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Daily Mirror
5 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Bucktin: 'Doddery Donald Trump forgets key fact in his rush to roast'
All the maddest, baddest and best bits of the US news agenda this week - from Trump's self-own to sex toy thievery Doddery Donald Trump publicly roasted Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell this week, blaming Joe Biden for putting him in the job. 'He's a terrible Fed chair,' Trump fumed. 'I was surprised he was appointed, surprised, frankly, that Biden put him in and extended him.' From behind the Resolute Desk, Trump slapped Powell with the nickname 'Too Late', accusing him of dragging his feet on interest rate cuts and claiming any pre-election moves were an attempt to boost Kamala Harris or Biden. Sadly for Trump, it was he who nominated and appointed Powell during his first term in office. Apparently, the only thing slower than Powell's rate cuts is Donnie's memory. *** A paranormal investigator dropped dead Sunday while touring with the infamous haunted Annabelle doll. Dan Rivera, 54, was leading the sold-out 'Devils on the Run Tour' in Gettysburg when medics were called to his hotel. CPR failed to revive him, said his team at the New England Society for Psychic Research. Annabelle remains… suspiciously silent. *** In Key West, a woman allegedly maced another driver after her attempt to let a chicken cross the road ended in poultry tragedy. According to police, 38-year-old Cynthia Sosa stopped at an intersection to let the bird strut across. Another driver, clearly not clued into chicken etiquette, honked, overtook her, and ran over the bird. Furious and fowl-tempered, Sosa allegedly chased the car down, blocked it, and tried to yank open the door. When that failed, she reportedly reached for her can of bear mace and sprayed the other driver straight in the face, declaring she was going to 'teach her a lesson.' Safe to say the chicken did not make it across the road. *** The White House praised the In-N-Out burger chain for switching to '100% beef tallow' as part of Trump's 'Make America Healthy Again' plan, only to learn this week it was an April Fools' joke from a fan account. Turns out the only thing rendered was credibility. *** A Florida man is facing felony charges after allegedly stealing $280 worth of sex toys - and a $3.98 peanut butter ice cream from a Walmart. Jeffrey Laforge, 40, reportedly raided the adult aisle in South Pasadena twice, pocketing a $31 'tush toy' and a $14 'oral stroker,' then waltzing out without paying. Store cameras caught the action, but not the climax. *** A Texas OnlyFans model says she's getting hymen restoration surgery to return to her Mormon roots - and insists it's what her late husband would've wanted. Holly Jane, 42, known online as 'your favourite next-door', says the divine idea came to her during prayer. 'I'm not doing this to undo my past but to honour how far I've come,' she said. The mother-of-three was reportedly booted from her church after they discovered her NSFW side hustle. Now she hopes the surgical reset will help spiritually wipe the slate clean.
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Business
- Newsweek
National Park Protesters Unveil Giant Elon Musk Bust
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A large bust of Elon Musk complete with the slogans "MAKE AMERICA WAIT AGAIN" and "Now With Longer Lines Thanks to DOGE Cuts!" was spotted on Saturday at Arches National Park in Utah. Newsweek contacted Musk, via the Tesla and SpaceX press offices, and the National Park Service for comment on Thursday via email outside of regular office hours. Why It Matters Musk headed up the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) between January 2025, when it was established by President Donald Trump, and April, when he stepped back from the role before dramatically falling out with Trump in early June. DOGE oversaw significant cuts to federal employment, including by the National Park Service, as it sought to reduce government spending. However critics argue it has had a negative impact for national park visitors. The bust seen on Saturday shows there are still those who want to blame the cuts specifically on Musk, despite his recent criticism of the president over his "Big Beautiful Bill" spending package. What To Know The white sculpture of Musk's head was spotted sitting on a trailer near the entrance to Arches National Park, off the U.S. 191 on Saturday Speaking to Mormon media outlet Deseret News, Nancy Charmichael, a park visitor who photographed the bust, said it was around 12 feet tall and was moved to different points around the park during the day. Four photographs of the bust attributed to Charmichael were shared on X by local network KSL 5 TV. A bust of Elon Musk was seen in Arches National Park. According to the tipster that saw it, "it was probably ten or twelve feet tall and had a self-satisfied smirk and a big sign that said, 'Make America Wait Again' and 'Longer Lines Thanks to DOGE Cuts.'" 📷Nancy C — KSL 5 TV (@KSL5TV) July 14, 2025 The sculpture was mounted on a flatbed trailer being pulled by a white Dodge pickup, with a wooden perimeter around Musk's head and the slogans written on a board in front of his face. Speaking to Business Insider, Karen Henker, an acting public affairs specialist for Arches National Park, said "lines to get into Arches are very common and have been for years." She added that lines to get into the park have not been longer in 2025 than in previous years. A visitor to Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, photographs the park's best known attraction, Delicate Arch. A visitor to Arches National Park near Moab, Utah, photographs the park's best known attraction, Delicate Arch. Robert Alexander/GETTY According to the campaign group National Parks Conservation Association, 24 percent of the National Parks Service's permanent employees have lost their jobs since January. On Tuesday a House subcommittee marked up the 2026 fiscal bill for the Department of the Interior, Environment and Related Agencies. The Coalition to Protect America's National Parks, an advocacy group, said this will cut the National Park Service's budget by $176 million. What People Are Saying Discussing the bust with Deseret News Charmichael said: "I think everyone thought it was kind of cool. I don't think anyone was upset. Maybe it was meant to be a serious thing, but personally, I just thought it was funny and something you don't see every day." In a statement earlier this month the National Parks Conservation Association said: "The park staff who remain are being asked to do more with less, and it's simply not sustainable." What Happens Next It remains to be seen if Saturday's bust sighing will be a one off or if the Musk sculpture will make further appearances, either at Arches National Park or other sites.
Boston Globe
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Steve Benson, provocative editorial cartoonist, dies at 71
In an interview in 2017 with KJZZ Radio in Phoenix, Mr. Benson said that 'the role of an editorial cartoonist is not really to give the bottom line on anything, because all we want to do is kick bottoms and, and if it incentivizes people to jump into the -- into the riot -- then that's great.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'I don't aim to please,' he often said, as his mantra. 'I just aim.' Advertisement In criticizing President Trump's insistence on extending barriers along the US-Mexico border in 2018, Mr. Benson depicted President Reagan speaking before a wall topped by concertina wire and saying, 'My fellow Americans, don't build this wall.' It was a takeoff on Reagan's speech in front of the Berlin Wall in 1987, when he famously invoked Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in declaring, 'Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!' In one of the 10 cartoons that earned Mr. Benson the 1993 Pulitzer in editorial cartooning, Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir of Israel and Secretary of State James Baker are standing beside a graveyard of Jews whose tombstones say they were killed by terrorists. Shamir asks, 'I suppose you're going to blame us for this growing Jewish settlement, too, Mr. Baker?' Advertisement Another was that of a starving Somali child whose torso takes the shape of an hourglass with its sand having nearly run out; it appeared at the time of a US-led United Nations military intervention in Somalia. He had been a finalist for the prize in 1984, 1989, and 1992 and would be again in 1994. Mr. Benson grew up in a Mormon family, a grandson of Ezra Taft Benson, the president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1985 until his death in 1994 and the secretary of agriculture under President Eisenhower. Steve Benson's cartooning and religious faith clashed when he often lampooned Evan Mecham, a conservative Republican who was the first Mormon to be elected governor of Arizona; Mecham served only 15 months, stepping down when he was convicted of two charges of misconduct in an impeachment trial in the state Senate in 1988. While in office, he rescinded the holiday that honors the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Mr. Benson, who had early on been a supporter of Mecham's, ultimately portrayed him as a 'paranoid pipsqueak whose ethics rose no higher than his socks,' The New York Times wrote in 1988. His cartoons rankled his Mormon relatives -- he was excluded from a Thanksgiving dinner at his in-laws' house -- as well as Mecham, who called to tell him that his work violated the Ten Commandments. Advertisement Even more, Mr. Benson was ousted as a local church official in 1989 after his cartoon, 'The Second Coming' -- drawn after Mecham said he would run for reelection in 1990 -- showed the governor descending from heaven holding a volume titled 'The Book of Moron, by Ev Mecham.' In 1993, Mr. Benson and his wife at the time, Mary Ann Benson, announced that they had resigned from the church. Steve Benson said he had become an atheist. He also moved from conservative to liberal in his politics, expressing his new leanings with cartoons that supported civil, transgender and abortion rights and Native Americans. Stephen Reed Benson was born Jan. 2, 1954, in Sacramento and grew up in Salt Lake City; Richardson, Texas; and Fort Wayne, Ind.. His father, Mark, was the president of a division of Saladmaster, which makes cookware. His mother, Lela (Wing) Benson, was a music instructor. Steve's early drawing talent was nurtured by his paternal grandmother, Flora Benson, who arranged for art lessons. As a teenager, he enrolled in an art correspondence course, on a scholarship, and submitted work all through high school (in Richardson and Fort Wayne). One summer job in high school was caricaturing customers at the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park. After serving a two-year Mormon mission in Japan, Mr. Benson entered Brigham Young University, where he was a political cartoonist for the student newspaper The Daily Universe. He started as a graphic arts major but switched to political science when he 'realized that he needed a bigger canvas,' Ferguson, his wife, said. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1979. He was hired by The Arizona Republic, based in Phoenix in 1980. In 1990, he left for The Tacoma Morning News Tribune in Washington state, but returned to the Republic a year later. Advertisement Mr. Benson stayed at the Republic until 2019, when he was laid off; he then joined The Arizona Mirror, a nonprofit news website, which preserves his cartoons online in 'Benson's Corner.' The collection includes a cartoon of the Statue of Liberty standing on a map of Arizona and saying, 'I'm here to help you guard your reproductive rights.' After Mr. Benson's death, Jim Small, the editor of The Arizona Mirror, wrote in a tribute, 'His work was as ubiquitous as it was powerful, and it not only sparked water cooler conversations in workplaces across the state, but it sometimes actually drove news cycles.' Mr. Benson retired in late 2023. In addition to his wife, he leaves his daughter, Audrey Benson Nuamah, and his sons, Brent and Eric, all from his first marriage, to Mary Ann Christiansen, which ended in divorce; his brother, Michael; his sisters, Stacey Ann Reeder, Margaret Ferry, and Mary Richards; and seven grandchildren. Another sister, Stephanie Benson Young, died in a car accident in 2022. Another daughter, Rebecca Benson, also from his marriage to Christiansen, died in 2018 when a vehicle struck her bicycle. Steve Benson found a fan in Queen Elizabeth II after he portrayed her as rain-soaked, wearing galoshes and carrying a dripping umbrella to Buckingham Palace after her West Coast tour in 1983, which coincided with severe rainstorms. A palace guard asks her, 'A pleasant trip, your majesty?' A spokesperson said that she had been amused by the cartoon and asked Mr. Benson for the drawing. Mr. Benson told the AP that 'as one of the queen's loyal subjects' he would make an exception to his rule against giving away originals. Advertisement This article originally appeared in
Dominion Post
16-07-2025
- Sport
- Dominion Post
COLUMN: Think Provo, Utah is not a Big 12 road trip worth taking? Think again
MORGANTOWN — My feet were dangling, suspended over a 500-foot drop. I wasn't scared. 'Wow,' I said. I was surrounded by miles of Utah's beautiful mountains, a lake and waterfalls. After a couple of moments, I accelerated my zip-line trolley forward, moving at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. It was one of the coolest experiences while visiting Provo, Utah. In 2021, BYU was one of many schools announced to join West Virginia in the Big 12 for athletics in the future. Fast forward a couple of years, and BYU is about to begin its third year in the conference. The Cougars have already made an impact in athletics, and don't show signs of slowing down. BYU landed top-rated basketball recruit, A.J. Dybantsa, and was ranked the highest Big 12 team in the Learfield's Director's Cup. BYU has made a surge in football, too. In 2024, the Cougars finished 11-2 and tied for the best conference record. If BYU quarterback Jake Retzlaff didn't recently transfer, it'd be a Big 12 contender this season, and still may be. On Oct. 3, Rich Rodriguez's Mountaineers make the 1,700-mile trek to play BYU for the third time and first time in Provo, Utah, as a member of the Big 12. Provo will be new territory for a lot of West Virginia fans, so what should they expect? I spent three days in Provo, learning what the town of 113,000 people has to offer for Mountaineer fans if they make the trip. At first glance, Provo's a Mormon town with strict rules, and more importantly for sports fans, no alcohol. While alcohol might not be as easily accessible as it is in Morgantown, there are some places where you can get a drink. Mormons do come in bunches, but it plays to the benefit of how friendly the community is. You could say that won't be the case when Mountaineer fans roll into town for the game, but BYU is one of the few schools that offer free ice cream after the first quarter to visiting fans. Provo might be stereotyped to have a lot of rules, but there's also a lot of fun to be had when visiting. If you are making the trip for the Friday night game, here are a couple of highlights from my trip that might be of interest. MOZZ Artisan Pizza Located right in downtown Provo, it specializes in craft pizzas, which are sourdough. I had the Serrano Honey pizza, which had that sweet and a little bit of spice. It was easily consumable by one person and will run you under a little under $20. It could be shared with guests if not so hungry. Black Sheep Cafe One of the highlight restaurant spots on the trip. It's a Native American-style restaurant, but it has your usual lunch and dinner foods. I recommend the Navajo Pork Tacos, and so will everyone in the town if you talk about Black Sheep Cafe. It's another place in downtown Provo, and it was busy, so I'd recommend getting a reservation in advance. Ernies Sports Deli This is a place for sports fans. There are pool tables and televisions everywhere. This is another spot in downtown Provo. There were a lot of options for lunch and breakfast sandwiches, and it wasn't too crowded. Backdoor BRGR This was a classic burger spot just a couple of blocks down from MOZZ downtown. The burgers were a bit small, but they had a neat Western vibe. Strap Tank Brewery This place is where West Virginia fans can get the alcohol fix. This is a classic brewery with fill-you-up bar food and craft drinks. I didn't try any of the drinks, but the drinks menu looked like it had a bit of everything. This place is a bit outside of downtown Provo, so a car or a rideshare will be needed. Bearclaw At the top of Sundance is a little restaurant with some entrees but more shareables. It's not a place to center a whole meal around, but good for a quick bite with an amazing view. Sundance Owl Bar There are two restaurants at the base of Sundance Mountain, and this is the 21-plus option. This bar has food, cocktails, and all beers are brewed in Utah. There's sometimes a band that plays, and on nice days, an option to sit outside. There's also a nice little stream surrounding the outside. Swig/Sodalicious One of the things Utah is most known for is its craft sodas, and something I didn't know about before arriving there. How it works is you choose a base soda like Coke, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, etc., and then there are a couple of options where they add different flavorings to it. It's like a virgin cocktail, if that's easier to understand. Sodalicious is walking distance, and Swig is a little car trip outside of downtown. Vinci Gelato There are a couple of Gelato places around downtown. Vinci was a mile walk from downtown and had a lot of different options. It was a bit on the pricey side, but it was a nice little establishment with an outdoor seating area. Top Golf There are Top Golf places everywhere, but there's no Top Golf place I've seen with a better view. The driving range looks right into the beautiful Utah mountains. Dreamwalk Park This was one of the coolest experiences on the trip, and I highly recommend it. It's inside a mall, and the backstory is that it was created by a sci-fi set builder, whose movie was scrapped because of the pandemic. The trio of Brad Skaar, Ben McPherson, and John Pope decided to make the scrapped sets into an interactive experience. It's hard to explain without actually experiencing it, but if you like movies like Star Wars, Avatar, or Indiana Jones, you'd appreciate this experience. The whole experience can take you only an hour or as long as two hours. There are games at the end and interactivity all over the park. Great for all ages. Herber Hatchets I didn't get to experience this, but I wanted to include it as an option. It's an axe-throwing place with a couple of bays that's located under Backdoor BRGR. High County Adventures If it's a nice day, this is a beautiful and peaceful experience. Provo River runs through the valley, and there's a section that you can either tube or raft on. You can take in the beautiful mountains and scenery in either a tube, a raft or a guided tour. The water is freezing, though, because it comes from a reservoir, even when it's 90-plus degrees outside. Ziplining This was by far the coolest experience on the trip. At the top of Sundance Mountain Resort, three ziplines run from the top of the peak to the bottom. These are self-braking ziplines, allowing you to control your speed and take in the scenery, including Mt. Timpanogos, which is the ninth-tallest mountain in Utah. This experience is very pricey, but if you have the money to spend, I highly recommend it. Art Studio Sundance For the more creative people, there's an art shop at the base of Sundance Mountain. The art shop has classes on making pottery, perfume, candles, painting, soap, glass, pretty much anything art-related. The candle-making class wasn't long, and it wasn't too expensive. Y Hike This hike definitely wasn't for the weak. It's pretty steep, but a very doable hike that's very active and not too long. Even with frequent stops, I completed the hike in 90 minutes. It might seem daunting, but the view over Provo was worth it. You might be sore the next couple of days, though. Stewarts Falls Hike I ran out of time for the Stewarts Falls hike. It's located at Sundance Mountain. It's not as steep as the Y Hike, but it has a little more distance. From the zipline, the waterfall looked really pretty.
New York Post
16-07-2025
- New York Post
James Craig, dentist on trial for wife's poison murder, claims victim was emotionally manipulative, unstable
As prosecutors attempted to paint a Colorado dentist as a calculated killer who poisoned his wife to pursue a new romantic life, the defense took a dramatically different route by portraying his wife of 23 years as emotionally manipulative and mentally unstable. Dr. James Toliver Craig, 47, is charged with first-degree murder in the March 2023 death of his wife, Angela Craig, a 43-year-old mother of six. Her cause of death was determined to be lethal doses of cyanide and tetrahydrozoline. In opening statements Tuesday in Colorado, defense attorney Ashley Whitham acknowledged the couple's rocky 23-year marriage but described Angela not as a victim of betrayal, but as someone who was emotionally broken, deeply private and at times manipulative. 'You're going to hear her own daughter describe her that she was also manipulating words,' Whitham revealed to jurors Tuesday. 'Again, that if she wanted to try to get something, she would be manipulative.' The Colorado couple's marital strife was laid bare in Tuesday's opening remarks. Prosecutors pointed to his relationship with a Texas orthodontist, Dr. Karin Cain, as the motivation for the murder. Cain has not returned Fox News Digital's requests for comment. The defense said the 47-year-old husband had extramarital affairs throughout the couple's marriage. 'Karin Cain was just like the others. This wasn't some new obsession,' Whitham said. 4 Dr. James Toliver Craig is charged with first-degree murder in the March 2023 death of his wife. AP 4 Defense portrayed his wife of 23 years as emotionally manipulative during the trial. AP Along with a series of affairs, Craig also allegedly used the website advertising himself as 'Jim and Waffles' and claiming a net worth of $10 million in search of 'sugar babies.' Whitham described Angela as an 'extremely private' stay-at-home mom of six who, due to her deeply held Mormon faith, was reluctant to share the couple's marital issues. She claimed Angela was isolated and someone who was 'not about to tell people about her marital struggles' and who was 'broken.' Defense attorney Kelly Hyman delved into the dueling strategies as the high-stakes murder trial kicks off. She noted that the defense's strategy to cast Angela as manipulative and unstable plays into their aims to create reasonable doubt and reframe the context. 'By doing so, the defendant implies that [he] wasn't responsible,' she explained to Fox News Digital. 'That could go to the heaty of the defense that Angela killed herself and that it was suicide.' 4 Angela Craig, a mother of six, was poisoned with lethal doses of cyanide and tetrahydrozoline. Summerbrook Dental Group/Facebook While prosecutors argued Tuesday that Craig's alleged Google searches, chemical orders and romantic messages to his alleged mistress amount to premeditation, Hyman warned that speculative interpretation of digital evidence isn't always a slam dunk. Every morning, the NY POSTcast offers a deep dive into the headlines with the Post's signature mix of politics, business, pop culture, true crime and everything in between. Subscribe here! 'A way to do this is to challenge admissibility and the reliability of the digital evidence. This can be done on cross-examination or through a defense witness to counter the digital forensic and timeline reconstruction,' she said. The defense argued Tuesday that investigators operated with 'tunnel vision' and failed to investigate other leads. The defense said Angela's personal laptop was never seized or searched despite prosecutors showing images of her using it from her hospital bed to research symptoms. 'The defense could argue that the unexamined laptop may contain information supporting an alternative theory of events or potentially pointing to another person and/or a different timeline,' Hyman said. 'This omission may suggest an incomplete and/or biased investigation.' Hyman also noted that the absence of direct physical evidence, such as cyanide residue on containers or packaging, could work to the defense's advantage. 4 Craig also allegedly used the website advertising himself as 'Jim and Waffles' and in search of 'sugar babies.' Summerbrook Dental Group/Facebook 'The absence of direct physical evidence like poison residue on the protein shake containers or the victim's body presents a key argument for the defense to use,' she said. Investigators alleged in court documents obtained by Fox News Digital that, in the weeks before his wife's hospitalization and death, Craig used a dental office computer to search for 'undetectable poisons' and how to obtain them, later purchasing arsenic and cyanide by mail, 'how many grams of pure arsenic will kill a human' and 'is arsenic detectable in an autopsy?' Alongside these online searches, investigators alleged Craig made YouTube queries such as 'how to make poison' and 'Top 5 Undetectable Poisons That Show No Signs of Foul Play.' Fox News Digital has reached out to James Craig's lead attorney, Lisa Fine Moses, for comment.
