On the day Taylor Swift tied the knot with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, she faced the heartbreaking loss of her favorite teacher, who had also worked as her security guard.

Kirk Schwabe, aged 69, succumbed to renal cancer on July 3, coinciding with Swift’s private wedding ceremony held at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, according to a report by The Telegraph.

Before his tenure as her security guard, Schwabe served as a Chicago police officer. He later taught criminal justice at Henderson High School in Nashville, Tennessee, where he inspired Swift between 2004 and 2006.

As Swift’s career began to soar in 2009, Schwabe left his teaching role to become her bodyguard, following a request from her family.

In a touching tribute, Swift referenced Schwabe by naming her character’s teacher Mr. Schwabe during her cameo in Garry Marshall’s romantic comedy “Valentine’s Day.”

In an interview ahead of the nuptials, Schwabe recounted to The Telegraph how he once told a young Swift: ‘You’re a superstar. This is not fun and games no more. You are it.’ 

‘Everything keeps going up and up and up, and the sky’s the limit for you.’

But he described watching Swift’s rise to fame as a ‘panic.’

‘If anything happens, I’m the guy,’ he noted. ‘We got four or 500 people in here and I got extra security guards, but I don’t know a lot of those guys who got hired, I don’t know what their qualifications are.’

Schwabe ultimately decided to leave the job after a few years, saying he was burnt out but still loved the singer.

In the years since, his family said he remained immensely proud of everything Swift accomplished and that he was happy for her and Kelce.

His wife, Jane, said he treated Swift ‘like he did his daughters.’ 

Sarah, one of his daughters, added: ‘My dad had a remarkable way of making people feel seen, valued and protected.

‘Whether you were family, one of his students or someone like Taylor whose path crossed his, he cared deeply about people,’ she said. ‘That’s the legacy he leaves behind.’ 

Schwabe also told The Telegraph in his final interview that he was confident his former student chose a good husband.

‘I do trust Taylor’s judgment,’ he said. ‘She knows what’s best.’ 

Swift and Kelce tied the knot in front of 1,000 of their closest friends – including some of the world’s biggest stars – in a colossal blowout at the historic arena in New York City on Friday.

At exactly 7.30pm, the couple shared the news in blockbuster style, lighting up the iconic music venue with video ads which read ‘JUST&T MARRIED!’, a romantic nod to their shared initials.

And now, some of the A-list guests have offered a first glimpse into how the couple overhauled the space into their own fairytale wedding.

Taking to Instagram on Saturday morning, personal trainer Rob Jordan’s wife, Joann Jordan, shared photos of her and her husband taken on the day of the wedding.

One of the snaps showed the couple walking up the large staircase to the party, which was covered in a gorgeous, peach-colored velvet carpet.

Surrounding the stairs were light and dark pink curtains, making the space private and magical.

‘An unforgettable evening in New York celebrating the beginning of a beautiful new chapter for our dear friends, Travis and Taylor. Love was in the air, the city was magical and every detail was simply unforgettable,’ Joann Jordan wrote in the caption. 

AMC CEO Adam Aron also shared how MSG was completely transformed into a ‘secret garden’ for the couple.

In a now-deleted post on X, Aron shared every detail of the night, including the fact that Kelce wore a white tuxedo, while Swift was in a ‘stunning white wedding dress.’

Taylor Swift’s wedding: Read all the top stories

‘It did not look like Madison Square Garden. Immediately upon entry, everything… floors, walls, ceilings… was draped in peach and white,’ Aron wrote, in part.

‘Large blown up pictures of Taylor and Travis at each age, year by year from one year-old to late teenager-hood, were on display,’ his messaged continued.

‘A small portion of MSG was cordoned off, devoid of any notion that that a basketball or hockey game ever shared that space. Somehow magically, someone created an outdoor garden at a lush countryside retreat.’  

‘Everything draped off this time in green and white. Real flowers and I think artificial trees welcomed fifteen rows of maybe 75 or so chairs. They say there were around one thousand attendees, but surprisingly, it all felt intimate and small. Everything was close.’

The CEO described the exchange of their vows as ’emotional’ and ‘charming.’

‘Long, entertaining, personal, charming, emotional, irreverent and endearing explorations by each as to how they met, why they want to be with each other for all eternity, the promises they made in joining their much-beloved two whole families (Kelce’s and Swift’s) as one, and committing to their new mutual life together,’ he wrote.

He emphasized that Swift and Kelce had clearly found their ‘soulmate’ in each other, and guests had witnessed ‘real’ and true ‘pure joy.’

Both the bride and groom were dressed in Christian Dior, Swift’s publicist announced after they said their ‘I dos.’

There were no bridesmaids. Instead, Taylor’s brother, Austin Swift, acted as her ‘man of honor’, and Travis’s brother, Jason Kelce, was the best man.

Jason’s daughters were the flower girls, tossing petals at Taylor’s feet as she made her way down the aisle with a string quartet playing one of her own songs.

George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts and Michael Strahan spilled some more details about the biggest wedding of the year on Good Morning America on Saturday morning.

‘It was really this garden inside The Garden,’ Stephanopoulos said. ‘It was just so beautiful.’ 

‘We can confirm that Stevie Nicks performed,’ his cohost Robin Roberts followed up. 

Roberts and Stephanopoulos both agreed that despite the large guest list, the ceremony was ‘intimate.’

‘It’s hard to imagine that a place that big, and a wedding with such stars, could feel so personal and so intimate,’ Stephanopoulos said.

The guest list included a dazzling array of the world’s biggest stars.

Selena Gomez, Gigi Hadid, Lena Dunham and Dakota Johnson were among the bride’s closest friends there.

Steven Spielberg was also in attendance, and Beyonce and Jay Z are also understood to have attended.

There was also Brad Pitt, Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, Hugh Grant, Graham Norton, Jessica Alba, Tom Brady, Chris Rock and almost every NFL player imaginable.

The guest list also included Zoe Kravitz, Graham Norton, Ethan Hawke, Nelly, Andrew Scott, Ice Spice, Kareem Hunt and Laura Dern.

Eagle-eyed fans clocked some surprise guests and notable absences.

Karlie Kloss, once known as one of Swift’s closest friends, attended with her husband Joshua Kushner.

Swift did not attend Kloss’s 2019 wedding after the pair had a rumored feud over the model’s close bond with the singer’s nemesis Scooter Braun.

Her inclusion on the guest list appeared to signal the pair had patched up their relationship.

However, there was no sign of Swift’s longtime pal Blake Lively, with whom the pop star had a purported falling out over her inclusion in the movie star’s legal battle with Justin Baldoni.

Officials have reported at least 19 suspected deaths linked to the intense heat sweeping across New Jersey, as temperatures continue to climb during the Fourth of July holiday period.

“We observed what we suspect are heat-related fatalities starting as early as Thursday,” remarked Dr. Raynard Washington, the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health, during a press briefing on Saturday. He noted that many of these individuals were found in homes lacking air conditioning.

A historic heat wave has engulfed the metropolitan area as the Fourth of July approaches, pushing temperatures in both New York City and New Jersey to unprecedented levels.

On Thursday, Central Park recorded a scorching 100 degrees, making it the hottest day since 1966 and marking the park’s first triple-digit temperature since 2012. Just last year, the park hit 99 degrees around the same period.

With oppressive humidity and extreme heat, New Yorkers were desperately searching for relief, as real-feel temperatures soared to a staggering 110 degrees.

Big Apple subways have felt like an inferno with temperatures hitting the mid-to-high 90s in multiple subway lines, with real feels breaking 100 degrees and climbing.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has urged New Yorkers to keep their thermostats cranked up to a blistering 78 degrees amid the heatwave.

“New York: it’s hot out there, and the power grid is working overtime to keep us cool, set your AC to 78 degrees, turn off lights/electronics you’re not using, and unplug what you can,” Hizzoner wrote in a post on X.

New York City health officials said there were no confirmed heat-related deaths so far during the current heat wave.

“Tragically, we lose about 500 New Yorkers due to heat-related illness annually. That is why the Mamdani Administration is taking a whole-of-government response to extreme heat,” a city hall spokesperson said in a statement.

Even flash thunderstorms weren’t able to break the heat’s grip on the city.

Heat-fueled thunderstorms with winds of 60 mph punished the metro area and left thousands without power Friday.

Trees were downed onto cars in powerlines in Morris and Monmouth Counties in New Jersey, leaving some beleaguered residents trapped.

Over 10,000 New Yorkers lost power in Queens as a result of the storms.

But despite the cool air brought in from the tempests, the city still neared 100 degrees Saturday ahead of the big fireworks display.

In a surprising turn of events, nearly 100 monkeys managed to escape from a government-operated enclosure in central Thailand, causing a stir in local neighborhoods. As a result, authorities initiated an extensive operation to recapture the primates.

Authorities reported that the monkeys breached a section of the enclosure at the Lopburi Municipality Animal Nursery.

These monkeys had been under the care of local officials after being relocated from Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation. Fortunately, staff managed to prevent over 1,000 other monkeys housed at the facility from escaping.

In response to the breakout, provincial leaders, wildlife officials, and municipal team members scoured local residential areas on Tuesday.

Authorities used food-baited cages to lure some of the escaped monkeys back into custody. Other monkeys, including some of the larger and more dominant macaques, had to be subdued with tranquilizer darts before they could be captured.

Crews repaired the damaged enclosure while officials continued efforts to recapture the escaped monkeys.

Lopburi Gov. Weeraphong Ritrod said the damaged enclosure had been repaired and reinforced to help prevent additional escapes.

He said officials also plan to build a more secure, double-layer enclosure designed to keep dominant monkeys from breaking out in the future.

The governor said the province is also preparing to establish a foundation to help support food costs and improve the monkeys’ welfare.

Mayor Chamroen Salacheep said the monkeys may have escaped because of hunger, extreme heat, overcrowding or their natural instinct to roam.

He also apologized to residents affected by the incident and encouraged anyone whose property was damaged to report it so authorities could assess the damage and determine what assistance may be available.

Lopburi has long been known for its large population of free-roaming macaques.

The monkeys have also caused problems for residents and businesses because of property damage and aggressive behavior. Authorities have worked in recent years to reduce the monkey population through sterilization programs and by relocating some animals to dedicated enclosures.

News Media reached out to the Lopburi Municipality and Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

Trader Joe’s has built its reputation on offering trendy, exclusive items that range from mini pastel tote bags to the ever-popular everything bagel seasoning blend.

Recently, one of their popular items, the ‘Uncured Ham & Swiss Pockets’—delicious croissant pastries filled with uncured ham and cheese—earned praise for their flaky texture and convenient on-the-go packaging.

However, this product hasn’t won over all of its consumers.

In a recent discussion on Reddit, a shopper expressed disappointment, questioning if they received a particularly skimpy version of the pastry.

“Did anyone else notice the ham is just one slice with a tiny bit of cheese?” the customer asked. “The croissant was tasty, but with so little ham, it’s hard to justify.”

The disappointed customer joked that Trader Joe’s should have called it a ‘Croissant, Cheese and Ham Pocket’ instead because of the disappointing pastry-to-filling ratio. 

Trader Joe’s description of their ‘handy pockets’ claims the frozen item makes ‘a wonderfully hearty breakfast, at home or on the go, and they also work quite well as a brunch option, alongside a spread of your favorite eggs and fruit.’

Each box comes with two individually wrapped pockets for $4.99 and must be kept in the freezer.

More social media users chimed in, dubbing the new breakfast option at Trader Joe’s ‘underwhelming,’ especially compared to other options.  

‘I love ham and cheese and was so underwhelmed,’ one Reddit user confirmed. ‘It’s just so bland somehow.’

‘I think this has been my biggest letdown item so far this year,’ another agreed. ‘It could have changed people’s lives.’

Others said their biggest complaint wasn’t the amount of filling at all, but getting the cooking instructions just right. 

‘I find that when I air fry them if do it long enough for the ham and cheese to be warm, the croissant is so overcooked and dry,’ another Reddit user added. ‘But when the outside is perfect the inside is cold. I can’t find a good balance.’

Some were quick to defend the Trader Joe’s item, with one sharing that it’s a ‘pretty standard amount’ of meat and cheese in each pastry. 

‘I wanted to get more for my money so I tried the ones at Costco – now that’s a let down,’ one Reddit user added. ‘Literally had to throw them away. Once you get cooking the Trader Joe’s ones the right away they are amazing.’

It’s unclear how long the ham and cheese pockets will stick around the grocery store, as the grocery chain is known for switching out products based on the season. 

Trader Joe’s, known for its quirky branding and private-label grocery items, first opened in Pasadena, California, in 1967. 

In recent years, the brand developed a cult following, with some social media users claiming it’s their go-to spot for snacks, ready-made frozen meals –  and branded mini tote bags.

According to the company, it plans to continue opening new stores across the United States as demand continues to grow. 

Trader Joe’s added 34 locations in 2024 and a further 43 in 2025, taking its nationwide footprint to more than 600 stores across 43 states.