting in their report that he was “potentially dangerous” because of his “background, emotional instability” or role in groups involved in harmful activities “inimical to U.S.,” according to a copy of the FBI report released by the House Ways and Means Committee.

According to the FBI report, Singham told the agents, “I don’t want to talk to you,” and walked away.

Singham quietly built his Thoughtworks technology company through the 1990s. Meanwhile, Evans was campaign manager for Democratic politician Jerry Brown’s losing 1992 California governor’s race. 

After they exchanged vows in Jamaica, Evans called Singham her “adorable troublemaker,” her “darling Roy” and “adorable husband” in Instagram posts. 

5 Rings, 2,000 Groups

Fox News Digital analyzed 223 transactions that moved $591 million in total across five continents from 2017 through 2025, the latest year available, and found the money flows through five concentric rings of an ideological pipeline that spreads pro-China propaganda:

  • Level 1: Singham allegedly set up a system to funnel tax-exempt dollars through two apparent shell corporations and a donor-advised fund, GS Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc., which is closely associated with Goldman Sachs. Wealthy patrons can hide donations as anonymous, experts say. Revealed here for the first time, Goldman Sachs spokesman Tony Fratto said the company’s philanthropy arm “terminated” Singham’s donor-advised fund in February 2024.
  • Level 2: Singham poured a documented $278 million from the three organizations into six nonprofits – five created virtually overnight with Evans on the board of several and the sixth being Evans’ longtime agitation project, CodePink. The six organizations are BreakThrough BT Media, CodePink, Justice and Education Fund Inc., People’s Forum Inc., People’s Support Foundation Ltd. and Tricontinental Ltd.
  • Level 3: Those six nonprofits have pumped about $163 million into 52 organizations – including themselves – and, importantly, five regions identified only by geography.
  • Level 4: Over this period, 11 groups have distributed $150 million into four nonprofits and five geographic regions, including $23 million to Sub-Saharan Africa.
  • Level 5: The network doesn’t stop where the money trail ends, because 67 core groups partner with hundreds of groups worldwide, creating a network of about 2,000 organizations worldwide.
Jodie Evans and Neville Roy Singham attend a film festival

On April 16, 2016, Jodie Evans and Neville Roy Singham attended the premiere of “Shadow World” at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival at Regal Battery Park 11 in New York City.  (Jim Spellman/WireImage)

Singham Emerges

Last November, Singham walked through the doors of the Golden Tulip hotel in Shanghai for one of his rare public appearances, a two-day “Global South Academic Forum” conference blessed by the country’s ruling Chinese Communist Party, which the government officially calls the Communist Party of China, or CPC.

Videos and images from the conference provide a rare public window into the messaging, symbolism and participants of a network that otherwise operates opaquely.

The opening talk featured Prashad, Singham’s wedding guest, releasing a 172-page treatise written by Singham, chairman of the “International Advisory Board” of Tricontinental, a think tank Singham had funded and one of the conference sponsors. Another co-sponsor was the East China Normal University, which is administered by the Communist Party of China.

In the report, “80th Anniversary of the Victory of the World Anti-Fascist War: Acknowledging Who Truly Saved Human History and Restoring Historical Truth,” which Fox News Digital has uncovered, Singham rewrote the history of World War II to elevate the role of China and the “Global South” in defeating Nazi Germany.

On page 61, Singham blasted the West but held out hope it could be defeated. 

“Socialist peoples and leadership can defeat imperialism in any form – fascist then, hyper-imperialist now – despite every material disadvantage,” he argued. “That victory required genius, courage and unimaginable sacrifice. It also proved something imperialism cannot accept: ordinary people, organised and led with brilliance, can defeat any empire.”

Singham then quoted Mao, saying that the brutal leader “crystallized this truth” in his book “On Protracted War,” when he wrote, “The richest source of power to wage war lies in the masses of the people.”

In the paper, Singham diminishes the deaths of U.S. and British troops and servicemembers, writing that the Soviets and China really won the war with, “59.8% socialists dead, 13.1% colonised peoples dead – only 1% Anglo-Americans dead.”

He also condemns British leader Winston Churchill’s “genocidal impulses.”

About 23 minutes into his remarks, Prashad welcomed Singham on stage with two other colleagues and Singham took a bow to the applause of the audience members and said, “Thank you, comrades, friends.” 

In a video of the event, unearthed by Fox News Digital, Singham railed against “the fascist lie” of the West that “there is a battle between fascism, democracy and communism.”

Singham articulated a view of global power that challenges the Western understanding of World War II and the postwar international order.

“Fascism is actually a face of capitalism and imperialism, as is colonialism. These are the three faces of a system that is quite now becoming very dangerous for us.”

He didn’t identify “us.” 

In the clip, Singham describes a “rules-based international order” that he argues is built on a “lie” about democracy. The excerpt is included for the purpose of reporting and analyzing the content of his remarks.

He talked about the Americans and “their” failure to hold fascists accountable from the “anti-fascist” war. 

“If we want to, therefore, have a new world order that is based on multilateralism that President Xi and CPC and China have proposed, we have to undo the ideological damage that has been done by the narrative of World War II,” he said, using the acronym for the Communist Party of China, called CCP in the West.

He ended by recognizing Soviet and Chinese fighters who died during World War II, and he urged the group to “honor” them for their underappreciated sacrifice. 

“China has a very important role, and we, in this forum, have a very important role,” Singham said, “that to envision a new order, a new multi-polarity order, requires, quite frankly, the deconstruction, a restorationist history of what really happened, who really suffered. Of those who died, almost 70% of the people who died in World War II were in China and the Soviet Union.”

The comments reflect a broader ideology that reframes historical events and positions China’s communist system as the better alternative to Western “democracy.”

Global South Academic Forum and Neville Roy Singham

Marxist tycoon Neville Roy Singham stands (7th from right) with participants of a Global South Academic Forum he co-sponsored with Tricontinental Institute and East China Nomal University, which is managed by the Ministry of Education and the Chinese Communist Party. His friend and Tricontinental executive Vijay Prashad stands nearby (6th from left), along with Lu Xinyu, a dean and professor at East China Normal University (3rd from right). (Global South Academic Forum)

Asked about Singham, Liu Pengyu, a spokesman for the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Washington, D.C., told Fox News Digital, “I am not familiar with the specifics of this particular case.”

Pengyu added, “As a matter of principle, however, China consistently upholds the principle of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries.”

Trump next to Xi Jinping

President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images)

Asymmetric War Machine

As part of this investigation, Fox News Digital tracked street protests from New York City to Berkeley, Calif., and built a database with thousands of pages of IRS tax filings, corporate records, social media posts, website content and other material. 

The investigation analyzed 1,663 events the People’s Forum hosted from early August 2018 and its most recent gatherings early this year. The events included academics and researchers from at least 225 colleges and universities that are being analyzed separately.

The scale of what the couple built goes far beyond anything previously documented, revealing a network that acts like a transnational, asymmetric propaganda machine. It features a central headquarters, substantial war chest, defined command structure, propaganda wing and street-level foot soldiers. Its operations extend beyond the United States into multiple overseas theaters.

‘Terrorist’

At a protest in Lower Manhattan in early January, David Chung, organizing director at the People’s Forum, and Hannah Priscilla Craig, art, culture and communications director at the People’s Forum, walked away from requests for interviews.

When approached by Fox News Digital at the People’s Forum offices in Manhattan, Brian Becker, a founder of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and the ANSWER Coalition, with operations at the People’s Forum, called the inquiries “witch hunting” and referred to a reporter as “a terrorist.” 

Manolo De Los Santos, executive director of the People’s Forum, compared the scrutiny to the era of Sen. Joseph McCarthy, who conducted congressional hearings into communist infiltration in the U.S. in the 1950s.

Becker’s son, Ben Becker, editor-in-chief of BreakThrough BT News, a propaganda wing of Singham’s network, watched silently.

Soon after, in mid-February, the Global South Academic Forum released a video, “The World Is Small, The South Is Vast,” featuring highlights from last fall’s conference at Shanghai’s Golden Tulip hotel. The video underscores how the Singham network has created a “Revolutionary Base” in which academic discussion blends with historical symbols tied to revolutionary communism.

In the last seconds of the video, Singham stands at attention as a global communist anthem, “The Internationale,” plays, his comrades punching the air with their fists in solidarity.

Trump Extends Deadline Amid Rising Tensions as Iran Threatens Gulf Power Plants

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In a significant development, US President Donald Trump has decided to extend his deadline for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz by an additional five days. This decision comes as both nations report progress in ongoing bilateral talks.

Initially, President Trump had set a 48-hour ultimatum. However, as the clock ticked down to the final 12 hours on Monday night (AEDT), he announced that the discussions between the US and Iran had been “very good and productive,” with a focus on resolving hostilities in the Middle East. These talks, which spanned over the past two days, seem to have provided a glimmer of hope for diplomacy.

In a statement shared via a Truth Social post, Trump expressed optimism about the talks. He stated, “Based on the tenor and tone of these in-depth, detailed, and constructive conversations, which will continue throughout the week, I have instructed the Department of War to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.”

US President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social on Monday, March 23, 2026, extending his deadline for Iran. (@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social)

Despite this announcement, Iran’s Fars news agency offered a different perspective. It reported that there had been no direct communication with the US, nor any through intermediaries. Citing an unnamed source, Fars claimed that Trump’s decision to delay was prompted by the possibility of Iran retaliating by targeting power plants across the region.

Citing an unnamed source, Fars said Trump had retreated after hearing that Iran would respond by attacking all power plants in the region.

Trump’s post immediately sent oil prices tumbling and spiked markets that were trading at the time.

The benchmark Brent crude oil index fell back towards $US100 ($142) for the first time in almost a week after peaking earlier in the day above $US113.

Wall Street futures jumped more than 2 per cent before the market opened while London’s FTSE, and Europe’s STOXX 600 and precious metals also climbed.

Trump Iran deadline update March 23, 2026 (Composite)
Iran had warned it would strike electrical plants across the Middle East if Trump followed through on his threat to bomb power stations threatened to mine the whole Persian Gulf if it was invaded.

The Monday warning by Tehran put at risk both electrical supplies and water in the Gulf Arab states, particularly as the desert nations commingle their power stations with desalination plants crucial for supplying drinking water.

A cargo ship carrying vehicles sails through the Arabian Gulf toward the Strait of Hormuz in the United Arab Emirates, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP)

Tehran says it will mine Persian Gulf if invaded

As concerns grow in Tehran about the potential arrival of US Marines in the region, Iran’s Defence Council warned against the idea of an invasion.

“Any attempt by the enemy to target Iran’s coasts or islands will, naturally and in accordance with established military practice, lead to the mining of all access routes … in the Persian Gulf and along the coasts,” it said in a statement.

The US has been trying to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, to energy shipments. The Marines could come ashore to seize either islands or territory in Iran to support that mission. Israel also has suggested a ground operation could take part in the war.

Trump had said the US would attack Iran’s power stations unless the country releases its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. His self-declared 48-hour deadline was set to expire on Tuesday morning (AEDT) before he extended it late on Monday.

The US president gave Iran a 48-hour deadline to reopen the critical waterway in a post on Truth Social at 10.44am AEDT.
Trump’s initial post on Truth Social warned Iran that the US would ‘obliterate’ its power plants. (Truth Social)

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said on Monday that if the US did that, Iran would respond by hitting power plants in all areas that supply electricity to American bases, “as well as the economic, industrial and energy infrastructures in which Americans have shares”.

“Do not doubt that we will do this,” the Guard said in a statement read on Iranian state television.

The Fars news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guard, published a list of such sites in what appeared to be a veiled threat, including desalination plants as well as the UAE’s Barakah nuclear power plant, which has four reactors out in the western deserts of the country near its border with Saudi Arabia. The judiciary’s Mizan news agency also published the list.

Iran has also said it will completely close the strait if Trump follows through with the threat to attack Iranian power plants.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf also said Iran would then consider vital infrastructure across the region — including energy and desalination facilities critical for drinking water in Gulf nations — legitimate targets.

Missiles launched from Iran streak across the sky over central Israel, early Monday, March 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

‘No country will be immune’: IEA boss speaks in Australia

The threats further raise the stakes of the ongoing war with Iran that has disrupted global energy supplies, sending natural gas and petrol prices soaring.

“No country will be immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues to go in this direction,” said Fatih Birol, the head of the Paris-based International Energy Agency.

He told Australia’s National Press Club in Canberra on Monday that the crisis in the Middle East has had a worse impact on energy markets than the two oil shocks of the 1970s and the Russia-Ukraine war combined.

Jorge Moreira da Silva, a senior United Nations official, said the world has already seen a ripple effect, including “exponential price hikes in oil, fuel and gas”, having a far-reaching impact on millions, primarily in Asian and African developing countries.

“There is no military solution,” he said.

A woman waves an Iranian flag during a campaign in support of the government at the Enqelab-e-Eslami, or Islamic Revolution, square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Sunday, March 22, 2026 (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)

Israel launched new attacks on Monday on the Iranian capital, saying it had “begun a wide-scale wave of strikes” on infrastructure targets in Tehran without immediately elaborating.

United States Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper claimed Iran was launching missiles and drones from populated areas, and suggested those areas would be targeted.

“You need to stay inside for right now,” Cooper told Iranian civilians in the interview with the Farsi-language satellite network Iran International aired early on Monday.

“There will be a clear signal at some point, as the president has indicated, for you to be able to come out.”

Air defences in the United Arab Emirates intercepted a ballistic missile near the Al Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi, and one person on the ground was injured when hit with shrapnel.

Warning sirens sounded in Bahrain and Kuwait, while Saudi Arabia’s Defence Ministry said it had intercepted a missile targeting Riyadh, and had destroyed drones over the kingdom’s oil-rich Eastern Province.

Dr Fatih Birol, Executive Director, International Energy Agency, during an address to the National Press Club of Australia in Canberra on Monday 23 March 2026. (Alex Ellinghausen)

Oil prices up more than 50 per cent since start of the war

Before Trump’s extension, oil prices had remained stubbornly high in early trading, with the price of Brent crude, the international standard at around $US112 ($161) a barrel, up nearly 55 per cent since Israel and the US started the war on February 28 by attacking Iran.

The war has also caused wild fluctuations in global stock markets as traders grow increasingly concerned about a world energy crisis and other issues.

In addition to targeting Israel and American bases, Iran has been hitting the energy infrastructure of its Gulf Arab neighbours.

It also has a tight grip on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which leads from the Persian Gulf toward the open ocean and through which a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped, along with other important commodities.

A trickle of ships has been getting through the strait and Iran insists it remains open — just not to the US, Israel or their allies such as Australia.

US commander says campaign against Iran is “ahead or on plan”

In his first one-on-one interview since the war started, Admiral Cooper said the campaign against Iran is “ahead or on plan” and that the US and Israel were targeting infrastructure and manufacturing facilities to destroy Iran’s capabilities to rebuild its military.

“It’s not just about the threat today,” he said. “We’re eliminating the threat of the future, both in terms of the drones, the missiles as well as the navy.”

He suggested Iran could bring a quick end to the war if it stopped firing back, though did not say whether that would prompt Israel and the US to relent before all infrastructure targets have been destroyed.

Smoke and flames rise from an Israeli airstrike that hit the Qasmiyeh Bridge near the coastal city of Tyre, Lebanon, Sunday, March 22, 2026. () (AP Photo/Mohammad Zaatari)

“They could stop this war right now, absolutely, if they chose to do so,” he said of Iran. “They need to stop putting the wonderful Iranian people at risk by firing missiles and drones from inside populated areas. … They need to stop immediately attacking civilians throughout the Middle East region.”

Iran’s death toll in the war has surpassed 1500, its health ministry has said. In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian strikes. More than a dozen civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gulf Arab states have been killed in strikes.

In Lebanon, authorities say Israeli strikes targeting Iran-linked militia Hezbollah have killed more than 1000 people and displaced more than 1 million. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel.

– Reported with Associated Press and Reuters.

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Southern Hospitality’s Joe Bradley Reveals Shocking Truth Behind Maddi Reese’s Ex and Group Chat Controversy

Joe Bradley is setting the record straight about his supposed involvement in a fabricated rumor concerning Maddi Reese’s ex-boyfriend, Trevor Stokes. Despite his name being linked to the controversy, Bradley insists he played no part in the scheme concocted by his Southern Hospitality co-stars, who initially plotted against his now-girlfriend.

On the eve of the SoHo Season 3 reunion, Emmy Sharrett and Will Kulp informed Reese that it was Bradley Carter who had invented the tale of Stokes’ infidelity during their prior relationship. Although the engaged couple, along with TJ Dinch and Mia Alario, were aware the rumor was entirely false, they didn’t reveal the truth until well after Reese had broken up with Stokes and started dating Bradley.

Although Bradley and his co-stars deny his role in spreading the rumor, a screenshot shown in Season 4 suggested otherwise. It appeared to show him participating in a group chat where the deceitful plan was crafted. In the messages, Bradley seemed to encourage his friends to find “texts” or “camera footage” as proof of the supposed cheating incident involving Stokes.

However, during a recent visit to DECIDER’s studio, Bradley clarified that the screenshot aired by Bravo was misleading. “It wasn’t even the group text related to the rumor,” he explained.

“They excluded me from that group,” Bradley stated. “They knew I was such good friends with Maddi and would have spilled everything after a couple of drinks. My loyalty to Maddi was well-known even before we started dating. I had no involvement with the other group text.”

While Reese was clearly upset over the way she ended things with Stokes, Bradley never once questioned her love for him. These two are the ultimate best friends-to-lovers trope, and while he admits it didn’t feel “the best” to hear Reese talk about how much she cared for Stokes in the fallout from the reunion, he knew she needed that closure.

“It doesn’t really bother me as much as I thought it would,” he said of Reese’s emotional reaction. “I just know how strong our relationship is now and there’s zero threat, zero insecurity from that. I just think she needed to kind of finally come to that conclusion and close this door. That’s what’s frustrating me. I just want to put this behind us. I don’t want to hear that guy’s name ever again. Because we’re moving forward. That’s what this year is all about, right?”

Joe Bradley and Maddi Reese
Photo: Getty Images

Despite what viewers may think, Bradley finds Reese’s reaction to the situation to be the ultimate “green flag.”

“I think a lot of people are [thinking], ‘Oh, red flags. You’re talking about your ex.’ I think it’s a green flag that she has that guilt and she has that heart,” he said. “I’m not looking at it as, like, ‘You’re hung up on him.’ She’s not. She’s hung up on the fact that this horrible thing happened and it made her question a lot of things. But she doesn’t question our relationship.”

Southern Hospitality airs on Wednesday nights at 9 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. New episodes are available to stream the next day on Peacock.

Chappell Roan Addresses Incident Involving Security and 11-Year-Old Fan: Singer Provides Her Perspective

What began as a heartwarming moment for a young admirer quickly turned sour when an 11-year-old girl was left in tears after a security guard confronted her for merely smiling at pop star Chappell Roan. The singer has since clarified that the guard was not part of her entourage.

This incident has ignited a debate about the boundaries between fans and celebrities and raised questions about who is responsible for managing these interactions.

Why Chappell Roan's Security Confront an 11-Year-Old Fan

What Sparked the Chappell Roan Security Confrontation

The event unfolded at a hotel in São Paulo, where Roan was staying for Lollapalooza Brazil. Jorginho, a Brazilian footballer, recounted how his daughter Ada recognized the pop star while they were having breakfast. Ada simply walked by Roan’s table to confirm her identity, smiled, and then returned to her mother, Catherine Harding, without uttering a word or requesting anything.

Shortly thereafter, a security guard approached the family’s table. According to Jorginho, the guard was “extremely aggressive,” accusing the young girl of disrespectful behavior and harassment. The confrontation left Ada visibly upset, and her mother was subjected to a verbal lashing during their meal.

Why Was 11-Year-Old Fan Accused of Harassment

The guard’s accusation of harassment left the family puzzled. Jorginho, accustomed to public interactions due to his career, was astonished that a simple smile and walk-by could be perceived as threatening behavior.

Catherine Harding later clarified that her daughter did not have her phone out and made no attempt to approach the singer directly. She emphasized that the girl was simply excited to recognize someone she admired. The guard allegedly threatened to file a complaint with the hotel management while the 11-year-old sat crying at the table.

Chappell Roan’s Side: Security Guard Not Hers Explained

Roan took to Instagram Stories to share her side, stating bluntly that the guard involved was not part of her personal security detail. She claimed she did not even see the mother and child during breakfast and that no one approached her table or bothered her in any way.

“I did not ask the security guard to go up and talk to this mother and child,” the singer explained. She called it “unfair” for security to assume bad intentions when there was no action taken against her. Roan stressed that she harbors no hatred toward her fans or children, calling such accusations “cr@zy.”

Chappell Roan Apologizes to Mother and Child Involved

Despite distancing herself from the guard’s actions, Roan issued a direct apology to the family for their distress. She expressed genuine sadness that they felt uncomfortable and acknowledged they did not deserve such treatment over a harmless moment.

“I’m sorry to the mother and child that someone was assuming something, that you would do something, and that if you felt uncomfortable, that makes me really sad,” she said. Her apology came after significant backlash, including criticism from Rio’s deputy mayor who announced she would no longer be welcome to perform at a city-sponsored event.

Tragic Plane Crash Forces Closure of LaGuardia Airport

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In a tragic incident, LaGuardia Airport was largely shut down for most of Monday following a catastrophic plane crash, adding to the turmoil already plaguing travelers due to the Transit Security Administration’s funding dilemma.

Officials announced that the Queens airport would remain closed until at least 2 p.m. on Monday to allow for a comprehensive investigation into the devastating crash, which claimed the lives of two pilots and resulted in 41 passengers being hospitalized, with several in critical condition.

In response to the accident, which occurred just before midnight on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration swiftly imposed a ground stop, halting all flights at the airport. Additionally, major access roads to LaGuardia were initially shut down.


Air Canada Express airplane with a severely damaged nose at night.
An Air Canada plane crashed into a rescue truck on the tarmac at LaGuardia Airport Sunday night. Robert Mecea for New York Post

This incident has exacerbated the existing challenges at New York City’s major airports, including JFK and Newark, where passengers have already been enduring extended waits at security checkpoints alongside numerous delays and flight cancellations.

According to sources, the crash involved an Air Canada aircraft that collided with a rescue vehicle on runway 4, resulting in the tragic loss of the two pilots’ lives and injuries to 41 individuals.

The regional jet from Montreal struck the rescue truck, which was responding to a separate incident around 11:40 p.m., officials said.


Two pilots were killed and more than 40 people were injured.
Two pilots were killed and more than 40 people were injured. Robert Mecea for New York Post

“The Port Authority Police Department is working closely with our airline partners as well as federal authorities and will provide additional updates as more details become available,” the airport said in a statement.

Undocumented Immigrant Jose Medina Faces Court in Loyola Student Sheridan Gorman’s Murder Case

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A man facing charges for the murder of a Loyola University freshman is scheduled to appear in court on Monday in Chicago.

The Department of Homeland Security has identified the suspect as Jose Medina, an undocumented immigrant hailing from Venezuela.

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Medina was taken into custody by Chicago police on Friday.

Authorities allege that Medina, aged 25, is responsible for the death of Sheridan Gorman, a student from Loyola University.

Police reports indicate that Medina approached a group of friends near Pratt Boulevard last Thursday, drew a firearm, and opened fire. Gorman was struck in the head and succumbed to her injuries.

RELATED: Family of Loyola student gunned down in Rogers Park speaks out; shooter at large: ‘This was murder’

An attorney representing Gorman’s family releasing a statement, saying in part: “Sheridan was 18. She had her entire life ahead of her-her education, her future, her family, the countless lives she would have touched. All of that was taken in a moment, and there is no way to repair that loss.”

The Department of Homeland Security is urging Illinois officials to keep Medina behind bars, while also issuing an Ice detainer for allegedly being undocumented.

DHS said Medina entered the country illegally in 2023, and was arrested for shoplifting in Chicago that year.

Court records also show that Medina never showed up to court for that retail theft charge, so an arrest warrant was issued.

Medina is now facing first degree murder and weapon charges. His court hearing is later Monday.

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Struck by Lightning Four Times: My Unbelievable Survival Story

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Gary Reynolds, a lumberyard worker hailing from the United States, has survived an extraordinary ordeal, having been struck by lightning four times. He describes feeling transformed internally after enduring these electrifying encounters.

Reynolds’ first electrifying encounter dates back to 2007, and the most recent strike occurred in 2022. These incidents have left him grappling with significant physical and emotional trauma. His experiences highlight the unpredictable nature of lightning strikes, which impact approximately 240,000 individuals globally each year. Of those affected, about 10% tragically succumb to their injuries.

The effects of a lightning strike can vary widely among survivors. While some report intense pain, others suggest that the surge of adrenaline from the electricity coursing through their bodies can dull the sensation. Reynolds’ first brush with lightning happened nearly two decades ago while he was reaching for a soft drink from an outdoor fridge in his garage.

Impacts from being struck by the bolts often vary, with some describing excruciating pain while others claim the adrenaline of the electricity pulsing through the body masks the feeling.

Mr Reynolds was first struck almost 20 years ago while he was grabbing a soft drink from his outdoor fridge in the garage of his home.

Speaking to The Atlantic, he recalled being unable to move from his bed for months  after the surge due to the agonising pain it left him in.

However, it was not only physical pain Mr Reynolds was left with. He also had difficulty concentrating and performing simple tasks became far more difficult than they were before.

‘You still look the same and everything else, but it’s like a different person inside,’ he told the magazine. 

It is estimated that around 240,000 people are injured by lightning strikes across the world every year, with around 10 per cent of people likely to die as a result

It is estimated that around 240,000 people are injured by lightning strikes across the world every year, with around 10 per cent of people likely to die as a result

Mr Reynolds was diagnosed with PTSD as a result of the strike before he was shockingly struck again just 11 months later – despite the chances of such an occurrence being around one in 1.2million.

He had woken up at around 2am with a pulsing headache next to his open bedroom window when he felt a surge go through his hand, half of which immediately turned bright red.

Mr Reynolds recalled how, at that point, he had still not paid his treatment bills from the previous strike which left him unable to seek further help this time around.

This meant his condition quickly deteriorated and he was left feeling dizzy and unable to grip – which impacted his ability to hold a chainsaw at work.

It also affected his family life as he and his wife divorced the following year – just months before their 20th anniversary.

Over time, Mr Reynolds claimed his wife lost sympathy with him and would ask why he was ‘not over this yet’.

It prompted him to move more than 600 miles away to North Carolina with his family, taking up a new position at a lumberyard and eventually remarrying.  

However, he was devastatingly struck by lightning for a third time in 2016 – in his mountainside home on a summer’s afternoon – and a fourth time in 2022 when he was watching TV on his sofa with his grandchildren.

‘It’s like it’s looking for me,’ Mr Reynolds told his therapist. ‘It’s like it’s a living, breathing creature.’ 

In the UK, around 30-60 people – most commonly those often outdoors such as hill walkers, fishers and golfers – will be struck by the electric discharge per year, with between two to three deaths reported.

In the US, since 2006 there have been at least 444 fatalities as a result of a lightning strike, with around 400 people likely to be struck every year in the US.

The combination of intense heats, extreme humidity and sea breezes in locations such as Florida make the US a hotbed for lightning strikes and thus, increases residents’ likelihood of being struck.

In many cases, it is the after-effects of being struck by lightning that often leave people with the most trauma or, in some cases, an even better life.

While some are left with chronic burns, PTSD and nerve damage, others say they have walked away with better vision and miraculously healed injuries.

One anonymous survivor of the strikes, who The Atlantic named as Matt, described how he could barely feel pain or temperature changes due to the severe damage caused to his nerves from being struck by lightning. He has since undergone laser therapy to try and regain some of the sensations.

Matt also previously slept in a Faraday cage, which blocks electricity from conducting through it. To this day he pours salt in his mouth to stop his traumatic intrusive thoughts from taking over.

Another anonymous woman named as Caroline, said she tried a similar tactic but with sour Warhead sweets.

Both reported being unable to sweat after being struck by lightning, no matter how hot it is outside or how hard they exercise.

Caroline is now so exhausted and forgetful as a result of the strike that she has to leave sticky notes as reminders of her to-do list and often needs help to get through her day’s tasks. 

She used to love hosting her family for dinner, but no longer uses her oven to cook because she left it on ‘so many times that I even ended up burning the element out’.

Steve Marshburn Sr, the founder of Lightning Strike and Electrical Shock Survivors International, was struck by lightning aged 25 when he was working at a bank in North Carolina.

For years, he said doctors and even his family did not believe his story and he says he even understands why.

‘It’s so unbelievable that it’s hard to talk about,’ he told the magazine. 

Mr Marshburn Sr now organises a conference for lightning strike survivors to attend, including Mr Reynolds, Matt and Caroline.

One attendee, Susan Deatrick told the magazine: ‘I don’t think luck has anything to do with it, but at the same time, God is in control over everything down to the minutest detail.’

What to know about lightning strikes in Britain…

How many people die from lightning strikes in the UK every year?

Around 30 to 60 people are struck by lightning in Britain per year, with between five and 10 per cent of them dying as a result.

Who are most at risk of being struck?

  • Golfers 
  • Hill walkers
  • Swimmers
  • Construction workers
  • Rock climbers
  • Fishers
  • Boaters
  • Campers
  • Outdoors DIY
  • Agricultural workers

How does lightning strike a person?

There are three main ways of being struck by lightning: directly, as a result of the flash bouncing off another object, or by it pulsing through the ground.

How do I protect myself from a lightning strike?

There are various ways to protect yourself from being struck by lightning.

The first piece of advice provided by experts is to always check the weather forecast before setting off outdoors for the day. 

If camping, for example, it is advisable to choose a site where a tent is not placed at a high point, and to avoid placing poles near other metal objects as these can be conduits for electricity.

It is also important to seek shelter inside a large building or a vehicle, with the inside of cars being a safe place.

Sheltering outside is to be avoided, particularly near trees. However, if you are stuck outside, it is advisable to make yourself as small a target as possible by crouching down with your feet together, putting your hands on your knees and tucking your head in. 

Source: The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents

Sarah Ferguson Refutes Rumors of Joining Reality Show Featuring Cloned Corgis of Queen Elizabeth

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Sarah Ferguson has refuted rumors suggesting she intended to participate in a reality TV series that would feature the cloning of Queen Elizabeth’s beloved corgis.

The 66-year-old former Duchess of York was rumored to have been involved in a show focused on cloning Muick and Sandy, the corgis she and her ex-husband, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, also 66, adopted following the Queen’s passing in 2022.

Sarah Ferguson has denied claims she planned to take part in a reality television series involving cloning Queen Elizabeth’s corgis

Sarah Ferguson has denied claims she planned to take part in a reality television series involving cloning Queen Elizabeth’s corgis

However, in a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for Sarah Ferguson clarified that she opted out of the project after preliminary discussions with Halcyon Studios, which were regarding a more general program about dogs.

The representative explained, “Ms. Ferguson frequently receives various TV offers, particularly for reality shows, which she consistently turns down.”

The former duchess’ representative said: “Ms. Ferguson regularly receives varied TV offers and proposals – often for reality shows which she always declines.”

The spokesperson added “to be absolutely clear” she “declined the proposal” regarding a reality TV show involving the late Queen’s corgis.

They admitted Sarah “received the proposal following some initial conversations with Halcyon media to discuss a potential programme on dogs generally”, but stressed “conversations ended following her declining the opportunity suggested”.

It was reported Sarah had spoken with multiple production companies in the United States in May 2023 about a possible series involving the corgis.

A spokesperson for Halcyon Studios did not respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.

According to the Daily Mail, a synopsis for the proposed show stated: “With the help of a team of scientists and investors, Fergie sets up a company called The Queen’s Corgis, which aims to clone the Queen’s corgis and sell them to other dog lovers around the world.”

It continued: “But as she dives deeper into the world of genetics and cloning, Fergie realizes that her business venture is not without controversy… .”

The synopsis added: “As the series unfolds, viewers will be taken on a journey through the fascinating world of genetics and cloning, as well as the inner workings of the royal family.

“They will witness the highs and lows of Fergie’s business venture, and see how her determination and resilience are put to the test.”

Queen Elizabeth was known for her long-standing affection for corgis, having owned more than 30 during her lifetime. Muick and Sandy were the two dogs that outlived her and were present at her funeral in September 2022.

The corgis have remained a subject of public attention following reports that Sarah and Andrew moved out of their home, Royal Lodge, in February.

Sarah last publicly addressed the dogs in September 2025, sharing an Instagram post in tribute to Queen Elizabeth.

She wrote: “Her Majesty will be forever loved, always missed, and never forgotten.”

Sarah added: “Not a day goes by when I don’t think of the kindness I was unstintingly shown in good times and bad.”

In an interview with PEOPLE in March 2023, Sarah said of the dogs: “They are national icons, so every time they run chasing a squirrel, I panic.”


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Iran’s Bold Warning: Potential Strikes on Gulf Power Plants and Strategic Waterway Blockades Loom

On Monday, Iran issued a warning that it would target power plants throughout the Middle East should U.S. President Donald Trump proceed with his threat to bomb key infrastructure within Iran. Additionally, Iran hinted at the possibility of laying mines across the “entire Persian Gulf” in the event of an invasion.

This warning from Tehran presents a significant threat to the electricity and water supply of Gulf Arab nations, where power stations are often integrated with desalination plants essential for providing potable water in these arid regions.

Smoke and flames rise from an Israeli airstrike that hit the Qasmiyeh Bridge near the coastal city of Tyre, Lebanon, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammad Zaatari)
Smoke and flames rise from an Israeli airstrike that hit the Qasmiyeh Bridge near the coastal city of Tyre, Lebanon, Sunday, March 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Mohammad Zaatari)

In conjunction with this threat, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency released a list of such facilities, highlighting the United Arab Emirates’ nuclear power plant among them. Recently, Iran fired missiles at Dimona in Israel, a site linked to a long-speculated nuclear weapons program. Fortunately, the Israeli installation remained unharmed in the attack.

In response, Israel announced on Monday that it had commenced a “wide-scale wave of strikes” targeting infrastructure in Tehran, though details on the specific targets were not immediately provided.

Tehran says it will mine Persian Gulf if invaded

Amid growing anxiety in Tehran over the possible deployment of U.S. Marines to the region, Iran’s Defense Council issued a stern warning against the notion of an invasion.

“Any attempt by the enemy to target Iran’s coasts or islands will, naturally and in accordance with established military practice, lead to the mining of all access routes … in the Persian Gulf and along the coasts,” it said in a statement.

The U.S. has been trying to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, to energy shipments. Iran has shut the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is shipped along with other important commodities, in response to U.S. and Israeli strikes. A trickle of ships has been getting through the strait and Iran insists it remains open — just not to the U.S., Israel or their allies.

The Marines could come ashore to seize either islands or territory in Iran to support that mission. Israel also has suggested its ground forces could take part in the war.

Trump and Tehran exchange threats

Tehran’s signal is part of a back and forth series of threats that escalated this weekend with Trump saying in a social media post that if Tehran didn’t open the strategic waterway to all ships, the United States would “obliterate” Iran’s power plants. He gave Tehran a 48-hour deadline that expires late Monday, Washington time, further raising the stakes of the ongoing war with Iran that has already disrupted global energy supplies, sending natural gas and gasoline prices soaring.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said Monday that if the U.S. did that, Iran would respond by hitting power plants in all areas that supply electricity to American bases, “as well as the economic, industrial and energy infrastructures in which Americans have shares.”

“Do not doubt that we will do this,” the Guard said in a statement read on Iranian state television.

The Fars news agency, which is close to the Revolutionary Guard, published a list of such sites in what appeared to be a veiled threat, including desalination plants as well as the UAE’s Barakah nuclear power plant, which has four reactors out in the western deserts of the country near its border with Saudi Arabia. The judiciary’s Mizan news agency also published the list.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Iran would consider vital infrastructure across the region to be legitimate targets, including energy and desalination facilities critical for drinking water in Gulf nations.

Oil prices up more than 50% since start of the war

Oil prices remained stubbornly high in early trading, with the price of Brent crude, the international standard, at around $112 a barrel, up nearly 55% since Israel and the U.S. started the war on Feb. 28 by attacking Iran.

“No country will be immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues to go in this direction,” said Fatih Birol, the head of the Paris-based International Energy Agency.

He told Australia’s National Press Club in Canberra on Monday that the crisis in the Middle East has had a worse impact on energy markets than the two oil shocks of the 1970s and the Russia-Ukraine war combined.

Jorge Moreira da Silva, a senior United Nations official, said the world has already seen a ripple effect, including “exponential price hikes in oil, fuel and gas,” having a far reaching impact on millions, primarily in Asian and African developing countries.

“There is no military solution,” he said.

The war has also caused wild fluctuations in global stock markets as traders grow increasingly concerned about a world energy crisis and other issues.

US commander warns Iranians civilians

United States Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper claimed in an interview that Iran was launching missiles and drones from populated areas, and suggested those areas would be targeted.

“You need to stay inside for right now,” Cooper told Iranian civilians in the interview with the Farsi-language satellite network Iran International which aired early Monday.

“There will be a clear signal at some point, as the president has indicated, for you to be able to come out.”

In his first one-on-one interview since the war started, Adm. Cooper said the campaign against Iran is “ahead or on plan” and that the U.S. and Israel were targeting infrastructure and manufacturing facilities to destroy Iran’s capabilities to rebuild its military.

“It’s not just about the threat today,” he said. “We’re eliminating the threat of the future, both in terms of the drones, the missiles as well as the navy.”

He suggested Iran could bring a quick end to the war if it stopped firing back, but did not say whether that would prompt Israel and the U.S. to relent before all infrastructure targets have been destroyed.

Iran’s death toll in the war has surpassed 1,500, its health ministry has said. In Israel, 15 people have been killed by Iranian strikes. More than a dozen civilians in the occupied West Bank and Gulf Arab states have been killed in strikes.

In Lebanon, authorities say Israeli strikes targeting Iran-linked militia Hezbollah have killed more than 1,000 people and displaced more than 1 million. Meanwhile, Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets into Israel.

Rantoul City Schools Host Community Engagement Session: An Invitation to Participate


RANTOUL, Ill. (WCIA) — In an effort to enhance both academic and extracurricular offerings, Rantoul City Schools is inviting residents to a community engagement session later this month.

The school district is focused on aligning its programs and services with the needs of students, families, staff, and the wider community as part of its “District Improvement Plan.” During the session, attendees will participate in small group discussions to evaluate which programs should be maintained, enhanced, initiated, or discontinued.